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A Powerful PowerPoint Tip – Presenters View

In BNI and Business Networking, Business Presentations, PowerPoint, Public Speaking, sales on May 28, 2012 at 7:48 PM

PowerPoint’s Presenter View

Speaking Tip #81

Are you interested in moving your PowerPoint presentation from mundane to spectacular? It may be easier than you think. PowerPoint has a variety of tools built in that will help you do this. Most users never take the time to learn PowerPoint and subsequently create second-rate presentations.

PowerPoint’s presenter view is one of many powerful tools built into the program – yet few people know how to use it (or that it even exists!)

Presenter view allows you to see a different set of images and information than what you are showing your audiences. Imagine giving a presentation and while your audience is viewing your slide, you are able to quickly scan through the entire show or read your slide notes.

Presenter Mode allows you to:

  • Quickly black out of the projection screen while still viewing your screen
  • View thumbnails of the slides in show as the show is being presented
  • Navigate to a previously shown slide or skip ahead to any slide in the show
  • View the next slide in the sequence before your audience views it
  • End the show with a single click
  • Know the number of each slide
  • Read your speaker notes
  • See how many minutes and hours since you started the show (egad I hope you don’t need to know how many hours you have been speaking!)

Best of all, this is not an add-on or app – it is in the program you are running right now! The controls (buttons and icons) are all large so you can easily navigate even while speaking and using unfamiliar equipment.

Presenter view works on most current  operating system that supports multiple displays including Microsoft Windows® 98, Microsoft Windows 2000, and Microsoft Windows XP or later.

Your audience sees one thing and you see another.


Using Presenter View

To use presenter view, your computer must:

  • Have multiple monitor capability.
  • Use an operating system that supports multiple displays, such as Windows XP, Windows 98, Windows 2000 or later
  • Have multiple monitor enabled in the Control Panel
  • Have Presenter view turned on

To turn on multiple monitor support and presenter view:

  1. Connect a second monitor (or projector) to your computer
  2. In PowerPoint, on the Slide Show menu, click “Set Up Show”.
  3. Under “Multiple Monitors”, select the “Show Presenter View” check box.
  4. Go to Control Panel, click on the display icon. Under “Settings”, click on “Multi-monitors” and select the monitor you want your “show” to appear in.

When you start your show, your show will be projected on the monitor (or screen) you selected while presenter mode will appear on your desktop.

It is really that simple! Imagine the possibilities!

iSpeakEASY offers coaching and workshops to help you create and deliver spectacular presentations with PowerPoint. Call today to ask about “PowerPoint: The Basics You Never Learned”.

 

 

 

© 2012, iSpeakEASY – All rights reserved

This speaking tip is one in a series provided to you by iSpeakEASY. Call for information on individual coaching or group training.

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Why Should Anyone Listen To You?

In BNI and Business Networking, Confidence/Nervousness, Credibility, Increased sales, inspiration, PowerPoint, Public Speaking, Social Media on May 14, 2012 at 12:59 PM

On Credibility and Nervousness

My friend Theresa is a wonderful speaker. She is alive, animated, smart, articulate and people love her. She came to me recently though and told me that while she does well in front of some audiences – other times she totally loses it. She cannot hold her thoughts, rambles, and finds herself finishing 1-hour talks in 10 minutes. She was perplexed as to why sometimes she could be so confident, self-assured, and charismatic and at other times feel like a bowl of jello.

Nervousness properly managed is a good thing – it is a primal reaction that keeps us sharp and attentive. Becoming so distraught that we are unable to focus is, however, not a good reaction to nervousness. While there are many reasons we get nervous in front of a group – understanding the cause is the first step to managing it to your advantage.

As Theresa and I spoke, the cause of her nervousness became apparent. If she felt the audience knew less about the subject than she did, she was confident and self-assured. What made her nervous was believing the audience might know as much or more than she did on a particular topic

No wonder she was nervous – she was afraid the audience would see her as a fraud despite the fact that she has an advanced degree, tremendous passion and more than 20 years experience.

She had not convinced herself she was a credible source of information – and could not therefore convince the audience of that.

The next time you plan a talk, begin by asking yourself (and do write down the answer!):

“Why am I qualified to speak on this subject?”

If you are like most people, you might initially draw a blank here. However, think hard. How many years experience do you have with this subject, what work, (paid or volunteer) or life experiences do you have that relate to your topic? Do you have a degree or other training that ties in? Do you have a love or passion for what you do?

In order for your audience to perceive you as credible, you have to believe you are credible. There is a reason you are qualified to stand in front of that group and speak – find it and you will feel your nervousness (or part of it anyway) fading away as your self confidence increases.

