Page 106 - The New Articulate Executive_ Look, Act and Sound Like a Leader

THE POWERPOINT PARADOX 97

THREE RULES FOR MAKING
THE MOST OF POWERPOINT

Rule #1: The Oreo

The first rule is what I call the Oreo. Remember the POWER for-
mula? The top layer of the Oreo represents your opportunity to
launch a strong beginning. On the screen it’s OK to show a logo or
maybe your name, title, and logo—mental chewing gum that makes
no demands. That’s so the eye will not be distracted while you get
off to your strong POWER start. It’s just you and your personal
story, anecdote, rhetorical question, or however you may choose to
begin, and the logo on the wall. This lets you establish a tight and
even personal relationship with your audience right from the start.
Now here’s a neat little trick known only to the most successful
and sophisticated speakers: make sure you tell your entire story

before you show the first slide. Why? Because if something unfore-
seen creates an interruption or you run out of time, you will already
have your cards on the table. People will know your entire story even
if you are only a couple of minutes into your presentation (keep
thinking conversation every time you see that dreaded word presenta-
tion). They will know your theme. They will know the challenges.
And they will know the solutions. This is your insurance policy if
things go wrong.
Assuming you do not run out of time or get interrupted, at some
point you will say something like, “As you can see here . . .” or, “Take
a look at this . . .” or, “So how do we know these things?” and click

your remote to bring the first picture up on the screen.
The middle layer of the Oreo—the cream—is the graphics,
tables, schematics, charts, and other visuals that help prove the
theme. This is where you present the bulk of your evidence to make
your case.
The bottom layer is your strong ending. When you are done
presenting your visual supporting evidence (the cream), you will say