The Light Side

There’s nothing more disturbing than being told by an angry airport official that you’ll have to check your over-size on-the-go presentation tools. Today’s road warriors never wish to part with their laptops and projectors, especially when there’s no guarantee of a teary-eyed reunion upon landing.

“I’ve had a couple of instances when airport authorities have become really upset at the weight of my carry-on bag,” says Dave Paradi. Paradi is president of the consulting agency Powerpointlifeguard.com. Paradi says that a seven-pound laptop wrapped in a leather attaché case, along with a mouse, remote control and paper documents, can add up quickly on a scale.

Fortunately, there are carry-on alternatives to yesteryear’s cumbersome devices. As an increasing number of salespeople take to the road to pitch their wares, manufacturers are churning out devices that pack the same punch as their larger counterparts but are of diminutive shape and size.

Paradi didn’t have any trouble finding a way to reduce his load. He traded in his bulky, full-size mouse for Targus’s Ultra Mini Retractable Optical Mouse. Weighing in at 1.5 ounces, the tiny device features a screen-scroller button that allows users to scroll in various directions as well as alternate between open applications. In addition to saving space, Targus’ optimal mouse provides Paradi with PowerPoint precision. Rather than fumble with a laptop touch pad, Paradi can simply connect the small device to his laptop in order to better manage his presentations.

A small and lightweight mouse isn’t of much assistance, however, if you’re still plagued with a leviathan-size projector and an ancient laptop computer. Just ask Bob Befus. President of Presentation Strategies, a provider of customized presentation solutions, Befus says a growing number of road warriors are discovering the power and flexibility of today’s Pocket PCs.

Befus points to Hewlett-Packard’s iPAQ 4155 Pocket PC as a perfect example. This Microsoft Windows mobile-powered device features integrated WLAN 802.11b and Bluetooth technology, as well as a Secure Digital (SDIO) slot for added security. With the press of a button, users have instant high-speed wireless access to the Internet, email, corporate data and solutions such as voice-over IP.

But a Pocket PC alone isn’t enough to deliver a power-packed presentation. That’s why Befus recommends coupling a Pocket PC with a lightweight projector such as the BenQ PB7200. At only 5.6 pounds, this digital projector offers flexibility and performance. With a high 2000:1 contrast ratio at 2,200 ANSI lumens, the BenQ PB720 is small enough for business travelers, versatile enough to be mounted in conference room settings and powerful enough to deliver high-contrast digital presentation images.

Says Befus, “If you’re presenting a PowerPoint presentation that is mostly simple graphics and text and has some very simple animations, a Pocket PC and a tiny little projector really are a powerful combination.”

If a Pocket PC isn’t your idea of an easy-to-use tool, Befus also recommends Tablet PCs as a powerful and practical alternative. Motion’s M1400 Tablet PC has earned rave reviews for its fingerprint sensor for security, simple single-button configuration, integrated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology, and automatic screen-brightness adjustment. An excellent option for road warriors who often take handwritten notes, the Motion M1400 travels light, features a fast processor and promises long battery life.

“I found that I could do almost everything on [my Motion M1400] that I would normally do on my laptop – it’s that powerful,” says Befus. In fact, Befus says that while giving a presentation, he has been known to set up his laptop computer beside his projector, connect his Tablet PC to his laptop, and then wander around the room with his Tablet PC in hand, connecting with audience members and fostering a more intimate presentation environment.

And it’s priced at less than $2,000. There was once a time when a computer boasting the Motion M1400’s same performance power would have made a serious dent on the pocketbook. But those days are long gone, as manufacturers find ways to shrink both the size and the cost of lightweight presentation tools.Just ask Lenny Laskowski. Laskowski is president of LJL Seminars and author of 10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking (Warner Books, 2004). He says, “One of the things that manufacturers have done very well is make projectors smaller and cheaper.”

All of which, according to Laskowski, has encouraged an increasing number of salespeople to purchase their own devices rather than pay a high price to rent a hotel’s used equipment. But while Laskowski believes that “It just makes economic sense now to own a projector,” he warns that parts and accessories, such as projector light bulbs, can easily cost upwards of $400. It’s for this reason that Laskowski recommends taking extra care with today’s lightweight devices. For example, he suggests removing a projector’s light bulb and carrying it separately while traveling.

In addition to creating smaller products, manufacturers have also bundled devices in an effort to reduce size. Take, for example, RoadWired’s Auto-Retract Network/ISDN Cord. Typically, traveling salespeople must carry both a telephone and Ethernet cord in order to establish a high-speed connection. RoadWired’s combination device, however, is a retractable combination Ethernet and phone cord, which retracts into its own protective housing – the approximate size of a deck of cards. Ethernet connectors rest on each end of the flat cable so users can access a high-speed connection. The Auto-Retract Network/ISDN cord also includes adapter ends to convert the Ethernet connectors into standard phone plug ends so users can connect to a phone line when required.

Says Paradi of Powerpointlifeguard. com, “I went from carrying a retractable phone cord and a six-foot cable down to this one small package that slips into one of the pockets of my laptop bag.”

Nevertheless, today’s lightweight tools aren’t just about preventing road warrior back pain. Many of today’s pocket-size devices promise to dazzle audiences and enhance presentation quality.

One such tool is Audio Response System’s wireless response systems. These hand-held tools allow users to collect responses from an audience using radio-frequency technology, so that wiring or cabling is not needed around the room. A presenter simply asks questions, participants key in their answers, and the responses are automatically analyzed and then displayed and printed by a controlling computer. These systems can be used for a wide variety of purposes, from conducting an opinion poll on a new product to entertaining audience members by presenting in a game show format. Regardless of intent, Debbie Minor, Audio Response System’s vice president of sales, says that the systems are a surefire way for presenters to engage an audience.

Citing a Chinese proverb, Minor says: “‘Tell me, I’ll forget; show me, I may remember; but involve me and I’ll understand,’ and that’s what these systems are all about.”

For all their perks, however, small devices can have their fair share of drawbacks. For starters, even the most power-packed, pint-size tool can fail to impress. Many devices, such as Pocket PCs, simply don’t have the functional capabilities to display heavy and sophisticated graphics. It’s for this reason Befus of Presentation Strategies recommends making careful consideration of the technical know-how of your audience, the types of technology you wish to integrate into your presentation and the limitations of your presentation setting.

Says Befus, “You really have to analyze the audience, the venue and the material you’re presenting, because [Pocket PCs] are not quite there yet for some of the more complex, rich-media types of presentations that a salesperson might have.”

Nor should salespeople bank on their hi-tech, low-weight gadgets to carry them through a mediocre presentation. Audience members are the first to notice if a presenter is relying on the latest Pocket PC or state-of-the-art projector to compensate for poorly researched material and ill-conceived slides.

Says Laskowski of LJL Seminars, “It’s no different than the old days when people used overhead projectors; now they’re using LCD projectors. They still have to make sure that they know how to properly give their presentation and to use their equipment.”

But that’s not all. Patrick Donnelly is a sales representative at Advanced AV, a provider of audio video and presentation solutions ranging from LCD projectors to video conferencing equipment. He says that purchasing a small device can mean having to sacrifice top quality. It’s a risk that salespeople must be willing to take.

“With some of the smaller projectors, you trade brightness for the size and weight of the projector,” says Donnelly.

Still, Donnelly says that the occasional shortcoming in quality hasn’t deterred his customers from demanding on-the-go presentation tools that are both easy to use and lightweight.

“Our customers are looking for something small and bright that they’d be able to put in their laptop bag and carry with them to meet with their clients,” says Donnelly.

And that’s good news to today’s airline authorities.