Sometimes my philosophy on presentation design can apply to real life situations. At a recent public meeting, I witnessed firsthand the benefits of making a presentation less about one's self and more about the audience. The people’s forum Here in New England, town meetings form the foundation … [Read more...] about It’s the audience, stupid!
The National Scout Jamboree is no place for a political rally
In my work as a presentation consultant, I always tell my clients is that they must consider the wants and needs of their audience. No matter what the goal of the presentation—whether it's to sell, persuade, inspire or teach—it's important that we tailor our speeches for each audience so that they … [Read more...] about The National Scout Jamboree is no place for a political rally
Simplicity is hard!
What's the toughest presentation in the world? A short, simple one. It’s easy to talk for a long time about things that interest you. The difficult thing is conveying important information in a limited amount of time. How is it done? You’ve got 5 minutes I’ve been working with a group of … [Read more...] about Simplicity is hard!
Create an awesome Ignite in 6 steps
What if you only had 5 minutes and 20 slides to wow a roomful of people? That's the premise of an Ignite talk. Your slides auto-advance every 15 seconds. That means that you have to choose your words carefully, create slides with a lot of visual impact and be very entertaining. Think of it as an … [Read more...] about Create an awesome Ignite in 6 steps
5 ways to amp up your presentations
A forgettable presentation is delivered by a low-energy guy. He may fidget or fumble. He reads from his slides in a monotone and expects you to just sit there and listen. He's boring. But some presenters are exciting! What they say sticks with you for years to come. An exciting presenter moves … [Read more...] about 5 ways to amp up your presentations
The BLUF Statement: Your secret PowerPoint weapon
How many presentations have you attended where the presenter took forever to get to the point? I'm betting it's probably quite a few. The problem is that presenters can often be so close to their material that they can clearly see the benefits of what they're talking about and they forget to tell … [Read more...] about The BLUF Statement: Your secret PowerPoint weapon