Category Archives: Visual Thinking

DeathToTheStockPhoto.com

Many of you know that Shutterstock is my go-to stock site (and stay tuned for a post about their brand-new PowerPoint plug-in), but occasionally I venture beyond to other sites.

My very site this week and the one which I have been pulling photography for a current project is DeathToTheStockPhoto.com. Imagery is free and released regularly as themed packs via email, but to search their entire archive, a subscription is necessary.

What I love most about DeathToTheStockPhoto.com is the very distinctive style. It is a very well-curated collection, although of course nowhere close to the breadth of the larger stock sites.

As a reminder, if you would like my list of recommended stock photography and graphic resource sites, just subscribe here for the link to that document and many more goodies.

Here are a few shots from DeathToTheStockPhoto.com that I used this week in a client presentation:

 

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Categories: Visual Thinking.

The 10 Slide Investor Pitch

Guy Kawasaki has long said that he would never invest in a business that couldn’t make its case in 10 slides. While I’m no venture capitalist like Guy, I’ve seen plenty of pitch and investor decks that had no hope of getting investment—and one of the common themes was far too many slides. When you don’t understand your business well enough to explain it simply, or if your business model is so complicated that it can’t be explained simply, then why would an outside want to invest?

Guy revisits his 10-slide maxim in the below Entrepreneur article.

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Categories: Design, Pitching, Reducing Text, Simplicity, Visual Thinking.

Upcoming Presentation Webinars

Upcoming Webinars

While most of my training continues to be onsite at clients, you can occasionally catch me online. And I have two upcoming webinars.

American Management Association – April 7, 2016

American Management Association

 

This Thursday, April 7, I will again be giving Creating Visual Presentations for the AMA.

This 90-minute session is an overview on how to become a better visual storyteller. We’ll cover proven strategies for reducing text, how to avoid the bullet point trap by using the “chunking” technique, how to harness the picture  superiority effect and basic graphic design layout principles to make your presentations look more professional.

For more information and to sign up, click here.

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Presentationxpert – April 13, 2016

The next is foPresentationxpertr my friends at Presentationxpert.com where this time I will be giving a free 1-hour session on Creating an Effective Presentation Story. Much of my training revolves around what to do after you have created a clear and compelling story, but now I’ll take some time to dive into all the things you need to do before you start burying your head in PowerPoint.

In the webinar, I’ll guide you through creating your own persuasive presentation structure step by step, and reveal each question that needs to be answered along the way. From the very first and most important determining piece of information (it’s not what you think…) to identifying your audience, creating singular messaging, calls to action, simple ideation techniques and easy outlining.

You’ll learn how to define your “Point A” and your “Point B,” how to write your presentation bumper sticker and how to use certain PowerPoint tools to your advantage to stay organized.

I’ll even discuss what makes good a header and how to avoid jargon and business-speak.

Sign up for free here!

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Categories: Design, Showing Data, Storytelling, Visual Thinking.

Announcing The Presentation Podcast

The Presentation PodcastSo apparently, there are these things called podcasts. They’ve been around for a while, I’m told, but until now there has not been a podcast dedicated to the world and business of presentation design. This week marks the official launch of The Presentation Podcast!

And along with two of the best and most knowledgeable designers in the country, I am one of the hosts. We’re going to let you in on everything there is to know about presentations large and small.

Though millions of PowerPoint and Keynote slides are created each day, it’s a small world when it comes to professionals who make their living creating presentations at the highest level for others. The Presentation Podcast will give listeners access to those professionals and all the tricks, tips, best practices and secrets to creating better presentations and the business of presentation. We’ll talk about how and when to hire a pro and how much that should cost, what hardware and software you should be using to make your life easier, where to look for inspiration and resources – we’ve even got a whole podcast dedicated to fonts. (Are you geeking out yet?)

Soon enough we’ll bring on guests from around the presentation universe, but to start off, your hosts are:

Troy_circleTroy Chollar, President and Co-Founder, TLC Creative Services, Inc.

You know when they introduce new car models with 100′ screens and pyrotechnics? Yeah, Troy makes those things.

Sandra_JohnsonSandra Johnson, Owner & Chief Presentation Officer, Presentation Wiz, Inc.

You know when CEOs get up on stage to launch new products in front of 1,000s of people? Yeah, Sandy is the person behind that.

Nolan_HaimsNolan Haims, Owner, Nolan Haims Creative

I do stuff. But you knew that. That’s why you’re reading this in the first place, right?

 

You can find The Presentation Podcast on iTunes right now. Our first two episodes cover how to ensure your clients or colleagues are seeing exactly what you’re seeing in your presentations on your own computer and the current multi-faceted state of PowerPoint versions out there and which you should be using. (If you’re not on 2016 yet, we’ll tell you what you’re missing.) Plus, in every episode we’ll cover  news and happenings in the world of presentation along with our favorite tech and professional design tips – everything from useful websites to PowerPoint hacks and hidden features.

What are you waiting for – head on over to iTunes and subscribe now!

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Categories: Visual Thinking.

Generating Ideas With SmartStormer Online Training

SmartStormer_guide-26

 

If there’s one thing drives me crazy, it’s seeing people putting together and designing a presentation before they even know what they’re trying to say. Often, this cart-before-the-horse approach is the result of laziness and simply not wanting to outline a story first. But I also see cases where presenters are literally trying to generate business ideas and solutions at the same time they’re deciding what font color to use. This couldn’t be more counterproductive to successful ideation, and it shows me yet again that idea generation is a vanishing art.

“Innovation” is what leaders say time and again is most important to their businesses, and yet few of us know how to actually generate and select innovative ideas—be it an iPhone or a better way for signing up for the office softball team.

So, how do you successfully ideate?

I’ve written before about the book SmartStorming which I still consider the single best book I have ever seen on this topic. The authors, Keith Harmeyer and Mitchell Rigie (good friends and former colleagues, full disclosure) are simply the best in the business when it comes to helping others generate new ideas and innovate.

Until now, the only way to learn their secret sauce was through their book or by attending a private corporate training. That changes with the introduction of their new SmartStormer online training available to all. Adapted from their in-person trainings, the 5 1/2 hour course contains interactive exercises, quizzes and 70 high-quality videos. It is essentially the online version of the full day SmartStorming training. And yes, it definitely contains their secret sauce to ideation. If you feel like you struggle with coming up with “good ideas” and wonder how others can brainstorm 20 ideas vs your three, I highly encourage you to take a look. The course is modular and can be accessed for up to a year, so you can definitely go through it at your own pace.

The cost to the public is $299, but use the special Present Your Story code of PYS50, and you’ll receive a $50 discount. And if you’re interested in a group discount for your office, just give them a holler—I’m sure they’ll cut you a good deal.

Find out more here and even try a free sample.

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And if you need more convincing, head over to 3 Questions with Keith.

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Categories: Simplicity, Storytelling, Visual Thinking.
visual training presentation