How to Make a Great Powerpoint for a Standout Presentation
A whopping 30 million PowerPoint presentations are created globally every day. Further, the PowerPoint tool is installed in more than a billion computers around the world. These statistics confirm the PowerPoint tool as being among the most popular presentation software options on the planet.
As you read this article, some audiences somewhere will have to make do with a lackluster PowerPoint presentation as they yawn involuntarily in a darkened room. So often, users of this tool struggle to prepare a PowerPoint demonstration that arouses interests and keeps audiences engaged.
So if you’ve been wondering how to make a great PowerPoint presentation, you aren’t alone. But don’t worry. Read on to learn what makes a great PowerPoint presentation.
1. Always Make the Slides Come Last
Most PowerPoint users prefer to put the slides together first before writing the speech. You can do better. Your speech carries the weight of your presentation, which means that PowerPoint is only a supporting tool.
What you must remember at this point is that the PowerPoint slides are only there to bring to life your story. They should, therefore, be the last thing you create after developing a roadmap. Don’t let your slides replace your speech by focusing more on what’s on the screen than the narration. However, you do need to make sure that you’re well prepared for the delivery of the presentation, which entails displaying it properly. You can use an iPhone and iPad mirroring app which lets you mirror your device’s screen on a smart Sony TV so it can be viewed by your audience in a comfortable way.
2. More Images, fewer Texts
If there was anywhere the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” would apply correctly, it would be in this case. Nothing frustrates an audience like blocks of texts, which is a repetition of verbal presentation. On the other extreme, nothing keeps your meeting more livelily than a blend of interest–arousing images and concise texts.
Most PowerPoint slides end up with more texts than images. This can easily keep your audience distracted as they try to make sense of the blocks of text. Your slides ought to be more like eye charts.
Aim for something catchy so that the audience has something stuck in their memory. Pictures are perfect in this case.
3. Ensure That Your Presentation is Legible
You might have a mesmerizing presentation with the capacity to have your audiences glued all the way through. However, if the slides are illegible, your hard work will result in futility. Your slides’ preparation process ought to depend on the space and the number of audiences.
You should ensure that the person at the furthest corner can easily read the tiniest font in your presentation. This may also apply to the images. Your most diminutive visual in the display should be clear and visible enough to those in the extreme corner of the room.
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4. Focus on Consistency in Your Themes
One common mistake you are likely to make when preparing your presentation is to have slides with varying themes.
The role of these slides is to help put through a message as efficiently and clearly as possible. Consequently, your inconsistencies will only allow for confusion and distraction.
To avoid this, make sure you stick to a consistent theme through the presentation. Such consistency ensures that you can keep your audience’s attention for longer without creating confusion. You may customize your items or rely on the inbuilt ones as you prepare your slides.
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5. One Story, One Slide
This should be a rule of thumb in any PowerPoint presentation. Each slide in your presentation presents one line of thought or story.
The idea is to keep the attention of the audience on your speech. Using one slide for each particular part of the narriative keeps the audience actively involved.
6. Institute the 2/4/8 Rule
The main objective of your presentation is to pass a specific message or information. To do this, you need a strategy that will enhance clarity. The 2/4/8 approach is one such option you can consider when formatting your slides.
With this rule, you can only have one slide every 2 minutes. You should also only have four bullets per slide. Finally, your bullets ought to comprise eight words.
With this rule, you can be guaranteed of a less congested PowerPoint presentation. You’ll also be able to reach your audience in an effective and less disruptive way.
7. Objectivity Is a Critical Necessity
Your leading question during the presentation preparation process should be, “Does this slide assist in supporting my main argument?” Such an objective assessment ensures that you only keep the slides that matter the most in the presentation. While there are no rules about the number of slides an effective presentation should have, you must also exercise caution.
Ensure that you don’t bombard your audiences by presenting endless slides that add little to your staging. On average, you may have 30 to 50 slides in a well-spaced presentation. Depending on the context, your slides may be lower than thirty. But exceeding the 60th slide is likely to cause your presentation to be perceived as overly “busy.”
8. Focus Less on the Spectacular
Sorry to burst your bubble, but often animations won’t add much value to your presentation. While most people imagine that fireworks and flames lead to a catchy slide, they are a source of distraction. The idea is to keep you at the center of this presentation.
Often, the use of animations ends up stealing the attention from the main objective. If your stage presence is wanting, having fancy animations can easily shift attention away from you and towards the screen — and that’s not what you want!
If you’re hoping to achieve the highest level of attention as you present your speech, then it would be better to focus on creating a minimum amount of distraction during the presentation.
Now You Know How to Make a Great PowerPoint Presentation!
What is that one thing that your audience can pick from your PowerPoint demo that can act as a take-home pointer? Such questions are essential when deciding on how to design a PowerPoint presentation. With these tips on how to make a great PowerPoint presentation, you can now proceed with confidence as you turn prospects to loyal customers.
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