Category: Lessons

What You Need to Learn From Lion Tamers

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Steve Jobs

Work Cited

zoo

Nov 20, 2013

Any lion tamer will have three tools to control their majestic beast: a whip, a stool, and a fistful of enticing snacks. Which of these tools is most useful?

Most would say it’s the whip, but they would be wrong. It’s the stool. When the lion tamer raises the stool to face his roaring counterpart, the lion sees all four stool legs and doesn’t know which one to focus on. Consequently, they stand frozen, enabling the tamer to keep them under control.As interesting as this may be, we as humans are not impervious to this same manipulation. When you try focus on too many things in your work, you become incapable of taking effective action on any of them. Lack of focus significantly impairs your ability to lead and stick to your plan, especially when giving a presentation.In order to prevent what I like to call the very appropriately named “tamed-lion syndrome” you should follow these rules:

Set goals.

Know what you do, how you do it, why you do it, and where you want to take it. Know all of that, and the goal-making process will be a piece of cake. Go to the first day of class and what does the professor do? He goes over the syllabus and talks about his goals for you as his student. Join a gym your instructor will immediately talk about your goals and what exactly you hope to achieve with your body. Both the college professor and the gym instructor are following the same trend, they’re highlighting end results. They’re trying to lure you in by showing you the potential the service can offer you. It is useful to set goals at all levels, daily, weekly, monthly, annual, and long term. Expressing your short and long term goals in your presentation are great for transparency for your audience. Giving a clear message and ultimate goal to your audience will allow them to empathize with you and genuinely understand your passion. It’s a universal fact that empathy, or really just emotion, is the single most powerful tool for selling. All in all, it’s pretty simple; set goals, explain them, and sell more.

“That’s been one of my mantras – focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”

-Steve Jobs

Get your priorities straight.

This is arguably the most important and useful factor when it comes to focusing. Knowing your long term goal is the best way to start. That in itself takes a while to figure out. But once you take that step, highlight, circle, star, check, enumerate, or do whatever it is you have to do to prioritize your tasks to get you to your goal. The more detailed, the more effective it’ll be. Priorities should be outlined along with your goals in your presentation. This comes back to transparency; the more your audience can understand you and your company, the more comfortable they will feel with you. 

References:

Colan, Lee. “What Lion Tamers Know About Focus.“ Inc.com. July 19, 2013. Jarrett, Christian. “How Goals and Good Intentions Can Hold Us Back.” 99u. July 10, 2012.

Raising Capital? Consider a Scrolling Web Pitch!

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Nov 08, 2013

Raising capital is complicated. There are a lot of pieces to put together, including selling your audience, knowing your valuation, how much capital you need, use of funds and much, much more.

The initial hurdle for countless companies comes at the intersection where entrepreneurs and investors meet. Entrepreneurs often stumble building their investment deck and effectively pitching which makes it that much harder to get people to give you the capital. Investors must believe in you and your abilities to manage and grow a company. The problem is that showing who you are and what you’re capable of can be difficult let alone doing it in a 10-15 minute window.For that reason you need to put your heart and soul into the pitch, but not just the content, also the delivery. What does a perfect pitch look like, you ask? That is a matter of opinion and you’ll never see the “perfect pitch deck”, but recently its all about presenting your company in a unique way to stand out from the crowd.  One additional option you may consider is a scrolling web pitch. Scrolling web pitches incorporate a unique technique that allows the presenter to replace the generic professional PowerPoint click-by-click slides with an interactive, more organic and lively design.  This is not meant to replace the face-to-face PowerPoint pitch but a reinforcement and/or teaser to get the meeting.  Here are 4 reasons why you need to use scrolling web designs for you next investor presentation:

Keep Content Up to Date

In using a scrolling web pitch, you are making any future edits or updates to your text as easy as can be. This design simplifies the process and maximizes your use of time.

Stand Out from the Crowd and be unique

Most people email their large, boring and lifeless PowerPoint presentations to prospective investors, but it really doesn’t make sense to do that. Without context from the entrepreneur you’ll risk a misinterpreted message or worse they might not even move past the first three slides.  Treat you pitch with respect. Why be dull and lifeless when you can be unique, creative and memorable?

Monitor page analytics/views and keep consistency.

