Not every presentation is linear, and you might prefer to jump back and forth from sections of your deck to a common "table of contents," so you can tackle the presentation in any order. This can be handy, for example, if you're using a deck for training or education. PowerPoint's Zoom feature is ideal for this.Few things look as unprofessional as fumbling around trying to start your presentation in the PowerPoint app. But you can skip all that by setting your presentation to start instantly.You can format any kind of chart so each segment animates individually. This can help you call attention to specific parts of the chart as you discuss it. Add a chart in the usual way, then:PowerPoint lets you add objects — shapes, lines, arrows, text boxes, and other elements — to the screen, but getting them aligned can be tricky. You might appreciate knowing you can perfectly align any elements on the screen with just a couple of clicks.

How to give better PowerPoint presentations and improve your slides to keep an audience engaged

<figure><img src="https://i.insider.com/6025848fb3c2a800183cc662?width=700" srcset="https://i.insider.com/6025848fb3c2a800183cc662?width=400&amp;format=jpeg&amp;auto=webp 400w, https://i.insider.com/6025848fb3c2a800183cc662?width=500&amp;format=jpeg&amp;auto=webp 500w, https://i.insider.com/6025848fb3c2a800183cc662?width=700&amp;format=jpeg&amp;auto=webp 700w, https://i.insider.com/6025848fb3c2a800183cc662?width=1000&amp;format=jpeg&amp;auto=webp 1000w, https://i.insider.com/6025848fb3c2a800183cc662?width=1300&amp;format=jpeg&amp;auto=webp 1300w, https://i.insider.com/6025848fb3c2a800183cc662?width=2000&amp;format=jpeg&amp;auto=webp 2000w" alt="powerpoint presentation to coworkers in office space" width="763" height="381"><figcaption dir="auto">It's important to know how to create well-designed PowerPoint presentations to help your audience follow along and stay engaged. </figcaption></figure><h2>How to make a better PowerPoint presentation</h2>Here are nine ways to get more out of PowerPoint and create a killer presentation.&nbsp;<h3>Start your presentation instantly&nbsp;</h3>Few things look as unprofessional as fumbling around trying to start your presentation in the PowerPoint app. But you can skip all that by setting your presentation to start instantly.1. When your PowerPoint deck is complete, click "File" and "Save As."2. In the Save As dialog box, change the "Save as" type to "PowerPoint Show" and store it somewhere easy to find, like your desktop.&nbsp;<figure><img src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 1 1'%3E%3C/svg%3E" alt="10_tips_to_make_a_better_PowerPoint_presentation 1" width="576" height="576"><figcaption dir="auto">Save a finished presentation as a PowerPoint Show so it'll launch directly into Slide Show mode. </figcaption></figure>3. When you're ready to start the presentation, double-click this icon, and the deck will launch instantly in presentation mode, without needing to open the PowerPoint application.&nbsp;<h3>Create an animated chart</h3>You can format any kind of chart so each segment animates individually. This can help you call attention to specific parts of the chart as you discuss it. Add a chart in the usual way, then:1. Click the "Animations" tab in the ribbon and then click "Animation Pane."2. In the ribbon, click "Add Animation."3. Choose the kind of animation you want to apply to the chart.&nbsp;4. Right-click the effect in the Animation Pane and then, in the menu, choose "Effect Options."5. In the Properties box, choose the "Chart Animation" tab and then change "Group chart" to "By Category" and click "OK."<figure><img src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 1 1'%3E%3C/svg%3E" alt="10_tips_to_make_a_better_PowerPoint_presentation 2" width="576" height="576"><figcaption dir="auto">You can make each part of a chart or graph animate individually. </figcaption></figure><h3>Align your graphics</h3>PowerPoint lets you add objects — shapes, lines, arrows, text boxes, and other elements — to the screen, but getting them aligned can be tricky. You might appreciate knowing you can perfectly align any elements on the screen with just a couple of clicks.&nbsp;1. Press and hold the Shift key.2. While continuing to hold Shift, click each item on the screen that you want to align. If you click an element by accident, click it again to de-select it. Release the Shift key when they're all selected.3. Click the "Home" tab in the ribbon.4. In the ribbon, click "Arrange" and then, in the "Position Objects" section, choose an alignment to arrange or distribute the objects neatly on the screen.