Comments on: How getting in the beam makes you a better presenter

By: Olivia Mitchell

Olivia Mitchell — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:01:13 +0000

Thanks for this idea John. Sounds much better than a laser pointer. Olivia

By: John Paval

John Paval — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:25:11 +0000

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

Vivek Singh — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:11:37 +0000

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

Olivia Mitchell — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:20:01 +0000

Hi Vivek
I particularly like your last line. Which means there are exceptions to your first line!
Olivia

By: Vivek Singh

Vivek Singh — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:42:14 +0000

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

Olivia Mitchell — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:17:05 +0000

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

Olivia Mitchell — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:15:23 +0000

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

By: Olivia Mitchell

Olivia Mitchell — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:13:52 +0000

Hi Brian
Good point to emphasise allowing the audience to see the whole slide before you go into the beam to interact with it.

I don’t want to be an absolutist about laser pointers, and say they never, never work. Bit I struggle to think of situations where there isn’t a better alternative eg: previously designed animated highlights to show what you’re talking about. Possibly the only situation where you might need a laser pointer is where the screen is too big or too far away from you to physically point out things – and you didn’t know this and so weren’t able to put in animated highlights in the slides.

What other situations do you have in mind where the laser pointer would be more effective than anything else?
Olivia

By: Denis Francois Gravel (PRESENTability)

Denis Francois Gravel (PRESENTability) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:45:27 +0000

Excellent post! Once again.

I don’t want to ban laser beam, but I have never used it myself. I have one that I received as a gift. I don’t find it useful. It is ugly and it bounce everywhere on the screen.

When I want to emphasis an element, I do it while designing the slide. So I don’t have to use a laser beam. The final result is much more better.

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:10:33 +0000

Helpful info. I think the key in the post is the amount of time provided to the audience before getting into the beam. If the slide has text and charts, make sure they can absorb it first before trying to point, touch, interact with the slide. As stated, just a picture slide makes it easier to get into the light quicker.

I don’t agree that a laser pointer should never be used. It is a tool that has its place. But it need not be overused either.