1.
MAKING BETTER USE OF POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS
Dr.T.V.Rao MD
MY IDEA OF POWER POINT IS CREATE POWER TO YOUR POINT OF VIEW
Recently I had an opportunity to view nearly 15 PowerPoint presentations by Medical professionals
for approval of scientific and ethical committee’s clearance. PowerPoint is a good idea in principle,
but in order to get the advantage of the technology it’s important to follow some simple rules of
visual PERCEPTION AND HYGIENE. I wish the matters must be viewed by guides as well as students,
to make the matters better, One who is observing the matters in an ethical committee has least idea
of the content the students presentation on what really they are doing but the observer wish to
know the principle objectives of the presentation so it means the presenter must be creative to give
an idea and impress the people faster than a lecture. I wish the Institutes should have a trained
people to train the amateurs to present the matter before expert audience, NEVER FORGET POWER
POINT CAN MAKE US OR BREAK US
AUIDENCE ARE LAY PEOPLE TO YOUR IDEAS AND KNOWLEDGE MAKE THEM UNDERSTAND MAKE
THE SLIDES EASY TO BE UNDERSTOOD BY EVERYONE : If a slide can’t be absorbed by the audience in
a couple of seconds, it should be clarified and simplified.
The rule of few sentences and few words per line is a great idea make them understood by every
one - USE LARGE LEGIBLE FONTS One rule of thumb is to require special justification for anything
smaller than a 24 point font. Most presentations contain significant content in small fonts that
cannot realistically be read or absorbed by an audience. White is best in templates and simpler
creations are best
NEVER FORGET THE AUDIENCE DO NOT WANT TO LEARN FROM YOU THEY JUST JUDEGE YOUR
TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC CAPABILITIES SIMPLIFY! SIMPLIFY! SIMPLIFY!
There is a great temptation for presenters to include in slides all that they know. As a result, slides
are generally too complex. One often sees slides that are totally intelligible to the presenter, but
which will need a great deal of explanation to make any sense to the audience. Here the slide has
become the communication problem, rather than the solution. The overriding motto for slide
construction and indeed for all communication: less is more.
USE GRAPHS AND TABLES OF FIGURES WITH CARE
Tables of figures and graphs should be scrutinized as to whether they are adding to the meaning.
Often they are illegible and require a significant mental effort to understand them. Where it is
absolutely essential to have a table, remember that it won’t be easy for the audience to find the
particular figures you are talking about. So make it easy for the audience by using hand-drawn
outlines to direct attention to the one or two figures you really want people to look at.
STRUCTURE THE WHOLE PRESENTATION TO REFLECT THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP
Remember to follow the sequence explained in The Secret Language of Leadership.
• Get attention
• Stimulate desire
• Reinforce with reasons

2.
FASTER POWER POINT PRESENTATIONS you are done if you know you are story teller TURN ALL
FACTS, FIGURES AND ARGUMENTS INTO STORIES
YOU ARE GREAT WHEN YOU KNOW THE JOB USE VISUAL HUMOR (CAREFULLY)
Visual humour can accelerate the pace of the presentation. Archetypal situations can be reflected in
images. Be careful not to pick on victims. Making fun of oneself is often the safest kind of humour.
USE THE SLIDES TO HAVE A MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION.
Remember that the slides are merely scaffolding to launch a dialogue, not an end in themselves. If
the slides are getting in the way of dialogue, scrap the slides.
THE POST GREADUATE STUDENTS SHOULD BE TAUGHT TO MAKE BETTER USE OF PPOWERPOINT
PRESETNATION OR ELSE THE TRUE CONTENT OF SCIENCE AND MEDICINE LOSES ITS IMPORTANCE
MY IDEA OF POWER POINT IS CREATE POWER TO YOUR POINT OF VIEW
READ MORE AT
References: Cliff Atkinson: Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft PowerPoint to Create
Presentations That Inform, Motivate, and Inspire (Microsoft Press, 2005).
Incorporated with real Time observations
Dr.T.V.Rao MD Professor of Microbiology, Freelance write