Download pdf - Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft® PowerPoint® to Create Presentations that Inform, Motivate, and Inspire

Beyond Bullet Points, 3rd EditionUsing Microsoft© PowerPoint© to Create Presentations That Inform, Motivate, and Inspire

CLIFF ATKINSON

PUBLISHED BYM crosoft PressA D v s on of M crosoft Corporat onOne M crosoft WayRedmond, Wash ngton 98052-6399

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Contents

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction xv

Chapter 1 The Perfect PowerPoint Storm 1■ SteppingontotheMediaStage 4

■ ASingularStory 6

■ TheHeartoftheProblem 9

■ DistillingtheEssence 12

■ MixingMediums 13

■ FadetoGray 15

■ StarkChoices 16

■ WindsofChange 17

■ ThePowerofBBPinYourHands 18

Chapter 2 Realigning Our PowerPoint Approach with the Research 19■ ThreeBedrockToolsofPowerPoint 19

■ Realignment1:UseSlideSorterViewtoManagetheVolumeofInformationinYourPresentation 21

InSearchof“ResearchReality” 22ResearchReality1:YouHavetoRespecttheLimitsofWorkingMemory 23

iv Con en s

BBPRespectstheLimitsofWorkingMemory 29TheOldWayIgnorestheLimitsofWorkingMemory 31

■ Realignment2:UseNotesPageViewtoSynchronizeWhatYouShowandWhatYouSay 33

ResearchReality2:YouHavetoAddresstheTwoChannels 34BBPAddressestheTwoChannels 35TheOldWayAddressesOnlyOneChannel 38

■ Realignment3:UseNormalViewtoGuideAttentionontheScreen 42

ResearchReality3:YouHavetoGuideAttention 43BBPGuidesAttention 43TheOldWayDoesNotGuideAttention 45

■ AWell-TrainedTool 48

Chapter 3 Building a Foundation with the BBP Story Template 49■ WhatDoestheRoadAheadLookLike? 50

■ SewingUpUnderstandingwithBBP 51TheHeartandBrainofBBP:TheStoryTemplate 51TheBuilt-inStoryStructure 52TheoryBecomesPractical 55

■ Step1:ChooseaStoryThreadandaPatterntoFollow 57

■ Step2:PullThroughWhat’sMostImportantFirst 59

■ Step3:GuidetheVisualandVerbalStrandswithYourStoryboard 61

SketchingtheFirstFiveSlides 62SketchingtheRestoftheSlides 63ApplyingCustomLayouts 64AddingGraphicstotheFirstFiveSlides 66AddingGraphicstotheRestoftheSlides 66SteppingintotheScreen 67

vCon en s

PresentinginMultipleViews 68PresentingwithaTabletPC 69PresentingOnline 70DocumentingtheExperience 70

■ GettingStartedwiththeBBPStoryTemplate 71

■ WritingHeadlinesUsingThreeGroundRules 72Rule1:WriteConcise,CompleteSentenceswithaSubjectandaVerbinActiveVoice 72Rule2:BeClear,Direct,Specific,andConversational 73Rule3:LinkYourIdeasAcrossCells 74

Chapter 4 Planning Your First Five Slides 75■ WhatWillYouShow,Say,andDointheFirstFiveSlides? 76

■ StartingwiththeTitleandByline 77

■ ChoosingaStoryThread 78OrientingtheAudiencewiththeSettingHeadline 78InterestingtheAudiencewiththeRoleHeadline 80EngagingtheAudiencewiththe“PointA”Headline 82MotivatingtheAudiencewiththe“PointB”Headline 86CreatingDramaticTensionBetweenthePointAandPointBHeadlines 88FocusingtheAudiencewiththe“CalltoAction”Headline 90

■ ChoosingaPatterntoFollow 92

■ ClosingtheCurtainonActI 96ReviewingtheFiveHeadlines 96AppealingtoYourAudience’sEmotions 97FocusingYourIdeas 97

■ 10TipsforEnhancingActI 98

vi Con en s

Chapter 5 Planning the Rest of Your Slides 105■ AndNowPresenting…ActII 105

ASpecialTypeofOutline 106Built-inScalability 108

■ ThreadingtheEyeoftheNeedleUsingaHierarchy 109

■ PrioritizingYourSlides 111JustifyingtheCalltoActionHeadlinewiththeKeyPointHeadlines 112ImprovingYourKeyPoints 115ClarifyingEachKeyPointHeadlinewithItsExplanationHeadlines 118BackingUpEachExplanationHeadlinewithItsDetailHeadlines 121FleshingOuttheRestofActII 125

■ PullingThroughWhat’sMostImportantFirst 128

■ LoweringtheCurtainonYourStoryTemplate 130

■ 10TipsforEnhancingYourStoryTemplate 131

Chapter 6 Setting Up Your Storyboard and Narration 137■ WhatWillYouShow,Say,andDoDuringEverySlide? 138

■ PreparingtheStoryboard 139ReformattingYourStoryTemplateManually 140UsingtheBBPStoryboardFormatter 141CuingWorkingMemorywithPreliminarySlideBackgrounds 143PracticingScalingtoTime 147EditingYourHeadlinesIfNeeded 147ReviewingtheStoryboard 148

■ PlanningfortheVerbalChannelbyWritingDownWhatYou’llSay 148

■ PlanningfortheVisualChannelbySketchingYourStoryboard 152

viiCon en s

■ StoryboardingUsingThreeGroundRules 155Rule1:BeVisuallyConcise,Clear,Direct,andSpecific 155Rule2:InActII,SketchConsistencyWithinColumnsandVarietyAcrossColumns 155Rule3:SketchOutsidetheScreenToo 158

■ 10TipsforEnhancingYourStoryboard 160

Chapter 7 Sketching Your Storyboard 167■ WhatDoISketchonEachSlide? 167

■ SketchingtheActISlides 169SketchingtheTitleSlide 169AddingandSketchingaSpeakerIntroductionSlide 170SketchingtheSettingSlide 171SketchingtheRoleSlide 173SketchingthePointAandPointBSlides 175

■ SketchingtheCalltoActionandKeyPointSlides 181TriplingYourImpactwithThreePanels 183AddingItUpwithIcons 184ProppingItUp 184UsingVideo,Sound,orMotionGraphics(Carefully) 185BlackingOuttheScreen 185RaisingInterestwithYourLayouts 186KeepingtheMotifFlowing 187PausingattheEndofEachKeyPointSection 187PresentingwithMorethanOneSpeaker 188

■ SketchinganOptionalNavigationBar 188

■ SketchingtheExplanationSlides 190SketchingaVisualOrganizer 191SketchingHeadline-OnlyExplanationSlides 192UsingaScreenCapture 193

viii Con en s

■ SketchingtheDetailSlides 193ExplainingIdeasbyBuildingaDiagram 194BuildingaChartAcrossaSeriesofSlides 196CompletingtheExplanationSlides 197SwitchingtoOtherMedia 198AdaptingYourSketchestoYourProfession 199

■ SketchingYourStoryTemplate 199

■ Ready,Set,Sketch! 200

Chapter 8 Adding Graphics to Your Slides 201■ WhichGraphicsDoIAddtoEachSlide? 201

■ DefiningYourDesignConstraints 202

■ AddingGraphicsUsingThreeGroundRules 204Rule1:SeeItinSeconds 204Rule2:AligntheAestheticswiththeAudience 206Rule3:DefendYourFoundation! 210

■ StartingtheProductionFlow 212DelegatingtheGraphicsTasks 213GettingtheGraphicsYouAlreadyHave 213GettingGraphicsatStockPhotographyWebSites 214CreatingtheGraphicsYouCan 215

■ ApplyingFinalSlideLayoutstoYourStoryboard 215Applying,Reviewing,andRefiningtheLayouts 217

■ AddingGraphicstotheCallToActionandKeyPointSlides 218

■ PreparingSlidesThatDon’tRequireGraphics 220

■ AddingGraphicstotheActISlides 221

■ AddingGraphicstotheExplanationSlides 223

■ AddingGraphicstotheDetailSlides 224

■ CreatingtheActIIISlides 227

ixCon en s

■ Fine-TuningandFinishingUp 228AddingGraphicstotheTitleandClosingCreditsSlides 228ReviewingandAddingGraphicstotheNotesPages 228

■ ReviewingandFinalizingtheStoryboard 229

■ 10TipsforEnhancingYourStoryboard 231

Chapter 9 Delivering Your BBP Presentation 235■ DeliveringYourPresentationUsingThreeGroundRules 235

GroundRule1:StepintotheScreen 236GroundRule2:RemovetheDistractions 236GroundRule3:ManagetheFlow 237

■ RemovingDistractions 238PreparingtheEnvironment 238CheckingtheTechnology 239PlanningforProblems 240RehearsingAwayDistractions 240UsingNotes 241

■ PromptingaDialog 242BeingAuthentic 242WorkingConfidentlywithYourSlides 243HandlingQ&A 244

■ ImprovisingWithinConstraints 245KeepingControlofYourStory 245PreparingforDifferentContexts 246HandingOutHandouts 246

■ PresentingWithoutBeingPresent 246SendingYourNotesPages(NotYourSlides) 247ProducinganOnlinePresentation 247

x Con en s

■ AndNow,Presenting... 248

■ 10TipsforEnhancingYourDelivery 248

Chapter 10 Reviewing a Range of BBP Examples 253■ WhatOtherExamplesCanISee? 254

■ IntroducingaCasewithTheTrial 254ActI:TheClassicalStorytellingFoundation 255APhotographicSettingSlide 255ReviewingtheActISlidesforTheTrial 256ReviewingtheCalltoActionandKeyPointSlidesforTheTrial 258

■ KeepingonTrackwithThePlan 259WritingActIoftheStoryTemplate 259ResearchingandAddingAvailableGraphicsforThePlan 261ReviewingtheActISlidesforThePlan 262ReviewingtheCalltoActionandKeyPointSlidesforThePlan 263DeliveringThePlanRemotely 267

■ PresentingResultswithTheAnalysis 268ResearchingandAddingAvailableGraphicsforTheAnalysis 271ReviewingtheActISlidesforTheAnalysis 272ReviewingtheCalltoActionandKeyPointSlidesforTheAnalysis 274

■ MakingInformationMeaningfulwithTheReport 276ResearchingandAddingAvailableGraphicsforTheReport 278ReviewingtheActISlidesforTheReport 278ReviewingtheCalltoActionandKeyPointSlidesforTheReport 279

xiCon en s

■ EngagingStudentswithTheClass 280ResearchingandAddingAvailableGraphicsforTheClass 282ReviewingtheActISlidesforTheClass 283ReviewingtheCalltoActionandKeyPointSlidesforTheClass 284

■ PuttingYourClientsattheCenterinThePitch 285ResearchingandAddingAvailableGraphicsforThePitch 287ReviewingtheActISlidesforThePitch 288ReviewingtheCalltoActionandKeyPointSlidesforThePitch 289

■ HandlingObjectionstoBBP 290

Appendix A BBP Ground Rules and Checklists 293■ TheBBPGroundRules 293

ThreeGroundRulesforWritingHeadlines 293ThreeGroundRulesforStoryboarding 294ThreeGroundRulesforAddingGraphics 294ThreeGroundRulesforDeliveringYourPresentation 294

■ TheBBPChecklists 295Checklist:PlanningYourFirstFiveSlides 295Checklist:PlanningtheRestofYourSlides 295Checklist:PreparingtheStoryboard 295Checklist:SketchingtheStoryboard 296Checklist:AddingGraphicstotheStoryboard 296Checklist:DeliveringYourPresentation 296

xii Con en s

Appendix B Presenting BBP with Two Views 297■ UsingSlideShowViewandTools 297

■ UsingPresenterViewandTools 299DeliveringaPresentationUsingPresenterView 299

Appendix C Starting Your Point A and B Headlines 301

Appendix D Starting Your Call to Action Headlines 305

Appendix E Creating Custom BBP Layouts 309■ CreatingtheKeyPointSlideLayoutManually 309

■ CreatingtheExplanationSlideLayoutManually 313

■ CreatingtheDetailSlideLayoutManually 315

■ AddinganOptionalNavigationBarManually 316

■ AddingAutomatedAnimation 317

■ AdjustingtheNotesMasterLayout 318

Index 319

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xiii

Acknowledgments

MY THANKS to Kim Spilker and the teams at Microsoft Press and O’Reilly,

who graciously provided me with the opportunity to update this book in a

third edition. Thanks to my editing team of Valerie Woolley, Steve Sagman,

and Roger LeBlanc, and to Brenda Bazylewski and the iStockphoto community

for the stock photography used in many of the presentation examples.

Thanks to those who inspired the foundation of the BBP approach most profoundly: Richard E. Mayer’s important work on multimedia learning, Barbara Minto’s revolutionary critical-thinking methodology, Jonathan Pryce’s insights on structuring and outlining information, the engineers who developed the STOP proposal-writing method at Hughes Aircraft, and the media producers who practice their craft here in Los Angeles.

A special thanks to the many BBP readers and workshop participants—your courage in applying BBP often against great odds gives me hope that BBP will continue to make a difference in the world.

Dedication

To my partner, Andrew.

—Cliff Atkinson

xiv

AbouttheAuthor

Cliff Atkinson isanacclaimedwriter,popularkeynotespeaker,andanindependentconsultanttoleadingattorneysandFortune500companies.Hedesignedthepresentationsthathelpedpersuadeajurytoawarda$253millionverdicttotheplaintiffinthenation’sfirstVioxxtrialin2005,whichFortunemagazinecalled“frighteninglypowerful.”

Cliff’sbestsellingbookBeyondBulletPointswasnamedaBestBookof2007bytheeditorsofAmazon.com,andhasbeenpublishedinthreeeditionsandtranslatedintoadozenlanguagesincludingChinese,Korean,andRussian.Thebookexpandsonacommunicationsapproachhehastaughtinternationallyattoplawfirms,governmentagencies,businessschoolsandcorporations,includingSony,Toyota,DelMonte,Nestlé,Nokia,Deloitte,BBDO,TheNPDGroup,Ipsos,Facebook,Bristol-MyersSquibb,Intel,GE,theAmericanBarAssociation,andtheUnitedNationsInternationalCriminalTribunal.

Cliff’sworkhasbeenfeaturedintheLosAngelesTimes,TheNewYorkTimesandtheTheWallStreetJournal.

CliffreceivedhisB.A.inEnglishandjournalismfromBaylorUniversityinTexasandhisM.B.A.fromRichmond,TheAmericanInternationalUniversityinLondon.AfterservingasacaptainintheU.S.AirForce,heheldmarketingandconsultingpositionsforstart-upcompaniesinSanFranciscoduringthedot-comboom.CliffcurrentlyresidesinWashingtonD.C.

xv

Introduction

I ORIGINALLY WROTE BeyondBulletPoints n2005toofferanewwayforpeop e

tocreateM crosoftPowerPo ntpresentat onsmoreeffect ve y Inevermag nedthat

short yafterthebook’spub cat on,the mpactoftheBeyondBu etPo nts(BBP)

approachwou dmakehead nes ntheNewYorkTimes,theWallStreetJournal,and

theLosAngelesTimes S ncethen, nterest nBBPhase evatedthefirsted t onofth s

booktobestse erstatus,atonepo ntreach ngthe#4sa esrankoutofa booksat

Amazon com ItturnsoutthatBBP sstr k ngachordw thpeop ewhohaveas mp e

des re—tomovebeyondthebu etpo ntsthatkeepbothpresentersandaud ences

trapped,frustrated,anda enatedfromoneanother

PeoplearefindingthatBBPreallyworksforthemandthatoncetheytrythisapproach,theycan’tgobacktotheoldwayofusingPowerPoint.Sincethefirsteditionofthisbookwaspublished,BBPhasbeenevenmorethoroughlyroad-testedandresoundinglyaudience-approved.Individualsreportapro-cessthatispractical,orderly,focused,anddisciplined,andorganizationsarefindingamethodologythatisattainable,effective,efficient,andscalable.

BBPisworkingtodayacrossanincrediblerangeofprofessionsandpurposes.Itwillhelpyouframeandfacilitateaconversationwithyouraudience,anditwillguideyouonhowandwhereandwhytousePowerPoint.Lately,questionsaboutBBPhaveshiftedfrom“HowdoIdothis?”to“Howdoesmyorganizationdothis?”whichindicatesthattheapproachistakingholdatadeeperlevelandsettingthestageforabroadermovementofpeoplewhosupportanduseBBPeveryday.

TheunderlyingsystemofBBPinthisbookisthesameasinthefirsttwoeditions,offeringawaytoturngeneraltheoriesaboutcommunicationintothepracticalthingsyoudowhenyouopenanewPowerPointpresentationtomorrowmorning.

How this Book Is OrganizedAsinthepreviouseditionofthisbook,Itakeyoustepbystep,chapterbychapter,throughtheBBPprocess.Chapters1through3provideanover-viewofthereasonswhyyoushouldtryBBPandhowtheprocesslooks,and

xvi n roduc on

Chapters4through10explainspecificallythedetailedstepsofhowtouseBBP.AbonusChapter11,availableatthecompanioncontentWebpageforthebookandatwww.beyondbulletpoints.com,introducesafunexercisecalledBBPVisualImprov.ThisbookisdesignedtobeapracticalguidethatyoukeepcloseathandwhileyouworkonPowerPointpresentations,aswellasasourceofongoinginspiration.

Formanypeople,BBPturnstheconventionalthinkingaboutPowerPointpresentationsupside-downandunlocksthepotentialthathasalwaysbeenavailableinthesoftwaretool,aswellasinthepeoplewhouseit.Theheartofthisbookisreallyaboutpeoplecommunicatingwithpeople.Byusingacommonlyavailablesoftwaretooltohelpyoutodothat,youcanfindfocus,clarity,andengagement.Ihopeyou’llfindthatandmuchmoreinthisbook,asyoumakeandtellyourownpresentationstoriesbeyondbulletpoints.

Where to Get the Companion ContentThecompanioncontentWebpageforthisbookincludescopiesofkeytoolsdescribedinthebook;abonuschapter,Chapter11,whichintroducesafunexercisecalledBBPVisualImprov;andPDFversionsoftheBBPGroundRulesandBBPCheckliststhatyoucanuseasadesktopreference.Thesefiles,aswellasotherinformation,canbedownloadedfromwww.beyondbulletpoints.comorthefollowingpage:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Linkid 213936

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xviin roduc on

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xixn roduc on

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xx n roduc on

How to Get Support & Provide FeedbackThefollowingsectionsprovideinformationonerrata,booksupport,feedback,andcontactinformation.

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1

CHAPTER 1

EVERY SUMMER, theres dentsofAng eton,Texasbracethemse ves

fortheposs b tythatafearsomehurr canem ghtbeardownonthe r

Gu fCoasttownnearHouston Butnoth ngcou dpreparethemforthe

hotandhum dJu yday n2005whenad fferentk ndofstormh tthe r

qu ettownof18,000peop e Thedoorsoftheo dgraycountycourthouse

nthetownsquareopenedtoafloodofte ev s oncrewswhocrowded

theha ways ook ngforap acetofi m Agroupofnewspaperreporters

surged ntothema ncourtroom,squeez ng ntouncomfortab ewooden

benchesandtapp ngupdatesonthe r aptopstothenewsroomsofthe

NewYorkTimes,theWallStreetJournal,theAssoc atedPress,Fortune,

andReuters

ThejournalistswereinAngletontocoverthenewseventoftheday:theopeningstatementsofamajorlegaltrialthatwouldbeginwithaMicrosoftPowerPointpresentation.Everyoneinthecourt-roomstoodwhenthejurorsfiledintotheroomandsettledintotheirseats.Theroomwassilent,hereattheeyeofthestorm,whenamanstooduptofacethejurors.Littledidanyoneknowthatthislawyerwasabouttounleashastormofhisownfromhislaptopcomputer.Afterall,thiswasnoordinaryPowerPointpresentationhewasabouttogive—itwasaBeyondBulletPointspresentation.LikemanyofthehurricanesthathavepassedthroughTexas,thispresentationwouldmakeheadlinesforitsdevastatingforce.

The Perfect PowerPoint Storm

IN THIS CHAPTER, YOU WILL:

■W tnessaBeyondBu etPo nts(BBP)presentat onthatmadehead nenews.

■ SeehowBBPworks nareawor dpract ca app cat on.

■Getasenseofthepotent a mpactyoucanmakew thBBP.

2 Chapter1 The Per ec PowerPo n S orm

ThelawyerwhowasabouttospeakwasnostrangertoPowerPoint,ortothecourtroom.BornandraisedinTexas,MarkLanierspecializesinrepresentingplaintiffsinpersonalinjurytrialsandhasalongstringofwinningverdictsforhisclients.Earlyon,heworkedasalawyerinlargelawfirms,butlaterhestartedhisownfirmandeventuallymovedittotheoutskirtsofHouston.MarkwouldsoondemonstratethatthesedaysanyonewithalaptopcomputerandPowerPointsoftware—andaneffectivestrategyforusingthem—canmakeasgreatanimpactasapersonwithunlimitedresources.

Markturnedtohisclient,theplaintiffinthiscase,whowassittinginthefirstrowwithherfamily.“YourHonor,”Marksaid,“ifImaybeginbyintroducingtothejuryandtotheCourtmyclient.”AsCarolErnststood,Markintroducedherandherdaughter.Carol’shusband,Bob,haddiedofaheartattack,andshesuspectedthatapainkillerherhus-bandhadtaken,Vioxx,wasacauseoftheheartattack.Soshefiledalawsuitagainstthedefendant,thedrug’smanufacturer,Merck&Co.,Inc.MarkwouldrepresentCarolthroughoutthetrial.

AsCarolsatdown,Markwalkedtowardthejuryboxpasttherowoflawyerssittingatthedefensetable.Theselawyerswerefromtwointernationallyrecognizedlawfirmshiredbythedefendant.Withbillionsofdollarsintheirwarchest,thecompanycouldaffordthebest.Facingsuchaformidableopponentwithdeeppockets,Markknewhewouldneedtobeatthetopofhisgameandusethetoolsandtechniqueshehadtothebestofhisabilitytomakethegreatestimpact.

Markpausedatthejuryboxandmadeeyecontactwitheachofthe12jurors.Beforethejurorsarrived,Markhadwheeledthelawyers’podiumtothesideofthecourtroombecausehedidn’twantapieceoffurniture,oranythingelse,tostandbetweenhimandhisaudience.Markhadafolksystylewhenhetalkedtojurorsinthecourtroom,speak-ingwithaTexasdrawl,incolorfullanguage,andinaconversationalmanner.Butbynow,Mark’slegalopponentsknewthattointerprethissimplestyleasunsophisticatedwouldbeabigandexpensivemistake,becauseofhisstrongtrackrecordofsuccessfulverdictsinjurytrials.

Thejudgehadinstructedthejurorsearlierthatwhentheytooktheiroath,theyhadbecomecourtofficialslikehimselfandthelawyers.Thejurorswerechargedwithadmin-isteringjusticeinthiscase,bylisteningtoalltheevidenceinopencourtandthenmakingadecisionbasedonthefactsandthejudge’sinstructionsandreadingofthelaw.Likeanyaudience,theysatreadytohearwhatthepresenterwouldsay.

Chapter1 3

Youneedtoknowyouraudiencewellbeforeyoustartplanningyourpresentations.Markknewsomethingsabouthisaudienceinthejurybox—thelegalteamsfrombothsideshadpreparedawrittenquestionnaireforthejurors,inwhichtheyfoundthatthejurorswereintheir20sand40s,high-schooleducated,andfromarangeofprofessions,includinganelectrician,acollegestudent,aconstructionworker,aproducttechnician,ahomemaker,asecretary,andagovernmentemployee.ThelawyersalsohadanopportunitytoaskjurorsquestionsinpersonduringaQ&Asessioncalledvoirdire.Inyourownpresenta-tions,thebetteryouknowyouraudience,thebetteryou’llbeabletocustomizeyourmaterialtothem.

Asyoumightbeabletorelateto,mostexperiencedspeakerssaytheygetnervousbeforeabigpresentation.Likewise,Markmusthavefeltsomenervousness,butnotjustbecausethejurorswerewatchinghimclosely.Plaintiffs’attorneyslikeMarkcanspendupwardof$1milliontobringacasetotrialonbehalfoftheirclients,andiftheylose,theyliterallyhavelosteverythingtheyputintothecase.Thedefendanthadagreatdealtoloseaswell,becausethiswasthefirstcasetogototrialagainstthepharmaceuticalcompany.Beyondanynegativemediacoveragethecasemightbringtothecompany,averdictagainstthecompanycouldhaveabigimpactonitsbottomline—itcouldlosemillionsofdollarsinanunfavorableverdict,andpossiblylosebillionsofdollarsinmarketvalueifitsstockpricedroppedonthenews.

Basedonwhattheplaintiffanddefendanthadatstakeinthistrial,thecourtroompresentationwasaboutashigh-stakesasaPowerPointpresentationcanget.

S epp ng on o he Med a S age


Stepping onto the Media StageMarkglanceddownathislaptopcomputer,whichsatfacinghimonasmalltablebelowthejurybox,outofsightofthejurors.WhathesawonhislaptopscreenwasafeatureinPowerPointcalledPresenterview,similartothescreenshowninFigure1-1,whichgaveMarkaspecialviewofthepresentationthatonlyhecouldsee.Liketheteleprompterthatbroadcastersusetopresenttheirspeakingnotes,thissometimes-overlookedPowerPointfeaturegivesyoutheabilitytoseeadditionalinformationthatdoesnotappearonthescreentheaudiencesees.Forexample,attheupperleftofhisscreen,Markcouldseetheblankblueslidethatthejurorswerecurrentlylookingat.Andhealsocouldseehisspeakernotesattheupperright,remindinghimofthepointsheplannedtomakewhileeachslidewasdisplayedonscreen,aswellasarowofsmallpreviewsofhisupcomingslidesatthebottomofthescreen,helpinghimtomakeasmoothtransitionfromoneslidetothenext.

To earnhowtousePresenterv ewforyourBBPpresentat ons,seeAppend xB,“Present ngBBPw thTwoV ews ”

FIGURE 1-1 Afeature nPowerPo ntca edPresenterv ewgaveMarkav ewofthecurrents dethejurorssawonscreen,a ongw thh sownspeakernotesandthumbna v ewsofupcom ngs des.

Ashebeganspeaking,Mark’sthumbpressedthebuttononaremotecontroldeviceliketheoneshowninFigure1-2,whichhecuppedinhishandathissidewheretheaudi-encewouldnotnoticeit.Thisremotewouldbehisconstantcompanionforthenext

Chapter1 5

coupleofhours,asheusedittoadvancethePowerPointslideswhilehespoke,givinghimflexibilitytoslowdownorspeeduptomatchhisnarrationandensurethattheexperienceappearedseamlesstothejurors.

FIGURE 1-2 Remotecontro dev cesofferpresenterstheab tytoadvancethes desofaPowerPo ntpresentat onw thoutus ngthekeyboard.

“It’sextremelyimportanttomethatyouhearwhatthiscaseisabout,”Marksaid.“SoI’veputtogether...differentexhibitstotryandhelpitstickinyourbrainandhelpyoufocusonwhatwethinkarecriticalpoints.”WhenMarkclickedtheremotecontrolbutton,itsignaledhislaptopcomputertoadvancetothefirstimageinthePowerPointpresenta-tion.Althoughthejurorscouldnotseethelaptopbelowthejurybox,theydidseeanimageofCarolandBobappearonthe10-footscreendirectlybehindMark,asillustratedinFigure1-3.Fromwherethejurorssat,itappearedthatMarkwasinagianttelevisionset,astheimagesonthescreenwouldsoonstartdissolvingandchangingbehindhiminaseamlesslychoreographedmediaexperience.

FIGURE 1-3 The magesfromMark sPowerPo ntpresentat onf edthe10 footscreenbeh ndh m.

S epp ng on o he Med a S age


Theprojectedcolors,images,andwordsweresothoroughlyintegratedintothepresentationexperiencethatturningofftheprojectorwouldhavebeenlikeeliminatingthesetofatheaterproductionorthescreeninamovietheater.Neverbreakingeyecontactwiththejurorsorlookingbackatthescreen,Marknowbegantotellagrippingstorythatwouldlayouttheevidenceoftheplaintiff’scasethroughthenexttwoandahalfhoursofthepresentation.

A Singular StoryWhatwasnotableaboutMark’sPowerPointslide,shownonitsowninFigure1-4,wasnotsomuchwhatwasonit,butratherwhatwasnotonit.YouwouldprobablyexpecttheslidesofaPowerPointpresentationtobefilledwithbulletpoints,butherethejurorssawonlythevisualpowerofasingle,simplephotograph.Suchfull-screenimagesarerareinPowerPointpresentations,butthisimagefitinperfectlywithwhatMarkwoulddonext.

FIGURE 1-4 Afam yphotoofBobandCaro showedthehappycoup eaftertheyweremarr ed.

Withaphotographofthecoupleonthescreenashisbackdrop,MarkbegantellingananecdotetointroduceBobandCaroltothejurors.“ButletmetellyoualittlebitaboutBob,”Marksaid.“Bobwasagreatfellowwhoalwaystook[Carol]towonderful,interest-ingplaces.TheywenttothekitefestivalinWashingtonState.TheywenttotheballoonlaunchinAlbuquerque.Theyhadalotoffun.Hegotherintotandembikeracing.Theyweren’tthewinningkindofathletes.Theyjustdidittobetogether,anditwasagood,funwayforthemtolivetogether.”

MarkknewthattellingthedetailsofananecdotelikethisoneaboutCarolandBobisaneffectivewaytointroduceanewandcomplicatedtopictoanaudience.Withasimple

Chapter1 7

storyofabikerace,thejurorscouldquicklyimaginewhatCarolandBob’srelationshipandliveswerelike.Andseeingthefamilyphotographwouldmakeiteasierforjurorstorelatetotheplaintiff,perhapsremindingthejurorsofsimilarphotostheyhavetakenorseenintheirownfamilies.Thephotoandspecificdetailsofthecouple’slifetogetherwouldworkpowerfullytoquicklyintroduceCarolandBobtothejuryandmakeanemotionalconnectionwiththem.Thisslideworkedmuchmoreeffectivelythanalistofbulletpointsevercould,becausewedon’tliveourlivesinbulletpoints—weliveinimagesandstories.

“Theydidgetmarriedafterbeingtogetherforanumberofyears,”Markexplained.“Interestinglyenough,theywereintroducedoverexercise.Andyou’llhearCaroltalkabouther...daughter...beingthematchmakerbetweenCarolandBob.”HereMarkaddedadetailinformingthejurorsthattheywouldhearfromCarolherselfonthestand,establishingasenseofanticipationthattheywouldgettohearfromherfirsthand.Markknewthathintingateventstocomeisaneffectivewaytograbanyaudience’sinter-est.AndbyusingthespecificdetailsaboutCarolandBobwhilethephotographwasdisplayedonscreen,heconnectedtheaudience’semotionstotheimage.

Markclickedtheremotecontrolagainanddisplayedthesamephotograph,exceptnowthebackgroundbehindthephotographhaddisappeared,asshowninFigure1-5.Asthenewphotographappeared,Marksaid,“Theyhadawonderfultimetogether.Butultimately...thepicturestartstofadeandthingsstarttogodifferent.Andletmetellyouwhy.”Peoplearenotusedtoseeingfamilyphotographswherethebackgroundsuddenlydisappears,sothisvisuallysetthestagethatsomethingunexpectedwasabouttohappentoCarolandBob.TheemotionsoftheaudiencethatMarkhadassociatedwiththephotographsuddenlywerestrippedaway.

FIGURE 1-5 Thenexts deshowsthesamephotographw ththebackgroundstr ppedawayto nd catethatsometh ngunexpectedhadhappened.

A S ngu ar S ory


Clickingagain,Markdisplayedanewversionofthephotograph,exceptinthisone,Bobwasmissingfromthephotograph.Inhisplacewasathickblacklinelikethechalkoutlinefromacrimescene,asshowninFigure1-6.“Yousee,BobErnstisdeadtoday,”Marksaid.“OneofmywitnessesthatIwanttobringinthecaseIcannotbringyou.BobErnstcannotcomeinheretoday.Heisnolongerhere.Hedidn’tknowhewasgoingtoneedtobehere.Hedidn’tleaveusanythinginvideo.Hedidn’tleaveusanythinginwritingthatwouldtalkabouttheissuesthatweneedtotalkabout.”

Thisstrikingphotographvisuallycommunicatedtothejurorsthattheworsthadhappened—thatBobandCarol’shappinessendedabruptlyandunexpectedlywhenBobdiedofaheartattack.TheblackoutlinearoundwhereBobhadbeeninthephotovisuallybroughthomethepointthatBob’sdeathsuddenlyhadleftaholeinCarol’slife,andinherheart.

FIGURE 1-6 Th ss deshowsBobm ss ngfromthephotograph,w thon yath ckb ack neto nd catewhereheoncewas.

MarkknewthathisaudiencecamefromapartofTexasthatwasgrowingincreasinglyconservativeandthatthejurorsmightnotbepredisposedtoawardabigverdicttoaplaintiffinaproductliabilitycaselikethis.ButwiththethickblackoutlinethatindicatedwhereBobhadbeen,Markalsointroducedapowerfulnewoutlineforhispresenta-tion.Ifthejurorswerenotgoingtobefriendlytowardaproductliabilitycase,Markwasnowvisuallyreframinghisopeningstatementtoanewstorylinethattheconservativejurorswouldfindmoreengaging—amurdermystery.Inthisthirdphotograph,theblackoutlinesubtlycommunicatedafamiliarstorysettingthatthejurorsimmediatelywouldunderstand—acrimescenefromatelevisionshow.ThisunexpecteduseofafamiliarconventionfromTVwouldsurprisethejurorsandmaketheideastickintheirminds.Thisslidewouldthenthematicallytransitiontothenext,pivotal,slideinthepresentation.

Chapter1 9

Markclickedtheremoteagain,andthistimeablackslideappearedwiththephraseCSI:Angletononit,similartotheslideshowninFigure1-7,ashesaid,“IfweweregoingtoputitintoaTVshow,thiswouldbe‘CSI:Angleton.’...Whatyou’regoingtodois...followtheevidence,likeanygooddetectivewould.”

FIGURE 1-7 Nextthewords“CS :Ang eton”appearedonthescreenasMarkto djurorsthattheywou dbe kecr mescene nvest gators,sort ngthroughtheev dencetof gureoutwhatcausedBob sdeath.

Inanentertainingfictionalstory,themaincharacterissomeoneanaudienceobservesfromadistance.Butinanonfictionpresentation,makingtheaudiencethecenteroftheactioncandramaticallyincreasetheirsenseofinvolvement.You’lllearnhowtoalwaysmakeyouraudiencethemaincharacterofyourpresentationstorywhenyouplanyourfirstfiveslidesinChapter4,“PlanningYourFirstFiveSlides.”

Inkeepingwithclassicalstorytellingform,Mark’snextstepwouldbetopresentthemaincharacterswithaproblemtheywouldhavetoface.

The Heart of the ProblemMarkclickedtheremotecontroltoadvancetothenextslide,showinganimageofaheadquartersbuilding,similartoFigure1-8,ashesaid,“Theevidenceisgoingtoleadyoutooneplace”—thefrontstepsofoneofthelargestpharmaceuticalcompaniesintheworld.Markexplainedthathewouldshowagreatdealofevidencefrommanysourcesthatallprovedthecompany’sdrugwasacauseofBob’sheartattack.Butthenheadded,“Therearelotsofdifferentwaysitcanbepainted,”andjurorswouldhavetoeventuallyweightheevidenceagainsteverythingelsetheywouldhear.

A S ngu ar S ory


FIGURE 1-8 NextMarkshowedaphotooftheheadquartersbu d ngofthepharmaceut ca company,s m artoth s,andto djurorsthattheev dence nthecasewou d eadtothecompany sdoorstep.

Markclickedtheremotebuttontoshowthenextslide,aphotographofagavelandflag,similartoFigure1-9,ashesaid,“You’regoingtohearallofthisevidencebecause...yourjobtodoistogetustojustice...Nobodyelsehasthispower.Ajudgecan’tdoit...Politicianscan’tdoit.Nobodyelsecandoit.Thisiswhereyoucanmakeadifferenceintheworld.”

TheimageofthegavelalongwithMark’snarrationreinforcedtheproblemthejurorsfaced:theywillseetheevidenceagainstthecompany,andtheywillhavetosortthroughitandbringthesituationtojustice.You’lllearnhowtocreatesimilardramatictensioninyourpresentationsinChapter3,“BuildingaFoundationwiththeBBPStoryTemplate,”whenyouplanthetwospecificslidesthatpresentyouraudiencewithanunresolvedproblemthatyourpresentationwillhelpthemtosolve.

FIGURE 1-9 W thagave andf agd sp ayedonscreen,Markexp a nedthatthejurorscou dbr ngthes tuat ontojust ce.

Chapter1 11

Next,asMarkbegantoclicktoaslidesimilartotheoneshowninFigure1-10,hesaid,“Howareyougoingtodoit?Mysuggestiontoyouis,again,you’vegottofollowtheevidence.Firstofall,I’mgoingtoshowyouamotive.”Thewordmotiveappearedonthescreen(left)alongwithapictureofastackofmoney.“I’mgoingtoshowyouthemeans,”hesaid,asthewordmeansandanimageofpillssimilartothisoneappearedonthescreen(middle).“I’mgoingtoshowyouthedeath,”hesaid,astheworddeathandthefamiliaroutlineofBobappearednexttoCarolonthescreen(right).

FIGURE 1-10 Th ssummarys dev sua yd st stheent recase ntoas ng e mage.Thehor zonta barsaboveandbe owthe consareredto nd catethatth ss destandsoutasthemost mportantnthepresentat on.

Withtheseslides,Markaskedthejurorstofollowthesimpleformulathatunderlieseverymurder-mysterystory:motive+means death.Evenjurorswhodon’twatchTVwouldknowthisfamiliarstructurefrombooks,boardgames,orstoriesinthenews.Earlier,Markhintedatamurder-mysterymotifwiththeblackoutlineandagainwiththeCSIreference,andnowatthemostimportantpartofthepresentation,hefullyestablishedthemurder-mysterymotifasthestructurefortheentirepresentationtocome.You’lllearnmoreabouthowyoufindyourstorythreadandintegrateverbalandvisualmotifsintoyourownpresentationstartinginChapter4.

Thissingleslidedistillstheessenceoftheentirestoryintoasingleimage—you’llcreateasimilarslideinChapter7,“SketchingYourStoryboard,”andChapter8,“AddingGraphicstoYourSlides.”Althoughtheslideappearssimple,itisextremelysophisticatedinitseffectbecauseitreducesacomplexcaseintosomethingeasytounderstandandfollow.

The Hear o he Prob em


Distilling the EssenceAshewasintheplanningstageofhispresentation,Markfacedavastamountofinformationthathecouldpotentiallypresenttohisaudience,asyoucertainlydoinyourownpresentations.ForMark,itwouldbetoughtoexplainthecomplexsciencebehindhowthedrugworked,howitwasdeveloped,andhowitwasreviewedandstudied.Itwouldbeconfusingtorecountthedetailsofeveryevent,everypersoninvolved,andthesequenceinwhichthecaseunfolded.Itwasadauntingtasktoselectthemostimportantevidencetoexplainthecasefrommorethan3milliondocumentsandcountlesshoursofvideotapeddepositionsfromwitnesses.

Ontopofthevastamountofinformationtochoosefrom,Markfacedtheconstraintsofalimitedamountoftimetocommunicatetohisaudience,justasyoudoinyourpresentations.Innomorethantwoandahalfhours,hehadtopresentthejurorswithanoverviewofthecase,educatethemaboutkeyconcepts,andequipthemwithaframe-worktounderstandthesixweeksoftestimonytocome.Andhehadtodoallthiswhilekeepingjurorsinterestedandengaged.

Justasyou’lldoinChapter5,“PlanningtheRestofYourSlides,”Marksolvedtheproblemofpotentiallyoverwhelminghisaudiencebydistillinghispresentationintothreeroughlyequalpartsthathewouldspendequalamountsoftimeexplaining.Withhisthreekeypointsidentified,andusingthemurder-mysterymotifasafamiliarstructure,Markverballyandvisuallyintroducedtheenormouslycomplexcasetojurorsasbeing“aseasyas1-2-3”tounderstand,usingthissummaryslideashespoke.

NextMarkclickedtheremotetoshowtheslidescontaininghiskeypoints,similartotheimagesshowninFigure1-11,asheintroducedeachofthethreesectionsofthepresen-tation.Insteadofoverwhelmingjurorswith3milliondocuments,Marknowguidedthemalongwhatappearedtobeaverysimplestoryasheintroducedthethreemostimpor-tantpartsofthecase,whichhethenexplainedinmoredetailashispresentationmovedforward.Nowthejurorscouldrelaxastheylistenedandwatchedthestoryunfold.

Inanypresentation,theaudiencecan’tpossiblyrememberalltheinformationtheyseeandhear,butithelpsifyougivethemgraphicalcuestothepresentation’sorganizationandtheslides’relativeimportance.Thelookofthesethreeslideswasbasedonthestyleoftheearliersummaryslide,carryingforwardthestoryvisuallytocomplementMark’sverbalexplanation.Thesimplesplit-screenlayoutoftheslides,theuseofthestrikingredcolor,andtheconsistentgraphicalstyleensuredthatwhentheseslidesappeared,theywouldstandoutasthemostimportantamongalloftheslides.You’lllearnmoreabouthowtoapplythesetechniqueswhenyousketchyourownstoryboardinChapter7.

Chapter1 13

FIGURE 1-11 Ashe ntroducedeachofthethreesect onsoftheopen ngstatement,Markd sp ayeds desthatcarr edforwardthethemefromtheear ersummarys de, nc ud ngtheredbackgroundsonthe eftha fofeachs de.

Mixing MediumsWiththissimpleyetclearandengagingintroductiontohisopeningstatement,Markhadsucceededinpresentingaframeworkthatwouldbeeasyforjurorstofollow.Hecontinuedtointegratethestoryseamlesslythroughtheremainingslidesoverthenextcoupleofhours.Althoughyourownpresentationswilllikelynotlastaslong,thesame

D s ng he Essence


BBPapproachwillgiveyoutheabilitytoquicklyscaledownanypresentationfrom45minutesto15to5.

AsMarkcontinuedthroughthepresentation,manyslidesinthepresentationlookedsimilartotheonesshowninFigure1-12.Theslidesweredesignedsothatthejurors’attentionwouldfirstgotothemostimportantinformationatthetopofthescreen—aheadlinethatsummarizedthemainpointathand,likeanewspaperheadline.Nextthejurorswouldseeasimplegraphicthatillustratedthespecificheadline.Lastthejurors’attentionwouldshiftfromthescreentoMark,whoexplainedthepointoftheslideinmoredetail.Therangeofvisualsusedontheslidesincludedawidevarietyofphoto-graphs,medicalillustrations,documents,screencaptures,timelines,andmore.

FIGURE 1-12 Thes desw th neachsect onofthepresentat onusedas m ar ayoutsty e,wh chhe pedthejurorsqu ck yunderstandthe nformat on.

Markclickedthroughthe153slidesofthispresentationatapaceoflessthanoneminuteperslide,whichallowedhisaudiencetodigesttheinformationonthescreenbeforemovingforwardtothenextslideandthenextpartofthestory.Thispacekeptthejurorsvisuallyinterested.

ConventionalPowerPointslidescanoverwhelmaudienceswithtoomuchinformationonthescreen,butMark’spresentationcontainedonlyoneideaperslide,givingjurorstimetodigesteachpointastheylistenedtoMark’sverbalexplanation.Insteadofread-ingbulletpointsfromthescreen,Markusedhisslidesasvisualcuestoprompthimonthenextpointhewouldmake,allowinghimtospeakwithanaturalandspontaneousstylethatcamefromthedepthofhisknowledgeandauthorityonhistopic.Andinsteadoflookingatthescreentoseewhatwasonit,Markkepthisattentionfocusedonthejurors,makingeyecontactwitheachpersonthroughoutthepresentation.

BeyondthePowerPointslides,Markalsousedarangeofothermediaandphysicalpropstoengagewiththeaudienceoverthecourseofthepresentation.Attimes,heswitchedthescreentoadocumentprojector,wherehedisplayedphysicalpaperdocumentsand

Chapter1 15

highlightedpassagesonthepageswithayellowmarkerasheexplainedthesignificanceoftheevidence.Laterheusedalargepaperflipchartthathecallsa“double-wide,”wherehewroteoutkeytermsandconceptswithlargemarkers.Sometimesheswitchedfromtheslidestoabriefvideothatillustratedapoint.Othertimes,heusedphysicalpropssuchasaplasticmodelofaheartheldupinhishandtoteachjurorsthesciencebehindheartattacks.

Markuseddifferenttypesofmediatokeepthingsvariedandinterestingthroughoutthepresentationandtokeeptheexperiencefromfeelingtooslickandproduced.Butafterusingeachtypeofmedia,MarkalwaysreturnedtothePowerPointpresentationonthe10-footscreenbecauseitwasavisuallyunifyingtoolhecouldusetomovethestoryforward.Theshiftinganddissolvingimagesholdingtheaudience’sinterestonthelargescreenseamlesslycametogetherwithMark’sphysicalpresence,andhisvoicefilledinkeydetailswhileremainingconsistentwiththevisualpresentation.IntheAngletoncourtroom,PowerPointhadtakenonanewrole—itwasnowatremendouslypersuasivebackdropthatwouldhaveamajorimpactonthejurorsintheeyeofthePowerPointstorminthisAngletoncourtroom.

Fade to GrayAfterMarkfinishedhispresentation,thejudgeallowedabreak,andthejurorsleftthecourtroom.Nowitwasthedefenseteam’sturntopresentitsopeningstatement.TheygottheirPowerPointpresentationreadyontheirownlaptopcomputer,andtheyrolledbackthepodiumtowhereithadbeenbeforeMarkmovedit,infrontofthejurybox.Whenthejurorsreturned,thedefenselawyerwalkeduptothepodium,lookeddownathisprintednotes,andbegantoreadhisopeningstatementtothejurors.

Inthecrucialfirstfewminutesofthepresentation,whenitisessentialtomakeanaudi-encefeellikethepresentationisallaboutthem,thelawyerrecitedthedetailsabouttheadmirablehistoryofthecompany.Insteadofmakingthepresentationhumanbytellingananecdoteaboutarealperson,heciteddrydataaboutthemillionsofpeoplethecom-panyaimstoreachwithitsvariousdrugs.Ashereadthepreparedscriptinformalandimpersonallanguage,someoneelseonhisteamadvancedthePowerPointslidesforwardonthecomputer,sometimesmissingacueandleavingadisconnectbetweenwhatthelawyersaidandwhatthejurorssawonthescreen.Thelawyeroccasionallyturnedbacktolookatthescreenbehindhimtopointatacomplicatedchartoralongpassageoftext.

Ratherthandisplayadynamicandengagingvisualexperience,thelawyernextshowedaslidewithaformalphotographofthecompany’sformerCEOinacoatandtieas

M x ng Med ums


hetalkedabouttheCEOandhisfamily,hisbiography,hispublicservice,andhiscivicinvolvement.Missingthechancetoconnectwiththeeverydaypeopleinthejurywithcolorandcharacter,thedefenselawyercontinuedonwithslidesthatshowedformalphotographsofothercorporateexecutives,andhetalkedabouttheirIvyLeagueeducations,detailedbiographies,andlonglistsofaccomplishments.Missingthepointthatlessismore,laterthelawyerdisplayedthefamiliarbulletpoints,charts,andlongpassagesoftextthatthejurorsstrainedtoread.

Thedefenselawyer’srelationshipwiththejurorsneverwarmedupwiththechillyandformaltoneofthepreparedtalk.Thepodiumthatwasnowinfrontofthejurorshaderectedawallbetweenthepresenterandhisaudience,thepreparedscripttookawaythelawyer’snaturalvoiceandspontaneity,andthePowerPointslidesonthescreenbecamea10-footdistractionfromthelawyerwhowasspeaking.

Attheendofthedefense’spresentation,everyonestoodasthejurorsleftthecourtroom,andthenthecourtadjournedfortheday.Ifwhatlawyersbelieveistrue,thetwopresen-tationsthejurorshadjustexperiencedwouldplayasignificantroleintheverdicttheywouldreachattheendofthetrial.Whateverthejurorsthoughtthatday,thejournalistsintheroomwastednotimeinpronouncingtheirverdictabouthowtheythoughtthetwoPowerPointpresentationshadgone.

Stark ChoicesThenewsmediacoveropeningstatementsoflegaltrialseveryday,butit’sunusualwhenthetopicofthecoverageisthepresentationstyleitself.Accordingtothecoverageofthisopeningstatementthenextday,somethingexceptionalhadhappenedintheAngletoncourtroom.AccordingtoFortune’saccount,Mark“gaveafrighteninglypowerfulandskillfulopeningstatement,”speaking“withoutnotesandingloriouslyplainEnglish”andtakingonthedefendant“withmerciless,spellbindingsavagery”(RogerParloff,“StarkChoicesattheFirstVioxxTrial,”Fortune,July15,2005).ThereporterhadnotnoticedthatMarkdidhaveaformofnotes—hisPowerPointpresentationinPresenterviewonhislaptopbelowthejurybox.TheNewYorkTimesreportedthatincomparisonwithMark’sopening,thedefenselawyer’spresentationwas“staid”andthat“hereadportionsofhisstatementandillustratedhistalkmostlyusingblue-and-yellowPowerPointpiechartsandlongexcerptsoflettersfromtheFoodandDrugAdministration”(AlexBerenson,“ContraryTalesofVioxxRoleinTexan’sDeath,”NewYorkTimes,July15,2005).

AccordingtoFortune:“ThetrialoffersjurorsastarkchoicebetweenacceptingLanier’sinvitationtobelievesimple,alluringandemotionallycatharticstories”andthedefense’s“appealstocolorless,heavy-goingsoporificReason.Lanierisinvitingthejurorstojoin

Chapter1 17

himonabracingmissiontocatchawrongdoerandbringhimtojustice.”Incontrast,theFortunearticlecontinued,thedefense“isaskingthejurorstodosomethingdifficultandunpleasantlike—well—takingmedicine.”

Sixweekslater,thetrialended,andthejurorsenteredthejuryroomtodeliberate.Afteradayandahalfofdiscussion,thejurorsmadeadecision,andthejournalistsandlawyersfilledthecourtroomagaintohearwhattheywouldsay.Thejurorsawardedtheplain-tiffastunning$253millionverdict.Amidthestormofinternationalheadlinenews,thepharmaceuticalcompany’smarketcapitalizationfell$5billion(AlexBerenson,“JuryCallsMerckLiableinDeathofManonVioxx,”NewYorkTimes,August20,2005).

Aftertheverdictwasannounced,theWallStreetJournalreportedonejurorassay-ing“‘Whenever[thedefense]wasupthere,itwaslikewah,wah,wah,’...imitatingthesoundsCharlieBrown’steachermakesinthetelevisioncartoon.‘Wedidn’tknowwhatthehecktheyweretalkingabout’”(HeatherWonTesoriero,“MerckLossJoltsDrugGiant,Industry,”WallStreetJournal,August22,2005).

TheimpactofthePowerPointpresentationinMark’sopeningstatementprovedtolastlongafterthetrial.Sixmonthslater,MarkmetwiththeAngletonjurorsduringafocusgroupsessiontoseewhattheyrememberedaboutthetrial,andthejurorsvividlyrecalledthespecificstoryandimagesthatMarkpresentedinhisopeningstatement.

Winds of ChangeAlthoughusingPowerPointhelpedwinthedayinAngletonfortheplaintiff,thatparticularstorydidnotendthere,asmanymoreVioxxcaseswenttotrialinothercourtroomsaroundtheU.S.Laterthepharmaceuticalcompany’smarketcapitaliza-tionrecovered,andMerckagreedtosettleallVioxxclaimsin2007witha$4.85billionsettlementfund.ButwhatwasunlockedinAngletonthatJulydaywasanexampleofthedramaticresultsaneffectivePowerPointapproachcanhaveonasinglepresentationinasingleroomwithasingleaudience.

TheBBPapproachhadneverbeenusedinacourtroombeforetheAngletontrial,butsincethatday,itsimpactisstillreverberatingthroughthelegalprofession.Today,ifalegalteamfacesacourtroomopponentwhoisusingBBP,theyknowthattheyhavetosomehowrespondandraisethebaroftheirownpresentations.LegalteamsthathavefacedopponentsusingBBPinthecourtroomhavestartedtoadoptthestorythemesandgraphicsthattheothersideuses.Forexample,intrialsagainstthepharmaceuti-calcompanythatfollowedtheAngletonverdict,thedefenselawyersbeganusingthe“CSI”themeintheirpresentations.WhenMarkfacedthemagain,heusedtechniquestocounterwhatthedefenselawyersdid,raisingthebarevenhigher.

S ark Cho ces


Thesamesortsofimpactsarebeingfeltinotherprofessionsaswell,asBBPbeginstotransformthestatusquoforpresenterseverywhere.AsyouconsiderapplyingBBPtoyourownpresentationsinthisbook,itmightseemhardtoimaginehowtoapplythesetypesoftechniquestoyourspecificprofession.Butbeyondlawyersandlawfirms,manypeopleinmanyotherprofessionsandorganizationsareaccomplishingsignificantresultswiththisapproach,includingpresentersinmajorcorporations,governmentalagencies,universities,researchfirms,andnonprofitorganizations.Withinthesegroups,peopleuseBBPinawiderangeoffunctionssuchasmarketing,sales,training,andeducation.Inthisbook,you’llfindexamplesofpresentationsfromdifferentfieldsandfordifferentpurposessothatyouseehowtoapplyBBPtoyourownsituation.

EverythingMarkandmanyothershaveaccomplishedusingtheBBPapproachisexplainedindetailinthisbook.InChapter2,“RealigningOurPowerPointApproachwiththeResearch,”you’lllearntheunderpinningsofBBPalongwiththekeyresearchfind-ingsyouneedtoknow,andinChapter3,you’llseeanoverviewofthethreestepsoftheBBPapproach.Thenyou’llgetrighttoworkonplanningyourfirstfiveslidesinChapter4andtherestofyourslidesinChapter5.InChapter6,“SettingUpYourStoryboardandNarration,”you’llsetupyourstoryboardandnarration;inChapter7,you’llsketchthestoryboard;andinChapter8,you’lladdgraphics.You’llgetadviceondeliveringBBPpresentationsinChapter9,“DeliveringYourBBPPresentation,”andyou’llseehowBBPplaysoutthroughawiderangeofpresentationcontextsandpurposesinChapter10,“ReviewingaRangeofBBPExamples,”and.ThecompanionWebsitetothisbook,atwww.beyondbulletpoints.com,offersadvancedresourcestothefast-growingcommu-nityofpeopleusingBBP.Bytheendofthisbook,youshouldbewellequippedwiththeknowledgeandtoolsyouneedtostartapplyingBBPtoyourownpresentations.

The Power of BBP in Your HandsMark’spresentationinAngletonisonlyasampleofhowtouseBBPtounlocktheengaging,compellingstoriesinsideofyou.WhenMarkenteredtheAngletoncourt-roomthathotJulydaytopresenthisopeningstatement,hehadthesamePowerPointsoftwareyouhave.Hejustuseditinaninnovativewaythatproduceddramaticresultsandmadeheadlinenews.Thebookinyourhandsrightnowgivesyouthepowertodothesame.

19

CHAPTER 2

BEYOND BULLET POINTS (BBP)getsdramat ca ybetterresu tsthan

theconvent ona bu etpo ntapproachbecausebeneaththes mp e,

c ear,andcompe ngv sua stor es sasoph st catedfoundat onthat

determ neseveryth ngyousay,show,anddodur ngapresentat on Th s

chapterw exp a nwhyBBPworkssowe andwhytheconvent ona

approachsooftenfa sshortofexpectat ons

Three Bedrock Tools of PowerPointThroughoutits20yearsofexistence,PowerPointsoftwarehasalwaysofferedtheabilitytoworkonyourpresentationinthreekeyviews:Normalview,NotesPageview,andSlideSorterview.AlthoughtherestofthePowerPointfeaturesaddedsincethenarenicetohave,thesethreeviewscontinuetobethebedrocktoolsyouneedtocreateyourpresentations.

Th schapterfocusesonthethreev ewsyouusewhenyouprepareyours des nadvanceofaPowerPo ntpresentat on Formore nforma-t onaboutthetwov ewsyoucanusewhenyoupresents destoanaud ence—S deShowv ewandPresenterv ew—seeAppend xB

Realigning Our PowerPoint Approach with the Research


■ LearnwhyBeyondBu etPo nts(BBP)getstheresu ts tdoes.

■ Rev ewkeyresearchpr nc p esthateverypresenterneedstoknow.

■ Comparetheresearchpr nc p esw thBBPandtheconvent ona approach.

20 Chapter2 Rea gn ng Our PowerPo n Approach w h he Research

NormallywhenyoucreateatextslideinPowerPointwiththestandardbulletpointapproach,youfirststartinNormalview,asshownontheleftinFigure2-1,whereyouclicktoaddatitletothetitleareaandthenclicktoaddtextinthecontentareabelow.Ifyouhavemoretosayverballyabouttheslidebutcan’tfittheextrawordsinthecontentarea,youmightbeoneofafewpeopletovisitNotesPageview,showninthemiddleinFigure2-1,whereyouseetheslideareaatthetopandanadjacenttextboxinthenotesareaatthebottomthatdoesnotappearonscreenduringapresentation.Andafteryou’vecreatedyourslides,youmightvisitSlideSorterview,shownontheright,totakealookatallofyourslidestogetherassmallthumbnails.

No ma v ew

Notes Page v ew

S de So te v ew

FIGURE 2-1 Thethreework ngv ews nPowerPo nt:Norma ,NotesPage,andS deSorter.

ThisorderedsequenceofusingPowerPointinNormal,NotesPage,andthenSlideSorterviewsisthenormtoday.ThesecrettounlockingthepowerofBBPistoflipthissequenceandalwaysworkinPowerPointinSlideSorterviewfirst,theninNotesPage

Chapter2 21

view,andfinallyinNormalview.Asthischapterexplains,whenyoudiscoverthisneworderforusingthesamefeaturesthathavebeenaroundfortwodecades,youwillteachanoldPowerPointdognewtricks.Andwhenyouapplythenewsequencetoyourownpresentations,you’llseehowBBPtapsintothepowerfulpotentialofPowerPointthathasbeenwaitingforyouallalong.

Realignment 1: Use Slide Sorter View to Manage the Volume of Information in Your PresentationOpenanew,blankPowerPointpresentation,andontheViewtab,inthePresentationViewsgroup,clickSlideSorter,asshowninFigure2-2.AlthoughyoumightbeusedtolookingatSlideSorterviewonlyoccasionally,ifever,thefirsttrickofBBPistoalwaysbeginworkinginPowerPointinthisview.You’lldothatstartinginChapter6afteryoufinishwritingtheoutlineforyourpresentation.Ifyou’rewonderingwhyit’ssoimportanttoelevatethestatusofthislittle-usedviewfromtheleastimportanttothemostimpor-tantwaytolookatyourpresentations,youneedtostepoutofthePowerPointmindsetaltogetherforabitandasksomeuncommonquestionsfirst.

FIGURE 2-2 S deSorterv ew,d sp ay nga ofyours desassma thumbna s.

Rea gnmen 1 Use S de Sor er V ew o Manage he Vo ume o n orma on n Your Presen a on


In Search of “Research Reality”InmostconversationsaboutPowerPoint,thediscussionusuallyfocusesonwhichsizefonttouse,howtoinsertavideoclip,andwhetherthebackgroundofaPowerPointtemplateshouldbeblue,blackoranothercolor.Onethingyouneverhearisaconversa-tionaboutanyresearchrelatedtoPowerPointpresentations.DespitethewidespreaduseandinfluenceofPowerPointsoftwareinmanyprofessions,youwouldbehardpressedtofindresearchthatdemonstratesthattheunderlyingtheory,impact,oreffectivenessoftheconventionalbulletpointapproachisbetterthananyotherapproach.

Forexample,youwon’tfindresearchindicatingthatpresentingwithbulletpointsonaPowerPointslideismoreeffectivethanpresentingwithoutthem,orstudiesshowingthatusingaPowerPointdesigntemplatetomakeeveryslidebackgroundthesameproducesbetterlearningthannotusingadesigntemplate,oraquantitativejustificationandrationaleforcommonlyacceptedPowerPointdesignguidelinessuchasthe6-by-6rule,whichstatesthateveryslideshouldhavesixlinesoftextwithsixwordsperline.

ThislackofcomparativestudiesonPowerPointapproacheshascreatedavoidintermsofresearch-basedguidelinesonhowbesttousethesoftware,andthisvoidhasbeenquicklyfilledwithpopularmythsandculturalhabits.Inotherwords,themainreasonweapproachPowerPointthewaywedoissimplybecausethat’sthewaythatwe’vealwaysdoneit,andnotbecauseanyresearchsaysit’sbetterthananyotherway.

AlthoughthereislittleresearchspecificallycomparingPowerPointapproaches,thereisasignificantbodyofresearchthathasdirectrelevancetothosewhousespokenwordsandprojectedimagestocommunicate.Researchersinthefieldsofcognitivescienceandeducationalpsychologyhavebeenstudyingfordecadesthebestwaystohelppeoplelearnnewinformationusingnarrationandimages.Theirworkisatreasuretroveofinfor-mationthatisdirectlyrelevantandapplicabletoyouwhenyouusePowerPointtocreatepresentations.

TheonlyproblemisthatcurrentlytheresearchdotsarenotconnectedtoourPowerPointbulletpoints.Thatiswhatyou’lldonowasyouapplythreekeypartsofthisresearchtothethreeviewsofPowerPoint.Asyoudothat,you’llseehowthesethree“researchrealities”quicklydispelthemythsandbreakthehabitsthatstandinthewayofeffectivepresentations.ThesethreeresearchrealitiesalsowillshowclearlywhyBBPworkssowellandwhytheconventionalapproachtoPowerPointdoesnotdeliverresultsaseffectively.

Chapter2 23

ThischapterisinspiredbytheworkofRichardE.Mayer,Ph.D.,aprofessorofpsychologyattheUniversityofCalifornia,SantaBarbara.Rankedasthemostproductiveresearcherinthefieldofeducationalpsychologyintheworld,Mayeristheauthorof23booksandmorethan350otherpublicationsandhasbeenresearchingmultimedialearningandproblemsolvingforalmost20years.Inhisbooksandrelatedarticlesandpapers,Mayerproposesawaytounderstandtheuseofmultimediathatpromotesmeaningfullearningandlaysoutasetofprinciplesfordesigninganymultimediaexperiencebasedonhisownresearchandthatofothers.FormoreinformationabouttheresearchonmultimedialearninganditsimplicationsforPowerPointpresentations,see:

■ RichardE.Mayer,Ed.,TheCambridgeHandbookofMultimediaLearning(CambridgeUniversityPress,2005).

■ CliffAtkinson,“TheCognitiveLoadofPowerPoint:Q&AwithRichardE.Mayer,”www.beyondbulletpoints.com(March2004).

Research Reality 1: You Have to Respect the Limits of Working MemoryWhetherornotyouthinkaboutitconsciously,youprobablyacceptfundamentalassumptionsaboutcommunicationthatliterallyshapeyourthinkinginwayslargeandsmall.Ifyoucommonlytalkaboutcommunicationintermsofa“sender”whotransmitsa“message”toa“receiver,”youmightassumethatyou“send”informationthroughanunobstructedchannel,likeapipeline,andtheaudiencewill“getit,”fullyintact,attheotherendofthepipeline,asshowninFigure2-3.

the “p pe ne”

FIGURE 2-3 Thep pe neconceptassumesthatthere sanunobstructedchanne betweenyouandyouraud ence.



Withthepipelineinmind,youassumethatyoucanproduceaPowerPointpresentationinwhateverwayyoulike,asshownontheleftinFigure2-4.AfteryousendthisPowerPointpresentationthroughthepipeline,youassumethatitsreceiverswill“getit”ontheotherside,asshownontheright.Underthisassumption,yourworkisthendone.Theonlycriterionforsuccessisthatyou“delivered”thePowerPointpresentationthroughthepipeline.Ifforsomereasontheaudiencedidn’tgetwhatyoudelivered,ofcourse,it’snotyourfaultasapresenter—afterall,youdeliveredthePowerPointpresentation,andwhattheydidwithitistheirproblem,notyours.

Thepipelineassumptionisatworkwhenpeoplemakestatementslike,“Weshowedthemthefacts,buttheyjustdidn’tgetit,”or,“Thepresentationwentrightovertheirheads.”Whenaverdictinalegaltrialgoesagainstoneparty,itiscommonforpeopletosaythejuryjustdidn’t“get”theevidence,orwhenasalespresentationdoesnotsucceed,thepresentermightsaytheaudiencejustdidn’t“get”thebenefitsoftheproductorservice.Itishardtoseparatethepipelinemetaphorfromourthinkingbecauseitiswovenintothewordsandexpressionsweusecommonlyeveryday.

What you present to your aud ence What you assume the aud ence earns

FIGURE 2-4 W ththep pe ne nm nd,youassumethatyouraud encew “get”whateveryou“de ver”tothem.

Althoughthepipelinemetaphorisconvenient,inpracticeitdoesnotdeliverwhatyoumightassumeitdoes.AccordingtoleadingeducationalpsychologistRichardE.Mayer,ifyougiveamultimediapresentationtoanaudience,therearethreepossibleoutcomes,asshowninFigure2-5.Thefirstpossibleoutcomeisthatyouraudienceexperiencednolearning(upperright).Thisistheworst-casescenario—inspiteofyourworkinprepar-ingyourpresentationandyouraudience’stimeandeffortinshowingupandpayingattention,nolearninghappenedtomaketheexperienceworthwhile.

Chapter 2 25

What you present to your aud ence

What actua y happens

No Learn ng

Fragmented Learn ng

Mean ngfu Learn ng1 2 3

FIGURE 2-5 n rea ty, aud ences do not automat ca y get what you send through the p pe ne.

A second possible outcome is that your audience remembered perhaps the bullet points on slides 12 and 33 and the diagram on slide 26—but that’s all they remembered. In this scenario, they remember only bits and pieces of the presentation because they experienced fragmented learning (middle right). In fragmented learning, the audi-ence members remember at least some things; but from a presenter’s perspective, you have no control over what they learned because the fragments could be any pieces of information among many, and you don’t know which ones.

The third possible outcome is that the audience remembered exactly what the presenter intended—they experienced meaningful learning (lower right). Meaningful learning is what any group wants to achieve in their time together—the people in the audience understand what the presenter intended, and they are able to apply the information after the meeting.

Audiences routinely report that PowerPoint presentations today are “Forgettable!” and “What’s the point?” It’s rare to hear an audience and a presenter agree that meaningful learning has occurred. In order to turn the situation around, you literally need to change the shape of the metaphor that guides the way you think about human communication.

During a PowerPoint presentation, the memory of an audience member is the critical human element that determines how well new information is received, processed, and stored in the human mind. Researchers who study the mind generally accept that there are three types of human memory, as shown in Figure 2-6.

Rea gnmen 1 UseS deSor erV ew oManage heVo umeo n orma on nYourPresen a on


Sensory Work ng Long term

FIGURE 2-6 Thethreetypesofhumanmemory:sensorymemory, ong termmemory,andwork ngmemory.

Thefirsttypeissensorymemory.Sensorymemoryisthepartofthemindwhereyouraudiencemembersbrieflystoretheinitialimpressionsofsightsandsoundsastheylookatandlistentotheenvironmentaroundthem.Sensorymemoryispotentiallyunlimitedincapacity,althoughsightsandsoundsmightpersistinsensorymemoryforlessthanasecond.

Thesecondtypeislong-termmemory—thepartofthemindwhereyouraudiencemem-bersstoreinformationoveranextendedperiodoftime,fromaslittleas30secondstoaslongasalifetime.Inapresentationcontext,thisiswhereyouwouldlikeyouraudiencetostorethenewinformationyouintendtocommunicatetothem.Beyondjustremem-beringthenewinformation,youalsowouldlikethemtobeabletoaccessandapplytheinformationfromlong-termmemorywhenneeded.Likesensorymemory,long-termmemoryisalsopotentiallyunlimitedinitscapacity.

Thethirdtypeisworkingmemory(sometimescalledshort-termmemory)—thepartofthemindwhereyouraudiencemembersholdtheirattention.Thetheoriesunderlyingworkingmemoryarecomplex,butessentially,workingmemoryisatemporaryholdingareaforinformation.Assensorymemorybrieflyholdssightsorsounds,workingmemorythenpaysattentiontosomeofthemandholdsthemforamatterofsecondswhileitworkstointegratethemintolong-termmemory.

Whilesensorymemoryandlong-termmemoryeachhaveunlimitedcapacity,workingmemoryisseverelylimitedinitscapacitytoprocessnewinformation.Inaninfluentialpaperpublishedin1956,GeorgeA.Millerobservedthatpeoplecouldholdasmallnum-berof“chunks”thattheymentallyforminwhatwenowunderstandasworkingmemory.Althoughthecapacityofchunkswasthoughttobearoundsevenformostpeople,

Chapter2 27

dependingonthetypeofinformation,workingmemoryexpertNelsonCowanrecentlyrevisitedMiller’sclassicworkandnowestimatesthecapacityofworkingmemoryfornewinformationatthreeorfourchunks.

Formore nformat onaboutthecapac tyofwork ngmemory,see■ GeorgeA M er,“TheMag ca NumberSeven,P usorM nusTwo SomeL m tsonOurCapac tyforProcess ngInformat on,”PsychologicalReview63,81–97(1956)

■ C ffAtk nson,“TheSc enceofMak ngYourPowerPo ntMemorab e Q&Aw thNe sonCowan,”www.beyondbulletpoints.com(June2004)

Althoughthelimitsofworkingmemoryhavebeenacknowledgedfor50years,theconcepthasneverbeenfullyabsorbedorintegratedintoourday-to-daypracticeandunderstandingofhumancommunication.Thepipelinemetaphorhassuchastronggriponourcollectiveconsciousnessthatwehaveeffectivelyresistedtheadoptionoftheresearchthatcontradictsit.Yetasmuchasyoumightwanttobelievethatthereisanunobstructedpipelinebetweensenderandreceiver,therealityisthatthelimitsofworkingmemoryputamajorcrimpinthatmetaphor.

Inordertoalignyourownassumptionsaboutcommunicationwithwhatresearchersacceptaboutthewayhumanmemoryworks,you’llneedtodroptheoldpipelinemeta-phorandpickupanewmetaphor—theeyeoftheneedle,asshowninFigure2-7.

Sensory Work ng Long term

FIGURE 2-7 The m tedcapac tyofwork ngmemorytoprocessnew nformat oncreatesanarrowpassage much ketheeyeofaneed e thatstandsbetweenthe nformat onyoupresentsensorymemoryandthe nformat onthat s ntegrated nto ong termmemory.



Keepingthisnewmetaphorinmindwhenyoucreatepresentations,youknowthatyouhaveapotentiallyunlimitedamountofnewinformationthatyoucouldshowsome-one’ssensorymemory(left).Youwantthenewinformationtoberetainedinlong-termmemory(right).Butworkingmemoryissoconstrainedinitscapacitytoprocessnewinformationthatitcreatesanarrowpassage,muchliketheeyeofaneedle(center).Thisextremelysmallspaceofthe“eye”ofworkingmemoryconstitutesthemostformidablechallengeyoufaceasapresenter.

Thisnewmetaphorvisuallyexplainswhyaudiencesreporteithernolearningorfragmentedlearning.Ifyoupresentworkingmemorywithmorenewinformationthanitcanhandle,asshownontheleftinFigure2-8,theeyeoftheneedleiseasilyoverloadedandwillprocessandintegrateintolong-termmemorywhatitcan—onlybitsandpiecesoutoftheentirepresentation,asshownontheright.Asmuchasyoumightwantyouraudiencetolearnthenewinformationyoupresent,theywillneverbeabletolearnitunlessyouhelpthatinformationproperlypassthroughtheeyeoftheneedle.

FIGURE 2-8 Whenyoushowmore nformat onthanwork ngmemorycanhand e,aud encemembersrememberon yb tsandp eces.

TheimpactofreducingexcessloadonworkingmemoryhasbeendocumentedbyresearchersincludingMayer,whoconductedastudyusingtwomultimediapresenta-tions.Thefirstpresentationfeaturedinterestingbutirrelevantgraphics,andthesecondpresentationprovidedthesameinformation,butwithouttheinterestingbutirrelevantgraphics.

Mayermeasuredtheimpactofthetwoapproachesonaudiencesintermsoftwocriteria:retention,theabilityoftheaudiencetosimplyrecalltheinformation,andtransfer,the

Chapter2 29

abilitytocreativelyapplythenewinformation.Audienceswhoexperiencedthesecondpresentationretained69percentmoreinformationandwereabletoapply105percentmorecreativesolutionsusingtheinformationthanthosewhoexperiencedthefirstpresentation.Thisstudyoffersresearch-basedevidencetosupportthesaying“Lessismore”—thelessyouoverloadworkingmemorywithextraneousinformation,themorelearningimproves.

BBP Respects the Limits of Working MemoryWiththeeyeoftheneedlemetaphorinmind,takealookathowaBBPpresentationappearsinSlideSorterview,asshowninFigure2-9.Studieshavefoundthatpeoplelearnbetterwheninformationisbrokenupintodigestiblepieces,andhereinSlideSorterview,youseeeachspecificdigestiblepiece—intheformofasingleslidethatcontainsonlyonemainideathatisclearlysummarizedbyaheadline.Thiseasesyouraudiencethroughyourstoryandexplanationframebyframe,onepieceatatime.

A fam ar mot f re ates new nformat on toex st ng nformat on n ong term memory.

nformat on s presented n b te s zed segments, w th one dea per s de.

S de ayouts and backgrounds caattent on to the most mportant s des f rst.

There s c ear gu dance to he p the v ewer bu d a coherent structure.

FIGURE 2-9 S deSorterv ewshowsapresentat onthat sbrokenup ntod gest b echunksforeas erhand ngbywork ngmemory.



IntheSlideSorterviewofaBBPpresentation,youreyeimmediatelygoestothemostimportantslidesbecauseyouuselayoutsandbackgroundstocueyouraudiencetowheretheyare.Thisapproachdrawsfromthehardworkyoudowhenyoudistillyourcomplexideastotheessenceandidentifyyourkeypoints,asyou’llseeinChapter5.Thesevisualcuesalsoindicatetheslidesinthepresentationthatexplainyourkeypoints,andprovidebackupdetail.

InChapters6,7,and8,you’lluseconsistentlayoutsandbackgroundsonrelatedslidesinapresentationtocreatevisualandverbalcontinuityamongthem,butwhenyoureachadifferenttypeofslide,thelayoutsandbackgroundswillchange.Thisorientsbothpresenterandaudiencetowheretheyareinthestory,andthechangingslidelayoutsandbackgroundsofferyouraudiencevisualvarietytokeeptheirinterest.

YoualsoseefromSlideSorterviewthatBBPusesavisualmotifthroughapresentation.Researchershavefoundthatyouimprovetheabilityofworkingmemorytoprocessnewinformationbyapplyingfamiliarorganizingstructures.Thisworksbecauseanimportantqualityofworkingmemoryisthatitisatwo-waystreet.Althoughworkingmemoryhasonlylimitedcapacitytohandlenewinformationasthatinformationarrives,asshownontheleftinFigure2-10,italsohasunlimitedcapacitytopullinexistinginformationfromlong-termmemory,asshownontheright.

New nformat on Ex st ng nformat on

FIGURE 2-10 Work ngmemory s m ted n tscapac tytoprocessnew nformat on( eft),but t sun m ted n tscapac tytoprocessex st ng nformat onfrom ong termmemory(r ght).

Chapter2 31

Thisplaysoutintheclassictestofworkingmemory,whenaresearcherpresentssomeonewithnewinformationintheformofaseriesofunrelatednumbers,suchas1215152354.Thenumberoftheseindividualchunksofinformationthatsomeonecanrecallisconsideredthecapacityofthatperson’sworkingmemory.

