If you have spent a lot of time planning and writing your conference presentation, you might want to believe that it contains everything the audience needs to come away with a full understanding of the topic. But it is inevitable that some people in the crowd will have aspects of your talk that they misunderstood, need further clarification on, or would like their knowledge expanded. A Q&A session following your talk can be a great way to add clarity to the presentation. Here are five tips to help you conduct a better interactive Q&A session.

1 – Let the audience know

It is a great idea to let your audience know before the talk that you will be providing a Q&A segment at the end. One of the major advantages here is that it gives them the chance to prepare useful questions in advance, and allows them to keep in mind anything that they feel needs clarification from your talk.

2 – Plan enough time for Q&A

Crucially, you need to ensure that you are putting in enough time for your interactive Q&A. This is something that needs to be spoken about during the planning stages of the talk – think about what sort of Q&A session you want to have, and then ensure that you have the appropriate amount of time to be able to carry this out effectively.

3 – Stick to the time limit

If you have planned out a time for your talk as well as Question & Answer time, it is essential that you stick to that time limit. The best way to do this is to have a very strong understanding of how long your talk is going to go on for. This means practicing it over and over to make sure you are doing it at the correct speed.

4 – Prepare the moderator for the Q&A

Speak to the moderator before your talk takes place and let them know about your plans for the questions after the talk. It is a great idea to provide them with a couple of questions that they can ask to get the ball rolling and allow others in the audience the chance to open up and ask their questions.

5 – Use the right tools

It is also a great idea to use software like an audience response system. Having a voting keypad can allow introverted audience members the chance to vote on what they want to hear more about – there are more ways to be involved for those who might not feel confident to speak up.

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Before you speak at a conference you need to feel confident in your voice. If you are new to public speaking, or you have struggled in the past with a faltering voice interrupting you as you give your presentation, it can be a great idea to warm up your voice before your talk.

The best speakers will always warm up their voice to ensure that they have the fullest range available for emphasizing and ensuring a strong vocal tone throughout. If this is something that you have never done before it can feel a little unusual, but to make a great impression at a conference, this is important.

Hum

One of the most important ways to warm up is to hum; this gets your vocal cords used to changing pitch. Humming for a few minutes gets your voice ready for talking for an extended period. And you can also use this time to loosen your jaw by moving it around.

Tongue twisters

It’s not just your vocal cords that you need to warm up before speaking at a conference, you also need your tongue and lips to be ready to work hard. Get them ready for a talk by practicing tongue twisters; this can be great for your diction too. Some great tongue twisters for warm ups include:

• Irish wristwatch Swiss wristwatch
• She sells seashells by the sea shore
• Red lorry, yellow lorry

Stretch

It is also important to remember to stretch and loosen your body before your talk at a conference. You might think that you only need your lungs and your mouth in order to talk, but your whole body needs to be ready for your period of talking.

Now that you’re ready to speak at a conference how about you increase your audience engagement using an Audience Response System.

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To make the most of your presentation it is essential that you have audience engagement. This can be one of the biggest challenges in giving talk at a conference. Here we provide four great tips that will help you improve your engagement with an audience.

1. Do your preparation

Audiences love it when the speaker is confident and in control. If the room feels awkward because the speaker has not done the proper preparation, it can be a real negative in terms of engagement. This puts the onus on you to really know your presentation well, and to perform it to the best of your abilities.

Clearly then, it is essential that you put in the practice beforehand. This will make all the difference when it’s your time to present.

2. Promote interactivity to increase audience engagment

If you want to engage with your audience, you can’t expect to do so with a long monologue and nothing else. It is important that your presentation captures their imagination – and one of the best ways to do this is through interactivity.

It can be a great idea to use technologies like an audience response system (ARS) as a part of your presentation. If your audience feels like they have a part to play in your talk, for example by quizzing your audience or taking a poll, they will feel a lot more engaged.

3. Make Q&A an important part of your talk

Many speakers don’t leave enough time or put enough emphasis on the Q&A section of their talk – but this can be absolutely crucial. Additionally It’s a great idea to shorten your presentation and leave plenty of time to discuss the topic with your audience; it is often here that you can get them to really engage with your talk.

Answering the questions of individuals in the room can actually help you talk directly about the aspects of the subject that your audience is interested in.

4. Push your talk on social media

You need to be promoting your talk on social media as much as possible – not just to get people to come and see it, but also to encourage them to think about the topic before, making it more likely that they will attend the talk with their mind primed for what you are going to talk about.

