When you step into a room with the intent to deliver a presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint, you carry more than just slides. You carry a message, an opportunity to connect, persuade or inform an audience.
With more than 30 years in the field of communication and media production, I’ve seen presentations succeed when they follow solid principles, and falter when they don’t. In this article, you will learn what makes a presentation truly effective, how to craft slides that support your message, and how to deliver confidently to your audience.
Know Your Audience and Your Purpose
Before you open your PowerPoint software, pause to ask: Who will I speak to? What do I want them to take away?
When you know your audience—whether they are executives, students, clients or stakeholders—you tailor your language, visuals, and pace accordingly. If your aim is persuasion, keep slides crisp, focus on benefits, and build a narrative. If your aim is education, allow for more detail but still avoid crowding each slide.
Define your purpose clearly. A slide deck is not the message; you are the message. Slides act as visual support. Starting with purpose and audience in mind ensures every design and content choice aligns.
Plan a Clear Structure
Good slides follow the structure of a good presentation: introduction, body, conclusion. When you plan the flow deliberately, you avoid chaotic transitions and help your audience stay engaged.
Start with a simple agenda slide so people know what to expect. Then move through 3-5 key points—more than that tends to overwhelm. Finally, summarise and use a strong call to action or takeaway.
When you map your structure before building slides, you avoid patching content later and end up with a smoother, more intentional presentation.
Apply the “Less is More” Principle
One of the most common mistakes is cramming too much information onto every slide. Heavy blocks of text, multiple charts and dense tables all lead to audience disengagement.
Instead, use short phrases or keywords, not full sentences. Follow rules such as:
- 6 words per line
- 6 lines per slide
- One idea per slide
Keep your message clear. Let your spoken words do the heavy lifting while slides visually reinforce your point.
Choose Fonts and Readable Typography
Typography matters more than you might assume. Choose a clean, sans-serif font like Arial, Calibri or Helvetica. Size for readability: at least 24-point for body text, and bigger for titles.
Avoid decorative fonts, italics for body text, and all caps except for slide titles. Maintain consistency: use one font family for headings and one for body text. That consistency builds visual cohesion and keeps the focus on your message.
Use High Contrast and Simple Backgrounds
Your audience should focus on your content, not start squinting at awkward backgrounds. Use dark text on a light background or light text on dark—whichever suits your room lighting and screen size.
Avoid distracting patterns. Choose a simple background, and stay consistent throughout. Each slide should feel part of a unified deck, not a mix of mismatched designs.
Limit Animation and Transitions
Animations can help direct attention—but overuse of transitions, pop-in effects or animated text quickly becomes annoying. When effects draw attention to themselves, they steal attention from your message.
Use a single subtle transition style across the deck. Trigger bullet points one at a time if you want pacing control—but only if that supports your delivery, not distracts it.
Make Visuals Work for You
Images, icons, charts and diagrams add considerable value—but only when they support your message. Use high-quality, meaningful visuals rather than generic clip art or overcrowded graphics.
Ensure charts have readable labels, avoid 3D charts (they distort data) and keep graphs simple. For images, test in the presentation environment to ensure resolution and contrast are sufficient.
Deliver with Confidence and Practice
Your slides might be strong—but they can’t carry the presentation alone. You must present, engage, and guide your audience.
Practice your timing, rehearse voice and pauses, know your slide order—including non-linear navigation if needed (e.g., jumping to an earlier slide). Arrive early, check equipment and set yourself up for success.
Avoid reading bullets verbatim. Your notes should cue you, and your delivery should bring the content to life.
Design for Accessibility and Inclusion
An inclusive slide deck increases your reach and impact. Use large fonts, high-contrast colours, and avoid reliance on colour alone to convey meaning (consider colour-blind viewers). Avoid low-contrast backgrounds in large rooms.
Consider providing handouts or an accessible version. Design thinking that includes all audience members elevates your professionalism.
Optimise for Technology and Venue
Technical glitches often derail even the best presentation. On arrival:
- Verify the display resolution matches your laptop
- Turn off screen savers
- Test sound and remote clicker
- Ensure font and image elements appear correctly
Save backup versions of your deck (e.g., PDF) and upload to the cloud in case of local device failure.
Tell a Story Through Your Slides
Humans connect with stories. Structure your presentation like a story: open with a hook, present a problem or need, show how your content addresses it, then close with impact.
Use narrative flow rather than disjointed facts. Slides should reflect that flow: each slide a scene, each point a chapter. Storytelling helps your audience retain more and engage emotionally.
Use Recent Data and Real-World Examples
Bring your presentation to life with up-to-date statistics (for example, many presenters drop audience retention when slides exceed 10 per deck). Use case studies, anecdotes or testimonials relevant to your audience.
Real-world examples build credibility and relevance. Be sure to cite data verbally (“According to 2025 survey respondents…”). Show your slides, but you should speak to the numbers.
Keep Slide Count and Timing in Check
Avoid “Death by PowerPoint” by limiting the number of slides and ensuring pacing. A good guideline is one slide per minute or fewer. If your deck runs 20 slides for a 30-minute talk, you may rush or confuse.
Set milestones during practice: when you reach slide 10, you should be halfway through the talk. Then adjust accordingly.
Summary and Takeaway Action
To wrap up: review your key points, reinforce your call to action, and provide a clear next step for your audience. End strong. A memorable conclusion gives closure and directs attention back to you, not just the screen.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: How many slides should I use for a 30-minute presentation?
Aim for around 20 slides or fewer. One slide per minute keeps pace and prevents rush.
Q2: What font size should I choose for readability?
Use at least 24-point for body text and 32-point or more for headings. Sans-serif fonts work best.
Q3: Should I use many animations to keep audience engaged?
No. Use animations sparingly. Only when they enhance—not distract—from your message.
Q4: How can I make my presentation accessible for everyone?
Choose high-contrast colours, avoid using colour alone for meaning, and use large fonts. Consider handouts or transcripts.
Q5: Is it okay to read from the slides?
No. The audience can read faster than you. Use slides as cues, speak your message, and engage directly.
Q6: How do I handle a technology failure during my presentation?
Have backups (USB drive, cloud upload, PDF version). Familiarise yourself with the presentation venue and arrive early to test everything.
Q7: Can I break the “one idea per slide” rule for complex topics?
Only cautiously. If a slide must contain more, break the content into clear sections, use visuals to clarify, and limit text to keywords. But generally one idea per slide remains best practice.