This is RemotePoss's Typepad Profile.
Join Typepad and start following RemotePoss's activity
RemotePoss
Recent Activity
I love the Lego metaphor! The picture on the box and the numbered instructions are powerful symbols.
Writing a good title’s vital. It tunes the presenter into including only material that’s helpful. And it tells the audience what they’ll get out of the event – and even that there WILL BE takeaways!
Coincidentally, my upcoming blog post’s also about titles. It suggests the mnemonic “ABCD” as one recipe for writing a good title. That stands for:
- Action (through use of verbs, rather than rampant nouns)
- Benefit (like saying “Improve X” in a couple of your examples at the bottom)
- Conversation (speaking to people directly e.g. “YOUR Bottom Line” or “What YOU Need” in your examples)
- Digit (saying exactly how many takeaways to expect e.g. “3 ways to…”)
Look out for my post, and see what you think!
The LEGO Approach To Webinar Presentations
What can LEGO® building bricks teach us about crafting and promoting webinar presentations? Consider the following webinar titles: New Features in Release 4.0 Changes to State Law in 2018 Status of November Committee Proceedings Latest Industry Trends and Benchmarks The topics are clearly stat...
I just visited your blog on my (old, very small) Android phone, and was pleasantly surprised how readable the text was. Even the images were amazingly clear.
Interestingly, I also got a horizontal scroll bar – even though it didn’t seem to be needed. So scrolling down the page often resulted in a pleasant, slightly off-vertical motion! (In portrait mode, the window was about 50% wider than the screen, but the text wrapped at the edge of the screen rather than the edge of the window, so all was well. Similarly, in landscape mode, the window was about 10% wider than the screen, but wrapping still worked fine.)
Even on my laptop, when I make the browser quite narrow, sure enough the widgets jump to the bottom of the page, which is helpful. The font size becomes smaller, too, which I like.
So it’s a thumbs-up from me!
New Layout For The Webinar Blog
I am trying out a new layout my blog provider has made available. This should be responsive to screen size, and thus easier to read on large screens and on mobile devices. Please add a comment to let me know your impressions! The key difference from the old layout is that when your device screen...
I agree with you Ken.
If the presenter uses it well, subtle animation can be extremely helpful – to the presenter and the audience. For instance, I think it’s handy to intrigue people by showing “cues” on-screen, which you gradually replace with content as you talk through the slide. (An example would be to say “There are 4 reasons for this” and show 4 grey squares, then say “First, the budget”, at which point the 1st grey square changes to a picture of cash and the word “Budget” …and so on.)
That keeps people solidly in sync with what the presenter’s saying, which is so much more engaging for the audience.
See what you think of my take on using animation in webinars. (Your thoughts always welcome.)
Slide Animations - Good Or Bad?
I would like to challenge an oft-heard tenet of "good slide design." This is the dictum that says "Animation is bad. Get rid of it on your presentation slides." I know where the concept comes from... Overuse and misuse of PowerPoint effects can drive an audience stark raving mad. If you have eve...
Remember that British and Australian usage differs from US. (I’m British and live in Aus.)
Here’s a more open-minded viewpoint: http://bit.ly/2vmdKtX (Coincidentally, it’s by someone called Lynne who also counted commas in her birthday greetings. She’s an American, but lives in the UK.)
What Some Got Right About My Birthday: The Comma
I celebrated my birthday last month. Southwest Airlines got it right. TIAA did too. And a few good people on LinkedIn did as well. My dentist was among those who got it wrong. What some got right was the comma: Happy birthday, Lynn! That greeting is an example of direct address, that is, of di...
Thanks for explaining your viewpoint. I think we’ll have to agree to disagree!
Sadly, very many people find that the time needed to properly apply so many rules (with their various nuances) is far more than a second. And of course, most people never master them all, for their whole life!
I think we’re both aiming for the same goal: clear writing. I can see that having many “strict” rules for people to follow COULD make writing easier, but unfortunately I don’t think it does (partly because there are many exceptions, like not needing a comma in “Hi Dan”).
