Tag: Presentations

How to Prepare for an Interview Presentation

interview presentations

presentation tips

Presentations

Oct 08, 2014

First impressions are extremely important, especially in the world of business. Whether you’re a fresh graduate looking to score your first job, or an experienced employee looking to land your big break, interview presentations are among those crucial moments. Recruiters often request an interview presentation to test your ability to communicate in a clear and confident manner. In doing so, you’re expected to do more than just talk about your experience and qualifications. When you’re given an opportunity to present to potential employers, you’ll need to show the best version of yourself.An interview presentation is a rare chance to showcase your personality, capability, and professionalism. In order to leave the best impression, you will have to bravely face your interviewers and knock them off their feet.To help in that task, here are some tips you can use to guide your interview presentation:

1.) Ask the right questions 

Before starting your preparations, gather crucial details asking the hiring manager some key questions. Find out as much as you can about the topic you will be presenting on, and determine the technical requirements of your presentation. Most importantly, you should also ask about the people expected to sit in your audience. The audience will be the most crucial part of your interview presentation. They will be the ones to determine whether or not you’re fit for the role you’re eyeing. If you can, try to find the answer to these questions:

  • What is their professional background?
  • What is their knowledge or level of expertise?
  • What roles do they play in the company?
  • What questions might they ask based on their expertise?

2.) Develop well-structured content

Once you’ve set a clear direction for your presentation, you can start building a strong foundation. Plan your presentation following a structure that connects your ideas in a logical and compelling manner. Research has proven that a specific, story-driven structure is effective in eliciting powerful emotional response. However, you can also go for a more traditional structure: a fascinating introduction, an engrossing in-depth discussion, ending with an insightful conclusion.

3.) Work on your visuals 

If the presentation calls for it, you should also spend time building an effective PowerPoint deck. Visuals have the power to make your arguments more memorable and compelling. Use your PowerPoint deck to highlight the main points in your speech. Emphasize the most important parts by using images and illustrations.

4.) Plan what you’re going to wear 

Another thing to keep in mind is the importance of appearance. Like it or not, first impressions are largely formed based on physical characteristics. In an interview presentation, there is absolutely no excuse for careless grooming. Take the time to plan your outfit accordingly. Again, it will help if you do some research to learn more about company culture. This will help you determine the dress code that’s appropriate for the occasion.

5.) Practice your presentation skills

Lastly, take the time to rehearse your entire presentation. As the old adage says, “practice makes perfect.” Try to practice in the same way that a concert pianist would. Focus on specific parts of your presentation. Practice how to deliver each passage and how you plan to move around the stage. Rehearse your presentation in clusters until you get everything right.

The stakes are high for an interview presentation, and it’s normal to feel nervous going into a room of potential employers. Think of it as an opportunity to flaunt your skills and show that you’re the perfect person for the job.

Featured Image: Alex France via Flickr

The 4 Fundamental Qualities of Presentation Content

presentation content

presentation tips

presentation writing

Presentations

Oct 07, 2014

Most people tend to focus all their energy on creating effective PowerPoint designs. It’s true that well-designed slides can help engage audiences even more. Visuals allow people to remember crucial details, given that vision trumps all other senses when it comes to processing information. Still, those who prefer to start by building slides on PowerPoint are missing a crucial detail. They forget that presentation content is the real focus.Building a presentation is a lot like building a house. Before painting the walls and decorating with furniture, you will need a strong foundation. You will need to build thick walls and sturdy floors. You will need pillars to hold everything in shape. In presentations, that foundation is your content.So what does it take to create the best content possible? How do you ensure that your foundation is solid and consistent? These are the four fundamental qualities found in effective presentation content:

1.) Has clear and specific message

Your presentation content needs to have a clear and specific message. This will be the core of your presentation, where all your other points revolve. Every argument you make throughout will be to prove the value of your statement. Determine the purpose of your presentation and define the goals you want to achieve. Are you talking to sales prospects? Are you pitching to potential investors? Do you want the audience to see the advantage of your product over competing brands? Craft a single message that encompasses your objectives. Keep it short, powerful, and descriptive.

2.) Streamlined and simplified

In presentations, less is always more. You can easily lose the attention of your audience if you stray too much from your main point. Even if you have plenty of ideas to share, the only thing that’s relevant to your audience will be those that help your message move forward. Streamline your presentation content with some brainstorming techniques. Once you’ve let your ideas run wild, you can choose the points that are most relevant and compelling. If you’re working with data or complex concepts, simplify your discussion by using analogies and metaphors.

