Alliance of IT Professionals Sharing Presentation Skills

Breaking news.

I am proud to have been accepted into the Powerful Presentations Alliance. WooHOOO!!

As part of this alliance we subscribe to a Code of Ethics and deliver the highest quality PowerPoint Presentations to our audiences.

(In other words, we would rather be caught naked in a blizzard than read a slide to our audience)

When you book your next speaker measure them up against our Code of Ethics. If they don't measure up, call a speaker from the the Powerful Presentations Alliance. You will sleep better before your presentation :)

College options for Smart children with Learning Disabilities

This is an important cause for me to champion. Education for children with Learning Disabilities and the sorry state of blissful ignorance in public school districts concerning learning Disabilities.

Last night we attended a special panel discussion at BBA. (Ben Bronz Academy).

Our evening reinforced my belief that BBA teachers are the best people in the world. BBA teachers are very, very smart, well educated, dedicated, understanding and positive.

The panelists are all parents of BBA alumni who are now attending college. Common themes that we heard are:

1. There are many colleges with support for students with LD but parents and students need to actively seek out the support office and ask for it.

2. Kids with LD typically prefer to live at home while going to college. The skills that students learn at BBA, such as doing homework everyday guide them towards successful study strategies at college and these students often feel uncomfortable trying to live a social college life with peers who don't have the same work ethic.

3. Kids with LD succeed at a variety of colleges, including Community Colleges, State Colleges and small private colleges. Selecting a college is a unique and personal experience for families with LD.

4. People from all walks of live have children with LD. Our panelists are Psychiatry professionals, stay at home moms and public school teachers.

5. It is hard to leave BBA when the time comes to move on. Parents vividly remember the fights, financial burden and heartache during the process to get into BBA. Many children go to private school after BBA to leverage the success achieved at BBA as parents cannot face the challenge of public schools again.

6. Education for a child with LD is expensive. Special classes, tutoring, lighter college course loads which interprets to longer years in college.


Did I mention that BBA teachers are the best people in the world? BBA teachers are very, very smart, well educated, dedicated, understanding and positive.


I commented to my wife afterwards how lucky we are to be living in America and be discussing the opportunity for a child with LD to attend college. Many children with LD around the world will never get the help they need or the chance to go to college.


My heartfelt message to you reading this blog. If your child is struggling with a learning disability and you are despairing over the constant roadblocks that your school district erects, then don't give up. Keep going. Find a child advocate or contact me. I will refer you to a great advocate in Connecticut. Your child needs you to keep going despite what "experts" in a public school district tell you to appease you.

LD will not go away. It will not "come right" as your school districts tell you while denying services to your child. You are not alone in this struggle. Help is available and your school district is mandated by Federal Law to provide an appropriate education for your child.

Trains

At our local hobby shop, we saw a flyer for a model-train show. On a whim my son and I drove to the Big E in West Springfield, Mass. to enjoy the train displays and search for bargain priced additions to his model train set. Wow!! We were impressed. We expected a few hundred attendees, at most. Instead we had to wait in line to park and the 4 acres of exhibitions were jam-packed with thousands of model railroad enthusiasts. This is very close to what heaven must be like. Pure bliss for father and son, watching Liliputian scale trains of every size and shape pull freight and passenger to their imaginary destinations.

We were amazed at the volume of trains and the dedication of many men (and few women) who come together regularly to enjoy their hobby. The European Train Enthusiasts - Eastern New England Chapter especially caught my attention because their freight cars are similar to the ones on my train set in South Africa. The couplers are different from the USA models of freight cars and I was instantly transported back 30 years.

The clubs formed by model railroaders got me thinking about Toastmasters and the human desire for affiliation. Model railroaders form clubs and meet regularly to create tracks and scenery for their own pleasure. These clubs do not meet any real need such as providing food or water nor improve employable skills of club members.

Similarly, Toastmasters join clubs to fill a common desire to share our love of public speaking and be with others who enjoy our passion. In contrast, Toastmasters provides training in many skills that benefit the individuals who participate including Public Speaking and Leadership skills.

As you read this blog, if you are not getting the full experience from your club, ask yourself: "Myself am I taking advantage of the leadership and communication opportunities in Toastmasters by volunteering for District officer position or Special Event Coordinator?" What are you waiting for? The opportunity for your growth is available in Toastmasters right now and you are not getting any younger.

