Power Tips for PowerPoint

Effective PowerPoint presentations build on the successful techniques you've already learned. These techniques include: (1) a simple, bold, and memorable thesis statement, (2) main points in statement form, (3) preview and review of main points, (4) ample support in the form of Numbers, Examples, Testimonials, and Stories (NETS), (5) consistent source citations, and (6) transitions that tie all of the components together.

 The purpose for using PowerPoint or other presentation software is to make ideas visual with the assurance that listeners understand and remember more if they both see and hear the information.

Following is a sample PowerPoint presentation. In this sample, the thesis is presented on slide two. Notice that:

• Each slide heading is a statement, one of the presentation's main points.
• Preview and review slides highlight the main points.
• Source citations are shown on the slides and are spoken by the presenter (i.e., foxnews.com, 2007).
• Background color is solid and dark, used consistently throughout the presentation.
• Slides are kept simple and uncluttered (no more than 30-40 words per slide).
• Type is large enough to be easily readable to viewers (text 32pt., titles 44 pt.).
• The background and text colors offer contrast so that slides are easily read (white or yellow text, no red on black).
• Slide transitions are kept simple to avoid distraction (nothing flying or roaring in, spinning, or tumbling).

(To see the presentation as a slide show, check out an earlier version of this blog post from 10.20.09.)

Getting to the Thesis

Early in my career with LDS Welfare Services, I was fortunate to have as my boss a firebrand named R. Quinn Gardner. While I had been kicking around in graduate school, the military, and elsewhere, Quinn had been making a name for himself. He'd been a product manager for Pepsico, and then a vice president. The Mormon Church lured him away from industry to make him head of their welfare program, the managing director. Quinn changed my way of seeing the world.

What's your point, Tiger?

I'd be making a presentation or participating in a management discussion and at about 30 seconds Quinn would interrupt me. "What's your point, Tiger?"

He'd tolerate no rambling. Every word had to count. Above all, he wanted to hear that all-important statement (thesis) that revealed the point, lesson, or idea underlying my presentation or comment.

I suppose I'm not the speediest learner in the solar system, but it didn't take me long to recognize this pattern. Like Pavlov's dog, about 30 seconds into my presentation I'd glance over at Quinn. If he was starting to squirm in his chair, I knew I had only a few seconds to get my thesis out before he interrupted me.

At first, I didn't know what to say, how to format a thesis that answered his question before he asked. I'd make my best effort. He'd shake his head. "Have to do better than that," he'd say. "What's your point?"

Determined to escape the jaws of death (Quinn was the real tiger), I worked at boiling my ideas down into  a single summary sentence that delivered the basic message. Gradually, as I got better at my trade, the interruptions grew less frequent. Once or twice, Quinn even nodded his approval.

You get thirty seconds to deliver.

Imagine how you'd feel if people actually walked out of the room instead of just drifting away mentally when their attention wanders. My bet is that they start drifting away after about 30 seconds, shaking their heads and muttering, "What your point, Tiger?"

Learning Activity

For your upcoming speech, trim your attention getter to take less than 30 seconds.

If you  have to come back to give final details of your attention getter, do it at the end of your speech as a wrap up. For example:

"After beating me up, Quinn went on to become president of U & I Sugar Corp., then a successful private business consultant. But for the rest of my career, I'd either get my thesis out quick, or I'd hear his voice in my mind. 'What's your point, Tiger?'

Impromtu Me

Your position as a leader, manager, or citizen may require you to take a position on an important issue without time to prepare and practice. This can happen in a staff, council, or executive meeting, in job interviews, talent competitions, classroom discussions, political debates or a variety of other settings. Getting caught totally unprepared and rambling through a statement without any plan can be disastrous, but knowing how to respond intelligently can be thrilling and place you ahead of the pack.

Live forever? I’d rather die now.

In the 1994 Miss America Pageant, Miss Alabama was asked: “If you could live forever, would you, and why?”

This was her response: “I would not live forever, because we should not live forever; because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever; but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever.”

Okay! Thank you, Miss Alabama.

If you’d like to see how one of these painful impromptu statements looks in video, watch Miss South Carolina (Miss Teen USA, 2007).

