For many people around the world, PowerPoint is their go-to program when it comes to creating presentation slides. The platform has a myriad of tools that can be used to create impeccable slideshows. Even so, not everyone can take advantage of the numerous intricate tools in PowerPoint and usually find it hard to design great slides. This can be a nightmare for those who need to create PowerPoint presentations not too often but are still very important as part of their job.
Fortunately, there are tons of presentation templates online that can make the creation process a lot less daunting. There’s a wide selection of templates that are available in many different styles on various websites; thus, you can be sure to find one that matches your specific presentation. What’s more, many of these templates are available for free, making them easily accessible to everyone.
Click the link below to find more information about PowerPoint templates.
There’s usually a lot that goes into making outstanding PowerPoint presentations; from choosing the correct colors and images to using the right typography. Owing to this, people who begin to tackle this task without suitable guidelines can easily end up butchering their presentations. Therefore, you need to know the steps in creating excellent presentations lest you end up giving a devastating exhibition.
Step by Step Guide to Creating Excellent PowerPoint Presentations
Anyone who has ever attempted to create a PowerPoint presentation will attest that it’s no easy feat. Still, having a step by step guide to lead you will make it a lot easier to come up with amazing presentation slides.
Map Out Your Presentation
The first step before even launching PowerPoint is creating an outline of your whole presentation. Having a structure of how you’d like your presentation to flow makes it easier to formulate ideas on what to include in your slides. Ensure that you focus on the audience and what you want them to get from your exhibition. Conversational language is what works best for presentations as it makes the audience feel more involved.
Identify Key Takeaways
The next step is identifying the main ideas that you’d like to showcase in your presentation. You need to recognize the key things your audience will get from your address and build your presentation around them. That'll help you get rid of unnecessary slides that don’t complement these vital ideas. In addition, you should also highlight the principal takeaways at the end of your presentation to make it easier for your audience to remember.
Summarize Each Slide in A Sentence
When creating PowerPoint presentations, it’s quite easy to get carried away and make too many slides; this is especially so when you’re discussing a lengthy topic. Describing each slide using a succinct statement will help you identify the ones that create a tautology as well as those that are completely unnecessary. Furthermore, summarizing the contents of each slide will help you avoid oversaturating them with excessive information. If you’re short of time, these simplified statements can also work just fine on the slides.
Design your Slides
Once you’ve described each slide and gotten rid of all the clutter, it’s time to start designing your presentation. A great rule of thumb to remember when designing your slideshow is that it’s only meant to act as a visual aid. Owing to this, you should use more images and videos instead of texts because they’re more effective in capturing the audience’s attention. You should also minimize the use of animations and transitions; despite having the potential to spice up your presentation, they can also make your exhibition look cheesy and unprofessional.
Find Your Story
After designing your slides, the next step is finding a nice way to piece them all together when delivering your presentation. Every slide should be interconnected in a way and display a smooth flow of ideas. Telling short stories will not only help the audience follow along with your presentation but also help you remember important details as you go along. Moreover, your audience is likely to respond better to stories than plain facts and figures.
End with A Call to Action
Having given the audience a new perspective through your exhibition, you have to decide what you want them to do with it. Regardless of the type of presentation you’re delivering, you shouldn’t leave your audience hanging once you’ve concluded; end by creating a sense of urgency and provide a call to action. Accepting a few questions is also a great idea as it’ll give you a chance to clarify what wasn’t distinctly understood.
Conclusion
Creating PowerPoint presentations without the proper steps to follow can be a slippery slope. Following the steps outlined above will definitely help you avoid neglecting any important elements when designing your presentation.
