5 reasons to present a meeting without using technology

From interactive screens to video conferencing, technology is now a big part of meeting presentations. But there is an argument to ditch this technology and get back to what matters most – the content of the meeting.

Here are 5 reasons why you should present your next meeting without using technology…

1. Focus on you
The main reason to remove technology is that it diverts attention away from where it should be – on the people in the room. If you’ve got a screen then all eyes will be on that, instead of on the presenter.

By removing the screen you make it more about the people and ideas. It means that your body language becomes more important to convey meaning.

2. More discussion
Once you’ve removed the strict order that comes with a PowerPoint presentation, the meeting becomes more organic, allowing more discussion.

Having technology also puts the power of the meeting in a single person’s hands. By removing it you can create a more open and democratic atmosphere that encourages discussion. There’s no ‘let’s get back to the screen’ or ‘if you’ll take a look at the next slide’.

3. Brings people together
While video conferencing is a great tool, especially for companies with a number of offices spread across the country, sometimes it’s better to have everyone in the same room.

It creates a more relaxed atmosphere, allows people to socialise and means you can judge the mood of the room easier.

You’ll also not be beset by video problems like microphones not working or the screen crashing, so the meeting can flow more naturally.

4. Makes sure you know your stuff
Many presenters at meetings rely heavily on screens to provide them with back up or prompts for the material they aim to cover. While this can be useful, it can also mean you’re not actively thinking during meeting, just passively passing across information.

If you remove this it means you need to know your stuff before going in. There’ll be no screen to fall back on, freeing you up to take the meeting in the direction it needs to go, not what you have previously planned.

5. Cover what needs to be covered
A strict agenda can be useful for many meetings. But sometimes people stick to it too much, especially when they’ve got an onscreen presentation to get across.

Having a more organic meeting without technology guiding it can, though, lead you to areas that weren’t on the original agenda but are areas that need to be dealt with.

By having the freedom to follow the room, not the screen, you can cover what your team feels is important, not what you felt was important before the meeting.

Posted by Julie Tucker