| Love it or hate it, PowerPoint is used
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| | MeaningA presentation with no structure
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| all over the world, every day, to create
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| | is like listening to someone ramble on
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| presentations. If you're getting ready to
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| | about nothing in particular. It has no
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| design a deck of slides for your next
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| | meaning, no message, and five minutes
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| presentation, here are ten mistakes you
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| | after the ramble has finished, you've
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| need to avoid to create an interesting
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| | forgotten everything about it
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| speech your audience will love.Mistake
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| | anyway.Which is why a good presentation
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| #1: Don't Cram Too Much On One Slide!Your
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| | should have a clearly defined structure.
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| audience has to listen to your speech,
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| | And by structure, I simply mean a
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| and read your slides at the same time.
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| | beginning, a middle and an end.Beginning:
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| When they're doing one, they're not
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| | introduce yourself, your topic, why it
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| likely to be doing the other. It's
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| | matters and why you're the right person
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| essential to keep the slides simple.Don't
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| | to talk about it.Middle: the meaty
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| have a twenty bullet points on one slide.
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| | substance. Talk pros and cons. Talk
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| Or a couple of hundred words. Or four or
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| | benefits. Talk features. Show them over
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| five pie charts. Or a bar chart full of
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| | and over why the message you're selling
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| specific detail.The best presentations
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| | is essential. Repetition is good.End:
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| make one clear point on each slide. Less
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| | wrap it all up by referencing back to the
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| is more!If you say something during your
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| | beginning of your presentation. Give your
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| speech that is clearly backed up by a
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| | audience a call to action - tell them
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| fact on your slide, it adds authority to
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| | what to do next.Remember the saying "tell
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| the point you're making.For your next
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| | 'em what you're gonna tell 'em, tell 'em,
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| presentation, try limiting yourself to a
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| | tell 'em you just told 'em."Mistake #7:
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| maximum of five words per slide,
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| | Don't Read Your PowerPoint Slides
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| including the title. Or can you ditch the
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| | Aloud!Occasionally, I see presenters who
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| words all together and illustrate your
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| | bring a slide on-screen, then read it,
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| point with a photo? Try dropping all the
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| | word-for-word aloud to their
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| numbers from a chart and just showing the
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| | audience.It's such a bad thing to do.
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| trend.Mistake #2: Don't Use Bullet Points
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| | Your audience will be insulted, and
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| On Every Slide!I'm sure you've had to sit
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| | you're missing the chance to use your
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| though one. You know, a presentation with
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| | slides to back-up and give authority to
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| endless slide after slide of bullet
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| | what you're saying.If you think you have
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| points. I've sat through many. The only
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| | a habit of doing this, the secret is all
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| good thing about them is they offer a
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| | in the preparation. If you use a script
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| chance to grab 40 winks.There's nothing
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| | to speak from, write the script first,
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| interesting about bullet points. They
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| | then create your slides second, without
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| just encourage you to read from the
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| | copying chunks of your script into
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| slide, which insults an audience, and
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| | PowerPoint. If you prefer to speak from
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| they take the audience's attention away
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| | notes, then create a list of notes using
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| from what you're saying.There are much
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| | different wording than what's on your
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| better ways to illustrate a point rather
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| | slides.Then practice in front of a live
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| than bullets. Why not find a good photo
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| | audience. Maybe a partner, or a
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| that works as well (try or
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| | colleague. Get them to stop you every
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| iStockPhoto.com). Or an interesting
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| | time you start reading from your slides.
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| quote. Find a chart that shows the trend
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| | You'll soon loose the habit.Mistake #8:
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| you're talking about. Show a simple table
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| | Don't Loose Your Audience With Ambiguous
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| with raw data. Show logos of companies
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| | PowerPoint Slides!All slides need a
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| using the products you're selling (try
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| | clear, simple path for the audience's eye
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| BrandsOfTheWorld.com). Show newspaper
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| | to follow. When slides are filled with
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| clippings. Or don't show anything -
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| | content that looks the same (for example,
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| sometimes, you need your audience to
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| | a long list of bullet points in the same
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| focus clearly on what you're
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| | type, color and size) they get lost in
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| saying.Mistake #3: Don't Make Your Font
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| | the detail.By making the importance of
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| Size Too Small!When you're designing
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| | different parts of your slide clear,
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| slides at your computer, it's easy to
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| | you'll instantly improve your audience's
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| forget how your slides are actually going
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| | understanding of the message you're
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| to be used. While 14pt text may look
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| | communicating.Here's three of my favorite
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| large enough sat in front of your
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| | ways of improving the clarity of your
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| computer, will it be visible from the
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| | slides.Contrast: make more important
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| back of a room when you present?Just
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| | items stand out. Make the font size
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| because you're projecting on to a 12' x
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| | bigger or brighter. Allow lots of space
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| 9' screen doesn't mean it's going to
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| | around the most important
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| appear huge to everyone in the room. In
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| | items.Highlights: highlight important
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| fact, it's the opposite. Sat close to a
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| | items with a different color. For
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| PC, the screen almost fills your vision.