&nbsp;<figure><img src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 1 1'%3E%3C/svg%3E" alt="10_tips_to_make_a_better_PowerPoint_presentation 3" width="576" height="576"><figcaption dir="auto">The "Arrange" menu lets you easily align and format items on the screen so they line up perfectly. </figcaption></figure><h3>Embed your fonts for portability</h3>If you're using special fonts in your presentation and you try to open the deck on a computer that doesn't have those fonts installed, PowerPoint will substitute a local font, sometimes with disastrous results. You can avoid that problem by embedding the font in the deck, making the presentation fully portable (and possible for other people to share and edit the deck as well).1. Click the "File" tab in the ribbon and then choose "Options."2. In the PowerPoint Options dialog box, choose "Save" in the navigation pane on the left.3. In the section called "Preserve fidelity when sharing this presentation," click "Embed fonts in the file" and then select "Embed all characters."<h3>Blank the screen to keep all eyes on you</h3>It seems inevitable: For whatever reason, you find yourself needing to discuss a topic that's not directly related to the slide on the screen. That's when the deck can become a distraction, with your audience's eyes focused on a pie chart when you're answering an unrelated question. PowerPoint has an easy solution: Press the B key to blank the screen — it'll turn black until you press B again or move to the next slide. If you prefer, press W to turn the screen white.&nbsp;<h3>Easily jump between sections of your deck</h3>Not every presentation is linear, and you might prefer to jump back and forth from sections of your deck to a common "table of contents," so you can tackle the presentation in any order. This can be handy, for example, if you're using a deck for training or education. PowerPoint's Zoom feature is ideal for this.1. Create a presentation and be sure to organize it into sections, ideally with title slides dividing each part of the deck.2. Click the "Insert" tab in the ribbon.3. Click "Zoom" and then click "Summary Zoom."4. In the "Insert Summary Zoom" window, select the title slide or start of each section and then click "Insert."<figure><img src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 1 1'%3E%3C/svg%3E" alt="10_tips_to_make_a_better_PowerPoint_presentation 4" width="576" height="576"><figcaption dir="auto">Use the Zoom tool to jump back and forth between the presentation and a table of contents slide. </figcaption></figure>PowerPoint will add a summary page to your deck. Now you can start your presentation here and click a section to go there. When that section is complete, PowerPoint will return you to the summary page.&nbsp;<h3>Preserve the presentation as a PDF</h3>If you want to share your presentation with your audience, a PDF file is an easy way to preserve the formatting, make it easily printable, and prevent anyone from modifying your content. Just click the "File" tab in the ribbon, choose "Save As," and then select "PDF" as the "Save as" type. You can now share this PDF file quickly and easily.&nbsp;<h3>Zoom in for a closer look</h3>During a presentation, you might realize that the audience can't clearly see a detail you want to focus on. That's ok — PowerPoint lets you zoom in with a couple clicks.&nbsp;First, make sure your presentation is set to Slide Show view. To zoom in, click on the magnifying glass in the lower-left corner of the presenter view. You'll see a zoom box appear — position it where you want to zoom, and click. Now the presentation will be zoomed in on the part of the screen you want to focus on. You can even click and drag to move around the screen while zoomed in.&nbsp;When you're done and want to zoom back out, either press the Escape key or the magnifying glass icon again.&nbsp;<h3>Add a musical soundtrack</h3>You can easily add a musical score that plays in the background across all your slides. This is especially handy for "kiosk" presentations that run autonomously.&nbsp;1. Go to the slide where you want the music to begin and then click the "Insert" tab in the ribbon.2. Click "Audio" and then click "Audio on my PC…"3. Choose the track you want to play.&nbsp;4. In the ribbon, click "Play in Background."<figure><img src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 1 1'%3E%3C/svg%3E" alt="10_tips_to_make_a_better_PowerPoint_presentation 6" width="576" height="576"><figcaption dir="auto">Select "Play in Background" to ensure the music doesn't stop when the slides are advanced. </figcaption></figure>Now, when you reach this slide, the music will start to play automatically and it will continue playing across slides until the track is over, then loop and play again.

You can improve your PowerPoint presentations by both improving your presentation skills and making better use of the program.

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How to make a better PowerPoint presentation

Here are nine ways to get more out of PowerPoint and create a killer presentation.

Few things look as unprofessional as fumbling around trying to start your presentation in the PowerPoint app. But you can skip all that by setting your presentation to start instantly.

