The Art of "Chit Chat" - Pecha Kucha

Pecha Kucha is a time limited format for presentations, with a similar twin in Ignite - each allows just 20 slides, with either 20 (for PK) or 15 (for Ignite) seconds per slide. The talks are therefore either 6min 40 seconds, or 5 minutes dead.

It is fast paced, and fun (I hope!)

And instead of going along to one to see what it's about and gradually building up, I launched myself into the deep end by volunteering to present at the second Huddersfield Pecha Kucha night next week.

This is the one time that I can present on anything. It is not a sales pitch, but an evening of discussion, enlightenment, enjoyment......So I am blessed (or cursed) with total freedom.

Reading up on some advice I came across these nuggets: "it should be about passion" and that if I don't have "too much to say" I had chosen the wrong topic. In clarifying that, this Pecha Kucha presenter suggested that I talk about something I have stayed up late at night arguing or discussing with friends etc.

That got me thinking - learning (which I love)? presentations (my life's work to save the world from Death by PPT)?

Then I thought, let's get back to the real issue - this is all about communication - from cave paintings to PowerPoint, this is all about our desire to understand and be understood.

Now to create a story about that that will take my listeners on an enjoyable and potentially thought-provoking journey.....

Watch this space for how things develop....

Say What You Need to Say

"Nobody cares if you can't present well. Just get up and present. Great presenters are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion!" ~after Martha Graham

Martha's quotation was about dancers, but the same thing applies whether its painting, science, yoga, cooking or presenting.

The message is simply to start.

All too often we let our need to be perfect get in the way - we wait until we are sure, or ready, or some such thing that is far away....

Don't expect to be the best presenter in the world straight away - just get in touch with the passion you feel; the words and skills and knowledge you yearn to share with the world, and get out there and share.

Share it because people need to hear it.
Share it because you need to say it.
Share it because someone needs to hear you say it in order to really hear it.

Start NOW: book a room, phone someone and offer to speak for free. Just get out there and share. You might just find you fall in love with it!