Put the 'Power' Into PowerPoint Presentations
Author
Laurie Richards
Date
May 08, 2019
Content
Author
It's PowerPoint presentation time! The room darkens, the screen lights up, the speaker talks in a monotone voice … and the audience does everything it can to not fall asleep.
We've all been at those kinds of meetings. You just want to scream at the speaker to make it interesting, to liven things up."
A PowerPoint presentation can - and should - be "powerful."
The material is only as good as the presentation. The last thing you want to do at an important business meeting is to lose your audience.
For starters be sure to develop your presentation for maximum impact and style:
- Customize your presentation - not just for your organization - but for your specific audience.
- Tailor slides you've already created for maximum impact.
- Find typos and other errors before your audience does.
- Make the most of PowerPoint shortcuts and wizards.
- Learn what colors work - and which don't - to deliver your message.
- Select typefaces that help your audience stay engaged.
- Create high-impact handouts with PowerPoint.
Graphics can make or break the presentation.
Kick your presentation up a notch with graphics that work. Use charts and animation to simplify complex topics that help people 'get it.' You should intersperse animation, color, graphics and sound for just the right punch, and perhaps most important, make even the most complicated chart or graph easy to understand. Make it as easy as possible for the audience to understand your points. And to make it easier for the speaker, you should create your own cheat sheets to eliminate worries that you'll lose your place or say the wrong thing.
In summation, here a few final tips to remember for presenting your PowerPoint presentation with power:
- Get people to respond - and remember your presentation. And don't rely on the PowerPoint presentation alone to make your points. It is up to you, the speaker, to bring it all together.
- Avoid sleep-inducing PowerPoint overload.
- Discover accessories, gadgets, and add-ons to create a more professional-looking presentation.
- Add smooth transitions to keep your audience engaged.
- Troubleshoot technical difficulties on-site.
- Be more than informative - be persuasive, engaging, entertaining, and effective.
- Learn how to move - and how to not move - when working with PowerPoint.
- Look at ease during your high-tech presentation.
Laurie Richards
Author
Laurie Richards is an accomplished international speaker who works with thousands of executives and association leaders. Known for her practical, interactive, and entertaining approach, Richards works with leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, sales people, and other professionals on improving communication at every level. She also lends her voice to video and audio programs in voice-over work. Richards’ experience as an international speaker and speaker coach comes into play as she helps clients strategically plan outcome-based presentations, put power into a PowerPoint (no more bored audiences), prepare for media interviews, manage crisis (before, during, and after), grow morale, build stronger teams, and improve everyday communications to directly affect the bottom line -- including new business pitches, state-of-the-organization addresses, sales presentations, and meetings. Many of Richards’ programs include personality profiling using proven Myers-Briggs, DISC, Social Styles, and other valid instruments to help clients work better as teams, improve efficiencies, select best candidates, and coach employees. Richards began her career as a legislative correspondent for Public Broadcasting. She managed leader communications for the National Pork Producers Council—the nation's largest commodity organization and originator of the successful, “Pork. The Other White Meat” campaign. Richards has hosted radio and television shows, managed one of the nation’s fastest growing public relations agencies, launched award-winning public affairs programs, and managed highly effective grassroots lobbying efforts, and facilitated professional development programs for Fortune 500 companies and associations. Richards is described as "enthusiastic, professional, effective, practical, savvy, inspiring, and enlightening." Clients note her strengths as “an innate charismatic style coupled with the ability to really connect with her audience and bring practical real-life experiences we can use immediately.” Her business clients span throughout the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia giving her first-hand experience and cross-cultural awareness. To remain relevant, Richards’ learning material includes current information reflecting today’s high-speed lifestyles, cultural changes, technological advancements, and shifting priorities. Richards has degrees in communication and business management and has earned masters’ degrees in business management and psychology. She has a variety of certifications in micro-expressions and psychological profiling. Richards is currently working toward her PhD in industrial and organizational psychology.
