Special Edition Using Microsoft® Office XP

Anatomy of a PowerPoint Presentation

Putting together a basic PowerPoint presentation takes little more than the spark of an idea and a few minutes with the AutoContent Wizard. Assembling an effective, persuasive presentation, on the other hand, demands much more.

Although the next few chapters deal with the mechanics of creating a dynamite presentation, one thought should remain uppermost in your mind: Content rules. A poorly conceived and executed PowerPoint presentation will leave your audience cold, no matter how many fancy transitions, animations, or Web links you employ. Conversely, a compelling story, well told, will stick with your audience even if it's presented exclusively in 14-point Times New Roman.

Note

Although PowerPoint can help ...