Presenting

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Slide Presentations Like a Pro: Intro

December 12, 2011 in Presenting | No comments

As creative professionals, we are required to be persuasive. Not only do we have to persuade our existing clients to accept our brilliant ideas, but we have to persuade potential clients to hire us. Presenting with slides, using PowerPoint or Keynote, can be an incredibly powerful way to make an emotional connection with current or potential clients. Therefore, this is a skill that all creative professionals should possess. But very few of us have received any training in how to create a persuasive slide presentation. For my next several blog posts, I will share my expertise as a professional speaker and graphic designer to provide you with simple, timeless tips to help you develop, design, and deliver slide presentations like a pro.

Why Should You Develop this Skill?
To be perceived as a leader, you must be able to present your ideas clearly and persuasively. There is a direct link between leadership and presentation skills. In fact, Toastmasters International, the worldwide organization previously known for developing public speaking skills, has just rebranded with the tagline “Where Leaders Are Made.” Having the ability to present well will gain you the respect of your bosses, clients and peers. Outside your firm, this skill will enable you to present at industry conferences and raise your value to firms looking to recruit you.

The Problem
Most PowerPoint presentations are dreadful. You’ve probably heard the term “Death by PowerPoint” or perhaps you’ve read “Really Bad PowerPoint” by Seth Godin. Powerpoint is almost universally hated because most presenters develop, design and deliver slides that do not engage their audience. I’m sure you’ve suffered through a presenter turning his back on the audience to read 15 bullet points. Don’t blame the presenter, blame his education. With plenty of classes in Literature, English, and Writing, you were well educated in verbal communication. Unless you attended art or design school, you didn’t receive an education in visual communication. Yet PowerPoint forces people communicate visually. So, what do presenters do? They revert to what they know (verbal communication) by placing a bunch of bullet points on a slide. This is the quickest way to lose the attention of your audience.

A Great Presentation is a 3 Legged Stool
The 3 legs to your presentation are Development, Design and Delivery. Remove one of these legs and your presentation will end up on its rear! You’ll want to begin with the development of your content. Consider why you are making this presentation, who is the audience, and what do you want them to do. Start to outline your main points and gather evidence, stories and imagery to support those points. Next, you’ll want to design simple, clear slides that support you and your message. I recommend including 1 message per slide. Finally, you’ll need to practice your delivery so that you are confident in front of your audience. Remember that you are the star, not the slides. If the slides can live on their own, then cancel the presentation and send the audience a PDF. I will go into each of these 3 legs of a presentation in greater detail in future posts.

What Do You Think?
Do you have a favorite TED Talk that effectively uses slides?
Do you have a PowerPoint horror story?
What tips can you share that have been helpful to you for creating a slideshow?

If you want to experience the principles mentioned in this post in action, I recommend you attend this 2-hour seminar:

Change the World Slide by Slide: How To Design & Deliver Professional Slide Presentations
When: Friday, January 13, 2012, 10am–12noon
Where: Chevys Fresh Mex, 2730 Via De La Valle, Del Mar, CA 92014
Cost: $49 Pre-Register, $69 At Door
Register Now: slidebyslide.eventbrite.com

How To Give The King’s Speech

March 3, 2011 in Presenting, Public Speaking | 1 comment

If you haven’t seen the Oscar winning Best Picture The King’s Speech, make it a priority. Here’s my plot summary: Prince Albert, known as “Bertie,” reluctantly ascends to the throne of Great Britain to become King George VI. Bertie’s speech therapist, Lionel Logue, helps the monarch overcome chronic stuttering to deliver a speech that changed the world.

This film offers so many great lessons but I will focus on those that will make you a better presenter.

Embrace The New Communication Medium
About living in a new era of global radio, Bertie states, “a king can no longer get by in life solely by looking good in a regal uniform and knowing how to battle while riding a horse.” The equivalent is true for the modern Creative Professional. We can’t get by with simply a nice headshot and bio on our website. Prospective clients want to know how we think and what we believe. Public Speaking and Web Video are both great ways to demonstrate this.

A Great Presenter is a Great Leader
The King must capture the confidence of the British people if they are to rally against Nazi Germany. The king’s speech, thus the title of the film, is what inspires the nation to enter World War II. Being a great presenter communicates that you are to be trusted and that you are great at what you do. In an meeting, prospective clients judge your technical ability based on what’s in front of them, which are your presentation skills.

Ask for Help
You may not be a presentation expert, but you can hire one. A coach can provide objective feedback, help you develop content and provide accountability for you to practice delivery. Whether you are an athlete, an executive, or the King of England, nobody achieves greatness without guidance.

