Giving winning presentations using PowerPoint slides
Abstract
Successful presentations sometimes include PowerPoint software, and should always include adequate preparation. This effective practice, submitted by Temple University in April 2008, explains how to transform your presentations from mundane to great! Some portions of the practice have been adapted, with permission, from Andy Goodman’s book, Why Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes, and his monthly newsletter, free range thinking.™Issue
Bad PowerPoint presentations waste time and money. If your slides are text-heavy with few images, or include images with no emotional content, and your presenter is reading text from the slides, the audience may find it not only boring, but more difficult to learn.Action
Developing PowerPoint PresentationsWhen making visual presentations (using PowerPoint or some other software) remember that less is more.
Make one key point per page, definitely no more than two.
Do NOT copy entire paragraphs into a visual slide. The text becomes too small and the audience will ignore you as they struggle to read the slide.
According to Andy Goodman, remembering these four key concepts will help you to achieve success:
- Emphasize images over text
- Use design to convey structure (i.e., tabs)
- Visualize data whenever possible
- Maintain the brand, not the template
Delivering PowerPoint Presentations
When making verbal presentations know your audience. Do your homework on the history, legacy, and current priorities of any groups you are speaking before.
Effective delivery requires confidence and enthusiasm! Practice and polish your presentation.
Presenters should vary the tone, volume, and pacing of his or her voice, and maintain eye contact with the audience.
Audiences should be expected to retain only 3-5 key points.
If it is necessary to use printed handouts to share information that is not appropriate for PowerPoint, distribute these after the presentation whenever possible, so as not to create an unnecessary distraction for the presenter or the audience.
Always include a question and answer period and a closing statement that reinforces what the presenter wants the audience to think, feel, and do as a result of the presentation.
When Considering Baby Boomers as Audience
Tell stories, use analogies, and give examples. Boomers are compelled to help when you can make them see how they can make a difference.
Maintain quality control and accurate representation of your organization by cultivating a group of ambassadors trained to make presentations on your behalf. Perhaps a Boomer Ambassador group would be a great opportunity for engaging this cohort in service.
Additionally:
Smile, even on the phone. Your need may be serious, but your ability to project optimism can be inspiring.
Citation
Temple University Center for Intergenerational Learning, Tip Sheet #3Andy Goodman, Why Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes, Cause Communications, 2006.
Andy Goodman, free range thinking TM newsletter, "New Year's Resolution #1: No More Boring Power Point," January 2008.
Andy Goodman, free range thinking TM newsletter, "The Presenter's Contract," August 2008.
Posted On
April 21, 2008For More Information
Resources
Atkinson, Cliff, Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft® Office PowerPoint® to Create Presentations that Inform, Motivate, and Inspire, October 2007.
Andy Goodman's free range thinking TM is a monthly newsletter for public interest groups, foundations, and progressive businesses that want to reach more people more effectively.