THE BOOK

Slide Rules

Countless “rules” abound for slide design, yet almost none of them are based on any sort of verified principle of design, learning, or cognitive engagement. Until now. Learn essential cognitive principles that will change your slide design practices forever. See full-color, real-life examples of slide transformations that engage these principles and dramatically improve audience engagement. Learn how to use your slides to help you become a more masterful presenter. Use SlideRules as your handbook to transformation.

Case Studies

  • Awareness and tools increase communication ROI

    How 12 week 1:1 coaching helped a senior leader learn to successfully communicate with her tech-forward CEO and more effectively manage her team.

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  • A challenging managerial relationship transforms through coaching

    A client’s positive results in an initial 6 week program drove her to continue her growth and share her development lessons with others.

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ARTICLE

Beware of the accidental audience

As I near the two-decade mark teaching presentations to professionals, you might say I’ve seen it all. From the brilliantly terrified to the underprepared but overly confident, speakers each start with a unique set of challenges and opportunities. However, there are some common traps that all speakers need to beware of no matter where they begin in their journey. One of those is the accidental audience.

The first rule of presentations is to start with your audience.

What do you know about them? What do they know about you and your topic? What are they afraid of? What are they excited by? These are just a few of the questions that form the baseline of a basic audience analysis for successful speakers.

And while we’re aware of this first rule, it requires deliberate concentration to employ it as a habit.

Those who do are the speakers we all want to listen to because they have shown that they know how to listen to us first.

In contrast, I’ve also seen the tricky ways our brains resist doing this work. And it is hard work to consider the perspective of our audiences, especially if our differences are things that challenge us in some way.

Let me give you an example…