I haven’t mentioned PowerPoint or presenting in a while, potentially because I am increasingly speaking without the use of slides these days. However, a recent trade show visit put it firmly back on my radar, as I took to the stage and also caught some other speakers. Needless to say, the trip spawned a top 10 things not to do in PowerPoint list:

1. The First Epistle of Paul – on a single slide.

When preparing a presentation it can be very tempting to put lots of writing onto a slide. Then you shrink the font to add some more. Rinse and repeat. When you put up your slide the audience will read it, even if it is like a piece of microfiche (the technology libraries used to use to cram huge amounts of information into a tiny space).

When they are reading all that text on the PowerPoint slide, they aren’t listening to you. You can’t read one thing and listen to another. If you don’t believe me, try it. Still there? If you want the audience to listen, then don’t give them too much to read – just enough to remind them what you were talking about.

2. Dear People, Let Me Read to You From My Extensive Notes.

Don’t read from notes, other than glancing down to quickly remind yourself of where you are and what is next. In an ideal world, avoid notes. It makes for a much better presentation. Think of a presentation as a conversation where you happen to be doing most of the talking. It isn’t a great conversation, if it is read from notes.

3. Machine Gun Fire – Long Columns of Bullets.

See 1. I still use bullets, some times, but they are rapidly going out of fashion, and that is a really good thing. If you put up ten points on a slide, the audience is going to be mulling them over. They’ll be trying to figure out which point you are on, skipping back up the list and squinting to read the small text. Save them the pain. If you need to use bullets, then the fewer the better.

4. Untitled – A Seven Minute Masterpiece.

I watched someone present off a slide with no title. No problem with that, except that it had lots of text. There are times when a picture is worth a thousand words, but even with a picture slide, a key word or two helps to focus the audience’s mind. If there are bullets, or multiple points, make sure something on the slide calls out the overarching theme. It doesn’t have to be at the top of the slide, but it should be ‘the main thing’.

5. Here is Some Clip Art I Found Earlier.

Poor quality clip art doesn’t enhance your presentation. Even good quality clip art is as distraction, if it isn’t relevant. And this coming from a guy who uses his own photography in his slides – head:desk:head:desk. Have an independent witness give you an honest opinion about any clip art or pictures you use. You’ll be grateful.

6. “This is an eye chart” – or a small font rendering test.

What does that even mean? The last four times I have heard someone say this, it translated as, “I know this slide is appalling, but I really couldn’t be bothered to do anything with it for you.”

Dear presenter, speak to the hand, because the face isn’t listening anymore. If the slide is bad, cut it or redesign it. Most people would rather see seven bullet points, that a two hundred cell spreadsheet, or a diagram with fifty labels at a 6 point font size. Most audiences don’t bring telescopes, because good presenters ensure they don’t need them.

7. This Slide is So Good I’m Going to Talk to it.

Do glance at your slides, it reminds people they are there, but don’t get trapped talking to them. People might want to see the back of a bad presenter, but don’t be a bad presenter by showing them your back.

8. Design Scheme Carefully Selected by Feline Talent.

Apparently cats only see in black and white. Humans don’t. Bad choices can ruin an otherwise good slide. If you have a corporate palette, stick to that – it was most likely designed by someone more expert than you or me. Consistency across slides, without becoming bland, creates a more professional look.

Black on black, or grey, might be very cool in Hitchhicker’s guide to the galaxy, but not for a presentation. Text on a poorly contrasting background can easily become hard to read. Even if it looks alright on your screen, I have seen huge variations in how different projectors and screens render a slide. Better safe than sorry.

9. Whiz! Bang.

Sound effects? If I have to explain this one to you, you need more help than I can give you right now – Drop me an e-mail and we’ll book and appointment. Even if the sound is a stroke of artistic genius, the built in speakers on computers aren’t up to the job in a large room, and running sound from a PC into a speaker system is fraught with problems, even for experts.

Much of the same thoughts apply to 1980′s style animation. The clothes might be coming back into fashion, but the visual effects aren’t. Having some subtle animation and builds on slides is a good thing, but don’t go over the top.

10. Press Play. Let the Broadcast Begin.

Don’t make a presentation a one way broadcast, unless there is no alternative. Except for a very large audience, I have to disagree with telling people.

A presenter should always be listening, with their eyes, if not with their ears. What is the audience doing? What is their body language? If they look like they have a burning issue, pause and address it. By all means, group questions together into sections and redirect questions if they are going off at a tangent, but if the room is small enough to take questions, take them. You can’t read people’s minds before they arrive, and if they disconnect from you a few slides in, their attention won’t come back.

It wasn’t me.

I know that you wouldn’t do any of those things, of course, but that’s off my chest and its my top ten for this month.

