every great presentation is the product of its message (p1), the supportive media (p2) and the delivery of that (p3).
Number of Results: 215
The presentation paradox is ubiquitous. Audience members, if questioned, will list the nature, content and delivery of a presentation that they dislike/hate/ignore. When their turn comes to produce a presentation, these same individuals will deliver a presentation with the same…
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A presentation is an opportunity to change the world. A presentation is an honour, hugely valuable and life changing. The experience of the world though is that a presentation is one of life’s trials, something to be endured. Audiences expect…
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The future of presentations is not about slides, it never was. The future of presenting is not about more tech, more ai, more polish, it is about clarity of message, audience engagement and ultimately, effective communication. It was never about…
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Expertise in a topic does not make you an expert in presentation. You may know more than anyone else in the room. That does not necessarily mean they will understand by reciting that. Nor does not mean they will remember….
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The way presentations are currently constructed, delivered and received is not the result of laziness on the part of presenter or audience. Presentations are built with effort, intention and time but with a concept that breaks the result. The Japanese art of kintsugi recognises the value of a piece of pottery and in its damage, it is repaired, often with gold. Presentations are broken but should not be thrown in the trash. They can be repaired with kintsugi and returned to intended function and experiences of real value.
Most of us have heard, even recited, the start of the soliloquy from Hamlet. “To be or not to be? That is the question.” Few of us would consider that recitation had any impact. Anyone can download and read the piece. It isn’t the same as being delivered by an actor, on stage, in costume and in the moment. A presentation is not simply a script, read out on a stage. The delivery of a presentation (p3) demands much more than that.
Everyone can toss a ball up and catch it. Many people can do that with two balls. When there are three balls it is officially called juggling. Personally, I can juggle three balls with lots of patterns. The world record for “toss juggling” that is balls successfully in a pattern, caught twice, is 11. The average presentation is like the Sonia Bravia advert of bouncing balls falling down the streets of Los Angeles. Our brains weren’t built for this. Juggling is fine for three balls (or facts).
“Thank you.” That phrase you’ve been aiming to deliver for weeks now. You have finished your talk. There is polite applause, you smile gratefully, and maybe even someone congratulates you. You return to your seat feeling a deep relief, even pride. It worked. The slides were great, the timing was perfect, and you hit every point. It felt good, clear, like you communicated.
You’re a better presenter right now, simply because you are considering presentations more consciously. You’re a better presenter because you want to stop the presentation paradox. You’re a better presenter because you have visited this site, even if that is just with questions. You’re a better presenter because you want to see change in presentations.
Why do you have slides in your presentation? Whether this is an in-person or online presentation, the answer to this question is foundational to any changes one would consider in the construction of a presentation. Using slides as a script,…
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