This document provides guidance on improving presentation structure and content. It recommends deciding on 6-8 major points to structure the presentation around. The modern style involves using the top part of each slide to tell the story through headlines, with backup material below to reinforce the message. Bulleted lists should be limited to avoid boring audiences, and visual elements like charts, pictures and quotes can be used to break up text-heavy slides. Proper structuring provides clarity and allows presentations to be repeated easily.

1. What you put on the page
affects how well it’s
delivered
Andy Morffew
amorffew@aol.com

2. When some people speak, every word is heard
- for the rest of us…….
www.barackobama.com/photos
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3. we have to work harder.
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4. This presentation aims to help improve
presentation structure
u Introduction
u Deciding upon the content and sections
u The modern style
– Horizontal Logic
– Vertical Logic
u The horror of bulleted lists and other things
u Introductions and Summaries
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5. Introduction
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6. The best speakers use their slides as the
framework for their talk not the content
Total
Information
about Subject
Information to
be delivered
Information
on slides
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7. If you try to give a badly structured
presentation it becomes a battle
Missing Running
major out of time
points
Confusing the Not getting the
audience message across
Losing confidence
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8. But if you use some simple rules you will find
your presentation is much easier to deliver
u Understand your audience
u Have the right amount of material
u Don’t confuse all the information about the
subject with what you can deliver in a talk
u Make sure the slides tell the story
u Make the slides attractive to help hold the
audience’s attention
u Start and end well
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9. Deciding upon content
and sections
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10. The first step is to strike the balance between
what you want to say and the time available
Subject
&
Message TIME
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11. Filling the time is rarely the problem
u Given an hour prepare for 45 minutes
u I have given hundreds of major presentations in
the last 20 years but have finished too early on
less than ten occasions
u Be realistic about the number of overheads you
need - 1 slide per 3 minutes is a good guide (not
counting separators)
u Decide upon the 6 to 8 major points and make
them your sections
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12. The modern style
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13. The top part of the slide is where you tell the
story
Back up or amplification
of the Headline
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14. If all the Headlines are linked, the whole story
should be told
This is the Horizontal Logic
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15. Each Headline should be complete - not depend
on the material below to be understood
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16. The material below the Headline drives the
message home
This is the Vertical Logic
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17. Structuring your presentation in this way has
some major advantages
u The path through the presentation is clear and
once written requires less preparation
u The presentation can be repeated in the future
with very little work
u Someone else could give the presentation
u The presentation handouts are more easily
understood
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18. Use a picture to help people through a complex
presentation structure
Understand
issues and
priorities
Identify Document Deliver new
Customer Define Deliver new
existing Define SMS
Requirements new SMS Systems SMS
systems new SMS Systems Systems
Systems
Understand
user
requirements
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19. Highlighting the section you are currently
addressing can be very helpful
This approach is particularly good for
explaining complex methodologies
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20. There are other ways of helping the audience
keep their place in the presentation structure
Understand Issues and Priorities
You can have a text area on the left of
each slide
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21. Watch out for clip art that is widely used as it can
take attention away from your message
Microsoft PowerPoint
clip art is particularly
popular. At one time
you couldn’t escape
the Screen Beans
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22. The horror of bulleted lists
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23. With bulleted lists the audience has to
concentrate too hard to absorb the material
u The lack of variation becomes tedious very
quickly
u The listener has to read everything in case the
presenter refers to it rather than repeats it
u Presenters may read the bullets making it a very
dull presentation
u As the subject gets more complex the bullet
points can become paragraphs
u Each slide that comes up starts to become a
challenge to the listener
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24. Many people think in pictures
Visualization 35%
Internal Sounds 20%
45% Internal
Feelings 10%
Dialog
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25. The worst way of presenting a bulleted list is
the slow reveal
u The frustration that builds up
u during this kind of presentation
u is unbelievable.
u The lack of confidence of the speaker
u means that they try to stop the audience
u from moving ahead at a different speed
u with disastrous results.
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26. Morffew’s law - there should never be more than
two consecutive slides with bulleted lists
u First line, take this
uNow take this
uNow this, we haven’t finished
uYet more, keep awake
Give us a break…..
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27. There are some things to say in defence of
bulleted lists
u They are quick to write
u A lot of factual material can be put on a page
for later reference
u They break text into the important “bites”
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28. Bulleted lists can be disguised with a little
thought
Did you spot this one?
Missing Running
major out of time
points
Confusing the Not getting the
audience message across
Losing confidence
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29. Sometimes you can change a list into a million
dollar chart
The Development of an Industry
Stable Environment
Environment Turbulent
Nothing Changing Moderate Discontinuous Rapid
New Slowly Change Shifts Continual
Change
Generation Growth Consolidation
50’s 60’s 70’s 80’s 90’s 2000’s
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30. Putting a clip art at the bottom of the list
doesn’t let you off
u This is still a bulleted list
u It has bullets and text
u This picture doesn’t change anything
u Morffew’s Law still applies
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31. And, while I’m on my soap box - laser pointers
u Are you looking at this?
u Why are you looking here????
u My pointer is still on the first line .
u Did you note this word in particular?
u Is this getting boring or what?
u This is how they teach 4 -year olds to read
u I’m getting too old for this
u I need to lie down!!
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32. Getting pictures is easy now we have the
internet and they can add value
http://www.pictures-of-african-animals
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33. Quotes can be a great benefit to your message
"Seventy percent of all re-engineering initiatives
fail because not enough account of the people
has been taken"
Source Hammer & Champy
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34. Humorous quotes are even better but they
must be relevant
"We don't like their sound. Groups of
guitars are on their way out."
Decca Records spokesman in 1962
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35. International audiences are a great challenge
to a speaker and require a modified approach
u Often people from other countries are better at
spoken English rather than written English - so
write less.
u Translators cannot translate your slides unless
you read what is on them.
u The talk has to be slower - this will only work if
there is less material.
u The best English speakers from other countries
tell me they only understand 80% of what is said.
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36. Introductions and Summaries
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37. The beginning of the talk is very important -
you need to grab the audience’s attention
Try to use something unexpected and
popular. If it is an interest of yours,
your enthusiasm will come across.
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38. The end of the talk is also critical so you can
leave on a high
The most elegant ending links back to the
attention grabber……….
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39. Follow these rules and this can be your victory
speech
http//news.bbc.co.uk
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40. Last tip - end up with your title slide
What you put on the page
affects how well it’s
delivered
Andy Morffew
amorffew@aol.com