PPT - Powerful Presentation Techniques

PowerPoint Karaoke

The Boston Globe reports on the growing interest in PowerPoint Karaoke, a spoof that originated in Germany a couple of years ago.  The karaoke program works by having a person give a "presentation" from a slide deck that they have never seen before.  In the article, it is suggested that to have your own PowerPoint Karaoke event, all you need to do is the following:

1. find PowerPoint slide decks online (.ppt)
2. download them,
3. serve beer
4. distribute the slide decks to karaoke presenters
5. use a LCD projector to display the slide
6. have the presenter generate a story with the slide deck

I'm game and ready to try it out.

For more tips on PowerPoint Karaoke, see Heathervescent's posting following last year's Barcamp LA.   

Slideshare has created a tool to help you pull together slides from the Slideshare repository.

PowerPoint Nibblets - tools & techniques

Periodically I like to scan the news to see what is new in PowerPoint add-ons, presentation accessories or tools to enhance your presentations.  Here are some that I've discovered recently.

• SlipperyBrick reports on a laser pointer with a built-in advantage - slide advance and backward buttons for use with PowerPoint.  The tool sounds like it could be a useful multi-function presentation tool.
• PlanetPDF reports that DocGuruz has released a PowerPoint to PDF conversion package that allows you to convert your PowerPoint presentations without having Adobe Acrobat installed.  The product is available for $19.95 at the company website.
• The Mobile Gadgeteer reports the availability of Softmaker Office 2008 beta for use with Pocket PC Devices.  According to their report the tool gives you "Softmaker Presentations 2008 that gives you full editing and creation capability for PowerPoint presentations."
• Cognitive Scientist Stephen Kosslyn, author of Clear and to the Point presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science on the best way to present PowerPoint information according to iO9.  He presented his "four rules of PowerPoint: the Goldilocks Rule, the Rudolph Rule, the Rule of Four and the Birds of a Feather Rule".  He has some good ideas although I found his book to be less than sophisticated in its use of PowerPoint as compared to others like Presentationzen.

NJ Governor needs some PPT help

The New York Times reported earlier this week:

"...Governor Jon S. Corzine, relying on a PowerPoint slide show several fonts too small..." "Al Gore he was not.  Sometimes it was hard to see the charts because the words and figures were too small.  Sometimes he blocked the view." 

Given the picture they showed of the Governor pointing to one of his busy slides, it is clear he needs some help. 

If you or your organization would like to avoid the governors problems, give me a call (608) 255 4092 or drop me a line for help with improving your presentation strategy through PowerPoint and Presentation skills assessments and training or through help in developing your presentation assets strategy.   

Paul Gibler

UPDATED - PowerPoint & Presentation Resource Listing (REV 7)

I've updated the PPT - Powerful Presentation Techniques Resource Listing to include several new books, web sites and article links that I've come across or have been submitted to me.  The Resource Listing is now in its seventh revision. 
Download PPT-PowerfulPresentationTechniquesResourceGuideRev7.pdf

If you have additions or changes that should be made to the listing, please send me an e-mail. 

If I can be of any help in assessing your team's current level of presentation or PowerPoint skills or assist you with your training needs, please let me know.

Paul Gibler
(608) 255 4092

PPTLive Next Week and PPT Book Reviews

I'll be attending Rick Altman's PPT Live Conference starting this Sunday in New Orleans.  I'm looking forward to picking up some good tips, ideas and to networking with other PPT and presentation professionals.  As I learn new things that are worth sharing, I'll be sure to post them here on PPT. 

In addition, I've given myself a couple of reading assignments while I'm planebound this weekend and next week to read and comment on two new PPT books I just received from Amazon - "CLEAR and to THE POINT" by Stephen Kosslyn and "Why Most PowerPoint Presentations SUCK" by Rick Altman of above mentioned PPT Live fame.  My initial scan of both tells me that I'll be able to pick up some good tips and techniques to add to my repertoire.

Share Your Worst PPT Slide Ever

Worst PPT Slide Ever
Originally uploaded by Travelin' Librarian.

Periodically I like to visit the photo and video sharing sites to see what they are saying and sharing about PowerPoint. I always find interesting items to comment on and share on my blog.

For example, this PowerPoint Slide is labeled the "Worst PPT Slide Ever" by the Travelin' Librarian.

What do you think? Have you seen or even created worse ones (in your past I'm sure)? If you have one to share, send it along or post a link to it in the comments and we'll see what others have to say.

In my PPT - Powerful Presentation Techniques educational sessions, one of things that we do is review and discuss a range of slides to determine what we think the message is and how effective the slides are in communicating that message. This is always one of the more interesting points of discussion, so I hope to see some comments generated on this blog.

Dibs and Dabs from the News - Boo Boos, Psychology and Kids

Presentation Boo Boo... "Lawmaker shows Naked Woman during school lecture" 
Looks like he didn't load his PPT properly.

Meeting Room PowerPlays... "You Are Where You Sit"
Business Week writer Aili McConnon dissects how where you sit in a meeting can build or diminish your organizational power. 

Kiddies with the Point..."In the Classroom, Blazing a Path from Fidgeting to Focus"
Elementary School Teacher Roberta Valentine uses PowerPoint to help kids talk about their distractability and mind trips.

More Tips to "Click" When Presenting

Irish blogger Rowan Manahan or Fortify Services has put together a list of problems that result in ineffective presentations.  These include:

• Too much information
• Reading your slides
• Too long
• No passion
• Too much being "the sage on the stage"

He also has an accompanying Slideshare video you might find worthwhile.  I found it a refreshing example of one way to tell your story using PowerPoint.

How Not To Use PowerPoint

I got a real kick out of this comedian demonstrating "how NOT to use PowerPoint".  Take a look at the YouTube Presentation, I suspect you'll gain some tips from a deadpan presenter.

Turn Off the PPT and Talk (New Article on PPT)

Presentations Magazine has published a new article "PowerPoint: Boon or Bane?" that provides a nice review of some of the beliefs pro and con about PowerPoint.  In the article, author Abhay Padgaonkar references highlights including the 20th anniversary of PowerPoint, Tuftes article on the corrupting influence of PowerPoint and how IBM and Sun eliminated their internal use of PowerPoint.  The interesting tips and conclusions that the author provides are the following:

• Ten Commandments - PPT is not one of them.  Evaluate whether you need to even use it
• What's Your Story? - Similar to the Beyond Bullet Points framework, he suggests that you frame your presentation as a story
• Vertical Logic - Don't go too deep in your levels of bullets.  .Make sure the listener can interpret your point easily.
• Graphic Violence - Cut the clutter and be sure you can explain the graphs
• Data Dump - Avoid overcommunicating everything you know to your audiences

I'd rate this an article well worth reading.  For other articles and resources, see my Resource Guide "PPT - Powerful Presentation Techniques Resource Listing (Rev 4)".  I'm in the process of updating this resource listing, so if you have additions or revisions please let me know.

Paul Gibler
ConnectingDots