[at-l] suggestions?

[KarenS62@aol.com (KarenS62@aol.com)]

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In a message dated 9/24/2002 11:41:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
Watuwando2@cs.com writes:


> So here I am, to humbly ask for suggestions.... help!.... a pat on the back
> saying, it's ok!

pat, pat ........it's OK......

but seriously, I have done many demos about a bunch of things so I do have
some basic suggestions if you want them. I was going to email this to Amy
only but realized a lot of you are probably in the same boat of being asked
to give a talk or a demo and having no prior experience at doing it.

Just remember this is supposed to be FUN and you already know more than the
people you are talking with. Don't tell anyone there you are nervous. Thanks
them for inviting you.  Be honest and if you don't know the answer, send the
group leader an email or drop by a future meeting to followup. No one cares
if someone doesn't know everything about everything, what makes a huge
impression is the followup.

The basic steps are to plan ahead - it will take you at least 2-3 times
longer than the talk to prepare for it. Plan on it.  Make yourself some
notes, an outline, whatever works best for you so you don't forget the key
points. Even if you have made the stoves a million times, write out the steps
for yourself.  For the stove demo, make three or fours stoves  but leave them
in different stages of completion so you don't have to actually do the work
but can still demo how it's done. If you can manage to get extra done (enlist
your son to help or finish one as part of the demo), give out a couple stoves
at the end of the demo. Maybe ask a couple questions that you mentioned
earlier (what is an example of a type of fuel used for these stoves) and the
first person to get it correct wins.

If you give out directions, handouts, etc. , don't give them out until the
end of the session. Otherwise, people will spend all their time reading, and
no time watching you. Mention at the very beginning that you will be giving
them written information so it will be best if they watch you.  Include
pertinent URLS - nowadays you can pretty much assume that everyone has some
type of Internet access, even if it's only a family member who can help them.


The thing about talks and demos is the more hands on stuff you can bring, the
more fun it is. Also, if you are concerned you can only fill 5-10 minutes,
the hands on will fill up more time.

Another good technique is to use a before and after. For a stove demo, I
would probably weigh each stove and then take them outside and do a boil
test.  For light weight backpacking, I would ask one of the leaders to bring
in their packed pack and have a scale available to compare yours with his.
If you can arrange it earlier and know how much a difference the packs are
(i.e. 20 pounds) bring 4 bags of sugar with you in a stuff sack.  Nothing
makes an impact about weight difference like that. Remember Oprah bringing
the wagon onstage with the hunks of fat representing the weight she lost?  I
would do this comparison first...then go into what makes the difference. You
have caught their attention and now they are eager to learn.

Since I won't ever do this demo for anyone here, I will tell you one of my
tricks about a filter demo I did a few years back and the steps I took. I
could have sold every single person a filter when they left the room, if I
had so desired.

1. I showed picture of moose peeing in the water.
2. Explained different types of filters and water treatments and passed them
around.
4. Mixed up a small bottle if iodine treated water
3. Gave everyone a taste of iodine treated water in a dixie cup. I have a
personal bias against iodine because I hate the taste of it.
4. Added a teaspoon of flour to that same water. If case you didn't know,
when flour meets iodine, it turns a dark purplish black - makes for really
disgusting looking water.
5. Filtered the water (using an old filter insert because it will gum it up)
and then drank the now perfectly clear, un-iodized tasty water.
6. Showed moose picture again.

It made a huge impression on my audience even though none of them had ever
even stepped off a paved path. Of course, I never even use that filter
anymore, but the impact was made.

The final step is to practice. If you don't have time to actually stand in
front of a mirror or your family and practice, then talk to yourself in the
car.

Wow - I'm wordy. Hope this helps, if I can help more, let me know.

POG