Lessons Archives

Preparing a ‘TED Talk’ Inspired Presentation: A 3-Step Plan

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Rick E

TED Talks only last for about 20 minutes. In that time, speakers are able to share interesting stories and make compelling arguments. TED Talks prove that insight doesn’t come from the amount of time spent in front of an audience. The success of a presentation rests on the quality of the message you’re delivering.

In a blog published on PresentationXpert, communications coach Nick Morgan makes an argument for the importance of concise speeches. As he puts it, the “impatience of the times” and our “shrinking attention spans” compel us to make sure presentations are short and sweet.

If your pitch looks like it will stretch on for an hour, it’s time to take on a new presentation plan. You don’t have to limit yourself to 20 short minutes, but it’s still important that you trim everything down to the most basic points.

Take inspiration from the success of TED Talks by following this new presentation plan. According to Morgan, all you need are three particular things: a single idea, a story, and one good question.

1.) Idea

No matter how complex the topic, a presentation can be simplified if it’s unified by a single idea. That idea is the message at the core of your presentation. Speeches can try to make several points, but there should always be one common idea acting as the linchpin.

To trim down your presentation, look at your draft and look for the thread that connects one point to another. Focus on this thread and cut out anything that doesn’t help move your main idea forward. Then, sum everything up in an elevator pitch.

As an example, Morgan cites “My stroke of insight“, the TED talk by neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor on the mysteries of the human brain. Taylor’s talk can be summed up in the following statement:

As a neuranatomist, I study the difference between normal brains and the brains of the mentally ill. One morning, I suffered a stroke, and experienced a mental disorder of my own. I was fascinated to learn from the experience. Here’s what I learned while I was dying, especially about the differences between the right and left hemisphere’s experiences of reality.

2.) Story

As you already know, stories are at the heart of every TED Talk. To keep your presentation substantial, make sure you also have a story to share. This helps keep your idea afloat and make your presentation more relatable.

In Morgan’s earlier example, we see that Taylor’s presented narrative revolves around “drama surrounding the moment of the stroke, and what follows from that”. From it, she helps the audience derive a valuable lesson about life.

While your own speech doesn’t have to be particularly dramatic, it’s important to deliver a powerful story. Sharing an honest, emotional story will help you create a much-need human connection between you and your listeners.

3.) Question

A memorable TED Talk always poses a thought-provoking question. It doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult to answer. However, it does need to engage the audience and get them thinking. This helps eradicate the doubts they may have. It also lets them see that the stakes that you’re about tackle are relevant to their own lives.

If you want to stick to a traditional pitch, start with a question and build up its answer. To add a playful twist, you can also end with a question as a final note to encourage discussion even after your presentation is over. Whatever the case, make sure you have something that encourages audience interaction.

The best TED Talks offer refreshing viewpoints and interesting ideas. Your presentation can do the same for your audience by following this 3-step plan.

References

Morgan, Nick. “How to Prepare a 20-Minute TED-Like Talk.” Presentation Xpert. Accessed January 27, 2015.
My Stroke of Insight. Jill Bolte Taylor. TED, 2008.
“Presentation Tips: 3 Lessons from the TED Stage.” SlideGenius, Inc. July 6, 2014. Accessed January 27, 2015.

Featured Image: Gisela Giardino via flickr.com

Quick PowerPoint Tips: Designing for SlideShare

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Rick E

Presentations are an effective way to get your brand and story out to the public. Thanks to SlideShare, there’s an easier way to reach an audience that might never get the chance to hear about your organization.

Since it was created in 2007, SlideShare has evolved into one of the biggest information sharing platforms in an easily accessible format. All you have to do is upload your PowerPoint presentations and you’ll be opening yourself up to a viewership that reaches up to 50 million visitors.

slideshare screencap — Visit SlideShare.net

Of course, this doesn’t automatically mean that your message will spread like wildfire. Not every presentation uploaded to SlideShare can become viral. As a different platform, SlideShare requires a different design.