Like Lionel Logue, LecoursDesign now offers executive coaching and group training for presentations and speaking. This complements our ability to design stunning slide decks. From verbal to visual, we’ve got you covered.

Presenting is a Learned Habit
There is a common misconception that great speakers and presenters are born, not made. The arc of improvement that Bertie demonstrates throughout the film exemplifies that Presenting is a learned habit. You can learn to be great. Either hire a private coach or attend a local Toastmasters meeting to improve your skills.

You Have a Voice
At a pivotal point in the movie, Lionel Logue asks a frustrated Bertie “why should I waste my time listening to you?” Bertie screams back, “Because I have a voice!” We all have a unique voice—a distinct point of view that only we can own. The challenge is to develop the confidence to communicate our voice with such enthusiasm that our clients believe that our voice/vision will solve their problem.

Distract Your Fear
In Bertie’s first coaching session, Lionel uses music to distract Bertie from how he sounds which gets him to focus on his story. Bertie is passionate about his story and you are passionate about yours. As Lady Bird Johnson said, “Become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid.” It’s ok to be nervous or scared when you present. Harness that energy as passion for your subject and it will infect your audience (in a good way).

Use Technology to Help You Improve
There is a point in the movie when Lionel records Bertie speaking into a gramophone and gives him the recording. The effect of listening to his own voice is incredibly therapeutic. It can be beneficial for you too. It is impossible to objectively analyze our own speaking voice in the moment. So use the voice memo function on your smart phone, or even better, video record yourself speaking to listen (and see) where you need improvement.

Whether you have weak presentation skills or not, we all have obstacles in our path to greatness. Be as courageous as Bertie in facing those shortcomings, and who knows, you may just change the world.

There are so many other great lessons from the film. What did you take away?

To Become Better, Present Like TED

November 17, 2010 in Presenting, Public Speaking | No comments

TED can teach you a lot about making a project presentation or presenting to win new business. TED who? TED, the small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. TED started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from Technology, Entertainment and Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Now there are conferences all over the world and over 700 of the talks are available for free viewing at TED.com.

My wife often finds me in bed, lit only by the glow of an iPhone, headphones on, engrossed in a TED speech. To justify this obsession, I will share 3 tips I’ve learned from TED that will make you a better presenter.

Surprise and Delight With Visual Aids
For most creative professionals, presenting with visual aids is second nature. But it’s nice to know there is some science backing up our intuition. According to John Media, author of Brain Rules,“if information is presented orally, people remember about 10 percent, tested 72 hours after exposure. That figure goes up to 65 percent if you add a picture.”

In her TED presentation Stroke of Insight, brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor recounts a deeply moving story of consciously experiencing a stroke. To make her point about the different parts of the brain, she puts on a pair of rubber gloves and carries out an actual preserved brain, complete with spinal column. Nobody in the audience will forget this.

Whenever I have the opportunity to meet with a potential client about refreshing their brand, I bring along a card trick as a visual aid. First, I lay out a series of about 15 business cards and explain that these are the “before” category. Then I lay down an “after” card that we have designed as part of the brand refresh assignment. It’s a powerful contrast between “before” and “after.” Allowing the client to see and touch actual business cards makes the presentation very real.

Speak With Passion About Your Passion
There are few rules regarding content for TED presentations. Presenters are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes). The presentations that succeed wildly are those where the presenter speaks with passion about their passion. Enthusiasm is infectious.

Daniel Pink, a recovering lawyer and former speech writer for Al Gore, builds a passionate case for “now that” rewards in his TED presentation The Surprising Science of Motivation. This presentation is the foundation for his terrific book Drive also about motivation.

When presenting to your clients, tap into what excites you about the creative solution you are proposing. Remember that truly creative work will push your client beyond their comfort zone. Your enthusiasm will go a long way to pull them back to approving your ideas.

Tell Stories
Stories have the unique ability to transform your presentations into an engaging journey. Stories can persuade, motivate and inspire in ways that stand alone facts and visuals can’t. The goal of your presentation is to persuade your client to adopt your solution or your promise of a future solution. Use stories as a tool to get you there.

Sarah Jones’ One-Woman Global Village hilarious presentation is a medley of stories from at least five different characters of her invention. Complete with pitch perfect accents and mannerisms, she is magnetic in pulling the audience into her presentation.

When presenting to prospective clients, tell stories of how you solved similar problems to those they are facing. If you want to get fancy, call this a case study. When presenting to an existing client, tell the story of how you arrived at the creative solution you are recommending.