Data, data, data! Being able to keep your pitch up to date online and get analytics will help you assess the effectiveness of your deck. Additionally, you’ll have created another venue to market in. A great scroll web pitch will be able to sell itself without you being there, so any viewer could potentially bite in your concept.

Create more interest and leads

Analytics and views lead to increased interest and leads. Garnering and extrapolating public interest in your concept will serve as evidence to potential investors that it is quality and a great opportunity.Think of it as PowerPoint presentation Darwinism: evolve your presentation or have it die. Though raising capital may be intimidating, challenging, and seemingly impossible, the process starts with how you present yourself to people.We’ve created an example of a scroll web pitch that you can see here.

If you have any questions or comments about scroll pitches just comment them on this post?

Why You Need Work With The Naked

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Oct 10, 2013

While this title might sound provocative, it refers to the concept outlined in Garr Reynolds’ book The Naked Presenter, which emphasizes the importance of authenticity, simplicity, and connection when delivering presentations. “Naked” here means presenting in a raw, authentic, and honest manner—stripped of unnecessary embellishments or distractions. This approach can help you build a stronger connection with your audience and communicate more effectively.Here’s why working with “The Naked Presenter” approach can transform your presentations:

1. Focus on Connection, Not Perfection

When you focus too much on perfecting every slide, you risk losing the human connection that’s vital to engaging your audience. “Naked” presenting encourages you to embrace imperfections and focus on connecting with your listeners.Why It’s Important:

  • Enhances Engagement: Audiences respond better when they feel a personal connection to the speaker.
  • Builds Trust: Being authentic makes you more relatable, helping to establish trust with your audience.

How to Do It:

  • Speak naturally and don’t worry about being flawless. Authenticity is more compelling than perfection.
  • Use personal anecdotes or examples to make your presentation more relatable.

2. Simplify Your Slides

The Naked Presenter approach advocates for minimalist slides that focus on enhancing your message rather than distracting from it. Avoid slides cluttered with text or complicated visuals.Why It’s Important:

  • Keeps the Focus on You: Overloading slides with text or visuals can divert the audience’s attention away from you, the presenter.
  • Clarifies the Message: Simple slides help the audience grasp your main points without unnecessary distractions.

How to Do It:

  • Limit each slide to one key idea, and use visuals sparingly.
  • Use large, readable fonts and high-quality images to convey your message clearly.

3. Be Vulnerable and Genuine

Working with The Naked Presenter philosophy involves showing your authentic self, even if it means revealing some vulnerability. Audiences appreciate when presenters drop their defenses and communicate from the heart.Why It’s Important:

  • Creates Emotional Impact: Vulnerability can make your message more powerful and resonate deeply with your audience.
  • Enhances Memorability: Audiences are more likely to remember presentations where they felt an emotional connection to the speaker.

How to Do It:

  • Share personal stories, challenges, or lessons learned to illustrate your points.
  • Don’t be afraid to show your personality—whether it’s humor, passion, or humility.

4. Eliminate Unnecessary Details

A key aspect of The Naked Presenter approach is focusing on what really matters. You don’t need to overload your presentation with every piece of information. Instead, focus on the core message and the essential supporting details.Why It’s Important:

  • Maintains Audience Interest: Too many details can overwhelm your audience and cause them to lose focus.
  • Clarifies Your Message: By stripping away non-essential information, you highlight what truly matters.

How to Do It:

  • Start by identifying your core message and build your presentation around it.
  • Use data or examples sparingly and only when they directly support your main point.

5. Embrace Silence and Space

In presentations, silence can be as powerful as speech. The Naked Presenter approach encourages you to embrace moments of pause and use space effectively, both in your slides and in your speech.Why It’s Important:

  • Allows for Reflection: Pausing allows your audience to absorb and reflect on what you’ve said.
  • Creates Emphasis: A well-timed pause or minimalist slide can give more weight to your message.

How to Do It:

  • Don’t be afraid to pause for a few seconds after making a key point—it gives your audience time to process the information.
  • Use white space in your slides to direct attention to the most important elements.

Final Thoughts

Working with the principles of The Naked Presenter can help you create more meaningful, engaging, and authentic presentations. By focusing on simplicity, vulnerability, and connection, you’ll be better equipped to captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression. Remember, the most impactful presentations are often those that are honest, uncluttered, and direct.

