Final Pitch
We have been building toward final pitches on our projects. Basically, this should represent a persuasive overview of the project, what measures of success you have, why you think we will attain it, and when we will we know that it has been attained (what are your measures).
Content
This should feel a bit like a funding pitch. Why should someone put resources into your project. In particular, you need to answer the following questions:
1. What is it you are offering? What are you contributing?
2. What makes you think people are looking for that? What is your evidence?
3. How are you going to find and connect with those people? Why will they come to your site? Who are your direct competitors for their attention?
4. What will you get from them and how? What makes them keep coming back (if that is central to your model)?
5. What are the informational resources (assets) you need to host on your site? Documents? Videos? Databases? Do these already exist, or will you need to build them?
6. How will your site be organized? How many pages will it have, and in what order? How do you move from one page to another? A sketch of a site map might be helpful here…
7. What does your site look like visually? At this stage, a sketch on a back of a napkin is fine: just something to show the layout and some of the design elements. Are there sites from which you are drawing visual queues?
8. If you know or have ideas about implementation at this stage, you can include them.
Format
The format is a 5-10 minute presentation. Think seriously about how to keep us interested. Assume that we have the attention span of an ADD gnat. I’ll likely video your presentation so that you have a record of it. Be clear, compelling, and creative.
Questions? Ask them below.
December 6th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Between the TED lecture and the ADD gnat comment, I’m kind of freaked out about how to give a decent presentation. I feel there’s a lot of pressure to be amazing and feel like my presentation is just good, not AMAZING. Any words of advice here. I need reassurance that if I don’t show up with cupcakes and a nurses costume I won’t fail.
December 6th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Jess,
I’m not sure I can give you much advice. I’m not very good at public speaking, as I tend to get really nervous. I can practice a speech 100 times, nail it by myself and in front of my family… then mess up during the real thing. And also, I’m not bringing cupcakes either… but I am wearing a nurses’ costume! (just kidding… seriously, I’m kidding). But honestly, you’ll do well, don’t worry!
December 6th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
Just pretend you know what you’re doing. Smile a lot and use a lot of hand movements (it adds to the impression that you know what you’re talking about). If you can fool the audience into thinking you know EVERYTHING on the topic, you can say anything you want and they will believe you. I’m not saying make a lot of things up, but if you wander off topic a little and get nervous it will help your cause. Good luck!
December 7th, 2009 at 9:01 am
Thanks for the words of support guys! I used to be able to knock presentations out of the park, but I’m extremely rusty. Will give it my best shot though.
December 7th, 2009 at 9:17 am
I do have high expectations–and I could tell you otherwise but it wouldn’t be true. All I can say is to prepare well and do your best. And to try not to be nervous, but if you are, to use that nervousness to get us excited bout your project.
I can say that these are some of the most common ways previous presentations have ended up less than awesome:
1. Too much information. 10 minutes is not a lot of time. The words I don’t want to hear are “Oops, I haven’t gotten to the good stuff, but I’m out of time.” First of all, lead with the good stuff (inverted pyramid). Unlike a paper, you really want to start with your A material and back-fill from there. Good to plan for a nice bang to end with, but generally, focus on getting to the point right off the bat.
2. Practice. The main reason for the point above is that it’s clear people have not actually given the presentation under a clock before. There is no reason, for a 10 minute talk, that you haven’t done it at least a few times and worked out what works and doesn’t. And when you do it, use the clock.
3. Bullets. Bullets kill. If you are going to use text on the screen, think about using only two or three words. Otherwise, use images.
4. They are more concerned with content than connecting. What do you want us to know by the end? That should remain primary in your mind. And getting us to know it means making us pay attention. Too many presentations feel like someone touching bases. It’s not a matter of just going through a set of checkboxes or making sure you hit all the material. It’s about getting us to care. It’s more about discovering than covering.
5. They don’t speak clearly. There is a tendency for people, when nervous, to speak quietly and quickly, all at the same pace. If you’ve never been in a Baptist church, rely on what you’ve seen on TV. Vary your pace, use silence, change up your tempo and volume in order to make a point. It’s the same as design for the screen: if everything is the same in your talk, then nothing stands out.
6. They don’t have a script. Unless you do this every day–and even then–don’t expect to be able to just stand up and spitball your talk. Great speakers do this? No they don’t they just make it *look* like they do.
7. They make me look at the paper in their hands. The reason people use note cards instead of 8.5×11 is that it’s less likely the room will be concentrating on your script. Also, it’s easier to keep your place with note cards. Also, if you are very nervous, they don’t shake as much. Of course, if you are practiced enough to have memorized your major points and phrases, go for it! However, do not read your presentation. I’m bored even thinking about that.
8. They fail to keep it simple. I’ve already said this above, but the best presentation is the one that doesn’t do bells and whistles but hits the basics well. I mentioned the nurse costumes as a gimmick, but gimmicks often distract from the quality of a real talk. In fact, I tend to get nervous when I see them: what impressed me in that case was not the gimmicks, but the quality of the presentation that backed them up. (Though I’ll admit I remember the gimmick better than the talk.) Also–no sound in your transitions, or fancy animations, unless they contribute to the talk.
Go through Presentation Zen for more advice. Great stuff there.
December 7th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Thanks for the tips Dr. Halavais.