9 Ways to Perfect Your Next Presentation

William Shakespeare was a genius. He didn’t have much in the way of formal education. He just picked up a pen and, with sheer raw talent, wrote better than any other human being had in history.

That’s extraordinarily rare. Unless you’re a genius, unlike you’re Shakespeare, most of us need some sort of education. This is how we learn in life.

Sadly, when it comes to the most common tool in corporate communication — Microsoft PowerPoint — none of us has had any education, any training, any professional development.

If you’re like me, you likely opened up the program one late night in college, cobbled together a deck, and have been learning on the job ever since. You’re self-taught, learning by trial and error.

I’d like to help you change that.

To this end, we’ll walk through the key principles of phenomenal PowerPoint presentations, supported by dos and don’ts and illustrated with examples.

Transcript

1. 9 WAYS THAT NEUROSCIENTISTS CAN PERFECT THEIR NEXT PRESENTATION FOR SfN January 2022
2. EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT POWERPOINT IS WRONG
4. Why PowerPoint Matters PowerPoint’s Reputation The Purpose of Slides Design Visuals Animations Status Slides A Theme Master Slides
5. Your Conclusion Your Last Slide
6. THE BIG PICTURE WHY POWER- POINT MATTERS
7. “Presentations have become the de facto tool of business communication. Companies are started, products are launched, climate systems are saved — based on the quality of your pitch deck.” —NANCY DUARTE
8. Keynote Google Slides Prezi
9. THE PROBLEM POWERPOINT’S REPUTATION
10. Here are the top three reasons why people hate PowerPoint.
11. Here are the top three reasons why people hate PowerPoint. Speakers read their slides. The slides are dense. Readability is an afterthought.
13. “PowerPoint was developed by engineers as a tool to help them communicate with the marketing department — and vice versa. The programmers behind Power- Point saw it as a clever hack — a way to save time and money, instead of creating slides the right way.” —SETH GODIN Origin Story
14. “Think about what happens when you open PowerPoint. A slide appears that contains space for words — a title and subtitle. Now think about the first thing you see in the dropdown menu under ‘Format.’ It’s ‘Bullets & Numbering.’ The software itself forces you to create a template that represents the exact opposite of what you need.” —CARMINE GALLO For Exam ple
15. “Think about what happens when you open PowerPoint. A slide appears that contains space for words — a title and subtitle. Now think about the first thing you see in the dropdown menu under ‘Format.’ It’s ‘Bullets & Numbering.’ The software itself forces you to create a template that represents the exact opposite of what you need.” —CARMINE GALLO For Exam ple
16. POWERPOINT 101
17. WAY #1 THE PURPOSE OF SLIDES
20. Traditional Tina I use my slides as notes, clues, or prompts.
21. “The slides are for the audience, not the speaker. The purpose of projecting a slide on the wall is to provide a visual representation of the topics being spoken of. The slides should reinforce, not repeat, the words of the speaker.” —ROBERT FROST Long Explanation
22. “Your deck is your sidekick, not your Teleprompter.” —AMANDA HOLT Short Explanation
23. Traditional Tina If someone can basically learn everything she needs to by reading my slides, then there’s no reason for her to hear me in person. Savvy Susan Exactly! A slideshow should be presented, not recited; delivered, not read.
24. WAY #2 DESIGN
25. CONTENT
26. DESIGN
27. “How your work looks can be as important as what it says.” —JONATHAN RICK
28. Visuals Text
30. ADP Has an Enormous Opportunity for Improvement § ADP's Employer Services business is underperforming its potential § ADP can significantly improve its performance and competitive position with improved operational efficiency and greater technology leadership o Employer Services, currently earning a -19% operating margin, should achieve 35% or greater margins o Employer Services' growth can increase to -7%+ § Achieving ADP's structural potential will drive enormous shareholder value o The long-term health of ADP will be driven by an improved and superior culture, employee engagement, innovation, and operational efficiency § ADP's transformation can be accomplished without undue risk § The transformations of Solera (f.k.a. Claims Services) and CDK (f.k.a. Dealer Services), previously owned by ADP, provide a roadmap
31. ADP Has an Enormous Opportunity for Improvement § Employer Services is underperforming. § Operational efficiency and greater technology leadership can improve its performance. § Achieving structural potential will drive enormous shareholder value. § No undue risk. § Solera provides a roadmap. Step #1
32. ADP Has an Enormous Opportunity § Employer Services is underperforming. § Operational efficiency and greater technology leadership can improve its performance. § Achieving structural potential will drive enormous shareholder value. § No undue risk. § Solera provides a roadmap. Step #2
