How not to use PowerPoint

Watch the following comedy sketch by comedian Don McMillan on "How not to use PowerPoint".



Don McMillan uses comedy to deliver a more powerful message. What are some ways ways that you can create a memorable story to get your audience's attention for your message? Even if you're not a comedian, you can still find interesting ways to deliver your message.

Can watching "ER" make you a healthier person?

Apparently so, according to researchers at the University of Southern California, who examined the story-line of TV drama 'ER' and its influence on viewers. In that particular story-line, a character on the show was advised to exercise more and eat healthier food. Thomas W. Valente of the Keck School of Medicine conducted a survey that found that viewers of the show were much more likely to report a positive change in their behaviour after watching the episode.

This demonstrates the authority principle. People are influenced by others in authority, even if the authority is fictional! When delivering your message, authority is one of the key aspects to establishing or framing it(i.e. It answers the "Why you?" question in their mind). So, if you have genuine authority (not false authority like the ER episode), use it! Or refer to someone who does have genuine authority. It can make a positive difference to your message.

One Red Paperclip, by Kyle Macdonald

You might have heard about Kyle Macdonald, who tells his amazing story of how he traded a paper clip for a house. Well, not in one trade, but in a series of trades that took him back and forth across North America. His book and his blog tell his story in detail.

Sounds crazy doesn’t it? A paperclip for a house? Well, it depends. He starts by trading it for a novelty pen, which somebody gave him just for the fun of it. The first few trades are just for fun. And then it gets serious. He gets something rare, and finds a collector willing to trade for it. He gets a lot of media attention, so some people want to trade on the exposure they'll get. And so on. At one point, he seems to be going backwards - at least, in the opinion of many of his loyal fans. But he sticks to his guns. And ends up with a house.

Kyle’s story is the perfect illustration of selling value, and more importantly how one person’s need may be very different to another. He understood that if he could find out how each trade item solved that persons problem or need then that item had value for that individual. In fact, throughout his blog (and his book) he highlights what benefits a specific trade provided for an individual (ie, what "problem" did the traded item solve for that person. For example, Shawn Sparks really wanted the door knob for his espresso maker (stating that "Yeah, it even looks like me in the morning after my first cup - all wired up and stuff"). Each trade solved an individual's need, and in the end solved Kyle's - he got his house!

Step into your audience's world, truly understand their need, and create messages that solve their problems.

Gihan Perera talks about Magnetic Messages on the Wake Up WA breakfast show

How do you make your message more memorable? On a recent episode of the breakfast show “Wake Up WA”, Gihan Perera talked to Matt Hern and Edwina Nattrass, and shared some simple tips and ideas on how you can be remembered after you leave the room.



Look out for how he teaches you to use “When you…”, “The next time …” and “Every time…” to create a future action or association in the listener’s mind, so your message is remembered among the hundreds of other messages your audience will hear today.

Always be persuading

In public speaking courses, beginners are taught that a speech has one of three purposes: To entertain, to inform or to persuade. But what if you looked at every presentation of your message as an opportunity to persuade - even if you're informing or entertaining as well?

In this free report, To Inform Or To Persuade?, David Brenner makes exactly this point. It is easy read, and is particularly relevant for you if you make presentations in the workplace. He uses a story or case study to demonstrate the importance of framing to create a persuasive presentation. In the case study, the consultant identifies that Jane’s presentation did not answer some specific questions that would be relevant for her audience:

• Is Jane trying to inform me or persuade me? (Why this?)
• What does Jane want me to do? (Why now?)
• What does Jane want me to remember? (Why me?)
• Does Jane understand what will concern the audience most? (Why me?)

Once these were addressed her presentation became persuasive for her audience.

Who are the heroes in your stories?

Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways of creating magnetic, memorable messages. And one of the reasons stories work is because they have a “hero”, someone we can identify with. Use this list of heroic characters to understand the different types of hero, so you can incorporate them into your stories for greater impact.Although you might find it difficult to find a suitable “Knight” (someone who confronts evil) in a business context!

