What Are Some Common PowerPoint Mistakes To Avoid?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,
  • Too Much Text. …
  • Too Much Clutter. …
  • Bad Contrast. …
  • Reading Out Slides Verbatim. …
  • Talking to the Screen. …
  • Adding Extreme Transitions & Animations—Just Because. …
  • Failing to Practice.

What are some common PowerPoint mistakes how can they be avoided?

Now is the time to present that work, how do you do that? Well obviously, with a PowerPoint. But, just like your work, creating a PowerPoint can be equal parts art and science. So today we want to give you

five

common mistakes that you can avoid when looking to make that next great PowerPoint presentation.

What are the 5 common mistakes when making a presentation?

  • Starting poorly. Make sure to start your presentations with impact. …
  • Failing to address the audience’s concerns. …
  • Boring your audience. …
  • Failing to engage emotionally. …
  • Using too much jargon. …
  • Being too wordy or rambling. …
  • Going over your allotted time. …
  • Lack of focus.

Do and don’ts of PowerPoint presentation?

  • DO: Stay Concise.
  • DON’T: Overdo the Special Effects.
  • DO: Use Humor.
  • DON’T: Just Read the Slides.
  • DO: Look Up!
  • DON’T: Rush.
  • DO: Be Bold and Direct.
  • DON’T: Over Rely on Clipart.

What are the common misuses of using PowerPoint?

  • You don’t know your topic. No one wants to see a bobble-head presentation where you’re constantly having to look at your notecards. …
  • Too many or too few images. …
  • Bad ClipArt. …
  • Too much / Not enough Text. …
  • Bad choice of Fonts or Color.

What should be avoided during presentation?

  • Forget that you’re up there not to promote how wonderful you are, but to provide value to the audience.
  • Lose focus of what the audience needs from you. …
  • Fail to set objectives. …
  • Proceed without a plan (also known as an agenda). …
  • Wing it. …
  • Jump from point to point in a disorganized way.

What should you avoid in a PowerPoint?

  1. Too Much Text. The number one mistake found in PowerPoint presentations is usually the amount of text used in a slide. …
  2. Bad Fonts. …
  3. Images And Videos With Poor Quality. …
  4. Bad Contrast. …
  5. Moves And Transitions.

What makes a bad PowerPoint presentation?

One of the biggest and most common problems that occur in PowerPoint presentations is

using too much text on each slide

. … As a rule of thumb, less is more when it comes to text on your slides. Try to stick to using bullets points, and any essential text should be divided between multiple slides.

How do you avoid reading a presentation?

  1. Don’t Give Yourself Anything to Read. Slides filled with bullet points are pretty common in science research talks, which makes reading off of the slide much easier. …
  2. Practicing Your Talk. …
  3. Writing Your Own Notes. …
  4. Make it Personal.

What makes a bad presentation?

  • Emotionless and stiff delivery. One mistake many people make is delivering it in a flat, monotonous tone. …
  • Lecturing instead of presenting. …
  • Blending all your points. …
  • Avoiding eye contact. …
  • Not relating to the audience. …
  • Overdoing your slide design. …
  • Being too formal. …
  • Using bad body language.

What are 8 things one should do when creating a PowerPoint presentation?

  1. First, write. Your content is the most important aspect of your presentation. …
  2. Embrace simplicity. …
  3. Select good pictures. …
  4. Create a visual theme. …
  5. Present data in an engaging way. …
  6. Limit copy. …
  7. Pick an intentional color scheme. …
  8. Stick with one or two fonts.

How do you make a PowerPoint stand out?

  1. Build your slides last. …
  2. Don’t try to replace you. …
  3. Use a consistent theme. …
  4. More image, less text. …
  5. One story per slide. …
  6. Reveal one bullet at a time. …
  7. Leave the fireworks to Disney. …
  8. Use the 2/4/8 rule.

What is the 6 by 6 rule in PowerPoint?

A good way to keep yourself in line is by remembering the 666 rule. Presentation University recommends

slides shave no more than six words per bullet, six bullets per image and six word slides in a row.

