I love this presentation. Chip Kidd is a different kind of presenter. Not boring, not pretending to be someone who he is not and most of all understanding that the most important people in the room are the audience.

Sit back, enjoy and see a master doing his work.

Over the last few months I have been training groups of employees at a large Korean company. All the students are non-native English speakers, and all the employees have differing levels of English.

In each 4 week course ( we do four hours per week) the students do two presentations. One at the beginning and one at the end.

These students are continuing their everyday work, and have to prepare their presentations in their own time, and, if they can find the time, during their working hours.

A number of interesting observations have come up that I would like to share with you.

1. at the beginning of the course, almost all students believe they cannot present in English. By the end of the course all students have the realisation that actually they can present in English. This has nothing to do with the course, or my teaching method – sadly. This has everything to do with confidence. At the beginning of the course, most of the students simply have no confidence in their English ability. Once they have completed two, short presentations in font of their peers they begin the believe in themselves.

This problem in endemic in Korea. Most business people are tested on their English ability before entering a company, then they spend the next ten or twenty years only speaking in Korean, with the occasional English greeting and a “thank you”. If you do not use English regularly, then you are not going to be confident using English in your professional life.

If you want to feel better at using English, then find every opportunity you can to use English.

2. Many students over prepare their short presentation and end up either memorising their words, or reading a script. These students are always the worst presenters. They lose their place during their presentation, they hardly ever look at their audience and they spend too long looking down at their notes / script that the words they are speaking sound muffled and unclear.

Doing a short presentation in class is not the same as doing a keynote presentation in front of a hundred English speaking journalists at the launch of a new product, but all the same, if the presentation is important, the way you communicate with your audience is vital. Reading a script will prevent you from connecting with your audience in a personal way and you will fail. Not only will you fail, but your whole presentation will fail.

You need to know what you are talking about. If you do not know your subject well enough, then you should not be presenting. Reading a script is unforgivable, and simply tells your audience that they are not important enough for you to prepare properly.

Preparing for a presentation is about knowing your topic, knowing your stories and knowing what it is you want to tell your audience. It is not difficult. Any presenter, who is presenting in a foreign language should have the necessary language skills already. If they don’t, they should not be presenting.

3. It is hard to let go of practices learnt in the past. Yet, letting go of 1990s style presentations is something we must all do if we are going to be great communicators in the twenty-first century.

Maintaining a love affair with complex charts, text and bullet points is damaging your ability to communicate effectively. A twenty-first century presentation is about presenting your ideas in a clear and concise way. It is not about presenting slide after slide of technical data. That simply does not work today. If your grandmother would not understand your presentation, then it is not simple and concise enough.

If your presentation is all about technical data, then consider preparing a handout with the details. Then in your presentation itself focus on the key points that you have pulled out from the data. Explain to your audience that the detailed data is contained in a handout.

On a side note here – I am shocked and amazed when students turn round and tell me that preparing a handout means more work! Unbelievable! If your presentation is important enough for you to be presenting it to an audience, then a handout should never be considered “more work”. It should be considered an essential part of your presentation for your audience’s complete understanding.

These are just three things I have picked up over the last few months. There are more and I will write about these over the coming weeks.

Apologising For “Poor English”

Many of my Korean students feel the need to apologise for their “poor English” at the beginning of their presentation. This is not a good idea. When you apologise for “poor English” at the beginning of your presentation, your audience immediately become nagative towards your presentation and expect a long, boring presentation.

Instead, if you feel the need to apologise for your “poor English”, say it at the end of the presentation. This way instead of getting a negative response, you will get yourself a positive response.

End your presentation with:

Thank you very much and I am very sorry for my poor English.

With the passing of Steve Jobs, there has been a lot of comment about his life and his presentation philosophy.

