Great presenters understand that people absorb information in different ways, and these presenters use a variety of approaches to underscore their points. Here's how to strike the right balance between words and images:
- Be a speaker, not a narrator. Effective presentations start with the connection the presenter makes with the audience. "The biggest presentation mistake people make is putting the focus on what's on the screen rather than on themselves," says David Levin, author of Don't Just Talk, Be Heard! "When the audience's attention is on the slides, it's not on you. There's something to be said for serving the ‘visual learners' in the audience too, but use images sparingly."
- Conduct a last-minute edit. "Always spend an extra half hour looking over the little details of your presentation and streamlining your information," says Nicole Wells, a speech instructor and an adjunct faculty member at New York University's Stern School of Business. "Presenters know they should do this, but often they feel too pressed for time. Believe me, this is time well spent."
- Use (short) videos. "It can be useful to have a video in your presentation, such as one that highlights your past work and products," Well says. "But you don't want it to go on longer than a minute or two, because people will feel like they're watching a movie."
- Choose your images carefully. The Microsoft® Office Clip Art gallery offers a huge range of images. However, they might not be the most sophisticated images to emphasize an important point, so make sure the image matches the tone of your presentation.
- Embrace the sounds of silence. "Sound, in particular, is something you want to use sparingly," Wells says. "For larger groups you may want some music in the opening and closing. If you have a big 'tada' moment, you might use a bit of sound, but it's very easy for that to come off as corny. If you're going to use animation pick one thing. Many people think that more material makes the presentation more exciting, but more often it just makes it distracting."
- Save the handouts for the end. "Never give the audience a handout to read while you're presenting," Levin says. "It takes the attention away from you and takes away the opportunity to connect with them." The one exception to the rule is complex information. The only reason you want to give out handouts in the beginning is if you are providing extremely complex information that listeners will need a handout to follow. "The handout shouldn't be a PowerPoint presentation," Wells says. "The same material doesn't work well for both a handout and a screen."
Perhaps the best approach is to prepare two presentations—a long version and a short one. If you're the last presenter at a lengthy meeting, switching to the shorter version can win fans—and make a bigger impact.
