Foreword xvii
Preface xxi
Acknowledgments xxv
About the Book xxvii
Intended Audience xxxi
Overview of the Contents xxxiii
Section 1 Planning: Reviewing Strategic Fundamentals 1
Tip 1: Results Are Not the Biggest Factor in Success 3
Tip 2: Data Literacy Is a Two-Way Street 5
Tip 3: Don’t Write Your Story . . . Tell Your Story! 7
Tip 4: Facts and Figures Are Not a Story 10
Tip 5: Know Your Audience 12
Tip 6: Slides Must Be Short, Visual, and to the Point 14
Tip 7: Charts and Graphs Are Like Jokes 16
Tip 8: Short Presentations Are Harder to Prepare Than Long Ones 18
Tip 9: An Executive Presentation May Have No Slides at All 20
Tip 10: Budget Appropriate Time 22
Tip 11: Be Yourself and Be Authentic 23
Tip 12: What Is the Audience Buying Into? You! 24
Section 2 Planning: Designing The Presentation 25
Tip 13: Different Presentation Venues Require Different Approaches 27
Tip 14: Try Different Ways to Organize Your Story 29
Tip 15: Too Many Technical Details Will Undercut Your Impact 31
Tip 16: Reveal Details Only to the Extent Required 33
Tip 17: Focus on How to Use Your Results 35
Tip 18: Use Analogies to Make an Impact 37
Tip 19: Make Liberal Use of Appendices 38
Tip 20: Create a Distinct Leave-Behind Document 40
Tip 21: Create “Launch” Slides 43
Tip 22: Break Content into Smaller Pieces 45
Tip 23: Animations Are Your Friend 48
Tip 24: Action Settings: A Hidden Gem 50
Tip 25: Show the Fewest Numbers Necessary 52
Tip 26: Distinguish Technical Significance from Business Significance 54
Tip 27: Give the Audience Your Headlines 56
Tip 28: Start with Your Recommended Actions 58
Tip 29: Don’t Focus on the “What” 60
Section 3 Developing: Wording and Text 63
Tip 30: Minimize the Number of Words on Your Slides 65
Tip 31: Use Simple Terms and Definitions 67
Tip 32: Don’t Use Technical Terms 69
Tip 33: Clarify Your Definitions 70
Tip 34: Provide Layperson and System Labels 72
Tip 35: Use Consistent Phrasing 74
Tip 36: If It Can’t Be Read, Don’t Display It 76
Tip 37: Don’t Shrink Your Font, Shorten Your Text 78
Tip 38: Use Appropriate Spacing 80
Tip 39: Use the Same Font throughout Your Presentation 82
Tip 40: Beware the Missing Font 85
Tip 41: Address Every Agenda Item Listed 87
Tip 42: Identify When an Agenda Item Is Covered 89
Tip 43: Spellcheck Is Not Always Your Friend 91
Tip 44: Charts and Images Are Misspelling Factories 93
Tip 45: Beware the Right Word, Wrong Place 94
Tip 46: Keep Your Text Horizontal 95
Section 4 Developing: Numbers and Labels 97
Tip 47: Use Consistent Precision 99
Tip 48: Use Only the Precision Required to Make Your Point 101
Tip 49: Match Precision to Accuracy Level 103
Tip 50: Always Format Numbers 105
Tip 51: Always Show Percentages as a Percentage 108
Tip 52: Provide Quantities and Percentages 110
Tip 53: Never Use Scientific Notation 112
Tip 54: Use Names, Not Numbers, for Categories 114
Tip 55: Watch for Truncated Labels 116
Tip 56: Define All Acronyms and Abbreviations 118
Tip 57: Use Dedicated Definitions Slides 120
Tip 58: Clarify Aggregations Applied 122
Tip 59: Focus on the Outcome of Interest 124
Tip 60: Validate That Your Numbers Make Sense 126
Tip 61: Add a Scale to Every Chart 128
Tip 62: Ensure Your Charts Have Consistent Scaling 130
Tip 63: An Axis Usually Should Start at 0 132
Tip 64: Number Your Slides 134
Section 5 Developing: Charts, Images, and Layouts 135
Tip 65: Use a Mix of Chart Types 137
Tip 66: Use a Mix of Slide Layouts 139
Tip 67: Do Not Show Raw Output 142
Tip 68: Keep It Simple 145
Tip 69: Choose Charts That Are Easy to Interpret 147
Tip 70: Don’t Show Incomprehensible Graphics 149
Tip 71: Use Complex Graphics Strategically 151
Tip 72: Coordinate Your Colors 153
Tip 73: Keep Colors in Context 155
Tip 74: Shun Technical and Architectural Diagrams 157
Tip 75: Don’t Let Accent Graphics Steal the Show 159
Tip 76: Format Tables Consistently 161
Tip 77: Use Shading to Make Tables Easily Readable 163
Tip 78: Don’t Put Borders Around Charts 165
Tip 79: Limit the Number of Categories 167
Tip 80: Label Your Data 169
Tip 81: Avoid Stacked Bar Charts 171
Tip 82: Put the Cause on the X-Axis 173
Section 6 Delivering: Final Presentation Preparation 175
Tip 83: Practice Your Presentation 177
Tip 84: Consult Some Confidants 179
Tip 85: Don’t Overprepare 181
Tip 86: Adjust Your Story to the Audience 182
Tip 87: Focus on Time, Not Slide Counts 185
Tip 88: Always Be Prepared for a Short Presentation 187
Tip 89: The Audience Won’t Know What You Left Out 190
Tip 90: Scale Figures to Be Relatable 192
Tip 91: Be Clear about the Implications of Your Results 194
Tip 92: Call Out Any Ethical Concerns 196
Tip 93: Use Simplified Illustrations 198
Tip 94: Don’t Include Low-Value Information 200
Tip 95: Make Critical Numbers Stand Out 202
Tip 96: Make Important Text Stand Out Too 204
Tip 97: Have Support in the Room 206
Tip 98: Always Have Several Backup Plans 207
Tip 99: Use a Slide Clicker 209
Tip 100: Do Not Send Your Presentation in Advance 210
Section 7 Delivering: Giving The Presentation 213
Tip 101: Do Not Read Your Slides . . . Ever! 215
Tip 102: Read the Room and Adapt 217
Tip 103: Do Not Look at the Screen! 219
Tip 104: Physically Point to Important Information 221
Tip 105: Don’t Let Bright Lights Throw You Off 222
Tip 106: Don’t Stand Still 223
Tip 107: When Presenting Online, Look Right at the Camera 225
Tip 108: Anticipate Random and Irrelevant Questions 227
Tip 109: Handle Difficult People with Grace 228
Tip 110: Don’t Correct People in Front of the Room 230
Tip 111: Never Pretend You Know If You Don’t! 232
Tip 112: Stress the Positive 234
Tip 113: Be Honest about Costs as Well as Benefits 236
Tip 114: Don’t Hedge Too Much 239
Tip 115: Be Clear about the Measure You Are Discussing 241
Tip 116: Don’t Ask Which Findings Are Important 242
Tip 117: Tie Facts to Impacts 243
Tip 118: Provide Specific Recommendations for Action 245
Tip 119: Close with a “Wow” Tied to the Larger Context 247
Afterword 249
About the Author 251
About the Website 253
Index 255