In the recent biography by Walter Isaacson, there are numerous references to Steve Jobs’s thinking on presenting and one in particular stood out for me. The quotation:

“I hate the way people use slide presentations instead of thinking,” Jobs later recalled. “People would confront a problem by creating a presentation. I wanted them to engage, to hash things out at the table, rather than show a bunch of slides. People who know what they’re talking about don’t need PowerPoint.”

This has always been a bug bear to me too. I simply cannot understand why anyone would want to use PowerPoint in a meeting. PowerPoint kills conversation, it puts slides at the centre of attention and it creates an atmosphere of staleness and boredom. The very things that prevent any kind of solution or idea being found.

The best meetings I have attended were where there was a proposal, typed on paper and given to all meeting participants before the meeting, and then everyone had an open and frank discussion about the subject. Often, new ideas were found or new angles were discovered about the original proposal, but one thing that happened was that people actually talked and discussed the idea.

The opposite meetings were where the organiser spent the first ten minutes trying to get his or her computer working, then completely dominated the meeting with slide after slide of boring text and poor quality clip art and pictures. There was no discussion and quite often a lot of confusion. The meeting ended and nobody knew what they were supposed to do.

PowerPoint and Keynote have their place, a product launch to a few hundred journalist, a training seminar where the slides are used to inform and teach. But a meeting to discuss a proposal or to come up with a solution to a problem is not the place.

Take a look at the video below. Here you see Steve Jobs talking to employees from Apple about the problems Apple was facing in 1997, and the solution. Note there are no slides, just Steve up front and centre talking to his staff, and then a video at the end. Had he used PowerPoint,it would have killed the effectiveness of what he had to say.

올해는 대규모의 다국적 기업부터 국내 중소기업까지 여러 다양한 회사에 계시는 많은 분들을 대상으로 프레젠테이션 강의 세미나를 진행해 왔습니다. 세미나에 참석하시는 분들은 영업부에서 인사부까지 다양한 부서에서 근무하시는 분들이었습니다.

허나, 한가지 제가 놀랐던 점은, 세미나에 참석했던 분들 중 상급 관리자는 단 한 분도 없었다는 것입니다. 수업에 참여한 분들 대부분이 각 부서의 하급직원들로 회사 내에서 프레젠테이션을 할 기회가 극히 드물거나 아예 없는 사람들이었습니다.

저는 속으로 “왜 그런걸까?” 하고 물었습니다.

영어로 중요한 프레젠테이션을 발표해야 하는 사람들, 이 사람들은 왜 프레젠테이션 트레이닝을 위한 세미나나 강의 혹은 워크샵에 참여하지 않는 것 일까요? 이런 강의나 워크샵에 참석하기엔, 자신들의 실력이 너무 뛰어나다고 생각하는 것일까요? 아니면 너무 바쁜 탓일까요?

이건 좀 말이 안 된다라는 생각이 들었습니다. 오늘날 이루어지는 대부분의 프레젠테이션들이 얼마나 형편없는지는 누구나가 다 알고 있습니다. 일부 프레젠테이션들은 점점 나아지고 있는 추세이지만, 또 프레젠테이션 소통방식에 있어 개선이 필요하다는 것을 이해하는 경우도 더러 있지만, 대부분의 사람들은 여전히 프레젠테이션란 지루하고 쓸모 없고 무의미한 것이라 생각하고 있습니다.

아마도, 이건 순전히 제 추측이지만, 자신에게 좀 더 트레이닝이 필요하다는 것을 이 상급 관리자들이 절대 인정하려 들지 않는 게 이유라는 생각이 들었습니다. 그리고, 이렇게 자존심을 굽히지 않는 데서 바로 문제가 생기는 것이라 생각됩니다.

