One of the biggest challenges while delivering a presentation that you’re so passionate about is – making it easy for your audience to understand. Well, it is disheartening to see the audience yawning and cross-talking or seeing blank faces looking at you as if you were speaking Greek!
Thus, it is crucial to make your slides simple, clear, and easy to gather because a great presentation is one that is loved greatly by its audience and is well comprehended by them.
Here are a few tips that can help you make your slides easier to understand.
1. Organize and Structure Your Speech
Imagine sitting through a presentation that you are quite eager to learn about. As the presentation begins, there is no introduction, the headings are hither-thither, and the content is highly unorganized. Would you be able to gather much from the presentation? Of course, not!
Thus, one of the simplest ways to make your presentation easier to understand is by organizing your content and structuring your presentation in a proper manner. You can start by creating a rough draft of your presentation – write a brief introduction, note down the headings, jot down some points, highlight the keywords, and craft a conclusion.
You can then commence crafting your slides around these core pillars and, subsequently, create a stunning PowerPoint presentation that is well-structured and highly organized.
2. Harness the Power of Good Visuals for Complex Topics
The best way to explain difficult subjects to your audience is by using good-quality visuals and graphics. It is a well-known fact that most people are visual learners and find it easier to comprehend tricky topics through visuals.
Thus, you can do the same by using pre-designed templates and graphics that can be completely customized and can make your presentations stand out.
For instance, if you want to explain the family history of a particular dynasty to your students, you can craft a flowchart and help them learn their subject in a matter of no time. You can also incorporate mind maps for lengthy topics, graphs and charts for numerical data, and timelines for explaining evolutions.
3. Incorporate Humor Wisely
If you find your audience’s attention to be dwindling because of the complexity of your presentation, harness the power of humor and get them on their toes instantly. Using humor appropriately can help explain difficult subjects with ease.
For instance, if you are teaching Mathematics to your students, you can add a slide and show some funny answers or common silly mistakes that students make in a particular complex concept. It will help students understand the topic easily and avoid mistakes.
4. Narrate Anecdotes and Make them Relatable
Imagine sitting through a presentation on Marketing. There are two people on stage explaining the concepts of marketing and its different techniques. The first person presents it theoretically, shows you research data, and says, ‘it’s done.’ However, the other person starts by talking about his journey from being an amateur to an expert in the field, explains his theories with his hands-on experiences, and finishes off gradually.
Which speaker’s concepts would you understand and resonate with more? It would definitely be the second one, as he/she shared a part of his/her life with you, made it personal, and established a connection.
Thus, including anecdotes in your presentations can make them relatable and much easier to understand.
5. Use Simple Sentences and Layman’s Vocabulary
When your communication is simple, it is easier for your audience to understand your content and ideas. Your language must be such that the audience can fathom concepts the minute you say something.
You can do this by following the given tips –
- Avoid making your sentences wordy or lengthy. Craft shorter sentences instead.
- Use simple words that are of common knowledge. If you are using particular terms, make sure to explain them in simpler words as well.
- Avoid using too many idioms or phrases. They can seem unnecessary and make your presentation difficult to understand.
6. Focus on One Topic Per Slide
One of the best ways to simplify your presentations is by using the rule of only one topic per slide. It can help you explain each topic in detail without mixing it with others from your presentation.
You can do this by including only one main heading and a central idea or a particular topic per slide. It is crucial to strategically divide content into various slides to ensure a great presentation.
Conclusion
The biggest achievement for a presenter lies in knowing that his/her audience was able to learn greatly from the presentation. It not only increases one’s credibility as a presenter but also serves as an incentive for the audience to attend their presentations again. Thus, make sure to craft easy and simple slides and cater to the needs of your audience efficiently!
