How to Be a Great Storyteller and Win Over Any Audience - Part 4
By Steve Tobak | January 12, 2011
Part IV: The Close
The close is the easiest part to get right and the easiest part to screw up. I know that sounds contradictory, but it’s not. Here’s why. It’s the easiest to screw up because, all-too-often, folks forget to do it. They get so wound up in telling the story that they simply blow it.
It’s also the easiest to get right because the close is either telling them what you told them, as succinctly as possible, and/or driving home the one key point, the single message you want them to take away from your story or pitch. Simple. Just don’t forget to do it.
And yes, I have forgotten to close. I gave a speech at Beijing University where the audience was so engaged and the response was so overwhelming that I got caught up in the moment and forgot. I had a speech coach at the time. When she and I watched the tape together, at the end, she looked at me and said, “What the hell was that? You go all the way to China, give an incredible speech, and forget to close?!” I never forgot again.
Finally, remember this. Some people are more naturally adept at this than others are. You weren’t born with the ability to stand up in front of an audience and tell a story. It takes practice.
Videotape yourself presenting to an empty conference room or get someone with experience to watch you and provide feedback. If your company hires a speech coach for executives and up-and-comers, get in on it.
Most importantly, be patient with yourself. Finding your own style where you feel comfortable comes with experience. It may take a few years, but it’s worth it. Nothing can boost your career - or be more fulfilling - than being adept at telling a story and truly connecting with your audience. Nothing.
MY THOUGHTS
maybe i should get a speech coach. how many times have i forgotten to drive that one most important point in my closing. talk of getting carried away!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
PART 3 - HOW TO BE A GREAT STORYTELLER
How to Be a Great Storyteller and Win Over Any Audience - Part 3
By Steve Tobak | January 12, 2011
Part III: The Delivery
While research and content are key, so is delivery. If you really want to engage your audience in an experience they’ll remember - which means they’ll remember your story - here are eight tips to follow:
1. Don’t read what’s on the slide. If you’re pitching from a slide presentation, don’t read words off a slide. Instead, know the pitch cold (without having to look except for a brief cue) and speak in your own words.
2. Don’t block the audience’s view. Don’t step in front of the screen or block it from view, except for the occasional walk-across. Gesture with your hand, but don’t touch the screen. Don’t use a pointer unless you must.
3. Engage the audience by asking questions. If they don’t respond, try offering an answer and asking for a show of hands or ask easier questions. Make the audience part of the experience.
4. Be accessible. Don’t stand behind a podium. Use a wireless mic if needed. Get close to the audience and move from place to place while maintaining eye contact, but only from time to time. Do not bounce around like a ping-pong ball.
5. Pause for effect and emphasis. Practice being comfortable with silence for two or three seconds. It’s the most dramatic way to make a point. Avoid ahs, uhs, and other fillers of uncomfortable silence; they’re annoying and detract from your presence.
6. Make eye contact. But only for a few seconds per person. Too short and you’ll fail to engage; too long and it becomes uncomfortable. Don’t bounce your eyes around constantly.
7. Use hand gestures. They’re engaging and interesting. But when you’re not, keep your hands at your sides. Don’t fidget, hold onto things, or put your hands in front of you, behind you, or in your pockets. Avoid nervous habits.
8. Don’t overuse props. Frankly, the most important thing for engaging an audience and telling a memorable story is you, the story-teller. So don’t do too much to distract the audience from you. I know it’s a little scary at first, but you’ll improve with practice and experience.
Part IV: The Close (wait for the last blogon this topic)
MY THOUGHTS
deliver it from the heart. that's all i can say. preparation is key. but presenting what you have prepared from the heart have been known to touch and impact even an unfriendly audience.
By Steve Tobak | January 12, 2011
Part III: The Delivery
While research and content are key, so is delivery. If you really want to engage your audience in an experience they’ll remember - which means they’ll remember your story - here are eight tips to follow:
1. Don’t read what’s on the slide. If you’re pitching from a slide presentation, don’t read words off a slide. Instead, know the pitch cold (without having to look except for a brief cue) and speak in your own words.
2. Don’t block the audience’s view. Don’t step in front of the screen or block it from view, except for the occasional walk-across. Gesture with your hand, but don’t touch the screen. Don’t use a pointer unless you must.
3. Engage the audience by asking questions. If they don’t respond, try offering an answer and asking for a show of hands or ask easier questions. Make the audience part of the experience.
