Tip 120: Use blank slides

To occasionally have a completely blank slide is an effective way to break the monotony of slides. This can be used to signal a natural break between sections of your presentation. Also, if you want to emphasise a particular point, making your projector screen go completely blank is a potent way to make your audience’s attention shift away from the screen and onto you and what you are saying.

Also, after a couple of minutes of having a blank screen, your graphics in the following slides will appear all the more striking and will have greater impact.

Maybe you want to show a killer chart or graphic that will really sell your point… why don’t you have a blank slide immediately before it and use the blank slide to look into the eyes of each member of your audience while you create a build-up and atmosphere for your key graphic. Then when you finally do show your graphic your audience will be so much more receptive to it and I expect you will be amazed with the result.

It does take confidence to include blank slides in a presentation. The thought of allowing the screen to become completely empty is scaring as all eyes are now on you!

"Wow! This guide and handbook made a huge difference to my delegates at my online workshop. They loved everything we did. Thanks to Dr Mandar Marathe's book I developed my presentation skills quickly whilst enjoying all the new concepts and ideas this book offers in a very easy to read and practical manner.
 
All professional speakers, trainers and sales people should get a copy of this book!"
- Ash Ali, Online Marketing Expert & Founder of Sandalstore.co.uk

Table of contents
(Click to view sample pages from the book)

Introduction
About the author
How to use this book
Who needs this book?
Chapter 1: Planning for your presentation
Chapter 2: Preparing the delivery
Chapter 3: Preparing effective PowerPoint® slides
Chapter 4: Preparing a handout
Chapter 5: Rehearsals
Chapter 6: Just before the presentation
Chapter 7: Last-minute tips for confidence
Chapter 8: Delivering the presentation
Chapter 9: 'Any questions?'
Chapter 10: After the presentation
Chapter 11: Final Thoughts

About the author

Dr Mandar Marathe graduated from Southampton University with an honours degree in Biomedical Sciences in 1998 and a Bachelor of Medicine degree in 1999. He holds advanced qualifications in Emergency Medicine and in Toxicology.

He juggles a career as a doctor working in Accident & Emergency, while raising three children with his wife, writing books, and endlessly surfing the internet looking for the next "big thing".

With almost two decades of public speaking experience in both academic and professional arenas, he is today an enthusiastic and popular educator who is well qualified to share his ideas about what makes a successful speaker and a powerful presentation.

Dr Mandar Marathe is the course director for the FCEM Course.