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| | example, highlight rows in a table as you
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| From the back of a conference room,
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| | talk about them.Simplify: reduce the
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| however, even a huge projected screen
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| | number of words or bullets or pictures in
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| seems tiny.My tip: when you've designed
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| | a slide. Split one complex slide into
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| your slides on your PC, stand up, take
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| | several simpler ones.Brainstorm your own
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| five steps back and view your
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| | ideas for more!Mistake #9: Don't Irritate
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| presentation. (You'll find a remote mouse
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| | Your Audience With Annoying PowerPoint
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| useful for this.)Can't read your slides
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| | Animations!Yes, PowerPoint does include
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| now? Neither will your audience. Go into
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| | lots of flashy effects in its custom
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| your master template, and double the text
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| | animations palette.Yes, you can buy
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| size. Now try again.Mistake #4: Don't Use
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| | add-ons if you want even more.No, you
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| PowerPoint's Clipart!I can only think of
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| | shouldn't use them!Like sounds and
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| unprintable comments to make about the
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| | clip-art, over used animations in your
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| clip art supplied with PowerPoint. It's
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| | presentation look amateurish.They
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| amateurish. It's badly designed. And
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| | distract the audiences attention away
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| there's such little choice, you see
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| | from what you're saying as they focus on
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| people shoehorning images into their
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| | the screen. And do lots of random effects
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| slides which really don't fit the message
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| | impress your audience? No, never.Stick
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| or theme of their presentation.My
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| | with one or two that you like. I tend to
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| solution: use professional stock
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| | use Wipe Right and Box Out. That's
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| photography.My favorite suppliers are
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| | it.It's the same with slide transitions.
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| and Both have almost a huge variety of
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| | Find one you like and use it throughout
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| photos ranging from animals to
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| | your presentation.Concentrate your
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| landscapes, landmarks to technology. Go
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| | efforts on giving a great presentation,
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| to both sites and have a look around.Is
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| | not experimenting with all out
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| it expensive? Not at all. You pay between
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| | PowerPoint's animation styles!Mistake
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| a couple of dollars per picture, which is
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| | #10: Don't Use The Amateurishly Designed
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| nothing.Tip: find a photo on a white
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| | Templates Supplied With PowerPoint!Like
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| background. In PowerPoint, click the
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| | most of the artwork supplied with
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| transparency tool on the white area of
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| | PowerPoint, it's awful. Why didn't
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| the photo to cut the object out so it
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| | Microsoft hire someone to create some
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| merges seamlessly with your
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| | decent templates to bundle in with the
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| presentation's background.Mistake #5:
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| | software. Hey, Microsoft, I'm for hire if
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| Don't Use Sound Effects In Your
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| | you want me!The second-worst habit is
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| PowerPoint Presentation!Yes, PowerPoint
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| | finding free ones on the web. I can't
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| does include exciting sound effects like
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| | remember ever seeing some nicely designed
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| (wait-for-it) a race car! A typewriter! A
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| | PowerPoint templates that someone is
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| pane of glass being smashed! Gravy!OK, I
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| | giving away for free. The quality is
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| made that last one up.Just resist all
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| | usually around about Microsoft's
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| temptation and don't use any of them in
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| | level!The solution? Do it yourself, or
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| your presentation.They'll make you sound
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| | hire a pro.Try creating something simple.
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| like an amateur who has just discovered
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| | A graduated background, maybe, with your
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| some new features in PowerPoint and want
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| | company's logo in the bottom corner. Or a
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| to do everything possible to make them
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| | good royalty-free stock photo with a
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| fit into your presentation whether they
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| | semi-transparent tinted box laid over the
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| help or hinder.And, believe me, they
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| | top. Both solutions could look good.Avoid
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| hinder.There's not a lot more I can
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| | these ten mistakes and you'll give a much
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| really say about sound effects. Just
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| | better presentation the next time you
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| please, if you get nothing else from this
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| | speak.To learn about and discuss any
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| article, understand this: never, never,
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| | PowerPoint related topics, visit the new
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| use sound effects in PowerPoint.Mistake
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| | PowerPoint Forum message board. The board
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| #6: Don't Hack Together A PowerPoint
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| | covers all topics for PowerPoint users,
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| Presentation At Random! Structure Gives
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| | from beginners to advanced.
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