November 10, 2010 59 Comments

Don’t Do This – Speaking

Okay, don’t do this. If you’re going to speak to people, speak TO (or even better WITH) them. Don’t look at your slides, read your slides, and tell me what’s on your slides. I know how to read. Stop it. Okay?

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http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

AMEN!!!!
Anonymous

This means, though, that the presenter must UNDERSTAND the content, and must be able to actually have a conversation with the audience about what’s relevant and what they want to know about.

Which should be easy for SOCIAL MEDIA types, right?
Anonymous

Chris – this is obviously one of the main skills that separates the engaging speakers from the droning time-wasters. I look forward to seeing you speak in person one day soon….thanks for being so helpful on a daily basis.
http://www.picturepundit.com Aaron Hockley

… and if your slide deck really is your entire presentation… then you suck. People didn’t show up to watch you read charts.

This is what gets me about services such as slideshare… if you think that looking at a slide deck is the same as seeing/hearing the presentation, then either you’re wrong or it must’ve been a really shitty presentation.
http://twitter.com/IDGuardian IDGuardian

Bless your cotton socks, Chris Brogan.

And I’d like to add, go light on the text in your presentation. Make your talk a TALK, and not “Death by Powerpoint.”
http://twitter.com/IDGuardian IDGuardian

Bless your cotton socks, Chris Brogan.

And I’d like to add, go light on the text in your presentation. Make your talk a TALK, and not “Death by Powerpoint.”
http://www.bobgoyetche.com BobGoyetche

Oh yeah!

In other words, speakers : know your material!
http://www.bobgoyetche.com BobGoyetche

Oh yeah!

In other words, speakers : know your material!
http://www.shashi.name/ Shashib

who did this drawing?

http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

Me. I thought it would be rude to take a photo of the person and shame her.

http://empoprise-bi.blogspot.com/ John E. Bredehoft (Empoprises)

I suspected that you drew this while sitting somewhere, and I also suspected that you’d be a decent enough person not to provide any additional detail about your inspiration.

Let me throw out a question to those who promote minimalist slides – what do you do when someone who didn’t attend your presentation asks for “your presentation” (i.e. your slides)? (Assume the presentation wasn’t captured on video; most of my presentations are to small groups and aren’t recorded.)

Should you just send your minimalist slides and say “You should have been there”?

http://www.postadvertising.com Jon Thomas

Brilliant my man. Not reading your slides is definitely on the tablets of the 10 Presentation Commandments, and easily top 3.
Sally

This is SO spot on! It boggles me that when the speaker (maybe) most times will have their lap top right in front of them with the slide visible so they can face the audience/group and not have to read the big screen.

Reading the big screen tells me, 1) they’re nervous and/or 2) they don’t know their material, etc. I think it may also be heading toward ‘death by powerpoint’ – way too many slides with way too much data.

When presenting I will refer to an image or message on the screen by quickly turning my head to the screen and pointing to the screen or using the laser-pointer-thingy. However I don’t remain looking at the screen and reading from it. Their are times when as the presenter you want to direct the audience/group to the screen so by turning to the screen will direct the audiences eyes, but this is a strategy for improving impact/learning/getting the message across, etc.

Such a great simple, quick yet so important point! Thanks
Joe

That’s why I say dump PowerPoint all together. People use it as an excuse for good speaking. When they can’t do it up on the stage they slip in a slide. I say fall back on yourself and come to your own defense. You may surprise yourself.

Joe
@joewaters
http://neilbearse.com/ Neil Bearse

The best learning experience for a public speaker is to have their projector completely explode, their slides not work or the power to go out. You quickly learn that without the safety net of Powerpoint(less), you are free to actually talk to people. It’s like riding a bike without the training wheels for the first time – you’re able to go wherever you want.

