Find the answers to your questions about how to move Beyond Bullet Points here. To have your own questions answered, just ask Cliff here.

Q: What's wrong with the conventional bullet point approach to presentations?

A: Bullet points can do many things, but one thing they cannot do is help you to tell a story. If presenting a focused, clear and engaging presentation is what you want, the most effective way you can do that is not with bullets, but rather with a persuasive story structure.

Q: Why should I use a persuasive story structure for my presentation?

A: It ensures that you present to your next audience only the right information in the right quantity at the right time. Story structures have worked effectively for thousands of years, and they will work well for you today too.

Q: This looks like it might be hard to do. Is it?

A: To the extent that critical thinking is hard, the approach in the book is hard. But you'll find that once you've done the tough work of crafting your story structure, it makes the process of adding visuals dramatically easier.

Q: When you say story template, does that mean that all stories have to be structured this way?

A: The story template is not a rigid formula. It is based on a classical 3-act structure that guarantees that every story you tell addresses all of the essential elements of a story, in a way that works for a live presentation experience.

Q: Can I use my corporate PowerPoint template with this?

A: Most corporate templates are set up to support bullet points and not persuasive story structures. I recommend putting aside your corporate template for a moment and trying out the approach following the steps described in the book. When you're finished, compare the results to the results from your corporate template, and then make the call on which approach works best for you.

Q: Do I need to know Photoshop and Illustrator to apply the techniques in the book?

A: No, you don't. The book introduces sophisticated media techniques that anyone can apply using readily-available photographs, clip art, or even by creating your own graphics within PowerPoint.

Q: Why can't I create my visuals first like I usually do?

A: Hollywood filmmakers have learned the hard way that you never record a frame of film before you have a story. When you invest the appropriate time on your story structure first, you'll find that your visuals become much easier for you to produce, and much easier for your audiences to understand.

Ask Cliff a question about Beyond Bullet Points