What makes a bad presentation for students?

Key Points


It takes practice and effort to deliver a good presentation

. But, if you know how to avoid the pitfalls, your presentations will be great. Common presentation mistakes include not preparing properly, delivering inappropriate content, and speaking poorly.

How do I make my PowerPoint talk?

The PowerPoint Speak or Real Aloud feature is similar to the Speak option in Word. Speak button can be put on the Quick Access Toolbar or Ribbon.

Select some text or Ctrl + A for the whole slide then click the Speak button

. If there’s no selection, Speak will say the current word at the cursor.

Is it OK to read slides in presentation?

Summary: If you give presentations, make no mistake: Reading the slides annoys your audience and makes you look unprepared and unprofessional. … Instead,

replace any lengthy text with a few keywords and use

those keywords as a prompt for the points you’re making.

Is reading a presentation bad?


Reading Is Usually a Bad Idea

Many students and business executives ask if it’s OK to read a speech. … It’s rarely a good idea to read a speech, unless you meet two criteria: 1) You’re a political or business leader and 2) It’s critically important that your words be spoken exactly as written.

What is the 7×7 rule in PowerPoint?

The 7×7 rule is simple: For every slide, use no more than seven lines of text — or

seven bullet points — and no more than seven words per line

.

What are a common errors in presentations?

  1. Lack of Preparation. …
  2. Poor Use of Visuals. …
  3. Inappropriate Humor. …
  4. Inappropriate Dress. …
  5. Not Knowing the Audience. …
  6. Non-Functioning Equipment. …
  7. Starting or Ending a Presentation Late. …
  8. Using a Monotone Voice.

What is the 2 4 8 rule in PowerPoint?

The 2/4/8 rule is as follows:

About every 2 minutes, have a new slide—no more than 4 bullets per slide, and no more than 8 words per bullet

.

What is the 10 20 30 Slideshow rule?

To save the venture capital community from death-by-PowerPoint, he evangelized the 10/20/30 rule for presentations which states that “

a presentation should have ten slides, last no more than twenty minutes, and contain no font smaller than thirty points.”

What is the 5 by 5 rule in PowerPoint?

Follow the 5/5/5 rule

To keep your audience from feeling overwhelmed, you should keep the text on each slide short and to the point. Some experts suggest using the 5/5/5 rule:

no more than five words per line of text, five lines of text per slide

, or five text-heavy slides in a row.

What makes a good PowerPoint?

Use the slide master feature to

create a consistent and simple design template

. It is fine to vary the content presentation (bulleted list, two-column text, text and image, etc.), but be consistent with other elements such as font, colors and background. Simplify and limit the number of words on each screen.

What is the biggest problem with this slide?


The text is too small

.

Who is the father of PowerPoint?

PowerPoint was created by

Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin

at a software startup in Silicon Valley named Forethought, Inc.

How can I make my PowerPoint more attractive?

  1. 1) Skip the Stock Template.
  2. 2) Don’t Use More than 6 Lines of Text.
  3. 3) Ditch the Bullet Points.
  4. 4) Use Sans Serif Fonts.
  5. 5) Size Fonts Appropriately.
  6. 6) Maintain a Strong Contrast Between Text and Background.
  7. 7) Use No More than 5 Colors.
  8. 8) Use Contrasting Text Colors to Draw Attention.

How can I make a PowerPoint more interesting?

  1. Identify and then tell the story. …
  2. Do not present too much information. …
  3. Do not add content unless it supports your main points. …
  4. Do not use PowerPoint as a teleprompter. …
  5. Use PowerPoint to clarify and amplify your message.

Which of these must be avoided in a speech?

Which of these must be avoided by a speaker? Explanation:

Abstract words

must be avoided in a speech.

Juan Martinez
Author
Juan Martinez
Juan Martinez is a journalism professor and experienced writer. With a passion for communication and education, Juan has taught students from all over the world. He is an expert in language and writing, and has written for various blogs and magazines.