Reviewing the Call to Action and Key point Slides for The Report 306 a Engaging Students with The Class Researching and Adding Available Graphics for The Class 309 Reviewing the Act I Slides for The Class 310 viewing the Call to Action and Key Point Slides for the class 311 a Putting Your Clients at the Center in The Pitch Researching and Adding Available Graphics for The pitch 315 Reviewing the Act I Slides for The Pitch 315 Reviewing the Call to Action and Key point slides for the pitch 316 a Handling Objections to BBP 318 Chapter 10 Delivering Your BBP Presentation 321 Delivering Your Presentation Using Three Ground Rules 322 ule 1: Step 322 Rule 2. Remove the distractions Rule 3: Manage the Flow 323 ■ Removing distractions Preparing the Environment 324 Checking the Technology 325 Planning for Probler Rehearsing Away Distractions 326 Using Notes 327 eing Authentic Working Confidently with Your Slides 330 Handling q&A Within Constraints 332 Keeping Control of Your Story 332 Preparing for Different Contexts Handing Out Handouts
Contents xi Reviewing the Call to Action and Key Point Slides for The Report 306 Q Engaging Students with The Class 308 Researching and Adding Available Graphics for The Class 309 Reviewing the Act I Slides for The Class 310 Reviewing the Call to Action and Key Point Slides for The Class 311 Q Putting Your Clients at the Center in The Pitch 313 Researching and Adding Available Graphics for The Pitch 315 Reviewing the Act I Slides for The Pitch 315 Reviewing the Call to Action and Key Point Slides for The Pitch 316 Q Handling Objections to BBP 318 Chapter 10 Delivering Your BBP Presentation 321 Q Delivering Your Presentation Using Three Ground Rules 322 Rule 1: Step into the Screen 322 Rule 2: Remove the Distractions 323 Rule 3: Manage the Flow 323 Q Removing Distractions 324 Preparing the Environment 324 Checking the Technology 325 Planning for Problems 326 Rehearsing Away Distractions 326 Using Notes 327 Q Developing a Dialog 329 Being Authentic 329 Working Confi dently with Your Slides 330 Handling Q & A 331 Q Improvising Within Constraints 332 Keeping Control of Your Story 332 Preparing for Different Contexts 332 Handing Out Handouts 333
a Presenting Without Being Present 333 Sending Your Notes Pages(Not Your Slides 333 Producing an Online Presentation 334 ■ And Now, Presenting a 10 Tips for Enhancing Your Delivery On the CD Chapter 11 Preparing Others for BBP with a 5-Minute Exercise c-1 aA Cross-Country Conversation C-2 ■ The People Issues ■ Visual Improvisation C-11 Step 1: Create the Presentation rou Step 3: Administer the Exercise C-14 Step 4: Reflect and Summarize C-18 a Twenty-First-Century Med A dix a bBP ground rules and checklists c25 The BBp ground rules Appendix B Presenting BBP with Two Views c29 sIng sIng C-30 A dix c Starting Your point A and b headli C-35 Appendix D Starting Your Call to Action Headlines What do you think of this book? We want to hear from you! osoft is interested in hearing your feedback so we can continually improve our books and learning sources for you. To participate in a brief online survey, please visit
xii Contents Q Presenting Without Being Present 333 Sending Your Notes Pages (Not Your Slides) 333 Producing an Online Presentation 334 Q And Now, Presenting . . . 335 Q 10 Tips for Enhancing Your Delivery 335 Index 339 On the CD Chapter 11 Preparing Others for BBP with a 5-Minute Exercise C-1 Q A Cross-Country Conversation C-2 Q The People Issues C-8 Q The Information Issues C-9 Q Visual Improvisation C-11 Step 1: Create the Presentation C-12 Step 2: Instruct the Group C-13 Step 3: Administer the Exercise C-14 Step 4: Refl ect and Summarize C-18 Q Sophisticated Simplicity C-21 Q Twenty-First–Century Media C-23 Appendix A BBP Ground Rules and Checklists C-25 Q The BBP Ground Rules C-25 Q The BBP Checklists C-27 Appendix B Presenting BBP with Two Views C-29 Q Using Slide Show View and Tools C-29 Q Using Presenter View and Tools C-30 Appendix C Starting Your Point A and B Headlines C-35 Appendix D Starting Your Call to Action Headlines C-39
