Chapter 4: Make Visuals Count

Part 1: The Value of Visuals

Part 2: Learning Styles Differ

Part 3: Slides Help You Share Content

Part 4: Mistakes People Make

Practice Speech: Interacting with Visuals

Objectives

By the end of this chapter you should be able to:

1. Compare the value of visuals for presenters vs. the audience.

2. Identify your preferred learning style.

3. List the top mistakes people make creating their slides.

4. Explain why visuals are necessary in presentations.

5. Apply the C2 ARES Concept using a content slide.

6. Call on audience members using WPPR (Word, Point, Probe, Review).

Everything is important— success is in the details. — Steve Jobs

When it comes to incorporating visuals in a speech, the sky is the limit! To paraphrase Henry David Thoreau’s words, “A speech is but a canvas to the imagination.” Visuals are the paint that colors the canvas. Visuals come in many different forms, employing many different dimensions.

Interaction 4.1: Presentation Preference

Question: Which of the following presentations would you prefer to attend?

A. Lecture only

B. Lecture supplemented with slides including images and short video or animation

C. Lecture with demonstration

D. Lecture with audience interaction including props

E. All of the above

In this survey, the respondents overwhelmingly chose B and E—none chose A. It seems like a no-brainer, right? Who wouldn’t prefer all that engagement rather than
 just lecture? If this is the case, why is it that so few presentations actually include all of the strategies listed? A speech is a lot like entertaining. If I have twenty guests, my responsibility, as their host, is to indulge them on every level. All bases must be covered, from hors d’oeuvres, entrees, drinks, entertainment, and even décor. Now that’s a party. Each part of a speech requires the same attention to detail. As Steve Jobs said, “Everything is important—success is in the details.” Many people who don’t entertain are clueless about the planning and preparation involved in pulling off a good party. It is the same with speeches—they take a lot of planning and preparation, and visuals are part of it.

This chapter is all about making your visuals work for you rather than against you.

Part 1: The Value of Visuals

Variety of Visuals: So many choices, so little time.

Slides are definitely the most popular type of visuals used in presentations, but don’t ignore other types of visuals that can add and extra Wow factor.

Interaction 4.2: Explore how visuals are used in speeches.

For each type, answer:

1. Have you seen this type of visual used in a speech or presentation? Yes/No

2. Did the visual work effectively within the speech? Yes/No

3. How often have you seen this type of visuals in a presentation? 1 not very often, 5 commonly used.

4. Have you every used this type of visual in a presentation? Yes/No

Table 4.1: Variety of Visuals

TYPE: One Dimensional

Visualization: Getting the audience to close their eyes and envision what you tell them to think.

Seen: Yes/No Worked: Yes/No Frequency: 1 2 3 4 5 Used: Yes/No

Audio: Frequencies corresponding to sound waves that can be heard by the human ear.

Seen: Yes/No Worked: Yes/No Frequency: 1 2 3 4 5 Used: Yes/No

Light: Flashing or blinking lights or lights that change color.

Seen: Yes/No Worked: Yes/No Frequency: 1 2 3 4 5 Used: Yes/No

TYPE: Two Dimensional, having length and width, but no depth.

Video

Internet

Slides

Images

Charts/Boards

TYPE: Three Dimensional, having length, width, and depth.

Model : Representation of a larger item.

Seen: Yes/No Worked: Yes/No Frequency: 1 2 3 4 5 Used: Yes/No

Objects: Anything that is visible or tangible and is relatively stable in form.

Seen: Yes/No Worked: Yes/No Frequency: 1 2 3 4 5 Used: Yes/No

Support: Objects used to represent an idea or concept.

Seen: Yes/No Worked: Yes/No Frequency: 1 2 3 4 5 Used: Yes/No

Real: Demonstration of original object discussed.

Seen: Yes/No Worked: Yes/No Frequency: 1 2 3 4 5 Used: Yes/No

People

TYPE: FOUR Dimensional

Time : 3D that changes over time: an action with a 3D object. For example, swinging a bat, throwing a ball.

Seen: Yes/No Worked: Yes/No Frequency: 1 2 3 4 5 Used: Yes/No

From among the multitude of choices at your disposal, decide which type of visual will work best in your presentation. Your selection will dramatically influence your presentation.

The Case of Two World Travelers

I once had the opportunity to hear two different people speak on the same topic in consecutive 15-minute talks. One presenter was a woman and the other, a man. They had not collaborated beforehand and had no idea what the other speaker would present. I was amazed at how different each talk was in both content and audience approach.

