Try “deep zooming” to communicate more effectively in your presentations. While rare, poor presentations can have major consequences as illustrated by this article in The Economist online.
If you are tired of PowerPoint, maybe you need to try some of the new ZUI software such as Prezi or ChronoZoom. Fascinating way to preset information and more effective than PowerPoint in my opinion.
Be different and communicate more effectively.
BG
Good morning – we are still in the midst of Revival Week here at Life Action and it has been a great week so far.
Presentations – good ones seem rare. As an adjunct professor in a business school, I have the opportunity to practice giving presentations quite often. The students also have the opportunity to evaluate my presentations and as I teach graduate students, they are not too bashful about speaking their minds! So I have learned a few things. The big thing is that taking away is better than adding to when it comes to presentations. Less is more as the saying goes.
The Harvard Business Review blog has a good post on this subject that is well worth reading about “killing your darlings” to improve your presentations – if you make presentations it is well worth the read. Also check out Nancy Duarte’s site as well as Garr Reynolds for some great tips.
Have a great Wednesday!
BG
Presentations – some of us enjoy doing them, some of us hate to do them and most of us are stuck somewhere in between. But almost all of us have to do them. Unfortunately we often don’t do them well.
Guy Kawasaki in his book Enchantment has a few suggestions that might help.
Customize the introduction – be aware of your audience and somehow tailor the introduction to them.
Sell your dream – most of the time, what you are doing is communicating a “dream” for a better future for your audience. You’re not really trying to sell a product, introduce a program or a new ministry outreach. You are “selling” them a better future for themselves or others. Help them to think of what could be.
Think screenplay, not speech – telling a story is much more compelling than giving a speech. Check out Nancy Duarte’s website and books for some great help in this area.
Dramatize – Use evocative pictures, dramatic videos and etc. to make your presentation exciting. Provide inspiring information that moves people forward.
Shorten – for some reason we tend to think longer is better. Actually the opposite is true. Guy uses his guideline of 10-20-30. Ten slides in 20 minutes with no font smaller than 30.
Warm up the audience – Go early and meet the people you will be speaking to, circulate among them and greet them. Have some fun and make some friends.
Speak a lot – in other words – practice. The more you speak, the better you will become.
Some good tips in my opinion. Also, I highly recommend Nancy Duarte’s materials – I have benefitted greatly from them.
Blessings on you today as you serve our Lord,
BG
If you have to give presentations, this is a good article in Forbes about Nancy Duarte’s book – Resonate.
Here is a summary – The conclusions are: Don’t be too cerebral. Tell stories. Figure out what the audience cares about. Create common ground with them. Move back and forth between opposing ideas to create energy. Deliver facts but put them in context and make them shocking if possible. Find inspiration anywhere you can.
Check out Duarte’s site as well – very interesting.
BG
