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How to Make Professional PowerPoint Presentations (With PPT Templates) + Video

Andrew Childress

Are you anxious about preparing for an upcoming presentation? You need to present something professionally to gain your audience's trust. Maybe you're using it for a breakthrough in your career.

Motagua Services Slide

If you're short on time, this tutorial is the perfect way to get going. I'll share some of my favorite tried and true professional PowerPoint tips. They'll show you how to create presentations. Then, we'll walk through building one together using a professional PPT theme.

Inspiring speakers practice and learn their craft. A big part of this is having a professional PowerPoint theme design . A professional design helps you feel confident about your content, such as one of these:

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

Guide to Making Great Presentations (Free eBook Download)

Before you read on, be sure to grab our free eBook:  The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . It'll help you master the presentation process. It takes you from initial idea through to writing, design, and delivering with impact.

Free eBook PDF Download Make a Great Presentation

Now, let's jump into a few quick techniques that'll help up your presentation results. Then, learn how to build a professional PowerPoint presentation quickly using a template. 

How to Quickly Make Professional PowerPoint Presentations With PPT Templates (Video)

Are you ready to start learning how to make a professional PowerPoint using a template? Watch this quick video to find out what you need to know to get started on creating your own professional PowerPoint:

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

Professional PowerPoint Templates on Envato Elements (With Unlimited Use)

In this tutorial, you're going to learn the secret to professional presentations: you don't have to do all the work.

That's right. The pressure is off. We're going to use a professional presentation template instead of starting from scratch.

Your ticket to creating a professional presentation is to join Envato Elements. It includes the best ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">professional presentation templates. The flat-rate subscription unlocks unlimited assets, including top designs for professional presentations. It's a shortcut to learn how to make a business presentation on PowerPoint.

Elements unlimited professional presentation

That's right: you don't have to know how to make professional PPT slides all on your own. A template gives you everything you need. It's a blueprint for success with every placeholder and content block you need. You just open it up and fill it in.

Professional presentation gallery Elements

Instead of buying a single PowerPoint theme,  subscribe to Elements. Choose from thousands of PPT template designs, web themes, professional graphics, and more. Download as many as you want for one low price.  

Now, let's walk through building a professional PowerPoint presentation from a PPT template.

How to Make a Professional Presentation in PowerPoint Quickly

You don't have to be an expert to make an amazing professional presentation of your own. The best way is to use a template from Envato Elements. You can customize these in only five quick steps.

For this mini-tutorial, we’ll use the ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">Professional PowerPoint Template from Envato Elements.

Template professional presentation

It’s a versatile, modern template for all your project needs. This ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">professional presentation template saves you so much time. Download it and follow along with our tutorial. Let's get started:

1. Select Your Slides

A professional presentation template like this includes dozens of slides. Odds are, you won’t need to use every single one. Working in PowerPoint, go to the View tab and click on Slide Sorter .

Select slides customize professional presentation

Here, click and drag slide thumbnails to rearrange their sequence. You can also right-click on them and choose Delete Slide to remove unwanted layouts. When you’re finished, click Normal on the View tab to start editing.

2. Customize Text

Any professional presentation will include plenty of text. To customize the text in this template, you can work with the built-in text placeholders. To start, click into any text box. Then, press Ctrl + A ( Cmd + A on Mac) to select all the text inside.

Text edit professional PowerPoint presentation

Then, start typing in your own content. The placeholder text will vanish, replaced by the words you type in. Repeat throughout your slide deck, and you’ll be on the way to a professional presentation in no time.

3. Insert Images

No professional presentation is complete without some images. These are easy to insert. Find a slide like this with an image placeholder on it. 

Photo professional presentation

Then, browse to an image file stored on your computer. Drag it over the placeholder and drop it into place. PowerPoint will import the image onto the slide, already sized and scaled perfectly.

Looking for beautiful images to use? As an Envato Elements member, you've got access to ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">millions of stunning stock photos included at no extra cost.

4. Build Infographics

Infographics help you illustrate ideas. Plus, they look great and are sure to impress a professional audience. Templates like this help you add infographics to your professional presentation in seconds.

Infographic professional presentation

Infographics work like any other slide in the presentation. Replace the text with words and numbers of your own, click and drag to move objects around, and more. It only takes a few clicks, but it helps guarantee you a successful presentation.

5. Change Shape Colors

A pre-built template will include its own default color palette. But you can easily change out individual parts of it. With a shape selected, find the Shape Format tab on PowerPoint’s ribbon.

Color professional presentation

There, click on the Shape Fill dropdown. You’ll see a color chooser menu appear. Browse the theme colors, along with gradients and more. Click on any color to apply it to your shape.

5 Quick-Fire Tips for More Professional Presentations

Let's start off by reviewing five of my favorite professional PowerPoint presentation tips. These are great reminders to start with when you're preparing to speak.

1. Practice Really Does Make Perfect

Practice makes perfect It's a well-known piece of advice for a reason. A well-rehearsed presentation helps you come across confidently and resonate with the audience.

Not all practice is created equally though. Here are professional PowerPoint presentation practice tips:

2. Stick to "One Big Idea"

Many presentations will overwhelm you with data and details. In an attempt to persuade, presenters include too many reasons and talking points.

By the time the presentation reaches its conclusion, your audience may be so overwhelmed with ideas that they'll have missed your most important points.

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

As a presenter, it's your job to be clear. Stick to the key idea that you're presenting to make sure that your audience doesn't get lost in the details.

3. Don't be Afraid to BLUF

Sharing a big idea is important, but where you put it is also essential. That's why you should put your  Bottom Line Up Front , also known as the  BLUF  principle. Put the bottom line (the key idea) near the beginning of your presentation.

Books and movies take you through a journey that ends with a conclusion. Presentations should give you the answer up front and explain that conclusion with the following slides. 

PowerPoint Presentation BLUF Example

The  BLUF  principle reminds me to cut to the chase when sharing the most important part of a presentation. Get straight to the heart of the message before your audience is distracted or exhausts their limited supply of attention.

4. Include Professional Presentation Graphics

For professional presentations, your audience might be more analytical than the average viewer. They're more inclined to view PowerPoint charts and graphs and derive meaning from them than talking points.

Professional PowerPoint presentation chart example

Graphics and charts are the quickest way to convey a point. Consider using bar charts and line graphs to show trends and key statistics that reinforce your point.

For more bite-sized tips on how to give great presentations, check out Brad Smith's tutorial below. It's got tons of other professional PowerPoint tips. I often read these before I start building a presentation to put good presentation ideas in my short-term memory bank:

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

5. Use Presenter View

My final tip is one that enables every other professional PowerPoint presentation tip we've already shared. By using  Presenter View,  you'll have a view of all the key tools and features in a single view. That means you'll have your speaker notes, a preview of the next slide, and a timer that helps you stay on track.

Most presentations are delivered in rooms with more than one screen. Presenter View  shows your presentation on one screen that your audience sees. On the second screen, you'll see helpful information to presenters.

To turn on  Presenter View , jump to the  Slide Show  tab, and make sure that  Use Presenter View  is ticked. When you start to present, you'll see two different views.

Turn on presenter view

In  Presenter View , keep your eye on a few key features as you can see in the screenshot below. Speaker notes live on the right side and help cue up your key talking points. The next slide preview is also a great prompt to help you direct your speaking flow. And finally, don't forget to keep an eye on the timer to stay on track.

Presenter View

Check out the tutorial below to start making the most of Presenter View:

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

The Shortcut to Making Professional PowerPoint Presentations

Even if you know exactly what you want to say, building out the supporting PowerPoint slide designs is a serious effort. Opening the app and starting off with blank slides is a major challenge.

