Comments on: Powerpoint awfulness http://freebeer.com.au/2005/12/11/powerpoint-awfulness/ Business development, marketing advice, virtual worlds, social software, second life Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:22:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Lee http://freebeer.com.au/2005/12/11/powerpoint-awfulness/#comment-365 Lee Tue, 02 May 2006 00:20:50 +0000 http://freebeer.com.au/2005/12/11/powerpoint-awfulness/#comment-365 Your points are noted bret, but a professional presentation designer & trainer, I believe you make the mistake of looking at the veneer & ignoring the strength of the support that goes behind that. One of th best presenters I have seen did a 3 day presentation using overheads on how to read a P&L and Balance Sheet. I saw him keep 40 people who hadnt graduated from high school enthralled on the most boring of subjects for this period. Why? Firstly, he lead the audience through a structure that they could follow & built upon itself. Secondly, the content was relevant to their interests & tailored that way, thirdly, he was a well rehearsed, practised presenter who put himself into the presentation and was more committed to the audience getting his message than trying to look cool. He was humorous yet sublime in the process. As for his "slides"...they were crap, they were types overheads. Put the other things in place before worrying about the slides. If they are done right, you wont even notice the slides. Your points are noted bret, but a professional presentation designer & trainer, I believe you make the mistake of looking at the veneer & ignoring the strength of the support that goes behind that. One of th best presenters I have seen did a 3 day presentation using overheads on how to read a P&L and Balance Sheet. I saw him keep 40 people who hadnt graduated from high school enthralled on the most boring of subjects for this period.

Why? Firstly, he lead the audience through a structure that they could follow & built upon itself. Secondly, the content was relevant to their interests & tailored that way, thirdly, he was a well rehearsed, practised presenter who put himself into the presentation and was more committed to the audience getting his message than trying to look cool. He was humorous yet sublime in the process.

As for his “slides”…they were crap, they were types overheads.

Put the other things in place before worrying about the slides. If they are done right, you wont even notice the slides.

]]> By: andrew http://freebeer.com.au/2005/12/11/powerpoint-awfulness/#comment-104 andrew Wed, 04 Jan 2006 07:11:26 +0000 http://freebeer.com.au/2005/12/11/powerpoint-awfulness/#comment-104 I'm not sure about shortening the presentation. If someone has been invited to speak, and has come from perhaps overseas, in the case of a conference, then I don't know how you can reasonably ask them to shorten a prepared and rehearsed presentation. Not going overtime is one thing, but if you have prepared a talk that sticks to the agreed time, my advice is to just ignore any requests to shorten. (say yes, but don't do it) It's just rude. If they can't get their shit together in time, then that's their problem. Especially if you are an inexperienced public speaker, a request to shorten your presentation just before you go on can really throw you. I’m not sure about shortening the presentation. If someone has been invited to speak, and has come from perhaps overseas, in the case of a conference, then I don’t know how you can reasonably ask them to shorten a prepared and rehearsed presentation. Not going overtime is one thing, but if you have prepared a talk that sticks to the agreed time, my advice is to just ignore any requests to shorten. (say yes, but don’t do it) It’s just rude. If they can’t get their shit together in time, then that’s their problem. Especially if you are an inexperienced public speaker, a request to shorten your presentation just before you go on can really throw you.

]]> By: Administrator http://freebeer.com.au/2005/12/11/powerpoint-awfulness/#comment-101 Administrator Thu, 15 Dec 2005 05:11:13 +0000 http://freebeer.com.au/2005/12/11/powerpoint-awfulness/#comment-101 Unimaginative management don't understand that a progressive and stylish presentation reflects well on the speaker and therefore on the company. Multiple presentations with the same template makes you look like a drone. Who wants to do business with a drone? I'd rather deal with the progressive thinkers. Unimaginative management don’t understand that a progressive and stylish presentation reflects well on the speaker and therefore on the company. Multiple presentations with the same template makes you look like a drone. Who wants to do business with a drone? I’d rather deal with the progressive thinkers.

]]> By: Andrew http://freebeer.com.au/2005/12/11/powerpoint-awfulness/#comment-99 Andrew Sun, 11 Dec 2005 06:13:26 +0000 http://freebeer.com.au/2005/12/11/powerpoint-awfulness/#comment-99 I'm with you on this comment, particularly your key DON'Ts. I've developed a presentation recently based around Cliff Atkinson's method of Powerpoint development. It was a really effective way to do it, but my management FREAKED OUT when I didn't use the 'corporate template' (featuring the logo on every slide) and that I used pictures and very little text. I really rocked the boat on that one. I’m with you on this comment, particularly your key DON’Ts. I’ve developed a presentation recently based around Cliff Atkinson’s method of Powerpoint development. It was a really effective way to do it, but my management FREAKED OUT when I didn’t use the ‘corporate template’ (featuring the logo on every slide) and that I used pictures and very little text. I really rocked the boat on that one.

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