Since you can’t include audio to explain your presentation, the slides you design will have to speak for themselves. Here are three important tips to help you do that:

SlideShare Tip 1: Aim for the right amount of text

We all know that lengthy paragraphs are a big PowerPoint mistake, but this advice is especially important for SlideShare. Although you won’t want to overwhelm your viewers with a barrage of text, you can’t have minimal, one-line phrases either.

Before you start designing your slides, make sure that your content is well-edited. Review your draft and cut out unnecessary words and sentences.

Aim for the most accurate explanation using as little words as possible. Your goal is to end up with copy that’s both concise and captivating.

An easy way to do this is by discussing one concept per slide.

To condense the information in your PowerPoint presentation, structure your ideas in a way that you can focus on one point at a time. Even if you end up with more slides than you expected, it won’t seem too long and bloated for viewers.

SlideShare Tip 2: Visuals make all the difference

Visuals play a particularly crucial role when you’re sharing presentations on SlideShare, perhaps more than in live presentations.

In front of an audience, you have the ability to command attention through dynamic movement and inflection.When your presentation stays behind the screen, it needs to find another way to pop out and become even more memorable.

This is where visuals make all the difference. If you want to command attention on SlideShare, make the most of images, colors, fonts, and other design elements and techniques.

Your first slide is especially important because this will serve as the thumbnail of your presentation.

SlideShare Tip 3: Maintain quality by uploading PowerPoint as PDF

You can upload your PowerPoint presentation in several formats. The only problem is that you might run into several issues regarding the quality of your presentation.

As presentation blogger, Jon Thomas wrote in his article on Social Fresh, different file formats yielded various results.

Uploading your presentation as a PowerPoint file, for example, will get you pixelated and compressed images. It might also affect the unique and custom fonts that you use.

Avoid issues by saving your file as a PDF. This allows you to main a polished and high-quality look.

Want more tips? Visit our SlideShare profile for more inspiration. There are also plenty of great ideas to be found in the featured section.

Reference

“3 Lessons on Choosing Fonts for Your PowerPoint Design.” SlideGenius, Inc. January 14, 2015. Accessed January 21, 2015.
Abramovich, Giselle. “15 Mind-Blowing Stats About SlideShare.” CMO.com. March 12, 2014. Accessed January 21, 2015.
“Make Your Point: 5 Tips for Editing Presentation Content.” SlideGenius, Inc. November 9, 2014. Accessed January 21, 2015.
“PowerPoint Design Inspiration: What To Do With Marsala.” SlideGenius, Inc. January 19, 2015. Accessed January 21, 2015.
“Slideshare Presentation How To, 5 Tips.” Social Fresh. Accessed January 21, 2015.

Featured Image: Death to the Stock Photo

PowerPoint Design Inspiration: What To Do With Marsala

Posted on January 20, 2015May 30, 2023 by Rick E

Pantone Color Institute, the world’s leading color expert, recently announced their pick for 2015 Color of the Year. While their choice was initially met with some reservations, the warm and earthy Marsala remains an intriguing choice. Thanks to the rich narrative that goes behind the shade, Marsala is sure to inspire designers and creatives of every kind.

Seeing where the trends are heading, presenters should also consider incorporating the rich Marsala into their PowerPoint designs.

The narrative behind the color

According to Pantone, Marsala represents the hearty and enriching qualities of “a fulfilling meal”. Thanks to its red-brown tones, the color also emanates a “sophisticated, natural earthiness.” The editorial pictures released by Pantone picture an elegant group of friends dining comfortably together.

As stated in the press release by executive director Lee Eiseman,

“Marsala enriches our mind, body and soul, exuding confidence and stability… Much like the fortified wine that gives Marsala its name, this tasteful hue embodies the satisfying richness of a fulfilling meal, while its grounding red-brown roots emanate a sophisticated, natural earthiness. This hearty, yet stylish tone is universally appealing and translates easily to fashion, beauty, industrial design, home furnishings and interiors.”

Following this narrative, Marsala is the perfect color for slides that want to depict a sense of luxury and a down-to-earth feel at the same time.