Time is always short when preparing for a presentation. Don't build something from scratch or use a limited built-in PowerPoint theme. Instead, use ga-analytics#sendMarketClickEvent">professional  PowerPoint templates.  You can buy and download these Premium designs, then add your own content to them quickly: 

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

The real value of these pro PPT templates is the presentation slide design ideas that they include. Use those pre-built designs for ideas of how to present your own content. 

Motagua PowerPoint Theme

In this tutorial, I use the  ga-analytics#sendMarketClickEvent">Motagua PowerPoint theme . This is the all-time best-selling presentation theme on GraphicRiver, and it's easy to see why. It's packed with a great looking set of PowerPoint slide designs, which you can work with quickly.

How to Make a Professional PowerPoint Presentation (With a PPT Template)

For this example, we're going to pretend that we're building a slide deck to encourage someone to invest in our company. This could be for your startup company or even for a small, local business to get things off the ground. 

Professionalism matters when you're asking for funding. I'm going to highlight five key slide designs that you'll find in decks like these. Even if your presentation idea is totally unrelated, these ideas might help you design your own. 

Motagua promo image

1. Introduce Your Team

It's often said that investors invest in teams, not products. While both are required to secure financing for your idea, the point is that investors often focus on the team and their background.

To do this, I'm going to recommend Motagua slide design #77 . This is a slide with four placeholders for your team's photo and descriptions.

Team Pic in professional PowerPoint presentation slide design

I almost always recommend that a presentation about a product or service includes the team. Build that level of comfort with your audience so that they'll think of you first when they're ready to invest or buy.

It's not about where your product or service has been, but where it's going. If you're expecting investment or growth in your business, the investors are betting that the future holds more promise than the present.

One idea for showing this visually is to use slide design #149, which is an Arrows Infographic .  This is a nice-looking design with many points for how your product may evolve.

Product Vision slide design in PowerPoint template

This is a general-purpose slide that could be used for showing any key points about your business.  But the numbers make it ideal for showing a progression. Sharing the vision for your product near the beginning of the presentation is a great application of the BLUF mindset.

3. Show Key Statistics in Data With Charts

For startups, one of the most important things to show is your company growth with good data. For businesses that aren't yet earning revenue, investors are betting that a large userbase will eventually lead to customers.

A chart is a great way to tell a story without any bullet points involved. For the analytical minds in the audience, a well-placed chart may be the "aha!" moment that they need to see your vision.

Slide design 138 has overlapping circles that you can show the opportunity for your startup. Use the smallest circle to show your current revenue base. Larger circles can show the potential if you expand to a new market or develop new products.

Overlapping circles in professional PPT presentation template

If your idea hasn't even started yet, consider showing statistics or data on how the  need  for your product is growing. You could include data about the size of the potential customer base, or the growth of similar services.

4. Use Graphic Timelines to Illustrate the Future

Again, investing in a business is all about the future. A timeline can illustrate not only the history of a product, but the future development timeline of the features you plan to add.

Slide 60  is the perfect way to show the road map for the product. You can use the points to illustrate new features you've recently added or plan to add in the future.

Timeline slide in PowerPoint template

5. Make Your "Ask" Clear

You've built up a vision and you're ready to reach a major conclusion. This could be the make or break moment to inspire action in your audience.

For our example, let's assume that you're going to ask for investment in your company. Near the end of a presentation, you could use a simple slide design like  21  to make the fundraising goal clear.

For startups, this is often expressed as "$x at $x valuation." This means that a company raising $1 million wants to be valued as being worth as $10 million, effectively giving 10% of the company to investors.

Raising funding professional slide design

If you're building a persuasive presentation that's designed to inspire action, you've got to make your "ask" clear. What are you asking the audience to do, if anything? 

5 Professional PowerPoint PPT Templates From Envato Elements

We've already checked out GraphicRiver, the pay-as-you-go option to source professional PowerPoint presentation templates. But there's another solution that gives you even more creative freedom to source unlimited presentation designs: ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">Envato Elements.

Envato Elements Professional PowerPoint templates

If you want to learn how to make a PowerPoint look professional, studying templates and borrowing the best elements from each one is surefire solution.

Let's check out five of my favorite professional presentation templates from Elements below:

1. ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">Project Professional PowerPoint Template

Project Professional Template

Managing projects is a key part of most professional careers. When you're showing off your project to key decision makers, it's crucial that you build a professional presentation. This template helps you capture just that, showcasing key project steps that can help you win the support of your peers.

2. ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">Business PowerPoint Presentation

Business PowerPoint Presentation

One of my favorite professional PowerPoint tips is to use the same template in all your presentations. This helps you develop a consistent design style that your audience will recognize. Use a flexible template with plenty of versatility like this one for exactly that purpose.

3. ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">Skyfy Professional PowerPoint

Skyfy Professional PowerPoint

Even a professional presentation can have a slick and modern design style. Skyfy is a great choice for professional presentations that show off creative companies, like design agencies, video production studios, photographers, and more.

4. ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">Melbourne Professional PowerPoint Presentation

Melbourne Professional Template

Melbourne is a clear and clean professional PowerPoint template that any business could use. With a few simple tweaks to the color scheme and placeholders, you can use Melbourne to put your business idea in a beautiful format.

5. ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">Pitch Volume 3 - Professional PowerPoint Template

Pitch Volume 3

A pitch deck is a special type of template that entrepreneurs and startup companies will use to get their idea off the ground. A pitch deck has some specifics to it that great templates like Pitch Volume 3 captures perfectly. Drop in your new company concept to launch your new venture into the future.

For even more  professional template options, jump over to our guide, 22+ Professional PowerPoint Templates: For Better Business Presentations .

Where to Find the Best Professional Presentation Templates in 2021 (Envato Elements vs GraphicRiver)

Envato Elements and GraphicRiver both offer stunning ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">professional presentation templates with ga-analytics#sendMarketClickEvent">compelling designs for presentations . They're your best resource in 2021. But which site should you choose? What are the benefits of each? Let's take a look:

1. Key Benefits of Envato Elements

Envato Elements has an unbeatable offer: unlimited downloads. As a member, you pay a flat monthly rate. With it, you can download as many presentation templates as you want.

Elements also offers a wide variety of creative assets. You’ll find music, stock photos, fonts, and more that you can use in presentations and other projects. They're all included in your membership. 

Here are the ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">top professional PowerPoint decks available on Envato Elements:

Elements professional presentation

2. Key Benefits of GraphicRiver

GraphicRiver is a top resource for professional PowerPoint slide decks and other assets. It’s part of Envato Market, which serves the needs of creatives everywhere.

GraphicRiver has a pay-as-you-go model. That means you buy individual templates, with no subscription needed. It's great if you're on a budget, or only need one file.

Here are the top ga-analytics#sendMarketClickEvent">professional PowerPoint templates on GraphicRiver today:

GraphicRiver professional presentation

Which Site is Best for You?

Maybe you build professional presentations often. Or perhaps you're undecided about your favorite style. Envato Elements offers the flexibility you need. Sign up for ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">Envato Elements today . 

Elements home professional presentations

If you only need one ga-analytics#sendMarketClickEvent">professional presentation template for your presentation, jump over to GraphicRiver and find one now.

Learn More About Using PowerPoint Professionally

If you need more ideas on how to build out a better PowerPoint presentation, check out these guides as well, or download our free eBook that follows:

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

Need Help? Grab Our Making Great Presentations eBook (Free)

You can find more information in our eBook on making great presentations . Download this PDF eBook now for FREE with your subscription to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter. 

Making Great Presentations Free Guide Download PDF

It'll help you master the presentation process, from: initial creative ideas, through to writing, design, and delivering with impact.

