I recently came across an article in The Washington Post about the importance of giving and receiving feedback on personal style.  In Words of Advice for a New Manager Lily Garcia answers the following inquiry:

"I just received my performance review for the year. I had rave reviews for my productivity and the quality of my work, however I received a less than shining report on my style. The report particularly recommend that I focus on "finishing and polishing skills" — both in terms of packaging my work and presenting it to clients, and in leading meetings and interacting with other staff. In short, I was recently thrown temporarily into a management position that highlighted some of the areas I could improve on in my life. I'm not a particularly unpleasant person, however I don't have a lot of experience with professional etiquette.

The assessment used the words "blunt," "grate on," and "informality," and "escalated into a shouting match," so I think I should take this recommendation seriously."

For more on Feedback check out these blog posts:

1. It Pays to be Candid
2. 4 Steps to Flawless Feedback
3. Great Advice on Business Relationships
4. Receiving Feedback
5. The Art of Admonishment

This coming Saturday, March 21st, I will be presenting again at the second Presentation Camp in San Francisco.

It will be held at the SlideShare Offices at 739 Bryant Street.

This will be my second opportunity to refine my presentation titled, "Creation Myths: How to Brand Your Organization."  At the very first Presentation Camp at Stanford in Feburary 28, one of the attendees, Kevin Ferguson, wrote a nice blog post about my presentation, which you can find here.  Kevin is a speechwriter and presentation coach.

Some of the announced sessions look very interesting.  For example:

• Integrating Twitter into presentations (Stowe Boyd)
• Details: How To Turn OC Tendencies Into Excellent Presentations (Jim Meyer)
• Using Mind Maps to Develop Your Presentation (Michael Deutch)

More after the event!

Friday, March 27, 2009
7:30 – 10:00 AM in San Rafael, CA.

Learning how to use web conferencing technologies effectively is imperative in a today’s “flat” world where customers, partners, support teams are as likely to be located in Boston or Bangalore as in Berkeley .

Opportunities to sell and collaborate are no longer limited by distance, time zones or organizational boundaries. In iPresentation, participants learn to leverage the Internet to reach new customers, deepen existing client relationships, and manage remote teams.

Learn How To:

• Reshape face-to-face communications skills for the online world
• Master new models to make web conferencing successful
• Hold the attention of online audiences so they don’t toggle over to email and ignore your presentation
• Get feedback from audiences that tend to default to silence and passivity

Register for iPresentation with Terry Gault in association with Bay Area Consultants Network

Terry Gault is a Managing Partner and the VP of Services at The Henderson Group. He helps Fortune 500 companies and start-ups to more effectively persuade and influence their customers, partners, and peers. Terry has been a coach, trainer, and consultant in communications skills since 1997. He has trained thousands of professionals at Oracle, GE, Wells Fargo, Visa, EMC, eBay, and other organizations, large and small.

For the fifth consecutive year, the PowerPoint Live User Conference is holding its Design-a-Template contest, with a free trip to the fall event being awarded to the person whose work is chosen to serve as the conference template.

“The challenge to this contest,” says Rick Altman, “is the requirement that our slide design serve as the backdrop for all of the great ideas and visuals put forth by our presenters. In order to be a contender, a design needs to wear well for eight hours a day across three days. Contest participants want to be noticed, we get that, but their designs need to succeed in staying subtle and playing the supporting role. That's not so easy.”

Deadline for entries is Friday, June 5 and the contest is open to anyone.

Contest rules:
http://www.pptlive.com/contest.htm

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I found this video through Garr Reynolds' superb blog, Presentation Zen. Severn Cullis-Suzuki was only 12 years old in 1992 when she raised money with members of ECO, the Environmental Childrens Organization (a group she founded) to attend the Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro. Severn presented environmental issues from a youth perspective at the Summit, where she received a standing ovation for a speech to the delegates. This video presents that speech.

What struck me the first time I watched this deeply moving video were the reactions on the faces of the adult delegates. I imagine them as typically distracted and jaded, creatures of politics. When they listen to Severn, their faces are rapt and attentive. Their feelings and thoughts are as evident as neon signs – their protective masks are stripped away by the directness and passion of this terrific young speaker – this "child" who communicates with the wisdom and craft of a veteran speaker.

This video reminded me of one of the deeper truths that I have observed in my work as a presentation skills coach and trainer. Authenticity and passion are the most compelling qualities a presenter can have. So, what is authenticity?

Websters defines it as "true to one's own personality, spirit, or character." I like this quote from Mahatma Gandhi who said, "Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." that is a great description of authenticity, in my estimation. Authenticity is evident when someone is speaking from the heart. David Henderson, my mentor in this work, used to say, "Speak your first truth first."

She also speaks with passion ("a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept") is evident when you give full expression to your deepest desires and feelings. Severn has both authenticity and passion in spades. She provides a superb and humbling example for all of us.

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by Terry Gault

I took the opportunity to beta-test a presentation on a topic that I have written about in my book, but have not presented on.  The session was titled, "Creation Myths: How to Brand Your Organization."  One of the attendees, Kevin Ferguson, wrote a nice blog post about my presentation, which you can find here.  Kevin is a speechwriter and presentation coach.

I particularly enjoyed John Nash's session titled, "Lessig Process."  He showed this awesome video of a Lawrence Lessig presentation on How creativity is being strangled by the law from Ted and led a discussion about Lessig's method and how others can apply it.

You can find more photos of the event taken by Michael Van Riper on Flickr.

Presentation Camp topics

by Terry Gault

Verbal fillers make a speaker seem less articulate and less sure of themselves and their message. Here are techniques that can help to shed the use of verbal fillers ("uh, um, so, like, you know, basically", etc.)

1. Video tape or record yourself delivering a presentation or in a conversation. Watch your videotape or listen to the recording once just counting your verbal fillers. It may be painful and embarrassing but can fuel your determination to shed the fillers.

2. Enlist the help of others – your partner / spouse, friends, coworkers, family, etc. Empower them to repeat your fillers whenever they hear you using it.

3. Listen for your use of verbal filler at ALL times, whether presenting, in conversation, on the phone, in social situations, etc.

4. Don't beat yourself up about it. Just make a mental note and remind yourself that you want to …  More On Verbal Filler >>

Below, Slam Poet, Taylor Mali, performs his speech 'Totally Like Whatever'