Some days I wake up to a marvellous gift via e-mail. This morning, my friend Hertha sent me this article from The New York Times on the U.S. military and its use of PowerPoint, entitled We Have Met the Enemy and He Is PowerPoint.
I love this sentence: ‘Commanders say that behind all the PowerPoint jokes are serious concerns that the program stifles discussion, critical thinking and thoughtful decision-making.’
First, I’d say. Duh.
Second, I’d finish the sentence with ‘… and creativity.’
Let me start by saying I love PowerPoint and Keynote. I use them constantly. They are infinitely flexible, easy to use, and when used properly, can add incredible impact to any project. The operative words in that sentence are: when used properly.
Unfortunately, lots of people have never been trained in how to communicate using slide-based software. People might have gone to a PowerPoint skills workshop, but they learn how to use the software, not how to use the software to communicate. Big difference.
For example, last week a colleague in Sydney was writing a pitch presentation. She swiped and copied whole paragraphs from a PDF and pasted them onto a slide as bullet points. For fun, I counted the words on the Slide 1: 217 words in 7-point Helvetica. When I asked if the word size was a tad microscopic, she said, “Perhaps.” To fix the problem, she bolded ALL the words. I got a call yesterday to say their agency didn’t win. “The client didn’t think our ideas were creative.”
How could they if they could barely read the slide?
Here are my basic tips when writing in slide-based software.
If you use PowerPoint frequently, learn how to use it.
Find a local class or workshop. PowerPoint is not going away any time soon. Trust me, life’s easier if you aren’t trying to practice your fluency at the same time you’re writing a document. I also don’t buy the argument any longer “I don’t have time to go to training.” If you can negotiate two meetings which are scheduled at the same time, then you can negotiate planning a workshop into your diary.
Use pictures more than words.
PowerPoint is meant to be visual and simple. But, not so complex that you don’t what you’re looking at one first glance, and simple enough to read on the other side of the room. ((The same is true for hand-outs. It doesn’t matter if the reader will hold the PowerPoint 12 inches from their nose. It’s just as bad and distracting for your reader especially if – like me – they have to put on their reading glasses.)
Simplicity will always improve your presentation and your presentation style. If there’s less on the screen but more focus, your audience will be far more likely to take your point. (Also, don’t read the slide. People read faster than you talk. In other words, you become really annoying if you’re talking while we’re reading the same slide.)
Don’t treat PowerPoint like Microsoft Word or any other narrative software.
If you write paragraphs in PowerPoint, you’re using it wrong. If you start a sentence with anything other than an active verb, you’re using it wrong. If you’re more concerned with grammar and punctuation than colour, you’re using it wrong. If you write the text before you write the slide title, you’re using it wrong.
Always start by writing your slide titles FIRST.
It’s what the audience reads first to make sense of the slide, especially so if you don’t present the slide in the right way. In fact, it’s one way to tell the quality of a presentation. You should be able to read only the titles of your document to get the point and purpose of your argument. And, the last thing you write is your title slide.
Your slides should be limited to one key message.
Every individual slide has one key message, typically written in the title. The rest of the slide should follow the message house and its rule of 3s. (If you didn’t know it, PowerPoint was developed to follow the rules of a message house.) After the title, you likely will have 3-4 messages which substantiate your main message (the title). Finally add relevant evidence, proof or support as artwork or a chart on the slide to create a unified whole.
As one final tip: try to write each bullet point so the sentence itself does not wrap onto a second line. Be concise. No one needs added complexity.
The last slide you write it your title slide.
To write the slide title FIRST is the same as saying you’re going to write a brilliant novel … but before you do, you’re going to design the book jacket first. How can you design the cover when you don’t even know what’s going in the book?
Any other tips, suggestions or recommendations on writing in PowerPoint? Please add your thoughts or comments below.
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