iOS 7 and Your Presentation Style

Blog post,

Lessons from iOS 7 that can be applied to your presentation style

Steve Jobs was revered (and occasionally vilified) for, among other things, his clean and effective presentation style.  Most of his famous presentations occurred at Apple’s main event:  the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

iOS 7 Presentation StyleAt recent WWDCs Tim Cook and his associates have been desperately trying to fill Mr. Job’s shoes by un-cluttering their presentation style, a difficult task indeed.  Don’t get me wrong, most of the products and services presented at the last WWDC, on June 10, 2013, are great products, but it was a video of Jony Ive, Senior Vice President of Design, introducing iOS 7 that, in my opinion, seemed more Jobesque.  Mr. Ive said:

“I think there is a profound and enduring beauty in simplicity, in clarity, and in efficiency; true simplicity is derived from so much more than just the absence of clutter and ornamentation, it is about bringing order to complexity.

“In many ways we tried to create an interface that is unobtrusive and deferential; one where design recedes and, in doing so, elevates your content.”

The key phrase here is the final one: “…where design recedes and, in doing so, elevates your content.”  Essentially, this is the same principle that guides our presentation style at Sliding.ca:  Reduce the noise and clutter in order to let your message stand out.

Sometimes this is called a “minimalist” approach to presentations, but in reality it is much, much more.  To simplify, to un-clutter, and to reduce noise are the means to achieve your objective: everything in your presentation, from your slides to your voice, must serve and support your message and purpose.

In order to apply this principle effectively in your presentation style a very, very clear message is required.  A great example is our coaching process; the very first question we ask of our clients:  “What do you want to say to your audience?” gets by far the longest, and often convoluted, response.  Fortunately we’ve developed several techniques to help our clients to clarify their message and empower it.

Once you have a clear, concise, and compelling message it’s relatively easy to understand what should and shouldn’t be a part of your presentation.  Understanding your message will have a profound effect on your presentation, it will:

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  1. Simplify the process of creating the presentation.
  2. Reduce time and, most importantly,
  3. Exponentially improve the effectiveness of your presentation.

So remember: Never start a presentation of any kind without first having a clear, concise and compelling message; it will give you direction and it will help you to eliminate unnecessary elements from your presentation.

I’ll always remember the words of the character Kirill in Andrei Tarkovsky’s movie Andrey Rublev: “Simplicity, without gaudiness.”

Great words to remember as you begin creating your next presentation.

Happy presenting!

Cheers, Gerardo.

Prepare for an Interview

Blog post, ,

Three key tips on how to prepare for an interview

Prepare for an interviewThe other day I was involved in an interesting debate with a friend of mine regarding the differences between how you would prepare for an interview for a job compared with how you might prepare for an interview for television or some other medium. My contention was that, regardless of the medium and the purpose of the interview, the way you prepare for an interview remains the same. My friend differed with me in that he felt that the purpose of the interview should dictate the method of preparation and how the person being interviewed should interact with their interviewer.

More specifically, our discussion centred around Rachel Parent a fourteen year old teenager who was interviewed on the Lang & O’Leary Exchange, a CBC Canada television program. The show is hosted by Amanda Lang and Kevin O’Leary of Dragon’s Den and Shark Tank fame and Rachel was invited to appear on the show after she challenged a Kevin O’Leary pronouncement regarding Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s).

Ms. Parent turned up well prepared and ready to discuss the issue with Mr. O’Leary and Ms. Lang and, in the opinion of most of the people I spoke with after the show, she acquitted herself very well.  Our discussion arose from my friend’s contention that Ms. Parent had missed an opportunity to teach Mr. O’Leary and his audience an important lesson regarding GMO’s and that she did not, in fact, acquit herself admirably.

One of the main things that impressed me about Ms. Parent’s performance on Lang & O’Leary was her ability to repeatedly return to the main point of her position that GMO’s should be labelled in the name of freedom of choice and that consumers should be given the information they need to decide for themselves whether they choose to buy GMO’s or not.

A number of times during the interview Mr. O’Leary tried to characterize Ms. Parent as some sort of GMO Luddite but she never once took the bait.  Each and every time he baited her she would calmly return to her argument regarding freedom of choice and the need for full disclosure when it cam to product labelling. When that didn’t sway her from her position Mr O’Leary would try to change the parameters of the debate and, when that didn’t work, he even tried to play the age card and suggest that Ms. Parent’s position would change when she grew up; all to no avail.  Rachel stuck to her guns and firmly, gently and repeatedly reiterated her position that GMO’s should be labelled as such and that the consumer should have the freedom to choose for themselves.