Thank you to Dr. Jon Hooper for introducing me to the Source Test.

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“Good Speakers are born. Great Speakers are trained. Click HERE to learn how you will benefit by attending the Speakers Academy .

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© 2007 – All Rights Reserved. This speaking tip is one in a series provided to you by iSpeakEASY. Call for information on individual coaching or group training.

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Comfortable Speakers Are Not Always Effective Speakers

In BNI or other Networking Groups, Business Presentations, marketing, media, Public Speaking on April 26, 2012 at 8:54 PM

“The KEY to being a good speaker” Kurt told me, “Is to feel comfortable in who you are – to feel comfortable in front of a group. I have been through years of Toastmasters and read Dale Carnegie – that is what I learned”.

A few moments later, Kurt was introduced as our speaker. He sat in his chair at the front of the room and he looked very comfortable. He rambled for about 20 minutes without really saying anything of substance. He did not address the topic that was promised, he bounced from idea to idea, and no one in the room looked enthralled. But Kurt was comfortable.

Kurt confused his comfort and lack of nervousness with being effective. A speaker should have a goal, or a reason for speaking.  At the end of the talk, there is something the speaker wants the audience to know or do.

If Kurt’s goal was to impress the audience that he was comfortable speaking in public, he succeeded. If he wanted us to know that he was a good speaker, that he was competent in his work, that his company was worthy of our business, or that we should follow his advice, he failed wonderfully.

An effective speaker feels comfortable because they know they have a strong presentation: a well crafted message that is expertly delivered. They know they have a reasonable chance of changing attitudes and behaviors with the audience.

As a speaker, when you know your topic, have clear goals for your talk, excellent visual aids, and are well practiced, you will feel more comfortable in front of an audience. When a speaker believes lack of nervousness alone makes them a good presenter, they are suffering from Kurt’s syndrome: confusing personal comfort with effective speaking. The speaker’s level of nervousness has little to do with their ability to motivate an audience to take new action.

Kurt is good at his job and he works for a very reputable company. I hope one day he learns the benefits of speaking well. He will be seen as credible, competent and his business will thrive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2012, iSpeakEASY – All rights reserved

This speaking tip is one in a series provided to you by iSpeakEASY. Call for information on individual coaching or group training.


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Are You Trying To Change The World (or a piece of it)?

In Business Networking Groups, Fund raising, Increased sales, marketing, Public Speaking on April 22, 2012 at 1:16 PM

It takes more than passion, knowledge. and a good cause to bring about change.

We like to think that if we tell people about our cause, they will want to join forces with us because what we are doing is so right.

  • Saving our parks
  • Protecting animals
  • Helping children
  • Raising money for schools
  • Reviving a community theater
  • Making the community a better place to live

The truth is that truth and knowledge is not enough. Passion is good, but even that is not enough to move people.

It takes a well crafted, properly delivered message to get people off their good intentions and moving in a new direction.

iSpeakEASY offers a special workshop designed for “Leadership” and other groups advocating a good cause.

Words, information, and passion are good, but they are not enough. We will help you put these into a short yet powerful message, train you to deliver them well in less than 2 minutes – the amount of time a City Council will give you to speak under “public comments”.

Make your knowledge and passion work toward change.

Click HERE for information on how YOU can learn to change the world in 2 minutes or less.

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All Artists Are Self-Taught

In BNI or other Networking Groups, Business Presentations, PowerPoint, Public Speaking, speaking on April 15, 2012 at 8:37 PM

“Techniques and skill and even a point of view are often handed down, formally or not. It’s easier to get started if you’re taught, of course.

But art, the new, the ability to connect the dots and to make an impact–sooner or later, that can only come from one who creates, not from a teacher and not from a book.”

 

Seth Godin

 

“There is an art and a science in public speaking. Any one can learn the the techniques of being a a good presenter just as anyone can learn to stretch canvas and mix paints. Few of us, however, will become a Picasso.

But it never hurts to strive for betterment!”

 

Ethan Rotman

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Pitfalls of PowerPoint # 8 and #9

In BNI or other Networking Groups, Business Presentations, PowerPoint, Public Speaking, sales, speaking on April 1, 2012 at 7:55 PM

(And How to “Purge” Them From Your Presentations)

By Dr. Jon Hooper, Guest Author for iSpeakEASY

Pitfall #8: Unimaginative Show Lacking Music or Sound

Imagine a movie without any music or sound effects. Would Top Gun grab your attention if Tom Cruise took off from the aircraft carrier without the roar of the jet and the dynamic “Danger Zone” music? Most of us would consider such a movie as a step backwards in time.

Even though we love the amazing power of music and sound effects, we often present our PowerPoint shows with nothing more than our human voice accompanying the projected images.

