#31492
The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint
I am trying to evangelize the 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint. It’s quite simple: a PowerPoint presentation should have ten slides, last no more than twenty minutes, and contain no font smaller than thirty points. While I’m in the venture capital business, this rule is applicable for any presentation to reach agreement: for example, raising capital, making a sale, forming a partnership, etc.
Kawasaki, Guy. How to Change the World (2005). Articles>Presentations>Information Design>Typography
#28065
Before there were presentations, there were conversations, which were a little like presentations but used fewer bullet points, and no one had to dim the lights. A woman we can call Sarah Wyndham, a defense-industry consultant living in Alexandria, Virginia, recently began to feel that her two daughters weren't listening when she asked them to clean their bedrooms and do their chores. So, one morning, she sat down at her computer, opened Microsoft's PowerPoint program, and used it.
Parker, Ian. Ohio State University, The. Articles>Presentations>Software>Microsoft PowerPoint
#20526
Afraid of Freezing During a Presentation? Some Thoughts on Why We 
In a memorable scene from the movie “8 Mile” the character played by rapper Eminem enters a competition and gets on stage to prove his prowess in front of a rowdy crowd. Using rhyme and rap, he must show his skill at cleverly putting down the reigning champion. Winning the contest could mean fame, fortune and a way out of his grimy, dead-end life. We know he’s up to it. In the preceding scenes he’s brilliant in front of his friends and the bathroom mirror. But when he faces the jeering crowd on the big night he freezes and is unable to speak. As the crowd chants “Choke! Choke!” he leaves the stage in shame. Freezing in front of an audience is every speaker’s worst nightmare. Eminem was clearly facing a hostile crowd. But why do some speakers freeze even when they are in front of an audience that is friendly and receptive?
Berkley, Susan. Presenters University (2003). Articles>Presentations>Rhetoric
#20533
Are There Vultures Among Us? Is The Recent Re-Emergence of Videoconferencing Suspect?
What are the reasons videoconferencing seems to be flourishing when so many other technologies are being challenged? The following will be the world according to Max and five reasons why I think videoconferencing is having its heyday.
Kopsho, Max. Presenters University (2002). Articles>Presentations>Teleconferencing>Videoconferencing
#20518
Are You A Presentation Master Chef Or A Short Order Cook?
Have you ever attended a successful dinner party? Do you remember what it was that made it so enjoyable? Was it the great food, the company, the entertainment? Chances are it was all these things. You can use these same ingredients to create and deliver an unforgettable presentation.
Shaw, Glenna Raye. Presenters University. Articles>Presentations>Rhetoric>Microsoft PowerPoint
#23609
Assessing Visualizations in Public Science Presentations 
Natural resource agencies and other technical and scientific organizations face an immense challenge of when communicating complex technical information to diverse publics. The laptop computer, presentation software, and projection unit have emerged as one of the primary presentation tools in many technical and scientific fields. Advances in software functions enable presenters to capitalize on a wide range of multimedia functions thought to make presentations more appealing, interesting, and effective. Our presentation reports on a specific research project and then provides guidance for enhancing their presentations.
Zimmerman, Donald E., Carol A. Akerelrea, Jane Kapler Smith and Garrett O'Keefe. STC Proceedings (2003). Articles>Presentations>Visual Rhetoric
#26722
Beetle Bailey and Presentation Skills
An audience, whether it is one person or many, wants speakers to provide maximum relevant information, delivered in minimum time and in the clearest possible terms, centered on the needs and concerns of the audience.
Tracy, Larry. Klariti (2005). Articles>Presentations>Rhetoric
#23397
The Blue Background in PowerPoint
Why is the default color of PowerPoint dark blue? People prepare the best slides man can create - and yet they leave the default color stay dark blue.
Fuchs, Amo. TC-FORUM (1999). Articles>Presentations>Visual Rhetoric>Color
#23990
Bridging the Gap Between Design and Engineering Cultures
Developers want details. They want information they can take back and talk about on their own. They want the space to decide, based on their own criteria, what is valuable and what is not. They make use of the divide between designers and developers to help maintain their boundaries.
