If ever there was a tool that could add so much to your public speaking, yet can also be the biggest downfall for a public speaker, then PowerPoint is that tool. Debate has been raging whether you should use PowerPoint presentations or not in your speech - some speakers swear by this program, whilst others won't go near it.
Personally, I like to use PowerPoint presentations in my speeches as I believe that it adds value to my speech. However, I do understand the reasoning behind why you shouldn't use PowerPoint displays. If they are done correctly, they can turn a low-quality amateur speech into a high-quality professional one. However, if used incorrectly, the consequences are catastrophic.
Therefore, I have compiled five simple pointers on how to improve your PowerPoint presentations. I have tried to ignore the obvious ones i.e. make sure that the text on your PowerPoints is big enough so everyone in the audience can read it, and give you pointers that I find some public speakers are doing incorrectly.
Point 1 - Talk to Your Audience, Not to the PowerPoint
If you are continually looking at your PowerPoint when you are speaking publicly, you are not going to connect with your audience. Generally speaking, when you are using a PowerPoint, it is displayed behind you. Therefore, if you are talking to your PowerPoint, then you are going to have your back to the audience. Your audience will very quickly get bored of looking at the back of your head! Also your voice is not being directed at your audience, therefore it will be harder to hear. So if you want to deliver an effective speech, remember to talk to your audience, not to the wall.
Point 2 - Don't Read from your PowerPoint/Don't Let the Audience Read from your PowerPoint
Your PowerPoint should not contain chunks of text on it, which are the exact same words that you are presenting in your speech. Your PowerPoint should contain dot points, pictures, diagrams, charts or other visual representations. Your audience came to hear you deliver a speech, not read large chunks of text off a wall. Consider your PowerPoint to be the notes that your audience would write down, not the textbook that they would read.
Point 3 - Don't Let Your Power Point Distract Your Audience to a Point that they are not Listening to You
If there is too much happening in your PowerPoint, then your audience's attention is going to be distracted, therefore they will not be focusing on you and your message. That is why I recommend that you only use pictures and not movies during your public speech. Also, try and leave the picture/slide on the screen for a bare minimum of 60 seconds average.
Point 4 - Don't Use Sound Effects
There is no point having all these crashes for each slide transition and a whoosh every time a paragraph comes on screen. It is just too complicated and pointless. Now I have no problems if, during your public speech, you do a couple of sound effects to get the audiences attention i.e. sound of the cash register just before you talk about money, but don't overdo it. Try to limit your sound effects to no more than ten per speech, regardless of length.
Point 5 - Don't Rely On Your PowerPoint So Much That You Cannot Deliver Your Speech Without It
Technology has a habit of not working when you need it to work! Regardless of whether you have a multi-million dollar technology budget or not, you cannot rely on technology! Therefore, there is no excuse for you to not to be able to deliver your speech if technology fails you. You should be able to effectively explain all of your visuals during your speech.
If you are uncertain whether you should include something in your speech or not, always remember the KISS theory - Keep It Short and Sweet or Keep It Simple Stupid. Remember that your PowerPoint is an aide, but not essential to your speech. The message that you are trying to convey in your public speaking should come from you, not your PowerPoint.
Backgrounds For Powerpoint Presentations
What??s the fastest way to let your students, colleagues or friends to get your latest PowerPoint presentations ?
How to make your learning courses be reached by your students anywhere anytime through internet or portable devices such as iPod?
This is a general topic about how to make your teaching become more efficient and effective.
You may have created a compelling PowerPoint presentation and want it to be viewed by your students before you giving the class. To accomplish this you may put the PowerPoint presentation file on your blog or website as a downloadable file and send the link to your students by email. This is a nice idea but what can you do if some of the students are not convenient to receive email when they are outside home or have no email address or even a computer?
Here we provide an innovative way to make your idea come true---Podcasts are based on RSS technology. They are like having a magazine subscription. You subscribe to a magazine you want to read and whenever a new issue is printed it is delivered to your doorstep. Podcasts are the same because you can subscribe to a podcast and whenever a new episode is available it is automatically delivered to you.
With the RSS technology, you can create Podcasts from PowerPoint presentations and let your students or friends subscribe to your RSS feed through their computer RSS tools, iTunes (for iPod, iPhone), Pocket PC or other portable devices.
Benefits of Podcasting your PowerPoint presentations:
An easy and convenient way for Learning and training
Video podcasts enable students and teachers to share information with anyone anytime. By creating Podcasts from PowerPoint presentation, If a student is absent, he can download the PowerPoint presentation course Podcasts to learn. It can be a tool for teachers or administrators to communicate curriculum, assignments and other information with parents and the community.
A quick and effective method to spread your PowerPoint presentations to the world
Podcasts can spread the world by RSS feeds only by seconds. So, podcasting is a great marketing strategy execution should be concerned by all business marketing professionals. If you are teaching online and want to sell your PowerPoint courses to people who need them, it is an effective method to convert them to video for Podcasting.
A way to share unique videos for entertainment
You can share your unique video slides created by PowerPoint presentations by publishing your video podcasts to Podcast directory such as iTunes. Subscribers can download them and don't need keyboard or mouse interfaces to choose channels and items, much similar to zapping through regular TV stations, and new episodes show up automatically, so the technology is ideal for on-the-go (portable media players and mobile phones) and living room mass media sharing.
How to create Podcasts from PowerPoint presentations
Firstly, we should know what kinds of video formats are most suitable for Podcasting. Select proper format according to your audiences.
1.Use MP4 format if you want to publish your video podcast to let people download to their computer, Apple TV, iPod or iPhone etc.
2.Convert your presentation to WMV or MOV video to let people watch it online or download and watch it on their local devices
Secondly, we need a conversion tool to convert PowerPoint presentations to videos for Podcasting.
Wondershare PPT to Video is a tool which can convert PowerPoint presentations to video formats such as MP4, MOV, WMV etc.
Just by 3 clicks simplicity,
1.Import your PowerPoint presentation
2.Select output formats such as MP4, MOV or WMV.
3.Click ??Start??
Publish your Podcast
Upload your video Podcast
To publish your video Podcast, you should upload the video file to your web server first.
You can also upload your Podcast to sites provide podcast host such as
http://www.podbean.com
Then you should create an XML feed for your video Podcast.
If you don??t know how to create an XML feed, please see this tutorial: http://playlistmag.com/features/2005/07/howtovodcast/index.php
Listing Podcasts with iTunes
1.Open up iTunes.
2.Click on ?? Music Store??
3.Click on ??Podcasts??
4.On the left-hand menu, click ??Submit a Podcast?? or click ?? Publish a Podcast?? at the center of the page.
5.Enter your RSS data feed and click ??Continue??
If you have any questions in using Wondershare PPT to Video to create Podcasts, feel free to contact us
Both Christopher Carlin & Gaochuhan are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Christopher Carlin has sinced written about articles on various topics from Public Speaking, Public Relations and Advertising Guide. I have been for over six years, and I want to share with you twenty public speaking tips which will enhance your public speaking skills.. Christopher Carlin's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.
Gaochuhan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Public Relations. . Gaochuhan's top article generates over 1900 views. to your Favourites.
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