presentation strategy meaning

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

How to Give a Killer Presentation

• Chris Anderson

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

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

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

Lessons from TED

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

• CA Chris Anderson is the curator of TED.

Partner Center

15 Essential Presentation Techniques for Winning Over Any Audience

• The Speaker Lab
• April 13, 2024

Table of Contents

Ever found yourself standing before an audience, your heart racing? That’s the moment when knowing effective presentation techniques can prove to be your unwavering ally. But what are presentation techniques? And what makes them so powerful? In this article, we’re going to answer those questions.

Before we can talk about presentation techniques, though, we first have to talk about good communication. The power of effective communication isn’t just in what you say. It’s how you say it; it’s in those deep breaths that steady nerves, and in maintaining eye contact. It’s about turning a room full of strangers into an engaged audience hanging onto your every word. When it comes to public speaking, real success comes from mastering non-verbal cues to punctuate our words and using visual aids not as crutches but as tools for engagement.

As you hone your communication skills, you will begin to form effective presentation techniques. Expect rough patches as you get the hang of things, but view them as mere footholds propelling you towards your ultimate triumph. Keep pushing forward.

Mastering Presentation Techniques for Impactful Delivery

Presentation techniques are more than just standing in front of a crowd and talking. They’re about making connections, telling stories that resonate, and leaving your audience with something to remember you by.

Elements of an Effective Presentation

For your presentation to resonate, ensure the visuals are straightforward and supportive, rather than distracting. Your message should be concise yet powerful enough to stick. And let’s not forget engagement; keeping your audience on their toes is key.

• Visuals: Keep them simple but impactful.
• Message: Make every word count.
• Engagement: Interact with your audience, ask questions, make them think.

We’ve all seen those slides crammed with text or charts. When you make your slides, don’t cram information, because nobody wants to squint at tiny fonts or decipher complex graphs while trying to listen to you speak. This resource suggests focusing on clarity and simplicity when designing slides—advice worth taking.

Strategies for Delivering a Successful Presentation

To deliver a knockout presentation, start strong. Grab attention from the get-go with an intriguing fact or story related directly back into the topic at hand. Maintain eye contact across the room so everyone feels included in the conversation. Finally, end on a memorable note, either with a call to action or insight gained during the time together. Leave them wanting more information and eager to learn about the subject matter discussed today.

• The opener: Hook your audience with a relevant fact or anecdote.
• Maintain connection: Eyes up, engage everyone around.
• Closing remarks : Last chance for impact–what’s your mic drop?

As author Lilly Walters once said, “The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send but by what the listener receives.” This quote reminds us that the true goal of any speech is the understanding achieved between the speaker and the listeners.

Find Out Exactly How Much You Could Make As a Paid Speaker

Use The Official Speaker Fee Calculator to tell you what you should charge for your first (or next) speaking gig — virtual or in-person! 

Engaging Your Audience with Nonverbal Communication

As the name implies, nonverbal communication denotes all of the ways you communicate without using words. This includes eye contact, body language, and facial expressions. Although nonverbal communication might not be the first presentation technique that comes to mind, it’s nevertheless a very powerful tool to have in your arsenal. Let’s take a look.

The Power of Eye Contact, Body Language, and Facial Expressions

Making eye contact isn’t just about looking someone in the eye; it’s about forging a connection. Aim for brief moments of eye contact across different sections of your audience throughout your presentation. Establishing fleeting eye connections across diverse audience segments fosters a sense of trust and keeps them hooked, all while ensuring no one feels on edge.

Body language is similarly important. Stand tall with good posture; it exudes confidence even when you feel nervous. As you grow more confident, mix up standing still with moving around subtly. This dynamic shift holds attention better than being rooted to one spot or nervous pacing. Use your hands to gesture naturally as you speak—it adds emphasis and keeps things lively.

If there’s one thing people can spot from miles away, it’s insincerity. So let those facial expressions match your words. Smile when you share something amusing, and furrow your brow when diving into serious stuff. After all, it’s not just what you say but how visually engaged and passionate you appear while saying it that counts.

Tying these elements together helps you deliver impactful, memorable talks. When done right, folks will leave feeling more connected, understood, and fired up by your presentation, all thanks to your techniques.

Designing Compelling Presentation Materials

Knowing how to design engaging presentation materials is one technique you can’t do without. Far from mere embellishments, these implements are crafted to hammer your message home. Hence, it’s vital to select these aids with great care and discernment.

Tips for Creating Effective Slides

When it comes to crafting slides, think of each as a billboard advertisement for your idea. You want it clear, impactful, and memorable.

• Keep it simple : One idea per slide keeps confusion at bay and attention locked in.
• Use bullet points : Break down your points so your audience can track.
• Pick a font size : Generally speaking, bigger is better.
• Use color : Harness colors that pop without blinding anyone; contrast is key.
• Use images with purpose : A good picture or chart can help illustrate your point, but keep it relevant and don’t overdo it.

With a few helpful visuals, your presentation can go from good to great. For more on creating slides, check out this link here .

Handling Questions and Interactions Professionally

For some speakers, it’s not the presentation itself that makes them nervous—it’s the Q&A session that follows. This is the moment where you get to shine or stumble based on how well you handle those curveballs from your audience. If you want to round off your presentation well, you’re going to want to learn a few techniques for fielding these questions. Let’s look at a few ways of doing this.

Preparing for Audience Questions and How to Address Them Effectively

Below are six techniques that will help you address audience questions effectively.

• Listen Up : The first rule of thumb is to listen like it’s a superpower. When someone throws a question at you, don’t just hear them out—really listen. Demonstrating this level of attentiveness not only conveys your respect but also affords you a brief moment to collect your ideas.
• Stay Calm : You’ve got this. Even if a question catches you off guard, take a deep breath before diving into your answer. No one expects perfection, but showing confidence matters.
• Practice Beforehand : Before presentation day arrives, think about potential questions folks might ask and prep some responses in advance. Practice makes perfect, after all.
• Vary Your Techniques : Not every question needs an essay as an answer; sometimes short and sweet does the trick. Mix up how detailed or brief your answers are depending on what’s asked.
• Show You Care : If you ever get a question that leaves you stumped, say so honestly—but add that magical line: “Let me find out more and I’ll get back to you.” Then actually do it.
• Appreciate Audience Curiosity : Remember that the reason you audience is asking questions is because they’re interested. So no matter what questions you get, keep engaging with enthusiasm.

Go forth with confidence, knowing not only can these moments boost credibility—they make connections too. So next time when facing down those queries remember to listen hard, stay calm & always engage warmly. With these techniques under your belt, answering audience questions after your presentation will feel much less daunting.

Techniques for a Memorable and Effective Presentation

No matter what topic you cover in your presentation, you can easily add in a story, and more likely than not you can add a little humor too. Together, these two presentation techniques are perfect for making your speech memorable.

Incorporating Storytelling into Your Presentation

One great technique for making your presentation stick is telling stories. Stories have the power to touch people profoundly, especially when they depict relatable experiences. So, when you’re up there presenting, kick things off with a story that ties into your main message. It could be personal, something from history, or even an anecdote that gets your point across. Stories are not just fluff; they’re the glue of your presentation. They make complex ideas digestible and memorable.

Using Humor to Connect with the Audience

Another great way of engaging your audience is by using humor. But here’s the deal—use humor wisely. Keep it tasteful and tied closely to the content at hand so it enhances rather than detracts from your message.

• Pick universal themes everyone can relate to.
• Avoid anything potentially offensive.
• Tie jokes back to your key points to make them relevant.

If humor isn’t your thing, or you’re worried about your comedic timing, it’s perfectly okay to skip the jokes. Especially if you’re new to public speaking, humor can be hard to nail immediately. But as you grow and hone your presentation techniques, consider stretching yourself a bit. By starting small, you can practice using humor to connect with your audience. That is your goal, after all—to leave a positive, memorable impression on your audience.

Free Download: 6 Proven Steps to Book More Paid Speaking Gigs in 2024​

Download our 18-page guide and start booking more paid speaking gigs today!

Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety

For some speakers, stepping in front of a crowd to speak causes immediate anxiety. But fear not! Conquering public speaking anxiety is entirely within your grasp.

Techniques to Manage Stage Fright and Boost Confidence

First off, feeling nervous before taking the stage is completely normal. Even Mark Twain admitted, “There are two types of speakers. Those who get nervous and those who are liars.” So take that flutter in your stomach as a sign you care deeply about delivering value to your audience. In addition, consider the following tips as you prepare to hit the stage.

• Breathe Deep: Before stepping up, take some deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Feel every muscle relax with each exhale.
• Mind Over Matter: Visualization is key. Picture yourself nailing that presentation, because if you can see it, you can achieve it.
• Keep It Simple: Stick to what you know best; this isn’t the time for surprises or untested waters.
• Pace Yourself: Speak slowly but surely—there’s no rush here.

Believe it or not, acting relaxed often leads to actually being relaxed. Remember when we said mind over matter? Well, it applies here big time. The power pose backstage might just be what turns those nerves into excitement.

So next time you feel stage fright coming on, fight back with these techniques. With these tricks up your sleeve, you’re more than ready. So go ahead, breathe deep, and step onto that stage. You’ve got this.

Using Different Presentation Methods to Engage Your Audience

While learning styles is “ little more than urban myth ,” presenting your material in a variety of ways is a great technique for engaging your audience. By switching it up, you increase your chances of explaining something in a way that clicks with individual audience members. This is especially helpful for more complex topics that might be hard to grasp.

There are three main ways of presenting your material to your audience: through visuals, audio, and hands-on activities.

• Visuals: Use slides packed with images, graphs, and bullet points.
• Audio: Tell stories, play audio clips or engage in discussions.
• Hands-on Activities: Include activities or demonstrations that allow audience members to participate physically.

Making sure everyone gets something from your presentation means considering these techniques when planning content. Not only can incorporating various methods increase audience engagement, but it can also elevate your presentation from decent to memorable.

Essential Tips for First-Time Presenters

Stepping onto the stage or logging into that webinar platform as a first-time presenter can feel nerve-wracking. But fear not! With these tips on how to dress appropriately, arrive early, and make your presentation shine, you’ll be ready to confidently nail that presentation.

Dress Appropriately

Your outfit is your armor. Choose something professional yet comfortable. Whether it’s in-person or online, dressing one notch above what you expect your audience to wear usually hits the sweet spot. Aim for solid colors that won’t distract your audience.

