Visually Speaking

The paper-white display of your PC is not a distraction because you can look away whenever you want, or switch to a different program to alter your view of content. But when you watch a presentation, you are being asked to keep your attention fixed for a longer period, with no ability to change the display to the next image. To maintain attention, proper visual contrast is necessary in the design. Read more… →

A television commercial touting the business skills of a rising young executive only serves to make her look less than professional.

First aired during the 2010 Super Bowl, National Car Rental sends the wrong corporate message to would-be presenters in a corporate world. Read more… →

There are several elements of your vocal strategy that can take your presentation effectiveness to the next level. In a featured article published in the May 2010 PresentationXpert newsletter, Tom Mucciolo shares some ideas on ways to enhance your voice including techniques for breathing, projection, juxtaposition and interaction.

Read the whole story: Mediocrity to Mastery: Use These Vocal Techniques to Set Yourself Apart

In a presentation, the majority of the message is in the performance of the content. Your physical actions help bring your words to life. In a featured article published in the PresentationXpert newsletter, Tom Mucciolo shares some techniques for using body language, positioning, movement, and gestures to enhance the delivery of content.

Read the whole story: All the Right Moves: Use Body Actions to Capture Interest

Many wonder when, where, or whether an identifying “logo” should appear on visual content. Some contend that after a few slides, the logo is no longer noticed, prompting others to argue “then why is it there?” Read more… →

There is a fine line between the use and the abuse of technology elements. In a featured article published in the PresentationXpert newsletter, Tom Mucciolo shares some techniques for incorporating animation, video, sound, and slide transitions into presentations.

Read the whole story: Keep multimedia from morphing into multi-mania

If you want your message to have the most impact on the greatest number of people then you must match your message to what is most basic to your audience. One way to achieve this is through the use of CONFLICT, because people have some type of “conflict” in everyday life. Read more… →

Once upon a time… a speaker claimed it was difficult to get an audience excited about information simply because the content was so boring. Content is never boring — people are boring. A boring presenter delivers boring details. While there are a number of ways to bring content to life, the most obvious method is to smile. You can choose from any of the three kinds of smiles: outside, inside, and in-depth. Read more… →

Tom Mucciolo is interviewed by Mark Ragan, CEO of Ragan Communications on Ragan TV. This is part of a series (see the “Interviews” category). This clip features a discussion of how to be more effective on camera. Read more… →

Using our research-based assessment tools, which measure the effectiveness of presenters, there appears to be a significant drop in quality when even highly rated “live” speakers deliver online content, specifically webinars, where the venue is limited to voice-over driven content. Read more… →