My friend disagreed with this strategy.  He felt that television was too powerful a medium to waste and that Ms. Parent had squandered a rare opportunity to provide the audience with a comprehensive lesson on the ills of GMO’s and, in so doing, take Kevin O’Leary down a notch or two.   And that brings me back to our tips on how to prepare for an interview?

The amount of information one can present to an audience or an interviewer is much less dependent on the ability of the presenter to deliver a plethora of data as it is on the audience/interviewer’s ability to absorb that information. The Lang & O’Leary Exchange is a business news show.  The odds are pretty good that the audience was not overly familiar with the issue of GMO’s and, besides, that’s not why they were watching in the first place.  Had Ms. Parent tried to over-educate that particular audience she might well have confused them or simply caused them to tune out on the conversation.
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Presenter’s Rule #1: Know your audience. Ms. Parent understood that her audience was not, primarily, interested in GMO’s so she framed her position as being in favour of “freedom of choice,” a stance everyone understands and, whether politically left, right or centre, can support.

Presenter’s Rule #2: Stick to the point. Most television interviews are not about discussing all sides of an issue; they are about promoting or advertising a position.  As any advertising executive will tell you; one simple, straightforward mantra repeated ten times will be much more memorable than five points repeated two times each.

Presenter’s Rule #3: Keep smiling.  Had Rachel Parent showed any signs of resentment towards Mr. O’Leary or had she tried to out-debate him she would have lost by default.   Nobody likes a bully, even a fourteen year old one.

Rachel Parent did win her debate with Kevin O’Leary.  But, she won because she and her coaches knew how to prepare for an interview.  She knew her audience, she stuck to the point, and she did it with style and grace and a smile on her face.  She should be congratulated for her extraordinary performance and for showing us that, whether your goal is to prepare for an interview that will land us that perfect job or to prepare for an interview on national television, the rules are the same.  Good luck with your next interview.

Let me know what you think.  Cheers, Patrick.

For more information about how to prepare for an interview please contact us at: info@Sliding.ca

Backup Rules!

Blog post

How we learned that “Backup Rules” and why
backup rules should be adhered to with unyielding fervour

A few weeks ago we (Sliding.ca) were doing some work for a client. As part of that process we were creating a WordPress blog site. At one point in the process we encountered a warning on the screen that seemed counter-intuitive to what we were doing.

After performing a few checks and considering our options we decided that the warning was an error and gingerly applied an index finger to the enter key and initiated registration for the client’s WordPress blog.

Everything seemed to be fine until, a short while later, when we went to our Sliding.ca website and realized that the entire site had been overwritten by our client’s site. We had, in effect, erased all the content at our Sliding.ca website. After a quick call to our service provider to see if they could retrieve our data we were told that the information was lost forever. We would have to reload all our data and, essentially, rebuild our website from scratch.

After talking with our very accommodating  and helpful (as helpful as she could be under the circumstances) service provider listening to her gentle but well earned dressing down for not properly backing up ALL of our files we became instant adherents to her oft repeated chorus: backup rules!

The frustrating thing about the whole episode was that we already know that backup rules. In fact, we teach our clients that backup rules and we suggest, as one of the keys to successful presentations, that backup rules be established and used for every facet of a presentation.

Backup rulesWhen we present a seminar or a workshop we always make sure we take a backup computer, backup cables, backup materials for use in case the backups fail and backups for anything else we might need to ensure we have a successful event. Unfortunately, when it came to the most basic backup rules of all, we let our guard down.

 

We have learned our lesson. We now vigilantly follow the backup rules and backup anything and everything that to do with our business. So, what are the backup rules?

The backup rules are:

  • Keep at least 2 copies of everything you consider important.
  • Keep those copies in at least 2 different formats so that one fails you’re not completely shut down.
  • Store at least 1 copy of anything you’ve backed up off-site; catastrophic loss is rare but it does happen.

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Our Sliding.ca website is now up and running and it’s better than ever. We survived our mini crisis, humbled but wiser for the experience, and we’re ready to move forward… backing up along the way.

Cheers, Patrick

The Key to Effective Communication

Blog post

Effective communication speaks to both sides of the brain

In preparation for a speech I’m writing I needed to look up the meaning of the phrase “effective  communication.”  The most common definition I found described effective communication as “A two way information sharing process which involves one party sending a message that is easily understood by the receiving party.”

After seeing that same definition over and over again it occurred to me that there must be an awful lot of people think of effective communication as a very left brain, logical process. So, what about our right brain; where do our emotions fit into the process? It seems to me, if someone is communicating by appealing to only the left side of the brain they’re only communicating one half of their message. That’s not effective communication and, in the 21st Century, half a message just isn’t good enough. So, why, do people so often try to communicate that way?

