I attended LegalTech and was a member of the audience at Russ' keynote.
First, I must say, I could not have been more pleased that the keynote at
LegalTech, of all conferences, was focused on what we do.  We've arrived!
That said, I can personally vouch for the effectiveness of Russ' use of
powerpoint.  The audience members around me, who were not RMs - mostly
lawyers and technologists, were equally engaged.

I can admit that I have been one to use ppt poorly over the years, but as I
have developed as a speaker, think I've gotten at least a little better.
Using short bullets as cues rather than just plopping my entire set of notes
onto the slides.  Sometimes it's just a graphic and no bullets.  I don't use
cards, etc. when I speak (because anyone who knows me well knows I'm a
horrible clutz and would just drop them!) so I take the time to make a
concious choice about how best to convey the message to the audience while
giving me enough of a cue to keep on track.

Russ' point about being prepared, respecting the audience's time by
practicing, etc. are also the sign of a true professional.  If you are
speaking on something you really know about (which should be a pre-requisite
to speaking on the subject in the first place!), then balancing visual aids,
text and speech shouldn't be difficult for anyone who chooses to take the
time to do it well.

Just my ten cents worth on a Wednesday afternoon.

Julie

-- 
Julie J. Colgan, CRM

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