I’d say having so many rules makes most writers doubt themselves, so it’s a major obstacle to people expressing themselves freely but clearly. Of course, we need rules, and to me the overriding one is “Be clear!”
There’s nothing unclear about “Happy birthday Lynn!”, no matter who’s reading it. Therefore, for me, a rule that says a comma’s needed is a harmful rule.
Regards,
Craig
P.S. I’m hoping there’s no problem with me splitting “to… apply”‼
What Some Got Right About My Birthday: The Comma
I celebrated my birthday last month. Southwest Airlines got it right. TIAA did too. And a few good people on LinkedIn did as well. My dentist was among those who got it wrong. What some got right was the comma: Happy birthday, Lynn! That greeting is an example of direct address, that is, of di...
I’ve a different (less prescriptive) view: Unless omitting the comma would cause readers (other than grammar-sensitives) to stumble or misunderstand, then it can be left out.
What’s the REASON for the rule? For instance, what problem does “Happy birthday Lynn!” (without a comma) cause?
What Some Got Right About My Birthday: The Comma
I celebrated my birthday last month. Southwest Airlines got it right. TIAA did too. And a few good people on LinkedIn did as well. My dentist was among those who got it wrong. What some got right was the comma: Happy birthday, Lynn! That greeting is an example of direct address, that is, of di...
I had no idea such a useful piece of kit existed, so thanks for sharing how you use it.
The Benefits Of A Foot Pedal
It suddenly occurred to me that I have never blogged about one of my favorite pieces of computer equipment. I love it so much that I forget it's not well-known. The Omnipedual Dual PC Input Foot Pedal is manufactured and sold by Good Work Systems in Berkeley, California. The easiest way to think...
Ah right, having tested it I see what you mean now. Thanks for explaining.
Creating Handouts From PowerPoint Slides
It has been seven years since I covered this topic in my blog, and it's time for a revisit to some "top tips" for turning slide presentations into handouts. I won't belabor the old chestnuts you should already know and live by… If you can just print your slides and use them as a handout, you ha...
Handouts are a topic close to my heart! I’d not come across the glitches you mention, so thanks for the heads-up.
With the animations, I wonder if there’s a need for the Appear setting? (Given that all content’s visible by default, maybe just the Disappear would suffice.)
Like you, I’ve a post about creating handouts from notes pages, so I hope you find something of value there too.
Creating Handouts From PowerPoint Slides
It has been seven years since I covered this topic in my blog, and it's time for a revisit to some "top tips" for turning slide presentations into handouts. I won't belabor the old chestnuts you should already know and live by… If you can just print your slides and use them as a handout, you ha...
This looks great! I look forward to exploring the videos. Thanks for sharing.
Pixar Studios Offers Free Storytelling Lessons Online
In cooperation with the Khan Academy, Pixar and Disney have been offering Pixar in a Box, an on-going series of behind-the-scenes lessons taught by Pixar's professionals (storytellers, animators, directors, artists, etc.). Subjects have included color science, animation, effects, sets & stagi...
Thanks for the reminder, and for the alarming examples!
I've recently started using WebEx myself. At first it seemed simpler than Adobe Connect, but now I'm finding the differences between Meeting Center, Training Center and Event Center are a bit perplexing and rather hard to learn.
When you take a close look at any webinar platform, it seems there's always a potential "gotcha" waiting to snare the unwary presenter. So I agree that a run-through is vital!
Why You Need A Webinar Run Through
I often work with webinar guest speakers who tell me there is no need for a rehearsal ahead of time. They know their subject, they have delivered the speech before, and they know how to click through the slides. Then we get into the webinar and I find there are embedded assets on their PowerPoin...
Thanks for sharing your review, Kathy. Sounds like a great little book. (I’m a big fan of quick learning, and even watch TED talks and Vimeo clips at higher speed!)
