So – I will readily admit that numbers are not really ‘my thing’ and the topic of economics does not typically float my boat. I have just surprised myself though by reading, completing and emjoying Tim Harford’s Undercover Economist. And I know the reason why. You might not think that there is much connection between […]
‘The Curse of knowledge’ and how to get clarity in your presentations
How do you get clarity when making a presentation? How can you make sure that people understadn yo when you speak in public?
Three good reasons why you should be great at presenting…
There are a good few people I have spoken to who absolutely HATE giving presentations and will go to extraordinary lengths to avoid putting themselves in the situation where they might have to stand up and speak out to a group. And even those who have no choice but to present will often say it […]
Three reasons why PowerPoint stinks
Lots of people have been asking me recently about the use of PowerPoint in presentations. Contrary to popular opinion I do NOT think PowerPoint is the devil incarnate. I simply recognise that people misuse and abuse a tool which has the potential to add meaning, clarity and energy to your spoken word. People use PowerPoint […]
How to give a truly awful presentation
Decide what you want to tell your audience and do not give a single fleeting thought to the needs, wants, experience and perspective of those people who will be present. This way you won’t have to be bothered with any sort of research or thinking time and can get stuck into designing your slides on […]
How do I stop them falling asleep?
This is the most commonly asked question get asked when delivering presentation skills training. I guess what people really want to know is how to engage their audience and deliver their material in a way which keeps them listening all the way through. The answer has a number of different layers to it though…so, here […]
Doing the same thing over and over again in the hope that there will be a different result is the definition of insanity
I was working with a group of engineers recently – intelligent, friendly and committed bunch and we got to talking about PowerPoint. In a short space of time and with much laughter and reference to people in the company, the group had quickly come up with a list of ‘hates’ about PowerPoint – list of […]
Confessions of an unprepared presenter…
Someone recently asked me what was the worst audience I had had to present to. This really got me thinking about what a ‘difficult or hard ‘audience really was. Years ago in the flush of youth and inexperience, I might have said that a ‘hard’ audience was one who disagreed with what I had to […]
Help… My mind has gone blank!
Most people fear that moment when you simply can’t remember what to say next in a presentation. It either happens at the beginning of a presentation or suddenly bites you by the bottom right in the middle of your speech. Well, be reassured that this happens to lots of presenters ( even the best) and […]
Keep It Simple Stupid
I’ve been reading Dan Roam’s ‘Unfolding the Napkin’ recently and absolutely ‘get’ the idea that simple pictures can solve problems. Thinking about this has also prompted me to think about how presenters make their ideas clear and simple so that they can communicate them in a powerful and persuasive way. This is not about dumbing […]
