aterI Making Headlines Beyond Bullet Points Mixing mediums With this simple yet clear and engaging introduction to his opening statement, Mark had succeeded in presenting a framework that would be easy for jurors to follow. He continued to integrate the story seamlessly through the remaining slides over the next few hours. Although your own presentations will likely not last as long, the same BBP ap- proach will give you the ability to quickly scale down any presentation from 45 to 15 to 5 minutes As Mark continued through the presentation, many of the slides in the presentation looked similar to the ones shown in Figure 1-13. The slides were designed so that the jurors attention would first go to the most important information at the top of the screen-a headline that summarized the main point at hand, like a newspaper headline Next the jurors would see a simple graphic that illustrated the specific headline. Last the jurors attention would now shift from the screen to Mark, who explained the point of the slide in more detail. The range of visuals used on the slides included a wide variety of photographs, medical illustrations, documents, screen captures, timelines, and more Bob's doctor had previously Bob is in great shape; treated Bob for pain he just has pain in his hands FIGURE 1-13 The slides within each section of the presentation used a similar layout style, which helped the jurors quickly understand the information Mark clicked through the 153 slides of this presentation at a pace of less than one minute per slide, which allowed his audience to digest the information on the screen before moving forward to the next slide and the next part of the story. This pace kept the jurors
18 Chapter 1 Making Headlines Beyond Bullet Points Mixing Mediums With this simple yet clear and engaging introduction to his opening statement, Mark had succeeded in presenting a framework that would be easy for jurors to follow. He continued to integrate the story seamlessly through the remaining slides over the next few hours. Although your own presentations will likely not last as long, the same BBP approach will give you the ability to quickly scale down any presentation from 45 to 15 to 5 minutes. As Mark continued through the presentation, many of the slides in the presentation looked similar to the ones shown in Figure 1-13. The slides were designed so that the jurors’ attention would fi rst go to the most important information at the top of the screen—a headline that summarized the main point at hand, like a newspaper headline. Next the jurors would see a simple graphic that illustrated the specifi c headline. Last the jurors’ attention would now shift from the screen to Mark, who explained the point of the slide in more detail. The range of visuals used on the slides included a wide variety of photographs, medical illustrations, documents, screen captures, timelines, and more. FIGURE 1-13 The slides within each section of the presentation used a similar layout style, which helped the jurors quickly understand the information. Mark clicked through the 153 slides of this presentation at a pace of less than one minute per slide, which allowed his audience to digest the information on the screen before moving forward to the next slide and the next part of the story. This pace kept the jurors
Mixing Mediums Chapter I visually interested. As shown in Figure 1-13, at the bottom of each slide, a navigation bar displayed the major sections of the presentation to keep the story theme and structure continuously present in the jurors minds. You'll see how to create a similar navigation bar in Chapter 8 Conventional power Point slides can overwhelm audiences with too much information on the screen, but Marks presentation contained only one idea per slide, giving jurors time to digest each point as they listened to Marks verbal explanation. Instead of reading bul- point he would make, allowing him to speak with a natural and spontaneous style thar let points from the screen, Mark used his slides as visual cues to prompt him on the ne came from the depth of his knowledge and authority on his topic. And instead of lookit at the screen to see what was on it, Mark kept his attention focused on the jurors, mak ing eye contact with each person throughout the presentation to engage with the audience over the course of the presentation. At times, he switched "o Beyond the PowerPoint slides, Mark also used a range of other media and physical pro the screen to a special document projector, where he displayed physical paper docu- ments and highlighted passages on the pages with a yellow marker as he explained the significance of the evidence. Later he used a large paper flip chart that he calls a double-wide, where he wrote out key terms and concepts with large markers. Some- times he switched from the slides to a brief video that illustrated a point. other times he used physical props such as a plastic model of a heart