Arriving Early

If possible, arrive at the venue before your audience does. This gives you time to settle in, test any tech gear like microphones or projectors, and take those deep breaths. This extra time also lets you chat with early birds. By connecting with people before taking center stage, you can ease nerves significantly.

Making Presentation Time Count

You only have the audience’s attention for so long. Keep an eye on the clock as you present, but avoid rushing through content. It especially helps to pause after key points, letting information sink in. Your end goal? Leave you’re audience wanting more. You’ll know if you succeeded based on the number of questions you get during the Q&A.

So there you have it—the techniques you need to deliver an engaging presentation. By honing nonverbal communication, like eye contact and posture, you can captivate your audience with your energy. And visual aids? They’re not just ornamental; they help bolster your point and drive it home.

We also learned that tackling audience questions is not an art reserved for the eloquent few but a skill sharpened by preparation and presence. While it takes a little work to nail good storytelling and well-timed humor, the ultimate outcome is worth it.

So while standing before an audience may set your heart racing, know that arming yourself with knowledge and technique can transform not just your presentation, but you yourself. So don’t be afraid to try your hand at these skills; in doing so, you build your own confidence and become a better speaker in the process.

• Last Updated: April 11, 2024

Explore Related Resources

Learn How You Could Get Your First (Or Next) Paid Speaking Gig In 90 Days or Less

We receive thousands of applications every day, but we only work with the top 5% of speakers .

Book a call with our team to get started — you’ll learn why the vast majority of our students get a paid speaking gig within 90 days of finishing our program .

If you’re ready to control your schedule, grow your income, and make an impact in the world – it’s time to take the first step. Book a FREE consulting call and let’s get you Booked and Paid to Speak ® .

About The Speaker Lab

We teach speakers how to consistently get booked and paid to speak.  Since 2015, we’ve helped thousands of speakers find clarity, confidence, and a clear path to make an impact.

Get Started

Let's connect.

[email protected]

Copyright ©2023 The Speaker Lab. All rights reserved.

Ideas and insights from Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How are you providing presentation skills training for your learners?

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

Let’s talk

Change isn’t easy, but we can help. Together we’ll create informed and inspired leaders ready to shape the future of your business.

© 2024 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School.

• Privacy Policy
• Copyright Information
• Terms of Use
• About Harvard Business Publishing
• Higher Education
• Harvard Business Review
• Harvard Business School

We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies and revised Privacy Policy .

Cookie and Privacy Settings

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.

Oratory Club

Public Speaking Helpline

What are Presentation Strategies?

Presentation strategies refer to the thought-out plans and ideas used to deliver a message effectively to a specific audience. These strategies aim to capture the attention and engage the listeners or viewers, ensuring that the presentation is impactful and memorable.

Whether it’s a short five-minute talk or a lengthy presentation, having a clear strategy in place will save time and enhance the overall effectiveness of the presentation. By understanding who the target audience is and tailoring the presentation to meet their needs, presenters can create a compelling and engaging experience that resonates with the audience and achieves its intended objectives.

Table of Contents

Understanding The Basics

Presentation strategies refer to the thought-out plans and ideas behind effectively delivering a message to an audience. It involves understanding the audience, creating a clear and organized structure, and utilizing visual aids to enhance communication. Having a solid presentation strategy saves time and ensures the message is effectively conveyed.

Defining Presentation Strategies

Presentation strategies refer to the techniques and methods used to effectively deliver information and engage an audience during a presentation. These strategies involve careful planning and preparation to ensure that the message is clear, compelling, and memorable. Whether it’s a business pitch, educational lecture, or sales presentation, having a well-developed presentation strategy can greatly enhance the impact and effectiveness of your delivery.

Importance Of Presentation Strategies

Effective presentation strategies are crucial for several reasons:

• Captivate your audience: Presentation strategies help capture the attention of your audience from the start and keep them engaged throughout the presentation. By utilizing various techniques such as storytelling, visual aids, and interactive elements, you can create a captivating experience that leaves a lasting impression.
• Communicate your message effectively: Presentation strategies enable you to convey your message in a clear, concise, and organized manner. They help you structure your content, prioritize key points, and ensure that your audience understands and retains the information you present.
• Enhance credibility and professionalism: A well-executed presentation demonstrates your expertise and professionalism. Thoughtful planning and strategic delivery can enhance your credibility, making it more likely that your audience will trust and remember the information you share.
• Persuade and influence: Presentation strategies offer opportunities to persuade and influence your audience. By using persuasive techniques, such as presenting compelling arguments, addressing objections, and appealing to emotions, you can increase the likelihood of achieving your desired outcome, whether it’s gaining buy-in, securing a deal, or inspiring action.

Elements Of An Effective Presentation

Several elements contribute to the success of a presentation. By considering and implementing these elements, you can maximize the impact of your message:

• Clear objectives: Establish clear objectives for your presentation. What do you want to achieve? Define your goals and tailor your content and delivery to align with them.
• Audience analysis: Understand your audience’s needs, interests, and knowledge level. This will allow you to adapt your presentation to resonate with and engage your specific audience.
• Engaging opening: Capture your audience’s attention from the beginning with a compelling opening. Consider using a story, asking a thought-provoking question, or sharing a surprising statistic to pique their interest.
• Well-structured content: Organize your content in a logical and easy-to-follow manner. Use a well-defined introduction, body, and conclusion to guide your audience through your presentation smoothly.
• Visual aids: Utilize visual aids such as slides, videos, or props to enhance understanding and engagement. These visual elements can reinforce key points, provide examples, and create a more dynamic presentation experience.
• Effective delivery: Pay attention to your delivery style, including your tone, pace, and body language. Maintain eye contact, use gestures purposefully, and speak clearly and confidently to connect with your audience.
• Audience interaction: Incorporate interactive elements to involve your audience actively. Encourage questions, facilitate discussions, and incorporate activities or demonstrations to boost engagement and participation.
• Compelling End your presentation with a strong and memorable conclusion. Summarize the key points, reiterate the main message, and leave your audience with a clear call to action or takeaway.

Presentation strategies are essential for creating impactful and memorable presentations. By following these guidelines, you can enhance your communication skills, captivate your audience, and achieve your presentation goals.

Preparing For A Presentation

Presentation strategies encompass the thought, planning, and idea of who the audience is and how they will receive and utilize the message. It’s essential to have a clear strategy, even for a short presentation, to ultimately save time and deliver an effective message.

PRESENTITUDE™ offers services that focus on presentation strategy.

When it comes to delivering a successful presentation, preparation is key. Taking the time to plan and organize your presentation can make a significant difference in how well you engage with your audience and deliver your message. There are several important steps to take when preparing for a presentation:

Conducting Audience Research:

Before diving into the content of your presentation, it’s important to understand your audience. Conducting audience research allows you to tailor your presentation to their needs, interests, and background. Here are some key points to consider:

• Identify the demographics of your audience, such as age, gender, profession, and education level.
• Understand their prior knowledge or experience on the topic to determine the appropriate level of detail.
• Determine their motivations, challenges, and pain points related to your presentation topic.
• Consider any cultural or social factors that may impact how your audience receives your message.

Setting Clear Objectives:

Setting clear objectives for your presentation helps you stay focused and ensures that your audience understands what you’re trying to achieve. Here’s how to establish effective objectives:

• Define the main purpose of your presentation. Are you trying to inform, persuade, or entertain?
• Identify the key messages you want your audience to take away from your presentation.
• Specify the desired outcome or action you want your audience to take after listening to your presentation.
• Keep your objectives realistic and achievable within the time frame of your presentation.

Organizing Content Flow:

Having a well-organized content flow is essential for maintaining your audience’s interest and helping them follow along with your presentation. Here are some strategies to organize your content effectively:

• Start with a compelling introduction that grabs your audience’s attention and provides an overview of what you’ll be discussing.
• Use a logical structure such as a chronological order, problem-solution format, or compare-contrast approach to present your content.
• Break down complex information into smaller, digestible chunks to prevent overwhelming your audience.
• Transition smoothly between different sections of your presentation using clear signposting.
• Summarize key points and provide a clear conclusion that reinforces your main messages.

By conducting audience research, setting clear objectives, and organizing your content flow, you’ll be well-prepared to deliver a powerful and engaging presentation. Remember to practice your delivery and visual aids beforehand to ensure a smooth and confident performance. Good luck!

Creating Engaging Visuals

Presentation strategies are essential for creating engaging visuals that effectively communicate your message to the audience. By carefully planning and considering the needs and interests of your listeners or viewers, you can design presentations that are impactful, memorable, and achieve the desired outcomes.

Whether it’s a short session or a longer presentation, a well-thought-out strategy saves time and maximizes the effectiveness of your message. PRESENTITUDE™ provides presentation strategy services to help you deliver impactful presentations.

Visuals play a crucial role in capturing the attention of your audience and enhancing the overall impact of your presentation. To create visually appealing and engaging presentations, consider the following strategies:

Choosing The Right Visual Format

• Utilize appropriate images, charts, graphs, or diagrams that align with your presentation topic and goals.
• Select visuals that are clear, relevant, and visually appealing to your audience.
• Ensure that the chosen visual format is suitable for the content you want to convey.
• Use colors, fonts, and design elements that are cohesive with your branding or presentation theme.

Utilizing Visual Hierarchy

• Organize your visuals in a logical manner, using a hierarchy that guides the audience’s attention.
• Highlight key information or messages through the use of size, color, or placement.
• Employ whitespace effectively to reduce clutter and improve visual focus.
• Structure your visuals in a way that supports the flow of your presentation and enhances understanding.

Incorporating Multimedia Elements

• Enhance your presentation by incorporating multimedia elements such as videos, audio clips, or animations.
• Use multimedia strategically to bring concepts to life, demonstrate processes, or provide real-world examples.
• Ensure that multimedia elements are high-quality, relevant, and seamlessly integrated into your presentation.
• Remember to test the multimedia elements beforehand to avoid technical glitches or distractions.

By implementing these strategies, you can create engaging visuals that enhance the impact of your presentation and effectively convey your message to your audience. So, choose the right visual format, utilize visual hierarchy, and incorporate multimedia elements to make your presentations visually captivating and memorable.