What a neat line: “talk from the heart, not the chart.” That’s one to add to my quote log!
Paradoxically, I think figures can be the basis for strongly emotional content – as well as for regular charts and tables, which don’t get the heart racing! I’ve written a couple of pieces on doing that, like about these 3 opening lines on video. (A couple of those are from TED. See what you think.)
It's Not What You Say
There would be people who'd disagree with the premise of Michael Parker's new book, It's Not What You Say. I would not be one of them. Parker, a former vice chairman of the global communications and advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi London, certainly has a wealth of experience with speeches,...
Hi Ken. Some time ago I posted a link to a recording of a non-linear webinar you’d done (https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/723956880).
Sadly that recording no longer seems to be available. Is there an alternative URL I could use please? Thanks.
Making Webinars Engaging And Interactive
I hope you'll join me online for a free educational webinar this week. I am guest speaking with the kind sponsorship of Adobe Connect and the Content Marketing Institute on how to make your webinars more engaging and interactive. Show time is Wednesday, June 3 at 11am California / 2pm New York....
Thanks Lynn, these are great tips.
Your 1st tip reminds me of somewhere I worked a few years ago. A couple of my colleagues interstate were in the habit of sending emails (out of the blue) with no greeting. Not only that, but they sometimes opened with quite a blunt question, so the whole email came across as rude, even if that wasn’t intended.
More recently, I learnt a valuable lesson through my own email gaffe: Having given someone feedback that he took personally, he told me what I should have done to avoid the issue I’d come across with his work. So he began a sentence with “You should have…”.
When I replied, at the end I said “By the way, starting any sentence with “You should” isn’t usually a good idea, because it’s telling the other person what to do.” Unfortunately, my comment only made the problem worse, which in hindsight I can understand.
Ironically, I’d been avoiding using personal pronouns (“I” and “you”) to try to take the heat out of the situation. The lesson I took away is that if you feel offended by something in an email, it can help to be clear about that in your reply. So I could have written “When you wrote “You should have…”, I felt offended because it seemed you were telling me what I should do. And, it was something I had in fact done.”
I haven’t yet needed to use wording like that, but I hope I’ve learnt now that I should when necessary!
10 Ways to Earn More Valentines
Where I live, bright red signs of Valentine's Day are everywhere--hearts, flowers, candies, cupids, and sugary cookies. You can buy a special valentine for almost anyone: sweetheart, lover, wife, husband, mother, someone like a mother, friend, child, sister, brother, grandpa, nana, teacher, boss...
Thanks Ken, this is a very useful commentary on what happens (sometimes very quickly) in the video.
It’s eye-opening how complex (and labour-intensive!) INXPO’s setup is. I suppose once you get a couple of cameras involved, that becomes almost inevitable.
Recently I posted a critique of a TEDx talk and used time codes to refer to specific points (like you did here). I hope it proves as helpful as this, because I’ve found this fascinating!
Behind The Scenes At A Video Webcast
I just discovered a promotional video on the INXPO page for their XPOCAST webcasting product. Although it is presented as a standard marketing case study, the video includes "behind the scenes" action you don't normally see in vendor promo pieces. I thought it would be fun to take a closer look ...
Thanks Kathy – this is great!
It’s so true about most people not having had any training in speaking. How short-sighted that so many companies fail to invest that way, as poor communication wastes so much time and money.
I love the analogy of hearing from your pilot that they’re nervous. That makes the folly clear!
In this recent post, I too debunked some speaking myths:
https://bitly.com/1KTq0oe
I’d love to hear your thoughts on that.
Presentation Myths
Of the various titles I’ve held in my career, myth-buster actually hasn’t been one of them. Yet when I teach the Association for Talent Development's (ATD) Presentation Skills Certificate program and other presentation courses and workshops, I find myself “busting” a lot of myths about presenta...
I hope the workshop goes well! Unfortunately I won't be able to attend, as I'm a Toastmaster in Sydney.
