when someone else controls your slides
Recently, a workshop attendee asked for tips on how to handle a situation in which someone else is advancing your slides.
I strongly believe the presenter is the best person to speak and manage the slides. Giving up control is like having one person steer a car while someone else works the pedals. In the same way that the person who sees what is in front of the car should control the car's speed, the person who has prepared the slides and practiced the delivery is the ideal person to direct the show.
But let's say, for some reason, control must be passed to someone else. Repeating and interrupting the presentation with “Next!” at the end of each slide is not only a cliché but also distracts the audience and interrupts the speaker's train of thought.
Quick side note: managing someone else’s content can be super stressful—shouting commands usually doesn’t help.
If someone else is advancing your slides, try these five tactics to make the presentation go more smoothly for you and your partner. The best part is they don't require you to sound like Ariana Grande (“thank you, next...”):
1. Add hints in the speaker notes. If the person advancing the slides can see your speaker notes, use them like cheat sheets. Make them easy to scan so that someone else can understand what will be discussed on a particular slide, thus gauging when they need to advance to the next slide or topic. Use bullets with concise yet complete phrases that outline the speech. If you use animation, include hints about when it should happen. You can also add specific phrases to the speaker notes as cues that a slide transition is coming so the person advancing knows what particular words to listen for before moving on.
The speaker notes here include the key points that will be covered while this image is visible, guidance for when to advance through each step of the pre-planned animations, and a specific phrase that tells the person driving the presentation, “Once you hear me say these words, it’s time to transition to the next slide.”
2. Write strong slide titles. Similar to adding comprehensive speaker notes, add clear slide titles that summarize the point of each slide, not just describe the topic. This will allow the person advancing to see what's coming next in the presenter window and better anticipate when to advance.
3. Use synonyms for ‘next’. Find alternative ways to tell someone else to advance that are less abrasive and repetitive than using the word 'next' every single time. For example, you could say, "Let's shift gears to discuss…' or 'Momentarily, I'm going to reveal…'. The varied approaches will make your directions less noticeable and help your audience follow the presentation. It's a win for everyone!
4. Indicate with volume and pace. My colleagues and I often facilitate workshops and presentations as a team. In most cases, if one person is going to take over speaking responsibility for several minutes or for a long string of slides, we will pass them control of the presentation; but for a brief change in speakers, that effort isn't worth it. When I'm in the driving seat (not speaking), I always appreciate it when my co-presenters give me some verbal cues to help me support them. That way, I can be ready to smoothly transition to the next visual at the same time as they begin discussing their next idea. For instance, when they slow their cadence and lower their volume, it alerts me that they are concluding a topic and want to move on. It’s a subtle hint, but that’s the point!
5. Practice! I've saved the most important tactic for last. It's simple: the speaker and person driving the slides should practice before the final presentation. The person managing the slides will be more confident, and the person speaking can rehearse and receive feedback—both of which will make the final delivery smoother.
In a perfect world, you would always both steer the wheel and operate the pedals of your presentation, which is a finely tuned machine. However, if you must give up control of your slides, the above tips will help ensure a polished delivery.