5 ways to reduce PowerPoint overload

From the Gee Whiz blog

Bored by 50-slide presentations that drone on, bullet by bullet, slide by slide? Having a hard time keeping audience interest in your point. Then start practicing these five research-based techniques for reducing PowerPoint overload:
1. Write a clear headline that explains main idea of each slide ("Three reasons we achieved 105% of our goal").
2. Break up story into digestible bites in slide sorter view.
3. Reduce visual load: move all text offscreen, and narrate.
4. Use visuals instead of words alone.
5. Remove every element that does not support main idea.
Check it out in the pdf "5 ways to reduce PowerPoint overload" by Cliff Atkinson and Richard E. Mayer from sociablemedia.com.
Based on the techniques, from a gargantuan 48-slide sales presentation, I created ONE slide, with a powerful graphic image that resolves to a high-impact image. Proprietary business strategy and other sensible rules prevent me from displaying it here.
E-mail me and ask for the "WhyEHM.ppt" file.
I guarantee you'll see "wow!"

powerpoint, presentations, public speaking

Behind the magic curtain

Next week Steve Jobs of Apple will grab media attention with another simple-looking stage show. Mike Evangelist tells the insider secrets of his gruelling preparation

From The Guardian

If the chief executive of Cadbury-Schweppes speaks at a conference, or Nike's boss introduces a new kind of trainer, you might expect to see it covered in specialist magazines, then quickly forgotten.

But on Tuesday a chief executive will stand up and announce something, and within minutes it will be scrutinised across the web and on stockbrokers' computers. It will be in newspapers. They'll talk about it for months.

That chief executive is Steve Jobs, and I know why that speech makes an impact. To a casual observer it is just a guy in a black shirt and jeans talking about some new technology products. But it is in fact an incredibly complex and sophisticated blend of sales pitch, product demonstration and corporate cheerleading, with a dash of religious revival thrown in for good measure. It represents weeks of work, precise orchestration and intense pressure for the scores of people who collectively make up the "man behind the curtain". I know, because I've been there, first as part of the preparation team and later on stage with Steve. >>more

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How to Get a Standing Ovation

from Guy Kawasaki

When I started public speaking in about 1986, I was deathly afraid of public speaking--for one thing, working for the division run by Steve Jobs was hugely intimidating: How could you possibly compete with Steve? It's taken me twenty years to get comfortable at it. I hope that many of you are are called upon to give speeches--it's the closest thing to being a professional athlete that many of us will achieve. The purpose of this blog entry is to help you give great speeches.

Read the excellent tips

public speaking, presentations,

Speech Making Success Tip:

One of the most powerful tools in public speaking is to be believable. One of the ways to achieve this is to use open body language. It communicates openness and sincerity.

speeches, public speaking

Tom Peters on Great Presentations

I'm going to add some stuff to my "PE56" list, thanks to your Comments.

But let me begin with something that may be personal: Why I use PowerPoint. You say, "Hey Tom, you're the guru." I say that my conclusions are much more credible when I back them up with Great Sources. I say pretty radical stuff. I say "Get radical!" That's one thing. But then I show a quote from Jack Welch, who, after all, ran a $150 billion company (I didn't): "You can't behave in a calm, rational manner; you've got to be out there on the lunatic fringe." Suddenly my radicalism is "certified" by a "real operator."

Also, I find that people like to get beyond the spoken word, and see a SIMPLE reminder of what I'm saying.

Also, we post all my slide shows so attendees (or anyone else) can go back at their leisure and recall the logic of the presentation and "steal" some Cool Quotes to use in their presentations!

So here are a few things, thanks to you, that I'm going to add to "PE56":

Read on ...

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An Effective Style To Use In Public Speaking: Audience Participation

By: James Masterson

An effective public speaker should be able to utilize devices that will be able to capture the attention of the audience. One effective means for them to give you that much needed interest is this: get them to go on stage. Make them participate. When someone is on stage and he or she happens to be a member of the audience, the rest will almost always stay attentive. Why? Because they would like to see what you will be doing to one of them. Also, because they are thinking they could be up there themselves and so to save their precious egos from embarrassment they at least need to know what is going on. Read on ...

pubic speaking, preentations

How To Add Sound To Your Presentation Using Microsoft PowerPoint XP/2003

If you are looking for ways to add sound to your PowerPoint Presentation, you have landed on the right page.There are indeed several ways to include narration, music or other sounds in your PowerPoint presentations without needing to buy extra software and to enroll in another presentation course. Read on ...

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Public Speaking Tips: Pauses

A true NO ZZZZZs presenter doesn't feel that he or she must jabber away constantly to keep the audience awake.

Skilled presenters use silence to add to the effectiveness and polish of a program.

Theatrical folks have identified a whole bunch of neat pauses which I'm sure they have a ball playing with. I'm only going to address some of the most obvious and important ones here.

SHORT - The shortest pauses, which last anywhere from one-half to two seconds, are for the simple purpose of separating your thoughts. All you have to remember is to slow down. Give the audience a fighting chance to absorb what you are saying. Change your voice inflection slightly at the end of each thought to cue the audience the next thought is coming. Also, use a short pause before and after any phrase (punch line) or word you want to emphasize.

