How To Write A Presentation 101: A Step-by-Step Guide with Best Examples

How To Write A Presentation 101: A Step-by-Step Guide with Best Examples

Jane Ng • 02 Nov 2023 • 8 min read

Is it difficult to start of presentation? You’re standing before a room full of eager listeners, ready to share your knowledge and captivate their attention. But where do you begin? How do you structure your ideas and convey them effectively?

Take a deep breath, and fear not! In this article, we’ll provide a road map on how to write a presentation covering everything from crafting a script to creating an engaging introduction.

So, let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

What is a presentation , what should be in a powerful presentation.

  • How To Write A Presentation Script
  • How to Write A Presentation Introduction 

Key Takeaways

Tips for better presentation.

  • How to start a presentation
  • How to introduce yourself

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Presentations are all about connecting with your audience. 

Presenting is a fantastic way to share information, ideas, or arguments with your audience. Think of it as a structured approach to effectively convey your message. And you’ve got options such as slideshows, speeches, demos, videos, and even multimedia presentations!

The purpose of a presentation can vary depending on the situation and what the presenter wants to achieve. 

  • In the business world, presentations are commonly used to pitch proposals, share reports, or make sales pitches. 
  • In educational settings, presentations are a go-to for teaching or delivering engaging lectures. 
  • For conferences, seminars, and public events—presentations are perfect for dishing out information, inspiring folks, or even persuading the audience.

That sounds brilliant. But, how to write a presentation?

How To Write A Presentation

How To Write A Presentation? What should be in a powerful presentation? A great presentation encompasses several key elements to captivate your audience and effectively convey your message. Here’s what you should consider including in a winning presentation:

  • Clear and Engaging Introduction: Start your presentation with a bang! Hook your audience’s attention right from the beginning by using a captivating story, a surprising fact, a thought-provoking question, or a powerful quote. Clearly state the purpose of your presentation and establish a connection with your listeners.
  • Well-Structured Content: Organize your content logically and coherently. Divide your presentation into sections or main points and provide smooth transitions between them. Each section should flow seamlessly into the next, creating a cohesive narrative. Use clear headings and subheadings to guide your audience through the presentation.
  • Compelling Visuals: Incorporate visual aids, such as images, graphs, or videos, to enhance your presentation. Make sure your visuals are visually appealing, relevant, and easy to understand. Use a clean and uncluttered design with legible fonts and appropriate color schemes. 
  • Engaging Delivery: Pay attention to your delivery style and body language. You should maintain eye contact with your audience, use gestures to emphasize key points, and vary your tone of voice to keep the presentation dynamic. 
  • Clear and Memorable Conclusion: Leave your audience with a lasting impression by providing a strong closing statement, a call to action, or a thought-provoking question. Make sure your conclusion ties back to your introduction and reinforces the core message of your presentation.

the steps of presentation

How To Write A Presentation Script (With Examples)

To successfully convey your message to your audience, you must carefully craft and organize your presentation script. Here are steps on how to write a presentation script: 

1/ Understand Your Purpose and Audience:

  • Clarify the purpose of your presentation. Are you informing, persuading, or entertaining?
  • Identify your target audience and their knowledge level, interests, and expectations.
  • Define what presentation format you want to use

2/ Outline the Structure of Your Presentation:

Strong opening: .

Start with an engaging opening that grabs the audience’s attention and introduces your topic. Some types of openings you can use are: 

  • Start with a Thought-Provoking Question: “Have you ever…?”
  • Begin with a Surprising Fact or Statistic: “Did you know that….?”
  • Use a Powerful Quote: “As Maya Angelou once said,….”
  • Tell a Compelling Story : “Picture this: You’re standing at….”
  • Start with a Bold Statement: “In the fast-paced digital age….”

Main Points: 

Clearly state your main points or key ideas that you will discuss throughout the presentation.

  • Clearly State the Purpose and Main Points: Example: “In this presentation, we will delve into three key areas. First,… Next,… Finally,…. we’ll discuss….”
  • Provide Background and Context: Example: “Before we dive into the details, let’s understand the basics of…..”
  • Present Supporting Information and Examples: Example: “To illustrate…., let’s look at an example. In,…..”
  • Address Counterarguments or Potential Concerns: Example: “While…, we must also consider… .”
  • Recap Key Points and Transition to the Next Section: Example: “To summarize, we’ve… Now, let’s shift our focus to…”

Remember to organize your content logically and coherently, ensuring smooth transitions between sections.

Ending: 

You can conclude with a strong closing statement summarizing your main points and leaving a lasting impression. Example: “As we conclude our presentation, it’s clear that… By…., we can….”

3/ Craft Clear and Concise Sentences:

Once you’ve outlined your presentation, you need to edit your sentences. Use clear and straightforward language to ensure your message is easily understood.

Alternatively, you can break down complex ideas into simpler concepts and provide clear explanations or examples to aid comprehension.

4/ Use Visual Aids and Supporting Materials:

Use supporting materials such as statistics, research findings, or real-life examples to back up your points and make them more compelling. 

  • Example: “As you can see from this graph,… This demonstrates….”

5/ Include Engagement Techniques:

Incorporate interactive elements to engage your audience, such as Q&A sessions , conducting live polls , or encouraging participation.

6/ Rehearse and Revise:

  • Practice delivering your presentation script to familiarize yourself with the content and improve your delivery.
  • Revise and edit your script as needed, removing any unnecessary information or repetitions.

7/ Seek Feedback:

You can share your script or deliver a practice presentation to a trusted friend, colleague, or mentor to gather feedback on your script and make adjustments accordingly.

More on Script Presentation

the steps of presentation

How to Write A Presentation Introduction with Examples

How to write presentations that are engaging and visually appealing? Looking for introduction ideas for the presentation? As mentioned earlier, once you have completed your script, it’s crucial to focus on editing and refining the most critical element—the opening of your presentation – the section that determines whether you can captivate and retain your audience’s attention right from the start. 

Here is a guide on how to craft an opening that grabs your audience’s attention from the very first minute: 

1/ Start with a Hook

To begin, you can choose from five different openings mentioned in the script based on your desired purpose and content. Alternatively, you can opt for the approach that resonates with you the most, and instills your confidence. Remember, the key is to choose a starting point that aligns with your objectives and allows you to deliver your message effectively.

2/ Establish Relevance and Context:

Then you should establish the topic of your presentation and explain why it is important or relevant to your audience. Connect the topic to their interests, challenges, or aspirations to create a sense of relevance.

3/ State the Purpose

Clearly articulate the purpose or goal of your presentation. Let the audience know what they can expect to gain or achieve by listening to your presentation.

4/ Preview Your Main Points

Give a brief overview of the main points or sections you will cover in your presentation. It helps the audience understand the structure and flow of your presentation and creates anticipation.

5/ Establish Credibility

Share your expertise or credentials related to the topic to build trust with the audience, such as a brief personal story, relevant experience, or mentioning your professional background.

6/ Engage Emotionally

Connect emotional levels with your audience by appealing to their aspirations, fears, desires, or values. They help create a deeper connection and engagement from the very beginning.

Make sure your introduction is concise and to the point. Avoid unnecessary details or lengthy explanations. Aim for clarity and brevity to maintain the audience’s attention.

For example, Topic: Work-life balance

“Good morning, everyone! Can you imagine waking up each day feeling energized and ready to conquer both your personal and professional pursuits? Well, that’s exactly what we’ll explore today – the wonderful world of work-life balance. In a fast-paced society where work seems to consume every waking hour, it’s vital to find that spot where our careers and personal lives harmoniously coexist. Throughout this presentation, we’ll dive into practical strategies that help us achieve that coveted balance, boost productivity, and nurture our overall well-being. 

But before we dive in, let me share a bit about my journey. As a working professional and a passionate advocate for work-life balance, I have spent years researching and implementing strategies that have transformed my own life. I am excited to share my knowledge and experiences with all of you today, with the hope of inspiring positive change and creating a more fulfilling work-life balance for everyone in this room. So, let’s get started!”

Check out: How to Start a Presentation?

the steps of presentation

Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or new to the stage, understanding how to write a presentation that conveys your message effectively is a valuable skill. By following the steps in this guide, you can become a captivating presenter and make your mark in every presentation you deliver.

Additionally, AhaSlides can significantly enhance your presentation’s impact. With AhaSlides, you can use live polls, quizzes, and word cloud to turn your presentation into an engaging and interactive experience. Let’s take a moment to explore our vast template library !

Frequently Asked Questions

1/ how to write a presentation step by step .

You can refer to our step-by-step guide on How To Write A Presentation Script:

  • Understand Your Purpose and Audience
  • Outline the Structure of Your Presentation
  • Craft Clear and Concise Sentences
  • Use Visual Aids and Supporting Material
  • Include Engagement Techniques
  • Rehearse and Revise
  • Seek Feedback

2/ How do you start a presentation? 

You can start with an engaging opening that grabs the audience’s attention and introduces your topic. Consider using one of the following approaches:

3/ What are the five parts of a presentation?

When it comes to presentation writing, a typical presentation consists of the following five parts:

  • Introduction: Capturing the audience’s attention, introducing yourself, stating the purpose, and providing an overview.
  • Main Body: Presenting main points, evidence, examples, and arguments.
  • Visual Aids: Using visuals to enhance understanding and engage the audience.
  • Conclusion: Summarizing main points, restating key message, and leaving a memorable takeaway or call to action.
  • Q&A or Discussion: Optional part for addressing questions and encouraging audience participation.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

  • Carmine Gallo

the steps of presentation

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

the steps of presentation

  • Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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.css-1qrtm5m{display:block;margin-bottom:8px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5714285714285714;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.35px;letter-spacing:-0.35px;font-weight:300;color:#606F7B;}@media (min-width:600px){.css-1qrtm5m{font-size:16px;line-height:1.625;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.5px;letter-spacing:-0.5px;}} Best Practices 5 essential preparation steps for a successful presentation

by Tom Rielly • June 15, 2020

the steps of presentation

Keeping your presentation visuals minimalistic, simple, and clear is just one important step to remember when designing a hit presentation. Leaving nothing to chance, great presenters prove quite methodical as they prepare. Here’s a checklist for everything you need to keep in mind before your next presentation:

1. Choose the right software for your needs

visualpres blogpost 2 softwares

The easiest way to select the right presentation software for you is to simply find the one that is native to your device. For example, if you have a Mac, use Apple Keynote, if you work on Windows, use PowerPoint. Google Slides is recommended if you’re working with someone, as it makes collaboration very easy. Another software option is Prezi: a specialty tool called Prezi that creates a presentation using motion, zoom, and panning across one giant visual space.

2. Organize your files

As you develop your script and visuals, you will need to start assembling all the assets for your slides. Create a unique folder on your computer to hold these items. Keep the folder organized by media type (presentation drafts, photos, videos, scripts) and back them up frequently to the Cloud or external disk. Label each file with a specific descriptive name, e.g. “Susan Johnson singing magpie 2020”, as opposed to “IMG_4043.jpg”, which can make it confusing to find your assets. The more organized you are up front, the easier preparing for your presentation will be.

3. Prepare your presentation materials

Make sure your presentation materials (script, graphics, actual slides) are saved in at least two safe spots (for example, your computer and an external USB drive) and are backed-up frequently. If you are using an online presentation software, such as Google Slides, be sure to also download a copy of your presentation in case the internet connection is unreliable. Having all the individual assets on hand in addition to your presentation slides can be helpful if you experience tech issues before presenting, or if you need to make any last minute changes. Make sure to label your final presentation with the title and your name so it’s easy to find.

4. Practice, practice, practice!

Remember, practice makes perfect. People often run out of time making their presentations and have no time to practice. Most TED speakers practice at least ten times. Neuroscientist Jill-Bolte Taylor gave one of the most successful Talks in TED history with nearly 27 million views. How did she do it? She practiced her Talk over 40 times! By rehearsing multiple times you will naturally memorize your Talk, which means you won’t need note cards when you give your final presentation.

5. Do a final test run

Before presenting, make sure the equipment you need is working properly. It’s generally good practice to rehearse standing on the exact stage with the exact lighting using the exact computer that you will be using in your final presentation.

Here’s a quick checklist of what to look for when testing your equipment:

  • If you're not using your own computer, the one provided might be slower and have trouble playing media. If you have videos or other media, make sure they play correctly
  • Test the projector to make sure it’s HD
  • Make sure images are clear
  • Test the sound of any clips you use, as this is what goes wrong most frequently
  • If you’re using a mic, test the volume

Don’t let technical issues or other blunders overshadow your presentation. By following these guidelines, and with a little preparation, you can engineer out the problems BEFORE they happen.

Ready to learn more about how to make your presentation even better? Get TED Masterclass and develop your ideas into TED-style talks

© 2023 TED Conferences, LLC. All rights reserved. Please note that the TED Talks Usage policy does not apply to this content and is not subject to our creative commons license.

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How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation (Step-by-Step)

  • PowerPoint Tutorials
  • Presentation Design
  • January 22, 2024

In this beginner’s guide, you will learn step-by-step how to make a PowerPoint presentation from scratch.

While PowerPoint is designed to be intuitive and accessible, it can be overwhelming if you’ve never gotten any training on it before. As you progress through this guide, you’ll will learn how to move from blank slides to PowerPoint slides that look like these.

Example of the six slides you'll learn how to create in this tutorial

Table of Contents

Additionally, as you create your presentation, you’ll also learn tricks for working more efficiently in PowerPoint, including how to:

  • Change the slide order
  • Reset your layout
  • Change the slide dimensions
  • Use PowerPoint Designer
  • Format text
  • Format objects
  • Play a presentation (slide show)

With this knowledge under your belt, you’ll be ready to start creating PowerPoint presentations. Moreover, you’ll have taken your skills from beginner to proficient in no time at all. I will also include links to more advanced PowerPoint topics.

Ready to start learning how to make a PowerPoint presentation?

Take your PPT skills to the next level

Start with a blank presentation.

Note: Before you open PowerPoint and start creating your presentation, make sure you’ve collected your thoughts. If you’re going to make your slides compelling, you need to spend some time brainstorming.

For help with this, see our article with tips for nailing your business presentation  here .

The first thing you’ll need to do is to open PowerPoint. When you do, you are shown the Start Menu , with the Home tab open.

This is where you can choose either a blank theme (1) or a pre-built theme (2). You can also choose to open an existing presentation (3).

For now, go ahead and click on the  Blank Presentation (1)  thumbnail.

In the backstage view of PowerPoint you can create a new blank presentation, use a template, or open a recent file

Doing so launches a brand new and blank presentation for you to work with. Before you start adding content to your presentation, let’s first familiarize ourselves with the PowerPoint interface.

The PowerPoint interface

Picture of the different parts of the PowerPoint layout, including the Ribbon, thumbnail view, quick access toolbar, notes pane, etc.

Here is how the program is laid out:

  • The Application Header
  • The Ribbon (including the Ribbon tabs)
  • The Quick Access Toolbar (either above or below the Ribbon)
  • The Slides Pane (slide thumbnails)

The Slide Area

The notes pane.

  • The Status Bar (including the View Buttons)

Each one of these areas has options for viewing certain parts of the PowerPoint environment and formatting your presentation.

Below are the important things to know about certain elements of the PowerPoint interface.

The PowerPoint Ribbon

The PowerPoint Ribbon in the Microsoft Office Suite

The Ribbon is contextual. That means that it will adapt to what you’re doing in the program.

For example, the Font, Paragraph and Drawing options are greyed out until you select something that has text in it, as in the example below (A).

Example of the Shape Format tab in PowerPoint and all of the subsequent commands assoicated with that tab

Furthermore, if you start manipulating certain objects, the Ribbon will display additional tabs, as seen above (B), with more commands and features to help you work with those objects. The following objects have their own additional tabs in the Ribbon which are hidden until you select them:

  • Online Pictures
  • Screenshots
  • Screen Recording

The Slides Pane

The slides pane in PowerPoint is on the left side of your workspace

This is where you can preview and rearrange all the slides in your presentation.

Right-clicking on a slide  in the pane gives you additional options on the slide level that you won’t find on the Ribbon, such as  Duplicate Slide ,  Delete Slide , and  Hide Slide .

Right clicking a PowerPoint slide in the thumbnail view gives you a variety of options like adding new slides, adding sections, changing the layout, etc.

In addition, you can add sections to your presentation by  right-clicking anywhere in this Pane  and selecting  Add Section . Sections are extremely helpful in large presentations, as they allow you to organize your slides into chunks that you can then rearrange, print or display differently from other slides.

Content added to your PowerPoint slides will only display if it's on the slide area, marked here by the letter A

The Slide Area (A) is where you will build out your slides. Anything within the bounds of this area will be visible when you present or print your presentation.

Anything outside of this area (B) will be hidden from view. This means that you can place things here, such as instructions for each slide, without worrying about them being shown to your audience.

The notes pane in PowerPoint is located at the bottom of your screen and is where you can type your speaker notes

The  Notes Pane  is the space beneath the Slide Area where you can type in the speaker notes for each slide. It’s designed as a fast way to add and edit your slides’ talking points.

To expand your knowledge and learn more about adding, printing, and exporting your PowerPoint speaker notes, read our guide here .

Your speaker notes are visible when you print your slides using the Notes Pages option and when you use the Presenter View . To expand your knowledge and learn the ins and outs of using the Presenter View , read our guide here .

You can click and drag to resize the notes pane at the bottom of your PowerPoint screen

You can resize the  Notes Pane  by clicking on its edge and dragging it up or down (A). You can also minimize or reopen it by clicking on the Notes button in the Status Bar (B).

Note:  Not all text formatting displays in the Notes Pane, even though it will show up when printing your speaker notes. To learn more about printing PowerPoint with notes, read our guide here .

Now that you have a basic grasp of the PowerPoint interface at your disposal, it’s time to make your presentation.

Adding Content to Your PowerPoint Presentation

Notice that in the Slide Area , there are two rectangles with dotted outlines. These are called  Placeholders  and they’re set on the template in the Slide Master View .

To expand your knowledge and learn how to create a PowerPoint template of your own (which is no small task), read our guide here .

Click into your content placeholders and start typing text, just as the prompt suggests

As the prompt text suggests, you can click into each placeholder and start typing text. These types of placeholder prompts are customizable too. That means that if you are using a company template, it might say something different, but the functionality is the same.

Example of typing text into a content placeholder in PowerPoint

Note:  For the purposes of this example, I will create a presentation based on the content in the Starbucks 2018 Global Social Impact Report, which is available to the public on their website.

If you type in more text than there is room for, PowerPoint will automatically reduce its font size. You can stop this behavior by clicking on the  Autofit Options  icon to the left of the placeholder and selecting  Stop Fitting Text to this Placeholder .

Next, you can make formatting adjustments to your text by selecting the commands in the Font area and the  Paragraph area  of the  Home  tab of the Ribbon.

Use the formatting options on the Home tab to choose the formatting of your text

The Reset Command:  If you make any changes to your title and decide you want to go back to how it was originally, you can use the Reset button up in the Home tab .

Hitting the reset command on the home tab resets your slide formatting to match your template

Insert More Slides into Your Presentation

Now that you have your title slide filled in, it’s time to add more slides. To do that, simply go up to the  Home tab  and click on  New Slide . This inserts a new slide in your presentation right after the one you were on.

To insert a new slide in PowerPoint, on the home tab click the New Slide command

You can alternatively hit Ctrl+M on your keyboard to insert a new blank slide in PowerPoint. To learn more about this shortcut, see my guide on using Ctrl+M in PowerPoint .

Instead of clicking the New Slide command, you can also open the New Slide dropdown to see all the slide layouts in your PowerPoint template. Depending on who created your template, your layouts in this dropdown can be radically different.