However,peoplecanremembermoreofthesamesetofnumberswhenworkingmemorypullsfromlong-termmemoryastructuretheyalreadyknow.Thisorganizesthenewinfor-mationintomeaningfulchunksthatholdthesameinformationinamorememorableway,suchas212-555-1234—thefamiliarstructureofaU.S.telephonenumber.

Thusa“chunk”isdefinedbytheaudienceastheyapplyameaningfulstructurefromtheirlong-termmemorytonewinformation.Youhelpyouraudienceacceler-ateunderstandingofnewinformationwithBBPbyintroducingafamiliar“chunking”structuretonewinformationyoupresent.Forexample,inChapters4and5,youchooseafamiliarmotifthatresonateswithyouraudience,andthenlaterinChapters7and8,youextendthemotifvisuallyacrosstheslides.

Formore nformat onaboutus ngfam arstructurestoovercomethem tedcapac tyofwork ngmemorytoprocessnew nformat on,seeJohnSwe er,“Imp cat onsofCogn t veLoadforMu t med aLearn ng,” nTheCambridgeHandbookofMultimediaLearning,R chardE Mayer,Ed ,pp 19–30(Cambr dgeUn vers tyPress,2005)

The Old Way Ignores the Limits of Working MemoryForcomparison,takealookataconventionalPowerPointpresentationinSlideSorterview,asshowninFigure2-11.Audiencesmightnotknowaboutthelimitedcapacityofworkingmemory,buttheydoknowwhatthey’retalkingaboutwhentheysaypresenta-tionslikethisarea“Datadump!”and“Overwhelming!”They’vebeendowntheroadtooverloadbefore,andSlideSorterviewshowsexactlyhowtheconventionalapproachtakesthemthere.Thenewinformationisclearlynotpresentedinbite-sizepieces;instead,itfillseveryslide,slideafterslide,withoverwhelmingdetail.



nformat on s not presentedn b te s zed segments.

The s des do not he p ntroduce new nformat onw th a fam ar structure.

There s no gu dance to he p the v ewer bu d a coherent structure.

There are no v s b e s gna s to nd cate wh ch s desare most mportant.

FIGURE 2-11 S deSorterv ewofaconvent ona PowerPo ntpresentat onrevea snod gest b ep ecesandnocuesaboutthepresentat on sstructureororgan zat on.

Whatyouseehereisvisualoverwhelmratherthanvisualorganization.Usingthesamepredesignedbackgroundforalloftheslidesgivesthemauniformlook,butitalsopreventsyoufromusingarangeofdesigntechniquestovisuallyhighlightthemostimportantinformationonsingleslidesoracrossslides.Italsomakestheoverallpresentationappearvisuallyrepetitive,whichcausesboredomthatquicklyshutsdownattention.

MYTH VS. TRUTH

Myth:There snoneedformetousegraph ca cuestopo ntouttheorgan zat onofthepresentat on.

Truth:Researchshowsthatpeop e earnbetterwhenyouusev sua cuestoh gh ghtapresentat on sorgan zat on.

Chapter2 33

Formore nformat onabouttheresearchdescr bed ntheMythvs Truths debars nth schapter,seeR chardE Mayer,Ed ,TheCambridgeHandbookofMultimediaLearning(Cambr dgeUn vers tyPress,2005)

Lookingatthisbig-pictureviewofthepresentation,youcan’tseeimmediatelythelocationofthemostimportantslides.Instead,everyideahasequalvisualweight,andtherearenocuesgivenbytheslidebackgroundsaboutrelativeimportanceofideas.Workingmemory,withitslimitedcapacitytoprocessnewinformation,hastosortthingsoutonitsownandispresentedherewiththeimpossibletaskofholdingallthisnewinformationwhileitfiguresoutwhat’smostimportanttoknow.

MYTH VS. TRUTH

Myth:Peop ew earnmore fIshowmore.

Truth:Researchshowsthatpeop e earnbetterwhen nformat on spresented nb te s zep eces.

Youalsoseethatthereisnostructurethattieseachoftheindividualslidestogetherintoacoherentwhole—thispresentationisjustaseriesofbulletedlistsanddiagrams,slideafterslide.Thereisnofamiliarframeworkthattheaudiencealreadyhasinlong-termmemorythatcanguideworkingmemorytomakesenseofthenewinformation.

Realignment 2: Use Notes Page View to Synchronize What You Show and What You SayNowthatyou’verealignedthewayyouuseSlideSorterviewwiththeresearch,it’stimetomoveontoanotherseldom-seenviewinPowerPoint.ClicktheViewtab,andinthePresentationViewsgroup,clickNotesPage,toswitchtoNotesPageview,showninFigure2-12.Asdescribedearlier,NotesPageviewletsyouseetheon-screenslideabove,alongwithanoff-screennotesareathattheaudiencedoesnotsee.ThesecondtrickofBBPistoalwaysworkinNotesPageviewafterSlideSorterview,whichyou’lldostartinginChapter6.Thereareresearch-basedreasonstodothat,asyou’llseenext.

Rea gnmen 2 Use No es Page V ew o Synchron ze Wha You Show and Wha You Say


FIGURE 2-12 NotesPagev ew nc udestheon screens deareaaboveandanoff screennotesareabe ow.

Research Reality 2: You Have to Address the Two ChannelsThenextresearchreality,theconceptofdualchannels,statesthatpeoplereceiveandprocessnewvisualandverbalinformationinnotone,buttwoseparatebutrelatedchannels.AllanPaiviodescribedhistheoryofdualcodinginthe1970s,andduringthesamedecade,AlanBaddeleyandGrahamHitchdescribedasimilartwo-channelstructureinworkingmemory.

Today,theconcepthasbecomeawidelyacceptedstandardamongresearchers.Inthedual-channelsmodel,theimagessomeoneseesareprocessedthroughavisualchannel,thedomainofimagesincludingphotographs,illustrations,charts,andgraphs,asillus-tratedconceptuallyinFigure2-13(top).Whataspeakernarratesisprocessedthroughtheverbalchannel(bottom),whichisthedomainoflanguage.

Chapter2 35

V sua ChanneVerba Channe

FIGURE 2-13 Thesecondresearchrea ty sthatwork ngmemoryrece ves nformat onthroughtwochanne s av sua channe andaverba channe .

Althoughtextonascreenisavisualelement,workingmemoryquicklyverbalizesthewordsandsendsthemthroughtheverbalchannel.Researchovertheyearshasfoundthatthewayinformationispresentedtothesetwochannelshasabigimpactontheef-fectivenessofworkingmemory.

Formore nformat onaboutthedua -channe sconcept,see■ A anD Badde eyandGrahamH tch,“Work ngMemory,” nThe

PsychologyofLearningandMotivation:AdvancesinResearchandTheory,G H Bower,Ed ,Vo 8,pp 47–89(Academ cPress,1974)

■ A anPa v o,MindandItsEvolution(LawrenceEr baumAssoc ates,2007)

BBP Addresses the Two ChannelsYouseehowBBPaddressestherealityofdualchannelsbylookingatatypicalslideinNotesPageview,asshowninFigure2-14.Aclearheadlineatthetopofthepagealwayssummarizesthepoint—you’llwriteouttheseheadlinesinChapters4and5.Theoff-screentextboxinthebottomhalfofthepagecontainswhatyouwillsayaloudwhiletheslideisonscreen—you’llwriteoutyournarrationforeachslideinChapter6.Andlastyou’lladdasimplegraphictotheslideareathatyouseeinthetophalfofthepagetocomplementtheheadlineandtheverbalnarrationinChapter8.



BBP p ans for v sua s n the s de area and spoken words n the off screen text box be ow.

Seam ess y ntegrat ng v sua s and spoken words ensures the attent on s not sp t between screen and presenter.

Us ng the notes area recogn zes the cr t ca nformat on presented by the speaker s vo ce.

FIGURE 2-14 W thBBP,youuseNotesPagev ewtomanagethev sua channe ntheon screens deareaaboveandtheverba channe ntheoff screentextboxbe ow.

Writingoutthespokeninformationintheoff-screentextboxbeforeyouaddagraphicsignificantlyreducestheamountofinformationyouotherwisewouldplaceintheslideareaandinsteadkeepstheslideareasimpleandclear.Thishelpsworkingmemoryfocusattentiononthesinglepointthatyouexplainverballyduringthisslide.Insteadofread-ingtheheadlineverbatim,youlettheaudiencequicklyreadanddigestitontheirown.

BBPusesNotesPageviewinthiswaytotightlyintegratescreenandnarrationinordertomakethemostefficientuseofthetwochannelsofworkingmemory.LookingatthevisualandverbalareastogetherinNotesPageviewislikelookingatasingleframeinafilmstrip,whichismadeupofasequenceofconnectedvisualframes,eachwithacorrespondingchunkofaudio.

Whenyoudesignformultimediasuchasfilm,youapplyadifferentsetofconven-tionsthantheonesusedforprintbecauseafilmmodelhastwocoordinatedinforma-tionaltracks—avisualtrackthatcontainspicturesandanaudiotrackthatcontainsthespokenwords.

Chapter2 37

ByviewingyourslidesinNotesPageviewliketheframesinafilmstrip,youalignyourapproachwiththedualchannels—theinformationthatispresentedtothevisualchannelisintheon-screenslidearea,andtheinformationpresentedtotheverbalchannelisintheoff-screentextbox.Thisapproachalsocreatesawell-balancedhandoutthatyouprintinNotesPageformat,asshowninFigure2-14.ByusingPowerPointthisway,youensurethatyouproducebothaneffectivelivepresentationandaneffectiveprinteddocument.

Itisnoaccidentthatthestructureofafilmstripisconspicuouslysimilartothedual-channelsconcept.Whenyouwatchafilmwithsound,yourmindcoordinatesthedifferentinformationfromthesoundtrackandthevisualframesonscreen.

Foralmostacentury,filmmakershavemanagedtocommunicatecomplexideastoaudiencesaroundtheworldwithsynchronizedimagesandsound,withlittleifanytextonthescreen.Likewise,workingmemorycaneasilycoordinatevisualandverbalchannelsiftheyareproperlycoordinatedandpresented.

Withthescreenbehindthespeaker,theaudienceseesandquicklydigeststheslideandthenpaysattentiontothespeakerandhisorherverbalexplanation.Theentireexperienceappearsseamlesstotheaudience.

Usingtheoff-screennotesareainNotesPageviewalsotakesintoaccountthefactthatthespeakerhasavoiceduringapresentation,whichoffersacriticalsourceofinformationthathastobeplannedandintegratedintotheexperience.

BBPfundamentallychangesthemediamodelforPowerPointfrompapertoafilmstrip.ButthedifferencebetweenafilmstripandtheBBPapproachispacing.Infilmandtelevision,youcommonlyview24to60framespersecond.ABBPpresentationrunsatthespeedofconversation—aboutoneframeper30-60seconds—allowingtimefortheaudiencetodigestthenewinformationandthenfocusnextonthepresenter.Thisevenandappropriatepacingensuresthatyouraudienceexperiencesonlytherightthingsattherighttimes.



The Old Way Addresses Only One ChannelIfyouchoosenottoaddressboththevisualandverbalchannels,youseefromtheNotesPageviewofaconventionalslideshowninFigure2-15thatyouloaduptheslideareaatthetopwithalloftheinformationyouwanttocommunicatebothvisuallyandverbally.BecausehalfoftheavailablerealestateavailableforinformationinNotesPageviewisnotused—theoff-screentextboxbelowisempty—theslideareabecomesthesingleplacetoholdbothspokenwordsandprojectedimages.

P ac ng a nformat on on the s de area resu ts n anoverwhe m ng amount of nformat on on the s de.

When the text on screens the same as what s narrated, t creates redundancy thatreduces understand ng.

The busy s de sp tsattent on from thespeaker s narrat on.

Not us ng the notes area gnores a cr t ca sourceof nformat on, the speaker s vo ce.

FIGURE 2-15 Theconvent ona PowerPo ntapproachdoesnot ncorporatethedua channe sconceptandnsteadp acesbothv sua andverba nformat on nthes dearea.

WhenyoudonotalignyourPowerPointapproachwiththedual-channelsconcept,youimpairlearninginanumberofways.Forexample,ignoringtheoff-screentextbox

Chapter2 39

createsascarcityofresourcesintheslidearea,whichpredictablyproducesoverloadedslides.Wordswillusuallytakepriorityovervisuals,soyouwilltendtoseeslidesfilledwithtext.

Visualsaddedtothesealreadycrowdedslidesareusuallyreducedtothesizeofpostagestampssotheycanbesqueezedbetweentheboxesoftext.Thesedynamicsproduceslidesthatareoverlycomplexanddifficulttounderstand.

Whenthistypeofslideisdisplayedduringapresentation,theaudiencetriestomakesenseoftheoverloadedslideinsteadofpayingattentiontothespeaker.Whentheydoshiftattentiontothespeaker,theysoonlookbackattheslideandworkhardtotrytosynchronizethetwosourcesofinformation.Researcherscallthisthesplit-attentioneffect,whichcreatesexcesscognitiveloadandreducestheeffectivenessoflearning.Youcanobservesimilardynamicswhenyou’rewatchingafilmorTVshowandthesoundisslightlyoutofsync—it’sverynoticeablebecauseyourworkingmemoryhastodotheextraworkofcontinuallytryingtosynchronizethemismatchedimagesandnarration.

MYTH VS. TRUTH

Myth: Idon tneedtoworry fwhatIsaydoesn tmatchupw thmys de.

Truth:Researchshowsthatpeop eunderstandamu t med apresentat onbetterwhentheydonothavetosp tthe rattent onbetween,andmenta y ntegrate,mu t p esourcesofnformat on.

Anotherproblemwithignoringtheoff-screentextboxinNotesPageviewisthatyoudonotrecognizeandplanforaprimarysourceofinformationduringPowerPointpresenta-tions—yourownvoice.Theresultisthattherelationshipbetweenyourspokenwordsandprojectedvisualsisnotfullyaddressed.Youmightassumethattheinformationonyourslidecanstandalone,withoutverbalexplanation,butaPowerPointslidedoesnotexistinavacuum—youarestandingtherespeakingtoyouraudiencewhileyouprojecttheslide.

Youmusteffectivelyplanhowyourspokenwordsandprojectedimagesrelatetoeachother.Andifyouwritenothingintheoff-screennotesarea,youwillbeunabletotakeadvantageofPresenterview,asshowninFigure2-16anddescribedinAppendixB,tomanageyourpresentationbecausenothingwillappearinthespeakernotespaneontherighttoguideyouwhileyoucoverallthepointsyouwanttomake.



f you do not usethe off screen notes when you set up your s des, no speaker notes w appear here to gu de you dur ng your ta k.

FIGURE 2-16 fyoudon twr teoutwhatyouw say nthenotesarea nNotesPagev ew,there s tt epo nt nus ngPresenterv ew,becausenoth ngw appear nthespeakernotespaneandthetextonthes des stoosma toreadonthes dethumbna s.

Audiencesmightnotknowaboutdual-channelstheory,buttheydoknowhowtheyfeelwhenpresentersdon’tintegratetheconceptintotheirPowerPointapproach.Whenpresentersreadbulletedtextfromthescreen,audiencescomplainthatthepresentershould“E-mailittome!”or“Justgivemethehandout!”Thisfrustrationhasaresearchbasis—writingoutthetextofyourpresentationonyourslidesandthenreadingittoyouraudiencecontradictsthewidelyacceptedtheoryofdualchannels.

Youmightassumethatpresentingthesameinformationinmultiplewayswillreinforceyourpoint.Butifyoupresentthesameinformationtothetwochannels,youreducethecapacityofworkingmemoryandinturnreducelearningbycreatingwhatresearcherscalltheredundancyeffect.

Whensomeonespeaks,youprocesstheverbalinformationatonespeed.Whenthespeakeralsodisplaysthetextofthespeech,youprocessthesameinformationatadifferentspeed—yourmindfirsttakesinthetextvisuallyandthenverbalizesitforprocessingintheverbalchannel.

Becausethesameinformationisarrivingthroughthesamechannelatdifferentspeeds,workingmemoryhastosplitattentionbetweenthetwosourcesofinformationasitworkshardtoreconcilethem.Thisredundancyquicklyoverloadsworkingmemoryandimpairslearning.

Chapter2 41

Byaddressingonlyonechannelinyourpresentation,asshownearlierinFigure2-15,youcreatebothsplitattentionandredundancyinalivepresenta-tion.Andbynotcapturingwhatissaidverballyintheoff-screennotesarea,youalsomissthechancetousePowerPointtocreateaneffectivehandoutbyprint-ingtheslidesinnotespageformat.

Redundancyalsohappenswhenthesameinformationispresentedbothvisuallyandintextbecausethesameinformationisenteringthroughtwochannelsandthemindhastoexertmoreefforttoreconcilethem.Thisreducestheefficiencyofworkingmemoryandcanleadtothecognitiveoverloadthatsofrustratesaudiences.

MYTH VS. TRUTH

Myth:It sOKtoreadmybu etpo ntsfromthescreen.

Truth:Researchshowsthatpeop eunderstandamu t med apresentat onbetterwhenthewordsarepresentedasverba narrat ona one, nsteadofbothverba yandason screentext.

Toexploretheredundancyeffect,Mayerconductedexperimentsusingtwomultimediapresentations.Thefirstpresentationincludedthesamematerialbothnarratedanddis-playedwithtextonthescreen,andthesecondpresentationincludedthenarrationwiththetextonthescreenremoved.Audienceswhoexperiencedthesecondpresentationretained28percentmoreinformationandwereabletoapply79percentmorecreativesolutionsusingtheinformationthanthosewhoexperiencedthefirstpresentation.

Thus,thedual-channelsconceptturnsoneofourcoreassumptionsaboutPowerPointupside-down.Contrarytoconventionalwisdomandcommonpractice,readingbul-letpointsfromascreenactuallyhurtslearningratherthanhelpsit.Researchshowsthatwhenyousubtracttheredundanttextfromthescreenthatyouarenarrating,youimprovelearning.

IfyouchoosenottoalignyourPowerPointapproachwithdualchannels,youdimin-ishthepotentialeffectivenessofyourpresentations.Whenyouplacebothverbalandvisualmaterialintheslidearea,thebusyslidesplitstheaudience’sattentionbetweenscreenandpresenter,whichcreatesadditionalloadonworkingmemory.Andwhenyoupresentthesameinformationinbothvisualandverbalform,youcreateredundancythat



overloadsworkingmemory.YouresolvethesituationinBBPbyeffectivelycoordinatingvisualandverbalinformationinNotesPageview.

Realignment 3: Use Normal View to Guide Attention on the ScreenNowthatyou’verealignedNotesPageviewwiththeresearch,it’stimetogetbacktonormalintermsofthewayyou’reusedtoworkinginPowerPoint.ClicktheViewtab,andinthePresentationViewsgroup,clickNormaltodisplayNormalview,asshowninFigure2-17.ThethirdtrickofBBPistoalwaysworkinNormalviewlast,whichyou’lldoinChapters7and8.Thethirdresearchrealitywillguideyouthroughthereasonswhy.

FIGURE 2-17 Themostcommonwaytowork nPowerPo nt s nNorma v ew.

Chapter2 43

Research Reality 3: You Have to Guide AttentionThethirdresearchrealityconfrontsthePowerPointassumptionthatyoucreateyourslideshoweveryouwantandyouraudiencewillunderstandthem.Inthepipelinemetaphor,apresentationexistsbyitself,independentofthepeoplewhoreceiveit—apresentersimplypoursinformationintothepassivemindsoftheaudience.

Yetresearchershavelongknownthatthemindisnotapassivevessel,butratheritisanactiveparticipantintheprocessoflearning.Itisthemindsofyouraudiencethathavetocreateunderstandingoutofthenewinformationtheyprocessinworkingmemory.

Youplayanimportantroleinhelpingyouraudiencecreateunderstandingbydesigningslidesinspecificwaysthatguidetheattentionofworkingmemorytothemostimportantvisualandverbalinformation,asillustratedinFigure2-18.

FIGURE 2-18 Theth rdresearchrea ty sthatyoumustgu detheattent onofwork ngmemory.

BBP Guides AttentionAsdescribedearlier,withtheBBPapproach,eachslidehasaheadlinewhenyoustartworkinginPowerPoint.Youthenwriteoutwhatyouwillsayverballyintheoff-screentextboxinNotesPageviewandthenaddasimplegraphicinNormalviewtoproduceaslide,asshowninFigure2-19.



The graph c c ear y and s mp y ustrates the ma n po nt of the s de.

The head ne summar zesthe ma n po nt.

After qu ck y d gest ng the s de, aud ence attent on turns to the speaker and the narrat on.

There s no extraneous nformat on to d stract attent on.

FIGURE 2-19 ABBPs de,shownhere nNorma v ew,gu destheattent onofwork ngmemoryfromthehead netothegraph ctothepersonspeak ng.

Thesimplicityofthisslidebeliesthesophisticatedimpactithasasiteffectivelyguidestheattentionofworkingmemory.Itiscrystalclearwhereworkingmemoryshouldfocusfirst—ontheheadlineatthetopoftheslide.Peopleareusedtoreadingnewspaperheadlinesthatsummarizethemainpointofastoryinasinglesentence,andherethecompletesentenceheadlineservesthesamefunction.

Theaudiencedoesn’thavetoworkhardtofigureoutthepointyouwanttomake—instead,youhaveclearedthewayforthemtofocusontheideaathandratherthanbedistractedbyunnecessarycognitivework.

Chapter2 45

MichaelAlley,authorofTheCraftofScientificPresentations:CriticalStepstoSucceedandCriticalErrorstoAvoid(Springer,2005),conductedastudyusingtwoPowerPointpresentations,eachwithadifferentheadlineformat.Onepresenta-tionincludedonlysentencefragmentsatthetopofeachslide,andthesecondpresentationincludedacompletesentenceatthetopthatsummarizedthemostimportantpointoftheslide.Inteststomeasuretheknowledgeandcomprehen-sionoftheinformationinthepresentations,theaudienceswhoexperiencedtheslideswiththecompletesentenceheadlinessawanaverageimprovementintestscoresof11percentagepointsovertheaudienceswhosawtheslideswiththesentencefragments.Whenyouusethetitleareaoftheslidetosummarizeyourpointforyouraudiencemembers,youproperlyguidetheirattention,andintheprocessyoueasetheburdenontheirworkingmemorytofigureoutyourpoint.

Researchhasfoundthatvisualscanimprovelearning,butonlyiftheyillustratethepointyouaremaking.InChapter7,youwillsketchtheappropriategraphicsforeachslidebyfocusingontheslideheadlines,andtheninChapter8,youwilladdthespecificgraphics.Becauseyouchooseonlygraphicsthatrelatetothespecificpointathand,thegraphicstellamajorpartofthestoryastheycommunicateinformationthroughthevisualchannelinsyncwithyourverbalexplanation.Thismakeseffectiveuseofworkingmemorybyusingboththevisualandverbalchannels,ratherthanjusttheverbalchan-nelalone.Italsoensuresthatworkingmemoryisnotdistractedbygraphicsthatdon’trelatespecificallytotheinformationathand.Likewise,theslidebackgroundcontainsnoextraneousinformationthatwouldaddmorecognitiveload.

ThesimpleelementsofaBBPslideworktogethertoguidethecompletepresentationexperience.Firsttheaudiencemembersquicklydigesttheheadline,thentheyviewthesimplegraphicthatillustratestheheadline,andthentheyturntheirattentiontotheverbalexplanationofthespeaker.Theresultisanengagingmultimediaexperiencethatbalancesvisualandverbalelementsandcontributestomeaningfulunderstanding.

The Old Way Does Not Guide Attention IntheconventionalPowerPointslideshowninFigure2-20,it’snoteasytoseewherethepresenterintendstoguideattention.Suchabusyslideassumesthatviewershavetheworkingmemorycapacitytoreadthroughallthematerialastheymightwitha



writtendocument—allwhiletheyarelisteningtoyouspeak.Asdescribedearlierinthediscussionofthedual-channelstheory,itiseasyfortoomuchmaterialonthisslidetosplittheattentionoftheaudiencebetweenscreenandpresenterortoimpairlearningbyusingbothon-screentextandnarrationtoexplainthesameinformation.

The gener c st approach offers no structure that t es the st tems together.

The category head ng offers tt e nformat on and forces the v ewer to keep search ngfor the ma n po nt.

The gener c graph c does not ustrate the ma n po nt of the s de.

The busy s de sp ts theattent on of v ewers.

FIGURE 2-20 Theconvent ona PowerPo ntapproachdoesnothe pwork ngmemorytose ectthemostmportant nformat on.

IfyougrewupwritingessaysandreportsonpaperorasMicrosoftOfficeWorddocuments,it’sanaturaltransitiontothinkofaPowerPointslideasapieceofpaperwhereyoustartwritingoutyourthoughts.Butoneofthefundamentalassumptionsaboutapieceofpaperisthatitcanstandalone—apresenternormallydoesnotneedtobetheretoexplainit.TheonlyproblemisthatthisexamplePowerPointslideisaccompaniedbythenarrationofalivepresenter—yettheslidedoesnottakethatfactintoaccount.

Anotherproblemwiththinkingoftheslideareaasapieceofpaperisthatyouaremuchmorelikelytofillitwithtextinsteadofagraphic.Althoughtextonascreenisinitiallyprocessedthroughthevisualchannel,asdescribedearlieritisquicklyverbalizedand

Chapter2 47

sentthroughtheverbalchannel—thustext-filledslidesessentiallyignorethecapacityofthevisualchanneltoefficientlyprocessinformationinsyncwiththeverbalchannel.

MYTH VS. TRUTH

Myth: Graph csaren cetohave,butthey renotessent a .

Truth:Researchshowsthatpeop e earnbetterfromwordsandp cturesthanfromwordsa one.Th sapp eswhenthep ctures ustratewhatthewordssay,notwhenp cturesareaddedfordecorat veeffect.

Oneofthereasonstheexampleslidedoesnotguideattentionisthatitusesacategoryheading—likethoseyouseeinalmostallPowerPointpresentations.Acategoryheadinglike“FocusAreas”canhelpyouquicklybrainstormalistofinformation,butasyouseehere,itdoesnothingtoguideyoutoaquickunderstandingofwhatisthemostimpor-tantinformationontheslide.Simplycategorizingandlistinginformationdoesnotentailthecriticalthinkingittakestodeterminethepointofthelistsinthefirstplace.

Categoryheadingsdon’tsayanythingspecific,andtouncoverthemysteryofwhatyouaretryingtocommunicatewhenyouusethem,youraudiencemembersneedtoinvestextracapacityofworkingmemorytheydon’thavetoconnectallthedotsofthebulletpointsbelowtheheadings.Andtheseheadingsputanextraburdenonyouandyouraudienceasyoubothstruggletoseethefocusofyourideasthroughthesequenceofslidesinyourpresentation.Asyouraudienceviewstheseheadingsandtheircorrespond-ingstacksofbulletedlists,slideafterslide,it’snowonderthattheyfindthepresentationunfocused,hardtounderstand,andoverwhelmedwithunnecessarydetails.

Althoughtheslideincludesaphotographofahandshake,itdoesnotillustratethespecificpointoftheslideandwaslikelyaddedforvisualdecorationto“spiceitup”.Thisrunscountertotheresearchthatshowsthatthelessyouoverloadworkingmemorywithextraneousinformation,themorepeoplelearn.

MYTH VS. TRUTH

Myth: Peop e earnmorewhenIwowthemw thspec a effectsandsp ceupmypresentat onsw thrazz e dazz e.

Truth:Researchshowsthatpeop e earnbetterwhenextraneous nformat on sremovedfromapresentat on.

A We -Tra ned Too

Audiencesmightnotknowabouttheresearchthatindicatesthatyouneedtoguidetheirattention,buttheydoknowwhattheyaretalkingaboutwhentheyfrequentlysayconventionalpresentationsare“incoherentlists”with“nodirection”and“ajumble.”Insteadofguidingworkingmemorythroughtheexperience,thisexampleslidecreatesunnecessaryworkbynotquicklygettingtotheclearpoint,bynottappingintothevisualchannel,andbycreatingsplitattentionandredundancywiththenarrationofalivepresenter.

ManyorganizationscreateacorporatePowerPointtemplateinanefforttoensurethateverypresentationcreatedintheorganizationhasasimilargraphicalstyle.Althoughthesetemplatescanensureasimilarlookacrosspresentations,iftheyignorethethreeresearchrealitiesdescribedinthischapter,theyalsodiminishtheeffectivenessofpresentationsofallthepresenterswhousethem.

A Well-Trained ToolThesethreeresearchrealitiesrevealastarkcontrastbetweenBBPandtheconventionalapproachtoPowerPointandexplainwhyBBPgetsdramaticallybetterresults.Nowyoucanpersonallyconnectthedotsbetweenthisresearchbyadoptinganewmetaphor,theeyeoftheneedle,andbyusingtheBBPapproachtoguideyouthroughthechallengesofcreatingpowerfulandeffectivepresentations.

ForgettheoldwaysofusingPowerPoint,becauseasyousawinthischapter,whenyouignoretheresearchrealities,youuseanapproachthatisbroken,ineffective,andfrustratingforaudiences.Instead,whenyouchooseanapproachthatfixestheproblems,youproduceexperiencesthataudiencesfindengagingandmeaningful.

That’sbecauseyouhavenowreorientedthethreefundamentalviewsofPowerPointtoalignwiththeresearch,andwiththesenewideasinmind,youarereadytounlockthepowerofBBPinyourownpresentationsasyouturnnowtoChapter3.

49

CHAPTER 3

PREPARING A PRESENTATION scomp exandd fficu tfroma

coup eofperspect ves Fromapresenter’spo ntofv ew,youhavemany

th ngsyouwanttosayandshowdur ngapresentat on,andyouwou d

keyouraud enceto ntegratethenew nformat on ntoc earunderstand-

ng n ong-termmemory,asshown nF gure3-1

3 2 1

FIGURE 3-1 Theform dab echa engeeverypresenterfaces the m tedcapac tyofwork ngmemory.

ButasyousawinChapter2,youalsoknowwhatishappeningfromtheaudience’spointofviewintermsofmemory.Sensorymemorycanseeandhearapotentiallyunlimitedamountofverbalandvisualinformation,butonlyforafleetingsecond.Long-termmemorycanholdapotentiallyunlimitedamountofinformation

Building a Foundation with the BBP Story Template


■ LearnhowBeyondBu etPo nts(BBP)addressesthe m tedcapac tyofyouraud ence swork ngmemorytoprocessnewnformat on.

■ Rev ewstepbystephowtheBBPStoryTemp atecreatesthefoundat onforyourpresentat onthatyouw bu duponw thyournarrat onandgraph cs.

■ PreparetheBBPStoryTemp ate,andrev ewthreegroundru esforwr t nghead nes.

50 Chapter3 Bu d ng a Founda on w h he BBP S ory Temp a e

from30secondstouptoalifetime.Yetthecapacityofworkingmemorytohandlenewinformation,theeyeoftheneedle,isrelativelylimitedforthefewsecondsitpaysattentiontowhatyouareshowingandsaying.

ThatmeansthateffectivelycommunicatingamessageisnotaseasyascreatingaMicrosoftPowerPointpresentationandassumingthatyoudeliveritthroughanunobstructedpipelinetothepassivemindsofyouraudience.Instead,youhavetosetPowerPointmythsasideandengagethethreeresearchrealitiesyoulearnedaboutinChapter2—findingtherightamountofnewinformationtoengagethelimitedcapacityofworkingmemorywithoutoverloadingit,engagingboththevisualandverbalchannels,andguidingtheworkingmemoryofyouraudiencetohelpthemintegratenewinformationintotheirlong-termmemory.

Someofthetechniquesyouwillusetoaccomplishthisarenew,someyoualreadyknow,andsomeareoldmethodsusedinnewways.Ifyou’recompletelynewtousingPowerPoint,youwon’thavetounlearnoldhabits;instead,you’llfindhereabetterwaytousePowerPointfromthestart.

What Does the Road Ahead Look Like?ThisbookshowsyoustepbystephowBBPisappliedindepthtoonespecificexamplepresentationonatopicmostpeoplecanrelateto—introducinganewidea—andshowshowBBPhandlesasituationwhereyouneedtobothinformandpersuadeanaudience.Theexampleisintendedtobedeliveredasa45-minutepresentation,soyougetasenseofwhatittakestoproduceapresentationthatlong.YouadaptthesameBBPprocesstoawiderangeofpresentationtimeframes,topics,contexts,andpurposes—Chapter9givesyouatourofmoreexamplestoreviewforinspiration.

ThisbookincludesmostofwhatyouneedtogetstartedwithBBP.Ofcourse,you’llalsoneedacomputerwithbothMicrosoftOfficeWordandPowerPointinstalled.AsyoubeginorcontinuetoworkwithBBP,thecompanionWebsitetothisbookatwww.beyondbulletpoints.comoffersadditionalresources,courses,andacommunitytohelpyoucreateBBPpresentationssmarter,faster,andeasierfromstarttofinish.

Ifyouworkforyourselforbyyourself,youhavenochoicebuttoapplyBBPonyourown,andyou’lldojustfine.Butyou’llgetthemostoutoftheprocessifyouunlockthe

Chapter3 51

benefitsitproducesforteams.BBPoffersorganizationsaprocesswheretheymightnothavehadonebeforeandoftenalignsPowerPointwiththegroup’scommunicationsstrategyforthefirsttime.

YoushouldgetasmanypeopleinvolvedintheBBPprocessaspossible,especiallyteamleaders,marketers,graphicdesigners,andevensomeofyourpotentialaudiencemembers.WhenBBPbringstogethertheseseparategroups,theefficientprocessofproducingpresentationsincreasesthespeedofdecisionmaking,reducesrevisions,andimprovesthequalityandimpactofPowerPointcommunicationsforbothpresentersandaudiences.

BBPwillalsorevealthatpeopleonyourteamhaveunexpectedtalentsthatwillsurpriseyou—perhapscomputerengineerswillturnouttobegoodatgraphicdesign,graphicdesignerswillbegoodatwordsmithingalogicalargument,andstatisticianswillbegoodatfacilitatingthesocialprocess.

Sewing Up Understanding with BBPWhenyoufacethelimitedcapacityoftheworkingmemoryofyouraudiencetoprocessnewinformation,acorechallengeisnotcreatingthevisualsandnarration,butratherdeterminingtheunderlyingstructurethatwillshapethoseelementsinthefirstplace.Astructurefocusesyourideasandhelpsyoufigureoutwhatyouwanttosayandhowyouwanttosayit.That’swhereanincrediblypowerfulstructuraltoolyouwillusecomesintoplay—theBBPStoryTemplate.

The Heart and Brain of BBP: The Story TemplateWiththelessonsofthedual-channelstheoryfromChapter2inmind,youseethatfilm-makingisanappropriatemodelfordesigningmultimediapresentationsbecauseitplansandmanagesbothvisualandverbalinformationsimultaneously.

Filmmakersknowthatthebestwaytostartplanningafilmiswiththewrittenword,intheformofascript.Ascriptismuchshorterandlessdetailedthananovelbecauseitassumesthatthevisualsanddialogwillplayamajorroleintellingthestory.Thebestscriptsdistillstoriestotheirbareessenceandstripawayanythingthatdoesnotcontributetoastory’ssingularfocus.

Whenawritercompletesascript,thedocumentthenbecomesapowerfulorganizingtoolthatliterallyputseveryoneonthesamepage.Thescriptisthestartingpointforplanningandproducingvisualsanddialog,anditservesasawayforeveryoneinvolvedintheprojecttobeclearonwhateveryoneelseissayinganddoing.Ifyouwerea

Wha Does he Road Ahead ook ke?


filmmakerandyoustartedfilmingbeforeyouhadascript—similartoworkingonaPowerPointpresentationwithoutawrittenstructure—youwouldprobablywastetimeandresourceswhileyouchangedyourfocusandfiguredoutthestoryalongtheway.

AlthoughputtingyourthoughtsinwritingaddsanewsteptoyourusualPowerPointprocess,doingsowillsaveyoutimeandeffortlater.WhenyoubeginwritingyourPowerPointscriptinChapter4,youwon’thavetostartwithanemptypage,becauseyou’llusethestorytemplateshowninFigure3-2toguideyoueverystepoftheway.

FIGURE 3-2 TheBBPStoryTemp ate,wh chyouw comp ete nWord.

Thestorytemplateservesasacentralorganizingtoolfortheentirepresentation.Itisavisualinterfaceforthestructureofyourpresentation,helpingyouseethebigpictureonasinglepageortwobeforeyoucommittoaddingavisualandverbaltracktoindividualslides.

The Built-in Story StructureTounderstandthestorytemplate,youhavetogobackintimeafewyears.TheGreekphilosopherAristotlerecordedtheclassicalelementsofstorytelling2400yearsago,includingtheconceptthatastoryhasabeginning,amiddle,andanend.WhenyouadaptthistimelessideatoyourPowerPointpresentations,you’llgroundyourcommunicationsinapowerfultechniquethatworks.

Chapter3 53

Thestorytemplateincludesthreesections,oracts,thatformaclassicalstorystructureandcorrespondtothebeginning,middle,andendofyourpresentation.Eachactinthetemplateisdelineatedbyahorizontalblackbarextendingacrossthepage,asshowninFigure3-3.

ActIbeginsyourstorybysettingupalloftheessentialelementsthatcompriseeverystory,includingthesetting,themaincharacter,anunresolvedstateofaffairs,andthedesiredoutcome.ActIIdrivesthestoryforwardbypickingupontheunresolvedstateofaffairsinActIanddevelopingitthroughtheactionsandreactionsofthemaincharac-terinresponsetochangingconditions.ActIIIendsthestorybyframingaclimaxandadecisionthatthemaincharactermustfacetoresolvethesituation,revealingsomethingabouthisorhercharacter.Thistime-testedstructurekeepsyouraudienceinterestedinyourpresentationandeagertofindoutwhathappensnext.

Set up the story n the beg nn ng n Act

Deve op the act on n the m dd e n Act

Frame the reso ut onat the end n Act

FIGURE 3-3 TheBBPStoryTemp ate ncorporatesac ass ca storystructure.

Thisthree-partstorystructurefollowsnaturalpatternsthatunderliethewaywethinkandunderstand.Nooneneedsspecialtrainingortechnologytounderstandaclassicalstorystructurebecauseit’sthewayhumanshavebeencommunicatingwithoneanother



throughouthistory.Astorystructureframesthecontextforcommunicationandfocusesattentionbymakinginformationspecificandrelevanttoanaudience.Storyliterallytiestogetherscatteredpiecesofinformation.ByincorporatingthesefundamentalideasinyourcurrentPowerPointstory,you’llbebuildingonasolidfoundationthatensuresyourpresentationisfocused,clear,andengaging.

AsmentionedinChapter2,thelong-termmemoryofyouraudiencealreadycontainsexistingstructuresthatcanhelpworkingmemoryorganizeandintegratenewinforma-tion.Oneofthemostwell-knownconfigurationsisthisthree-actstructurethatformsthefoundationforcountlessstories,novels,theatricalproductions,films,andtelevisionshows.Whenyoutapintothisfamiliarstructurethatalreadyexistsinyouraudience’slong-termmemoryandapplyittothestructureofthenewinformationyoupresent,asshowninFigure3-4,youarewellonyourwaytocreatingaclearpathwaythroughthelimitedcapacityofworkingmemory.

3 2 1

3 2 1

FIGURE 3-4 ntroduc ngthefam arthree actstructuretonew nformat onasyoupresent ttowork ngmemory.

TheresearchprinciplesdescribedinChapter2havebeenaroundaslongas50years,andtheideaofastorystructurethousandsofyearslonger.Theseareprovenideasandtech-niquesthatwork—thepresentchallengeishowtomaketheconceptspracticalasyouworkonyournextpresentation.Tohelpgetyourjobdonequicklyandefficiently,thesefundamentalsofclassicalstorystructureandthescreenwritingprocesshavealreadybeenadaptedtoyourPowerPointneedsandincorporatedintothestorytemplate.

Inadditiontoaclassicalstorystructure,yourstorytemplatealsoincorporatespersuasivetechniquesthatareusefulformanytypesofpresentationsindifferentcontexts.TheseincludeusingAristotle’sconceptthattopersuade,youmustappealtoemotion,reason,

Chapter3 55

andpersonalcredibility.Evenifyourintentistosimplyinformanaudienceaboutsomething,youstillhavetopersuadethemtopayattention.Whyshouldtheylisten?What’sinitforthem?ActIofyourstorytemplatewillmakesurethatyoupersuadeyouraudiencetofocusonyourmessage,andActIIwillmakesurethatyouprovidethelogi-calreasoningtheyneedtomakeadecision.Youwillinfusetheentirepresentationwithpersonalcredibilityintermsofverbalclarityandconcisenessandaddvisualcredibilitybymatchingyourgraphicsandaestheticswithyouraudience.

Theory Becomes PracticalTheinnovationoftheBBPStoryTemplateisthatitbringstogethertheoryandaprocessintoapracticaltoolyouopenupandusetostructureandstarteverypresentation.Everythingyoudohereinthestorytemplateshapesthevisualsandnarrationtocomeandsetsupyourideasinawaythatpreconfiguresandalignsinformationtobestprepareitforitspassagethroughtheworkingmemoryofyouraudience.Thestorytemplateensuresthateverypresentationaccomplisheswhatyouintend—byunderstandingyouraudiencemembers,tailoringyourmaterialtothem,gettingtothepoint,andestablishingapriorityandsequenceforyourideas.

Youdon’thavetobeanexpertstorytelleroranexpertincognitivetheory;thetemplatemakesstructuringyourstoryaseasyasfillingintheblanks.Inthecellsofthestorytemplate,you’llwriteoutacompletesentencethatdescribeswhatishappeningateachpointinyourstory,similartowritinganewspaperheadline.Asyoufillintheblanks,you’llbewritingtheactualstorythatyou’llpresent.Whenyou’vefinished,you’llhaveacompletedone-pageortwo-pagescript.Thisprocessensuresthatyoustayfocusedonyourideasandincludealltheelementsthatmakeupagoodstory.

ThisbookshowsyouhowtouseaWorddocumentasyourBBPStoryTemplate,butit’snottheonlytoolyouuse.BBPreadershavefoundinnovativealternativesbyre-creatingthestorytemplatestructurewithMicrosoftExcel,Post-ItNotes,aflipchart,andawhiteboard.Figure3-5showsaBBPStoryTemplatecreatedusingmind-mappingsoftwarecalledMindJetMindManager—anespeciallyflexibleandscalabletoolforcreatingpresentationsthatextendbeyond45minutesintomultiple-hour,daylong,andmultidaytimeframes.Formoreresourcesrelatedtothesealternativetools,visitwww.beyondbulletpoints.com.



FIGURE 3-5 Ana ternat vevers onofthestorytemp atecreatedw tham nd mapp ngtoo g vesyoutheab tytocreatepresentat onsthatextendacrossmu t p ehoursanddays.

Whenyouwriteyourscriptusingthestorytemplate,youfocusonyourideasfirstratherthanyourgraphics.AfteryoucompletethetemplateinWord,you’llimporttheheadlinesintoPowerPoint,whereeachcompletesentenceyouwrotewillbecometheheadlineofaslide,asshowninFigure3-6.ThisensuresthatbeforeyoustartworkinginPowerPoint,youalreadyknowthemainpointyouintendtomakeoneachslide.

ThispivotaltechniqueofturningyourstorytemplateintoasetofPowerPointslideswillhelpyoutotransformyourwrittenwordsintothefoundationofavisualstory.Thiswillmakeyourjoboffindingvisualseasierbyestablishingexactlywhatyouneedtoillustrateoneveryslide,anditwillhelpyouraudiencetounderstandyournewinformationmuchfasterbyindicatingclearlyinthetitleareathemeaningofeveryslide.

You’llbeginapplyingBBPstepbystepinChapter4;thefollowingisapreviewofhowthethreestepsofBBPwillunfoldasyouapplyBBPtothespecificpresentationexample

Chapter3 57

inthisbook.HereyouseehoweachslidefindsitscontextinthebiggerpresentationpicturebyfollowingthethreestepsofBBPthathelpyou,andyouraudience,sewupeffectiveunderstanding.

FIGURE 3-6 Eachhead neyouwr te nthestorytemp atebecomesahead neonas de.

Step 1: Choose a Story Thread and a Pattern to FollowYouneedtoquicklymakeanemotionalconnectionwithanaudiencetomotivatethem,andyouseethespecificwordsthatdothatinActI,whereyouwriteouttheclassicalelementsofastrongstorybeginning.ThefirstfiveheadlinesyouwriteinActIofthestorytemplatewillconnectemotionallywithanaudience,defineaproblemtheyface,andexplainhowtheycansolveit.Thisformsthestorythreadthatwillcarryattentionthroughtheentirepresentation.Youwillreinforcethestrengthofthethreadtocarrynewinformationthroughtheworkingmemoryofyouraudiencebyapplyingafamiliarpatternintheformofaverbalandvisualmotif,orrecurringtheme.

AfteryoucompleteActIandtherestofthestorytemplate,you’llimportthesefiveheadlinesintoPowerPoint,whereeachstatementbecomestheheadlineofaPowerPointslide,asshowninFigure3-7.

S ep 1 Choose a S ory Thread and a Pa ern o Fo ow


FIGURE 3-7 Thef vesentencesyouwr te nthestorytemp atebecomethehead nesofyourf rstf ves des.

WhenyouviewthefirstfiveslidesinSlideSorterview,youseebyreadingtheheadlinesoftheslidesthestorythreadthatwillcarryyourspecificsequenceofideasthroughtheeyeoftheneedleofworkingmemoryofyouraudience,asshowninFigure3-8;thissequencewillalsoprovidetheframeworkforyourvisualsandnarration.

FIGURE 3-8 Act def neswhatyou showtowork ngmemory nthef rstf ves des.

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Step 2: Pull Through What’s Most Important FirstYousetinmotionanumberofpowerfulprocessesinActIofthestorytemplatethatcontinuetoplayoutasyoucreatetherestoftheslidesinyourpresentation.JustasinActI,you’llbreakupyourideasinActIIintodigestiblepiecesbywritingoutcomplete-sentenceheadlinesinthestorytemplate.Later,eachsentencewillbecometheheadlineofaslide,asshowninFigure3-9.

FIGURE 3-9 Thehead nesyouwr te nAct ofthestorytemp atebecomethehead nesoftherestofyourAct s des.

Thechallengeofanypresentationisnottoshowalltheinformationyouhavebut,instead,toselecttheappropriateinformationtopresent.Thestorytemplateguidesyouthroughtheimportantprocessofselectingonlytheideasyouraudienceneedstoknowandbreakingthemintodigestiblechunksthatareeasierforyouraudiencetounderstand.

Alogic-treestructureisbuiltintoActIIofthestorytemplate,asshowninFigure3-10;thisstructurehelpsyouputthemostimportantinformationatthetoplevelofattention,toincreasememorabilityandapplication.Apresentationshouldhavethreeorfourkeypoints,andyouliterallycanseetheminActII,whereyouclarifyandidentifythesetop-levelpoints,createalogicalandclearstructure,andperhapsmostimportant,leaveoutnonessentialinformation.

S ep 2 Pu Through Wha s Mos mpor an F rs


FIGURE 3-10 Abu t n og c treestructurepr or t zesyour deasfrommost mportantto east.

CompletingActIIofthestorytemplatecanbethehardestthingyoudoinBBPifyou’renewtothiswayofthinking.Buttheinvestmentinlearningwillsharpenyourcritical-thinkingskillsandensurethatthenewinformationinyourpresentationappearsintheorderandsequenceneededtopreventoverloadingtheworkingmemoryofyouraudience,asshowninFigure3-11.

3 2 1

FIGURE 3-11 Act makessurethatyoupresentthecorrectpr or tyandsequenceofs destowork ngmemory.

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Step 3: Guide the Visual and Verbal Strands with Your StoryboardWiththeclickofamouse,you’lltransformyourWordstorytemplateintoaPowerPointstoryboard.You’llworkwithyourstoryboardinSlideSorterviewtoreviewyourstorystructureandsequence,checkyourpacingandflow,andusevisualstotietogetherthevariouspartsofyourstory.Thisplanningensuresthatyoucontinuallybuildonandimproveyourstrongstoryfoundationwithasingleunifiedsetofvisualsandwords.

NextyouwillquicklyapplylayoutswithslidebackgroundsthatindicatethethreehierarchicallevelsofActIIslides,asshowninFigure3-12,tosetuppreliminaryvisualcuesthatdesignatewhichslidesaremoreimportantthanothersandhowthoseslidesfitintoasequence.Afteryoudothis,you’llbeabletoeasilyseethethreemostimportantslidesinyourpresentation—thedarkgrayones.You’llalsobeabletoseeyoursecond-mostimportantslides—thelightgrayones—andyourthird-mostimportantslides—thewhiteones—toeasilylocateandhidethemifyouneedtoquicklyscaledownthepresentationtoashorteramountoftime.TheseslidesarethefoundationforthefullydesignedlayoutsandbackgroundsyouusetocueworkingmemorywhenyouaddgraphicsinChapter8.

FIGURE 3-12 Nextyou cuework ngmemorybyapp y ng ayoutsw thpre m narys debackgroundstothethreeh erarch ca eve sofAct s des.

S ep 3 Gu de he V sua and Verba S rands w h Your S oryboard


Nextyou’llplanthenarratedsoundtrackofthepresentationbywritingouttheverbalexplanationforeachheadlineintheoff-screentextboxinNotesPageview,asshowninFigure3-13.Ifyoudon’thavetimetowriteoutyourfullnarration,justtakeafewnoteshere.Inlinewiththedual-channelstheorydescribedinChapter2,thishelpsyouseam-lesslyintegrateeachvisualwithitsverbalexplanation.Aftercapturinginthenotesareaarecordoftherichverbalexplanationthatwillaccompanytheslide,youthenwillchoosethesimplestpossiblevisualtoillustratetheheadlineofeachslide.

FIGURE 3-13 F rstyouwr teoutwhatyou sayforeachhead ne ntheoff screennotesarea(bottom).Afteryouhaverecordedthe nformat onthatyou conveyw thyourvo ce,younextaddas mp egraph ctotheon screens dearea(top).

Sketching the First Five SlidesWithyourclearandconcisestorylineinplaceinyourslideheadlinesandwithyournarrationwrittenoutintheoff-screennotesarea,yournextstepistobrainstormanillustrationforeachheadlineofeachoftheActIslidesofyourstoryboard.You’lldothatbysketchingavisualideaoneachofthefiveslidesinChapter7,asshowninFigure3-14,eitherusingprintoutsoftheslidesoraTabletPC.

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Whenyoudothis,yourfocusisonmakingfulluseofthepowerfulvisualchannelofyouraudiencemembersbysketchingoutacrispandcompellingvisualstorythatcomple-mentsyourclearandconciseheadlines.Justasyourheadlinestellastorywithonlywords,yoursketchesnowshouldcomplement,enhance,andintensifythatstoryonindividualslides,aswellasacrossslides.Hereyou’llalsoplanforbothon-screenandoff-screenmediasuchasphysicalprops,demonstrations,video,dialog,orothertypesofmediaorinteractivetechniques.

FIGURE 3-14 Onceyouhaveastoryboard,sketchagraph coneachofthef ves des.

Sketching the Rest of the SlidesAswithActI,completingthestorytemplateforActIIcreatesasolidfoundationthatwillhelpyouchooseexactlywhatyou’llshowandsayasyoupresenttheworkingmemoryofyouraudiencewithnewinformation.Withthisinfrastructureinplace,you’llhaveendlesscreativeoptionstomakethecrispandclearunderlyingstoryevenmorepowerful.HereontheActIIslides,asshowninFigure3-15,you’llvisuallycarrythroughthemotifyouestablishinActItohelpworkingmemorybetterselectandorganizethelargeamountofnewinformation.



FIGURE 3-15 You cont nuesketch nggraph csoneachoftherema n ngs des.

Applying Custom LayoutsAfteryourteamhasagreedtoandsignedoffonthesketches,thelaststepistofindandaddaspecificphotograph,chart,orothergraphictoeachoftheslides.Butbeforeyoudothat,you’llapplycustomlayoutstoeachofthedifferentsectionsofyourstoryboard,accordingtothewayyousketchedthelayoutofeachslide.AsshowninFigure3-16,thiscreatesavisualfoundationfortheslidesbasedonthehierarchyfromthestorytemplate.

Byapplyinglayoutsandbackgrounds,youusegraphicalindicatorsthatcueworkingmemorytotherelativeimportanceofeachslide,asshowninFigure3-17.Inthisexample,thestrikingsolidbackgroundindicatesthemostimportantslides;theslideswiththehorizontalgraphicarethesecond-mostimportant,andtheslideswiththefootergraphicarethethird-mostimportant.

Chapter3 65

FIGURE 3-16 Storyboardw thcustom ayoutsapp ed.

FIGURE 3-17 Thes de ayoutsandbackgroundscuework ngmemorytoeachs de sre at ve mportancew th ntheb gp cture.



Adding Graphics to the First Five SlidesThelaststepistofindandaddgraphicstoeachoftheslidesusingyoursketchesasaguide.HereiswhereyousavorthefruitsofthelaborofwritingActIinthestorytemplate,becauseyouknowyou’vegotthespecificPowerPointslidesthatwillensurethatyoustartstronginyourpresentation,asshowninFigure3-18.Thevisualandverbalclarityyouachieveispossiblethroughusingthestorytemplate,whichhasestablishedthefoundationforeverythingyouhavedone.

FIGURE 3-18 Add nggraph cstothef rstf ves desofAct .

Adding Graphics to the Rest of the SlidesAfteryouaddgraphicstotheActIslides,youcontinuebyaddinggraphicstotherestofyourslides,asshowninFigure3-19.Hereyoumightusephotographs,screencaptures,logos,charts,andotherillustrations.

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FIGURE 3-19 Add nggraph cstotherema n ngs des.

Stepping into the ScreenUsingtheapproachdescribedinthisbook,you’llbewell-equippedtoproduceame-diaexperiencethatwillgetyoutheresultsyouwantanytimeyougiveapresentation.Focusinganddistillingyourideasusingastorytemplateandclarifyingthemusingastoryboardblendsyourmessagewithyourmediaandsignificantlyexpandsyourabilitytoenhanceyourpresentationwithsophisticatedmediatoolsandtechniques.

Nowthelargescreendirectlybehindyou,asshowninFigure3-20,completelyintegratesyourvoiceandbodyintoamediaexperiencegreaterthanthesumofitsparts.Thisapproachbringstogetherarangeofmediatechniques—includingthosefromstage,screen,theater,andtelevision—andblendsthemtogetherwithyourbodyandyourclearmessageintoaseamlesspresentationexperience.



FIGURE 3-20 BBP mmersestheaud ence ntheexper enceandensuresthattheattent onoftheaud ence snotsp tbetweenscreenandspeaker.

Whenyouprojectyourslidesonalargescreen,theyworkasvisualtriggersthatincreaseyourconfidenceasaspeaker.You’renolongertiedtotheuncomfortabletaskofreadingtextoffthescreenandunintentionallyignoringyouraudience.Instead,theclearhead-lineandgraphicquicklypromptyoutouseyournaturalvoiceandauthorityasyouexplainthem.

Presenting in Multiple ViewsMakinguseofNotesPageviewtowriteoutyournarrationinadvanceincreasesyourabilitytopresentconfidentlyduringalivePowerPointpresentation.WhileyouraudienceseesthesimpleslideonthescreenshownontheupperleftinFigure3-21,yourPresenterviewinPowerPointonyourowncomputerdisplaysaspeakernotespaneontherightthatshowswhatyouwroteintheoff-screentextboxinNotesPageview.Zoominonthenotestoenlargethesizeofthefontsothatthetextiseasytosee.

Chapter3 69

FIGURE 3-21 Presenterv ewa owsyoutoseethec earandfocusedon screens dethattheaud encesees,a ongs dethetextyouwrote ntheoff screennotesarea nNotesPagev ew.

Presenting with a Tablet PCWithBBP,youmakemaximumuseofaTabletPCbywritingdirectlyonthescreentoincreaseengagementanddialog,asshowninFigure3-22.Chapters7,8,and9willshowyouarangeofwaystosketchandusegraphicstopromptinteractionusingaTabletPC.

FIGURE 3-22 Present ngaBBPs deus ngaTab etPC.



Presenting OnlineYourvisuallyengagingBBPslidesareagreatfitwithonlinemeetingtools,asshowninFigure3-23.Becausetheslidesaredesignedtobevisuallysimple,theyincreasetheneedforpeopletopayattentiontoyourvoiceontheotherendofthetelephoneorcomputerspeakers.

FIGURE 3-23 Present ngon neus nganon nemeet ngtoo .

Documenting the Experience AsdescribedinChapter2,aligningyourapproachwiththedual-channelstheoryallowsyoutousePowerPointinawaythatproducesbothaneffectivepresentationandaneffectiveprintedhandout,asshowninFigure3-24.LookingatNotesPageviewontheleft,theon-screenslideareacontainsaheadlineandasimplegraphic,whiletheoff-screennotesareacaptureswhatisspokenaloudbythepresenter.Keepingthenarrationoffthescreencreateseffectiveslides(upperright),alongwitheffectivehandouts(lowerright).

WhenyoudistributethePowerPointfiletopeoplewhowerenotpresentforthelivepresentationofvisualsandnarration,yousendthenotespages,nottheslides.Printoutthenotespagestocreateaphysicalcopy,orcreateaPDFversionthatyoudistributeelectronically.

Chapter3 71

UsingNotesPageviewtapsintotheuniquevaluePowerPointoffersyouasacommunicationstool,becausenoothertoolcanproduceasinglefilethatworkseffectivelylikethisonascreen,onapieceofpaper,andevenonline.

FIGURE 3-24 NotesPagev ew,show ngawe des gneds deandawe des gnedhandoutw ththecomp eteverba exp anat onofthes de.

Getting Started with the BBP Story TemplateTogetstarted,downloadacopyoftheBBPStoryTemplatefromwww.beyondbulletpoints.com,andsaveitonyourlocalcomputer.



Asyoufollowthestepsinupcomingchapters,you’llfindsetsofBBPGroundRulesforwritingyourstorytemplate,sketchingyourstoryboard,addinggraphics,andproducingthepresentationexperience.You’llalsofindattheendofkeychaptersachecklistofitemstomakesurethatyou’vecoveredthem.RefertoAppendixAforacompletelistofthegroundrulesandcheckliststoprintandkeephandyasyouworkwithBBP.

Writing Headlines Using Three Ground RulesEverythingyoudoinyourpresentationfromthispointforwardwillbuildonthehead-linesyouwriteinyourstorytemplate.Tomakeyourheadlinesaseffectiveaspossible,reviewthethreeimportantgroundrulesthatapplytoeverystatementyouwrite.

Rule 1: Write Concise, Complete Sentences with a Subject and a Verb in Active VoiceToeffectivelycommunicateyourmessageconsistentlyandclearlythroughyourentirestory,yourheadlinesmustbecompletesentenceswithasubjectandaverb.Writethesentencesinactivevoice—forexample,“Ourtopcompetitorslaunchedfivenewprod-uctslastquarter”ratherthaninthepassivevoice,“Fivenewproductswerelaunchedbyourtopcompetitorslastquarter.”Keepyourlanguagedynamicanddirect;thesameprinciples,techniques,andrulesthatdefinegoodwritingalsodefinegoodheadlinesinyourtemplate.

Foranexce entreferencegu detowr t ngthehead nesofyourstorytemp atec ear yandconc se y,seeW amStrunkJr andE B Wh te’s,TheE ementsofSty e(Longman,2000)

Writingheadlinesintheformofcompletesentencesimposesadisciplineonyourideasbyforcingyoutoturnthemintocoherentthoughtsandremoveanyambiguity.Later,whenyouimportyourheadlinesintothetitleareaofyourPowerPointslides,youraudi-encewillhavenodoubtaboutwhatyouwanttocommunicatebecausetheycanreaditforthemselvesatthetopofeachslide.Writeyourheadlinesusingsentencecase,withtheinitialwordcapitalizedandtherestinlowercase.

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WhenyouwriteyourheadlinesforActI,constrainthemtoonlyonelinethatfillsthewidthofthecellwithoutextendingtoasecondline.ThecolumnsinyourtemplateforActIIarenarrower,soyouareabletoextendthoseheadlinestoamaximumofabouttwoandahalflines.ConstrainingyourheadlinestotheselimitskeepsyoufrombeingwordyandensuresthatyourheadlineswillfillamaximumoftwolineswhenyousendthemtothetitleareaofyourPowerPointslides.

Tip Ifyou’re ook ngforpract ca examp esofhowtowr teconc se y, ooknofurtherthanthehead nesofanewspaper Whenwr t ngahead ne,aned torhas m tedspacetocommun catean deac ear y,sothe anguageneedstobec ear,d rect,andengag ng

Itmightbeachallengetokeepyourheadlinesbrief,butthat’spartoftheprocessofboilingdownyourcomplicatedideastotheiressence.Thisdistillationwillhelpyoutogetrighttothepointinyourpresentations.

Rule 2: Be Clear, Direct, Specific, and ConversationalEachstatementinyourstorytemplatewillspeakdirectlytoyouraudiencewhenitfillsthetitleareaofaslide,souseaconversationaltonethatissimple,clear,anddirect.Saywhatyoumeaninplainlanguage.Whenyoumakeyourpoint,includethedetailsthatgiveitspecificity,color,andimpact.Tailoryourwordstothelevelofunderstandingofeveryoneintheaudienceandplacenothingintheheadlinethatisnotintheaudience’svocabulary.

Thepointoftheheadlineistohelpyouraudienceunderstandyourpointasefficientlyaspossible—ifyouusewordsunfamiliartothem,youcreateobstaclestounderstanding,andtheywillwonderwhattheindividualwordsmeaninsteadofattendingtotheoverallmessage.Theexceptiontousingsimplewordsisifeveryoneintheaudiencehaspriorunderstandingofthetechnicallanguageyouareusing.

Whenyouwriteyourheadlines,imaginethatyouareaddressingafewmembersofyouraudiencesittinginchairsnexttoyourdesk.Becauseyou’resimplyhavingaconversa-tion,yourvoiceshouldberelaxedandcasual—nottenseandformal.Thisconversationaltonewillhelpyoukeepyourheadlinesfromgettingwordy.Later,whenyouraudiencereadsyourheadlinesinthetitleareaofyourslides,theconversationaltonewillhelpthemtofeelmorerelaxedandopentoyourideas.Althoughpresentersmightassumeformallanguagegivesthemmoreauthority,researchshowspeoplelearnbetterwheninformationispresentedinaconversationalstyleratherthanaformalstyle.

Wr ng Head nes Us ng Three Ground Ru es


Yourstorytemplatedependsonaspecialwritingstylethatboilsdownyourstorytoitsessence.Followthesethreegroundrulestokeepyourwritingonpoint:

■ Rule 1: Writeconcise,completesentenceswithasubjectandaverbinactivevoice.

■ Rule 2: Beclear,direct,specific,andconversational.

■ Rule 3: Linkyourideasacrosscells.

Rule 3: Link Your Ideas Across CellsAsyou’llseeinChapters4and5,you’llbebreakingupyourideasintosmallerpiecesasyouwriteyourthoughtsinthecellsofthestorytemplate.Asyoudothat,youwanttomakesurethatyoulinkyourideassothattheyflowtooneanotherasyoureadthemacrossthecells.Youmakesureyoudothisbychoosingaconsistenttenseacrossallheadlines—you’llgenerallycreateamoredynamic,in-the-momentfeelingtoyourstoryifyouusethepresenttense.Youshouldalsolinkyourideasbyusingaparallelsentencestructureacrosscells,whichkeepseverythingsoundingclearandcoherent.Linkingyourcellsverballyinthestorytemplatebecomesimportantwhenyousketchandaddgraphicstoyourstoryboardvisually,asyou’llseeinChapters6,7,8,and9.

Althoughwritingisusuallyconsideredasolitaryexperience,don’twriteyourPowerPointscriptalone.Invitethemembersofyourteamtojoinyouinaconferenceroom.Togetstarted,attachaprojectortoyourlaptopcomputeranddisplayyourstorytemplateasaWorddocumentonthescreen.Whenthestorytemplateisprojectedontoawall,itbecomesatoolforagroupofpeopletosee,create,discuss,debate,andagreeonthestructureofanypresentation.Organizationshavefoundthestorytem-platetooltobeabreakthroughinnovationbecauseitguidesacollaborativeprocess,givespeopleownership,tapsintocollectivebrainpower,andliterallygetseveryoneonthesamesheetofpaper.

Nowthatyou’vepreparedyourstorytemplateandreviewedthegroundrules,it’stimetogetspecificandstartwiththebeginning—thefirstfiveslidesofyourpresentation.

75

CHAPTER 4

WHEN YOU STAND UP tomakeapresentat on,youraud encehas

manyotherth ngsonthe rm ndsthatcompetew ththe rattent onto

youandyour nformat on Youhavetobreakthroughthec utterqu ck y,

oryou oseyourchancetofocusthe rwork ngmemoryonthenew

nformat onyou’ present Inadd t ontothe m tedcapac tyofwork-

ngmemory,youa sohaveon ya m tedamountoft metomakeafirst

mpress on Inthefirstmomentsofapresentat on,anaud enceforms

anop n onaboutyouanddeterm nesyourcred b tytota kaboutthe

top c nthefirstp ace Th sputsyou nacr t ca s tuat onwhereyourea y

needtoget tr ghtthefirstt me

Apresentation—likeastory—isasequenceofideasoverafiniteperiodoftime.Peoplenaturallyfollowthislinearstructurewhentheytelloneanotherstories,whetherinpersonorinnovelsandfilms.Thebeginningofastorydefinesyourspecificopportunitytolaydownthesequenceofideasthatwillmakethemostefficientuseofyouraudiences’limitedcapacityfornewinformationandyourlimitedtimetomakeafirstimpression.Ifthissequenceisputtogetherwell,itcanquicklyandefficientlyengageyouraudience.

Planning Your First Five Slides


■Wr tethehead nesforthefirstfives desofyourpresentat on.

■Useastorysequencetoor ent,nterest,engage,mot vate,andfocusyouraud ence.

■Useastorythemetomakenewnformat oneas ertod gest.

76 Chapter4 P ann ng Your F rs F ve S des

What Will You Show, Say, and Do in the First Five Slides?Therearemanytheoriesaboutwhatittakestofocusyouraudienceandmakeanimpactinthefirstfewminutesofapresentation.Butwhateveryoubelieve,nowyouhavetomakespecificdecisionsthatwillturnyourabstractideasintopracticalform.Nextweek,orwheneveryoupresent,you’llbethespecificpersonstandingatthefrontofaspecificroom,withaspecificpresentationonyourcomputer.WithBeyondBulletPoints(BBP),youhaveaplacetobegin—thedocumentthatholdsyourstorytemplateisthespecificplacewhereyoustartthepracticalworkyouneedtodotogetreadyforthatday.

Withyourstorytemplatedocumentopen,locatetheZoomtoolbaronthelowerrightofthescreen,andclickanddragtheZoomtoolbarsothatActIfillsthescreen,asshowninFigure4-1.Hereyouseethefivecellswhereyou’llwritethefiveheadlinesofActIfollowingthethreegroundrulesdescribedinthe“WritingHeadlinesUsingThreeGroundRules”sectioninChapter3.

FIGURE 4-1 Thef vece swhereyou wr tethef vehead nes nAct ofthestorytemp ate.

Althoughyou’llbeworkinginaMicrosoftOfficeWorddocumentfornow,it’shelpfultokeepinmindthatthespecificwordsyouwriteherewillbecometheheadlinesofthefirstfiveslidesofyourPowerPointpresentation,asshowninFigure4-2.Thesefiveslideswilldetermineeverythingyousay,show,anddointhecriticalfirstfewminutesofyourpresentation,andtheyalsorepresentyouropportunitytostartstrongandclearandtoguideworkingmemorythroughtheentirepresentation.

Inspiredbythebasicsofclassicalstorystructure,ActIofthestorytemplateincludesthespecificelementsthatmakeupthebeginningofawell-craftedstory,ensuringthatyoualwayshavetheessentialpiecestobeginyourpresentationproperly.OnceyouhaveasolidfoundationestablishedinActI,you’llhavelimitlesscreativeoptionsforwhatyouactuallydovisuallyandverballyinthepresentation.Lateryou’lllookatarangeofideasforcreatingthewordsandimagesforthesefirstfiveslides.Butfirstyou’llwriteaspecificexampletoseeexactlyhowallthepiecesofActIfittogetherinatightandsmoothsequence.

Chapter4 77

FIGURE 4-2 Thef vehead nesyouwr te nAct ofthestorytemp atew becomethehead nesofthef rstf ves desofyourpresentat onthatdeterm newhatyou show,say,anddodur ngthecr t ca f rstfewm nutes.

Starting with the Title and BylineThescenarioforthisexamplepresentationisthatyou’reinchargeofateamthatcurrentlymanagesalineofproductsandservices.Althoughthingshavegonewellinthepast,youseetheenvironmentquicklychangingandyouknowyou’llrunintotroublesoon.Yourteamissavvyandexperiencedanddon’thavetimetowaste,sotheyexpectyoutogetrighttothepoint.Sowiththat,youstartatthetopofthestorytemplate.

InthetopcellaboveActI,replacethetextTitleandbylinewiththetitleofyourpresentation—inthisexample,A new way of thinking.Typeabylineforthescriptfollowingthetitle—inthisexample,by Pat Coleman,asshowninFigure4-3.

FIGURE 4-3 Typethet t eandby ne nthetopce ofthestorytemp ate.

Nowthatyou’veaddedatitleandbyline,thestorytemplateisreadyforyoutostartwritingActI.

S ar ng w h he T e and By ne


Thebylineofthestorytemplateisimportantbecauseitnamesthepersonwhoisresponsibleforthestory’ssuccessfuldelivery:thepresenter.Inmanyorganizations,PowerPointfileswillpassthroughmanyhandsasthey’rebeingdeveloped,andowner-shipcaneasilybecomelostorunclear.Theimpactofthesepresentationsdiminishesbecausetheyaredisconnectedfromtherealnamesandfacesofthepeoplewhowillstandatthepodium.Manypeoplecancontributetoapresentation,butonlyonepersonwillultimatelymakethepresentation.Thebylineatthetopofthestorytemplatemakesitclearatalltimeswhoisbehindtheslidesandwhosereputationandcredibilityareontheline.

Choosing a Story ThreadActIofthestorytemplatelaysdownthepatternfortheheadlinesofthefirstfiveslidesinasequencethatwillorienttheaudience,interestthem,engagethem,motivatethem,andthenfocusthemonapathforward.Thesefiveheadlineswillanswertheclarifyingquestionsthateveryaudiencesilentlyaskseverypresenter:whereandwhen,who,why,what,andhow.

InActI,youshapetheanswerstothesequestionsinacreativewaythatawakenstheimaginationofyouraudience,connectswiththeiremotions,andpersuadesthemthattheywanttoparticipateinyourstory.

Orienting the Audience with the Setting HeadlineTheheadlineofyourfirstslideestablishesthecontextforyourentirepresentation.Inafilmortelevisionshow,ifascenetakesplaceinthelivingroomofahouseintheday-time,youmightfirstseeashotoftheexteriorofthehouseindaylightthatthenfadesintoashotofthelivingroomwheretheactionwilltakeplace.Thisfilmtechniqueiscalledanestablishingshotandquicklyshowstheaudiencethewhereandwhenofastory.

TobeginwritingthefirstheadlineofActI,typeaheadlineintherowinthetemplatelabeledSettingthatdescribestheestablishingshotandanswersthequestionsyouraudiencemembersaresilentlyasking:“WhereamI,andwhenisit?”Whereisnotnecessarilyaliteralgeographiclocationbutcouldbeanabstractsetting,suchasapro-fessionorageneraltopicofdiscussionthatestablishesthecontextforthepresentation.Whencouldbeanimpliedtime,suchastoday,ifthat’sobvioustotheaudience.Forthe

Chapter4 79

SettingheadlineofActIofthisstory,enterOur team has done well here until now, but the environment is fundamentally changing,asshowninFigure4-4.

FIGURE 4-4 Wr teyourf rsthead neofAct todescr bethesett ng.

Theuseof“here”inthisheadlineestablishesthelocationforthispresentationwithinthisorganization,and“untilnow”indicatesthetimeframeofthepastleadinguptotoday.Nowthatthewhereandwhenhavebeenestablished,therestoftheheadlinecansaysomethingaboutthesettingthateveryoneintheroomagreesistrue—inthisexample,that“theenvironmentisfundamentallychanging.”Atthisearlystageinthepresenta-tion,theheadlineshouldnotsaysomethingcontroversialorunclear,orelseyou’llquicklyderailyourpresentationbeforeyouevengetstarted.

Thereferenceto“theenvironmentisfundamentallychanging”isanexampleofestablishingthesettingatamacrolevel—presentingthebigpictureofthesituation,towhichyou’llzoominwithlaser-likefocusshortly.Thismakessenseforthisaudienceofexecutivesbecausetheyallwouldknowabouttrendsintheindustryenvironment,andthisheadlineaffirmswhattheyknowtobetrue—perhapsmoresuccinctlythannormallywouldbesaidinapresentation.

Thisfirstslideisimportantbecausewhenyourpresentationbegins,audiencesmighthavedifferentexpectationsthanyoudo.TheSettingheadlineinvitesthemtojoinyouatthesamelocation,establishesacommonground,andleavesnodoubtaboutthecontextforwhatyouareabouttosay.

TheSettingheadlineanswersthequestiontheaudiencemembersaresilentlywondering:“WhereamI,andwhenisit?”

Whenyou’vewrittentheSettingheadline,you’vemadesureyouwillorienttheaudiencebyestablishingthewhereandwhenofthestoryinthefirstslideofyourpresentation,asshowninFigure4-5.

Choos ng a S ory Thread


Or ent the aud ence by estab sh ngthe where and when of the story

FIGURE 4-5 Thehead neoftheSett ngs deor entstheaud encetowheretheyareandwhen t s.

AfteryouwriteaheadlinefortheSettingslide,it’stimetoaddsomecharactertothepresentation.

Interesting the Audience with the Role Headline Theheadlineofyoursecondslidenamestheroleofthemaincharacterofthestory.Everystoryisaboutsomebody,andthatincludesyourPowerPointstory.Themaincharacterofyourstoryisthepersonwhowillmakeadecisiontodosomethingorcometobelievesomethingbytheendoftheexperience.Accordingtothisdefinition,themaincharacterofeverynonfictionpresentationisyouraudience.

Establishingyouraudienceasthemaincharacterinyoursecondslidemakesyourpresentationpersonaltothem.Becausetheaudiencemembershaveadirectinvolve-mentandstakeintheoutcome,theywillpayattention.Makingyouraudiencethemaincharacteralsohelpsyoutostayfocusedonyouraudienceandmakessurethatyoutailoryourpresentationtotheirneeds.ManyPowerPointpresentationstendtobe“allaboutme,”withlittleifanyconsiderationoftheaudience.Withthissingleslide,youremindyouraudiencethatthisis“allaboutyou.”

■ REMEMBER The main character of every presentation is your audience, and you are a supporting character. This is the crucial spin on crafting stories for live presentations.

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Themaincharacterofapresentationcouldbeasingleperson,suchasacustomerorclient,oritcouldbeagroup,suchasacommittee,ateam,ajury,aboard,oranorganization.Inthispresentation,theexecutivesarethemaincharacterbecausetheyaretheoneswhohavetofigureoutwhattodointhechangingenvironment.

Nowthatyouhaveastarfortheleadingroleinyourpresentation,writeaheadlinethatacknowledgesyouraudience’sroleinthesettingyoudescribed.IntherowlabeledRole,typeaheadlinethatanswersthequestionyouraudienceiswondering:“WhoamIhereinthissetting?”Inthisexample,enterYou’re here to help us figure out what we’re going to do,asshowninFigure4-6.

FIGURE 4-6 Wr teyoursecondhead neofAct todescr betheaud encero e.

