what makes an effective presentation

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How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

By Krystle Wong , Jul 20, 2023

A top-notch presentation possesses the power to drive action. From winning stakeholders over and conveying a powerful message to securing funding — your secret weapon lies within the realm of creating an effective presentation .  

Being an excellent presenter isn’t confined to the boardroom. Whether you’re delivering a presentation at work, pursuing an academic career, involved in a non-profit organization or even a student, nailing the presentation game is a game-changer.

In this article, I’ll cover the top qualities of compelling presentations and walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to give a good presentation. Here’s a little tip to kick things off: for a headstart, check out Venngage’s collection of free presentation templates . They are fully customizable, and the best part is you don’t need professional design skills to make them shine!

These valuable presentation tips cater to individuals from diverse professional backgrounds, encompassing business professionals, sales and marketing teams, educators, trainers, students, researchers, non-profit organizations, public speakers and presenters. 

No matter your field or role, these tips for presenting will equip you with the skills to deliver effective presentations that leave a lasting impression on any audience.

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 10 qualities of a good presentation?

Step-by-step guide on how to prepare an effective presentation, 9 effective techniques to deliver a memorable presentation, faqs on making a good presentation, how to create a presentation with venngage in 5 steps.

When it comes to giving an engaging presentation that leaves a lasting impression, it’s not just about the content — it’s also about how you deliver it. Wondering what makes a good presentation? Well, the best presentations I’ve seen consistently exhibit these 10 qualities:

1. Clear structure

No one likes to get lost in a maze of information. Organize your thoughts into a logical flow, complete with an introduction, main points and a solid conclusion. A structured presentation helps your audience follow along effortlessly, leaving them with a sense of satisfaction at the end.

Regardless of your presentation style , a quality presentation starts with a clear roadmap. Browse through Venngage’s template library and select a presentation template that aligns with your content and presentation goals. Here’s a good presentation example template with a logical layout that includes sections for the introduction, main points, supporting information and a conclusion: 

2. Engaging opening

Hook your audience right from the start with an attention-grabbing statement, a fascinating question or maybe even a captivating anecdote. Set the stage for a killer presentation!

The opening moments of your presentation hold immense power – check out these 15 ways to start a presentation to set the stage and captivate your audience.

3. Relevant content

Make sure your content aligns with their interests and needs. Your audience is there for a reason, and that’s to get valuable insights. Avoid fluff and get straight to the point, your audience will be genuinely excited.

4. Effective visual aids

Picture this: a slide with walls of text and tiny charts, yawn! Visual aids should be just that—aiding your presentation. Opt for clear and visually appealing slides, engaging images and informative charts that add value and help reinforce your message.

With Venngage, visualizing data takes no effort at all. You can import data from CSV or Google Sheets seamlessly and create stunning charts, graphs and icon stories effortlessly to showcase your data in a captivating and impactful way.

5. Clear and concise communication

Keep your language simple, and avoid jargon or complicated terms. Communicate your ideas clearly, so your audience can easily grasp and retain the information being conveyed. This can prevent confusion and enhance the overall effectiveness of the message. 

6. Engaging delivery

Spice up your presentation with a sprinkle of enthusiasm! Maintain eye contact, use expressive gestures and vary your tone of voice to keep your audience glued to the edge of their seats. A touch of charisma goes a long way!

7. Interaction and audience engagement

Turn your presentation into an interactive experience — encourage questions, foster discussions and maybe even throw in a fun activity. Engaged audiences are more likely to remember and embrace your message.

Transform your slides into an interactive presentation with Venngage’s dynamic features like pop-ups, clickable icons and animated elements. Engage your audience with interactive content that lets them explore and interact with your presentation for a truly immersive experience.

8. Effective storytelling

Who doesn’t love a good story? Weaving relevant anecdotes, case studies or even a personal story into your presentation can captivate your audience and create a lasting impact. Stories build connections and make your message memorable.

A great presentation background is also essential as it sets the tone, creates visual interest and reinforces your message. Enhance the overall aesthetics of your presentation with these 15 presentation background examples and captivate your audience’s attention.

9. Well-timed pacing

Pace your presentation thoughtfully with well-designed presentation slides, neither rushing through nor dragging it out. Respect your audience’s time and ensure you cover all the essential points without losing their interest.

10. Strong conclusion

Last impressions linger! Summarize your main points and leave your audience with a clear takeaway. End your presentation with a bang , a call to action or an inspiring thought that resonates long after the conclusion.

In-person presentations aside, acing a virtual presentation is of paramount importance in today’s digital world. Check out this guide to learn how you can adapt your in-person presentations into virtual presentations . 

Preparing an effective presentation starts with laying a strong foundation that goes beyond just creating slides and notes. One of the quickest and best ways to make a presentation would be with the help of a good presentation software . 

Otherwise, let me walk you to how to prepare for a presentation step by step and unlock the secrets of crafting a professional presentation that sets you apart.

1. Understand the audience and their needs

Before you dive into preparing your masterpiece, take a moment to get to know your target audience. Tailor your presentation to meet their needs and expectations , and you’ll have them hooked from the start!

2. Conduct thorough research on the topic

Time to hit the books (or the internet)! Don’t skimp on the research with your presentation materials — dive deep into the subject matter and gather valuable insights . The more you know, the more confident you’ll feel in delivering your presentation.

3. Organize the content with a clear structure

No one wants to stumble through a chaotic mess of information. Outline your presentation with a clear and logical flow. Start with a captivating introduction, follow up with main points that build on each other and wrap it up with a powerful conclusion that leaves a lasting impression.

Delivering an effective business presentation hinges on captivating your audience, and Venngage’s professionally designed business presentation templates are tailor-made for this purpose. With thoughtfully structured layouts, these templates enhance your message’s clarity and coherence, ensuring a memorable and engaging experience for your audience members.

Don’t want to build your presentation layout from scratch? pick from these 5 foolproof presentation layout ideas that won’t go wrong. 

4. Develop visually appealing and supportive visual aids

Spice up your presentation with eye-catching visuals! Create slides that complement your message, not overshadow it. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, but that doesn’t mean you need to overload your slides with text.

Well-chosen designs create a cohesive and professional look, capturing your audience’s attention and enhancing the overall effectiveness of your message. Here’s a list of carefully curated PowerPoint presentation templates and great background graphics that will significantly influence the visual appeal and engagement of your presentation.

5. Practice, practice and practice

Practice makes perfect — rehearse your presentation and arrive early to your presentation to help overcome stage fright. Familiarity with your material will boost your presentation skills and help you handle curveballs with ease.

6. Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments

Don’t be afraid to ask for help and seek feedback from friends and colleagues. Constructive criticism can help you identify blind spots and fine-tune your presentation to perfection.

With Venngage’s real-time collaboration feature , receiving feedback and editing your presentation is a seamless process. Group members can access and work on the presentation simultaneously and edit content side by side in real-time. Changes will be reflected immediately to the entire team, promoting seamless teamwork.

7. Prepare for potential technical or logistical issues

Prepare for the unexpected by checking your equipment, internet connection and any other potential hiccups. If you’re worried that you’ll miss out on any important points, you could always have note cards prepared. Remember to remain focused and rehearse potential answers to anticipated questions.

8. Fine-tune and polish your presentation

As the big day approaches, give your presentation one last shine. Review your talking points, practice how to present a presentation and make any final tweaks. Deep breaths — you’re on the brink of delivering a successful presentation!

In competitive environments, persuasive presentations set individuals and organizations apart. To brush up on your presentation skills, read these guides on how to make a persuasive presentation and tips to presenting effectively . 

Whether you’re an experienced presenter or a novice, the right techniques will let your presentation skills soar to new heights!

From public speaking hacks to interactive elements and storytelling prowess, these 9 effective presentation techniques will empower you to leave a lasting impression on your audience and make your presentations unforgettable.

1. Confidence and positive body language

Positive body language instantly captivates your audience, making them believe in your message as much as you do. Strengthen your stage presence and own that stage like it’s your second home! Stand tall, shoulders back and exude confidence. 

2. Eye contact with the audience

Break down that invisible barrier and connect with your audience through their eyes. Maintaining eye contact when giving a presentation builds trust and shows that you’re present and engaged with them.

3. Effective use of hand gestures and movement

A little movement goes a long way! Emphasize key points with purposeful gestures and don’t be afraid to walk around the stage. Your energy will be contagious!

4. Utilize storytelling techniques

Weave the magic of storytelling into your presentation. Share relatable anecdotes, inspiring success stories or even personal experiences that tug at the heartstrings of your audience. Adjust your pitch, pace and volume to match the emotions and intensity of the story. Varying your speaking voice adds depth and enhances your stage presence.

5. Incorporate multimedia elements

Spice up your presentation with a dash of visual pizzazz! Use slides, images and video clips to add depth and clarity to your message. Just remember, less is more—don’t overwhelm them with information overload. 

Turn your presentations into an interactive party! Involve your audience with questions, polls or group activities. When they actively participate, they become invested in your presentation’s success. Bring your design to life with animated elements. Venngage allows you to apply animations to icons, images and text to create dynamic and engaging visual content.

6. Utilize humor strategically

Laughter is the best medicine—and a fantastic presentation enhancer! A well-placed joke or lighthearted moment can break the ice and create a warm atmosphere , making your audience more receptive to your message.

7. Practice active listening and respond to feedback

Be attentive to your audience’s reactions and feedback. If they have questions or concerns, address them with genuine interest and respect. Your responsiveness builds rapport and shows that you genuinely care about their experience.

8. Apply the 10-20-30 rule

Apply the 10-20-30 presentation rule and keep it short, sweet and impactful! Stick to ten slides, deliver your presentation within 20 minutes and use a 30-point font to ensure clarity and focus. Less is more, and your audience will thank you for it!

9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule

Simplicity is key. Limit each slide to five bullet points, with only five words per bullet point and allow each slide to remain visible for about five seconds. This rule keeps your presentation concise and prevents information overload.

Simple presentations are more engaging because they are easier to follow. Summarize your presentations and keep them simple with Venngage’s gallery of simple presentation templates and ensure that your message is delivered effectively across your audience.

1. How to start a presentation?

To kick off your presentation effectively, begin with an attention-grabbing statement or a powerful quote. Introduce yourself, establish credibility and clearly state the purpose and relevance of your presentation.

2. How to end a presentation?

For a strong conclusion, summarize your talking points and key takeaways. End with a compelling call to action or a thought-provoking question and remember to thank your audience and invite any final questions or interactions.

3. How to make a presentation interactive?

To make your presentation interactive, encourage questions and discussion throughout your talk. Utilize multimedia elements like videos or images and consider including polls, quizzes or group activities to actively involve your audience.

In need of inspiration for your next presentation? I’ve got your back! Pick from these 120+ presentation ideas, topics and examples to get started. 

Creating a stunning presentation with Venngage is a breeze with our user-friendly drag-and-drop editor and professionally designed templates for all your communication needs. 

Here’s how to make a presentation in just 5 simple steps with the help of Venngage:

Step 1: Sign up for Venngage for free using your email, Gmail or Facebook account or simply log in to access your account. 

Step 2: Pick a design from our selection of free presentation templates (they’re all created by our expert in-house designers).

Step 3: Make the template your own by customizing it to fit your content and branding. With Venngage’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor, you can easily modify text, change colors and adjust the layout to create a unique and eye-catching design.

Step 4: Elevate your presentation by incorporating captivating visuals. You can upload your images or choose from Venngage’s vast library of high-quality photos, icons and illustrations. 

Step 5: Upgrade to a premium or business account to export your presentation in PDF and print it for in-person presentations or share it digitally for free!

By following these five simple steps, you’ll have a professionally designed and visually engaging presentation ready in no time. With Venngage’s user-friendly platform, your presentation is sure to make a lasting impression. So, let your creativity flow and get ready to shine in your next presentation!

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Top Tips for Effective Presentations

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How can you make a good presentation even more effective?

This page draws on published advice from expert presenters around the world, which will help to take your presentations from merely ‘good’ to ‘great’.

By bringing together advice from a wide range of people, the aim is to cover a whole range of areas.

Whether you are an experienced presenter, or just starting out, there should be ideas here to help you to improve.

1. Show your Passion and Connect with your Audience

It’s hard to be relaxed and be yourself when you’re nervous.

But time and again, the great presenters say that the most important thing is to connect with your audience, and the best way to do that is to let your passion for the subject shine through.

Be honest with the audience about what is important to you and why it matters.

Be enthusiastic and honest, and the audience will respond.

2. Focus on your Audience’s Needs

Your presentation needs to be built around what your audience is going to get out of the presentation.

As you prepare the presentation, you always need to bear in mind what the audience needs and wants to know, not what you can tell them.

While you’re giving the presentation, you also need to remain focused on your audience’s response, and react to that.

You need to make it easy for your audience to understand and respond.

3. Keep it Simple: Concentrate on your Core Message

When planning your presentation, you should always keep in mind the question:

What is the key message (or three key points) for my audience to take away?

You should be able to communicate that key message very briefly.

Some experts recommend a 30-second ‘elevator summary’, others that you can write it on the back of a business card, or say it in no more than 15 words.

Whichever rule you choose, the important thing is to keep your core message focused and brief.

And if what you are planning to say doesn’t contribute to that core message, don’t say it.

4. Smile and Make Eye Contact with your Audience

This sounds very easy, but a surprisingly large number of presenters fail to do it.

If you smile and make eye contact, you are building rapport , which helps the audience to connect with you and your subject. It also helps you to feel less nervous, because you are talking to individuals, not to a great mass of unknown people.

To help you with this, make sure that you don’t turn down all the lights so that only the slide screen is visible. Your audience needs to see you as well as your slides.

5. Start Strongly

The beginning of your presentation is crucial. You need to grab your audience’s attention and hold it.

They will give you a few minutes’ grace in which to entertain them, before they start to switch off if you’re dull. So don’t waste that on explaining who you are. Start by entertaining them.

Try a story (see tip 7 below), or an attention-grabbing (but useful) image on a slide.

6. Remember the 10-20-30 Rule for Slideshows

This is a tip from Guy Kawasaki of Apple. He suggests that slideshows should:

• Contain no more than 10 slides;
• Last no more than 20 minutes; and
• Use a font size of no less than 30 point.

This last is particularly important as it stops you trying to put too much information on any one slide. This whole approach avoids the dreaded ‘Death by PowerPoint’.

As a general rule, slides should be the sideshow to you, the presenter. A good set of slides should be no use without the presenter, and they should definitely contain less, rather than more, information, expressed simply.

If you need to provide more information, create a bespoke handout and give it out after your presentation.

