Powerpoint Presentation

[obiwonkeyblokey]

Hi,

I am giving a PP presentation on Tuesday on a laptop and am not really used to using the thing. there are certain themes on it already and I know that you can download others from the web.

do any of you gurus have anything that I would be able to adapt to my needs ( pitch for new business) but looks modern and has a little wow factor to it?

Thanks

[Jay-Aim]

try to find one you like from the templates as you mention

for real zip, you'll have to design one yourself to include your company colours for example

[docevi1]

IMO people aren't coming to see the presentation which is occuring behind your head, but are there to hear your speech. Do you really want something snazzy with loads of flashing graphics/images that detract from what you are saying?

Personally whenever I do a presentation I use a very plain rounded rectangle with a shadow and similar boxes intersecting the lines of the main box for titles/names...

A well done plain and simple presentation with only 5 or 6 bullet points beats something flashy and overdone anyday IMO.


Thats an important point actually, treat the slides as a reference for the users to read and as a reminder as to what you want to talk about, i.e. headers on a topic. That way they have to listen to you, not read something on the screen / miss what you are saying.

[m-five]

Or use a simple dark blue to black gradient with white/yellow shadowed text.

Try not to go smaller than 24pt text, and use a sans serif font like Arial rather than a serif font like Times as it makes it easier to read.

Only use animations if you need to introduce a line at a time, flashing banners and swirls, swoops, blind effects are just naff.

Over half the companies I do Powerpoint presentations for pick this style from our portfolio!

[meeja]

Whatever you do, avoid animations on text and pictures.

Having text flying onto the screen from one side or another, or having photos swirl into place looks incredibly tacky.

If you have a slide that has several reveals on it, a simple dissolve looks classy.

[tonyhetherington]

I agree with everything that's been said. Don't over do the animations, and dont fill your slides with text.

I, personally, prefer a dark blue-black background with white and/or yellow text (isn't yellow the easiest colour for the eye to take in as text, I seem to recall reading?).

Anyway, put as little on the slide as is necessary.....and use it as a promoter for what you're going to say. Too many times I see people writing everything they want to say on the slide, and literally standing up in front of people and "reading" the slide. Possibly the worst type of presentation possible.

I like to pride myself on my presentations (not least, because I enjoy doing them)....but one thing I always think works really well is flip charts. I've even done whole presentations before using just one pad. If you can break from the monotony of the screen to the dynamics of a flipchart, it really does look good - and anything you write on the chart will come across 10 times better than a computer done diagram on your slide show. If you want to pre-pencil draw a diagram on the flipchart pad, it means that when you stand next to it with the big felt pens, you can see the pencil and so draw a good diagram, but the audience cannot.

A few decent key tips for you.....

In normal powerpoint mode:

F5 - starts slide show from beginning (i.e. no need to click that annoying button at bottom left of screen)

In slide show mode:

B - toggles screen black on/off (ie for when you move over to flip chart.....B turns it black......B brings it back again

W - white version of B above

[number] + Enter - takes you to that slide number. I.e. pushing 13-Enter takes you instantly to slide 13 (no need to scroll through unprofessionally - print yourself a small slide reminder to help if necessary)

Right mouse click: brings up menu of options

Alt-Tab - scroll through open programs on your computer. So, if in the presentation you need to access another program, dont show everyone the shot of you topless on the beach in bali on your desktop (seen that done MANY times!), just open the program before and while still in slide show mode Alt-Tab to it. Then when you've finished, Alt-Tab back to PowerPoint Slide show (not just Powerpoint).


There's a few others but they're the main ones I use. Oh, and if you can, get a remote mouse - makes your movements alot more fluid,[edit: I mean your movement on the floor and how you move around the room, not the movements of your cursor] and doesn't constrict you to having to stand next to a computer!


God I wrote alot.....but hope that all helps!!
Tony

Edit....also, realise that in PP you can save a file at either *.ppt (which we all know and love) or *.pps....which is a power point slide show. Put that somewhere and when you double click it, it instantly is a slide show! Even better, the night before put the *.pps file in your startup directory so as soon you turn your laptop on, you're in the slide show!

>> Edited by tonyhetherington on Friday 17th December 09:16

[obiwonkeyblokey]

Thanks Everyone for your help and advice. Greatly appreciated.