One of my goals when creating a presentation, even in a very pragmatic and objective situation, is to build in an emotional connection to the audience.

This before and after is a good example.

The original (above) has a clichéd photo probably snatched off Google Images that is so old and overused that it has no bearing to the message.

I spend a great deal of time searching for just the right image – one with the quality and subtle undertones that can reach the audience’s emotional buttons with the presenter’s specific message. In this case, it is a beautifully composed, licensed, full-frame photo of someone in deep thought — pondering the mysteries of life.

The quality of this image transcends the trite photos of people in business suits running races or of silly adults with quizzical facial expressions and question marks floating above their heads.The result (above) is a slide that delivers the message both in words and in images while it dramatically shows the professional standards of the presenter.

Let me help you discover how amazing your online slide presentation can become…

If you deliver ideas, presentations or sales pitches online these days then you probably know your old slide deck from your live presentations is, well, old and tired. And boring and ineffective.

I can help you upgrade that presentation so that it holds your audience’s attention, showcases your brilliance and professionalism and powerfully delivers your message.

To get started all you need to do is schedule a free strategy call with me.

We will spend 30- to 60- minutes discussing your presentation and your goals. It will be all about you — no heavy-handed sales. We will see where your strengths and your weaknesses lie. And we will discuss how we can take your pitch or presentation to an amazing level of professionalism and effectiveness.

If we decide to work together that would be terrific. I not, that’s fine too. I promise you this: this free call will be the most valuable hour or so you could possibly spend on your presentation and on your business.

You will be amazed at how powerful and effective your presentations will become.

And it all starts with a free strategy call.

Book your time slot here https://calendly.com/tomnixondesign/review and let’s get rolling.

To your success,
Tom

PowerPoint has a lot of features Microsoft evidently spent a lot of effort on that will make your presentation fairly mediocre. These features are, I guess, an attempt to make everything easy for everyone at the “push of a button.”

SmartArt is a perfect example.

SmartArt is the PowerPoint feature that allows you to build a chart or graph by selecting a design from a menu and then simply adding your information or data.

It is the equivalent of having a Pop Tart, when you could have had a nice warm slice of Aunt Lydia’s homemade pecan pie.

This original (above) starts with a simple depiction of three levels of the concept of honesty. It is simply a list with associated levels listed on a pyramid.

The makeover slide (above) uses the well-known metaphor of bronze, silver and gold medals that are awarded for athletic and scholarly accomplishments.

This slide is no more complicated than the original, but it establishes the three levels and their importance clearly in the audience’s minds. Plus each level was revealed, or built, on the slide as the presenter introduced the concepts.

This look adds a professional tone that showcases the presenter as a true expert in their field.

Let me help you discover how amazing your online slide presentation can become…

If you deliver ideas, presentations or sales pitches online these days then you probably know your old slide deck from your live presentations is, well, old and tired. And boring and ineffective.

I can help you upgrade that presentation so that it holds your audience’s attention, showcases your brilliance and professionalism and powerfully delivers your message.

To get started all you need to do is schedule a free strategy call with me.

We will spend 30- to 60- minutes discussing your presentation and your goals. It will be all about you — no heavy-handed sales. We will see where your strengths and your weaknesses lie. And we will discuss how we can take your pitch or presentation to an amazing level of professionalism and effectiveness.

If we decide to work together that would be terrific. I not, that’s fine too. I promise you this: this free call will be the most valuable hour or so you could possibly spend on your presentation and on your business.

You will be amazed at how powerful and effective your presentations will become.

And it all starts with a free strategy call.

Book your time slot here https://calendly.com/tomnixondesign/review and let’s get rolling.

To your success,
Tom

It’s a trick question. In general, the answer is “It depends.”

There are a few ways I answer this question when I create slides for a client. But the thought process behind it can be rather extensive.

It actually comes down to matching the amount of information on the screen to the presenter, the audience, the content and the medium. A few questions I try to answer…

• Is the client a comfortable presenter?
• Do they have a deep command of their subject?
• Is the topic complex?
• Do they have to demonstrate they are not “dumbing down” their material for a critical audience?
• Will there be others with varying skills who will use this deck to present?
• Will the slides be used as handouts before or after the presentation?
• And finally, will this be presented online or in-person?

Sounds awfully complex, doesn’t it?

Here are a few examples:

Let’s say I am working with a very capable presenter. She has lots of experience and a vast knowledge of her topic. Her content is not overly technical, and her delivery is somewhat motivational – such as: “Building A More Inclusive Workplace.” Her presentation will be in-person and she will not distribute the slides.

The presentation slides I build for this client might have very limited text and big powerful, high-quality images. If there was a section that needed to depict a process or a complex issue, I would create detailed visuals that filled that need.

The goal is to let her shine as the star of her show and her material and not have PowerPoint distract or overwhelm.