7. Tell Stories

Human beings are programmed to respond to stories.

Stories help us to pay attention, and also to remember things. If you can use stories in your presentation, your audience is more likely to engage and to remember your points afterwards. It is a good idea to start with a story, but there is a wider point too: you need your presentation to act like a story.

Think about what story you are trying to tell your audience, and create your presentation to tell it.

Finding The Story Behind Your Presentation

To effectively tell a story, focus on using at least one of the two most basic storytelling mechanics in your presentation:

Focusing On Characters – People have stories; things, data, and objects do not. So ask yourself “who” is directly involved in your topic that you can use as the focal point of your story.

For example, instead of talking about cars (your company’s products), you could focus on specific characters like:

• The drivers the car is intended for – people looking for speed and adventure
• The engineers who went out of their way to design the most cost-effective car imaginable

A Changing Dynamic – A story needs something to change along the way. So ask yourself “What is not as it should be?” and answer with what you are going to do about it (or what you did about it).

For example…

• Did hazardous road conditions inspire you to build a rugged, all-terrain jeep that any family could afford?
• Did a complicated and confusing food labelling system lead you to establish a colour-coded nutritional index so that anybody could easily understand it?

To see 15 more actionable storytelling tips, see Nuts & Bolts Speed Training’s post on Storytelling Tips .

8. Use your Voice Effectively

The spoken word is actually a pretty inefficient means of communication, because it uses only one of your audience’s five senses. That’s why presenters tend to use visual aids, too. But you can help to make the spoken word better by using your voice effectively.

Varying the speed at which you talk, and emphasising changes in pitch and tone all help to make your voice more interesting and hold your audience’s attention.

For more about this, see our page on Effective Speaking .

9. Use your Body Too

It has been estimated that more than three quarters of communication is non-verbal.

That means that as well as your tone of voice, your body language is crucial to getting your message across. Make sure that you are giving the right messages: body language to avoid includes crossed arms, hands held behind your back or in your pockets, and pacing the stage.

Make your gestures open and confident, and move naturally around the stage, and among the audience too, if possible.

10. Relax, Breathe and Enjoy

If you find presenting difficult, it can be hard to be calm and relaxed about doing it.

One option is to start by concentrating on your breathing. Slow it down, and make sure that you’re breathing fully. Make sure that you continue to pause for breath occasionally during your presentation too.

For more ideas, see our page on Coping with Presentation Nerves .

If you can bring yourself to relax, you will almost certainly present better. If you can actually start to enjoy yourself, your audience will respond to that, and engage better. Your presentations will improve exponentially, and so will your confidence. It’s well worth a try.

Improve your Presentation Skills

Follow our guide to boost your presentation skills learning about preparation, delivery, questions and all other aspects of giving effective presentations.

Start with: What is a Presentation?

Continue to: How to Give a Speech Self Presentation

See also: Five Ways You Can Do Visual Marketing on a Budget Can Presentation Science Improve Your Presentation? Typography – It’s All About the Message in Your Slides

Ideas and insights from Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning

Powerful and Effective Presentation Skills: More in Demand Now Than Ever

When we talk with our L&D colleagues from around the globe, we often hear that presentation skills training is one of the top opportunities they’re looking to provide their learners. And this holds true whether their learners are individual contributors, people managers, or senior leaders. This is not surprising.

Effective communications skills are a powerful career activator, and most of us are called upon to communicate in some type of formal presentation mode at some point along the way.

For instance, you might be asked to brief management on market research results, walk your team through a new process, lay out the new budget, or explain a new product to a client or prospect. Or you may want to build support for a new idea, bring a new employee into the fold, or even just present your achievements to your manager during your performance review.

And now, with so many employees working from home or in hybrid mode, and business travel in decline, there’s a growing need to find new ways to make effective presentations when the audience may be fully virtual or a combination of in person and remote attendees.

Whether you’re making a standup presentation to a large live audience, or a sit-down one-on-one, whether you’re delivering your presentation face to face or virtually, solid presentation skills matter.

Even the most seasoned and accomplished presenters may need to fine-tune or update their skills. Expectations have changed over the last decade or so. Yesterday’s PowerPoint which primarily relied on bulleted points, broken up by the occasional clip-art image, won’t cut it with today’s audience.

The digital revolution has revolutionized the way people want to receive information. People expect presentations that are more visually interesting. They expect to see data, metrics that support assertions. And now, with so many previously in-person meetings occurring virtually, there’s an entirely new level of technical preparedness required.

The leadership development tools and the individual learning opportunities you’re providing should include presentation skills training that covers both the evergreen fundamentals and the up-to-date capabilities that can make or break a presentation.

So, just what should be included in solid presentation skills training? Here’s what I think.

The fundamentals will always apply When it comes to making a powerful and effective presentation, the fundamentals will always apply. You need to understand your objective. Is it strictly to convey information, so that your audience’s knowledge is increased? Is it to persuade your audience to take some action? Is it to convince people to support your idea? Once you understand what your objective is, you need to define your central message. There may be a lot of things you want to share with your audience during your presentation, but find – and stick with – the core, the most important point you want them to walk away with. And make sure that your message is clear and compelling.

You also need to tailor your presentation to your audience. Who are they and what might they be expecting? Say you’re giving a product pitch to a client. A technical team may be interested in a lot of nitty-gritty product detail. The business side will no doubt be more interested in what returns they can expect on their investment.

Another consideration is the setting: is this a formal presentation to a large audience with questions reserved for the end, or a presentation in a smaller setting where there’s the possibility for conversation throughout? Is your presentation virtual or in-person? To be delivered individually or as a group? What time of the day will you be speaking? Will there be others speaking before you and might that impact how your message will be received?

Once these fundamentals are established, you’re in building mode. What are the specific points you want to share that will help you best meet your objective and get across your core message? Now figure out how to convey those points in the clearest, most straightforward, and succinct way. This doesn’t mean that your presentation has to be a series of clipped bullet points. No one wants to sit through a presentation in which the presenter reads through what’s on the slide. You can get your points across using stories, fact, diagrams, videos, props, and other types of media.

Visual design matters While you don’t want to clutter up your presentation with too many visual elements that don’t serve your objective and can be distracting, using a variety of visual formats to convey your core message will make your presentation more memorable than slides filled with text. A couple of tips: avoid images that are cliched and overdone. Be careful not to mix up too many different types of images. If you’re using photos, stick with photos. If you’re using drawn images, keep the style consistent. When data are presented, stay consistent with colors and fonts from one type of chart to the next. Keep things clear and simple, using data to support key points without overwhelming your audience with too much information. And don’t assume that your audience is composed of statisticians (unless, of course, it is).

When presenting qualitative data, brief videos provide a way to engage your audience and create emotional connection and impact. Word clouds are another way to get qualitative data across.

Practice makes perfect You’ve pulled together a perfect presentation. But it likely won’t be perfect unless it’s well delivered. So don’t forget to practice your presentation ahead of time. Pro tip: record yourself as you practice out loud. This will force you to think through what you’re going to say for each element of your presentation. And watching your recording will help you identify your mistakes—such as fidgeting, using too many fillers (such as “umm,” or “like”), or speaking too fast.

A key element of your preparation should involve anticipating any technical difficulties. If you’ve embedded videos, make sure they work. If you’re presenting virtually, make sure that the lighting is good, and that your speaker and camera are working. Whether presenting in person or virtually, get there early enough to work out any technical glitches before your presentation is scheduled to begin. Few things are a bigger audience turn-off than sitting there watching the presenter struggle with the delivery mechanisms!

Finally, be kind to yourself. Despite thorough preparation and practice, sometimes, things go wrong, and you need to recover in the moment, adapt, and carry on. It’s unlikely that you’ll have caused any lasting damage and the important thing is to learn from your experience, so your next presentation is stronger.

How are you providing presentation skills training for your learners?

Manika Gandhi is Senior Learning Design Manager at Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Email her at [email protected] .

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How to give a good presentation that captivates any audience

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What are the main difficulties when giving presentations?

How to create an effective presentation, after that, how do i give a memorable presentation, how to connect with the audience when presenting.

If you’ve ever heard someone give a powerful presentation, you probably remember how it made you feel. Much like a composer, a good speaker knows precisely when each note should strike to captivate their audience’s attention and leave them with a lasting impression.

No one becomes a great public speaker or presenter without practice. And almost everyone can recall a time one of their presentations went badly — that’s a painful part of the learning process.

Whether you’re working within a small creative team or a large organization, public speaking and presentation skills are vital to communicating your ideas. Knowing how to present your vision can help you pitch concepts to clients, present ideas to your team, and develop the confidence to participate in team meetings.

If you have an upcoming presentation on the horizon and feel nervous, that’s normal. Around 15-30% of the general population experience a fear of public speaking . And, unfortunately, social anxiety is on the rise, with a 12% increase in adults over the last 20 years . 

Learning how to give a good presentation can dismantle your fears and break down these barriers, ensuring you’re ready to confidently share your point of view. 

It’s the week before your presentation, and you’re already feeling nervous . Maybe there’ll be an important mentor in the room you need to impress, or you’re looking for an opportunity to show your boss your value. Regardless of your countless past presentations, you still feel nervous. 

Sharing your vision and ideas with any sized group is intimidating. You’re likely worrying about how you’ll perform as a presenter and whether the audience will be interested in what you offer. But nerves aren’t inherently negative — you can actually use this feeling to fuel your preparation.

It’s helpful to identify where your worries are coming from and address your fears. Here are some common concerns when preparing for an upcoming presentation:

Fear of public speaking: When you share your ideas in front of a group, you’re placing yourself in a vulnerable position to be critiqued on your knowledge and communication skills . Maybe you feel confident in your content, but when you think about standing in front of an audience, you feel anxious and your mind goes blank.

It’s also not uncommon to have physical symptoms when presenting . Some people experience nausea and dizziness as the brain releases adrenaline to cope with the potentially stressful situation . Remember to take deep breaths to recenter yourself and be patient, even if you make a mistake.

Losing the audience’s attention: As a presenter, your main focus is to keep your audience engaged. They should feel like they’re learning valuable information or following a story that will improve them in life or business.

Highlight the most exciting pieces of knowledge and ensure you emphasize those points in your presentation. If you feel passionate about your content, it’s more likely that your audience will experience this excitement for themselves and become invested in what you have to say.

Not knowing what content to place on presentation slides: Overloading presentation slides is a fast way to lose your audience’s attention. Your slides should contain only the main talking points and limited text to ensure your audience focuses on what you have to say rather than becoming distracted by the content on your slides.

Discomfort incorporating nonverbal communication: It’s natural to feel stiff and frozen when you’re nervous. But maintaining effective body language helps your audience stay focused on you as you speak and encourages you to relax.

If you struggle to incorporate body language into your presentations, try starting small by making hand gestures toward your slides. If you’re working with a large audience, use different parts of the stage to ensure everyone feels included. 

Each presenter has their own personal brand and style. Some may use humor to break the ice, while others might appeal to the audience’s emotional side through inspiring storytelling. 

Watching online presentations, such as TED talks, is an excellent way to expose yourself to various presentation styles and develop your own. While observing others, you can note how they carry themselves on stage and learn new ways to keep your audience engaged.

Once you’ve addressed what’s causing your fears, it’s time to prepare for a great presentation. Use your past experience as inspiration and aim to outshine your former self by learning from your mistakes and employing new techniques. Here are five presentation tips to help you create a strong presentation and wow your audience:

1. Keep it simple

Simple means something different to everyone.

Before creating your presentation, take note of your intended audience and their knowledge level of your subject. You’ll want your content to be easy for your intended audience to follow.

Say you’re giving a presentation on improving your company’s operational structure. Entry-level workers will likely need a more straightforward overview of the content than C-suite leaders, who have significantly more experience. 

Ask yourself what you want your audience to take away from your presentation and emphasize those important points. Doing this ensures they remember the most vital information rather than less important supporting ideas. Try organizing these concepts into bullet points so viewers can quickly identify critical takeaways.

2. Create a compelling structure

Put yourself in your audience member’s shoes and determine the most compelling way to organize your information. Your presentation should be articulate , cohesive, and logical, and you must be sure to include all necessary supporting evidence to strengthen your main points.

If you give away all of your answers too quickly, your audience could lose interest. And if there isn’t enough supporting information, they could hit a roadblock of confusion. Try developing a compelling story that leads your audience through your thought processes so they can experience the ups and downs alongside you. 

By structuring your presentation to lead up to a final conclusion, you’re more likely to keep listeners’ attention. Once you’ve reached that conclusion, you can offer a Q&A period to put any of their questions or concerns to rest. 

3. Use visual aids

Appealing to various learning styles is a great way to keep everyone on the same page and ensure they absorb your content. Visual aids are necessary for visual learners and make it easier for people to picture your ideas.

Aim to incorporate a mixture of photos, videos, and props to engage your audience and convey your key points. For instance, if you’re giving a presentation on anthropology subject matter, you could show your audience an artifact to help them understand how exciting a discovery must have been. 

If your presentation is long, including a video for your audience to watch is an excellent way to give yourself a break and create new jumping-off points for your speech.

4. Be aware of design techniques and trends

Thanks to cutting-edge technology and tools, you have numerous platforms at your disposal to create a good presentation. But keep in mind that although color, images, and graphics liven things up, they can cause distraction when misused.

  Here are a few standard pointers for incorporating visuals on your slides: 

• Don’t place blocks of small text on a single slide
• Use a minimalistic background instead of a busy one
• Ensure text stands out against the background color
• Only use high-resolution photos
• Maintain a consistent font style and size throughout the presentation
• Don’t overuse transitions and effects

5. Try the 10-20-30 rule

Guy Kawasaki, a prominent venture capitalist and one of the original marketing specialists for Apple, said that the best slideshow presentations are less than 10 slides , last at most 20 minutes, and use a font size of 30. Following this strategy can help you condense your information, eliminate unnecessary ideas, and maintain your audience’s focus more efficiently.

Once you’re confident in creating a memorable presentation, it’s time to learn how to give one. Here are some valuable tips for keeping your audience invested during your talk: 

Tip #1: Tell stories

Sharing an anecdote from your life can improve your credibility and increase your relatability. And when an audience relates to you, they’re more likely to feel connected to who you are as a person and encouraged to give you their full attention, as they would want others to do the same.

Gill Hicks utilized this strategy well when she shared her powerful story, “ I survived a terrorist attack. Here’s what I learned .” In her harrowing tale, Hicks highlights the importance of compassion, unconditional love, and helping those in need.

If you feel uncomfortable sharing personal stories, that’s okay. You can use examples from famous individuals or create a fictional account to demonstrate your ideas.

