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5 “Weird Tricks” for making better presentations Overriding principles
Trick #1: Pyramid principleTrick #2: Remind them where you’re goingTrick #3: 1 idea per pageTrick #4: Break up your textTrick #5: Hide the detail
Bonus trick: Don’t be afraid to start with paperIcons by Freepik© Rob Atkinson
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© Rob Atkinson
Always do these three things!
• Know your audience
• Know what type of presentation it’s going to be
• Keep it simple
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© Rob Atkinson
5 “Weird Tricks” for making better presentations Overriding principles
Trick #1: Pyramid principleTrick #2: Remind them where you’re goingTrick #3: 1 idea per pageTrick #4: Break up your textTrick #5: Hide the detail
Bonus trick: Don’t be afraid to start with paper
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© Rob Atkinson
#1: Pyramid Principle: lead with your most important conclusion
Most important idea
Main points Main pointsMain points
Process / Supporting
detail
Process / Supporting
detail
Process / Supporting
detail
Process / Supporting
detail
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© Rob Atkinson
Don’t confuse process with structure
• This flow approximates how you come up with a presentation’s content
• Past process is usually not very interesting to your audience
Process followed; facts
discovered
Main points emerge
Conclusion / recommendatio
n reached
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© Rob Atkinson
5 “Weird Tricks” for making better presentations Overriding principles
Trick #1: Pyramid principleTrick #2: Remind them where you’re goingTrick #3: 1 idea per pageTrick #4: Break up your textTrick #5: Hide the detail
Bonus trick: Don’t be afraid to start with paper
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© Rob Atkinson
#2: Remind them where you’re going (and where you’ve been)
• Situate each point within the larger presentation context
• Employ repetition to reinforce points and frameworks
• Preview future points for later in the presentation
Trackers and agenda pages are helpful tools
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© Rob Atkinson
5 “Weird Tricks” for making better presentations Overriding principles
Trick #1: Pyramid principleTrick #2: Remind them where you’re goingTrick #3: 1 idea per pageTrick #4: Break up your textTrick #5: Hide the detail
Bonus trick: Don’t be afraid to start with paper
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© Rob Atkinson
#3: Each idea should have it’s own page
3 main benefits:
Your audience is much more likely to get the key message
Supporting information is cleanly matched with the point it supports
You are forced to consider whether a point or supporting information is really necessary
If a point isn’t important enough for it’s own page, it
may not be important enough
to make at all
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© Rob Atkinson
5 “Weird Tricks” for making better presentations Overriding principles
Trick #1: Pyramid principleTrick #2: Remind them where you’re goingTrick #3: 1 idea per pageTrick #4: Break up your textTrick #5: Hide the detail
Bonus trick: Don’t be afraid to start with paper
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© Rob Atkinson
#4: Graphics or structured text is better than (boring) bullet lists
Visual metaphor
Conceptual framing
• Group similar ideas together graphically
• (Vertical boxes on this page are an example)
Flows show a process
Visual interest
• Varying your page layout will make your pages more interesting
• Pages that vary are easier to rememberTemples show
overall conceptual architecture
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© Rob Atkinson
5 “Weird Tricks” for making better presentations Overriding principles
Trick #1: Pyramid principleTrick #2: Remind them where you’re goingTrick #3: 1 idea per pageTrick #4: Break up your textTrick #5: Hide the detail
Bonus trick: Don’t be afraid to start with paper
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© Rob Atkinson
#5: If you need more detail, use a pre-read or an appendix
Pre-read• A more detailed version of
the presentation sent out before
• Ask that people review it before the meeting
• Helps reserve the meeting for actual discussion
• Particularly effective with smaller, highly engaged groups
Appendix• Series of slides in the back
of the actual presentation• Useful during Q&A• Put all the interesting but
not directly relevant information back here
Detail can build credibility, but don’t lose your audience trying to slog through it if they’re not interested
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© Rob Atkinson
5 “Weird Tricks” for making better presentations Overriding principles
Trick #1: Pyramid principleTrick #2: Remind them where you’re goingTrick #3: 1 idea per pageTrick #4: Break up your textTrick #5: Hide the detail
Bonus trick: Don’t be afraid to start with paper
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© Rob Atkinson
Bonus: Start on paper before going to PowerPoint
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© Rob Atkinson
Appendix
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© Rob Atkinson
If I had a lot of detail behind my process, I could keep it back here in case anyone asked
(This isn’t really that kind of presentation)