Public Speaking: Presentation Software
Last week I posted a blog about using audio visual in your public speaking presentations. I deliberately left presentation software out of it, because I feel it deserves a separate post all on its own.
I think we all know a bad presentation when we see one. Despite that, it’s easy to fall into the same traps. So what are some things to look out for when preparing a presentation? This will be generic to any presentation software package, as there are a number of them and the pitfalls are all the same.
First, let’s look at the actual structure of the slide deck.
A busy slide is not effective. Too much text, too many colors, too much animation – all of these things detract from your overall presentation. People are too busy trying to figure out what’s going on and lose track of what you’re talking about. Most presentation tools will resize the text as you add more bullets, to the point where it becomes indecipherable. A good rule of thumb is to try and keep it down to 3 or 4 bullets, with minimal or no sub-bullets. In fact, some of the most effective presentations I’ve ever seen were just pictures.
A side effect of minimal information on the slide is you must be well-prepared and familiar with the subject. Too much information in your slide deck can make you too reliant upon what’s in the slide. The information in the slide should reinforce what you’re discussing, not draw the audiences attention away from you.
And that brings us to the next thing to avoid – don’t read your slides to the audience. Look at your slides as being the general outline for the discussion – if you’re simply going to read them, why not just send everyone the deck ahead of time and forego the actual presentation? Nothing will bore your audience more!
Modern presentation software can do some pretty cool stuff – animation, timelines, paths, and so on. Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. Avoid excessive animations or movement. Use it sparingly and it can emphasize the points you want to make; too much, and it comes across as gimmicky and often all people will take away is the fact that there was a lot going on but not necessarily the points you were trying to make.
Something that I’ve seen frequently of late is not using presentation mode, but rather just using the slide edit mode in the tool. I can’t say this with enough emphasis: USE THE PRESENTATION MODE! All of that work you put in to make sure the fonts were sized right and spaced properly is for naught if you leave it in the slide edit mode during your presentation. This is especially important if you’re doing a webcast, as you have no way of knowing what resolutions your audience members are using, and presentation mode will maximize everyone’s ability to see what’s on the slide.
Finally, let’s talk about how to use the projector. I mentioned in a previous post the importance of getting to the venue early to test the equipment. That’s true in this case as well.
Once you’ve started, avoid standing in front of the screen. Not only are any shadows you cast a distraction, it makes people focus on the wrong things. Stand to one side and avoid blocking anyone’s view.
Likewise, if we feel unprepared, we may tend to turn towards the screen. Even if you’re miked, it’s bad form to turn your back on the audience. This again stresses the importance of preparation. Your slides are there to help make your points to the audience, not serve as an aid or helper for you as the speaker.
Finally, work hard to become familiar with your presentation software. Take a class if you think it would help. Learn how to build your own templates, how to set up master slides, use the outline and notes modes, and so forth. The more familiar you are, the more comfortable you will feel using it.
Even if you’re totally prepared, time and unforeseen occurrences affect all of us. Have a printed copy as backup, just in case there’s a problem with the projector, power, or some other weird thing.
Presentation software can be a real help when speaking to an audience, allowing you to emphasize key points and build a memorable discussion – but only if it’s used effectively.