PowerPoint Presentation Sins, errors, and myths you must avoid when presenting in public. Giving presentations is a privilege and opportunity - not a right. Please stop sinning while you present. If you must use PowerPoint or other computer projection – learn these sins and avoid them.

PowerPoint Sins & How to Avoid Them

PowerPoint is a trademark of Microsoft. It is like a drug.

It is software that seduces poor presenters into presenting painful presentations.

Maybe you have suffered through some painful PowerPoint Presentations. Maybe you presented some.

Let’s stop the pain. What can you do to help? You can reject PowerPoint outright – or you can learn to avoid these PowerPoint Sins.

Whatever you do – don’t blame PowerPoint. Don’t blame Bill Gates. Just become a better presenter. Recognize and avoid the PowerPoint Sins.

Presentation Skills Success Power Does not come from PowerPoint PowerPoint Sins

How painful is your PowerPoint Presentation?

And how can you stop the pain of PowerPoint Presentations?

The 13 PowerPoint Sins

You Must Avoid

Read the following PowerPoint Sins and the corresponding Tips. Digest them and incorporate them into your next PowerPoint Presentation for more success, less pain and more fun.

∙ Speaker reading what is on the screen word by word

When the speaker reads what is on the screen how do you feel? Stupid? “The speaker thinks I can’t read.” The speaker should add to the points on the screen – or leave the room. We can read. Insulting your audience is a PowerPoint Presentation Sin.

∙ Hoping for the PowerPoint slide show to cover your lack of preparation

We don’t buy your PowerPoint. We buy you. Even if you have great PowerPoint – we might think, “I should hire the person who created the PowerPoint.” Being unprepared is a PowerPoint Presentation Sin.

∙ Too much on the slide

Make your information digestible. Small bites. Small bytes. If it is important then put only one word or a short phrase on your slide. Causing information indigestion is a PowerPoint Presentation Sin.

∙ We cannot read your slide

If you are temped to say, “I don’t know if you can read this but I’m going to show it anyways.” Go directly to jail. Do not pass go. An easy test of any slide is to stand about six feet away from your computer screen. If you can’t read they never will. So don’t use that slide. Frustrating your audience is a PowerPoint Presentation Sin.

∙ Too many colors and graphics

Rule of thumb - no more than three colours on a slide. Too much on the screen is a PowerPoint Presentation Sin.

∙ Too much motion on the screen

Motion attracts our eyes. Decide where you want people to look. We cannot read words that are moving – but we will try and that annoys us. Confusing your audience is a PowerPoint Presentation Sin.

∙ No apparent reason for using the PowerPoint slides

Why are you using these slides? Do they significantly emphasize your message? If not – forget the PowerPoint. Using PowerPoint just because “everyone else does” is a PowerPoint Presentation Sin.

∙ Items displayed on slide with no clear relationship to each other

Make the relationship between images and text clear – to the audience. Throwing images and text without making a clear relationship is a PowerPoint Presentation Sin.

∙ Using the standard clipart that everyone uses

If you are using clipart that was from the last decade – you are so last decade. Being boring is a PowerPoint Presentation Sin.

∙ Printing in all caps or other hard to read fonts

Hard to read and impolite. Offending your audience is a PowerPoint Presentation Sin.

∙ Printing the standard slides from the PowerPoint handouts

Unimaginative, ineffective and lazy. Shame on you. Instead create materials that add to your PowerPoint slides – not simply repeat them. Ignoring the principles of how best to convey different types of information is a PowerPoint Presentation Sin.

∙ Displaying lots of numbers

Numbers are boring to most people. Except the numbers people. For the non-numbers people use charts and graphs. For the numbers people – tell them the numbers – and/or provide it in the written materials. Assaulting your audience with written numbers on the screen is a PowerPoint Presentation Sin.

∙ Displaying too much detail

Agh! Too much! Imagine that you are talking to Homer Simpson. Give the detail that is relevant and digestible. Killing your audience with too much detail is a PowerPoint Presentation Sin.

Re-read The 13 PowerPoint Sins You Must Avoid & Tips for You

You can avoid the pain of PowerPoint sins by working with, George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.

He can help you become a powerful presenter… if you are willing to stop the pain.

Visit wwwSpeechCoachforExecutives.com

Call 905-335-1997

Presentation Skills Success Power Does not come from PowerPoint PowerPoint Sins

© George Torok is the Speech Coach for Executives. He is a professional speaker, trainer and consultant. He is the creator and host of the weekly radio show, Business in Motion. He is the co-author of the national bestseller, Secrets of Power Marketing – the first guide to personal marketing for the non-marketer. He works with executives, business professionals and managers to help them present their messages with power and results. You can contact him to arrange an executive Speech Coaching session or Presentations Skills group-training program at 800-304-1861 For more information about how he can work with you and your organization visit http://www.speechcoachforexecutives.com/

For more information about George Torok and the programs he delivers visit these websites.

http://www.torok.com/

http://www.speechcoachforexecutives.com/

http://www.promotebrandyou.com/

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