presentation tools Archives

Preparation: The Secret Weapon to Presentation Survival

presentation

presentation survival

presentation tips

presentation tools

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

the walking dead

tips and tricks

Nov 02, 2015

Preparation is the foundation of any successful presentation. While some presenters may rely on improvisation, thorough preparation can significantly increase your confidence, reduce anxiety, and ensure that your message is clear and impactful.

Here’s how preparation can be your secret weapon for presentation survival:

1. Know Your Material Inside and Out

One of the biggest sources of presentation anxiety is uncertainty about your material. By thoroughly understanding your content, you’ll feel more confident and prepared to handle any questions or challenges that arise.

Why It’s Important:

Builds Confidence: Knowing your material inside and out allows you to speak naturally and confidently without relying too heavily on notes.
Improves Delivery: When you’re well-prepared, you can focus on engaging with your audience rather than worrying about forgetting key points.

How to Do It:

Break your content into key sections and rehearse each section individually.
Familiarize yourself with the data, stories, or case studies you’ll be discussing.

2. Anticipate Audience Questions

A key part of preparation is thinking ahead to the questions your audience might ask. Anticipating questions allows you to prepare thoughtful answers and address concerns proactively during your presentation.

Why It’s Important:

Reduces Uncertainty: Anticipating potential questions ensures that you won’t be caught off guard by audience inquiries.
Demonstrates Expertise: Being able to confidently answer audience questions shows that you’re knowledgeable and well-prepared.

How to Do It:

Consider your audience’s perspective and think about what questions they might have based on your content.
Prepare responses for both common questions and challenging ones.

3. Rehearse with a Timer

Time management is critical for a successful presentation. Practicing with a timer allows you to ensure that you stay within your allotted time and pace yourself appropriately.

Why It’s Important:

Prevents Overruns: Rehearsing with a timer ensures that you stay on track and don’t run over your time limit.
Helps You Find Your Rhythm: Timing yourself helps you establish a comfortable pace and avoid rushing through important sections.

How to Do It:

Time each section of your presentation and adjust as necessary to ensure you cover all key points within the allotted time.
Aim to finish a few minutes early to leave room for audience questions.

4. Test Your Technology

Technical difficulties can derail even the best-prepared presentation. Make sure to test all of your equipment ahead of time to ensure that everything runs smoothly on the day of your presentation.

Why It’s Important:

Prevents Technical Issues: Testing your equipment in advance ensures that there are no last-minute surprises or malfunctions.
Boosts Confidence: Knowing that your technology is working properly gives you one less thing to worry about during the presentation.

How to Do It:

Test your projector, microphone, laptop, and any other equipment you’ll be using.
If you’re presenting virtually, test your internet connection and ensure that your slides and media files load correctly.

5. Practice in Front of an Audience

Practicing your presentation in front of a friend, colleague, or mentor allows you to receive feedback on your delivery, body language, and content. This can help you identify areas for improvement and boost your confidence.

Why It’s Important:

Provides Feedback: Practicing in front of an audience helps you identify any weak points in your presentation.
Builds Confidence: Presenting in front of someone beforehand helps reduce anxiety about speaking in front of a larger group.

How to Do It:

Ask for feedback on your pacing, clarity, and engagement with the audience.
Practice responding to questions or comments to simulate a real Q&A session.

Final Thoughts

Thorough preparation is the key to surviving and thriving during a presentation. By knowing your material, anticipating audience questions, practicing with a timer, testing your technology, and rehearsing in front of an audience, you’ll set yourself up for success. Remember, preparation is the secret weapon that can make all the difference in delivering a polished and confident presentation.

Your Voice Is The Most Valuable Presentation Tool

presentation tools

public speaking

voice modulation

Jan 28, 2015

Technological advances have given us access to a variety of tools, from PowerPoint slides to interactive apps that bridge the gap between audience and presenter.

However, when all your equipment starts to fail, your voice is the one presentation tool you can use without having to worry about technical requirements in the venue.

But using your voice isn’t just about saving yourself from unexpected technical difficulties. It’s also a useful way to connect with your audience.

