In Winning The Room: Creating and Delivering an Effective Data-Driven Presentation, analytics and data science expert Bill Franks delivers a practical and eye-opening exploration of how to present technical data and results to non-technical audiences in a live setting. Although framed with examples from the analytics and data science space, this book is perfect for anyone expected to present data-driven information to others.
The book offers various specific tips and strategies that will make data-driven presentations much clearer, more intuitive, and easier to understand. Readers will discover: - How to avoid common mistakes that undercut a presentation's credibility - Instructive and eye-catching visuals that illustrate how to drive a presenter's points home and help the reader to retain the information - Specific and actionable techniques to dramatically improve a presentation's clarity and impact
Ideal for anyone expected to present to managers, executives, and other business leaders, Winning The Room is required reading for everyone seeking to improve the quality and efficacy of their data-driven presentations and communications.
Table of Contents
Foreword xvii
Preface xxi
Acknowledgments xxv
About the Book xxvii
Intended Audience xxxi
Overview of the Contents xxxiii
Section 1 Planning: Reviewing Strategic Fundamentals 1
Tip 1: Results Are Not the Biggest Factor in Success 3
Tip 2: Data Literacy Is a Two-Way Street 5
Tip 3: Don’t Write Your Story . . . Tell Your Story! 7
Tip 4: Facts and Figures Are Not a Story 10
Tip 5: Know Your Audience 12
Tip 6: Slides Must Be Short, Visual, and to the Point 14
Tip 7: Charts and Graphs Are Like Jokes 16
Tip 8: Short Presentations Are Harder to Prepare Than Long Ones 18
Tip 9: An Executive Presentation May Have No Slides at All 20
Tip 10: Budget Appropriate Time 22
Tip 11: Be Yourself and Be Authentic 23
Tip 12: What Is the Audience Buying Into? You! 24
Section 2 Planning: Designing The Presentation 25
Tip 13: Different Presentation Venues Require Different Approaches 27
Tip 14: Try Different Ways to Organize Your Story 29
Tip 15: Too Many Technical Details Will Undercut Your Impact 31
Tip 16: Reveal Details Only to the Extent Required 33
Tip 17: Focus on How to Use Your Results 35
Tip 18: Use Analogies to Make an Impact 37
Tip 19: Make Liberal Use of Appendices 38
Tip 20: Create a Distinct Leave-Behind Document 40
Tip 21: Create “Launch” Slides 43
Tip 22: Break Content into Smaller Pieces 45
Tip 23: Animations Are Your Friend 48
Tip 24: Action Settings: A Hidden Gem 50
Tip 25: Show the Fewest Numbers Necessary 52
Tip 26: Distinguish Technical Significance from Business Significance 54
Tip 27: Give the Audience Your Headlines 56
Tip 28: Start with Your Recommended Actions 58
Tip 29: Don’t Focus on the “What” 60
Section 3 Developing: Wording and Text 63
Tip 30: Minimize the Number of Words on Your Slides 65
Tip 31: Use Simple Terms and Definitions 67
Tip 32: Don’t Use Technical Terms 69
Tip 33: Clarify Your Definitions 70
Tip 34: Provide Layperson and System Labels 72
Tip 35: Use Consistent Phrasing 74
Tip 36: If It Can’t Be Read, Don’t Display It 76
Tip 37: Don’t Shrink Your Font, Shorten Your Text 78
Tip 38: Use Appropriate Spacing 80
Tip 39: Use the Same Font throughout Your Presentation 82
Tip 40: Beware the Missing Font 85
Tip 41: Address Every Agenda Item Listed 87
Tip 42: Identify When an Agenda Item Is Covered 89
Tip 43: Spellcheck Is Not Always Your Friend 91
Tip 44: Charts and Images Are Misspelling Factories 93
Tip 45: Beware the Right Word, Wrong Place 94
