More than PowerPoint...

Presenting with Twitter - Free Ebook

laura@maniactive.com — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:25:56 PST

The Twitter backchannel is changing the way speakers deliver presentations. Twitter is also changing the way conference planners promote and manage events.

What do teachers, trainers, speakers, and conference planners need to know to keep up with these fast-breaking changes?

You can find out in a wonderfully written (and totally free!) ebook written by "Speaking About Presenting" blogger Olivia Mitchell. The comprehensive ebook, How to present with Twitter (and other backchannels) is available today for free download.

My one-word review of this e-book?

"Wow!"

Olivia gave me the opportunity to review her ebook earlier this month. I was absolutely blown away by how thorough, enjoyable, and helpful her book is as a guide for preparing a presentation or event. Chocked with great tips, if you are planning a presentation, speech, or conference at the moment, here is my 4-step advice:

Drop what you're doing.
Visit Olivia's blog.
Download & read this amazing 62-page book.
Discuss -- how will the Twitter backchannel change the way you plan & present today?

PS - Be sure to follow Olivia Mitchell on Twitter @OliviaMitchell -- she's the engaging lady in New Zealand who frequently shares great ideas about presentation and speaking best practices.

How to Be a Great Audience Member

laura@maniactive.com — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:07:58 PST

When I'm presenting live, I look for a friendly face in the audience. I like to focus on attentive, smiling, thoughtful faces. They give out a good energy that I respond to as a presenter.

Often, just one friendly audience member can make me a better, more confident presenter.

So when it's my turn to be an audience member, I try to pay the good audience vibe forward. I feel that a presenter will do a better job if someone in the audience gives the performer "good face". I try to radiate "positive face energy" to the performer. I make eye contact. I smile and nod at the presenter. If it's supposed to be funny, I'll laugh or giggle.

I like to believe that if I'm a positive audience member, my face and energy will encourage the presenter to give a more enthusiastic performance.

Think about this the next time you're in a deadly dull presentation. We often hear or read about improving our "presentation skills" -- but what are we doing to improve our "audience skills?" How are we helping to co-create the presentation experience with the person who's on stage?

What part can we play -- as audience members-- to improve the performance of any presenter?

Halloween Meets the Fear of Public Speaking

laura@maniactive.com — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:42:40 PDT

Imagine getting this event invitation:

"Come to our Halloween party. Dress as your worst fear."

I received just such an event invitation a number of years ago. Delighted, I set my mind to the task of what I would wear.

"Worst fear. Let's see. I'll bet people will come as ghosts, werewolves, monsters, and such. But I'm not really scared of those things... what am I really afraid of?"

After a number of days of deep thought, I had my answer.

I went as Madame Butterfly.

However, when I got to the party, a gal dressed as a spider and a guy with a lightning bolt driven through his brain wanted to know if I was afraid of tall Japanese ladies.

I explained that the operatic heroine Madame Butterfly represented my fear of being abandoned and treated as a social outcast.

Perhaps this was too deep for my newly-found party compatriots, because they exchanged puzzled looks and walked away. But a fellow in a three-piece suit seemed to understand.

"Fear of success?" I questioned, looking at his get-up.

"Hey, I hadn't thought of that, but maybe," he admitted. "I was thinking about how much I fear the idea of becoming a corporate slave, locked in an office, and looking + acting + talking like an android for the rest of my life."

It seems that the fellow in the suit and I went a little too deep for a Halloween party, but at least our costumes were conversation starters. And they got us thinking about what we were really afraid of.

Perhaps the greatest gift of the "greatest fear" theme of Halloween was to get me thinking about my real fears. I embodied my fear. I literally wore it out of the house! I discussed my fear frankly in a public setting with strangers and friends, and poked fun at it.

Halloween can be a wonderful gift for facing fear.

Well, I don't know what became of my three-piece suit friend, but dressing up as Madame Butterfly weirdly helped me get over the fear of being a social outcast.

People often cite that public speaking is the greatest fear, but it's not. It's a myth. Hey, I didn't see anyone at the party dressed up as a public speaker -- you know, the ones on the circuit with the creepy Botox, amazing dental work, and buttoned-down business garb.

We all might be creeped out by these kinds of public speakers, but no one's really scared of public speaking itself. Not really.

They're scared of what happens as a result of public speaking. Like me, they might be scared of being a social outcast or ostracized for something they say (or how they say it.) They might be afraid (like my buttoned-down party pal) of sounding unnatural and inhuman.

Those are some of the real fears behind the myth of the fear of public speaking. The oft-parroted "fear of public speaking" myth prevents folks from addressing their real fears.

So it's Halloween.

Face your real fears. If you're an adult, you're not really afraid of zombies, monsters, ghosts, or public speaking. They're all just illusions.

What are you really afraid of? And how will you face it?

Two Tips for Curing the "Trailing So..."

laura@maniactive.com — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:56:34 PDT

Americans find the word "whatever" annoying.

They find it way more annoying than the phrase "you know" and "it is what it is."

This factoid comes courtesy of USA Today, as quoted in a recent Marist Poll.

Really?

As for me, I have trouble with another pervasive verbal tic.

I call it "The Trailing So."

You might hear "The Trailing So..." in interviews and Q&A sessions. Someone asks a question. The subject answers, but instead of ending the sentence in a period, he or she ends with "so..."

You can actually hear the ellipses after the trailing so! For example:

Question: "How did it feel to come back to Michigan after living in Hawaii?"
Answer: "Hawaii is great - beautiful weather. I like the change of seasons in Michigan, though. So..."

The "trailing so" signals a weak answer, or that the interviewee is too bored to complete the thought to a satisfying conclusion. It's often a sign that the mouth has started chattering before the brain has had time to think through the answer!

How to cure the trailing so. The first step to finding a cure for the trailing so is to become aware of it. If you find yourself ending a sentence in a trailing so, there are two common situations for why you might have let this verbal tic slip.

1. Habitual Offender. If you find that you're a repeat "trailing so" offender, it's likely that you have become accustomed to hearing it, and unconsciously let this sloppy habit slip into your vernacular. You'll do well to take a moment or two to think through your answer to completion before activating your voice. Taking these silent moments can make you look more thoughtful and reflective. It sure beats babbling around in circles while you try to figure out how you're going to end your statement!