Acknowledgments MY SPECIAL gratitude to Juliana Aldous Atkinson(no relation)and the team at Microsoft Press, who graciously provided me with the opportunity to revise this book and make it even better the second time around thanks to my editing team of Sandra Haynes, Valerie Wooley, Steve Sagman, and Jennifer Harris for working so patiently with me-I count myself lucky to have had such a talented team at my side again. Thanks to Rob Nance for many of the illustrations used in the book, and to Garth Johnson and the iStockphoto community for the stock photography used in many of the presentation examples Thanks to those who inspired the foundation of the BBP approach most pro foundly: Richard E. Mayer's important work on multimedia learning, Barbara Minto's revolutionary critical-thinking methodology, Jonathan Pryce's insights on structuring and outlining information, the engineers who developed the STOP proposal-writing method at Hughes Aircraft, and the media producers who practice their craft here in Los Angeles Thanks to those whose embrace and application of bbp has matured and deepened the approach you see in this book. A special thanks to the early advocates of BBP-especially Mark Lanier, for presenting the approach on a national stage, as well others in the legal profession, including Lisa Blue and Jaine Fraser-and to the early adopters at organizations including Toyota, Nestle Waters Group, Amgen, Sony, Intel, and Noel-Levitz. Thanks to the many BBP readers and workshop participants-your insights made this revi- sion better, and your courage in applying BBP often against great odds giv me hope that BBP will continue to make a difference in the world. -Cliff Atkinson
xiii Acknowledgments MY SPECIAL gratitude to Juliana Aldous Atkinson (no relation) and the team at Microsoft Press, who graciously provided me with the opportunity to revise this book and make it even better the second time around. Thanks to my editing team of Sandra Haynes, Valerie Wooley, Steve Sagman, and Jennifer Harris for working so patiently with me—I count myself lucky to have had such a talented team at my side again. Thanks to Rob Nance for many of the illustrations used in the book, and to Garth Johnson and the iStockphoto community for the stock photography used in many of the presentation examples. Thanks to those who inspired the foundation of the BBP approach most profoundly: Richard E. Mayer’s important work on multimedia learning, Barbara Minto’s revolutionary critical-thinking methodology, Jonathan Pryce’s insights on structuring and outlining information, the engineers who developed the STOP proposal-writing method at Hughes Aircraft, and the media producers who practice their craft here in Los Angeles. Thanks to those whose embrace and application of BBP has matured and deepened the approach you see in this book. A special thanks to the early advocates of BBP—especially Mark Lanier, for presenting the approach on a national stage, as well others in the legal profession, including Lisa Blue and Jaine Fraser—and to the early adopters at organizations including Toyota, Nestlé Waters Group, Amgen, Sony, Intel, and Noel-Levitz. Thanks to the many BBP readers and workshop participants—your insights made this revision better, and your courage in applying BBP often against great odds gives me hope that BBP will continue to make a difference in the world. —Cliff Atkinson
About the author Cliff Atkinson is the leading expert on using Power Point software effectively inhigh-profilelegaltrialsandjustabouteveryothercontextHisAmazon.com Top 5 bestselling book Beyond Bullet Points(Microsoft Press, 2007)expands on a communications approach that is transforming the way people communicate around the world. He designed the presentations that helped persuade a jury to award a $253 million verdict to the plaintiff in the nations first Vioxx trial in 2005, which Fortune magazine called"frighteningly powerful. "He consults or legal trials and teaches BBP at many of the country's top law firms, government agencies, business schools, trade associations, and corporations, including Sony Toyota, Nestle, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Intel, Microsoft, the American Association for justice and the american Bar Association Cliff received his B A. in English and journalism from Baylor University in Texas and his M.B. A from Richmond, The American International University in London. After serving as a captain in the U.S. Air Force, he held marketing and consulting positions for several start-up companies in San Francisco. Cliff currently serves as president of BBP Media, LLC, in Los Angeles
xiv About the Author Cliff Atkinson is the leading expert on using PowerPoint software effectively in high-profi le legal trials and just about every other context. His Amazon.com Top 5 bestselling book Beyond Bullet Points (Microsoft Press, 2007) expands on a communications approach that is transforming the way people communicate around the world. He designed the presentations that helped persuade a jury to award a $253 million verdict to the plaintiff in the nation’s fi rst Vioxx trial in 2005, which Fortune magazine called “frighteningly powerful.” He consults on legal trials and teaches BBP at many of the country’s top law fi rms, government agencies, business schools, trade associations, and corporations, including Sony, Toyota, Nestlé, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Intel, Microsoft, the American Association for Justice, and the American Bar Association. Cliff received his B.A. in English and journalism from Baylor University in Texas and his M.B.A. from Richmond, The American International University in London. After serving as a captain in the U.S. Air Force, he held marketing and consulting positions for several start-up companies in San Francisco. Cliff currently serves as president of BBP Media, LLC, in Los Angeles
