What makes what you see on TV look so good? What makes you want to look further into the product you see and potentially even buy it? From the imagery, to the lights.. there are many different aspects that go into making your visual experience one that you will never forget. For example, the SuperBowl serves as a prime example. Depending on whose playing, I might be glued to the game, but no matter what I’m always glued to the commercials. Well-known and sometimes not so well known companies battle it out and pay millions of dollars for 30 seconds of add time. Usually the results are funny, memorable and in some cases “heart wrenching”. As a speaker, you are obviously the main draw, but you can’t do it all alone. In fact, you have another part of your team that can be just as important at times. I’m talking about your Technical Crew. Those are the people behind the scenes, that the audience rarely ever sees or thinks about, yet they help produce the final product that an audience sees. 

The Technical Crew controls all the technical aspects of your presentation from the lighting, to the sound, to set up of the stage.. maybe even helping you display your PowerPoint or visual aid in the correct way at the right time. Those are only a few of the reasons why they shouldn’t be taken for granted. They play a major part in making you look and feel good. Before you sign a contract or agree to terms, you should inquire about the technical crew. Who exactly controls your lights and sound? Will you be able to talk with them directly? You should work to establish a relationship with any tech crew you are working with because they have the power to make or break your keynote. Dramatic as it may seem, they are the ones that will set up your mic and tell you how far you can walk around the stage and if you can enter the crowd. They are the ones who will have the spotlight follow you around. They are the ones who will record your every move. So if you have that ugly face you make when you are nervous, yes it will be caught and camera. All jokes aside, make conversation with these people so that you can establish some sort of common ground. You’ll know them for a short period of time, but it would in your best interest to recognize their presence and the skills they bring to the table. 

As a speaker, all you really want is to focus on your talk. With that in mind, think about how you would treat a technical team that you are working with in house. I’m talking about people that you actually hired and work with every single day. All you have to do is focus on your keynote, and they handle the visual delivery and how it will be captured. Needless to say, that’s a big responsibility to offload. You wouldn’t just give them directions on the first day and ignore them the rest of the way would you? No, you wouldn’t because as I said before, they are basically in charge of making you look good. You’d probably do your best to be accessible to them anytime they need you. You would probably stay in constant contact. You would even probably go the extra mile and establish individual relationships with each person. Hmmm hopefully you see what I’m trying to get at.. 

So, I won’t end this tip without giving out some practical ways to show some love. Obviously, you can learn their names. This type of acknowledgement shows that you are putting forth effort to establish some comfortability. Mix that with a smile whenever you are talking with them and that will help exude positive energy. If you want to go a little deeper, one thing that I genuinely do is take an interest in what their specific task is. So if I see a person on the team taking pictures, I’ll strike up a conversation by asking what type of camera they use. For me, it’s a genuine question because I have a Canon 7D and I’m always interested in learning about the latest technology within the camera.. especially the lens. I’ve noticed it’s a great conversation starter. Other obvious things you can do is to write individual thank you notes as well as give gift cards. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive. It could be small $5 Starbucks card. It’s the least you can do for having a technical crew that has your back and it really goes a long way in showing them you are appreciative. However you choose to do it, at the base of it all make sure you acknowledge them and thank them!

Make your next presentation, your best presentation!

Sincerely,

Julian A. Leonard
(Founder of The JLeonard Group LLC)

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