3.) Supported by facts and data

To add credibility to your presentation content, you will need to support your points by citing appropriate sources. Make sure you have the necessary data to show that your arguments are valid and accurate. Look for research papers that can help authenticate your ideas. If you’ve done your own research, include the data from your results. You can also include testimonials or interviews.

4.) Compelling and memorable

Overall, your presentation content needs to attract the attention of your audience and keep them interested throughout. You can do that by crafting your content in the form of a story. According to research conducted by Dr. Paul Zak, the most effective content follows the structure of classical Greek dramas. Presentations with the pattern of exposition – rising action – climax – falling action – resolution are more likely to elicit emotional response from the audience.

All in all, your presentation content needs to have information that is specific, useful, accurate, and memorable. Take note of these key characteristics to find the best way to share the message you want to deliver.

 

Reference

“Dr. Paul Zak: Empathy, Neurochemistry, and the Dramatic Arc.” Future of Storytelling. 2014. Accessed October 07, 2014. Featured Image: Grant Hollingworth via Flickr

What Great Ideas Have in Common

business

presentation tips

Presentations

Oct 06, 2014

A big idea is only the first step to achieving success in the world of business. The real challenge lies in convincing others to consider your plans and take you up on your offer. In other words, “ideas are a dime a dozen.” If you really want to make a difference, what matters is your execution.[sg-blog-modules module=three]How do you plan to take your idea to the next level?In 1962, sociologist Everett Rodgers conducted a large-scale research on how and why certain ideas spread. The results, published in a book called Diffusion of Innovations, were gathered from hundreds of case studies showing why some ideas are successful while others fail and fall into obscurity. In particular, Rodgers outlined particular factors that influence people’s decision to accept or reject ideas. If you want to see your big idea turn into a success story, ponder on these five important questions:

1.) Does your idea have relative advantage?

How does your idea compare to what is currently available in today’s market? To have relative advantage, your new product should be perceived as a step above existing standards. Think of how the iPhone completely changed how we use smartphones in 2007. In the same way, the idea you’re introducing should also push beyond the boundaries.

2.) Does it evoke a sense of familiarity?

Apart from innovation, people are also looking for ideas they can easily relate to. They’re wondering if they can use past ideas and experiences to understand your proposal.Psychologists have long determined people tend to prefer things that are already familiar with them. Even as you push the boundaries, you also have to consider what the target audiences have become accustomed to.

3.) How simple is your new idea?

Another factor that comes into play is simplicity. To achieve success, a new idea should be easy to understand. The people you’re hoping to convince should easily make out the logic and system behind. They should also be able to tell how it would benefit their lives. An idea that’s too complex can be intimidating, and therefore harder to sell.

4.) Can your target audience easily try it out?

Something else you should consider is how effortless the target audience can interact with the new concept or product that you’re introducing. Will they be able to try it out easily?  The more individuals can test the new idea, the more likely they’ll adopt to it. As an example, think of how most musicians publish their music on YouTube for free. The video sharing platform allows users to trial their material. If the viewers happen to like what they hear, they can opt to buy the entire album. In other words, the more people can try out your idea, the more certain they’ll feel about committing to it.

5.) Can they easily observe and share it with others?

Another factor that helps an idea succeed is its observability or the noticeable results that come from trying out an idea. The more users are able to observe your product or concept, the more noticeable it becomes. This will increase the likelihood that people will share your idea to others, introducing it to a wider audience. Set your idea up in avenues that are popular and highly visible.[sg-blog-modules module=two]Featured Image: Adam Troman via Flickr

Maintaining Audience Attention in Your Presentations

audience interaction

audience participation

presentation tips

Presentations

Oct 02, 2014

The British bank Lloyds TSB conducted a study on the cause of careless household accidents, and the results they gathered have some pretty broad implications. As quoted by Fortune.com, the average adult attention span has plunged from 12 minutes in 1998 to 5 minutes in 2008. Participants attributed their short attention span to stress and decision overload, both unavoidable in our fast-paced lifestyles.With the advent of technology and the distraction of multiple screens — from our work laptops to our smartphones — holding one’s attention for longer than the usual is nearly impossible. That is, if you’re bored by the topic.Considering this information, it seems that presenting to a huge audience has never been more difficult. Five minutes is barely enough time to make a positive impression. This is a huge challenge that presenters need to over come. Here are 3 key strategies to keep in mind:

