I received a tweet this morning pointing me towards this video from brand consulting agency Landor. In just over two minutes they did an amazing job of capturing the issues plaguing businesses who try to tell their story using bland, boring, forgettable PowerPoints while showing how stories aid in attentiveness and recall. Take a look and let me know what you think in the comments.

So if you’re a fan my musings, you’ve noticed that I don’t simply write about effective presentations. I discuss where presentations, marketing, storytelling and social media (all passions of mine) converge. That is why I’m excited to tell you about a one-day event Story is hosting called the Post-Advertising Summit, taking place in the heart of New York City on March 29th, 2012.

Traditional advertising is dead. While saying that is Continue reading...]]> You may (or may not) know that I live a double-life. While I’ve been designing effective presentations for years now, my full-time profession is within the marketing world as Director of Communications for Story Worldwide—a digital brand storytelling agency. I actually got my start designing effective presentations while in the marketing world, and it grew into this blog and a full-fledged business.

So if you’re a fan my musings, you’ve noticed that I don’t simply write about effective presentations. I discuss where presentations, marketing, storytelling and social media (all passions of mine) converge. That is why I’m excited to tell you about a one-day event Story is hosting called the Post-Advertising Summit, taking place in the heart of New York City on March 29th, 2012.

The idea of Post-Advertising is this:

Traditional advertising is dead. While saying that is a bit tongue-in-cheek, I think we’d all agree that we’ve learned how to effectively tune out intrusive messaging. We ignore billboards, we fast-forward over commercials, filter against spam, have nearly eliminated telemarketing and immediately throw out direct mail. The marketing landscape, like the presentation landscape, has changed, and the only messages audiences see or hear are those they choose to see or hear.

So the question is, how do you engage audiences? How do you get positive attention? By telling great stories.

The Summit aims to bring together the country’s best storytellers and influential practitioners of content marketing, social media, entertainment, journalism and more to collaborate on how creating brand stories will shape the future of information and entertainment.

The day is split up in two halves: The first half focuses on the Future of Information with a keynote presentation by Simon Dumenco (Advertising Age), a panel discussion hosted by Mark Schaefer (Author, Return on Influence) and concluding with a workshop moderated by Joe Pulizzi (Content Marketing Institute) where the attendees will roll up their sleeves and not only learn how to unearth a brand’s story platform but put it into practice by creating a real piece of useful content, like a content site or an iPad application.

The afternoon will address the Future of Entertainment, with a panel discussion hosted by Shira Lazar (What’s Trending) followed by another workshop, this time hosted by Randy Irwin (VOTIV) and focusing on a creating a piece of entertaining content, like a viral film, a song or a game (just imagine if Dole had created Fruit Ninja or if Green Giant had created Farmville).

What’s So Different About This Event?

My role in helping plan this event was to make sure that at every turn, this event would right the wrongs of all the conferences I’ve been to. My conference attendance was drastically reduced in 2011 because I was sick of the same thing over and over again: Listen to a bunch of thinly veiled sales pitches (with bad PowerPoints), gather a few cards and go home not really having learned or accomplished anything.

In order to ensure that attendees actually come away with valuable NEW information, the Summit will expose Story’s techniques in unearthing brand stories so that attendees can learn how to do the same for their own brand(s). And to ensure that attendees aren’t just passive onlookers, the panels and workshops will fully engage the audience. Particularly in the workshop, audience members will be expected to contribute in the process of creating a piece of content.

I really hope you can join me in New York City on March 29th. If you’d like more information including a full schedule, speaker bios, session descriptions and more, check out the site here.

I’m also offering my readers $150 off the registration price by using the code PA (yes, just two letters, but case sensitive). But hurry – the Early-Bird price of $395 ($245 with the discount) expires on 2/29.

All hail Lothar Meggendorfer!!