4. Be accessible. Don’t stand behind a podium. Use a wireless mic if needed. Get close to the audience and move from place to place while maintaining eye contact, but only from time to time. Do not bounce around like a ping-pong ball.
5. Pause for effect and emphasis. Practice being comfortable with silence for two or three seconds. It’s the most dramatic way to make a point. Avoid ahs, uhs, and other fillers of uncomfortable silence; they’re annoying and detract from your presence.
6. Make eye contact. But only for a few seconds per person. Too short and you’ll fail to engage; too long and it becomes uncomfortable. Don’t bounce your eyes around constantly.
7. Use hand gestures. They’re engaging and interesting. But when you’re not, keep your hands at your sides. Don’t fidget, hold onto things, or put your hands in front of you, behind you, or in your pockets. Avoid nervous habits.
8. Don’t overuse props. Frankly, the most important thing for engaging an audience and telling a memorable story is you, the story-teller. So don’t do too much to distract the audience from you. I know it’s a little scary at first, but you’ll improve with practice and experience.
Part IV: The Close (wait for the last blogon this topic)
MY THOUGHTS
deliver it from the heart. that's all i can say. preparation is key. but presenting what you have prepared from the heart have been known to touch and impact even an unfriendly audience.
Friday, January 28, 2011
PART 2 - HOW TO BE A GREAT STORYTELLER
How to Be a Great Storyteller and Win Over Any Audience PART 2
By Steve Tobak | January 12, 2011
Here is Part 2 of How to be a great Storyteller
Part II: The Story
All effective, memorable stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Make sure yours does too. Depending on the situation, you can relate that to the old axiom: First tell the audience what you’re going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them. Sometimes that’s included in the story. Either way is fine.
As an option, you can start with an icebreaker to break the tension (yours and theirs). It can be as simple as a welcome gesture or as involved as a brief and engaging or humorous anecdote. Above all, keep it brief, relevant and appropriate. Don’t tell a joke.
After your optional icebreaker, tell your audience why they’re there and what they can expect. This will relieve any tension or anxiety on their part because they’re not sure what to expect. That, in turn, will allow them to focus completely on your story. If you’re absolutely sure they already know why they’re there, i.e. somebody else provided a solid introduction, then it’s okay to dive right into the story.
Now it’s story time. For the story to be memorable, to resonate with your audience, you have to make sure it delivers on what they came for, as we already discussed at length. That’s critical so it’s worth repeating. Given that, it needs to be dramatic in some way that evokes an emotional response. It helps a lot if the speaker feels it because it comes from his or her direct experience, from the heart, so to speak.
Here are some examples:
* If you’re an entrepreneur pitching investors, your story could relate to the genesis of the idea - if it’s an interesting or amusing story - and how it will change the world, so to speak. If you can somehow relate it directly to investors as individuals, i.e. involving family, technology they might use, etc., that’s good but not necessary. Just make sure that, somewhere along the line, you answer all the requisite questions investors want answered before they’ll, at some point, write a check.
* If you’re pitching potential customers, you can tell the story of how your product or service did something amazing for another customer and how that customer benefitted in terms of gaining market share, for example. Again, something dramatic that will resonate with the audience and answer the questions we discussed in the setup.
* If it’s an elevator pitch about your company, don’t do the usual boring … we’re based in Toronto, Canada, we have 6,000 employees, and our revenue last year was $1.4B. Instead, give a quick one paragraph explanation of what your company does better than any other company and then launch right into your biggest success story that you know will resonate with your audience. Something like that.
* If it’s an interview and you’re asked to tell them about yourself, don’t just rattle off the companies you’ve worked for and your accomplishments. If you truly know your audience, you can tell them a story from your experience that encapsulates the skills and traits they’re mostly looking for.
And so on. Get the idea?
Part III: The Delivery (watch out for next post)
MY THOUGHTS
it's hard to get started. how do you start with a bang so that people would say "this sounds interesting, i'd better find a comfortable seat"? harder still is keeping them interested. you start with a bang, you'll have to find ways to not lose your audience's desire to want more. if you were successful at keeping them at the edge of their seat during the intro and the body of your talk, your ending should make them want to do something. you start with a bang, you should end up with a bang with spurts of spurts of fireworks in between.
