Effective Powerpoint slides can draw in your audience and enhance the effects of your presentation, whether you are talking to a small group or a hall full of people. All too often, however, presenters find that this tool becomes a liability that actually detracts from their message and works negatively rather than positively. What you say and how you present it is vital here. How can you create copy that works?
Work Out the Structure of Your Presentation First
Before you start writing copy for your slides you need to plan out your entire presentation. There needs to be a logical structure that works in step with the speech you are giving. If a slide is out of sync, then it becomes a distraction to your audience who will then pay less attention to what you are saying as they try to process what they are seeing. So, first of all, map out your key points and/or write your speech and use those as guidelines to write your text.
Don't Reproduce Your Presentation on Your Slides
It's easy to think that your presentation text should simply repeat your speech. This is a waste of the resource and of your own time. If all a slide does is show what you are saying then you may as well stand dumb at the side of the room/stage and click on slideshow. The text you write should, of course, be relevant to the point you are making, but its focus should be on giving a concise description or a highlight. Alternatively, use your text as the keyword/point around which you speak.
Keep Powerpoint Copy Simple and to the Point
Your audience is likely to find it useful to have a visual guide on the screen, especially if you are giving a long and complex presentation. But, it is important to make sure that you don't overload an individual slide with too many words. This makes it harder to read and the audience will have to focus on reading rather than listening to you. Bullet points give you the chance to abbreviate a whole section of your speech into one key descriptive line. It's also worth trying to keep an even balance in bullet point word length and number. This looks neater and, again, keeps your audience on track.
How Your Words Look Matters Too
The way you present the text on your presentation is also important. Avoid mixing different fonts, colours and design styles and go for a clean, consistent look. Using effects to zoom text in point by point as you make statements can be a useful 'teaser' but, again, simple is best here. Try out different font sizes to make sure that slides are easily readable by everyone in the room and look at background colours carefully to make sure you get clear contrast.
Finally, make sure to proofread (and have someone else proofread) your slides before you give your presentation. It doesn't matter how effective your delivery is or how well your slides back up what you say, just one typo can leave a bad impression.
Carol Finch - Carol Finch is the Topic Editor for Retirement Planning, Budgeting, E-Commerce & Technical/Business Writing on Suite101.
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