Presenting with a Robot

Have you ever presented alongside a robot? I have. You haven’t? Haven’t you heard of PowerPoint’s Rehearse with Coach feature? We are always told to practice our presentations in front of a mirror or, ideally, with a friend or colleague. I used to practice my presentations frequently with my colleague Marco Ullasci when we used to be in a similar time zone. However, accessing someone willing to give you time and provide direct and honest feedback is difficult. This is where AI comes in.

微软 PowerPoint’s Rehearse with Coach feature is like having a dedicated presentation coach available 24/7. This AI-powered tool helps you practice your presentation in a realistic setting and provides valuable feedback on various aspects of your delivery.

The "Rehearse with Coach" feature is in the Slide Show ribbon. To get started, click on this button.

Once the presentation is in the slideshow mode, you will see a welcome prompt like this on the bottom right. Click on Start Rehearsing and deliver your presentation as normal. Make sure that Powerpoint has access to your microphone.

I practiced my presentation on Data Storytelling twice with Rehearse with Coach. The first I deliberately kept my pace slow, added fillers and read from the slide. Let's see what does the rehearsal report offers as a feedback:

You can see it has suggested:

1. My pitch was frequently monotone
2. My word pace was a little slow at 120 words per minute
3. I used "umm" as a filler frequently
4. I used "also" as a cliche
5. In slides 1 and 10, I read from the slide

This is priceless feedback; I know where to change my focus and how to adapt my presentation. I delivered the presentation again; this time, I tried not to make any mistakes. Let's see what the coach has to say.

Now you can see that my words per minute have improved to 132. There is no monotonous tone, fillers, or repetition, and I didn't read from the slides. This is live, real-time feedback at your fingertips.

Incorporating Rehears with Coach in your Presentation Practice

I strongly encourage you to consider using the coach in your presentation prep. It will offer you:

Personalized Feedback

The Rehearse with Coach feature listens to your presentation and offers personalized feedback. It evaluates your pacing, tone, and use of filler words. It even catches if you need to read more from your slides directly, like in my first attempt above. This instant, unbiased feedback is like having a colleague give you direct feedback about your performance.

Real-Time Suggestions

I didn't show that, but as you present, it offers real-time suggestions on each slide. If you speak too quickly, it will prompt you to slow down. If you use too many filler words like "um" or "uh," it will point that out. This allows you to adjust your delivery on the spot, making your practice sessions more effective and efficient.

Objective Insights

I have delivered too many presentations where I felt I didn't deliver my best, yet people were too courteous to give me any critical feedback. AI doesn't bother about upsetting you; it will provide direct and transparent feedback without worrying about hurting your emotions. AI doesn’t have bad days or get distracted like a human coach. The feedback you receive is consistent and objective, helping you improve steadily. It’s like having a mirror that reflects your performance and tells you how to enhance it.

Convenience and Accessibility

It is great to have helpful friends and colleagues, but there may be times when you are working at an odd hour or your friendly human coach is not available. One of the most significant advantages of using Rehearse with Coach is its availability. Whether you’re working late at night or early in the morning, this tool is ready to assist you. You no longer need to coordinate schedules with colleagues or friends. Just open your PowerPoint, start rehearsing, and get immediate feedback.

Summary

In conclusion, practicing with AI, such as PowerPoint's Rehearse with Coach, can substantially improve your presentation skills. It’s a reliable, accessible, and insightful tool that helps you refine your delivery, ensuring you always present your best self. So, consider rehearsing with your AI coach next time you have a big presentation. You might find it to be the perfect practice partner.

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