How to improve your presentation immediately
This was just lying around in my Dropbox in a file called present.txt. I can’t remember where I got this, but I feel that these are some really good points on how to improve a presentation:
First, make slides that reinforce your words, not repeat them. Create slides that demonstrate, with emotional proof, that what you’re saying is true not just accurate. No more than six words on a slide. EVER. There is no presentation so complex that this rule needs to be broken.
Second, don’t use cheesy images. Use professional stock photo images. Talking about pollution in Houston? Instead of giving me four bullet points of EPA data, why not read me the stats but show me a photo of a bunch of dead birds, some smog and even a diseased lung? This is cheating! It’s unfair! It works.
Third, no dissolves, spins or other transitions. Keep it simple. [ajk’s note: in my opinion you can use animations if you know how to make ‘em work (= breaking the rules)]
Fourth, create a written document. A leave- behind. Put in as many footnotes or details as you like. Then, when you start your presentation, tell the audience that you’re going to give them all the details of your presentation after it’s over, and they don’t have to write down everything you say. Remember, the presentation is to make an emotional sale. The document is the proof that helps the intellectuals in your audience accept the idea that you’ve sold them on emotionally. Don’t hand out printouts of your slides. They don’t work without you there.
