Archive for July, 2008

Pre-Presentation Analysis: Benjamin Zander on Classical Music with Shining Eyes – your input please

(If you want to add to this experiment, scroll down to the bottom of this post.)

You might know my speciality is nerdy moment-to-moment mapping of what happens in a presentation – what I call Presentation Analysis, for example on Joshua Klein’s crow presentation, or Jill Bolte-Taylor’s talk on experiencing her stroke from the inside. Even terrible presentation become fascinating when you can track what’s happening, and brilliant ones become sublime.

Think of a presentation analysis as a watching guide for the presentation connoisseur.

Well, I’m working on an analysis of Benjamin Zander’s Ted.com talk on classical music and leadership and I’d like to try an experiment. I’m calling it Pre-Presentation Analysis.

Continue reading ‘Pre-Presentation Analysis: Benjamin Zander on Classical Music with Shining Eyes – your input please’

3 reasons why you should deliver your presentation like it’s a conversation

Photo via Kris Hoet

In the comments to 3 reasons why you should plan conversations, not presentations, Natasha and Gabrielle talked about the benefits of not only preparing a presentation like it was a conversation, but delivering it that way.

Just off the top of my head, there are three big reasons why delivering a presentation like it’s a conversation does good things.

  • Talking, not performing
  • Not audience – conversation partners
  • Informal=high status

Here’s what I mean.

Continue reading ’3 reasons why you should deliver your presentation like it’s a conversation’

How to avoid using Stupid Generic Photographs in your PowerPoint slides

Well, you know how I would prefer you to not use slides at all when talking to a group. It’s just too easy for them to get in the way of you connecting authentically with the group.

This article is about how to at least make sure the images you use in your PowerPoint slides are original and not dumb.

Continue reading ‘How to avoid using Stupid Generic Photographs in your PowerPoint slides’

Using graphs in presentations – Seth Godin talks sense…

I’m softening towards slideware (PowerPoint/Keynote) in my old age, especially since my Presentation Zen conversion. I also understand that in corporate contexts, especially with IT presentations and other technical subjects, it is, if not required, then at least heavily expected.

I am, however, still the enemy of bad PowerPoint.

Seth Godin, the well-respected marketer, has outlined his ideas for good use of graphs.

Continue reading ‘Using graphs in presentations – Seth Godin talks sense…’

3 reasons why you should plan conversations, not presentations

3 reasons you should plan conversations, not presentations

There are three main ways why it’s useful to prepare a business presentation like it’s a conversation.

It stops you missing the mark by being overly formal, you don’t expect to be able to completely control the interaction, and it helps prevent moronic overstatement.

Continue reading ’3 reasons why you should plan conversations, not presentations’

How to review your presentation: Two things people get wrong

Truth of Presentation Review

There are two thoughts that I see people mistakenly beat themselves up with practically every time they deliver a presentation. The silly thing is, these thoughts can be signs that you’ve done well.

I was a young buck trainer, in my early twenties, and I was delivering a two-day course on productivity. I was part of the team redesigning the programme for the UK to make it so that people found it easier to change their behaviour after they left.

My mentor at the time (the brilliant co-creator of High Performance Coaching Ed Percival) had been observing the two days, and was driving me to the train station.

He asked me how I thought the day had gone and I said, ‘It could have been better.’

He turned to me and said something that has stuck with me ever since.

Continue reading ‘How to review your presentation: Two things people get wrong’

Focusing on your outcome without manipulating people

I need your advice, please.

Recently as I write and speak about the five planning questions from Rapid Presentation Planning (the e-book available at Cobalt), I’ve been increasingly uncomfortable with Question Two:

What do you want people to being doing differently when you’re finished?

Planning backwards from the response you’re looking for is important. It mirrors Covey’s ‘Start with the end in mind’ principle from the 7 Habits.

However, deciding what response you want people to have is dodgy for a couple of reasons.

Continue reading ‘Focusing on your outcome without manipulating people’

Studies show that respect, listening and shared values matter more than results

As a communication specialist, I’m particularly interested in surprising information about the effects of communication. I’m fascinated by those books like The Tipping Point, Blink, How We Know What Isn’t So, Freakonomics… the books that explore the irrational in human behaviour.

I’ve been talking recently about how we should be extremely clear and honest in our dealings, both in business and in our personal lives. This doesn’t mean that you spill every thought that passes through your mind, but it does mean you don’t hide things deliberately to make someone feel differently about you and your recommendations. I dubbed this concept ‘radical transparency.’ (I found out today Andy Beal got there first…)

I figure that all relationships fare better when everyone knows exactly where they stand.

Well, it turns out that I may be mistaken in how much this creates good feeling between people.

Continue reading ‘Studies show that respect, listening and shared values matter more than results’

Using numbers in business communication

This is a beautifully crafted article on how to deal with numbers intelligently written by Daphne Gray-Grant.

Couldn’t have put it better myself.

http://www.publicationcoach.com/free-articles/numbers.php

I’ve just signed up for Daphne’s free article series on corporate writing. She seems to be fantastic at clear and concise.

Presenting detailed but necessary info without people dying from boredom

I was doing a talk for the Small Business Group for the main women’s networking group here in Singapore.

One of the participants brought up the topic of how to convey admin-type information.

You can’t always have life-changing content, so here’s my thoughts on when you have less than thrilling things to convey.

Continue reading ‘Presenting detailed but necessary info without people dying from boredom’



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