What do you feel when you hear the terms ‘presentation’ or ‘public speech’? Most probably, you cannot stay indifferent getting a strong emotional response. What is your first emotion when you remember your first class PowerPoint presentation? Are you still trembling when you recollect that experience?
Best Tips for PowerPoint Presentations: Use Them to Be a Great Speaker
Here we offer you top notch tips for PowerPoint presentations which you can use when you have to speak in public. The talent of a speaker can be developed, and we want to equip you with he necessary knowledge that you can use to build your presentation. You do not have to strive for becoming a motivational speaker or a professional presenter. However, you need good skills of public speaking and presenting ideas for various life contexts. Be a pro in speaking in public owing to our tips for effective PowerPoint presentations.
It is a challenging and even overwhelming process to give a good presentation. It is not easy to decide on the effective beginning or right timing. Thus, you will find it useful to learn more about constructing presentations taking doable steps according to this handy tutorial. What we do is to make a combination of technical skills and effective presenting. You need to know the straightforward series of stages for creating a great presentation, and we will help you do that. Just follow our guidelines step-by-step and engage your audience into your speech.
It is content that matters
One of the most important PowerPoint presentations tips is to mind not the form, but the content first. If you care more about design, photos for your slides, and animations, you make a common mistake of all new users of PowerPoint presentations. Set another priority. Make content go first. You should know what you will talk about before you start creating a presentation.
There are two main rules for you to take into account before you start working on the presentation content:
- Wrong – You open the app and choose the color scheme and themes before working on the content.
- Right – You take into account the interests of your audience and think what they can feel when the listen to your speech and look at your presentation.
- Organize your ideas in a note-taking app and arrange your content properly. Take a piece of paper to write on and follow the steps of content writing.
NB: You decide on what to talk about before creating a PowerPoint presentation.
PowerPoint Presentation Tips for Students
Step 1. Decide on the goal of your presentation
Collect all the ideas and place them into a PowerPoint file for further use. You have to know your goal before you start working.
Step 2. Decide on the audience
Who will listen to your speech? Are they aware about your topic? Are they interested in what you will speak about?
Having analyzed a number of presentations, we see that they frequently share information in a similar way. This approach of one-size-fits-all is not very effective; so, it is much better to customize the content and form in accordance with the interests of the audience. Good tips for PowerPoint presentations suggest speaking to economists and high school students in a different manner. Help your audience comprehend your speech well, and make the most of it by tailoring your ideas to their interests.
NB: Having decided on the key goal, think about your main audience. Always consider the level of knowledge your potential listeners have on the topic is.
Define your audience answering the following questions:
● What have your audience known about the topic prior the presentation?
● What do your listeners know about you? In some cases, the presentation is shown to absolute strangers, while in other cases, the audience is made of your colleagues who know what to expect from you.
● What are the expectations of your audience? Will they come to get information, get your advice on finding some solution, learn a new skill, or just to have fun?
According the tips on PowerPoint presentations, all the mentioned aspects are to be taken into account. Approach the unfamiliar people in a manner different from that use for the audience of
teachers and friends.
It is recommendable to have a different presentation for every audience. It means that you should develop multiple versions to address different people. Put the needs of your audience first, and make your PowerPoint presentation as persuasive as possible.
Step 3. Decide on the main presentation points
Having defined both the goal and the audience of your presentation, it is high time to work on the outline which would fit them perfectly.
Working on the presentation outline, try to connect all the aspects in accordance to the ultimate original goal.
Actually, there are no strict guidelines about creating an outline; so, just focus on the proper structure of the presentation content and prepare an effective roadmap for the speaker. Do not forget to use bullet points to accentuate the main ideas.
Step 4. Work on the supporting points
Keep improving the outline. Identify the major points at a profound level.
So, you have a list of key ideas, but it is time to complete them with a deeper level of detail. Think of effective supporting ideas and develop a fundamental level of your presentation outline. So, having built the content pyramid, it is important to form a solid bottom with the key goals with the outline on the top with the drive of the supporting points.
Step 5. Add valuable content
Leaning how to make a good presentation and having arrived at this point, it is time for you to check if you have the main items on your list to use them in your presentation. Those main items are the following:
- Goal of your presentation – it is the driving force of your presentation and the ultimate result that your audience will obtain.
- Defined audience – those are the people who listen to your presentation and the level of their awareness.
- Outline – being a presentation roadmap, it contains guideposts for appropriate design and creating a presentation.
- Support – separate ideas, facts, and information required for building the case which your audience will hear and see.
Let’s Start Working with PowerPoint
- Use the outline view in the presentation
An outline can be designed in different apps, but PowerPoint also makes it possible to use the outline view. Thus, you can upload the written outline into your presentation.
- Complete the slides with short tips
Never read the presentation content literally word-for word! It is no good to lose the attention of your audience. Why should they listen to you if they can merely read through the lines of your presentation? There is no need in full sentences of the bullet points. Present the idea summaries while speaking and presenting ideas. Improve the readability with large font! Make the sentences brief and concise.
- Use different PowerPoint layouts
A layout is a combination of numerous elements, in particular content boxes and media placeholders. There is a great variety of options which can help you be an expert in how to make a good PPT presentation.
- Work on the good look of the PowerPoint presentation
With a good theme for your presentation, you will feel that you can be more effective as a speaker. You can find a variety of PowerPoint built-in themes and use them as a great starting point. Nevertheless, try to opt for some other unique alternatives.
Using visualizations breaks the bullet point monotony and makes your PowerPoint memorable. A chart placed properly or a great image included can present the fact in a visually appealing manner and help you hold the attention of the audience.
- Present only after preparation
It is no longer a problem for you to tell how to make a good presentation PPT. It is the time for practical work on the presentation, developing the content and designing an attractive presentation. It is one of the most frightening stages, but you can deliver effectively. You know how useful the features of PowerPoint are and how helpful they are in making you feel confident. Do not forget to use them in your presentations!
It is impossible to have everything in the slides; so, additional details should be added to the Speaker Notes.
- Opt for the PowerPoint Presenter view
The most effective tips for PowerPoint presentations recommend using the presentation mode if the device is connected to an external display.
Now when you have a general idea of how to make a good PowerPoint presentation, you can start your work.
