VJs Power Blog

Writer / Director Jason Reitman has found a playful way to deal with the onslaught of questions asked during his current press tour for his new movie Up in the Air with George Clooney.

He’s made a pie chart.

The colors of slices indicate how many of the reporters questions have been about the film, vs. Clooney vs. the U.S. economy vs. his Dad, legendary director / producer Ivan Reitman.

I remember seeing Jason at the screening of Thank You for Smoking where he talked about how he had gone off to medical school on the East Coast, thinking that’s what he ’should’ do—but he was miserable.  His Dad told him to do whatever he loved—which happened to be the film industry—and the rest is history.

Jason Reitman brought us Juno.  And Thank You For Smoking.  And now, Up in the Air.

Don’t worry Dad.  That East Coast education still paid off.  Where else would you learn to do a pie chart?

I recently worked with a client to take a 40-page speech and boil it down to a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation.  It reminded me about the specific skill that’s required to distill a large body of information into digestible bites for an audience.

One of the most common mistakes presenters make is to throw too much info up on the screen.  In my presentation training I tell clients, “If you want them to read a presentation, just give them a handout and leave.”  They are there to see YOU, as the expert.  The PowerPoint is just a tool you use to get your points across.

The more visual your presentation is…the better your pacing is to “lead” them through the material…the more relaxed and focused you are…and the more you serve their needs/interests as well as yours…the more successful your communication to the audience will be.

Through your performance and visual and material selection, you’re focusing on the POWER.  Through your elimination of extraneous info and visuals, you’re focusing on the POINT.

Hilary Clinton has emailed a PowerPoint deck to House Democrats, explaining why she, not Barack Obama, is the candidate to win the White House.

I’m not here to discuss politics. This is, in my opinion, an issue of too many cooks in the kitchen spoiling the communication soup. With perhaps a bit of fear mixed in to cloud the political strategy recipe.

Hilary KNOWS the House Democrats. Why email them a PPt? Even if it is only a rudimentary 9-slide deck.

Would you send your Aunt Emma a PowerPoint to get her to support your decision to choose art school over law school?

In my PowerPoint Presentation Training courses, one of the basic principles I teach clients is that before you design or deliver using that tool…KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. Consider their relationship to you, their expertise, and what’s important to THEM. In other words, take the time to make the right communication choice.

Aunt Emma will be so happy, she might even bake you a pie.