Creating Effective Presentations
This page offers some advice on planning and delivering an effective presentation. A little extra effort can have a huge impact on the quality of your talk.
Preparation
Know the equipment - Don't make any assumptions about the hardware or software that will be available for your presentation. Be very clear about any special needs you have regarding the technical aspects of your delivery.
Use presentation software - Whenever possible, which is almost always these days, use software such as PowerPoint or Keynote to prepare and deliver your presentation. Such software has features that make it an effective communication tool. However, any such tool needs to be used carefully. Using presentation software does NOT mean the presentation will be professional or enlightening. Don't be seduced by the spectrum of effects available - too much is often worse than too little.
Know the material - Don't get up in front of people unless you know your topic well. It affects your confidence and the audience will realize it.
Know your goal - Think about what your goals are for the talk: to convey certain information, to convince your audience you are an expert in the topic, to persuade your audience in specific ways, etc. Then design your presentation with those goals in mind.
Know your audience - As much as possible, learn ahead-of-time the characteristics of your audience: who they are, what they know. Then design your talk without assuming too much or too little.
Know when to stop - Be aware of how long you have to speak and DON'T EXCEED IT. You'll either be cut off without being able to complete your presentation or you'll create resentment in the audience and other speakers for going beyond your limits.
Practice, Practice, Practice - Give your presentation to an empty room and to friends as many times as possible beforehand. Don't skim - use the actual words you plan to deliver. Carefully monitor your timing and adjust the presentation as necessary.
Invest in a laser pointer - They are relatively cheap, and you can use it effectively during your presentation to point out specific aspects of a slide. But don't flash it around when you're not using it to point to something specific.
Anticipate questions - You want the audience to ask questions - it shows they are interested in your presentation. Try to anticipate what the questions might be and practice answering them. Perhaps have additional slides ready that you don't intend to cover unless they help answer certain questions.
Don't rely on network connections - Whenever reasonable, bring network content into your presentation beforehand rather than assuming you will reach it during the presentation. Network connections can be slow or become unavailable, and content can be moved unexpectedly.
Have a backup plan - Things go wrong. The bulb in the LCD projector might break, for instance. Think, ahead of time, what you might do if certain things go awry. For important presentations, you'll want to be as prepared as possible - perhaps with your presentation on overhead transparencies in case the computer-based projection fails.
Provide handouts of your slides - In most situations, your audience will appreciate it. And hand them out before the presentation, or at least let the audience know they're available, so that they don't feel the need to take unnecessary notes. Sometimes just making them available in electronic form is equally helpful. You may want to provide handouts with key elements missing from your slide so that you can talk about them prior to revealing the content.
Check out the room - Whenever possible, check out the room layout and equipment before your presentation. Try to avoid being surprised by anything.
Slide Content and Style
Organize the material - Make sure you've organized the flow of your topics in an appropriate manner, proceeding from the basic to the more complex and from the known to the unknown.
Vary the visuals - Keep the talk interesting by using a combination of words and graphics (figures, images). Too much of either leaves the audience feeling they missed something.
Use simple backgrounds - Make sure the slide background does not make the words or graphics hard to read, and that there is a good contrast between the background color and the text color.
Use color effectively - Specific colors convey certain emotions. You should use color appropriately and consistently. Red for excitement or alarm, green for safety or growth, etc.
Use an appropriate font - Serifs are the tiny scrollwork on the tips of letters in some fonts, which can get fuzzy when projected or viewed on a computer screen. In such cases, use a font without serifs (sans serif) such as Arial. Also, adding a drop shadow to projected text often makes it easier to read.
Use an appropriate font size - Slide text should be considerably larger than you would use in a standard document. When projected, it must be readable at the back of the room. Test your slides in the presentation room early if possible.
Don't be wordy - Don't put too many words on a slide. Use succinct bullet points (no paragraphs). On the other hand, don't try to minimize the number of words you use, which can result in miscommunication. Imagine yourself in the audience and determine how best to convey each point.
Use animation carefully - Animation in a slide can be used effectively to, for example, build a diagram as you're talking about it. But don't use it gratuitously. And don't use transitions between slides that are too busy.
Use clip art appropriately - Clip art can sometimes spice up an otherwise drab slide, but don't overdo it. In particular, consider that there may be a better alternative, such as an image or graphic that actually contains information and helps you make your point.
Use humor carefully - Humor can often make a presentation more enjoyable, but don't overdo it. And realize there is often a fine line between humorous and offensive.
Use sound effects sparingly - Use sound effects only if they truly contribute to the delivery and purpose of the presentation. Unnecessary sound effects are often distracting.
Delivery
Attire yourself properly - This varies depending on the situation, but you never want to distract your audience with your personal appearance when you'd prefer them to be focused on your talk. Your appearance is just as much a part of your presentation as your slides and your words.
Begin well - Begin your presentation by introducing yourself and providing any necessary information (some may have already been covered if someone else introduces you). Clearly indicate what you hope the audience will leave knowing. Present an overview before diving into the details.
Don't read your slides - The audience can do that themselves. Instead, use the slide content to remind you what you want to talk about, and discuss it naturally.
Speak clearly and project - Talk as if you're speaking to a person in the back row of your audience.
Be enthusiastic and confident - If you're excited about your topic, it will carry over to your audience. However, don't let confidence become arrogance.
Conclude strongly - Finish your presentation by summarizing the key parts and clearly drawing any conclusions. Let the audience know how to get more information and/or how to contact you.