This document provides tips for creating effective business presentations using PowerPoint. It recommends starting with identifying the purpose and audience and adding content with them in mind. Additional tips include selecting a consistent template with easy to read fonts and non-distracting backgrounds, using relevant images while being mindful of copyrights, creating simple graphics to break up information, adding animations and transitions sparingly, including hyperlinks to enhance interactivity, engaging audiences with polls or quizzes, and making the presentation available online. The document stresses starting with the message, adding text and graphics to improve understanding, and providing an interactive experience while maintaining accessibility.

1. E M I L Y E H R E N B E R G E R
Creating Effective Business
Presentations

2. Start With the Message and Content
 Identify:
 The purpose
 The audience
 Add the text, or content, to all slides with the
purpose and audience in mind.

3. Background and Fonts
 For a visually appealing presentation:
 Select a consistent template
 Don’t distract from the message
 Select an easy to read font style and size
 Don’t use more than two font styles

4. Select Images
 Images should be used to complement the text and message
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011).
 Use relevant images
 Be mindful of copyright permission
 Photography is preferred to clip art

5. Create Meaningful Graphics
 Use PowerPoint’s Illustration,
SmartArt, or chart tools to
easily create your own
personalized graphics
 Keep the graphics simple and
easy to understand
 Can include further descriptive
details in presentation
handouts
• Simplify and breakup complex or boring information with a
visual aid (Guffey & Loewy, 2011).

6. Add Special Effects
 Special effects can add interest and focus to a presentation
 Use Animations tool within PowerPoint to control when objects
appear on the screen
 Can be applied to bulleted points, images, or graphics
 Used to present relevant information connected to verbal
presentation
 Can add transition effects between slides, but don’t go overboard

7. Including Hyperlinks
 Can provide links to other
presentations, programs for documents,
videos or spreadsheets, or other outside
websites
 Hyperlinks to other information can
add interest to a presentation and make
it more interactive for the audience
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011).
• Include hyperlinks to outside sources or content to
enhance a presentation

8. Audience Engagement
 Add in interactive content like opinion
polls, voting, quizzes, or tests (Guffey &
Loewy, 2011).
 Responses can be submitted with
PowerPoint applications for handheld
devices that upload immediate feedback
on results through bar charts (Guffey &
Loewy, 2011).
• When audience feedback is needed, apply these creative
options for best results (Guffey & Loewy, 2011).

9. Make Presentation Public
 Put your presentation on the internet so that the
audience can reference the information (Guffey &
Loewy, 2011).
 File can be emailed to all audience members
 Presentation can be posted to company intranet
 Use alongside a web conference or create a prerecorded
presentation to accompany slides

10. Wrap-up
 Start with the message,
identify purpose and
audience then add all text
 Select appropriate
backgrounds and font
 Add relevant images
 Create graphics to improve
understanding
 Include special effects for
interest and emphasis
 Provide hyperlinks for an
interactive experience
 Encourage audience
participation with
interactive options
 Makes slides accessible
online
Always end a presentation with a summary of the
main ideas and concepts (Guffey & Loewy, 2011).
Steps for an effective PowerPoint presentation:

11. References
 Guffey, M., & Loewy, D. (2011). Business
communication: Process and product (7th ed.).
Independence, KY: Cengage Learning.