2. Bored or Tired. Let's say you're giving an answer, and find to your horror, that you've ended with a trailing so. This is so unlike you, and you're mortified! You may have done so because you lost interest in your own idea halfway through your statement. Or you may simply be exhausted. At this point, snap awake and firmly state this phrase "Let me summarize!" After you say, "Let me summarize" - quickly and strongly finish your statement as quickly as possible.

For example, "Hawaii is great - beautiful weather. I like the change of seasons in Michigan, though. So...Let me summarize! I'm enjoying the difference!"

The best cure, of course, is to be aware of the trailing so -- and to avoid it by thinking through your statement before speaking.

What's your cure for pervasive verbal tics you find annoying?

Two Ways to Let Your Audience Co-Create Presentation Content

laura@maniactive.com — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:48:50 PDT

Your audience has the technology. They're carrying smart phones. They have net books or note books.

So why not let them use their snazzy tech tools to co-create presentations? Here are two tech-driven ways to let your audience co-create presentation content.

PollEverywhere. Audience interactivity is a big part of the draw of PollEverywhere. You ask your audience a question; they can answer using Twitter, text messages, or the web. The PollEverywhere online service instantly tabulates audience survey results in chart form in your PowerPoint presentation.

I used PollEverywhere in class earlier this week -- it took me only a few minutes to craft a few cheeky surveys using the service. Downloading the poll as a PowerPoint slide (ppt or pptx) was a smooth, one-click operation. When students took the poll, results weren't exactly immediate -- I estimated a 15-20 second lag time before the graph started moving and changing before our eyes. Not bad at all.

PollEverywhere also allows you to ask open-ended questions as well as create bar or column charts. You may download survey results in CSV format, tweak colors and font sizes, and embed polls in web pages. This tool is very simple to use, yet fun and potentially quite powerful. Free for a small audience of 30 or less, PollEverywhere also provides more robust options with its paid services for use with larger audiences.

Twitter Hashtags. In the 1990's, I would often moderate candidate forums during election years. To keep these town hall meetings civil, we would pass out index cards and ask the audience to write out their candidate questions. Audience members passed their written questions to volunteers who made sure that the most popular and well-framed questions were brought forward to my lectern.

Today's audience may warm to a similar approach that is more transparent than using index cards. Why not ask a modern audience to Tweet their questions with a special Twitter hashtag for panel discussions? This lets a tech-savvy audience easily see the most popular and well-framed questions, while preventing boors from hijacking the Q&A portion of the program with tiresome or poorly-framed questions. Services like Tweetchat and Twitterfall let the panel and audience easily visualize the scope of questions surrounding the topic at a larger meeting, forum, or conference.

How else have you used technology to encourage audience interaction in your presentations? What works well? What doesn't?

How do you EARN attention when presenting?

laura@maniactive.com — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:45:07 PDT

"No computers or handhelds during my presentation," barks a presenter. "I don't know whether you're playing games or paying attention. For the next hour, all eyes up here, on me!"

photo credit: Ana Marta 7

I ignore this insane outburst, of course. I'm an adult. So is the rest of the audience. I take notes on my notebook PC. If the guy has something pithy to say, I might even rock it out on Twitter, give him credit, and spread his idea further.

After his presentation, the fellow rebuked me for failing to follow his pre-presentation command. I was being rude by typing as he talked, he insisted.

On the contrary, I protested. I was there to learn from him, not to pacify his ego by staring adoringly at him while he ignored the needs of his audience.

In fact, I told him I glanced up from my computer numerous times. I looked at his PowerPoint slides, but the text was too small for me to read, so I looked at him. His body language -- back to the audience as he read the text from the slides -- didn't hold my visual interest, so my eyes went back to my computer screen. Because he was long-winded, he didn't give me any short concepts to Tweet, so his ideas didn't spread beyond the room.

I have an obligation to be a good audience member. It means that my mobile phone is silenced, so that I don't annoy others. It means that I give back energy to the presenter -- I laugh if something's funny, applaud if I am moved, nod quietly with agreement, raise my hand to ask questions, make eye contact at times, or participate in activities or discussions when I am asked courteously. Otherwise, I remain silent and take notes.

As a presenter, I note that my audience is often texting or typing while I talk. They might indeed be playing games or doing something non-work related. They also might be taking notes, learning, and sharing ideas.

It's not about me and my needs, it's about the audience. A modern audience uses modern tools. As a presenter, I need to learn to adapt my style to fit their needs. Why should the audience have to pacify my selfish needs for their attention? Why should I force my audience to stop using tools that let them learn and share information?

As a presenter, I need to EARN attention. If I'm interesting, the audience is more likely to be interested. They might express their interest in a different way: years back, they might have nodded and jotted down a note. Today, they might nod and type.

Get used to it. Don't churlishly tell your audience to PAY attention. Instead, be so phenomenally entertaining or interesting that they can't help but GIVE you their attention!

How do you EARN attention when presenting to a modern, tech-savvy audience?

Just Who Do You Think You Are?

laura@maniactive.com — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:05:50 PDT

"Just be yourself."

How many times have you heard this three-word bit of useless advice? Yes, you read that right: I wrote "useless". Why useless? Two main reasons:

There's nothing "just" about being yourself. You're complicated. You're deep. If you were a rock or a piece of wood, perhaps you could "just" present yourself without thought to your audience.
You can only be yourself. Even if you act as if you're someone else, you're being yourself. Apparently, you're an actor. Or a con artist. Hey, acting like someone else might be exactly who you are!

If someone tells you to "just" be yourself, you might think for a second, "OK, then -- who am I?"

photo credit: natamagat

You might find that you're rather complicated. You're a thoughtful, intelligent, caring person. You might also be a parent, a dog-lover, a teacher, a business person, a singer, a CEO of a thriving company, a practical jokester, a oenophile, a stamp collector, a martial arts expert, a gardener, a cook -- yes, indeed, you may be all this and more. Or you may be something else entirely...

"It is well known that people don't always 'speak their minds', and it is suspected that people don't always 'know their minds'."
-Quote from the Harvard Implicit Association Test Home Page

So, here you are. You're this fascinating and multi-faceted character, and some vapid goofball thinks you can "just" be yourself, as if you were a bit of plankton or an amoeba.

You can do better. Instead of just being yourself, why not present your very best self to the audience at hand?

For example, let's say you are a fabulous parent to two toddlers. That's a big part of "who you are". When you're with your children, you take on a tone of voice and project an image that is appropriate for your tots.

