People take Microsoft PowerPoint training to learn how to use the software, but using PowerPoint is not the same as making a good presentation. You need skills beyond what you learn in Microsoft PowerPoint training. There are three elements in a good PowerPoint talk: the speech, the report, and the slides.

The Most Important Component – Your Presentation

This doesn’t mean the PowerPoint slides; it means your speech. “Speech” may not the best word since that brings to mind a speaker who drones monotonously while listeners daydream. The goal of your presentation is communication. The best communication imparts information through emotion.

We have two sides to our brains, one concerned with facts and figures and one with creativity and emotion. A speaker who appeals to both sides communicates the most effectively. Think about the last time you heard a speaker who really held your attention. It was probably someone animated and engaging.

To deliver a great presentation, you don’t need to be overly animated or attempt to tell lots of jokes. Giving a great presentation is about connecting with your audience, speaking to them rather than at them, and holding their attention. It’s about interacting with your audience more than you interact with your PowerPoint slides.

The Second Most Important Component – Your Document

At the beginning of the presentation, DO tell the audience you will be handing out a document containing all the details of the presentation. This way, they won’t need to take notes and can pay attention to the presentation. There are two absolute “don’ts” regarding this document. DON’T hand it out at the beginning or people will tend to ignore you as they read it. DON’T just make copies of your PowerPoint slides.

The report can be as detailed as you like. Unlike your talk, people can skim through it and focus on the areas important to them. Putting details in here keeps you from losing your audience due to information overload.

The Least Important (But Still Important) Component – Your PowerPoint

Perhaps the least important element in your PowerPoint presentation is the actual PowerPoint! It’s still significant, but it shouldn’t be the core of your presentation. It should reinforce your speech, not replace it. It should contain some information, but nowhere near the level of detail of your report.

Keep your slides simple so they don’t distract from the message. You will be tempted to use all the cool techniques from your Microsoft PowerPoint training; resist the urge. Clip art and slide transitions don’t enhance your presentation; they obscure it.

Graphics are effective tools, probably more effective than words on PowerPoint slides. Not the graphs and charts you learned about in Microsoft PowerPoint training, but pictures that evoke emotion and drive your point home.

A good presentation has these three elements. If you show PowerPoint slides, read from the slides, and hand out copies of the slides, you haven’t incorporated three elements. You’ve used one element three times. The components should be distinct and complementary, each building on the other two to create a harmonious whole.

The Six Blind Men and the Elephant saved my job.

Props provide a powerful way of enhancing presentations. Verbal arguments aren’t enough to convince people of your message. Try using visuals such as charts or cartoons, or physical props such as products or tools. Verbal props come in several forms: quotations from famous people, anecdotes, plays, poems or even questions.

The following is a true report of how I used my new-found communication skills and a combination of props to get me out of hot water with my company’s auditors.

The auditors had submitted a report suggesting that I, as the chief supply manager, had exceeded my purchasing approval authority. I strongly disagreed and tried explaining to them the difference between our use of approval authority and implementation authority within the computer system. They did not buy my explanation – that is, until I had a chance to meet with them.

The meeting seemed to take forever. Tension clouded the room, because the auditors intended to remain firm on their “observation” and everyone knew my position.

Finally, it was my turn. I started: “I offer the quotation from George Bernard Shaw who said, ‘In the right key you can say anything, in the wrong key, nothing.’ So to help set the right key I ask you to look at this cartoon and parable that I am passing out.”

There were some raised eyebrows at this point, but no one objected to my strange approach – yet.

After everyone had a copy of the handout I continued:

“This cartoon shows the parable of the six blind men and the elephant. The six blind men went to see the elephant, but being blind they had to examine the elephant with their hands. Each touched a different part of the elephant and noted their observation. For example, the first clutched the swaying trunk and said, ‘The elephant must be a snake.’ The next grabbed the tail and noted, ‘The elephant is really like a rope.’ Another fell against the side and exclaimed, ‘Oh my, this elephant is like a wall.’ Hugging the leg the next argued, ‘The elephant is like a tree.’ The fifth, while holding the tusk, stated, ‘You are all wrong, I know it is like a spear.’ And finally, the sixth felt the flapping ear and noted, ‘This elephant is surely like a fan.’”

The nervous laughter dissipated the tension and now the people were more relaxed. Then I explained how the computer system we were using was very big and complicated, like an elephant, and that we had poor documentation. Therefore, it was unreasonable for any visitor to fully understand the workings in a two-week period (this was the duration of the auditors’ visit). The heads nodded in agreement at this point. Then I showed a flowchart of our approval process – emphasizing that the “approval” they were focusing on was only “an approval to print”.

The bottom line is they understood my point, and the audit report was changed. It is important to know that the facts were unchanged from my earlier discussions with them, but this time I packaged my sale and they bought it.

When was the last time you had a proposal or idea turned down? Could it have gone better if you had taken more care to sell it? To deliver a powerful message understand your audience, be clear on your purpose, plan your approach – and use props!

