Presentation Skills

Scoring points with presentation software

You know the scenario. Man meets PowerPoint. Man fills PowerPoint slides with text. Man reads text aloud. Audience descends into slumber.

Give a business person the task of making a presentation of any kind and they almost invariably turn to PowerPoint or a similar presentation software program - and with good reason. PowerPoint allows information to be presented in ways that accord with the different learning styles of audience members.

For that reason alone it's important that businesspeople know how to assemble and present a PowerPoint presentation that enhances their authority, prestige and ability to persuade.

That, unfortunately, is rarely the outcome, as those of us who have sat through hundreds of PowerPoint presentations know. Far more often the outcome is the scenario outlined in the first paragraph.

The slides almost always end up stealing the show because most businesspeople don't understand the principles of an effective multimedia presentation. Instead of standing out as an executive in command of the presentation, the presenter plays the subsidiary role of simply advancing the slides and reading text to the audience.

Getting the power out of PowerPoint

Suppose instead that the executive has been taught presentation skills and put herself at center stage and turned the PowerPoint program into the supporting technology it was designed to be. Suppose that the slides emphasized photos and other evocative imagery rather than text, prompting an emotional response from audience members and giving the presenter the rightful role of narrator.

Lastly, suppose your people knew the finer points of:

• Voice
• Non-verbal communication
• Audience engagement
• Visual thinking
• Theme, storytelling, foreshadowing
• Persuasion
• Learning styles
• Slide design
• Organizing the PowerPoint deck
• Using silence and strategic pauses
• Creating the unforgettable moment

No more Death by PowerPoint

Executives such as Apple CEO Steve Jobs and environmental activist Al Gore have raised the PowerPoint presentation to an art form. You don't need to reach for the stars. Far less exalted and highly-produced PowerPoint presentations can be extremely effective for everyday executives, if they learn the presentation skills that are so often overlooked by even the most experienced corporate leaders.

We provide training that teaches executive-level PowerPoint and general presentation skills. It emphasizes taking command of a room, connecting with one's audience and conveying ideas through visual thinking, storytelling and persuasion. It also teaches how to best display those ideas in a well organized PowerPoint deck.

We're anxious to work with your organization. Call us at 925-449-1040 or write to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).