Presentations are the moment of truth that all our creative work hinges upon. Too often, they are an afterthought. A great way to improve your presentation skills is to watch and listen to TED presentations. They are delivered by remarkable individuals on fascinating topics. Stefan Sagmeister, in The Power of Time Off uses impeccable visual aids (he’s a graphic designer) and speaks with passion about taking one year off for every 7 years worked. He tells a captivating story about how his experience on sabbatical in Bali created a treasure chest of inspiration for future design problems. If you can incorporate these three techniques into your presentations, you will be more influential. You may even be invited to present at TED.

My Top 5 TED Presentations
Daniel Pink – Surprising Science of Motivation
Liz Gilbert – Nurturing Creativity
Stefan Sagmeister – The Power of Time Off
Sarah Jones – One-Woman Global Village
Jill Bolte Taylor – Stroke of Insight

Which are your favorite TED presentations?

Speaking Attracts Clients: How to Get Started

July 20, 2010 in Personal Brand, Positioning, Public Speaking, Thought Leading | 5 comments

I have yet to find a better way to attract great clients than positioning yourself as an expert within their tribe. The two best ways to demonstrate expertise are speaking and writing. With speaking, you can make a deeper connection because your audience can experience your thinking in real time. This is akin to the increased emotional impact of seeing your favorite band in concert versus simply reading their lyrics.

Speaking is harder than writing so fewer people travel this path. This is an opportunity for you to soar but I empathize that standing alone on stage may freak you out. You’re not alone. It’s a primal fear hard wired into our collective consciousness because we relate standing alone to being a potential appetizer for a T-Rex. To shield you from harm, I’ve outlined how to get started, what to speak about and where to speak. Develop this skill and you will attract clients that value your brilliance.

How To Get Started
Speaking is a learned skill. In the four years I’ve been involved with Toastmasters, I’ve consistently seen guests attend their first meeting and sheepishly stand up to say their name while staring at their toes. Within a couple months, the very same people are delivering 5–7 minute speeches to great applause.

Find and join a Toastmasters club. I’m a member of two clubs. There is no better return on investment for your career. You’ll improve your speaking, listening, self-esteem and leadership skills in a fun and supportive environment. I recommend visiting a few clubs in your area to “date before you marry.” Each club has it’s own culture and traditions.

What To Speak About
As an excuse to avoid speaking, I frequently hear people say “I don’t have material that people want to hear” or “don’t I need to be a book author or P.h.D to be a speaker?” Nonsense. We all underestimate how much expertise we already have. You can speak about a problem that you recently solved for a client. If you want to get fancy, call this a case study. Speak about patterns or trends in your client’s industry. Then take a step further and offer some suggestions on how to respond to these trends. Give a “how-to” speech on something you know clients are putting off. You could also create a humorous speech about common mistakes that clients make when working with a firm like yours.

Where To Speak
You are not going to be invited to speak at the TED Conference right away. But there are many venues to practice your craft. Speaking is like a muscle that you need to exercise regularly. Find as much stage time as you can. I’ve spoken at talent shows, conferences, luncheons, breakfast meetings, weddings and funerals. A great place to start is on a panel. Not all eyes are on you and you can distribute the workload among the other panelists. Good panels feel like a candid conversation (with the audience listening in).

Speaking Works
People don’t buy your services, they buy what you believe. Speaking works as a marketing tool because it is an opportunity for you to share what you believe in a non-sales environment. People don’t like to be sold to. So use speaking as a tool to build trust and then enjoy potential clients approaching you with their business card.

Pecha Kucha Night: I Love Failure

April 20, 2010 in Creativity, Presenting, Public Speaking | No comments

This is a presentation from Del Mar Toastmasters that I also delivered at Pecha Kucha San Diego. Failure is essential to creativity, design and personal growth. The video includes stories of failure of both individuals and products. My goal is to convince you to make failure an integral part of your creative process.

How To Become a Creative Superhero Seminar

April 1, 2010 in Creativity, Presenting, Process | No comments

Creative ideas are essential to artists, marketers, designers, writers, engineers, entrepreneurs and just about everyone. But unlike superheroes, creative ideas don’t just magically appear. We are entering the The Conceptual Age and creativity is the new currency. But idea generation is rarely taught in school. Drawing upon lessons learned from archetypal superheroes, participants will gain confidence to develop or refine their own creative process to generate breakthrough ideas and “leap tall buildings in a single bound.”