Still, you might like this video of a TEDx talk on body language, which I've evaluated.
Your views on the talk or eval would be most welcome:
https://bitly.com/1Anchxt
Once again, good luck with your speaking!
Body language communications workshop 21 Jan
From Andrea Krug, 1st London Toastmasters On Wednesday 21 January 6.45pm the clubs of Area 58 are holding a workshop on Body Language Communication led by Ram Maree and David Sterling (venue Bunhill Row, EC1). Members from other clubs are very welcome to come along. Please register in advance o...
Nice makeover. What an effective way to make the point!
Some years ago, my then employer had all its employees complete an online compliance course. In it, I found a 50-word sentence where 9 of the words were “or”!
Believe it or not, that mega-sentence was a definition of a term, meant to help such a general audience understand. Guess what term was being defined? “Customer!”
That definition of that everyday word was grammatically correct, but worthless.
These days, I rarely come across extremely long sentences, because my speciality is spoken English.
Still, people often use WORDS OR PHRASES that are needlessly long. I’ve listed many of the most common, and warmly welcome your comments or additions:
https://bitly.com/1y8IfAM
Don't Make Us Slog Through Long Sentences
People often complain about jargon slowing down and confusing readers. But long sentences create as much drag on readers as unexplained abbreviations. This opening sentence from a recent news article throws too much at readers at once: The frustration and defiance of the nation’s police officer...
I’m on a mission against harmful myths like that! (I’ve a couple of draft posts on the go, and one of them is about busting similar myths.)
I really like the analogy of foam and beer. Coincidentally, I was just reading another speaker’s blog, and she listed analogies as 1 of 3 key tips for being memorable:
https://bitly.com/1wsiVC3
I wish I was better at coming up with analogies, because they can communicate so well!
I Feel Sorry for Your Audiences If...
....you misunderstand Albert Mehrabian. I feel sorry for your audiences if you believe the single worst speaking and communication myth perpetuated in modern times: that 93% of your message is communicated non-verbally. The Myth This no-good, very bad, harmful and wasteful myth developed out of ...
I strongly agree with most of your points here, Ken, but not with your opening remark. In fact I believe polls are a highly overrated and overused way to engage people.
You also say they’re often used poorly. Well I’d go as far as saying they’re usually used poorly!
Coming from a background in elearning, I liken webinar polls to the lip service paid to interactivity in most online training. In elearning, people really aren’t engaged by repeatedly being asked to click Next (or some other button) to see or hear the next few sentences. What’s in it for them?
Likewise, I don’t believe audiences are engaged by polls that ask (for instance) how much knowledge of the topic they have, when the presenter’s in no position to alter their talk to properly respond to the results! Again, what’s in it for the audience, other than satisfying their mild curiosity about the rest of the audience’s responses? After all, polls are mostly about other people’s answers!
I’ve written more about this in a couple of recent posts, and I’d love you to leave a reply on either of them. I look forward to hearing your always well-considered thoughts.
http://remotepossibilities.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/dont-make-this-1-mistake-when-you-present-online/
Tips For Webinar Polls
Interactive audience polls are a marvelous feature of web conferencing software. They can engage an audience and give them an opportunity to feel like an active part of the discussion, even when there are too many audience members to hear from and respond to each individual. Unfortunately, polls...
Susan, I love the points you make here! Your post inspired me to add to this conversation about consistency:
http://remotepossibilities.wordpress.com/2333/02/20/how-much-consistency-on-your-slides-is-constructive-i-say-aim-for-cohesiveness-instead-2/
Avoid Uniformity for the Sake of Uniformity
There's a difference between proposing improvements and proposing innovations. During a recent discussion about the titles for several slides, a couple of people were pushing for all the titles to read either Improvements or Innovations, even though what was being proposed were neither all of on...
RemotePoss is now following The Typepad Team
Jun 24, 2012
Subscribe to RemotePoss’s Recent Activity