Things are looking good, but the pitfalls aren’t all out the way.

Because there is nothing worse than a speaker who takes two minutes to introduce himself and then uses long, winding sentences like this one to make a point that could have been made much more clearly in far less time and using far fewer words.

The secret is brevity.  Not terseness.  Just the use of short, sharp punchy sound bites to make your point in a crisp, memorable way.

There are tricks to achieve this.  For a start, break long sentences up into shorter ones.  Then try and split those up wherever possible.  These breaks should be created at a convenient place to breathe (and pause for effect) when you are speaking.

Like this …

… and this …

… and, most importantly …

… like this.

Secondly, try to avoid convoluted ways of explaining something simple.  For example:

“The problem with playing three centre forwards is that each forward is based in the attacking third of the pitch which can leave a massive gap in midfield to be filled by less players, meaning that the defence gets pulled out of shape.”

Could be changed to:

“Selecting three forwards can leave holes behind them in midfield …

… that defenders are forced to cover.”

Thirdly, read your sentence out loud after you have written them.  You may find that what looks good on the page, doesn’t sound so good when you hear it.

Finally, remember this sad fact (it’s actually an estimate):

A day after you have spoken, few of your audience will remember your key message, fewer still will have remembered your second message, and only a handful will remember more than one example you highlighted.

So see if you can compact a twenty minute speech into fifteen, and don’t worry about being too brief.

Please feel free to call me on +44 20 8245 8999 to discuss the impact of your speech or presentation in more detail.  Best wishes, Lawrence

But although being relevant will help you convince your audience to listen for a while, it isn’t enough on its own to hook them in.   And so once you have decided what your key message is going to be, you need to wrap it in an original way.

Don’t worry.  This doesn’t mean you need to wear a bizarre costume, Morris dance  or sing.  But whatever the event at which you are speaking, you need to convince your audience that they are going to learn something new from you.  And the best way to do that is to communicate a little differently.

There’s obviously a catch here.  If I give you an original idea then it will immediately cease to be original.  But I can give three examples of people who have managed to present relevant ideas in ways that have really made an impact on the audiences concerned.

Like the energy consultant who flew off to a meeting in Cape Town last April and linked the various elements of a new technology his firm had launched to the preparations for the Royal Wedding.  This enabled the less technical members of the audience to enjoy the speech and understand his role.  He was congratulated the following day on being the most impressive speaker at that year’s conference.

Then there’s the example of the accountant given fifteen minutes to speak on the difference between tax evasion and avoidance.  This is obviously a technical issues with major consequences.  Avoidance leaves more money sitting in your personal account.  Evasion gains you a stretch behind bars.  And so she started by telling a story about life in Ford Open prison.  Her audience were captivated.  And their interest grew when she explained that was exactly what they could be facing if they failed to listen to some of the finer details that were to follow.

Finally, there was a father-of-the-bride at a wedding.  His speech was relevant enough, but it just lacked a little bite.  Until he mentioned that his daughter had spent the first twenty years of her life obsessed with the musical Grease.  As a result, he wove together the key stories and characters from her life using song titles and lyrics sung by John Travolta and Olivia Newton John.  The following week he and his wife started receiving thank you letters for the wedding.  And the vast majority referred to his speech as being the best they had ever heard.

These examples are obviously pretty random.  There is, sadly, no formula for originality.  It disappears the minute you try to adhere to a template.  And that’s why every speech we write at Great Speech Writing begins on a blank piece of paper.

But if you can combine a relevant approach with an original way of communicating the message then you are on well on track.

Please feel free to call me on +44 20 8245 8999 to discuss the impact of your speech or presentation in more detail.  Best wishes, Lawrence

In the age of Twitter, I’m often asked to help clients avoid this fate in 140 characters.  Fortunately, I can often cut that to nine:

RELEVANCE.

Whether a client is speaking at a wedding, a business conference or in Parliament, the same principle applies.  Because a speech, any speech, needs to create an impact if people are going to enjoy and remember it.  And there is no better way to make that impact than by making it one hundred percent relevant to your audience.

Relevance comes in different shapes and sizes.  From a strategic perspective it means focusing on benefits rather than features.  This is a fundamental rule of any form of communication, but when it comes to speeches, and particularly speeches on a technical subject, there is a tendency to push common-sense to one side and tell people an awful lot about what you know, at the expense of what they really want and need to hear.