Opening the new slide dropdown you can see all the slide layouts in your PowerPoint template

If you insert a layout and later want to change it to a different layout, you can use the Layout dropdown instead of the New Slide dropdown.

After inserting a few different slide layouts, your presentation might look like the following picture. Don’t worry that it looks blank, next we will start adding content to your presentation.

Example of a number of different blank slide layouts inserting in a PowerPoint presentation

If you want to follow along exactly with me, your five slides should be as follows:

  • Title Slide
  • Title and Content
  • Section Header
  • Two Content
  • Picture with Caption

Adding Content to Your Slides

Now let’s go into each slide and start adding our content. You’ll notice some new types of placeholders.

Use the icons within a content placeholder to insert things like tables, charts, SmartArt, Pictures, etc.

On slide 2 we have a  Content Placeholder , which allows you to add any kind of content. That includes:

  • A SmartArt graphic,
  • A 3D object,
  • A picture from the web,
  • Or an icon.

To insert text, simply type it in or hit  Ctrl+C to Copy  and Ctrl+V to Paste  from elsewhere. To insert any of the other objects, click on the appropriate icon and follow the steps to insert it.

For my example, I’ll simply type in some text as you can see in the picture below.

Example typing bulleted text in a content placeholder in PowerPoint

Slides 3 and 4 only have text placeholders, so I’ll go ahead and add in my text into each one.

Examples of text typed into a divider slide and a title and content slide in PowerPoint

On slide 5 we have a Picture Placeholder . That means that the only elements that can go into it are:

  • A picture from the web

A picture placeholder in PowerPoint can only take an image or an icon

To insert a picture into the picture placeholder, simply:

  • Click on the  Picture  icon
  • Find  a picture on your computer and select it
  • Click on  Insert

Alternatively, if you already have a picture open somewhere else, you can select the placeholder and paste in (shortcut: Ctrl+V ) the picture. You can also drag the picture in from a file explorer window.

To insert a picture into a picture placeholder, click the picture icon, find your picture on your computer and click insert

If you do not like the background of the picture you inserted onto your slide, you can remove the background here in PowerPoint. To see how to do this, read my guide here .

Placeholders aren’t the only way to add content to your slides. At any point, you can use the Insert tab to add elements to your slides.

You can use either the Title Only  or the  Blank  slide layout to create slides for content that’s different. For example, a three-layout content slide, or a single picture divider slide, as shown below.

Example slides using PowerPoint icons and background pictures

In the first example above, I’ve inserted 6 text boxes, 3 icons, and 3 circles to create this layout. In the second example, I’ve inserted a full-sized picture and then 2 shapes and 2 text boxes.

The Reset Command:  Because these slides are built with shapes and text boxes (and not placeholders), hitting the  Reset button up in the  Home tab  won’t do anything.

That is a good thing if you don’t want your layouts to adjust. However, it does mean that it falls on you to make sure everything is aligned and positioned correctly.

For more on how to add and manipulate the different objects in PowerPoint, check out our step-by-step articles here:

  • Using graphics in PowerPoint
  • Inserting icons onto slides
  • Adding pictures to your PowerPoint
  • How to embed a video in PowerPoint
  • How to add music to your presentation

Using Designer to generate more layouts ideas

If you have Office 365, your version of PowerPoint comes with a new feature called Designer (or Design Ideas). This is a feature that generates slide layout ideas for you. The coolest thing about this feature is that it uses the content you already have.

To use Designer , simply navigate to the  Design tab  in your Ribbon, and click on  Design Ideas .

To use Designer on your slides, click the

NOTE: If the PowerPoint Designer is not working for you (it is grey out), see my troubleshooting guide for Designer .

Change the Overall Design (optional)

When you make a PowerPoint presentation, you’ll want to think about the overall design. Now that you have some content in your presentation, you can use the Design tab to change the look and feel of your slides.

For additional help thinking through the design of your presentation,  read my guide here .

A. Picking your PowerPoint slide size

If you have PowerPoint 2013 or later, when you create a blank document in PowerPoint, you automatically start with a widescreen layout with a 16:9 ratio. These dimensions are suitable for most presentations as they match the screens of most computers and projectors.

However, you do have the option to change the dimensions.

For example, your presentation might not be presented, but instead converted into a PDF or printed and distributed. In that case, you can easily switch to the standard dimensions with a 4:3 ratio by selecting from the dropdown (A).

You can also choose a custom slide size or change the slide orientation from landscape to portrait in the Custom Slide Size dialog box (B).

To change your slide size, click the Design tab, open the slide size dropdown and choose a size or custom slide size

To learn all about the different PowerPoint slide sizes, and some of the issues you will face when changing the slide size of a non-blank presentation,  read my guide here .

 B. Selecting a PowerPoint theme

The next thing you can do is change the theme of your presentation to a pre-built one. For a detailed explanation of what a PowerPoint theme is, and how to best use it,  read my article here .

In the beginning of this tutorial, we started with a blank presentation, which uses the default Office theme as you can see in the picture below.

All PowerPoint presentations start with the default Microsoft Office theme

That gives you the most flexibility because it has a blank background and quite simple layouts that work for most presentations. However, it also means that it’s your responsibility to enhance the design.

If you’re comfortable with this, you can stay with the default theme or create your own custom theme ( read my guide here ). But if you would rather not have to think about design, then you can choose a pre-designed theme.

Microsoft provides 46 other pre-built themes, which include slide layouts, color variants and palettes, and fonts. Each one varies quite significantly, so make sure you look through them carefully.

To select a different theme, go to the  Design tab  in the Ribbon, and click on the  dropdown arrow  in the  Themes section .

On the Design tab you will find all of the default PowerPoint templates that come with the Microsoft Office Suite

For this tutorial, let’s select the  Frame  theme and then choose the third Variant in the theme. Doing so changes the layout, colors, and fonts of your presentation.

Example choosing the Frame PowerPoint theme and the third variant of this powerpoint presentation

Note: The theme dropdown area is also where you can import or save custom themes. To see my favorite places to find professional PowerPoint templates and themes (and recommendations for why I like them), read my guide here .

C. How to change a slide background in PowerPoint

The next thing to decide is how you want your background to look for the entire presentation. In the  Variants area, you can see four background options.

To change the background style of your presentation, on the Design tab, find the Background Styles options and choose a style

For this example, we want our presentation to have a dark background, so let’s select Style 3. When you do so, you’ll notice that:

  • The background color automatically changes across all slides
  • The color of the text on most of the slides automatically changes to white so that it’s visible on the dark background
  • The colors of the objects on slides #6 and #7 also adjust, in a way we may not want (we’ll likely have to make some manual adjustments to these slides)

What our PowerPoint presentation looks like now that we have selected a theme, a variant, and a background style

Note: If you want to change the slide background for just that one slide, don’t left-click the style. Instead, right-click it and select Apply to Selected Slides .

After you change the background for your entire presentation, you can easily adjust the background for an individual slide.

You can either right-click a PowerPoint slide and select format background or navigate to the design tab and click the format background command

Inside the Format Background pane, you can see you have the following options:

  • Gradient fill
  • Picture or texture fill
  • Pattern fill
  • Hide background

You can explore these options to find the PowerPoint background that best fits your presentation.

D. How to change your color palette in PowerPoint

Another thing you may want to adjust in your presentation, is the color scheme. In the picture below you can see the Theme Colors we are currently using for this presentation.

Example of the theme colors we are currently using with this presentation

Each PowerPoint theme comes with its own color palette. By default, the Office theme includes the Office color palette. This affects the colors you are presented with when you format any element within your presentation (text, shapes, SmartArt, etc.).

To change the theme color for your presentation, select the Design tab, open the Colors options and choose the colors you want to use

The good news is that the colors here are easy to change. To switch color palettes, simply:

  • Go to the  Design tab in the Ribbon
  • In the Variants area, click on the  dropdown arrow  and select  Colors
  • Select  the color palette (or theme colors) you want

You can choose among the pre-built color palettes from Office, or you can customize them to create your own.

As you build your presentation, make sure you use the colors from your theme to format objects. That way, changing the color palette adjusts all the colors in your presentation automatically.

E. How to change your fonts in PowerPoint

Just as we changed the color palette, you can do the same for the fonts.

Example of custom theme fonts that might come with a powerpoint template

Each PowerPoint theme comes with its own font combination. By default, the Office theme includes the Office font pairing. This affects the fonts that are automatically assigned to all text in your presentation.

To change the default fonts for your presentation, from the design tab, find the fonts dropdown and select the pair of fonts you want to use

The good news is that the font pairings are easy to change. To switch your Theme Fonts, simply:

  • Go to the  Design tab  in the Ribbon
  • Click on the  dropdown arrow  in the  Variants  area
  • Select  Fonts
  • Select  the font pairing you want

You can choose among the pre-built fonts from Office, or you can customize them to create your own.

If you are working with PowerPoint presentations on both Mac and PC computers, make sure you choose a safe PowerPoint font. To see a list of the safest PowerPoint fonts, read our guide here .

If you receive a PowerPoint presentation and the wrong fonts were used, you can use the Replace Fonts dialog box to change the fonts across your entire presentation. For details, read our guide here .

Adding Animations & Transitions (optional)

The final step to make a PowerPoint presentation compelling, is to consider using animations and transitions. These are by no means necessary to a good presentation, but they may be helpful in your situation.

A. Adding PowerPoint animations

PowerPoint has an incredibly robust animations engine designed to power your creativity. That being said, it’s also easy to get started with basic animations.

Animations are movements that you can apply to individual objects on your slide.

To add an animation to an object in PowerPoint, first select the object and then use the Animations tab to select an animation type

To add a PowerPoint animation to an element of your slide, simply:

  • Select the  element
  • Go to the  Animations tab in the Ribbon
  • Click on the  dropdown arrow  to view your options
  • Select the  animation  you want

You can add animations to multiple objects at one time by selecting them all first and then applying the animation.

B. How to preview a PowerPoint animation

There are three ways to preview a PowerPoint animation

There are three ways to preview a PowerPoint animation:

  • Click on the Preview button in the Animations tab
  • Click on the little star  next to the slide
  • Play the slide in Slide Show Mode

To learn other ways to run your slide show, see our guide on presenting a PowerPoint slide show with shortcuts .

To adjust the settings of your animations, explore the options in the  Effect Options ,  Advanced Animation  and the  Timing  areas of the  Animation tab .

The Animations tab allows you to adjust the effects and timings of your animations in PowerPoint

Note:  To see how to make objects appear and disappear in your slides by clicking a button,  read our guide here .

C. How to manage your animations in PowerPoint

You can see the animations applied to your objects by the little numbers in the upper right-hand corner of the objects

The best way to manage lots of animations on your slide is with the Animation Pane . To open it, simply:

  • Navigate to the  Animations tab
  • Select the  Animation Pane

Inside the Animation Pane, you’ll see all of the different animations that have been applied to objects on your slide, with their numbers marked as pictured above.

Note: To see examples of PowerPoint animations that can use in PowerPoint, see our list of PowerPoint animation tutorials here .

D. How to add transitions to your PowerPoint presentation

PowerPoint has an incredibly robust transition engine so that you can dictate how your slides change from one to the other. It is also extremely easy to add transitions to your slides.

In PowerPoint, transitions are the movements (or effects) you see as you move between two slides.

To add a transition to a slide, select the slide, navigate to the transitions tab in PowerPoint and select your transition

To add a transition to a PowerPoint slide, simply:

  • Select the  slide
  • Go to the  Transitions tab in the Ribbon
  • In the Transitions to This Slide area, click on the  dropdown arrow  to view your options
  • Select the  transition  you want

To adjust the settings of the transition, explore the options in the  Timing  area of the Transitions tab.

You can also add the same transition to multiple slides. To do that, select them in the  Slides Pane  and apply the transition.

E. How to preview a transition in PowerPoint

There are three ways to preview a transition in PowerPoint

There are three ways to preview your PowerPoint transitions (just like your animations):

  • Click on the Preview  button in the Transitions tab
  • Click on the little star  beneath the slide number in the thumbnail view

Note:  In 2016, PowerPoint added a cool new transition, called Morph. It operates a bit differently from other transitions. For a detailed tutorial on how to use the cool Morph transition,  see our step-by-step article here .

Save Your PowerPoint Presentation

After you’ve built your presentation and made all the adjustments to your slides, you’ll want to save your presentation. YOu can do this several different ways.

Click the file tab, select Save As, choose where you want to save your presentation and then click save

To save a PowerPoint presentation using your Ribbon, simply:

  • Navigate to the  File tab
  •  Select  Save As  on the left
  • Choose  where you want to save your presentation
  • Name  your presentation and/or adjust your file type settings
  • Click  Save

You can alternatively use the  Ctrl+S keyboard shortcut to save your presentation. I recommend using this shortcut frequently as you build your presentation to make sure you don’t lose any of your work.

The save shortcut is control plus s in PowerPoint

This is the standard way to save a presentation. However, there may be a situation where you want to save your presentation as a different file type.

To learn how to save your presentation as a PDF, see our guide on converting PowerPoint to a PDF .

How to save your PowerPoint presentation as a template

Once you’ve created a presentation that you like, you may want to turn it into a template. The easiest – but not technically correct – way, is to simply create a copy of your current presentation and then change the content.

But be careful! A PowerPoint template is a special type of document and it has its own parameters and behaviors.

If you’re interested in learning about how to create your own PowerPoint template from scratch, see our guide on how to create a PowerPoint template .

Printing Your PowerPoint Presentation

After finishing your PowerPoint presentation, you may want to print it out on paper. Printing your slides is relatively easy.

The print shortcut is control plus P in PowerPoint

To open the Print dialog box, you can either:

  • Hit Ctrl+P on your keyboard
  • Or go to the Ribbon and click on File and then Print

In the Print dialog box, make your selections for how you want to print your PowerPoint presentation, then click print

Inside the Print dialog box, you can choose from the various printing settings:

  • Printer: Select a printer to use (or print to PDF or OneNote)
  • Slides: Choose which slides you want to print
  • Layout: Determine how many slides you want per page (this is where you can print the notes, outline, and handouts)
  • Collated or uncollated (learn what collated printing means here )
  • Color: Choose to print in color, grayscale or black & white

There are many more options for printing your PowerPoint presentations. Here are links to more in-depth articles:

  • How to print multiple slides per page
  • How to print your speaker notes in PowerPoint
  • How to save PowerPoint as a picture presentation

So that’s how to create a PowerPoint presentation if you are brand new to it. We’ve also included a ton of links to helpful resources to boost your PowerPoint skills further.

When you are creating your presentation, it is critical to first focus on the content (what you are trying to say) before getting lost inserting and playing with elements. The clearer you are on what you want to present, the easier it will be to build it out in PowerPoint.

If you enjoyed this article, you can learn more about our PowerPoint training courses and other presentation resources by  visiting us here .

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How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

By Krystle Wong , Jul 20, 2023

How to make a good presentation

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: 

the steps of presentation

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.

the steps of presentation

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.

the steps of presentation

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 . 

Peloton Pitch Deck - Conclusion

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. 

the steps of presentation

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.

Venngage Real Time Collaboration

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 . 

the steps of presentation

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.

the steps of presentation

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.

the steps of presentation

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.

the steps of presentation

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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What Are Effective Presentation Skills (and How to Improve Them)

Presentation skills are essential for your personal and professional life. Learn about effective presentations and how to boost your presenting techniques.

[Featured Image]: The marketing manager, wearing a yellow top, is making a PowerPoint presentation.

At least seven out of 10 Americans agree that presentation skills are essential for a successful career [ 1 ]. Although it might be tempting to think that these are skills reserved for people interested in public speaking roles, they're critical in a diverse range of jobs. For example, you might need to brief your supervisor on research results.

Presentation skills are also essential in other scenarios, including working with a team and explaining your thought process, walking clients through project ideas and timelines, and highlighting your strengths and achievements to your manager during performance reviews.

Whatever the scenario, you have very little time to capture your audience’s attention and get your point across when presenting information—about three seconds, according to research [ 2 ]. Effective presentation skills help you get your point across and connect with the people you’re communicating with, which is why nearly every employer requires them.

Understanding what presentation skills are is only half the battle. Honing your presenting techniques is essential for mastering presentations of all kinds and in all settings.

What are presentation skills?

Presentation skills are the abilities and qualities necessary for creating and delivering a compelling presentation that effectively communicates information and ideas. They encompass what you say, how you structure it, and the materials you include to support what you say, such as slides, videos, or images.

You'll make presentations at various times in your life. Examples include:

Making speeches at a wedding, conference, or another event

Making a toast at a dinner or event

Explaining projects to a team 

Delivering results and findings to management teams

Teaching people specific methods or information

Proposing a vote at community group meetings

Pitching a new idea or business to potential partners or investors

Why are presentation skills important? 

Delivering effective presentations is critical in your professional and personal life. You’ll need to hone your presentation skills in various areas, such as when giving a speech, convincing your partner to make a substantial purchase, and talking to friends and family about an important situation.

No matter if you’re using them in a personal or professional setting, these are the skills that make it easier and more effective to convey your ideas, convince or persuade others, and experience success. A few of the benefits that often accompany improving your presentation skills include:

Enriched written and verbal communication skills

Enhanced confidence and self-image

Boosted critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities

Better motivational techniques

Increased leadership skills

Expanded time management, negotiation, and creativity

The better your presenting techniques, the more engaging your presentations will be. You could also have greater opportunities to make positive impacts in business and other areas of your life.

Effective presentation skills

Imagine yourself in the audience at a TED Talk or sitting with your coworkers at a big meeting held by your employer. What would you be looking for in how they deliver their message? What would make you feel engaged?

These are a few questions to ask yourself as you review this list of some of the most effective presentation skills.

Verbal communication

How you use language and deliver messages play essential roles in how your audience will receive your presentation. Speak clearly and confidently, projecting your voice enough to ensure everyone can hear. Think before you speak, pausing when necessary and tailoring the way you talk to resonate with your particular audience.

Body language

Body language combines various critical elements, including posture, gestures, eye contact, expressions, and position in front of the audience. Body language is one of the elements that can instantly transform a presentation that would otherwise be dull into one that's dynamic and interesting.

Voice projection

The ability to project your voice improves your presentation by allowing your audience to hear what you're saying. It also increases your confidence to help settle any lingering nerves while also making your message more engaging. To project your voice, stand comfortably with your shoulders back. Take deep breaths to power your speaking voice and ensure you enunciate every syllable you speak.

How you present yourself plays a role in your body language and ability to project your voice. It also sets the tone for the presentation. Avoid slouching or looking overly tense. Instead, remain open, upright, and adaptable while taking the formality of the occasion into account.

Storytelling

Incorporating storytelling into a presentation is an effective strategy used by many powerful public speakers. It has the power to bring your subject to life and pique the audience’s curiosity. Don’t be afraid to tell a personal story, slowly building up suspense or adding a dramatic moment. And, of course, be sure to end with a positive takeaway to drive your point home.

Active listening

Active listening is a valuable skill all on its own. When you understand and thoughtfully respond to what you hear—whether it's in a conversation or during a presentation—you’ll likely deepen your personal relationships and actively engage audiences during a presentation. As part of your presentation skill set, it helps catch and maintain the audience’s attention, helping them remain focused while minimizing passive response, ensuring the message is delivered correctly, and encouraging a call to action.

Stage presence

During a presentation, projecting confidence can help keep your audience engaged. Stage presence can help you connect with your audience and encourage them to want to watch you. To improve your presence, try amping up your normal demeanor by infusing it with a bit of enthusiasm. Project confidence and keep your information interesting.

Watch your audience as you’re presenting. If you’re holding their attention, it likely means you’re connecting well with them.

Self-awareness

Monitoring your own emotions and reactions will allow you to react well in various situations. It helps you remain personable throughout your presentation and handle feedback well. Self-awareness can help soothe nervousness during presentations, allowing you to perform more effectively.

