The Deckspert - Scott Schwertly
Today, Scott owns and operates Ethos3 Communications, an internationally renowned and award-winning presentation design and training company located in Nashville, TN. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of SlideMagnet.com.
How Can You Get Involved?
Do you have questions about presentations or public speaking? Join The Deckspert and other SlideMagnet Readers on the forums. Also, if you would like to follow Scott on Twitter to ask him a question, click here.
Samples of Previous Discussions
Question
I have always wondered how many times I should practice a presentation before I speak in public?
Answer
This is a great question. In fact, it was the first question I asked a mentor of mine when I first got into this industry. My answer is 8-10 times.
I had a pastor growing up who used to rehearse his sermons 30+ times before Sunday. I know, I know. That’s crazy, right? Well, you need to find a formula that works best for you. You shouldn’t rehearse so much that you sound like a robot, but you need to practice enough where you feel comfortable, confident, and relaxed. With that said, you are not going to feel comfortable after 2 attempts or even 5 tries. Thus, 8-10 is usually a solid number. Anything less and you are setting yourself up for failure.
Question
I’m 29 and I work in Finance. Most people in my industry think that you can’t get away with visually engaging presentations in this sector. How do I prove them wrong?
Answer
Just do it. You’ll be amazed by the impact. If done in the right way, you’ll leave a positive impression that will last forever. The bottom line is this: nobody remembers all those boring charts – even those Wharton M.B.A. grads. Everyone only cares about the bottom line and that is exactly what you should present – just the important figures they need to remember. Save your charts, graphs, and pro-formas for the end or put them in a handout. Your presentation just needs the “30,000 foot” information.
Question
I have a presentation that I am giving at a conference in the next 2-3 weeks and they have asked me to submit my PowerPoint. Should I submit it or hold on to it?
Answer
Hold onto it. You know that that meeting planner is going to end up posting the entire presentation in their brochure or packet and that is the kiss of death. I am not advocating that you need to be rude about it so be sure to send in something – maybe a few key slides that represent your key points but under no circumstance should you send the entire presentation.
Question
I love the new visual approach to presentations, but I work for an engineering firm and those guys really like their data. What do you recommend?
Answer
I would recommend creating 2 decks. The first deck is your visual deck. It’s the piece that will make you shine for those 20 minutes while you own the room. The second deck is what I like to call a takeaway deck. It has all the same content as your visual deck, but it is text based.
For instance, in my visual deck I might try to communicate the fact that I love the color red. Since I love the color red, I have a red house, a red car, and a red pen. My visual deck will have one slide dedicated to a red house, followed by a slide with a red car which is then followed by a slide with a red pen. That’s powerful stuff. Now, your takeaway deck will be just one slide with the header “I love the color red” with the first bullet being “I have a red house,” followed by the bullet “I have a red car,” which is then followed by the last bullet which states “I have a red pen.” It’s all the same content, but formatted in a different way.
Also, just to clarify, you would print out the takeaway deck and use it as a leave behind piece.
Question
I hear a lot of great things about Keynote as compared to PowerPoint. Which one is better?
Answer
Keynote. I can talk for hours on this one. I have been a Mac lover all my life so sorry for having a bias opinion on this one. There are three things that really stand out for me. They are the following:
Ease of Use
Keynote is just easier to use. Plain and simple. From the moment you install the software it becomes a cake walk.
Embedding Files
Keynote embeds everything. If you like to include videos and audio in your presentation then Keynote is the right tool for you. It saves everything in one master file which makes it easier to share with friends, family, and colleagues. As for PowerPoint – not so much. Insert a video and hit “Save,” – I dare you.
Exceptional Graphics
Keynote makes your slides look good, real good. Not only are their templates better, but Keynote handles fonts, photos, and video far better than PowerPoint. If you want a sexy looking presentation, Keynote is the program you should be using.
Switch today.