As a result, many business speeches and presentations begin with a hugely detailed section ‘about us’ which incorporates ‘who we are’, ‘what we do’, and ‘what our latest great product or service is all about’.

This may be all true.  And it may also be incredibly interesting to you.  But an audience is likely to be stifling the yawns and reaching for its emails before you have even got going.

Relevance means approaching things back-to-front.  It means engaging their interest from the start; demonstrating that it is really worth giving you their complete and undivided attention before you even start to explain the technical aspect of what you do.

And so if you are explaining to an audience why your new product is going to transform the way they work, please don’t start by telling them how long you’ve been working on it, what its ingredients are, or where your offices are based.  Think about how they will use it, the problems it will solve, and the frustrations it will alleviate.

Similarly, if you are Best Man at a wedding, the worst possible way to start your speech is by talking about yourself for too long, and by regaling the guests with long and detailed stories that demonstrate why you and the Groom are such good mates.  By all means introduce yourself, but then imagine you are in the audience before you start writing.  This isn’t about you, it’s about them and him.  And you are simply a conduit for sharing relevant, interesting and amusing information about him.

In short, if a speech isn’t relevant, it is highly likely to fail.  Audiences have short attention spans.  The twitching of a thumb may no longer spell the end of a life, but it can provide a clear indication that your speech or presentation is facing an early death.

Please feel free to call me on +44 20 8245 8999 to discuss the impact of your speech or presentation in more detail.  Best wishes, Lawrence

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Future courses

The next course takes place on Friday 13 January 2012.  There are still a couple of spaces remaining.

Please email anna@greatspeechwriting.co.uk if you’d like to book a place.

Keep it original. It’s fine to include the odd predictable line (‘my wife and I’ for instance), but don’t go overboard or your speech will sound like an internet cut and paste. It’s better to sacrifice humour for originality than the other way round.

Thank your new in-laws (particularly if they are hosting the wedding). Your bride might not get the opportunity to thank them publically for all they’ve done for her, so it’s up to you to do it on her behalf – and they’ll love you for it.

Mention your own parents.  And not just for contributing the flowers.  Looking back over decades of parenting, it is unlikely that their contribution to the wedding is actually their finest moment.  Thank them for lifts to school when you were ten, freezing afternoons on the side of a muddy sports field watching you make a fool of yourself, or for helping you learn to drive; anything that demonstrates the love and support they have provided for so long.  Unless they haven’t of course.

Don’t forget this is a celebration of love. It isn’t an opportunity for a ten minute comedy stand up routine, so try to balance your hilarious one-liners with a good dollop of sincerity. What is it about your wife that you love? How has your life changed (for the better!) since she’s been in it? Which of your bad habits does she have to put up with? Most importantly, make your guests feel that they have sacrificed an entire day of their lives (with all the associated costs) for a damn good reason.

Don’t spend more time building up the Best Man than the Bride.  Although it’s nice to reference the Best Man and poke a bit of fun at him, remember that your wedding day is about your relationship with your Bride not your best mate.  I jest not.  I receive countless drafts by email where the bride appears to be no more than an excuse to have had a damn good stag do.

She’s your ‘wife’ so feel free to mention it! Nothing gets more of heart-warming cheer than the line “my wife and I…”. Yes it’s predicable and a little bit cheesy, but the novelty of hearing it for the first time never fails to please your new bride, or your guests for that matter. And that cheer will relax a nervous speaker no end.

Mention how she looks. Beautiful, gorgeous, stunning …. however you chose to say it, make sure you remark on her appearance. This is a once in a life time opportunity to tell your wife in front of a large collection of your friends and family that you fancy her.  Unless you don’t.  And even then, this is probably the one time in your life that it’s worth lying through your teeth.

Leave out the ex-girlfriends. However ‘relaxed’ your wife is about your past, there’s a time and a place for referencing the exes and the Groom’s speech isn’t one of them.  I’m a big believer in a speech ‘riskometer’ where anything that could cause offence to anyone is edited out at source.

Talk to her. The more sincere elements of your speech may be far more powerful and personal if, when you’re talking about your wife, you actually look at and make eye contact with her. And address her as ‘you’ rather than ‘she’.

Liaise with her Dad.  Assuming he is speaking before you, it’s worth checking that you are not going to be duplicating too many thanks or anecdotes about your bride, how you met, or the proposal.

