Transforming Presentations: Insights from Oreet Kaufman on the Unscripted Small Business Podcast

I had the pleasure of talking to Daniel Hill on the Unscripted Small Business podcast about the importance of capturing your visual message and keeping your audience engaged.

Key Takeaways from the Podcast

• Start with the End in Mind: Always define your desired outcome first. What behavior do you want to change? What action should your audience take? Then work backwards to craft your story.

• Embrace the "Word Dieting" Approach: Strip away unnecessary text. Focus on key words that can be transformed into visual elements like icons or simplified graphics.

• Follow the 3-5 Second Rule: Your audience can only process one slide in 3-5 seconds. Make your message immediately clear and don't make them do mental math.

• Avoid Bullet Point Overload: Audiences tune out when they see traditional bullet points. Find creative ways to present information through visuals and strategic spacing.

• Quality Over Quantity: It's better to have more well-designed slides than fewer jam-packed ones that overwhelm your audience.

• Tailor to Your Audience: Engineers process information differently than investors. Customize your message and design approach based on who you're presenting to.

• Use Animations Sparingly: Effects should enhance your story, not become the story. Save flashy transitions for high school presentations.

• Pitch Decks Should Be 10-15 Slides: This gives you enough space to cover the problem, solution, market, and call to action without losing investor attention.

• Prepare Speaker Notes, Never Read Slides: If you're reading directly from slides, you might as well send an email instead of wasting everyone's time.

• Specialize to Become an Expert: Focusing solely on PowerPoint design allows you to master the craft and solve specific problems that general marketing teams often can't address.

  
  

For the full transcript, keep reading!

The Unscripted Podcast: Transforming Presentations with Oreet Kaufman

Interview Introduction

In this engaging conversation with Daniel Hill on The Unscripted Small Business Podcast by Save Fry Oil, Oreet Kaufman shares her journey from corporate training and development to becoming Chicago's go-to PowerPoint presentation designer. With 20 years of experience in crafting compelling visual stories, Oreet reveals the secrets behind transforming boring, cluttered presentations into powerful communication tools that captivate audiences and drive results.

From her unique "word dieting" approach to the psychology behind effective slide design, this interview offers invaluable insights for anyone looking to elevate their presentation game. Whether you're a startup founder preparing a pitch deck or a corporate executive delivering a keynote, Oreet's expertise will help you create presentations that truly connect with your audience.

Killer Quotes

"I help companies take complex information and drill it down to the real simple messaging, and I pair it with great visuals to tell that story."

"What is the least amount of information that sellers need to know before they go in and have that conversation with a customer? So I used to call it parking lot training—that at the very least, if they're sitting in a parking lot, what do they need to know?"

"I always start with clients and say to them, what is your desired outcome at the end of this presentation? What behavior do you want to change? What do you want your audience to know or do? And then we work backwards from there."

"Your audience has three to five seconds to focus, to read one slide. What is your message in three to five seconds?"

"Don't make me do math. Just say 66% because now you've taken up brain space in those three to five seconds."

"As soon as we've all been conditioned to kind of zone out as soon as we see bullets."

"I'd rather 45 slides of a well-made presentation than 10 slides of jam-packed three to five seconds."

"It's to help enhance your story. It's not the story itself. It's not a show and tell of all the different functions and features that PowerPoint can do."

The Full Interview

Daniel Hill: Welcome to the Unscripted Podcast. I'm Daniel Hill, and today on the show, we have Oreet Kaufman. Oreet, welcome.

Oreet Kaufman: Well, thank you. Thank you for having me, Daniel.

Daniel Hill: Oreet, for people who might not be familiar with you, can you tell us who you are and what it is that you do?

Oreet Kaufman: I'm Oreet Kaufman, and I'm a freelance PowerPoint designer based in Chicago. We've all seen presentations that make us want to fall asleep or feel overwhelmed right from the start. You know that moment when the first slide comes up, and you think, no, this is going to be a long presentation?

I help companies take complex information and simplify it into clear messaging paired with great visuals. I create presentations that make audience members think, wow, I get it. I know what you want to say and what I need to do at the end.

Daniel Hill: I love that. Can you tell us the name of your company and how you chose that name?

