Five Deadly Presentations Sins

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Posted on 27th February 2011 by Kristin Arnold in Closing Activities |Engaging Mindset |presentation skills |Set The Tone |Stories

While doing a radio interview with Paula Morand on VoiceAmerica about my new book, Boring to Bravo, Paula asked me about the Five Sins.  She was referring to the Five Sins of Teamwork, taken from my book, Team Basics!  It took me a moment to wrap my head around the idea that these same five sins apply just as well to presentations.  So here you go:

1.  Talking At, Rather than With Others.  Much like a parent talks at a child, some may present with an authoritative “I know this, and you don’t” tone.  People with perceived ower typically talk at others in a direct and condescending manner.  They tell them what they know, and they aren’t really looking at the audience reaction.

2.  Talking About Other People.  Much like when we were kids, when we don’t get our own way, we talk about other people behind their backs.  In the presentation world, you may be talking about people without their knowledge.   You are mentioning their name and saying something (good or bad) about them when they are not in the room.  If it is a personal story and you have a relationship (good or bad), you should check with them first.  See if it is okay to tell that story – especially if it might put them in a bad light.

3.  Talking Around Them.  In the era of email and voicemail, it is easy to flip indirect barbs about people – and we think they will never know.  But email and voicemail are about as private as a postcard.  Your presentation might be put on YouTube.com, blogged about, or tweeted, so if you aren’t willing to share the information with the bazillion people on the planet, don’t say it.

4.  Whining.  If you look hard enough, you can always find something to complain about.  Constant complainers whine about what happened, didn’t happy, what they did, what they didn’t do, who they did it with…and the list goes on.  Please don’t use the platform as your personal therapy.

5.  Avoidance.  Rather tha deal with the issue or problem we may choose to ignore it, hoping that it will go away.  For presenters, this is all about your call to action.  You have informed them, inspired them, and now they need to leave your presentation and go do something.  Be specific about what it is that you want them to do, think, or feel differently as a result of your time together.

Do’s and Don’ts when Using Cartoons

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Posted on 23rd February 2011 by Kristin Arnold in Humor |PowerPoint |presentation skills

A Cartoon from Cartoon Resource

Back from the National Speakers Association UnConference in Atlanta at the brand new Loews Hotel.  Amazing conference, great vibe and fabulous food.  What more could you ask for?

Met with one the exhibiters, Nancy Terrell at Cartoon Resource and thought I would pass along her list of do’s and don’ts when using cartoons:

Cartoons and humorous illustrations can be a great asset for speakers and authors.  Below are some do’s to think about when commissioning cartoons:

  • Do expect the cartoon company to take the time to understand your platform and objectives;
  • Do expect the cartoon to explain content, thus allowing you to have less text on the page;
  • Do consider color, not just black & white.  Color grabs attention bringing more “zip” and “wow” to the discussion – it’s more contemporary;
  • Do expect the cartoon company to do the search for you at no additional charge.

When it comes to using cartoons in your work:

  • Do trust the cartoon to help you change the informational rhythm of  your talk;
  • Do make sure you have enough white space around the image to make it pop off the page;
  • Do keep your text to a minimum on the cartoon page. Let the cartoon make the point for you;
  • Do get a cartoon file big enough to use in both Powerpoint and printed materials; a 300 dpi file;
  • Do make sure that the cartoon you are buying has the right to use it in all of your materials-such as presentation, handouts, books, website;
  • Don’t assume your purchase of cartoon rights extends beyond one-time use;
  • Don’t click through the cartoon page too fast. Let your audience fully absorb the tie-in between cartoon and salient point;
  • Don’t be afraid to use color. It catches the audiences’ attention faster.

The primary ‘do’ is to expect rapid and on-target cartoons and reasonable pricing when you work with a cartoon/humorous illustration company. Expect the cartoons to be clever AND on-target.

Choose cartoons that could have been created by you if you could draw or if the cartoonist really knew your topic and your presentation inside out. The right cartoon is an underline for your presentation points.  It hits the bullseye. You can see your message going in through the eyes of the audience as well as the ears. And if it’s really clever, you can take a few seconds to have a sip of water before the laughter subsides.

Dry Statistics Made to Stick

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Posted on 11th February 2011 by Kristin Arnold in PowerPoint |presentation skills |Stories |Visuals/Props

As we close the “Just Say No to Powerpoint Week”, did you succumb to the siren call of Powerpoint?  And… if you just had to grab the remote, did you tell the story around the Powerpoint flashing on the screen?  It’s all about the story – whether you are sharing a daring-do or a dry data dump.  People can read your PowerPoint.  What they can’t read is your story – your interpretation of the facts, events and images.

Dan and Chip Heath

The Heath Brothers hit the proverbial nail on the head in this month’s issue of Fast Company .  They said, “if you want change, close out of PowerPoint and start looking for the right feeling.”  That’s right.  They said “feeling.” In the article, the Brothers describe the story about Curt Lansbery, CEO of North American Tool who kept harping about how his employees should max out their 401(k) investments.  Then, one year at the annual enrollment meeting, he brought in a zipped bag, unzipped it, and upended it over a table.  Cash  came pouring out of the bag – $9,832 to be precise – the amount of money his employees had failed to claim the year prior.  He pointed at the money and said, “This is your money.  It should be in your pocket.  Next year, do you want it on the table or in your pocket?”  There was a stunned silence….and then a rush to sign up.

Did Curt use PowerPoint to make the point?  Not this time.  He relied on a story.  A pretty impressive “prop” to provide image and context – and to evoke the feeling that the audience should DO something.

What are you doing to evoke the feeling in your audience and inspire them to action?

Say “No” to PowerPoint Week

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Posted on 5th February 2011 by Kristin Arnold in PowerPoint |presentation skills |Speaking Trends

The latest issue of Fast Company proclaimed that February 7th is the beginning of “Say No to PowerPoint Week.”  What if all the PowerPointers in corporateland decided to embargo PowerPoint for an entire week?  What would happen then?

I  believe  people would have to get more creative in their presentations.  Try a little Prezi anyone?.  Others would rely heavily on their handouts (which, in the spirit of the embargo would have to be in a different format?)  You would actually have to prepare for your speech rather than read the slide.  You would have to rely on the content rather than the snazzy slides.

Or is corporate America just too addicted to  PowerPoint to be able to quit, cold turkey for a week?

Hmmm… there could be a fair number of  benefits to put the remote control away for a week.  What do you think?  Are you up for the challenge?