held up in his hand to teach jurors the science behind heart attack Mark used different types of media to keep things varied and interesting throughout the presentation and to keep the experience from feeling too slick and produced. But after using each type of media, Mark always returned to the Power Point presentation or the 10-foot screen because it was a visually unifying tool he could use to tie everything together and move the story forward. The shifting and dissolving images holding the audience's interest on the large screen seamlessly came together with Mark's physical presence, and his voice tied everything together. In the Angleton courtroom Power Point had taken on a new role -it was now a powerful, persuasive backdrop that would have a major impact on the jurors in the eye of the Power Point storm in this Angleton courtroom
Mixing Mediums Chapter 1 19 visually interested. As shown in Figure 1-13, at the bottom of each slide, a navigation bar displayed the major sections of the presentation to keep the story theme and structure continuously present in the jurors’ minds. You’ll see how to create a similar navigation bar in Chapter 8. Conventional PowerPoint slides can overwhelm audiences with too much information on the screen, but Mark’s presentation contained only one idea per slide, giving jurors time to digest each point as they listened to Mark’s verbal explanation. Instead of reading bullet points from the screen, Mark used his slides as visual cues to prompt him on the next point he would make, allowing him to speak with a natural and spontaneous style that came from the depth of his knowledge and authority on his topic. And instead of looking at the screen to see what was on it, Mark kept his attention focused on the jurors, making eye contact with each person throughout the presentation. Beyond the PowerPoint slides, Mark also used a range of other media and physical props to engage with the audience over the course of the presentation. At times, he switched the screen to a special document projector, where he displayed physical paper documents and highlighted passages on the pages with a yellow marker as he explained the signifi cance of the evidence. Later he used a large paper fl ip chart that he calls a “double-wide,” where he wrote out key terms and concepts with large markers. Sometimes he switched from the slides to a brief video that illustrated a point. Other times he used physical props such as a plastic model of a heart held up in his hand to teach jurors the science behind heart attacks. Mark used different types of media to keep things varied and interesting throughout the presentation and to keep the experience from feeling too slick and produced. But after using each type of media, Mark always returned to the PowerPoint presentation on the 10-foot screen because it was a visually unifying tool he could use to tie everything together and move the story forward. The shifting and dissolving images holding the audience’s interest on the large screen seamlessly came together with Mark’s physical presence, and his voice tied everything together. In the Angleton courtroom, PowerPoint had taken on a new role—it was now a powerful, persuasive backdrop that would have a major impact on the jurors in the eye of the PowerPoint storm in this Angleton courtroom
aterI Making Headlines Beyond Bullet Points Fade to Gray After Mark finished his presentation, the judge allowed a break, and the jurors left the courtroom. Now it was the defense team's turn to present its opening statement. They got their Power Point presentation ready on their own laptop computer, and they rolled back the podium to where it had been before Mark moved it, in front of the jury box. When the jurors returned, the defense lawyer walked up to the podium, looked down at his printed notes, and began to read his opening statement to the jurors In the crucial first few minutes of the presentation, when it is essential to make an audience feel like the presentation is all about them, the lawyer recited the details about the admirable history of the company. Instead of making the presentation human by tell- ng an anecdote about a real person, he cited dry data about the millions of people the company aims to reach with its various drugs. As he read the prepared script in formal and impersonal language, someone else on his team advanced the Power Point slides forward on the computer, sometimes missing a cue and leaving a disconnect between screen behind him to point at a complicated chart or a long passage of tert back what the lawyer said and what the jurors saw The lawyer occasionally turned back at the Rather than display a dynamic and engaging visual experience, the lawyer next showed a slide with a formal photograph of the company's former CEO in a coat and tie as he talked about the CEO and his family, his biography, his public service, and his civic involvement. Missing the chance to connect