The best part? Realizing that people came to listen and interact, not read your stuff off a screen.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NF5AZNRE6CPZXGWPKWDDAEQWAU Lester

I record some classroom videos and we have one monitor in the back of the room for the speaker to see their slides, and no one wants to use it. They prefer to read the screen. Can’t figure it out.
http://zachcole.com Zach Cole

Great post as usual Chris. It’s far too often that speaker fail to engage the audience – the most important part of a presentation. More people need to take note of this.
http://www.gypsybandito.com CT Moore

Why has it taken so long for someone to say this? Or has it just taken this long for someone with an audience to say it?
http://twitter.com/tsand Todd Sanders

Lots of boobs in that audience. Might explain why he/she’s focused on the slide.
http://speakanddeliver.blogspot.com Rich Hopkins

Speakers do this for a few reasons:

1. They use the screen for notes
2. Insecure as to whether they are on the right slide
3. Subconsciously they believe if they look at the slide they add to the slides importance
4. They get a brief rest from the pressure of an audience

None of them are good reasons.
http://raulcolon.net Raul Colon

I see many speakers that use that as a To do instead of a what Not to do.
http://wordsdonewrite.blogspot.com Words Done Write

Slides can be a blessing and a curse.

I gave a presentation last weekend at an event and although I looked at the audience, the audience only looked at the slides. I kind of felt like the slides were an obstacle to actually connecting with the people.

Amber @wordsdonewrite
http://blogs.sas.com/sascom Alison

If you do this in front of the public speaking coach we use here at SAS, he yells, “WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?!?!!” His name is Bart Queen & he is awesome.
http://twitter.com/damion_white Damion White

This is awesome! I can only aspire to achieve the level of fame where stating the obvious is so well received, revered even. Congrats Chris, more than this being a good point, it really shows that you have arrived.
http://twitter.com/AaronCz Aaron Chavez

lol I have been a victim of this and I am sorry to say that I have done this some aswell….
Erica

I know. But it’s so much harder!
http://cashwithatrueconscience.com/rbblog Ryan Biddulph

True true Chris. You’re not trying to connect with your slides…your audience is your audience.
http://radsmarts.com Robin Dickinson

Thank you, Chris.

As a professional speaker, I prefer to avoid slides all together as they create one more barrier between the audience and my ability to connect with them.
Anonymous

Thank you for addressing a MASSIVE pet peeve in such a clear in elegant way.
Anonymous

Thank you for addressing a MASSIVE pet peeve in such a clear in elegant way.
http://twitter.com/petershankman Peter Shankman

How about, JUST DON’T USE SLIDES AT ALL. Unless your speech is TOTALLY technical, get some speaker training so that you can engage and entrall your audience WITHOUT needing the COP – Crutch of Powerpoint.

http://radsmarts.com Robin Dickinson

That’s what I was trying to say. Thank you, Peter. Your version is much more elegantly put. :)

http://chillinwithmcmillan.com Thomas McMillan Jr.

thanks for so clearly pointing this out….know your stuff and make your slides easy to follow. By that I mean just a few words per slide.
Anonymous

Amateurs talk without making eye contact. Pros only speak when there’s eye contact.
http://www.industrythoughts.net Keith Johnston

OK, I have finally gotten up off the floor and stopped laughing… I have been there most of the afternoon.

As someone who has been in the meetings and events industry for a number of years, you have taken something that we try (to no avail) to communicate to speakers and boiled it down to one, simple, effective image. I may force speakers to look at it before they take the stage!
http://www.industrythoughts.net Keith Johnston

OK, I have finally gotten up off the floor and stopped laughing… I have been there most of the afternoon.

As someone who has been in the meetings and events industry for a number of years, you have taken something that we try (to no avail) to communicate to speakers and boiled it down to one, simple, effective image. I may force speakers to look at it before they take the stage!
http://www.slymarketing.com Jens P. Berget

After I started using the Keynote App for my iPhone, I’m not looking at the slides on the wall, but on my iPhone. I’m sort of still looking, but it’s not that obvious, and I also get my notes. It works great for people like me, who are not that experienced :)
http://www.slymarketing.com Jens P. Berget

After I started using the Keynote App for my iPhone, I’m not looking at the slides on the wall, but on my iPhone. I’m sort of still looking, but it’s not that obvious, and I also get my notes. It works great for people like me, who are not that experienced :)
Anonymous

Oh gosh yes. I’ve been teaching me kids how NOT to do the above as well. So glad I don’t have to experience tons of meetings anymores….
Anonymous

Oh gosh yes. I’ve been teaching me kids how NOT to do the above as well. So glad I don’t have to experience tons of meetings anymores….
http://www.danielrose.com.au Daniel Rose

I agree with some other posts, ditch the slides entirely…
http://twitter.com/mikemcsharry mike mcsharry

Brilliant!!!!

