A PowerPoint that Pops: 5 Techniques to Wow Your Audience, Part 2

A PowerPoint that Pops: 5 Techniques to Wow Your Audience, Part 2

Tip #2: Use your bullets wisely!!

A PowerPoint should never have slides full of text, and often, people think bullet points are the best way to avoid this problem. Although bullet use in presentations is a common practice, it is not always the best practice, since bullets serve a specific function. Here’s some info on bullets:

·         They represent an outline or list format.

·         They’re a text-based, non-visual way to communicate, PowerPoint is supposed to be a visual aide to enhance your presentation.

·         People associate them with boring presentations.

If you have a lot to say, the best way to say it is through visual imagery. As mentioned in part one of this series, visual imagery does not have to be literal to the text. For example, you may do a presentation on the importance of optimism. Most likely, you will have a hard time finding a photo of optimism, but you can use an image of a glass of that is half full to convey that point. The best part about using good visuals is that you don’t have to use words to convey your message and it keeps your audience engaged.

So, here are some tips for using bullets (Warning: bullets will follow.)

·         If your message can be conveyed in a visual form, use that method over bullets

·         If bullets are needed, use no more than three per slide. It’s okay to spread out six points over six separate slides instead of cramming it all into one slide.

·         Use bullets when you need to list something (i.e. agenda items, objectives, etc.)

Remember: the more bullets you have, the less effective your presentation will be.