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Episodes
- Top 6 Touchy-Feely Presentation Rehearsal Tips
Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:11:33 -0500 Author: laura@maniactive.com
Practice makes perfect, right?
Not really.
What about imperfect practice? If you practice badly, your performance will likely reflect your bad practices. So what components make for a better rehearsal for your next presentation?
The Great Big Technical Rehearsal Checklist. Many folks focus relentlessly on rehearsing what I'll call the technical aspects of the presentation: the room, the PowerPoint. the computer, the back-ups, the video display, the lighting, the remote, the microphone. Don't get me wrong: all of these technical details are crazy important to rehearse. But a technical rehearsal is not enough to deliver an outstanding presentation.
Sweat the Touchy-Feely Stuff. Don't forget to rehearse for humanity! Remember, you want to make an emotional connection with your audience. Here are six teeny tiny touchy-feely tips -- frequently overlooked -- that can enormously improve your rehearsals and your final presentation.
1. Strike the Pose. I once rehearsed a presentation standing up -- only to be given a chair. When I stood to present, the elderly board president waved me down, saying, "Please, sit. We don't want to have to look up at you." This might seem like nothing, but I lost an edge in my presentation that day. Had I known I was going to deliver a sitting presentation, I would have rehearsed seated. Find out if you'll be seated or standing -- and rehearse in the position you'll be assuming.
2. Wear Your Shoes. Oh, they don't call it "dress" rehearsal for nothing! Don't rehearse in your pajamas -- unless you intend to give your presentation in your jammies ! Instead, rehearse in the actual clothes you'll be wearing during your presentation -- right down to your shoes. You'll be amazed at how much better your performance will be just by understanding how your entire body feels in full "costume and makeup."
3. Get an Audience. When I watch video rehearsals of myself, alone in my office -- I'm often chagrined. Without the audience to buoy my energy, I can sound dull and lifeless. Ideally, rehearse your presentation with people. An audience gives you emotional energy. If you don't have people, hang pictures of friends, family, or colleagues. (I've taped faces over teddy bears, and set them up as an audience. But remember, I'm ridiculous.) Looking at faces of people you know & like gives your voice and body language more oomph and power. (Bonus points if you encourage your people to heckle you.)
4. Video V. Mirror. Yes, hang it, I video record all my presentation rehearsals. And oh, yes indeed, I loathe reviewing these videos! They're painful to watch. But I always find areas to improve or smooth. (In fact, I often long for a complete personality transplant.) Don't have a video recorder? As TJ Walker writes in his excellent presentation rehearsal post, " What year are we in, 1910?" Of course you have access to a video camera! It's 2008! So no excuses: a mirror is NOT an acceptable substitute. You're too accustomed to looking in a mirror, preening quickly, and mentally saying, "Good enough" -- before you walk out the door. A video is merciless: you won't be able to watch yourself and say, "good enough." A video, though horrifying, will truly help you see yourself as others do.
5. Audio Only. Record your presentation without video. Then, listen to it without watching the slides. I like putting my audio on my portable mp3 player -- and taking a walk. While listening to myself on the ellipse machine at the gym last week, I found an area of my presentation that dragged so dismally, I barely registered a heartbeat while chugging along at a high incline! I went back to the office for a rewrite and added more powerful visuals. Listening to "audio only" helps you spot pace and pitch problems -- but it also helps you later recall the words and inflections that work well.
6. Rehearse in Real Time. If you're giving a one-hour presentation: you need to record a one-hour video of yourself. Not 5 minutes here, 20 minutes there. Start at the beginning. Rehearse 'til the end. You don't have the opportunity to chop up your presentation in front of a live audience, so don't chop your video rehearsals into little segments, either. (Bonus points: if you're giving a 7am breakfast presentation, do a full dress rehearsal at 7am, too. Ditto for lunch or dinner presentations. My 7am energy level is quite different than my 12pm energy level. You?)
Those are my top six touchy feely tips. You can also read what other presentation bloggers recommend about rehearsing this month. Over at the "Fortify Your Oasis" blog, RowanManahan explains why he just about loses his mind if people tell him that they don't rehearse because they want to " sound fresh". At "Make Your Point with PowR", presenter William Botha silently seethed as an audience member who was subjected to an un-rehearsed presenter.
Make an emotional connection. Angry? Bored? Frustrated? You certainly want to make an emotional connection with your audience: but not those emotions! A great rehearsal can lead to a great presentation. The technical stuff is important: but so is the emotional content of your presentation. Don't dismiss the value of a full presentation rehearsal!
If you have other rehearsal tips or links, please comment! Love to hear from you! - Designing Presentations in the Cloud
Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:01:43 -0500 Author: laura@maniactive.com
Yes, you can design a PowerPoint presentation without using PowerPoint. And you don't need Keynote or OpenOffice, either. With speedy internet access, you can design a presentation "in the cloud".
What are Presentation Design Cloud Apps? Think Google Docs Presentations. Or 280slides. Or SlideRocket. When you access any of these three (currently free) online apps, you can design a presentation "in the cloud". (That's what the kids are calling it these days!) Loosely speaking, designing in "the cloud" means you can produce your presentation content online, without downloading any presentation software to your computer.
Enjoying the Cloud Slideware Experience. Earlier this week, I tried each of the three cloud slideware applications I mentioned above -- Google Docs, 280slides, and SlideRocket. Before I discuss their differences, let me comment on four similarities and user advantages you get with cloud slideware:1) They're all feature light. At this stage, cloud presentation design apps are light on features. Well, much lighter than the gazillions of options PowerPoint and Keynote and Open Office pack into their software, anyway! But why do I tout less features as "an advantage"? Face it: we've all noted an alarming tendency of PowerPoint producers to over-use many features. Feature abuse often detracts from the story line. By streamlining features, the tendency to overwhelm with special effects is mercifully reduced. Further, less features mean that learning how to use cloud applications is usually a breeze. Basically, if you know how to use PowerPoint -- you already know how to useSlideRocket, 280Slides, or the Google Docs Presentation application. Seriously: expect a learning curve of about a minute or three.