SPONTANEITY - Another neat pause is known as a spontaneity pause. This is a planned "unplanned" pause used so that you don't look too rehearsed. You might apply this pause when you want to pretend to search for a word or phrase that you already know.

LONG - Long pauses of more than three seconds are very powerful. They command the audience to think about what you just said that is if what you just said was worth thinking about.P

lease [pause] [pause] [pause] don't be afraid to be quiet once in a while. It can dramatically increase your impact.

Excerpt from "Wake 'em Up Video Professional Speaking System "http://www.antion.com/speakervideo.htm

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To Overcome Fear of Public Speaking, You need to Understand the Underlying Causes.

Once you can identify the causes that are underlying your public speaking nerves and fear, you can choose the strategies you need to build your confidence, use the fear and present successfully.

Most people suffer from some fear of public speaking. The survey that identified it as America’s number one fear was accurate then and remains so today. But the causes of that fear can differ from person to person.

One of the most important steps towards overcoming the fear of public speaking is to identify the things in your life that have created the fear and then choose the strategies that relate to those causes and that will conquer the fear and allow you to harness it to enhance your presentations and speeches, not destroy them.


Article continues

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Grow your organisation.

If you are looking for ideas on how to grow your organisation - managmement, leadership, publicity, and much more, visit my blog called Grow your Organisation

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Public Speaking Tip: Screen Size Approximation Chart

SCREEN SIZE APPROXIMATION CHART

Use this guide when someone asks you how large of ascreen you need.

3-5 people 21 inches diagonal (53.34 cm)

5-9 people 29 inches diagonal (73.66 cm)

10-15 people 37 inches diagonal (93.98 cm)

16-35 people 60 inches diagonal (152.4 cm)

36-50 people 72 inches diagonal (182.88 cm)

51-140 people 120 inches diagonal (304.8 cm)

141-220 people 150 inches diagonal (381.0 cm)

221-390 people 200 inches diagonal (508.0 cm)

391+ people 300 inches diagonal (762.0 cm)

Source: http://www.bhphotovideo.com

public speaking, presentations

Prevent distractions during your presentation

by Cliff Atkinson, Sociable Media

The physical environment in which you make your presentation is just as important as the story you tell. The quality of your hard work is affected if the room is physically uncomfortable, no electrical outlet is within reach of the projector, or your microphone doesn't work. You'll need to prevent distractions that will diminish the impact of your presentation.

Read on ...

public speaking, presentations

Successful Speech Making

Eye contact is a wonderful tool to convey sincerity. It is also useful to help you to stay aware of how the audience is reacting to you. Stay aware and adapt by changing your presentation style and content to keep their attention and interest.

public speaking

From Tom Antion:

Public Speaking Tip: Say It With Flowers

A speaker friend of mine had a deal with a local flower shop. When he had a program the next day he would buy up all the fresh flowers that did not sell for a dirt cheap price. The flowers were destined for the dumpster anyway so the florist was thrilled to get anything for them. The speaker would arrive to big fanfare throwing flowers into the crowd. Everyone got a flower to take home and depending on the size of the crowd, some would get a whole bouquet. He also sent big bunches as his thank you gift to the meeting organizer. He purposely sent so many that the organizer could not possibly take them all home. His good will (and name) was spread all over the company he was speaking for and the people in the audience had a blast.

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Public speaking tip - Remembering new jokes -- Jan McInnis (Jan@TheWorkLady.com)

As a comedienne, I usually kick off my corporate show with 20 or more new jokes I've written for the group which means I have to have good, fast memory skills.

A couple of ways I remember these new jokes:

* Starting a few nights before the show, I review 5 or 6 jokes each night before I go to sleep. When I wake up, I know the jokes. (A friend of mine at a university is actually researching sleep and its effect on memory. It really works.)

* I go over them out loud as fast as I can. I also do this with the jokes in my act. It sort of "ingrains" the joke into my head so that when I say it, it rolls off my tongue without my having to stop and think about it.

* I group the jokes according to subject -- all jokes about the people together, all jokes about the industry together, etc.

* I use notes. I carry them up to the stage with me, but I make sure I know the first 2 or 3 jokes cold, so I don't have to refer to the notes in my hand. Then if I do, it's not as obvious as pulling the notes out of my pocket and I just glance at the sheet, saying, "I took some notes on you guys." I'll have a key word or two written on the sheet. And, even if I wrote the jokes ahead of time, it looks like I just wrote them that morning.

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Tips for keeping your cool before your presentation

Stretch to relax. Rise on your toes and reach for the ceiling, with your head back. Tighten your muscles from legs up through abdomen, and then release. Relax the neck and shoulder muscles, letting head loll on neck in different directions.

Breathe to relax. Stand erect, but relaxed and balanced. Inhale while silently counting to five. Hold the breath for five counts, then exhale for five – all breathing is through the mouth. Your diaphragm should move, but your chest should not expand. You can gradually increase the number of counts for each breath to 10.

Relax your Jaw. Let your head loll forward. As you raise it, keep your jaw relaxed. Let it hang open, and smile to yourself at how silly it feels.

Relax your throat. Yawn …. This is how your throat needs to be to speak well – open, and relaxed.Keep relaxing the muscles throughout your body, your jaw, neck and throat until you walk to the presentation area. Then smile! and begin.

For more tips and articles on overcoming public speaking nerves, visit Public Speaking Confidence

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