The following question was asked on LinkedIn recently:
“I am a speaker and I have this constant fight with event promoters who want my slides, some even say it is mandatory to provide the slides in order to speak at the event. Any tips on handling this objectionable request?”
We had already been discussing “slide best practice”, and one emerging rule was never to share your slides before a presentation (though sometimes sharing your slides may be useful, as a general rule it’s confusing and counter-productive). To find out why exactly, click here. When you’re converted, read below for my advice for handling such a request.
1. Argue it out
The reasons for not distributing your slides before you speak are vast and varied. Mostly, we know that it makes our audiences less attentive, distracts them from what’s happening on stage and sometimes hinders their understanding because they remember the slide but not the explanation which went along with it. Event organisers may simply need to understand your reasoning.
2. Co-operate
Is it only the organisers who want to view your slides beforehand? If so, this is understandable and I suggest sharing the slides with them. If they want to distribute them, perhaps they will agree to do so after you’ve spoken. Or, when you’re making your slides, keep in mind that they will be seen beforehand and limit yourself to headlines (think Steve Job’s single word slides). That way your audience won’t be distracted or put off, even if they have the slides in front of them.
3. Compromise
Event organisers want the audience to have something to look at or take away from your presentation. You want to keep your slides a surprise. The best compromise in this case is often to draw up a short (1 page) presentation summary, outlining the structure your presentation will take. This isn’t a script, it’s a taster. At most, include just a final “key points” round-up: the purpose of this document is to get people interested in your presentation, not to replace the need to watch your presentation in the first place.
