Your Slides are not Your Speaker Notes

Today's most important presentations are designed to impact the workplace, the industry and the planet.??The problem for many presenters is using slides that create confusion, overwhelm and worst of all, boredom.

Successful leaders use simple slides with carefully curated content to accelerate audience comprehension and engagement.??Let's explore three best practices for creating slides that support the successfully delivery of your presentations.

Photo Credit: NASA, 24 July 1962, Pictured: John C. Houboult

1) Leverage the Power of Simplicity

Many leaders take the stage thinking that their expertise guarantees a successful presentation.??However, success is NOT the amount of information the presenter takes to the stage.??Success is the amount of information that the audience takes from the stage.

Maximize Comprehension, not Content?

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. --Albert Einstein"

John Houboult was a NASA engineer who was instrumental to the success of the Apollo space mission.??In 1960, he introduced a complex concept with a simple set of diagrams.??These diagrams were delivered to high-level NASA panelists, who were charged with selecting the best strategy to accomplish President Kennedy's vision of landing a man on the moon before the end of the decade.

While Houboult's initial presentations were met with resistance and skepticism, they were powerful enough to spark internal discussions and earn him additional opportunities to present his idea.??His simple diagrams paved the way for detailed conversations that ultimately resulted in NASA's leadership choosing his idea for the Apollo mission.

The 3 second Rule

"Slides are your co-star.??You are the star."

Slides that take longer than 3 seconds to absorb are doomed to fail.??In the extra time it takes to decode a slide, the audience miss all the words that the presenter begins to share.??The audience may also experience feelings of overwhelm, frustration and disappointment.

The purpose of a slide is to prime the audience for the content you are about to share.??In the first 3 seconds, a good slide elevates audience interest, curiosity and confidence.??As your co-star, your slides give your audience a framework to easily absorb the new content that you will be sharing.

Photo Credit: NASA, 1 January 1979

2) Create Audience Comprehension and Engagement

Great presentations are delivered by leaders who master six message delivery skills from the?Connection Triangle?. In the previous section, we discussed the skill to effectively communicate your expertise. We now introduce two additional skills to create the experience of audience comprehension and engagement.

Audience Comprehension

As John Houboult continued to teach and promote his Lunar Orbital Rendezvous (LOR) concept, NASA also faced the enormous challenge of finding ways to land a large scale craft on the moon.??The energy requirements were enormous, and the logistics were way beyond their engineering capacities.

Fortunately, Houboult's LOR concept solved that problem as well.??This second NASA diagram featured basic sketches, minimal text, and essential numbers to illustrate the much easier task of landing a small scale lunar module on the moon.

In your presentations, simple slides create a strong foundation for learning new content.??Empower your audience with slides that are simple, memorable and transportable.???Your audience can easily replicate your slides to spread your ideas to new stakeholders, find additional supporters, and identify new applications.

Audience Engagement

"What I hear I forget, what I see I remember, what I do I understand." -- Confucius

Expertise alone is insufficient to deliver a successful presentation.??When a presenter is too focused on delivering content, they forget to engage their audience.??These presenters lose connection with their audience and get lost in their expertise.??Their audience eventually disconnects because of mental exhaustion or boredom.

Make it your goal to help your audiences convert theoretical content to practical applications.??During your presentations, incorporate opportunities for your audience to engage with the content.??Consider building in time for lively Q&A sessions, facilitated conversations, and brainstorming exercises.??These activities will optimize their ability to retain new information and apply new skills.

Photo Credit: NASA, 9 February 2018

3) Send the Details After Your Presentation

This recent NASA diagram highlights the incredible technology we have available to easily design beautiful slides that are filled with comprehensive amounts of detail.??These slides are wonderful for those who read the slide from their laptops.??However, these slides are awful for those who come to a live presentation with an expectation to listen and learn from an expert.

The Myths and Realities of Complex Slides

Why do presenters use complex slides???They mistakenly think that "more is better".??Some of the myths they believe include: "Complex slides show how much I know.",??"When I deliver maximum content, the audience receives maximum ROI for their time investment.", "Detailed slides help me remember to share my key points."

Let's examine the reality of complex slides.??They often cause information overload and create audience frustration and confusion.??When audiences have difficulty absorbing the new content, they blame the presenter for having poor communication skills and for their lack of preparation.??Slides are not meant to be presenter notes.??When an audience experiences a presenter reading the slides, trust and credibility will vanish.

Create Two Versions of your Presentation Slides

The best practice to adopt? Create two versions of your presentation slides.??Create a simple version that is precisely and concisely designed for live presentations.?? Create a complex version with precise and comprehensive detail for your stakeholders to read after your presentation.

In your initial presentation, lead with a simple version that creates interest and the curiosity to learn more.??After your presentation, send the complex version to create more interest and curiosity.??This sequence will help you earn subsequent conversations to generate money, support, and reputation from your stakeholders.

?Expand the Capacity of your Heroic Voice

To accelerate your mission and magnify your impact, consider joining our?Presentation ROI MasterClass. The program prepares you for your most important presentations and conversations. Compose 7 leadership presentations, elevate 6 essential message delivery skills, record your signature presentation.

Schedule an appointment?with one of our executive communications coaches, and learn how the MasterClass will prepare you to generate money, support and reputation from all of your leadership presentations.