I attended a client pitch yesterday.
As in, we were pitching to a potential client.
I had to stand up and waffle on about technology choices for ten minutes.
Needless to say I was terrified beforehand but when I got up there it all went reasonably well.
As a programmer I’m not really comfortable standing at the front of a room talking in a loud voice while everyone looks at me.
It took some degree of will power to force myself to get up there and project my voice.
I had some print outs of my slides with notes all over them, but I ended up not referring to them at all – I pretty much remembered everything.
I rushed through one or two parts a bit too fast, and got stuck where I couldn’t explain “session migration” without using the words “session” and “migration” (this was to a largely non-technical audience).
I also didn’t make enough eye contact apparently.
Some things to improve on then, and next time (if there is a next time) I won’t be anywhere near as nervous.
I did manage to make them laugh though, which is always a bonus.
Well done mate, speaking as a former shy kid turned consultanty type, it certainly does take a lot of courage to stand up and give a presentation, especially when you’re talking to an audience who for all intents and purposes are speaking a different language to you, i.e. non-techie!
Did they laugh with you or at you? 😉
Well, I made a joke at my expense so technically it was at me.
But as that was what I intended I guess it was with me.
How about that for a cop-out answer!