Rex Black will deliver a keynote address at PNSQC 2016. He shared his thoughts on how to make an effective presentation. When Black first began his public speaking career some 20 years ago, he says he battled such problems as stage fright and the anxiety that goes with putting one’s self out there in front of a few hundred people. But over time he improved. Today, he is in demand as a speaker both for the content of his speeches and his delivery of them. His observations on how to improve one’s presentation should prove useful to potential conference speakers.
Stage fright is normal: “When I started, initially I was scared. I’m not an extrovert. As a professional I was never afraid to share my opinion in business meetings with colleagues. But that’s a different environment from standing up there in front of a lot of people who are expecting you to deliver value on a specific topic. So that initial anxiety shouldn’t be too discouraging—most of us experience it.”
Be organized: “I don’t think my mind is that different from a lot of peoples’. Before I wrote my first book, my mind was sort of like a really messy but well stocked garage. Open the garage doors and there are piles of shovels and chain saws and rototillers, lots of stuff. But it was messy. That first book helped me organize my thinking about these software testing. I would strongly advise speakers to sit down and make sure their presentation is well organized and proceeds in a logical fashion.”
Public exposure: “One of the major benefits of making a professional presentation is that it gives you exposure before the people you want to reach. Unlike writing a book or an article, you actually meet people. A presentation lets me have a conversation in real time about their specific problem. I can give them ideas and say, ‘This is one of the services we offer.’ It’s the self-initiated cold call. In other words, these people chose to hear me speak or to attend a webinar. I didn’t have to go looking for them.”
Automated tests are often accused of being flaky. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they report false failures. Sometimes the problem is with the product being tested and sometimes the problem is with the automated test or the test environment.
Taking ideas directly to the testing community via Poster/Concept Paper presentations is a valuable way to get discussions started on new trends or build up thoughts for a future Technical Paper.
