iN pURSUIT

Big Reasons Why Your Presentations Suck

Posted by: Piyush Aryan on: December 23, 2009

REASON #19: The audience has already seen it!
• Diagnosis: You gave a presentation that somebody from your firm already gave to them.
• Why you did it: Your marketers are trying to “standardize” on a single pitch.
• What resulted: The audience got bored to death and wondered if you could think for yourself.
• How to fix it: Always customize the “corporate” presentation and make it your own.

REASON #18: It is all data, no story!
• Diagnosis: You presented scads of information without any context or meaning.
• Why you did it: You wrongly assumed a presentation was the same thing as a lecture.
• What resulted: The audience pulled out their Blackberries when you clicked your fifth slide.
• How to fix it: Make your presentation tell a story, ideally with the audience as the heroes.
REASON #17: A slide had a booby trap!
• Diagnosis: You included slide guaranteed to throw the discussion down a rat hole.
• Why you did it: You probably thought you could brush past it without stopping.
• What resulted: The audience stopped you and started arguing about the point.
• How to fix it: Think through the emotional impact of EVERY slide in your deck.
REASON #16: Your slides are too fancy!
• Diagnosis: You filled your slides with special effects and visual jim-cracks.
• Why you did it: You were afraid that the audience would find you boring.
• What resulted: Your audience watched the pretty pictures and missed what you were saying.
• How to fix it: Use the minimum visuals that you need to tell the story.
REASON #15: Grainy clip art!
• Diagnosis: You lifted graphics directly from a website a low resolution.
• Why you did it: You were trying to save a few bucks by not purchasing clip art.
• What resulted: Your audience figured you were an incredible cheapskate.
• How to fix it: Buy high quality photos for cryin’ out loud.
REASON #14: Your slide background is too busy!
• Diagnosis: You used a background template that was busy and obtrusive.
• Why you did it: You wrongly thought it would make your slides look more “professional.”
• What resulted: Your audience got headaches trying to see what was actually on each slide.
• How to fix it: Use a simple, single color background. Always.
REASON #13: An intro that’s too d**n long!
• Diagnosis: You spend a third of your presentation time introducing you, your firm, and your topic.
• Why you did it: You were used to giving a longer presentation and didn’t shorten the intro.
• What resulted: You wasted time and made everyone wonder when you’d come to the point.
• How to fix it: Never spend more than 1 minute on your introduction. Never.
REASON #12: Your fonts are unreadable!
• Diagnosis: You used fonts that were too fancy or too small or both.
• Why you did it: The fonts looked great on your computer; the projector… not so much.
• What resulted: The audience squinted and peered, and then gave up. Blackberry time!
• How to fix it: Use large fonts in simple faces (like Ariel); avoid boldface, italics and UPPERCASE.
REASON #11: Meandering off track!
• Diagnosis: You wandered off on a tangent rather than following a train of thought.
• Why you did it: Admit it. You didn’t really take the time to think this through.. Did you?
• What resulted: The audience wondered if you were always this disjointed and disorganized.
• How to fix it: Review your presentation with a colleague, make changes, then rehearse.
REASON #10: Your graphics are too complex!
• Diagnosis: You inserted giant, complicated graphics with lots of little details.
• Why you did it: One picture is worth a thousand words, right? (Uh, wrong.)
• What resulted: Your audience stared glassy-eyed, then pulled out their Blackberries.
• How to fix it: Only include simple graphics; highlight the data point that’s important.
REASON #9: Skipping back and forth!
• Diagnosis: You flipped ahead to another slide, then flipped back.
• Why you did it: You were editing your presentation as you were giving it.
• What resulted: The audience figured you’re too dumb to use the PowerPoint Slide Sorter.
• How to fix it: If you must improvise, do so within the structure of the presentation.
REASON #8: You are all opinion, no fact!
• Diagnosis: You expressed all sorts of opinions without any supporting data.
• Why you did it: Laziness. It’s easy to claim “leadership”; it’s harder to actually be a leader.
• What resulted: Your credibility with the audience leaped right down the toilet.
• How to fix it: Only state opinions that you can back up with quantifiable data.
REASON #7: Lack of audience research!
• Diagnosis: You presented without showing that you understand the customer’s business.
• Why you did it: Let’s face it. You were just too lazy to do a thorough job.
• What resulted: The audience rightly concluded that you don’t give a flying whatever.
• How to fix it: Always research your audience and customize your story to match.
REASON #6: You speak fluent biz-blab!
• Diagnosis: Your presentation was filled with tacky business buzzwords.
• Why you did it: You wrongly thought the biz-blab made you sound “business-like.”
• What resulted: Your audience thought you were 1) pompous, 2) crazy, and/or 3) talking in tongues.
• How to fix it: Just stop it. Cold turkey. Please.
REASON #5: Weak attempts to be funny!
• Diagnosis: You tried to tell a jokes or a funny anecdotes.
• Why you did it: You thought you’d break up your presentation with a little humor.
• What resulted: The audience laughed politely and then pulled out their Blackberries.
• How to fix it: Leave the humor to the professional comedians.
REASON #4: You drifted off topic!
• Diagnosis: You included data and anecdotes that didn’t reinforce your message.
• Why you did it: You didn’t bother to figure out what would really interest your audience.
• What resulted: Your audience lost your train of thought and you lost credibility.
• How to fix it: Only include material that’s relevant to your overall message.
REASON #3: The wrong presentation!
• Diagnosis: You ended up without your latest and greatest Powerpoint file.
• Why you did it: You’re juggling things between your desktop and laptop.
• What resulted: The audience wondered why you were still talking to them.
• How to fix it: Always check, then double-check, that you’ve brought the right one.
REASON #2: It was too d**n long!
• Diagnosis: You presented way more than anybody wanted to know.
• Why you did it: You were “spraying and praying” that something that would pique their interest.
• What resulted: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
• How to fix it: Always make your presentation less than half as long as you think it should be.
REASON #1: Reading from your slides!
• Diagnosis: You stood there like an idiot and read aloud what everyone could read for themselves.
• Why you did it: You are an idiot. You didn’t know the material so you needed your slides as a memory-jog.
• What resulted: The

