p1
p1 is the basis of the presentation. It is the data, the story, the message that the presenter wishes to deliver to the audience. This section covers blog posts that address any part of the construction of p1; taking the “what” of the data and converting it into a “so what” for the particular audience. In particular, this covers audience needs, the value of a single, identifiable message, an elevator pitch, the arc of the story and development of sparklines.
The cornerstone articles on p1 are below but please surf through the links to gain a deeper understanding of why p1 (the story) is the basis of your presentation and must be the starting point in construction.
1.Hysteron proteron – the place to start with a presentation is the message.
2. It is not acceptable or valuable to just talk, you must have a message.
3. The aim and objective of a presentation are not the same thing.
4. The best presentations are planned analog. Shut the laptop and be creative.
5. Consider principally “why” you are presenting, not what to present.
What is the best, new tool in presentations?
An interesting post at The Harvard Business Review on Presentations discusses other new and exciting tools that may help in effective presentations. Sadly, I think they miss the point completely.…
The maximum number of words on a slide is zero.
A recent question on twitter to me was, “What is the maximum number of words you can put on a slide?”Easy, the maximum number is zero!Seriously, asking the question shows…
Elevator pitch
In business there is a concept of the “elevator pitch.” Effectively, if you happened to get into a lift with a potential customer, could you deliver your pitch within the…
Your “powerpoint” is not the message, it supports the message.
I did a little talk in late November 2013 at TEDx Stuttgart. I am hoping to write a few posts around the construction and delivery of the whole thing but…
@ffolliet would be proud…(2)
More pride as more friends and colleagues make better and better presentations and suggest that I am at least partly catalytic in the process. I do keep encouraging them that…
You’re boring me.
Seriously, I’ve heard this all before. You need a presentation on your cv You’ve asked the boss who said, “please review my last x cases of” something not very interesting.…
Creativity
“Could you give us a talk, about 30 minutes?” “Sure,” you reply, “no problem.” The facts are clear. The nature of the audience will affect the precise message to be…
Edward Tufte makes me feel guilty.
I’m currently reading “Beautiful Evidence” by Edward Tufte, a giant of critical thinking and a commenter on data and presentation, amongst many, many other things. In the introduction is a…