Presentation Zen

Using quotes in your slides to support your story

Displaying quotes in your presentation slides can be a very powerful technique. Depending on the presentation, I often use quite a few quotes from various fields to support my points.

When I first saw Tom Peters live many years ago, I was happy to see that he used a great deal of quotes from various experts, authors, and industry leaders. Using quotes in his presentation visuals is a big deal for Tom. In fact it is number 18 on his "Presentation Excellence 56":

18. Slides: Good quotes from the field. (Remember you’re “telling a story”)

Commenting on why he uses so many PowerPoint slides containing quotes, Tom says:

"...my conclusions are much more credible when I back them up with Great Sources. I say pretty radical stuff. I say "Get radical!" That's one thing. But then I show a quote from Jack Welch, who, after all, ran a $150 billion company (I didn't): "You can't behave in a calm, rational manner; you've got to be out there on the lunatic fringe." Suddenly my radicalism is "certified" by a "real operator." Also, I find that people like to get beyond the spoken word, and see a SIMPLE reminder of what I'm saying." (Read more from this post by Tom Peters.)

Download Tom's "PE56" PowerPoint slides

Quotes can indeed add credibility to our story. Slides containing quotes also serve as guides or "reminders" to keep us and our story on track. A simple quote is a good springboard from which you can launch your next talking point, though you need practice to pull it off smoothly. Quotes should be short in most cases since it can become quite tedious when a presenter reads a paragraph from a screen.

Below are samples from some of my recent presentations. When I read these quotes, I usually can keep my eyes on the audience at all times since the quotes are short enough to be easily memorized. I can easily catch the graphic (such as the head shot of Albert Einstein) which appears next to the quote with just a quick glance of my peripheral vision. The graphic is for the benefit of the audience, but it also helps me instantly recognize the content of the slide without having to really look at the slide.

      

If I am quoting from a book, I will often include an image of the book cover.

      

A simple image is used for the slide on the left. For the slide on the right, what could be simpler than...no image at all?

    

I often look to different fields for inspiring comments. In this case, Jazz.

      

Two more examples.

        

On the left is a slide that would not be unusual today. On the right is a more professional treatment of the quotation.

      

I first learned of Henry Boettinger's 1969 book, Moving Mountains, from Cliff Atkinson's excellent presentation blog. Here, Cliff uses the quote that I placed in the two slides above. Cliff used this quote in his web seminar while showing a good visual which evoked the feelings of "high voltage" and "connection" (or "conversation"). As Cliff mentions here, in the actual web seminar, he used the quote sans any text in the visual. This worked fine, but usually (not always) it is better to have the quote appear on screen. However, as Cliff points out, using "...a range of approaches in a live presentation environment" is best.

Learning from the world of Judo

Jigoro Kano founded Judo in the late 1800s, and although Judo was not based on the principles of Zen outright, Judo is seen by many to be a great expression of Zen precepts. I have a lot of respect for people who dedicate themselves to the art of Judo. Judo is more than a sport or a mere physical activity born in Japan. To those who practice Judo, the lessons, wisdom, and experience gained serve to help them in profound ways in all aspects of life. 

Jigoro Kano summarized the essential goals of Judo. These are noble goals in life and in business. Can they not be applied to a presentation context?

(1) Seiryoku zenyo — strive for maximum effect with minimum effort *

Make no mistake, "minimum effort" does not mean to slack off or give less than full commitment to the moment. Rather it implies the use of experience, intelligence, and skill. In the presentation context, it could translate into simple yet powerful visual support, a delivery style that makes complex data accessible without confusing, endless, overly verbose explanation. Sometimes, for example, a short story (minimum effort) can have a huge and lasting result (maximum impact).

(2) Jita kyoei — strive for mutual welfare and benefit *

Presenters often seem focused only on their content from their point of view. Audiences — especially potential clients — want to know "what's in it for me?" Presentations should be two-way; they should be conversations. And while it sounds like a cliché in 2005, "win/win" should be the goal.