And if you’re still not feeling particularly comfortable, then please let me know and I’ll write it for you!

“Genuinely great course, delivered perfectly, and immediately relevant to client business. I’ll be implementing the ideas next week.”

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There are many presentation courses available but our ‘Present with Impact’ is unique. The combination of an expert in presentation writing and messaging (Lawrence) and a highly experienced, first class presentation trainer (Hugo) ensures that the two fundamental elements in any pitch – content and delivery – are covered in unison. Each of our previous courses has achieved fantastic, measurable results, and clients have remarked on the discernable improvement in their communication by the end of a single day.

The next course takes place on Thursday 17 November.  It has a business focus, and is relevant to you if you need help communicating under pressure, winning a pitch, or simply refining and improving the way you sell yourself and your company.

We have sourced a new venue in Farringdon which is relaxed and informal and only a couple of minutes walk from the overland and underground.

There is a maximum group size of eight –  so the approach is intimate and focuses on the specific strengths and weaknesses of each individual in the room.  It runs from 10.00 am – 5.00 pm and will incorporate theory, a series of exercises and work on an existing pitch or presentation.

Date: Thursday 17 November 2011

Time: 10.00 am – 5.00 pm

Venue: 45 St John Street, EC1M 4AN

Cost: £300+VAT per attendee.

Please  call us or email Anna to book or for more information.

Content – The good, the bad and the ugly

Clegg
Good – A speech that flowed well, linked seamlessly from topic to topic, and led with the clear message that this is a time for Liberals, not extremists.
Bad – The constant bleating that ‘We’re doing a lot really well. But we keep forgetting to tell anyone about it. So we keep losing.’ sounded a little too much like a schoolboy explaining his duff end-of-term report to his parents.
Ugly – the lurking fear that style is defeating substance

Milliband
Good – A simple narrative written in compelling sound-bites, many of which read better on paper than they actually sounded. Clear on being pro-business, and drew clear line between Tory and Labour economic policy.
Bad – 60 words didn’t seem quite enough to cover the party’s entire foreign policy (and over 50 of those were targeted at our troops).
Ugly – At Great Speech Writing we write many Groom speeches, and there was a horrible moment when we worried that Ed had picked up the wrong script. Surely the time had passed to tell Mrs M in public that he adored her. Even more worrying was when he seemed to be admitting to a serious crush on Harriet Harman.

Cameron
Good – Seamless links from subject to subject and a running theme of leadership that worked from a speech perspective. Cleverly briefed the media 24 hours earlier than usual to ensure that Boris’ speech was overshadowed.
Bad – Never a great idea to back-track on the content you’ve leaked on the morning of the speech.
Ugly: “I lead to unleash your leadership”. Not quite Disraeli. Or even Ian Duncan Smith.

Relevance

The key to any great speech is to decide who it is targeted at and to pitch right at them.
Cameron spoke to the outside world via the hall – and appeared Prime Ministerial in the process. Clegg addressed the hall, talked directly to his audience and even thanked them for listening. It worked.
Milliband got very confused. At times he was speaking to the conference. At others to the country when his style was more party political broadcast. And at one stage he just got completely confused by looking at the audience and saying: “I believe in my conversations with you the British people I am determined we restore your trust in us on the economy”. Agghhh!

Those mixed-metaphors in a nutshell (with no armbands)

Nick Clegg – “Don’t apologise because we’ve all opened a door to enable our stick of rock to punch above its weight. But it’s not a walk in the environmentally friendly park full of predators.”
Ed Milliband – “I’m not interested in consolation prizes so we’re going to rip up the old set of rules, which were built on sand under a safety net full of holes, to create a new bargain and write a new chapter.”
David Cameron – “The world’s a mess but under my leadership we’ll turn the British ship round by laying strong foundations to bail out the last Labour government with armbands off.”

Originality

Cameron wasn’t. Milliband tried to be. At times Clegg actually was. He managed to sound honest, regretful and upbeat all at once. And which other party leader has ever talked for so long about being disliked? He may also be the first to re-package a quote from a footballer (Roy Keane’s prawn sandwiches).

