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Top 10 PowerPoint presentation tips to maximize the effectiveness of your online meetings
September 27, 2006
By: Lynn Marotta
Chances are either you have had to create a PowerPoint
presentation yourself or you have had to observe one at one
time or another. PowerPoint presentations have become one of
the primary ways online meetings are conducted today. It is
easy to put some slides together and then read them back to
the audience verbatim. This approach however will make for a
very monotonous meeting.
There are better techniques you can use to get your
message across more effectively. The following is a list of
our top ten PowerPoint presentation tips and techniques to
help make all of your future meetings, whether offline or
online, a big success.
- Readability is important -- Make sure the font
is large enough for everyone to see. Another tip to
remember is too many words can make following along a
burden for the audience. People will soon loose interest.
- Stick to key points -- Only put the key points
of the presentation on your PowerPoint slides. By
following this advice, you can avoid the monotony of
having your presentation follow verbatim what appears on
each slide.
- Use clear titles on each slide -- Each
PowerPoint slide needs to have a clear title summarizing
its purpose. Using larger, bolder font can help ensure the
title stands out from the rest of the slide.
- Use simple backgrounds -- Pay attention to the
color selections you choose. Another tip is to make sure
the background does not detract from the words or diagrams
that appear. If you choose colors that are too dark, or
patterns that are too bold, chances are the slides will be
difficult to read.
- Use graphs and diagrams -- Using visual images
such as graphs and diagrams can really help to make a
point. Images also help to break the presentation up a
little bit and provide some visual interest.
- Stay organized -- The PowerPoint presentation
itself needs to stay organized and on topic. Make sure the
slides are in the right chronological order and
information flows easily and naturally.
- Limit the number of slides -- Do not overdo the
number of slides in your presentation. Keep the
information presented on the PowerPoint slides themselves
as short and concise as possible. You can always embellish
verbally.
- Speak clearly -- When presenting, speak clearly
and try to be as enthusiastic and interesting as possible.
People often think of PowerPoint presentations as dry and
boring, but with a little creativity, you can be
captivating.
- Allow time for questions -- This is always a
good practice to follow when conducting any meeting.
PowerPoint presentations are no exception. Make sure you
factor in a question and answer time into your allotted
time slot.
- Allow for future follow-up -- Depending on the
nature of the PowerPoint presentation, it may be
appropriate to provide your contact information (i.e.,
phone number, email, and/or website URL) so that meeting
participants can follow-up with you should they have any
further questions or wish to enlist your services.
With a little time and effort, you can really make your
next PowerPoint presentation effective and memorable by
following these simple tips and techniques.
About the Author
Lynn Marotta is a successful freelance writer and
contributor to Web-Conferencing-Zone.com. Your
definitive guide to
web conferencing services,
online collaboration software and
web meetings for business.
Also See: [
Collaborative technology for software engineering &
development ]
[ Etiquette of
teleconferences when conferencing via phone, web, or video ]
[ Identifying the key
steps for managing conflict in a virtual team ]
Home Page:
[ Web-Conferencing-Zone.com ]
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