Presentation Workflow

Creating a quality presentation is a lot of work.  I have been streamlining my process over the years and broke it down into theses steps.

“Presentation is the ‘Killer Skill’ we take into the real world. It’s almost an unfair advantage.” – The McKinsey Mind

1. Clearly state the goal of the presentation on a piece of paper and place it in plain view so I can see it while I am working.  This will help keep me focused while I am working.
2. Brainstorm ideas for the presentation on paper.  Writing on paper makes it easier to leave weak ideas behind and move to stronger ones.  When using the computer to brainstorm sometimes I invest so much time in the process, I won’t let go of flawed ideas.  Write down or draw images and concepts that will help drive home the message.
3. Create a storyboard.   I like to use paper for this, too. It’s easier to start over or move ideas around.
   • Remember to include emotional content, personal connections to content, analogies, anecdotes, etc. in your presentation.  People remember how you made them feel, not what you did for them.
4. Write out the words or descriptions in a word processing or concept map program.
   • One phrase per line
5. Select a color scheme.
6. Create a master template.
   • Microsoft Help Steps
   • PowerPoint 2007 Tutorial
7. Copy and paste words into the presentation program in the outline view
   • Modify so that each phrase is on an individual slide