By Steve Tobak | January 12, 2011
Here is Part 2 of How to be a great Storyteller
Part II: The Story
All effective, memorable stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Make sure yours does too. Depending on the situation, you can relate that to the old axiom: First tell the audience what you’re going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them. Sometimes that’s included in the story. Either way is fine.
As an option, you can start with an icebreaker to break the tension (yours and theirs). It can be as simple as a welcome gesture or as involved as a brief and engaging or humorous anecdote. Above all, keep it brief, relevant and appropriate. Don’t tell a joke.
After your optional icebreaker, tell your audience why they’re there and what they can expect. This will relieve any tension or anxiety on their part because they’re not sure what to expect. That, in turn, will allow them to focus completely on your story. If you’re absolutely sure they already know why they’re there, i.e. somebody else provided a solid introduction, then it’s okay to dive right into the story.
Now it’s story time. For the story to be memorable, to resonate with your audience, you have to make sure it delivers on what they came for, as we already discussed at length. That’s critical so it’s worth repeating. Given that, it needs to be dramatic in some way that evokes an emotional response. It helps a lot if the speaker feels it because it comes from his or her direct experience, from the heart, so to speak.
Here are some examples:
* If you’re an entrepreneur pitching investors, your story could relate to the genesis of the idea - if it’s an interesting or amusing story - and how it will change the world, so to speak. If you can somehow relate it directly to investors as individuals, i.e. involving family, technology they might use, etc., that’s good but not necessary. Just make sure that, somewhere along the line, you answer all the requisite questions investors want answered before they’ll, at some point, write a check.
* If you’re pitching potential customers, you can tell the story of how your product or service did something amazing for another customer and how that customer benefitted in terms of gaining market share, for example. Again, something dramatic that will resonate with the audience and answer the questions we discussed in the setup.
* If it’s an elevator pitch about your company, don’t do the usual boring … we’re based in Toronto, Canada, we have 6,000 employees, and our revenue last year was $1.4B. Instead, give a quick one paragraph explanation of what your company does better than any other company and then launch right into your biggest success story that you know will resonate with your audience. Something like that.
* If it’s an interview and you’re asked to tell them about yourself, don’t just rattle off the companies you’ve worked for and your accomplishments. If you truly know your audience, you can tell them a story from your experience that encapsulates the skills and traits they’re mostly looking for.
And so on. Get the idea?
Part III: The Delivery (watch out for next post)
MY THOUGHTS
it's hard to get started. how do you start with a bang so that people would say "this sounds interesting, i'd better find a comfortable seat"? harder still is keeping them interested. you start with a bang, you'll have to find ways to not lose your audience's desire to want more. if you were successful at keeping them at the edge of their seat during the intro and the body of your talk, your ending should make them want to do something. you start with a bang, you should end up with a bang with spurts of spurts of fireworks in between.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
HOW TO BE A GREAT STORYTELLER
How to Be a Great Storyteller and Win Over Any Audience
By Steve Tobak | January 12, 2011
It’s hard to imagine your career going anywhere if you can’t tell a story. Whether it’s an investor pitch to a VC, an “about us” to a potential customer, justifying your group’s existence to management, or an “about me” in an interview, your success in business is all about effective storytelling.
If you don’t think some of that stuff is storytelling, then you’re really in for a shock. Because if it isn’t, then you probably won’t get your funding, win the business, or get the job. Why is that? Simple. Media overload, communications overload, gadget overload.
These days, we’re all overdosed with rhetoric.
A thousand TV channels and movie choices, countless blogs and commentators, countless email blasts, and millions of websites - each one jockeying for a position in our lives, a share of our minds, just 30 seconds of our eyeballs.
Now, more than ever, if you can’t tell a story in a way that grabs people’s attention, gets across your position, and sticks with them, you may as well just hang it up. It’s as simple as that. Of course, a more positive way to look at it is that nothing can boost your career more - or be more fulfilling - than being adept at telling a story and truly connecting with your audience. Nothing.
The good news is that long ago, I was professionally trained as a speaker, I’ve given thousands of speeches and presentations, and I’ve been helping executives and companies position themselves, market their ideas, and tell stories for decades. I’ve also had the privilege of working for more than a decade with one of the great high-tech PR experts in Silicon Valley, Lou Hoffman of The Hoffman Agency. Lou writes a great blog called Ishmael’s Corner: Storytelling Through a Business Prism.