Seminar Content Includes:
+ Why right brainers will rule the future
+ Developing a creative strategy for success
+ Importance of ritual
+ Creative catalysts and overcoming creative kryptonite (blocks)
+ Brainstorming techniques
+ Tips on presenting your ideas

Date: Saturday, April 17, 2010
Time: 08:40 am – Check-in and Continental Breakfast
09:00 am – 12:00 pm – Program
Where: CoCo’s Boardroom, 407 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas, CA 92024

Tuition: $49 Pre-Register by April 16
$59 Pay at Door (cash or checks only)

Hate to Sell? Become a Thought Leader

July 10, 2009 in Positioning, Presenting, Public Speaking, Thought Leading | 2 comments

For those looking to stretch their marketing budget, I can’t think of a more cost effective way to attract clients than Thought Leadership. The more a prospect can experience your writing or speaking, the more they perceive you as an expert, and the less “selling” you have to do. Here are some tips on positioning yourself, or Principals within your firm, as Thought Leaders.

1. Designate Ambassadors
Designate someone in your firm to be the Thought Leader for each vertical market sector in which you seek work. For example, Aquatic Design Group is a market leader in designing and engineering competitive swimming pools. They happen to have an Associate who is a former collegiate All-American swimmer. Combined with strong writing and speaking skills, he has instant credibility within this tribe.

2. Know Where Your Audience Is
Ask your best clients which market specific trade publications they read and which conferences they attend. Then introduce yourself to the editors of these journals as a resource for journalists looking for a quote. Once the relationship is established, inquire about submitting an article. For national conference speaking opportunities, you’ll need to respond to a RFP a year in advance. But there are plenty of local trade organizations hungry for great speakers. For example, I put together a panel and am emceed the SMPS San Diego Luncheon on Social Media. While it’s tempting to write or speak to your peers, remember to focus most of your efforts where potential clients, not competitors, congregate.

3. Create a Content Ecosystem
Start with writing to develop mastery in articulating your subject matter. Then move to speaking using content you’ve written about. Give away free samples of your knowledge. Leaders demonstrate confidence by sharing their abundant expertise, not hoarding it. Tell real success stories and don’t be afraid to offer up your failures and share lessons learned. This is what makes you human, and will draw people to you. Communicate that you care about your audience’s world and challenges, and you will be invited in.

Thought Leadership requires an investment of time. This guide should help you get started. Be sure to promote your speaking or writing wherever you can. Also, find multiple channels to distribute your content to maximize ROI. For example, an e-mail marketing blast shoud get repurposed into a blog so it’s archived and searchable by topic. You can also create a printable .PDF files to be distributed at events where you are speaking or given to clients you are courting. Whether writing or speaking, you will be perceived as an expert and clients like to hire expertise.

A Great Marketing Day

September 8, 2008 in Networking, Presenting, Public Speaking | No comments

Recently, I had a really great marketing day. I’d like to share with you a few habits that led to my success. I didn’t invent these, and, you may have heard them before. The following tactics have been effective for me in marketing my firm, LecoursDesign, and should also work for you.

1. Present Proposals in Person
The morning of my really great marketing day started with a meeting I requested to present a proposal to re-design the KTU+A website. I could have faxed or e-mailed the proposal and checked it off my to-do list. But, I’ve found a much higher success rate by presenting proposals in person. It shows a deeper commitment to the project, allows the client to get to know you better, and allows for the opportunity to answer questions about process or pricing in real-time.

2. Volunteer and Network Where Your Clients Are
Later the same morning, I ran into the Marketing Director and VP of KTU+A at a networking event where they handed me the signed proposal that I had just presented. Hooray! I previously served on the Board of Directors of Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) with the Marketing Director from KTU+A. She and I were also in the same Toastmasters group where she’d heard my speeches about the capabilities of LecoursDesign. So, when the RFP for their website came out, we were already well positioned in the mind of our new client.

3. Get In Front of Your Clients as an Expert
By noon of my great marketing day, I was on-stage at the recent USGBC / SMPS Luncheon. Being introduced to the audience as a Board Member and Marketing Co-Chair for the U.S. Green Building Council, San Diego Chapter elevated my awareness with 150 potential clients. One of which, the owner of Green Office Projects, introduced himself to me and inquired about the services of LecoursDesign. This was a lead that fits perfectly with our niche: building brands at the intersection of Architecture and CleanTech. Did it lead to a new project? You’ll have to wait until next issue to find out…

I’ve found recent success by dedicating 4 hours each Wednesday to marketing. I know it’s easy to neglect marketing when you are busy. But with long sales cycles, you can’t afford to wait until things get slow to nurture the marketing tree and expect consistent, high quality fruit.

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