Writing skills

Writing is a form of presentation. Sharp writing skills can help you master your presentation’s outline to ensure you stay on message and remain clear about your objectives from the beginning until the end. It’s also helpful to have strong writing abilities for creating compelling slides and other visual aids.

Understanding an audience

When you understand your audience's needs and interests, you can design your presentation around them. In turn, you'll deliver maximum value to them and enhance your ability to make your message easy to understand.

Learn more about presentation skills from industry experts at SAP:

How to improve presentation skills

There’s an art to public speaking. Just like any other type of art, this is one that requires practice. Improving your presentation skills will help reduce miscommunications, enhance your time management capabilities, and boost your leadership skills. Here are some ways you can improve these skills:

Work on self-confidence.

When you’re confident, you naturally speak more clearly and with more authority. Taking the time to prepare your presentation with a strong opening and compelling visual aids can help you feel more confident. Other ways to improve your self-confidence include practicing positive self-talk, surrounding yourself with positive people, and avoiding comparing yourself (or your presentation) to others.

Develop strategies for overcoming fear.

Many people are nervous or fearful before giving a presentation. A bad memory of a past performance or insufficient self-confidence can contribute to fear and anxiety. Having a few go-to strategies like deep breathing, practicing your presentation, and grounding can help you transform that fear into extra energy to put into your stage presence.

Learn grounding techniques.

Grounding is any type of technique that helps you steer your focus away from distressing thoughts and keeps you connected with your present self. To ground yourself, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and imagine you’re a large, mature tree with roots extending deep into the earth—like the tree, you can become unshakable.

Learn how to use presentation tools.

Visual aids and other technical support can transform an otherwise good presentation into a wow-worthy one. A few popular presentation tools include:

Canva: Provides easy-to-design templates you can customize

Powtoon: Animation software that makes video creation fast and easy

PowerPoint: Microsoft's iconic program popular for dynamic marketing and sales presentations

Practice breathing techniques.

Breathing techniques can help quell anxiety, making it easier to shake off pre-presentation jitters and nerves. It also helps relax your muscles and get more oxygen to your brain.  For some pre-presentation calmness, you can take deep breaths, slowly inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.

While presenting, breathe in through your mouth with the back of your tongue relaxed so your audience doesn't hear a gasping sound. Speak on your exhalation, maintaining a smooth voice.

Gain experience.

The more you practice, the better you’ll become. The more you doanything, the more comfortable you’ll feel engaging in that activity. Presentations are no different. Repeatedly practicing your own presentation also offers the opportunity to get feedback from other people and tweak your style and content as needed.

Tips to help you ace your presentation

Your presentation isn’t about you; it’s about the material you’re presenting. Sometimes, reminding yourself of this ahead of taking center stage can help take you out of your head, allowing you to connect effectively with your audience. The following are some of the many actions you can take on the day of your presentation.

Arrive early.

Since you may have a bit of presentation-related anxiety, it’s important to avoid adding travel stress. Give yourself an abundance of time to arrive at your destination, and take into account heavy traffic and other unforeseen events. By arriving early, you also give yourself time to meet with any on-site technicians, test your equipment, and connect with people ahead of the presentation.

Become familiar with the layout of the room.

Arriving early also gives you time to assess the room and figure out where you want to stand. Experiment with the acoustics to determine how loudly you need to project your voice, and test your equipment to make sure everything connects and appears properly with the available setup. This is an excellent opportunity to work out any last-minute concerns and move around to familiarize yourself with the setting for improved stage presence.

Listen to presenters ahead of you.

When you watch others present, you'll get a feel for the room's acoustics and lighting. You can also listen for any data that’s relevant to your presentation and revisit it during your presentation—this can make the presentation more interactive and engaging.

Use note cards.

Writing yourself a script could provide you with more comfort. To prevent sounding too robotic or disengaged, only include talking points in your note cards in case you get off track. Using note cards can help keep your presentation organized while sounding more authentic to your audience.

Learn to deliver clear and confident presentations with Dynamic Public Speaking from the University of Washington. Build confidence, develop new delivery techniques, and practice strategies for crafting compelling presentations for different purposes, occasions, and audiences.

Article sources

Forbes. “ New Survey: 70% Say Presentation Skills are Critical for Career Success , https://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2014/09/25/new-survey-70-percent-say-presentation-skills-critical-for-career-success/?sh=619f3ff78890.” Accessed December 7, 2022.

Beautiful.ai. “ 15 Presentation and Public Speaking Stats You Need to Know , https://www.beautiful.ai/blog/15-presentation-and-public-speaking-stats-you-need-to-know. Accessed December 7, 2022.

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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.

businesswoman-speaking-from-a-podium-to-an-audience-in-a-conference-room-how-to-give-a-good-presentation

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.

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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. 

Group-of-a-business-people-having-meeting-in-a-conference-room-how-to-give-a-good-presentation

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.

Woman-presenting-charts-and-data-to-work-team-how-to-give-a-good-presentation

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.

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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, how to make a presentation interactive and exciting, tell a story they can't ignore these 10 tips will teach you how, 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 Structure your Presentation, with Examples

August 3, 2018 - Dom Barnard

For many people the thought of delivering a presentation is a daunting task and brings about a  great deal of nerves . However, if you take some time to understand how effective presentations are structured and then apply this structure to your own presentation, you’ll appear much more confident and relaxed.

Here is our complete guide for structuring your presentation, with examples at the end of the article to demonstrate these points.

Why is structuring a presentation so important?

If you’ve ever sat through a great presentation, you’ll have left feeling either inspired or informed on a given topic. This isn’t because the speaker was the most knowledgeable or motivating person in the world. Instead, it’s because they know how to structure presentations – they have crafted their message in a logical and simple way that has allowed the audience can keep up with them and take away key messages.

Research has supported this, with studies showing that audiences retain structured information  40% more accurately  than unstructured information.

In fact, not only is structuring a presentation important for the benefit of the audience’s understanding, it’s also important for you as the speaker. A good structure helps you remain calm, stay on topic, and avoid any awkward silences.

What will affect your presentation structure?

Generally speaking, there is a natural flow that any decent presentation will follow which we will go into shortly. However, you should be aware that all presentation structures will be different in their own unique way and this will be due to a number of factors, including:

  • Whether you need to deliver any demonstrations
  • How  knowledgeable the audience  already is on the given subject
  • How much interaction you want from the audience
  • Any time constraints there are for your talk
  • What setting you are in
  • Your ability to use any kinds of visual assistance

Before choosing the presentation’s structure answer these questions first:

  • What is your presentation’s aim?
  • Who are the audience?
  • What are the main points your audience should remember afterwards?

When reading the points below, think critically about what things may cause your presentation structure to be slightly different. You can add in certain elements and add more focus to certain moments if that works better for your speech.

Good presentation structure is important for a presentation

What is the typical presentation structure?

This is the usual flow of a presentation, which covers all the vital sections and is a good starting point for yours. It allows your audience to easily follow along and sets out a solid structure you can add your content to.

1. Greet the audience and introduce yourself

Before you start delivering your talk, introduce yourself to the audience and clarify who you are and your relevant expertise. This does not need to be long or incredibly detailed, but will help build an immediate relationship between you and the audience. It gives you the chance to briefly clarify your expertise and why you are worth listening to. This will help establish your ethos so the audience will trust you more and think you’re credible.

Read our tips on  How to Start a Presentation Effectively

2. Introduction

In the introduction you need to explain the subject and purpose of your presentation whilst gaining the audience’s interest and confidence. It’s sometimes helpful to think of your introduction as funnel-shaped to help filter down your topic:

  • Introduce your general topic
  • Explain your topic area
  • State the issues/challenges in this area you will be exploring
  • State your presentation’s purpose – this is the basis of your presentation so ensure that you provide a statement explaining how the topic will be treated, for example, “I will argue that…” or maybe you will “compare”, “analyse”, “evaluate”, “describe” etc.
  • Provide a statement of what you’re hoping the outcome of the presentation will be, for example, “I’m hoping this will be provide you with…”
  • Show a preview of the organisation of your presentation

In this section also explain:

  • The length of the talk.
  • Signal whether you want audience interaction – some presenters prefer the audience to ask questions throughout whereas others allocate a specific section for this.
  • If it applies, inform the audience whether to take notes or whether you will be providing handouts.

The way you structure your introduction can depend on the amount of time you have been given to present: a  sales pitch  may consist of a quick presentation so you may begin with your conclusion and then provide the evidence. Conversely, a speaker presenting their idea for change in the world would be better suited to start with the evidence and then conclude what this means for the audience.

Keep in mind that the main aim of the introduction is to grab the audience’s attention and connect with them.

3. The main body of your talk

The main body of your talk needs to meet the promises you made in the introduction. Depending on the nature of your presentation, clearly segment the different topics you will be discussing, and then work your way through them one at a time – it’s important for everything to be organised logically for the audience to fully understand. There are many different ways to organise your main points, such as, by priority, theme, chronologically etc.

  • Main points should be addressed one by one with supporting evidence and examples.
  • Before moving on to the next point you should provide a mini-summary.
  • Links should be clearly stated between ideas and you must make it clear when you’re moving onto the next point.
  • Allow time for people to take relevant notes and stick to the topics you have prepared beforehand rather than straying too far off topic.

When planning your presentation write a list of main points you want to make and ask yourself “What I am telling the audience? What should they understand from this?” refining your answers this way will help you produce clear messages.

4. Conclusion

In presentations the conclusion is frequently underdeveloped and lacks purpose which is a shame as it’s the best place to reinforce your messages. Typically, your presentation has a specific goal – that could be to convert a number of the audience members into customers, lead to a certain number of enquiries to make people knowledgeable on specific key points, or to motivate them towards a shared goal.

Regardless of what that goal is, be sure to summarise your main points and their implications. This clarifies the overall purpose of your talk and reinforces your reason for being there.

Follow these steps:

  • Signal that it’s nearly the end of your presentation, for example, “As we wrap up/as we wind down the talk…”
  • Restate the topic and purpose of your presentation – “In this speech I wanted to compare…”
  • Summarise the main points, including their implications and conclusions
  • Indicate what is next/a call to action/a thought-provoking takeaway
  • Move on to the last section

5. Thank the audience and invite questions

Conclude your talk by thanking the audience for their time and invite them to  ask any questions  they may have. As mentioned earlier, personal circumstances will affect the structure of your presentation.

Many presenters prefer to make the Q&A session the key part of their talk and try to speed through the main body of the presentation. This is totally fine, but it is still best to focus on delivering some sort of initial presentation to set the tone and topics for discussion in the Q&A.

Questions being asked after a presentation

Other common presentation structures

The above was a description of a basic presentation, here are some more specific presentation layouts:

Demonstration

Use the demonstration structure when you have something useful to show. This is usually used when you want to show how a product works. Steve Jobs frequently used this technique in his presentations.

  • Explain why the product is valuable.
  • Describe why the product is necessary.
  • Explain what problems it can solve for the audience.
  • Demonstrate the product  to support what you’ve been saying.
  • Make suggestions of other things it can do to make the audience curious.

Problem-solution

This structure is particularly useful in persuading the audience.

  • Briefly frame the issue.
  • Go into the issue in detail showing why it ‘s such a problem. Use logos and pathos for this – the logical and emotional appeals.
  • Provide the solution and explain why this would also help the audience.
  • Call to action – something you want the audience to do which is straightforward and pertinent to the solution.

Storytelling

As well as incorporating  stories in your presentation , you can organise your whole presentation as a story. There are lots of different type of story structures you can use – a popular choice is the monomyth – the hero’s journey. In a monomyth, a hero goes on a difficult journey or takes on a challenge – they move from the familiar into the unknown. After facing obstacles and ultimately succeeding the hero returns home, transformed and with newfound wisdom.

Storytelling for Business Success  webinar , where well-know storyteller Javier Bernad shares strategies for crafting compelling narratives.

Another popular choice for using a story to structure your presentation is in media ras (in the middle of thing). In this type of story you launch right into the action by providing a snippet/teaser of what’s happening and then you start explaining the events that led to that event. This is engaging because you’re starting your story at the most exciting part which will make the audience curious – they’ll want to know how you got there.

  • Great storytelling: Examples from Alibaba Founder, Jack Ma

Remaining method

The remaining method structure is good for situations where you’re presenting your perspective on a controversial topic which has split people’s opinions.

  • Go into the issue in detail showing why it’s such a problem – use logos and pathos.
  • Rebut your opponents’ solutions  – explain why their solutions could be useful because the audience will see this as fair and will therefore think you’re trustworthy, and then explain why you think these solutions are not valid.
  • After you’ve presented all the alternatives provide your solution, the remaining solution. This is very persuasive because it looks like the winning idea, especially with the audience believing that you’re fair and trustworthy.

Transitions

When delivering presentations it’s important for your words and ideas to flow so your audience can understand how everything links together and why it’s all relevant. This can be done  using speech transitions  which are words and phrases that allow you to smoothly move from one point to another so that your speech flows and your presentation is unified.

Transitions can be one word, a phrase or a full sentence – there are many different forms, here are some examples:

Moving from the introduction to the first point

Signify to the audience that you will now begin discussing the first main point:

  • Now that you’re aware of the overview, let’s begin with…
  • First, let’s begin with…
  • I will first cover…
  • My first point covers…
  • To get started, let’s look at…

Shifting between similar points

Move from one point to a similar one:

  • In the same way…
  • Likewise…
  • Equally…
  • This is similar to…
  • Similarly…

Internal summaries

Internal summarising consists of summarising before moving on to the next point. You must inform the audience:

  • What part of the presentation you covered – “In the first part of this speech we’ve covered…”
  • What the key points were – “Precisely how…”
  • How this links in with the overall presentation – “So that’s the context…”
  • What you’re moving on to – “Now I’d like to move on to the second part of presentation which looks at…”

Physical movement

You can move your body and your standing location when you transition to another point. The audience find it easier to follow your presentation and movement will increase their interest.

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.

Key slides for your presentation

Slides are a useful tool for most presentations: they can greatly assist in the delivery of your message and help the audience follow along with what you are saying. Key slides include:

  • An intro slide outlining your ideas
  • A  summary slide  with core points to remember
  • High quality image slides to supplement what you are saying

There are some presenters who choose not to use slides at all, though this is more of a rarity. Slides can be a powerful tool if used properly, but the problem is that many fail to do just that. Here are some golden rules to follow when using slides in a presentation:

  • Don’t over fill them  – your slides are there to assist your speech, rather than be the focal point. They should have as little information as possible, to avoid distracting people from your talk.
  • A picture says a thousand words  – instead of filling a slide with text, instead, focus on one or two images or diagrams to help support and explain the point you are discussing at that time.
  • Make them readable  – depending on the size of your audience, some may not be able to see small text or images, so make everything large enough to fill the space.
  • Don’t rush through slides  – give the audience enough time to digest each slide.

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.

Here are some additional resources for slide design:

  • 7 design tips for effective, beautiful PowerPoint presentations
  • 11 design tips for beautiful presentations
  • 10 tips on how to make slides that communicate your idea

Group Presentations

Group presentations are structured in the same way as presentations with one speaker but usually require more rehearsal and practices.  Clean transitioning between speakers  is very important in producing a presentation that flows well. One way of doing this consists of:

  • Briefly recap on what you covered in your section: “So that was a brief introduction on what health anxiety is and how it can affect somebody”
  • Introduce the next speaker in the team and explain what they will discuss: “Now Elnaz will talk about the prevalence of health anxiety.”
  • Then end by looking at the next speaker, gesturing towards them and saying their name: “Elnaz”.
  • The next speaker should acknowledge this with a quick: “Thank you Joe.”

From this example you can see how the different sections of the presentations link which makes it easier for the audience to follow and remain engaged.

Example of great presentation structure and delivery

Having examples of great presentations will help inspire your own structures, here are a few such examples, each unique and inspiring in their own way.

How Google Works – by Eric Schmidt

This presentation by ex-Google CEO  Eric Schmidt  demonstrates some of the most important lessons he and his team have learnt with regards to working with some of the most talented individuals they hired. The simplistic yet cohesive style of all of the slides is something to be appreciated. They are relatively straightforward, yet add power and clarity to the narrative of the presentation.

Start with why – by Simon Sinek

Since being released in 2009, this presentation has been viewed almost four million times all around the world. The message itself is very powerful, however, it’s not an idea that hasn’t been heard before. What makes this presentation so powerful is the simple message he is getting across, and the straightforward and understandable manner in which he delivers it. Also note that he doesn’t use any slides, just a whiteboard where he creates a simple diagram of his opinion.

The Wisdom of a Third Grade Dropout – by Rick Rigsby

Here’s an example of a presentation given by a relatively unknown individual looking to inspire the next generation of graduates. Rick’s presentation is unique in many ways compared to the two above. Notably, he uses no visual prompts and includes a great deal of humour.

However, what is similar is the structure he uses. He first introduces his message that the wisest man he knew was a third-grade dropout. He then proceeds to deliver his main body of argument, and in the end, concludes with his message. This powerful speech keeps the viewer engaged throughout, through a mixture of heart-warming sentiment, powerful life advice and engaging humour.

As you can see from the examples above, and as it has been expressed throughout, a great presentation structure means analysing the core message of your presentation. Decide on a key message you want to impart the audience with, and then craft an engaging way of delivering it.

By preparing a solid structure, and  practising your talk  beforehand, you can walk into the presentation with confidence and deliver a meaningful message to an interested audience.

It’s important for a presentation to be well-structured so it can have the most impact on your audience. An unstructured presentation can be difficult to follow and even frustrating to listen to. The heart of your speech are your main points supported by evidence and your transitions should assist the movement between points and clarify how everything is linked.

Research suggests that the audience remember the first and last things you say so your introduction and conclusion are vital for reinforcing your points. Essentially, ensure you spend the time structuring your presentation and addressing all of the sections.

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Steps in Preparing a Presentation

Planning your presentation, step 1: analyze your audience, step 2: select a topic, step 3: define the objective of the presentation, preparing the content of your presentation, step 4: prepare the body of the presentation, step 5: prepare the introduction and conclusion, practicing and delivering, step 6: practice delivering the presentation.

A labyrinth

The first step in preparing a presentation is to learn more about the audience to whom you'll be speaking. It's a good idea to obtain some information on the backgrounds, values, and interests of your audience so that you understand what the audience members might expect from your presentation.

Next, if possible select a topic that is of interest to the audience and to you. It will be much easier to deliver a presentation that the audience finds relevant, and more enjoyable to research a topic that is of interest to you.

Once you have selected a topic, write the objective of the presentation in a single concise statement. The objective needs to specify exactly what you want your audience to learn from your presentation. Base the objective and the level of the content on the amount of time you have for the presentation and the background knowledge of the audience. Use this statement to help keep you focused as you research and develop the presentation.

After defining the objective of your presentation, determine how much information you can present in the amount of time allowed. Also, use your knowledge about the audience to prepare a presentation with the right level of detail. You don't want to plan a presentation that is too basic or too advanced.

The body of the presentation is where you present your ideas. To present your ideas convincingly, you will need to illustrate and support them. Strategies to help you do this include the following:

  • Present data and facts
  • Read quotes from experts
  • Relate personal experiences
  • Provide vivid descriptions

And remember, as you plan the body of your presentation it's important to provide variety. Listeners may quickly become bored by lots of facts or they may tire of hearing story after story.

Once you've prepared the body of the presentation, decide how you will begin and end the talk. Make sure the introduction captures the attention of your audience and the conclusion summarizes and reiterates your important points. In other words, "Tell them what you're going to tell them. Tell them. Then, tell them what you told them."

