Understanding the power and importance of telling a visually compelling story and incorporating it into a presentation on a rush deadline are very different things.  When I faced the challenge recently, it reminded me of the Chinese proverb, “If we do not change direction we are likely to end up where we are headed.”

Going back to the same old place is not good in the fast changing world of social media.  Failing to become familiar with and use new tools whenever you have the chance only postpones the change for another day. And in the social media world, stalling doesn’t work.
The moment came for me when I was invited to discuss crisis management and the impact of social media at a partner meeting of Tatum Consultants in Seattle.  After some initial anxiety, I tossed out my old Power Point presentations and vowed to use my new iPad for the show. I also decided that I would not use a single visual that could be mistaken for a page from a textbook.
Knowing my technology learning curve can be a little steep and wanting to avoid the last minute anxiety that can produce; I retained Paul Schmid of Kayak Consulting (pwschmid@gmail.com) to help with my first effort. He’s a presentation specialist who also works at the Bellevue Apple Store so it was a perfect fit. He took me at my word that I wanted the visuals to be interesting, interactive and engaging for my audience.  He also asked good questions about what I wanted to accomplish and insisted that I have a hands-on role in making changes as the presentation came together.
The results exceeded my expectations. The audience was attentive and engaged, the discussion was lively, attendees asked me to share parts of it and most important, I can’t wait for next time. And I’m ready for next time.
If you want to see the full-animated version, I’d be happy to meet you for coffee, iPad in hand.