Here’s Lou’s take on one storytelling exec:
Look at Reed Hastings over at Netflix. I worked with him way back at Pure Atria. He was fantastic to work with: conversational, knew how to turn a phrase, knew how to tell a story. Fast-forward to today. Netflix is a well-known, publicly traded company and Hastings is still conversational, can still turn a phrase, tell a story.
That’s why you won’t read about this stuff in a book, learn it in Harvard Business School, or hear it from some self-proclaimed guru or expert. Because these are lessons I learned from real experts in the real world:
How to Tell a Story and Win Over Any Audience
Part I: The Setup
You were probably taught to use your own point of view (POV) as a starting point. Wrong! Dead wrong! Do you think companies are successful making products they want to make, or making products their customers want to buy? Do you think entrepreneurs get investment capital because they have a great idea or because it meets the criteria of the VCs? Do you think this blog is successful because the content is what I want to write about or what resonates with you, the audience?
Here’s how to do it right:
1. First, determine who your audience is. And don’t even think of saying, “it’s for everyone.” That simply won’t fly. If you can’t specifically define your audience, you’re sunk. If it’s for multiple audiences, it’s different for each one. I know it’s a lot of work but that’s the way it works. If you dilute the message for multiple audiences, it won’t hit any of them hard and you’ll fail to resonate across the board.
2. Second, put yourself in your audience’s shoes and ask three questions: 1) What’s in it for them, 2) why should they care, and 3) what criteria do they use to determine if whatever it is you’re pitching is a good idea or not. If you’re selling something, for example, customers have very specific criteria they’re looking to meet. Likewise, VCs have specific criteria to determine if they should invest or not. This may take some research but trust me; it’s worth it.
3. Third, develop your story by satisfying those three questions. Of course the story’s all about whatever it is you’re pitching, but if you don’t put it in perspective for your audience and answer the questions in their minds, you’ll never resonate with them. Also, make sure to consider the mechanics of the situation, i.e. how much time you’re expecting to have, what’s the venue, etc.
MY THOUGHTS
one weekend i went home and found everyone crocheting - my mom, my sister-in-law, her ten-year old and their maid. all of a sudden, a big question popped from me. "what am i gonna do when i'm really old and there's nothing else to do?". i can't crochet. i can't knit. i can't cross stitch. i can't even go fishing. my friend said i'm too noisy for the fish.
my sister-in-law looked up from her half-done doily and said "you're going to tell stories". i like that. i like that very much. i cannot picture myself sitting in a rocking chair. but i can picture myself weaving words and phrases together, watching my listeners, listening to their reactions, making changes along the way.
i think a good storyteller is one who's a good listener,too. otherwise, what stories can you tell?
By Steve Tobak | January 12, 2011
It’s hard to imagine your career going anywhere if you can’t tell a story. Whether it’s an investor pitch to a VC, an “about us” to a potential customer, justifying your group’s existence to management, or an “about me” in an interview, your success in business is all about effective storytelling.
If you don’t think some of that stuff is storytelling, then you’re really in for a shock. Because if it isn’t, then you probably won’t get your funding, win the business, or get the job. Why is that? Simple. Media overload, communications overload, gadget overload.
These days, we’re all overdosed with rhetoric.
A thousand TV channels and movie choices, countless blogs and commentators, countless email blasts, and millions of websites - each one jockeying for a position in our lives, a share of our minds, just 30 seconds of our eyeballs.
Now, more than ever, if you can’t tell a story in a way that grabs people’s attention, gets across your position, and sticks with them, you may as well just hang it up. It’s as simple as that. Of course, a more positive way to look at it is that nothing can boost your career more - or be more fulfilling - than being adept at telling a story and truly connecting with your audience. Nothing.
The good news is that long ago, I was professionally trained as a speaker, I’ve given thousands of speeches and presentations, and I’ve been helping executives and companies position themselves, market their ideas, and tell stories for decades. I’ve also had the privilege of working for more than a decade with one of the great high-tech PR experts in Silicon Valley, Lou Hoffman of The Hoffman Agency. Lou writes a great blog called Ishmael’s Corner: Storytelling Through a Business Prism.
Here’s Lou’s take on one storytelling exec:
Look at Reed Hastings over at Netflix. I worked with him way back at Pure Atria. He was fantastic to work with: conversational, knew how to turn a phrase, knew how to tell a story. Fast-forward to today. Netflix is a well-known, publicly traded company and Hastings is still conversational, can still turn a phrase, tell a story.