Effective CommunicationMany people think effective communication is about the transference of data. In reality, effective communication is much more than that. Effective communication is about connecting with people and delivering a message that not only informs them but inspires them to action. If the listener isn’t engaged emotionally a portion of the message isn’t getting through and the portion that isn’t getting through may be the most important portion of all.

When we receive information we don’t only process it logically we also process it emotionally and, more often than not, our decision to accept or reject the message is an emotional one. It doesn’t matter how cogent or well argued our message may be; if our audience isn’t connected with us emotionally the message won’t be accepted and we haven’t delivered an effective communication.

As the century unfolds before us we find ourselves bombarded by more and more information and more and more demands for our attention. With that kind of competition we can’t afford to deliver only half a message. Our message must be clear, it must be concise and it must be compelling. Most of us handle clear and concise reasonably well, it’s the compelling that we stumble on.
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Weave your data or information into a story and you’ll find that people are much more receptive and willing to listen to you. Just like any story you need to introduce your characters, plan a structure, develop a plot-line, build to a climax and finish with a suitable epilogue. If you include those elements in all you presentations you’ll not only keep your audience’s interest you’ll leave them wanting to hear more and inspired to act on your words.

And that adds up… to effective communication.

Cheers, Patrick

(Originally posted on January 21, 2013.  MLK Day)

Communication Skills: The New Currency

Blog post

One of the best investments that you can make today is to
elevate your communication skills

The higher you climb up your career ladder the more your communication skills influence your ability to continue to move upward.

All the know-how and experience that you acquire are definite assets but unless you can communicate it to your audience you may remain unknown.To be recognized as an expert you need communication skills that set you apart from the crowd.

Communication Skills the New CurrencyEvery time you stand before an audience your improved communications skills will add to your reputation, your credibility, and ultimately, your bottom line. Learn to deliver clear, concise messages backed up with real-life examples and you’ll be perceived as more knowledgeable about the services and products that you represent.

The more effective that your communication skills are,the better you’re able to connect with twenty-first century audiences and in a language that they understand – a language that not only says that “you know”,but also that “you care”.

 

Connect through integrated communication skills. 

Whether you promote, sell, or train the successful outcome of your presentations depends largely on the effectiveness of the three essential channels of communication; verbal, visual and emotional.  Your audiences’ decision to adopt new ideas, proposals,and change are generally emotional in nature.  All verbal and visual elements have to mesh and move in step in order to allow their emotional channels to open up and to remain open.

Openness permits you to connect with your audience. When the audience senses your honesty and conviction they are much more apt to buy into your point of view and accept your value proposition.

 

Compelling narratives have a clear structure.

Your communication skills must include a clearly audible verbal element that’s animated and interesting to listen to. Clearly define your objective and your main message, and then structure your support material in a way that’s easy to follow, as well as easy to deliver.

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Hold your audience spellbound by preparing narratives that fluctuate with dramatic and timely contrasts. Anchor all of your key points with metaphors that are familiar to your audience. Create a narrative that pertains to your audience and they will see your presentation as fresh, pleasurable journey that leads them towards their desired outcome.

 

Visual aids reinforce your message.

Effective communication skills include the ability to select appropriate visual aids. Use visual aids that clarify complex ideas. Do not compete verbally with bullet point-filled slides. Your audience will either read your slides or listen to you but they will never do both. Instead, show them simple images that are quickly processed and designed to create a minimum of distraction.

Keep your audiences focused on what you have to say with timely delivered, visually appealing, and consistently designed images. Develop themes and colours that are consistent with your desired mood so as to prepare your audience emotionally for the message being delivered and to encourage them to stretch their imaginations at appropriate moments.

 

Communication skills is about connecting emotionally. 

Audiences connect to both presenters and other audience members in exactly the same way: emotionally. A skilled delivery guides your audience through a smooth,seamless journey from where they are to the point of decision and then, hopefully, to the point of taking action.

By combining clear story lines, visually appealing images, and heartfelt emotions you will create powerful messages that leave your audience wanting to hear more.  By developing verbal, visual and emotional communication skills you not only prevent misunderstandings but you also go a long way towards achieving greater customer satisfaction, profitability, and forward momentum in your own journey.

 

Cheers, Carlos

Sharing Data

Blog post

How I learned about the power of sharing data
at Urban Digital’s “Open Data Day”

Last Saturday (February 23, 2013) I attended an amazing event at the Annex location of the Centre for Social Innovation – CSI in Toronto. It was called Open Data Day. Sponsored by Urban Digital the event took place in the main space of the CSI’s Bathurst Street location and offered attendees an agenda full of speakers and activities dedicated to sharing data and making data accessible to all the stake holders in their respective communities.