Now take that same tone of voice and image that you present to your children and use it to give a business presentation to the board of directors. Or lecture to a class of college students. Or to talk to the guy who's fixing your car.

Probably not so effective to be your "exceptional-toddler-parent" self for those particular audiences!

If you think you know yourself, think again. So let's go back to the very essence of "who you are" -- who are you, exactly? (For an eye-opener, I recommend taking some of the online tests at the Harvard Implicit Association Test. You may find out that you know yourself very well -- or maybe not!)

Let's say, for example, that you are "a thoughtful, intelligent, caring person."

No matter which role you take on -- parent, martial artist, teacher, business person, dog lover -- these characteristics describe the essence of "who you are". You carry these characteristics with you, regardless of the audience in front of you.

And because you are intelligent and caring, you might decide that your audience will be more enthusiastic if you decide to act like someone else entirely! Someone smarter, funnier, braver, stronger, sillier, dopier, goofier, angrier, more confident...whatever.

"Pretending to be braver than you are" is also a bit of presentation advice you'll often hear -- almost as much as that crazy bit about "being yourself."

If you have to pick between these two bits of contrary advice -- which would you choose?

And "just" how well do you know yourself-- really?

The Days of Talking Heads Are Nearly Over

laura@maniactive.com — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:02:30 PDT

I ♥ David Byrne.

I even ♥ David Byrne's "I ♥ PowerPoint."

Really, I do.

But the days of the Talking Heads are over.

I'm not talking about the band. I'm talking TV. And presenters. And presentations.

We have social media to thank.

photo credit: andyket

Interactive presentations are in.

Authoritative anchors reading dispassionately from teleprompters are out.

Teachers and professors lecturing from on high? Also on the way out.

Note your TV news shows asking, "What do you think? Talk back. Send us your video. Talk to us at Twitter. Comment on our blog...."

Walter Cronkite, bless his trusted soul, didn't ply his trade in an era of interactivity. He was a talking head, appropriate for the decades he served. A deep authoritative voice coupled with a kind-looking face served him well in his time.

Today, Jon Stewart is the most trusted man in TV news. Well, not really. People just voted him as the most trusted newscaster.

In an online poll.

By Time Magazine.

See what I mean? Online polls. Talking back. Old-school journalism meets citizen journalism. Opinions. Interactivity. It's all the rage.

Burning down the house. Last week, Stewart jokingly called his second-place poll rival (TV news anchor Brian Williams) a "teleprompter monkey."

Does that make the new style of news anchor, a "hyper-interactive monkey?"

And how are you using social media to make your presentations more interactive, compelling, and contemporary?

Crowdsourcing Presentation Content with Twitter

laura@maniactive.com — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 03:45:36 PDT

What's Crowdsourcing? According to Wikipedia, crowdsourcing is outsourcing a task to a large group of people in an open call. For example, when I was asked to present on the topic of social media & reputation management to an audience of college students earlier this month, I turned to the community at Twitter as an exercise in presentation content crowdsourcing.

Using the medium to help create the message, I posed my situation and asked a question:

Within hours, I received a dozen or so intriguing replies. It struck me that many of the replies looked -- and read -- like fortune cookies. So I felt whimsically inspired to use a prophetic design treatment for some of the Twittered replies. Ergo,

and

In some cases, I worked the Tweet into the overall landscape of the Twittered prophecy.

Give credit where it's due. When I showed each of the crowdsource quotations, I gave verbal credit to the contributor, stating their name, city, and occupation. The Tweet itself shows each of their Twitter " handles="" or="" thanks="">LisaBraithwaite @JGaler @AnitaCochran) . The audience discussed the twittered advice. Each slide served as a backdrop for an interactive discussion.

Why Crowdsource Content? Frankly, at the time I turned to Twitter for content ideas because it sounded like fun -- and because it would be very easy to do. I'm also acutely interested in what professionals who participate in social media circles might have to say on the subject -- and how they'd say it. Additionally, I thought that the students in my audience would also be interested in this very relevant perspective and voice, as well.

I also found four other reasons to crowdsource presentation content:

1. Introduce a fresh voice. As a speaker, you express your own point of view and personality. And you'll use your own pace, pitch, tone, and vernacular. A fresh, new voice can add both visual and auditory interest -- while supporting your key points.

2. Introduce fresh ideas. Through crowdsourcing, you may be exposed to new ideas that can enhance the content and tone of your presentation. The Twitter community gave me plenty of content to support my overall thesis -- but they also encouraged me to explore a new dynamic that may previously have gone uncovered.

3. Strengthen the audience connection to the content. Presenters often use a pithy quotation from a famous person to help convey a point. But why limit your quotations to famous people? Getting a quote from a respected professional with a unique point of view can be engaging for the audience. Using a quote from a "real" person can make the content more personal.

4. Why not? How hard is it to ask a question to a group of people? The worst that can happen is that no one responds, and you're out a few seconds of your time! Weigh that against the best that can happen - you gain new insights into your topic that you haven't realized before. You get smarter. You get to build and strengthen ideas. Your audience benefits from stronger, more personal content. And along the way, you meet interesting people who like to talk about ideas.

What other reasons might you decide to crowdsource a presentation? And what might hold you back from getting ideas from people in the crowd? :)

(For another example of crowdsourcing, feel free to respond to this question about college graduation keynote speeches!)

Three Transparently Phony Ways to Appear Less Confident

laura@maniactive.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:27:36 PDT

Confidence. Somehow, this word became virtuous in the 1980's. It remained a positive trait -- until fairly recently.

Confidence men, we called them in the 1930's and 40's. Over time, we shortened this to "Con Men" or "Cons". Overly charming, smooth. Hucksters. Yech.

Cons transmit that they are absolutely positive in their correctness. Who trusts the overly confident?

Bernie Madoff and his ilk have made us collectively uneasy about confidence again.

photo credit: Matti Mattila

How to appear less confident

If you're an overly confident speaker, you might have a big problem connecting with a modern, tech-savvy audience. (Especially here in the American Midwest!) In an era of quickly produced, less-than-polished user generated content -- your confidence might seem inappropriately over-the-top.

Here are 3 quick and completely insincere ways to tone down any over-confidence you may have as a speaker or presenter.