For a bonus, I was pointed to this post on Fortify your oasis on Really Bad PowerPoint, it is a classic.

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Some things are too scary to plan for. No, not life insurance, public speaking. Presenting at an event or a conferences is intimidating, even for a frequent speaker. Covering your eyes and hoping it will all be OK obviously isn’t the answer, so what to do? A little bit of preparation will save you going in blind and ensure that everything goes off smoothly. Most common disasters are easily avoidable, and some extra preparation will enable you to get the most out of the event. Assuming that your presentation is all under control, what else can you do to be ready for the event?

Even after a couple of decades of presenting, my list of things to remember is still growing, and as technology changes I find new tricks. The tips I used to have on ‘foils’, acetates and slide carousels are now a historic curiosity, but other things remain the same. Here is the latest iteration of my list of tips and checks:

1. Never be more dependent on technology than you have.

I love technology, you know that, but being a little too adventurous can get you into trouble. Over the years I have learnt not to be 100% dependent on it, unless I really have to be. Ellis’ law goes something like this: The more dependent you are on a technology, the more likely it is to go wrong. It is almost as if computers and printers have a stress sensor that triggers spectacular failures during critical moments.

Twice in the last few years I have watched someone reading notes from a laptop screen. The first time, the screen saver came on and the laptop powered off. The second time, the power lead got caught and dragged the laptop, screaming, to the ground. Both times the speaker was left without any notes.

A simple print out would have done the job just as well, and saved the day. They weren’t using slides and actually didn’t need the laptop at all. Don’t introduce more technology risk that you have to, be it sound, video or gadgets. I charge danger money for doing product demonstrations for these very reasons!

2. Carry a printout of your slides with you.

The six slides per page printout option in PowerPoint is wonderful; Minimum tree damage, maximum return. You now have a copy of the presentation that you can glance through while you are travelling, without even having to fire up the laptop. You can also use it as a guide when you present or as a script if your laptop fails you. The talk might not have all its multimedia glory, but at least you will still be able to give it.

3. Check logistics with the event organisers.

Find out if you will be presenting from your our laptop or from the organisers. If it is from theirs, check what software version they are using. Different versions of PowerPoint give different layouts and animation capabilities and the fonts vary between operating systems.

If your slides are dropped into another presentation, get sight of how they look in the final format, ideally before you present. If the last bullet point has dropped off of a slide, it can be an unwanted surprise. Of course, that is if you are still using bullets. I have seen even stranger things happen with graphics.

4. Have a copy of the presentation on a memory stick, with you.

This is another life saver if your laptop is stolen or breaks. Sadly, these things do happen. Sometimes a laptop simply won’t work with the venue’s projector. This was becoming less common, but with wide screen formats it is becoming more common again. For a little bit of cash, a memory stick provides a simple insurance policy. You can quickly and easily transfer your slides to another laptop.

It is also provides recovery from ‘organiser failure’ – where the wrong file, or no file at all, ended up on the organiser’s laptop. This is also one of the benefits of emailing the slides ahead of time, it provides another form of back up.

Even if the organisers don’t ask you to email over your presentation, still email a copy to someone who will be there, or who can email it to you in a hurry on the day. Even if you loose all of your bags, or aliens abduct you and steal your memory stick or wipe your hard drive, you will still be able to get your presentation back.

5. Remember your gadgets.

In the heat of preparation, it is all to easy to forget the obvious things. Did you pack your laptop power supply? Do you need a mouse, a pointer or a remote control or W.H.Y. (what have you!)? Are the power sockets at the event the same as they are at home, or will you need an adaptor. The UK, US, Northern and Southern Europe, Australia and South Africa all have different power sockets. It is just one of those little barriers to globalisation.

Most modern power supplies cope with the different voltages automatically, but that doesn’t help you if the plug won’t fit into the socket. In case of emergency, it is worth noting that many hotel receptions have adaptor plugs that they will lend to a guest in distress. Just don’t count on it!

6. Check the audience and their expectations.

Who are they? Don’t assume that you know. Check with the organisers or someone who has been before, if it is a regular event. How many people will there be? I once presented at a conference with over 1,000 people. It would have been nice, had I not been expecting an informal session with 12! The organisers had moved my session from a side room, to being part of the keynote. I have had the experiences the other way around, which was disappointing, but significantly less stressful.

The lesson is to check and then check again nearer the time of the event. It is not unknown of organisers to be a little overly optimistic on numbers, but it still gives an idea of what to expect.

