Tips for a successful projector PowerPoint presentation

Your projector is only as good as your PowerPoint presentation.

Here are some helpful tips for delivering a professional presentation:

• Get familiar with your projector before the PowerPoint presentation. Not every projector operates the same way and you don’t want to be fumbling around with the buttons while your audience sits waiting.

• Set up in advance and do a dry run of the PowerPoint presentation. Make sure your projector can connect to your computer so there are no glitches when it comes time for the presentation. Knowing how your presentation looks on screen will help you focus on delivering the content rather than on the hardware.

• Check the lamp life. Avoid the nightmare scenario of the lamp blowing during thePowerPoint presentation so you have a disappointed audience.

• Have a spare bulb ready – just in case if gets broken while in transit. Make sure you know how to properly change the lamp in your projector. Practice changing the bulb before the presentation.

• Check your presentation color combinations – Take some time to check out the actual PowerPoint presentation for the color combinations you will be using. Some colors and color combinations do not project well.

• Check the lighting in the room before your start the PowerPoint presentation. You want to know how to dim the lights if the room is too bright or make adjustments with the projector.

• Dark text on beige or other light color is the most effective. White backgrounds tend to tire the eyes quicker while patterned or textured backgrounds make text hard to read. Keep your colors consistent and not too wild.

• Check your font size. What looks fine on the computer screen may be too small on the PowerPoint presentation. Know how to correct the aspect ratio to get the proper size on the projector screen.

• Don’t rely too heavily on your presentation. Be familiar with your material so you can be prepared for questions. Key phrases and words should be the essential information on screen enabling you flesh out the details during your presentation

• Keep the presentation focused on three to four key points that you can build on. Your audience is more likely to remember the information if you don’t overwhelm them with too much information. . A maximum of 10 to 12 slides should be enough to get your ideas out there.

• Music, animation and sounds can spice up your presentation but keep those to a minimum. Less is more when it comes to animation and sound.

• Connect with your audience. Your presentation is there to enhance what you have to say not the other way around. Engaging with your audience will make your presentation a success.