How to Create a Great Presentation on PowerPoint

chillibreeze writer — Joe Varghese

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Scientific presentations are seldom interesting to anyone who is not directly involved with the field on which the presentation is being made. Sitting through a poorly prepared presentation can by itself make an interesting topic intolerably boring. The onus is, therefore, on the speaker to capture the attention of the audience and convey his/her message succinctly and clearly.

While there are no “never fail” formulae to making good presentations, there are a few rules that one must keep in mind while setting out to make a presentation. Here are a few pointers which should help you improve the quality of the presentation that you are preparing.

1. Know what you want to present:

A good presentation cannot be made unless the speaker knows, without ambiguity, what it is that he wants to convey to the audience. One must remember that the audience does not want to know everything that the speaker knows about the topic. The message must be carefully chosen and conveyed clearly and concisely at the very beginning. The rest of the talk should stick to the themes introduced in the first few slides.

2. Know your audience:

The presentation should be tailor-made for the audience it is meant for. A presentation that was prepared for a group of experts debating a particular topic cannot be used to explain the very same topic to a group of young doctors. The level of knowledge should be assessed and kept in mind while designing the slides.

3. Know the software you are using:

Microsoft PowerPoint is a versatile piece of software that can help you make your presentation. An explanation on how the software works is beyond the scope of this article, but it is extremely important to know the various tools at your disposal and how you can take advantage of them to make that dream presentation.

4. The first few slides:

The first few slides set the tone for the entire presentation. Introducing concepts that the audience has had no experience with previously is surely the first step to a disastrous presentation. Take your audience from the known to the unknown. Build up interest with familiar concepts and gradually take them on a journey of the unknown during which your message has been clearly conveyed.

5. What should you put on your slides?

It is important to make sure that your slides are not populated with so much information that the audience is busy reading, while the speaker transforms into an annoying source of noise and an unwelcome distraction. Remember, the presentation should not take the place of the speaker as the centre of attention. Present only the facts and the figures and it is up to the speaker to explain it to the audience. It is generally accepted that there should be no more than seven lines per slide. Do not use one slide to present more than one concept.

6. Do not overdo it!!

PowerPoint gives you a wide choice in the font you want to use and the colors you would like to have. You can make your text zoom in and out, appear out of nowhere and disappear into thin air, all at the click of a mouse. A beginner can get carried away and make a presentation that is just not acceptable to the audience. Remember, the audience at a scientific presentation is not there to see a circus, or to marvel at your prowess in making the presentation. Use the tools judiciously.

7. Be original:

Today the easiest way to make a presentation is to go to the net and download a presentation that somebody else has made, change the name of the speaker and parade it as your own. There cannot be a more embarrassing situation than one where somebody in the audience accuses you of plagiarism. Be original and be proud to put in the extra effort to make that winning presentation.

Last, but not the least, your PowerPoint is not the be all and end all of a presentation. The most important factor is your command over the subject being presented. The presentation should be made so as to help the audience keep track of what the speaker is talking about. The worst presentations are those where the speaker reads what is displayed on the screen. It is an insult to the audiences’ intelligence.

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Joe says, "I see, perceive and write in a style that's uniquely mine. Though I may sound cynical sometimes, I am an eternal optimist - a person who likes to keep everyone smiling all the time".