Delivering A Compelling Presentation

Crafting a successful presentation involves careful planning and strategizing. It’s essential to have a clear idea of your target audience and the message you want to convey. By optimizing your presentation strategy, you can effectively engage your listeners and achieve your desired outcomes.

When it comes to delivering a compelling presentation, there are several strategies you can employ to captivate your audience and effectively communicate your message. In this section, we’ll explore three key areas that can help you deliver a presentation that leaves a lasting impression.

Captivating Opening Statements:

• Start with a thought-provoking question: Begin your presentation with a question that gets your audience thinking. This will immediately engage their attention and create a sense of curiosity.
• Share a surprising statistic: Start with a surprising or shocking statistic related to your topic. This will grab your audience’s attention and make them eager to learn more.
• Tell a compelling story: Open your presentation with a personal or inspirational story that relates to your topic. This will create an emotional connection with your audience and draw them in.

Effective Communication Techniques:

• Use visual aids: Incorporate visuals such as slides or props to enhance your presentation. Visuals can help clarify your message and make it more memorable for your audience.
• Speak with confidence: Project your voice, maintain good eye contact, and use gestures to convey confidence and authority. This will help you establish credibility and keep your audience engaged.
• Use storytelling techniques: Use storytelling techniques to deliver your information in a compelling and relatable way. This can help captivate your audience and make your presentation more memorable.

Managing Nervousness And Body Language:

• Practice, practice, practice: The more you practice your presentation, the more confident you will feel. Rehearse your speech multiple times to familiarize yourself with the content and reduce nervousness.
• Control your body language: Pay attention to your body language throughout your presentation. Stand tall, maintain good posture, and use open gestures to project confidence and engagement.
• Take deep breaths: If you feel nervous or anxious, take deep breaths to calm your nerves. Deep breathing can help reduce stress and improve your overall delivery.

Remember, delivering a compelling presentation requires careful thought and preparation. By using captivating opening statements, effective communication techniques, and managing your nervousness and body language, you can deliver a presentation that will leave a lasting impact on your audience.

Supporting Your Presentation

Presentation strategies refer to the thoughtful planning and execution of a presentation, with a focus on the target audience and desired outcomes. By strategically considering the message and audience, individuals can save time and deliver more impactful presentations. PRESENTATION STRATEGY | PRESENTITUDE™

Using Persuasive Supporting Evidence:

• Incorporate relevant statistics and data: Support your presentation by including accurate and compelling statistics and data to back up your main points. This will help to enhance your credibility and make your arguments more persuasive.
• Use real-life examples: Illustrate your ideas with concrete examples that your audience can relate to. Real-life examples bring your points to life and make them more memorable for your listeners.
• Include expert opinions and quotes: Cite opinions or quotes from industry experts or authoritative sources to strengthen your arguments. This shows that you have done thorough research and adds credibility to your presentation.
• Share testimonials or case studies: If you have success stories or testimonials from satisfied customers or clients, use them to demonstrate the effectiveness of your product or service. Real-life experiences make your points more tangible and convincing.
• Use visual aids: Utilize visually appealing charts, graphs, or images to present data and information in a visually compelling way. Visual aids not only make your presentation more engaging but also help your audience better understand and retain the information.

Engaging The Audience Through Interactivity:

• Ask rhetorical questions: Begin your presentation by asking thought-provoking questions that make your audience reflect on the topic. This creates a sense of engagement and encourages active participation.
• Conduct polls or surveys: Incorporate interactive elements such as polls or surveys to involve your audience in the presentation. This not only adds an element of interactivity but also provides valuable insights and feedback.
• Encourage audience participation: Allow time for questions and discussions during your presentation. By giving your audience the opportunity to actively participate, you create a more engaging and interactive environment.
• Use storytelling techniques: Weave compelling stories into your presentation to captivate your audience’s attention and evoke an emotional connection. Stories help to make your content more relatable and memorable.
• Incorporate multimedia elements: Include videos, audio clips, or interactive multimedia elements to create a multi-sensory experience for your audience. This variety keeps them engaged and prevents their attention from waning.

Addressing And Responding To Questions:

• Anticipate potential questions: While preparing your presentation, think about the questions your audience may have and address them proactively. This demonstrates that you are well-prepared and knowledgeable about the topic.
• Allocate time for Q&A: Dedicate a specific time slot at the end of your presentation for questions and answers. This gives your audience the opportunity to seek clarification and engage in a dialogue.
• Active listening and empathy: When addressing questions, actively listen to the questioner and show empathy. Repeat or summarize the question to ensure understanding and provide a thoughtful response.
• Be concise and clear in your answers: Keep your answers focused and concise, delivering them in a straightforward and understandable manner. Avoid rambling or using jargon that may confuse your audience.
• Use visual aids for complex explanations: If a question requires a more detailed explanation, use visual aids such as diagrams or flowcharts to simplify complex concepts and make them easier to understand.

Remember, supporting your presentation with persuasive evidence, engaging the audience through interactivity, and effectively addressing and responding to questions are essential strategies for delivering a successful presentation. By following these techniques, you can captivate your audience, enhance their understanding, and leave a lasting impact.

Credit: www.slideshare.net

Finalizing Your Presentation

Crafting an effective presentation strategy involves carefully considering your audience, message, and goals. By strategically planning and aligning your presentation with the needs and preferences of your listeners, you can ensure maximum impact and engagement. Save time and achieve success by starting with a clear strategy.

Enjoy the benefits of a well-prepared presentation.

Before delivering your presentation, it is essential to finalize and prepare yourself to ensure a successful delivery. This involves rehearsing and practicing your delivery, managing your time effectively, and seeking evaluation and feedback. Let’s explore each of these strategies in detail:

Rehearsing And Practicing Delivery:

• Rehearse your presentation multiple times to familiarize yourself with the content and flow.
• Practice in front of a mirror or record yourself to identify areas for improvement.
• Pay attention to your body language, gestures, and voice modulation.
• Practice speaking clearly and confidently, maintaining a steady pace.
• Consider using visual aids such as slides to enhance your presentation.

Time Management Strategies:

• Create a timeline or schedule to allocate specific time slots for each section of your presentation.
• Be mindful of the time allocated and avoid exceeding the allotted time.
• Practice pacing your delivery to ensure you cover all the key points within the given time frame.
• Rehearse transitions between different sections to maintain a smooth flow.

Evaluating And Seeking Feedback:

• Seek honest feedback from trusted colleagues, friends, or mentors who can provide constructive criticism.
• Consider conducting a mock presentation for a smaller audience to gauge their reaction and gather feedback.
• Analyze your presentation objectively, focusing on areas that need improvement.
• Implement the feedback received to refine your presentation and enhance its overall effectiveness.

By rehearsing and practicing your delivery, managing your time effectively, and seeking evaluation and feedback, you can ensure that your presentation is well-prepared and confidently delivered. These finalizing strategies will help you deliver a compelling presentation that engages your audience and effectively conveys your message.

Frequently Asked Questions On What Are Presentation Strategies?

What do you mean by presentation strategy.

A presentation strategy is a plan for delivering your message effectively to your audience. It involves considering who will listen, learn, or act on your message and how to best convey your ideas. A well-thought-out strategy can save you time and make your presentation more impactful.

What Are Strategies Of Presentation Skills?

Presentation strategies involve developing a clear plan and understanding your audience to effectively convey your message.

What Are The Most Effective Strategies For Presentation?

The most effective strategies for presentation include carefully planning your message, knowing your audience, using visual aids like slides, practicing your delivery, and engaging your audience.

What Are 4 Strategies Tips To Consider When Presenting?

Here are 4 strategies tips for presenting: 1. Keep your sentences short and to the point. 2. Optimize your writing for SEO and make it unique and easy to understand. 3. Avoid using certain phrases and passive voice in your sentences.

4. Make sure your content passes AI writing detection and sounds natural.

Presentation strategies are crucial for effective communication and engagement with your audience. It all starts with a well-thought-out plan and understanding of who will be listening to your message. Whether it’s a five-minute pitch or a full-scale presentation, having a presentation strategy in place will save you time and ensure that your message is clear and impactful.

By developing a presentation strategy, you can tailor your content, visuals, and delivery to resonate with your specific audience. This strategy will help you capture and maintain their attention, convey your message effectively, and achieve your desired outcomes. It’s about understanding your audience’s needs, crafting a compelling story, and utilizing appropriate techniques to engage and persuade them.

Remember, a presentation strategy is not just about the content; it’s about the overall approach you take to capture your audience’s interest and deliver your message with impact. So, before you step onto the stage or open your virtual presentation, take the time to develop a well-rounded presentation strategy that will elevate your communication skills and leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Similar Posts

How to Lengthen a Presentation

To lengthen a presentation, focus on adding more content and engaging the audience. Use abbreviations when possible to allow space for additional information, but make sure to define them during the presentation. Incorporate animations to keep the audience engaged and present more content. Consider using visuals such as pictures instead of words to convey your…

How to Appreciate a Presentation?

To appreciate a presentation, actively listen and engage with the content while giving positive feedback and asking thoughtful questions. When you are attentive and involved, it shows the presenter that you value their effort and encourages them to continue delivering high-quality presentations. Providing specific examples of what resonated with you or how you benefited from…

How To Prepare For A Conference?

Are you attending a conference soon? Wondering how to make the most out of your experience? Look no further! In this guide, we will provide you with valuable tips and tricks on how to effectively prepare for a conference. From setting clear objectives to networking strategies, we’ve got you covered. So, let’s dive in and…

How to Own The Stage in Presentation?

To own the stage in a presentation, maintain a confident presence, engage the audience through storytelling, and deliver a clear message with enthusiasm. A powerful and engaging presentation captures the attention and interest of the audience, leaving a lasting impression. By mastering the art of stage presence and incorporating effective communication techniques, you can create…

How to Sell Powerpoint Presentations Online?

To sell PowerPoint presentations online, you can find freelance PowerPoint designers on platforms like Freelancer or sell them directly on marketplaces like Etsy. Additionally, you can promote your work on YouTube, create a portfolio, establish a social presence, and focus on branding to attract customers. It’s possible to make money from PowerPoint presentations without needing…

How To Begin A Presentation?

Are you tired of starting your presentations with a dull and predictable opening? Do you want to captivate your audience from the very beginning and leave a lasting impression? Look no further! In this article, we will explore the art of beginning a presentation in English, and discover effective techniques to ensure your audience is…

Study Skills and Classroom Success

Presentation strategies.

