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After feeding 270,000 words into a computer program that studies language patterns, The New Yorker got a result that’s about as awful as the real thing. The neural network studied each of these 270,000 words, as well as how they fit together contextually and came up with, well, this: The preceding speech was written entirely by this AI language model. Unlike human speech, The New Yorker could dial the program up from one to five, each with its pros and cons. Level one, for example, is fairly accurate speech, albeit with lots of repetition. At level five, we see the program work at full capacity, but what comes out is, believe it or not, actually more nonsensical than Trump’s actual speech. In my estimation, the real Donald Trump falls somewhere between levels one and two. There’s lots of repetition, a few made up words, and a lot of random nonsense. On his better (worse?) days, he could even approach a level three, but only at times. Interesting, but as the video proves: we’re not quite there yet....
How to Start your Presentation or Story... Some recommend to tell the 'agenda' of the presentation right away. That might work is some specific situations (urgency)… But there's a better and much more effective way to start your story....
"I read a thing that actually says that speaking in front of a crowd is considered the number one fear of the average person. I found that amazing. Number two was death. That means to the average person, if you have to be at a funeral, you would rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy," jokes Jerry Seinfeld. And it's true. Experts estimate that 75% of the population has some level of anxiety regarding public speaking. Now, I'm willing to bet that this statistic is troubling for those who work in an industry where delivering presentations comes with the territory. Whether you've gotten up in front of a crowd 100 times or are about to encounter your first public speaking opportunity, the entire process can feel pretty overwhelming. To help you command the positive attention you deserve, we've uncovered 10 science-backed tips for nailing your next speaking gig....
What are you scared of?
If you ask most people, they might say public speaking. In fact, nearly ¾ of people are terrified of getting up in front of a crowd and talking.
As your business picks up, you’ll probably have to start facing your fears of public speaking more and more often. You can send as many cold emails and calls as you want, but big deals get done in person. From investor meetings to team presentations, business owners need to project confidence while convincing people to think their way on a regular basis.
While public speaking might be one of the most common fears out there, there are lots of people who do it all the time. Whether they’re musicians, TV hosts, or entrepreneurs, commanding a crowd is a key skill set for ambitious people in every industry.
I asked 13 professional public speakers for their advice. Here's what they had to say....
If there’s one tactic that has stood out in this presidential campaign, it is the way GOP frontrunner Donald Trump has slain his foes with the jawbone of an ass.
Trump’s penchant for labeling his opponents—from “Lyin’ Ted” Cruz to “Low-Energy Jeb” Bush—has been like a boxer’s left hook to the liver. It doesn’t look like much until the other guy drops.
Now Trump is trying to do the same to his Democratic foes, calling them “crooked” and “crazy.”
After The New York Times Magazine explored the issue (“Donald Trump Shares His Opponent-Branding Secrets”), I wondered: Do the same labeling techniques work in PR and marketing? Whether it’s throwing mud or branding oneself positively, does Trump offer lessons to PR pros?
The consensus is that such tactics can work, but mudslinging is “risky,” a word Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton uses in an effort to brand Trump.
“Trump has a knack for coining just the right moniker, the perfectly dismissive and catchy thing,” The Times writer stated. “‘It works, it flows,’ Trump said, admiring his latest work.”
Why do some presentations and speeches rock, while some others suck? We set out to find the answer
Each year on this day, I make it a point to listen to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s great "I Have a Dream" speech. It's electrifying every single time.The content of Dr. King's speech, his inspiring presence, and the moment in history all came together to make the iconic "I Have A Dream" speech the defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement. But there are several other reasons why this speech, delivered over 50 years ago, remains an example of one of the best speeches in American history.
Since part of my job is to help people become better presenters, I've noticed several techniques that we can all learn from and be inspired by in this magnificent speech....
When we first introduced Haiku Deck, our little app was hailed by some as a PowerPoint “killer,” but those who know us well know that we here at Haiku Deck are lovers, not a fighters. That’s why we’ve been working hard to make Haiku Deck export even better for users who still rely on PowerPoint. Pro subscribers have found all kinds of great ways to use Haiku Deck and PowerPoint together to address the age-old question, “How can I make my PowerPoint presentations amazing?”
Here are 8 ways to use Haiku Deck to make your PowerPoint presentations way better and to get even more from Haiku Deck....
Deliver interactive presentations that combine your PowerPoints and PDFs with video, web content, images and polls. Everyone participates from their own device, in person or remote, in real-time or in their own time. No need to download or install a thing. It just works.
Via Baiba Svenca
Speed and agility are traits that define our society today.We avoid reading extensive articles, watching long how-to videos on YouTube or checking websites that are hard to navigate as we usually look for quick and easy solutions. While a technological progress provides us with plenty of utilities, now finding the right one with user-friendly interface and relevant functions becomes a challenge.
Presenting information in a crisp and concise way is something that we need daily needs such utilities as well. So we took our time to find tools that are time-efficient and offer some class in presenting yourself and/or your project....
One of the difficulties in understanding how inspirational leaders communicate has been our casual definition of inspiration. Many confuse this word with motivation or operate under the assumption that anyone can "just be inspiring."
Dr. Todd Thrash and Andrew Elliot of Rochester University are two of the leading researchers studying the psychology of inspiration. that there are three distinct stages that an individual will go through in the experience of inspiration: evocation, transcendence, and approach motivation....
We've been compiling a list of top presentation resources that will help you become a master presenter. Check out the resources below nicely divided into categories of articles, infographics, Quora and videos. There's something for every presenter!
Via Baiba Svenca
In his brilliant pitch for Kodak's slide machine, Mad Men's Don Draper teaches you an important lesson about how to speak about your product, cause or idea.
