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Well-prepared Microsoft PowerPoint presentations will always garner better results than poorly prepared ones. A poorly prepared presentation may suffer from a range of issues. These are the main issues that could cause you problems:
1. Fonts
2. Embedded objects
3. Layout
4. Templates
5. Spelling
6. Images
7. Audience interest
8. Conclusion
Fonts
That beautiful artistic font will not always look as pretty when projected onto a screen. This situation becomes even worse if the font you are using isn't a standard font, and you are forced to use a laptop or computer than doesn't have the font installed. When this occurs, the computer will replace the font with another. This new replacement font could totally alter the formatting of your presentation! You can easily avoid this by choosing standard fonts.
Microsoft PowerPoint doesn't embed fonts by default and uses whatever is available on the computer. Therefore you should always use fonts that are common to most Windows computers such as Arial, Courier, Times New Roman, Tahoma, and Verdana.
Embedded Objects
Anyone who has ever given presentation knows that there is nothing worse than trying to play an embedded video or audio clip. This is regarded as a classic mistake when it comes to making presentations. The only was to ensure clips will work is to use your own laptop to make the presentation.
Even if you transfer the PowerPoint file, as well as the clip itself, there is no guarantee this will work, because you will have to put them in the same folders and paths as your own computer. This can be tricky, and often quite confusing.
So either (a) Do Not Embed Video Clips or (b) Use your own laptop for the presentation.
Layout
As with most things, the audience is not going to read all of the presentation text you've created. If you're lucky they'll scan over it once quickly and try to take a couple of pieces of information away from it. Therefore you should highlight the most important sections by using large headers and bullet-points. Think of them as the signs you see on the street. You may not be able to read the shop's window offer but you can certainly see their logo from a distance - it's the same principle.
Templates
Microsoft PowerPoint has Master Templates which are really simple to use. They keep things simple which means you're less likely to encounter errors during your presentation. Keeping your logo in the same place as well as using the same fonts and bullet-point styles throughout is a lot easier using a Master Template. This will also mean that you won't have any transition errors if you transfer the presentation to a different computer.
Spelling
Part of being well perpraed means taking the time to check your spelling. Did you even notice I spelled "prepared" wrong? I bet my boss did! You should always get a friend, family member or colleague to preview your work. They may spot something you've missed.
Images
If a picture is worth a thousand words, great images can make a huge impact on your presentation. Ideally, take a few pictures using a digital camera and use them, or even some mobile phone cameras at their highest settings can provide you with some interesting on-the-job results. Either way, avoid using images from websites. Leaving aside copyright infringement, they've probably been scaled down to 72/96 DPI so they load quickly on a web page. Enlarging that file onto a projector screen will most likely have the same effect as getting an extreme close-up on you first thing in the morning when you get out of bed. Planning your presentation in advance should give you the time to come up with a few unique images that will assist your PowerPoint project. Keep it looking sharp.
Audience Interest
It's easy to presume that because you understand something, others will too. Therefore when planning your Microsoft PowerPoint presentation think carefully about who will be there and put yourself in their mindset. What do they expect from you personally? What outcome might they be expecting? Keep these questions in mind during your preparation. Ideally you should practice and run through your presentation with a friend or family member to see where you could do better, and pick up some brownie points!
A focused talk should help engage your audience and encourage them to ask questions at the end.
Conclusion
Your PowerPoint presentation should have a successful conclusion to its theme. The core points and most vital information should be highlighted and repeated as necessary. Along with the core points, show the audience that your ideas are worth considering and that you are making a valuable contribution to your group. Ideally, leave them with a new piece of info or new example to consider. Always end with something that will make the audience talk about your presentation later. Try to be memorable.
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