Toss in filler words. A few, "ums and ahhs" and nervous shuffling can go a long way to instill the idea that you're thinking about what you're saying. You're not glibly reciting a speech. You're not absolutely convinced that you are unequivocally correct. You're open to starting conversations and creating a dialog. Your social awkwardness in public speaking indicates that you're thinking. That you're concerned. That you care enough to be nervous. Audiences warm to this kind of humility.
Ugly up your PowerPoint slides. Nothing says, "I'm overly image conscious" like professionally designed PowerPoint presentations. When it looks like a presenter spent 80 hours in meetings with a team of designers, writers, and speech coaches to deliver a one-hour presentation -- that's the take-away. That's what the audience will talk about behind the speaker's back. The message won't stick when all people talk about is how pretty the slides were and how Hollywood the storytelling was.
Dress out-of-sync. I watched a multi-millionaire give a presentation to 200+ business people. The audience? In modern business attire. The presenter? In a sad, schlumpfly suit from the 1980's. The audience LOVED him. Think they merely tolerated his eccentric garb because he was rich? Guess again. I also watched a junior software engineer wearing an unpressed polo shirt and lumpy khakis present to a board wearing business suits. They ADORED his presentation, too.

If you're an awkward or eccentric speaker, rejoice. This is your time! Embrace your humility! Hug your weirdness!

And if you're a con artist, your audience will likely see through your naked attempts to "Aw, shucks it up" for them. After all, this is the age of authenticity and transparency -- two achingly glorious buzzwords that shine a bright, unflattering spotlight on slick over-confidence and transparently phony faux-humility mannerisms.

Social awkwardness is in!

Nerds, enjoy it while it lasts...

What will the next wave of popularity be?

The Creepiest PowerPoint Design Trend of 2009

laura@maniactive.com — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:59:50 PDT

architecture.
revolutionary.
relationships.
re-contextualize.

Those were four words on four slides in a 15 minute PowerPoint presentation I witnessed last month. The remaining 700 slides in the presentation each had one word on them, as well.

OK, I'm exaggerating. There couldn't have been 700 slides in that presentation.

But it seemed like it.

In the presentation I saw, random buzzwords that the speaker used in his narrative kept fading in-an-out of the PowerPoint slides projected behind him. Oh-so-slowly.

After a few minutes, I blinked, shook my head, and looked away. I was getting too mesmerized by the slow word parade.

I was looking for meaning in those words. I was looking for context. There wasn't any.

After looking off to the right for a few moments, I focused on merely listening to the speaker while I stared at a blank wall. The presenter was telling a story about a problem his customers had, and how his product helped solve it.

It wasn't a half-bad story, so I turned to look at the speaker.

Then, I saw it.

synergy?

I grimaced. I had to look away again.

Since this presentation, I've seen a few other slow-word-parade style presentations. I suspect presenters create this style as something of a mood board to set the tone for the presentation. It can be easier and cheaper to toss word salad at people than to craft a story and work on polishing the delivery.

Personally, I find this word-mood board style of presentation design distracting and disturbing. It was hard for me to focus on connecting with the speaker or his story. I found myself thinking that he would have been much more effective with absolutely nothing in the background.

I've seen this technique a number of times this year. Let's hope this a trend that will, uh -- fade quickly!

What are better ways to set the mood for your presentation?

Stop! In the Name of Acronyms!

laura@maniactive.com — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:45:16 PDT

"Stop! Police!"

That's what I'd yell if I was a police officer chasing a suspect. And apparently, I'd be wrong.

photo credit: stevendepolo

A buddy was watching a crime drama a while ago. I came in late. As I settled on the couch, a police officer was chasing a suspect.

"Stop! NYPD!" shouted the policeman. The bad guy kept running.

"What's NYPD?" I asked my chum.

"This story is set in New York. NYPD is New York Police Department. Everyone knows that."

"Really?" I asked. "If I was visiting New York, and some nut with a gun was chasing me screaming out alphabet soup. I'd run faster."

Of course, screaming out the acronym NYPD is ludicrous. If I was in Chicago, would police officers scream, "Stop! CPD!"? And if the Ontario Provincial Police yelled, "Stop! OPP!" -- suspects would probably break out in laughter.

It doesn't take any longer to say "New York" than it does "NY". Same number of syllables. So it's not a matter of speaking an acronym for speed. And it's not a department that's chasing a bad guy -- it's a solitary officer. Even weirder -- why say the name of the city at all? Isn't that redundant? After all, the suspect probably knows what city he's in!

I asked my crime-show loving friend all of these questions. He seemed annoyed.

"Because it's TV. I'm sure they say, "Stop, Police" in real life. Now can we please watch the show?"

I stopped talking, but I kept thinking about it. In real life, people can get a little acronym happy. The police officer became so accustomed to interdepartmental and collegial jargon -- he forgot that anyone outside his circle wouldn't know what the heck he's yelling about.

It's not just television show detectives that have acronym issues. As a consultant who gets brought into larger organizations, one of my first tasks is usually to crack the acronym and jargon code that insiders use among each other. This can actually be kind of fun -- like a puzzle. Or learning a new tribal language. It also helps keep my wits sharp for when adolescents and young people start talking in Instant Messaging Lingo (IM, for short!) --"OMG! POS - TTYL."

So when it comes to crafting presentations or communication pieces for an external audience, consider hiring a writer or editor -- if for no other reason than to have an outside set of ears and eyes experience the communication piece. You won't believe the alphabet soup I've often encountered in external marketing presentations. It often slips by, unnoticed to ears that have grown tone-deaf to the buzz of interdepartmental acronyms.

It's really that ubiquitous. Don't believe me?

For a fun little exercise, open up any one of your recent corporate or organizational PowerPoint presentations. Do an acronym count -- it's quite likely that you'll find at least one.

And before you think, "Yeah, but everyone knows THAT acronym..." please think about how little work it might take to change it. You can make yourself more clear by actually speaking the words -- instead of chanting the letters that represent the words.

This one simple act may keep your suspects -- er, prospects -- from running away!

Presentation Diet Plan - Or Superstition?

laura@maniactive.com — Wed, 20 May 2009 10:37:34 PDT

I get a little asparagus happy this time of year. Honestly, Michigan asparagus is at its absolute prime between Mother's Day and Father's Day. So for one month, I cannot seem to get enough of this fresh, local, delicious vegetable. I eat it at least once a day.

After Father's Day, I'm pretty much over it. Until next year, that is!

