Effective PowerPoint Presentations

1. Effective PowerPoint Presentations It is easy to make a PowerPoint slide show; however, harder to make an effective presentation

2. Why Use PowerPoint • Overhead Transparencies will not work anymore in large auditoriums. • Imagine if your church or other organization used an overhead to make their points instead of PowerPoint. • PowerPoint allows you to interact with your audience, the Rocky Mountain Travel Association.

3. Effective PowerPoint Presentations • If your presentation is meaningful it will determine if your subjects will go to sleep or be involved in what you are saying. • I will look around the room to see how involved your travel agents are in this presentation

4. Color Scheme • Light text on a dark background is most effective. • As long as you stick to this just make sure that your colors are pleasing. • Only change the scheme on certain slides that you want to emphasize. Such as a green background when you are referencing money. • In a business setting you would probably want to use the colors that the business has adopted, such as Coca-Cola Red.

5. Too Much Information! • Your PowerPoint presentation is an aid not the presentation in itself. • If you have a slide with more than five bullets include them in a new slide. • Make just major points with bullets your audience cannot read too much information from a slide, consider using handouts! • Never read from your presentation.

6. Clip Art • Use clip art to help make your points without having to explain them! • Be careful with animated gifs that might take away from what you are saying! • Try not to use the same clips several times in your presentation. • This does not apply to your logos--put these on the master slides to help reinforce your company’s image.

7. Backgrounds • Try to customize your presentations by changing the color schemes, and making custom backgrounds. • If your audience sees a generic brand presentation they are less likely to pay attention to what you are saying. • You can purchase from an Office Supply store both new backgrounds and clip art.

8. Technology • When you use transitions, sounds, and custom animation use it sparingly. • Remember sound from your laptop may not have enough volume for everyone to hear it. • Remember some animation makes text harder to read. • There is nothing better than a presentation that is done professionally with only limited effects

9. Empty Space Use it! Empty Space adds impact!

10. Why are you doing this presentation? • Start with the end in mind. • Why are you speaking to this group of travel agents, what are you trying to accomplish! • Your reward in this class is a good grade, your reward in the world of work is to keep your job.

11. Hints For A Successful Presentation • Plan carefully • Do your research • Know your audience • Time your presentation • Practice your presentation • Speak comfortably and clearly

12. Effective PowerPoint Slides • Standardize position, colors and styles • Include only necessary information. • Use colors that contrast • Too many slides can lose your audience

13. Text Guidelines • Generally no more than 6 words a line • Avoid long sentences • Larger fonts indicate more important information • Be sure text contrast with background • Fancy fonts can be hard to read • WORDS IN ALL CAPITAL LETTER ARE HARD TO READ

14. Clip Art and Graphics • Should balance the slide • Should enhance and complement the text not overwhelm or take away from it. • No more than two graphics per slide.