The very best impromptu speeches are the ones written well in advance. —Ruth Gordon, actress and playwright

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Identify common types of presentation tasks in a college class, including individual and group projects
• Describe the purpose of presentation assignments and what an instructor might expect to see from your delivery
• Explain how to avoid common pitfalls of visual aids in presentations
• Identify techniques to reduce anxiety prior to and during presentation delivery

Imagine you are walking across your campus. As you pass the student center, you see a couple of people who have set up at a table outside, and they’re passing out information about the student honor society. Open windows in the music building share the sounds of someone practicing the piano in the art studio. Upon entering your class building, you are greeted by student-made posters illustrating various phases of the process of cell division. An open class door allows you to watch a young man in a lab coat and protective gear pour liquid nitrogen over items in a tray while the rest of his classmates look on with great interest. Your own instructor is setting up the computer screen at the front of your class when you walk in, loading up the Powerpoint that he plans to use for the day.

All of these are examples of presentations, and it’s very likely that you’ll be asked to participate in similar activities during your college career. Presenting, whether face-to-face or online, is a skill you will hone as a college student in preparation for your future career.

Presentation Types

Presentations can take many forms and potentially serve many purposes. When reading the definitions below, keep in mind that many presentations often combine several elements into a hybrid form. You may have to pick and choose what will work best for you depending on the instructor and the course. Let’s start with the different genres or types of presentations.

Informative

Some presentation assignments will ask you simply to deliver information about a topic. Often these presentations involve research, which you will shape and present to your instructor and classmates. Typically, informative presentations ask that you NOT share your opinion about the subject at hand (which can be more challenging than it seems). With an informative presentation, your goal is to educate your audience by presenting a summary of your research and “sticking to the facts.”

Unlike informative presentations, persuasive presentations ask that you not only form an opinion about your subject but also convince your audience to come around to your point of view. These presentations often involve research, too, and the findings of your research will be used to bolster the persuasive case you’re making.

Lesson Delivery

You may be asked to do a “Teaching Presentation,” which will require you to specialize in one topic of the course and give your fellow classmates instruction about it. In short, you become the teacher of a subject. Often your presentation will be the only time that this subject is covered in the class, so you will be responsible for making sure that you provide clear, detailed, and relevant information about it. You may also be asked to provide questions on the subject to be included in a quiz or test.

Demonstration

These action-based presentations typically model some behavior or subject matter that has been introduced previously in the class. Unlike the Lesson Delivery presentation, a demonstration adds a level of performance in which you show and tell the the audience what you know. You might perform the demonstration yourself, as a way of illustrating the concept or procedure, or you might provide classmates with instructions and guidance as they do it themselves.

Poster presentations should convey all the information on a subject necessary for a viewer to consider on her own. They often consist of short, punchy wording accompanied by strong visuals—graphs, charts, images, and/or illustrations. Posters frequently require research to prepare, and they allow for some creativity in design. Depending on the assignment, your poster may be part of a gallery of poster presentations with your classmates. Your poster has to communicate everything that is important without you being there to explain it to your audience.

Similar to poster presentations, online presentations are generally asynchronous— meaning they don’t require you to be present at the same time as your viewer. They often serve similar purposes as poster presentations, but due to the online format, they allow for more interactive possibilities, such as sharing a pertinent video or animated graph. Your online presentation must stand alone to teach your audience everything they need to know.

Solo and Group Presentations

You may be asked to present as an individual or as part of a group.

Individual presentations put all of the responsibility for preparation, research, and delivery on you. You rightfully take all the credit for the final product you produce.

Group presentations , in contrast, often involve more complicated tasks and therefore require more participants to make them. Your instructor may make suggestions about how the work should be divided, or the group may delegate tasks internally. Grades may be assigned equally to everyone in the group, though many instructors assign individual grades based on some participation-level factor to inspire each member to pull his or her own weight.

Presentation assignments are often open to creative interpretation, which gives you a lot of room to explore new techniques and add a personal touch to the task.

Think About Audience

Now that you’ve learned a bit about the various types of presentations, it’s helpful to turn to another important part of presenting: the audience. Like reading and writing, presenting is a form of communication. Whether you’re presenting information, giving a demonstration, creating a poster, or trying to change people’s minds, your goal is to get your message across to your audience. For that reason, it’s important to remember that they may not interpret the information you are presenting exactly as you have. It’s your job as a presenter to explain your ideas using specific details, succinct and clear wording (avoid jargon), vivid descriptions, and meaningful images. As you organize your presentation, keeping this imaginary audience in mind can help you gauge how much background information and context to provide.

Choosing Media and Format for Visual Aids

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase “Death by PowerPoint” to explain that all-too-familiar feeling of being slowly bored to death by a thoughtless presenter who’s droning on and on about boring slide after boring slide. If you’d like to know what the experience is about, and you have time for a laugh, watch the following video, starring stand-up comedian Don McMillan. McMillan pokes fun at bad presentations, but he has some very sound advice about what not to do .

You may consider using PowerPoint for your presentation, and that’s perfectly fine. PowerPoint can be a very effective tool with the right organization, layout, and design. Below is a list of five common pitfalls that you can and should avoid, and doing so will go a long way toward making your PowerPoint presentation successful:

• Choosing a font that is too small . The person in the very back of the room should be able to see the same thing as the person in the front of the room.
• Putting too many words on a slide . Remember it’s called PowerPoint, not PowerParagraph! Keep your bullet points clear and succinct.
• Having spelling errors . Have somebody proofread your slides. Any typos will detract from your presentation.
• Choosing distracting colors that make it hard to read the information . PowerPoint gives you a lot of color choices in their design templates. The ideas in your brilliant presentation will be lost if your audience is struggling to read the content.
• Selecting images or visuals that do not clearly align with the content . For instance, a cute photo of your cat may look lovely up on the screen, but if it doesn’t connect to your topic, it’s just fluff that detracts from your message. Every slide counts, so make sure the visuals support your message.

Practicing for the Presentation

Once you’ve put together your presentation and have an idea of the audience that will hear and see it, it’s time to deal with the “nerves” that can accompany the performance part of the presentation. let’s consider some strategies for reducing anxiety about the presentation. Let’s turn to a final list of pointers for the “performance” part of the presentation, when you actually present your plan to an audience. You’ve worked hard as the owner of this presentation, so have confidence in your work. It’s tough to remember this when you’re nervous, but you’re the person who knows the most about your presentations. The following activity can help you get there.

Activity: Make A Presentation Plan

• Practice techniques to reduce anxiety prior to and during presentation delivery

Directions:

• As you plan for your presentation, it’s helpful to reflect on the challenges you may face when you present to your audience. Jot down a quick list of strengths and weaknesses. Be honest!
• Now that you have an honest reflection of those strengths and weakness, it’s time to practice. Ask a friend or family member to watch you present. Request that they be honest with you and give constructive criticism about the strengths and weaknesses of your presentation. Have them jot down quick notes.
• After the practice presentation, compare notes with the friend or family member. Compare and contrast how you felt about the quality of your presentation with the feedback you received. Use this information to help improve your presentation delivery.

What if you don’t have anyone available to practice your presentation? Record yourself using your phone or your laptop. It can be very difficult to listen to yourself, but it’s always enlightening to watch and/or listen to yourself present.

Practicing your presentation will help you build confidence and reduce anxiety prior to and during your presentation. Remember the sage advice of Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.” Good luck!

• Presentation Strategies. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Image of woman presenting. Authored by : FotoMediamatic. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/uzmwSd . License : CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• Image of Overplanning Kills Magic. Authored by : University of the Fraser Valley. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/mSNUJj . License : CC BY: Attribution

12 Effective Presentation Techniques To Help You Succeed

• By Judhajit Sen
• May 19, 2024

Delivering a good presentation requires more than just good content; it demands careful planning and strategic execution. From mastering your topic to engaging your audience, each element factors in captivating your listeners and making a lasting impact.

Start by thoroughly understanding your topic. Deep research will not only bolster your confidence but also prepare you for any questions that might arise. Organize your points logically with a clear outline, using presentation aids like slides and videos to enhance clarity.

Audience alignment is vital. Customize your content to their needs and interests, using simple language and relatable examples. A well-structured presentation, beginning with a strong, attention-grabbing opening and ending with a memorable conclusion, will keep your audience engaged throughout.

Effective verbal communication further enhances your delivery. Practice speaking clearly and confidently to relate to your audience. Incorporating multimedia and interactive elements such as polls and Q&A sessions are excellent audience engagement strategies .

F ocusing on these presenting techniques can help you give a good presentation.

The following are 12 effective presentation skills to help you succeed.

Key Takeaways

• Thorough Planning: Understanding your topic deeply and organizing your points logically with clear presentation aids sets the stage for a compelling presentation.
• Audience Alignment: Tailor your content to match your audience’s needs, interests, and comprehension level, ensuring maximum engagement and effectiveness.
• Confident Delivery: Master verbal communication, body language, and simplicity to enhance delivery and foster connection with your audience.
• Engagement Techniques: Incorporate storytelling, multimedia, and interactive elements to boost engagement and ensure your message resonates effectively.

Planning: Crafting a Winning Presentation

Behind every successful presentation lies meticulous planning. From understanding your topic to structuring your speech, each step is crucial for a compelling delivery that captivates your audience.

1. Topic Mastery

Begin by diving deep into your presentation topic. Conduct thorough research to bolster your knowledge and confidence. Identify areas where you may need additional preparation, ensuring you’re ready to tackle any questions that come your way.

2. Organized Framework

Map out your slides with an effective presentation outline , arranging the main points in a logical sequence. This blueprint will serve as your roadmap, keeping you focused and ensuring you cover all essential aspects. Consider integrating presentation materials like slides or videos to enhance clarity and engagement.

3. Structural Excellence

Craft a presentation with lasting impact by adhering to a well-defined structure. Start with a captivating introduction, followed by a robust body of content, and conclude with actionable insights. Embrace the 10-20-30 rule as a guide, limiting slides to 10, delivery time to 20 minutes, and font size to a minimum of 30 points.

Effective planning sets the stage to give a killer presentation, empowering you to deliver a compelling narrative that resonates with your audience long after the applause fades.

