One of the biggest problems of text based supportive media (p2) [your “presentation”] is that the audience pay more attention to it than to you. This has been discussed in many posts and principally is a problem because the audience has to make sense of text, in a logical order and this takes concentration. A simple test of how difficult they find to do that and listen to you is to put up the best slide in the world and see how they respond.
The best slide in the world is full of colour, it is dynamic, it evolves in front of your eyes, it is instantly memorable and deeply personal. Of course there is no text in it but it is totally contextual. You can use this slide in any presentation you give and every time you use it is is fresh and vital. The audience will never become bored of the use of this slide within a presentation even if they have been exposed before to the best slide in the world ever. You can show it more than once in a presentation for additional effect. We all have the ability to use this slide but few are brave enough, few understand its power and yet many long for it.
The best slide in the world, ever, is in the minds of your audience when you turn the screen blank.
When the screen blanks the minds of the audience are liberated to think, to wonder, to dream, to question, to articulate, to extrapolate, to remember, to question, to confirm, to consider, to reject, to concentrate, to agree, to be moved. No other slide, ever, has the ability to do that. And whilst they are you doing all these things, you have the privilege of leading their thoughts.
That is the best slide in the world, ever.
@prezentationskills tip: an easy way to “blank” the screen is simply to press “b” on the keyboard. this will turn the screen black. be careful that in a poorly lit auditorium this may plunge everything including you into darkness so alternatively press “w” for a white screen. To return to your presentation press the same key again.