Tip #2: Make eye contact with the audience

Maintaining eye contact is less intimidating than it sounds. In fact, you don’t have to look your audience members directly in their eyes — you can focus on their foreheads or noses if that’s easier.

Try making eye contact with as many people as possible for 3–5 seconds each. This timing ensures you don’t look away too quickly, making the audience member feel unimportant, or linger too long, making them feel uncomfortable.

If you’re presenting to a large group, direct your focus to each part of the room to ensure no section of the audience feels ignored. 

Tip #3: Work on your stage presence

Although your tone and words are the most impactful part of your presentation, recall that body language keeps your audience engaged. Use these tips to master a professional stage presence:

• Speak with open arms and avoid crossing them
• Keep a reasonable pace and try not to stand still
• Use hand gestures to highlight important information

Tip #4: Start strong

Like watching a movie trailer, the first seconds of your talk are critical for capturing your audience’s attention. How you start your speech sets the tone for the rest of your presentation and tells your audience whether or not they should pay attention. Here are some ways to start your presentation to leave a lasting impression:

• Use a quote from a well-known and likable influential person 
• Ask a rhetorical question to create intrigue
• Start with an anecdote to add context to your talk 
• Spark your audience’s curiosity by involving them in an interactive problem-solving puzzle or riddle

Tip #5: Show your passion

Don’t be afraid of being too enthusiastic. Everyone appreciates a speaker who’s genuinely excited about their field of expertise. 

In “ Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance ,” Angela Lee Duckworth discusses the importance of passion in research and delivery. She delivers her presentation excitedly to show the audience how excitement piques interest. 

Tip #6: Plan your delivery

How you decide to deliver your speech will shape your presentation. Will you be preparing a PowerPoint presentation and using a teleprompter? Or are you working within the constraints of the digital world and presenting over Zoom?

The best presentations are conducted by speakers who know their stuff and memorize their content. However, if you find this challenging, try creating notes to use as a safety net in case you lose track.

If you’re presenting online, you can keep notes beside your computer for each slide, highlighting your key points. This ensures you include all the necessary information and follow a logical order.

Tip #7: Practice

Practice doesn’t make perfect — it makes progress. There’s no way of preparing for unforeseen circumstances, but thorough practice means you’ve done everything you can to succeed.

Rehearse your speech in front of a mirror or to a trusted friend or family member. Take any feedback and use it as an opportunity to fine-tune your speech. But remember: who you practice your presentation in front of may differ from your intended audience. Consider their opinions through the lens of them occupying this different position.

Tip #8: Read the room

Whether you’re a keynote speaker at an event or presenting to a small group of clients, knowing how to read the room is vital for keeping your audience happy. Stay flexible and be willing to move on from topics quickly if your listeners are uninterested or displeased with a particular part of your speech.

Tip #9: Breathe

Try taking deep breaths before your presentation to calm your nerves. If you feel rushed, you’re more likely to feel nervous and stumble on your words.

The most important thing to consider when presenting is your audience’s feelings. When you approach your next presentation calmly, you’ll put your audience at ease and encourage them to feel comfortable in your presence.

Tip #10: Provide a call-to-action

When you end your presentation, your audience should feel compelled to take a specific action, whether that’s changing their habits or contacting you for your services.

If you’re presenting to clients, create a handout with key points and contact information so they can get in touch. You should provide your LinkedIn information, email address, and phone number so they have a variety of ways to reach you. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all template for an effective presentation, as your unique audience and subject matter play a role in shaping your speech. As a general rule, though, you should aim to connect with your audience through passion and excitement. Use strong eye contact and body language. Capture their interest through storytelling and their trust through relatability.

Learning how to give a good presentation can feel overwhelming — but remember, practice makes progress. Rehearse your presentation for someone you trust, collect their feedback , and revise. Practicing your presentation skills is helpful for any job, and every challenge is a chance to grow.

Elizabeth Perry

Content Marketing Manager, ACC

6 presentation skills and how to improve them

How to write a speech that your audience remembers, 3 stand-out professional bio examples to inspire your own, tell a story they can't ignore these 10 tips will teach you how, how to make a presentation interactive and exciting, reading the room gives you an edge — no matter who you're talking to, writing an elevator pitch about yourself: a how-to plus tips, your ultimate guide on how to be a good storyteller, 18 effective strategies to improve your communication skills, similar articles, the importance of good speech: 5 tips to be more articulate, the 11 tips that will improve your public speaking skills, 30 presentation feedback examples, how to not be nervous for a presentation — 13 tips that work (really), how the minto pyramid principle can enhance your communication skills, 8 clever hooks for presentations (with tips), stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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How to make a great presentation

Stressed about an upcoming presentation? These talks are full of helpful tips on how to get up in front of an audience and make a lasting impression.

The secret structure of great talks

The beauty of data visualization

TED's secret to great public speaking

How to speak so that people want to listen

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How to Give a Killer Presentation

• Chris Anderson

For more than 30 years, the TED conference series has presented enlightening talks that people enjoy watching. In this article, Anderson, TED’s curator, shares five keys to great presentations:

• Frame your story (figure out where to start and where to end).
• Plan your delivery (decide whether to memorize your speech word for word or develop bullet points and then rehearse it—over and over).
• Work on stage presence (but remember that your story matters more than how you stand or whether you’re visibly nervous).
• Plan the multimedia (whatever you do, don’t read from PowerPoint slides).
• Put it together (play to your strengths and be authentic).

According to Anderson, presentations rise or fall on the quality of the idea, the narrative, and the passion of the speaker. It’s about substance—not style. In fact, it’s fairly easy to “coach out” the problems in a talk, but there’s no way to “coach in” the basic story—the presenter has to have the raw material. So if your thinking is not there yet, he advises, decline that invitation to speak. Instead, keep working until you have an idea that’s worth sharing.

Lessons from TED

A little more than a year ago, on a trip to Nairobi, Kenya, some colleagues and I met a 12-year-old Masai boy named Richard Turere, who told us a fascinating story. His family raises livestock on the edge of a vast national park, and one of the biggest challenges is protecting the animals from lions—especially at night. Richard had noticed that placing lamps in a field didn’t deter lion attacks, but when he walked the field with a torch, the lions stayed away. From a young age, he’d been interested in electronics, teaching himself by, for example, taking apart his parents’ radio. He used that experience to devise a system of lights that would turn on and off in sequence—using solar panels, a car battery, and a motorcycle indicator box—and thereby create a sense of movement that he hoped would scare off the lions. He installed the lights, and the lions stopped attacking. Soon villages elsewhere in Kenya began installing Richard’s “lion lights.”

• CA Chris Anderson is the curator of TED.

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How to Make Effective Impactful Presentations (Tips & Tools)

Learn how to make a good presentation great - step-by-step with examples. Learn the principles, guidelines & qualities needed to prepare captivating slides.

Dominika Krukowska

12 minute read

Short answer

Short answer: how to make a good presentation.

Start with a surprising statement, a bold promise, or a mystery

Provide context with a bit of background information

Structure your presentation within a story framework

Make every word count, and use as few as possible

Use visuals only to support your presentation text

Use interactive design to make your audience active participants

End by telling your audience what they can do with what they’ve learned

Boring presentations are instantly forgotten. How’s yours?

Lifeless presentations can spell doom for your message, leaving your audience disengaged and your goals unreached.

The price of a mediocre presentation is steep; missed opportunities, unimpressed prospects, and a bad rep.

In a world where everyone has grown to expect a good story, a boring presentation will be instantly forgotten. Like a drop in the ocean.

But not all is lost.

This post will teach you how presentation pros create compelling narratives and leverage the latest tech tools to command attention, drive a powerful message, and get shared like gossip.

Let’s get started!

How to prepare a presentation?

The successful presenter understands the value of small details and thorough preparation like the seasoned chef knows the importance of quality ingredients and careful technique for serving a 5 star dish

But where do you start?

Step-by-step guide for preparing a presentation:

1. Define your objective

Every presentation needs a clear goal. Are you looking to persuade, educate, or motivate? Perhaps you aim to showcase a product, or share insights about a recent project.

Defining your objective early on will guide your content creation process, helping you to focus your message and structure your presentation effectively. Think of your objective as the North Star guiding your presentation journey.

2. Analyze your audience

Next up, who are you talking to? Your audience should shape your presentation as much as your objective does. Understanding their needs, interests, and background will enable you to tailor your message to resonate with them.

Are they experts in your field, or are they novices looking for an introduction? What questions might they have? The more you know about your audience, the more compelling your presentation will be.

3. Research your topic

Once you've defined your objective and analyzed your audience, it's time to delve deep into your topic. Comprehensive research lays the groundwork for a robust, credible presentation.

Don't just scratch the surface – explore different perspectives, recent developments, and key statistics. This will not only enhance your understanding but also equip you with a wealth of information to answer any questions your audience might have.

4. Choose the right delivery format

Finally, consider the best format to deliver your message.

The right format can make all the difference in how your message is received, so choose wisely!

PowerPoint presentations are classic and easy to work with. But PowerPoint and Google slides are not so versatile in terms of their content experience. They're static, packed with information, and all look alike.

Our own presentation maker offers interactive, personalized, and multimedia content experience.

Data from our research of over 100K presentation sessions shows that audiences engage with Storydoc presentations 103% better than PowerPoint.

How to create an effective presentation?

There’s part art and part science in creating high-engagement high-impact presentations.

An effective presentation is the painstaking result of well-organized content, visuals that support and elevate your message, simplifying complex information, and personalizing wherever possible.

I wrote this post to teach you how to do all these, and a few things more.

Ready to learn? Let's dive in!

How to organize your presentation content?

Crafting a compelling presentation is like writing a page-turner.

You need to captivate your audience, maintain their interest, and guide them effortlessly through your narrative.

But how do you transform a heap of information into a well-structured presentation you can’t stop reading? There’s a structure you can follow.

3-step process for organizing a magnetic presentation:

1. Prioritize content

Your presentation should immediately capture interest and demonstrate relevance before moving on to establish understanding .

A) Build interest:

Begin with a strong hook that grabs your audience's attention. This could be an intriguing statistic, a powerful image , or an engaging question. It should stir curiosity and make your audience eager to hear more.

B) Establish relevance:

Once you have their attention it's time to establish why your presentation matters to your audience.

Address your audience's main concerns. Make sure your content directly speaks to these pain points, and address them in order of importance.

2. Build anticipation

A great presentation is like getting a new car – it builds anticipation, takes you on a thrilling ride, and ends with you wanting to share the experience with all your friends.

Start with a compelling problem your audience relates to and follow up with a promise of an amazing way they can solve it. This problem-solution dynamic creates a suspense that keeps your audience glued to your presentation.

3. Use a story framework

Finally, use a story framework to give your presentation structure and flow.

Begin with a big idea that underpins your presentation. Then delve into the problem, showcasing why it needs attention. Present your solution, painting a vision of a better future for your audience.

Weave in concrete examples of how your solution changes lives.

Tell the story of WHO you helped, WHAT the situation was before and after your solution, WHERE and WHEN it happened, WHY it worked and HOW it made them feel.

If you’re writing a business presentation you should follow this with an execution plan that outlines how the solution will be implemented.

Finally, close with clear next steps, guiding your audience on what they should do after the presentation to bring meaningful change into their lives.

Our recommended story framework:

How to design your presentation?

A good presentation is more than just making it look pretty ; it's about communicating your message effectively and creating a lasting impression.

Good presentation design grabs attention, and leads it to where it’s needed most. It takes your hand and leads you through the easiest and most pleasant path to understanding.

Good presentation design supports your message rather than steals the spotlight. Good design is narrated design.

What is narrated design (Scrollytelling)?

Scrollytelling, where "scroll" meets "storytelling", is an interactive content experience that guides readers through a narrative journey with a simple scroll. It connects text, images, videos, and animations into integrated “scenes” where content is both shown and narrated.

Scrollytelling breaks complex content into digestible chunks and gives the reader control over pace. It has been scientifically shown to enhance engagement, understandability and memorability.

Scrollytelling came up as a central thing when Itai Amoza, our Founder and CEO was building the foundations for Storydoc.

He partnered with one of the world’s leading visualization scientists , prof. Steven Franconeri , to help him bring to Storydoc the means to reduce the complexity, friction, and information overload so characteristic of business presentations.

Scrollytelling is part of the solutions that came up, which led to specialized storytelling slides like our narrator slide (in the example below).

An example of Storydoc scrollytelling:

How to design presentation visuals to support your story

Presentation visuals can be unsung heroes or sloppy distractions.

Visuals can bring your message to life, make complex concepts easy to understand, and engage your audience in ways that words alone cannot. Or… they can sit there looking all pretty and distract you from what’s really going on.

4 elements of great presentation visuals:

Support your message: Your visuals should support your text, highlight your main message, and align with your objective. They should reinforce your points and help your audience understand your message.

Represent your audience: The best visuals are relatable. They should resonate with your target audience and reflect their world of associations. Use images and graphics that your audience can identify with – this can enhance their engagement and make your presentation more memorable. Equally important is using clean images - an effective way to do this is by using tools that allow you to remove your image backgrounds . By eliminating distractions and focusing on your subject, you create images that are more impactful and, therefore, can potentially increase audience engagement.

Introduce your product, outcomes, and clients: Wherever possible, use visuals to demonstrate your product, illustrate outcomes, and represent your clients. This can remove doubt and misunderstanding by letting your audience see (and make obvious) what words sometimes struggle to describe.

Follow your branding guidelines: Your presentation is an extension of your brand, so your visuals should conform to your branding guidelines. Consistent use of colors, fonts, and styles not only enhances brand recognition but also creates a cohesive, professional look.

Here’s an example of a well-designed presentation:

How to communicate complex information?

Did you ever have to read a presentation where you felt like you're lost in a maze of jargon, data, and complex concepts?

Are you giving others this same experience?

Communicating complex information is a common challenge in presentations. But there are ways you can simplify your presentation and reengage your audience.

Here’s how you can get complex information across:

1. Use interactive content

Interactive content is your best friend when it comes to simplifying complex information and getting deeply engaged with your content.

It gets the readers more involved in your presentation by letting them play an active part; like choosing the content route they wish to take and controlling the pace.

It keeps your presentation textually lean - giving readers the choice to expand more details on demand (in tabs, live graphs, sliders, accordions, and calculators).

Beyond that, live graphs can illustrate trends, animations can demonstrate processes, and videos can bring concepts to life.

Calculators, questionnaires, and chatbots provide personalized and specific answers to readers as part of your presentation, without them having to get in touch with you or your team.

Elavating your presentations from static to interactive has been tied to increasing the number of people who read your presentation in full by 41% !