Inanyparticularcontext,apersoncouldhaveanumberofdifferentroles—forexample,thesameindividualcouldbethesupervisorofoneperson,thepeerofanotherperson,andthesubordinateofyetanotherperson.Hereyouchoosethespecificroleyouraudiencemembersplayinthecontextofthesettingyoujustestablished.Thesubjectofthisheadline,“you,”establishestheaudience,theexecutives,asthemaincharacterofthisstory.Nowthatthewhoofthestoryisclear,therestoftheheadlinecansimplyaffirmsomethingabouttheaudience’ssituationthateveryoneintheroomcanagreeon.Inthiscase,theexecutiveswouldconcurthattheyare“heretofigureoutwhatwe’redoingtodo.”

TheRoleheadlineanswersthequestiontheaudienceissilentlywondering:“WhoamIhereinthissetting?”

WhenyouhavewrittentheRoleheadline,you’vemadesurethatyou’llinteresttheaudiencebyacknowledgingtheirroleinthesecondslideofyourpresentation,asshowninFigure4-7.



nterest the aud ence by acknow edg ng them as the ma n character of the story

FIGURE 4-7 Thehead neoftheRo es de ntereststheaud encebymak ngthemthema ncharacterofthestory.

Inthenextslideheadline,it’stimetostirthingsupforthemaincharacter.

Engaging the Audience with the “Point A” Headline Theheadlineofyourthirdslidebeginstheactionandpresentsyourmostimportantopportunitytoquicklyengageyouraudience.Becauseyoushouldmakeanemotionalconnectionwithinthefirstfewminutesofapresentation,thisisthespecificslidewhereyoumakethatabstractconceptareality.

Storiesareabouthowpeoplerespondtosomethingthathaschangedintheirenvironment.Peoplelikestoriesofhowotherpeoplehandlechangesincircumstancesandwhattheirchoicesrevealabouttheircharacters.Whenamaincharacterexperiencesachange,animbalanceiscreatedbecausethingsarenolongerastheyusedtobe.Thiscreatesachallengethatsetsthestoryinmotion.Inyourstorytemplate,you’lldefinethischallengewiththePointAheadline.ThisheadlineiscalledPointAbecauseitdefinesthespecificpointwhereyouraudiencebeginstheactionofthisstory.Lateryou’lldefinethespecificpointwhereyouraudiencewantstobeinlightofthischallenge—PointB.

ThePointAchallengethathasbroughteveryonetothepresentationtodaycouldbeacrisisbroughtonbyanexternalforcethathaschangedyourorganization’senvironment,suchasasuddeneconomicshiftortheactionofacompetitor.Itcouldbetheresultofaninternalchange,suchasarevisedopinionormindset,anewpieceofinformation,anewresearchreport,orananecdotefromthefield.

■ REMEMBER The Point A headline sets your story in motion by defining a specific challenge your audience faces.

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AlthoughtheclassicalstorystructureofActIisthefoundationforlimitlessstoryvariations,thereisamorelimitedsetofstorytypesthatcanhelpyoutoframeyourownstories.InhisbookMovingMountains(Crowell-CollierPress,1989),HenryM.Boettingerdescribesadozenstorytypes,summarizedinthefollowinglist,thatreflectvarioussituationsthatpeopleinorganizationsmightface.ManyofthesestorytypescanhelpyoutorefinethePointAandPointBdynamicyousetupinActI:

1. Historical narrative “Wehaveahistorythatmakesusproud,andwewanttoapplyourhighstandardstothecurrentsituation.”

2. Crisis “Wehavetorespondtothedangerfacingus.”

3. Disappointment “Wemadeadecisionbasedonthebestinformationwehadavailable,butnowweknowitwasn’ttherightdecision,sowehavetotrysomethingelse.”

4. Opportunity “Weknowsomethingnowthatwedidn’tknowbefore,whichpresentsuswithanewpossibilityifweact.”

5. Crossroads “We’vebeendoingfineonthepaththatwe’reon,butnowwehaveanewchoiceandwehavetodecidewhichpathtotake.”

6. Challenge “Someoneelsehasachievedsomethingamazing—dowehaveitinustodothesame?”

7. Blowing the whistle “Althoughitappearseverythingisgoingfine,wehaveaseriousproblemweneedtofix.”

8. Adventure “Weknowthattryingsomethingnewisarisk,butit’sbettertotakeariskthantostayinarut.”

9. Response to an order “We’vebeentoldwehavetodothis,sowe’reheretofigureouthowtomakeithappen.”

10. Revolution “We’reonapathtodisasterifwedon’tradicallychangewhatwe’redoingtoday.”

11. Evolution “Ifwedon’tkeepupwiththelatest,we’llfallbehind.”

12. The Great Dream “Ifwecanonlyseeourpossibility,wecanmakeitourreality.”

Nomatterwhattypeofstoryyouhave,readthroughthesestorytypeswhenyoustartwritingyourActIheadlinestoseewhetheroneofthemcanhelpyoutofindthewordsyou’relookingfor.



Ontheupside,achangecouldbebroughtonbyaninspiration,anewidea,adiscovery,ortheappearanceofanewopportunitythatthemaincharacterhadn’tseenbefore.Onthedownside,thechallengecouldbetherealizationthatamistakewasmade,afallfromgrace,thelossofmarketshare,decliningprofits,orasuddendropinstatus.Whetherpositiveornegative,allofthesechallengesarethecorereasonswhypeoplegatherforpresentations.

YourPointAheadlineshouldestablishthechallengethatthespecificaudiencefacesinthisstory.Dothisbyanswering,inthecelllabeledPointA,thequestionyouraudienceiswondering:“WhatspecificchallengedoIfaceinthissetting?”.Inthisexample,entertheheadlineWhat worked in the past isn’t working anymore – and you’re feeling the impact,asshowninFigure4-8.

FIGURE 4-8 Wr teyourth rdhead neofAct todescr bePo ntA aspec f ccha engethatyouraud encefaces nth ssett ng.

Thisheadlinegetsrighttothepointbydescribingthechallengethatstartstheemotionalengineofyourpresentation.Hereyou’vemovedfromthemacroviewoftheSettingheadlinethatpresentedtheoverallstateoftheenvironmentandhavenowgonetothemicrolevel,whereyoudescribespecificallyhowthebigpictureisplayingoutintheaudience’slives.Inotherwords,theearlierSettingheadlinewasthebig,generalprob-lem,andnowwithPointA,you’vemadethesituationpersonalandidentifiedthespecificchallengetheaudiencefacesinthecontextofthesetting.TherearemanyotherwaystowriteyourPointAheadlines—seeAppendixCforalistofmanyotherpossibilities.

ThepointofthePointAheadlineistoarriveatanemotionaltouchstonethatmakesitcrystalclearwhyyouraudiencewouldwanttoengagewithyourpresentation.Asyou’rethinkingofwhattowrite,answerthisquestionfromtheaudience’sviewpoint:“WhatisitthatIwouldstandtoloseifImissedyourpresentationtoday?”Orputanotherway,“Whatmakesmelosesleepatnight?”Itmightberelatedtosales,aninsight,orthe

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opportunitytofindclarityordirection.Byfocusingonwhattheaudiencemightfeeltheywouldlose,orwhatcausesthemtolosesleep,you’llfindthechallengetheyreallycareaboutthatyoushouldaddressinyourPointAheadline.

Itm ghtappearthatwr t nghead nes sastra ghtforwardprocesswhereyouwr tewhatyouneed nthefirstpass,but nrea ty t’san terat veprocesswhereyou’ wr teafirstdraftandthenmakemu t p eroundsofchanges Asment onedear er,you’ getthebestresu ts fyoudeve opyourhead nesw thateamsothatyougetmu t p eperspect vesandd st thebestofyourco ect veeffort

ThechallengeofthePointAheadlinedefinesyourstoryandhelpsyoutofocus.Youcouldtelladozenstoriesaboutanyparticulartopic;focusingonasinglechallengehelpsyoutonarrowyourscopetoasinglestorypresentedtoaspecificgroupofpeopleataparticularmomentintime.Selectingoneandonlyonechallengeisoftenadifficultprocess,butbecausethecapacityofworkingmemorytoprocessnewinformationissolimited,youhavetogothroughadifficultdecision-makingprocessandchoosetheonestorythreadthatisthebestfit.TowritethebestPointAheadline,youhavetoknowyouraudienceaswellaspossibleandmakeyourdecisionbasedonthebestofyourandyourteam’sexperience,research,competitiveintelligence,analysis,andintuition.

ThePointAheadlineanswersthequestionyouraudienceissilentlywondering:“WhatchallengedoIface?”

Whenyou’vewrittenthePointAheadline,you’vemadesurethatyouwillengagetheaudiencebydescribingachallengetheyfaceinthethirdslideofyourpresentation,asshowninFigure4-9.



Engage the aud ence by descr b ng a cha enge they face

FIGURE 4-9 Thehead neofthePo ntAs deengagesyouraud encebydescr b ngacha engetheyface.

Althoughyou’veleftyouraudiencewithaformidablechallengeinthePointAheadline,you’llprovidethemwiththeresolutiontheywantinthenextheadline.

Motivating the Audience with the “Point B” HeadlineNoonelikestoremaininastateofdiscomfort.Whenyouarechallenged,youfeelunsettledandemotionallyuncomfortableuntilyoubringthesituationbackintoequilib-rium.Thesameholdstrueforthemaincharacterinthisstoryorinanypresentation.

InthePointAheadline,youdescribedachallengethatfacesyouraudience.Now,inthePointBheadline,theynaturallywanttoseehowthingswilllookwhenthesituationisbroughtbackintobalance.Towritetheheadlineforthisslide,inthecelllabeledPointBinthetemplate,typeananswertothequestionyouraudienceiswondering:“WheredoIwanttobe?”Inthisexample,enterYou’d like to find a new way to do things,asshowninFigure4-10.

FIGURE 4-10 Wr teyourfourthhead neofAct todescr bePo ntB,whereyouraud encewantstobewhenfac ngthePo ntAcha enge.

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Thisheadlineconciselyaffirmswhattheexecutiveswant—namely,tofindabetterwaytodothings.Thisestablishesthedesiredoutcomethatwillbringthemaincharacter’ssituationbackintobalance.

ThePointAheadlinedescribesthechallengefacingtheaudience,andthePointBheadlineshowsthemavisionofwheretheywanttobeinthiscontext.Whentheyseewheretheywanttogo,they’llbefueledbytheirdesiretogettherewithyourhelp.

ThePointBheadlineofthefourthslideanswersthequestiontheaudienceisaskingthemselves:“WheredoIwanttobe?”

Whenyou’vewrittenthePointBheadline,you’vemadesurethatyouwillmotivatetheaudiencebyaffirmingwhattheywantinthefourthslideofyourpresentation,asshowninFigure4-11.

Mot vate the aud ency byaff rm ng what they want

FIGURE 4-11 ThePo ntBhead nemot vatesyouraud encebydef n ngwheretheywanttobe.



Creating Dramatic Tension Between the Point A and Point B HeadlinesInthestorytemplate,thetwocellsthatholdthePointAandPointBheadlinesaresepa-ratedfromoneanotherphysically,asshowninFigure4-12,whilethecellbetweenthemisshadedadarkgray.

The gap between the Po nt A and Po nt B head nescreates the dramat c tens on that energ zes the story

FIGURE 4-12 ThegapbetweenthePo ntAandPo ntBhead nes stheemot ona eng neoftheent representat on.

Remember,thePointAheadlineputsyouraudienceinanemotionallyuncomfortablestateofimbalance,andthePointBheadlinedescribesthestateofbalancethattheywanttoachieve.Thesetwoheadlinessparkoffoneanothertogeneratetheenergythatdrivesyourstoryforwardandmakesyouraudienceeagertohearyourproposedsolution.ThegapbetweenAandBengagesyouraudienceimmediatelywiththeunresolvedtensionofastory.Thistimelessstorytellingtechniqueofcreatingdramatictensionhelpsyouquicklyengageandmotivateyouraudienceandtofurtheranemotionalconnection.Italsoanswersanotherimportantquestiontheaudienceiswondering:“WhyamIhere?

Tip

TheproblemdescribedbythePointAandPointBheadlinesnotonlyhelpsyouraudienceengagewithyourpresentation,butlateritalsohelpsyoutoselectandprioritizeinformation.Ofalltheinformationavailabletoyou,howdoyouknowwhichinformationtoinclude?TheansweristoselectonlyinformationthatspecificallyhelpsyouraudienceclosethegapbetweenPointsAandB.Anyotherinformationisunnecessaryforthispresentationandcanbesetasideforanotherstoryonanotherday.

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OneobjectiontousingBeyondBulletPoints(BBP)isthemisconceptionthatastorystructureisnotappropriateforinformationalpresentations.Thethoughtthatpeopledon’tneedtobeengagedormotivatedwhenfacedwithnewinfor-mationisbasedonthemythologydescribedinChapter3thatassumesthatyoupourfactsintothepassivemindsofyouraudienceandtheywillautomatically“getit.”Theresearchrealityisthatpeopleneedtoactivelyengagenewinforma-tion,soofferingthemtoolsandtechniquestodosowillhelpthemlearnbetter.Whypassuptheopportunitytoengageyouraudiencewhendoingsocanincreasefocusandinvolvement?TheActItechniqueofcreatingdramatictensionbycreatingagapbetweenthePointAandPointBheadlinesisthousandsofyearsoldandoffersadynamismthatstillworkstodaywhenitisappliedtoanytypeofpresentation.

TheproblemcreatedbythegapbetweenthePointAandPointBheadlinesalsoformsthepurposeofyourpresentation,sowhenyoumaketheproblemclear,youmakeyourpurposeclear.Thisproblemiscentraltoyourentirepresentationandformsthesin-gularquestionthatyourpresentationwilltrytoanswer.Itcreatesanemotionalcenterofgravitythatfocusesyourstoryandmakesitcohereacrossallofitsseparateparts.ThegapbetweenPointsAandBdefinestheproblemthatyouaretheretohelpyouraudiencesolveandalsoanswersfortheaudienceanotherimportantquestion:“What’sinthisforme?”

WhateverwayyouframethegapbetweenPointsAandBishowyouframetheentirepresentationgoingforward.Ifyougetthisframingright,yourpresentationwillcreateaconnectionwithyouraudience;ifyougetitwrong,youwillcreateadisconnect.Definingtheproblemforyouraudienceisprobablythehardestthingyou’lldoinyourpresenta-tion.YouandyourteammightgothroughseveralroundsofdraftsandrevisionstogetthePointAandPointBheadlinesright,butwhenyoudo,therestofyourpresentationwillfallintoplace.TherearemanywaystowritethePointBheadline—seeAppendixCforalistofsomeofthepossibilities.

WhenyouhaveaclearproblemestablishedwiththePointAandPointBheadlines,it’stimetoletyouraudienceknowhowyouproposetosolveit.



Focusing the Audience with the “Call to Action” HeadlineRemember,thePointAheadlinedefinesachallenge,andthePointBheadlineshowsyouraudiencewheretheywanttobeinlightofthatchallenge.Nowyou’llliterallyfillthegapbetweenAandBwithyourCalltoActionheadline.

TheCalltoActionheadlinedefinesthereasonyou’rethepresenter—you’vetakenthetimetofigureouthowthemaincharactercansolvetheproblemathand.Tocompletethefifthslide,inthedarkgraycelllabeledCalltoAction,typeananswertothequestionyouraudienceiswondering:“HowdoIgetfromAtoB?”Inthiscase,enterChange your way of thinking to get breakthrough results,asshowninFigure4-13.

FIGURE 4-13 Wr teyourf fthhead neofAct todescr betheca toact on.

Inthisexample,youasktheexecutivesto“Changeyourwayofthinkingtogetbreakthroughresults”toclosethegapformedbythePointAandPointBheadlines.Inthecontextofthefirstfiveslides,theaudiencenowaffirmsaproblemtheyface,andtheywillbeabletosolveitiftheyletyouhelptheminthestorythatwillcontinueshortly.

Althoughthephrase“changeyourwayofthinking”maybemoredirectthanyouwanttobewiththisparticularaudience,itdoesstripdowntotheessencewhatyouwantfromtheminclearanddirectlanguage.Ifless-directphrasingisinorder,modifythewordingtomeetyourandyouraudience’sneeds.Inthisexample,otheroptionsinclude:“Consideranewwayofthinking,”“Explorenewwaystothink,”or“Uncovernewwaystothink.”Whateverwordingyouchoose,itshouldbeagoodfitforbothyouandyouraudience.RefertoAppendixDforarangeofphrasesthatyoucanusetostartoffyourCalltoActionheadlines.

TheCalltoActionheadlineanswersthequestionyouraudienceiswondering:“HowdoIgetfromAtoB?”

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TheCalltoActionheadlineshoulddescribewhatyouraudienceshoulddoorbelievetosolvetheproblemcreatedbythegapbetweenthePointAandPointBheadlines—itisliterallythepointofthepresentation.Yourfinalwordingisimportant,becausetheCalltoActionheadlineclearlydefineswhatyouandyouraudiencewanttoaccomplishandoffersacleardirectionandroadmapthattheywillbeabletouseandfollowthroughtherestofthepresentation.AsyougothroughtheprocessofwritingActIIinChapter5,youwillthoroughlydevelopandtestyourCalltoActionheadlineandwilllikelyreviseitswording.

TheCalltoActionheadlinealsoputsyourideasinadecision-makingformatthat’simportanttopeoplewhowanttoaccomplishsomething.Inasinglesentence,thewordingoftheCalltoActionheadlinedefineshowyouknowifyouweresuccessfulinyourpresentation,whetherthatsuccessisanextmeeting,asale,anagreement,oragoodgrade.IfyouraudienceacceptsyourCalltoActionheadlinebytheendofyourstory,you’llknowyousucceeded.

Whatdoyoudoifyougetstucksomewhereintheprocessofwritingtheheadlinesforyourfirstfiveslides?VisitAppendixesCandDforinspiration.Orwhenyou’restuckinActI,skipaheadtoActIIandreturntoActIlater.OftentheprocessofworkingthroughthestructureinActIIwillhelpyoudefineandrefineActI.

Whenyou’vewrittentheCalltoActionheadlineinActIofthestorytemplate,you’vemadesurethatyouwillfocustheaudiencebyofferingthemawaytogetfromPointAtoPointBinthefifthslideofyourpresentation,asshowninFigure4-14.TheCalltoActionslideinthisillustrationnowhasadarkgraybackgroundlikethecorrespondingcellinthestorytemplate,makingitstandoutfromtheothersbecauseitisinfactthemostim-portantslideinapresentation.Ifyouhadonlyoneslidetoshow,itwouldbetheCalltoActionslide—bythetimeyouhavefinishedwiththisslideinChapter8,itwilldistillyourentirepresentationintoasinglevisualaccompaniedbyyourverbalnarration.



Focus the aud ence by offer ng away to get from Po nt A to Po nt B

FIGURE 4-14 TheCa toAct onhead nefocusesAct andtherestofthestorytocome.

Choosing a Pattern to FollowNowthatyouhavechosenastorythreadtohelpnewinformationpassthroughtheeyeoftheneedle,youincreasetheefficiencyofworkingmemorybyintroducingapatternforthestorytofollow.Dothisbyaddingamotif,orrecurringtheme,tothefirstfiveslides.Amotifcarriesyourideasallthewaythroughyourstoryinacoherentwayandaddscolorandinteresttoyourlanguage.Italsomakesthejobofsearchingforgraphicstoaddtoyourslidessignificantlyeasierbecauseyoumapthemotiftoyourvisuals.

Amotifmightseemlikea“nice-to-have”additiontomakethepresentationcolorfulandinteresting,butresearchshowsthatitcanprovidemuchmorethanjustaprettyfaceforyourpresentation.Workingmemorycannotpossiblyprocessallofthenewinformationitexperiences,andwithoutaclearstructuretoorganizethenewinformation,ithastocreateastructurefromscratch—averyinefficientprocess.

Butwithastructurethatworks,youhelpworkingmemoryselect,organize,andintegratethenewinformationmuchmoreeffectively.Thestructuresthathappentoworkbestareonestheaudiencealreadyholdsinlong-termmemory—theymighttaketheformofafamiliarmetaphor,anorganizingsystemlike1-2-3,oranynumberoffamiliarstorythemes.

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Formore nformat onaboutmetaphorand ts mpactonthewaypeop eth nk,seeGeorgeLakoff’swork, nc ud ngMetaphorsWeL veBy,2nded (w thMarkJohnson;Un vers tyofCh cagoPress,2002)

Forexample,mostpeoplearefamiliarwiththeprocessofputtingtogetherapuzzle,soapuzzle-makingstructurealreadyexistsintheirlong-termmemory.Whenyouapplyapuzzlemotiftothestructureofyourstory,asshowninFigure4-15,youincreasetheefficiencyofworkingmemoryofyouraudiencesothattheycanmuchmorequicklymakesenseofthenewinformation.Introducingapreexistingstructurereducescogni-tiveloadbecauseworkingmemorydoesn’tneedtoexertasmuchenergytocreateastructurefromscratch.

FIGURE 4-15 Whenyoupu afam arstructurefrom ong termmemoryanduse ttostructureapresentat on,youmakework ngmemorymoreeff c ent.

Therearemanydifferentmotifsyouareabletoapplytoyourpresentation,whichareincorporatedintosomeoftheexamplephrasesinAppendixD.Toapplyamotiftoyourpresentation,integrateitthroughyourheadlinesasinthefollowingvariationsoftheActIexampleinthischapter.KeepthefollowinggeneralprinciplesinmindwhenyousearchforamotifforActI:

■ The motif should exist already in your audience’s long-term memory. Youneedtogetintothemindsofyouraudiencetofindtherightmotif,becausethestructurehastoexistalreadyintheirlong-termmemories.Youneedtofigureoutwhattheythink,andwhattheyknow,throughyourresearch,interviews,andanalysis.Inlegaltrials,lawyerscreatejurorquestionnairesdesignedtofindoutwhatpotentialthemesmightresonateinalegalpresentation.Youmightneedtodosimilarin-depthresearchifyourpresentationisparticularlyimportant.Ifyou

Choos ng a Pa ern o Fo ow


don’tknowyouraudienceorcan’tfindenoughinformationaboutthem,chooseageneralmetaphorlikethechecklistmotifshowninFigure4-16.

FIGURE 4-16 Thecheck stmot f sfam artomostaud ences.

■ The motif should resonate with your audience. Yourmotifneedstobeagoodmatchwithyouraudience,andtheyshouldbeabletoeasilyrelatetoit.Amotifcanworkagainstyouifthestructureisamismatch,becauseitdistractsyouraudienceormisleadsthemintothinkingyou’renotserious.Themotifshouldalsoresonatewithyouasthepresenter—chooseonethatyoupersonallycanrelatetosothatitdrawsoutyourpersonalityandwarmthandbringsyourideastolifewithyournaturalenthusiasm.Onlyuseacomplexorspecialmotififeveryoneinyouraudiencesharesknowledgeofit,asintheformulaexampleshowninFigure4-17.

FIGURE 4-17 Theformu amot fcanresonatew ththosewhodea w thnumbers.

■ The motif has to be simple. Whenyoufindamotif,simplifyitandbreakitintoitsessentialelementsbeforeyouapplyittoyourfirstfiveslides.Forexample,youneedamorespecificmotifthanjustthegeneraltopicofpuzzles,sofocusthemotifbyusingthephrase“puttogetherthepiecesofthepuzzle,”asintheexampleshowninFigure4-18.Themotifshouldbeclearandeasytounderstand,anditshouldcouchandcomplementyourideaswithoutbecomingconvolutedorclichédormakingthingsconfusing.

FIGURE 4-18 Thepuzz emot f ss mp eyeteffect ve.

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■ A motif is more memorable if it is unexpected. IntroducingasurprisingmotifinActIwillalsoincreasememorability.Chooseasurprisinginsight,adifferentwayoflookingatthings,oranotherunexpectedwaytointroduceyouridea,asshowninFigure4-19.Creativelyapplyingamotifbyputtingitinasurprisingcontextcanheighteninterestandstimulatecreativethinkingandmentalparticipation.Themoresurprisingandinterestingandengagingthemotifis,themorememorableitwillbe.Butasmentionedearlier,makesurethatineverycasethemotifisagoodmatchwithyouraudience.

FIGURE 4-19 Te ngsomeonetogobackward nsteadofforwardg vesatw sttoajourneymot f.

Someofthemostpowerfulpresentationmotifsaredrawnfrompopularculture,suchastheopeningstatementofajurytrialusingaCSImotifinspiredbythepopulartelevisionshow.Findingablockbustermotifthatworkswellforyouraudienceisablendofscienceandart—thescienceofdoingthoroughresearchtoknowyouraudienceandtheartofapplyinganinterestingthemeinaninnovativewaytoyourinformation.

■ The best motifs are extendable. Themoreelegantlyasinglemotifcanextendthroughthepresentation,themoreimpactitwillhave.Sometimesamotifisstraightforward,andothertimesitwillbeclever,humorous,orsurprising.Thedeeperandmorebroadlyyoursimplemotifextendsthroughthepresentation,themorecohesiveandelegantthecommunication.

Youshouldinvestagoodamountoftimeconsideringyourmotifandtryingondifferentonesforsize,becauseifyoufindagoodone,ittransformsthefiberofyourstorythreadintofiberopticsasyournewinformationtravelsthroughworkingmemory.

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Closing the Curtain on Act INowthatyouhavefiveheadlines,you’vecompletedthefirstdraftofActI.Reviewyourheadlines.Theymightseemsimple,butthey’vehelpedyoutoaccomplishmanyimportanttasks,suchastailoringyourpresentationtoyouraudienceandestablish-ingcriteriatonarrowdowntheinformationyouwanttocommunicate.Considertheseheadlinesaworkingdraftasyoucompletetherestofthestorytemplate;youmightneedtoreturntothemandrevisethemasyoudeveloptherestofyourpresentation.

Whenajourna stputsthemost mportant nformat onsomewheree sentheart c eratherthanupfront, t’sca edburyingthelead Thestruc-tureofActIensuresyoudon’tburyyour eadbymak ngsurethatyoua waysbr ngthemost mportant nformat ontothetop eve ofattent onatthestartofeverypresentat on

Ifyouhaven’talreadydoneso,takethetimenowtoreviewyourfiveheadlineswithyourteamandanyoneelsewhoneedstoapproveyourpresentation.Theseheadlinesdeter-mineeverythingthatwillunfoldnextinyourstory,soit’simportanttogetotherpeopleinvolvedearlyinthiswritingprocesstomakesurethatyou’reontherighttrack.

NeverrushthroughtheprocessofwritingyourActIheadlines—thewordsthatyouwriteinActIwillmakethedifferencebetweenastrongstartandaweakone.It’snotuncom-monforanindividualorateamtocompletelyreviseActIseveraltimesuntilthestoryisexactlyrightfortheaudience.Anexecutiveteammightspendagreatdealoftimefine-tuningActIbecause,inabiggersense,thesefiveheadlinescandefinethewaytheorganizationunderstandsandrelatestoitscustomers.Thesefivesimpleheadlinesareinfactacommunicationsstrategyandareworthyofwhateverresourcesyounormallyinvestindevelopingstrategicissues.

ReviewthetipsattheendofthischaptertodevelopandrefineyourActIheadlines.Hereareacoupleofwaystotestandreviewtheheadlinesnow.

Reviewing the Five HeadlinesReadthefiveheadlinesaloudtoverifythatyouhavethetone,flow,andclarityoflanguagethatyouwant.Checkyourheadlinestomakesurethatyouanswereachoftheclarifyingquestionsthateveryaudiencewantstoknow:whereandwhen,who,what,why,andhow.Herearethequestionsintheirrespectiveheadlines:

■ The Setting Headline Where amI,and when isit?

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■ The Role Headline Who amIinthissetting?

■ The Point A Headline What challengedoIfaceinthissetting?

■ The Point B Headline Where doIwanttobe?

■ (The gap between the Point A and B headlines) Why amIhere?

■ The Call to Action Headline How doIgetfromAtoB?

Tip

Appealing to Your Audience’s EmotionsThemembersofanyaudience,includingtheseexecutives,arenotpurelyrationalbeings—theyareemotionaltoo.YouavoidastrictlyrationalapproachbyusingyourActIheadlinestomakeanemotionalconnectionwithyouraudienceandpersuadethemthattheinformationisimportanttothem.Youachievethisconnectionbyincludingthemostimportantelementsofastrongstorybeginning,intheformofheadlinesfortheSetting,Role,PointA,PointB,andCalltoActionslides.Bytailoringeachoftheseele-mentstoyouraudienceandpresentingtheminActI,youmakeyourstorypersonaltoyouraudienceandensurethatyouareofftoastrongstart.

■ REMEMBER Your Act I headlines make an emotional connection with your audience.

Focusing Your IdeasAsyousawinChapter2,ifthevolumeofinformationoverwhelmsyouraudience,espe-ciallyatthestartofapresentation,theirmindswillshutdown,andyouwon’tachievetheresultsyouwant.ActIofthestorytemplatehelpsyoutoestablishcriteriatonarrowdownallthethingsyoucouldsaytoonlythemostimportantthingsyoushouldsaytothisaudienceduringthispresentation.WhenyoubeginwritingtheActIIheadlinesinChapter5,you’llfindthattheseActIheadlineshavesetupyourstoryinawaythatwilllimitthequantityofinformationtoonlywhatisnecessaryandthequalityofinformationtothehighstandardsyouexpect.

C os ng he Cur a n on Ac


Dothefirstfiveslidesofyourpresentationaccomplishthefollowing:

■ Orientyouraudiencetothesettingofthepresentation?

■ Interestthembyacknowledgingtheirroleinthesetting?

■ Engagethememotionallybydescribingachallengetheyface(PointA)?

■ Motivatethembyaffirmingwhattheywant(PointB)?

■ FocusthembyofferingawaytogetfromPointAtoPointB(CalltoAction)?

Theprocessofwritingthefiveslideheadlinesdescribedinthischaptercoversthefundamentalsthatapplytoanypresentationstoryandhelpsyoutoappealtoemotionandfocusyourideas.Onceyoulearnthebasics,you’llapplyabroadrangeofcreativeresources,tools,andtechniquestohelpyouadaptthisstructuretoyourownstyleandcircumstances.

Whenyou’resatisfiedwithyourActIheadlines,it’stimetofleshoutyourstoryinActII.BeforeyoumoveontoChapter5,scanthroughthe10tipsinthefollowingsectionstofindideasthatmightinspireyoutoimproveonActIafteryou’recomfortablewiththefundamentals.

10 Tips for Enhancing Act ITheActIstructureinthestorytemplateisn’tastrictformula—it’sabasicplatformwiththepotentialforendlessinnovationandimprovisationbasedonthespecificsofyoursituation.Justaswriterscancreateendlessstoryvariationsusingthispattern,youlikewisehavethepotentialtocreateendlesspresentationvariationswiththistool.Afteryoulearnthefundamentals,there’splentyofroomtoadaptandimprovisetosuityourpersonality,audience,andsituation.

Ifyou’rereadytotakeyourpresentationstothenextlevel,hereare10advancedtipsforbuildingonthebasicstructureofActI.

Tip 1: Inspiration from the ScreenwritersSparkyourcreativeenergybygoingbacktothepasttoseethefutureofpresentationstories.Allyouneedtodoisconsultwiththeoriginalexpertonstorystructure.StartbypickingupcopiesofAristotle’sclassicsPoeticsandRhetoric.Foramorerecentadapta-tionofAristotle’sideas,anumberofexcellentbooksonscreenwritingcanhelpyou

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withwritingyourActIheadlines,includingRobertMcKee’sStory:Substance,Structure,StyleandthePrinciplesofScreenwriting(ReganBooks,1997);SydField’sScreenplay:TheFoundationsofScreenwriting(Dell,1984);andJamesBonnet’sStealingFirefromtheGods:TheCompleteGuidetoStoryforWritersandFilmmakers(MichaelWieseProductions,2006).Anyofthesetitleswillhelpyoulearnmoreaboutthekeyelementsofthefirstactofeverystory,includingsettings,characterdevelopment,incitingincidents,andplotpoints.Asyoureadthesebooksforinspiration,keepinmindthatyourpresentationisaspecifictypeofstoryinwhichyouraudienceisthemaincharacterandyouareinasupportingrole.MaintainingthisfocuswillensurethatallofyourstoriesalignwiththespecificneedsofyourPowerPointpresentations.

Tip 2: Varying your Story Afteryou’vemasteredthebasicsofthefiveActIheadlines,tryimprovisinginyourstories.Forexample,yourstorystructuremightinvolvechangingtheorderofheadlinesinActI.YoucouldplacethePointAandBheadlinesfirstanddefinetheSetting,Role,andCalltoActionheadlineslater.YoucouldbeginwiththeCalltoActionheadlinetograbpeople’sattentionandthencontinuewiththeotherheadlines.Attimes,youmightbeabletodeleteaslideiftheaudienceisabsolutelyinagreementaboutasituation,althoughitrarelyhurtstoclearlyrestateinformationtobringeveryonetothesamestartingpoint.

Tip 3: Your Act I Screen TestInfilmmaking,ascreentestputsactorsinfrontofacameratotesthowtheywilldoonscreen.InaPowerPointpresentation,yourfirstscreentestisforyourActIheadlines,andyourfirstaudienceisthemembersofyourteam.It’simportanttoincludeotherpeopleatthisstageofyourpresentationtogetearlyfeedbackandfreshperspectives.Ifyou’reworkingonasmallorinformalpresentation,askacolleagueoryourbosstolookoveryourActIheadlines.

OnceyougetthehangofwritinganActIwithyourgroup,tryapplyingthesetechniquestoothercommunicationsscenariosbeyondyourPowerPointpresentations.CraftingActIofapresentationisaproblem-solvingframeworkthatalsohelpsagrouptoclarifystrategy,developmarketingmessages,createprojectplans,andresolveotherchallenges.SharingyourActIheadlineswithateamisalsoagreatwaytokickoffaprojectororientsomeonenewtoateam.ByreviewingthefiveheadlinesofActIandtheclarifyingquestions,teammemberslearnthesituationquicklyandefficiently.

Tip 4: Multiple Stories, Multiple TemplatesWhenitcomestopresentations,onesizemightnotfitall.

10 T ps or Enhanc ng Ac


ThebeautyofyourActIheadlinesisthattheyarefinelytailoredandtunedtosolvethespecificproblemofaspecificaudience.Butwhatifyouraudiencehasmorethanoneproblem?Whatifyougivethesamepresentationtodifferentaudiencesthathavedif-ferentproblemstosolve?Forexample,youmightneedtopresentamarketingplantodifferentaudiences,includingtheboard,youradvertisingagency,andyoursalesteam.Ineachinstance,thepresentationwillhaveadifferentfocusandwillneedadifferentver-sionofActI.Ifyoudon’ttailoryourpresentationstoyouraudiences,youwon’tconnectwiththem.

OnewaytoplanforthesedifferentsituationsistocreateseveralversionsofActI,eachofwhichistailoredtoaspecificaudience.CreateacopyofthedocumentthatcontainsthefiveActIheadlinesfromyourcurrentstorytemplate.Inthenewdocument,revisethePointAandPointBheadlines,whichdescribethecentralproblemthatyournewaudiencefaces.Whenyouchangetheseheadlinestoreflectanewproblem,youmightfindthatyouneedtorevisetheSettingandRoleheadlinesifadifferentsetofcircum-stancesledtothisproblem.AndyoumostlikelywillalsoneedtorevisetheCalltoActionheadlinebecausethesolutionforthenewproblemwillprobablybedifferentfromthesolutiontothepreviousproblem.AftercreatingseparateversionsofActI,youchoosethemostappropriateversionforyournextaudience.

Thismultiple-versionapproachalsoworksifyoufindthatyouhavemorestoriestotellinadditiontotheoneyou’reworkingon.Ifyousenseanotherstoryemerging,openupanewstorytemplate,andkeepitopenwhileyou’reworkingonyourcurrentpresentation,addingheadlinestoyoursecondstoryasyougo.Asyoudevelopyoursecondpresenta-tioninparalleltothefirst,youmightfindthatyou’reabletorefinebothversionsatthesametime.

Tip 5: Visualize Your AudienceThemoreclearlyyouknowyouraudience,thecleareryourcommunicationswillbecome.

WhenyoustartwritingyourActIheadlines,takesometimewithyourteamtovisualizeeverythingthatyouknowaboutyourspecificaudience.Todothis,openanewPower-Pointpresentation,createablankslide,andinsertapictureofaspecificaudiencemem-berorjusttypeaspecificnameonthescreen.Ifyou’respeakingtoalargeaudience,considertheslideacompositeoftheaverageaudiencemember.

Askyourgroupquestionslikethese:

■ Whatdoweknowaboutthisperson?

■ Whathaveweheardabouthispersonalitytype?

■ Howdoesshemakedecisions?

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■ WhatcanwelearnfromaWebsearchabouthisthinkingprocess?

■ Whatcanwelearnfromoursocialnetworkabouthowsheworkswithotherpeople?

■ Howdoweeffectivelyfashionanexperiencethatalignswithhisinterestsandpersonalitytype?

Typetheinformationontheslideasyourgroupgivesfeedbacksothateveryonehasalltheinformationcapturedontheslide.Whenyoudothis,youtapintothecollectivethinkingofyourgrouptobetterunderstandyouraudience.Andyouthinkmoredeeplyaboutyouraudienceandyourpurpose,whichwillsignificantlyimprovethequalityofyourheadlines.

Tip 6: What Problem Is Your Audience Facing? Toaccuratelydefinetheproblemyouraudienceisfacing,tryputtingyourselfintheplaceoftheaudience.

YourActIheadlinesidentifyaproblemthatyouraudiencefacesandasolutionthatyoupropose.Butit’snotalwayseasytofigureouttheproblemtobesureyouhavetherightsolution.ThevisualizationexercisedescribedinTip5helpsyoutoseeintothemindsetofyouraudiencesothatyou’llbeinabetterpositiontowritetheappropriateheadlinesforthem.

Anothertechniqueisroleplaying.WhenyoureviewtheroughdraftofyourActIheadlines,askamemberofthegrouptoplaytheroleofadecisionmakerorrepresen-tativememberofyouraudience.Shewillreviewthematerialyougatheredfromtheprecedingprofilingexercisetohelphergetintocharacter.

Requestthatthispersonbeadevil’sadvocateduringyourreviewsession,continuallyaskingquestionssuchasthese:

■ What’sinthisforme?

■ Whydoyouthinkthisisimportanttome?

■ WhyshouldIcare?

Whenyouhearthiscriticalvoiceduringyourreview,you’llbeabletotestyourhead-linestomakesurethatyou’rehittingthemark.It’sbettertohearthequestionsfromafictionalaudiencethantohavethempopupunexpectedlyduringyouractualpresentation.

Onceyou’veidentifiedyouraudience’sproblem,don’tbesurprisedifyourpresentationholdstightlytogetherandyourideasstarttoemergeintoclearmeaning.



Tip 7: Strategic Collage Ifyouhaveahigh-stakespresentationtomake,youmightneedtoinvestextraefforttogettoknowyouraudienceinadvance.Onewaytogettoknowthemistospendadayintheirshoes—atleastsymbolically.OpenupanewPowerPointfile,andthencreatesixblankslides.Oneachoftheseslides,typeoneoftheclarifyingquestions:Where? When? Who? What? Why?andHow?

Useadigitalcameratotakepicturesoftheobjectsyouraudienceuseseverydayoroftheenvironmentswheretheyliveandworkandthepeopletheymightsee.Yourvisu-alsshouldrepresentwhateverdatayouhaveaboutyouraudience,whetherit’smarketresearch,demographics,orfocusgroupinformation.Gothroughyourorganization’sphotolibrariestofindlicensedphotographsandcliparttoshowthebuildingsinwhichthesepeoplework,theproductstheyuse,andtheplacestheyvisit.Useadigitalscannertoinsertpicturesofdocuments,apentablettomakesketches,avideocameratoinsertvideoclips,andamicrophonetocollectsound.

Whenyou’vecollectedthesemultimediaelements,arrangethemoneachofthesixPowerPointslidestocreatesixcollages.Sizethedifferentelementsaccordingtohowimportantyouthinkeachistoyouraudience—forexample,ifmobilityismostimportant,makethepictureofacarlargerthanlessimportantelements.

Presentthefiletoyourteamasyoudiscusswhatit’sliketospendadayinyouraudience’sshoesinthecontextofthesesixslides.ThenopenyourstorytemplateandstartworkingonActI.Discusswithyourteamhowwelltheheadlinesmatchthecollages,andthenedittheheadlinestoprovideagoodfit.ThebetteryourActIstorymatchestherealityofyouraudience’slives,thebetteryourpresentation.

Tip 8: The Story of AdvertisingSomeofthemostpowerfulexamplesofActIstorystructurepassrightbeforeyoureyeseveryday.Ifyoulookforthem,you’llfindanendlessstreamofideasforyourpresentations.Thesestoriesareallaroundus—intheformofadvertising.

AdvertisersarewellawareofAristotle’sideasandtechniquesofstorytellingandpersuasion,becauseatitscore,everyadvertisementisapersuasivestory.Whetheryoulookupatabillboard,openamagazine,orwatchtelevision,you’reseeingamini-storybuiltonthefundamentalsofpersuasion.Eachadvertisementhasasingulargoalinmind:topersuadeyoutodosomething—usually,tobuyaproduct.

Topersuadeyou,anadvertiserwillusethemostcurrentandsophisticatedblendofmultimediapossible.Butbeneaththemediamixarethesameclassicalstoryelementsyou’vebeenworkingwithinActIofthestorytemplate:theclarifyingquestionswhereandwhen,who,why,what,andhow.AsinaPowerPointpresentation,themaincharacter

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ofanadvertisementisusuallytheaudience—inthiscase,you—becausetheadvertiser’sgoalistopersuadeyoutobuyorthinksomethingnew.

Soifyou’rewatchingacommercialforalaundrydetergent,comparethequestionsyouraudiencesilentlyasksofyourfiveActIheadlineswithwhatyouseeonTV,somethinglikethis:

■ Where am I, and when is it? I’mathome,andit’stheafternoon.

■ Who am I here in this setting? I’mapersongettingreadytogooutfortheevening.

■ What challenge do I face? Idroppedspaghettionmyfavoriteshirt.

■ Where do I want to be? Iwanttoimpressmydatetonightbylookingmybest.

■ How do I get from here to there? IfIbuyProductXlaundrydetergent,myshirtwillbecleanintimeformydate.

There’susuallyaone-to-onecorrespondencebetweenyourActIquestionsandmostadvertisementsbecausebothhavethesameintent:tomakeanemotionalconnectionandtopersuade.Andbothcreativelyinterpretthefundamentalsofstorystructuretogetthejobdone.Thenexttimeyounoticeanadvertisement,observethestructurethatgivesitform.Sometimesthestoryelementsmightbeimpliedorcommunicatedusingaphoto,sound,ormovementinsteadofwords,buttheywillusuallyallbethere.

Asyoubegintoseethiscommonpersuasivestorystructureinadvertising,you’llbemoreawareoftherangeofstorytellingapproaches,andyou’llbeabletoapplythesetechniquestoyourownActIheadlines.

Tip 9: Persuasive EducationEducatorsandtrainersareinthesameboatastherestofuswhenitcomestothechallengesofcommunicatingtoday.Theyalsoareaffectedbytheexpectationsofaudienceswhonowarefluentinthevisuallanguagearoundthemandexpectthesamelevelofmediasophisticationintheclassroom.

Forexample,auniversityprofessorwho’sstrugglingtofindawaytomakehisarchitecturecoursemoreinterestingandengagingisstruckbythefactthateveryoneofthearchitectshe’lldiscussalsostruggledwithchange—economicchange,socialchange,demographicchange,andtechnologicalchange.Sohedecidestoadoptaclassicalpersuasivetechniqueandchoosesthesingulartopicofchangeasthekeythemeofhiscourse.ThepersuasivestoryinActIgoeslikethis:

■ Where am I, and when is it? Architectsstandattheepicenterofeconomicchange,socialchange,andtechnologicalchange.



■ Who am I in this setting? Asanewgraduate,youwillbefacingtherealityofthesituationsoon.

■ What challenge do I face? Asanewhire,youaremostindangerofinstabilityduetotheforcesofchange.

■ What do I want? You’dliketolearntheskillstohandlethesituationnomatterwhatchangesoccur.

■ How do I get from here to there? Learnthreecrucialtechniquestoensurethatyoukeepafirmfooting.

ThispersuasiveActIstructureprovidesanelegantframeworkfortheentirecourse.Itgivesstudentsawaytounderstandthesinglethemeandfollowitthroughthevariouseventsinthecomplicatedhistoryofarchitecture.Andthedramaticandpersuasiveelementsgivestudentsawaytorelatepersonallytothematerial.

Findingadefiningstructurelikethisisnotalwayseasy,butitcanmakethedifferencebetweenaboringlectureandanengagingpresentation.Tryapplyingthepersuasivemodelthenexttimeyouteachorinform,andseewhetheryoumakethingsmoreinterestingforbothyourselfandyouraudience.

Tip 10: Get the Writing RightBeyondthenutsandboltsofwritingdownthewords,considerwaystoapplyliterarytechniquestoconveyclearmeaningacrossyourheadlines.ActIissobriefandelegantthatyouareactuallytellingarichbutconcisestoryinonlyfivesentences.Usingamotifisonepowerfultechnique;lookforothertechniquesfromprofessionalwriterswhoseworkyouadmire.

Writerssuchaspoetsareextremelygoodatcommunicatingagreatdealofinformationinalimitednumberofwords.Pickupabookofgoodpoetry,andpayattentiontohowtheauthoruseswords,metaphor,andpacing.Scanthroughthetextinarangeofnews-papers,andconsiderhowthewritersmanagetotellacomplicatedstoryinonlyabriefarticle.Listentopeoplespeak,andtryadaptingthedirectandclearphrasesyouheartothewordsofyourActIheadlines.Ifyouhavegoodwritersonyourteam,askthemtohelpwriteyourActIheadlines,andifyouhavetheresources,hireaprofessionalwritertohelp.ThesuccessofyourentirepresentationrestsonthelanguageyouuseforActI,soinvesttheresourcesnecessarytogetitright.

Andyoucanputthatinwriting.

105

CHAPTER 5

THE HEADLINES youwroteforActIw preparethework ngmemory

ofyouraud enceforthecruc a firstfewm nutesofapresentat onby

or ent ng, nterest ng,engag ng,mot vat ng,andfocus ngthem A though

youm ghthavemadequ ckworkofp ann ngthesefirstfives des,th ngs

getmuchmorecha eng ngasyoup antherestofthes des nthebody

ofyourpresentat on

And Now Presenting…Act IIAlthoughyoufacedifficultchallengesandhavehardchoicestomakewhenyoucreatethebodyofyourpresentation,BeyondBulletPoints(BBP)isuptothejobofhelpingyoucompleteActIIofyourstorytemplate.AsinActI,completingthestorytemplateforActIIcreatesasolidfoundationthatwillhelpyouchooseexactlywhatyouwillshowandsayasyoupresenttheworkingmemoryofyouraudiencewithnewinformation.Withthisfoundationinplace,you’llhaveendlesscreativeoptionstomakethecrispandclearunderlyingstoryevenmorepowerful.

Tobegin,gotoActIIoftheBBPStoryTemplateyou’vestartedtowrite,locatetheZoomtoolbarinthelowerrightofthescreen,andclickanddragtheZoomtoolbarsothatActIIfillsthescreen,asshowninFigure5-1.HereyouseetheemptycellswhereyouwillwritetherestoftheheadlinesofActIIfollowingthethreegroundrulesdescribedinthesection“WritingHeadlinesUsingThreeGroundRules”inChapter3.

Planning the Rest of Your Slides


■Wr tethehead nesfortherestofthes desofthebodyofyourpresentat on.

■D st your deastothe ressence.

■ Pr or t zeyour deas,andputthem namean ngfu sequence.

106 Chapter5 P ann ng he Res o Your S des

FIGURE 5-1 Thece swhereyouw wr tetherema n nghead nes nAct ofthestorytemp ate.

ThespecificwordsyouwriteinthesecellsinActIIofthestorytemplatebecometheheadlinesoftherestoftheslidesofyourPowerPointpresentation.ButwhereastheActIheadlineshelpyouplanonlyfiveslides,yourActIIheadlineswillhelpyouplanmostoftherestoftheslidesinthebodyofyourpresentation.

A Special Type of OutlineActIIinthestorytemplatecontainsthreecolumns,labeledKeyPoint,Explanation,andDetail,asshowninFigure5-2.IntheKeyPointcolumn,yougivethetopthreereasonsyouraudienceshouldacceptyourCalltoActionheadline.TheExplanationcolumncontainsanadditionallevelofinformationabouttheKeyPointcolumnheadlines,andtheDetailcolumncontainsthenextlevelofinformationabouttheExplanationcolumnheadlines.

FIGURE 5-2 Thethreeco umnhead ngs:KeyPo nt,Exp anat on,andDeta .

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OnewaytounderstandhowActIIworksistoseeitasasentenceoutlineyoumightusetowriteapaper.Inasentenceoutline,beginningfromasinglethesisstatement,youwriteoutyourtopicsentences,explanations,anddetailsandorganizethembyusingnumbersandlettersalongwithindentation.Forexample,youwriteoutyourfirsttopicsentenceandthennumberit1.Youthenindentandnumberas1.a.thefirstexplanationthatfollowsthetopicsentence,andthenindentandnumberas1.a.i.,1.a.ii.,and1.a.iii.thedetailsthatfollowtheexplanation,asshownhere:

1. Topicsentence(KeyPoint)a. Explanation

i. Detail

ii. Detail

iii.Detailb. Explanation

Youcontinuenumberingandindentingyoursentencesinthisfashionasyouwritetherestoftheoutline.

Whenyouwriteyourpresentationoutlineusingyourstorytemplate,insteadofindent-ingandnumberingyourheadlines,youwritetheminthecorrespondingcolumnsofActII,whicharecoloredaccordingtothelevelsofindentation.Forexample,whenyouviewActIIasasentenceoutline,asshowninFigure5-3,yourthesisstatementcorrespondstothedarkgrayCallToActioncellinActI(top).YourtopicsentencesinthefirstnumberedlevelofyouroutlinecorrespondtothemediumgrayKeyPointcolumninActII(left).ThenextlevelofindentationcorrespondstothelightgrayExplanationcolumn(middle),andthenextlevelofindentationcorrespondstothewhiteDetailcolumn(right).

WriteActIIinablankMicrosoftWorddocumentusingatraditionalsentenceoutlineifthatworksbetterforyou—justbesuretowritecompletesentencesasdescribedinthesection“WritingHeadlinesUsingThreeGroundRules”inChapter3,anddisciplineyourselftokeepyourindentedheadingstothreelevels.SomeBBPpractitionersusetoolsotherthanWordtowritetheirstorytemplates,includingMicrosoftExcel,mind-mappingsoftware,andevenPost-itnotes—visitwww.beyondbulletpoints.comtolearnmore.

And Now Presen ng Ac


FIGURE 5-3 There at onsh pbetweenthethreeco umnsofAct ss m artothe ndented eve sofhead ngs nasentenceout ne.

Built-in ScalabilityYou’llnoticethatthecolumnheadingsinthisstorytemplatealsoincludetimeestimates:theKeyPointcolumnheadingincludesthephrase5minutes,theExplanationcolumnheadingincludesthephrase15minutes,andtheDetailcolumnheadingincludesthephrase45minutes.Thesetimeestimatesindicatethatforanypresentation,youchoosetocompletethecolumnsthatcorrespondtothelevelofinformationandlengthofpresentationyouwant.

Theentirestorytemplate,includingActIandallthreecolumnsinActII,contains44cells,eachofwhichcontainsasingleheadline.Ifyouspendanaverageofoneminuteperheadline,youhaveenoughmaterialfora45-minutepresentation.IfyouskiptheDetailcolumn,youendupwithatotalof17headlinesinyourstorytemplate;ifyouspendanaverageof50secondsoneach,youhaveenoughmaterialfora15-minutepresentation.IfyouskiptheExplanationandDetailcolumns,youhave8headlines;ifyouspendanaverageof40secondsoneach,youhavea5-minutepresentation.

Inthischapter,everycellintheexamplewilleventuallycontainaheadlinesothatyouseehowtheentireprocessworks.

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Thehead ngs nActIIofthestorytemp atedescr bethemostcommond v s onof eve sof nformat on napresentat on Ifyouwanttoadaptthehead ngstoa gnmorec ose yw thyourprofess on,see“T p3 Ta orYourActIICo umnHead ngstoYourProfess on” ater nth schapter— tm ghtbeworthtak ngaqu ck ookatthesenowtokeepthem nm ndasyou earnhowtouseActIIofthestorytemp ate

Threading the Eye of the Needle Using a HierarchyActIImightlookblandandunassumingwithitsvariousrowsandcellsinaWorddocument,andtheideathatitisaformofatraditionalsentenceoutlinedoesnotmakeitseemexceptional.Butappearancesaredeceiving—itis,infact,apowerfulcritical-thinkingtoolthathashelpedmanypeopleinarangeofprofessionstobreakthroughintellectualclutterandfindacompellingstorystructurebeneathmountainsofdata,charts,andbulletpoints.Builtintothearrangementofthesesimplecellsisaprocessthatwieldstremendousintellectualpowertohelpyougetrighttothepoint.

Whenyouuseindentationsinasentenceoutlineasdescribedearlier,youareapplyingahierarchytoyourideasbyconsciouslyspecifyingsomeideas(yourtopicsentences)asmoreimportantthanotherideas(yourexplanation),whichareinturnmoreimportantthanotherideas(yourdetails).Therelationshipsbetweenlevelsofideasinahierarchybecomeclearinalogictree,alsocalledatreediagram—aconceptthatdatesbackatleast1700years.Thebasiclookofthelogictreediagramisrecognizabletodayintheformofanorganizationalchart.WhenthelogictreethatisbuiltintoActIIofthestorytemplateisplacedonitsside,atriangledrawnaroundthelogictreeshowsitsshape,asinFigure5-4.Thistriangleshapeisthepowerfultoolyouwillusetodistillyourideastotheiressence,prioritizethem,andarrangetheminthesequenceinwhichyouwillpres-entthemintheformofslidestotheworkingmemoryofyouraudience.

TheconceptofahierarchyillustratedbythetriangleinActIImightnotbepopularthesedays,withtrendsmovingmoretowardfree-flowing,organic,free-associationrelation-shipsamongpeopleandideas.Butyouabsolutelyneedanideahierarchytohelpyoudecidewhichofyourslidesaremoreimportantthanothers.Youcannotpresenttheworkingmemoryofyouraudiencewithanunprioritizedandunstructuredsequenceofslides,becauseyouwillquicklyoverwhelmit.Ahierarchybreaksupacomplexbodyofinformationintosmallerpiecesthatareeasierforworkingmemorytohandleandthenprioritizesthosepiecesandplacestheminaparticularsequence.

Thread ng he Eye o he Need e Us ng a H erarchy


FIGURE 5-4 Act ofthestorytemp ate sbu tonthepowerfu foundat onofah erarchy.

Ahierarchyisthenaturalwaypeopleroutinelygothroughareasoningprocess—ifyouarecompletelynewtoatopic,youmightstartwithalargeamountofunstructuredinformation(bottomofahierarchy)whenyoufirstassemblethemanydetailsoftheinformationyouwanttopresent.Youthenapplyyourreasoningprocesstosorttheinformationintosmallergroupstoexplainwhatitmeans(middleofthehierarchy).Lastyoudevelopthekeypointsorconclusionaboutwhatyouanalyzed(topofthehierarchy).Yousometimesapproachareasoningprocesstheotherwayaround,asyou’lldowhenyoucompleteActIIinthischapter—ifyou’vealreadycompletedthereasoningprocessbythetimeyou’rereadytoprepareapresentation,youbeginwiththekeypointsyouwanttomake,followthosewithyourexplanation,andthenfollowyourexplanationwiththedetails.EitherapproachtoActIIisperfectlyvalid.

Tip

WiththehierarchyconceptfirmlyestablishedasthefoundationofActII,it’stimetomakethingspracticalandapplythehierarchytothespecificslidesintheexamplepresentation.

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ThedesignofActIIofthestorytemplateisinspiredbyBarbaraMinto’sbook,TheMintoPyramidPrinciple:LogicinWriting,Thinking,andProblemSolving(MintoInternational,1996).Thebookisasophisticated,thorough,andcompre-hensiveapplicationofalogictreetechniquethatMintodevelopedmorethan30yearsagototeachmanagementconsultantstowritebusinessdocumentsmoreeffectively,andshenowteachesherapproachasanindependentconsultanttoseniorexecutivesaroundtheworld.

Prioritizing Your SlidesTorecapyourstorysofar:YourActIheadlinesdefinetheSetting,Role,PointA,PointB,andCalltoActionslides.Youmakeyouraudience’sproblemclearwiththegapbetweenthechallengetheyfaceinthePointAheadlineandwheretheywanttobeinthePointBheadline.Thegapbetweentheseheadlinesformsthedramatictensionfortheentirepresentation,causingyouraudiencetonowpaycloseattentiontofindouthowtheycansolvethisproblem.Withthisgapwideopen,youfocustheentirepresentationwiththeCalltoActionheadline.ThismakestheheadlineoftheCalltoActionslidethetopofthetriangle,asshowninFigure5-5,andActIIistherestofthetrianglethatwillpullyourslidesthroughtheeyeoftheneedleofyouraudience’sworkingmemorybasedonasensiblesequenceandpriority.

Ca toAct on

The Ca to Act on head ne focuses a the s des n the h erarchy.

FIGURE 5-5 Thet poftheh erarchy sthehead neoftheCa toAct ons defromAct .

Pr or z ng Your S des


Intheexamplepresentation,yourproposedCalltoActionheadlineisto“Changeyourwayofthinkingtogetbreakthroughresults,”asshowninFigure5-6.

FIGURE 5-6 TheCa toAct once fromAct w ththehead necomp eted.

NowthatyouraudienceknowsyourrecommendedCalltoActionheadline,they’reeagertohearwhyandhowitisagoodidea,whichiswhatyou’lljustifynext.Focusingexclu-sivelyonexplainingyourCalltoActionheadlineinActIIgivesyouthecriteriayouneedtoreducetheamountofinformationinyourpresentation.You’llincludeonlyinformationthatsupportsyourreasonsforrecommendingtheCalltoActionheadlineandexcludeeverythingelse.

AsyouworkonActII,refertothecomp etedstorytemp atesava ab eatwww beyondbu etpo nts com Thesetemp ates nc udearangeofActIIexamp esfromd fferenttypesofpresentat ons

Justifying the Call to Action Headline with the Key Point HeadlinesAsyoubeginActII,yourfirstgoalistowritetheheadlinesforthemostimportantslidesyouwillpresent.Ifyouraudiencewillrememberonlythreekeypointsinyourpresentation,youneedtoknowspecificallywherethosecorrespondingslidesareinyourpresentationandallowampletimetoshowthemandspeakaboutthem.Tocreatetheseimportantslides,youwilljustifyyourCalltoActionheadline.You’lldothisbyboilingdowntoonlythreeKeyPointheadlinesthereasonswhyyouraudienceshouldacceptyourrecommendedcalltoactionorthemainstepsthatdescribehowtheyshouldimple-mentit.YouwillaccomplishthatbywritingthreeheadlinesinthefirstcolumnofActII.

It’sa waysagood deato m tyour deastogroupsofthree,asdescr bedn“T p1 ThePowerofThree” ater nth schapter But fyouneedtoexpandyourgroup ngstofour,usetheexpandedtemp atevers onthat’sdescr bed n“T p2 MakeRoomforFour ”Rememberthatwork ngmemorycanho dthreetofourchunksofnew nformat onatanyonet me,so fyoutrytopresentmorethanthat,you’ qu ck yoverwhe m t

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TobeginfillinginActIIinthestorytemplate,positionyourcursortotherightoftheKeyPointcolumnheading.IftheCalltoActionheadlinerecommendsyouraudiencedosomething,theywillwanttoknowwhytheyshoulddoit.IfyourCalltoActionhead-linerecommendstheyfollowasetofsteps,theywillwanttoknowhow.Thisisacriticaldecision-makingpoint,becausewhetheryouchoosewhyorhowwillshapeeveryslidetofollowinActII.

Ifyouchoosewhy,youaregivingtheentirepresentationapersuasiveorientation.Ifyouchoosehow,youaregivingtheentirepresentationanexplanatoryorientation.Whenthesingularfocusofthepresentationistopersuadesomeonetodoorthinksomething,choosewhy.Whentheaudiencealreadyhasagreedtotheideaandnowyoursingu-larfocusistoexplainsomething,choosehow.Createahybridpersuasive-explanatorypresentationbychoosinghowforthefirstcolumnandwhyfortheothers,orviceversa.

ChoosethequestionthatbestdescribeswhatyouraudiencewillwanttoknownextaboutyourCalltoActionheadline,andtypethequestiontotherightoftheKeyPointcolumnheading—inthiscase,How?—asshowninFigure5-7.

FIGURE 5-7 TheKeyPo ntco umn nd catesthequest on“How?”

Thethreecriticaldecisionpointsthathavethebiggestimpactonyourpresen-tationarethese:identifyinginActIthegapbetweenachallengetheaudiencefacesinthePointAheadlineandwheretheywanttobeinthePointBheadline;defininginActItheCalltoActionheadlinethatfocusestheentirepresentation;andchoosinginActIIwhyorhowforyourKeyPointheadlines,whichdetermineswhethertherestofyourpresentationwillhaveapersuasiveoranexplanatoryorientation.

YourKeyPointcolumnheadingnowindicatesthequestionthatyouraudienceiswon-deringaboutyourcalltoaction—inthiscase,“HowdoIchangemywayofthinkingtogetbreakthroughresults?”You’llanswertheirquestionbyexplainingthethreemainwayshowtheyshouldchangetheirthinking.Followthethreegroundrulesdescribedinthesection“WritingHeadlinesUsingThreeGroundRules”inChapter3towriteoutyourheadlinesineachofthethreemediumgraycellsoftheKeyPointcolumn,prioritizingthemindescendingorderofimportance.ThemoreconciseyourKeyPointheadlinesare,theeasiertheywillbetoremember,solimitthemtoamaximumofabouttwoandahalflines,asshowninFigure5-8.



YourfirstKeyPointheadlinestates“Reviewwhatyouknow”;thesecondKeyPointhead-linestates“Stepoutsideyourassumptions”;andyourlastKeyPointheadlinestates“Stepbackinsidetoanewwayofthinking.”ThesethreeKeyPointheadlinesareclear,concise,andliterallytothepoint(s),givingyouraudienceasenseofcoherenceandfocusasyoudevelopthedetailsoftheinformationtocome.Itwillberelativelyeasyforworkingmemorytoholdontothesemostmeaningfulvisualandverbalpiecesandintegratetheinformationintolong-termmemory.

FIGURE 5-8 Act ofthestorytemp ate,w ththeKeyPo ntco umnce scomp eted notethepara e construct onofthehead nesacrossthece s.

YourthreeKeyPointheadlinesmightcomeeasilyifyou’vebeenthinkingabouttheseissuesforalongtimeandyousimplywritethemdown.Ortheymighttakesomeworkbecauseyou’restillfiguringthemoutandyouneedtoclustertogetherrelatedideasinasinglemainidea.Ifyou’reatalossforwords,tryaninterviewingtechniquebyaskingsomeonetoreadtheKeyPointcolumnquestionoutloudtoyou.Speakyouranswersoutloudasyouformulatethem,andthentypethemintheKeyPointcolumncells.

Tip

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Ifyou’restillnotsureofyouranswers,draftaplaceholdersetofKeyPointheadlinessothatyouhaveaplacetostart.YouwillwanttospendampletimeonwritingtheKeyPointheadlinesbecausetogetherwiththeCalltoActionheadline,theyarethemostimportantinformationyouwantyouraudiencetorememberandapply.

AsyouformulateyourKeyPointheadlines,thinkofhowtheywillreadwhenyoupresentthemintheircorrespondingsequenceofslides.AfteryoucreateaslidefromeachoftheseheadlinesinChapter6,youwillsketchinitialideastoillustrateeachofthesehead-lines,asshowninFigure5-9.Whenyouimagineyourheadlinesvisuallyasslideslikethis,yougetabettersenseofhowtheywillrelatetooneanotherasyoupresentthem.ThegoalistomakethesethreeKeyPointheadlinesaneatlycoordinatedpackagethatflowstogetherfromoneideatothenextsothatitwillbeeasytoillustratethemwhenyougettoyoursketcheslater.

FIGURE 5-9 Keep nm ndhowyourKeyPo nthead nesw becomethefoundat onforav sua storyyoute acrossthecorrespond ngs des nthestoryboard.

Improving Your Key PointsTightentherelationshipamongthesethreeKeyPointheadlines,andincreasetheirmemorabilitybycarryingyourmotiffromActIthroughtheirwording.Remember,amotifisaboutmuchmorethanbeingclever—itisaboutfindingafamiliarstructurefromyouraudience’slong-termmemorythatwilleasetheintroductionofnewinforma-tionintoworkingmemory.Forexample,ifyouusethepuzzlemotifintheCalltoActionheadlinePutthethreepiecesofthepuzzletogethertochangeyourwayofthinking,placeinfrontofeachKeyPointheadlinethecorrespondingphrase:PuzzlePiece1,PuzzlePiece2,andPuzzlePiece3.Youcoulduseapuzzlemotifintwodifferentways,withthepuzzlepiecesofthethreepointseitherrevealingorconcealingthefinalpicture.

Thereareendlesswaystolayoutthetop-levelstorythreadacrossyourKeyPointheadlines.WhateveryoudecidedependsonwhatyoucarrythroughfromtheCalltoActionheadlineinActI.Forexample,extendachronologyacrossyourKeyPointheadlinesbasedontheCalltoActionheadlineFollowthestorythroughthethreecrucial



timeperiods,oruseasimplelistformatbasedontheCalltoActionheadlineCheckoffthethreeitemsorFollowthethreeparts.HeightenengagementandsuspensethroughthethreeKeyPointheadlinesbywithholdingwhatwillhappen,asinUncoverthethreesecretsorFollowthethreeclues—allowingtheaudiencetogetinvolvedandfillintheblanksforthemselves.AtrialattorneymighttapintoafamiliarstorystructureforanopeningstatementatajurytrialbyfollowingaformulasuchasMotive+means deathoroneofitsvariationssuchasDenial+deception injury.Forinspirationonmotifs,reviewthesamplephrasestobeginyourCalltoActionheadlinesinAppendixDandconsiderhowyoucouldcarrythesamethemesthroughthelanguageoftheKeyPointheadlines.

Whicheverwayyoudecidetogowithyourmotif,makesureyouintegrateitthroughthewordingoftheCalltoActionandtheKeyPointheadlinesbecauselateryouwillapplyasimilarvisualdesignrelatedtothemotiftothecorrespondingslides.Althoughitissuf-ficienttointegrateamotifonlythroughasetofCalltoActionandKeyPointheadlines,youmaywanttoextenditthroughtheExplanationheadlinesifitworks.Don’tstretchamotifbeyonditssensiblelimits,though—rememberfromChapter4thatamotifhastoresonatewithyouaudience,andifitstartstosoundtriteoroverused,itwillhurtyourmessageratherthanhelpit.

Whenyou’veenteredyourthreeheadlinesintheKeyPointcolumn,testthembyfillingintheblanksinthissentence:

Thethreemainreasons/ways(insertaudiencefromActI)should(insertCalltoActionheadline)are(insertKeyPointheadline1),(insertKeyPointheadline2),and(insertKeyPointheadline3).

Inthispresentationexample,thecompletedsentencereads:

Thethreemainwaysyou(theteammembers)shouldchangethewayyouthinkarereviewwhatyouknow,stepoutsideyourassumptions,andstepbackinsidetoanewwayofthinking.

TestthethreeKeyPointheadlinesbyfillingintheblanksinthissentence:

Thethreemainreasons/ways(insertaudiencefromActI)should(insertCalltoActionheadline)are(insertKeyPointheadline1),(insertKeyPointheadline2),and(insertKeyPointheadline3).

Forthissentencetosoundright,eachKeyPointheadlineshouldbewritteninasimilarformandshouldcontainasimilartypeofinformation.JustastheKeyPointheadlines

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explaintheCalltoActionheadline,theCalltoActionheadlineshouldalsosummarizetheKeyPointheadlines.

YourCalltoActionandKeyPointheadlinesshouldneatlydistilltotheessencewhatyouwanttocommunicateinyourpresentationanddefineyourmeasureofsuccess—ifyouraudiencecanrememberandapplythesepoints,you’vesucceededinyourpresentationmission.IfyourmeasureforsuccessisnotpresentinthewordingofyourCalltoActionandKeyPointheadlines,yougobackandchangethewordingsothatthecoreofyourmessageisclearandvisiblewithoutadoubt.

AsyoutestyourthreeKeyPointheadlines,youmightfindthattheCalltoActionheadlineisn’texactlywhatyouintendedandyouneedtogobackandreviseitorentirelyreworkActI.OryoumightneedtoreviseyourthreeKeyPointheadlinestomakesurethateachsupportstheCalltoActionheadlineinawaythatmakesyourtestsentencesoundright.You’llprobablyneedtodoacoupleofroundsoftestingandrevisingbeforeyou’resatisfiedwithyourresultsandarereadytomoveontothenextstep.

WhenyouhavewrittenyourthreeKeyPointheadlines,youhavemadesurethatyouwilljustifytheCalltoActionslidewiththeKeyPointslidesthatfollowit.YourCalltoActionandKeyPointheadlinesformthemostimportantinformationatthetoplevelofthehierarchy,asshowninFigure5-10,whichdefinesthemostimportantandmeaningfulinformationthatyouwantyouraudience’sworkingmemorytoengageandintegrateintolong-termmemory.

Key Po nt2

Key Po nt3

Key Po nt1

Ca toAct on

Just fy the Ca to Act on head ne w th the Key Po nt head nes.

FIGURE 5-10 Thetopofyours deh erarchycons stsofyourmost mportants des theCa toAct ons deandthethreeKeyPo nts des. nasentenceout ne,theCa toAct ons decorrespondstothethes sstatementandtheKeyPo nts descorrespondtotop csentences1,2,and3.



Clarifying Each Key Point Headline with Its Explanation HeadlinesNowthatyou’vewrittentheheadlinesfortheKeyPointslides,thenextstepistowritetheheadlinesforthesecond-mostimportantslides—theExplanationslides.EachActIIsceneinyourstorytemplateisrepresentedbyahorizontalrowofcellsthatbeginswitheachKeyPointcellandextendstotherighttoincludealltheadjacentcellsintheExplanationandDetailcolumns,asshowninFigure5-11.

FIGURE 5-11 Act ,Scene1,extendshor zonta yfrom efttor ght nthestorytemp ate.

Asinthisexample,theheadlineinthesingleKeyPointcellanchorseachActIIscenebymaintainingasingularfocushorizontallyacrossallthreecolumns.TheExplanationandDetailcolumnswillfleshoutthemainideainincreasingdepthasyouentertheheadlinesofyourscenefromlefttoright,toptobottom.ThiskeepsallthepiecesofinformationrelatedtothesingleKeyPointheadlineorganizedandcoherent.

TostartwritingtherestofActII,Scene1,positionyourcursortotherightoftheExplanationcolumnheadingandtypethequestion(eitherwhyorhow)thatyouraudiencewillwanttoknownextaboutyourthreeKeyPointsheadlines—inthiscase,How?RereadyourKeyPointheadline,andaskyourselfhowthisistrue—inthiscase,“Howdowereviewwhatweknow?”AsyoudidintheKeyPointcolumn,typeyourthreeanswersindescendingorderofimportanceinthethreecellsoftheExplanationcolumn.WhenyouenteryourfirstreasoninthetopcelloftheExplanationcolumn,yourstorytemplateshouldlooksimilartoFigure5-12.

FIGURE 5-12 Act ,Scene1,w ththetopce oftheExp anat onco umncomp eted.

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Enteryoursecondanswerinthecellbelow,andenterthethirdanswerinthecellbelowthat,asshowninFigure5-13.YourExplanationcolumnanswersshouldoffermoredetailedsupportforyourKeyPointheadlineandcitespecificevidence,suchasfindingsfromresearch,casestudies,financialanalysis,oranecdotes.

FIGURE 5-13 Test ngthethreehead nes ntheExp anat onco umntomakesurethattheysupporttheKeyPo nttothe eft.

TestthethreeanswersintheExplanationcolumnbyfillingintheblanksinthissentence:

Thethreemainreasons/ways(insertKeyPointheadline)are(insertExplana-tioncolumn,answer1),(insertExplanationcolumn,answer2),and(insertExplanationcolumn,answer3).

Inthisexample,thetestsentencereadsasfollows:

Thethreemainwaystoreviewwhatweknowarewecurrentlyfollowathree-stepprocess,buttheprocessisn’tworkinganymore,andifwestayonthispath,we’llbeoutofbusiness.

Asinyourearliertestsentence,forthissentencetosoundright,eachanswershouldbewritteninasimilarwayandshouldcontainasimilartypeofinformation.Applythistestvisuallybyreadingthetestsentencefromtheleftcolumntotheright.Youshouldalsotesttheheadlinestheotherway,fromtherightcolumntotheleft—afteryoureadyourthreeExplanationcolumnheadlines,youshouldfindthattheKeyPointheadlinesumma-rizesthem.

JustasyouthoughtoftheKeyPointheadlinesasatightlyrelatedpackageofthoughtsthatyouwillshowoverasequenceofslides,thinkoftheExplanationheadlinesthesameway.TheheadlinesfromthethreeExplanationcolumncellsinFigure5-13willformtheheadlinesforthecorrespondingExplanationslidesinthestoryboard,andthesketchesinFigure5-14showhowthesequenceofideasinthisexampleisthefoundationforathree-partvisualstory.



FIGURE 5-14 Keep nm ndhowyourExp anat onhead nesw becomethefoundat onforav sua storyyoute acrossthecorrespond ngs des nthestoryboard.

BreakinguptheexplanationofeachKeyPointheadlineintosmallerpiecesthatyouwillshowandnarratereducescognitiveloadacrossasequenceofslides.Thisalignswiththeresearch-basedtemporalcontiguityprinciple,whichexplainsthatpeoplelearnbetterwhenanimationandnarrationarepresentedsimultaneously.Forexample,ifyouweretoshowanentirediagramfirstandthenthenarrationlater,youwouldsplittheattentionofyouraudienceastheirworkingmemorystrugglestocoordinatewhatitseesandwhatithears.Thestorytemplateensuresthatyoubreakupeveryexplanationintodigestiblepieces,soyouenduptightlycoordinatingwhatyousayandwhatyoushow,oneideaatatime.

OrganizeyourideaswithinthecellsoftheExplanationcolumnusinga“checklist”structure,achronology,alist,a1-2-3sequence,oranyotherwayyoumightexplainanideainthreeparts.

TestthethreeExplanationheadlinesbyfillingintheblanksinthissentence:

Thethreemainreasons/ways(insertKeyPointheadline)are(insertExplana-tioncolumn,answer1),(insertExplanationcolumn,answer2),and(insertExplanationcolumn,answer3).

WhenyouhavewrittenyourExplanationheadlines,youhavemadesurethatyouwillclarifyeachKeyPointslidewiththeExplanationslidesthatfollowit.TheExplanationslidesformthemiddleoftheslidehierarchy,asshowninFigure5-15,whichpresentsthesecond-mostimportantinformationalpiecestoworkingmemory—thesub-partsofyourKeyPointheadlines.

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Exp anat onExp anat on1.b

Exp anat onExp anat on1.c

Exp anat on1.a

Ca toAct on

KeyPo nt 1

C ar fy each Key Po nt head ne w th ts Exp anat on head nes.

FIGURE 5-15 Them dd eofyours deh erarchycons stsofyoursecond most mportants des theExp anat ons des. nan ndentedsentenceout ne,theses descorrespondtoout ne tems1.a.,1.b.,and1.c.

