Internet Dumper

When going through all the effort to get in front of a crowd, you need to ensure that you communicate effectively. In the past decade, the majority of us have most likely had to sit through a bullet point infested presentation that completely failed to keep us engaged. Or worse, awake.

There are many aspects to giving a good presentation and being an engaging public speaker. The good news is that the web is full of good resources that can help us improve in these areas. By now, most presenters are aware that lots of text in your slides is a no-no and knowing your content is priceless. But even that isn’t enough.
Here are a list of resources that can help you take your talk to another level. Enjoy!

Blogs

There are a lot of successful writers and bloggers who also give great talks. Some have shared their techniques over the years and these tips are very valuable.

Presentation Zen

A blog dedicated simply to the subject of creating great presentations, this is the best place to start.

Garr Reynolds

The creator of Presentation Zen, Garr also has a personal blog where much space is dedicated to organizing and preparing for a talk, good delivery and creating useful slides.

43folders

Any one who’s listened to 43folders creator Merlin Mann is aware that he knows how to talk. From podcasts to large presentations, Merlin does a great job of articulating himself. He’s also posted some really great articles on creating presentations in the past.

Rands in Repose

A master at breaking down common office interactions and relationships, Rands (Michael Lopp) has written some great posts about using Keynote and public speaking over the years.

• Keynote Kung-fu
• Keynote Kung-fu 2
• How Not to Throw Up
• Out Loud

Working Smart

An older blog that is no longer updated, Michael Hyatt has a good number of articles focused on creating good presentations. He also includes some discussion on the differences between PowerPoint and Keynote and which is stronger for certain situations.

Presentation Community and Resource Sites

Once you’ve read up on how to create a presentation, you still have to go and do it yourself. Here’s a good group of sites to lend you a hand — from free resources and helpful tutorials to themes you can purchase, these links can help you create a memorable experience for your audience.

KeynoteUser

iWork Community

Note & Point

Jumsoft

Divine Fiat

Keynote Pro

MS Office – Powerpoint

Presentation Pro

Tools

And in the event that you don’t want to use Powerpoint of Keynote, there are a few web tools available as well.

280 Slides

Google Docs

Zoho Show

Give Them Your Best

There is nothing worse than leaving the stage feeling like the audience was glad to see you go. Take advantage of the expertise of others and use these resources to make sure that you never experience that feeling yourself.