Preventing PowerPoint Pitfalls
With greater use of PowerPoint and more dazzle and electronic sizzle, the opportunity for electronic adversity is greater than ever. Here are some pointers for preventing presentation pitfalls...and how to remain the star of the show...no matter what happens. --- I recently attended a workshop by a well-known motivational speaker. Over 150 people had packed into this hotel conference room to listen to this prominent speaker rally his audience for new money-making ideas and motivational strategies. But when the time came for Mr. Speaker to address the complexities of his topic- more effectively conveyed through effective visual graphics in PowerPoint- he skillfully fired-up his laptop and projector to display his homemade PowerPoint presentation. But his simple click of the mouse was followed by a complex crash of the computer. Suddenly, Mr. Speaker was no longer the star of the show. His crash-and-burn PowerPoint was upstaging him, as everyone watched with passionate pity, hoping he would recover easily and gracefully. But alas, it was a 15 minute slow-burn, as the audience agonized and empathized with him battling every error message that Windows Vista threw at him. The situation ultimately resolved itself with a cold (and bitter) reboot from Mr. Speaker, and we collectively breathed a sigh of relief. Several minutes later, the resurrected PC played its potent PowerPoint, and the speaker was back on track. With the omnipresent PowerPoint and increasing expectations for other speakers to present with more dazzle and electronic sizzle, the opportunity for electronic adversity is greater than ever. If Mr. Speaker had simply taken a few precautions, he could have averted disaster. Or at least not looked so paralyzed. 1. Practice...again and again...using PowerPoint. 2. Don’t apologize for being a PowerPoint newbie. 3. Prepare a backup computer and projector. 4. Toss to another speaker 5. Share a video from a DVD 6. Display the presentation directly from the projector 7. Have a technical guru ready to help you…and don’t be afraid to ask. 8. Be able to carry on without visuals 9. Cover your projector while troubleshooting 10. Never Let them See You Sweat. PowerPoint is a visual support tool; not the centerpiece of your presentation. In the end,you are the star. But in the event of a computer crash, these simple strategies can help you to be more prepared and professional, and come across looking like a true presentation pro. Full article and details at http://www.presentationteam.com/presentation-tips/powerpoint-tips/preventing-powerpoint-pitfalls
