|
|
| Presentation Information |
|
Dump that Overhead Projector!
What is it about overhead projectors that causes us to become lousy communicators? Why do our speeches or presentations lose much of their steam when we use overheads? Well, for starters, we often give more attention to the overheads than the audience. It can't be helped. After all, we have to pick up the right overhead, separate it from the next one, get it on the projector properly, check it out on the screen, and so on. While doing those things, we're taking our eyes off the audience. At the same time, the audience spends a lot of time looking at the screen, rather than at us. And, nothing detracts from good communication like loss of eye contact with the audience. We're also taking our mind off the audience. Instead, we're focusing our thoughts on the technical issues involved in showing the overhead, including our explanations of the visuals. Then there's the amount of material. Almost every time I see a speech with overheads, I see way too much content. One of the best lessons I've learned in several years at Toastmasters is that less is more. Don't try to explain everything to your audience, just pick one small sliver of an issue and explain it well - a speech is not a book or a written article! And, then there's the simple fact that the projector gets between you and the audience. There's noise and the size of the projector, which mean a projector can be a more powerful presence at the front of the room than you. Perhaps there should be a 12-step program for getting over overhead projectors. While they're unlikely be an addiction, they can be a crutch, one that allows us to make presentations without adequate thought or preparation. Personally, I like the idea of giving up overheads and projectors altogether. A colleague recently asked if we should use overheads when we do some upcoming presentations together. I expressed my opinion firmly. Need I say what that was? If you're not ready to give them up, use your overheads in a supporting role. Don't ask them to carry a substantial part of the message; you should deliver the message, and the overheads should reinforce what you say. For example, if your presentation involves numerical information, a simple bar or line graph might help the audience get the point. Or, if you're talking about a sequence of events and their order is critical, a numbered list might help. But the best bet may be to go without. Before the presentation, think hard about the message or messages you want to convey. Boil them down into no more than three points, and then look for stories, analogies, metaphors, and anything else that will illustrate and reinforce each point. Try to create mental images with words, like good radio ads. In summary, overhead projectors put serious communication barriers between speakers and audiences. Get rid of them. You'll be glad you did - and your audience will, too. Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott's Communication Letter. Learn how you can use communication to help achieve your goals, by reading articles or subscribing to this ad-supported newsletter. An excellent resource for leaders and managers, at: http://www.communication-newsletter.com
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Tips to Temper Speaking Anxiety People take it for granted that leaders have achieved some skill in public speaking. Yet anxiety persists because leaders face very challenging situations and have a great risk of embarrassment. Here are some tips for tempering those anxieties. Communication Barriers and Simplifying the Communication Process The communication process can be much more difficult than a person thinks. Unfortunately, many times a presenter does not realize that their message is being lost until it is too late and they have gone through an entire meeting/lecture talking away about something that their colleagues/audience thinks is absolutely meaningless. Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself before attempting to relay a message to a large audience. 10 Profitable Tips for Creating Better Sales Presentations No matter what your business is, you will enhance your level of success by developing a well-organized sales presentation. A good sales presentation involves two primary elements: The Seven Deadly Sins of Presentations Every day, so many tens of thousands of innocent clients and employees are bored to tears by presentations that it ought to be considered a crime against humanity. How To Run Your Greatest Conference Ever Like most good achievements, a magnificent meeting depends on planning and preparation. These are essential to a good conference and this article explains the basics of what you need to do. Ancient PowerPoint Secrets: Ask Your Grandma! Yes, there are ancient PowerPoint secrets...secrets your grandmother knows and is probably willing to pass down to you. 35 Surefire Ways to Kill a Meeting 1. Play "find the meeting" by changing the location and time of your meeting at the last minute. The Ten Essential Tips On Writing A Powerful And Persuasive Presentation Have you ever had to give a speech? I Love the Smell of PowerPoint in the Morning: The 5 Sensory Approach to Business Presentations You're in a conference room. You're giving a PowerPoint presentation to several of your colleagues...and your boss. Winning The Big Pitch - The 7 Deadly Sins Of Business Presentations And How To Avoid Them! Are poor presentations costing you business? Quick and Easy Rehearsal Tips Never rehearse at the last minute. This creates undue tension and nervousness and does not allow sufficient time for correcting mistakes and polishing delivery. Ideally, the first full auditory rehearsal should take place at least a week before the presentation date and be conducted in undisturbed surroundings. If possible, use the room in which the presentation will be given. If not, use one as similar to it as possible. Powerful Presentations: How to Write and Deliver a Presentation to Remember If the mere thought of standing up in front of an audience makes your knees quiver, you should know that you're not alone. Public speaking is one of the top fears listed by Americans and for good reason- most of us don't do it very often. My personal theory is that the fear stems from the possibility of failure. What if I get up there and can't talk? What if they think I have no idea what I'm talking about? What if I forget my speech? Show the World Your Wares Easily and Inexpensively You've spent a lot of time preparing your PowerPoint presentations and now you're ready to show the world all your company has to offer. You set up some appointments for sales presentations with a few members of the local Chamber of Commerce. On the appointed day, you lug your laptop and your presentation to your prospective client's office and start your show. They're impressed with what they see and you get the job. And that's the way things are supposed to work. Leaves Your Audience Hungry For More! -- Presentations That Get Results Regardless, if your goal is to make a sale or educate. You don't want to fall prey to the mistakes that many presenters make -- loading us down with piles and piles of information and communication hodgepodge. Excellent presentations are designed to anchor in the key points that are relevant for influencing the listeners to take some kind of action. Top 6 Reasons Why You Need a Remote for PowerPoint Presentations A top complaint from audience members is that many presenters put too much emphasis on PowerPoint and technology while neglecting the message and interaction with participants. One way to deliver more effective presentations that improve your connection to your audience is to add a remote control to your presentation tools. How To Make Your Best Ever Presentation The most important tip...EVER! Presentation Pitfalls Series: Top 10 Content Mangement Mistakes Here, David Letterman style, are what I consider to be the Top 10 most common mistakes presenters make when organizing and preparing their content: Guidelines for Rehearsal Criticism It is both good planning and considerate to provide auditors with a guide for their criticism. It would be quite difficult for them to note everything which needs attention without some reminder of what to look for. A critique is worthless unless it is clinical and objective. At this stage, a trainer is looking for what is wrong with their presentation more than for what is right. The critics must be merciless. (Better them than the audience.) Handling Questions with Authority At some point in your presentation you will be expected to answer questions from your audience. They might have some burning questions that need to be answered before they buy into your message. Handling their questions with authority can make the difference for you between a successful presentation and a waste of time. This is the opportunity for the audience to test your knowledge on the topic and commitment to your message. A Discussion about Facilitation Skills Interview with Julia Apple-Smith, Manager of Employee Development at Sauer-Danfoss Ames, Iowa about Facilitation Skills:
|
|
|
| Home | Site Map | Salesmanship Ebook | Motivational Ebook | Job and Resume Posting| Affiliate program | |
|
| 2006 All Rights Reserved. by Mp.sg Term of use and service for the articles and information |