Condense your slides

Try to present more information orally to reduce overloading your slides with too much text and data. The people in your audience can read much faster than they can listen to you talking. As we’ve discussed time and again, an effective PowerPoint deck acts as a visual aid. It doesn’t contain every sentence you want to share. Instead, it perfectly illustrates your main points through the use of images and other multimedia elements. Instead of packing your slides with a bunch of facts and figures, spend more time illustrating and articulating your points.An emotional and physical connection might be more effective in capturing the audience’s imagination. This bond calls the attention of people whose minds were wandering off in the crowd, and engages those who are beginning to invest in what you’re saying.

Follow an intriguing narrative structure

Structure your presentation in a way that will surely engage your audience. There’s a reason why we can sit motionless in a movie theater for two hours, completely enamored by what we’re watching. Movies follow a great story arc that build suspense and intrigue. Effective storytellers know how to create anticipation that keeps viewers looking forward to what happens next. Following their example, your presentation can also work the same way.Craft your presentation in a way that presents a problem (“what is), and slowly build your way towards a solution (“what could be”). The problem-tension-solution pattern roughly mimics the structure of classical Greek dramas, which research has found to be effective in eliciting powerful emotional response.

Create “soft breaks” 

According to presentation expert Carmine Gallo, the best way to re-engage the short attention spans of your audience is by creating “soft breaks” within your presentation. After every 10 minutes or so, give your audience some moments to pause by incorporating videos, activities, and demonstrations. You can also encourage audience participation by posing a question they can answer through a show of hands. If your presentation allows it, you can also call up other speakers from your team to offer the audience a fresh new perspective.

The Final Word

Capturing people’s attention can be a bit of a challenge, especially during a time when attention spans are beginning to drop, and people are constantly busy. But that doesn’t mean you have to make a plain, uninteresting presentation.Engage people’s senses by keeping your pitch short and sweet, weaving a narrative around your presentation, and giving soft breaks in between. Follow these tips and you might just win new business! Featured Image: Oliver Tacke via Flickr

Quick Reminders for the PowerPoint Decks in Your Event

conference

corporate events

powerpoint decks

PowerPoint Design

Presentations

Sep 23, 2014

You were given the opportunity to organize and host an event that would gather the brightest minds in your industry. The speakers you invited will share innovative ideas with an audience eager to gain new insights. As always, they’ll be using presentation decks to illustrate their key points. To ensure that their presentations end successfully, it won’t be a bad idea to set up some reminders on how they should prepare their slides. Here are just a few tips you can share with them, via experts interviewed by Forbes:

From Jonathon Colman:

Use Big Text for a Big Impact

Guy Kawasaki’s famous 10/20/30 rule of presentation design tells us not to use any text that’s smaller than 30 points. That’s great advice, but when you need your text to pop, make it big—really big! Use type that’s over 100 points or even larger, depending on your typeface. See how I use different type sizes to make my messages stand out in this presentation.

Find a Theme, Carry it Through

A lot of speakers use photography to illustrate their ideas. So when everyone uses great photos, how can you make yours stand out and have an impact on your audience? I recommend choosing photos that all use a similar style, subject, or other theme in common. See how I made a presentation using only photos of apples—really!

From Rick Altman:

Avoid Death by PowerPoint by doing these three things

When you witness Death by PowerPoint, most of the time it is because a presenter makes these three things all the same. He wants to use his slides as handouts, he writes speeches on his slides, he reads them word for word…say+show+give = all the same.But when presenter think about these three tenets separately, they begin to distinguish themselves from 99% of those giving presentations today. It becomes more work – you must speak without slide scripts, you must create slides and then separate handouts – but you will become so much better at each of the three tasks and your work will become more rewarding. And you give yourself an opportunity to create something extraordinary.

From Eddie Rice:

Your slides should be the supporting cast of your talk

Plan out what you will say before you create your slides and master that material before you start designing your slides. Your slides should be the “supporting cast” of your talk–not its main focus. The payoff comes in two ways: First, if something goes wrong with your presentation, you will still have a speech ready to give, and second, you be more confident as you give your talk because you will have already mastered its focus.

