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August 14, 2009

Sometimes Less is More… Like in a PowerPoint Presentation

Filed under: Positioning, Presentation — karen @ 11:12 am
I recently attended a life science industry event. The keynote speaker began at 8am. I had a cup of coffee in hand and was ready to be educated. 45 minutes later and 189 power point slides later I had been teased with a volume of information that I couldn’t possibly have absorbed. I am not exaggerating…. literally 189 slides. I kept watching slides of impressive graphs and statistics fly by at lightening speed (averaging 15 seconds per slide) and thinking to myself, “wait, go back, I couldn’t see what that said!” 189 slides is about 150 slides too many.
PowerPoint presentations are tools to guide a discussion; they are not standalone pieces that tell a story on their own. The most engaging presenters are those that draw you in, that make you feel as though you are a part of the conversation and not a bored student sitting in the back of the classroom listening to the famous Charlie Brown teacher voice drone on (mwahh mwaaa mwaah mwahh mwaaa mwaaa).
Use slides to remind you of key points you wish to discuss and to guide you, not substitute for you. Your listeners will appreciate it and you will be perceived as far more knowledgeable and engaged. When creating a PowerPoint, whether for a client or our own new business presentations, I always try to ask myself, “if the attendees at this meeting read this document on their own, would they know everything I am aiming to share with them?” If the answer yes, then the slides are too detailed and need to be scaled back. Attendees need to consciously or subconsciously assign some value to your physical presence at a presentation in order to feel their time was well spent. If they could have received it all in an email an opportunity to really connect was lost.

I recently attended a life science industry event. The keynote speaker began at 8am. I had a cup of coffee in hand and was ready to be educated. 45 minutes later and 189 power point slides later I had been teased with a volume of information that I couldn’t possibly have absorbed. I am not exaggerating…. literally 189 slides. I kept watching slides of impressive graphs and statistics fly by at lightening speed (averaging 15 seconds per slide) and thinking to myself, “wait, go back, I couldn’t see what that said!” 189 slides is about 150 slides too many.

PowerPoint presentations are tools to guide a discussion; they are not standalone pieces that tell a story on their own. The most engaging presenters are those that draw you in, that make you feel as though you are a part of the conversation and not a bored student sitting in the back of the classroom listening to the famous Charlie Brown teacher voice drone on (mwahh mwaaa mwaah mwahh mwaaa mwaaa).

Use slides to remind you of key points you wish to discuss and to guide you, not substitute for you. Your listeners will appreciate it and you will be perceived as far more knowledgeable and engaged. When creating a PowerPoint, whether for a client or our own new business presentations, I always try to ask myself, “if the attendees at this meeting read this document on their own, would they know everything I am aiming to share with them?” If the answer yes, then the slides are too detailed and need to be scaled back. Attendees need to consciously or subconsciously assign some value to your physical presence at a presentation in order to feel their time was well spent. If they could have received it all in an email an opportunity to really connect was lost.

July 15, 2009

Video Dollars

Filed under: Design, Marketing, Presentation — leasa @ 9:44 am

To get the most from your video dollars, here are my top three time & cost saving tips.

1. The key to a smart, dynamic video ~ the message. What do you want the video to convey and why? Often clients get so caught up with the imagery and showing off their company that the main message gets lost. Create a document in the planning stages to solidify your objectives, key messages, target audience, and shot list (what needs to be visually captured) before you do anything else. This will be the foundation for your video project and will save you time & heartache later.

2. The script. Never rush the script; it is worth spending extra time on getting it right. The best scripts are precise and crisp and revolve around your main message. The faster you can get your message across, the better the video.

3. Once the script is approved you can begin shooting. When shooting the video, know your culture. While watching the video, the viewer will be left with an impression of what type of business you are and what to expect when doing business with you. Make sure the quality of production reflects the quality of your product &/or service.

Creating a video can be a daunting prospect, but if you keep these three things in mind you will love the end result.

To get the most from your video dollars, here are my top three time & cost saving tips.
1.) The key to a smart, dynamic video ~ the message. What do you want the video to convey and why? Often clients get so caught up with the imagery and showing off their company that the main message gets lost. Create a document in the planning stages to solidify your objectives, key messages, target audience, and shot list (what needs to be visually captured) before you do anything else. This will be the foundation for your video project and will save you time & heartache later.
2.) The script. Never rush the script; it is worth spending extra time on getting it right. The best scripts are precise and crisp and revolve around your main message. The faster you can get your message across, the better the video.
3.) Once the script is approved you can begin shooting. When shooting the video, know your culture. While watching the video, the viewer will be left with an impression of what type of business you are and what to expect when doing business with you. Make sure the quality of production reflects the quality of your product &/or service.
Creating a video can be a daunting prospect, but if you keep these three things in mind you will love the