Backing Up Each Explanation Headline with Its Detail HeadlinesNowthatyou’vewrittentheheadlinesforyourKeyPointandExplanationslides,thelaststepistobackupeachExplanationheadlinebywritingheadlinesforitsDetailslides.FillintheDetailcolumnusingthesametechniquesyouusedfortheExplanationcolumn.PositionyourcursortotherightoftheDetailcolumnheading,andtypethequestion(whyorhow)youraudiencewillwanttoknownextaboutyourExplanationheadlines—inthiscase,How?Thequestionsyouchooseforyourcolumnheadingswillvaryaccordingtoyourtopic,andsometimestheymightbeallwhy,allhow,orcombinationsofthetwo.NowreadeachheadlineintheExplanationcolumn,andaskwhyorhowthatheadlineistrue.Inthisexample,you’llbeaskingthequestionhow,asin:“Howdowecurrentlyfol-lowathree-stepprocess?”

AsyoudidintheKeyPointandExplanationcolumns,typeyourthreeanswersinthethreecellsoftheDetailcolumnindescendingorderofimportance—thecellswillexpandtoholdyourtext.Keepyourheadlineslimitedtoabouttwoandahalflines,asyoudidintheothertwocolumns.TheanswersyouenterintheDetailcolumnshouldoffermoredetailedsupportfortheExplanationheadlineandcitespecificevidencethatbacksitup,asshowninFigure5-16.Thisiswhereyouincludequantitativeinformation,casestudies,



charts,graphs,anecdotes,analysis,andanyotherdetailsthatsupporttheExplanationheadlineinthecolumntotheleft.

FIGURE 5-16 Test ngthethreeDeta head nestomakesuretheybackuptheExp anat onhead netothe eft.

AswiththeKeyPointandExplanationheadlines,thinkofthewayyouwillenduppresentingtheseheadlinesvisuallyinasequenceofslides,asshowninFigure5-17.Asbefore,youarebreakingupthepreviouscolumn’sheadlineintosmallerpiecesthatyouwillpresentvisuallyandverballyacrossslides.WhateverspecificwordingyouchooseforeachDetailheadline,youwillbackitupbytheappropriatetypeofvisualevidence,whetheritisascreencapture,chart,graph,photograph,diagram,orotherillustration.Andjustasyoudidinthepreviouscolumns,organizeyourheadlinesinawiderangeofformats,includingchronological,before-and-afterresults,1-2-3lists,andmore.

FIGURE 5-17 Keep nm ndhowyourDeta head nesw becomethefoundat onforav sua storyyoute acrossthecorrespond ngs des nthestoryboard.

Afteryou’veenteredthreeanswersintheDetailcolumn,testthembyfillingintheblanksinthissentence:

Thethreemainreasons/ways(insertExplanationcolumnheadline)are(insertDetailcolumn,answer1),(insertDetailcolumn,answer2),and(insertDetailcolumn,answer3).

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Inthisexample,thetestheadlinewouldreadasfollows:

Thethreemainwayswecurrentlyfollowathree-stepprocessarewestudythemarketusingourproprietarysetoftools,webuildaproductbasedonwhatwe’velearned,andwemarkettheproducttoourtargetsegments

AfteryoutestyourDetailcolumnanswers,gotothesecondExplanationheadlineandrepeatthisprocessforitscorrespondingDetailheadlines.ThengotothethirdExplana-tionheadlineandrepeattheprocessforitsDetailheadlines.Whenyou’vefinished,youwillhavecompletedActII,Scene1,ofyourstorytemplate,asshowninFigure5-18.

FIGURE 5-18 Act ,Scene1,ofthesamp estorytemp ate,w tha ce scomp eted.

TestthethreeDetailheadlinesbyfillingintheblanksinthissentence:

Thethreemainreasons/ways(insertExplanationheadline)are(insertDetailcolumn,answer1),(insertDetailcolumn,answer2),and(insertDetailcolumn,answer3).

Asalways,itishelpfultothinkofhowyourheadlineswillplayoutacrosstheslidesofyourstoryboard.InFigure5-19,theDetailheadlinestellthestoryofthesecondExplana-tionheadlineintheformofananecdotetoldchronologicallyacrossthethreeslides.



FIGURE 5-19 Sketchesshow nghowtheDeta head neste achrono og ca story.

InFigure5-20,theDetailheadlinesplayoutdifferently,assketchesofchartsandscreencapturesexplainthethirdExplanationheadlinewithastep-by-stepsequenceofdetailsacrosstheslides.

FIGURE 5-20 Sketchesshow nghowtheDeta head nesre atequant tat ve nformat onacrosss des.

WhenyouhavewrittenyourDetailheadlines,youhavemadesurethatyouwillbackupeachExplanationslidewiththeDetailslidesthatfollowit.Thisisthebottomofthehier-archy,asshowninFigure5-21,whichpresentsthethird-mostimportantinformationalpiecestoworkingmemory.

Nowthatyou’vefinishedwritingtheheadlinesforActII,Scene1,it’stimetomoveontoScenes2and3.

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Exp anat onExp anat on1.b

DetaDetaDeta1.b.

Exp anat onExp anat on1.c

DetaDetaDeta1.c.

Exp anat on1.a

Deta1.a.

Deta1.a.

Deta1.a.

Ca toAct on

Key Po nt1

B eak up each Exp anat on s de w th ts Deta s des

FIGURE 5-21 Thebottomofyourh erarchycons stsofyourth rd most mportants des theDeta s des.nac ass ca ndentedout ne,theses descorrespondtoout ne tems1.a. .,1.b. .,1.c. .,andsoon.

Fleshing Out the Rest of Act IIWithActII,Scene1,complete,yourfinaljobistowritetheheadlinesfortherestoftheslidesinActII.You’lldothisbyapplyingthesameprocesstobothScene2andScene3.Continuetocheckyourreasoningwithtestsentencesateachlevel,andreviseyourstorytemplateheadlinesasneededtokeepthetestsentencesclearandconsistent.

ActIIofthestorytemplateisstructuredusinggroupsofthreeideastomakeyourideaseasierforyouraudiencetounderstand,butyoumightfindthatyoudon’thaveexactlythreesupportingheadlinestowriteatanylevelinthetemplate.Ifyouwanttouseonlytwoheadlines,simplyleavethethirdcellblank.IfyouneedtoaddafourthcelltotheExplanationorDetailcolumn,positionthecursorinacell,right-click,andselectInsertRow—iftheextrarowcreatesextracellsintheKeyPointandExplanationcolumns,mergethenewcellsintoadjacentcellswithinthecolumn.IfyouneedtocreatefourKeyPointheadlines,see“Tip2:MakeRoomforFour,”laterinthischapter.IfyouhavemorethanfourKeyPointheadlines,findawaytoreducethatnumber,eitherbyreworkingyourideasorbymergingseveralideasintoonemainheadline.

Ifyouarehavingdifficultycompletinganypointofthestorytemplate,trytacklingitfromadifferentdirection.ThischapterfollowedaprocessofcompletingActIIworkingfromthetopofthehierarchytothebottom(fromlefttorightinthestorytemplate),whichyoumaychoosetodoifyouknowyourtopicwell.Ifyou’renotcompletelysureofyourmessageoryourKeyPointheadlines,startfirstfromtheDetailcolumnontheright,andworkleftthroughtheExplanationcolumnandfinallytheKeyPointcolumn.



WhenyoucompletethethreescenesofActII,yourstorytemplatewilllikelyextendacrossmorethanonepage.InthecompletedActIIsectionofthisstorytemplate,showninFigure5-22,theDetailcolumnheadlineshavebeenabbreviatedtodisplaythethreescenesonasinglepage.

FIGURE 5-22 Act ofthesamp estorytemp ate,w tha threescenescomp eted.

Eachideayouintroduceinthepresentationwillpromptyouraudiencetowonder,“Whyorhowisthistrue?”Becauseeachcolumninyourstorytemplateissetuptoanswerthequestionwhyorhow,youprovideimmediateanswers.Instoryterms,thiscreatesasteadydynamicofaction/reaction—onecolumnisan“action,”andthenextcolumnisa“reaction”toit.ThisdynamicstructureinActIIhelpsyoutoexamineallthepossibledirectionsforyourstory.Italsohelpsyoutoalignyourinformationwiththewaypeoplenaturallythinkandreason,makingyourstorymoreinterestingandengaging.

Justasmuchasyouneedtoidentifywhatyouwanttoincludeinapresentation,thehierarchyinActIIisequallyimportantforthepotentialslidesitleavesoutofapresen-tation.Thebuilt-inhierarchyofActIIguidesyouthroughasometimesdifficultbutdis-ciplinedcritical-thinkingprocessthatforcesyoutodecidewhattoincludeinapresen-tationandwhattoleaveout.TheprocessofcompletingActIIactslikeanintellectualmachetethatchopsawayunneededdatasothatclarityshinesthrough.

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Youwillfindthatthereisagreatdealofinformationthatdidnotmakeitintoyourpresentation.Ifyou’remissingsomethingimportant,gobackandincludeitinyourheadlines.Whatdoesnotmakeitintothehierarchy,suchasdetailedquantitativeanalysis,canbecapturedanddocumentedandcanthenbehandedoutbefore,during,orafterthepresentation.

WhenyouhavewrittentherestofyourActIIheadlines,youhavemadesurethatyouhavefleshedouttherestoftheslidesofyourpresentation.Noweveryslideinyourpresentationwillbeprioritizedinyourslidehierarchy,asshowninFigure5-23.

Deta1.a.

Deta.a.

Deta2.a.

Deta1.a.

Deta.a.

Deta3.a.

Deta1.a.

Deta1.a.

Deta1.a.

Exp anat on2.a

Exp anat on3.a

Exp anat on1.a

Ca toAct on

Key Po nt2

Key Po nt3

Key Po nt1

F esh out the rest of the head nes n Act .

FIGURE 5-23 Youdeterm netherestofyours deh erarchywhenyouf eshouttherestofyours des nAct ,and ntheprocessyouhavepr or t zedeverys de.

Don’tworryaboutActIIIofyourstorytemplateatthispoint—you’llquicklytakecareofthatsoonwhenyouaddgraphicstothestoryboardinChapter8.

DotherestofyourheadlinesinActIIaccomplishthefollowing:

■ JustifyyourCalltoActionheadlinewithyourkeypoints?

■ ClarifyyourKeyPointheadlineswithfurtherexplanation?

■ BackupyourExplanationheadlineswiththeappropriatedetail?

■ Putyourideasinalogicalsequenceandpriority?

■ Integrateyourmotifverballythroughyourheadlines?



Pulling Through What’s Most Important FirstNowthatyou’vecompletedthestorytemplate,youhaveaccomplishedwhatyousetouttodoatthestartofthechapter—thatis,prioritizingyourideasandfindingtherightsequenceinwhichtopresentthem.ThethreecolumnsofActIIestablishedtheprior-ityofyourideasfromKeyPointheadlinesatthetopoftheinformationalhierarchy,toExplanationheadlinesinthemiddle,toDetailheadlinesatthebottom.TheprocessofcreatingActIIhelpsyouwriteoutinformationincompletethoughts,ratherthanlistsandfragmentsthattheaudiencehastosortthrough.Nowthereisaclearflowthatconnectseachideatothenextinalogicalway.

WhenyounextimportyourheadlinesintoMicrosoftPowerPointtobecomeyourstoryboardinChapter6,yourslideswillautomaticallyappearinthesameorderyouwrotetheminActII,asshowninFigure5-24.Inyourstoryboard,youwillcuetheaudiencetothelevelsofthehierarchywiththeslidelayoutsandbackgroundsasyoupresenteachideainthesequenceyouwrotethem.ThisisanimportantinnovationoftheBBPapproachthathasbothprioritizedyourideaswithahierarchyandpreparedthemforalogicalsequenceinyourstoryboard.

Ca toAct on

Deta1.a. .

Deta1.b. .

Key Po nt1

Exp anat on1.b.

Exp anat on1.c.

Exp anat on1.a.

Deta1.b. .

Deta1.c. .

Deta1.a. .

Deta1.b. .

Deta1.c. .

Deta1.c. .

Key Po nt2

Exp anat on2.a.

Deta2.a. .

Deta1.a. .

FIGURE 5-24 Theh erarchyprov desbothapr or tyforyours desandapropersequence nwh chtoshowthem.

Asdescribedearlier,writingyourslideheadlinesusingtheActIIcolumnshasnowgiv-enyourpresentationanimportantscalabilitythatwillplayoutwhenyouworkinPow-erPoint.Whenyoucreateapresentationwiththreecolumns,youareprioritizingyourideasinorderofimportance,fromlefttoright.Ifyouhavea45-minutepresentation,you’llpresentallyourslidesinActII.Ifyourtimeisunexpectedlycutto15minutes,you’ll

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skiptheDetailslides,andifyourtimeiscutto5minutes,you’llalsoskiptheExplanationslides.Becauseyouhaveappliedthepowerofahierarchytoprioritizeyourideas,youscaleupordowntothelevelofinformationappropriatetothetimeyouhave,withoutsacrificingtheintegrityortheclarityofyourthinkingatanylevel.

Butperhapsmostimportant,whatyou’vedoneinActIIreducescognitiveloadbyeasingworkingmemoryintonewinformationbypresentingwhatismostsignificantfirst.TypicalPowerPointpresentationsshowthedetailsfirst,thentheexplanationofthedetails,andfinallythekeypoints—therecommendationsorconclusions—attheend.Otherpresentationssimplydisplaylistsofdetailwithoutanyexplanationorkeypointsatalltoprovidecontextoraframeworkforunderstandingthedetail.Eitherway,thisapproachtriestojamthewidebottomofthehierarchythroughtheeyeoftheneedle,asshowninFigure5-25.Ifyoupresentallthedetailsfirst,theworkingmemoryofyourau-diencehastostruggletoretainthatinformationuntilitknowswhereyourpresentationisgoing.

FIGURE 5-25 Whenyoupresentthedeta sf rst,youqu ck yoverwhe mwork ngmemory.

WithBBP,youalwayspullthroughtheeyeoftheneedlewhat’smostimportantfirst,asshowninFigure5-26.That’sbecauseActIIofyourstorytemplateflipsthetypicaloutlinearound,presentingthemostimportantinformationfirstandthesupportinginformationafter.Bypresentingthetip,andthetop,ofthehierarchyfirst,youreducethecognitiveloadonyouraudiencebyfocusingfirstonwhat’sessentialandleavingoutextraneousinformationthatcouldoverwhelmtheeyeoftheneedle.

Now,insteadofthedetailsanddatadrivingthepresentation,thepropermanagementoftheworkingmemoryofyouraudienceisdrivingthepresentation,whichalignswiththethreeresearchrealitiesdescribedinChapter2.

Pu ng Through Wha s Mos mpor an F rs


FIGURE 5-26 Whenyoupresentthemost mportant nformat onf rst,youproper ymanagework ngmemoryandprov deaframeworkfortherestoftheexp anat onanddeta stocome.

Lowering the Curtain on Your Story TemplateOnebenefitofyourstorytemplateisthatyounowseeallyourideasinoneplaceandquicklygrasphoweachidearelatestotheothers.Aprintoutofyourstorytemplateatthispointwillguideyouthroughaninitialreadingofyourstorytomakesurethateverythingsoundsright.

Reviewyourstorytemplatebeforeyouprintit.Ifitextendsovermultiplepages,youmightneedtosplitActIIintoseparatescenesthateachfitonapage.Todothis,posi-tionthecursorinanycellinaKeyPointcolumn,andontheTableToolstab,clickLayout;andthenintheMergegroup,clickSplitTabletosplitthatrowfromtherowabove.Ifyouchangeyourmind,clicktheUndobuttonontheQuickAccessToolbar.

Asthisbookdescribes,thestorytemplateisthehard-workingintellectualandstructuralenginethatmakeseverythinginyourPowerPointpresentationwork,ornot.Itisthebattlegroundthatdetermineswhetheryourpresentationisasuccessorfailure.Ifyouhaveanelegantinfrastructure,themoretimeyouspendonthepresentation,thesimpleritwillget.Ifyoudon’thaveasolidstructure,themoretimeyouspendonit,themoreconfusingitwillget.

Ifyougettheheadlinesright,theywillclarifyandexpandunderstanding;butifyougetthemwrong,youwillleadyouraudienceinthewrongdirection,inafruitless,frustrat-ingwasteoftime.That’swhyit’simportanttospendasmuchtimeaspossibleediting,tightening,andclarifyingyourwords.

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Justasyouuseyourstorytemplatetoseeandmanageallyourheadlinesataglance,otherpeoplecanuseittoreviewyourstorytoo.Ifyou’reworkingwithonlyafewpeople,displaythestorytemplateonyourcomputerscreenandmakeeditstogether.Ifyou’reworkingwithalargergroupandwanttocallameetingtoreviewyourheadlines,sendacopyofthestorytemplateWorddocumentthroughe-mailtoallthemembersoftheteaminadvance.

■ IMPORTANT Don’t move forward from this stage of the process until you finalize your story template and get agreement from everyone who has a stake in your presentation.

Getagreementonthestorytemplatefromanyonewhohasastakeinthepresentation.Thisincludesthemembersofyourteam,peopleinotherdepartmentsofyourorganiza-tion,andanyonewhoneedstogiveclearanceandapprovalforwhatyou’llsay.

Usingyourstorytemplateasareviewdocument,makequickadjustmentstoyourwordingorstructureandinviteotherstocontributetheirexpertiseandtakeowner-shipinthesuccessofyourpresentation.Gettingapprovalforyourstorytemplateallowseveryonetofocusonyourideasinsteadofondesignissues,whichwouldprovedistract-ingrightnow.Whenyougetfinalapprovalofthestructureandsequenceofyourstoryupfront,you’llreducethelikelihoodthatyou’llneedtospendunnecessarytimeandeffortlater,afteryou’veinvestedtimeinthedesignprocess.

Tip

BeforeyoumoveontothenextmajorstepintheBBPapproach—storyboardingyourscript—readthroughthefollowing10tipstofindideasthatmightimproveyourstorytemplate.

10 Tips for Enhancing Your Story Template Withyourstorytemplateinhand,restassuredthatyouhaveafocusedtaletotellatyournextpresentation.Whenyou’recomfortablewiththebasicsofcompletingyourtemplate,tryimprovisingontheconceptusingthese10tips.

ower ng he Cur a n on Your S ory Temp a e


Tip 1: The Power of ThreeAsmuchasyoumightwanttoloadupyourPowerPointslideswithdata,thequantityofnewinformationthatpeoplecanunderstandisalwaysconstrainedbythelimitationsofworkingmemory.AsmentionedinChapter2,youhelpyouraudiencetounderstandin-formationbetterbypresentingnewinformationtoworkingmemoryingroupsofthree.

Yourstorytemplatehelpsyoutoorganizeyourideasingroupsofthreeinmultipleways.TheessenceofyourstoryconsistsofyourCalltoActionheadlineandyourthreeKeyPointheadlines.EachKeyPointheadlinehasthreesupportingheadlines,listedintheExplanationcolumn.EachExplanationheadlinehasthreesupportingheadlinesaswell,listedintheDetailcolumn.Itmightbechallengingtoboildownyourheadlinestogroupsofthreeinthisstructure,butyourhardworkwillpayoff:youraudiencewillmoreeasilyabsorb,remember,andunderstandyourideas.

Tip 2: Make Room for FourAlthoughthreeisapowerfulnumber,youmightfindwhileworkinginActIIofyourstorytemplatethatyouhavefourpointstomakeinacolumn.Asdescribedearlierinthischapter,ifyouhavefewerpointstomakeinanysectionthanyouhavecells,sim-plyleavethecellsblank;ifyouwanttoaddanothercell,youinsertone.Ifyou’dliketotryotherversionsofstorytemplateswithfourcolumnsacross,orfourrowsperActIIscene,visitwww.beyondbulletpoints.com.Thedisadvantageofusingatemplatewithfourlevelsofinformationisthatthenumberofcellsmightsignificantlyincreasethesizeandcomplexityofyourpresentation.Keepinmindthatthemoreheadlinesyouhave,themoretimeyouneedandthemoreinformationpeopleneedtoprocess.Toavoidlongandcomplicatedpresentations,trytosticktothreepointsratherthanfour.

Tip 3: Tailor Your Act II Column Headings to Your ProfessionTheheadingsofthethreecolumnsofActIIarebasedonthemostcommoncategorizationofinformationinahierarchy.Buttherearemanyotherwaystolookatthesecolumns—ifoneofthealternativesshowninthefollowinglistworksbetterforyouinyourprofession,simplytypeovertheexistingheadingsinyourstorytemplatetoreplacethemwithnewheadings.

ThemostcommoncategoriesforthethreecolumnsareKeyPoint,Explanation,andDetail:

Chapter5 133

Ifyou’reamarketresearcher,yourcolumnheadingsmightbeRecommendation,Explanation,andBackupData:

Ifyou’realawyer,yourcolumnheadingsmightbeMainPoint,Explanation,andEvidence:

Ifyou’reananalyst,yourcolumnheadingsmightbeConclusion,Analysis,andFact:

Ifyou’reanexecutive,yourcolumnheadingsmightbeSummary,Breakdown,andBackup:

Ifyou’reasalesperson,yourcolumnheadingsmightbeBenefit,Feature,andDemonstration:

Ifyou’reawriter,yourcolumnheadingsmightbeAct,Scene,andAction:

Ifyou’reajournalist,yourcolumnheadingsmightbeLead,Body,andDetail:

Ifyou’reateacheroraninstructor,yourcolumnheadingsmightbeLesson,Explanation,andDetail:

Tip 4: Story Templates for TeamsActIIworkswellforteamsandorganizationsthathavemultiplepointstheyhavetomaketodifferentaudiences.Forexample,mostgroupshaveafinitesetofKeyPointheadlinestheymightwanttowriteaboutatopic,sosomeoneinthegroupcancreateadditionalActIIscenestocoverthose.Whenyouarereadytopresent,youdisplayonlythescenesyouchooseandhidetherest.ThiscanalsobedonewithActIvariationsasyoucreatearangeofstorytemplate“shells”fromfrequentlyusedstorystructures.

10 T ps or Enhanc ng Your S ory Temp a e


Tip 5: The Story NuggetAstorynuggetisatellingdetailthatencapsulates,distills,andframestheentirestory—forexample,the$6,000showercurtainrepresentedtomostpeopletheexcessofcompanyexecutivesfoundguiltyoftakingmoneyfromalarge,internationalcorpora-tionasreportedinthenews.PlaceastorynuggetinoneoftheheadlinesinActIasanencapsulationofthewholestory,orplaceitasadetailinastrategicplaceintheDetailcolumn.Iftheinformationistrulyimportantandyouwanttobesureit’srememberedandapplied,integrateitintotheKeyPointheadlines.Ifyourpointsarealreadyclear,placethestorynuggetssomewhereinyourpresentationforyouraudiencetodiscoverandremember.

Tip 6: BBP Beyond PowerPointPeoplehavereportedusingtheBBPStoryTemplateforawiderangeofpurposesbeyondPowerPointpresentations,includingtostructuree-mailmessages,curriculumdesign,radiospots,ads,andclassroomoutlines.Whenyou’reatalossforwordsorareboggeddownorfrustratedwithwritingorcommunicating,openupastorytemplate.Thereli-abilityandsimplicityofthestructurecanbreakanintellectualorcreativelogjambyprovidingclarityandfocus.Giveitatry,andseewhatclarityitcanhelpyouuncoverbeyondPowerPoint.

Tip 7: Build an Outline in a BrainstormYourActIIheadlineshavetocomefromsomewhere.Iftheydon’tfloweasilyfromyourimagination,youmightneedtoloosenthingsupwithalittlebrainstorming.Anumberofexcellentbooksandonlineresourcessuchaswww.innovationtools.comareavailabletohelpyoutobrainstormnewideaseitheronyourownorwithyourteam.Whatevertechniqueyoudecidetouse,youneedtounderstandtherelationshipbetweenthefruitofyourbrainstorminglaborandthestorytemplateprocessyouundertakeinActII.

Brainstormingistheartofgeneratingideasforaparticularpurpose;itsupportsanenvironmentoffree-flowingthinkingwithoutconstraints.Presentationdevelopmentistheartofselectingandprioritizingideas;itcallsonadifferentsetofskills,includingcriticalthinking,selection,prioritization,andreasoning.

Whenyou’vefinishedyourbrainstormingexercises,thestorytemplatehelpsyouselecttheideasthatbestsupportthefocusofyourpresentation.AsyoubegintoworkonActII,gatherallthebrainstormingideasyoumighthaveonhand,whetherthey’reintheformoflists,notecards,whiteboarddiagrams,orotherformats.ThenapplytheprocessofwritingyourActIIheadlinesdescribedinthischapter.

Attimes,youmightneedtoswitchbackintoabrainstormingmodewhenyou’restuckonaheadlineorifyourActIIstructureisn’tworking.Butwhenyou’vegeneratedfresh

Chapter5 135

ideas,it’stimetoswitchbackintostorytemplatemodetoselectappropriateideasthatsupportthefocusofyourpresentation.

Brainstormingandusingthestorytemplatearedifferentbutcomplementarytechniques,andwhenyoualternatethetwo,youhavethebestofbothworlds—thecorrectselectionofthefreshestideasthatsupportyoursingularstory.

Tip 8: Tap Your Team’s TalentsConsiderworkingwithyourteamtostructureyourideasinActII.Byconnectingaprojectortoyourcomputer,youareabletodisplayanumberofsoftwaretoolsthatallowyoutoworkwithyourteamtodevelopyourActIIheadlines.OrbuildyourowntablesorlogictreesusingMicrosoftVisio,MicrosoftOneNote,orthePowerPointorganizationchartfeature.

Ifyoudon’thaveaprojectororyoupreferahands-onapproach,useasheetofpaper,aflipchart,orawhiteboardtodrawyourlogictree.OrwriteyourdraftActIIheadlinesonstickynotesandaffixthemtoawalltobuildalogictree,asdescribedinDavidStraker’sRapidProblemSolvingwithPost-itNotes(FisherBooks,1997).Experimentwitharangeoftechniquesandtoolsuntilyoufindwhatworksbestforyouandyourteamtofocusandprioritizeyourideas.Whenyou’vefinished,returntoyourWorddocumentandenteryourheadlinesinthestorytemplate.

Somepeoplethinkclearlyandquicklyatthetoplevel,othersatthedetaillevel.Ifyou’recaughtupinthedetail,stepbackandaskatop-levelthinker/organizertohelp.

Whenitcomestocreatingthestorytemplate,you’llprobablyfindthattappingintothetalentsofyourteamwillbuildthebestpresentationpossible.

Tip 9: Take the Express ElevatorWhenentrepreneursbegintoapproachinvestorstoraisemoneyforaventure,they’reexpectedtohavesomethingcalledanelevatorpitch.Theideaisthattheypitchtheircompanywithinthelengthoftimeofanelevatorride.Evenifyou’renottryingtoraisemoneyforyourcompany,youmightneedtogiveyourownversionofanelevatorpitchifyougetacallfromyourbossbeforeyougiveyourpresentationandshesays,“I’msorry,butIcan’tmakeittoyourpresentation—canyoutellmequicklywhatyou’regoingtosay?”

Ineverycase,you’llbeclearaboutwhatyou’regoingtosayafteryoucompleteyourstorytemplate.Torespondtoyourboss,giveyourownelevatorpitchbyfirstsummariz-ingyourActIheadlinesandthendescribingeachofyourKeyPointheadlinesinActIIofyourstorytemplate.Thissetsthecontextforthepresentationandcoversthehigh-levelpoints.Ifyourbossisinterestedinknowingmoreaboutanyparticularpoint,elaborate

10 T ps or Enhanc ng Your S ory Temp a e


moreasneededbyprovidingmoresupportinginformationfromtheExplanationandDetailcolumns.

Thishandytechniqueisnotjustforelevatorpitchesandverbalsummaries.Ifyouhavetowritethemarketingdescriptionforyourtalk,you’vegottheoutlinealreadywritteninthestorytemplateintheformofyourActIandActIIKeyPointcolumnheadlines.Ifyouwanttoletotherpeopleknowthestructureofyourtalkinadvance,summarizeitinthesamewayinane-mailmessage.Inallthesesituations,yourstorytemplatekeepsyouspeedingalongwitheffectivecommunication.

Tip 10: The Hierarchy in Your MindTherearemanyreasonswhytheancientconceptofhierarchystillholdssuchpowertoday.Someresearchersbelievethattheminduseshierarchicalstructurestostoreinformationinandretrieveinformationfromlong-termmemory.Forexample,theideaofchunkingisbasedontheideathatlong-termmemoryappliesahighercategorytosmallerpiecesinworkingmemorytobringthemtogetherandmakethemeasiertohandle.Someexpertsbelievethatapartofthebraincalledtheneocortexretrievesinformationinahierarchicalway.Andcertainlytheorganizationaltechniqueofhierarchyisfullyapartofmostoutliningsystems,aswellasmanycomputerlanguages.

WhenyouwriteyourActIIheadlines,youtapintohierarchicalpowerbybringingthestructureitselffromlong-termmemoryandapplyingittotheorganizationofyourslides,asshowninFigure5-36.Ahierarchyturnsouttobeadeepandmemorablewaytohelpyouandyouraudiencesgetrighttotheheartofthematter.

3 2 1

1

2

3

FIGURE 5-36 App y ngafam arh erarch ca structurefrom ong termmemorytoyours deshe psmakethemeas ertopr or t zeandput napropersequence.

137

CHAPTER 6

WHEN YOU COMPLETE theBeyondBu etPo nts (BBP)Story

Temp ate,youhave nhandacomp eteandcoherentstorythatsets

thefoundat onfora yours des Yourstory ssoc earthateven f

yourtechno ogyfa sdur ngyourpresentat on,youhavethesecur ty

ofknow ngthatyouareab etopresentus ngon yapr ntoutofthe

storytemp ateasyourgu de Butofcourseyou’ wanttousegraph cs

nyourM crosoftPowerPo ntpresentat on,becauseresearch nd cates

thatpeop e earnbetterwhenyouaddgraph cstoyournarrat on na

mu t med apresentat on

InChapter4,youusedastorythreadtopreparenewinformationfortheeyeoftheneedleofyouraudience’sworkingmemory,andinChapter5,youusedthesharptipofatriangleofhierarchytodeterminethesequenceandorderofinformationalongthatthread.Nowinthischapteryouwillfocusonthetwostrandsofthatstorythreadthatrepresentthetwoessentialelementsyouhavetocoordinateinanymultimediapresentation—thevisualandverbalchannels,asdescribedinChapter2.

You’lllearnhowtoguidethesevisualandverbalstrandsthroughtherestofthisbook.YourchallengeinthischapteristosetupyourPowerPointpresentationinspecificwaysthatdon’tsplittheattentionoftheaudienceorcreateredundancy.InChapter7,you’llexplorethewiderangeofoptionsyouhavetoplanandsketchthegraphicsforyourstoryboard;inChapter8,you’lladdthefinal

Setting Up Your Storyboard and Narration


■ Transformyourscr pt ntoastoryboardw thpre m narybackgrounds.

■Wr teoutthewordsyou speakdur ngthepresentat on.

■ Rev ewthethreegroundru esforstoryboard ng.

138 Chapter6 Se ng Up Your S oryboard and Narra on

graphicsbasedonthesketchesyouchoose;andinChapter10,you’llseetheBBPapproachappliedtoarangeofpresentationstypesforinspiration.

Expectthatitwilltakesometimetolearnandapplythetechniquesdescribedinthesechapters,butasyoudevelopyourskills,theprocesswillgofasterandBBPwillbecomeahandytoolforrapidvisualprototypingofcreativeconcepts.Asyoubuildpresentationsovertime,you’lldevelopapersonallibraryofstylestoreviewforinspirationonfutureprojects.

What Will You Show, Say, and Do During Every Slide?Theprospectofmanagingeverythingyoushow,say,anddoduringeveryslideinapresentationcanseemdauntingatfirst.Evenifyouhavewrittenaclearandcoherentsetofheadlines,asshowninFigure6-1,howcanyoupossiblyfillalltheemptyslidesyouwillcreatefromthestorytemplatewithgraphics,narration,andinteractioninaquickandefficientway?Andatthesametime,howcanyouseamlesslyintegrateallthesecom-plexelementsduringalivepresentation?TheanswerliesinadifferentwayoflookingatPowerPoint—asavisualstorytellingtool.

FIGURE 6-1 Yourcomp etedstorytemp ate.

Chapter6 139

AsmentionedinChapter3,ifyouwereafilmmakerwithafinishedscript,you’dprobablyhireastoryboardartisttosketchframesofselectedscenesfromyourscript.Theseinitialsketchesenableeveryoneontheproductionteamtobegintoseehowthefilmwilllooksothattheycanstarttoturnthewordsfromthescriptintospokenwordsandprojectedimages.Astoryboardisapowerfultoolbecauseitletsyouseemanyframesfromastoryinasingleviewandconsiderhowthoseframesrelatetooneanotherthroughanarra-tive.Withoutthisimportantperspective,youwouldfindithardtoseehowthepartslinktogethertobecomeacoherentwhole.

Youwon’tneedtohireastoryboardartisttocreateyourstoryboard;instead,you’lladaptthebasictechniquesofcreatingastoryboardtoyourPowerPointpresentationtohelpyouorganizethevisualandverbalpiecesofyourstory.ThisapproachwillshiftyourthinkingofaPowerPointpresentationfromindividualslidestowardframesinastripofcinematicfilm.BysettingupanewPowerPointpresentationinthisway,you’llusethestoryboardnotonlytoplanyourwordsandvisualsbutalsotopresentthemtotheaudienceusingasinglemediadocumentthatworksacrossprojector,paper,andbrowser.

Preparing the StoryboardAsyoucompletethestorytemplateinChapters4and5,you’reactuallyalsoformattingyourinformationinaspecificwaythatpreparesitforaPowerPointstoryboard.Thecon-ciseheadlinesthatcommunicateeachactandsceneinthestorytemplatearethesameconciseheadlinesthatwillcommunicateclearlytotheaudienceonyourPowerPointslides.WritingheadlinesforboththestorytemplateandthePowerPointslidesisthepowerfulfulcrumthatallowsyoutoleveragePowerPointsoftwarebeyondbulletpointsintoanewworldofvisualstorytelling.Thisprocessembedsyourscriptinastoryboardandensuresthateverythingyousayandshowmapsbacktothestructureandsequenceofastory.Italsoensuresthatyouhavebrokenupyourideasintobite-sizepiecessothatworkingmemorycaneasilydigestthem.

Althoughyou’refinishedwiththestorytemplatefornow,it’sagoodideatoprintacopyandkeepithandywhileyousetupandworkonyourPowerPointstoryboard.Thestorytemplategivesyouthesignificantbenefitofseeingyourentirestoryonasinglepageortwo,butwhenyouimportyourheadlinesintoPowerPoint,youwillbreakthelinkbetweenstorytemplateandstoryboard.IfyoumakechangestotheheadlinesorthepresentationstructurelaterinPowerPoint,it’salwaysagoodideatoupdateyourstorytemplatesothatitcontinuestoserveasanorganizingtool.

Prepar ng he S oryboard


Reformatting Your Story Template Manually

Onceyou earnhowtoreformatyourstorytemp atemanua y,theprocessw takeon yacoup eofm nutes Ifyouwanttosk pthesestepsa together,v s twww.beyondbulletpoints.comforth rd-partytoo sthatcanhe pyouformatyourstoryboardfaster

TopreparetheheadlinesinyourstorytemplatetobecometheheadlinesofyourPowerPointslides,youneedtodosomeprepworkonthestorytemplate.FirstsavetheMicrosoftWorddocument,andthenontheHometab,intheEditinggroup,clickSelect;thenchooseSelectAlltoselectalloftheheadlinesinthetemplate,andthenpressCtrl+Ctocopythem.NextcreateanewWorddocumentandsaveitonyourlocalcomputerinafamiliarfolder,addingthewordFormattedtotheendofthefilename.Positionthecur-sorinthisnewdocument,andthenontheHometab,intheClipboardgroup,clickthePastebutton,andonthedrop-downmenu,clickPasteSpecial.InthePasteSpecialdialogbox,selectUnformattedText,andthenclickOK.TheresultingnewdocumentshouldlooksimilartoFigure6-2.

FIGURE 6-2 n t a v ewafterpast nghead nesfromthestorytemp ate ntoanewWorddocument.

Deletethelinecontainingthecolumnheadingsandanyextratextsothatonlyyourheadlinesremain.Removeanyextraspacesbetweenwordsandaddnewlinebreaks

Chapter6 141

whereneededsothatyouendupwithonlyoneheadlineperline.LastselectyourCalltoActionheadline,andclickanddragittothelineafteryourPointBheadline—yourfinaldocumentshouldappearasshowninFigure6-3.Afteryousavethedocument,closeit.

FIGURE 6-3 Worddocumentw thextraspacesbetweenwordsremoved,new nebreaksadded,andon yonehead neper ne.

Using the BBP Storyboard FormatterNowthatyou’vereformattedyourstorytemplate,thenextstepistoimportyourheadlinesintoPowerPoint.You’lldothatwiththeBBPStoryboardFormatter—aspeciallyformattedPowerPointfilethattakescareofanumberoftechnicalstepsforyousothatyoudon’thavetotakethetimetoapplythemmanually.

IfyouchoosenottousetheBBPStoryboardFormatter,manua yapp ythesett ngsasdescr bed nthesect ons“T p1 SetUptheS deMasterManua y”and“T p2 SetUptheNotesMasterManua y” ater nth schapter

DownloadtheBBPStoryboardFormatterfilefromwww.beyondbulletpoints.comtoafolderonyourlocalcomputer.LocatetheBBPStoryboardFormatteronyourlocalcomputer,anddouble-clickit.BecausethefileformatisaPowerPointDesignTemplate,



asindicatedbythe.potxfileextension,double-clickingthefilewillopenanewpresenta-tionbasedonthetemplate’sformatting.YourPowerPointfilecontainsoneblankslideandisnowshowninSlideSorterview.NameandsavethenewPowerPointfileonyourlocalcomputer.

Ifyou’renewtoPowerPoint2007or2010,you’llnoticethattheinterfacelookscompletelydifferentfromearlierversions.TheRibbonatthetopisprobablythemostnoticeablenewfeature,buttherearemanyotherchangestothewaythesoftwareworks.ThisbookaimstogiveyouonlythebasicsyouneedtoknowtogetstartedwithBBPinPowerPoint—tolearnmoreaboutthetechnicaldetailsofhowtousethesoftware,refertooneofthemanyhow-tobooks,suchasJoyceCoxandJoanLambert’sMicrosoftPowerPoint2010StepbyStep(MicrosoftPress,2010).

OntheHometab,intheSlidesgroup,clickNewSlide,andnearthebottomofthedrop-downmenu,selectSlidesFromOutline.Then,intheInsertOutlinedialogbox,findandselecttheformattedstorytemplateyoujustcreated—itshouldhavethewordFormattedthatyouaddedtothetitle—andthenclickInsert.(Ifyougetanerrormessage,youlikelyhaveyourformattedWorddocumentstillopen—inthatcase,returntothedocumentandcloseit.)

Thislastclickofthemouseproducesaresultthatamazesmostpeoplewhentheyseeithappenbeforethemonthescreen—itcreatesaPowerPointstoryboard.Youhavenowcreatedasingleslideforeachoftheheadlinesyouwroteinthestorytemplate,witheachheadlinenowplacedatthetopofaslide,asshowninFigure6-4.It’sastoryboardbecauseyouliterallyhaveastoryembeddedintoyourslides—thestoryyouwroteinyourstorytemplate,whichnowreadsfromoneslidetothenext.You’llunlockthetremendouspowerofyourstoryboardshortly.

Butfirst,takeatourofyournewstoryboard.Ifthereareanyblankslidesinthepresenta-tionwithoutheadlines,deletethem.AtthelowerrightofthePowerPointwindowonthestatusbarisaViewtoolbarwiththreebuttons—whenyouclickthemfromlefttoright,youwillseethestoryboardinNormal,SlideSorter,andSlideShowviews.ClickanddragthehandleontheZoomtoolbartothelefttodecreasemagnificationofyourcurrentviewandtotherighttoincreasemagnification.TheindicatortotheleftoftheZoomtoolbardisplaystheexactpercentageofmagnification—clickthisvaluetoopentheZoomdialogboxandmakemorepreciseadjustments.

Chapter6 143

FIGURE 6-4 S deSorterv ewofa yourhead nes mported ntotheBBPStoryboardFormatter.

Afteryoumasterthefundamenta softheBBPapproach,custom zethesett ngsoftheBBPStoryboardFormatteraccord ngtoyourneeds Savethetemp atetoyour oca computertomake teas yaccess b ewhenyoucreateanewpresentat on;fordeta s,seethesect on“T p3 Insta theStoryboardFormatteronYourLoca Computer” ater nth schapter

Cuing Working Memory with Preliminary Slide BackgroundsOneofthebigbenefitsofusingtheBBPStoryTemplateisthatyoueasilyseehowallyourideasrelatetooneanotherintheWorddocument.ThestorytemplateisaparticularlyeffectiveorganizingtoolfortheActIIscenesbecauseitshowsyouavisualhierarchyofyourideas.Ineachcolumn,youwriteouttheheadlinesindescendingorderofimportancefromtoptobottomandaddcolumnsofinformationfromlefttoright.

Butwhenyoutransformthestorytemplateintoastoryboard,youlosethetemplate’sabilitytoshowyouthehierarchyofyourideas.EveryslideyouseeinSlideSorterviewlooksasthoughitcarriesthesamevisualweight,andeachslidefollowsthenextinanundifferentiatedsequence.



Tobeabletoquicklyseeyourbuilt-ininformationalhierarchyinSlideSorterviewandbegintoaddresstheneedtoprovidevisualcuesforworkingmemory,you’llapplycustomlayoutswithspecialbackgroundsthatindicatethepresentation’sorganization.Thesecustomlayoutswillbeonlytemporarywhileyousketchyourstoryboard—later,inChapter8,you’llchangethesecustomlayoutsorapplynewones.UsingtheBBPStoryboardFormatter,you’llapplyacustomlayoutwithadarkgraybackgroundtoyourCalltoActionslide,acustomlayoutwithamediumgraybackgroundtotheKeyPointslides,acustomlayoutwithalightgraybackgroundtotheExplanationslides,andacustomlayoutwithawhitebackgroundtotheremainingActIandDetailslides.

KeepaprintoutoftheWordversionofthestorytemplatehandyasyoulocatethecorrespondingslidesonthestoryboard.Ifyouhavetroublefindingslidesbecausetheslidesaretoolargeortheheadlinesaretoosmall,clickanddragthehandleontheZoombartoincreaseordecreasemagnificationofSlideSorterview.Trycountingslidestofindtheslidesyou’reseeking—forexample,onceyouhavelocatedaKeyPointslide,youknowthatanExplanationslidefollowsdirectlyafterit,andyoucountthreeDetailslidesafterthatonetofindthenextExplanationslide,andthreeDetailslidesafterthattofindthethirdExplanationslide.

Tocolor-codetheseslidesinSlideSorterview,clickCtrl+Atoselectalltheslidesinthepresentation.OntheHometab,intheSlidesgroup,clickLayout,andonthedrop-downmenu,clickthelayouttitledDetailSketches,asshowninFigure6-5.NowselecttheCalltoActionslide,clickLayout,andonthedrop-downmenu,clickthelayouttitledCTASketch.NextselectthefirstKeyPointslide,holddownCtrlandclicktoselectthesecondandthirdKeyPointslides,andthenclickLayoutagain,andonthedrop-downmenu,clickthelayouttitledKeyPointSketches.

Chapter6 145

FIGURE 6-5 App y ngtheDeta Sketchescustom ayouttoa thes des nS deSorterv ewus ngthecustom ayouts nc uded ntheBBPStoryboardFormatter.

NextclickthefirstExplanationslide,holddownCtrlandselecttherestoftheExplanationslides,andthenclicktheLayoutbutton,andonthedrop-downmenuclickthelayouttitledExplanationSketches.Finally,clickthefirstSettingslide,holddownShiftandselectthePointBslide,andthenclicktheLayoutbutton,andonthedrop-downmenuclickthelayouttitledActISketches.

Note

Scrollthroughyourslidesasyoureadtheheadlines,andcheckthemagainsttheprintoutofyourstorytemplatetomakesureyouhaveappliedthelayoutsproperly.Ifyoumadeamistake,selecttheslide,clicktheLayoutbutton,andselectthecorrectlayouttoapplyit.YourstoryboardshouldnowlooklikeFigure6-6.



FIGURE 6-6 S deSorterv ew,show ngtheCa toAct ons dew thadarkgraybackground,theKeyPo nts desw thmed umgraybackgrounds,theExp anat ons desw th ghtgraybackgrounds,andtheDeta s desw thwh tebackgrounds.

Asyouscrollthroughtheslidesofthepresentationinsequence,thechangeincolorofthebackgroundsfromdarkgraytomediumgraytolightgraytowhiteindicatesyouhavemadeatransitiontoanewpointthatcorrespondstoActIorthethreecolumnsinthestoryboard.Thistransitionshouldalsobereinforcedbyyourspokenwordswhenyoudeliverthepresentation.

Eventhoughtheshadedbackgroundsareonlytemporary,alreadythecontrastofthedifferentshadesofcolorcallsattentiontothethreelevelsofhierarchy—thedarkgraycolorcallsattentiontothemostimportantCalltoActionslide,themediumgraytotheKeyPointsslides,thelightgraynexttotheExplanationslides,andthewhitecolortotheDetailslides.Stickwiththesebackgroundsfornowsothatyou’llbeabletosketchoverthebackgroundsasyouworkinthestoryboard.InChapter7,you’llreviewandsketcharangeofcolorbackgrounds,layouts,andgraphicstocallattentiontothedifferentlevelsofinformation,andinChapter8,you’llapplythemtotheslidesintheirfinalform.

Chapter6 147

Practicing Scaling to TimeAsyousawinChapter5,ifyoucompleteallthreecolumnsofActII,youhaveenoughKeyPoint,Explanation,andDetailslidestofillabouta45-minutepresentation.However,atthelastminute,youmightneedtoscaledownyourpresentationfrom45minutesto15oreven5minutes.Nowpracticehoweasyitistodothatwithonlyafewclicksofthemouse.FollowthesestepsinSlideSorterviewtoscalethestoryboardtotimebyhidingtheslidesyoudon’tneedtouseinthepresentation:

■ Ifyou’regivinga45-minutepresentation,donothing—allyourslideswillappeartoyouraudience.

■ Topreparea15-minutepresentation,holddowntheCtrlkeyandclickthewhiteDetailslidesthroughoutthepresentation.WithalltheDetailslidesselected,right-clickanyDetailslide,andthenselectHideSlide.NowonlytheActI,KeyPoint,andExplanationslideswillappearwhenyougivethepresentation;theDetailslideswillbehidden.ViewtheresultbypressingtheF5keytostarttheslideshowfromthefirstslide.PresstheEsckeytoreturntoSlideSorterview.

■ Topreparea5-minutepresentation,completethetasksfora15-minutepresentation,butinadditiontoselectingthewhiteDetailslides,selectthelightgrayExplanationslides,andthenright-clickanyExplanationorDetailslideandselectHideSlide.NowonlytheActIandKeyPointslideswillappearduringthepresentation;therestoftheActIIslidesarehidden.TesttheresultbypressingtheF5key.PresstheEsckeytoreturntoSlideSorterview.

WhenyouusetheHideSlidefeature,ahiddenslideiconcontainingtheslidenumberisdisplayedinthelower-rightcornerofeachslideinSlideSorterview.Toresetthehiddenslidestomakethemviewableagainduringapresentation,selectthehiddenslides,right-clickanyslide,andclickHideSlideagain—thehiddenslideiconwilldisappear.Keepinmindthathiddenslidesdon’tappearonscreenwhenyourunapresentation,buttheywillbeprintedunlessyouclearthePrintHiddenSlidescheckboxinthePrintdialogbox.

Whenyouhidetheslidesasyouscaletotime,youmaintainasinglepresentationfilethathastheflexibilitytoaccommodatedifferent-lengthpresentations.Becauseofthehier-archyofideasyouwroteintoActII,youcanscaleyourpresentationupordowntotimewithoutlosingthecoreintegrityofthestory—withonlyafewclicksofyourmouse.

Editing Your Headlines If NeededAsyoupracticedscalingtotimeinSlideSorterview,youmighthavenoticedthatsomeoftheheadlinesextendbeyondthetwo-linelimitorhavetextthatisunevenlybalancedbetweenthetwolines—tofixthat,youneedtomasterthebasicsofeditingheadlines,



describedinthesection“Tip4:EdittheHeadlines”laterinthischapter.InNormalview,scrollthroughalltheslides,andwhenyoufindaheadlinethatexceedsthetwo-linelimitofthetitlearea,edititdowntosize.Sometimesyoureduceaheadline’slengthsimplybydeletingawordortwo,withoutaffectingitsmeaning.Atothertimes,youmighthavetoreviseandrestructurethewordingofaheadlinetomakeitfit.Toforceaheadlinetobreaktothenextlinesothatthetwolinesareevenlydistributed,positionthecursorafteranywordinaheadlineandthenpressEnter.Alwaysstickwiththetwo-linelimitforheadlinestomaintainconsistencyinthepresentation,toleaveampleroomforvisuals,andtochallengeyourselftobeasconciseaspossible.

Reviewing the StoryboardCongratulations!Youhavenowofficiallymovedbeyondbulletpoints.Evenbeforeyou’veaddedasinglevisual,thePowerPointfileisembeddedwithastrongstory,meaningfulheadlinesanchoringeveryslide,preliminarybackgroundsthatindicatethepresentation’sstructure,andabasiclayoutdesignedtoholdgraphicalelementsinthemainareaoftheslidesinsteadofbulletpoints.

YournewPowerPointstoryboardisinspiredbytheideaofafilmmaker’sstoryboard,butit’sactuallyamuchmoresophisticatedtoolthanitsnamesake.Whatyou’vecreatedisthefoundationforacomplete,integrated,andcoherentmediadocumentthatmanagesboththewordsyouspeakandthevisualsyoushowonscreen.

Planning for the Verbal Channel by Writing Down What You’ll Say NoPowerPointslideisanisland,becauseitalwaysexistsinthecontextofyourspokenwords.Tocreateacoherentpresentation,youneedtoplannotonlyeachslidebutalsothewordsyouspeakwhileyouprojecttheslideonascreen.Yourprimaryobjectiveinwritingoutyournarrationistoseamlesslyintegratethesoundtrackofyourvoicewiththevisualtrackofyourslidessothatyouavoidsplittingtheattentionofyouraudiencebetweenthetwo.Toensurethatyouproperlymanagewhatyousaywithwhatyoushowonscreen,clicktheViewtabontheRibbon,andinthePresentationViewsgroup,clickNotesPage.Scrollthroughalltheslidesinthepresentation,whichwilleachlooksimi-lartoFigure6-7—startinginthisviewreinforcestheconceptthatyou’redesigninganexperienceconsistingofbothprojectedvisualsandspokenwords.

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FIGURE 6-7 Rev ew ngbothprojectedv sua sandspokenwords nNotesPagev ew.(Anout nehasbeenaddedtothes deareatomake tv s b e nth s ustrat on.)

AsdescribedinChapters2and3,thetophalfofthepageshowswhatyouseeontheslide,andthenotesareabelowshowsyourspokenwords.(Youwon’tseeanoutlinearoundtheslideasinFigure6-7—ithasbeenremovedintheBBPStoryboardFormattersettingssothatyourprintednotespageshandoutswilllookbetter.)TheheadlineoftheslidedoesdoubledutyinNotesPageview—notonlydoesitsummarizethemainideathatwillappearonscreenduringthepresentation,butitalsosummarizesthemeaningoftheentirenotespage.Ifyou’reusedtohavingagreatdealofwritteninformationonscreen,writingoutyourverbalexplanationinthenotesareagivesyouconfidencethatyouwillcoverthebulkoftheinformationthroughtheverbalchannel,whichinturngivesyouthefreedomtokeepthevisualchannelsimple,focused,andtothepoint.

Tip

TounlockthepowerofNotesPageview,reviewtheslideheadlineinthetophalfofthepage,positionthecursorinthetextboxinthebottomhalfofthepage,andthenwriteoutwhatyouplantosayaboutthisheadline,asshowninthemagnifiedviewofthe

P ann ng or he Verba Channe by Wr ng Down Wha You Say


notesareainFigure6-8.Thetextyouwriteinthenotesarearepresentswhatyou’llsaywhiletheslideisdisplayedonthescreen,normallyforaperiodoflessthanaminute.Ifyoufindthatyouhavemoretosayandyournarrationextendspastthelimitsofthetextbox,gobacktothestorytemplateandbreakupyourideasacrossmoreslides.

FIGURE 6-8 Amagn f edv ewofthenotesarea nNotesPagev ew,d sp ay ngan deabe ngdescr bed ncomp etesentencesandparagraphs.

Fullywritingoutyourideasinthenotesareafleshesouttheideasandincreasesyourconfidenceinthetopic.Italsohelpsyoutodevelopacloseconnectionwiththeheadline,whichwillaidyoulaterwhenyouspeak.Duringthepresentation,theheadlinewillshowtheaudienceinaglancetheideaoftheslide,anditwillalsopromptyoutoimproviseonthedetailedwrittenexplanation,witharelaxedvoicethatcomesfromknowingthetopicsowell.

Ifyou’reusedtohavingtextonscreenasareminderofwhattosay,youalsohavefullconfidenceinknowingthatwhateveryouwriteinthenotesareanowisalsoviewabletoyoualoneasthespeakerinPresenterview,asdescribedinAppendixB.Afteryouhavecompletedthenotesareaofoneofyourcurrentslides,itwilllookliketheslideshowninFigure6-9inPresenterview—duringapresentation,thetextyouwroteinthenotesareanowwillbevisibletoyouinthespeakernotespaneontheright.

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FIGURE 6-9 Presenterv ewofaDeta s dethathashadtextaddedtothenotesarea.

AvaluablebyproductofstartingtodesigninNotesPageviewisthatattheendofthedesignprocess,youhavenotonlywell-designedslidesbutalsoausefulhandout.Ifyouplantosharethepresentationwithyouraudienceorotherswhowerenotpresent,itisimportanttowriteoutwhatyou’llsayabouttheheadlineincompletesentencesandparagraphsinthenotesareasothatyourhandoutiscompleteandaccuratewhenyouprintoutboththeslideandtextboxtogether.Don’tworryabouttheformattingofNotesPageviewnow—youwilladjustthatinChapter8,andyou’llalsohavetheoptiontoplaceadditionalgraphicsinthenotesareaifyouchoose.

Note

Foraquickpresentationforwhichyoudon’tplantoprinthandouts,writeshortnotestoyourselfinthenotesareaoftheslidesofthestoryboard.Fornow,spelloutasmuchofyourexplanationaspossibleatthisstageofthepresentation—ifyou’repressedfortime,writewhatyouhaveatthispointandthenexpandonyourtextinmoredetaillater.

P ann ng or he Verba Channe by Wr ng Down Wha You Say


Oruseadigitalrecorderorsmartphonetocaptureyourthoughtsasyou’respeakingabouteachslideandthentranscribetherecordinglaterandpastethetextpassagesintothecorrespondingnotesareas.Youalsomighttryusingspeech-recognitionsoftwaresuchasDragonNaturallySpeakingoroneofthedictationservicessuchasSpeakWriteVoice-to-DocumentService,whichallowyoutospeakyournarrationintoatelephoneorsmartphoneandhavetheservicesendyouane-mailmessagewithatranscriptionashorttimelater.

■ REMEMBER Start writing out your spoken words in the notes pane in Notes Page view so that you establish the complete context for what you’ll say. Continue to add notes in this view, as well as in the notes area in Normal view.

Nowthatyou’vepreparedandreviewedthePowerPointfile,it’stimetostartplanningthepresentation’svisualswithafewsketches.

Planning for the Visual Channel by Sketching Your Storyboard Justasafilmmakerwould,youshouldstartgettingvisualinyourstoryboardbysketch-ingwhatyouwouldlikeoneachslidebeforeyougolookingfortheactualgraphicsyou’lluse.Creatingsketchesoftheslidesacceleratesthedesignprocessbecauseitkeepsyoufromgettingdistractedamidstthemanyvisualpossibilitiesyou’llfindwhenyousearchthroughphotoandgraphicslibraries.Aseriesofsketchescanalsohelpyoutoselectaconsistentstyle,becauseyouseealltheslidestogetherandcanconsideradesignforalltheslidesatonce.

Note

Youhavetwowaystogoaboutsketchingyourslides—eitheronacomputeroronpaper.Byfar,thebestwaytosketchideasforyourslidesisusingaTabletPC,becauseitallows

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youtodrawdirectlyonthePowerPointslidesandeasilyeditanderasethe“ink.”Thereistremendousvaluetohavingyoursketchesinelectronicformat,becauseyouhaveare-cordofwhatyoudidthatyoue-mailtootherstoreview.IfyouuseaTabletPC,connectyourcomputertoadataprojectorandprojectyourPowerPointstoryboardonascreenasyousketchideaswithyourteam—thisisaparticularlypowerfulwaytotapintothecollectivevisualintelligenceofthegroup,andintothevisualcreativitythatislikelylyingdormantwithinyourcoworkers.

IfyouhaveaTabletPC,tostartsketchingyourstoryboard,openaslideinNormalview,clicktheReviewtabontheRibbon,andintheInkgroup,selectStartInking.ThePenstabthatappearsgivesyouoptionsfortypesofpens,colors,andweights.Readtheheadlineofyourslide,andthinkofthesimplestwaytoillustrateit.NowplacetheTabletPCstylusonthescreenbelowtheheadline(oruseyourfingerorfingernailifyouhaveaTabletPCwithatouchscreen),anddrawyourillustrationdirectlyintheslideareaasyouwouldwitharegularpenandpaper,asshowninFigure6-10.TheTabletPCletsyoucreateyoursketchesusingelectronicink,whichyoueasilyerase,recolor,resize,copy,andpaste.

FIGURE 6-10 S deshow ngasketchmadeonas dew ththesty usofaTab etPC.

Likethepersonwhodrewthesketchinthisexample,don’tworryifyou’renotanartist—justdoyourbesttocapturethegeneralideaofwhatyou’relookingfor,evenifitmeansdrawingthesimpleststickfigures,shapes,andarrows.InChapter8,you’llturnthesesimplesketchesintoprofessional,simple,andclearphotographs,illustrations,anddiagrams.Ifyoucan’tdrawevenastickfigure,justsketchoutthewordstodescribewhat

P ann ng or he V sua Channe by Ske ch ng Your S oryboard


youwantonthescreen.Don’ttrytomakeeverythingperfectatthispoint—youwanttoapplyyourmorecreativesidehere,andyouwilllikelyfindthatyoudevelopasenseofsurprise,cleverness,andavisualsenseofhumorinyoursketchestomakesurethepresentationdoesn’tgettoostiffandimpersonal.OntheSlidestabintheOverviewpaneontheleft,viewthesketchyoujustdrewinthumbnailsize—thefirstillustrationinthesequenceofslidesofyourstoryboard.

Tip

Ifyoudon’thaveaccesstoaTabletPC,thenextbestthingtouseispaper.Tosketchyourcompletestoryboard,printapapercopyofyourslides.Todothis,clickFile,Print,toopenthePrintdialogbox.UnderSettings,PrintLayout,selectoneofthefollowingoptions:

■ SelectFullPageSlidestoprintanindividualcopyofeachslide.Tapethesepagestoawallorassembletheminaloose-leafnotebookthatyouflipthroughasyousketchideasforindividualslides.

■ SelectNotesPagestoprintthenotespages.Assemblethesepagesinanotebookandsketchvisualsintheslideareasortakenotestoaddtothenotesareaslater.

■ SelectHandouts;click1,2,3,4,6,or9toprintthecorrespondingnumberofslidesperpage;andsketchonthethumbnailimagesoftheslides.

Whenyouhaveselectedaformat,clickPrint.AlthoughtheexamplesinChapter7wereallsketchedusingaTabletPC,youcanapplymostofthesametechniquesbysketchingapaperstoryboard.

Tip

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Storyboarding Using Three Ground RulesWhetheryouhaveanelectronicorpaperversion,asyoureviewandworkwithyournewstoryboard,threegroundrulescanhelpyouandyouraudiencetostayconnectedtothebigpicture.

Rule 1: Be Visually Concise, Clear, Direct, and SpecificYouwrotetheheadlinesforyourstorytemplatefollowingtheproceduresinthesection“WritingHeadlinesUsingThreeGroundRules”inChapter3.Justasyoustrivetobeconcise,clear,direct,andspecificwithyourwords,youshouldstrivetobethesamewithyourvisuals.Whetheryouusewordsorvisualstocommunicate,yoursingulargoalshouldbetogetacrossthemostmeaninginthemostefficientwaypossible.Whenyousketchyourstoryboard,usethesimplestillustrationpossiblewithoutanyexcessdetail.Notonlydoesasimpleillustrationhelpyoumakeyourvisualpointquickly,italsowillguideyoutoavoidtheextraneousdetailthatwouldotherwiseclogtheeyeoftheneedleofworkingmemoryofyouraudience.

Asyousketch,alwayspayspecialattentiontothewordingoftheheadlinesasyoureadthroughtheminSlideSorterviewtorewordthemandtiethemtogethermoretightly.AsyourewordaheadlineinPowerPoint,gobackandedittheheadlineinthestorytemplateaswell.Ifyoufindthatyoustartmakingmanychangestoslideheadlines,gobacktothestorytemplatedirectlytoworkoutthestructuralissuesyouarehavingbeforereturningtothestoryboard.

Rule 2: In Act II, Sketch Consistency Within Columns and Variety Across ColumnsWhenyouworkwiththestoryboard,keepinmindthatinActII,it’sallaboutthehierarchy.ActIIofthestorytemplateisyourdisciplinedguidethathelpsyoumakethetoughdecisionsaboutwhethertoincludeorexcludeideasandautomaticallyprioritizesforyoueveryslidefromthemostimportanttotheleast.Whenyouapplypreliminarylayoutswithcolorbackgroundstoindicatethelevelsofimportanceofyourslides,youclearlyseeinSlideSorterviewhowthehierarchyfitsintothespecificsequenceoftheslidesofthepresentation.Andnowyou’llbuildontherock-solidverbalfoundationofActIIbyusingvisualtechniquestokeepthehierarchyatthetopofthemindsofbothyouandyouraudience.

S oryboard ng Us ng Three Ground Ru es


Whenyoubegintosketch,theActIIstructurewillhelpyoudecideexactlywhatyouwanttoaccomplishvisuallyonyourslides,asshowninFigure6-11.AsyoulearnedinChapter5,youwanttheaudiencetorememberandapplyyourCalltoActionandKeyPointslidesaboveall—iftheywalkedawayandrememberednothingelse,theseslidescarrythemostimportantinformation.You’llsketchontheseslidesthemostmemo-rablethingsyousay,show,anddotomakethesepointsstick—hereyou’llusestrikingphotographicicons,illustrations,orvisualelementsfromyourmotif.

Deta1.a.

Deta.a.

Deta2.a.

Deta1.a.

Deta.a.

Deta3.a.

Deta1.a.

Deta1.a.

Deta1.a.

Exp anat on2.a

Exp anat on3.a

Exp anat on1.a

Ca toAct on

Key Po nt2

Key Po nt3

Key Po nt1

FIGURE 6-11 Act h erarchy, nd cat ngthere at ve mportanceofthes des.

Nextyou’llsketchthesecond-mostimportantExplanationslides,whichtheaudiencewilllikelyremember—hereyoumightusediagrams,charts,orotherillustrations.Andthenyou’llsketchthethird-mostimportantDetailslides,whichtheaudiencemightnotremember—hereyou’llincludegraphs,charts,screencaptures,andothervisualelements.

AsyousketchtheslidesthatcorrespondtothethreecolumnsofActII,youwanttokeepaconsistentlookintermsofsimilarlayout,style,andplacementofheadlinesandgraphicswithineachcolumn,asshownintheslidesthatcorrespondtotheheadlinesfromtheExplanationcolumninFigure6-12.Bysketchingtheslidesfromasinglecolumntogether,asyou’lldonextinChapter7,youavoidconcentratingexclusivelyononlysingleslides;instead,youfocusonwhatishappeningacrossslides.Thismakessurethatyouapproachthedesignofanyslidebyitscontextandrelationshiptootherslideswithinitscolumn,notasindividualslidesinisolation.

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FIGURE 6-12 Te ngav sua storyacrossthrees desfromtheExp anat onco umn.

InadditiontosketchingvarietyacrossslidesfromthesamecolumnofActII,youalsowanttosketchvarietyacrossthecolumnsofActIIofthestorytemplate.Youdon’thavetoworryabouthowyou’lldothis—itwillhappenautomaticallyasaresultofthewayyouapproachthesketchingprocessinChapter7.Butit’simportanttoknowwhat’shappen-ingintermsofvarietyasyousketchyourstoryboard.Forexample,theExplanationslidesshownearlierinFigure6-12willnotappearindirectsequenceinthestoryboardbecausetheywillbebrokenupbytheirsubsequentDetailslides.

However,youdostillwanttotellthisvisualstoryacrosstheseExplanationslidesevenwhentheyarebrokenupbytheDetailslides,asshowninFigure6-13.

FIGURE 6-13 Te ngthestoryacrosseachofthethrees desfromtheExp anat onco umn,eventhoughtheyareseparated nsequencebythes desfromtheDeta co umn.



Inthesequenceofslidesastheyappearinthisexample,youintroducethefirstExplanationslideandthenfollowtheideawithitsthreeDetailslides.YouthenpresentthesecondExplanationslideandfollowtheideawithitsthreeDetailslides.Thisback-and-forthtechniqueishelpfultoyouraudiencebecausewiththefirstExplanationslide,yousummarizewhatyouareabouttotellthem,andthenwiththeDetailslides,youdotheactualtelling.AsyouwriteoutthenarrationinthenotesareaontheExplanationslides,youlikewiseshouldsummarizetheDetailslidestofollow.

Thinkoftheslidesascognitivesteppingstonesthatareguidingandsupportingtheworkingmemoryoftheaudiencealongtheirpathofunderstanding.

Rule 3: Sketch Outside the Screen TooYouhaveinyourPowerPointfileapowerfulplanningtool,witheachsliderepresentingoneideathatyouwillconveyatonepointinthepresentationassummarizedbytheheadline.Youwillprobablyaddgraphicstomostoftheseslidestoillustratethehead-lines,butyoudon’thavetolimityourselftoshowinginformationonaslideexclusivelywithagraphic;youhavemanyothermediatoolsandtechniquesatyourdisposal.Forex-ample,useaphysicalpropthatyouholdinyourhandsorpassaroundtoaudiencemem-berstocommunicateanExplanationslide,asshowninFigure6-14.YoumightswitchtoadifferentsoftwareapplicationonyourdesktoptocommunicatetheheadlinesacrossthreeDetailslides.OryoumightuseabriefvideocliptoillustrateeachofyourthreeKeyPointslides.

Thestoryboardwillguideyouasyoudecidewhethertousedifferentmedia—youwillspecificallychoosetoincludedifferentmediabasedontheslide’sheadlineanditslocationwithintheActIIhierarchy.Forexample,youwouldn’tuseyourmostmemorablevideocliponaDetailslidebecauseyoudon’twantyouraudiencetoremembertheDetailslidesovertheKeyPointslides—youwouldintegrateandusetheclipthroughtheKeyPointslidesinstead.

Evenwhenyouuseothermedia,yourPowerPointstoryboardwillstillbethefoundationthatguidestheentireexperience.Ontheslideswhereyouuseothermedia,inmostcases,you’llkeepjusttheheadlineonthescreentokeepthemeaningofwhatyou’redoingclearandinthecontextoftheoverallpresentation.Oryoumayuseaphotoasaphysicalproptoensurethateveryoneseesitclearly.You’llseeanexampleofthistechniqueshortlyinChapter7.

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FIGURE 6-14 Ho d ngaphys ca propwh ed sp ay ngaphotoof tonthescreen.

Inspiredbyafilmmaker’sstoryboard,yourPowerPointstoryboardhelpsyoumanageboththewordsyouspeakandtheimagesyoushow.Followthesethreegroundrulestokeepyourstoryboardcoherent:

GroundRule1. Bevisuallyconcise,clear,direct,andspecific.

GroundRule2. InActII,sketchconsistencywithincolumnsandvarietyacrosscolumns.

GroundRule3. Sketchoutsidethescreentoo.



Doesyourstoryboard:

■ IncludebackgroundsthatcuetheKeyPoint,Explanation,andDetailslides?

■ Provideyouwiththeabilitytoquicklyscaleyourpresentationupanddowntotime?

■ Containnotesinthenotesareaofwhatyou’llsayduringeachslide?

Nowthatyouhaveanoperationalstoryboard,hereare10advancedthingstodowithit.

10 Tips for Enhancing Your StoryboardYourstoryboardisaversatiletooltoprepareandplanbothyourspokenwordsandyourprojectedvisualsduringthepresentation.Onceyou’vemasteredthebasics,tryusingthese10tipstoenhancethestoryboard.

Tip 1: Set Up the Slide Master ManuallyIfforsomereasonyoudecidenottousetheBBPStoryboardFormatter,followthesestepstosetupthebasicformattingyou’llneedtostartsketchingthestoryboard:

1. OpenandsaveablankPowerPointpresentation,andasdescribedearlierinthischapter,importtheformattedstorytemplateheadlinesintoPowerPointfollowingtheNewSlide,SlidesFromOutlinesequence.

2. InSlideSorterview,ontheHometab,intheEditinggroup,clickSelect,SelectAll,andthenintheSlidesgroup,clickLayout,TitleOnly.

3. OntheViewtab,inthePresentationViewsgroup,clickSlideMaster.IntheOverviewpaneontheleft,clicktheOfficeThemeSlideMaster.

4. IntheSlidepane,right-clicktheTitlebox,andontheformattingshortcutmenu,selectCalibriforthefont(oradifferentfontifyouprefer),select32forthefontsize,andmakesurethatCenteredisselected.

5. Right-clicktheTitleboxagain,andonthesecondshortcutmenubelowtheformattingmenu,selectFormatShape.

6. IntheFormatShapedialogbox,selectTextBox;ontheVerticalAlignmentdrop-downmenu,chooseMiddleCentered;intheAutofitarea,selectDoNotAutofit;andthenclickClose.

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7. OntheSlideMastertab,intheClosegroup,clickCloseMasterViewtoreturntothepreviousviewoftheslides.

Tip 2: Set Up the Notes Master ManuallyJustastheStoryboardFormatterusestheSlideMastertosettheformattingforalltheslides,theNotesMastersetstheformattingforallthenotespages.BymakingafewadjustmentstotheNotesMaster,you’llbeabletousethenotespagestoeffectivelyplanbothyourslidesandyourspokenwords.

ToformattheNotesMaster,followthesesteps:

1. ContinueworkingonthesamePowerPointfileyoustartedinthesection“Tip1:SetUptheOfficeThemeSlideMasterManually,”andontheViewtab,inthePresentationViewsgroup,clickNotesMaster.Right-clicktheSlideImageplaceholderinthetophalfofthepage,andonthedrop-downmenu,clickSizeAndPosition.

2. IntheSizeAndPositiondialogbox,ontheSizetab,makesurethattheLockAspectRatiocheckboxisselected,changetheWidthsettingto6”(theHeightsettingwillbeautomaticallyadjustedto4.5”),andthenclickClose.

3. Right-clicktheborderoftheBodyplaceholderinthelowerhalfofthepage,andonthedrop-downmenu,clickSizeAndPosition.Ifthenotesareadoesn’talreadyhavethesesettings,cleartheLockAspectRatiocheckbox,makesurethatHeightissetto4.5”andWidthissetto6”,andthenclickClose.

OntheNotesMastertab,inthePlaceholdersgroup,deleteoraddanyotherNotesMasterplaceholders,includingHeader,Date,Footer,andPageNumber.

4. HolddownShiftwhileyouclickboththeSlideImageplaceholderandtheBodyplaceholder,andontheHometab,intheDrawinggroup,clickArrange,pointtoAlign,andclickAlignToSlide.ClickArrangeagain,pointtoAlign,andclickAlignCenter.Thendragthetwoplaceholderstopositionthemoneaboveanother.IfyouwanttoalignanyplaceholdersontheNotesMastermoreprecisely,right-clicktheslidebackground,andontheshortcutmenu,chooseGridAndGuides,andthenconfigurethesettingsofthegridsandguidesaccordingtoyourneeds,andclickOK.

5. SelecttheSlideImageplaceholderagain,andontheshortcutmenu,clicktheLineColordownarrow,andtheninthedrop-downlist,selectNoOutline.

6. OntheNotesMastertab,intheClosegroup,clickCloseMasterViewtoreturntothepreviousview.

10 T ps or Enhanc ng Your S oryboard


Tip 3: Install the Storyboard Formatter on Your Local ComputerTomaketheBBPStoryboardFormatteravailableonyourlocalcomputereverytimeyoucreateanewPowerPointfile,saveitinyourPowerPointTemplatesfolderbyfollowingthesesteps:

1. Double-clicktoopentheBBPStoryboardFormatterthatyousavedtoyourcomputerearlierinthischapter.

2. ClickFile,SaveAs,andthenintheSaveAsdialogbox,clicktheSaveAsTypedrop-downarrow,andchoosePowerPointTemplate.

3. PowerPointautomaticallyselectsthelocationonyourlocalcomputerwherethedefaultPowerPointtemplateisstored.Tocreateanewpresentation,clickFile,New,andthenMyTemplates.IntheNewPresentationdialogbox,youshouldseethetemplateyoujustsaved—selectitandclickOKtocreatethepresentation.

Tip 4: Edit the HeadlinesPowerPointprovidestwowaystoedityourheadlines.ThefirstmethodistoclicktheViewtaband,inthePresentationViewsgroup,clickNormal.Inthisview,clickinthetitleareaoftheslide,insertthecursor,andthenstartediting.ThesecondmethodistoviewthepresentationinOutlineformat.InNormalview,theleftmostpaneofthePowerPointwindowcontainsanOverviewareawithtwotabs:OutlineandSlides.ClicktheOutlinetabtoseealistofheadlinesand,totheleftofeachheadline,anumberandasmalliconofaslide.Clickinthetextoftheheadlineyouwanttoedit.AsyoumakechangestoaheadlineontheOutlinetab,thecorrespondingtextinthetitleareaoftheslidetotherightisupdated.DragtheverticallineattherightsideoftheOutlinepanetoincreaseordecreaseitssizetoaccommodatethewidthoftheheadlines.TheOutlinetabisusefulforreviewingalltheheadlinesoftheslidesinalistthatyoureadfromtoptobottom.Printthisoutlinelatertouseasspeakernotes.

Tip 5: Apply Slide Backgrounds ManuallyIfyoudonotusetheBBPStoryboardFormatter,youwillnotbeabletousethebuilt-incustomlayoutstoformattheKeyPoint,Explanation,andDetailslides,butyoucanstillformatthemmanually.Toquicklydothis,followthesesteps:

1. InSlideSorterview,right-clicktheCalltoActionslide,clickFormatBackgroundontheshortcutmenu,andintheFormatBackgrounddialogbox,clickFillandthenselectSolidFill.

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2. OntheColordrop-downmenu,clickMoreColors,selectdarkgray,andthenclickOK.MakesurethattheTransparencybarsliderissetto0%,andthenclickClose.

3. ClickthefirstKeyPointslide,andthenholddownCtrlandclicktoselectthesecondandthirdKeyPointslides.

4. Nowright-clickoneoftheslides,clickFormatBackgroundontheshortcutmenu,andintheFormatBackgrounddialogbox,clickFillandthenselectSolidFill.

5. OntheColordrop-downmenu,clickMoreColors,selectmediumgray,andthenclickOK.MakesurethattheTransparencybarsliderissetto0%,andthenclickClose.

6. NextclickthefirstExplanationslide,andthenholddownCtrlandselecttherestoftheExplanationslides.

7. Nowright-clickoneoftheslides,clickFormatBackgroundontheshortcutmenu,andintheFormatBackgrounddialogbox,ontheFilltab,selectSolidFill.

8. OntheColordrop-downmenu,clickMoreColors,selectlightgray,andthenclickOK.MakesurethattheTransparencybarsliderissetto0%,andthenclickClose.

DonothingtotheActIandDetailslides.