1. When your PowerPoint deck is complete, click "File" and "Save As."

2. In the Save As dialog box, change the "Save as" type to "PowerPoint Show" and store it somewhere easy to find, like your desktop.

3. When you're ready to start the presentation, double-click this icon, and the deck will launch instantly in presentation mode, without needing to open the PowerPoint application.

You can format any kind of chart so each segment animates individually. This can help you call attention to specific parts of the chart as you discuss it. Add a chart in the usual way, then:

1. Click the "Animations" tab in the ribbon and then click "Animation Pane."

2. In the ribbon, click "Add Animation."

3. Choose the kind of animation you want to apply to the chart.

4. Right-click the effect in the Animation Pane and then, in the menu, choose "Effect Options."

5. In the Properties box, choose the "Chart Animation" tab and then change "Group chart" to "By Category" and click "OK."

PowerPoint lets you add objects — shapes, lines, arrows, text boxes, and other elements — to the screen, but getting them aligned can be tricky. You might appreciate knowing you can perfectly align any elements on the screen with just a couple of clicks.

1. Press and hold the Shift key.

2. While continuing to hold Shift, click each item on the screen that you want to align. If you click an element by accident, click it again to de-select it. Release the Shift key when they're all selected.

3. Click the "Home" tab in the ribbon.

4. In the ribbon, click "Arrange" and then, in the "Position Objects" section, choose an alignment to arrange or distribute the objects neatly on the screen.

If you're using special fonts in your presentation and you try to open the deck on a computer that doesn't have those fonts installed, PowerPoint will substitute a local font, sometimes with disastrous results. You can avoid that problem by embedding the font in the deck, making the presentation fully portable (and possible for other people to share and edit the deck as well).

1. Click the "File" tab in the ribbon and then choose "Options."

2. In the PowerPoint Options dialog box, choose "Save" in the navigation pane on the left.

3. In the section called "Preserve fidelity when sharing this presentation," click "Embed fonts in the file" and then select "Embed all characters."

It seems inevitable: For whatever reason, you find yourself needing to discuss a topic that's not directly related to the slide on the screen. That's when the deck can become a distraction, with your audience's eyes focused on a pie chart when you're answering an unrelated question. PowerPoint has an easy solution: Press the B key to blank the screen — it'll turn black until you press B again or move to the next slide. If you prefer, press W to turn the screen white.

Easily jump between sections of your deck

Not every presentation is linear, and you might prefer to jump back and forth from sections of your deck to a common "table of contents," so you can tackle the presentation in any order. This can be handy, for example, if you're using a deck for training or education. PowerPoint's Zoom feature is ideal for this.

1. Create a presentation and be sure to organize it into sections, ideally with title slides dividing each part of the deck.

2. Click the "Insert" tab in the ribbon.

3. Click "Zoom" and then click "Summary Zoom."

4. In the "Insert Summary Zoom" window, select the title slide or start of each section and then click "Insert."

PowerPoint will add a summary page to your deck. Now you can start your presentation here and click a section to go there. When that section is complete, PowerPoint will return you to the summary page.

If you want to share your presentation with your audience, a PDF file is an easy way to preserve the formatting, make it easily printable, and prevent anyone from modifying your content. Just click the "File" tab in the ribbon, choose "Save As," and then select "PDF" as the "Save as" type. You can now share this PDF file quickly and easily.

During a presentation, you might realize that the audience can't clearly see a detail you want to focus on. That's ok — PowerPoint lets you zoom in with a couple clicks.

First, make sure your presentation is set to Slide Show view. To zoom in, click on the magnifying glass in the lower-left corner of the presenter view. You'll see a zoom box appear — position it where you want to zoom, and click. Now the presentation will be zoomed in on the part of the screen you want to focus on. You can even click and drag to move around the screen while zoomed in.

When you're done and want to zoom back out, either press the Escape key or the magnifying glass icon again.

You can easily add a musical score that plays in the background across all your slides. This is especially handy for "kiosk" presentations that run autonomously.

1. Go to the slide where you want the music to begin and then click the "Insert" tab in the ribbon.

2. Click "Audio" and then click "Audio on my PC…"

3. Choose the track you want to play.

4. In the ribbon, click "Play in Background."

Now, when you reach this slide, the music will start to play automatically and it will continue playing across slides until the track is over, then loop and play again.

How to give better PowerPoint presentations and improve your slides to keep an audience engaged

How to give better PowerPoint presentations and improve your slides to keep an audience engaged

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