Powerpoint presentations - do’s and dont’s
How to present using Powerpoint
I present the main ideas from this podcast on Powerpoint presentations!
Preparation of a presentation:
- what do I want the audience to do? (’I want them to approve X’)
- what story do I have to tell them to make them do this? (get them in the right emotional state)
- what kind of data do I need for this story?
General:
- you want focus on yourself; not on the slides of the presentation
Your story:
- you should tell a story (not present just data)
- slide should add to what you are telling
- no more than three thoughts per presentation
How many slides:
- 1-3 slides per 10 minutes of presentation
- it could be just 1 slide per 10 minutes
- less slides is better
Recommendation for book on improving your writing skills:
Using Fonts:
- use no more than 3 different fonts
- do not use bold font
- font size 24 points or larger
Formatting:
- use a simple footer
- use very little colour (think of printing them!)
Powerpoint has 100 tools that you should never use:
- animations
- transitions (because you do not know where you are presenting, you might have network bottlenecks)
- do not use sounds
Reviewing:
- have someone else review your slides
- proof read it backwards - this is effective
Using Excel in a presentation:
- never put a complete Excel in a presention
- the font is too small !
- you do not know where the conversation is going to. So you do not have control
Give out handouts – they do not have to be replicas of the slides
Related posts:
April 3, 2008: Dodging Bullets in Presentations
January 16, 2008: A very practical guide for making Powerpoint presentations!
January 11, 2008: How to improve your presentations!
You can read more great tips from Manager-Tools at:
- www.Manager-Tools.com
- The favorite books of manager-tools.com
- ‘Hot Wash’
- How can I improve my meetings? Then listen to this Podcast (and read these simple 10 Rules)
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