Oh, the Pain…
This is an excerpt from the soon-to-be-released third edition of Rick Altman’s provocatively-titled book on presentation best practices. Available by mid-June in paperback, PDF, ePub, and Kindle. You can learn more about it at the BetterPresenting website. THIS BOOK IS NOT ABOUT PESSIMISM, despite the somewhat bawdy title. In fact, I would argue that this […]
The iPad 3…Pass…Sigh…
The new iPad is gorgeous — too bad it is almost completely useless to the presentation community I have read all about the new iPad, watched the videos, read the white papers, held one in my hands, and test-drove it. And I am disappointed beyond belief. While I’m a Windows guy to the core, I […]
It’s Not About Being Perfect
It takes a rock star to show us presenters what is truly important in communication Did you watch the Grammy Awards last week? Winners for Best Rock Performance, the Foo Fighters provided the most memorable moment of any award show in years when lead singer Dave Grohl accepted the award on behalf of the band. […]
The Power of the Apology
As one year turns into another, I seek topics with larger reach, in the hopes that they could function as resolutions. This one certainly qualifies: the fine art of showing contrition and remorse. I fancy myself somewhat of an authority on the subject, given that my wife has been telling me for two decades that […]
Steve Jobs’ Untapped Potential
The world is surely a diminished place in the wake of the passing of Steven Paul Jobs. He is arguably the greatest public speaker of his generation, and while many analyzed and parsed his manner and tried to dissect the secret of his success, few succeeded. He was great simply because he was. As a […]
The Yin and the Yang of the Presentation Summit
With less than a month now before the ninth annual Presentation Summit, Sep 18-21 in Austin TX, here is our official yin/yang guide to the conference, showcasing the interesting and eclectic duality in our lineup this year: YIN: Julie Terberg returns for her incredible makeover sessions, creating something wonderful from something…less than wonderful. YANG: Sandra […]
Hot Dogs, Shadows, and Helium
Nigel Holmes’ keynote address to focus on what we see, not just what we hear You might think that an opening keynote address for a presentation conference would discuss technology, or PowerPoint, or slide design, or how to speak more effectively. You wouldn’t normally expect it to focus on how to win an eating contest. […]
The Unbearable Heaviness of Celebrity
Last weekend, my daughter Jamie and I got a taste of another world. It is a world in which normal values and priorities do not apply, and in which social standing has nothing to do with age, intelligence, or culture. We attended spring training. To get an opportunity to meet members of her beloved SF […]
The iPad Predicament
Like the rest of the technologically-inclined population, I have been watching the emergence of the iPad with fascination. I remember when Microsoft introduced a tablet-based PC, over 10 years ago, and either we weren’t ready for it or Bill Gates wasn’t cool enough to sell it. Steve Jobs is cool enough to sell a new […]
Why I will not hire another
“social media expert”
From the title of this post, you might think this will be a rant; it will not. You might also think I have something against those who offer services in social media; also not true. Finally, you might be led to believe that I had a recent unsuccessful experience when hiring a social media expert…and […]