As we talked about in the past, a simple PowerPoint deck is the best way to give a memorable presentation. Encourage your speakers to move away from the text-heavy slides by telling them to keep their decks to roughly 10 slides. You can also suggest that they make use of different multimedia elements to emphasize key points. This will allow them to focus on their key points.

Reference

Fidelman, Mark. “20 World-Class Presentation Experts Share Their Top Tips.” Forbes. Accessed September 23, 2014. Featured Image: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung via Flickr

GIFDeck: Turn Your SlideShare Presentation into a GIF Animation

online tools

Powerpoint

presentation tools

Presentations

Sep 22, 2014

As we know, presentations can make great content marketing materials. And thanks to SlideShare, you can easily upload your decks online and gain a wider audience.However, if you’ve been a longtime SlideShare user, you may have run into a small problem. While it’s easy to embed your entire presentation into a blog post or a web page, it’s harder to share them through Twitter or email without losing its visual quality. If you want to send an interesting SlideShare presentation to your friend via email, you’ll have to copy the link and they’ll have to open it themselves.That’s why it’s important to translate your deck into a GIF, where it can self-present to an audience that doesn’t have your physical presence to get information from. Here’s how you can create a presentation GIF:

This is where GIFDeck Comes in.

This new Internet tool allows you to turn any SlideShare presentation into a GIF animation. You can attach your GIF to emails, or post it directly on Twitter. Best of all, the website is pretty straightforward. You don’t have to go through several complicated steps in order to achieve the results you want.To do this, simply paste the SlideShare URL of your choice and hit Submit.Here’s one of the presentations on our SlideShare profile converted into GIF:Looks cool? Visit GIFDeck and give it a try!

Some Helpful Tips

  • Click on the icon beside the Submit button to customize your GIF. But be wary that any adjustments you make can affect the size and quality of your animation.
  • For more readable slides, change the interval at around 2000 milliseconds or more. Again, keep in mind that doing this will give you a larger GIF file size. Try to find the perfect balance between readability and an optimal file size for sharing.
  • If your presentation is particularly long, convert only the first 10 or so slides. Use it as a little “teaser” to encourage readers to click and visit your link.

Conclusion

A program like GIFDeck can prove efficient when you don’t have the time to present your PowerPoint to your audience. However, this can also be a test of how well you can create a compact, self-presenting deck. At the same time, remember that a GIF may not always be the best vessel for  your presentation.Your deck isn’t there to speak for you, but when the occasion calls for it, you may need a deck that presents your key points without need for further explanation.Need the guidance of a professional in the field to help you out? Our SlideGenius experts are ready to cater to your presentation dilemma.Contact us today for a free quote!

Engage and Empower: Innovative PowerPoint Tools and Tutorials for Interactive Presentations

audience interaction

powerpoint tools

powerpoint tutorial

Presentations

Aug 22, 2014

Interactive presentations can elevate your content by making your audience feel more involved and engaged. PowerPoint offers several built-in tools and features that allow you to create dynamic, interactive slides. From hyperlinks to embedded polls, you can transform a passive presentation into an interactive experience.Here’s how to use PowerPoint tools to make your presentations more interactive:

1. Hyperlinks and Action Buttons

Hyperlinks allow you to create clickable links within your presentation that direct the audience to another slide, a website, or an external file. This can be especially useful for interactive quizzes, navigational menus, or reference material.How to Do It:

  • Highlight the text or select the object you want to hyperlink.
  • Go to the Insert tab and click Hyperlink.
  • Choose whether the link will direct to another slide, a webpage, or a file.

Example: Use hyperlinks to create a table of contents slide that allows your audience to jump to specific sections of the presentation.

2. Polls and Quizzes

You can make your presentation more engaging by incorporating polls or quizzes that gather live feedback from your audience. Tools like Mentimeter or Poll Everywhere can be embedded directly into PowerPoint, allowing you to display real-time results.How to Do It:

  • Create a poll or quiz using an interactive tool like Mentimeter.
  • Insert the poll into PowerPoint as a live interactive element by embedding the code or using the tool’s PowerPoint add-in.

Example: Use a poll to gauge audience opinions on a topic, then display the results live during the presentation.

3. Interactive Zoom

PowerPoint’s Zoom feature allows you to create a more dynamic and interactive navigation experience within your presentation. With Zoom, you can jump between sections, zoom into content, and return to the overview slide, making your presentation feel more fluid.How to Do It:

  • Go to the Insert tab, then click on Zoom.
  • Choose whether you want to create a Summary Zoom, Section Zoom, or Slide Zoom.
  • Customize the zoom functionality to allow smooth transitions between content.