Go Design Your Professional Presentation Today

You've just learned how to make a professional presentation using some of my favorite professional PowerPoint presentation tips. My top tip for how to make a professional presentation will always be to ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">source templates from sites like Envato Elements and ga-analytics#sendMarketClickEvent">GraphicRiver . It skips you ahead in the process and helps you build the perfect presentation.

What are your best tips for creating a professional PowerPoint presentation ? Let me know in the comments section.

Editorial Note :  This tutorial was originally published in April of 2019. I t's been comprehensively revised to include new information—with special help and a new video from Andrew Childress .

Andrew Childress

10 PowerPoint hacks to make your presentations look more professional

Anybody who has been in the workforce for as long as you have has undoubtedly sat through a PowerPoint presentation. When those decks are good, they can be very helpful at explaining goals and visualizing data points.

But when PowerPoint presentations are bad, well, let’s just say you probably spent more time trying to figure out how so many different fonts could fit into a single slide rather than paying attention to the words they spelled out.

When it comes time for you to make a PowerPoint deck—and there will very likely come a time—you want to make sure that you use the program correctly so it reinforces your core messages and connects with your audience.

These 10 PowerPoint hacks can keep your presentations clean, effective and are surprisingly effective.

Write before you design

“At its best, PowerPoint can help show your audience what your message means,” says Kenny Nguyen, co-author of The Big Fish Experience: Create Memorable Presentations That Reel In Your Audience and CEO of Three Sixty Eight, a design agency in Baton Rouge. But first you need to clearly define what your message is and what your presentation goals are.

Sandra Johnson, owner of Presentation Wiz in Green Bay, Wisconsin , advises walking away from the computer completely at this stage because although PowerPoint is a powerful tool for delivering a presentation, it’s lousy for writing one. Instead, create the headlines for your slides on Post-It notes, sheets of paper or a sketchpad.

“Write one headline per Post-It/page, then lay them out so that you can see your story—in the form of headlines—come to life,” she says. “These allow you to move pages around and adjust headlines.”

Make sure your story has a clear beginning, middle and end. Once you have the bones of the presentation laid out, then you can write your script.

Start with a title slide that piques interest

Your title slide should make your audience want to know more. Pull them in quickly with a statement that directly addresses the questions you’re going to answer, such as “Why Stricter Regulations Are Good For Your Business.”

Another tactic is to make the audience part of the presentation. Tell them upfront how they are going to be involved in the information you’re presenting, such as “Choose the New Logo That Will Propel Our Brand Forward.”

Stick to simple designs

As you’re building out your PowerPoint deck, resist the temptation to unleash your inner artist. Less truly is more.

If your organization doesn’t have a template you’re required to use, choose one with a simple background, says David Paradi, presentation expert and owner of Think Outside the Slide in Mississauga, Ontario. If you’re in a hurry, you can always Google “free PowerPoint templates” and get started right away on a basic slide deck.

Select standard, sans serif fonts such as Arial or Calibri that will work on all computers and are easy to read, he says. Speaking of fonts: Choose three, max. And you have to use them consistently, Nguyen says. That means the same font for all headlines and the same for all body text.

Emphasize one point per slide

Your audience needs to easily absorb the information you’re sharing, otherwise all your efforts are for naught. If you pile multiple points into one slide, you risk overwhelming people, Johnson warns. Rule of thumb: Share one thought per slide.

Find yourself needing more slides than you have minutes available in your presentation? That’s a sign you may be cramming too much into the presentation itself. Edit your content ruthlessly.

Use text sparingly

If people are reading your slides, they aren’t listening to you. Keep the volume of text on each slide to the bare minimum; this will also maximize the impact of each word. “Write concise points that allow you to expand on each idea as you speak,” Paradi says.

Choose a font size of at least 24 points to ensure your audience can easily read your slides. Johnson suggests using only one headline or short sentence for each slide. If you must use bullet points, she says, use only three to five bullets with only three to five words each. Everyone’s eyes will thank you.

Select images for impact

Images should be chosen carefully to reinforce your message, not merely to jazz up the slide.

Use graphs and charts to show comparisons and trends, Johnson says. You don’t need a bar chart to show that sales grew by 16% in the fourth quarter, for example, but one can be helpful to show how sales grew compared with other quarters.

And please, pass on the generic clip art. Thinkstock, iStock and Stocksy are all better sources for stock images, should you find you need them. (Pro tip: You probably don’t.)

Practice your verbal presentation

PowerPoint slides are meant to be a complement to your speech—not the star of the show, which is you. Think of them like illustrations of the story that you’re telling.

To tell a good story, rehearse your presentation out loud to make sure it flows and fits in the time allowed, Paradi says. “If you can rehearse in the room and with the equipment you will be using, you will be more confident on the day of the presentation,” he says.

Nguyen recommends recording yourself during the practice presentation so you can identify and correct areas where you stumble.

Run it by a colleague

Let someone review your presentation deck before you go live with it. A trusted colleague or friend can check for embarrassing typos, as well as whether your message comes through loud and clear.

“PowerPoints are a great collaborative opportunity,” Johnson says. “You may be saying something a certain way, and a colleague may be able to offer a better approach.”

End with a persuasive call to action

Your last few slides should quickly summarize what you shared and guide your audience on how to use that information, Paradi says. This isn’t the time to introduce new ideas.

A great call to action is upbeat, specific and actionable. For example, a common one for an internal audience might be to adopt a new business process. If you work in sales, you might invite them to privately demo your product. If it’s a presentation to an external audience, you may invite them to contact you for more information.

Not sure what your call to action is? Return to that wall of Post-it notes you created at the very beginning.

Explore the power of PowerPoint

These hacks are useful in a pinch, but for the long term, it’s worth it to become familiar with the PowerPoint software itself. Take an online course and learn the finer points of creating presentations, including complex graphics, videos and slide changes.

These skills will increase your value proposition to your current and future employers, as well as make you feel more comfortable when creating and delivering presentations.

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How to create Professional Presentation Design: 13 Top Tips

Carla Albinagorta

Cookie-cutter PowerPoint templates are not going to impress anyone, not yourself, and certainly not your audience who’s probably already either half asleep or trying to sneak out the door unnoticed. To stand out with a professional presentation, you need to be extra creative as no one has the patience to sit through a really bad presentation made with lousy templates. In this post, you’re going to find out how to design a powerful PowerPoint presentation that will wow your audience and will keep them glued to their seats.

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

7 Amazing Tips to Learn How to Design Professional PowerPoint Slides

Whether you need to prepare a presentation for school or work, it’s important to consider the design you will use. A bad PowerPoint design can make you look unprepared, messy, and overall untrustworthy. Your presentations are a key element when it comes to creating a positive impact on your audience and a good first impression.

Here you’ll find 7 helpful tips to enhance your skills and help you create more professional-looking PowerPoint slides.

1. Use professionally designed PowerPoint presentation templates

There are so many modern-looking templates available on the web today. You don’t have to design your slides from scratch, rather you can build off one of these templates and use your own creativity to make your presentation professional and effective.

Templates are a great option for all those people trying to upgrade their PowerPoint design game! They are a great starting point for all those who are not professional designers. And the best part is, you can still edit them to make sure they fit your needs as best as possible.

Microsoft Office has an incredible collection of slide templates you can access directly from PowerPoint. But you can also find more specific and business-oriented professional PowerPoint slides all around the web. Sites like Envato offer a unique collection of templates you can pay for and download.

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

If you want professional, business PowerPoint presentations, you should also check out our Templates by 24Slides platform . Our designers constantly work on outstanding, business-oriented presentation templates you can download, completely free of charge! You’ll find stunning PowerPoint presentations for all fields of business, from pharmaceutical to human resources, along with many useful tools like graphs, timelines, and much more!

