How to Use Transitions to Improve Your Presentations

Posted on October 10, 2018 by Gerry

Transitions help transform presentations from a collection of parts into one cohesive whole. Every presentation has multiple sections: The open, key point one, key point two, etc. And while some sections are more important than others, the presentation has to stand as one whole unit to be totally effective. The keys to making a presentation with multiple parts feel like one complete unit is to have a theme for the presentation and to use effective transitions between the various parts … Continue reading →

How to Keep from Losing Your Place in a Presentation

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Gerry

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Every presenter shares this fear: What if I lose my place in a presentation? What do I do then? The answer is, drum roll please…don’t lose your place. I know, easier said then done. Until now. In the video above, I’ll show you a simple technique that involves using a water bottle and the outline for your presentation. It will keep you on track every time without the audience even knowing that you’re looking at your notes or outline.

How Much is Too Much in a Presentation?

Woman making a presentation using post-it notes on board

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Gerry

There’s a pretty good chance you are busier today than you were five or ten years ago. So is everyone else I meet. So is everyone you face in a presentation. It’s a common complaint: “I’m so busy. I never have enough time.” Why everyone is in that situation is a topic for another day, but recognizing that there is a universal condition of feeling overwhelmed is an important step toward building the content in your next presentation. Avoid Too … Continue reading →

What an NFL Coach Can Teach You About Presentations

X and O on a blackboard showing coach strategy

Posted on August 1, 2018 by Gerry

With football season starting up again I find myself spending a lot of time around coaches. My father was a long time NFL assistant coach. I’ve seen first hand that the coaches who last and who win, not only know the X’s and O’s, but they also know how to communicate. Coaches make presentations every day to their players. Not just the dramatic locker room speeches you see in highlights or in films, but teaching presentations, performance review presentations, planning … Continue reading →

Business and Presentation Lessons Learned from the NFL Broadcast Booth

Posted on July 30, 2018 by Gerry

Running a business, evaluating talent, leading others, communicating from the front of the room or in front of the business all share several things in common with doing play-by-play in an NFL broadcast booth: They require your complete, undivided attention to do them well You have to be both in the moment and aware of what’s coming next You have no room for error and not a shot at perfection And when things are going well, there is no place … Continue reading →

How & When to Use Humor in Presentations

Posted on July 11, 2018 by Gerry

Humor covers a lot of territory. And most of it is tricky terrain. It can come across as playful or hurtful, insightful or biting. Planned and staged or organic and natural. You can use it to make fun of yourself, self-deprecating humor or use it to make fun of other peoples. You can use it to warm up an audience in a presentation or you can misuse it and turn off an audience. Very different styles. Very different outcomes. User … Continue reading →

Leadership Lessons from Kevin Plank

UnderArmour CEO Kevin Plank sitting in a chair

Posted on June 25, 2018 by Gerry

Recently I had the chance to moderate leadership session with UnderArmour CEO Kevin Plank. It was billed as a “fireside chat” at the Baltimore Ravens annual sponsor summit. For an hour I had a conversation with Kevin and folded audience questions into the dialogue. Kevin was more than generous with his time and his insights on leadership in general and his journey in particular. The leadership lessons Plank has learned from growing UnderArmour from start-up in his grandmother’s basement to … Continue reading →

Get Your Audience to Shift from Wanting to Needing Your Presentation

Presenter in front of a wall of post it notes giving a presentation the audience needs to hear.

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Gerry

Everyone you know has problems. Everyone you present to has problems. And everyone you present to is looking for solutions. That’s where you come in. Their Problems = Your Opportunity One fast and effective way to connect with your audience is to position your presentation as a solution to the audience’s problem or problems. Use your understanding of the audience’s problem or problems to establish a report. But the bulk of your content should help your audience move from problem … Continue reading →

The Most Important Presentation You’ll Ever Give

Woman smiling while folding her arms and presenting herself

Posted on June 2, 2018 by Gerry

You don’t always know when you have to give your most important presentation. That’s what makes it so tricky. Throughout the course of your life and your career you will make a lot of important presentations. Some will seem similar, others wildly different. In some you’ll have the front of the room to yourself. In others you will share the platform with someone else or even a team of people. Some of your presentations will raise awareness, some will raise … Continue reading →

What to do–and not do–with your hands in a presentation

Presenter holding his hands up in a presentation

Posted on May 21, 2018 by Gerry

When was the last time your really thought about your hands? If you’re like most people you never really think about them. You just use them. Until you have to give a presentation. The front of the room seems to give your hands a bizarre life of their own. Show of Hands Have you ever started a presentation and suddenly felt like you didn’t know what you should do with your hands? They can suddenly feel like they need an … Continue reading →