We shouldn’t be critical of Miss Alabama or Miss South Carolina for failing to make sense. Many of us have been in similar situations and have done no better. But, we can escape most of these painful moments if we learn to follow a simple pattern to prepare ourselves on the spot for such opportunities. This pattern is widely known as the PREP formula (Osborn & Osborn, Public Speaking, Houghton-Mifflin, 2006).

The PREP formula can save your bacon.

This simple recipe or pattern works this way:

P – jot down your position on the issue being discussed. Make it a clear and simple statement.

R – make a quick note of the reasons that you hold the position you do.

E – list any examples you can think of to support your reasons.

P – restate you position or main point in conclusion.

If you don’t have time to make quick notes, at least formulate the position statement in your mind and think of the best reasons for it.

As you speak, follow the PREP pattern in verbalizing the material you have thought of. You may not always feel like your comments are adequate to the topic, but you will be miles ahead of where you’ll be if you start talking with no plan in mind.

Here's a rough example.

Learning Activity

Look over the list of impromptu speaking topics listed below. Give yourself two minutes for each topic. Without further study, try to make a statement or take a position on each. Then either jot down or make mental note of any reasons for the position you take and try to think of examples to support your reasons. When you get the hang of it, try to stand up and do the same thing vocally. The more you practice, the easier this task will become.

Immigration reform

Border control

War on terrorism

Cosmetic surgery

Global warming

Smoke-free public places

Athletes as role models

Aid to foreign nations

Consequences of litigation

Parental discipline/permissiveness

Ethnic separation/mixing

Executive pay amounts

Welfare/aid to the working poor

Penalties to sleep-impaired drivers

Cell phone courtesy

Stem cell research

Health supplement industry

Increasing the minimum wage

Gun control

Music and rap lyrics as an art form

Animal combat

Space exploration

Television and video game violence

Reality television

School sports emphasis

Performance enhancing drugs

Privacy violations by paparazzi and tabloids

Drug testing

Government price regulation

Bailing out failing industries

Educational vouchers

A Week to Speak

"Practice makes perfect."

"Perfect practice makes perfect."

"The amateur practices until he gets it right; the professional practices until he can't get it wrong."

"The early bird gets the worm."

Wait! What? What do worms have to do with practice?

Actually, the worm bit does belong with this litany of aphorisms about practice. Get this. The key ingredient in practice is time. I can't prove it scientifically, but I've experienced it so many times and watched so many students and professionals preparing to present that I'll stake my flawless reputation on this rule of thumb: It takes a week to speak!

What does that mean? Simply this: If you want to sparkle, start early. Last minute preparation spells disaster.

This is what I know. If you practice until you've got your speech smoothed down in one session, you'll find that you can hardly remember anything the next day. It's gone. Vanished. Like you never even practiced the day before. And it comes back hard.

The third day, things start to fall back into place. By day five or six, things begin to feel natural.

What's happening as we learn? Obviously, I'm no neurophysicist, but I understand that much of learning and memory is a process of establishing connecting synaptic patterns within the brain (see this MNT article for a fairly simple explanation). Refining these neurotransmission patterns accounts, at least in part, for our ability to remember more quickly with additional repetition.

All of this is to say that it takes time for our brains to form the networks of association that enable us to quickly connect complex elements of information (like words and concepts) into a pattern that we can consistently send to the speech center for verbalization.

How long does it take? How many repetitions? Good questions. The process probably varies from person to person and with age and practice. But, having watched 600 students giving as many as 3,600 speeches over the past five years, I'm estimating that the average student will need five or six days of consistent practice to make things flow in a speech. Hence: a week to speak.

Those students who start early preparing and practicing their speeches will achieve the best performance, i.e., smooth and meaningful verbalization of their ideas.

So what?

So, if you want to become good at preparing and delivering knockout presentations, get in the habit from the beginning. Start early and practice over time. A week to speak. I'm betting your own experiences will prove the value of this simple rule. Try it.

Me in 30 Seconds

Ever walk away from an unexpected encounter with somebody you'd like to work for, or somebody you'd like to win as a customer or client, wishing you could go back and have the conversation over again? Wishing you had known what to say, instead of trying to make it up while you were saying it?

