How to Become an Expert at PowerPoint Presentations
I’ve always had something of a love-hate thing with PowerPoint presentations. Despite their effectiveness, many people still perceive them to be cumbersome and old fashioned. The noted author Cliff Atkinson, who wrote ‘Beyond Bullet Points’, says that PowerPoint tends to be associated more with boredom than brilliance. Yet they seem like such a necessary part of education and learning. So, to keep your presentations interesting and your audience engaged, let’s see how YOU can avoid delivering Death by PowerPoint!
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 extraordinary attention to detail with every aspect of the branding on their website – your presentation should follow this same rule. 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.
Abandon the 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! Some personal favourites of mine include Stockxpert, Shutterstock and iStockPhoto, however there are lots more out there, so if you are curious, 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 main goal is to convey knowledge through words, images and flow charts. 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 added interest by making them 3D, and they will visually hold the viewers attention far more than flat, uninteresting 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 happy and overdoing the movement on your template is a definite no no. Having items whizzing in and out from all over the place, moving sideways and bouncing up and down – 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 cutting edge Executive Virtual Assistant Service which assists organisations and enterprising individuals with every detail of their entrepreneurial aspirations. Do you want to peruse some further information on these incredible online business building success strategies? Enter the Campaign for FREE Virtual Assistance as soon as possible!