Preparing Power Point Presentations
Before you should prepare the slides for power point presentations, it is first important for you to establish the goal of the presentation itself. This is because knowing the objective will enable you to design an effective presentation that sticks to the key concepts. You should also do a lot of research before you speak in front of the audience so that you can answer any questions they may raise at the end of the Power Point Presentation.
The basic communication concepts also apply when you are doing a Power Point Presentation; for example, it is recommended that you keep your sentences short because this is the way most people converse everyday. In addition, you should also organize your thoughts in a logical sequence so that people can follow your line of thought. Always strive for clarity; Power Point presentations can help you achieve this.
How to prepare your slides;
The presentation design:
• Never overload the slides with too much information
• Always focus, use powerful slides
• Use pictures, charts, or graphics to illustrate your point
• Give the slides a heading or a subheading
• Try to use logos when applicable
• Proof read everything before the presentation
• Keep similar topics together
• Try to keep the font size and the length of each slide as similar as possible
The visual elements:
• The font size between 28-34 is usually used for subtitles. The default font size for the title is 44.
• Always use clean and simply visuals.
• Graphics can help key concepts easier to understand.
• Use color contrast.
• You need to place the graphics in the same location at each screen.
• Use the drawing toolbar option in the PowerPoint. This will enable you insert pictures, clip art, word text, charts, diagrams, and text boxes.
• When applicable, it is recommended for you to use arrow or thought balloons.
Numbers:
• If the PowerPoint presentation requires numbers, you should remember not to confuse the audience.
• Use as few numbers as possible in the presentation.
• Allow the audience some time to digest the information you give them.
• Don't use precise numbers unless it is required. For example, if the anticipated revenue is $308,105.98, don't state this figure; instead, you can just say that the expected revenue is at $300,000.
• Don't show centavos in your presentation; the only time you should is when you are discussing about cost per unit.
• It is observed that using only one number for every sentence lets the audience absorb the information faster.
• Like the numbers, charts should also be carefully integrated into the slides.
• It is important for the charts to be clearly labeled; otherwise, it would just make the presentation more confusing.
Backgrounds:
• The background should complement, instead of distract, the presentation.
• Don't use the default white background because it is hard on the eyes.
• It is recommended for you to use contrast. For example, you should use dark fonts with light background and vice versa.
• Remember that colors will look lighter when it is projected, try to use darker colors.
• Use consistent background for a more professional image.
• Change the background design when you are shifting from one topic to another during a long presentation.