That’s why you won’t read about this stuff in a book, learn it in Harvard Business School, or hear it from some self-proclaimed guru or expert. Because these are lessons I learned from real experts in the real world:
How to Tell a Story and Win Over Any Audience
Part I: The Setup
You were probably taught to use your own point of view (POV) as a starting point. Wrong! Dead wrong! Do you think companies are successful making products they want to make, or making products their customers want to buy? Do you think entrepreneurs get investment capital because they have a great idea or because it meets the criteria of the VCs? Do you think this blog is successful because the content is what I want to write about or what resonates with you, the audience?
Here’s how to do it right:
1. First, determine who your audience is. And don’t even think of saying, “it’s for everyone.” That simply won’t fly. If you can’t specifically define your audience, you’re sunk. If it’s for multiple audiences, it’s different for each one. I know it’s a lot of work but that’s the way it works. If you dilute the message for multiple audiences, it won’t hit any of them hard and you’ll fail to resonate across the board.
2. Second, put yourself in your audience’s shoes and ask three questions: 1) What’s in it for them, 2) why should they care, and 3) what criteria do they use to determine if whatever it is you’re pitching is a good idea or not. If you’re selling something, for example, customers have very specific criteria they’re looking to meet. Likewise, VCs have specific criteria to determine if they should invest or not. This may take some research but trust me; it’s worth it.
3. Third, develop your story by satisfying those three questions. Of course the story’s all about whatever it is you’re pitching, but if you don’t put it in perspective for your audience and answer the questions in their minds, you’ll never resonate with them. Also, make sure to consider the mechanics of the situation, i.e. how much time you’re expecting to have, what’s the venue, etc.
MY THOUGHTS
one weekend i went home and found everyone crocheting - my mom, my sister-in-law, her ten-year old and their maid. all of a sudden, a big question popped from me. "what am i gonna do when i'm really old and there's nothing else to do?". i can't crochet. i can't knit. i can't cross stitch. i can't even go fishing. my friend said i'm too noisy for the fish.
my sister-in-law looked up from her half-done doily and said "you're going to tell stories". i like that. i like that very much. i cannot picture myself sitting in a rocking chair. but i can picture myself weaving words and phrases together, watching my listeners, listening to their reactions, making changes along the way.
i think a good storyteller is one who's a good listener,too. otherwise, what stories can you tell?
Saturday, January 22, 2011
SLIDE PRESENTATION AND DELIVERY TIPS
Top Ten Slide Preparation and Tips Delivery Tips
PowerPoint uses slides with a horizontal or "Landscape" orientation. The software was designed as a convenient way to display graphical information that would support the speaker and supplement the presentation. The slides themselves were never meant to be the "star of the show" (the star, of course, is your audience). People came to hear you and be moved or informed (or both) by you and your message. Don't let your message and your ability to tell a story get derailed by slides that are unnecessarily complicated, busy, or full of what Edward Tufte calls "chart junk." Nothing in your slide should be superfluous, ever.
Your slides should have plenty of "white space" or "negative space." Do not feel compelled to fill empty areas on your slide with your logo or other unnecessary graphics or text boxes that do not contribute to better understanding. The less clutter you have on your slide, the more powerful your visual message will become.
Your presentation is for the benefit of the audience. But boring an audience with bullet point after bullet point is of little benefit to them. Which brings us to the issue of text. The best slides may have no text at all. This may sound insane given the dependency of text slides today, but the best PowerPoint slides will be virtually meaningless with out the narration (that is you). Remember, the slides are meant to support the narration of the speaker, not make the speaker superfluous.
Many people often say something like this: "Sorry I missed your presentation. I hear it was great. Can you just send me your PowerPoint slides?" But if they are good slides, they will be of little use without you. Instead of a copy of your PowerPoint slides, it is far better to prepare a written document which highlights your content from the presentation and expands on that content. Audiences are much better served receiving a detailed, written handout as a takeaway from the presentation, rather than a mere copy of your PowerPoint slides. If you have a detailed handout or publication for the audience to be passed out after your talk, you need not feel compelled to fill your PowerPoint slides with a great deal of text.
We’ll talk more about this in the delivery section below, but as long as we are talking about text, please remember to never, ever turn your back on the audience and read text from the slide word for word.
