The fewer the slides, the better the presentation.
A controversial claim, I know, and yet…
It’s something I’ve seen time and again.
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Speakers who hide behind slides packed full of text and images…
- Audiences drift away and start scrolling through their phones.
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Presenters who come out and speak from the heart…
- Audiences are engaged and inspired.
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After all, ask yourself this question:
- How many slides did Martin Luther King use in his iconic I Have A Dream speech?
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OK, not everyone can be such a great orator.
But on a rather more everyday and humble level, I've just taught a workshop on The Storytelling Superpower at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The session lasted one hour and 15 minutes…
Guess how many slides I used?
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And the answer is...
- Six. Only six slides.
Yet everything went beautifully.
Hitting all the goals I always aim for:
- Education, entertainment and empowerment.
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The workshop was effective because I used the slides to make a point...
Then we discussed it, explored it, and put it into action.
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I showed the group the power of stories through telling a favourite of my own, how to beat the dreaded imposter syndrome...
Then challenged them to think of stories from their own lives:
Insights which were memorable, fascinating, and offered valuable learning for others.
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We quickly had quite a list, and having heard some of the stories...
I can tell you they were wonderful.
From the entertaining, to the bizarre, to the poignant.
But! And here's the punchline:
- Every single story held the attention of the audience, made us think, feel and remember.
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And so the point about the power of storytelling was made.
Plus, what could have been a dull and worthy training session became a delight.
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So remember, however scary it may seem:
Come out and speak from the heart about what matters to you, and don't worry so much about the visuals.
Because...
The fewer the slides, the better the presentation.