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As I was asked, here is a summary that can be used in how to write a presentation. It doesn't have to be in Powerpoint (though that is what most people use). This doesn't show you how to use any presentation software, just how one should go about writing the presentation.
I am well aware that I am not the only one on these forums who regularly writes presentations as part of my job, so please feel free to add stuff into this.
1. IT IS A STORY BOARD. It is there to provide the backdrop to what you are presenting / explaining.
2. Let the people you are presenting read the story board.
3. It should explain, in simple terms, your idea.
4. KEEP IT SIMPLE. Fussy slides with too much detail are hard to read / follow –especially in large rooms.
5. If possible, allow your headings to read like a story (i.e. they follow on from one another).
6. Use images to explain your ideas.
7. Use bullet-points in a text box next to the image to explain the image and elaborate on what the title of the slide says.
8. Keep bullet-points short and concise. You will have the opportunity during the presentation to elaborate any bullet-points or answer questions on them.
9. Stick to a proven format – i.e. Introduction, main body, summary.
10. The summary need not contain any images. It can merely be a bullet-point list of the main concepts, subjects and ideas that you are presenting. Its purpose is simply to remind them of all that you have presented.
11. A good presentation will explain itself. The audience should understand what you are portraying simply from the Presentation. You are simply there to elaborate on the points presented, where necessary, and answer questions when asked.
12. The Presentation should be viewed as merely a tool to help you make the presentation, to remind you of what you want to explain next. In essence, you can liken the presentation to a ‘Speakers Notes’ concept. The difference is that the Presentation is giving them a visual idea of what you are portraying.
13. It is sometimes a good idea to have the very last slide as one with a simple word ‘QUESTIONS’. This enables audience participation in that it invites them to ask questions of anything they did not fully understand (assuming they have not been asking questions during the presentation).
I am well aware that I am not the only one on these forums who regularly writes presentations as part of my job, so please feel free to add stuff into this.
Writing A Powerpoint Presentation – A Summary
1. IT IS A STORY BOARD. It is there to provide the backdrop to what you are presenting / explaining.
2. Let the people you are presenting read the story board.
3. It should explain, in simple terms, your idea.
4. KEEP IT SIMPLE. Fussy slides with too much detail are hard to read / follow –especially in large rooms.
5. If possible, allow your headings to read like a story (i.e. they follow on from one another).
6. Use images to explain your ideas.
7. Use bullet-points in a text box next to the image to explain the image and elaborate on what the title of the slide says.
8. Keep bullet-points short and concise. You will have the opportunity during the presentation to elaborate any bullet-points or answer questions on them.
9. Stick to a proven format – i.e. Introduction, main body, summary.
10. The summary need not contain any images. It can merely be a bullet-point list of the main concepts, subjects and ideas that you are presenting. Its purpose is simply to remind them of all that you have presented.
11. A good presentation will explain itself. The audience should understand what you are portraying simply from the Presentation. You are simply there to elaborate on the points presented, where necessary, and answer questions when asked.
12. The Presentation should be viewed as merely a tool to help you make the presentation, to remind you of what you want to explain next. In essence, you can liken the presentation to a ‘Speakers Notes’ concept. The difference is that the Presentation is giving them a visual idea of what you are portraying.
13. It is sometimes a good idea to have the very last slide as one with a simple word ‘QUESTIONS’. This enables audience participation in that it invites them to ask questions of anything they did not fully understand (assuming they have not been asking questions during the presentation).
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