This Week's Tip: Avoid the G-Word Many speakers have picked up the bad habit of referring to a mixed-gender audience as, "You guys..."  Don't do it. There's not benefit to it.  You risk alienating a significant part of your audience, and you get nothing in return.  Using the G-Word can only make you less effective as a speaker. Post Tip Discussion: Fill Your Bag It's important to carry all the cords and adapters you are likely to need at an event. Start by understanding what video out options you have on your laptop. The 5 most common are:

1. VGA/RGB
2. HDMI/microHDMI
3. Display Port/Mini Display Port
4. USB
5. Wireless Display

Next, try to be familiar with the ports on your destination device. You can assume that the destination device will support VGA/RGB and HDMI. It may support both. Your strategy is acquiring adapters should be to ensure that you can get from each of the video out options on your laptop to both VGA/RGB and HDMI. Once you have your adapter strategy sorted out, you can add some additional gear.

• A 6-12 foot VGA Cable
• A 6-12 foot HDMI Cable
• A 6-12 foot extension cord with 3+outlets
• A roll of Gaffer's Tape

  Call To Action

• Stop using the G-Word, or don't start
• Check which video out options your laptop has
• Acquire the right adapter cables
• Tell us what else you carry in your bag in the comments below
• Please share this post by clicking the icons below
• Don't get best -- get better