We’ve all sat through the painful experience of a PowerPoint presentation gone wrong.  No organization, too much text, too long, a speaker with no eye contact plus boring delivery, and, so many bells and whistles that you feel like you’ve been to the movies and not a solid, cogent, value-oriented, and revenue-generating presentation.  You walked away saying, “What did they just say?”  In short, there was no take-away.  Your time could have been better spent elsewhere.

In contrast, we have all experienced presentations that are short, content-filled, logical, compelling, transforming, and left an enduring impression and call to action.  The speaker knew the material and drove the point home quickly and efficiently.  And, if it was really good, you were watching the clock—not because you wanted it over—but because you wanted it to never end!

Below are some attributes of a good, clean, value-oriented presentation:

• 10 slides.  No more and no less.  If you have to go longer you don’t know your message.  Stay home.
• A clean and simple template background that communicates your brand with subtle repetition.
• Minimal animation.  You are presenting to audiences that really want to hear something.  If they want a movie, well, Toy Story is on DVD.
• Tell your story.
• Use some feet-on-the-street, “For Examples.”
• Create your slides, and then eliminate all the words you can.  Cut.  Cut.  Edit.  Refine.  Eliminate more.  Think.  Refine more.
• Ask yourself, “What’s the one, key point or action item I want my audience to leave with?”
• No paragraphs.
• Use minimal text.
• Use bullet points.
• Let a picture or a graph speak a thousand words.  Sometimes one good graph or trend chart, if done properly, can drive home the entire focal point of your message.
• When you deliver, alternate your eye contact back and forth from person to person.  Talk to a person’s eyes, then, move to another person’s eyes.  Speak to THAT person.  Engage their mind and heart.  Then, move the next person and come back.  Make sure the eye contact is long enough to engage.  People know when you are talking directly to them.
• Refine and cut more.
• Think more.
• Remember the KISS principle: Keep It Simple Stupid.
• Sleep on it and look again, fresh, in the morning.
• Let it sit for one week, and then look again.
• Practice the presentation in front of a mirror 3 times while timing it.
• Video tape your presentation.
• Over express your key points.
• Watch your video and take notes and make critical comments.
• Eliminate one slide you don’t need—at least.
• Pause when it counts.  Give people time to think.  Slow down and let them savor the message.  Use the power of the pause.
• Save questions to the end if you can, but integrate good questions in a way that enforces your message.  Let good questions drive home your points.
• If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so, but tell them you will find out and get back to them.  Then, make sure to get their contact info.
• Get there early and double check all equipment to make sure it is in working order.
• Have a USB backup of your presentation.
• Now, go deliver the message with marketing style, finesse, aplomb, skill, simplicity, eye contact, humor, grace, and depth.

Your thoughts?