1. PowerPoint Psychology
Tips for AMAZING PowerPoint Presentations
With David Lieberman
Have audience write down:
The name of a presentation they have to give (or gave)
What is the real goal of their presentation?
What do you want the audience to DO or KNOW based on your presentation?
Be honest & reasonable. What do you really want them to do or know?
Announce:
Handouts will be given out at end of class, including:
Extensive Notes
Step-by-step guides.
They don’t have to memorize!

2. Things to Know Handouts: learnit.com/handouts
Manuals: learnit.com/manuals user name: manuals - password: password
E-Learning: learnitanytime.com
Related Classes: Present Like a Pro, Advanced PowerPoint
Points are starting points, for elaboration

3. IDEAS PRESENTING Standard delivery problems: Audience isn’t interested
Audience has to figure out where you’re “going with this”
Lengthy delivery loses the audience
Audience doesn’t know what to take from the presentation.

4. STEP 1 Why should they care? (what’s in it for them?)
Fact: People are more likely to make a motivation decision to avoid a problem.
Motivate BEFORE your title slide/introduction.
STEP 1: Tell the audience what BAD things happen if they don’t get your message.
Make it personal. Include bad things that happen to THEM. (not just the company)
Mention how those bad things feel.
**STEP 1 is a quick conversation, and normally doesn’t get a slide. (show the class how to blank out the presentation)
Exercise: Have the audience write the bad things that happen if their audience isn’t fully present. Share with a neighbor.

5. STEP 2 Announce the topic!
Motivate BEFORE announcing the topic or agenda.
People “reset” their prior judgments when you first start talking
When presented with a problem, and then a topic, people see the topic as the “solution”
Announce the topic with a title slide.
What are all the GOOD things you’ll get from the topic? (turn the audience toward positive motivation.)
How does that feel?
Give a Basic overview of the topic or an addenda

6. STEP 3 Put them back on track. Every 5-7 Minutes Discuss Details
Average attention span is 7-14 minutes
However, undivided attention span is measured in seconds
Around 5-7 minutes, re-set the audience by quickly repeating what we’re doing and why)
Don’t forget to signpost.
Where we’ve been.
Where we’re going.
How much time is left (to next milestone)

7. STEP 4? Why are you giving a presentation? You have a goal, right?
You want them to leave with a task or information in their head, right?
(Step 4 is in next series of slides)

8. TELL

9. THEM

10. WHAT

11. TO

12. remember Don’t review! Tell your audience what to remember!
“So, the important part is…”
“So, what you need to remember is…” “So, the take-away’s are…”
Side Note: People can not read and listen at the same time. If you show your audience words, expect that the won’t be listening to you while they read.

13. IDEAS PRESENTING Why should they care? Announce the topic.
Give the details.
Tell them what to remember!
Ask: Which step are you most likely to forget?
Ask: Which step is most important?
Say: “You don’t need to memorize the 4 steps. Just remember that there ARE steps. You can look them up in your notes!”
(the above is the REAL step 4)
Exercise: Have students discuss in groups how employing these steps would impact their presentations.

14. Reporting? What’s the best way to report?
You don’t need to go through the presentation cycle if you’re just “reporting back”

15. S.T.A.R.R. Situation: The situation was…”
Task: “So, I was tasked with…”
Action: “So, I took these actions…
Results: “Here are the results…”
Recommendation: “So, I recommend…”
The STARR technique quickly communicates an update.
Exercise: Leave this on the screen, and have students report on a current project to each other.
Note: The recommendation does not have to be a big deal. “So, feel free to use that data.” is a fine recommendation. The recommendation is about closure.

16. BAD POWERPOINT
To make something good, we need to first recognize what is bad.
Discuss: What annoying things do people do with PowerPoint?
Why do you think they do those things?
Note: These “bad slides” help to set an expected agenda for the day.

