How to deliver a great PowerPoint presentation

We’ve obviously talked about the business plan but here at Business Plan PPT we’re also interested in helping you deliver great PowerPoint presentations.  As outlined in What is a Business Plan the oral presentation of your business plan will commonly be supported by a slide show.

The secrets of delivering a great business presentation is to try to move your audience with you, to evoke emotion in them and most importantly to remember that PowerPoint is just a tool.

PowerPoint is a visual tool.

As such it is important to not try to put too much into your slides, small fonts and lots of text lose impact, no one tries to read a newspaper through a shop window from across the street.

Big Fonts – there is a need for simplicity, to present something visually it needs to be distilled down to its simplest and most impactful, think about road signs here, big fonts and as few words as possible.

Pictures – We all know the well-worn expression, “ a picture is worth a thousand words” and this is doubly true in great presentations.  This can be difficult when delivering business oriented presentations but is an opportunity to be really creative.  Compelling photos and under no circumstances should you use clip art.

Suspense – for the presentation to be memorable you need to build to something unexpected.  Delivering a presentation is like telling a story.  You need to bring the audience on a journey with you and being controversial or challenging the norms or beliefs of the audience will also grab their attention.  Obviously though if you are seeking investment there is a line between challenging an investor and offending an investor which I would recommend you do not cross.

Time – try to avoid having to many slides, the audience’s attention is precious and your opportunity to make an impression is short.  Limit the number of slides you have and try to keep your presentation to no more than 20 minutes.

Ok so we’re starting to get a feel for this now.  Powerpoint is visual, so simple presentation with big fonts, great quality photo’s / charts and the need for some compelling narrative.  Avoid going for transitions between slides and animated graphics.  Professional presentations are clean and don’t distract from your message, you want the audience to listen to you, not be distracted by animations behind you.

Top tips to remember to deliver your great presentation

1. Big, Clear, Relevant images
2. Write speakers notes and practice, when you deliver the presentation you don’t want to be reading from cards, you might want some key points written down but you want to be making eye contact with your audience.
3. time yourself – time is key so be sure to time your practice sessions so you just know how much time you have when you give the presentation for real.
4. Focussed slide deck – if your slide is not relevant or does not have impact, then lose it.
5. PowerPoint is only a tool – you are the core of the presentation so you need to know you facts and figures for the audiences questions at the end.
6. Prepare your presentation for your audience – find out who you are presenting to and try to tailor your message for maximum impact
7. Give your audience a copy your slides – this helps the audience get a feel for where your presentation is going to take them and also gives them something physical to review after your presentation.