2) Cloud presentation apps allow collaboration and sharing. With a few clicks, 280slides lets you post your presentation to SlideShare, the popular presentation sharing site. The "Share" button at Google Docs Presentation lets you invite collaborators to edit your presentation, or viewers to experience your results. SlideRocket lets you publish your presentation publicly -- or to invite select people to view it. SlideRocket also integrates statistics, so you know how many people have experienced your content. Google Docs lets you see who has been editing your presentation -- and when. For those of us who build content in teams located all over the globe, the ability to share, collaborate, and review revisions provides a phenomenal project management advantage.
3) Cloud apps play nicely with many other popular online content venues. Want to insert a YouTube video into PowerPoint? You've got quite a few gyrations to make that happen! But with two of the presentation design cloudware options, it's a coupla clicks, tops. Want to use a FlickR image into your presentation? Each of the cloudware apps I used let you search and add unique FlickR images with the same ease you'd have inserting a stale piece of clipart to a PowerPoint presentation. Easy access to fresh videos and pictures can make your presentation more visually unique and compelling than sticking to the over-used, cliched, packaged stock images and clip art built into standard software.
4) They all cater to the offline popularity of PowerPoint. Each cloudware service lets you download and save your presentation as a PowerPoint file. And each service also lets you upload a presentation that you originally created in PowerPoint. Many folks need the security blanket of backing up a presentation on a hard drive -- and in a familiar format. With cloudware, you don't really have to leave your PowerPoint comfort zone. You have the option to "go old school" with PowerPoint -- but you also get enhanced sharing and easier access to online content.
So, what about the differences in each cloudware program? When I used each of these programs to create a presentation from scratch, I noted a few feature differences in each application.SlideRocket 280 Slides Google Docs Presentations 5 background options 9 background options 15 background options 6 Flash backgrounds no Flash backgrounds no Flash backgrounds 9 slide transition options 0 transition options 0 transition options FlickR integration FlickR +Google Images integration No FlickR integration Opaque image slider Opaque image slider No opaque image option 20 font styles 30 font styles 6 font styles No YouTube Integration Easy YouTube integration Easy YouTube integration Image manipulation: 9 build options & 9 effect options. Resizing, but no rotating images. Image manipulation: resizing and rotating. No builds, no effects. Image Manipulation: Resizing only.
The above chart is not a comprehensive comparison of features. And I fully expect that feature sets at each service will change and grow. By the time I hit the "publish" button on this blog post, who knows? Another feature can be added at any time. That's what happens in the cloud -- new features can be added and changed more rapidly than they can in the boxed software world.
How are you using cloud presentation applications in your work or school? And how likely are you to design and present "in the cloud" over the next year? - UnConference Versus Conference
Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:03:55 -0500 Author: laura@maniactive.com
It's a Conference. But not like we know it, Jim.
The first rule of BarCamp?
Talk about BarCamp.
The second rule of BarCamp?
Blog about BarCamp.
I attended my first UnConference last week. BarCamp Grand Rapids.
(There! I've fulfilled BarCamp rule #2!)
After this enlightening experience, I don't know if I can ever attend another ICAWKI (Industry Conference As We Know It).
What's the difference between a conference and an unconference?
The Conference: Unmitigated Commercialization. Most conferences are marked by:- A carefully set agenda. Slick brochures. Ads in trade journals. Secure web page sign up. Pricey.
- Speakers, workshops, and panel discussions. Speeches carefully written, designed, and rehearsed.
- Those who present often overtly plug their companies with overblown introductions. (Eye rolling ensues.)
- Speakers pepper corporate brand names throughout their presentations. (More audience eye rolling.)
- PowerPoint slides, SWAG, and signage litter the landscape: laden with industry logos. (People adore free stuff.)
Sigh. Time to find a new way to make a living...
The UnConference: Amazing, Open-Source Pockets of Grass Roots Passion. The unconference approach is decidedly refreshing.- No set agenda. Word of Mouth spread. Wikis and FaceBook pages for sign-ups. Low- to no-cost sign up.
- Limited corporate sponsorship (hey, somebody has to pay for the venue, presenting equipment, and snacks.)
- Three word introductions (Think: "I'm Laura Bergells." That's three. Or, "OK, let's start.")
- No overt product plugs: unless they are pertinent to the presentation.
- People who speak enthusiastically -- not for the ulterior motive of plugging their wares, but because they are passionate about sharing their ideas.
More like smart, spirited, informal discussions with people who are in it for the joy of sharing knowledge -- and open to learning and building on the ideas of others.
Think of the tradition of Amateur Night at the Apollo in Harlem: if a performer stinks, the audience judges harshly. Boos. Hisses. Howls. Out comes the hook.
The same thing could happen if you come to BarCamp and try to pitch your product!
Conversely, if you give a stellar performance, your reward is continuing the conversation with the engaging, delightful people you meet.
And that's a much better reward than coming home with a pocketful of pens and heavily processed information with a commercial bias.
So what's your preference? Being force fed slickly produced corporate messages? Or sharing stories with people who are excited about their discoveries and can't wait to tell you about it?
The voice of your customer. If listening to the voice and vernacular and ideas of your customers is important to your company, you might want to check out an UnConference -- coming soon to a city near you (if it hasn't already.)
Because if it's happening in Grand Rapids, Michigan -- it's not just a Coaster thing.
How will the spread of the popularity of the UnConference and Social Media impact the ICAWKI? (Industry Conference As We Know It.) - A carefully set agenda. Slick brochures. Ads in trade journals. Secure web page sign up. Pricey.
