Is this app really groundbreaking? Well, if you want a quick, easy way to prepare a speech or presentation – and then rehearse the structure and key messages in just a few minutes, then it is groundbreaking. There’s been nothing like this before. Most software innovation in the area of public speaking and presentations is around More…
iPhone app for Speech Outlines updated to 1.3
An updated version of VividOutline for iPhone was recently released. It now takes advantage of multitasking so you will always come back to the same place in your Outline. We also tweaked the user interface and added clearer section headings. How to use the iPhone app: Step 1: Create your Speech Outlines at SpeechOutline.com Step More…
The Daily Show: The power of Chunking
The July 28 episode of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart had author Peter Tomsen talking about his 900 page(!) book “The Wars of Afghanistan”. Throughout, he summarized his key points using elements of Chunk Theory – for example, the numbering of points before explaining them. In response to one question, he said “there are two More…
Why a Great Explanation is the best cure for addiction
I’ve never been a smoker, but some family and friends have. Most have stopped (or want to). No ‘quit’ method seems to work for everyone, however, the most successful method stands out for an interesting reason. Not only is ‘The EasyWay to stop smoking’ considered the most successful; in a world of gum, patches and More…
The trend to better quality explanations
February 24th, 2011 was a significant day. Until then, much of the content found via a Google search was low quality fluff produced by ‘Content Farms’, purely to get higher rankings and expose users to ads. A high percentage of info junk means users waste time on rubbish sites, while good information is obscured. This pollution makes More…
PowerPoint blows up Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle Atlantis lifted off July 8 on the final flight of the shuttle program. A video of the launch here. Seeing the Space Shuttle in the news reminds me of the TWO Shuttle explosions (Challenger and Columbia) and the conclusion that poor communication contributed to both disasters. Some of the blame for the Columbia disaster rested on the More…
Distorted message: “It’s not about winning”
There is a big difference between a distorted message and true message. I recently went to a school sports day for 6 to 10 year olds. The teacher introducing the event made a short speech and finished with the message ‘It’s not about winning, it’s about having fun’. Unfortunately it’s a lie. It’s just not accurate. Every kid More…
Goldilocks communication: Just the right amount of information
In the story ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’, Goldilocks made sure everything was juuust right – what she ate (not too hot or too cold), the chairs she sat on and the bed she slept in (not too hard or too soft). So Goldilocks communication is where you provide just the right amount of information More…
Focus on the gaps, not just your words
I recently attended a conference where two of the speakers raced through their talk without pausing. It was so exhausting. And their ideas seemed less important with the speaker racing through them. We all crave a START and/or an END: The human mind responds instinctively to the start or the end of anything so when More…
Can you translate information to a vivid message? (if not, the sharks will die)
Great communicators can translate information into vivid messages. They have the skills to assess a situation and translate the information in ways that a particular audience can relate to. Technical presentation example While on holidays a few years ago I met a man who made his fortune with a company that builds aquariums. $20 More…