It’s the perfect choice for presentations and pitches around real estate, apparel, and retail. It will also help if you consider your organization’s own narrative. Think of the qualities that make your brand unique. If it matches with the qualities that are symbolized by Marsala, then Pantone’s choice is an obvious win.

Working Marsala into a color palette

There are plenty of ways to pair Marsala with other colors. Pantone came up with a total of 7 palettes that you can use for inspiration.

As listed on their website, Marsala’s warmth allows it to pop beside neutral colors like taupe and gray. Thanks to its rich undertones, it also works well with the colors amber, umber, as well as shades in golden yellow, green, and blue.

To use similar looking palettes for your PowerPoint deck, make sure you temper these shades using a more neutral background. A PowerPoint color theme requires that you choose 2 light colors, 2 dark colors, and 6 accent colors.

Some factors to consider

Because Marsala is a rich and highly-nuanced shade, it’s important that you keep your slides balanced with a more minimalist design. You also need to make sure that the projector you’re using is working well. Busted bulbs might not pick up its wine-inspired tones. You’ll end up with a brownish shade instead. The same is true for printers.

If you plan to turn your presentation into a flipbook, make sure you use a high-quality printer to make sure the color’s integrity is maintained.

Marsala is a rich and vibrant color that tells a complex story.

While it’s primarily expected to appear in fashion, beauty, and interior design, there’s no reason you can’t incorporate it in PowerPoint design. Allow its rich and sensual shades inspire your presentation.

Reference

Basu, Tanya. “The Problem With Pantone’s Color of the Year.” The Atlantic. December 4, 2014. Accessed January 20, 2015.
“INTRODUCING MARSALAPANTONE 18-1438.” PANTONE. Accessed January 20, 2015.
“Turn Presentations into a Powerful Marketing Tool.” SlideGenius, Inc. July 23, 2014. Accessed January 20, 2015.

All images from Pantone.com

It’s Time to Change Up Your Elevator Pitch

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Rick E

When was the last time you delivered an elevator pitch? Did it help you achieve the outcome you were hoping for?

The elevator pitch is a concept that you’re probably already familiar with. In fact, you’ve likely crafted dozens of different versions in the years you’ve spent as a business professional.

The idea of an elevator pitch is to make the most of unexpected opportunities. You never know when the chance to reach out to prospects and pitch your new idea arises. If your elevator pitch is redundant and unremarkable, you can easily lose the opportunity to take your idea to the next level.

So, has your elevator pitch been working lately? If you’re feeling a little rusty, maybe it’s time to brush off the dust.

Here are our quick thoughts on how you can improve your elevator pitch:

It’s all about focusing on the main idea

An elevator pitch has two characteristics:

First, it must be short enough to be delivered in a few minutes. Second, it must also be persuasive. Basically, your goal is to spark the interest of your listener in as little time as possible.

You’re not talking to get an immediate “yes”. Your elevator pitch is a quick introduction to your ideas for an opportunity to go further into details. What truly matters at this point is to get straight to the point and highlight the main idea.

To do that, focus on selling your story. That story should zero in on the main idea or the core message. Don’t spend too much time trying to explain details that may derail your conversation. Remember, because you only have a few minutes, focus on big moments.

By that, we mean getting to answer three crucial questions:

What do you do?
Why is it important?
How are you different from others?

Think of your elevator pitch as a movie trailer

In order to achieve the two characteristics of an elevator pitch, take some pointers from movie trailers. In an interview with Co.Create, Buddha Jones production house partner, John Long, imparts nine of the essential storytelling tips used in movie trailers.

A trailer is basically a synopsis of a movie. To urge viewers to watch a new release, editors condense a film to a sequence of clips that reveal basic facts about the movie’s narrative. Potential viewers are told what the story is about, who the characters are, and what potential problems they’ll face.

However, they also leave room for curiosity. By keeping the preview within certain boundaries, trailers urge the audience to seek out the answers to “what happens next?” and “how will this end?”

Similar to that, an elevator pitch is the synopsis of a longer and more complete presentation. While a traditional pitch might require you to give details about your business and activities, an elevator pitch is supposed to leave room for further questions.