33. ADP Has an Enormous Opportunity § Employer Services is underperforming. § Operational efficiency and greater technology leadership can improve its performance. § Achieving structural potential will drive enormous shareholder value. § No undue risk. § Solera provides a roadmap. Step #3
34. ADP Has an Enormous Opportunity § Employer Services is underperforming. § Operational efficiency and greater technology leadership can improve its performance. § Achieving structural potential will drive enormous shareholder value. § No undue risk. § Solera provides a roadmap. Step #4
35. ADP Has an Enormous Opportunity ► Employer Services is underperforming. ► Operational efficiency and greater technology leadership can improve its performance. ► Achieving structural potential will drive enormous shareholder value. ► No undue risk. ► Solera provides a roadmap. Step #5
36. ADP Has an Enormous Opportunity ► Employer Services is underperforming. ► Operational efficiency and greater technology leadership can improve its performance. ► Achieving structural potential will drive enormous shareholder value. ► No undue risk. ► Solera provides a roadmap. Step #6
37. ADP Has an Enormous Opportunity ► Employer Services is underperforming. ► Operational efficiency and greater technology leadership can improve its performance. ► Achieving structural potential will drive enormous shareholder value. ► No undue risk. ► Solera provides a roadmap. Step #7
39. WAY #2 Bullet Points DESIGN
41. ADP Has an Enormous Opportunity for Improvement § ADP's Employer Services business is underperforming its potential § ADP can significantly improve its performance and competitive position with improved operational efficiency and greater technology leadership o Employer Services, currently earning a -19% operating margin, should achieve 35% or greater margins o Employer Services' growth can increase to -7%+ § Achieving ADP's structural potential will drive enormous shareholder value o The long-term health of ADP will be driven by an improved and superior culture, employee engagement, innovation, and operational efficiency § ADP's transformation can be accomplished without undue risk § The transformations of Solera (f.k.a. Claims Services) and CDK (f.k.a. Dealer Services), previously owned by ADP, provide a roadmap
44. 1 That’s how many ideas you should limit every slide to.
49. WAY #2 Questions DESIGN
50. What if my content is complex?
51. “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” —ALBERT EINSTEIN
52. How many slides should I have?
53. Traditional Tina If I need to limit each slide to one idea, then I’ll need 30 slides for a 10-minute talk! Savvy Susan Exactly!
54. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut The Picture-Superiority Effect
55. Words Pictures Number Quotation Person Company
56. Remember me?
57. WAY #2 Typefaces DESIGN
58. Traditional Tina Arial Calibri Times New Roman Savvy Susan Brawler GOTHAM burst my bubble
59. Google Fonts
60. Never Make People Squint
61. This Is a Headline in Size 60 This Is a Headline in Size 40 This Is a Headline in Size 20
62. This Is What Line Spacing Looks Like at 60 Points This Is What Line Spacing Looks Like at 55 Points This Is What Line Spacing Looks Like at 46 Points
63. WAY #2 Leave Behinds DESIGN
64. Surprise
65. White Paper Op-Ed Bullet Points
66. Note Taking
67. “The imperfect recordings of the pencil- pusher reflect and excite a process of integration, creating more textured and effective modes of recall.” —DAN ROCKMORE
68. When should I use Word, and when should I PowerPoint?
69. WAY #3 VISUALS
70. The use of visuals is not about making things look pretty.
71. The use of visuals is not about making things look pretty. It’s about directing attention.
72. Words + Pics 65% Words 10%
73. “I spent 15 years as a television news anchor. A news producer would never consider building a 30-minute newscast with no graphics over the anchor’s shoulder. Viewers don’t want to see a talking head for that long. It’s boring, no matter how well a person is trained in vocal delivery. Why, then, would I consider giving a 30-minute talk without any visuals?” —CARMINE GALLO
74. Acknowledgements • Elise Weerts, JHU • Claire Fraser, UMD • Leandro Vendruscolo, NIH/NIDA • Xiaobai Li, NIH/CC • Silvia Beurmann, UMD • Carlotta Vizioli, NIH/NIAAA • Victor Ruiz-Rodado, NIH/NCI • Paule Joseph, NIH/NIAAA
75. Elise Weerts JHU Claire Fraser UMD Leandro Vendruscolo NIH Carlotta Vizioli NIH Silvia Beurmann UMD Paule Joseph NIH Victor Ruiz-Rodado NIH Xiaobai Li NIH
76. Chief Lorenzo Leggio Staff Clinician Mary Lee Program Manager Lisa Farinelli Postdoc Fellow Monika Faulkner Staff Scientist: Mehdi Farokhnia Postbac IRTA Fellows: Kelly Abshire Jillian Battista Brittney Browning Vicky Chuong Adriana Gregory-Flores Pallavi Mannava Navan Shah Abigail Smith Research Assistant Sara Deschaine Researcher Jeanelle Portelli Program Specialist Ann Andrus