( Continue reading...]]> I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: You don’t need PowerPoint to create an effective presentation. It’s what I use, but it’s not your only option. In this brief TED Audition talk, Joe Sabia discusses how the art of storytelling has remained unchanged, but the way we tell stories (and the way we present) continues to evolve. However, it’s his use of the iPad acting as his visual backdrop that grabs a hold of the audience like a vice. It’s presentation style is unique, fluid, and most importantly, memorable.

All hail Lothar Meggendorfer!!

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The answer, of course, is neither. They weigh the same amount (I noticed this riddle works better when it’s said, not written, but oh well). This riddle came to mind when I was thinking about presentation lengths. Often I get a lot of pushback from clients when they hand over a 10-slide presentation and get back what’s now a 30-slide presentation. So I just ask them the same riddle.

What takes longer: A 10-slide presentation when you remain on each slide for one minute, or a 30-slide presentation where you change the slide every 20 seconds?

Neither. They both take 10 minutes. That’s because the number of slides doesn’t dictate the length of your presentation. Of course, it has an effect on it. It would be seizure-inducing if you tried Continue reading...]]> I’ve got a riddle for you. Which is heavier: a 10-pound bag of rocks, or a 10-pound bag of feathers?

The answer, of course, is neither. They weigh the same amount (I noticed this riddle works better when it’s said, not written, but oh well). This riddle came to mind when I was thinking about presentation lengths. Often I get a lot of pushback from clients when they hand over a 10-slide presentation and get back what’s now a 30-slide presentation. So I just ask them the same riddle.

What takes longer: A 10-slide presentation when you remain on each slide for one minute, or a 30-slide presentation where you change the slide every 20 seconds?

Neither. They both take 10 minutes. That’s because the number of slides doesn’t dictate the length of your presentation. Of course, it has an effect on it. It would be seizure-inducing if you tried to present 1,000 slides in 10 minutes. But within reason, as long as the presenter keeps a good pace for their presentation style and every slide serves a purpose, then don’t judge the length (in time) of a presentation by the size of the PowerPoint.

Nancy Duarte told a story in her fantastic book, Resonate, of how she had a speaking engagement at a conference. The conference organizers (who I have issues with in general) asked for her slides ahead of time. After providing the slides, Nancy was told by the conference organizers that her time slot had been reduced from 60 minutes to 45. Accordingly, she adjusted her presentation and accompanying visuals. When she arrived to present, she realized that her time slot had not been reduced. It was still 60 minutes. Confused, she approached the organizers. They told her that once they saw her slides, they didn’t think it was possible for her to deliver the presentation in under 60 minutes, so they gave her a false time constraint. Nancy told them that the presentation she provided them was perfectly timed to be delivered in 60 minutes (of course, because Nancy always practices her presentations ahead of time). Thus, rightfully so, now that she had prepared for a 45 minute presentation, they were getting a 45 minute presentation.

Most poorly designed presentations include slides filled with text. The ideas that the presenter is trying to convey are suffocating. Breaking out one slide into multiple slides doesn’t increase the amount of information being presented, it simply allows each idea to shine. Instead of spending two minutes on one slide, spend 30 seconds on each of four slides.

If you still don’t believe you can’t move from slide to slide in a fairly rapid pace, I’ll leave you with a video of Larry Lessig whose presentation style is often referred to as, naturally, the Lessig Style. He takes the idea of separating your ideas onto individual slides to the absolute extreme. Still, his delivery style fits his presentation design style and create constant movement and change which helps keep the attention of his audience. I’m not saying you should design your presentations this way, but it goes to show what can truly be accomplished.

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However, I didn’t want viewers to get a chuckle and just move on. Instead, I want them to learn from these ever-so-common mistakes. So here are ten lessons that will help you become a better presenter (in order of their appearance in the video).

1. ARRIVE EARLY TO PREPARE The presenter is fumbling Continue reading...]]> I came across a fantastic video recently entitled, Every Presentation Ever. This parody, brought to you by Growing Leaders Inc. and Habitudes for Communicators, includes nearly every blunder and annoyance that creeps its way into 99% of presentations (just my educated guess). I posted it on the Presentation Advisors Facebook page a few days ago. Watching it made me cringe, knowing that these mistakes aren’t a product of PowerPoint or the content, but because the presenter doesn’t know the very basics of effective presentation design and delivery.