The woman made an emotional appeal. She probed the audience, used props, and told an engaging personal story. Her presentation focused on the human element. She engaged the audience by relying on cool props and interesting stories. It was a well-delivered speech. However, she missed the opportunity to design the speech with clear points and a purpose that offered the audience a take-away.

The man used a slide show to assist his speech. He planned and executed his presentation logically, with excellent audience analysis, clear points, and purpose. He started with a big picture overview and then moved on to technical details before showing more of the human element to the story. His slide show had amazing pictures that helped support his words. However, he failed to engage the emotional side of the audience using the various dimensions available.

Both speeches were equally well received by the audience.

Afterwards the speakers had a chance to talk together in private. They both complimented each other, each speaker commenting that the other speaker had made a better presentation.

This story lends me to three observations about how speakers connect differently with audiences:

1. Men and women tend to approach speaking tasks differently (yes, that’s a big generalization). Men in general tend to be more organizational and technical while most women tend to appeal more on an emotional level.

2. Neither speech on its own had all the elements of a great speech. Had they coordinated and combined their speeches they could have had a home run.

3. Good speakers want to connect with their audience. How we do that will differ from person to person. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and take a risk in order to better connect with your audience.

Part 2: Learning Styles Differ

Visuals Can Help You Accommodate Different Types of Learning Styles Represented in Your Audience

Different types of learners respond to similar stimuli in different ways, thus they need to see and experience content in different ways. Your challenge as a speaker is to accommodate the needs of your audience. Let’s explore how an individual’s preferred learning style impacts comprehension and retention.

Each audience member has a unique preferred learning style, some visual, some oral and some kinesthetic. Do you know what your preferred learning style is? The list below includes online quizzes designed to determine your preferred learning style. Each approaches the modalities somewhat differently. Try them to see which helps you best understand how you interpret information.

Tests to Determine Preferred Learning Style

Beyond your preferred style, how 
dominant is that style? Like you, each audience member has
 a specific style and degree of
 dominance. You have a greater chance
 of getting through to them, if you
 consider the array of learning styles
 represented in any given audience. Some 
learners see things sequentially, others 
globally. You can accommodate various types of learners by incorporating multiple strategies. Tap into a variety of learning styles in each presentation. Using several strategies also reinforces your message to ensure it is clearly received and understood.

If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn. — Ignacio Estrada

How do we accommodate different learning styles? To explore this idea, consider this interaction taken from the VARK questionnaire.

Interaction 4.3:

You have to make an important speech at a conference or special occasion. You would:

Consider each of these options and the associated learning strategy. The selection you chose does not necessarily support those who have learning styles different from yours. The accommodation is not difficult, simply incorporate multiple strategies—think of your audience, not just yourself. Research supports this advice.

A recent study (Shabiralyani, et. al, 2015) concluded, “Using visuals aids as
 a teaching method stimulates thinking and improves learning environment in a classroom.” Audience involvement works wonders for tactile learners. Chinese Confucian Xunzi coined the phrase, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

Part 3: Slides Help You Share Content

Slides are a fantastic way to make the information come alive for the audience. Always use a visual to share information that comes from research in a presentation. Slides are a fantastic tool. Why?

Visuals/Slides are a Win-Win

Speaker

1. They help you, the speaker, break down the content.

2. They serve as a great cue card so you can remember points you want to cover.

3. They provide another dimension to engage the audience.

Audience

1. They help the audience comprehend the concepts.

2. The repetition of seeing and hearing help the audience retain the information.

3. They can be entertaining and vary the presentation.

Note: Never have the same content on your cards. This ensures that you interact with the slide, keeping the audience engaged, as opposed to reading content off of cards.

Interaction 4.4: Do Slides Help or Hurt?

Think of presentations you have experienced that used visuals. Did the visuals support or detract from the presentation? What are things you have seen presenters do with visuals that help their presentation and vice-versa?

