469 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
469 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
# Presentation Masters - Best Practices
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Codified wisdom from the world's best presenters and presentation designers.
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## Core Universal Principles
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### 1. Simplicity Above All
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**Garr Reynolds (Presentation Zen)**
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> "Restraint in preparation, simplicity in design, naturalness in delivery"
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**Seth Godin**
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- Maximum 6 words per slide
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- No bullet points
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- No transitions/animations
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**TED Guidelines**
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- Eliminate headlines and bullet points
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- Image-rich, minimal text
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- Rather than one complex slide, show several slides with each containing one idea
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**Steve Jobs**
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- Sometimes just 19 total words in entire presentations
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- Single image or thought per slide
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**Universal Rule**: Less is always more. Every element must earn its place.
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---
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### 2. Visual Over Textual
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**Garr Reynolds**
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> "Narration with pictures is better than narration alone"
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**Richard Mayer (Multimedia Principle)**
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> "People learn better from words and pictures than from words alone"
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**Universal Rule**: Show, don't write. Slides support speech, they don't replace it.
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**Application**:
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- Use full-bleed images
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- Minimal text overlays
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- Let visuals carry 80% of the message
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---
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### 3. Audience as Hero
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**Nancy Duarte**
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> "The audience is the hero, the speaker is the mentor"
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**Application**:
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- Focus on transformation, not information
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- What will the audience be able to do after?
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- Their journey, not your expertise
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**Universal Rule**: The presentation is about the audience's journey, not your content.
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---
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### 4. Story Structure Matters
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**Nancy Duarte's Sparkline**
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- Alternate "what is" (current reality) with "what could be" (aspiration)
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- Build tension through contrast
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- End with transformation
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**Steve Jobs' Rule of Three**
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- Every presentation in three parts
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- Three key features per product
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- More dramatic than two, easier to remember than six
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**TED Structure**
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- Hook (first 30 seconds)
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- Personal connection
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- Core idea with evidence
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- Call to action
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- Strong close (never end with Q&A)
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**Universal Rule**: Structure creates meaning. Random facts don't stick; stories do.
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---
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### 5. One Idea Per Slide
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**TED**
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> "Rather than one complex slide, show several slides with each containing one idea"
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**Guy Kawasaki**
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- 10 slides maximum for hour presentation
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- One concept per slide
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**Seth Godin**
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- 6 words maximum = one focused thought
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**Universal Rule**: Cognitive load is real. One slide, one concept, one moment.
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---
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### 6. Rehearsal Is Non-Negotiable
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**Steve Jobs**
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- Rehearsed weeks in advance
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- Every gesture choreographed
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- Nothing left to chance
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**TED**
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> "Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse"
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**Universal Rule**: Natural delivery requires unnatural preparation.
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---
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## Design Principles
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### Typography
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**Font Size Minimums**:
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- **TED**: 42 points minimum
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- **Guy Kawasaki**: 30 points minimum (the "30" in 10/20/30 rule)
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- **Our Standard**: 30pt minimum, 36pt+ preferred
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**Font Choice**:
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- **TED**: Sans serif (Helvetica, Verdana) over serif for readability
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- **2025 Trends**: Bold serifs and character-filled sans-serifs as design elements
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- Limit to 1-2 font families maximum
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**Text Limits**:
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- **Seth Godin**: 6 words maximum per slide
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- **TED**: 1-2 lines ideal, 6 lines absolute maximum
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- No paragraphs, ever
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---
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### Color & Contrast
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**High Contrast Essential**:
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- Minimum 4.5:1 ratio (WCAG AA standard)
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- Aim for 7:1+ ratio (WCAG AAA standard)
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- Test in bright room conditions
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**Steve Jobs Approach**:
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- Large white fonts on dark gradient backgrounds
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- Simple, bold color palette
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**Consistency**:
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- Use same color palette throughout
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- Colors should reinforce brand and message
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### Layout & Spacing
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**Visual Hierarchy** (Garr Reynolds):
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- Make most important information the focal point
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- Use size, color, position to guide eye
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**Reading Patterns**:
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- Z-pattern for Western audiences (top-left → top-right → bottom-left → bottom-right)
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- F-pattern for text-heavy slides (avoid these!)
