Having worked in London for the last five years, I have had the opportunity to both present and attend PowerPoint presentations on numerous occasions. As a self-taught user of this software my journey has been composed of a few highs but mostly lows. I still remember the days of preparing presentations on acetates and using a range of coloured pens to add interest. When working in a group, the task of preparing the slides always seemed to fall to the person with the neatest handwriting. However, those days are long behind us now and we must deal with numerous technical intricacies such as selecting the most appropriate slide design to reflect our message and incorporating multimedia into our presentations. I would like to share with you a few personal experiences resulting from my lack of PowerPoint training.

Always using the same format?

I must confess I tended to rely on the same trusted format each time I made a new PowerPoint presentation. "Dad's Tie" was an old favourite of both myself and my colleagues. This did mean that there was a limited variety of presentations on offer at our weekly meetings. Although the content was varied and interesting we were not perhaps conveying it in the best possible way.

Reading off your slides?

As a shy and retiring individual, I tended to perceive opportunities for public speaking in a less than favourable light. Hence, my PowerPoint slides became my safety net. Everything I wanted to say was written on those slides even if it meant using the smallest possible font. Needless to say, this was not a recipe for success. It meant that I was not maintaining eye contact with my audience because I was always referring to my slides to remind me what to say.

Problems in setting up?

Due to my lack of technical know how, I often encountered problems when setting up my presentation. Using a slide projector was always a risky business because unless it was set up ready for me, I would come to a grinding halt. Transportation of my presentations proved interesting on occasions. I can still remember the horror I felt when I realized my presentation was too large to transport on a disc. Emailing was not an option and apparently I was to use a memory stick. A memory stick? Fortunately those days are behind me now but it is the minor details which can make all the difference.

As a London resident, I had failed to make the most of the opportunities available to improve this facet of my presentation skills. Looking around, I can honestly say that I am not the only one. My new recipe for success involves identifying a weakness and tackling it with the most appropriate means available. PowerPoint courses in London are widely available and, if you have in any way identified with my experiences, perhaps may be worth considering.