Find out about the audience’s expectations. They want to hear what they came to hear. If what you came to say is different, it will reflect badly on you, even if what you said was brilliant. If you have been pitched as the leading expert on high power amphibious computing, you better be the leading expert on high power amphibious computing. If you just told a one line joke about a frog with a calculator once upon a time, you might want to manage some expectations down a little. Make sure the representation of the presentation is accurate and well communicated.

7. Check out the venue.

Double check the location. If there are addresses for organisers, companies and hotels, make sure you turn up at the right one, at the right time. Ideally have a printed map and directions that include finding the actual room. Arrive early and check it out. At one event last year I had travel problems and only arrived just in time to go on stage. The event organisers were very happy and relaxed about it, but it is no way to get the best out of an event.

By arriving early, there is time to sort out issues like misplaced equipment and chairs in the past. Plan to stay around after the talk as well. Just-in-time arrival and drive-by presenting will not endear you to either the audience or the organisers. You also miss the full benefit of the speaking opportunity.

8. Avoid eating or drinking prior to presenting.

At least, not just before your presentation. Wine is common place in Europe with lunch. My sociological observation is that, for the uninitiated, free alcohol and nerves are not a good combination. Water is fine, but anything stronger will affect your voice, your judgement and your delivery. A stomach full of food will slow your brain too. If you suffer from nerves, a full and churning stomach is the last thing you want before you climb on stage. This isn’t the time to try eating hampster for the first time, or to discover that you are allergic to shellfish. Of course, don’t starve or dehydrate yourself either. Plenty of water and a little food will set you up well.

9. Be sociable.

Arriving early gives you a chance to meet and great. This is a good final opportunity to check what people are expecting from you, and to get maximum value out of the event by learning something from the other attendees. It may also provide some one line examples for use during your presentation. Get to know the organisers and, if there is one, the AV staff as well. Even just having a name is a big help if your microphone goes wrong.

10. Be Thankful.

Do thank the audience and the organisers. You have put in a lot of work, but so have they, whatever the results.

This list isn’t exhaustive, but I use it as my safety net. Jeff Pulver, a very experienced conference speaker, who also runs his own events, has posted his thoughts on getting more out of your speaking opportunities, which has some suggestions for making the most of your time at an event as a speaker.

What has worked well for you?

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I’m a regular follower of TED, watching as many of the TED talks as my Mac can take. The talks range from inspirational to informative, and sometimes they are both. Larry Lessig’s recently posted TED talk is fascinating, both for its content and for the way that he uses slides in his presentation. It was a post at Presentation Zen that prompted me to post on some of the techniques Larry uses. Larry is a professor of law at Stanford Law School, an author and blogs on the Lessig Blog.

Larry’s overview of the shifting world of content and copyrights and wrongs is truly thought provoking. The tectonic shift happening around creative commons is something anyone in the information industry should familiarise themselves with. The way that Larry communicates his message is noteworthy. Here are a few things he does that you can easy to apply to your own presentations:

1. Using visuals to emphasise your emphasis!
2. Illustrating using parallel stories.
3. Anchoring key concepts in order to back reference them.
4. Silence is more powerful that words.

Watch the talk, then read the explanations.

Use visuals to signal your emphasis

This is huge part of what your slides should be about, visually highlighting your verbal message. A slide with one word calls that word out when you speak it. It makes it stick and it makes it stand out. It works for short phrases too. Notice the use of black on white, then reversed white on black in the slides.

Illustrate using parallel stories.

We aren’t always great at getting things when they come at us head on, but we do get a story. Notice how Larry uses the story of flight and trespass, weaving it across into his message. If you want to get a complex issue across, it is easier to explain it in terms of something that is already familiar or that is less complex. Is there a parallel story to the one you want to tell? Tell that first, then link your concepts back to it. People will understand more and remember more.

Anchor key concepts then back reference them

Notice how Larry anchors his points with a word or a visual, then uses that later to reference back to his point. This is a great communication technique. When you make a point, anchor it with a visual or a distinctive phrase. You can then use this visual or phrase to remind people of that concept later in your presentation. It is a bit like creating a short cut or a bookmark that you can click later. Visual anchors make a rapid connection, in fractions of a second. As soon as you see the image of those planes in the last part of the presentation, you reconnect with his first story. Powerful isn’t it?

Silence is more powerful than words

One of the most impactful points I have seen made from a slide was made by not reading or mentioning the last point on the slide. In Larry’s presentation, there is the moment where he puts up a slide and mentions the TED ‘no commercials’ rule. Job done. Not reading a bullet point, or putting up a slide then not commenting on it, actually communicates something. In a smaller audience, it can cause people to ask about it, which is a great dynamic. Silence can be a communication tool.

