On the TechTO stage ×1
First seen on the TechTO stage in 2016. Every talk is searchable — ask the archive about Eric ↗
In their words
When speaking about speaking, what I want you to take away from this conversation is one real thing, and that one real thing is control. If you're on stage you're already the expert, and everybody in the room wants you to succeed.
Use your hands to articulate your point, not to hold the microphone — because if you're holding the microphone, people will see that you're nervous. And as soon as you know you're nervous, you're in big trouble.
The worst thing you can do — and no disrespect to anybody who does this — is load your slides with content. You want your slide to show the audience what it is that everyone's looking at, and you want to illustrate the points with your voice.
Around the web ×1
Quick answers
Who is Eric Riz?
A Toronto consultant, speaker and author who runs eMark Consulting, the Microsoft-focused practice he founded in 2004. His own site describes him as a six-time Microsoft MVP, AI strategist and digital transformation speaker; he sits on the Microsoft Cloud Advisory Board and mentors for Futurpreneur Canada.
What did he present at TechTO?
A talk about presenting. At TechTO in May 2016 he argued the whole discipline reduces to one thing — control: of your voice, of the audience, and of the slides. He opened by fighting the remote clicker on stage and used it as the lesson.
What was Empty Cubicle?
A Toronto recruiting platform Riz founded in October 2014, built on verified data: it checked resume claims against evidence in real time rather than taking the resume at its word, and matched candidates to corporate openings.