Five Super Simple Project Hacks for PowerPoint
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I've been spending a lot of time in PowerPoint lately, updating workshop materials for corporate clients. It's got me thinking about how we use PowerPoint and the hacks that consultants rely on given the sheer volume of slides they create. I made a quick video detailing five "hacks" I like to default to when creating slides, most of which I stole from my time in consulting. #1 Naming conventions: This seems basic but is crucial. As you edit a deck, update the file name to reflect the date and version. For example, ProjectX08052024v2. Agree on this as a team to avoid confusion. #2 Context pages: Consultants excel at keeping meetings on track. Upfront framing or context slides are critical for this, yet often overlooked. Nothing fancy is needed – a page titled "Here's what we'll discuss" with a bulleted list of topics works well. You can see some examples of actual slides I use in the video (and I include them in my freelancing course if you are an indie consultant) #3 Who’s doing what and when: Leaving a meeting without clear next steps is a momentum killer. Before making a deck, ask yourself: "What do we want the audience to do after this meeting?" Be specific. What should the client literally do when they open their laptop tomorrow morning? Next week? Next month? #4 Custom decks for custom audiences: Different audiences need different levels of detail. A working team is going to be much more in the weeds vs. a group of executives. In consulting, we often created several decks for the same projects
#5 Think before you PowerPoint: Repeat this: Think before you PowerPoint. I teach it as a mantra in my corporate workshops. Too many people use PowerPoint as a thinking space. It's not designed for that. Do the thinking first, then make the slide :-) Check Out The Video Here: |
Paul Millerd
Freelancer, creator & writer
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