Is your presentation a one-way monologue for listeners? Or is it an invitation for listeners to enter the conversation? If you want your listeners to remember what you said, then your presentation needs to be more like Facebook than TV. Why? The best learning occurs in a social context not in a passive listening experience. … [Read more…]
We’ve come a long way, baby! ~ Loretta Lynn The times they are a-changing. ~ Bob Dylan The catch-phrases are abundant that our world and work continues to evolve. The Ever-Evolving Conference Speaker Contract Nowhere is this evolution more evident than some conference speaker contracts. I have personally seen a change in some conference speaker … [Read more…]
I start the majority of my presentations by making an agreement with my audience. I call it my presenter-attendee agreement. Why use valuable presentation time for the presenter-attendee agreement? Most people come to conferences and presentations with an implied agreement that the presentation is about and for the speaker, not the audience. In reality, the … [Read more…]
Have you ever received the elbow nudge during a workshop or conference? If you’re like me, you’ve even given a few to colleagues and friends. The Ubiquitous Elbow Nudge The elbow nudge occurs when a peer decides to emphasize something a presenter said. Suddenly you feel an elbow in your rib cage as your contemporary … [Read more…]
I was extremely irritated. In less than twenty minutes I visited four different conference education sessions. Each of them was a waste of my time. Two sessions were about content that I already knew, even though their session descriptions said they were for advanced audiences. One session had two bumbling, rambling presenters speaking jargon and … [Read more…]
Is your conference content like an encyclopedia, a textbook or a report? Does your conference promote content-centric or learner-centric design? Unfortunately, most conferences default to content-centric design without even knowing it. SMEs Do It Difficultly If your conference prides itself on securing subject matter experts (SMEs) to present information, then consider the following. Your attempt … [Read more…]
Many years ago I taught school during the day and high school dropouts preparing for their GED exam at night. It was a grueling schedule. Yet, it was extremely rewarding. On The Road To GED Every evening, after a long day of teaching, I spent another five hours on my second job at Students For … [Read more…]
During my three years in high school, I diligently worked on our school yearbook. I even served as assistant editor and editor of our yearbook. I enjoyed the design process including creating each two-page spread layout. I also spent many hours making sure that as many of my peers were pictured in candid shots as … [Read more…]
Which would you rather attend: A ninety-minute speech or a ninety-minute movie? You’ve got to be kidding, right? The majority of us would rather go to a movie than a speech. Now, let’s put this into a conference context. Given a choice, would you rather go to a two-day film festival or a two-day conference? … [Read more…]
There is one important strategy that your presentation must have in order to succeed. Without it, you are guaranteed a fail. Without it, you will not connect with your audience. Without it, your words will fall on deaf ears. Adults learn on a “need-to-know” basis! You have to explain why the listener needs-to-know your information. … [Read more…]
