Do you have a presentation coming up? Something that should impress the boss, or customers or potential customers? For corporate America, the “default,” the “fallback,” is to do it with PowerPoint. Before you do, think about putting together better PowerPoint Presentations
Better PowerPoint Presentations
PowerPoint is a quick and easy way to organize and present your ideas. When it’s our turn to present an idea, what do we do? We start building a PowerPoint. Before you make the mistake of opening a blank template and getting to work, think about these tips.
- Who is your audience? What would you like them to do after your presentation?
These might seem like simple questions, but they’re worth thinking about for a few minutes. It’s a small investment of time to make all the effort you put into your PowerPoint worthwhile. - Start with the end in mind. That’s a key idea from “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” (Stephen Covey) and it works here, too. Why are you doing the PowerPoint? What’s your goal? What do you want to accomplish?
- Why are you going to use PowerPoint Slides? Because you love Bullet Points, Graphs, Charts, and Graphics? Because your audience does? If you really feel like your presentation will be stronger with a PowerPoint to back you up…remember…
- Slides are meant to reinforce your points, not to tell the whole story. PowerPoint slides are supposed to support your message. Great slides add to your audience’s understanding and retention. But great slides take thought and work.
- Less is more: Use the Rule of 5: No more than 5 words per line of text. Even 5 bullets can be too much. Why not limit each slide to just 3?
- Limit punctuation and avoid putting words in all-capital letters. Empty space on the slide will enhance readability.
- How many slides do really need? Tell one story per slide: again, Keep It Simple. Tell one story per slide. If you have another story to tell, tell us with a new slide.
- With multiple slides, you have to think about the “transition” between them. PowerPoint has over 100 different transitions, but it’s best to “Keep It Simple.” Don’t get too creative.
- Themes: there are so many great (and bad) PowerPoint Themes out there…but when you’re designing a presentation it’s time for a tough decision: pick one and stick with it. Again, keep it simple.
- You can use video clips within your presentation without ever leaving the PowerPoint application. Embedding a video clip not only will illustrate your message better, but also serve as a change of pace to potentially increase your audience’s attention. You can also use audio clips, such as interviews.
10.5 How’d your presentation come out? Ready to go “prime time”? Think about putting your PowerPoint online to reach more and more prospects!
There are lots of ideas
You can probably Google about a million ideas that will improve your presention. The secret is finding the key ideas (like these), using them right away, and getting more people to see your show.
I could have used a PowerPoint to present these ideas.
Maybe I will next time!
Got a great PowerPoint presentation? Here’s another idea: reach more and more people by putting it on your website, or in an email blast, or on social media. Want tips on how to do it? Click here to message us!