It can be daunting to create a presentation from scratch. Many people start by designing a set of great-looking slides, then developing a script to match. But this is the exact opposite of what you should be doing. You need to start with a strong foundation of ideas and words before you get to the … [Read more...] about A great presentation is more than just pretty slides
The best PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts
There are a few keyboard shortcuts for PowerPoint that I rely on so often I don't even know I'm using them. Unless I'm trying to do it on a Mac, in which case they don't work (sorry, Mac folks!). But if you use PowerPoint on a PC, then you can take advantage of these great keyboard shortcuts to … [Read more...] about The best PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts
The National Scout Jamboree is no place for a political rally
In my work as a presentation consultant, I always tell my clients is that they must consider the wants and needs of their audience. No matter what the goal of the presentation—whether it's to sell, persuade, inspire or teach—it's important that we tailor our speeches for each audience so that they … [Read more...] about The National Scout Jamboree is no place for a political rally
What size should my slides be, 16:9 or 4:3?
Deciding on a slide format used to be easy when there was only one choice. Nowadays, you can choose between 4:3 format or 16:9. What do these numbers mean and which size should you choose for your presentations? What the numbers mean The above notation is called the "aspect ratio," or the ratio of … [Read more...] about What size should my slides be, 16:9 or 4:3?
PowerPoint templates and Office themes explained
If you're a presentation designer and you want to make it easy for people to create great looking slides consistently, PowerPoint templates and Office themes are the best! I thought I'd take a few minutes to explain what templates and themes are and the differences between the two. Templates and … [Read more...] about PowerPoint templates and Office themes explained
Best. PowerPoint. Ever.
A TED Talk slide deck is the antithesis of Death by PowerPoint. There are few (if any) bullet points, overly complicated slides, and speakers don't narrate what's on screen. Instead, the slides advance automatically behind the speakers and serve to enhance what they're saying, not act as a … [Read more...] about Best. PowerPoint. Ever.
Six ways to make a presentation more boring
Last month, I attended a session to learn more about a large project. The information the presenter wanted to convey was, by necessity, complicated. Unfortunately, the presenter made a number of gaffes that made the audience experience that much worse. Six ways to make a presentation more … [Read more...] about Six ways to make a presentation more boring
Why slide counts don’t matter
Have you ever been told that you could only have a certain number of slides in your presentation, like 3 or 5? Crazy, right? How could you possibly condense everything you want to say into just a few slides? I think the better question, though, is "Why should you have to?" Why people limit slide … [Read more...] about Why slide counts don’t matter