However, I didn’t want viewers to get a chuckle and just move on. Instead, I want them to learn from these ever-so-common mistakes. So here are ten lessons that will help you become a better presenter (in order of their appearance in the video).

1. ARRIVE EARLY TO PREPARE
The presenter is fumbling with his notes, computer and such as the attendees walk in, finally admitting he doesn’t know what to do with his self. My rule of thumb is to show up at least 60 minutes early (if possible) to allow myself enough time to set up, give my presentation a technical run through, and make any last minute changes before anyone even shows up! That way when people start to arrive I’ve freed myself from the confines of technical preparation and I’m able to greet my audience, have discussions, get to know them and even create some allies (which can be useful later in your presentation).

2. YOUR OPENING IS CRUCIAL!
The first few minutes (even moments) of your presentation are crucial. It’s probably the only few minutes you’ll have the entire audience’s attention (aside from those arriving late). Be very careful how you treat your opening. While his joke “doesn’t quite land,” I don’t necessarily think humor is a bad way to open a presentation. I even included it in my post about ways to start your presentation. However, it’s a bit dangerous, especially if it’s a true joke with a punchline. Maybe consider turning it into a humorous (yet relevant) story. Regardless, don’t use this time to talk specifically about who you are and why you’re so important to them. Trust me, they don’t care. It’s all about your audience. Feel free to spice up your opening but make sure it adds value.

3. DON’T MAKE FUN OF YOUR AUDIENCE MEMBERS
This is obvious, right?

4. “JUVENILE SLIDE TRANSITIONS TO SPICE THINGS UP” ONLY MAKE YOU LOOK UNPROFESSIONAL
Yes, I have a thing against nearly all animations and slide transitions. Fade and wipe are on my good side. Everything else is pretty much on my bad side. I just don’t see the need. If you want to reveal different parts of your slide, Fade is all you need. If you want to create the appearance of motion, Wipe is surprisingly good. Your text does not need to spiral, boomerang, or star wipe in. Remember, simplicity is key to effective PowerPoint design.

5. DON’T READ YOUR SLIDES
Ah yes, he reads his slides word for word WITH his back turned to the audience. I’ve walked out on presentations I paid to be in attendance for when I saw the presenter read her slides. I can read just fine all by myself, and so can your audience. Not only that, but it proves that the presenter doesn’t know what they’re talking about. If you still find yourself reading, here are a few tips to help you stop.

6. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, THEN PRACTICE SOME MORE
Notice he forgot his fourth bullet-point? That’s because he didn’t practice and, thus, didn’t know his content inside and out. This is a slap in the face to your audience who is sacrificing their time to listen to you speak. Know your content and DEFINITELY know what’s on each slide.

7. DON’T USE CLIP ART…EVER
My eyes!! They’re burning!!!

8. BE PREPARED FOR TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. No presenter is perfect, nor any presenter’s laptop. Things break all the time. Don’t worry about the mistakes, just make sure you recover from them professionally and as quickly as possible. Don’t allow them to derail your entire presentation. Oh, and switch your desktop background to something clean or generic, not you and Santa.

9. BE CAREFUL WITH LISTS
Lists are tough. They can be useful, but unfortunately lead you down some dangerous paths like reading off your slide, cramming a list onto a single page, or forgetting what comes next. If you have a list, try separating each item onto its own slide with its own visuals, allowing the item its own time to shine (and be remembered).

10. CONCLUSIONS ARE MORE THAN JUST RESTATING YOUR TITLE
“In like a lion, out like a lamb” doesn’t apply here. It’s actually the opposite. In a presentation you want to come in like a lion and go out like a lion as well. How do you do that? Well, there are a number of options. I know after all the content I’ve presented, I’m lucky if my audience remembers just a few things. So I like to make sure review the most important takeaways from my presentation. If they remember nothing, hopefully they’ll remember those few things. I’ve also concluded with a video or a story. One thing to note – don’t let the Q&A be the ending to your presentation. It’s important to field as many questions as possible, but always have prepared a few closing remarks so your audience leaves with the content YOU want them to leave with.