Tip 46: Keep Your Text Horizontal 95
Section 4 Developing: Numbers and Labels 97
Tip 47: Use Consistent Precision 99
Tip 48: Use Only the Precision Required to Make Your Point 101
Tip 49: Match Precision to Accuracy Level 103
Tip 50: Always Format Numbers 105
Tip 51: Always Show Percentages as a Percentage 108
Tip 52: Provide Quantities and Percentages 110
Tip 53: Never Use Scientific Notation 112
Tip 54: Use Names, Not Numbers, for Categories 114
Tip 55: Watch for Truncated Labels 116
Tip 56: Define All Acronyms and Abbreviations 118
Tip 57: Use Dedicated Definitions Slides 120
Tip 58: Clarify Aggregations Applied 122
Tip 59: Focus on the Outcome of Interest 124
Tip 60: Validate That Your Numbers Make Sense 126
Tip 61: Add a Scale to Every Chart 128
Tip 62: Ensure Your Charts Have Consistent Scaling 130
Tip 63: An Axis Usually Should Start at 0 132
Tip 64: Number Your Slides 134
Section 5 Developing: Charts, Images, and Layouts 135
Tip 65: Use a Mix of Chart Types 137
Tip 66: Use a Mix of Slide Layouts 139
Tip 67: Do Not Show Raw Output 142
Tip 68: Keep It Simple 145
Tip 69: Choose Charts That Are Easy to Interpret 147
Tip 70: Don’t Show Incomprehensible Graphics 149
Tip 71: Use Complex Graphics Strategically 151
Tip 72: Coordinate Your Colors 153
Tip 73: Keep Colors in Context 155
Tip 74: Shun Technical and Architectural Diagrams 157
Tip 75: Don’t Let Accent Graphics Steal the Show 159
Tip 76: Format Tables Consistently 161
Tip 77: Use Shading to Make Tables Easily Readable 163
Tip 78: Don’t Put Borders Around Charts 165
Tip 79: Limit the Number of Categories 167
Tip 80: Label Your Data 169
Tip 81: Avoid Stacked Bar Charts 171
Tip 82: Put the Cause on the X-Axis 173
Section 6 Delivering: Final Presentation Preparation 175
Tip 83: Practice Your Presentation 177
Tip 84: Consult Some Confidants 179
Tip 85: Don’t Overprepare 181
Tip 86: Adjust Your Story to the Audience 182
Tip 87: Focus on Time, Not Slide Counts 185
Tip 88: Always Be Prepared for a Short Presentation 187
Tip 89: The Audience Won’t Know What You Left Out 190
Tip 90: Scale Figures to Be Relatable 192
Tip 91: Be Clear about the Implications of Your Results 194
Tip 92: Call Out Any Ethical Concerns 196
Tip 93: Use Simplified Illustrations 198
Tip 94: Don’t Include Low-Value Information 200
Tip 95: Make Critical Numbers Stand Out 202
Tip 96: Make Important Text Stand Out Too 204
Tip 97: Have Support in the Room 206
Tip 98: Always Have Several Backup Plans 207
Tip 99: Use a Slide Clicker 209
Tip 100: Do Not Send Your Presentation in Advance 210
Section 7 Delivering: Giving The Presentation 213
Tip 101: Do Not Read Your Slides . . . Ever! 215
Tip 102: Read the Room and Adapt 217
Tip 103: Do Not Look at the Screen! 219
Tip 104: Physically Point to Important Information 221
Tip 105: Don’t Let Bright Lights Throw You Off 222
Tip 106: Don’t Stand Still 223
Tip 107: When Presenting Online, Look Right at the Camera 225
Tip 108: Anticipate Random and Irrelevant Questions 227
Tip 109: Handle Difficult People with Grace 228
Tip 110: Don’t Correct People in Front of the Room 230
Tip 111: Never Pretend You Know If You Don’t! 232
Tip 112: Stress the Positive 234
Tip 113: Be Honest about Costs as Well as Benefits 236
Tip 114: Don’t Hedge Too Much 239
Tip 115: Be Clear about the Measure You Are Discussing 241
Tip 116: Don’t Ask Which Findings Are Important 242
Tip 117: Tie Facts to Impacts 243
Tip 118: Provide Specific Recommendations for Action 245
Tip 119: Close with a “Wow” Tied to the Larger Context 247
Afterword 249
About the Author 251
About the Website 253
Index 255
