Presenting online presents a new set of challenges. And a new set of opportunities.
One of the biggest challenges, is how to keep the audience with you – despite technical glitches and other interruptions of the virtual kind (see last week’s post)…
When you lose the power of the presence in the room – namely, the presenter – the presentation deck needs to be all the more powerful.
One of the most obvious – but least implemented – ways is to have more slides, less words.
Theoretically everyone knows this.
But invariably slide decks end up groaning under the weight of words, shot through with more bullet points than points of true recall.
So today, let’s look at how the mantra of “less is more” can be achieved with images, for impact and attention-value.
For example, imagine you had to turn the following text (taken from here) into a series of slides
Key Objectives of Microlearning Platforms Market Report:
– Study of the annual revenues and market developments of the major players that supply Microlearning Platforms
– Analysis of the demand for Microlearning Platforms by component
– Assessment of future trends and growth of architecture in the Microlearning Platforms market
– Assessment of the Microlearning Platforms market with respect to the type of application
– Study of the market trends in various regions and countries, by component, of the Microlearning Platforms market
– Study of contracts and developments related to the Microlearning Platforms market by key players across different regions
– Finalization of overall market sizes by triangulating the supply-side data, which includes product developments, supply chain, and annual revenues of companies supplying Microlearning Platforms across the globe.
We’d suggest you begin by identifying and highlighting the key words/phrases.
For example:
– Study of the annual revenues and market developments of the major players that supply Microlearning Platforms
– Analysis of the demand for Microlearning Platforms by component
– Assessment of future trends and growth of architecture in the Microlearning Platforms
Then, for each highlighted word/phrase, find an image that works (see our earlier post on the role of images for inspiration) in an interesting way.
We’ve set the ball rolling by taking the most text-heavy point and demonstrating how you can liven and lighten it up for a (hypothetical) deck:
Finalization of overall market sizes by triangulating the supply-side data, which includes product developments, supply chain, and annual revenues of companies supplying Microlearning Platforms across the globe.
The way we see it, this one point deserves 9 slides!
And since we believe that “Show Not Tell” is the way to go, here goes:
Finalization
Of Overall Market Sizes
By Triangulating
Supply-side Data
Which includes Product Development
Supply Chains
Annual Revenues of Companies
Supplying Micro-Learning Platforms
Across the Globe
As you can see, we’ve suggested a range of images… you might prefer more straightforward ones, but the less predictable the image used, the more thought-provoking it is, and the more attention it will grab – drawing your audience in rather than glazing them out.
If you think of each slide not as a mini-brochure but as an ad – even a billboard – you will get the picture…
And so will your audience…
Next post, we’ll look at how adding the right words to these images can make them work like impactful ads – adding up to a powerful presentation, one (more) slide at a time.
Till then, happy (re)thinking and (re)imagining your next online presentation!