Presentation 101 or how to make a good powerpoint!

I am not an expert in makeing presentations, but I have seen to many bad ones to know by now what to do and what not, so here are some tips that might help you on your next presentation.

Format:
Use the company’s newest presentation format. Normally companies have a standard presentation format and you should always use it.

If at a special meeting, us this meetings format (if there is one). There is nothing worse than showing a presentation with a different format. The message you are sending is that you are not part of the team.

Audience:
Always know your audience. This makes a tremendous difference when it comes to your presentation. Not everybody understands your lingo, therefore you may not come across. You must talk the audience’s language.

Know what you are talking about:
This may seem a no brainer, but I have seen so many presentations where the slides are simply read. That is a big mistake. You must explain with your own words what is on the slide. The text on the slide is a guide for you. You are the presentation. If for some reason the projector lamp dies, you must be able to deliver the same presentation, so you must know it.

Slide content:
A spreadsheet with 40 columns and 20 rows is impossible to read so why show it. Just show the important parts and if all is important, divide into several slides, use animation to make “zooms” to different sections.

Images:
An image speaks for itself. If you use a good image to represent an idea or concept do it. It will save you time and effort to explain your point. Today the web is full of images or clip art you can use, but pick wisely.. it is so easy to make a cheesy presentation, remember this is business, not your sons 4th grade dissertation.

Spelling:
Wouldn’t it be obvious? It’s not. With today’s spell checkers, some things are spelt correctly but it’s the wrong word, and if you are making a presentation in a different language than your native one…. You need to double check.

Test run:
I am sure that very few people test their presentation on a projector. What looks nice on the computer screen not always looks the same on the big screen. Contrast can play a big surprise, colors can be off, so if you can, test your presentation.

Last minute = poor presentation:
If given sufficient time to make the presentation, use it. If you rush at the last moment to make your presentation people will notice. Common errors are all the above plus your number will not be right, most likely things will sum 102%, charts will have the wrong year.... Take your time!

If you keep all of this in mind for your next presentation you will be fine, and as you go it will get to be part of you.

Again, this is all based on to many bad presentations I have seen over the years. Keep it simple and fun and the most important thing know what you are talking about!

George
The Captain.