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Thank you – We have heard the term so often that we no longer acknowledge it. Clichéd thank you’s are as common as Keep Calm Memes doing rounds on the internet. The same trend is being followed by presenters all around the world.  Most PowerPoint presentations are followed by a Thank you speech.

While nothing can replace personally thanking the audience for taking out time and being attentive, it is not always possible due to various reasons such as time constraints, multiple presentations etc. It is also not possible in situations where the presentation is not delivered personally but shared electronically. Now what options are you left with? Either you could drop a message once the presentation has been reviewed. But that is not practical since you wouldn’t know when exactly is that going to happen. This is where the simple yet important ‘Thank you’ slide comes in.

You could either go with a simple Thank You slide but that would most probably not leave the desired effect and would in fact look like a forced or compulsory slide.

A well designed Thank You template on the contrary can leave a good impression. The Thank You slide can actually be the time when a doubtful audience decides to get back to you or do business with you.

But a bad slide can backfire and can send all your efforts that you have put in the presentation down the drain. Eventually it is the content that should matter but unfortunately that’s not how the audience thinks and works.

Thank You Slide: What You Should NOT Do

Here are 4 examples of bad Thank You slides that you should avoid.

1. Don't end with a blank thank you slide.
No. Just "Thank You" is not enough, Not only does it look a "Forced" slide, it is also capable of destroying any reputation that you might have built by now.

 

Thank You Banned Image

2. Avoid unrequired fonts.
Don’t include fancy, illegible fonts unless they were a part of your presentation. Maintain the font style and size with your previous slides (+/- 2) at the most. Very huge font and weird font styles will not get you the desired effect and make your presentation look unprofessional.

Banned Slide

3. Don’t include unnecessary images or visuals.
Stick to the theme. A business or any serious presentation should never end with a slide which is casual or informal. Take the liberty to crack a joke related to the profession verbally but don’t try to add humor at the end of the PPT. Don’t randomize it. You don’t want to become ‘joke of the month’ and that is why avoid such cheesy Thank You slides.

Banned Slide Image

4. Don’t clutter your Thank You slide
Stick to the purpose that is to simply thank your audience for giving you their time and attention. Don’t consume more time to do so. Your audience needs to feel that they are important to you and you respect their time. Anything else and you can be sure that that all your efforts have gone for a toss.

Banned Slide Image 1

Thank You Slide: What You Should Do

Here are 4 amazing Thank you PowerPoint slides that you can use in your presentation.

1. Company Logo and Contact Details
This slide can be the ideal slide for a formal or a business presentation. It leaves a good impression to end the slide with the company logo and all necessary details such as company address and contact details. It appears professional and the audience is once again reminded of your brand / company name and not just the content of the slide. Even if there is a question answer round after your presentation, having your contact details on the screen would reinforce your relation with the audience.

Thank you 1

Download this fully editable Thank You Template.

2. Relevant Visual and Image

Match the theme of your presentation. It is very important to do since an abrupt change in theme can change the mood and lessen the impact of your content on the audience. A consistent look of the presentation makes your audience believe that you thought your presentation throughout and were not concerned only about the content. An ideal Thank You slide for an NGO should be similar to the content and not just concerned about the contributions.

Thank you NGO

Make this Thank You PPT Template yours by clicking here.

3.  An assuring slide with contact details
Always add relevant imagery. Something that can be related to the content or can bring about a feeling of satisfaction or assurance. Visuals can be used in the Thank You slide to show confidence in your ideas and marking a beginning of a new professional or business relationship. Less content in the Thank You slide will shift the focus on the presenter and some of us might not want that since there is more scope of error. Hence it is important not to leave the Thank You slide very light or empty. Make a slide which gives the audience something to look at rather than just staring at the screen or presenter. An image such as a handshake can induce the feeling of assurance, promise and professionalism.

Thank You Slide

Click here to download this professional Thank You Slide.

4. Company’s Profile with Logo
Another way would be to include a slide with the profile of the presenter or the company that is hosting or responsible for the presentation. A good profile would add credit and add authenticity to the content shared during the presentation. An impressive profile can also make the audience get back to the company or the individual for further inquiries or business.

Thank you slide 2

Download this Thank You layout from here.

Whichever way you choose to, always make sure to thank your audience whether through a PowerPoint slide or through spoken words. Thank you for taking out time to read the post.