Is this process something I can learn on my own? Theoretically, you could simply open PowerPoint and begin experimenting, without any guides, books, or workshops. That is, in effect, how the Relational Presentation process came about originally—lots and lots of experimentation over the past ten years.

Realistically, you are better off at least starting with one of the books, to cut down on unnecessary tangents. The full course textbook, in particular, is designed as a complete self-study course and condenses the experiences of thousands of presenters into an easy-to-read format. Associated workshop sessions can get you up to speed even faster. No matter which way you go, most of your development still will depend upon your own creativity and initiative. The techniques learned from us will be tools that further empower your own determination. Back to Top

Can I build a visually interactive platform using my current slide shows? Yes and no. It’s quite possible to leave your existing materials exactly as they are and simply link them together to form an interconnected network. However, you will likely want to modify your existing shows—perhaps significantly.

A case in point is that some of your existing content might contain identical copies of slides (perhaps common introductory or conclusion slides). An effective strategy is to eliminate all the duplication and, therefore, have only one instance of any given slide, in one location. Then you simply navigate to that material when needed, regardless of which slide show you happen to be in at the moment. In general, your network never should contain duplicate slides.

You might also want to divide long shows into short segments (modules) so that individual ideas can be displayed in any order, in different contexts. These kinds of decisions are made during the network planning process.
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What if I don't know PowerPoint well? Becoming a skilled PowerPoint user (or skilled with some form of presentation software) is a very important part of mastering Relational Presentation techniques. You eventually want to know this software inside and out. Relational Presentation methods incorporate medium-level and advanced-level PowerPoint skills. So learn the basics first.

If you've never used PowerPoint before, or are unfamiliar with its standard operations, consider signing up for the Level 1 workshop sessions, or alternatively take a community college course on PowerPoint, or read any of several available books. Relational Presentation techniques presume you have at least a basic working knowledge of the skills necessary for designing and delivering standard linear presentations. Back to Top

Is it possible to gradually ease into learning visually interactive techniques? Gradually easing into learning a relational approach is important to all learners, no matter how creative they might be or how skilled they currently are with their presentation activities. Our experience has shown that a gradual transition helps people adjust more easily to the new mindset and this adjustment, in turn, is key to success.

To that end, workshop sessions are engineered to develop a progressive skill set. Participants start off by learning important PowerPoint design skills. Then they move on to building and using navigation within a single show—the first major shift in thinking. The next hoop is to get them thinking systemically by organizing and connecting all their slide shows together. Finally, they learn skills for creating high-quality, rich media to be used as content.
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How can I get my co-workers unstuck from their linear mindsets? Unfortunately, the idea that presentations should be linear and based on a single slide show is thoroughly engrained in most presenters' brains. Many are unlikely to change anytime soon.

For presenters to see the light, so to speak, it's important they observe Relational Presentation in action. Until then, flexible delivery is too conceptual for most to grasp. Encourage them to watch demonstration video clips or build your own network and become skilled in demonstrating relational delivery techniques yourself. Then use these skills to produce results. Others will notice and want what you have.

If you don’t have support for learning relational concepts yourself (by receiving training, for example), talk about the ideas with co-workers and find individuals who share your perspectives. As the saying goes, there is strength in numbers.

If possible, bring an Aspire representative into your company to demonstrate the techniques in a live setting. Such events can be customized to incorporate your company's actual presentation materials. Back to Top

What if our presenters just want to read bullet points on their slides? If this is the case (and such situations are frighteningly common) the main problem is that slides probably contain way too much text in the first place. Try convincing these individuals to explore forms of graphical expression. In other words, ideally there should be VERY LITTLE text and far more pictures, video, meaningful animations, simple diagrams, etc.).

If your presenters still insist that slides must contain text, place one idea per slide and simplify the text to at most three words per slide (usually one or two words work well, at approximately 100-point size). This design strategy is effective for the audience, and at the same time gives presenters a clue as to what they are supposed to be talking about. Now they are forced to actually communicate with the audience, rather than read. Slides should never diminish a speaker's communicative bond with listeners. Back to Top

How do I convince my company this is worth the investment? This can be a difficult question to answer empirically. The value of using flexible presentation is hard to quantify at times, and the return on investment will depend a lot on what types of relational components your company wishes to implement.

In a sales context, one can track numbers by estimating the effect on closed contracts or product sales.

In a training context, trainees tend to grasp concepts more effectively, in shorter periods of time. As such, you may be able to shorten training elements or reduce the extent of follow-up sessions.

In terms of overall slide show design and production, once the initial core network construction is finished, further development is relatively inexpensive and easy. You'll probably save a lot of resources not having to redesign presentation materials over and over for different events and applications. Remember, too, that numerous people can use the same materials, in different ways—that relational components are multipurpose. Back to Top

Speakers give me things at the last minute and say, "Make it look pretty." This is an all-too-common issue and tough to solve. Such a lackadaisical attitude towards company communication strategy is part of the reason why corporate presentations often are of such poor quality. Few companies would dream of treating their Web sites as a last-minute project, and yet frequently consider presentations as an afterthought. Presenter ego can play a role in this problem as well. Many speakers rate their performances much more highly than do their viewers and, therefore, don't see a need for changing "what has always worked before." They may put little time or effort into preparations.

One suggestion for changing this situation is to start small and encourage people to see the value of strategic planning in their speaking activities. Take a position of ”You know what? If we were to think through the types of presentations we are going to make this year and organize that material into reusable sections, it sure would save me a lot of time in the long run. It would look really professional and impressive for you, too, when people see the scope of what you are able to cover. How about if we experiment with two or three presentations initially and see how it goes?”

For Relational Presentation concepts to take serious hold in organizations or companies, communicators must see the intrinsic value of presenting quality visual content in a flexible way. This attitude usually doesn't happen by accident and is a change of thinking that requires time and persistence. Back to Top