Rodgers, Deborah. Cooper Interaction Design (2001). Articles>Presentations>Engineering
#24080
Watch your nonverbal communication and vaccinate against 'um' disease by submitting to videotaped coaching before media contact.
Yewman, Dave. Presenters University (2004). Articles>Presentations>Interviewing
#18371
Choose Your Presentation Tools Carefully
These days, there are more ways to communicate a message than there have ever been – in the history of civilization. That's not an overstatement, it's an inescapable fact, one with which executives, educators, meeting planners, presenters and professionals of every stripe must grapple every day, whether they want to or not. After all, there was a time not so long ago when choosing the best way to inform, persuade or educate employees, prospects or customers was no more complicated than selecting from a modest appetizer menu: although some discernment was necessary, the options were hardly paralyzing. If you were holding a critical meeting, delivering a sales pitch or launching a training initiative, you'd gather the troops in a central locale for presentations by executives or instructors toting flip charts, transparencies or 35mm slides – or send a battalion of presenters into the field. If the objective was to communicate without forcing people to come to you, or you to go to them, you might select from a handy but hardly overwhelming number of choices that included videotape, CD-ROM or a workbook. But like the restaurant regular who arrives one day to find that his single-page menu has mushroomed into a constellation of new and beguiling food choices, today's presenters find themselves with far more options for interfacing with audiences, whether it be face to face or across time zones.
Zielinski, Dave. Presentations (2002). Articles>Presentations>Online
#18365
Chances are you have watched your best intentions evaporate under pressure, to find yourself tweaking PowerPoint slides in the desperate hours or minutes before your presentation, scrambling to make time for a quick rehearsal and hoping against hope that you'll be able to pull off a miracle. Indeed, if good intentions paid dividends, plenty of presenters would have tidy sums to add to their retirement nest eggs. Procrastination being the force of nature it is, however, no matter how much lead time presenters give themselves and no matter how many resources are at their disposal, more often than not, the presentation-development process devolves from noble ambitions to utter chaos.
Zielinski, Dave. Presentations (2002). Articles>Presentations>Software>Microsoft PowerPoint
#31783
Comparing Powerpoint Experts' and University Students' Opinions About PowerPoint Presentations 
Technical communication instructors want to help students, as well as professionals, design effective PowerPoint presentations. Toward this end, I compare the advice of academic and industry experts about effective PowerPoint presentation design to survey responses from university students about slide text, visual elements, animations, and other issues related to PowerPoint presentation design and delivery. Based on this comparison, I suggest some topics, such as PowerPoint's Slide Sorter view, that technical communication instructors and other presentation instructors might address when they cover presentations in their classes or seminars.
Mackiewicz, Jo M. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2008). Articles>Presentations>Assessment>Microsoft PowerPoint
#20491
Convince the Crowd With Presentations and Diagrams
Why just get by with a boring presentation when you can create a dynamite Microsoft Office PowerPoint® presentation or a colorful Microsoft Office Visio® diagram? Get ready to impress the big boss or the new team with simple ideas that go a long way.
Microsoft. Articles>Presentations>Software>Microsoft PowerPoint
#22252
As the word craft in the title of the book suggests, the ability to give good presentations is not a genetically linked trait but a craft that can be learned.
Armbruster, David L. Technical Communication Online (2004). Articles>Reviews>Presentations>Scientific Communication
#26114
Create a Voice Presentation With Impress and Audacity
Building a basic presentation that records and uses voice may be an important tool for communicating information. This project is based on employing two programs, Impress, which is the presentation program with OpenOffice, and Audacity, an easy to use sound editor, for building a voice presentation.
SpiderTools (2004). Articles>Presentations>Software>OpenOffice
#26432
Creating a Simple Traditional Countdown in a PowerPoint Presentation
An article featuring steps on how to create a traditional countdown using custom animations in PowerPoint.
Tohlz, Shawn. PowerPoint Heaven (2005). Articles>Presentations>Software>Microsoft PowerPoint
#26315
Creating Presentations with OperaShow
An article discussing how to use the Opera Web browser as a presentation tool.
