As presenters, we need to be sure that our audience is always engaged. We want to see that people are interested in what we have to say and that they understand our messages. Although it can be a little tougher to do this when we're presenting online, it can be done. In fact, if you want your … [Read more...] about Keeping that human touch as a remote presenter
Tips for hosting online meetings
Many of us have been thrust into the wonderful world online meetings. If you're new to hosting online meetings, you might be eating into your time by helping people to connect to the audio, putting up with someone's barking dog, or explaining how to do screen sharing, among other things. The pros … [Read more...] about Tips for hosting online meetings
Huge confidence monitor blocks presenter
Is there such a thing as an "overconfidence monitor"? I think I found one in the wild at a training session I attended in early February. Why confidence monitors are awesome In a perfect world, people memorize every presentation they give and always maintain eye contact with the audience. But … [Read more...] about Huge confidence monitor blocks presenter
A little audience research goes a long way
In 2016, Massachusetts citizens voted to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults aged 21 and older. But not everybody is welcoming the cannabis industry with open arms. Last night, a businessman who wants to open a retail shop and growing operation in my small Central Massachusetts town … [Read more...] about A little audience research goes a long way
Weird room setup kills Presenter View
During a presentation, the Presenter View can be a real help! You get to read your notes and see what slides are coming up next, while the audience sees only the slides. Usually, if you're presenting off a laptop or desktop computer, you can make the Presenter View visible on your screen while … [Read more...] about Weird room setup kills Presenter View
Think your presentation’s awesome? Get some feedback.
At the last minute, I signed up to be a speaker for a recent meeting of my Toastmasters club. To make it easy on myself, I decided to present an excerpt from a tried-and-true presentation I’d given many times before. What I didn’t expect was to receive feedback that would make my speech even … [Read more...] about Think your presentation’s awesome? Get some feedback.
How to make amazingly useful PPT handouts
PowerPoint handouts help people to remember a presentation. But too often, presenters distribute handouts that are totally useless. Here's how not to do that. You might have seen handouts that look like this: How useless is this handout? If the presenter is lazy and exports every slide, even … [Read more...] about How to make amazingly useful PPT handouts
Bad at public speaking? Not a problem!
On September 28, Elon Musk contradicted everything I've ever learned about public speaking. He stuttered, looked nervous, went off on tangents, and forgot where his slides were. But guess what? He gave a great presentation! Mr. Musk spoke at an event that was being held at a SpaceX launch site in … [Read more...] about Bad at public speaking? Not a problem!