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Whether you are simply presenting something to your colleagues at work or you are giving a talk at a huge conference, a high quality PowerPoint presentation can make a world of difference. So here are four great ways to improve your presentation that will impress your audience and engage your listeners.
Avoid standard templates
Standard templates are quick and easy to set up, but by their nature they are also generic and boring. It will be painfully apparent to your audience that you haven’t put in the time and effort to create something slick. It’s also true that they will be bored with looking at uninteresting slides with can make them turn off from your presentation entirely. Instead you should take the time to create your own eye-catching theme so that you stand out from the crowd and grab the attention.
Reduce the amount of text on your slides
Some people believe that they need to have highly detailed slides and reams of additional information – or worse, they believe it’s important to have their talk whole transcribed word-for-word on the slides. Neither of these approaches will be beneficial to the overall value of your presentation. People can’t read and listen at the same time so if they are having to read detailed slides, they won’t be focusing on what you are saying. The text on the slide should be there to reinforce a point and drive it home.
Utilise images
When it comes to presentations, images can be far more valuable than text. Images catch the attention of the audience and can even help to install a message in their mind. A large image and a small amount of text on a slide is usually the right way to go about it.
Ask your audience questions
This is one that is often overlooked – you should take the opportunity to ask your audience questions. One of the smartest ways to do this is make use of an audience response system. This will allow you to ask questions and then display the results on screen. Once again, this is a brilliant way to engage your audience and keep their interest as they have become integral to the presentation.