It's not surprising Powerpoint© slideshows have become the norm 
for visuals in most business presentations. They are quick to 
produce, easy to update and effective to inject visual interest 
into the presentation. However, they can also spell disaster 
even for experienced presenters. The key to success is to 
make certain your slide show is a visual aid and not a visual 
distraction. For the best results, avoid these common "seven 
deadly sins" of Powerpoint presentations.


1. Slide Transitions And Sound Effects.

They become the focus of attention, which in turn distracts 
the audience. Worse yet, when a presentation containing several 
effects and transitions runs on a computer much slower than the 
one it was created on, the result is a sluggish, almost comical 
playback. Such gimmicks rarely enhance the message you're trying 
to communicate. Unless you are presenting at a science fiction 
convention, leave out the laser-guided text!

Leave the fade-ins, fade-outs, wipes, blinds, dissolves, 
checkerboards, cuts, covers and splits to Hollywood filmmakers. 
Even "builds" (lines of text appearing each time you click the 
mouse) can be distracting. Focus on your message, not the 
technology.


2. Standard Clipart. 

Death to screen beans! Powerpoint© is now so widely used the 
clipart included with it has become a "visual cliché." It shows 
a lack of creativity and a tired adherence to a standard form. 
First, make certain that you need graphics to enhance your 
message. If you do, use your own scanned photographs or 
better-quality graphics from companies such as PhotoDisc 
(http://www.photodisc.com) or Hemera's Photo Objects 
(http://www.hemera.com). Screen captures can add realism when 
presenting information about a Website or computer program. 
Two popular screen capture programs are Snagit 
(http://www.techsmith.com) for Windows and Snapz Pro 
(http://www.ambrosiasw.com) for Macintosh. Both are 
available as shareware.


3. Presentation Templates.

Another visual cliché. Templates force you to fit your original 
ideas into someone else's pre-packaged mold. The templates 
often contain distracting backgrounds and poor color 
combinations. Pick up a good book on Web graphics and apply the 
same principles to your slides. Create your own distinctive look 
or use your company logo in a corner of the screen.


4. Text-Heavy Slides. 

Projected slides are a good medium for depicting an idea 
graphically or providing an overview. They are a poor medium 
for detail and reading. Avoid paragraphs, quotations and even 
complete sentences. Limit your slides to five lines of text and 
use words and phrases to make your points. The audience will be 
able to digest and retain key points more easily. Don't use your 
slides as speaker's notes or to simply project an outline of 
your presentation.


5. The "Me" Paradigm. 

Presenters often scan a table or graphic directly from their 
existing print corporate material and include it in their slide 
show presentations. The results are almost always sub-optimal. 
Print visuals are usually meant to be seen from 8-12 inches 
rather than viewed from several feet. Typically, they are too 
small, too detailed and too textual for an effective visual 
presentation. The same is true for font size; 12 point font is 
adequate when the text is in front of you. In a slideshow, aim 
for a minimum of 40 point font. Remember the audience and move 
the circle from "me" to "we." Make certain all elements of any 
particular slide are large enough to be easily seen. Size 
really does matter.


6. Reading. 

An oral presentation should focus on interactive speaking and 
listening, not reading by the speaker or the audience. The 
demands of spoken and written language differ significantly. 
Spoken language is shorter, less formal and more direct. 
Reading text ruins a presentation. A related point has to do 
with handouts for the audience. One of your goals as a 
presenter is to capture and hold the audience's attention. 
If you distribute materials before your presentation, your 
audience will be reading the handouts rather than listening 
to you. Often, parts of an effective presentation depend on 
creating suspense to engage the audience. If the audience can 
read everything you're going to say, that element is lost.


7. Faith in Technology.

You never know when an equipment malfunction or incompatible 
interfaces will force you to give your presentation on another 
computer. Be prepared by having a back-up of your presentation 
on a CD-ROM. Better yet is a compact-flash memory card with an 
adapter for the PCMCIA slot in your notebook. With it, you can 
still make last-minute changes. It's also a good idea to prepare 
a few color transparencies of your key slides. In the worst-case 
scenario, none of the technology works and you have no visuals 
to present. You should still be able to give an excellent 
presentation if you focus on the message. Always familiarize 
yourself with the presentation, practice it and be ready to 
engage the audience regardless of the technology that is 
available. It's almost a lost art.