July 2014

Occam’s Razor and Simplifying Presentation Content

Posted on July 31, 2014July 22, 2024 by Rick E

“The simplest explanation tends to be the correct one.”

I’m sure it’s something you’ve heard before. It’s the phrase we know as Occam’s razor, a line of reasoning that guides scientists as they wade through questions and empirical data to arrive at a conclusion. Surprisingly, it’s something you can also apply to your presentation content.

Less is More

When your presentation involves a complex topic, how do you make sure your message is received properly? How can you guarantee that your audience can remember the details beneath the tables and line graphs? The answer depends on the two principles that formed the basis of Occam’s razor:

Principle of Plurality: “Plurality should not be posited without necessity”
Principle of Parsimony: “It’s pointless to do with more what is done with less”

Basically, your presentation content should follow the idea that “less is more.” When you’re presenting complex information, it’s better to keep your explanation brief and straight to the point. It’s your task to relay knowledge to your audience and a lot could get lost in between unnecessary details and complications. The fewer words it takes, the better.

Simplicity in Complex Details

Presentation content - Einstein quote — Wikimedia Commons

Albert Einstein is often credited for saying, “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.” Before you begin working on your presentation, ask yourself how much of your subject matter do you truly understand.

In the business setting, presentations are mostly collaborative. It’s likely that the data you have was compiled by someone else. Take the time to review the materials and peruse every detail. If you can, reach out to other people who can help you. There’s no shame in asking questions that may seem obvious.

Simplifying your presentation content actually involves a lot more preparation. It takes no time to paste data from an Excel file, but it takes effort to discern which parts are the most important to your presentation’s goal. There’s no way to know what to exclude unless you understand every detail.

Analogies and Metaphors

Presentation content - baseball — Wikimedia Commons

We often use different analogies and metaphors to make sense of new information. Just think about the idiomatic expressions we use in everyday conversations. Why not do the same with your presentation content?

Consider how your subject matter relates to concrete objects or situations. After you’ve laid out the information, think of similarities it has with things your audience will be familiar with. For example, if you’re trying to explain how a certain software works, you can liken each step to the rules of baseball.

Another example was provided by Christopher Bingham and Steven Kahl. They wrote about how Apple introduced the first Macintosh computer operating system:

“When users booted up their computer, the screen they stared into was called a desktop, with small icons labeled ‘trashcan’ and ‘files.’ It was really not a desktop in the physical sense, but Apple was helping people transition from what was familiar to them in the physical world to what was new in the digital world.”

Consider that analogies and metaphors usually involve symbolism and imagery. Give them more impact by complementing your presentation content with illustrations.

Consult with a professional PowerPoint designer. A presentation deck is a visual aid. Use it as another vehicle to explain and simplify your presentation content.

References

Bingham, Christopher B., and Steven J. Kahl. “How to Use Analogies to Introduce New Ideas.” MIT Sloan Management Review. 2013. Accessed July 31, 2014.
Clark, Josh. “How Occam’s Razor Works.” HowStuffWorks. Accessed July 31, 2014.
“Determining the Goal of Your Presentation Is Hard.” Think Outside The Slide. September 18, 2012. Accessed July 31, 2014.

Featured Image: fdecomite via Flickr

Powerful PowerPoint Hacks: Turbocharge Your Efficiency with Time-Saving Shortcuts

Posted on July 31, 2014July 22, 2024 by Rick E

We all try to avoid it. No one likes to feel rushed when they’re working on something, especially if it’s a PowerPoint presentation. But sometimes, schedules are tight and presentation decks need to be rushed.

PowerPoint has always been great at allowing you to customize your presentations, but most of these tasks can be quite time-consuming. To solve that problem, we’ve compiled a few PowerPoint shortcuts to help you beat the clock.

PowerPoint Shortcut 1: Quick access toolbar

You’ll find the Quick Access Toolbar at the upper left side of your screen, right above the ribbon. Right now, you probably only have the icons for Save, Undo, and Redo there so add a few other commands.

Just click on the small drop-down arrow and choose More Commands. A dialogue box will appear where you can choose the commands you use the most.

PowerPoint Shortcut 2: Mini toolbar

Thankfully, PowerPoint has already figured out which commands you’re most likely to use the most. If you want to be able to format text without dragging your mouse to the ribbon, you can simply use the mini toolbar. Select what you want to edit, right-click, and then the mini toolbar will appear nearby.

From the mini toolbar you can change fonts, including font color, increase or decrease indentation, send the text backward or forward, change alignment, paste text, and even add an outline and fill in shapes.

PowerPoint Shortcut 3: Right click

Similarly, right-clicking on objects can also give you quick access to certain commands. Right clicking directly on your slide also gives you the option to do several things like publish slides, adjust the ruler, add grids and guides, as well as change slide layout.