3 Secrets from the Most Trusted Brands Around

Accountability Fedex

Additionally Amazon

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Jim Stengel

Kari Blanchard

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Simple Personal Amazon

United States

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Oct 01, 2013

Which company would you say has the best customer service in the world?

For me, only big names come to mind. Amazon, Fedex, Starbucks, Apple, Target; all these companies are seen and valued as great empires that run the United States, and to some extent, the world. Customer service has become a major facet of how people judge businesses today. Within customer service, lies it’s core foundation, trust. When people trust a brand, they use it, recommend it, share it, and more importantly, like it.When we discuss branding, one of the simplest and most relevant examples would probably be corporate presentations. The way quality with which one presents their company to others is the level to which their branding valued. For that very reason, being able to understand and recreate the important aspects these trusted companies currently use will be invaluable to any executive.We decided to take a crack at it and analyze the consumer survey created by Entrepreneur and The Values Institute at DGWB, a California-based think tank, which explored this very issue. The results are an analysis of 5 of the top 10 most trusted brands.

Simple & Personal: Amazon

The tycoon online retailer of just about everything comes out on the top of our list. Amazon’s success doesn’t root from the millions of products is manages, the unlimited and 24/7 access its offers, the great quality search filter it holds, or the shockingly effective and satisfying customer service it is compromised of. Amazon is best the because of its superior purchase experience. People love things to be easy and to be treated well; two things Amazon does beautifully well.>Additionally Amazon is arguably best at fostering relationships with consumers by helping them make decisions through recommendations from other people. “People are able to choose items based on other consumer’s past purchases, user reviews and ratings and suggested complementary purchases. Consumers also have many options for forging a personal bond with the brand, including user profiles, reviews and ratings.”So if there is anything we should learn from Amazon, it is to make things easy and personal. This is especially true for your professional PowerPoint presentations. You must be able make things easy to understand while allowing your audience to relate to you in a variety of ways. Tell a story, show emotion, show an inspiring video, or just do something that will invoke emotion from your audience and consequently more sales for you.

Customer Appreciation & Accountability: Fedex

FedEx has designed and more importantly, maintained one of the strongest corporate identities around. In the aforementioned consumer survey the company “received its strongest ratings in ability, specifically for being able to achieve what it promises and for the efficiency of its operations.”Try to remember any of the recent Fedex commercial spots on TV. They all show a strong focus on recognizing that it’s not just about the logistics of moving boxes, but about an appreciation of what’s inside. The content, the story, the emotion, to a simple point, the meaning each box has. This is the main point. Fedex does a phenomenal job at showing their value for their customer and“To further deliver that message, FedEx engages with consumers through its personalized rewards program and by interacting on social media channels.” The company thinks of their customers as much more than just an order number or box, and they show that in their branding and marketing, and that is true customer appreciation.With regard to your corporate presentation, use the same idea. Highlight how you show customer appreciation and make clear that you hold yourself, and no one else accountable for your quality.

Be Product-Centric: Apple

Not many companies have the public and press waiting in line, for days, waiting breathlessly for each new product release. “The bottom line is whatever that new Apple product is, consumers trust that it will be smart and sleek and that it will improve the way they communicate, work or spend their leisure time. What’s more, they’ll enjoy the experience of making the purchase.”Even more, Apple is known to hire empathetic people, and not measure their sales associates on sales. This at first seems absurd; almost every other retail store in the world wants good salesmen and will create a competitive environment to weed out the weak. Apple knows that its product is so well liked, that it can sacrifice the competitive edge between its sales associates. The only factor that allows them to be so confident in their product, its that they put so much focus on it, and they make sure everyone knows that.