77. My 3 Favorite Swimmers 1. Michael Phelps 2. Caeleb Dressel 3. Ryan Lochte Version #1
78. Version #2
79. Phelps Dressel Lochte Version #3
80. Writers Agonize over the perfect word. Designers Agonize over the perfect picture.
82. B.B.B.
83. B.B.B. Big Bold Beautiful
84. B.B.B. Big Bold Beautiful
85. B.B.B. Big Bold Beautiful
86. Teamwork
87. 1. Clichéd
88. 1. Clichéd 2. Ubiquitous
92. Are Your Customers Finding You Online?
93. Are Your Customers Finding You Online? Without Good S.E.O., You’re Nowhere.
94. Literal Conceptual Are Your Customers Finding You Online? Without Good S.E.O., You’re Nowhere.
95. Edit Master text styles
96. I did it by accident. I resized the picture. I credit the photographer. My slides aren’t commercial. I used the image a decade ago. It’s a logo.
97. I did it by accident. I resized the picture. I credit the photographer. My slides aren’t commercial. I used the image a decade ago. It’s a logo.
98. I did it by accident. I resized the picture. I credit the photographer. My slides aren’t commercial. I used the image a decade ago. It’s a logo.
99. I did it by accident. I resized the picture. I credit the photographer. My slides aren’t commercial. I used the image a decade ago. It’s a logo.
100. I did it by accident. I resized the picture. I credit the photographer. My slides aren’t commercial. I used the image a decade ago. It’s a logo.
101. I did it by accident. I resized the picture. I credit the photographer. My slides aren’t commercial. I used the image a decade ago. It’s a logo.
102. I did it by accident. I resized the picture. I credit the photographer. My slides aren’t commercial. I used the image a decade ago. It’s a logo.
103. I did it by accident. I resized the picture. I credit the photographer. My slides aren’t commercial. I used the image a decade ago. It’s a logo.
104. I did it by accident. I resized the picture. I credit the photographer. My slides aren’t commercial. I used the image a decade ago. It’s a logo.
105. I did it by accident. I resized the picture. I credit the photographer. My slides aren’t commercial. I used the image a decade ago. It’s a logo.
106. 14 YEARS LATER
107. $150K
109. Free Free Paid Paid
111. Long-Term Goals Energy Security Hard-to-Abate Sectors
112. Long-Term Goals Energy Security Hard-to-Abate Sectors
113. PowerPoint TheNounProject.com FreeIcons.io Emoji
114. Let’s Recap The problem with Power- Point isn’t PowerPoint. The problem is… 1/4
115. Let’s Recap Should your slides, on their own, be com- pletely comprehensible? 2/4
116. Let’s Recap What is a “slideument”? 3/4
117. Let’s Recap How long should it take someone to grasp one of your slides? 3/4
118. Let’s Recap What design element is banned at TED Talks? 3/4
119. Let’s Recap Your visuals should be “B.B.B.” What does that mean? 4/4
120. Let’s Recap The best images aren’t literal. They’re __________. 4/4
121. Let’s Recap Name one website you can use instead of Google Images. 4/4
122. POWERPOINT 201
123. WAY #4 ANIMATIONS
124. People can read your slides, or they can listen to you.
125. People can read your slides, or they can listen to you. But they can’t do both at the same time.
126. Michael Phelps Caeleb Dressel Ryan Lochte
127. Michael Phelps
128. Michael Phelps Caeleb Dressel
129. Michael Phelps Caeleb Dressel Ryan Lochte
130. Phelps Dressel Lochte
131. Phelps
132. Phelps Dressel
133. Phelps Dressel Lochte
134. Michael Phelps
135. WAY #4 Fading ANIMATIONS
136. Michael Phelps
137. Michael Phelps Caeleb Dressel
138. Michael Phelps Caeleb Dressel
139. Michael Phelps Caeleb Dressel Ryan Lochte
140. Phelps
141. Phelps
142. Dressel Phelps
143. Dressel Phelps
144. Dressel Lochte Phelps
145. People can read your slides, or they can listen to you.
146. People can read your slides, or they can listen to you. But they can’t do both at the same time.
147. WAY #5 STATUS SLIDES
148. WAY #5 Agenda Slide STATUS SLIDES
151. Why is an agenda slide important?
152. Expectations
153. WAY #5 Chapter Slides STATUS SLIDES
154. Why is a chapter slide important?
155. Change Progress
156. Tem plate #1
157. Tem plate #2
158. Tem plate #3
159. POWERPOINT 301
160. WAY #6 MASTER SLIDES
162. WAY #7 A THEME
163. Pop Culture Elon Musk The West Wing Politics
164. WAY #8 YOUR CONCLUSION
165. Recap Takeaway Quote Pic
166. WAY #9 YOUR LAST SLIDE
167. Thank You
168. We’d Love to Work With You! hi@jonathanrick.com (202) 596-1882 jonathanrick.com @jrick slideshare.net/jrick
169. @jrick jonathanrick.com/ newsletter hi@ jonathanrick.com
170. Let’s Recap Why should you show only one thing at a time? 1/6
171. Let’s Recap Why are status slides important? 2/6
172. Let’s Recap Why use master slides? 3/6
173. Let’s Recap Why use a theme? 4/6
174. Let’s Recap Name one way to conclude rather than end your presentation. 5/6
175. Let’s Recap Which format for your last slide do you like best? 6/6
176. I’d love to speak with your team! I offer workshops on a variety of topics: JonathanRickPresentations.com