But between the Michigan asparagus seasons, I eat a much more varied diet. Unless it's the day of a major presentation -- then, I rely on a somewhat ritualized food quirk.

The Presentation Diet Plan. You see, I can't just eat ANYTHING on the day of a major presentation. I need to keep my energy up, so protein and carbs need to be on the menu. And I cannot afford a fit of, em, gastronomic distress during a presentation, so greasy, fatty, spicy, and carbonated items are definitely OFF the menu. And as much as I love a glass of wine with a big carby meal, that combo can leave me prone to sleepiness or drunken rambling -- both highly undesirable to audience members.

My presentation diet? An organic, no-sugar peanut butter sandwich. On whole grain bread. And water. That's it. That's my pre-presentation meal: and has been for years. It gives me energy. It sticks to my ribs. No blood sugar crashing -- and no burping. It also packs easily -- put a few peanut butter sandwiches in a zip lock bag, and they can survive a mean day of travel.

Diet...or Superstition? As much as I'd like to tell you that my presentation diet is a sensible solution to keeping my energy high while avoiding discourteous gastronomical fits and unpleasant metabolism side effects, I now have my suspicions. It seems that performers and presenters are a superstitious lot -- we get into habits that have nothing to do with reason.

Many actors say "break a leg" instead of "good luck" before a performance. Whistling behind the stage or uttering the name of a certain Shakespeare play? This is also supposed to bring bad luck. And let's not forget the good side of luck and performance: athletes and actors are famous for carrying good luck talismans or undergoing quirky little rituals before performing.

So...is my peanut butter sandwich + water pre-presentation diet plan practical and sensible -- or have I veered off into the land of the supernatural?

And what's your presentation diet plan? What foods do you avoid -- or are absolute musts on the day of a performance?

Even if it's not food-related -- what's the oddest ritual or habit you've heard of someone routinely undertaking before a performance?

The 4 Most Important Elephants of Presentation

laura@maniactive.com — Fri, 08 May 2009 08:24:48 PDT

In grad school, a marketing professor insisted on an oral report. One student in class did not speak English as her first language.

When she gave her report, she began talking about "The Most Important Elephants of International Marketing". We all thought, of course, that she mispronounced "elements". After the first time, most audience members, including myself, merely smiled.

But after a few minutes, it became clear that she was going to repeat the word "elephants" -- multiple times -- for the remainder of her presentation! So our professor interrupted the speaker.

"Excuse me," he said kindly. "I hate to interrupt you. Your speech content, so far, is very good. But one small thing is unclear."

He explained that an elephant was a huge animal with a trunk, tusks, and floppy ears. The speaker looked bewildered.

So the professor pantomimed the trunk and made a strange elephant noise. The professor suggested that perhaps the word she wanted was "element".

photo credit: Mara 1

The speaker looked embarrassed. She blushed and stammered. Trying to recover, she asked the laughing audience:

"So elephants are very big, powerful animals, yes?"

Of course, we all agreed with her.

"My ideas are big, powerful ideas. Just like elephants. So please continue to think of my elements as elephants."

For the remainder of her report, she would say the word "elephant", then excuse herself and carefully say "element".

It became clear to me that she had rehearsed her report, and used the word "elephant" in rehearsal . For her speech, the wrong word was ingrained in her brain. It wasn't going away any time soon! Nonetheless, she recovered nicely. She delivered a wonderful presentation, elephants and all!

I learned four unintended lessons from her talk:

Practice doesn't make perfect. If you're rehearsing incorrectly, you can count on faulty delivery. Rehearsing alone is fine - but not forever. Get feedback.
Mistakes can be endearing. No one thought the speaker was an idiot for making a mistake. The audience empathized with her, and found her mistake charming.
Preparation pays. Even though the speaker bobbled one word, it was clear she knew her material. She recovered, and delivered a report that likely earned her an "A".
The unexpected can rivet attention. Because of one mispronounced word, I remember a 15 minute speech -- 20 years later. Why not use a homophone -- or other unexpected technique! -- to make your next presentation more memorable?

What's your most important elephant when you deliver a presentation? Or rather, what unexpected technique do you like to employ to make your presentation content stick?

Your PowerPoint Is Not Your Presentation

laura@maniactive.com — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:53:04 PDT

"May I have a copy of your PowerPoint presentation?" asks an audience member.

"What for?" I ask.

"So that I can look at it later."

"Is there something I said that isn't clear? Do we need to go back?" I ask.

"No, no. Great presentation. I just want a hard copy."

"Well, no," I answer. "My PowerPoint slides are my props. They're not my presentation."

OK, I don't actually say that last bit.

I often want to, but I don't! Instead, I usually say,

"I'm glad you liked the presentation. But public speaking is a part of my livelihood, and I give this presentation multiple times, in multiple venues. I don't want the presentation floating around the internet. I'm sure you understand. But tell you what, after about six months or so, I'll probably be done giving this presentation, so if you want to leave me your card..."

Seriously. Be a polite audience member. Never, ever ask a presenter for his or her presentation. (Not unless the presenter offers it to the audience as a download or CD or print out first. I sometimes do this after a 6 month run.)

If you like my presentation, I'm flattered. Really.

But my PowerPoint slides are usually props for my speech.

Would you go up to a juggler and ask, "Neat act! May I have your balls?"

photo credit: Ladonite

OK, maybe you would!

But if you've been paying attention and taking notes during a speech or presentation, you won't need the PowerPoint presentation. Really.

So don't ask!

In fact, I often design stand-up presentations so that they are complete gibberish if someone looks at the slides only. Without my narrative and personality, the PowerPoint presentation usually won't make much sense. It won't help the viewer in any possible way.

I suspect that most people ask because they like the presentation. I also suspect they have personal or psychological problems! Like pack rats, they like to collect useless things. Or that they want to get all CSI on how I might have programmed an animation. Or they might be lazy and want to rip off a graph -- or cut, copy, paste a factoid or graphic -- instead of re-create it themselves.

But know this: to a presenter, it's not one bit flattering when an audience member asks for a hard copy of the presentation. It signals they weren't paying attention.

Instead, a thoughtful, polite audience member might ask, "Could you please show us the slide with X on it again? There were a few numbers on it that I'd like to reference..." or something that's slightly less offensive than asking for the entire presentation.

Really, if you're a happy audience member, find another way to show appreciation. Applause is always appreciated.

