Many people don’t like to give a presentation (I wonder why).
When they do deliver a presentation, they use tools which divert the focus from them and their message to a huge amount of (PowerPoint) slides.
In this article, I want to share with you why I feel presentations should be done using mindmaps. Also, you will learn why one of the most overrated and most useless features of a mindmap tool is the export-to-PowerPoint option.
The main reason people use visual aids.
When you present your information, you are the person who has (most of) the knowledge on that topic. After all… you were asked to share your knowledge and insights.
Many people use visual aids to support or even tell their story.
People are listening to you, because they want to hear what you have to say. When you deliver good content, you may not even need to use additional presentation aids.
Still… it might be good to use images, visual maps, etc. to increase clarity. The visual supports you. This is where most people will use PowerPoint. And this is where it goes wrong.
I’ve seen people create slides with many (many) words. The slide is filled with words which they start to read out loud to the audience. You become the support tool of the slides. You only tell people what is written on the slide.
A slide must increase overview and/or clarity.
This is what you and I do on a daily basis when we create, use and then unleash our mindmaps. Why don’t you do this for your audience as well?
When you use words that’s good. When you use images, that’s even better. After all, images stick in your mind about 30 times easier than words.
If you really want your audience to remember what you said, you make sure they SEE, HEAR and FEEL clearly what you said.
Here’s what happens when you use PowerPoint in presentations
There are basically three things which happen when people use PowerPoint to deliver a presentation.
- You as a speaker lose overview
- Your audience loses overview
- The PowerPoint slides take over control
The two reasons for this are:
- people tend to create too many slides.
- slides are presented in a linear format
Because of the (huge) number of slides your audience loses track. I’ve seen people deliver a presentation and they themselves lost track of the slides they used!
Since all slides are presented in a linear order, you can quickly lose overview regarding where you are in your presentation. If you experience that feeling… what will your audience think?
Here’s what I do
When I prepare for a presentation, I create one, maybe two mindmaps. This mindmap shows the entire overview and key concepts I will share.
The moment I finished my map, I never, ever transform it into PowerPoint slides. The reason for this is simple: When exporting the map I lose the visual overview and create a bunch of linear slides.
What I do is I use my mindmap software tool to deliver the presentation. I simply show them the mindmap. Here are the advantages:
- The audience sees exactly where I am in my presentation
- The audience sees what will be and has been discussed
- The audience understands the relationship between the concepts/thoughts
- The audience sees the BIG PICTURE
That’s all I want. I want to give clarity to my audience on a certain topic. This enables me to inspire or inform them, or makes them take action.
My Personal Advice Regarding Mindmaps And PowerPoint.
Don’t use the Export To PowerPoint function in your mindmap tool. You don’t need it.
Should you still like to use PowerPoint, make sure you don’t export. Simply copy the (image of the) mindmap into the PowerPoint slide. This way you keep your visual overview.
It is all about creating clarity in your information, for others and yourself.
Arjen
(my mindmaps work for me)
Popularity: 28% [?]
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Arjen,
Challenging article, and well written.
I however wouldn’t go as far to say one should not convert a Mind map into PP.
PP presentations are very powerful when done right, one just has to commit the time to create, manage and express their information well. Nancy Duarte wrote an excellent book called “slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations”. Nancy’s site http://www.duarte.com/ presents great information and resources for the budding PP presenter.
There are a few Mind mapping software products that export a Mind map very well, by composing the main map as micro maps within each slide of the PP. Mindjet’s Mind manager and Mind Technology’s Visual Mind do this very nicely.
On the other hand, we now have the power of the Mind Manager Player, where the presenter can compile a Mind map, add live links and present using the latest edition of Adobe PDF.
If at all a presenter experiences loosing overview, audience loss of overview (let’s call it boredom) and the PP taking control from the presenter, well this has been allowed to happen by the presenter and no one else IMO.
It is indeed very true, many who use PP tend to make them look like the snake oil web sites that go on forever, using way too many slides. Using Mind Manager and Visual Mind can solve this common problem. PP is linear, so slides are obviously presented in linear format.
I personally use both linear and non linear modes while presenting, here’s what I tend to use these days. If I’m not using the excellent Mind manager player function or Visual Mind micro map export function to PP, I use my mapping app and PP in conjunction. It a possibility that you may be using a large screen to project your presentation, so I use a split screen function and either display both the mapping and PP apps together.
There is one product that would help immensely with the linear/non linear aggregated approach to presenting; that would be Mind Genius. This app has a Map Explorer with a purely linear view and on the same workspace, the ability to view the map in its entirety too. Actually Simtech’s Mind mapper 2009 pro does this so well too.
I would say the secret to an excellent presentation is to express a whole brained approach that envelops both linear and nonlinear modes of expression.
I agree with your article in principle, PP does however add value to Visual thinkers who use mind maps IMO.
Great article Arjen, another excellent challenge coming from a fellow Visual mapping professional.
Wallace Tait (Visualmapper)
http://www.visualmapper.blogspot.com
What you describe is true to a degree when applied to the increasing (unfortunatly) number of low grade presenters whole are responsible for phases such as “Death by PowerPoint”. The indisputable fact is that PP is a great tool IF IT IS USED CORRECTLY … and yes I am shouting!! I have spent many hours showng senior managers how to such things as “sell to the board” or be persuasive at their AGM. One of the key issues is that they should not create the thing we talk about the whole time “Information Overload”. Examples of this include:
• Distributing documents at the start of a presentation
• Slides with tables and masses of detail
• Complete complex mind maps
The result is always the same in that the audiences spends its time trying to read/understand the mass of information thrust at them and do not hear a word the presenter says. There was a basic rule in the old overhead transparency days: “Never have more that six lines with six words per line” … and even that is frequently too much. However if you apply the underlying principle to verbal, written and electronic presentation you will not go too far wrong.
A few final thought:
• PowerPoint can be great if you follow the rules (i.e. a few pertinent slides based on key points only)
• You can dramatically improve presentation if you take out a subscription to Presentation Pro
• Mind map to PP (e.g. as in MindManager) is good only if you carefully control the export parameters. Then it is good … if you do not it is a waste of time.
• Mind Maps can work if they are really cut down (remember the old slide rule) or use the map presentation mode (All good mapping software does this.
Hi Wallace and John,
Thank you for your thoughts. I agree that you can of course use PowerPoint (if you know how to use it).
What I’ve seen in many presentations is that people lose the big picture (read mindmap) when they export to PP from their mindmap. That’s a shame. That is why I normally use the presentation mode of my mindmap tool.
Share the image of your thoughts/information with people, in stead of (many) words.
If you use PowerPoint, use it wisely
I REALLY REALLY REALLY need to find a tool or export function that can EXPORT or EMBED a mindmap (any format: ConceptDraw, MindGenius, Mindjet…) into a powerpoint presentation. This way I can PRESENT the mind map and combine it with slides as well… Tried to find a way to save the mindmap as SWF and then embed in PPT… but no avail… and i have a presentation in two weeks.. pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeese I need to do exactly this. helpppppppppppppppp
HI Arnav,
This is something you can do easily. Just open PowerPoint and insert an OBJECT. Choose the file and the map will be inserted into PowerPoint. The really cool thing is that you can edit your map immediately from PowerPoint. Double click the map and your mindmap tool opens. Edit the map, save and exit the tool. Your mindmap will be updated in PowerPoint.
Good luck with your presentation!