Since we posted a video of an inspiring speaker yesterday, I thought we’d do something a bit different with Inspiring Speaker Friday today. So welcome to Uninspiring Speaker Friday!
Today I’d like to share a video that was put together by the folks at Growing Leaders, an Atlanta, Georgia–based non-profit organization created to develop emerging leaders. The group provides public schools, state universities, civic organizations and corporations with the tools they need to help develop young leaders who can impact and transform society. Growing Leaders recently published a book, Habitudes for Communicators, and produced the following video, “Every Presentation Ever,” as a promotional piece for the book.
It’s an amusing short that pokes fun at presentations and the people who make them – uninspiring speakers, if you will. And it’s a good starting point for learning what not to do when you’re making a presentation.
Funny isn’t it? And true! Presentation Advisors, a Connecticut-based presentation design and training firm, summarized the video nicely in their blog post “10 Lessons Learned From ‘Every Presentation Ever.’” Their 10 lessons are:
- Arrive early to prepare.
- Your opening is crucial!
- Don’t make fun of your audience members.
- “Juvenile slide transitions to spice things up” only make you look unprofessional.
- Don’t read your slides.
- Practise, practise, practise, then practise some more.
- Don’t use clip art…ever!
- Be prepared for technical difficulties.
- Be careful with lists.
- Conclusions are more than just restating your title.
Be sure to check out the Presentation Advisors blog post for more details.
For further resources on how to create effective presentations, visit the Inspiring Speakers Speaker Resource Centre, where you’ll find a series of eBooks and teleseminar recordings that are sure to inspire you. I recommend starting with “Unforgettable Presentations: Using Prezi to Create Stand-Out Speeches” by Angelie Agarwal, the chief evangelist of presentation software company Prezi. She explains how to use Prezi to revolutionize the traditional slideshow presentation.
What are the dos and don’ts you try to remember when crafting a presentation? Share your tips with us here or on our Facebook page. Till next time!
