Delivery Tips

PowerPoint Software Is Your Assistant

PowerPoint presentation software is your assistant and should help you, not take over the show. Nothing can substitute for a carefully prepared message, whether that message is a standard linear message or a relational interactive message. The delivery of the message is guided by the best practices that you have been using throughout your speeches; however, there are some special considerations when working with PowerPoint.

Practice and Rehearsal

After putting together a PowerPoint slide show, you will want to get a "reality check" by actually running the show to see what it will look like when you present it. You may control the movement from one slide to the next as you speak, or you may preprogram the amount of time that each slide appears on the screen and speak only for that amount of time.

If at all possible, rehearse with the same display equipment in a similar space. If you are speaking to a colocated audience, make sure that your projected slides are large enough for all members of the audience to see (usually about 1 inch high for each 10 feet that separates the audience from the projected slide). Additionally, if you are speaking to a remote audience, check your display so that you can see the presentation in the same way that the audience will see it on their screens.

Basic Delivery

One critical aspect of delivery is avoiding the temptation to read the content to the audience; the audience can read what is projected themselves. The content of the slides serves as a guide or outline for you and the audience. Stand to the left of the screen . For the English speaker who reads from left to right, the audience will see you as their eyes move across the screen in one continuous left to right eye movement. And remember to speak WITH the audience, not AT them .

Using Views

Using PowerPoint Views allows you to follow a linear path or relational interactive paths for delivery.

Slide Show View

You can use the Slide Show view to deliver your presentation. The slide occupies the full screen and displays the way your presentation will look when you project it. You can use the Slide Show view to see the slide show on your computer screen one slide at a time. You can move to the next slide by clicking the mouse or using the up and down arrow keys.

Presenter View

You can see your notes on your monitor while the audience only sees the slide. You can also zoom in on a particular part of the slide or use a pen or laser pointer to call attention to details. In Presenter view, you can display the current slide on the left side, the next slide on the right, and the notes at the bottom right of the screen.

Interactive Relational Delivery

Relational presentation (also known as visually interactive presentation) uses standard presentation software such as PowerPoint in a way that allows for dynamic customization of messages while presenting.

Relational presentation practitioners structure their material using a combination of strategies to develop and access small message units. Each small message unit is rather self-contained and can be pulled together as the speaker interacts with the audience. While presenting, you interact with the audience rather than "talk at" them. You can use the Presenter view to quickly select and navigate to each message unit spontaneously within and between collections of interconnected shows. Some of these navigation devices use text links and others incorporate picture thumbnails or miniature screenshots as link sources.

Navigation in a Presentation

Whether you are delivering a traditional, linear message or an interactive, relational presentation, it is helpful to gain control of the basic movements for the slide show.

Move to the last slide: Drag the scroll box to the bottom of the scroll bar or press [Ctrl] and [End]

Move to the fi rst slide: Drag the scroll box to the top of the scroll bar or press [Ctrl] and [Home]

Move to the next slide: Click in the scroll bar below the scroll box or press [Page Down]

Move to the previous slide: Click in the scroll bar above the scroll box or press [Page Up]

Move to a specific slide: Drag the scroll box up or down until you displays the slide you want

Delivery Wrap-Up

So to wrap it up, you should prepare your lecture before firing up your software. Remember that the technology is your assistant and should help you, not take over the show. You may creatively deliver a linear presentation, but you can also use PowerPoint to craft a highly interactive relationship experience with the audience.