(3) Jika no kansei — strive for perfection as a whole person *

No presentation is perfect, of course, but we must aim for perfection. Content, design, style, evidence, engagement, all of this is important. But in all our business dealings, including presentations, we must always embrace too the ideals of integrity, honesty, character, kindness, and so on. It is never just about winning the contract, as lofty a goal as that may seem at the moment.                                              
Think about this: Commenting on the secrets of Judo, H. Seichiro Okazaki, said

"Only by cultivating a receptive state of mind, without preconceived ideas or thoughts, can one master the secret art of reacting spontaneously and naturally without hesitation and without purposeless resistance." (Emphasis mine)

This idea need not be confined to the mat.

Think about the last challenging presentation you had that just did not go as well as you had hoped. Perhaps there was more "pushback" than you expected. Could you have done better by engaging your audience and answering the difficult questions while "reacting spontaneously and naturally without hesitation and without purposeless resistance"? In my experience, when I have received challenging questions from a skeptical or even hostile or aggressive person, a natural, non-aggressive response from myself always was more effective than showing any irritation or defensiveness. Butting heads is very easy to do, but usually leads to a sure defeat for us as presenters.

T. Shidachi, speaking on the principles of Judo in 1892 said,

"We come by daily training to know that irritability is one of our weakest points, and that we have to try to avoid it in our life, as it facilitates our opponent's efforts to overcome us . Not to be irritated in any emergency, but to always be calm and composed, is one of the first principles of Judo. Prudence, precaution, temperance, perseverance, presence of mind, quick discernment, decision after deliberation, animation with moderation, self-respect, and self-control — all these are surely moral qualities which are inculcated by the study of Judo." (Emphasis mine)

At some point, we will encounter a hostile client or an audience member who may be more interested in making us look foolish or derail us during our talk than getting at the truth. It happens. The key is to remember that they are never the enemy. If there is any enemy at all, it is in within us. Even if an audience member does choose to assume the role of "opponent," our irritation or any display of anger will surely not do us or the rest of our audience (99% of whom may support our views) any good at all.

In the world of Judo, founder Jigoro Kano had this to say about dealing with an "opponent":

"Victory over the opponent is achieved by giving way to the strength of the opponent, adapting to it and taking advantage of it, turning it, in the end to your own advantage."

Many years ago I was giving a presentation to a large group. It was going very well. But one person in the audience often interrupted with irrelevant comments to the point of becoming a distraction for the audience. I had many occasions to become angry (but did not). I could sense that the audience felt I was going to rip into the guy if there was one more interruption. And frankly, they would not have blamed me. But I always was respectful to the man and did not show any irritation or anger. After the presentation, several people complimented me on my handling of the "interrupter." The ironic thing was that although the boisterous man may have intended to damage my effectiveness, he actually had the opposite influence. By flowing with the moment, not butting heads — which only would have made things worse — and showing self-control I gained respect from the audience. This in the end made the presentation more effective. This was very much unexpected and was a good lesson for me.

In the beginning, we may have to work at just not showing our irritation to the audience. But through experience and practice, it is possible to not even feel irritation in the first place when challenged.

*Source, Judoinfo.com

More on the history of Judo.

Jazz and simplifying complication

Last week, a great Osaka-based bass player and I backed a couple of cool jazz guitarists in one of the biggest Starbucks cafes in Kansai. We all had a blast. I deeply enjoy playing music for people. I love it because I'm energized by communicating and connecting in creative ways with new people. It's a feeling that is hard to put into words. Sometimes a great seminar or presentation will leave me feeling exhilarated too because I feel that, in my own little way, I made a difference in someone's life. Maybe I inspired them, or helped them in some small measure.

Playing music is a performance and also very much a presentation. Good presentations are after all about conversing, sharing, and connecting at an emotional level in an honest and sincere way. It doesn't get much more honest than jazz. It is even easier to connect when playing music since everything is really laid right out there in front for everyone to see and hear. There are no politics, no walls. The music may touch them or it may not, but there is never even the hint of insincerity, questionable motives, or of being anything other than what people see before them at that moment. The smiles, the heads nodding in agreement, and the feet tapping under the tables tell me that we are connecting. It's a fantastic feeling.