Also: be a presenter with balls. If someone asks for your presentation, learn to tell them no.

Maybe then, well-intentioned audience members will learn to quit asking!

(PS -- How do you tactfully tell an audience member, "NO!")

Which PowerPoint Presentation Would You Prefer?

laura@maniactive.com — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:20:12 PDT

Today's PowerPoint presentation question is inspired by a Molson Canadian Bottle Label.

Answer Honestly
Would You Prefer...

A hum-drum speaker using a scrumptious looking PowerPoint presentation?

- OR -

A scintillating speaker using a visually so-so PowerPoint design?

Well, beer drinkers and others -- what's your answer?

PS -- In case (hah! case!) you have no idea what I'm talking about with regard to beer campaign labels, see the Molson bottle photo below. Or, if you're a logician, you can label (hah! label!) this PowerPoint Presentation Fallacy as "False Dilemma."

Either way:

Cheers!

PowerPoint Pet Peeve: The Passive Voice

laura@maniactive.com — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:26:42 PDT

Which sentence do you like better?

A PowerPoint presentation was given by the CEO.
The CEO gave a PowerPoint presentation.

Both sentences relay the same information. So why do you like the second one better?

The first sentence is longer. It uses the passive voice.
The second sentence is shorter. It uses the active voice.

When I listen to speakers who almost exclusively rely upon the passive voice, I go a little bonkers. Why?

photo credit: Jacob Garcia

The passive voice is mushy and weaselly. It signals that the speaker is trying to hide something. When someone says, "Mistakes were made ," I instantly want to spring up and scream, "By whom?"

If one more benefit shakes out of using Twitter, let it be a giant reduction in people using the passive voice. Active voice is shorter, swifter, and more powerful. It takes responsibility. It's the stronger, nobler choice.

I have no idea why so many presenters use the passive voice. Do you?

And what are your grammatical presentation pet peeves?

(Of course, it might be a fun exercise to write your blog comments, exclusively using the passive voice. That might help me exorcise my peevishness!)

How Twitter Can Enhance Your Presentation

laura@maniactive.com — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:33:30 PST

Much ado over a Twittering Congress. Last week during the President's address to the joint session of Congress, some members Twittered through the speech. Almost immediately, two basic attitude camps sprang up among pundits:

1. How dare they! Congress should be paying rapt attention, not providing color commentary.
2. Kudos! Now, the public gets to immediately know what's going on in the minds of elected officials.

photo credit: ydhsu

How dare they! The "How dare they" camp comes across as quaint, old-fashioned. Traditional presenters bristled with comments like: "if someone is Twittering during a presentation, it means that the speaker is not keeping their interest and attention. They're failures as presenters!" Another "how dare they" comment reflected the cell phone disruptions from the 1990's - remember the days when presenters reminded everyone to turn off their cell phones and pagers?

The kudos camp. People who embrace the Congressional Tweetstream are facing the inevitable: more and more people WILL Tweet during your presentation. People have been making color commentary behind the speaker's back for ages -- with Twitter, it all becomes immediate and public. And it's not going to stop any time soon. In fact, Twitter backchannel behavior only going to grow and thrive. Instead of fighting it, learn to embrace it! Plan on it!

Three Quick Ways to Harness the Power of Twitter to Enhance Your Presentation.

1. Think in terms of one-liners and sound bites. Unlike a cell phone ringing, Tweeting during a speech is not disruptive. It is akin to a laugh line or an applause line. Think of it this way: when a comedian drops a one-liner, he or she waits a beat for the audience to process the joke. After the beat, the audience bursts out in laughter. When you give a presentation to a Twittering audience, you'll want to think in terms of sound bites and one liners, too. Drop a few Twitter liners into your speech, then pause. Wait for the audience to process the thought. Then, resume speaking when the sounds of thumbs clattering away on mobile texting devices die down.

2. Plan for Tweeting audiences. Over at the Speaking About Presenting blog, Olivia Mitchell shares her experiences of presenting live to a Twittering audience. Ms. Mitchell outlines 8 key points she learned while presenting to a Twittering audience. Rather than reiterate them here, go read them! Olivia and other presenters are embracing Twitter, and inventing new methods to connect with a socially savvy audience. The advantages of connecting with your audience's preferred way of communication are clear. The bonus? You can spread your messages farther & faster when you communicate appropriately for a Tweeting audience!

3. Devise hashtags for your presentation. Hopefully, your conference or meeting organizer will assign a hashtag for the conference. If they haven't, make sure you come up with one that's short, memorable, and unique. Encourage your audience to tag their Tweets. When you later search for tagged Tweets , you'll get a stream of your backchannel commentary. You'll know which lines worked, which didn't, and which spread like wildfire. Hashtags let you more effectively spread your presentation to an audience beyond the room. Hashtags also let you critique your presentation, so that you can become a better speaker.

What other ways might you change your presentation style to more positively connect with a Twittering audience?

How Public Speaking Can Make You Richer, Thinner, and Better in Bed

laura@maniactive.com — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 06:45:37 PST

Bill Gates released a container of mosquitoes as part of his presentation schtick at the exclusive TED conference last week. Apparently, his gimmick intended to teach a privileged TED audience that mosquitoes cause malaria.

However, what happens at TED doesn't stay at TED. Gates' stunt earned major media buzz. The worldwide backchannel chatter is that Microsoft unleashes bugs on unsuspecting people.

This gives us two public speaking lessons to think about.

Blowing Smoke: Outrageous acts and claims get attention.
The Larger Audience: The folks in front of you may not be your primary audience.

photo credit: Matthew Crowne

Blowing Smoke. Check your email inbox - especially the junk folder. Flip on a TV or glance at a magazine rack. How many outrageous headlines and claims do you see?

Many of us are bombarded daily with outrageous claims. A pervasive part of our daily landscape, we suck in outrage as if it were oxygen.

Details? Features? Specificity? Facts? Information? Not so much. Those tend to get buried.

Due to overexposure, are many of us becoming just a little immune to this approach? Or at least more weary? A wee bit more skeptical?

Or are we as happy as ever just to know we're going to be richer, thinner, and better in bed -- never mind the nagging details about how all of these benefits are going to come to fruition?

The answer, of course, is apparent. People talked about Gates' outrageous act -- they didn't chat about the facts and figures he presented to support his claims.