- Record Your Presentation? The Audacity!
Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:43:43 -0500 Author: laura@maniactive.com
I recorded only the spoken part of my presentation the other day.- Not for posterity.
- Not for posting online.
- Not for anyone to listen to...
I do this a lot, actually.
And it's not because I adore the sound of my voice. Like most people, I don't care for the way my recorded voice sounds. I prefer the familiar, idealized way my voice sounds in my head. After all, I'm more accustomed to hearing my voice through the thick layer of my skull.
photo credit: rayced
But my recorded voice? To me, it sounds repugnant. Like I'm on the verge of hysteria.
Mercifully, my audience hears my voice differently than I do. Ergo, I frequently record my voice to gain audience empathy... but for two other key reasons, as well.
1. As I age, I'm aware that I'm losing the spontaneity of youth. It's too easy for me to slip into a comfortable pace and pitch. The way I hear my own voice may please me and make me feel comfortable and safe -- but may bore the hair off of my audience. When I listen to a recording of myself, I first emotionally divorce myself from my personal dislike for my voice. It's tough. Next, I pay attention to word choice, pace, pitch, and volume. Pace and pitch are my worst vocal demons -- I note where I'm either boring or horrifying myself; editing and correcting my choices in takes 2 and 3.
2. Listening to recorded presentations helps my recall. I don't often use speaker notes or talk from scripts. Instead, I'm more frequently asked to chat about what I know. If it's a formal presentation, I prepare relentlessly. I design PowerPoint in such a way that if I experience a visual technical meltdown on stage, I can usually can continue talking somewhat coherently. Previously listening to my recorded voice and agonizing over every cringe-worthy gaffe helps me remember where I am and what I'm saying. I'm conscious and aware on two different levels at once -- putting the "fully present" into my presentation.
Technically, it's not hard to record and examine your own voice. I'm a long time fan of Audacity, a free, open source sound editor and recorder. Download, install, record, listen -- and you'll even SEE your vocal patterns presented in waves.- Witness how awfully big and unwieldy "ums" and "ers" look!
- Feel the shame when your voice suddenly goes flat for minutes!
- Furrow your brow when you realize that even you didn't understand a quickly uttered phrase!
It's an edge. Give it a try! - The Dynamic Duo and the Wardrobe Malfunction
Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:48:08 -0500 Author: laura@maniactive.com
My partner Oud and I walked into a client's studio. She greeted us with,
"Wow, you two look great. Do you know that show on TLC called "What Not to Wear"? Well, you two should be on it!"
Oud and I were not familiar with the show. So we simply stared at her, startled at how frank she was about her disapproval of our attire. And yet she had also said we looked great...
Judging our puzzled looks, our beloved client re-thought what she said and looked mortified. She stammered,
"Oh, no. Oh, geez, I mean, you two should host the show, because you always look so nice."
Meet the Non-Dynamic Duo. We all shared a laugh as our client explained that the show's hosts were fashion experts who advised others how to dress. I said something self-deprecating like, "Nice save! Next time, we'll dress more appropriately!"
Oud was wearing a dark suit. I was business-casual in a sweater and slacks. While we both dressed aptly for a meeting with our client, we were nonetheless a little mismatched.
Japed Crusaders. You see, Oud and I had both come from different meetings, and were subsequently leaving to go to different business engagements. Oud was a smidge more formal because he was going to a loftier appointment afterward. I was dressed for several meetings with established clients on a very cold, snowy day in February. Had either of us showed up independently, our attire would have escaped notice.
We both dressed for our most business-formal meeting of the day. And in sub-zero Michigan weather, slipping into different suits as you four-wheel it from office to office isn't feasible.
Our client sympathized. Michigan folks know that weather profoundly impacts fashion choices. Oud and I were a bit off, but not far out.
Lesson learned. Co-presenters need to match dress styles. As a dynamic duo, we blew it.
To complement Oud's style, I should have dressed more formally.
But as wardrobe malfunctions go, this was not my worst! Lee Potts covers my most heinous presentation wardrobe mistake in "The World's Worst Wet T-Shirt Contest."
But tell me - what do you think? Do you make sure to coordinate wardrobes when you co-present?
And what's YOUR worst wardrobe malfunction? - The Presentation Grand Finale: 3 Ways to Close with a Bang!
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:15:20 -0500 Author: laura@maniactive.com
Most fireworks presentations feature a super-explosive Grand Finale. After 45 minutes or so of eliciting audience oooohs and ahhhhs, a fabulous fireworks show ends with an overwhelming sensory display that excites and mobilizes the crowd.
The masses rise, stamp their feet, cheer wildly -- and go home feeling invigorated.
And maybe even a little hard-of-hearing!
What do you do for your own presentation grand finale? Let's say your presentation has achieved the equivalent of garnering ooohs and aaahs. Your audience may not have actually said "oooh" or "aaaah" during your talk, but you recognize other emotional cues: photo credit: empressofdirt- You see nodding. And smiles.
- You recognize eyebrows raised in that "aha" moment.
- You witness furious note-taking.
- And yeah, maybe you've actually heard ooohs or ahhhs!
You've made an emotional connection. Now what do you do to bring it on home? Close with a whimper or a bang? (Link & credit to "The Hollow Men" by TS Eliot.)
Whimper! Too many presentations end without a grand finale. Some wander off-topic with a closing statement that has nothing to do with the content of the presentation. And quite a few end with these stinkers:- Wimpy. "I see my time is up. Thank you and goodnight."
- Whimper. "Are there any questions?"
- Whimpiest. "Well, if there aren't any more questions, thank you and good night." (Mike Aoki clearly explains why ending with Q&A is a terrible way to close a presentation.)
