| ******************************************************************* Dave Paradi's PowerPoint Tip Issue #173 November 25, 2008 Published & Copyright by Dave Paradi of ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com Circulation over 8,200 ******************************************************************* 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: Don't create your own slides, copy and customize Transform your text slides into persuasive visuals PowerPoint Tip - Please don't speak to the screen Best of the Blog - Plan what happens before and after your presentation Dave's Travel Schedule ******************************************************************* Don't create your own slides, copy and customize Would you like to cut hours off your preparation time for each presentation? Now you can with pre-designed slides that allow you to copy, paste and customize visuals such as graphs and diagrams. All the colors, positioning and even animation has been done for you. Check them out at http://www.PPtContentTemplates.com . ------------------------------------------------------------------- Transform your text slides into persuasive visuals Don't know how to start transforming your overloaded text slides into persuasive visuals? The solution you have been waiting for is here. My latest book, The Visual Slide Revolution, explains my five-step KWICK method that I use to create persuasive presentations for my clients. The Globe & Mail said, "This is a very strong book in an area where most of us are very weak." Read chapter 2 and order your copy at http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/vsr.htm . ------------------------------------------------------------------- PowerPoint Tip: Please don't speak to the screen It happens far too often. It happened again last week - speaking to the screen instead of the audience. We are in the process of attending high school open house nights in order to figure out which high school will be best for our son. The first one we attended last week was for a school that has an international curriculum and one of the areas they said they stress is communication. So the coordinator stood and faced the screen as she spoke, usually reading what was written on each slide. At least she used a microphone so we could hear her. Why does this happen so often and what can we do about it? In this newsletter I'm covering some more strategies to use so you can avoid speaking to the screen. I gave some strategies six weeks ago, but it seems like more are needed. First, let’s look at why it happens. There are a number of reasons, but most common are the inability to see what is on the screen and over dependence on the slides as speaker notes. Let’s deal with each one of these. When your computer monitor is not positioned so that you can see what is being projected, you will want to turn towards the screen to make sure you know what the audience is seeing. This is natural. But when you then proceed to speak to the screen, it becomes a problem. So what can you do? Two strategies to add to what I suggested before about positioning the computer monitor where you can see it. First, if you must look at the screen because you are unable to get a monitor where you can see it, practice glancing at the screen to get your reference point, then turning and speaking to the audience. You should practice so you can use your peripheral vision most of the time and your glance becomes a slight head turn instead of a full body turn. Second, if you face the screen because you are nervous about facing the audience, work with a coach to overcome your anxiety and put yourself in a position to present regularly so you become more comfortable with it. Join a local Toastmasters group to get the chance to practice and get encouraging feedback. The other major cause of facing the screen is that the speaker is using the slides as speaking notes. This can be overcome with the following strategies. First, transform your overloaded text slides into persuasive visuals (my book The Visual Slide Revolution gives a five step process for doing just this - see http://www.VisualSlideRevolution.com for more information). By changing your speaking note slides into a series of visuals that you can glance at and then explain to the audience, you eliminate the need to keep looking at the screen after the initial glance. A single glance at the slide headline and the visual are all you will need in order to speak about this point. Second, keep a printout of your slides and any additional notes in front of you when you speak. This way, your reference material is in the direction of the audience, not the screen. You glance to see that the correct slide is up, then turn to face the audience and use your notes to remind you if necessary. Finally, as I shared last time, rehearse your presentation so you are familiar with your message, and won't need to refer to any notes or the screen to tell you what to say. Facing the screen while speaking can be overcome by applying the strategies I've shared before and today. If you suffer from this habit, start today to change your ways. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Best of the Blog - Plan what happens before and after your presentation I was at a meeting recently where there were a number of things happening, one being a presentation using slides. The projector wasn't needed the whole time, just for this one part. And when that part was over, it would not be needed again. Unfortunately, the people running the meeting didn't plan what to do before or after the projector was used. They left the edit view of PowerPoint on before the slides were used and returned to the edit view after they were done. What could they have done better? And what should you do if you are running a meeting that uses slides for one part but not others? Plan for it. Before or after the slides need to be used, do one of the following: a) Insert a black slide in the presentation and display it while the slides are not in use. b) Press the "B" key on the keyboard to toggle to a black slide while they are not being used. c) Add slides that simply indicate what this section is about, such as a slide with the speaker's name and title or a slide with a picture of a landscape while music is playing. Use these slides to add visuals to the other sections of the agenda so that there is a consistency to having a visual with each section. By planning for how the projector and screen will be used throughout the entire time the audience is watching, you provide a seamless experience for the audience and don't have any distractions to take their focus away from the messages being presented. Other recent blog posts at http://pptideas.blogspot.com : ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 (type of client is in brackets): November 30-December 2 - CAPS Convention in Toronto, ON (doing a Meet the Experts session on creating your own YouTube channel) December 9 - London, ON (Manufacturing) February 21-23, 2009 - Chicago, IL (MBA students) March 2-3, 2009 - Cincinnati, OH (Healthcare) April 8, 2009 - Ottawa, ON public half-day workshop, details coming in early 2009 April 23, 2009 - Toronto, ON IAPA post-conference workshop open to the public, details coming early in 2009 May 8-9, 2009 - Chicago, IL (MBA students) 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? 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