To the occasion of the go out of the free guide Big Presentation Of olive tree Richard on the presentations PowerPoint effective, we decided to meet by skype in order to realize an interview and to hear the counsels of Olive Tree of lively voice.

To note as as we in taken advantage avont to realize one second interview On the blog of Olive Tree where this time it is I who replies to some questions on the oral aspect of the presentations, according to my experience in my club Toastmasters.

Here the podcast of the interview of Olive Tree:

Rescript text of the interview:

Argancel : Hello to all here Argancel of the blog C’éclair. I am aujourd’hui in communication skype with Olive Tree of the blog simpleslide.com.

C’est a blog that approaches various subjects: marketing, the communication, l’efficacité personal. And the characteristic of this blog, c’est qu’il presents these different subjects to l’aide of powerpoints. D’ailleurs it developed an activity of design of presentations thanks to this expertise that s’appelle The Studio and it accompanies the businesses to improve their presentations.

It equally published recently a grouping together free guide someone of its better counsels for effective presentations and than you can download on his site: simpleslide.com

Hello Olive Tree, are you there?

Olive tree : Hello Argancel that goes well

Argancel : One will try d’avoir a summary of your through various expertise questions…
The first one: that does since a small moment that I talk about the Club Toastmasters on C’éclair where one practices the art to speak in public at the time of monthly meetings. And in these meetings one uses enough rarely the powerpoint and besides it has not very good press, that is to say that it is perceived a little as a barrier between we and the public. Besides my mentor says me often: "Does not use any powerpoint, that will disrupt your message, that will decentralize you". Therefore your expertise interests me. What do you think about the usefulness of the powerpoint? When is it necessary to use it? When one can to happen some? Which is your felt one there over?

Olive tree: Effectively I understand well the point of view of your mentor, when she says that Powerpoint is not necessarily the tool the done more adapt. Because it is true that it has rather bad press. This is often synonymous with boredom, indeed even for certain of torture . One has all more or less lived the fact to be in a room, to follow a presenter with a presentation that not some finishes and one has only a craving, this is to flee while running.

For me Powerpoint this is before all a tool. A tool is one knows well to use it, is one masters it not completely and therefore one arrives to produce things that are not necessarily very big quality. Me what I note a lot is today the Powerpoints practically are used as documents Word. That is to say that one tends to confuse printed document and presentation Powerpoint.

Before all and to the basis a presentation Powerpoint must serve to accompany an oral speech, to support it, to complete the message. It is a point hyper important, and today one has often the impression that one has to do to téléprompteurs rather than to effective supports of communication.

Argancel : Completely, therefore one has more to synthesize the slides, that to do that as something of interchangeable with the speech.

Olive tree : Yes exactly

Argancel : What hit me when I read the first counsels on your guide is that you counsel to avoid the lists to flea. Ca hit me because in my last presentation, there were lists to flea exactly. Therefore why so many hate against the lists to fleas?

Olive tree: lol Oh not I have no hate against the lists to fleas. And again less for those that the use, reassure you . But the report that I do, it is that there is an abuse in the usage of the lists to flea. A list to flea that will include three points, again that will pass. But a list to fleas where one will have for example about ten mentioned points on a slide. Very clearly the slide she becomes some completely illegible. The interesting ideas that can contain the list to flea are completely evacuated, they pass through.

I believe that one all is accustomed finally to have presentations with the title, subtitles, lists to fleas. And one has a small paradox since everyone grants that this is very boring, but at the same time everyone in fact and everyone is got used to visible.

Me I would have rather tendency to say that more one puts lists to flea in this slide, and less the presentation will be clear and mémorisable for the public.

Argancel : therefore it is necessary to move away himself a little the flock and to do a personalized slide. Not as all the presentations that one saw since the high school. The classical based Powerpoints on models. It is necessary to do something a little more original.

Olive tree: Exactly and a counsel that I can give in comparison with that it is that instead of "to stuff" his list presentation to flea, to try all simply to replace them by visual, to replace a list to flea by a beautiful visual one that will illustrate the idea of the message that you wish to do to pass. This will be a lot more effective than one spreads lists to flea of which the people will not remember more 30 seconds after you passed the slide.

