Effective Presentations

Let's get to the bottom of what is going to make your presentation great: it has to be different. Different is memorable. Different is noticeable. Different will make you wake up and pay attention. As animals, we all have the urge to explore when something different has been put in front of us.

When I make presentations, I make sure that I'm creating visuals that are different from not only what we see in normal (boring) PowerPoints, but different from what we see every day. If I have to use words or titles, I alternate colors. Use big, bold letters. Use simple Sans Serif text. Keep it simple but keep it different.

Corporate templates aren't different.
Pre-loaded PowerPoint templates aren't different.
Bullet points aren't different (or memorable).
Reading off of notes isn't different
Splitting up portions of a team's presentation isn't different.

Using white space is different.
Using video is different.
Using audio is different.
Using full slide images is different.
Using one big word on one slide is different.
Putting your company logo on the first and last slide ONLY is different.
Telling a joke is different.
Speaking about yourself, truthfully, is different.

You're really looking for two things in a presentation - interest and recollection. Will your presentation be interesting when you're giving it (both audibly and visually)? Will your presentation be memorable hours, days, months after your audience has left? A presentation with a simple yet visually stunning design will make the presentation more interesting and easier to recall at a future date. This leads to a sale when your prospect finally sits down to pick a vendor, and a better grade when your professor sits down to grade 30 presentations. Will she remember you?

"It's difficult to share one's vision when there is nothing to see"

I've done a lot of research into effective slideware design and what I was happy to discover was that you don't have to be an artist or a designer to build a great looking presentation. Everyone can create a PowerPoint/Keynote presentation that keeps the audience visually engaged for however long your presentation runs. It doesn't take a large amount of artistic skill, just an understanding of what the visual support for a presentation is supposed to accomplish.

The visuals are part of the show, and YOU are the star. They should be designed in such a way that they become the backdrop to the story that you are building in the minds of your audience.

Unfortunately, many people believe that they should repeat or recap what you're talking about. Why is that even necessary? I've spoken to my fiancee every single day for the past 6 years and I've never needed to email her my slides so she can remember what I said. It IS possible to speak during a presentation and actually have people listen and remember what you said.

What does this mean? Powerpoint isn't made for words.

So if PowerPoint/Keynote isn't for words, what is it for? Using slides is a great presenting tool because it visually stimulates your audience while they are listening to what you say. So if I told you I have a niece, her name is Mary. She is 10 months old and loves to crawl. I could grab a snazzy template, throw in some bullet points, and maybe even try to fit a small picture of her. Or I can bring up a simple slide (see inserted picture) and tell you all about her. It is a proven fact, you'll remember this picture of her and some of the information I say better than if I just listed the facts in bullet points. This is because of Picture Superiority Effect, which proved that images are easier to remember the longer the recall time is. Often after presentations you're required to recall information days and weeks later.

To make your messages more memorable, use more images, less text.

So you have to give a PowerPoint presentation and you are terrified of public speaking. It's a predicament that we have ALL run in to. What can you do to present effectively??

No matter how this makes you feel, it's the truth - it is ALL in the preparation. You know how realtors will say that there are three criteria that make a great house - location, location, location? It's the same for presenting - preparation, preparation, preparation.

Start your preparation as soon as you're asked (told, assigned, forced, etc.) to present. Assuming you have your content lined up and your accompanying visuals, start presenting. As uncomfortable as it may feel, start practicing wherever you can find a quiet space. In college I'd find a small space in the library and run through my presentation over and over again. Now my living room suits me just fine and my cat is a very attentive audience. You have to get comfortable with your content and find where your weaker areas are.

Once you're comfortable presenting your content, have someone sit in on a dry run. This can be anyone, so don't feel obligated to drag a co-worker into an empty meeting room. Getting real feedback from friends, family, or co-workers is priceless. They'll be able to point out inconsistencies in your content that you may not have seen, and may notice that you stuck your hands in your pockets 27 times in a span of 5 minutes.

Getting familiar with your content and taking the time to prepare will pay major dividends in the end. You won't have to worry about remembering what

Steve Jobs is the best presenter I've ever seen. He makes it seem as though he's having a conversation with the viewer, and makes his audience feel comfortable and welcomed. He doesn't do this by "winging it." Steve is known to rehearse his presentations over and over again. He receives lots of feedback from colleagues and edits his presentation until it's just right. We see the final product, but it's the preparation that makes his speaking style so effective.

We all have people, places and things we couldn't live without. When designing PowerPoint presentations, the two sites I couldn't live without are iStockPhoto.com and DaFont.com.

[b]iStockPhoto.com[/b] - This is by far my most visited site. iStockPhoto is the internet's original member-generated image and design community. Prior to this site, there were a few sites that charged outrageous amounts for photos. iStockPhoto has a community of photographers who upload their photos and illustrations, and in turn you can download those photos starting at $1. While there are certainly other sites to find imagery, this is the most convenient and cost-effective. http://www.istockphoto.com

[b]DaFont.com[/b] - One key to making your PowerPoint presentation memorable is to use an original font. Even if it's subtle, your audience will notice the different. DaFont.com offers hundreds of free and low-cost fonts that can be downloaded and installed easily for both PCs and Macs. http://www.dafont.com