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Their reaction was instant and looked unanimous to me. My question was, “How many of you
feel that the lighting industry is experiencing an accelerated pace of change?” It was preceded
by qualifying the experience level of this large group of lighting professionals. Almost all had
been baptized into the lighting industry more than 10 years ago. They weren’t just sprinkled, they
were fully immersed believers. They had come to what amounted to an evangelism course. How do
we mentor and effectively preach the gospel of lighting? Quickening dramatic change in our industry
heightens the sense of urgency since new information and skills are required now. This is a need and
an opportunity.
Nearly 100 people gathered to share ideas about how to help their local IES Sections grow. How do we
deliver needed education in an engaging and meaningful way that will pack the pews and keep them coming
back? What do we need to do to convey the excitement inherent in the art and science of lighting? Fred
Oberkircher, our IES president and one of the finest ministers of this message, asked me to join him at this
event. We addressed this group at the Leadership Forum during the 2009 Annual Conference.
A serious concern raised frequently at, and often since, the 2006 IES Centennial Celebration was that
our leaders are aging (most of them gracefully) and will soon be less active in our Society. To continue my
church analogy, the health of a church is measured in large part by age demographics. Without a youth
group and/or converts, organizations die. Where will our new disciples of lighting come from? If we measured
the health of the IES by its youth group, how healthy would we appear?
One reason that mega-churches are successful and growing is that they have shown how their message
is relevant to the congregation. The challenge for pastors and priests is similar to what lighting presenters,
trainers and educators face. When presenting to a group you must deliver valuable and immediately useful
information in a short timeframe. Ideally this will be presented in a compelling and captivating way. The issue
of effective presentations affects all denominations including the church of the IES. Quality educational opportunities
are critical to perpetuating our story and attracting new blood to populate our ranks.
ASKED AND ANSWERED
At the Leadership Forum, I was asked to describe “how to put together a course for maximum effect.” I posed a number of questions, and each was followed by suggestions on how to resolve the concern.
1. Are you having a problem getting good speakers?
- Engage with local AIA, USGBC and AEE chapters to share quality presenters.
- Call other IES Sections for recommendations.
- Local NALMCO members can address retrofit/relighting topics.
- Look to your own Board of Directors for knowledgeable speakers.
- Manufacturer representatives may be providing CEU content and some excel.
2. Have you experienced boring
presenters and/or canned con-
tent?
- Ask presenters where they have presented before and who can you contact.
- Ask the reference if the content was commercial.
- Ask if the audience was interested and engaged.
- Ask if they would have this speaker back again.
- Prepare a speaker’s document stating your expectations for their content.
3. Are you uncomfortable
presenting?
- This skill is worth the investment of time and effort.
- Section meetings are an opportunity to sharpen your skill and enhance your credibility.
- Local Carnegie, Covey and Toastmaster organizations can help with techniques.
- Sincerity and knowledge trump style. Schtick, humor and enthusiasm help, but a sincere presenter with information to share can be more substantive.
ART OF THE PRESENTATION
There were also 10 presentation tips that were elaborated on:
1. Know your audience and meet as many as possible before the presentation.
2. Encourage interaction and questions.
3. Qualify attendees by asking them questions.
4. Keep the lights bright and the room cool.
5. Move through the room if possible rather than standing in one spot.
6. Watch audience response and pace accordingly. If the cell phones come out, then it’s time to step up the
pace.
7. Send out meeting notices and follow up with phone calls before the meeting to confirm attendance. Once
people have verbally committed they are more likely to show up.
8. Smile, be honest and humble.
9. Over-prepare content and set-up early.
10. Be respectful of your allotted time and rehearse.
New resources were also discussed:
• www.articulate.com (online training tool for narrated PowerPoint)
• www.instanteffects.com (makes PowerPoint look animated and new)
• Dale Carnegie presentation classes and their audiobook “Stand and Deliver” help build confidence and
speaking skills.
• Why PowerPoints Suck, a book by Rick Altman, identifies why this decades-old tool can be boring and
ineffective. He offers solutions to enhance your slides.
• Papershow is a simple tool for writing on your PowerPoints in real time. A USB device connects to your
PC and allows you to draw and make notes on the screen.
These “hot topics” were identified for future meetings:
• Solid-state lighting/new technology
• Energy and energy legislation
• Rebates and tax incentives
• LEED and sustainable design
• Control strategies
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
• Retrofit, relighting and audits
And lastly, lighting can be exciting if. . .
• The speaker is passionate.
• The topic is interesting to the audience.
• The presentation is informative and targets the knowledge level and skill sets of the attendees.
NO ONE MAY LEAVE
This is a call to action. We who believe in this organization need to spread the word. Volunteer, teach, sign up
members and let our enthusiasm be communicable. I cannot count the times I have heard the comments and
seen the evidence to support the fact that people do not leave the lighting industry. They may stray but ultimately
they don’t depart from it. Our mission is to get them interested and convey what drew us to lighting so that they
see that attraction through our eyes and actions.
February 2010
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