PowerPoint is an excellent tool to help you make a presentation to a group of clients or prospects. It can back up your speech with graphics, text, even audio and video. These tips will help you get the most from your presentation software.
1. Avoid clutter
Remember that your slides should not be a transcript of your speech: they are a visual accompaniment to your oral presentation. So, rather than filling your slides with information, use the space to present brief text and strong visuals — such as charts, diagrams and images — that emphasize the points you want to make.
Break up the text. Put no more than six bullets on a slide. Any more will be difficult to read.
2. Choose a theme
PowerPoint allows you to choose a visual theme — a coordinated system of fonts, colours and graphics — that will give your presentation a harmonized, professional look.
The theme will also give elements such as slide layouts and backgrounds a coordinated appearance.
3. Use graphics to highlight important points
An impressive visual element, such as a chart, a graph or a diagram, can be infinitely more effective than plain old text.
If your computer has Excel, you can easily create charts in PowerPoint by clicking the “chart” icon. An Excel worksheet opens, on which you can add and modify your data.
Choose images such as photographs and illustrations to demonstrate the points you are making and to add colour to the presentation. Just make sure you have permission to use these images if they are copyrighted.
4. Animate your presentation
The use of video and audio can make a presentation more dynamic. It will also engage your audience and underline key points you want them to remember. With PowerPoint, you can link to an external audio file or video file, or embed the file in your presentation.
5. Create a readable handout
Supplement your presentation with a handout that audience members can use to follow along and take with them for future reference.
Remember that a design that appears readable onscreen may not be legible in print — dark backgrounds, for example often don’t work well on paper. Use the “notes and handouts” feature to create a more readable format for your printed material.
6. Be prepared
On the day of your presentation, arrive early and make sure all equipment is in good working order and you know how to use it. Don’t hide behind the screen: the audience is there to see and hear you, not your slides. And, most important, don’t be nervous.