Are You a Genealogy Presenter? Top Tips and Tricks for Handouts and Presenting

While updating my 2019 presentations excel sheet (for taxes) and I am pleased and surprised that it lists 20+ presentations this year. These do not include the group discussions I help lead – it’s the stand-up-in-front of an eager audience, teaching a topic using a PowerPoint and handout. By adding variety of new genealogical subjects, 15 presentations are already booked in 2020. These are enjoyable afternoons or evenings for me. This business launched in 2012 and over the years, I’ve learned a variety of tips and tricks for growing a presentation business, improving handouts, and the art of presenting. Here’s my list, all you speakers out there, if you have other ideas, please let me know:

Growing your business:

To start, offer to volunteer to give presentations to libraries and genealogy groups.

New presentation? Again, volunteer. You’ll be able to smooth out rough spots before you present to a paid audience.

Arrive at least 30 minutes earlier, so your host isn’t wondering and you are calm.

Take your host’s contact information with you when you drive to the presentation, just in case you have a delay, or get lost. Give them yours so they may contact you too.

When they ask for you to sign a contract, send a photo, bio or presentation description, do so in a timely manner. Send the handout on time. I have been the host, and it’s annoying to have to repeatedly ask for these.

Thank the host at the beginning of your presentation and give a personalized reason why you are honored to be speaking. (I.E. You’ve heard good things about the group or you have family in the area or in one case – I was the last presentation the group had before they disbanded.)

Handout:

Make sure it is readable. Some presenters create the easy three-slides-to-a-page-plus-lines for notes. The words may be so small they are not readable.

If you do use the slide format, leave less important slides out with a save-as and then deleting minor slides before printing.  

Be considerate of the number of pages to be printed. I’ve seen 12 pages but six is max.

Better yet, use an outline format. Takes up less paper and easier to read. (I use it.)  

In PowerPoint>File>Export>Create handout>Outline. Then a little editing.

While the subject is handouts, leave some information off your handouts. You want to see the attendees write notes. It’s part of class participation. You’ll know they are tuned in.

Depending how you feel, you might want to put a copyright symbol or even a little note to not copy without your permission.   

Include your email in case there are follow-up questions.

Attendees LOVE resources, websites and books. Check website links at least once a year. To avoid a cluttered look, use the website name in your PowerPoint, but place the URL in the handout.

Keep a copy with you when presenting. People may ask where something is in the handout or you may refer to it for other reasons.

Presenting:

Bring water – maybe your host will have water for you, but if not and you get a cough or dry mouth, you are glad to have something to sip. (It’s also good if you need a moment to think before answering a question.)

Wear something with a decent pocket so you have a place to put the little microphone box. I just slip into a pocket.

If presenting at a library, suggest they pull appropriate books to be checked out. Also preview their website for their available resources and databases. Refer to the website in the presentation. Better yet, show how to use it before or at the end of your presentation.

Laser pointers are nice.

Bring a second copy of your presentation and handout. If you bring your laptop, copy to a flash drive and bring. If just a flash drive, bring two flash drives. Just last week, no handouts were copied, but the host took my flash drive, made copies, while I started the PowerPoint presentation using my laptop.

Do not expect internet to be available, even when the host says it will be. I set up my PowerPoints with screen shots. If internet is available, it’s a bonus.

PowerPoint slides should have large easy-to-read letters. Too many words, the audience can’t read everything before the slide changes. Bullets are better than paragraphs. Keep words minimal. Pictures improve your look. Consider a relevant theme.

This tip comes from my daughter who taught. “They don’t know what they don’t know.” This means if you updated your presentation, but brought the old one by mistake, the audience doesn’t know. If you forgot to explain something, the audience doesn’t know. Just keep going and smile. If you remember later in your presentation, say it then.

Decide how you feel about people taking photos during your slide presentation. If you prefer they don’t, ask the host to make that announcement in your introduction. Or add a slide in the beginning with a camera graphic and your preferred camera rule.

Leave time for questions at the end of your presentation. I add a cute “Questions?” slide.

Throw in words like “Good question” so people are comfortable about asking.

You learn good ideas for adding to your presentation or even for a new presentation through questions and comments.

If you don’t know the answer, give a resource that might hold the answer, instead of giving the answer itself. Or better yet, ask attendees if they know the answer.

Hang around to enjoy people conversations and possibly treats! It’s a great gig – being with people who enjoy talking about what you enjoy talking about!

My Genealogy Book is Published - Yippee!

I realize that this is a bit of self-promotion, but after 40 years of research and two years of writing and editing, my first book is available on amazon. I enjoyed learning about my husband's grandmother and the 20 other members of her family who immigrated to Buffalo. Thank you to everyone who encouraged and helped me in my journey. 

Randy Seaver's October 19th Saturday Night Genealogy Fun Question

Randy Seaver usually has an interesting Saturday Night question. This week, he asked us to list inherited items. He gave us a list of possibilities to get us started, which is really nice.

Ancestoral items I inherited for which I’m grateful:

Mother’s side

A living room set – couch, two chairs. My grandfather’s 1929 engagement present to my grandmother, complete with the ding that resulted from a ketchup bottle being hurled during a skirmish between my mother’s brothers. My dad and I refinished the furniture and had it reupholstered.

A 12-gallon ceramic crock that my grandfather used to boot-leg.

My gr-grandfather’s dining room stained glass chandelier and dining room table.

My grandmother’s diamond and sapphire ring and pink glass dishes.

Father’s side

Three pairs of my grandmother’s gold earrings which I wear frequently.  A gold lapel pin that was her mother's. I've had it dated to the 1860's so maybe it's even older.

Two rings my dad always wore.

A photograph album. My grandmother and I labeled the photos before she died at 99 years old.

  

My mother is still living and going strong, so there hasn’t been a lot of distribution yet. I have many little items also, but these are the bigger pieces. I treasure them and the memories of these wonderful loving people.