Welcome to the better presentations blog!
I do my best to make this blog a resource for presenters - not pro-speakers, but real people who need to make presentations as part of their 'day job'. If there's something you really want to know about, just email me and I'll see what I can do (no promises except that I'll read your email - use simon@ and you can guess the rest of my address. :) )
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This month's most popular (and useful?) blog posts are:
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I’ve seen a lot of presentations recently… and I mean a lot of bloody presentations!… that pretend they’re offering proof that ‘the system they’re presenting about’ works. What they hide are sales pitch/presentation illustrating that the system in question can work. Not does work, just can do. When I say “sales pitch/presentation” I’m being unkind. …
Read more “why your presentation doesn’t contain proof”
Better presentations can change your world. And props can make a presentation better! Or screw it up badly. Here’s 6 thoughts on how to use props properly in your next presentation.
I often get asked how to make ‘stand out’ moments in presentations. People want/need presentations to be memorable, and moments that make your audience go “Wow” are a great way of doing that. But there’s a problem. Presentations with stand-out (wow) moments mean that’s what people will remember! That’s true almost by definition. Why? Because …
Read more “what’s wrong with wow momets in presentations”
Presentations are outside most people’s comfort zone, but before you go jumping out of your comfort zone and lining up the big gigs, check out why it might be dumb!
Better presentations change your world. Here’s a simple way of thinking about structuring them if you’re a scientist, researcher or geek!
I think we’re all agreed that presentations are intended to do something, right? Better presentations make that outcome more likely – don’t they? We don’t stand up and present (or sit !) just for entertainment’s sake. So why do we spend so much of our time faffing about with our presentations instead of getting the …
Read more “Better Presentations from better hygiene”
TEDx presentations are a special kind of presentation – here’s mine. It was recorded during the Covid19 lockdown, so there was an empty audience! Eeeeek!
Credibility as a presenter comes from how much your audience like you (Warmth) and how much they trust you (Competence). You need both.
A while ago, I started to explore some of the reasons for not using not using stories in your presentations (and a few other things). Now I’d like to expand on that. Let’s assume that you’re using them for a good reason, so the question now becomes “why aren’t the stories in my presentation working?” …
Read more “why telling stories in your presentations isn’t working”