After a few really bad PowerPoints at my Toastmasters meetings, I did a presentation on PowerPoint. I kept it simple….
1. Make the first slide completely black so that we can have the projector on and ready to go without blinding the MC (yes i know you can blank the screen, but this was aimed at beginning amateurs)
2. 6 words or less per slide
3. Do not read the slides. Ever. They should complement your speech, not replace any need for you to be up there. EG, I did a speech about plane crash evacuation failures, and showed a picture of 3 people stuck in the exit from a test evacuation to demonstrate why crowd control from the cabin crew is essential. No words necessary.
4. Don’t be afraid to have blank slides to “turn off” the PowerPoint if you are in a section of your presentation that doesn’t really need it.
5. Treat PowerPoint like hot sauce. In moderation, it can add that kick you need in your dish, but too much and it takes over the dish completely, and no one likes that. Even people who like hot sauce.
After a few really bad PowerPoints at my Toastmasters meetings, I did a presentation on PowerPoint. I kept it simple….
1. Make the first slide completely black so that we can have the projector on and ready to go without blinding the MC (yes i know you can blank the screen, but this was aimed at beginning amateurs)
2. 6 words or less per slide
3. Do not read the slides. Ever. They should complement your speech, not replace any need for you to be up there. EG, I did a speech about plane crash evacuation failures, and showed a picture of 3 people stuck in the exit from a test evacuation to demonstrate why crowd control from the cabin crew is essential. No words necessary.
4. Don’t be afraid to have blank slides to “turn off” the PowerPoint if you are in a section of your presentation that doesn’t really need it.
5. Treat PowerPoint like hot sauce. In moderation, it can add that kick you need in your dish, but too much and it takes over the dish completely, and no one likes that. Even people who like hot sauce.