Last week I had a choice. Either I could accompany my sons on a Scout cabin-camping trip where I could experience them and their little buddies burping, farting, swearing and all the other things that teenage boys like to do, or I could take a solo trip to Montreal. Guess which one I did? I … [Read more...] about What language are you speaking?
Why is connecting with your audience so important?
Within the space of two weeks I attended two presentations that related to my son, one at his high school and one at a college he was touring. Interestingly, they shared a common theme: speakers who didn't try to connect with the audience. I don't know if this is something that educators usually … [Read more...] about Why is connecting with your audience so important?
Want your audience to love you? Give ’em a break.
This summer, I went on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the American Southwest with my son's Boy Scout troop. I didn't think I'd be learning anything about PowerPoint and presenting on that trip, but as it turned I learned a valuable lesson on the very first day. Scheduled breaks are very … [Read more...] about Want your audience to love you? Give ’em a break.
New business relationship DOA
I’m going to take a slight detour away from PowerPoint and presenting in this article to veer into Marketing 101 territory. Last week, I was at a business exposition and I shared contact information with someone who I thought was a web designer. The problems began when I tried to research his … [Read more...] about New business relationship DOA
What’s your Presentation Plan B?
If you've been presenting for any length of time, you've experienced some sort of technical glitch in your presentation. How presenters react to technical glitches is what separates the pros from the noobs! Have a Plan B for when things go south. Here are two examples of real-life presentation … [Read more...] about What’s your Presentation Plan B?
Lawyer vs. Lawyer: A study in public speaking
Public speaking takes many forms, from TED talks to client presentations to teaching and beyond. I recently served on a jury, exposing me to another kind of public speaking: lawyering. A trial lawyer has to be a very good presenter. No matter how skilled he is in matters of the law, no matter how … [Read more...] about Lawyer vs. Lawyer: A study in public speaking
Nobody likes busywork and pointless tasks
Have you ever been assigned a task only to find out afterwards that there was no point to completing it? If you're a marketer or public speaker, you have to avoid the temptation to give your audience busywork disguised as something they need to do. Because when they find out what you've done, … [Read more...] about Nobody likes busywork and pointless tasks
A great presentation is more than just pretty slides
It can be daunting to create a presentation from scratch. Many people start by designing a set of great-looking slides, then developing a script to match. But this is the exact opposite of what you should be doing. You need to start with a strong foundation of ideas and words before you get to the … [Read more...] about A great presentation is more than just pretty slides