Making interactive used to be hard, but now you can just use Storydoc. Go make your first interactive presentation. It’s easy as pie.

2. Show don’t tell

A picture is worth a thousand words. Because no one will read a presentation with a thousand words, do everyone a favor and use images.

Images can be super effective at communicating complex information and save you a lot of needless text.

In fact, visual representation of data and concepts can often convey what words cannot. Use diagrams, infographics, and images to illustrate your points and simplify the complex.

The goal is to create a visual narrative that complements your verbal one.

3. Narrate your content

Storytelling is another powerful tool for communicating complex concepts.

Whether it's through text to speech AI, video bubbles, or a scrollytelling narrator slide, narrating your content can help guide your audience through the complexity.

By giving your information a narrative structure, you can make it more digestible, engaging, and memorable.

According to Sales Hacker’s data, people remember up to 10% of numbers and 25% of images they see. When you center your presentation around a story, this rises to 60-70% .

4. Use examples and allegories

Examples and allegories help unravel the complexity of ideas.

They scaffold your message with concepts we already know and understand, and can easily imagine in our mind. This makes them less new and intimidating and more familiar.

Critically, the real secret lies in selecting examples that are not just familiar but also deeply relevant—those are the ones that will truly ring with your listeners.

If you tailor the allegory to your audience's world, it is guaranteed to lead to an “aha” moment.

5. Open a line of communication

Finally, invite dialogue. This could be through a chatbot or an option to book a meeting for further discussion. This not only helps clarify any confusion but also encourages engagement and deepens understanding.

For example, finishing your presentation with an interactive calendar to book a meeting instead of a generic “Thank you” slide has proven to boost conversion rate by 27% !

How to personalize your presentation?

Imagine attending a party where the host doesn't remember your name or anything about you. Not a great experience, right? The same holds true for presentations.

In a sea of generic content, personalization can be a lifeline that connects you to your audience on a deeper level. It’s also the single most important predictor of success, getting 68% more people to read your presentation in full .

But how do you add that personal touch?

1. Address reader by name

Just as you wouldn't start a conversation without a greeting, don't start your presentation without acknowledging your audience.

Using your audience's name can make your presentation feel like a personal conversation rather than a generic monologue. It's a simple yet powerful way to engage your audience from the get-go.

2. Use their company logo

Including your audience's company logo in your presentation can make them feel seen and valued. It shows that you've taken the time to tailor your presentation to them, enhancing its relevance and appeal.

Plus, it's a subtle way to reinforce that your message is specifically designed to address their needs and challenges.

3. Add a personal message (video or text)

A personal message can go a long way in building a connection with your audience.

It could be a video message from you, expressing your enthusiasm for the opportunity to present to them, or a text message highlighting why the presentation matters to them.

This personal touch can make your audience feel special and more invested in your presentation.

4. Personalize your Call-to-Action

Finally, cap off your presentation with a call to action that speaks directly to your audience.

Swap out the generic 'Contact us' with something that gets to the heart of their needs, something like, 'Let's roll up our sleeves and tackle your [specific issue] at [their company].'

By tailoring your call to action, you show your audience you've truly got their back, that you're not just here to talk, but to make a real, positive impact on their world.

Here’s an example of a personalized slide:

How to measure the effectiveness of your presentation

Imagine if you could peek into your audience's mind, understand what resonated, what fell flat, and what drove them to action?

Presentation analytics is essential in order to guide you on how to fine-tune it for maximum impact.

But how do you get your hands on presentation analytics?

Any presentation you create with Storydoc comes with an out-of-the-box analytics suite , ready to track and provide insights.

We give you 100% visibility into how people engage with your presentations and send you real-time engagement alerts.

Here’s a video explaining how you can track performance with our analytics panel:

4 critical presentation engagement metrics to keep track of

1. Reading time

Storydoc gives you the precise time prospects spend reading your presentation so you can quickly figure out what's hitting the target and what's not.

Are they soaking up every word or just quickly skimming through? This can help you shape your content to hit the bullseye.

NOTE: Keep in mind that reading time alone might not show you a full picture. A better way is to use a smart engagement score that brings together different metrics like time spent and depth of reading. You can get this kind of total score in Storydoc.

2. Reading completion

Another basic metric we track is how many people read your content from start to finish.

This metric is a strong sign of the prospect’s interest and your content quality. It shows you if they're finding the information relevant, but also worth sticking with till the end.

3. Next step conversion rate

This one tracks how many people take the next step after they check out your presentation. This could be filling out a form, setting up a meeting, or downloading more files.

For business presentations, measuring this can show how well your presentation is pushing people further down the sales funnel.

At the top of your analytics dashboard, you can find a tab that shows you how many people clicked on your CTA divided by presentation, date, and location. If you scroll down to the list of readers, next to each person you can also see whether they clicked on the CTA or not.

Here's what it looks like:

4. Number of shares

This metric is particularly important for B2B sales teams . As more people are getting involved in buying decisions, this measure helps you see if and when your content is being passed around inside your prospect’s company.

On the analytics dashboard, under each presentation version, you can find detailed information on how many people read it. So, the higher the number, the more your presentation has been shared internally.

We'll notify you when your presentation has been shared, and who opened it, so you can time your follow-up perfectly to your buyer’s readiness to advance further.

Here's where you can find this information:

Best tool for making an effective presentation

In the realm of presentation tools, classics like Google Slides and PowerPoint offer simplicity and ease, while Canva and Pitch add a dash of design flair and collaboration.

If you're seeking to elevate your presentations to new heights you’ll need to do better than simple PowerPoints or flashy Canvas. Next-gen AI presentation tools like Storydoc are your game-changer.

They break free from the static concept of slides and offer the creation of interactive, immersive content experiences that sweep us along like a good story.

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Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.

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How-To Geek

8 tips to make the best powerpoint presentations.

Want to make your PowerPoint presentations really shine? Here's how to impress and engage your audience.

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Table of contents, start with a goal, less is more, consider your typeface, make bullet points count, limit the use of transitions, skip text where possible, think in color, take a look from the top down, bonus: start with templates.

Slideshows are an intuitive way to share complex ideas with an audience, although they're dull and frustrating when poorly executed. Here are some tips to make your Microsoft PowerPoint presentations sing while avoiding common pitfalls.

It all starts with identifying what we're trying to achieve with the presentation. Is it informative, a showcase of data in an easy-to-understand medium? Or is it more of a pitch, something meant to persuade and convince an audience and lead them to a particular outcome?

It's here where the majority of these presentations go wrong with the inability to identify the talking points that best support our goal. Always start with a goal in mind: to entertain, to inform, or to share data in a way that's easy to understand. Use facts, figures, and images to support your conclusion while keeping structure in mind (Where are we now and where are we going?).

I've found that it's helpful to start with the ending. Once I know how to end a presentation, I know how best to get to that point. I start by identifying the takeaway---that one nugget that I want to implant before thanking everyone for their time---and I work in reverse to figure out how best to get there.

Your mileage, of course, may vary. But it's always going to be a good idea to put in the time in the beginning stages so that you aren't reworking large portions of the presentation later. And that starts with a defined goal.

A slideshow isn't supposed to include everything. It's an introduction to a topic, one that we can elaborate on with speech. Anything unnecessary is a distraction. It makes the presentation less visually appealing and less interesting, and it makes you look bad as a presenter.

This goes for text as well as images. There's nothing worse, in fact, than a series of slides where the presenter just reads them as they appear. Your audience is capable of reading, and chances are they'll be done with the slide, and browsing Reddit, long before you finish. Avoid putting the literal text on the screen, and your audience will thank you.

Related: How to Burn Your PowerPoint to DVD

Right off the bat, we're just going to come out and say that Papyrus and Comic Sans should be banned from all PowerPoint presentations, permanently. Beyond that, it's worth considering the typeface you're using and what it's saying about you, the presenter, and the presentation itself.

Consider choosing readability over aesthetics, and avoid fancy fonts that could prove to be more of a distraction than anything else. A good presentation needs two fonts: a serif and sans-serif. Use one for the headlines and one for body text, lists, and the like. Keep it simple. Veranda, Helvetica, Arial, and even Times New Roman are safe choices. Stick with the classics and it's hard to botch this one too badly.

There reaches a point where bullet points become less of a visual aid and more of a visual examination.

Bullet points should support the speaker, not overwhelm his audience. The best slides have little or no text at all, in fact. As a presenter, it's our job to talk through complex issues, but that doesn't mean that we need to highlight every talking point.

Instead, think about how you can break up large lists into three or four bullet points. Carefully consider whether you need to use more bullet points, or if you can combine multiple topics into a single point instead. And if you can't, remember that there's no one limiting the number of slides you can have in a presentation. It's always possible to break a list of 12 points down into three pages of four points each.

Animation, when used correctly, is a good idea. It breaks up slow-moving parts of a presentation and adds action to elements that require it. But it should be used judiciously.

Adding a transition that wipes left to right between every slide or that animates each bullet point in a list, for example, starts to grow taxing on those forced to endure the presentation. Viewers get bored quickly, and animations that are meant to highlight specific elements quickly become taxing.

That's not to say that you can't use animations and transitions, just that you need to pick your spots. Aim for no more than a handful of these transitions for each presentation. And use them in spots where they'll add to the demonstration, not detract from it.

Sometimes images tell a better story than text can. And as a presenter, your goal is to describe points in detail without making users do a lot of reading. In these cases, a well-designed visual, like a chart, might better convey the information you're trying to share.

The right image adds visual appeal and serves to break up longer, text-heavy sections of the presentation---but only if you're using the right images. A single high-quality image can make all the difference between a success and a dud when you're driving a specific point home.

When considering text, don't think solely in terms of bullet points and paragraphs. Tables, for example, are often unnecessary. Ask yourself whether you could present the same data in a bar or line chart instead.

Color is interesting. It evokes certain feelings and adds visual appeal to your presentation as a whole. Studies show that color also improves interest, comprehension, and retention. It should be a careful consideration, not an afterthought.

You don't have to be a graphic designer to use color well in a presentation. What I do is look for palettes I like, and then find ways to use them in the presentation. There are a number of tools for this, like Adobe Color , Coolors , and ColorHunt , just to name a few. After finding a palette you enjoy, consider how it works with the presentation you're about to give. Pastels, for example, evoke feelings of freedom and light, so they probably aren't the best choice when you're presenting quarterly earnings that missed the mark.

It's also worth mentioning that you don't need to use every color in the palette. Often, you can get by with just two or three, though you should really think through how they all work together and how readable they'll be when layered. A simple rule of thumb here is that contrast is your friend. Dark colors work well on light backgrounds, and light colors work best on dark backgrounds.

Spend some time in the Slide Sorter before you finish your presentation. By clicking the four squares at the bottom left of the presentation, you can take a look at multiple slides at once and consider how each works together. Alternatively, you can click "View" on the ribbon and select "Slide Sorter."

Are you presenting too much text at once? Move an image in. Could a series of slides benefit from a chart or summary before you move on to another point?

It's here that we have the opportunity to view the presentation from beyond the single-slide viewpoint and think in terms of how each slide fits, or if it fits at all. From this view, you can rearrange slides, add additional ones, or delete them entirely if you find that they don't advance the presentation.

The difference between a good presentation and a bad one is really all about preparation and execution. Those that respect the process and plan carefully---not only the presentation as a whole, but each slide within it---are the ones who will succeed.

This brings me to my last (half) point: When in doubt, just buy a template and use it. You can find these all over the web, though Creative Market and GraphicRiver are probably the two most popular marketplaces for this kind of thing. Not all of us are blessed with the skills needed to design and deliver an effective presentation. And while a pre-made PowerPoint template isn't going to make you a better presenter, it will ease the anxiety of creating a visually appealing slide deck.

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How to give a good presentation

Get your team on prezi – watch this on demand video.

Anete Ezera April 27, 2023

Presenting in front of an audience, whether a small group of colleagues at work, a classroom full of students, or an audience of potential investors for your personal project, can be a nerve-wracking experience. The pressure to convey your ideas clearly, engage your audience, and make a lasting impression can feel overwhelming. However, with the right preparation and approach, you can confidently deliver a good presentation that captivates your audience and achieves your desired outcomes.

In this article, we will delve into seven key elements that are essential for giving a good presentation. These elements encompass both the preparation and delivery aspects of presenting, ensuring that you are thoroughly prepared and equipped to deliver a compelling presentation. From understanding your audience and creating a strong structure to incorporating effective design practices and storytelling techniques, we’ll provide you with practical tips and strategies to develop good presentation skills. With these key elements in your arsenal, you will be well on your way to giving a presentation that makes a lasting impact.

If you’d like to watch a video on how to give a good presentation featuring a Prezi Video presentation template , check it out here:

What makes a good presentation

Before we dive into the seven key elements of a good presentation, let’s first explore what initially makes a good presentation.

As a matter of fact, what makes a good presentation is a combination of several components. First, it should be well-prepared, with thorough research on the audience and tailored content that is relevant and engaging. A survey by the National Speakers Association revealed that 74% of audiences pay closer attention to presentations that are tailored to their needs and interests. This emphasizes the importance of researching the audience to understand their preferences, expectations, and knowledge level and creating content that aligns with these factors.

Another key element to a good presentation is a strong structure with a clear beginning, middle, and end helps to keep the presentation organized and easy to follow. The Serial Position Effect , a concept from memory research, proves this point. It indicates that people tend to remember information presented at the beginning and end of a sequence better than information presented in the middle. By structuring a presentation with a clear beginning and end, the presenter can take advantage of this effect and ensure that key points or main messages are more likely to be remembered by the audience. To learn more about how to structure your presentation effectively, watch our video on this topic:

Also, effective design practices, such as visually appealing slides and appropriate use of images and visuals, enhance the overall visual appeal of the presentation. In fact, research has shown that incorporating visual aids into presentations increases their persuasive power by 43% compared to those without visual aids. By utilizing visual aids and spatial relationships to simplify complex ideas and make them accessible, presenters can effectively capture their audience’s attention and keep them engaged throughout the entire presentation. And that’s exactly what a Prezi presentation can offer to you. This also ties in with storytelling, which is another key technique presenters use to deliver good presentations. 

Storytelling techniques, including personal anecdotes and real-life examples, can captivate the audience and make the presentation more memorable. A study by Harvard University found that presenters who use storytelling techniques in their presentations are able to capture and maintain the audience’s attention for longer periods of time, resulting in better overall comprehension and retention of information.

