A key point to remember is this: as soon as you put words on a slide, your audience will most likely start reading them – and that means they’re not listening to you. So keep your slide matter simple so as to improve your chance of engaging with the audience.
You could also takes tips from the likes of the excellent “Beyond Bullet Points”, e.g. work out the issues you’re addressing up front … because people identify with problems/challenges etc. That way you sometimes have more chance of gaining their attention because they want to listen to how the ‘fix’.
Ignore people that say PPT is bollocks etc. PPT is not bollocks. In fact it’s a very powerful tool provided it’s used thoughtfully and effectively. It’s just a shame most PPT shows are full of;
– mis-aligned/non-uniform titles, fonts and text
– irrelevant photos and shoddy clip-art
– dull content
Steer clear of that lot and you’re another few steps there.