Want to learn more about improving engagement at a conference using technology? Get in contact with the team at CLiKAPAD for details on using an Audience Response System as a part of your next conference presentation.

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Keeping your staff up to date on all the knowledge they need to carry out their jobs is essential. If there are any gaps in your employee’s knowledge providing the right training is key. A staff training day can be a great way to get everyone up to date quickly. Having your staff take the time to learn new skills can be hugely beneficial to you and your business. Keep reading to take a look at some of the ways you can host an effective staff training day.

1 – Identify what needs to be improved

In order to achieve the best possible results, you need to make sure you’re focusing on improving the skills that are most essential. For example, if there’s a new bit of software that will be used by employees throughout your business, you may want to focus on teaching them how to use it effectively. Take the time to figure out what needs to be improved – this way, you and your team can get the most out of the training day.

2 – Make sure that staff training is a serious investment

A staff training day can be a serious investment for both you and your business. That being said it will have fantastic long term benefits. Make sure that your staff understand the long term goals of the training day. Additionally let them know what they’ll get out of it. Spending the right amount of time and money on training is also to consider when it comes to your business.

3 – Choose a good location

A good location can have a major impact on the success of your staff training day. You may want to look into hiring a venue to host the event. If so, you will need to make sure they have the right equipment and  space to incorporate your team. Spend some time researching the venue before the training day. If you have any specific requirements, don’t forget to discuss this with the venue beforehand.

4 – Don’t forget to include managers and team leaders in staff training

If you’re looking to get the most out of your staff training day, then its important to include team leaders and management staff as well. This way, if any employees have questions after the event or need help in the future, your managers are properly equipped to help them out. Including speeches / involvement from team leaders is an effective way of engaging your team in the training day.

5 – Use audience response technology

Team engagement is one of the best ways to get the most out of your staff training day. For example, using Audience Response Systems are a great way to encourage interactivity, ask questions and to get feedback. All answers and results can also be anonymously displayed, providing instant feedback.

If you’re interested in hiring our handheld voting keypads and audience response technology for your event, click here to find out more. Alternatively, you can get in touch with our expert response system team on +44 (0)3333 448 550 or email us at sales@clikapad.com.

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Happy New Year from all of us at CLiKAPAD!

Now that 2023 is well underway, you might be thinking of new ways to improve your business processes in the year ahead. If you’re planning any big conferences, looking to make your company meetings more engaging or need feedback on a future training session, our Audience Response Systems are exactly what you need. But what exactly is a CLiKAPAD system? Take a look at our quick explanation below to find out more.

Our Audience Response System

There are two main parts, hardware and software. We offer ppvote software, a PowerPoint add-in specifically designed to be used with our CLiKAPAD hardware. This is a great way of making your meetings and events more engaging while collecting live results.

The CLiKAPAD CP37 Keypad goes hand in hand with our ppvote software. Alternatively you can use your own software with CLiKAPAD keypads.  Our keypads are simple and easy to use and offer excellent functionality. Audience Response Systems are perfect for a range of applications. For example AGMs and Staff Training. Anonymous voting is also a great way of collecting data reliably.

Say you want to gather information on what the audience thinks about a certain topic. In this case, each audience member would be given one of our credit card sized keypads. When the time comes in your presentation, your audience can submit their response, making them a part of your presentation by creating a fully interactive event.

Attendees are also more likely to give feedback and to provide it honestly. As nobody can see what anybody else is voting for, your conference goers are more likely to give their honest opinions, helping you to collect reliable feedback and information.

If you would like to know more about our Audience Response Systems, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today. Our expert team will be happy to discuss your requirements and help with anything you need.

The post What is a CLiKAPAD Audience Response System? appeared first on CLiKAPAD.

A good conference presentation should always include a Q&A session at the end so that members of the audience can ask follow-up questions, or have points clarified for them. But too many Q&A sessions at the end of talks simply don’t offer useful information, or the audience don’t get what they need from them.

Here we take a look at three common problems in Q&A sessions, and provide tips on what you can do to ensure you aren’t making the same mistakes.

1. Q&A sessions can be intimidating, you need to build audience confidence

It is still an unfortunately common occurrence with a Q&A session at the end of a presentation: you ask if anyone has a question, and while you are sure that many have engaged with the talk, no-one puts their hand up. The problem here could be that no-one feels confident to be the person to ask the question, and it may be the case that you haven’t broken the ice.