2. Focus on the visual aspect of your slides (Consider using modern design techniques)

A styled and professional presentation is never going to be boring. Think about how you can make your PowerPoint slides fun and engaging. Remember that your presentation slides should be a complement to the speaker, not compete with them.

Professionally designed presentations help illustrate and convey in a visual way what you’re going to say out loud. Text should be limited in your slides, as you don’t want your audience to distract themselves by trying to read rather than listening to you. Try to replace text as much as possible with images, icons, or other visual elements that will illustrate your message. This will not only make your presentation look more professional, but will also help it be more memorable.

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

Use your creative design skills in building interesting slides that present your topic and convey your message accurately. Bullet points and bold numbers offer excellent visual devices when breaking up your texts. You can also give your presentation slides a more polished look by playing with your slide layout. For example, you can wrap your text around a shape , or use the Design Ideas tool to give your text some extra visual impact.

You can also use grids to provide a more professional edge to your presentation. Grids also give the appearance of white space, which will ensure that your texts are not overpowered by images.

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

3. Be strategic when picking colors and fonts

And still on the topic of the visual aspect, you should also pay extra attention to graphic elements as colors and letter fonts. Colors are a must to take into consideration when learning how to make professional-looking PowerPoint slides. Making sure your colors complement each other and that they don’t clash is key to making your presentation look polished and clean.

PowerPoint offers default color schemes you can automatically apply to all your slides. This is a great way to make sure your color palette works well. But you can also create and edit your own color schemes in PowerPoint . This way, you’ll be able to use the same colors and create a more cohesive, professional look in your presentation slides. Learn more about how to pick the perfect colors for your PowerPoint presentations here .

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

Typography is another aspect that can give your presentation design an extra impact. Many people Don’t think much about the letter fonts they use for their PowerPoint slides. However, if you pick any of the professionally designed PowerPoint themes, you’ll notice that each design has its own combination of fonts to fit its design. Picking good typography is a great way to give your presentation a polished and professional look.

4. Keep your brand and your story on your mind (link to professional designers secrets)

If you want to go the extra mile and make your presentation slides look truly professional you should focus on your brand and your product . Use your brand identity guidelines to make sure your presentation uses the graphic line and color scheme that represents your company.

Something as easy as making sure your presentation has your logo and follows your brand colors will help you make your presentation look more professional instead of a generic template!

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

You can also focus on your product or business field to make your presentation look more customized. Add icons and images related to your business. Don't be afraid to get creative and fun! It’ll certainly make your presentation more memorable and it’ll help you stand out from the competition.

5. Matching simple content with a strong cover

You probably heard of the golden rule “ less is more ” when it comes to designing. That’s always true because it helps designers to achieve better designs through simplicity. The body slides will work better if you don’t use too many images, different fonts, and shapes.

Pick some specific unifying elements (colors, shapes, or icons) to create a simple but effective slide design. Using white space smartly is also a must when working on a minimalistic design. You don’t want your slides to look too cramped! Rather, give your slides a single splash of color or give the main stage to a single visual element.

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

The minimalist design is great to make your presentation look polished and professional. But it’s also a great way to make sure that your audience’s attention is 100% exactly where you want it to be!  Use a strong cover to even out simple slides.

6. Use a unifying background

A simple, easy way to make your presentation look more professional is to pay extra attention to your slides’ backgrounds. Working on this specific aspect of your slides can make your presentation design look more professional, even if you don’t add anything too crazy on the slides themselves. A well-designed background will give your audience the impression that work and effort have been put into your presentation and that you pay attention to detail.

For example, using a textured dark background is an excellent option for businesses that want to convey elegance and sleekness. Against a dark background, the element you choose to add to your slide will pop up even more. You can rest assured that it’ll definitely make an impression on your audience!

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

7. Reuse your slides (Use similar frames)

Reusing your slides is an incredible way to save time and make your presentation design look more cohesive. For example, you can use frames. Frames are effective in containing the information you want to convey. These are usually made with transparent shapes and your slides can be duplicated using similar frames. This is actually one of the keys to better-looking presentation designs. Your slides will look more professional as they will all follow the same design style.

After creating the slides, save them as templates. Meaning, you may duplicate them while adapting your content as the body slides. You can use the Master Slides feature to create customized themes for your presentations. This will help you create cohesion not only within a single presentation but throughout all the presentations of your company!

6 Tips for Executing More Professional Presentations

Today, you can take advantage of abundant materials and ideas in designing professional presentations. Understanding different ways to encourage and entertain your audience, however, is crucial when making PowerPoint presentations. The following 6 tips to execute professional presentations are guidelines in presenting a topic to an audience successfully:

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

It’s so cliché but it’s true that “ timing is everything ”. If you’re free to choose your presentation schedule, it would be better to pick a mid-morning slot. Many professional presenters say this is the best time to capture the attention of individuals who are more alert between morning and afternoon. Just remember to be succinct so as not to waste other people’s time.

2. Be brief

Audiences normally have a short attention span. People easily get bored when given long texts to read. If you want to attract attention and keep them listening, be straightforward. Don’t add unnecessary content which will only lengthen the presentation. Avoid fluff content. Present your topic with some exciting ad-lib.

3. Encourage audience participation

It’s a great challenge for presenters to keep their audience interested in what they are saying. Making an impression in the first 30 seconds will help you engage the audience and make them participate in the discussion . Inject humor while changing slides to keep them involved.

4. Emotional connection

Just like in commercials, it’s important for any professional presentation to connect emotionally with the audience. Inject sentiments when delivering your message. That way, you humanize the visual aids and help the crowd understand what you are trying to convey. Trigger their feelings and motivate them to take action.

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

5. Visual aids

Most people are visual learners. Meaning, presenters need to understand that their audience relies on visual aids in order to get the message. Make sure that your points are supported by visual aids. Your message, with a mental image, is more clearly understood by the audience.

6. Graphics and images are essential in presentation designs

They provide remarkable support while you deliver your speech. Also, designing visuals can be challenging when using charts and other complex visuals. However, you can make simple ones to ensure accurate and easy-to-understand details.

Built-in Themes vs. Custom Professional Presentations

Presentation templates help presenters make their job easier. The only problem is that built-in themes are too generic. No matter how beautiful your font or design is, the workflow still becomes identical to other presentations. And that is the last thing you would want to happen in your presentation, right?

If you want to stand out with a great presentation, you should consider outsourcing your presentation design . It’s the most effective way to get an amazing, professional-looking presentation design that will wow your audience, all while saving time and effort!

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

Completing the Professional Presentation Package

Knowing how to make PowerPoint presentations more visually appealing and professional is a very useful skill. But you also have to factor in your charisma, audible voice, and preparedness to make your presentation as good and as powerful as possible . Looking good is just a bonus. So the next time you design a professional presentation, keep in mind the most important things: grabbing your audience’s interest, clear and understandable content, and some humor will make you an outstanding communicator.

I hope you learned something new from all these points I’ve covered today and you can now create a good PowerPoint presentation design. As you probably already know, humans are highly visual creatures. The brain processes visual information more efficiently than plain text. It’s the standard you need to comply with when making professional presentation designs. Enticing and appealing slides will keep your audience attentive and reactive throughout your presentation.

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

At 24Slides , we spice up PowerPoint presentations with professional design techniques and loads of creativity. We create beautiful presentations from scratch and redesign existing ones. Take a look at some examples of our work and let’s get in touch .

You might also find this interesting: The 12 Best Presentation Design Agencies to Outsource Your Work

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10 PowerPoint Tips for Preparing a Professional Presentation

Use these Microsoft PowerPoint tips to avoid common mistakes, keep your audience engaged, and create a professional presentation.

