There are many benefits for using a slide show in your presentation. Slides provide a visual representation that will reinforce any points you make during your speech. Also, slides can serve to calm the nerves of some presenters: the visuals take the pressure off-because they take the eyes off the presenter!
But there is a risk that comes along with using a slide presentation. If you don't prepare well and follow some important guidelines, slides can have the opposite effect. Sloppy slide shows can turn a good presentation into a nightmare!
Make sure your slide show makes your presentation better (and not more stressful) by considering the following.
Slide Show Essentials
- Make sure you know the technology works in the presentation room. If possible, go in the day before or the morning of your presentation and do a dry run. You should make sure that all the necessary connecting cords are there, or that the cords that you bring actually work in the particular room. Don't assume!
- Have a backup plan in case the unexpected happens. Be prepared to speak if the power goes down and provide some visual aids to replace your slides. Handouts with the most important facts should do the trick.
- Incorporate some kind of activity into your presentation. Your slide show may be very fascinating, but it's always helpful to break up the monotony by getting people involved. Interactive sessions are always more memorable.
- Be prepared to take charge of your crowd should a conversation become unruly or boisterous. If your topic is really engaging, it might spark some lively reactions. If this happens you will need to work hard to keep your audience focused on you and the slides.
- Know how to back up without getting lost. Inevitably, somebody will say "Can you just go back to the previous slide…?" Practice going backward and forward in your presentation.
- Create time markers to keep yourself on track. Print out paper copies of your slides and write a preferred time marker on each slide. For example, indicate whether you should be 5 minutes or 15 minutes into your presentation on a particular slide.
