Basic AF (*strenuous* self promotion)

The biggest mistake you make with your slides

Here are my slides:

They absolutely should not make much sense in isolation.

Why?

Because you’re not here to read your audience a manuscript.

Your slides are the framework to your presentation, nothing more, nothing less.

In general, I apply the 30:20:10 rule.

• no smaller than 30 font size

• no more than 20 words per slide

• no more than 10 slides

Okay, I didn’t quite hit that with this one, but you get the point.

I see so many present detailed slides, with diagrams and charts requiring super human vision to interpret even from the front row.

Why would you want people’s attention to be on your slides? You want them to be focused on you.

Slides provide the framework for your presentation, you can use them to stimulate the audience with pictures and keywords.

But that is it!

Your audience are there to listen to and engage with you.

Beware of the boredom factor too.

This isn’t because your audience doesn’t want to be interested, it’s because you’ve bombarded them with too much information.

The brain naturally shuts down and loses track.

This is basic AF neuroscience.

One of the best presentations at the conference last week in Frankfurt had one slide with just five words “Developing partnerships in Procurement”.

This was one of the most interesting and engaging presentations I’ve ever been to, with plenty of audience participation.

The Power of Simplicity - why it pays to say less

Got a 30minute slot?

Make sure your presentation lasts 20 (at an absolute max).

Why? People don’t learn through telling, they learn through discussion and debate.

It’s the basics of adult learning theory.

You should want the audience to participate and to join in to debate your topic. If not, there’s every chance your message hasn’t landed.

But you won’t know that unless you’ve asked questions.

And remember;

The human brain will only ever take away a maximum of three key messages from any scenario.

So, for my speech I wanted to get one main message across:

That now is the time for Procurement Soft Skills training, that in the world of artificial intelligence, we are in danger of becoming artificially unintelligent.

I didn’t go into any of the frameworks I teach in my 5* rated Procurement Soft Skills Mastery course.

Instead, I left them with the powerful and impactful message that now is the time to be investing in soft skills training for you and your team.

And that it is soft skills that will be the differentiator.

Less is more.

(and if your keynote finishes earlier than anticipated because your audience has run out of questions, the conference organisers will thank you I promise!)

LESS IS MORE!

Posture and Poise

This is so underrated.

And perhaps in the modern era of ‘working from home’ and a more casual approach, I’ll get some backlash for this.

But I purposefully wore my best suit, cufflinks, polished shoes, crisp shirt.

As soon I got up on stage, I felt the part.

It was a mindset shift.

I felt I looked good (not in a narcissistic sense!)

The effort I had made mirrored my presentation style and vice versa. It gave me an inner confidence that had a ripple effect.

I stood tall (not hunched)

I stood proud (not quaking)

I breathed easily (as a result of my posture)

And this in turn projected a calm confidence that inspired confidence in my audience;

The confidence that I was an expert worthy of their attention.

If I was a confidence coach, this is one thing I’d teach.

You can radically transform the energy you transmit, simply by dressing sharp and making that effort.

It really does make a difference.

Do you want 1hr coaching ahead of a key presentation at work or a speech?