with the everyday people in the jury with color and character, the defense lawyer continued on with slides that showed formal photographs of other corporate executives, their Ivy League educations, detailed biographies, and long lists of accomplishments. Missing the point that less is more, later the lawyer displayed the familiar bullet points, charts, and long passages of text that the jurors strained to read he defense lawyers relationship with the jurors never warmed up with the chilly and formal tone of the prepared talk. The podium that was now in front of the jurors had erected a wall between the presenter and his audience, the prepared script took away the lawyers natural voice and spontaneity, and the PowerPoint slides on the screen became a 10-foot distraction from the lawyer who was speaking At the end of the defense's presentation, everyone stood as the jurors left the courtroom, the jurors had just experienced would play a significant role in the verdict they woul on and then the court adjourned for the day. If what lawyers believe is true, the presentati
20 Chapter 1 Making Headlines Beyond Bullet Points Fade to Gray After Mark fi nished his presentation, the judge allowed a break, and the jurors left the courtroom. Now it was the defense team’s turn to present its opening statement. They got their PowerPoint presentation ready on their own laptop computer, and they rolled back the podium to where it had been before Mark moved it, in front of the jury box. When the jurors returned, the defense lawyer walked up to the podium, looked down at his printed notes, and began to read his opening statement to the jurors. In the crucial fi rst few minutes of the presentation, when it is essential to make an audience feel like the presentation is all about them, the lawyer recited the details about the admirable history of the company. Instead of making the presentation human by telling an anecdote about a real person, he cited dry data about the millions of people the company aims to reach with its various drugs. As he read the prepared script in formal and impersonal language, someone else on his team advanced the PowerPoint slides forward on the computer, sometimes missing a cue and leaving a disconnect between what the lawyer said and what the jurors saw. The lawyer occasionally turned back at the screen behind him to point at a complicated chart or a long passage of text. Rather than display a dynamic and engaging visual experience, the lawyer next showed a slide with a formal photograph of the company’s former CEO in a coat and tie as he talked about the CEO and his family, his biography, his public service, and his civic involvement. Missing the chance to connect with the everyday people in the jury with color and character, the defense lawyer continued on with slides that showed formal photographs of other corporate executives, their Ivy League educations, detailed biographies, and long lists of accomplishments. Missing the point that less is more, later the lawyer displayed the familiar bullet points, charts, and long passages of text that the jurors strained to read. The defense lawyer’s relationship with the jurors never warmed up with the chilly and formal tone of the prepared talk. The podium that was now in front of the jurors had erected a wall between the presenter and his audience, the prepared script took away the lawyer’s natural voice and spontaneity, and the PowerPoint slides on the screen became a 10-foot distraction from the lawyer who was speaking. At the end of the defense’s presentation, everyone stood as the jurors left the courtroom, and then the court adjourned for the day. If what lawyers believe is true, the presentation the jurors had just experienced would play a signifi cant role in the verdict they would
Stark Choices chapter 21 room wasted no time in pronouncing their verdict about how they thought the two Q reach at the end of the trial. Whatever the jurors thought that day, the journalists in the Power Point presentations had gone Stark choices The news media cover opening statements of legal trials every day, but it's unusual when the topic of the coverage is the presentation style itself. According to the coverage of this opening statement the next day, something exceptional had happened in the Angleto courtroom. According to Fortune's account, Mark "gave a frighteningly powerful and willful opening statement, "speaking"without notes and in gloriously plain English"and taking on the defendant"with merciless, spellbinding savagery"(Roger Parloff, "Stark Choices at the First Vioxx Trial, " Fortune, July 15, 2005). The reporter had not noticed that Mark did have a form of notes-his Power Point presentation in Presenter view on his laptop below the jury box. The New York Times reported that in comparison with Mark's pening, the defense lawyers presentation was"staid"and that "he read portions of his statement and illustrated his talk mostly using