Amp Up Your Presentations With the Field Guide From David Sparks (MacSparky)
Most people dread public speaking, but just about everyone has to do it: whether it’s in front of hundreds at a seminar, during a meeting in a conference room, or for lawyers, speaking in court. We could all use a little help to ease the dread and amp up our game.
Look no further than the new Presentations field guide from David Sparks. It comes in two formats: PDF and iBook. Each costs $9.99. The PDF is straightforward and handy, and the iBook, Apple’s version of Kindle, is chock full of multi-media, including interactive images, sreencasts, videos, and interviews. A Kindle version would have been nice, but I get the iBooks preference since the field guides are about Apple technology and the author is MacSparky, after all.
You’ll know more about Keynote, Apple’s version of PowerPoint, than you ever thought possible, after reading chapter 3. But if you use other applications, fear not; there’s an entire chapter devoted to “Other Presentation Software,” including PowerPoint, Prezi, and more, detailing their best features and ideal uses.
I like chapter 3, “Tell a Story,” which tells you what to do before opening Keynote or PowerPoint to start building your slides.
…the first question to ask yourself when planning a presentation is, what kind of story shall I tell?…Stay out of the presentation software until you’re done the hard work and you have something really great.
David wraps up with chapter 5, “Presentation Day.” This chapter will relieve your technology and setting-up fears (I’ve been there. It’s not pretty) and have you well prepared when it’s time to take the stage.
The comprehensive guide goes on for 400+ pages. Jeff Richardson has a great, in-depth review of the book over at iPhone J.D. Check it out, or better yet, download the iBook on your iPad (like I did), and soak in the wealth of knowledge, tips, and illustrations, to help improve your presentations.
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