Designing and delivering a PowerPoint presentation that is both informative and interesting is a challenging task. After sitting through one boring PowerPoint presentation after another, your audience is likely to greet the prospect of yet another slide show with low expectations. Surprise them with an informative presentation that captures their imagination and shares your key messages in a unique and interesting way.
The worst types of PowerPoint presentations are those that contain reams of text on each slide. To make matters worse, people who are guilty of displaying text-rich presentations typically read the content of each slide aloud, leaving the audience bored, frustrated and distinctly uninspired. Brevity is the key here. Limit the amount of text you display to the audience. Include a relevant title for each slide, and list only the important points. Avoid lengthy sentences or paragraphs; instead, use succinct, bulleted lists. Include white space between text to avoid a cluttered slide and ensure the audience’s attention is drawn to the key information.
Images are far more interesting to your audience than text. Find images that are relevant to your topic and think about what will entertain and interest your target audience. A generic photo of two business professionals shaking hands is hardly inspiring, but a photo of your employees volunteering at a community event will immediately introduce a human element and communicate the right message about your organization. You do not have to include an image on every slide, but several well-placed photographs or graphics can generate interest in your presentation. Focus on the quality of your images, not the quantity.
A great productivity tool that can help you manage and find images and diagrams for a presentation is ShapeChef. ShapeChef fully integrates with the PowerPoint document window and provides a library for you to store frequently used images and download high-quality graphic collections from the vendor’s server.
This adage applies well to PowerPoint presentations. Including a statement about your increased profits in the third quarter is fine, but a bar graph that illustrates that increase is far more effective. Find interesting ways to highlight key data and facts. This will grab the audience’s attention and make your message easier to understand.
Your PowerPoint presentation should supplement your discussion. Do not rely on the slides alone to convey your main message. Instead, use the text and graphics to reinforce your key points. Use the Notes feature on each slide to list discussion points. Simply refer to these notes, which your audience are unable to see, to avoid relying on the text alone to deliver your presentation. Remember to include the questions you intend to ask your audience, as this will engage them and get them involved.
PowerPoint presentations might be standard fare in the corporate world, but that doesn’t mean they have to be dull. Think of PowerPoint as an accessory to your presentation as opposed to the platform for it. You want your audience to focus on you and your key points, as opposed to reams of dull words on a slide.
ShapeChef is a tool that helps you find and manage graphics and charts for your presentations. Click here for details.
