Have you ever experienced this? A presenter comes up in front of the room, projects slide after slide of text, reads the text for us although we can read them well enough ourselves, hands us copies of the slides, and calls it a presentation.
It's pure torture to stay awake during presentations like these, but they are all too common.
Still, your presentation does not have to be as boring as all those others. Here are some easy and basic tips to give your PowerPoint presentations that punch that will wow your audience and make you shine in the eyes of your boss:
Choose a Light Background Color
If you will be presenting in a dark room, then you can use a dark background with white text. However, people are notorious for falling asleep in dark rooms, so it's much better to keep most of the lights on.
In rooms that are not completely dark, make sure that you use a white background and dark text. This makes the text much easier to read, so your audience will be more likely to pay attention to it.
Limit Your Fonts, and Use Sans Serif
Too many fonts make your presentation look unprofessional, as if it was made by somebody with nothing better to do than choose fonts. Limit your fonts to one regular font, then one bold font for emphasis.
Studies have also shown that sans serif fonts - like Arial and Gill - are best for bright media, like computer monitors and projected slides. Serif fonts like Times New Roman, on the other hand, are recommended for paper printouts, so remember to use a different set of fonts for your slide show, and another for your printed handouts.
Limit Your Page Transitions and Animations
As with too many fonts, too many animations says, "The person who made this presentation had nothing better to do." As much as possible, do not use animations. And if you must use page transitions, choose a professional-looking one, like "Wipe right".
Use Charts Correctly
For illustrating a part of a whole, like your company's market share, use a pie chart. Emphasize the slice you want by pulling it away from the rest of the pie, or at least use a contrasting color.
If you want to compare differences in figures, like the sales of Branch A from the sales of Branch B, use bar charts.
And if you want to show trends, like sales from 2001 to the present year, use a line chart.
If you are presenting bad news and want to lessen the emotional impact, use a table with number figures instead of a visual chart.
Most Importantly, Limit Your Text!
Your presentation should not be your handout. One way to limit your text is by looking at your handouts, then highlighting only the most, most important details. For example, if your handout says "In 2007, our Asian market grew by merely 2%, compared to our 5% growth in Europe," your PowerPoint slide could say: "2%". This way, people will be intrigued, and they will be forced to listen to your presentation.
Make sure also that you inform them early that detailed handouts will be given so that they do not feel compelled to write down everything you say. This will give them the freedom to pay full attention to the most interesting report they've ever seen - yours.
