The Best Kept Secret of Great Presentations
I have attended literally thousands of business presentations, most revolving around technology products, applications, business systems, methods, practices, etc. Almost all included PowerPoint. Some were god-awful, a few were great; most were in between but usually sideways of good.
We’re going to spotlight ten eclectic examples of some great presentations (purely subjective), some of which you probably know of. But most, not. You’ll also be introduced to a resource checklist and book I bet you’ve never heard of, but if there’s only one book you ever read on giving presentations, this should be it. It’ll help you nail any presentation.
The standard corporate gobbledygook PowerPoint vomitoria presentation is anywhere from 25-40 PowerPoint slides. Although I attended one that had 87 slides (for a 20-minute presentation). That type of presentation is usually referred to by those well-versed in business presentation malpractice as a “Gluteus-Maximus PowerPoint Vomitus Eruptus.”
We’re Great. You’re Stupid.
Most business presentations ( the standard corporate gobbledygook PowerPoint vomitoria) start off with an introduction to the company or service. It’s always the same. “We’ve been around.” “We’re great!” “Our customers love us. Industry analysts love us!” “Everybody loves us!” “We’re smart … and you’re stupid if you select anyone but us.” Somewhere along the line the prospective customer is lost in the PowerPoint shuffle. The solution to their problems or needs always seem to be near the end of the presentation. Therein lies the seeds of discontent. And failure.
My Fair Share of Stinkers
I have given a lot of presentations and polluted the business world with more than my fair share of business-presentation stinkers. Some were so foul I’m surprised Al Gore didn’t cite them as a cause for global warming in his “Inconvenient Truth.”
I’m terrible. No doubt about it. I’m the best of the worst.
When You’re Bad, You’re Good
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