Branded Presentations: Yes, Slide 87 Must Be On-Brand Too

First of all, I’m kidding. If you have 87 slides you’re already in trouble. Groove has created executive presentations for some of the biggest names in the business: Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, John Chambers, Jeanne Jackson, Scott McNealy, Jonathan Schwartz, Guy Kawasaki, and a host of others. Many times the deck is for a 2,000-person audience;  other times for a board of directors. In either case, or any in between, there are things to do and not to do in a good presentation. Here are a few to consider.

1. Breathe: Not just you, but the slides. Slides need white space. They need a clear, focused, and uncluttered value proposition if you hope to keep the attention of your audience. If the information seems dense to you, imagine how it will feel to the person taking it in for the first time. Well, let’s be clear. That person will simply stop taking it in. They will start counting ceiling tiles again. Simplify your story and create some space. If you do that and the slides are still dense, create chapters to your story over several slides (or several builds).
2. Tell a story: We are children of Hollywood. We like a three-act narratives:  a clear beginning, middle, and end. We’re used to character arcs and something memorable happening at the end. Your presentation should not resemble French cinema (as much as we all love French cinema). It needs an easily digestible narrative that leads to a clear call to action. Know that your audience expects this kind of storytelling, and deliver to their expectations.
3. Know the pace: It takes three to five minutes to get through a typical slide. If you have an hour, you get 15 to 20 slides. Period. You cannot simply talk faster – and never believe the “rehearsal timings” tested comfortably in your office or living room. It always takes longer on stage. It’s vital that you command the content. Rushing through slides makes it all feel staged, over-rehearsed, or worse, lacking in authenticity. Take your time. Enrich the story during each slide., and move through your presentation gracefully.
4. Time the reveal: Don’t roll out a complex slide, or text lists, all at one time. Audiences like to read and explore. Some are naturally inquisitive. Many are bored stiff. If you roll out a long story be assured no one is listening for the first minute or two. They are reading, examining, deducing, guessing, or already arguing with your point of view. They have visual stimulation and they are taking advantage of it. Meanwhile, you’re losing them. Create a build slide or consider telling your story over several slides. Nobody likes to hear the beginning of a story with the end staring them in the face.
5. Avoid the cheat sheet: Many speakers fear forgetting important points so they bullet their slides to death. And I mean to death. The deck becomes a table of contents filled with every nuance of every thought. Don’t do it. The audience has to believe that you’re passionate about your story. That you could do it in your sleep. A long bullet list just conveys that you don’t know the material, aren’t passionate, and fear the audience. (The only exception is in an educational forum where task and to-do lists are provided for the sake of the audience, not the speaker.)
6. No reading:  Remember that all bullets are not created equal. A few will serve you well. These are the bullets that stop you from writing a tomb. You should never be caught reading your slides. It’s painful. Audiences will start to read along with you – some faster and some slower. It will feel like story time in kindergarten. The only exception: a quote. But again, do not read a long quote. Paraphrase. Add a title or a value proposition from the quote. But do not read slides to your audience.
7. Don’t bury the lead, don’t give away the ending: This is a hot topic amongst the presenter elite. Do you reveal the ending and then build a case for how you got there, or do you save it like a good book? I believe it’s a balance. You frame the conversation, set expectations, and save a hook for the end. Let them know that Butch and Sundance don’t survive the film, but save the explosive Bolivian shootout for your last slide.
8. Nobody cares like you care: Details, details, details. Minutiae kill presentations – even presentations about the minutiae. In a vast majority of presentations your proof points, and all the details around them, are not necessary. Identify the proof exists, tell a quick story about how the proof was ascertained, and move on. Then hand out a whitepaper at the end of the presentation that verifies all that minutiae.
9. Make eye contact: You’re the one on stage, not your deck. It’s your show so build a relationship with your audience. The deck is your supporting cast, not the lead.
10. The last slide is always Q&A: This is the perfect way to start a dialog – and a relationship–  with someone in your audience.
11. Have fun: Even if the topic is deadly serious you should be approachable in your presentation. The audience needs to connect with you, so make your presentation look, feel, and taste inviting. If you’re worried you can’t pull it off, use the deck as an ice breaker. Turn your slides into comfort food. It really works.

We like things eleven at a time at Groove 11 but there is a lot more to keep in mind when creating a deck that’s meaningful, and delivering it effectively so that you  accomplish your objectives. We’re here to help you do just that.

Comments

[Kare anderson]

Garr Reynolds would concur with your advice re slides