Are there any lessons I missed? What common mistakes did they miss (like cliche stock photography)?

Instead of forcing you to sift through my site, page after page, or trying to search my site with keywords just to find the best posts, I have aggregated 20 of my best blog posts, including the 5 most viewed post written in 2011, to help you become a better PowerPoint presentation designer. Post types include specific presentation design techniques, book reviews, tips, methods, and more.

So without further adieu, here are the best PowerPoint presentation design posts from Presentation Advisors to make you a better presentation Continue reading...]]> In order to create an amazing PowerPoint presentation, you have to learn the process of effective presentation design. After four years of blogging, I’ve written a number of posts designed to help you create better, visually engaging and effective PowerPoint presentations. As all blogs posts do, some resonated better than others and often provided great discussion in the comments.

Instead of forcing you to sift through my site, page after page, or trying to search my site with keywords just to find the best posts, I have aggregated 20 of my best blog posts, including the 5 most viewed post written in 2011, to help you become a better PowerPoint presentation designer. Post types include specific presentation design techniques, book reviews, tips, methods, and more.

So without further adieu, here are the best PowerPoint presentation design posts from Presentation Advisors to make you a better presentation designer in 2012.

1. 5 Ways to Start Your Presentation Off Strong – You’ve got seconds to grab your audience’s attention, and only a few minutes to keep it. Technology has made it even worse where you’re competing with audience members dual-tasking on their computers or smartphones. Learn how to grab their attention quickly in this post.
2. 100 Presentation Tips – Here are 100+ presentation tips for preparation, design and delivery to make your next presentation your best, as well as a few extra submitted by readers. There’s a link to download the list as a PDF as well, which you’re welcome to pass along.
3. PowerPoint Design Methods – There’s much discussion about the best PowerPoint design method.  How many slides should be used?  What font size?  How fast should I transition through them?  I’ve insisted that there is no right PowerPoint method. This post includes a few popular PowerPoint presentation design methods and theories that have worked well for some established presenters.
4. The Best Presentation Design Tool – Here I reveal my most useful tool to aid in finding effective presentation imagery. Best of all, it’s free.
5. A New Spin on the Old Agenda Slide – I had just recently sat in on a presentation that used, like many others, a bullet-point agenda slide with black text on a white background.  I decided to show how, with just a few steps, an agenda slide could be improved [before and after images included].  I credit the inspiration to Garr Reynolds’ Presentation Zen method and an agenda slide I saw during a live presentation of his I attended.
6. Breaking Down Steve Jobs’ WWDC Keynote Presentation – We all mourned the passing of Steve Jobs on October 5th, 2011. We’re all lucky to have lived while he changed the technology landscape again and again. In June of 2010, Steve Jobs took the stage for another magical keynote experience (not just a presentation). I decided to break it down for you all of you, highlighting his approach to the WWDC 2010 keynote presentation and what elements create the masterpieces we are used to seeing.
7. PowerPoint Before and After – Various Slide Types – Often it’s useful to see not only the finished product, but the original product as well. In this post I show you some of my personal slide redesigns, including before and after shots with my commentary on the process of designing each slide.
8. 5 Ways to WOW at Your Next Presentation - We’re all trying to find a way to rise above the rest – to separate ourselves from the crowd. There seems to be a common path that most presenters take, and the trail is painfully worn down. Use some of these tips to give your audience something they don’t expect at your next presentation.
9. What’s Wrong with PowerPoint Templates? – Templates and me have a love-hate relationship.  I love to hate them…especially those found within PowerPoint (there are a few nice ones on Keynote).  It’s not necessarily the visual design, it’s the tired, played-out road that the templates bring most presenters down.  I wanted to write a post that not only highlighted some of the pitfalls of using a template, but also the advantages of going “freestyle.”  Some good comments as well.
10. The Effective Use of White Space in Advertising – I’m a huge fan of utilizing white space (or blank space and isn’t necessarily white).  I wrote this post to highlight some great uses of white space in popular ads, as well as how it can be applied to presentation design.
11. Book Review – Brain Rules by Dr. John Medina – One of my favorite books of 2009 was Brain Rules.  This book not only breaks down the mysteries of the brain using language that we all can understand, but many of the rules apply to presentation design (namely catching and keeping your audience’s attention).  In the post I highlighted three of those rules that you can apply to your presentation tomorrow.
12. Reducing the Amount of Text on your PowerPoint Slides – When clients come to me, they often have a presentation completed, however it’s full of bullet points and absent of any vibrant imagery. Here I walk you through the process of how I remove the text and add appropriate imagery, while still conveying the main idea of the slide.
13. Book Review – The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs – Steve Jobs was one of the greatest presenters working the keynote stage. Carmine Gallo breaks down his presentation style and teaches you how to be great in front of any audience.
14. 5 Bits of PowerPoint Advice that will Land You in Presentation Prison - Bad presentation design tips are a dime a dozen, and I’ve heard all the excuses.  Here are 5 bits of presentation advice that you should avoid at all costs.
15. Perception and PowerPoint Design - Your audience may perceive you in many different ways.  Some may find you interesting, while others may be fighting to keep their eyelids open. Are your PowerPoint presentations leading the audience to perceive you in the wrong way?