Usually when I play a jazz or a blues gig in the city, I have a larger kit of drums. But moving drums is quite problematic in such an urban jungle like Osaka. So for the Starbucks sessions I followed a Zen-like principle of using only what is absolutely necessary to get the job done. I employed a kind of drumming minimalism, if you will.

I knew that to support the guitar and bass, I would only need the essentials. So, a month ago I purchased another drum kit to go along with my regular set. The new set is designed for portability and is called the Pearl Rhythm Traveler. I only used the 14" bass drum from this kit and added my vintage 1966 Ludwig snare, and Paiste high-hats and ride cymbal. This was all I needed for this particular situation.

Having fewer drums is easier to move, of course, but it also was very liberating musically. The fewer drums and cymbals I use, the more I get out of what I have. It is more challenging and creative. And most importantly, a minimal kit was the most appropriate choice for the moment.

The great jazz bassist, Charles Mingus, once said that "Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity." I like that quote so much that I have used it in some presentations. I am not only looking to simplify messages, but simplify logistics as well

Just as a minimal, yet high-quality, drum kit was the most appropriate equipment choice for the Starbucks venue, there are also times when I decide that I will use a whiteboard for a particular presentation and leave the projector at home. Or I may bring some high-quality lap visuals to pass around the table, or a combination of whiteboard and paper. It all depends on the context and circumstance. There are certainly occasions when using a projector in a boardroom is like bringing in an 18-piece drum kit to a small jazz club. It will work, but it's unnecessary...and it can serve as a wall. You will be surprised how free and creative you can become sometimes without the use slides and the hum of a projector. And since the competition is likely using a standard deck of bulletpoint-filled slides, your analog, minimalist approach may just differentiate you and demonstrate that you have thought more about your client's needs.

From Golden Mean to "Rule of Thirds"

The "rule of thirds" is a simplified version of the golden mean. The rule of thirds is a basic technique that photographers learn to frame their shots. Subjects placed exactly in the middle can often make for an uninteresting photo. The golden mean would be wonderful to apply when taking snaps, but obviously this is not practical. But a viewfinder can be divided by lines — real or just imagined — so that you have four intersecting lines or crossing points and 9 rectangles that resemble a tic-tac-toe board. These four crossing points (also called power points, if you can believe it) are areas you might place your main subject, rather than in the center.

There is a belief, and some research to back it up, that we are hardwired to naturally be drawn to images that have proportions approaching the golden mean, just as we are often drawn to many things in the natural environment — or even to a particular "good-looking" face — with golden-mean like proportions.

The idea of objects and visuals having proportions close to the golden section is fascinating stuff for architects, mathematicians, designers and artists. And the rule of thirds is a very basic and useful technique for photographers in many cases. But what does it mean for us? What happens if we take, say, an 800x600 PowerPoint or Keynote slide and divide it up? Dividing our "canvas" into thirds is an easier way to at least approach golden mean proportions. The rule of thirds is not really a "rule" at all, but rather a guideline. But you will find that you can apply this guideline even to PowerPoint or Keynote visuals to give them a more symmetrical and professional look. Here are some sample slides below.

       
Above, the quote fills the right two thirds of the slide and is in the upper third vertically. The photo is in the remaining left third.

       
Notice the proportions above? Also note that the woman's eyes are looking at the text. A small thing, but reinforces the strong part of the slide, the title of the presentation.

       

Above, the statistics for this particular point are placed directly on two of the four "power point" crossing sections. The face of the woman is in the right third and near a crossing section.

Out of curiosity, I placed a golden mean rectangle over the image that comprises the homepage of my website. I did not use a grid to crop the photograph or for placing the text. I went with what "felt" right. Interestingly, when I place the golden rectangle over the image, I found that the proportion of the webpage image is close to the golden rectangle, but more interesting is that the placement of my name over the image on the right is in exact golden mean proportion horizontally.