Are you with me, camera guy? Outrageous stunts and outrageous claims get attention. People talk about them. So they spread like malaria.

The Larger Audience. The live audience of rich people at TED wasn't Gates' primary audience. Gates got his message out to a much larger worldwide audience.

Similarly, the audience in front of you may not be your real target. How can you effectively combine outrage and social media to make sure people talk about your ideas -- so that you can gain a much larger audience?

Remember the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Stephen Colbert was the speaker -- and he gave a satirical presentation that did not, um, resonate comfortably with the live audience in front of him. However, Colbert's performance quickly went viral online. His message reached a much larger audience that seemed to cherish his performance.

By combining outrageous acts with the power of social media channels, your message can go out to a much bigger audience.

You, too, can use social media and public speaking to become richer, thinner, and better in bed.

(If you really want to help someone with malaria become better in bed, consider the Nothing But Nets program)

Presentation V. Working the Room

laura@maniactive.com — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:49:52 PST

The marvelous social media sommelier Gary Vaynerchuk gives us an excellent 3 minute video outlining the necessity of "working the room" versus "giving a presentation."

If you're still "giving presentations" -- note the distinction. For years, brands became accustomed to "giving presentations" and "controlling" the message. In the age of social media, with blogs and sites like Twitter, FaceBook, YouTube -- merely giving a presentation is less effective than "working the room".

The video you see above is also a fine example of how an audience can talk back. Note the comments that bubble up from the audience as you watch the video. Mr. Vaynerchuk puts himself out there -- inviting feedback and criticism. He's working the room.

How will social media change the way you present your brand?

And when will you stop "giving presentations?"

The First Social Media President

laura@maniactive.com — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:45:42 PST

Barack Obama became the US president today. An estimated 2 million+ people came to Washington DC to witness the historic inauguration.

But those who followed the DC event online are also a part of history. We are among the first to watch an inauguration while following the back channel chatter of millions of other viewers. As I watched video coverage on CNN online, I simultaneously followed the running commentary of friends on FaceBook.

Listening to professional commentators cover the event became less powerful or interesting than noting the comments of friends and family. Similarly, on Twitter, many tagged Tweets with #inaug09 to mark their thoughts as they watched the historical event.

What does all this back channel commenting mean? It means that, like always, people bond over events and interesting content. Major events give people something to talk about with each other. Thoughts that spring to mind leap instantly to screen, where they can be noticed, monitored, and tracked. In a way, this inauguration marks the dawning of the age of our first social media president.

Obama's team appears to have embraced social media. FDR was our first radio president. Truman was likely the first president to tentatively harness the power of TV. Clinton may have been our first internet-ready president. We already know that the nation's new president plans weekly online video addresses. His team launched the Barack Obama YouTube Channel. A Barack Obama FaceBook page. A Twitter presence. Within hours of his presidency, we also saw a blog spring up at WhiteHouse.gov. Old content at WhiteHouse.gov was not archived - it was demolished.

Open and accessible communication. It's one thing to have a blog, a YouTube Channel, a FaceBook Page, a Twitter presence. It's quite another to keep it thriving with fresh content. And it's yet another to listen to the many diverse voices that will be springing up with comments and criticism. How well will the new president and his team listen and respond to millions of voices that cry out on these new social media channels?

Perhaps the answer lies in the inaugural address. "What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them..." President Obama seems to have captured the imagination of his public with his ever-present theme of change. He acknowledges change. And it's not just the economic and political landscape that is experiencing radical change. Technology and communication styles are changing rapidly, as well.

How well will the new US president continue to embrace an open and accessible communication style? In what ways will the new administration use social media to listen and communicate with various constituencies throughout the world?

And how do you like following major events online? Were the FaceBook-powered updates on CNN helpful -- or distracting?

How to Take PowerPoint Personally

laura@maniactive.com — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:33:41 PST

The Passion of the PowerPoint. I'm stunned by the passion that PowerPoint (yes, humble PowerPoint!) can arouse! My previous Propaganda, PowerPoint and You inspired Olivia Mitchell to launch a group blogging project. She asked other bloggers to write about what they'd like to see in PowerPoint design in 2009.

To date, Olivia has received over 40 passionate responses from bloggers all over the world! Most are amazing, well-reasoned, and thoughtful. Some are funny, witty, silly. But almost all are passionate!

photo credit: Arbron

Had to grin at Seth Godin's response about my "Propaganda" post. He wrote:

“Simple: she’s wrong. As the first person to speak up and out about single ideas/images and death to bullets, I take this one personally. Resist temptation. Do not backslide!”

This response reminds me of a line from the 1968 Television Mockumentary, How to Irritate People. In this pre-Monty Python sketch comedy assortment, John Cleese says (something like),

"If you go to a party and announce, 'The trouble with women is that they take everything personally!', about 4 women will jump up and say, 'Well, I don't!'"

How to take things personally. You can take things personally if someone:

actually names you.
refers to you as a pronoun.
judges you morally!

I didn't mention Mr. Godin in my post, so why would he take it personally? Godin is hardly the first person to recognize that propaganda techniques can be effective at persuading! As for my being "wrong" -- about what? Noticing that people seem as irritated with propaganda-heavy presentations as they are with deeply analytical presentations? Posing a few benign "what do you think" and "how about" questions in a blog post?

That brand of "wrong" was pervasive in Amerika for the past 8 years. Hopefully, it's on the way out.

photo credit: istopcrappics

I'll repeat: many people seem bored. In 2008, I was often an audience member where presentation content and design relied almost exclusively on propaganda techniques. It was merely tedious in sales and marketing presentations, but wildly inappropriate for technical training and scientific demonstrations.

The backlash against this approach is palpable. As an audience member, I feel it. I also witness others fidgeting uncomfortably. I hear whispers. I see people shout stuff like -- "Where's the beef? Hasty Generalization! Dicto Simplicter! Ad Nauseum!" and the like -- when they're watching a webinar littered with information-light, carefully-crafted, simple-image PowerPoint slides.

Or irritated. And yes, I read the snarky Tweets in the back channels. And hear the gossip in the hallways and break rooms at conferences. (You can, too.)

I've witnessed the backlash first hand in 2008. A lot more than I have room for in one blog post!

So I noted the backlash. And I asked questions about it. I wondered if another approach would rise up and become popular in 2009. I suggested that a "middle road" might occur with a swing of the pendulum.

In my world, it's not wrong to note trends or ask questions!