As we mentioned earlier, you’re not trying to seal the deal here. What you’re trying to achieve is a better chance to converse and convince your prospect. Leave out the heavier details in your elevator pitch and focus on the premise instead.

Conclusion

All in all, the way to a better elevator pitch is to get a handle on the bare bones of your presentation. Go back to the most fundamental details of your pitch and make sure they stand out.

This isn’t about bombarding the audience with well-researched facts and data. An elevator pitch is about getting to the heart of the matter.

Get started on changing up your elevator pitch. Who knows? You might take the elevator with someone that could be your biggest client or investor yet. Don’t miss out on a perfectly great opportunity.

References

Hart, Hugh. “9 (Short) Storytelling Tips From A Master Of Movie Trailers.” Co.Create. May 29, 2014. Accessed January 14, 2015.
“Steps to Mastering a Killer Elevator Pitch | SlideGenius.” SlideGenius, Inc.. June 10, 2014. Accessed January 14, 2015.

Featured Image: Thomas R. Stegelmann via Flickr

Why Simplicity Wins When it Comes to PowerPoint Slides

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Rick E

PowerPoint slides play an important role in successful presentations.

Before you load your deck with information, take a step back and approach the task with scrutinizing eyes.

As we’ve mentioned before, your slides should serve as a visual aid. What you present to the audience should contribute to the delivery of your core message.

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Most of the time, presenters tend to create PowerPoint slides that are overloaded with too much information. Instead of using their PowerPoint deck as a way to highlight main points, it becomes the focal point of the presentation.

According to research, this becomes a problem for both you and your audience.

Presentation science: Why simplicity is crucial to PowerPoint slides

In a study conducted by Christof Wecker, it was concluded that overloaded PowerPoint slides distract the audience from listening to the presenter’s explanation.

Because the participants were shown slides loaded with information, the attention of the audience is split between two things: struggling to keep up with what the presenter was saying, or reading the slides and ignoring the explanation.

Their concentration and ability to absorb information became compromised.

In cases like these, Wecker noted that it might be better to just present with no visuals at all. However, the real solution is creating simpler and more concise slides. All you have to do is focus on the most basic and crucial points of your content.

When your slides highlight key takeaways, you can help the audience reach maximum information retention.

As social science blogger Eric Horowitz wrote to explain the study:

Wecker found that the suppression of oral information was correlated with the subjective importance a person placed on slides. In other words, slides interfere with the retention of oral information because people often judge information on slides to be more important.

Tips and tricks: Making PowerPoint slides that work

That said, it’s easy to see why your overloaded PowerPoint slides have been putting audiences to sleep. To keep your presentations comprehensible, make sure that your visuals remain simple and straightforward. There are many ways to achieve simplicity in PowerPoint design. Here are just a few of the most basic tips:

Draft your ideas before attempting to make a PowerPoint deck. Outline the points you want to make and lay them out in a storyboard. This will give you the opportunity to arrange your presentation properly and edit out unnecessary details.
You can keep your slides minimal by limiting your use of text. Examine the content you have and try to get your point across in quick and simple sentences. Images can also be used to describe ideas that are a bit more complex and might require longer explanations.
Some PowerPoint features can also help keep your slides streamlined and simple. You can use PowerPoint’s Note section to keep detailed explanations out of your main slides.

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References:

“Add Speaker Notes to Your Slides.” Office Blogs. Accessed January 8, 2015.
“Create a SmartArt Graphic.” Office Blogs. Accessed January 8, 2015.
Horowitz, Eric. “Why You Need Concise PowerPoint Slides – Peer-reviewed by My Neurons.” Peer-reviewed by My Neurons. February 18, 2012. Accessed January 8, 2015.
“How to Organize Your Ideas with a Presentation Storyboard.” SlideGenius, Inc.. September 1, 2014. Accessed January 8, 2015.
“Visual Simplicity Is Captivating in Presentations.” SlideGenius, Inc.. September 30, 2014. Accessed January 8, 2015.
Wecker, Christof. “Slide Presentations as Speech Suppressors: When and Why Learners Miss Oral Information.” Elsevier 59, no. 2 (2012): 260-73. Accessed January 8, 2015.