- Bang! Call to Action! "In a few minutes, you're going back to your offices. Here's the first thing I want you to do when you get back to your desks..."
- Bang! Summarize! "When you leave here today, remember these three main points..."
- Bang! The Final Story..."Let me share one final story with you..."
How else do you close your presentations with a bang? And let's dish -- what are some of the worst closings you've ever witnessed? - You see nodding. And smiles.
- Now Entering the Post-Template PowerPoint Design Era...
Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:23:51 -0500 Author: laura@maniactive.com
If you are still using PowerPoint templates as a presentation design aid, it's time to stop. Why?
Because we've officially entered the Post-Template PowerPoint Design Era.
Why the Post-Template PowerPoint Design Era? With so many options available for great images, you don't need to rely on a PowerPoint template anymore. As fellow presentation blogger Ellen Finkelstein puts it in her excellent post at Slideshare, "White is definitely the new blue in presentation backgrounds..."
Why did PowerPoint background fashion change? Back in the early 1990's, very few people had easy access to compelling digital photography to insert in their PowerPoint presentations. Today, just about everybody who gives presentations has a digital camera. Use it to capture unique and fresh images for your next PowerPoint presentation. Don't have the talent for taking a great photo? You might be surprised at just how good you are! Don't be intimidated -- if you have a digital camera, at least give it a shot! At the very least, it's sure to be an original.
Can't get the shot you want? Again, you have access to a plethora of great photography online -- something you probably didn't have 10 years ago. Consider Flickr, the social photo sharing site. Many photos are available for use in your presentations through the Creative Commons attribution. If you can't find a unique photo at Flickr, try Morguefile or StockExchange. Both of these sites offer totally free photos. Just be sure to check the licensing requirements on each image before you use it in your next presentation.
Pay a little. If you still can't find the photograph you want, you may have to pay for a stock image -- but just a little. I like iStockphoto -- the prices are usually a buck or three -- and the selection is decent and updates regularly. But be careful! With stock photography, you run the risk of picking a photo that many people have seen before -- so it's not unique. Many times, you risk boring your audience with stock photography. Fortunately, iStockphoto shows you which photos are the most frequently downloaded, so you can avoid photos that everyone has already seen. With a little diligence, you can find something newer, fresher, and hipper.
The days of slapping clip art on a blue background are definitely over. That's just so 1990's! And when the audience has seen a background or image before -- the presenter becomes part of a landscape of visual cliches. The eyes of the audience glaze over. The presentation seem hackneyed. The presenter seems trite. The message gets hazy. Lost.
Use unique imagery. Use your creativity. Your audience with appreciate your effort!
PS -- Need help learning to manipulate photos and other graphics? Ellen Finkelstein also writes to remind me that her ebook, 7 Steps to Great Images, is on sale at her site. The book is easy-to-read, and filled with practical instructions for manipulating images in PowerPoint. Perfect for the Post-Template PowerPoint design era! You can also sign up for Ellen's free tips newsletter. Enjoy! - The Summer of Social Media Love
Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:18:22 -0500 Author: laura@maniactive.comEnter the social media mainstream. Yes, social media -- where people participate actively, publicly, and directly with online content and content providers -- are mainstream. When huge corporations start blogging, friending, following, fanning, tweeting, and digging -- you know that "the man" is infiltrating the social media scene.
It's not a bad thing. But it's smart to get hip to new ways of communicating and connecting. With social media, you can participate at your level of comfort.
Your summer of social media love. June, July, August -- if you haven't done so already, give social media three solid months. Watch your brain start to make connections in new and exciting ways.
First up on your summer social media to-do list: find and subscribe to a few new blogs.
Why subscribe to blogs? Well, here are 3 very basic reasons:- To learn something new
- To make friends with people who share your passions and interests
- To participate in smart conversations.
Learn something new? On a blog? Really? Sure. Many bloggers are experts who write about a niche topic. Find a topic that interests you, and peruse the top blogs in that field.
Finding top blogs. A fabulous way to find great new blogs with scintillating content is to pop by Alltop.com. This new site helps you "explore your passions by collecting stories from 'all the top' sites on the web." Nice! Each collection is grouped into topic areas -- football, nonprofit, sales, education, what-have-you -- so that you can easily find the latest feeds from top blogs in the categories you love the most.
Alltop is just like standing in front of a magazine rack in your favorite bookstore. Only the headlines update instantly -- and most of the content is free.
For example, let's say you're interested in speaking. (I know you are, because you're reading this blog!) So, go to the speaking category for Alltop, and you'll find approximately 100 feeds, which get updated about every ten minutes. You'll have instant access to the latest tips, tricks, news, and info -- all from some of the best bloggers on the planet. (I'm honored to report that this 'lil blog is currently included in the Alltop list for speaking blogs -- so if you're a subscriber, your wisdom and good taste is hereby officially validated!)
Subscribe! The first thing I did at Alltop was scan the headlines -- just like when I'm waiting in line at the supermarket. I instantly found new blogs and posts that peaked my interest, so I subscribed immediately. I commented on some, bookmarked others -- all to enhance my own learning and further conversations with experts I admire.
Make friends. Commenting and corresponding with expert bloggers can ignite fresh ideas -- and help build relationships. Reading a blog gives you a sense of the writer's substance and style. If you like what they're saying and they seem approachable -- why not leave a comment -- or three? Many blogs give readers an easy platform for commenting -- so that you can reach out & connect with the writer. (Want to chime in on any post in this blog? Go for it! That's what the "comment" link at the bottom of each post is all about!)
Anti-Social Media. Over lunch last week with Twitter friend Ashima, I voiced a concern that if I'm not careful, participating in social media may make me narrow-minded. After all, it's too easy to subscribe, listen, friend, follow, and fan only the people I admire and respect. To be truly well-rounded, I must make sure to listen carefully to voices that do not share my values or opinions.
