The Ontario Broker - June 2018 - 28

6 TIPS FOR BETTER
POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS
DESIGN FOR THE AUDIENCE
Your slide deck is there to supplement what you're saying, not to be your speaking notes.
Use graphs, lists, quotes, images and videos to convey things you can't with speech. If the
slide already says everything you want to say, why bother presenting?

WRITE YOUR SCRIPT FIRST
Write what you want to say, then design your presentation. Crafting your speech around
your slide deck is like trying to write a book by starting with the table of contents.

USE LESS TEXT
If your audience is reading a paragraph on your slide, they're not listening to you. And if
they're listening, they're not reading your ugly slide. Think of the people in the back of the
room - if the crowd is squinting, there's too much text.

AVOID GIMMICKS
Keep clip art, animation and transition effects out of it. These built-in PowerPoint tools
have all become synonymous with tacky presentations. If you're going to use them, do so
sparingly. Actually, just don't use them.

KEEP IT SIMPLE
People shouldn't have to scan your slides to discern which element they're supposed to be
paying attention to. Either there's an image, a graph of some kind or a bulleted list. Don't
give them the whole menu, tell them about the special.

BE CONSISTENT
Your presentation should work as a unified piece. Use a similar layout throughout. Stick
with two or three colours. Pick one font family - sans serif fonts are easiest to read. This'll
make the design appear well thought out and less like a ransom note.

JUNE 2018

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Ontario Broker - June 2018