Trafcom News Podcast

Show #65: Stop! Do you really need those slides?

These days I've been immersed in a project with a client, helping them to change their boring PowerPoint deck into a compelling presentation. In this 14-minute podcast, with a little help from some experts, I share some tips for making your next presentation memorable.

Please listen and let me know what you think! You can  download the show right here or subscribe through iTunes.

Here are the show notes:

Comment line: 206-338-4200

00:01 Intro and welcome
01:00 Is your PowerPoint presentation getting your message across?
02:10 Example of a current project, where the "deck" does not appear to be the best way to communicate
02:40 Typical problems include too much small type on too many slides; ugly visuals; details that should probably be put into collateral material; confusing diagrams
03:05 What if your presentation bores people or doesn't differentiate you?
04:30 Always ask: "Do we really NEED a PowerPoint presentation deck?"
05:00 Think about the best presenters you've seen lately. Here's my list: Mitch Joel, Shel Holtz, Tod Maffin, Darren Barefoot
05:30 The best presenters tell a story
06:10 Common pitfall of using PowerPoint slides as a crutch
06:50 If the whole presentation is not on the slides, the presenter has to rehearse more and work a little harder
07:14 The Apple product, Keynote '08, is a beautiful tool for creating presentations

Some resources for you
07:30 Presentation Zen is a blog that offers many useful tips, advice and examples, such as: keep it simple, surprise people; use natural speech and concrete examples; give meaning to statistics; make people feel something.
09:15 Also check out Great Presentations Mean Business blog
09:27 Beyond Bullets by Cliff Atkinson

09:43 Recap: ditch the small type; get rid of bullet points wherever possible; think BENEFITS; tell a story; don't use your slides as a crutch; try interesting visuals
10:10 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 206-338-4200 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog
10:30 Promo from Gary Schlee for Talk is Cheap, November 15, Centennial College, Toronto
11:55 If you like this podcast, please subscribe through iTunes; tell your friends
12:15 Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com
12:40 Comment from Andrea Vascellari  
Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network

Show #64: Squeezing the most value from your audio dollar

Yes, I’m a podcaster. But I know that a podcast is not the only answer to every communications question. Sometimes audio IS indeed the solution, but it’s not necessarily a podcast. OR, you want to use a podcast, but you’d also like to extract the most value from it. In this 10-minute podcast, I share some tips for accomplishing this, based on the experiences I’ve had with some recent projects.

Please listen and let me know what you think! You can download the show right here or subscribe through iTunes.

Here are the show notes:
Comment line: 206-338-4200

00:01 Intro and welcome
00:52 When your audio solution isn’t a podcast
01:22 Repackaging audio to make the most of your investment
01:58 Example of a customer success story: audio, but not a podcast
03:00 Distributing audio at a conference
03:49 Limited series podcast
05:50 Packaging a client testimonial for employees to hear
06:22 Recording a guest speaker at a conference
06:59 Think about using audio in many different ways
07:37 Tip: Always save your original uncompressed audio file so that you can reuse it!
07:59 Where to send comments: email to donna AT trafcom DOT com,  call the comment line at 206-338-4200 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog
08:36 Third Tuesday Toronto begins October 15 with a talk by Darren Barefoot
Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on  Blubrry.com
Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network

Show #63: An interview with Ian Hull, lawyer, blogger, podcaster

If you're a professional in a niche area, or if you're a businessperson considering blogging or podcasting, listen to this interview with Ian Hull of Hull & Hull LLP, a recognized leader in  estates and trusts. Their lawyers have written two of Canada's leading texts on estates law, and have acted in some of the country's largest and most complex estates cases. This legal leadership continues as Hull & Hull push the  boundaries of legal knowledge with blogs and podcasts.

Please listen and let me know what you think! You can download the show right here or subscribe through iTunes.  Today's show runs 19 minutes.

Here are the show notes:
Comment line: 206-338-4200

00:01 Intro and welcome
01:50 Interview with Ian Hull of Hull & Hull begins
02:00 Ian explains the firm's niche area of estate law
02:45 How they started blogging and podcasting; advice from Terry Fallis of Thornley Fallis and the Inside PR podcast 
03:30 Giving out information for free; people come back for advice; audience is general public and other lawyers
04:20 Podcast has opened firm to new level of exposure; people know Hull & Hull through social media
04:55 Feedback from clients and lawyers; cannot give out legal advice
05:50 Growth in business since blog and podcast began
06:33 Clients know you before they come through the door thanks to social media
06:50 Increases trust
07:33 "Be the client"; personal rapport; easier to develop relationships
08:04 How they produce the podcast; outsource the production
09:40 Focus on content; keep it short
11:00 More than 100 shows so far
11:40 Increased visibility in the press; higher ranking in Google
13:00 Advice to professionals in a niche area: roll up your sleeves and do it; easier than you think; remember that you know your content; stand out from the pack and present your knowledge
15:00 Thanks to Ian; wrap up: do research; determine whether blog or podcast fit your communications strategy; outsource where needed; keep at it, even when you're busy
15:50 Third Tuesday Toronto begins October 15 with a talk by Darren Barefoot
16:58 Comment from Tina Hansen
Where to send comments: email to  donna AT trafcom.com, call the comment line at 206-338-4200 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog.
Be sure to check out the Trafalgar Communications site for links to podcasts about podcasting; also PodcastYourConference.com for information about conference podcasting.

Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com.

Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.