PMA For Speakers

PMA stands for Positive Mental Attitude. Speakers need to have PMA to:

1. Visualize presentation success.
2. Radiate Positive Mental energy to your audience.
3. Attract positive situations and success into your life.
4. Look for the silver lining of difficult situations.

Have you ever been attracted to a negative speaker on stage? I doubt it. A speaker who gets in front of you and complains about the weather, his physical health, the inadequacy of his fee, the state of the world and his presentation cannot attract future audiences. No one pays money to share this negativity.

The best speakers implement PMA, every day. Best speakers have energy, are enthusiastic and provide benefits to the audience.

I recently encountered a woman - I will call her Dumpy who stands out because of the NMA (Negative Mental Attitude) she drowns herself in. In Toastmasters we are learning and growing together. Toastmasters are mostly people who have PMA and are bringing good to their audiences through personal stories and humor.

I listened to Dumpy for five minutes (seemed like the Eternity described by Hell-and-Brimstone preachers). Dumpy loudly proclaimed that her employer did not pay her enough money, her desk at work was not suitable for someone with her station in life and the sun shone too brightly.

I believe that Dumpy does not even realize that she is dragging herself into this level of NMA. She is hard to listen to and a drain on her colleagues at the office. I am sure you have met your own version of Dumpy.

On reflection, I wondered why Dumpy shocked me so much. I have come across Dumpy in other people before. Then I realized that I am among Toastmasters with so much PMA that NMA is foreign. This is what makes Dumpy stand out so much - the contrast to most people I interact with each day.

Here is your challenge for today. Are you a Dumpy and not know it? Are you exuding PMA from every pore when you are on the platform? You don't want to hear about a speaker's problems all the time - do you think your audience wants to constantly hear about your adversities? Take some time to reflect - watch some of your recorded speeches. Look for PMA and NMA.


P.S. Dumpy is not a Toastmaster yet. I will report out her reaction when I ask her to attend an Open House at my Toastmaster club this week.

Once upon a time...

Once upon a time there was a little boy growing up in Springs, South Africa. His parents were middle class employees and he attended public school.

Like most boys of his age, he was drafted into the South African Defense Force after High School and went to the "Border".

and so on...
***
Patricia Fripp encourages all speakers to look back at their lives as if it were a story. Think of the wording in Goldilocks. "One day there was a papa bear, mama bear, baby bear." I have been following Patricia's advice for the past few weeks. I encourage you to do the same thing. Why? This story of your life is going to uncover events that you can craft into personal stories. You then have a library of personal stories to supplement your PowerPoint Presentations. The heart of the Pow'Rful Philosphy is to show photos and tell stories in your presentations. (Read all about it in Dodging the Bullet Points).

Get started now. You have more personal stories than you think. "Once upon a time there was a presenter who did not tell personal stories and read his slide to the audience. His audiences fell asleep. Then he began to tell personal stories to support his PowerPoint Presentations and now he cannot get his audience to vacate the room for the next speaker..."

A Speaker with an Overhead Projector

Listened to a great speaker tonight at NSA - CT Chapter. I marvel at the opportunities in the USA. I can attend NSA meetings at the Connecticut chapter and the New England Chapter in Boston because both are within driving distance. This allows me to learn from experienced professionals.

Tonight's speaker does not use PowerPoint - preferring to use the Overhead projector. Yet I again realize that the Pow'Rful Philosophy applies to both technologies - stay away from text, don't read your slides to the audience, and use lots of stories.

Think when you are making your next presentation, even if you use an overhead projector and transparencies. How can you convey your message without reading your slides to your audience.

Happy Anniversary

Today is our seventh Anniversary in the USA. We landed after a major snowstorm on Jan 21, 2001 at JFK.

We brought:
- 6 suitcases
- One bag of medicine for my son
- Three backpacks as carry-on luggage
- $400 in cash
- $5,000 of debt to the consulting company that sponsored my H1-B Visa

This was the sum total of our worldly possessions when we landed at JFK to start a fresh live in the USA. No furniture, no cars, no family in the USA.

WOOHOO!! After seven years, my lovely wife and I still agree that coming to the USA was the best decision we could ever have taken. Why are we glad? Because life is good in America today. Click here for my podcast on what is good in America today.