Example: Use Summary Zoom to create an interactive outline of your presentation, allowing you to navigate between different sections based on audience preferences.

4. Trigger Animations

Trigger animations allow you to set specific actions to occur when an object is clicked. This can be useful for interactive infographics, quizzes, or decision trees.How to Do It:

  • Select the object you want to animate.
  • Go to the Animations tab and choose an animation.
  • In the Timing section, click Triggers and choose which object will trigger the animation.

Example: Use trigger animations to reveal additional information when a button or object is clicked, creating an interactive learning experience.

Final Thoughts

Interactive presentations can engage your audience and empower them to participate in the content. By using PowerPoint’s innovative tools, such as hyperlinks, polls, zoom, and trigger animations, you can create a more dynamic and memorable presentation. Test these features ahead of time to ensure they function smoothly during your live presentation.

How to Find Pictures for PowerPoint Presentations in the Vast Expanse of the Internet

pictures for powerpoint presentations

Powerpoint

Presentations

SlideGenius

Jun 12, 2014

As the age old adage goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

We previously tackled the importance of reducing text in your PowerPoint slides. Your presentation needs to be visually engaging. A block of text that simply mimics your speech is an easy way to lose your audience. Instead, stimulate their brain’s ability to easily pick up visual cues by using carefully selected pictures.The best image to use is the one that summarizes what you’d normally try to say in five bullet points.The Internet is a great resource to find pictures for PowerPoint presentations, but practice caution.Not everything that comes up in your Google image search is advisable to use. You might be in danger of infringing copyrighted materials without even knowing it!So, how do you find perfectly legal pictures for PowerPoint presentations, then? Where should you go without having to worry about possible complications?

Sites to Get Your Pictures From

1) Royalty Free Images

In exchange for a one-time fee, you can continuously use a copyrighted picture according to agreed upon terms without having to pay license fees in the future. A royalty-free license is common in stock photography.

2) Creative Commons-licensed content

You can use a photo with a creative commons (CC) license for free under specific conditions. There are different types of CC licenses, but the most important thing you’ll need to remember is Attribution. You’ll have to give credit to whoever owns the picture you decide to use.

3) Images in the public domain

An image in the public domain doesn’t hold any license, so it’s free to use. Works are considered to be part of the public domain if it meets the following:

      • the copyright has expired, or the work was never granted a valid copyright in the first place
      • the creator has relegated the work to the public domain
      • when they’re ineligible for copyright based on this criteria.

How do you find pictures like these? 

If you’d like pictures for PowerPoint presentations that are appropriate to use, don’t look for them using Google or Bing.A huge selection of CC-licensed content can be found on Flickr. The search tool can be a little tricky, though, so you can use sites that find CC content like CC Search and Wikimedia Commons. Another option is to visit photo-hosting site 500px, which gathers all CC-licensed pictures in one place.While there are no specialized searches to find photos in the public domain, Wikimedia Commons labels each picture with its license information. Public domain photos are tagged with this symbol:If, however, you’re willing to splurge a few couple of bucks, you can get royalty free images from websites like Getty Images, iStock, and Shutterstock. While you might have to stretch your budget, the photos you get from these sites usually look more professional and polished.

References

“Vision.” Brain Rules. Accessed June 12, 2014.”What Is in the Public Domain, Always, besides Ideas?” PublicSherpa. Accessed June 12, 2014.Featured Image by HikingArtist from Wikimedia.org 

4 Steps to Mastering the Elevator Pitch

elevator pitch

Powerpoint

powerpoint presentation

powerpoint presentations

presentation

presentation skill

presentation skills

Presentations

Jun 10, 2014

The idea behind the elevator pitch is said to have originated from businessmen who needed to pitch proposals to prospective investors as quickly as possible.Incidentally, it also gives the investors a chance to turn down ideas promptly (especially those that are not that good or do not match their investment profile). The fast paced delivery indeed works well for both parties. If you have a plan to acquire funds from a potential investor, mastering the art of the elevator pitch will definitely work to your advantage.In his Forbes article, Rick Frasch already provides the eight mistakes entrepreneurs need to avoid in their elevator pitch. Now here are four tips from us on how to get it right:

1. Establish your story

Set aside a time to write your story, preferably without interruptions. When you write, visualize that you’re telling the story to a family member or a close friend. This can help you put your mind at ease.Write anything relevant to your ideas. Don’t forget to silence your inner critic and not edit just yet.

