By Kaitlyn Brady / Full360 Reporter

It is not uncommon for students of all ages, and even teachers, to fall victim to “Death by PowerPoint.”

PowerPoint presentations are often clouded by walls of text, as presenters are trying to convey as much information to their audience as possible. Presenters themselves are often plagued with being unprepared, and the effectiveness of their presentation suffers greatly from it.

Before you begin to craft your next presentation, consider some advice from professional speaker and marketing representative Judy C. Arnold.

Arnold is the Enterprise Marketing Pro. at Sinch, as well as a professional speaker. She has delivered a number of presentations and slideshows throughout her career, and she is using her experience to help presenters avoid the aforementioned “Death by PowerPoint.”

“There is definitely a bit of an art to creating an easy to read, inviting, attention-getting and effective presentation. It’s a combination of the content you present on PowerPoint slides and how you verbally deliver it,” says Arnold. “Microsoft PowerPoint, however, does some of the work for you if you take advantage of the predesigned templates and master slides.”

These eight tips are sure to help you make the most of your time and create the perfect easy to read and engaging presentation .

1. Know your audience
“It’s critical to understand your audience before preparing your presentation because it affects the language you use, the level of complexity you share, and the format for delivery,” says Arnold. Depending on who your audience is made of, whether that be peers, teachers, business professionals, adults or children, you must consider the type of language you will use. You also must decide how much information you will need to give, based on whether your audience is professionals in the subject or if they will need a more basic explanation.

2. Don’t read your slides
When presenting, you should be talking to your audience, not reading from your slides. “Each slide should stick to one main point. Supporting bullet points or copy are fine — but stay focused on your main message,” says Arnold. Using short phrases and strong verbs help to keep people engaged with your slideshow, and it also gives them more time to listen to you instead of reading the slide. There is also the hidden notes section of a slideshow, where presenters can hide notes of things that may not be present on the slide.

Another way to help elevate your presentation is with the use of imagery, and transitional animations. Using relevant imagery helps to keep people engaged, and can also convey your message without the use of words. “Animations on slides and transitions between slides are meant to gradually build your presentation and carefully control how much information appears at once. By adding the words and images to your slides a section at a time, your audience can stay focused on the immediate message without reading ahead,” says Arnold.

3. Tell a story
While the main goal of your presentation is to get your message across, telling a relevant story can help to make that message more relatable, and can also keep your audience engaged. The use of imagery related to your story can also help with theming and your purpose.

4. Use conversational language
Another way to keep your audience engaged and not bored with the presentation. By using more conversational language, it makes your presentation easier to understand and keeps an audience listening. This can also help keep your presentation concise, “.. manage to the time frame you have been allocated by using the general rule of one to two slides per minute at an average pace of delivery. Flipping too fast and rushing is distracting while staying on one slide too long could have your audience losing interest,” says Arnold.

5. Present rounded numbers
Simple and sweet, this just means to present your numerical information rounded up or down.

6. Quantify title
Make your title relevant to the information and message you are going to be sharing. You want your title to be interesting, but you want to be able to use it to support your message.

7. Leverage body language
Be aware of your body language, as you may be saying one thing but conveying something else with your body. By being aware of how your hands, arms, and body are moving, you can better help to convey your message. The next and final step can help you become more aware of your body language.

8. Practice, practice, practice
The best way to make sure your presentation is the best it can be is by practicing. Preparing what you are going to say, as well as having written and visual aids can help you create the most engaging and memorable powerpoint possible. “As you’re developing your presentation, test it out on someone — preferably someone similar to your audience, a peer or more experienced person you trust who can provide honest feedback. Be sure they understand the points you’re trying to make and see what their reactions are as you share your presentation,” says Arnold, “Are they engaged? Asking questions? Or bored? And practice, practice, practice. That will ensure a much smoother, confident and polished delivery of your presentation.”

“Starting with a well-designed presentation that is organized, streamlined, easy to read and clearly communicates your message sets the stage for a powerful presentation,” says Arnold, “…This type of preparation, along with practice, should boost your confidence and provide the content and platform for a successful delivery! “