That's so 2001. In 2009, you can listen to your audience talk back on social media channels. You can also choose to engage or ignore the rise of an increasingly media-savvy audience. Hopefully, a more dynamic public will start recognizing heavy-handed propaganda techniques -- and start talking about them. People are already pushing back on Twitter, on blogs, at Bar Camps -- how long will it take for the backlash to happen in person at industry conferences, classrooms, and corporate meetings?

Social Media Inspired PowerPoint Design for 2009

laura@maniactive.com — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:42:37 PST

"What would you like to see in PowerPoint design in 2009?"

That's what Olivia Mitchell, who writes the fantastic Speaking About Presenting blog, asked me last month. Now, Olivia didn't ask just me: she also acted as community organizer, posing the question to a plethora of presentation bloggers. She asked us to write one post on this topic.

Many have already posted replies at their blogs. (Olivia promises to organize these posts at her blog later this month, for your finding & reading enjoyment. When you visit her blog, subscribe, and you'll be alerted! Lots of great ideas!)

My PowerPoint design wishes for 2009?

The look and feel of social media techniques will transition into PowerPoint design.
Presentations will be designed with audience participation -- and push back -- in mind.

Yeah, I want design that stimulates thoughtful discussion. I prefer design that inspires action and meaningful audience participation. So what might this kind of PowerPoint design look like?

Twittery Design. I'm a big fan of Twitter. And many of my blogging colleagues are on Twitter, as well. Read this amazing Tweet from design virtuoso Tony Ramos:

Short, Simple, Tweet. The brevity of Twitter can make you a better designer. A better headline writer. A better presenter. Using and studying Twitter can be a powerful exercise in how to get your point across swiftly and succinctly. Twitter is enjoying phenomenal growth. The more people use Twitter, the more your audience will come to expect powerful brevity in all communication media. Start using this "short and sweet" writing technique in your 2009 PowerPoint design. (You can follow me at Twitter: I'll be honored!)

Meet Your Audience. Yes, you can often use various social media outlets -- Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn, your own blog, YouTube, et. al. -- to meet your audience pre-presentation, to get a better feel for who they are and what some of their questions and concerns may be about your topic. Such a wonderful technique, to get to know a few audience members before you give a talk -- to tailor your speech, to use their names, to personalize the presentation!

More Heckling! Over five years ago, the engaging Joi Ito wrote of the heckle bot. Brilliant! While you're speaking, your audience can give you feedback on your performance. Today, the Twitter back channel is the new heckle bot, giving a speaker instant performance feedback. Of course, it's awfully hard to read Tweets while you're performing -- but you can review your back channel comments afterwards to continually improve your performance and design.

Grassroots, D-I-Y Design. I'm quite encouraged that people are using social media channels to talk back. I'm thrilled to see people challenge corporate, political, and thought leaders on these online, public platforms. So naturally, I'm pleased to see that, like social media, PowerPoint design still takes a (mostly) grassroots, bootstrapping, D-I-Y approach to design. They may not always be pretty, polished, or professional -- but I've seen many presenters persuade with their passion.

Less Propaganda. I use propaganda techniques in presentations. It can be effective for persuading. But persuading isn't the only purpose in giving a presentation. Sometimes, you'll want to spark an honest, intelligent, and interactive discussion. As a presenter, there are times when you'll want to learn from your audience. Social media can be an effective channel for encouraging lively dialog -- and so can a PowerPoint presentation that isn't overly focused on manipulating the audience into taking your side.

Willingness to be wrong or unpopular is a virtue. After all, how many of us are tired of the "If you're not with me, you're against me!" bandwagon approach? And how many people have been a little too frightened to do nothing but fawn and spray positive comments over popular presenters, speakers, bloggers, and leaders -- to disastrous global effect?

We need fewer "You're wrong / I'm right / Think my way / Because I'm popular, rich, and powerful" approaches. We need more intelligent dissenters.

PowerPoint to the People. Right On. OK. One more old-fashioned, light-hearted wish: if you're a PowerPoint Do-It-Yourselfer without a power base or budget, how will you ever get your message noticed if you look and sound exactly like everyone else? How appropriate is it for you to be overly stylized and design-conscious? Why not spurn design fashion altogether... and create your own passionate and persuasive storytelling style? Or why not steal the techniques of timeless publicity and propaganda hounds?

And as always, you're welcome to disagree with me or continue the discussion in the comments below!

What would YOU like to see in PowerPoint design in 2009?

Jing Pro is a Winner!

laura@maniactive.com — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:11:01 PST

TechSmith released Jing Pro this week.

It's a winner. A wow.

Like many, I used the free Jing project to quickly create visual voicemails and disposable learning objects. So when I read about the new Jing Pro, I simply wanted it.

Impulse Purchase! Even though I had a 3:00 meeting yesterday, I whipped out my credit card at 2:50pm to impulse purchase Jing Pro online. By 2:54, I bought, downloaded, installed, recorded, and uploaded a 38 second test video to the Screencast server. (I even had time to Tweet about my Jing Pro experience at 2:57pm. And yeah, I made it to my meeting in time!)

Phenomenal Features. So why did I yearn for Jing Pro, when I currently enjoy using the free version?

Social Media Ready. One button lets you pump your Jing Pro video straight to your YouTube Channel. Or you can "save as" MP4 to your hard drive -- so that you can upload your video to your FaceBook page. You can also use Jing to capture an on-screen image, which you can upload directly to a Flickr set (or save on your hard drive.)

Logo Free. With Jing Free, you see the Jing logo at the beginning and end of each video. Not so with Jing Pro! The new Jing logo has been stripped for a 100% clean video. (Although when I previously sent Jing videos to clients, the logo was often a conversation starter! "What's this thing called Jing? It's neat: can I get it, too?")

Blazing Fast. All too frequently, I can record & post an online Jing video in less time than it takes for me to leave a voicemail for a client. By avoiding the "voicemail + return phone call maze", everyone saves time. I post the video, email a link, and ask clients to watch a video response. This improves productivity, while creating a better "Show & Tell" presentation experience.

Better for you than candy. You can get Jing Pro with a one year subscription. And get this -- it's currently only $14.95 for 12 months. The low price made it a better-than-candy impulse purchase -- but I rather expect this is a non-fattening purchase I will enjoy throughout 2009!

How will you use Jing Pro or Jing Free in 2009?