Hearing a voice that’s clear, confident, and enthusiastic will encourage them to engage with the message. It’s not enough to stammer through your pitch while reading note cards or slides. Use your voice to deliver a winning speech.

Here are a few things to help you do just that:

Volume and Clarity

Always be mindful of the fact that you’re speaking in front of an audience. A presentation isn’t a one on one conversation.

Renowned speech evaluator, Andrew Dlugan writes on his Six Minutes blog about the role the volume of your voice plays in delivering a clear and understandable pitch.

There are plenty of people that need to hear you, but this doesn’t mean that you have to shout. Just make sure you’re articulating every word and speaking louder than you normally would in everyday scenarios. If there’s a microphone available in the venue, still be mindful of your modulation and articulation.

Intonation and Emphasis

More than a loud and clear voice, it’s also important to add some variety to your speech. A monotonous voice isn’t exactly engaging. Practice your intonation by changing your pitch and adding color and interest in your presentation. It also creates an emotional impact your audience can relate to.

For example, the statement “will you help me out” can be read in different ways depending on your intonation. With a falling intonation or by ending at a lower pitch, the statement can sound aggressive and impatient. On the other hand, a rising intonation (also called a high final pitch) indicates a sincere question.

Experiment with your approach on your speech by emphasizing different keywords and phrases.

Pausing and Pacing

What use are all the previous techniques if you end up racing through your presentation? You can have a loud voice or use appropriate intonation. Long-time actor and Speakers & Artists International, Inc. CEO, Eric Stone, emphasizes the importance of speech pauses in creating a bigger impact on your listeners.

The audience will feel lost if you speed through your presentation. Pause help pace your speech at the right moments.

To use your voice properly, know when not to use it at all. In our previous point, we made a case for emphasizing certain words and phrases that are important to your presentation. Pairing that with correct rhythm and pausing will definitely add to the impact. This gives your audience a chance to absorb the information you’re presenting and even heighten its sense of urgency and importance.

When preparing for a presentation, we often focus all our energy and resources to making sure we have the most eye-catching visuals and content. It’s also important to learn the proper way to wield your most valuable presentation tool. To be a great communicator, you need to know how to utilize your voice.

References

“5 Presentation Tools to Encourage Audience Interaction.” SlideGenius, Inc.. January 12, 2015. Accessed January 28, 2015.
“Presentation Set Up: 5 Things to Do Before You Start Speaking.” SlideGenius, Inc.. September 2, 2014. Accessed January 28, 2015.
“Troubleshooting Your PowerPoint Display Issues.” SlideGenius, Inc.. October 21, 2014. Accessed January 28, 2015.
“The Art of Speaking Is the Art of Pausing by Eric Stone.” Succeed When You Speak. October 31, 2010. Accessed January 28, 2015.
“Volume and the Public Speaker: Be Heard and Be Effective.” Six Minutes. August 19, 2013. Accessed January 28, 2015.

Featured Image: Ben Grey via Flickr

5 Presentation Tools to Encourage Audience Interaction

audience interaction

presentation resources

presentation tips

presentation tools

Jan 13, 2015

Encouraging audience interaction can do a lot for your presentation. At a time when almost anyone can share their thoughts and ideas online, audiences crave to be heard.

They’re looking for similar opportunities to connect and participate during your presentation. When you open the floor to allow their opinions in, you’ll find that their input can add an interesting new dimension to the ideas you’re sharing.

The best way to go about this is by allowing them to ask questions and share comments.

While this is an easy task for small group presentations, it’s a lot more difficult when you’re facing an audience of about 50 or so people. Luckily, there are plenty of ways you can encourage audience interaction without having to waste valuable presentation time.

All you have to do is set up a poll at strategic points of your presentation.

If you want to see the diversity of opinions in your audience and use that to add flavor to your discussion, here are a few presentation tools that will allow you to encourage audience interaction:

IQPolls

IQPolls‘ response system lets audience answer questions immediately via their mobile devices. You can create a voting scale that they can respond to with a click of a button. Allow them to type down their thoughts to send your way. Best of all, you can embed the poll you made to your PowerPoint presentation to be able to show the real-time results.