The Company Name Story

Oreet Kaufman: Sure! My company is called OC Presentation Designs. My initials are OK, but I was very conscious not to name it OK Presentation Designs. Who would hire someone that just does OK Designs?

When I got married, my mother reminded me to ensure people knew my initials. I wasn't authorizing things as OK, even with my kids' homework. So I use C as my middle initial. Thus, it became OC Presentation Design.

Daniel Hill: How did you get into creating presentations for other people?

The Origin Story

Oreet Kaufman: I spent 20 years in corporate training and development, primarily working with PowerPoint. When creating training for sales teams, it needs to be engaging. The information has to be short, quick, and straight to the point.

I designed a lot of training in PowerPoint. My skill set in cutting down clutter came from asking, what is the least amount of information that sellers need to know before they go in and have that conversation with a customer? I called it parking lot training—if they're sitting in a parking lot, what do they need to know?

I enjoyed the design aspect, and when I left that company, I didn't know this was an industry until a few years ago. I told my husband, I would just love to make PowerPoints all day, and my niece found a whole community of designers. I set up a company and started pursuing this.

I'm not a graphic designer or website designer—I solely do PowerPoint presentations because it's universal and adaptable. By specializing, I've become an expert in that field. I've seen all the problems that we hate with PowerPoint. My experience has allowed me to create solutions for those issues.

The Ideal Number of Slides

Daniel Hill: I love all of this. I have a few questions. Some of them are pet peeves about specific PowerPoint presentations that I don't like. Is there an ideal number of slides that you use to tell a story? My thought is, less is always better. When I see someone open up their deck and it's 50 slides, I start cringing. But I've seen people roll in with one slide, and I think, wow, did you prepare this or what? What's the sweet spot for the number of slides?

Oreet Kaufman: It depends on the topic and audience. You can have a keynote with five slides or a sales call with 140 slides, but that’s appropriate for that medium. I agree that when someone opens a PowerPoint, my eyes immediately go to the lower left corner to see how many slides there are. That will determine my attention span.

For pitch decks, it’s typically about 10 to 15 slides. You’re talking to investors who want to know the basics: What’s the problem? What’s the solution? How are you fixing it? I would limit that to 10 to 15 slides.

Less is usually better, but it depends on the audience and how you tell that story. You could have 30 slides that make for an amazing, compelling presentation based on what you choose to include.

Animations and Transitions

Daniel Hill: That makes sense. Where do you stand on text animations where the text slides in or slides up? It felt cool back in the day, but now it seems a bit dated. What are your thoughts?

Oreet Kaufman: It’s like when you buy a new car—you want to press all the buttons and see what they do. Many people still do that with PowerPoint. You have to use animations selectively. Personally, I tend not to use text animations, but any animation should be done well and effectively.

So it's to help enhance your story. It's not the story itself. It’s not a show-and-tell of all the different functions and features that PowerPoint can do. The same goes for transitions. Use them minimally and effectively. Save flashy transitions for high school presentations.

Working Across Industries

Daniel Hill: One thing you mentioned is that you work with various companies and verticals. Can you talk a little about that?

Oreet Kaufman: Initially, I thought I’d stick to one industry, starting with industrial manufacturing. However, through outreach, I’ve worked with clients across different verticals.

I’ve done manufacturing, food and beverage, healthcare, and startups. The principles of storytelling and design are the same, regardless of the industry. You need to know your audience and how they process information. Speaking to engineers is very different than speaking to investors. My ability to customize the message remains consistent across industries.

Principles of Storytelling

Daniel Hill: Can you tell us more about those principles of storytelling?

Oreet Kaufman: I think of it as an arc. Whether telling an oral or visual story, you set the stage, present challenges, reach the peak, and then overcome those challenges. Finally, you pull it all together.

I always start with clients and ask, what is your desired outcome at the end of this presentation? What behavior do you want to change? What do you want your audience to know or do? Then we work backwards from there.

Depending on those outcomes, it’s about setting the stage, reaching the peak of problem-solving, and ending with a call to action. This helps the audience understand the flow from where they started to where you want them to go. I guide clients through this journey to achieve their desired outcomes.

Daniel Hill: That’s an interesting approach. It’s smart to start with the end in mind. You need to know where you’re going, rather than figuring it out on slide 18.

