Slides that DON'T aid - Common Speaker Mistake Part 3
More and more, slides are becoming an audience expectation. And while you can still deliver a powerful and compelling presentation without using PowerPoint, Prezi or Keynote, odds are you will be spending some time in these software programs designing visual aids for your next talk – if only because your audience expects it.
It will, therefore, come as little surprise to you that a very common audience pet peeve I have heard over and over is having to endure a presentation with poorly designed slides. Or as it is commonly known, death by PowerPoint.This is the third in a series of posts on common speaker mistakes identified from an audience poll.
You can read the first article here, and the second one here.
This post is dedicated to helping you understand what I have termed SlideAbuse – what it is, how it hurts your presentation and what to do instead. Let us begin.
What is SlideAbuse?
SlideAbuse is an expression I coined to describe incorrect or disruptive use of slides in a presentation and is easily one of the most common presentation offences. Let us talk about some slide malpractice manifestations and how they hamper your success as a presenter as well as some tips on how to overcome them.
1. Using excessive text on your slides
We can read thank you very much. We didn’t need to come here just to sit and read your slides. Send them to us and we’ll read them on our own time
- Voice of the audience
Having too much text on your slides invites the audience to ignore you and read the slides. And depending on how dense with text the slides are, it can exhaust the audience mentally. Here's why - reading is a very demanding cognitive exercise.
Did you know that the brain treats each individual letter as a distinct image when processing words and sentences? Maybe that's why the old saying goes "a picture is worth a thousand words".
In spite of this fact, I continue to see presenters slap their slides (and audiences) in the face with whole paragraphs at a time. Just Imagine what this is doing to the audience’s focus and mental energy. Not to mention their mood. There is a better way.
What to do – In short, keep it short
As far as text goes on slides, keep it short. A few big, bold lines per slide is enough. Better still, just use a simple image that captures the idea succinctly (more on images as we contemplate the next error in using slides).
An example of a simple but effective slide – I use this when discussing distractions in my productivity seminars.
The common rule of thumb is 7-9 words or less. This is because most audiences can take in a 7-word phrase or sentence in one glance so that they can quickly get back to focusing on what you have to say. That is why they came after all – for you – not to read a bunch of words on a screen. They can do that at their desks.
2. Using complex images on your slides
In the previous point, I mentioned the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words". Does that mean that ten pictures juxtaposed or superimposed are worth ten thousand words?Short answer - no.Using a complex visual image such as a complicated flowchart shown in one blow can be overwhelming, even for a technical audience.Also, using a picture that is too “busy” can distract. Again, it takes the attention away from you and your information or message and puts a large cognitive load on your audience’s brains.
What to do - Simplify
Use clear and simple pictures that illustrate your points succinctly. This works, in part, for the same reason as using fewer words does – it is easier to process and therefore easier to digest. In fact, as far back as 1976, research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory showed how information conveyed through the combination of simple images with short, concise text is far more likely to be remembered.Make this your "sistem"
Simple Images and Simple Text Enhance Memory (SISTEM)
A good laugh?
If all that came before doesn't convince you, maybe a good laugh will. No, I am not saying that you rolling on the stage-floor in laughter is the way to make your message more memorable (though it might, who knows). What I am saying is that the right picture used the right way can be an effective way of injecting humour. And by using a funny picture that is appropriate and captures your point, you achieve more - your audience laughs making them (and you) more comfortable and more likely to entertain and remember the point you are making.
I wrote a whole article about that and you can read it here. I have also created a resource guide of online tools and sites I personally use to design clean and effective visuals for my presentations and SlideShare documents often in less than 30 minutes. All of these are easy, intuitive and free of charge. You will find tonnes of free pictures, charts and even ready-made templates to enhance your slides and you don’t require any technical know-how. If you can use PowerPoint and email, you can definitely use these. Download the free resource guide in pdf format here.
Now, while simple, standalone graphics will work most of the time, you may find sometimes you need to show a process using visuals. So let's briefly address this.
How to make Process flows flow
If you must illustrate a process, design the slides in a way that presents only one component or idea at a time giving your audience time to absorb the information and to stop the steam jetting out of their ears. Zoom features on presentation software can help you achieve this and can add a sweet touch of professionalism to your presentation.
I think you agree with me that this is a bit much to put up as a slide.
If you will not need to explain the chart or process step-by-step, then just skip it or offer to provide the flowchart as a supplement document after the presentation. This way, your audience know they will have time to examine it later allowing them to focus on your presentation.
In the meantime, let us look at the next form of SlideAbuse
3. Using slides as notes
If I wanted someone to read to me, I’d ask my mom for a bedtime story
- Voice of the audience
This one seems to really get on people’s nerves. Perhaps you have witnessed someone do this. Or perhaps you have done it at one point or the other. You stood there with your back or side to the audience and clicked through your “presentation” simply reading text off your slides and occasionally glancing in the audience’s direction. I once spoke to a delegate at a conference who was so upset by a particular presenter doing this that she provided a harsh and negative criticism in writing to the meeting planners.
