Your SharePoint User Is Not Stupid

Posted: March 28, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: SharePoint | 3 Comments

That’s right!

Your user isn’t stupid; SharePoint is stupid.

There I’ve said it.

Let the skies open up and lightning strike me dead.

  • SharePoint is a tool.
  • Tools don’t do anything. They are stupid.
  • People use tools to build things.
    • The tool appears brilliant, but really it’s the builder, or the business analyst, or that team that knows the process/issue.
  • Teach people to use what was built.
    • Remember how intimidating and exciting it was to drive a car or ride a bike for the first time?
    • Did you try to do it on your own the first time?
    • Did you have help?

If you don’t teach your user how to use what was built, you will need to point that stupid finger at yourself, not your user.

You were hired for your job, solving issues with SharePoint (if you are lucky). The sales team you are building a solution for was hired for sales jobs. They are not stupid because they don’t know SharePoint. You are not stupid because you don’t know sales. SharePoint isn’t stupid because tools can’t be stupid they are inanimate (unless you have enchanted tools).

Consider this the next time you want to call a user stupid because they don’t know SharePoint.

Top 5 Reasons to Record SharePoint Demos

Posted: March 6, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: SharePoint Events | Tags: , | 3 Comments

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1)  Demo multiple environments

  • During your demo, switch between a recorded demo in SharePoint 2010 AND SharePoint 2013. You don’t need to run multiple environments on your laptop.
  • Don’t waste presentation time switching between applications. Edit out the time it takes to switch.

2)  Post recording

  • You post your slides, but no one sees the live demo. Post the recorded demo to YouTube and add the link to your posted deck.
  • Post the demo to your blog. It can make a complicated subject easier to understand. If a picture is worth a thousand words, is the video worth a million?

3)  Backup for live demo

  • Ever been to a session and the poor speaker can’t connect to the internet to demo the topic? Don’t be that person. Keep the recorded demo as a backup.
  • Something could go wrong with your virtual environment the morning of your presentation. Think automatic updates. Don’t laugh. I’ve seen this happen.

4)  Stay in PowerPoint

  • Switching in and out of PowerPoint or other presentation software interrupts the flow of the presentation. Embed the recorded demo in the slides. Warning – This will make your presentation HUGE and could be a problem if you try to email the deck.
  • Set up the video slide to play automatically. Use your clicker/slide advancer and never have to stand behind the podium.

5)  Amaze your audience with voice activated demo

  • Explain what is happening in the demo without splitting your focus. Sometimes it is hard to talk and click at the same time.
  • After the presentation several people have asked me, “What tool did you use to create that voice activated demo?” It makes me happy.

Use whatever video capture software works for you. I use Camtasia Studio 8. It costs money, but it will save your video in multiple formats, the editing tools are easy to use, and you can speed up or slow down the recording.

Do you record your demos? What software do you use and why?