Lastly, practice and rehearsal are crucial for delivering a polished and confident presentation. The more a presenter practices and rehearses, the more confident they become in their presentation skills. Confidence is a key factor in delivering an effective presentation, as it helps the presenter establish credibility and engage the audience. Confidence also allows the presenter to handle unexpected situations, such as technical glitches or difficult questions, with poise and professionalism.

When all these elements come together, it results in a good presentation that leaves a lasting impression on the audience.

How to give a good presentation 

Now that we’ve established what makes a good presentation, explore how you can ensure that your next presentation is set up for success and makes a memorable impact on your audience.

Prepare for Success

Thorough preparation is essential for giving a successful presentation. Start by researching and gathering information on your topic. Dig deep into your subject matter to ensure that you have a solid understanding of the content you’ll be presenting. What you can also do is organize your thoughts and create an outline to guide you through your presentation, using a mind map that you can create on Prezi. This will help you stay focused and ensure that your presentation flows logically from one point to the next. Practice your delivery multiple times to build confidence and identify areas that may need improvement. Rehearsing will also help you manage your time effectively during the actual presentation, allowing you to stay on track and deliver your message with clarity and confidence.

Know Your Audience

Understanding your audience is a critical component of delivering a good presentation that truly resonates with them. Taking the time to thoroughly consider who your audience is and what they are interested in can greatly enhance the impact of your presentation. Start by researching and analyzing your audience demographics, such as their age, education level, professional background, and interests. Also, consider their prior knowledge and familiarity with your topic, as well as their expectations and goals for attending your presentation.

Once you have a clear understanding of your audience, tailor your content to meet their specific needs and expectations. Use language that is appropriate and understandable to your audience, avoiding jargon or technical terms that may be unfamiliar to them. Craft your message in a way that is relevant and relatable to their interests, concerns, and experiences. This will help you establish a connection with your audience and make your presentation more engaging.

In addition, incorporating relevant examples or anecdotes that your audience can relate to can be highly effective. Real-life examples, case studies, or anecdotes that are relevant to your audience can help illustrate your points and make your content more relatable and memorable. This creates a sense of connection and relevance, as your audience can see how your topic directly applies to their own lives or work.

By connecting with your audience on a personal level, you can captivate their attention and keep them engaged throughout your presentation. When your audience feels that you understand their needs, interests, and expectations, they are more likely to actively participate and remain attentive. Tailoring your content and language to your audience’s preferences and using relatable examples can create a sense of rapport and trust, which enhances the overall impact of your presentation.

Create a Strong Structure

A well-structured presentation is key to keeping your audience engaged from start to finish. Your structure should include an attention-grabbing introduction, a clear and organized body, and a strong and memorable conclusion.

Introduction

Your introduction sets the stage for your entire presentation and presents an opportunity to make a lasting impression on your audience. It’s your chance to captivate their attention right from the start and create a sense of anticipation for what’s to come. To achieve this, start with a hook that grabs their attention and piques their interest.

One effective way to hook your audience is by using a compelling statistic that is relevant to your topic. It can be a surprising fact, a startling figure, or a thought-provoking data point that immediately captures your audience’s attention. This can create a sense of intrigue and curiosity, motivating your audience to lean in and listen attentively to what you have to say. And you don’t need to outsource a data visualization tool to create a visually appealing chart or map – you can use Prezi Design and incorporate charts, graphs, and maps into your presentations like in the example below.

Another effective approach is to start with a thought-provoking question that encourages your audience to reflect and engage with your topic. It can be a rhetorical question that stimulates their curiosity or a direct question that prompts them to think about their own experiences or opinions related to your presentation. This can help establish a connection with your audience and encourage them to actively participate in your presentation.

Alternatively, you can begin your introduction with a powerful quote that is relevant to your topic. A well-chosen quote from a reputable source can instantly grab your audience’s attention and lend credibility to your presentation. It can also evoke emotions or convey a sense of urgency, compelling your audience to sit up and take notice.

In addition to using verbal hooks, visual aids or multimedia can also be effective in creating an attention-grabbing introduction. Incorporate relevant images, videos, or slides that are visually appealing and enhance your message. This can add an element of visual interest and help reinforce your key points.

However, it’s crucial to ensure that your introduction is not only attention-grabbing but also relevant to your topic and sets the tone for the rest of your presentation. It should provide a clear transition into the main content of your presentation and establish the context for what is to follow. This helps your audience understand the purpose of your presentation and sets their expectations for the remainder of your talk.

Discover more ways to start a presentation by watching this video:

Once you have successfully captured your audience’s attention with a compelling introduction, it’s crucial to deliver your main points in a clear and organized manner. This ensures that your audience can easily follow along and grasp the key messages you are conveying. 

Organizing the body of your presentation can be done in different ways, depending on your topic and audience. One common approach is to use a chronological order, where you present your ideas in a sequence that follows a timeline or a sequence of events like in the Prezi presentation below. This can be effective when you are presenting historical information, explaining a process, or discussing the progress of a project or an initiative.

Another approach is to organize your content by priority. This involves presenting your ideas in an order of importance, starting with the most critical or impactful point first and then moving on to the lesser ones. This can be useful when you are discussing a series of ideas or recommendations, and you want to emphasize the most important ones to your audience.

Alternatively, you can organize your content by theme. This involves grouping related ideas together and discussing them in a cohesive manner. This approach is useful when you are presenting different aspects or perspectives of a broader topic, and you want to highlight the connections between them.

Whichever organizational approach you choose, it’s important to use transitions between your ideas to create a smooth flow. Transitions can be in the form of verbal cues or visual aids, such as signposts, that indicate a shift from one idea to another. This helps your audience to follow along easily and understand the logical progression of your presentation.

Visual aids, such as graphs, charts, images, or videos, can be valuable tools to enhance your message and make your content more engaging. They can provide visual representations of complex information, support your key points, and make your content more memorable. However, it’s crucial to be mindful of the pacing of your presentation and avoid overwhelming your audience with too much information. Use visual aids judiciously and ensure they are relevant and supportive of your main message.

Ending your presentation with a memorable conclusion is a crucial opportunity to reinforce your main points and leave a lasting impression on your audience. By summarizing your key messages and tying them together in a cohesive manner, you can create a powerful ending that resonates with your audience.

One effective way to reinforce your main points is to concisely summarize your key messages. This can help reinforce the key takeaways from your presentation and ensure that your audience remembers the most important information. You can also use this opportunity to highlight the significance of your key messages and emphasize their relevance to your audience.

In addition to summarizing your main points, you can also include a call to action in your conclusion. This can be a specific next step that you want your audience to take after your presentation, such as signing up for a newsletter, visiting a website, or taking action on a particular issue. 

Furthermore, you can offer a final thought or reflection in your conclusion. This can be a powerful way to leave a lasting impression on your audience and encourage them to reflect on the content of your presentation. 

To make your conclusion even more impactful, consider using visual aids or multimedia. Visuals such as images, icons, stickers, GIFs, and more can add an extra layer of engagement and creativity to your conclusion, all of which you can find in Prezi’s media library. 

Use the best design practices

The visual aspect of your presentation is crucial in creating a memorable and engaging experience for your audience. Follow these best design practices to ensure that your presentation is visually appealing and effective:

Easy to read and understand

When creating your presentation, it’s essential to ensure that you use a legible font size and style. Choosing a font that is easy to read, even from a distance, can greatly enhance the clarity of your content. Additionally, leaving ample space between elements and text is crucial to avoid a cramped and cluttered appearance. This allows your audience to easily process the information without feeling overwhelmed. Opting for a clean and simple layout that logically organizes your content can further aid in comprehension. Avoid unnecessary elements or distracting visuals that may divert your audience’s attention from the main message. Clutter can hinder the audience’s ability to understand your content, so it’s best to keep the design minimalistic and focused. By following these guidelines, you can create a visually appealing and effective presentation that effectively conveys your message to your audience.

In the realm of design, the principle of “less is more” holds true. Embracing simplicity and minimalism can result in a more impactful and effective presentation. One effective strategy is to remove unnecessary design elements that don’t contribute to the main points of your content. By doing so, you can streamline your visuals and direct your audience’s attention to the key information you want to convey.

Consistency is also key in design. Choosing a harmonious color scheme that complements your content and aligns with your brand or message can enhance the visual coherence of your presentation. Avoid using too many colors or conflicting color combinations that can be distracting or overwhelming. Keeping your visual aids clean and uncluttered, with ample whitespace, can help create a sense of balance and ease of comprehension.

A simple and visually appealing design can greatly assist in conveying your message. It allows your audience to focus on the content without unnecessary distractions. A clutter-free design can also help in improving information retention, as it makes it easier for your audience to absorb and retain the key points of your presentation.

Storytelling

One effective way to elevate your presentation to the next level is by incorporating a motion-based presentation tool like Prezi. Prezi offers a unique and dynamic way to illustrate the connections between different ideas, creating a visually captivating and engaging storytelling experience. By utilizing motion, zooming, and panning effects, you can create a seamless flow of content that guides your audience through your presentation with fluidity and purpose.

A motion-based presentation can be particularly valuable when explaining complex concepts or showcasing intricate relationships between ideas. It provides a visually appealing way to showcase the relationships, patterns, and interactions between different elements, making it easier for your audience to grasp the content and retain the information. 

In addition to the visual benefits, a motion-based presentation also allows you to inject your own personal style and creativity into your presentation. You can customize the motion paths, zoom levels, and transitions to create a unique and memorable visual experience that aligns with your content and delivery style. This can help you stand out from traditional slide-based presentations and create a lasting impression on your audience.

Visual Aids

Visual aids are an invaluable tool in presentations as they can greatly enhance the impact and effectiveness of your content. Whether it’s charts, graphs, images, or videos, strategic use of visual aids can add depth and clarity to your presentation, making it more engaging and memorable for your audience.

When using visual aids, it’s essential to ensure they are relevant to your content and directly support your main message. Choose visual aids that complement your presentation goals and help clarify complex information or concepts. For example, using charts and graphs to present data can provide a visual representation that is easier to understand and interpret than raw numbers.

However, it’s important to strike a balance and avoid using too many visual aids that may overwhelm or distract your audience. Too many visuals can cause sensory overload and detract from your main message. Instead, use visual aids selectively and purposefully, focusing on those that directly support your key points and enhance audience understanding.

Engage Your Audience

Engaging your audience is critical to keeping their attention and making your presentation memorable. Use the following techniques to actively involve your audience during your presentation:

Questions and polls

By actively involving your audience in the presentation process, you can encourage their participation and keep them engaged throughout.

Asking questions can be a powerful tool to gauge your audience’s understanding of the content you are presenting. You can ask open-ended questions that require thoughtful responses or closed-ended questions that prompt quick answers. This not only allows you to assess their comprehension of the material but also encourages them to actively think about the topic and participate in the discussion.

It’s also important to create a supportive and inclusive environment where participants feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions. Encourage them to ask questions, provide feedback, and actively participate in the discussion. Acknowledge and appreciate their contributions, and use their feedback to further enhance your presentation.

Interactivity

Incorporating interactive elements into your presentation can elevate your content to a whole new level by actively involving your audience in the learning process. By going beyond traditional lecture-style delivery, you can create a dynamic and engaging experience that resonates with your audience and leaves a lasting impression.

One effective interactive element is demonstrations. Showcasing practical examples or demonstrations of concepts, products, or processes can help your audience visualize how things work in real life. This hands-on approach allows them to see your content in action, making it more tangible and relatable. You can use props, visual aids, or multimedia tools to enhance your demonstrations and create a memorable experience for your audience.

Group activities are another powerful interactive element that promotes active participation and collaboration. Break your audience into smaller groups and assign them tasks or activities related to your content. This could include brainstorming sessions, role-plays, simulations, or problem-solving exercises.

Case studies are yet another valuable interactive element that can bring real-world relevance to your content. Presenting relevant case studies or scenarios that reflect the challenges and opportunities your audience may face can help them apply your content to practical situations. 

Incorporating interactive elements into your presentation not only makes it more engaging and relevant but also fosters active learning, enhances retention, and encourages audience participation. 

Eye contact and body language

Maintaining eye contact with your audience is a powerful communication technique that helps establish a connection and build rapport. When you make direct eye contact with individuals in your audience, you convey confidence, sincerity, and respect. It shows that you are present and attentive and that you value their attention and participation.

In addition to eye contact, your body language plays a crucial role in projecting confidence and engagement during your presentation. Stand tall and maintain a good posture, as it conveys confidence and authority. Avoid slouching or fidgeting, as it can detract from your message. Use purposeful hand gestures to emphasize key points or to illustrate concepts, as they can add dynamism and expressiveness to your presentation. If applicable, move around the stage or the room to engage with different parts of the audience and create a connection with everyone in the room.

Confident body language also includes facial expressions, tone of voice, and overall energy. Smile genuinely and use a warm and friendly tone of voice to create a positive and approachable presence. Show enthusiasm and passion for your topic through your gestures, facial expressions, and vocal intonation. Your energy and enthusiasm can be contagious and can help keep your audience engaged and attentive.

Storytelling is a powerful tool that can make your presentation more relatable and compelling to your audience. By incorporating storytelling techniques, such as sharing anecdotes, case studies, or personal experiences, you can create a narrative that resonates with your audience on an emotional level and helps them connect with your content.

When using storytelling techniques, it’s important to keep in mind the purpose and relevance of the stories you share. Ensure that your stories directly support your main message and contribute to the overall flow and coherence of your presentation. 

Manage nerves and handle questions

Managing nerves and handling questions effectively are crucial skills for a successful presentation. Here are some tips on how to not be nervous for a presentation .

Practice, practice, practice

As you devote more time to practicing, honing your skills, and refining your presentation, you will notice a tangible increase in your self-assurance. The process of rehearsing your content, timing, and delivery multiple times is essential for building a robust sense of confidence and reducing any lingering nervousness that may arise. The more effort you put into practice, the more comfortable and prepared you will feel when it comes time to deliver your presentation. So, don’t hesitate to invest ample time and energy into rehearsing, as it will undoubtedly pay off in terms of boosting your confidence and ensuring a successful presentation.

Prepare for questions

Anticipating potential questions and crafting thoughtful and concise answers is a crucial step in preparing for your presentation. By considering the possible inquiries that your audience may have, you can proactively address them, demonstrating your expertise and preparedness. 

Take the time to thoroughly research and gather information to ensure that your responses are accurate and relevant. When the time comes for questions during or after your presentation, remain open and approachable, encouraging audience participation. 

Responding with confidence and professionalism will not only showcase your knowledge but also establish your credibility as a speaker. Plus, your ability to handle questions with confidence and professionalism will leave a lasting impression on your audience and enhance the overall effectiveness of your presentation.

