I’m sure you’ve felt it: the horror at the end of a presentation (which, let’s face it, can be a bit of a trauma in its own right) when you ask the following: “Any questions?” There seems to be one of two ways things can go at that moment — and neither fills you with delight. Firstly…

Quite often when you are listening to a speaker, teacher or seminar leader, you are thinking to yourself that this person is either a really good presenter or a boring one. For some reasons you are not totally sure of, you have put that person in your mind in one of these two classifications. Of…

One of the editors here at Lifehack, Chris Smith, frequently writes about technology. As I was reading some of his recent articles, I was influenced to write a tech article of my own, so here it is. So, you are sitting in a company meeting and the presenter puts up the first slide. You are…

We’ve all heard how frightened nearly everyone is of public speaking. Maybe that’s understandable, but it creates the potential for lots of misinformed conventional wisdom spread by people who have to make presentations but haven’t had the opportunity to learn what really works. To help correct some misperceptions about what creates better presenters and presentations…

How many times have you been bored rigid by conference speakers?How can you make sure that your presentations engage and interest your audience? How can you really get your message across?Here are some great ways to liven up your pitch and avoid boring your audience to tears: 1. Throw away PowerPoint. PowerPoint presentations are the norm…

“Oh no! Not another boring PowerPoint presentation! My eyes, my eyes…!!!” How much does it suck to be in the audience for yet another drawn-out, boring, lifeless slideshow? Worse yet, how much does it such to be the one giving it? The truth is, bad PowerPoint happens to good people, and quite often the person giving the…

I’ve had several challenges in the last couple weeks, some of which required some creative solutions. Since some of you might find yourself facing the same challenges at some point, I thought I’d share this motley collection of tips with you. Jott to Evernote If…

Part 1 of this series is here. Let’s just reiterate our starting position here: MOST PRESENTATIONS SUUUUUUUUUCK! This happens at all stages of the life-cycle of a presentation, but if your base preparation is below par, then no amount of shiny graphics and animation will save you – sucky foundation, sucky presentation. To rise above the background…

I have been observing, delivering and training people in presentation techniques for over 20 years now and my considered, professional, opinion on the subject is this: MOST PRESENTATIONS SUUUUUUUUCK! In almost every sphere of human endeavour, the outcome can be plotted on a bell-curve – a few really skilled people over on the right, a few really…

Everyone gets nervous before giving a speech. Unfortunately, the more people in the audience, the more important the speech usually is, making any butterflies in your stomach multiply before you begin. Knowing how to keep yourself calm can make a big difference when giving a speech. I’m not a world-famous speaker. I’m just…

TechnoSpot has written about some hidden features and efficiency tips for Microsoft’s Power Point 2007 that should help your next presentation. Pin Recent Presentations Its a tiring thing when you have to open you most frequently used slides and you need to pick up manually. You get some of them listed on your recent open file…

Jerry Seinfeld has a skit where he points out that studies show public speaking is a bigger fear than death. That means, he claims, that if you are going to a funeral you are better off in the casket than doing the eulogy. While there isn’t a lot you can do to melt…

At Video on the Net in San Jose this past March, I was standing beside Brian Conley, the man behind the popular internet TV show, Alive in Baghdad. Brian’s a slender man, with glasses, and comes off as quiet until you know him. Just before going onstage, he turns to me and says, “Do…

Ready? Here you go: Don’t. Read. Your. Dumb. Slides. Long version: I’m at a pitchfest of an event, and people have come up one after another doing this basic performance over and over again: “Hello, my name is _____. I’m the CEO and founder of ShinyNewSite.tv. At ShinyNewSite.tv, we believe in maximizing your efficiency through enhancing your…

Zoho is a web-based software group who make useful Web 2.0 applications that mimic traditional client-side applications like the stuff inside Microsoft Office. Zoho has been silently building up an empire over on their site for a while now, with four office tools and four productivity tools. Here’s what they’re touting for apps: Zoho Writer -…