Professional presentations are all about making an impact. Your slides should look the part. Once you know what makes a presentation look professional, you can customize any half-decent PowerPoint template or create your own custom slides.

Our PowerPoint tips will help you avoid common mistakes, keep your audience engaged, and create a professional presentation, in form and content.

PowerPoint Slide Design

The design can leave a first and lasting impression. Give it a professional touch to win your audience's trust and attention.

1. Carefully Compose Your Slides

Don't copy and paste slides from different sources. You don't want your presentation to look like a rag rug. What you're aiming for is a consistent look. This will help your audience focus on the essential; your speech and the key facts you're highlighting on your slides.

To that end, use a basic template or make your own . PowerPoint comes with a wide selection of professional PowerPoint presentation templates , but you can also find free ones online.

PowerPoint Tip: When you open PowerPoint, note the search field at the top. One of the suggested searches is "presentations". Click it to see all of PowerPoint's default presentation templates. Choose a category on the right to narrow down your search.

Pick an easy to read font face . It's hard to get this right, but these professional-looking Google fonts are a safe bet. Unless you're a designer, stick to a single font face and limit yourself to playing with safe colors and font sizes.

If you're unsure about fonts, refer to "The 10 Commandments of Typography" shown below for orientation.

Carefully select font sizes for headers and text. While you don't want to create a wall of text and lose your audience's attention, you do want them to be able to read what you've highlighted. So make your fonts large enough.

PowerPoint Tip: PowerPoint offers several different slide layouts. When you add a new slide, choose the right layout under Home > New Slide . To switch the layout of an existing slide, use Home > Layout . By using the default layouts, you can make coherent design changes across your presentation anytime you want.

Leave room for highlights, such as images or take home messages. Some elements should stand out. So try not to bury them in background noise but give them the space they need. This could be a single quote or a single image per page with nothing but a simple header and a plain background.

Decorate scarcely but well. If you have good content, you won't need decoration. Your template will be decoratively enough.

Note: Restrict the room your design takes up, and don't ever let the design restrict your message.

2. Use Consistency

Consistently use font face and sizes on all slides. This one goes back to using a template. If you chose a professional presentation template, the designer would have taken care of this aspect. Stick to it!

Match colors. This is where so many presentations fail. You might have chosen a funky template and stuck to the designer's color profile, then you ruin it all with ugly Excel charts .

Take the time to match your visuals to your presentation design.

Text and Background Colors

A poor choice of colors can ruin your presentation.

3. Use Contrast

Black text on a white background will always be the best, but also the most boring choice . You're allowed to use colors! But use them responsibly.

Keep it easy on the eyes and always keep good contrast in mind. If you're color-challenged, use one of the many online tools to select a good looking color palette. Or just use a template and stick to its default colors.

PowerPoint Tip: Use PowerPoint's Design menu to quickly change the font and color palette of your entire presentation using preset design layouts.

4. Apply Brilliance

Carefully use color to highlight your message! Colors are your friends. They can make numbers stand out or your Take Home Message pop.

Don't weaken the color effect by using too many colors in too many instances . The special effect only works if used scarcely. Try to limit pop colors to one per slide.

Make a brilliant choice: match colors for design and good contrast to highlight your message . Use a professional color palette, to find which color will work best with your theme. Use The 10 Commandments of Color Theory shown below to learn more about colors:

Text on PowerPoint Slides

K eep I t S traight and S imple. That means...

Remember that your slides are only there to support, not to replace your talk! You want to tell a story, visualize your data, and demonstrate key points. If you read your slides, you risk losing your audience's respect and attention.

PowerPoint Tip: Afraid you'll lose your train of thoughts? Add notes to your slides. Go to View and under Show click Notes to make them show up under your slides while editing. When starting your presentation, use PowerPoint's presentation mode (go to Slide Show and under Monitors , check Use Presenter View ), so you can glance at your notes when needed.

6. Take Home Message

Always summarize your key point in a Take Home Message. Ask yourself, if your audience learned or remembered one single thing from your presentation, what would you like it to be? That's your Take Home Message.

The Take Home Message is your key message, a summary of your data or story. If you're giving an hour-long presentation, you might have several Take Home Messages. That's OK. Just make sure that what you think is key, really matters to your audience.

Make your Take Home Message memorable. It's your responsibility that your audience takes home something valuable. Help them "get it" by making your Take Home Message stand out, either visually or through how you frame it verbally.

Presentation Visuals

Images are key elements of every presentation. Your audience has ears and eyes, they want to see what you're talking about, and a good visual cue will help them understand your message much better.

7. Add Images

Have more images in your slides than text. Visuals are your friends. They can illustrate your points and support your message.

But do not use images to decorate! That's a poor use of visuals because it's just a distraction.

Images can reinforce or complement your message. So use images to visualize or explain your story.

Use a sufficient image resolution. Your visuals might look good on your desktop, but once blown up by a projector, low-resolution images will make your presentation look anything but professional. So choose a resolution that matches the projector's resolution. If in doubt, don't go below a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels (XGA) and aim for 1920 x 1080 pixels (FullHD).

Always maintain your image's aspect ratio. Nothing looks more awkward than a distorted image. Whatever you do, don't stretch images. If you have to resize them, do so with the aspect ratio intact, even if that means dropping slightly above or below your target resolution.

PowerPoint Tip: Need a visual, but don't have one at hand? PowerPoint is connected to Bing's library of online images you can use for your presentations. Go to Insert and under Images select Online Images . You can browse by category or search the library. Be sure to set a checkmark for Creative Commons only , so you don't accidentally violate copyrights.

Note: Yes, a picture is worth a thousand words. In other words, if you don't have time for a thousand words, use a picture!

PowerPoint Animations and Media

In animations, there is a fine line between a comic and a professional impression. But animations can be powerful tools to visualize and explain complicated matters. A good animation can not only improve understanding, it can also make the message stick with your audience.

8. Don't Be Silly

Sparingly use animations and media. You should only use them in one of two cases:

Embed the media in your presentation and make sure it works in presentation mode. Testing your presentation at home will save you time and avoid embarrassment.

Target Your Presentation Content

Your target, i.e. your audience, defines the content of your presentation. For example, you cannot teach school kids about the complicated matters of the economy, but you may be able to explain to them what the economy is in the first place and why it is important.

9. Keep Your Audience in Mind

When you compile your PowerPoint presentation, ask yourself these questions:

Answer these questions and boil your slides down to the very essentials. In your talk, describe the essentials colorfully and use your weapons, i.e. text, images, and animations wisely (see above).

Note: If you fail to hit the target, it won't matter how ingenious your design is or how brilliantly you picked colors and keywords. Nothing matters more than your audience's attention.

10. Practice Your Presentation Like a Professional

A well-practiced and enthusiastic talk will help you convince your audience and keep their attention. Here are some key points that define a good talk:

Bonus: Implement the 10/20/30 Rule

The 10/20/30 rule is a concept brought forward by Guy Kawasaki:

It’s quite simple: a PowerPoint presentation should have ten slides, last no more than twenty minutes, and contain no font smaller than thirty points.

A similar concept is PechaKucha , a storytelling format limited to 20 slides and 20 seconds per slide, i.e. less than seven minutes to conclude the presentation.

Now there's a challenge! Telling your story succinctly, might help you get through to some of the busiest and most distracted people on the planet.

One Final PowerPoint Presentation Tip

I've shown you how to think through your entire presentation, from choosing a design to speaking to your audience. Here's a mind trick: never try to interpret the looks on your listeners' faces. Chances are, you're wrong. Just assume they're focused and taking notes.

