Don't Be a Power Point Murderer
Dont want to be known as the Power Point Murderer? Five pointed decisions will power your presentations. Youll notice that these five techniques require only the basic features of power point.
1) Graphics (illustrations, graphs, processes [NOT clip art]): these will be powerful when used to illustrate a point that is not expected. We dont need confirmation of what we already know. We need to see a visual representation of what we dont know or what is surprising. Are you advocating something totally new? Show a picture of it and talk about why its an idea that will make a difference.
2) Pulling people together: using logos or other icons of various team members helps the audience visualize the breadth and depth of a team comprised of different entities. This is obvious in a prime-subs situation. It is also useful when a multi-department internal team is convened. Show each department surrounding the central goal. People then see at a glance who their partners are, and how they will work together towards the goal.
3) Photos: Using photos of your own people, your own locations, and your own successes is stimulating and energizing. People like to recognize places and people, and are drawn into the content of the presentation when they do. While many companies have professionally made photos of their headquarters or products and equipment, presenters should snap a few pictures that will be meaningful to their specific audience. For example, take a picture of a person who won an award when youre talking about goals for the coming year. Everyone will imagine themselves holding that award next year.
4) The Future: Capture and illustrate visions and goals for the future. These are some ways that are very effective:5) Use the toggle off key: When youre showing a visual to make a point, show the visual for a few seconds only, then toggle off while you elaborate the point. Getting the important information from the presenter rather than from a slide gives the audience a feeling that theyve gotten a high return on the investment they made coming to listen to you. There is no law that requires you to leave slides on for the entire presentation, no matter how many times and for how long youve been doing that. Just stop!
There are many very positive uses of power point slides and I coach my clients how to identify them and incorporate them into their presentations. The emphasis is on the power of the presenterand thats the point.
A time-pressed business presenter can create and rehearse a 30 minute presentation in only three hours using Trivers Communications Groups Start Fast and Finish Strong system. Three hours is about 25% of what it typically takes people to go from blank slide to receiving applause from the audience.
Start Fast and Finish Strong is for CEOs, Sales Teams, Oral Proposal teams, Business Development professionals and all individuals who want to take steps to reach their next level. Send a request more information to susan@susantrivers.com
Susan G. Trivers, MBA, President of Trivers Communications Group, is a long time member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and the Washington D. C. Chapter of NSA, where she served on the Leadership Council. She has been a popular speaker for Women in Technology. and is in demand as an Orals coach.
She is the author of The Red-Hot Guide to COOL Speaking Craft and Deliver Presentations that are Creative, Original, Outsized and Liberated. It may be purchased from Susan's Store at http://www.susantrivers.com
In this article, Microsoft writer Joy Miller explains that, to create color-coordinated slides with matching fonts and backgrounds in your next PowerPoint 2007 presentation, you should understand the difference between PowerPoint 2003 and earlier design templates and PowerPoint 2007 themes.Power Point Tutorial16974
