“A Perfect Pitch” and the YOU Factor

“A Perfect Pitch” (2006) is a book written by Jon Steel. The book impresses upon the reader the importance of presentations or “pitches” http://tinyurl.com/4vg645e  The final chapter of the book includes a case study called  “A Perfect Pitch”. This case study describes the London Olympic Committee’s final presentation in their quest to become the host city for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. On the final day voting  by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was extremely close. Two contenders, London and Paris, gave a final pitch that day, it was a 45 minute presentation. London’s committee had suspected voting would come down to the wire. Their presentation team studied every angle and nuance, developed a single clear message, and then rehearsed, rehearsed, rehearsed. They made sure their pitch was focused on the IOC‘s… Read More

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Are your presentations a “Message in a Bottle”?

In 1979 the band The Police released a song called Message in a Bottle.  I think that the chorus is a good metaphor for some presentations: I hope that someone gets my I hope that someone gets my I hope that someone gets my Message in a bottle Have you ever had what you think is a great idea and you want others to buy in? You throw your idea out into the “ocean” of your organization (via email) and then plan a meeting/presentation to discuss it. The presentation is a great opportunity to “sell” your idea. However, if your presentation is not persuasive and memorable your idea could become… Read More

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Join the Revolution

Our species has communicated through audiovisual means for at least 30,000 years; some cave paintings are estimated to be that old. These simple paintings were part of a story or a message that people shared.  Consider how information is shared today… is it simple and clear? Do we need a revolution? It has been said that there is a “presentation revolution” happening.  Some people are moving from “Death by PowerPoint” to a style of presentation which helps us communicate with more clarity, to boost understanding. Or are we (r)evolving? Is the presentation revolution taking us full circle?  Are we are revolving back to using basic diagrams and simple imagery to enhance the understanding of our stories and messages, just like our ancestors have done for millennia?… Read More

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