Subject matter experts have extolled a variety of PowerPoint best practice guidelines, but it is impossible for all of us to follow all they have said. Which is why, here we will share with you the simplest, most effective of these. Read these 5 nuggets and make a great difference to your next presentation!
1. Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule
Use no more than 10 slides in a presentation because that’s about enough to get your audience to carry ONE solid idea or concept away from your presentation. The presentation should last no longer than 20 minutes, giving your audience enough time for discussions and exchange of ideas. Finally, the font size on your slides should be 30 points (preferably sans-serif) so that even a person seated in the last row can see it.
2. Use both text and visuals, but remember less is more!
The text should not explain the visual. Use striking visuals, rather than the same old clipart that comes with your presentation. Be creative. If you need to explain something, say it out loud rather than include it in your slide.
3. Be consistent
Use a slide template. Use uniformity in your visuals. I know this one is hard to practice but if it means you have to buy a set of images from the Internet, go ahead and buy it. Make sure you buy editable images, so that you can reuse them later.
4. Speak clearly. Pause
A good PowerPoint presentation does only half the work for you. The rest depends on your presentation skills. Speak clearly. Don’t speak too fast. Pause at appropriate moments. Interact with your audience. Ask them if you need to slow down.
5. Use a handout for the audience to ‘take away’ what you can’t fit in
Distribute handouts post the presentation. Make them interesting. Use pictures from your slides to assist recall, but don’t let the information in your handout be a mere repetition of what you have already said. A well-developed handout can add great value to the way your audience reacts to your presentation even after they have left the room!
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