We’ve created the perfect 3-minute pitch following Hollywood producer and author Brant Pinvidic‘s framework, which he outlines in his book The 3-Minute Rule: Say Less to Get More from Any Pitch or Presentation.
We’ve outlined (1) What it is, (2) How it works, (3) Why we are sure, and (4) Why we can do it.
We’ve got an inspiring opening where we share why we got involved or excited. We’ve shared our biggest struggle and how we’ve overcome it. We’ve got a great hook, edge, and callback.
But our work isn’t done yet. We must also have the perfect PowerPoint presentation to accompany our pitch.
Yesterday, we looked at Brant’s first 5 Rules for PowerPoint:
Rule #1: MAXIMUM OF 10 SLIDES.
Rule #2: USE ANIMATION, TRANSITIONS, AND FONTS SPARINGLY.
Rule #3: OUR HANDOUTS ARE NOT OUR PRESENTATION SLIDES.
Rule #4: SLIDES AND BULLET POINTS FOR CRUCIAL OR KEY ELEMENTS ONLY.
Rule #5: NO MORE THAN SIX BULLET POINTS PER SLIDE.
Today, we’ll review Brant’s final five rules:
RULE #6: A PICTURE IS WORTH 1,000 BULLET POINTS. The human brain processes visual images much more quickly than words. We “can push ideas through imagery far better than through text,” Brant observes. When we have the right image, text isn’t needed.
Rule #7: DON’T READ OUR SLIDES. Please. Just don’t.
Does Brant believe we need to memorize our slides perfectly?
No. We use our slides as notes. The brief bullet points or images in our PowerPoint deck remind us of the key points.
“I use this technique in many of my speeches,” Brant writes. “Often I will pause slightly, turn to the screen, and click up my next slide or bullet point. . .
“Because my slides and bullets are so brief, this acts as a natural breadcrumb trail,” he explains. “I’m using it as an attention-directing technique. I’m directing the audience where to look and guiding them to what’s next.”
Rule #8: DON’T BE AFRAID OF WHITE SPACE. We don’t need something on the screen throughout our presentation. There may be parts of our pitch where pictures or words aren’t needed. Instead, we can show our logo or a blank screen.
“Use blank space to our advantage,” Brant writes. We will “find that the slide that comes up after those spaces really jumps out. Use that moment.”
Rule #9: PACE OURSELVES. When we use PowerPoint, it may cause us to speak faster.
“It may not be obvious at first,” he writes, “but trust me, it does. It makes us feel like you have to ‘get somewhere,’ so we you start down a path. We feel rushed because we have a forthcoming slide we need to get to.”
Rule #10: PEOPLE WHO KNOW WHAT THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT DON’T NEED POWERPOINT. Steve Jobs said that. He was right.
Many people use PowerPoint as a crutch, Brant believes.
“Honestly, more times than not, I don’t even use PowerPoint anymore.” Using his 3-Minute Rule framework, “I can convey the idea so clearly and effectively that most times PowerPoint feels like it’s taking up space.”
More tomorrow.
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Reflection: When creating a presentation, how many of Brant’s rules do I follow?
Action: Commit to experimenting with Brant’s rules.
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