How To Wow with Haiku Deck
Published on Nov 06, 2015
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
How to Wow with Haiku Deck
A RE/MAX Webinar
Slides and transcript from "Better Digital Presentations, Featuring Haiku Deck" --RE/MAX Webinar, February 2014
Photo by Beverly & Pack
Catherine Carr, Chief Inspiration Officer
@mamatweeta @haikudeck
I'm happy to answer any questions we don't get a chance to cover today. You can tweet me at @mamatweeta or @haikudeck. Also feel free to email me at catherine@haikudeck.com.
Photo by Dominic's pics
About Haiku Deck
Haiku Deck launched in August 2012 with the goal of making presentations simple, beautiful, and fun. We started with a free iPad app and have since expanded to the web and to iPhone.
The fundamental inspiration is that although presentations are pervasive in our business culture, they are generally something that people dread -- both creating them and listening to them. We want the experience to feel fun and inspiring.
You can read more about our background and our philosophy here: http://www.haikudeck.com/about
The fundamental inspiration is that although presentations are pervasive in our business culture, they are generally something that people dread -- both creating them and listening to them. We want the experience to feel fun and inspiring.
You can read more about our background and our philosophy here: http://www.haikudeck.com/about
Photo by kleneway1379
BY THE NUMBERS
Since we launched, we have developed a passionate global following that I call our creative community. We have everybody from 1st and 2nd graders to the CTO of Australia using Haiku Deck to present information and share ideas.
Almost since day 1 we've had a particularly strong reception from real estate pros, and we've been featured in more than a dozen great industry publications. The first one that really popped was a piece by Chris Smith on Inman, telling the story of how a Colorado broker, John James, landed a huge $1.4M listing by using Haiku Deck. You can read the full story, and see John's deck, here: http://blog.haikudeck.com/how-a-colorado-realtor-used-haiku-deck-to-land-a-...
Almost since day 1 we've had a particularly strong reception from real estate pros, and we've been featured in more than a dozen great industry publications. The first one that really popped was a piece by Chris Smith on Inman, telling the story of how a Colorado broker, John James, landed a huge $1.4M listing by using Haiku Deck. You can read the full story, and see John's deck, here: http://blog.haikudeck.com/how-a-colorado-realtor-used-haiku-deck-to-land-a-...
Wow-worthy
- Mobile
- Looks great
- Saves time
I think Haiku Deck has appealed to real estate pros for a few simple reasons. One, it's mobile, like you are. You can create or edit on either iPad or the web, and you can view on any device with a browser, without big, bulky file attachments.
The second reason is that, as you know, image is everything, and Haiku Deck slides just look great. They stand out.
The best part is that you can create those great-looking slides in a surprisingly short amount of time. Because who wants to spend a bunch of time making little bullet points fly in from the right? You probably have better things to do with your time, like close deals.
The second reason is that, as you know, image is everything, and Haiku Deck slides just look great. They stand out.
The best part is that you can create those great-looking slides in a surprisingly short amount of time. Because who wants to spend a bunch of time making little bullet points fly in from the right? You probably have better things to do with your time, like close deals.
Photo by nenoirenediaz
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Our secret formula is to make presentations simple, beautiful, and fun. These are not words that most people associate with most presentations, of course.
Today we're going to touch on each of these points. I'll explain why we think it's important, and I'll give you a couple of specific tips you can apply to improve your own presentations, whether you're using Haiku Deck of not. (Though of course I hope you will use Haiku Deck.)
Today we're going to touch on each of these points. I'll explain why we think it's important, and I'll give you a couple of specific tips you can apply to improve your own presentations, whether you're using Haiku Deck of not. (Though of course I hope you will use Haiku Deck.)
Why
Why does simplicity matter?
Information overload
Well, for one reason, information overload. I'm sure you all experience this every day -- and I'm also sure you've experienced it when you've seen a presentation slide that's crammed with tiny text and like a dozen bullets. Your brain just kind of shuts off, right?
Photo by pm107uk
Clarity
The second reason we feel simplifying is important is for clarity. If you can zero in on the most important information, your audience is much more likely to pay attention to and understand what you're saying.