Therefore I have no hate against the lists to flea, but I have a lot of affections for the a little cared for presentations that call upon the visual effective one.

Argancel : In your ebook, it is funny because one learns that the first thing to do to create a powerpoint, you says us that this is to extinguish his computer . Why therefore? One has nonetheless need of our ordi to do our Powerpoint?

Olive tree : Effectively I understands that this is a little disconcerting at first sight. But in fact I believe that this is a necessary step. One habitually has tendency to throw itself on his software Powerpoint to compose its slides to the avenue quickly. But finally while doing that one passes maybe next to the essential one. And the essential one that can summarize itself to the following question: which is the essential message that one wants to communicate to our audience. It is true that it is a question that can appear a not very banal one, but finally it is not so evident of there to reply.

One has rather tendency to do the presentations that have a very dense content. But to the final one this is sometimes to mask the Fact that one knows not really what one wants to say. One said a lot of things, one is said that that will pass. But one does not have a very clear vision of the message that one wishes to do to pass.

Therefore effectively the first counsel that I can give to people that want to improve their presentation, is of do not start with to light their computer but it is rather to take a paper leaf, a pencil, and to win a small time out-of-the-way, a serenity time, a decline time especially in order to have an overall vision of the presentation that one wishes to do and especially to arrive to Identify the essential message that one wishes to do to pass in his presentation.

If it was necessary to use a small formula: for me a presentation Powerpoint, this step is done to inform, this is done to influence. When I say to influence is in the positive direction of the term. That is to say to push the people to act in comparison with what we seem interesting, to the ideas that one defends, etc.

In comparison with that it is necessary nonetheless to take this reflection time for well to identify the message that one wants to do to pass.

Argancel : Yes because when one is on a Powerpoint, this is maybe also a manner of procrastiner. One will begin doing what is easy, that is to say for example to take pictures that one finds in the catalog clipart, and to add them. While one rather should concentrate on the hardest one, on the content and the message that one must do to pass.

Olive tree : Exactly. And this is well The message. To say several things finally is nothing to say. It is necessary to arrive to identify the idea more important. And it is there over that one will construct his presentation. Of course with examples, with all a pile of technique that one uses to put in relief his principal idea. But this is really there where one must concentrate his energy previously: to find this essential idea.

Besides for the people that that interests, I speak very frequently on my blog of a book that is called These ideas that stick Who was written by two Americans. It is a book in which they try to decipher what that does that an idea will hang the public in comparison with another idea that will completely be forgotten.

And therefore they identified 6 factors key that do that a presentation will be memorable for an audience. And the first idea exactly this is well this one: the one of simplicity. Who says simple does not say to be simplistic. There there is a nuance that is rather important, simple that is to say to arrive to strip the leaves off his message to arrive to the heart of his message, something that is both concise and essential to do an effective presentation.

Argancel : And it is true that one says often that if one does not arrive to simplify what one wants to say, is that one did not well understand our subject.

Olive tree : This is very true

Argancel : Seen that one is some at the ideas, in your ebook you talk about several tools to find hitting and adapted ideas to the listeners. Then you can say us which are your favorite tools, those that you use often?

Olive tree : In fact me I use essentially two big tools one will say. First of all, all that is heuristic card, mind mapping. I am a rather big practicing one of that method. It is true that that allows at once to do a brainstorming and to begin organizing its ideas, to be able to begin doing the small sketches, etc.

And I am a rather big consumer equally of Post-its one. As soon as I have an idea, I puts it on a Post-it one. There where it is interesting to prepare a presentation, it is that exactly one can assimilate a Post-it one to a slide and therefore to play with the Post-its one to organize and to structure his presentation. Sometimes that can well help to release a conducting wire.

Egalement in the ebook the readers will be able to rediscover other methods as the technique of the 6 hats, etc. It is true that in my ebook, I tried to propose different tools that favor creativity. One could expect that it is an ebook that speaks rather of "How to use Powerpoint?". This is not at all that. There has a lot of tutoriels that exist on internet.

