Put the Power in Powerpoint!

A good seminar always has a good presentation to go with it. A powerpoint presentation will help your audience grasp your points in a seminar as it summarizes the whole talk. Here are some helpful tips in making your powerpoint presentation effective in your seminar.



The Design

Use backgrounds that are catchy yet simple. Avoid loud colors as they tend to shadow the text. Backgrounds are intended to make your presentation colorful but not to the point that they will be all that the audience sees. Keep it subtle and uniformed.



The text fonts should likewise be uniformed in terms of style. Never use a font style that is hard to read. A standard font will do. Make sure that your text is big enough to see from the back of the room. It will be helpful if you use different sizes of font to highlight the main and sub-points. Also, use a font color in contrast with your background. This will make your text pop out and easier to read.



Graphics should be kept to a minimum. Use them only when necessary to bring out a point. Avoid animations and sound effects as well to keep the audiences concentration on your talk.



The General Presentation

The first slide should always be reserved for the title of the seminar. Make sure that the title is something that will appeal to your target audience and will make a statement of what the seminar is all about.



The next slides should be the body of your talk. Follow the outline of your speech to avoid mixing up information. Use words that can easily be understood. It is also advisable to use bullet points for each of your statements. A powerpoint presentation is made to carry out the important points of a seminar. It is just a tool, so don't just read the whole thing. Show the important points one at a time and then explain them to keep the audiences focus on the speaker not on the visuals. Avoid wordiness as well. Use the six-words per line, six-lines per slide rule. Double check your work for spelling and grammatical errors.



If you plan to set times for your slides to switch automatically, remember to rehearse your timing. Give ample time to discuss your point before proceeding to the next. Finally, end your slide presentation with a strong and effective conclusion that the audience will remember.