Presentation Common Sense, is uncommon

Do you think eye contact with your audience is common-sense? How about presentation timing? For example, if you have been allotted a 30 minute speaking slot, would you think it is common sense to manage the timing of your presentation to be about 1/2 way through your slide show after 15 minutes, and finish before your 30 minutes are up?

Well, apparently common sense is not that common for many presenters. I attended a presentation on Wednesday where the presenter kept a lot of eye-contact with the projection screen. He explained so much to the screen that in the audience we felt excluded.

Do you pay attention to your eye contact? Are you really looking at your audience and speaking to your audience, or focusing on the projection screen?

At the halfway mark we were about 30% through the slideshow. The presenter used the old standby line which is a hallmark of all poor presenters "I won't read this slide to you" as he skipped through a few slides to get back on time.

What??? (I just shook my head in disbelief)
If you don't intend to read the slides to us, or we don't have time for them, why are they in the slideshow? Did you not practise this slideshow, at least once, before you took the platform?

Do you ever utter words like this "We won't cover this slide in this presentation" and then skip through it? Well, from today, don't do this anymore. Only put slides in the presentation that you intend to cover in the live presentation. Then rehearse so that you know your timing.

Do you want to show your audience that you have Presentation Common Sense?

Categorizing Presentations by time invested

You can categorize a PowerPoint Presentation by the amount of time invested to prepare it. For example, normally, presenters invest the exact amount of time it takes to type up the slides. No time for planning or thinking. Just a solid data dump that leads to bullet points and reading you slides to the subjected audience.

The Pow'Rful Philosphy subscribes to a 1:1 Ratio. One hour of preparation for every minute allotted on the stage. I believe that you will be hard-pressed to make a poor presentation with this amount of preparation.

I contend that your audience can usually estimate the time you invested in your presentation from the amount of text on the screen.

What do you think? What other categories do you place PowerPoint Presentations in?

The Greatest gift anyone can receive

SAFMEDS. Say All Fast Minute Every Day, Shuffle.

We just attended a parent education evening at Ben Bronz Academy, fondly referred to as BBA. As I said before these teachers are the smartest people I know.

Unlike parent meetings at public schools in my area where teachers share illogical wisdom such as "We see great progress, but little Johnny needs to spend an additional 20 minutes a night struggling through the inappropriate homework that we can't get through during the long frustrating school day otherwise we will give him more inappropriate homework", the staff at BBA sacrificed their evening to educate us on pragmatic learning techniques that all of us can us. Children and parents can use these learning techniques.

Which reinforces my belief that the greatest gift anyone can receive is "Knowledge of your learning style". If you know how you learn, then you can efficiently learn anything you desire to learn for the rest of your life.

Schooling should focus on learning how to learn, not only on facts and figures. We should be teaching students how to drive themselves to where ever they want to be, not the theory of how to distinguish a red Bentley from a green stick of celery. Knowing how to drive gives you independence and the skills to acquire new information for the rest of your life. Learning the theory behind how to distinguishing a red Bentley from celery results in useless information.

During my studies I tried a number of learning theories and styles. I studied for eleven years, part time to get my Bachelors degree. I found mind-maps particularly effective for me. Tonight, we discussed the benefits of mind-maps for certain learners and found that some people benefit from mind-maps while others require sequential lists to study effectively. Google "Tony Buzan" for further reading on mind maps.

Have you ever tried to study using flashcards? I have tried a few times and get frustrated with them. I can only do it for a few minutes and then get tired. Well, the smart staff at BBA explained tonight that flashcards are effective when used for only 1 minute at a time. And not only for students but all of us can use flashcards to learn the facts that we need to access a 100 times a day. Hence the acronym SAFMEDS - Say All Fast Minute Every Day, Shuffle

Here is the procedure (using index cards):
1. Make flashcards with the few facts that you need to remember. For example, DNS (which stands for Domain Name System) or the names of your staff.
2. Put the definition on the back of the card if appropriate.
3. Go through the flashcards for one minute at a time. Once a day, or more than once a day if you can.
4. When you are done, shuffle the cards ready for the next time.

The example given tonight was to learn the faces and names of students in the school. How can you implement this simple,effective learning procedure? I can think of a few situations where it will be very effective such as learning the main points of a speech. Put your main points on flashcards, memorize them using SAFMEDS, and your nervousness decreases while your confidence increases.

Did I mention that BBA staff are smart, patient people and a light in the lives of people who are privileged enough to come into contact with them?

Takahashi Method

I was reading Presentation Zen (blog by Garr Reynolds) and pondering the different styles of effective PowerPoint Presenters.

