How many slides should I use? What should they look like? How can I make sure that all the information is there??
You may want to hear a number of slides per minute, or get a specific template from me! Sorry, but the answer is as many, or as few, as your audience needs to remember your message.
Your slides need to be designed with your audience in mind. They are not your crib notes, or for you to remember ‘what comes next’.
Here are four things your audience (not you) needs from your slides
*Clarity within 2 seconds
Your audience cannot read & listen at the same time. The information in your slide should be understandable within 2 seconds, or you need to prepare your audience for what they are about to see (a financial chart as an example).
If you have a complex graph or chart to show - build it. Start simply, then add your next facts as you tell the story that the graph shares. The numbers are less important than the story they tell.
*Memorable images
Most people remember images more easily than they remember words. Link your message with an emotive, relevant image.
*Words that matter
If you have words on your slide, make sure they are important enough to read along with your audience. To be clear, this should be as few words as possible - there is nothing worse than a presenter reading paragraphs off a slide and calling it presenting.
Keep your fonts, style & colours the same. Change the slide layout. Keep it clean and simple. Use a dark background where possible.
The most difficult slide to master is a simple one that tells a story. Your message, and your audience, are worth making that effort.
Give me a shout if I can help you simplify your message into something clear for your audience - both in your speaking and your slide deck.
Comments