But of course the key to this is the dreaded word rehearsal. When you use the techniques mentioned above, particularly animation and visuals, you need to get your timing down and to know what's coming next. You can use PowerPoint's Rehearse Timings feature to check how much time your show will take, but be careful; this feature can lead to objects going off on their own if you inadvertently save rehearsed timings with your presentation.

This brings up another key point. Make numerous backups—with and without animation—including notes for yourself and for your audience (i.e., handouts). Use color for display and grayscale for printing. Use full resolution for display and compressed images for e-mail. And make sure you have a disc in another location in case of potential disaster.

The main ingredient for a presentation's success is your message, how you present it and your skills. PowerPoint and Keynote are just tools. Technology can never substitute for a good idea; it needs a good idea to take advantage of technological features to convey it successfully.

For more specific techniques for implementing some of these theories, I humbly recommend my book, Solving the PowerPoint Predicament: Using Digital Media for Effective Communication.

But remember, regardless of the program you use to present your project or funding needs, using proven communication techniques in concert with a few key features can mean the difference between approval and rejection, or a bonus compared to a demotion.

Tom Bunzel specializes in knowing what presenters need and how to make technology work. He has been a featured speaker, corporate technology coach and author of several books. He has taught regularly at West LA College Extension and privately, and does presentation and video consulting in Southern California.