During the  opening  of your presentation, it's important to attract the audience's attention and build their interest. If you don't, listeners will turn their attention elsewhere and you'll have a difficult time getting it back. Strategies that you can use include the following:

  • Make the introduction relevant to the listeners' goals, values, and needs
  • Ask questions to stimulate thinking
  • Share a personal experience
  • Begin with a joke or humorous story
  • Project a cartoon or colorful visual
  • Make a stimulating or inspirational statement
  • Give a unique demonstration

During the opening you want to clearly present your topic and the purpose of your presentation. Clearly articulating the topic and purpose will help the listeners focus on and easily follow your main ideas.

During the  conclusion  of your presentation, reinforce the main ideas you communicated. Remember that listeners won't remember your entire presentation, only the main ideas. By reinforcing and reviewing the main ideas, you help the audience remember them.

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Most people spend hours preparing a presentation but very little time practicing it. When you practice your presentation, you can reduce the number of times you utter words and phrases like, "um," "well," and "you know." These habits can easily diminish a speaker's credibility. You can also fine-tune your content to be sure you make your most important points in the time alloted.

In addition to planning the content of your presentation, you need to give advanced thought to how you want to deliver it. Do you want to commit your presentation to memory, use cards to guide you, or read from a script? Or, you might want to use a combination of methods. To help you decide, read the advantages and disadvantages of the four delivery methods described below.

Speaking from Memory

A human brain.

A distinct advantage of speaking from memory is your ability to speak to the audience without relying on notes or a script. This allows you the flexibility to move away from the podium and to maintain eye contact with the audience. However, speaking from memory has disadvantages, too. Presentations from memory often sound rehearsed and the possibility exists that you'll forget an important point, present information that's inaccurate, or completely lose your train of thought. If you decide to deliver your presentation from memory, have notes handy to jog your memory just in case!

Speaking from Notes

A note card.

Many people like to speak from notes. Typically these notes are either on cards or paper in outline form and contain key ideas and information. If you are using an electronic presentation tool, you may be able to include your notes in the presentation itself. The benefit of delivering a presentation from notes is that you sound natural rather than rehearsed and you can still maintain relatively good eye contact with the audience. The down side is that you might not express your key ideas and thoughts as well as you may have liked had you planned your exact words in advance.

Speaking from Text

Gettysburg Address speech

Speaking from text involves writing your speech out, word for word, then basically reading from the text. As with speaking from memory, an advantage of this method is that you plan, in advance, exactly what you're going to say and how you're going to say it. A disadvantage is that you might appear to the audience to be stiff or rehearsed. You will need to make frequent eye contact and speak with expression to maintain the audience's interest.

Using a Combination of Methods

You may find the best method to be a combination of all three. For instance, experts suggest you memorize the first and last ten minutes of your talk so that you can speak flawlessly and without notes. Notes may be suitable for segments of your presentation that you know very well, for example, relating a personal story. Finally, speaking from a text might be appropriate when you have quotes or other important points that you want to make sure you communicate accurately and completely. You can make a smooth segue to written text by saying something like: "I want to read this quote to you verbatim, to ensure that I don't distort the original intent."

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Home Blog Education Presentation Skills 101: A Guide to Presentation Success

Presentation Skills 101: A Guide to Presentation Success

Getting the perfect presentation design is just a step toward a successful presentation. For the experienced user, building presentation skills is the answer to elevating the power of your message and showing expertise on any subject. Still, one can ask: is it the same set of skills, or are they dependable on the type of presentation?

In this article, we will introduce the different types of presentations accompanied by the skillset required to master them. The purpose, as always, is to retain the audience’s interest for a long-lasting and convincing message.

cover for presentation skills guide

Table of Contents

The Importance of Presentation Skills

Persuasive presentations, instructional presentations, informative presentations, inspirational presentations, basic presentation skills, what are the main difficulties when giving a presentation, recommendations to improve your presentation skills, closing statement.

Effective communication is the answer to reaching business and academic goals. The scenarios in which we can be required to deliver a presentation are as diverse as one can imagine. Still, some core concepts apply to all presentations.

 We define presentation skills as a compendium of soft skills that directly affect your presentation performance and contribute to creating a great presentation. These are not qualities acquired by birth but skills you ought to train and master to delve into professional environments.

You may ask: is it really that evident when a presenter is not prepared? Here are some common signs people can experience during presentations:

  • Evasive body language: Not making eye contact with the audience, arms closed tightly to the body, hands in pockets all the time.
  • Lack of interest in the presenter’s voice: dull tone, not putting an effort to articulate the topics.
  • Doubting when asked to answer a question
  • Irksome mood

The list can go on about common presenter mistakes , and most certainly, it will affect the performance of any presented data if the lack of interest by the presenter is blatantly obvious.  Another element to consider is anxiety, and according to research by the National Institute of Mental Health, 73% of the population in the USA is affected by glossophobia , which is the fear of public speaking, judgment, or negative evaluation by other people.

Therefore, presentation skills training is essential for any business professional who wants to achieve effective communication . It will remove the anxiety from presentation performance and help users effectively deliver their message and connect with the audience.

Archetypes of presentations

Persuasive presentations aim to convince the audience – often in short periods – to acquire a product or service, adhere to a cause, or invest in a company. For business entrepreneurs or politicians, persuasive presentations are their tool for the trade.

Unless you aim to be perceived as an imposter, a proper persuasive presentation has the elements of facts, empathy, and logic, balanced under a well-crafted narrative. The central pillar of these presentations is to identify the single factor that gathered your audience: it could be a market need, a social cause, or a revolutionary concept for today’s society. It has to be something with enough power to gather critiques – both good and bad.

That single factor has to be backed up by facts. Research that builds your hypothesis on how to solve that problem. A deep understanding of the target audience’s needs , concerns, and social position regarding the solution your means can offer. When those elements are in place, building a pitch becomes an easy task. 

Graphics can help you introduce information in a compelling format, lowering the need for lengthy presentations. Good presentation skills for persuasive presentations go by the hand of filtering relevant data and creating the visual cues that resonate with what your audience demands.

One powerful example of a persuasive presentation is the technique known as the elevator pitch . You must introduce your idea or product convincingly to the audience in a timeframe between 30 seconds and less than 2 minutes. You have to expose:

  • What do you do 
  • What’s the problem to solve
  • Why is your solution different from others 
  • Why should the audience care about your expertise

presentation skills an elevator pitch slide

For that very purpose, using engaging graphics with contrasting colors elevates the potential power of your message. It speaks professionalism, care for details, and out-of-the-box thinking. Knowing how to end a presentation is also critical, as your CTAs should be placed with care.

Therefore, let’s resume the requirements of persuasive presentations in terms of good presentation skills:

  • Identifying problems and needs
  • Elaborating “the hook” (the element that grabs the audience’s attention)
  • Knowing how to “tie” your audience (introducing a piece of information related to the hook that causes an emotional impact)
  • Broad knowledge of body language and hand gestures to quickly convey your message
  • Being prepared to argue a defense of your point of view
  • Handling rejection
  • Having a proactive attitude to convert opportunities into new projects
  • Using humor, surprise, or personal anecdotes as elements to sympathize with the audience
  • Having confidence
  • Be able to summarize facts and information in visually appealing ways

skills required for persuasive presentations

You can learn more about persuasive presentation techniques by clicking here .

In the case of instructional presentations, we ought to differentiate two distinctive types:

  • Lecture Presentations : Presentations being held at universities or any other educative institution. Those presentations cover, topic by topic, and the contents of a syllabus and are created by the team of teachers in charge of the course.
  • Training Presentations : These presentations take place during in-company training sessions and usually comprise a good amount of content that is resumed into easy-to-take solutions. They are aimed to coach employees over certain topics relevant to their work performance. The 70-20-10 Model is frequently used to address these training situations.

Lecture presentations appeal to the gradual introduction of complex concepts, following a structure set in the course’s syllabus. These presentations often have a similar aesthetic as a group of professors or researchers created to share their knowledge about a topic. Personal experience does tell that course presentations often rely on factual data, adequately documented, and on the theoretical side.

An example of a presentation that lies under this concept is a Syllabus Presentation, used by the teaching team to introduce the subject to new students, evaluation methods, concepts to be learned, and expectations to pass the course.

using a course syllabus presentation to boost your instructional presentation skills

On the other hand, training presentations are slide decks designed to meet an organization’s specific needs in the formal education of their personnel. Commonly known as “continuous education,” plenty of companies invest resources in coaching their employees to achieve higher performance results. These presentations have the trademark of being concise since their idea is to introduce the concepts that shall be applied in practice sessions. 

Ideally, the training presentations are introduced with little text and easy-to-recognize visual cues. Since the idea is to summarize as much as possible, these are visually appealing for the audience. They must be dynamic enough to allow the presenter to convey the message.

presentation skills example of a training presentation

Those key takeaways remind employees when they revisit their learning resources and allow them to ruminate on questions that fellow workers raise. 

To sum up this point, building presentation skills for instructional presentations requires:

  • Ability to put complex concepts into simpler words
  • Patience and a constant learning mindset
  • Voice training to deliver lengthy speeches without being too dense
  • Ability to summarize points and note the key takeaways
  • Empathizing with the audience to understand their challenges in the learning process

skill requirements for instructional presentations

The informative presentations take place in business situations, such as when to present project reports from different departments to the management. Another potential usage of these presentations is in SCRUM or other Agile methodologies, when a sprint is completed, to discuss the advance of the project with the Product Owner.

As they are presentations heavily dependent on data insights, it’s common to see the usage of infographics and charts to express usually dense data in simpler terms and easy to remember. 

a SCRUM process being shown in an informative slide

Informative presentations don’t just fall into the business category. Ph.D. Dissertation and Thesis presentations are topics that belong to the informative presentations category as they condense countless research hours into manageable reports for the academic jury. 

an example of a thesis dissertation template

Since these informational presentations can be perceived as lengthy and data-filled, it is important to learn the following professional presentation skills:

  • Attention to detail
  • Be able to explain complex information in simpler terms
  • Creative thinking
  • Powerful diction
  • Working on pauses and transitions
  • Pacing the presentation, so not too much information is divulged per slide

skill requirements for informational presentations

The leading inspirational platform, TEDx, comes to mind when talking about inspirational presentations. This presentation format has the peculiarity of maximizing the engagement with the audience to divulge a message, and due to that, it has specific requirements any presenter must meet.

This presentation format usually involves a speaker on a stage, either sitting or better standing, in which the presenter engages with the audience with a storytelling format about a life experience, a job done that provided a remarkable improvement for society, etc.

using a quote slide to boost inspirational presentation skills

Empathizing with the audience is the key ingredient for these inspirational presentations. Still, creativity is what shapes the outcome of your performance as people are constantly looking for different experiences – not the same recipe rephrased with personal touches. The human factor is what matters here, way above data and research. What has your experience to offer to others? How can it motivate another human being to pursue a similar path or discover their true calling?

To achieve success in terms of communication skills presentation, these inspirational presentations have the following requirements:

  • Focus on the audience (engage, consider their interests, and make them a part of your story)
  • Putting ego aside
  • Creative communication skills
  • Storytelling skills
  • Body language knowledge to apply the correct gestures to accompany your story
  • Voice training
  • Using powerful words

skills required for inspirational presentations

After discussing the different kinds of presentations we can come across at any stage of our lives, a group of presentation skills is standard in any type of presentation. See below what makes a good presentation and which skills you must count on to succeed as a presenter.

Punctuality

Punctuality is a crucial aspect of giving an effective presentation. Nothing says more about respect for your audience and the organization you represent than delivering the presentation on time . Arriving last minute puts pressure on the tech team behind audiovisuals, as they don’t have enough preparation to test microphones, stage lights, and projector settings, which can lead to a less powerful presentation Even when discussing presentations hosted in small rooms for a reduced audience, testing the equipment becomes essential for an effective presentation.

A solution for this is to arrive at least 30 minutes early. Ideally, one hour is a sweet spot since the AV crew has time to check the gear and requirements for your presentation. Another benefit of this, for example, in inspirational presentations, is measuring the previous presenter’s impact on the audience. This gives insights about how to resonate with the public, and their interest, and how to accommodate your presentation for maximum impact.

Body Language

Our bodies can make emotions transparent for others, even when we are unaware of such a fact. Proper training for body language skills reduces performance anxiety, giving the audience a sense of expertise about the presented topic. 

Give your presentation and the audience the respect they deserve by watching over these potential mistakes:

  • Turning your back to the audience for extended periods : It’s okay to do so when introducing an important piece of information or explaining a graph, but it is considered rude to give your back to the audience constantly.
  • Fidgeting : We are all nervous in the presence of strangers, even more, if we are the center of attention for that moment. Instead of playing with your hair or making weird hand gestures, take a deep breath to center yourself before the presentation and remember that everything you could do to prepare is already done. Trust your instincts and give your best.
  • Intense eye contact : Have you watched a video where the presenter stared at the camera the entire time? That’s the feeling you transmit to spectators through intense eye contact. It’s a practice often used by politicians to persuade.
  • Swearing : This is a no-brainer. Even when you see influencers swearing on camera or in podcasts or live presentations, it is considered an informal and lousy practice for business and academic situations. If you have a habit to break when it comes to this point, find the humor in these situations and replace your swear words with funny alternatives (if the presentation allows for it). 

Voice Tone plays a crucial role in delivering effective presentations and knowing how to give a good presentation. Your voice is a powerful tool for exposing your ideas and feelings . Your voice can articulate the message you are telling, briefing the audience if you feel excited about what you are sharing or, in contrast, if you feel the presentation is a burden you ought to complete.

Remember, passion is a primary ingredient in convincing people. Therefore, transmitting such passion with a vibrant voice may help gather potential business partners’ interest.  

But what if you feel sick prior to the presentation? If, by chance, your throat is sore minutes before setting foot on the stage, try this: when introducing yourself, mention that you are feeling a bit under the weather. This resonates with the audience to pay more attention to your efforts. In case you don’t feel comfortable about that, ask the organizers for a cup of tea, as it will settle your throat and relax your nerves.

Tech Skills

Believe it or not, people still feel challenged by technology these days. Maybe that’s the reason why presentation giants like Tony Robbins opt not to use PowerPoint presentations . The reality is that there are plenty of elements involved in a presentation that can go wrong from the tech side:

  • A PDF not opening
  • Saving your presentation in a too-recent PowerPoint version
  • A computer not booting up
  • Mac laptops and their never-ending compatibility nightmare
  • Not knowing how to change between slides
  • Not knowing how to use a laser pointer
  • Internet not working
  • Audio not working

We can come up with a pretty long list of potential tech pitfalls, and yet more than half of them fall in presenters not being knowledgeable about technology.

If computers aren’t your thing, let the organization know about this beforehand. There is always a crew member available to help presenters switch between slides or configure the presentation for streaming. This takes the pressure off your shoulders, allowing you to concentrate on the content to present. Remember, even Bill Gates can get a BSOD during a presentation .

Presentations, while valuable for conveying information and ideas, can be daunting for many individuals. Here are some common difficulties people encounter when giving presentations:

Public Speaking Anxiety

Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, affects a significant portion of the population. This anxiety can lead to nervousness, trembling, and forgetfulness during a presentation.

Lack of Confidence

Many presenters struggle with self-doubt, fearing that they may not be knowledgeable or skilled enough to engage their audience effectively.

Content Organization

Organizing information in a coherent and engaging manner can be challenging. Presenters often grapple with how to structure their content to make it easily digestible for the audience.

Audience Engagement

Keeping the audience’s attention and interest throughout the presentation can be difficult. Distractions, disengaged attendees, or lack of interaction can pose challenges.

Technical Issues

Technology glitches, such as malfunctioning equipment, incompatible file formats, or poor internet connectivity, can disrupt presentations and increase stress.

Time Management

Striking the right balance between providing enough information and staying within time limits is a common challenge. Going over or under the allotted time can affect the effectiveness of the presentation.

Handling Questions and Challenges

Responding to unexpected questions, criticism, or challenges from the audience can be difficult, especially when presenters are unprepared or lack confidence in their subject matter.

Visual Aids and Technology

Creating and effectively using visual aids like slides or multimedia can be a struggle for some presenters. Technical competence is essential in this aspect.

Language and Articulation

Poor language skills or unclear articulation can hinder effective communication. Presenters may worry about stumbling over words or failing to convey their message clearly.

Maintaining appropriate and confident body language can be challenging. Avoiding nervous habits, maintaining eye contact, and using gestures effectively requires practice.

Overcoming Impersonal Delivery

In virtual presentations, maintaining a personal connection with the audience can be difficult. The absence of face-to-face interaction can make it challenging to engage and read the audience.

Cultural and Diversity Awareness

Presenting to diverse audiences requires sensitivity to cultural differences and varying levels of familiarity with the topic.

In this section, we gathered some tips on how to improve presentation skills that can certainly make an impact if applied to your presentation skills. We believe these skills can be cultivated to transform into habits for your work routine.

Tip #1: Build a narrative

One memorable way to guarantee presentation success is by writing a story of all the points you desire to cover. This statement is based on the logic behind storytelling and its power to connect with people .

Don’t waste time memorizing slides or reading your presentation to the audience. It feels unnatural, and any question that diverts from the topic in discussion certainly puts you in jeopardy or, worse, exposes you as a fraud in the eyes of the audience. And before you ask, it is really evident when a presenter has a memorized speech. 

Build and rehearse the presentation as if telling a story to a group of interested people. Lower the language barrier by avoiding complex terms that maybe even you aren’t fully aware of their meaning. Consider the ramifications of that story, what it could lead to, and which are the opportunities to explore. Then, visualize yourself giving the presentation in a natural way.

Applying this technique makes the presentation feel like second nature to you. It broadens the spectrum in which you can show expertise over a topic or even build the basis for new interesting points of view about the project.

Tip #2: Don’t talk for more than 3 minutes per slide

It is a common practice of presenters to bombard the audience with facts and information whilst retaining the same slide on the screen. Why can this happen? It could be because the presenter condensed the talk into very few slides and preferred to talk. The reality is that your spectators won’t retain the information you are giving unless you give visual cues to help that process. 

Opt to prepare more slides and pace your speech to match the topics shown on each slide. Don’t spend more than 3 minutes per slide unless you have to introduce a complex piece of data. Use visual cues to direct the spectators about what you talk about, and summarize the principal concepts discussed at the end of each section.

Tip #3: Practice meditation daily

Anxiety is the number one enemy of professional presenters. It slowly builds without you being aware of your doubts and can hinder your performance in multiple ways: making you feel paralyzed, fidgeting, making you forget language skills or concepts, affecting your health, etc.

Meditation is an ancient practice taken from Buddhist teachings that train your mind to be here in the present. We often see the concepts of meditation and mindfulness as synonyms, whereas you should be aware that meditation is a practice that sets the blocks to reach a state of mindfulness. For presenters, being in the here and now is essential to retain focus, but meditation techniques also teach us to control our breathing and be in touch with our body signals when stress builds up. 

The customary practice of meditation has an impact on imagination and creativity but also helps to build patience – a skill much needed for connecting with your audience in instructional presentations.

Having the proper set of presentation skills can be quite subjective. It goes beyond presentation tips and deepens into how flexible we can be in our ability to communicate ideas.

Different presentations and different audiences shape the outcome of our efforts. Therefore, having a basic understanding of how to connect, raise awareness, and empathize with people can be key ingredients for your career as a presenter. A word of advice: success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes dedication and patience to build communication skills . Don’t condition your work to believe you will be ready “someday”; it’s best to practice and experience failure as part of the learning process.

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6 steps to a successful presentation

If you feel nervous at the thought of having to stand up in front of your peers and deliver a presentation you're not alone, but you're unlikely to get through university without having to do it. Follow these six steps to ensure success

Your tutor or lecturer mentions the word 'presentation' and the first thing you do is panic but there's no need.

