Effective Presentation

Power of PowerPoint
Effective Presentation
• Use the slide master feature to create a consistent and simple design template. It
is fine to vary the content presentation (bulleted list, two-column text, text and
image, etc.), but be consistent with other elements such as font, colors and
background.
• Simplify and limit the number of words on each screen. Use key phrases and
include only essential information.
• Limit punctuation and avoid putting words in all-capital letters. Empty space on
the slide will enhance readability.
• Use contrasting colors for text and background. Light text on a dark background is
best. Patterned backgrounds can reduce readability.
• Avoid the use of flashy transitions such as text fly-ins. These features may seem
impressive at first but are distracting and get old quickly.
• Overuse of special effects such as animation and sounds may make your
presentation “cutesy” and could negatively affect your credibility.
• Use good-quality images that reinforce and complement your message. Ensure
that your image maintains its impact and resolution when projected on a larger
screen.
• If you use builds (lines of text appearing each time you click the mouse), have
content appear on the screen in a consistent, simple manner; from the top or left
is best. Use the feature only when necessary to make your point, because builds
can slow your presentation.
• Limit the number of slides. Presenters who constantly “flip” to the next slide are
likely to lose their audience. A good rule of thumb is one slide per minute.
• Learn to navigate your presentation in a nonlinear fashion. PowerPoint allows the
presenter to jump ahead or back without having to page through all the interim
slides.
• Know how to and practice moving forward and backward within your
presentation. Audiences often ask to see a previous screen again.
• If possible, view your slides on the screen you’ll be using for your presentation.
Make sure the slides are readable from the back row seats. Text and graphic
images should be large enough to read but not so large as to appear “loud.”
• Have a Plan B in the event of technical difficulties. Remember that
transparencies and handouts will not show animation or other special
effects.
• Practice with someone who has never seen your presentation. Ask
them for honest feedback about colors, content and any effects or
graphic images you’ve included.
• Do not read from your slides. The content of your slides is for the
audience, not for the presenter.
• Do not speak to your slides. Many presenters face their presentation
onscreen rather than their audience.
• Do not apologize for anything in your presentation. If you believe
something will be hard to read or understand, don’t use it.
Basics of PowerPoint
• Choose a theme

• Insert a new slide

Basics of PowerPoint
• Choose a theme
On the File tab of the Ribbon, select New,
and then choose a theme.
PowerPoint shows you a preview of the
theme, with four color variations to choose
from on the right side.
Click Create, or pick a color variation and then
click Create.

• Insert a new slide

On the Home tab, click the bottom half
of New Slide, and pick a slide layout
Basics of PowerPoint
• Save your presentation
On the File tab, choose Save.
Pick or browse to a folder.
In the File name box, type a name for your
presentation, and then choose Save.

• Add text
Select a text placeholder, and begin typing
Basics of PowerPoint
• Format your text
 Select the text.
 Under Drawing Tools, choose Format.
 Do one of the following:
• To change the color of your text, choose Text Fill, and then choose a
color.
• To change the outline color of your text, choose Text Outline, and then
choose a color.
• To apply a shadow, reflection, glow, bevel, 3-D rotation, a transform,
choose Text Effects, and then choose the effect you want.

• Add shapes
 On the Insert tab, select Shapes, and then select a shape from
the menu that appears.
 In the slide area, click and drag to draw the shape.
 Select the Format or Shape Format tab on the ribbon. Open the
Shape Styles gallery to quickly add a color and style (including
shading) to the selected shape.
Basics of PowerPoint
• Add pictures
 To insert a picture that is saved on your local drive or
an internal server, choose This Device, browse for the
picture, and then choose Insert.
 To insert a picture from our library, choose Stock
Images, browse for a picture, select it and choose
Insert.
 To insert a picture from the web, choose Online
Pictures, and use the search box to find a picture.
Choose a picture, and then click Insert..

• Add speaker notes

 To open the notes pane, at the bottom of the window,
click Notes button in PowerPoint.
 Click inside the Notes pane below the slide, and begin
typing your notes.
Basics of PowerPoint
• Give your presentation
Avoid using PowerPoint Presentation
• Slide Transitions And Sound Effects: Transitions and sound effects
can become the focus of attention, which in turn distracts the
audience. Worse yet, when a presentation containing several effects
and transitions runs on a computer much slower than the one on
which it was created, the result is a sluggish, almost comical when
viewed. Such gimmicks rarely enhance the message you’re trying to
communicate. Unless you are presenting at a science fiction
convention, leave out the laser-guided text! Leave the fade-ins, fade-
outs, wipes, blinds, dissolves, checkerboards, cuts, covers and splits
to Hollywood filmmakers. Even “builds” (lines of text appearing each
time you click the mouse) can be distracting. Focus on your message,
not the technology.
• Standard Clipart: PowerPoint is now so widely used the clipart
included with it has become a “visual cliché.” It shows a lack of
creativity and a tired adherence to a standard form. First, make
certain that you need graphical images to enhance your message.

• Presentation Templates: Another visual cliché. Templates force you

to fit your original ideas into someone else’s pre-packaged mold. The
templates often contain distracting backgrounds and poor color
combinations. Select a good book on Web graphics and apply the
same principles to your slides. Create your own distinctive look or use
your company logo in a corner of the screen.
• Text-Heavy Slides: Projected slides are a good medium for depicting
an idea graphically or providing an overview. Slides are a poor
medium for detail and reading. Avoid paragraphs, quotations and
even complete sentences. Limit your slides to five lines of text and
use words and phrases to make your points. The audience will be able
to digest and retain key points more easily. Don’t use your slides as
speaker’s notes or to simply project an outline of your presentation.

