Powerpoint Presentation for the Beginners (Chapter1)

Many of us have to deal with making powerpoint presentations. It may be for school / college competitions or part of job assignment or for many other purposes. Many of us feel afraid of how to make one, so as not to embarass ourselves. Here I would be sharing my personal experience that might help the readers to understand the basics of making a decent presentation.

For those who have never made a presentation before, understanding the following shall help:

1. Know your subject.
2. Know your Audience.
3. What to fill in the presentation.
4. Time constraint
5. Know your strenghts and weakness related to the subject.
6. Confidence is the key.
7. Understand that no-one is perfect.

First we need to know what presentation means and how it differs from a general speech or lecture.

The presentation means that you have to put forward your ideas and related information with the help of some visual aids like powerpoint slides in this case. In a speech or lecture, you need to look at the audience and keep on speaking with necessary variations to keep them interested. In a presentation though, in addition to speaking to the audience while maintaining an eye contact with them, you need to keep an eye on the slides running on the projector as well. Your speach or actions shall match what is projected on the slide behind you.

Lets try to understand it with the help of an example. Lets assume that we are making a presentation on Global Warming. My first slide (after my introduction) is explaining about the definition of global warming and why it has been gaining attention recently. Now we shall try to understand that in a speech I can continue at my own pace with the topic. But here I need to look at the slide and if possible point on the slide the line that you are explaining. You must not keep staring at the slide (with exceptional cases) and just have a look at it. Objective here is to make the audience grab and corelate your speach with the slide behind you. When you have to switch to next topic, like main causes of global warming, you need to wait and look back to ensure that the presentation has been switched to next slide to match your speach to come.

Things will become clear in coming lessons. Right now you need to know that presentation is nothing but a speach given with visual aids to enhance the experience of the audience and make you present a complicated topic in a sipler manner.

In case of any doubts you may leave your comments here...  :-)