Give your words more weight by using impactful headlines, also known as "action titles." But what exactly are action titles, and what does the term mean? We'll show you in this article.
Action Title: What is this?
A good action title summarizes the core message of your slide in one sentence. By reading the headline, your audience can immediately grasp the most important aspect of your slide and prepare themselves for the content. An added bonus is that you, as the presenter, also know exactly what you want to say.
How do you present an action title?
You can think of your slide title as a newspaper headline, because that's always the first thing people read. Many presenters don't know how their audience grasps and absorbs their content, including their PowerPoint slides . Journalists and designers are often aware of how they can use well-crafted headlines to focus attention on a desired topic. They present the most important message where attention is highest.
As the name suggests, an action title is an active statement. Therefore, it's important to use active, not passive, language for a good action title. An example of this is:
Active: Sales figures influence company revenue.
Passive: The company's revenue is influenced by sales figures.
Where does the action title belong on the slide?
Based on eye-tracking studies, audience attention in Western cultures is highest in the upper left corner of a slide. This attention then decreases in a Z- or F-shaped pattern, which we have illustrated in a Gutenberg diagram in the paragraph after next.
Management consultants at the Boston Consulting Group perfected this principle and coined the term " Action Title " back in the 1990s. The way we process PowerPoint slides hasn't changed, which is why this communication principle remains relevant today.
These are the advantages that Action Title brings
Action titles offer many advantages that demonstrate why you should prefer an action title to a title consisting of only one or two words. Well-crafted action titles are written to reflect the main point of your slide. This gives your audience orientation and helps them prepare for the rest of the slide.
Action titles make it easier for your audience to follow you. They allow you to direct your listeners' attention in a desired direction and present (business) facts and decisions.
Using action titles also allows you to demonstrate your communication skills. Both written and verbal communication skills are essential in management positions and are therefore a crucial element for your professional success.
The Z and F principles
As mentioned earlier, the audience's attention is highest in the upper left corner of the slide. Based on this, viewers read your Microsoft PowerPoint slides according to a specific pattern. This pattern is divided into the Z- and F-principles . We have illustrated both of these in an image for better understanding.
With the Z-principle, the headline is read first, and then the viewer jumps to the rest of the text and the image on the slide. With the F-principle, all lines are read sequentially, like reading a book. In both principles, the title is perceived first, which demonstrates the importance of action titles for a good, informative presentation.
The correct wording for Action Title
To ensure your action title is immediately understood by your audience, it's crucial to avoid overly general and vague titles. "Sales Development" or "Organizational Structure" are examples of titles that don't clearly communicate what you want to convey.
Such titles give your audience a general idea of what to expect, but not what the slide is actually meant to convey. Concrete statements that support your core message are much better, such as "Positive sales growth in 2019" or "Our sales increased by 15% last quarter."
Imagine you were to skim through all the slides of your presentation and only read the headings. Are your "story" and your key messages clearly recognizable? If so, you have used your action titles correctly, and your audience should also be able to understand the core message of the slide.
Develop your own writing style
To ensure your action title summarizes your message concisely and clearly, it's crucial to avoid long, convoluted sentences and filler words. A good action title should be simple, factual, and to the point, actively engaging your audience.
If your communication is too promotional, it can negatively impact your audience. Therefore, don't exaggerate; always stick to the facts and the objective of your presentation.
In many cases, it is also advisable to use subtitles. These can be helpful if the actual core message is too long for a concise headline. You can also include secondary information in the subtitle, such as "Sales development in million euros".
Action titles and calls to action
Although the terms "action title" and "call to action" sound similar, we want to emphasize that they refer to different things. While an action title appears at the beginning of each slide , a call to action plays a crucial role, especially on the last slide . This final slide is the ideal place to include a call to action, directing your audience toward a specific goal.
If you would like to know how to formulate and use a call to action, feel free to check out our blog here .
Conclusion: Use Action Titles in your presentation!
Action titles are helpful in many ways and can transform your PowerPoint presentation into impactful, engaging slides in no time. With our tips, you're not only guaranteed to capture your audience's attention, but action titles are also essential for professional success.
Do you have questions about action titles or PowerPoint presentations in general? Don't hesitate to contact us at becker@presentationload.de .
Are you looking for professionally designed slide templates for your presentation? Feel free to browse our shop . Here's an example for you:
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