Bottoms up - Here is my toast to a wonderful lifetime in the US of A.
(Remember to drink a soda on my behalf - because I don't drink alcohol)

Now think. What would you bring if you were to leave your home for the chance at a better future in a new country? What would you pack in your suitcases? We brought the essentials - some favorite books, our family photos, and blankets to keep us warm. Little did I know at the time that I also brought stories which I use on the platform to help my audiences thrive in changing times.

What stories are you recording that can help your audiences overcome challenges? Are you capturing your personal photos which will help your audiences in the future?

P.S. Enjoy your family times now. You won't be able to enjoy them if you ever have an ocean between you.

Crowns and Princesses

What goes on in Toastmasters, stays in Toastmasters :)

District 53 Toastmasters awards a Triple Crown to every person who completes three Educational Awards in a Toastmaster year. I won a triple crown last year and again this year.

My fellow Triple Crown winner is Dave Wheeler (Division A Governor). This photo proves that you don't have to be a princess to wear a crown. It helps if you are over 6 foot tall though...

Vikas Jhingran - 2007 WCPS, in Hartford

The time was 4 PM. The date was 1/20/2008. The place - Hartford, CT, USA. On a blistering cold, windy afternoon, Vikas delivered another outstanding presentation for District 53 Toastmasters. Vikas shared with us how he lost his first club speech and progressed all the way to the top. Vikas encouraged all the visitors to join Toastmasters.

We heard good news from Karin, our LG Education and Training. District 53 is on track to reach Distinguished status for third year in a row. We had a great time this afternoon and District 53 leaders are looking forward to a successful second half of this term.

Vikas is coming to town

This afternoon, at 3 PM, District 53 Toastmasters welcomes the 2007 World Champion of Public Speaking - Vikas Jhingran to our mid-year kickoff event in Hartford.

I will be there and am looking forward to it.

Judging slides

People who have missed a presentation often ask for a copy of my slides. I gladly send the slides over, but my slides have little meaning outside of my presentation. This is because my slides are visual aids to my presentation and not a document of my presentation. Above is a sample slide from a presentation I gave this week.

Your PowerPoint slides must also support your presentation. Your slides must not be your presentation. You should make the impact on your audience through the photos on your slides, your examples and stories.

Put the details that support your presentation in a report and make it available to your audience before or after the presentation. Do not put your detailed statistics on your slides.

You are the presentation. This means that you tell personal stories, give examples and answer audience questions in your presentation style and with your unique knowledge. Your presentation should be different from my presentation, even if we use the same set of slides.

Take a look at the slides you typically create. Are they 90% (or 100%) text? If so, then chances are that I can read your slides to your audience, just as well as you can, and either of us could bore the audience to tears. Act as Judge, Jury and Executioner. Judge your slides, convict yourself if appropriate, and cut the text out of your slides to support YOUR Unique Presentation.

District 53 Division B Winter training

We held the Toastmasters District 53, Division B Winter Leadership training last night.

Wow!!! Talk about success. Over 70 officers trained last night. We had a lot of fun and shared a lot of information. You could feel the energy and excitement in the room - and also could feel the heat from so many officers in the room :)

Thanks to the Division Governor, our Area Governors and especially the dedicated club officers who attended.

If you are involved in Toastmasters, or any volunteer organization, how can you get members from different chapters together every few months to share ideas and inspire each other? What forums can you use outside of training events?

Blowing the horn.

Alan Weiss says "If you don't blow your own horn, there is no music." Who am I to argue? Therefore, here is my music, to help you deliver eye-popping presentations.

Just to remind you that you are not alone when creating PowerPoint Slideshows, or when taking the stage to present your point of view.

You can purchase "Dodging the Bullet Points" and "Panic to Power CD" for both you and your Accountability Partner to deliver jaw-dropping Presentations. Click here to place your order now.

And join a Toastmasters club that is convenient for you. Presenting is an interactive skill and you cannot excel while rehearsing in front of your mirror.

Red Flags in your slideshow

When you are presenting with PowerPoint, monitor what you say. If you find yourself using any of these terms, then you need to review your slides and make changes. Why do you have these slides on the screen if you make excuses with these phrases?

- I am just flipping through this slide quickly
- We already covered this slide in previous discussions
- You can't read this slide, but the text says ...
- You can't really see this picture, but this is really a picture of ...

And the ultimate excuse - This slide is a continuation of the list from the previous slide. What !! Not only do you have a list of bullet points, you are even continuing your list onto multiple slides.

