Latest posts

Below are the most recent articles or resources I’ve published. If you are looking for help on a specific topics, it would best to look at the topics in my Articles archive as I have grouped my recent and best articles by topic there.

  • Handling requests for one slide only; Issue #377 November 22, 2016

    In two recent customized workshops a participant asked how to handle a request from an executive to provide just one single slide, instead of a full presentation. In this article I’d like to share my advice if you receive such a request. First of all, let’s discuss why an executive makes this type of request.…… Continue reading

  • Quality of conclusion, not Quantity of work; Issue #376 November 8, 2016

    One of the issues I often see in presentations is a slide with a spreadsheet showing all the calculations that were done when analyzing a situation or set of data. This is usually an indication of a fundamental difference in what the presenter thinks the executives want and what the executives actually need. The presenter…… Continue reading

  • Less isn’t more, Clear is More; Issue #375 October 25, 2016

    In my customized workshops I show makeovers of slides the participants have provided to show how cutting the information overload makes the message much clearer for the audience. I often hear someone say that this is an example of the “less is more” approach. In this article, I want to explain why I don’t think…… Continue reading

  • How to get the audience to care about your presentation; Issue #374 October 11, 2016

    In two of my customized workshops recently, participants asked how they can keep the audience engaged during the presentation. This is not the first time this question has been asked. I think every presenter wants their audience to pay attention to what they are saying. Today I want to suggest how you can do this.…… Continue reading

  • Why you can safely ignore most advice for speakers; Issue #373 September 27, 2016

    I regularly see articles with advice for speakers. It could be five things to do, nine things to avoid doing, or some variation on those themes. You probably see these articles too. You can safely ignore almost all of this advice. Let me explain why. The problem with these articles is that they don’t apply…… Continue reading

  • Headline template for result of analysis; Issue #372 September 13, 2016

    In almost every customized workshop I do, writing headlines for slides is the single idea that people say will help them the most and the one they can start implementing immediately. In this article I want to share a template to guide writing a headline for a slide that presents the result of some analysis you…… Continue reading

  • Download free Timelines & Calendars; Issue #371 August 30, 2016

    Quickly create timeline visuals by starting with a pre-built timeline or calendar you can copy onto a PowerPoint slide Continue reading

  • Showing performance compared to past and budget; Slide Makeover #85

    Use a multiple-width overlapping column graph to compare current performance to past and expected performance Continue reading

  • Save time with Custom Shows; Issue #370 August 16, 2016

    One question has been raised in a number of my custom workshops recently so I thought I’d share it and the answer with all of my subscribers. The question is in regards to presenting the same topic to different audiences: audiences that may have different roles, may have different knowledge levels, or may need to know different levels of…… Continue reading

  • Index line graph instead of dual-axis graph; Issue #369 August 2, 2016

    I have written about the problems with dual axis graphs in the past. One situation where some presenters say dual axis graphs are necessary is when the two data series being compared are measured in very different units. In this case, they say that you need a dual axis graph because the measurement units aren’t…… Continue reading