Presentation Guidelines LMP Communications September 2013

1. Presentation Guidelines LMP Communications September 2013

2. Design: Start with LMP template • Go to LMP Tools page > Design tools: • http://LMPartnership.org/more-tools/2736

3. Structure: Tell a story • Frame your presentation with a narrative arc, such as: • Problem, solution, result • Plan, do, study, act • Situation, background, assessment, recommendation • Once upon a time, suddenly, and then, happily ever after (See LMP Storytelling tool: www.LMPartnership.org/storytelling)

4. Content: Use your talking points • Don’t ask your slides to do all the work—put most content in the Notes section • Use slides to provide hooks for understanding—not to duplicate your spoken remarks • If you need to include more detail, consider using a handout • Know your audience—who they are, why they’re there, what you want them to do and how they’ll use the information • If the deck will be used for later discussion (rather than presented by a speaker), include enough content in the slides, notes or appendix for such use See LMPartnership.org for tools and handouts

5. Length: Keep it short and simple • Avoid complex language or jargon • Aim for no more than 10 pages, delivered in 20 minutes or less • End with a call to action

6. Text: Avoid crowding, break it up —Guy Kawasaki, Apple evangelist “People think more text is more convincing. Total bozosity. [Fewer words] will make your presentations better because it requires you to find the most salient points and to know how to explain them well.”

7. Graphics: Favor pictures over words • Give more space to images than text • Use images to connect, support, set a tone, tell the story • Avoid small fonts (use at least 16 points) • Beware of italics, which are harder to read