From today commit to listening what you say when you present with PowerPoint. Are you making excuses for your slideshows? If so, then fix your slides and stop making excuses. Your audience deserves it.

Photos in Juxtaposition

When you want to show contrast follow Al Gore's example and put the photos in juxtaposition.

Here are the "before" and "after" photos of this morning's snowstorm in South Windsor CT.

These photos clearly show that our weather forecasters overestimated the accumulation. We had predictions of 8 to 14 inches of snow. Instead, we received 5 inches.

You can use photos such as these to support your points in your presentation such as "Overestimating accumulation leads to false alerts and costs overallocation of resources for snow removal".

Where can you take personal photos and use them in your presentation? Take many photos with your digital camera and build up a library so that you have access to personal photos for your PowerPoint presentations.

Good place to consider bullet points

Yes, you read the title correctly. There is a at least one instance where you can use bullet points effectively in your slide show.

No, I am not smoking my socks. Contrary to the Pow'rFul Philosophy advocated in Dodging the Bullet Points, where I warn all presenters to avoid bullet points, I recently saw one slide with bullet points. (Of course, the rest of the presentation had a ka-billion bullet points as well to encourage MEGO - Mine Eyes Glaze Over).

You can use bullet points to list the accomplishments of an award recipient. For example, when presenting an award, you may say:

"Joe Soap is receiving the Dubious Darwin award today because he:
* Was chief cook from 1987 to 1999
* Had three mistresses while chairman of the International Censorship board
* Served in congress from 1999 to 2003
* Member of Toastmasters International since 1965
* Daredevil from 2003 until last week (Thanks to $10 of gas only filling 1/2 of his jump bike tank)
* 16 marriages and 15 unexplained disappearances of spouses

There is no reason for you to memorize these facts, and there is no reason for the audience to take home a handout of these facts. Your purpose with this slide and information is to show that Joe Soap deserves this award. That's it. Your purpose with this slide is to make your point and go forward. Once you have established Joe's eligibility for the award and presented the award, you can move on to the next slide.

You should enhance this slide with a personal story about the recipient. Tell any story that you and the recipient were involved in, so that your audience has some picture to take home with them - perhaps the night last week where Joe's jump bike ran out of gas on the jump ramp? Even a poorly told story is better than no story at all. You can also show a personal photo of Joe and his 16 wives - This will be a striking image that no one will forget.

There you have it. This is the only instance I have ever found where Bullet Points are appropriate on a slide show.

Till next time, keep Dodging those Bullet Points.

This can only happen in the "New" South Africa

My parents still live in South Africa. My wife and son came with me to the USA in January 2001.

This week my mother went to renew her drivers licence in South Africa.

A drivers licence renewal now requires fingerprinting - I guess you never know which 60 year old grandmother poses a national security threat :)

The digital finger print scanner would not detect my mother's fingerprints.

The operator told my parents "Aaiii! We cannot get your fingerprints because your skin gets thinner as you get older. Your fingerprints go away when you turn 60 years old".

Just another reason that I am grateful to be living in the USA.

Implementing the IT Balanced Scorecard

I just found out that Implementing the IT Balanced Scorecard by Jessica Keyes is Google Searchable (if that is a phrase).

This wonderful book includes coursework conducted during my MBA studies.

Click here to read my team's analysis of eBay from a balanced scorecard perspective.

How much fun can you have with your clothes on?

Today's mail delivered my copy of Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds. My first impression was that it looks thinner than the 230 Pages.

I have just paged through the book. WOW!!!!. This is one awesome book, and much better than I could have imagined.

Guy Kawasaki shows the foreword as an hilarious slide presentation. These 15 slides capture exactly what followers of the Pow'rFul Philosophy and Dodging the Bullet Points readers believe. Over 90% of presentations SUCK.

I wish I could show you some of the fabulous slides in Presentation Zen. You will have to just take my word for it, until your copy arrives - if you are a presenter you need Presentation Zen. Don't leave home for your next presentation without Garr's book.
(Disclaimer - I don't make anything if you purchase Presentation Zen. I just want you to know that you should own this book)

Photo Points

"Tell a story, make a point". This is the basis of good speeches.

Many times you can tell a better story with a photo than with words and thus connect instantly with your audience. Photos make connections faster and last longer than stories told only with words.

