PowerPoint Tips For Presentations

1. PowerPoint Tips For Presentations

2. Tip #1:Presentation Slides: • Are different than slides used in informational presentation, viewed without a narrator. • Should be used as visual aids for the speech, not the speech itself. • If you hand out your slides for notes, they shouldn’t make much sense without the speaker.

3. Tip #2:Less is More • For a presentation, the fewer the slides and the less text on each slide, the more impact your words will have. • Tip #3: 6X6 • Limit your number of words per line to six, and limit your lines to six per slide. This will make your slides much easier to read, and will help you avoid long pauses while your audience reads your text (or worse – talking while your audience is reading.)

4. Tip #4: Avoid Animation • Slides for a presentation should contain little or no animation. The animation could cause your audience to become distracted from your message. For instance, if the animation is very short, some audience members may miss it (they’ll either become annoyed and not say anything, or they will ask the people around them what they missed.) If the animation is longer, it will cause a continued distraction.

5. Tip #5: Avoid Pictures - Unless they clarify the point you are making.

6. Tip #6: Use BIG Text • Use 24 point text or bigger. Smaller text will be harder for the people in the back to see.

7. Tip #7: Use Simple Fonts • Use simple fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial. These fonts are easier on the eye.

8. For Gosh sake, please call me at 1-800-872-7830… PLEASE! • Presentation Slides • Less is More • 6X6 • Avoid Animation • Avoid Pictures • Big Text • Simple Fonts • Logos/Cheat Notes • Colors • Light Background • Dark Text • Simple Backgrounds • Bullet Points • Reveal One at a Time • Stories • Analogies • Posters • Questions • Tip #8: Make Logos, Borders, and Contact Information Small • Your logo is not a visual aid. • Make the logo and contact information appear as if it were an afterthought. • A final slide with your contact information in bigger text is okay though. • Avoid elaborate borders and toolbars because you’ll lose valuable space.

9. Tip #9:Limit your Colors to Three Use no more than threecolors per slideif at all possible. Many different colorsmay make your slide appearclutteredand harderto read.

10. Tip #10: Use a Dark Background The best background color is black. It makes the text easiest to read. Other dark colors can also be effective.

11. Tip #11: Use a Light Text Color The lighter the text color, the easier it will be to read.

12. Tip #12: Use White to Convey Information White is the best color for the majority of your text.

13. Tip #13: Use Light Red for IMPACT • Red text adds impact, but can also provide a negative connotation. Red is best used for bad news.

14. Tip #14: UseGreenor Lighter Bluefor morePositive Impact • Use these colors for positive accolades or praise.

15. Tip #15: Keep Borders and Background Simple Solid colors and simple designs work best as borders and backgrounds. Darker borders add more contrast to lighter backgrounds.

16. Tip #16: Use Main Bullet Points • Narrow your talk down to just three (or a maximum of five) main points. Use clear and concise bullets instead of long sentences. Remember, your audience came to hear you speak, not read to your PowerPoint. So don’t put too much information on the slide and don’t read it word for word or you will be very very boring!

17. Tip #17: Reveal your Key Points One at a Time • Don’t give your audience too much information at once. Use the PowerPoint slides to reveal each key point as you discuss the point.

18. Tip #18: Don’t List ALL of your Support • Key support items for each point can be helpful to your audience, but if you can offer more support of your points from memory, you’ll impress the audience more.

19. Tip #19: Use other Visual Aids with your PPT • Don’t let your slides be your only visuals • This tip will help you become an even more interesting speaker • It can also keep you out of trouble if you have a technical glitch.

20. Tip #20: Use Verbal Descriptions when Possible • Help your audience paint vivid pictures in their minds instead of just putting the picture on a slide. This technique will help you interact and connect more with your audience.

21. Tip #21: Tell Personal Stories and Anecdotes • Personal stories and anecdotes will help you connect with and relate better to your audience.

22. Tip #22: Use Posters • When referring to a single visual repeatedly • A poster made of the visual will be more captivating • These can be fairly inexpensive

23. Tip #23: Bring Props • Don’t just show a picture of your product (Boring!) • Bring a sample.

24. Tip #24: Use Analogies to Explain Difficult Points • Helps your audience understand your point better • Relate your point to something they are more familiar with. • If you are delivering a technical talk, make sure you have at least one analogy in it somewhere.

25. Tip #25: Offer Printed Material • Keep printed material to yourself until you refer to it in your presentation. • Otherwise, some of your audience will look through the material instead of paying attention to your talk. • Sometimes, it may actually be best to offer the printed material at the end of your presentation.

26. BONUS Tip #26: Get a Good Coach • Hire someone who is successful at designing and delivering great presentations to coach you. • Public speaking is actually a very easy skill once you overcome the fear associated with the process. A good coach can help. • 3. You can e-mail me your slides and any questions for a free consultation at doug@LeadersInstitute.com.

27. This is what the previous slides might look like if they were being used as visual aids for a presentation.

28. PowerPoint Tips For Presentations

29. Power Point Tips Tip #1: Less is More Tip #2: Main Points Tip #3: Other Visuals

30. Tip #1: Less is More • 6X6 • Animation/Pictures • Colors

31. Tip #2: Main Points • Use Bullets • Reveal One at a Time • Give them More

32. Verbal Descriptions Stories/ Anecdotes Posters Props/Sample Analogies Tip #3: Other Visuals