Depending on your subject, you might be expected to summarise your reading in a seminar, deliver the results of a scientific experiment, or provide feedback from a group task. Whatever the topic, you'll usually be presenting to your tutor and fellow students.

While   getting up and making your case in front of an audience isn't easy, especially when you're not used to it, it really is good practice as many graduate employers use presentations as part of the recruitment process.

To help ensure that your presentation stands out for the right reasons, Graham Philpott, head of careers consultancy at the University of Reading provides some advice.

Prepare carefully

Give yourself plenty of time to prepare thoroughly, as a last-minute rush will leave you flustered when it comes to delivering your presentation.

'There are two important things to think about when preparing for a presentation,' says Graham. 'What do you want the audience to do once you have finished, and who are the audience? If you know these two things, preparation becomes so much easier.'

Plan out the structure and format of your presentation. 'A simple and successful way to structure your presentation is - agenda, message, summary - or to explain it a different way, tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you've just told them,' advises Graham.

To help plan your content, Graham explains that 'there are only two purposes to a presentation, one is to inform, the other is to persuade. So, your content will either tell the audience what they need to know or convince them.' To make sure you stay on track ask yourself what you're hoping to achieve.

You can make detailed notes as part of your planning, but don't rely on these on the day, as reading from a prepared text sounds unnatural. If you want to take a memory aid with you use small index cards, as referring to A4 sheets of paper during your presentation can be distracting and highlight your nerves if your hands shake.

At the planning stage also consider the timings of your presentation. Time limits are set for a reason - falling short or going over this limit will likely result in a loss of marks, especially if it's part of an assessment or exam.

Don't forget to also devise answers to common questions you may be asked at the end of your presentation. You might think this adds to your workload, but it actually prevents you from being caught off guard on the day.

If you have to give a group presentation, discover  three tips for successful group work .

Use visuals wisely

'A presentation doesn't necessarily need a visual aid,' says Graham. 'However, if you decide to use them, they can help the audience understand what you're saying, and give you a framework to talk around.'

Bear in mind that visual aids should complement your oral presentation, not repeat it, nor deliver the presentation for you. While your slides should offer a summary of points, or illustrate the concept you're discussing, you need to remember that you are the main focus.

When putting together your slides and visual aids:

  • Keep them simple . Stick to one idea per slide to avoid cluttering them and use short phrases or sentences.
  • Think about accessibility . Does the design of your presentation interfere with its readability? Will everyone in the audience be able to read your slides? To ensure your presentation is accessible minimise the number of slides, use high contrast colours and a large, clear font. If using graphics, make them as simple as possible and avoid over-complicated charts or graphs. If using videos, make sure they are captioned.
  • Don't let them distract you . If you intend to provide hand-outs for your audience, distribute them at the beginning or end of your presentation. Doing it halfway through can disrupt your flow.

Don't fall into the trap of merely reading aloud what is written on your slides - instead use them as a starting point from which you can expand and develop your narrative.

It's also worth pointing out that a presentation is only as good as its content. Your presentation could look visually beautiful, but if it lacks knowledge or substance your audience is unlikely to be fooled. 

Consider your audience

Speaking of your audience, it's essential that you keep them in mind at every stage - from the preparation of your presentation right through to the delivery.

To show that you have thought about the audience consider how much background information they will need. Do they already have some knowledge of the topic you're presenting?

Spending the first half of your presentation telling an audience what they already know will be frustrating for them. Equally, if you go straight into the detail, they may get lost. It's vital you get the balance right.

The tone of your presentation will also depend on your audience - if its purpose is to demonstrate to your seminar group that you've understood a certain topic you could strike a light-hearted tone. If it's an assessed piece of work on the other hand, you'll need to be more serious.

Practice with a friend

Before the main event you should run through your presentation in full more than once. 'It's also a good idea to practice the presentation out loud. This will give you a much better idea of how long it takes, and whether there are any parts that don't flow very well,' adds Graham.

'It might feel cringey, but practicing to an audience - friends, coursemates, family, your careers consultant if it's for a job - will really help too. Their feedback will be especially important when it comes to checking that your main point is getting through, loud and clear.'

Ask your practice audience to sit at a distance to check that everyone attending can hear you speaking and that they can see the slides. If possible, try to do this practice run in the room you'll be giving your presentation in.

This level of preparation will enable you to work out whether your presentation is the right length when spoken aloud and give you the chance to get used to expressing yourself in front of others.

 While you practice make sure that you:

  • Speak slowly  - nerves can make you rush but try and moderate your speech. Take a breath at the end of every sentence or point you make.
  • Face the audience  - to give a confident impression regularly make eye contact with your audience. If using a screen stand at a 45-degree angle so you have a good view of both your audience and your slides. Don't turn your back on your audience.
  • Leave time for questions  - factor this into your overall time limit and be prepared to field any questions that come your way.

Another good tip is to record the practice run - you can do this on your phone or on Teams or Zoom. Play it back and reflect on it. Ask yourself if it's clear, concise, and if it makes sense. Pay particular attention to less obvious factors such as your facial expression and mannerisms. Do you come across well? Are you talking too fast or waffling? Are you smiling and personable?

Be positive

Leading up to the presentation try developing a positive attitude. This may seem easier said than done, especially if you're nervous but it will make a huge difference to how you perform.

Acknowledge your nervousness but don't let negative thoughts win. Instead of thinking about all the things that could go wrong visualise a positive outcome and focus on what you can do to ensure it runs smoothly.

On the day nerves can conspire to make you think that the room is against you, but this isn't the case. Remember that your tutor and your coursemates want you to succeed. To set your presentation up for success make sure your introduction is strong. Start with a confident attitude and a smile.

Don't rely on technology

We've all witnessed the agony of a presenter struggling with a faulty USB stick, failing to connect to the internet or not being able to get the projector to work. However, with a little bit of planning, you can minimise the risk of technology tripping you up.

If possible, test your presentation beforehand with the same equipment that you'll be using during the main event. Otherwise, arrive early on the day and have a run through. Make sure you know how to link your laptop to the projector and if your presentation includes links to web pages or video clips make sure these lead to the right places and are working beforehand. Bring back-ups of your documents and print out a few copies of the slides to share if things go wrong.

And if a piece of technology does fail, don't panic. It will happen to everyone in the room at some point. If you prove yourself prepared in the face of a disaster and handle it with grace it could impress your tutor more than if everything went according to plan.

Find out more

  • Learn more about university life .
  • Discover how to manage student stress .
  • Find out how to get the most out of lectures and seminars .

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7 Creative Ways to Start Any Presentation (With Examples!)

I like building and growing simple yet powerful products for the world and the worldwide web.

Published Date : December 4, 2020

Reading Time :

Creating an effective presentation is challenging and needs a lot of effort to become engaging with your audience. Many questions are indeed rounding up your head.

Like how to start a PowerPoint presentation and a class set-up presentation, it helps people, such as entrepreneurs, organize and disseminate their ideas flawlessly.

It clarifies intentions, concepts, and other feasible topics specifically. They may differ from execution, events, and for whom the presentation. 

With that, the bottom line and the question is how to do it. How do you start a Board Meeting <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A board meeting is an official business meeting held by the board of directors of a company. The purpose of a board meeting is to review organization's performance, approve plans of action, and address any legal matters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The attendees of this meeting are the board of directors, board secretary, legal advisers, and a chairperson who will preside over the meeting. The board of directors of an organization is in charge of all the organization's actions, so they must be present or represented so they can take part in decisions regarding the company.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a board meeting, there is usually a robust agenda. It starts by reviewing the minutes of the previous meeting taken down by the company secretary. After that, they move to the business for the current meeting and vote on any new action plan. The chairperson acts as the meeting's moderator and gives each person a chance to speak at appropriate times.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> " href="https://orai.com/glossary/board-meeting/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">board meeting presentation, or how do you start a presentation introduction in class?

Many students are also struggling with how to start a case study presentation, and young entrepreneurs or start-ups are struggling with how to start a business presentation.

To ease the tension and upgrade your Confidence <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Having confidence is to believe in yourself and your ability. When you're confident, it means you know your worth, and you're content and comfortable in your skin. When it comes to confidence in public speaking and presentation skills, it impacts your speech's delivery and how the audience receives it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>How to display confidence in public speaking and presentation skills</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>During a speech, your look and demeanor affect your audience's perception of you. If you display a clear look of confidence, your audience will be more likely to respond to your message. Presentations, particularly, can be challenging. Having a confident exterior can endear you to the people you're presenting to and make them more likely to engage with you. Displaying confidence in public speaking and presentation skills can make or break your speech or presentation. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>How to display </strong><strong>confidence in public speaking</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:list --> <ul><li>Maintain an open stance</li><li>Maintain eye contact</li><li>Use positive body language.</li><li>Move around the stage self-assuredly.</li><li>Incorporate meaningful pauses</li><li>Prepare extensively before your presentation.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> " href="https://orai.com/glossary/confidence/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">confidence , furthermore those people above, I will share some tips, steps, and how to start a presentation example.

Why Presentation is Important in Persuading

Presentations break communication barriers. Across this, it brings mutual understanding to the audience.

In winning your stances and goals, having and knowing how to start a presentation is a must. It helps you more to give an idea of what your topic could be through moving pictures and graphics in reality. 

The role of presentation in persuading can be categorized into many factors. First, it helps your audience to feel more comfortable with your spiels.

Second, you have the chance to tell your options,  choices, summary, and the result of your case study, etc., within your presentation. Especially can be stoop on how to start a business presentation.

Lastly, knowing how to deliver and how to start a presentation in persuading your listener includes support for your audience’s decision. Through it, the concept of persuasion becomes more reliable with tangible materials. 

It is evident in thesis defenses and academic proposals. To start a case study presentation, you must present facts, stats, related studies, and other materials.

And to achieve that in a well-presented way, you need to think and come up with a composition associated with your topic to make it reliable and credible. 

Different Ways to Start a Presentation

Difficulties on how to start a case study presentation and the things you need to behold within your PowerPoint presentation would be easy after sharing with you this advice. 

As for direction and advice, take a look at this list to start a presentation generally. 

1. Start With a Strong Claim

The beginning is always the hard part of a presentation. But like a bottle of water, after it gets opened, the water inside can flow smoothly to your gulp.

Meaning after spitting out your first words, everything should follow accordingly to your presentation. That’s why it is the most crucial when you are learning how to start a presentation. 

Try to use the iconic lines of a famous philosopher —striking advice of a hotshot entrepreneur for your business proposal presentation.

Through this, you can have a good impression on your listener. Shook them and contradict their ideas; indeed, you can have an intense or beneficial presentation. 

2. Know Your Prospect

Besides technicalities and visuals, knowing first the current state, perspective, wants, and needs of your prospect or audience is vital.

Before the presentation, you can send them a pre-assessment or survey consisting of what they want to see and learn and things to keep them interested, or you need to get their attention and interest.

3. Assist the Flow With Visuals

Showing your audience a good spiel in presenting your developing ideas and concepts through pictures that can’t be put quickly in language can break communication drawbacks.

Apart from describing your idea in a presentation, you are also giving quick ways to dice abstract ideas.

4. Moving Pictures

Pictures and videos are great instruments for nurturing your ideas and your audience counterparts.

The power of moving pictures is evident as the film business and the movie industry is booming and depicting fictional stories into reality. 

5. Break People’s Expectation

To break the set expectations of your audience for you,  always stick to your premise. Whether on business, academics, proposals, and other topical presentations.

Call an action to smash misconceptions about your particular presentation. 

6. Spill Surprising Stories

Bring stories and the characters in life. Create conflict and suspense to highlight your goal’s presentation.

It also helps you to organize your presentation’s information to be catchy and relatable. Touching stories can affect audience decision-making. 

7. Know When to Pause 

Don’t present vague ideas, premises, and concepts. Stop bombarding your audience.

After a round of applause or before speaking, take a three-second pause. Observe your audience’s facial expressions. 

With that, you can focus on your tone. It is also an indication that you want to give your audience a short rest.  

Orai helps you perfect your Speech <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A speech is a crafted message which can be either written or orally delivered. Speeches can carry different messages and can come in handy in almost all events. You can pass any message across using a speech that impacts the lives of multiple people. Speech-giving comes up in almost every area of life, from work to personal relationships.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A speech can be anywhere between formal and informal, depending on the occasion. For example, a career-related speech will be more formal than one given at a wedding. The purpose of a speech includes commemorating an event, educating people, and even amusing and entertaining a crowd. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Common types of speech</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:list --> <ul><li>Informative speech</li><li>Persuasive speech</li><li>Demonstrative speech</li><li>Entertaining</li><li>Motivational speech </li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> " href="https://orai.com/glossary/speech/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">speech with feedback on your tone, tempo, Confidence <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Having confidence is to believe in yourself and your ability. When you're confident, it means you know your worth, and you're content and comfortable in your skin. When it comes to confidence in public speaking and presentation skills, it impacts your speech's delivery and how the audience receives it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>How to display confidence in public speaking and presentation skills</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>During a speech, your look and demeanor affect your audience's perception of you. If you display a clear look of confidence, your audience will be more likely to respond to your message. Presentations, particularly, can be challenging. Having a confident exterior can endear you to the people you're presenting to and make them more likely to engage with you. Displaying confidence in public speaking and presentation skills can make or break your speech or presentation. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>How to display </strong><strong>confidence in public speaking</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:list --> <ul><li>Maintain an open stance</li><li>Maintain eye contact</li><li>Use positive body language.</li><li>Move around the stage self-assuredly.</li><li>Incorporate meaningful pauses</li><li>Prepare extensively before your presentation.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> " href="https://orai.com/glossary/confidence/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">confidence , and Conciseness <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Conciseness is an essential skill in public speaking. A concise speech is brief without being empty. Conciseness means stating your points in straightforward and simple language. A concise speech doesn't have any repetitive words, clutter, and verbosity. It makes speech easier to understand, and it keeps your listeners engaged. In writing a speech, conciseness impacts your delivery. You can learn how to speak concisely with practice.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>How to speak concisely</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:list --> <ul><li>Cut out redundant words. Avoid repeating two words that mean the same thing in the same sentence.</li><li>Avoid using complicated language.</li><li>Use shorter words</li><li>Remove unnecessary filler words.</li><li>Be as straightforward as possible, and avoid overexplaining.</li><li>Don't digress too far from your point.</li><li>Try to work within the timeframe.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>How to write a concise speech</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:list --> <ul><li>Practice your speech on someone who can give you feedback</li><li>Review and shorten your speech as many times as possible</li><li>Look out for redundant pairs and remove them.</li><li>Remove qualifiers and modifiers that weaken your speech.</li><li>Cut down on prepositional phrases.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> " href="https://orai.com/glossary/conciseness/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">conciseness .

Things to Avoid on Presentation

Introducing your name along with your topic is not acceptable and is not a killer intro. To nail a presentation, be careful and prevent unnecessary elements. 

Here is the list of recommended things you should avoid on how to start a presentation.

1. Cliché Sentences

Do you believe that the flow and relevancy of your presentation depend on your introduction?

If you do believe, avoid cruddy beginnings, initials, and phrases. Instead of stating, “What will your presentation be about,” give them an idea of why they need it and why it is worth sharing.

2. Plain Visuals

Stop using standard PowerPoint templates, discarded pictures, and non-HD videos. For engaging your audience, mastering your spiels is not enough to convince your listeners.

The balanced presentation consists of a good Speech <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A speech is a crafted message which can be either written or orally delivered. Speeches can carry different messages and can come in handy in almost all events. You can pass any message across using a speech that impacts the lives of multiple people. Speech-giving comes up in almost every area of life, from work to personal relationships.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A speech can be anywhere between formal and informal, depending on the occasion. For example, a career-related speech will be more formal than one given at a wedding. The purpose of a speech includes commemorating an event, educating people, and even amusing and entertaining a crowd. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Common types of speech</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:list --> <ul><li>Informative speech</li><li>Persuasive speech</li><li>Demonstrative speech</li><li>Entertaining</li><li>Motivational speech </li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> " href="https://orai.com/glossary/speech/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">speech , spiels, and an enticing display. Instead of using plain visuals, use simple but complex graphics.

3. Lame Transitions

It is not all about effects or glitching transition effects but about how you transmit your spiels. Always open your arguments with a bang and end them using striking remarks. 

4. Unstable Stats and Facts

Don’t use outdated data, studies, and facts. Don’t go to less up-to-date data websites. 

Treat the facts and stats as vitamins for your presentation, as it helps your exhibition look reliable and robust.

5. Colorless Templates

Pick templates that fit your topic and theme—download innovative templates and slides. Analyze your presentation structure. 

Make sure to go for a font that suits perfectly to the presentation. Go for roadmaps, unique mats, and decks. 

Check out this video for more tips on how to avoid presentation pitfalls:

Steps to Enhance Your Visual Presentation

To sort things specifically on how to start a presentation. Here are the steps and tips on how to start a PowerPoint presentation.

Step 1: Get a Color Palette

“Colors speak louder than texts.”

Aside from shapes, figures, and moving objects, picking the right color palette for your presentation can beautify the board’s ambiance if that’s the case.

Logos and company icons have their color combination to mark and emphasize their brand to all consumers. It may also apply to presentations. 

If you want to be considered or remembered, start by choosing the right color palette. 

Step 2: Create a Theme

The theme supports the flow of your topic; it is the backbone of your presentation. Not considering this element can’t make your topic vague and not intact. 

Step 3: Add Hyperlinks

Going back to how to start a presentation,  comparing specific ideas is a waste of time. Using hyperlinks, you can offer your audience a “video game” theme.

Step 4: Play Short Video or  Create GIFS

Before or after spiels about a particular slide, play a short video as an icebreaker. It helps you to feed your audience with a large amount of information in a shorter period.

Step 5: Practice the Presentation with Spiels in Every Portion

Practice helps you to attain presentation skills. You can interact with your audience, disseminate the messages clearly, and analyze your listeners’ mindset. 

You can also improve the flow of run-throughs. These will support you to polish and enhance persuasive skills.

Practice your perfect Speech <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A speech is a crafted message which can be either written or orally delivered. Speeches can carry different messages and can come in handy in almost all events. You can pass any message across using a speech that impacts the lives of multiple people. Speech-giving comes up in almost every area of life, from work to personal relationships.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A speech can be anywhere between formal and informal, depending on the occasion. For example, a career-related speech will be more formal than one given at a wedding. The purpose of a speech includes commemorating an event, educating people, and even amusing and entertaining a crowd. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Common types of speech</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:list --> <ul><li>Informative speech</li><li>Persuasive speech</li><li>Demonstrative speech</li><li>Entertaining</li><li>Motivational speech </li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> " href="https://orai.com/glossary/speech/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">speech with Orai

Presentation Checklist 

Besides sharing the tips and steps on how to start a presentation, let me give you a sample presentation checklist to support and organize your presentation. 

This checklist may vary in every presentation. You can create and set your reminders. 

Vital Points of a Presentation 

To use your time wisely , try this outline on creating a presentation, such as how to start a Board Meeting <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A board meeting is an official business meeting held by the board of directors of a company. The purpose of a board meeting is to review organization's performance, approve plans of action, and address any legal matters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The attendees of this meeting are the board of directors, board secretary, legal advisers, and a chairperson who will preside over the meeting. The board of directors of an organization is in charge of all the organization's actions, so they must be present or represented so they can take part in decisions regarding the company.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a board meeting, there is usually a robust agenda. It starts by reviewing the minutes of the previous meeting taken down by the company secretary. After that, they move to the business for the current meeting and vote on any new action plan. The chairperson acts as the meeting's moderator and gives each person a chance to speak at appropriate times.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> " href="https://orai.com/glossary/board-meeting/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">board meeting presentation and more. 

