Other day I was just making list of presentations I have seen and given during last 5 years. The number was beyond 500 each, to my astonishment and was looking back at the journey with very first presentation of mine which was a miserable failure to latest once which are commanding. What a enjoyable learning journey!!
Presentations are made to board, top management, customers. Effective presentations have great winning advantages. How to be best at that is an art by itself. Very frankly, I devote this article to my numerous MBA students from various management institutes where I taught in last 10 years and whose presentations taught me and brought me up to here.
Some of the tips are again common sense and look simplistic, but are not followed. So I have tried to explain spirit behind each. I invite professional’s feedback in our bulletin or on my email id mohanbhave@hotmail.com. I got lot of feedback on my last article for which I am thankful.
1. PPTs are points, not CUT & paste from word – It takes time to prepare PPTs. So originally word files are prepared and then time is short, so PPT are pasted from word files, losing originality. So start word files well in advance and keep sufficient time for making PPTs independently.
2. PPTs are points not full sentences – Do not try to make points out of sentences by deleting some words. Delete slide, think in mind and write just points. This ensures originality & helps in memorizing as well.
3. Full sentences – Capturing audience to content is vital. So mix of point on slide read in a fraction of second by audience & catching attention to you (speaker) immediately is key to success. Full sentence forces audience to spend time in looking at slides for more than 30 seconds. During that time you look at audience if you remember sentence. Then as a speaker do not know what to do as you are explaining looking at them and they are reading on slide looking at slide. A TRIANGLE. Other way, you also do not remember full sentence so you also look at slide and it is like JAN GAN MAN, jointly read with audience, means a sure shot end of your program.
4. Points also must be catchy – They must be such words, which arouse curiosity and create eagerness to listen to speaker to know what it is all about.
5. Convey maximum in minimum words – Secret of best slide is this. So words like “on, by, and, contd.” are a waste. After making presentation, review and consciously drop them and reframe as much possible.
6. Colours – Yes. Do use. Mix well too. Green backgrounds or yellow words however make a mess of colour combinations. So review and find what colours look well-readable. Have your best critric (or your spouse, who else can be best?) to comment on colour combination one day in advance.
7. Hot trial helps – Real trial with LCD helps and that too see it from last row as well. Specially for colour combinations, size of fonts.
8. SO DO YOU KNOW SIZE OF HALL & AUDIENCE – Know that in advance and audience background too. Knowing a few names also helps to drop during speech to make it informal and bring you closure.
9. Font size & type – Too small font size is a common mistake one commits. Ensure by reading from at least 5th row, to have comfortable reading. 24 font size could be lowest. But anything between 30 to 40 with variation in each slide and also making distinction between title font size and balance content can get good balance. Font types are a taste of each one but I prefer arial black for titles, Tahoma, times new roman & book antique for text.
10. First slide should have name of audience – These are days of ‘YOU’ approach. So naming customer in first slide makes them comfortable and they are start owning it.
11. But second slide has to be you – Of course, you should also get known. So let 2nd slide have “you” represented whichever capacity you are in whether individual or organization. Do state your cell no and email id, to ensure that your customer does call you, even if it is top management in some case. You must get due credit.
12. 3 minutes per slide – Know the time for speech. Deduct time for introduction and questions/answers at end and then divide balance time by 3 to arrive at no. of slides to be made to manage time most effectively, by full coverage of slides.
13. Extra slides – Keep them handy. Should you close little earlier then use them. Keep that as a separate presentation. Move to that in unused time by saying “I would like to show something special say “a live example”. But in any case use time fully. Not using full time is like losing opportunity.
14. Know your no of slides & number them – This will help to know at what point you are and accordingly will not abruptly end slides though time is available or else end up in “time over” situation and too many slides left to show
15. Video clips – Do use them. But watch out, some of the LCDs do not have compatibility to project .AVI extn slides.
16. Spell checks – Again be fussy of spell checks and inject them as habit. Especially if you misspell customers name, you are doomed.
17. Use laser pointer – Finger on projected image a strict NO NO. You will put your shade on slide. Even stick usage is out-dated. Demand laser pointer and use. Ask for or arrange in advance.
18. But do not use laser pointer focusing audience – In a gung ho gesture we use laser pointer on slide and then one twist of hand end up in having laser beam in audience eye. Bad manners my friend.
19. Collar mike – Again arrange or request for in advance. This leaves your both hands free for gestures which should be certainly interactive, responsive and articulate.
20. It is old fashion to be behind dias – Mingle, face, move in audience. Create oneness with them. Behind dias is keeping distance and creating wall. Break it
21. Do not fall on LCD’s wires – One should be caring and planned well to have standing posture arranged in such a way, that you do not get into mesh of wires
22. Use own hands to move to next slide – Getting somebody to do it, means sure mess at least once. So light taps on space key, with stylish movement makes it impressive.
23. Last slide covers “questions?” and/or “thanks” – include again your name, email & cell.
24. Bad luck – LCD not working, power off, laptop conked off, CD giving problems, KEEP HARD copies of PPTs in hand. Start speaking straight by using points. May be you can distribute few copies among audience. Above all, do not lose heart and more so, do not show that on your face. Emulate Saurabhav Ganguly a great captain. He loses so many matches but is calm unruffled.
25. Use Bullets – A must in PPTs. Bullets put us into habit of writing points only and avoiding sentences.
26. Save from Hijacking – Ensure your name in footers in every slide and save yourself from hijacking.
27. Lines per slide – 5 at the most 7. Anything more creates congested slide
28. Words per line – 5 at the most 7. More the words in one line, slide looks ugly almost like an over-filled plate.
29. Drop verbs as much you can – This ensures that you desist temptation of putting full sentences.
30. Use pictures – People will advise you to avoid pictures. But all said and done, related pictures do attract attention. Especially in initial few presentations, do use pictures in abundance, which will improve practice gradually will bring it to optima.
31. Use sounds which match – Some people find it jazzy, but matching sounds do create conducive atmosphere for the subject.
32. Animations– Yes, they do capture the audience. Overdo initially, you will automatically find your balance to maintain. You will meet some people who will tell you that only content matters and bla bla. Ignore them. Find your own levels by trying out.
33. Do not look at slides while presenting – If you look at slide, then you do not & cannot look at audience and then show them your back. Not meeting audience in eyes is nothing less than crime in a presentation. If slide contains points only, you must remember it. If you do not, then a fraction of second should be enough to recollect when you are moving slide.
34. Last but not the least, all this is easier said than done. But keep in mind, practice makes a person perfect, so practice relentlessly.