2. Let it sit for some time

Once you are done with your pitch’s rough draft, go and do something else. You may want to go for a walk or drive around the neighborhood.The idea is to let the story sit for a day or two so you’ll have a fresh perspective when you read and work on it again.

3. Polish your hook

Start editing down your story to its barest essential. Your goal is to craft a killer 60-second elevator pitch. While you’re at it, think about adding a good hook.The hook is the part that will let you jumpstart your pitch. It should be about 15 seconds long. This is important because those 15 seconds are your only chance to convince your prospect to listen to the rest of the pitch.Add an element of curiosity to your hook. You may choose to start with engaging phrases such as “What if…” or “Picture this…” At this point, you should have you prospect intrigued.

4. Explain what’s in it for them

Now that you have the attention of your prospective investor, it’s time to key in on engaging the audience. Persuade your listeners into actually investing by explaining how your idea can bring in profits. PProve that there’s a market for it and that your solution is something that customers would be willing to pay for. Close your pitch by creating a sense of urgency.Whether your product is only available during the Holidays or you’re racing with a rival in filing a patent, use urgency to motivate, not force people to invest.

The Final Word

Spend enough time practicing your pitch. Time yourself as your practice. Make sure that you can say whatever you need to say within the 60-second limit.The key to a great elevator pitch is not just to pitch in a rapid-fire approach. Even if you can’t deliver a mile a minute speech, you would still be able to impress your audience.And most importantly, memorize your lines. If you’re using a PowerPoint presentation, do not read from the slides. Investors can sense if you’re not ready and just winging it, so practice extensively to perfect that pitch. 

Reference

Frasch, Rick. “8 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Pitching To Investors.” Forbes. Accessed June 10, 2014.

Helpful Tools for Designing Presentations

presentation tools

Presentations

May 01, 2014

Have you ever been impressed by an exceptional presentation that it made you wonder how the presenter had done it? We’re going to let you in on a secret.Behind every successful presentation are a bunch of design and productivity tools. To give you some ideas, here are some of the tools for designing presentations that experts commonly use:

For organizing ideas

Taking down notes is an essential part of the brainstorming process to come up with presentation ideas. Many of us, however, are not used to putting thoughts on paper anymore. In this case, a mind mapping software will come in handy. Mind mapping involves drawing bits of information in diagram form instead of writing them in complete sentences. And in place of pen and paper, you can use a software application to create the diagrams.Xmind is the one of the most popular mind mapping software out there. It’s packed with so many features yet easy to use. Best of all, it’s free.This program lets you create a concept map from scratch or with the help of its templates. Apart from the templates, it also comes with a number of charts that you can choose from for different purposes. This makes Xmind not only one of the best tools for designing presentations but it is also great for improving your productivity in general.

For creating attractive graphs and charts

Data-driven presentations can be hard to pull off. Failure would mean exposing your audience to torturous, boredom-inducing barrage of information. The best workaround would be to use charts and graphs. Creating such visuals can be tiresome, though. Especially for those of us who are not that good with Microsoft Excel. Thankfully, there’s a tool that can serve as a guide in the process of creating charts.Oomfo is a plugin for Microsoft PowerPoint that helps users create engaging charts in presentations. With its user-friendly interface, you can create a wide range of charts that range – from the basic bar types to the more complicated ones such as the interactive waterfall chart.

For taking screenshots

Incorporating some screenshots in your presentation can help illustrate the points you are trying to make. However, you can’t simply rely on the Print Screen key on your keyboard. Sure, it’s handy but it offers a very limited capability. For one, you will have to paste the captured screenshot into an image editor such as Microsoft Paint or Adobe Photoshop before you can save or manipulate it. For a more efficient solution, you may want to check out Skitch.Skitch is a screen capture tool that doesn’t just take a screenshot but also allows you to annotate it if you need to clarify your point further. You may choose to instantly save the screenshot as a JPG, BMP, PNG, or TIFF file. Skitch also lets you perform modifications to your screen shots. You can resize, flip, crop, and rotate the resulting images and archive them for use at a later date.

Creating a presentation involves more than just putting together a bunch of PowerPoint slides. With the right tools, a professional presenter can make his presentations remarkable and effective in getting his message across.