Now your colleagues at work or your staff might not write you a sour letter after a reading of your presentation but you can be sure they, like this delegate, would be less than impressed. And they almost certainly would not be moved to action.
Using your slides as notes detaches you from the audience and suggests a lack of preparation. Or worse, a lack of competence. Neither of which you want as a presenter. You want to appear confident and composed and, importantly, connected to your audience.
Some of the people I have worked with also admit to committing this sin as a way of avoiding eye contact with the audience out of their fear of public speaking. For most presenters who make this mistake, it boils down to nerves, a lack of preparation, ignorance of proper technique or all of the above. So what do you do instead?
What to do
I am a big advocate of rehearsing your material until you are comfortable enough to deliver without notes. However, I understand this is not always doable. Therefore, if you must use notes, for the sake of your presentation, do not put them up on your slides for all to see. Instead, consider using the presenter mode on your software. And if you decide to use paper notes, I have a short article on doing it right here.
Use the software presenter mode
Some people use the presenter mode in their slide software where their notes are displayed on their own monitor but not on the main screen. This is fine if your monitor is positioned in a way that it does not cause a distraction to you or your audience when you reference it.It also has the added advantage of freeing up your hands for gesturing while you speak.However, an important caveat - be careful that you practice with the technology until you master the flow. As it has been said, technology is a good servant but a mean master. To that point. About preparation? Do it. A lot.
Prepare prepare prepare
Take the time to prepare adequately so that you are able to present even without slides. Most people that fall into this trap do so because they lack confidence and so lean on the slides for support.Adequate preparation will help allay some of this fear along with some positive self-talk. Then you can stop using PowerPoint as a crutch and instead use it as it is meant to be used – an enhancer.Now on to the next manifestation of SlideAbuse.
4. Using slides that are hard to see
It would be nice to be able to see your visuals-Voice of the audience
Here is where we talk about your choice of templates, colour combinations, fonts and font size. Each of these could be an article of its own but I will keep it to a list here and provide directions for action.In brief, this aspect of SlideAbuse involves one or all of the following
Using colour combinations that do not provide adequate contrast (e.g. white text on a grey background) – stick to dark shades on lighter neutral backgrounds likedark blue on beige or even white on black instead of the common black on white. Use pastel colours like pink, green etc with caution.
Using colour combinations that are overwhelming (e.g. purple text on a red background) – see the point above.
Using low quality, stretched-out, pixelated or washed-out images or pictures – use stunning and high-quality images. Download the free resource here.
Using images that are too “busy” – as discussed earlier, simplify or present information in sequence with more (but simple) slides.
Using overly decorative font types – keep it clean and simple.
Using too many different fonts or being inconsistent with your fonts – no more than 3 fonts at most and stay consistent.
Using a font size that is too small and hard to read – use big bold fonts. If they are squinting, it is not big or bold enough.
Using ALL CAPS THROUGHOUT can be interpreted as YELLING! – Limit this.
A bonus tip
There is a lot that can be said here that go beyond the scope of this article. Indeed there are entire businesses built around the design of slides for professional presentations that can cost anything from hundreds to thousands of dollars for a full presentation.However, I would be remiss if I did not address one particularly subtle but common error.
Let me present this error by presenting my solution to it first:
Design your slides for the presentation space, not your office space
Quite often, presentations that look stunning on your PC or Mac at home or in the office look washed-out on a projector screen and can frustrate your audience. By keeping the space in which you will be presenting in mind – the size, the lighting, the type and size of the screen (60” flat screen LCD/LED, 80” smart screen, projector screens or a white wall surface) in mind, you can choose the right fonts, images and templates to ensure your visuals are clearly seen.In choosing, here are a few things to do;
Visualize your presentation on the actual screen. In general, LED and LCD screens produce the closest replication of your computer screen. For projector screens, the output can vary considerably. In this case, choose sharper images and clearer contrasts between background and text.
Imagine being at the front row and also at the back of the room. Would you be able to see the presentation?
Consider lighting. If using a projector screen, and the room allows it, plan to turn the lights above the screen off. This will improve the clarity of your slides.
A rule of thumb is to always err on the side of caution when designing your slides. Use high-quality pictures with a simple subject and some clear space.For text, use sharp contrasts with neutral colours.
This is how I design the headline images on my homepage and articles section so you can open this link to see live and current examples. I do this for the same reason you should too - to keep the message clear and easy to process.
Finally… have a plan B
I was at an event recently where technology failed! Well, to be precise, logistics failed. The meeting room was changed at the last minute due to a scheduling conflict and the new room did not have provision for a projector.My point? Always be ready to present without your slides. Your slides are an aid – they are not the main attraction.
If you find you absolutely cannot go on stage and deliver without your slides, it is a failure in preparation –always have a plan B.
This could be print-outs, a flip-chart or just a really solid presentation with well-told stories and engagement techniques built-in. Or a combination of all these! You never want to be caught with your slides down.
Until the next article, speak with skill and present your best self.
