Succeeding Today

Examples–Good & Bad

What Works Well–and What Doesn’t

Thanks to the web, we can track down all kinds of stuff, including the best and worst presentations. If you like to learn by example, this section is just for you.

Even better, some of the really bad examples are pretty funny. Although they don’t exaggerate terrible presentations by all that much.

Keep It Simple & Visual

Imagine that you were giving a presentation on the need for work-life balance in fast-growing Southwest Florida. You could have created several slides with all kinds of statistics about population trends, traffic congestion, the need for two incomes, etc. Why not keep it simple–and visual? For those living the reality, a single slide can say it all.

The slide above has few words, no bullets, and two evocative images. It makes the point. The dream of living in Southwest Florida–with lots of time for kids, puppy dogs, and ice cream–contrasts with the reality of working moms who are always running to get somewhere on time.

Visual Overkill from a Billionaire. Yikes!

This slide is from a presentation introducing the new Microsoft search tool, Windows Live. Here Bill Gates has way too much happening on that slide behind him. It looks like a marketing committee tossed in every possible concept relating to the product–and tried to make it visual.

Who knows what the heck he’s trying to communicate?

Bill Gates is articulate, but he’s got his work cut out for him. Why? He has to compete with that insanely busy slide.

With all his billions, you’d think he’d know better.

Contrast this to Steve Jobs

Steve paces and talks in front of a simple graph that tells the unforgettable story of the rise of the iPod as the dominant force among all the MP3 player pygmies.

Keep it simple and graphical like Steve and your stock will take off just like Apple’s.