Patrick Sharing DataFollowing registration and introductions the day began with a networking exercise that really helped to break the ice and put everyone in the mood to learn more about sharing data. The speakers lined up for the morning session included Sheraz Khan from the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto, BethWilson from Social Planning Toronto, Jamie Robinson of the United Way, and Jayme Turney & Bill Cohen from the Toronto Public Space Initiative. One after the other the speakers wowed us with the projects they’re working on and the dedication they bring to their calling. I love listening to people speak about subjects that bring out their passion.

The morning session was followed by a light lunch and the opportunity to sit and chat with other attendees at the event. Following lunch it was on to the afternoon session. The afternoon portion of the event was divided into workshops and, concurrently, lightning speakers who each talked about their individual projects for five minutes and then answered questions from the audience for an additional two minutes.

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As in the morning session, dedication and passion abounded. In the afternoon I had the opportunity to take part in a workshop moderated by Rich Pietro of Citizen Bridge. Continuing with the concept of sharing data, Rich broke us into small teams and gave us the task of coming up with, logistics aside, a concept for an app that could interact with the City of Toronto’s data set and be of benefit to the community. Our team focused on sharing data with the City’s cycling safety data set. Our “we wish this existed” app, which we called CyleReportToronto.com, was one that would allow cyclists to report, with their smart phones, any difficulties they encounter while cycling throughout the city. The information would be entered in a flow chart on the app allowing the City to have the report in both raw data (who, what, when, where of an incident) along with an anecdotal (why, how it happened + photo) report of the event. The brainstorming exercise was a lot of fun and showed the amazing power of the collaborative process and the benefits of sharing data.

By the end of the day we had met some really nice people and gathered some excellent information. All in all I’d say it was a day very well spent.  If you ever get the opportunity to attend an event at the Centre for Social Innovation you should jump at the chance. It’s a great organization housed in a stimulating environment and populated by an inspiring group of individuals.  I came away with a much greater understanding of the importance of sharing data and I can’t wait for their next event.

Cheers, Patrick

Perfect Presentations – Just a Weekend Away

Blog post, Workshops

In only two days they transformed slideshows into perfect presentations

As a trainer who is rarely up before the sun this night owl beat the alarm setting by two minutes, waking on a cold Sunday at 6:13 a.m., happy that his beloved wife did not stir. The second day of the Sliding.ca Perfect Presentations Boot Camp lay ahead. Was it going to go as well as the first day?

Possibly the greatest reward for any trainer is to be part of another human being’s self discovery journey; getting to share in the experience of their joy upon reaching a new plateau of knowledge and skill, understanding the battles that laid ahead and having prepared them for the win as each one came along.

As trainers our goal is to teach people how to deliver perfect presentations but we are always mindful that we are but a lamppost along the way of their journey of self-discovery.

Perfect Presentations Boot CampThe first day had been kept to a fairly tight schedule, and even so, the controlled discussions were full of questions and tips so that time just seemed to fly past. Beginning with the SLIDING® process to formulate and develop the key purpose and main message of perfect presentations it was obvious that our participants were eager to learn.

When Gerardo introduced the SLIDING phase of Perfect Presentations our participants (experienced presenters) immediately voiced that this stage of development was they ignored most often.  For them this was also the most difficult part of preparing a presentation.  But this also cost them countless hours in decision making in terms of what to present and what to discard.

One comment I overheard, less than two hours into the Boot Camp was “I’ve already got my money’s worth for this weekend.”

By 5:30 pm we had covered both SLIDING® and Design. We’d had a full day and everyone went home ready for a break and an opportunity to reflect on the day’s events. With so much information to process I had no doubt that perfect presentations would become the subject of everyone’s dreams.

What lay ahead on day two of our Perfect Presentations Boot Camp was Presenting Data and Special Delivery. With so much material to cover by day’s end we hit the road running and got right to work.
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The proof was in the pudding. Two of our participants were newbies to our methods, having never attended any of our workshops. Upon comparing the difference in their performance between before and after their assigned short presentations I was even more thoroughly convinced that our training works wonders.

Oh yes, there were also the beaming smiles of confidence when they stood to address their audience as they applied their new, simple techniques.

“Wow!” I thought, with a little more practice, perfect presentations won’t be far off.

Watching so many succeed at once can be very inspiring, indeed.

Inspired and energized by the weekend’s events I went straight home and drafted an outline and almost completed the slide deck for my own perfect presentation, that same evening.  Can’t wait to present it!

Cheers, Carlos.

(Originally posted on February 1, 2013)