"Good PowerPoint Presentation" Doesn't Have To Be An Oxymoron

If you give presentations using PowerPoint, you need to read Robert Frost’s 10 Smart Ways To Make Any PowerPoint Presentation Way More Interesting. For most of us, the convenience of Microsoft’s presentation software is a trap that keeps us from focusing on the words we say because we're too worried about the words we project. Your slide deck is a tool, not the main event, says Frost:

“PowerPoint slides support the speaker – they are not supposed to stand alone. When we get in the habit of handing out copies of our presentation, we get in the habit of designing our presentations to be handouts.”

Read Frost’s ten tips. Start making PowerPoint work for you, instead of the other way around.

Getting to the Point: You've Got 30 Seconds. Go.

Ron Ashkenas’ “In Presentations, Learn to Say Less” from his blog on the Harvard Blog Network. What would you do if you had to compress 30 minutes of message into 30 seconds? If every word that came out of your mouth – not every paragraph, not every sentence, but every single word – had to articulate your point? Transmit your material? Tell your story, make your argument, communicate, convince, and change your listener? Could you turn, as Ashkenas writes, “a ‘presentation’ into a ‘tweet’”?

Getting to the point isn’t innate. It’s nurture, not nature, a skill that can be learned and practiced and mastered. That’s where Ashkenas’ post comes in. His steps for refining your message and improving your delivery will start you off right. You’ll need to add time and discipline and hard work. But in the end, it will be worth it. You'll see it in the faces of your audience.

Hey buddy, can you spare some time? I promise you won't regret it.

Heather Townsend's "9 classic mistakes guest speakers make" on her blog The Thoughts and Ideas Of The Efficiency Coach (now at The Efficiency Coach). Don't let the title fool you. These mistakes aren't limited to guest speakers. And frankly, if you step back and think about them, the nine mistakes Townsend identifies are probably committed in one way or another by virtually every professional at any networking event: "not thinking about your audience," "no prepared introduction," "going on too long," etc. The point is that whether you're speaking to one person or one hundred, they're giving you their time. Townsend's post will help ensure that they don't regret it.

Finding your zen. In front of a crowd.

Garr Reynolds' "Dealing with public speaking nerves" on his blog, Presentation Zen. I just discovered this blog (when I read this post) and added it to my RSS feed. You should too. It's clever, funny, and full of practical advice. Like the content of this post. Public speaking is a great way to showcase your expertise, connect with potential clients, get feedback on your ideas, build your brand. But if you're like me, you'd rather be sitting in the dentist's chair than standing at the dais. Reynolds' post just might help you reduce some of that fear and find your presentation zen.

Have you read these?

A smattering of interesting and relevant posts from the blawgosphere and beyond

• “Why In the World Would You Give Away Your Expertise For Free?” from The Greatest American Lawyer. Why would lawyers want to blog, and give away their work? This post explains why one lawyer does it. And it makes a pretty good argument for all lawyers blogging. You’ve probably been doing it all along, in other contexts (speeches, articles, conversations, etc.). This post reminds you that demonstrating your expertise and your understanding of the complex legal issues that affect the business decisions of your clients is a pretty good way to market your practice.
  
  
• “Bar exam advice from a simple minded lawyer” from Real Lawyers Have Blogs. When you’re faced with a test, perhaps the hardest, most significant, biggest stakes test of your life, step back, breathe, and remember that you are ready, that you’ve prepared, that nothing you will do at the last minute will change your preparedness. This post is about taking the bar exam, but it applies to every trial and tribulation of life (thesis defense, job interview, sales pitch, etc.). Read it before every test in your life.
  
  
• “Overcome Insecurity and Bring In More Business” from lawjobs.com Career Center. For most lawyers, business development and marketing – selling their services – is difficult. But you can make it less so. This post addresses two of the hurdles that are most likely holding back your business development efforts: the negative internal dialogue, and the lack of experience. You’ll need to read the post to see their solutions, but you’ll be glad you did.
  
  
• “Ask Good Questions” from Leader Talk. Why do you need to ask good questions? Because good questions lead to engaged conversations, which lead to stronger relationships, which lead to increased influence. Not the “force your ideas on others” kind, but the “have a positive impact on others” kind of influence. And influence is a key component of leadership. So asking good questions can improve your leadership skills. But don’t just take my word for it. Read this post too.
  
  
• “The ABC's of Public Speaking - S is for Stage Time” from Some Assembly Required. You get better at doing by doing. There’s no other way. Want to be a better public speaker? Speak in public. But this logic extends far beyond public speaking, doesn’t it? Want to be a better runner? Run every day. Want to be a better lawyer? Make providing greater value to your clients your goal, not just a good contract or a great argument, but legal work that helps them be more successful in their businesses and life. And do it again and again, every day. You’ll get better at it. And your clients will be happier. What’s not to like?

Have you read these?

A smattering of interesting and valuable posts from the blawgosphere and beyond

• “Five Things Lawyers Should Know About Social Media” from Practicing Law in the 21^st Century. Lawyers: whether you’re just starting out in social media, a social media pro, or somewhere in-between, you need to read this post. I read a lot of posts about lawyers and social media, and this one sums up quite nicely the key themes that should guide you in your Web 2.0 activities. Don’t let the title fool you, though: you don’t have to be a lawyer to learn from it.
  