Top Ten Slide Tips Preparation Tips Delivery Tips
PowerPoint uses slides with a horizontal or "Landscape" orientation. The software was designed as a convenient way to display graphical information that would support the speaker and supplement the presentation. The slides themselves were never meant to be the "star of the show" (the star, of course, is your audience). People came to hear you and be moved or informed (or both) by you and your message. Don't let your message and your ability to tell a story get derailed by slides that are unnecessarily complicated, busy, or full of what Edward Tufte calls "chart junk." Nothing in your slide should be superfluous, ever.
Your slides should have plenty of "white space" or "negative space." Do not feel compelled to fill empty areas on your slide with your logo or other unnecessary graphics or text boxes that do not contribute to better understanding. The less clutter you have on your slide, the more powerful your visual message will become.
Your presentation is for the benefit of the audience. But boring an audience with bullet point after bullet point is of little benefit to them. Which brings us to the issue of text. The best slides may have no text at all. This may sound insane given the dependency of text slides today, but the best PowerPoint slides will be virtually meaningless with out the narration (that is you). Remember, the slides are meant to support the narration of the speaker, not make the speaker superfluous.
Many people often say something like this: "Sorry I missed your presentation. I hear it was great. Can you just send me your PowerPoint slides?" But if they are good slides, they will be of little use without you. Instead of a copy of your PowerPoint slides, it is far better to prepare a written document which highlights your content from the presentation and expands on that content. Audiences are much better served receiving a detailed, written handout as a takeaway from the presentation, rather than a mere copy of your PowerPoint slides. If you have a detailed handout or publication for the audience to be passed out after your talk, you need not feel compelled to fill your PowerPoint slides with a great deal of text.
We’ll talk more about this in the delivery section below, but as long as we are talking about text, please remember to never, ever turn your back on the audience and read text from the slide word for word.
Use object builds and slide transitions judiciously. Object builds (also called animations), such as bullet points, should not be animated on every slide. Some animation is a good thing, but stick to the most subtle and professional (similar to what you might see on the evening TV news broadcast). A simple "Wipe Left-to-Right" (from the "Animations" menu) is good for a bullet point, but a "Move" or "Fly" for example is too tedious and slow (and yet, is used in many presentations today). Listeners will get bored very quickly if they are asked to endure slide after slide of animation. For transitions between slides, use no more than two-three different types of transition effects and do not place transition effects between all slides.
Use high-quality graphics including photographs. You can take your own high-quality photographs with your digital camera, purchase professional stock photography, or use the plethora of high-quality images available on line (be cautious of copyright issues, however). Never simply stretch a small, low-resolution photo to make it fit your layout - doing so will degrade the resolution even further.
Avoid using PowerPoint Clip Art or other cartoonish line art. Again, if it is included in the software, your audience has seen it a million times before. It may have been interesting in 1993, but today the inclusion of such clip art often undermines the professionalism of the presenter. There are exceptions, of course, and not all PowerPoint art is dreadful, but use carefully and judiciously.
MY THOUGHTS
speakers use bullet points because they use the powerpoint presentation as a crutch. if you're a good presenter, you'll use your slides as an aid. i love pictures. and a story line. my own story. so, my slides won't be any use for others. unless they're interested in the photos. i love cartoonish images though. but not when the presentation are for board members.
PowerPoint uses slides with a horizontal or "Landscape" orientation. The software was designed as a convenient way to display graphical information that would support the speaker and supplement the presentation. The slides themselves were never meant to be the "star of the show" (the star, of course, is your audience). People came to hear you and be moved or informed (or both) by you and your message. Don't let your message and your ability to tell a story get derailed by slides that are unnecessarily complicated, busy, or full of what Edward Tufte calls "chart junk." Nothing in your slide should be superfluous, ever.
Your slides should have plenty of "white space" or "negative space." Do not feel compelled to fill empty areas on your slide with your logo or other unnecessary graphics or text boxes that do not contribute to better understanding. The less clutter you have on your slide, the more powerful your visual message will become.
Your presentation is for the benefit of the audience. But boring an audience with bullet point after bullet point is of little benefit to them. Which brings us to the issue of text. The best slides may have no text at all. This may sound insane given the dependency of text slides today, but the best PowerPoint slides will be virtually meaningless with out the narration (that is you). Remember, the slides are meant to support the narration of the speaker, not make the speaker superfluous.
