Why Presentations Matter & How we can improve them: Bizcamp Dub 2010

Why Presentations Matter...
And a few tips on how we can improve them!
www.clearpreso.com

This talk was given at the wonderful Bizcamp Dublin 2010
As the presentation was created to be delivered live I have added these notes to explain some things in the preso

Who am I ?

Ed
(Fidgeon-Kavanagh)
I’m aware this is a pretty absurd surname and open to ridicule... So for now let’s just call me...

@clearpreso
Some of you might know me from my twitter name of @clearpreso

Live Here
This is where I live

Dublin...

Precisely...
If you want to get very precise...

I went to this college

B.Comm
I learnt many things here, mostly that I loved presentations. By the end of college I was a certified...

Ppt.
Nerd

ClearPresentation Design
I now run a business called Clear Presentation Design. We offer...

Slide Makeovers
peterstafford.ie

Video Presentations

Presentation Blog

Presentations Matter
Firstly I want to talk about why presentations matter

A person can have the greatest idea in the world. But if that person can’t convince enough other people it doesn't matter.
Gregory Berns

“Ideas that spread... Win”

First impressions count

Showand tell!

Spread the w o r d

Teach people

Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” is a great example of the teaching power of presentations

Make a good presentation and you will stand out from the crowd

And inevitably... You will get a big bag of cash!

But...
However, presentations are usually rather boring and terrible. Making the audience feel like...

How can we change things

8
Completely non-exhaustive
Presentation tips

1. Get rid of the logo

Logo
What a logo! I’m in love...
Have you ever bought a product/service based on the Prettiness of a logo used in a preso?

Logo
Ouchies...
Would stamping a logo in the corner of your forehead help you convince a client/investor of your case?

Hi I’m Mike, from paper Inc.
Great, what sort of prices are you offering?
Hi I’m Mike, from paper Inc...
Oh we have pretty great Rates
Do you reintroduce yourself at the start of every sentence? If not... Why do it in your slides.

Have you ever given a presentation so long that by the end of it the audience has actually forgotten who you were and what company you are representing?

2.Keep it simple

It is important to keep things as simple as possible
When in doubt try and make things as simple in possible.
Simple things are remembered better and can be more engaging
In the words of Jazz-great Dizzy Gillespie
“It’s taken me all my life to learn what not to play”
Get rid of slides like this one...

It’s taken me all my life to learn what not to play
Dizzee Gillespie
And get to the core message

Simple Structure

Deep
Go deep on a topic

Deep
Wide
Or go wide on numerous topics

Deep
No Go Area!!!
To do both is a no go area! This is what makes presentations last for hours and bores the crap out of the audience.

3. Use the right charts for your data

Keep it simple

People seem to love 3d charts, like this exploded 3d pie chart

And this 3d cone bar chart. The fact is it actually makes it harder for the viewer to interpret the data.

Q: Which team had greater sales?Team B or Team E
For an example let examine the question above...

Which team had a greater proportion of sale, B or E...
Takes a few seconds to be sure

2d makes it a bit easier to tell, but in reality it is the WRONG chart

The bar chart suits this better

And for the comparison we are trying to show, highlighting the relevant data can help even further.

It really happens
This really does happen

The Big Plan
Plan A
Sales Shares for Quarter 2 by customer
Here’s a slide I worked on a while back, looks complicated, but all they were trying to communicate was...
Big Logo
Name of Business

Sales Shares for Quarter 2 by customer
Name of Business

4. The right images

NO Clipart
Only use clipart when making fun of clip art, like in this slide!

NO Low-Res

NO Low-Res
Try and find high-res like this one, they are nice and crisp even when blown up large!

NO Watermarked

Where?

www.flickr.com

Here’s one I found on Flickr, even then blown up it looks good

www.Canstockphoto.com

You can also search by model

Spare Bizcamp ticket?

5. Step away from the effects!

Transitions
Just cause you CAN use them doesn’t mean you should!

Pow!
They are like Batman effects from the old series with Adam West!

Fade
Try to stick to Fade

Push
Or push – for special occasions!

6.Follow the leaders

Garr Reynolds(www.presentationzen.com)

Edward Tufte(www.edwardtufte.com)

Steve Jobs(www.apple.com)

7.Practise, practise, practise

If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery it wouldn’t seem too wonderful at all.Michelangelo

My story
I first discovered the benefits of practise at college. I had an important presentation to give as part of a competition. If I won I would get to represent the college on an international level at a case study competition

Not wanting to miss out on this opportunity, I stood in this little park by the coast, and went over my presentation OUT LOUD at least...
Right here

35 times, just belting out my speech to Dublin Bay... 2 weeks later I was in Canada at that competition, the practise paid off!
35+ times

Steve Jobs practises for days before a big presentation. He leaves NOTHING to chance!

8.Have passion(but not too much)

Hans Rosling(www.gapminder.com)
An example of an APPROPRIATE and effective level of passion!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHhdNEKwN50
If you are in a hurry the action starts at 3:20

Jim KosekGenerally crazy man
An example of an a totally over the top level of passion that might just do more harm than good!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpxiCxO5k0g
Well worth a watch

Get rid of the logo
Keep it simple
Use the right charts for data
Get the right pics
Step away from the effects
Follow the leaders
Practise
Present with passion – but not too much

I’d love to hear from you, so why not get in touch!
www.clearpreso.com
www.twitter.com/clearpreso
clearpreso@gmail.com

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Why Presentations Matter & How we can improve them: Bizcamp Dub 2010

by Clear Presentation Design on May 30, 2010

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Why Presentations Matter & How we can improve them: Bizcamp Dub 2010 — Presentation Transcript