Video required before you speak at conference

Is this a sign of things to come for conference speakers? The National Speakers Association (NSA) in the U.S. is now requiring prospective speakers at their winter 2011 conference to agree to create a short (2-3 minute) promotional video to explain why an attendee should come to their concurrent session. What impact could this have if presenters at all conferences were asked to do this?

First, presenters would have to think through what the benefit of their session would be to the audience. They would have to map it out and be able to articulate what they will cover and how that will help the audience. I think this would be a good thing. Too many conference presenters throw their presentation together at the last minute. This would force them to think it through in advance.

Second, it would force presenters to truly have the audience in mind when developing content. If they are going to go on record as stating what they will cover and how it will be useful, they need to consider what their audience wants to hear on that topic. This would be a great improvement from the many presentations that are simply what the presenter wanted to say and leave the audience wondering what’s in it for them.

Third, we might see more and better use of video in presentations. Once presenters get comfortable with the use of video, they start to see how it could benefit their presentations. It is like anything new, the more we get experience with it, the better we become at using it, and the more we see how it could benefit us. Short video segments can really add to the effectiveness of a presentation.

And fourth, the attendees would make better choices about which concurrent sessions they want to select based on what will be covered and the speaking style of the presenter. Think of how many sessions you’ve gone to where the presenter did not stick to what they said they would cover or you discovered they weren’t a very good presenter. The probability of selecting a poor session would be reduced if you got to “test” the presenter via video before committing to the session.

It’s great to see this conference start to leverage web tools to build interest amongst potential attendees through using video. I outlined more ideas for conference organizers in an article published last year in Speaking of Impact magazine (see page 26 of this issue).

PowerPoint Slide Makeover #48: Comparing items that are proportional

Just a quick note to let you know that a new Slide Makeover Video Podcast based on the ideas in "The Visual Slide Revolution" is available for your viewing through the iTunes Store, online or through my YouTube channel. Don't randomly draw shapes on your slide if you are comparing them because audiences interpret the proportions of the items they see on a slide. Use the ideas in this makeover to give the audience an accurate interpretation of items that are proportional.

This slide was submitted by one of the participants in a workshop - someone just like you who is looking for a way to make their presentations more effective. If you want to submit some of your slides to be considered for a future slide makeover, e-mail them to me at Dave@ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com.

If you have already subscribed through iTunes or another podcatcher, the new podcast should be automatically downloaded when you next run the program.

To subscribe via the iTunes Store, click here.
To view online or get the RSS file for other podcatchers, click here.
You can also watch all the podcasts on my YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ThinkOutsideTheSlide

If you have subscribed via iTunes or YouTube, please provide your positive feedback on the videos in the Comments and Ratings areas of the service so others know the value you get from the videos.



To get your own copy of "The Visual Slide Revolution", click here.
To access quick "how-to" videos for only $1.99 each, click here.

Video of Interview on Professionally Speaking TV

Last week I had the pleasure of appearing on Randall Craig's Professionally Speaking TV program broadcast over the Internet. We spent an hour talking about communicating effectively when using PowerPoint, my books, and how I got started in the business. I even showed a slide makeover so the audience could see the impact of what I teach. Here's the video:



I'd love to hear your comments on the program or what I shared.

PowerPoint Tip: Corrupted PowerPoint file

I got a panicked call recently from a past workshop participant. She supports presenters who were out on the road doing a major presentation in venues across the country. Whenever they started the presentation, its gives them the Blue Screen of Death (BSoD as it’s known). It is likely that the PowerPoint file got corrupted. How could it have happened and what can you do about it? Here are some thoughts.

The problem may have occurred because they are running the file from a USB drive. I always suggest that you copy your presentation from a USB drive to your computer’s hard drive for two reasons. First, it runs faster. Second, the file can get corrupt if you pull the USB drive out of the computer without properly ejecting it. Many people don’t properly eject USB drives and it can cause major problems.

They also suggested that when they tested the presentation at the office, they had not tested it with the presentation remote. It is always a good idea to test with as close to the exact setup as you can. Plug in the remote, connect to the projector, and plug in the speakers. If you suspect that a piece of hardware is causing the issue, unplug it and try the presentation again. I have over 25 common problems and possible solutions on a special site designed for access by your mobile phone. Go to m.thinkoutsidetheslide.com to access the free site (it works with regular computer browsers as well, just don’t expect fancy formatting).

Sometimes drives or files do get corrupt. It has happened to me before. That’s why I always have a backup of the file with me or easily accessible. You can carry a copy of the file on a USB drive, on your phone, or on your MP3 player. I always back up my files to the web so that I am not reliant on physical media. You can e-mail the file to a web mail service such as Gmail or Hotmail, or you can copy it to a web repository.

