Steve Jobs, On PowerPoint
Posted On June 19, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
I recently stumbled across a great quote from Steve Jobs, that captures exactly how we feel about PowerPoint here at The Latimer Group: “I hate the way people use slide presentations instead of thinking. People confront problems by creating presentations. I want them to engage, to hash things out at the table, rather than show […]
A Real-Life Example of the Risk Your PowerPoint Slides Hold
Posted On August 4, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
We had a fascinating conversation with a workshop participant last week. He shared a real story, about a presentation he gave soon after he joined his current company. He worked hard at it, he prepared, and he was nervous, but ready. He made the presentation, it seemed to go OK, and then afterwards he asked […]
The Difference Between Good and Bad PowerPoint Slides
Posted On August 2, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
My colleagues and I see a lot of PowerPoint slide decks. More than we can count, actually. So we have a deep reservoir of context on what makes a good slide deck and a bad slide deck. And very often, people make a critical mistake when thinking about slides, and how to make them better. […]
The Best Presenters Use PowerPoint Like This…
Posted On July 8, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
Let me know if this sounds familiar… you have a presentation to give. You immediately begin thinking about your slide deck. You pull out the last presentation you gave on the topic, you dust it off and realize that some of the same slides will work. So you are on your way. Then you look […]
The War On Detail
Posted On November 2, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
Details matter in business, and in some industries, the details are everything. But the amount of detail we discuss in meetings and presentations, and the way in which we communicate it, is a daily source of frustration in most companies. Ask yourself this question: “What percentage of meetings that you sit in take your time […]
Storytelling Techniques: Problem → Solution
Posted On June 9, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
We’ve been writing a lot lately about “the new communication age” and life in a “post-PowerPoint world.” Communication skills have never been more important than they are right now. And one of the best ways to communicate in a powerful way is through the use of story. Story can be used in lots of ways. […]
The Total Audience Experience
Posted On June 8, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
When you stand up to speak in a professional setting, there are three primary ways you are interacting with your audience: the message you have developed, the slides you have created, and the delivery skills you exhibit. All three matter, because all three impact your audience’s experience. Many people think about their work presentations this […]
Speaking, Retention, and the Audience Experience
Posted On April 22, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
Your audience will only remember a small percentage of what you say. Some studies suggest it will be less than 20%. Fact. Other studies suggest that the average adult attention span is now about 8 seconds. Bummer. So what do you do about it? Focus on all three aspects of the audience experience: 1. Make […]
5 (More) Ways Your PowerPoint Slides Can Hurt You
Posted On February 25, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
This is a topic we have written on before, but it merits another emphatic mention. PowerPoint and slide decks are completely overdone, to the point where the whole concept of the business meeting presentation is often (and accurately) lampooned. But many large organizations still rely on the internal presentation as a primary method of communication […]
Help Your Audience Retain Your Message
Posted On February 23, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
I’m writing to you early on a Sunday morning from my hotel room in Perth, Australia, the sun still hiding behind the eastern horizon. My colleagues and I are blessed and grateful to have a client base that takes us all over the world, with active relationships on five continents. And while that means we […]