engage your audience!

Engage Your Audience!Tips & Tactics to Create Effective Presentations

Linda DettermanSeptember 23, 2009

Goals Today

• Get More Familiar with PowerPoint 2007

– <Insert Disclaimer Here!>

• Inserting Media (Video/Sound/Hyperlinks)

• Inserting Graphs & Images

• Presenter Mistakes

PowerPoint 2007

• Quick Review of the “Ribbons”• General Purpose Ribbons

– Home; Design; Slide Show; Review; View• The Good Stuff

– Insert– Animations

The Insert Ribbon

• Pictures & Clip Art• Shapes & SmartArt

– Home Ribbon – Convert to SmartArt!• Hyperlink

– Web Pages– And Files Too!

• Sound & Action Buttons

The Animations Ribbon

• But First, a Warning– Use Animations Sparingly– Used Liberally . . .

• SOOOOOO Annoying!• Let’s Look through the Ribbon• And When it Comes to Sound (see First Bullet)

– Transition Sound

Inserting Video

• Video Tactics– Sets Mood– Recaptures Attention/Energy

• Easy as Inserting a Link to YouTube– URL Link

• But What if no Internet Connection? Or you Fear Broken Links?– Or, You Want a Better “Look” for your Slide?– Introducing: Zamzar

• Here’s the Difference in Presentation:

Harvest Time in Michigan

Embedding Videos

• You must take the video file with you – it must be on your laptop or thumbdrive (and don’t change folders/move your files around)!

• The steps:– Go to Insert– Select “Movie from File”– Find & choose your file– Click ok– The video file is now embedded in the slide

Images, Graphs, & Other Engaging Material

It can be Found for Free, Sort Of

And “Quotes” are effective and free too!

Graphics Tips

• Use bold colors• Clear labels• Title should convey main point/finding/takeaway

when possible• Stay away from superfluous background noise – it

distracts attention• Be a minimalist!

Graphic Mishaps

How Many Mishaps can you Find?

What, You Can’t See It?

My Graphic Pet Peeve

Images Have a Purpose

• Setting tone/Emotion• Grabbing Attention• Giving Personality• Explaining a Situation More Effectively than Words

Compare this:

Warehouse Project• Project began on July 2, 2008• Required 5 FTE’s to support disposal• Required 65 working days to clear• The warehouse was officially emptied on

September 18, 2008

To:

Warehouse Project

July 1, 2008 September 18, 2008

Presenter Mistakes• Failure to Appreciate your Audience

– Failure to understand who they are and their level of expertise: Customize your talk!

– Failure to consider “What’s in it for them?”– Failure to engage – ask them questions/eye contact

• Making the presentation all about you or your company• Failing to notice when the audience has had enough

– Yawns– Blank stares or staring out the window– List-making; studying wallpaper, etc.

More Mistakes

• Death by PowerPoint– Reading from notes– Reading bullet points– Excessive text (see previous slide!)

– Excessive graphics, animations, sounds– Crowded visuals

• Speaking Beyond Your Point and Time– Blathering on after the point has been made– Speaking past the allotted time

• Note: Webinar attendees will simply disconnect!

Final Mistakes

• “Ending with an Inspiration Deficit”– Summarize What You Said– Let the audience know you are done

• End with a “call to action”• End with a jaw-dropping surprise!• End with something fun

See BusinessWeek “Ten Worst Presentation Habits”

In Summary

• PowerPoint offers lots of bells – just don’t ring them too often!

• Use video & images to set tone/personality, explain a situation better than words

• Keep graphics simple & interpretable (think billboard not newspaper)

• Engage your audience beginning to end

And a Call to Action for You!

• Giving the same ole’ presentation next week? – Why not try to add something new?

• And a word about SlideShare -

The End!

engage your audience!

Self Improvement