How can you quickly access a web-based copy of your file? If you have a mobile phone that you can tether to your laptop, you can access the file from there. If you are in a hotel, you can likely go to the business centre and they will have Internet connected computers that you can use to download the file onto a USB drive.

What should you do to prepare for these unfortunate possibilities? First, always carry a USB drive. It can contain a copy of your file or you can use it to copy the file from another computer. Second, test as thoroughly as you can to catch problems before you go out on the road. Finally, practice recovering from glitches. Know how to reset the equipment and deliver the presentation if a piece of equipment stops working.

Running into problems during your presentation is never fun. But use these ideas to try to prevent issues and recover from them.

How does banning PowerPoint solve the problem?

Here is an article about a conference that has decided to ban PowerPoint presentations: http://www.embedded.com/columns/esdeuropeeic/224000026. Why the ban? The writer explains that by banning PowerPoint, it will solve the problem of poor presentations. Instead, the presenters will use flipcharts and whiteboards to help the audience understand their presentation.

So let me get this straight. Instead of trying to help the presenters use the tool properly, we’re going to ban the tool and force them to go back in time and use tools that have, for the most part, been replaced by much better alternatives. That’s just like banning word processing software and making everyone go back to using pen and paper. Or banning e-mail and making people send memos in triplicate again.

It reminds me of a company I spoke to recently. In one department, they decided that the way to solve the problems with the PowerPoint presentations was to buy everyone a Mac and use Keynote. In the misguided belief that Keynote can’t possibly produce poor presentations. I am guessing that they now have fancier transitions between their text laden slides. Did that solve the problem?

The tool is not the problem. It never has been the root of the problem. The issue is that presenters don’t get taught how to properly structure their presentation and develop visuals that add to what they want to say. Banning the tool is the easy way out. But what happens when the resulting presentations are no better because the root issue was never dealt with? Then the cycle of finding the next scapegoat continues on. And audiences suffer through more boring presentations.

Only when organizations realize that the tool is not the problem will anything useful be done. The tool can be used well if you are taught how to use it properly. Check out my articles, past newsletters, makeover videos and tons of other great advice from many other commentators. We’ll help you use PowerPoint to create persuasive, engaging presentations. It can be done.

PowerPoint makes the Boss Button

If you're watching the NCAA March Madness games at work over the Internet through the CBSSports.com feed, check out what you see when you click on the "Boss Button". That's right, you get a PowerPoint slide designed by Dilbert creator Scott Adams. You know you've made it when you get featured on the "Boss Button".

PowerPoint Slide Makeover #47: Showing choices instead of listing them

Just a quick note to let you know that a new Slide Makeover Video Podcast based on the ideas in "The Visual Slide Revolution" is available for your viewing through the iTunes Store, online or through my YouTube channel. If you are explaining what choices an audience has in a situation they are likely to encounter, don't just list the choices as bullet points. This makeover shows how a decision tree diagram can make the thought process clear and increase the probability that the audience will apply the knowledge when faced with the situation.

This slide was submitted by one of the participants in a workshop - someone just like you who is looking for a way to make their presentations more effective. If you want to submit some of your slides to be considered for a future slide makeover, e-mail them to me at Dave@ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com.

If you have already subscribed through iTunes or another podcatcher, the new podcast should be automatically downloaded when you next run the program.

To subscribe via the iTunes Store, click here.
To view online or get the RSS file for other podcatchers, click here.
You can also watch all the podcasts on my YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ThinkOutsideTheSlide

If you have subscribed via iTunes or YouTube, please provide your positive feedback on the videos in the Comments and Ratings areas of the service so others know the value you get from the videos.



To get your own copy of "The Visual Slide Revolution", click here.
To access quick "how-to" videos for only $1.99 each, click here.

Last day for early bird registration for Ontario seminars

Today is the last day for those of you in Ontario to register at the early bird rate for my upcoming Communicate More Effectively Using PowerPoint seminars. On March 23 in London, March 24 in Mississauga/Toronto and March 25 in Ottawa, I'll be sharing twenty-five tips that presenters can use to immediately improve the effectiveness of their PowerPoint presentations.

By registering today, you also get to send me some of your slides for the slide makeover section where you see the ideas applied to the slides you actually use each day. This is like getting free consulting from me!

All the details, including a video that answers some questions about the session and previews one of the tips, are at www.PresentEffectively.com. Sign up today and I'll see you at one of the sessions.

