- Right before the talk: get to the room well ahead of time and make sure there are no setup issues with the laptop, audio, projector, etc. I've seen a number of speakers fail to do this basic thing and it dampens their flow, confidence, etc. The audience might even get distracted and the whole show goes awry.
- Prepare and practice the intro speech, don't wing it: if you have a good opening, you'll feel confident and the momentum will carry you through the rest of the talk.
- Right before the talk: get to the room well ahead of time and make sure there are no setup issues with the laptop, audio, projector, etc. I've seen a number of speakers fail to do this basic thing and it dampens their flow, confidence, etc. The audience might even get distracted and the whole show goes awry.
- Prepare and practice the intro speech, don't wing it: if you have a good opening, you'll feel confident and the momentum will carry you through the rest of the talk.