PowerPoint Shortcut 4: Keyboard shortcuts

I think the best way to save time when you’re working on the computer is to avoid the mouse altogether. Microsoft has a lot of keyboard shortcuts for PowerPoint that will become second nature once you’ve learned them. The most useful are the commands for cut, copy, and paste, considering you’re probably lifting a lot of stuff from other documents you have.

Cut: CTRL + X
Copy: CTRL + C
Paste: CTRL + V

You can also quickly save your work by hitting CTRL + S and launch your presentation with the F5 key. You can also hold down SHIFT while pressing enter to start typing on a blank line without a bullet point.

The Final Word

There are still a lot of PowerPoint shortcuts to learn, but these are the most basic way you can skip a bunch of repetitive clicking.

Keep working your way around PowerPoint to get yourself familiar with the program. The next time you’re pressed for time, you’ll be navigating through commands like a pro.

Featured Image: Alan Cleaver via Flickr

What You Can Learn from TV Shows about Presentation Structure

Posted on July 30, 2014July 22, 2024 by Rick E

Like films, television shows are well-known narrative devices that plenty of people subscribe to. In a more formal setting, presentations also share the need to relay its own core message through corporate storytelling, which engages the listener emotionally and physically.

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There’s a lot you can learn about presentation structure just by observing how your favorite TV series play out. A great episode follows a focused structure that constantly keeps the audience engaged. There’s a logical sequence to how each event leads to the resolution of a specific conflict. While your presentations might not be in the same line as a procedural show, having a straightforward presentation structure is still good advice.

According to communications expert Nick Morgan, presentation structure may vary depending on the specifics of the message you’re delivering. However, it should always maintain a logical and orderly progression from one point to another. Your audience will feel lost otherwise.

Have you ever finished watching a TV episode that left you confused about what happened? That’s similar to how audiences feel when they walk out of a presentation that didn’t follow proper structure.

Try these three easy tips to make sure your presentation structure sends the message loud and clear:

1. Define your premise

Most episodes of the medical drama House start by showing how a patient is first attacked by a mysterious disease that the main characters will later have to diagnose. It is able to portray a sense of urgency that keeps viewers interested to see how the rest of the episode will play out.

The same thing should be said about your presentation structure. In order to create the same effect, you need to start by clearly defining the premise and parameters of your presentation. This helps your audience know what to expect from your presentation. But while “Good morning, today we’re going to discuss X and how it affects Y and Z” is definitely clear, it sounds too stiff and typical. Try to entice their interest by using more creative methods, like posing a rhetorical question or providing a shocking fact or statistic.

2. Create conflict with a satisfying resolution

The long-running procedural Law & Order follows a very specific structure in its episodes. After the police discover a crime scene, detectives set out to solve the mystery behind it. Later on, usually during the second half of the episode, prosecutors take the case to court.

In every episode, the viewers hope to see justice prevail. The show takes them there through a progression of scenes that slowly reveal the truth about the crime that was committed.

In the same way, each part of your presentation should be arranged in a way that answers or resolves your main query. All great stories need some sort of conflict to push the action forward. While your presentation won’t necessarily be about the battle between good and evil, it should be able to provide a solution to a specific problem. As you prepare your presentation, think about what you want your audience to remember. The main takeaway is the resolution of your presentation. The conflict is the current problem or issue that your main idea will address. Your presentation structure should take the audience from conflict to resolution in a progression of slides that offer details and information.

3. Leave them wanting more

What compels you to watch episode after episode of House of Cards on Netflix? While a good episode can produce tension with an interesting point of conflict, it should also be able to urge viewers to ask, “What happens next?”

Similarly, you’ll know you’ve done your job as a presenter if you can move your audience into taking action. To do that, you need to end your presentation with as much strength as you started. End your presentation structure with a clear and specific call to action. It should leave your audience curious to learn more about the product you’re selling or the project you’re proposing. Think of it as your presentation’s cliff hanger. It’s the last statement you make to get your audience on your side.

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Good ideas become great once they’re arranged in a logical and discernible sequence. Allow your message to stand out by following a straightforward presentation structure that your audience can easily follow.

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Featured Image: Chris Brown via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
All TV title cards from Wikimedia Commons

The Agenda Slide: A Short PowerPoint Design Lesson

Posted on July 30, 2014July 22, 2024 by Rick E

Most business presentations start with an agenda slide, and it’s usually a bullet point list devoid of any design. If you want to capture and retain your audience’s attention, the agenda slide needs to be more than just a flimsy outline.