Help:

Hurt:

Slide Design

It takes effort and experience to design a good-looking slide presentation. Don’t be afraid to request some input from someone who is experienced using the software. The two biggest mistakes I see people make with slides are

1. Too many words per slides.

2. Content or ideas are not broken down.

A good rule of thumb is to stick to the 4/4 rule. Limit each slide to no more than four lines, with a limit of four words per line. Avoid the temptation to cut and paste entire paragraphs of content. An exception to this is when you have a list of information. Rather than creating individual slides for 10 Myths or 6 Steps, display them on one slide. This allows the audience to capture the big picture and process the 10 Myths or 6 Steps as a single concept. Should you have time you can then go into each by creating individual slides for each myth or step; however if time is limited, displaying one slide allows you to share substantial ideas in a timely manner. Rather than reading each myth or step, rely on the intelligence of the audience. Remember an audience can always read faster than you can speak. Engage the audience by showing the list of content and then asking them a probing question that requires them to process the content, “Which of these myths stands out to you the most”? or “Which step do you think will be the most difficult?” You can always follow it up by commenting on one or two you feel need to be further explained. In this case, it is always a great idea to provide the audience with a print out of your slides so that they can review any information at a later time. You can print four or six slides to a page so the number of pages are not excessive.

Slide applications typically allow you to select which format you want to use for each slide.

Table 4.2: Types of Slides

Name of Slide: Title

Description: Names the presentation. (Avoid using during your presentation.)

Explanation: The default first slide for most slide applications is typically a Title Slide. While it seems to make sense to put a cover on your presentation, if you really think about it, your slides are not a “book” of your presentation, rather they are specific visuals designed to support your presentation. Automatically using a Title Slide can actually harm your presentation. Remember that you need to begin your presentation with a “Wow” factor, a hook or an attention grabber. Can a Title Slide ever really be dynamic and create that great first impression? No, it provides a Title of your presentation and your name. No “WOW” at all. I advise people to follow the Speech Formula and take control of every aspect of how you begin your speech. To do that well, at no point is there any room for a slide that states your name and the name of the speech. There can be situations, where event coordinators may use a Title Slide as a space holder between presenters. In these situations resist the urge to begin your presentation with an underwhelming opener referring to your name and topic. (Referred to as Title Slide)

Name of Slide: Content

Description: Presents key information with a descriptive title.

Explanation: Content slides are crucial for your presentation. They help you stay on point and they help your audience comprehend vital information. Create Content Slides with care. Break down data using key words. Remember the rule of 4 words/4 lines per slide unless a list of information is being presented. Content slides can have one or two areas of content. The two areas allows you to compare and contrast ideas. To make the slide visually appealing remember you can insert images but do so sparingly and always explain what the image is and why it is there. Don’t assume your audience has made the same connection that you did. (Referred to as Title and Content Slide or Comparison Slide or Two Content Slide)

Name of Slide: Transitional

Description: Transitional slide to indicate a change from one idea to another.

Explanation: Section Header slides are wonderful to use to transition between Main Points. Displaying the Main Points on one slide and showing that same slide to indicate progression from one point to another helps the audience follow the ideas in your speech. Use the Section Header slide every time you change a point and your audience will know the points of your speech by the end. After all, isn’t that the point of the presentation?

Name of Slide: Graphic

Description: Blank slide used to insert an image, graph or media.

Explanation: Sometimes a picture really can be worth a thousand words. If you find that image, use it! Anytime you have an image explain what it is and why you used it. Don’t assume the audience will process it in the same way you have. Graphs displaying data can also be extremely helpful in relaying content. Finally, a short video can be a great way to grasp the audience’s attention and help them make sense of information. Warning...I recommend having any videos in a separate browser and just display an image of the video on the slide as a place holder. In my experience about 50% of the time videos embedded in presentations fail to play—even when they have been tested on the equipment. I recommend bypassing the potential problem all together, unless you have experience well beyond mine. (Referred to as Blank Slide)

Table 4.3: Slide Presentation Guidelines

Do

Don’t

The C2 ARES Concept for making your visuals work for you and the audience engagement strategies we recommend integrate effective approaches for accommodating multiple learning styles.

Part 4: The C2ARES Concept

Criteria for Showing You C2ARES

Table 4.4: C2ARES

C ITE Check for each slide ____

What is your citation? Be sure to include the source site and explain why it’s credible.

C ALL Check for each slide ____

When will you call on the audience? Who will you call upon? Keep your audience involved in the transmission of content during each slide. Remember WPPR: Word, Probe, Phrase, Review.

A TTENTION GRABBER Check for each slide ____

How will you intrigue the audience by your transition to this slide content?

R EWARD Check for each slide ____

How do you intend to reward your audience for their participation? (Besides physical objects, rewards can be verbal acknowledgment or gratitude, but sometime during the presentation, sweeten it to include a physical reward.)

E NGAGE Check for each slide ____

What will you do to physically involve the audience in your presentation? You can use a prop that reveals content and requires interaction. You can include an activity that requires at least two audience members to move from their seats.