Argancel : This is not a technical book, kind click there over�

Olive tree : Absolutely there are some that know to do that a lot better than me. Me this is more "How to do an effective presentation" while lingering on the content and on design.

Argancel : Then exactly while speaking design, you insist a lot on the graphic side of the slides, and besides when one goes on your site and that one looks at the slides, one goes counts that you care for them a lot. Therefore finally you have some counsels to give us, we that are not really designers. The small counsels that can do the difference to create a personalized and well illustrated slide to communicate the message.

Olive tree : First of all thank you for the compliment on my presentations. Yes effectively the design for me this is really an element key in the success of a good presentation. The first thing already this is of not to confuse design and decoration.

One will tend to add logos, cliparts, lines, all a pile of elements that finally do not bring big thing to the presentation, that on the contrary jumbles the message more than something else. Me the manner in which I envision design, it is really to arrive to what graphic the elements that one sets up serve the message that one tries to do to pass. And for that me I have a gait, that is a small one not very hand-crafted. It is to use typographies, visual, manners to do the transitions that serve the message.

In comparison with that first of all. A small counsel test to go counts if the design of a slide is good or not, it is to say itself the message that is on the slide is mémorisable in 3 seconds? That is to say if I am a member of the audience and that I discover the presentation, I hit right away that of which it is a matter at the level of the slide.

If this is not the case, that wants certainly to say that there is a lot too many elements on the slide. Therefore simplify, simplify, simplify. Eliminez all that is exploits on the transparency. In comparison with all that is typography: the choice of the polices, not to hesitate to use sizes of characters rather big. More it is big, more that sees itself and more that has luck to be kept.

Do not hesitate equally to play with typographies, without about it to abuse not more. It is true that it is not necessary that that leaves in all the direction. It is necessary nonetheless a coherence in the design of the presentation. But it is true that today with internet, and software, there are choices of typography that are rather interesting. Ca really can allow well to personalize a presentation. To use with discernment, that is to say if you are an office of lawyer, would be necessary not to go on typography of type destroy. This is a small little an evidence, but when one sees the number of available polices of character, one tends to abuse more qu’autre thing. Another counsel, it is to show withholding in the choices that one will do to put in form his presentation.

Another counsel of which one already spoke beforehand, this is the visual. Today one has the luck with internet to have access to banks photo to moderate price. I think about fotolia, I think about istockfoto. Good there in has a lot of others, I listed some someone there in the guide. For a derisory cost in comparison with what could be envisioned there has again some years, for about thirty Euros or a forty of Euros, one can be done a small stock of credit photo and to be going to dig into in these banks photo to brighten his presentation. And this is photos of professional quality. Right away it is the element kind that will allow bringing your presentation to a superior level, finally without too many efforts.

Another counsel that is not strictly speaking on design, but that can serve nonetheless of conducting wire and I believe that this is very important, this is in his presentation, to arrive to relate a history, that I believe that this is really an important point. A presentation, this is not simply to present crude facts. If one wants to be convincing, if one wants that our message is memorized, it is necessary to put these information in perspective. And there has nothing of such as a good history to facilitate the memorization of a message.

Ca can be without going in extravagant things. In a professional framework for example this is to say: here one had such problem, and how one has resolved this problem. And to organize it as that, right away that will give rise to a little more interest for the audience and it in any case will feel a lot more implied one than if one does a presentation brute of figures, of diagrams and company. One has all of the pictures that come out on top us I think in comparison with that. Things where the content can be very interesting, but as information is not selected, that she is not put in perspective and that she is left brute, finally the public unhook very quickly.

In my opinion a good presentation it is also to the basis a good history, in any case to know to relate a good history, and I do not speak to do the complicated things, but to find good joints, to remain simple in the words that one uses on his presentation and as presenter.

Ca more a good design, I think that this are the keys of a good presentation.

