Tips for Preparing a Presentation

by Karen Appold •

A great speaker sets his goals before a talk. Said Dr. Hausfeld, “If you keep in mind that your main purpose is to educate your audience in a way that will improve their daily lives and do so in a way that is entertaining, engaging, and thought provoking, then you will surely leave a lasting and positive impression.”

Karen Appold is a freelance medical writer based in Pennsylvania.

7 Rules of Thumb for PowerPoint Presentations

  1. Minimize text. You don’t want your audience to be so busy reading slides that they don’t listen to you.
  2. Use large fonts. Make text easy to read.
  3. Use bullet points. These will serve as an outline for what you want to say and will help guide your talk.
  4. Don’t read slide text. Give your audience more information than what they can already read on the screen.
  5. Add graphics. Photos, cartoons, and logos make slides more visually intriguing.
  6. Vary slide design and layout. Keep them interesting and unpredictable.
  7. Don’t overdo the number of slides. Experts recommend 11 to 15 slides for a one-hour presentation.