Within the space of two weeks I attended two presentations that related to my son, one at his high school and one at a college he was touring. Interestingly, they shared a common theme: speakers who didn't try to connect with the audience. I don't know if this is something that educators usually … [Read more...] about Why is connecting with your audience so important?
How to create looping animations in PowerPoint
PowerPoint has some incredible animation tools. Incredibly frustrating, that is. One thing that's eluded PowerPoint animators for years has been a way to loop an animation sequence on a slide. Friends, I'm happy to announce that the wait is over. I've learned of a way to cheat the system! The … [Read more...] about How to create looping animations in PowerPoint
Want your audience to love you? Give ’em a break.
This summer, I went on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the American Southwest with my son's Boy Scout troop. I didn't think I'd be learning anything about PowerPoint and presenting on that trip, but as it turned I learned a valuable lesson on the very first day. Scheduled breaks are very … [Read more...] about Want your audience to love you? Give ’em a break.
Punch Up Your PowerPoint Proficiency
Late last month, I recorded a podcast with Creative Boost founder Colleen Gratzer. The segment, "Punch Up Your PowerPoint Proficiency," is geared towards designers who believe that "PowerPoint is the devil!" Hating PowerPoint is like hating a hammer. Until you learn how to use any tool, it will be … [Read more...] about Punch Up Your PowerPoint Proficiency
ToolsToo an inexpensive, extremely useful PPT add-in
PowerPoint has a lot of functionality, but sometimes you need a tool that isn't there. That's when add-ins come into play. An add-in is a program that runs in PowerPoint. Often, an add-in will provide a completely new service, such as a photo library or a multiple-choice quiz. The add-in I want to … [Read more...] about ToolsToo an inexpensive, extremely useful PPT add-in
New business relationship DOA
I’m going to take a slight detour away from PowerPoint and presenting in this article to veer into Marketing 101 territory. Last week, I was at a business exposition and I shared contact information with someone who I thought was a web designer. The problems began when I tried to research his … [Read more...] about New business relationship DOA
PowerPoint presentations for trade show booths
Exhibiting at trade shows and conferences is a great way to reach a targeted audience for your products and services. Booth space can be expensive, so it's important to get the most out of your investment. That's why you should be thinking about providing a quality user experience when you're … [Read more...] about PowerPoint presentations for trade show booths
What’s your Presentation Plan B?
If you've been presenting for any length of time, you've experienced some sort of technical glitch in your presentation. How presenters react to technical glitches is what separates the pros from the noobs! Have a Plan B for when things go south. Here are two examples of real-life presentation … [Read more...] about What’s your Presentation Plan B?