Hello from PPT Live in Atlanta.  I have been having a great time meeting the fine people down here.  I have had a couple of chances to meet folks and get some pictures taken which you can check out by watching my presentation below.  Just in case you are wondering the music is called Jump the Shark and was created by my friend Mark.

Have a Sharktastic Day!

Tibby

Earlier this week I was fortunate enough to host a great web conference. Marshall Makstein from eSlide and Jordan Rich from WBZ and Chart Productions joined me in presenting a Best Practices session on script writing, slide design and narration. The content was very well received, we've split the replays out into the three presentations below so they're more digestable. I hope you enjoy these presentations and have a Sharktastic Day!

Scripting
http://www.brainshark.com/brainsharkinc/vu?pi=433775124

Slide Design
http://www.brainshark.com/brainsharkinc/vu?pi=897367490

Narration
http://www.brainshark.com/brainsharkinc/vu?pi=533703282

In the 10 years that we have been helping clients communicate, we have found that there are clearly a set of keys to the best and most successful presentations.  When I boiled it down we had the Six Steps to Success.  Each step indicates a critical piece of the communication process and comes with a set of questions that need to be asked and answered.  I have written about this in earlier blog entries, but now there is a Brainshark that quickly presents the 6 steps and the key questions that need to be answered in order to build great content.  The presentation below is not about how to use Brainshark as much as it is about how to communicate successfully.  It is a strategy for approaching and executing a quality communication.  Whether you are training a channel, providing rapid elearning to the sales force, selling a new product, generating leads or orienting new hires, you will find the Six Steps to Success will guide you to create the right content for the right audience at the right time.

If you prefer and audio podcast of this content then click on the Brainsahrk logo!

Have a Sharktastic Day!

The support or lack of support an organization has for teaching and learning speaks to the culture of the organization. Organizations that support teaching and learning create environments where learners/employees get acess to people, information and skills so that they can do their jobs more efficiently and effectively. It is no accident that these organizations are most likely to grow and profit from creating this culture.

Below is a presentation from the insight of a recognized leader in corporate training, Tom Kelly, as he explores the trends and challenges facing training professionals today.

On March 4th we held the 2009 SHARKIE Awards.  These awards were for excellence in Brainshark on-demand multi-media content in seven categories; sales, marketing, training, corporate communications, foreign language, use of video and the Brainshark Content Network.   We had over 100 presentations submitted for the awards and discovered that a lot of people are doing a great job of making their communications; Clear, Concise, Consistent and Compelling (which just so happened to be the judging criteria). 

The Brainshark of the Year went to Jennifer Watts and the team from Grange Insurance for their training presentation.  The reason they won the award was because they mixed humor, structure and clarity into the presentation to train sales people.  As a viewer you always knew where you were and where you were going.  They added humor with a pirate motif and a treasure map but the map also clearly explained the journey the training guided the viewer through so they could reach the City of Commission.  The presentaiton was well scripted and well delivered by a male and female voice and they mixed in question slides to verify the knowledge transfer with the viewer before moving on to the next point.  You can view this and all the winning presentations by going to the SHARKIE Gallery.

To see who won the SHARKIE in each category watch this presentation.

If you're faced with providing better measurement of your online marketing programs like generating leads from your website or Google Adwords programs, try using tracking codes. Simply append the source of your link to your Brainshark URL like this: http://www.brainshark.com/brainshark/vu/view.asp?pi=600460867&tx=brainshark_blog.

You can use as many different tracking codes as you want on the same presentation. If you use codes like "tx=adwords_lead_gen", "tx=newsletter_banner_ad" or "tx=website_homepage", you'll know which of your programs and link placements are driving your clicks and registrations. Tracking codes show up in view receipts as well as in your Brainshark reports so you can see which links are working and which ones are not!

Today was our last day at the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games. Special is the right word for this experience, these athletes, coaches, volunteers and parents. The effort on the part of all of the above is extraordinary. Thousands of athletes from almost 100 countries are being greeted and served and guided; coached and herded; hugged and high-fived by thousands of smiling volunteers.

I have learned a few lessons about the Best Practices for Communicating during my stay in Boise and thought this might be the time to share them with you.

The best way to get a smile is to give one. The best way to shake a hand is to reach out. The best way to get to know a stranger is to stop and take a minute to get to know them. The quickest road to good luck is to wish it to others. The best way to make a friend is to act like one.

