Effective PowerPoint Presentations: Ten Tips to go from blah to … · 2011. 10. 22. · Effective PowerPoint Presentations: Ten Tips to go from “blah” to Aha! Professor Tonya

Effective PowerPoint Presentations:

Ten Tips to go from “blah” to Aha!

Professor Tonya M. Evans

Widener University School of Law - Harrisburg

Food for thought …

“If you live by the PowerPoint

You will die by the PowerPoint.”

--Adapted from quote by Stephen Stone

Copyright 2011 Tonya M. Evans 2

Admit it …

when a lawyer

approaches a

podium with a

laptop, you think

to yourself …


[transcript: AHHHHHHHHHH!]


… not another boring PPT!


But if you follow these …


your presentation will be

anything but boring.

You will educate, inspire and …

succeed! Copyright 2011 Tonya M. Evans 7

[What does it mean to succeed?]

To inspire excellence by:

providing high quality information

adding value to the experience

engaging audience, maintaining connection

inspiring audience to action

exceeding expectations


And now …

Tonya’s Top Ten

Tips to go from

blah to Aha!


Tip #1: Less is more!

Avoid

cramming

every detail

into a

single slide.


[Examples of too much text]

Basis of house is $40,000 and jointly owned Fair market value at death of first spouse - $800,000 - $900,000

If a taxable estate, minimize value to avoid 41% estate tax rate

If non-taxable estate, report at highest rate and spouse may sell for lower rate; maximizes basis to reduce capital gain and

Value at $800,000:

All capital gain on decedent spouse’s half disappears, due to step-up in basis

New basis on the half inherited from the decedent spouse is $400,000 and the surviving spouse’s basis is still $20,000 basis

If spouse sells for $800,000 she will take a $250,000 exclusion of gain and pay tax on $130,000 of gain ($800 - $400 - $20 - $250 = $130)

Value at $900,000:

All capital gain on decedent spouse’s half disappears, due to step-up in basis

New basis on the half inherited from the decedent spouse is $450,000 and the surviving spouse’s basis is still $20,000 basis

If spouse still sells for $800,000 she will take a $250,000 exclusion of gain and pay tax on $80,000 of gain ($800 - $450 - $20 - $250 = $80)


Rule 23 inconsistent with opt-in provisions of section 16(b) Deny certification or limit to scope of opt-in class

○ Denying certification: See Muecke v. A-Reliable Auto Parts, 7 Wage & Hour Cas. 2d (BNA) 1611, 2002 WL 1359411 (N.D. Ill. June 21, 2002); Rodriguez v. The Texan, Inc., 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24652 (N.D. Ill. Mar. 5, 2001); Zeyala v. J.M. Macias, Inc., 999 F. Supp. 778, 780 (E.D.N.C. 1998)

○ Limiting to scope of opt-in class: Robinson v. Sizes Unlimited, Inc., 685 F. Supp. 442 (D.N.J. 1988); Sperling, 118 F.R.D. at 412; Pirrone v. North Hotel Assocs., 108 F.R.D. 78, (E.D. Pa. 1985); see Ballaris v. Wacker Siltronic Corp., 2002 WL 926272 (D. Or. Feb. 7, 2002)


[Too much text, underlining & italics]

Executives must meet 3 “duties” requirements ○ Primary Duty Test: Employee’s “primary duty” must be

management of the enterprise in which the employee is employed or of a customarily recognized department or subdivision thereof.”

○ Supervision: Must “customarily and regularly direct the work of two or more other employees.”

○ Authority to change status: Must have “the authority to hire or fire other employees or whose suggestions and recommendations as to the hiring, firing, advancement, promotion or any other change of status of other employees are given particular weight.”

Duties not required for 20%+ owners


Tip #2: Size does matter

Use appropriate

font size & type so

the audience can

actually see and

read it!


[Use at least 24 point font]

This is Arial 12

This is Arial 18

This is Arial 24

This is Arial 32

This is Arial 36

This is Arial 44

This is Arial 72


[Always use a sans serif font]

“Serif” is a smaller line used

to finish off a main stroke of a letter

72 point sans serif

[Arial]

M

72 point serif

[Times New Roman]

M


[Other points to consider]

No more than 6-8 words per line.

For bullets use the 1x6x6 rule.

Avoid using ALL CAPS.

Text should contrast with the

background.

Clearly label each slide.

Use color and size for impact.


Tip #3: K.I.S.S.


[Things to avoid …]

Too many font colors

Too many slides

Overly ornate backgrounds

Distracting animation

Unnecessary transitions

Distracting sounds


[Tip #4: Slides are not manuscripts]

… so don’t

read from

your slides.


[Ho Hum … Sigh … Yawn …]

There is nothing

more boring

than hearing a

presenter read

her PPT slides

to an audience.


Tip #5: Talk to them, not your slides

By turning your

back to your

audience,

you disengage.


[Engage the audience]

Eye contact

Voice modulation

Appropriate

gestures

Be “in the moment”


[Make a connection!]


Tip #6: Spell Check is Your Friend!

Spelling and

grammar errors

negatively impact:

your credibility

audience trust

the connection


Tip #7: Pace yourself!

Don’t move from

slide to slide…

too quickly

or

too slowly.


[Points to consider …]

3 slides per minute.

Pitch, power & pace.

Visual aids should …

be Visual and Aid


Tip #8: Use multimedia wisely

Use images,

animations, video

& sound …

effectively

and

sparingly.


[Too much of a good thing isn’t good!]

Images & animations may distract your

audience and they are never a substitute

for content.


[Distracting animation]

7 ft

Source: Victor Chen, ERAU


[Effective animation]

7 ft

Source: Victor Chen, ERAU


Tip #9: Complex ideas require progression

Use multiple

slides or

animated

progressions in

one slide to

address

complex ideas.

First

Second

Third Fourth

Fifth


Complexity of Interactions

Mo

de

of In

stru

ctio

n

Individual Pair Group

Direct Instruction

Guided Inquiry

Discovery Learning

Individual

Instructive

Tools

Individual

Constructive

Tools

Social

Constructive

Tools

Social

Communicative

Tools

Informational Tools

[Too many concepts in one.] Source: Victor Chen, ERAU


Complexity of Interactions

Mo

de

of In

stru

ctio

n

Individual Pair Group

Direct Instruction

Guided Inquiry

Discovery Learning

Individual

Instructive

Tools

Individual

Constructive

Tools

Social

Constructive

Tools

Social

Instructive

Tools

Informational Tools

[Effective use of progression] Source: Victor Chen, ERAU


Tip #10: Remember why you’re in front!


You are presenting with excellence to …

Inspire!

Educate!


and most importantly …

It’s not about you it’s all about them!


Summary

1. Less is more

2. Size does matter

3. K.I.S.S.

4. Slides are not manuscripts

5. Talk to them, not your slides


Summary 6. Spell check is your friend.

7. Pace yourself!

8. Use multimedia effectively and sparingly.

9. Complex ideas require progression.

10. Remember why you are in front.


To educate and to inspire!


Documents

Effective PowerPoint Presentations: Ten Tips to go from blah to … · 2011. 10. 22. · Effective PowerPoint Presentations: Ten Tips to go from “blah” to Aha! Professor Tonya