The PowerPoint is a fixed part of most presentations that are given. We want to inspire, inform or convince the audience, but unfortunately not every presentation succeeds in that. The audience is left with question marks and the message is then quickly forgotten. We list the 10 most important reasons why a presentation does not 'stick' with the audience afterwards. And we immediately give tips to do it better.

1. The build-up of the story is boring The story build-up of your presentation is very important. It ensures that your audience stays attentive and understands your message well. So begin your presentation with your core message: What is the problem/solution? What is your objective? What do we want to achieve together? ... In this way you set expectations high and the audience stays engaged. This certainly applies to a pitch presentation. Here, begin with the problem, then the context and immediately after that the solution.
2. Far too much text on the slides Your audience is not able to listen to you and read out your slides at the same time. It causes confusion and loss of attention. On top of that, slides that are full of text are often very ugly. So provide slides that have only key words on them. Bullet points with full sentences and blocks of text are fine for brochures, but not for a supporting PowerPoint presentation.
3. No, wrong or qualitatively insufficient images 'A picture says more than 1000 words' the saying goes. That is completely true, but then it does have to be a clear and quality image. An image that suits the text/subject and of a sufficient quality/size to be presented clearly. Dare also to put an image on a full slide to increase its impact.
4. Slides do not support the text Nothing is as confusing during a presentation as having to look at a slide that does not align with the text spoken by the speaker. Ensure the slides align with the subject being discussed. Use the same words as on the slide, provide graphic elements, icons or images that give meaning to the subject.
5. Design is not recognisable If you give a sales, pitch or company presentation, it is very important that the look of the slides aligns with that of the company. The house style must be recognisable. Use the same colours, images and graphic elements as those of the house style and the website. This recognition will have a reinforcing effect both during the presentation and afterwards.
6. Presentation is too long/too many slides No one likes to listen to a story they have the impression is taking too long. Attention wanders and the audience forgets what has been told. That is certainly the case with an online presentation where the attention span is even smaller. So provide a to-the-point presentation with a powerfully built storyline.
7. Not clear Many presentations are told from the knowledge present in the speaker themselves. We too often assume a certain prior knowledge on the part of the audience and are afraid to tell things that are too obvious. Yet a presentation will be better understood if you assume the audience has no prior knowledge. Describe the problem before you give the solution. Give a clear description of the situation before you present your products and services.
8. Wrong animations and transitions To camouflage the lack of an engaging presentation, too many animations and slide transitions are often added to the presentation. Animations must be meaningful and support the story by, for example, having things appear step by step. Provide a limited number of different animations and transitions in the total presentation.
9. Too general The audience's attention will stay high as long as they hear a story that aligns with what they want to hear. If this becomes too general, they lose their attention. So make sure you tailor the content of the presentation to the needs/questions of your audience and do not bring a general story.
10. No conclusion The two most important moments in a presentation are the beginning and the end. At the beginning you determine how long the audience will stay attentive. At the end you determine what the audience will remember of your presentation. So at the end of your presentation, provide a concluding summary. Think of Piet Huysentruyt's 'What have we learned today?'. The summary on your last slide contains the take-aways of your presentation and that is what the audience will remember.

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