Boost Your Presentation Skills (2013)

All rights reserved ©2013 1

Marc Jadoul

Boost Your Presentation Skills!

(and keep your audience coming back for more)


Disclaimer

This is a training course, not a public presentation.

Some of the techniques introduced are not applicable to or are not used in the following slides.


“Death by PowerPoint”


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbSPPFYxx3o

../Videos/Life After Death by Powerpoint.wmv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbSPPFYxx3o


The Rise of the Corporate Storyteller

Steve Rubel, October 2010

Even though millions of us are now content producers in some form or another, the reality is there's still chasm when it comes to quality. There's art and there's junk. Audiences want art.

To stand out today it's critical that businesses create content. Activating your cadre of internal subject matter experts is the surest path to visibility.

The reality is, however, that organizations need to do more than just unleash their subject matter experts en masse. They need to activate them in multiple channels at once and equip them in how to create a compelling narrative—an emerging set of skills called Transmedia Storytelling.

Transmedia storytelling is the future of marketing. And those who can span across formats and share their expertise will stand out in an age of Digital Relativity.

http://www.forbes.com/2010/10/11/google-eric-schmidt-bieber-facebook-social-networking-storytelling-steve-rubel-cmo-network.html


Why tell stories?

• Because we are all human beings

• Stories make your content personal and sparkle curiosity

• Storytelling is cooperative learning

• An entertaining way to transmit a message

• It’s a means to stimulate higher level thinking

• We tend to forget lists and bullet points

• Stories give us permission to act

• They allow us to remember the things told

• Stories spread. Good stories spread faster…


When storytelling gets the message

across more effectively, its

incremental cost is (close to) zero,

but its ROI is massive.


About me…


YOU

message

audience delivery

YOUR STORY

YOUR SLIDES

YOUR PRESEN- TATION


YOU

YOUR STORY

YOUR SLIDES

YOUR PRESEN- TATION

message

audience delivery


Great stories succeed because they

are able to capture the imagination

of large or important audiences.

Seth Godin


The 7 C’s of a good story

C ompelling

C redible

C oncrete

C lear

C onsistent

C ustomized

C onversational


Nobody cares about your products (except you).


People will forget your words, people will forget your slides,

but they will never forget how you made them feel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv98mKgWpZ0

Maya Angelou

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv98mKgWpZ0

../Videos/Jobs launches MacBook Air (2008).flv


The triune brain

‘Reptile’ (archipallium)

‘Mammal’ (paleopallium)

‘Rational’ (neopallium)

Survival, fear

Emotion, seek pleasure,

avoid pain

Logic and thinking

http://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Triune_brain

All rights reserved ©2013

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1

3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triune_brain




The left and the right brain

Daniel Pink, “A Whole New Mind”

Design

Story

Symphony

Empathy

Play

Meaning

Function

Argument

Focus

Logic

Seriousness

Accumulation


Aristotle’s ancient art of rhetoric

Ethos

Pathos Logos

Credibility

• Trustworthiness or reputation

• Tone/style

Emotion

• Emotional or imaginative impact

• Stories

Logic

• Reasoning or argumentation

• Facts, figures, case studies

http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/ethos-pathos-logos/







Charles Mingus

Making the simple

complicated is a

common practice;

making the

complicated simple,

awesome simple,

that’s creativity.


The KISS principle

K eep

I t S imple,

S tupid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle


Even for engineers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyluS4TZKhQ

http://natgeotv.com/uk/engineering-connections

http://natgeotv.com/uk/engineering-connections/videos/the-millau-bridge

http://natgeotv.com/uk/engineering-connections/videos/sydney-opera-house

http://natgeotv.com/uk/engineering-connections/videos/wembley-stadium

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyluS4TZKhQ




../Videos/Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections.flv


A ttention

I nterest

D esire

E vidence )

A ction

What makes a good storyline?

(


Plan your story

• Think about the story you want to tell and the messages you want to convey before you start creating slides

• Clearly identify your objectives and expected outcomes

• Inform yourself about the opportunity, context, audience, other speakers, etc.

• Look for anecdotes, case studies, experience, …

• Always start with the end in mind


http://www.mindmapinspiration.com

Map your ideas

http://www.mindmapinspiration.com/


Satisfy your audience’s goals

W hat’s

I n

I t F or

M e?


Know your target audience to tailor your presentation

• Size and composition

• Key persons in the room

• Expectations and level of knowledge

• Objectives and level of interest/resistance

• Possible questions they may ask

• Level of understanding speaker’s language

• Overall agenda and time available


Build a message house

Core message

perception proposition

differentiation relevance

Foundation (trends, facts & figures, …)

Umbrella statement (vision, mission, value, …)

Core message



Core message



Burson-Marsteller, 2006


Do the elevator test

• Can you “sell” your message in 30 seconds?