The love-in

Cameron was obviously keen not to antagonise his friend Nick, and even used the phrase “Nick Clegg and I” which harked back to the golden days of the Leadership Debate and Gordon’s plaintive “I agree with Nick”.
In fact, Cameron fell so solidly into line with Nick that he didn’t just cut and paste his attack on Labour’s economic policy, but also used some very similar adjectives to describe British values.
And to top it all, he even borrowed Nick’s tie.
There wasn’t much love for Ed – but he gave it out in bucket-loads to his wife, Ed Balls, Harriet Harman and the NHS.

Memorable sound-bites

Clegg – From the good: “We are in nobody’s pocket” and “From the easy promises of opposition to the invidious choices of government” to the meaningless: “Our home, our children, our future” to the Partridge-esque: “Masters of the universe became masters of destruction” (the latter met by a notable dearth of applause).
Milliband – The speech was one rolling-sound-bite including: “I’m my own man”, “He betrayed your trust”, “You can’t trust the Tories on the National Health Service” and “Producers versus the predators”. The latter was one of many examples of EM trying to create a distinct ‘good and evil’ feel to the political landscape. And that worked.
Cameron – Light, airy and safe phrases including: “We can turn this ship around”, “We’re going to get Britain back to work” and “our new economy”. “Leadership” was obviously his key theme and word. One half expected him to raise a glove Gary Glitter style, chanting that he was the leader of the gang. Cameron was also keen to appear as international as possible, bouncing from continent to continent in a way that’s only really possible during the draw for the World Cup Finals.

Balance between humour and sincerity

It is vital to create the right balance, but only if the humour works. And most of it was lame.
Clegg was the best, realising that this was a party conference and not an audition for the Comedy Store. His persecution complex lines were good (inspired by Woody Allen?) but he undermined them slightly with one-too-many sycophantic references to conference darling Paddy Ashdown (fast becoming the Liberal Lady T).
Milliband began with a stand-up routine that moved swiftly from brother jokes to “Ed nose day”. But things got even worse with the inevitable Blair-esque popular culture reference: ”The computer says no”. Only a few years too late there Ed. He did make a good quip about Clegg not keeping his promises, but all-in-all there were many too many weak jokes.
Cameron was a disappointment here. Rather than settling for a couple of sharp one-liners, he tried the scatter-gun approach which left him a gap of less than twenty seconds between joking about Boris and “The Joy of … Cycling” (ho ho) to Colonel Gadaffi providing the IRA with semtex (which wasn’t a joke at all but threatened to be). The low-point was the crack about diabetics in the EU. Nope, still not funny.

Predecessors

Clegg dropped-in Gladstone after 5 mins and Ashdown wherever possible. But didn’t mention Ming Campbell. Funny that.
Milliband mentioned Kinnock before he’d drawn breath, and Blair and Brown soon afterwards . To a mixed reaction.
Cameron waited 37 minutess before reeling off a list including Lady T. And that pleased the conference so much, he mentioned her again thirty seconds later.

Delivery

As clients of Great Speech Writing are well aware, great content is useless without great delivery.
Great delivery means a well paced speech, demonstrating appropriate levels of energy and emotion, and ongoing eye contact with the audience.

Clegg – was the only leader who sounded passionate and appeared to mean it. His body language was a throw back to that first leadership debate – with good movement of the arms helped by a transparent podium that opened him up to the audience.
His long pause for a sip of water after five minutes energised him (was it vodka?), and stepping away from the podium was something only he did – and something that served the dual purpose of making him look relaxed whilst breaking up the monotony of a forty five minute speech.
Interestingly, he spent much time looking to those ahead of him and to his left – but rarely glanced right. Read into that what you will. Perhaps he had cricked his neck?

Milliband – is, sadly, not a born communicator. He has been well trained and spoke slowly and methodically, but he still seems unable to emphasise the right words. This can ruin potentially bold and passionate remarks. Take, for example, his confusing execution of the punch-line “Don’t mess with Rupert Murdoch”, after which we feared that he was about to burst out crying.
Despite his claims that the nose op’ was a success, the nasal whine is still an issue, making his cries for action sound akin to a schoolboy pleading with his teacher for more homework.
Unlike Clegg, his sips of water leave much room for improvement, looking as they do like he is auditioning for a future role playing Mr Bean.

Cameron remains the master of delivery. He decided to present himself as a leader and carried it off. Great eye contact despite the layers of make-up, great movement of the hands and effortless gravitas. His comic pauses were all well-timed despite some appalling material, and he appeared to be in complete command of his material and his audience.