Wrapping up

In short, today’s most trustworthy brands have created relationships with consumers through experiences that trigger a visceral and amazingly effective response. Quoting the aforementioned consumer survey results analysis by branding consultant Jim Stengel, “We’re seeing more of an emphasis on brands building emotional relationships with consumers because it’s powerful and it works. When you do it, you have a much stronger affinity, a much stronger business, much stronger growth and much stronger results.”It doesn’t just come down to you making your have better customer appreciation, accountability, or product-centricty, it comes down to showing that your do these things. What easier way to show these things than through your next corporate, sales, or marketing presentation. Be transparent, be clear, and show your customers, partners, and the world how you do things, in return you might just be the next one on this list.READ MORE: Secrets of the 10 Most-Trusted Brands – Entrepreneur 

An Angel Investor’s Guide to Cracking the Mind of an Angel Investor

Angel Investor

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Edward Harley

Keiretsu Forum

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Sales Strategy Presentation

TAM

Sep 20, 2013

“I would like to introduce myself to you. I am an angel investor. You may not have met the likes of me. I play several different roles. I listen to your presentations, a challenger of your strategy, an investigator conducting due diligence, a negotiator over investment terms, and finally a check writer to fund your growth.”

Who better to advise on an angel investment pitch than an angel investor himself? Edward Harley, Angel Investor and member of the Keiretsu Forum lays out exactly what you need to do to become part of the “top 5% of all presenters.” Though his context lies in the world of investor pitches, his advice is true and useful for anybody presenting about any subject.Usually, you’ll have about 10 minutes to “pitch” your idea to an investor. Within those few minutes, you need to tell Harley’s seven stories successfully:

1. The ‘fundamental business logic’ story

This part of your presentation illustrates how you don’t just have an idea but a logical approach to making a business out of it. Great ideas are valuable but relatively useless without proper execution. It’s a great execution that changes the world. That is what investors, and really just audiences, want to understand from you: the steps you took or are taking to realize your idea. In other words, share your story.

2. The ‘total available market’ story

This section of your presentation is essentially the evidence you use to support your “fundamental business logic story.” You highlight the path your business will walk on and explain how wide the passageway is.

3 This is a $50m to $100m business’ story

Continuing on the ”evidence” of your business logic story, this presentation portion is meant to display a sense of value. It would be best if you made your audience understand that your business venture is credible and an enticing and convenient investment for them.

4. ‘The product can be differentiated’ story

Here, you’ll show why and how you are different and better than your competition. This is a key point. Your audience wants to know and identify your specialty. After all, it is that very specialty that people will remember you by. Harley says it that his  “expectation is that [he] will hear about a solution that is significantly better for the customer than all their existing choices, by ‘significantly better’, [he] mean[s] 10X better.”

5. ‘The product/service can be sold’ story

This area of your presentation should come back to the past four sections. Here it would be best if you reaffirmed that your product or service is reliable and has the potential to lead to satisfying results.

6. ‘This management team can do it’ story

You’ve made your case for the product or service; now, you have to establish your credibility and that of your team as valuable, effective, and reliable workers.

7. ‘This is a good investment for the investor’ story

This presentation portion should summarize everything and reiterate the essential selling points. Here you are making the idea of an investment, sale, or whatever call-to-action concrete.At the end of all this, it is time to ask yourself through an investor’s mentality, “Could I, your listener, replay to another person the very basics of your venture and how your target customers will benefit from using your product?”If the answer is yes, then you have successfully increased your chances of realizing your presentation’s call to action.Harley sums it up best by saying, “If you can passionately tell me those 7 stories while building a rapport with me where I eventually become an investor, we can jump over obstacles together. In addition to being a source of funds, I am a member of a terrific network of successful colleagues who are willing to assist you in your entrepreneurial effort. Our knowledge is both deep and wide, crossing industries, technologies, markets, and distribution channels. Thus, I encourage you to make an upfront effort to tell me your story. We can be successful together!”

Reference:

The Infographic that You Need to See

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Sep 18, 2013

PowerPoint has about a 95% share of the presentation software market. There are over 500 million PowerPoint users worldwide and more than 30 million presentations are created daily. Over 6 million academic teachers use PowerPoint for classroom instruction.

Inforgraphic 1

Heinz’s Crucial Model for Transparency

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Heinz Ketchup

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Henry Heinz

Henry John Heinz

Pierre Blot

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Sep 11, 2013

Heinz has built a reputation for transparency and consumer trust, a model that other companies can learn from and adopt. In an era where consumers demand more insight into the products they purchase, Heinz’s approach serves as a blueprint for success. Here’s how Heinz practices transparency and how your business can apply these principles.