That's why I also subscribe to people who write views that differ greatly from my own. If social media keeps me informed, I can also use the social media platform to broaden my world view, too. Wouldn't Voltaire approve?
Your Summer of Social Media Love! By all means, use sites like Alltop to find people you respect and admire -- but also stay tuned to people who offer different viewpoints. Subscribe and participate at a variety of blogs, and watch how your synapses will start sparking and firing in new and exciting directions!
PS -- If you haven't subscribed to this blog yet with RSS -- please do. Here's my RSS feed. Put it in your favorite RSS Reader, and voila! Consider yourself subscribed! - Try The Zero Slide PowerPoint Presentation
Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:34:10 -0500 Author: laura@maniactive.com
You need boundaries. Boundaries can make you a happier, more creative person. Give yourself a boundary like a deadline, and you'll focus on your work. Create a boundary for your workplace -- like a desk -- and it will serve not only as a functional piece of furniture, but as a visual cue to get busy.
Some boundaries are better than others. When it comes to developing your next presentation or speech, try giving yourself a boundary. Deadlines and desks are great, but here ere are four more creative boundaries that can help sharpen your next presentation:- Limit Your Words. The winners of the Webby Film and Video Awards are restricted to 5 word speeches. Refreshing! Creative! The best speeches from the Webby event demonstrate personality and restraint. By purposely whittling away the non-essential, each word becomes more meaningful.
- Limit Your Graphics. Last month, I gave myself a goal of designing a one-slide PowerPoint presentation. It went so well, I gave myself another goal: a zero slide PowerPoint presentation. Relying on gestures, expressions, and words let my audience imagine what I dared not to show. (Note: some people call zero-slide presentations "conversations" or "performances".)
- Limit Your Print Outs. When audiences ask for a print out of a PowerPoint presentation, I usually provide a web address for them to download it online. If they really want it, they can have it. But because my slides are not my presentation, they provide very little context for my audience. Generally, I'm not going to kill a tree with a print out.
- Limit Your Animations. I'm usually so facially animated, that putting animations in my PowerPoint slides is decidedly overkill. Ditto sound effects. Earlier this week, I threw my head and arms backwards and yowled. If I made PowerPoint perform my animations and sound effects for me, I don't suppose I would have made my point!
- Limit Your Words. The winners of the Webby Film and Video Awards are restricted to 5 word speeches. Refreshing! Creative! The best speeches from the Webby event demonstrate personality and restraint. By purposely whittling away the non-essential, each word becomes more meaningful.
- Top 2 Reasons to Love Technical Difficulties
Sat, 07 Jun 2008 22:58:30 -0500 Author: laura@maniactive.com
"There is something technically wrong..."
Those of us who participate at Twitter are frequently greeted with the above phrase for the past few weeks. The image accompanying the message is a flock of cheerful little birds trying to lift a whale. And while there have been some grumbles about the rampant outages...
...the frequent bouts of technical difficulties at Twitter actually give me some cheer!
Here are two reasons to rejoice over technical difficulties:- How can you be mad when you are presented with such a charming picture? A whale and several tweety birds, struggling together? This image represents that Twitter is experiencing stress -- thousands of individual peeps are taking down the system. And a dedicated team of Twitter folks are working to make the system strong again. My, it does my heart good! Power to the Peeps!
- Hey, we all experience technical difficulties from time to time. Growth can be painful. (Remember adolescence?) I don't know how Twitter is making any money at the moment, but they currently enjoy a fabulous and growing fan base. And they greet their audience with a sense of humor. I can be patient while they grow. I empathize.
There's something to learn from Twitter technical difficulties. The next time you're giving a presentation and something goes technically wrong -- do you have the emotional and/or intellectual equivalent of a whale and a dozen tweety birds in your back pocket?
(Over the next few months, I can pretty much guarantee I'll be experiencing technical difficulty here at the Maniactive blog! I'm shaking things up and switching stuff around -- but I hope you'll bear with me while I grow and change.)
If you need to get hold of me -- and I'm experiencing technical difficulties -- why not try a social media approach? Feel free to follow me at Twitter -- or friend me at FaceBook!It's summer -- a fine time to get social! - Find Odd Sound Effects
Sat, 07 Jun 2008 18:37:21 -0500 Author: laura@maniactive.com
Sometimes, you need a special sound effect for your PowerPoint presentation.
Earlier this year, I needed a horse whinny to help tell my story.
Really! (Don't ask.)
However, I didn't have fast access to a horse. So what to do?
Where to find an unusual sound effect for your presentation?
I found my horse whinny -- and many other odd sound effects -- at FindSounds. This website scours the internet and finds all kinds of animal and human noises, as well as vehicles, tools, mayhem, and more.
When you find your sound -- be mindful of the copyright if you choose to use it! - Improve YouTube Video Quality
Wed, 14 May 2008 10:04:20 -0500 Author: laura@maniactive.com
I wrote about improving YouTube video quality with an easy hack over two months ago. I can't believe this easy trick still works, but it does!
Want a better video experience at YouTube?
Here's what you can do, in one easy step:
Type&fmt=18after the video's URL.
That's it! That's all there is to it!
You can visit the above link to see all the particulars and videos...it's been a popular post! - Imagine a Bershon PowerPoint Presentation...
Fri, 09 May 2008 12:22:03 -0500 Author: laura@maniactive.com
What's Bershon? Oh, you know that look. It's the look you have on your eighth-grade picture.
Sullen. Bored. Ennui.
It's a look that says, "I'm a little too cool to have my picture taken, but I must suffer the indignity for the sake of my parents."
This uniquely adolescent pose exasperates mothers of teenagers everywhere.
"Why couldn't you just smile?" they implore.