Argancel : Yes completely the Storytelling, that is besides a completely current concept. There are a lot of people that about it speak, in the pub and a little everywhere.

For our listeners that want a really professional presentation, something of cared for. I very much would like to know how that happens when there is a customer that comes to ask you benefit in your Studio. Which is your work methodology. Are the customers coming with some slides and you the improve? Or they give you just the script of the speech and you must unravel yourself with? Which is your approach?

Olive tree : It is true that one has really different cases of face. This is at the case by case. That is to say that I very well can have someone that contacts me and that already has a presentation Powerpoint and that goes counts that his content is good but that his presentation is not at the level of his content. In comparison with that I can be brought to do the "relooking" of presentation. Therefore there one works with the customer to relate a history: beyond the facts, how to do to put them in perspective and to return them more pleasant for the public? And then equally on design as such of the presentation.

I can equally have the case of face of someone that will send me a small very quick script. Therefore there I will have to elaborate all the graphic environment of the presentation. Then always similar: to find the history that will allow well to let the message pass.

I had equally the case, with Mohamed of the blog Semeunacte.com What a part of your readers must know, that had written his ebook and wished in to do a small teaser to invite its readers to discover it and to download the ebook. It has me therefore sharp his work, that had well to do an about sixty of pages. And there to load for me, from all this content, to extract some a little strong ideas – in his book that lacked about it not � and to present that in a visual way and to arrive to find a small conducting wire, a history around that. And to incite the people to discover his book.

Therefore effectively one could tend to say itself that the Studio, this is a graphics agency, not at all blocks. Finally no. First of all graphicses there in has everywhere, and by far more talentueux than me. But the fact of:

1. Do this effort of élaguer his message and to find the gasoline of this message
2. Find the history that will well go with and return that more "sexy" to follow for the audience

This is also a little special competences and as I try to develop through the Studio.

Therefore to the level method of work this is really case by case with the customers. Generally one always takes a time to discuss to the telephone together and to see a small little which they await presentation. For there is what one wants presentation and also the understood objectives of the presentation.

As said Gaulle: "In life it is necessary to be in keeping with its thought backs". Sometimes in a presentation there is the emerged party of the Iceberg, but there has especially immersed the very party and the whole background that there can be behind a powerpoint. It is interesting to discuss that with the customer. One can do a presentation to present a study. But behind this is not that that, if I take the example of an office of consultant ones, one wants also to present his expertise on such domain, etc. It is interesting to understand those issues for well to reply to the expectations of the customer.

Argancel : Is what of time in time when you will see a customer, they will impose you a graphic charter, something to put around the slide. How do you react in comparison with that?

Olive tree : lol, my activity was launched this year therefore I am some again to the start. Everyone necessarily will not call upon me. Because there has people, that really will pass them above the head, the idea to say itself that it is necessary to do the effective presentations, that that can bring something. Ca I understand it also but the people that call upon me it is people that already understood as they do not have the competence to treat the aspect design, to find the good history that will well go, find the transitions that will well go. Therefore it is people that already are receptive to what one budges a little the lines.

Well heard there in has that will have constraints linked to the graphic charter of their business. Me I will not say them "well not I do it not". I understand that constraints. After it is interesting to discuss with the customer and to say him: the logo that will take a fifth one slide, and that one will rediscover in all the slides, is really useful? The fact to have it simply in cover and in presentation end is not sufficient?

Because all the space that one will use finally to say that it is such drunk, such group, that does the presentation, it is space that one loses to let his message pass. And me I find that a little damage, even if I understand that one does not always what one wants. But I have this luck that the people that call upon me already are passed to a stadium a not very superior one in comparison with that.

Argancel : People that are a little less conservative than the average one will say�

Olive tree : In any case those with that I worked even there yes.

Argancel : � Or were then you lucky?

Olive tree : I not think that this is a luck question.

Argancel : Maybe that that evolves a little in the mentalities.

Olive tree : Here the people that call upon me already are sensitized to that and that does us already a good basis of departure to work on the needs of their presentations.

