Presenting to win

By Jerry Weismann

A new approach to presentations

It’s the art of telling your story………

You never get a second chance to make a

first impression

The problem is that nobody knows how to tell a story.

And what worse, nobody knows that they don’t know how to tell a story

A new approach to presentations

It’s the art of telling your story………

Persuasion is the classic challenge of sounding the clarion call to action, of getting your target audience to the

experience known as “AHA!!!”When the story is right,

the delivery itself tends to fall into place, almost magically so

The psychological sell

A clear and concise story can give a presenter the clarity of mind to

present with poise

The good presenter :

grabs their minds at the beginning of the presentation,

navigates them through all the various parts, themes, ideas,

never letting go,

and the deposits them at the call action

The Problem with Presentation

1. No clear point

2. No audience benefit

3. No clear flow

4. Too detailed

5. Too long

The inevitable reaction of audiences to a Data Dump is not persuasion but rather the horrific

effect known as

MEGO : Mind Eyes Glaze Over

Make it easy for your audience to follow, and the audience will follow your side

Don’t make them think !!!

THE POWER OF WIIFYTHE POWER OF WIIFY

What’s in it for you?

You and your audience

• Starting with the objective in sight

• Audience advocacy• Shift the focus from features to

benefits• Understand the needs of your

audience

Mastering audience advocacy means learning to view Yourself, your company, your story, your presentation

through the eyes of your audience

WIIFY TRIGGERS

1. “This is important to you because… “(the presenter fills the blank)

2. “What does this mean to you?” (the presenter explains)

3. “Why am I telling you this? “(the presenter explains)

4. Who cares? ( “You should care, because…”)

5. So what?( “Here’s what…”)

6. And…? (“Here’s the WIIFY”)

FOUR CRITICAL QUESTIONS

1. What is your POINT B?

2. Who is your audience and what is their WIIFY?

3. What are your ROMAN COLUMNS?

4. Why have you put the roman columns in a particular order? In other

words, which FLOW STRUCTURE have you chosen?

STORYSTORY

Opening Gambit Point B

Tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell’em

Outline Flow structures

Tell’em Point B

GETTING CREATIVE : THE EXPANSIVE ART OF BRAINSTORMING

“Use your RIGHT and LEFT brain”

Brainstorming: doing the data dump productively

– There are no bad ideas in brainstorming

– Focus before flow

Consider all ideas during the brainstorming as candidates,

not finalistsConsider all ideas during the brainstorming as candidates,

not finalists

Do the distillation before organize it

The data dump must be

part of your preparation,

not the presentation

FINDING YOUR FLOW

Choose one or two flow structures for the entire presentation

16 FLOW STRUCTURE

Spatial

Need for Financial Guidance Low High

Inco

me

Low

H

igh

Matrix

CAPTURING YOUR AUDIENCE IMMEDIATELY

90 Seconds to LaunchPoint B

USP ( unique selling proposition)Proof of concept

Seven classic opening gambit

• Don’t make them think!

COMMUNICATING VISUALLY

The slides or other graphic are there to support the presenter, not the other way around

Less is more– Design all your slides to minimize eye sweep of your audience

A presentation is a presentation and only a presentation,

and never a document

MAKING THE TEXT TALK

• Bullets• Word wrap• Parallelism• Proportional spacing

Crafting the effective bullet slide

This is a Typical Lengthy Bullet Chart Title Spanning Two Lines

Subtitle that add new information

•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– and the next– and so forth

• then comes the second bullet, a full sentence

• then comes the third bullet is also a full sentence

• and so forth, each bullet a full sentence too

Single Line Title

• First bullet• Second bullet• Third bullet• Fourth bullet

Minimize eye sweeps with parallelism

Product Features

• Memory has been enhanced

• Improved speed• More flexible than

before• Extension warranty

Product Features

• Enhanced Memory• Improved Speed• Greater flexibility• Extended Warranty

Bullet levels

• Main bullet– Sub-bullet

• Sub-sub bullet– Sub-sub-sub bullet

» Sub-sub-sub-sub bullet

– Sub-bullet• Sub-sub bullet

– Sub-sub-sub bullet

» Sub-sub-sub-sub bullet

• Main bulletsub-bullet

sub-bullet

• Main bulletsub-bullet

sub-bullet

• Main bulletsub-bullet

sub-bullet

Verbal style

OEM’s

VAR’s

PC’s

ASP’s

SKU’s

90’s

00’s

OEMs

VARs

PCs

ASPs

SKUs

90s

00s

White on BlackWhite on Black

Black on White

• Bullet• Bullet• Bullet• Bullet

• Bullet• Bullet• Bullet• Bullet

• Bullet • Bullet • Bullet• Bullet

• Bullet • Bullet • Bullet• Bullet

TITLE

• Four word bullet point• Four word bullet point• Four word bullet point• Four word bullet point

TOTAL INSURANCE SOLUTIONS

• Dealership– facilities, inventory, employees

• Employees– Life, health, disability

• Customers– Warranty, collusion, liability

• Management– Patents, libel, work stoppage

TITLE

• Four word bullet point

• Four word bullet point

• Four word bullet point

• Four word bullet point

PROPORTIONAL SPACING

TOTAL INSURANCE SOLUTIONS

VISUAL STYLE

Text guidelines

– Create a consistent look and feel and maintain it throughout

– Be consistent in your choice of font, as well as in your choice of case

– Keep font size to a minimum of 24 or 28 points

– Avoid abbreviations at all costs

– Add shadows and bolding to make all text more legible

– Use sharp contrast : light text in dark background or vice versa

– Insert your company logo, but don’t make it look like a neon sign; treat it instead

as a watermark, with a subtle, embossed effect

– Avoid the clutter caused by recurring slogans, datelines, copyrights, and the

ubiquitous “ company confidential” warning in the periphery of every single slide

