Centered Presentations: Find balance on four presentation dimensions

An exploration of four dimensions of presentation design and delivery: Content, Creative, Conversation, and Confidence. Content may be an issue for you or your team if you routinely find: - You are unable to present all your slides in the allotted time. - Your presentation falls far short of the expected duration. - Your audience derails your agenda, focusing on other topics. - Your audience does not seem to grasp the concepts in your presentation or the desired next steps. Signs that may point to an issue within your creative: - Your audience visibly winces at the color combinations or animation. - If you lose your place when presenting, it’s hard to get back on track because every slide looks essentially the same. - Although you try not to, you find yourself reading your text-heavy slides to your audience. - You avoid sharing your presentation with your internal brand team. You or your team may need to focus on conversation if: - You are doing almost all the talking in your meetings. - You shut down conversation in order to stay on your planned timing. - You realize you’ve been talking for ten minutes about a topic that is not covered in your presentation content. - You think of your major point as a big ＂reveal＂ and don’t want to give anything away until you get there. - You avoid rehearsal so that you will sound natural; you wing it. Signs you may have a perceived confidence issue - Audience members have told you they could not hear or understand you. - You rarely get questions from your audience. - Audience members direct questions to other members of your team. - You find yourself tongued-tied when asked to clarify a slide topic. - You hear yourself, but cannot stop, using ＂um＂ in every sentence. In each section, learn how presenters ＂stray from center＂ by staying in their comfort zones, and how to return to center with specific recommendations. If you or your team struggle with aspects of developing or delivering compelling presentations, this book will provide a new toolbox and shared vocabulary. Includes checklists and assessments to bring the ideas to life.

Jennifer Palus has managed both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of marketing programs for more than two decades. Her career spans a variety of industries, including retail, wholesale distribution, consumer goods, financial services, and consulting. Her specific areas of expertise include strategic planning, trend analysis, data management, business intelligence, and marketing communications. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business; she graduated with highest distinction.