Introduction I ORIGINALLY WROTE Beyond Bullet Points to offer a new way for people to create Microsoft Office Power Point presentations more effective ly. I never imagined that shortly after the book's publication, the impact of the Beyond Bullet Points(BBP)approach would make headlines in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Times. Since then, interest in bBp has elevated the first edition of this book to bestseller status at one point reaching the #4 sales rank out of all books at Amazon. com. It turns out that BBP is striking a chord with people who have a simple desire-to move beyond the bullet points that keep both presenters and audiences trapped frustrated, and alienated from one another. People are finding that BBP really works for them and that once they try this approach, they can't go back to the old way of using Power Point. Since the first edition of this book was published, BBP has been even more thoroughly ad-tested and resoundingly audience-approved Individuals report a process that is practical, orderly, focused, and disciplined, and organizations re finding a methodology that is attainable, effective, efficient, and scalable BBP is working today across an incredible range of professions and purposes It will help you frame and facilitate a conversation with your audience, and it will guide you on how and where and why to use Power Point. Lately, questions about BBP have shifted from "How do I do this? "to"How does my organization do this? which indicates that the approach is taking hold at a deeper level and setting the stage for a broader movement of people who support and use BBP every day The underlying system of BBP in this book is the same as in the first edition, offering a way to turn general theories about communication into the practical things you do when you open a new PowerPoint presentation tomorrow morning. But there are also a number of significant improvements in this edition. After teaching, testing, and applying BBP with groups and individuals
xv Introduction I ORIGINALLY WROTE Beyond Bullet Points to offer a new way for people to create Microsoft® Offi ce PowerPoint® presentations more effectively. I never imagined that shortly after the book’s publication, the impact of the Beyond Bullet Points (BBP) approach would make headlines in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Times. Since then, interest in BBP has elevated the fi rst edition of this book to bestseller status, at one point reaching the #4 sales rank out of all books at Amazon.com. It turns out that BBP is striking a chord with people who have a simple desire—to move beyond the bullet points that keep both presenters and audiences trapped, frustrated, and alienated from one another. People are fi nding that BBP really works for them and that once they try this approach, they can’t go back to the old way of using PowerPoint. Since the fi rst edition of this book was published, BBP has been even more thoroughly road-tested and resoundingly audience-approved. Individuals report a process that is practical, orderly, focused, and disciplined, and organizations are fi nding a methodology that is attainable, effective, effi cient, and scalable. BBP is working today across an incredible range of professions and purposes. It will help you frame and facilitate a conversation with your audience, and it will guide you on how and where and why to use PowerPoint. Lately, questions about BBP have shifted from “How do I do this?” to “How does my organization do this?” which indicates that the approach is taking hold at a deeper level and setting the stage for a broader movement of people who support and use BBP every day. The underlying system of BBP in this book is the same as in the fi rst edition, offering a way to turn general theories about communication into the practical things you do when you open a new PowerPoint presentation tomorrow morning. But there are also a number of signifi cant improvements in this edition. After teaching, testing, and applying BBP with groups and individuals