PowerPoint - Presenter's Tip Sheet

• Practice, practice, practice - speaking in a relaxed manner following your PowerPoint talking points, pointing to the display when necessary, and engaging the participants in discussion.
• Arrive early to test equipment and make sure the room is properly set up (comfortable for your audience, and with note-taking materials).
• Have a backup plan ready in case equipment isn't working properly.
• Bring hand-outs of your slides. The number of slides per page depends on the type of presentation and the amount of note-taking you plan for the audience.
• The more note-taking, the more active their minds, the more engaged they are, and the more they'll remember.
• One slide per page works well for instruction, particularly with learning activities.
• Two to six slides per page works well for use as a reference, with little note-taking activity.

• Use the slides as a guide or outline to your topic, with illustrative graphics - not as the full text of your speech. Do not read the slides to the audience. Quote a bullet point as necessary for emphasis of important points only.
• Move around, beside the podium, never blocking the display screen from the same audience angle.
• Move when you want participants to focus on you - as for a discussion.
• Stand still when you want participants to focus on the screen or take a moment to write.
• Use a laser pointing device if possible, or on-screen pen.
• Gesture to screen when you want direct participants' attention there.
• Use a remote device to advance the slides (right-clicking the mouse will work) or an assistant discreetly seated at the computer stand far to one side of the screen and away from you.

• Structure your material with an introduction, progression through information, and conclusion. A good concluding slide may be "Questions and Answers" or "Thank you!" and your contact information.
• Use an agenda stating key points and headers stating the topic of each slide.
• The introduction should state the purpose of the session.
• An overview should display core concepts only.
• Keep bulleted lists parallel grammatically within the slide - all starting with a verb or a noun, for example.
• For a long or complex concept, display it over several simple slides rather than one with many bullets and sub-bullets.

• Is the material presented in a logical order?
• Is a change of topic made clear with a slide stating the new topic?

Text

• Font Size:
• 28 + for Title
• 4 + for Content
• Use a sans serif font (Verdana or Arial) for titles and brief text
• Use no more than 2 fonts per slide.
• Use a common font to prevent cross-platform problems.
• Avoid ALL CAPS and underlining.
• Whether you use dark type on a light background, or vice versa, make sure the amount of contrast doesn't cause eye strain.
• Limit each slide to one idea, or sub-concept in a series of slides on a complex concept.
• Avoid complete sentences in your bullet points.

• Keep "bells and whistles" to a minimum - just what keeps the audience focused on the current point or emphasizes the major point of several on a slide.
• Keep transitions simple and consistent throughout the presentation.
• To focus on the current point, "dim" the previous old points on the slide.
• Place text on the left; graphics on the right.
• Show data graphically, in charts clearly with clear color distinctions.
• Use bullet-point text to explain the numbers in charts and tables.
• Stick to a single style for each element of the design - background, graphics, color scheme, animation
• Choose art carefully (logo for branding, clip art for a light touch)
• Choose a template where words are easily distinguished from the background.
• Avoid busy backgrounds; a monochromatic background is best.
• Select a template and color scheme that makes sense with your presentation topic.
• Size graphics representing statistics so they and their text labels are easily readable.

• Help you get started.
• Guide you through the process.
• Give supportive and creative feedback at your rehearsals.