You can improve a presentation by paying attention to the choice of illustrations, text, fonts, colors, and all the other details of a slideshow. Make sure every element is visible, the text is free of errors, and the colors don’t send the wrong message.
But the best way to improve a presentation is to show it to someone who has no idea about the topic of your presentation, ask them what they think about it, and use their feedback to tweak the presentation.
This is a trick that works, so I recommend it to every client for whom I copyedit a presentation if they ask me for advice on how to improve a presentation.
So, when you’re preparing a PowerPoint for a conference, for an exam, or for any other event, rehearse it in front of your family or friends. Ask them to tell you what they liked and what confused them.
It’s amazing how someone new to your topic will catch the biggest “plot holes” in your presentation. Children, in particular, are able to notice details that most adults will miss.
If you pick the right test audience, they’ll tell you if you need to zoom in on a photo when you discuss an element in it, because otherwise they don’t know what you’re talking about. And they’ll notice if you’ve been too generous with the amount of text on a slide. If you rushed through the presentation to stay within your allotted time, they’ll say you made their head spin. And they’ll spot any verbal tics that can annoy the audience.
Make treasure of their feedback and revise the presentation so it impresses an outsider. Of course, getting your colleagues’ opinion, or that of your manager or thesis advisor, is important as well. But an outsider will see beyond the technical details.
So, the best way to improve a presentation is to “beta test” it in front of your family or friends. Be open to their feedback and you’ll be on your way to creating an amazing presentation that will achieve its goal.
Do you have a presentation that needs English language editing or proofreading? Send me a message at editor@languageediting.com.
Related posts:
- How to make scientific figures for publication: A 10-step guide
- The basics of editing research papers with math
- What’s one thing that could improve communicating EU research?
Last revised on 15 August 2022
