<![CDATA[Even a Nerd Can Be Heard - Nerd Talk]]>Sun, 04 Jan 2009 18:41:39 +0700Weebly<![CDATA[Talkin' and sweatin'? ]]>Sun, 04 Jan 2009 18:13:28 +0700http://www.evenanerd.com/1/post/2009/01/talkin-and-sweatin.htmlI'm all for exercise, and of course I want you to accomplish something during my presentation but I think this is going a little too far. 

According to an article from the Associated Press, the latest thing is to have "walking conference rooms" where everyone in attendance at your meeting or presentation is working on either a treadmill or an elliptical machine - while you talk.  Now as the presenter, I don't think I would be all that effective trying to breathe, sweat, watch my calories, and figure out what to say - all at the same time. And who looks good in sweat pants anyway? How do you maintain a professional delivery when you're working on one of those machines. This whole idea just scares the crud out of me. I'm not afraid to admit it.

If you thought it was hard to keep people's attention when they are texting, image what it will be like to keep their attention while they are exercising. Sweating, huffing, puffing, grunting - none of that sounds like great background noise for a presentation. 

Besides, if you must combine two things in one event, I'm more inclined to go with this event : 

The Krispy Kreme Challenge which involves a two mile run from NC State to the Krispy Kreme store where you consume a dozen donuts and then run the two miles back to NC State. Even though NC State is my arch rival as a UNC graduate, I might actually be willing to run in this one. (Thanks to Wayne Shultz for the tip about this amazing event.)

]]><![CDATA[Create a caption for this picture.]]>Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:30:27 +0700http://www.evenanerd.com/1/post/2008/12/create-a-caption-for-this-picture.htmlI have been fortunate enough to locate an artist who is also a bookkeeper. Yes, that's right. You heard me. She's a creative accountant, an organized artist, a visionary who can balance her checkbook. I wonder why I like her.

Her website www.fishchild.com showcases her talent and her sense of humor (a humorous accountant, hmmm.) 

She is working with me on some illustrations and came up with this one which I am turning into my personal/business note card. 

Here's what  I need from you. 

I need a caption to put on the back of the card, along with her credits (Mary Patterson) and a link to this nerdy website. If you know a creative with a sense of humor, please ask them to weigh in on this one. I will give you credit on this website and on the back of the notecard if your clever caption wins. 

So start off the New Year helping an accountant out - 'kay?

]]><![CDATA[An interview with Jay Leno.]]>Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:32:06 +0700http://www.evenanerd.com/1/post/2008/12/an-interview-with-jay-leno.htmlJames Lipton had Jay Leno as his guest on the Actor's Studio. (I have such a hard time taking James Lipton seriously- I keep forgetting it is really him and not Will Ferrel playing him on Saturday Night Live.) His guests are always entertaining and he asks good questions, especially the one about their favorite cuss word.
But the most interesting nuggest was Jay Leno talking about how to be a good comedian. He works really hard at his material and practices constantly.  Even now. He still goes on the road 150 days a year so he can keep working on his craft and he lives off of the money he makes on his stand up gigs - he doesn't spend anything he makes for doing the Tonight Show. He wants to be able to say he makes his living as a Comedian.

I love that idea. I thought about my own career and what I want to be known for. How do I want to make my living? What is the core competency that pays my bills? Where do I want to spend time learning to be better?

Of all the things you do in your job - which ones are really your life's work? And how much time are you willing to invest in being the best?

He didn't have a favorite cuss word, btw. 

]]><![CDATA[Whitepaper becomes a website.]]>Fri, 19 Dec 2008 08:50:09 +0700http://www.evenanerd.com/1/post/2008/12/whitepaper-becomes-a-website.htmlClient Speedtax has just taken my little ole content and turned it into an amazing website. 

In addition to being a big thrill for moi, the site is also a reflection of the design sensibilities that they apply to their software application.  They provide a sales tax solution for gosh sakes, who would ever think that could be cool? (Other than me of course. I love sales tax almost as much as the pythagorean theorem.)

But I'm telling you, these guys get it. They have even created an easy to use questionnaire that a company can complete and then forward to their accountant for help. The resulting report shows a company which of the myriad sales tax traps they may have fallen into so they can take action to address them. Good for companies, good for accountants who can help them.

And let's just talk about Software as a Service for a minute - these are web applications that hook into your accounting application. These solutions are the only way to go when it comes to keeping up with sales tax.

I love working with software and fun companies like Speedtax. It does my little nerdy heart good to see well designed solutions in the hands of smart people. 

Have you seen my presentation on this subject?


]]><![CDATA[Who doesn't love a good analogy? ]]>Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:41:20 +0700http://www.evenanerd.com/1/post/2008/12/who-doesnt-love-a-good-analogy.htmlAnalogies are a powerful way to turn a boring subject into a memorable statement.

Today's winning analogy comes from www.echannelline.com.

In a quote describing the  relationship of two technology players, Greg Schulz, founder and senior analyst at Storage I/O, uses the following analogy

"Imagining EMC without Dell and Dell without EMC is like imagining Britney Spears or Madonna without the media paparazzi."

Who among you doesn't get a vivid mental picture of Dell being hounded by hordes of flash- bulb weilding EMC employees when you read that quote?

]]><![CDATA[Green nerds. ]]>Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:14:28 +0700http://www.evenanerd.com/1/post/2008/12/green-nerds.htmlLast week I attended a conference for wineries who wanted to incorporate more green practices into their operations.  It was amazing to me how far along wineries already are in their efforts to operate sustainable farms and to take care of their environment.