DirectPoll

DirectPoll is pretty easy to set up. All you have to do is visit their website and start adding questions you want to ask, along with the answers you want to measure. When you’re done you can save your poll and access it through your browser.

Presentain

Aside from allowing you to set up polls for the audience to answer, you can also use Presentain to receive direct inquiries. Its use doesn’t stop at audience interaction either. It also allows you to use your phone as a timer and recorder. However, the most notable of its extra features is the recorder. When you record your presentation, you can share it online and stumble upon a larger audience.

SlideKlowd

As its name suggests, SlideKlowd utilizes cloud technology to receive questions, check for attendance, and conduct polls. It also gathers some useful data to help you measure audience interaction. Having that data will definitely be useful to see how you can improve your presentations in the long-run.

Sli.do

Sli.do is the perfect tool for bigger presentations and events. Using a unique code, your audience can access a platform where they can ask questions, answer live polls, and share their opinions. You can also use Sli.do to display a Twitter feed for a specific hashtag.

Audiences love a good show, but love being able to take part in that show even more. If your topic calls for it, why not consider encouraging audience interaction in your presentations? It’s a great way to help create a valuable connection between you, your message, and the people you’re trying to reach.

References

“How to Take Tough Questions Like a Presentation Expert.” SlideGenius, Inc.. July 16, 2015.
“Interactive Presentations: Using Twitter to Break the Fourth Wall.” SlideGenius, Inc.. December 17, 2014. Accessed January 13, 2015.

Featured Image: Mike Fisher via Flickr

Where to Find Unique Images for Your Presentation Design

PowerPoint Design

presentation design

presentation resources

presentation tools

Dec 19, 2014

Images are a critical component of any successful presentation. They help convey your message visually, engage your audience, and make your slides more dynamic. However, finding the right, unique images that stand out and complement your presentation design can be challenging. Instead of relying on generic stock photos that everyone else uses, there are a number of resources available that offer high-quality, unique images for your presentation.

Here’s a guide to where you can find unique images for your presentation design, ensuring your slides look polished and professional.

1. Unsplash

Why It’s Unique:

Unsplash is one of the most popular platforms for high-quality, royalty-free images. The site offers a large selection of images taken by photographers from around the world, making it a go-to for unique, artistic, and modern visuals.

Best For:

Stunning landscapes
Artistic and lifestyle photography
Modern, creative imagery

License:

All images are free to use for commercial and non-commercial purposes with no attribution required, though it’s always appreciated.

Website:

Unsplash

2. Pexels

Why It’s Unique:

Pexels offers a vast collection of free stock photos and videos contributed by photographers. The platform excels in providing visually appealing images that are curated for quality, ensuring that they’re both relevant and aesthetically pleasing.

Best For:

Minimalist designs
Professional and creative imagery
High-quality video clips

License:

Images and videos are free to use for commercial and non-commercial purposes. No attribution is required, though it’s encouraged.

Website:

Pexels

3. Pixabay

Why It’s Unique:

Pixabay is a well-rounded platform that offers not only photos, but also vectors, illustrations, and videos. With over 1.9 million free stock images, it’s easy to find the right image for your presentation, regardless of your theme or topic.

Best For:

Illustrations and vectors
Abstract and conceptual photography
Nature and travel photography

License:

Pixabay offers images that are free for commercial and non-commercial use, with no attribution required.

Website:

Pixabay

4. Burst by Shopify

Why It’s Unique:

Burst is Shopify’s free stock photo platform, offering high-resolution images designed to help entrepreneurs and businesses create engaging visuals. The images are primarily focused on business-related themes, including eCommerce, technology, and marketing.

Best For:

Business, tech, and eCommerce themes
Product-based presentations
Modern and lifestyle photography

License:

All images are free to use with no attribution required, though crediting the photographer is encouraged.

