Steven Schlagel

It might surprise you to know that there really are other presentation softwares besides PowerPoint. That's like saying there really are other operating systems besides Windows/MacIntosh. We know but no one really uses them.  So, for the foreseeable future, we need to make peace with PowerPoint. It's the tool we have. Please learn to use it well! There are some easy tips to improving your presentations so that people don't inwardly groan when they see it coming.

Your PowerPoint slides should not BE your presentation. YOU are the presenter. They are a tool to supplement and highlight key points in what you are saying. That said:

Do NOT read from your slides. Know your material. Ask yourself what you would do if the projector didn't work. Your audience can read faster than you can speak. This is the fastest way to lose them. Don't pass out paper copies of your presentation until after you are finished.

Design does matter. Use a font large enough to read (Guy Kawasaki, in this seminal idea for preparing and delivering PPt presentations, says no smaller than 30 point font). Make sure your fonts match. Make sure you are using a nicely designed template. The PowerPoint presentation is representing you and your company. If it isn't professional looking, it will reflect poorly on you. It pays to have a graphic designer prepare a template for your presentations that you can tweak as needed.

If you present frequently, check out Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter)