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The typical PowerPoint presentation is slide after slide of bulleted text, with a few images thrown in. But people have started to associate bullets with presentations that are B-O-R-I-N-G! The type of presentation you see here has given PowerPoint a bad name. Well-known writers have even called it evil!
Being boring is not the only problem with presentations. Point after point of text encourages you, the presenter, to read the slide. Did you know that the number one complaint of audiences is that presenters read their slides? Instead, people read the slides themselves and ignore the presenter.
Finally, text-heavy presentations are hard to understand and remember. People can't easily take in both the written text they're reading plus what the presenter is saying, so they miss a lot of both. And all that text can seem overwhelming, so audiences tune out.
So, how can you create a presentation that isn't boring, insulting, or hard to understand? In fact, you can write, design, and deliver a presentation that is actually interesting, memorable, and complimentary to the audience. Doing so is the key to effective presentations.
In this article, I explain the techniques in several parts because there's no silver bullet. I also include several excerpts from my new ebook, 101 Tips Every PowerPoint User Should Know, to explain the various techniques. This e-book is designed for everyone who uses PowerPoint but never took a course or read a book on PowerPoint. It fills in the gaps that can make using the program frustrating and inefficient.
Set Up a Bullet-Free Slide
The first step is simple. In the ebook, Tip 20 "Remove Bullets," explains the bare-bones technical details of removing bullets from a slide with bulleted text:
Select the text and choose Format|Bullets and Numbering. On the Bulleted tab, choose None and click OK. However, you still have a hanging indent (lines after the first line are indented). With the text still selected, drag the left indent marker to the left to line it up with the first line indent marker (the down-facing arrow at the top of the ruler).
Tip: After selecting the text, instead of using the menu, you can click the Bullets button on the Formatting toolbar to remove the bullets.
To remove bullets in PowerPoint 2007, select the text, click the down arrow next to the Bullets item in the Paragraph group of the Home tab, and click None. Then follow the rest of the instructions above.
Remove Bullets from the Slide Master
Even better, work on the slide master to immediately remove bullets for the entire presentation. Tip 29, "Use the slide master for consistency," explains how to open the slide master and use it to format the entire presentation:
Before you start creating a presentation, open the slide master (View|Master|Slide Master) to set up the layout of your slides and create a coherent, consistent look. Format the background, specify the color scheme, select fonts and bullets, add text animation, add a logo, and insert slide numbers or other repeating text.
In PowerPoint 2007, click the View tab, then choose Slide Master in the Presentation Views group.
Once you have the slide master open, follow the instructions from Tip 20 to remove the bullets. Presto! An entire presentation without bullets!
You're Not Done Yet
Just getting rid of bullets isn't enough. A slide full of text but no bullets is pretty hard to read, as you can see here.
So, what do you do?
The more visual and graphic you can make your slides, the better your audience will understand your points. They'll remember them longer, too.
One solution is to place one idea on a slide. You'll end up with more slides, but it doesn't take longer to cover the same amount of material on 10 slides than on 5 slides. Visually, people can focus on one idea or point at a time, and that helps. Preferably, add a meaningful visual. And please, use a photo, not clip art, which usually looks humorous and often unprofessional.
Another idea is to turn your text into a diagram, using AutoShapes. If your points represent a process, progression, or cycle, a diagram is a more effective way to communicate. If you're communicating numerical trends, use a chart.
101 Tips Every PowerPoint User Should Know contains three bonus chapters. In Bonus C: Design Tips, I make this point:
When a bulleted list describes a process or relationship, use a diagram instead. Making concepts visual improves comprehension. Diagrams are more striking, too, so people remember them longer.