• Reading: A verbal presentation should focus on interactive speaking

and listening, not reading by the speaker or the audience. The
demands of spoken and written language differ significantly. Spoken
language is shorter, less formal and more direct. Reading text ruins a
presentation. A related point has to do with handouts for the
audience. One of your goals as a presenter is to capture and hold the
audience’s attention. If you distribute materials before your
presentation, your audience will be reading the handouts rather than
listening to you.
• The “Me” Paradigm: Presenters often scan a table or graphical image
directly from their existing print corporate material and include it in
their slide show presentations. The results are almost always sub-
optimal. Print visuals are usually meant to be seen from 8-12 inches
rather than viewed from several feet. Typically, these images are too
small, too detailed and too textual for an effective visual
presentation. Remember the audience and move the circle from “me”
to “we.” Make certain all elements of any particular slide are large
enough to be seen easily. Size really does matter.
Effective PowerPoint Slides
• Minimize the number of slides
• To maintain a clear message and to keep your audience attentive and interested, keep the number of slides in
your presentation to a minimum.
• Choose an audience-friendly font size
• The audience must be able to read your slides from a distance. Generally speaking, a font size smaller than 30
might be too difficult for the audience to see.
• Keep your slide text simple
• You want your audience to listen to you present your information, instead of reading the screen. Use bullets
or short sentences, and try to keep each item to one line.
• Use visuals to help express your message
• Pictures, charts, graphs, and SmartArt graphics provide visual cues for your audience to remember. Add
meaningful art to complement the text and messaging on your slides. As with text, however, avoid including
too many visual aids on your slide.
• Make labels for charts and graphs understandable
• Use only enough text to make label elements in a chart or graph comprehensible.
• Apply subtle, consistent slide backgrounds
• Choose an appealing, consistent template or theme that is not too eye-catching. You don't want the
background or design to detract from your message. However, you also want to provide a contrast between
the background color and text color.
 Fonts
• Select a single sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica. Avoid serif fonts such as Times New Roman or Palatino because these
fonts are sometimes more difficult to read.
• Use no font size smaller than 24 point.
• Use the same font for all your headlines.
• Select a font for body copy and another for headlines.
• Use bold and different sizes of those fonts for captions and subheadings.
• Add a fourth font for page numbers or as a secondary body font for sidebars.
• Don’t use more than four fonts in any one publication.
• Clearly label each screen. Use a larger font (35-45 points) or different color for the title.
• Use larger fonts to indicate importance.
• Use different colors, sizes and styles (e.g., bold) for impact.
• Avoid italicized fonts as these are difficult to read quickly.
• Avoid long sentences.
• Avoid abbreviations and acronyms.
• Limit punctuation marks.
• No more than 6-8 words per line
• For bullet points, use the 6 x 6 Rule. One thought per line with no more than 6 words per line and no more than 6 lines per
slide
• Use dark text on light background or light text on dark background. However, dark backgrounds sometimes make it difficult for
some people to read the text.
• Do not use all caps except for titles.
• Put repeating elements (like page numbers) in the same location on each page of a multi-page document.
• To test the font, stand six feet from the monitor and see if you can read the slide.
 Design and Graphical Images
• Use design templates.
• Standardize position, colors, and styles.
• Include only necessary information.
• Limit the information to essentials.
• Content should be self-evident
• Use colors that contrast and compliment.
• Too may slides can lose your audience.
• Keep the background consistent and subtle.
• Limit the number of transitions used. It is often better to use only one so the audience knows what to expect.
• Use a single style of dingbat for bullets throughout the page.
• Use the same graphical rule at the top of all pages in a multi-page document.
• Use one or two large images rather than several small images.
• Prioritize images instead of a barrage of images for competing attention.
• Make images all the same size.
• Use the same border.
• Arrange images vertically or horizontally.
• Use only enough text when using charts or graphical images to explain the chart or graph and clearly label the image.
• Keep the design clean and uncluttered. Leave empty space around the text and graphical images.
• Use quality clipart and use it sparingly. A graphical image should relate to and enhance the topic of the slide.
• Try to use the same style graphical image throughout the presentation (e.g., cartoon, photographs)
• Limit the number of graphical images on each slide.
• Repetition of an image reinforces the message. Tie the number of copies of an image to the numbers in your text.
• Resize, recolor, reverse to turn one image into many. Use duplicates of varying sizes, colors, and orientations to multiply the
usefulness of a single clip art image.
• Make a single image stand out with dramatic contrast. Use color to make a dramatic change to a single copy of your clip art.
• Check all images on a projection screen before the actual presentation.
• Avoid flashy images and noisy animation effects unless it relates directly to the slide.
General Presentation
• Plan carefully.
• Do your research.
• Know your audience.
• Time your presentation.
• Speak comfortably and clearly.
• Check the spelling and grammar.
• Do not read the presentation. Practice the presentation so you can speak from bullet points.
The text should be a cue for the presenter rather than a message for the viewer.
• Give a brief overview at the start. Then present the information. Finally review important
points.
• It is often more effective to have bulleted points appear one at a time so the audience listens
to the presenter rather than reading the screen.
• Use a wireless mouse or pick up the wired mouse so you can move around as you speak.
• If sound effects are used, wait until the sound has finished to speak.
• If the content is complex, print the slides so the audience can take notes.
• Do not turn your back on the audience. Try to position the monitor so you can speak from it.
Color
• Limit the number of colors on a single screen.
• Bright colors make small objects and thin lines stand out. However, some vibrant colors are difficult to read when projected.
• Use no more than four colors on one chart.
• Check all colors on a projection screen before the actual presentation. Colors may project differently than what appears on the
monitor.