I came across this video through How (Not) to Present with PowerPoint at Presentation Skills. The video is a condensed lesson into how NOT to present with PowerPoint.
Category: Bits and pieces (Page 22 of 47)
I have read How to develop self confidence and influence people by public speaking by Dale Carnegie. Here are some of my notes based on the book.
The book has this reassuring quote by Cicero:
All public speaking of real merit is characterized by nervousness.
Dale Carnegie gives this advice: See yourself as a messenger, the message is important. In other words, content is important.
Preparation
Preparation means assembling your thoughts, your ideas, your convictions, your urges. Preparation means selecting, polishing, working them into a pattern, a mosaic of your own. A speech is a voyage with a purpose and it must be chartered.
Outlines
The book lists some types of outlines.
1. State your facts
2. Argue from them
3. Appeal for action
1. Here is a situation that ought to be remedied
2. We ought to do so and so about the matter.
3. You ought to help for these reasons.
1. Secure interested attention.
2. Win confidence.
3. State your facts, educate people regarding the merits of your proposition.
4. Appeal to the motives that make men act.
How to open a talk
The book lists these alternatives:
• Arouse curiosity
• Begin with a story
• Begin with an illustration
• Use an exhibit
• Ask a question
• Open with a quotation
• Tie your topic up to the vital interests of your audience
How to close a talk
The book lists these alternatives:
• Summarize, restate, outline briefly the main points covered
• Appeal for action
• A terse sincere compliment
• A humorous close
• A poetical qouotation
• The climax
This book overlaps in parts with Dale Carnegie’s The quick and easy way to effective speaking. I prefer that one.
Garr Reynolds, Presentation Zen, has created a page with Presentation Tips on his own site. The tips are three main areas: Organization and Preparation, Delivery and Slides. There are also Samples and Tutorials.
Olivia Mitchell at Speaking about Presenting has created a collection of her Best Posts to help you with every aspect of your next presentation.
Presentation Skills has tips around
• Planning and writing the presentation
• Using visual aids effectively
• Overcoming presentation nerves
• Delivering the presentation confidently
• Answering questions competently
There is a Leonard Cohen channel on YouTube with official videos. Currently only eight but I hope that grows.
While browsing around at Presentation Zen I came across Living large: “Takahashi Method” uses king-sized text as a visual.
Takahashi uses only text in his slides. But not just any text — really big text. Huge text. Characters of impressive proportion which rarely number more than ten, usually fewer. The goal, he says, is to use short words rather than long, complicated words and phrases.
I can see a point in using text only since images might distract the audience. Keeping the text short, easy to read and easy to remember is also a good idea.
I have read The quick and easy way to effective speaking by Dale Carnegie. The book is outdated in examples, copyright is in 1962. Still, there are useful tips about public speaking in the book. Here are some of my notes based on the book.
Every talk has one of four major goals. Pick the one that suits you, the audience and the occasion.
1. To persuade or get action.
2. To inform.
3. To impress and convince.
4. To entertain.
Notes about preparation and delivery.
• Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident.
• Be sure you are excited about your subject.
• Be eager to share your talk with your listeners.
• The listeners shall feel that what you say is important to them.
• Talk in terms of your listeners’ interests.
Ask yourself how knowledge of your subject will help your audience solve their problems and achieve their goals. In other words, “What’s in it for them?” Then proceed to show them that, and you will have their full attention.
If the purpose of your talk is to inform then make the talk easy to listen to and easy to remember.
If your aim is to convince, remember that it is more effective to stir emotions than to arouse thoughts. Feelings are more powerful than cold ideas.
The book mentions the classic recipe for a talk: First tell them what you are going to tell them; then tell them; then tell them what you told them.
If you ever get to introduce a speaker, follow the T-I-S formula:
+ T stands for topic (of the speech).
+ I stands for importance, connect topic and audience.
+ S stands for speaker, introduce him/her.
Recent Comments