– Use blank space

MAKING THE NUMBERS SING

Presenter focus,

less is more, minimize eye sweep

Bar charts

Source : the wall street journal

CAGR 17.7%

59

80

95

117

136

57

FYE 12/31

PIE CHART & TYPOGRAPHY

$ 50 Million

HOCKEY STICK EFFECT

2004 2003 2002 2001

USING GRAPHICS TO HELP YOUR STORY FLOW

The 35,000-foot overview

5 graphic continuity techniques

1. Bumper slides graphic dividers inserted between major sections of the presentation to serve as a clean, quick, and simple transitions

2. Indexing/color coding uses a recurring object as an index, highlighted in different colors to map the different sections of a longer presentation

3. Icons express relationship among ideas using recognizable symbolic representation

4. Anchor objects create continuity with a recurring image that is an integral part of the illustration

5. Anticipation space uses empty areas that are subsequently filled, setting up, and then fulfilling subliminal expectations

PANORAMIC VIEW

INTRODUCTORY

OPPORTUNITY

LEVERAGE

CONCLUSION

THE ULTIMATE FLOW CHECK

SEE

• bullet• bullet• bullet

THE STORY FLOW

BY READING THE TITLESONLY

• bullet• bullet• bullet

BRINGING YOUR STORY TO LIFE

The only way to prepare a power presentation is to speak it aloud, just as you will on the day of your actual presentation

Internal linkages

Phraseology

• Now I’d like to….• Like I said…• I’ll tell you very quickly…• I’m running out of time…• If you could read this slide..• This is a busy slide..• This isn’t my slide..• Disregard this..• Before I begin…• We believe…• We think…• We feel…• Mistakes were made…• Progress is being made..• The error rate is being reduced

• I’m going to talk about…• Lets look at…• Lets….• As you recall…• We discussed earlier• You saw…• Remember…• We’re confident…• We’re convinced…• We’re optimistic…• We expect…• We made a mistake• We’re making progress• We have reduced our error rate

Your job is to convey certainty

don’t introduce doubt

Never apologize and always prepare properly

CUSTOMIZING YOUR PRESENTATION

Create the illusion of the first time, every time

External linkages

Gathering Material for customization

– Prior to presentation day• Research your audience

• Learn the names of some key audience members

• Get current on industry news and trends

– On the day of the presentation• Customize your opening graphic

• Search for ways to contemporize your presentation

• Prior to your presentation, mingle with your audience

Be in the moment !!!

PITCHING IN THE MAJORS

Clarity of mind diminishes performance anxiety

• End with the beginning in mind

• It all starts with your story

• Practice, practice, practice

• Every audience, every time

ANIMATING YOUR GRAPHICS

Presenters have learned how to use animation, but not

why and wherefore application

• How VS Why VS Wherefore– The right animation can make your presentation more visually appealing,

transforming it from the merely good to the truly captivating… and therefore persuasive

• Perception psychology• Send positive messages; make the default direction for your animation left to right

• Cinematic techniques– Use motion to help tell your story by expressing the action in your

message; use motion to mirror or evoke the feeling you want in your audience

Whenever you introduce animation on your

screen, stop talking, stop moving, and allow the animation to complete its full course of action

Use motion to help tell your story by expressing the action in your message

THE VIRTUAL PRESENTATION

Anytime, anyplace, anyone

Preparing for your virtual presentation

– Attend virtual presentation by others– Listen to commercial or public radio– Check your graphics– Verbalize for flow and timing– Get ready well in advance of show time– As zero-hour approaches– Make sure that outside noises wont interfere with your

presentation

• Connecting with your invisible audience– Use polling to get to know your audience

• By checking the pulse of your audience periodically, you sustain the vital lifeline of persuasion, the co-in communication

– Invite questions and comments– Have an assistant on-hand to help monitor and manage the

program

• Visualize your audience

• Be prepared to adjust your content on-the-fly

• Focus on your voice

• Use a telephone headset

TOOLS FOR THE TRADE

Arrive early and walk the entire presentation environment, not just the stage. Go to each part of the room and check the sight lines.

Arrive early and walk the entire presentation environment, not just the stage. Go to each part of the room and check the sight lines.

Check, double check, Check, double check, and triple check everything !!!and triple check everything !!!

Have a backup for each piece of technical equipment; computer, video, product demonstration, and projector

Equipment

Check the sound system and test the

microphones. Audience > 50 people use amplification, Audience > 25 people use microphone

Present with the

screen to your left as

you face the audience.

It is natural to move from left to right

Keep the illumination low enough to create contrast on the screen

But never

so dark that you lose eye contact with the members of your audience

Lasers, retraceable metal rods, lighted arrows, and saber-like wooden laces… all weapons…

must be checked at the door.

They are more hindrances than aids.

Ask someone you know to sit in the audience during your

presentation and send you countdown signals so that you finish in your allotted time

TIMING

Drink water to moisten your mouth,

Avoid milk and milk produces as they coat the throat with a film, avoid carbonate beverages

Wear clothing appropriate to the event…

Suits for business occasions, and casual dress for informal occasions

• Men: button your suit jackets. • Women : leave your clanging or glittery jewelry

at home.

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do”.

Unfortunately the world is not perfect. Even the highest-end equipment need to be fine-tuned. In the presentation world, the optimal is sometimes unattainable. If so live with it.

If the good Lord gives you a lemon, make lemonade!!If the good Lord gives you a lemon, make lemonade!!

If you overcome adversity, your audience will empathize with you,

appreciate your effort, and value you more.