  
• “Overcoming Procrastination” from Jim Calloway’s Law Practice Tips Blog. Rather than crack “put off until tomorrow” jokes, I’ll go straight to the punchline. Everyone procrastinates. Some are better at it than others, and some of us have elevated it to an art form. But the cost of procrastination is high no matter how you slice it: added stress, missed deadlines, dissatisfied clients, etc. This post can help you, so read it. Today. Without delay.
  
  
• “Practice the 10/20/30 Rule for Presentations” from law.com. I’ve seen Guy Kawasaki make a presentation. I liked it. Whether you make presentations six times a day or six times a decade, yours will be significantly better if you follow his 10/20/30 rule. The bonus? Being able to quote a professional fisherman the next time you’re giving someone advice on their presentation.
  
  
• “Will alternative fee arrangements be profitable for lawyers?” from Legal Ease Blog. This post is a valuable addition to the ongoing “alternative fees v. hourly billing” debate, one of the key issues shaping the legal profession today. In it, Allison Shields takes a thoughtful look at some of the hurdles – perceived and real – that may be keeping lawyers from embracing alternative billing methods.
  
  
• “Dragons' Den” from The Adventure of Strategy. I really enjoy seeking out new blogs and posts that add to the legal business development and marketing conversation. Why? Because I find blogs like this one, and get to add them to my RSS feed. This post is about a possible future for selling in the legal profession. What if you had only three minutes to convince your clients to hire you? How would you articulate your difference? What would you have to do differently to show clients that you are indeed better than the competition? And what would the impact be on the way you run your firm?

Have you read these?

A smattering of interesting and insightful posts from the blawgosphere and beyond

• “The Great Newspaper Meltdown, and What It Means For Our Pricing” from Adam Smith, Esq. The dying newspaper industry provides the perfect backdrop for another thoughtful post from Bruce MacEwen on law firm economics and pricing in the face of increasing debate – from all sides – on how lawyers should bill for their work. Regular readers of this blog know that I am a big fan of MacEwen’s work. This post will make you one, too.
  
  
• “Great conversations build great relationships” from Building Enduring Client Relationships. You already know this, don’t you? So did the guy in this story. And yet he still couldn’t figure it out on his own. Conversations lead to relationships which, in the professional services business, lead to work. That’s one of the exciting things about social networking: it makes starting the conversations – traditionally the hardest part – simple and easy. But that doesn’t mean the hard part goes away…. 
  
  
• “First Signs of a New Equilibrium in Entry-Level Salaries” from Empirical Legal Studies. Unless you live on Mars, or are on vacation, you probably have already heard about Drinker Biddle’s one-year associate training program. Why should you read this post? Because Bill Henderson is one of the leading thinkers in the empirical analysis of the legal profession space (he co-organized the recent FutureFirm competition), spends his time studying how law firms are structured and managed, and knows this stuff better than most. Need another reason? The future is now, and Drinker Biddle is writing it. Shouldn’t you be doing the same?
  
  
• “Buying Lessons from a Master Salesman” from Trust Matters. Another post that tells a story about selling (and buying) to give valuable insight on the buying process. It works. Lawyers, read this post every time you’re pitching work. The people across the table already know you’re an expert. You don’t need to convince them of that. You need to show them that they can trust you.
  
  
• “Bear Experiences vs. Bare Products” from Working Knowledge. This post is about innovation. And teddy bears. Intrigued? Read it, and you’ll see why it is summarized as “innovate the experience, not just the product.” When you’re done, think about the ways you might be able to innovate the experience for your clients. Your competition is, and some of them are even doing it. Don’t let yourself be left behind.
  

Have you read these?

A smattering of interesting posts from the blawgosphere and beyond

• “Make Better Presentations - The Anatomy of a Good Speech” from Chris Brogan’s blog. Brogan’s posts are generally quite valuable (and unique: remember how to catch a giant catfish?). A central thesis to this one is that “a presentation is a sale,” and in it Brogan provides a lot of useful advice on making your presentation great. For lawyers, it’s doubly useful because at some level, every sale is a presentation. Read this, follow Brogan’s advice, and your presentations (and maybe even your sales) will be better.
  
  
• “How Big Brands can Start Testing Social Media” from Conversation Agent. Read this. It’s good and you will learn something. Now go back to the top, replace “Big Brands” with “Biglaw” and read it again. What do you think of it now?
  
  
• “To friend or Not to Friend – Social Media for Lawyers” from The Legal Intelligencer Blog. I argue in my other blog that lawyers need to embrace social networking, but certainly recognize that there’s a lot to work through. This post provides a comprehensive look at one of the first and most important questions you’ll have to answer as you move into social networking. The bonus? This is Part I in a series that will “address the ins and outs of different social media tools.” Sign up for the feed. I did.
  
  
• “Be a Better Marketer by Saying 'No' Sometimes” from Legal Marketing Blog.com. This post could have been called “Be a better lawyer by saying ‘no’ sometimes.” The underlying assumption is that you need to think about what you are trying to achieve, what you are good at, and what you need to do to get there. Remember: even in the current economy, you can own your future.  
  
  
• “Why Market Your Law Firm?” from The Rainmaker Blog. I think this sentence sums up the unique challenges of law firm marketing: “Do not falsely assume the client will use rational parameters to evaluate your services before purchasing.” Follow this blog. Read the posts. You’ll be glad you did (and probably smarter).