And some other lessons I am packing in my bag. Language is not a barrier to communication. Enthusiasm is infectious. People just want to be loved. Respect is important. Winning is not everything. It is in how you play the game. It really is in giving that we receive. Praise comes from without, but joy comes from within. Being valued touches ones heart.

I have assembled some pictures of our time in Idaho. Click on the presentation to see the competition and the joy we found at these Special Games.

Thanks for watching and have a Sharktastic Day!

In our Presentation Best Practices Tutorial, we talk about the average length that your on-demand multimedia business communication should be. We vary the recommendation based on the audience and the purpose of the presentation. This best practice was originally born from the viewing behavior data at Brainshark.com. Based on thousand of presentations created and the corresponding views, we could easily observe the trend toward brevity in business communication. What we also notice is that those who are creating the content are lagging behind those who are viewing. What I mean is that the average presentation length has always exceeded the average presentation view by more than 25%. It is time for content creators to pay attention.

Let me add more data for you to consider.

Like millions of other parents, I have a child with ADHD. We knew this about him since he was about 2 ½ years old. He shares this diagnosis along with millions of other children and by the estimate of WebMD "That translates into 4% of the US adult population, or 8 million adults. However, few adults are identified or treated for adult ADHD." Why do I bring it up? Who do you send your presentations to on a daily basis? Whoever they are, it appears that at least 4% of them have ADHD. Even if your content is good and they really want to pay attention - they struggle to do just that.

In 2008, according to comScore, 5.4 billion online videos were viewed on Google, with 98% of those views occurring on YouTube. This represents more than 147 million US internet viewers who watch an average of 92 videos per month. The duration of the average online video was 3 minutes.

And finally, according to Lloyd's TSB in London, "A survey of 1,000 adults by Lloyds TSB showed that the average attention span had fallen from more than 12 minutes a decade ago to five minutes and seven seconds now."

Take the above data and add to that the fact that all media has transformed itself to deliver smaller, faster bites (or bytes) of information in an effort to give the people what they want. Newscasts are shorter; TV shows are faster with more frequent scene changes, movies have more action, more crashes, more stimulation. Looking for proof? Just go back and watch an episode of Bonanza or Andy Griffith and you will find yourself twitching to hit the remote.

Put it all together and you have to come to the conclusion that we did a few years ago. People are busy and they are distracted, BUT they still need and want information. Give it to them in the time frame they can digest and the on-demand multi-media format they want and make your communication successful. Keep your slides to 30 seconds just like TV changes scenes quickly. Keep them as concise as possible just like millions of people do when they want their YouTube video to make the top ten. Accept that people are not likely to watch a 30 minute, 20 minute, 15 minute presentation in a single sitting, because that is either not what we do or we are simply incapable.

Pay Attention to the audience and they will pay attention to you.

There are many books about what makes a great presentation, but I have yet to find one specifically about multi-media content like Brainshark.  This is not to say that these books aren't helpful because they are.  There are many presenting fundamentals that apply to all good presentations such as good structure, preparation and research.  However, there are some key tenets that must be followed to produce quality multi-media content like Brainshark.

A great multi-media presentation has the following 4 characteristics in both the visual element and the spoken word:

1. It is Clear
2. It is Concise
3. It is Consistent
4. It is Compelling

1. It is Clear

Clarity starts with the overall structure or flow of the presentation and each slide.  If the presentation has an agenda slide (slide 2) where you tell the viewers what you will be discussing and then you slide titles, chapter titles and content matches what you outlined in your agenda slide (slide 2) then you have increased the clarity of your presentation.  If you cover a single main theme in the presentation and don't stray or end up on tangential material then you have added clarity.  If you keep each slide to a single concept or idea that is in support of the main theme, then you are more likely to have clear slides.  If you restrict the content on the slides to phrases only and use bulleted phrases to outline the talking points then you will be clearer.  Finally, make sure the script that will be spoken matches the flow of the slide so the viewer can easily follow where you are going.  From an auditory perspective, the foundation of clarity is the script and the window dressing is a conversational style with good pronunciation.  Don't forget that good stories are ones that the listener can follow and understand.

2. It is Concise

Less is more.  If the slide, phrase, sentence, graphic, animation, object, video, attachment, music or image does not add value to the presentation, then leave it out.  The best practice here is to review the presentation once it is complete.  Check the agenda slide and then verify that the content has delivered on the promised agenda.  If there is material in the presentation that is not covered in the agenda slide, then seriously ask yourself if it is necessary.  Your audience will appreciate that you delivered the material in the briefest manner possible and they are more likely to watch your next presentation.