Audience Alignment: Key to Presentation Success

Understanding your audience is indispensable to delivering the presentation. Tailoring your content to match their needs, interests, and comprehension levels ensures maximum engagement and effectiveness.

1. Know Your Audience

Take the time to learn about your audience’s backgrounds, interests, and concerns. Simplify technical jargon and complex concepts to ensure clarity and comprehension across diverse audiences. By speaking their language, you can foster understanding and avoid confusion.

2. Speak Their Language

Craft your presentation with your target audience in mind. Use strong, concise language and relevant examples to maintain their interest. Avoid using foreign words or clichés that may alienate or confuse your audience. If necessary, provide explanations to ensure clarity.

3. Relevant Data Presentation

Align your data presentation methods with your audience’s preferences. Conduct research to craft a relatable narrative and understand the most effective presentation approach. By addressing their expectations, you can ensure a satisfied and engaged audience.

4. Tailored Content

Identify your audience’s interests and needs to tailor your presentation accordingly. Adjust your language and focus based on whether you’re addressing professionals or a general audience. This personalized approach enhances relevance and engagement.

5. Design for Maximum Impact

Design your presentation around your audience’s needs and interests to deliver maximum value. By aligning your message with their expectations, you enhance comprehension and ensure your message resonates effectively.

By prioritizing audience alignment, you can craft presentations that captivate, inform, and inspire, driving your message home with clarity and impact.

Nailing the Beginning and End of Your Presentation

Starting and ending your presentation with impact is crucial for keeping your audience engaged and leaving a lasting impression. Here’s how to master both:

1. Captivating Start

Start your presentation with a powerful statement, unusual fact, or an interesting question to grab attention instantly. This approach hooks your audience and piques their interest from the get-go. Another method is to share a personal story or use a quote that resonates with your topic. Humor can also be effective, but be cautious with jokes—ensure they are neutral and unlikely to offend.

2. Clear Structure

After your attention-grabbing opening, provide an overview of your presentation’s time and structure. This roadmap helps your audience follow along and understand the flow of your content. Displaying a simplified outline throughout the presentation can keep your audience oriented and focused.

3. Memorable Ending

A strong ending is as important as a strong start. Conclude with a call to action , a memorable quote, or a personal story reinforcing your message. This ensures your audience leaves with a clear understanding of your key points and what you want them to do next. When you end a presentation , don’t forget to thank your audience for their time and attention.

By crafting a compelling beginning and end, you can enhance your presentation’s effectiveness and ensure your message resonates long after you’ve finished speaking.

Streamlined Success: Mastering Simplicity

Simplicity isn’t just a preference; it’s a powerful presentation technique that enhances focus and comprehension. By stripping away excess information and focusing on core messages, you ensure clarity and engagement.

1. Cleanliness

Avoid overwhelming your audience with information overload. Keep slides clean and concise, limiting each to 6-8 lines of text. This not only aids focus but also enhances the appeal of your presentation.

2. Core Focus

Simplicity means distilling your presentation to its essence, stripping away unnecessary details. This minimizes the risk of mistakes or confusion and saves valuable time for you and your audience. Whether a few words or bullet points for presentations suffice, choose a format that suits your topic.

3. Clear Communication

To maximize understanding, keep your presentation simple and straightforward. Use simple language, avoid technical jargon, and emphasize key points. For clarity, incorporate charts or graphs to simplify complex data and break up text with bullet points or subheadings.

By embracing simplicity, you empower your audience to grasp and retain your message effectively, fostering engagement and leaving a lasting impression.

Mastering Verbal Communication in Presentations

How you speak and deliver your message can make or break your presentation. Here’s how to ace it:

1. Speak Clearly and Confidently: Project your voice so everyone can hear. Pause when needed and adapt your language to your audience.

2. Pace Yourself: Don’t rush. Speak slowly and clearly, avoiding both lightning speed and snail pace. Don’t read everything verbatim unless necessary.

3. Mind Your Audience: Remember, they’re hearing this for the first time. Give them time to digest your slides. Master the art of the pause for emphasis and to collect your thoughts.

4. Cut the Fillers: Avoid “um” and “so” – they signal unpreparedness. Keep your speech smooth and confident.

5. Speak, Don’t Read: Engage with your audience. Speak freely, slowly, and clearly. Use note cards if needed, but keep them brief. Memorize the start and end for crucial eye contact.

Mastering verbal communication can turn an okay presentation into a memorable one. Practice, pause, and speak with confidence!

Mastering Presentation Dynamics: The Power of Body Language

Body language is a secret weapon for captivating your audience during presentations. It encompasses posture, expressions, and overall stance in front of the crowd. By harnessing this potential, you can elevate a lackluster presentation into a riveting experience.

1. Establishing Comfort and Connection

Start with a smile! Being pleasant and approachable sets the stage for an engaging presentation. Avoid pacing or making wild gestures that distract from your message. Maintain steady eye contact across the room, from front row to back, and sidestep the trap of fixating on screens or notes.

2. Projection and Poise

Your physical demeanor speaks volumes about your confidence. Stand tall, relax your shoulders, and exude ease. Embrace gestures that underscore your points while avoiding distracting habits like gum chewing or fidgeting. Dressing appropriately adds to your professional image.

3. Engaging Your Audience

Your body stature should mirror your enthusiasm for the topic. Stand confidently, using hand gestures to amplify critical points. Let your facial expressions reflect your passion and commitment to the subject matter.

4. The Power of Eye Contact

Maintaining eye contact fosters a personal connection with each listener, alleviating nerves and enhancing confidence. Start with a friendly face in the crowd, then gradually expand your gaze. Resist the urge to divert attention to screens, floors, or notes.

5. Strategic Positioning

Avoid standing directly in front of your audience, whether on a podium or in an open space, which can subconsciously signal aggression. Instead, position yourself slightly to the side, maintaining fluid movement to keep your audience engaged.

Mastering body language in presentations amplifies your prowess, enabling you to convey confidence, build rapport, and deliver messages that resonate deeply with your audience.

Amplifying Your Message: The Art of Voice Inflection

Your voice is a powerful tool in presentations, shaping comprehension and engagement. Mastering voice inflection enhances clarity, confidence, and audience connection.

1. Projecting with Purpose

Effective projection ensures your audience hears every word clearly, boosting confidence and engagement. Stand tall, breathe deeply, and enunciate each syllable with precision.

2. Emphasizing Key Points

Clarity is key when conveying important ideas. Slow down, articulate, and raise your voice to underscore the significance of your message. Infuse authority, confidence, and enthusiasm into your delivery.

3. Crafting Convincing Speech

In presentations, it’s not just what you say but how you say it that matters. Practice creating a confident and engaging voice. Eliminate unnecessary pauses and filler words like “um” or “oh” to maintain momentum and keep your audience captivated.

By mastering voice inflection, you can elevate your presentations from ordinary to extraordinary, ensuring your message resonates deeply with your audience.

Captivating Narratives: The Power of Storytelling

Storytelling isn’t just for bedtime; it’s a dynamic tool for elevating presentations. By weaving compelling narratives into your speech, you can ignite curiosity, engage your audience, and leave a lasting impression.

1. Breathing Life into Ideas

Embrace storytelling as a potent strategy to animate your subject matter. Don’t shy away from personal anecdotes or moments of suspense; they add depth and intrigue. End on a positive note to drive your message home effectively.

2. Forging Connections

Stories forge connections with your audience, making your message memorable. Use real-life examples, anecdotes, or case studies to illustrate your points and make them relatable. This personal touch resonates with your listeners, fostering a deeper understanding.

3. Sustaining Interest

Break the monotony of facts and figures by infusing your presentation with compelling stories. Engage your audience with narratives that captivate their attention and establish you as an expert. Leverage techniques like creating suspense and bringing characters to life to keep your audience invested.

4. Amplifying Impact

Adopt storytelling to transform your presentation from informative to impactful. Presenting data within a narrative framework ensures better retention and understanding. Start with a problem, introduce statistics, and offer solutions, guiding your audience through a compelling storyline.

Storytelling may seem daunting at first, but its ability to captivate and inspire is worth the effort. With practice, you’ll master the art of storytelling , enriching your presentations and leaving a lasting impression on your audience.

Commanding the Stage: Confidence in Presentations

Confidence is a game-changer in presentations. It keeps your audience engaged and makes your message more compelling. Here’s how to harness confidence to enhance your delivery.

1. Project Presence and Enthusiasm

Infuse your natural demeanor with enthusiasm to project confidence. This will help you connect with your audience, making them more likely to stay engaged. Keep your information interesting, and watch your audience for signs of engagement.

2. Embrace Self-Awareness

Monitoring your emotions and reactions helps you stay personable and handle feedback gracefully. Self-awareness can calm nerves, allowing you to perform more effectively and maintain a confident front.

3. Overcome Nerves

Nervousness is common, but confidence in your knowledge and preparation can counteract it. Practice thoroughly, understand your audience, and have a backup plan. Remind yourself of your readiness to alleviate fear.

4. Exude Self-Confidence

Appear relaxed and avoid showing stress or nervousness. Advanced presenters can step out from behind the podium and move around the room, which exudes confidence and attracts the audience’s attention.

5. Manage Stage Fright

Acknowledge stage fright rather than fighting it. Transform nervous energy into positive enthusiasm. Deep breaths can help soothe your nerves and relax your body.

By projecting confidence, you enhance your stage presence and make your PowerPoint presentation more impactful and engaging.

Perfecting Your Presentation: The Power of Practice

Practicing is crucial for delivering a presentation effectively. Here are some key strategies to help you refine your public speaking and boost your confidence.

1. Rehearse Thoroughly

Practice your presentation multiple times, focusing on delivery and timing. Recording yourself can help you spot areas for improvement. Simulate actual presentation conditions as closely as possible, whether using a microphone or standing, to build comfort and confidence.

2. Mirror Rehearsal

Start by rehearsing in front of a mirror. This technique helps you identify and correct mistakes in your speech. It also enhances your confidence as you become more familiar with your material. Practice from random spots in your presentation to ensure thorough familiarity.

3. Utilize Feedback

Gather feedback from colleagues or mentors to refine your delivery. Practice in front of a small audience to simulate real conditions and get constructive criticism. This feedback loop helps you make necessary adjustments and improves your presentation skills.

4. Self-Monitoring Techniques

Use various self-monitoring techniques to prepare:

– Rehearse in front of an audience.

