13.4. CHANGE THE WORLD, REMEMBER?

Tech-savvy folks never blink at another opportunity to take a part of their lives online, while others get exhausted shortly after logging into Windows and need to rest their eyes. No matter what technology brings to the table, there is still this reality: Presentations are the same as they always have been. It's you, your message, and an audience. It's personal. It's exhilarating. It's a chance to change your world.

I never want people to feel like they can't be successful at presenting because they're uncomfortable implementing one aspect of good, quality presenting. If you feel something is necessary but can't do it yourself, delegate it. Have an intern, assistant, or tech-savvy team member run your Twitter backchannel, freeing you up to be the expert on stage. Or don't use Twitter as a backchannel. Presenting is about the audience: Don't ever compromise your ability to connect with them by attempting to do something you're not good at.

The best presentations begin, in the outline phase, with a clearly defined objective. That objective guides the content, the design, and even the delivery of the presentation. For certain individuals in certain scenarios, the objective will require social media efforts and a live Twitter backchannel. For others, after reviewing and considering the objective, those elements will merely be distractions.

A presentation god is an expert at generating feeling. He can reach his hand out and touch hearts without using a scalpel. These social media strategies are incredible because, when used correctly, they really do engender a powerful feeling that only a sense of community can inspire. But we never want to put the cart before the horse: The strategies serve the message, always.

We're out to change the world. We're out to change our lives. We're out to change other people's lives. If you need more exposure, social media has a lot to offer. If you need a stronger connection with your audience, there's a way to do it online. If your message is good but could be great if you just knew how to tap into their minds, social media has a way. Put your presentation on Slideshare. Start using Twitter and Facebook to connect with everyone you know. More importantly, take a deep look at the message you're carrying around. If you had known all along that thousands upon thousands of people might hear it, would you have done something differently? Would you have said something differently? Our worst enemy is our own low expectations. What if the opportunity at hand is far, far bigger than anything you could have imagined? What would you do?

Don't just make a living. Change the world.