Besuretochangeonlythebackgroundcolorsfornowandotherwiseleavetheslidesblankexceptfortheheadlines.Ifyouweretoincludelogos,otherslidebackgrounds,andothergraphicsonyourstoryboardatthispoint,theywouldconstrainyourdesigndeci-sionsandinterferewiththewayyouwillusebackgroundsinthischaptertopurposefullycuetheworkingmemoryofyouraudience.

Tip 6: Set Up Custom Layouts and Themes ManuallyTheBBPStoryboardFormatterincludesbuilt-inlayoutsthatyouapplytoyourKeyPoint,Explanation,andDetailslides.ThesewerebuiltusingthecustomlayoutsfeatureinPowerPoint,whichisdescribedinmoredetailinChapter8—you’llbeabletomodifythecurrentcustomlayoutsatthatpoint,oraddnewonesandapplythemtoyourslides.LearnmoreaboutmodifyingandcreatingthemesmanuallybyreferringtoaPowerPoint2010bookthatcoversthetopicinmoredetail.



Tip 7: The BBP Storyboard SketchpadVisitwww.beyondbulletpoints.comtodownloadablankBBPStoryboardSketchpadtoprintandusetosketchideasfortheActIandKeyPointslides,asshowninFigure6-15.

FIGURE 6-15 TheBBPStoryboardSketchpad.

Tip 8: Print Full-Page StoryboardsAlthoughPowerPointallowsyoutoprintuptonineslidesperpageonahandout,anadd-inforPowerPointcalledtheHandoutWizardallowsyoutoprintmanymoreslidesperpage.Thisisparticularlyusefulifyouplantosketchyourstoryboardonpaper.Forexample,fitgroupsof20slidesfromyourstoryboardon8½-by-11-inchsheetsofpaperbyusingtheHandoutWizardtoarrangethemfiveslidesacrossandfourslidesdown,asshowninFigure6-16.Fitevenmoreslidesperpageifyouuse11-by-17-inchsheetsofpaper.Theadd-inplacesalltheslidethumbnailsonasinglePowerPointslidethatyouthenprint.FormoreinformationabouttheHandoutWizardadd-in,visithttp://skp.mvps.org/how.

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FIGURE 6-16 A20 s destoryboardreadyforpr nt ng,createdw ththeHandoutW zard.

Tip 9: Create Nested StoryboardsWhatifyou’renotcertainwhichoftwostoriesyouwanttopresentuntilyou’restandinginfrontoftheaudience?Thesection“Tip4:MultipleStories,MultipleTemplates”inChapter4exploredthepossibilitiesofdevelopingtworelatedstorytemplatesinparallel.Bothstoriespresumablyrelatetothesametopic,sotheyshouldsharethesameSettingslidebecausethisisageneralstatementaboutthecontextthateveryoneshouldagreeistrue.Usethissingleslideasthestartingpointforwhicheverstoryyouchoosetopresentfromthatpointforward.

Todothis,createaseparatePowerPointfilefromeachstorytemplate,andthencopyandpastealltheslidesfromthesecondpresentationtotherightofthelastslideinthefirstpresentation.Thiscreatesa“nested”storyboardinwhichthesecondstorysitsinthesamefileasthefirst.NotethenumberoftheslidethatbeginstheRoleslideofthesecondstory.



WhenyoupresenttheSettingslide,asktheaudienceaquestionsuchas,“Whichoptiondoyouprefer,1or2?”Basedontheirresponses,ifyoudecidetostayonpath1withthefirststory,youadvancetheslidesasusual.Butifyoudecidetotakethealterna-tivepath2,typethenumberoftheRoleslideofthesecondstoryandpressEntertogodirectlytothatslideandbeginthatstoryinstead.

ThedrawbackofthisapproachisthatyoumighthavemorethanahundredslidesinthePowerPointfiletomanage,sowhenyoutryitout,you’llneedtobalancetheflexibilityofanestedstoryboardagainstthemanagementchallengesthatlargestoryboardscreate.

Tip 10: Rehearse with Only Your HeadlinesBeforeaddingsketchesandgraphicstotheslides,whichyou’lldoinChapters7and8,it’sagoodideatorehearsethepresentationwithonlytheheadlinesontheslides.Youmightbemorecomfortablerehearsingaloneatthisstage,oryoucouldrehearsewithyourteamifyouprefertogetsomeearlyfeedback.

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CHAPTER 7

WHEN YOU PUT sty ustoscreenorpenc topapertosketchyour

s des, t’sarevo ut onarymoment ntermsofM crosoftPowerPo nt

approaches Th nkofthewayyouusePowerPo ntaccord ngtothe

convent ona approach—youopenupas dew thapredes gnedback-

ground,typeacategoryhead ngsuchasOurCompany nthet t earea,

andthentypea stoffactsaboutthecompanybe ow,maybeadd nga

sma photoofyourcompanybu d ngtosp ceth ngsup

Butnowyouaredoingsomethingcompletelydifferent.AsdescribedinChapter6,you’veprintedoutcopiesofyourslidesandyouhavethepaperversionofyourslidesbeforeyou.Therearenowordstotypeanywhere—theheadlinealreadyontheslidesummarizesyourpoint,andtheoff-screentextboxholdsthewordsyou’llspeakaloud.Withjustaclearheadlineontheprintoutoftheslidebeforeyou,theonlythinglefttodonowistapintoyourvisualthinkingskillstoillustratetheheadline.

What Do I Sketch on Each Slide?Sketchingliterallyputsyouinadifferentframeofmind,especiallyifyouspendmostofyourdayworkingwithwordsandnumbers.Ifsketchingiscompletelynewtoyou,youmightfinditdifficultatfirst,andtheprospectofsketchingyourentireblankstoryboard,asshowninFigure7-1,mightbedaunting.

Sketching Your Storyboard


■ SketchtheActI,Ca toAct on,KeyPo nt,Exp anat on,andDeta s des.

■ Cons derthefu rangeofgraph csyoucou dposs b yuse.

■ Cons derthefu rangeofotherposs b emed atoo sandtechn ques.

168 Chapter7 Ske ch ng Your S oryboard

Butjusttakeitoneslideatatime—thischapterguidesyouthroughthesketchingprocessandshowsyouarangeofspecificsketchestodrawonanyoneofyourslidesoracrossseveralofthem.Thesketchesinthischapterrelatetothespecificexamplefromthestorytemplate,buttheyalsoworkonmanytypesofpresentations.Bepatientasyoupracticeyournewvisualthinkingskills—asyoutacklethefirstfewslides,yourcreativitywillstarttoflowandyou’llgetthehangofsketchinginnotime.

FIGURE 7-1 Th schapterw gu deyouthroughtheprocessofsketch ngeverys de nyourstoryboard.

Justasyouwrotetheverbalessenceofyourpresentationinthestorytemplate,yourfocusnowistosketchthevisualessenceinthestoryboard.Again,don’tworryabouttheartisticqualityofthesketches—theyareonlytemporaryplaceholdersforthegraphicsyou’lladdtoeachslidelater.

Solet’sgetstartedatthestart,byreviewingarangeofsketchingpossibilitiesforyourActIslides.

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Sketching the Act I SlidesAsyousawinChapter5,thefirstfiveslidesofyourpresentationaccomplishthecrucialworkoforientingtheaudiencetoyourstoryandmakingtheexperiencepersonalandrelevanttothem.WhenyouimportyourheadlinesintoPowerPoint,anadditionalslideisinsertedinfrontofthesefiveslides—aTitleslideisautomaticallycreatedfromyourtitleandbyline,asshowninFigure7-2.NowyouwillsketchillustrationsfortheTitleslidealongwiththeActIslidestopowerfullycomplementtheclearandcoherentflowofideasyousetinmotioninthebeginningofyourstory.

FIGURE 7-2 TheT t eandAct s des nthestoryboard.

ArrangetheprintoutsoftheTitleandActIslidesinfrontofyou.Ifyou’reusingaTabletPC,reviewtheslidestosketchinSlideSorterviewfirst,thenclickonanindividualslidetosketchitinNormalview,andthenreturntoSlideSorterviewtoreviewyourwork.

Sketching the Title SlideTheTitleslidewillbethefirstthingtoappearonthescreenasyoubeginyourtalk,soitshouldintriguetheaudienceandsetthevisualtoneofthepresentationtocome.Inthisinstance,sketchalightbulbtoillustrate“thinking,”asindicatedinthetitle,“ANewWayofThinking.”AsshownontheupperleftslideinFigure7-3,sketchyourorganization’slogointhecornerandperhapsaddanotetouseyourcompany’scolorsonthisslide.

Ske ch ng he Ac S des


FIGURE 7-3 AsketchofaT t es de(upper eft)andthreesketchesofaposs b e ntroductorys de:onew thon ythe ogoofyourorgan zat on,anotherw ththreesma cons,andath rdw thon yaquest onmark.

Adding and Sketching a Speaker Introduction SlideOneofthemostoverlookedpartsofthepresentationexperienceiswhathappensdirectlybeforeyoustartspeaking—yourintroductiontotheaudience.Agoodspeakerintroductionraisesanaudience’sinterestinthetopicofthepresentationandestablishesthespeaker’sauthoritytogivethetalkinthefirstplace.

Tomakesureyourpresentationgetsofftoasolidstart,planthewayyou’llbeintroducedbyaddinganoptionalspeakerintroductionslide.InSlideSorterview,positionthecursortotherightoftheTitleslideinthepresentation,andontheHometaboftheRibbon,intheSlidesgroup,clickNewSlide,andthenselectBlankonthedrop-downmenu.

Whatyousketchonthisnewspeakerintroductionslidedependsonwhowillbeintroducingyou.Ifsomeoneelsefromyourorganizationwillintroduceyou,sketchyourorganization’slogoontheslide,asshownontheupperrightslideinFigure7-3.Inthiscase,onlythelogowillappearonscreenwhilethatpersonintroducesyou.Ifyou’reanexpertinyourfield,sketchaphotoofthecoverofareportorbookyou’vewritten.

Inthenotesareaofthisslide,writetheintroductionyouwouldlikethepersonwhointroducesyoutoread.Keepitbriefandinformal,andincludeyourrelevantcreden-tialsforthetopicofthepresentation.Thisisn’taboutboostingyourownego—tobeintherightframeofmindtolistentothepresentation,theaudienceneedstoknowthat

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you’retherightpersontobegivingthistalk.Whenyoumeetwiththepersonwhowillintroduceyou,provideaprintedNotesPageversionofthisslidetoshowwhatwillbedisplayedonthescreenalongwiththescriptoftheintroductionyouwouldlikethatpersontoread.You’renotbeingcontrollingifyouaskthepersondoingtheintroductiontoreaditverbatim—manyapresenterhasgottenoffonthewrongfootwhentheywereintroducedwithincorrectfacts,inappropriatecomments,oroff-colorhumor.

Ifyouwillintroduceyourselfatthestartofyourpresentation,sketchthreevisualiconsthatsymbolizewhoyouareinthecontextofthepresentation.Forexample,asshownonthelowerleftslideinFigure7-3,sketchthelogoofyourorganization,whichwillappearasyoudescribewhatyoudothere;thensketchtheshapeofthestateofCalifornia,whichwillappearwhileyoudescribeyourupbringinginthestatetoyourCaliforniaaudience;andthensketchthecoverofyourfavoritebookormovie,whichwillappearasyoudescribehowthatbookormovieshapedwhoyouaretoday.Thesethreesimpleimageswillpromptyoutospeaknaturally,unlockyourpersonality,andconnectwithyouraudi-ence.Whenyouaddgraphicslater,animatetheimagessothattheyappearinsequenceasyouclickyourremotecontrol.

Ifyou’respeakingtoasmallgrouporconductingaworkshop,considerinsertinganadditionalintroductoryslideaskingyouraudiencememberstointroducethemselves—toillustrateit,simplysketchaquestionmark,asonthelowerrightslideinFigure7-3.Whenthequestionmarkappearsonscreen,asktheaudiencememberstointroducethemselvesandstateonethingtheywouldliketoaccomplishattheevent.Aseachpersonspeaks,useaflipchartoraTabletPCtowritethenamesandresponsesonpaperorthescreen.Thisapproachdemonstratestotheaudiencethatyouwilllistentothem,thatyouagreetoaccomplishcertaintasksoverthecourseofthepresentation,andthatyouhavecreatedarecordoftheconversation.Reviewthesameflipchartorscreenagainattheendofthepresentationtomakesureyoucoveredeverything.

Sketching the Setting SlideNowyou’llsketchtheSettingslide,whichorientstheaudiencetothecontextofthepresentation.

Picture a Strong StartAsyouprobablyrememberfromChapter4,thefirstfiveslidesworktheirmagicbyappealingprimarilytoemotion.Toenhanceyourappealtoemotion,addafull-screenphotographtotheslide.Ifthat’sthewayyouwanttogointhisexample,sketchaphotoofamagazinecoverwithaheadlineaboutthechangingenvironment,asshownontheupperleftslideinFigure7-4.



FIGURE 7-4 FourwaystosketchthesameSett ngs de:aphotographofamagaz necover,abr efanecdotew thab ackscreen,achart,andon ytheaxesofthechart the new bedrawnbyhand.

Tip

Start with an Anecdote Anotherwaytostartstrongistotellananecdote—abriefstory—whileyoudisplayasimplegraphic.Inthiscase,theanecdoteshouldcommunicatethepointoftheheadlineoftheslide—besurethatyourstorylastsnomorethanaminuteortwo,becauseyouhavemanymoreslidestopresent.Toillustrateyouranecdote,thinkofthetopicofyourstory—perhapsitisaboutacompetitorwhohasencounteredsimilarstrugglesintheenvironmentandhassuccessfullyovercomethem.Inthatexample,sketchthelogoofthecompetitor’sorganizationontheslide,asshownontheupperrightslideinFigure7-4.

WhenyouadvancepasttheTitleslidetotheSettingslide,saysomethinglike,“Iknowyou’reexpectingmetostartwithbulletpoints,butI’mgoingtostartwithananecdoteinstead.Letmetellyouastoryaboutacompanyyouknowwell—ourmaincompetitor…”Yourspokenwordsandthesimplegraphicworktogethertocreateasenseofsurprise,focusingattentionintenselyonyouandwhatyousaynext—agoodexampleofastrongwaytostart.

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Start with a ChartWhenyoudecidewhattosketch,choosethevisualelementsthatarethebestfitforanaudience.Forexample,ifyou’representingtoexecutivesinthefinancialindustry,itmightnotbeagoodfittostartwithafull-screenphotographontheSettingslide.Abet-terfitwouldbetosketchthemeaningfulvisualstheseexecutivesaremoreaccustomedtoseeing—chartsandgraphs.Whenyousketchachartthateveryoneintheaudienceinstantlyrecognizes(asintheexampleshownonthelowerleftslideinFigure7-4),youquicklyconnectwiththeaudiencebecauseyou’respeakingthesamevisuallanguage.

Start with a Simple LineTomakethechartconceptevenmorepowerful,integrateothermediaintheSettingslidetoincreaseengagementandmaketheexperiencemoreinteresting.Forexample,sketchonlythetwoaxesofachartontheslide,asshownonthelowerrightslideinFigure7-4.Whenyoushowthechartaxes,saysomethinglike,“Iknowyouallarefamiliarwithwhatishappeninginourbusinessenvironment.”Afterapause,positionthestylusonthescreenofyourTabletPCanddrawalinetravelingupwardandthendownwardasyousay,“Thingshavebeengood,butnowtheyareturninginanotherdirection.”Sincepeopledon’tusuallywritedirectlyonscreenduringapresentation,thistechniqueissuretobememorableandcatcheveryone’sattention.Ifyoudon’thaveaTabletPC,dosome-thingsimilarbydrawingthechartaxesonaflipchartbeforeyourtalkandthenplacingthechartnearthepodium.Whenyou’reready,movetotheflipchartanddrawasimilarlinethere.

Start with a VideoUsingavideoisagreatwaytocaptureeveryone’sattentionatthestartofapresenta-tion,especiallywhenyoupresenttolargegroups.IfyouhavetheresourcestolicenseorproduceabriefvideocliptoillustratetheheadlineontheSettingslide,sketchanotetoindicateyou’lluseavideoonthatslide.

Sketching the Role SlideNext,ontheRoleslide,sketchsomethingthatengagestheaudienceinthesettingandputstheminthemiddleoftheaction.IfyousketchedaphotographontheSettingslide,asshownearlierontheupperleftslideinFigure7-4,usethesamesketchonthisslideandsketchacirclearoundtheheadlineasshownontheupperleftslideinFigure7-5.Thisindicatesthatyou’lladdacircleshapeusingthePowerPointdrawingtools.Whenyouarriveattheslideduringthepresentation,say,“Althoughtheenvironmentischang-ing,you’reheretohelpusdosomethingaboutthesituation.”IfyouhaveaTabletPC,writedirectlyonthephotographusingthestylusofyourTabletPC,circlingtheheadline.



FIGURE 7-5 FourwaystosketchtheRo es de:us ngtheSett ngs de sphotographandupdat ngthehead ne,us ngtheSett ngs de schartandadd ngamagn fy ngg ass,show ngon ythehead neandthemagn fy ngg ass,andh d ngthehead ne.

Inasimilarway,ifyousketchedachartontheSettingslide,asshownonthelowerleftslideinFigure7-4,useitagainontheRoleslide.Sketchalightbulboverthecharttoillustratethe“newthinking”themeofthepresentation,asshownontheupperrightslideinFigure7-5.Carryingoverthesamegraphicalelementfromtheprecedingslidehelpstotellthestoryvisuallyacrossthetwostoryboardframes.Yourverbalexplanationwillkeepthestoryflowingtoo,asyoutransitionbetweenthetwoslidesbysayingsome-thinglike,“Weallagreethattheenvironmentischanging,andwemustdosomething.”AdvancetotheRoleslide,andsay,“Youplayacrucialroleinfiguringoutwhat’snext.”

Create a Simple Visual Prompt with a Photo TrysomethingalittledifferentbysketchingonlyalightbulbontheRoleslide,asshownonthelowerleftslideinFigure7-5.Thisturnstheslideintoavisualpromptinwhichaphotographalonepromptsyoutounlockyournaturalvoice.Ifyoukeepthephotographsimple,theaudiencememberswillusetheirimaginationandseethemselvesintheroleandinthesettingyouverballyandvisuallydescribe.

Hide the HeadlinesTounlockevenmorevisualpowerfromthelightbulbinthelastexample,hidethehead-line,asshownonthelowerrightslideinFigure7-5.Whentheheadlineisnotvisibleonthescreen,youincreasetheaudience’srelianceonyoutoexplainwhyyouareshowingthisimage.Tosketchthisslide,simplydrawalinethroughtheheadline.Orgoaheadand

Chapter7 175

takecareofthisnow:inNormalview,clickontheouteredgeoftheheadlineboxanddragitofftheslideintothegrayareaabovetheslide.TheheadlinenowwillbehiddenfromtheaudiencewhenyoushowtheslideinSlideShowview.Whenyou’reworkingontheslideinNormalview,you’llstillbeabletoviewtheheadlineabovetheslidearea.

Tap into the Power of PaperAlthoughyouuseaprojectortoshowyourslidesonthescreen,considerwhatpaperdoesforyoutoo.Especiallyforanaudiencethatlikelywantstoseedetaileddata,quicklyestablishcredibilitybyreferringtoadetailed,printedhandoutwhenyoudisplayoneoftheActIslides.Heresaysomethinglike,“Wecrunchedthenumbersandthey’reallhere,butoutofrespectforyourlimitedtime,we’vepulledoutwhatwethoughtwouldbemostrelevanttoyoursituation,whichwillbethefocusofthispresentation.”PrintahandoutinPowerPointNotesPageview,MicrosoftExcelspreadsheets,orwhateverotherformatyourdataisin.Generally,waituntilthepresentationendstoprovidehandoutssoyoukeepfocusonyourtopicandavoidthehandoutsbecomingadistraction.

Sketching the Point A and Point B SlidesAsdescribedinChapter4,thePointAslideengagestheaudiencebydescribingachallengetheyface,andthePointBslidemotivatestheaudiencebyaffirmingwhattheywantinlightofthechallenge.ThisgapbetweenPointAandPointBformsthedramatictensionyouproposetoresolveintherestofthestory.JustasthewordingyouchooseforthePointAandPointBheadlinesspellsthedifferencebetweenhittingormissingthemarkwithyouraudience,whatyouchoosetosketchherewillmakeadifferencetoo.

Becausethesetwoslidesaresocriticaltotheentirepresentation,sketchthemasapair,asshowninFigure7-6,asyoucarefullyconsiderhowtoconnectwiththeemotionsoftheaudienceandconfirmthattheycareabouttheproblemthatexistsinthisgapbetweenAandB.

FIGURE 7-6 t scr t ca thatyouh tthemarkofthePo ntAandPo ntBs des,bothverba yandv sua y.



Use an “Emotional” ChartJustaswiththeSettingslide,itmightbeagoodmatchwithyouraudiencetouseachartonthesetwoslides.Sketchabarchartshowingtheorganization’sdecliningmonthlyproductsalesonthePointAslide,asshownontheupperleftslideinFigure7-7.OnthePointBslide,sketchseveralmorebarsshowingpossibleimprovedsales,asshownontheupperrightslideinFigure7-7.Althoughchartsarenormallyconsideredpurelyobjectivedisplaysofinformation,thischartissuretostirupemotionsiftheaudiencemembersareunhappywiththenumbersatPointAandwouldliketogettoPointB.Theuseofthisparticularchartinthiscontextmakesanemotionalconnectionwiththisaudience,althoughinothercontextsandtootheraudiences,thesamechartmightnotwork.

FIGURE 7-7 Twowaystosketchthepa rofPo ntAandPo ntBs des.Toprow:SketchachartonthePo ntAs deshow ngdec n ngmonth ysa es,andthensketchadd t ona barsshow ng mprov ngsa esonthePo ntBs de.Bottomrow:Asp t screen ayoutstartsw thaphotoofaproductw thadownwardfac ngarrowonthePo ntAs de;asecondphoto nc udesanupward fac ngarrowonthePo ntBs de.

Double Your Impact by Splitting the ScreenEmphasizethedramatictensionthatexistsbetweenPointAandPointBbysketchingtwocontrastingphotographsinjuxtaposition.SketchalinedownthemiddleofboththePointAandPointBslidestoindicateyouaregoingtoplacetwophotossidebyside.TotheleftofthelineonthePointAslide,sketchthephotographyouwouldliketorepre-sentPointA—forexample,aphotographofaproductalongwithadownward-facingarrow,asshownonthelowerleftslideinFigure7-7.Thephotographoftheproductbringstherealityoftheproductintotheroomontheslide,andtheadditionofa

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downward-facingarrowindicatesdecliningsales.SketchthesamegraphicontheleftofthePointBslide,andthentotherightofthemidline,sketchacontrastingphotograph—inthiscase,anotherphotographofaproduct,exceptthistimefeaturinganupward-facingarrow.Whenyoushowtheslidesinsequence,thePointAslideintroducesthefirstphotographasyouexplainit,andthenonthePointBslide,thesecondphotoappearsdirectlynexttothefirst.ThispairofcontrastingimagescommunicatesthetensionbetweenAandBmorepowerfullythanwordsevercould.

Interact at Points A and BOfalltheplacesinyourstoryboardwhereyouplantointeractwithyouraudience,thePointAslideisaparticularlygoodone.Whenyouinteractwithyouraudiencehere,openaconversationtogetthecriticalinformationyouneedtoconfirmyouareontrack.IfyouhearfromyouraudiencethatyouareofftrackwithyourPointAslide,adaptyourverbalnarrationorfollowadifferenttrackthroughthematerial.(See“Tip9:CreateNestedStoryboards”inChapter6formoreinformationaboutcreatingarangeofpossiblepath-waysthroughapresentation.)

Take a PollToengageyouraudienceusingthePointAslideontheupperleftinFigure7-7,tryoneoftheoldestandsimplesttechniquestopromptinteraction:askaquestion.Sketchaquestionmarkonthechart.ThePointAheadlineis“Whatworkedinthepastisn’tworkinganymore—andyou’refeelingtheimpact.”Whenyoushowthisslidetoasmallergroup,askanopen-endedquestionsuchas,“Whatsortofimpacthaveyoupersonallyfelt?”andthenhaveaconversationaboutit.Whenyoushowthesameslidetoalargeraudience,askthequestion,“Howmanyofyouagree?”andthenholdupyourhandtosignaltheaudiencetoraisetheirhands.Quicklycountthenumberofhandsandtelltheaudiencetheresultsofthepollasyoumoveontothenextpoint,“Itlookslikeabouttwo-thirdsofyouagree.Well,todaywe’regoingtotalkabout…”

Takingaquickpolllikethismakestheaudiencefeellikethey’repartoftheconversationandalsogivesyouagaugeofwheretheaudiencestandsinrelationtothetopic.Varythistechniquewithlargeraudiencesbyprovidingtheaudiencewithinteractivepollingdevices,whichsomecompaniesbuildspecificallyforPowerPoint.Whenyouasktheaudi-enceaquestion,theresultsofthepollaredisplayeddirectlyonyourPointAslideintheformofachartthatsummarizesthepollingresults.ThesamethingcanbeaccomplishedusingTwitterandothersocialmediatools—tofindouthow,searchtheWebforthetermsTwitterandpresentationsandyou’llfindmanyresources.



Introduce the MotifSofar,you’vefocusedonnumbersandchartstostartoffstrongwithyouraudience.AnotherwaytogoistosketchoutamotifasitplaysoutoverthePointAandPointBslides.Ifyouchosetoincorporateamotifthroughtheheadlinesofyourstorytemplate,nowyou’llextendthisrecurringthemefromyourwrittenwordstothesketchesofyourslides.

Forexample,ifyouuseapuzzlemotifinthestorytemplate,thePointAheadlinemightread,“Thepieceswe’veuseinthepastnolongerfittogether—andyou’refeelingtheimpact”andthePointBheadlinemightbe“You’dliketofindanewwaytoputthepuzzletogether.”AsshowninFigure7-8,sketchthreepuzzlepiecesontheupperleftPointAslidetovisuallyrefertothe“pieces.”SketchthepiecescomingtogetherontheupperrightPointBslideto“putthepuzzletogether.”

FIGURE 7-8 Twowaystosketchthepa rofPo ntAandPo ntBs des.Toprow: ntroducethemot fofscatteredpuzz ep eces,andthenshowthep ecescom ngtogethertoformap cture.Bottomrow:ThePo ntAs deshowsac pboardw themptycheckboxes,andthePo ntBs deshowsthecheckboxesse ected.

AnalternativemotifmighthaveaPointAheadlinethatreads,“Whatwe’vedonebeforenolongerworks…”andaPointBheadlinethatreads,“You’dliketofindanewwaytogetthingsdone.”AsshowninthebottomrowinFigure7-8,sketchtheclipboardwithemptycheckboxesonthePointAslide,andthensketchcheckmarksinthesameboxesonthePointBslide.

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LateraddsimpleanimationtotheelementsonthePointAandPointBslidesbecausetheseslidesservetheimportantfunctionofcapturingtheaudience’sattentioninActI.IntheexamplesonthetoprowinFigure7-8,sketchanotetoanimatethepuzzlepiecestoappearseparatelyonthePointAslideandthencometogethertoformthepictureonthePointBslide.Ontheslidesinthebottomrow,makethecheckboxesappearontheclipboardonthePointAslide,andthenmakethecheckmarksappearonebyoneonthePointBslide.

Unlock Information with a Visual PromptTouseinteractiontoobtainusefulinformationfromyouraudience,sketchasimplephotoobjectthatrelatestoyourtopicononeorbothofthePointAandPointBslides,andthenusethephototopromptconversationaboutspecifictopics.Forexample,ifyourPointAheadlinereads,“Whatworkedinthepastisn’tworkinganymore—andyou’refeelingtheimpact,”sketchgraphicsthatindicatethevariouspossibleimpacts,forexampleadollarsignformoneylostoraclockforwastedtime.Hidetheheadlineontheslide,andwhenthegraphicsontheslideappear,say,“Therearemanywaysthesituationisimpactingus—whataretheonesthataremostimportanttoyou?”

Link the Act I Slides with a Single Chart or PhotographTotietogetherevenmoretightlytheslidesinthisexample,sketchasingleunifyingimageacrossallofActItomakeitabackdrop.Figure7-9showshowtodothis.TheTitleslideincludesasketchofalightbulbindicatingnewthinkingtosetupthepresentation.TheSettingslideshowsachartofthemonthlyproductsalesdeclining,andthentheRoleslideshowsthechartwithaquestionmarkindicatingtheaudiencewantstofigureoutwhattodoaboutthesituation.ThePointAslideusesthechartbutnowaddssketchesofsimplegraphicsindicatingtheimpactofthedecliningsales—lostmoneyandwastedtime.ThePointBslideaddsadottedupwardarrowindicatingthedesiredpoint—increasingmonthlysales.ThefinalCalltoActionslideaddsthelightbulbdirectlyoverthechartindicatingthatanewwayofthinkingwillgettheresultstheaudiencewants.

ThisisagoodexampleofhowyourPowerPointslidesarenolongerlikepiecesofpaperfilledwithlistsoffacts.Nowyourslidesarelikeframesinafilmstrip,movingatapaceofaboutoneframeperminute,withyourvoiceprovidingthesoundtracktoaclearandcompellingstory.Althoughtotheaudience,yourpresentationisasinglesmoothandseamlessexperience,infactyouhavepackedagreatdealofinformationintothesefirstfiveslidesandhavecoveredtheessentialelementsthatensureyoualwaysstartstrong,asdescribedinChapter4:orienting,interesting,engaging,motivating,andfocusingyouraudience.



FIGURE 7-9 Te ngav sua storyus ngas ng echartacrossa theAct s des.

Tip

ToincreasethevisualimpactoftheseActIslides,sketchanoteontheslidesremindingyouthatyouplantohidetheheadlinessothatonlythegraphicsarevisibletotheaudi-ence.Asdescribedearlier,whenyoupresentslideswithoutheadlines,thesimplegraphicsmaketheaudiencerelyonyoutodescribetheslides’meaning,whichcreatesanengag-inginterdependencebetweenspeakerandaudience.ThisisaneffectivetechniquetouseonyourActIslideswhileyoumakeanemotionalconnectionwithyouraudience.Later,ontheActIIslides,you’llusuallywanttokeepyourheadlinesvisibletoyouraudiencetoguidetheirattentionthroughthemuchlargervolumeofinformation.

AlthoughinthisexampletheCalltoActionslideshowninFigure7-9wassketchedaspartofthegroupofActIslides,besureyouvisuallyintegrateitwiththeimportantKeyPointslides,asyou’lldonext.

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ThebestwaytosketchavisualstoryacrossslidesusingaTabletPCistoworkbackwardfromthelastslidetothefirst.Forexample,inthesequenceofslidesshowninFigure7-9,firstsketchalltheelementsyouwanttoincludeonthelow-errightCalltoActionslide.OntheReviewtab,chooseStartInking,andonthePenstab,clickSelectObjects,holddowntheCtrlkeywhileyouclicktoselecttheInkobjectsyouwanttoinclude,andthenright-clickandselectCopy.Gototheprecedingslide,right-clickandpastetheInkobjects,andthenonthePenstab,clickEraserandmovethemousepointeroverthepartsofthesketchyoudon’tneed.Thencopythissketch,andfollowthesamestepsasyouworkbackwardthroughtheslides.Designingthelastslideinthesequencefirstensuresthatthefinalslideisorganizedandcomposedinawaythatworks—ifyouweretobuildfromthefirstslidetothelast,youwouldprobablyendupmakingchangestothelastslide’slayout.Workingbackwardthroughthesequencealsosavestimebecauseyoudon’tneedtosketchthesameelementsonthedifferentslidesinthesequence.Unfortunately,inkingonyourTabletPCworksonlyinNormalviewandnotinSlideSorterview,soyou’llneedtoswitchbackandforthbetweenthetwoviewstoseehowthestoryisflowingvisuallyacrossslides.

Sketching the Call to Action and Key Point SlidesYournextjobistosketchthemostimportantgroupofslidesinthepresentation—theCalltoActionandKeyPointslides.Ifyou’reworkingonpaperprintouts,gathertheseslidestogether.Ifyou’reusingaTabletPC,toseetheKeyPointslidestogether,zoomoutinSlideSorterview,andthenlocatetheKeyPointslides.DrageachoneinsequencesothattheyfollowtheCalltoActionslide,asshowninFigure7-10.Whenyou’vefinishedsketching,you’lldragtheseslidesbacktotheiroriginalpositions.Youdon’thavetodothiseverytimeyousketch,butitishelpfulasyou’rehoningyourstoryboardingskills.It’simportantthatyouseeandworkwiththesefourslidestogetherasavisualpackagebecausewheneachslideappearsinitssequenceinthestoryboard,itshouldcuetheaudiencethatthesearethemostimportantslidesinthepresentation.

Ske ch ng he Ca o Ac on and Key Po n S des


FIGURE 7-10 ThedarkgrayCa toAct onandmed umgrayKeyPo nts desshou dbethemostv sua ymemorab e nthestoryboard.

TheCalltoActionheadlinesummarizestheKeyPointheadlines,andinturntheKeyPointheadlinessummarizetheExplanationheadlines,andtheExplanationheadlinessummarizetheDetailslides.BecausetheCalltoActionheadlinesitsatthetopoftheinformationalhierarchy,asdescribedinChapter5,itisreallytheverbalsummaryoftheentirepresentation.Likewise,whatyousketchontheCalltoActionslideshouldbeavisualsummaryoftheKeyPointslidesandoftheentirepresentation—ifyouhadonlyoneslidetoshow,thisonewouldbeit.

ThisgroupofslidesformedbytheCalltoActionandthreeKeyPointslides(referredtoinshorthandasCTA+3)isveryimportant—sketchthemusingthemostcreative,memorable,andpowerfultechniquesyoucancomeupwith.Ifyouhaveamarketingbackground,ontheseslides,youwillapplythemostpowerful“branding”techniquesyouknow—thesetoftechniquestovisuallydistillamessageandintegrateitthroughanexperience.Theonlydifferencehereisthatyou’renotapplyingthesetechniquestoyourcorporateidentity;instead,you’reapplyingthemtothehighestlevelofideasinyourpresentation.

Followingarearangeoftechniquesto“brand”thetoplevelofyourthinkingonyourCTA+3slides.Thesesketchingideasaresomeofthebasics—asyoubecomecomfortablewithsketching,tryoutyourownideas,orinviteagraphicdesignertogiveyouahand.

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Tripling Your Impact with Three PanelsAsimpleyeteffectivevisualtechniqueistosketchfull-screenphotographstoillustrateeachoftheKeyPointslides.Full-screenphotographsareagoodfitontheCTA+3slidesiftheyfunctiontomaketheideasoftheheadlinesmemorable.IntheexampleshownontheupperrightslideinFigure7-11,thefirstKeyPointsliderefersto“whatyouknow,”sothesketchofthephotographisasimpleillustrationofabrain.ThesecondKeyPointslide,onthelowerleft,referstosteppingoutside,sothatsketchillustratesadooropentotheoutside.ThethirdKeyPointslidereferstotheclientssteppingbackinside,sothesketchisofaphotoofadoorwayopentotheinside.

FIGURE 7-11 SketchesoftheCa toAct ons dew thathree pane ayoutandtheKeyPo nts desw thfu screenphotographs.

Nowthatyou’vesketchedthreephotographsontheKeyPointslides,usetheseelementstosketchatriptych,orasingleslidewiththreeverticalgraphicalelementsplacedsidebyside.TocreateatriptychontheCalltoActionslide(upperleft),drawtwoverticallinesontheslidetocreatethreepanels,andthensketchineachofthethreepanelsakeyvisualdetailfromeachofthethreephotographsthatweresketchedontheKeyPointslides.Asyoupresenttheminsequence,thesesketchesontheCalltoActionslideformatight,crispvisualpackageandprovideapreviewofthematerialyou’reabouttocover.



Adding It Up with IconsAnotherapproachrelatedtothethree-panelphotographsistosketchsimpleiconsthatrepresenttheessenceofyourideainabasicvisualform.Forexample,addasketchof“1-2-3”ontheCalltoActionslidethatillustratesyou’llcoverthreewaysto“changeyourthinking.”ThensketchasimpleiconthatillustratestheheadlineofeachKeyPointasinFigure7-11,exceptnowcreatea“build”ofthethreeiconsacrosstheslides.SketchabrainonthefirstKeyPointslide,copyittothesecondKeyPointslideinadditiontoadooropeningtotheoutside;andthencopybothoftheseandaddittothethirdKeyPointslideinadditiontoadooropeningbacktotheinside,asinFigure7-12.

FIGURE 7-12 CTA+3s desw th cons nad agramformat.

Asshownhere,youbuildasimple3-stepvisualprocessdiagramoutoftheiconsbyaddingthenumbers1-2-3beloweachiconandaddinganarrowbetweeneachicononthesecondandthirdKeyPointslidestoindicatethesequence.

Propping It UpAclassictechniqueinoralpresentationsistoshowaphysicalpropandexplainhowtheobjectrelatestothepresentation.TheCTA+3slidesareagoodplacetointegrateaprop,especiallywhenyoutieinthatpropwithyourmotif.Forexample,holdupanumberedpuzzlepiecewhenyoupresenteachKeyPointslidetocarrythroughapuzzlemotif.Orbetteryet,passouttoyouraudiencetheirownnumberedpuzzlepiecestohold—theywillliterallycarrythemainmessageofthepresentationoutoftheroomintheirhands,andundoubtedlyintheirlong-termmemoriestoo.Ifyouplantouseaphysicalprop,

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sketchaphotographofitontheCTA+3slides—duringthepresentation,you’llshowthephotooftheproponthescreenwhileyoudisplaythepropphysicallyintheroom.

Using Video, Sound, or Motion Graphics (Carefully)Ifyouplantousevideo,audio,ormotiongraphicsinyourpresentation,theseformsofmediastandoutsosignificantlyfromyourslidesthatyouwanttousethemcarefullyandstrategically.Beforeyouusethem,considertheresearchstudydescribedinChapter2thatfoundwhenyouremoveextraneousinformationfromamultimediapresentation,youincreaselearning.

Remember,inActIIit’sallaboutthehierarchyinyourstoryboard,andyourmeasureofsuccessisifyouraudiencerecallsandappliestheinformationonyourKeyPointslides.Ifyouplantousevideo,sound,ormotiongraphicstoillustratetheKeyPointheadlines,goaheadandsketchtheseelementsontheKeyPointslides.Beverycarefulaboutusingthesetypesofmediainanotherpartofthepresentationifyoudon’tusethemonyourKeyPointslides—youwouldbeunsuccessfulinyourpresentationiftheaudiencere-memberedyourtrendyvideoontheDetailslidesbutnotthemessageofyourKeyPointslides.

Blacking Out the ScreenConsiderfadingtoblacktoemphasizetheKeyPointslides.Visualsprojectedonascreenarespellbinding,butwhenyoubreakthatspellbyblackingoutthescreen,youfocustheaudience’sattentioncompletelyonyouandyourideasataspecificmoment.Thiscreatesanabruptshiftinthepresentationwithdramaticeffectthatworkswelltoemphasizeimportantpoints.

Thebestwaytoblackoutascreenistochangethebackgroundofyourslidetoblack:Right-clicktheslide,andthenselectFormatBackgroundontheshortcutmenu.IntheFormatBackgrounddialogbox,clickFillintheleftpane,clickSolidFillintherightpane,andintheColordrop-downlist,clickBlack.MakesuretheTransparencycontrolissetto0%,andthenclickClose.MakingthebackgroundofanyslideblackinyourstoryboardensuresthatwhenyoureviewthepresentationinSlideSorterview,youseeexactlywhereamongthesequenceofslidesyouwillfadetoblackandwhathappensontheslidesimmediatelybeforeandafter.

AnalternatewaytoblackoutascreenwithoutchangingthebackgroundofyourslidesistousetheBkey.WhenyoupresentyourslidesinSlideShowview,presstheBkeyonyourkeyboard,ortheappropriatebuttononyourremotecontrol,toturnthescreentoblack.Then,asalleyesturntoyou,you’llemphasizeverballythekeypoint.Whenyou’vefinished,presstheBkeyagaintoreturntothesameslide.(Alternatively,presstheWkeytoturnthescreentowhite.)



Raising Interest with Your LayoutsAstrikingwaytosetupyourCTA+3slidesistouseadistinctivelayouttomakethemstandoutamongalltheotherslidesinthestoryboard.InChapter6,yousetupaprelimi-narymediumgraybackgroundontheKeyPointslideswhenyousetupthestoryboard.Changethoseplaceholderbackgroundstosomethingmorestriking—forexample,byusingasplit-screenlayoutontheKeyPointslides.Thislayoutstyle,showninFigure7-13,isaquickandeasywaytosetuptheseslidesforsketches,andit’saparticularlygoodfitforusingiconsasdescribedearlierinthischapter.

FIGURE 7-13 SketchesoftheCTA+3s desw thasp t screen ayoutontheKeyPo nts des.

InChapter8,you’llexplorePowerPointfeaturestosetupandapplydifferentlayoutstothedifferentlevelsofthestoryboard.Fornow,ifyouwanttoquicklysetuptheseslidestoseehowtheylookwhenyousketchontheminsplit-screenlayoutformat,gotoNormalviewforthefirstKeyPointslide.OntheInserttab,intheIllustrationsgroup,clickShapesandthenselectRectangle.Positionthecursorintheupperrightoftheslide,clickanddraguntiltherectanglefillshalfthescreen,andthenright-clicktheboxandaddawhitefill.Thenclickanddragtheheadlinetotheleftandclickanddragthesizinghan-dlestofittheheadline,asshownontheupperrightslideinFigure7-13.CopyandpastetherectangletotheothertwoKeyPointslides,andadjusttheheadlines.OntheCalltoActionslide,addahorizontalwhiterectangletothemiddleoftheslidetodistinguishthisslidefromtheKeyPointslides,asshownontheupperleftslideinFigure7-13.OnceyouhavethetemporarylayoutsinplaceontheCTA+3slides,sketchontheslidesasusual.

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Keeping the Motif FlowingYoursketcheswillstarttoreallystrengthenyourvisualstoryifyouhaveusedamotifthroughoutyourstorytemplate.Forexample,carrythepuzzlemotiffromtheActIslidestotheCalltoActionslide,asshownontheupperleftslideinFigure7-14.BeginningwiththethirdKeyPointslideonthelowerright,sketchthreepuzzlepiecestogetherwiththenumbers1-2-3,thenputthefirsttwopuzzlepiecesonthesecondKeyPointslideonthelowerleft,andthenputthefirstpuzzlepieceonthefirstKeyPointslideontheupperright.Thenaddphotosthatillustratetheheadlines,asintheupperrightandbottomrowofFigure7-14.

FIGURE 7-14 SketchesoftheCTA+3s desw thapuzz emot f.

Thephotosinthisexamplemightbefull-screenphotosorsimplephotoobjectswiththebackgroundscutout.Orifyouwanttogetreallycreative,bringthepuzzlemotifandthephotostogetherbysketchingeachphotoinsideapuzzlepiece.

Pausing at the End of Each Key Point SectionJustasthePointAandPointBslidesaregoodplacestoaskquestionsandpromptdialog,othergoodplacestodothatarejustbeforethesecondandthirdKeyPointslides.Toplanforaudienceinteractionatthesepoints,gotoSlideSorterviewafteryousketchyourKeyPointslides,selectKeyPoint1,andthenpressCtrl+Dtoduplicatetheslide.DragtheduplicateKeyPoint1slidetojustbeforetheKeyPoint2slide.NowselectKeyPoint2,duplicateit,anddragtheduplicatetojustbeforeKeyPoint3.



AfteryoupresenttheExplanationandDetailslidesthatfollowKeyPoint1,you’llseetheKeyPoint1slideagain,andthereyou’llpausetoaskyouraudienceforquestions.Whenyou’vefinished,advancetotheKeyPoint2slide.PauseagainaftertheKeyPoint2slide,andthenadvancetoKeyPoint3.YoualsomightchoosetoduplicatetheseslidesinChapter8,afteryou’veaddedgraphicstovisuallyreinforcetheKeyPointslidesattheendofthefirstandsecondActIIscenes.

Presenting with More than One SpeakerSomeorganizationsfeaturemultiplespeakersduringapresentation—ifyouplantodothat,puteachofthreespeakersinchargeofoneofthethreeKeyPointsections.Handoverthemicrophonetothenextspeakerwhenitisthatperson’sturntopresenttheassignedsectionofKeyPoint,Explanation,andDetailslides.ThechangeofspeakeraddsemphasistoeachoftheKeyPointslides,butbecausethepresentationisconstructedfromasingleunderlyingstorytemplate,theaudiencemembersexperienceasinglestorythatmakessensetothem.MakeanoteoneachKeyPointslideofthenameoftheassignedspeakerifyouplantodothis.

Nextyou’llexploreavisualwaytolinktherestoftheslidestocome—bysketchinganavigationbar.

Sketching an Optional Navigation BarTietogethertheslidesofthepresentationevenmoretightlywithavisualnavigationbaratthebottomofthescreen.IntheconventionalPowerPointapproach,thespaceatthebottomofascreenusuallycontainsthepresentingorganization’slogo.Sketchyourownorganization’slogotoillustratethepointofanysingleslideinthestoryboardiftheheadlinecallsforthat,orsketchthelogoontheIntroductoryslide,asdescribedearlier.Butdon’tplaceyourlogooneveryslidebecausedoingsoaddsextraneousvisualinfor-mationforworkingmemorytoprocess,whichimpairslearning,asdescribedinChapter2.(Besides,puttingyourlogooneveryslidesendsthewrongvisualmessagethateveryslideisallaboutyou,whenitisreallyallabouttheaudience.)

AmuchbetterwaytousethesmallspaceatthebottomoftheExplanationandDetailslidesistovisuallycueyouraudiencetotheorganizationof,andcurrentlocationwithin,thepresentation.Forexample,ifyouuseapuzzlemotifthroughthepresentation,afteryousketchthefirstpuzzlepieceonthefirstKeyPointslide,addasmallhorizontalbaratthebottomofthesubsequentExplanationandDetailslides,andthensketchasmallpuzzlepiecethroughouttheseslides,asshowninFigure7-15.You’lllearnhowtosetupandapplynavigationbarsusingcustomlayoutsinChapter8.

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FIGURE 7-15 The ghtgrayExp anat ons desandwh teDeta s desnow nc udeanav gat onbarw thas ng epuzz ep ece.

AfteryouaddasecondpuzzlepiecetothesecondKeyPointslide,addasimilarpuzzlepiecetothenavigationbarthroughtherestoftheExplanationandDetailslidesinthissection,asshowninFigure7-16.Then,afteryouaddathirdpuzzlepiecetothethirdKeyPointslide,addthreesimilarpuzzlepiecestothenavigationbarthroughtherestoftheExplanationandDetailslidesinthatsection.

Astheaudienceviewstheslidesinsequence,thenavigationbarappearsthesame,untilyoureachtheslidesinthesubsequentKeyPointsection,whentheyseeanewpuzzlepieceappeartocuethemthattheyareinanewsection.

FIGURE 7-16 ThesecondKeyPo nts deandtheExp anat ons desandDeta s desw thanav gat onbarw thasecondpuzz ep eceadded.

Ske ch ng an Op ona Nav ga on Bar


Sketching the Explanation SlidesYournextjobistosketchthesecond-mostimportantslidesinthepresentation—theExplanationslidesforeachsceneofActII.InSlideSorterview,zoomouttolocatethelightgrayExplanationslides,andthendrageachoneinordertofollowtheircorrespond-ingKeyPointslidetoseethemtogether,asshowninFigure7-17.Whenyou’vefinishedsketching,you’lldragtheseslidesbacktotheirpreviouspositions.AswiththeCTA+3slides,it’simportantthatyouseeandworkwiththesefourslidestogetherasapack-age—justaseachKeyPointheadlinesummarizestheExplanationheadlinestocome,eachKeyPointslideshouldvisuallysummarizeitsExplanationslides.

FIGURE 7-17 Thef rstmed umgrayKeyPo nts deand tscorrespond ng ghtgrayExp anat ons des.

LookatthesketchyoucreatedfortheKeyPointslide,andthenreadyourExplanationheadlinesandimaginehowtosketchthestoryforwardacrosstheseslides.SketchasinglevisualstoryacrosstheExplanationslidesifit’spossible.ButitmightbethattheExplanationslidesareindependentfactsthataretiedtogetheronlybytheprecedingKeyPointslideandnottooneanother.IftheDetailslidesstandaloneasindependentideas,sketchastandaloneillustrationforeachoneanduseothertechniquestovisuallytietheExplanationslidestogether,suchasusingasimilarsplit-screenlayoutoranavigationbarrunningthroughtheExplanationslides,asdescribedearlier.

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Tip

Sketching a Visual OrganizerEarlierinFigure7-8,thesketchofaclipboardwithcheckboxesservedtovisuallycarryanideaacrossthePointAandPointBslides.TryasimilarconceptusingcheckboxestovisuallyorganizeyourideasacrossyourExplanationslides.OntheupperleftinFigure7-18,theKeyPointslidefeaturesasketchofapieceofpaperwiththreeemptycheckboxestoillustratewhatwewillreview.SketchthefirstExplanationslide(upperright)withonlythetopboxcheckedandthephrase3stepsfromtheheadline,andthenonthesecondExplanationslide(lowerleft),addasecondcheckmarkandanxtoindicate“isn’tworking”fromtheheadline.OnthethirdExplanationslide(lowerright),addathirdcheckmarkwithadownward-facingarrowshowing“we’llbeoutofbusiness”fromtheheadline.

FIGURE 7-18 SketchesofaKeyPo nts deandExp anat ons desus ngacheck sttov sua yt ethemt ght ytogether.

Ske ch ng he Exp ana on S des


Astheyappearinsequence,theKeyPointslideintroducesthesimplevisualconceptofthethreecheckboxes,thefirstExplanationslideintroducestheconceptof3stepsfromtheheadline,thenextslidebuildsontheprecedingoneandaddstheconceptoftheprocessnotworking,andthenthethirdslidebuildsontheprecedingslideandaddstheconceptofgoingoutofbusiness.WheneachExplanationslideisdraggedbacktoitspositioninthestoryboard,itintroducesanotherlayerofmeaningtothevisualcheckliststoryandatthesametimetiestogethertheDetailslidesthatfollow.

Sketching Headline-Only Explanation Slides Whenyoudelivera15-minuteversionofyourpresentation,youwillspendthebulkoftimeonyournineExplanationslidesthatbackupyourthreeKeyPoints.Butwhenyoudelivera45-minuteversionofyourpresentation,youwon’tspendmuchtimeontheExplanationslidesbecausetheyonlyserveasaquicksummaryofwhatistocomeintheDetailslides.Ifthat’sthecase,andifyou’repressedfortimetofindgraphics,plantousetheheadlinealone—sketchadownward-facingarrowthatnotesyouwillmovethehead-linesdowntothecenteroftheslide,asshownintheupperrightslideinFigure7-19.Ifyouthinkaheadlinealonewillbetoostark,sketchontheslideashapeyouwouldliketoaddtotheExplanationslidestoaddtothebackground,asshowninthelowerleftslide.Andifyouhavethetimetofindthegraphics,sketchasmallgraphicthatillustratestheheadlineoftheExplanationslide,asshowninthelowerrightslide.

FIGURE 7-19 SketchesofaKeyPo nts deandExp anat ons desthatshowhead neon y,head new thabackground,andhead new thabackgroundandgraph c.

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Using a Screen CaptureForaquickillustration,considersketchingascreencapture.Anythingviewableonacomputerscreencanbecapturedanddisplayedonaslide,includingpicturesofyourdesktop,Webpages,documents,andmore.Forexample,useascreencapturetocon-veymoredetailedquantitativeinformationavailableinotherdocuments.EachdollaramountorotherpieceofquantitativeinformationincludedinaheadlineislikelyderivedfromanExcelspreadsheetoranotherdatasourcethatreflectsthedetailedanalysisthatproducedit.Youcouldprobablyspendanhourdiscussingthedetailsofanysinglefigure,butifyoudidthat,youwouldn’thavetimetocoveranyoftheotherpointsinthepresentation.

Instead,sketchascreencaptureofaclose-upofaspreadsheetthatyouwilladdtotheslide,andwhenyoudisplaytheslide,explainthatthedetaileddataiscontainedthere.Sketchanoteontheslidethatyouwillalsobringprintoutsofthespreadsheetprovid-ingthedetailedfinancialanalysisandexplanationthatsupporttheheadline.Nowtheheadlinecommunicatesthemainideayouwanttogetacross,thetightlycroppedscreencaptureofthespreadsheetindicatesyouhavebackupforyourpoint,yourverbalexpla-nationconveyswhatyouintend,andtheprintoutsholdthedetailedinformationyouwillhavereadilyavailable.

Whenyou’vefinishedsketchingtheExplanationslides,inSlideSorterview,drageachslidebacktowhereitbelongsinthesequenceofthestoryboard.Nowlookatthestoryboardandseehowtheseslidesguideyouraudienceacrossthesectionsofthesto-ryboard—withaKeyPointslide,ExplanationslideandthenDetailslidesallcarryingthevisualstoryforward.

Sketching the Detail SlidesYourlastjobistosketchthethird-mostimportantslidesinthepresentation—theDetailslidesthatfolloweachExplanationslide.InSlideSorterview,zoomintoseeasetofExplanationandDetailslidestogether,asshowninFigure7-20.It’simportantthatyouseeandworkwiththesefourslidestogetherasapackage,becausewhenyouwriteoutanExplanationheadlineinActII,itsummarizestheDetailheadlinesthatcomenext.Similarly,eachExplanationslideshouldbeavisualsummaryoftheDetailslides.

Ske ch ng he Exp ana on S des


FIGURE 7-20 A ghtgrayExp anat ons deandthefo ow ngthreewh teDeta s des.

LookatthesketchoftheExplanationslide,andthenreadthefollowingDetailheadlinesandimaginehowtosketchthestoryforwardacrosstheDetailslides.SketchasinglevisualstoryacrosstheDetailslidesifit’spossible.ButitmightbethattheDetailslidesareindependentthoughtsthataretiedtogetheronlybytheprecedingExplanationslide—inthatcase,sketchstandaloneillustrationsforeachDetailslide.

Explaining Ideas by Building a DiagramAcommonprobleminconventionalPowerPointpresentationsoccurswhenadiagramorchartistoocomplextobeunderstood—oratleastnotunderstoodallatonceonasingleslide.Ifyouraudienceisnewtotheinformationinanydiagramorchart,youwilleasilyoverwhelmthelimitedcapacityoftheirworkingmemoryandimpairlearningifyoushowtoomuchatonce.Youaddresstheunderlyingrootofthisproblembybreak-ingdownKeyPointheadlinesinthestorytemplateintosmallerpiecesasyouwritetheExplanationandDetailheadlines,whichlaterbecomethefoundationforindividualslidesthatappearonscreenforlessthanaminutewhileyounarrateeachslide.

Becauseyouhaveusedthisapproach,insteadofexplainingagreatdealofinformationinadiagramonasingleslideformanyminutes,youwillexplainthesameinformationinsmallerpiecesforlessthanaminuteeach,acrossaseriesofslides.Thisensuresyoupres-entnewinformationevenlyoverthesequenceofslidesofanyexplanation,showingandsayingonlythecorrectinformationatthecorrecttimetoensureyoudonotoverload

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orsplittheattentionoftheworkingmemoryofyouraudiencebetweenwhatyouaresayingandshowingatanymoment.

BuildingadiagramacrossthecorrespondingseriesofDetailslidesisaneffectivewaytoillustrateyourideasifyouaredescribingaprocessorhowthepartsofsomethingrelatetothewhole.Forexample,sketchonyourExplanationslideasimplediagramwithanarrowandthenumbers“1-2-3”toillustratethe“3-stepprocess,”asshownontheupperleftslideinFigure7-21.CarrythroughthissimplestructurebysketchingthreesimilararrowsacrossthethreeDetailslides.OnthefirstDetailslide,shownontheupperrightslide,sketchaboxwiththeword“study”toillustrate“first,westudythemarket.”OnthesecondDetailslide,sketchanadditionalboxwiththeword“build”toillustrate“second,webuildaproduct”,asshownlowerleft;andthenonthethirdDetailslidesketchaboxandtheword“market”toillustrate“third,wemarkettheproduct,”asshownlowerright.

FIGURE 7-21 SketchesofaKeyPo nts deandExp anat ons desshow ngad agramcarr edacrossthes des.

Reviewthesefourslides.Youfirstshowasimple1-2-3illustrationthatintroducesandsummarizesthetopic.Thenyoushowandnarratethefirstheadlinewiththefirstpartofthediagramandbuildthediagramoverthenexttwoslides.NoticethatthethirdDetailslidehasmoredetailthantheExplanationslide.YouwanttheExplanationslidetobeassimpleaspossiblesothatyoudon’toverwhelmtheworkingmemoryofyouraudi-encewithtoomuchnewinformationtooquickly.AsyoudevelopthediagramoverthethreeDetailslides,thefinalslideiseasytounderstandbecauseeachelementhasbeenappropriatelyintroducedbothverballyandvisually,piecebypiece.

Ske ch ng he De a S des


Ifyouhaveadiagramyou’veusedinotherpresentationsandyou’dliketofititintoyournewBBPpresentation,gotothestorytemplateandfigureoutwherethepiecesoftheexplanationofthediagramfitintotheoverallstory.Ifthediagramcontainsinfor-mationthatisnewtotheaudience,youneedtobreakitupintosmallerpiecestoeasethenewinformationthroughtheworkingmemoryofyouraudience.Asyouusethestorytemplatetoexplainthediagram,thinkofthethreemainpartsofthediagramanddescribethemintheKeyPointheadlines.Thencompletethestorytemplateasbefore,breakingupeachKeyPointpieceintosmallerpiecesintheExplanationheadlinesandthenbreakingeachExplanationsub-pieceintosmallerpiecesintheDetailheadlines.Whenyoureturntothestoryboardtorevisethestoryboardheadlines,you’llhavelaidthegroundworkforaseriesofslidesthatexplainsthenewinformationinthediagrampiecebypiece,slidebyslide—ratherthanallatonce.

Althoughthisexamplediagramisabasicone,whenyouapplythesameapproachtoothertypesofdiagrams,youwillmakesurethatyouproperlysynchronizetheverbalandvisualchannelsofworkingmemory,asdescribedinChapter2.Whenyoupresentyourslidesthisway,youalsoalignwiththeresearch-basedtemporalcontiguityprincipledescribedinRichardE.Mayer’sresearch,whichisbasedonstudiesthatshowthatpeopleunderstandinformationbetterwhenanimationandnarrationarepresentedtogetherratherthananimationfirstandnarrationsecond.

Tip

Building a Chart Across a Series of SlidesAfteryouhavebrokenupanideaintosmallerpiecesacrossasetofDetailheadlinesinthestorytemplate,buildachartacrossthecorrespondingseriesofDetailslidestoillus-tratequantitativeinformation.Withthesequenceofheadlinesinplaceinthestoryboard,you’llknowexactlywhatyouwanttocommunicatebeforeyoustartbuildingthechart.Again,thisiswherethewordingoftheheadlinesinthestorytemplatewilldefinewhatyousketch.BuildachartacrossaseriesofDetailslidesiftheheadlinescontainspecificquantitativeexplanation,suchas“Theindustryaveragereturnsare20%”and“Your

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averagereturnsare10%”andthen“Wecanhelpyouclosethegap.”Ifyourheadlinesdon’texplainachartbutyouwouldlikethemtodoso,returntothestorytemplatetoseehowtorevisetheheadlinestomakethechartwork.

Completing the Explanation SlidesYoushouldbegettingthehangofthingsbynow,becauseyou’vealreadysketchedmanyoftheelementsthatyoualsosketchontheDetailslides.HerearesomeofthetechniquestousetosketchtheDetailslides:

■ Use photos, screen captures, or other graphics. Asinthepreviouslevels,sketchphotographsforyourDetailslidessuchasascanofthecoversoftradejournals,asshownontheupperrightslideinFigure7-22,orsketchlogosofcompaniesthatillustratetheheadlineasshownonthelowerrightslide.Ifaphotoalonedoesn’twork,youmightincludeadditionalinformationalelementsthatyouwilladdtothephotosuchasthecirclewiththelinethroughit,indicatingadvertisingnolongerworks,ontheupperleftslide.

FIGURE 7-22 AnExp anat ons dew thpartofad agramandDeta s desw thaphotoandaddedarrows,aphotograph,andascreencapture.

■ Use a chart, graph, or diagram. Sketchachart,graph,ordiagramonasingleslideoracrossthreeExplanationorDetailslides,dependingonwhatyourhead-linessay,asshowninasingleDetailslideonthelowerleftslideinFigure7-22.

Ske ch ng he De a S des


Switching to Other MediaPlantoswitchoutofPowerPointandintoanothersoftwareapplicationtodemonstrateanactivitythatyouplantocoverinyourDetailslides.Forexample,aninstructorwouldswitchovertoExceltodemonstratehowtouseoneofitsfeatures,ortoWordtoshowhowtoeditadocument.Duringthepresentation,whenyouarriveatanExplanationslide,verballyexplainthepointoftheheadline.ThenswitchovertotheotherapplicationtodemonstratethepointsyoucoveredontheDetailslide.ThenreturntothePowerPointslidewhenyou’refinished.Beforethepresentation,hidetheDetailslidesbecauseyouwillcoverthosepointsduringthelivedemonstration.

HolddowntheAltkeyandpresstheTabkey,andthenpresstheTabkeyagainuntilyouselectthecorrespondingsoftwareapplicationthatisopenonyourdesktop,andthenreleasetheAltkey.Afteryou’veshownwhatyouneedtoillustratetheheadline,pressAlt+Tabagainuntilyouselectthesoftwareapplicationthatisopenonyourdesktopthatcorrespondstothesecondhiddenslide(lowerleft).

Afteryou’veshownthedemonstration,pressAlt+Tabagainuntilyouselectthesoftwareapplicationthatisopenonyourdesktopthatcorrespondstothethirdhiddenslide(lowerright).(IfyouhavetheMicrosoftAerocolorschemeenabledonaWindowsVistacomputer,insteadofusingAlt+Tab,holddowntheWindowskeyandrepeatedlypressTabtousea3-Dinterfacetoselectapplications.)Whenyou’vefinishedwiththethirdapplication,pressAlt+TabandreturntoPowerPoint,whereyou’llseetheExplanationslideagain.Theheadlineheresummarizesthepointyoumadeduringthedemonstra-tions;fromhere,advancetothenextslide,whichwillbethefollowingExplanationslide.

Withthistechnique,you’reusingPowerPointasatooltomanagewhat’shappeningonscreenandoffscreenaswell.Asalways,theheadlinesoftheslidesestablishtheideasyouwanttocommunicateatanyandeverypointinthepresentation.

Inasimilarway,switchovertoothernon-PowerPointmediatoprovidevarietyinthepresentation,includingthefollowing:

■ Aflipchart,whiteboard,orchalkboard■ Adocumentprojector■ Videoclips,audio,ormotiongraphics■ Aphysicalprop■ Paperhandouts

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Adapting Your Sketches to Your ProfessionAsyou’rethinkingaboutwhatothersketchestoincludeonyourDetailslides,reviewtheoptionalActIIheadingsinthesection“Tip3:TailorYourActIIColumnHeadingstoYourProfession,”inChapter5.Forexample,ifyou’reamarketresearcher,yourDetailslideswillprobablyincludesketchesofscreencapturesthatillustrateyouranalyticaltools,briefvideoclipsfromfocusgroups,andofcoursecharts,graphs,anddiagrams.Ifyou’reanattorney,yourDetailslideswillcontainsketchesofyourspecificevidence,suchasscreencapturesofyour“hotdocuments,”photographs,shortclipsfromvideodepositions,andscientificdrawings.Ifyou’resellingasoftwareproduct,yourDetailslideswillincludesketchesofthevarioussectionsofyourproductdemonstration.

Sketching Your Story TemplateItmighttakesometimetolearnthenewskillsofsketchingyourslidesacrossframesandacrosslevels.Ifyou’rehavingatoughtimefiguringouthowtosketchdiagrams,charts,andotherExplanationorDetailslideelements,leavePowerPointforafewminutesandreviewaprintedcopyofyourstorytemplate.ReadthroughtheheadlinesfromtoptobottomintheExplanationcolumn,andsketchdirectlyoverthecolumnhowyouwanttoillustrateeachExplanationslide—forexample,withadiagram,asshowninFigure7-23.ThenreadthroughtheheadlinesintheDetailcolumn,andsketchhowtoillustrateeachDetailslide—forexample,withadiagram,chart,orvideoclip.HereitmightbeeasiertoseethatthesketchofeachExplanationslideshouldbeasummaryandintroductionoftheadjacentDetailheadlinestotheright.

FIGURE 7-23 Sketchwhatyouwantto ustrated rect yonapr ntoutofthestorytemp ate.

Ske ch ng Your S ory Temp a e


Tip

Keepthistechniqueinmindwhenyou’rewritingthestorytemplateforthefirsttimeandasyougoforwardwithyoursketchesinthestoryboard.

Doyourstoryboardsketchesclearlyshow

■ WhereyourActI,KeyPoint,Explanation,andDetailslidesare?

■ Howyoutellyourstoryacrossframes,ateachlevelofthestoryboard?

■ Whichgraphicsthatyou’lluse?

■ Whereyouwilluseinteraction,props,andothermedia?

Ready, Set, Sketch!Nowthatyouhavearangeoftechniquesinmind,sketchtherestofyourstoryboard.Sketcheachandeveryslideintheentirestoryboardfirst,evenifyoualreadyhavesomefinishedgraphicsthatyouknowyouwanttouse—thatway,youdon’tgetcaughtupinthevisualdetailsofindividualslidesthatpreventyoufromspendingtimeontherestoftheslides.Afteryouhaveasketchforeveryslideinplace,you’llreviewtheentirestory-boardinSlideSorterviewinChapter8toassesshowmuchtimeyouhavetoaddgraph-ics,whereyouneedtospendyourtimefirst,whatresourcesyouhavetogetthingsdone,andwhotoaskforhelpifyouneedit.

Thisprocessmightseemchallengingnow,butthemoreyoustoryboard,themoreskilledyou’llbecome.Justaswithwritingthestorytemplate,ithelpstobringinotherpeopletocollaboratewithyouonthestoryboard.Ifyou’reusingaTabletPC,projectthestoryboardonascreenandsketchtogether;ifyou’reusingpaper,tapeprintedcopiesofindividualslidesonthewallandcollaboratethatway.Andjustasyoudowhenyouverballyeditthestorytemplate,lookforwaystovisuallyedit,tighten,andimproveyourstoryboard.

Whenyouhaveafullysketchedstoryboardinhand,it’stimetoturnthesketchesintofinishedgraphicsasyoucompleteyourfinalPowerPointstoryboardinthenextchapter.

201

CHAPTER 8

TURNING WORDS ntov sua scanbeadaunt ngtaskforanybody,

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nyourpresentat on,andeachs de nc udesasketchthat nd catesthe

spec ficgraph cyouwanttoadd Asa waysw ththeBeyondBu etPo nts

(BBP)approach,yourfocus sonhe p ngyouraud enceeffect ve yunder-

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tothestoryboardthathe pmakeyourv sua po ntoneachs de,w thout

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v sua nformat on

Which Graphics Do I Add to Each Slide?Likecompletingthestorytemplate,addingfinalgraphicstoyourstoryboardisbotheasyandhard.It’seasybecauseallyouneedtodoisuseyoursketchasaguideto“fillintheblank”belowtheheadlineoneachslidewiththegraphicthatthesketchdescribes.Butit’salsohardbecauseyouhaveapotentiallyunlimitedrange

Adding Graphics to Your Slides


■ Rev ewthethreegroundru esforadd nggraph cs.

■ App ycustom ayoutstothed fferentsect onsofthestoryboard.

■ Addgraph cstoeverys deofyourstoryboard.

202 Chapter8 Add ng Graph cs o Your S des

ofgraphicsandstylestochoosefrom,andyouhavetofindtheonesthatarethebestmatchwithbothyouandyouraudience.Especiallyifworkingwithgraphicsisanewskillforyou,thisprojectmightfeeldauntingrightnow.Butthinkofapproachingthistaskjustasyouwouldanyotherproject—byfirstassessingthecurrentstateoftheproject,thenfiguringoutwhatneedstobedone,andthenmakingaplanforhowyou’regoingtoac-complishthat.Thischapterwillhelpyouthroughtheprocessofaddinggraphicstoyourstoryboardstepbystep,helpingyoutobreakuptheprojectintosmaller,moremanage-abletasks.

Defining Your Design ConstraintsEverydesignprojecthasconstraints—asmuchasyoumightwanttotakeyourtimecreatingaworkofart,therealitymightbethatyouhaveonlyuntilthisafternoonortomorrowtocreateaPowerPointmasterpiece.It’simportanttoknowupfrontwhatlimitsyou’refacingsothatyoucanplanyourprojectaccordingly.Dothatbyaskingafewquestions:

■ What is the scope of the project? LookatyourpresentationinSlideSorterview,asshowninFigure8-1,togetasenseofthenumberofgraphicsyou’llneedtofind.Youshouldfirstidentifywhereyouwillnotneedgraphicsandeliminatethoseslidesfromyourcount.Forexample,ifyou’regivingonlya15-minuteversionofyourpresentation,youwillhidetheDetailslides,asdescribedinChapter6,andfocusyoureffortsontheotherslidesyouneed.Likewise,ifyou’llbeswitchingovertoanothersoftwareapplicationtopresenttheideasonsomeoftheDetailslides,youwon’tneedtoaddgraphicstothoseslideseitherbecauseyou’llhidethoseslidesaswell.

■ How much time do you have? Nextdeterminehowmuchtimeyouhavetogetthejobdone.Ifyourpresentationisareportyouneedforthisafternoon,you’llhavetodoyourbestwiththeresourcesathand;however,ifit’sapresenta-tionforanewproductlaunchinthreemonths,youobviouslyhavemoretimetoinvestandtobringotherpeopleinontheproject.ConsiderwhetheryouhaveanyadditionaldeadlinesbeforeyouneedthefinalversionofthePowerPointfile,suchasmarketingorlegalapproval.Allofthesefactorswilldeterminewhetheryouhaveacoupleofhours,aday,acoupleofdays,aweek,amonth,orlongertogettheprojectdone.

Chapter8 203

FIGURE 8-1 Rev ewthefu ysketchedstoryboard.

■ Where can you get graphics? Thischapterwillshowyouawiderangeofwaystogetgraphicsforyourslides,butoneofthemostusefulresourcesyou’lluseisastockphotographyWebsite.Thesesitesfeatureadatabasetosearchtolocatephotographs,illustrations,motiongraphics,andvideo.Alwaysproperlyobtainalicenseorotherwisegetpermissiontousegraphicsifyoudonotalreadyholdtherightstousethem.StockphotographyWebsitesaresetuptomakethelicens-ingprocessfastandeasy,usuallychargingafewdollarsperphoto.Thischapterfeaturesstockphotographyfromwww.iStockphoto.com,whichhasadatabaseofmillionsofimagesforlicensing.LocateotherstockphotographyWebsitesbydoingaWebsearchfortermssuchas“stockphotographypresentations.”

■ What’s your budget? Ifyouhaveabudgetof$0,youwillbelimitedtoonlyfreegraphics,screencaptures,andanygraphicsyoucreateyourself.Ifyouhaveabudgetof$30,license10photographsfromastockphotographysiteforanaverageof$3each;ifyouhave$500,hireafreelancegraphicdesignerfor10hoursat$50/hour;andifyouhave$10,000,commissionavideothatyouintegrateintoyourKeyPointslidesandelsewherethroughoutthestoryboard.

■ What other resources do you have available? Ifyouhavetheskills,createoriginalillustrationsyourselfinanothersoftwareprogram,orshootyourownphotographsandeditthemwithimageeditingsoftware.Ifyoudon’thavetheseskills,considerotherpeopletoaskforhelp,suchasanin-housedesignteamoryourcoworkers.

De n ng Your Des gn Cons ra n s


Whateverconstraintsyouhave,youdon’tneeddesigntrainingtoproduceeffectiveresultswithyournewPowerPointstoryboard.ThischapterwillintroduceanddemonstrateanumberofnewtoolsandbasicdesigntechniquestostartapplyingtoyourPowerPointpresentationstoday.

Adding Graphics Using Three Ground RulesThemostimportantthingtokeepinmindwhenyouaddgraphicstoyourstoryboardisthatyou’renotjustdesigningslides;you’redesigningacompleteexperiencethatman-agesthevisualandverbalchannelsfortheworkingmemoryofyouraudience.It’seasytobecomeabsorbedinthedetailsoffonts,graphics,andanimationsontheslideswhilelosingtrackofyourspokenwordsandhowtheentireexperiencehelpstheaudiencetounderstandyourmessage.Tomakesureyoustayontrack,keepthreegroundrulesinmindwhileyou’reworkingwithgraphics.

Rule 1: See It in SecondsInChapter7,yousketchedyourstoryboardacrossadjacentslidesandsketchedthehierarchyacrosslevels.ThisprocessensuresthatwhenyouviewtheentirepresentationinSlideSorterview,youseeexactlyhowyoumanagetheattentionofyouraudienceacrosstime.Withinthatcontext,youthenfocusontheindividualslidestoseehowtobestmanageyouraudience’sattentioninanyparticularmomentoftime,bothvisuallyandverbally.Thebestplacetounderstandthedesignofyourslidesisinitscompletecontextofscreenandnarration—thatis,inNotesPageview.AsillustratedinFigure8-2,theNotesPageviewcompositionisbuiltonthreelevelsofinformationhierarchy.

Thetopoftheinformationhierarchyistheon-screenheadline,whichsummarizesthepointyoumakeatthismoment;thesecondlevelofthehierarchyistheon-screengraphic,whichvisuallyexplainstheheadline;andthethirdlevelofthehierarchyistheoff-screennarrativeexplanationinthenotesarea,whichfurtherexplainsboththeheadlineandthevisualelementwithyourspokenwords.Althoughyou’llbeworkingonindividualslidesinNormalview,youshouldreturnfrequentlytoNotesPageviewduringtheprocessofaddinggraphicstoviewtheslidesinthecontextoftheirverbalnarration.

Keepinginmindhowyourvoicewillseamlesslyintegratewiththegraphicsyouaddtoeachslide,lookatFigure8-3,whichshowsthebuilt-inhierarchyofthedefaultlayoutforyourslidesinNormalview.Whenyoudisplayanylayoutonthescreen,youwantyouraudience’seyestogofirsttothemostimportantinformationontheslide—theheadlinethatsummarizesyourpoint.Theheadlinecommunicatesthetopicclearlytotheaudience,remindsyouasaspeakerwhatyouwanttosay,andkeepsbothpartiesfocusedonaspecifictopic.

Chapter8 205

FIGURE 8-2 nformat onh erarchyseen nNotesPagev ew.

FIGURE 8-3 S deh erarchyseen nNorma v ew.

Nextyouwantyouraudience’seyestomovetothesecond-mostimportantelementontheslide—thegraphic.Whatevergraphicyouaddhereshouldillustratetheheadlineandhelpyouraudienceliterallyseeyourpointbyusingthepowerofthevisualchannelof

Add ng Graph cs Us ng Three Ground Ru es


workingmemory.Thegraphicshouldpackasmuchmeaningaspossibleintovisualformandstillbesimpleenoughtobequicklydigestible.

OnthedefaultlayoutwhenyoufirstimportyourheadlinesintoPowerPointslides,thepositionforthegraphiciscenteredonthescreen,whereitiseasytoseeandunder-stand—adjustthislayoutaccordingtowhatyousketchedforeachhierarchicallevelofthestoryboard.Ifyoudoadjustsomeoftheslidelayoutslater,keepthemsimpleandincludewhitespacetogiveyouraudiencevisualbreathingroomtoeasilyprocessthenewinformation.