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**Whitespace** (Essential):
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- Creates hierarchy by isolating key points
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- Essential for emphasis
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- Don't fear empty space
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**CRAP Principles**:
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- **C**ontrast: Make different elements very different
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- **R**epetition: Repeat design elements for unity
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- **A**lignment: Every element should align with something
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- **P**roximity: Related items should be grouped
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### Images
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**Quality Requirements**:
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- High-resolution only (TED requirement)
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- Must own or have permission
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- Avoid generic stock photos
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- Images must enhance message, not decorate
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**Types of Images**:
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- Data visualizations (charts, graphs)
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- Conceptual illustrations
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- Real-world photography
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- Diagrams and infographics
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---
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## Guy Kawasaki's 10/20/30 Rule
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**Originally for VC Pitches, Applicable to All Presentations**:
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**10 Slides Maximum**
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- Audiences can't comprehend more than 10 concepts in one sitting
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- Forces you to identify truly important points
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**20 Minutes Maximum**
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- Shorter is better
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- Leaves time for discussion
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- Respects audience attention span
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**30-Point Font Minimum**
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- If you need smaller fonts, you have too much content
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- Forces simplicity
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- Ensures readability from back of room
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## Edward Tufte's Data Visualization Principles
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### Graphical Integrity
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**Lie Factor**: Visual representation must tell the truth
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- Formula: (Size of effect shown in graphic) / (Size of effect in data)
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- Acceptable range: 0.95 to 1.05
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- Outside this range = distortion
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**Rules**:
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- Don't use area to show one-dimensional data
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- Use consistent scales
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- Representations of numbers should be proportional to numerical quantities
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### Maximize Data-Ink Ratio
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**Data-Ink Ratio** = Data-ink / Total ink used in graphic
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**Eliminate**:
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- Chartjunk (unnecessary decoration)
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- 3D effects
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- Unnecessary grid lines
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- Excessive borders
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- Non-data backgrounds
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**Maximize**:
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- Data points
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- Trend lines
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- Comparisons
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- Actual information
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### Small Multiples
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Instead of one complex chart, use series of small charts with same axes to show:
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- Changes over time
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- Comparisons across categories
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- Pattern recognition
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---
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## Mayer's 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning
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### Reducing Extraneous Processing
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1. **Coherence**: Remove extraneous material
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2. **Signaling**: Highlight organization and essential material
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3. **Redundancy**: Don't show text + say same text verbatim
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4. **Spatial Contiguity**: Put related elements near each other
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5. **Temporal Contiguity**: Present related elements simultaneously
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### Managing Essential Processing
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6. **Segmentation**: Break into logical chunks
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7. **Pretraining**: Introduce key concepts early
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8. **Modality**: Graphics + narration better than graphics + on-screen text
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### Fostering Generative Processing
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9. **Multimedia**: Use words + pictures together
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10. **Personalization**: Use conversational style
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11. **Voice**: Informal voice over formal
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12. **Image**: Speaker image not required (focus on content)
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---
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## Steve Jobs Presentation Techniques
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### Create Moments
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**The Surprise**:
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- MacBook Air pulled from envelope
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- "One more thing..."
