How To Improve Your PowerPoint®
Presentation Skills
Contributed by Brian Ochsner
PowerPoint is a great tool from Microsoft that makes any presentation look more professional, regardless of how long you’ve been speaking in public. Here are several PowerPoint presentation tips that will help you get the most out of this helpful software program:
- Decide what your main goal, or big idea is. This sounds like an obvious point, but this is a big key in creating a good presentation. Before you begin your presentation, you must know the main point you want your audience to take away from your talk. This will make it easier to choose headlines, slide titles and bullet points throughout your presentation.
- Select a template from the menu. If you don’t know that much about graphic design, and don’t have time to take PowerPoint training in this area, it’s a feature that Microsoft built in to this program to make it more user friendly.
- Use pictures to add punch to your presentation. Not every presentation will have the need for a picture. However, if your presentation does need this visual punch, PowerPoint has the Microsoft® Clip Organizer, which makes it simple for you to insert images in your presentation.
- Add a chart or diagram to make it easier for your audience to understand. People absorb and grasp data in different forms. Some like a narrative in words, and others like numbers presented in a chart format. To find the commands for diagrams and charts, at the Insert menu you simply click on Chart or Diagram. PowerPoint lets you use two- or three-dimensional types of charts, with dozens of different chart styles. This will help you customize your presentation to you and your audience’s tastes. If you want, you can also make a flowchart using the diagram features in PowerPoint.
- Practice using the Rehearse Timings setting with your presentation. This is one of PowerPoint’s best features. It’s important to practice your presentation as many times as possible, so you can get the timing of your talk down until it’s almost second nature. The better you know your presentation, the more relaxed and effective you’ll be when it comes time to present.
- To write content quickly, use the Outline View. If you’re crunched for time in developing your presentation, click the Outline tab in the left panel of your PowerPoint window. When thoughts and ideas come to you, jot them down and press Enter. These can be slide titles, or bullet points within a slide.
- Use the AutoContent Wizard if you need help with your presentation. Let’s face it, not all of us are great with words, and that may not be your job. The AutoContent Wizard helps you find the right words that will help you connect with your audience. Go to File, and click New. At the New Presentation pane, click From AutoContent Wizard. From there, simply follow the steps to create the kind of presentation you want, and you can customize the wizard text with concepts and words that are specific to your industry - and especially your presentation.
- Save your PowerPoint presentation as a web page. The best part is you don’t have to know Java® or HTML to do this! It’s really simple. At the File menu, click Save As. At the Save As type list, select web page, then click Save. This way, users can view your presentation from this web page, at their convenience – any time they want. I think this is the best PowerPoint tip of all. It’s quick, easy, and makes you look very professional.
- Make sure the text is color-coordinated and easy for your audience to read. Nothing will detract more from a best-delivered presentation than visuals audience members can’t read. For example, putting purple text on a black background…think about how hard that would be to read. Even though you may think it’s edgy or cool, it’s no good if your audience can’t read it. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, have a friend, spouse or coworker critique you and your visuals when doing a practice run of your presentation. Have them sit as far back as possible. If they can clearly read headlines and key points, then you should be OK. Some audience members may be visually impaired, but you can’t do anything about that.
When creating powerful PowerPoint presentations, make sure that your text, graphics and images relate as well as possible to your audience. Remember, it has to make a good impression on them – not just for you. Give yourself as much time as possible to practice and smooth out the rough edges of your presentation and you’ll be presenting like a pro in no time.
Microsoft and PowerPoint are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation, registered in the U.S. and other countries. Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
About the Author:
Brian Ochsner is a freelance copywriter in Denver, Colorado.
His blogsite is: http://DenverCopywriter.Blogspot.com.
He can be contacted at: DenverCopywriter@hotmail.com.
This article is intended for general informational purposes and does not provide legal or other professional advice. All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. Please read our disclaimer for additional terms and conditions governing access to and use of this article.
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