slide:ology

xviii

Presentations have become the de facto business com-

munication tool. Companies are started, products are

launched, climate systems are saved—possibly based on

the quality of presentations. Likewise, ideas, endeavors,

and even careers can be cut short due to ineffective

communication. Out of the millions of presentations

delivered each day, only a small percentage are deliv-

ered well—and as a society, we’ve come to expect it.

Introduction

easy nor natural. Slides are thus stranded in a no man’s

land where the general population doesn’t know how to

effectively produce or deliver them. Yet when a presenta-

tion is developed and delivered well, it is one of our most

powerful communication tools in the world. Just look

at the tipping point Al Gore created for climate change

because of his slide show, or the frenzied anticipation

when Steve Jobs unveils new products.

We can keep blaming the software for the putrid output,

but in reality we need to take responsibility. As communi-

cators, learning to create visual stories that connect with

our audience is becoming imperative—especially in light

of global competitive pressure.

This book covers how to create ideas, translate them into

pictures, display them well, and then deliver them in your

own natural way. It is NOT a PowerPoint manual. You’ll

find no pull-down menus or application shortcuts, instead

there are timeless principles ...