17. Too much text
We will learn: how much is too much and what goes on a slide.

18. High end designers don’t always know what they’re doing when it comes to PowerPoint.
We will learn: design guidelines for clean and clear design

19. Let’s Talk About All This
People can only think about one thing at a time.
You love seeing lots of bullets, right?
What was that first point again?
You read faster than I talk,
That’s why you’ve already read this.
People quickly read all of your bullets and wait for you to finish talking.
We will learn: Bullet Point guidelines: when and how best to use them.

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Reading the slide to people – UGH!
Do you watch movies in English with subtitles?
We will learn: ways to avoid “reading the slide to them”

21. Recycle Program! Why do people do “Funny” Animations?
Why does it hurt the presentation?
Humor helps, but only if it is used to prove a point. Otherwise, it takes away from the message.
Rhymes are one of the best uses of humor to prove a point. “If the glove don’t fit…”

22. Dual Purpose
PowerPoint can only do 1 thing well at a time. Trying to make it serve dual purposes results in: DUAL PURPOSE FAIL

23. BORED you’re reading the slide to me? Dual Purpose Fail #1:
PowerPoint Slides can’t be good at BOTH Speaker Notes and Presentation Slides INSTEAD OF READING SLIDES TO PEOPLE:
USE PRESENTER VIEW (freedom!)
Plug into another monitor or projector
Extend your monitor display (windows key + P)
In ppt >> click “slide show” tab >> Use presenter view
Can’t use Presenter View for some reason? PRINT NOTES.

24. ARE GOOD PowerPoint HANDOUTS! is not a good handout
Dual Purpose Fail #2:
PowerPoint Slides can’t be good at being BOTH handouts and presentation slides
A good Presentation Slide is a bad handout, and a good handout is a horrible Presentation Slide .
Good handouts are notes you take for your audience.
Every meeting should have handouts.
Tell your audience that you will pass out handouts at the end, AND tell them when you mention something on the handout.
If someone requests that you “send them the PowerPoint” ahead of time: Add slides at the end of the presentation, and paste in your handout.
How to make a handout:
Outline your presentation (you’re doing this anyway, right?)
Add your speaker notes to the outline
Add extended information, data, and tables, to your outline. Now you have your handout! Whoop!

25. PowerPoint, Written How big can paragraphs be? Other Tips:
People will not read text heavy slide. People start skipping when they see more than two lines.
Other Tips:
No more than two paragraphs. Always use titles. Write no higher than 7th grade level.
3 lines lose 30% more users. Four lines loses 70%.
PowerPoint should not be used for written communication, but it often is.
Use reveal animation to prove point about how much text is too much.
Minimum font size for “absorption reading”: 28pt
MS Word can be set to test for Grade Point Level (FILE >> OPTIONS >> PROOFING >> SHOW READABILITY STATISTICS)
TIP: if you really want people to read your document, send it to them in a PDF and suggest they print it.

26. WHAT ABOUT DATA?
Data-heavy presentations are often THE WORST.

27. SALES FIGURES, JULY 2010
If we’re discussing sales person total sales for July 2010,
Why is this a bad slide?
What problems are caused by a data-heavy slide?
Hard to understand
Easy to get pulled off topic.

28. SALES FIGURES, JULY 2010 Smith: 39,795 James: 36,245 O’Brian: 35,359
Carrie: 33,427
Dunn: 31,475
Only show the data you’re specifically talking about right now.
Why is this a better choice?
NOTE: Data-driven audiences will not relax until you must show them the data exists.
Show them a slide with the full table. Tell them it’s in their handout if they want to analyze.
Proceed to “important data” slide. This contains ONLY the data you’re focusing on.
Optional: return to full table slide to discuss in detail.

29. SALES PROJECTION FIGURES, 2013
CURRENT MONTHLY SALES: $176,031
PROJECTED INCREASE: 8.5%
PROJECTED MONTHLY SALES: $190,993
When walking through data, bring up data as you talk about it.
DON’T have it all on the slide at the beginning.
PROJECTED YEARLY SALES: $2,291,923

30. SALES FIGURES, JULY 2010 A chart should tell a story.
What story does this chart tell?
Note: A chart should NOT be used to communicate data. Note that this chart doesn’t even have sales numbers.
Tip: Remove everything a chart doesn’t really need.

