What makes a great presentation? More importantly, what are the elements that can destroy a great presentation, even if the content itself is technically sound?
In this session Samantha and Andrew Coates demonstrate seven sins that must not be committed in a presentation, why and how a presentation can suffer from committing them, and how to avoid accidentally committing them.
Ironically, when we practice we deliberately commit presentation sins. We stop, we fix, we repeat and refine. Like elite musicians, dedicated technical presenters typically spend many solitary hours doing this, which of course is necessary to master any content. But none of these practice processes has a place on the presentation stage. In presentation we must trust, believe, create, and keep going in the face of any adversity – a completely different process which in itself must be rehearsed.
In order to give a magnificent presentation, we must PRACTICE giving a magnificent presentation. The only way to do this is by regularly and deliberately creating pressure situations in which we can practice NOT committing the presentation sins.
Covering everything from wrong notes to blue screens of death, this dynamic and multi-talented pair not only break down the elements of successful and unsuccessful presentations, but also outline how one can give a truly engaging presentation every time, no matter how basic or complex the content.
About the speakers
Andrew Coates & Samantha Coates
Andrew Coates
Andrew Coates is a Senior Software Engineer for Microsoft in Australia where he’s worked for over 15 years. His passions include teaching kids to code, learning & using new technology and cricket (don’t ask him about it unless you want to talk about cricket for a LONG time).
Andrew often presents at international conferences on topics as varied as Geographical Information Systems, health statistics and Microsoft development technologies. He is also a regular at Microsoft conferences and events both locally and internationally.
Samantha Coates
Samantha Coates is an internationally regarded pianist and presenter. She is the author, creator and publisher of BlitzBooks, the music education series that has brought laughter and creativity to music theory, sight reading and piano repertoire. Samantha’s passion is helping others to perform well and minimise anxiety. In this session she will show how the performance skills and practice habits of musicians can be harnessed by developers to maximise their success in any stressful situation.
Samantha holds a Bachelor degree in piano performance & has been running her piano studio in Sydney for over three decades. She is passionate about helping students to engage fully with their piano studies, with the goal of a lifetime association with and love of music.
Related videos