Until recently, I did not know there was a name for this expression.
Now I do.
It's called Bershon. I discovered the term when I read Design blogger Michael Bierut's post about Bershon, and witnessed the lovely picture of his wife in a classic Bershon-y (Bershonic?) grimace. I grinned in instant recognition of the classic teen and pre-teen posturing, which heretofore had been nameless to me.
You will recognize Bershon instantly when you see it. And I am much pleased to note that the topic has its own Flickr group, appropriately titled, "I'm so Bershon". It's a joy to flick through these images. So much so, I'm considering using them for the break slides in my next PowerPoint presentation, no matter what the topic.
Note to teenagers and pre-teens everywhere: for your next class photo, suck it up.
Make your mom happy.
Just smile. :)
And 32 years from now, you won't find your grimacing mug on Flickr.
PS to Moms everywhere: how can you use your new found appreciation for Bershon to generate even more Bershon photos from your young? ;0 - PowerPoint to YouTube + iTunes - authorSTREAM
Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:30:47 -0500 Author: laura@maniactive.com
The online presentation-sharing site authorSTREAM offers an exciting array of features that teachers, trainers, students, and other presenters will love. I gave the service a brief test (shown in the image above), and was very impressed.
The freely available authorSTREAM Beta promises that when I upload my PowerPoint presentation, I will be able to easily share it online. So how is this different from an online presentation service like Slideshare? Let me share only three of authorSTREAM's distinctive features:- Animation and Narration. After uploading, the authorSTREAM content retains PowerPoint narration and animation. This features alone would make the service worth checking out. But there's more...
- Download as Video. After you upload your narrated, animated PowerPoint presentation, authorSTREAM will also let you download it as an mpeg file -- perfect for uploading to YouTube. Now, your presentation can become even more visible.
- View in iTunes. Those who have iTunes installed on their computers (and what student doesn't? ;) can choose RSS delivery of the narrated presentation. From there, it's a short hop to a portable mp3 player like a video iPod. This can make PowerPoint presentations more portable.
- Learn from my sound mistakes! Upon viewing my presentation, I noted the sound quality was poor. Because the service has a 30MG upload limit, I set my PowerPoint recording levels very low -- too low! To improve the sound, I significantly bumped up the quality of the narration within PowerPoint and re-narrated -- but this time, it was too high! I exceeded the 30MG limit -- rats! I re-recorded again at 44,100 kHz, 8 bit mono -- and achieved a better sound quality (not perfect, but not horrible, either.) In order to find the best level for your own needs, you might have to noodle with your own sound levels.
- Learn from my animation mistakes! I also noted that some of my animations did not translate properly after upload. I only found out later that some of PowerPoint's animations do not translate properly -- authorSTREAM lists the effects that are most likely to work well. (Apparently, "Fly" isn't one of them! Slide 7 of my test presentation shows the late arrival of my falcon!)
- Learn from my image mistakes! On slide 19 of the above-linked test, my images went awry -- and I simply cannot find a reason. The authorSTREAM FAQ suggests keeping image ascii values below 255 -- but that still didn't fix the wonky image display. This only happened in 1 slide the 24-slide presentation that I tested. All of the other images displayed just fine.
Have fun with authorSTREAM! I'm sure educators, trainers, students, and others will enjoy using the free service to easily find and share their narrated, animated PowerPoint presentations. - Animation and Narration. After uploading, the authorSTREAM content retains PowerPoint narration and animation. This features alone would make the service worth checking out. But there's more...
- Eggs and the Halo Effect: Fun with Easter PowerPoint
Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:24:50 -0500 Author: laura@maniactive.com
Why would you want to use a PowerPoint background that looks like this?
Give yourself the halo effect. Besides its evocatively purple-and-gold Easter egginess, you can glean yet another big benefit from this particular PowerPoint background: the halo effect. When you stand and deliver your presentation, make sure you position your head within the "yolk".
Put yourself in this presentation, and you can make yourself look downright saintly. Perfect for pastors presenting to Easter congregations, nonprofits asking for donations, or salesfolks who need to subliminally reinforce their trustworthy images.
Either that, or the concept is perfect for being perfectly silly!
(Download the full-sized Halo Effect PowerPoint Background.)
- What Every Leader Should Know About Nonprofit Practices
Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:26:15 -0500 Author: laura@maniactive.com
"Google the word 'nonprofit' and you'll get over 40 million results," explained Krista Rye, Marketing Coordinator for the Nonprofit Leadership Institute at Grand Valley State University. "For most nonprofit leaders, being overwhelmed with information is not helpful. They want easy access to relevant information from a trustworthy source."Enter the online Nonprofit Good Practice Guide. Maintained by the experienced staff at the Johnson Center for Philanthropy at GVSU, the Nonprofit Good Practice Guide website is a clear and comprehensive resource for nonprofit professional development. You can find carefully researched and pointedly relevant nonprofit resources organized by topic area. You'll see practices and pitfalls in each area, along with a thorough glossary, as well as access to trusted experts. And while nonprofit leaders will find the site enormously helpful, for-profit entities can learn much from it, as well.
Melvene Tardy is Research Coordinator for the Nonprofit Good Practice Guide.
"Nonprofit leaders use the Good Practice Guide to facilitate their daily work," said Ms. Tardy. "Many nonprofits are notorious for being understaffed; famous for having limited budgets. This doesn't allow for extensive professional development. People don't want to be overwhelmed trying to sift through general search results to get the information they need. It's about quality of information. When you use the guide, you're going to save time. "
And you'll know that you're getting solid information that's been carefully vetted for relevancy and accuracy. As an internet marketer, I'm particularly impressed with the Marketing Good Practices section of the site. I have recommended that my for-profit clients subscribe to the content via the site's RSS feeds. Melvene assures me that she and her team regularly scout and add fresh content to keep the site up-to-date and oh-so relevant.
