When used right, a PowerPoint presentation can be a powerful addition to public speaking. Slides can be an excellent way to help drive home your most important points and keep your audience engaged. However, crafting slides that enhance your presentation can be a difficult task. Far too often, slides turn into a distraction, alienating you from your audience and obscuring your message. Want to learn how to craft a superb presentation and make your slides work for you? Check out our tips below!
Keep the Text to a Minimum: If you cram each slide with information, your audience is likely to spend more time reading your slides than listening to you. Never use a font size smaller than 30, and try to keep bullet points to two-lines maximum. You don’t need to write out each word of your presentation; your slide text should only highlight the main points of your message.
Your Slides Are Not a Script: One of the worst mistakes you can make is reading directly off of your slides. Turning toward the screen and reading each bullet point disengages you from the audience, and makes you appear unprepared and unprofessional. Know what you want to say at each point in your presentation in advance, and you’ll only have to give each slide a quick glance to know what comes next.
Use audio-visual aids sparingly. While videos, pictures, and audio can be a great way to engage your audience and highlight important parts of your message, using too many can be distracting. They can also break your connection with your audience, making you feel more distant. As you craft your presentation, try to reserve audio-visual aids for the moments that will serve your message the best.
Want more? Check in with us next week when we conclude our series on PowerPoint tips for a standout presentation!
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