powerpoint tips for effective presentations the dos and don’ts

PowerPoint Tipsfor Effective

Presentations

The Dos and Don’ts

Goals

A smooth natural delivery of information The electronics and special effects should

not be apparent to your audience Do not overdo it Beware of creating more interest in the

software than the material you are presenting

Benefits

Dynamic, full-color multimedia presentations are available to the average presenter

Data can be presented and compared Last minute changes are possible Special effects add interest Production costs are low Transmission to remote location is

possible

Limitations

Presentation equipment is expensive

Computer/graphic skills are required

Presentation depends more upon equipment than the presenter

A darkened room is required

Your Presentation

Your Slides Slide Transitions Sound Effects Animations

Your Slides

Titles Bullets Graphs Fonts Colors

Rules for Margins

Use adequate margins for each frame

Leave equal margins at top and sides

Leave slightly larger margin at the bottom

Titles

Appear on every page Attention-getting Short Forceful Names the key benefit from each

page

Bullets

Don’t list exactly what you plan to say

Outlines are best No more than 5 lines per frame

Use bullets/numbers to organize ideas No more than 6 words per line Use the same verb tense, cases and

number (s or p)

Rules for Text

Avoid using all caps for large blocks of typeISN’T THIS HARD TO READ?

Rules for Text

Limit your fonts to 1 or 2 below Recommended minimum size is 18

points

Sizes Sizes Weights Weights

Sizes of Type

Regular Type44 point36 point24 point20 point18 point16 point14 point12 point

Rules for Text

Use simple block typefaces and san serif typefacesHelvetica & Arial are idealFancy/ornate should be avoidedUse boldface type instead of underlining to add emphasis

Readability

60 pt Arial60 pt Times

60 pt Arial Narrow

30 pt Arial30 pt Times

30 pt Arial Narrow

Rules for Graphs

Keep it simpleAvoid too many elements

Lines, Segments, Colors, Textures

Place labels of graphs and charts horizontally (not vertically)

Bar Charts

Compare amounts of several items in a series

0

20

40

60

80

100

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

East

West

North

Line Graphs

For more information about measurable quantities over a period of time than can fit in a single bar graph

020406080

100

1stQtr

2ndQtr

3rdQtr

4thQtr

East

North

EastWestNorth

Pie Graphs

Show the components of a whole

Broken down into percentages and represent pieces of the pie

Your data must add up to 100 percent

1st Qtr

2nd Qtr

3rd Qtr

4th Qtr

Flowcharts

Not for illustrating statistics

Used for showing specific steps in a process

Start

End

End

Rules for Colors

Use color sparinglyLimit colors to 2 or 3Use distinctive color contrasts between text (dark) and background (light)

Use lots of white space

Contrasts

Owl Owl

Owl Owl

The Power of Suggestion

RED – Heightens Emotion BLUE – Indicates Conservatism YELLOW – Happy, Friendly PINK – Youthful, Innocent PURPLE – Royal, Trustworthy GREEN – Stimulates Interaction BLACK – Has happened and can’t be changed

Look Out for Errors

Check SpellingCheck NumberingCheck MathCheck GrammarHave someone you trust

proofread your material (paper vs. screen)

Rules for Graphics

Enhance, not distract Compatible Colors Avoid superimposing words over

graphics

Avoid superimposing words over graphics.

I could call in sick, sneak off to the golf course that day and not have to deal with it…

I could learn PowerPoint and create my own on-line presentations…

Rules for Animations

Use builds, or reveals, so the audience doesn’t move ahead of your point

Practice, practice, practice

Option 1 Option 2 Option 3

I could put it off and use last year’s old and out of date overheads and fumble through it…

Rules for Sounds and Music

Sounds don’t convert easily to a MAC platform

Sound effects are annoying if overused

Music works best on a looped ongoing presentation

Slide Transitions

Going from slide to slide Most presenters overuse transitions Stick with one or two non-

distracting transitions Use a “wipe up” transition, or a

“cover down” to guide the eye gracefully back to the top

Slide One

Using “Wipe Up”

Slide Two

Using “Wipe Up”

Slide Three

Using “Wipe Up”

Slide One

Using “Cover Down”

Slide Two


Slide Three


Random Slide Transitions

Fade Through Black


Cover Left Down


Random Bars Vertical

Controlling Your Slides

Turn your Screen BLACKand back again...

oror . .


Turn your Screen WHITEand back again...

or or ,,


To show or hide your pointer...

oror = =


To end your show

ESCESC or or CTRL+BreakCTRL+Break or or

MinusMinus or or END END


To advance to next slideMouse ClickMouse Click or or

SpacebarSpacebar or or N N or or

Right ArrowRight Arrow or or Down ArrowDown Arrow or or

Page Down Page Down


To return to previous slideBackspaceBackspace or or

P P or or Left ArrowLeft Arrow or or Up ArrowUp Arrow or or

Page Up Page Up


To go directly to a specific slide

<Number> ENTER<Number> ENTER

Rules for Handouts for your Audience

Don’t pack too many slides on one page

Leave room for note taking You can print all or just the ones

you want them to study Watch out for “Black/White” vs.

“Pure Black and White”

SlidesHandoutsNotes PagesOutline View

Rules for Closing

Use one or two closing slides Start and end with a black frame End your presentation gracefully

Rules for Delivery

Maintain good eye contact with your audience Don’t read from your notes NEVER read from the (front) screen Work the whole room Never be mechanical

Rules for Delivery

Talk louder than you think you should Use a lot of gestures to animate your

presentation and channel nervous energy productively

Strive for the Five C’s of platform excellence Confident Credible Competent Convincing Comfortable

powerpoint tips for effective presentations the dos and don’ts

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