Before any content is approved for inclusion at the site, it goes through a rigorous inspection. Most items don't make the final cut -- only the best get to go online. And if you have questions in any content area, experts in residence are available to share their knowledge.
My advice? Whether you work for a nonprofit or for-profit entity, go visit the Nonprofit Good Practice Guide and bookmark it. Once you use it, you'll keep going back for more!
- Read a Book Through Email or RSS
Sun, 02 Mar 2008 17:41:05 -0600 Author: laura@maniactive.com
Get caught up on your reading! Daily Lit lets you read a book online, one chapter at a time. Here's how it works:
Search the site. Go to Daily Lit, and find a book that you've been meaning to read -- but somehow, you haven't quite found the time. For example, I am bashful to admit that I have yet to read Frankenstein. So I was delighted to find that this classic title is indeed in the Daily Lit database. And further, because Frankenstein is in the public domain, subscribing to this book is free. (Many books not in the public domain are available at DailyLit for a small fee.)
Subscribe to a book. When you subscribe to the book of your choice, you can elect when and how you want to receive your chapters. For example, you can elect to receive one chapter a day via email. For me, I chose to read Frankenstein via RSS feed -- one chapter a day. I'm on day four and loving it!
A novel presentation of a classic. I find it interesting to read a classic novel in a new way: shoulders forward, in a business setting, minutes at a time. Had I read this book 25 years ago (as I should have!), I would have paged through it hours at a time, shoulders back, in an overstuffed chair. And I would have likely finished it in a few days. I still love/prefer reading books this way.
But how will the shoulders-forward, minutes-at-a-time approach affect my enjoyment and comprehension of this timeless novel? What would Mary Shelley make of this approach? ;)
And what do today's teacher's think of this kind of presentation? Thumbs up or down? - Jott Yourself a Reminder
Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:50:09 -0600 Author: laura@maniactive.com
I love the online service called Jott. Currently in public beta, Jott is free, and oh, so useful!
With Jott, I send email to friends and colleagues - without typing. Here's how Jott works:
I call a toll-free number. The automated Jott bot asks, "Who do you want to Jott?"
I mention a name in my email address book, which I've already uploaded to Jott. Then I leave a 30 second (or under) message.
Now, get this -- Jott types up my message, and emails it to the person I mentioned -- and gives me a CC email. Hands-free is lovely!
Perfect for when I'm on the road. You can be sure that the Jott toll-free number is programmed into my computer. I use it oodles. So do quite a few of my friends...
But we use it for more than friendly emails and IMs. I use it for reminders and to-do lists. (Seems I get more ideas when I'm on the road than when I'm in front of the computer.) I also use Jott to Twitter: and some folks use Jott to post blogs or Google calendar content. You can also choose to send yourself a reminder or a to-do list: a terrific feature for project managers.
Sometimes, Jott bobbles a word or two -- especially proper names. (I've found that it absolutely massacres Polish surnames -- and offers a hilarious interpretation of the Michigan town "Saugatuck".) So while Jott's not perfect, it's incredibly useful and utterly enjoyable.
You might want to try Jott while it's still in Beta. - Valentine Hearts - Last Minute Reminder
Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:04:34 -0600 Author: laura@maniactive.com
You didn't forget Valentine's Day -- or did you?
Oh, how could you! It's not like you haven't been bombarded with commercials and ads for the past few weeks!
But just in case you forgot, you can make your own glorious PowerPoint Valentine. Why send a card, when you can stand and deliver a sweet, sweet presentation?
Just make sure you present yourself in the best light! Last winter, I was deeply chagrined when I saw an image of myself as I stood in front of the projector. Because my PowerPoint background was blue, I was blue, too!
So why not create a beautiful pink keylight for yourself in PowerPoint? Easy to do -- and just about everyone looks great in a soft pink keylight. Beats blue, anyday!
Need more Valentine PowerPoint inspiration? Here's a roundup of free heart shaped backgrounds and templates. Download away: no one will ever suspect that you forgot Valentine's Day this year! - Share your presentations online with Slide.com
Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:48:38 -0600 Author: laura@maniactive.com
If you have yet to participate or present at SecondLife.com, don't be too alarmed. You probably have other priorities!
Although SecondLife is a media darling, there are other social media presentation plays that can garner amazing results. Just take a look at this comparative snapshot from Google Trends:
That's right: Slide.com. Slide.com lets you easily create a slideshow for online, social media delivery. Free. Easy. Music. Pictures. Transitions. Glitter. Animations. All the effects anyone could ever want...and just right for sharing with your online network of friends.Not much of a mainstream buzz about slide.com -- but definitely a lot of users, and a whole lot of eyeballs. Check it out...
- Second Life? PowerPoint has Five!
Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:09:45 -0600 Author: laura@maniactive.com
Imagine -- many folks haven't quite mastered delivering a PowerPoint presentation in real life. Now, some are trying to present in SecondLife.SecondLife.com is an online 3D society. Those who join SecondLife wander about as cartoon characters (called avatars). Your cartoon self can meet friends -- who are also cartoons. Your animated persona can socialize, go to church, attend business meetings: and wonder-of-wonders -- view commercials and ads. It's just like real life -- except you can fly. (And grow a tail, if you want one.)
Some hipster silicon valley corporations (and even a few Grand Rapids furniture companies!) are keen on SecondLife. Some are busy sponsoring trade shows and handing out electronic swag to cartoon attendees. Others are leasing meeting space, buying islands, and of course, hawking products with cheesy stand up PowerPoint-like presentations. There's charm in cheese! At this stage of development, cheesiness is to be expected. And Second Life can be an awful lot of fun. It reminds me of PowerPoint presentations in the early nineties. Perhaps SecondLife will have an evolution similar to PowerPoint. Remember:
- Back in the early 90's, we used to stand and deliver PowerPoint presentations on a large screen in front of a live audience. We could over-used bullets, animations, builds, and transitions. We could be as cheesy as we wanted to be! And if we felt like sharing the content, we might distribute disks or paper handouts after the show.
