How to Give a PowerPoint Presentation By Michael Wood http://www.skillsworkshop.net/ a2.html

Introduction Most of us PowerPoint Here are some suggestions Interest waning Attention wandering PowerPoint Easy to use Can be effective Here are some suggestions

Don't Overload Common mistake – trying to include everything You collected the information You want to use it You are interested in your presentation Your audience is more interested in you Edit ruthlessly

Keep the Word Count Down Take words out Don't write in sentences Verbalize the subjective and adjectives Technical presentations with lots of graphs, bar charts and spider diagrams Don't have too much data on any single chart

Use Images Use images Easier on the audience Focus the audience's attention on you

12 is Better than 24 No magic number General rule – 12 is better than 24 36 is asking a lot from the audience Depends on what is on the slides Presenting research results vs a sales presentation

Know your Audience Some people want minutiae Some don't Senior business people are disinterested in the fine detail Keep to the key points There are always exceptions to the rule Conclusion - know your audience

Vary the Format Too much repetition is dull Change it around a lot Bullet points Graphs Bar charts Change it around a lot

Use an Appendix for Details The presentation as a document Includes more information than you need to present Put extra information in an appendix Sits at the back of your presentation Available if a tough question arises

Make it Easy to Read Should be easy to read at the back of the room Use color contrast between text and background White and yellow - difficult to read together Play safe Colors that look ok on your computer screen will not necessarily be displayed as clearly through a projector

Make it Easy to Read Use large easy to read fonts Avoid the weird ones Verdana Arial Tahoma Avoid the weird ones Avoid type that is close together Times New Roman

Practice Makes Perfect Practice your delivery Speak the presentation out loud Sound like the spoken word and not the written word Many speakers work from a written script It is hard to relax in a formal environment

Don't Read the Slide Find something new to say that isn't on the slide Don't read the slide out loud The audience will have read it for themselves long before you finish

Think about Tone Depends on presenter comfort level Some presentations are improved by humor and informality Helps the audience relax Gives them a reason to pay attention Exceptions – delivering bad news to the boss

Narrative Link slides together with cues and connecting words However Because Nevertheless Add sense of narrative Brings continuity to your presentation

Narrative Not uncommon "this chart shows" Dull and forgettable A child can tell you the 500 or so words of the Goldilocks story Most adults struggle to recall 10 items on a grocery shopping list Goldilocks is broken down into digestible chunks (8 scenes) and connected by narrative

Your Audience as Guests Presentation slides are a prop you master, slide servant. Do not defer to the slide Look at your audience Look at the screen briefly to remind yourself what is showing Punishable sin to turn your back on the audience

Your Audience as Guests Smile at the audience Be warm in words and body language Make eye contact You can give the appearance of eye contact by looking at your audience and sweeping the room with your eyes

Conclusion - Discussion - Source You are the master PowerPoint is the tool You can give an effective presentation By Michael Wood http://www.skillsworkshop.net/a2.html