Death by PowerPoint - How To Keep Your Presentations ALIVE
Written by Admin on June 25th, 2009I’ve always had a rather ambivalent attitude toward PowerPoint presentations. In spite of their advantages, lots of listeners continue to find them ponderous and archaic. I have just read a book by Cliff Atkinson, writer of ‘Beyond Bullet Points’, who believes PowerPoint to be the software device that’s insipid rather than inspiring. It remains, nonetheless, an intrinsic part of modern education and learning. Thus, if you wish to avoid inflicting death by PowerPoint, let’s look at what you can do to keep your presentations slick, informative and alive!
Think of each of your presentations as if it was a website.
Design the layout of your PowerPoint presentation just like a website. Everyone pays enormous attention to detail concerning the branding of their website - your presentation should be the same. Aesthetic concerns are paramount, and your presentation should look polished and well-designed. Use a theme going throughout and avoid the use of bright contrasting colours, as they will distract your audience from what you’re trying to convey.
Avoid the use of ClipArt!
Always use high grade graphics from top notch stock image sites to add a unique quality to your slides. There are lots of sites where you can purchase photos for as little as $1 each - a great investment! A few of my personal favourites are Stockxpert, Shutterstock and iStockPhoto, however there are quite a few others out there, so if you’re interested, do a search on Google for “Royalty Free Stock Photography”.
Less is More
Don’t fill up your slides with non relevant text - make them simple and straightforward. Sometimes actions speak louder than words. With PowerPoint, your primary goals is to convey these actions through your images. The presentation is a visual guide of what you’re dicussing - not something in place of the presenter. Even if it’s a simple line or quote, less is often more.
Use 3D
Give your diagrams extra character by making them three dimensional, and they will grab hold your viewers attention much more than any flat, boring diagrams. This works really well with pyramids, and it will make your objects leap off the page, instead of being static and boring.
And Finally… Don’t Over Animate
Going animation crazy and overdoing the movement on your presentation is definitely not a good idea. Having items popping in and out from all over, moving side to side and bouncing around everywhere - will only confuse people. If you really want to use animation in your presentations, stay with simple and elegant fading in and out. Leave the flying about to your favourite cartoon characters!
Follow these simple steps and your presentation should be a pleasure to watch, rather than an uncomfortable coffee break, and if you decide that all of this sounds like too much hassle - hire a virtual assistant to do it for you!
Michelle Dale is The Managing Director of Virtual Miss Friday, a highly qualified Executive Virtual Assistant Service which helps businesses and individuals accomplish every detail of their professional aspirations. Want to discover more about these insightful online business building success strategies? Support the Campaign for FREE Virtual Assistance now!
