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MOL Presentations

Last revised: 01/05/06

Visual and audio media can expand text presentations to convey understanding, emotion and purpose across organizational time and distance boundaries with widely available tools and methods. Multimedia presentations have become sufficiently common that some practice of how to accomplish them well is a necessary organizational leadership skill to master.

Here are guidelines for common visual and audio presentations. From these you should be able to develop professional intentions to meet the needs of your audience.

  • Professionals measure presentations in terms of minutes, not the number of slides. One minute of presentation is approximately 200 spoken words.
  • A typical presentation will cover an average of two minutes of content per slide. Accordingly, a typical 30-minute presentation will need approximately 15 slides.
  • Slides must contain narrative of the presentation in the speaker's notes section. The slides approximate the notes—not the other way around.
  • A clear introduction in the speaker's notes should prepare the audience to understand what the presentation is about and how the presentation will support the titled premise. This begins with the opening sentence.
  • Slides should never include dense text. Seven or eight lines of large type typically is readable from a distance; twelve lines of smaller type might not be readable at all.
  • The best presentations use color appropriately. Projected presentations use light rather than paper to mediate ideas, so rather than dark on bright (such as black on white), it is usually best to use bright on dark (such as yellow on blue).
  • Graphic images must be clear and help emphasize the narrative.
  • Images normally should be accompanies by text to help guide your audience.
  • Sufficient, not excessive, media should be used that is appropriate for the specific audience. All selected media should be appropriate and implemented well. Use copy-able paper handouts, evaluation forms, audio or other media only if they add value to influencing the audience to adopt the premise and action called for in the presentation. Redundant (repetitive) ancillary media to the main presentation must not exist.
  • Animations and transitions, sounds, and other objects must support the spoken narrative—or be omitted. Do not confuse your audience.
  • Ensure there are no grammar or wordsmithing errors and that the readable text flows well. Prefer listing short phrases to long prose. Emphasize the narrative, not the projection.
  • Help your audience accept the intended message (and the presenters) as "smarter" and "acceptable" via accurate grammar, spelling and consistent presentation style.

However a presentation is delivered, the presenter is responsible to prepare both accompanying resources (handouts, microphones, etc.), and the room facilitator, to address the appropriate audience in an excellent manner. Practice communicating what you need so you will be consistently clear.

It is possible to incorporate presentation materials to enlarge the persuasiveness of most human exchanges (perspectives, interviews, solicitations, etc). Remember to constrain your efforts to the main point. There is no end to what might be nice to include—that will not be appreciated by your audience.