5 Most Viewed Posts Written in 2011

Image courtesy of Leo Reynolds

About the Author: Jon Thomas

I’m not sure how you saw it, but it seemed his presentation was divided into two distinct parts, so I’ll cover each of them separately. The first half focused on the explanation of a complex scientific theory that most people (including myself) would find difficult to understand had John explained it one-on-one over a cup of coffee. John used dancers not to reiterate but Continue reading...]]> Thanks to a tweet from fellow presentation designer and visual communicator Tony Ramos, I came across this impressive TEDx talk by John Bohannon, biologist and journalist, entitled, “Dance vs PowerPoint: A Modest Proposal.” Just hearing the title, I was intrigued. I’m no stranger to the numerous arguments against PowerPoint, but I’d never heard of dance as an alternative. Take 11 minutes out of your day to watch this video and I’ll give you my thoughts after the jump.

I’m not sure how you saw it, but it seemed his presentation was divided into two distinct parts, so I’ll cover each of them separately. The first half focused on the explanation of a complex scientific theory that most people (including myself) would find difficult to understand had John explained it one-on-one over a cup of coffee. John used dancers not to reiterate but to illustrate the concepts he was conveying. It was incredible. There were no words or text to compete with his information. The audience didn’t even have to focus on John. They could simply listen to him while watching the dancers visually communicate with them. He did an incredible job of utilizing a unique visual aid to complement his presentation. Well done.

The second half delivered his proposal of utilizing dance as an alternative to PowerPoint. John discussed the dangers of PowerPoint as a tool and the negative effects it has on our global economy. Said Bohannon,

Powerpoint is a tool, and like any tool it can and will be abused. It helps you to soften up your audience. It distracts them with pretty pictures [and] irrelevant data. It allows you to create the illusion of competence, the illusion of simplicity, and most destructively, the illusion of understanding.

I won’t argue with that point. However, I want to make sure we’re clear. While PowerPoint is a tool which, when abused, can be very destructive, it can also be, when used correctly, an extremely powerful visual communications device. The problem we’re faced with, however, is that PowerPoint is far more often used incorrectly or even abused as a presenter’s crutch instead of a visual backdrop. But that’s why I’m here. That’s why people like Nancy Duarte, Garr Reynolds, and Rick Altman exist—to show the world that there is a better way to utilize PowerPoint. And while those startling figures of wasted money and time are not far from accurate, we can change the presentation landscape for the better.