Someone who has used stories effectively in a business context is author Patrick Lencioni, the founder and president of The Table Group. He is a leading authority on organizational health, teamwork, change and corporate culture. He uses stories in books such as The Five Temptations of a CEO and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team to help CEOs and leaders learn the about the top pitfalls of leadership and suggests practical ways to overcome them. He has also designed interactive workshops and resources that can be used to make these live for the audience.

So consider how you could use a story to enhance your message or idea.

Network marketing without stalking your friends

Your communication varies depending on your level of trust … it is important not to “stalk” your friends.

Network marketing is often touted as the answer to running a successful small business - using a simple, proven formula that anybody can do. But it also has a reputation for exploiting friendships and relationships for financial gain. In the network marketing game, some cynics call themselves "NFL members" - that is, No Friends Left!

What's the truth? Is there a way to do network marketing without stalking your friends? Even if you're not involved in network marketing, read Kim Klaver’s free report, "Friends, Lies and Network Marketing". It offers excellent ideas on delivering important messages in ways that are remembered, not rejected. She gives 12 tips for ethical, pressure-free success in network marketing.

Here are five of the tips:

1. Tell them up-front that you're selling.
2. Ask for referrals, not sales.
3. Use enthusiasm, not hype.
4. Recommend the smallest package.
5. Skip the therapy.

How can you use this in your business? What are some other ways you can develop or strengthen trust in your message for your audience?

Death by Powerpoint

In the following presentation by Alexei Kapterev, he effectively use a "story" to present his message: "Death by PowerPoint".



He uses pictures (eg: of bored audiences), simple and sometimes dramatic written points ("lots of people are killing each other with bad presentations, now") and music to enhance his story. The audience is left with a “wow” and a round of applause at the end! (a high). He has now delivered a much more memorable message, by taking the audience through some highs and lows, appealing to different learning styles (audio and visual) than a standard PowerPoint presentation.

Make them right, but make them uncomfortable

It's hard to inspire people if you start by telling them they are wrong - they immediately resent you. But it's also hard to motivate them if they think they are right, and don't have to change. How do you resolve this dilemma?

One way is to convince them that what they are doing used to be right, but might no longer be as effective today. Frame your message in a way that they can relate to, emphasise the “Why me?”

For example:

• Paying off a home mortgage used to be an effective investment strategy. But now there are so many other options for using the equity in your home to purchase investment properties.
• Thirty minutes of exercise three times a week used to be good advice, but now you have to do forty minutes four times a week because of even more desk-based jobs.
• Salespeople used to focus on product knowledge, but customers with Internet access now come to the sales meeting armed
  with all that knowledge themselves.

In other words, you make the audience right, which encourages them; and then point out that circumstances have changed, which motivates them. They engage with your message, and act.

Learn influence skills from the scammers and con artists

Framing allows you to answer the four questions that your audience ask when they assess if a message is relevant to them.

The following letter is an example of a spam email that is doing the rounds. It's a scam, of course, and full of holes if you're looking for them. But when you read it, pretend you are a gullible person. What does the writer do to try to influence you?

From: Mrs Rebecca Thatcher. No:36 Old Shrewberry Street, London England. Beloved,i am Lady Rebecca Thatcher, suffering from cancerous ailment. I used to be married to Sir Jeremy Thatcher an Englishman who is dead and resting peacefully. My husband was into private practice all his life before he passed. When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of Twenty Million Pounds (20,000,000.00 Million Great Britain Pounds Sterling) which were derived from his vast estates and investment in capital market with his bank here in UK. Presently, this money is still with the Bank. Recently, my Doctor told me that I have limited days to live due to the cancerous problems I am suffering from. Though what bothers me most is the stroke that I have in addition to the cancer. With this hard reality that has befallen me, I have decided to donate this fund to you and want you to use this gift which comes from my husbands effort to fund the upkeep of widows, widowers, orphans, destitute, the down-trodden, physically challenged children, barren-women and persons who prove to be genuinely handicapped financially. I took this decision because I do not have any child that will inherit this money. My happiness is that I lived a life worthy of emulation. Please assure me that you will act just as I have stated herein. Hope to hear from you soon. You can contact me through my personal email address at [snipped]. Thanking you in advance for everything, Sincerely yours, Lady Rebecca Thatcher.

