Dodging Bullets: Using PowerPoint to get your

message across

PowerPoint has become a universal language we use... in business and education

You need to give presentations that reach your audience...

The current text and bullet point approach is boring and ineffective.

You want your

presentation to be as

“sticky”

as possible.

“Sticky” is another way

to say that your idea or

message is understood

and memorable.

To make your ideas stick, you need to:

(1) Simplify your slides.(2) Make them visual.

(3) Tell a story.

Simplify

Why?

Long Term Memory

Working memory: Research shows we can process a MAXIMUM of 7 things ‘actively’ in our working memory at any time

CAPACITY PROBLEM

Why?

Long Term Memory

Avoid overload...

To simplify, find the core of each slide

Keep your core simple…compact

Give each slide its own core by…

…placing a sentence at the top and supporting it with an image

Properties of Sound• Sound waves travel like the ripples in a

pond after a stone is thrown in• Sound is caused by vibrating objects

– More vibrations means a higher sound; less vibrations means a lower sound

Move the text to the speaker notes

Sound waves travel like the ripples in a pond after a stone is thrown in

More vibrations means a higher sound; less vibrations means a lower sound

Remove everything that is not

necessary to get your

point across

Sound waves travel like the ripples in a pond after a stone is thrown in

VisualMake them

Vision surpasses all other senses

65%

10%

Cognitive scientists say we process information through two

channels

visual

auditory

The mind pays attention to only a few pieces of information in each

channel

visual

auditory

Narration

Text

If you’re reading this you’re not listening to me

The mind pays attention to only a few pieces of information in each

channel

visual

auditory

Narration

TextImage

Narration

We can use the power of the metaphor to appeal to logic and emotion

StoryTell a

Write a script to focus your ideas

Act 1: Set Up the Story

Setting Educators give presentations for different purposes.

Role You have a presentation to give.

Point A (problem)

You want to make your presentation as sticky as possible

Point B (goal)

Sticky presentations are memorable and understood.

CALL TO ACTION

Follow three steps to make your presentation more sticky.

The first five slides

Act 2: Develop the Action5 minute column 15-minute column 45-minute column

Make your slides simple

Make them visual

Tell a story

Support your ideas

1 2 3,4,5

6

Use the storyboard template to help distil and structure your story

Sketch out your story to decide how best to illustrate it

Act 3: Frame the ResolutionCrisis

Solution

Climax

Resolution

Recap

A sticky presentation is memorable and understood

To make your presentation sticky, remember three things:

Thank you