Tips on Giving an Effective Powerpoint Presentation

Gary S. Clark, MD, MMM, CPE

[adapted from Larry Robinson MD]

Outline

•  Why/When Use Powerpoint? •  Focus on Main Points •  Engage the Audience •  Slide Design: Text/Photos •  Graphics & Animation •  Humor? •  Practice, Practice, Practice •  “Nightmare on Presentation Street”

Do you want to use Powerpoint? •  Not all presentations are best done with

Powerpoint •  Consider content/setting •  What would have happened if these

presentations were given with Powerpoint? Ø  Lincoln: Gettysburg Address Ø  Martin Luther King: “I Had a Dream” Ø  Vince Lombardi: SuperBowl Locker Room

Why use Powerpoint?

•  Highlight main points •  Organize presentation •  Remember what to say •  Graphics/Photos (1,000 words) •  Give audience lecture handout to take home

Ø  Though few will ever look at it again Ø  If they put in their files – they won’t find it

Focus on Main Concepts •  Audience will remember (at most) 3 things

Ø  If you’re lucky! Ø  Concepts are better than facts

•  Avoid long lists of things to remember Ø  Differential diagnoses Ø  Etiologies

•  Avoid the temptation of giving too much information!

Engage the audience •  Begin with the end in mind

Ø  Let them know where you’re going Ø  Outline the talk, provide goals at the start Ø  “Tell them what you’re going to tell them,

tell them, remind them what you told them” •  Ask questions of the audience

Ø  Audience appropriate Ø  Even if rhetorical (makes them think!)

Involve the audience •  Ask opinions

Ø  When you have experts in the audience Ø  Socratic (Gerry Herbison)

v  Call on people (esp. if you know them) v  Prompt them/Don’t embarrass them

Ø  Be careful to not lose control! •  Audience Response Systems (Dynamic) •  Give test at the end? (Warn them up front) •  Give out prizes? (Worsowicz)

How much text? •  6 by 6 rule - ideal

Ø  No more than 6 words per line Ø  No more than 6 lines

•  Nothing too small to read from the back row Ø  “I know you can’t see this but…..” doesn’t work Ø  8 foot rule?

http://makeapowerfulpoint.com/2012/10/09/the-cure-for-powerpoint-myopia/

Ø  10/20/30 rule? (10 slides/20 minutes/30 font) http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2005/12/the_102030_rule.html#axzz28dCFvRve

“This is just to remind me to…”

Standardize Slides •  Position on the slides

•  Color – don’t use reds! Ø  Looks good on computer but not on screen Ø  Color Blind audience Ø  Good to use colors for contrast

•  Font - Arial or Helvetica is better Ø  Times Roman harder to read Ø  Old English and script are WORSE

•  DON’T USE ALL CAPS or all bold => TOO HARD TO READ

•  Consistency – Fonts/Size/Bullets/Positioning

Graphics? •  Can be used to enhance your points •  Can also detract from your lecture •  Make sure correct graphics displayed

when you are presenting the points Ø  Distracting/frustrating if wrong graphic

showing when you’re speaking •  Put time into clarifying/simplifying

•  “Beautiful evidence” – Edward Tufte

Think Carefully about Graphics

Think Carefully about Graphics

Think Carefully about Graphics

Avoid Big Tables (Better to condense/summarize)

Animation and special effects •  Can bring in/emphasize one point at a time

Animation and special effects •  Can bring in/emphasize one point at a time

Ø  Option of ‘slide build’

Animation and special effects •  Can bring in/emphasize one point at a time

Ø  Option of ‘slide build’ Ø  Option of sequenced points with animation

Animation and special effects •  Can bring in/emphasize one point at a time

Ø  Option of ‘slide build’ Ø  Option of sequenced points with animation

•  Don’t let your kids play with your slides •  Text movement can be distracting •  Sounds can be a problem •  Use sparingly to highlight points •  Just because you can,...

doesn’t mean you should

Humor? •  Has to fit with/into presentation •  Stand-alone jokes don’t work well •  Make sure everyone will ‘get it’ •  Think about Car Talk (www.cartalk.com)

Ø  Make fun of the caller Ø  Make fun of themselves Ø  But you listen and learn!

•  Relevant cartoons often safer/more effective

Slides of your Vacation, Kids?

•  Use caution - Can be distracting •  Does it fit with/into your main points? •  Otherwise why are you including? •  People don’t want to see your vacation

slides, photos of your kids, etc. in the middle (or end) of a lecture

•  Detracts from your ‘take home’ message

Photo Compression

•  Photos take up a huge amount of space •  Can make emailing and saving a problem •  Click on a photo to highlight

Ø  Brings up Picture Tools menu Ø  Click on “Format”, “Compress”, “Apply to all”

•  Can reduce file size by 80%-90% Ø  Reduces 40 MB to 4 MB with good resolution

How much time for each slide?

•  Varies per person – general rule: 1 min/slide Ø  Time yourself with practice presentation

•  Better to finish early with time for discussion •  Going over time gets everyone anxious •  Do not read the presentation. Practice the

presentation so you can speak from bullet points. The text should be a cue for the presenter rather than a message for the viewer.

Practice? •  Practice with a timer – very important

Ø  Pace yourself so don’t rush at the end •  Choose your words ahead of time •  Focus on your intro and conclusion •  Use slides as a prompt •  Practice

Ø  5 times for important presentation! Ø  3 times for moderately important talk Ø  Never, if you want to appear disorganized Ø  Nonprofessional audience (spouse, secretary)

Nightmare of Presentation Street: 10 Horrors to Avoid

“We’ve all sat through nightmare presentations. You squirm with discomfort, cringe at overwhelming slides, and sometimes even go running in the opposite direction. Don’t haunt your audiences! Decks should keep viewers on the edge of their seats, not crying for mercy.”

http://blog.slideshare.net/author/guestauthor/

Nightmare of Presentation Street: 10 Horrors to Avoid

1.  The Tomb of the Jargon Makers Ø  “Synergize your ROI by leveraging your cloud asset...”

2.  Shock! Horror! The Incredible Shrinking Type Ø  “You may not be able to read this in the back. Let me

read it for you.” 3.  Plan 9 From Outer Space

Ø  Your curse: you know too much/are too passionate. 4.  The Blob

Ø  A Slide without a clear point => clarify message/context. 5.  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Label

Ø  Use headlines (not labels) to make your point.

Nightmare of Presentation Street: 10 Horrors to Avoid

6.  The Invasion of the Body-Snatchers Ø  Don’t be a drone/imitator; be yourself/tell your story.

7.  The Franken-deck Ø  Don’t cut & paste from multiple prior presentations: ugly.

8.  Curse of the Were-Clip-Art Ø  Make sure clip art fits with/reinforces your message.

9.  Dead Man’s Bones Ø  Avoid blind turns, asides, dead ends. Think substance:

Hook, Meat, and Payoff. 10. Silver Bullet(s)

Ø  It’s not the odd bullet that kills, but the clip. KISS.

So what are the 3 points you will want to remember?

•  Powerpoint as a tool, to reinforce message. •  Plan (hope) for three take-home points. •  Keep it simple, straightforward

Ø  Limited info, large enough to read Ø  Don’t get too fancy Ø  Practice

v  Timing, Delivery (esp. Intro & Conclusion) v  Nonprofessional audience (spouse, secretary)