The first ever All Things Data Conference in Tel Aviv, Israel was a huge event. Over 900 people were in attendance, spanning the digital data world. There were 11 speakers from all over the globe. Zvika Gerbi was the first speaker of the day, and led with a Prezi, designed by wOw Prezi. The impact and response was intense: “I was approached throughout the day and the feedback was all the same: Such a great presentation!” What did it take to be the best presenter of the day and what was the process? We explore why this was the feedback and the process it took to get there in this interview.
Engaged and Inspired Audience
With such a large crowd in attendance and 10 other presenters, Zvika needed to standout. He lead the event as the first presentation. From the first click, he captured the audience’s devoted attention.
“I could see the audience intrigued by my message.”
Choosing how to deliver a presentation and with what visual aid can be consuming. There are so many different options. Choosing the right one can drown you, if you are not well informed. The choice of Prezi was clear for Zvika from the first time he saw it.
“The first time I saw Prezi, I fell in love. It is very intuitive. I see the big picture and drill down. But I need to take a step back and see the whole picture again. I first seen Prezi and said ‘Ah ha, this is how I think!’”
Knowing this spoke to how Zvika engaged, he started using Prezi on his own.
A Presentation Partner Like No Other
Using Prezi for his own purposes was an easy choice. It spoke to how he thinks and remembers. Clearly, his audience could understand his message easier when delivered with a Prezi. When Zvika needed to present to a large crowd, he knew that the Prezi he had made for his clients needed something more. Zvika needed a consultative approach to sculpting his presentation. Although he doesn’t remember how he found wOw Prezi, he knows that the fit is perfect:
“I found wOw Prezi and you made me more than happy. I found partners. Someone you can really work with. You have the highest standards of making a presentation work. I needed help delivering the message, and you were that and so much more.”
Presenters need an outside opinion from the audience’s perspective. More than that, they need someone that understands the cognitive needs that engage an audience.
Creating Engagement and Conversation Through a Story
Connecting with wOw Prezi was a game changer for Zvika. He was too close to his subject to clearly see the concise message he wanted to deliver. Once he found wOw Prezi as a partner, he found the missing parts of his presentation.
“You put devotion, dedication, and a personal stake in my presentation.”
The process was intensive, as constructing any story to be presented is. First steps are always to gather all the information then to understand it from an audience’s view.
“I threw all my thoughts on paper and started discussing them with David. The crucial part of all this was when David told me my message in his own words. This was eye opening.”
Concepting a presentation from your vantage point can make the message unclear. You know your material, the concepts behind them, and explain things without a clear explanation to the unaware audience. Having first hand feedback from someone outside of the concept makes all the difference.
From Story to Prezi: Words Come Alive
The foundation work of understanding the story from an audience’s point of view was only the start. The story needed to be converted into a visual metaphor that is understandable and memorable.
“I was surprised by how the process came together visually. It was like we laid the bricks down for the visuals to stand on. Condensing the whole story into visuals made it impactful.”
With all presentations, stories, or graphical designs, change is immanent. Concepts may not fit together once they move from inception to reality. Zvika described his past experiences with other designers and how working with wOw Prezi was a whole new world:
“The thing I loved most about working with you was that you are very welcome to feedback and I felt I could be very blunt without you getting defensive. This was a new and refreshing experience for me. If something works, it works. If it doesn’t, you just delete it and move on. It was so theatrical the way we collaborated together and you deleted images or sections of the story without even a care of how much time it took to reach that point.I have never experienced this with anyone else. You made change an easy thing.”
Developing anything requires change. When something is not working, no need to force it, just remove it. This made all the difference in Zvika’s ability to deliver a maximum impact presentation.
Best presenter: Making History and Changing Lives
Zvika set the tone for the event by being the lead presenter. The cognitive minds of the audience were captivated by the use of Prezi presentation. When you present like your audience thinks, you make a connection with them. They understand you, your message, and their lives are forever impacted.
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