31. This slide was on the screen for 10 minutes
This slide was on the screen for 10 minutes. Each topic was talked about individually.
A multi-tasking study showed that people don’t really think about more than one thing at a time.
The best people who try to multi-task are still 60% less efficient than when they focus on 1 topic at a time.

32. Which is better, this slide or the previous? Why?
Which will the audience remember? Why?
Note: This slide is using a design trick (using an image instead of a title)

33. ONE
TOPIC
PER SLIDE
Exercise: Students can use the file “exercise- one topic per slide.pptx”
Multi-tasking is 60% less efficient than one thing at a time.
Physically, we CAN’T multi-task.
Studies prove that the more you show, the less people remember.
Focus on one topic per slide. 2 topics? 2 slides!
Bullets can still be used, but only for certain circumstances (coming up)

34. What content should go on the slide?
Remember, there are 3 delivery methods:
PowerPoint
Handout
Out loud (speaker notes)

35. WHERE CAN ALL THIS CONTENT GO?
TOO MUCH TEXT?
PowerPoint is not the presenter, you are.
The audience didn’t come to read your slides.
When used correctly, PowerPoint Provides something to remember, or help the audience understand your topic.
Most information should go on:
Speaker Notes
Handouts
WHERE CAN ALL THIS CONTENT GO?

36. TOO MUCH? SUBTITLING DOESN’T HELP!
We are all trained to communicate verbally.
We are not trained to communicate visually.
That’s why people write too much in PowerPoint.
Is this too much?
Speaker Notes
Handouts
SUBTITLING DOESN’T HELP!

37. WHAT GOES ON THE SLIDE? Does the content help them understand?
Is it the main point to remember?
Content should ONLY go on the slide if it satisfies one of these two criteria!
Otherwise, in speaker notes or on handout!
Exercise: Have students edit a slide they have or create a basic presentation.
Teacher: You will have to walk around and help! This is the hardest part for students.

38. Building Presentations
Create slides with titles
Fill in ALL of the speaker notes
On the slides, add:
Content to help them understand
Content: the main point (for them to remember) S

39. SLIDE CONTENT TAKE-AWAYS:
Does the content help them understand?
Do they need to remember the content?
One topic per slide
Have the audience make a presentation or tweak one they have. (20 minutes)

40. IDEAS POWERPOINT Don’t read to them! What goes on a slide?
One topic per slide

41. WHO DO YOU HIRE? Clean and neat matters!
People judge you on the way you and your presentation look.
You don’t need pretty, you need clean.

42. design guidelines Clean just means easy for the brain.
Clean design follows RULES.
Why did I choose this picture?
Does he represent the topic?
How does he make you feel?
What is he doing? Does he make you do that?

43. Professional Development
Communication & Presentation Skills
Leadership & Management
Project Management
Accounting & Finance
Business Marketing

44. Professional Development
Communication and Presentation Skills
Leadership & Management
Project Management
Accounting & Finance
Business Marketing

45. SALES PROJECTION FIGURES
CURRENT MONTHLY SALES: $176,031
PROJECTED INCREASE: 8.5%
PROJECTED MONTHLY SALES: $190,993
PROJECTED YEARLY SALES: $2,291,923
When walking through data, bring up data as you talk about it.
DON’T have it all on the slide at the beginning.
© 2015 – Learn iT!

46. FIGURES SALES PROJECTION CURRENT MONTHLY SALES: $176,031
PROJECTED INCREASE: 8.5%
PROJECTED MONTHLY SALES: $190,993
PROJECTED YEARLY SALES: $2,291,923
When walking through data, bring up data as you talk about it.
DON’T have it all on the slide at the beginning.
© 2015 – Learn iT!