Big Reasons Why Your Presentations Suck!

Posted by: Piyush Aryan on: December 23, 2009

REASON #19: The audience has already seen it!

·         Diagnosis: You gave a presentation that somebody from your firm already gave to them.

·         Why you did it: Your marketers are trying to “standardize” on a single pitch.

·         What resulted: The audience got bored to death and wondered if you could think for yourself.

·         How to fix it: Always customize the “corporate” presentation and make it your own.

REASON #18: It is all data, no story!

  • Diagnosis: You presented scads of information without any context or meaning.
  • Why you did it: You wrongly assumed a presentation was the same thing as a lecture.
  • What resulted: The audience pulled out their Blackberries when you clicked your fifth slide.
  • How to fix it: Make your presentation tell a story, ideally with the audience as the heroes.

REASON #17: A slide had a booby trap!

·         Diagnosis: You included slide guaranteed to throw the discussion down a rat hole.

·         Why you did it: You probably thought you could brush past it without stopping.

·         What resulted: The audience stopped you and started arguing about the point.

·         How to fix it: Think through the emotional impact of EVERY slide in your deck.

REASON #16: Your slides are too fancy!

  • Diagnosis: You filled your slides with special effects and visual jim-cracks.
  • Why you did it: You were afraid that the audience would find you boring.
  • What resulted: Your audience watched the pretty pictures and missed what you were saying.
  • How to fix it: Use the minimum visuals that you need to tell the story.

REASON #15: Grainy clip art!

  • Diagnosis: You lifted graphics directly from a website a low resolution.
  • Why you did it: You were trying to save a few bucks by not purchasing clip art.
  • What resulted: Your audience figured you were an incredible cheapskate.
  • How to fix it: Buy high quality photos for cryin’ out loud.

REASON #14: Your slide background is too busy!

  • Diagnosis: You used a background template that was busy and obtrusive.
  • Why you did it: You wrongly thought it would make your slides look more “professional.”
  • What resulted: Your audience got headaches trying to see what was actually on each slide.
  • How to fix it: Use a simple, single color background. Always.

REASON #13: An intro that’s too d**n long!

  • Diagnosis: You spend a third of your presentation time introducing you, your firm, and your topic.
  • Why you did it: You were used to giving a longer presentation and didn’t shorten the intro.
  • What resulted: You wasted time and made everyone wonder when you’d come to the point.
  • How to fix it: Never spend more than 1 minute on your introduction.  Never.

REASON #12: Your fonts are unreadable!

  • Diagnosis: You used fonts that were too fancy or too small or both.
  • Why you did it: The fonts looked great on your computer; the projector… not so much.
  • What resulted: The audience squinted and peered, and then gave up.  Blackberry time!
  • How to fix it: Use large fonts in simple faces (like Ariel); avoid boldface, italics and UPPERCASE.

REASON #11: Meandering off track!

  • Diagnosis: You wandered off on a tangent rather than following a train of thought.
  • Why you did it: Admit it.  You didn’t really take the time to think this through.. Did you?
  • What resulted: The audience wondered if you were always this disjointed and disorganized.
  • How to fix it: Review your presentation with a colleague, make changes, then rehearse.