- By the late 1990's, people were sick of cheesy gimmicks. Top presenters focused more on classic story telling and simpler design. Audiences started demanding electronic handouts -- CDs, mostly. Presentations designed to be disposable were starting to live outside of the meeting room or training room. They started to take on a "second life".
- In the early 2000's, folks started emailing and downloading PowerPoint presentations from the internet. Because these slides were out of context of the intended presentation, they often did more to confuse than to enlighten. "Death by PowerPoint" became a business catchphrase.
- Today, presenters are using social media to share presentations. Beyond designing presentations for a classic, one-time, "stand-and-deliver" in a real world with a 30 foot screen, designers also develop presentations that communicate in a 340x240 pixel world.
By 2008, PowerPoint has (at least) five lives. Sometimes, we design and deliver with just one life in mind. But with the power of social media and internet proliferation, your PowerPoint presentation can take on a life of its own -- often far beyond its intended purpose and audience.
- First Life: Live, in-person presentation.
- Second Life: Paper handouts.
- Third Life: Diskette, CD, and DVD handouts.
- Fourth Life: Email attachments and PowerPoint downloads.
- Fifth Life: Social media sharing of presentations.
I've found that my secondary audience has a much (much) bigger impact than my original audience. And as presenters, we need to be aware that our presentations are enjoying a second life in various social media plays. YouTube, Slideshare, Facebook, MySpace -- how well are your PowerPoint presentations communicating in the social media landscape?
Because chances are, that's where your presentations are living now!
How else have your PowerPoint presentations taken on a life of their own?
- SnagIt 7 is Free: TechSmith is at it again!
Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:04:58 -0600 Author: laura@maniactive.com
Free SnagIt 7 Offer. You can now get a free copy of SnagIt 7. (SnagIt 8.2 is the most recent version.) Here are the "how to get it" details >>> (courtesy of Microsoft MVP Marc Liron.)
In case you missed it... Last month, TechSmith began giving away Camtasia Studio 3. Camtasia 3 is an older version of an advanced screen recorder that you can use to create online video demos, tutorials, and presentations. It may be an oldie, but like SnagIt 7, it's a goodie!
And don't forget: TechSmith is also currently offering the freely available Jing Project. With Jing, you get to capture an image of what's on your screen, record a video and share your presentation online.
That's three for free. These are three great presentation tools from TechSmith. If you haven't checked them out yet...
...whatcha waiting for?
Christmas? - Office Button: The Messy Blob at the Upper Left
Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:20:38 -0600 Author: laura@maniactive.com
I call it "that messy blobby thingee in the upper left corner of Office 2007."
It's actual, official name is the "Office Button".
Oh. I stand corrected. But...
...everytime I ask people to select the "Office Button", they say,
"What's that?"
But when I say, "Upper left corner. That blob..."
People say,
"Oh. Office Button, you say? Is that what you call it?"
Well, no. That's what Microsoft calls it! I call it that messy logo thingee at the upper left. People seem to understand that description better.
What do YOU call it?
:) - PowerPoint and the GreenPDF Project
(2mb)
Thu, 06 Dec 2007 12:54:20 -0600 Author: laura@maniactive.com
If you use the free Microsoft PowerPoint Add-in that converts ppt files to pdf files, you can take one extra step to be nicer to the environment. You can convert your basic PDF file to a GreenPDF.
Don't print that PDF! A PDF file can be an environmentally friendly way to share information because it is paperless. But Jim Healy, CEO of FormRouter.com and a major supporter of the GreenPDF project, called me to explain that too many people seem programmed to hit that darn "Print" button -- instead of browsing the document online.
From this online PDF presentation at GreenPDF.com, "When you make a PDF and declare it a 'Green PDF,' you help to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. After just one ream not printed due to Green PDF?s, you have reduced carbon dioxide levels by 18.5 pounds and saved your company $5.00."
One ream at a time...The Global Warming Initiative estimates that we could save 80,000 trees and 188,000 tons of Co2 from entering the atmosphere -- if each PDF user in the world would print just one less 10-page PDF file. Hmmmm....maybe that's why there's a picture of Nobel Prize Winner Al Gore shaking Mr. Healy's hand on the home page of GreenPDF?
Raise environmental awareness. The Goal of the GreenPDF project is raise awareness of the issue. By creating a "GreenPDF" you'll remind people to refrain from hitting that blasted "Print" button.
Make every day Earth Day! Go give GreenPDF a whirl! - Convert PPTX to PDF with a Free MS Add-In
Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:35:19 -0600 Author: laura@maniactive.com
Many people like to convert Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt or .pptx) presentations to Adobe (.pdf) documents before posting them on the web or sending them through email. Why? Two main reasons:- Smaller. Kilobyte for kilobyte, a .pdf is generally smaller and more portable that a .ppt file.
- More accessible. Most people on the web can easily open a .pdf file within their browsers. Conversely, a .ppt or .pptx file requires a separate program that many may not have (or want).
If you haven't installed this free add-in, go ahead and do it. It should only take you a couple of minutes.
Go ahead. I'll wait.
Done? Good!
Now, open a PowerPoint presentation in PowerPoint 2007. Click on the office button (the messy blob in the upper left hand corner) and hover over it. You'll see that "Save as PDF or XPS" is now an option.
Click it, and presto! You've successfully converted your PPTX to a very basic and web friendly PDF file!
Easy! - Smaller. Kilobyte for kilobyte, a .pdf is generally smaller and more portable that a .ppt file.
