| A | B |
|---|
| Be brief: | Make only one major point per slide, using only a few bullets to support that point. A presentation should include only enough slides to support its major points. |
| Write concisely: | Keep your text short; sentence fragments work well on slides. |
| Focus on content: | Formatting is nice, but too much formatting can overwhelm the text and obscure your message. |
| Keep graphics relevant: | A nice picture can enhance a slide’s meaning; a chart or table may support your point better than words alone. But use graphics only where they are useful in delivering a clear message. |
| Be consistent: | Use the same fonts, background, and colors throughout the presentation. If you use different design elements on each slide, your audience will become distracted (and maybe irritated). |
| Make sure slides are readable: | Ask someone else to review your slides before you show them to your audience. Make sure the reviewer can read all the text and see the graphics clearly. You may want to check the slides on the screen on which the audience will see them to make sure the text is large enough. • Practice, practice, practice: Never deliver a presentation “cold.” Practice running the slide show and delivering your comments along with it. Practice your spoken parts out loud. Be sure to work on your timing, so you know just how long to keep each slide on |
