Note: This is a post in the brand new Remarkable Leadership Book blog. I post it here to whet your appetite for some of the things you will find there in the future . . .

This week in my Unleash Your Potential newsletter, I wrote an article titled, Preparing a More Powerful Presentation. (This article by the way will be available to readers of the book as a Bonus Byte - one of over 50 additional resources available online to supplement and add value to the reader's experience and use of the book). As a response to the article a colleague of mine, Marc Shiman, sent a note suggesting these questions to use in preparation for any presentation. I loved them and thought they meshed well with what I had written, so here they are for your use:

• Ask yourself the question "What is their (your audience) pain?" This is obviously the problem you are trying to help them solve.


• Now look at your first few slides. Do they address your audience's pain or are they about you?


• We also talk about OUR goals when we make a presentation. What about our audience's goals?

All three of these questions help us get to the heart of communication which we often forget in preparing for a presentation - that our purpose is first and foremost about our audience and helping them.

If you want to communicate more powerfully in any situation, focus on the audience and their needs first.

Also posted in Leadership.

Labels: communication, preparation, presentation skills, Remarkable Leadership

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Yesterday I posted my first YouTube video with some comments about presentation skills. I encourage you to read it here.

This connection to Michael Jordan and Mars Blackman/Spike Lee popped into my head and as I continued to think yesterday about effective presentations. Most people who are going to give a presentation focus on certain aspects of it, figuring that these things are the mostimportant to their success. (Much like Mars in the video thought Michael was great because of the shoes)

Here is what I have come to so far.

It isn't the slides, it's the stories.
It isn't the PowerPoint, it's the passion.
It isn't the data, it's the dialogue.
It isn't the Bullet points, it's the belief you instill
It isn't the Action Steps, it's taking action.


Common wisdom might put the emphasis on the first items. Great communicators put their focus on the second.

So, where is your focus for your next presentation?

Also posted in Creativity, Leadership, Learning and Training.

Labels: PowerPoint, presentation skills, presentations

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