Photo by zen
How
One idea per slide
One practical tip is just to focus on only idea per slide. We're kind of used to packing each slide with tons of information, but remember -- that just makes people tune right out.
Haiku Deck makes this easy by limiting how much text you can include -- the words actually get smaller as you type, so you get a visual indicator.
But you can certainly apply this practice to any presentation tool you're using.
Haiku Deck makes this easy by limiting how much text you can include -- the words actually get smaller as you type, so you get a visual indicator.
But you can certainly apply this practice to any presentation tool you're using.
Photo by roswellsgirl
One data point at a time
Along the same lines, it's really helpful to highlight one data point at a time. I can tell you from experience that when you're buying or selling a house, there's a lot of information coming at you, and it's pretty easy to feel overwhelmed.
If you can both weed out the information your clients don't need to know, and walk them through what they do need to know one point at a time, they'll be quite grateful!
If you can both weed out the information your clients don't need to know, and walk them through what they do need to know one point at a time, they'll be quite grateful!
Photo by Niikesch
SALES CLOSED
Here's an example of what I mean. It might be tempting to pack a slide with all kinds of data points, like how long you've been in business, total sales last quarter and last year, and so on. But if you keep the focus on one point, I'm much more likely to really pay attention and get it.
"The information you presented was so much easier to understand than any of the others. That's why
we went with you."
Just to cap off the value of simple, here's a quote from the clients who ended up going with John James with their $1.4M listing.
Photo by Robert S. Donovan
Why
I probably don't have to tell you why this is important. You know better than most how important visuals are in marketing and selling.
Style points
You can almost think of paying attention to how your slides look like staging a house -- automatic bonus style points. They're part of your brand!
Photo by HumanSeeHumanDo
The power of images
It's not all about how they look, though. Research shows that we process images many thousands times faster than we process words -- and we're also more likely to understand and retain the information.
I don't have data to back this up, but my personal research shows that corporate templates, like slides packed with text and bullets, are 67% more likely to make people tune out.
I don't have data to back this up, but my personal research shows that corporate templates, like slides packed with text and bullets, are 67% more likely to make people tune out.
Photo by @Doug88888
How
Now of course you might not be able to avoid the corporate template altogether, but perhaps you can find ways to bring more beauty, and especially more images, into what you present.
Consistent formatting
One pro trick is just to keep your formatting both clean and consistent. Have you noticed how I've been using solid-color slides to introduce topics like "why this is important" or "how to implement this," and how I've put the words on my slides in the same spot on every slide? I'm also using a grey-scale background behind my text to make that text really easy to read.
Again, Haiku Deck does all this practically automatically, which saves you a ton of time, but you can apply these methods to other tools as well.
Again, Haiku Deck does all this practically automatically, which saves you a ton of time, but you can apply these methods to other tools as well.
Photo by Design By Zouny
Let images do the talking
You can really use photographs to bring a place to life -- whether that's a particular listing, or a neighborhood, or a region, or a city.
So this image, and all the ones you have seen before so far, are ones I found right in Haiku Deck through the Creative Commons image search, which displays millions of free, beautiful images you can use in your presentations.
You don't even have to be a photographer -- you can find beautiful ones like this one you can use for free to show me, which if course is way better than telling me, that Seward Park (where I happen to live in Seattle) is a a place....
So this image, and all the ones you have seen before so far, are ones I found right in Haiku Deck through the Creative Commons image search, which displays millions of free, beautiful images you can use in your presentations.
You don't even have to be a photographer -- you can find beautiful ones like this one you can use for free to show me, which if course is way better than telling me, that Seward Park (where I happen to live in Seattle) is a a place....
Photo by afagen
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...or what my lifestyle might feel like if I moved there.
So this is the actual photograph that made me want to come tour the house that we ended up buying last spring!
And mixing specific photos, of a particular listing or place, with more evocative ones that help somebody really feel what it's like to live there, can be a very powerful technique for giving a vivid sense of place.
So this is the actual photograph that made me want to come tour the house that we ended up buying last spring!