REASON #10: Your graphics are too complex!

  • Diagnosis: You inserted giant, complicated graphics with lots of little details.
  • Why you did it: One picture is worth a thousand words, right?  (Uh, wrong.)
  • What resulted: Your audience stared glassy-eyed, then pulled out their Blackberries.
  • How to fix it: Only include simple graphics; highlight the data point that’s important.

REASON #9: Skipping back and forth!

  • Diagnosis: You flipped ahead to another slide, then flipped back.
  • Why you did it: You were editing your presentation as you were giving it.
  • What resulted: The audience figured you’re too dumb to use the Powerpoint Slide Sorter.
  • How to fix it: If you must improvise, do so within the structure of the presentation.

REASON #8: You are all opinion, no fact!

  • Diagnosis: You expressed all sorts of opinions without any supporting data.
  • Why you did it: Laziness.  It’s easy to claim “leadership”; it’s harder to actually be a leader.
  • What resulted: Your credibility with the audience leaped right down the toilet.
  • How to fix it: Only state opinions that you can back up with quantifiable data.

REASON #7: Lack of audience research!

  • Diagnosis: You presented without showing that you understand the customer’s business.
  • Why you did it: Let’s face it.  You were just too lazy to do a thorough job.
  • li

Feeder – the Mac Way to Create RSS Feeds

Posted by: Piyush Aryan on: October 18, 2009

feeder-img

We’ve covered a bunch of RSS readers, for the Mac, iPhone, and even some web apps. Some prefer to have selected feeds on device, while others prefer to sync them over using Google Reader. Many have gotten hooked to Fever° by Shaun Innman, the self-hosted web based RSS reader with a revolutionary user interface. But what about publishing RSS feeds? Most of us take that for granted, given that most CMS platforms auto-publish ready to serve RSS feeds.

But what if you want to create a feed for something that’s not spit out of a blog. News, files, podcasts, videos, and even applications, Feeder by Reinvented Software, is the tool that does it all. Launching the app…

feeder main window

Feeder lets you choose from among 8 different types of feeds, which gives you a good idea of what this app is capable of: Default, iTunes podcast, iTunes U podcast, links, News, Podcast, Sparkle AppCast, Video Podcast. Once you’ve created your feed, which is listed in the sidebar, you start adding articles. Just drag in media if you want to attach media to the feed, add titles, urls, descriptions, and publish.

feeder review

Feeder really shines when creating podcasts, especially for iTunes. It’s a drag and drop affair, as you set up the main feed to include album artwork and static meta data, while just dragging in your media to create new entries. You can even see what the feed will look like in iTunes by hitting the Preview button. We have been using a WordPress plugin for publishing our podcast, but Feeder is any day an easier tool to use.

feeder itunes podcast

Feeder will send your data over to any FTP server, MobileMe, Amazon S3, or any local disk. Tried all but Amazon S3 and they worked flawlessly. It will then ping any feed trackers like Technorati or Pinggoat, so the world knows when your feed has been updated. It can also publish a note to Facebook, twitter, or any wordpress or blogger blog.

Feeder shines in that it doesn’t confuse the user with too many options and settings. The toolbar is minimal with just 4-5 buttons for basic tasks. Everything is geared towards publishing articles with minimal noise. With a pleasant non-distracting user interface, and drag-and-drop simplicity, Feeder is one easy way to publish RSS without knowing squat about XML.

Granted most of you won’t be needing this considering that almost every internet media platform spits out an RSS feed, I myself didn’t have any real world applications other than the possibility of moving the SA podcast over to Feeder, but for those occasions where a self created RSS feed is required, Feeder can deliver. At $40 for a license, Feeder is well worth it if you have a job for it to do. A 15 day trial awaits.


If professional screen recording is your need of the hour, check out Camtasia for Mac.

Sent from my iPhone

Twitter trending topics

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G.E.’s Breakthrough Can Put 100 DVDs on a Disc – NYTimes.com

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G.E.’s Breakthrough Can Put 100 DVDs on a Disc

10 Most Extraordinary Twitter Updates

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High-tech worker food pyramid

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Gmail: Google’s approach to email

Posted by: Piyush Aryan on: April 1, 2009

Google’s April Fools Joke

replyforall – Join the Mission

Posted by: Piyush Aryan on: March 26, 2009

If e-mail signatures can be put to work to help support a political candidate, just imagine the impact they could make for charity. That’s essentially the rationale behind Replyforall, a site that uses custom e-mail signatures to raise not just awareness but cold, hard cash for a select group of charitable causes.

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