This table only serves as a sample outline. It may also vary depending on your topic and forte. 

How to Start Business Presentation and Other Samples

For all entrepreneurs, this portion is for you. To gratify your needs and to enlighten you on how to start a business presentation. Here are the basics.

  • Create a Plan

Always start with a concrete plan to strengthen the body of your presentation. With that, your listeners can’t easily stab your presentation.

  • Pick The Right Deck

If you are discussing in a formal setting, pick a deck with gray colors, choose dominant colors, and then combine.

  • Tell Stories and Laugh

To balance the whole presentation, put some icebreakers and funny idioms about your topic. Make sure it is sensible.

  • Add Verbal Cues and Signpost

It helps your audience to get intact through the presentation. Try to use signal transitions, such as words or phrases that would give interconnections.

  • Collect Images and Charts

Of course, images and charts are vital. Make sure to use HD photos and reliable maps from data websites.

  • Initiate Audience Interaction

After the presentation, evaluate it by asking your listeners if they have any questions. 

Questions like these must be considered and answered in your presentation.

  • How would you design your material?
  • How factual is it?
  • What is the target deadline? Show your timeline.      

Watch this live Speech <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A speech is a crafted message which can be either written or orally delivered. Speeches can carry different messages and can come in handy in almost all events. You can pass any message across using a speech that impacts the lives of multiple people. Speech-giving comes up in almost every area of life, from work to personal relationships.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A speech can be anywhere between formal and informal, depending on the occasion. For example, a career-related speech will be more formal than one given at a wedding. The purpose of a speech includes commemorating an event, educating people, and even amusing and entertaining a crowd. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Common types of speech</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:list --> <ul><li>Informative speech</li><li>Persuasive speech</li><li>Demonstrative speech</li><li>Entertaining</li><li>Motivational speech </li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> " href="https://orai.com/glossary/speech/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">speech or business seminar to get different hooks and other strategies to impress your listeners with your business presentation:

3 Essential Parts on How to Start a Board Meeting Presentation

As your supervisor and other executives watch you presenting, stand tall and present like a boss through these points.

  • Create the Structure of Your Presentation

It organizes the presentation and connects the main points to sub-points. With that, you can have minimal effort but impactful results.

  • Build Big Introduction

Try to begin asking the “why’s,” furthermore, enlighten them of “hows.” How to conduct, how to execute, and how to surpass their limits.

Stop introducing your presentation with your name. Always start to implore your audience with no cliché intro.  

  • Develop Your Data and Tell Crucial Parts

You can be ideological, symbolic, and rhetorical, and these things are not yet easy to comprehend without visuals. That’s why it is essential to develop and expand your data to make it understandable. 

Suppose you want to have a good impression when presenting a business proposal to your bosses and other hotshots. Watch this video on striking tips and techniques for a presentation:

Vital Aspects of How to Start a Case Study Presentation

Case study presentations are more technical, unlike the other displays. It should be specific, tangible, credible, and substantial.

Also, here are the vital points to follow. 

  • Show the Possible Results. Collect the possible outcomes or predicted results. With that, you can jump to “how” you will carry the topic into different methods and production. 
  • Prepare Back-Up Studies. Always have a backup; there are some unexpected circumstances, emergencies, and other possible matters that may ruin your original presentation. It is wise to prepare around three to six backup studies you can easily refer to. 
  • Connect to Your Prospect’s Situation. Research on their state, status, and other related ideas. It will help your case study to get a thumbs up. 
  • Focus on Deals. Keep in mind that you have a target deal. Always connect your study to the current agreement and profitable offers.

How to Start a Presentation Introduction in Class

Facing new students is challenging, right? If you want to get a good impression from your class in different situations, take a look at these tips.

  • Present Yourself With Manners

Tell them briefly who you are and why you are there in front of them while showing the right conduct and manners. 

  • Cite Your Objectives and Its Relevance

The material or your material must be the center of any presentation. Discuss its factuality and how tangible it is. Along with these, tell stories that may catch their interest and attention throughout the presentation.

  • Leave Interesting Statement

End it with a bang! Make them think and stare at you. You can also give them riddles and some metaphorical set of words as an ending remark . 

Indeed, you will gain their participation, plus you are helping your listeners to think critically. 

Become a pro presenter. Download Orai and start practicing

How to Make an Unforgettable Start-Up Presentation 

To give more emphasis on how to start a business presentation and to help young entrepreneurs. I’ll share with you this detailed outline. I hope you tuck this with you. 

1. Set Goals For Your Business Presentation

Always set the stage with objectives. Since you are presenting to get clients and investment, it would help if you cleared how long it takes your business proposal.

2. Start With Provoking Questions or Stories

Never underestimate the power of storytelling. Initiate your presentation with real-life stories. 

Stating provoking questions can grab attention, positive or negative, is a good result. It helps you to get your listener’s ears and eyes. 

3. Show Alarming Statistics, Graphics as a Clue 

This recommendation is similar to a word game, the “4-pics, One Word,” demonstrating the idea or topic with photos will be more immersing. 

Visuals are one of the key points to expand a presentation. They are depicting patterns, diagrams, and trends. Lend quick analysis and predictions. 

By using graphics, you can easily sustain the interest of your listeners and attract more viewers. 

4. Know Your Material

Master your presentation and fill loops. And on your topic. Study the weak points and establish more of the strengths of the presentation. 

With that, you can derive the information smoothly. Take note of this. It is also vital on how to start a Board Meeting <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A board meeting is an official business meeting held by the board of directors of a company. The purpose of a board meeting is to review organization's performance, approve plans of action, and address any legal matters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The attendees of this meeting are the board of directors, board secretary, legal advisers, and a chairperson who will preside over the meeting. The board of directors of an organization is in charge of all the organization's actions, so they must be present or represented so they can take part in decisions regarding the company.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a board meeting, there is usually a robust agenda. It starts by reviewing the minutes of the previous meeting taken down by the company secretary. After that, they move to the business for the current meeting and vote on any new action plan. The chairperson acts as the meeting's moderator and gives each person a chance to speak at appropriate times.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> " href="https://orai.com/glossary/board-meeting/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">board meeting presentation. 

5. Add Business-Related Stories and Humor

Put the top 10 successful corporations, traders, companies, and other information that may help you present your goal. Flash the motto of some famous entrepreneurs. Analyze or contradict it to gain more attention. 

Try to spiel some business jokes as an icebreaker. Any possible facts about business that you can use — catch it!

6. Hold Your Audience With Visuals

Play videos like a Public Service Announcement (PSA), but make sure it is connected to your topic. 

Learn how to start a business presentation that has movement and action for society. With that, your listeners may think your presentation is worth investing in. 

7. Relax and Have an Early Set-Up

Stay calm and don’t even think about drawbacks or shortcomings, especially the night before the presentation.

Make sure to pamper your body. Create also a plan B for unexpected circumstances.

8. Calculate Your Time and Sort it Into Parts

In your run-through, always set a timer. It gives you a heads up if you may look rushing or too slow in explaining each slide.

Being not responsible for other people’s time is a turn-off, especially in business, where time is essential in the industry. 

To present other samples wisely. Let me share some videos to rock and how to start a presentation:

What are some examples of great presentation structures and delivery techniques?

Successful presentations like “How Google Works” and “Start with Why” prove the power of Clarity <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clarity of speech is often considered in public speaking. It is one of the qualities of a good speech, and without it, a speech can seem vague and cluttered. Whether written or spoken, a clear speech is far easier to understand, and it passes its message across well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clarity is a skill that has a massive influence on the success of the speech. A cluttered or unnecessarily verbose speech will only confuse the audience. The audience's intelligence level should also influence the clarity of the speech.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tips for mastering clarity in speech</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:list --> <ul><li>Pronounce and enunciate words correctly</li><li>Remove filler words like "uh," um," "like," "actually" from your speech.</li><li>Avoid using many synonyms in one sentence.</li><li>Improve your diction</li><li>Maintain the right tone and pace in your voice. Speak in a measured tone and never rush a speech.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> " href="https://orai.com/glossary/clarity/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">clarity and simplicity. Both Schmidt and Sinek captivate audiences with straightforward messages enhanced by visuals (slides or whiteboard) that support, not overpower, their narratives. The lesson: ditch complexity, focus on your core message, and deliver it with a conviction for maximum impact.

How can group presentations be structured effectively?

Effective group presentations require thorough rehearsal, clean transitions, and speaker handovers. Recap your section, introduce the next speaker, and gesture towards them to link sections and keep the audience engaged.

How can physical movement enhance the delivery of my presentation?

Ditch the podium! Move around the stage to grab attention, connect with listeners, and emphasize key points. Strategic shifts in location signal transitions, while your energy and passion come alive through purposeful movement. Make your presentation dynamic and memorable – get moving!

How can I structure a presentation using the remaining method approach?

To master the “remaining method,” Briefly introduce the controversy, dive deep with your side (logos & pathos!), acknowledge and dissect opposing solutions, and then unveil your “remaining solution” as the superior answer. Wrap up with a strong summary and a call to action. Guide your audience, earn trust, and win them over!

What are the key elements involved in storytelling for presentations?

Ditch the dry facts! Captivate your audience with stories. Use classic structures like the hero’s journey or jump into the action with “in media res.” Craft your narrative with a clear plot, relatable characters, and a consistent tone. Tie it all back to your key points for maximum impact. Storytelling makes presentations memorable, engaging, and impactful – go forth and win hearts (and minds)!

How can I structure my presentation using the problem-solution method?

Hook them, hit them, fix them! Problem-solution presentations start with a clear pain point, delve deep with causes and impacts (think logic and emotions!), and then unveil your solution as the hero and its amazing benefits. Finish with a call to action – tell them what to do next! Simple, powerful, persuasive.

What are some common presentation structures beyond the typical format described in the passage?

Forget the slides; show and tell! Demo presentations explain the “what” and “why” of your product, then dazzle with a live showcase. Highlight problem-solving and potential uses to keep them hooked. Leave them curious and wanting more with a glimpse of what your product can truly do. It’s all about interactive understanding and engagement!

What is the purpose of the Q&A session at the end of a presentation?

Q&A isn’t just an add-on! It’s a chance to clear confusion, recap key points, and answer burning questions. Wrapping up the discussion, offering deeper dives, and inviting audience participation – it’s the perfect way to seal the deal and connect with your listeners.

What should be included in the main body of a presentation?

Ditch the tangents and deliver on your promises! The main body is where you unpack your points. Organize it clearly, hit each topic with evidence and examples, summarize as you go, and link your ideas. Keep it focused, relevant, and audience-friendly – take notes, stay on track, and make your impact!

How should the introduction of a presentation be structured?

Hook, roadmap, and expectations – that’s your intro! Briefly introduce the topic, explain why it matters and what you’ll cover, and tell the audience how long they’re in for and if they can participate. Set the stage, guide them through, and make them feel comfortable – then dive in!

Why is structuring a presentation important?

Get organized, and get remembered! Structure keeps your audience engaged and learning while boosting your Confidence <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Having confidence is to believe in yourself and your ability. When you're confident, it means you know your worth, and you're content and comfortable in your skin. When it comes to confidence in public speaking and presentation skills, it impacts your speech's delivery and how the audience receives it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>How to display confidence in public speaking and presentation skills</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>During a speech, your look and demeanor affect your audience's perception of you. If you display a clear look of confidence, your audience will be more likely to respond to your message. Presentations, particularly, can be challenging. Having a confident exterior can endear you to the people you're presenting to and make them more likely to engage with you. Displaying confidence in public speaking and presentation skills can make or break your speech or presentation. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>How to display </strong><strong>confidence in public speaking</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:list --> <ul><li>Maintain an open stance</li><li>Maintain eye contact</li><li>Use positive body language.</li><li>Move around the stage self-assuredly.</li><li>Incorporate meaningful pauses</li><li>Prepare extensively before your presentation.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> " href="https://orai.com/glossary/confidence/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">confidence and delivery. It’s a win-win for both the speaker and the listener!

Conclusion: 

To be an effective speaker or presenter, you must master how to start a presentation. Learn the basics and dynamics. 

Earn persuasive skills and grasp how to start a PowerPoint presentation with the steps and tips above to disseminate the information in a free-lingual way effectively. 

I hope you find this helpful; you are free to use these tips for any goals. 

You can try Orai , an AI-powered Speech Coach <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A speech coach trains people in public speaking techniques and uses them to improve their presentation skills. Getting a speech coach is great if you want to learn how to communicate effectively and get the best results from your speaking engagements.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You can expect to learn how to control your voice, mannerisms, and other non-verbal communication techniques with a speech coach. They can also help you figure out the best way to present for each audience you take on. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><br /><!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Types of speech coaches</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --><br /><!-- wp:list --> <ul><li>Content coach: A content coach helps you in the speech writing part of your presentation. </li><li>Speaker marketer coach: These coaches help you market your speech after you deliver it.</li><li>Delivery coach: This type of speech coach helps you develop your speech delivery skills and stage presence.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --><br /><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Consider using an app speech coach! Click here for more information about Orai and what we do.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> " href="https://orai.com/glossary/speech-coach/" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" tabindex="0" role="link">speech coach that perfectly suits your budget! They provide instant feedback on you to help with your public speaking needs. Start your free trial with Orai today! 

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Presentation Training Institute

Presentation Training Institute

A division of bold new directions training, how to write a presentation step by step.

The best way to tackle presentation nerves is to be prepared. Public speaking can be difficult, but adequate preparation can help you conquer your anxiety to deliver a presentation with confidence. How, then, do you prepare for an upcoming presentation? It starts with organizing your thoughts and creating an outline of what you want to say. Just as you gather all of your ingredients before baking a cake, you need to gather all of your ideas, facts, and information before giving a presentation. A presentation outline acts as the bones of a presentation, guiding you seamlessly from one point to another. Its purpose is to organize your thoughts into a logical sequence. Here we will guide you through the steps of crafting the perfect presentation.

1. Select a Topic

You may have a topic given to you, but if not, choose something that is of interest to you and the audience. It is important to choose a topic that your audience will find relevant. Likewise, you are more likely to do a good job if the topic is something that you are passionate about as well. Furthermore, try to choose a topic with which you are familiar. You will feel more comfortable and confident speaking about something in which you have prior knowledge. 

2. Know Your Audience

Another important step in the planning process is to know your audience. Are you speaking to colleagues, executives, customers, students, or the general public? Your presentation should be tailored to meet the needs of your specific audience. It can be completely different depending on whether your audience members are novices or experts in your field. Understanding who you are presenting to can help you select appropriate information, vocabulary, and anecdotes to convey your message. 

3. Determine Your Purpose

Now that you know your topic and your audience, it’s time to decide what you want the audience to learn and take away from your presentation. Are you teaching the audience something? Are you trying to sell a product or service? Are you trying to convince them to implement a new idea or strategy? Are you simply wanting to inform them about something? The purpose or objective of your presentation should be defined in one simple sentence and should specify exactly what you want your audience to learn from your presentation. 

4. Prepare the Body of the Presentation

Next, you need to determine how much information you can present in the time allotted. Again, think about your audience so you don’t prepare a presentation that is too basic or too advanced. The body is where you present your facts and ideas. Consider three to four details that support your main point. Be sure to illustrate your supporting details with facts and data, stories, quotes from experts, or personal experiences. Remember to vary your communication, as people quickly become bored by lots of facts and information.

5. Prepare you Introduction and Conclusion

Plan an introduction that draws your audience in and captures their attention right away. Start with a startling fact or statistic, a meaningful quote, or a quick story. The goal is to intrigue your audience right away so they want to hear more. When planning your conclusion, think about wrapping things up in a way that really drives home your main point. 

6. Prepare Your Visual Aids

Visual aids are an important part of a presentation because they help to illustrate your points. You can incorporate a variety of visuals such as photographs, objects, charts, graphs, videos, and a slideshow. Be sure you choose visuals that enhance your presentation and don’t detract from it. Make sure each visual serves a purpose, and it’s just there for a fancy look. Finally, make sure your visuals are relevant and easy to see and understand. This means avoiding text-heavy slides, small or fancy fonts that are difficult to read, or images that are too small to be seen from a distance. 

AI Tools 101

  • Plus AI Review: The Best Free AI Presentation Maker?

the steps of presentation

Table Of Contents

the steps of presentation

Presentations are an integral part of professional and educational endeavors. Whether pitching a business idea, delivering a lecture, or showcasing a project, presentations are crucial to conveying information effectively.

But who has the time to create a presentation from scratch? I know I don't. As much as making sure your presentation design is visually appealing, it can quickly become time-consuming when you could be focusing on more important things like refining how you deliver your presentation.

Luckily, we now have exceptional tools like Plus AI that revolutionize presentation creation. With its advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, Plus AI takes the hassle out of designing eye-catching slides and allows you to focus on delivering your message with impact!

In this Plus AI review, I'll explain what it is, who it's best for, and its key features. From there, I will show you how I used Plus AI to generate a Google Slides presentation on dinosaurs for kindergarten students in a few minutes. I'll finish by sharing my top three Plus AI alternatives so you know which AI presentation generator is right for you!

Let's take a look!

Plus AI is the best tool for quickly creating polished Google Slides presentations. It has an intuitive interface and robust AI-driven features, making it ideal for professionals and educators seeking efficiency and quality when creating slideshow presentations.

While its restriction to Google Slides may limit some users, such as those who use PowerPoint, its 100+ templates, seamless integration, and artificial intelligence tools make it an excellent choice for anyone looking to streamline their presentation creation process.

  • The best free AI Google Slides presentation maker to generate professional slideshows in minutes.
  • Instantly turn long-form text into captivating Google Slides presentations.
  • Use artificial intelligence to change the layout, rewrite and translate text, and make design changes.
  • 100+ professional templates, or create your own to match your branding.
  • Integrates with various apps to streamline your workflow.
  • Functions seamlessly with ChatGPT.
  • Hundreds of slide layouts.
  • 7-day free trial.
  • Limited to Google Slides.

What is Plus AI?

Overview of Plus AI for Google Slides

Plus AI (Plusdocs) is the best AI presentation generator for Google Slides that lets you generate and edit presentations using artificial intelligence. All you have to do is install the Plus AI extension from Google Workspace Marketplace, and you can start using Plus AI directly in Google Slides – no need to learn another design tool !

Once you have the Plus AI extension installed, you can access it from Google Slides and tell Plus AI what kind of presentation you want to make. Plus AI will generate a complete, custom presentation within minutes based on your preferences. You never have to design a presentation from scratch again!

Once your presentation has been generated, you can continue using Plus AI's handy AI tools by inserting new slides, rewriting text, automatically changing the layout, and updating the design. With Plus AI, creating and editing Google Slides presentations has never been easier!

Plus AI comes with over 100 templates to choose from. But if none resonate with you, you can always create a custom theme by adding your logo and customizing the fonts and colors to match your branding.

Who is Plus AI Best For?

Plus, AI is an excellent tool for anyone who wants to create stunning presentations using AI instantly, convert long-form text into stunning presentations, and more. However, there are specific types of people Plus AI benefits the most:

  • Businesses: With Plus AI's ability to quickly generate custom presentations, companies can save time and resources by making professional slides in minutes. For sales pitches, client presentations, or internal meetings, Plus AI ensures that businesses can impress their audience with visually appealing and engaging presentations!
  • Educators: Teachers and professors can use Plus AI to create captivating presentation materials for their lessons quickly. Using artificial intelligence, educators can transform dry content into visually stimulating slides that grab students' attention and enhance their learning experience. That means more time researching and refining lectures and less time obsessing over presentation design!
  • Startup Owners: Every opportunity to pitch their business is crucial for startup owners. Plus AI's tools can help them create captivating and professional pitch decks that grab the attention of potential investors or clients. Startup owners can focus more on perfecting their business strategy and leave the presentation design to Plus AI.
  • Freelancers: Freelancers often have to wear multiple hats and juggle various projects. With Plus AI, they can save time by quickly generating visually stunning presentations without compromising on quality. Whether showcasing their portfolio, pitching new ideas, or presenting project updates, Plus AI empowers freelancers to create impressive presentations effortlessly.
  • Marketers: Marketing professionals can leverage Plus AI to create visually appealing slides for social media campaigns and presentations. Plus AI is perfect for quickly preparing persuasive presentations for client meetings, making it easy for marketers to create impactful content that drives results.
  • Bloggers: With Plus AI, bloggers can quickly transform their written blog posts into visually appealing slideshows, making their content more interactive and shareable. Whether it's a tutorial or a roundup of products, Plus AI enables bloggers to present their content more compellingly and attract a larger audience.