You've done your best to create a professional PowerPoint presentation that will help your audience focus on the content and learn new things. The looks on their faces aren't doubt or confusion. It's focus! Well, d'oh! Obviously, you're the expert, and they're the learners. If you can get into this mindset, you can relax and perform at your best.

how to make a professional powerpoint presentation

Create a presentation

Create a presentation in PowerPoint

Your browser does not support video. Install Microsoft Silverlight, Adobe Flash Player, or Internet Explorer 9.

Create presentations from scratch or start with a professionally designed, fully customizable template from Microsoft Create .

Open PowerPoint.

In the left pane, select New .

Select an option:

To create a presentation from scratch, select Blank Presentation .

To use a prepared design, select one of the templates.

To see tips for using PowerPoint, select Take a Tour , and then select Create , .

Create new PowerPoint

Add a slide

In the thumbnails on the left pane, select the slide you want your new slide to follow.

In the  Home tab, in the  Slides  section, select  New Slide .

In the Slides section, select Layout , and then select the layout you want from the menu.

PowerPoint slide layouts

Add and format text

Place the cursor inside a text box, and then type something.

Select the text, and then select one or more options from the Font section of the Home tab, such as  Font , Increase Font Size , Decrease Font Size ,  Bold , Italic , Underline , etc.

To create bulleted or numbered lists, select the text, and then select Bullets or Numbering .

PowerPoint format text

Add a picture, shape, and more

Go to the  Insert  tab.

To add a picture:

In the Images section, select Pictures .

In the Insert Picture From menu, select the source you want.

Browse for the picture you want, select it, and then select Insert .

To add illustrations:

In the Illustrations section, select Shapes , Icons , 3D Models ,  SmartArt , or Chart .

In the dialog box that opens when you click one of the illustration types, select the item you want and follow the prompts to insert it.

Insert Images in PowerPoint

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17 PowerPoint Presentation Tips to Make More Creative Slideshows [+ Templates]

Jamie Cartwright

Updated: July 27, 2022

Published: March 18, 2022

Creating a great PowerPoint presentation is a skill that any professional can benefit from. The problem? It’s really easy to get it wrong. From poor color choices to confusing slides, a bad PowerPoint slideshow can distract from the fantastic content you’re sharing with stakeholders on your team.

marketers learning how to create a great powerpoint presentation

That’s why it’s so important to learn how to create a PowerPoint presentation from the ground up, starting with your slides. Even if you’re familiar with PowerPoint, a refresher will help you make a more attractive, professional slideshow. Let’s get started.

How to Make a PowerPoint Slide

I like to think of Microsoft PowerPoint as a test of basic professional skills. To create a passing presentation, I need to demonstrate design skills, technical literacy, and a sense of personal style.

If the presentation has a problem (like an unintended font, a broken link, or unreadable text), then I’ve probably failed the test. Even if my spoken presentation is well rehearsed, a bad visual experience can ruin it for the audience.

Expertise means nothing without a good PowerPoint presentation to back it up. For starters, grab your collection of free PowerPoint templates below.

10 Free PowerPoint Templates

Tell us a little about yourself below to gain access today..

No matter your topic, successful PowerPoints depend on three main factors: your command of PowerPoint's design tools, your attention to presentation processes, and your devotion to consistent style. Here are some simple tips to help you start mastering each of those factors, and don't forget to check out the additional resources at the bottom of this post.

How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation

A presentation is made up of multiple slides, and now that you know how to make one, you can delve deeper into PowerPoint's capabilities.

1. Open a blank presentation again or start from one you've already created.

If you've already created a presentation, double-click the icon to open the existing file. Otherwise, open Microsoft PowerPoint, click File in the top left corner, and click New Presentation . From there, you can follow the prompts to set up a new presentation.

2. Choose a theme or create your own.

Microsoft offers built-in themes and color variations to help you design your slides with a cohesive look. To choose from these pre-built themes, choose the File tab again, select New , choose one of the options, and click Create .

Otherwise, you can use PowerPoint elements, your design sense, and your brand's color palette to make your own "theme."

3. Create a variety of slides for different purposes.

You don't want to present the same exact slide, only with different content on it. This would bore your audience. Ensure that you create multiple variations, accommodating some of the common uses for slides. At minimum, you'll need:

4. Use the Duplicate Slides feature to save you time.

There's no reason to create these designs over and over again. Now that you have a few to draw from, you can simply duplicate them before inputting your content. Here's how to do that:

This will automatically add a copy of this slide to the presentation. From there, you can customize it for your needs.

5. Add transitions to your slides (optional).

Done well, transitions can add a little bit of movement and showmanship to your presentation. PowerPoint has several transitions built in for you to choose from.

To access them, select the Transitions tab from the top ribbon. From there, you can select a transition for it to preview on your screen. To customize it further, click Effect Options and play with the features to find something that suits your liking. To remove a transition, select Transitions and click None .

6. Add animations to your slides (optional).

Like transitions, animations can add movement, reveal information, and help you underscore the points you want to hit during your speech. To animate an element, follow these steps:

Some of the ways to customize animations include:

These describe how you want the effect to behave, so play around with them until you find an effect that suits your liking.

You'll also have the option to move animations around as you edit your slides by clicking on the Animation Pane button, then reordering the animations in the list that pops up.

7. Save your presentation.

Click File and Save , making sure to specify which folder or destination you want your PowerPoint to be stored. If you're using your slides for education or teaching, it could be beneficial to convert your presentation to an online course .

8. Run your presentation.

It's always good to do a trial run to ensure that your slides are set up properly and your animations fire the way you expect them to.

To present your PowerPoint, go to the Slide Show tab and click Play from Start. The slide will cover your whole screen, blocking out your desktop and PowerPoint software. This is so your audience (in this case, you for the trial run) is solely focused on the visual elements of your presentation.

9. Advance the slides.

When you're done with one slide and want to show the next in your sequence, click your mouse in presentation mode. This will advance the slide. 

PowerPoint Presentation Tips

PowerPoint Style

1. don’t let powerpoint decide how you use powerpoint..

Microsoft wanted to provide PowerPoint users with a lot of tools. But this does not mean you should use them all. Here are some key things to look out for:

2. Create custom slide sizes.

While you usually can get away with the default slide size for most presentations, you may need to adjust it for larger presentations on weirdly sized displays. If you need to do that, here's how.

Tip : You can avoid a headache with the last step if you resize your slides before you add any objects to them. Otherwise, the dimensions of your objects will become skewed.

3. Edit your slide template design.

Often, it's much easier to edit your PowerPoint template before you start — this way, you don't have to design each slide by hand. Here's how you do that.

4. Write text with your audience in mind.

A significant part of a PowerPoint's content is text. Great copy can make or break your presentation, so evaluating your written work from a few different angles could make you seem more persuasive. Thinking about how your text is received differentiates good presenters from the best.

Typography:

Many people underestimate the influence of typeface, but choosing the right font is important — the perception of your font type could influence your audience's impression of you. The right font is an opportunity to convey consistent brand personality and professionalism.

Some fonts are seen as clean and professional, but this doesn't mean they're boring. A common mistake is thinking your font isn't "exciting" enough, which could lead you to choose a font that distracts from your overall message. We recommend sticking to simple serif and sans-serif fonts . Avoid script fonts because of potential readability issues.

powerpoint presentation: types of fonts

That said, you can still use fun and eccentric fonts — in moderation. Offsetting a fun font or large letters with something more professional can create an engaging presentation.

Above all, be sure you're consistent so your presentation looks the same throughout each slide. That way, your audience doesn't become distracted by too many disparate fonts. Check out this example from HubSpot’s company profile templates:

Interested in this presentation template? Download it for free here.

5. Make sure all of your objects are properly aligned.

Having properly aligned objects on your slide is the key to making it look polished and professional. You can manually try to line up your images ... but we all know how that typically works out. You're trying to make sure all of your objects hang out in the middle of your slide, but when you drag them there, it still doesn't look quite right. Get rid of your guessing game and let PowerPoint work its magic with this trick.