Many people often say something like this: "Sorry I missed your presentation. I hear it was great. Can you just send me your PowerPoint slides?" But if they are good slides, they will be of little use without you. Instead of a copy of your PowerPoint slides, it is far better to prepare a written document which highlights your content from the presentation and expands on that content. Audiences are much better served receiving a detailed, written handout as a takeaway from the presentation, rather than a mere copy of your PowerPoint slides. If you have a detailed handout or publication for the audience to be passed out after your talk, you need not feel compelled to fill your PowerPoint slides with a great deal of text.
We’ll talk more about this in the delivery section below, but as long as we are talking about text, please remember to never, ever turn your back on the audience and read text from the slide word for word.
Top Ten Slide Tips Preparation Tips Delivery Tips
PowerPoint uses slides with a horizontal or "Landscape" orientation. The software was designed as a convenient way to display graphical information that would support the speaker and supplement the presentation. The slides themselves were never meant to be the "star of the show" (the star, of course, is your audience). People came to hear you and be moved or informed (or both) by you and your message. Don't let your message and your ability to tell a story get derailed by slides that are unnecessarily complicated, busy, or full of what Edward Tufte calls "chart junk." Nothing in your slide should be superfluous, ever.
Your slides should have plenty of "white space" or "negative space." Do not feel compelled to fill empty areas on your slide with your logo or other unnecessary graphics or text boxes that do not contribute to better understanding. The less clutter you have on your slide, the more powerful your visual message will become.
Your presentation is for the benefit of the audience. But boring an audience with bullet point after bullet point is of little benefit to them. Which brings us to the issue of text. The best slides may have no text at all. This may sound insane given the dependency of text slides today, but the best PowerPoint slides will be virtually meaningless with out the narration (that is you). Remember, the slides are meant to support the narration of the speaker, not make the speaker superfluous.
Many people often say something like this: "Sorry I missed your presentation. I hear it was great. Can you just send me your PowerPoint slides?" But if they are good slides, they will be of little use without you. Instead of a copy of your PowerPoint slides, it is far better to prepare a written document which highlights your content from the presentation and expands on that content. Audiences are much better served receiving a detailed, written handout as a takeaway from the presentation, rather than a mere copy of your PowerPoint slides. If you have a detailed handout or publication for the audience to be passed out after your talk, you need not feel compelled to fill your PowerPoint slides with a great deal of text.
We’ll talk more about this in the delivery section below, but as long as we are talking about text, please remember to never, ever turn your back on the audience and read text from the slide word for word.
Use object builds and slide transitions judiciously. Object builds (also called animations), such as bullet points, should not be animated on every slide. Some animation is a good thing, but stick to the most subtle and professional (similar to what you might see on the evening TV news broadcast). A simple "Wipe Left-to-Right" (from the "Animations" menu) is good for a bullet point, but a "Move" or "Fly" for example is too tedious and slow (and yet, is used in many presentations today). Listeners will get bored very quickly if they are asked to endure slide after slide of animation. For transitions between slides, use no more than two-three different types of transition effects and do not place transition effects between all slides.
Use high-quality graphics including photographs. You can take your own high-quality photographs with your digital camera, purchase professional stock photography, or use the plethora of high-quality images available on line (be cautious of copyright issues, however). Never simply stretch a small, low-resolution photo to make it fit your layout - doing so will degrade the resolution even further.
Avoid using PowerPoint Clip Art or other cartoonish line art. Again, if it is included in the software, your audience has seen it a million times before. It may have been interesting in 1993, but today the inclusion of such clip art often undermines the professionalism of the presenter. There are exceptions, of course, and not all PowerPoint art is dreadful, but use carefully and judiciously.
MY THOUGHTS
speakers use bullet points because they use the powerpoint presentation as a crutch. if you're a good presenter, you'll use your slides as an aid. i love pictures. and a story line. my own story. so, my slides won't be any use for others. unless they're interested in the photos. i love cartoonish images though. but not when the presentation are for board members.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Presentation Remote for Keynote, PowerPoint
Kensington Debuts Presentation Remote for Keynote, PowerPoint
* By Dan Thompson
* 01/10/11
Kensington has unveiled a new wireless presentation remote that controls both PowerPoint and Keynote presentations from distances up to 150 feet. In addition to the remote, Kensington has also rolled out multiple iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch accessories, including a 20-hour battery pack.
