The skill of knowing Microsoft Office may be becoming obsolete with time, but it is an asset when it comes to creating an excellent PowerPoint presentation. It is a lifelong skill that comes handy whenever we need to present ourselves at our workplace, college or when we deliver a crucial presentation at a keynote conference.
Whether you are a student at a university or a manager at a renowned organization, delivering a presentation to make your audience understand your point is what’s important. A good presentation boosts your confidence and makes you motivated to do even better. The right use of a projector conveys the right impression and vibes to the audience. Needless to mention, professionally sound presentations make a good impact on the audience, thus creating a positive impression.
Conversely, a bad, overdone or underdone presentation can ruin the whole objective of the occasion, and invite negative feedback. Nobody wants that. Here are some tips that you can use to create a brilliant PowerPoint presentation that can impress any kind of audience. A good presentation is a collection of how you present yourself and bring the human touch to make it happen. With these elements combined, you can ace the event.
Bullet points: Limit bullet points as too many of these can confuse or make your audience bored. If adding points is necessary anyway, add five or fewer points in each slide. More than five points in each slide can make it boring, causing the audience to lose interest eventually. Do not use more than six words to a point.
Introduction: The first slide is mainly the topic you are going to talk about so do not make it look like a cherry cupcake. Make it clear and crisp. Use highlights if you want but keep it easy on the eyes. Emphasize more on words than how you style them.
Transitions: Transitions or animations look good, but remember to not add one in every slide. The transition between two to three slides is a fine thing to do. Use subtle and professionally accepted transitions to make your presentation look crisp yet sober.
Charts: Too much text can complicate your whole concept, so it is better to include some graphics too. Bar graphs, line graphs or pie charts make your point clearer. For instance, you can use pie charts to show percentages. Do not add too many colors in your slides, as this will make it difficult for you to explain and your audience to understand it. Bar graphs can be used to reflect on the changes happening in the slide. However, do not use more than eight bars in one presentation. Line graphs are used to show an increase and decrease in a trend over time. You can also use an arrow to show the downfall or the rise of a sale or a trend. Similarly, tables can be used to show a comparison between two quantities.
Fonts: Use professionally acceptable fonts such as Times New Roman, Calibri, and Garamond. These texts are subtle and look professional.
Font size: Font size and color matter the most. Choose a size that is visible to the person sitting at the back of the room. In this regard, it is also a good idea to have a look at the room where you will be delivering the presentation beforehand. If your room is small, 11 to 15 font size will work best, otherwise, use a larger font. While too small of a font can make it difficult to read, too big can make it difficult for the audience to concentrate on what the speaker is saying.
Font color: Use a font color that is visible and can be read without any issue. Do not use a dark font on a dark background, or light font on a light background. For instance, using a dark blue background or white text on the yellow background can undermine all your efforts to make your presentation a success.
Audio or video: Use audios and videos if required as these have a powerful effect. If you have decided to use both of them, remember to make sure that the audio is clear enough and the video is high definition so that a good overall effect can be created.
Use pictures: Use a higher proportion of images than the text as this will make your presentation interesting and appealing. Images can catch the interest of the audience. The use of high definition images makes your presentation look 100 times better and convey your message powerfully.
Decorate: You can choose to decorate your PowerPoint presentations, but remember that your presentation is not a cake to decorate. You can change the background and insert the slide numbers in different styles to create a good effect. Remember, don’t get carried away decorating your presentation as this will distract the viewers.
Background: Choose the same background for all the slides. Do not use dark colors or templates. Use subtle and cool colors and avoid using too many.
Quality: Quantity does matter, but quality does more. Make sure that your presentation is of high quality even if it is short. At the end of the day, people remember the quality and not the quantity. The shorter, the better. So it is okay to keep it short. Choose quality over quantity.
Language: Use easy to understand, user-friendly language. Use simple and easy language, which can be understood by the audience. Highlight words that you intend to explain in detail.
Conclusion:
The aforementioned are some of the tips you can use to make your PowerPoint presentations look great. You must know your target audience. Once you know and understand who you will be delivering the presentation to, the task becomes simpler. If you notice a change in the expressions of your audience, then that would mean that they are focusing and trying to comprehend what you’re saying. Pay attention to both the presentation and on making the speech. The presentation will work its charm only if you work on your speaking skills. In doing so, you can carry out some research and find out what makes presentations successful. It is important to clearly know your subject and craft your presentation accordingly.
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