15 PowerPoint tips

So you insist on using PowerPoint even though you know how boring it is ? Well, here are 15 tips from me.

1. Skip PowerPoint. I can insist too. Prepare your speech so that you can present even if the OH-projector breaks down. If your reason for having slides is that you otherwise won’t remember the disposition, it is a great disrespect towards the audience. Instead of putting the time into building slides, put it in your preparation of how you want to say things.
2. Before going into your ppt-library, first write down a few words on the purpose, audience, goals, content and structure. Now, you can turn on your computer.
3. If you absolutely need an agenda slide – don’t write more than three bullets. Just remember that this is a sleeping pill.
4. Have only one message per slide. Although I am not a fan of PowerPoint, I’d rather you have five slides with one message on each one, than one slide packed with messages.
5. If your reason for packing the slides full of info is because it will later be used as a hand-out: Make two versions. Always consider the context of how the audience will digest the information
6. Limit the number of object on the slide to maximum 6 objects per slide. It’s like a dice. You don’t have to think how many dots the dice has. But when you go above 6, your audiences’ brains need to work too hard. Remember: The logo is one object. Slide counts is another. A “Strictly confidential”-text is a third.
7. If you show a slide – be quiet for a few seconds. Let the audience read it first. Remember: The audience cannot focus on you and the slides at the same time.
8. No speaker notes on the slides – ever! No sentences on the slide – unless it is a quote
9. Make sure to run spell check.
10. Minimum font size: 24
11. Maximum number of font sizes: 3
12. Pictures on slides are more powerful than words. But make sure it is relevant. Otherwise it is called a decoration. If it is a decoration – skip it.
13. One of the best functions/letters on the keyboard when using PowerPoint is: B Use it every time you talk about something that doesn’t complement the current slide. W Is pretty good too.
14. Make sure you have contrast on the slide to make it easy to view.
15. If you want to show graphics – make them easy to read and explain them. Anything unreadable to the audience or not relevant, skip it. And if you have a complex diagram for instance that you MUST show, build it up and guide the audience through every step. But make sure it make sense, otherwise animations will just be a distraction

Good luck with your presentations //Antoni