Avoiding Death by PowerPoint

I just received the following email:

Hello Wyn-
I am trying to merge the marketing plan and financial statement, add narratives, and produce an efficient power point by this Saturday.  Any friendly advice for a desperate novice?
Here is my answer:

No more than 3 lines to a page. No more than 12 slides all together.
Be brief. You want people paying attention to you -- not the slides.

Read "Death by PowerPoint"

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_by_PowerPoint

Write with these questions in mind:

• Who is your audience? 
• Who is listening to you? 
• What do they really need to learn? 
• Why are you doing this? 
• What is the goal of your presentation? 
• What actions are your listeners supposed to make after hearing it?

One more thing. If this is an investor who is listening -- remember that the numbers tell the story. But don't make the eyes glaze over.