Prepared Enough?
Reading Guy Kawasaki’s The Art of the Start 2.0. In the “Be Prepared” section of the The Art of Pitching:
“If there’s no projector available when you show up for a meeting, it’s your fault. If your laptop and projector don’t work together, it’s your fault. If the projector bulb blows out in the middle of your pitch, it’s your fault. If you start slowly, seem disorganized, and lose your audience, it’s your fault.”
This resonated well with me as during one of my recent client presentations, I confirmed prior to our meeting that I only needed to bring an HDMI cable as the client have a monitor I could use.
I did not bring my laptop as I have my presentation in my iPhone’s Keynote. Plus, I would be commuting to the location and bringing a laptop was less than ideal for mobility and safety reasons. Hence, I only brought an HDMI cable, a lightning digital AV adapter to connect HDMI cable to my iPhone, and another iPhone which I would use as a clicker for my Keynote presentation.
When I arrived together with my officer, the meeting room we were supposed to use was occupied and we transferred to another room which had a monitor I could only connect with VGA cable.
I racked my brain thinking how I could present effectively as I only had my iPhone and brochures. Fortunately, the officer who was with me brought a laptop which he was supposed to use to take notes while I was presenting.
I borrowed his laptop to present to the client. It was a close call and luckily, there were only two participants hence a laptop sufficed. But since I borrowed my officer’s laptop, he did not have one he could use that time. His preferred medium in taking down notes was through a laptop, and I took it from him due to the situation.
This could be better. The next time I have a client presentation:
- I can bring a laptop with me.
- I can bring a projector with me.
- I can bring a connector suitable not only with HDMI cable but also with VGA
Yes, it’s my fault. Thanks for reminding me Guy Kawasaki.