S LIDE Check for each slide ____

Break down content so it makes sense. Follow the 4 lines/4 words per line rule, and use light background with dark text.

Humans are completely incapable of reading and comprehending text on a screen and listening to a speaker at the same time. — Garr Reynolds

Garr Reynolds said, ”Humans are completely incapable of reading and comprehending text on a screen and listening to a speaker at the same time. Therefore, lots of text (almost any text!), and long, complete sentences are bad, bad, bad.”

This is so true. There is an art to integrating visuals and slides. Remember you must introduce each visual and control the dissemination of the content. This means you must instruct the audience on how to digest the information whether it consists of objects, images, cartoons, key words, clips, lists of information, sounds, or even food.

Remember, the most recent movement captures attention. If someone enters the room, they get the attention and you have to earn it back. If a slide changes, the audience will stop listening to you and read the slide. How and when you present the visuals to the audience matters. The C2 ARES Method will help you make your visuals work for you rather than against you.

Note: C2 ARES was developed to help presenters overcome glaring mistakes with slides. Most of these mistakes can also be made with other types of visuals. Sometimes all instances of the C2 ARES concept may not apply. For instance, if I hold up an iPhone as a visual, I might say, “This product was made by Apple”, however, no citation is needed because it is an object. Apply to the best of your ability.

Cite

Step 1: Distinguish your thoughts from someone else’s ideas.

For example: “According to Cosby (2017), . . .”

Step 2: Credit the source in 3 ways.

1. Write the citation on the visuals. The correct form is to display the author’s name and year in parentheses (Sahagian, 2017) next to the bullet or slide title. Always follow the required formatting rules (APA, MLA, Chicago) for an in-text citation. If you struggle with the formatting rules, this citation style guide provided by the Owl at Purdue is a fantastic simple resource that outlines the different formatting requirements.

2. Mention the citation to the audience. As you go through the presentation distinguish your thoughts from the research when you discuss someone else’s work.

For example: “The cover for the June issue of Scientific America proclaimed . . . ”

3. Create an oral context (the written speech should include this context as well).

• Stating a name is not enough. Audience members need to hear qualifications to accept the information as credible. Who is the author? Where was it published? Why do you trust that it’s true?

For example: “In his bestselling book, Outliers: The Story of Success (2008), Malcolm Gladwell points out . . .“ Integrate your remarks on his content to show the book’s credibility.

“Considered the father of birth order, Australian psychiatrist Alfred Adler (1964) suggests that birth order influences personality.”

Here, Adler clearly is a worthwhile source because he is the “father of birth order theory”, but throwing names out without explaining why their ideas are reliable can cause audience members to question the legitimacy of your speech. Smith tells us XYZ will not satisfy savvy audience members practicing basic methods of critique.

Share your “research journey” with the audience. We all benefit from other people’s experience. As a speaker, you probably will have more experience than the audience members will about your topic. Share that insight. Audiences appreciate it, and it adds to your credibility.

“In my research, one article entitled, XYZ, resonated with me more than the others.”

• Expose the bias. Notice how the bias for the publication is used as further support of the point’s merit. Be aware if information you include is considered biased by audience members. Certain publications contain an innate bias. For instance, Fox News promotes a conservative agenda; CNN promotes a liberal agenda. Educated people are aware of these biases. Avoid them, unless they serve a purpose in your presentation. If you do use a biased source, you must highlight the bias right away to avoid seeming naïve and/or manipulative.

In the article published XYZ by ABC, even the Huffington Post supported the

conservative Senator’s proposition.

• Share the titles of any books you refer to, so readers can find them later. Bring the book to use as a prop if you have a copy available.

4. Insert a reference slide. Include a slide displaying all your references near the end of your presentation. Notice I did not say this is the end of your presentation, before you enter your conclusion, reveal your sources to your audience and perhaps comment on one or two of your favorites. Include the list of sources on your slide handout so audience members can investigate further if their curiosity was sparked.

5. Create a slide handout for your audience. Each audience member can easily access your sources and won’t need to take detailed notes, so they can focus on your presentation. If you don’t distribute handouts ahead of time, let them know at some appropriate point that they will be provided. Think carefully about whether to hand these out prior to the presentation or after. People often get distracted reading presentations during a speech, but they may be helpful for taking notes. Handing things out during a presentation is disruptive and eats precious time.

