Comments on: How getting in the beam makes you a better presenter http://www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/delivery/getting-in-the-beam/ Presentation tips from Olivia Mitchell Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:50:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Olivia Mitchell http://www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/delivery/getting-in-the-beam/comment-page-1/#comment-6209 Olivia Mitchell Sat, 09 Oct 2010 23:38:39 +0000 http://speakingaboutpresenting.com/?p=3422#comment-6209 Hi A.M. Li You make a good point that if you're going to use a laser pointer, you should practice with. My personal preference is still to either use on-screen highlighting or to get in the beam and physically point to what I want to highlight. Olivia Hi A.M. Li
You make a good point that if you’re going to use a laser pointer, you should practice with. My personal preference is still to either use on-screen highlighting or to get in the beam and physically point to what I want to highlight.
Olivia

]]> By: A.M. Li http://www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/delivery/getting-in-the-beam/comment-page-1/#comment-6194 A.M. Li Fri, 08 Oct 2010 06:01:17 +0000 http://speakingaboutpresenting.com/?p=3422#comment-6194 Using a laser pointer as an asset during a presentation is a skill which must be practiced, just like all other parts of a presentation. The problem is using one looks so simple that few people think further on what problems the audience might have during a presentation when a laser pointer is used thoughtlessly. Using a laser pointer as an asset during a presentation is a skill which must be practiced, just like all other parts of a presentation.

The problem is using one looks so simple that few people think further on what problems the audience might have during a presentation when a laser pointer is used thoughtlessly.

]]> By: How to Conduct an Engaging Webinar http://www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/delivery/getting-in-the-beam/comment-page-1/#comment-6093 How to Conduct an Engaging Webinar Thu, 30 Sep 2010 09:27:44 +0000 http://speakingaboutpresenting.com/?p=3422#comment-6093 [...] face to face presentation, I physically point to the item on a slide that I want people to look at (laser pointers are for wimps!). Most webinar software does have drawing tools that you can use to draw attention [...] [...] face to face presentation, I physically point to the item on a slide that I want people to look at (laser pointers are for wimps!). Most webinar software does have drawing tools that you can use to draw attention [...]

]]> By: Olivia Mitchell http://www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/delivery/getting-in-the-beam/comment-page-1/#comment-3053 Olivia Mitchell Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:01:13 +0000 http://speakingaboutpresenting.com/?p=3422#comment-3053 Thanks for this idea John. Sounds much better than a laser pointer. Olivia Thanks for this idea John. Sounds much better than a laser pointer. Olivia

]]> By: John Paval http://www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/delivery/getting-in-the-beam/comment-page-1/#comment-2998 John Paval Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:25:11 +0000 http://speakingaboutpresenting.com/?p=3422#comment-2998 I recommend the use of geographic language in those cases when the powerpoint screen is too far away and high up in the air for the speaker to point to it physically, rather than using a laser pointer. By geographic language, I mean verbally telling the audience what you what part of the slide you want them to focus and what is there, as in "In the upper left hand corner, you can see..." and so forth. The advantage of this approach is that it does not require the speaker to turn away from the audience and break contact with them, but instead he or she can stay focused on the audience. My experience is that after you do this on one or two slides the audience gets trained to follow your direction. Instead of carrying on a physical dance between the screen and the audience, you carry on a kind of verbal dance in which you use directive language to guide the audience through the slide step by step the way you would use physical movement and physical pointing to guide the audience through the slide step by step. And, you avoid annoying that percentage of the audience who HATE watching the nervous squiggles of the every jittery laser beam. I recommend the use of geographic language in those cases when the powerpoint screen is too far away and high up in the air for the speaker to point to it physically, rather than using a laser pointer. By geographic language, I mean verbally telling the audience what you what part of the slide you want them to focus and what is there, as in “In the upper left hand corner, you can see…” and so forth. The advantage of this approach is that it does not require the speaker to turn away from the audience and break contact with them, but instead he or she can stay focused on the audience. My experience is that after you do this on one or two slides the audience gets trained to follow your direction. Instead of carrying on a physical dance between the screen and the audience, you carry on a kind of verbal dance in which you use directive language to guide the audience through the slide step by step the way you would use physical movement and physical pointing to guide the audience through the slide step by step. And, you avoid annoying that percentage of the audience who HATE watching the nervous squiggles of the every jittery laser beam.

]]> By: Vivek Singh http://www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/delivery/getting-in-the-beam/comment-page-1/#comment-2916 Vivek Singh Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:11:37 +0000 http://speakingaboutpresenting.com/?p=3422#comment-2916 True. I firmly believe there can be no hard and fast rules in presenting. It is not a science but an art. It is creative and presenters have to decide what is suitable to them. They are not kids who need rules. True.

I firmly believe there can be no hard and fast rules in presenting. It is not a science but an art. It is creative and presenters have to decide what is suitable to them. They are not kids who need rules.

]]> By: Olivia Mitchell http://www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/delivery/getting-in-the-beam/comment-page-1/#comment-2915 Olivia Mitchell Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:20:01 +0000 http://speakingaboutpresenting.com/?p=3422#comment-2915 Hi Vivek I particularly like your last line. Which means there are exceptions to your first line! Olivia Hi Vivek
I particularly like your last line. Which means there are exceptions to your first line!
Olivia

]]> By: Vivek Singh http://www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/delivery/getting-in-the-beam/comment-page-1/#comment-2914 Vivek Singh Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:42:14 +0000 http://speakingaboutpresenting.com/?p=3422#comment-2914 Good that you brought this point up. Presenters should never get in the way of the projector and the slides because it blocks line of sight. But when they want to point out something what should they do? I feel pointing your laser works absolutely fine if there is just 1 thing u want to point out and it is easy to focus with the laser beam. But if there are multiple things to highlight or the stakes are high, moving closer to the slides imparts a huge amount of seriousness to the point. Imaging you are talking from a few meters away all the time and suddenly you are at the slide, almost touching the screen. It also gets audience to pay more attention. As far as point about silly rules is concerned, I believe in one maxim. "Where there are rules, there are exceptions." Good that you brought this point up.

Presenters should never get in the way of the projector and the slides because it blocks line of sight. But when they want to point out something what should they do?

I feel pointing your laser works absolutely fine if there is just 1 thing u want to point out and it is easy to focus with the laser beam. But if there are multiple things to highlight or the stakes are high, moving closer to the slides imparts a huge amount of seriousness to the point.

Imaging you are talking from a few meters away all the time and suddenly you are at the slide, almost touching the screen. It also gets audience to pay more attention.

As far as point about silly rules is concerned, I believe in one maxim. “Where there are rules, there are exceptions.”

]]> By: Olivia Mitchell http://www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/delivery/getting-in-the-beam/comment-page-1/#comment-2897 Olivia Mitchell Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:17:05 +0000 http://speakingaboutpresenting.com/?p=3422#comment-2897 Hi Marion I love the analogy with camp fires. We can think of getting in the beam as a contemporary camp fire! Olivia Hi Marion
I love the analogy with camp fires. We can think of getting in the beam as a contemporary camp fire!
Olivia

]]> By: Olivia Mitchell http://www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/delivery/getting-in-the-beam/comment-page-1/#comment-2896 Olivia Mitchell Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:15:23 +0000 http://speakingaboutpresenting.com/?p=3422#comment-2896 Hi Denis Thank you for your comment on the post. I think your point of designing the emphasis into the slide is really well-made. Thank you. Olivia Hi Denis
Thank you for your comment on the post. I think your point of designing the emphasis into the slide is really well-made. Thank you.
Olivia

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