Do Your PowerPoint Presentations

STINK?

…A Meta Presentation

by David Bowen

www.davidleebowen.com

Scope• This Guide is for presentations to an Audience

• It is NOT for Sharing detailed Information

• It is NOT for Your Regular boring Meetings

• Know Your Audience

• Know Your Idea

• Communicate

• Close

Message • What’s your BIG Idea?

• BTW Your Audience Wants To Know – W.I.I.F.M?

• FYI, TMI is NOT A-OK

•• Tell Them What You are Going To Tell Them

• Tell Them

• Tell Them What You Told Them

Theme• Tie it all together

• e.g. “OLd Timey Stuff”

• Consistency is Key

• Be Creative• Be Creative

• Even Though:

• You May be constrained by Corporate Guidelines

• You may be timid standing above the croWd

• a

Color Scheme• Select a Color Palette that “Goes Together”

• e.g. B&W, Sepia Tone, Muted Reds

• Get Ideas From Your Hardware Store (Think Paint)Paint)

Space • Use It!

• No More Than 7 bullets

• No More Than 7 words

• Break These Rules Very Rarely

• YOU are the Main • YOU are the Main Event

• The More Stuff On Your Slide…

• The Less They Will Pay Attention to YOU!

•

Space

• Put up Your Slide

• Give Them a Second

• Speak To Your Slide

• Hide Slide If Needed

Arrange• Use the Corners

• Use The edges

• Keep It Simple (Superstar)• Keep It Simple (Superstar)

• Don’t be Afraid to Overlap

• The Guy In The Back Can’t See!

• ALWAYS JUSTIFY!

• Right –or-

• Left

• But But But But NEVERNEVERNEVERNEVER

Alignment

• But But But But NEVERNEVERNEVERNEVERCenter!Center!Center!Center!

• Go Look at A Magazine or Pro Web Page…

• Just Do It!

Fonts• Use a Unique Font

• Make Sure it is Readable (LARGE)• Make Sure it Fits Your Theme• Make Sure it Fits Your Theme

• Don’t Use Too Many Fonts – 1 Font with a Max 2 Accent Fonts

• 1000’s of Free or Low Cost Fonts Available

Pictures

Pictures• Worth a Thousand…

• Prominent Is Good

• Clip Art is Bad• Clip Art is Bad

• Millions of Pro Pix

Message (Redundancy pt 2) • Tell Them!

• Then Tell Them What You Told Them

Some Don'ts

This is some very tiny text to show as an example of what not to do for a presentation to an audience. If you use text that is too small, not only will your audience be confused, but they will also be irritated, frustrated, disengaged and apathetic.

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No Clipart No Audio Clips

No Tiny TextNo “Eye-charts”

BAD SLIDE!• This slide has too much clutter

• The text is centered

• There are too many font types

• Is There a Color Scheme?

• Clip Art…Yuk!

• This script is very hard to read• Clip Art…Yuk!

• This script is very hard to read• Can that guy in the back see?

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Message (Redundancy pt 3) • Tell Them What You Told Them

• Include a Call To Action!What was that

presentation presentation

about?

Questions?• Paraphrase the Question

• Eye Contact With Audience

• Address The Questioner AND The Audience • Address The Questioner AND The Audience

• Set Expectations – e.g. “Last Few Questions”

You Now Have The Power…Use It Wisely

Go Get ‘Go Get ‘Go Get ‘Go Get ‘EmEmEmEm!!!!www.Davidleebowen.comwww.Davidleebowen.comwww.Davidleebowen.comwww.Davidleebowen.com

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Back Up / Reference• If you can not live without your back up slides…

• Add more detail here so that a reader who did not attend your presentation can piece it together

• You will notice that this slide has far more words • You will notice that this slide has far more words than just the seven or less that is recommended

• Are you still reading this? If so, think of your audience and how bored they will be trying to read this low level of minutiae on your slides

• My goodness, you really are a glutton for punishment aren’t you?

Back Up / Reference• How To Hide A Slide:–When in Presentation Mode in PowerPoint :• Press “W” for White Screen• Press “W” for White Screen

• Press “B” for Black Screen

FONTS

• 1000’s of Free or Low Cost Fonts Available:– Be Sure to Read the Terms of Use

Back Up / Reference

– http://www.dafont.com/

– http://www.1001freefonts.com/

–…etc. etc.

Back Up / ReferencePictures• All Cost Ranges Available – including FREE• Read the Terms of Use• Some Resources:• Some Resources:• Fotolia.com• istock.com• etc.

The choice is clear…

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www.davidleebowen.com