Professionally Speaking...

The Don't Miss This List, Edition 5

These lazy, languid, dog days of late summer provide the perfect opportunity to catch up on valuable presentation advice from some of my favorite bloggers. Read on for insights into better PowerPoint, better speaking and better preparation.

• Angela DeFinis has written a great post on The Seven Deadly Sins of PowerPoint Design, where she outlines the problems with PowerPoint slides and how to fix them. It fascinates me that in spite of the volume that has been written about bad PowerPoint and all the great suggestions for improvement, so, so many business presenters still refuse to change. An interesting comment on human behavior! Here are some of my suggestions for jump starting better PowerPoint practices.
  
  
• One thing that causes many presenters anxiety is worrying they won't be able to effectively handle audience questions and interruptions, particularly ones that are confrontational or argumentative. Ian Griffin, in How To Deal with a Hostile Audience tells us not to rely solely on logic, but to be conscious of the emotional concerns underlying a question.
  
  
• As only Seth (Godin) could explain: How To Make Graphs That Work. Advice that is simple, easy-to-use, provocative...and right on the money.
  
  
• Learn from the TV newscasters how to handle slips of the tongue in Lisa Braithwaite's Stumbles, Fumbles and Mumbles.
  
  
• You've often heard me extol the benefits of practicing and being prepared in this blog, so I'm happy to pass along a very critical checklist from Nick Morgan: 10 Points To Check Before You Speak.

PREVIOUS "DON'T MISS THIS" LISTS:

The Don't Miss This List, Edition 4

The Don't Miss This List, Edition 3

The Don't Miss This List, Edition 2

The Don't Miss This List, Edition 1

PowerPoint: It Depends On Where You Stand (or Sit)

There is a striking dichotomy between what people say and what people do regarding PowerPoint.

When I ask participants in my presentation skills classes what bothers them the most as they sit in the audience listening to a presenter, they invariably say, "...too many words/bullet points/text on the slides." When I probe to uncover why that behavior is so annoying, I get responses like:

• It makes it more likely that the presenter will read most of his slides.
• It's too distracting to have that much information visible...I can't concentrate on what the speaker is saying and read at the same time.
• The type is so small I can't read it. 
• The presenter isn't adding any value to what's on the slide...why didn't she just send me the PowerPoint deck?

Yet the puzzling part is that when these same participants start working on their own presentations, they typically have way too many words on the slides.

So why the disconnect between audience attitude and speaker behavior?

I think the big reason is that overloaded PowerPoint slides are so ubiquitous and standard operating procedure, many people are afraid to deviate from the method that everyone else uses...even though they know, from the perspective of audience member, this method is not effective. [Read about more reasons in Olivia Mitchell's excellent analysis].

I also think that most presenters care about having an impact, care about engaging their audience and are looking for opportunities to improve. But they may not be prepared to go totally "Garr Reynolds" with simple, elegant graphics, numerous pictures and minimal text.

So I suggest the following steps to course participants as a way to test the waters:

• In preparing the presentation and slides, put your audience hat on and think about how you would respond to those text heavy slides.
• Try changing just a couple of slides to start with. Perhaps pick a complex point in your presentation or an aspect that always generates a lot of questions; develop another way besides text to display this information, like a chart, graph or image that symbolizes your meaning.
• Then assess how the audience responds to the information in this format. Do they understand better? Do they have fewer questions or are the questions different? Do they seem more engaged?
• Solicit feedback from audience members to validate what you observed.

What kinds of experiences have you had using a PowerPoint format markedly different from the norm?

6 Steps For Creating A Presentation

Everybody knows how to create a presentation, right? You just sit down at the computer, open PowerPoint and start filling in content on the slides. Mmmm...perhaps not. Perhaps there is a better way.

When we have a presentation looming, our bias for action tempts us to skip any planning phase and get right to producing the final product. We may even fool ourselves into thinking that we plan and create simultaneously. But sufficient time devoted to mapping and organizing your presentation up front allows you to deliver a more focused message that is more likely to address your audience's needs.

Let me suggest a process:

1. Audience Needs Analysis. Before you put pen to paper or finger to keyboard, spend some time determining what your audience already knows about your topic, what information they can use, how do they feel about the topic you're presenting. You want to answer the WIIFM question...the "what's in it for me?" question that every audience member has.

Some methods you can use to uncover information about your audience's needs: ask questions of a few representative audience members; talk to people who have presented to this audience before; do a survey; question the person who invited you to do the presentation.

