Deadly Decks: The Dracula Deck
One of the most important goals of a presentation is to keep the audience engaged. A boring presentation can drain the audience’s energy (think Dracula!) and can cause them to miss important information or facts. To avoid this, break away from the typical powerpoint style of a white background with content bloated black text and a single photo and give your audience a reason to listen. Here are some tips on how to light up your deck:
Show don’t tell. A picture tells 1,000 words. Incorporate targeted images and videos that can make complex information easier to understand.
Simply, Simplify. Keep slides concise. Too much information on a slide can be overwhelming, and will be ignored. Your slides should support your narrative, not be the narrative.
Add more slides. Additional slides can alleviate crowded or cramped ones. Remember the 3 by 10 rule: three messages per slide for a total of 10 slides.
Read your slides to a friend. Like any project, it’s important to get an honest second opinion about the message, tone and word choice.
Make the important information stand out. Using phrases or words with a bold or bright color can help important information stand out. Use color smartly, and don’t go overboard!
Need help creating an up-to-date deck? Reach out to Graham Farrell (Graham.Farrell@Harbor-Access.com) [in Canada] or Jonathan Paterson (Jonathan.Paterson@Harbor-Access.com) [in the US] to learn more.
