Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Your PowerPoint Is Not Your Presentation
I often want to, but I don't! Instead, I usually say,
If you like my presentation, I'm flattered. Really.
But my PowerPoint slides are usually props for my speech.
Would you go up to a juggler and ask, "Neat act! May I have your balls?"
OK, maybe you would!
But if you've been paying attention and taking notes during a speech or presentation, you won't need the PowerPoint presentation. Really.
So don't ask!
In fact, I often design stand-up presentations so that they are complete gibberish if someone looks at the slides only. Without my narrative and personality, the PowerPoint presentation usually won't make much sense. It won't help the viewer in any possible way.
I suspect that most people ask because they like the presentation. I also suspect they have personal or psychological problems! Like pack rats, they like to collect useless things. Or that they want to get all CSI on how I might have programmed an animation. Or they might be lazy and want to rip off a graph -- or cut, copy, paste a factoid or graphic -- instead of re-create it themselves.
But know this: to a presenter, it's not one bit flattering when an audience member asks for a hard copy of the presentation. It signals they weren't paying attention.
Instead, a thoughtful, polite audience member might ask, "Could you please show us the slide with X on it again? There were a few numbers on it that I'd like to reference..." or something that's slightly less offensive than asking for the entire presentation.
Really, if you're a happy audience member, find another way to show appreciation. Applause is always appreciated.
Also: be a presenter with balls. If someone asks for your presentation, learn to tell them no.
Maybe then, well-intentioned audience members will learn to quit asking!
(PS -- How do you tactfully tell an audience member, "NO!")
"May I have a copy of your PowerPoint presentation?" asks an audience member.OK, I don't actually say that last bit.
"What for?" I ask.
"So that I can look at it later."
"Is there something I said that isn't clear? Do we need to go back?" I ask.
"No, no. Great presentation. I just want a hard copy."
"Well, no," I answer. "My PowerPoint slides are my props. They're not my presentation."
I often want to, but I don't! Instead, I usually say,
"I'm glad you liked the presentation. But public speaking is a part of my livelihood, and I give this presentation multiple times, in multiple venues. I don't want the presentation floating around the internet. I'm sure you understand. But tell you what, after about six months or so, I'll probably be done giving this presentation, so if you want to leave me your card..."Seriously. Be a polite audience member. Never, ever ask a presenter for his or her presentation. (Not unless the presenter offers it to the audience as a download or CD or print out first. I sometimes do this after a 6 month run.)
If you like my presentation, I'm flattered. Really.
But my PowerPoint slides are usually props for my speech.
Would you go up to a juggler and ask, "Neat act! May I have your balls?"
OK, maybe you would!
But if you've been paying attention and taking notes during a speech or presentation, you won't need the PowerPoint presentation. Really.
So don't ask!
In fact, I often design stand-up presentations so that they are complete gibberish if someone looks at the slides only. Without my narrative and personality, the PowerPoint presentation usually won't make much sense. It won't help the viewer in any possible way.
I suspect that most people ask because they like the presentation. I also suspect they have personal or psychological problems! Like pack rats, they like to collect useless things. Or that they want to get all CSI on how I might have programmed an animation. Or they might be lazy and want to rip off a graph -- or cut, copy, paste a factoid or graphic -- instead of re-create it themselves.
But know this: to a presenter, it's not one bit flattering when an audience member asks for a hard copy of the presentation. It signals they weren't paying attention.
Instead, a thoughtful, polite audience member might ask, "Could you please show us the slide with X on it again? There were a few numbers on it that I'd like to reference..." or something that's slightly less offensive than asking for the entire presentation.
Really, if you're a happy audience member, find another way to show appreciation. Applause is always appreciated.
Also: be a presenter with balls. If someone asks for your presentation, learn to tell them no.
Maybe then, well-intentioned audience members will learn to quit asking!
(PS -- How do you tactfully tell an audience member, "NO!")
