PowerPoint Tips to Help You Avoid an Unprofessional Meeting Presentation

I will never forget a computer-based seminar that I attended for many reasons. Was it because it was a very informative, productive seminar? Not quite. It actually couldn't have been further from what I was expecting. I won't focus on all of the negative aspects of this event because there was truly a problem with everything from room size, to refreshments, to accommodations and the list goes on. The ultimate frustration, though, came when the presenter began to display his PowerPoint presentation. The presentation was unorganized, inconsistent and it was apparent that he did not take the time to organize, review and prepare it. A PowerPoint presentation has the potential of being a vital informational tool, provided it is well-thought out by the presenter. In preparing your PowerPoint for an upcoming presentation, there are plenty of suggestions you can consider in order to avoid leaving your attendees confused, overwhelmed and frustrated.

Be Sure the Presentation Does Not State the Message of the Meeting Verbatim

• Your PowerPoint should highlight the key points (definitions, important statistics, company information, etc.) of the message.

• Compare your notes for the presentation to the slides. Make changes if there are slides that contain duplicate, word-for-word sentences to those that you will be verbalizing.

• Bottom line: You do not want your audience to feel as though you are reading to them what they can already read for themselves off the screen.

Break-Up Slides

• Avoid putting slides that contain a LOT of information back-to-back.

• Mix up the presentation by inserting slides that contain graphs, pictures or small pieces of information in between slides that are "heavier" with information

Be Reserved in the Amount of Text on Each Slide

• It is necessary to limit the amount of text on each slide

• Avoid one slide containing a large block of text

• Attendees should not feel inundated with information on each slide, leading them to feel overwhelmed

• A presentation loaded with text will result in attendees missing out on the actual presentation because they are too focused on ensuring they read all of the information on the slides

Keep Transition Effects Consistent (and Minimal)

• In formatting the slide show, ensure that the transition between slides is consistent throughout the presentation

• Keep the number of different transitions used to a minimum (using one transition throughout would be appropriate)

• Stifle the urge to include audio transitions (sound effects), as they can distract from the presenter's speaking and can be considered unprofessional

Offer a Print Version of the Presentation

• Invest in good quality paper and print off color copies of your presentation (using File, Print command) for attendees to refer to in the future

• Be sure to include your company's name, logo and contact information (usually the final slide) so that each time it is utilized, the attendee will remember where it came from and also will have the ability to contact you directly with questions/concerns

• This will serve as a refresher for the attendee when he/she is back at their office, trying to recall a specific piece of your presentation

• An added benefit of the dispensing a printed slide show is the marketing/networking potential that exists in doing so (depending on whose hands it ends up in)

Unfortunately, the dismal presentation that I observed is all too common in the world of meetings and events; however, by implementing these strategies as you prepare your next PowerPoint presentation, your chances of generating a presentation as such are likely to diminish.