제가 참관했던 대학생 프레젠테이션들은 대부분이 정말 훌륭했습니다. 디자인과 메시지, 그리고 스토리가 모두 담겨있었습니다. 대다수가 최종 프레젠테이션에 있어 약간 다듬어질 필요가 있긴 했지만, 프레젠테이션들 모두 전반적으로 좋았고 창의성이 돋보이며 명확하고 명료한 메시지를 담고 있었습니다. 하지만 이와 반대로, 제가 보았던 고위 간부급들의 프레젠테이션은 고리타분한 텍스트들로 꽉꽉 차 읽기 어려운 슬라이드에 메시지는 완전히 엉망진창이었습니다. 결과적으로 이들이 보여준 프레젠테이션은 명확한 요점도 없고, 종국에는 청중을 혼란시키는 마치 90년대에 만들어진 프레젠테이션처럼 보였습니다.

비즈니스 업계의 소통방식은 90년대에 멈추지 않고 진화와 발전을 거듭하였으며, 2000년대에 들어 급진적으로 거세졌습니다. 청중은 이제 간결하고 명료한 메시지를 요구하며, 또 이들을 20분 이내에 전달받기를 원하고 있습니다. 그리고 자세한 사항들은 편리하고 알아보기 쉽게 유인물로 받길 원합니다.  청중은 더 이상 낡아빠진 스타일로 간부들이 내뱉는 말을, 즉, 끝날 때까지 몇 시간 내내 재미없고 상상력을 찾아볼 수 없을 만큼 지루한 그런 말들을 들으며 앉아있을 시간이 없습니다. 이들은, 최상의 이미지와 영상을 통해 핵심 메시지를 전달받기 원하고, 쉽게 알아듣고 이해할 수 있는 팩트와 수치들을 원합니다.

 고위 간부급의 사람들이 이 점을 인지하고, 21세기에 걸맞는 방식으로 프레젠테이션 하는 법을 배워야 할 필요성을 느끼지 못한다면, 프레젠테이션은 계속 지루한 이미지로 밖에 남을 수 없습니다. 제가 부탁하고 싶은 것은, 만약 여러분이 상위 관리자급 직원이라면, 제발 자존심을 낮추고 주위에 도움을 요청하시라는 겁니다. 이는 여러분 자신을 발전시킬 수 있도록 도와줄 뿐 아니라, 현재 우리의 프레젠테이션이 받고 있는 이미지를 회복시키는, 즉 프레젠테이션이란 메시지를 소통하는 가장 최고의 훌륭한 방식이라는 것을 인정받을 수 있도록 도와줄 것이라는 것을 꼭 아셨으면 합니다.

This year I have done our presentation seminar with a large number of people from many different companies. Some were large international companies, others were smaller domestic companies. On each occasion the students attending were a mixture of people from various departments ranging from the sales department to the human resources department.

However, one thing that has surprised me is that none of the students attending were senior managers. Almost all of them were junior members of their departments who, when questioned, did little or no presenting in their companies.

I find myself having to ask the question: why?

Why is it that the very people who have to do important presentations in English are the very people who do not attend presentation training seminars, courses or workshops? Do they think they are too good to attend? or is it that they feel they are too busy?

In my mind this is a crazy situation. Everyone knows that that the state of presentations today is terrible. In some places it is getting better and in some cases there is an understanding that presentation communication needs to improve, but the perception of the humble presentation is still that they are largely boring, useless and pointless.

My guess, and this is only a guess, is that these managers are too proud to admit they need further training. And it is here where the problem arises.

Most presentations I see done by university students are fantastic. The design, the message and the stories are there. It most cases the final presentation is a little rough around the edges, but on the whole their presentations are good, creative and have a clear, simple message. On the other hand most presentations I see done by senior executives have difficult to read slides, are full of boring text and are a complete mess when it comes to a message. The end product looks like something created in the 1990s., with no clear point and at the end a very confused audience.

Business communication did not stop evolving in the 1990s. The evolution of Business communication exploded in the 2000s. Audiences now demand simple, clear messages that are delivered in twenty minutes and the details are handed to them in a clear, convenient handout. Audiences no longer have time to sit in a meeting room listening to an old style executive spew word and boring word in a dull, unimaginative way for hours upon end. Audiences want to the point messages with great illustrations and simple easily digested facts and figures.