The presentation remote, dubbed the Presenter Pro Remote, controls presentations via a wireless link to a USB drive. With the USB drive plugged into a laptop, the remote has the ability TO move the presentation slides forward and backward or turn the screen blank.
The USB plug includes a 2 GB Micro SD card and supports a maximum memory capacity of 32 GB. When not plugged into a laptop, the USB drive can be stored in the handle of the remote.
Other features include a green laser pointer that is up to 10 times brighter than a traditional red laser pointer and an ergonomic design.
The iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch accessories include the PowerLift back-up battery and dock, the BlackBelt protection band, the Virtuoso touch screen stylus and pen, and a dual USB wall charger.
The dual USB wall charger can charge up to two devices. It features detachable USB cables that offer the ability to connect an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to a computer.
With the help of a 12 mAh battery, the Power Lift back-up battery and dock charges the iPhone in hand or hands-free. The device adds power for up to 20 hours of music or five hours of video and offers an LED that indicates battery strength.
The BlackBelt protection band is a rubberized band the raps around the iPod and leaves access to all ports, while the Virtuoso touch screen stylus and pen is a combination stylus and pen that was designed to be used with applications similar to iAnnotate and SketchBook. The Virtuoso ships in black or gunmetal.
Expected to ship March 1, The Presenter Pro Remote will be available for $99.99. Kensington will cover the device with a limited five-year warranty.
The BlackBelt, PowerLift, Virtuoso, and dual USB wall charger are currently available for pre-order from Kensington. They will ship for $39.99, $49.99, $24.99, and $34.99, respectively.
MY THOUGHTS
this is good news to anyone who delivers presentation. i, for one, prefer to have the freedom to move around during a session. instead of getting fixed somewhere near the laptop to navigate the slides. i've seen some people having assistants to do that for them. but i'm more comfortable controlling the slides myself. timing is important. and no matter how you practice for a presentation, you decide on timing during the presentation itself. i love fluid presentations. and being able to control my slides from anywhere up to 150 feet is certainly a welcome improvement.
* By Dan Thompson
* 01/10/11
Kensington has unveiled a new wireless presentation remote that controls both PowerPoint and Keynote presentations from distances up to 150 feet. In addition to the remote, Kensington has also rolled out multiple iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch accessories, including a 20-hour battery pack.
The presentation remote, dubbed the Presenter Pro Remote, controls presentations via a wireless link to a USB drive. With the USB drive plugged into a laptop, the remote has the ability TO move the presentation slides forward and backward or turn the screen blank.
The USB plug includes a 2 GB Micro SD card and supports a maximum memory capacity of 32 GB. When not plugged into a laptop, the USB drive can be stored in the handle of the remote.
Other features include a green laser pointer that is up to 10 times brighter than a traditional red laser pointer and an ergonomic design.
The iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch accessories include the PowerLift back-up battery and dock, the BlackBelt protection band, the Virtuoso touch screen stylus and pen, and a dual USB wall charger.
The dual USB wall charger can charge up to two devices. It features detachable USB cables that offer the ability to connect an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to a computer.
With the help of a 12 mAh battery, the Power Lift back-up battery and dock charges the iPhone in hand or hands-free. The device adds power for up to 20 hours of music or five hours of video and offers an LED that indicates battery strength.
The BlackBelt protection band is a rubberized band the raps around the iPod and leaves access to all ports, while the Virtuoso touch screen stylus and pen is a combination stylus and pen that was designed to be used with applications similar to iAnnotate and SketchBook. The Virtuoso ships in black or gunmetal.
Expected to ship March 1, The Presenter Pro Remote will be available for $99.99. Kensington will cover the device with a limited five-year warranty.
The BlackBelt, PowerLift, Virtuoso, and dual USB wall charger are currently available for pre-order from Kensington. They will ship for $39.99, $49.99, $24.99, and $34.99, respectively.
MY THOUGHTS
this is good news to anyone who delivers presentation. i, for one, prefer to have the freedom to move around during a session. instead of getting fixed somewhere near the laptop to navigate the slides. i've seen some people having assistants to do that for them. but i'm more comfortable controlling the slides myself. timing is important. and no matter how you practice for a presentation, you decide on timing during the presentation itself. i love fluid presentations. and being able to control my slides from anywhere up to 150 feet is certainly a welcome improvement.
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