Preparing and Presenting A Slide Show

The objective of a visual presentation is not to show slides, but to communicate a message. Visual aids can help get that message across or they can hinder getting that message across. Start with the message then create the visuals that might help support it.

Preparing the Slides

1. Make sure that the slides add don’t detract or distract and are appropriate to the audience and the topic; don’t use a slide if you don’t need a slide
2. Use slides primarily for visuals, not words; use graphics, not tables or columns
3. Usually, “Less is more”—in terms of number of slides and amount of data/info on a slide; use keywords, not sentences; bullet points, not paragraphs
4. If you do have lots of information on a slide, make sure that you highlight (with circles or colors or type size) what’s most important for the viewer to take away
5. Make the graphics big enough to be seen easily at a distance
6. Use strong, contrasting colors
7. Use a descriptive title—tell us in words what the slide is depicting visually
8. Animation can be very effective if used sparingly and appropriately
9. If you’ve got several points on a slide, “build” the slide, point by point, so that each point pops up on the screen as you come to it
10. Put your sources of the information/data on the slide
11. Have someone else proof the slide before you show it
12. Use a variety of visuals (videos, graphics, photos, word slides) if it’s a longer presentation; it can help prevent audience “tune-out”
13. Try out the slides on the equipment and in the place they will be shown; too often slides look one way on your computer and quite a bit different when projected onto the big screen

Presenting the Slides

1. Don’t start projecting the slides until you’re ready to discuss them
2. If it’s appropriate, let people ask questions as you go along—when the question is on their mind
3. Introduce a slide, put it up, orient the audience, let them reflect on it, then take it down
4. If there’s a lag between slides, e.g., the next slide needs a considerable introduction, go to black (hit the “period” or the “B” key or mute the projector) so attention goes back to you from the screen; don’t leave the old slide up when talking about something new
5. Engage the slide—i.e., point to where you want the audience’s eyes to go
6. Don’t read a slide and don’t talk to the slide; talk to the audience—standing off to the side at an angle to the audience
7. Call attention to the source of the data—especially when it’s a particularly credible, meaningful source to the audience
8. If possible, use a remote to run the slides as opposed to being attached to a laptop where there is a tendency to speak to the machine and not the audience
9. Slides shouldn’t substitute for an engaging introduction and a strong peroration (conclusion) delivered eye-to-eye, speaker to audience
10. Encourage questions
11. Never a bad idea to have additional slides; e.g., that go into more detail around key or controversial issues and can be used as back-up or in the Q&A
12. When doing the Q&A, put the relevant slides back up and use them to answer the question and reinforce your message

Steve Jobs in his iPhone introduction and Randy Pausch in his Last Lecture use visual aids very effectively.