Argancel : One treated not poorly subject in these some questions. Seen that one talks about simplicity, one will try to finish while synthesizing all that one said. Which are according to you, if one really had to memorize the moelle substantifique, the biggest faults than commit your customers, as well as the top of the better counsels for there to remedy and do better slides?

Olive tree : For me, the biggest errors than one can do and that finally handicap really a good presentation. For me there are some really two big ones that condition a little the whole remainder.

The first error, this is to want to be exhaustive. That is to say to want really all to say in his presentation, to overload its slides with enormously of information that to the final one go more déservir the message rather than something else. There are people that tend to want to return in the detail of the detail of the detail. But to the final one this is completely counter-productive, since one loses more our audience than something else.

Therefore moins=plus. This is so much truer regarding communication. Stop wanting to be exhaustive. On the contrary me I would have rather tendency to say: say in less, say it better, and if which you say is well said and is interesting, the people in your audience you will ask questions in comparison with the things that you would not have approached. And I find that this is a manner a lot more sympa to approach a presentation. Ca allows creating an easier connection with the public, to exchange, rather than to balance a list pudding to flea and of slides where this is the assured indigestion, where the people will unhook along the way and to go to sleep. It is necessary rather to bet on a little lightness and of withholding. I believe that this is a lot more effective.

The big second error, and that it is a breadth that one has all, it is that one has sometimes evil to put itself instead of his audience. To resume the book of which I spoke, these ideas that stick, This the authors of the book call the curse of the knowledge. That is to say that it we is very difficult to put ourselves instead of the one that does not know.

It is true that to explain concepts and so much more for concepts, it is necessary to put himself in the head of his public. Wholesale, once you will have announced your message key, which will be the 3 big questions that will put themselves the people in your public? And if you already arrive to reply to these three questions there, the wager it is won. Generally this is: Why? How? Which is my interest? What do I have at there to win? What do I have at there to lose? Why that idea is interesting? Therefore to put itself instead of his audience I believe that this is a point key. And it is generally one of the "faults" that one rediscovers the more, since one wants to let his information pass, but one forgets that what counts is the people that are in the room and this is not necessarily we.

In comparison with the counsels that one could give, I would tend to resume the idea to put visual forts, in your presentations. Another counsel of reading, it is the book of John Médina, that is called Brain Rules, the French translation took out recently, that is called The laws of the brain. In this book it says that the visual direction dominates all the others feels. From which the importance to play with that. "A picture is worth thousand words", one knows all the expression but it is necessary really to use this does there to be able to do the presentations a lot more convincing ones.

The second thing, it is to be most possible simplest , to return his language more possible accessible, the words that one uses: to avoid gibberish. What this be in the domain of marketing, data processing, of all the professions, one has all our technical language. If you speak between technicians or experts, very well. But if you speak with a wider public, that has not necessarily the knowledge and where your job is to let these a little technical knowledge pass, do not begin with gibberish that you are the only one to understand. Because there you will lose everyone of entry of game.

If it was necessary to summarize, I will take a small acronym for the people in France. I do not know if for you to the Ile Maurice that passes. But on Canal + there has the field service of the transmissions of Omar and Fred. Well here, you lean on these three letters: S. has. V. That is to say: S for simple, A for accessible, and V for visual. If you arrive to do a presentation that concentrates these three words key, there has strong luck that you have a conversation that is convincing and hitting for your public.

Argancel : Ok, this is noted: S. A. V. it is simple and easily mémorisable. I thank you for this return of experience and these numerous counsels.

Olive tree : It is I who thanks you for the time that you well wanted to grant me for this interview and to do a small promotion for simpleslide.

Argancel : To finish, I invite you all to discover the site simpleslide where you concretely will be able to see that of which one spoke in this interview. And if you need a small one or of a big presentation for your business, that is simple, effective, that goes directly to the essential one in order to let your messages pass to your speakers, I counsel you to be going to do a small fake fake with Olive Tree and of him to ask counsel. Thank you again Olive Tree, I say you to later!

Olive tree : Thank you to soon

Words keys:speech, powerpoint, oral presentation

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