1. Clear Labeling and Ingredient Transparency

Heinz has always prioritized clear and honest labeling, providing customers with detailed information about ingredients. This transparency builds trust and ensures consumers know exactly what they’re buying.Why It’s Important:

  • Builds Trust: Honest labeling shows that your brand has nothing to hide, which builds long-term trust with consumers.
  • Empowers Consumers: Providing clear ingredient lists allows consumers to make informed purchasing decisions based on their preferences or dietary needs.

How to Do It:

  • Ensure all product labels are clear, comprehensive, and easy to understand.
  • Highlight any natural or health-conscious ingredients that align with consumer trends.

2. Ethical Sourcing and Sustainability

Heinz is committed to ethical sourcing and sustainability, which are communicated transparently to customers. This dedication to responsible sourcing practices enhances the brand’s credibility.Why It’s Important:

  • Meets Consumer Demand for Ethics: More consumers are seeking products from companies that prioritize ethical sourcing and environmental responsibility.
  • Differentiates Your Brand: Transparency around sustainability efforts sets your brand apart in a competitive market.

How to Do It:

  • Share information about your sourcing practices and sustainability initiatives on packaging and in marketing materials.
  • Consider implementing certifications or partnerships with recognized sustainable organizations.

3. Open Communication with Consumers

Heinz regularly engages with its consumers, providing a platform for feedback and questions. This open communication fosters trust and allows Heinz to address concerns proactively.Why It’s Important:

  • Improves Customer Relationships: Open communication helps build a stronger relationship with your customer base, making them feel valued.
  • Increases Brand Loyalty: Consumers are more likely to remain loyal to a brand that listens to and addresses their concerns.

How to Do It:

  • Establish clear channels for customer feedback, whether through social media, email, or product reviews.
  • Respond to inquiries and concerns in a timely and transparent manner.

4. Transparency in Product Development

Heinz involves consumers in the product development process by sharing updates on new products and innovations. This openness fosters a sense of collaboration and trust between the brand and its customers.Why It’s Important:

  • Creates a Sense of Ownership: When consumers feel involved in the product development process, they are more likely to engage with and support new products.
  • Builds Anticipation and Trust: Sharing insights about upcoming innovations makes customers feel informed and excited about what’s next.

How to Do It:

  • Use social media or newsletters to update consumers on product innovations or upcoming launches.
  • Involve customers in the process by seeking feedback or running surveys on potential new products.

Final Thoughts

Heinz’s model for transparency has helped the brand build a loyal and trusting customer base. By focusing on clear labeling, ethical sourcing, open communication, and transparent product development, Heinz sets a standard for brands that want to create long-lasting relationships with their consumers. Adopting these principles can help your company build trust and stand out in today’s transparency-driven marketplace.

Moneyball’s Moneyball’s for a Game-Winning Call-to-Action

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Moneyball

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Aug 30, 2013

“Managers tend to pick a strategy that is the least likely to fail, rather then to pick a strategy that is most efficient,” Said Palmer. ” The pain of looking bad is worse than the gain of making the best move.”

― Michael Lewis, Moneyball : The Art of Winning an Unfair Game

Baseball statistics are boring. Plain and simple. Sure they may get some people’s attention, but statistically speaking, they are seen as a mind-numbing subject to talk about. Now maybe I say this with such conviction because I’m not an avid baseball aficionado, but what does get my attention is how Moneyball, a movie about baseball stats, proved to be so fascinating and successful (even to me!). I think it’s because the film is not really about numbers, and it’s not really a movie about baseball, either. The movie is about about what drives people to take risks and how public perception plays a role in our work. My favorite and most absorbed line of the movie is when Brad Pitt (Oakland A’s general manager) tells Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Oakland A’s Head Coach) that though his last year’s team made it to semifinals,   “If you don’t win the last game of the series, nobody gives a shit.” This really resonated with me and even dragged itself into my world of corporate presentation design and delivery. Think about what the “last game of the series” would equate to in your presentation. Three words: Call-to-Action (CTA). If your CTA isn’t strong, it will result in a meaningless presentation. Your presentation can be filled from start to finish with incredible charts, min-blowing stats, or powerful images, but if at the end of it all, you leave your audience with “and that it” then you have lost your “last game of the series” and failed at your presentation. With that, let’s look at what a successful and “last-game-of-the-series-winning” CTA consists of:

