To be a successful lawyer, one must be an effective orator. When you're giving a presentation or educating others on your practice field, what can take it to the next level? Visual aid. Specifically, a compelling PowerPoint presentation. Like anything else, crafting a winning PowerPoint presentation is a skill. Here are some tips to help you become a pro at PowerPoint and take your presentations to new heights!
Font matters. When choosing a font, always be thinking of the person seated at the very back of the room. Pick a legible font type and size it up to at least 24-points. Resist the urge to get too fancy with it and opt for something simple such as Arial, Calibri, or Verdana. Avoid using italics, overly unique fonts, or colors that make the words more difficult to read. Ensure your font has high contrast with the background (black words on a white background tend to be the best option visually). Many different pairs of eyes will be on your presentation, and you must ensure that every last pair can read it. Try testing things out by standing back from the screen to see how readable your PowerPoint is. Lastly, keep it consistent! Use the same font throughout to give your presentation a cohesive look.
Keep it simple. The most important information should appear on the PowerPoint as bullet points. Try to keep these bullet points short, sweet, and to the point. Aim for each one to be one line, on average. Large blocks of text are harder to read and deter your audience from narrowing down the most important takeaway. They could also get distracted and miss what you're saying while they struggle to read everything on the screen. Instead, elaborate on each point verbally.
Use graphics. A picture is worth a thousand words! Sometimes, a graphic or chart might get your word across more effectively than...well, words. Make sure to clearly label what the graphic is representing. Sometimes it can be tempting to flood your presentation with clipart or animations to give it a little more pizzazz, but try to resist the temptation to do so. Moving imagery can especially be distracting to onlookers when you're up there speaking. Use graphics sparingly and make each one count.
Choosing what appears in the presentation is just as important as keeping everything legible. Everything in the slides should reinforce the information by sight. For example, dates, statistics, and numbers--those are easier to understand and retain if you are seeing them rather than hearing them.
Try a template. You're a lawyer. You're up to your neck in work. You don't exactly have time to construct the perfect PowerPoint from the ground up. Good news--there are thousands of PowerPoint templates available online, created just for busy professionals like you! These templates come equipped with all types of slides you can easily edit to your liking. Pick a design that speaks to you and get busy. Here are 10 free PowerPoint templates designed by the marketers of HubSpot to make your next presentation pop!
Proofread. There's nothing more embarrassing than pulling up a presentation only to see a glaring typo on the title slide. It's a surefire way to instantly lose respect. Your audience might start to doubt your expertise and attention to detail if you don't put ample care into proofreading your work. Don't be afraid to ask others for help. Ask a friend to look over your PowerPoint to see if you missed anything--sometimes we get so deep in our work that we become blind to our mistakes. For more tips on foolproof proofreading, check out this past blog post!
Avoid this! During the presentation, do not turn your back on the audience to read directly from the PowerPoint. It feels unprofessional, and your audience is perfectly capable of reading the slides themselves. The bullet points are there the aid your audience in learning the key points of your presentation; they can also serve as your guide. Use them to bolster your work, but do not completely rely on them and read through the presentation word-for-word. Elaborate! After all, you're the expert!
