Using PowerPoint in Presentations
Written by Ian Fraser
PowerPoint presentations can be a very effective way to conduct business presentations. There is however a definite difference between an effective presentation and an ineffective one.
Presentations and PowerPoint now seem to go hand in hand, but when was the last time you sat through a PowerPoint presentation that wasn’t overloaded with text, graphically repulsive or just plain old boring?
Here are some tips for using PowerPoint effectively:
Text, text and more text
Most presentations have far too much text within the presentation and on each slide. Here are some useful tips for text:
- No more than 6 points per slide
- No more than 10 words per slide
- Good size font (readable from 2 metres with no projection)
Focus on the visuals
You can’t have too many visuals in a PowerPoint presentation. More graphics, less text is a good rule here. Graphics are much more memorable. Remember a picture tells a story.
Colour
Colour, used wisely helps increase attention spans. Some research suggests increases in retention from 55% up to 78% when colour is used.
Colour also increases peoples attention spans.
- Black and white: 8 seconds
- Colour: 11 seconds
- Photo background:16 seconds (Source: Media Net – New York)
Make sure you use contrasting colours as 1/3 of all men have a colour deficiency usually a red green deficiency and avoid orange and yellow which do not project that well.
Use a dark background in a dark room and a light background in a light room. The text and graphics should be the emphasis of the presentation.
Don't make it too long
Be conservative on the length of the presentation itself. You want to include just enough information to get your point across.
Running Your PowerPoint Presentation
- Advance to the next slide: press Page Down
- Return to the previous slide: press Page Up
- Display a black screen, or return to the slide show from a black screen press B
- Display a white screen, or return to the slide show from a white screen press W
- Stop or restart an automatic slide show: S
- Return to the first slide: Both mouse buttons for 2 seconds
- To turn on a pencil for drawing press Ctrl P and draw on screen
- To erase the pencil press the letter E for erase
- End a slide show press ESC
Key Point
You are the presenter, PowerPoint is merely an aid and should never be the entire presentation! |
