BUILD YOUR EFFECTIVENESS IN WRITTEN COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC SPEAKING BY APPLYING THESE TIPS
I lent my support to a friend to help review and refine a presentation because I always find it useful to see how other people present ideas and information in their roles. I know that while I am lending help I gain useful tips too. CONTENT may be KING but the intended outcome(s) will be most important. All your good content creation work toward your outcome(s) can be compromised if your presentation does not get at least good visual treatment.
So first, have a good story to tell; invest in good data and good content to bring that story to life in a powerful way. Then build your story purposefully, aimed at a clear outcome. Finally, package it nicely and as you do, feel free to use as many of these tips I just scratched together, which I thought you might be interested in too.
Here you go:
- Always use a presentation scheme that fits the topic (background graphics, colors and fonts are the three elements that make up a theme);
- MS PowerPoint allows you to create your own scheme, the combinations are almost infinite, so it helps to think out a theme before you start choosing your three elements);
- Do your slide design at the theme and master slide level to ensure a consistent look throughout the presentation;
- Avoid use of redundant words (e.g. references to “Details in the Report” repeated on several slides. Address that on an opening slide with a single comment;
- Use an Agenda or Content Summary slide to let the reader know what to expect in the presentation;
- Avoid overuse of centered text, which tends to compromise professionalism. Err towards left-justified text unless you have a special reason not to;
- Respect pictures aspects. Leave distorting pictures to the graphic professionals and crop pictures in their natural aspect or use the CTRL-handle to size them for your needs. Natural pictures are more appealing and unskilled distortions compromise your professionalism;
- Make each slide title unique and meaningful part of your presentation ‘story’ outline;
- Confirm that each slide passes the “so what?” text. That it adds useful and relevant content to the discussion;
- Do not write what you can verbalize. KILL all unnecessary words, symbols, pictures, repeated content and whatever else;
- Overall keep slides simple; Aim for conciseness and an uncluttered look;
- Keep slide layouts consistent. That reflects professionalism. Only deviate from your master settings for a good reason;
- Think ahead to your presentation going onto other venues like the web. Use web-safe fonts to ensure your good design work is not ruined by font-substitutions;
- Avoid overly large fonts that cause text to fill up the page and SHOUT at the reader. That causes visual clutter and distracts from your message;
- Reduce fonts to add “whitespace” around your text which extends calmness and professionalism, and promotes easier reading and better focus;
- Avoid numbering for numbering sake, or any other bullet for bullets’ sake;
- Give supporting elements like lines,arrows and custom bullets only enough profile to fulfill their purpose and enhance the message, and always ensure they remain secondary;
- End with a closing page that may thank your audience but also very important, signals the end of the presentation. That close becomes very useful if your presentation is posted publicly.
You can get more in my book Workplace Essentials Part One: Ten Vital and Transferable Skills for Success in the Knowledge Economy.
Edmund DelSol is a learning and development advisor based in Ajax, Ontario.
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