| Money - it's a love / hate thing. We all would like to | | | | pay more attention to the slides than the speaker. |
| have lots of the stuff; however, most people (us | | | | One way to put a stop to this is to either turn off |
| included) would probably rather lose a finger than | | | | the projector every so often or, even better yet, |
| have to sit though yet another incredibly boring | | | | put a completely black slide into your deck when you |
| presentation about the green stuff. Why is this? It's | | | | want all eyes on you. It's startling and it works really |
| actually pretty easy to understand what's wrong | | | | well. |
| with most presentations about money: it is presented | | | | 6. Do The Dark / Light Thing: Making your |
| in a boring way, the PowerPoint slides that are used | | | | PowerPoint slides readable is critical. One way to help |
| are crammed with numbers that are way too small | | | | this happen is to make sure that the contrast |
| for any human to be able to read, and the presenter | | | | between your slides' background color and the |
| often uses vocabulary that we don't understand. | | | | foreground colors is very distinct. For a large room, |
| What can be done to fix this? We already know that | | | | I've found that making your slide background dark |
| one of the most effective ways to deliver a | | | | while making your text and drawings light colored |
| presentation that will "stick" with your audience is to | | | | makes everything readable even from the back of |
| tell them a compelling story. A presentation about | | | | the room. |
| money should be no different - it's the story that | | | | 7. Turn Off The Hollywood Effects: PowerPoint and |
| you tell that will get your point across. Keeping that in | | | | other presentation applications allow you to go wild |
| mind, here are some tips that will make your next | | | | on how one slide goes away and the next one |
| presentation on money unforgettable: | | | | shows up - transitions. Here's a suggestion : don't. |
| | | | Either pick one transition and use it throughout your |
| 1. K.I.S.S: No, not the rock group, but rather Keep It | | | | presentation or only vary the transition when you |
| Simple Stupid. In other words, whenever you talk | | | | really want to draw attention to the new slide. |
| about money there can be the tendency to say too | | | | Otherwise you risk training your audience to look |
| much. DON'T DO IT! Instead, before you create your | | | | forward to your next transition and not what you |
| speech write out a single sentence that contains the | | | | are saying. |
| message that you want your audience to walk away | | | | 8. Don't Create A Fighter Pilot Eye Exam: I can't tell |
| with. Then, when you are describing some financial | | | | you just how important this one is - make sure that |
| tool re-read this sentence and determine if what you | | | | you keep your font selections to a minimum and |
| are talking about supports it. If not, then drop it and | | | | make sure that all text is large enough to be read. I |
| move on. | | | | like to choose "sans serf" fonts because they don't |
| 2. Come Early, Leave Late: This is just a basic | | | | have the loopy stuff and are generally easier to read. |
| speaker tip; however, it's even more important when | | | | I've also found that the 18 pt font size is the smallest |
| you are talking about money. Making sure that you | | | | that you want to use, otherwise it just gets too |
| don't have to worry about your equipment or the | | | | hard to read. |
| room gives you more time to focus on what you are | | | | 9. Remember What A Picture Is Worth: Instead of |
| going to be saying. Not having to run out at the end | | | | trying to overwhelm your audience with words that |
| means that you can provide more detail for those | | | | describe technical financial terms, instead try to use |
| who really want it. | | | | more charts and graphs. Displaying a chart and then |
| 3. Bring A Partner To Help - Mr. Handout: Since much | | | | talking about it gives your audience time to apply |
| of what you may be talking about can be (a) | | | | your words to real situations and promotes |
| complex and (b) detailed, this is one speech that you | | | | understanding and retention. |
| do want to provide a handout for. However, don't do | | | | 10. Remember That Only 5 lbs. Will Fit In A 5 lbs. Bag: |
| what too many speakers do and just give everyone | | | | Avoid the #1 sin of public speakers who talk about |
| a copy of your slides. Instead, create a special | | | | money - putting too much information on a single |
| handout that provides detailed information about | | | | slide. We can fall in love with the way that we |
| things that you didn't have time to cover. | | | | describe something and we like to add more and |
| 4. Careful About Colors: Since so much of what is | | | | more details to it. However, take a moment and |
| shown in any presentation on money is charts, you | | | | think about your poor audience. Try to present just |
| need to carefully check your colors. Stay away from | | | | the bare minimum amount of information that they |
| the common color-blindness colors and make sure | | | | need on each slide. |
| that all of your text is readable from the back of the | | | | By following these simple tips you can create a |
| room. | | | | powerful presentation that makes an impression on |
| 5. Shut Her Down When You Don't Need Her: All too | | | | your audience and leaves them with the thoughts |
| often an audience in a talk about money can start to | | | | and ideas that you want them to have. |