Tips for Killer PowerPoint Presentations

Nika Plevnik

GUIDES

How not to use the PPT: Life after Death by PowerPoint (Don McMillian)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLpjrHzgSRM

Extreme Makeover: PowerPoint edition (Dean Shareski) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC1OixM_118&feature=related

Killer PowerPoint: Enhancing your presentation skills (J. Doug Jefferys, MCP)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whTwjG4PIJg

Less is more

• One idea per slide.

• No more than 5 lines a slide not more than 6 words a line. Use key words.

• Give handouts of your slides.IMPORTANT: not at the beginning of thepresentation.

The form is important

Background

• Use darker bgds: contrast (lighter bgd looks cheap, amateur and tire your eyes).

• Get rid of the templates (start with a blank slide).

• Insert logo in the master page or at least let all the slides have the same bgd, font and format (gives the identity to the presentation).

No textures…

… or big images in the background – make it simple.

Text

• Use standard fonts (SansSerif fonts), but no more than 2 different fonts.

• Not more than 2 to 3 font colors

• 28 pt for text, 36–40 pts for titles

“Many people do not run spell cheek before their presentation – BIG MISTAK!

Nothing makes you stupider than spelling errrs.” (D.M)

Make sure that your text is grammatically perfect (spell checker, proof reader).

- Create Impact eye Zoom

Images, animations

Visual – not auditory

Show me what you mean!

• No cheesy images (clipart).

• Use professional stock photo images – more compelling; images that arouse emotions or humorous images.

• Copyright free image sources: Google image search, Flickr, Morgue file

• No dissolves, spins or other transitions, if used let they be quick.

• Use animation and sound minimally (can be effective), but never use the sound effects that are built in to the program.

Animate your body and not your slides

• talk effectively,

• passionately,

• using both speech and body language

Add schemes & diagrams rather than tables; but let they be simplified.

-hard to read (slides of longer duration)

+better overall picture and better

comprehension of ideas and statistics

Mastering PowerPoint and the computer

Learn to navigate in PPT.

Make a rehearsal.

• Have a reserve plan B

• Presentation on USB key, CD-rom, printed-out version.

Do not EVER read text directly from the slide.

• Eye Contact• Use remote mouse

3 on 1 Rule (3 slides per 1 page (A4))

15 Word Summary • summarize your idea in fifteen words. If not, rewrite it and try again.

10–20–30 Rule (by Guy Kawasaki) PowerPoint slide show should have no more than 10 slides, last nolonger than 20 minutes and have no text less than 30 point font.

Speed

• Not talk too quickly/not too slowly (1 slide/1 minute)

• Slow Down - Consciously

slow your speech down and add pauses for emphasis.

• 20–20 Rule – should have 20 slides, each lasting exactly 20 seconds.

be concise and do not borepeople.

Additional 10 guidelines for performing a speech

• Be Entertaining –Dry facts without any passion or humor will make people less likely to pay attention.

• Speeches are About Stories –explain your points through short stories, quips and anecdotes.

• Project Your Voice – Nothing is worse than a speaker you can’t hear.

• Don’t Plan Gestures

• Breathe In Not Out – Feeling the urge to use presentation killers like ‘um,’ ‘ah,’ or ‘you know’? Replace those with a pause taking a short breath in.

• • Come Early, Really Early – Preparation can do a lot to remove your speaking anxiety.

• Get Practice – practice speech regularly to be more competent and confident when you need to approach the podium.

• Don’t Apologize – Most audience members can’t detect your anxiety, so don’t draw attention to it. But do apologize if you’re wrong.

• Put Yourself in the Audience – When writing a speech, see it from the audiences perspective. Use WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) to guide you.

• Have Fun – Enthusiasm is contagious.