Do Not

1. Plagiarize.

2. Only reference citations as a list of references at the end of the presentation by stating, “This is where I got my information.”

3. Insert an entire citation like this: (insert Cuban) For APA, the citation for this example would be (Cuban, 2001).

CALL

Have you ever had someone just read the slides or a flipchart? How boring! Visuals are a way to involve the audience.

Involve them in the dissemination of the content. This does not mean you ask someone to read all the content. It does mean that you highlight key words or concepts from the slides and involve the audience. Engaging audience members by calling on them to participate sharing the slide content works really well for one-third of the content of each slide.

Call on audience members using the WPPR (Word, Probe, Point, Review) system for each visual that displays words (slides, handouts, poster boards, or props). This technique is guaranteed to keep your audience on their toes, riveted to your points. How does the WPPR system work?

Table 4.5: Call WPPR (Word, Probe, Point, Review)

Word: Choose a key word that you want to highlight. Point to the word, and ask everyone together, ”What is that word ____?” If their reply is not loud enough, ask them again. Involve a specific audience member to read a point on each slide. (Alternatively, on an important point you can ask the entire audience to state the word(s) aloud—for emphasis repeat . . . What? (Encourage them to be louder).

Probe: Ask, “Which of these points do you think is most important?” This works really well with a list. The audience can always read faster than you speak. Let them. This also requires them to engage and think about the content.

Point: After you share a point, say (or gesture to indicate), “Moving on to the next point . . . Ashton, can you please read.” Then explain or provide an example.

Review (if necessary): “Skye, what are the 4 techniques to keep your audience awake for your slides?”

Attention Grabber

3 Disastrous Ways to Start a Speech

1 Never begin with the words. “Hi, my name is. . .”

2 Never begin with the words, “Today I’m going to talk to you about. . .”

3 Never begin your speech with your visual displayed behind you with the topic and your name.

These introductions all create a boring, predictable presentation. When someone begins their speech like this, a cacophony of “I don’t cares,” screams in my head.

“I don’t care enough to be creative!”

“I don’t care enough about myself to properly represent myself in front of a group of people.”

“I don’t care that my audience is bored to tears.”

“I don’t care if they think I’m mediocre.”

The first words that come out of your mouth are the most important words you’ll say. They create the first impression. Grab the audience’s attention. You should have a fantastic, spell binding way to gain their attention and their respect. Explore the Types of Visuals chart to stimulate your creativity to identify the best way to do so. The Attention Grabber can vary depending upon the length of the presentation.

Note: Another term often used for Attention Grabber is “Hook.” In this book, we will stick with Attention Grabber.

Use Different Types of Attention Grabbers for Different Purposes

1. Ideas for Short Speeches about Someone Else (Award, Introduction): If I am introducing someone, a great probing question might work wonders. Here are a few examples:

“When you were a child, what did you want to become? A superhero? An athlete? An actress? The person I will introduce you to today never imagined he would become the volunteer of the year.

“Imagine being born with three strikes against you: 1) addicted parents, 2) extreme poverty, and 3) disability . Our speaker today refused to allow these three strikes knock her out, rather she used these traumatic experiences to be stronger, to be kinder and to inspire others.”

“Have you ever had butterflies in your stomach, knowing that something great was about to happen? That’s how I feel tonight in anticipation of these great leaders coming together for this event.”

2. Ideas for Longer Speeches You Write: (For these examples, I will use “public speaking” as the topic.

A marinade is a sauce for soaking a food item before cooking to flavor or soften it. In a speech, an Attention Grabber acts like a marinade. Expose your audience to the Attention Grabber as a way to establish rapport and open their minds so that the ideas are well received. Don’t confine Attention Grabbers to the beginning. Use them to gain attention whenever you introduce a new idea. Marinate the group for what’s coming next, and it will be well received.

Tiny Attention Grabbers Introducing Each New Visual

Each visual you introduce to the audience needs an introduction. This technique is an advanced technique. It requires you to be comfortable engaging the audience and dancing with the audience to really incorporate correctly. Presenters need to be aware of their next movement in the speech and prepare the audience.

Slides: Do not just click through the slides. Discuss each one and be familiar with their order. I’ve seen presenters act surprised when they click to the next slide. It should never be a surprise. The speaker should know what’s next and get the audience anticipating the content before they see it.