Labels: PowerPoint Presentation
¶ 4/29/2009 12:35:00 PM
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I teach at a university and boy do I get a lot of flack about not giving out my slides. Funnily enough it's more from my colleagues than my students.
I agree that there are better questions to ask. However if, "Without my narrative and personality, the PowerPoint presentation usually won't make much sense." is true, then why not give it away? If that statement is not true then by your own previous posts, that I have been following for a while now, you should give it away because it was a bad presentation. In either case when you give it away way you seem like a better person and have given nothing away that has value on its own.
I never give the powerpoint files nor pdfs. Some handouts on paper yes.
I like the way you reply when they ask you for it. Now I know I'm not the only one to hold back!
I like the way you reply when they ask you for it. Now I know I'm not the only one to hold back!
I understand the logic you are using. However, I think there is just something unstoppable about the Internet and the spreading of ideas. People were excited about your visuals. They can't really use them without you anyway. Why not upload them on SlideShare without the ability to download the source and a "water mark" inside in each slide explaining that they are just a part of a performance that included a live presenter?
Handouts are the solution for me. I volunteer handouts with key facts and so on so that no asks for the slide-deck. If that fails I can usually escape by saying that I use Keynote, not PowerPoint (and forget to volunteer the export them in the right format :) ).
Jim's right though - without me my slides won't make much sense.
The advantage of the handout, BTW is that you've then got an advert for your services on someone's desk where it's more likely to be picked up than on someone's computer....?
S
Jim's right though - without me my slides won't make much sense.
The advantage of the handout, BTW is that you've then got an advert for your services on someone's desk where it's more likely to be picked up than on someone's computer....?
S
How did I miss this post for so long? I totally agree, of course, and I love the way you handle it. I don't hand out my slides, and they are fairly meaningless as a presentation without me, anyway.
I do load them up on Slideshare, however, but not for download. I even have a note that I do not give out my slides, and I still get regular requests from Slideshare viewers.
I used to send polite e-mails declining, but now I just ignore them, as I've given plenty of indication on the site that my slide shows are not available for download.
I do load them up on Slideshare, however, but not for download. I even have a note that I do not give out my slides, and I still get regular requests from Slideshare viewers.
I used to send polite e-mails declining, but now I just ignore them, as I've given plenty of indication on the site that my slide shows are not available for download.
I understand exactly why an audience member wants a handout. They don't have to write down as much. It will help spark thoughts later. While I completely understand not giving handouts, I'm sure that will get a slightly negative response from some attendees.
I think the handout idea is a good one.
What I've been doing recently is posting in my blog prior to and/or after presentations with notes that go along with the presentation. You can create a tinyurl and that way it's one simple URL for people to write down - oh and they might actually come and sign-up.
I think the handout idea is a good one.
What I've been doing recently is posting in my blog prior to and/or after presentations with notes that go along with the presentation. You can create a tinyurl and that way it's one simple URL for people to write down - oh and they might actually come and sign-up.
This is always an issue that comes up. The worst is when conferences want your slides BEFORE you present in order to cram them into their own template, then they hand them out to audience members. A real mess.
#1. I never let a conference force my slides into a template. Never. Ever.
#2. I may back down on the "handing them in before," but I won't be happy about it. Do movie theaters hand out the script to the movie as you walk in? In the end, I tend not to worry though. An effective slideware presentation only acts as a visual backdrop to your story, and is truly nothing without your narration. I'm not too worried that they'll jump ahead, and if that's what makes them happy then I almost always oblige, but I never offer them on my own accord.
#1. I never let a conference force my slides into a template. Never. Ever.
#2. I may back down on the "handing them in before," but I won't be happy about it. Do movie theaters hand out the script to the movie as you walk in? In the end, I tend not to worry though. An effective slideware presentation only acts as a visual backdrop to your story, and is truly nothing without your narration. I'm not too worried that they'll jump ahead, and if that's what makes them happy then I almost always oblige, but I never offer them on my own accord.