Stay calm and composed

Feeling nervous during a presentation is entirely normal, but there are strategies you can employ to manage those nerves and deliver a confident performance. One effective technique is to take deep breaths, allowing yourself to inhale deeply and exhale slowly to calm your nerves and regulate your breathing. Remember to breathe from your diaphragm, as this can help you relax and maintain a steady voice.

In addition to deep breathing, remind yourself that you are the expert on your topic. You have put in the time and effort to research and prepare for this presentation, and you are well-equipped to share your knowledge with your audience. Embrace the confidence that comes with being knowledgeable about your subject matter, and let that knowledge guide your delivery.

During the presentation, if you are faced with questions that catch you off guard or make you feel anxious, take a moment to pause and gather your thoughts. Don’t rush to respond, as this can result in hasty and incomplete answers. Instead, take a deep breath, maintain eye contact with the questioner, and thoughtfully compose your response. If needed, ask for clarification or repeat the question to ensure you fully understand it before responding.

If you want to learn more about how to give a good presentation without being nervous, watch the following video: 

In the event that you encounter a question during your presentation for which you do not know the answer, it’s important to prioritize honesty and transparency. Resist the urge to guess or provide inaccurate information, as this can undermine your credibility as a presenter. Instead, be upfront and candid with your audience, acknowledging that you don’t have the answer at the moment.

A professional approach in such situations is to offer to follow up later with the correct information. You can assure the questioner that you will make the effort to research and verify the accurate response after the presentation, and then provide it to them in a timely manner. This demonstrates your commitment to accuracy and your dedication to providing reliable information to your audience.

By being honest and transparent about not knowing the answer, you uphold your integrity as a presenter and maintain the trust of your audience. It’s far better to admit when you don’t have the information rather than provide incorrect or misleading answers that can lead to confusion or misinformation.

Stay Positive and Confident

Lastly, stay positive and confident throughout your presentation. Believe in your content and your ability to deliver it effectively. Keep a positive attitude, smile, and connect with your audience. Remember, confidence is contagious, and a confident and positive presenter is more likely to captivate their audience and deliver a successful presentation.

In conclusion, giving a good presentation goes beyond just having great content. It requires careful planning, understanding your audience, creating a clear structure, implementing effective design practices, engaging your audience, managing nerves, handling questions with grace, seeking feedback for improvement, and maintaining a positive and confident demeanor throughout. By incorporating these key elements into your presentation strategy, you can elevate your presentation skills and deliver memorable and impactful presentations that leave a lasting impression on your audience. Remember, preparation and practice are essential, and it’s normal to feel nervous, but with the right techniques and mindset, you can overcome those nerves and deliver a presentation that truly shines. 

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Complete Guide for Effective Presentations, with Examples

July 9, 2018 - Dom Barnard

During a presentation you aim to look confident, enthusiastic and natural. You’ll need more than good words and content to achieve this – your delivery plays a significant part. In this article, we discuss various techniques that can be used to deliver an effective presentation.

Effective presentations

Think about if you were in the audience, what would:

• Get you to focus and listen
• Make you understand
• Activate your imagination
• Persuade you

Providing the audience with interesting information is not enough to achieve these aims – you need to ensure that the way you present is stimulating and engaging. If it’s not, you’ll lose the audience’s interest and they’ll stop listening.

Tips for an Effective Presentation

Professional public speakers spend hours creating and practicing presentations. These are the delivery techniques they consider:

Keep it simple

You shouldn’t overwhelm your audience with information – ensure that you’re clear, concise and that you get to the point so they can understand your message.

Have a maximum of  three main points  and state them at the beginning, before you explain them in more depth, and then state them at the end so the audience will at least remember these points.

If some of your content doesn’t contribute to your key message then cut it out. Also avoid using too many statistics and technical terminology.

Connect with your audience

One of the greatest difficulties when delivering a presentation is connecting with the audience. If you don’t  connect with them  it will seem as though you’re talking to an empty room.

Trying to make contact with the audience makes them feel like they’re part of the presentation which encourages them to listen and it shows that you want to speak to them.

Eye contact and smile

Avoiding eye contact is uncomfortable because it make you look insecure. When you  maintain eye contact  the audience feels like you’re speaking to them personally. If this is something you struggle with, try looking at people’s foreheads as it gives the impression of making eye contact.

Try to cover all sections of the audience and don’t move on to the next person too quickly as you will look nervous.

Smiling also helps with rapport and it reduces your nerves because you’ll feel less like you’re talking to group of faceless people. Make sure you don’t turn the lights down too much before your presentation so you can all clearly see each other.

Body language

Be aware of your body language and use it to connect:

• Keep your arms uncrossed so your  body language is more open .
• Match your facial expressions with what you’re saying.
• Avoid fidgeting and displaying nervous habits, such as, rocking on your feet.
• You may need to glance at the computer slide or a visual aid but make sure you predominantly face the audience.
• Emphasise points by using hand gestures but use them sparingly – too little and they’ll awkwardly sit at your side, too much and you’ll be distracting and look nervous.
• Vary your gestures so you don’t look robotic.
• Maintain a straight posture.
• Be aware of  cultural differences .

Move around

Avoid standing behind the lectern or computer because you need to reduce the distance and barriers between yourself and the audience.  Use movement  to increase the audience’s interest and make it easier to follow your presentation.

A common technique for incorporating movement into your presentation is to:

• Start your introduction by standing in the centre of the stage.
• For your first point you stand on the left side of the stage.
• You discuss your second point from the centre again.
• You stand on the right side of the stage for your third point.
• The conclusion occurs in the centre.

Watch 3 examples of good and bad movement while presenting

Example: Movement while presenting

Your movement at the front of the class and amongst the listeners can help with engagement. Think about which of these three speakers maintains the attention of their audience for longer, and what they are doing differently to each other.

Speak with the audience

You can conduct polls using your audience or ask questions to make them think and feel invested in your presentation. There are three different types of questions:

Direct questions require an answer: “What would you do in this situation?” These are mentally stimulating for the audience. You can pass a microphone around and let the audience come to your desired solution.

Rhetorical questions  do not require answers, they are often used to emphasises an idea or point: “Is the Pope catholic?

Loaded questions contain an unjustified assumption made to prompt the audience into providing a particular answer which you can then correct to support your point: You may ask “Why does your wonderful company have such a low incidence of mental health problems?” The audience will generally answer that they’re happy.

After receiving the answers you could then say “Actually it’s because people are still unwilling and too embarrassed to seek help for mental health issues at work etc.”

Be specific with your language

Make the audience feel as though you are speaking to each member individually by using “you” and “your.”

For example: asking “Do you want to lose weight without feeling hungry?” would be more effective than asking “Does anyone here want to lost weight without feeling hungry?” when delivering your presentation. You can also increase solidarity by using “we”, “us” etc – it makes the audience think “we’re in this together”.

Be flexible

Be prepared to adapt to the situation at the time, for example, if the audience seems bored you can omit details and go through the material faster, if they are confused then you will need to come up with more examples on the spot for clarification. This doesn’t mean that you weren’t prepared because you can’t predict everything.

Vocal variety

How you say something is just as is important as the content of your speech – arguably, more so.

For example, if an individual presented on a topic very enthusiastically the audience would probably enjoy this compared to someone who covered more points but mumbled into their notes.

• Adapt your voice  depending on what are you’re saying – if you want to highlight something then raise your voice or lower it for intensity. Communicate emotion by using your voice.
• Avoid speaking in monotone as you will look uninterested and the audience will lose interest.
• Take time to pronounce every word carefully.
• Raise your pitch when asking questions and lower it when you want to sound severe.
• Sound enthusiastic – the more you sound like you care about the topic, the more the audience will listen. Smiling and pace can help with this.
• Speak loudly and clearly – think about projecting your voice to the back of the room.
• Speak at a  pace that’s easy to follow . If you’re too fast or too slow it will be difficult for the audience to understand what you’re saying and it’s also frustrating. Subtly fasten the pace to show enthusiasm and slow down for emphasis, thoughtfulness or caution.

Prior to the presentation, ensure that you  prepare your vocal chords :

• You could read aloud a book that requires vocal variety, such as, a children’s book.
• Avoid dairy and eating or drinking anything too sugary beforehand as mucus can build-up leading to frequent throat clearing.
• Don’t drink anything too cold before you present as this can constrict your throat which affects vocal quality.
• Some people suggest a warm cup of tea beforehand to relax the throat.

Practice Presentation Skills

Improve your public speaking and presentation skills by practicing them in realistic environments, with automated feedback on performance. Learn More

Pause to breathe

When you’re anxious your breathing will become quick and shallow which will affect the control you have on your voice. This can consequently make you feel more nervous. You want to breathe steadily and deeply so before you start speaking take some deep breaths or implement controlled breathing.

Controlled breathing is a common technique that helps slow down your breathing to normal thus reducing your anxiety. If you think this may be useful practice with these steps:

• Sit down in an upright position as it easier for your lungs to fill with air
• Breathe in through your nose and into your abdomen for four seconds
• Hold this breathe for two seconds
• Breathe out through your nose for six seconds
• Wait a few seconds before inhaling and repeating the cycle

It takes practice to master this technique but once you get used to it you may want to implement it directly before your presentation.

Completely filling your lungs during a pause will ensure you reach a greater vocal range.

During the presentation delivery, if you notice that you’re speaking too quickly then pause and breathe. This won’t look strange – it will appear as though you’re giving thought to what you’re saying. You can also strategically plan some of your pauses, such as after questions and at the end of sections, because this will give you a chance to calm down and it will also give the audience an opportunity to think and reflect.

Pausing will also help you  avoid filler words , such as, “um” as well which can make you sound unsure.

• 10 Effective Ways to use Pauses in your Speech

Strong opening

The first five minutes are  vital to engage the audience  and get them listening to you. You could start with a story to highlight why your topic is significant.

For example, if the topic is on the benefits of pets on physical and psychological health, you could present a story or a study about an individual whose quality of life significantly improved after being given a dog. The audience is more likely to respond better to this and remember this story than a list of facts.

Example: Which presentation intro keeps you engaged?

Watch 5 different presentation introductions, from both virtual and in-person events. Notice how it can only take a few seconds to decide if you want to keep listening or switch off. For the good introductions, what about them keeps you engaged?

More experienced and confident public speakers use humour in their presentations. The audience will be incredibly engaged if you make them laugh but caution must be exercised when using humour because a joke can be misinterpreted and even offend the audience.

Only use jokes if you’re confident with this technique, it has been successful in the past and it’s suitable for the situation.

Stories and anecdotes

Use stories whenever you can and judge whether you can tell a story about yourself because the audience are even more interested in seeing the human side of you.

Consider telling a story about a mistake you made, for example, perhaps you froze up during an important presentation when you were 25, or maybe life wasn’t going well for you in the past – if relevant to your presentation’s aim. People will relate to this as we have all experienced mistakes and failures. The more the audience relates to you, the more likely they will remain engaged.

These stories can also be  told in a humorous way  if it makes you feel more comfortable and because you’re disclosing a personal story there is less chance of misinterpretation compared to telling a joke.

Anecdotes are especially valuable for your introduction and between different sections of the presentation because they engage the audience. Ensure that you plan the stories thoroughly beforehand and that they are not too long.

Focus on the audience’s needs

Even though your aim is to persuade the audience, they must also get something helpful from the presentation. Provide the audience with value by giving them useful information, tactics, tips etc. They’re more likely to warm to you and trust you if you’re sharing valuable information with them.

You could also highlight their pain point. For example, you might ask “Have you found it difficult to stick to a healthy diet?” The audience will now want to remain engaged because they want to know the solution and the opportunities that you’re offering.

Use visual aids

Visual aids are items of a visual manner, such as graphs, photographs, video clips etc used in addition to spoken information. Visual aids are chosen depending on their purpose, for example, you may want to:

• Summarise information.
• Reduce the amount of spoken words, for example, you may show a graph of your results rather than reading them out.
• Clarify and show examples.
• Create more of an impact. You must consider what type of impact you want to make beforehand – do you want the audience to be sad, happy, angry etc?
• Emphasise what you’re saying.
• Make a point memorable.
• Enhance your credibility.
• Engage the audience and maintain their interest.
• Make something easier for the audience to understand.

Some general tips for  using visual aids :

• Think about how can a visual aid can support your message. What do you want the audience to do?
• Ensure that your visual aid follows what you’re saying or this will confuse the audience.
• Avoid cluttering the image as it may look messy and unclear.
• Visual aids must be clear, concise and of a high quality.
• Keep the style consistent, such as, the same font, colours, positions etc
• Use graphs and charts to present data.
• The audience should not be trying to read and listen at the same time – use visual aids to highlight your points.
• One message per visual aid, for example, on a slide there should only be one key point.
• Use visual aids in moderation – they are additions meant to emphasise and support main points.
• Ensure that your presentation still works without your visual aids in case of technical problems.

10-20-30 slideshow rule

Slideshows are widely used for presentations because it’s easy to create attractive and professional presentations using them. Guy Kawasaki, an entrepreneur and author, suggests that slideshows should  follow a 10-20-30 rule :

• There should be a maximum of 10 slides – people rarely remember more than one concept afterwards so there’s no point overwhelming them with unnecessary information.
• The presentation should last no longer than 20 minutes as this will leave time for questions and discussion.
• The font size should be a minimum of 30pt because the audience reads faster than you talk so less information on the slides means that there is less chance of the audience being distracted.

If you want to give the audience more information you can provide them with partially completed handouts or give them the handouts after you’ve delivered the presentation.

Keep a drink nearby

Have something to drink when you’re on stage, preferably water at room temperature. This will help maintain your vocal quality and having a sip is a subtle way of introducing pauses.

Practice, practice, practice

If you are very familiar with the content of your presentation, your audience will perceive you as confident and you’ll be more persuasive.

• Don’t just read the presentation through – practice everything,  including your transitions  and using your visual aids.
• Stand up and speak it aloud, in an engaging manner, as though you were presenting to an audience.
• Ensure that you practice your body language and gesturing.
• Use VR to  practice in a realistic environment .
• Practice in front of others and get their feedback.
• Freely improvise so you’ll sound more natural on the day. Don’t learn your presentation verbatim because you will sound uninterested and if you lose focus then you may forget everything.
• Create cards to use as cues – one card should be used for one key idea. Write down brief notes or key words and ensure that the cards are physically connected so the order cannot be lost. Visual prompts can also be used as cues.

This video shows how you can practice presentations in virtual reality. See our  VR training courses .

Two courses where you can practice your presentations in interactive exercises:

• Essential Public Speaking
• How to Present over Video

Try these different presentation delivery methods to see which ones you prefer and which need to be improved. The most important factor is to feel comfortable during the presentation as the delivery is likely to be better.

