how to rock a presentation by cynthia hartwig at two pens
DESCRIPTION
Cynthia Hartwig shares hard won presentation experience gained over 30 years of advertising and business communication pitches in How to Rock a Presentation. Learn how to make blended presentations, get away from being enslaved by PowerPoint, and figure out how to tell stories that make an audience connect with you.TRANSCRIPT
How to Rock a PresentationMarch 5, 2014
Cynthia Hartwig
A Modest Proposal from John Bohannon
TED Videohttp://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/john_bohannon_dance_vs_powerpoint_a_modest_proposal.html
Class covers these topics.
1.Presentation zen.2.Presentation logistics.3.The art of storytelling.4.Personal tune-up.
WRITING PRACTICE 1011.Keep your hand moving. No
stopping.2.No crossing out, no
editing, no worries about grammar or spelling.
3.This is about thinking on paper.
Write about your worst or bestpresentation experience.
The Zen of Meeting and Presentation
Control
Become an expert on the business.
You are helping your audience.
Erase all thoughts of selling.
At most companies, the enemy is routine.
Clients should ask, “What are they going to do next?” Not, “When will this be
over.”
Figure out what you want to accomplish
BEFORE a meeting.
24 hours before is optimal.One hour before is doable.
Team presentations are intrinsically interesting.
Each person has a presenting persona.
Figure out yours.
Ways to reveal information:
Ways to reveal information:If people know you and like you,
you can present the recommendation first, then make the case.
Ways to reveal information:If people don’t know you or are hostile,
you need to work up to the recommendation with proof.
Blended presentationsmake more interesting meetings.
Decide on each person’s role up front.
When organizing, use the same philosophy as setting up a group
photo.
Lizzy O’Leary on “How to Tell a Story with Numbers”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kMydB5l9Ns
Everyone must have a part. Bring people up or back based on time on stage.
• Stories• Whiteboards • Group exercises, brainstorms, mind-mapping, games, writing…• Videos or audio clips
Argue before the meeting.You are best friends in the
meeting.
Aim for content that’s 70% visual, 30% words.
.
Boards/Slides, Story Telling or Whiteboard?
• Use boards and slides to educate.
Boards/Slides, Stories or Whiteboard?
• Use boards and slides to educate.• Use storytelling to get people on your side, excite them and persuade them.
Boards/Slides, Stories or Whiteboard?
• Use boards and/or slides to educate.
• Use story telling to get them on your side.
• Use whiteboard to drive decisions.
Q & A• 70% of all questions can be anticipated.• Repeat the question so everyone can hear it.• If there aren’t questions at first, start with one of your own.
Incorporate questions into presentations.
Aim for dialogue, not a monologue.
Appoint a Director of So What?for important meetings.
Review commitments at the end.“So this is the new company logo,
right?
Logistics
PRACTICE.
PRACTICE.
PRACTICE.
Always scout the room to avoid surprises.
Research says audiences remember information longer & relate better
when you show people.
EXIT STRATEGIES
1. If the meeting goes south, get out.
2. Don’t try to solve the problem on the fly.
3. Say “Thank you. Let us get back to you by (date).”
BigBig
Big
Numbers are usually little data points of human behavior.
In translating a numerical story to a boardroom presentation,
look for a way to find the humanity.
Visualization 101:
Figure out what you want to say away from PowerPoint
(don’t let the outliner control you).
Break up the PowerPoint3 bullet pointed slides in a row is too many.
Break up the PowerPoint• Insert pictures, video and sound throughout
Make a point. Tell a story that reinforces the
point.
Incorporate more visuals, less type.
Visuals are exciting.
Free imagery is available everywhere:• Search: free imagery, free
vector art
Free imagery is available everywhere:• Search: free imagery, free
vector art• PowerPoint image collection
Free imagery is available everywhere:• Search: free imagery, free
vector art• PowerPoint image collection• Stock photos
Free imagery is available everywhere:• Search: free imagery, free
vector art• PowerPoint image collection• Stock photos• Company image file
Free imagery is available everywhere:• Search: free imagery, free
vector art• PowerPoint image collection• Stock photos• Company image file• Flickr Creative Commons
Free imagery is available everywhere:• Search: free imagery, free
vector art• PowerPoint image collection• Stock photos• Company image file• Flickr Creative Commons• Your camera
Incorporate questions into presentations.
Go to a black slide when you have a planned
question, discussion or story.
Review commitments at the end.
“So this is the new company logo, right?
Slides that look amateurish make you look like an amateur.
Visualization 101:
hang in there!
Forty years of research says that if you use pictures of people, your audience will remember your information longer and
relate to you better.
Visualization 101:
Forty years of research says that if you use pictures of people, your audience will remember your information longer and
relate to you better.
Visualization 101:
Forty years of research says that if you use pictures of people, your audience will remember your information longer and
relate to you better.
Visualization 101:
Visualization 101:• Bullets and numbers are signposts.• They give the eye a place to start.• They keep you on the page.
Visualization 101:Avoid type orphans by using manual line
breaks. (Keep key points together.)
Visualization 101:Avoid type orphans by using
manual line breaks. (Keep key points together.)
Visualization 101:If you have a budget: Hire an art
director.
Visualization 101:
If you don’t have a budget: Become a power user of PowerPoint or
KeyNote.http://www.lynda.com
Visualization 101:Pick a colored background.
White spotlights the audience.
Visualization 101:No more than 5-6 lines (not bullets!) per
slide.
Picture rights are visible with a right click
so you can see usage rules.
Visualization 101:
Numbers are usually little data points of human behavior.
In translating a numerical story to a boardroom presentation,
look for a way to find the humanity.
Visualization 101:
Use background colors from the picture.Color-Cop is free.
Visualization 101:
Typography 101:
Typography 101:• Using fonts consistently makes your slides look more professional.
Typography 101:• Using fonts consistently makes your slides look more professional.• When using different fonts on a slide, do so with purpose, not to make things “look interesting.”
Insert type into visuals to vary the look.
(Watch for blank spaces in photos.)
Amy Cuddy: Body Language Shapes
Who You Arehttp://www.ted.com/talks/
amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html
Get up & do the gorilla pose in the bathroom or somewhere
private at te break in preparation for presenting.
The power of storytelling
.
We are hardwired for story. Stories make us lean in. When you tell a story about yourself, you share something vulnerable and hidden to us. You allow us to get closer to you & we
like you for it.
Don’t Regret RegretBy Kathryn Schulz
TEDVideos.comhttp://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/kathryn_schulz_don_t_regret_regret.html
Write down a story about yourself.
Tell us something personal, the more humiliating, the better.
Write down a story about yourself.
“Hell is story friendly.” --Charles Baxter
Reading on the page and hearing a story read out loud are completely different.
This American Life: Wedding Bells and Door Bells
Elizabeth Gilbert
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/234/say-anything?act=4
Now write about what this story
illustrates that’s universal.
PERSONAL TUNE-UP
Presentation buddies:Write notes on anything you observe as your partners
presents.
Write about what you know (or hate) about yourself as a
presenter.
Words really matter.
Tan Le’s Immigration Story
Tan Le’s Immigration StoryWhy does this kill us?
A Case for Reading Your Slideshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=68bNMaG9OII
It’s a myth that you shouldn’t read your own slides. Steve Jobs did
it.