If you want to have an interesting and productive Q&A session, you will need to make sure that the audience feel that they have a stake in what is going on. Try to introduce the concept of audience interaction earlier on in your talk. This way when the floor is opened up to others, they feel confident to speak.

2. The room has heard enough

You might find that by the time you get around to your Q&A session, many people are already getting up to leave. If you find that many people are restless at the end of your presentation, you are less likely to have a productive Q&A. The key thing to note here is that your presentation may simply have had too much talking.

If you have lost the attention of your audience, they are unlikely to remain engaged through the Q&A. So, it is a much better idea to add moments to allow your audience to regain their focus. For example, by using an audience response system to ask questions, you can break up the monotony of talking.

3. There’s not enough time left

You might also find that you get to the end of the talk and realise you only have a couple of minutes left for Q&A. When several hands shoot up with questions to ask you might find yourself having to rush through the answers, and not really providing the information that the audience is looking for.

This is why it is vital to leave plenty of time at the end of your talk to take questions without feeling that everyone is pushed for time. If you feel like your time is running out it can create pressure – and for the audience it can actually stop them from asking important questions.

At CLiKAPAD, our audience response system can be hugely useful in all aspects of Q&A sessions, so if you are interested in improving yours, this could be a great way to do so. Contact us to learn more about what we can do for you.

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Whether you are presenting at a conference for the first time or this is something that you’ve done hundreds of times before, it is natural to want to make a great impression. It is often the most engaging and interesting presentations that are the most memorable and enjoyable for the audience – but what can you do to ensure that yours is as good as it can be?

Here we take a look at some great tips for giving better conference presentations. These small changes can make a big difference to your talk.

Get interactive

Many presenters at conferences make the mistake of talking too much, and this is one thing that you should avoid. You might argue that the whole point of your presentation is to talk – but actually the point is to get your argument and message across, and you won’t do that if you lose the attention of your audience.

Remember that in the middle of a conference full of people talking, attention spans will naturally shorten. This means you need to do something to ensure you keep their focus. A great way to do this is to use an audience response system (ARS) so that your presentation is interactive. This could include polling or quizzing your audience – any kind of interactivity is a good thing.

Keep practicing

You need to really know your presentation inside out. It is the case that you can’t practice your presentation enough. If you want to come across as confident and engaging for the duration of your talk, you can’t be fumbling over words or over-filling sentences with hesitations.

Even if you think you know your presentation pretty well – keep practicing. It might seem like a lot of effort but it will pay off.

Don’t overload slides

It is also essential that you should avoid overloading your presentation slides. Your slides really do not need to feature your whole text. They are much more useful when they are filled with supplementary information or statistics. You can even add in funny images and GIFs, which will be appreciated far more than a huge block of text that no-one is going to read.

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If you are interested in an audience response systems you have two options: a physical keypad system, or an app. It might not be immediately clear which is right for you, so we have compiled this audience response system comparison to help you make sense of the differences between the two.

Costs

It can be the case that a traditional audience response clicker system is initially more expensive than an app. However, it is important to understand a key difference in how the systems are paid for. With a keypad system you typically pay one large payment upfront, and you then own the system to use as you need it.

Audience response clicker systems do not have any further costs beyond this initial outlay. On the other hand, while an app won’t have this initial large setup fee, you will be paying ongoing fees for the use of the service. This can end up working out as very expensive if you use the service for a long period of time.

Notably, you also have the flexibility to hire a physical system.

Practicality

One of the major advantages of an audience response clicker is that they do not require an internet connection to work. This means in areas where the Wi-Fi signal is patchy, or if there is no internet at all, clickers will still work as normal. Generally, an audience system response app will require a Wi-Fi connection at all times in order to function.

Additionally, physical clicker systems are able to easily handle large workloads; instantly and accurately storing data from up to 2,000 users at a time. Some audience response apps are not capable of this level of data gathering.

Logistics and management

Audience response system smartphone apps are all very well in theory, but don’t forget that if you want people to use the app, you’ll need to get them to download it to their phone. Trying to manage this from a logistical perspective can be extremely challenging. Even if you have previously put out a notice that the audience needs to download the app.

Trying to then synchronise the app and make sure everything is working accurately in the moment can be stressful.

Support

When you have an audience response system set up, you will be provided with the time of a technician. Technicians can offer training and information on how to get the most out of your product. The support staff will also be on hand to provide you with any further details that you might need.

With apps this isn’t always the case, and you should look into how much support you can actually rely upon the provider to offer.

