3 Ways to Liven Up Your Powerpoint Presentation
No matter who you are or where you’ve come from, we are all unified by one experience: the basic Powerpoint presentation that seems to never end. Dated fonts, limited graphics, and bland slides pair with the drone of the presenter's voice and vanilla presentation as it rocks audience members to sleep. Viewers’ eyes dart to their phones, watches, and the wall clock, checking how much longer they need to be away from more engaging work.
As presenters, we cannot always change the content of our speeches. From board meetings to HR colloquiums, sometimes business is simply business. However, we can jazz up the visuals, tone, and overall feel of our presentations. Whether you’re presenting on invoices or John Mulaney’s best stand-up compilations, here are 3 sure-fire ways to liven up your Powerpoint presentation.
1. KISS (Keep It Simple, Silly)
Adding cool transition slides and thousands of GIFs can seem like a fun way to liven up a presentation; in reality, a surplus of these additions add time to your overall presentation. Rather, be intentional with your graphics, and make sure that every minute of your presentation is spent on relaying crucial facts to your audience.
2. Infographics
An old film manta is, “Don’t say what you could show.” Essentially, don’t spell something out if a simple image or graphic could relay the same information. This is particularly true of presentations that are focused around statistics or numbers, as it is much more beneficial for viewers to engage with graphs rather than cold, hard numbers.
3. Storytelling
Incorporating a beginning, middle, and end into your presentation flow is a strategic way to keep audience members engaged. Additionally, adding personal narrative within your presentation makes you more relatable to your audience. This connection creates a level of relevance to your information, making it less snooze-worthy.