Website:

Burst

5. Reshot

Why It’s Unique:

Reshot is a platform for discovering truly unique stock photos, particularly for startups, freelancers, and designers. The images on Reshot are non-stocky, meaning you won’t find overly staged or generic-looking visuals here. It offers more creative and authentic imagery compared to other free stock photo websites.

Best For:

Authentic, non-stocky visuals
Candid lifestyle images
Startup and tech-related photography

License:

Reshot’s photos are free for commercial and personal use with no attribution required.

Website:

Reshot

6. Death to Stock

Why It’s Unique:

Death to Stock offers a unique take on stock photography by providing high-quality, creative images that are less traditional. The platform offers both free and premium subscriptions, and their imagery tends to be artistic, contemporary, and stylish.

Best For:

Creative, artistic photography
Editorial-style images
Story-driven visuals

License:

Free users can access a limited selection of images for personal and commercial use. A premium membership unlocks access to the full library of images.

Website:

Death to Stock

7. Morguefile

Why It’s Unique:

Morguefile is one of the oldest free stock image sites on the web, offering a large library of user-contributed images. While the site’s focus is on raw and unpolished images, it’s a great resource if you’re looking for something less commercial and more authentic.

Best For:

DIY-style images
Everyday life photography
Quirky and unconventional visuals

License:

All images are free for commercial and personal use, but attribution is required in some cases.

Website:

Morguefile

8. Canva’s Free Photo Library

Why It’s Unique:

Canva is a well-known graphic design tool that also provides access to a free library of stock photos. While Canva is primarily used for design, its free stock photo library is rich in modern, high-quality images that work well for presentations, marketing, and social media.

Best For:

Business and marketing presentations
Modern, lifestyle images
Seamlessly integrated design and photo elements

License:

Images in Canva’s free library are available for both commercial and personal use, and Canva also offers premium options.

Website:

Canva

9. LibreStock

Why It’s Unique:

LibreStock is a meta-search engine for free stock images. It searches through dozens of free stock photo websites (like Pexels, Pixabay, and others), aggregating them into one easy-to-search platform. This helps save time and ensures that you’re exposed to a wide variety of unique images.

Best For:

Comprehensive image searches
Easy access to multiple free photo platforms
Curated, high-quality visuals

License:

The images are aggregated from multiple sites, so licenses may vary, but most are free for commercial use without attribution.

Website:

LibreStock

10. StockSnap.io

Why It’s Unique:

StockSnap.io offers a large collection of high-resolution stock photos with a focus on quality and style. The platform features a search function that makes it easy to find trending and popular images, giving you access to some of the most eye-catching and unique visuals available.

Best For:

High-resolution, modern photos
Business, nature, and lifestyle photography
Trending and popular images

License:

All images on StockSnap.io are free for personal and commercial use with no attribution required.

Website:

StockSnap.io

Final Thoughts

Finding unique images for your presentation doesn’t have to be a daunting task. By exploring these platforms, you can discover high-quality, unique images that will elevate the visual appeal of your slides and help communicate your message more effectively. Whether you’re looking for professional business photos, abstract illustrations, or creative lifestyle imagery, the platforms mentioned above offer a wide variety of options to suit your needs.

When selecting images, make sure they align with your overall presentation theme and message to ensure that your visuals support, rather than detract from, the content you’re delivering.

Interactive Presentations: Using Twitter to Break the Fourth Wall

audience

interactive presentations

presentation tips

presentation tools

Twitter

Dec 18, 2014

Incorporating live interaction into presentations can greatly enhance audience engagement, and Twitter offers a real-time platform to do just that. By using Twitter to “break the fourth wall,” you can encourage audience participation, gather live feedback, and create a more dynamic experience. Here’s how to use Twitter effectively in interactive presentations.

1. Create a Custom Hashtag

A custom hashtag is a simple and effective way to organize audience participation. Encourage attendees to use the hashtag during your presentation to ask questions, share thoughts, or respond to prompts.

Why It’s Important:

Encourages Participation: A hashtag allows the audience to engage with your presentation in real-time.
Organizes Responses: It provides a way to track and manage responses during and after the presentation.