47. Training Statistics Training: 23% increase in efficiency.
Training: 50% increase in confidence.
Job Satisfaction: 72% report increase in job satisfaction.

48. Training Statistics Training: 23% increase in efficiency.
Training: 50% increase in confidence.
Job Satisfaction: 72% report increase in job satisfaction.

49. Introduction To Our Online Resources
Pictures of homes
Detailed descriptions of each home
Virtual tours of homes

50. Introduction To Our Online Resources
Pictures of homes
Detailed descriptions of each home
Virtual tours of homes

51. Design Guidelines Don’t cram: create space. Bigger is more important
Align EVERYTHING!
Other design tips:
Don’t have more than 4 elements on a slide (and four is pushing it!)
Don’t use more than 4 bullet points.
We can only keep 4-7 things in mind at the same time.
So, People get nervous when they see more than 4 bullets.

52. NON-DESIGNERS DESIGN BOOK
GET IT.

53. Images & Understanding
Do not show a picture just to show a picture.
Images can be used to assist in getting your goal accomplished!
There are 3 strategies to use for images:
Image Strategy # 1: show a picture to assist in understanding. (like in this slide)
Only use this strategy when necessary. Example: Do NOT automatically show pictures of doctors when discussing health care. Your user doesn’t need it to understand. Use a different strategy.
Anytime Book Sales

54. MAKE THEM FEEL
Image Strategy # 2: Emotionally manipulate your audience (heh, heh)).
Images can make people feel (emotive transfer)
Heightened emotions increase retention & motivation
You can emotionally manipulate your audience to help your presentation!
Technique: Search for feelings, not things
INSERT >> CLIPART >> INCLUDE OFFICE.COM CONTENT

55. NUMBERS ARE
UP!
Images of people are more effective than images of things
The best images have their backgrounds removed, and are slid halfway off the slide.

56. UP! NUMBERS ARE Afraid of being “unprofessional?” use smaller images.
Or, as a last resort, images of things.

57. Things to Know Handouts: learnit.com/handouts
Manuals: learnit.com/manuals user name: manuals - password: password
E-Learning: learnitanytime.com
Related Classes: Present Like a Pro, Advanced PowerPoint
Points are starting points, for elaboration

58. Revenue: On the Rise
See how data driven slides can use images, too?

59. Corporate review is coming Remember this… PowerPoint Tips
Sales are way down
Corporate review is coming
Remember this…
PowerPoint Tips
Create 4 slides, with these titles.
Find a “white-background” image for each slide.
Slide the image part way off the screen.

60. MONKEY SEE. MONKEY CAN’T HELP BUT DO. (your audience)
Humans are built to do what they see people around them doing.
Want the audience to think? Show them someone thinking.
Want the audience to decide? Show them someone deciding.
(your audience)

61. someone Think of you want to Influence… Notice that she is thinking.
It kind of makes you think, doesn’t it?

62. Most Effective Images People: we relate to people. No Background
Halfway off the Screen
Points are starting points, for elaboration

63. STEERING COMMITTEE About a thing Highlighted here Important Points
These people are thinking about the future.

64. STEERING COMMITTEE About a thing Highlighted here Important Points
People looking left to right are looking to the future.
Right to left, the past.
These people are thinking about the past.

65. Think of a green initiative Imagine a better system Remember last year
Be concerned about this
Choose 2 of these topics and make slides.
Find a “white-background” image for each slide.
Slide the image part way off the screen.

66. USE HARD EDGE IMAGE? A REALISTIC EFFECT!
Click the image and apply an effect on the “Format” tab.

67. IMPORTANT: Use presentation structures. Don’t read to your audience.
One topic per slide.
Speaker notes first.
Follow design guidelines.
Use images to influence.

68. PowerPoint Psychology
Evaluation:
Learnit.com/evaluation
Files:
Learnit.com/files/david/ppt-psy