Untitled Document

BY TJ Walker

The Roadmap To Speech Disaster

Imagine if you send your child, a high school junior, off for an evening at the local library. But instead, he decides to go “party” with his friends and buy some crack cocaine. Perhaps he doesn’t find any, so he settles for marijuana. In his worst case scenario, he can’t find any pot, so he settles for drinking two six packs of beer with is buddies and getting trashed out of is mind—then he tries to drive home.

You are probably thinking that you can’t relate to this story because your wonderful child would never do this, and you would certainly never do this. Fine, but my point is that once you start down the wrong path with the wrong goal in mind, it almost doesn’t matter what happens—you are going to be in big trouble.

I see this every day in corporate communications departments. Someone begins to prepare a speech by writing text down in a PowerPoint Program. At that very moment, in my professional opinion, this person has taken an action that is just as disastrous to the life of the speech as the decision to buy crack cocaine is to the health of the high school student. As in the case of the high school student, it almost doesn’t matter what happens next, the speech is going to be awful; it’s only a matter of how awful at this point.

Here’s why (and it’s not because I am against PowerPoint–I love PowerPoint when it is used effectively):

By starting in the PowerPoint program, the total focus is on the PowerPoint, not what the speaker is actually going to say.
By thinking in terms of text and numbers, the PowerPoint stays in a boring text and numbers format.
Because the focus is on dumping as much text and data into the PowerPoint program as possible in the “beginning stage,” interesting stories, examples and visuals get squeezed out of the speech permanently.
Because of a time crunch, the PowerPoint goes from being a “speaker aide” to being the entire presentation—this is always a mistake of unmitigated proportion!

More insights from TJ Walker

Bully Pulpits: Speaking Secrets of World Famous Leaders

Personal Anecdotes - Ronald Reagan
In your next presentation, talk about your personal experiences to make your message more powerful and lasting.

SpeakCast Tutorial: Improve Your Communication Skills

How to give a Timed Speech
So you need to give a speech and it has an exact time limit TJ Walker offers some tips.

Publisher: TJ Walker
Managing Editor: Jess Todtfeld
Creative Director : Kris Gentile

Subscribe

Name
Email

Please select how often you would like to receive updates:
Daily Updates
Weekly Updates

Make PowerPoint Text Stand Out
Chances are you have sat through a PowerPoint presentation that was just too wordy. Being the conscientious employee that you are, you start off paying thorough attention, diligently reading along as the speaker presents slide after slide listing everything from the company’s new 572-word mission statement to the interim president’s entire five page letter of introduction. But somewhere along the way, your eyes glaze over and drool begins to pool in the corner of your mouth. And now it’s your turn to create a PowerPoint....

Tips for Better, Faster Computing
PC World Canada, Canada
Have you ever gotten a PowerPoint file that you can't read? I don't want you to miss anything, so pick up.

Powerpoint to Movie to YouTube
Click here for a site that gives you the steps to go from PowerPoint to a movie you can upload on YouTube. If you have a Mac you can just go to "file" after finishing your PowerPoint and click on..

PowerPoint on Blackberry
PowerPoint is part of life on the road pitching audiences. Your laptop carries the slides that are run through a projector. You lug your laptop (and power supply) through airport security checkpoints,.

Tech Up Your Sales Presentation With New Blood
ZDNet UK, UK
PowerPoint changed that for a while, but with technology changing so quickly, some claim that even this beloved..

Perfectionist's PowerPoint Tip: How to E-mail Your PowerPoint ...
IT Business Net, CA
By EJeffson You probably think emailing a PowerPoint presentation as easy as..

Studying for Finals: Tech Tips to Make Note Taking Painless
Business Wire (press release), CA
No need to copy PowerPoint lectures word for word..

(More PowerPoint Alerts)

April 10 & 11, 2008 Media Training Workshop New York, NY More Info Sign Up	May 15 & 16, 2008 Presentation Training Workshop New York, NY More Info Sign Up

SRI International Receives Patent for Voice-Based Search Technology
Market Wire (press release)
The Speech Technology and Research Laboratory's staff of about 25 includes.

Composica Enterprise 3.2 to be launched at Learning Technologies 2008
Training Press Releases (press release), UK
Composica Enterprise offers highly robust PowerPoint.

What is a virtual Classroom?
India PRwire (Press Release), India
... an availability schedule, and maintain a content library, which is associated with their profiles, by.

Nuance Mobile Launches Voicemail to Text; New Service Converts ...
Business Wire (press release), CA - 40 minutes ago
The Nuance Voicemail to Text Service integrates speech technology with..

Make Your Ideas Concrete by Using a Prop in Your PowerPoint
With the index card plan in mind, we imported the story template into the PowerPoint storyboard, then we sketched the index cards into the design of the slides in the lower right-hand corner so we..

Use prototyping to visualize project requirements
TechRepublic, KY
I've seen online applications that appeared to be running on the web, when, in reality, the team members...

(More Technology Alerts)

Do Not Build
TJ Walker talks about why you should not be using the build feature when you are putting together your PowerPoint presentations.

MAX 2008 Call for Topics is open
The official Adobe MAX 2008 Call for Speakers and Sessions has been opened - the best and most innovative topics and presentations are being sought for MAX 2008 in North America, Europe, and Japan....

Gay & Lesbian Medical Association Conference
The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) has issued a call for presentations to be delivered at its annual conference. Researchers, clinicians, educators, public health professionals, and..

Call for Speakers -- Interesting South -- May 12
Interesting South Originally uploaded by cityofsound. While it seems hardly anytime at all since we held the inaugural Interesting South conference, we are already well into planning the next event..

Call for Speakers: MarketingSherpa B-to-B Demand Generation ...
Primenewswire (press release), CA
... for marketing professionals, announced a call for speakers for its 5th..

The Speaking Channel Newsletter is provided by Media Training Worldwide
Media Training Worldwide provides more media and presentation training workshops and seminars (54 separate courses) than any other company in the world. Media Training Worldwide also publishes more than 100 presentation training books, DVD's, CDs, and other information products and is the largest presentation/media training publisher in the world. For a product catalog or more information on training services call 800-755-7220 or visit us online.