Here’s how to align multiple objects:

Here’s how to align objects to the slide:

PowerPoint Design

6. use "format object" to better control your objects' designs..

Format menus allow you to do fine adjustments that otherwise seem impossible. To do this, right-click on an object and select the Format Object option. Here, you can fine-tune shadows, adjust shape measurements, create reflections, and much more. The menu that will pop up looks like this:

powerpoint presentation: format object pane

Although the main options can be found on PowerPoint’s format toolbars, look for complete control in the format window menu. Other examples of options available include:

7. Take advantage of PowerPoint's shapes.

Many users don’t realize how flexible PowerPoint’s shape tools have become. In combination with the expanded format options released by Microsoft, the potential for good design with shapes is readily available. PowerPoint provides the user with a bunch of great shape options beyond the traditional rectangle, oval, and rounded rectangle patterns.

Today’s shapes include a highly functional Smart Shapes function, which enables you to create diagrams and flow charts in no time. These tools are especially valuable when you consider that PowerPoint is a visual medium. Paragraphing and bullet lists are boring — you can use shapes to help express your message more clearly.

8. Create custom shapes.

When you create a shape, right click and press Edit Points . By editing points, you can create custom shapes that fit your specific need. For instance, you can reshape arrows to fit the dimensions you like.

Another option is to combine two shapes together. To do so, select the two shapes you’d like to work with, then click Shape Format in the top ribbon. Tap Merge Shapes .

You’ll see a variety of options.

By using these tools rather than trying to edit points precisely, you can create accurately measured custom shapes.

9. Crop images into custom shapes.

Besides creating custom shapes in your presentation, you can also use PowerPoint to crop existing images into new shapes. Here's how you do that:

10. Present websites within PowerPoint.

Tradition says that if you want to show a website in a PowerPoint, you should just create a link to the page and prompt a browser to open. For PC users, there’s a better option.

Third party software that integrates fully into PowerPoint’s developer tab can be used to embed a website directly into your PowerPoint using a normal HTML iframe. One of the best tools is LiveWeb , a third-party software that you can install on your PowerPoint program.

By using LiveWeb, you don’t have to interrupt your PowerPoint, and your presentation will remain fluid and natural. Whether you embed a whole webpage or just a YouTube video, this can be a high-quality third party improvement. To install the add-on, simple head to the LiveWeb website and follow the instructions.

Unfortunately, Mac users don’t have a similar option. A good second choice is to take screenshots of the website, link in through a browser, or embed media (such as a YouTube video) by downloading it directly to your computer.

11. Try Using GIFs.

GIFs are looped animated images used to communicate a mood, idea, information, and much more. Users add GIFs to PowerPoints to be funny or quickly demo a process. It's easy to add GIFs to your slides. To do so, simply follow these steps:

PowerPoint Process

12. keep it simple..

PowerPoint is an excellent tool to support your presentation with visual information, graphics, and supplemental points. This means that your PowerPoint should not be your entire presentation. Your slides — no matter how creative and beautiful — shouldn't be the star of the show. Keep your text and images clear and concise, using them only to supplement your message and authority.

If your slides have dense and cluttered information, it will both distract your audience and make it much more likely that you will lose their attention. Nothing in your slides should be superfluous! Keep your presentation persuasive by keeping it clean. There are a few ways to do this:

13. Embed your font files.

One constant problem presenters have with PowerPoint is that fonts seem to change when presenters move from one computer to another. In reality, the fonts are not changing — the presentation computer just doesn’t have the same font files installed . If you’re using a PC and presenting on a PC, then there is a smooth workaround for this issue.

Here’s the trick: When you save your PowerPoint file (only on a PC), you should click File , then Options, then open up the Save tab. Then, select the Embed fonts in the file check box under Preserve fidelity when sharing this presentation . Now, your presentation will keep the font file and your fonts will not change when you move computers.

The macOS PowerPoint version has a similar function. To embed your fonts on a Mac, do the following:

14. Save your slides as a PDF file for backup purposes.

If you’re still scared of your presentation showing up differently when it’s time to present, you should create a PDF version just in case. This is a good option if you’ll be presenting on a different computer. If you also run into an issue where the presenting computer doesn’t have PowerPoint installed, you can also use the system viewer to open up the PDF. No laptop will ever give you trouble with this file type.

The only caveat is that your GIFs, animations, and transitions won’t transfer over. But since the PDF will only work as a backup, not as your primary copy, this should be okay.

To save your presentation as a PDF file, take the following steps:

You can also go to File , then Export , then select PDF from the file format menu.

15. Embed multimedia.

PowerPoint allows you to either link to video/audio files externally or to embed the media directly in your presentation. You should embed these files if you can, but if you use a Mac, you cannot actually embed the video (see note below). For PCs, two great reasons for embedding are:

Note: macOS users of PowerPoint should be extra careful about using multimedia files.

If you use PowerPoint for Mac, then you will always need to bring the video and/or audio file with you in the same folder as the PowerPoint presentation. It’s best to only insert video or audio files once the presentation and the containing folder have been saved on a portable drive in their permanent folder. Also, if the presentation will be played on a Windows computer, then Mac users need to make sure their multimedia files are in WMV format. This tip gets a bit complicated, so if you want to use PowerPoint effectively, consider using the same operating system for designing and presenting, no matter what.

16. Bring your own hardware.

Between operating systems, PowerPoint is still a bit jumpy. Even between differing PPT versions, things can change. One way to fix these problems is to make sure that you have the right hardware — so just bring along your own laptop when you're presenting.

If you’re super concerned about the different systems you might have to use, then upload your PowerPoint presentation into Google Slides as a backup option. Google Slides is a cloud-based presentation software that will show up the same way on all operating systems. The only thing you need is an internet connection and a browser.

To import your PowerPoint presentation into Google Slides, take the following steps:

powerpoint presentation: importing slides into google slides

When I tested this out, Google Slides imported everything perfectly, including a shape whose points I had manipulated. This is a good backup option to have if you’ll be presenting across different operating systems.

17. Use Presenter View.

In most presentation situations, there will be both a presenter’s screen and the main projected display for your presentation. PowerPoint has a great tool called Presenter View, which can be found in the Slide Show tab of PowerPoint. Included in the Presenter View is an area for notes, a timer/clock, and a presentation display.

powerpoint presentation: using presenter view

For many presenters, this tool can help unify their spoken presentation and their visual aid. You never want to make the PowerPoint seem like a stack of notes that you’re reading off of. Use the Presenter View option to help create a more natural presentation.

Pro Tip: At the start of the presentation, you should also hit CTRL + H to make the cursor disappear. Hitting the "A" key will bring it back if you need it!

Your Next Great PowerPoint Presentation Starts Here

With style, design, and presentation processes under your belt, you can do a lot more with PowerPoint than just presentations for your clients. PowerPoint and similar slide applications are flexible tools that should not be forgotten. With a great template, you can be on your way to creating presentations that wow your audience.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in September 2013 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Download ten free PowerPoint templates for a better presentation.

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Writing a PowerPoint Presentation

Why write a PowerPoint presentation?

A PowerPoint presentation is similar to a poster presentation, only the information is on computer slides rather than actual posters. They are usually used to accompany an oral presentation; they should enhance the oral presentation instead of serving as speaking notes. You can incorporate audio and visual media. They are often used to share information with a large group, such as at a professional conference, classroom presentations, and meetings.

What should be included in the PowerPoint slides?

There are three main elements to a PowerPoint presentation:

Text – allows you to reinforce your main points and keep key terms and concepts in the readers’ minds. Text should almost never appear in blocks, but it should be organized into lists of single words or short statements that are easy to grasp. Text could include definitions, key points, captions, or essential facts.

