Effective Presentation

General Presentation
 Plan carefully.
 Do your research.
 Know your audience.
 Time your presentation.
 Speak comfortably and clearly.
 Check the spelling and grammar.
 Do not read the presentation. Practice the presentation so you can speak from bullet
points. The text should be a cue for the presenter rather than a message for the viewer.
 Give a brief overview at the start. Then present the information. Finally review
important points.
 It is often more effective to have bulleted points appear one at a time so the audience
listens to the presenter rather than reading the screen.
 Use a wireless mouse or pick up the wired mouse so you can move around as you
speak.
 If sound effects are used, wait until the sound has finished to speak.
 If the content is complex, print the slides so the audience can take notes.
 Do not turn your back on the audience. Try to position the monitor so you can speak
from it.

Tips for Making Effective PowerPoint Presentations

 Use the slide master feature to create a consistent and simple design template. It is fine to
vary the content presentation (i.e., bulleted list, 2-column text, text & image), but be
consistent with other elements such as font, colours, and background.
 Simplify and limit the number of words on each screen. Use key phrases and include only
essential information.
 Limit punctuation and avoid putting words in all capital letters. Empty space on the slide
will enhance readability.
 Use contrasting colours for text and background. Light text on a dark background is best.
Patterned backgrounds can reduce readability of text.
 Avoid the use of flashy transitions such as text fly-ins. These features may seem
impressive at first, but are distracting and get old quickly.
 Overuse of special effects such as animation and sounds may make your presentation
“cutesy” and could negatively impact your credibility.
 Use good quality images that reinforce and complement your message. Ensure that your
image maintains its impact and resolution when projected on a larger screen.
 If you use builds (lines of text appearing each time you click the mouse), have content
appear on the screen in a consistent, simple manner; from the top or left is best. Only
“build” screens when necessary to make your point because builds can slow your
presentation.
 Limit the number of slides. Presenters who constantly “flip” to the next slide are likely to
lose their audience. A good rule of thumb is one slide per minute.
 Learn to navigate your presentation in a non-linear fashion. PowerPoint allows the
presenter to jump ahead or back without having to page through all the interim slides.
 Know how to and practice moving forward AND backward within your presentation.
Audiences often ask to see the previous screen again.
 If possible, view your slides on the screen you’ll be using for your presentation. Make sure
slides are readable from the back row seats. Text and graphical images should be large
enough to read, but not so large as to appear “loud.”
 Have a Plan B in the event of technical difficulties. Remember that transparencies and
handouts will not show animation or other special effects.
 Practice with someone who has never seen your presentation. Ask them for honest
feedback about colors, content, and any effects or graphical images you’ve included.
 Do not read from your slides. The content of your slides is for the audience, not for the
presenter.
 Do not speak to your slides. Many presenters face the direction of their presentation rather
than their audience.
 Do not apologize for anything in your presentation. If you believe something will be hard
to read or understand, don’t use it.
 When possible, run your presentation from the hard disk rather than a floppy disk.
Running from a floppy disk may slow your presentation.