We've all been exposed to PowerPoint presentations that have made us secretly wish someone would pull the fire alarm just so we'd have a reason to leave the room. Nobody wants an audience feeling that way about one of their presentations. One of the keys to making your PowerPoint presentation not suck is by creating it in such a way that the audience doesn't even realize it's a PowerPoint presentation. Here's how:
Ditch the templates.
The first step to a sucky PowerPoint presentation starts right out of the gate with a boring pre-made background template. When people see the same cheesy background image that was just in their CEO's quarterly report snoozefest, they can't help but think, “Oh great, another PowerPoint presentation. Wake me when it's over.” It is a good idea to create a coherent theme that ties your presentation together, and a background image is an easy way to do that, but spend a little extra time finding the perfect – and unique -- background image. Your friendly neighborhood graphic designer should be able to whip up one that looks like a million bucks for a very affordable price.
Easy on the animations.
Just because Applebee's has a million items on their menu doesn't mean you have to eat them all. The same thing goes for animations. You can easily get carried away by adding a LOT of whiz bang spins, dissolves, and animations to your presentation. If you use too many of them, they become a major distraction from the point you're trying to communicate. (And in the worst case scenario, they may make your audience members dizzy and pass out.) If you MUST use animations, make sure you know WHY you're doing it, keep them simple, and don't use more than a few different types. But remember, in the history of PowerPoint, animations have rarely -- if ever -- actually improved a presentation.
Less words.
I will assume that you're not using your PowerPoint presentation as a replacement for note cards. That would be bad, and the audience will be able to tell in about 1.3 seconds (might as well just hand out a written version of your talk and let everybody go home early). If you have too many words on your slides, and you read them, the audience will inadvertently skip ahead, reading the words faster that you can say them. Then boredom sets in as they wait for you to finish. Not good.
Another reason you want to limit the words on your slides is because humans don't like absorbing information both visually and verbally (at the same time). Researchers at the University of New South Wales in Australia found the brain is limited in the amount of information it can absorb - and presenting the same information in visual and verbal form - like reading from a typical Powerpoint slide - overloads this part of memory and makes absorbing information more difficult. Seth Godin, marketing guru and presentation expert, advises no more than six words on a slide. Ever.
Bigger words.
If you absolutely have to use words on your slides, at least make them BIG. Guy Kawasaki, another presentation expert, has proposed a 10/20/30 rule. It states that your presentation should include 10 slides, take 20 minutes, and should have nothing smaller than a 30 point font. His formula is intended more for things like pitches to venture capitalists, but I think the 30 point font rule is an important one. It makes it easy for audience members to read your slides, no matter where they're sitting. It helps you to keep from cluttering your slides with words, and it also forces you to really think about what you want to say.
Paint a picture.
Instead of jamming your presentation with words and bullet points, look for images – good, powerful, striking images – that complement the point you're trying to get across. Don't be afraid to let the photo take up the entire slide; that will add to the impact. Images can trigger powerful emotional reactions in a audiences, which keep them engaged and on the edge of their seats. Plus, they create helpful memory stamps in their mind. An attendee may think back on a photograph that really struck them, and more easily remember the story that went along with it – and the important message you wanted to share!
By following these five simple – but often overlooked – guidelines, you can rest easy in knowing that your PowerPoint presentation doesn't suck.
Jason Kotecki is a mild-mannered cartoonist, speaker, and author with the mission of helping people diagnose, treat, and cure cases of Adultitis. He is the creator of the hilarious internationally-known comic strip, Kim & Jason, and the author of "Escape Adulthood: 8 Secrets from Childhood for the Stressed-Out Grown-Up." Read his blog, listen to his podcast, reminisce about your own childhood and sign up to receive free comics and tips on escaping adulthood at www.KimandJason.com
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