Let’s look at the other end of the spectrum: a client who will have multiple people use the PowerPoint deck to deliver to a technically oriented audience. Something like a medical presentation delivered by multiple trainers: “Intake Protocols for Highly Infectious Diseases.”

This will be presented online and the PowerPoint will be used as a downloadable handout.

These slides must tell the whole story. They will have large amounts of text and the images in those slides must fill a specific need. These slides must have as much detail as necessary for the presentation and the audience.

Then each presenter need only to read the text on the slide and possibly fill in additional verbal information from their personal notes or knowledge. They do not need to have that extensive an understanding of their topic, except possibly to conduct a question and answer session.

This last scenario is obviously less than optimal. Having one of a number of presenters deliver a canned online presentation is not the most effective way to deliver information to your clients, prospects or team. But sometimes it is the only option and the design of the visual deck becomes a critical component to the project’s success.

There are a hundred variations in the middle of these two examples and every project requires finding that perfect match for my clients and their needs.

When possible, I always try to default to maximizing the spotlight on the presenter and letting the slides support them.

I have two terrific offers for you. If you are getting ready to deliver a critical presentation, then read on.

I invite you to get some serious coaching and a sample revise of 3 of your PowerPoint slides at ½ off my normal rates.

The best way to decide if I can help you with your presentation or with your slides is to have a simple introductory discovery call. And it’s free.

This 30- to 60-minute call is all about you. Your skills, your presentations, your audiences, your weaknesses and your strengths — whatever. It’s all coaching and listening. No selling allowed.

If we decide there is an opportunity to help you reach your goals faster and more effectively then I can offer you additional coaching and design services. This will allow you to supercharge your presentation and stand far above your peers and your competition.

If you or I decide it’s not a good fit, then you will still have what I promise will be the most valuable 30-60 minutes you could spend on your presentations or your career.

In addition, my 3 Slide PowerPoint Revision is ½ half off my normal fee until Friday, August 7, 2020.

You can use these slides as is or to rework your entire presentation. Plus, they will be an inexpensive introduction into how I can help you and your slides conquer the world – either online or for in-person presentations.

Use these visuals to start to build your best ever slide deck. Slides that will show you as a top-notch professional – the superstar of your industry or subject area.

This is a super easy way for you to revise your choice of three slides from your deck. I personally will update them, rework them and make them clear, powerful and beautiful for you. They will be fully editable and immediately useable for your very next presentation.

Note: complex charts or infographics may require an additional fee – but most do not.

To find out more and to book your free Discovery Call just go here: https://www.tomnixondesign.com/how_to_get_started/

Remember the ½ off for the 3 Slide PowerPoint Revision is only good until Friday, August 7, 2020.

Click on the link, sign up, pick a date and off we go. Your presentation will be amazing!

Stay safe and happy today,
Tom

I was not a very good student. I didn’t do my homework. I cut up in class. I didn’t pay attention to boring lectures. And I took terrible notes.

The fact that I have two Ivy League doctoral level degrees still astonishes me.

Just kidding, I barely made it out with my BA degree from State U.

But I kind of turned that around. When I stumbled upon design and then public speaking, I became a rabid learner. I guess it is just a matter of making the right connection and getting motivated.

There happens to be a habit or technique I have developed over the years that has helped me immeasurably to become a much better designer, speaker and PowerPoint poobah.

And it is so simple to implement.

Do a written debrief. Of your presentations. Of other people’s presentations. Of any major event, either good or bad, that you might be able to learn from.

I often do a top ten list: “Ten things I learned from seeing Joe, Speaker Boy at Acme Parachutes corporate event.” These lists usually end up being much more than ten observations but the idea of debriefing my crowded brain and writing them down forces me to rethink what I had recently seen and put it into lessons to be learned.

I keep a notebook with all these lists. I write them usually within the next day. And I must admit, I almost never go back to read them.

But the act of formally noting these lessons and writing them down burns them into my mind.

There is always something to learn and when you see the world’s best, or the world’s worst, or actually just about anything there are valuable take-aways.

And you can write that one down.

Here’s another one to write down…

Get some serious coaching and a sample revise of 3 of your PowerPoint slides at ½ off my normal rates.

The best way to decide if I can help you with your presentation or with your slides is to have a simple introductory call. I call it a discovery call. And it’s free.

This 30- to 60-minute call is all about you. Your skills, your presentations, your audiences, your weaknesses and your strengths — whatever. It’s all coaching and listening. No selling allowed.

If we decide there is an opportunity to help you reach your goals faster and more effectively then I can offer you additional coaching services that will supercharge your presentation efforts and help you stand far above your peers and your competition.

If not, then you will still have what I promise will be the most valuable 30-60 minutes you could spend on your presentations or your career.

