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?)
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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