Based on extensive research studies from the fields of communication, marketing, psychology, multimedia, and law, Advanced Presentations by Design, Second Edition, provides fact-based answers to the most-often-asked questions about presentation design. The book shows how to adapt your presentation to different audience personality preferences, what role your data should play and how much of it you need, how to turn your data into a story, and how to design persuasive yet comprehensible visual layouts. The book's accessible 10-step Extreme PresentationTM method has been field-tested in organizations such as Microsoft, ExxonMobil, HJ Heinz, PayPal, and the Executive Office of the President of the United States. Written from the perspective of a marketer and business manager, this new edition offers practical, evidence-based advice for bringing focus to problems and overcoming challenges. The book offers practical guidelines for: Structuring Stories: The book presents the SCORE method for sequencing data (Situation, Complication, Resolution, Example) into a powerful story that grabs the audience's attention at the beginning and holds it through to the end. Using Graphics: The author provides numerous examples of charts and other graphics, explaining which can help you best present your data. Setting Goals for Presentations: The book reveals why it's important to set measurable objectives for what you want your audience to think and do differently after your presentation. This comprehensive resource offers a proven process for creating a presentation that gets noticed and compels your audience to take action. Praise for Advanced Presentations by Design "Shocking but true: You don't have to be Steve Jobs to create presentations that your audience will enjoy and that will also get you results. Even for everyday presentations, I've found that Dr. Abela's unique approach helps you replace crushingly dull and overlong presentations with fresh work your audience really cares about and that you actually enjoy creating!" ?Sanjay Acharya, Vice President, Akamai Technologies "Advanced Presentations by Design is the best researched book on presentation design that I've ever had the privilege of reading. I recommend it for those of you who want the confidence of knowing how best to plan and design successful presentations." ?Gene Zelazny, author, Say It with Charts and Say It with Presentations "This book is essential for any executive who doesn't have time to wade through sixty-page PowerPoint decks. You will want to make this book required reading for all your staff." ?Stew McHie, Global Brand Manager, ExxonMobil

Table of Contents:
Foreword xiii Acknowledgments xv Introduction 1 PART I: WHO? 15 CHAPTER 1: AUDIENCE Understanding What Types of Communication Will Be Most Effective for Your Audience 17 Step 1: Identify the Communication Preferences of the Different Personality Types in Your Audience 17 How to Estimate Your Audience’s Personality Types 18 How to Match Your Presentation Design to Different Personality Types in the Same Audience 19 Additional Information About Your Audience 25 PART II: WHAT? 27 Why You Should Have Specifi c Presentation Objectives 27 Why Discuss Problem Solving in a Book About Presentation Design 28 Why You Should Always Focus Your Presentation on an Audience Problem 28 You Do Need Evidence! 29 The Reality Principle: Show Concrete and Specific Data Whenever Possible 30 CHAPTER 2: OBJECTIVE Setting a Measurable Objective for Your Presentation 33 Step 2: Set Specific Objectives for What You Want Your Audience to Think and Do Differently After Your Presentation 33 The Typical—and Wrong—Way to Set Presentation Objectives 33 Developing Effective Presentation Objectives 35 The Curse of the “Update” Presentation 37 How Do You Know Whether You Have Set the Right Objectives? 38 CHAPTER 3: PROBLEM SOLUTION Articulating the Audience’s Problem and Your Proposed Solution to It 39 Step 3: Identify a Problem Your Audience Has That Your Presentation Will Contribute to Solving 39 Choosing the Right Problem 40 Crafting Your Solution 48 CHAPTER 4: EVIDENCE Marshalling Your Evidence 57 Step 4: List All the Information That You Think You May Need to Include in Your Presentation 57 What Kinds of Evidence Should You Include? 57 Is There Any Kind of Evidence That You Should Exclude? 61 Where Do You Find All This Evidence? 62 PART III: HOW? 64 PART IIIA: HOW TO TELL YOUR STORY 64 Facts and Logic Alone Are Not Enough to Persuade Most People 64 The Importance of Storytelling 65 Ethical Persuasion 66 CHAPTER 5: ANECDOTES Assembling the Anecdotes That Will Illustrate Your Evidence 67 Step 5: Identify Brief Anecdotes That Highlight Your Most Important Points 67 What Kinds of Stories Should You Use in Your Presentation? 67 How to Tell a Story Using the Seven Basic Plots 70 Where to Find Useful Stories 73 CHAPTER 6: STORY Sequencing Your Evidence 77 Step 6: Sequence Your Information So That It Tells a Compelling Story 77 The Structure of All Effective Stories 79 Using the S.Co.R.E.™ Method to Sequence Your Evidence 82 What to Do with What Doesn’t Fit into Your Storyline—The Role of the Appendix 91 PART IIIB: HOW TO SHOW YOUR STORY 93 Should You Use Visual Aids? 94 Should You Use PowerPoint? 94 Should Each Slide Have Seven Bullets and Seven Words Per Bullet? 96 CHAPTER 7: VISUALS Visual Presentation Elements: Graphics, Charts, Color, Animation, and Fonts 99 Step 7: Identify the Most Effective Graphical Elements to Use in Your Presentation 99 What Kinds of Graphics Should You Use? 99 Should You Use Clip Art? 100 How Do You Decide Which Type of Chart Will Best Communicate Your Data? 100 Which Type Fonts and Sizes Should You Use? 105 Should You Use Bullet Points, Color, Animation, Transitions, or Animation? 105 CHAPTER 8: LAYOUT Laying Out All the Elements of Your Presentation 109 Step 8: Create Visuals That Communicate Your Information Concisely and Effectively 109 How to Lay Out Your Visuals So That They Grab the Audience’s Interest and Convey the Intended Message Persuasively 110 How to Decide Which Presentation Design Style to Use 113 How to Design Effective Ballroom Style Presentations 115 How to Design Effective Conference Room Style Presentations 115 How to Design Prezi Presentations 120 When to Use Multiple Presentation Styles in the Same Presentation 121 How Much Detail to Put on Each Slide 122 How to Avoid Bad Detail (“Chartjunk”) 130 How Much Text to Put on Each Slide 132 Whether to Combine Graphics and Text on the Same Slide 135 Preparing to Lay Out Your Presentation 135 How to Draw Your Slides—and Where to Find Examples of Layouts That Pass the Squint Test 140 PART IV: WHO, AGAIN? 145 CHAPTER 9: STAKEHOLDERS AND MEASUREMENT Satisfying Your Stakeholders and Measuring Success 147 Step 9: Identify Any Potential Roadblocks to Achieving Your Objectives, and Make a Plan to Deal with Each 147 Step 10: Decide How You Will Measure the Success of Your Presentation 147 CHAPTER 10: CONCLUSION The Scalability of the Extreme Presentation Method 151 A Language and a Framework for Providing Effective Feedback 151 Contradicting Other Approaches to Presentation Design 152 PART V: APPENDICES 155 Appendix A. Worksheets 157 Appendix B. Extreme Presentation Makeover 163 Appendix C. Thirty-Six Layouts That Pass the Squint Test 173 Appendix D. Further Reading 177 Appendix E: 1,000 Good Books 179 References 181 Index 191 About the Author 203