• Can you summarize it on the back of a napkin or business card?

• Can you deliver your story in half of the available time slot?

• Can it be understood by your mother in law?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_pitch

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_pitch


YOU

YOUR STORY

YOUR SLIDES

YOUR PRESEN- TATION

message

audience delivery


If information is

presented orally,

people remember

about 10% of

the content 72

hours later.

That figure goes

up to 65% if

you add a picture.

John Medina (2008), “Brain Rules”


The average business presentation

has 25% less slides than 3 years ago.

Less time to

monologue More time to

dialogue


You’ll probably

present less than

20% of all the

information you

have in mind


What annoys audiences about PPT Presentations?

• The speaker read the slides to us 69.2%

• Text so small I couldn’t read it 48.2%

• Full sentences instead of

bullet points 48.0%

• Slides hard to see because of

color choice 33.0%

• Overly complex diagrams or charts 27.9%

http://www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/articles/annoying_powerpoint_survey_2009.htm

http://www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/articles/annoying_powerpoint_survey_2009.htm


Do not overload your presentation with visuals - they should underline something in your presentation, and

not overshadow you, the speaker.


Gary Vaynerchuk

Great speakers may use poor visuals …

… or even no slides at all …


The KILL principle

K eep

I t L arge &

L egible


Your brain interprets every letter as a picture so wordy

slides literally choke your brain.


Beware of creating ‘slidumentation’.

Create visuals to present a solution or to make a statement, not to solve your problem or to document the details.


Your audience is only capable of holding three or four points in short term

memory: respect the ‘rule of three’.


Only mention the essential figures. Put the rest in a separate handout.


Plan your presentation

• Create a storyboard

• Look for appropriate visual materials

• Preparation time = 3x presentation time

• Background ‘material’ = 5x presentation content

• Count 2-3 minutes per slide

• Anticipate to possible questions

• Re-iterate your slides after each presentation


Create a storyboard

• Start from your mind map

• Spend time in the “slide sorter”


How many slides will you need?

Speaking slot (in minutes)

x0.8

Speaking time (in minutes)

÷3

÷2

Number of slides

<

<

(3 mins. per slide)

(2 mins. per slide)

(Q&A)


Keep consistent in style, vocabulary, color palette, etc.


Use appropriate fonts

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/07/04/higgs-boson-discovery-comic-sans_n_1648494.html











Fonts and typefaces

• Must be readable from the back of the room

• Title 28–36 pts; body text 20-28 pts

• Don’t mix too many fonts; don’t use script fonts

• Use Bold, italic and color instead of underline

• Don’t mix too many colors on one slide

• Colors should contrast with the background

• Avoid using red text on a white or black background


Bullets and numbering

• Only 1 point or idea per slide

• Use statements instead of sentences

• Use key words to help audience focus

• Title contains 5 words or less

• Maximum 7 lines per slide, 7 words per line

• Each statement starts with a capital

• Avoid numbered bullet lists


Tables and charts

• Avoid large tables and spreadsheet objects

• Use appropriate chart types (bar, pie, line, …)

• Though charts have a higher visual impact, tables may display information in a less emotional way

All rights reserved ©2013 48 48

COPYRIGHT © 2013 M. JADOUL. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

http://www.visual-literacy.org/periodic_table/periodic_table.html





Clip art and animation

• Use illustations wisely

• Images must enhance or clarify the content

• Scale down photo resolution

• Don’t use “fly in” bullets

• Limit object builds and slide animation


Don’t use standard PowerPoint clipart


Scaling and cropping images

25 KB 2.5 KB 250 KB


Embedding video and multimedia

• Use video/audio clips for examples, use cases and/or testimonials

• Make sure the video files are loaded on the presentation PC and linked into the slides

• Alternatively, post the movies on YouTube and provide a link to it

• Don’t use PowerPoint sound effects

• Arrange that A/V equipment is available and tested (with your presentation) before you start


YOU

YOUR STORY

YOUR SLIDES

YOUR PRESEN- TATION

message

audience delivery


Be prepared

• Only present your OWN story and slides

• Get familiar with your presentation

• Add some time checks if necessary

• Anticipate to possible questions

• Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse

• Ask feedback from your colleagues (including non-researchers)


Get in early

• To be on time for your presentation

• To socialize with the host(s)

• To network with the attendees (beware of the first impression you create)

• To get familiar with the venue

• To listen to (and bridge with) previous speakers

• To identify friends and foes in the audience


Before you start

• Get familiar with the room and the equipment

• Be aware of the organizer/audience’s expectations

• Test your PC (fonts!) and the A/V equipment

• Know how to navigate (also backward…)

• Turn off your screensaver, email and IM

• Bring a backup copy of your slides

• Consider some last minute customization

• Be prepared for presenting naked

• Relax!!!