To purge the pitfall:  Incorporate appropriate music or sound effects into your shows. Inserting sound is as easy as inserting a photograph or illustration. You simply click “Insert” – “Sound” (or “Music and Sound”) – “Sound From File” – then navigate to the appropriate folder containing the file and select the file. Use the PowerPoint manual or Microsoft’s on-line help to “tweak” the music/sound to meet your specific needs.

If your organization cannot afford to buy the rights to music.” www.freeplaymusic.com and other sites provide copyright free music for you to use. Make sure you follow the “Terms of Use” listed for your music source.

Pitfall #9:  You Present Your Show And The Sound Does Not Work:

Has the following scenario ever happened to you? You proudly get ready to demonstrate your new “sound” prowess yet when you get to the part of the show with sound, nothing happens! Panic ensues! The most common cause of this problem is that your sound files were stored in a different folder than your PowerPoint show when you inserted them into your show, yet you only brought the PowerPoint show folder with you to your presentation site.

To purge the pitfall:  Before inserting a sound file into your show, copy the file to the same folder where you have been saving your PowerPoint show. Then insert the file into your show by navigating to this same folder and clicking the sound file. When you want to transfer your show to another computer in the future, simply copy the entire contents of your PowerPoint folder to a CD or thumb (USB) drive then transfer the folder to the second computer. If you do not follow this procedure, you may forget to copy your sound files because they will exist in a different folder.

Final Thoughts

Appropriate music and sound effects capture and hold the attention of your audience. Be careful not to over use such special effects, however. They should help you reach your show’s objectives, not just add glitz.

Dr. Jon Hooper has over 30 years of experience helping natural and cultural resource professionals their communication efforts. He is a professor of environmental interpretation at California State University, Chico and is the owner of Verbal Victories Communication Consulting. Contact Jon at jonkhooper@hotmail.com.

 © 2012 iSpeakEASY. All rights reserved – We help people profit from their words. We offer workshops on creating effective PowerPoint Presentations. Call for information on individual coaching or group workshops.

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Are We Communicating?

In BNI or other Networking Groups, Business Networking Groups, Business Presentations, Public Speaking, Social Media on March 26, 2012 at 8:14 AM

Do not assume that because we have phones, faxes, email, websites, social media, texts, snail mail, FedEx, Blackberries, iPhones, Droids, voice mail, and cell phones that any communication is occurring.

Communication still requires a human touch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2012 iSpeakEASY – All Rights Reserved This speaking tip is one in a series provided to you by iSpeakEASY. Call for information on individual coaching or group training.

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Are you an experienced speaker interested in improving your skills and increase the effectiveness of your presentations? The Speakers Academy is a fast, intense, four-part workshop for professionals that want to increase their confidence, become more credible, and accomplish more with their words.

We will build on your existing skills and bring you to a new level with your speaking.

Click here to learn more.

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When Is It The Right Time To Not Speak?

In Business Networking Groups, Business Presentations, PowerPoint, Public Speaking, sales on March 15, 2012 at 7:14 AM

“I am not really prepared for this presentation tonight” the speaker stated as he opened his talk. “I have not been feeling well so did not have time to prepare. I did not want to let you down, so I came anyway.”

As a member of the audience, what is going through your head at this point in the talk?

  1. Great, I busted my butt to get here only to get a second rate presentation
  2. On top of being bored, I will probably get sick from his germs
  3. Maybe I can sneak out the back unnoticed and get something important done
  4. All of the above

The speaker has barely started his talk yet his credibility is already lower than the floor.

There are many reasons for not being prepared for your talk but no real excuses. You knew you would be expected to speak and probably procrastinated on the preparation. Your audience has sacrificed to come hear you and deserve your best. If you can not deliver, consider alternatives that may save your professional credibility.

“I am under the weather today and will not be able to deliver the seminar I promised you. I am very disappointed and apologize for the inconvenience, but want to be at my best for you and do not want to risk sharing my illness with you. Let’s reschedule for next week.”

Which feelings do you think you will experience after reading the above email:

  1. Disappointment yet happy to have an extra 2 hours in your day
  2. Appreciative of the courtesy of the speaker
  3. Excitement for the high quality presentation you will get when she recovers
  4. All of the above

The first speaker demonstrated lack of respect for the audience – they were not important enough to him to adequately prepare. His talk should have been planned in advance so that last minute “stresses” would not have an impact.

The audience will judge your professional abilities based, in part, on how well you present. A second-rate performance indicates you are a second-rate professional. A first rate delivery indicates you take time to plan and prepare in all aspects of your life and work.