How to Do It:

Create a unique, memorable hashtag related to your presentation or brand.
Display the hashtag on every slide and encourage the audience to use it throughout the presentation.

2. Display Live Tweets on Screen

You can integrate live tweets directly into your presentation by displaying a Twitter feed on-screen. This allows the audience to see real-time reactions and questions, creating a more interactive atmosphere.

Why It’s Important:

Increases Engagement: Showing live tweets encourages more participation from the audience.
Makes the Audience Feel Involved: Seeing their tweets displayed on screen gives the audience a sense of contribution.

How to Do It:

Use tools like TweetBeam or LiveTweetApp to display live tweets during your presentation.
Select and display tweets in real-time, and respond to questions or comments as they come in.

3. Run Twitter Polls for Instant Feedback

Twitter polls are an excellent way to gather audience opinions or test knowledge during your presentation. They can be used for icebreakers, quick quizzes, or gauging audience sentiment on key topics.

Why It’s Important:

Fosters Interaction: Polls provide an interactive element that keeps the audience engaged.
Offers Insight: Real-time feedback from polls can give you insight into the audience’s understanding or preferences.

How to Do It:

Set up polls before the presentation or during, and share the links via your slides.
Discuss the results live and incorporate audience feedback into your presentation.

4. Encourage Questions via Twitter

Instead of relying solely on a traditional Q&A session, you can encourage attendees to submit questions via Twitter throughout the presentation. This allows for a continuous flow of feedback and ensures that even shy participants have a voice.

Why It’s Important:

Inclusive Participation: Twitter allows everyone to ask questions, even those who may feel uncomfortable speaking up.
Gives Real-Time Feedback: Continuous question submission enables you to address concerns or points of confusion as they arise.

How to Do It:

Prompt the audience to submit questions using the custom hashtag.
Monitor the Twitter feed during your presentation, or assign someone to select questions for you to answer in real-time.

5. Create a Post-Presentation Discussion

Twitter can also be used to keep the conversation going after the presentation. Encourage attendees to continue using the hashtag to ask follow-up questions or share additional insights after the event.

Why It’s Important:

Extends Engagement: Keeping the conversation going post-presentation fosters ongoing interaction and learning.
Creates a Community: A dedicated hashtag can serve as a hub for further discussion and networking.

How to Do It:

At the end of your presentation, remind attendees to continue using the hashtag for follow-up questions.
Engage with participants by responding to tweets or sharing additional resources.

Final Thoughts

Twitter is a powerful tool for breaking the fourth wall in presentations and making the experience more interactive and engaging. By incorporating live tweets, polls, and Q&A sessions, you can create a dynamic environment that encourages audience participation and fosters real-time feedback. Whether you’re presenting in-person or virtually, Twitter can help you build a deeper connection with your audience.

Presentation Tools and Gadgets for Your Christmas Wishlist

christmas wishlist

Powerpoint tips

presentation gadgets

presentation tips

presentation tools

Dec 15, 2014

The right presentation tools and gadgets can significantly improve your performance, making your presentations more engaging, polished, and seamless. Whether you’re a seasoned presenter or just starting out, upgrading your gear can help you present with confidence and professionalism.

Here’s a list of presentation tools and gadgets that should be on your Christmas wishlist:

1. Wireless Presenter Remote

A wireless presenter remote is a must-have for anyone who regularly gives presentations. These remotes allow you to advance slides from anywhere in the room, giving you the freedom to move around and engage with your audience without being tethered to your computer.

Why It’s Great:

Increases Mobility: Move freely around the room while advancing slides, which helps you interact with your audience and maintain their attention.
Improves Flow: With buttons for forward, backward, and screen blackout, you can control the flow of your presentation seamlessly.

Example: The Logitech Spotlight is a popular wireless presenter that features advanced slide control, a digital pointer, and Bluetooth connectivity.

2. Portable Projector

A portable projector is perfect for presenters who often travel or give presentations in different locations. These compact devices are easy to carry and set up, allowing you to project your slides anywhere without relying on built-in equipment.