3. It is Consistent

Don't make the audience work to find data or understand the flow.  Having a consistent visual presentation helps the audience understand where things are and what to expect.  Use one PPT template and stick with it.  Use one font type, color and size wherever possible and only vary to highlight a point.  From an audio perspective, having the speaker record in a single sitting will help increase the odds that they will maintain volume consistency.  The most important element when it comes to consistency is that the presentation stays on target with the objective.  All slides, all bullets, all images and all recordings are provided in support of the objective and main theme of the presentation.  Stay on track and your audience will as well.

4. It is Compelling

There are 3 keys to making the presentation compelling.

1. Always add value         

From the opening slide to the closing slide, make sure the audience understands what is in it for them.   Jerry Weissman calls this the "What's In It For Me or WIIFM factor.  You should know what the value is to the audience because you have already established and objective and analyzed what is important to you audience.  Everything you show and everything you say needs to deliver something that is useful to your viewer. 

On slide one you are setting the hook by saying hello and telling the audience why it is worth their time to watch the presentation, but the job does not end there.  Every slide, every word, is an opportunity to convince the viewer that the material is valuable or a waste of time.  If you keep proving the value - you keep the audience.

2. Stay focused

You know the objective because you agreed to it in step 1 of this process, so don't forget it!  Staying focused over the course of the presentation makes it possible for the viewer to connect the dots.  Stay away form sidebars and tangents - they cause your viewers to stop watching.

Visually - staying focused means - do not do anything that distracts the audience.  Control the number of words, the complexity of graphs and charts, the number and type of animations, the use and quality of images.  For example, don't show an image of the entire application screen when you are only focusing on the functionality of that which occurs in the upper third of the page.  Don't show a chart or graph or image or text string that cannot be read or deciphered in 3 seconds.  If you do then you have now introduced confusion.  Instead of the audience focusing on the spoken word, their brain is engaged with the visual element and no longer listening to why the visual is important.  So they miss the value and stop watching.

Orally - Say it as briefly and conversationally as possible.  Keep slides to 30 seconds or less.  Do not speak too slowly or over enunciate since this will become a distraction and they will stop watching.  Writing a good script will help with controlling the timing of the slides and practicing the script will help you to deliver the material conversationally, which is how people want to be spoken to.

3. Be engaging

Following the 2 items above will go a long way to make the presentation engaging, but there is one additional, critical, element - engaging the audience with your voice/intonation.  When it comes to multi-media content like Brainshark, you can not get away with mediocre audio.  If the speaker is average and the material is not required, they will stop watching.  Think about good radio advertising and you will be on the road to a good recording.  Your audience can interpret many things based on the tone of your voice.  They can sense interest and disinterest, they can sense excitement and disdain, and they can sense enthusiasm and ennui.  More importantly - they will be influenced by the emotion they sense through the tone in which the audio is delivered.  Enthusiasm is contagious so use it to your advantage. 

Put the 4 C's in your presentation and you will have a Sharktastic Day!

My trusty Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines presentation as: "something set forth for the attention of the mind: a descriptive or persuasive account (as by a salesman of a product)". Of course it has other definitions, but these do not apply to our conversation and so I will ignore them completely. The key to understanding how to build a great presentation is in understanding the purpose of a presentation. A slight reorganization of the above definition reveals the purpose to us. A presentation is a persuasive account for the attention of the mind.

Let's break this down some more. The definition of persuasive is ‘tending to persuade', and not much help in our analysis, so we look at the word persuade. This is defined as: "to move by argument, entreaty, or expostulation to a belief, position, or course of action". So now we have added action to our definition. The action needs an object which we know is the audience or in singular a viewer. When I put it all together I have a definition that reveals the true powerful nature and purpose of the presentation. A presentation is a persuasive account for the attention of the mind to move the viewer to action.

How many of us think of presentations in this way? My guess is not many. Most business people get assigned the task of creating a presentation to communicate some knowledge to some group of employees or partners or prospects and then dump a bunch of data onto a bunch of slides (usually too much of both). We meet the deadline, but have persuaded no one to do anything. If, instead, we set out to construct a communication that moves the viewer to action and we keep this in mind with every image, word, animation and font we add to the slides, and then we will be on the path to creating a great presentation. Of course this is no guarantee that the presentation will be persuasive or will hold anyone's attention, but those are topics for another day.