February 16: How to NOT Give a Boring Presentation
By Rachel Peters 
Jan 25, 2010 
6 Comments
Our February meeting is about presentation skills. Kelly Vandever from Communications for Everyone will show us how to make sure we’re not boring when we’re standing up front. Thanks to everyone who voted for the topic.
RSVP
(Just so we can get a headcount. RSVP is not required to attend.)
Meeting Details
- Date: Tuesday, February 16
- Time: 6:30-8:00 (presentation starts at 7:00)
- Place: Mirant, 1155 Perimeter Center West, Atlanta, GA 30338 (map)
- Cost: Free for members, $10 for nonmembers
About the Presentation
How to NOT Give a Boring Technical Presentation: Tools to Deliver Your Message without Sedating Your Audience
Have you ever sat through a technical presentation and thought, “That was good content, but, man, was it painful”? Do you worry that others are saying that about YOUR presentations? In this session, you’ll learn how to take a presentation from “OK” to “I’m glad I stayed.” You will learn how to really analyze an audience, how to add interest through stories, how to put the power back into PowerPoint and more. Technical presentations do not have to be boring. Learn how to make a difference and share these lessons with others.
Image from monkeyc
About this Author
Okay Kelly, you tweeted
“Tell me what makes a presentation boring.”
Here you go!
I hear at least two presentations a day–often more. I can’t tell you when I last time I saw an interesting PowerPoint presentation. Any presentation without .ppt is forty times more interesting than any presentation with it.
Good handouts make a difference. PowerPoint slides are not good handouts. The more pages of .ppt handout, the worse the presentation will be.
I abhor presenters who apologize. For anything. Do your best. If this isn’t your best, don’t devalue me by telling me you didn’t care enough to do your best. Let me think this is your best–I’ll think better of you!
Graphs, charts, no. Unless you’re going to give me as much time to understand it as it took you, originally, I won’t get it. You’ll be on to the next slide and I’ll still wonder what the graph was supposed to show.
Eager to see what other people’s hot buttons are – W!
I don’t mind a ppt accompanying the presentation, as long as it’s just a complement to the content. I don’t like slide after slide of bullet points. I can read! I do like seeing pictures or quotes or other thought-provoking items on the screen. I think that can add to what the speaker is saying.
Looking forward to your presentation!
What is the cost for non-members to attend this event?
Thanks for asking! The cost for nonmembers is $10. I added it to the entry. Hope to see you there!
Thank you for the comments Wendy & Rachel!
Other comments I received from Twitter/LinkedIn are…
Martirossian
@KellyVandever boring presentations start and end flat, they have no beginning, middle and end, and no highs and lows. Cheers.
Mitch_Willis
@KellyVandever PowerPoint presentations! As soon as I see powerpoint, my eyes start to bleed from boredom.
seanb_us
@KellyVandever Lack of audience participation makes a presentation boring. Reading to me off the overhead, too.
RE: Kelly Speaking to STC, February 16: How to…
From: Cindy Lupatkin – Campbell
Date: January 25, 2010
To: Kelly Vandever
Hey Kelly!
Here are my items:
1) reading from the powerpoint
2) monotone speaking (beuler…beuler…)
3) stating the obvious (tell me something I don’t know)
4) standing in front of a podium. what are you , the president? having to stand there and read makes me think you are not the expert you claim to be.
Hope this helps!
Cindy
What’s your opinion??
Looks good Kelly! I’m looking forward to your presentation.