Images – illustrate or highlight your main point. Some slides may only require an image with a caption to provide a visual for whatever you are presenting orally.

Graphs or Tables – present complicated information or numerical figures in a clear and easily digestible manner.

Choose a single background for the entire presentation.

Use simple, clean fonts.

Use a font size that can be seen from the back of the room.

Write in bulleted format and use consistent phrase structure in lists.

Provide essential information only. Use key words to guide the reader/listener through the presentation.

Use direct, concise language. Keep text to a minimum.

Provide definitions when necessary.

Use white space to set off text and/or visual components.

Make sure each slide logically leads to the next.

Use a heading for each slide.

Don’t:

Clutter the slide with graphics.

Use complicated fonts.

Add superfluous information.

Put down every word you are going to say.

Use images if they will distract.

Use hard to read color combinations, like black on blue. Try to use high contrast combinations.

How to Prepare a Professional Presentation

Last Updated: March 5, 2023 References

This article was co-authored by Devin Jones and by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising . Devin Jones is the creator of “The Soul Career," an online career incubator for women. She is certified in the CliftonStrengths assessment and works with women to clarify their purpose and create meaningful careers. Devin received her BA from Stanford University in 2013. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 208,908 times.

When you need to clearly share important information, a PowerPoint presentation makes a great way to reach your audience. Even though it’s pretty easy to throw all of your information together, you’ll leave a bigger impact if you take time to organize and prepare beforehand. We’ll start with what to include in your presentation and move on to how to design and run through your slides. With a little bit of prep, you’ll nail any presentation you have to give!

Start with a title slide.

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Follow the title slide with an agenda slide.

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Organize the middle slides for logical flow.

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Include a call-to-action slide near the end of your presentation.

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Conclude with the key takeaways.

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Aim to have about 10 slides.

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Use consistent backgrounds.

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Choose easy-to-read fonts.

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List main ideas with short bullet points.

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Add relevant graphics.

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Avoid flashy transitions.

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Practice your presentation out loud.

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Rehearse in front of an audience.

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Best 11 Tricks You Need to Know to Make Professional PowerPoint Presentations

Updated: Sep 25, 2022

Best 11 Tricks You Need to Know to Make Professional PowerPoint Presentations

In 2017 PowerPoint managed to make an epic coming out. Nobody was expecting to see this, but TA-DA! PowerPoint templates have managed to become bestsellers in most digital assets marketplaces.

But how will it affect you? It means that sooner or later your boss will make you prepare some report and present it publicly, and you will have to design some presentation in PowerPoint, and since you are reading this piece, I bet you have no idea how to create a PowerPoint presentation.

My, how the world begins to turn, someday I was just like you, I knew nothing about PowerPoint and they made me prepare a presentation for a topic that I’m good at, and speak publicly on a meetup arranged inside of our company.

All tips I’m going to share with you further I’ve gathered and implemented successfully, thus I’ve created a nice presentation and didn’t mess this up.

Your Presentation Shouldn’t be Boring

Your Presentation Shouldn’t be Boring

There’s nothing worse than a boring presentation. Lucky me I’ve attended few times such presentation and now I can tell you what you mustn’t do, no matter what. Under no circumstances, you shouldn’t read from a sheet of paper !

You’re not a professor at some University who gives a boring lecture about the reproduction of Drosophila flies, you’re speaking publicly, and you need to make your bold statement, and prove your listeners that you’re pretty good at what you do!

Your Slides Shoudln't be Wordy

Your Slides Shoudln't be Wordy

Don’t try to fit the text of your speech into the slides of your presentation. Some people do it like this they create a text block and just copy and paste the text of their speech into the slides.

Never, never do this. Imagine thу size of the projection screen, it’s about 3 by 4 meters, and what will your slides look when they are filled completely with text? This will look like crap!

You need to take the most important phrases and arrange then as lists in the center of the slide. If there’s a picture in the left part of the slide you can wrap it around from right with your text.Overall the text on each of your slides should occupy no more than 1/5 of the slide square!

Don't Oversuse Memes

Don't Oversuse Memes

Do you like memes? Sure you do, I also love them, and your boss does, and the boss of your boss also loves memes. But trust me, your presentation should contain no more than 1 meme!

If you’re going to use more than one meme you will look like a clown, and these jokes will significantly drop credibility of your speech.

Use only one meme.

Get Prepared

Get prepared

Now let’s turn to the most important thing it’s your presentation. There’s an 80% possibility you’re looking on a blank page and you don’t know what you got to say.

Let’s do it like this, put your laptop aside and take an A4 sheet, write the title of your presentation on top of the page and start sketching all ideas that come up to your mind when you think about the problem depicted by your presentation. Once you make enough sketches you can proceed to the next step.

In case it turns out that you produce quite a lot of ideas for the presentation content but there’s no way you can arrange all those elements into a decent presentation you can opt for PowerPoint templates. They are designed specifically for such cases.

Write your story

Write your story

Your speech should not be a set of unemotional copy that somehow covers the topic of your presentation. Why do you think everyone got so crazy about storytelling? Because people love listening to stories, give them one. You can divide your speech into three part, just like any other story:

Intro - state the problem.

Middle part - give a solution to your problem.

Final part - give a short summary of what you have said.

If you manage to write a story, even if your presentation is about some boring near technological subject there’s room for making a story.

To see how they do it, you can visit TEDx website , there you can find a presentation practically on any subject.

Have you seen a cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants? Do you like the color palette of this cartoon? How do you think, will your listeners like your presentation if it looks like this?

Write your story

I sincerely doubt that. So what you can do about that, if your presentation is for in-house use, you can use your corporate colors to style it, open your company style guide copy those hexes and you’re done.

The same goes for the fonts, but there’s a thing you need to know about. There are two types of fonts you can use, serif fonts and sans serif. For onscreen presentation, serif fonts are not recommended because all those tiny elements can disappear or become too blurry due to the brightness and resolution of an image on a projection screen.

Most of the sans serif fonts were designed for display of text on computer screens and such cases as yours, so you can freely take a font like Gill Sans or PT Sans and use it for your presentation.

NB: Never use Comic Sans, never!

The Photos

Here’s another thing that puts most PowerPoint beginners into a dead end - photos. There are two resources where you get free photos on any possible topic: Unsplash and Pexels .

Don't Make Them Seasick

Don't Make Them Seasick

Someday, in when people loved WordArt PowerPoint transition and animation effects were considered to be something cool. But today in 2K17 everyone is sick and tired of those micro animations, blurs, hovers and other things that are supposed to make interfaces awesome. You can omit and get rid of all those nasty animations making your PowerPoint presentation really simple.

Use Charts, Graphs, and Infographics

Use Charts, Graphs, and Infographics

Have you seen Boredpanda charts , here’s one of their latest? People love it when information is presented in a way of an easily comprehensible graph. If you can’t make your own, steal one :)

The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint

And here comes the last thing you need to know about PowerPoint presentation, it’s a rule invented by Guy Kawasaki, it’s called 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint .

The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint

Over to You!

Now when you’re armed with these PowerPoint tips you can start building your own successful presentation. Good luck to you, my friend!

IMAGES

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  6. [View 13+] Download Professional Template Ppt Simple Images jpg

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VIDEO

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  5. Best PowerPoint Presentation Design Template

  6. How To Create a Duplicate Page In PowerPoint Presentation. Microsoft PowerPoint. Duplicate Page

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  6. How to Make Professional PowerPoint Presentations (w/Templates)

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    Best 11 Tricks You Need to Know to Make Professional PowerPoint Presentations · Your Presentation Shouldn't be Boring · Your Slides Shoudln't be