Consider how framing is used in this letter:

• Why this? What are the benefits of responding to this letter?
• Why you? What is the author’s
  credibility
• Why me? What is the relevance to me, the reader?
• Why now? What is the urgency to take action?
  

How effective is the letter in setting these up? Can you see how these four questions can be answered in your next message for greater impact?

Business Presentations - Pros and Cons

How do you deliver an effective business presentation? Experts will give you varying - sometimes contradicting - advice. But they usually agree on one thing - be really clear about what your message is and keep it simple.

Often authors or presentation experts present examples or stories on how to use PowerPoint effectively. The following two articles are good examples of this:

Darrell Zahorsky of the About.com Small Business Information channel has an article about 8 Secrets to a Knockout Business Presentation. By incorporating these in your PowerPoint presentation you can really enhance the clarity of your message. As he highlights it “all comes down to what your audience walks away with in the end”.

Elsewhere on the About.com site, you'll also find the other side of the coin in: The Seven Deadly Sins of Powerpoint Presentations. Dr. Joseph Sommerville highlights some of the common mistakes made in PowerPoint business presentations.

Remember, PowerPoint can be a really powerful tool to deliver your message when used well, or an absolute disaster when not. A clear message can reach through a cluttered world, but not if the PowerPoint presentation is cluttered! Finally, as Dr Sommerville says “You should still be able to give an excellent presentation if you focus on the message.”

Classy Video from Defenders of Wildlife

The Defenders of Wildlife organisation has created a simple thank-you video for its supporters, for all their work in 2007. The video is introduced by the president of the organisation, and then has some simple points and pictures to back up his message.



As you watch this video, notice some of the things he does to enhance the trust that the organisation already has with their supporters.Because they are already “friends”:

• He already knows and understands his audience - they are supporters of the Defenders of Wildlife.
• He doesn’t have to spend much time presenting statistics or justifying the cause with proof. The few statistics used are shown in very simple ways.
• He can keep his message clear, simple and direct. At the beginning of the video he simply states “thank you for all of your actions and support during this past year that helped us save ...(names animals)” and “believe me, your actions made a powerful difference”.
• He consolidates the community feel by concluding with “Together we also helped …” and “We couldn’t do it without you”.

It is much easier to have a compelling message with an audience that is already receptive.

Richard Wiseman's Colour Changing Trick

How often have you been skeptical about someone’s message? These days, people are generally less trusting, and you need to use proof to give your message strength or credibility. One of the most powerful forms of persuasion is a demonstration. Even more powerful, is letting your audience experience it.

Watch Professor Richard Wiseman as he demonstrates our powers of attention (and inattention!) in this card trick:



Professor Wiseman elegantly uses the viewers’ personal experience of watching the two halves of the video to demonstrate his point. Are there ways you could do something in your presentations to make the message more personal for the audience? After all, isn't this so much more powerful than a dry scientific lecture, a data driven report or boring business presentation?

Stating the obvious

Providing proof is an important part of creating a credible, memorable message. But you don't have to prove things that are obviously true. If it is already considered an established truth, then there is no point to creating a message that re-iterates what your audience already knows! This is why scientists often have difficulty in publishing data that backs up what other scientists have already shown.

Sounds obvious, right?

The National Post has a humorous round-up of some of the serious but unnecessary research conducted over the last year. Examples include these "discoveries":

• Eat less and you won't get fat.
• Divorce isn't a whole lot of fun.
• Many drivers exceed the speed limit

Enjoy!