Business Communication Today, 14th Ed.
Chapter 17. Enhancing Presentations with Slides and Other Visuals
"Here are the top 9 visual communication mistakes that make you look stupid in your presentation .
"Author Vanessa Edwards and her team watched thousands of hours of TED Talks and noticed something surprising: The least popular TED Talkers used an average of 272 hand gestures during their 18-minute presentations, while the most popular used an average of 465 hand gestures in the same amount of time.
"Speak from the heart (and not a script) in order to engage your audience.
"If you're planning to wrap up your presentation with a half-hearted call for "any questions?
"No matter how topical, relevant or pressing your content is, you're often fighting an uphill battle for the audience's attention.
Dave Mac gives his advice at PresentationBlogger.
"In this clip Mark Powell provides best practice tips for opening and closing presentations.
"Preparation for a killer presentation is counterintuitive because it runs against everything business people naturally do when it comes to preparing their talks.
"It’s not about sleek graphics or the presentation software you use.
According to Jeffrey Sharlach (photo, left), "People tend to worry about all the wrong things when they have to do a presentation.
"If you're tired of standing in front of your audience and shuffling through slides, you're definitely not alone.
"There's no single formula for a great talk, but there is a secret ingredient that all the best ones have in common.
"In short, there’s a lot of variables that can affect what makes for a good presentation.
Curtis Newbold presents an infographic on the topic.
"If you’ve got a presentation to give at work or school — or are perhaps getting ready to speak at a TEDx event?
"When I started, I assumed every company would have its own set of problems.
"Don’t panic, but if you want to engage your audience in a presentation, you have about 30 seconds to make it happen.
"A good presentation depends, at least partly, on good slide design.
"What do you do when you feel bullied by the audience?
Kathryn Dill (photo, left) presents the 3 components of natural presenting.
It has been some time since we featured Nancy Duarte.
According to Greg Stone (photo, left), "Many executives start presentations about products or initiatives with a vague theme statement, often expressed with as much pith as a puff of smoke: “We have a new focus on customer satisfaction,” or “Our current strategic goals are execution and innovation.
"What's the secret to becoming an excellent public speaker?
"Even if it’s not your job to read the evening news, a teleprompter can come in handy.
"Here are ten tips to help you add a little zing! to your next presentation.