Your credibility is on the line every time you present. A single bad presentation will not destroy your career and it won’t do anything to enhance it. Presenting is one of the best ways to build your business, gain support for your project, and influence others. The audience is giving you the most important item they have, their time. Honor that by delivering your best to them.

© 2009 – iSpeakEASY, All rights reserved.  This speaking tip is one in a series provided by iSpeakEASY. We help people profit from their words.

Call for information on individual coaching or group workshops.

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Fear Of Public Speaking Is Universal

In BNI or other Networking Groups, Business Presentations, marketing, PowerPoint, Public Speaking, Social Media, speaking on March 6, 2012 at 8:31 PM

Serge is a Mexican national working in the U.S. as drywaller. He is an artist in his ability to put surfaces on walls.

He attended a speaking skills workshop focusing on delivering a clear message in 30 seconds or less. After the workshop, Serge approached me and said “I knew I was nervous speaking to others. English is not my first language and I am shy. I had no idea that all these other people where just as scared as I am.”

The “other people” he was referring to are white, educated, English speaking business owners including attorneys, accountants, and nutritionists.

Serge had internalized what he felt were his weaknesses and thought that is why he was afraid to speak in public. That day he learned public speaking makes many people nervous regardless of education, ethnicity, or background. For Serge on that day, the playing field had been leveled, at least in his mind.

We All Get Nervous

Fear of speaking is universal. We all fear being exposed as inadequate, of being asked a question we can’t answer, of making a fool of ourselves. We can focus on what we perceive our deficits to be and use them as a block, or we can flip it around and look at our assets and use them as a stepping stone.

For Serge, a man of color working in a wealthy, predominantly white community, he allowed his perceived deficits to make him nervous. That day he realized almost everyone, regardless of country of origin, native language, or skill set, is nervous when they address a group. He felt inadequate as speaker because, at times, he tripped over words. The fact that he is a skilled tradesman, an artist and a hard worker had slipped his mind.

What are your perceptions of your weaknesses? What causes you to be afraid when you speak? When you look at your peer group, what do you perceive they possess that you do not?

Now flip that around. What special skills, training, background, passions, interests and attributes do you possess? What qualifies you to do your job or speak on your topic?

Both lists are real and important – the list of fears can hold you back while the list of skills will propel you forward.

Fear of public speaking is universal. Which of the two lists will you choose to focus on?

© 2011 by iSpeakEASY – All rights reserved. This speaking tip is one in a series provided to you by iSpeakEASY.

We help people profit from their words. Call for information on individual coaching or group workshops.

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Show The Audience You Don’t Care

In BNI or other Networking Groups, Business Presentations, PowerPoint, Public Speaking, sales on February 21, 2012 at 8:37 PM

Speaking Tip #80

There was a man speaking on the stage. I could see his lips move, but I could not hear his voice.  When several audience members shouted for him to use the microphone, he laughed replying “You can hear me just fine” and continued talking. The problem was that few really could hear.

This speaker had made two simple yet common mistakes, and in doing so, lost the attention of the audience:

1)      He put his comfort and desires ahead of those of the audience.

2)      He ASSUMED that because he was speaking, everyone wanted to hear what he had to say.

Esessentially, he let us know he did not care about us or what we needed, even though all we really needed was to hear.

I think most of us wanted to hear what he had to say. When faced with the problem of not being able to hear, the audience had to choose what to do. Most of the audience gave up, relaxed back into their seats and continued doing what they were doing before he took the stage: conversing with their neighbors.

This speaker had lost the audience.

A speaker is there to serve the audience. It is the responsibility of the speaker to insure the audience is comfortable, can see, and hear.

Look at the better speakers of our modern day: do you notice the President (any president) standing on a stage shouting rather than wearing a microphone?  When you watch the late Bill Gates or a TED talk, do you notice how large a screen is used? Even concerts and sporting events make it easier for spectators to see and hear the action.

Before an audience will listen to your ideas and consider your point, you have to grab their attention and demonstrate your credibility. If they cannot hear you or if you demonstrate you do not care about your audience, you will lose before you have started.

Do not lose the battle over the small things. Take time to plan your presentation so it works, take care of your audience, and make sure they are comfortable and can see and hear you. This won’t bring them to your side, but it does put them in a position where your good words can do their magic.

© 2012 iSpeakEASY – All Rights Reserved This speaking tip is one in a series provided to you by iSpeakEASY. Call for information on individual coaching or group training.

Related articles

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_____________________________________________________________________

Are you an experienced speaker interested in improving your skills and increase the effectiveness of your presentations? The Speakers Academy is a fast, intense, four-part workshop for professionals that want to increase their confidence, become more credible, and accomplish more with their words.

We will build on your existing skills and bring you to a new level with your speaking.

Click here to learn more.

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