I haven’t mentioned PowerPoint or presenting in a while, potentially because I am increasingly speaking without the use of slides these days. However, a recent trade show visit put it firmly back on my radar, as I took to the stage and also caught some other speakers. Needless to say, the trip spawned a top [...]

Some things are too scary to plan for. No, not life insurance, public speaking. Presenting at an event or a conferences is intimidating, even for a frequent speaker. Covering your eyes and hoping it will all be OK obviously isn’t the answer, so what to do?

I’m a regular follower of TED, watching as many of the TED talks as my Mac can take. The talks range from inspirational to informative, and sometimes they are both. Larry Lessig’s recently posted TED talk is fascinating, both for its content and for the way that he uses slides in his presentation. It was [...]

Some of us are born hoarders, we keep hold of everything. As I grew up I was indoctrinated into the philosophy of “keep that, you never know when it might come in handy.” As I got older, and the house became ever more crowded, I realized that keeping everything you might ever need again [...]

As promised, here are 10 PowerPoint tips:

If you can put it on two slides, rather than one, then do.
Most people put far to much information on a single slide.
If you need notes, put them in the notes section.
That is what it is for. You can then print and use the notes. Don’t force [...]

Very good article over on Presentation Zen: Is it finally time to ditch PowerPoint?
The actionable take aways and triggered thoughts for me:

The research referenced is a good confirmation that it makes sense to draw a diagram (or create something visual) when talking with people. It helps to create focus. It also assists people who work [...]