By Lou Crenshaw, CCA
Like just about anyone in government or business, I've seen more than my share of Power Point presentations. After thousands of slides, they have a numbing effect on me.
That’s why I recommend you rely less on Power Point and more on a single, well-designed visual aid whenever you have an important presentation to make. Give people copies of slides (best done after your brief) but don't rely on them. But, sadly, "we will always have Power Point "(apologies to Bogart), so I thought I would put out a few "Points about Power Point":
OK. Hope this helps. Remember the source… A professional and seasoned Power Point Ranger, and someone who had suffered though more bad PP briefs than Carter has pills.
One final point: Don't Read The Slides!
CCA’s mission is to deliver C-suite consulting services to commercial and government clients by providing advice and counsel in strategic planning, executive coaching and organizational restructuring. If you are interested about learning more about CCA and how we provide Business Advice with Integrity, visit us on the web at www.CCA-VA.com or contact VADM Lou Crenshaw USN(Ret.) at lou@CCA-VA.com or directly at 571-421-7622.
Like just about anyone in government or business, I've seen more than my share of Power Point presentations. After thousands of slides, they have a numbing effect on me.
That’s why I recommend you rely less on Power Point and more on a single, well-designed visual aid whenever you have an important presentation to make. Give people copies of slides (best done after your brief) but don't rely on them. But, sadly, "we will always have Power Point "(apologies to Bogart), so I thought I would put out a few "Points about Power Point":
- Keep them simple. Pictures and graphs are best.
- Do not rely on spellcheckers. Most people are checking the spelling and math on your slides instead listening to you. One slip up and your credibility is tossed!
- Have a time budget. It's hard to spend less than 5 minutes on a slide. If you have to spend less that that, then you probably don't need it.
- DON"T READ THE SLIDES!! Guess what? Everyone in the room can read.
- Size appropriately. I hate it when someone flashes up a slide with a 50 element spreadsheet and says, " You probably can't see this, but…….." Why waste my time with something I can't see?
- Consider an alternative to Power Point. I have found that speaking from a placemat-sized piece of card stock is far more effective that using slides. Put the things you want your target to know on the placemat. Force them to look at you and to listen to you by having nothing else for them to do. If you need Power Point slides to be effective, look for another line of work.
OK. Hope this helps. Remember the source… A professional and seasoned Power Point Ranger, and someone who had suffered though more bad PP briefs than Carter has pills.
One final point: Don't Read The Slides!
CCA’s mission is to deliver C-suite consulting services to commercial and government clients by providing advice and counsel in strategic planning, executive coaching and organizational restructuring. If you are interested about learning more about CCA and how we provide Business Advice with Integrity, visit us on the web at www.CCA-VA.com or contact VADM Lou Crenshaw USN(Ret.) at lou@CCA-VA.com or directly at 571-421-7622.
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