2. Outline Your Presentation. Develop a bullet-pointed outline of what you want to cover and the approximate order. Don't go into a lot of detail here...this is just your road map. Make notes on areas that you need to research or on which you need to find additional resources. Once you've completed the outline, it should give you a good sense of whether or not your presentation flows logically, covers the key aspects of your topic and fits the allotted time frame. It is during this step that you want to answer the question, "What is the one key message I want my audience to take away from my presentation?"

3. Research. Next you want to compile the more detailed information and resources you made note of in the Outline step. This may entail reading, interviews and internet research. Make modifications to your outline based on your audience needs analysis and research.

4. Write Out Your Presentation. Now that you have all your material organized, write out your complete presentation. Although this seems onerous and I certainly don't recommend that you deliver your presentation from a fully scripted version, this is an interim step that allows you to get a good sense of the flow of your information and work on intentionally crafting your language.

5. Create Delivery Notes. Create the notes that you will use to deliver your presentation by condensing the fully scripted version to bullet points. [Note: these are bullet points for you, not for any slides you may design.] There are a variety of note formats you can use and I recommend trying a few to see what works best. This step gives you another chance to refine your message, make it more focused and incorporate vivid examples.

6. Design PowerPoint Slides. Yes...it's the very last step. [And it's a good idea here to ask if you really need PowerPoint...will it enhance your audience's understanding?] Once you have created and refined your presentation, then and only then should you design your slides. Now you can really focus on what slides will add additional clarity to your spoken words, what slides will give the audience a vivid graphic example to help them get your point, what slides will help explain a particularly complex idea.

Some of these steps may indeed overlap. For example, parts of your audience needs analysis and your research may occur simultaneously. Your research and designing your slides may overlap as you find a terrific chart or illustration that you want to include. You may also decide to omit writing out your presentation and move directly from research into creating your notes; however, I do not recommend this for beginning presenters or those who present infrequently.

For your next presentation, try this approach to creating your remarks. I guarantee you that your message will be clearer, your audience will be better served and as a bonus extra, you'll be much better prepared which will free you up to really focus on connecting with your audience.

POWERPOINT: VISUAL POWER

It's no secret that I think visuals should dominate words in a presentation where any type of slideware is used. But if the word 'visuals' immediately makes you think 'pictures' or 'photographs', reconsider. Charts are an elegant way of graphically representing many types of information, making it easier for the viewer to grasp not only meaning but context as well.

Thanks to Chris Spagnuolo at the EdgeHopper blog for alerting me to this wonderful video about the benefits of charts.

Charts come in a variety of shapes and sizes which makes them all the more versatile. Thinking about what relationships you want your data to convey will help you choose the best chart for your purposes.

BAR CHART

A bar chart is a popular method of showing relative relationships or numerical comparisons. Different colored bars can be used for additional emphasis. This type of chart allows for a strong image when there are only a few data points. When, however, there are numerous bars, the labeling can get confusing. A bar chart would be good to show, for example, the number of cases of influenza reported in the U.S. for the last 5 years or the number of pieces in different packages of M&M candy. (Attribution: katiescrapbooklady, Flickr)

 

PIE CHART

Pie charts are typically used when showing proportions, for example the percentages of stock, bonds and cash in a financial portfolio or the sources of energy use. With the various proportions representing slices of a pie, it is easy to see the relationships between each of the elements. Different colored slices, like with the bar chart, can be used for emphasis. If each slice needs a lot of labeling to be understandable, it's best to show a legend off to the side, with a small box of the appropriate color next to each label.

STACK GRAPH

The stack graph is a useful way of displaying data that needs to be viewed both independently and cumulatively, as in this example of types of mail received over a specific period of time. (Attribution: sidehike, Flickr).

TAG CLOUD

A tag cloud is a visualization of word frequencies, which is useful for showing relative relationships. For example, showing two State of the Union addresses as tag clouds would give you a visualization of the density of certain words and terms, thereby conveying an overview of the important concepts. Here's an intriguing way of showing comparative property values. (Attribution: urbanwild, Flickr)

What other types of graphic representations have you found to be an effective way to convey your information and engage your audience?

POWERPOINT FIRST AID: A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

In many presentations, a thousand words is what it feels like as slide after bullet point-laden slide goes by. When I teach and consult on how to use PowerPoint effectively, I always encourage people to ditch the bullet points wherever feasible and replace them with visual images... graphs, charts, pictures.

I recently came across a couple of very cool tools that help with this.

WORDLE

Wordle produces word "clouds" from text you provide, giving greater prominence to words that are used more frequently. You can manipulate fonts, layouts and colors to achieve customized outputs.

Wordle is the brainchild of Jonathan Feinberg, a senior software engineer at an IBM research lab. Offered under a Creative Commons Attribution license, it's available to anyone to use, at no cost.

