DON’T BE A

POWERPOINT
FE L O N
3 PRESENTATION CRIMES
AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
 WE’VE ALL
EXPERIENCED
DEATH BY POWERPOINT
CAUSING DEATH IS
MURDER
MURDER IS A
FELONY
SO…
 DEATH BY
POWERPOINT IS A
F EL O N Y
HERE ARE
3
HERE ARE
3
HERE ARE
POWERPOINT
FELONIES TO
AVOID
3
HERE ARE
POWERPOINT
FELONIES TO
AVOID
(AT ALL COST!)
YOU’VE SEEN
THIS BEFORE:
HOW TO BE AWESOME

1.  BE FRIENDLY

2.  WORK HARD

3.  SAY THANK YOU

OUTLINE
≠
SLIDES
 HOW TO BE AWESOME

O
1.  BE FRIENDLY
E R P I N T
O W
P 2.  WORK HARD
F E L O N Y
3.  SAY THANK YOU
INSTEAD, TRY THIS:
 1
ONE IDEA
PER SLIDE
THE REASON
FOR THIS IS,
PEOPLE GET
DISTRACTED
 YOUR AUDIENCE
WILL READ
POINTS 2 AND 3
WHILE YOU’RE STILL
DISCUSSING POINT 1.
 OR,
YOUR AUDIENCE
WILL RE-READ
POINTS 1 AND 2
WHILE YOU’RE
DISCUSSING POINT 3.
BULLET POINTS
• ARE
• FOR
• LISTS
• ONLY
USE BULLETS ONLY
WHEN YOU’RE
ACTUALLY LISTING
SOMETHING.
TYPES OF BIRDS

•  EAGLE
•  SPARROW
•  ROBIN
•  BLUEJAY
•  PENGUIN
BUT THE NEXT TIME
YOU’RE TEMPTED TO
DO THIS…
HOW TO BE AWESOME

1.  BE FRIENDLY

2.  WORK HARD

3.  SAY THANK YOU

…DO THIS…
 HOW TO BE
1. BE FRIENDLY
AWESOME

2. WORK HARD 3. SAY THANK YOU

…INSTEAD.
KEEP EVERYONE ON
THE SAME PAGE.
JUST REMEMBER,
 1
ONE IDEA
PER SLIDE
ANOTHER THING I’M
SURE YOU’VE SEEN,
•  FIRST, MAKE SURE
THAT YOU ARE KIND
AND PERSONABLE TO
EVERYONE YOU MEET
EACH DAY.
THE PRESENTER PUTS
EVERYTHING THEY
WANT TO SAY ON
THEIR SLIDES,
AND THEN READS
THEM TO YOU.
 ONE OF THEM
(THE SLIDES OR THE PRESENTER)
IS UNNECCESSARY.
 •  FIRST, MAKE SURE
THAT YOU ARE KIND

E R P O N T
AND PERSONABLE TO
I
P OWEVERYONE YOU MEET
EACH DAY.

FEL O N Y
INSTEAD, TRY THIS:
 2
ELIMINATE
TEXT
 PEOPLE CAN
ONLY PROCESS
ONE STREAM
OF VERBAL INPUT
AT A TIME.
THEY’LL EITHER…
LISTEN TO YOU,
OR READ YOUR SLIDES.
 ?
?

THEY CAN’T DO BOTH.

ELIMINATE AS MUCH
TEXT AS YOU
POSSIBLY CAN
ELIMINATE AS MUCH
TEXT AS YOU
POSSIBLY CAN
ELIMINATE AS MUCH
TEXT AS YOU
POSSIBLY CAN
ELIMINATE AS MUCH
TEXT AS YOU
POSSIBLY CAN
•  FIRST, MAKE SURE
THAT YOU ARE KIND
AND PERSONABLE TO
EVERYONE YOU MEET
EACH DAY.
BECOMES
Be Friendly
JUST REMEMBER,
 2
ELIMINATE
TEXT
AND FINALLY,
 USING A SLIDE
TEMPLATE TO INSERT
AN IMAGE GIVES
YOU SOMETHING
LIKE THIS:
BE FRIENDLY
 E R P O IN T
P O
BE W
FRIENDLY

FEL O N Y
INSTEAD, TRY THIS:
 3
USE BIG
IMAGES
WITH EXACTLY THE
SAME CONTENT,
BE FRIENDLY
BECOMES
BE FRIENDLY
 BE FRIENDLY

(MUCH BETTER)
BUT BE CAREFUL TO
AVOID THIS:
BE FRIENDLY
BE FRIENDLY

PIXELATION
 IT’S CAUSED BY
STRETCHING SMALL
IMAGES.
 MAKE SURE TO USE
IMAGES THAT ARE AT
LEAST
800 x 600
PIXELS
 YOU CAN FIND
GREAT IMAGERY TO
USE AT SITES LIKE:
 compfight.com
(CREATIVE COMMONS)

istockphoto.com
(PAID)
ONE MORE THING:
CLIP ART
IT’S TACKY.
EVERYONE HAS IT.
YOU CAN DO BETTER.
SO…
 NEXT TIME YOU
GET THE ITCH TO
COMMIT A SERIOUS
POWERPOINT
FELONY,
REMEMBER…
 1
ONE IDEA
PER SLIDE
 2
ELIMINATE
TEXT
 3
USE BIG
IMAGES
 TO LEARN MORE, VISIT:
ADVANCEYOURSLIDES.COM
AND
@ADVANCEURSLIDES
 DON’T BE A
POWERPOINT
FE L O N

A PRESENTATION BY NICK SMITH

 IMAGE CREDITS

SLIDE 3: DEATH BY POWERPOINT – TIM CAYNES

SLIDE 52 - 63: FRIENDLY GUY - THOMAS HAWK

SLIDE 30: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM & COMPFIGHT.COM