Nesbitt, Scott. InformIT (2004). Articles>Presentations>Software
#20027
Crossing a Bridge of Shyness: Public Speaking for Communicators
Americans in general are more afraid of speaking in front of others than they are of snakes, heights, or death itself. That's the finding of one widely cited survey and, asked to step outside the written word, many writers, editors, and publications managers certainly would say they share that fear. Communication expert Nusa Maal Gelb says there is 'a culture of fear' surrounding public speaking. It's almost as if we believe we're supposed to be afraid. Yet it's clear that effective interpersonal communication -- and that mostly means speaking -- correlates highly with personal and professional success.
Ullius, Diane. Editorial Eye, The (2003). Articles>Rhetoric>Presentations
#25766
Cultural Differences in the Appreciation of Introductions of Presentations 
On the basis of both established theories of the differences between cultures and recommendations in advice literature from different cultures, we believe that it is likely that cultures will differ in what they consider to be an effective introduction to a presentation. In this article, we report on an exploratory experimental study with 300 respondents in the Netherlands, France, and Senegal regarding their appreciation of and response to three introductions to a presentation about a mobile phone. The results show that the cultures differ with respect to the introduction they prefer. The Dutch respondents appreciated the overview most, while the French respondents preferred the ethical appeal, and research participants from Senegal preferred the anecdote. It is likely that the introduction that gains greatest attention and that best increases the ability to listen in a culture will be most appreciated in that culture.
Gerritsen, Marinel and Evelyn Wannet. Technical Communication Online (2005). Articles>Presentations>Cultural Theory>Rhetoric
#31759
Dealing Proactively with Audience Questions
What’s the best way to handle questions from the audience when presenting? This podcast examines key things you can do to deal proactively with audience questions.
Still, Brian. IEEE PCS (2008). Articles>Presentations>Audio>Podcasts
#18526
Dealing with a Presentation-Room Nightmare
We dream of presenting in the ideal auditorium or conference room – one that has the latest audiovisual equipment, excellent acoustics, good lighting, comfortable seating and unobstructed views. But such dream rooms are rare, and we've all been saddled with locations far from this ideal. It's at this time a speaker needs to think fast and make the best of a bad situation.
Kasuya, Richard T. Presentations (2003). Articles>Presentations
#31349
Developing and Assessing Oral Communication Competence
The importance of oral presentations in professional environments related to Computer Science is unquestionable. Therefore, oral and writing skills are included in the set of competences to be developed by students through the application of recent academic initiatives for Computer Science degrees in an international context. This article describes activities performed at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid aimed at the development of presentation skills in students. This initiative is based on the application of learning activities in combination with the delivery of different presentations that the students themselves evaluate. Results show a significant competence improvement and very satisfactory acceptance results from the students.
Garcia, Angel, Fernando Paniagua, Juan Miguel Gomez and Ricardo Colomo. International Journal for Technical Communication (2008). Articles>Education>Presentations>Assessment
#30433
Do a Presentation for the 41st STC Annual Conference!
Both old hands and newcomers can create a plan to do a presentation at the next STC Annual Conference. Simply follow this 5-step process: (1) Understand the call for papers. (2) Discover possible topics to develop. (3) Identify gifts—something of value—to give your audience in your presentation and in your paper (if you do one). (4) Think of interesting gift wraps to attract your hearers and readers. (5) Prepare a complete proposal for the Program Committee. This process works best in a workshop where the participants can form a critical muss for creative excitement, help one another generate ideas—and have fun!
Dean, Morris. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>TC>Presentations>STC
#31565
Do You Sound Like a CEO Behind a Microphone?
"You have two options when you walk into a room," says public speaking expert Richard Levick about the art of giving speeches. Most entrepreneurs find speech making to be either terrifying or a waste of time. Too many CEOs see dealing with the media or making presentations as an interruption, but it's as essential to doing business as customers. If you can't deliver energetic and commanding speeches, or polished and articulate interviews, then you're short-circuiting your company's future. It's time to do something about it.
Krotz, Joanna L. Communication World Bulletin (2003). Articles>Presentations>Management>Rhetoric
