Use a blank slide, not a black slide in your PowerPoint presentation

On Monday Joe Pops blogged about how you can hit the pause button by inserting a black slide into your PowerPoint presentation rather than just using your remote to blank the screen. Getting the audience to focus on what you are saying rather than your  irrelevant last slide is an excellent idea. 

I commented that you should avoid using black when your presentation outfit includes a black coat or dress. You might blend into that background like a ninja, and unnerve your audience with a disembodied head - almost like the poster for the magician Harry Kellar shown above. 

Watch this YouTube video and see how Steve Farber’s black turtleneck turns him into a floating head. There is a simple cure that only takes a few seconds. Use a blank slide, not a black one. If you started with black, then change the background color to one that contrasts with your outfit.