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Just like in sports, being motivated at work is crucial for your performance. This rings especially true when you have a looming deadline, an important presentation to give, or colleagues or customers depending on your performance. To help you stay motivated, no matter what your job throws at you, we decided to compile 22 of the best motivational speeches from business, sports, entertainment, and more. If you want to get fired up for a project, watch these videos. Trust me, I was ready to write a 5,000 word blog post after I saw them. And while the messages vary from speech to speech, they will put you in the optimal frame of mind for tackling and crushing your next big challenge.(Disclaimer: Some speeches -- *cough* Al Pacino *cough* -- may contain NSFW language.)...
We all know the basics of good presentation skills: don’t read from a script; don’t overwhelm your audience with verbose slides; and the like. But for a particular kind of high-stakes presentation — one in which you’re trying to get buy-in from key decision-makers — those basics aren’t enough. To persuade the people who have the power to approve your idea or let it die, you need to start with a strong outline. Here are the questions to ask yourself so you can structure a presentation, from the outset, that defuses potential objections upfront and is so compelling a “yes” becomes far more likely....
Zeetings is a unique web app which allows an event present to broadcast his slides to all of the event attendees in realtime without requiring them to install or login into any specific app. Attendees (both at the premises and remotely) can see the slides as they progress in real-time, and can ask questions, provide feedback, vote and be polled as well as take notes and network with other participants. With the free version it is possible to upload unlimited PDFs and PowerPoints as well as image files and to have unlimited events with up to 30 participants while integrating also unlimited interactive content such as polls, Q&A sessions, videos, embeds, web links and basic analytics reporting data. Free version available. Pro version info: https://www.zeetings.com/pricingMy Comment: Great tool for live events. It allows you to keep everyone on the same page, ask questions, run polls, moderate feedback, and select most voted questions from the audience without forcing them to install anything. Try it out now: https://www.zeetings.com Check out this introductory presentation to Zeetings features: https://www.zeetings.com/awesome/1861-0001#fullscreen...
Many presenters believe in a mythology about slides that's hard to shake.The result? Audiences all over the world are experiencing what's commonly known as "death by PowerPoint," although it can happen with any slide software.If you are building slide decks with these myths in mind, it's time to rethink your approach so you can be a more effective presenter:...
For many people, even the thought of public speaking can lead to panic. The crowd. The lights. The dreaded Q&A session. It's a lot to deal with. But allowing these apprehensions to silence our voice can be crippling to our careers. If we want to be seen as smart and articulate professionals, we need to walk the walk and talk the talk. After all, our intelligence is often best conveyed not in what we say but in how we say it, according to a recent study from the University of Chicago. Rather than keeping quiet to avoid saying something foolish, it's important that we're actively identifying ways to overcome self-doubt. To help get you started, check out this infographic from the folks at WriteMyEssays. They've compiled some awesome speaking habits designed to make you sound smarter....
Martin Luther King Jr. seems more legend than man.
But if we peer into Dr. King's life, we can see that he was more and less than myth: a person with interior complexity and exterior grace beyond what a textbook can tell you. So let's get to know his intense, hilarious, and prescient sides below.
HE WORKED WITH HIS ANGER MLK was a person, which means he had a range of emotions, just like the rest of us. But, as we've mentioned before, the highest functioning people exercise what psychologists call emotional agility, where you notice an emotion like anger when it arises and then choose a response—rather than suppressing it or getting overwhelmed....
Lots of people dread public speaking. It’s also something most professionals will need to attempt at some point. Consequently, there’s a lot of advice out there on how to conquer your fears and engage the audience. Unfortunately, a lot of this advice will do nothing of the sort, and may make the situation worse. I asked frequent speakers for the worst advice they’ve been given. If you want to feel comfortable on stage, ignore anyone who tells you these gems....
Here are ten of the best apps to use to do precisely that, and give you the edge when making that all important presentation at work. We suggest trying them and seeing which ones work best for you.
Via Baiba Svenca
Let’s take a step back and consider how people actually learn from a speech. A few years ago, a research team led by Stephen Kosslyn and composed of experts from three universities studied how presenters could improve their public speaking.
They discovered three steps that must occur to make your presentation memorable: 1. Information needs to be Acquired 2. Information needs to be Processed 3. Information needs to be Connected to Knowledge
If there is any disconnect with these steps your presentation will fall flat. Let’s look at each of these steps and come up with some ideas to help you connect with your audience in a lasting and memorable way....
I am evangelizing the 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint. It’s quite simple: a pitch should have ten slides, last no more than twenty minutes, and contain no font smaller than thirty points.This rule is applicable for any presentation to reach agreement: for example, raising capital, making a sale, forming a partnership, etc....
Those who are experienced with some of these functions may find them a bit mundane, but I still remember how cool it was to find and use them for the first time. While many may be aware of some of these techniques, I think most readers will find something fun and new here.
Following are 10 pretty cool things you can do with the popular presentation tool. Some are really easy, others will take more time and effort to get familiar with. Just be sure not to go overboard with these – use them sparingly for emphasis and to keep it interesting, not to create a kaleidoscope of visual chaos....
In this slide show, you'll see several "before and after" PowerPoint slides that show you the worst -- and best -- practices for PowerPoint. Great advice from Brad Phillips and Garr Reynolds.
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![7 Speaking Habits That Will Make You Sound Smarter [Infographic] | Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight | Scoop.it](https://img.scoop.it/FLtaTU3pwR5YAohI1xqclDl72eJkfbmt4t8yenImKBVvK0kTmF0xjctABnaLJIm9)
A Donald Trump speech written by Artificial intelligence? You betcha! And the result is bigly hilarious!