8 mistakes made when presenting with Power Point

and how to correct them.

Mistake #1 – The Projected Image on the Screen Is My Comfort Blanket. 

Solution: Set up your computer so that it is facing you.  You can be facing the appreciative audience, and you don’t have to look at or read from the screen. The last thing the audience wants to see is the back of your head.  What you are seeing on your computer screen is the same image that is projecting onto the screen behind you. At all costs, you want to make eye contact with your audience in order to engage them in your presentation.

Mistake #2 – Leaving a Slide on the Screen Keeps the Audience’s Attention

Solution: A slide should only be on the screen as long as you are talking about related material -– somewhere between 30 seconds and two minutes. Tip: To blank out a screen just press the “B” key and it will turn the screen black; pressing “W” will turn the screen to white. This only works when you are viewing a show. If you pressed the “B” or “W” key, press it again and the screen will illuminate. (Value-added hint: research has shown that audiences will remember your presentation best if they are allowed an opportunity to digest a new slide for a few seconds before you start speaking -– especially if the visuals are complex.)

Mistake #3 – I Have To Go Through My Slide Show in a Linear Fashion, i.e., Slide #1 Followed by Slide #2 and So On.

Solution: You can navigate through your presentation however you like, i.e., slide #1 goes first, slide #2 goes second, etc.  But, if you want slide #23 to follow slide #1, just press 2 and 3 on the numeric key pad followed by “enter.”  Power Point will automatically go to slide #23 in your presentation.  This will only work when you are in the View Show mode. This also is another good reason to print your slides as Handouts because the printout will have the slide numbers on them.

Mistake #4 – It is Too Bad Power Point Doesn’t Provide a “Pen” Function to Use While Presenting; the “pen” function allows you to write on your screen while presenting. (To sometimes great effect, football commentator John Madden uses a similar screen pen to diagram and analyze plays.

Solution: For those of you who like the “John Madden approach,” you can press Ctrl “P” while presenting and a John Madden-style pen will come on the screen.  Hold the left mouse key down while moving your pen around the screen, and you, too, can analyze the “play.”  To make this work, go to the Tools pull down menu and go to Slide Show, and choose your pen color (make sure it contrasts and compliments the background color of your slide).

Mistake #5 – Audiences are Wowed by All the Animations and All the Transitions I Use.

Solution: Less is more   We recommend that if the audience has a copy of your presentation that they can look at while you are presenting, show the material on a slide at one time without any animations –- the audience already knows what’s coming.  On the other hand, if the audience will not receive a copy of your presentation as a handout, you should use some animation.

Mistake #6 – The Room’s Lighting Won’t Have an Impact on My Slides’ Visibility.

Solution: You should check out the environment in which you will be presenting. First, try to make sure that all lights that directly hit the projected screen are turned off, if possible. The visibility of your slides influences readability. Although light text on a dark background looks best in a dark or slightly darkened room, in a light room the dark background may look so faded that light text may not show up as well.  For this kind of situation, it doesn’t hurt to try dark text on a lighter background.  While we are on the subject of lighting, remember this: Do not subject your audience to a presentation in a dark room. At all costs, try to have the most light possible without diluting the impact of the color of your slides. Other than in a movie theatre, a darkened room will put people to sleep. This is not one of your objectives.

Mistake #7 – My Presentation is So Powerful That My Audience Will Be in Their Seats As Soon As the Break is Over.

Solution: Consider using a break timer which can be projected onto the screen if you take breaks during your presentation.  You can use a count down digital timer and can even put the client’s logo as the wallpaper behind the digital clock.

Mistake #8 – The Presentation Pop-Up Menu Helps Me Run Through My Power Point Presentation

Solution: Turn off the presentation pop-up menu. It is a sign of a Power(less) Point presenter.  To turn off the presentation pop-up menu, go to the Tools pull down menu, then to View and uncheck both the Pop up menu on right mouse click and Show Pop Up Menu Button.

Have fun with your next Power Point presentation.  Your audience will appreciate the care you show by making a presentation that is lively, fun and targeted towards them.  You’ll get a standing ovation!