Do you have an upcoming PowerPoint presentation for your class or job? If so, then you’re probably looking for ideas on how to make it stand out above the crowd.
You want something that’s going to draw everyone in. Something that will keep your clients, classmates, employees engaged while you spit out the facts.
Luckily, there are several things you can do to create a powerful presentation that will help people retain the information. The more info they process, the more successful it will be.
Here’s how to create a PowerPoint presentation that people will enjoy. All your spectators will sing high praises after you’re finished!
1. Focus on Content First
It might sound silly, but the harsh reality is that too many people focus on the slides on their PowerPoint presentation, and not enough on the actual content in them. Doing so can create a slideshow that feels monotonous or generic.
The focus of creating a powerful PowerPoint slideshow should always be to deliver groundbreaking content. Consider your presentation like a hot dog. People don’t eat a hot dog for the bun, the eat it for the tasty ballpark frank that’s in between.
Perform a thorough research on your content, then configure different ways to present that content. You can use things like pictures, videos, and infographics to pair with the copy on each slide.
The more you diversify your content, the more engaged your audience will be throughout the presentation. Focusing on your content before creating your slides is one of many helpful PowerPoint tricks to guarantee a successful presentation.
2. Keep the Same Theme
While you want to make sure and diversify your content delivery, the one thing you don’t want to change is your presentation’s theme.
Using the same background is imperative because it manages the expectations of your audience from slide to slide. Constantly changing the theme can become a distraction for your presentation.
Put yourself in the shoes of your audience. If you’re watching a PowerPoint presentation and the background changes on a new slide, will you be focusing on the new background or the content that’s on it? Most likely you’ll focus on the former.
Find a theme that gels well with your presentation, then use it for the entirety of your slideshow. You might consider creating your theme to capture the right tone.
3. Integrate Questions to Ask Your Spectators
Have you ever had a college professor that was constantly picking different students and asking them questions? Why do they ask their students easy questions that they already know the answer to? Because they’re trying to keep you engaged.
Many people have this same philosophy when creating their PowerPoint presentations for clients, students, and coworkers. It encourages conversation in the room. It also takes less of the pressure off of you.
If you want the room to start raising their hands and ask questions as you go along with your slideshow, then asking them questions can break the ice. Then everyone will understand that you’re looking to generate conversation, not just present facts.
4. Stay True to Yourself
If you’re truly looking for a way to help your presentation wow your audience, then you’ll want to keep a personable tone. The best way to keep the tone personable is by constructing the presentation as you would normally talk.
This will also help you avoid using industry jargon that will confuse your audience more than it helps them. Using terms your audience won’t understand is as helpful as teaching a group of 5-year-olds about mutual bonds… it won’t accomplish anything.
There’s a reason your boss, professor, or client asked you to do the presentation. They want to hear your thoughts and learn about the research that you’ve found… not the thoughts and research of Wikipedia.
If you step up to the podium and start presenting your PowerPoint in a tone or manner they don’t recognize, it will seem disingenuine. Keep the tone relatable and light. Try to install some humor in your presentation as well to take the edge off!
5. Control The Amount of Content Per Slide
Remember, just because the PowerPoint slide is a certain slide, doesn’t mean it’s meant to be completely filled with your content. You’d rather have more slides with less content, than more content with fewer slides.
If you put too much content on one slide, it will overwhelm your audience and turn them off. It’s almost like when you receive a text that’s paragraphs long. You don’t want to read it, and even if you do, you don’t process everything the person said.
For that reason, it’s crucial to aim for 5 or 6 lines maximum on each slide. Be sure to give it proper spacing so that each line is clear and concise.
You’ll also want to limit the copy content so that you can integrate things like pictures, videos, and infographics. If there’s a portion of your copy that you want to ensure your audience retains, then place it on a separate slide.
How to Create a PowerPoint Presentation That Blows Your Audience Away
Now that you’ve seen how to create a PowerPoint presentation that will take your class or business by storm, it’s time to get to work!
Be sure to read this article on how to convert PDF to Word, as well as other formats, for the content on your presentation.
Whenever you need help converting files quickly and efficiently, be sure to use our services for the best results!