I am sure people paid attention just to see what he wrote on next.

So if it was relevant to THAT group (maybe not to us here at home) and it kept people entertained and wondering what might happen next, then it was successful.

Nice to see someone making an effort at entertaining people.

Way to go!

As to what I do in my training… well that depends! The basics presentation skills training is fairly non-original to be honest, because the kinds of people who come along tend to want/need something basic that will get them from A to Z in a way which is “okay”. For advanced skills traning training of course….. well now, that’s a different story! (Thank hevans!) We have lots of creativity techniques there!

I absolutely agree that presenting is not just about having points – it’s about getting those points over: we have a mantra – presentations are not about telling people what you know, they’re about telling people what they need to now, in the way they need to know it.

Laura – good idea to do the newspapers thing! Not only is it useful for getting your presentation sorted out, it’s also respectful.

Cheers….. Simon

When I go “on the road” to speak or prepare an out-of-town presentation for others, I read the local paper, take a walk or drive around to connect with local people; get quotes, stories, and facts; take digital pictures to insert in presentations, etc. I always strive to find something personal or unique to the time/place/audience. I add what I learn into my presentation or into my speech to underscore the idea that the presentation, the locale, and the audience are coming together to create a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

It’s not a gimmick. I do it because I want to learn about my audience and what is important to them. I want to connect with them. I do it because I respect the uniqueness of the audience, the time, the place.

Far from being alienating or gimmicky: it’s exactly the kind of courtesy that needs to be discussed in Presentation 101.

The message came through very clear and the slides worked well to highlight the important words.

And yes, he could have done a simple adjustment of his original slides with text that is easier to read, but he would have lost the very personal touch and the direct connection to that particular conference. Slides are an illustration, not a document that people are going to read.

About keeping the main points
Doing a presentation is a lot more than having some main points. It is about getting those main points through. By adjusting the presentation the way Patrick did he got his main point through better than he would have done with his original presentation.

About teaching this stuff in presentation skills training
This is the kind of stuff that is impossible to learn in a course. It is something you can do to your presentation when you are experienced and confident. It is something you do years after you attended training…

But I do hope that you teach creativity and courage to stand out and do things different in your presentation skills training.

I wasn’t there so I can’t say for sure but this looks like a bit of a cheap show-ing off thing. It’s very clever, and in fact that’s what it’s really saying: “I have the skills and technology to do this”. That’s alienating.

Besides, the slides aren’t exactly easy to read, are they?!?

No – this not the kind of thing I teach at my presentation skills training company!

But it is bloody clever though!