Larry’s presentation is great, although he doesn’t engage with slides in the way that Al Gore does (see A presentation from Al Gore), which leaves you wondering when to look where. Also his eyes didn’t always connect with audience, but he makes very good use of pauses and word emphasis and is a pleasure to listen to all the same. Compelling content and presentation.

In your next presentation try anchoring your key points with simple visuals  and tell a clear story.

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Some of us are born hoarders, we keep hold of everything. As I grew up I was indoctrinated into the philosophy of “keep that, you never know when it might come in handy.” As I got older, and the house became ever more crowded, I realized that keeping everything you might ever need again is no use if you can’t find it when you do finally need it. And just to add insult to injury, sometimes that ‘finally’ never arrives for that lovingly saved bit of whatever.

I am currently in the midst of a decluttering project, reducing the amount of ‘stuff’ that has accumulated over the years. I’m not quite keeping up with the rest of the family, but I have already made enough progress to confirm one of my newer values in life:

A few good things

Having a few good things means it is easy to find what you need. It also means that there are less distractions around you everyday. People with too much aren’t able to fully appreciate what they have. That is a bit of a generality, but I have a memory from a visit to Africa of a small boy playing with the one toy in his possession. He radiated contentment in that moment. The scene was a far cry from a British child surrounded by hundreds of discarded plastic toys, wanting to know when the next present would arrive. I am convinced that having a few good things increases our happiness and reduces our stress levels.

Making a wonderfully clear world – even in PowerPoint

There is another place that anti-hoarding measures can have a great return, the wonderful world of PowerPoint presentations. Some presenters seem to hoard bullet points, cramming in every simple point that comes to mind. They then add even more with each revision of the slides, almost turning a single slide into a mini-encyclopedia. Rather than trying to put every reason or benefit on a slide, choose ‘a few good things’. Tailor the points to your audience and pick just the most meaningful ones. Your audience will have a much greater appreciation of the points you make and they will be less stressed by your presentation!

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As promised, here are 10 PowerPoint tips:

1. If you can put it on two slides, rather than one, then do.
   Most people put far to much information on a single slide.
2. If you need notes, put them in the notes section.
   That is what it is for. You can then print and use the notes. Don’t force your audience to look at your notes or prompts.
3. If you need lots of punctuation, something is wrong.
   Bulleted lists aren’t great, but comma separated lists are definitely hard to read, difficult to follow, tricky to parse, tough to digest, easily lost, fairly ugly, you get the idea…
4. Try to have no more than 5-7 lines of text per slide, if any.
5. Stick to one key idea per slide.
   This stops concepts becoming muddled and also makes the deck more ‘usable’ when it is printed.
6. Slides are there to focus the audience’s mind.
   Design them to do that, ensuring that they don’t accidentally distract from the message you are trying to get across.
7. Builds control the rate of information delivery.
   This is good, as makes it easier for people to follow, but excessive animation will just distract from the content. Too many builds indicates too much on the slide. Strike the balance, err on the conservative side.
8. Slide transitions are good.
   A nice slide transition beats a straight cut. We are the movie generation and our eyes and brains have expectations. A transition reminds the audience that you are moving on to the next idea, just as a cut does in a move. Consider using a different transition to mark key sections of a presentation. Once again, be conservative, if the transition is too noticeable, it will distract and detract.
9. Remember your point and ensure your audience does too.
   If you can’t remember it, how will your audience? Powerpoint was designed to make points. Make yours and make them clear and memorable.
10. There are no country laws or legal requirements for you to use Powerpoint slides.
    If you are better off without them, then don’t use them. Many of the best ‘presentations’ I have seen were done without slides.

Can someone add another 91 to make it 101! Happy presenting!

Other posts that you might enjoy: 3 Things Not to Forget in a Presentation, A Presentation Lesson from Al Gore.

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Very good article over on Presentation Zen: Is it finally time to ditch PowerPoint?

The actionable take aways and triggered thoughts for me:

• The research referenced is a good confirmation that it makes sense to draw a diagram (or create something visual) when talking with people. It helps to create focus. It also assists people who work visually rather than verbally, and speeds knowledge transfer.
• PowerPoint slides full of words are counter productive. I so often see PowerPoint used instead of a real document, when people are too lazy or scared to produce one. Text heavy slides take people’s attention away from what is being said…
• Never loose your audience to the slide, by putting up a screenful of text! I see this happen over and over. Huge slide of text. Audience lost READING, no longer LISTENING.
• Don’t read a word heavy slide to you audience. It can come across as insulting. Remember…
• The slides are there to support the speaker. The speaker is not there to support the slides!

I love the picture of a slide at a conference half way down the page. It is used as an example of poor PowerPoint use – I think might have I sat in on that presentation! Much of what is written there applies to communicating even when you are not the kind of person who uses PowerPoint.

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