If you would like to learn more about audience response systems and how they could benefit you. The team at CLiKAPAD would be happy to help. With years of experience in the industry, we would love to provide you with any details you’re looking for.

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If you have ever been to conferences with multiple speakers you will probably be aware that after a while the talks can begin to blur together. But if you are the one giving the talk, you want it to stand out from the crowd and be as memorable as possible.

Even the most charismatic public speakers won’t necessarily know the best tricks to have their audience leaving the presentation with a full understanding of their subject matter.

Fortunately, there are many different options that you can utilise to improve your presentation and make sure that it is memorable. Here are three great tips that anyone can use – whether they are presenting for the first time, or they are just looking for something different to impress their audience.

Get creative with your slides at conferences

Your presentation slides should definitely not contain your whole script – it won’t be legible to the audience, it also will not show you off in the best light. If you are using slides in your presentation it should be to make it easier for your audience to understand you, and to provide them with supplementary information.

Don’t be afraid to get creative – add funny images or GIFs that help you to drive your point with humour.

Use audience interaction

The best talks are those where the speaker genuinely engages with the audience and makes use of feedback from the room to tell a story. One of the most effective ways to do this is to use an audience response system, providing each audience member with a keypad, and allowing them to vote or answer questions at various points in your talk.

When you can really get your audience engaged with what you’re talking about, you can be sure that they will remember you.

Know your audience

Too many conference speakers seem incapable of pitching their talk the right way. Above all it is essential that you know who you are going to be talking to, so that you can use an appropriate level of technical language and jargon, that your talk will come across as having expertise, without alienating the audience.

If you would like to learn more about how you can ensure your talks stands out at conferences, please get in contact with CLiKAPAD today.

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Over the years, we are delighted to have developed excellent working relationships with companies across multiple sectors, and are proud to be counting many household names, national and global brands among our client base including:

Arcadia, Beiersdorf, BT, Coca Cola, Honda, Lloyds Bank, Macmillan Cancer Support, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Network Rail, Philips, Pfizer, Powys County Council, Sky, Thames Valley Police, Virgin Money, Yorkshire Building Society and many, many more.

At CLiKAPAD, we strive to go the extra mile for each of our clients – large or small. Supplying a system that is powerful yet easy to use, we work in close partnership with companies, providing additional on-site technical assistance for your event, or coaching and support to enable you to confidently manage the system yourself. Whatever the requirements, it is our goal to make your conference, workshop or presentation go smoothly and perfectly.

But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s just a small selection of the positive feedback we have received from client testimonials and case studies:

“Having CLiKAPAD as part of The Solutions Awards really makes our event stand out above the others within our industry and adds an extra dimension of interaction that engages our guests and helps them get the most enjoyment from the awards. CLiKAPAD is a great company to work with.” (David Gamage, Earth Island Publishing)

“Right from our initial enquiry, working with CLiKAPAD was great. We received a personal service where every member of the team fully understood our requirements. They helped us with face-to-face coaching at our site, answering all our questions so that any member of our team can use the system. We also appreciated the charity discount CLiKAPAD offered, that allowed us to stay within budget.” (Sky Blues in the Community)

“I have been really impressed with the technology on the day, but more so with the support from CLiKAPAD. Particularly with a tight turnaround, so thank you again. Would definitely recommend.” (Joe Wellard, Powys County Council)

“CLiKAPAD’s involvement at each stage of planning, delivery and post-event ensured that we maximised the interactive experience for attendees in a way that was relevant to the content. Their professional approach onsite working with us and other suppliers meant that the event was delivered seamlessly with the voting system becoming an integral part of the event. Their post-event support also ensured that we had good quality data to work with as a result of the CLiKAPAD technology”. (Suffolk Life – Interactive Roadshow)

“CLiKAPAD delivered a great service from start to finish. They offer a really personal touch and I felt supported by the whole team. Every time I call I am treated like a valued customer.” (Kate Darby, Extrastaff Ltd)

“Overall, we were able to deliver a fantastic session that not only generated useful insights for Philips, but which the audience also really enjoyed and engaged with, strengthening our relationship much more than a plain presentation would have. The team at CLiKAPAD made it possible – and very straightforward.” (Philips)

“A huge thank you for supporting UCEM so brilliantly at the Rural Housing Summit at Highgrove. Many delegates commented on how effective and smoothly everything ran.” (Aled Williams, UCEM)

If you want to find out more about CLiKAPAD’s products and services, or obtain an audience response system price quote or a keypad rental quotation, please get in touch.

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