Althoughthebasiclayoutfortheslidesissimpleinstyle,itissophisticatedinitseffectbecausetheaudiencescanstheheadlineandgraphicandquicklyunderstandstheidea.This“verbal-visualreading”oftheslideshouldgetyourpointacrossinsecondssothattheworkingmemoryofyouraudiencecanthenpayattentiontoyouandwhatyou’resaying.Thegoalistohelpyouraudiencequicklydigesttheslide—evenifyoudisplaytheslideforonlyafewsecondsandthenblackoutthescreen,youraudienceshouldbeabletoarticulatethemainpointofthatsingleslideasyouintended.Aftertheslideinitiallysetsthestagethiswaybyquicklyconveyingthemeaningoftheheadline,theslideshiftsinfunctiontoareinforcingbackdropwhileyouverballyexplainthepointinmoredetailoverthenextminute.

Rule 2: Align the Aesthetics with the AudienceLifewouldbeeasyifyoucouldchooseanygraphicstoaddtoyourslides,butthereisthematterofaesthetics—howyouraudiencethinksyourgraphicslook.Youmightperson-allypreferthestyleorcompositionofaparticulargraphic,butintruth,whatyouthinkdoesn’tmatterasmuchaswhatyouraudiencethinks.Forbetterorworse,youraestheticchoicescanpresentamajorobstacletocommunicationifyoudon’tgetthemright.Ifpeoplearepayingattentiontowhattheyseeasyourbadchoiceofgraphics,they’renotpayingattentiontoyourmessage.Notonlyiseffectivelearningatstake,butalsoyourcredibility.InthedaysbeforePowerPoint,youestablishedcredibilitythroughyourverbalintroduction,yourideas,yourauthority,andyourphysicalappearance.Now,withPowerPoint,youhaveanadditionalneedtoestablishvisualcredibility—withoutit,youandyourpresentationwillbeperceivedasamateurishandlackingsubstance.

Becausethebeautyofthegraphicisintheeyeofthebeholder,youreallyneedtoknowthebeholderofyourpresentations—youraudience.AsyouresearchyouraudiencetodeterminehowtofocusyourpresentationacrossthefirstfiveslidesofActI,youalsowanttofindoutasmuchaspossibleabouttheiraestheticpreferencesaswell.Ifyou’vebeeninaparticularprofessionorindustryforawhile,youprobablyalreadyhaveasenseforwhatisperceivedasacceptableaesthetics.Forexample,ifyou’representingtocorpo-rateexecutives,you’lltakeyouraestheticcuesfromacompany’smarketingmaterials,

Chapter8 207

annualreport,andofficeenvironment.Butifyou’representingtoajury,you’lltakeyourcuesfromthejurorquestionnaires,popularculture,andthelocalarea.Choosethegraphicsappropriatetothegroupsothatyourgraphicsdonotstandinthewayofyourmessage.Asasecondaryconsideration,youalsoneedtobepersonallycomfortablewiththeaestheticstodeliverthematerialconfidentlyandnaturally.

Althoughthegeneralaestheticpreferencesofyouraudiencesandtheirculturesmightvary,whenyouworkwithBBP,you’lluseaminimaliststylebecauseaddinganythingextraneousplacesanunnecessarycognitiveloadontheworkingmemoryofyouraudi-ence.Thatsaid,evenifsomethingissimple,itcanbeanaestheticmismatchwithyouraudience.

Asyousearchstockphotographydatabasesforgraphicsthatareagoodaestheticmatchwithyouraudience,scanthroughasmanyastimewillallowsothatyougetafullsenseofthespectrumofpossibilities.Forexample,theheadlinefromthestoryboardshownontheupperleftinFigure8-4reads,“You’dliketofindanewwaytogetthingsdone,”andthesketchfromChapter7indicatesthatyou’dliketouseaclipboardimage.WhenyouvisitastockphotographyWebsitesuchaswww.iStockphoto.comandsearchfor“clipboard,”you’llgetmorethan7,271results—whichpresentsyouwiththousandsofpotentialgraphicsyoucoulduseforthisslide.Manyofthegraphicsheremightwork—orpossibly,noneofthemwill.

FIGURE 8-4 Aesthet cm smatchesforac pboard.



Tip

Whenyou’researchingforanaestheticmatchbetweenagraphicandyouraudience,yourfocusshouldnotbeonwhetheryouthinkaparticulargraphicisgoodorbad,butratheronwhetheraspecificgraphicwilldothejobofcommunicatingthepointofaspecificheadlinetoyourspecificaudience.Scrollingthroughthesearchresultsrevealsthatmanyofthegraphicsprobablyareanaestheticmismatchfortheaudienceofthesamplepresentationinthisbook.Forexample,theclipartexampleofaclipboardontheupperrightisdoneinacartoonstylethatmightmakeyourmessagecomeacrossasnotbeingasseriousasthetopicathand.Theclipartexampleonthelowerleftincludeshandsthataremarkinguptheclipboard,butit’sanaestheticmismatchbecausetheimagealsoisinacartoonstyleandcomesacrossastooplayfulandnotalignedwiththeaestheticstyletheaudienceexpects.

Usingaphotographofsomeoneholdingaclipboardisintherealmofpossibility,butthisexampleonthelowerrightistoowhimsicalforthecontext,andit’salsohardtoseetheclipboardbecauseitissuchasmallpercentageofthescreenarea.Thisisagoodexampleofwhyyouneedtobecarefulwhenusingaphotographthathasapersoninit,especiallyonaKeyPointslideoranExplanationslide.Thephotoofthepersoninthisexamplewilldistractattentionawayfromthepointoftheheadlineandpromptthoughtsintheviewer’smindsuchas,“IwonderifIshouldknowthisperson,”or“I’veneverseenanyonewalkaroundwiththumbsupinouroffice,”or“I’mpersonallynotafanofhishaircut.”Again,thisisnotaboutwhethertheseexamplegraphicsaregoodorbad,becausetheyallwouldworkperfectlywellinsomeothercontexts,justnotforthisaudience.

Tip

Althoughnoneoftheseexamplesfromthesearchresultsareanaestheticmatchwiththeaudienceyou’llbepresentingtointhebookexample,thereareothersthatcouldwork.Forexample,thephotographoftheclipboardontheupperleftinFigure8-5issimpleenoughtoserveasthebasisforagraphicinthepresentation.Adesignconstraintof

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thischapterincludesnotworkingwithphotomanipulationsoftware,butyoucanstilldosimplethingstomakethisimageworkifallyouhaveisapreexistingphotographsuchasthisone.AddthreesquareboxesusingPowerPointdrawingtoolstocreatethecheckboxes(upperright),andthenaddthecheckmarks(lowerleft).ApplytheExplanationlayoutfromthestoryboardformattertoprovideanothervariation(lowerright).

FIGURE 8-5 Ac oseraesthet cmatchofac pboardfortheexamp eaud ence.

ThefinalslideonthelowerrightisacloseraestheticmatchwithafinancialservicesaudiencethantheclipartandphotoexamplesshownearlierinFigure8-4.Aprofessionaldesignermightdoanevenbetterjobwiththisslide.ButacceptingtheconstraintsofdoingityourselfandusingonlyexistingphotographsandPowerPointdrawingtools,youcanadaptandimproviselikethistomakethebestofwhatyouhave.

Choos nganunpo shedaesthet csty ecanbeasavvyandsoph st catedstrategyatt mes Ifeveryonepresentsthesames ck,po shed,andflaw esssty e,everyone’spresentat onsw ookthesame Ifyouchoosesometh ngs mp etocontrastw ththenorm,youcou dbreakthroughthev sua boredomandsucceedatmak ngamemorab e mpress on There s,ofcourse,ar skthatus ngatechn que keth sm ghtnotworkfyouraud enceexpectsthesameaesthet csastheyseeeverywheree se Soyouneedtobeconfidentthatyoucanmaketh scho ceworkforbothyouandyouraud ence



Definitely,considerationsrelatedtoyourinnatetaste,talent,andskillcomeintoplaywhenyoufind,create,oraddgraphics.Youmightfindyouarenaturallygoodatchoosinggraphicsthatalignwiththeaestheticsofyouraudience.Butyoualsomightdiscoverthatyourtalentslieelsewhere—ifso,it’sbesttoenlistthehelpofyourcoworkersordesignerstohelpyoufindthebestgraphicsforthejob,oruseprofessionallydesignedgraphics.

Rule 3: Defend Your Foundation!AtthisstageinyourBBPpresentation,you’veworkedhardtocreateastrongfoundationallthewayfromthewordsandstructureofyourstorytemplatethroughtoyoursketches.Butifyou’renotcarefultodefendthefoundationyou’vebuilt,youmightbreakthemechanismsthatmakeBBPworksowellandthingscanstarttoquicklyunravel.

Themaintemptationistoaddmoretoaslidethanwhatyouneedtomakeyourgraphicalpoint.ButasChapter2explains,researchindicatesthatthemoreextraneousinformationyouadd,themoreyouincreasetheloadonworkingmemoryanddecreaselearning.Everybulletpointyouaddbacktotheslide,everyadditionalcolor,andeveryextravisualdetailcanpotentiallyclogtheeyeoftheneedle,thelimitedcapacityofyouraudience’sworkingmemorytoprocessnewinformation.Keepsubtractingfrom—notaddingto—yourslides.Ifyoufindyourselfcontinuingtoaddmoretoaslidetomakeyourpoint,mostlikelythere’saproblemwiththestructureandsequenceofyourideas,andyoushouldreturntothestorytemplatetoaddressthesectionofthepresentationwheretheslideoriginates.

Althoughyoumightbeabletocontrolyourowninclinationstoaddmorevisualdetailtoyourslides,thebiggestrisktoyoursolidpresentationfoundationisfromotherswhopressureyoutokeepaddinginformation.Forexample,youmightchooseasimpleillus-trationforaslide,asshownontheupperleftinFigure8-6—animageofaredtoolkittoillustratetheheadline“Westudythemarketusingourproprietarysetoftools.”

Perhapsyoutheninviteyourbossovertoyourdesktoaskforhisopinion.Hethinksyoushouldreallyemphasizetheproprietarynatureofthetools.Heasksyoutomakethewordproprietaryboldandunderlined.Thenhesaysthathewantsyoutoclarifytheheadlinebyaddingthewordsaccuratequantitative-based,whichextendstheheadlinefromtwolinestothree(upperright).Notsurewhethertheslideisexactlyright,hecallshisbossoverforheropinion.Shesaysthatyoushouldemphasizethequantitativenatureofthetoolsreferencedintheheadlinebychangingthewordquantitativetouppercaseandthenaddingaphotoofaspreadsheet(lowerleft).ThenthechiefinformationofficerhappenstowalkbyandsaysthattheslidelooksunbalancedandthatyoushouldaddaphotographofanITteam(lowerright).

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FIGURE 8-6 ABBPgraph ca foundat onas t serodedovert me.

Inspiteofeveryone’sgoodintentionstomaketheslidebetter,thecombinedadditionsmadeitmuchworse.Astheoldsayinggoes,“Ifyouemphasizeeverything,youemphasizenothing.”

TheheadlineonaBBPslidealreadysitsinthemostprominentpositionontheoriginalslide(upperleft),sothere’snoneedtoembellishittomakeitstandout—thereisaneasyflowastheaudienceseestheheadline,looksatthegraphic,andlistenstothespeaker.Theemphasisonindividualwordsdisruptseasyreadingoftheheadline(lowerright)andcreatesunnecessaryvisualcompetitionaboutwheretolookfirst.Thesamehappenswhenyouaddtheothertwophotographs—theyhavetransformedwhatwasonceaclearandeasilyviewableslideintoadistractinghodgepodge.Theaudiencecannolongereasilyseethemeaningoftheentireslideinseconds.ThegroupprocesshasbrokenthefoundationoftheBBPapproachandrenderedtheslideineffective.

NotonlydoesbreakingtheBBPfoundationimpactanindividualslide,italsodisruptsthesequenceofslides.It’seasytogetlostintheindividualslidesinsteadofseeingthebigpictureofthestorytemplate.Forexample,forBBPtowork,youshouldhavethesamefontstyleandsizeofheadlinesonallyourslidestoensurethateachslideiseasytoreadandlinkstogethervisually.Withinthehierarchylevelsofyourstoryboard,youshouldhaveconsistentplacementofheadlinesaseachslideflowsvisuallyfromonetothenext.



YoubreaktheconsistencyintheBBPapproachonlyforspecificreasons—forexample,whenyoudisrupttheflowofideastoindicatethatthenextideaismoreimportantthantheothers,asdeterminedbythestorytemplate.Butinthisexample,othermembersofyourorganizationbroketheconsistencyfornoreason—theunnecessarydetailsaddedtotheheadlinesdonothingtohelpthebigpictureofthepresentation,andinsteadhurtit.Thesituationcangetevenworseifyoustartaddingnewslidestoyourstoryboardandrearrangingthemwithoutreflectingthechangesinthestorytemplate.Soon,theinternalpacingandflowofthepresentationbegintounraveltoo.

ThegraphicalwaytofixtheproblemsshowninFigure8-6iseasy—removeeverythingexcepttheminimumnumberofvisualsneededtoillustratetheheadline,asintheoriginalslide(upperleft).Buttheorganizationalfixwilltakeabitmorework.People’surgestoaddextraneousdetailaremostoftenrelatedtohabitormyths,suchasthinkingthatthemoreyouadd,themorepeoplewilllearn;orthatyouneedtoaddpizzazztocatchsomeone’sattention;orthatyouneedtoentertainpeopleinsteadofhelpingthemlearn.Toprotectyourhard-earnedBBPfoundation,standfirmonyourresearch-basedgroundingfromChapter2asyouhelpotherpeopleunderstandthat“Lessismore”ismorethanaslogan—it’sastrategyandproventacticforgettingoptimumresultsinyourpresentations.

Addinggraphicsisthecruciallaststepindesigningthestoryboard.Followthesethreegroundrulestomakesureyougetthegraphicsright:

Ground Rule 1:Seeitinseconds.

Ground Rule 2:Aligntheaestheticswiththeaudience.

Ground Rule 3:Defendyourfoundation!

Starting the Production FlowAimforafirstdraftofyourstoryboard,notafinishedproduct.Don’tspendtoomuchtimeonanysinglegraphic—youcouldeasilyspendalldayononeslideandgetnothingelsedone.Instead,putsomethingontheslideforthefirstdraft,evenifit’snotexactlywhatyou’relookingfor,andcomebacktoworkontheimperfectthingslater.Workinasequencethatwillmakemostefficientuseofyourtime,beginningwithgettingotherstohelpyou.

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Th sbookassumesyouknowthebas csofPowerPo nt,suchasus ngdraw ngtoo sand nsert ng,res z ng,andcropp ngphotographs Ifyouneedatutor a orarefresheronhowtousethesoftware,anumberofbas csbooksareava ab e,suchasJoyceCoxandJoanLambert’s,MicrosoftPowerPoint2010StepbyStep(M crosoftPress,2010) Torev ewthebas csofwork ngw thphotographs,see“T p2 ThePhotoBas cs S ze,Crop,andCompress” ater nth schapter

Delegating the Graphics TasksIfyouhavecoworkerswhocanhelpyoufindorcreategraphicstoaddtoyourstoryboard,getthemstartedfirstsothattaskisunderwaywhileyoudoyourwork.AgoodwaytoprovidethesecoworkerswiththeinformationtheyneedistosaveanewversionofthePowerPointfilewithanothername,anddeletealltheslidesthatyourcoworkerswon’tneedtosee.Whenyourcoworkersopenthefile,they’llhavethespecificslidesyouassignedtothem,andifyouaskthemtoviewtheslidesinNotesPageview,they’llseetheheadlinethatsummarizesyourpoint,thedetailedoff-screennarration,andthesketchyouaddedtotheslideinChapter7.Theycanreplacethesketchwithagraphic,andwhentheye-mailthefilebacktoyou,insertthenewslides,copyandpastetheentireslides,orcopyandpastejustthegraphicsfromtheslidearea.

Ifyouhavetheresourcestohavegraphicscustom-made,assignthosetasksinthesameway,providingthedesignerwiththeslides—see“Tip4:DesignforYourDesigner”laterinthischapterforadditionaladviceaboutworkingwithdesigners.

Getting the Graphics You Already HaveNextgetthethingsdoneontheprojectthatyoucandoquickly,toreducethescopeoftheproject.Forexample,ifyoualreadyhaveonhand10preexistinggraphicsoutofthe40youneed,addingthemnowtothestoryboardmeansthatyou’re25percentdone,whichwillgiveyouabetterhandleonthesituation.

ThefirstplacetogotogetgraphicsisyourexistingBBPpresentations,ifyouhaveany.You’llbebuildingalibraryofBBPpresentationsovertimethatwillhelpyourproductionprocessgofastereachtime.ThislibrarywillsaveyoueffortasyoubuildBBPpresenta-tionsfromscratchlessandless.Ifyoudon’thavepreviousBBPpresentations,youmighthavesomegraphicsinotherpresentationsthataresimpleandillustratethepointofaheadline—butiftheyareoverlycomplex,orotherwisedon’talignwiththeBBPfounda-tionofyourstoryboard,don’tusethem.

S ar ng he Produc on F ow


Getting Graphics at Stock Photography Web SitesIfyou’reagoodphotographer,takeyourownphotographsusingadigitalcameratouseonyourslides;otherwise,visitastockphotographyWebsite.Searchforgraphicsbasedonkeywordsyouenterintoasearchbox,suchas“clipboard.”You’llthenseeasearchresultsscreensimilartotheonefromthewww.iStockphoto.comWebsiteshowninFigure8-7.

Tip

FIGURE 8-7 Searchresu tsfor“c pboard”atwww.iStockphoto.com.

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Asyouconsiderwheretogetgraphics,youprobablyhavemorereadilyavailablegraphicsthanyouthink,especiallyifyouworkinanorganization—forexample,manymarketingdepartmentshavelibrariesofphotographsthatarealreadylicensedforuseinpresentations.Ineverycase,makesurethephotographsareoptimizedforpresentationuseatscreenresolution—printresolutionproducesmuchlargerfilesizesthatunneces-sarilyexpandthefilesizeofyourpresentationsandcanmakethemmoredifficulttouse.

Tip

Creating the Graphics You CanPowerPointincludesarangeofdrawingtoolsthatyoumightalreadyknowhowtouse,suchascreatingshapes,lines,arrows,callouts,charts,andgraphs.Addanyoftheseelementsasasimplegraphiconaslide,orusethedrawingtoolstoaddothergraphicalelementssuchascalloutstoexistingphotographs.

Applying Final Slide Layouts to Your StoryboardInChapter6,youappliedpreliminarysketchlayoutstotheKeyPoint,Explanation,andDetailslidessothatyoucouldseethemclearlyinSlideSorterviewandpracticescalingyourpresentationtotime.Thesevisualcuesindicatetoyouraudience’sworkingmemorywhichslidesaremoreimportantthanothersasyoupresenttheminsequence.InChapter7,yourevieweddifferentwaystosketchtheseslidelayoutstobuildonthisfoundationandkeepthehierarchyofthepresentationclear.You’llnowapplyafinalizedversionoftheseimportantlayouts.

Youhaveseveraloptionsforyourfinallayouts—usepredesignedversionsthatareincludedintheBBPStoryboardFormatteryouusedinChapter6,haveagraphicdesignercreatelayoutsforyou,ordesignlayoutsyourselfmanuallybyfollowingthestepsdescribedinAppendixE.Whicheverapproachyouchoose,thelayoutsshouldadheretothefollowingguidelinestoensureyoucueyouraudiencetothetypeofActIIslidetheyarelookingat,asshowinFigure8-8:

■ WhenyouapplytheKeyPointslidelayout(left),itshouldcallattentiontotheseslidesfirstoutofallyourslides.Inthiscase,theKeyPointlayoutfeaturesafull-screen,colorfulpatternofblueandgreen.

Add ng F na S de ayou s o Your S oryboard


■ TheExplanationslidelayout(middle)shouldcallattentiontotheseslidessecondoutofallyourslides.Inthiscase,theExplanationlayoutfeaturesahorizontalbartakenfromtheKeyPointlayoutpattern,centeredtoholdtheheadline.

■ TheDetailslidelayout(right)shouldprovideasimplefoundationforthebulkofyourslides.ThisexampleofaDetailslidelayout(right)includesathinhorizontalstripfromtheKeyPointlayoutatthebottomoftheslide,leavingtherestoftheslideclearandopenforasimplegraphic.

App y a ayout that ca s attent onf rst to the Key Po nt s des.

Ca attent on second to the Exp anat on s des.

Ca attent on th rd tothe Deta s des.

FIGURE 8-8 Examp ecustom ayoutsfortheKeyPo nt,Exp anat on,andDeta s des.

ThecompletedKeyPoint,Explanation,andDetailslidesfromtheexamplepresentationshowninFigure8-9demonstratehowbothlayoutandcolorworktogethertoindicatetherelativeimportanceoftheseslides.Asshowninthisexample,byapplyingtheselayoutstothecorrespondingslidesinyourpresentation,youpreservethepowerfulhierarchyyoucreatedinActIIofthestorytemplate.

FIGURE 8-9 Custom ayoutsapp edtosamp eKeyPo nt,Exp anat on,andDeta s des.

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Applying, Reviewing, and Refining the LayoutsChoosealayoutsetnow,andapplyittothecorrespondingslidesinyourpresentation.BesureyouusetheBBPStoryboardFormatterdescribedinChapter6becauseconven-tionalPowerPointpresentationsdon’tincludetheBBPlayoutsets.Toapplylayouts,dothefollowing:

1. InSlideSorterview,pressCtrl+Atoselectalltheslidesinthepresentation.

2. OntheHometab,intheSlidesgroup,clicktheLayoutbuttontodisplayadrop-downmenuofyourcustomlayouts.Scrollthroughthebuilt-inlayoutsets,andchooseonethat’sthebestfitforyourslides.

3. Withinyourlayoutset,clicktheDetailslidelayouttoapplyittoallyourslides.

4. HolddowntheCtrlkeyagainwhileyouselecteachoftheKeyPointslides,clickLayout,andthenclicktheKeyPointslidelayout.

5. HolddownCtrlwhileyouselecttheExplanationslides,clickLayout,andthenclicktheExplanationslidelayout.

6. Last,clicktheTitleslideandapplytheTitleslidelayout,andthenholddowntheCtrlkeywhileyouclicktheActIslidesandapplytheActIslidelayout(ifyouhaveone)ortheTitleOnlyslidelayout(ifyoudon’t).

Afteryoufinishapplyingcustomlayouts,theslidesofyourstoryboardshouldappearasshowninFigure8-10.Nowthatyouhavecustomlayoutsinplace,youhaveafoundationforthegraphicsthatyou’lladdtoindividualslidesnext.

FIGURE 8-10 Examp esofKeyPo nt,Exp anat on,andDeta s desw ththecorrespond ngcustomayoutsapp ed.

Add ng F na S de ayou s o Your S oryboard


CustomizingyourslidelayoutsetsasdescribedinAppendixEwillgiveyoutremendousflexibilityasyougettoknowthembetterandfindwaystomakeyourgraphicalworkeasierandfaster.Thegreatthingaboutcustomlayoutsisthatexperimentingiseasy—ifyoucreatealayoutyoudon’tlikeorthatdoesn’twork,orifyoumakeamistake,it’seasytoreturntothelayoutinSlideMasterviewandmakechangestherethatwillbeautomaticallyupdatedonthecorrespondingslidesbuiltfromthemaster.Ifaslideisnotupdated,selecttheslide,andontheHometab,intheSlidesgroup,clicktheResetbutton.Whenyouhaveasetofcustomlayoutsyoulike,copyandpastethemfromtheOverviewpaneinSlideMasterviewtootherpresentations,andsavethemtouseagainlater.

Adding Graphics to the Call To Action and Key Point SlidesWhenyouapplycustomlayoutstoyourstoryboard,younowhaveagraphicalfoun-dationestablishedforallofyourslides.ThenextstepistoaddgraphicstotheCallToActionandKeyPointslidesyousketchedinChapter7,asshowninFigure8-11.TheCallToActionslidesketch(upperleft)featuresasimpleillustrationofabraintoillustrate“Changeyourwayofthinking.”AsyoulearnedinChapter7,ifyouhadonlyoneslidetoshowinapresentation,thisonewouldbeitbecauseitbothvisuallyconcludesActIandvisuallysummarizestheKeyPointslidestocome.

EachofthethreeKeyPointslidesfeaturesthesamebrainfromtheCallToActionslide,exceptanincomingarrowisaddedtoindicate“Reviewwhatyouknow,”upperright;anoutgoingarrowtoillustrate“Stepoutsideyourassumptions,”andanincomingarrowtoindicate“Stepbackinsideanewwayofthinking.”

InFigure8-12,KeyPointlayoutshavebeenappliedtotheseslides,andthebrainphotographandarrowsadded.Byusingonlyasinglephotographandarrowshapes,theseKeyPointslidesmanagetotellasimplestorythatcapturesandkeepstheattentionoftheaudienceinamemorableway.

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WhenyourKeyPointorExplanationslidesfeaturethesameunderlyinggraphic—inthisexample,thebrain—addthegraphictotheunderlyingcustomlayoutsoyoudon’thavetoaddthegraphictotheindividualslides.

FIGURE 8-11 Or g na sketchesoftheCa ToAct onandKeyPo nts des.

FIGURE 8-12 TheCa ToAct onandKeyPo nts desw thgraph csadded.

Add ng Graph cs o he Ca To Ac on and Key Po n S des


Preparing Slides That Don’t Require GraphicsNowthatyou’vetakencareofthemostimportantslidesinthepresentation,thenextthingtodoistakecareoftheslidesthatdon’trequiregraphics.ThestoryboardsketchesinFigure8-13showfourexamplesoftheseslides—blackingoutascreenonanActIslide(upperleft),displayingaphysicalprop(upperright),switchingtoanotherapplicationonanExplanationslide(lowerleft),andusingonlyaheadlineandnographiconanExpla-nationslide(lowerright).

FIGURE 8-13 Examp esketchesofs desthatusetechn quesotherthangraph csonPowerPo nts des.

AsdescribedinChapter7,blackoutthescreen,asshowninFigure8-14(upperleft),byright-clickingandformattingthebackgroundcolorasblackorbyinsertingablackrectangletofillthescreen.Dragtheheadlineoutsideoftheslideareasoitwillnotappearonscreen.Ifyouplantouseaphysicalprop,dragtheheadlinedowntothemiddleofthescreen(upperright)orblackoutthescreen.

Toswitchtoadifferentapplicationonthescreenwhenyougettoaslide,centertheheadlineandaddasimplegraphic(lowerleft)tointroduceyouractivityasyouswitchapplications.Ifyouarepressedfortimeandwouldliketoincludeaheadline-onlyonaslide,applytheExplanationslidelayoutandleavetheslideasitappears(lowerright).

Chapter8 221

FIGURE 8-14 Comp eteds des,w thoutgraph cs.

Adding Graphics to the Act I SlidesNowstartatthebeginningofthepresentationandaddthegraphicstoyourActIslidesthatyousketchedinChapter7.ThosesketchesareshowninFigure8-15.

FIGURE 8-15 Or g na sketchesoftheAct s des.

Add ng Graph cs o he Ac S des


InthecompletedexampleshowninFigure8-16,thePowerPointchartontheSettingslide(upperleft)conveysachartwithdecliningvolumesinanextremelysimplewaywithoutdetail.Theusualdetailinachartisnotneededherebecauseinthisspecificcon-text,thereasonyouchosethisimageisthateveryoneintheaudienceisalreadyfamiliarwiththechartandagreesthatthedataistrue.HerethepurposeisnottoanalyzethegraphasyouwilllikelydoonaDetailslidelaterinthepresentation,butrathertovisuallycuetheaudienceasquicklyaspossibletothetopicandestablishthesetting.

TheRoleslideusesthesamechart,butaddsasimplelightbulbindicatingtheroleoftheaudienceistogenerateideas(upperright).ThePointAslide(lowerleft)againusesthesamechart,exceptaddingtheimpactofthedecliningnumberstotheaudience—losttimeandmoney.InthePointBslide(lowerright),threebarswereaddedtothePointAchartusingPowerPointdrawingtoolstoshowreturnsimproving,alongwithanarrowtoreinforcetheupwarddirectiontheaudiencewantstoachieve.

FIGURE 8-16 TheAct s desw thgraph csadded.

AneffectivetechniqueinyourActIslidesistoclickanddragtheheadlinesoffoftheslideareawhenyouworkinNormalview,sotheheadlinesarenotvisibletoyouraudi-encewhenyoudisplaytheslidesasinFigure8-17.ThisincreasesthevisualimpactoftheActIslidesastheydotheirimportantworkofmakinganemotionalconnectionwithyouraudienceandmakingyouraudiencereliantonyoutoexplainwhattheimagesmean.

Chapter8 223

FIGURE 8-17 TheAct s desw thouthead nesv s b e.

Adding Graphics to the Explanation SlidesAsdescribedinChapter7,thesketchesofyourExplanationslidesmightguideyoutowardaddingaphotograph,logo,diagram,chart,orotherillustrationontheindividualslides.Figure8-18showsaKeyPointslidewithgraphicsyou’vealreadyadded(upperleft),andthesketchesofitsthreerelatedExplanationslides.

FIGURE 8-18 KeyPo nts dew thgraph csaddedandor g na sketchesofthere atedExp anat ons des.

Add ng Graph cs o he Exp ana on S des


Locateandaddgraphicsthatcorrespondtothesesketchesoneachoftheseslides,asshowninFigure8-19.Noticethattheseslidesaretellingastory,slidebyslide,astheyexplaintheinitialKeyPointslide—inturn,eachExplanationslidewillvisuallyintroduceandsummarizeitssubsequentDetailslides.YouwouldapplyasimilartechniqueofbuildingavisualstorystepbystepifyourstorytemplateandsketchescallfortheuseofadiagramorchartontheExplanationslides.

FIGURE 8-19 TheExp anat ons desw thgraph csadded.

Adding Graphics to the Detail SlidesFora45-minutepresentation,thebulkofyourworkwhenaddinggraphicsinvolvestheDetailslides.AsdescribedinChapter7,youmighthavesketchedphotos,charts,orscreencapturestoaddtotheseslides,asshowninFigure8-20.

Chapter8 225

FIGURE 8-20 Exp anat ons dew thgraph cadded(upper eft),a ongw thor g na sketchesofthere atedDeta s des.

Ifyouuseimagesfromwww.iStockphoto.com,theseslidesmightlookliketheslidesontheupperandlowerrightinFigure8-21afteryouhaveaddedthegraphicsyoufound.

FIGURE 8-21 TheDeta s desw thphotographsandascreencaptureadded.

Add ng Graph cs o he De a S des


Tip

IfyousketchedachartonaDetailslide,itmightlookliketheslideonthelowerleftinFigure8-21initsfinalstate.Althoughmanyoftheguidelinesandmuchofthewritingandresearchrelatedtochartsdealswithdisplayingthemonpaper,PowerPointchartsareusuallyprojectedonawallwithalivepresenterexplainingthem.Becausethereistheaddedelementofasynchronizedverbalexplanationinthelivepresentationenviron-ment,chartsdesignedonaslidecangenerallybesimplerthanthosedisplayedonpaperwithoutalivepresenter.

WiththeBBPapproach,you’recertainthatthemainpointofachartisfullyexplainedbytheheadline—that’sbecauseyoualwaysclarifyyourpointintheformofaheadlinebeforeyouselectthecharttoexplainit.Ifsomeonewasnotpresenttohearyournarra-tion,youprovidethemwithahandoutofaNotesPageversionoftheslidethatincludestheheadline,chart,andoff-screennotesareaexplanation.Displayingthechartoveraseriesofslidesthataremappedtoasequenceofheadlines,asdescribedinChapter7,helpstointroducethenewinformationinsmallerpiecesatanappropriatepacefortheaudiencetounderstand.

Tip

Chapter8 227

Creating the Act III SlidesAsyou’llrecallfromwritingyourstorytemplateinChapters4and5,younevergotaroundtowritingActIIIofyourstory—theresolution.Youwillquicklytakecareoftheendofyourstorynowwithacoupleofmouseclicks.

Aclassicwaytoendastoryistobackoutthewayyoucamein.EndyourPowerPointstorythesamewaybyholdingdowntheCtrlkeywhileyouselectyourPointAandPointBslidesalongwithyourCallToActionslide.Withtheseslidesselected,pressCtrl+Dtoduplicatethethreeslides.Nowdragtheseduplicatedslidestotheendofthepresenta-tion,followingthelastDetailslideofActII.Ifyouhaven’talreadydoneso,hereyoumightdifferentiatetheseslidesgraphicallyfromtheirActIcounterpartsbydraggingtheheadlinesoffoftheslidessothattheydon’tappearonthescreen,asshowninFigure8-22.

FIGURE 8-22 ThePo ntA,Po ntB,andCa ToAct ons desdup catedasthec os ngAct s des,w ththehead nesh dden.

WhenyoureachthePointAslideintheclosingActIIIofthepresentation,saysomethinglike,“You’llrememberwestartedtodaybylookingattheimpactyoufeelbecausetheoldwayisnotworkinganymore[advancetoPointBslide]andthedesiretofindanewwaythatworks.Well[advancetoCallToActionslide],todaywe’veshownthatbychangingyourwayofthinkinginthreeways,you’llgettheresultsyouwant….”

Thesefamiliarimagesconnectbacktothecoreproblemofthestoryyoubeganandvisuallyreinforcethemessagesyouwantyouraudiencetoremember.Justasyoustartstrongvisuallyandverbally,thesesameslidescanhelpyouendstrongvisuallyandverbally.Changetheorderoftheslides,ifappropriate,andotherwiseadapt,innovate,andimproviseverbally.WhateveryouplantosayinyourstrongendinghereinActIII,besuretomaketheappropriateupdatesinthenotesareaofthecorrespondingslidesthatyouduplicated.

Crea ng he Ac S des


Fine-Tuning and Finishing UpNowthatyouhaveafirstdraftwithagraphiconeveryslide,gobackandreviewwhatyouhavewithaneyetowardrefiningyourpresentation.

Adding Graphics to the Title and Closing Credits SlidesInafilm,theopeningtitlesequenceestablishesthemoodandtoneofthestorytocome.AchieveasimilareffectbyaddinggraphicstotheTitleslide.ApplythesamestyletotheTitleslidethatyoudidtotheotherslidesinActI.Forexample,ifyouusethephoto-graphicdesigntechniquefortheActIslides,usethesamestylefortheTitleslide.ThenapplythesametechniqueyouusefortheTitleslidetoaclosingslidethatwillremainonscreenwhenyoufinishyourpresentation.

Tocreateaclosingslidenow,ontheHometab,clickNewSlide,andonthedrop-downmenu,clickBlank.Nowaddasimpleimageoralineoftextthatyouwanttheaudiencetorememberafterthepresentation.Thisslidemightincludeyourorganization’sname,yourcontactinformation,aWebaddress,orasimpleimagethatconveysthethemeofthepresentation.

Reviewing and Adding Graphics to the Notes PagesTheBBPStoryboardFormatteryouusedtocreateyourslidesinChapter6includesformattingoftheNotesMasterthatbalancesthenotespagesequallybetweentheamountofspaceyoudedicatetotheslideyoushowonscreenandtheamountofspaceyoudedicatetothenotesarea,whichholdstheideasyouexplainwithyournarration.IntheexampleinFigure8-23,thelinearoundtheslideplaceholderwasremovedtoopenupthewhitespaceontheprintednotespage.TheSlideMasterandNotesMasterbothhavewhitebackgrounds,andbecauseneithertheslidenorthenotesareaswillbeboundedbylines,theheadlineoftheslidesummarizestheideaoftheentireprintedpage.

Topreviewhowthenotespageversionofanyslidewilllookwhenprinted,clickFile,Print.UnderSettings,selectNotesPages.Addmoregraphicstothenotespagesifyouchoose,suchasthechartshownatthebottomofFigure8-23.

Whenyoufinishmakingadjustmentsoraddinggraphicstoalltheslides,returnonceagaintoNotesPageviewofeachslidetoreviewthenotesareasandmakesureyourwrittenwordsareclearandconcise.Beginwiththefirstnotespage:readtheheadline,reviewthevisual,andthenreadthenotesareatomakesureeverythingflowssmoothly.Whenyou’vereadthelastlineinthenotesarea,scrolldowntothenextnotespageandmakesureitreadssmoothlyasacontinuationofthestoryfromthepreviousnotespage.

Chapter8 229

It’sagoodideatoprinttheentiredocumentasnotespagesatthispointtocheckthewordingandflow.

FIGURE 8-23 NotesPagev ew.

Reviewing and Finalizing the StoryboardCongratulationsoncompletingyourPowerPointstoryboard!YourfinalpresentationshouldlooksomethingliketheoneshowninFigure8-24.

Afteryou’vereviewedthecompletepresentation,havesomeonewithfresheyestakealookatthepresentationtoverifythatyoudidn’tmissanything,makeatypographicaler-ror,ormisstatesomething.Whenyoupreparethepresentationforreview,plantosenditasnotespagesforreview,notonlyofwhatappearsonscreenbutalsooftheinformationcoveredinthenotesarea.

Tip

Rev ew ng and F na z ng he S oryboard


FIGURE 8-24 Comp etedstoryboardw thgraph csaddedtoa thes des.

Doyourfinalgraphics

■ Clearlyillustrateeachheadlineinthesimplestwaypossible?

■ Showconsistencywithinlevelsofthepresentationhierarchyandvarietyacrosslevels?

■ Keepyourslidesfreeofanyextraneousvisualinformation?

■ Alignwiththeaestheticsofyouraudience?

You’vecomealongwaysinceyoustartedontheroadtotheBBPapproachinChapter1,andtheexamplepresentationinthisbookshouldhelpyoustartapplyingtheBBPapproachtoyournextpresentation.NextChapter9willprovidesomegroundrulesandtipstoconsiderwhenyoudeliveryourpresentationtoanaudience,andChapter10willshowyouarangeofpresentationstoreviewforadditionalinspiration.

Asyougetfamiliarwithaddinggraphics,takealookatthese10tipsforimprovingonthebasictechniquesdescribedinthischapter.

Chapter8 231

10 Tips for Enhancing Your StoryboardOnceyou’vepreparedandplannedbothyourspokenwordsandyourprojectedvisuals,tryusingthese10tipstoenhancethestoryboard.

Tip 1: Clip Your IdeasAgreatwaytokeepafreshsupplyofcreativevisualideasisbykeepingaclippingfile.Wheneveryouseeaninterestinglayout,photograph,illustration,graph,orothervisualideainanewspaper,magazine,book,orotherprintedmaterial,cutitoutorcopyitandplaceitinafolderinyourfilecabinet.Orforanelectronicclipfolder,createafolderinMicrosoftOneNoteandusetheclippingtooltosaveanelectronicimageoftheitem.Thenexttimeyou’restuck,refertoyourpaperorelectronicfilefoldersforcreativeinspiration.

Tip 2: The Photo Basics—Size, Crop, and CompressYoumightfindthataphotoyouchoosetoaddtoaslidedoesn’tfitorthatitistoolargeafileforaPowerPointpresentation.Tofixtheseproblems,applyoneofthethreemostimportanttechniquesyou’llusetoworkwithphotographs:sizing,cropping,andcompressing.

Whenaslidefillsonlyaportionofthescreenitcommunicatesonlyaportionofitsvisualpotential.Toincreaseitscommunicativepower,resizethephototofilltheentirescreen.Todothat,clickthephoto,anddragoneoftheroundsizinghandlesthatappearateachofthefourcornerstoenlargethephototofilltheentireslidearea.Becarefulnottodragasquaresizinghandleononeofthesidesofthegraphic,oryou’lldistortthephotoasyouresizeit.Youalwayswanttopreservetheimage’soriginalproportionssothatyouraudiencedoesn’tnoticeanydistortion.

Reviewthepicturetomakesurethatit’scrispandclearatitscurrentsize.Ifitisn’t,findanotherimage.Neveruseaphotothatisunfocused,grainy,blurry,orotherwiseunclear—you’lldistractfromyourmessageanddiminishyourvisualcredibility.Peopleareusedtoseeingsharplyfocusedphotographsinprofessionalmedia,andifyoudon’tdeliverthesameinyourslides,they’llthinklessofthepresentation,nomatterhowgoodthestoryis.

Afteryouresizeaphotographandverifythatit’sclearandfocused,youmightfindthatitextendsovertheedgesoftheslide.Ifso,croptheimagetokeeponlytheportionyouwantintheslidearea.Clickthepicture,andonthePictureToolsAndFormattab,intheSizegroup,clickCrop,whichwillturnthesizinghandlesintocroppinghandles.Tocroponesideofthephotograph,dragthecroppinghandleonthatsidetowardthecenterofthephototoeliminatethepartofthephotoyoudon’twanttokeep.



ThelasttooltoapplyisCompressPictures,availableontheFormattabintheAdjustgroupwhenyouclickapicture.It’snotuncommonforasinglehigh-resolutionphoto-graphtobehundredsofmegabytesinsize,unnecessarilybloatingthePowerPointfile.Thishugeimagefilecancreateproblemswhenyoutrytoe-mailthePowerPointfileorshareitwithotherpeople.Solvethisproblembeforeithappensbymakingsurethatthephotographsarecompressedtothesmallestsizeneededforthemtoappearclearlyonscreen.Selectthepicture,clicktheCompressPicturesbutton,clickOptions,selecttheTargetOutputyouprefer—thelowertheppi,thesmallerthefilesize—andthenclickOK.

Tip 3: Try Three TreatmentsYoudon’tknowwhatyouhaveuntilyouseeit,andthat’sespeciallytruewithgraphics.That’swhyyoushouldcreatearangeofoptionsforyourselfbeforeyoudecidewhattodowiththedesignofyourslides.Whenaprofessionaldesignfirmstartsajobforaclient,it’scommonpracticetopresenttheclientwiththreedesignoptions.Thisgivesdesignersafreehandtoexpresstheircreativitybytryingthreecompletelydifferenttreatments.Itgivesclientsarangeofoptionsfromwhichtheycanselectbasedonwhatworksforthem.Forbothparties,itprovidesawayofsteppingbackfromtheemotionalattach-mentanyonehastothedifferentdesignsandgivesapointofreferenceandcomparisonthatcanbeusedindecidingwhichdesigndirectiontotake.

Thistime-testedmethodwillserveyouwellwhenyoudesignyourPowerPointstoryboard.SelectthesketchesfortheKeyPointslidesfromthepresentationyou’vecreated,andtrythreecompletelydifferentdesigntreatments.Showthedesigntreatmentstoyourteam,andtestthemonpeopleunfamiliarwiththepresentationandaskforfeedback.Whenyou’resatisfiedwithadesignthatwillworkfortheaudience,extendthatdesignacrossalloftheslidesinthepresentation.

Tip 4: Design for Your Designer Ifyouhavetheresources,inviteaprofessionaldesignertohelpyoudesignyourslidesandstoryboard.Bringthedesignerinearly—ifpossible,whileyouwritethestorytem-plate—sothatthedesignercanabsorbandlearnfromyourthinkingprocess.WorkingwiththedesignerfromthestartavoidsthefrustrationthatgraphicdesignersfeelwhensomeonehandsthemaPowerPointpresentationwiththeinstructionsto“makeitpretty,”andthedesignerhasnoabilitytoclarifythestructure.Inthatscenario,nooneishappy.

Instead,thestorytemplateplacesresponsibilityfortheclearstructureofthestorysquarelyonthepresenter.Theresultingstoryboardshowsthedesignertheorderinwhichyouwanttheideastoappearandhowyou’llreinforcethemessagethroughthepresentation.DiscusshowtheKeyPoint,Explanation,andDetailslidesformthehierarchyofapresentation,andexplainthatyouwantthebackgroundsandlayoutsoftheseslidestocuetheaudience’sworkingmemorytothepresentationorganization.Alwayswalk

Chapter8 233

throughtheslidesinNotesPageviewtomakesurethedesignercanseetherelationshipbetweentheprojectedimageonscreenandyourspokenwords.

Wheneveryoneisinagreement,askthedesignertoprovideyouwiththreecompletelydifferentvisualtreatmentsofkeyslidesinatestfilethatyouselectfromActsIandII.Thencomparethetreatmentsandchoosetheelementsandstylesthatarethebestfitwithyouandyouraudience.Askquestionstobesureyouunderstandwhythedesignerisproposingaparticulartreatment.Throughyourinteraction,you’resuretosparknewcreativityandunderstandingthatwillsetthestageforawell-designedpresenta-tion.Becausethedesignerdoesn’thavetotakeontheunnecessaryjoboffiguringoutwhatyouwanttosayandinwhatorder,you’llacceleratethedesignprocessandavoidpossibleconfusion.Instead,thedesignerisfreeduptodowhatadesignerdoesbest—designing.Usingthisapproachdevelopsasmoothprocessthat’ssuretoresultinaPowerPointpresentationthatgiveseveryoneinvolvedarewardingcommunicationexperience.

Tip 5: Build a BBP Layout LibraryIfyouhavecolleagueswhoarealsousingBBP,considerpoolingyourresourcestocreateaBBPdesignlibrary.IfyourorganizationusesMicrosoftSharePointServices,createacollaborativeWebsiteforpeoplewhoarewillingtosharetheirPowerPointfiles.Forexample,createdocumentlibraryfolderslabeledKeyPointLayoutsAndSlideExamples,ExplanationLayoutsAndSlideExamples,andDetailLayoutsAndSlideExamples.Anyonewhocreatedapresentationusingoneofthosedesigntechniqueswouldthenpostitinthecorrespondingfolder.Youandthemembersofyourteamwouldnolongerhavetobeginpresentationsfromscratch;instead,you’dhavealibraryofideasreadyforyoutocheckout.

Tip 6: Build a BBP Charts LibraryManyindividualsandorganizationsusearelativelylimitedrangeofdiagramsandchartstoexplaintheinformationthatrelatestotheirwork.Insteadofformattingdiagramsandchartsfromscratcheverytime,designasinglesetofcommonlyusedgraphicsthatcarryaclearandconsistentdesignaccordingtothebestdesignprinciples.Whetheryoudesignthesetofchartsyourselforhireaprofessionalinformationdesignertohelp,standardizingthewayyoudisplayquantitativeinformationsavesyoutimeformattingandensuresthatyoumaintaintheintegrityofthedatayoudisplay.

Tip 7: Consider ColorAlthoughthisbookisprintedinblackandwhite,colorisalsosomethingyouneedtoconsiderwhendesigningthelayoutsforthelevelsofyourpresentation.Accordingtowidelyacceptedprinciplesofcolortheory,someindividualcolorssuchasredor



high-contrastcombinationsofcolorssuchasblackandwhitecallattentiontothemselvesbeforeothers.

Yourchoiceofcolorsshouldalwaysalignwiththehierarchyofyourideas.Ifyouconsiderintegratingyourorganization’scolorsintoyourcustomlayouts,becarefulwhenyoudothat,becausethosecolorsmightconflictwithyourgoalofguidingtheworkingmemoryofyouraudience.Forexample,youmightuseredinyourcompanycolors,butusingaredelementonyourExplanationandDetailslidelayoutswillcallattentiontothatelementinsteadoftheheadlineandthegraphic,whichwillerodethewayyourslidesareworkingtoguidetheattentionoftheaudience.

Youmightrunintoresistancefromothersinyourorganizationwhenchoosingcolorstoindicatethehierarchyofimportanceoftheideasinyourpresentation.Ifthatisthecase,defendyourBBPfoundationbyholdingameetingtoconveytheimportanceofverbalandvisualhierarchyincommunicatingeffectivelytoanaudience,showingBBPandnon-BBPversionsofthesamepresentationtodemonstratehowBBPusescolortoguidetheaudience’sattention.

Tip 8: Call Out Additional InformationToaddalabeltoagraphic,ontheInserttab,intheIllustrationsgroup,clickShapes,andthenintheCalloutgroup,selectthestyleyouwant.Afteryouaddthelabeltotheslide,modifyitbyaddingtextandadjustingtheformattingasyouwouldwithanyPowerPointshape.

Tip 9: Sketch It All, Live!Ifyouareagoodstoryboardsketcher,considersomethingcompletelydifferentandpresentyourPowerPointslideswithonlytheheadlinesandnographicsaddedatall.Whenyoupresentlive,useaTabletPCtosketchagraphictoillustrateeachheadlineasyougoalong.Itwillbeadeeplyengagingandinterestingexperiencefortheaudi-ence,plusyoucansavethesketchesyoumadewiththePowerPointfileandsendtheillustratedfiletoeveryonewhoattended.

Tip 10: Develop a Single Illustration, Slide by SlideIfyou’refeelingparticularlyambitious,trydevelopingasingleillustrationacrosstheentirepresentation.You’llhavetoplanthiscarefullyinthestorytemplate,butthebasicideaisthatyouintroduceonepieceofthegraphic,oneslideatatime,asyouverballyexplaineachpiece,untileverythingintheillustrationcomestogetherintoasinglegraphicattheendofthepresentation.Thistechniqueliterallyhelpsyouexplainthebigpicturetoyouraudience.

235

CHAPTER 9

THE ROOT ofthewordinspire,sp rare,means“tobreathe,”andthat’s

oneofthecoreobject vesoftheBBPapproach—to nsp reyouw ththe

confidenceandtoo syouneedtobreathedeep yandre axmorewhen

youpresent Mostofthee ementsthatcontr butetoyourconfidenceare

bu t ntotheBBPprocesseverystepoftheway,butnow,whenyou’ve

fin shedcreat ngyourpresentat on, tdoesn’thurttorev s tthembefore

youmakeyour vepresentat on

AlthoughBBPslideslookdramaticallydifferentfromconventionalslides,therealfruitofyourlaborisyourconfidentunderstandingofwhatyouwanttosayandhowyouwanttosayit.YouhaveexpandedthecapabilityofMicrosoftPowerPointbeyondatoolfordesigningslidesintoatoolthathelpsyouraudienceunder-standnewinformationmoreeffectively.WhenyouopenyourBBPpresentation,youactuallyhaveasophisticatedmediatoolkitthatblendsyourclearideasandstorywiththedeliverytechnology.

Nowit’stimetousethattoolkittobringyourstorytolife.

Delivering Your Presentation Using Three Ground RulesThetermproductionreferstothepointwhenfilmmakerscaptureliveactiononfilm.Filmdirectorsspendagreatdealoftimeset-tingupscenesandfilmingtheactionmanytimessothatthey’llbe

Delivering Your BBP Presentation


■ Removed stract onsfromthepresentat onenv ronment.

■ Rehearsethede veryofyourpresentat on.

■De veradynam cpresentat onus ngBeyondBu etPo nts(BBP).

236 Chapter9 De ver ng Your BBP Presen a on

abletousethebestperformancesinthefinalcut.Butyoudon’thavethatluxuryinyourPowerPointproductionbecauseyou’representinginaliveenvironment,whichmeansyoutypicallygetonlyasingleshotatengagingtheaudience.Managingthecomplexmixofelementsinalivepresentationischallenging,butyoualreadyhavefirmcontrolovertheprojectedmedia,spokenwords,andprintedhandoutsinyourBBPpresentation.AsyouusethePowerPointfiletodeliveryourpresentation,asetofgroundrulescanhelpkeeptheexperienceinbalance.

Ground Rule 1: Step into the ScreenInconventionalpresentations,oftenasmallscreensitstothesideofapresenter,whereitisanonessentialvisualaidthatcouldbeturnedoffwithoutmuchimpactonthepresen-tation.Incontrast,BBPliterallyenlargesthevisualaspectofyourpresentation.WhenyoudisplayyourBBPpresentationonalargescreen,theaudienceshouldperceiveyouasinsidethescreen,asifitwereastageoragianttelevisionset.Rememberthatyouarealiving,engagingpresenceinapresentation,andyouprovidethecriticalaudiotrackthattieseverythingtogether.Whenyoustepinfrontofthelargescreen,youcreateahybridmediumthatdidnotexistbefore.Theprojectedscreenmakesyourabstractthoughtsvisible,yourbodykeepsthepresentationgrounded,andyourvoiceguidesandinformstheexperience.

Afterinvestingsomuchtimeincreatingyourvisualmedia,youabsolutelyneedtoensurethescreenanditsplacementareappropriatetoyourpresentation.Manyconferenceroomsarenotdesignedwell,oftenplacingfocusonachandelierorotherarchitecturalelementratherthanonthemediaexperienceyouneedtoproduce.Makesureyoucom-municatewhatyouneedtothemeetingoreventplanner.Neverallowascreentobeplacedontheoppositesideoftheroomfromwhereyouarespeaking.Thissetupwillcauseasplit-attentioneffectthatplacesunneededextracognitiveloadontheaudiencebyforcingthemtocontinuallylookbackandforthbetweenyouandthescreenastheyworktoreconcilethetwovisualsourcesofinformation.Instead,makesurethescreenisdirectlybehindorjustofftothesideofyousothatthelightfromthedataprojectordoesnotshineinyoureyes.

Ground Rule 2: Remove the DistractionsIt’seasytoloseyourfocusonthemessagewhenthereareendlessthingsyoucoulddotofine-tuneyourslides,suchasaddingmoregraphicalelements,animations,andspecialeffects.Oneofthemajoradvantagesofkeepingtheslidessimple,whichyoudidinChapters6,7,and8,isthatitkeepsyoufrombeingdistractedbyunnecessarydetails

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andkeepstheaudiencefrombeingdistractedbecausetoomuchishappeningonthescreen.Removingdistractionsleavesyouincontrolofthemediainsteadofhavingthemediacontrollingyou.

YouusePowerPointwellwhenpeopledon’tevennoticeyouusePowerPointatall.Thelastthingyouwantisforsomeonetocomplimentyouonyourslides—thatwouldmeanthemediumcalledattentiontoitselfinsteadofyourideas.Themostimportantoutcomeofthepresentationisthattheaudienceunderstandsthemeaningyouintendtocom-municate.Whenyoufinishthepresentation,youwanttheaudiencetotalkaboutyourspecialideas,notyourspecialeffects.

Ground Rule 3: Manage the FlowIt’simportanttoalignyourPowerPointpresentationwithyouruniquepersonalitysothatyoumakeanauthenticconnectionwiththeaudience.Forexample,whenyouspendthetimetocarefullywritethestorytemplateinyourownwords,youdevelopadeepconfidenceinyourstorythatfreesyoutoimproviseyournarrationandtailoryourwordstoyouraudienceinsteadofbeingchainedtoreadingbulletpointsintheconventionalPowerPointapproach.Allthisleadstoamorerelaxedandcomfortableapproachthatwillmaketheaudiencefeelmorerelaxedandcomfortabletoo.

Apresentationisnotafree-for-all,however,soit’simportanttoimprovisewithintheconstraintsofaspecifiedform.Thisfundamentalprincipleisappliedinmanyarts,includingjazz,inwhichmusiciansimproviseonlyafterthey’vemasteredthefundamentaltechniquesofthemusicalform.Inasimilarway,improviseontheconstraintsdefinedinthegroundrulespresentedthroughoutthisbookonceyou’vemasteredthebasicpresentationforms.

Yoursinglestoryboardhelpsyoumanageyourspokenwords,projectedvisuals,andprintedhandouts.Followthesethreegroundrulestoensurethattherestofthelivepresentationexperienceisengaging:

Ground Rule 1:Stepintothescreen.

Ground Rule 2:Removethedistractions.

GroundRule 3:Managetheflow.

De ver ng Your Presen a on Us ng Three Ground Ru es


Removing DistractionsUptonow,thisbookhasconcentratedonhelpingyoutoprepareaPowerPointfilethatminimizesdistractionsthatwouldotherwiseoverloadthelimitedcapacityoftheworkingmemoryofyouraudience.Youremoveunnecessaryinformationfromthepresentationbynarrowingthefocusofthestorytemplate.Youkeepextraneousinformationoutoftheslideareabyfollowingthestoryboardanddesigngroundrules.Andyoukeepbothgraphicsandnarrationfocusedontheheadlines.Afteryou’veremoveddistractionsfromtheslides,it’stimetofocusonremovingdistractionsfromtheenvironmentinwhichyou’llpresent.

Preparing the EnvironmentThephysicalenvironmentinwhichyoupresentisjustasimportantasthestoryyoutell.Thequalityofyourhardworkisdiminishediftheroomisphysicallyuncomfortable,iftherearedistractingnoises,ifyoudon’thaveanelectricaloutletwithinreachoftheprojector,oriftheroomlooksjustplainshabby.Justasyouhaveapersonalresponsibil-ityforthestorytemplate,youalsohavearesponsibilityforthephysicalexperienceoftheenvironmentinwhichyoupresent.Youneedtouseyourleadershipanddiplomacyskillstoworkwithfacilitiesmanagersormeetingplannerstoensurethateverythingisinorder.

Ifyouhaveaccesstotheroomwhereyou’llpresent,visititinadvanceofthepresentationtoplanforyourneeds.Whenyouvisittheroom,reviewtheoptionsforconfiguringthephysicalspace,andrehearsethepresentationintheactualenvironmentifthat’spossible.Ifyou’renotabletovisitthephysicallocationinadvance,contactsomeonefamiliarwiththeroomtofindoutabouttheroomsetup.

Ataminimum,bothyouandyouraudienceshouldbephysicallycomfortableintheenvironment.Youshouldhaveabaseofoperationswhenyoupresent,suchasapodium,andyoushouldhavethephysicalfreedomtomovearoundtheroomcomfortablyasyouspeak.IfyouuseaTabletPCtodeliveryourBBPpresentation,placeitonapodiumoralowtableoutofthelineofsightofyouraudience,andmakesurethattheprojectorcableandapowersourcearewithinreach.

Whenyou’recomfortablewiththephysicalenvironment,turntothetechnologyyou’llusetoprojectthePowerPointpresentation.

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Tip

Checking the TechnologyStoriesrelyonastrongbeginningtosetthetoneanddirectionoftherestofthenarrative.AlthoughyouhaveastrongbeginningbuiltintoActIofthestorytemplate,thepresentationactuallybeginswhentheeyesoftheaudienceturntoyouandrecog-nizeyouasthespeaker.You’renotofftoastrongstartifwhattheyseeisyouconnectingtheprojectorcabletoyourcomputer,focusingtheimageonthescreen,andsearchingforyourPowerPointfileamidtheclutterofyourcomputer’sdesktopscreen.Audiencesaresometimestolerantofthesesortsofdistractions,butdon’tcountonthat.That’swhyyouneedtoprepareforyourtechnicalneedsinadvance.

Whenyousurveytheroomwhereyou’llpresent,takethetimetoperformallofthestepsrequiredtosetupthetechnologyforthepresentation.Plugtheprojectorintothecomputer,poweruptheequipment,andopenthePowerPointfile.Makeanytechnicaladjustmentsyouneed,andthenresizetheimagetofitthescreenandfocusit.Ifyouusearemotecontroldevicetoadvancetheslides,tryitouttomakesureitworksproperly.TesttheInternetconnectionifyouneedone,andreviewanyonlinematerialsyou’llshowontheprojectorduringthepresentation.IfyouplantodisplayWebpages,makeabackupcopyofthemonyourlocalcomputerifpossible,incaseyouhaveproblemswiththeInternetconnection.IfyouwillusethePowerPointpresentertoolsinSlideShowvieworonaTabletPC,reviewtheinstructionsinAppendixBtopreparethepresentation.

Ifyou’renotabletosetuptheequipmentandrehearseintheroominadvanceofthepresentation,ataminimumyoushouldsetuptheequipmentbeforethepresentationwithenoughtimeavailabletoresolveanytechnologyissuesthatmightarise.Youmightalsowanttorehearseinasimilarroombeforehand.

Remov ng D s rac ons


Planning for ProblemsEvenifsomethinggoeswrong,youarestillabletoproduceasolidpresentationexperience.Forexample,ifyourspeakingtimeisunexpectedlycutfrom45minutesto15oreven5minutes,quicklyscalethepresentationtothereducedtimebyhidingslides,asyoudidinChapter6.Ifyourcomputercrashesandyouhavenowaytorecoverit,coverallofthepresentationpointsbyusingaprintoutofthestorytemplate,storyboard,out-line,notespages,orslides.Iftheprojectorbulbburnsoutandyouhavenospare,yoursimpleslidesmightbeclearenoughtobeseenonthecomputerscreenbyasmallaudi-enceatatable.Yourthoroughpreparationwillenableyoutocarryoutthepresentationwithconfidence,nomatterwhatproblemscomeyourway.Ifthepresentationispar-ticularlycritical,suchastheopeningstatementatahigh-stakeslegaltrialorakeynotepresentationtoalargegroupatanimportantconference,arrangeforyourassociatestorunasecondpresentationinparallelasabackup,andconnectbothcomputerstoaswitch—thatway,ifsomethingunexpectedweretohappen,youcouldswitchtothesecondpresentationwithoutdistraction.

Rehearsing Away DistractionsInthepast,youmighthavewaiteduntilyouhadfinishedcreatingtheslidesbeforeyourehearsedthepresentationforthefirsttime.ButwithBBP,you’rereallyrehears-ingthroughtheentireprocess.YougetcomfortablewithyourstorywhenyouwritethestorytemplateinChapters4and5.YoubecomeacquaintedwiththeflowandsequenceofthestorywhenyoupreparethestoryboardandnarrationinChapter6.AndyoubecomefamiliarwiththevisualsonscreenwhenyousketchthestoryboardandaddgraphicsinChapters7and8.ThrougheachofthesestepsintheBBPprocess,youmen-tallyrehearsethecoreofthepresentationandaddressanumberofpossibledistractions,suchasbecomingtooreliantontheslidestoremindyouofeverydetailyouwanttopresent.

Nowdeliveranactualdressrehearsalofthepresentationtoremovedistractionsfromthedeliveryofthepresentationthatcomefrombeingill-prepared.Whenyouchecktheroomandtechnologysetup,standinthephysicallocationwhereyou’llpresentandgiveacompletedeliveryofthepresentation.

Duringapresentation,alleyesareonyou,andpeoplewillwatchforcuesthatindicateyourenthusiasmandinterestinatopic.Ifyouspeakinamonotoneandappeardisinter-ested,youshouldn’tbesurprisediftheaudiencemirrorsyourlackofenthusiasm.Instead,varyyourvoicetoemphasizeimportantpoints,andpauseforeffectwhenyouwantaparticularpointtosinkin.You’vebeenworkinghardonyourstory—letyourenthusiasmcomethroughyourvoice,aswellasthroughyourfacialexpressions.Asyourehearse,you’resuretorunintoroughspotsorthingsyouwanttochangeinthepresentation,so

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keepapieceofpaperhandyforjottingdownrevisionnotestoyourselfasyougo.Thenreturntothepresentationtomakeanyfinalchangestotheslides.

Asksomeoneonyourteamtoattendyourrehearsalandgiveyouhonestfeedbackaboutthepresentation,becauseyou’rebetterabletoimprovewiththehelpofanoutsider’sperspective.Peopleareinclinedtomentiononlygoodthings,soaskyourevaluatorsnotonlytoconfirmwhatyoudowell,butalsotosuggestspecificwaystoimprove.It’sagoodideatoaskforarangeofopinions,becauseeachviewerwillgiveyouadvicefromadifferentperspective.Takeaccountofwhateverfeedbackyouget,andmakeadjustmentsasneeded.

Using Notes Presenterview,describedindetailinAppendixB,isagreatassettoapresenterandprovideshelpfultoolstoremindyouofwhattosay.Notonlydoesthenotespanepro-videcuesaboutwhattosay,butsodoyourheadlineandsimplegraphic,aswellasthethumbnailsoftheslidesbelow,whichserveasvisualsummariesofthepointstocome.

Tip

Althoughyoushouldbeintimatelyfamiliarwiththepresentationatthispoint,keepasetofspeakernotesonthepodiumintheformofaprintedstorytemplateorstoryboardoutline.Don’tusethecompletenotespagesasspeakernotes—thewrittentextinthenotesareamighttemptyoutoreadfromthepage,andyou’dneedtophysicallyflipfromonepagetothenext,whichwouldbedistracting.Instead,whenyouprintyourkeypresentationdocuments,considerusingasspeakernotesthestorytemplate,atextoutlineofthestoryboard,orthumbnailimagesofthestoryboard:

■ Toprintthestorytemplate,opentheMicrosoftWorddocumentthatcontainsyourstorytemplate.Ifyoumadeanychangestotheheadlinesinthestoryboard,updatethedocumenttoreflectthosechanges,andthenprintthedocument.

■ Toprintatextoutlineofthestoryboard,openthePowerPointfile,clickFile,clickPrint,andintheSettingsarea,clickPrintLayoutandselectOutline.

Remov ng D s rac ons


■ ToprintthumbnailimagesofthestoryboardinPowerPoint,clickFile,clickPrint,andintheSettingsarea,clicktheprintlayoutdrop-downarrow,andthenclickeither6SlidesHorizontalor9SlidesHorizontal.

■ ToprinthandoutsfromnotespagesinPowerPoint,clickFile,clickPrint,andintheSettingsarea,clicktheprintlayoutdrop-downarrow,andthenclickNotesPages.Yetanotheroptionistoprinttheindividualslidesoneperpage,butyoushouldhaveenoughmaterialwithjustthethumbnailimagesofthestoryboardandthenotespagesprintouts.

■ Whileyou’reatit,printanyadditionalhandoutsyou’llreferenceduringthepresentation,suchasdiagramsorflowcharts,spreadsheets,anddetailedchartsandgraphs.

Onceyou’veprintedallofthedocuments,assembletheminafoldersothatyouhavetheminasingleplaceforreference.

Tip

Prompting a DialogWhenyoumaketheaudiencethemaincharacterofyourstoryinActIofthestorytemplate,thestoryisallabouttheminsteadofallaboutyou.Soratherthanthepresentationbeingaperformanceinwhichyou’rethestarwhoentertainsanadoringcrowd,you’repartofthesupportingcastintheserviceoftheaudience.ThisisashiftfromseeingtheprimaryfunctionofPowerPointasspeakersupporttoanewviewinwhichPowerPointservesasaudiencesupport.

Apresentationisn’taone-waystreet;ittakestheinteractionofpresentersandaudiencestocreateadialog.Youjusthappentobethefirstonetospeak,andbecauseyou’rethepresenter,you’retheonewhoisinchargeofgettingtheinteractionstarted.

Being AuthenticThedialogyoucreatewiththepresentationbeginswithyou—afterall,theaudienceisgrantingyoutheirtimetolistentowhatyouhavetosay.Anaudienceismorelikelytogiveyourpresentationafairhearingiftheyknowyou’rebeingauthentic.Youcom-municateyourauthenticpersonalcredibilityinanumberofways,beginningwiththe

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introductionyouplannedinyourstoryboardinChapter7,continuingwiththeclarityofyourideasandthecrispnessofyourmessage,andthencarryingthroughwiththevisualcredibilityofyourslidesandtheverbalcredibilityofyournarration.

Addingyournametothebylineofthestorytemplatewhenyoubeginwritingthescriptestablishesyourpersonalresponsibilityforthepresentationprocessfromstarttofinish.Thebiggestbenefitofbeingsocloselyinvolvedisthatthepresentationeventuallybecomesanextensionofwhoyouare.

AsyouworkonfocusingthestoryinActIandboilingdownyourideastothreemainpointsinActII,youbecomeincreasinglyconfidentinyourmessage.AndmakingcreativechoicesforthedesignofthestoryboardmakesthePowerPointpresentationstarttofeellikeanextensionofyourpersonality.

Oneofthebiggestobstaclesyoucanimposeonyourselfwhenyouspeakinpublicistheideathatyouneedtobesomeoneyou’renot.Thisproblembecomesmagnifiedifyou’rehandedagenericcorporatePowerPointfilewiththesameoverstylizedbutboringlookeveryoneelseuses.Althoughthesepresentationsmightlookslickonthesurface,theyoftenlacktheheartandsoulthatonlythepersonalityofauniquehumanbeingcanbring.

BreakoutofthistrapbyusingthenewPowerPointfileyoucreated,whichshouldreflectyourcharacterandpersonalityinthechoicesyoumakeforthestoryandvisuals.Thenexpandonthatpersonalbeginningbydeliveringapresentationthatexpressesyouroriginalvoice.Audiencesalwayspreferapresentationthat’simperfectandalittlerougharoundtheedges—butstillauthentic—overaperfectandflawlesspresentationthathasnosoul.

Whenyoupresent,neverbeafraidtobeyourself,becausethat’swhatpeoplereallywantyoutobe.

Working Confidently with Your SlidesFormanypeople,thethoughtofpublicspeakinginspiresfear,notconfidence.Thefearoftencomesfromspeakersnotbeingcomfortablewiththeirstory,themselves,ortheirlevelofpreparedness.Youremovetheelementsthatcreatefearbysecuringastrongstory,extendingyourpersonalitythroughthestory,andrehearsingthoroughlyalongtheway.Yourconfidencecomesshiningthroughmostclearlyinthewayyouusetheprojectedslidesyoudesigned.

AfterworkingwiththePowerPointfileinNotesPage,Normal,andSlideSorterviews,youshouldbeverycomfortablewiththematerial.Whenyouadvancetoanewslideinthepresentation,thatslide’sheadlinewillpromptyouaboutwhattosaynext.Theheadline

Promp ng a D a og


alsoaddressestheaudienceinaconversationaltone,makingthemfeelrelaxedandhelpingthemtoeasilyunderstandwhatyouwanttoconveyatthatpoint.

Nextontheslideisthegraphicalelement.OneofthebenefitsoftheBBPsimplifieddesignapproachisthattheslidesarefreeofbulletpointsandexcessclutter;instead,youshowameaningfulheadlineillustratedbyasimplegraphic.Thegoalofsimpleslidesliketheseistoinspireinterdependencebetweenyouandtheaudience.Byshowinglessonscreen,youpiquetheaudience’scuriosity.

Nextyouanswertheaudience’squestionsabouttheslidewithyourspokenwords,whichyoudevelopedfullyinthewrittenexplanationofeachslideinthenotesarea.Youexplainthemeaningoftheheadlineandgraphictotheaudienceinyourownnaturalvoice.

Thesethreebasicelements—headline,graphic,andyourvoice—worktogethertocreateanimplicitdialogthatengagestheaudience.Whenyoufinishthethoughtathand,youadvancetothenextslideandrepeattheprocessinasteadyflowthatnaturallycontinuesthedialog.

WiththenewPowerPointpresentation,you’llgainthefocusedattentionoftheaudiencethroughyourrelaxedapproach,interestingstory,andengagingvisuals.Scantheroomasyouspeak,makingdirecteyecontactwithaudiencemembersineverypartoftheroom.

Handling Q & AIfyou’vedoneyourworkwellinthestorytemplate,youanticipatequestionsbytailoringthepresentationtotheaudienceandaddressingthequestionsthey’rewonderingaboutasyoucompleteeachoftheactsandscenes.However,havingaQ&Asessionisimpor-tant—evenifyou’vecoveredeverything,peoplewhoaremakingdecisionswillstillwanttoaskquestionssothattheyfeellikethey’veparticipatedintheexperience.Dependingonhowyouplanneditintoyourstoryboard,youmightopenupthefloortoconversa-tionfromtheverystartinActI,orattheendofthefirstandsecondKeyPointsections,orboth.Oryoumightconcludeyourpreparedremarksandtheninviteaudiencecom-ments.Insomeinstances,youmightevenwanttopurposelyleaveafewquestionsun-answeredsothattheaudiencewillbesuretoaskthemandengageyouintheQ&A.Ifyou’respeakingtoalargeaudienceandtakeaquestion,restatethequestionbeforeyouanswerittomakesureeveryoneintheroomhearsit.

Ifsomeoneasksaquestionaboutaparticularslide,refertotheprintedstoryboardforthecorrespondingslidenumber(ifyoudon’talreadyknowit),andtheninSlideShowviewtypethenumberoftheslideandpressEntertogodirectlytothatslide.IfyouwanttoshowaslidethatrelatestoageneralquestionfromoneoftheActIIscenes,typethenumberofwhicheverActIIslidecorrespondswiththequestionandpressEnter.Ifyouhaveextramaterialthatdidn’tfitintotheActIIslidesbutyouthinkyoumightstillbe

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askedaboutit,addtheextraslidestotheendofthepresentationandrefertothemifsomequestionsrelatetothem.

Tip

Improvising Within ConstraintsBecauseyournewPowerPointfileissuchaversatileplatform,itlendsitselftoimprovisationandadaptationtoyourpersonalityandstyle.

Keeping Control of Your StoryBecauseofyourrelaxedapproach,youmightfindthatpeopleaskyouquestionsduringthepresentationorofferstoriesoftheirownexperiences.Thisisagoodsignthattheaudienceisfeelingcomfortablewithyourspeakingstyle,anditisperfectlyfineifthat’sthewayyouplannedthepresentationinthestoryboard.Thedangeristhatthesequeriescanalsocauseyoutoheadoffonatangentthatthrowsoffyourtimingandstorystruc-ture.Handlequestionsgraciouslybyquicklyansweringthemorbyacknowledgingthemand,ifnecessary,deferringthemtotheQ&Asessionattheendofthepresentation.Ifyoudon’tknowtheanswertoaquestion,admitthatyoudon’tknow,andoffertofollowuponthematterlater.

It’sessentialtostayoncoursewithyourstory;ifyoudon’t,youcaneasilylosecontrolofthesituation.ThegoaloftheBBPapproachistocreateacompellingstorythat’stailoredtotheaudienceandanticipatestheirquestionssothatthey’recompletelyabsorbedtotheveryend.Ifyoumissedthemarkandyourstorywasn’tagoodfitfortheaudience,getasmuchfeedbackaspossibleandspendtimelaterreviewingthestorytemplatetoimprovethenextstoryyouwrite.PayparticularattentiontotheActIscenestoensurethatthestoryengagestheaudiencefully.

mprov s ng W hou Cons ra n s


Ataminimum,presentthe5-minuteversionofthepresentationdescribedinChapter6,whichincludesallofActI,thefirstslideineachsceneinActII,andallofActIII,whichtogetherformtheessentialstructureofyourstory.

Preparing for Different ContextsTheBBPapproachisbasedonatime-testedclassicalstorystructure,soyoushouldbeabletousethesameapproachforaudiencesofdifferentsizes.

Formostaudiences,alargescreenisampleforprojectingapresentation;forlargeaudiences,thescreenneedstobelargeenoughforthepeopleinthebackrowtoseetheslidesclearly.Alargeaudiencesizeusuallypreventsyoufromgettingfeedbackwhileyou’representing,butthatdoesn’tpreventtheexperiencefrombeinganimplicitdialog,asdescribedearlierinthischapter.

Foranaudienceofoneortwopeople,givethepresentationusingalaptopwithalargescreen,printoutsoftheslides,orevenahandheldcomputer.Ineachofthesecases,youlosethepowerofalargeprojectedimage,butyougainintermsofamorecasualandconversationalapproachandtheimmediacyofstartingrightawaywithlittleornoneedtodealwithtechnologysetup.

Handing Out Handouts Manypresentersfinditbesttoprovidehandoutsafterthepresentationtopreventdistractions.Ontheotherhand,manyaudiencesaskforhandoutsbecausetheyliketomakenotesonpaperduringapresentation.Trybothapproachestoseewhatworksbestforyouandyouraudiences.Onecompromiseistoprintandhandoutinadvanceaone-pageversionofthestorytemplatesothattheaudiencehasabasicroadmapofwhereyou’regoing.Mentionatthebeginningofthepresentationthatyou’llprovidecompre-hensivehandoutsattheend,andatthatpointprovidesetsofhandoutsintheformofprintednotespages.

Presenting Without Being PresentIfyoucan’tpresentinperson,youobviouslymissoutonthekindofcommunicationthathappensonlyinaliveenvironment.Butthatdoesn’thavetostopyoufrompre-sentingwhenyou’renotphysicallypresent—youjustneedtoconfigurethePowerPointpresentationdifferently.

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Sending Your Notes Pages (Not Your Slides)WhenyouaddgraphicstothepresentationinChapter8,youknowthattheslidespreparedusingBBPdon’tmakemuchsenseunlessyoulookattheminNotesPageview.ThesameholdstrueifyousendthePowerPointpresentationtosomeonewhocouldn’tattendthepresentationinperson,soneversendjusttheslides—alwayssendthenotespages.

Handoutsintheformofnotespagesofferquickreadingasaprinteddocument.Readersquicklyunderstandthemainideaofthedocumentbyskimmingheadlinesandvisualsfrompagetopage,andtheycanalsospendmoretimereadingnarrativedetailinthenotesareaiftheywant.