Until these senior executives get it and begin to understand that it is they that need to be taught how to present in the twenty-first century, presentations are going to continue with the same boring image. All I ask is that if you are a senior executive, please lose the pride and get some help. It will not only help you develop, but it will help restore the image of the presentation into something it should be. A great way to communicate a message.

스티브 잡스는 저 뿐 아니라 수 많은 이들에게 진정으로 영감(靈感)을 불러 일으켜 준 사람이었습니다. 그는 컴퓨터 산업뿐 아니라, 음악 및 휴대폰 산업계까지 변화를 가져다 주었습니다. 한 사람이 이렇게 많은 변화를 일으켰다니, 정말 믿겨지지 않을 만큼 대단하고 훌륭한 업적입니다.

뿐만 아니라, 제게 있어 스티브 잡스는 프레젠테이션계에도 변화를 가져다 준 인물입니다. 그의 프레젠테이션 스타일은 전 세계 수많은 발표자들에게 창의적 생각을 불어 넣어주고 고취시켜 주었습니다. 단순함과 심미성 그리고 메시지에 중점을 두는 그의 스타일은, 사람들로 하여금 프레젠테이션은 청중과 그들에게 전달되는 메시지에 관한 것임을 깨닫게 해주었습니다.

제가 “스토리 프레젠테이션”이라는 책을 쓸 수 있도록 해준 도구도 스티브 잡스와 애플이 만들어 낸 제품이었으며, 프레젠테이션 코스를 쓰고 만드는데 있어 진정한 즐거움을 가져다 준 것 역시 스티브 잡스와 애플의 제품이었습니다. 또 매주 토요일 아침마다 진행되는 비즈니스 영어 수업에 필요한 키노트 프레젠테이션을 만드는데 재미를 선사해 준 것 역시 이들의 제품이었습니다.

스티브 잡스! 당신이 세계에 가져다 준 모든 것에 감사를 표합니다. 당신은 우리들 마음속에 영원히 간직될 것이며, 언제나 제게 영감을 불어 넣어주는 이가 될 것입니다.

Steve Jobs was a real inspiration to me and to many millions of others. Not only did he change the computer industry, he also changed the music and mobile phone industries. For one man to do all that, that is incredible.

But to me, Steve Jobs also changed the world of presenting. His style of presenting has inspired many millions of presenters around the world, the focus on simplicity, aesthetics and the message made people realize that a presentation is about the audience and about the message.

It was Steve Jobs and Apple’s products that gave me the tools to write Presentation Story, it was Steve Jobs and Apple that made it a real pleasure to write and create our presentation course and it was Steve Jobs and Apple that make it fun to create Keynote presentations for my regular Saturday morning business class.

Thank you Steve for everything you have given to the world. You will never be forgotten and you will always be an inspiration to me.

지난주에는 서울에 위치한 고려대학교 경영대학에서 “영어의 중요성”에 관한 프레젠테이션을 하고 돌아왔습니다. 무척이나 즐거운 시간이었습니다. 이날 프레젠테이션에서, 발표자는 저를 포함한 3명으로 오늘날 비즈니스 시대에 왜 영어가 중요한지에 관해 각자 20분씩 맡아 진행했습니다.

프레젠테이션을 할 때면, 저는 사용하는 폰트에 늘 신경을 많이 쓰는 편입니다. 이전에 말씀 드렸듯, 여러분이 사용하는 폰트는 프레젠테이션에 적절한 분위기를 조성하는데 도움이 되기 때문입니다. 이번 프레젠테이션에는 “Impact”체를 메인 폰트로 결정 했습니다. 이 폰트는 매우 강렬한 느낌을 지니고 있어 급박하면서도 중요한 분위기를 연출해 주기 때문입니다. – 단순히 저의 개인적인 의견입니다.

