PPT - Powerful Presentation Techniques

PPT - Powerful Presentation Techniques Resource Guide Rev 10 Released

I've updated the PPT - Powerful Presentation Techniques Resource Guide listing to include several new books, blogs, web sites and article links that I've come across or that have been submitted to me.  The Resource Guide is now in its 10th version.  You can download and share the Guide -  Download PPT-PowerfulPresentationTechniquesResourceGuideRev10

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 J Gibler. MBA
the Web Chef
ConnectingDots
pgibler@connectingdots.com
(608) 255 4092

New Article in Wisconsin Technology Network - Conferences are brought to life with social computing tools

I've written another article for the Buzz Networks column that is published by Wisconsin Technology Network.  The new article "Conferences are brought to life with social computing tools" describes the ways that web 2.0 tools can be incorporated into your meeting strategies to engage and connect with attendees. 

Audience Interaction with Text Messaging

Many of us have heard of or experimented with audience response systems (ARS) or as a commenter on Techcrunch called them "classroom clickers", to generate interactivity in a presentation.  (see my Audience Response System posting from 2006 for more on his subject)  These systems allow the presenter to integrate polling questions into a PowerPoint presentation while the audience is given a chance to respond through the use of a wireless keypad that is handed out during or prior to the presentation.  While this technology can be a useful way to generate interaction, it also can be expensive given the investment cost in the proprietary software, keypads, wireless access and the time spent familiarizing both the presenter and the audience with the use of the tool in their presentation. 

Now technology has come to the rescue with an alternative to the ARS through the use of a ubiquitous tool that is becoming more and more comfortable for many audiences - SMS messaging or text messaging.  Two interesting solutions that address this technological capability are the integration of Twitter into presentations and the other is SMS polling using a tool like that from SMSPoll.net or PollEverywhere. 

Let's look at these two tools as they specifically integrate into PowerPoint.

KillerStartups referenced SMSPoll.net tool with a quote from the SMSpoll.net web site:

"SMS Poll is the easiest and fastest way to find out what your audience is thinking. Requiring no special hardware or software, you can create a poll in just a few seconds. Your audience votes by sending an SMS to a local phone number and the results are updated right before your eyes, in real-time, in your PowerPoint presentation or on your website.”

Techcrunch technology guru Jason Kincaid featured Poll Everywhere in a recent posting had this to say about the service:

"Instead of using a proprietary device, users simply send a SMS message to a specified number. This data can then be displayed on a dynamic PowerPoint slide, allowing users to watch the results change on the fly."

The limitations to using this type of polling include the  following:

• Although 52% of cell phone subscribers have supposedly used text messaging, there are still many cell phone users, including many high income professionals and older demographic segments who do not have, know how to use or use text messaging
• Text messaging often costs the user, unless they have a cell plan with unlimited text messaging service

Let me know what you think about these services.

PPT - Powerful Presentation Techniques Service Offerings

ConnectingDots, Principal Consultant Paul Gibler offers your organization a range of services to improve presentation development, delivery or overall management.  Among the services that are offered are the following:

• Professional Development - presentation and/or PowerPoint skills coaching or training
• Presentation Strategy Assessment & Development - evaluation of presentation templates, slide databases, slide preparation tools, photo libraries and other slide assets.
• Presentation Delivery Assessment - evaluation of individual presenter delivery
• Presentation Guideline Development - creation or enhancement of guidelines for internal and external presenters
• Presentation Skills Keynotes - online or live presentations on best practices in presentation skills or the effective use of PowerPoint.

These services can be customized to meet your organization's needs.  Please review the service offerings description (Download PPT-PowerfulPresentationTechniquesDescriptionRev2.pdf) and contact Paul Gibler for further information.

Humor in Presentations and training

Humor Consultant Malcolm Kushner has a new book out called "Don't Worry be Funny".  According to an article he wrote for Sales & Marketing Management called "The Funny Thing about Training", the book  provides links to web sites that can be used to create humorous images that can be downloaded into PowerPoint.  Among the sites referenced in his article are the Einstein Dynamic Photo Generator, Dictionary Picture Generator, Pointless Scientific Fact Generator and Warning Sign Generator.   

I tried them all out and thought they could be an interesting way to generate a custom image or in the case of the Scientific Fact Generator, a humorous conversion of a measurement - how many 747's is it from Milwaukee to New York City?

New Column in Wisconsin Technology Network - Widgets

I've written a new column in the monthly series of articles, Buzz Networks, recently published in Wisconsin Technology Network.  The article "Widgets - web components for plug, play and pay" reviews the evolving and expanding world of widgets or gadgets and the benefits they can provide companies looking to connect and distribute their messages widely. 

With Facebook, Microsoft and the major blog platforms endorsing these portable applications, they will only be growing in the future.

I'm available to speak to your group about presentation skills and the effective use of PowerPoint.  In addition I do keynote presentations on the latest topics in e-marketing.  Please contact me in the United States at 608 255 4092 or via e-mail.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Paul J Gibler

An offer from Mimeo - on demand printing

I was at PPTLive 07 last week and happened to sit next to the VP of Marketing, Jeff Grill  and National Account Manager, Chris Ilardi from Mimeo, the largest on demand printer.  They were one of the sponsors of the Conference and received kudos from Rick Altman, the Conference organizer, for their service and attention to detail in printing the Conference books for a number of years. 