AneffectivewaytosendnotespagesisinPDFfileformat,asdescribedinChapter8.Whenyoue-mailthenotespagesinthisformat,theaudiencehasaccesstoalloftheinformationyouwanttopresent,buttheydonothaveaccesstotheoriginalPowerPointfilewhereyoukeepthegraphicalmaterialsandeditabletextyoumightnotwanttomakeavailable.

Producing an Online PresentationBBPpresentationsworkwellinanonlinecontextbecausethesameengagingstorystructureisthere.Thesamesimplevisualsthatsupportinterdependencewithyourspokenwordsaretheretoo,aswellasthesameevenlysizedpiecesofinformation,thesameevenpacing,andthesameevenflow.

Beforeandduringthepresentation,doyou

■ Preparetheenvironment,checkthetechnology,andproperlyrehearseinadvance?

■ Useyourphysicalpresenceandvoicetobringtheexperiencetolife?

■ Engageyouraudiencebothimplicitlyandexplicitly?

■ UsethetoolsandtechniquesofBBPtomanagetheworkingmemoryofyouraudience?

Presen ng W hou Be ng Presen


ThesimplestwaytoputapresentationonlineistopostaPDFfileofthenotespagesonaWebsite.Orconvertthepresentationtoanonlineformatusingaconversiontoolthatallowsyoutorecordyournarrationasyoudisplaytheslides.Withmostofthesetools,theslidesaredisplayedinabrowser,andyouuseamicrophonetorecordwhatyou’vewritteninthenotesarea.Whentheaudienceviewstheslides,theyhearyourspokennarrationthroughtheircomputers.Someonlinetechnologysolutionsalsomakethenotesareaviewable,incasepeopleprefertoquicklyscanwhatyou’resayingandskipahead.

And Now, Presenting. . .Youshouldnowbereadytopresenttoyouraudience.Withthethoroughpresentationyou’vepreparedusingBBP,you’resuretopersuadetheaudiencewithyourfocused,clear,andengagingstory.

Asyouapplythissystemtootherpresentations,keepthisbookhandy,andvisitthecompanionWebsiteforthisbookatwww.beyondbulletpoints.comtogetasteadysupplyofideasandinspiration.

Nowthatyou’veseenwhyandhowBBPworks,it’stimetogetstartedonyourownpresentations.AsyoubeginusingBBP,usethisbooktoguideyouthroughtheprocessstepbystep.Findothersinyourorganizationwhoarewillingtohelp.Asyouapplytheapproachandgetgoodresults,you’llquicklycreatemomentumthatwillpropelclearerandmoreeffectivecommunicationsthroughoutyourorganization.Asyoustarttolivealifebeyondbulletpoints,there’snoturningback—you’reonyourwaytoamuchmoreengagingwayofpresenting.

10 Tips for Enhancing Your DeliveryYounowhaveaflexibleandrobustsystemforbringingyourideastolifeusingPower-Point.Beforeyougiveapresentation,reviewthefollowing10tipstofindideastosparkyourimaginationorinspireyoutotrysomethingnew.

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Tip 1: The Living BrandIntheconventionalbulletpointsapproach,it’scommonforpresenterstoplacealogoontheSlideMaster,whichmeansthatthelogowillappearoneveryslideinthepresenta-tion.There’snoproblemwithincludingalogointheintroductoryandconcludingslides,butaproblemariseswhenthelogoisoneverysingleslide.Basedontheresearchreali-tiesinChapter2,addingalogotoeveryslideamountstoextraneousinformationthatdoesnotfurtherthefocusofthespecificpointbeingmadeintheheadline.EliminatingthelogofromtheSlideMasterincreasestheamountofscreenrealestateavailableforpresentinginformationandopensupthemanycreativeoptionsthatanemptyscreenallows.

Beyondthosereasons,inalivepresentationcontext,theconceptofavisualstamponaslidediminishesinimportancebecausealleyesareonyou,andyouareactuallylivingthebrand.Thehighqualityofyourideas,thecompellingstory,theinterestingvisuals,andthehighlevelofengagementallcontributetoanexperiencetheaudiencewillnotsoonforget.Andjustincasetheaudiencedoesforgetsomedetailsoftheexperience,they’llalwayshavethehandout,whichincludesyourlogoonthenotespages.

Tip 2: ToastmastersIfyou’renotamemberofaspeakingclub,youshouldbe.Anyspeakercanbenefitfromattendingaregularmeetingwiththesolepurposeoflearningandimprovingafullrangeofspeakingskills.ToastmastersInternational,atwww.toastmasters.org,isagoodchoicebecauseit’sinexpensiveandallclubsarerunbythevolunteereffortsoftheirmembers.Whenyoujoin,you’llparticipateinspeakingexercisesduringmeetingsandgiveaseriesofpreparedtalksaccordingtoasequenceinatrainingmanual.

Thebiggestbenefitswilllikelycomefromsimplyattendingregularly.Asyou’reexposedtomorespeakingopportunitiesinasupportiveenvironment,you’lldevelopskillstomanageyournervousness,andyourconfidencewillincreasenotjustinpublicspeakingbutinallaspectsofcommunication.

Manyclubshaven’tyetembracedtheuseofpresentationtechnologies.Ifyourlocalclubdoesn’tyetusePowerPoint,bringadataprojectorandintroducesomeoftheideasyou’vepickedupinthisbooktoblendprojectedmediaandsolidspeakingskills.

10 T ps or Enhanc ng Your De very


Tip 3: Stretch YourselfAlivepresentationdrawsonthefullspectrumofcommunicationskills,butalmostnooneisgoodateverything.You’reprobablybetteratonepartoftheBBPprocess—forexample,writingyourstory,editingyourheadlines,distillingyourideastotheiressence,checkingyourreasoning,creatingvisuals,oractuallyspeakingandpresenting.Whenyouknowyourstrength,pickadifferentareatoworkonimprovingbecauseyou’llstillneedtouseallyourskillswhenyoucreateanddeliverapresentation.Forexample,ifyou’regoodatwriting,learngraphics,orifyou’regoodatgraphics,workonyourpublicspeaking.

Tip 4: Innovative HandoutsCreateanunconventionalnote-takinghandoutbyincludingonlythethreeKeyPointslidesonasinglepieceofpaper.AstheaudiencemembersseeeachKeyPointslideonthescreen,itwillcuethemtothecorrespondingimageonthehandoutandreinforcethetop-level,visual-verbalmessageyouwanttocommunicate.

Tip 5: Got Gobo? Manystandardmeetingroomsfeaturefluorescentlightsandordinarytables,butwithinexpensivelightingtools,youhavetheabilitytochangetheatmosphereoftheroomtoremovethedistractionsofashabbypresentationenvironment.Forexample,asimplewaytolightupthepresentationenvironmentiswithagobo,whichisapartialscreenwiththecutoutofapatternthat’splacedoveralight.Whenyouturnonthelight,itproj-ectstheimageofthepatternontoasurface.

Useagobotoprojectasubtlepatterntocoverupanunevenwallortoaddasoftcolortomakeglaringlightslessobvious.Aswithallthevisualsyou’vepreparedforthepresentation,anyvisualeffectsshouldbetransparentandneverdistractfromthemes-sage.Ifyou’ve“gotgobo,”oranyotherspeciallighting,keepinmindthatpeopleshouldrememberthemessageandnotthelighting.

Tip 6: Visual MnemonicsHavingproblemstryingtorememberwhatyouwanttosay?Tryusingthegraphicsonyourslidestotriggeryourmemory.Forexample,ifyoudisplayaparticularimageonaslideandyouplantomakecertainpointswhenyounarrateit,associateeachpointwithanelementonthephotograph.Whenyouuseanimageonaslideasavisualmnemonic,youmakeyourideas,aswellasthepresentation,memorable.

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Tip 7: Make the Conversation High VoltageInMovingMountains(Crowell-CollierPress,1989),HenryM.Boettingerwrote,“Presenta-tionofideasisconversationcarriedonathighvoltage—atoncemoredangerousandmorepowerful.”Thisisoneofthebestdefinitionsofpresentationsbecauseitpackssomuchmeaningintoabriefsentence,whichbecomesevenmoremeaningfulwhenit’sbrokenupintopieces:

■ You’representingideas.Notyourego.

■ Apresentationisaconversation.Thereareatleasttwopeopleinvolved.

■ Apresentationishighvoltage.It’snotboring.

■ Apresentationisdangerous.It’srisky.

■ Apresentationispowerful.Ithasstrength.

Thenexttimeyouspeak,keepBoettinger’swisedefinitioninmindtostayfocusedonthemeaningyoupackintoyourpresentations.

Tip 8: Magnify IntimacyOneofthemostpowerfultechniquesinfilmismagnifyingthefaceofanactortogivetheaudienceafeelingofintimacywiththatperson.Althoughyouwon’tseethattech-niqueinmostpresentations,newtechnologiescontinuetotransformthepresentationlandscape.

Forexample,insomepresentations,anIMAGimagemagnificationcamerawillzoominonapresenter’sfacewhileheorsheisspeakingataliveevent.Theimageisoftenfeaturedinasplit-screenformatnexttothespeaker’sPowerPointslidesonawidescreen.Ifyouhavethechancetohaveyourfacemagnifiedonascreen,embracetheopportuni-ty—you’regivingtheaudienceachancetoseeyouupclose.Butbeforeyoudo,rehearseusingalivecamerasimilartotheoneinthepresentationalongwiththeeventproducers,whowillarrangeforlightingandmakeuptomakesurethatyoulookgoodonthebigscreen.

Tip 9: Flip Through Flip ChartsIfyouusepaperflipchartsalongwithyourscreenpresentation,whenyouwalkovertotheflipchart,writeoutaheadlineinacompletesentencethatcorrespondstothepointyouwanttomakeonthatslideinthestoryboard.Writingouttheheadlineontheflipchartkeepsyourpointpersistentbecauseitstaysvisibletotheaudience,remindingthemofthepointandreinforcingit.Theheadlineontheflipchartwillstayvisibleafter

10 T ps or Enhanc ng Your De very


youreturntothescreenmedia,somakesurethatit’sapointyouwanttomakevisiblethroughtherestofthepresentation—otherwise,coverwhatyouwrotewithablanksheet.

Tip 10: Predesign Your Media ToolsIfyouworkwithaTabletPCorflipcharts,considerpredesigningpartsoftheslidesorprintedpiecesbeforeyouusethem.Forexample,youmighthavethebackgroundsceneofaslidesetupandthenwriteoveritusingtheTabletPC.Dothiswithscanneddocu-ments,screencaptures,andjustaboutanyothertypeofmediasothatwhenyoustartsketching,youalreadyhaveavisualbeginningpoint.

Besuretov s ttheM crosoftPressWebs tefortheBeyondBulletPointsbook,whereyou’ findabonuschapterandacopyoftheBBPStoryTemp ateandStoryboardFormatter

253

CHAPTER 10

SO FAR, THIS BOOK hasdemonstratedhowtoapp yBeyondBu et

Po nts(BBP) ndepthtoas ng epresentat onexamp e Chapter4showed

youhowActIofthestorytemp atehe psyouchoosethespec fic deas

you’ presenttoyouraud ence’swork ngmemory nthefirstfives des

ofapresentat on,andChapter5showedyouhowActIIgu desyou

throughtheprocessofsett ngthepr or tyandsequenceoftherestofthe

s des Chapter6offered nstruct onsonhowtosetupyourstoryboard

andnarrat on nM crosoftPowerPo nt,andChapter7 ustratedsome

ofthemanywaystosketchyourstoryboard A ofth scametogether

nChapter8asyouaddedthespec ficgraph csthatareagoodfitfor

you,yourhead nes,andyouraud ence F na y,Chapter9demonstrated

howtode veryourpresentat onus ngyourpowerfu newBBPtoo k t

Althoughthesechaptersusedasinglepresentationexample,thesameunderlyingBBPprocesswillunlockaclearmessagefromanytopicandguidetheworkingmemoryofyouraudiencetoclearandmemorableunderstanding.

Reviewing a Range of BBP Examples


■ Rev ewarangeofpresentat onexamp esus ngtheBeyondBu etPo nts(BBP)approach.

■ SeehowthecoreBBPpr nc p esookwhenapp edtod fferenttop cs.

■Get nsp redbysee nghowtoapp ynewtechn questoyourpresentat on.

254 Chapter10 Rev ew ng a Range o BBP Examp es

What Other Examples Can I See?ThetypesofpresentationsthatarepossibletocreateusingBBPareliterallyendless.ThischaptershowsyoumoreexamplesofBBPinactionasitisappliedtoawiderangeoftopicsandpurposes,showingwhatapresentationmightlookifyouwereto

■ IntroduceacasetojurorsinanopeningstatementwithTheTrial.

■ KeepyourteamontracktowardcompletingaprojectwithThePlan.

■ SummarizeyourmarketresearchfindingstoyourclientswithTheAnalysis.

■ UpdateandgainthesupportofyourbossforyouractivitieswithTheReport.

■ TeachyourstudentsaboutanewtopicwithTheClass.

■ SelltheservicesofyourcompanytoaclientwithThePitch.

Becauseofspacelimitations,theexamplesinthischaptershowselectedportionsofstorytemplates,storyboards,andslides,focusingprimarilyonthecriticalActI,CalltoAction,andKeyPointslidesratherthanontheExplanationandDetailslidesthatwillcontainyourownspecificphotos,charts,graphs,screencaptures,anddiagrams.Everypresentationwasbuiltusingthesameprocessinthisbook,buteachlooksandfeelsverydifferent.Likewise,yourownpresentationswillreflectyourunderstandingofyourspecificaudiencesthatdeterminesthewordsyouwriteinthestorytemplate,thegraphicsyouaddtothestoryboard,andthewayyoudelivertheexperience.

Aswiththefinancialservicesexamplepresentationintheearlierchaptersofthisbook,theexamplepresentationsinthischapteradheretothedesignconstraintofalimitedbudgettoshowyouwhatispossiblewithaninexpensivestockphotographyWebsiteandyourowncreativity—ifyouhavealargerbudgetorworkwithaprofessionalgraphicdesigner,youprobablycandoevenbetter.Ifaddinggraphicsisnotyourstrength,workwithotherswhocanhelp.

Introducing a Case with The TrialThisbookbeganwiththeexampleofaheadline-makingBBPpresentationusedinacourtroominChapter1,andit’sworthtakingaquickpeekunderthehoodtoseewhatmadethefirstslidesofthatpresentationworksowell.Althoughyoumightnotpres-enttheopeningstatementinatrial,whenyouexplorethethoughtprocessbehindthisexample,thinkofhowyouwillwriteyourownclearandconcisewordsinActIofyourstorytemplateandapplyequallyeffectiveyetsimplevisualtechniquestoyourownstoryboard.

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Act I: The Classical Storytelling FoundationChapter4explainedthatatthebeginningofyourpresentation,youarefacedwiththeformidablechallengesnotonlyofsettinguptheframeworkthatwillhelptheworkingmemoryofyouraudienceunderstandwhatistocome,butalsoofmakinganemotionalconnection.MarkLanier,theplaintiff’sattorneywhopresentedtheopeningstatementusingBBPasdescribedinChapter1,accomplishedbothgoalsbythewayhestructuredhisideasinActIofhisstorytemplate,asshowninFigure10-1,whichestablishedthestorythreadandpatternthatwouldhelpthejurorssewupanunderstandingofthecase.

FIGURE 10-1 Act ofTheTr a presentat onexamp e.

AlthoughthespecificwordsinActIarebrief,they’reagoodexampleofhowasequenceofconcisestatementsworksdynamicallytocreatetheunderpinningsforacompellingvisualstoryinPowerPoint.WhenyouworkonyourownActIstatements,keepinmindtheabsoluteimportanceofgettingActIright.Ifyouknowyouraudiencewellandyouwritethecorrectwords,you’llhityourtarget,astheattorneydidinthisexample;ifyouputtoolittleeffortintoActIandgetthewordswrong,you’llmissthemark.

Not cethattheActIIcategoryhead ngshavebeenchanged nth sexamp efrom“KeyPo nt”to“CaseTheme”andfrom“Deta ”to“Ev dence”—otherexamp es nth schapterarea sota oredtothepresentat oncontent,asdescr bed nthesect on“T p3 Ta orYourActIICo umnHead ngstoYourProfess on” nChapter5

A Photographic Setting SlideTheSettingheadlineinthestorytemplate,“BobErnstisdead,”quicklyorientedthejurorstothecontextforthetrial—BobErnsthaddiedofaheartattack.AsdescribedinChapter1,thisclearanddirectstatementisthefoundationfortheSettingslide,whichinthisexampleincludedthreevariationsofasinglephotograph,herepresentedacrossthreeslidesinFigure10-2.TheheadlinesofalltheActIslidesarehiddeninthisexampleandtherestoftheexamplesinthischapter.AlthoughyoushouldkeeptheheadlinesvisiblethroughmostofActIIbecausetheyguideunderstandingofthein-depthnew

n roduc ng a Case w h The Tr a


informationonyourExplanationandDetailslides,theyarenotessentialinActIbecausehereyouareprimarilymakinganemotionalimpact.And,asalways,yournarrationwillsupplytheverbalinformationthatsynchronizeswithyourvisualslides.

FIGURE 10-2 TheSett ngs de ntroducedtothejurorsagr pp ngstory.

AsMarktoldananecdoteaboutCarolandBobwhilethefirstphotographwasonthescreen,hiswordspackedtheimageonscreenwithmeaning.Herethejurorscouldcon-nectemotionallywithBobandCarolbecauseanyonecouldrelatetothedetailsoftheirlifetogetherandbehappyforthem.Buttheemotionthathadbeenattachedtothefirstslidewassuddenlystrippedawayvisuallywiththeremovalofthebackgroundinthesecondslide,signalingthatsomethingunexpectedwasabouttohappen.ThethirdslidebecomesdeeplypoignantwhenvisuallyCarolissuddenlyleftalone,withonlyanemptyoutlinedefiningthespacewhereherhusbandoncewas.Althoughthephotosequenceisverysimple,ithadadeeplyprofoundimpact.WhenyouthinkofwritingandillustratingyourSettingheadline,considerhowtouseasimpleanecdoteandphotographtoquicklyorientyourownaudienceinanequallysavvyway.

Reviewing the Act I Slides for The Trial TransitioningfromtheprecedingphotographwithaheavyblackoutlineofBob,shownontheupperleftinFigure10-3,Marknow“deputized”thejurorsascrimescenedetectivesintheRoleslide(upperright)withthesimplephraseCSI:Angletonillustratingthehiddenheadline“YougettobelikeCSIdetectivesandfollowtheevidence.”MarkknewthatthistechniquewouldconnectwithhisaudiencebecausemanyofthejurorshadindicatedinquestionnairesthatthepopularCSItelevisionshowwasoneoftheirfavorites.EvenifallthejurorshadnotseenCSI,theywouldknowitspremisebecauseoftheshow’sbroadmarketawareness.AsyouwriteandillustrateyourownRoleheadline,considerwhatwordsandimageswillinstantlyplaceyouraudienceatthecenteroftheactioninaneffectivewaylikethis.

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FIGURE 10-3 TheSett ng,Ro e,Po ntA,andPo ntBs desofTheTr a .

InkeepingwiththeclassicalstorytellingformdescribedinChapter4,Mark’snextstepwastopresentthemaincharacterswithachallengetheyfaceonthePointAslide.Inthiscase,Markdefinedthejurors’challengeinthehiddenheadline,“Theevidencewillleadyoutothepharmaceuticalcompany,”illustratedwithanofficebuildingsimilartotheoneshownonthelowerleft.Inscreenwritingterms,thisintroducedthechallengethatisbuiltintoyourPointAheadline—anobstacleoraneventthatconfrontsthemaincharacterandbeginstheactionthatdrivesthestoryforward.Markdefinedtheobstacleastheevidencethese“CSIdetectives”wouldnowneedtofollow.Butfortheproblemtobefullydefined,Markneededtoprovidethejurorswithasecondcrucialelement—PointB,orwherethejurorswantedtobe,whichisdefinedinthestorytemplatewiththeheadline“You’dliketobringjusticetothesituation.”Theimageofagavel(lowerright)alongwithMark’snarrationreinforcedtheproblemthejurorsfaced:theywillfollowtheevidencethatleadsthemtothecompany(PointA),andthentheywanttobringthesituationtojustice(PointB).

TheunderlyingstructureofconventionalPowerPointpresentationsrarelyengagesaudiencesatanemotionallevel,leavingthemstrugglingtofigureoutwhythisinformationisrelevanttothem.ButwithActIofthestorytemplate,Mark’spresenta-tionefficientlyadaptedastorytechniquetomakethetopicpersonallyrelevanttohisaudience.BycreatingagapbetweenPointAwherethejurorsstoodandPointBwheretheywantedtobe,Marktappedintothecoreelementofclassicalstorystructure—unresolvedtension.Peopledonotsitcomfortablywithtension,anditisthequesttoresolvetensionthatcompelsamaincharactertoaction.Bypresentingthejurorswithaproblem,Markengagedthejurorsbothemotionallyandintellectually,andheansweredthetoughestaudiencequestionanypresenterfaces:“What’sinthisforme?”

n roduc ng a Case w h The Tr a


Reviewing the Call to Action and Key Point Slides for The TrialByusingActIofthestorytemplate,MarkwouldnotleavehisaudiencewithoutawaytogetfromAtoB.AsdescribedinmoredetailinChapter1,theCalltoActionslide,shownontheupperleftinFigure10-4,distillstheentirepresentationintoasingleslidebasedonthehiddenheadline“FollowthethreepartsofthecasetobringjusticeforMrs.Ernst.”Withthethree-partformulaofmotive+means death,Markintroducedthevastamountofnewinformationtothejurorsasbeingassimpleas1-2-3.Justasthemurder-mysterymotifisafamiliarstructure,thejurorswouldalsoknowthephrase“aseasyas1-2-3.”Iftheupcomingstorywouldbeaseasytounderstandasthat,thejurorscouldrelaxastheylistenedtothecase.

NextMarkhadwrittenActIIofhisstorytemplatetodividethestoryofthecaseintoroughlyequalKeyPoint(CaseTheme)headlinesthathewouldspendequalamountsoftimeexplaining.EachcorrespondingKeyPointslidecarriedforwardthe1-2-3numberingsystemalongwithanenlargedversionofeachiconfromtheCalltoActionslide.EachimageusedontheseslideswascarefullychosentoconveythevisualessenceofeachKeyPointheadline.

FIGURE 10-4 TheCa toAct onandKeyPo nts desofTheTr a .

Asillustratedsimplyyetpowerfullyhere,theideasandimagesandnarrationyouuseonyourKeyPointslidesarethemostimportantideasyouwantyouraudiencetointegrateintolong-termmemory.Inasimilarfashion,you’llwanttoapplyablendofyourbestcreativeandintellectualthinkingtodesignyourActIandKeyPointslidesbecausethey

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representtheverbalandvisualessenceofthemostimportantinformationyouwanttocommunicate.

WiththisfamiliarstorystructureinplaceontheCalltoActionandKeyPointslides,Marksolvedthetoughestcommunicationchallengeanypresenterfaces—howtomakeiteasierforanaudiencetounderstandnewinformation.AsdescribedinChapter2,asmuchasyoumighthopeotherwise,therealityisthatyoucannotpourinformationdirectlyintoyouraudience’smindsandhavethemsimply“getit.”Theworkingmemoryofyouraudiencecanbecomequicklyoverloadedwhentheaudienceisunfamiliarwiththeinformationorifthematerialotherwiseisnotpresentedproperly.Toovercomethisproblemandincreasehisaudience’sabilitytounderstandhiscase,MarkrelatedthenewinformationofthecaseusingastoryframeworkthroughActsIandIIthattheaudiencealreadyknew—themurder-mysterymotif.

Thegraphicsusedontheseslidesarecreatedusingimagesfromwww.iStockphoto.com,familyphotographs,orPowerPointgraphicaltools.ThispresentationisagoodexampleofhowthesimplevisualsurfacesofBBPpresentationsofferfewcluesthatthereisasophisticatedverbalstrategybeneaththem,yetthepowerfulimpactoftheapproachisveryrealandprofound.AsyouapplysimplevisualsurfacestoyourownBBPverbalstructures,you’llbegintotapintosimilarresultsinyourownpresentations.

Keeping on Track with The PlanTheTrialexampleshowedarangeofverbalandvisualtechniquestoapplytoyourownpresentationsevenifyouneversetfootinacourtroom.Thenextexample,namedThePlan,mightcomeinhandyifyoufindyourselfleadingateamtowardaccomplishingaproject.Inthisscenario,yourgrouphasadeadlinetoaccomplishatask,butyou’rerunningintoproblemsthatmightdelaytheproject.Mostofthepeopleonyourteamworkinyourlocaloffice,soyou’llpresentthisversionlivetothemtomorrowmorn-ing;therestoftheteamworksindifferentcities,soyou’llgivethesamepresentationtomorrowafternoonusingaWebconferencingtool.

Writing Act I of the Story TemplateAsyoustartyourstorytemplate,you’vedoneyourresearchwithyouraudienceandknowthatthereisasharedsenseoffrustrationwiththedelaysontheproject,butasanexperiencedprojectmanager,youalsoknowwhatthebasicproblemsareandhowtheycanberesolved.TheSettingstatement,showninFigure10-5,affirms“We’vebeenracingtofinishtheprojectandearnourbonuses.”Thereferencetothebonusesestablishesrightawaysomethingtheaudiencepersonallycaresabout.

Keep ng on Track w h The P an


FIGURE 10-5 Act ofTheP anpresentat onexamp e.

InthestoryboardsketchesshowninFigure10-6,thereferenceto“racing”intheSettingstatementplaysoutasamotifontheSettingslideasagroupofpeoplerunningarace(upperleft).Remember,introducingamotiftoaBBPpresentationisnota“fluffy”nice-to-haveadditioninthestorytemplateandslides,butratherastrategyofintroducingafamiliarverbalandvisualframeworkfromtheaudience’slong-termmemorytointroducenewinformationtotheirworkingmemory.

FIGURE 10-6 SketchesoftheSett ng,Ro e,Po ntA,andPo ntBs desofTheP anpresentat on.

TheRolestatementinthestorytemplateaffirms,“Butunsolvedproblemskeepsendingusbacktothestartingline,”whichplaysoutontheRoleslideasthesketchofastop-watchsetto0minutestoindicatethebeginningoftherace(upperright).ThePointAstatementcarriesthemotiffurtherandengagestheaudiencebyvisuallydescribing“Afewkeyhurdlesstandinourway”withsketchesofhurdlesonthePointAslide(lowerleft).OnthePointBslide(lowerright),arunnerisshownontherightintheslide,past

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thesamehurdlesandthefinishline,tovisuallyillustratetheheadline“Wecanreachthefinishlineifwecanovercomethem.”

Researching and Adding Available Graphics for The PlanIfyouhavealimitedbudget,asinthisproject,it’sworthtakingafewminutestomakeaquickcheckofthegraphicalresourcesyouhaveavailablebeforeyoucommittoamotifyouwilluseinyourstorytemplateandsketches.Youmighthaveagreatideaforamotif,butifyoudon’thavetheavailablegraphicstopullitoff,itwon’tbecomeavisualreality.Alightbox,availableatsomestockphotographyWebsites,isaveryusefultoolinyourresearchforavailablegraphics.Usealightboxtotemporarilycollectphotosinasingleplace,withoutcommittingtopurchasinglicensesuntilyouarereadytousespecificphotos.Forexample,createalightboxnamedThePlanPresentationusingyourfreeaccountatwww.iStockphoto.com.InkeepingwiththeracemotifofThePlanpresentationexample,searchfortermssuchas“hurdles,”“runners,”and“finishline,”andwhenyouseeaphotoyoulike,clicktheAddToLightboxbuttonbelowthephoto.Inthepop-upwindow,selectThePlanPresentationlightbox,andthenclickAdd.Whenyouhavefinishedyoursearch,visitThePlanPresentationlightbox,andyou’llseethumbnailsofalltheimagesyouselectedinyoursearchinasinglearea,asshowninFigure10-7.

FIGURE 10-7 A ghtboxat Stockphoto.



Reviewing the Act I Slides for The PlanAsearchfortheterm“runners”oniStockphotoresultedinanumberofgoodaestheticmatcheswiththisaudience,soaddonetotheSettingslide,asshownontheupperleftinFigure10-8,andthensendtheheadlinebehindthephotograph,asyou’lldoontherestoftheActIslides.Thensearchfor“stopwatch,”andaddthephotototheRoleslide(upperright).Asearchfor“hurdles”didnotresultinphotoswiththreehurdlesasthesketchdescribed,butasinglehurdlewillworkfineonthePointAslide(lowerleft).Asearchfor“finishline”didnotturnupamatchforthesketcheither,butapictureofarunningtrackwillwork,alongwithabannershapeaddedusingthePowerPoint2007drawingtoolsandshowingthewordsFinishLine,asshownonthePointBslide(lowerright).Astheseexamplesdemonstrate,youwon’talwaysfindtheperfectmatchforyoursketches,butyou’lllikelyfindsomethingthatwillwork.

FIGURE 10-8 TheSett ng,Ro e,Po ntA,andPo ntBs desofTheP anpresentat on.

Asdescribedearlier,PointAisacrucialslideonwhichyouneedtomakesurethatyouraudiencefeelsemotionallyconnectedwiththechallengetheyface.Tomakesurethatisthecase,whenyoupresentthePointAslide,askyouraudience,“Whataresomeoftheproblemsyouseethatstandinourway?”Then,ifyouhaveaTabletPC,writetheresponsesdirectlyonthescreen,suchas“longhours,”“unfocusedmeetings,”or“toomuche-mail,”asshownonthelowerleftinFigure10-8.(Ifyoudon’thaveaTabletPC,

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writetheresponsesonaflipchartinstead.)Thisshiftsthedynamicofthepresentationbecauseyouarenottellingyourteamwhattheirproblemsare;rather,theyaretellingyou.Insteadofriskingthattheywillbealienatedbyfeelingthatyouknowitall,yougiveyouraudienceafeelingofownership.WhenyouadvancetothePointBslide(lowerright),youaffirm,“Yes,thoseareallvalidproblems,andweneedtoovercometheminordertoreachthefinishline.”

Reviewing the Call to Action and Key Point Slides for The PlanAlthoughyouopenedthefloortotheaudienceonthePointAslide,youalsoknowfromyourresearchandyourexperienceasaprojectmanagerthatyouneedtocovertheprimaryobstaclesdefinedasthethreeKeyPointsinyourstorytemplate,showninFigure10-9.

FIGURE 10-9 Act ofTheP anstorytemp ate.

CarryforwardtheracemotiftoyourCalltoActionsketch,shownontheupperleftinFigure10-10,andsketchthenumbers1,2,and3oneachhurdle.CarrythroughthenumberingoneachKeyPointslide(upperright,lowerleft,andlowerright)toindicatewhichhurdleinthesequenceyouarecoveringinthatsectionofthepresentation.



FIGURE 10-10 SketchesoftheCa toAct onandKeyPo nts des.

SincethethreeKeyPointslideswillallsharethesamephotographofahurdle,createaKeyPointslidecustomlayoutthatincludesthephoto.Inthiscase,usethephotoofthehurdlefromthePointAslide,excepttightlycropthephotoandplaceitontheleftsideofthesplit-screenlayout,asshowninFigure10-11.

FIGURE 10-11 Creat ngacustom ayouttoapp ytotheAct s des.

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ReturntoNormalviewoftheCalltoActionslide,andaddthreephotosofthehurdle.ApplythenewKeyPointcustomlayoutstotheKeyPointslides,andaddphotographstothePictureplaceholders,asshowninFigure10-12.IfyouhaveaTabletPC,whenyoupresenttheCalltoActionslide(upperleft),writeonthescreenwithyourstylusthenumbers1,2,and3beloweachhurdleasyourelatetheheadline,“Overcomeeachhurdleaswefaceit,andwe’llwintherace.”

FIGURE 10-12 TheCa toAct onandKeyPo nts desw thgraph csadded.

WhenyoureachthefirstKeyPointslide,writethewordFocusintheblankspaceabovethephotoofthehurdleasyourelatethetopictowhatyouraudiencetoldyouonthePointAslideandasyouconveythemessageoftheheadline,hereshortenedontheslidefromtheoriginal,“Overcomethefocushurdlebyreviewingtheplaneachmorning”(upperright).ThenwriteCommunicationonthesecondKeyPointslide(lowerleft)asyourelatetheheadline,shortenedontheslidefromtheoriginal,“Overcomethecom-municationhurdlebytalkingtosomeonedirectly.”Last,writeDuplicatedEffortonthethirdKeyPointslide(lowerright)asyourelatetheheadlineshortenedfromtheoriginal,“Overcometheduplicatedefforthurdlebycheckingoffitemsontheintranet.”

Thehead neswereshortenedontheKeyPo nts desto eaveemptyspaceonthescreenwhereyoucou dwr tew thaTab etPCsty ustoncreaseengagement— fyoudon’thaveaTab etPC, nserttextboxesonthescreen nstead



AsyousketchtherestoftheExplanationandDetailslides,usetherangeofgraphicalpossibilitiesasdescribedinChapter7tosketchtheslideheadlinesandthentoaddgraphics,asshowninFigure10-13.Asyousawinearlierchapters,thesegraphicsmightincludephotos,screencaptures,diagrams,charts,orothermediaelements.AddanavigationbartoyourcustomlayoutsfortheExplanationandDetailslidestoprovideacuetothepresentation’sorganizationandalsotoconsistentlycarrythroughthevisualmotifintheformofahurdleinthelower-rightcornerofeachslide.

FIGURE 10-13 Sketchesandcomp etedexamp esofExp anat onandDeta s des.

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ThesecompletedslidesusephotographsfromiStockphototocommunicatethemessageoftheheadlines.ThephotousedontheExplanationslide(upperleft)fillsthescreen,andafillcolorwasaddedtothetitleareatomaketheheadlinetextlegible.TheDetailslidewiththeorganizationalchart(upperright)hasadditionalarrowstodenote“reorganiza-tion”intheheadline,andtheDetailslidewiththeofficebuildings(lowerleft)showsthephotographofanofficebuildingduplicatedandanarrowaddedtoillustrate“anewunit.”TheDetailslidewiththepersondoingayogaposetoillustrate“wehavetobeflexible”mightcomeacrossastooplayfultosomeaudiences,butforthispresentationtoateamwithinanorganization,itisperfectlyfinetohaveavisualsenseofhumor.

Tip

Delivering The Plan RemotelyWhenyoudeliverthesamepresentationtotherestofyourteamthenextdayusingaWebconferencingservice,you’llpresentusingaWebbrowseralongwithatelephoneoracomputermicrophoneandspeakers.Inavirtualenvironmentsuchasthis,youobviouslycannotuseflipchartsandotheroff-screenmediathattheaudiencecan’tsee.Instead,you’lluseWebconferencingservices.Forexample,whenyoupresenttheearlierPointAslideusingyouronlinetools,askyouraudiencethesamequestion,exceptnowannotatetheslidebyusingthetoolstoinserttextboxestorecordtheaudiencecom-ments,asshowninFigure10-14.Alternatively,useyourWebconferencingtoolstocreateapollthatallowsrespondentstovoteonyourquestion,oruseatextscreentowritedownthenotesofyourconversationforalltosee.



FIGURE 10-14 Us ngM crosoftOff ceL veMeet ngtopresentthePo ntAs dew thtextboxesadded.

BBPworksparticularlywellinonlinemeetingenvironmentsbecauseitcountersthelackofin-persondynamicswithitsvisuallyengagingstyle.Youwillalsomakefulluseofthebuilt-intoolstopromptengagementandinvolvementbecauseyouknowexactlywhereyouwillusethem—forexample,onthePointAandPointBslidesaswellastheKeyPointslides.

Presenting Results with The AnalysisNowthatyou’vehadatasteofusingBBPasawaytopresentThePlan,thenextexamplepresentsanewchallenge—communicatingtheresultsofmarketresearchyouconductedtoyourcompany’sclientswithTheAnalysis.Yourclient’ssaleshavedropped,andtheclienthasaskedyourmarketresearchfirmtohelp.

Thistypeofpresentationfeaturingquantitativeinformationistypicallycalleda“data-driven”presentation.InspiteoftheresearchrealitiespresentedinChapter2,it’sironicthatmanyconventionalPowerPointpresentationsthatareconsideredtobedata-drivendonotuseresearchasthefoundationofthepresentationapproachitself.Thesepresentationssubscribetothemyththatyoucansimplydrivedataintoyour

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audiences’headsandtheywill“getit,”andtheydon’ttakeintoaccounttheimpor-tanceofrespectingthelimitsofworkingmemory,synchronizingthevisualandverbalchannels,andguidingtheattentionofanaudienceinspecificways.

BBP,ontheotherhand,acceptstheseresearchrealitiesandsubscribestotheideathatthereisnosuchthingasadata-drivenpresentation—thereareonly“cognitive-driven”presentations,becauseultimatelytheaudience’smindswilldeterminewhetherunderstandinghappened,notthedata.

ActIofTheAnalysispresentation,showninFigure10-15,isagoodexampleofhowdramaticallydifferentaformerlydata-drivenpresentationlookswhenyourestructureitusingBBP.Inthisexample,theSettingstatementsummarizesthatyourclienthashiredyourmarketresearchfirmbecause“Yoursalesdrieduplastyearinyourmostlucra-tivemarketsegment.”NexttheRolestatementputsyourclientinitsproperplaceasthemaincharacterofthisstoryas“Youaskedustodrillintothenumbersandanalyzethesituation.”ThePointAstatementexplainsthechallengeyoubelievetheclientfaces:“Youhavetappedoutyourexistingrevenuebase.”PointBthengoesontoconfirmtoyourclientthat“Youneedastrategytogetprofitsflowingagain.”NowwhatshouldyouraudiencedotogetfromAtoB?Theyshould“Tapintothreeundiscoveredwellsofrevenuebyreachingnewcustomersinnewways,”accordingtoyourCalltoActionslide.

FIGURE 10-15 Act ofTheAna ys spresentat onexamp e.

Ifit’shelpfultoyou,renametheActIIcolumnheadingsforthistypeofpresentationfrom“KeyPoint”to“Recommendation”andfrom“Detail”to“Methodology/Data.”Asalways,youendActIofthestorytemplatewiththeCalltoActionheadlineandexpandonitwiththeKeyPoint(Recommendation)headlinesinActII.ThenyoufleshouteachKeyPoint(Recommendation)headline,asshowninFigure10-16,withfurtherExplanationandDetail(Methodology/Data).Withthisapproach,youknowthatyouhavelogicallyorganizedyourthoughtsandbuiltinscalabilitytopresentthesamematerialin5,15,or45minutes(asdescribedinChapter6)withoutlosingtheintegrityorqualityofyourcriticalthinking.

Presen ng Resu s w h The Ana ys s


FIGURE 10-16 Thef rstKeyPo nt(Recommendat on)head neofTheAna ys sstorytemp ate,w th tsaccompany ngExp anat onandDeta statements.

AlthoughtheBBPstructuremightlookstraightforwardandlogical,itliterallyturnsupside-downthemostcommonstructureofdata-drivenpresentations.Intheconven-tionalstructure,younormallyjumprightintothedetaileddataandthemethodologyandthenfinallymakeyourrecommendationsontheverylastslides.It’snaturaltothinkofstructuringapresentationthiswaybecauseyoumightthinkthatifyoustartfromthebeginningofaprojectandgooneatatimethroughthedetailedstepsyoutooktoar-riveatarecommendation,yourideaswillhavemorecredibility.However,thehugeriskyoutakewhenyoudothatisthatyouoverwhelmthelimitedcapacityofworkingmemo-ryofyourclientswithsomuchnewinformation,asshowninFigure10-17,thattheyaredisorientedandconfused—which,ironically,diminishesyourcredibility.

FIGURE 10-17 Present ngyourmethodo ogyanddataf rst,beforeyourrecommendat ons,qu ck yoverwhe mswork ngmemory.

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Asymptomthatoverwhelmhashappenedinyourpresentationisifyourclientasksyoutoskipaheadtotheend,startslookingatherphoneorlaptop,orasksyoutogettothepoint—whichindicatesyoudidn’tgettothepointinthefirstplace.Remember,journalistscallthisineffectivestructuralapproach“buryingthelead,”becauseyouputthemostimportantinformationsomewhereotherthanatthetoplevelofattentionofyouraudience.Thegoodnewsisthatyoulikelydon’thavetocreatenewinformationforyourpresentation—youjusthavetorestructurewhatyouhaveusingthestorytemplatetoensurethatyoupresentthemostimportantinformationtotheaudience’sworkingmemoryfirst.

NoneofthisistosaythatyouwillnotpresentdetaileddataorcomplexchartswhenyoushowtheExplanationandDetail(Methodology/Data)slides.Ifyourclientshavepriorknowledgeofcomplexdatastructures,theslidescanincludethoseelementswithoutoverwhelmingtheirworkingmemorybecausetheunderstandingofthestructureofthisinformationisalreadyheldintheaudience’slong-termmemory.Ifthesourceofthedataisimportanttohaveavailablefordetaileddiscussion,providethatonpaperorinanelectronicdocumenttoaccompanythepresentation.

Researching and Adding Available Graphics for The AnalysisNowthatyouhaveaddressedthedatayouwillcoverintheExplanationandDetail(Methodology/Data)columnsandyouhavedeterminedthepriorityandsequenceofalltheslidesinActII,freeyourselfupcreativelytomakethecriticaltoplevelofthepresentationasinteresting,engaging,meaningful,andmemorabletoyourclientsaspossible.Beingvisuallycreativeinwhatissupposedtobeadata-drivenpresentationmightinitiallybeperceivedasintellectualfluff,butwithBBP,youknowthatyourcreativevisualsurfacesrestonafoundationbuiltfromarigorouscritical-thinkingprocess.Ifyourgraphicsareanaestheticmatchwithyouraudience,yourclientswillfindtheimagesrefreshing,andthepresentationitselfwilldifferentiateyoufromtheboring,disorienting,andlifelessbullet-pointpresentationsofyourcompetitors.

Aswiththeprecedingexamples,ifyourbudgetforyourpresentationislimited,you’llwanttotakeaquicklooktoseewhatgraphicsareavailabletointegrateasamotifintoyourstorytemplateandstoryboard.Inkeepingwiththe“tappingintowells”verbalmotif,asearchfor“oilwell”iniStockphototurnsuptheresultshowninFigure10-18—aseriesoficonsincludingoilwells.Thisparticulargraphicistermedan“illustration”iniStockphoto,whichmeansthatitisnotaphotographbutinsteadavectorartimagethatcanbeopenedandmanipulatedusingavectorillustrationsoftwareprogram.Ifyoudon’tknowhowtousethattypeofsoftware,mostillustrationsalsocomewithaversion



oftheillustrationthatyoucaninsertonyourslidesandcroptouseonlythepartsyouwant,asinthefollowingexamples.

FIGURE 10-18 Searchresu tfor“o we ” n Stockphoto.

Ifyoucan’tfindtheillustrationsyouneed,createyourownorhiresomeonetocreatethemusingavectorillustrationsoftwareprogram.Aimforasimple,pared-downstylefortheillustrations.Ifyouexportthesegraphicsin.emfor.wmffileformats,youmightbeabletogroup,regroup,andrecolortheelementsusingthePowerPointgraphicstools.

Reviewing the Act I Slides for The AnalysisFollowingyourstorytemplateandstoryboardsketchesasusual,setupyourActIlayouts,applythemtoyourslides,andthenaddgraphics.TheexampleinFigure10-19featuresasplit-screenlayout,exceptthisvariationishorizontal,withagraphicatthetopandarelatedphotographfromiStockphotobelow.TheheadlinesfromActIofthestorytem-platearehiddenintheseslidestoletthevisualpowerofthegraphicstellthestoryalongwiththenarration.TheSettingslide(upperleft)usesadecliningsaleschartcreatedfrom

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yourclient’sdataatthetopandaphotoofacashregisterreceiptbelowtoillustratethehiddenheadline“Yoursalesdrieduplastyearinyourmostlucrativemarketsegment.”TheRoleslide(upperright)usesaphotoofaspreadsheetbelow,butnowitalsoshowsanoilwellabovetoillustrate“Youaskedustodrillintothenumbersandanalyzethesituation.”ThePointAslide(lowerleft)usesthesameoilwellalongwitha“nosale”photographtoillustrate“Youhavetappedoutyourexistingrevenuebase.”AndthePointBslide(lowerright)usesthesameoilwellwithanarrowpointingupwardfromacashregisterdrawertoillustrate“Youneedastrategytogetprofitsflowingagain.”

FIGURE 10-19 TheSett ng,Ro e,Po ntA,andPo ntBs desofTheAna ys spresentat on.

Theconsistenthorizontalsplit-screenlayoutacrosstheslidescreatesaninterestingdynamicasthechangingphotoscarrythroughthemeaningofthehiddenheadlines,whichyouwillexplainverbally.TosetupthecustomlayoutfortheseActIslides,addaPictureplaceholdertofillthebottomhalfofthescreen,asshowninFigure10-20,andthenchangethefontcoloroftheheadlinestowhitetomakethemappearinvisibleagainstthewhitebackground.

AfteryoucreateacustomlayoutusingaPictureplaceholderandapplythelayouttoyourslides,right-clicktheplaceholderandchoosePasteontheshortcutmenutoautomaticallycropandsizethephototofit;alternatively,clickthepictureicontoinsertagraphicfromsomewhereonyourcomputer.Ifyou’regoodatcreatingcustomlayouts,sharethemwithotherstomaketheirjobseasier—ifyouhaveusedaPictureplaceholder(notaContentplaceholder)onthecustomlayout,alltheydoisclickandaddthephotowithouthavingtoworryaboutdesigninglayouts,cropping,andsizing.



FIGURE 10-20 Hor zonta sp t screencustom ayoutfortheAct s des.

Reviewing the Call to Action and Key Point Slides for The AnalysisThehorizontalphotographiclayoutworkssowellinActIthatasimilarlayoutwillworkontheCalltoActionandKeyPointslidesaswell,exceptthistimedividetheslideintothirdshorizontallyandleavetheheadlinesvisibleinthisversion.TheCalltoActionslideshownontheupperleftinFigure10-21featuresaphotoofcustomers,exceptnowtherearethreenewoilwellgraphicstoillustratetheheadline“Tapintothreeundiscoveredwellsofrevenuebyreachingyourcustomersinnewways.”(Theheadlinewasshortenedtofitthe2-linelimitoftheslides.)ThefirstKeyPointslide(upperright)featuresasingleoilwellwithaphotographofcarsonahighwaytoillustratethefirstwellofrevenueexplainedintheheadlineas“Reachsuburbancommutersandincreaseshare22%.”ThesecondKeyPointslide(lowerleft)featuresasecondoilwellwithaphotoofcitytraffictoillustratetheheadline“Reachcitytravelersandincreaseshareanother15%,”andthethirdKeyPointslide(lowerright)featuresathirdoilwellwithaphotoofanairplanetoillustrate“Reachfrequentfliersandincreaseshareanother7%.”

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FIGURE 10-21 TheCa toAct onandKeyPo nts desofTheAna ys spresentat on.

TogethertheseActIandKeyPointslidescreateacompellingandinterestingwaytopresentthemostimportantinformationyouraudiencewantstoknow.TheExplanationandDetailslidesthatfollow,asshowninFigure10-22,alongwithyourbackupprintoutsandspreadsheets,willgointotherigorousdetailofquantitative-basedreasoningthatyourclientexpects.AsmalloilwelliconaddedtotheDetailcustomlayoutscarriesthevisualthemethroughthepresentationontheseslides.

FIGURE 10-22 Examp esofExp anat onandDeta s desfromTheAna ys s.



Muchmorethancapturingthedataontheslides,youhavecapturedtheimaginationofyouraudiencesothattheycanliterallyseewhatyourabstractrecommendationswillmeantotheminnouncertainvisualterms.Andintheprocess,youturnedadata-drivenpresentationintoacognitive-drivenpresentation,withavisuallyappealingresult.

Making Information Meaningful with The ReportThenextexampleofaBBPpresentationisbasedonascenarioinwhichyourteamrecentlycontributedtothesuccessfullaunchofProductAandyouarenowworkingonthelaunchofProductB.Yourregionalsupervisorispayingyouavisitandyouwanttoletherknowhowthingsaregoing,soyouprepareapresentationforher—TheReport.Youseethissupervisoronlyoccasionally,sothisisoneofyourfewchancestomeetwithherinperson.Becausethisisjustanupdateandnotasetofrecommendations,asinTheAnalysis,youinitiallyplantoputtogetheronlyan“informational”presentationtoshowherthefacts.

Justasit’shardtoletgoofthemythofthedata-drivenpresentationeveninlightoftheresearchrealitiesinChapter2,it’sequallyhardtoletgooftheideaoftheinformationalpresentation.Youmayholdontothehopethatyoucanpresentyoursupervisorwithnew“information”andshewillautomatically“getit,”buttherealityisthatunderstand-inghappensonlyifsheintegratesthenewinformationintoherlong-termmemory.Thatmeansyoumustpresentthenewinformationinparticularwaysthatincreasethechancesthatherworkingmemorywillhandleitappropriately.

Thephraseinformationalpresentationoftenindicatesthatapresentationdoesnothaveaclearpurpose.Whenyoudigalittledeeperintowhatpeoplemeanbythisphrase,theyusuallysaythattheywanttoprovidesomeonewithlistsoffacts,typicallyintheformofbulletedlistsofinformation.Butwithoutpurposeorcontext,alistisjustthat—alist.Ifwhatyouwanttodoissimplypassonfactsforsomeone’sreference,youdon’tneedtogothroughthetroubleofcreatingapresentationorhavingameeting—justsendthefactsinane-mailmessage,document,orspreadsheetandsaveyourselfandyouraudiencethetime.Butifyouandyouraudiencegothroughthetroubleofgatheringtogether,itshouldalwaysbeforapurpose—tomakeinformationandfactsuseful.

Whenyoudohaveareasontomeetbeyondjustpassingonfacts,completingActIofyourstorytemplateisareliableplacetostartyourpresentation,becausetheprocessofcompletingActIalwaysforcesyoutotransforminformationintoclearunderstandingthatyouraudiencefindsmeaningfulandpractical.Genericinformationalpresentationsnormallylackastructurewithabeginning,middle,andend,butwithActIasastruc-tureforyourintroduction,youknowthatyouwillstartstrongandendstrongevery

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time.WithActIIasastructureforthebodyofyourpresentation,youknowthatyouwillelevatethemostimportantinformationtothetoplevelofyouraudience’sattentionandcovertheexplanationanddetailfromthere.Insteadoflistingeverypossiblepieceofinformationandshowingeverydetail,yougetrighttothemostimportantinformationandshowonlythemostimportantdetails.

Inthisspecificexample,youmightnotberecommendingorsellinganythingtoyoursupervisor,butshedoeshavesomethingyouneed—herongoingsupport.Ifyourpresentationfailstoassureheryouarehandlingyourresponsibilities,youlikelywon’tcarrythoseresponsibilitiesformuchlongerbecauseshewantstoknowyouareontopofthingssothatshecanfocusonhandlingproblemselsewhere.Withthisperspectiveinmind,ActIofyourstorytemplateforTheReporttakesshape,asshowninFigure10-23.Inthisexample,theSettingstatementexplains,“ProductLaunchAwentlikeclockwork,”andtheRoleaffirms,“You’dliketomakesureProductLaunchBgoesjustassmoothly.”

FIGURE 10-23 Act ofTheReportpresentat onexamp e.

ThePointAstatementsummarizesthechallengeyoursupervisorfaces:“Youhaven’thadachancesincelastquartertoexaminehowthingsareworkinghere.”WhereshewantstobeatPointBis,“You’dliketobeconfidentthingsareworkingsmoothly.”HowdoesshegetfromastateofuncertaintyatPointAtoconfidenceatPointB?ByfollowingthesimpleCalltoAction,“Beassuredwewillmeetourgoals.”Insteadofleavingyourbossunclearaboutwhatsheshoulddo,younowhavepresentedinformationinawaythatensuresshecantakeactiononit,evenifthatactionistobelievesomethingnewordifferent—inthiscase,tobeassuredofyourprogress.

AsshowninFigure10-23,forthistypeofpresentationchangetheActIIcolumnheadingsfrom“KeyPoint”to“Summary,”from“Explanation”to“Breakdown,”andfrom“Detail”to“Backup.”AsyouwriteyourKeyPoint(Summary)headlines,you’llcoverthethreemostimportantpointsthatexplainhowyoursupervisorwillbeassuredthatyouwillmeetyourgoals:

■ Key Point 1 Weaccomplishedwhatwesaidwewould.

■ Key Point 2 Weareontracktoaccomplishournewgoals.

■ Key Point 3 Wewillovercomeourchallenges.

Mak ng n orma on Mean ng u w h The Repor


Asyoucompletetherestofthestorytemplate,you’llcovertheExplanationandDetailslidesthatincludethediagrams,charts,screencaptures,photos,andanecdotesthatbackupyourappealforhersupport.

Researching and Adding Available Graphics for The ReportIfyourstorytemplateandstoryboardsketchescallforaverbalmotifofclockwork(andthatmotifisamatchwithyoursupervisor),asearchfor“gears”iniStockphotoproducesthephotoinFigure10-24,whichwillserveasthevisualmotifforseveraloftheActIandKeyPointslides.

FIGURE 10-24 Asearchresu tfor“gears”at Stockphoto.

Reviewing the Act I Slides for The ReportAlthoughtheheadlinesarehiddenintheFigure10-25examples,thevisualpoweroftheimagesisclear.TheSettingslide(upperleft)featuresaphotoofaclockworkfromiStockphotowithasimpletextboxaddedthatreads“ProductLaunchA”toillustratethehiddenheadline“ProductLaunchAwentlikeclockwork.”TheRoleslide(upperright)featuresthesameclockworkphotowithatextboxinthesamepositionthatreads“ProductLaunchB,”referringtotheheadline“You’dliketomakesureProductLaunchBgoesjustassmoothly.”Insteadofthetextboxeshere,youcouldusethelogosoftheproducts.

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FIGURE 10-25 TheSett ng,Ro e,Po ntA,andPo ntBs desofTheReport.

ThePointAslide(lowerleft)featurestheiStockphotographicofthreegearsandatextboxwithaquestionmarktoillustratetheheadline“Youhaven’thadachancesincelastquartertoexaminehowthingsareworkinghere.”OnthePointBslide(lowerright),thesamephotonowincludesthreearrowscreatedwiththePowerPointdrawingtoolstoillustrate“You’dliketobeconfidentthingsareworkingsmoothly.”

Reviewing the Call to Action and Key Point Slides for The ReportNext,insertthreecalloutswiththenumbers1,2,and3ontheCalltoActionslidenexttoeachgearandarrow,asshownontheupperleftinFigure10-26—whentheslideappears,youverballyexplainthattherearethreereasonswhyyourmanagershould“Beassuredwewillmeetourgoals,”asdescribedinthehiddenheadline.Then,onthefirstKeyPointslide(upperright),useonlythephotoandaddonearrowtoillustratethefirstKeyPointheadline,“Weaccomplishedwhatwesaidwewould.”TheActIIslidesthatwillfollowthisslideinthepresentationprovidethebreakdownandbackupfortheseaccom-plishments.Then,onthesecondKeyPointslide(lowerleft),addasecondarrowandthesecondKeyPointheadline,“Weareontracktoaccomplishournewgoals.”Thefollow-ingActIIslideswillprovidethebreakdownandbackupforyournewgoals.Then,onthethirdKeyPointslide(lowerright),addthethirdandfinalarrowandthethirdheadline,“Wewillovercomeourchallenges.”ThefollowingActIIslideswillprovidethebreakdownandbackupforhowyouwillovercomethosechallenges.WhenyoucreateyourcustomlayoutsforyourExplanation(Breakdown)andDetail(Backup)slides,addasmallversion

Mak ng n orma on Mean ng u w h The Repor


ofthegearstothenavigationbartocarrythevisualthemethroughthepresentationonthoseslides.

FIGURE 10-26 TheCa toAct onandKeyPo nts desofTheReport.

Becauseyouaregivingthispresentationtosuchasmallaudience,deliveritonalaptopscreenorinaprintedformusingnotespageshandouts.Butwhateverwayyougo,withtheBBPfoundationinplace,youhavetransformedwhatnormallymightbean“informa-tional”listoffactsintoamuchmoremeaningfulandusefulstorythatyoucarryforwardbothvisuallyandverbally.

Engaging Students with The ClassBeyondcourtroomsandmeetingrooms,BBPhastremendouspotentialtoguidethestructureofpresentationsusedinclassroomsandtrainingroomsateveryeducationallevel.Afterall,theresearchrealitiesdescribedinChapter2thatinspireBBParebeingextensivelytestedandappliedbyeducationalpsychologistsinterestedinimprovinglearningusingmultimedia.IfyouusePowerPointtoteach,you’llfindBBPapracticalandeffectivemethodtohelpyourstudentslearnnewinformation.AndjustaswithTheAnalysisexample,applyingBBPtoaneducationalpresentationusuallydoesnotinvolvecreatingnewmaterial;rather,yourestructureexistingmaterialinanewwaytomakethematerialeasierforyourstudents’workingmemorytohandle.

AswiththeapplicationsofBBPinothercontexts,withaneducationalpresentation,youalwaysstartwithActIofthestorytemplate.Hereyouraiminthefirstfewslidesofthepresentationistomakethetopicofyourcourseemotionallyrelevanttoyourstudents

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andsettheframeworkthatwillguideyourstudents’understandingofthematerialtofollowintheclass.Insteadofpotentiallylosingstudents’interestanddampeningtheirmotivationtolearn,you’llhelpthemmaintaininterestfromthefirstslidetothelast.

IntheexampleActIshowninFigure10-27,youareaninstructorteachingaclassonDNA.YouintroducetheSettingas“DNAisoneofthegreatscientificdiscoveriesofalltime”andthenengagethestudentsbyplacingthemintheRoleas“Inthisclass,youwillgettoplayaroleindiscoveringitforyourself.”NextthechallengethestudentsfaceinPointAis“Withoutknowinghowtoapproachit,DNAseemslikeanunsolvablepuzzle,”andPointBis“You’dliketosolvethepuzzletodiscoverthebigpicture.”SohowdothestudentsresolvethetensionbetweennotknowinghowtoapproachthepuzzleofDNAandsolvingit?ByfollowingyourCalltoAction,“SolvetheDNApuzzleinthreesteps.”

FIGURE 10-27 Act ofTheC asspresentat onexamp e.

WithanengagingstarttothepresentationinwritinginActI,thenextstepistocompletetheActIIcolumnsofthestorytemplate.BeginbyrenamingtheKeyPointcolumnheadingto“KeyLearningObjective.”Oftenthebiggestchallengeforeduca-torswhencompletingActIIisnotcompletingtheExplanationandDetailslides,becausethoseusuallyalreadyexistinsomeform.RatherthedifficultycomesindistillingtheExplanationandDetailcolumnsintoanevensimplersetofthreeKeyPoint(KeyLearningObjective)headlines.ItisessentialthatyouprovidestudentswithonlyafewKeyPointheadlinesthattheywillcertainlyremember,whichthenwillserveaslong-termmemoryreferencepointstoaccessyourExplanationandDetailheadlines.Inthisexample,asyouwriteyourKeyPoint(KeyLearningObjective)headlines,you’llcoverthethreemostimportantpointsyouwantyourstudentstorememberfromtheclass:

■ Key Point 1 Assemblethetheory.

■ Key Point 2 Assembletheresearch.

■ Key Point 3 Applywhatyouknow.

Continuebycompletingtheothertwocolumnsofthestorytemplate,andthencreateyourActIIslidesfromtheseaccordingtotheprocessdescribedintheotherexamplesinthischapter.

Engag ng S uden s w h The C ass


Researching and Adding Available Graphics for The ClassTovisuallyrealizeyourpuzzlemotiffromthestorytemplateandstoryboardsketches,inNormalviewofanyslide,selecttheInserttab,andintheIllustrationsgroup,clickClipArt.IntheClipArtpane,typethesearchtermpuzzle,andthenclickGo.Whenyoufindthepuzzleshapeyouwant,positionthemousepointeronit,clickthearrowtotherightofthepuzzlepiece,andchooseInsert,asshowninFigure10-28.

FIGURE 10-28 nsert ngapuzz eshapefromtheC pArtpane nPowerPo nt.

Youmightnotwanttousealloftheelementsincludedinthisparticularpuzzlegraphic,butyoustillcanworkwithitbecauseitisvectorart,called“resizable”attheMicrosoftOfficeOnlineClipArtAndMediasite(http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/images/ ).ThevalueofthistypeofgraphicisthatyoucanbreakitintoitscomponentsusingthePowerPointgraphicstoolsanduseonlyportionsofitonaslide.Anotheradvantageofthistypeofgraphicisthatyoucanresizeitwithouteverlosingitssharp,clearlines.

Right-clickthepuzzlegraphicyouinsertedontheslide,andontheshortcutmenu,clickGroup,Ungroup.(IftheUngroupoptiondoesn’tappearonthisshortcutmenu,theclipartisnotresizable.)Ifamessageboxappearsthatreads,“Thisisanimportedpicture,notagroup.DoyouwanttoconvertittoaMicrosoftOfficeDrawingObject?”,clickYes.Right-clickthegraphicagain,andthenclickGroup,Ungroupagainontheshortcutmenu,whichbreaksupthegraphicintoitsparts.

Tip

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Clickanddeleteanypiecesofthegroupyoudon’twant,andclickandchangethefillcolorofanyoftheobjectsifyouwant.Whenyouhavedeletedtheelementsyoudon’twanttokeepandhavemadeanyotherchangestoresizableclipart,right-clicksome-whereonthegraphicandselectGroup,Regroupfromtheshortcutmenu—thisregroupsthegraphicintoasingleunitagaininsteadofleavingitasmanyseparatesmallerpieces.Toresizeapieceofresizableclipartonaslide,selectittodisplaythesizinghandles.HolddowntheShiftkey,anddragoneofthecornersizinghandlestochangethegraphictothesizeyouwant.HoldingdowntheShiftkeywhileyoudragacornersizinghandlepreservestheproportionsofthegraphicasyouresizeit;otherwise,theimagewillbedistorted.

Reviewing the Act I Slides for The ClassWhenyoucreateacustomlayoutforyourActIslides,changethebackgroundcolortoblackandthenapplythelayouttoallofyourslides—thishidestheheadlines,asshowninFigure10-29.Basedonyourstorytemplateandstoryboardsketches,addatextboxthatreads“DNA”totheSettingslide(upperleft).Animatethewordsothatwhenyouclicktheslide,thewordDNAslowlyfadesintothebackgroundasyourelatetheheadline“DNAisoneofthegreatestscientificdiscoveriesofalltime.”OntheRoleslide(upperright),addatextboxwithquestionmarksthatfadeintothebackgroundtointriguethestudentsasyouaffirm,“Inthisclass,yousomehowgettoplayaroleindiscoveringitforyourself.”

FIGURE 10-29 TheSett ng,Ro e,Po ntA,andPo ntBs desofTheC ass.

Engag ng S uden s w h The C ass


OnthePointAslide(lowerleft),duplicatethepuzzlepiecessothattheyfillthescreen,changetheirfillcolortoblack,andthenanimatethegrouptofadeinwhentheslideappearsandyourelatethehiddenheadline,“Withoutknowinghowtoapproachit,DNAseemslikeanunsolvablepuzzle.”OnthePointBslide(lowerright),addaphotographofaDNAstrandfromiStockphoto,copythepuzzlepiecesfromthePointAslideandpastethemontopofthephoto,andthenremovethefillcolorofthepuzzlepiecessothatonlythepuzzlepieceoutlinesremain.AstheDNApuzzleappears,relatethePointBheadline,“You’dliketosolvethepuzzletodiscoverthebigpicture.”ThesePointAandPointBslidesreinforcethepuzzlemotifandcreateavisuallyinterestingframeworkforthetopicthestudentswilladdressthroughtheclass.

Reviewing the Call to Action and Key Point Slides for The ClassNextabbreviateyourCalltoActionheadlinetoread“SolvetheDNApuzzle,”asshownontheupperleftinFigure10-30.Searchfortheterm“custompuzzle”ontheWeb,andyou’llfindmanycompaniesthatwillcreateacustomjigsawpuzzleusingyourDNAphotographforaslittleas$11.Ifyouhavethebudget,buyone,andthenwhenyoupresenttheCalltoActionslideasyourelatethehiddenheadline“SolvetheDNApuzzleinthreesteps,”handouttheactualpiecesofthecustomDNApuzzletothestudentssothattheyliterallyholdthemotifintheirhands.Tellyourstudentsthattheynowholdintheirhandsthepuzzletheywillsolve,andaskthemfortheirthoughtsabouthowtheythinktheycansolveit.

FIGURE 10-30 TheCa toAct onandKeyPo nts desofTheC asspresentat on.

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AsyoucreateyourKeyPoint(KeyLearningObjective)slides,leaveyourheadlinesvisible,butdeletesomeofthepuzzlepiecesfromthefirstKeyPointslide,“Assemblethetheory”(upperright);deletemorepiecesfromthesecondKeyPointslide,“Assembletheresearch,”(lowerleft);andlastdeleteallofthepiecesfromthethirdslide,“Applywhatyouknow”(lowerright).Createtherestoftheslidesfromtheheadlinesofthestorytemplate,usingtheseKeyPointslidestoguideyouandyourstudentsthroughtheengagingexperienceofsolvingtheDNApuzzle.

AlthoughthispresentationexampleofTheClassisdesignedfora45-minutepresentation,youcanusetheBBPstorytemplatetoplanamuchlongerclassorevenamultiyearcurriculum.Considerhowmuchtimeyouhave—45minutes,2hours,3days,or3years—andwriteintheKeyPointcolumnthethreemostimportantlessonsyouwantsomeonetolearnduringthatperiodoftime.Thencontinueworkinginthestorytemplatefromlefttoright—you’lladdmorecol-umnstotherightoftheDetailcolumndependingonhowdeepyouwanttogointothematerial.

Togetherwithyourengagingstorytemplatestructure,theseslidesaddavisualdynamismandinterestthatincreasethelikelihoodyourstudentswillrememberandapplythemostimportantinformationyouwanttoteach.

Putting Your Clients at the Center in The PitchThelastBBPexampleinthischaptershowsonemorewayBBPunlockstheverbalandvisualpowerburiedinsideapresentation—thistimewithasalespitchthatyourInternetservicesfirmismakingtoapotentialclient.ThetypicaloutlineintheoldwayofdoingpresentationswouldfeatureastructurewithcategoryheadingslikeOurCompany,OurTeam,OurServices,OurDifferentiation,andOurClients—themessagewouldbeessen-tially“AllAboutUs.”Ofcourse,eachcategoryheadingwouldbefollowedbylistafterlistoffacts,withoutastorytobefoundanywheretotiethemtogether.

Oftentheoriginofthistypeofpresentationisthemarketingdepartment,wherethegoalofthemarketersistocreateasingle,uniform,consistentmessagethattheythendis-tributetothesalesteamtodeliverexactlyasitis.Theonlyproblem,though,isthatthetypicalorganizationalprocessofmakingthepresentationuniformalsomakesitcanned,

Pu ng Your C en s a he Cen er n The P ch


generic,one-size-fits-all—inotherwords,boring.Notsurprisingly,eventhoughsomecompaniesspendmillionsofdollarsandcountlesshoursanduntoldenergyincreatingthesepresentations,thesalesteamignoresthem.Andwhocanblamethem?Afterall,thecannedpresentationsinrealitywouldlikelycausethemtolosesalesratherthanwinthem,becauseiftheyactuallydeliveredthesepresentations,theirprospectiveclientswouldsendthemoutthedoorforwastingtheirtimewithaone-way,domineeringrecitalofbulletpoints.

TheproblemissolvedwhenthecompanygetsthemarketingandsalesteamstogetherinaroomandthenusesaprojectortoputtheBBPStoryTemplateonthescreensothateveryonecanworkonittogether,asshownintheexampleinFigure10-31.Now,byviewingtogetherthefirstfiveheadlinestheywriteofActI,bothmarketingandsalescanagreethatthesalespeopleinthefieldneedtostartstrongeverytimewithastorystructurethatputsthecompany’sprospectiveclientsinthestarringroleofthepresen-tation.WithyourSettingstatement,youaffirmtoyourclientthat“Yournumbershavebeenoffthemark”andintheRolethat“You’reunderpressuretoimproveyourgame.”Withthesetwosimplestatements,suddenlytheentirefocusofthepresentationhaschangedfrom“AllAboutUs”to“AllAboutYou”—thesalesperson’saudience.

FIGURE 10-31 Act ofTheP tchpresentat onexamp e.

Custom-tailoringthispresentationtothisspecificaudiencecontinuesinthePointAheadline,whichdefinestheclient’schallengeas“Yourcurrentmessagesarenotreachingyourtarget,”andinthePointBheadline,whichdefinestheclient’sgoalas“You’dliketohitthetargetmoreaccuratelyandfrequently.”HowdoestheclientgetfromAtoB?TheCalltoActionheadlineprovidesdirectionintheformofthestatement,“Aimforthreegoals,andyou’llhitthemarksyouwant.”

AsyourteammovestoActIItofleshouttherestofthepresentation,changetheActIIheadingsfrom“KeyPoint”to“Benefit,”from“Explanation”to“Feature,”andfrom“Detail”to“Demonstration”ifyouprefer.Now,intheKeyPoint(Benefit)column,writeheadlinesthatexplainhowaimingforthreegoalswillhelpyouraudiencehitthemarkstheywant.BychoosingtoanswerthequestionHow?,youmakethisanexplanatorypresentationratherthanapersuasiveone,asexplainedinChapter5.Thismakesthepresentationfeelmorelikeaconsultativeeducationalsessionthanastereotypicalsales

Chapter10 287

pitch.Butevenmoreimportantly,thisstructuredefinesandelevatesthethreemostimportantbenefitsastheclientseesthemfromthecontextofActI:

■ Key Point 1 HitbettersalesnumberswithServiceX.

■ Key Point 2 HitbettermarginswithServiceY.

■ Key Point 3 HitbettercustomerratingswithServiceZ.

Herethebenefitsfortheaudiencehavebeentightlyintegratedintothewordingoftheheadlinestobringthesebenefitstothetopleveloftheaudience’sattention.YoudefinitelywilltalkaboutyourservicesthroughouttherestoftheActIIcolumns,butnoweachofthreeKeyPoint(Benefit)slidesmakesitclearhowanyandalloftheinformationinthepresentationisimportanttotheaudience.Thisensuresthatfromthestart,youraudienceisperfectlyclearabouttheanswertothecontinuingquestion,“What’sinthisforme?”Ifyourserviceorproducthasmorethanthreebenefits,makethepresentationmodularbycreatingmoreKeyPointsectionsandhidingtheslidesthatdonotapplyorinterestaparticularclient.

Researching and Adding Available Graphics for The PitchFollowingyourstorytemplatemotifandstoryboardsketchesasusual,searchfortheterm“dartboard”atiStockphototofindaresultsimilartotheoneshowninFigure10-32.

FIGURE 10-32 Searchresu tfor“dartboard”at Stockphoto.



Reviewing the Act I Slides for The PitchNextcreateandapplyacustomlayoutfortheActIslidesthatleavestheheadlineswhitesothattheyarehiddenonthescreen.OntheSettingslide,includeacharttailoredtoyourclient’snumbers,asshownontheupperleftinFigure10-33,showingthenumbersdroppingasyoudescribeyourhiddenheadline“Yournumbershavebeenoffthemark,”andaddthedartboardtointroduceyourmotif.OntheRoleslide(upperright),continuethelineupwardsothatithitsthebull’seyeinthecenterofthedartboardasyouverballyexplainthehiddenheadline“You’reunderpressuretoimproveyourgame.”OnthePointAslide(lowerleft),addthephotoofthedartandrotateittopointupward,off-targetfromaredbull’seyethatyoucreateusingthePowerPointdrawingtools—hereyou’llrelatethehiddenheadline“Yourmessagesarenotreachingyourtarget.”Next,onthePointBslide(lowerright),rotatethedartsothatithitsthemiddleofthebull’seyetargetasyouexplainyourhiddenheadline“You’dliketohitthetargetmoreaccuratelyandfrequently.”

FIGURE 10-33 TheSett ng,Ro e,Po ntA,andPo ntBs desofTheP tch.

Ifyoucanpullitoff,bringarealdartboardtothesalescallthatusesdartswithplasticsafetytips,andhangitonawallorplaceitonachair.WhenyouclicktothePointAslide,throwadartandmissthebull’seye.WhenyouadvancetothePointBslide,placeadartinthebull’seyebyhand.Ofcourse,usingapropisagoodwaytopromptaconversation—forexample,duringthePointAslide,youmightask,“Doyoualwayshitabull’seyewithyourmessaging?”andduringthePointBslide,youmightask,“Wouldyouliketofindawaytohitthetargetmoreaccurately?”

Chapter10 289

Reviewing the Call to Action and Key Point Slides for The PitchWhenyoucreatetheCalltoActionslideshownontheupperleftinFigure10-34,placethedartboardgraphicatthecenter,andduplicatethedarttwicesothatyouhavethreedartstorotateandpositionatthebull’seye.Leavetheheadlinehiddenasyouverballyrelatethepoint,“Aimforthreegoals,andyou’llhitthemarksyouwant.”FortheKeyPoint(Benefit)slides(upperright,lowerleft,andlowerright),applyasplit-screencustomlayoutasdescribedinAppendixE,usingaPictureplaceholderontherighthalfoftheslidesforthephotographs.Onthelefthalfofthecustomlayout,includethedartandbull’seyetosustainthatvisualelementthroughthepresentationatthesemostimpor-tantslides.ThedartboardanddartarealsoelementsthatfitnaturallyintoanavigationalbarthroughthecorrespondingExplanationandDetailslides.Itwillbeanicetouchtoleaveyouraudiencewiththeplasticdartsanddartboard,whichwillserveaspersistentphysicalremindersofyourmotifandmemorablemessage.

FIGURE 10-34 TheCa toAct onandKeyPo nts desofTheP tchpresentat on.

You’llcontinuetocreateyourActIIslidesasusual,andwhenyoureachtheDemonstration(Detail)slides,you’llswitchovertoanotherapplicationonyourdesktop,asdescribedinChapters7and8,toshowsectionsofyourlivedemonstrationofServicesX,Y,andZattheappropriateplaces.

Withthestorytemplateasafoundation,theBBPprocessproducesacrisppackagethatiseasyforanysalespersontotailorandcustomize,usingcustomlayoutsandplaceholdersthatdonotrequirethesalespersontohaveanygraphicalskillincreating



layouts.Butperhapsmostimportantly,becausethesalesforceisinvolvedinthecreativeconceptionanddevelopmentofthisstory,theywillfeeltheyownitandthiswillbesomethingtheyreallyuse.

Asment onedatthestartofth schapter,thedes gnconstra ntsoftheexamp es nth schapter nc udea m tedbudget,stockphotography,andgraph csthatcanbecreatedw th nPowerPo nt W tha argerbudget,h reaprofess ona des gnertocreatecustom ayoutsandgraph csespec a yforyourpresentat on W th nyourbudgetandt meconstra nts,on yyour mag nat onandcreat v tyw m ttheposs b t es

Handling Objections to BBPAsyoubegintheprocessofcreatingaBBPpresentation,keepinmindthateverydecisionyoumakealongthewaycanmeanthedifferencebetweenwhetherornotyouhitthemarkwithyouraudience.Yoursuccessdependsonthewordsyouchooseforyourstorytemplate,theillustrationsyousketchonthestoryboard,theaestheticsyoucreateacrosstheslideswiththegraphicsyouadd,andfinallythewayyoudeliverthepresentationandengageyouraudience.

IfyoutryBBPanditdoesn’tworkorisotherwisenotreceivedwell,themostcommonreasonsarebecausethestorytemplate,storyboard,graphics,aesthetics,ordeliveryneedmorework.Sometimesthecontentofthestorytemplateisanintellectualmismatchwiththeaudience,orthewordingistoosimplistic—ornotsimpleenough.Attimesthestoryboardgraphicsareanaestheticmismatch,orthedeliverystyledoesnotconnectwiththeaudience.Ifanyofthesemightbeanissue,discussthesituationwithyourteam—andwithyouraudience,ifpossible—tofigureoutwhathappened,andthenre-turntothestorytemplate,thestoryboard,thegroundrules,andyouraudienceresearch.