That's what a"Me in 30 Seconds" statement does for you. This little jewel is prepared in advance and can be used at a moment's notice when you just happen to bump into somebody important on an elevator, in the restroom, at the water cooler, or standing in line at the book store. It's also a great way to begin a job interview.

It's a very brief introduction to who you are, what you're doing, and where you're going (in a professional sense). The statement is brief because 30 seconds is about all the time a listener will give you before he/she starts thinking about something else.

Your Assignment

Create, practice, and present your Me in 30 Seconds statement to the class. We'll hear these in class on Tuesday, August 30. Here are some suggestions.

1. Watch the sample video below. I'll show you how your statement can sound. We played around with this on the first day of class, so it won't be new to you, but could serve as a reminder.

2. Write out your statement. Three or four short sentences. Sentence one: what have you done to be proud of so far? Sentence two: what are you doing now that is important? Sentence three: how can your experience and abilities benefit your listener?

Important tip: Be sure that there is a clear connection between sentence one and sentence three. That will help your listener see how your past experiences have prepared you to benefit him/her. For example, if you plan to become a nurse, emphasize past experiences that will aid you in excelling as a nurse. Then finish with a clear statement explaining how your background and present pursuits can benefit the listener.

3. Time it. If it goes over 30 seconds in three or four recitations, cut it down. Remember, listeners will only stay with you that long. Anything else you say is wasted breath (unless you've got a story to tell that is truly gripping, gory, or bizarre, which might earn you another five seconds—but don't count on it).

4. Memorize it. Practice, practice, practice until it flows smoothly and conversationally. If it doesn't come out word-perfect, that's okay. It'll be close.

5. Try it out on everybody who cares about you (mom, dad, roomie, pet turtle). If you don't have a friend in the world (like me), record it on your phone and play it back (same with video). Then do it again. And again. And again.

6. Have fun with it. Nobody's going to be executed for stumbling on this assignment. go for it!

Watch the sample video below or on YouTube. It's what I would say if I were looking for work.

Idea: A Topic and a Claim

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Frank

Ideas are the stuff of life. We live by them. We look for them in all our entertainment and discussion. They’re the conclusions we draw that help us make sense of this crazy, mixed-up world.

You can move to the head of your class (company, firm, social group, foursome) by learning to recognize, create, and manage ideas.

Here’s a hot tip that will help. Every great idea relates two universal human values.

Example 1: All men are created equal. The two values are mankind and equality.

Example 2: We learn to succeed by overcoming failure. The two values are success and overcoming.

Practice until you can identify the two values related (equated, compared, or contrasted) in every idea you can find.

Now, notice that every idea has two parts, just as every sentence has two parts (subject and predicate). The two parts of an idea are the TOPIC and the CLAIM.

If my topic is education and the claim I am making about education is that it is key to career success, then my idea statement might read: Education is key to career success. Of course, there are many other claims we could make about the topic education. As examples: Education is expensive. Education opens windows to the world. Education satisfies the hunger to learn. Each statement makes a claim about the topic education.

Learning Activity

Find the two values related by the idea statements below. Mark the value that is the TOPIC of the idea, then the value that presents the CLAIM.

For example: Love (topic) makes the world go ’round (claim).

Children mimic parental behavior.

Pets help to educate our children.

Career ambitions can enslave us.

When we’re miserable, we know we are alive.

Fitness is like icing on the cake.

Failure leads to success.

Extreme fashions may draw unwanted attention.

Visit me at: frankrichardsonauthor.com

Bringing Home A Story

Posted on December 22, 2010 by Frank

We all love a great story. In public speaking, it’s not uncommon for listeners to remember a well-told story, even when they can’t remember why the speaker told it.

Here are some keys you will want to remember:

1. Anchor your presentation or speech with a great thesis statement. The thesis sentence ties all the parts of your presentation together in a memorable way.

2. Be sure that any stories you use are directly related to the thesis.

3. Bring the story to life by, (a) acquainting us with the characters in your story, (b) letting us see the characters, and (c) letting us hear the characters own words.

