Following up on our post the other day, one of the most important things a presenter can do is identify sources of presentation inspiration that can positively influence the various elements of their presentations. Even our experienced presentation designers, content specialists, and project managers routinely scour the web for examples of cutting-edge visual communication techniques, engaging storytelling methods, and unique applications of presentation delivery and deployment. It’s part of staying on top, and everyone needs to do it.
But where do you look? Google searches can be a little frustrating, occasionally bringing forth more SEO specialists than presentation experts. Over the course of many years, we’ve identified some sources of inspiration and expertise that we feel represent the best-in-class advice anyone could expect to receive. If you keep up with these folks and sources of information, you will come out A-OK.
Best Presentation Content Aggregator:
Check out: Speaking.Alltop.com
Why? Because they do all the work for you. We’re biased because you’ll find us on the homepage, however we would recommend this resource regardless. This website pulls from the most influential presentation design, content and delivery specialists in the industry and aggregates that information in one easy-to-access location. Just bookmark it and drop in from time to time to keep your skills sharpened.
Online Courses:
We love: Lynda.com
In particular, check out the following courses:
- PowerPoint 2010 Essential Training
- Up and Running with Prezi
- Writing Fundamentals: The Craft of Story
Presentation Books:
“Best-selling author and popular speaker Garr Reynolds is back in this newly revised edition of his classic, best-selling book, Presentation Zen, in which he showed readers there is a better way to reach the audience through simplicity and storytelling, and gave them the tools to confidently design and deliver successful presentations.”
“Why do some ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas? In Made to Stick, accomplished educators and idea collectors Chip and Dan Heath tackle head-on these vexing questions.”
- and, of course, How to Be a Presentation God
“Unlike most presentation books that say the same things regarding presentation design and delivery (less is more, get rid of bullets and use images, emulate Steve Jobs, and so on), How to Be a Presentation God actually divulges step-by-step secrets for how to build, design, and deliver blockbuster presentations. By providing entertaining and clever presentation insights, veteran presenter Scott Schwertly gives you the in’s and out’s for presenting yourself, your business, and your cause with an easy-to-implement approach.”
Events:
You’ve got to follow: TED or TEDx conferences, Ignite and PechaKucha.
If you can’t attend, follow online: the YouTube videos are great and you really see the full spectrum of presentation skills and concepts applied at the majority of these conferences.
For daily presentation inspiration and powerpoint ideas:
Follow: Ethos3 on Twitter and Facebook.
Whatever the case, if you want to consolidate your persuasive powers, you’ve got to start keeping up with these sources of information.
Question: How can you incorporate constant improvement in presentation abilities into your daily routine?