However,youmightpresentaperfectlygoodBBPpresentationandstillfindthattheaudienceisresistanttoyourapproach.Forexample,ifyougiveyourfirstBBPpresenta-tiontoagroupwherethereisastrongbullet-pointculture,theirimmediateresponsemightbe“Wherearethebulletpointsthatweexpect?”or“Thisistoosimplistic—where’sthetext?”Ifyouexpectyoumightgetthatreaction,preparetheaudienceinadvanceforwhatisabouttocome.Bringhandoutsofthenotespages,andpassthemoutwhileyouverballyassureyouraudiencethatthedetailedinformationisavailablehereinprintedformatinsteadofontheslides.Assurethemthatyourespecttheirtimesomuchthatyou’vedoneagreatdealofadvanceworktoidentifyonlythemostimportantinforma-tiontheyneedtoknowsothatyoudon’twastetheirtime.

Chapter10 291

BBPisahugeshiftinthinkingandaction,anditcanrepresentathreattoexistingpoliticalstructureswithinorganizations.Someoftheexamplesinthischapterdemon-stratethattherearedeeplyingrainedPowerPointhabitsandcultures,andtherecanbeagreatdealofresistancetodoinganythingdifferentlyfromwhatisnormallydone.OftentheobjectionstoBBPhavenothingtodowiththemethodologyorthecontentofapresentation,butinsteadareattemptstodemonstrateanaudiencemember’spowerbypubliclyraisingdoubtsaboutthepresenter’scredibility.Inothercases,usingBBPwellcanmakeothersfeeluncomfortablethattheydon’tknowsomethingthatyoudo,andasaresult,theymighttrytoundermineyou.

IttakesleadershiptoensurethatBBPworks,especiallywhenworkingwithteamsandwithinorganizations.It’snotamatterofsimplyhavinganeffec-tiveapproach,becauseeventhebestapproachintheworldcanbestifledbyanentrenchedbullet-pointculture.Ifyourorganization’sculturecannotstrayoutsidethenarrowboundsoftheconventionalPowerPointapproach,itwilltakeanorganization-widecommitmentfromseniorleadershipthatgiveseveryonepermissionandtheresourcestomakeasuccessfultransitiontoamoreeffectiveapproach.Thishashappenedattheboardofdirectorslevelofmajororganiza-tionsthathavedecidedtomovebeyondaconventionalapproachthatnolongerworksforthem.

Ifyouexpectyoumightgetthesetypesofreactions,listentothecomments.Iftheyarevalidconcerns,acceptthemandreplythatyou’lltakethemintoaccountwhileyouprepareyournextpresentation.Butifthecommentsaremoreaboutpoliticsthanthepresentation,defendyourBBPfoundationandexplainhowandwhyBBPworkseffec-tivelytoincreasetheaudience’sunderstandingofyourmaterial.ExplaintheresearchrealitiesfromChapter2,theclassicalstorystructureofActIfromChapter4,thelogicalcritical-thinkingstructureofActIIfromChapter5,andthewaythestoryboardbalancesverbalandvisualchannelsfromChapters6through8.Ifappropriate,setupaseparatemeetingatyourorganizationwhereyouusetheChapter2researchrealitiestocomparetheoldwayandtheBBPwaysidebyside.WhenyouareconfidentyouhaveeffectivelypreparedyourpresentationusingBBP,youcanbeconfidentthatyoupresentaclearcaseforhowandwhyyourpresentationworks.

Hand ng Objec ons o BBP

293

APPENDIX A

BEYOND BULLET POINTS (BBP) nc udessetsofgroundru esand

check ststogu deyouthroughtheprocessdescr bed nth sbook—here

theyarecomp ed nonep aceforeasyreference

The BBP Ground RulesTheBBPGroundRulescoverthefundamentalsyoushouldfollowthrougheachofthekeyphasesofdevelopingaBBPpresentation.

Three Ground Rules for Writing HeadlinesYourBBPStoryTemplatedependsonaspecialwritingstylethatboilsdownyourstorytoitsessence.Followthesethreegroundrulestokeepyourwritingconcise:

■ Writeconcise,completesentenceswithasubjectandaverbinactivetense.

■ Beclear,direct,specific,andconversational.

■ Linkyourideasacrosscells.

BBP Ground Rules and Checklists

294 AppendixA BBP Ground Ru es and Check s s

Three Ground Rules for StoryboardingInspiredbyafilmmaker’sstoryboard,yourMicrosoftPowerPointstoryboardhelpsyoumanageboththewordsyouspeakandtheimagesyoushow.Followthesethreegroundrulestokeepyourstoryboardcoherent:

■ Bevisuallyconcise,clear,direct,andspecific.

■ InActII,sketchconsistencywithincolumnsandvarietyacrosscolumns.

■ Sketchoutsidethescreentoo.

Three Ground Rules for Adding GraphicsAddinggraphicsisthecruciallaststepindesigningthestoryboard.Followthesethreegroundrulestomakesureyougetthegraphicsright:

■ Seeitinseconds.

■ Aligntheaestheticswiththeaudience.

■ Defendyourfoundation!

Three Ground Rules for Delivering Your PresentationYoursinglestoryboardhelpsyoumanageyourspokenwords,projectedvisuals,andprintedhandouts.Followthesethreegroundrulestoensurethattherestofthelivepresentationexperienceisengaging:

■ Stepintothescreen.

■ Removethedistractions.

■ Managetheflow.

Curren Head ng 1,h1 Sec on T e AppendixA 295

The BBP ChecklistsTheBBPChecklistsensurethatyoucoverthemostimportanttasksthrougheachphaseofdevelopingaBBPpresentation.

Checklist: Planning Your First Five SlidesDothefirstfiveslidesofyourpresentation

■ Orientyouraudiencetothesettingofthepresentation?

■ Interestthembyacknowledgingtheirroleinthesetting?

■ Engagethememotionallybydescribingachallengetheyface(PointA)?

■ Motivatethembyaffirmingwhattheywant(PointB)?

■ FocusthembyofferingawaytogetfromPointAtoPointB(thatis,deliveracalltoaction)?

Checklist: Planning the Rest of Your SlidesDotherestofyourslidesinActII

■ JustifyyourCalltoActionslidewithyourkeypoints?

■ ClarifyyourKeyPointslideswithfurtherexplanation?

■ BackupyourExplanationslideswiththeappropriatedetail?

■ Putyourideasinalogicalsequenceandpriority?

■ Integrateyourmotifverballythroughyourheadlines?

Checklist: Preparing the StoryboardDoesyourstoryboard

■ IncludebackgroundsthatcuetheKeyPoint,Explanation,andDetailslides?

■ Provideyouwiththeabilitytoquicklyscaleyourpresentationupanddowntotime?

■ Containnotesinthenotesareaofwhatyou’llsayduringeachslide?

296 AppendixA BBP Ground Ru es and Check s s

Checklist: Sketching the StoryboardDoyourstoryboardsketchesshowclearly

■ WhereyourActI,KeyPoint,Explanation,andDetailslidesare?

■ Howyoutellyourstoryacrossframes,ateachlevelofthestoryboard?

■ Whichgraphicsyou’lluse?

■ Whereyouwilluseinteraction,props,andothermedia?

Checklist: Adding Graphics to the StoryboardDoyourfinalgraphics

■ Clearlyillustrateeachheadlineinthesimplestwaypossible?

■ Showconsistencywithinlevelsofthepresentationhierarchyandvarietyacrosslevels?

■ Keepyourslidesfreeofanyextraneousvisualinformation?

■ Alignwiththeaestheticsofyouraudience?

Checklist: Delivering Your PresentationBeforeandduringthepresentation,doyou

■ Preparetheenvironment,checkthetechnology,andproperlyrehearseinadvance?

■ Useyourphysicalpresenceandvoicetobringtheexperiencetolife?

■ Engageyouraudiencebothimplicitlyandexplicitly?

■ UsethetoolsandtechniquesofBBPtomanagetheworkingmemoryofyouraudience?

297

APPENDIX B

MICROSOFT POWERPOINT offersyoutwov ewstopresentyour

BeyondBu etPo nts(BBP)s destoyouraud ences theusua S deShow

v ewandPresenterv ew

Using Slide Show View and ToolsWhenyoupresentBBPslidesusingSlideShowview,alltheelementsyoudesignedintotheslidestohelptheaudience’sworkingmemorywillalsohelpyoutopresent.Theheadlineswillcueyouaboutwhattosay,andthegraphicswillprovideyouwithadditionalvisualprompts.Thechanginglayoutsandoptionalnavigationalbarwillkeepyouorientedtoyourplaceinthepresentationandwhatcomesnext.Theseelementsplusthethoroughknowledgeofyourtopicmightbeenoughtokeepyouontrack;ifnot,printspeakernotesintheformatthatbestworksforyou,asdescribedinChapter9.

InSlideShowview,youseeyourslidesonyourownlaptopcomputerscreeninthesamefull-screenformatthatyouraudienceseesontheprojectorscreenintheroom.Asyouprepareyourpresentations,alwayscheckhowyourslideswilllooktotheaudiencebyusingSlideShowview.Todothis,ontheRibbon,gototheViewtab,andinthePresentationViewsgroup,clickSlideShowtobeginthepresentationfromthefirstslide—youdothisbypressingtheF5key.

Presenting BBP with Two Views

298 AppendixB Presen ng BBP w h Two V ews

AnotherwaytostartyourpresentationistogototheViewtoolbaronthestatusbaronthelowerrightinthewindowandthenclicktheSlideShowbuttontobeginthepresen-tationfromthecurrentslideselectedonyourscreen—alsodothisbyholdingdowntheShiftkeywhileyoupressF5.YetanotherwaytostartyourpresentationisfromtheSlideShowtab—intheStartSlideShowgroup,clickeitherFromBeginningorFromCurrentSlide.

WhenyoupresentinSlideShowviewusingaprojector,connectyourlaptoptotheprojectorasusual,followingtheinstructionsthatcomewithyourlaptopandtheprojector.Connectyourremotecontroldevicetothelaptopsothatyouareabletoadvanceandreversetheslideswithoutdistractingyouraudience.WhenyouareintheSlideShowviewofyourpresentation,movethemousepointertothelower-leftcornerofyourscreentodisplayfouriconsthatallowyoutoaccessadditionalpresentertools.ClickthePenicontoaccessaBallpointPen,FeltTipPen,orHighlightertool(asshowninFigureB-1)thatallowsyoutodraworhighlightinformationonthescreen.Usethesetoolsifyouhaveplannedfortheiruseonspecificslidesinyourstoryboard.You’llbeabletodrawonthescreenusingamouse.

FIGURE B-1 Presentertoo sava ab e nS deShowv ewwhenyoumovethemousepo ntertothe consnthe ower eftcornerofthescreen nth sexamp e,theFe tT pPentoo w tharedco or sse ected.

Beforeyoubeginthepresentation,whilethescreenisnotvisibletotheaudience,selectthepenandcoloryouprefer—theFeltTipPeninredisagoodcombinationforvisibility.Youwillseeasmalldotsomewhereonthescreenindicatingwhereyourpentipis—moveittothecornerofthescreensothatitisnoteasilyvisibletotheaudience.AfteryoudraworhighlightonthescreeninSlideShowview,presstheEkeytoeraseinkfromyourscreen,orpressCtrl+Mtoshow/hidetheinkmarkup.Ifyoudoaddinkorhighlightingtoaslide,whenyoupressEsctwicetoexitSlideShowview,youwill

AppendixB 299

seeawindowthataskswhetheryouwanttokeepordiscardtheinkannotations.You’llnormallywanttokeeptheinksothatyouhavearecordofwhatyouwroteduringthelivepresentationtosendtoaudiencemembers—youhavetheoptiontoselectanddeletetheinkfromtheslideslaterifyoudon’twantit.

IfyouuseaTabletPCtodeliveryourBBPpresentation,usethestyluswiththeSlideShowviewdrawingtoolstoproducesmoother,morenaturalhandwritingonthescreenthanotherwiseispossibletocreateusingamouse.

Using Presenter View and ToolsPresenterviewgivesyouarangeoffeaturestomanagealivepresentation.

TousePresenterview

■ Connectyourprojectortothevideoportofyourlaptop.

■ IfyouseeaDisplaySettingsdialogbox,clickthemonitorwhereyouwanttodisplayyourspeakernotes,andselectThisIsMyMainMonitor.(Formoreinformationaboutselectingmonitorsettings,visitMicrosoftWindowsHelptolocateyourWindowsDisplaySettings).

■ Clickthemonitoriconforthesecondmonitorwhereyouraudiencewillviewtheslides(theprojector),selecttheExtendMyWindowsDesktopontoThisMonitorcheckbox,andclickOK.Nowtheprojectorscreenisanextensionofyourlaptopscreen—asyoumovethemousepointeracrossyourlaptopscreen,youshouldbeabletocontinuetomoveitoffthelaptopscreenandacrosstheprojectorscreen.

■ OntheSlideShowtab,intheMonitorsgroup,clickUsePresenterView.UndertheShowOnpull-downmenu,selectthesecondmonitorwhereyourslideswillbedisplayedtoyouraudience(theprojector).

Delivering a Presentation Using Presenter ViewNowstartthepresentationasyouwouldusingSlideShowview—you’llseethepresentationinPresenterviewonyourlaptopscreen,asshowninFigureB-2.

Us ng Presen er V ew and Too s

300 AppendixB Presen ng BBP w h Two V ews

FIGURE B-2 Presenterv ewprov desmanyfeaturestohe pyoupresentfromyour aptopscreen.

Hereyou’llseemanyfeaturesthatwillhelpyouasapresenter.Theslidethatyouraudienceseesontheprojectorscreenappearsontheupperleft,andbelowthatisabarthatincludes,fromlefttoright,thecurrentslidenumberoutofthetotalslides,thetimeelapsedsinceyoustartedthepresentation,andthecurrenttime.Ontheupperrightisaspeakernotespanethatyouzoominorzoomouttoresize,andatthebottomofthescreenareslidethumbnails—thecurrentslideishighlighted.Usethescrollbartofindanotherslideandclicktheslidetoskipaheadtoit.

Tip

301

APPENDIX C

AS YOU WRITE yourPo ntAandBhead nes nActIofyourstory

temp ate,asshown nF gureC-1,youm ghtfind the pfu torev ew

arangeofphrasesthatprov dethewordsyoucanusetostarteach

head ne

FIGURE C-1 ThePo ntAce , eft,andthePo ntBce ,r ght, nAct ofthestorytemp ate.

Tousethistable,lookdownthePointAcolumn,andwhenyoufindaPointAphrasethatmatchesthechallengefacedbyyouraudience,lookacrossatthePointBcolumntoseeacorrespondingPointBphrase.Whenyou’vefoundoneofeach,refertoAppendixDtofillinthespacebetweenPointsAandBwithaCalltoActionstatement.

Starting Your Point A and B Headlines

302 AppendixC S ar ng Your Po n A and B Head nes

POINT A (WHAT CHALLENGE DO I FACE?)

POINT B (WHERE DO I WANT TO BE?)

You’reoverwhe medaboutx You’d ketoga ncontro

You’reunc earaboutx You’d ketobec ear

You’reuncerta naboutx You’d ketobecerta n

Youdon’tknowwhattodoaboutx You’d ketoknowwhattodo

Peop edon’tapprec ateyourva ue You’d kepeop edoapprec atewhatyoudo

You’vegotanunso vedprob emw thx You’d ketoso vetheprob em

S tuat onx s nd sarray You’d ketobr ngthes tuat on ntoorder

Youdon’tsuspectyouhaveaprob emw thx

You’d ketoknow fthere saprob em

S tuat onx sbadandgett ngworse You’d ketoturnth ngsaroundbefore t’stoo ate

S tuat onx sstagnat ng You’d ketost rth ngsup

There’sagreatnew deaoutthere You’d keto ncorporate t ntowhatyou’redo ngnow

There’sabad deaoutthere You’d ketoavo d tandst ckw thwhatyou’redo ng

You’reuncerta nwhetheryoushou dsupportx

You’recerta nyou’d ketog veyoursupport

Youdon’tknowyetaboutx You’d ketoknowabout t

There sconfus onaboutx You’d ketoc earuptheconfus on

There samb gu tyaboutx You’d kec ar ty

You’refee ngfrustratedaboutx You’d ketofee betterabout t

Youfee keyou’renotearn ngenough You’d keto mproveyourearn ngs

You’renotsure fwe’reagoodmatch You’d ketoknowmoresoyoucandec de

Youdon’tknowus You’d ketoknowus

Youdon’tknowhowtobeg nx You’d ketoknowhowtobeg n

Youdon’tknowhowyoucanhe p You’d ketoknowhowyoucanhe p

AppendixC 303

POINT A (WHAT CHALLENGE DO I FACE?)

POINT B (WHERE DO I WANT TO BE?)

You’reunc earhowa thep ecesfittogether

You’d ketobec earhowthep ecesfittogether

You’renotsurewhereyoushou dgo You’d ketoknowwheretogo

You’reunsurehowwe’vebeendo ng You’d ketoknowhowwe’vebeendo ng

You’refrustrated You’d ketoremovethefrustrat on

Theoddsareaga nstyou You’d ketofindawaytobeattheodds

You’red ssat sfiedw thx You’d ketobesat sfied

Youseeanegat vetrendregard ngx You’d ketoseeapos t vetrend

Yournumbersaredown You’d ketobr ngyournumbersup

Youfaceobstac es You’d ketoovercometheobstac es

Youhavesevera opt ons You’d ketochoosethebestopt on

You’vebeendea tabadhand You’d ketofigureouthowtow nthegame

Youfee outofcontro You’d ketoga ncontro

Youdon’tknowhowxhappened You’d ketoknowhowxhappened

You’veheardones deofthestory You’d ketoheartheothers deofthestory

You’reconcernedaboutx You’d ketoreso veyourconcern

Youdon’tknowwhattodo nanews tuat on

You’d ketoknowwhattodo

Youdon’tknowthetop c You’d ketoknowthetop c

You’reoverwhe med You’d ketoga ncontro

Yousee njust ce You’d ketofindjust ce

Thetruthhasbeenh dden You’d ketorevea thetruth

Someth ng s rr tat ngyou You’d ketoremovethe rr tat on

305

APPENDIX D

ONCE YOU HAVE wr ttenyourPo ntAandBhead nes,you’ needa

Ca toAct onhead netoc osethegap,asshown nF gureD-1,m dd e

Asyoucons derwhattowr te,rev ewarangeofphrasesthatprov de

thewordsyoucanusetostarteachhead ne

FIGURE D-1 TheCa toAct once ,m dd e, nAct ofthestorytemp ate.

Tousethetable,whichstartsonthenextpage,lookdownthemiddlecolumntoreviewwordsandphrasestobeginyourCalltoActionheadline,andthenlookattherangeofphrasesintherightcolumntocompletetheheadline.You’llfindarangeofCalltoActionheadlinepossibilities,includingmotifstointegratethroughtherestofthestorytemplate.Thisisonlyapartiallisttogetyoustarted—feelfreetokeepbuildingthetablewithyourownheadlines.

Starting Your Call to Action Headlines

306 AppendixD S ar ng Your Ca o Ac on Head nes

Explanation UnderstandObserveSee

howth sworksthewayth s sstructuredthethreecomponentsthethreesect ons

Recommendation Partnerw thWorkw thH reJo nAskMakeuseofTe Support

usourpeop eourteamourorgan zat onournetwork

ApproveAcceptPerm tAdoptBuySupportFac tateBeassuredof

the deatheeffortstheproposa thebudgettheproducttheserv cethe n t at ve

D sapproveRejectPreventDon’tadoptDon’tbuyDon’tsupportQuest onDoubt

the deatheeffortstheproposa thebudgettheproducttheserv cethe n t at ve

AdjustChangeTransform

yourstrategyyourcourseyours tuat on

Share your deasrespons b tytheburdenther sk

Grow moremarketsharebetterre at onsh ps

AppendixD 307

The checklist motif Checkoff three temsfromthe stthreeth ngsyouneedtodo

Fo ow threes mp estepstheformu a(A+B=C;1+2=3)

DoTh nk

threeth ngs

The journey motif Fo ow thethreeroads gnstheroadmap

LookforAvo d

thethreep tfa sthethreedangersthethreem sseds gna s

D scoverF ndUncover

thethreee ementstheh ddentreasurethethreesecretsanewroutewhathasbeenh ddenfromyou

The game motif Puttogetherthepuzz eSo vethepuzz e

nthreestepstorevea theb gp cturetod scoverwhathappened

Score atouchdownagoa arun

W n agoa thegame

Watch howtheshe gamewasp ayedhowthehouseofcardswasbu thowthehand sp ayedhowthecardsweredea t

H tA mfor

thetargetthebu ’seye

308 AppendixD S ar ng Your Ca o Ac on Head nes

The project motif Bu d thestructure nthreestepsthethreepartsofastrongfoundat on

Tap nto threeund scoveredwe sthreenewopportun t es

RemoveAvo dOvercome

thethreebarr ersthethreeobstac esthethreehurd es

Bu dabr dgeCrossthechasm

togettotheothers detogetwhatyouwant

Turn taround nthreestagesnthreesteps

The story motif WatchFo owPayattent onto

howthestoryunfo dsmot ve+means=deaththethreepartsofthestoryActI,ActII,ActIII

F ndInterpretFo ow

thethreec ues

309

APPENDIX E

TO CREATE custom ayoutsforyourvar ous eve sofs des,ontheV ew

tab, nthePresentat onV ewsgroup,c ckS deMaster IntheOverv ew

paneonthe eft,youw seethebu t- n ayoutstoapp ytoyours des

Addanycustom ayoutsherethatyouwant,andasa ways,thebestp ace

tobeg n sw ththemost mportants des nthepresentat on

Creating the Key Point Slide Layout ManuallyAsyoudiscoveredwithyoursketchesinChapter7,youuselayoutsinmanydifferentwaystomakeyoursetofKeyPointslidesstandoutfromtheothers.Onequickandeasywaytomaketheseim-portantslidesstandoutistoapplyasplit-screenlayouttothem.Tocreateacustomsplit-screenlayouttoapplytoyourKeyPointslides,followthesesteps:

1. IntheOverviewpane,right-clickthelargeOfficeThemeSlideMasterslide.WhenyouselectanySlideMasterintheOverviewpane,allofitseditableelementsappearinthelargeviewoftheSlideMasterintheslidepane.TheSlideMasterdeterminestheformattingofanynewSlideMastersandcustomlayoutsyouwillcreate.Adjustthefonttype,size,andcolorifyouwanttoapplythosechangestoallslidesgo-ingforward,butdonotdeleteanythingfromthisparticularSlideMaster.Whenyoufinish,intheOverviewpane,right-clicktheSlideMasterandselectPreserveMaster.

Creating Custom BBP Layouts

310 AppendixE Crea ng Cus om BBP ayou s

2. IntheOverviewpane,positionthecursordirectlybelowtheSlideMasterslide,andthenright-clickandchooseInsertLayout.

3. Right-clickthecustomlayoutyoucreated,chooseRenameLayout,andintheRenameLayoutdialogbox,typeKeyPointandthenclickRename.

4. Intheslidepane,right-clickthelargeviewoftheSlideMasterandselectGridAndGuides,andinthe GridAndGuidesdialogbox,underGuideSettings,selecttheDisplayDrawingGuidesOnScreencheckbox,andthenclickOK.

Thisgivesyoutemporaryguidestohelpalignobjectsonaslide;removethembyfollowingthesamestepsandclearingthecheckbox.SeePowerPointHelptolearnmoreabouthowtousetemporaryguides.

5. Onthe SlideMaster tab,intheMasterLayoutgroup,cleartheFooterscheckbox,andthenclickInsertPlaceholder,clickPicture,anddragarectangletofilltheentirerighthalfoftheslide.

6. Next,ontheInserttab,intheIllustrationsgroup,clickShapes.ClickRectangle,anddragarectangletofilltheentirelefthalfoftheslide.

7. Right-clicktherectangle,andspecifyafillcolor—inthisexample,black.

8. HolddowntheShiftkeyasyouselectboththerectangleandplaceholder,right-click,andthenclick SendToBack.

9. Selectthetitlearea,anddragitdownandtothecenteroftherectangleontheleft,usingtheresizinghandlesasneeded.ChangethetextinthetitleareatoreadClicktoeditKeyPointheadline.Ifyouneedtochangethecontrastofthefontcolortomakeitreadableagainstthecoloryouchosefortherectangle,right-clickthetitlearea,andchangetheFontcolor—inthisexample,towhite,asshowninFigureE-1.

10. OntheSlideMasterViewtab,clickCloseMasterViewtoreturntoNormalview.

Tip

AppendixE 311

NowthatyouhavedesignedtheKeyPointcustomlayout,selectaKeyPointslide,andontheHometab,intheSlidesgroup,clickLayout.TheOfficeThemewindownowincludestheKeyPointcustomlayoutyoucreated,asshowninFigureE-2.

FIGURE E-1 Des gn ngacustom ayoutfortheKeyPo nts des.

FIGURE E-2 Se ect ngtheKeyPo ntcustom ayouttoapp ytoas de.

ClicktheKeyPointlayout,andtheformattingwillbeautomaticallyapplied,asshowninFigureE-3.

Crea ng he Key Po n S de ayou Manua y


FIGURE E-3 AKeyPo nts dew ththeKeyPo ntcustom ayoutapp ed.

TherearetwowaystoinsertaphotographinthePictureplaceholderontherighthalfofthisslide.ThefirstwayistofindapictureandcopyitandthenclickthePictureplace-holder—notthePictureicon—andclickPaste.ThesecondwayistoclickthePictureiconinthecenterofthePictureplaceholdertodisplaytheInsertPicturedialogbox,asshowninFigureE-4.Whenyoufindaphotoyouplantouse,itisgoodpracticetosaveitinafamiliarfolderonyourcomputerornetworktoeasilylocateit.

FIGURE E-4 Se ect ngaphotographto nsert.

AppendixE 313

Whichevermethodofinsertingaphotoyouuse,thephotoautomaticallyfillsthePictureplaceholderthatyouaddedtothecustomlayout,fillingtherighthalfofthescreen.Althoughtheoriginalphotoishorizontal,thePictureplaceholderhasautomaticallycroppedthephototofilltheverticalspace.Ifsizingphotosisnotyourtalent,thisfeaturetakescareofthingsforyou.Toresizeorrecropthephotothewayyouwant,selectthepicture,asshowninFigureE-5,andusethetoolsonthePictureToolstabtomakeadjustments.

FIGURE E-5 Aphotographautomat ca ycroppedand nserted ntotheP cturep aceho der.

Creating the Explanation Slide Layout ManuallyNext,followsimilarstepstocreateacustomlayoutthatyouwillapplytoalltheExplanationslides,basedonwhatyousketchedinChapter7.Again,usingasplit-screenlayoutforalltheExplanationslidesinthisexamplepresentationisonlyonewaytogo,butinthiscase,asimilarlayoutwillcomplementtheKeyPointslidelayout.Tocreateanothercustomsplit-screenlayouttoapplytoallyourExplanationslides,followthesesteps:

1. OntheViewtab,clickSlideMaster.

2. IntheOverviewpane,positionthecursordirectlybelowtheKeyPointlayoutyoucreatedearlier,andthenright-clickitandchooseInsertLayout.

3. Right-clickthecustomlayoutyoucreated,chooseRenameLayout,andintheRenameLayoutdialogbox,typeExplanationandthenclickRename.

Crea ng he Key Po n S de ayou Manua y


4. OntheSlideMastertab,intheMasterLayoutgroup,cleartheFooterscheckbox.WhenyouclickInsertPlaceholdertoaddaplaceholderontherighthalfoftheslide,takealookattherangeofothertypesofplaceholderstouseinthecustomlayout.OntheKeyPointcustomlayoutshownearlier,thesketchesindicatedtherewouldalwaysbeaphotoontheKeyPointslides,soselectingaPictureplaceholderwasagoodfitandprovidedtheaddedfeatureofautomaticallycroppingphotostofitthespace.ButhereontheExplanationslides,ifyouwantflexibilitybeyondjustphotographs,chooseContent,asshowninFigureE-6—thiswillallowyoutoinsertarangeoftypesofcontentontheslideswhereyouapplythislayout.Alternatively,youdon’thavetouseaplaceholderatallinyourcustomlayout—inthatcase,lateraddgraphicsmanuallytoyourslides.

FIGURE E-6 Des gn ngacustom ayoutfortheExp anat ons des the nsertP aceho derdrop downmenushowsarangeofopt ons.

5. AsyoudidintheKeyPointlayout,addarectangletofilltheleftsideoftheslide.FillthisrectanglewithadifferentcolorthatincombinationwiththelayoutwillcallattentiontotheseExplanationslidessecond,aftertheKeyPointslides.AsyoudidearlierwiththeKeyPointcustomlayout,selecttherectangleandplaceholderandsendthemtotheback,dragtheheadlineovertheboxontheleftside,andchangethefontcolorifyouneedtomakeitmorelegible.ChangethetextinthetitleareatoreadClicktoeditExplanationheadline.

AppendixE 315

Creating the Detail Slide Layout ManuallyNowcreateacustomlayoutfortheDetailslides.BecausetheKeyPointandExplanationslidelayoutsarefirstandsecond,respectively,invisualprominenceinSlideSorterview,youdon’tneedtocreateasplit-screenlayouthereontheDetailslidelayouttomaketheseslidesstandout.TocreateacustomlayouttoapplytoallyourDetailslides,followthesesteps:

1. OntheViewtab,clickSlideMaster.

2. IntheOverviewpane,positionthecursordirectlybelowtheExplanationlayoutyoujustcreated,andthenright-clickandchooseInsertLayout.

3. Right-clickthecustomlayoutyoucreated,chooseRenameLayout,andintheRenameLayoutdialogbox,typeDetailandthenclickRename.

4. OntheSlideMastertab,intheMasterLayoutgroup,cleartheFooterscheckbox.Leavethelayoutasitis,exceptinsertaContentplaceholder,anddragtheplace-holdertofilltheslidebelowtheheadline;thendeletethetextfromtheContentplaceholder.ChangethetextinthetitleareatoreadClicktoeditDetailheadline.

FIGURE E-7 Des gn ngacustom ayoutfortheDeta s des.

TocreateanavigationbarintheDetailslidelayout,insertarectangleshape,anddragandsizeittofitacrossthebottomoftheslide,asshowninFigureE-7.Placingthebarwillnotinterferewiththesimplevisualreadingoftheslides,anditsgraycolorwillnotcall

Crea ng he De a S de ayou Manua y


attentiontoit.AddthesamebartotheExplanationslidelayoutyoucreatedearliersothatthebarvisuallylinkstheExplanationandDetailslidelayouts.

Adding an Optional Navigation Bar ManuallyIfyouwanttouseanadditionalelementtohelpviewersnavigatethepresentation,addasmalliconinthelower-rightcorner.Themagnificationofthelower-rightcorneroftheDetailslidelayout,showninFigureE-8,showsasimpleclipboardthatoffersasubtlevisualcuetoguideyouraudiencethroughthissectionofthepresentation.Itssmallsizeensuresthatitdoesn’tinterferewiththeoverallcompositionoftheslide.Toaddabitmorenavigationalassistance,addthenumber1totheclipboardtoindicatethefirstsec-tionofthispartofthepresentation.Ifyoudothat,youwillneedtoduplicatethisDetailcustomlayouttwice,renamethenewlayouts,andthenadda2anda3totheduplicatelayoutstoapplytotheothercorrespondingsections.Ifyou’retemptedtoaddyourcorporatelogoheretothenavigationbar,don’t—itonlyaddsextraneousinformationtothescreenthatneitherillustratesthepointoftheslideheadlinesnorcuestheaudienceaboutthepresentation’sorganization.

FIGURE E-8 Azoomed nv ewofanav gat ona e ement nthe ower r ghtcorneroftheDeta s de ayout.

Ifyoudocreateyourowncustomlayoutsandnavigationalelementsmanually,eachtimeyoudoso,youwillbebuildingmaterialtoaddtoaBBPlibrarytouseinfuturepresentations.

AppendixE 317

Adding Automated AnimationRemembertointroduceinformationonthescreeninthesameorderyouwantyouraudience’sworkingmemorytoprocessit—firsttheheadlineyouwanttheaudiencetoquicklyread,andsecondthegraphicalelementyouwanttheaudiencetoseeimmedi-atelyafterward.Dothisefficientlywhenyousetupthecustomlayoutwithplaceholders.Forexample,intheearlierKeyPointslidelayout,selecttheTitleplaceholderandthePictureplaceholder,andthenontheAnimationstab,clickCustomAnimation.IntheCustomAnimationpanel,selectAddEffect,pointtoEntrance,andthenclickFade.IntheStartdrop-downlist,selectAfterPrevious,andintheSpeeddrop-downlist,selectFast,asshowninFigureE-9.OntheSlideMastertab,clickCloseMasterView.

FIGURE E-9 Add ngan mat ontothehead neandp aceho der ntheKeyPo nts de ayout.

NoweveryslidethatusestheKeyPointslidecustomlayoutwithaphotoplaceholderwillautomaticallyfadeintheheadlinefirstandthepictureimmediatelyafterward—thesequenceinwhichyouwanttheaudience’sworkingmemorytoprocessthenewinformation.Introducingtheheadlineandgraphicinthiswayaddsaconsistentandsubtlemovementtothescreenwithoutdrawingattentionawayfromyourmessage.Fortheanimationtoworkonyourslides,insertgraphicsusingplaceholdersasdescribedearlier—ifyouaddgraphicstotheslidesmanually,addanimationtoeachonemanually.

Add ng an Op ona Nav ga on Bar Manua y


Tip

Adjusting the Notes Master Layout Whenyoufinishmakingchangestoyourcustomlayouts,ontheViewtab,inthePresentationViewsgroup,clickNotesMaster.Hereaddanymoregraphicalelementsthatyouwanttoappearlaterwhenyouprintnotespagesofyourpresentationasahandout.Forexample,addthelogoofyourcompanytoappearinyourprintedhand-outsbyinsertingitinthelower-leftcorneroftheNotesMasterlayout,asshowninFigureE-10,orincludeapagenumberinthelower-rightcorner.

FIGURE E-10 Des gn ngtheNotesMaster.

IncludingyourcompanylogoontheNotesMastersothatitappearsonprintedhandoutswillnotdistractfromthevisual-verbalbalancethatyouestablishedwiththeslidearea,selectedinFigureE-10,andthenotesareabelow.

Whenyoufinishmakinganychangeshere,ontheNotesMastertab,clickCloseMasterView.

Index

319

AAct ofstorytemp ate,53

emot ona connect on,estab sh ng,97

essenceof,88firstfivehead nes,57 58firstfives des,sketch ng,62 63foundat on,estab sh ng,76graph cs,add ngtos des,

221 223head nes,h d ng,222 223head nesarea,76head nes,patternfor,78persuas vestructurefor,

103 104purposeof,276sketch ng,169 181storythread,58storyte ngfoundat on,255t psforenhanc ng,98 104vers onsof,100wr t ngandrev s ng,96

Act Sketches ayout,145Act ofstorytemp ate,53,59 60,

105 109bra nstorm ngforhead nes,

134 135check stfor,127co umnhead ngs,a ternat ves,

132 133co umnhead ngs,renam ng,

269,277,281co umnhead ngs,ta or ngto

profess on,255co umns,cons stencyandvar ety

acrossand n,155 156dynam cstructureof,126examp esof,112fi ng n,113groupdeve opment,135head nes,ta or ngto

profess on,109

head nes,v s b tyof,255h erarchyconcept,109 110KeyPo ntco umn,106 108KeyPo nthead nes,112 115KeyPo nthead nes,c ar fy ng,

118 122og c treestructure,59mu t p evers onsof,133purposeof,128 130sca ab tyand,128Scene1,111 125Scenes2and3,125 127sp tt ng ntoscenes,130asstructureofpresentat on,277

Act s des,creat ng,227act on/react ondynam c,126act vevo ce,72adventurestor es,83advert s ngtechn ques,102 103aesthet cs

a gn ngw thaud ence,206 210s mp esty e,209

A ey,M chae ,45Ana ys s,The,268 276

Ca toAct onandKeyPo nts des,274 276

graph cs,add ng,271 272recommendat onsfirst,270 271Sett ng,Ro e,Po ntA,andPo nt

Bs des,272 274ana ys s re atedAct co umn

head ngs,133anecdotes

ntroduc ngtop csw th,6start ngpresentat onsw th,172

an mat on,179,283add ng,317 318

ant c pat on,creat ng,7app cat ons,sw tch ngbetween,

198,220Ar stot e,52,54,98Atk nson,C ff,23,27

attent oncompet ngfor,75focus ng,185gu d ngw thNorma v ew,

42 48manag ngacrosst me,204sp tt ng,39,120,137,148

aud enceaesthet csof,a gn ngw th,

206 210,271ant c pat on,bu d ngw th,7center ngact onaround,9,

256 257cha engefac ng,82 86,

101 102,257emot ona connect onw th,7,

16 17,97engag ng,75,82 86,88 89,

173 175,177,236fam arstructuresfor,93fee ngsofownersh p,263focus ng,90 92nteract ngw th,177,187 188nterdependencew thspeaker,244

nterest ng nro e nstory,80 82

ntroductorys defor,171know ngyouraud ence,3asma ncharacterofstory,80,

242med aexper ence, mmers ng

n,68memory m tsof,25 28.See

alsowork ngmemorymot f,resonancew th,94mot vat ng,86 87new nformat onprocess ng,30or ent ngtopresentat on,79 80phys ca comfortof,238po ng,177research ng,206 207retent onof nformat on,28

320

aud ence(continued)sp tt ngattent onof,39,120,

137,148ta or ngpresentat onsto,100transferr ng nformat onto,28v sua z ng,100 101word ngfor,90wr t ngto eve of,73

aud encesupport,242aud o,jud c oususeof,185

BBkey,185backgrounds(ofs des)

app y ng,64b ack,185forCa toAct ons de,144ascuesfors de mportance,

30 31forExp anat ons des,144formatt ngmanua y,162forh erarch ca eve s,61forKeyPo nts des,144pre m nary,143 146s mp c tyof,45un form tyof,32

Badde ey,A anD.,35Ba po ntPentoo ,298BBPapproach

foranytop c,253 254attent on,gu d ngw th,43 45cons stency n,211 212dua channe s,address ng,35 37effect venessof,3,17 18funct onsof,18for nformat ona presentat ons,

89eadersh psupportof,291m tsofwork ngmemoryand,29 31

for ongc assesandmu t yearcurr cu ums,285

m n ma ststy eof,207object onsto,290 291rehears ng,240forteams,51too sfor,50v ews,orderofuse,20 21

BBPcharts brar es,233BBPCheck sts,295 296BBPdes gn brar es,233

BBPGroundRu es,72,293 294.Seealsogroundru es

BBPpresentat ons,1 2,17.Seealsopresentat ons

on nepresentat ons,247 248TheAna ys s,268 276TheC ass,280 285TheP tch,285 290TheP an,259 268TheReport,276 280TheTr a ,254 259

BBPStoryboardFormattercustom z ngsett ngs,143down oad ng,141mport nghead nesw th,141 143

nsta ng,162predes gned ayouts,215,217

BBPStoryboardSketchpad,164BBPStoryTemp ate,51 57,67.See

alsoAct ofstorytemp ate;Act ofstorytemp ate

Act ,105 136acts,53benefitsof,130bra nstorm ngand,134 135break ngup deas ntoce s,74by nes,243c ass ca storyte ngstructure

and,52 54forco aborat vewr t ng,74down oad ng,71gett ngagreementon,131pract ca app cat onof,55 57aspresentat onscr pt,51 52pr nt ng,137,139,241reformatt ngmanua y,140 141rev ew nganded t ng,130 131,

199s des,transform ng nto,56storyboard ng,aspreparat on

for,139t psfor mprov ng,131 135too sfor,55troub ecomp et ng,125 126updat ng,139,155usesbeyondPowerPo nt,134v sua andverba c ar ty,66

Berenson,A ex,16,17BeyondBu etPo ntsapproach.

SeeBBPapproachb ack ngoutthescreen,185,220

b anks des,de et ng,142b ockbustermot fs,95b ow ngthewh st estor es,83Bodyp aceho der,161Boett nger,HenryM.,83,251Bonnet,James,99bra nstorm ngforhead nes,

134 135brand ngtechn quesforCTA+3

s des,182 183budgetofproject,203bu ets,read nga oud,41bury ngthe ead,96,271by neofpresentat on,77 78,243

CCa toAct onhead nes,90 92,97

dec s on mak ngformat,91exp a n ng,111 112just fy ng,106,112 115rev s ng,117whyorhowtoaccomp sh,

113 114Ca toAct ons des

background,91dup cat ng nreso ut on,227graph cs,add ngto,218 219head nes,305 308pre m narybackgroundfor,144sketch ng,181 188

cannedpresentat ons,285 286categoryhead ngs,47ce s

nsert ng,125nk ng deasacross,74merg ng,125

centerofact on,aud enceas,9,256 257

cha engefac ngaud ence,82 86,89,101 102

present ngtoaud ence,257reso ut onof,86 87,90 92

cha engestor es,83charts

bu d ngacrossmu t p es des,196 197

c utter free,226deta of,222onDeta s des,197braryof,233

aud ence

321

Ddec s onpo nts,113defau t ayout,adjust ng,206de egat ngtasks,213de ver ngthepresentat on

check stfor,247,296confidenceabout,235d a og,creat ng,242 245d fferentcontexts,prepar ng

for,246d stract ons,remov ng,236 237,

238 242flow,manag ng,237groundru esfor,235 237,294mprov sat on,245 246nmu t p ev ews,68 69on ne,70p ann ngforprob ems,240nPresenterv ew,299 300Q&Asess ons,244 245rehears ng,239 241re axedapproach,237remotepresentat ons,267 268nS deShowv ew,297 299s des,work ngconfident yw th,

243 244speakernotes,241 242start ngthepresentat on,298,

299 300techno ogy,prepar ngfor

presentat on,239w thTab etPC,69t psforenhanc ng,248 252

des gnconstra ntsaccept ng,209createdgraph cs,254,290defin ng,202 204m tedbudget,254,290stockphotography,254,290

des gn brar es,creat ng,233des gntreatments,opt onsfor,232des redoutcome,estab sh ng,87Deta co umn,106 108,118

fi ng n,121 125test ng,122 123t meest mates,108v sua storyof,122

Deta head nestest,123Deta Sketches ayout,144Deta s des

chartson,196 197custom ayout,creat ng,315

charts(continued)onPo ntAandPo ntBs des,

176start ngpresentat onsw th,173verba exp anat onfor,226

check stmot f,94,307check stv sua organ zer,191 192check sts

foradd nggraph cs,229forde ver ngpresentat ons,247forsketch ngstoryboard,200

chrono og ca stor es,123 124chunk ngstructures,31 32,136c ar fy ngquest ons

advert s ngtechn quesfor,102answer ng,78 92,96 97,102

C ass,The,280 285Act of,281Ca toAct onandKeyPo nt

s des,284 285graph csadd ng,282 283Sett ng,Ro e,Po ntA,andPo nt

Bs des,283 284c ass ca storystructure,52 54c assrooms,presentat onsfor,

280 285c max,53c part,282 283C pArtpane,282c pp ngfi es,231c os ngs des,228cogn t ve oad,reduc ng,129cogn t ve dr venpresentat ons,

268 276co or,useof,233 234co umnhead ngs,255,269,277,281

ta or ngtoprofess on,132 133commun cat on

assumpt onsabout,23 24effect venessof,50eyeoftheneed emetaphor,

27 28work ngmemory m tsand,

27 28compan onWebs te,18,215,252CompressP cturestoo ,232cons stency

nBBPapproach,211 212acrosss des,155 158

Contentp aceho ders,314,315contrast ng mages,176 177

controvers a top cs, ntroduc ng,79convent ona presentat ons

data dr venstructure,270deta sfirst,129gu d ngattent on, ackof,45 48screen,pos t onandro eof,236s ng e channe approach,38 42work ngmemory,overwhe mof,

31 32convent ons,unexpectedusesof,8conversat on,prompt ng,288corporatetemp ates,48Cowan,Ne son,27Cox,Joyce,142,213CraftofScientificPresentations:

CriticalStepstoSucceedandCriticalErrorstoAvoid,The(A ey),45

CreatePDF/XPSDocumentbutton,229

creat veconcepts,v sua prototyp ngof,138

cred b ty,estab sh ng,75,206cr s sstor es,83cr t ca dec s onpo nts,113cropp ng mages,231 232crossroadsstor es,83CTASketch ayout,144CTA+3s des.SeealsoCa toAct on

s des;KeyPo nts dessketch ng,182 188

currents de,v ewof,4CustomAn mat onpane ,317custom ayouts

forAct s des,264 265app y ng,64 65,217,311 312co or n,234creat ng,218,309 318des gn ng,215 216forDeta s des,creat ng,315forExp anat ons des,creat ng,

313 314forKeyPo nts des,creat ng,

309 313forNotesMaster,318sett ngup,163 164shar ng,273temporaryapp cat onof,

144 146

De a s des

322

e ectron cc pfo ders,231e evatorp tches,135emot ona charts,176emot ona connect on

charts,estab sh ngw th,176estab sh ng,7,97,257h d nghead nesand,180w thPo ntAhead ne,82sketch ng,171 173strengthen ng,88 89

emot ons,connect ngto mages,7emphas s,v sua ,avo d ng,211enthus asmfortop c,240env ronment,prepar ng,238 239Ernst,Bob,2 18,255Ernst,Caro ,2 18,256essenceofpresentat on,117

d st ng,12 13,109find ng,114v sua essence,168

estab sh ngshots,78evo ut onstor es,83execut veAct co umnhead ngs,

133ex st ng nformat on,process ng,30expandedtemp ates,112exper enceofpresentat on,204Exp anat onco umn,106 108

back ngup,121 125organ z ngce s n,120test ng,119,120t meest mates,108v sua storyof,119 120wr t ng,118 122

exp anat onhead nes,306Exp anat onhead nestest,120Exp anat onSketches ayout,145Exp anat ons des

custom ayout,creat ng,313 314Deta s desummar es,157 158graph cs,add ng,223 224head ne on y,192h d ng,147ndependentfactson,190ayoutof,216photographson,266pre m narybackgroundsfor,

144s mp c tyof,195sketch ng,190 193v sua organ zerfor,191 192

exp anatorypresentat ons,113 114,286 290

Deta s des(continued)d agramson,194 196Exp anat ons des,summar z ng

on,157 158graph cs,add ngto,224 226h d ng,147ndependentthoughtson,194ayoutof,216nav gat onbarfor,315 316photographson,266profess on,adapt ngto,199sketch ng,193 199v sua sfor,197

deta eddata,present ng,271deta sfirsttechn que,129deve op ngtheact on,53d agrams

bu d ngacrosss des,194 196forDeta s des,197

d a og,creat ng,242 245d ctat onserv ces,152d sappo ntmentstor es,83D sp aySett ngsd a ogbox,299d st ngtheessence,12 13,73d stract ons

remov ng,236 242verba ,241

DragonNatura ySpeak ng,152dramat ctens on,111,175

creat ng,10,88 89draw ng

nPresenterv ew,300nS deShowv ew,298

draw ngtoo s,215dua channe s,62

a gn ngpresentat onw th,34 42,70

redundancyeffectand,40 41sp t attent oneffectand,39

dua cod ng,34

EEkey,298educat on re atedco umnhead ngs,

133educat ona presentat ons,280 285effect venessofpresentat on

convent ona presentat ons,22dua channe sapproachand,

41,45researchrea t esof,22temp atesand,48

ExtendMyW ndowsDesktopOntoTh sMon toropt on,299

extraneous nformat on,exc ud ng,47 48,210,212,236 238

eyeoftheneed emetaphor,27 28

FF5key,297factreport ng,276 280fad ngtob ack,185feedback,99,241Fe tT pPentoo ,298Few,Stephen,226F e d,Syd,99fi erwords,241fi mmak ngmode ,536,1firstfives des

Ca toAct on,90 92check stforp ann ng,295dramat ctens on,creat ng,

88 89head nesfor,76 77mot ffor,92 95p ann ng,98Po ntAhead nes,82 86Po ntBhead nes,86 87rev ew ngw thteam,96Ro ehead nes,80 82vary ngstructure,99

first mpress ons,75fl pcharts,251flowof deas,212,237forma anguage,avo d ng,73FormatBackgroundd a ogbox,

162,185FormatShaped a ogbox,160formatt ng

backgrounds,162NotesMaster,161 162StoryboardMaster,160 161

formu amot f,94fragmented earn ngoutcomes,25fram ngthereso ut on,53FromBeg nn ngcommand,298FromCurrentS decommand,298Fu PageS desopt on,154

Ggamemot f,307gapbetweencha engeand

reso ut on,111,113,175

De a s des

323

attent on,focus ngon,44nbodyofpresentat on,106bra nstorm ngfor,134 135Ca toAct onhead nes,90 92caseof,72categoryhead ngs,47charts,exp a n ngw th,226ascomp etesentences,72 73cons stentp acementof,211ed t ng,147 148,162onExp anat ons des,192forCa toAct ons des,305 308forPo ntAandPo ntBs des,

301 303groundru esfor,72 74,293head ne on ys des,220h d ng,174 175,180,220,

222 223cons, ustrat ngw th,184mport ng ntoPowerPo nt,57 58,128 129,141 143

n nformat onh erarchy,204 205

nsp rat onforwr t ng,91terat vewr t ngprocess,85anguageof,73engthof,73,121terarytechn quesfor,104phrasesfor,301 303,305 308Po ntAhead nes,82 86Po ntBhead nes,86 87refin ng,96reformatt ngmanua y,140 141rev ew ng,99 100rev ew ngw thteam,96Ro ehead nes,80 82ro eof,14,29,35sentencesvs.sentence

fragments,45Sett nghead nes,78 80shorten ng,265storytypesand,83toneof,73verba exp anat onof,62v s b tyof,255wr t ng,56,59,72,139

H deS defeature,147h d ngs des,147h erarchy

app y ngtoS deSorterv ew,143 146

Ca toAct onandKeyPo nthead nes,111,117

screenreso ut on,215search ngfor,214se ect ng,201 202s zespec ficat ons,267s z ng,cropp ng,and

compress ng,231 232sketch ng,62 63,197sketch ng ve,234fromstockphotography

databases,214 215threedes gnopt ons,232T t es de,add ngto,228vectorart,282asv sua mnemon cs,250

graphsforDeta s des,197start ngpresentat onsw th,173

GreatDreamstor es,83Gr dAndGu desd a ogbox,310groundru es,293 296

forde ver ngpresentat ons,235 237,294

forgraph cs,204 212,294forhead nes,wr t ng,293forstoryboard ng,155 160,294

groups.SeealsoteamsBPPapproachfor,51co ect veth nk ngof,101de egat ngtasks n,213head newr t ng,85,135scr ptwr t ng n,74storytemp aterev ew,131storytemp atesfor,133

gu des,temporary,310

HHandoutMaster,custom z ng,242HandoutW zard,164 165handouts

effect venessof,70 71hand ngout,246neffect ve,41nnovat ve,250notesarea,formatt ngfor,151NotesPageformat,37,247pr nt ng,242pr nt ngopt ons,164 165

Handoutspr ntopt on,154head nes

adjust ngtopresentat onsequence,196

an mat ng,317

gobo,250graph cdes gners,232 233graph ca cues,12graph ca foundat on,defend ng,

210 212,234graph ca sty e,cons stencyof,

12 13graph cs.Seealsomages;

photographsAct s des,add ngto,221 223add ng,62,66,261 262adjust ngpos t onons des,206aesthet cmatchw thaud ence,

271aesthet csof,206 210budgetfor,203Ca ToAct ons des,add ngto,

218 219check stforadd ng,229,296creat ng,215,272de egat ngtasksfor,213forDeta s des,197,224 226deve op ngacrosspresentat on,

234dua channe s,address ngw th,

35ex st nggraph cs,add ng,213Exp anat ons des,add ngto,

223 224find ng,64firstdraftsof,212 215groundru esfor,204 212,294n nformat onh erarchy,204 206

KeyPo nts des,add ngto,218 219

abe ng,234earn ngeffect venessand,47,137

cens ngandperm ss onsfor,203

ghtboxes,co ect ng n,261man pu at ng,209m n ma ststy efor,208narrat oncontextof,204 205notespages,add ngto,228 229numberneeded,202outs descreenarea,158 159popu ar mages,208resourcesfor,203ro eof,14screencaptures,226

h erarchy

324

mprov sat onw th nconstra nts,237,245 246

nformat onadd ngtos des,210 212d st ngtoessence,114pr or t z ng,88,97 98se ect ngfor nc us on,59

nformat onvo ume,manag ng,21 33

nformat ona presentat ons,89,276 280

nkPresenterv ewand,300sav ngannotat ons,299show ngandh d ng,298

nsertOut ned a ogbox,142nsp rat onfromc pp ngfi es,231onfutureprojects,138

nteract onw thaud ence,177p ann ngfor,187prompt ng,69,179,242 245

nteract vepo ng,177nterdependencebetweenspeaker

andaud ence,244nt macy,creat ng,251ntroduc ngtop csw thanecdotes,6ntroduct onofspeaker,170 171ntroductorys deforaud ence,171Stockphoto.com,203,214 215,

225,259

JJohnson,Mark,93journa sm re atedAct co umn

head ngs,133journeymot f,95,307

KKeyPo ntco umn,106 108KeyPo nthead nes

c ar fy ng,118 122formu at ng,114mprov ng,115 117p aceho dersetof,115rev s ng,117test ng,116v sua storyof,115 116whyorhow,113 114wr t ng,112 115

h erarchy(continued)co or,a gn ngw th,234Deta s des,124Exp anat ons des,120 121of deas,110 111nNotesPagev ew,204 205powerof,136s depr or tyandsequence,

128 129v sua techn quesfor,155 156

H gh ghtertoo ,298h stor ca narrat ves,83H tch,Graham,34“how”c ar fy ngquest ons,90

Icons,sketch ng,184deah erarchy,109.See

alsoh erarchydeasbra nstorm ngfor,134 135break ng ntosma p eces,74c pp ngfi eof,231h erarchyof,109 110.See

alsoh erarchynk ngacrossce s,74pr or t z ng,60

ustrat ons.Seealsograph csdeve op ngacrosspresentat on,

234MAG magemagn ficat oncamera,

251mages,6 10.Seealsograph csconnect ngtoemot ons,7contrast ng mages,juxtapos ng,

176 177man pu at ng,209,231 232researchon,22synchron z ngw thnarrat on,37un fy ng mages,179 180v sua channe process ngof,34

mportancecu ngwork ngmemoryto,30,

64 65graph ca cuesto,12nd cat ng,61,156v sua nd catorsof,216

mportant nformat onfirsttechn que,129 130

mportantpo nts,summar z ng nhead nes,45

KeyPo ntSketches ayout,144KeyPo nts des

an mat ng,317custom ayout,creat ng,215,

309 313graph cs,add ngto,218 219med auseand,185paus ngafter,187 188pre m narybackgroundsfor,

144sketch ng,181 188

keypo nts,59dent fy ng,12

Labe sforgraph cs,234Lakoff,George,93Lambert,Joan,142,213anguageofhead nes,73Lan er,Mark,2 18,255aptopsde ver ngpresentat onson,280extend ngdesktop,299projector,connect ng,298,299remotecontro dev ce,

connect ng,298aw re atedAct co umnhead ngs,

133Layoutcommand,144ayoutsAct Sketches ayout,145app y ng,217CTASketch ayout,144ascuestos de mportance,

30 31custom z ng,218.See

alsocustom ayoutsdes gngu de nes,215 216Deta Sketches ayout,144d st nct ve,186Exp anat onSketches ayout,145fina ayouts,app y ng,215 218focus n,204 205forh erarch ca eve s,61KeyPo ntSketches ayout,144predes gned,215 216resett ngtodefau t,218sp t screen ayout,12 13,186,

273,289sty e,cons stencyof,14

h erarchy

325

puzz emot f,94rac ngmot fs,260s mp ficat onof,94storymot f,308

mot ongraph cs,jud c oususeof,185

MovingMountains(Boett nger),83,251

mu t med a earn ngresearchon,23sp t attent oneffectand,39

mu t med apresentat onsoutcomesof,24 25v sua andverba channe s

coord nat on,137mu t p espeakers,188murder mysterymot f,11,258

Nnarratedsoundtrack,p ann ng,62narrat on

d ctat ng,151 152n nformat onh erarchy,204 205

ntegrat ngw thscreen,36 38ason yverba text,41p ann ng,37,39,148 152researchon,22synchron z ngw th mages,37,

39verba channe process ngof,34wr t ng,62wr t ng noff screentextbox,36

nav gat ngamongs des,244 245nav gat onbars

add ng,266creat ng,315 316sketch ng,188 189v sua themeof,280

new nformat onchunk ngstructuresfor,31 32engag ngw th,89ntegrat onof,50ntroduc ng,196,259process ngof,30

NewS decommand,170no earn ngoutcomes,24 25Norma v ew,19 21

gu d ngattent onw th,42 48head nes,h d ng n,222notespanes,fi ng n,151s deh erarchy n,204 205

earn ngb te s ze nformat onchunks

and,33fragmented earn ng,25mprov ng,29mean ngfu earn ng,25mu t med aand,185no earn ng,24 25read ngbu etsa oudand,41redundancyeffectand,40 41researchon,23sp t attent oneffectand,39

ega cases,BBPpresentat onfor,2 18,254 259

braryofpresentat ons,213ghtboxes,261 262ght ng,239gobo,250

nebreaks,148nearstructure,75terarytechn ques,104v ngthebrand,249LockAspectRat ocheckbox,161og c treestructure,59 60,109ogossketch ng,169 172,188onS deMaster,249

ong termmemory,26,49 50fam arstructures n,92 93h erarch ca structures,app y ng

from,136three actstructure n,54

Mmagn ficat on,142ma ncharacters

cha engeof,82 86ro eof,80 82

mak ngroomforfour,125,132marketresearch

Act co umnhead ngsfor,133present ng,268 276

Mayer,R chardE.,23,24,28,33,41,196

McKee,Robert,99mean ngfu earn ngoutcomes,25med a

carefu andstrateg cuseof,185nc ud ng,158 159p ann ngfor,63predes gn ng,252

start ngpresentat onsw th,173sw tch ngto,198

memorym tson,26 28typesof,25 26

Merck&Co., nc.,2metaphor, mpactonth nk ng,93MetaphorsWeLiveBy(Lakoff),93M crosoftOfficeOn neC pArt

AndMed as te,282M crosoftOfficePowerPo nt.

SeePowerPo ntM crosoftOfficeWord,107M crosoftOneNote,231MicrosoftPowerPoint2010Stepby

Step(CoxandLambert),142,213

M er,GeorgeA.,26,27m nd mapp ngtoo s,55 56M ndJetM ndManager,55 56M nto,Barbara,111MintoPyramidPrinciple:Logic

inWriting,Thinking,andProblemSolving,The(M nto),111

m ss ng nformat on, nc ud ng,127m xedmed ause,13 15mon tor

extend ng,299sett ngsfor,299

mot fsapp y ng,57,93 95aud enceresonancew th,94carry ngthroughv sua y,63 64check stmot f,94,307cons stentapp cat onof,187estab sh ng,11find ng,95forfirstfives des,92 95formu amot f,94gamemot f,307graph ca resourcesand,261mportanceof,260nsp rat onon,116ntroduc ng,178 179journeymot f,95,307KeyPo nthead nes,app y ngto,

115 116memorab tyof,95murder mysterymot f,258asorgan z ngstructures,30pr nc p esforuse,93 95projectmot f,308

Norma v ew

326

Par off,Roger,16patternofstory,92 95paus ngafterKeyPo nts des,

187 188PDFfi eformat

sav ngpresentat onsas,229send ngnotespageas,247

Pen con,298,300Penstab,153persona cred b ty,55persuas on,54 55,102

neducat on,103 104persuas vepresentat ons,113 114persuas ve exp anatory

presentat ons,113 114photographs,6 10.Seealso

graph csadd ngtos des,264 265automat ccropp ngandres z ng,

312 313background,str pp ngfrom,7forDeta s des,197hor zonta ayout,274nsert ng nP cturep aceho der,312

brar esof,215peop e n,208screenreso ut on,215onSett ngs de,255s zespec ficat ons,267s z ng,cropp ng,and

compress ng,231 232,273sketch ng,197

phys ca env ronmentchang ng,250prepar ng,238 239

phys ca props,14 15,184,252,288P cture con,312P cturep aceho ders, nsert ng,310,

312p pe neconceptofcommun cat on,

23 24,27,43P tch,The,285

Act of,286Ca toAct onandKeyPo nt

s des,289graph cs,add ng,287Sett ng,Ro e,Po ntA,andPo nt

Bs des,288p aceho derbackgrounds,rep ac ng,

186

NotesMaster,228 229adjust ng ayoutof,318formatt ng,161 162

NotesPagev ew,19 21advantagesof,71convent ona presentat ons n,

38 42dua channe s,address ng n,

35 37nformat onh erarchy n,204 205

narrat on,p ann ng n,148 152Presenterv ewand,39 40rev ew ngnotesarea n,228 229synchron z ngv sua andverba

nformat on n,33 42notespages,ashandouts,70 71NotesPagespr ntopt on,154

Ooff screennotesarea

comp etesentencesvs.shortnotes n,151

d ctat ngnotes nto,151 152en arg ngv ewof,68 69formatt ng,151narrat on nformat on n,36,

37,62narrat onp ann ng n,150 155prev ew ng,228 229ro eof,39us ngtopresent,241 242

OfficeThemeS deMaster,309on nepresentat ons,70,247 248,

267 268opportun tystor es,83organ zat on,graph ca cuesto,12organ zat ona ogos, nc ud ng,

169 172,188organ z ngstructuresforwork ng

memory,30Out neformat,162Overv ewpane,154,309

Ppaceofpresentat on,14,37 38Pa v o,A an,34paperhandouts.Seealsohandouts

nc ud ngdeta s n,175

P an,The,259 268Act s des,262 263Ca toAct onandKeyPo nt

s des,263 268de ver ngremote y,267 268Sett ng,Ro e,Po ntA,andPo nt

Bs des,260 261p ann ngforprob ems,240Poetics(Ar stot e),98Po ntAcha enge,82 86.Seealso

cha engefac ngaud encePo ntAhead nes,82 86,88,97Po ntAs des

dup cat ng nreso ut on,227emot ona connect on,

estab sh ngon,262head nephrases,301 303sketch ng,175 182

Po ntBhead nes,86 88,97Po ntBs des

dup cat ng nreso ut on,227head nephrases,301 303sketch ng,175 182

po tak ng,177.potxfi eextens on,142powerofthree,112,125,132PowerPo nt

foraud encesupport,242C pArtpane,282draw ngtoo s,215head nes, mport ng nto,

128 129Presenterv ew,4researchrea t es,22 28R bbon,142teach ngw th,280tutor a son,213v ews,19 21

PowerPo ntDes gnTemp atefi es,141 142

PowerPo nt2007 nterface,142PowerPo nt2010 nterface,142presentat ondeve opment,51,134presentat onenv ronment

ght ng,239prepar ng,238 239

presentat onexper ence,creat ng,67 68

presentat onout nes,107 108presentat onsk s, mprov ng,250

No es Mas er

327

presentat ons.SeealsoBBPapproach;BBPpresentat ons

aud ence,know ngyouraud ence,3

budgetfor,203contextof,sketch ng,171 173custom ayouts,copy ngto,218d stract ons,remov ng,236 242exp anatoryor entat on,

113 114flow,manag ng,237h gh vo tage,251 252human z ng,15neffect ve,15 16braryof,213nearstructureof,75m xedmed a n,13 15mu t p espeakers,188mu t p evers onsof,100on nepresentat ons,247 248outcomeof,237paus ng,187 188persona z ng,80persuas veor entat on,113 114pr nt ngasnotespages,229purposeof,89refin ng,228 229rehears ng,166sav ngasPDFfi es,229sca ngtot me,14,147start ng,298,299 300strongend ngs,227strongstarts,171 173structureof,51.SeealsoBBP

StoryTemp atesuccessof,290summar z ng,135 136ta or ngtoaud ence,100t meest matesfor,108verba summary,182v ewsof,297 300v sua summary,182

presentertoo s,298 300sketch ngs desw th,154

Presenterv ew,4,19,241,299 300draw ng n,300NotesPagev ewand,39 40speakernotespane,68 69start ngthepresentat on,

299 300v ewab enotes n,150 151

presenters.Seespeakerspresent ng.Seede ver ngthe

presentat onpresent ngwhennotphys ca y

present,246 248PreserveMastercommand,309prev ewsofs des nPresenterv ew,

4Pr ntH ddenS descheckbox,147Pr ntScreencommand,226pr nt ng

keypresentat ondocuments,241 242

notespages,229s des,154,164 165

prob em.Seecha engefac ngaud ence

connect ngbackto,227defin ng,101 102

prob ems,p ann ngfor,240product on,235 236product onflow,start ng,212 215profess on

Deta s des,adapt ngto,199ta or ngco umnhead ngsto,

109,132 133profess ona des gners,232 233projectmot f,308projectp ann ng,presentat onsfor,

259 268projectscope,202,213projectt meframe,202projectors

extend ng aptopdesktoponto,299

aptop,connect ngto,298,299ght ngand,239

projectsresourcesfor,203threedes gnopt ons,232

props,14 15,184,288predes gn ng,252

purposeofpresentat on,89puzz emot f,94

QQ&Asess ons,244 245quant tat ve nformat on,124quest onsfromaud ence,hand ng,

245

Rrac ngmot f,260RapidProblemSolvingwithPost it

Notes(Straker),135reason ngprocess,h erarchy

conceptand,110recommendat onhead nes,306redundancyeffect,40 41reformatt ngstorytemp ate,

140 141rehears ng,166,239 241remotecontro dev ces,4

connect ngto aptop,298RenameLayoutd a ogbox,310Report,The,276 280

Act of,277 278Ca toAct onandKeyPo nt

s des,279 280graph cs,add ng,278Sett ng,Ro e,Po ntA,andPo nt

Bs des,278 279researchrea t es,22

onaud ence,93dua channe s,34 35gu d ngattent onofwork ng

memory,43m tsofwork ngmemory,22 27new nformat on,engag ngw th,

89Resetbutton,218res zab eart,282reso ut on,creat ng,227resourcesforproject,203responsetoanorderstor es,83resu ts,commun cat ng,268 276retent onof nformat on,28rev s ons

not ng,241roundsof,117

revo ut onstor es,83Rhetoric(Ar stot e),98R bbon,142ro eofaud ence,81Ro ehead nes,80 82,97ro ep ay ngaud encemembers,101Ro es des

c entasma nro e,269sketch ng,173 175

room(presentat onenv ronment),238 239

room (presen a on env ronmen )

328

cons stencyandvar etyacross,156 158

Deta s des,193 199e ectron cvs.onpaper,152 154Exp anat ons des,190 193head ne on ys des,192cons,184KeyPo nts des,181 188nav gat onbar,188 189photographs,197Po ntAandPo ntBs des,

175 182w thpresentertoo s,154processof,167 169renam ngandredes gn ng,310Ro es de,173 175screencaptures,193Sett ngs de,171 173speaker ntroduct ons de,

170 171sp tt ngthescreen,176 177onstorytemp ate,199 200Tab etPCs,t psfor,181T t es de,169 170v ew ngopt onsfor,172v sua organ zers,191 192words n,153 154

s debackgrounds.Seebackgrounds(ofs des)

S de magep aceho der,161S deMaster,218,228,249,309S deShowbutton,298S deShowv ew,19,297 299

ex t ng,298 299presentertoo s,154presentertoo s cons,298

S deSorterv ew,19 21app y ng ayouts n,144 145convent ona presentat ons n,

31 32manag ng nformat onvo ume

w th,21 33ofstoryboard,61,143work ngmemory m tsand,

29 30s des

add ng nformat onto,210 212chartson,196 197check stforp ann ng,295currents de,v ew ng,4d agrams,bu d ngacross,

194 196

Ssa esp tches,285sa es re atedAct co umn

head ngs,133sca ab ty,Act co umnsand,108,

128sca ngtot me,147scenes,anchor ng,118 119screen

draw ngon,298,300eras ng nkfrom,298fad ngtob ack,185p acementof,236s zeof,246speakerand,236sp tt ng,176 177wh te,185

screencaptures,193,197,226screenreso ut on,215screentests,99 100Screenplay:TheFoundationsof

Screenwriting(F e d),99screenwr t ngresources,98scr pts

embedd ng nstoryboard,139organ z ngpresentat onsw th,

51 52storytemp ate,wr t ng n,56wr t ngasateam,74

sect onsofpresentat on,ntroduc ng,12 13

sensorymemory,26,49sentenceout nes,107,109sett ng,estab sh ng,53,79Sett nghead nes,78 80,96Sett ngs des,165

mot fs, ntroduc ngon,260photographson,255 256sketch ng,171 173summar z ngcauseof

presentat on,269short termmemory,26ShowMetheNumbers:Designing

ToolsandGraphstoEnlighten(Few),226

6 by 6ru e,22S zeAndPos t ond a ogbox,161s z ngphotographs,231 232sketch ngs des,152 154

Act s des,169 181Ca toAct ons des,181 188check stfor,200,296

d stract ons,remov ngfrom,236 238

dup cat ng,172,187effect venessof,70extraneous nformat onon,

47 48fi ng ngraph cs,narrat on,and

nteract on,138 139find ng,144flesh ngout,127funct onof,206graph cs,6 10,66.Seealso

graph cshead ne on y,220mportanceof, nd cat ng,156ayoutof,43 45nebreaks n,148nav gat ngto,244 245nograph cson,220 221notespagevers on,228 229one deapers de,14,29over oaded,39paperhandoutsw th,175prev ewsof,4pr nt ng,154,164 165,242pr or t z ng,60,111 129resett ngtodefau tsett ngs,218sequenceof,60,128 129,

211 212sketchesof,62 63,152 155.See

alsosketch ngs desstorytemp ate,transform ng

nto,56text fi ed,46v sua andverba nformat onon,

39 42,206v sua potent a of,231asv sua tr ggers,68work ngconfident yw th,

243 244S desFromOut necommand,142Snag t,226sound,synchron z ngw th mages,

37speaker ntroduct ons de,

sketch ng,170 171speakernotes

custom z ng,242present ngw th,241 242v ewof,4

speakernotespane,150 151.Seealsooff screennotesarea

sa es p ches

329

speakersaud enceattent onon,37,39authent c tyof,242 243author tyof,estab sh ng,

170 171by neof,78confidencew thmater a ,

243 244cred b tyof,206enthus asmfortop c,240face,magn fy ngon screen,251nterdependencew thaud ence,244

as v ngbrand,249mot fresonancew th,94mu t p espeakers,188screen,stepp ng nto,236

speak ngc ubs,249SpeakWr teVo ce to Document

Serv ce,152spec a effects,useof,47speech recogn t onsoftware,152sp t attent oneffect,39,120,137,

148sp t screen ayout,12 13,176 177,

186,273,289Start nk ngcommand,153StealingFirefromtheGods:The

CompleteGuidetoStoryforWritersandFilmmakers(Bonnet),99

stockphotographydatabases,203advancedsearchtoo sfor,214gett nggraph csfrom,214 215rev ew ngsearchresu ts,

207 208s zesofphotos,267

stor esntroduc ngtop csw th,7typesof,83

storyact onof,82 86energ z ngtens onsof,88 89keep ngcontro of,245 246ma ncharacter n,80 82manag ngflowof,237patterntofo owfor,92 95

Story:Substance,Structure,StyleandthePrinciplesofScreenwriting(McKee),99

storymot f,308storynuggets,p acementof,134

storystructure,52 54fam arstructuresfor,258 259vary ng,99

storytemp ate.SeealsoBBPStoryTemp ate

forteams,133t t eandby ne,77 78var at onson,98

storythreadchoos ng,57 58,78 92find ng,11v ew ng,58

storyboard,61 71,138 139bas cformatt ngfor,160 161check stforprepar ng,160,295check stforsketch ng,200,296cons stencyandvar ety n,

155 158creat ng,142 143custom ayouts,app y ng,64essenceof,149,168fina z ng,229 230fina ayouts,app y ng,215 218firstdraftof,212 215groundru esfor,155 160,294asnav gat ona a d,245nest ng,165 166NotesMaster,formatt ng,

161 162pr nt ngfu page,164 165rev ew ng,148,202 204sca ngtot me,147sketch nggraph cs,62 63S deSorterv ewof,143StoryboardMaster,formatt ng,

160 161andstorytemp ate, nk

between,139textout neof,241thumbna mages,242t psforenhanc ng,160 166,

231 234useof,67v sua s,conc se,c ear,d rect,and

spec fic,155StoryboardMaster,formatt ng

manua y,160 161storyte ng

back ngoutatendtechn que,227

dramat ctens on,creat ng,10,88 89,111,175

firstacte ements,99Straker,Dav d,135strateg cco age,102structureofpresentat on,51.See

alsoBBPStoryTemp ateStrunk,W am,Jr.,72sty e,cons stencyof,152summarys des,emphas son,11Swe er,John,31sw tch ngbetweenapp cat ons,198

TTab etPCs

present ngw th,69sketch nggraph cs ve,234sketch ngs desw th,152 153,

169sketch ngt ps,181wr t ngon screenw th,262,299

teamsde egat ngtasksto,213feedbackonrehearsa sfrom,

241storytemp atesfor,133ta entsof,135

techn ca anguage,avo d ng,73techno ogy

fa uresof,137prepar ngforpresentat on,239

tempora cont gu typr nc p e,120,196

temporarygu des,310test ng

Deta co umn,122 123Exp anat onco umn,119KeyPo nthead nes,116roundsof,117

textpr or tyof,39redundant,41ons des,46

textout ne,pr nt ng,241texts des,creat ng,20 21themat ctrans t ons,8themes,app y ng,57.Seealso

mot fsth nk ng,metaphor s mpacton,93Th s sMyMa nMon torsett ng,

299three,powerof,112,125,132three actstructure,54

hree-ac s ruc ure

330

v deojud c oususeof,185start ngpresentat onsw th,173

V ewtoo bar,142v ews,19 21,297 300V oxx awsu t,2 18v sua channe ,34

engag ng,50gu d ng,61 71manag ng,36p ann ng,152 155

v sua commun cat onw th mages,8 9

v sua cred b ty,55,206 210v sua cues,30

nav gat onbar,188 189sett ngup,61useof,32

v sua mnemon cs,250v sua organ zers,191 192v sua prompts

photographsas,174,179s desas,68

v sua prototyp ng,138v sua story.Seealsostory

mot fsand,187sequenc ngstatementsfor,255un fy ng magefor,179 180

v sua summary,182v sua techn ques

fad ngtob ack,185h erarchy, nd cat ngw th,

155 158cons,184three pane ayouts,183

v sua th nk ngsk s,168v sua var ety,30v sua s.Seealsograph cs; mages

carry ngover,174,263,275conc se,c ear,d rect,and

spec fic,155contrast ng mages,juxtapos ng,

176 177find ng,56mportantpo nts, ustrat ngw th,45

se ect ng,62forspeaker ntroduct ons,171ty ngtogethers desw th,179

vo ce, ntegrat ng npresentat on,67 68

three pane ayouts,1833 stepv sua processd agram,184thumbna mages,pr nt ng,242thumbna s nS deSorterv ew,21t me

manag ngattent onacross,204forpresentat on,202sca ngpresentat on engthto,

147t meest mates,108t t eofpresentat on,77 78T t es de,169

graph cs,add ngto,228sketch ng,169 170

Toastmasters nternat ona ,249toneofhead nes,73tra n ng,presentat onsfor,280 285transferof nformat on,28trans t ons,v ew ng,146treed agrams,109Tr a ,The,254 259

Ca toAct onandKeyPo nts des,258 259

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