5 Tips for Better PowerPoint Presentations

We all know that PowerPoint, Keynote, and other similar Slideware presentations have become the “norm” for business presentations. We’ve all seen good one and bad ones, but mostly bad ones. Slideware can be a useful tool, but we usually see it being used very poorly. Business presentations have become simply narrations. The presenter stands and reads the slides. If reading was the only requirement to learn this information, then why have a presenter at all? Why not just e-mail the slides to everyone? Not only does this become a poor presentation issue, it also is a poor time-management issue. People who develop this type of Slideware presentation are missing the mark. Here are 5 tips to enhance and improve future Slideware presentations:
Use pictures. When it’s possible, get rid of words all together and use a picture, graphic, or illustration. This way you don’t fall into the trap of just reading the slides. Also, this creates anticipation and curiosity in the audience’s mind, which is always a good thing. When the slide changes and there’s only a picture, they wonder, “What does that picture have to do with what he’s saying? How is he going to tie that in?” Now their ears are tuned in to what you’re going to say next. The graphic is a great way to help you stay on track and is a reminder of your next story and point. The audience will be more likely to remember your story because of the picture as well. It’s easier to remember a picture that 3 paragraphs on a slide.
Use brief bullet points. Of course there will be times in the presentation when it might be best to write out your points. For instance, if you’re giving a 5 step plan, you’ll probably want a slide with each step written on it at some point in your presentation. Just make sure that your bullet points are brief. I like to keep them as short as 3-7 words. That way they are simply reminders for you and it makes for easy note-taking for your audience.
Use the B and W buttons. The point of giving a presentation is to have an audience listen and watch you. Slideware slides can often be a distraction for the audience. They are looking at the slide more than they are looking at you. There will be moments when you want the audience to look at you and you alone. Here is a simple tip that you can use to instantly get their attention. You can turn the screen to black by hitting the “B” button on your keyboard or you can turn the screen white by hitting the “W” button on your keyboard. (Similar buttons might be available if you are using a remote for the presentation.)This way there is nothing on the screen for the audience to look at and they will instantly turn their head and look at you to see what’s happening next. To bring your slides back on the screen, simple hit the “B” or “W” key again and you will pick up right where you left off.
Limit the bells and whistles. All Slideware have many fun gadgets and tools in the program that you can use. Letters can come flying on and off the screen. Bells will chime every time you change a slide. But these options are usually not the most effective way to deliver your presentation. These “bells and whistles” can become distracting and annoying. Limit your use. In fact, try not to use them at all.
Find the point for each slide. Be sure that each slide has a point. There is an exercise that I highly suggest you go through when you are developing your Slideware presentation. First, look back at your written overall theme for the presentation. This will help you focus your entire message. Then, go through each slide and find the point of each slide in one phrase of no more than 5 words. Double check that each point of the slide coincides with the point of the entire presentation.
Why I’m a so specific about the number of words when finding “the point” to the slides? Because, as presenters, we need to practice being clear and succinct. There is power in brevity. If we have to babble on and on to make a point, we’re not doing our job.  Also, going through this exercise will help you memorize the entire presentation! When you go through and know the point of each slide, the rest comes easily. This small exercise will make a huge difference in your future Slideware presentations.
I was working with a client of mine for a series of speeches that he had to give. He has to use PowerPoint for the presentations and we worked on making it a powerful PowerPoint. He was pretty surprised by the process that I walked through when developing a PowerPoint presentation. He thought that each slide could speak for itself. He never realized that each slide was supposed to tie into the “overall theme” of the presentation. His PowerPoint presentation was like a lot of mini-presentations on each slide. No transitions. No congruency. No flow. After we walk through the exercise I just described for you, his presentation was taken to a whole new level. He received more compliments and acknowledgement from his much more effective presentation.
To create a great Slideware presentation, you need to find the flow. That’s right, I said it, the flow. Just as with any presentation, there needs to be a theme or a “through-line” in the slides. I’m not talking about the aesthetic look of the slides (while that does help); I’m talking about the content. Just as you crafted a speech with transitions, points, stories, illustrations, and other examples that supported your “overall theme”, you need to do the same with your Slideware. Double check each slide and ask, does this support my overall theme? If it does, then you have created a much more effective Slideware presentation.