There’s a reason they call them bullets. That’s because every time an audience sees them in a presentation, they consider shooting themselves in the head. Somewhere along the way we got the idea that organizing information means plopping down a bulleted list and regurgitating some chart to accompany.
For the sake of your audience, find a new way to organize your information. Cut the clutter and get to the point. Your slides should be extensions of what you are saying, not small novels of text.
Trim the Fat
Simplify. Your slides are movie posters, each one enticing the audience to pay attention to what you have to say. A good movie poster will give you an idea of what the movie is about, but won’t go as far to spoil the ending. You want the audience to listen to what you have to say to get the meaning behind your slides.
That doesn’t mean you have to be esoteric, you just have to be concise. Before you map out your speech, try to sum up your entire point into one word, phrase or idea. If you can aim to get that one concept across to your audience, you have will have a destination to start building a roadmap of slides towards.
Tell a Story
The easiest way to get through point A to point Z is to tell a story. Think of your introduction as the beginning of a story. The bulk of your slideshow is like the exposition, with each slide a new chapter. Treat new information like a plot twist, not like yet another tiresome bullet. Just like a story, the ending should give closure and take care of any dangling plot threads. Leave your audience feeling happily ever after, and if appropriate, allow room for a sequel.
You should know the basics of a story from years of reading and watching television and movies. If you structure your presentation in a similar way you’ll find it much easier to tackle.
Drive it Home
At the end of the day, there’s one or two points you want to get across, so don’t be afraid to hammer those points into the minds of your audience. Start the presentation with a quote or anecdote to emphasize your main point and then do it again at the end to make sure the overall theme came across properly.
By book ending your presentation, you will keep your information concise and your thoughts focuses. It’s easy to begin with a great point but get lost along the way. If you know that you eventually have to come back to an idea, it will make it easier to not stray away.
Don’t be afraid to shed the shackles of the standard slide with its boring heading, dull bullet points and tack-on image. Let your slides present simple concepts and use storytelling devices to keep your presentations thorough, yet tight. And always make sure that when your story is over, the moral is clear to the audience. Organization is easy as long as you always have a happy ending to work towards.
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