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- Rehearsed spontaneity
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**The Demo**:
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- Live product demonstrations
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- Make it real and tangible
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- Show, don't just tell
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**The Analogy**:
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- "1,000 songs in your pocket" (not "5GB MP3 player")
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- Make it relatable
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- Connect to audience experience
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---
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### The Rule of Three
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**Three Acts**:
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- Setup → Conflict → Resolution
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- Past → Present → Future
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- Problem → Journey → Solution
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**Three Features**:
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- Never showed more than 3 key features
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- Each feature given dedicated focus
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- Memorable and digestible
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---
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## Common Mistakes to Avoid
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### Critical Errors
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1. **Reading from slides** - Slides support, don't replace you
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2. **Too much text** - Paragraphs and long bullets
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3. **Poor contrast** - Can't read from back of room
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4. **Information overload** - Trying to fit too much
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5. **Default templates** - Generic and forgettable
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6. **Ending with Q&A** - Always end strong with your message
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### Design Flaws
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1. **Chart junk** - 3D effects, unnecessary decoration
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2. **Inconsistent styling** - Random fonts, colors
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3. **Low-res images** - Pixelated, stretched photos
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4. **Excessive transitions** - Distracting animations
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5. **Bullet point addiction** - Lazy content organization
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### Content Issues
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1. **Not tailoring to audience** - One size fits all approach
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2. **No emotional connection** - Just facts and figures
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3. **Missing story arc** - Disjointed information
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4. **Too many concepts** - Violating 10-concept rule
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5. **Insufficient rehearsal** - "Winging it"
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---
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## Presentation Type Guidelines
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### Board/Executive Update
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**Characteristics**:
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- Data-driven
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- Professional tone
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- Clear recommendations
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- Time-efficient
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**Best Practices**:
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- 8-10 slides maximum
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- Heavy use of data visualizations
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- Clear "What/So What/Now What" structure
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- Executive summary up front
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---
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### Keynote/TED-Style
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**Characteristics**:
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- Story-driven
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- Emotional connection
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- Inspirational
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- Transformative
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**Best Practices**:
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- 12-15 slides
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- Minimal text (<3 words often)
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- Personal stories
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- Strong emotional arc
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- Surprise moments
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---
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### Training/Educational
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**Characteristics**:
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- Process-focused
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- Step-by-step
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- Retention-optimized
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- Practice-oriented
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**Best Practices**:
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- 15-20 slides
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- Clear progression
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- Mayer's principles critical
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- Examples and exercises
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- Summaries and reviews
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---
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### Pitch/Sales
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**Characteristics**:
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- Problem-solution focused
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- Evidence-based
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- ROI-driven
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- Competitive positioning
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**Best Practices**:
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- 10 slides (Kawasaki rule)
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- Clear problem statement
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- Unique value proposition
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- Market validation
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- Call to action
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---
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## Quality Assessment Questions
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Before presenting, ask:
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**Content**:
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- Can I explain the core message in one sentence?
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- Is there exactly one idea per slide?
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- Does each slide support the overall story?
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- Is the audience positioned as the hero?
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**Design**:
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- Can I read all text from 10 feet away?
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- Have I eliminated all non-essential elements?
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- Is the visual hierarchy clear?
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- Are related elements grouped together?
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**Data** (if applicable):
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- Is my lie factor between 0.95-1.05?
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- Have I maximized data-ink ratio?
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- Are all charts clearly labeled?
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- Can I explain the "so what" for each visualization?
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**Story**:
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- Does my presentation have clear beginning/middle/end?
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- Is there tension and resolution?
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- Will the audience remember the key message?
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- Have I included a surprise or memorable moment?
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---
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## Sources & Further Reading
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**Books**:
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- Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds
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- Resonate by Nancy Duarte
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- slide:ology by Nancy Duarte
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- The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Edward Tufte
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- Multimedia Learning by Richard Mayer
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**Articles**:
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- Guy Kawasaki: The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint
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- Seth Godin: Really Bad PowerPoint
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- TED: How to Create Slides for Your TED Talk
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**Websites**:
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- presentationzen.com
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- duarte.com
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- ted.com/participate/organize-a-local-tedx-event/tedx-organizer-guide/speakers-program/prepare-your-speaker
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---
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**Remember**: These principles are not rigid rules—they're wisdom distilled from thousands of successful presentations. Adapt them to your context, but respect the underlying truths they represent.
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