Featured Image: D Sharon Pruitt via Flickr

Listen Here: 5 Podcasts for the Busy Professional

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Rick E

With their recent popularity, podcasts can serve as the perfect information platform for busy professionals.

Unlike books, you can listen to podcasts and digest the same amount of information while you’re on the go. You don’t have to worry about setting aside a specific chunk of time from your schedule. You can easily garner useful facts and skills while you’re in the gym or going to work. For this reason, we’ve collected some podcasts that you can plug in if you’re looking to improve your business know-how, particularly in the areas of marketing and presentations.

1.) The Public Speaker’s Quick and Dirty Tips

Hosted by Lisa B. Marshall, this podcast offers exactly what its title suggests—easy-to-digest tips on presentations and public speaking. If you’re looking for a way to improve your communication skills, Lisa will answer questions and delve into presentation-related topics one episode at a time. While her discussions are usually pretty in-depth and exhaustive, she relays information without overwhelming her listeners. Best of all, you can easily check out the QDT website for a transcript in case you miss an episode.

2.) Marketing Over Coffee

Just like ‘The Public Speaker,’ this podcast airs bite-sized discussions that are exhaustive but not overwhelming. Hosted by John Wall and Christopher Penn, ‘Marketing Over Coffee’ covers a host of topics about traditional and digital marketing. In a span of about 20 minutes, you can learn helpful marketing techniques and easy-to-follow tips. They’ve also done interviews with industry personalities such as Seth Godin, David Meerman Scott, and Simon Sinek. You can check this link for more information about the podcast and find notable episodes to download.

3.) Your Grand Idea

Are you just starting up your business? If so, ‘Your Grand Idea’ is the perfect podcast for you. Hosted by Todd Skaggs and Kevin Carter, the podcast covers a wide variety of tips and case studies that will help your new venture move forward. What’s a better way to learn than by listening to the experiences of other entrepreneurs and professionals? Start listening to the 33 episodes available by visiting their website.

4.) The Toastmasters Podcast

For more public speaking lessons, you can also tune into the Toastmasters Podcast. With hosts Bo Bennett, Ryan Levesque, and Greg Gazin, this podcast offers in-depth discussions that will help anyone improve their presentation skills. From lessons on using props during presentations to interviews with noted industry professionals, this podcast almost serves as a crash course on communication in the workplace. If you find yourself struggling with public speaking, the Toastmasters Podcast is a helpful antidote. Here’s a complete list of their available episodes.

5.) The Friday Hangout

This podcast—hosted by Janet Fouts, Adam Helweh, and Steve Farnsworth—zeroes in on marketing in the digital world. There are plenty of discussions on social media marketing, branding, and PR to learn from, as well as interviews with a number of notable guests. The best thing about this podcast is how the three hosts inject elements of humor and fun in each episode, so it doesn’t feel like what you’re doing is all just for work. If you’re looking for a podcast that’s both engaging and informative, you can start listening to ‘The Friday Hangout’ here.

Podcasts can be your best source of information for today’s fast-moving world. Despite your tight schedule, you don’t have to forego learning important lessons that can help move your career forward. All you have to do is subscribe to these podcasts, plug in your headphones, and take a quick listen.

Featured Image: Robert Couse-Baker via flickr

New Year’s Resolutions: The Presentation Edition

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Rick E

The new year will always usher in plenty of opportunities. Be ready for a productive and fulfilling year by learning to improve your communication skills. Professional success relies on our ability to present and share new ideas. If you want your projects to keep moving forward, you need to focus on improving your skills as a presenter.

Keep your ideas afloat and the audience engaged with our own version of New Year’s resolutions:

1.) Start integrating storytelling into your presentations

You can’t separate storytelling from the presentations you deliver. It’s not enough to recite facts in front of your audience. Whether you’re pitching to investors or convincing clients to get on board, a story is the most powerful tool in your arsenal. That’s because stories are built right into our DNA. As social beings, we connect with each other through storytelling. What better way to get the audience to sit up and listen than by sharing a great story?