EXERCISE:

Go back and take a look at one of your recent PowerPoint or Keynote presentation slide decks. In the slide master, use the grids to divide your slides into thirds ("ctrl/command G" from your keyboard will turn the grids on/off). How can your arrange your slide content to be in better proportion? Does it make a difference?

Here is a very good, basic (and visual) explanation of the golden mean and the rule of thirds. Here's another good overview.

From Wabi-Sabi to Golden Mean

Earlier I was speaking about how we can improve communication designs by looking in unexpected places. For example, by examining Wabi-Sabi concepts and sensibilities to influence our approach with designing visuals. Wabi-Sabi and Zen aesthetics are rooted in the natural world. The "design" of the natural world has a lot to teach us about symmetry, balance, beauty, and grace. Are these words you use to critique your presentation visuals — symmetry, balance, beauty, and grace?

We are drawn naturally to visuals that exhibit symmetry, balance, and beauty in proportion. Artists and designers have for centuries emulated a proportion called the "Golden Mean" or "Golden Ratio" found in nature into their works. The golden ratio is a proportion defined by the number Phi (1.618033988...). Kiberly Elam points out in her book, Geometry of Design, that "...use of the golden section rectangle, with a proportion of 1:1.618, is documented in the architecture of Stonehenge built in the 20th - 16th centuries B.C." There is evidence as well that the ancient Greeks and Egyptians applied the principle, and of course, much has been made of Renaissance artists and architects who employed the golden ratio in much of their work. Goldennumber.net offers some history on the  golden mean.

Kimberly points out at least two studies in the last 150 years or so which concluded that, given a choice, people have a significant preference for man-made objects which have proportions closest to the 5:8 ratio golden section. There is some research recently which says people prefer TVs with aspect ratios approaching the golden mean as well. A quick look at the SONY 40" flat panel shows that it has an aspect ratio or 16:9 which is not the golden mean but falls into the segment of preferred proportions. While the screen itself is not exactly a 1:1.618 rectangle, the bevels around the screen do form a golden rectangle.

 

We see strong golden section preferences in the natural world, of course. The sunflower, for example, consists of 21 spirals moving clockwise and 34 spirals moving counterclockwise. This 21:34 ratio is 1:1.619, very close to the golden section. Maybe the reason we are so intrigued by the things in the natural environment such as flowers, shells, fish, etc. is because of the preference we have, at least subconsciously, for shapes that have golden mean proportions.

Below, using a Bayen painting from the 12th century Japan, I applied golden section grids over the image to see what would happen. I did this by multiplying the width of the image (line A) by 0.618, which gives me line (B) and (C). Here we can see that (A) is 1.618 times (B) and (B) is 1.618 times (C). To be begin a grid, I drew a line down the page where the lines (B) and (C) intersect.

Now, I do not know if this painting uses the golden section of not. But what is interesting about this painting is that the sight line of the fishing line (including that which we imagine under the water), pole, fisherman and boat roughly run along a line that is .618 times the length of the entire image. The image is powerful and we can feel the sabi of the fisherman and the vastness of the ocean. If the subject were placed exactly center would we still get an appreciation of the waves gently carrying the boat from left to right?

Attempting to design visuals according to the golden mean proportions is impractical in most cases perhaps for us. However, the "rule of thirds" which is derived from the golden mean, is a basic design technique that can add symmetry, beauty, and professionalism to your visuals. The rule of thirds — which is not a "rule" at all — is something you can use. Photographers, for example, use the rule of thirds when framing their shots.

Next, then, we will look at using the rule of thirds in your visuals. In the mean time, please explore the world of Phi and the Fibonacci series. Once you understand the golden ratio you will begin to notice it everywhere.

GoldenNumbers.net has an excellent explanation of Phi and the Golden Mean. It goes pretty deep yet is written in plain English and is quite easy to understand.

There are a lot of books which explore the Golden Mean and beyond. I purchased the Geometry of Design a couple of years ago and highly recommend it.