I recently finished – or so I thought – my PowerPoint presentation for NFPW. However, as I always do with any presentation, I reviewed it through a checklist I created to ensure that I would be providing my audience with valuable information.

Because it was a new topic for me, I quickly realized that I had fallen into some familiar traps. I definitely did not want my audience to suffer a “death by PowerPoint” experience.

To avoid such an experience, I strive to make my presentations as visual as possible. This has several benefits:

1. It avoids using slides as a script.
2. It ensures that I have done my research, including finding images that reflect my key points.
3. It enables audience members to focus on me the deliverer of messages instead of trying to read slides.

A TEDxRVA speaker toolkit noted that, “People need to process everything you are saying while simultaneously absorbing your slides.”

That means eliminating complex slides. With that in mind, I reviewed my presentation and realized I needed to do some tweaking, including:

1. Using only one idea per slide.
2. Identifying the great image that would convey my message.
3. Creating short phrases for bullet points the few times I used them.

I reworked my presentation, and now I’m ready. I also must remember to pack the tools of public speaking. To learn more about them, check out this article from Inc.

If you are looking for tips on how to begin to build your presentation, check out this blog about how to use PowerPoint to support your presentation.