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13.4 Avoid the Laser Pointer
Even a very steady person may have a hard time pointing steadily at a fixed spot. It
is even worse for a nervous speaker. Bad things that happen with a laser pointer:
• The red dot goes all over the place very quickly
• Not enough time to see where the speaker wanted to aim
• The speaker leaves the pointer on (which becomes a threat)
If your presentation is well built, you should NEVER have to use a laser pointer.
If you want to emphasize areas of your slides, e.g. specific spot on a photo, specific
data point on a graph, etc., overlay instead geometrical figures (the red circle works
in most cases). Animate the circle (no fill) to have it appear exactly when you need
it, and to emphasize exactly what you need to emphasize.
Advantages:
• Always steady
• Red circle appears exactly when needed, exactly where needed
• It can stay as long as needed (can remove it with animations)
• Multiple areas can be highlighted at the same time (vary colors)
• Choice in size/shape that best fits what you want to emphasize
Another way to emphasize areas of your slides, is to use geometrical figures with
a fill, and adjust the transparency.
Alternatively, you can use the PowerPoint built-in cursor (the top- left pointing
arrow) to highlight specific items on your slide, but…
• The arrow cursor takes a few seconds before appearing, and quickly disappears
(the cursor can be setup to be always visible, but this becomes a nuisance when
you don’t need it)
• The cursor-arrow comes in only one shape and size (quite small)
• You can only emphasize one item at a time
There is also the old-fashioned alternative of pointing directly at the screen, provided there is only one screen, and it is close enough to the podium!
Emphasis again: avoid the laser pointer. Anytime you feel like using one, find
alternatives within your presentation itself, so that you no longer need the laser
pointer.
One notable potential exception is the question period. In providing your
response, you might use the laser pointer to highlight items from your slides which
you had not highlighted previously.
13 Delivery
13.4 Avoid the Laser Pointer
Even a very steady person may have a hard time pointing steadily at a fixed spot. It
is even worse for a nervous speaker. Bad things that happen with a laser pointer:
• The red dot goes all over the place very quickly
• Not enough time to see where the speaker wanted to aim
• The speaker leaves the pointer on (which becomes a threat)
If your presentation is well built, you should NEVER have to use a laser pointer.
If you want to emphasize areas of your slides, e.g. specific spot on a photo, specific
data point on a graph, etc., overlay instead geometrical figures (the red circle works
in most cases). Animate the circle (no fill) to have it appear exactly when you need
it, and to emphasize exactly what you need to emphasize.
Advantages:
• Always steady
• Red circle appears exactly when needed, exactly where needed
• It can stay as long as needed (can remove it with animations)
• Multiple areas can be highlighted at the same time (vary colors)
• Choice in size/shape that best fits what you want to emphasize
Another way to emphasize areas of your slides, is to use geometrical figures with
a fill, and adjust the transparency.
Alternatively, you can use the PowerPoint built-in cursor (the top- left pointing
arrow) to highlight specific items on your slide, but…
• The arrow cursor takes a few seconds before appearing, and quickly disappears
(the cursor can be setup to be always visible, but this becomes a nuisance when
you don’t need it)
• The cursor-arrow comes in only one shape and size (quite small)
• You can only emphasize one item at a time
There is also the old-fashioned alternative of pointing directly at the screen, provided there is only one screen, and it is close enough to the podium!
Emphasis again: avoid the laser pointer. Anytime you feel like using one, find
alternatives within your presentation itself, so that you no longer need the laser
pointer.
One notable potential exception is the question period. In providing your
response, you might use the laser pointer to highlight items from your slides which
you had not highlighted previously.
13 Delivery