How to make a good PowerPoint Presentation?

A PowerPoint presentation is a slideshow program that is created using Microsoft PowerPoint software. It constitutes a collection of individual slides that provides information regarding a particular topic or subject. Presentation makes it easy for the individual to create, collaborate, and present ideas in dynamic yet visually compelling manner. PowerPoint presentations are commonly used for training or educational purposes and for some business meetings and conferences as well.

While it is easy for some to combine text and multimedia to create awesome presentations, most of them tend to ignore certain tips and ideas that would make their presentation look more captivating and interesting. Therefore, most of the presentations look too plain or gaudy and miss the element of interest that seeks attention.

Develop the Narrative

You have a story to tell, and PowerPoint is designed in a manner that helps you to narrate it. So it is very important for you to first develop a narrative. Under this, you need to decide what are the key points of your topic and what needs to be discussed in the audience. Therefore, you need to consider the main message, which is supported by all the information and present it before the audience.

The most common mistake made by people while making presentations is that they overload information in terms of text. Presentations look good when they contain only the necessary information, and it should be the one which the individual cannot afford to neglect in the text. This further helps the audience in understanding what the key points are that it makes the presentation look essential in terms of its subject.

You need to make sure that the structure of your presentation looks imperative. This allows you to understand the intensity of the text. Outline the way in which each slide is presented. You need to decide in advance as to what number of slides to be included in it and what should be the content in these slides.

Structure your slides

The format should be included as per the program manual. But the structure should match the presentation outlook and help in enhancing the quality. The readability of the text should be clear and precise. Use pictures and graphics in your slide to create engagement amongst the audience. Information that cannot be just dispersed in the form of words can be presented in the form of graphics. Pie charts and graphs are a good way of presenting statistical proof to the audience in an interesting manner.

You might also include audio and video clips in your slides. If the topic is too difficult to understand, then this type of media text would support the context for the audience to grab it easily.

One thing that needs to be kept in mind is that the presentations should never overdo with the content like graphics and multimedia. In such case, these elements would distract the audience from reading the main text. This also makes the audience grab very little information from the whole context.

Prepare the Presentation

Practice is the key towards making any presentation look good. Practicing also helps you to ensure that your speech and slides match properly and coordinate well with each other. The speech and the way of presentation should be efficient enough without even the support of PowerPoint.

During the Presentation

Present your PowerPoint in such a manner that you don’t hesitate while speaking. Ask questions from your audience or suggest them to give some opinions, to make your presentation look more interacting. Practicing will surely help you to maintain a smooth pace, but do not let your nervousness tamper with it. Be confident enough while delivering your speech.

Precautions and Solutions

There are certain precautions that you need to take when you are going to present a PowerPoint presentation amongst the audience. If you are to present at a venue or place that you are not familiar with, go early and try adjusting with its environment. You can even try practicing your presentation before the scheduled program, by taking permission from authorities. Last-minute problems can increase your nervousness, so check everything before the presentation.

If you are an introvert or you’ve never spoken anything before an audience, try practicing it before a group of people or friends first. You can always try practicing before the mirror to correct your mistakes. You can understand your hand movements and facial expressions better with this technique. Always try maintaining an eye-contact with your audience. Body language plays an important role during a presentation, as it helps the audience understand your viewpoint easily.

It is very important for an individual to dress formally and smartly for a presentation, especially when it’s the official one. This will help you to give a professional look while capturing and maintaining the audience’s attention. Make sure that the outfit you wore suits you, and is quite comfortable. If not, then it might lead you to loss of confidence and attention during the presentation.

Give your audience a good experience

Point towards the slide if one of its sub-heads is being explained to the audience and is not included in a slide. You also need to point towards the slides, when you are explaining some graphs or charts. You can also provide your audience with some handouts if the topic has too many data and stats. If you are not sure about your topic, then do not give those handouts to your audience. Ask your audience to look at the handouts during the presentation for better understanding.