Options for Using the “Notes” Section of Slides When Presenting Virtually
By Scott J. Allen & Maria Soriano Young
When coaching presenters, we see two extremes in the notes section: either nothing is written there, or there is a digital version of the post-it note image we have provided above - a “kitchen sink” of cluttered scribblings and long paragraphs.
The “notes” section of your slides (which should not be visible to attendees during your presentation) is a great place to keep your outline. If our intentional bolding of that word did not catch your eye, the key word in the previous sentence is “outline.” While it could be a helpful exercise to type in your presentation word-for-word during your design process, you should whittle it down to bullet points or fragments, so they represent visual cues. In our experience, leaving entire sentences and paragraphs in your notes is a recipe for disaster unless you are skilled at memorization. While we understand that speakers want to be prepared and ensure that they cover all of the most critical information, we believe that having your presentation written out in front of you could become distracting...for you.
Speaking from experience, when Maria began teaching, she was so nervous about covering all of the material in her First-Year Writing courses that she would write out entire sentences and then stick to those notes very closely. As she spent more time in the classroom, she cut those sentences down to short phrases or bullet points, but it took time and practice. Those notes-reliant class sessions probably felt a little choppy as she would speak and then pause to look down at her binder. Similarly, we have seen nervous speakers read directly from their notes or stop to reread the notes quickly to ensure that they covered everything before moving on. The former gives the impression that the speaker is giving a formal speech…and does not make the audience feel “present.” Please resist the urge to use the notes as a crutch, and treat them as reminders for yourself.
Another way we have seen the notes used is by recording additional content that you would like attendees to access. Maybe this means source material, evidence, data, links, or background information. You do not necessarily need to address content in the notes in this case; instead, your audience members can view the material later. Or you can use the notes section is to store backup data if an audience member asks you a question (i.e., sales figures, dates, additional reading recommendations, etc.). Again, the content of these notes would not be necessary to talk about, but it’s there if you happen to need it.
Here is one tip to be aware of: If you have content written in the notes section of PowerPoint and you convert the file to a PDF (perhaps to make it easier to share with others in an uneditable form), you will be asked whether or not you would like those notes to be saved in a separate document. Answer this question carefully based on typed notes (and be sure you proofread and check for accuracy if you want to create a notes sheet).
We have one final consideration. We were reminded by Eileen Sheil, Vice President of Communications at Medtronic, that sometimes, a slide deck is not the appropriate tool. She said to us, “Sometimes I think, ‘Can we just discuss something with an agenda, rather than another presentation?’” Ed Markey, Vice President of Corporate Communications at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., had a similar sentiment when he suggested, “The presenter has to be very reasonable in how that material is used - especially if it’s going to be a longer presentation. You have to keep the audience engaged, and you don’t want them to work. In other words, you don’t want to put up a PowerPoint that has, you know, 600 words on it, and expect them to read it while you’re talking.” We could not agree more. Sometimes, another slide deck will just get lost in the mountain of other slide decks. On some occasions, not using a deck can set you apart.
Assess the situation and talk with your host and organizers to get a sense of their norms and expectations. And if you are concerned about text showing up when you are presenting, you can go the old-fashioned route (like Maria does) and write out your notes on a piece of paper!
We explore this topic and others in our book Captovation: Online Presentations by Design.