PowerPoint Tip: Using diagrams created in drawing tools

In the last couple of months I’ve seen some new drawing tools come out that allow you to create your own diagram or drawing and use it on your slides. One was tweeted by Johanna Rehnvall, and is a program called Simple Diagrams at http://www.simplediagrams.com/home. The other is an online tool called Lovely Charts at http://www.lovelycharts.com that Donna Gunter wrote about in SpeakerNetNews. In both cases, you use the tool to create your diagram and then export it or output it to a graphic that you insert on your slide. Today’s tip is on what you do with that graphic to make it effective on your slide.

One challenge with a graphic file is that it comes in to your slide as a single image. You can’t animate parts of it like you could if you built the diagram in PowerPoint itself. So when you present the diagram, it comes on all at once and you have to work harder to keep the audience’s attention focused on the part of the diagram you are explaining at that moment. What can you do? There are two approaches and both are more fully explained in my latest book 102 Tips to Communicate More Effectively Using PowerPoint.

The first is to break apart the graphic in PowerPoint. One of my Creating Visuals videos shows step-by-step how to do this, but here’s the summary of the method. You copy the single image as many times as you need to create the different parts you want to build. For each separate part, use the cropping tool in PowerPoint to cut out the rest of the image, leaving only the part you want to build. Then you re-assemble the different parts and apply the animation effects.

The second way to build a single diagram is to reveal each part using exit animation. Draw a shape over each part and fill the shape with the background fill option. Then, build the diagram by having each of the shapes exit the slide, revealing what is underneath.

The second challenge with using a single graphic diagram is that it can end up being a complex diagram that is hard to explain, even using one of the two methods above. In this case, use the Break-Down and Zoom-In technique to show the diagram to give the audience context, but then show the different sub-sections that you will discuss individually. Show each sub-section on its own slide so there is less for the audience to try to understand all at once.

It is great that there are new drawing tools coming out that allow presenters to create meaningful diagrams instead of slides full of bullet paragraphs. Just be sure to use the diagram images you create wisely to help your audience understand your message.

New book: 102 Tips to Communicate More Effectively Using PowerPoint

Since you subscribe to my blog, I am pretty safe in assuming that you create and deliver presentations regularly and that your success depends on those presentations being effective. I know you use PowerPoint, but you probably feel that you could be more effective with some tips and new ideas, that’s why you subscribe to the blog. You don’t have time to attend a multi-day course and you sure don’t want a thick technical manual. You’re looking for more practical, proven tips that you can apply right away to make a difference in your next presentation.

I’ve got just what you are looking for.

My new, just released book, 102 Tips to Communicate More Effectively Using PowerPoint, is packed with the type of information you have been searching for. These short, practical tips are proven to make a difference in the types of presentations you have to create and deliver every day. Whether you are a manager, sales professional, analyst, trainer, educator or someone who supports people in any of these roles, you will find ideas you can use to increase the impact of your presentations.

These aren’t theories or unproven thoughts. Each of the tips is short and practical. You can quickly read them and apply them in your own presentation. I’ve organized the tips into categories that are ordered in the sequence you usually go through to create and deliver your presentation. You’ll be easily able to find tips when you need them as you move through the process of preparing for and delivering your presentation.

I’ve made the book available in either printed or e-book format, whichever you prefer. Go to www.102PPtTips.com for all the details, including what type of tips are covered and the great bonus material that will help you apply the tips in your own presentations.

Thanks for your continuing support!

Dave

P.S. Feel free to can pass this on to others who want to communicate more effectively using PowerPoint.

PowerPoint Slide Makeover #46 - Creating a simple visual to replace text

Just a quick note to let you know that a new Slide Makeover Video Podcast based on the ideas in "The Visual Slide Revolution" is available for your viewing through the iTunes Store, online or through my YouTube channel. When replacing text with a visual, don't make the mistake of thinking that you need a fancy or complex visual. This makeover shows that a simple visual combined with a good headline is much easier to create than trying to design a more complex visual; and it is more effective.

This slide was submitted by one of the subscribers to the newsletter - someone just like you who is looking for a way to make their presentations more effective. If you want to submit some of your slides to be considered for a future slide makeover, e-mail them to me at Dave@ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com.

If you have already subscribed through iTunes or another podcatcher, the new podcast should be automatically downloaded when you next run the program.

To subscribe via the iTunes Store, click here.
To view online or get the RSS file for other podcatchers, click here.
You can also watch all the podcasts on my YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ThinkOutsideTheSlide

If you have subscribed via iTunes or YouTube, please provide your positive feedback on the videos in the Comments and Ratings areas of the service so others know the value you get from the videos.



To get your own copy of "The Visual Slide Revolution", click here.
To access quick "how-to" videos for only $1.99 each, click here.