A few days ago I posted Dick Hardt's presentation. Here is the Takahashi Method for your review.

Now ask yourself. How can you use these methods to develop your style? What category of presenter do you classify yourself as?

I see Dick's method and the Takahashi method as overkill for the presentations that most of us make in our everyday lives. However, we can still learn by studying these methods and allowing them to influence our presentations for the better when we get the opportunity.

Where do you think you could incorporate either of these presentation styles in your presentations?

Scooter on day after Thanksgiving

Where were you this morning at 5 AM? In the United States, the day after Thanksgiving is when stores open at 4 AM with sales, discounts and zealous shoppers to create the Homo sapiens equivalent of a school of Piranhas.

In our seven years in the USA this was the first day we participated in the shopping frenzy. Why? Because my son saw an electric scooter on sale in yesterday's newspaper. For him, I went shopping with women in night clothes and tracksuits at 5 AM.

I set the conditions:

1. He must get up at 4 AM with me to go shopping at 5 AM.

2. No grumbling about getting up early, comments on the long lines or any other unpleasant remarks. (I agreed to not complain either)

3. He pays for the scooter out of his allowance.

The result:

5 minutes to get the scooter. 45 minutes in the checkout line. The happiest child I have seen in months. And the scooter works fine. He has enjoyed riding it all day today. He insisted I post a photo on this blog. Dad's chest bursting wht pride as my son graduates to his first set of "wheels". He is growing up into a fine young man.

Will I get up at 4 AM and go shopping again next year? No. Definitely not. Out of the question. Unless my son asks again :)

Unique presentation style of Dick Hardt

I came across this presentation by Dick Hardt. Check it out here. Fast-paced and visually stimulating to get the message across.

I believe Dick's presentation is effective, although he uses more slides than I propose we use with the Pow'Rful Process.

Tips for PowerPoint Presentations

Here are the top PowerPoint Mistakes to avoid, presented by Kesselman-Jones, Inc. (A communications firm specializing in conference & event management).

This is my summary of the mistakes from the article. To view the original article, click here.
1. What looks great on your laptop monitor, may not look great on a 12 foot screen from 70 feet away. Test your slides in the room.
2. Don't use the whizzing whistles and flying text in slides just because you can. Be consistent and conservative when designing slides.
3. Clarify and communicate the point of your slides to your audience as a presenter. Don't read your slides to the audience.
4. Send a backup of your slides ahead of time so that you will not be flustered and instigate panic when your laptop/projector/remote presenter/(insert other tech gremlin here) doesn't co-operate.

Effects of a modern William Tell

William Tell used a bow and arrow to shoot an apple off his son's head.

If William Tell was here today, fast action cameras would capture the events in scenes similar to this video clip - source unknown but admired.

You always get more from Volunteer work than you give

Last night I helped to man a table at our local High School to advise seniors on career choices. Our Rotary club hosted the event. It was a total blast. I chatted with colleagues from my town who manned the table with me, and we positively impacted the lives of students who stopped by the table.

During a quiet time I wondered over to the table manned by our Police Department. We bonded as fellow volunteers and then got talking about one of my favorite topics - guns. Handguns, rifles and ammunition. I learned where our town's Police Officers train and was glad to hear that our officers are equipped with the best firearms available. We spent a half-hour or so swapping gun stories and current trends in the firearms industry. We shared our views on Glocks, Colt, Sig Sauer and Hydra-Shok bullets. Pure heaven for a gun-enthusiast.

I got more from this volunteer event than I gave. I find that you always get more from volunteer work than you give.

When you get an opportunity to volunteer in your community, go for it. Think about it - where can you help? Visit your Rotary club and make it known that you will speak or present on your area of expertise.

What is Success?

I don't blog much about Success, because I feel that so much advice on how to be successfuly is equivalent to brainwashing you into believing that poverty is admirable. If Success was so great, then why would someone offer you a "Success" program for purchase?

Advice such as "Get to the office an hour earlier every day" and "Stay at the office after your boss leaves" will make you a great employee, but probably not successful. (Unless you desire to be an overworked employee without a family or personal life).

Richard St. John has pragmatic advice on Success that resonates with me, and so here is a video clip from TED.

Photos from District 53 Fall Conference

Here are photos of the winners from the District 53 Toastmasters Fall contests.

Humorous Speech Contest: left to right, Brian Cavanaugh, "Dare To Believe" Guy and Nana Danso


Table Topics Contest: left to right, Liz Trendowski, Marv Cross, and Kate Zap

Punishing Poor Presenters

How different does an audience experience a presentation than the presenter? Perhaps more than you notice.