And mixing specific photos, of a particular listing or place, with more evocative ones that help somebody really feel what it's like to live there, can be a very powerful technique for giving a vivid sense of place.
"Just yesterday, I sat through a 45-minute presentation from a lender's marketing rep. She read every word of every slide to us. For 45 minutes."
Bill Risser, InmanNews
Here's another great quote from one of our fans. To me it describes the antithesis of both beauty and simplicity (and fun, while we're at it). You can picture this, right? And you don't want to do this, right? That's definitely not a beautiful brand impression.
Photo by Robert S. Donovan
Fun
Now let's touch on the fun part of the equation -- definitely not a word that most people associate with presentations!
Photo by francescopratese
Why
Why do we feel that fun should be part of the mix?
Stand out
Well, for one reason, injecting a little of your own personality -- breaking free of the corporate template, if you will -- makes you stand out!
I can tell you that I've looked at a lot of what I would call "typical" listing presentations, and trust me -- they all kind of start to look the same after a while.
I can tell you that I've looked at a lot of what I would call "typical" listing presentations, and trust me -- they all kind of start to look the same after a while.
Photo by rosswebsdale
Authentic connection
I also believe that when you allow yourself to be a little more creative, and have a little more fun when you're putting your presentation together, you'll enjoy the process of sharing it with prospective clients. (And they'll enjoy it more, too!)
Those personal touches can really go a long way toward building a relationship, which of course is crucial to your business.
Those personal touches can really go a long way toward building a relationship, which of course is crucial to your business.
Photo by Arlo Bates
How
How do you have more fun?
Be yourself
My first tip is just to let yourself be yourself. It's easy to get trapped into the formula of how you think your professional bio, or your template, or your listing presentation is supposed to look and sound, but are there ways you can let more of your own personality shine through?
Photo by jenny downing
Bits of story
Another tip is to remember that every example, every bullet point, every data point can probably be turned into a little story that will make it more memorable (and fun).
It's ok to be a little creative and unusual -- and again, your clients are likely to thank you for it!
It's ok to be a little creative and unusual -- and again, your clients are likely to thank you for it!
Photo by Aztlek
Untitled Slide
For example, I know that sellers and real estate pros don't always see eye to eye on a listing price. I may or may not know this from first-hand experience, but sellers tend to get kind of emotional about their homes, and not fully understand important external factors like timing, available inventory, and the overall market.
One way you could get me to understand this point might be to remind me that downtown at the Pike Place Market, the price of my favorite sockeye salmon is set not just by how good the fish is but also by what time of year it is and how much is available. Now I can connect that piece of information to something I know.
You can, of course, come up with your own stories that will work for you, your clients, and your location.
One way you could get me to understand this point might be to remind me that downtown at the Pike Place Market, the price of my favorite sockeye salmon is set not just by how good the fish is but also by what time of year it is and how much is available. Now I can connect that piece of information to something I know.
You can, of course, come up with your own stories that will work for you, your clients, and your location.
Photo by vanhookc
"I love Haiku Deck!! Seriously rocks for creating presentations. 100x more fun than PowerPoint."
Katie Lance
So, I create more Haiku Decks than probably anybody else on the planet, and I really do think it is fun, but you don't have to take my word for it. If anyone reads Katie Lance's columns on Inman, here's what she had to say.
Photo by Robert S. Donovan
Simple, beautiful, fun
So, just to recap -- we've covered some ways you can add "wow" to your presentations by making them simple, beautiful, and fun.
Photo by Thomas Leuthard
Ready to wow?
www.haikudeck.com @haikudeck
So, that's all we have time for today -- and I hope you've learned some useful tips you can put into action right away to wow your clients!
I'd like to invite you to visit http://www.haikudeck.com to sign up for a free web account or download the free iPad app.
I'm happy to answer your questions, and I'd love to hear your stories!
Thanks so much for having me, Nataleigh and Re/Max!
I'd like to invite you to visit http://www.haikudeck.com to sign up for a free web account or download the free iPad app.
I'm happy to answer your questions, and I'd love to hear your stories!
Thanks so much for having me, Nataleigh and Re/Max!
Photo by Dominic's pics
