If you wish to present a paragraph of text in sentence form (a more complex point) I recommend inserting a text box. Make certain that you are using the same margin, font and line spacing.
Four ways to avoid "Death by PowerPoint" **
Death by Details
Slides with too much information are sure to kill your presentation. Granted business presentations can be a little busier however the trend now is to keep it light.
I typically recommend the 7 * 7 rule. Seven words per line, seven lines per slide. I have seen people reduce the font size to fit more on a slide. I advise that the minimum font size be set at 20 points. I also see clients attempt to squeeze many charts on a single slide.
I recommend one chart per slide or at most two if they are contrasting or complimentary data.
Death by Lack of Visuals
Research has shown that audiences don't read and listen at the same time. Yet another reason why text heavy slides fail to resonate with audiences.
Try to communicate using visuals with few to no words on the slide. At the end of the day your slides should be your visual aids.
Death by Boredom
Failing to consider the needs of the audience may bore and indeed annoy your audience. Learn about your audience beforehand and demonstrate or outline what you are going to present at the start of the presentation. Make certain that you are not presenting material they already know, and that you are not too technical or content oriented. Do not read off your slides or repeat every word on a slide.
Death by Presentation Style
More than any other factor style will make or break your presentation. Speak clearly; be aware of your body language and position. Make eye contact with the audience; avoid turning your back to read off your slides. I tend to use my laptop as a teleprompter and position it between myself and the audience. Ask colleagues for feedback or better yet record yourself. In this ever more fast paced world it is essential to respect your audience's time. I believe it is better to skip over some content than to go over your time allocation. Speakers who consistently respect time constraints gain a reputation for being focused organized presenters.