Why It’s Great:

Convenient for Travel: A portable projector lets you take your presentation anywhere, from conference rooms to off-site meetings.
High-Quality Projection: Many portable projectors offer excellent image quality and brightness, ensuring that your slides look professional and clear.

Example: The Anker Nebula Capsule is a compact, highly portable projector that offers 360-degree sound and up to 4 hours of projection on a single charge.

3. Noise-Canceling Headphones

Noise-canceling headphones can be a lifesaver when you’re practicing your presentation or focusing on last-minute edits in a noisy environment. These headphones block out background noise, allowing you to concentrate fully on perfecting your performance.

Why It’s Great:

Improves Focus: Noise-canceling technology eliminates distractions, helping you stay focused while preparing for your presentation.
Ideal for Travel: If you travel frequently for presentations, noise-canceling headphones are perfect for blocking out noise during flights or while working in busy locations.

Example: The Bose QuietComfort 45 is a top-rated choice, known for its superior noise-canceling capabilities and comfortable design.

4. Presentation Timer

A presentation timer is an essential tool for staying on track during your presentation. It allows you to manage your time effectively, ensuring that you don’t run over or cut your presentation short.

Why It’s Great:

Helps You Stay on Time: A timer helps you stick to your allotted time, preventing you from going over your time limit or rushing through your slides.
Provides Real-Time Feedback: Some timers have built-in alarms or vibration alerts to give you real-time updates on how much time you have left.

Example: The Time Timer MOD is a simple, highly visible timer with customizable alert settings, making it easy to manage your presentation time.

5. Digital Stylus

A digital stylus is great for presenters who want to annotate slides in real-time or sketch out ideas on an interactive whiteboard. Whether you’re using PowerPoint, Prezi, or a virtual whiteboard app, a stylus can add a creative and interactive element to your presentations.

Why It’s Great:

Enhances Interactivity: A stylus lets you draw, highlight, and annotate slides or whiteboards, making your presentation more engaging and interactive.
Improves Precision: Compared to using a mouse or finger, a stylus offers much greater precision for drawing or annotating on digital slides.

Example: The Apple Pencil is a top choice for iPad users, offering pixel-perfect precision and lag-free performance. For non-Apple devices, consider the Microsoft Surface Pen or Wacom Bamboo Ink.

6. Portable Document Scanner

A portable document scanner is useful for scanning contracts, notes, or any printed materials that you may want to include in your presentation. It’s a handy tool for both professional and personal use, especially if you need to digitize documents on the go.

Why It’s Great:

Saves Time: Scan documents quickly without the need for bulky equipment or visiting an office.
Improves Organization: A portable scanner lets you easily organize and digitize important documents for your presentations.

Example: The Doxie Go SE is a compact, wireless scanner that can digitize documents anywhere, making it ideal for business trips or meetings.

7. Portable Power Bank

A portable power bank is essential for ensuring that your devices don’t run out of power during a crucial presentation. Whether you need to charge your smartphone, tablet, or projector, having a portable power source on hand can be a lifesaver.

Why It’s Great:

Prevents Battery Issues: A power bank ensures your devices stay charged, even if you don’t have access to an outlet during your presentation.
Perfect for Travel: Portable power banks are small and lightweight, making them easy to carry with you wherever you go.

Example: The Anker PowerCore 26800 offers high-speed charging with multiple ports, allowing you to charge several devices at once.

8. Wireless Lavalier Microphone

If you’re presenting in a large room or at a conference, a wireless lavalier microphone can ensure that your voice is heard clearly by everyone in the audience. These clip-on mics allow you to move freely while amplifying your voice through the room’s sound system.

Why It’s Great:

Improves Sound Quality: A lavalier microphone picks up your voice clearly, even in large or noisy environments.
Increases Mobility: Wireless mics allow you to move around the stage or room without being tied to a podium or microphone stand.

Example: The Rode Wireless GO II is a popular option, offering crystal-clear sound and easy connectivity for presentations, interviews, or public speaking.