Remember that the audience are generally on your side – they want you to do well so present with confidence.

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Presentation Skills: 15 tips for effective presentations

A successful presentation requires good presentation skills and effective presentation techniques. Here we provide you with 15 presentation tips for effective presentations. Whether you are an experienced presenter, or just starting out, there should be ideas here to help you improve your presentation skills.

Presenting successfully: 15 tips to improve your presentation skills and give a killer presentation 

How do you give a good presentation this is how to succeed.

In order to be able to present successfully, not only the layout and the content of the presentation must be convincing. The decisive step is to convey the content of the presentation to the audience in the best possible way by presenting it correctly. The tips listed below should help you do this by improving your presentation skills. The most important thing to keep in mind is a healthy combination of the tips listed below. (The order of the tips does not give any information about their importance).

Not every tip will lead to a successful presentation. What is important in a presentation?

As mentioned earlier, you should try to implement a combination of the tips to give a successful presentation. It should be noted that not every one of these tips needs to fit in your own presentation. In addition, too many of these tips can make the presentation look overloaded and too "rehearsed". Therefore, think carefully in advance about what you want to pay particular attention to.

Here are 15 tips for killer presentations:

Tip 1: maintain eye contact while presenting and smile.

In order to give each of your listeners the feeling of being important and to make them feel personally addressed, it is particularly important to maintain eye contact with the audience during the presentation. Not only does this exude confidence, but it also helps your audience to connect with you and your subject. It also helps you feel less nervous.  Easier said than done right? Here's what can help:

Find someone in the audience who seems to be genuinely interested in the topic and is listening attentively (for example, your lecturer). Make eye contact with this person at the beginning of the presentation. Once you start feeling more calm and confident let your gaze drift over the audience to address the other listeners as well. Keep returning your gaze to the initial person to stay calm throughout the whole presentation.

Another alternative is to find a fixed point in the room (preferably on the wall behind the audience) which you fix at the beginning of the presentation. Similar to the first example, after you have achieved confidence, you can let your gaze wander over the audience and return to the previously selected fixed point again and again.

Don't look at the screen! Don't look at the floor! Don't just look at your index cards! Don't just look at the laptop!

Tip 2: Use of gestures and facial expressions

To emphasize the content of your presentation, it is advisable to use appropriate gestures and body language to get your message across. Avoid crossed arms, hands behind your back, or in your pockets during a presentation.  Always stand up straight, and try not to appear tense or stressed. You can do that by using your hands and arms to emphasize what you are saying and get your message across.  Your facial expressions should always be friendly and open. Smile and show that you enjoy the topic and you are confident in the information you are presenting.

Tip 3: Avoid distractions

Often you will not be able to avoid the use of aids. For example, you may need to use a laser pointer to show something on the screen, or you may need to use a pen to write something down on a flipchart. To avoid distractions for you and the audience, get into the habit of putting down tools you don't need! That way you will not be tempted to deal with them in the first place. You will also have your hands free for gestures.

Tip 4: Be prepared: Practice makes perfect

Practice makes perfect, right? If you prepare well before the presentation, you will feel more relaxed and confident while presenting and it will also improve your body language. 

Here are some ways to help you prepare for a presentation:

Rehearse in front of a crowd

Time yourself

Record yourself

Tip 5: Be confident

By appearing self-confident, you convey to the listener that you are confident in your topic and have prepared yourself sufficiently. Try to relax and not appear too stressed or nervous. Another tip for advanced speakers: Step out in front of the podium and walk around the room and get closer to the audience. This also exudes self-confidence and helps in attracting your audience's attention.

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Tip 6: Effective beginning/end

Good presentation skills can help you in captivating your audience straight away. In order to do that, you should start your presentation with a bang. Many studies show that if you can capture someone’s interest straight away, there’s a good chance they’ll listen to the rest of the presentation. Shock the audience, ask them to imagine something or think of a what-if situation, share a personal story, share a joke, u se a quote, or a video. You should also give an overview of the time and structure of your presentation. This outline should run through your presentation so that you can always assign the individual contents to an outline point. It is also helpful for your audience to have the outline displayed in a slimmed-down form during the whole presentation.

How you end the presentation is as important as how you start it. A weak ending will leave the audience uninspired. But a good ending will motivate them and help them walk away on a positive note. For example, include a call to action, end the presentation with a memorable quote, or a personal story, and don't forget to thank and acknowledge the audience. 

Tip 7: Speak freely

The headline speaks for itself. To make the presentation as lively and enjoyable as possible, you should avoid reading it off. Speak freely, slowly, and clearly. If you are not yet confident in what you are presenting, try using note cards. But keep in mind: No continuous text, but only short, concise bullet points! If you use note cards to support you, it is especially advisable at this point to memorize at least the beginning and end of your presentation, as eye contact is crucial at these points.

Tip 8: Avoid filler words

In order to make your presentation flow as smoothly and confidently as possible, you should avoid using filler words such as "um," "so," and so on. For your listeners, these words convey insecurity and inadequate preparation.

Tip 9: Bring along something to share

In addition to a handout, other small takeaways can also significantly improve your presentation. For example, if you are giving a presentation on gummy bears, why not offer some to your audience? If you are giving a presentation about your fishing hobby, why not show the audience your fishing equipment?

Tip 10: Use different types of media

A presentation can quickly become boring and monotonous. To avoid this, it is advisable to use different types of media. For example, combine videos and flipcharts, use the whiteboard, or show something practical on a model. This will increase the attention of your audience enormously and will help in keeping them engaged until the end.

Tip 11: Use effective pauses

When giving a presentation, you should keep in mind that you have already heard the content several times - your audience probably hasn't! Therefore, give your audience enough time to read and understand the content of your slides.

Effective use of speech pauses is a master technique. It is one of the most versatile tools in a presenter's toolbox. Yet very few people perform it well. A pause, if used correctly, can add a great deal to your presentation or speech. Pause before, during, or after saying something that you would like to emphasize. Pausing between two different parts of your presentation can indicate to the audience that something new is coming. A quick pause could also help you in remembering your next point, without the audience noticing that you forgot what to say.

Tip 12: Speak the language of the audience

When creating your presentation, you should already think about your target audience. This will help you present successfully later on. It is especially important that you speak the language of the audience. Use appropriate and relevant examples. Use "strong" and meaningful words in short sentences to avoid losing the audience. Make sure to use appropriate analogies and anecdotes and avoid foreign words, empty phrases, and clichés. If you have to use foreign words, explain them in a handout or footnote within the presentation.

Tip 13: Engage with the audience

Always try to keep the attention of your audience and keep them engaged during a presentation. To do this, it is advisable to regularly involve the audience. One way to do this is to ask questions. Deliberately ask "easy" questions so that can easily be answered by your audience. Another way to involve the audience in your presentation is by interacting with them. To make a point clearer, you can use an example to explain it in more detail, using a person (whose name you should know). You can address participants directly and refer to their work.

Tip 14: Don't fight the stage fright & take deep breaths

Stage fright is one of the biggest enemies of a presentation, yet you shouldn't let yourself be a victim of your feat. Do not fight it, rather address your fear and try and accept it, and transform it into positive enthusiasm. Don't let your stage fright get you all worked up and nervous. Take a couple of deep breaths to get oxygen to your brain and relax your body.

Tip 15: Choose the right angle on standing during a presentation

One of the most frequent questions that speakers ask themselves during a presentation is, how do I best position myself, and where do I stand in front of the audience?

You have a free stage without a podium

In many cases, you will be facing your audience in a "free space", without a podium. This gives you a lot of room to move, but at the same time, it creates uncertainty because you don't know how to position yourself properly or how to move. Avoid standing frontally in front of the audience! This frontal facing is unconsciously perceived negatively by the audience. It is perceived by the audience as a kind of frontal attack and causes stress in your audience. Make sure to stand slightly to the side of the audience. If you notice during the presentation that you are again standing frontally in front of your audience, simply move your right or left foot 20 cm forward.

You have a podium at your disposal

A podium makes it easier to decide how to position yourself and where to stand in front of the audience. In order not to make your presentation too monotonous, it is advisable to leave the "safe position" behind the lectern from time to time, e.g. to walk to the other side of the screen or to show something on the flipchart. This brings movement into your presentation and helps keep the connection with your audience. 

Björn Rolleter

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• What Makes a Good Presentation

March 30, 2023

A successful presentation helps engage your audience in the subject matter and convey your message correctly. With the proper presentation skills , your talk can improve from nervous speech to confident conversation. As a general rule, it’s important to consider each step of your presentation preparation carefully before finalizing your speech. You may be wondering how to create a good presentation, which is why we have compiled a list of 10 tips to keep in mind for effective presentations.

10 Tips for Giving Effective Presentations

When giving an engaging presentation, you’ll want to provide your audience with the key points they need to understand your message and keep their attention throughout the speech. Whether you plan to use bullet points, notes or memorization, it is a good idea to go over the most helpful presentation tips to ensure you know exactly what you want to include in your talk.

1. Tell Stories

One of the best ways to engage the audience in your presentation is to tell a story. Sharing your personal events and thoughts can increase your relatability while allowing the audience to feel connected to your story and comfortable in your presence. Making the audience comfortable can also increase your confidence on stage, as the audience interacts and engages in your story and presence.

Stories are one of the main reasons that audience members pay attention to speeches or talks. Without them, the audience might become bored or start to drift away. A conversational, story-like speech means the audience is more likely to be interested in what you have to say and even remember some of your key points.

To tell a story within a speech, it’s a good rule of thumb to begin your presentation with a story or act like the speech is a story itself. Think about what you want to tell the audience and ensure your presentation contains those elements. There are two ways to focus on storytelling mechanics within your speech — focus on characters or find the changing dynamic of your story.

When focusing on characters, your presentation becomes like a narrative. While people are full of stories, objects and things are not. Keep this in mind when trying to focus your speech on what people are directly involved in the topic or message of your presentation.

When focusing on the changing dynamic of your speech’s storyline, you’ll want to find the elements of your story that change throughout the presentation. Think about what areas of the story are not yet resolved and answer with your current plan for change in your speech.

2. Smile and Make Eye Contact

Smiling and making eye contact throughout your speech are one of the best ways to create a good presentation. Eye contact creates a great connection with your audience by making the space feel more conversational and intimate. As a presenter, you want the audience to pay attention during your speech. One of the best ways to do that is to engage with them through smiles and positive facial expressions.

An expressive presentation builds rapport with the audience and helps you feel less nervous on stage. Realize that you’re talking to individuals rather than a massive audience without faces. If you can, request that the lights be kept on during the speech so you can intentionally make eye contact and let people see your face. It’s helpful if the audience can connect with your expressions while also paying attention to your slides or notes.

3. Stage Presence

Stage presence and body language are critical areas to practice before your presentation. Some expressions and mannerisms to avoid include the following:

• Crossing arms: You may seem closed off and unapproachable. Keep your arms at your sides, or use them with hand gestures to create an open and authentic feeling.
• Pacing: While some presenters may be able to pace and maintain audience engagement, their pacing may become too fast or distracting for some.
• Unapproachable face: Try to keep a positive expression or smile on your face at all times. While you don’t want to force your expressions, you don’t want to seem tired of your subject matter either.
• Bored expression: A presenter who seems bored with their message may bore the audience. You want to be passionate about your topic and create that passion in the audience.
• Swaying: Swaying your body back and forth is another sign of nervousness that you should try to replace with hand gestures and a confident stance.
• Shifting weight: Some shift their weight from foot to foot or hip to hip. Whatever you do, try to stand still with both feet apart. Centering your body weight helps you feel more confident and sure on your feet.

Many nervous presenters move their bodies during speeches to cope with the tension. However, this can be distracting. Try to relax and keep your waist and legs motionless. This will improve your overall stage presence and stop you from pacing or swaying too much.

It’s also good to stand still and let your hands do the talking. Try to make eye contact with specific audience members who seem engaged and keep them in mind when presenting. You can also quell nervousness by sitting in the audience and watching other presenters before it’s your turn. Keep your mind engaged and distracted while focusing on the topics at hand.

The most important part of a good speech is the connection you build with your audience. After all, you are the reason they are there. Make sure you let your passion for your presentation topic shine through everything else, even if you are nervous. By shifting your focus to your topic and why it matters to you, you can better come across as authentic and enthusiastic in your speech.

4. Focus on the Beginning

When preparing the content of your presentation, one of your focus points should be the beginning of the speech. The beginning draws in your audience and starts the presentation on a solid note. A great start ensures your audience connects with your topic and the entire presentation is well-received, making the beginning few slides or parts of your speech the most important.

To write or create a great beginning, consider what you need to include to grab the audience’s attention. Spend the first few minutes of your presentation holding their attention with a story, a quote, visual aids on a slide, audience interactions or an interesting anecdote.

5. Plan the Delivery

Next, you’ll want to plan how to deliver and convey the information in your presentation. Consider what would be appropriate to include and what form best suits your topic and message. That may consist of a PowerPoint, an online presentation from Zoom or a teleprompter.

Consider memorizing your notes or planning an audience activity you plan to use. You’ll also want to focus on your key phrases, points and messages and communicate those briefly throughout the piece. By keeping the core of your message brief, you can ensure the audience remains engaged throughout the presentation and remembers your points well.

There are three common ways to deliver a presentation. These include the following:

• Reading: Read your speech directly from a paper script or a teleprompter.
• Bullet points: Create bullet points to map out what topics you want to discuss in your presentation.
• Memorization: Memorize your entire speech or presentation.

However, you also have to be realistic. While it may be the best practice to memorize your speech, that might not always be possible. If so, try using bullet points on note cards or a ready-made script to glance at should you need to jog your memory. Remember to keep your tone conversational rather than authoritative, powerful or too passionate.

6. Practice, Practice, Practice

One of the essential parts of presentation preparation is practice. It is no secret that practice makes perfect. If you’ve written up or prepared your speech, you’ll need to practice continually until you know your presentation inside and out.

First, you’ll want to find an excellent spot to practice on your own or in front of a friend. Pick a quiet place without interruptions so you can fully concentrate on each part of your speech. Try practicing in front of the bathroom mirror or grabbing your spouse, partner, family member or friend to practice in front of them.

You’ll also want to practice taking and implementing feedback you receive from friends and family. This can help you improve your speech and gestures leading to the actual presentation. Remember that while you can’t please everyone, you must consider all constructive criticism you receive.

Rehearse your presentation before a colleague or friend and ask them for honest and helpful feedback. You can also time the presentation and use any notes or cue cards you’ll have available to try and see how long it might take you to do the speech. Anticipate questions your audience might have and prepare some responses. Your friends and family might also be able to help you come up with questions you might not be able to answer and think about how to respond to them.

