While we advocate for simple, image-first slides, there are times when complex slides–with graphs, charts, images, and analysis–are unavoidable. In these instances, you need to channel your internal tour guide and tell your audience 3 things:

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldMarch 1, 2024Business presentations, PowerPoint, Death by PowerPoint, Business Communication, Bring the Focus

Option C: The Efficiency Funnel

The “Efficiency Funnel” allows presenters to introduce a lot of content without getting mired in the details. Learn about the efficiency funnel and how to deploy it, here…

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldDecember 1, 2023Communication efficiency, Business presentations, The Professional Communicators, Meeting efficiency, Leadership presentation

The Power of an Iterative Process

Here’s our 5-step, iterative process to develop and deliver a great presentation…

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldNovember 1, 2023Speaker preparation, Speech development, Business presentations, Business Communication, The Professional Communicators

Avoid Toggling into 'Presentation Mode'

Business professionals tasked with important presentations can script a ‘perfect’ presentation, practice it flawlessly, but then stiffen up when presenting to the Board, an important client, or the company. They revert to recitation, their sentences are choppy, their tone is flat, and the presentation no longer feels like a conversation. We call this toggling into ‘presentation mode,’ and it can be a communication liability.

Here are five tips to help you avoid toggling into ‘presentation mode.’

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldAugust 1, 2023Business presentations, Business Communication, Executive communication, Board presentations, QBRs, The Professional Communicators, Executive presence

Answer Questions Like a PRO

Inevitably, during every presentation, meeting, conference call, or conversation, you get asked questions. Dozens of them. And each of those questions need an answer, an answer that is efficient, clear, and easily retained.

Below are a few of our tips to help you provide clear, succinct, and effective answers.

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldFebruary 1, 2023Q&A, Corporate communication, Business presentations, Business communication, Executive Communication, Communication efficiency, The Professional Communicators

An Award-Winning Presentation Recipe

Constructing a family recipe and building an effective presentation aren’t that different. They both start with an assembly of ingredients that are then carefully combined to produce the delicious result.

From our family to yours, here’s a recipe for a satisfying presentation your audience will love.

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldDecember 1, 2022Business presentations, Presentation building, Speech writing, Speech content, The Professional Communicators

Rehearse!

You’ve got your talking points, developed great strategic stories, written an outline, and built a PowerPoint to reinforce your key messages. Heck, you’ve even added a few speaker notes to your slides.

But, you’re not finished.

You need to rehearse.

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldNovember 1, 2022Business presentations, Business Communication, Public speaking, Presentation rehearsal, The Professional Communicators

Your Visual Open

Right there on my TV was a critical lesson--that engaging an audience requires careful orchestration of what your audience hears and sees.

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldApril 1, 2022Visual communication, Business presentations, Business Communication, Public speaking, PowerPoint, The Professional Communicators

Information Overload

Imagine you’re at a Thanksgiving festival and a helicopter is circling above. Suddenly little slips of paper start to fall from the sky. On them are single words and small phrases. You race around furiously trying to grab as many slips of paper as you can to decipher the code.

What’s the message?

Speaker SoundbitesKurt MacDonaldNovember 1, 2021Presentation content, Business presentations, Board reports, Presentation coaching, Corporate communication, Professional Communicators