– Take notes for reference.

– Experiment with different delivery styles.

– Time yourself to stay within limits.

– Record yourself for self-review.

5. Timing and Structure

Adhere to the 10-20-30 rule to keep your presentation concise and engaging. Time your rehearsals to ensure you stay within the desired duration. Well-prepared presentations are more impactful and help you appear more confident and relaxed.

You can improve your presentation skills and ensure a smooth, confident, and impactful delivery by devoting time to practice.

Enhance Your Presentation with Multimedia and Visual Aids

Using presentation tools like multimedia and visual aids can significantly elevate your presentation, making it more engaging and effective. Here’s how to make the most of these tools:

1. Relevant and High-Quality Visuals

Use presentation aids  that are relevant to your content and serve as cues for your discussion points. High-quality images and icons can make your slides appealing and professional. Avoid over-reliance on cue cards, as this can create a disconnect with your audience.

2. Embrace Multimedia Trends

Integrate current multimedia trends, such as interactive infographics, short video clips, and animated elements. These tools capture attention and simplify complex concepts. Well-designed graphs and data charts help your audience quickly grasp information without extensive explanations.

3. Diverse Media Formats

Use various media formats to keep your presentation dynamic and engaging. Combine videos, flipcharts, whiteboards, and practical demonstrations. This variety keeps the audience’s attention and prevents monotony.

4. Support and Enhance Your Speech

Visuals should not only support your speech but also contribute to it. Carefully selected images, including pictures, graphs, and infographics, help convey your message more effectively. They also serve as memory aids if you need to recall parts of your speech during the presentation.

By strategically using multimedia in presentations , you can create a more captivating and informative presentation that resonates with your audience.

Boosting Interaction and Engagement in Your Presentations  

Engaging your audience is key to keeping them involved in your presentation. Here are some interactive presentation ideas to enhance engagement:

1. Ask Questions

Incorporate questions throughout your presentation to keep your audience attentive. Pose “easy” questions that can be answered readily, encouraging participation and making the audience feel involved. This simple technique helps maintain interest and fosters a connection between you and your listeners.

2. Encourage Participation

Use interactive methods like polls or quizzes to involve your audience actively. These techniques not only make the presentation more dynamic but also provide instant feedback on how well your message is being received. Interactive elements can break the monotony and re-engage attention if it starts to wane.

3. Personalize Interactions

Directly engaging with audience members can make your points clearer and more relatable. Use examples that involve participants by name, referring to their work or experiences. This personal touch can make your presentation more memorable and meaningful.

4. Allocate Time for Q&A

Set aside a significant portion of your presentation time for a Q&A session, allowing your audience to ask questions and express concerns. A good rule of thumb is to spend half your allotted time on the presentation and the other half addressing audience queries. This approach not only clarifies any doubts but also shows that you value their input and are open to dialogue.

By integrating these interaction communication and engagement techniques, you can create a more compelling presentation that resonates  with your audience and keeps them involved  from start to finish.

Effective Presentation Techniques: Keys to Success

Crafting and delivering an impactful presentation requires a blend of preparation, audience alignment, engaging storytelling, and confident delivery. By mastering these essential elements, you can captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression.

Starting with meticulous planning, understanding your topic inside out lays the foundation for a compelling narrative. Organize your points logically, incorporating aids to enhance clarity. Tailoring your content to your audience’s interests ensures maximum engagement, while a strong opening and memorable conclusion bookend your presentation effectively.

Verbal communication elevates your delivery, fostering connection and rapport with your audience. Simplifying complex ideas and incorporating multimedia elements enhance comprehension and retention.

Storytelling injects life into your presentation, forging a deeper connection with your audience. Confidence, cultivated through thorough practice and self-awareness, is the linchpin of an impactful presentation. Finally, interaction and engagement techniques ensure active participation and maintain interest throughout.

By integrating these types of presentation tips, you can master the art of presentations, delivering messages that resonate deeply and inspire action.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why is topic mastery essential for presentations?

Mastering your presentation topic through deep research boosts your confidence and enables you to handle any questions from the audience effectively. Thorough understanding ensures you can deliver your points clearly and convincingly.

2. How can I keep my audience engaged throughout my presentation?

Customize your content to your audience’s needs and interests by using simple language and relatable examples. A well-structured presentation with a strong opening and memorable conclusion, coupled with engaging multimedia and interactive elements, ensures maximum engagement.

3. What are some tips for delivering a captivating presentation?

Practice public speaking clearly and confidently, and use gestures to relate to your audience. Incorporating multimedia and interactive elements such as polls and Q&A sessions can boost engagement and make your presentation more memorable.

4. How can I enhance my presentation with multimedia and visual aids?

Choose relevant and high-quality images that support and enhance your speech. Embrace diverse media formats, such as videos, flipcharts, and practical demonstrations, to keep your presentation dynamic and engaging.

Unlock Your Presentation Potential with Prezentium

Mastering presentations isn’t just about what you say but how you say it. From captivating your audience with a solid start to leaving a memorable impression with a powerful conclusion, every step counts. That’s where Prezentium comes in.

With our AI-powered overnight presentations , you can leave the hassle of crafting stellar presentations to us. Just email your requirements by 5:30 pm PST and wake up to a masterpiece in your inbox by 9:30 am PST the next business day.

Need expert guidance to transform ideas into exquisite presentations? Our team of Prezentation Specialists is here to help. We’ll work with you every step of the way to ensure your message shines.

Looking to hone your skills? Dive into our Zenith Learning workshops, where structured problem-solving meets storytelling. Master the 12 presentation skills, from planning to multimedia integration, and watch your presentations soar.

Don’t just deliver presentations; make an impact. Partner with Prezentium today and unlock your presentation potential.

Why wait? Avail a complimentary 1-on-1 session with our presentation expert. See how other enterprise leaders are creating impactful presentations with us.

7 Tips to Make a Business Presentation Template

7 tips for memorizing a speech, 5 best powerpoint alternative software to choose from in 2024.

Home Blog Business Guide to Crafting an Effective Strategy Presentation

Guide to Crafting an Effective Strategy Presentation

Presenting and communicating your strategies to align a team’s effort remains one of management’s priority tasks. Regardless of the company’s scale, strategic presentations help convey complex strategic plans into clear and actionable tasks to follow in accordance with the business goals.

In this guide, we will show you how to effectively create a strategic presentation, the elements it should list, and some recommendations for PowerPoint templates to speed up this process.

Table of Contents

• What is a Strategy Presentation?

Types of Strategy Presentations

• How to Structure a Strategy Presentation

Do and Don’ts of Strategy Presentations

Recommended powerpoint templates for strategy presentations, key takeaways, what is a strategy presentation.

A strategy presentation is a communication tool designed to communicate goals, strategic plans or pre-formulated strategies, and initiatives to stakeholders. The strategy presentation slide deck aims to outline the company’s vision, strategic goals, and the specific actions needed to achieve them. To accomplish that, strategy presentation slides typically introduce a mixture of visual aids with relevant data to maximize the retention rate across the audience.

We can define the following categories for strategy presentations.

Strategic Plan Presentations

Strategic plan presentations are intended to communicate the organization’s long-term goals and the strategies to achieve them to stakeholders. This kind of presentation may cover topics such as market analysis, strategic objectives, and detailed action plans. 

The primary purpose is to align the team and stakeholders around a shared vision and ensure everyone understands the steps necessary to drive the organization toward its strategic goals.

Sales Strategy Presentations

Sales strategy presentations are targeted toward increasing the sales revenue inside an organization within a specific time frame. These presentations detail the tactics, target markets, and objectives involved in boosting sales performance. They typically include an analysis of market trends, competitive positioning, and specific sales goals – elements we can find in a sales plan presentation . 

The core objective in sales strategy presentations is for team members to understand their role in executing the sales strategy and how to measure the impact of their actions.

Marketing Strategy Presentations

Marketing strategy presentations are instances in which the marketing plan presentation is communicated to the team and stakeholders. These presentations outline the methods and channels the company will use to reach its target audience and achieve marketing objectives. We can find details on market research, customer segmentation, positioning strategies, and planned marketing campaigns.

Think of a marketing strategy presentation as a roadmap for how marketing efforts can contribute to the overall business goals. It ensures clarity on task execution, expected outcomes, and resource allocation.

Business Model Strategy Presentations

Business model strategy presentations outline the fundamental structures and mechanisms through which a company creates, delivers and captures value. These presentations explain the business model components, such as revenue streams, cost structures, customer segments, value propositions, and key partnerships. 

The objective is to articulate how the company operates within its market and competitive environment, detailing strategies for sustainability and growth.

Product Development Strategy Presentations

Product development strategy presentations focus on the stages and processes required to design, create, and launch a new product. These presentations typically cover the product concept, design iterations, market research, target customer analysis, production processes, and marketing strategies. They aim to align cross-functional teams—such as R&D, marketing, and production—on the product’s vision, features, and roadmap.

IT Strategy Presentations

IT strategy presentations communicate an organization’s technology-related plans and objectives. They outline how IT resources, infrastructure, and initiatives align with the broader business strategy to enhance operational efficiency, support growth, and mitigate risks. Key topics typically include adopting new technologies, cybersecurity measures, data management strategies, and IT governance.

Change Management Strategy Presentations

Change management strategy presentations are typically used in organization restructuring scenarios – after mergers, acquisitions, or significant internal restructuring – outlining the approach and plans for managing organizational changes. Change Management Strategy presentations detail the reasons for change, the specific changes to be implemented, the strategies for managing the transition, and the impact on stakeholders. Key elements often include stakeholder analysis, communication plans , training programs , and mechanisms for feedback. 

The primary goal of Change Management Strategy slide decks is to facilitate a smooth transition by preparing the organization and its members for change, minimizing resistance, and ensuring that changes are effectively integrated into the organization to achieve desired outcomes and improve overall performance.

How to Structure an Effective Strategy Presentation

In our experience, here’s a suggested presentation structure format for a strategic presentation.

The Introduction

Begin your presentation with a relevant hook for the topic you are approaching (see our guide on How to Start a Presentation for tips). Use an agenda slide to introduce the key themes and strategic objectives to discuss. Additionally, consider incorporating an executive summary to provide a concise overview of the strategy, highlighting key decisions and expected outcomes.

