You’ve been tasked with putting together the next pitch deck for one of your clients. The outline and copy have been refined, but the only way to truly make those words sing is to include stock images beyond the typical woman-working-on-a-computer shot. Sure, you can comb through your typical go-tos, but finding fresh stock imagery websites and knowing how to navigate them will only make you stand out and show your true value. Not to mention, unique stock images for… Read more »
What is it about those small moments in your favorite shows and movies that make you want to cry, jump for joy, or tighten your fist in determination? What makes a mundane speaking scene moving? Odds are, it’s all in the actor’s presentation. So can we get presentation tips that we can use in our real life? I think the answer is yes! Since my first day as an intern at DECK, I have frequently caught myself analyzing these moments…. Read more »
Did the earth shake a little during the 2018 Golden Globe Awards? In eight minutes, Oprah Winfrey electrified her audience at the Golden Globes with a speech that ignited a movement for her to run for President. It can also inspire you to be a better speaker. Accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement (a first for an African-American woman), Oprah used her speech to raise awareness of sexual harassment and assault and exhorted women across the country to… Read more »
I was having a tough year. Divorce, sick dad, and now I’m launching a speaking career! What was I thinking?! Do I even know how to tell a story?! I stood in the quiet darkness backstage, waiting for my cue. On the other side of the curtain, the audience’s steady hum died down as the bow-tied host walked up the microphone. He smiled. “Hello, everyone. You’re in for a real treat today,” he said. As he spoke, I shifted nervously,… Read more »
Remember the last presentation you sat through? Chances are the speaker fired up his laptop, opened PowerPoint and started talking. You, and the rest of the audience, were an afterthought. Audience engagement is key to presentation success. Research shows our attention spans last only ten minutes — that’s not much time to captivate and educate! According to a study by the National Academy of Sciences, students in traditional lecture classes are more than 1 1/2 times more likely to fail… Read more »
You’ve started your online hunt for a slide designer by typing the phrase “slide design.” Up come dozens of pages of people and companies claiming to be excellent presentation designers. They probably all say they excel in PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides and Prezi. They may even have portfolio samples you like. But how can you really tell if this particular slide designer is right for your project? Here’s a handy-dandy list to help you filter out the pros from the hacks. Do they connect… Read more »
It’s time to start. You have everything you need to make your presentation great. Your PowerPoint is ready to go, you’re wearing an outfit that makes you feel powerful, and you’ve got your topic down cold. You start to speak and… Something’s not right. Maybe it’s because you know your topic well but your body language and tone of voice don’t convey confidence. Maybe you don’t sound sincere. Maybe you’re trying too hard. Or maybe you’re so worried about what you’re… Read more »
Project your voice? In the age of microphones it may seem silly to talk about. Even Broadway actors now use microphones and the slightest whisper can be detected. But projecting your voice is about more than being heard in the back of the room. It’s also about projecting your personality and increasing a perception of confidence. Also, keep in mind that many presentations take place in board rooms where you might not have a microphone…even in 2017. So, how do you… Read more »
