Episode VIII - Powerpoint Tips for Keeping the Audience Awake

 
Hands up who has, at some point, had trouble staying awake in a meeting. Most if not all of us.
Let's face it folks, put a bunch of people in a warm meeting room with comfy chairs and it's a recipe for glazed eyes and drooping heads. One factor that will almost certainly have me nodding off is a bad Powerpoint Presentation.

Powerpoint has been around since 1987, it was originally just a Mac app written by a company called Forethought, Inc. So it has been dragging n' droppng, resizing and recoloring for 30 years. 30 YEARS! 

So how come so many people still do not apparently have even the vaguest clue how to use it? 

I have been subjected to bad Powerpoints for nearly as long as it has been around and after a recent and particularly gruesome example at my kid's school I just have to speak out.

So.... 
My Top Tips for Powerpoint Success and a Happy Audience.

1. Make it Interesting

If you don't put any effort into making your slides interesting and involving then I am not going to expend any effort to stay awake. 

Thumb Rule :  Put some nice pictures in the damn thing! As a species we post pictures of absolutely everything on social media but some expect us to stare at a slide of Times New Roman for 10 minutes.

2. In Fact, Avoid Text

Probably the most frequent sin is too much text. 
There's a special place in hell reserved for those who copy Word documents into Powerpoint slides. Really, these people should be made to use flip pads and write the whole thing while we throw eggs at them. If all you are going to do is 'show' me a document without my having to digest what's in it then why bother at all? If you want to show off, buy a Range Rover. If you want help reading, watch Sesame Street.

Thumb Rule : You should be able to memorize most the text of your slides, this shows that you really know your stuff and that it's not too wordy.

3. It is not a Parrot

If you are just going to read what is on the pres then why be there? Why waste your time and my time? E-Mail it to me and I can read it with a beer down the pub.

Thumb Rule : Imagine the presentation is a menu. The slides contain the name of the dish and maybe a picture. The menu just tells me what's on offer but good staff really sell it.

 

  4. You are talking to me, not the screen

Engage with your audience, look at them, make us think you care that we are there, captivate them with a cheeky smile and a wink. If I can't see your face when you speak to me I loose you emphasis, I don't know how you feel about it.  

Thumb Rule : Only look at the screen when you change slides and if you need to show something specific. At all other times engage with your audience. 

5. If you can skip it, drop it

Really folks, this gets my goat. Why add slides if you skip them??? Ok, so if the pres was originally for someone else but then have the courtesy to tailor it for me! I am important and don't want leftovers. Oh and I am not going to be impressed over how long the presentation was for others.

Thumb Rule : Each time you present to new people have a quick dry run beforehand even if you know the material. You can try to empathize with your new audience. 

6. You have a nice, big screen - use it

You don't have to be an expert to work out what's wrong with the slide pictured but you do need a telescope to read it. 

7. Walk about a bit

You don't need to stay next to the screen, it's not going to run away. Most presentations are a wee bit boring, allowing and encouraging your audience to look away from the screen keeps them, and you a little more frosty.

Thumb Rule : When someone asks a question take a couple of steps in their direction. Don't charge over Braveheart style, but a little emphasis that you have understood and are interested in their point goes a long way. Stops you getting thrombosis too.


8. Know what you are presenting


There is absolutely nothing worse than watching someone having to read each slide to figure out what they are going to say to the audience. Or, not actually know what they are talking about. 
Yes, the prescribed answer to a difficult question is 'I will get back to you' etc. but these should be rare. If the session is a brainstorm or workshop then your audience should be talking as much as you and the slides are just to keep the audience on the right path.

Thumb Rule :  If you don't know in great depth what you are presenting, far more than your audience, don't present.

 


Keeping some or all of these things in mind will at least ensure that the majority of your audience stay alive and awake long enough to make the first coffee break.