For some, creating a presentation is easy. For others, it’s like pulling teeth. Either way, presentations are a necessary evil of the working world. Whether you’re in the business world and need to make a pitch to your boss or you’re an educator looking to teach your students about sustainability, presenting can seem daunting and difficult to put together without the right tools. This article will provide you with 6 things to consider when you begin your PowerPoint learning journey. 

What Should a Presentation Include?

A PowerPoint presentation should include a title page, an introduction, body, conclusion, and references page.

All the pages should have a catchy title. The introduction should include the point you are trying to make, with enough detail to convince your audience to continue listening. The conclusion should summarize what has been said in the preceding sections of the presentation. References should be included for sources, not cited in the text of the presentation itself.

The body of the presentation should have a clear structure, with subheadings and text that flows logically from one point to the next. The order of information in the presentation should be consistent throughout.

PowerPoint presentations are most effective when they include graphics, photographs, tables, charts, diagrams, and animations. Graphics are particularly useful for explaining abstract concepts such as statistics or process flowcharts. 

Using Templates

PowerPoint templates are very useful for those who don’t have a lot of time to create their own presentations. A template can be used as it is modified in order to suit the needs of the person using it. You can find free templates online and in stores, but there are also some high-quality templates that come with features like pre-installed animations, backgrounds, and fonts. You can find awesome professional templates at https://powerslides.com/, a whole collection of them to suit any presentation style you want to go with. Templates make it easy for people to make beautiful slideshows that look professional and polished. Whether you’re a student, business owner, or another kind of presenter, it’s always a good idea to invest in a good template that you can use again and again.

Common Beginners Mistakes 

The most common beginner mistake with PowerPoint is trying to do too much with it. PowerPoint should be used to highlight key points and create a visual timeline, not to create a full presentation.

Another common mistake is using the same background image for every slide. It is always best to have a different image on each slide so that the audience doesn’t get distracted from your message.

Also, you should not have too many bullet points on a slide. A rule of thumb is to only have six bullet points per slide. If you have more than that, you should be breaking up your presentation into multiple slides.

Presentation vs Slideshow

A presentation is a live, interactive event. Slides are more turnkey and simpler to produce.

In a presentation, you have the opportunity to interact with your audience in real-time. You can also take questions from the audience and answer them. Presentations offer a personalized experience for your audience, which is an excellent way to build rapport.

In a slideshow, you can’t really interact with your audience, but you can provide more information quickly. This means that audiences don’t get bored listening to you to talk for an hour about something they may not be interested in.

Making Your Slides Look Professional

No matter how good you are with words, it’s hard to get your point across without visuals. And if you’re presenting to a huge audience of executives and decision-makers, nothing is more important than professional-looking slides.

Luckily, PowerPoint makes it easy to create crisp, clear presentations that stand out from the rest. Here are the top tips for creating a professional-looking presentation:

1. Use images

2. Keep text to a minimum

3. Slideshows provide visual interest without being distracting

4. Clean up animations and transitions

5. Choose a font that’s easy to read and clear on the screen

Easy to Read and Comprehend

If you are presenting something to a group of people, make sure that the words on the slide are big enough and easy to read. You don’t want your audience squinting at the screen trying to figure out what you’re trying to say.

Don’t make the mistake of packing too much onto one slide. It’s better to break up your content into multiple slides so that each one has enough space for all the relevant information. And don’t forget to put them in order!

We have covered the most important things you should consider when building a PowerPoint presentation. There are many more aspects that can be explored, but if you keep these 6 points in mind, you’ll be able to create a great PowerPoint slide deck.