This technique could be used to graphically display a particular theme in a presentation or to make a point about (for example) the content of a marketing brochure, customer service letter or the CEO's speech.

MANY EYES

From another research lab at IBM comes Many Eyes, a project to "create information visualizations that help people collectively make sense of data." At this site, you can upload your data and then choose from a large selection of graphic representations to display the data. Types of visualizations include: bar charts, line graphs, maps, bubble charts, pie charts, treemaps, scatterplots and more.

STRETCH YOUR IMAGINATION

Beyond providing you with some awesome graphic images for your next presentation, these two tools help you stretch your imagination to consider the endless possibilities of information display and which technique will best crystallize your message for your audience.

OCEANS OF UGLY POWERPOINT

According to Nancy Duarte of Duarte Design, the uber-cool Silicon Valley design firm:

"There are oceans of ugly PowerPoint out there. The bar is set so low in this communication medium that few people have ever seen a well-developed presentation."

Well, John Windsor over at The You Blog has a provocative prescription for PowerPoint monotony:

"Have no more than one slide with bullet points on it, and put that near the end, when you want them [the audience] to remember the most important ideas or items (which are what you put on that one bullet slide).  For everything else, use a picture, use a single word or two in a big graphic fashion — or don't use anything and have a slide deck with only one slide."

Can you imagine? Audiences would actually be able to focus on the presenter rather than splitting their attention between trying to listen to the presenter's words and reading the bullet point-laden slides. 

If only more presenters were daring enough to take this approach, audiences would overwhelmingly reward them with standing ovations!

POWERPOINT PRESENTATION TIP: THE BLACK SLIDE

I make no secret of my feelings about Powerpoint. We'd all be better presenters without it.

However, since many, if not most, business presenters still feel compelled to use it, any little tip that can make dreary PowerPoint presentations less painful is a good thing. Enter the black slide.

As Bert Decker, well-known communications trainer and author, outlines in this post, the black slide is exactly that...not the blacked-out screen which results from hitting the 'B' key, not the master slide with nothing on it...but an individual slide with a completely black background.

So, you're giving your presentation. You click to a slide showing a picture, graph or [gag] bullet points. Once the audience has absorbed that information, click to the black slide. This is a great way to get the audience focusing back on you and what you're saying rather than reading the screen. Now you can tell a story, further explain your message or engage with your audience. No built-in distractions.

The black slide sort of performs the function of sorbet at a gourmet dinner...it gives the audience the opportunity to cleanse their "mental" palate and be ready to receive the next idea, piece of information, concept. Just like at dinner, one doesn't forget what has gone before, but the "cleanser" just makes one more prepared to experience the next bite.

 

PRESENTATION = A TWO-WAY STREET

As presenters, it is very tempting to pontificate from center stage as the subject matter expert, inflicting slide after slide after slide on a passive audience. However, both you and your audience will be rewarded when you view your presentation as a two-way street...communication flowing both ways. 

According to Michael Moon, Creative Director of Duarte (the firm that helped create Al Gore's Academy Award-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth), it's not about the slides, it's about the experience. [Listen to his tips on this podcast]

Making the audience an active participant in the presentation is one way of enhancing the experience.

QUESTIONS CREATE GIVE AND TAKE

Although every presentation may not lend itself to extensive dialogue with, or input from, the audience, you always have the option of asking your audience questions to engage them. In a large group, go for rhetorical questions or polling questions (ones asking the audience to vote by show of hands). In a smaller group, ask "real" questions where you actually wait for an answer.

Every time you use a questioning technique, your presentation becomes more of a give and take. Even an answer that is articulated only in the listener's head increases the level of involvement.  

Create more of a two-way street with your audience...let them participate...and you'll both get more out of the experience.

 

POWERPOINT -- THE SIMPLER, THE BETTER

It never ceases to amaze me how good PowerPoint can be when used properly (maybe because it's such a rare occurrence!)...that is, large font, clear graphics, maximum 3-4 bullet points on a slide, minimum words per bullet, no sexy special effects. Here is a great example of a presentation that not only explains how to use PowerPoint effectively, but role models it brilliantly.

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POWERPOINT HUMOR

I've come across a couple of very clever pieces on PowerPoint which beg to be shared.

Peter Norvig, the Director of Research at Google, a number of years ago put together a PowerPoint presentation on the Gettysburg Address. Be sure to read about how and why he made the presentation for some additional laughs. One of his best lines:

"[I] figured from there I'd be creative in adding bad design wherever possible. I was surprised that the Autocontent Wizard had anticipated my desires so well that I had to make very few changes."

HOW NOT TO DO POWERPOINT

A friend and colleague recently sent me this. Enjoy!