Keeping it simple

Like all successful company commercials, its gotta’ be catchy. The point of a CTA is to gather all the info and data you have already presented, and bundle it up into a “next step.” Redbull says it will “give you wings.” Coca-Cola claims you’ll “open happiness.” 15 minutes from Geico will “save you 15% or more on car insurance.” Three mogul-like businesses, one theme; simplicity. Being simple is what led these campaigns to be so incredibly successful. Applying CTA to modern times, I’ll put it in as plain language as I can think of; your CTA has to “tweetable,” “facebook-statusable,” and “textable.” Working with that goal in mind will make you be more creative and effective.

Use active and urgent language

Donate, buy, register, subscribe, call, text, order; these are all words that invoke a sense of command. These words should clearly tell your audience what you want them to do. Follow your command with the urgency. Offer ends, for a short time only, order now and receive; these invoke urgency. Urgency reels in emotion. Emotion sells.

Knowing size matters!

Make it big! Along with active and urgent language, one must make the CTA sound like earth-shattering news. It needs to be big enough that hearing it once will be memorable. A favorite example of mine is the HeadOn campaign from a few years back. It was essentially a 30 second commercial for a migraine relief chapstick-like product that said six words, “HeadOn, apply directly to the forehead.” It repeated the same six words over and over again until the 30 seconds were up. I must admit, it was pretty ridiculous and annoying, but guess what; I still remember it, and it’s been about 5 years since I’ve seen it. That says something.

Give it some space

Contrast, color, space, shape, and text; these are all characteristics of the design and layout of the text that you should thoroughly take into account. Just as the words themselves are crucial to the CTA’s success, so is the digital delivery. Make the CTA shine and impress. Think of the CTA as a star in your very own Broadway show. You want the spotlight on it at all times! Know the value of a great CTA and give it the time and effort it deserves. Soon enough, you’ll see results. I’ll end with my favorite scene from Moneyball, where you can enjoy here. Work Cited: http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/416305-moneyball-the-art-of-winning-an-unfair-game

Our Five Favorite Books on Presenting with PowerPoint

Al Gore

Bruce Gabriel

Carmine Gallo

Cliff Atkinson

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Nancy Duarte

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Presentation Zen

Steve Jobs

Aug 29, 2013

When it comes to improving your PowerPoint presentation skills, nothing beats learning from the experts. There are countless books available that offer valuable insights on creating impactful presentations, but a few stand out as must-reads. Here are our five favorite books on presenting with PowerPoint that will help you elevate your presentation game.

1. “Presentation Zen” by Garr Reynolds

Garr Reynolds’ “Presentation Zen” is a classic for a reason. It focuses on simplifying slide design and using visuals to enhance your message, rather than overwhelming the audience with text.Why It’s a Favorite:

  • Focuses on Minimalism: Reynolds advocates for clean, uncluttered slides that keep the focus on the presenter.
  • Promotes Visual Storytelling: The book emphasizes the importance of visuals in conveying your message.

Key Takeaway: Less is more. Create slides that support your narrative without distracting from it.

2. “Slide

” by Nancy Duarte

Nancy Duarte’s “Slide

” dives deep into the art of visual thinking and design. Duarte offers practical advice on how to make your slides visually compelling while staying true to your core message.Why It’s a Favorite:

  • Design-Centric: The book offers a masterclass in slide design, with real-world examples and tips.
  • Visual Thinking: Duarte teaches how to use design to communicate ideas more effectively.

Key Takeaway: Good design isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about communicating your ideas clearly and effectively.

3. “The Naked Presenter” by Garr Reynolds

Another gem from Garr Reynolds, “The Naked Presenter” focuses on the art of live presentation delivery. It covers how to connect with your audience and engage them through storytelling and authenticity.Why It’s a Favorite:

  • Focuses on Delivery: This book goes beyond slide design and delves into how to effectively deliver a presentation.
  • Encourages Authenticity: Reynolds emphasizes the importance of being genuine and open when presenting.

Key Takeaway: Engaging your audience requires more than good slides—it’s about connecting with them on a personal level.

