How to make power point presentations easy and understandable

Submitted by Patrick Grote on Thu, 01/19/2006 - 11:00pm.

An article making the rounds today discusses effective Power Point presentations for venture capitalists. It talks about a 10/20/30 rule of Power Point. It's an interesting article and one I am sure works with venture capitalists, but I've found some tips help with Power Point presentations in other situations.

There are two main Power Presentations that I make on an almost weekly basis: Implementation of new process or sharing of status. In both cases the presentations are usually handled on a conference call and do not use a projector.

These are the tips I find to be the most effective:

Page number on all slides except title. This is great for referencing parts of the presentation that are important.
Revision number/letter on title slide. Extremely important for a frame of reference.
Take out the words. The presentation isn't mean to be a read along, and you're there to communicate the information. The presentation is just a road map, so don't bore them with read alongs. Make your bullet points big enough to read and then talk to them. If you need to supply supporting documentation place it in the NOTES section.
Charts/Graphs speak for themselves: If your chart or graph cannot speak for itself then delete it. The chart/graph should be impactful enough that when your audience looks at it they get it. Don't bust it into two columns with the graph on one and bullets on the other.
Never send the presentation out the day before: You want to control the presentation of the material and ensure that it's fresh to the people reviewing it. You can make the argument that sending it out a day before allows people to look it over, but you don't want that to happen. What you want are interested people engaging you during your presentation. I usually wait to send it out 30 minutes prior to the meeting.
Engage the audience: As you are reviewing your information ask someone what they think, or ask them if they have an additional input. This not only draws attention to the information, but forces you to consider other's feedback. Remember, in most cases people aren't going to share what they think about the information being presented. It's your job to find out.
Excitement: You have to present your information in something other than a mono-tone. Don't pull a Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Be confident about what you're presenting and share that confidence with the others.