So what makes a great story? How can you spin your presentation into a compelling narrative? There are three things you need. First, you need to start with a message that resonates with your audience. Next, you need to have a character they can relate to. Lastly, you need to structure your presentation in a way that really pulls the audience in.

2.) Deliver a better presentation by fixing structure

Structure isn’t just important to presentation storytelling. Creating a well-structured presentation is also helpful for the audience. If you create a clear and discernable structure, they’ll be able to follow what you’re saying much easier. They won’t feel like you’re dumping a huge amount of information because you’ve carefully arranged them in a way that makes sense.

Aside from making sure that your presentation has a discernible beginning, middle, and end, keep all your points and arguments grouped according to specific themes. According to Barbara Minto’s Pyramid Principle, you can tackle one theme at a time, and the audience can easily categorize your ideas into groups.

3.) Improve the quality of your presentations through practice

Of course, you can’t expect to improve your skills without putting in some work. Aside from making sure your presentation is perfected, you also have to improve the quality of your delivery. You won’t be able to do that without taking the time to practice.

A lot of people think they can ‘wing’ their presentations. However, presentations are more than just being familiar with your materials. You also need to know the proper way to address the audience. The only way you can prepare for that is by rehearsing the way you’ll speak and move in front of people.

4.) Create a memorable experience by appealing to emotions

A presentation doesn’t have to be a dull affair just because you’re delivering an informative report. You can still create a memorable presentation that’s accurate and straight to the point. Strive to create a significant connection with the audience by appealing to their emotions.

What emotions are significant to your presentation? Do you want to make this a light-hearted affair? Or do you want to deliver a sense of urgency? Think of your emotional anchor and plan your presentation around it. Make sure your story and visuals contribute to conveying it. You should also focus on how you deliver your presentation. Emotions are also conveyed through speech and movement, so be mindful of your body language.

2015 brings an abundance of new opportunities. Don’t let them go to waste. Make sure all your points are well-presented. Deliver better presentations and achieve greater outcomes with these helpful but oft-neglected tips.

References

“The Minto Pyramid Principle: A Powerful and Compelling Process for Producing Everyday Business Documents.” Barbara Minto. Accessed January 11, 2016.
Zak, Paul. “Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling.” Harvard Business Review. October 28, 2014. Accessed January 11, 2016.

Featured Image: picjumbo.com

The Pyramid Principle: Tips for Presentation Structure

Posted on December 22, 2014 by Rick E

There’s no easier way to lose the attention of your audience than by dumping too much information on them.

When you’re delivering a presentation, it’s important to a structure that everyone can follow. This structure needs to keep everything concise and straight to the point. It should allow one point to flow to the next in a logical manner. After all, the audience will find it confusing to hear wayward and tangential points. Luckily, learning Barbara Minto’s Pyramid Principle will keep you on the right track.

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Basically, the Pyramid Principle is a communication technique that allows you to to structure your points and arguments properly. It works by introducing a thesis statement before going into points and arguments that support it. Like a pyramid, the information you present should branch out as you move on towards specific details of the discussion. As written on Minto’s website,

“Extended thinking eventually ends in a single pyramid of ideas, at many levels, obeying logical rules, and held together by a single thought. Communicating the thinking requires only that you guide the reader down the pyramid.”

In other words, we can break down the Pyramid Principle into three main points:

1. Start with your thesis statement or key takeaway
2. Group arguments into main points
3. Branch out to discuss supporting details

If you map out your presentation, the structure would follow a hierarchy that look like this:

As you can see, your presentation will be held together by single, key idea. To prove your statement, you will several different arguments that are grouped according to similarities. After that, you will discuss each detail as you move from one main point to the next.

To give you a better sense of the Pyramid Principle, let’s get into each of its three main points:

Start with your thesis statement or key takeaway

Following the Pyramid Principle, the best way to start your presentation is by laying out your conclusion immediately.