Body of the Presentation

Depending on the kind of strategic presentation you deliver and the tools and slides required to design it. As a general guide, consider this approach per category:

• Strategic Plan Presentations: Strategic planning requires vision and mission statements, strategic goals , market analysis, SWOT analysis , action plans, and a timeline for accomplishing them.
• Sales Strategy Presentations: We need to showcase sales objectives, target market analysis, sales methods and tactics, performance metrics, and sales forecasts.
• Marketing Strategy Presentations: For this category, consider listing the marketing goals, customer segmentation, value proposition, marketing channels, budget, and timeline.
• Business Model Strategy Presentations: This can be done as part of a business plan presentation . Include the business model canvas, revenue streams, value propositions, key partnerships, and customer relationships.
• Product Development Strategy Presentations: Since we’re considering an entire product development plan, be sure to list the product concept, design and development process, market research, product roadmap, and the Go-to-market strategy .
• IT Strategy Presentations: This selection is mainly intended for organizations looking to renew their IT strategy. List the IT objectives, technology roadmap, infrastructure needs, cybersecurity strategy, IT budget, and resource allocation.
• Change Management Strategy Presentations : In this case, be clear about the core reason behind the change management. Include the change management plan, stakeholder analysis, communication strategy, training, and support plans.

The Conclusion

Concluding a strategy presentation effectively is crucial for reinforcing the key messages and ensuring that the audience leaves with a clear understanding of the strategic objectives and their role in achieving them. To achieve this, consider the following steps:

• Summarize Key Points: Summarize the business presentation , briefly recap the main strategic goals and necessary actions, reinforcing the session’s core messages.
• Closing Statement: End with a compelling statement or call to action that encapsulates the presentation’s vision, motivating your audience.
• Multimedia Element: Optionally, use a short impactful video or visual to vividly summarize the strategy, enhancing retention.
• Q&A Session: Allocate 3-5 minutes for questions to clarify uncertainties and engage the audience further.
• Follow-Up Details: Provide information on how attendees can access more resources or ask additional questions.
• Express Gratitude: Conclude by thanking your audience for their participation, emphasizing their importance to the strategy’s success.

Aside from these tips, we can also follow the recommendations from our article explaining how to end a presentation , which also recommends using a media presentation asset, like videos, although it’s advisable to leave 3-5 minutes for a question and answer session.

Follow these insights to improve the quality and impact of your strategy presentations.

Do(s) of Strategy Presentations

• Use visual aids to summarize concepts. 
• Prepare handouts so the audience can further reference the information you deliver.
• Tailor your presentation to include interactive presentation instances, as they can help to engage the audience in the importance of their role.
• Consider a follow-up after a week. This can be in email format, with a poll, or a brief meeting in which you can evacuate doubts.

Don’t(s) of Strategy Presentations

• Respect your audience’s time, and don’t go overboard, especially if this involves sacrificing the Q&A session.
• Don’t use outdated data. Ensure all your statistics and references are current and relevant.
• Avoid using industry-specific terms without explaining them, unless you are sure that your audience will understand.

To speed up your strategy presentation design process, here’s a list of recommended PowerPoint templates and Google Slides templates by SlideModel.

1. Brand Strategy PowerPoint Template

This brand strategy template for presentations includes striking visuals and cohesive color scheme. Whether you’re presenting a brand strategy presentation to stakeholders or team members, this brand strategy PPT template empowers you to convey the essence of your brand strategy with clarity and impact. Use the brand strategy PowerPoint template to guide your audience through your brand’s journey and strategic milestones.

Use This Template

2. Goals Based Strategic Planning PowerPoint Templates

With a goal-oriented approach, the goal-based strategic planning PPT template emphasizes setting measurable objectives to transform visions into actionable results. This strategy presentation template provides a forward-looking framework, where goals are established from a future vantage point and brought to life through detailed KPIs, such as revenue targets and profit margins.

The Goal-based strategic planning template contains 15 customizable slides, including GAP analyses, problem statements, and strategic action plans, complete with a 30-60-90 day timeline.

3. Sustainability Strategy PowerPoint Template

4. Communication Strategy PowerPoint Template

5. Go-To-Market PowerPoint Template

Frequently Asked Questions

To make a strategy presentation more engaging, use interactive elements like polls or Q&A sessions, incorporate storytelling to contextualize data, and use visual aids and animations to highlight key points.

The ideal length of a strategy presentation varies based on content and audience, but generally, it should not exceed 30 minutes. This duration helps maintain audience attention while leaving time for discussions and Q&A session .

Strategy presentations should be updated regularly, at least annually or as major changes occur within the organization or industry. Regular updates ensure that the content remains relevant and reflects current goals and strategies.

To engage senior executives, focus on summarizing strategic impacts, ROI, and alignment with overarching business goals . Keep the presentation concise, data-driven, and directly related to decision-making and organizational growth.

Providing handouts can be very beneficial, especially for complex presentations. Handouts allow attendees to revisit the content at their own pace, which can aid in better understanding and retention.

• Clarify Goals and Objectives: Strategy presentations are essential for communicating clear, actionable goals and strategic plans to stakeholders.
• Incorporate Visuals Aids: Incorporating visual slides with charts, graphs, and infographics can greatly enhance understanding and retention of complex information.
• Adapt Presentation to Audience: Tailoring the presentation to the audience’s knowledge level and interest ensures greater engagement and comprehension.
• Use of Templates: Employing professional strategy PowerPoint or Google Slides templates can streamline the creation process and ensure a consistent, professional appearance.
• Engagement and Interaction: Incorporating interactive elements and engaging visuals helps maintain audience interest and facilitates better understanding of their roles in strategy implementation.
• Continuous Update and Feedback: Regular updates and follow-ups help keep the strategy aligned with organizational goals and stakeholder expectations.

Final Words

A well-prepared strategy presentation is a powerful tool for communicating an organization’s objectives. Presenters should focus on leveraging their graphical assets so the text inside slides is reduced to the minimum—content that can be shared in handouts for presentation format—which guarantees a smooth experience for the audience.

Like this article? Please share

Presentation Approaches, Strategy Filed under Business

Related Articles

Filed under Business • July 24th, 2024

How to Create a Demo Presentation

Discover the secrets behind successful demo presentations and what they should contain with this article. Recommended PPT templates included.

Filed under Presentation Ideas • July 17th, 2024

How to Convert a Text Document into a Presentation with AI

One of the biggest challenges for presenters is to summarize content from lengthy reports, academic papers, or any other kind of written media in an informative and concise way. Rather than losing countless hours going over and over the same text, we can speed up the process thanks to the virtues of artificial intelligence. In […]

Filed under Education • July 10th, 2024

How to Memorize a Presentation: Guide + Templates

Become a proficient presenter by mastering the art of how to memorize a presentation. Nine different techniques + PPT templates here.

Leave a Reply

• Google Slides Presentation Design
• Pitch Deck Design
• Powerpoint Redesign
• Other Design Services

• Design Tips
• Guide & How to's
• Presenting techniques

Presenting is a craft that requires a thoughtful approach. There’s a lot of stuff to include in the good presentation. From quality visuals to a compelling speech, everything matters. Doing a presentation on your own may be quite a challenge especially if it’s your first time experience with the presentations. What can really help though, are the effective presentation techniques. In essence, they are the blueprint for your presentation, that helps you to hit all the right spots. Let’s look into some of those techniques.

Presentation Methods

Before you start thinking of a technique, let’s first understand the presentation methods and how they relate to the audience and the content of your presentation. Among the different presentation methods, the main ones are formal and formal. Their difference is mainly in the style of your delivery and the data presentation methods. The formal presentation is best suited for the business meetings or college level, scientific presentations. The informal methods of presentation can best be used during the smaller meetings with your team to discuss business subjects or, for example, at a Ted-like speech event.

Method 1: Keeping Everything Simple

This is a rather basic technique. Just strip your presentation of all the unnecessary information, leaving only the core statements that you want to address. Simplicity not only helps your audience to understand your points better but even more, this data presentation method lowers the risk of making a mistake, forgetting — and saves you and your audience quite a lot of time! There are different definitions of simplicity — sometimes just a few words are enough, while in other cases several bullet points on the slide may be sufficient. Choose what suits your topic best.

Method 2: Good Start 

This method of presentation is all about attention-grabbing. Starting your presentation with a powerful statement, unusual fact or an interesting question will make the audience engage in your presentation instantly. Another great way to start is a joke, though humor can be quite a landmine, especially when you’re presenting in front of strangers, and you are not sure whether your joke would be fun or actually offensive.  So, try to think of something neutral, yet funny.

Method 3: Use  Visuals in your Presentation

Visuals are a must for any presentation and are able not only to support your speech but also to tell and contribute to the stuff you’re telling about. The pictures, graphs, infographics, and even short videos especially when done by presentation design services are what truly make the presentation, and help you to connect with your audience. A carefully selected visual connects both with your speech and the slide content, making your presentation methods work in complete harmony. What is more, visuals can serve as a great way to help you recall your speech in case you suddenly forgot some of it during the presentation.

Method 4:   Rehearse

Don’t rush to tell your presentation just once you’ve made it. Instead, try to first rehearse your presentation in front of a mirror. This presentation technique allows you to spot the mistakes and downfalls in your speech and visual part and improve powerpoint presentation . What is more, it can also make you more confident, as with each time you rehearse you’ll memorize your stuff better and better. Bonus points for starting rehearsing from the random spots in your presentation — using this presentation technique will allow you to become completely familiar with your information.

Method 5:   10/20/30 Presentation Rule

While it may not be applied to all of the presentations, the ones that you are usually dealing with can really benefit from it. 10 20 30 rule is about the time and size of your presentation: 

• Your presentation should have no more than 10 slides
• The time needed for the presentation should be no more than 20 minutes
• The font you are using for presentation text (if there is any on slides) is no less than 30 point

Method 6:  Storytelling

Telling a story is a powerful presentation technique for keeping the audience interested. In general, people get bored from being fed just straight-up facts and numbers for a long time. However, an interesting story, connected to the subject of your presentation gives that personal touch to it, engaging the audience into what you are talking about. What is more, a good story in the context of the presentation will actually resonate with the audience, causing more approval to you as an expert.

• Tell a personal  story .
• Create suspense.
• Bring characters to life.
• Build up to S.T.A.R moment.

