3 Steps to Creating Impactful PowerPoint Presentations
Many of us have been there before; you need to create a killer PowerPoint presentation for a client. You weren't sure where to start so you've left it to the last minute. Not only do you have to impress your boss and the client, now you've got the extra stress of a fast approaching deadline. A proposal is always easier because it's just a few sheets of paper with words on it. A presentation on the other hand needs a lot more finessing and is much finickier, meaning more opportunities for things to go wrong! There are 3 steps to ensure success: research, simplify, and last but not least, beautify.
In today's world of Google and Wikipedia you can find pretty much anything online and there is no need to leave the comfort of your orthopaedic office chair. Not like the days of yesteryear where the dewy system ruled and finding all the answers to your questions was like winning jeopardy. Extra kernels of knowledge will impress the client and your boss even more. It is more important that your presentation focuses on your client, rather than highlighting all the great merits of your product or service. To focus the presentation on them (after all everyone likes hearing about themselves and being the center of attention) will make your offering more appealing.
Once you've amassed all the great wisdom into a word document, the next challenge is to downsize the information into succinct bullet points and plug them into your virgin PowerPoint. The rule of thumb is to keep it simple, there should be no more than 4 short points per slide all legible from several feet away (no smaller than size 24) and the page's title font should be a minimum of a size 32 also remember to ensure the formatting is uniform. The more you can extrapolate from your bullet points and the less you have written on the slides the more you can engage your listener and demonstrate how well you know your subject. You'll also have more eye contact and better rapport with your listener.
However all of your research and slick bullet points will have no impact unless you beautify your presentation. The font needs to be attractive to the eye and easy to read, but you can't just have black and white with a hint of background color for distraction, yawn! And don't be thinking clipart! Winners of the World's Best Presentation Contest used graphics, big fonts and high quality photos, not clipart. You need photos that will grab attention and yet show attention to detail. The photo search is usually the final step, yet it can be very time consuming to find that perfect photo at the right price. When searching stock photo site, after stock photo site you often end up wasting too much time or settling for something mediocre. Fret no more! There is a new tool to help called ShotSpy, http://shotspy.com. It's a website that aggregates microstock images and footage from several websites so you can find all the best stock in one search. It's a better way to search stock and helps you create a killer presentation, fast.
To create the best PowerPoint presentation you need to dig up the dirt, focus on the listener, keep it simple and find the best images to put your best foot forward.
In today's world of Google and Wikipedia you can find pretty much anything online and there is no need to leave the comfort of your orthopaedic office chair. Not like the days of yesteryear where the dewy system ruled and finding all the answers to your questions was like winning jeopardy. Extra kernels of knowledge will impress the client and your boss even more. It is more important that your presentation focuses on your client, rather than highlighting all the great merits of your product or service. To focus the presentation on them (after all everyone likes hearing about themselves and being the center of attention) will make your offering more appealing.
Once you've amassed all the great wisdom into a word document, the next challenge is to downsize the information into succinct bullet points and plug them into your virgin PowerPoint. The rule of thumb is to keep it simple, there should be no more than 4 short points per slide all legible from several feet away (no smaller than size 24) and the page's title font should be a minimum of a size 32 also remember to ensure the formatting is uniform. The more you can extrapolate from your bullet points and the less you have written on the slides the more you can engage your listener and demonstrate how well you know your subject. You'll also have more eye contact and better rapport with your listener.
However all of your research and slick bullet points will have no impact unless you beautify your presentation. The font needs to be attractive to the eye and easy to read, but you can't just have black and white with a hint of background color for distraction, yawn! And don't be thinking clipart! Winners of the World's Best Presentation Contest used graphics, big fonts and high quality photos, not clipart. You need photos that will grab attention and yet show attention to detail. The photo search is usually the final step, yet it can be very time consuming to find that perfect photo at the right price. When searching stock photo site, after stock photo site you often end up wasting too much time or settling for something mediocre. Fret no more! There is a new tool to help called ShotSpy, http://shotspy.com. It's a website that aggregates microstock images and footage from several websites so you can find all the best stock in one search. It's a better way to search stock and helps you create a killer presentation, fast.
To create the best PowerPoint presentation you need to dig up the dirt, focus on the listener, keep it simple and find the best images to put your best foot forward.