Using PowerPoint to your advantage

1. How to develop a GREAT Presentation in PowerPoint
By: Cydney Davis, Senior Consultant/Senior Technical Writer
Rule number ONE (1) – know your AUDIENCE
These are not absolutes, but good guidelines to follow:
Group A
 Under 25 (young, energetic, good eyesight, short attention span)
 Artists, Musicians, just entering the workforce or in college
o use small to medium fonts
o use a lot of colors
o Insert a lot of graphics
o Use special effects like sounds and transitions that wow
o Keep it entertaining but relevant
o No limit to slide count as long as it is fast and interesting
Group B
 25 to 35 (maturing, focused attention span if interested in topic, ambitious)
 Professionals in IT, Banking, Accounting, or related fields. Provide the information in graphs and charts.
o medium font size
o Graphics that are relevant
o Only colors that are relevant
o Maximum 20 slides
o Special effects only to highlight relevant topics or to make transitions interesting and to snap them back
to attention.
Group C
 35 and over
 Professionals in all areas – busy and already have too many meetings. Make good use of the time you have with
this group. Provide the information they need and let them get back to work.
o Large font
o Succinct Text
o Limited graphics
o No or limited transitions
o Short presentation
o No more than 10 to 15 slides
Rule TWO (2) Don’t add all the special effects!
Just because it can be done in PowerPoint, doesn’t mean it should be done. Sometimes people get so caught up in the
“cool” things that can be done that they over-use them and they make any presentation too busy and detract from the
message. Clean is better than clutter. If it is not relevant, don’t do it or use it.
Rule THREE (3) Stay Focused on your message…
Stay focused on the REASON for the presentation and stay on topic. Sometimes people put so much information in a
presentation that that the main topic gets lost. Why is the presentation necessary and who is going to see it?
PowerPoint is a wonderful tool. I enjoy doing presentations and have been quite successful over the course of my career
using these basic guidelines. I hope they have been helpful. Enjoy your next presentation! Cydney