Top 10 Speaker Tips

Before you get frustrated trying to create a PowerPoint presentation and threaten to throw your computer through the window, please take a deep breath and read through the following tips on creating a great presentation.

1. A general guideline is to use no more than six (6) lines per slide.

2. Be consistent. Keep simple, short sentences and parallel construction.

3. Whenever possible convey ideas with images – people retain visual information better than text.

4. Use fonts such as Arial, Franklin Gothic, Gills Sans, Helvetica or Avante Garde. They are simpler, clearer, and show up better on the screen.

5. Use fonts 24 points or larger so that your audience can read your presentation. The size of your fonts should be limited by how far your audience will be from the screen. The greater the distance, the larger the font needed.

6. Use italic fonts sparingly – they can be difficult to see.

7. Light colors on dark backgrounds are easiest for audiences to see.

8. Avoid colors which do not provide enough contrast. For instance, red letters on a dark blue background are almost impossible to see. 

9. Image file formats are important. Use Gifs when you want a small file and detail doesn’t matter. JPEGs are great for pictures where range of color is important, but they lose detail. TIFFs provide superior clarity and detail but are large files (seven times larger than JPEGs).

And the number 10 tip is:

Have a backup plan in case of the techno-gremlin. Bring your presentation on a thumb drive or CD, or plan to work with the audience from your handouts. The only essential ingredient to your presentation is you!
 

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