Presenters have around 3-5 seconds to capture an audience member's attention (CreativeCultivate). No pressure, right? While a wordy presentation is only always the cause of disengaged audience members, it certainly does not help captivate viewers. Here are a few of Dog and Pony Show's favorite tips to eliminate wordiness and enhance engagement in your presentations: 1. Avoid Repetition It is true that audience members need to hear a phrase a few times before it begins to reso

In our contemporary world of constant distractions and interruptions, presenters face the challenging task of engaging a distracted audience. While we cannot demand that our viewers clear their minds and focus intently on every word of our presentation, we can make it easier on them to follow our presentation purposes. Here are three of Dog and Pony Show's favorite tips and tricks to clarify presentation slides for easier audience engagement: 1. One Set of Numbers Per Slide I

As the phrase "one size fits all" rarely applies to one's wardrobe, it also fails when prescribing presentation tips to a range of presenters. It is no secret that each speaker brings their own strengths, weaknesses, fears, and goals to a presentation, thus influencing what mantras and words of guidance best encourage their growth. Here at Dog and Pony Show, we are big fans of the Enneagram Institute and the 9 personality types they speak to. With this knowledge in mind, we h

Here at Dog and Pony Show, we are big fans of the many presentation assets that tech developments have given us. From media additions to slide platforms, presentation design has expanded rapidly over the past decade. However, just because a technology is available does not mean that it is optimal for your specific slides. When crafting your next digital presentation, keep these two tips in mind to successfully navigate the world of tech. 1. Utilize Aesthetics When crafting a

The craft of rhetoric can enhance a presentation's success through audience engagement, information retention, and more. Many of today's best addresses, from political speeches to awards ceremonies, use these tools to capture an audience and convey a message. To best utilize this tool in your presentation, take a look at a few of our favorite strategies and see which best melts with your subject: Aporia: A feigned statement of doubt by the speaker and a question to the audien

From TED Talks to webinars, keynote addresses to all-firm meetings, conference-style presentations are abundant in the modern workplace. While this genre of presentation is engaging, it requires intense and intentional preparation. With a limited window of time and audience engagement, preparation for conference-style presentations will benefit from these three practices: 1. Print Out Your Slides This not only allows you to layout the entirety of your presentation, but is als

From business pitches to family dinners, interviews to webinars, facial expressions hold critical power in communication reception. Eye contact, a smile, and more convey messages of importance, engagement, and understanding to your audience. A presenter's facial expressions can engage audience members with excitement or monotonously bore them. Here are 3 of Dog and Pony Show's tips and tricks to utilize the power of facial expressions for your presentation's success. 1. Match

When it comes to presentation development and slide design, the importance of color cannot be emphasized enough. While most viewers have an elementary understanding of colors and their properties, it is key for presenters and slide designers to look at this visual aspect in detail. Below are two exclusive properties of color, and why they are critical to us as presenters: Color Triggers Emotion and Meaning-Making Basic visual science and analysis has revealed that colors have

From talk show host to cultural icon, it is no secret that Oprah Winfrey knows how to own a stage and captivate an audience. Her 2013 Commencement Address at Harvard University exemplified her presentation expertise, as well as her command of a crowd. Here are 3 lessons every presenter can learn from one of Oprah's most widely-viewed addresses: 1. Establish Yourself as a Member of Their Community Oprah introduces herself by sharing her connection to the graduates; while she h

When presenting to a crowd, speakers can witnesses a variety of responses and actions. It is tricky to decipher these behaviors, but gaining a better understanding of your audience allows you to respond as a better presenter. Here are three common behaviors of distracted audience members, and how to reconnect them with your message: 1. They're on their phones This response can often reveal that an audience is bored or preoccupied. As a speaker, observing this should challenge