I just finished a Graduate course. In this course, all the students were required to do two presentations in front of the class. A lot of people in the class, including me, used Power Point slides for their presentation. Now, I am not new to public speaking. I have taught classes which ranged in sizes of 50-80 people at national conferences. I have delivered a speech to about 200 Japanese American people. So giving a presentation to a group of 26 people for a graduate course is no big deal. You learn a few things the more and more you public speak. You learn what works and what does not. You learn how to read your audience to see if "they get it" or "if they don't get it" and if you are losing them or if you have their interest and attention. But most importantly, you learn to use your presentation tools properly. So here's a tip for you all who do not public speak very often or have something coming up where you're thinking about using Power Point. When you have to speak in front of a lot of people and use Power Point, use your slides as speaking points. They should not have everything you are saying on them!! To illustrate my point...
You cannot believe how many people write every word of every sentence into the Power Point. Then they get up and say exactly what's on the slide. Less is definitely more! And I have news for you people that's not presenting, that's reading!!! Microsoft named the software Power Point, because you are only supposed to show major POINTS and specific IDEAS. I think after listening to each of the 26 presentations 2x, there were only like 3-4 that were decent. The rest were akin to chewing on tinfoil and made you want to stick a pencil in your eye.
5 comments:
Public speaking...what did you do with the money?
Oh I hate when people read every word straig off their Powerpoint! Duh, I can read, I want you to tell me in your own words what's still in your head!
Very few people should be allowed to speak in public...espeically with slides.
I look on it as a good thing that most people are rubbish at public speaking. It makes me look better by comparison and it gives me people to train.
If everyone was good at it, I'd be out of a job! :)
william OK, you win. Let me go see how my Loyd's of London money in my Grand Cayman Island account is doin...
lola You totally get it! I had thoughts like, "I wonder what would happen if I stood up and threw my textbook at them?"
bogart No kiddin'. I lost a few years of my life trying to be polite and pay attention. It was just brutal!
simonr I doubt you'll ever run out of clients! If you ever run short in the UK, there's an abundance of prospects in the USA!
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