SLIDE DECK MAGIC

SLIDE DECK MAGIC

CUT SLIDES
Let’s face it… most people have too many slides. While there is no “perfect number” if
you have more than one slide per minute you probably have too many slides! You don’t
want the audience focusing on your slides throughout your presentation, you want
them focusing on you! If you are reading slides, using slides as your notes to remember
your presentation, or looking at your slides more than you look at your audience… you
need to cut some slides!
Try giving your presentation without your slides just once… see which slides you miss and which ones
you can do without!

CUT WORDS
Too many slides is one problem… too many words on your slides is a bigger problem!
The audience simply cannot read and listen at the same time. Too many words also
makes the font smaller… which often leads to a slide that is difficult to read from the
back of the room.
Look at each slide in your presentation and try to say the exact same thing in half as many words. If you
love this activity… do it again!

EDGE-TO-EDGE IMAGES
Slides that have a high-quality image as the full background of the slide are visually
stunning. Many photos have space in them for you to put text if it is needed, but with
the right image text is often not needed.
Check out the book Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds for a full primer on how to design visually
captivating slides that also teach your content.

ADD OTHER VISUALS

We all know that some of your audience members are visual learners… but remember
that slides are not your only option. Some speakers prefer to create the visuals live in
front of the audience using a flip chart or a white board. Other speakers use three-di-
mensional objects (props) to explain things to the audience.
When choosing props, keep in mind that you will need to travel with these items. (balloons make better
props than bowling balls!)
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SHOW ROI
The most valuable slide in any slide deck is the ROI (Return on Investment) slide. This
slide shows the audience a visual representation of how they will get a return on their
investment. If you are making an offer to a business, this slide often shows how they
business will be more profitable or make their money back. If the offer is direct to a
consumer, it can show them how they will make the money back, or what they will
get in exchange for the investment. Even fundraising slide decks can show the donors
what will happen as a result of the donations!

Make the numbers on your ROI slide simple, reasonable, and believable!

PRE & POST-SHOW IMAGES

Your slide deck can be utilized both before and after your presentation to increase con-
version! Robert Cialdini’s book Pre-Suasion includes research on how visual images in
the room before and after your presentation can influence decision-making. Focus on
images of results: happy customers, successful purchasers, and lots of smiles. Have
five to ten of these slides showing while the audience arrives and sits down for your
presentation, as well as after you are finished presenting!

Sound matters too! Play some upbeat music behind these slides for added affect and a more responsive
audience!

POSITIONING
The location of the projector and the screen matters! Having the screen front and
center in the room with the projector on ground level communicates that the slides are
more important than the speaker. This will hurt your conversion rate. Having the lights
off in the front of the room so people can see your slides (but not see you) also
communicates that the slides are more important than the speaker. Remember: YOU
are the one they are going to do business with after the presentation so YOU are more
important than your slides!
If the projector is not mounted on the ceiling or behind the screen, put the screen in the front right or
front left of the room, so you can stand front and center!
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NOTES