4. “Resonate” by Nancy Duarte

“Resonate” is all about the power of storytelling in presentations. Duarte breaks down how to craft a narrative that captivates your audience and drives home your key points.Why It’s a Favorite:

  • Narrative Focused: The book teaches how to structure your presentation like a compelling story.
  • Emotional Connection: Duarte explains how to use emotional appeal to connect with your audience.

Key Takeaway: A strong narrative is the foundation of a memorable presentation.

5. “Beyond Bullet Points” by Cliff Atkinson

In “Beyond Bullet Points,” Cliff Atkinson offers a practical framework for creating presentations that go beyond the typical bullet-point format. The book introduces a three-step method to help structure your presentation effectively.Why It’s a Favorite:

  • Actionable Framework: Atkinson provides a clear, step-by-step approach to creating more engaging presentations.
  • Breaks the Mold: The book encourages presenters to move away from the conventional bullet-point format.

Key Takeaway: Presentations should tell a story, not just list information. Structure your content to guide the audience through a narrative.

Final Thoughts

These five books offer invaluable insights into both the design and delivery of PowerPoint presentations. Whether you’re looking to improve your slide design, craft a compelling narrative, or connect more effectively with your audience, these books will provide the tools you need to succeed. Incorporate their lessons into your next presentation, and watch your PowerPoint skills soar.

Public Speaking Lessons to Take Away from “The King’s Speech”

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Colin Firth

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Fear of Public Speaking

Lionel Logue

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Presentations

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The King's Speech

Aug 06, 2013

Released to huge acclaim from audiences and critics in 2011, The King’s Speech details King George VI’s struggle to overcome his stammer and fear of public speaking, and his relationship with his unconventional speech therapist Lionel Logue.While it’s a very captivating movie, it also has a lot of practical application as a guide to public speaking, and there are many lessons to learn from the challenges King George VI overcame during his journey in becoming an effective public speaker.

Confidence is Key

The primary struggle of The King’s Speech is King George VI’s struggle to learn to trust his voice. Throughout the film, he learned to become comfortable in his own skin and accept his faults, which translated to overcoming his stutter.Confidence is imperative to giving an effective presentation, especially during an investor or interview presentation where instilling confidence in one’s audience is a must. It’s difficult to fake sincere confidence, which emanates throughout your presentation in a variety of ways, but if you can’t find confidence in your ability to speak in public, a good substitute is to reassure yourself with confidence for what you’re presenting.During the film, a primary reason “Bertie” developed his stammer and fear of public speaking was because he got caught in a cycle of negative reinforcement, where previous public speaking failures caused him to lose confidence in himself, and resulted in him continuing to give poor speeches because of it. After a bad presentation, it’s important to learn from your mistakes, then forget about the bad performance and move forward.

Realize There is Room for Improvement

Chances are you’re not the greatest presenter or public speaker on the planet. There is always room for improvement. However, for those who struggle with public speaking, the greater challenge isn’t realizing you have a problem, but openly addressing it.Whether you seek to improve your public speaking privately, with a college course or elsewhere, the most important factor is that you are addressing the fact that public speaking is a challenge for you. Running and hiding from it will do nothing but make the problem worse.One of my favorite moments in The King’s Speech was the conversation between “Bertie” and his speech therapist when he admitted he needed help:”Lionel Logue: What was your earliest memory?King George VI: I’m not… -here to discuss… -personal matters.Lionel Logue: Why are you here then?King George VI: Because I bloody well stammer!”

Practice

Every great presenter, especially those whose skill appears to be effortless and relaxed, became great through practice and repetition.In Malcolm Gladwell’s popular book, “Outliers,” he presents the “10-hour rule” as the reason for success behind Bill Gates’ wealth and business success and the enormous popularity of the Beatles. He theorizes that these two entities had approximately 10,000 hours of exposure to their craft, which is what made them become so legendary.Practice and experience produces success. Great presentations aren’t improvised. If you want to “wow” an audience, you have to put in the work.Rehearse your presentation until it’s ingrained in your memory–to the point of monotony. Orchestrate your talking points with your visual aid.

Check out ‘The King’s Speech’ if you haven’t seen it yet. It’s a captivating film where you can find lessons ingrained within the challenges overcome by this tongue-tied monarch.