Stage Time: Open with Black!

If you were sitting next to me at this convention at Caesar’s Palace, watching the presenters on stage before me, we would have looked at each other and shaken our heads.  It was a classic case of power point slides gone text heavy. Niche industry conferences are often like this. Why don’t they get it? This conference was a great reminder; and we all need reminders.
Most of the time this occurs because people are so busy doing their job and don’t realize that there is a better way.  This is just how “we’ve always done it.” The reason being is that is what most everyone in that industry does.  The nice thing is, it keeps expectations low, making it easier for you and me to stand out when we are speaking in a niche.  Standing out at an industry event can be almost as simple as “Opening with Black.”
In my opinion, when using slides in your presentation, the most powerful button on the keyboard is the “B” button. Hitting this button renders your screen black.  Most remote controls also have this powerful feature. It is surprising to me that even people who know this do not use it as effectively as they could.
Pressing the “W” button renders the screen white.  This is OK, and there may be a place for it, but a bright white screen can also be a distraction. Make sure that you do not move in front of the projector or you may be inadvertently making distracting shadow puppets.
When people are waiting for you to take the stage, it makes sense to have your title slide or a “you focused” question related to your topic on the screen.  As soon as you start walking onto the stage, make your screen black so that the focus is on you.  If your slide is still up at this point, you are competing with your own slide for attention. The audience can focus on you, or the slide, but not both.  The first ninety seconds of your presentation set the tone for the listening.  It will flavor how the audience members see your entire presentation. It may not be right or fair, but it is human nature, and it is the truth.
When closing your presentation, also close with black.  Your close and your “call for action” are critical to your success.  My personal pet peeve is when people close with a power point slide that says, “Thank you!”  Do you really need a slide to help you say thank you?  If you want to thank the audience at the end, go ahead, but it will come off as much more sincere if you turn the screen black and just say it!
Every time you tell a story set the slide to black. If you are setting up your next slide before you show it, go to black.  If you are not talking about the slide being shown, go to black. Talk to your audience. The slide is a reinforcement to add clarity to what you are saying.  It is to aid the visual learners in your audience to “see” what you are saying, but not to replace it.
At the Get Coached to Speak Champ Camp this past weekend, Patricia Fripp and I shared this technique with a VIP Coachee, who is a high level executive.  This woman had never considered this strategy, and when she did, she loved it.  She had a special challenge though, because after her opening story she had a dramatic reveal of a great image that she wanted to show instantly.  The problem was that if you go to “black” using the remote from the title slide, you then have to go back to the title slide with the remote before you can advance to the big reveal. How would you solve that problem and manage to look smooth and professional? The simple answer: Build in a black slide between the two.  So, instead of using the back button on the remote you just advance to a black slide.  Now, when she was ready for the big reveal, she only had to advance the slide again, rather than showing the title slide for a second time.
How about shades of grey? Perfect, when you are doing builds.  If you have bullet lists, you can increase the audience’s focus on your points as you go by “greying out” your previous points. Allow your audience to be clear on exactly which point you are talking about at a particular moment. Clarity, clarity, clarity, is ninety-nine percent of what I coach people on. Is that clear?
You would think that too much text on a slide is an obvious mistake. Yikes. . . it is! Why then is it so prevalent during slideshows? I believe that bullet points should rarely wrap down to the next line.  If it takes ten words to make something clear, say the ten words, and just let the audience see the key words they need to emphasize the point.
If these ideas are just reminders to you, that is great. Based on the presenters I saw at this last conference, you are way ahead of the pack. I also encourage you to take the time to go over your slides and see if there is a way to make what you have even more seamless.  Consider using a black slide as a reminder to yourself to tell a story or lead an exercise at a certain point in your presentation.  It is easier to look at the structure of your presentation and strategize when you are not actually on the platform.
If these ideas are new to you, try them out.  They may be a bit uncomfortable the first time you do. No worries. That is the way it is supposed to be when you try anything new. Know that with a little internalization they will become familiar and feel natural. You will even notice a closer connection with your audience.  That is always a good thing.
Maybe some day we can reverse the text to image ratio. I’m not holding my breath to change the world on that.  I just want to help you to do it better. The better your slides, the more professional you look. The more comfortable you are with using these techniques, the more memorable you will be. If you do nothing else, Open in Black!
Please share your thoughts below!
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