When I was first setting up my business I planned to have a section about how to improve presentations…more specifically,PowerPoint presentations. You know the kind that make you want to just shoot yourself and get it over with rather than endure one more excruciatingly painful list of bullet points with dancing icons swirling around.

I was dissuaded by a respected advisor who said “hasn’t that been done…?”

It has been done…but it doesn’t seem to be working because people are still trying to kill me with their PowerPoint presentations.

Having to sit through yet again one too many of these mind numbing sessions sent me back to Garr Reynolds book “presentationzen.” If you have never read this book I highly recommend it. Reynolds uses clear and understandable examples to demonstrate how slides can enhance your talk and help you to convey your story, your message in a way that will engage your audiences instead of making them run for their lives.

The holidays are coming so you may want to buy a few and give them out anonymously. You have my gratitude in advance.



Comments

2 responses to “presentationzen”

  1. Presentationzen is a very good book! Nancy Duarte’s website is also a good place to learn from.

    The problem with so many presentations is that the slide deck “is” the presentation instead of just a support “for” the presentation. It probably stems from the fact that too many reports start life in slideware software instead of being first written as a report that can stand on its own. Now, present the findings and use the written report as a handout/take away. Between the slides and the full report is a set of speaker’s notes.

    Knowing how to use Word does not a writer make.
    Knowing how to use PowerPoint does not a presenter make.
    Knowing how to use graphing software does not graphicist make.

  2. Yes, Nancy’s a great resource as well, thanks Bill!

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