If you are like most professionals when you have a client, prospect, conference, or even an internal presentation to prepare, you start thinking about the tools you will bring to the show even more than the content and insight you are meant to be delivering.
Admit it, when you first hear about the venue or room that your treatise is to be delivered from, your mind starts processing questions like:
1. Is there a projection screen?
2. Do I need to bring my own laptop?
3. How is the audio? Will they be able to hear me in the back?
4. How about wifi? There had better be wifi or all bets are off.
And so on.
Unless you are presenting some incredibly complex material, chances are you'll walk into the room armed with more than you really need to make your points. In fact, the 47 powerpoint slides (yes, even the cool ones that have nothing on them but one large black and white image and one big word like 'Strategy' or 'Impact') may not even be necessary.
The 'show' is meant to be you, not the props (apologies to Carrot Top).
The Greek understood this. Take a look at the image on the right. Sure he had his prop as well, the seriously cool 'Pro Football Analysis' chart, but he is clearly the star of the show, and the focus of attention. Admittedly, the 'turtleneck/big gold medallion' look certainly helps, but the Greek definitely seems to strike the right balance between presenter and prop.
I imagine the Greek breaking down that week's big game, running through his analysis of each team's strengths and weaknesses, all leading up to the payoff, the recommendation of what team to place your bet on (of course factoring in the point spread).
The fact that his entire set of presentation materials is open and on display the entire talk doesn't matter. The audience has to pay attention because the conclusion, ('take the Eagles and lay the seven'), is not displayed, you have to listen to the talk to get to the payoff.
A good approach I think, a single chart/slide/drawing on the whiteboard, then just talk from that point on. I am going to try that in my next presentation, I just need to shop for a big gold medallion.
What do you think, could you present 'Greek' style?