I have been struggling with the whole idea of title slides these past few days. I don’t understand them. Typically, if you are going to give a presentation – whether it be a keynote speech, a company meeting or for your local civic group – the audience already knows who you are. It’s on their brochure. It’s on their agenda. It’s on their pamphlet. So… why do you have to repeat your name, date, and organization on the screen behind you? You can tell the audience who you are. Don’t become dependent on the slide behind you to do all the work. After all, your slide deck is not a book – it’s just for visual highlights.
have likes, dislikes, passions, hobbies, a family, etc. Share it with
your audience. They have invested money and time to hear you speak.
Let them get to know you.
The Solution: I am a big believer in introductions rather than title slides. Take a minute or two to introduce yourself. The audience won’t hate you for doing this. In fact, it will have the opposite effect. People want to know a little about the person who is speaking to them. You’re there to educate, inspire, and motivate so let them know who you are. One slide is not enough.
Side Note: My introduction is about 75 slides long and can be done in about three minutes using The Lessig Method. It works very well. I encourage that you do the same, and remove those title slides. Leave your name, date, title, and organization for your business cards and handouts.
