From Dull to Memorable Presentations
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When some of us entered the communications business, we were trapped in a world where creativity was controlled by typesetters and technology that involved melting lead bars (hot type). The advent of personal computers and software, such as Microsoft® PowerPoint, can liberate creative souls from the bondage of old technology. But too often PowerPoint users are content with the program's defaults. Dull presentations result.
Nothing can kill an effective presentation faster than the zooming, twisting or swiveling bullet points, which often serve as a script, that endlessly continue slide after slide.
Worse yet, presenters sacrifice the opportunity to show what they mean by failing to tap into PowerPoint’s amazingly facile graphics capability. Even a computer neophyte can put some pizzaz into a presentation, making it more memorable to viewers.
Users go wrong from the beginning when they settle for a preset template and slide after slide of bullet points. Many of the templates are attractive, but few reflect the unique perspective you should strive to convey in your presentation. Bullet points can be effective, but not if used relentlessly.
Bullets don’t penetrate the brain
People don't think in terms of bullet points. We remember key points best when images penetrate our brains or stories capture our attention.
PowerPoint makes it easy to insert images, create arresting slides and even build attractive charts and graphics. Unlike sophisticated programs, such as Illustrator and Photoshop that require training and extensive practice, PowerPoint is much simpler to manipulate. You can be proficient in 30 minutes.
For example, you can insert an image by dragging it from your computer desktop onto a slide. With a little practice, you can learn to size the image and place it where you want on the slide. The tools aren't as sophisticated as big league graphics programs, but they work to make sure multiple images are aligned or distributed evenly on a slide. It's also easy to place type, without any background color, on top of an image, creating a snappy, magazine look.
In the old days of hot type, most typesetters would have just laughed if you asked for such an effect. Now it's so easy that children routinely do it for presentations in school.
At times PowerPoint can seem a little dated, yet it is fully capable of producing rich media presentations that incorporate video or audio clips. What's more effective – you explaining a key comment in a focus group session? Or you clicking a mouse to play a short clip that shows the person making the comment?
So when you face a presentation assignment, stop before you open PowerPoint. Spend a few minutes doodling on a piece of paper how you can show what you have to say, so your presentation acts as reinforcement to your spoken words. Think of ways in PowerPoint to illustrate or emphasize the points you will make in your talk
Investing time, not wasting it
Don't fall into the trap of saying you don't have enough time to spruce up your presentation. If all you do is list a series of points on your slides, you shouldn't waste your time on a PowerPoint anyway.
Treat your PowerPoint slides as a partner that helps you marshal your messages logically and compellingly. You speak the words while PowerPoint underlines your key messages in the background through relevant images, charts, graphics, video clips and, yes, a few well-chosen words.
You will be surprised at the added energy you will infuse into your presentation by thinking of PowerPoint as a sidekick rather than a cue card.
Tips for memorable presentations
Here are a few quick tips on developing smart, professional-looking and effective presentations:
- Use the Slide Master, which you can find under "View," to set up how your slides will look, including a background color, any items that will appear on all slides and your copy. It is distracting to have a mix-and-match set of slides in a presentation.
- Choose a dark background if you will be projecting your presentation to a large audience. Choose a light or white background if your PowerPoint is intended primarily for viewing on a computer.
- Pay attention to color. If you have a happy topic, don't use a black background. Pick colors and hues that are complementary on the screen.
- Organize your slide show so there is one main point per slide. Cramming a bunch of words or pictures on a slide will confuse more than illuminate.
- Rely on block typefaces, which are easier to read when projected on huge screens.
- Insert images, graphics and charts that advance your presentation or help tell a story. Don't insert anything just because you think it will make a slide look "prettier." That usually results in a slide that mostly looks silly.
- Don’t overdo the data. Avoid unreadable charts that are data dumps and offer no insight. Carefully select a few data points, which may easily be displayed with simple graphics.
- Practice playing with PowerPoint and its tools. You won't master the many easy tools in the program if you never spend any time finding and trying them out. The drawing toolbar is one of the most fascinating, with the ability to create your own shapes, add special effects and select colors for your type, shapes and lines.
- Keep it simple. Once you see what's under the hood of PowerPoint, you will be tempted to use it all – sometimes on a single slide. Resist the temptation. One powerful image or effect that drives home your message is worth its weight in gold. Overwhelming the viewer will cause them to look at their watch or Blackberry.
- Think of your viewers first and foremost. What will help them understand and remember your presentation? Translate that visual aid into your PowerPoint.
Final Note: Apple has developed an alternative to PowerPoint called Keynote, which is part of its iWork suite. Keynote is designed to deliver higher quality video results. It operates similarly to PowerPoint, but does take some time to learn another software program interface. One reward for switching is much cooler drop shadows. But if drop shadows aren't important to you, stick with PowerPoint.
Click here for a PDF download of an effective presentation created by CFM.
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