Plus AI Key Features

Here are the key features that Plus AI offers:

  • Prompt to Presentation
  • Convert Text to Slides
  • AI in Any Language
  • 100+ Professional Layouts
  • Transform Your Slides
  • Design Slides with AI
  • AI Writer & Editor for Google Docs
  • Live Snapshots

1. Prompt to Presentation

Create presentations using AI with Plus AI for Google Slides

Plus AI's primary feature is its ability to generate AI-powered presentations from text prompts. Tell Plus AI what your presentation is about, and watch it generate the perfect Google Slides presentation in a couple of minutes!

The prompt-to-presentation feature lets you generate impactful and engaging content for your presentations. It saves significant time compared to creating Google Slides manually, meaning you can focus on delivering more compelling presentations rather than spending hours brainstorming content ideas and refining your presentations.

Here's how to turn a single text prompt into a presentation in minutes with Plus AI:

  • Give Plus AI a Prompt: Tell Plus AI the presentation you want to create or select one of their presets if you feel uninspired.
  • Customize the Outline: Customize the outline Plus AI generates to your liking by rearranging and editing the slide titles.
  • Choose a Theme: Select the theme that matches your project or brand the most.

Later on, I'll show you how I used Plus AI's Prompt to Presentation feature to generate a Google Slides presentation in minutes, so you can too!

2. Convert Text to Slides

How to convert Google Docs to Google Slides

Another helpful feature of Plus AI is its ability to convert text into slides in minutes! You can transform your text-based content, such as research papers, reports, manuscripts, or any other document, into visually appealing slides with just a few clicks.

Plus AI's technology intelligently analyzes the text and automatically generates visually appealing, structured, and professional slides. This feature is particularly beneficial for individuals or teams working with a large amount of text, as it simplifies creating engaging presentations.

Here's how to convert text to slides in minutes using Plus AI:

  • Paste in Your Text: Highlight and paste your entire text into Plus AI's Text to Presentation feature. You can paste up to 120,000 characters.
  • Add Context: Give Plus AI some context by specifying your target audience, voice, and tone.

Converting text to slides with Plus AI was simple and user-friendly. Forget manually copying and pasting text from documents to slides. Plus AI automates this process so you can focus on more important things!

3. AI in Any Language

How to translate a presentation in Google Slides

Plus AI doesn't stop at creating entire presentations with single text prompts and converting lengthy texts into visually-pleasing presentations! You can also use Plus AI to translate Google Slides presentations and Google Docs into nearly any language!

Here's how you can use Plus AI to translate your Google Slides and Google Docs in any language:

  • Enter Your Text or Prompt: Use any language when entering your text or prompt.
  • Specify the Language: Tell Plus AI what language you want it to write in.
  • Translate: Using the Plus AI Extension in your Google Slide or Google Doc, use Rewrite to translate.

Whether presenting to an international audience or catering to clients from different regions, Plus AI ensures that your presentations can be created in any language!

4. 100+ Professional Layouts

Plus AI presentation templates.

Besides the words on the slides and the presentation itself, the visuals of the slides play a crucial role in capturing the audience's attention and conveying your message effectively. This should never be overlooked!

Luckily, Plus AI offers over 100 professional layouts, ensuring that your slides look visually appealing and engaging. Whether you prefer a sleek and minimalist design or a bold and vibrant one, Plus AI has what you need.

When generating a Google Slides presentation, Plus AI handles all the formatting and design elements, so you don't have to spend hours tweaking every slide. From clean and minimalist designs to bold and vibrant ones, these professional layouts are designed to enhance your message and make it more impactful. You'll find the perfect style that aligns with your project or brand.

Whether you're delivering a sales pitch, presenting research findings, or giving a keynote speech, Plus AI offers a wide range of professional layouts guaranteed to fit your brand or topic.

5. Transform Your Slides

Want to see how your presentation looks in a different theme and layout without the hassle of manually changing each element on every slide? With Plus AI, you can quickly transform your slides with just a few clicks! Whether you want to switch to a different color scheme, change the font style, or try a new layout, Plus AI makes it effortless.

Pick a layout to transform your slides, and Plus AI will intelligently remix your content to fit the new design. You can also tell Plus AI to write to a specific audience or change the tone of your text.

By using the powerful features of the Plus AI Extension, you can instantly apply different themes and styles to your presentation. Explore various options and see which best suits your content and resonates with your audience!

6. Design Slides with AI

Slides designs by Plus AI.

With Plus AI, you don't have to worry about being a skilled designer. Plus AI comes with an AI-powered design tool to create custom themes, fonts, and colors to get your presentations looking exactly how you want them!

Plus AI's design feature leverages artificial intelligence to offer design suggestions, color palettes, and visual elements that pair harmoniously. As a result, you can effortlessly create visually stunning presentations aligned with your brand or personal style.

You can select one of the existing themes or create a theme from scratch using AI:

  • Name Your Theme: Give your theme a name to get Plus AI to select fonts and colors.
  • Customize: Choose the font and colors to match your branding and optionally upload a logo.
  • Use Your Theme: You can now apply your custom theme to existing presentations and when generating new slides.

This seamless integration of design and technology enables you to streamline the presentation creation process, reducing the time spent on design iterations and ultimately producing high-quality, professional slides!

7. AI Writer & Editor for Google Docs

Plus AI also seamlessly integrates with Google Docs as an AI writer and editor! Add Plus AI as an extension; you can generate and edit content directly in Google Docs. It's an excellent tool for whatever you're writing: a blog post, Facebook ad, newsletter, lesson plan, academic paper, and more!

To start generating content, tell Plus AI what you want to write. Within seconds, your content will be generated directly on your Google Doc! You can ask Plus AI to see multiple variations at once, and it will give you tips and suggestions to help you along the way.

From there, you can use Plus AI's Edit feature to rewrite content sections, translate, change the tone, summarize, and more!

With Plus AI for Google Docs, you can generate high-quality presentations effortlessly.

8. Live Snapshots

Using Plus to build a daily dashboard without setting up any integrations

Live Snapshots by Plus AI allows you to embed snapshots from any app or website in your favorite productivity tools. These snapshots stay up-to-date automatically, so you can access all your data in one place rather than setting up complicated integrations! These snapshots can be shared directly with others or embedded into apps like Slack, Google Slides, Notion, and more.

Taking Live Snapshots with Plus AI is like taking screenshots, except it's constantly being updated, so you always have the latest data. You can choose how often your screenshots refresh (the free tier lets you automatically refresh daily or every six hours), or you can manually refresh them with the click of a button.

The history of each snapshot is saved so you can go back in time and see how things have changed. Within Plus, you'll have access to all the snapshots you and your team have taken nicely organized into folders.

Live Snapshots is an invaluable tool for tracking and storing data. You and your team will always have the latest data at your fingertips whenever needed!

How to Use Plus AI to Create a Presentation in Minutes

Now that we know about Plus AI's features, it's time to see how they work! I tested Plus AI's main feature, the Prompt to Presentation, and generated a slideshow on dinosaurs for kindergarten students.

Here's how I used Plus AI to create a Google Slides presentation in a few minutes! I'll break everything down step-by-step so you can follow along.

  • Create a Plus AI Account
  • Install the Plus AI Extension
  • Go to Google Slides
  • Create a Blank Presentation
  • Open the Plus AI Extension
  • Start a Free Trial
  • Start a Presentation
  • Choose a Preset
  • Generate an Outline
  • Choose a Theme
  • Edit with Plus AI

Step 1: Create a Plus AI Account

Selecting Try Plus AI on the homepage.

I started by going to the Plus AI homepage (www.plusdocs.com) and clicking “Try Plus AI.” Since Plus AI works with Google Slides and Google Docs, you will need a Google account to use Plus AI.

Step 2: Install the Plus AI Extension

Selecting Individual Install to install Plus AI for Google Slides and Google Docs.

After signing up with my email, I was redirected to Google Workspace Marketplace, where I could install Plus AI for Google Slides and Google Docs . I selected “Individual Install.”

Step 3: Go to Google Slides

Once installed, I headed to Google Slides and created a new presentation. To do this, I ensured I was logged into the Google account where I just installed the Plus AI extension. Next, I went to Google.com .

Selecting Google Slides from the applications on the Google homepage.

On the top right, next to my profile picture, I selected the grid icon to open my Google applications. Next, I selected Google Slides.

Step 4: Create a Blank Presentation

Selecting Blank presentation in Google Slides.

From here, I selected “Blank presentation.”

A blank Google Slides presentation.

This created a blank Google Slides presentation!

Step 5: Open the Plus AI Extension

Creating a new presentation in Google Slides with Plus AI.

Next, I had to launch the Plus AI add-on within Google Slides. I went to Extensions > Plus AI for Google Slides and Docs > New Presentation with Plus AI to do this.

Step 6: Start a Free Trial

Choosing a Plus AI subscription plan and selecting Start free trial.

I was then asked to start my 7-day free trial with Plus AI. Looking at my options, I chose the plan that best suited me and selected “Start free trial.” I could change subscription plans or cancel anytime, so there was no risk.

Step 7: Start a Presentation

Selecting Start a presentation in the Plus AI extension.

After signing up, I returned to Google Slides and selected “Start a presentation.”

Step 8: Choose a Preset

Selecting Plus AI's Education preset.

I first had to choose one of the presets to get Plus AI to generate a presentation. I could keep it on “General” and manually describe my presentation, but I chose the “Education” preset.

Plus AI automatically populated the field below with a description when I selected it. I kept it as is, but you can edit the description according to the type of presentation you want Plus AI to generate.

On the right, I ensured the language and number of slides I wanted Plus AI to generate were correct. Once I was happy with everything, I selected “Generate Outline” on the bottom right!

Step 9: Generate an Outline

Modifying a Plus AI outline.

Plus AI immediately started generating a Google Slides presentation for me based on the information given. After a few seconds, I could modify the outline, which meant that I could rearrange and edit the titles of the slides exactly how I wanted.

Once I was happy, I selected “Generate Slides.”

Step 10: Choose a Theme

Selecting a theme using Plus AI.

Next, I picked a theme. Since my presentation is about dinosaurs and the audience is kindergarten students, I went with the “Plus Vintage” theme because it was bright and earthy and hit “Next” when I was ready.

Creating custom templates is always possible if you can't find one you like! This is especially useful for businesses that want to keep their branding consistent.

Step 11: Generate!

Final presentation generated with Plus AI.

Within seconds, my presentation was complete! I have to admit I'm impressed with the results. The presentation that Plus AI generated within minutes is far better than what I could've come up with. Everything was laid out nicely with images, tips, charts, and more to keep the audience engaged!

From here, I continued customizing within Google Slides by doing the following:

  • Insert a slide to add more content.
  • Use Plus AI to rewrite the text to improve phrasing, tone, or translation.
  • Remix the slides to switch up the layout.

Step 12: Edit with Plus AI

Selecting Edit with Plus AI under Extensions on Google Slides.

These customization features are always accessible within Google Slides by going to Extensions > Plus AI for Google Slides and Docs > Edit with Plus AI.

The Plus AI Editor in Google Slides.

This opened a panel on the right, which displayed four tabs for inserting new slides, rewriting, remixing, and designing.

Have fun seamlessly designing engaging presentations with Plus AI!

Final Thoughts on Creating Presentations with Plus AI

Plus AI is an incredible tool that will save you time and effort in creating professional presentations. Its ability to automatically generate an outline and slides based on simple inputs is remarkable, and the option to modify the outline gives you the flexibility to customize the presentation according to your preferences.

The variety of themes available ensured I could find one to suit my needs. If I felt none of the pre-designed themes met my requirements, creating a custom theme allows for consistent branding.

Lastly, the speed at which Plus AI generates the presentation is truly impressive. Within seconds, I had a well-organized layout with visually appealing slides ready to be presented. This is particularly beneficial for teachers or other individuals who are already busy writing lectures and have the time to create a presentation from scratch!

Thanks for reading my Plus AI review! I hope you found it helpful. Why not give Plus AI a shot and see how you like it?

Top Three Alternatives to Plus AI

While Plus AI offers powerful AI presentation-making capabilities, other notable alternatives that may be more suitable for you are available on the market. Here are the best Plus AI alternatives that I've tried.

Beautiful.ai

Create beautiful slides 10x faster in PowerPoint | Beautiful.ai PowerPoint Add-In

Beautiful.ai is an AI-powered presentation maker that uses text prompts to create slides. It also comes with different types of templates to choose from to match your vision.

The interface is spotless and straightforward, making editing your presentations a breeze. Plenty of layouts exist for impressive visuals and automatic formatting, so you don't have to arrange everything on your slides meticulously. Beautiful.ai makes customizing your slideshows effortless.

Beauitful.ai and Plus AI are simple tools to enhance your slideshow creation workflow and function similarly. But based on my experience with the platforms, Beautiful.ai has a slight edge over Plus AI by offering better customization. Plus AI has more visually appealing presentations, and you can edit the outline before it generates your presentation, giving you more flexibility.

If you want better customization, go for Beauitful.ai. For more modern presentations and an outline you can customize using Google Slides, choose Plus AI!

So what is Slidebean?

Slidebean is another AI presentation generator specifically geared toward founders and business owners. It offers AI pitch deck software and pitch deck design services.

Slidebean offers hundreds of pitch deck templates, so you'll find something that matches your vision. Feel free to create your own if you don't see anything that resonates!

Slidebean and Plus AI make creating captivating presentations that look professional a breeze. However, if you're a founder or business owner, I'd highly recommend going with Slidebean. You'll get far more business-oriented templates and tools you'll find helpful. Otherwise, choose Plus AI for a simple way to instantly generate beautiful templates on Google Slides.

What is Tome | AI-powered Communication

Tome is an AI-driven presentation maker that creates polished presentations and documents at lightning speed.

Tome relies heavily on text prompts to generate captivating presentations. And it doesn't stop at presentations – you can also use text prompts on Tome to create images , pages, documents, and more.

To create a presentation with Tome, you start by telling it about your presentation and how many slides you want it to be. From there, Tome will generate a customizable outline. Once you're happy with it, Tome will instantly generate an entire presentation for you in seconds!

Tome and Plus AI function the same and generate stunning presentations. However, Tome has more features for building web pages , microsites, and generating images , whereas Plus AI is the best AI presentation generator for Google Slides.

If you want the best tool for generating beautiful Google Slides, choose Plus AI. For beautiful slideshow presentations plus additional features for web design and image generation, Tome is an excellent choice!

Plus AI Review: The Best AI Presentation Maker?

After using Plus AI to instantly generate an engaging slideshow presentation about dinosaurs for kindergarten students, I can confidently say that it's one of the best AI presentation makers on the market. The entire process was fun and easy, and it sped up my presentation creation process significantly. After just a few minutes, I was blown away by how professional the presentation looked!

Plus, AI's prompt-to-presentation feature was my favorite, allowing me to turn my ideas into visually appealing slides effortlessly. All I did was tell Plus AI what my presentation would be about, and Plus AI took care of the rest!

From there, Plus AI made adding additional slides and editing my presentation incredibly easy with the edit tools. I could effortlessly rewrite, remix, and customize the design of my presentation, all with the AI Plus extension in Google Slides!

Sure, other excellent AI presentation generators on the market produce outstanding results. For example, Beautiful.ai has excellent customization tools, and Tome has additional image generation and web design features. Regardless, Plus AI is the perfect tool for a wide range of users, from professionals in business and education to individuals looking to elevate their presentations. I loved it, and I know you will, too!

Thanks for reading my Plus AI review! I hope you found it helpful. Plus AI offers a free 7-day trial that you can cancel at any point during the trial, so why not try Plus AI and see what you come up with?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is plus ai safe to use.

Plus AI is a reputable company and is committed to safety and security for all customer data. They employ industry-standard encryption to protect user data and ensure it remains secure. In addition, Plus AI's privacy policy outlines how they collect, use, and share user information to give you peace of mind.

Is Plus AI for Google Slides free?

Plus AI for Google Slides offers a 7-day free trial where you can try the software for free and cancel at any point during the trial. After the free trial, you must upgrade to a paid plan to continue generating beautiful slideshow presentations using AI.

How do I use Google Plus AI?

To use Google Plus AI, create a Google account if you don't already have one. Next, install the Plus AI extension. From there, open Google Slides and make a new slideshow presentation, go to your extensions, and create a new presentation with Plus AI. Follow the instructions by telling Plus AI what your presentation will be about and selecting a theme, and Plus AI will generate a presentation for you instantly! You can edit your presentation using the Plus AI editing tools.

What is the best AI tool for Google Slides?

Plus AI is the best AI tool for Google Slides. Based on your description, it generates captivating Google Slides presentations in minutes, making creating presentations easier than ever.

How does Plus AI work?

Plus AI leverages artificial intelligence and uses advanced machine learning algorithms to power its software. You only have to give it a text prompt, and Plus AI will generate a visually appealing Google Slides presentation!

How to install Plus AI?

To install Plus AI , go to Google Workspace Marketplace and search for Plus AI. Once you have found Plus AI, install it, and you can find it in your Extensions on Google Slides and Google Docs.

What is the best AI for presentation?

The best AI for generating presentations is Plus AI. You can instantly generate beautiful, customizable Google Slides presentations by providing a simple text prompt.

Can AI make Google Slides?

Yes, AI can make Google Slides with extensions like Plus AI. Install the Plus AI extension, describe the presentation you want to create, and generate a beautiful Google Slides presentation in minutes!

the steps of presentation

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Janine Heinrichs is a Content Creator and Designer helping creatives streamline their workflow with the best design tools, resources, and inspiration. Find her at janinedesignsdaily.com .

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I’d like to thank … the prankster on stage during Emma Thomas’s speech.

YouTube prankster invades stage during Oppenheimer’s best picture Bafta presentation

YouTuber who has a history of infiltrating awards ceremonies got on stage while the Oppenheimer team were receiving their award

A “social media prankster” invaded the stage during the best picture presentation at the Bafta film awards in London on Sunday.

Bafta said in a statement: “A social media prankster was removed by security last night after joining the winners of the final award on stage – we are taking this very seriously, and don’t wish to grant him any publicity by commenting further.”

In footage screened on BBC One, the man, wearing a dark suit, walked on to the stage as Oppenheimer producer Emma Thomas was making her acceptance speech, alongside the film’s director Christopher Nolan and lead actor Cillian Murphy. Having stood behind Thomas as she spoke, he left the stage along with the film-makers, and according to Bafta was subsequently detained by security.

Looks like @LizwaniYT broke onto stage during #Oppenheimer winning at @BAFTA #Oppenheimer #BAFTA pic.twitter.com/fWvpWGN1oC — HeWhoGeeks (@he_who_geeks) February 19, 2024

The prankster was identified on social media as a YouTuber using the name Lizwani; the same user posted on Instagram that police had taken some of his footage away. Lizwani has a history of infiltrating awards ceremonies, including the Fifa Ballon d’Or and Brit awards in 2022.

