We've Had Enough

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and presentations.

We’ve all been there.  Spending precious time sitting in a presentation while wishing we were somewhere…anywhere else.  We’ve also most likely given a presentation a time or two in our lives, but how intentional were we when we did so?

When I first started working full time in Student Affairs, I would have times where my students would give presentations on behalf of our office or area.  The first time this happened, it was not up to my standards.  It was unprofessional, disjointed, and confusing.  How could this have happened?  But then I had to get real with myself.  What did I expect?  When assigning this presentation, all I did was provide them the content to cover.  I did not provide anything for them on HOW.

How many times are we disappointed with the final product when we have neglected to provide the tools and resources to set up our students for success?  When it comes to presentations, I say it’s time to stop complaining and start doing better. 

The good news is that when it comes to presentation creation, there are a plethora of resources out there for your use.  A book that initiated my interest in the art of presentations was “Resonate” by Nancy Duarte.  I have also been inspired by a presentation on Slideshare that addresses this very issue head on.

Below are a few of my go to tips when it comes to presentation creation:

1.     What are you trying to say?  No, really.  Let’s go back to the very beginning.  What is your ideal end goal of your presentation?  What are the key things the audience needs to know?  Time to go back to the drawing board and do a brainstorm of everything you need to cover.  Use post it notes and write topic areas that are a “must cover” and put them up on your wall.  Anything currently in your presentation that’s not up on that wall?  Toss it.

2.     Know your audience.  The presentation that I do for first year students is not the same presentation I do for colleagues at a staff meeting.  Everything you can know about your audience is helpful to both content creation and delivery for presentations.  Cater to your audience.  Your audience should be your first priority.  In my presentations, I leave my office contact information until the very last slide.  Why?  Because the audience comes first.  Instead of starting with “all about me,” I start with them.

3.     Slide design matters. A clean, visual, and simple slide goes a long way.  It’s time to remove that standardized PowerPoint template.  It’s time to stop using all those bullet points.  But really, please stop.  The best part is, you don’t need to be a graphic designer to be able to do this!  Some resources for your slide creation tool belt:

a.     Canva.  I’ve been LOVING this lately.  Helps make your work look professional.
b.    Free downloadable diagrams for those charts and graphs you like, but these look WAY better.
c.     This post by Courtney O’Connell and her corresponding e-book.

4.     Your slides are not your presentation---YOU ARE.  If someone attending your presentation would be able to know everything you covered simply with a printed version of your slides, you are not presenting.  You are reading words aloud.  Your slides should enhance your presentation, not be your presentation.  You provide stories.  You provide human connection.  You provide meaning.  With that being said, not using slides as a crutch means you have to practice.  Aloud.  Several times.  I would never expect to be good at something without practicing it…the same goes here.

I believe that powerful presentations are possible with any type of content.  What do I present on day to day?  Personal Finance.  But that doesn’t mean it has to be dry or boring!  Whatever you may be presenting on, you can make it dynamic and engaging.  Your message is important.  Let’s do all we can to provide a space for that message to be heard.  Now that you have some tools, all you have to do is use them.

Mandi Schweitzer serves as the Financial Wellness Outreach Coordinator at The Ohio State University where she strives to promote holistic wellness through financial capability.  Some of her favorite things include: Chipotle, rainy days, cycle class, and any show on Bravo.  Follow her financial wellness blog at mandischwetizer.wordpress.com or follow her on Twitter @mandischweitzer.