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April 2002

In this month's free e-news from Wilder Presentations, I'd like to discuss three ideas for presenters and one for designers. As always, there's a monthly challenge at the end.

Idea for Russia: I am going to Moscow, Russia for a week. Does anyone have ideas of places or people I should see or meet?

FOR PRESENTERS: STEP 7: CONCLUDE WITH CONVICTION

You're finally at the end of your talk. You are tired, especially if your audience asked some probing questions. You just want to get out of there. So your tendency will be to do a quick, "let's get this over with" ending. Don't. Just think about this. They'll remember whatever you say and do at the end more than how you opened the talk.

This brings up the issue of concluding slides. If you're like too many people out there, you were so tired of putting together your presentation that you didn't put much creativity into the last slides. It makes it difficult to give a convincing, persuasive conclusion when the slides are full of text and not at all interesting to see.

What should you do for a conclusion? First, plan the conclusion. Take time to create slides that will engage your audience. If you are using Flash animations, use at least one towards the end. The audience will walk out remembering them. Second, take your time. Keep your voice enthusiastic and your eyes looking at your audience.

But I almost forgot the most important point! Make sure you haven't created such a long presentation that you never get to the conclusion. I hear that all the time: "I didn't have time for the conclusion." "I ran out of time." Unless you practice your presentation out loud, you will never know how long it really is.

FOR PRESENTERS:

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO RELAX YOURSELF LATELY?

How can you possibly be a compelling speaker if you are exhausted and tense? It is difficult. What can you do to reduce the tiredness and tenseness? A lot-and some of it doesn't take much time. Here are some one-to-ten-minute ways to relax. Try one, or a couple. They'll make a difference, believe me!

1. Take ten deep breaths.

2. Do a minute of stretches while hiding in the bathroom.

3. Do ten minutes of yoga when you get out of bed.

4. Listen to your favorite music in the car while on the way to a talk. This is instead of talking on your cell phone and doing business.

5. Rub your face and neck for one minute.

FOR PRESENTERS:

THE SMALLEST & EASIEST TO USE REMOTE FOR PRESENTING

As a presenter you have certain delivery goals.

First, you want to maintain as much eye contact with your audience as possible.

Second, you want to concentrate on your presentation's message, not on hitting the arrow key to advance your slides.

Third, you want to move around the room rather than be stuck by your laptop fiddling with the keys, especially if you're using animations.

You cannot achieve these goals without a remote!

Street Smart Technologies, a division of Honeywell has just released the Power Presenter RF. This small remote mouse measures at just 2 1/2" by 1." It is RF so you can use it up to 75 feet away. It's easy to use with three buttons: Forward, Back and a laser pointer with a BIG red dot. I like it because all you have to do is plug the receiver into the USB or PS/2 port ¾ it took me two minutes. There's no software to install. For those of you who do demos you can plug the Power Presenter RF into the USB port and your regular mouse for your demo into the PS/2 port. To check it out the Power Presenter RF go to www.powerremote.com

FOR DESIGNERS:

DO YOUR CHARTS WORK?

What makes a successful chart?

1.  Begin with readable numbers. Don't make a chart with tiny numbers.

2.  The bars and numbers on the chart must be distinguishable from each other, but not in such garish colors that they make the audience cringe.

3.  Your charts have to be easy to look at. For example, putting three pie charts on one slide with the same names and numbers repeated for each doesn't really work. For the audience to compare each slide trying to read the 14-point font is not the best way method of persuasion.

Always ask yourself: What am I trying to show with this chart? Is this the best way to make my point? You may find a simple table is easier to read and more effective-certainly clearer and easier on the audience's eyes than three pie charts on one slide.

MONTHLY CHALLENGES:

PRESENTERS

Practice your presentation out loud so you know you will have time for the conclusion. Then, of course, practice your conclusion.

DESIGNERS

Examine your charts and give them this test:

C  = Concise. Could you put together the information more concisely?

H  = Hook. Does your title serve as the hook for the audience to know what the chart's message is?

A  = Artistic. Do the colors go together so they are easy on the eyes? Make sure you don't use red and green together-color-blind people can't see the difference.

R  = Representation. Does the chart type you have used and the way you have put together the information accurately represent the point you are trying to make?

T  = Typeface. Are the numbers and words visible, or is the typeface so bizarre that the numbers look like curlicues?

POINT, CLICK & WOW! IS IN THE BOOKSTORES

Go to Amazon.com for reviews of the revised edition of my book Point, Click & Wow!

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Copyright 2001, Claudyne Wilder. All rights reserved.