함께 발표할 동료들의 프레젠테이션을 파일로 한데 모은 후, 처음부터 끝까지 살펴보며 폰트와 스타일이 통일감을 이루고 있는지 체크했습니다. 그리고 늘 하던 대로, 만일의 사태를 대비해 키노트 파일을 파워포인트로 카피해 USB에 따로 저장해 두었습니다.

강연장에 도착하자, 담당자가 애플 컴퓨터는 강연장 시스템과 호환이 되질 않는다 알려주었습니다. 그래서 저는 호환이 되도록 직접 시도해봐도 되는지 그녀에게 정중히 물었고, 그녀 또한 흔쾌히 허락해 주었습니다. 다행히 제 컴퓨터는 잘 작동되어 준비해온 대로 프레젠테이션을 진행할 수 있었습니다.

하지만, 처음 제 컴퓨터를 사용할 수 없다는 이야기를 들었을 당시에는 얼굴에 핏기가 가시고 온 몸에 두려움이 엄습했었습니다. 정말 많은 시간을 프레젠테이션을 검토하고 또 검토하며 보냈는데, 이 학교의 컴퓨터에는 제가 사용하는 폰트가 없었기 때문입니다. 강연장 컴퓨터로 제가 백업해 둔 파워포인트 파일을 사용한다 해도, 제 프레젠테이션은 전부 잘못되어 보일게 뻔했습니다.

프레젠테이션이 준비한대로 잘 보여지길 원한다면, 프레젠테이션 장소에서 자신의 컴퓨터를 사용할 수 있도록 요구할 필요가 있다는 것을 깨달았습니다. 여러분이 사용하는 폰트가 저장되어 있지 않는 다른 이의 컴퓨터를 이용해야 하거나, 여러분이 사용하는 파워포인트와 버전이 다르다는 것을 알게 되는 것만큼 최악의 상황은 없기 때문입니다.

원하는 대로 애니메이션이 작동하도록, 또 보기 좋도록 프레젠테이션을 만들고 준비하는데 많은 시간을 쏟아 부었습니다. 여러분 자신의 프레젠테이션입니다. 다른 이의 컴퓨터로 인해 그토록 힘들게 공들인 프레젠테이션을 헛되이 만들지 마시기 바랍니다.

Last week I had the pleasure of doing a presentation on “The Importance of English” at Korea University’s Business School in Seoul. There were three of us each doing a twenty minute segment and each part was related to why English is important in today’s business world.

When I do a presentation, I always think very carefully about the font I use. As I have mentioned here before, the font you use helps to create the right atmosphere for your presentation. I decided to use “Impact” as my main font for this presentation because it has a very strong sense and it creates an atmosphere of importance and urgency – just my humble opinion.

After collecting my colleagues presentations to put into one file, I went through the whole presentation and made sure that we were using a unified font and style. As usual I saved a copy of my presentation in PowerPoint on a small USB drive in case there were any technical problems.

When we arrived at the venue, the organiser informed me that their system did not work with Apple Computers – I therefore kindly asked her if I could try and make it work. She of course agreed. Fortunately for me, my computer did work and we were able to do our presentation as it was prepared.

However, after being told my computer would not work with their system all colour drained from my face and fear spread throughout my body. After spending many hours checking and rechecking my presentation, I knew that the university’s computer would not have the font I used. Had I used my backup PowerPoint file on the university’s computer my whole presentation would just look wrong.

I realised that if you want to make sure that your presentation looks good, as you prepared it, then you need to insist that the venue where you do your presentation allows you to use your computer. There is nothing worse than using someone else’s computer and finding that they do not have the font you used or that they are using a different version of Powerpoint to you.

You spent a long time preparing your presentation, making it look right and making the animations work as you like them. It is your presentation. Do not allow all your hard work and effort fall down simply because you are asked to use someone else’s computer.