Spring Newsletter from Eleni Kelakos Enterprises Ltd

I learned the value of asking "stupid" questions in Mr. Sobel's 9th grade Algebra class: No question was too stupid if it helped you learn, or gave you the tools to do things right. That's pretty much the approach I take when booking and preparing for my speaking engagements. The more I know about what I'm getting into, the less I'm going to be thrown by last-minute surprises! So I ask the client or meeting planner question after question, and I ask them to do the same of me.

With this in mind, here are some questions you might want to consider asking before it's too late to ask them:

1. Can I come to the event early so I can check out the room before the audience arrives?

This is a carry-over from my days as an actress, when I learned the value of spending as much time as possible rehearsing on the stage on which I was going to be performing. It's what I like to call the "home team advantage": We always play better on familiar turf. This means you need to do whatever you can to make an unfamiliar space more familiar.

An hour before the audience arrives, do what it takes to claim the space in which you'll soon be speaking: Walk out onto the stage, plant your feet, and take a few deep breaths; Speak out loud (I often say "I am HERE!" several times, loudly from my diaphraghm) and take note of the room's acoustics. Notice the sightlines from the audience to the stage, and from the stage to the audience- is there anything obstructing your view of the audience or the audience's view of you? Lay out your "props" (i.e. laptop, projector, screen, pointer, water bottle, etc.) to your liking. If there is a podium make sure it is properly placed and that any attached microphone is adjusted to your specifications. Take note of and fix anything potentially hazardous (e.g. the gap in the joining between two pieces of temporary stage; wires or cords that could trip you, or lights that could blind you).

Taking the time to familiarize yourself with the space and "make it your own" will help you feel more in charge and relaxed, making your presentation all the better.

2. Will there be (pick one): a podium/a stage/a microphone/a sound system/stage lights/bottled water/a quiet waiting room/a nearby parking space/etc.?

I found out early (and the hard way) that the worst thing I could do was expect that the things I needed would magically be there. In order to do what I do to the best of my abilities, I ideally need (and ask for): a raised stage; stage lighting (to help give a theatrical feel);a cordless headset mic; a sound system in which to plug my headset mic and my acoustic guitar; a quiet room with a door in which to prepare and chill out; a couple of bottles of unrefrigerated water and a place to park my car as near to the performance area as possible so I can easily unload my props. If the client can't provide all of these things, at least I know well in advance and I can make decisions accordingly. So KNOW WHAT YOU NEED and then ASK FOR IT!!!! And be specific: Ask not only they are providing a microphone, but what KIND of a mic (lavalier? wireless handheld? corded, on a stand? Attached to a crookneck on the podium?) The more you know, the more you will be prepared!!!!

3. Will I have the opportunity to do a sound check/test out the technological elements of my presentation with a qualified sound/tech person?

We've all been driven- drooling and humiliated-to our knees by errant technology: Powerpoints that froze, audio CDs that skipped, microphones that screeched feedback, and vocal sound levels that tore our eardrums into shreds or stayed a dim, inaudible whisper. If these things have happened to you AFTER you've had a decent sound/techo check, then you can chalk it up to someone else's error or to the little techno gremlins that love to pop up and create snafus when cameras roll or audiences are watching. "Stuff" happens, that's life. But LESS "stuff" will happen if you take initiative and do a thorough sound and techno check before the presentation.

Let me repeat that for good measure:

The time to make sure your technology (sound, video, powerpoint, whatever) is working is BEFORE (not WHILE) you speak to your audience. This is especially true if you haven't had the opportunity to work much (or at all) with the equipment at hand. And I'm talking about little things that supposedly go without saying, like making sure the microphone is turned on. Really.

4. Will there be a backdrop? And, if so, what color and what kind?

If you've been swallowed alive by a backdrop that was the same color as your hair and outfit, or watched your audience's attention drift to a large, unwavering screen projection directly behind you that has nothing whatsoever to do with your presentation, you will know that these questions are anything but trivial. Again, knowlege is power, so ASK, ASK and ASK again!

5. "Who or what will be preceding my time onstage?"

Thank God I asked this question when preparing for a recent Christmas event event for a local children's organization. I discovered that I was to follow pizza, candy and then a toy-bearing Santa, in that order.

The client kindly re-structured the itinerary so I could precede Santa, saving me from being unequivocably anti-climactic!!!!

In general, the point I'm trying to make is this: When you are giving a speech or presentation, it's your time in the sun, and your tusch on the line! So STACK THE DECK in your favor by asking the kind of questions that can help you do what you need to do to the best of your abililties.