******************************************************************* Dave Paradi's PowerPoint Tip     Issue #159 May 13, 2008 Published & Copyright by Dave Paradi of ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com Circulation over 8,400 ******************************************************************* Please forward this newsletter to executives and professionals who want to create PowerPoint presentations that sell their ideas, products or services more effectively.  If this newsletter has been sent to you by a friend, sign up to get your own copy at http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/newsletter.htm . ******************************************************************* In this issue: Will you join The Visual Slide Revolution? Quick $1.99 "How-to" videos PowerPoint Tip - Learn From Great Presentations Best of the Blog - Lessons for Presenters from Tiger’s Coach Dave's Travel Schedule ******************************************************************* Will you join The Visual Slide Revolution? Are you a presenter who wants to transform the overloaded text slides you are using into persuasive visuals?  Don't know how to start?  The solution you have been waiting for is here.  I've just released my latest book, The Visual Slide Revolution, and it explains my five-step KWICK method that I use to create persuasive presentations for my clients.  Read chapter 2 and order your copy at http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/vsr.htm . ------------------------------------------------------------------- Quick $1.99 "How-to" videos You've seen a great slide, maybe one where the pie chart has a picture used as the fill instead of a solid color.  How'd they do that?  It can be done in PowerPoint, but you'd search for hours in most books that are 400+ pages long.  I've got a 5 minute video that shows you exactly how to fill a shape or pie slice with a photo.  It is one of the videos I have that you can download for a bargain price of $1.99.  Go to http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/ppthowtovideos.htm to see the list of videos and get the ones you want. ------------------------------------------------------------------- PowerPoint Tip: Learn From Great Presentations One of the best ways to get better at presenting is to watch other presenters who are better than yourself.  It is a time-tested principle that is true in many endeavors, be it sports, music or business: watch the best and learn from them. Today I want to point you to a web site that contains the audio and many times a written transcript of what scholars have deemed to be the top 100 speeches of the modern era.  The web site is http://www.americanrhetoric.com/newtop100speeches.htm and is a great source of material for being inspired at how spoken words can literally change lives. I encourage you to visit the site, bookmark it and visit regularly to spend time listening to the greatest speeches of our time by people like Martin Luther King, John F Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, FDR and many others.  As you listen to their speeches, pay attention to the following as points to remember and incorporate when you speak. The first thing you will notice about every one of these speeches is the passion of the speaker for the topic they are speaking about. Not all of the speeches are inspirational, a number were made on sad occasions.  But the one thing that is common with all is the passion.  When you next present, how passionate will you be about your topic?  By speaking on those topics you are most passionate about, you will become a better presenter. Second, listen to how they have phrased what they said.  Great speeches have carefully chosen words, ones that are not complex, but are simple yet powerful.  When you prepare your next presentation, what words will you choose?  If you don't rehearse what you are going to say, your word choice is left to chance.  By rehearsing your presentation, you have a chance to select the best words to make your point.  Words that have an impact and will be remembered. Finally, in the speeches that are inspirational in nature, listen for how the speaker has carefully structured the message to build to the conclusion they need to reach.  Too many presentations are haphazard, rambling from one place to the next with no clear path to a destination.  Learn the lessons of these great speeches in structuring your persuasive presentations to reach a clearly defined goal at the end. Delivering a great PowerPoint presentation should not be primarily about the slides.  They can play an important supporting role, but what you say and how you say it is far more important.  Today's resource will help you take your speaking to the next level by learning from the greatest speakers of our time. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Best of the Blog - Lessons for Presenters from Tiger’s Coach I recently had a chance to hear Hank Haney speak. Who is Hank Haney you ask? He is the swing coach for Tiger Woods, the greatest golf player on the planet right now (and possibly ever). It is always a treat to listen to those who help top performers get even better. Here are some of the lessons he shared and my interpretation of how these golf lessons can apply to the world of business presentations. Read the rest of the article at: http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/articles/lessonsfromtiger.htm Other recent blog posts at http://pptideas.blogspot.com : More audience feedback on PowerPoint ------------------------------------------------------------------- Dave's Travel Schedule I work with business presenters who want to transform their overloaded text slides into persuasive presentations that effectively sell ideas, products and services to decision-makers. My research based PowerPoint Presentation Effectiveness System helps my clients achieve greater productivity and deliver presentations that close more sales.  You can save money by booking me to speak to your organization or conference when I am close to your area for other clients.  Here's where I will be in the next few months: May 20 - Oakville, ON June 6 - Toronto, ON June 23 - Toronto, ON July 22 - Ottawa, ON (tentative) August 1-5 - New York City September 5-6 - Kansas City, MO September 21-24 - San Diego, CA September 26 - Cincinnati, OH E-mail me at Dave@ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com to discuss how my Think Outside The Slide(tm) sessions can help your organization be more productive and improve communication throughout the organization. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Privacy Policy: I will never sell or distribute your e-mail or information to anyone. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Need articles for your newsletter?  Check out my many articles at: http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the books, e-books and other learning tools at: http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/resources.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you want to read back issues of this newsletter, click on the following link to go to the Archives: http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/archives.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------- Microsoft, PowerPoint, Windows and other terms are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.  Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation.  All books, products and seminars are independent publications and are not affiliated with, nor have they been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation.