Attention....

Microsoft PowerPoint User

• Program your presentation carefully. Keep the screen and text colors simple; use no more than six colors on each slide. Keep slide transitions simple; your jury/audience grew up with TV; they want your presentation to be entertaining, but not too Hollywood. Remember, revealing one point at a time allows them to stay up with you.
• Test your jury/meeting slides for size and readability. Stand six feet away from the screen; if you can read the screen, your jury/audience will most likely be able to read it too. If you are speaking to large audience in a big room, stand at the back of the room and read your slides. You may need to make the screen image bigger.
• If possible, find out about your presentation location in advance. Identify electrical outlets which work; decide where you are going to place your laptop, digital/video projector, speaker, screen. Make sure you have: a table on which to place your video/digital projector; power and computer cables with a long enough reach.
• Arrive early and test everything !!!
• Learn how to use the toggle switch on your laptop computer. Often this toggle switch is a Function key. This switch controls whether your laptop or projector, or both, are showing your electronic images. You want both to be on so that you can look at the laptop while the audience/jury watches the same image behind you on the screen.
• Turn off all screen savers and energy savers. If possible, hook up your laptop to AC power; your batteries will be your backup.
• Stand to the left side of the jury or audience. Because in English, we read from left to right. That way, it's simpler for them to both read your slides and look at you.
• Be seen and heard. Stand away from your computer and in the light. Use a remote mouse so you can walk away from your computer. It is best to arrange the light in the room so the screen is in the dark and you are in the light.
• Motion attracts people's eyes. Gesture to the screen when you want the jury/audience to look There. Make use of moving text to grab attention. Stand still when you want them to focus on The screen. Move when you want to get their attention again.
• Remember Murphy's Law. Any thing can go wrong. Be prepared to give your presentation without your laptop and hardware. If possible make overhead transparencies. Bring backup files, a power source for your laptop, and batteries for your wireless mouse.