7. Take Time to Breathe

Many presenters may become so nervous during the speech that they forget to relax, pause to breathe and talk slower during the presentation. Remember that taking a short pause is natural during a speech, allowing you to breathe and go slowly. You want to say everything in your speech with intention rather than speeding through it. Concentrate on your breaths and slow down your speech to create a more relaxed stage presence.

Pausing to breathe and focusing on what you have to say next can also help you present better. If you look like you’re enjoying yourself and the topic, the audience will respond to your passion and engage in the presentation. Improve your speech and confidence by breathing slowly and presenting with passion and excitement. Remember your reasons for doing the speech in the first place, and keep that in mind while talking.

8. Focus on Audience Needs

Another way to prepare your presentation is to focus on what your audience may get out of the speech. You can build the outline or write-up around your audience’s needs by thinking about what they want to know while you make your speech.

Try to remain focused on how your audience may respond to certain areas of the speech, such as specific topics or themes. How will they react to that, and how will that affect them? How can you effectively maintain audience interest? Think about the best ways to make the audience understand and respond to your topic while keeping them interested long after the speech is over.

9. Follow the 10-20-30 Rule

The 10-20-30 rule was created by a man named Guy Kawasaki , who worked at Apple. His rule states that slideshows for presentations should include the following:

• 10 slides: The presentation should have no more than ten slides throughout.
• 20 minutes: The presentation should last no longer than 20 minutes. Keep in mind that some presentations may require that your speech last for a longer time.
• 30-point size: Use a 30-point font size for your slides—no more, no less.

The point of the rule is to stop you from putting too much information on your slides and creating a more focused presentation. It also helps you avoid boring the audience or creating distracting slides that contain too many words or images. Remember that slides should enhance your speech rather than distract from your message. If you have to include more information, consider using a handout before or after the presentation to include that extra information.

10. Learn to Use Your Voice

One of the best ways to prepare an effective presentation is to learn to use your voice. While many presenters rely on visual aids to do the work, you are much better off practicing a dynamic and conversational voice and tone that keeps your audience engaged and interested.

Using your voice effectively may look like this:

• Varying speech speeds: Take time to speed up your talking when you want to emphasize specific points. However, you’ll also want to slow down in moments rather than breezing through the entire presentation. Varying your talking speeds can help create an exciting presentation that the audience will like.
• Emphasizing pitch and tone: Try varying your pitch and tone throughout the presentation. You don’t want to sound bored or uninterested the entire speech, just like you don’t want to sound forced or overenthusiastic. Try to sound conversational while varying your tones and pitch to make the audience interested in your topic and message.

Improve Your Presentations With Illuminated Integration

At Illuminated Integration, we can help improve your presentations in various settings, from professional to collegiate levels. We are an audio, visual and lighting company with a focus on designing, providing, installing and training clients on various performance systems, including possible uses for presentation styles and tips.

Our company can perform computer-aided design (CAD) or use 3D rendering technology. We’ll make your vision a reality and assist you with whatever you need. Contact us today to speak to an Illuminated Integration representative, or call us at 717-996-4596.

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• Organizational Behaviour
• Business Communication
• Effective Presentation Skills

Presentation can be defined as a formal event characterized by teamwork and use of audio-visual aids . The main purpose of presentation is to give information, to persuade the audience to act and to create goodwill. A good presentation should have a good subject matter, should match with the objective, should best fit the audience, and should be well organized.

Characteristics of a Good/Effective Presentation

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The article is Written By “Prachi Juneja” and Reviewed By Management Study Guide Content Team . MSG Content Team comprises experienced Faculty Member, Professionals and Subject Matter Experts. We are a ISO 2001:2015 Certified Education Provider . To Know more, click on About Us . The use of this material is free for learning and education purpose. Please reference authorship of content used, including link(s) to ManagementStudyGuide.com and the content page url.

• Business Communication - Introduction
• Communication Process Components
• Oral Communication
• Written Communication
• Non Verbal Communication
• Importance of Communication
• Communication Flows
• Writing Effectively
• Effective Writing for Results
• How to make a Great Presentation?
• Body Language in communication
• Grapevine Communication
• Feedback Communication
• Communication Barriers
• Effect of Communication Barriers
• Overcoming Communication Barriers
• Seven Cs of Communication
• Informal Networks in Organizations and Organizational Effectiveness
• Corporate Meetings
• Conducting Effective Meetings
• Intercultural Communication
• Guidelines for Effective Communication
• Format of a Resume
• A Resume - What it is and Why You Need One ?
• Different Types of Resume
• The Importance of a Resume
• How to Write an Impressive Resume
• Resume Mistakes to Avoid
• How to Make Your Resume Stand Out and a Winning One
• How to Address Career Gaps and Other Career Weaknesses in Your Resume
• Writing a Resume in the Absence of Strong Work Experience
• Tips for Providing the Resume a WOW Factor
• Job Interview Tips
• Business Negotiations
• How to Conduct High Stakes Negotiations in the Digital Age without Being Short-changed

Oscars 2024: Oppenheimer takes best film as Al Pacino makes slip-up

It was a night of steady wins, but not a lot of surprises, with Oppenheimer taking many of the big prizes of the night including best picture.

Arts and entertainment reporter @BethanyMinelle

Monday 11 March 2024 06:54, UK

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Oppenheimer has swept this year's Oscars, winning seven gongs, including best actor, best director and best picture.

The top prize of the night was presented by The Godfather star Al Pacino - who seemed to jump the gun by announcing the winner before listing the nominees.

The movie had been widely expected to rule the night, and didn't disappoint, possibly leading the 83-year-old actor to speed up the whole announcement process, peeping into the envelope and declaring "I see Oppenheimer".

While not in the league of the great La La Land / Moonlight mix up of 2017 (when Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty announced that La La Land had taken best picture when in fact it was Moonlight), it certainly added a final frisson to the evening, even allowing it to wrap a few minutes early, rather than running late which is somewhat of an Academy Award tradition.

Read more on the Oscars: Kenergy, nudity, and Al Pacino: The Oscars best bits The full list of winning films and stars

Director Christopher Nolan - one of Britain's most commercially successful filmmakers - won his first Oscar for his three-hour epic about J Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb.

He thanked his wife and producer of the film, Emma Thomas, along with its lead actor Cillian Murphy , adding, "Thank you for those who have been there for me and believed in me my whole career."

All four of the acting prizes were presented in a new way - by five former winners of each prize.

Best actor, which was presented by stars including Matthew McConaughey, Nicolas Cage and Brendan Fraser, was won by Oppenheimer star Murphy, who called himself "a very proud Irishman" and dedicated his prize "to the peacemakers everywhere".

The 47-year-old star kissed his wife before heading to the stage, where Murphy told producers Nolan and Emma Thomas that making the film had "been the wildest, most creatively satisfying journey".

He ended his speech by speaking in Irish, saying "Go Raibh Maith Agat" which means thank you.

Best actress - presented by performers including Charlize Theron, Sally Field, Jessica Lange and Jennifer Lawrence - went to Emma Stone for her performance as Bella Baxter in Poor Things.

'I love you bigger than the whole sky'

Announcing breathlessly as she entered the stage, "My dress is broken... I think it happened during I'm Just Ken!" Stone said the win felt "overwhelming".

She said she had been previously "panicking" about "something like this happening," but was advised by the film's director Yorgos Lanthimos to "take herself out of it".

She also paid tribute to her daughter Louise Jean, who she said would be three years old in a few days, saying she loved her "bigger than the whole sky".

The first prize of the night went to Da'vine Joy Randolph, who won best supporting actress - a win that had been widely considered to be locked in thanks to Randolph's earlier wins across the awards season.

It was presented by actresses including Jamie Lee Curtis, Lupita Nyong'o, Rita Monero and Regina King.

'I just needed to be myself'

Nyong'o was tasked with summing up Randolph's performance in The Holdovers, revealing that she wore her grandmother's glasses in the film and saying: "What an honour to see the world through your eyes and hers," which drew a tear from the actress in the audience.

Accepting her prize, Randolph said: "God is so good. I didn't think I was supposed to do this as a career."

She went on: "For so long I thought I needed to be different, and I've realised I just needed to be myself."

She also talked about "being the only black girl in the class," and being forced to forge her own path, before giving a shout out to her publicist as one in a million - but forgetting to mention their name.

The best supporting actor prize was given out by actors including Ke Huy Quan, Sam Rockwell and Mahershala Ali.

Marking the first prize of the night for Oppenheimer, the gong went to Robert Downey Jr who joked: "I'd like to thank my terrible childhood and the Academy, in that order."

'I was snarling... Now I'm here'

He went on to pay tribute to his wife, Susan Downey, saying: "I'd like to thank my veterinarian, I mean my wife, she found me a snarling rescue [pet and] you loved me back to life. That is why I'm here." He also gave a shout out to his lawyer and stylist too.

On a more serious note, the first time Oscar-winner said: "What we do is meaningful, and the stuff we decide to make is important".

It's been quite the year for the 58-year-old star, who's had a clean sweep of wins this award season, having previously won at the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild and Critics' Choice awards.

Achievement in cinematography, which was presented by singer and actress Zendaya, also went to Oppenheimer.

A bit of nudity to enliven the night

Poor Things took four prizes in total, as well as best actress for Stone, it took three on the trot earlier in the night - best production design, best make-up and hairstyling and best costume design.

In a night with plenty of comedy moments, the costume prize was announced with a skit referencing the 1974 Oscars which infamously saw a naked streaker run across the stage.

Wrestler John Cena was tasked with handing out the gong seemingly naked -except for the envelope containing the winner's name. He went on to be wrapped in a curtain before handing over the prize, to preserve his modesty.

Best original screenplay went to French film Anatomy Of A Fall, with director and co-writer Justine Triet joking that it would help her through her "mid-life crisis".

She said she and husband Arthur Harari came up with the idea for the film when they were stuck in the house during the pandemic and changing their children's nappies.

Best adapted screenplay went to American Fiction, a film about a Black author satirizing offensive tropes of Black entertainment in his book, and finding to his immense irritation that it's a hit with the publishers.

'Mr I-need-to-paint-my-abs-on'

Accepting the prize, writer and director Cord Jefferson thanked his collaborators on the film for "trusting a 40-year-old black guy who'd never directed anything before," and gave a shout out to the next generation of writer and directors out there striving to bring their work to the screen.

Actors Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt paired up to pay tribute to the stunt people in showbiz, with the pair enacting a mock-squabble which saw Gosling criticise Oppenheimer for "riding on the coat tails of Barbie all summer," and Blunt accuse Gosling of being "Mr I need to paint my abs on to get nominated". Their jokes were warmly received by the audience.

English film The Zone Of Interest, directed and written by Jonathan Glazer, took best international film.

'The Holocaust is being hijacked'

Referencing the themes of his unsettling holocaust drama, Glazer said: "Our film shows where dehumanization leads, at its worst."

He went on: "Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people.

"Whether the victims of October the seventh in Israel, or the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims, this humanization, how do we resist?"

His comments drew a round of applause from the audience, and tears from his leading actress, Sandra Huller.

The visual effects prize - presented by odd couple Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito, the stars of comedy films Twins and Junior - went to Japanese epic Godzilla Minus One.

Created by Takashi Yamazaki - who also oversaw the visual effects - it was a seeming underdog in the category thanks to its small team (35-people) and comparatively small budget ($12m which is £9.3m). They brought two mini-reptilian monsters on stage to accept their prize.

Schwarzenegger and DeVito also gave out the best editing prize, which went to Oppenheimer.

The Boy And The Heron, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, took best animated feature film.

Best live action short film went to The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar, directed by Wes Anderson.

A project inspired by the music of John and Ono Lennon - War Is Over! - took best animated short film, with Lennon's son Sean who was an executive producer on the show part of the team accepting the prize.

Stepping up to the microphone, Sean said: "My mother turned 91 today, and it's Mother's Day today in the UK, so could everyone just say 'Happy Mother's Day Yoko'".

'I will be the first director to say I wish I never made this film'

Best documentary short film went to The Last Repair Shop, a film celebrating music education in public schools across America.

Best documentary feature went to 20 Days in Mariupol, which harrowingly documents the early days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Accepting the prize, the film's director Mstyslav Chernov spoke movingly, saying: "This is the first Oscar in Ukrainian history. And I'm honoured. Probably I will be the first director on this stage to say I wish I'd never made this film. I wish to be able to exchange this [for] Russia never attacking Ukraine."

During the night, many ceremony attendees wore red lapel pins from Artists4Ceasefire, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Outside of the ceremony around 300-500 pro-Palestinian protesters made their way down Sunset Boulevard shouting "ceasefire now" and "free Palestine" ahead of the show.

The In Memoriam section of the night - which included a tribute to Friends star Matthew Perry - was accompanied by a rendition of Time To Say goodbye by opera singer Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo.

There were live performances on the night from all five nominated acts in the best song category - Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas got a standing ovation after singing What Was I Made For, the first performance of the evening.

There were also performances from Becky G, singing Diane Warren's The Fire Inside, from Flamin' Hot, Jon Batiste singing It Never Went Away from American Symphony, and Scott George's Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People) from Killers Of The Flower Moon.

But the performance of the night was from Barbie star Ryan Gosling , who sang power ballad I'm Just Ken with backing dancers including co-stars Ncuti Gatwa , Simu Liu and Kingsley Ben-Adir, plus accompanying giant Barbie cardboard cutout heads, Mark Ronson, and a surprise cameo from Guns And Roses guitarist Slash.

Bringing the Kenergy to the Oscars

Starting out his performance from his seat in the audience, Gosling paraded onto the stage, dressed in a hot pink suit, matching gloves and absolutely nailed his performance to the delight of the audience.

After all the renditions, the original score was presented by Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, and going to Oppenheimer.

Grande and Erivo followed up with another musical award, best original song, which went to Billie Eillish for What Was I Made For. It was he only win of the night for Barbie, which despite ruling in the battle of the box office (taking $1.4bn, which is £1.1bn in global ticket sales), has had limited success across awards season.

Accepting her second Oscar aged just 22, a flustered looking Eilish said: "I had a nightmare about this last night!" before thanking the film's director Greta Gerwig.

Her brother Finneas thanked the film's lead star - Margot Robbie - who wore black to today's ceremony rather than the pink hues she's adopted at most events so far, which some fans saw as a visual protest at her failure to be nominated in the best actress category despite the movie's success.

Eilish wrapped up the speech by thanking her "best friend Zoe, for playing Barbie's with me when I was little".

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