I get a bit frustrated with the ‘PowerPoint is evil’ brigade. They’re out in force on the internet, and they have their right to a point of view. I just think they’re wrong. PowerPoint, Prezi, Articulate or whatever, are evil or good in precise proportion to the person using them. The ‘go naked’ idea seems…
In an earlier post, I discussed the skills and knowledge which every presenter needs. I talked about the importance of visual and verbal ‘channels’ for speakers, and suggested that the visual leads our audiences’ response to us, and the verbal only really confirms or denies the impression that we and our images make. How to apply…
I’ve seen a lot of business presentations – and given almost as many. I often get asked by clients, the people I coach, and guests at speaking engagements: what are the presentation skills I need to have? I talk elsewhere about designing effective presentations, and what is involved with skillful presentation delivery. But there is one simple…
You can’t ‘guild the lily’, you shouldn’t put a bling earring on a baby, and a dog is never improved by a leather coat. It’s already got one, hasn’t it? Yes, these are matters of taste, and taste is a very personal thing, but there are some things you should just know. If you’ve got…
We’ve already written about the power of images in designing effective PowerPoint Presentations (and how to change the size of an image for PowerPoint); if a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. This is where the design element comes in. If your image is so small you can hardly see it, what’s the point?…
Slides are always saying something about you. Busy and dull. Cliched and generic? Simple and interesting? What ‘brand’ would you rather have? As Leonardo da Vinci said, and who are we to argue with the man who changed the way we see the world – “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” Short and to the point,…
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve got frustrated when I’ve found the perfect image for my Powerpoint slide only to find it is the wrong size and no amount of tweaking is going to help. When the image ALMOST fits the screen – but doesn’t. When it looks like you tried to do…
In earlier posts, we talked about the important role of the visual elements of your presentation, how to use images for designing effective PowerPoint slides, and using the right visual elements and charts to present your information. Basically, common mistakes with your visuals make it hard for your audience to listen to you. In the…
Here’s the point, right up front- Choose your font carefully. On your presentation slides, as with your business card or logo, your audience will take a quick glance and begin to make judgements. Choosing a font which reflects your tone and personality, and is easy to read, will get you off to the right start….