Whether I like it or not, I am a product of what some would label the “new school.” In high school, my fear was that I would get caught texting rather than passing notes. When I was in college, Facebook told my friends and I about the hottest parties and the bitterest breakups. OMG and LOL aren’t shorthand, but are official words in the English dictionary; and besides the memory of seeing them lined up in the back on my fifth-grade class, encyclopedias are near-extinct thanks to Google.

Essentially, for the majority of my years as a student or on the receiving end of a lecture, I’ve always managed to make it with the easily-accessible World Wide Web.

Which is why when I read Fast Company’s blog by Dre Neisser about giving presentations in the age of social media, I couldn’t help but think about how the Internet and other emerging social media channels have changed the way I learn and share information. Have the rules of engaging an audience – even verbally – changed that drastically? And, what happens now that I could possibly be on the other end as the actual presenter?

Public speaking has never been an easy task for anyone except maybe Bill Clinton.  The fear of boring your audience, overwhelming them with information or flat out freaking them out by doing something weird always bears on the speaker’s mind. Now, with your audience likely to have mobile devices in-hand and real-time access to countless social media channels, the challenges have gotten that much greater. To get a true sense of the impact the Internet and social media has on conference presentations, Neisser asked a few pro-speakers to share their tips.

The result? A few snarky “new” rules for standing out when you’re giving presentations to us tech-savvy kids in the new school at your next industry summit – check it!

 

1.      Don’t panic if they aren’t looking at you.

Although it may be a little intimidating when the audience isn’t giving you their complete and undivided attention, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t all ears. In a world of iPhones, BlackBerrys, iPads and countless other gadgets, we’ve totally adapted to a world of multitasking, and we’re darn good!

2.      Don’t ask for device moratorium

As tempting as it may be to ask the audience to power down their devices, please, don’t. Rather than feeling forced to watch your presentation, social networking platforms like Twitter make it easier – if not more exciting – to follow the convo surrounding presentations. Like the article points out, long before the age of digital devices, handwriting notes on pads and paper was similar to typing it out on a tablet or in a quick tweet. We’ve just found a way to make it cooler.

3.      Realize you may be speaking to millions that you can’t see

… So, don’t be boring. In the age of social networking, the moment you begin speaking, there is potential for your messages to spread through countless Facebook News Feeds, Twitter timelines and blogs alike. Whether saying the right or wrong thing, or forgetting what you meant to say like Rick Perry, it is likely whatever you say will be shared through many networks and can reach thousands of people you’ve never even seen. You’re the expert! So, smile, and say it like you mean it.

4.      The reviews are in – in real time

Rather than waiting to hear from a friend, often simply checking the convo on Twitter through hashtag streams or reading your Facebook News Feed can provide instant feedback. If you can imagine the audience is moved by your every word, chances are they will want to tell you so, or share your wisdom with their friends on their own social networks. For this reason, today’s most effective speakers aren’t just sharing their Twitter handles and Facebook profile usernames upfront, but they are mixing in easy, quick, sharable quotes in their presentations. (Think witty sound bites in 140-characters or less.) Going back through and examining the sound bites that were shared the most can help tailor your messaging and delivery style for future presentations.

The most interesting party of the interview findings is that those who regularly spoke to large audiences and have been deemed “good” at it all have commonalities:

  • They all have distinctive delivery styles
  • None used PowerPoint presentations
  • Most were great story tellers and used humor (LOL!)
  • ALL allowed enough time for Q&A.

What are your tips for presenting to a tech-savvy audience, or if you’re a part of an audience during a conference presentation – do you hop in on the online convo?