Two tips –
ONLY put pictures on your slide – that will force you to be creative.
Spend 2 to 5 minutes per slide – this will force you to know your stuff.

Bonus tip
If you are right handed, you will have a bias to look left (why do you think the entries for supermarkets are on the right – they force you to go left). If left handed, you have bias to look right.
Put your notes on your strong hand – this will force you to at least glance to that side.

Great stuff from Chris, as normal!
Mike
http://reactlove.com/ Lance M.

I love it, this post, and hate it when a speaker does exactly what you wrote about.

The line “…speak TO (or even better WITH) them.” is excellent insight into communication. I believe that any and all forms of communication are two, or more, way streets. They aren’t just for the talking head to get their point across, communication requires a dialogue.
Deborah Mourey

yeah! love this…

I use slides with pictures because some people are visual learners and think better (connect) when they see something. I like to make everyone write something down. that gets their little gray cells vibrating.
I am fortunate to do a lot of public speaking so I am concentrating on feeling the audience not on what my stupid slides or even my stupid talk is supposed to say. I have shut the projector off in the middle of a presentation and let the audience talk to each other. The more people talk to each other, the happier I am. I am just the facilitator — not the keeper of any special or secret knowledge.
We’re all in this together… Deborah from Rochester
http://www.mpoweringu.com Brian Hamlett

First off, love the picture. Did you draw it? Second, I guess you’re still at PUBCON and watching someone paid (maybe unpaid) to present to the audience who might have been better off handing the baton to someone more comfortable with crowds and better at presenting. And finally, I completely agree. A presentation is about engaging the audience with information where the PRESENTER (not the slides) is the conduit for the information to be passed to the audience. If you’re looking at the slides, you’re simply passing the information to a screen and the audience is just hearing the “noise.”

http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

Yes, it’s my little sketch.

And yes, they weren’t exactly top of their game.

http://www.mpoweringu.com Brian Hamlett

Very nicely done! So let me ask to get your perspective (and you may have said it in a previous post I’m not aware of) “In a few words, what should be the purpose of a digital presentation (a.k.a. “slideshow”)?

Just wondering since you’ve had the great opportunity to speak often and to various groups.

http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

Yes, it’s my little sketch.

And yes, they weren’t exactly top of their game.

Sarah Auerswald

Hear, hear! Please tell us something new about the slide and don’t just read it to the audience.
Sarah Auerswald

Hear, hear! Please tell us something new about the slide and don’t just read it to the audience.
Anonymous

Simple and straightforward. Sometimes the best advice is just that easy.
Anonymous

Don’t even get me started on people who do this. I can’t believe that there are still people who read slides and consider it speaking.
http://justinplambert.net Justinplambert

Chris,
Excellent simple reminder. I’ve fallen prey to this myself even though I, too, hate it when someone does it to me. Thanks!
http://justinplambert.net Justinplambert

Chris,
Excellent simple reminder. I’ve fallen prey to this myself even though I, too, hate it when someone does it to me. Thanks!
http://www.oneelevencorp.com Janet Carlson

You are preaching to the choir! You also need to draw up a snappy cartoon depicting the idiots who spend their whole speech pimping their 1) company 2) products 3) services – it is boring and makes you mad when you think about the $2,500 your company plunked down to be forced to listen to sales pitches by companies who have “sponsored” the meeting. BOO!!
http://www.retirepreneur.com Donna Kastner/Retirepreneur

Slides w/captivating graphics that spark ideas, nods, and smiles = on your way to Good Speakerville

Slides used as teleprompter = time to reset your GPS for a new career destination

Don’t Do This – Speaking

ChrisBrogan.com runs on the Genesis Framework

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