blue-and-yellow Power Point pie charts and long excerpts of letters from the Food and Drug Administration"(Alex Berenson, Contrary Tales of Vioxx Role in Texan's Death, "New York Times, July 15, 2005) The difference between the two approaches presented jurors with a choice that day, according to Fortune: The trial offers jurors a stark choice between accepting Laniers invitation to believe simple, alluring and emotionally cathartic stories"and the defense's appeals to colorless, heavy-going soporific Reason. Lanier is inviting the jurors to join him on a bracing mission to catch a wrongdoer and bring him to justice. "In contrast, the Fortune article continued, the defense "is asking the jurors to do something difficult and unpleasant like-well-taking medicine Six weeks later, the trial ended, and the jurors entered the jury room to deliberate. After a day and a half of discussion, the jurors made a decision, and the journalists and lawyers filled the courtroom again to hear what they would say. The jurors awarded the plain- tiff a stunning $253 million verdict. Amid the storm of international headline news, the pharmaceutical companys market capitalization fell $5 billion(Alex Berenson, " Jury Call Merck Liable in Death of Man on Vioxx, New York Times, August 20, 2005) After the verdict was announced, the Wall Street Journal reported one juror as say ing"Whenever [the defense] was up there, it was like wah, wah, wah,... imitating the sounds Charlie Brown's teacher makes in the television cartoon 'We didn t know what
Stark Choices Chapter 1 21 reach at the end of the trial. Whatever the jurors thought that day, the journalists in the room wasted no time in pronouncing their verdict about how they thought the two PowerPoint presentations had gone. Stark Choices The news media cover opening statements of legal trials every day, but it’s unusual when the topic of the coverage is the presentation style itself. According to the coverage of this opening statement the next day, something exceptional had happened in the Angleton courtroom. According to Fortune’s account, Mark “gave a frighteningly powerful and skillful opening statement,” speaking “without notes and in gloriously plain English” and taking on the defendant “with merciless, spellbinding savagery” (Roger Parloff, “Stark Choices at the First Vioxx Trial,” Fortune, July 15, 2005). The reporter had not noticed that Mark did have a form of notes—his PowerPoint presentation in Presenter view on his laptop below the jury box. The New York Times reported that in comparison with Mark’s opening, the defense lawyer’s presentation was “staid” and that “he read portions of his statement and illustrated his talk mostly using blue-and-yellow PowerPoint pie charts and long excerpts of letters from the Food and Drug Administration” (Alex Berenson, “Contrary Tales of Vioxx Role in Texan’s Death,” New York Times, July 15, 2005). The difference between the two approaches presented jurors with a choice that day, according to Fortune: “The trial offers jurors a stark choice between accepting Lanier’s invitation to believe simple, alluring and emotionally cathartic stories” and the defense’s “appeals to colorless, heavy-going soporifi c Reason. Lanier is inviting the jurors to join him on a bracing mission to catch a wrongdoer and bring him to justice.” In contrast, the Fortune article continued, the defense “is asking the jurors to do something diffi cult and unpleasant like—well—taking medicine.” Six weeks later, the trial ended, and the jurors entered the jury room to deliberate. After a day and a half of discussion, the jurors made a decision, and the journalists and lawyers fi lled the courtroom again to hear what they would say. The jurors awarded the plaintiff a stunning $253 million verdict. Amid the storm of international headline news, the pharmaceutical company’s market capitalization fell $5 billion (Alex Berenson, “Jury Calls Merck Liable in Death of Man on Vioxx,” New York Times, August 20, 2005). After the verdict was announced, the Wall Street Journal reported one juror as saying “‘Whenever [the defense] was up there, it was like wah, wah, wah,’ . . . imitating the sounds Charlie Brown’s teacher makes in the television cartoon. ‘We didn’t know what
