2. Design Mistakes 1&2
“Slide as a Document Syndrome”
(J Weissman)
Slide as a handout
Use Notes Page view. Issue afterwards
Read @450 wpm
Talk @150 wpm!
3. Design Mistakes 3-5
Slide as notes
Slide to prove competence
Slide to ensure uniformity
YOU ARE THE MESSAGE, NOT THE SLIDE
4. When they start reading, they stop listening, as this slide
may perhaps demonstrate.
They cannot stop themselves from reading when you put
words up here.
You become a voice over narrator or even a
ventriloquist!
5. Even worse when they
talk about things
NOT on the slide
This jams the
audio and
video channels.
7. Keep eye sweeps to a
minimum
The eye moves naturally left to right
Don’t make them work too hard
www.matchettgroup.com
8. Design Mistake 5
Sentences not Bullets
“The only time you need a sentence is when you need to demonstrate
verbatim accuracy.”
Jerry Weissman
Presenting to win
9. Design Mistake 5 contd.
A full sentence forces a bullet into
WORDWRAP
(Two eye sweeps)
10. This is a Typical Lengthy Bullet Chart
Title Spanning Two Lines
Here’s a Subtitle that adds new information (take these out)
The first bullet is written as a full sentence, complete with articles,
conjunctions and prepositions
The sub bullet is also a full sentence
And so is the next
What do you think of this slide, which has as many words and same design as
a Cisco example I borrowed?
Sometimes we add sub-sub bullets to confuse things
Then all you need is some Cisco jargon and you have a
typically mind numbing slide
Such as “leverage the bundling potential between Linksys
and Intel products”
11. Headline the Title
Take out subtitles
Bullets as key words only
Avoid dashes as bullets (looks like a minus sign)
Use space instead of bullet
Remove articles, prepositions etc.
Use 6x4 formula
(6 words per bullet, 4 bullets per slide)
Avoid mixing bullet styles
Build if > 6 needed
12. Huge Audience Benefit
Take out subtitle
Bullets = key words
6x4 formula
Beware mixing bullet styles
13. Keep Bullet Grammar
Consistent
It can confuse otherwise
Reduced audience retention
More tiring for people
Complexity levels increase
www.matchettgroup.com
14. Easier on the Audience
Confused
Less retained
Tired
Complicated
www.matchettgroup.com
15. Best Practice
Use Bumper Slides as inter-
course sorbet!
Use B or W button
Let them read, then talk
www.matchettgroup.com
1 slide. In essence opportunity description. Be creative, be precise. The pitch can be visual i.e. in picture format or written format. The purpose is to describe the opportunity in a way that will capture interest and attention of the board in a credible way. This slide should generate the “wow- I get it” effect. Details can be explained later. Incremental opportunity for Cisco should be stated in absolute value and the expected timeframe necessary to realize total opportunity.
1 slide. In essence opportunity description. Be creative, be precise. The pitch can be visual i.e. in picture format or written format. The purpose is to describe the opportunity in a way that will capture interest and attention of the board in a credible way. This slide should generate the “wow- I get it” effect. Details can be explained later. Incremental opportunity for Cisco should be stated in absolute value and the expected timeframe necessary to realize total opportunity.
1 slide. In essence opportunity description. Be creative, be precise. The pitch can be visual i.e. in picture format or written format. The purpose is to describe the opportunity in a way that will capture interest and attention of the board in a credible way. This slide should generate the “wow- I get it” effect. Details can be explained later. Incremental opportunity for Cisco should be stated in absolute value and the expected timeframe necessary to realize total opportunity.
