Grateful for you this week...

...but I'd never say that in a final slide

It’s that time of year when we in the US turn our eyes to thanks and acknowledgment of those around us. With 30 editions of Communication Matters since the first of the year, I’m grateful for each and every person who reads these occasional musings about effective communication. I appreciate that you read, subscribe, comment, and share. It makes it worth writing every few weeks. Please, keep it up!

But, as sincere as my gratitude is, I’d never waste a final slide in a presentation to say that to you. The only bigger waste of a slide would be one cluttered with question marks or just the huge word QUESTIONS on it. The ineffectiveness is then further heightened by having a speaker, or team of speakers, stand immediately below the slide, giving the audience the subtle impression that the speakers are, frankly, clueless.

Okay, it’s not that it’s intrinsically evil to use either of these two devices at the end of a presentation; it’s just not the most optimal use of that final image. Keep in mind, many times the final slide is up longer than any other in your presentation: so make it matter. Often it’s visible throughout a question-and-answer period that may be even longer than your original presentation.

“Many times the final slide is up longer than any other in your presentation: so make it matter.” — JD Schramm

Let me offer you three better choices than saying thank you or inviting questions in your last slide:

1. Restate the talk title, main ideas, and your contact information. Possibly even include a QR code to make it super easy for people to reach you afterward.

2. Return to your most powerful image from the talk: a photo, chart, or stat you want the audience to recall most.

3. Take the slides out entirely as you field questions. Rather than competing with a nearly useless image, go to a black screen. (Simply hit B in PowerPoint or W if you want a white screen). In video calls, like Zoom, stop sharing slides. This makes your image larger and puts everybody’s focus on dialogue, not slides.

While it’s true we never get a second chance to make a first impression, we should also honor the impact of our final impression. Choose precisely what slide you want to display during questions and what words you want to say once the final question is answered. Own the final moment as if it’s your last, because, well, it is.

JD’s Recommendations: what I’m reading, hearing, and seeing:

• Reading: my friend and loyal reader, Damian Andrews, recently published Get the Cheese: Let the Other Mouse Go First, a delightful allegory for both life and business.

• Hearing: Marketing guru Craig Clemens “drops a knowledge bomb” of marketing insights on My First Million with Shaan Puri in “The 7 Human Hijacks—Covert Marketing Methods the Brain Can’t Resist.” (Many of these blew me away!)

• Seeing: In Chip Conley’s shortest TED Talk yet (3:30), he provides a compelling Alternative to the “Midlife Crisis.”

With that, I’m delivering my shortest newsletter yet with hopes that this brief work week may bring you more time with those you love most.

As always, jds