Conclusions

Ten years have passed since Tony Blair’s ‘kaleidoscope’ speech after 9/11 – the greatest conference speech of the past twenty years.
In that time, a new generation of party leaders has emerged. And they share many similarities – from their age and worrying lack of stubble, to their centralist messages and carefully stage-managed performances.
In practise there was not a huge amount to choose between them, but Nick Clegg exceeded expectations and it is always hard for Cameron to live up to his. Milliband’s public speaking record means that he can easily outperform his benchmark, but his delivery still sits far behind the other two.
None of these speeches was exceptional. None will be remembered in ten years time. But casting the politics aside, we have Clegg’s content and delivery ahead of Cameron by a short head.

But if the leaders’ failed to shine particularly brightly, then who did?
Balls versus Osbourne remains the most fascinating duel in British politics. Both value substance over style, and both are genuine heavyweights. Balls will never charm a crowd like any of the party leaders, but his speech was well-written, clear and powerful.
Boris entertained in his unique style, and remains alone in his willingness to be original and break the rules.
Of the younger generation, Labour’s Rory Weal stole the show, winning a gold star for his passion and bravery, and a detention for hackneyed content.
Perhaps he is destined to be the next William Hague – a party conference veteran who is undoubtedly the most devastatingly effective and accomplished public speaker in Westminster. The way he brought to life the graveyard slot at the start of the conference was a lesson to us all.
He may well take us back to the future by becoming the next leader of the party. Other prospective candidates for centre stage include the effective Yvette Cooper and two outside hopefuls in Jeremy Hunt and Jim Murphy- both tall men prowling the stage without notes. Where can they have got that idea from?
Finally, let’s not forget that George Osbourne gave a strong speech that was overshadowed by the freeing of Amanda Knox. And the Prime Minister was knocked-off the front pages by Steve Jobs. There’s no cure for bad timing.
Whilst Theresa May remembered the importance of getting your facts right.

To conclude, it isn’t only politics converging into the centre ground. Speechwriters and coaches are too. We all yearn for the conference speeches of yore, given by politicians with the conviction, imagination and passion to step away from the consultancy template and daring to be original.

An unexpected introduction:

Just as you’re summoning up the courage to deliver your perfectly prepared speech, you hear yourself being introduced by the Master of Ceremonies  in less than flattering terms. And worse still, the audience giggling away at his joke. Unless you have a truly witty response up your sleeve, the safe and mature way of acknowledging this dig is to thank him for his ‘kind’ introduction and then move on to your pre-prepared speech. An ad lib comeback could be tremendous if it works, but you’re not sure, don’t try!

The speaker before you steals your material

Okay, he or she might not intentionally pilfer your ideas, but you may find they make many of the points you’d included in your speech.  If you don’t have the confidence to rethink your speech at the last minute, your best bet is to start by thanking them for ensuring that you won’t need to speak for as long as you’d planned.  But remember, the best way to avoid this issue entirely is to chat to the other speakers before the wedding.

The microphone doesn’t work

Don’t panic; this can actually work in your favour. It’s an excuse for you to create a Blitz sprit! If people can’t hear you, ask them to stand up and move closer to the front. Speak even more slowly (and obviously much louder) than if you had a microphone. As with any technical issue of this sort, your audience will feel sorry for you and should be even more supportive of your speech.

There’s a heckler

Whilst it’s unlikely, it’s possible that someone might have a drink too many and decide it’s funny to interrupt your speech. Remember this is their problem, not yours. The rest of your audience will want to hear what you have to say, and most irritated by the interruption. Bearing this in mind, pause, try to smile politely, thank them for their ‘helpful’ feedback (!) and then continue.

Moments after your speech finishes

You’re probably expecting a round of applause, and may be shocked to be met by complete silence. But it’s nothing you’ve done wrong – simply that you’ve just asked the entire audience to stand up and make a toast with a glass in their hand. This makes clapping a bit tricky, so expect them to need a moment or two before they sit down again and cheer you to the rafters!

You simply can’t prepare for every eventuality. If the lights go out, something smashes, or you forget something important, just stay calm. And remember to have a sense of perspective. The guests are here because two people are getting married, not just to hear you speak.

