Recently I had an incredibly valuable conversation with one of the smartest people I know when it comes to blogging, Nicholas Cardot from SiteSketch101.com. If you haven’t checked out his site yet, you have to. He writes about human business, blogging, design, online business, social media and more (if you can believe it). He even wrote a book about it, and another one is in the works.
While talking about blogs, he told me about the ABC’s of blogging – Awesome Content, Beautiful Design, and Commanding Influence. He tricked me into trying to answer which one was the most important. Of course, they’re all important.
However, he got me thinking about how the ABC’s of blogging directly correlate to presentations. Presentations are not a single element. They are a combination of elements – a machine. Each piece plays its own role. If one of them doesn’t do their job, the whole machine slows down. Kind of like when the bag gets full on your lawnmower. Granted, the wheels still work and the blades can still slice and dice, but you’re lawn is going to look terrible if you don’t empty the bag. Lose a wheel, let your blade get dull – expect the same poor results.
AWESOME CONTENT
As a presentation designer, I have the unique opportunity to purely educate when I’m booked to speak. I don’t have to sell anything. I can tailor my content to the audience and ensure that they leave as better presentation designers than they were when they arrived. However, most business presentations are pitching something. The presenters are hoping to persuade the audience to act in a certain way, whether that may be to buy their product, invest in their company, or join their cause. When this is the case, the presenter must deliver a presentation that entertains, engages, and results in a desired outcome. Thus, the content must be carefully crafted.
So how do you create a quality presentation from a content perspective? By storytelling. No audience wants to listen to you read off a bunch of statistics, product features, or accomplishments. They don’t care how many awards you’ve won. Instead, tell them a story. Tell them the story behind your product/service. Tell them the story about how your company was found. Tell them a story of how your product/service helped a customer. Continually show them what is now and what can be if the invest in your company, use your product/service, join your cause, etc. When you tell an effective story, your presentation resonates.
BEAUTIFUL DESIGN
If you’re a devoted reader of this blog, you know how passionate I am about PowerPoint design. In my opinion it is the leading culprit in the audience deaths during presentations. ”Death by Powerpoint” – over a million results in a Google search and a definition in Wikipedia. Poorly designed slideware DEFINITELY detracts from your presentation as a whole. It’s like trying to climb a mountain with a 100lb weight on your back. Sure, you can still reach your goal (eventually), but you’re making it unnecessarily difficult on yourself and ultimately your audience.
I’ve been an audience member on numerous presentations, as all of us have been. As recently as last week I sat in on a presentation where the design was so bad I had to look away. When I did look at the slide, the design made my eyes cringe and the bullet points were begging me to read them. Of course, if I read them I can’t listen to the presenter, defeating the purpose of the presentation in the first place. So I looked away, out my window, and just listened. So whatever time was spent on designing that slide was completely wasted. And anyone who couldn’t look away surely missed out on the information that was being presented. The sad part is that most presenters don’t even know how bad their design really is, and if they do, they don’t think it has a negative effect. They figure that throwing some words on a slide somehow enhances their presentation no matter how it’s presented. They’re mistaken.
COMMANDING INFLUENCE
As Nick said in his recent post about influence, “The idea of being a thought leader is a powerful concept. It refers to someone who is a leader among leaders. It’s the person who challenges the thinkers to think.” You’re never just a vessel to convey information. As a presenter, you should always be challenging yourself to offer the audience something of value, in turn challenging them to think differently.
I had the opportunity to see Seth Godin speak last year during his Linchpin tour. We all know he’s an amazing presenter, but it’s not just because he had great slides and a polished delivery. He was constantly challenging us to question the status quo. He was challenging us to find our inner Linchpin and pull out the greatness within us. He made me look at work and life in a completely different way. He influenced me.
Never accept the status quo. Be your own biggest critic and challenge yourself to create your presentations by giving ample attention to the ABCs of presentation design. Question your content. Question your design. Question your influence. Are you providing the audience with something that will change them forever?
Have you noticed yourself slacking in any of these areas? Are you truly challenging yourself? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
