TREVOR HEISLER

5 Simple Rules for Improving Presentation Slides

11/16/2016

4 Comments

 
Picture
1.) When preparing your slides, always remember that PowerPoint slides are a tool designed to enhance your presentation, they are not your presentation.  Your speech should be the focus. Not your slides.

2.) Your slides should NOT be a transcript of your speech with every point and sub-point. In other words, "you don't need to put all the dang words on the dang slides."  I can't recall whose quote that is, but you get the point. 

3.) In my experience you should always use at least 24-point type. Otherwise there will most likely be a number of people at the back of the room that can’t read your slides. If people can’t read the text on your slides, why have the text on the slides?

4.) Avoid detailed charts and graphs like the plague. If you must show a detailed chart or graph, hand it out as a full page print out. Don’t force people to try to read it on a slide. Better yet, have a slide with only the key figure or fact you want people to take away from the chart or graph.  

5.) You can only convey so much information in a 20 to 30 minute presentation. Your audience will recall much less than that.  The less you convey, the higher the recall – meaning the more effective your presentation.  If you have a lot of supporting data, scientific data, charts and graphs, then you should prepare a white paper and upload it to your website. Then during the presentation, let the audience know that they can find the more detailed information in the white paper on your website. 

There you have it. And, like most good presentations, the above rules have some repetition, or reinforcement, with number five more or less reinforcing the first four rules. So really just four simple rules to follow. That's not too much to ask, is it?

​
Awful slide
Picture
Good slide
Picture

Related: Pitch Competitions with Slide and Time Limits Can Be Great for Keeping Presenters on Point
4 Comments

    About

    Welcome to our blog.  We will use this space to discuss and promote evolving best practices in the fields of public relations and financial marketing. 

    Archives

    February 2017
    November 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    April 2015
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    March 2013
    November 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012

    Categories

    All
    Content Marketing
    Investor Relations
    Ir Websites
    Linkedin
    Managing Expectations
    Online Marketing
    Pitchbooks
    Presentations
    SEO
    Small Business
    Social Media

    RSS Feed