applied tips : march 2008
microsoft powerpoint : improving your presentation (part two)
Last month's article on Improving your Presentation discussed the planning and outlining stages of your slideshow. I talked about determining your presentation's purpose, considering your audience, and optimizing the outline to be as effective as possible.
In this month's column, we focus on the actual content: the words, images, charts, and how they are presented. Next month we'll discuss the delivery of the presentation and talk about the number one fear: public speaking.
Less is More
An important concept to remember while you are adding content to your slideshow is that "less is more". Remember that the purpose of PowerPoint is not to deliver the presentation – that's what you're for.
If you take a moment to review some good presentations, you'll quickly see that each slide has very few words. It's up to the presenter to do all the talking. The slideshow is just there to give a little visual guidance from time to time.
Bullet points rule the PowerPoint domain because they force us to write in short phrases. They're exactly what we want to see on a slideshow because they are quick and to the point, and they allow the presenter to elaborate.
A slide should never have more than five bullets, and those bullets should never have more than five words each. If you start using punctuation (commas, periods, etc) in your slides – you've got way too much to say!
Delete anything that is irrelevant to your overall objective or might confuse or distract your audience. If you have a complex idea and must convey it on the slide, try breaking it down into smaller slides.
Some of the best presentations don't even bother with bullets. Steve Jobs (of Apple) is famous for his one-phrase slides.
Meaningful Data
One step that presenters often overlook is conveying the meaning behind the numbers. It's one thing to say that your company sold thirty million units, but it sounds even better to say you sold over 80,000 units a day (or nearly one every second). "In fact, we've sold three hundred more since this presentation started just five minutes ago."
It can also be impressive to compare data against past trends or competitors. If you earned $42,000 in donations this quarter, that's great. But to say you increased that number from only $30,000 last quarter is even more impressive. That's a 40% jump!
A Picture's Worth
More important than any word you'll ever place on your slideshow are the photos and diagrams that you will include.
We all know that a picture is worth one thousand words, but why? It's because a good photograph can evoke emotion in the audience, and that emotion can lead to a decision.
If your objective is to sell an air conditioning unit, ask yourself which of the following is going to elicit the most likely response from your audience:
- The name of the unit and some of its specifications, or
- A photo of the air conditioning unit, or
- A photo of some children enjoying ice cream inside while the weather outside is clearly swelteringly hot
The third photo implies the benefit of owning the air conditioning unit and says so much more than the other two ever will.
When selecting photos (and please never, ever use illustrations) be sure to take your time and find ones that not only match your topic but help guide you towards the objective you've set.
There are many resources for free and affordable photos on the web, so don't waste your time taking amateur shots. Download some great photos and move on.
Slide Consistency
It's important that your slides remain consistent throughout the presentation. This usually means paying close attention to the font sizes and positing (layout) of text items and graphics.
A slight change in font size or misalignment can cause your audience to break concentration. And subconsciously, it will convey unprofessionalism and lower the confidence level your audience has in you.
PowerPoint has a variety of layout and alignment tools to keep everything on the up and up… and they'll save you a lot of time, too.
Data and Charts
Whenever possible, express data in terms of graphical charts rather than tables. Converting your data into a chart will help your audience understand what they are looking at much faster – which means they'll have more time to listen to your pitch.
When you create your chart, be sure to refer back to the "less is more" more mentioned earlier. If you are discussing an annual budget, your columns should show four quarters and not all twelve months individually. Group your line items into categories. Always offer your audience a handout if they want the full story, but leave the minutiae out of the slideshow.
Make sure your chart titles and legend are clearly labeled with large, contrasting fonts and colors. This can be time-consuming but the payoff is worth it.
Diagrams
PowerPoint has a variety of built-in diagram tools such as organizational charts, flow charts, and even Venn diagrams. They should be used whenever possible, rather than text, to help the audience understand a process or relationship.
Like a chart, make sure your diagrams are high contrast and easy to read on screen. More complicated charts can be created in Visio – but if you're conveying something that complicated you should probably generalize it on screen and provide handouts for those who want the details.
Animating Slides
Taking a slide and animating it can be a powerful form of expression or a disaster. It should be used sparingly, when the concept is so complex that it needs to be pieced together like a puzzle.
Animation is great to show how a press works – like the steps of a flowchart or which buttons to click on for a computer application. It can also be fun: dropping push-pins on a map to demonstrate all of your retail locations.
But you must be careful that your animation does not distract the audience from the presenter. Always remember that you are not creating a standalone slideshow, you're creating a sidekick for your speaker.
Coming Next...
Next month, the third and final part of this article will discuss the delivery of the presentation. It will cover topics usually found in public speaking classes, but with an emphasis on slideshows and technology. See you next month!
schedule a class on powerpoint
Request an on-site PowerPoint class from Applied Office. Sessions are just $125/hr and your employees will be creating amazing slideshows in no time! Learn more here
quick reference card
Get the Quick Reference Card on Microsoft PowerPoint! Download it for free and print it on your own printer. You might even want to laminate it.