Very best luck on the day

Lawrence

In some cases, even the best content and coaching on delivery are not enough.  Because the speaker needs to get to the root of their concerns before starting to work on the speech itself.  Which is why I am delighted to include this Guest Post from someone who can get to the real heart of a public speaking phobia.

Jacky Lewis is a trainer, coach and existential psychotherapist who runs Training Matters London.  Jacky works with clients to conquer many of the issues that can undermine their professional lives.  In the following article she explains a possible way to adapt your mindset when the nerves kick-in.

Please let me know if you would like me to introduce you to Jacky.

Guest Post: Overcoming the Psychology of Nervousness

Many people feel a high level of anxiety when confronted with delivering a speech or presentation.  They feel their legs have turned to jelly, they develop a dry mouth, feel sweaty, shaky, their hearts beat faster…they are experiencing classic stress symptoms.  But have you ever stopped to think why this should be?  Why don’t they just sail through it, deliver their message and feel proud of what they’ve said?  The answer may be in the hidden unchallenged assumptions that we all carry inside and that we allow to ‘disable’ our thinking. 
There’s no reason why should perform below par once we understand how to master these thoughts.  Here are a few unhelpful and limiting assumptions I’ve come across over the years; can you identify with any of these…?

• I’m afraid I’ll feel vulnerable / exposed when I stand up to make a speech.
• I’ll look stupid.
• Everyone in the audience could do this better than me.
• They won’t be interested in what I have to say.
• I’m not interesting; they’ll find me boring.
• I am no expert on this subject.
• People will ‘find me out’.
• I hate operating outside my comfort zone.

When we are training people to present with confidence, it is interesting to find out that most of us share some of these same misgivings.  The problem is that your audience is ‘attuned’ to picking up these signals of insecurity in the speaker; they may well switch off if she or he presents in an under confident or unconvincing manner.  So you need to start your presentation as you mean to go on; with a high level of assurance and transmitting a ‘can-do’ mind-set.  Convince your audience that they’re lucky to be hearing you!

So what can you do…?

Begin by making a list of your own personal unchallenged assumptions and then start to challenge them. Ask yourself ‘what is the evidence that people won’t be interested in my message?’.  Then ask what makes you think you’ll be boring, and so on. Work through your personal negative points; try discussing them with a friend.  Your unchallenged assumptions will be less powerful when you share them with others.
Now go on to picture yourself when you listen to a presentation; aren’t you usually open and interested in what the speaker has to say?  If he or she starts off their presentation with a strong level of confidence and self belief,  they will take you with them; you’ll be ‘on side’. People in your audience are much less judgmental that you think (or fear) they are; you just have to decide that you can inspire them.  Getting your message across and motivating your audience is largely a matter of believing you can do it and demonstrating that.  What did the author Susan Jeffers say? ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’……  Good luck!

Irrelevance

Powerpoint can be a great way bolster a presentation or to make a point clearer. But it’s important to remember that it should only provide support material for a presentation that stands on its own.   Don’t use a slide to tell the story, but to illustrate it and bring it to life.  If a slide isn’t adding value then just bin it.

Too Many Graphics

If you’re explaining to your colleagues why there are going to be redundancies in the coming year, you don’t have to do it by zipping a cartoon dog across the screen, accompanied by a faded-in speech bubble containing the words “cut-backs” and a Dog Bark SFX.
Clever graphics are no longer a ‘wow’ because everyone knows how they work, and there’s a danger that too much blinking, fading and twisting will simply make it look like you’re using style to cover up a lack of content.

Too Much Information

In any form of presentation, the most important thing to remember is that your primary job is not to convey all of the relevant information. Regardless of how well written/performed a presentation is, very little of the actual information you put across will be retained. Rather, the whole point of presenting is to make an impact. As a golden rule, if something needs a hundred words on a powerpoint slide, you may as well drop it to your audience on an email.

Too many slides

There is nothing worse than being in an audience and realising that you are about to be delivered ‘War and Peace’ in PowerPoint.  It’s all about being crisp and relevant, so don’t overdo it.  As a rule of thumb, a slide-per-minute is ample.  And that’s assuming it only contains a handful of words, one diagram, or a single picture.

Dark backgrounds

They may look clever on your laptop, but they’ll make any slide almost impossible to read when they are projected.  The projection will often change the tint, and make them blend into the words.  So that beige font on a brown background is a definite no go.