ABSTRACT

In a society obsessed by information, imagery and the need for speed in everything, the demand for punchy, image-rich, zappy, high-impact presentations has unwittingly raised the performance bar. This chapter looks at the whole concept of presentations: their purpose, how to plan an effective presentation, how to manage oneself and his audience on the day and how to use the various tools to add value to one's presentation. PowerPoint can make a valuable contribution to this process and the chapter demonstrates its benefits and drawbacks with equal clarity. Anxiety in itself need not be a barrier to making effective presentations, and most human beings will have a modicum of sympathy and support for fledging presenters who work through their nerves. Common PowerPoint problems include over packing of slides, endless lists, and presenter being ‘controlled’ by the order of slides.