For business communication, it’s important to give the audience a clear idea about which direction you’re heading. While everyday conversations with friends will usually have a slow build up to a conclusion, talking with potential clients and investors are a different scenario. Considering the limited time we usually get with prospects, getting straight to the point obviously makes a lot of sense. In turn, this also allows them to see where you’ll be taking your discussion.

Group arguments into main points

With your takeaway presented, it’s time to delve into your main discussion. According to the Pyramid Principle, the next level involves grouping together all your arguments into main points. Each point will be a summary of specific supporting details that you’ll get into one by one.

Branch out to discuss supporting details

Finally, you can start getting into each of your main points by branching out to your supporting details. The idea is to keep everything under one theme so that the audience can easily picture how each item is related to one another.

Before arranging your presentation using the Pyramid Principle, you need to be sure of all the details of your content. You’ll need to brainstorm and draft out all of your ideas first. From there, you can edit your outline using either deductive or inductive reasoning.

You can start from the bottom up—deciding on all the points you want to make, grouping them together by theme, and finally deducting your main takeaway. You can also start the opposite way—figure out the premise of your presentation, thinking of arguments what would make it valid, and then draft supporting details for each.

Download free PowerPoint templates now.

Get professionally designed PowerPoint slides weekly.

READ MORE:

The Pyramid Principle (Lessons from McKinsey) – Medium
How To Structure Information To Create a Compelling Presentation – Blog sli.do
Concept – The Minto Pyramid Principle

Featured Image: martin_vmorris via Flickr

How to Share Your Prezi for Any Type of Audience

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Rick E

After creating the perfect prezi, it’s time to share your ideas with the world. For this week’s Prezi Feature, we discuss the different ways you can share your presentation and reach out to any type of audience.

It took some time to get there, but you’ve finally finished creating the perfect prezi. After reviewing your presentation one last time, you decide that it’s ready to reach the eyes (and ears) of a larger crowd. So how do you make sure that your prezi reaches its intended audience? Well, it will all depend on who you’re trying to reach out to. Did you make your prezi for a big pitch? Is it a part of your content marketing campaign? Are you leading an online meeting with attendees scattered all over the country? Whatever the case, it’s easy to present and share your prezi any way you want.

Portable Prezi: For a traditional audience

Whether it’s inside a boardroom or an auditorium, traditional presentations are delivered directly to an audience. For situations like these, you might find yourself with one very practical concern. What if the venue you’re presenting at doesn’t have a reliable Internet connection? How can you use your prezi if you can’t access it online? To avoid any awkward mishaps, take the extra step to download a portable prezi.

Basically, a portable prezi is just the downloaded version of your presentation file. It’s something you can access on a Mac or PC without the use of an Internet connection, working the same way that a PowerPoint file would. It’s a great way to make sure your prezi is ready to go once you begin setting up inside the presentation venue.

To get your portable prezi, head to your library and click on the presentation you want to save. Next, find the ”Download‘ button at the bottom of your Prezi player.

When the pop-up window appears, choose the ‘Presenting‘ option. Hit the blue button and just wait for your download to finish. If you encounter an error, Prezi will quickly prompt you to restart your download.

When the whole process is over, you’ll get a ZIP file in your hard drive. Unzip the folder and click on the .exe file if you’re a PC user or the Prezi file if you’re on Mac.

Embedding Prezis: For a content marketing campaign

Another way you might want to share a prezi is by including it in your content marketing campaign. If this is the case, you can easily embed your prezi on to your company blog or website.

Access the prezi you want to share through your library and click on the ‘Embed‘ button underneath the player. When the pop-up window appears, all you have to do is copy the HTML code and paste it to wherever you’re editing your content.

You can also adjust the size of the embedded prezi, and determine whether your audience will be free to pan and zoom across your presentation.

Present Remotely: For an audience gathered online

What about scenarios when you have to deliver the entirety of your presentation online? If you’re presenting to an audience that can only gather online, you have the choice to present your prezi remotely.