While Bafta has been spared stage invasions in the past, the Oscars has had its share, notably the celebrated appearance of a streaker in 1974, while David Niven was about to introduce another presenter.

Bafta reports that the audience for the TV broadcast of the awards show was the highest since 2020, rising to 3.8 million at its peak.

  • Baftas 2024
  • Oppenheimer
  • Christopher Nolan
  • Cillian Murphy

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How to Do an Oral Presentation

Last Updated: February 14, 2024

This article was co-authored by Vikas Agrawal . Vikas Agrawal is a Visual Content Marketing Expert & Entrepreneur, as well as the Founder of Full Service Creative Agency Infobrandz. With over 10 years of experience, he specializes in designing visually engaging content, such as infographics, videos, and e-books. He’s an expert in Making content marketing strategies and has contributed to and been featured in many publications including Forbes, Entrepreneur.com, and INC.com. This article has been viewed 47,251 times.

The power of words can control the thoughts, emotions and the decisions of others. Giving an oral presentation can be a challenge, but with the right plan and delivery, you can move an entire audience in your favor.

Researching Your Presentation

Step 1 Determine your topic.

  • If speaking about the effect of junk food on an adult’s mind, include the increase of serotonin, a happiness hormone. Then inform the audience how fast the hormone drastically depletes to give out worse feelings. This gives the perspective that even the advantages of junk food are outweighed by the negative effects.

Step 4 Research, research, research.

Writing Your Script

Step 1 Write the body of your script.

  • Make sure to begin each argument with a clear description of the content such as. "The result of eating junk food has increased negative emotions such as depression, anxiety and low self-esteem". This gives the audience a quick outlook of what the argument is about. Always remember to state how the argument relates and supports the topic question.

Step 2 Start the introduction.

  • If necessary, this is where you could include, "My name is ___ and I will be speaking about the effect on junk food on our minds." Then you include a brief out view of each argument you will be speaking about. Do not include any information about your arguments in the introduction.

Step 3 Prepare a strong conclusion.

  • Some example concluding sentences include, "The entire process of the mind, changed by a simple bite of a cookie. Our entire body's control system, defined by our choices of food. The definite truth. You are what you eat."

Practicing and Performing

Step 1 Prepare your cue cards.

  • Taking the effort to memorize your script allows you to keep eye contact with the audience and brings confidence to your speech. Reading from an entire script can easily cause you to lose your place and stutter. Also make sure they are the same size and only put important key words or those that are hard to remember. This allows you to easily flip through and read off the cue cards.

Step 2 Use the aid of visual images or videos if allowed.

What Is The Best Way To Start a Presentation?

Expert Q&A

  • Always record yourself for time and clarity of voice. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1
  • Watch online speeches to get an idea of how to tone your presentation. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • Research persuasive language techniques. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

the steps of presentation

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Introduce Yourself Before Giving a Seminar

  • ↑ http://tutorials.istudy.psu.edu/oralpresentations/oralpresentations3.html
  • ↑ https://www.princeton.edu/~archss/webpdfs08/BaharMartonosi.pdf
  • ↑ https://education.seattlepi.com/give-good-speech-presentations-college-1147.html
  • ↑ http://blog.online.colostate.edu/blog/online-education/presentation-tips-for-college-students/

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WGHP-TV  Greensboro

Alamance-Burlington School System delays presentation of budget plan

A LAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — Alamance-Burlington School System is delaying Superintendent Dain Butler’s presentation on his plan to balance the budget until Monday.

The presentation was originally planned to be part of a special called ABSS Board of Education meeting at 1 p.m. on Friday. The district will still hold a meeting on Friday but will instead discuss personnel, including the appointment of an interim chief finance officer after the acting CFO was charged with failure to report a crime against a juvenile.

Now, Butler will present his plan at 6:30 p.m. on Monday during the board’s regularly scheduled meeting. The school district says this is to “ensure proper notice and allow for public comment.”

Another interim finance officer

For the second time in about a week, ABSS will appoint a new interim chief financial officer as the district continues to contend with its financial future.

The district’s financial issues precipitated from a significant mold problem erupted last summer and cost the district thousands . The district is also contending with major needed repairs at older schools . The district enacted a hiring freeze due to the budget crisis .

ABSS announced on Feb. 19 that the district would no longer employ CFO Kim McVey per the superintendent. ABSS appointed Deputy Superintendent Lowell Rogers as the interim CFO .

“In ABSS the finance officer serves at the pleasure of the superintendent and the superintendent made a decision yesterday [Feb. 18] as of 5 o’clock to part ways and we are moving forward now, as you know we’ve had some budget challenges and we’re gonna work through that now and find some solutions as we work towards the end of our fiscal year,” ABSS spokesperson Les Atkins said at the time.

Then, on Feb. 20, ABSS confirmed that Rogers was suspended with pay after he was charged with misdemeanor failure to report alleged child abuse to law enforcement .

North Carolina SBI received a request from Burlington police on Dec. 21, 2023, to investigate an accusation of failure to report involving an incident that took place at Eastlawn Elementary School.

Neither ABSS nor SBI have confirmed the specific incident linked to Rogers’ charge. Near that date, on Dec. 8, 2023, Burlington police opened an investigation into an alleged child sex crime involving an elementary school student at Eastlawn Elementary School . Daniel Stephen McInnis, 43, of Burlington, was charged with one count of felony statutory sex offense.

During the upcoming special called meeting, the superintendent is expected to ask the board to appoint School Systems Accounts Manager Melinda Anderson as interim finance officer until a permanent replacement is named. Anderson will get help from retired Wake County School System CFO Mark Winters.

Butler’s plan to balance the budget

Superintendent Dain Butler says he has a plan that could help balance the district’s budget without cutting employees or salaries. Instead, the district would need to close the Alamance Virtual School at the end of the year.

The district has been searching for a plan to address its budget shortfall of $3.2 million . On Feb. 13, the school district heard proposals that involved absorbing existing vacancies, reducing the number of months certain employees work and layoffs.

“I acknowledge and apologize for the anxiety and worry that discussions around a potential reduction in force have caused both staff and the community over the past few months,” Butler said. This plan, according to Butler, would address the budget problem while ensuring that “everyone will remain employed and be fully paid.”

Butler says he worked with state legislators and county commissioners to “recoup some federal ESSER funds to sustain our local budget for the remainder of the fiscal year.” The move would free up about $4.6 million in state and local funds to keep the district stable through June 30.

ESSER, which stands for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund , is a federal program created as part of the Education Stabilization Fund in the CARES Act . The program was meant to help address the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on schools.

This plan would also enable the district to return $250,000 to the Alamance County fund balance, provided the school board signs off.

“While we greatly appreciate the County Commissioners’ decision to provide us with this funding to get us through this fiscal year, these funds will no longer be needed,” Butler said.

For this plan to work, the Alamance County Board of Education will need to vote to close the Alamance Virtual School at the end of the school year “to remain compliant with these federal funds.”

“This school was originally designed as a response to COVID-19 using ESSER funds, which meant it was intended to end when these funds expire in 2024,” Butler said.

All students and staff will be able to remain at the Alamance Virtual School through the end of the school year. After, the district will reassign Principal Rebecca Marsh to an open principalship and will work with virtual teachers to assign them schools with vacancies matching their teaching licensure.

“A big thank you to our AVS principal and staff for a stellar job of virtually serving our students’ academic needs!” Butler said.

Employees will stay in their current positions through the end of the school year, and there will be no cuts to jobs, pay or programs.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX8 WGHP.

Alamance-Burlington School System delays presentation of budget plan

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Pentiment, Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves among first Xbox exclusives to hit other consoles

The multiplatform strategy is here

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Share All sharing options for: Pentiment, Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves among first Xbox exclusives to hit other consoles

Pentiment offers players a choice of Andreas’ background as he speaks to a farmer, with manuscript pages hovering over the scene

Grounded and Pentiment are coming to Nintendo Switch as the first of four games moving away from Xbox exclusivity. Nintendo announced the release dates during its February Nintendo Direct presentation on Wednesday. Grounded is slated for its Nintendo Switch debut on April 16, while Pentiment will hit the console on Thursday.

Hours after the Nintendo event, Microsoft confirmed Hi-Fi Rush is coming to PlayStation 5 on March 19 followed by Sea of Thieves to PS5 on April 30. ( Pentiment and Grounded will both come to PS5, too.)

Microsoft announced last week that four former Xbox exclusives were coming to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch — but it didn’t say which games. A report from The Verge suggested it was Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment would come first, followed by Grounded and Sea of Thieves. Both Grounded and Pentiment are developed by Obsidian Entertainment, a studio acquired by Microsoft in 2018, while Hi-Fi Rush is from Bethesda Game Studios and Sea of Thieves is by Rare. Now the plan has come into view.

Here’s the rundown:

  • Pentiment — PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch on Feb. 22
  • Hi-Fi Rush — PS5 on March 19
  • Grounded — PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch on April 16
  • Sea of Thieves — PS5 on April 30

Grounded , a cooperative backyard survival game , was released in 2022 for Xbox consoles and Windows PC after an early access period that began in 2020. Pentiment was Obsidian’s next game released after Grounded; it’s both a historical role-playing game and a murder mystery. The story book-stylized game takes place during the 16th-century Holy Roman Empire, and it’s full of juicy drama and great fonts . Sea of Thieves is known for its multiplayer pirate hijinks, while Hi-Fi Rush is a rhythm-based RPG.

The hope is that expanding these two games to new consoles like Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 gives the games new life and a new audience. A game like Sea of Thieves , which requires online multiplayer, is a perfect choice to kick off the PS5 console and inject new life into the game.

Elsewhere in the announcement, Nintendo showcased several new games coming to Nintendo Switch online today: Battletoads in Battlemaniacs , Blast Corps , R.C. Pro-Am , and Snake Rattle N Roll . Notable, these games are all from Rare, so they’re all technically Xbox games, too.

Update: This story has been updated to include new details on Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush .

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Becker Presentation on the CPA Exam

  • Share This: Share Becker Presentation on the CPA Exam on Facebook Share Becker Presentation on the CPA Exam on LinkedIn Share Becker Presentation on the CPA Exam on X

Becker representative Ellen Garner Crawford will be presenting on the updated CPA exam, highlighting changes in its structure, content, and scoring to meet the evolving demands of the accounting field. She will discuss how Becker supports exam success through tailored study plans and practice simulations, providing students with the tools and confidence necessary to excel in the exam. Pullman students should attend in person.

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Lebanon County leaders discuss next steps towards advanced training center

the steps of presentation

The Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce gave a presentation of its recently published Advanced Training Center Needs Assessment Wednesday morning to a group of educators, local leaders and elected officials, who later weighed in on the challenges and next steps of establishing a two-year training facility in Lebanon County during a round-table discussion.

Chamber President Karen Groh began by quoting a paragraph from the Trade and Technical Education Needs Report on Lebanon County from 1960, which described the same need in technical education that the county is facing today.

“This shows that for almost 75 years, this has been a struggle,” Groh said, “and it will continue to be a struggle because of the demands of our workforce and our employers, and our society changes all the time. But it’s just really important to note that this is not a new problem.”

Groh added that the study confirmed through data that there is a need for an advanced training center and allows further steps to be taken.

Groh stressed that while the study found workforce training needs weren’t being adequately met by educational institutions like the Lebanon County Career and Technology Center and HACC, it didn’t mean that they weren’t doing what they could.

Seats for secondary school students at LCCTC, for example, are divided by the size of the district, meaning that one district could receive three seats for a class, while another receives nine, meaning that many students don't get into their desired program.

Diane Harlow, director of workforce and education at the chamber, also noted during the discussion that the target audience for an ATC is post high school education.

"Remember, when you go to school outside your county," said Harlow, "the businesses that you're exposed to, the internships, the opportunities, the apprenticeships, are often not in your home county, they're in the county where you're doing your education. We feel that we may be losing some of our fabulous talent to those outside regions."

Groh also clarified that an advanced training center would be complementary to programs like Tec Centro Lebanon, a division of WEPA Empowerment Center, which provides employment services, ESL classes and plans to have workforce training programs later this year.

The group’s discussion landed on many topics and concerns, key among them was discussions about who should be in the conversation and making decisions for the next steps, as the establishment of an advanced training center would not be the chamber's project, rather they would be facilitators of the information.

Theresa Johnson, owner of Reconciliation Consulting Services, said she would like to see more transparency about what opportunities there are in the county, as well as more local stakeholders be a part of the conversation. She was particularly concerned with identifying barriers to training and employment with the community.

Through the discussion, a picture of what an ATC in Lebanon could potentially look like, began to take hold. While the exact model and physical location of the an ATC would be decided down the road, it would likely offer 2-year career-focused programs and require partnerships from outside institutions.

In one case, an Advanced Training Center could look like additions to existing infrastructure in the county such as the LCTCC or HACC.

It could also look like an outside organization coming into Lebanon County through partnerships, such as Thaddeus Stevens College or the Reading Area Community College.

Rep. John Schlegel said that no matter what they do, someone in the community would have to be the one to take charge of the conversation and decision making, recalling a similar need for a housing leader identified during discussions on the housing study, published late last year .

School districts were identified as among those that should be a part of ongoing conversations.

Daniel Larlham Jr. is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at [email protected] or on X @djlarlham.

IMAGES

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  2. Three Stages Of An Effective Presentation

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  1. How to Make an Effective Presentation (Guide, Tips & Examples)

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    6/ Engage Emotionally. Connect emotional levels with your audience by appealing to their aspirations, fears, desires, or values. They help create a deeper connection and engagement from the very beginning. Make sure your introduction is concise and to the point. Avoid unnecessary details or lengthy explanations.

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    January 22, 2024 In this beginner's guide, you will learn step-by-step how to make a PowerPoint presentation from scratch. While PowerPoint is designed to be intuitive and accessible, it can be overwhelming if you've never gotten any training on it before.

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    1 Focus your presentation. Having a long, rambling presentation that is hard to follow is not going to win you any audience interest. You need to make sure that your presentation is clear and focused and that any asides you throw into it are there to back up the main point. [1]

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    Blog Beginner Guides 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 .

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    Presentation skills are the abilities and qualities necessary for creating and delivering a compelling presentation that effectively communicates information and ideas. They encompass what you say, how you structure it, and the materials you include to support what you say, such as slides, videos, or images. You'll make presentations at various ...

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  10. How to prepare for a Presentation: A Simple Guide

    Collect and Evaluate Sources One of the most important steps in figuring out how to prepare your presentation is evaluating all the resources you intend to use. If you're presenting to an audience of experts, there's nothing more embarrassing than getting your facts wrong.

  11. How to Plan a Presentation: 13 Steps (with Pictures)

    1 Think about the goal of your presentation. You should always begin with the end in mind when it comes to planning a presentation. Think about what you're trying to convey, and the best means to do so in the time you have. [1] Write down your most important points. See if you notice a key point emerging.

  12. How to Deliver Effective Presentations: 15 Steps (with Pictures)

    Part 1 Rehearsing Your Presentation Download Article 1 Give it the "bar" test. The "bar" test ensures that your idea is clear and your storytelling is effective. Before you write your presentation, make notes sketching out your message. Think of it as a story, with a beginning, middle, and end.

  13. How to Prepare for a Presentation, with Examples

    Explore Courses How to Prepare for a Presentation, with Examples February 15, 2021 - Dom Barnard This guide covers everything you need to know to prepare for your presentation. including what you need to think about beforehand, during and after the presentation. 1. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse (always aloud)

  14. How to Structure your Presentation, with Examples

    1. Greet the audience and introduce yourself Before you start delivering your talk, introduce yourself to the audience and clarify who you are and your relevant expertise. This does not need to be long or incredibly detailed, but will help build an immediate relationship between you and the audience.

  15. Steps in Preparing a Presentation

    Step 1: Analyze your audience The first step in preparing a presentation is to learn more about the audience to whom you'll be speaking. It's a good idea to obtain some information on the backgrounds, values, and interests of your audience so that you understand what the audience members might expect from your presentation. Step 2: Select a topic

  16. How To Give an Effective Presentation

    Follow these steps to give an effective presentation: 1. Understand your audience. The first rule for delivering an effective presentation is to know the audience you'll be speaking to and to keep them in mind throughout the entire duration of your presentation. Consider your topic from their perspective and think through what information they ...

  17. Presentation Skills 101: A Guide to Presentation Success

    Tip #1: Build a narrative. One memorable way to guarantee presentation success is by writing a story of all the points you desire to cover. This statement is based on the logic behind storytelling and its power to connect with people. Don't waste time memorizing slides or reading your presentation to the audience.

  18. 6 steps to a successful presentation

    Use visuals wisely. Consider your audience. Practice with a friend. Be positive. Don't rely on technology. If you feel nervous at the thought of having to stand up in front of your peers and deliver a presentation you're not alone, but you're unlikely to get through university without having to do it. Follow these six steps to ensure success.

  19. How To Prepare for a Presentation: 8 Tips To Get You Ready

    8. Take some deep breaths. Instead of letting your nerves get the best of you, take time to yourself before your presentation. Take a few deep breaths to help you regain your composure. Even taking just a few minutes can help you feel more relaxed and give you the confidence you need to give a strong presentation.

  20. 7 Creative Ways to Start Any Presentation (With Examples!)

    Step 5: Practice the Presentation with Spiels in Every Portion. Practice helps you to attain presentation skills. You can interact with your audience, disseminate the messages clearly, and analyze your listeners' mindset. You can also improve the flow of run-throughs. These will support you to polish and enhance persuasive skills.

  21. How to Write a Presentation Step by Step

    Its purpose is to organize your thoughts into a logical sequence. Here we will guide you through the steps of crafting the perfect presentation. 1. Select a Topic. You may have a topic given to you, but if not, choose something that is of interest to you and the audience. It is important to choose a topic that your audience will find relevant.

  22. Plus AI Review: The Best Free AI Presentation Maker?

    Step 7: Start a Presentation. After signing up, I returned to Google Slides and selected "Start a presentation." Step 8: Choose a Preset. I first had to choose one of the presets to get Plus AI to generate a presentation. I could keep it on "General" and manually describe my presentation, but I chose the "Education" preset.

  23. YouTube prankster invades stage during Oppenheimer's best picture Bafta

    A "social media prankster" invaded the stage during the best picture presentation at the Bafta film awards in London on Sunday. Bafta said in a statement: "A social media prankster was ...

  24. PDF 2023 CSB Rebates: Feedback and Next Steps

    2023 CSB Rebates: Feedback and Next Steps - Presentation (February 21, 2024) Author: U.S. EPA Subject: Overview of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program; spotlights feedback received on submissions, eligibility, outreach, support, implementation, and stakeholder suggestions; also includes resources and next ...

  25. How to Do an Oral Presentation: 10 Steps (with Pictures ...

    1 Determine your topic. Is it a question or a statement? Make the topic clear and concise; try to avoid generic topics that overwhelm in information, such as 'How does junk food affect the body?' Is this question in referral to the mind? The organs? Appearance? Is it targeted at children? Adults?

  26. Alamance-Burlington School System delays presentation of budget plan

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  27. First Xbox games to hit the Switch are Pentiment and Grounded

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  28. Becker Presentation on the CPA Exam

    Share This: Share Becker Presentation on the CPA Exam on Facebook Share Becker Presentation on the CPA Exam on LinkedIn Share Becker Presentation on the CPA Exam on X; Copy Link; Date: Tuesday, March 5, 2024 Time: 4pm - 5pm Location: Todd Hall, 239, Pullman, Washington, United States Becker representative Ellen Garner Crawford will be ...

  29. Lebanon PA leaders discuss next steps towards advanced training center

    The Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce gave a presentation of its recently published Advanced Training Center Needs Assessment Wednesday morning to a group of educators, local leaders and elected ...