That said, I LOVE the idea of using dancers to convey your message. I can’t imagine that it’s easy, convenient, or fast, but the best presentations never are.

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If a PowerPoint beginner sat over my shoulder as I edited a PowerPoint presentation, they’d probably be overwhelmed with the numerous and speedy edits, clicks, and adjustments I make as I add set the palette, add images, text, alter colors and more. I Continue reading...]]> Recently I was sitting at a conference with the keynote speaker as he prepared for his afternoon keynote. He admitted to me that his PowerPoint skills were “basic at best,” as if that meant it was impossible for him to create an effective, enjoyable presentation. I told him, “If you can import a picture, you can create an effective PowerPoint.” He smiled and went back to making his last minute edits, but it left me thinking about the general (mis)perception of what it takes to design effective PowerPoint presentations.  You don’t need to know as many PowerPoint techniques as you’d think to improve your presentation tenfold.

If a PowerPoint beginner sat over my shoulder as I edited a PowerPoint presentation, they’d probably be overwhelmed with the numerous and speedy edits, clicks, and adjustments I make as I add set the palette, add images, text, alter colors and more. I don’t want to sound like I’m bragging, because those skills and $5 can buy me a cup of coffee these days. However, while I know far more about PowerPoint than the common man does (or should), that’s because I’ve been working with it on a daily basis for years. Few people work with PowerPoint as often as I do, so I’m in the minority, and I know that. That’s why I write this blog – to show people that it doesn’t take an expert to create an effective presentation. Of course, there are numerous benefits to hiring a PowerPoint presentation designer, including graphic design skills, storytelling abilities, and of course, the time so few people have to design an effective presentation from start to finish. But I’ve never claimed that the only way to have an effective presentation of your own is to hire a presentation designer to design it for you.

While there are hundreds of different PowerPoint techniques to learn, there are only a handful you need to know if you want to start creating visually appealing presentations. After that, there is a diminishing rate of return. It’s called the long-tail. I created the slide below to give you a visual representation. If you want to learn more about the long tail, check out this article by Chris Anderson (who eventually turned the topic into a book). A similar concept you may be familiar with is the 80/20 rule (technically the Pareto principle), where “roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.” In this case, 80% of your presentation design is based on 20% of PowerPoint techniques.

Since vision trumps all other senses, the rate of return on importing a picture is high. As you move along the long-tail, you’ll see that mastering colors, fonts, graphs and tables are useful but won’t give you as much of a return on your efforts as importing a picture. If you look at the presentation I created that took third place in the World’s Best Presentation Contest, numerous slides were created simply by adding an image and some type.

Don’t get me wrong (please!), all these skills are useful, and this isn’t an exact science. I’m not here to argue whether smart art or editing slide master provide more ROI. I want to let you know that I’ve designed enough presentations to know that you dont have to be a PowerPoint ninja to design an effective presentation. Learning the basics will go a long way. As I told that keynote speaker, have faith!! We all contain the skills necessary to be an effective presenter.

Are you a presenter who thinks there’s too much to know about PowerPoint to even try creating a more effective presentation? Are you a designer who tried to instill faith in other presenters? Let me hear your stories in the comments. 

Building Your Personal Brand

What the internet, particularly social media, has done over the last 15 years is to level the playing field for those who want to share their passions with others. 15 years ago if you wanted to write, you did it in a journal that probably never strayed further Continue reading...]]> I was recently browsing twitter and saw a tweet from my friend Kyle Lacy (Founder/CEO of BrandSwag) about a presentation he and his firm had created and placed on SlideShare called “Building Your Personal Brand.” I wanted to share this presentation with you for a number of reasons that I’ll outline below, but particularly because I truly believe that one of the most valuable yet underutilized uses for PowerPoint is developing your personal brand.