Mimeo offers next day delivery of printed documents that can be ordered over the Internet.  Their printing facility is in Memphis near the FedEx hub.  They are set up with Kodak Nexpress printers for 4 color work and Docutechs for black & white work.  They explained and demonstrated the service as one where you simply upload your documents, add them to your library and order the components including binding you want for a given job.  You have a chance to proof your job with a WYSIWYG interface and can ship copies to as many locations as you like.  The online interface will show you the order size, printing costs and delivery fees in the shopping cart.

Special Offer for New Buyers
Mimeo has allowed me to extend an offer to new customers of $100 off your first print job.  To take advantage of this offer, you can visit Mimeo and enter the Promotion Code 123print or else call them at 1 866 389 0480 and use the Promotion Code TryUsOut.

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.

UPDATED - PowerPoint & Presentation Resource Listing (REV 6)

I'm working on creating PowerPoint Presentation Guidelines for a client that runs seminars.  In preparing these guidelines, I've been identifying new resources and reviewing existing resources that I've been compiling in my PPT-PowerPoint & Presentation Resource Guide. 

This research and review has led to an updated PPT - Powerful Presentation Techniques Resource Guide (revision 6) Download PPT-PowerfulPresentationTechniquesResourceGuideRev6.pdf available for downloading for your use.

If you have additions or changes to the Guide, drop me a line and I'll be sure to include them in REV 7.

Paul J Gibler
the Web Chef

P.S. I'd be happy to talk to you and your organization about the customized PPT - Powerful Presentation Techniques training sessions that I have available.  They blend Tips and Techniques related to Presentation Strategy, Preparation, Technical Development Using PowerPoint and Delivery tips to improved the effectiveness of your presentations.

Presentation Enhancement with ARS - Audience Response System Summary

Audience response systems are gaining some credibility in education (K-12, higher education), corporate meetings, marketing research and professional development circles.  Some of you may be familiar with these systems, while for others this could be new technology.  The systems were developed to allow forfacilitator/speaker/trainer/educator real time interaction with students/attendees.

The systems create an opportunity for anonymous or user tagged polling and instant feedback on the topic in question.  Here is a screen shot of a poll that was provided by TurningPoint, a leading vendor of ARS systems.

System Configuration
Typical systems include several items:

1. Keypads (Radio Frequency or Infrared Technology)
2. Receiving station(s)
3. Proprietary Software for creating questions, receiving, tallying, reporting results
4. Protective Carrying cases

Here is a photograph of the carrying case, software disk and keypads for one of the systems that is offered by Turning Point. 

According to Wikipedia audience response systems vary from those for "co-located' audiences to those that allow for remote interaction with the presentation and the speaker.

Why the Interest in the Systems?
Research has been conducted in higher education circles that finds that those educated using audience or personal response systems have higher retention levels than a control group that did not.  One study conducted with OB/GYN residents found "Residents who received audience response system interactive lectures showed a 21% improvement between pretest and posttest scores; residents who received the standard lecture demonstrated a 2% improvement (P = .018)".

Other studies have found that active learning has been found to increase enjoyment, participation and retention. See "Physics lecturing with audience paced feedback" , "Audience Response Made Easy" or "Who wants to be..."

Vendors
One vendor, that has contacted me through their PR firm is Turning Technologies with their ARS System called Turning Point.  Their technology allows for multiple options since "event organizers can choose any of three handheld units: ResponseCard IR, using line-of-sight infrared (IR) technology effective up to 90 feet; ResponseCard XL, an IR unit that includes a self-paced testing mode; and ResponseCard RF, a radio frequency device that registers responses up to 400 feet away."  In addition, their keypads allow for text messaging in addition to simple polling or multiple choice answers, a definite advantage for more extensive essays and responses. 

Another vendor that I've dealt with is Option Technologies.  I found their technology to be easy to use, alhtough the keypads at the time I used them appeared to be significantly larger than those used by TurningPoint. 

I found a review of an implementation of Qwizdom, another system on a recent blog posting at Experiential Learning Center for Excellence in Teaching Learning at the University of Plymouth in England. 

Issues to address
Speaker/Teacher resistance to utilization - breaks the flow, uncertainty about how to use technology, hesitation to modify current pedagogical methodology, need some handholding and training, integration with their presentation content

Equipment issues - will the keypads walk or get lost?, maintenance issues, lease or purchase, number of keypads needed, having enough base stations for the number of keypads desired, technology to acquire RF or IR (depends on your anticipated audience size), testing prior to "live" usage

Staffing Issues - who in the training/meeting/academic department will manage the equipment, outsource to vendor

Software Issues - Integrating the software into the appropriate hardware for a given presentation or classroom setting

You can find out more about Audience Response Systems at AudienceResponseInfo.

If you've had experience with an audience response system, please feel free to add your comments on what has worked and what needs continued improvement.