Take a few minutes and watch this young speaker tell the familiar biblical story of Jonah. Notice especially how her quiet energy brings the characters and the moral to life. Note how she distinguishes one character from another by changing the tone and pitch of her voice. She’s young, but she’s already very good at this art. We can all learn a few things from her.

Here’s the link: http://vimeo.com/16404771.

Content Statements vs. Value Statements

The thesis sentence and all main points in a speech must be statements, preferably simple declarative sentence. We all agree on that. Don't we? A trap we sometimes fall into is the tendency to let our main points be value statements. Watch out for these culprits. They are weaklings posing as heroes. Expose them. Banish them. Even better, kill 'em.

A value statement simply sets forth our opinion of the subject of the sentence. Examples of value statements would be:

Homework sucks.
Healthcare reform is stupid.
Operas are boring.

No matter how much we might agree with any of those statements, any one of them would be hard to prove to reasoning listeners.

A content statement makes a claim that can be supported. For example:

Most students hate homework. (A survey of students on campus could demonstrate that this statement is true.)
Healthcare reform is unpopular among Republican politicians. (A review of their voting records should tell the story.)
Operas put some people to sleep. (Testimonies from three husbands who were dragged to the opera and fell asleep might be adequate support.)

A Recent Example

A good student (maybe an outstanding student) in one of my classes emailed me some main points for review. The topic was the importance of eating breakfast as a foundation for good nutrition. The proposed main points were:

MP1: Not eating breakfast is bad.

MP2: Eating an unhealthy breakfast is just ok.

MP3: Eating a good breakfast is the best.

Clearly, the three points intend a comparison (bad, good, best). As you can see, each sentence is a value statement (is bad, is just okay, is the best). They could be strengthened by converting them into content statements—statements that offer listeners something of substance. For example:

MP1: Not eating breakfast is like starting a trip with no fuel.

MP2: Eating an unhealthy breakfast starts you fast then drops you flat.

MP3: Eating a good breakfast gets you all the way to your goal.

These three statements build on the analogy of energy or fuel consumption during a trip. We are all familiar with the way that works in automobiles. The three statements can be supported by reporting blood sugar test results, testimonies of experts, and interviews with students who have tried the three breakfast options.

Learning Activity

Take a careful look at the main points for your up-coming speech. If you find any value statements, kill 'em. Replace them with content statements.

Visit me at: frank-richardson-author.com or where-the-sun-rises.com.

Big week! Big ideas!

In some ways, the second week of class is the most important of the semester. If you missed a class this week, I suggest that you read this blog entry carefully and then read Essays 2-5 in your course packet. These are key concepts. They provide a solid foundation for effective speaking. If you still have questions after reading, please be sure to ask me.

Ethos - This term was coined by Aristotle, referring to the impression made by the speaker on her/his listeners. Listeners are more likely to listen and consider ideas if they feel they can 1) believe the speaker (credibility) and 2) like the speaker (charisma, attraction). See Chapter 3 in the text for more detail.

Values - Our values are the characteristics of people and conditions in the world that we prize or hold dear. We value them. They represent the way things should be. They are ideals. These values are not precise but we generally recognize them and share them. Values are either in-born or learned very early and are highly resistant to change. Furthermore, and this is important, values seem to be universal (or nearly so). Though there are some individual differences, most people have similar values. Such values include: love, work, compassion, achievement, fairness, honesty, loyalty, sacrifice, and so forth. There are many. Scroll down in the blog archive to posts in September 2009 to find more examples, or go to page 45 in your course packet.

Beliefs - Our beliefs represent the way things really are, as we see them. Our beliefs cause one value to ascend (become more important) and other values to recede (become less important). Values are hard to change but beliefs can often be changed by providing credible information.

Attitudes - An attitude is an inclination to act based on values and beliefs. Attitudes can change rapidly, and sometimes unpredictably.

Example of value, belief, and attitude: We value fairness. People should be treated fairly. We believe that some people are not treated fairly. For example, we are told that our prisons hold a disproportionate number of minorities. Therefore, our attitude is to work for more fair treatment of minorities. If we discovered that the information about the proportion of minorities in prisons was incorrect, it might change our belief and our consequent attitude.