What the internet, particularly social media, has done over the last 15 years is to level the playing field for those who want to share their passions with others. 15 years ago if you wanted to write, you did it in a journal that probably never strayed further than the confines of your house. Nowadays it takes less than 10 minutes to set up a blog for free and share those thoughts with the world. You can utilize Twitter to connect with those who share your passions. You can join groups on LinkedIn to post relevant articles and answer questions, establishing yourself as an expert. All of this becomes your personal brand – something that no company can keep as you move along your career path.

SlideShare is a powerful tool when it comes to spreading your personal brand. SlideShare allows anyone to upload PowerPoint presentations to the web. Those presentations can be shared across different platforms by being downloaded, shared (via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc.) and embedded (like the presentation above).

We’ve seen the possibilities of storytelling via SlideShare in their World’s Best Presentation Contest. Consider the possibilities of sharing your personal brand if you dedicated the time and resources necessary to create and effective PowerPoint presentation and uploading it to SlideShare. Of course, SlideShare doesn’t magically make your presentation go viral. You’ll need to put even more time and effort into sharing the presentation with your networks and give them a good reason to share it with their own networks.

Personal Branding in Action

Earlier this year a well known email marketing and social media “guru” (says me) DJ Waldow found himself in search of a new adventure in his career. I noticed he had uploaded his visual resume to SlideShare, but it was fairly basic design. So I offered my assistance to make some improvements to the presentation to make it a little more appealing, but his story was strong enough to send numerous potential employers his way.

Chris Ferdinandi, a human resources and social media professional from Boston, MA, created what he calls his “not-so-traditional resume.” The presentation (embedded below) was very well designed, tells a good story, and shows what Chris is all about. But more importantly, the presentation has been viewed over 116,000 times, Liked over 145 times, and has been embedded on other pages over 110 times. How many times has your paper resume been viewed, liked, or embedded? Probably none. (Neither has mine.)

What does all this mean? It means that we’ve moved beyond our personal brands being confined to a Word document. Creating an effective PowerPoint presentation and utilizing the websites like SlideShare, SlideRocket, and Prezi allows everyone the same opportunities to spread their personal brand.

How have you utilized PowerPoint to spread your personal brand?

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Let me spare you the suspense – While your audience, presumably a prospective client, is there to listen to you, they’re not acting as your audience because they want to hear about you. No, they don’t really care about you. All they care about is themselves and how they’re going to solve their problems, reach their goals, or whatever they Continue reading...]]> Most presentations born in a corporate setting, especially in sales, have a very similar structure. I’ve spoken before about starting your presentation off strong, and even how you can put a new spin on the traditional agenda slide. But recently I noticed a problem that seems to arise in all presentations and I’m not sure presenters realize it is a problem or exactly why. However, the consequences of this error can derail your presentation the moment it starts.

The mistake: Talking about yourself.

Let me spare you the suspense – While your audience, presumably a prospective client, is there to listen to you, they’re not acting as your audience because they want to hear about you. No, they don’t really care about you. All they care about is themselves and how they’re going to solve their problems, reach their goals, or whatever they hope to achieve. And they’re listening to you because they hope you may be able to solve those problems, fulfill their needs, and help them reach their goals.

For argument’s sake, let’s say that when most audiences sit down to listen to your presentation, their interest on a scale of 1-10 is somewhere in the middle at a 5. They aren’t completely thrilled, but they’re not bored (yet). When you start your presentation, you have a number of options. However, one of those options isn’t to talk about yourself. Since we’ve established that your audience doesn’t really care about your company, your awards, or how you’re an industry leading, scalable, on-demand widget maker, starting your presentation with such content will drop your audience’s interest level to a 2.

Instead, if you’re trying to compel an audience to purchase, put yourself in their shoes and lead the presentation by addressing them. What are their issues? What do they care about? How are you going to solve their problems and make their lives better? Show them that you understand what keeps them up at night, understand the competitive landscape, and understand exactly what you can do to help. This will immediately excite them, raising their interest level instead of dropping it.

You can achieve all this through a variety of delivery mechanisms, but the goal remains the same: Start the presentation by piquing their interest, not by trying to serve your own interests.

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