Discussing the agenda is an effective way to start presentations in a more corporate and formal setting. It’s your opportunity to frame your presentation in the right direction and show your audience that the information you’re sharing is crucial. But a bullet point list doesn’t stand out. You need an agenda slide that has visual impact.

As you can see, nothing about this slide stands out. While the text is certainly minimal, there’s nothing else in the slide that we can consider eye-catching. It’s too bland, and it will definitely set the tone that your presentation is going to be a pretty dull affair.

The key to great PowerPoint design, whether it’s for the agenda or any other slide, is the use of interesting images. Visual has enormous effect on our ability to learn and retain information.

Now, you can tell that even simple illustrations make a difference. Each point has more impact because they’re illustrated by symbols that your audience is familiar with. I even added a bit more flair by adding animations. I chose to have each point of the agenda revealed bit by bit, so the audience won’t be tempted to read ahead from where I’m talking.

Try out these ideas for yourself, or check out our other PowerPoint design tips. However you choose to enhance your agenda slide, make sure that your key points won’t be clouded by too many or too few design elements.

Featured Image: Death to the Stock Photo
All icons from The Noun Project
Note by Marek Polakovic
Rating by Icons8
Target by Juan Garces
15 minutes by Alexander Wiefel

Presentation Skills: Handling Questions with Grace and Authority

Posted on July 29, 2014July 22, 2024 by Rick E

One of the presentation skills you’ll need to master is responding to questions effectively. Some presenters dread getting questions because they’re scared that someone will bring up a point they can’t address. Because of this apprehension, they may come across as defensive, unknowingly creating a communication barrier.

Your presentation skills will greatly improve if you accept that questions are an essential part of any form of communication. Individuals take in and process information differently. No matter how much preparation you put into your presentation, it’s perfectly natural that a few people would want some points clarified.

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Why it’s Important

It’s not because you were unclear or because your audience simply can’t understand where you’re coming from.

According to keynote speaker Anne Loehr, instances like perception gaps can skewer your presentation, and have an opportunity to correct that is actually good for you.

Don’t feel burdened by questions from your audience. Your presentation skills will greatly improve if you learn how to handle them with grace and authority. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Learn what questions to anticipate

As you prepare for your presentation, make a list of questions that you think people are going to ask. If you know your topic well and you’re familiar with your audience, you can easily tell the type of questions that could come up. Common inquiries revolve around “What comes next” and “What has to be done?”

If you’re pitching to investors or prospects, it’s also common to have your weaker points scrutinized. Try to address these concerns before they are brought up. Make sure your presentation provides sufficient data, strong examples, and concrete action plans.

2. Establish the rules

Most speakers are anxious about questions because it makes them feel like they’re losing control over their own presentations. That doesn’t have to be the case if you clearly establish how and when you’re going to take questions. Set a specific schedule and let your audience know about it in the beginning of your presentation.

3. Listen carefully and repeat what was said

Effective communication isn’t about talking all the time. Your presentation skills also rely on being able to listen carefully to your audience. When someone makes an inquiry, make sure you listen to it attentively and rephrase it to make sure you understand it well. Don’t automatically assume what the question is going to be about and jump to answer it. Clarify if you have to.

4. Give a concise answer

You’re already running on limited time as it is, so don’t waste any more by giving a long, complicated answer. Keep your answers brief and straight to the point. That way, you’ll have more time to clarify points that others might have.

You should also make sure that the answer you gave is what your audience is looking for by saying something like “Does that answer your question?” or “Hopefully that addresses your concerns.” If a question requires a more in-depth answer, offer to provide additional information through a follow-up email.

5. Be truthful and sincere

If someone asks you a difficult question, don’t be afraid to admit that you don’t have the answer. It’s better to be truthful and sincere than explaining half-baked ideas. Assure your audience that you’ll do additional research on that point and follow through on your promise. Take note of these questions and personally reach out to the audience members who brought them up once you’ve checked for the answer.

6. Don’t play the blame game

It’s important that you take responsibility for the information you present and avoid blaming errors on others. If someone brings up a point that counters what you presented, acknowledge it calmly and move on. Don’t shift the blame because you want to maintain authority. It will come across as unprofessional and your audience will more likely feel turned off by it.

7. Rephrase aggressive questions

Similarly, there might also be an instance where someone from the audience jeers you with an aggressive question. When this happens, don’t lose your composure by answering in a similar way. Instead, neutralize the question by rephrasing it.

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Think of your presentations as a conversation. After you’ve addressed the audience, it’s their turn to ask questions or give their input. Make an effort to hear their side by encouraging them to ask questions.

Sharpen your presentation skills by responding to audience queries with grace and authority. You’ll find that having the opportunity to clarify some of your points is actually helpful in the long run.