Presentation Training Skills

Presentations skills training classes are provided across the country via public open enrollment classes in most major metropolitan areas throughout the US and Canada and can also be delivered on-site via private presentations classes. Our presentation skills training classes can be provided as off-the-shelf seminars, ready to be delivered to a diverse audience or can be customized to provide a tailored presentation approach or in house presentation training classes based on client needs. All presentations classes are limited to a maximum of twelve participants so as to increase the presentation training class or classes effectiveness and provide the individual level of presentation coaching and interaction that is associated with the Presentations Skills Training Center.

For more information on our presentations skills training classes please contact us.

Technical Presentations Training Class - Using Visual Aids Effectively

Coming to a training-room near you: A one-day workshop on the effective use of visual aids! Such an announcement should make thousands of presenters all over the world line-up to attend and make the persons offering such a workshop very rich.

But sadly, that's not the case. Presenters continue to kill their presentations and their audiences with poorly designed visuals, especially PowerPoint which by the way, if used effectively, can really enhance a presentation and aid the audience's understanding of the topic.

While I wait for you to attend such a workshop, please, use the following tips to help you enhance your next presentation.

Make visual aids visible. Look, you hear me? Make visual aids visible. I am not amused when I hear otherwise good speakers apologizing for a visual aid that I cannot decipher from row two, seat seven.

1. Keep them simple - especially, diagrams, tables, graphs and charts. What are you thinking when you display typewritten lists, spreadsheets, computer printouts or pages from a book on a PowerPoint slide?

2. Don't use too few or too many visuals. Experienced technical speakers recommend that each visual be displayed from 30 seconds to one minute. "Flashing" (displaying for less than 30 seconds) frustrates the audience because they don't have sufficient time to digest the material. If you have lots of material, it would be better to use many properly designed visuals, rather than a few overloaded with information.

3. Avoid using all UPPER CASE letters. This makes the text difficult to read. The shape of the letters helps one to read quickly and the uniformity of the UPPER CASE LETTERS REDUCES THIS.

4. Specifically for PowerPoint:

You don't have to use it. I seldom do, there are other effective ways to present your information.

If you want to, learn how to use it and practice first. And calling it a multi-media presentation does not fool anybody.

Design your slides (as much as possible) using the 666 rule - 6 words per bullet point; 6 bullet points per slide and not more than 6 word slides in a row.

Don't use slides as speaker's notes or to simply project an outline of your presentation. If you think you have to, just send the file to the venue with complimentary popcorn and drinks. The audience will not miss you.

When it comes to PowerPoint, size does matter! 12-point fonts are meant to be viewed from 8 - 12 inches away not several feet! In your slides, aim for a minimum of 40-point

Don't read (out loud) what is written on the slides. The audience can read.

Don't make PowerPoint the foundation of your presentation. What if the technology does not work and you have no visuals to present? You should still be able to give an excellent presentation if you focus on the message. Always familiarize yourself with your presentation, practice it and be ready to engage the audience regardless. It is the most refreshing thing and I do know that!

So don't be afraid to really enhance your next presentation, go ahead and use the above tips and watch the response of your audience. It will be tremendous.

Source: Lorna Barrow link

Related: Presentations Training Class