Maybe it is my original background as a Chemical Engineer, working on an Oil Refinery, but I've always been very conscious of working in a neat, safe and tidy environment. So it's always bothered me that many SE's operate in a totally different way - with cables, hardware, paperwork and everything else they need for a customer presentation or demo just scattered around them.
It all finally came to a head last week when I sat in on a brand new demo given by a principal SE from one of my clients. The demo was a thing of beauty - tied the technology back to business benefits, injected competitive differentiators, challenged the status quo and kept everyone's attention - except ... the team used a laptop (with a power cord), a projector (with a power cord and sound cable), and yet another external device (with a power cord) . The cords snaked all over the conference room table and under the feet of the SE and the Rep. At least a half-dozen times during the meeting someone nearly tripped over a loose cable or had to move the projector connection. It was just messy! The Director of IT Operations even made a snarky comment about how the vendor was trying to kill her.
It doesn't project (poor pun) a professional image to operate that way - especially when there is mid to senior level management in the room.
Look at your power cord - see that little piece of Velcro attached to it - use it! Wrap up the loose cable.
If you have to run a power cord by where you are standing, have some painters or duct tape in your laptop bag - and tape it down.
If the connector to the projector runs across the table - keep it out of the customers way.
It's not that hard. Be professional and be safe. (Who thought practicing "safe demo" meant things like this?)
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