While it's not possible to anticipate everything that could go wrong during your presentation, there are things you can do to ahead of time to stop problems before they start. Here are four events that could derail your whole presentation and what you can do to avoid them. Problem #1: No place to … [Read more...] about How to avoid four common presenter problems
The best way to make a PowerPoint? You have 5 jobs.
I'll bet you thought you only had one job! But if you want to design an effective presentation, you actually have five jobs as a presenter: writer, editor, graphic designer, teacher, and audience member. Don't focus on one job. You need all five. Designing a presentation from scratch can be a … [Read more...] about The best way to make a PowerPoint? You have 5 jobs.
Becoming a better presenter with Toastmasters
Earlier this year, I was presenting a Cheating Death by PowerPoint lecture to a group of students. I had a 45-minute session planned that was chock-full of information I knew they could use. Before I started, I handed out evaluation forms so that I could see how well I did. When I finished, I … [Read more...] about Becoming a better presenter with Toastmasters
How do you reward loyal customers? Not like this, I hope.
Marketing can be a tricky game. Everybody knows that advertising is designed to get people to spend money on products and services, so savvy companies supplement their advertising with relationship marketing. When a company works to establish good relationships, people are perfectly willing to … [Read more...] about How do you reward loyal customers? Not like this, I hope.
A sales presentation all about yourself misses the point
How much time do you spend talking about yourself or your company during a sales presentation? Shouldn't you be addressing customer needs instead? Time and time again I see presenters taking a "me-centric" approach to sales presentations. They tell the audience all about themselves and their … [Read more...] about A sales presentation all about yourself misses the point
Some people will always cause Death by PowerPoint. Let them.
[box style="quote"]How can we convince the 80% of presenters who are not effectively using PowerPoint to stop using it?[/box] This question was posed to me recently by a Design Dispatch subscriber. We've all seen presenters who just don't get it. No matter what they might have heard about Death by … [Read more...] about Some people will always cause Death by PowerPoint. Let them.
Yeah, your kid’s cute. Now what?
Earlier this month I attended a seminar where I was exposed to many presenters and their various presentation styles. One presenter barely referred to his PowerPoint slides at all, instead relying on his dynamic personality and evangelical delivery style to get his message across. Most were seasoned … [Read more...] about Yeah, your kid’s cute. Now what?
Are you presenting for yourself or your audience?
Mary Nell McCorquodale is a management consultant with decades of experience presenting to savvy audiences, from C-level professionals to top brass in the US Military. As a young presenter, she learned very quickly that if you stick to your own agenda without finding out what your audience wants … [Read more...] about Are you presenting for yourself or your audience?