REASON #10: It is all data, no story!
· Diagnosis: You presented scads of information without any context or meaning.
· Why you did it: You wrongly assumed a presentation was the same thing as a lecture.
· What resulted: The audience pulled out their Blackberries when you clicked your fifth slide.
· How to fix it: Make your presentation tell a story, ideally with the audience as the heroes.
REASON #9: Your slides are too fancy!
· Diagnosis: You filled your slides with special effects and visual jim-cracks.
· Why you did it: You were afraid that the audience would find you boring.
· What resulted: Your audience watched the pretty pictures and missed what you were saying.
· How to fix it: Use the minimum visuals that you need to tell the story.
REASON #8: Your slide background is too busy!
· Diagnosis: You used a background template that was busy and obtrusive.
· Why you did it: You wrongly thought it would make your slides look more “professional.”
· What resulted: Your audience got headaches trying to see what was actually on each slide.
· How to fix it: Use a simple, single color background. Always.
hREASON #7: Your fonts are unreadable!
· Diagnosis: You used fonts that were too fancy or too small or both.
· Why you did it: The fonts looked great on your computer; on the projector… not so much.
· What resulted: The audience squinted and peered, and then gave up. Blackberry time!
· How to fix it: Use large fonts in simple faces (like Ariel); avoid boldface, italics and UPPERCASE
REASON #6: Your graphics are too complex!
· Diagnosis: You inserted giant, complicated graphics with lots of little details.
· Why you did it: One picture is worth a thousand words, right? (Uh, wrong.)
· What resulted: Your audience stared glassy-eyed, then pulled out their Blackberries.
· How to fix it: Only include simple graphics; highlight the data point that’s important
REASON #5: You are all opinion, no fact!
· Diagnosis: You expressed all sorts of opinions without any supporting data.
· Why you did it: Laziness. It’s easy to claim “leadership”; it’s harder to actually be a leader.
· What resulted: Your credibility with the audience leaped right down the toilet.
· How to fix it: Only state opinions that you can back up with quantifiable data.
REASON #4: You speak fluent biz-blab!
· Diagnosis: Your presentation was filled with tacky business buzzwords.
· Why you did it: You wrongly thought the biz-blab made you sound “business-like.”
· What resulted: Your audience thought you were pompous, crazy, and/or talking in tongues.
· How to fix it: Just stop it. Cold turkey. Please
REASON #3: You drifted off topic!
· Diagnosis: You included data and anecdotes that didn’t reinforce your message.
· Why you did it: You didn’t bother to figure out what would really interest your audience.
· What resulted: Your audience lost your train of thought and you lost credibility.
· How to fix it: Only include material that’s relevant to your overall message
REASON #2: It was too d**n long!
· Diagnosis: You presented way more than anybody wanted to know.
· Why you did it: You were “spraying and praying” that something that would pique their interest.
· What resulted: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
· How to fix it: Always make your presentation less than half as long as you think it should be.
REASON #1: You read from your slides!
· Diagnosis: You stood there like an idiot and read aloud what everyone could read for themselves.
· Why you did it: You didn’t know the material so you needed your slides as a memory-jog.
· What resulted: By your third slide, your audience was ready to strangle you.
· How to fix it: Use slides to reinforce your message rather than to outline your data points.
-Adapted from Top 10 Reasons Your Presentation Sucks By Geoffrey James in Bnet.com
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