This document is an email from Arthur Sevenstern to Steve and Allan providing advice on presentations. Arthur argues that following strict presentation rules is unlikely to result in a great presentation. Instead, presenters should ask themselves which rules can be broken rather than which rules to follow. He notes that great scientists, artists, speakers throughout history have succeeded by breaking conventions and rules. Arthur encourages Steve and Allan to apply this mindset when developing presentations rather than prioritizing safety and avoiding mistakes.

2. This is Steve

3. Steve is a Sales Engineer

4. This is Steve’s boss
Hi, Allan Clark, CEO of CSS Inc.,
nice to meet you.

5. Selling complex software
solutions is a tough job!

6. You get only one chance…

7. …to convince your
customer to buy

8. There is no room for error
We have to avoid making
mistakes at any cost!

9. So CSS Inc. invested a lot of money
and effort in presentations
Good presentations are
The key to success!

10. They’ve developed a
fancy slidedeck..
Made by the world’s
top-designers

11. …in company standards

12. It contains standard slides to make
sure Steve tells the important stuff…

13. ..and some optional slides to fill
in customer specific content

14. CSS Inc. also invested in
Steve’s presentation skills..

15. …and sent him to
presentation school

16. Steve has learned all the
rules about presentations..
“Standup straight with
your feet slightly apart”
“Do not cross your arms”
“Hands out of your
pockets!”
“Slow down and lower
your voice when you make
your point”

17. According to presentations
they will play it safe!

18. But…

19. Good presentations are not
about safety!

20. Presentations following
rules are destined to fail!

21. When you look back in history..

22. ..all great scientists..

23. ..all great artists..

24. ..and all great speakers..

25. ..have one thing in common:

26. They broke the rules!

27. So here’s my message
to Steve & Allan

28. Rules might be necessary
when writing great software..

29. ..but when it comes to writing
great presentations:

30. Don’t ask yourself
which rules to follow…

31. ..but ask yourself
which rules to break!

32. Arthur Sevenstern
arthur@excellentpresenteren.nl
www.excellentpresenteren.nl

33. Photos:
15: flickr/Evelyn Proimos/Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
19: flickr/姒儿喵喵/Prohibiting Sign
22: flickr/Marc Evans/Creation of Adam
22: flickr/Freeparking/Rembrandt van Rijn
22: flickr/Herry Lawford/Van Gogh
22: Wikimedia Commons/Jack Mitchell/Andy Warhol
22: flickr/Christine/David Bowie as Aladdin Sane 1973
22: flickr/Anirudh Koul/Lady Gaga Concert (Pittsburgh) – Lady Gaga with the Piano Limo
23: flickr/MAMJODH/Leonardo da Vinci self portrait
23: Wikimedia Commons/Sir Godfrey Kneller/Isaac Newton
23: Wikimedia Commons/Unknown/Nicolaus Copernicus
23: Wikimedia Commons/Official 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics photograph/Albert Einstein
23: Wikimedia Commons/Starchild Learning Center/Stephen Hawking
24: Wikimedia Commons/Gunnar Bach Pederson/Marcus Tullius Cicero, by Berthel Thorvaldsen as copy from Roman original
24: Wikimedia Commons/Hans Holbein the Younger/Portrait of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam with renaissance pilaster
24: Wikimedia Commons/Malay Wikipedia/Nostradamus
24: Wikimedia Commons/Georg Frierich Schmoll/Johann Wolfgang Goethe 28 jun 1774
24: Wikimedia Commons/Imperial War Museum Collection/Winston Churchill
24: Wikimedia Commons/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division/Martin Luther King jr. by Walter Albertin
24: Wikimedia Commons/Unknown/Official Portrait of President Ronald Reagan
24: Wikimedia Commons/Marc Nozell/Senator Barack Obama campaigning in New Hampshire
30: flickr/umjanedoan/Law books on a shelf
Other images are author’s collection or acquired from istockphoto.com