I am editing a video taken from the Back of the room at a recent "Pow'Rful Process" seminar. While presenting, I thought that I did a great job. Watching the video from the view of an audience member shows that I made a few (OK, maybe more than a few) mistakes.

While presenting, I did not realize that I moved in front of the projector a few times. Also, although I was promised months in advance that the room was suitable for a projector, guess what? The table was too close to the screen for a large view, and I see on the video how much room there is for improvement in this area.

Watching a DVD of your presentation from the viewpoint of the audience hurts initially, and is punishment for many presenters. I believe many presenters will not want to see a DVD of their presentations. However, this is what the audience sees and presenters are on the stage for the benefit of the audience, which means watching DVD's of your presentation is essential medicine for good presenters. It is only punishment for poor presenters.

When last did you watch a video of your presentation from the back of the room? Is your audience seeing what you think they are seeing? Are you sure?

Sneak Preview - Feet 2 the Fire

What can I say?

Here is the proof image. Just off the press.

Yahoo !! WooooHOooo!! Yes !!! Yes !!!

Get your checkbooks out. We will be taking orders shortly.

Unique training seminar.

ANNOUNCEMENT - First Ever Training Seminar with unique combination of 3 innovative sessions for the price of one:

1. From Butterflies to Speaking Highs (Public Presentation Skills)
2. Dodging the Bullet Points (Presenting with PowerPoint)
3. Feet to the fire (Reaching your goals with Accountability Partners)

Read all about it, and register here http://www.thesmarttraininginstitute.com/serv01.htm.

Blast from the Past

Did you know that presenters were boring audiences with text-laden slides before laptops were even invented? This was before my time. This week I was exposed to antiquated equipment that impressed on me that the need for visuals existed decades before the Pow'Rful Process was created.

A speaker used slides on an overhead projector to support his speech. The slides would have embarrassed any Pow'Rful Presenter. 5 slides in 5 minutes, all with text that the audience read faster than the presenter. No color. No images. Just text.

This is proof that presenters that do not use PowerPoint will benefit from the Pow'Rful Philosophy as well. Remember, use visuals and stories to communicate, not your text heavy slides.

Capturing Gavel Francis

Last night, three of us drove from Bloomfield, CT to Delmar, NY. It is a 2 hour drive.

Why is this newsworthy? Well, we went to capture the Francis - The Travelling Gavel from District 53 Toastmasters, in Division F.

In the photo from left to Right are:

Jim Parsons Division F Governor and Bethlehem Club member, Jaimini Bhatt (CIGNA), Christa Rivelli, President of Bethlehem Club, Wayne Botha (CIGNA,)John Parla (CIGNA) and Christina Van Hoesen, Area F6 Governor and Bethlehem Club member.

We captured Francis to promote cross-club visits in District 53. If you are a Toastmaster, what are you doing to visit other Toastmaster Clubs? If you are not a Toastmaster, and want to improve your speaking skills, why have you not joined Toastmasters yet? You are missing out on meeting some of the nicest people in the world, and all are committed to improving themselves.

Feet to the Fire Status Update - 11/13/2007

Feet to the Fire status: We met with the label designer last night. Our label is awesome. He will make a few tweaks to the label, and then we will start manufacturing. Target date for the first run is Nov 28, 2007.

Think: What would be the value to you if you can start to reach goals that are on your to-do list, but that you never seem to get finished? Is it worth a $40 program to you? This is all that Feet to the fire will cost you.

I finished my 3rd Competent Communicator (CC) last night at Bloomfield Toastmasters club. Topic - of course - "Feet to the Fire:The path to getting things done through Accountability Partnerships". This will be the first CC for ProSpeakers Advanced Toastmasters Club.

Tonight - we are going to capture a travelling Gavel in Delmar, NY. It is a 2 hour drive each way, so I won't blog tonight.

Thursday night is our monthly ProSpeakers meeting.

Grateful to be Average

When last did you aim to be "Average"?

Huh?? Average? Aren't we all trying to -
"Raise the bar"?
"Do more with less"?
"Have zero defects"?
"Have breakthrough relationships"?
"Be first or second in our market, or get out"?

I am very proud of my son. He brought home a great report card last week and made The Honor Roll. This is a big deal because my son is a victim of our local "school" system and is now attending a private school (Ben Bronz Academy) where the wonderful teachers and staff have sensible strategies. (I will skip the "Public School System versus LD Students" Soap Box tonight)

My son is blossoming into a fine young man that will burst any father's proud chest.