Public speaking is said to be the greatest fear in the world; therefore it is only natural to prepare and feel comfortable when making an oral presentation or holding a training. Here you can find several tips to reassure you that any fear can be beaten and you can succeed in your speech.

1. Don’t forget that emotions of fear and anxiety are quite natural when in the position of speaking in public. This does not necessarily have to be bad because it gives you an amount of arousal that facilitates your performance.

2. If you are afraid that you will forget your speech, make some key message notes on palm cards and hold them close during the training. If it happens that you forget your words, don’t panic, and take a few seconds to calm down and remember the main subject. It may happen that you will come up with new ideas that will benefit the audience understand the topic even better.

3. Never be defensive or get argumentative if you are confronted by questions to which you do not hold the answer or hostile comments from the participants. Respond in a diplomatic manner, thank for the question, and tell him/her to give you his /her contacts to offer the response to the question after you have thoroughly researched it.

4. When delivering, watch the participants’ non verbal communication. See if you are on the same page with them, if they understand what you are transmitting. Pay extra attention to those with incongruent behavior, verbally stating one thing while their non verbal behavior is stating something else. Do not be afraid to ask questions about participants’ non verbal signals.

5. Practice, practice, practice! Rehearse your speech not only to remember what you have to say but also to master your non verbal language. By practicing in front of a mirror or videotaping yourself you will surely be able to identify your flaws and correct your posture, gestures and movement.

6. Learn to emphasize and transmit ideas through your Para verbal communication. Your voice is one of your most powerful weapons in teaching. Be enthusiastic for new information, lower and serious tone for key messages. Get the attention and interest of the audience and maintain it through the fluctuation of your tone, speed, volume and intonation.

7. Keeping eye contact is crucial in a training in order to create the bond with the audience and enhance their trust in your knowledge and preparation. A great way in keeping eye contact, but not hindering too long on one participant, is the “Lighthouse Technique”, which implies making eye contact with the audience from left to right or right to left, 3 seconds per each participant.

8. Last but not least, visualize yourself succeeding! Begin by breathing and remember why your objective!

Try these tips to deliver better presentations at work, PTA meetings, or social functions. You’ll notice that the main concerns are not about what you say (content), but how you say it (stage presence).

1) Create personal presence.

Most professionals have some level of expertise in delivering presentations because speaking and writing are the most visible of all skills. So to stand out from the crowd, you have to recognize and develop the personal presence to command attention and gain buy-in. Personal presence involves four things: a) body language–what people see; b) your language–the words you choose and the way you deliver them; c) your ability to think on your feet; and d) your actions (character, track record, results).

2) Engage your audience; don’t lecture them.

The higher you go in an organization, the more your presentations will involve give-and-take. That is, you no longer can expect to walk in and do a data dump. You must compel your group to hear you out, be willing and able to discover and address their reservations and concerns, and finally move them to action–and make them happy about it.

3) Anticipate questions–and have a complete response ready.

Nothing showcases your expertise–or destroys your credibility–like your performance during the Q&A period. You either shine or sabotage the rest of your efforts by how well you think on your feet. Many people fear Q&A but think they can’t prepare for this part of the presentation. Of course you can. Identify the tough questions you’ll face and prepare a solid response, with detailed support and stories to make your answer memorable.

Imagine yourself in the audience as the speaker leads you through his colorful PowerPoint presentation. Midway through his presentation, the screen fades to black, and the speaker is momentarily silent. Where do your eyes go? To the speaker, of course. Silence sweeps over the room as all eyes focus on the speaker and all ears anticipate the next words. You’ve just experienced one of the most important techniques to keep your audience engaged

PowerPoint and Keynote are incredible tools, but as we’ve learned the hard way from ice cream and tequila, too much of a good thing is…well…a bad thing. Too many speakers use PowerPoint as an 8-foot projected version of their speaking notes, in effect a teleprompter on display to all, rather than a complement to their oration. Never underestimate the power of the spoken word when delivered in its raw state, sans flip-charts, white boards or PowerPoint slides. Such unfettered speech has served many generations well, and, in some cases, has changed the world profoundly.

You can tap into this power by including a blank, black slide in your presentation, to focus your audience’s attention on you, and by doing so, bringing a special importance to your words in their ears. Use the slide to pause for a moment, let the room get quiet, and let the anticipation build for your next words. (If the room you’re presenting in is extremely dark, you might consider a gray or blue slide so that a bit of light is still present. This is easier on the eyes and safer in case someone is wandering about the room. I have three different slides prepared and hide the two I won’t use depending on the characteristics of the room.) To prepare your black slide, simply create a new slide, then right click on the slide and select Format Background… Next, click the Solid fill radio button and check the Hide background graphics box. Select Color and choose the color you want to make your slide and select Close. Finally, in the Slide Sorter view (select View, Slide Sorter) highlight the black slide, select Animations and pick the Fade Smoothly animation, setting the Transition Speed to “Slow.”

That’s it. You now have an opportunity to make some real impact on your audience. I would use this technique sparingly, but make sure to use it and rediscover the power of your spoken word.