But, since I am a student of all things presentation, I couldn't help but notice that the "green people" have some communication issues of their own. Now remember,  when I use the term "nerd", I am referring to anyone who has a bunch of special terminology that they live and breathe and talk about when they are behind a podium.  And I discovered ample nerds at this event.

It seems there are a whole bunch of green concepts that have to do with carbon and they get bandied about quite regularly so if you aren't with it, you don't know what these green nerds are talking about. Add to that all of the green certifications and agencies who get involved in the greenery issues surrounding wineries and you can get totally lost. And lost I was.

So I have now learned these three concepts that have to do with carbon :

Carbon Neutral - all carbon dioxide produced is offset by the purchase of carbon credits.

Carbon Offsets - tools for becoming carbon neutral. Basically you buy carbon credits and you get an offset from the universe for any carbon dioxide that you produce.

Zero Carbon Footprint - eliminating all carbon dioxide emissions or consuming all carbon dioxide that you produce. This seems to be the ultimate goal for green initiatives.

We are all going to become much more familiar with these and other green terms going forward.  

But for now, if you are making a presentation (green or otherwise) just take the time to explain your terms, acronyms, and other special sayings so that everyone in your audience can stay with you.

]]><![CDATA[Quote of the Day]]>Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:03:48 +0700http://www.evenanerd.com/1/post/2008/12/quote-of-the-day.htmlThis quote comes from Seth Godin who always has remarkable ideas - but this one really struck a chord with me:

" Getting your ducks in a row is not nearly as powerful as actually doing something with your duck. "

Accountants spend a lot of our time arranging ducks.

]]><![CDATA[Taking exception with a presentation tip]]>Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:06:02 +0700http://www.evenanerd.com/1/post/2008/11/taking-exception-with-a-presentation-tip.htmlThis is the first time I have ever disagreed with anything that my mentor at Speechworks has to say. But disagree I must,but only when it comes to my particiular audience.

in his latest post, Joey Asher talks about the perils of talking with a CEO and how important it is to brief. And on that point we are in total agreement.

But here's where I have to take exception :

 " Everyone wants short presentations.CEOs are the only ones who have the authority and the willingness to enforce the time limitations.
Next time you have to give a speech, try cutting the entire thing in half. I’ll bet no one will complain." 

I spend much of my year making presentations to CPAs (Certified Public Accountants) and they will complain violently if you finish your presentation early. 

They will also complain if you go long. But finishing early is a Cardinal Sin (that's bad, for you non-Catholics) if you are speaking at an event that provides CPE (Continuing Professional Education) to session attendees. Session timing is almost as important as the logical flow of the material and having handouts that perfectly match the slides on the screen. 

It is one of the hardest parts of being a presenter for this audience. There are very rigid rules of delivery and timing that you must follow. I have seen great presenters who go out of order get lower scores than lousy presenters who follow their slides. It drives me crazy but it's true. It is part of knowing what matters to your audience.

But if you are presenting to a group of salespeople or business owners, Joey is exactly right. And if you are the last presenter before a meal or the bar opening, make it even shorter. But don't mess with those CPE hours. I bet Joey has the same problem when he presents to his lawyer friends who need CLE. 

]]><![CDATA[Marketing opportunities are everywhere.]]>Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:47:04 +0700http://www.evenanerd.com/1/post/2008/11/marketing-opportunities-are-everywhere.html

This week I was a speaker at Sage's customer conference in Denver, Colorado. The attendees at this event are business owners who use one of the many Sage accounting solutions to run their business.

Pictured above are Carolye Asfahl and Rhonda Strobel who are Sage customers who run a business that produces clever marketing products like the headgear above. Their company is called Elope, Inc which is an acronym for  "Everybody's Laughing on Planet Earth". Who doesn't love that company name?

I noticed them in every session, including the 3000-attendee keynote presentation. What a wonderful way to get your company noticed. I realize that not everyone has access to wearable hats as their main product, but still. These guys were thinking. They were attendees at this event, not booth sponsors and yet they made an impression. 

Their success (I'm talking about them here, aren't I?) proves that there are low cost ways to get yourself in front of prospects and customers if you just keep looking for opportunities.

Now, you'll have to excuse me while I go order some nerd glasses from their website.

 

]]><![CDATA[Bad sales presentations]]>Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:45:16 +0700http://www.evenanerd.com/1/post/2008/11/bad-sales-presentations.htmlI have just come across a great post on how to mess up a sales presentation. It has a killer title and catchy graphic as well. You can read the original post by Geoffrey James here.

Of course I have to add to his list. These come from my own observations of software sales meetings. Here is my list of ways to give a bad software sales presentation:  

1. Start off the presentation by saying "I'm not good at selling" and spend the next 2.5 hours proving it.

2. Send a technical support person to deliver the product demo and have him spend 3 hours showing the CEO how to enter a sales order. 

3. Don't worry about understanding your prospect's business just proceed to show him every single feature of your product whether he needs it or not.

4. Use sample data for your demo that has absolutely nothing to do with the prospect's business.

5. Ignore everyone at the table except the CEO when you make your presentation. Why waste time making all of those other staff people feel like they matter?

6. Show 4 or 5 alternative ways to perform every task so your prospect leaves the room dazed and confused about what you were showing.

7. Talk about product features and don't worry about how those features might help your prospect in his day job.

8. Tinker with your computer right before the demo so that your screen is completely black when you go before the prospect. (This one comes from the experiences of yours truly, who in fact set every color, background and font to black right before a product demo.)

9.  Speak in a monotone and read from a script so the prospect doesn't get the idea that there is anything exciting about your product or company.

Got any to add to my list?  Extra credit if you were the presenter and you learned how to get better as a result.

]]>