How to Captivate an Audience
Guy Kawasaki has an interview with Nancy Duarte here.
Excerpt:
Question: Why do most presentations suck?
Answer: Most presentations suck because:
- The presenter has not given the audience any idea why they are there or what the content means to them; messages are disorganized and there’s no unifying story line.
- The presenter uses the slides as a document or teleprompter and reads their slides with his/her back to the audience. This makes the audience feel like the presenter is slow or not very smart.
- The presenter is not passionate or inspired and has not connected to the audience in a uniquely human way.
Did you notice that presentations suck solely because of the presenter? Great speakers like you can get by without much visual support. Emotive qualities are the greatest assets in a live performance.