Like in the last two methods, all you have to do is access your prezi through the library. This time, you’ll need to click on the ‘Present Remotely‘ button below the Prezi player. Once the pop-up appears, copy the link that’s provided to you and send it to your audience. Once everyone has the link, you can click on ‘Start remote presentation‘.

You can have up to 30 individuals following your presentation and they don’t have to be Prezi users. However, when other Prezi users are following your presentation, you’ll see their avatars pop-up at the side of the screen. To turn the presentation over to any one of them, you can click on their avatars and choose ‘Hand over presentation‘.

As you can see, it’s not that hard to share a prezi to your intended audience. In fact, you can do it with relative ease. After all your work to polish both content and design, your prezi deserves a wider audience.

Featured Image: Featured Image: Death to the Stock Photo / Prezi logo via Wikimedia Commons

Prezi Design Tips: How to Leverage Your Brand

Posted on December 4, 2014July 9, 2021 by Rick E

A company’s brand is an integral part of its identity. For this week’s Prezi feature, we discuss a few ways you can incorporate branding to make sure your presentations stand out from the competition.

Whether it’s a small business or a multinational corporation, branding is always a process that’s integral to any organization. That’s why it’s important to make sure your brand is in the presentations you deliver. No matter how well-designed, it’s not enough to use stock templates and illustrations. You need to present visuals that highlight your company’s story and experience. If you want to stand out from your competition, branding your presentation is a step you can’t afford to skip.

In Prezi, an easy way to start branding your presentation is by uploading your own custom logo. If you’re either a Pro, EDU Pro, Enjoy, or EDU Enjoy user, you can replace the Prezi logo that appears by default in the lower left corner.

Replace the logo with your company’s own logo by upgrading your Prezi plan.

All you have to do is head to the Theme Wizard by clicking on ‘Customize’ and choosing ‘Advanced’ from the right sidebar. From there, you’ll easily find the “Upload custom logo” feature. You can watch this video tutorial for a step-by-step review of the process.

Of course, uploading your logo is only the first step to fully branding your presentation. After all, the logo is only a single component of your company’s entire brand. You still need to make sure that the rest of your design remains consistent with your company’s core message and identity. To do that, you need to create a prezi that tells the complete story.

Here are some things you can keep in mind when building a presentation to leverage your brand:

Look to your logo to make font and color choices

The logo is your first source of inspiration when branding a presentation. (View Prezi)

One of the easiest ways to brand your presentation is by looking to your logo for some quick inspiration. It’s important to keep your integral design elements consistent with the visual representation of your brand. Head back to the Theme Wizard and customize your prezi by choosing colors and fonts that work well with your logo. Your choices doesn’t have to be directly similar. In fact, a bit of variety can add some interest to the look of your presentation. However, keep in mind that the fonts and colors you pick should still be compatible with the overall look of your logo.

Use images that fit your brand’s personality

The visuals that enhance your design should be consistent with your brand’s personality. (View Prezi)

You should also make sure that the images in your presentation are a perfect representation of your brand’s personality. You can check this resource to uncover more details about this. Once you have everything figured out, sit down for a quick brainstorming session. List down the words that come to mind when you think of the qualities that make your brand unique. You can then use your list to come up with keywords that will facilitate your search for the perfect pictures and illustrations.

Think of a visual metaphor that describes what you do

Keep your brand story engaging by finding the perfect visual metaphor. (View Prezi)

You can also turn your story into a visual metaphor that will give the audience more insight about what you do. Designer Meghan Hendricks created a presentation to illustrate how an architecture firm made use of Prezi to pitch to a big client. In order to tell a story that corresponds to their brand, she used a blueprint as the design’s central metaphor. For your own presentation, think of an object or symbol that perfectly describes the service or product you’re offering. If you want to make sure that your presentation is as unique as your brand, stay away from cliches by taking the time to brainstorm and hash out your ideas.

Presentations are the perfect opportunity to leverage your brand. Make sure your design remains consistent with your core message and identity by following these tips.

Featured Image: Featured Image: Death to the Stock Photo / Prezi logo via Wikimedia Commons

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