Do you need to create a PowerPoint presentation for work, school or a YouTube video to promote your business? Many people know the basics of how to put together a quick presentation. But do you know how to make that presentation pop? If you haven’t read the book Death by Powerpoint, it is an interesting read. I can’t tell you how many PowerPoint presentations I have sat through in business meetings while suffering a slow painful death . . . I found that many of them were either really boring or shared unnecessary information or usually both.
I teach several courses where students are required to submit their assignments as a Powerpoint presentation. If you are considering putting together a presentation, here are some wonderfully helpful sites to get you started:
- http://www.meryl.net/2008/01/10/70-powerpoint-and-presentation-resources-and-great-examples/ – This site includes a very comprehensive list of 70+ PowerPoint and Presentation Resources and Great Examples.
- http://www.brighthub.com/computing/windows-platform/articles/41661.aspx – If you want to see some samples of more presentations, check these out from brighthub.
- http://www.iasted.org/conferences/formatting/presentations-tips.ppt – This is an actual PowerPoint presentation giving tips about a PowerPoint presentation.
- http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/skills/presentations.aspx – Where better to find PowerPoint tips than from Microsoft . . .check out 12 tips for creating better presentations.
- http://www.slideshare.net/thecroaker/death-by-powerpoint – Great video: Death by Powerpoint and how to fight it.
- http://elmhurst.edu/~jacobh/WorstPresentationEverStandAlone.ppt – PowerPoint presentation that calls itself Quite Possibly the Worst PowerPoint Presentation Ever.
- http://www.ece.wisc.edu/~kati/PresentationGuide.ppt – Terrible PowerPoint presentations presented in a PowerPoint presentation.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR3gcCrTSzw – Youtube video from Microsoft showing new media-rich tools for PowerPoint 2010.
Once you have completed your PowerPoint presentation, why not go the extra step and add your voice for the full presentation. I like to use Camtasia Studio. However, you can also utilize sites like Voice Thread at http://voicethread.com/. This site allows you to record the audio portion of your presentation without having to buy software. You can even use your telephone to call into their system and dictate your presentation. What is easier than that? You simply enter your phone number and their system calls you. You have three minutes, per slide, to talk if you use their free account. You can upgrade for $12.95 when I last checked. When you are finished, you will get a link that you can go to in order to see and hear your presentation.