Prop: Don’t just hold a prop up or simply pass it around. Use more finesse. Let nonverbal cues provide context before you ask a probing question like, “What’s your favorite book?” Then, hold up the book or prop and discuss it. Consider this: in general, when you tell someone a story, before you say the first words, does the recipient know whether it is sad or exciting? They should. Why? Your body language precipitates the change in tone. Your words and body language should intentionally do the same for your visuals.

I recommend that Tiny Attention Grabbers forecast the content of each slide and each section of the speech. While transitions are generally used to let the audience process information, Tiny Attention Grabbers create a sense of anticipation for the next thing. Notice the paragraph above this section that begins with, “A marinade . . .” That sentence is an example of a Tiny Attention Grabber.

Individual Slides (Sub Point like First Slide)

Furthermore, when you use visuals do not just click through the slides. As you transition from one point to another, grab their attention—creatively introduce that slide. The next slide should not be a surprise to you! You should anticipate it and guide your audience to the next idea. I recommend that your Attention Grabber precipitate the content of each slide and each section of the speech.

Reward

Think about ways you can reward audience members for their involvement at selected spots in the presentation. You may use something as simple as a smile or recognition—mentioning someone by name generates affinity. But don’t limit yourself to these simple things. Go the extra mile by offering tangible rewards now and then. Rewards motivate most people to be more involved and enhance their experience.

Audiences in general appreciate being acknowledged and rewarded, and this tendency seems to increase with age. I’ve found that the older the average age of an audience, the more they like to be acknowledged and rewarded.

Rewards can include:

• a tasty morsel like candy or a cookie 


• gift certificate

• money

• certificate to leave early a day?

• company or branded product (e.g., t-shirt, coffee mug or bag)

• whatever your creative mind dreams up

Use rewards to drive attention and retention.

Engage

Seek creative ways to physically involve the audience with either a prop or activity. Engage your audience or at least a few audience members at some point during each section.

Examples:

Prop: Props can relate to a product or contain key concept or ideas. They can 
be distributed to various audience members so they appear throughout the 
presentation at your request. 


Role Play: Asking for a few volunteers to act out a scenario can make 
content lively and entertaining. 


Game: Key concepts can be incorporated within the context of a simple game. Use this technique to introduce or review content. 


Movement: You can ask volunteers to raise their hand, stand, or move to 
one side of the room. This stirs energy and involves the audience. 
 


SLIDES

On their own, slides have minimal content. They only add value when you use them as discussion points. Explain the points on the slide, involving the audience as you go. Randomly ask various audience members to read the next word or point for about a third of the content. Don’t have them do all the work—just keep them guessing who you will call on next and when. Before you move to the next slide, create a sense of anticipation by providing a mini attention grabber such as a question. Then reveal the next slide.

If you have a list of information, graph or image remember to give the audience time to read or process the slide. Once they’ve read and digested the information, they’ll take a more active role in the presentation as opposed to passively waiting for your input. When you see they’ve finished reading, put on your facilitator hat and ask questions to guide them to key points you wish to emphasize. Then begin your discussion.

Examples:

1. Which option will be more alluring to the customer? 


2. After reviewing this graph, can someone give me three reasons why XYZ is a better option?

3. What do you think _____ means? 


4. Which of these is most significant to you?

Table 4.6: Tips to always follow when creating your slides/visuals

Design

1 Choose a background consistent with your message.

2 Avoid funky colors and fonts.


3 Make text large enough for easy reading anywhere in the room.

4 Use a light background and dark letters so slides can be seen with lights up. 


Content

5 State your source content in key word format, not full sentences. 


6 Cite sources within the content of your slides for visibility and a reminder to cite orally.

7 Bulleted lists always have at least two items, preferably three or more.

8 Keep slide content to four lines or fewer per slide with four words or fewer per 
line.

Delivery

9 Keep the lights up while you present.

10 Use images consistent with content and explain them.

11 Use a buddy with whom you have practiced so you can focus on your audience rather 
then the electronics.

Preparation

12 Prepare for Murphy’s Law: What can go wrong, will go wrong. Always have a backup plan—test in room if possible. Have slides on USB stick/jump drive, and print presentation in case electronics fail.


13 Distribute a copy (can be as little as one page) of slides but wait at the end to avoid distracting from your message.

Part 5: Mistakes People Make

To illustrate this point, I’m going to use a client’s slides. I saw the presentation. The individual had great information and delivered a decent speech. But. . . oh my. The slides had so much room for improvement! Let’s analyze one slide to explore how to make it more compelling.

Interaction 4.5: Finding Mistakes

See if you can find three of the mistakes made on this sample slide.