Delivering a kickass presentation or keynote is open accompanies by presentation slides. Creating one isn’t just stringing a few sentences together and a few clip art pics here and there. There is a lot of thought that goes on behind the scenes. After all, you want your audience to feel moved and get them to buy into what you are saying. Putting together a presentation consists of research, creating a layout, designing slides, putting down your content, and adding suitable animations and images to make your work seem flawless.
Here are five tips that could help you design a compelling keynote presentation:
1. Apply the 10/20/30 rule
Modern-day standardisation revolves around this rule for PowerPoint presentations. It states that your document should be: at max, ten slides long, require you 20 minutes to deliver, and it must use font sizes greater than that of 30 pts.
Slides should only provide a summary of each point you choose to discuss, and there shouldn’t be too many of them to make the slide feel ‘congested.’ 20 minutes is typically an ideal time for a presenter to get their idea across the table. At the same time, they still have the audience’s attention. Lastly, 30 pts as the minimum because you want the slide text to be visible to the backbenchers in the auditorium.
This rule is a composition of a successful design strategy as it governs the speaker’s note structure and slide aesthetics.
2. Keep the presentation simple
Avoid the use of compound words. Your audience must be treated as first-time listeners on the topic you choose to deliver; such is often the case for project pitches. Keep in mind that you do not want to sound too academic or too casual. It’s best to be neutral in such cases.
Keep the sentence structure short and focus most on the context. The idea is to allow your ideas to flow smoothly in a “cause and effect” chain. Your audience should be able to construct their thoughts as you speak, which leads to better engagement. If the audience cannot absorb what you say, they will begin to feel disconnected or even restless.
3. Avoid jargon and technicalities
Occasionally, stories help, even in corporate settings. They keep minds engaged by putting you in a state of suspense as the story builds up to the ultimate end; hence, your audience stays interested. They also help create analogies, allowing the presenter to convey their ideas.
However, stories should be kept short; lets us say maybe a slide or two that should be narrated in the introductory section of the slide show as they prepare the audience for what you’re about to promote or deliver next.
4. What to do about your graphics
The introductory session is followed by the aesthetic portion of the slide show. It is not necessary for a great public speaker to also be equally skilled at designing these slides. However, PowerPoint is a great tool that offers a great variety of templates to customise each presentation; you can also download a custom template to fit your display.
5. Don’t forget to take a deep breath before the presentation
Stage fright is a phobia that arises typically when an individual is required to perform in front of an audience. Public speaking is known to be the second most common fear in the vast majority of people.
Remember, you got this
If you experience thoughts such as forgetting the presentation’s content, speaking absurdly, or tripping on stage in front of a broad audience — you have performance anxiety. In that case, it is highly recommended to prepare your speech in front of a mirror, practice meditation, try breathing exercises, and reduce stressors around you before the presentation. It takes practice, and at the end of the day, believe that you got this!
Do you have any tips to share? We’d love to hear.