Final Thoughts

These presentation tools and gadgets can elevate your performance and help you deliver more professional, engaging presentations. Whether you’re looking for wireless remotes, portable projectors, or time management tools, adding these gadgets to your wishlist can make a big difference in how you present. Upgrading your gear this Christmas might be just what you need to enhance your presentation game.

GIFDeck: Turn Your SlideShare Presentation into a GIF Animation

online tools

Powerpoint

presentation tools

Presentations

Sep 22, 2014

As we know, presentations can make great content marketing materials. And thanks to SlideShare, you can easily upload your decks online and gain a wider audience.

However, if you’ve been a longtime SlideShare user, you may have run into a small problem. While it’s easy to embed your entire presentation into a blog post or a web page, it’s harder to share them through Twitter or email without losing its visual quality. If you want to send an interesting SlideShare presentation to your friend via email, you’ll have to copy the link and they’ll have to open it themselves.

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That’s why it’s important to translate your deck into a GIF, where it can self-present to an audience that doesn’t have your physical presence to get information from. Here’s how you can create a presentation GIF:

This is where GIFDeck Comes in.

This new Internet tool allows you to turn any SlideShare presentation into a GIF animation. You can attach your GIF to emails, or post it directly on Twitter. Best of all, the website is pretty straightforward. You don’t have to go through several complicated steps in order to achieve the results you want.

To do this, simply paste the SlideShare URL of your choice and hit Submit.

Here’s one of the presentations on our SlideShare profile converted into GIF:

Looks cool? Visit GIFDeck and give it a try!

Some Helpful Tips

Click on the icon beside the Submit button to customize your GIF. But be wary that any adjustments you make can affect the size and quality of your animation.
For more readable slides, change the interval at around 2000 milliseconds or more. Again, keep in mind that doing this will give you a larger GIF file size. Try to find the perfect balance between readability and an optimal file size for sharing.
If your presentation is particularly long, convert only the first 10 or so slides. Use it as a little “teaser” to encourage readers to click and visit your link.

Conclusion

A program like GIFDeck can prove efficient when you don’t have the time to present your PowerPoint to your audience. However, this can also be a test of how well you can create a compact, self-presenting deck. At the same time, remember that a GIF may not always be the best vessel for your presentation.

Your deck isn’t there to speak for you, but when the occasion calls for it, you may need a deck that presents your key points without need for further explanation.

Need the guidance of a professional in the field to help you out? Our SlideGenius experts are ready to cater to your presentation dilemma.

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Featured Image: Screencap from the GIFDeck website

6 Presentation Books to Read over Labor Day Weekend

powerpoint books

presentation books

presentation reading list

presentation tools

Aug 29, 2014

It’s been a difficult work week, and you can’t wait for the three-day weekend. Whether you’re planning to soak up the sun or stay at home to relax, Labor Day weekend is the perfect opportunity to crack open a few presentation books.

These 6 titles are fun and refreshing, offering new perspectives to the oft-repeated tips. Sit back and give yourself an opportunity to be inspired by new ideas.

Six presentation books to read over Labor Day weekend:

1.) The Art of Explanation: Making Your Ideas, Products, and Services Easier to Understand

Coming up with a new idea is only half the battle. The next part is explaining your work to an audience, and getting them to see your entire vision. In The Art of Explanation, Lee LeFever covers the different ways you can successfully communicate your big ideas. This book is the perfect read for entrepreneurs, educators, and anyone who wants to improve their presentation skills.

2.) Confessions of a Public Speaker

Anyone who has experienced stage fright or anxiety will find comfort in Confessions of a Public Speaker. Scott Berkun utilizes humor and quick wit to relay presentation secrets he learned from over 15 years as a professional public speaker. His lessons are told through anecdotes of his own thrilling performances and embarrassing mistakes. This is a book novice presenters can relate to and enjoy. Reading it won’t feel like work at all.

