Fast Five Features for Nonprofits 6/8: Presenting with Impact

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By Doug Thomas, Content Producer, Office.com

A PowerPoint deck is much like a resume: you want to work on it so it makes an impact. However, when you’re interviewed, how much time is spent actually looking at the document? A minute? Maybe two? Your PowerPoint is the same way; you need to work on it, but also prepare to present it effectively to ensure your message really lands.

Here is this week’s Fast Five Features for NGOs for presenting with more impact.

1. Make use of the underutilized Presenter View.

  • Presenter view is a great way to view your presentation with your speaker notes on one computer, while the audience views the notes-free presentation on a different monitor.

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This is your view in Presenter View. The left-hand side is the slide that your audience will see. On the right-hand side is your notes section, which is only visible to you. You can use the arrows, markers, and you have the ability to skip over slides using functionality in the bottom portion of the screen.

 

2. Talking to a remote audience? Broadcast your Slideshow.

  • Simply send a link to your audience and then everyone will be able to watch a synchronized view of your slideshow in their browser. This is a terrific if you don’t have time to set up a more formal conference. Learn how to Broadcast your PowerPoint.

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Regardless of the device, the slides in a broadcast slideshow move about the same speed in almost real time.

3. Try the 10-20-30 rule.

  • For meetings where there are several speakers, try this: each speaker has only 10 slides, speaks for no more than 20 minutes, and uses no font smaller than 30 points. See Guy Kawasaki's original blog post on the 10-20-30 rule.

4. Be aware of Really Bad PowerPoint.

  • Seth Godin is a marketing guru who knows about Really Bad PowerPoint. Your slides should reinforce, not repeat, what you’re saying. Find ways to paraphrase the content, cut down on text, and utilize visuals.

5. For more tools and advice, view this video on creating Better PowerPoint presentations: The Office Casual Way .

Doug Thomas has created content at Office.com for 5 years. Previously he worked at Amazon.com as managing editor in the DVD department, and reviewed movies for numerous outlets for twenty years. So it's ironic he is now creating videos & webinars at Office.com. Join him every Tuesday for Office 15-Minute Webinars: https://aka.us/offweb .