The basics are the basics for a reason

Sometimes we are tempted to overlook the basics. How many times do you see a driver speed through an amber light, forgetting that amber lights are intended to warn you to stop before the light turns red?

The basics are the basics for a reason. The basic rule is that we should stop on amber lights, if given enough warning.

Similarly, as presenters, we know that we should always rehearse our presentations and always test our equipment if we will be using technology. Don't be fooled into thinking that your projector and laptop will automagically function as expected, unless you have tested them.

I am preparing for a presentation today at the November chapter meeting of SNEC-PMI. I tested my slideshow through my projector and lo-and-behold, it did not work. I have given presentations in the past with this laptop and projector, so what could have changed?

Puzzled at first I soon realized that I replaced my laptop a few weeks ago. The new one looks the same as my old one and I forgot that I had not tested this combination yet. Thank goodness for rehearsals. My new laptop has different function keys when connecting to a projector and so I saved my audience the embarrassment of learning the new function keys from the platform.

Don't be fooled. The basics are called the basics for a reason. Go ahead and rehearse your presentation using the actual equipment that you will be using for your presentation.