The result was this:

1. the audience automatically disconnected from the presenter to read ahead the text that appeared on the slide
2. the audience read faster than the presenter talked
3. the audience couldn’t wait for the presenter to move on to the next topic.

A better slide would have had the image at full size, the title, and nothing else. This would have allowed the presenter to get the full attention of the public and the slide would have served its purpose as a “visual” aid to enhance the message.

With no speech on the slide, the presenter needs to rehearse  before the event  But communication improves as the eyes of the audience stay on the presenter (unless he watches the screen).

Could you do with a second opinion on the quality of your slide presentation?  Get in touch with me.

A good speaker, a good topic, a large and interested audience, but… the speaker frequently turned to look at the slides projected on the large screen behind him, effectively turning his back on much of the audience.

This was not necessary because:

1. The stage was fitted with a couple of screens on the floor on each side facing the presenter, so he could have easily avoided turning his head away from the audience.
2. He had a presentation remote, so he could have moved freely on the stage.

Next time you are up on stage, remember to keep your eyes on the audience as much as possible. Your presentation will be better.

In the latest issue of the SlideCoaching newsletter I share with subscribers the 9th secret.  This new pointer is an addition to the eight secrets described in my free downloadable pdf.  If you are curious, sign up and after downloading the pdf of the first eight secrets I will send you the ninth.

Photocredit: timothymorgan

The presentation was divided into 3 sections:

• Act 1 – create the story
• Act 2 – deliver the experience
• Act 3 – refine and rehearse

During the first section, Carmine Gallo, the presenter and author of the book “The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs”, offered a suggestion which is “Stick to the rule of three”, which he obviously did by dividing his presentation this way.

Below you can find  the slide set from SlideRocket which was used during the presentation. Every slide was created entirely with SlideRocket. Unfortunately it has no audio, but maybe soon the full recording will be available on the SlideRocket site.

I had suggested to the event organizers to allow Skype dial-in for the audio portion of the web-conference, and they arranged a toll-free Skype number which worked very well.  When called in, there were already 40 people connected using the Skype audio conference.

Thank you SlideRocket!

A good PowerPoint presentation is not sufficient to eliminate glossophobia, even though it a the speaker’s confidence. A method that helps is to make many rehearsals, at least 7-8 full run-through’s speaking as if one was in front of a real audience, meaning standing up and using the remote control to advance the slide presentation on the pc.

It is not sufficient to watch the slides one by one and thinking in one’s head what one would say. A “true” rehearsal is different, and I suggest you do it.  Another product of the rehearsal is that you get to know exactly how long it takes you to go through your presentations, so you are sure not to go over the time you have been allotted.  Going over time is very annoying for the audience.

It is also very helpful to rehearse in front of a colleague, friend or family member, and obtain useful feedback on the clarity and persuasiveness of the presentation. The important thing is that the listener should not interrupt us and only give the comments at the end.  Providing a notepad to write down comments as the rehearsal progresses is a good way to remember everything.

You might also be interested in my “web rehearsal” service.