This article is not so much about presenting as it is about presenting one's self to others. I recently suffered through a poorly recorded voicemail that left me more confused than intrigued. So I thought I'd take this opportunity to go over the basics of how to leave a great phone message. #1: … [Read more...] about Voicemail 101: Three basic rules for success!
Never assume things about your audience
When you're speaking to a group of enthusiasts, it's easy to assume that your audience already knows certain things. That's a mistake. A great presentation Last weekend, I went to a presentation about floral design. This is a skill I don't think too much about...that is until I bring a bouquet … [Read more...] about Never assume things about your audience
Simplifying PowerPoint collaboration
Anybody who's ever collaborated on a presentation knows the joy of the edit cycle. You create the presentation, submit it for review, receive an edited presentation with an explanatory email, repeat. There is built-in tool that simplifies this process. Unfortunately, it has a major flaw. The … [Read more...] about Simplifying PowerPoint collaboration
Scribbles can sometimes make the best PowerPoint illustrations!
One of the most prevalent visual trends these days is flat design. This is characterized by bold color blocks, thick lines and the virtual elimination of 3D effects such as bevels and shading. You've seen it a million times; here is an example of flat icons: Flat design is very clean and … [Read more...] about Scribbles can sometimes make the best PowerPoint illustrations!
How to eliminate distracting gestures and movements
When you're speaking in front of an audience, your actions can speak louder than your words. Swaying, hand clasping, pacing, and other unconscious movements can distract people from your main message and communicate quite a different one, such as "I'm unprepared," "I'm nervous," or "I'd rather be … [Read more...] about How to eliminate distracting gestures and movements
How to embed custom fonts into your PPT
There's nothing inherently wrong with Calibri, the humanist sans-serif typeface so familiar to users of Microsoft Office. But everybody's using it, so if you are too then your presentations might look the same as everyone else's. Here's how to stand out from the crowd. Calibri, you've overstayed … [Read more...] about How to embed custom fonts into your PPT
How to make presentations less boring
"There is no such thing as a boring project. There are only boring executions." So said Irene Etzkorn, one of the United States' leading experts on plain English writing and simplifying communications. Many of us will be faced at some point with communicating information on a boring subject. But … [Read more...] about How to make presentations less boring
One of the best PowerPoint add-ins on the market
For people who constantly work with PowerPoint, add-ins help to streamline the workflow and enable users to do more in less time. Add-ins are supplemental programs that add custom commands or features to PowerPoint. Strangely, although I've been using PowerPoint since 19*cough-cough*, I've never … [Read more...] about One of the best PowerPoint add-ins on the market