We talk a lot about slide design, presentation content and the art of presentations here. Because of the state of a lot of presentations we see out there, we’re usually talking about proactive things people can be doing to improve the quality of their decks, or their delivery.
But as many people have pointed out over the years, sometimes inaction is a form of action. Sometimes no visual is the best visual. Sometimes silence is the most powerful form of communication.
We talk about the use of silence some around here, and how effective it is for controlling the depth of thinking with a group of people. If a presenter has the confidence to remain authoritative in the midst of silence, and the copywriting chops to craft a few lines worthy of deep thinking, then they can unlock powerful levels of influence with moments of silence.
But something we’ve never talked about around here is the concept of “visual silence”. Much like auditory silence gives the audience time to think about the concepts you’re putting forward, visual silence has a role and a purpose in presentations that we’d all do well to incorporate into our decks.
The best example of this is the PowerPoint feature, ‘press . for period’. In slideshow mode, the ‘.’ key toggles the slide display from whatever slide you have currently selected to a plain black slide.
This is an incredibly useful way to control those serendipitous, or even potentially volatile, moments in a presentation when every mind in the room needs to shut it down and just listen to the presenter. When a question takes the conversation from practical to serious, or when you just need them to quick staring at your hopefully beautiful deck, this feature is the way to go.
Once you’ve got your audience paying attention, it’s time to deliver. “Going black” creates the perfect ambience for emphasis, and it’s a great way to drive points home. It’s sort of like the way some people use “Seriously though” to transition from comical stories to the real implications of the story on life, business, etc.
The next time you present, take advantage of this feature. Shut the visuals down anytime there are topics that must be resolved, right then and there. You don’t want distractions on screen when you’re covering ground like that.
Question: How can you utilize more black slides during your presentations?
