Presentations & Tools of the Trade

ASTD 2008 Copyright

Great presentations
INFOLINE, 16p (2008 Sep)
This Infoline is a primer on presentations for professionals acquiring skills and a refresher for skilled presenters. In addition to the standard presentation skill topics, this booklet discusses controlling nerves, selecting visual aids, and working with co-presenters. The Job Aids are a presentation preparation worksheet and a co-presenter agreement sheet.

10 steps to successful presentations
ISBN: 978-1-56286-514-6, 189p (2008 Sep)
Presentation skills are invaluable for all professionals yet speaking in front of a group  is one of the most feared tasks in life. This primer of proven steps for developing and delivering presentations is filled with tools, examples, resources and checklists to increase this important skill.

Breaking the sound barrier
T+D, v62 n5 p26-28 (2008 May)
Fundamentals. Podcasting is growing in its use and familiarity for training and business needs.  This article describes how a packaging company uses podcasting as a pre-,post-, and during training tool. The company attributes greater participation and lower costs to the introduction of  this delivery method. Some suggest that using podcasting is a way to address topics considered sensitive or new in a less threatening way.

Dealing with blunders
T+D, v61 n3 p78-79 (2007 Mar)
Here are presentation guidelines that will ensure that your audience knows the presenter is focused on them: be yourself, build rapport, get back on course, adapt on the spot, set-up a give-and-take relationship, and put it in perspective. Armed with these strategies every presentation may not be perfect but the audience will understand the message.

Lights! camera! learning!
Learning Circuits, v8 n3 (2007 Mar)
This article outlines simple editing techniques that can turn the raw footage of a presentation into a professional quality video. It also covers distribution methods.

Put down the script
T+D, v61 n4  p26, 28 (2007 Apr)
This article contains solid advice for facilitators and trainers that will enhance presentation skills. A total of 10 steps are provided,  such as put the leader guide down and step away from it, post an agenda, make PowerPoint slides visible, and more. Six mistakes to avoid are contained in a sidebar.

Presentation skills training
ISBN: 978-1-56286-479-8, 203p (2007)
The ability to make effective presentations is a core business competency and yet many managers, team leaders, and other key organizational decision makers lack this skill. This book allows you to design presentation skills training for all levels and people in your organization and enables you to customize training programs that can be designed for one-hour, a half day, one or two-day events, along with a step-by-step facilitator guide to ensure that your program stays on task.

Looking for more content on this topic? Check out the Digital Media page for links to audio links, video links, webcasts, and podcasts!