Ignite your presentation power
Are you still crafting clunky PowerPoint decks for mission-critical meetings? Would you consider yourself an expert at deck creation? Most people would answer no. We get it, it’s not your thing. Do you think maybe your audiences are getting tired of looking at the back of your head, as you read your “script” up there on the screen? Yes to that one, for many.
Most presentations are a cluttered mess.
The simple truth is, the creation of a compelling presentation creation is part art, part cognitive psychology.
What is the optimum number of bullet points on a slide? How about zero? How many slides is the optimum number? How about, as many or as few as it takes to tell the story? That’s often more than you might think, but with less content on each slide. Have you ever created super over-populated slides just to cram your story into an “optimum” number of slides? We hear the number 12 a lot. It’s nonsense. There’s no cohesive narrative flow in that kind of presentation. No pleasing rhythm that brings the audience along with you. No blend of keep moving vs. slow down to elaborate. Navigationally they are a mess. They make the presenter look bad: confused, long-winded, not in control of his or her own story.
What about voice-over? Most presenters forget to leave room for a voice-over that adds to the narrative. If they plan to say something, those words are right there on the slide. That makes you a robot, a mere slide reader. Wouldn’t you rather be an engaging presenter, unfolding a compelling story with the aid of a few slides, rather than a slave to them?
Beware the pitfalls of the double-duty deck.
Are you writing presentation decks that do double duty as a leave-behind report? In the process, are you creating a Frankenstein document that does neither job well? A leave-behind needs detail and a contiguous narrative structure. It needs to speak for itself. A memorable presentation, on the other hand, needs rhythm, flow, impact and room for that all-important voice-over. It needs a little intrigue, to hold the audience’s attention, to make the them think: I wonder what he means by that – and then answer their question in an unexpected way. It’s more work for sure, but taking the time to consider the complementary roles of deck vs. leave-behind is time well spent.
There is a better way
If you recognized your own presentation production and delivery shortcomings in any of the above, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re in the majority.
Have you seen other people’s presentations that blow you away? How were they different to the ones you churn out? Chances are they were pithy, compelling and well-designed. Chances are you hung on the presenter’s every word.
Need help telling your story?
We can help you with all of the above. We’ve been told we give good deck. But we’re not just about beautifying slides, or editing out a few words. We’re about telling a compelling, persuasive story. It’s the whole process reimagined, including presenter training, attendee selection and many other often overlooked factors that set you up for success. Among other bragging rights, we’ve helped a Fortune 50 company craft radically different sales presentations that won them multiple B2B accounts of varying size, ranging from $100 million to $2.5 billion. With a b.