To Tweet or Not to Tweet... Wait... What's a Tweet?

Have you noticed how much technology is being used by members of your audience at lectures and workshops lately? At my last workshop it appeared that nearly 60% of my participants were using a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

I’m not sure if they were all taking notes. Some participants were surely catching up on work, or checking Facebook updates and email. Either way, it’s becoming ‘old school’ for participants to take handwritten notes during seminars, workshops, and presentations. People do love their devices. Maybe it’s time to embrace the trend.

The next time you’re planning a presentation, try handling the

technology conundrum the same way classrooms are starting to handle it. Instead of discouraging or barring the use of electronic devices, start incorporating them into your presentation.

The Internet Advantage:  Today, people bring laptops so they can type their notes instead of writing them. If there is internet access, Provide IP addresses in your PowerPoint presentations that will direct participant's online activity to websites where they can get supplemental information related to your topic.

Touch Screens and Teaching:  It’s hard to remember a time

before texting; nearly impossible to imagine a life without a cell phone. So why not use the technology to your advantage. Mike Fazio, executive director of the organization Workforce180, has found a way. Prior to the start of his events he obtains a temporary cell/SMS number. At the start of his lectures he gives the number to the audience so they can text him questions, answers to questions, respond to quizzes, and enter drawings for prizes. For him, the result is more interaction with this audience.

Savvy Professionals Tweet:  Social media professionals know the value of Twitter and have embraced it to leverage getting noticed and finding prospects. Posted at the bottom of each of my PowerPoint slides is my Twitter handle along with a hashtag related to what I’m speaking about. I encourage participants to follow me on Twitter and tweet comments during the lecture. The result is an increase in getting noticed in the ‘twittersphere’, as well as growth in my social media network.

Anyway you look at it, technology is here to stay. Embracing what new technologies have to offer is one more indication to your audiences that you are invested in making sure they have access to your valuable information. 

Bill Corbett is a professional speaker in the field of behavior and has a degree in clinical psychology from the University of Phoenix. He has been selected to deliver the keynote at a national Dutch conference for teachers and families in September of 2015. Learn more about him at http://StartaSpeakingBusiness.com.

Bill organizes and facilitates the Hartford Springfield Speakers Network in Southern New England so that he can hang out with like-minded professionals. He's the author of 8 books, including the Amazon top selling Kindle book, HOW TO BECOME A CONFERENCE SPEAKER.