Produce Powerful Presentations (Collection)

Appendix A. Tools of the Trade

The Presentation Environment

In the theater, the finest play by the finest playwright, from William Shakespeare to Arthur Miller, can be affected . . . for good or for bad . . . by the staging. So it is with a presentation. You could create an effective Power Presentation with a lucid story and vivid graphics that uses every technique you learned in this book, only to have it all diminished by the presentation environment.

As the presenter, you bear the ultimate responsibility for your presentation. To ensure that you and your graphics have the maximum impact on your audience, it is your job to optimize the environment. Here’s a checklist:

• Familiarization. Arrive early and walk the entire presentation ...