Update: See what Guy Kawasaki (someone who matters in business) has to say about Power Point presentations. I think he would agree with my post. I also came across Presentation Zen, an entire website dedicated to the topic of professional presentation design.

 ”One of the things I learned about in the formative stages of my career was public speaking. I learned by watching lots of presentations, and one thing I figured out early on is that most CFO-level speakers — particularly CEOs, particularly male CEOs—really suck as speakers. They’re boring; they’re long; they wander around. I saw speech after speech, and I discovered that if there’s anything worse than a speaker who sucks, it’s a speaker who sucks and you have no idea how much longer he or she is going to suck. That’s a horrible feeling.”  – Guy Kawasaki

In college it was frequently a requirement to do a presentation or two during the course of a semester. Often the professors would require that we use Power Pointâ„¢ for the presentations. [I speak specifically of Power Pointâ„¢ due to it's widespread use, but this article can be applied to any presentation software.]

Power Pointâ„¢ can be a very effective tool if used properly. Many people, college students and professionals alike, seem to use presentation software more as a crutch than for its intended purpose. There are two common problems I find in 75% of all Power Pointâ„¢ presentations:

1. Using the PowerPointâ„¢ slides as the sole source of information for the presentation.
2. Using flashy text and graphic effects.

Rule 1 – You, the presenter, are the repository of information on your topic. If the verbal part of your presentation provides the EXACT same information on your slides then your presentation sucks.

It’s that simple. You might as well hand out copies of the slides and not waste your time talking. No one is going to listen to you anyway, they will be to busy reading your slides.

To avoid this problem follow these tips:

• Follow the 6×6 rule. No more than 6-8 words per line and no more than 6 lines per slide.
• Your slide text should be a used as a cue for you and a place to start taking notes (or listening) for readers.
• Have bulleted points appear one and a time to keep listeners focused.

Rule 2 – The KISS rule: Keep it Simple Stupid!

If you watch your slide show before the presentation and say, “That is cool” when referring to your graphics or text effects, you have too many wizzing text fly-ins and flashy graphics.

To avoid this problem follow these tips:

• Stick to Sans-serif fonts, ie. Arial or Helvetica. They are just easier to read.
• No font should be smaller than 24 pt.
• Use dark text for light backgrounds, light text for dark backgrounds.
• The background should be consistent and not distract from the text.
• Use only one type of text transition, ie. dissolve or fly-in
• Color can be used to highlight important information but chose colors carefully. Limit the number to no more than 4 for a chart and 1 or 2 for text highlighting.
• Check all colors on a projector before the actual presentation. Many colors appear different on a computer monitor compared to how they look when projected on a screen.
• Clipart, if any should related directly to the slide and be of high quality, ie. Don’t use the shit that comes with MS Office
• Only use all CAPS for titles

Rule 3 – Know what that the hell you are talking about.

I think this is self-explanatory but here is a simple example. If you are giving a presentation regarding the economy of Peru (in South America) you might also want to learn a little about the economies of the countries surrounding it. In this case that would, at minimum, include Equador, Columbia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile. These countries have most certainly impacted Peruvian economy in one form or another and you should know how. It is almost a guarantee some will want to know some detail like how the drug trade in Columbia affects the economy of Peru Impress them by knowing the answer and not having to defer the question. In short, cover your bases.

If you follow these rules and tips I assure you your presentation will be much more effective. If you are a horrible public speaker at least you will still be able to get your information across.

Filed under: F.Y.I., Tips