In business, slideshow presentations are essential to almost any type of work. Slideshows are the most common tools for presentations. Since data reporting, sales or marketing pitches, brainstorming, and idea generation rely on presentations, the slideshow has become a key business tool. Almost everyone, from CEOs to interns, uses slideshows to convey their ideas better and make their presentations flow more smoothly and visually appealing.
If you’re working as an admin virtual assistant or online assistant, there’s a big chance that you will be asked to create or design slideshow presentations for your client. Therefore, honoring your slideshow design skills is important to provide the best virtual assistant service.
7 Tips for More Effective Slideshow Presentations
To help you make better slides, check out these seven tips for more effective slideshow presentations.
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Use high-quality photos, videos, and graphics.
Sharp images and high-definitioRemember a must when creating presentations. Keep in mind that presentations are of low-resolution ten projected onto; they use images and videos with a low resolution that will look super blurry during the actual presentation. While blurry images don’t necessarily affect the content of the slideshow presentation, it definitely takes away some of the visual impact.
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Keep the design simple.
Whitespace is essential to a beautiful presentation, so don’t choose templates that are too flashy or put too many graphical elements in your slides. Not only will this save you the time it takes to find or source all these graphics, but it will also allow your audience to focus on the content of the presentation better.
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Match the design or template to the intended audience.
Who is the presentation for? A presentation for a group of college art students should not look the same as a presentation for a group of CEOs. Mind the audience and ensure that the presentation’s design, flow, and content reflect their personalities or positions.
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Limit the text.
Long paragraphs and too many bullet points are major no-nos in a slideshow presentation. Remember, the slideshow is a visual aid for the presentation; it shouldn’t contain the entire presentation itself! If your client gives you their entire speech along with a bunch of data and asks you to make a presentation for it, you should be able to pick out the important points and just put those in the presentation.
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Don’t get carried away with transitions.
Transitions and special effects can make your presentation flow more smoothly, but using too many can be distracting or even annoying for the audience. Imagine trying to concentrate on what the speaker is saying, but there’s a huge flashing headline on their presentation. It’s going to take your focus away. Try to avoid these when you’re creating a slideshow.
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Choose your fonts and font sizes carefully.
When choosing the font and font size, it’s important to consider several elements: the venue, the audience, and the brand. Of course, you want to stick to the branding, but everything should still be easily readable by the people sitting in the last row. The audience should also be captivated by the text, so make it appealing to the target audience.
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Stick to your client’s branding.
Branding is incredibly important. When your client is making presentations, the slideshow must reflect their brand. This could mean adding their logo on every slide or using their brand colors, or both. Just make sure that your client’s business will be easy to recall even after they finish the presentation.
Have you been using these tips already when creating presentations for your client? Do you have your tried-and-tested tips for creating the best slideshows? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Catherine vanVonno is the President and CEO of 20four7VA, a trusted remote staffing company. She oversees the overall growth and success of the company, leads the short and long-term strategies, and manages the company’s finances. She also directs the management team regarding daily operations, brand management and marketing, client relations, strategic planning, and business development.
