*How to find, refine your presentation toolbox*
*Publication Date:* July 2008
*Volume:* 43-11
*Author:* Richard Schenkar
*Categories:* Practical resources, Computers, Resources, Trial Techniques
If you have been trying to frame and communicate your message in an
effective way and you have been running into brick walls, there are
helpful and proven tools you can use to eliminate fear, frustration, and
the probability of embarrassment. 

Many of these resources are aimed at people outside the legal field.
Even though they do not seem relevant to lawyers, there are enough
practical tips and data to make the resources useful to lawyers. A bit
of translation is all that is necessary.

It is really important to start your thought process effectively. That
way is to focus on presentation design. The focus of the weblog
Presentation Zen http://www.presentationzen.com is on the planning of
the message you want to communicate.

Then, it is prudent to consider resources, examples, and other materials
to define your project and find templates so as to try not to “reinvent
the wheel.” It does not hurt to call or e-mail the people whose examples
you discover to see if you can find out what was effective for their
purposes and what was not. You will find over seventy examples and
resources for presentations (and ultimate follow up) at
http://meryl.net/2008/01/10/70-powerpoint-and-presentation-resources-and-great-examples.


Manage Smarter, at http://www.presentations.com, is the central portal
for five magazines that offer practical tips for all kinds of
presentations. These trade journals include /Sales and Marketing
Management, Incentive, Potentials, Presentations,/ and /Training/. You
will find valuable tips for all of your communications from electronic
mail through conference rooms, lecture halls and court rooms. Recent
posts include such topics as “Presenting Smart: What Story Do Your
Graphics Tell?, Four Best Practices for E-mailing Sales
Presentations, and Business in a Knapsack: Six Keys to Clear Virtual
Communication.

Tucows, at http://www.tucows.com, is one of the oldest software sites on
the Internet and is a repository of many solutions that will work on
systems that are old. The software is organized in sections for the
Web, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and PDAs.

OldVersion, at http://www.oldversion.com, is a repository of old
versions of current software.  One of the frustrations that we often
face when we are using used hardware is that current applications are
too big or require computing resources that our current computer cannot
handle. Old Version rescues us by providing access to older versions of
software that take fewer computing resources to use so that our clients
may be served with relevant applications on the hardware that we already
have.

The Trial Lawyer Resource Center weblog, at http://www.tlrcblog.com, has
a Presentations section full of helpful tips that one may reach
quickly. The postings go back to 2005.

Presentation Pointers has a helpful article exploring Courtroom and
Boardroom Presentations: Comparing and Contrasting, at
http://www.presentation-pointers.com/showarticle/articleid/215/. The web
site includes some strategic and tactical information. It includes
sections on communicating effectively, building presentations, and
planning a presentation.

American Lawyer Media, at http://www.alm.com, brings a number resources
together under its wing. As the portal for its publications /The
American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, IP Law & Business, The National Law
Journal,/ and /Law Technology News/, you will get access to many tips,
software downloads, and white papers describing ways to resolve many of
your communication challenges.