12 keys to a great PowerPoint presentation

Most people would rather face the electric chair than sit through a PowerPoint presentation. This is fairly sound reasoning, considering most PowerPoints are capable of boring someone to death.

It’s unfortunate that so many PowerPoint presentations are poorly constructed and delivered, because when executed properly they can be tremendously persuasive.

Here’s how to get the most out of your presentation:

1. Have a point.

A point is what puts the power in a PowerPoint presentation, what keeps people from walking away thinking they’ve wasted their time. One way to develop your central point is to complete the sentence, “The most important thing you will gain from this presentation is _________.” Whatever the point is, it should matter to the audience, not the presenter. Example: “This presentation will show you how we can reduce your procurement costs by 25 percent.”

2. Do an outline.