As an Information Architect, I’m often asked to put together presentations explaining exactly what it is I do. As you know, if you’re not familiar with IA or the Library Sciences associated with it, you may find it dull, boring, and generally tough to get excited about.
I recently finished reading Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds and I have to say, I’m more excited about creating presentations that I know people will be more engaged with. Being able to keep an audience engaged and leaving them excited about a presentation is key in todays overload of media consumption and time limitations we impose upon ourselves.
Since having the book on my desk, I’ve had a few folks from the office stop by and ask about it. Now, I’m beginning to see copies on their desks. This gets me excited that we’re shifting from dull, boring clip-art presentations to exciting, engaged, rich presentations. A win for all those having to sit through them.
If you want to learn from the best, and see some of the secrets great presenters like Steve Jobs, pick up a copy and incorporate those learnings into your next meeting. I’ll warn you now, the audience will enjoy it.