Finally I am actually using something they taught me is school . . . . PowerPoint (probably not what my professors wanted my biggest takeaway to be, but you gotta take what you can get).
After attending a truly awful webinar yesterday with a truly awful PowerPoint and after spending a good portion of the morning updating one of our sales presentations, I just couldn't help myself. Plus somehow I got stuck being the presenter/PowerPoint builder for every presentation I had in college.
Here are my top 5 PowerPoint presentation do's:
5. Do practice (please)! Even when you are speaking over the phone, have an idea of what you are going to say (don't memorize), take notes, make sure you have plenty of (interesting) stories and examples and make sure everything technical is working.
4. Do use lots of visuals! Unless you are sending the PowerPoint for someone to read, forget the text and pay attention to your visuals. Until I see it, I don't understand it.
3. Do cut your text in half! Do not put everything you are going to say on your slides. Why in the world would I listen if I can read everything on the slides? Also if there is too much on your slides you will be tempted to just read off of them.
2. Do look professional. This goes for your PowerPoint (and you if you are presenting in person). Don't do one of those crazy PowerPoint presentations with things flying in from all over the place and dancing graphics. I will get so caught up in those special effects that I will stop paying attention (or I will be so annoyed by them I will stop paying attention.
1. Do keep on track. If I give you an hour, all you have is an hour and please make that hour count. If you are doing something over the phone, please be careful of awkward pauses because they are especially awkward when I can't see you.
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