Presentation Software manual

Ruminations on a "Using Presentation Software" Advanced Manual for Toastmasters

#225 BH - Using Presentation Software

Intro

In today's business world, using presentation software is common practice, and in many instances, expected. Yet as of 2011, Toastmasters does not offer a manual specifically encouraging members to practice with presentation software. Practice makes perfect, or at least competence.

Currently there are so many presentations where the presenter merely reads notes to the audience - that most people, Toastmasters included, think "That's how it's supposed to be!" Nothing could be further from the truth. A manual with evaluation questions would give members something to think over before they present.

I am not a professional speaker, nor am I a PowerPoint expert. But I have been to thousands of Toastmasters meetings and business presentations. I'm tired of illegible diagrams and speakers' backs to the audience. Like everyone else, I want the speaker to succeed.

With regard to this web page, one Toastmaster friend asked, "Do you really think there's enough material to created a new manual?"

I don't know, but here are some thoughts that might go into Using Presentation Software...

In the manual...

Types of software:

• • Prezi

  • Microsoft PowerPoint

  • Google Docs - Presentations

  • Keynote

  • others

• Project #1 The Slide show (Think 60’s & 70’s)

• Project #2 – Displaying charts and graphs

• Project #3 – Using a Presentation Remote

• Project #4 –The Briefing

• Project #5 –The Entertaining Speech

(Are there better projects? Should audio or video be a requirement? This equipment may cost even more $$$.)

Questions:

I haven't figured out which question go with which projects. Question #3 goes with all of them.

• 1. Were the slides visible from the back of the room?

  2. Did the speaker avoid talking to the presentation screen?

  3. Did the speaker arrive early enough to set up, and/or have sufficient technical help available?

  4. In your opinion, could this presentation have been done without the computer and projection?

  5. How did the speaker draw attention to him/herself during the presentation, and not the screen? Or, besides the slides, how else did the speaker attract your attention?

  6. In your opinion, was the speaker focused on the audience instead of the technology?

  7. Were there any slides you found distracting from the speaker’s message?

  8. Which slides did you find the most useful?

  9. What sort of notes would you like to see to complement this presentation?

  10. Was your attention held throughout the presentation?

Did the speaker avoid the appearance of using the slides to read notes to you?

Appendix A: Choosing a projector

• • Screen resolution

  • Brightness

  • Bulb life

  • Video connectors

  • Sound

Appendix B: Preparing the Equipment

back to the main page

e-mail a comment

Bob Hudack, DTM , Feb 3, 2011