Presentations

Practice makes perfect timing

November 14, 2012 Categorized in: Presentations

When you, or your boss, have to give a presentation with a strict time limit, you need to have every word down pat to ensure you hit all the key points. The only way to do that is to practice—a lot.
Speaking in public can be a nerve-wracking experience for many people. But you can learn to manage your nerves, says Darlene Price, speaking coach and author of Well Said! Presentations and Conversations That Get Results. “Fear is what drives nervousness,” she says.

Liven up your iPad presentations

August 8, 2012 Categorized in: Presentations

The iPad can be a powerful presentation tool with its high-resolution display and portability. But most people are not taking full advantage of the device’s capability. Make your iPad presentations stand out with these tips.

Best alternatives to PowerPoint

April 13, 2012 Categorized in: Presentations

PowerPoint isn’t the only game in town. Our favorite alternatives to PowerPoint: SlideRocket,  Google Docs and  Prezi.
Practice. That’s the best way to get comfortable with speaking in front of others. Although the idea of pub­­lic speaking may sound ter­­ri­­fy­­ing, your confidence will get a major boost from stepping out of your comfort zone and into the spot­­light.
Heed these four tips when preparing a PowerPoint presentation: 1.  Keep slides clutter-free. 2.  Use one image to sell each idea. 3.  Follow the same color schemes, fonts and logos as your company’s website or brochures. 4.  Give the audience a break to prolong attention spans.
In PowerPoint 2010, you now have the ability to generate a Windows Media Video (.wmv) file. First, write your script using Microsoft Word. Outline your presentation, including topics and bullets. Import into PowerPoint and attach to a Theme. Then import graphic elements or create them with SmartArt …

Stretch beyond YouTube

March 21, 2011 Categorized in: InternetPresentations

Trying to share a presentation with a broader audience or get the word out about a new company focus? Three free online tools for putting slideshows and videos online:
Innovative software is helping to make dull PowerPoint presentations a thing of the past. Here are three tools to keep handy when you’re creating slides:
Avoid “death by PowerPoint” by stealing presentation tips from the charismatic Apple CEO, Steve Jobs. Carmine Gallo, communications coach and author of The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs, points out that Jobs uses presentation software as a tool to visually complement his stories.
To help an audience tune in to your PowerPoint presentation instead of zoning out, stick to these four cardinal rules from communications coach Carmine Gallo when creating a presentation: 1.Stick to three or four themes. 2.Type should be no smaller than 30 points. 3. Use charts sparingly. 4. Divide the number of minutes you’re allotted to speak by two—that’s how many slides you should have.
Help a boss avoid “death by PowerPoint” by stealing presentation tips from the famously charismatic CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs. Jobs is a gifted speaker, not necessarily because he was born with talent, but because he sticks to several strategies. Jobs uses presentation software as a tool to visually complement his stories.
“It’s one thing to keep a crowd engaged for two minutes, but two hours—or more—requires a different set of techniques,” says communications coach Carmine Gallo in BusinessWeek. So if you’re preparing a PowerPoint presentation, remember Gallo’s rules for keeping an audience captivated: