I’ve been impressed by an online video editing and archiving tool that lets you create a
“private label YouTube” - check it out.
http://members2.viditalk.com/view/?id=9DGHQ6GWTSYT34RF6B7S1
Posted by Tom Bunzel at 4:45 PM .
February 22nd, 2008
New Event/Presentation, Coaching and Marketing Tool
February 5th, 2008
PowerPoint Effectiveness Assessment
One of the websites I poke around in is Dave Paradi’s “Think Outside The Slide.”
In addition to many excellent articles he has a very cool personalized assessment for PowerPoint based presenters. Take the assessment here.
……………TD
Posted by Todd Dunn, CTS at 2:48 PM .
March 6th, 2007
Article on Planning Presentations
I recently published an article on CIO.COM on presentations strategy and planning. Some of you may find it of interest.
Posted by Tom Bunzel at 6:26 PM .
February 25th, 2006
Presentations Council Webinars
Of all the programs the Presentation Council makes available to the presentation professionals community, one of the most useful is their series of live webinars exploring various presentation tools, techniques and technologies. In case you missed the live events, here are links to the archived versions of the three most recent:
Tom Bunzel, “Using Video Effectively In Your Presentation”
Rick Altman, “Too Many Chefs?: The Fragile Art of Collaboration”
Julie Irvin, “How to Effectively Communicate Data Charts & Graphs”
As the schedule of future webinars are announced, we’ll post it here.
Posted by Lee Potts at 9:33 PM .
January 3rd, 2006
Speaker Ready Org Product
I was contacted by Mark Rosenthal of One World Presentation Mgt about his product the Presenter that enables large scale conferences to organize and present many different presentations. The Presenter™ is an application to manage large numbers of presentations at medical and association meetings. The program loads, sorts, organizes, and launches PowerPoint presentations from outside PowerPoint. It is database driven allowing for management and reporting for hundreds to thousands of presentation files.
The only thing I can compare it to from a look at the web site is Slide Manager and other similar server driven technologies, but my sense is that this product may be more performance based in real time and integrate well with high end conferences. The list of testimonials is also impressive.
Posted by Tom Bunzel at 2:22 PM .
November 26th, 2005
Professor PowerPoint is No More
To: All News and Wire Services
For Immediate Release:
Professor PowerPoint™ Loses Tenure
By Tom Bunzel
As an active member of the Visual Being web log, the Presentations Council of InfoComm International and the presentations community at large, I need to inform you all of a change in my circumstances necessitated by my recent correspondence with Microsoft’s law firm, Katten Muchin Rosenman.
I was contacted by a member of that firm a short while ago and informed that my use of the phrase “Professor PowerPoint™” was an improper use of its trademark and among other matters, potentially created confusion as to my relationship with Microsoft.
As many of you know, I have spent a fair amount of time and effort writing articles and books, educating users and in many ways promoting the use of PowerPoint™ in creating and enhancing presentations. However, when I explained these circumstances in some detail, I was informed that while Microsoft certainly appreciated my endeavors, my continued use of the trademarked name PowerPoint™ in my business and web site was inappropriate.
After consulting Microsoft’s web site pertaining to the proper use of its trademarks, I realized that there was no way I could continue as Professor PowerPoint™ without violating the clearly set forth canon of: “Do Not Use Microsoft Names or Trademarks as Part of Your Name”. There was very little wiggle room in that sentence.
To my relief the attorney added that Microsoft was not taking an aggressive posture in this issue. Since I had no great interest in retaining a law firm with the names of three partners on its letterhead, I appreciate that position immensely and sincerely.
So it is with some regret that this week I am publicly and irrevocably renouncing my position as Professor PowerPoint™, and now also admit that I got most of my diplomas through self study. (My B.A. in English from Tufts University is, alas, legitimate).
Obviously I had hoped to complete my career as a fully tenured Professor PowerPoint™ basking in the glory of a position in an albeit virtual and wholly nonexistent campus, but that is not to be. As of today the ProfessorPowerPoint™ web site is no more, and I have assumed a new position…
Henceforth my web site will be www.professorppt.com, and I hope that those of you who have linked to me in the past or referenced me in your own work will make the necessary adjustment.
The title of this web site has now been changed to “The Presentation Professor” (even though I shall remain, in reality, a humble untenured teaching assistant).
Let me make it perfectly clear that this entirely new web site has no relationship with either Presenters University or Presentations Magazine (even though I am an intermittent Contributing Editor at Presentations). Let me state for the record that I am also in no way connected to the “Ask the Professor” professor at Presenters University, the Video Professor on national television, nor any other real or virtual institution of higher education in the presentations industry. If in fact there are any other professors, real or virtual, teaching in the presentations community, I simply ask, can we all just get along?
It is indeed with a sad and heavy heart that I leave this entirely nonexistent campus, and set forth in search of new vistas in the presentations (and not just PowerPoint™) universe. I hope you will not forsake me for my past transgressions and continue to count me as a valued colleague as I carve out what I hope will be a new area of specialization and expertise beyond PowerPoint™ and into the virtually infinite realm of communicating more effectively using technology. (Oops, not to be confused with David Paradi’s http://www.communicateusingtechnology.com).
I will post my new office hours shortly but drop in any time. With fondest memories of a great ride, I remain sincerely,
Tom Bunzel
The Presentation Professor
Posted by Tom Bunzel at 4:10 PM .
November 23rd, 2005
Gates vs Jobs
Many of you may already have spotted this, but I think Garr Reynolds’ post entitled Gates, Jobs & the Zen aesthetic (on Presentation Zen) is an interesting read.
I had already viewed Steve Jobs ‘Special Event’ presentation on the Apple site (longing for the days when I used to be allowed to use Macs at work - the IT department banned them a while ago now…). He certainly is a good performer and I enjoyed his approach. You can compare him with Gates, whose presentation is also available.
The previous day’s post on Presentation Zen ‘Bill Gates and visual complexity’ is also worth a view.
Posted by Roy Hammans at 7:23 AM .
October 7th, 2005
Talking Presentations
A couple of months ago I was asked to give a presentation at our quarterly department meeting. These meetings regularly feature an ‘in-house’ speaker and I’d somehow managed to avoid being called for my turn of duty for over three years.
So what to talk about?
For years I’ve been proselytizing locally about new approaches to presentations and PowerPoint use - and I’d got about half-way through Cliff Atkinson’s book - I thought that it was about time I formally introduced the Beyond Bullet Points approach to our site.
I finally got around to preparing the talk at the beginning of this week - I find tight deadlines always focus the mind. I hastily skimmed the remaining chapters of the book, downloaded the template and started constructing my screenplay and storyboard. A presentation about presenting; I called it ‘Telling Stories’.
To cut to the chase, I gave the presentation today - 3 acts, 30 slides, 25 minutes - no bullets.
It was the only presentation given at a department meeting that has concluded with a spontaneous round of applause.
But basking in my five minutes of fame is not what this post is about. After all, most presentations - no, make that all presentations - given at internal meetings here follow the old-style format we are all too familar with. By adopting the storytelling approach and using striking visuals I produced something so different that people were impressed by my temerity if nothing else.
What I thought might be of interest was a document that I found whilst checking some links I planned on sharing with my audience. Just before the presentation I found a link to Till Voswinckel’s thesis: Presentational Visualisation: Towards an Imagery-Based Approach of Presentation Visuals (large PDF-4Mb) - on the powerpointless blog.
It seems to cover pretty well everything that I was talking about in my presentation and more. I haven’t read it all yet but thought that it might be of interest in the current debates surrounding academic research into approaches to presentation.
Posted by Roy Hammans at 2:59 PM .
September 19th, 2005
Dilbert as a Visual Being
Having coined the phrase “death by PowerPoint”, Dilbert hasn’t been shy regarding his feelings about business presentations. However, as evidenced in this strip from late August, it looks like he found the light and has embraced the use of dynamic, memorable images to support his message.
Posted by Lee Potts at 7:55 PM .
September 1st, 2005
PowerPoint Notes Page
There are two people I know that really use the Notes Page in Power Point (myself & Ms. Mary Waldera)….So I wanted to share the benefits of the Notes Page with our group.
When using the Notes Page, minimize the Slide Area to about 1/2 of what the default is, and increase the Notes Area.
In the Notes Master, make your font size either 16 or 18.
When you are typing in your notes, double space the information….it will be easier to read, similar to a teleprompter.
When you are printing out your notes, print them duplex, Top-Bottom. This way when you turn your pages, you can see what is coming up next.
Take your print outs to KINKO’s or hopefully there is another printing or bindery place that you can go to other than them….but if they are the only ones…then….you have no choice.
INSIST on having the Notes bound at the TOP, not the sides….They will question you and, confirm that they are going to have to trim off the plastic binding or cut the coils.
The logic on this is you will not have to turn the pages from Right to left. And your clothing will not have to shift and cover a mic. Your eye contact with your audience will be easier as well with the notes bound at the top.
Also, if you have other information on the podium with you, your notes are taking up as much room, if you had them bound on the side.
Please share any additional Notes usages…I’d love to hear them.
Posted by Julie Marie Irvin at 3:41 PM .
August 23rd, 2005
Where Idiots Fear to Present
Okay, I have to admit… I don’t have a clue what that title means… but once I wrote it I just couldn’t bring myself to change it. And I know you probably need to hear about another presentation skills book about as much as you need one more email offer to shrink your mortgage or enlarge your body parts.
But please bear with me a moment because “Why business people speak like idiots” by Brian Fugere, Chelsea Hardaway and Jon Warshawsky is really worth your time. From the dedication (dedicated to Mr. T who said “Don’t give me any o’ that jibba-jabba!”) to the Bull Spotter’s Guide at the end, Idiots is a thouroughly entertaining read. Better than that, it is full of unique ideas about improving both your written and spoken communication.
Fugere, Hardaway & Warshawsky’s premise in Idiots is that there is a big disconnect between the authentic, engaging and often interesting conversations of our real lives, and the artificial, overhyped corporate-speak we are bombarded with daily in email, memos, newsletters, press releases, meetings and presentations. Their advice is to avoid the four traps that lead to vague, impersonal business communication that is loaded with empty, useless calories.
Idiots is loaded with great examples and ideas… and you don’t have to wait for the movie because it really is a very quick and easy read (only 166 pages).
So if you are the kind of person who is into:
synergistic, customer-centric, upsell-driven, out-of-the-box, customizable, strategically tactical, best-of-breed thought leadership that will help your clients track true north….
maybe you should just cut the bull@#$% and read this book.
Posted by Robert Befus at 9:10 PM .
August 15th, 2005
The Power of Thought
Last year about this time I was dabbling on the Web, searching for video related to brain functioning, when I stumbled across fascinating research called Brain Computer Interface. Unfortunately I can’t now locate the site I studied back then (although there is downloadable video at TCTS Lab—requires divx codex), but the idea was to have computers interpret brainwaves. The goal of this particular project was to help paraplegics gain functional movement. The subjects imagined movement in their mind (such as picking up a glass) and a computer interpreted those thoughts and guided robotic devices attached to subjects’ arms. I was struck at the time by how such experiments are further blurring the concept of “objective” reality and what little we know about the potential power of our thoughts.
I then started wondering how thoughts (and view of reality) influence the effectiveness of our digital communications. To what extent do an audience member’s concepts, perceptions, and assumptions dictate what he or she takes away from a live presentation? Apparently such psychological components are enormously important. As presenters, the visuals we use can have impact beyond their obvious intent, especially in the context of interactive presentation.
For example, I have a slide in my Presentation Network containing logos for all the companies or institutions I’ve worked with. I use it as a switchboard to showcase projects during training workshops. Sometimes after using this switchboard a couple of times, I quiz the trainees. I ask, “who made the assumption I’ve worked with all of the entities shown here?” Almost invariably, all hands go up. I could have put any (or as many) logos on that slide as I wanted to and my audience would automatically assume all represented legitimate projects.
More and more I’m discovering intriguing visual tricks and optical illusions we can use to our advantage as speakers, even while using PowerPoint. In a workshop last week, in fact, I’ll admit I had a delightful time playing with attendees’ minds. Doing so was necessary to show how a savvy presenter can employ an understanding of the human mind to great advantage.
I encourage all presenters and presentation professionals to join me in exploring the psychological implications of live presentation. As far as I can tell, far too little research or experimentation has been done in this arena. The power of thought is only beginning to be tapped.
Posted by Robert Lane at 9:07 AM .
August 4th, 2005
Quotes: David P. Mikkelson
“The power of illustrative anecdotes often lies not in how well they present reality, but in how well they reflect the core beliefs of their audience.”
~David P. Mikkelson, creator of Snopes.com
Posted by Lee Potts at 9:31 AM .
July 25th, 2005
Quotes: Dorothy Sarnoff
“Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening.”
~Dorothy Sarnoff
Posted by Lee Potts at 12:44 PM .