In addition, my 3 Slide PowerPoint Revision is ½ half off my normal fee until Friday, August 7, 2020.

You can use these slides as is or to rework your entire presentation. Plus, they will be an inexpensive introduction into how I can help you and your slides conquer the world – either online or for in-person presentations.

Use these visuals to start to build your best ever slide deck. Slides that will show you as a top-notch professional – the superstar of your industry or subject area.

This is a super easy way for you to revise your choice of three slides from your deck. I personally will update them, rework them and make them clear, powerful and beautiful for you. They will be fully editable and immediately useable for your very next presentation.

Note: complex charts or infographics may require an additional fee – but most do not.

To find out more and to book your free Discovery Call just go here: https://www.tomnixondesign.com/how_to_get_started/

Remember the ½ off for the 3 Slide PowerPoint Revision is only good until Friday, August 7, 2020.

Read all about it, sign up, pick a date and off we go to superhero land.

See ya there.

How simple is that?

Stay safe and happy today,
Tom

There’s a bad thing going ’round.

It’s been with us for a long time. In plain sight, but mostly ignored. Or actually it has been excused with a phrase something like this:

“Everybody’s PowerPoint sucks. Mine is probably as good as everyone else’s.”

This downplays the immense value of having good-looking and effective visuals for your online pitch or presentation.

There are four main points I want to make here:

1. Visuals have to carry a greater load in most online presentations. They have to move faster and deliver more information. They also have to build that elusive audience engagement.
2. Excellent visuals immediately set you apart as top-notch. Your audience will know you are different, you care about details and your professionalism. You are someone they want to listen to, work with and give oodles of money to.
3. Effective PowerPoint will deliver your message powerfully. They will “get it.” If you do this right, your viewers will quickly buy into your message and ideas. They will follow the logical path that leads them to your call to action.
4. You will shine. You will have the confidence that comes from having superior tools to work with. You will stay on message. You and your team will be the rock stars of your pitch or presentation.

In my new live MasterClass, there is an entire module about building and delivering your very best visuals in our new online world.

My 4-Day Live MasterClass: Secrets to Delivering Brilliant Online Pitches and Presentations starts Monday, July 13th, 2020 and extends to the 16th (1 hour per day, 4 consecutive days at 1 pm ET) . Everything will be recorded if you can’t make it or want to be review later.

Registration (and a sizable discount) ends Saturday at midnight, July 11th, 2020 Eastern Time.

This MasterClass will be the proverbial dive deep into crafting, practicing and delivering presentations to your audience, clients or industry that set you way ahead of anyone else.

We will also cover:

• Learning how to build your confidence while you build and rehearse your presentation so that you will appear the ultimate professional
• How to practice the right way – I call it “Smart Practice”. This module alone, if followed even a little, will be worth 10 times the course fee.
• What the major differences between in-person and online offerings are and how to adjust every part of your presentation to fit your medium.
• How to craft a simple 1 or 2 sentences that will avoid the biggest problem almost all people face when constructing their presentation.
• How to use the not-so-secret trick used by MLK Jr., Steve Jobs and some of the world’s most influential pros to burn your message into your audience’s brains.
• How to begin your presentation – the most critical 60-120 seconds of your comments. I will offer you at least 25 options and show you my five go-to openings. (By the way: the requirements to begin effectively online are substantially different from in-person.)
• How to structure of your presentation to address the new world of online. You must grab their eyeballs and make them not want to leave.
• How to handle all the dozens of details that make up a successful online event.
• What are the requirements for an inexpensive but professional studio in your office or home.
• What are the on-camera skills you must develop to appear both professional but approachable for your best delivery. And how do you develop them most effectively.
• What do you need to do to modify and update your PowerPoint presentation for maximum online engagement and retention.
• Understanding your audience on a deep, emotional level so that you can develop your comments specifically to address their needs.
• Plus, a whole bunch more.

I invite you to learn about all this for the brave new world of online.

It’s all in my upcoming 4-Day Live MasterClass: Secrets to Delivering Brilliant Online Pitches and Presentations.

FIRST A WARNING: This course is very inexpensive, but if you want to actually get great value from it, be prepared to put in some work. Becoming better at anything requires work and focus. That’s why this will be so rewarding for you: your wimpy competition will be either to lazy or too scared to do it.

Go here to find out more and register: https://ready2speak.com

• 4 live, 1-hour presentations delivered over 4 consecutive days with live Q&A
• Begins Monday, July 13, 2020 — 1 hour, 1 pm ET.
• If you can’t make it, everything is recorded for later viewing
• Sign up closes Saturday, Midnight ET July 11, 2020
• There is a sizable discount coupon and a no risk guarantee.
• Plus instant access to 3 valuable bonuses to help you get started
• Register. Become an online presentation superhero.

Your success is waiting…

Tom