aterI Making Headlines Beyond Bullet Points the heck they were talking about"(Heather Won Tesoriero, "Merck Loss Jolts Drug Giant, Industry, "Wall Street Journal, August 22, 2005) The impact of the Power Point presentation in Marks opening statement proved to last long after the trial. Six months later, Mark met with the Angleton jurors during a foct group to see what they remembered about the trial, and the jurors vividly recalled the specific story and images that Mark presented in his opening statement. Winds of Change Although using Power Point helped win the day in Angleton for the plaintiff, that particular story is not yet over The $253 million verdict would be reduced to $26.1 million according to caps on such verdicts placed by Texas law, and the case is under ap peal. Later the pharmaceutical company's market capitalization recovered. But what was unlocked in Angleton that July day was an example of the dramatic results an effective Power Point approach can have on a single presentation in a single room with a single audience The BBP approach had never been used in a courtroom before the Angleton trial, but since that day, its impact is still reverberating through the legal profession. Today, if a legal team faces a courtroom opponent who is using BBP, they know that they have to somehow respond and raise the bar of their own presentations. Legal teams that have faced opponents using BBP in the courtroom have started to adopt the story themes and graphics that the other side uses. For example, in trials against the pharmaceutical company that followed the Angleton verdict, the defense lawyers began using the "CSI theme in their presentations. When Mark faced them again, he used techniques to counter what the defense lawyers did, raising the bar even higher. The same sorts of impacts are being felt in other professions as well, as BBP begins to transform the status quo for presenters everywhere. As you consider applying BBP to your own presentations in this book, it might seem hard to imagine how to apply these types of techniques to your specific profession. But beyond lawyers and law firms, many people in many other professions and organizations are accomplishing significant results with this new approach, including presenters in major corporations, governmental agencies, universities, research firms, and nonprofit organizations. Within these groups, people use BBP in a wide range of functions such as marketing, sales, training, and education. In this book, you'll find examples of presentations from different fields and for different purposes so that you can see how you can apply BBP to your own situation Everything Mark and many others have accomplished using the BBP approach is explained in detail in this book. In Chapter 2, you'll learn the underpinnings of BBP along
22 Chapter 1 Making Headlines Beyond Bullet Points the heck they were talking about’” (Heather Won Tesoriero, “Merck Loss Jolts Drug Giant, Industry,” Wall Street Journal, August 22, 2005). The impact of the PowerPoint presentation in Mark’s opening statement proved to last long after the trial. Six months later, Mark met with the Angleton jurors during a focus group to see what they remembered about the trial, and the jurors vividly recalled the specifi c story and images that Mark presented in his opening statement. Winds of Change Although using PowerPoint helped win the day in Angleton for the plaintiff, that particular story is not yet over. The $253 million verdict would be reduced to $26.1 million according to caps on such verdicts placed by Texas law, and the case is under appeal. Later the pharmaceutical company’s market capitalization recovered. But what was unlocked in Angleton that July day was an example of the dramatic results an effective PowerPoint approach can have on a single presentation in a single room with a single audience. The BBP approach had never been used in a courtroom before the Angleton trial, but since that day, its impact is still reverberating through the legal profession. Today, if a legal team faces a courtroom opponent who is using BBP, they know that they have to somehow respond and raise the bar of their own presentations. Legal teams that have faced opponents using BBP in the courtroom have started to adopt the story themes and graphics that the other side uses. For example, in trials against the pharmaceutical company that followed the Angleton verdict, the defense lawyers began using the “CSI” theme in their presentations. When Mark faced them again, he used techniques to counter what the defense lawyers did, raising the bar even higher. The same sorts of impacts are being felt in other professions as well, as BBP begins to transform the status quo for presenters everywhere. As you consider applying BBP to your own presentations in this book, it might seem hard to imagine how to apply these types of techniques to your specifi c profession. But beyond lawyers and law fi rms, many people in many other professions and organizations are accomplishing signifi cant results with this new approach, including presenters in major corporations, governmental agencies, universities, research fi rms, and nonprofi t organizations. Within these groups, people use BBP in a wide range of functions such as marketing, sales, training, and education. In this book, you’ll fi nd examples of presentations from different fi elds and for different purposes so that you can see how you can apply BBP to your own situation. Everything Mark and many others have accomplished using the BBP approach is explained in detail in this book. In Chapter 2, you’ll learn the underpinnings of BBP along