Years ago - maybe decades ago, I saw a vivid and touching scene in a movie. An American high-school boy (let's call him Sonny) comes home from school and complains that he is so "Average". His parents live in a suburban house, drive an "Average" sedan, his parents work at "Average" white collar jobs. Sonny is frustrated because his school is hosting an exchange student. The exchange student (a girl) is a talented musician. She is the same age as Sonny. Parents, music teachers and audiences are showering her with attention and praise. Sonny complains bitterly to his Dad and throws tantrums about being "Average". Sonny also wants to be "Special" like the exchange student.

Sonny's Dad puts up with it for awhile then loses his patience. We cut to a scene in a slum. Boarded up storefronts, abandoned cars and graffiti convey depression and hopelessness. Sonny and his Dad walk down the street and Dad explains that this is where he grew up. Dad wished, visualized and generally worked his butt off to get an education, get a white collared job and have a mortgage on a house in suburbia. In short, Dad's dream is to be "Average" and although he appreciated the talented musician, Dad was content to have achieved his status. Dad was also proud that Sonny was in an "Average" school and had a better shot at life than Dad did.

Let's bring all of this together. By pulling off some risky challenges over the past 24 years with the grace of God, I have managed to get a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Information Systems from UNISA and an MBA from an American University. When I left high school at 17 years old with no job and without a hint of possibility of getting a college education, fate seemed to have selected me to always be a financially challenged blue-collar worker. In 1982 I had no income, no car and lived in South Africa. We now live in Connecticut. My son is an Honor Roll Student and Above "Average" in this Land of Opportunity.

Thanks Sonny, I still remember the lesson that your Dad taught me through a movie scene, decades ago. Being "Average" depends on your perspective, and for some of us, all we could ask for in one lifetime is to be an "Average" American. I am grateful to be "Average"

Feet to the Fire Status Update - 11/11/2007

Feet to the Fire Update - Liz and I are meeting with our CD cover designer this week, then we can go to manufacturing.

I am reading "Million Dollar Consulting" - Third Edition - by Alan Weiss. I am amazed by the turns my life is taking. I first bought this book in 1999 in South Africa (I don't know which edition) when I was a consultant for WinConnect ( A Microsoft Consulting Partner).

I bought the book from Amazon.com and paid an arm and a leg for it with the exchange rate. Then I paid a similar arm and leg for shipping. When I read the book,many concepts were mind-blowing - I could not imagine how anyone could earn a Million Dollars a year in consulting when I compared it to my income at the time. This book changed my paradigm on the possibility of Value-based fees and earning substantial income as a consultant.

Unfortunately, this was one of the books that had to stay behind when we left South Africa in 2001. We came to the USA with six suitcases and a total of $400 in cash. There was no place for numerous books. I was forced to leave my library of books behind and am still building up a library again.

Now seven years later I am reading Million Dollar Consulting again. This time I think I am getting more practical advice because there are significant differences between consulting in South Africa in 1999 and consulting in Connecticut in 2007.

If you haven't read Million Dollar Consulting, I suggest you read it. Even if you are not currently consulting Alan's points and comments are thought provoking. (I don't know about you but I prefer indulging in stimulating books rather than accepting the mind-numbing TV Programming. )

Please post your thoughts. What thought provoking books do you like to indulge yourself in?

Feet to the Fire Status Update - 11/10/2007

WOOOHOOOO!!!!

I created the Feet-To-The-Fire Accountability Partnership Program CD's today. Liz has the master copies for the final round of Quality Assurance, and then we will send them to our manufacturer. I can't wait to make these CD's available because so many people have asked where they can get a copy.

Watch this space for details...

Vocal Power

I just finished listening to Vocal Power by Roger Love. This set of 6 CD's is worth 10 times its cost.

As a speaker, I never considered doing vocal exercises before a speech. To be honest, if I had thought of doing vocal exercises, I would not have know how to to them.

Vocal Power teaches us what to drink (1/2 gallon of water per day), what to avoid eating and drinking, and visualization techniques.

Get a copy for your collection of Speaker Educational Tools.

Leaders are made, not born.

Leaders are made, not born.

As I observe managers in corporations, I conclude that most managers are neither.

Part 2- What images are suitable for business Presentations?

Continuing on from yesterday's post - What visuals are appropriate for business presentations?

Line drawings and simple tables are appropriate. For example, if you need to show an audience a table of 3 columns and 3 rows, you can put it on a slide. I believe 3 rows and 3 columns is the most that you should put on a slide, otherwise it becomes too complex for easy comprehension.

