Whether it is for a webinar, a presentation to a client or an important pitch to your boss, Microsoft PowerPoint is used almost universally for presentations. Improving on your presenting skills can be the difference between an engaged audience, and a bored one. Here are a few simple ways to improve your PowerPoint skills:
Prepare
Don’t just ‘wing it,’ make sure that you actually take the time to practice what you’re going to say on each slide. Audiences can tell the difference from someone who knows what they are about to say, and someone who is learning the information along with them.
Avoid Wasting Time
Downtime is the death of attention, so make sure that your presentation avoids it as much as possible. Start the slide show as soon as you can and hit points clearly and concisely. Try not to linger too long on any one slide in order to keep up maximum engagement.
Be Concise
Everyone knows not to write paragraphs on your slides, but sometimes bullet points should be avoided as well. Try and use a combination of short bullet points as well as images, where you can elaborate from memory rather than following along what is written on the slide.
Diversify
Images are important, but not the only thing you should add to your presentation. Graphs, (tasteful) transitions, and music can all be incorporated into making your presentation great. Graphs can also be animated, which could draw the audience’s attention back once they lose focus.
Know Your Tools
PowerPoint offers a large variety of tools to help you maintain attention during presentations. For example, if you press the W key, the screen fades to white, and if the B key is pressed, it will fade to black. These are useful tips to know if you notice that the audience has drifted off, and need a way to pull them back in.
Contact SWK Technologies to Learn More
As a Microsoft 365 Gold Partner, SWK Technologies knows the ins and outs of all programs offered along with PowerPoint. Reach out to us ASAP if you have any questions or concerns regarding M365 or if you just want to learn more about your software.
Contact SWK today to discover more tips and tricks to improve your skills with PowerPoint or any other Microsoft solution.