Ideas - An idea is a statement that meets the following conditions:

1) The statement relates two values (compares, contrasts, or equates them).

2) The statement applies to most or all people.

3) The statement invites discussion, debate, or other consideration.

Ideas help us to clarify our values by deciding which value will ascend and which will recede in importance.

Example of an idea: Shakespeare wrote: "All that glitters is not gold." With a little effort you can see that his statement meets the three conditions for being an idea.

1) It relates two values. The two values are appearances and authenticity. We value a pleasing appearance. But we demand that things really be as they seem, authentic.

2) The statement applies to most or all people (students, teachers, actors, politicians, law enforcement officers, plumbers, med-tecs, etc.)

3) The statement could be debated. If something looks really good, who's to say that it isn't? Maybe good looks are enough. People in the cosmetic surgery industry claim that looking good will make you a better person.

Clearly, what Shakespeare intended to say was, "Authenticity is more important than mere appearance." He just said it more colorfully. His idea help us clarify or prioritize two values and answers the question, "Is beauty only skin deep?"

Learning Activity

As you prepare your first speech, take a careful look at the idea you are presenting to see if it is really an idea. If it is an idea, it will meet the three conditions above. If it doesn't meet those conditions, revise it until it does. If you're not sure, email it to me and I'll try to help. Good luck.

Visit me at: frank-richardson-author.com or where-the-sun-rises.com.

Putting the Power into PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint is the industry standard for preparing and delivering presentations in business, education, health-care, and the professions. Follow these simple guidelines to get the biggest bang for your buck with most listeners:

1. Select a solid, dark color background and use it consistently throughout the presentation.

2. Select type in contrasting colors (white, yellow, etc.) so that it will be easily readable. Use a simple typeface.

3. Use large type sizes that are easily readable by groups of viewers (text 32 pt., titles 44 pt.).

4. Avoid slide transitions and goofy sounds that distract from your message. Fade and dissolve are the best transitions for most viewers.

5. Whenever possible, make a statement with the slide title instead of just using a heading.

6. Cite the sources for your support on the slide and say them aloud (i.e., foxnews.com).

If you will do these few things, your viewers will be able to see, read, and understand your ideas easily. They'll think you are wonderful and will thank you.

Please watch the attached sample presentation. Try to see how the presentation follows the guidelines listed above.

© Frank Richardson, 2009.

email: swpubs@xmission.com

web: frank-richardson.com

What's the Big Deal About Values, Beliefs, and Attitudes?

We've devoted the last three or four blogs to this complex relational chain at work inside our listeners—values, beliefs, and attitudes. Not much fun. Great for people training to be shrinks, but not much fun for people training for sales, law enforcement, nursing, teaching, or operating small businesses. Why all the fuss?

Because this is how human beings work, at least in a rudimentary way. Anyone wanting to become a public speaker, to inform, persuade, or entertain others, should understand at least this much. And because, when you learn to see the world this way, the reaction of listeners to your ideas will not longer be a mystery.

As you talk your way to success, you should know how you are impacting your listeners. Remember that in our opening blog we agreed that the basic recipe for public speaking is:

• present an idea
• provide support
• draw a conclusion

Here's the good news. Each step in that recipe relates directly to the way your listeners feel, think, and act. Here's how:

• Ideas clarify values.
• Support changes beliefs.
• Conclusions guide attitudes.

Learning Activity

Write the three bullet points above in your public speaking journal. We'll be working on a better understanding of this scheme as we go along.

An Example

Suppose you are sharing this idea with your listeners: "There is great undiscovered talent in common people."

Values related in the idea: Talent, Common people

Listener beliefs:

• Kids from privileged backgrounds get more breaks.
• It costs a lot to develop world-class talent.
• People with real talent get discovered early.

Support you provide for your idea: The Susan Boyle story (see the video clip by Britain's Got Talent as shown on YouTube).

Your conclusion: "There is great undiscovered talent in common people. Be open to receive it."

Audience attitude: Greater openness to recognize talent in common people. Greater appreciation for common people.

© Frank Richardson, 2009.

email: swpubs@xmission.com

web: frank-richardson.com