For example, look at the photo above. I don't believe you can tell this story in words. Here is my reasoning - and feel free to post your opinion. I sail with a good friend out of Mystic, CT. When I saw this photo, I was instantly transported back to our summer sailing trips. You feel completely satisfied and master of the Universe when you have the sail set right, your boat running at full speed and you are using only nature to propel your pleasure through the calm waves. WOW!! It is amazing feeling.

You can use your photos to make points. Better than only painting word pictures. In the case of this photo, after connecting with your audience through a short sailing story, you can make the point you came to make. I believe you will have instantly bonded with all sailors in the audience.

What are your thoughts? What photos do you use to make your points.

We grow faster, when we grow quiet

You don't want to see a personal photo on this topic :)

I have been under the weather the past few days with flu, sore throat, headaches and so on. Not a pretty sight. Starting to recover today.

This led to a lot of time for reflection - time to grow quiet. Both while I lay on the couch watching mindless daytime TV and while watching the fabulous History channel during sleepless nights.

I realized the value of downtime and this forced quiet time gave me opportunity to think when I normally don't have time during my hectic schedule. It gave me an opportunity to cement my priorities for 2008 and realize how much I want to reach certain goals in 2008. Here is my foundational phrase for this experience:

"We grow faster when we grow quiet".

When last did you take a morning, afternoon, or - gasp!! - a whole day, to grow quiet and reflect on the value of your goals, the the value each goal will bring for you? Are you satisfied in your soul that reaching these goals is what you want for 2008? Or are you too busy (like I usually am) to stop chasing the daily routines and make time for reflection?

You can start the process by asking questions. What will it feel like if I reach this goal? How much time and money will it cost to reach this goal? Where else could I invest this time and money? Which would I rather do - goal 1 or goal 2, if I had to decide. You are sure to come out of your quiet time with a clearer picture of what you want, perhaps with stronger conviction to reach your goals than ever before. I was able to select one personal goal for Q1, and realize that if I reach only this one goal in Q1 (the first quarter of 2008), then I am totally successful for Q1.

Can you find the single goal that you believe will indicate success for you in Q1?

Teaming up to Put your audience first

Do you present before or after other speakers at the same event? If so, then implement this tip from my mentor - Darren LaCroix. Darren passed this on to me in a recent e-critique. I would never have thought of this tip and I hope this tip also adds huge value to you.

Contact the other speakers who will present at the event. Explain what you will present in your message and discuss what the other speakers will present in their messages. See how you can work together and create a better experience for your audience. Remember that all presenters are on the platform to improve the audience's condition and if you take an extra step to work with your fellow presenters for the event, you improve your audience's condition.

Darren's tip is a great example of Audience Advocacy. Speakers working together for the benefit of the audience is sign of speaker maturity that we should all strive for.

Now think - When how can you implement this tip for your next speech? Do you have a Toastmasters club meeting this week? Do you realize how much your speeches will stand out if you talk to the other speakers at this meeting and support each other's messages in your speeches? Try it, and post you comment on the results.

Disney 2007 Vacation Diary now available

We have finished unpacking from our family vacation to Disneyworld last week and I have compiled a diary of our adventures. We took 393 photos in 5 days and have reduced the total to 120 of our best photos for printing. This is still too many and we will weed out more before sending to Wal-Mart online for hard-copies.

Read all about my family's Disney vacation here.

Happy new year. It is 2018

Tony Robbins says "most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year - and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade! "


Bil Gates says "We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don't let yourself be lulled into inaction. "

CNN had a special show on Jan 1, 2000 that tracked celebrations across the globe as the New Year came to each time zone. Now, eight years later, the years are going past quicker than ever before. I was disappointed during the past eight years when goals did not materialize as quickly as I planned. For example, I wanted to start my MBA in 2001, but I only got around to starting in 2002. Does the delay matter? Looking back, the delay in starting my MBA pales in comparison to accomplishing the goal of finishing the MBA.

As we start the New Year of 2008, you can take heart in the above quotations. Go ahead and set your goals for 2008. Yes, you will overestimate what you can accomplish in 2008. We all overestimate what we will accomplish in the next year.

Don't become despondent though. You are likely to be underestimating what you can accomplish in the next five and ten years.

So, set your goals high for 2008. Will it really matter if you only reach them in 2009?

Welcome to 2018 - and Happy New Year.