In PowerPoint 2002 and 2003, you can click Insert Diagram or Organization Chart on the Drawing toolbar to create a diagram. See if one of the options works for you. PowerPoint 2007 has many more options and styles. In fact, the new SmartArt feature turns bulleted text into a diagram instantly. Just select the text, and click Convert to SmartArt Graphic in the Paragraph group of the Home tab. With a few more clicks, you can resize the shapes and choose a style. You can see the transformation below:
 
Tip: You can easily add block arrows between the AutoShapes to express the concept of a process. PowerPoint has a large selection of arrows; just choose AutoShapes|Block Arrows from the Drawing toolbar.
Line Up the AutoShapes
If you don't have PowerPoint 2007 and the diagram options of the earlier versions aren't flexible enough for you, just insert your own AutoShapes by choosing AutoShapes from the Drawing toolbar. However, to make them look good, you need to make sure they're lined up and evenly distributed. PowerPoint can do that for you. Tip 26, "Align objects perfectly," explains how:
For professional layout, make sure your objects line up. Select two or more objects and choose Draw|Align or Distribute. Choose one of the alignment options.
You'll find the Draw menu item on the Drawing toolbar. For example, to align a vertical column of AutoShapes, you could choose Align Left.
In PowerPoint 2007, after selecting the shapes, click the Format tab that appears. In the Arrange group, click the Align drop-down list and choose one of the options.
Similarly, you need to make sure that your AutoShapes are perfectly distributed. Tip 27 says:
To make three or more objects equidistant, select them and choose Draw|Align or Distribute. Choose Distribute Horizontally or Distribute Vertically. To distribute them equally across the slide, first choose Relative to Slide.
For example, if your shapes are in a vertical column, choose Distribute Vertically.
In PowerPoint 2007, after selecting the shapes, click the Format tab that appears. In the Arrange group, click the Align drop-down list and choose one of the Distribute options.
Look at the slide below. It has no background and doesn't say anything. But it's already distinctive. A little more design and some meaningful text and you have a truly memorable slide!
Format the Text
After you insert and align the AutoShapes, you want to add some text. Just click the AutoShape and start typing. But in PowerPoint 2002 and 2003, there's an unfortunate default that leaves the text looking like this:
Tip 49 to the rescue!
By default, text that you enter in AutoShapes does not wrap, as you see [above]. To fix this, double-click the AutoShape to open the Format AutoShape dialog box. Click the Text Box tab and check the Word Wrap Text in AutoShape check box to get the result [below].
Note: Fortunately, PowerPoint 2007 doesn't have this problem.
Time to Deliver!
When you design your message graphically, you'll probably find that you have room for less text on the slide. Don't worry! This is a good practice. With less text on the slide, your audience will quickly glance at the slide and then listen to you. That's just what you want.
So where do you put all the rest of the text? Put it in the Notes pane, at the bottom of your screen. The Notes pane is a great place to enter what you'll be saying. You can then print out the notes and use them to rehearse and as a guide while you're speaking in front of the audience. Tip 95 explains the simple procedure:
Choose File|Print. From the Print What drop-down list, choose Notes Pages and click OK.
In PowerPoint 2007, start by clicking the Office button and choosing Print.from the menu. Then continue with the tip.
The notes show the slide at the top and the contents of the Notes pane at the bottom. Each slide is on a separate page.
Another option is to print handouts. There are two methods, and both let you put more than one slide on a page. You'll save paper and probably find the notes easier to use. Tip 90, "Add flexibility to your handouts," explains:
To print regular handouts, you choose File|Print and choose Handouts from the Print What drop-down list. However, instead of just printing handouts, send the presentation to Microsoft Word so you can reformat them, add supporting information, etc. Choose File|Send To|Microsoft Word. Choose a display option and click OK. You can then use all the features of Word to get just the result that you want. You can also add additional text and images.
A World without Bullets
Yes, a world without bullets is possible, even in your PowerPoint presentations. For your first effort, take an existing presentation and give it a makeover, using the principles in this article. When you've successfully banned bullets from that presentation, go ahead and use these techniques for a new presentation. Your presentations will look better, communicate more clearly, and have a greater impact on your audience.
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