Are Your Powerpoint Presentation Skills Really Up To Scratch?

The primary definition of a presentation is: an opportunity to convince an audience of an idea, concept or product. Your audience might be 10-strong or it might constitute a thousand people. No matter the size, the objective remains the same, though it is no good assuming there is a specific method to be used for all presentations, as each presentation, prepared and delivered, will be as unique as each member of the audience to whom it is being presented.

There are, however, 3 key factors (the 3 Ps) that will positively influence, motivate and convince your audience of your veracity.

Preparation

To begin your presentation you will need to focus on what your core message is and then build up your presentation around this point. You can do this by choosing a theme or topic that can be employed to illustrate your core message. Your presentation will also need structure, as without it your audience will not be able to discern your core message and they might indeed lose complete interest in what you have to say.

Once you have established the topic and the structure, you can begin work on the opening, which should be clear, focused, attention-grabbing, and full of advantages for the audience. You want those who are listening to you to be enthralled with what you have to say from the outset. The benefit of this to you is that knowing you have an awesome opening will give you confidence and excitement in what you have to say which will bode well for the remainder of the presentation.

PowerPoint

Visual and Verbal: these are the crucial factors for a successful presentation. Research has proven that if you use visual aids you are twice as likely to achieve your core message objectives. In fact studies have shown that information taken in during a presentation is absorbed as follows: 7% text, 38% vocal, and an astounding 55% visual.

So, when preparing your PowerPoint presentation ensure that you take these percentages into consideration by using visuals (pictures, graphs, tables, props) whenever you can, as in a speech you are only using 38% of the communication medium. You can also ditch the bullet points as the text is only a very small percentage of the total that will help your audience retain what you have communicated to them.

Presentation

When you are delivering your presentation you are as much in the spotlight as an actor is on stage. It is important to play the role of the presenter within the confines of the topic about which you are speaking: be solemn if your topic is serious, make your audience laugh if it is not. Present the desired image to your audience. Look pleasant, enthusiastic, confident, proud, but not arrogant. Remain calm. Appear relaxed, even if you feel nervous. Speak slowly, enunciate clearly, and show appropriate emotion and feeling relating to your topic.

Know the needs of your audience and match your presentation contents to their needs. Know your material thoroughly. Put what you have to say in a logical sequence. Ensure your speech will be captivating to your audience as well as worth their time and attention.

A PowerPoint advanced training course will give you a broader insight into the advantages of using this Microsoft application to full effect during your presentations.