Wow. What a great way to handle this. I am all about this logic, but could never figure out a way to point it out without sounding condescending or embarrass the audience member.
What I have been telling people is I plan on publishing, and its important that the hard data - heart of the presentation - remain in my possession/control. But your comparison that the slides are not the presentation, the presentation was the presentation is a great response. I even like the idea of telling them it is rude to ask because it shows they weren't paying attention (I wish we could say that).
One other thing i have said in the past is that I can't give them my slides, but i can be made available for email correspondence for tips, questions, or reference.
My presentation is on the Importance of Creativity in Education, correlating creativity with true intelligence, and educating educators on how the brain learns - so it would be ironic to then give out handouts and ditto activities for teachers to use. Attendees sometimes feel shorted because I don't offer handouts either. I don't believe in giving resources away, nor would I be a good steward of the concepts I am sharing if I did so. I feel that is the job of the attendee to take notes. But I get a LOT of flack for not giving my data away. - (Ryan, hipphop on Twitter)
What I have been telling people is I plan on publishing, and its important that the hard data - heart of the presentation - remain in my possession/control. But your comparison that the slides are not the presentation, the presentation was the presentation is a great response. I even like the idea of telling them it is rude to ask because it shows they weren't paying attention (I wish we could say that).
One other thing i have said in the past is that I can't give them my slides, but i can be made available for email correspondence for tips, questions, or reference.
My presentation is on the Importance of Creativity in Education, correlating creativity with true intelligence, and educating educators on how the brain learns - so it would be ironic to then give out handouts and ditto activities for teachers to use. Attendees sometimes feel shorted because I don't offer handouts either. I don't believe in giving resources away, nor would I be a good steward of the concepts I am sharing if I did so. I feel that is the job of the attendee to take notes. But I get a LOT of flack for not giving my data away. - (Ryan, hipphop on Twitter)
Instead of images and/or a few words to illustrate/emphasize a point and COMPLIMENT the narrative, typical powerpoints are PARAGRAPHS of text, lists of 5-10 bullets (of which the presenter often skips several), and/or (far too) detailed graphs.
Audience members want the slides because they couldn't see the graph, want to see what the presenter skipped, and/or want what is basically a transcript for future reference.
Better powerpoints would reduce requests because, the slides would be useless without the narrative.
Audience members want the slides because they couldn't see the graph, want to see what the presenter skipped, and/or want what is basically a transcript for future reference.
Better powerpoints would reduce requests because, the slides would be useless without the narrative.
# posted by 
: 8:16 AM, June 10, 2009
: 8:16 AM, June 10, 2009
Ken,
You'd think so, wouldn't you?
But I recently witnessed a fabulous presenter. He spoke for over an hour. He used three slides and two 30 second videos for his talk. Each of the slides were photos that illuminated a point he was making in his speech, or served as a backdrop for him while he was talking.
I also witnessed at least 5 people ask him for his PowerPoint slides after he was done speaking.
Pointless.
You'd think so, wouldn't you?
But I recently witnessed a fabulous presenter. He spoke for over an hour. He used three slides and two 30 second videos for his talk. Each of the slides were photos that illuminated a point he was making in his speech, or served as a backdrop for him while he was talking.
I also witnessed at least 5 people ask him for his PowerPoint slides after he was done speaking.
Pointless.
My akward situation with this is when doing business situation presentations for a board. They invariably want the slides early top prepare (to give them credit, they do).
How do you do a "the presentation is my slides plus me" under those circumstances?
I must admit that this is the one case where I cave in and both give 'em out and do a very corporate standard (read: presentation-wise lousy) PowerPoint thing...
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How do you do a "the presentation is my slides plus me" under those circumstances?
I must admit that this is the one case where I cave in and both give 'em out and do a very corporate standard (read: presentation-wise lousy) PowerPoint thing...
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