Author Archive: ffolliet

At work I'm a Consultant Paediatric Surgeon. That involves Surgical Oncology, Neonatal Surgery and Trauma. There's also a lot of teaching and mentoring. None of this actually makes me particularly clever. I'm pretty heavily into improving presentations and long for the world to lay down the weapon of bulletpoints and embrace creative and engaging presentations. I lead presentation workshops and am currently working up a book on presentations. I did a wee thing at TEDx Stuttgart in 2014 of which I'm quite proud https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFza3W87eDg Outside all of that I struggle to keep fit, cycle a bit and the odd triathlon. I'm a father, singer, laugher, learner, sharer, blogger, thinker, strummer and much more.

On the third day of Christmas…

On the third day of Christmas… …my true love gave to me three key points. On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me three key points. Structure in a presentation is essential and three is a…
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On the second day of Christmas…

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me… …two back up copies. On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me two backup copies of the presentation. Be prepared. Few presenters do this…
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On the first day of Christmas…

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me… …the best presentation I’ve ever seen. A traditional Christmas carol apparently was written around 1760 (and probably imported from France) tells of the gifts given on each of…
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minimise the importance of p2

The aim of a good presenter should be to minimise the importance of p2, the supportive media. The most important part of a presentation is the message. That must then be effectively delivered. The supportive media if it is anything…
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It’s a privilege

it's a privilege

“It’s a privilege to be here today and read my powerpoint out to you.” That’s not how it should be! It’s a privilege to be given the opportunity to make a presentation, to share insights, inspiration or research, to teach…
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more questions

More questions on twitter and through email from friends and colleagues about presentations is a great sign of the desire for improvement and higher-order thinking on presentation skills. I want to emphasise that these replies are only my personal opinions,…
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Three obstacles

three obstacles

A useful tool in preparing a presentation is to consider the principal three obstacles an audience may have to accept the intended message. A great presentation has a single message but an audience requires to be persuaded. Sadly, even providing…
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Just don’t…

just don't

Just don’t ever consider doing any of these things. They need no more explanation than is given. Sadly, these ideas are more frequently expressed than one would expect. If you have ever considered one, just don’t. Plan using powerpoint (to…
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Needs no introduction

“Our next speaker needs no introduction whatsoever as she is famous worldwide for her inspirational and incredible presentations. I would say she is one of the best presenters I have ever seen.” oh. Please never introduce anyone like that, even…
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Haters gonna hate

haters gonna hate

Haters gonna hate sang Miss Swift. And she’s right, haters gonna hate. Whether that is about your lifestyle choices, musical tastes or indeed presentation style, haters gonna hate. The most important thing to remember is that the hate is about…
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