Tips for lawyers who use PowerPoint in mediation presentations. Number one tip: Don't be boring.

1. Using PowerPoint
For Mediation
Presentations
Tips to make the
“old school” tool look new again
Presented by: C. Todd Smith

2. Why does good
slide design
matter to
lawyers?

3. Death by PowerPoint

6. Boredom
“PowerPoint hell” is the tedium some
people report on sitting through
PowerPoint visual presentations that
are too long and complex, making
excessive use of the software’s
features and when the presenter just
reads from the slides. Source: Wikipedia

7. Things
to avoid

8. Beware of the template trap

9.  BULLETS
 ARE
 FOR
 GUNS
 NOT
 FOR
 PRESENTATIONS

10. Memberships and
Affiliations
 Admitted to The Florida Bar 1994
 United States District Court, Middle District
of Florida
 Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers
 American Trial Lawyer Association
 Central Florida Trial Lawyers Association
 Orange County Bar Association
 Guardian Ad Litem Volunteer, Orlando Legal
Aid Society

11. Cutting and Pasting Trap
 On June 24, 2010, Plaintiff, JANE DOE, was the
operator of a motor vehicle in Seminole County,
Florida that was struck from behind by a vehicle
being operated by John Smith, who was at fault for
the motor vehicle accident.
 At all material times, including June 24, 2010, John
Smith was insured by United Services Automobile
Association, who tendered the limits of his bodily
injury liability coverage on or about March 17,
2011.
 SOUTHERN-OWNERS insured Plaintiff under a
motor vehicle liability insurance policy, including
underinsured and/or uninsured motorist coverage.

12. UNNECESSARY SLIDE
TRANSITIONS

13. (If you were watching this in PowerPoint
you would love this awesome looking, but
totally useless, transition effect.)
THE “SHRED”
EFFECT

14. (If you were watching this in PowerPoint you
would love this even more awesome looking,
but totally useless, transition effect.)
THE “CHECKERBOARD”
EFFECT

15. (If you were watching this in PowerPoint this
transition effect would simply blow your mind.)
THE “HONEYCOMB”
EFFECT

17. Wrong Font and
Too much Text
“The majority of the presentations that I see have text in a ten point font. As much text
as possible is jammed into the slide, and then the presenter reads it. However, as soon
as the audience figures out that you’re reading the text, it reads ahead of you because it
can read faster than you can speak. The result is that you and the audience are out of
synch.
The reason people use a small font is twofold: first, that they don’t know their material
well enough; second, they think that more text is more convincing. Total bozosity.
Force yourself to use no font smaller than thirty points. I guarantee it will make your
presentations better because it requires you to find the most salient points and to know
how to explain them well. If “thirty points,” is too dogmatic, the I offer you an
algorithm: find out the age of the oldest person in your audience and divide it by two.
That’s your optimal font size.” - Guy Kawasaki
Read more:
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2005/12/the_102030_rule.html#ixzz1dKyrGkCe

18. BAD CLIP ART AND
ANIMATIONS

20. Less is more. Start your
design with a blank slide.

21. Telling the story

22. WHEN TELLING YOUR CLIENT’S STORY AT
MEDIATION:
Don’t use the slides as a crutch – you still have
to persuasively tell your client’s story.
What you have to say is more interesting than
your slides.
Don’t watch your slideshow and don’t read
from the screen which takes the focus away
from you
YOU CONTROL THE SLIDES, DON’T LET THE
SLIDES CONTROL YOU.

23. Structuring the Story
Act I begins a story by setting up all of the key story
elements, including the setting, the main character, a
conflict, and the desired outcome.
Act II drives the story forward by picking up on the
conflict in Act I and developing it through the actions and
reactions of the main character in response to changing
conditions.
Act III ends the story by framing a climax and a decision
that the main character must face to resolve the
situation.
Source: Cliff Atkinson, Sociable Media

24. Use Pictures

25. Rental
Units
“Barn”
Accident
location
Accident Location – Not on the Rental Property

26. WARNING!
DO NOT OPERATE UNLESS
YOU HAVE READ AND
UNDERSTAND THE
INSTRUCTIONS AND
WARNINGS IN THE
OPERATION AND
MAINTENANCE MANUAL

27. FORKLIFT TRAINING & SAFETY MANUAL
Remember that you are responsible
for not only your safety, but that of
your fellow workers.
Know the limitations of the machine
you are using. Never attempt any job
that the machine is not equipped to
perform.

28. History Of Violations
0 STAFF FOR 18 CHILDREN OBSERVED
11/25/08 - A ratio of three staff for 18 children is required.

29. TECH

30. Get to know the ribbon
in Office 2010

31. Office.com

32. Always
Be
Prepared

33. Know your room where you will be
conducting the mediation.
Make sure the facility has what you
need for your presentation.
Always arrive early to set up.
Always be prepared for the worst case
scenario – no presentation (bulb issue,
computer issue, etc.)

34. Don’t be boring.

35. Shortcuts:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/powerpoint-help/keyboard-shortcuts-
for-use-while-creating-a-presentation-in-powerpoint-2010-
HP010336519.aspx
Death by PowerPoint:
http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/biztools/article.php/684871/D
eath-By-Powerpoint.htm
Really bad PowerPoint – Seth Godin
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/01/really_bad_powe.ht
ml
Tips:
http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/powerpoint_tips.html
http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/
Portability – Office web apps:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/web-apps?WT.mc_id=PPT_WebApp

36. C. Todd Smith
www.ctoddsmith.com
Download this presentation at:
Slideshare.net/ctoddsmith