3.) Moments of Impact: How to Design Strategic Conversations that Accelerate Change

Chris Ertel and Lisa Kay Solomon remind readers that action happens only after effective communication takes place. To get there, Moments of Impact imparts a simple process that can help collaborators solve issues and avoid misunderstandings. If you’ve ever left strategic meetings feeling more frustrated than enlightened, this is the perfect book to read and share with the rest of your team.

4.) Thinking Fast and Slow

If you’ve been too bogged down at work to come up with fresh ideas, Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow might come in handy. The Nobel Prize winning author introduces readers to the world of the brain. He explains the two “systems” that drives the way people think. The first system is more intuitive and emotional, while the second one focuses on deliberation and logical thinking. This book is perfect for anyone who is willing to try a new approach to decision-making and brainstorming.

5.) The Sketchnote Handbook: The Illustrated Guide to Visual Note Taking

We’ve talked a lot about the importance of visuals in explaining difficult concepts and new ideas. This is why images are important to PowerPoint presentations. In The Sketchnote Handbook, Mike Rohde takes the same concept and applies it to note taking. Do you have a hard time recalling new information? That can change with visual note taking. And you need to be an artist to do it. All you need is a pen, a notebook, and some creativity.

6.) Show and Tell: How Everybody Can Make Extraordinary Presentations

Giving great presentations is easier said than done. I’m sure every presenter—even the ones that have bored you to death in the past—aim to engage their audience with an interesting discussion. If you want to make sure you’re giving all that you can, take note of the tips and tricks that Dan Roam covers in Show and Tell.

Which of these presentation books intrigue you? Grab your favorite title and learn something new over the weekend.

Featured Image: Simon Cocks via Flickr

Helpful Tools for Designing Presentations

presentation tools

Presentations

May 01, 2014

Have you ever been impressed by an exceptional presentation that it made you wonder how the presenter had done it? We’re going to let you in on a secret.

Behind every successful presentation are a bunch of design and productivity tools. To give you some ideas, here are some of the tools for designing presentations that experts commonly use:

For organizing ideas

Taking down notes is an essential part of the brainstorming process to come up with presentation ideas. Many of us, however, are not used to putting thoughts on paper anymore. In this case, a mind mapping software will come in handy. Mind mapping involves drawing bits of information in diagram form instead of writing them in complete sentences. And in place of pen and paper, you can use a software application to create the diagrams.

Xmind is the one of the most popular mind mapping software out there. It’s packed with so many features yet easy to use. Best of all, it’s free.This program lets you create a concept map from scratch or with the help of its templates. Apart from the templates, it also comes with a number of charts that you can choose from for different purposes. This makes Xmind not only one of the best tools for designing presentations but it is also great for improving your productivity in general.

For creating attractive graphs and charts

Data-driven presentations can be hard to pull off. Failure would mean exposing your audience to torturous, boredom-inducing barrage of information. The best workaround would be to use charts and graphs. Creating such visuals can be tiresome, though. Especially for those of us who are not that good with Microsoft Excel. Thankfully, there’s a tool that can serve as a guide in the process of creating charts.

Oomfo is a plugin for Microsoft PowerPoint that helps users create engaging charts in presentations. With its user-friendly interface, you can create a wide range of charts that range – from the basic bar types to the more complicated ones such as the interactive waterfall chart.

For taking screenshots

Incorporating some screenshots in your presentation can help illustrate the points you are trying to make. However, you can’t simply rely on the Print Screen key on your keyboard. Sure, it’s handy but it offers a very limited capability. For one, you will have to paste the captured screenshot into an image editor such as Microsoft Paint or Adobe Photoshop before you can save or manipulate it. For a more efficient solution, you may want to check out Skitch.

Skitch is a screen capture tool that doesn’t just take a screenshot but also allows you to annotate it if you need to clarify your point further. You may choose to instantly save the screenshot as a JPG, BMP, PNG, or TIFF file. Skitch also lets you perform modifications to your screen shots. You can resize, flip, crop, and rotate the resulting images and archive them for use at a later date.

Creating a presentation involves more than just putting together a bunch of PowerPoint slides. With the right tools, a professional presenter can make his presentations remarkable and effective in getting his message across.