Over the last few weeks with different clients from different industries I’ve suffered through similar and equally bad presentations. The presenters themselves were not bad or boring. Quite the contrary, they were highly competent and enthusiastic about their topic. But they all made one fatal flaw. They used Docuslides instead of presentation slides.
Docuslides are documents but they’re thrown up on the screen for a presentation. You’ve all seen them. They usually include some form of the following:
- Title
- Sub-Title
- Four to six boxes with headings and either four bullet items each or a full paragraph of information.
- Or worse, the four to six boxes are down the left side of the slide with a chart on the right side with all the same words arranged into some sort of graph or icon.
- Plus, all of the bullet items or paragraphs are down to 12 point font or less to fit everything in.
Document! Handout. Pamphlets. Anything but slides.
I’m not the best presenter in the world, Steve Jobs may hold that title. But I do spend my days attempting to get concepts and ideas across to my audience of corporate leaders in a way that is remembered after they walk out of our session. When I’m at my best I follow three simple steps for slide preparation.
Step One
Capture all of my thoughts and ideas onto as many slides as it takes. Put some organization to the slides as I create them but the main point is to capture all of my thoughts in as many words at it takes. These slides are a little rougher in format but they look similar to the docuslides that I often see.
Step Two
Eliminate 90% of the words. Boil down what I’m trying to say to a few, very clear descriptive words. I should be able to put these in a fairly large font (24 point) and it shouldn’t clutter the slide.
Step Three
Move the words currently on the page to the note section of the slide (which the viewer never sees) and replace the few words with a single word, icon, image or short video. Something that makes a clear visual image of your main point. Large font, easy to see from the back of the room. No doubt about what the word or image is. When half the audience has gotten out of their seats and are standing along the side of the conference room so they can get close enough to the screen to read the words, you know you’ve completely failed as a world class presenter.
I remember reading a quote from a Silicon Valley investor that went something like this: If you cannot describe what you do in ten words or less, I’m not investing, I’m not interested, I’m not buying. When you’re in front of an audience with a slide presentation, you’re selling. It may be an idea or presenting your case for a decision but you’re selling and you need your audience to buy. If you can’t do it in ten words or less, they’re not going to buy.
Get rid of the docuslides. Get better at presenting. Leadership is selling; ideas, beliefs, visions, directions. Work at presenting with as few words as possible.