To engage your audience, you can put up a visual with a vertical and horizontal line. They form 4 quadrants which you can use to ask questions such as "In which quadrant do you think your slides fall?" High content - low volume. Low content - low volume. Low content - high volume or High content - high volume. Then you can ask your audience in which quadrant they think slide shows should be, and why.

This simple quadrant is a fantastic way to engage your audience and invoke discussion, not necessarily to classify slide shows.

What images are suitable for business Presentations?

I had a question in a recent training session. What visuals and images are relevant to a Pow'Rful Presentation in a business setting? Photos are fine to communicate images that require photos, but how do you communicate the growth trend in sales with a photo?

The answer is "you don't". If you are communicating information that requires a graph, then use a graph with these guidelines:
1. Keep it simple. The fewer bar charts and lines the better.
2. Minimal or preferably no text.
3. Put the chart up, and talk to the chart. Don't have transitions that keep changing the chart to display growth.
4. Be aware that colors you use on the chart may display differently through the projector. Green on your screen may come out as yellow through the projector. If you need to use colors, limit the number of colors, and keep them in high contrast.

Creating your Dream Job

I have just read "Secrets of the Hidden Job Market" by Janet White. Get a copy for yourself from Amazon.com (Only if you are interested in obtaining your dream job of course)

Janet's pragmatic book details the "Contrarian System" of job hunting and calls the Law of Attraction to your aid in landing your dream job. This book now has a special place on my bookshelf.

Toastmasters District 53 Fall Conference and contests

Yesterday we held our District 53 Fall 2007 Conference in FishKill, New York. The conference was fantastic. I presented a well-received educational session on the Pow'Rful Process. The conference was a huge and total success.

Croix Sather did an incredibly good job of pumping up the energy during the whole day and even had Toastmasters dancing on the stage.

Marvin Cross won the Table Topics contest. I am glad I was not a judge in this contest, as it was a close race.

I attended a panel discussion on how to win contests with four winners of contests held in previous years. In one hour, we got the results of 20 years of expertise and experience regarding contests. Invaluable information.

Level of competition in the Humorous Speech Contest was very high. Any of the contestants would do well on the world stage - oh wait, some of the contestants have already been on the world stage. Again, I was spared the agony of judging for this contest - thank goodness.

Three years ago when I joined Toastmasters, I had no idea that District Conferences existed. Last Fall I stepped outside my comfort zone and attended my first conference. Yesterday I renewed old acquaintances, and I realized I was among friends at the conference. Did I mention that I love Toastmasters, and you should join if you are not already a member.

The most valuable skill a person can acquire

What do you think is the most valuable skill a person can acquire? I think there are two contenders.

1. The ability to learn. School teaches us content. After we leave school, we learn for the rest of our lives. Personal computers, cell phones and the Internet did not exist when I left school. Yet they are part of life now and we all have learned how to use them. Who knows what we will need to learn in order to lead successful lives in 2025? Therefore, knowledge of your learning style may be one of your most valuable assets, so that you can learn new information effectively.

2. The ability to evaluate your own performance and find ways to improve it. If you want to continue growing your expertise during your adult life, then every other year you need to evaluate your current skill level, your desired skill level, and formulate a strategy to reach it.

What do you think? What is the most valuable skill that an adult today can possess?

Do you want Coffee with your sugar?

The following is true. Names and places may have (or may not have) been changed to protect the guilty.

I ordered a Caramel Latte at Dunkin Donuts. This is my one vice. I don't drink, smoke, or swear. However, all resistance crumbles at the mention of a Caramel Latte. Occasionally I pony up the $2.50 or so and spoil myself and my wife with a Caramel Latte. I have seen it made so many times that I can tell the Dunkin Donuts server how to make it by now.

Today, after taking my order, Islam squirted the prescribed 3 jets of syrup into the paper cup. My body began to get excited in anticipation of the sugar rush. Strong coffee with 3 squirts of syrupy sugary sweetness is pure heaven. Then, unlike all other Dunkin Donuts servers Islam shocked my. No other Dunkin Donuts server has ever asked me this question. I have been asked if I want skim milk or whole milk. (Why bother trying to watch your weight if you are drinking this concoction I wonder?)

Islam asked "Do you want sugar, sir? ". I was speechless. I said "No thank you". I wondered how he could even get more sugar in the cup, and expect to get the coffee in as well. Sweet coffee is a treat for me. Adding sugar to syrupy Latte's would spoil the entire experience.

Do you try to cram too much information on your slides? We want images on our slides to convey messages. However, do you leave place for the message, or are your slides a case of "Do you slides on those graphics?"