Dec 28, 2012, 05.01AM IST
That means, slides are not meant to be used as a teleprompter.
Do not read off the slides! The audience will always read them ahead and not focus on what you have to say for the first point on the slide.
Need notes? Make sure they are bullet points, NOT complete sentences (or a paragraph of text).
If you need to refer to a document or a spreadsheet, rather than putting that document/spreadsheet onto a slide, print it out for the audience to refer to.
The slides are memory aides for the audience, not for the speaker.
2. LESS INFORMATION MAKES IT EASIER TO RECALL
I once saw the head of one of the largest banks hold the audience spellbound with just 3 slides. She spoke for an hour about the evolution of private banking in India. Each slide had the name of a common bird: pigeon, crow and eagle, which she used as metaphors. She got a standing ovation at the end of her presentation.
Be miserly with the words you use on a slide. Avoid having more than 4-5 words on a slide. Telegraphic language is better than writing full paragraphs.
3. SAY IT VISUALLY THROUGH GRAPHICS
Use graphics to create a visual summary of the idea on the slide. Use original photography whenever possible to demonstrate that your presentation is also unique. \
Use graphics to help the audience remember the conclusion from data tables or pie charts. If you want people to remember that they can save 15% of their marketing budget by using your services, just write the number 15% on the slide as you explain to the audience how that would happen.
4. TRY IT OUT
After you have made the slides, have someone sit through your presentation and listen to you practise your presentation. At the end, ask the person to describe the slides they remember. Those are the only slides you should retain. The human mind cannot remember more than seven pieces of information, says an oft-quoted piece of research.
By: Abhijit Bhaduri
Slides have become the weapons of mass destruction in organizations... The trick (of a great presentation) lies in (offering visuals) that will tell the story.
Here are some rules about making slides that I have learnt from the Zen masters.
1. SLIDES ARE FOR AUDIENCE, NOT SPEAKERSlides have become the weapons of mass destruction in organizations... The trick (of a great presentation) lies in (offering visuals) that will tell the story.
Here are some rules about making slides that I have learnt from the Zen masters.
That means, slides are not meant to be used as a teleprompter.
Do not read off the slides! The audience will always read them ahead and not focus on what you have to say for the first point on the slide.
Need notes? Make sure they are bullet points, NOT complete sentences (or a paragraph of text).
If you need to refer to a document or a spreadsheet, rather than putting that document/spreadsheet onto a slide, print it out for the audience to refer to.
The slides are memory aides for the audience, not for the speaker.
2. LESS INFORMATION MAKES IT EASIER TO RECALL
I once saw the head of one of the largest banks hold the audience spellbound with just 3 slides. She spoke for an hour about the evolution of private banking in India. Each slide had the name of a common bird: pigeon, crow and eagle, which she used as metaphors. She got a standing ovation at the end of her presentation.
Be miserly with the words you use on a slide. Avoid having more than 4-5 words on a slide. Telegraphic language is better than writing full paragraphs.
3. SAY IT VISUALLY THROUGH GRAPHICS
Use graphics to create a visual summary of the idea on the slide. Use original photography whenever possible to demonstrate that your presentation is also unique. \
Use graphics to help the audience remember the conclusion from data tables or pie charts. If you want people to remember that they can save 15% of their marketing budget by using your services, just write the number 15% on the slide as you explain to the audience how that would happen.
4. TRY IT OUT
After you have made the slides, have someone sit through your presentation and listen to you practise your presentation. At the end, ask the person to describe the slides they remember. Those are the only slides you should retain. The human mind cannot remember more than seven pieces of information, says an oft-quoted piece of research.
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