Oreet Kaufman: Exactly! My background in creating development crystallized that for me. When creating a training curriculum, you need to know the objectives. The same philosophy applies to presentations: What are the desired outcomes, and how do we help you get there through those slides?

Competing with Marketing Companies

Daniel Hill: What if someone says, we’d love to work with you, but we already have a digital marketing company and a branding company? What makes your approach unique compared to other agencies?

Oreet Kaufman: I often reach out to marketing companies. Marketing is great for branding and ads, but you'd be surprised how often this specific skill set is missing in most marketing departments.

I've worked with VPs of marketing who have phenomenal marketing strategies, but their PowerPoints look like they’re from the 90s. I can fill that gap in the marketing space.

Daniel Hill: That makes complete sense. If a company invests in a conference booth and banner but skims on the presentation, that’s a missed opportunity.

Oreet Kaufman: Exactly! Many clients hire me for various reasons. They might have someone who does this but lacks the time. Or they might be in a deadline panic. Sometimes, they just know it’s okay but needs improvement to wow their audience.

The Impact of AI

Daniel Hill: How do you see AI impacting your role and presentations in the future?

Oreet Kaufman: It’s a hot topic! AI might be a good starting tool for small, local projects. However, for large-scale and complex projects, you need a presentation expert.

What AI can't do, at least for now, is provide the human critical thinking aspect for decision-making and understanding your audience. The principles of storytelling might be the same, but your audience has different needs. That human element is irreplaceable.

Success Stories

Daniel Hill: Can you share some success stories from clients or presentations you’re proud of?

Oreet Kaufman: Absolutely! Last Thanksgiving, I sourced many clients through LinkedIn. Someone reached out to me five days before she was to be a keynote speaker at a conference in California, and she didn’t have a deck.

As a presentation designer, I was excited because I had creative freedom. Her only instructions were, it’s about AI, and I want it bold and great.

Now, let me ask you, Daniel—if you were going to speak on stage in five days, how far in advance would you prepare?

Daniel Hill: I’d prepare for two months, giving myself time to practice.

Oreet Kaufman: She had an old 90s deck. I told her she needed at least a day to practice, so I had four days. I delivered a deck within 48 hours, and she felt confident to present. It was a great success story!

Optimizing for Time and Impact

Oreet Kaufman: She had about 30 slides and only 30 minutes to talk. Typically, we say one slide per two minutes, but she wanted to include activities. I advised against that.

Many of her slides were complex and should go in an appendix. I helped her focus on the critical messaging she could deliver in 30 minutes without overwhelming her audience.

Avoiding the Dreaded Slide Reading

Daniel Hill: Do you find that people want to read the slides when you prepare their presentations? How do you handle that?

Oreet Kaufman: There are always speaker notes—I love them! I recommend using a teleprompter for large calls. But nobody should read off the slide. We’ve all been there and thought, just send it to me in an email.

Daniel Hill: I’ve seen webinars where the presenter reads their notes, and it’s a bad experience.

Oreet Kaufman: Exactly! Your audience has three to five seconds to focus on one slide. What’s your message in that time? If you have numbers or charts, don’t make me do math. Just say 66%. You’ve taken up brain space that should focus on your message.

PowerPoint Pet Peeves

Daniel Hill: Do you have any pet peeves about PowerPoints or presentations in general?

Oreet Kaufman: I think everyone shares the same pet peeves—bullets, bullets, bullets! There should be no bullets.

Daniel Hill: What should we use instead?

Oreet Kaufman: Look at my word dieting approach. Pull out key words from the bullet points. Sometimes you end up with bullets, but can you represent them as icons or in a different visual way?

As soon as we see bullets, we zone out. Too much information, irrelevant charts, and outdated photos are also pet peeves.

Where to Find Oreet

Daniel Hill: Oreet, this has been great! Can you tell us where we can find you online and what you’re creating in the near future?

Oreet Kaufman: My website is ocdesigns.info. You can see my portfolio and client success stories. There’s also a page called Word Dieting with a downloadable PDF on best practices to help you start word dieting your own work.

I’m looking forward to hosting a master class on word dieting and guiding audience members through examples. That’s currently in the works.

Daniel Hill: I’ll include your website in the show notes so people can find the PDF. Oreet, thank you for your time!

Oreet Kaufman: Thank you for having me, Daniel. It was a pleasure.