PowerPoint Tips Blog

Helping you with presenting, PowerPoint, and speaking

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Tips
  • E-Store
  • Training
  • About
  • Affiliates
  • Advertise
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Content / Improve your presentations 80% in 20% of your time

Improve your presentations 80% in 20% of your time

January 15, 2011 by Ellen Finkelstein 7 Comments

READ LATER - DOWNLOAD THIS POST AS PDF >> CLICK HERE <<

The Pareto principle, also known as the 80-20 rule, states that, in many situations, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. For example, Microsoft noted that by fixing the top 20% of the most reported bugs, 80% of the errors and crashes would be eliminated. In The 4-Hour Workweek, by Tim Ferriss, the author recommends focusing one’s attention on the 20% of tasks that contribute to 80% of one’s income.

What 20% of your time spent on presentations contributes to 80% of your results? And what is the time sink that takes up much of your time without yielding  the results you want?

Many people spend 80% of their time on creating slides and 20% of their time on the following:

  1. Working on great content
  2. Finding the best way to show their message
  3. Delivering the presentation

Yet these 3 points provide most of the results you are looking to get from your presentation.

Here’s my list of quick ways you can improve your presentations a lot:

  1. Start by scheduling the time you need to prepare, including filling out a planner, writing your script, and speaking it out. When you speak it out, time it and record it. Listen to the recording and edit.
  2. Storyboard your slides, based on your planner. Figure out the best way to show your points, including data, images, video, and diagrams.
  3. Create a template or theme that you like and use it! You only need to do this once and it will save you time forever after.
  4. Create a custom color scheme/theme colors. Again, do this once and it will improve your presentations forever. It will also save you time reformatting objects on your slides over and over.
  5. Create your slides using the Tell ‘n’ ShowSM Method. I explain it here. It’s a simple method for designing slides that is quick and effective. Best of all, you don’t need to be a designer to get great results.
  6. Practice delivering your presentation several times until it’s smooth. Delivery is where the rubber hits the road, so you should never wing it.

What are your tips for quick ways to get major results? Leave a comment below!

Share4
Tweet
Share
+12
Shares 6
READ LATER - DOWNLOAD THIS POST AS PDF >> CLICK HERE <<

Related posts:

  1. Results of survey: What resources would help you improve your presentation skills?
  2. Create a tabbed presentation for longer presentations with lots of topics
  3. 9 tips to design presentations for webinars
  4. Which resources will help you improve your presentation skills?

Filed Under: Content, Delivery, Design principles Tagged With: 80-20 rule, pareto, preparation

7
Leave a Reply

avatar
This comment form is under antispam protection
6 Comment threads
1 Thread replies
0 Followers
 
Most reacted comment
Hottest comment thread
6 Comment authors
Jimmy McdougallGregg LannomJanet BornemannAbbyEllen Recent comment authors
avatar
This comment form is under antispam protection
  Subscribe  
newest oldest most voted
Notify of
Matt Gambino
Guest
Matt Gambino

Great article, Ellen. Your readers may also be interested in reading The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less, as well as a recent article I wrote on 80/20 sales presentations.

Thanks!
Matt

Vote Up0Vote Down 
12 years ago
Ellen
Guest
Ellen

Thanks for the comment and link. Your article extends the concept nicely.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
12 years ago
trackback
Applying the 80-20 Rule in Presentations « Presenter News

[…] Ellen Finkelstein’s blog, she teaches us 6 quick ways on how to improve our presentations 80% in 20% of our time. It’s a must read for presentation folks like me. Do visit her […]

Vote Up0Vote Down 
12 years ago
Abby
Guest
Abby

concise and effective!

Vote Up0Vote Down 
11 years ago
Janet Bornemann
Guest
Janet Bornemann

I think the Tell ‘n Show method makes so much sense. It’s not easy to sit through a long talk, even when the speaker is very compelling. It is also not easy to sit and read long sentences projected on a wall. However, if the speaker is talking a little, then showing something, then talking again, it keeps the audience from getting bored because they’re not doing the same task continuously. People like variety. The audience will most likely be a mix of people who learn by hearing, and those who learn by seeing. Delivering a PowerPoint directed to both… Read more »

Vote Up0Vote Down 
11 years ago
Gregg Lannom
Guest
Gregg Lannom

This is a interesting article by the way. I am going to go ahead and save this article for my sis to read later on tomorrow. Keep up the high-quality work.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
7 years ago
Jimmy Mcdougall
Guest
Jimmy Mcdougall

Awesome and an highly interesting post to stumble at on this massive website! Never write some replies only now i couldnt i could not resist ..

Vote Up0Vote Down 
7 years ago
wpdiscuz   wpDiscuz

Free Video Training!

13 Techniques that Will Make Designing Your Slides EASY!

And get the PowerPoint Tips Newsletter with tips and resources for presenters. Plus 5 bonus tips!

BirdSend Email Marketing Tool
4-up-ads PresenterMedia PoweredTemplate High-Persuasion Secrets Power Pointers Quarter Hour


Recent Posts

Recent Posts

  • How do you format your slide titles?
  • Using PowerPoint’s cartoon people
  • Which version of PowerPoint should you buy?
  • Add a customizable, live web feed with Cameo
  • Get a designer look with abstract images to create backgrounds for slides and shapes

Connect with me!

Connect with me! Twitter LinkedIn Facebook

Ellen Finkelstein, Inc. · Fairfield, IA · Tel: 515-989-1832

Privacy, Refund, and Other Legal Stuff

wpDiscuz