PowerPoint meets Screenwriting

Have you ever sat through a presentation where the speaker displays a series of PowerPoint slides with flowing text, and proceeds to read the text to you? You may have thought to yourself -- as I have -- there has to be a better way to present ideas.

In his new book Beyond Bullet Points, author Cliff Atkinson shows you how to escape the dull, predictable world of bullet points.

Instead of bullet points, Cliff teaches you how to use the classic beginning-middle-end story structure taught by Aristotle more than 2,300 years ago. This hidden structure has been used by Hollywood screenwriters to produce many of the stories we love.

So this is the structure that Cliff suggests you use in your PowerPoint presentations. The classic story structure seems to reflect how our minds construct reality. Reality is that there are several principles from educational psychology that also determine the effectives of your presentation.

Cliff provides a presentation structure (three acts, three layers) that will thrill your audience because it’s built upon the foundation of the ancient teachings of Aristotle and the modern research of Dr. Richard Meyer. Dr. Meyer, professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, is considered the most prolific researcher in the field of educational psychology. During his research, Dr. Meyer has identified six guiding principles for the design of multimedia messages that connect with the wiring of our brains.

To assure that the Beyond Bullets method matches Dr. Meyer’s research and the boundless abilities of your mind, Cliff uses a three-tiered PowerPoint design:

• Headlines
• Visuals
• Text

Truly, this design is focused on how people learn. What’s more, this framework makes it easy for you to improvise or change your presentation.

Consider this scenario: You are asked to create a presentation, however, there are several layers of management that want to review your presentation before the CEO sees it. And because you’re the one doing all the work, the changes management suggests -- no, demands -- could earn you more than one late-night work adventure. So it’s in your best interest to employ a structure that makes it easy for you to simply snap in different visuals or headlines.

As you learn to write headlines and frame visuals, you’ll want to try more advanced and creative communication concepts.

By using a sea metaphor in his example presentation, Cliff shows how to define a motif -- a theme that’s carried through a story in a coherent way. Songwriters, for example, understand the difference between a metaphor and a simile. A simile only works for a verse and the focus stays on the speaker. On the other hand, a metaphor transfers focus to the song, and the metaphor (the relationship between two ideas) can be carried throughout the song.

Think of metaphor as playing in a certain musical key. Cliff’s presentation plays in the key of “sea.” And he shows you how to use visuals and words to compose a presentation that’s in tune with your audience.

Several years ago, as I sat in an audience of new hires, I heard a consultant speak about a job interview:

Upon arriving for his interview, this consultant was handed a piece of paper with three questions, and was told he could answer the questions himself or call another person. While others labored for hours, the consultant emerged with answers in hand after ten minutes -- His contacts and the ability to reach out and touch the right experts helped him ace the interview.

Throughout the book, Cliff gives us the brilliance of both worlds. His diligence, research, and creativity provide page after page of hard-won insights. And he points to the research and books of other experts that will help you add just the right touch. Indeed, with these proven presentation techniques you’ll find that where once there were dull, lifeless PowerPoint slides, there now exist vibrant stories, stunning visuals, and a better way to present ideas.

Comments

[Mike]

Steve,

Thanks for the excellent review of Cliff's book. I linked to it at my blog, but don't see a trackback here.

I'm participating in Cliff's Powerpoint makeover project, and it's providing additional insight into his thought process. Check it out and have a laugh at my expense!

[Steve]

Mike,

I'm glad you enjoyed the review.

I will follow your Powerpoint makeover because
I'd like to learn more about the Balanced
Scorecard.

Also interested in seeing what kind of visuals and story you
create.

Steve

[Mike]

Steve,

The original Powerpoint does a pretty good job of explaining the BSC. I'm in the middle of trying to fit the content into the Act 2 construct, and then we'll see about visuals.