Most people decide within the first

8 seconds of a presentation whether

the speaker is worth listening to.

Good morning... I am so glad that I got the opportunity to speak here this morning... Thank you... It’s really a pleasure to be here

today, blah, blah, ...


Opening

• Open with a short silence

• Launch a statement/quote or conduct a poll that grabs the audience's attention

• Explain it by a ‘personal’ story

• Address a few individuals in the audience

• Speak in short sentences and pause frequently

• Concentrate on the message — not the medium


2/3 of respondents mention

“speaker reads the slides”

as the biggest annoyance.

A speaker may put his entire presentation on his slides. He turns his back to the audience and reads the slides aloud. Perhaps he feels this approach guarantees all the information will get to the audience.

This may be the most annoying way to give a presentation. Audience members feel insulted: they already know how to read! They wonder why the lecturer doesn’t simply hand out a copy of the slides.

The visual presentation dominates the presenter. The presenter is not adding any value to what is on the slides.


The average attention span of an adult is

18 minutes.

Keep your talk short

or make sure that the first minutes include any material that you want your audience

to remember.

http://bodylanguagelady.blogspot.com/2009/12/

attention-span-grabbing-your-audiance.html

http://bodylanguagelady.blogspot.com/2009/12/attention-span-grabbing-your-audiance.html












Only 7% of a message is conveyed

by actual words or content. 38%

is transmitted by tone of voice and

volume of speech. The other 55% is

delivered through non-verbal means.

Albert Mehrabian (1981), “Silent Messages”


P +

R

ause

epeat


Using your voice

• Turn nervousness into positive energy

• Match your presentation style

• Speak clearly (do not shout or whisper)

• Vary pitch and speed

• Silence sometimes says more than words

• Pausing shortly at key points adds emphasis

• Be aware of your vocal tics and repetitive word/phrase use

• Breath!


Penguins can be cute, but

they're not good presenters.


Your position, gesture and body language

• Adopt a neutral and open stance

• Do not obscure the screen

• Don’t look at the screen behind you or turn your back to the audience

• Be aware where you stand and how you move

• The bigger the audience, the bigger the gestures

• Be conscious of what you do with your hands

• Body language should match your message


Getting audience feedback

• Make eye contact, one person at a time

• But don’t stare at specific individuals

• Monitor audience’s body language

› Positive: smiling, nodding, taking notes, …

› Negative: yawning, coughing, doodling, looking out the window, playing with their BlackBerry, …

› Undecided: typing on a laptop (may be email or taking notes)

• Be provocative and ask questions

• After your talk, don't ask “did you like my presentation?” but be more specific


Interruptions and questions

• Have a Q&A session at the end, tell it to the audience before you start presenting

• Stick to the main points of your speech

• Always be respectful of the questioner

• Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know”

• Repeat the question if too silent

• Address the answer to the whole audience


More dos and don’ts

• Show confidence in your content and skills

• Take benefit from the adrenaline in your body

• Show enthousiasm and excitement

• Radiate your passion

• Don’t appologize for

› Misspeaking (rather use “rather…”)

› Clicking onto the wrong slide

› Not covering a topic

› Not knowing an answer


Closing

• Summarize your main ideas and key points

• Call for application or for action

• Do not stop cold, use a bridging statement

• Do not lose energy, don’t change style

• Do not make the closing seem unimportant

• Leave a ‘final impression’ on the audience


A ction

M emorable

S ummarize


Time management

• Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse

• Start on time

• Leave time for Questions & Answers

• Plan/check “milestones” in your presentation

• Adapt your story and/or your pace

• Don’t wait for the last 5 minutes to speed up

• Skip details and less meaningful slides

• Ask a timekeeper to show yellow (10 min. left) and red (5 min. left) cards


Dealing with stress

• Arrive at the venue well in time

• Get familiar with the room

• Check A/V equipment before you start

• Don’t present with an empty stomach

• Believe in yourself

• Realize that people want you to succeed

• The audience is your friend, not an enemy

• Turn your adrenaline into positive energy


YOU

YOUR STORY

YOUR SLIDES

YOUR PRESEN- TATION

message

audience delivery


There are always three speeches

for every one you actually gave.

The one you practiced, the one you

gave, and the one you wish you gave.

Dale Carnegie


Recommended reading (some of the sources I have tapped)


Follow my blog

B2Bstorytelling.wordpress.com

http://b2bstorytelling.wordpress.com/


Thank You!

www.linkedin.com/in/mjadoul

B2Bstorytelling.wordpress.com

@mjadoul

www.slideshare.net/mjadoul

Presentations & Public Speaking

Boost Your Presentation Skills (2013)