PowerPoint is a great tool for presentations but done wrong, can leave your audience bored, underwhelmed and unfocused. The key to a successful presentation is planning. Here are some top tips to get you started.
Have a brainstorming session
I like to go old school when I am brainstorming, so I get a big sheet of paper with my topic circled in the middle. I branch off with all the ideas I can think of, no matter how crazy they may seem at the time. Consider your objectives. Are you looking to persuade, inform, entertain etc? How long do you want your presentation to be and what outcome are you looking for? What do you need to cover? What is your time limit? What tone are you going to use? Who is your audience? What would keep your audience interested?
Break it down
When you have brainstormed, organise your ideas into bite-sized chunks. These will form each slide. You need the presentation to flow so when you gather your ideas together make sure that they are coherent and follow a logical order. Just like a story, you need a beginning, middle and end. At this point you can play around with the order and have fun with it. There is no rule stating that you can’t begin with the end! Get creative.
Don’t get distracted by PowerPoint Tools
By all means, use floating words or fade-in fade-out options but stay consistent and don’t overuse them. Think of PowerPoint as the tool that is backing up your presentation. You want your audience to listen to you and not be distracted by too many graphics on the screen. Play with the tools and choose the ones that enhance your presentation without taking over your spoken presentation.
Think simple and clear
Use fonts that are easy to read from the back of the room. Choose colours that are pleasing to the eye and images that are large enough. Don’t overcrowd your slides, it is far better to have less cluttered slides than it is to have fewer slides but overloaded with text and images.
Use bullet points or keywords
If everything that you want to say is written in your presentation then you may as well sit down and let your audience read it instead. This defeats the object entirely. The use of bullet points gives your audience a hint of what you are going to say without giving the details. It is then up to you to fill in the rest. Key words work just as well as bullet points.
Use images that support your presentation
Break up your presentation with images. Don’t be afraid to be comical either. The best presentations use humour to keep their audience engaged!
Time to rehearse
Sounds obvious right? But you would be surprised how many don’t time and rehearse their presentations. Giving a presentation is nerve-wracking enough, but a lack of preparation will leave you flustered and unable to deliver the great presentation that you want. Go through your presentation with a friend, family member or colleague and ask for constructive feedback both in your spoken and PowerPoint presentation.
Love what you are presenting
If you are passionate about your subject your presentation will have a natural flow and entertainment value. Your audience will be engaged, interested and far more likely to remember what you have say. Relax and enjoy yourself.