Method 7:   Presentate with your Voice

Speech is the most common method of presentation . When you are presenting, it’s important not only WHAT you say, but also HOW do you say it. Creating a proper voice for presentations is actually one of the things you need rehearsal for. Your goal is to sound confident and interested in the subject you are telling about. What is more, it is important to not make unnecessary pauses and avoid the “ummm”, “oh” and other similar stuff that slows down your presentation and may put off the audience.

Method 8:   Know your Audience

Make sure that the data presentation methods you are using make your data  relevant to your audience. The research of your audience is needed to craft a relatable story, as well as to understand what approach in presenting you may want to take. After you’ve done the research, you can just tell the audience what it wants and expects to hear. Such an approach would result in the satisfied and interested audience enjoying your presentation. And in this case your presentation would surely and up being a huge success!

Method 9:   Back up plan

Even though you may plan everything in advance, something can always go wrong. The strange ability of the hardware to malfunction right in the middle of your presentation is probably one of the most known presentation-related memes. So, plan at least some of the bad scenarios. For example, have a printed set of slides with you during your presentation. Check everything right before you’ll start presenting. A good idea also is to have your script written out so that in case you have completely forgotten some of its parts, you can easily and quickly look into it and goon with the presentation.

Method 10:   Relax

This one is not only a presentation technique , but a great life technique as well. Actually, the most common reason for the mistakes during presentations are the nerves and fear a lot of people feel while presenting. It’s absolutely normal to be a little worried about the presentation, but you have to instill confidence in your knowledge and expertise with the subject among the audience, and it’s hard to do if you feel fear. Try to reason with yourself — you have rehearsed, prepared great visuals, learned about the audience and even have a plan B in case the situation gets worse. There’s nothing to worry about — you have all the right presentation techniques !

#ezw_tco-2 .ez-toc-widget-container ul.ez-toc-list li.active::before { background-color: #ededed; } Table of contents

• 50 tips on how to improve PowerPoint presentations in 2022-2023 [Updated]
• Present financial information visually in PowerPoint to drive results
• Keynote VS PowerPoint
• Types of presentations

How to make a presentation interactive

8 rules of effective presentation

How to select and use fonts in PPT

The 10-Step Guide for a Successful Strategy Presentation

Discover essential steps and best practices in 'How to Write a Strategy Presentation.' Elevate your approach and effectively communicate your strategic vision with our comprehensive guide.

StrategyPunk

Introduction

Now, picture this: a room hanging onto your every word, eyes lit with interest.

It’s time for your audience to listen and be utterly captivated.

How to Write a Strategy Presentation: 10 Steps

1. set the stage right.

In the same way, before you even think of diving into your content, please know your audience.

Connect on a personal level, and half your battle is already won. 🎯

2. Define Your Mission

Once you have that clarity, your path becomes straightforward. Trust me, your audience will thank you for it.

3. Craft an Unforgettable Opening

4. break down the core.

In your strategy presentation, this is the issue or challenge at hand.

So, you’ve hooked them with the problem and dazzled them with your solution.

5. Elevate with Design

That’s gold. And hey, always lean into simplicity. Less is more, especially on slides. 🖼️

6. Weave in Stories

7. get them talking.

No one enjoys a monologue. You can turn your presentation into a dialogue.

8. Wrap it Up with Pizzazz

You're nearing the end. This is where you cement all you've shared.

9. Rehearse to Perfection

Know each slide, each transition, and each pause. Familiarize yourself with the flow. The more comfortable you are with the material, the more confidently you'll deliver.

10. After the Applause: Your Next Moves

And always, always be open to feedback. It’s the breakfast of champions, after all.

So, go ahead and inspire change—illuminate minds. And make a lasting impact.🚀

Sign up for StrategyPunk

Bonus: your strategy presentation success checklist.

This list will guide you through each crucial step for impactful delivery, from understanding your audience to gathering feedback post-presentation.

Your trusty companion for every presentation!

Multi-Chapter Growth Strategy Framework (free template)

Lidl swot analysis: free ppt template and in-depth insights, global bites: pestle insights into nestlé (free ppt).

Download our free PPT template for in-depth PESTLE insights into Nestlé's global strategy. Learn more today!

PESTLE Analysis: Decoding Reddit's Landscape (Free PPT)

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

22 Developing a Presentation Strategy

Learning Objectives

Upon completing this chapter, you should be able to

• describe key communication format factors to consider when developing a presentation,
• describe the main functional elements of an effective introduction,
• match the main elements of the rhetorical model to where they are best applied in the development of a presentation,
• describe the functional organization in the body of an effective presentation,
• describe the main functional elements of an effective conclusion, and
• develop a presentation outline using the concepts discussed in the chapter.

Introduction

In beginning to think about a strategy for your presentation, you must move from thinking only about your “self” to how you will engage with the world outside of you, which, of course, includes your audience and environment.

This chapter focuses on helping you prepare a presentation strategy by first revisiting the acronym FAST, which will help you select an appropriate Format, prepare an Audience analysis, ensure your Style reflects your authentic personality and strengths, and that the Tone is appropriate for the occasion.

Then, after you’ve selected the appropriate channel, you will begin drafting your presentation first by considering the general and specific purposes of your presentation and using an outline to map your ideas and strategy.

You’ll also learn to consider whether to incorporate backchannels or other technology into your presentation, and, finally, you will begin to think about how to develop presentation aids that will support your topic and approach.

At the end of this chapter you should be armed with a solid strategy for approaching your presentation in a way that is authentically you, balanced with knowing what’s in it for your audience while making the most of the environment.

Preparing a Presentation Strategy

Incorporating fast.

In the Writing module, you learned the acronym FAST, which you can use to develop your message according to the elements of Format, Audience, Style, and Tone. When you are working on a presentation, much like in your writing, you will rely on FAST to help you make choices.

First, you’ll need to think about the Format of your presentation. This is a choice between presentation types. In your professional life you’ll encounter the verbal communication channels in the following table. The purpose column labels each channel with a purpose (I=Inform, P=Persuade, or E=Entertain) depending on that channel’s most likely purpose.

Table 3.2.1 Presentation Communication Channels

There are some other considerations to make when you are selecting a format. For example, the number of speakers may influence the format you choose. Panels and Presentations may have more than one speaker. In meetings and teleconferences, multiple people will converse. In a Workshop setting, one person will usually lead the event, but there is often a high-level of collaboration between participants.

The location of participants will also influence your decision. For example, if participants cannot all be in the same room, you might choose a teleconference or webinar. If asynchronous delivery is important, you might record a podcast. When choosing a technology-reliant channel, such as a teleconference or webinar, be sure to test your equipment and make sure each participant has access to any materials they need before you begin.

Once you have chosen a Format, make sure your message is right for your Audience, just as you did in the Foundations module, when you conducted your Audience Analysis. You’ll need to think about issues such as the following:

• What expectations will the audience have?
• What is the context of your communication?
• What does the audience already know about the topic?
• How is the audience likely to react to you and your message?

The AUDIENCE tool you used in the Foundations module will be helpful tool here.

Next, you’ll consider the style of your presentation. Some of the things you discovered about yourself as a speaker in the self-awareness exercises earlier will influence your presentation style. Perhaps you prefer to present formally, limiting your interaction with the audience, or perhaps you prefer a more conversational, informal style, where discussion is a key element. You may prefer to cover serious subjects, or perhaps you enjoy delivering humorous speeches. Style is all about your personality!

Finally, you’ll select a tone for your presentation. Your voice, body language, level of self-confidence, dress, and use of space all contribute to the mood that your message takes on. Consider how you want your audience to feel when they leave your presentation, and approach it with that mood in mind.

Presentation Purpose

Your presentation will have a general and specific purpose. Your general purpose may be to inform, persuade, or entertain—the same goals you had in previous modules. It’s likely that any speech you develop will have a combination these goals. Most presentations have a little bit of entertainment value, even if they are primarily attempting to inform or persuade. For example, the speaker might begin with a joke or dramatic opening, even though their speech is primarily informational.

Your specific purpose addresses what you are going to inform, persuade, or entertain your audience with—the main topic of your speech. Each example below includes two pieces of information: first, the general purpose; second, the specific purpose.

To inform the audience about my favourite car, the Ford Mustang

To persuade the audience that global warming is a threat to the environment

Aim to speak for 90 percent of your allotted time so that you have time to answer audience questions at the end (assuming you have allowed for this). If audience questions are not expected, aim for 95 percent. Do not go overtime—audience members may need to be somewhere else immediately following your presentation, and you will feel uncomfortable if they begin to pack up and leave while you are still speaking. Conversely, you don’t want to finish too early, as they may feel as if they didn’t get their “money’s worth.”

To assess the timing of your speech as you prepare, you can

• set a timer while you do a few practice runs, and take an average
• run your speech text through an online speech timer
• estimate based on the number of words (the average person speaks at about 120 words per minute)

You can improve your chances of hitting your time target when you deliver your speech, by marking your notes with an estimated time at certain points. For example, if your speech starts at 2 p.m., you might mark 2:05 at the start of your notes for the body section, so that you can quickly glance at the clock and make sure you are on target. If you get there more quickly, consciously try to pause more often or speak more slowly, or speed up a little if you are pressed for time. If you have to adjust your timing as you are delivering the speech, do so gradually. It will be jarring to the audience if you start out speaking at a moderate pace, then suddenly realize you are going to run out of time and switch to rapid-fire delivery!

Incorporating Backchannels

Have you ever been to a conference where speakers asked for audience questions via social media? Perhaps one of your teachers at school has used Twitter for student comments and questions, or has asked you to vote on an issue through an online poll. Technology has given speakers new ways to engage with an audience in real time, and these can be particularly useful when it isn’t practical for the audience to share their thoughts verbally—for example, when the audience is very large, or when they are not all in the same location.

These secondary or additional means of interacting with your audience are called backchannels, and you might decide to incorporate one into your presentation, depending on your aims. They can be helpful for engaging more introverted members of the audience who may not be comfortable speaking out verbally in a large group. Using publicly accessible social networks, such as a Facebook Page or Twitter feed, can also help to spread your message to a wider audience, as audience members share posts related to your speech with their networks. Because of this, backchannels are often incorporated into conferences; they are helpful in marketing the conference and its speakers both during and after the event.

There are some caveats involved in using these backchannels, though. If, for example, you ask your audience to submit their questions via Twitter, you’ll need to choose a hashtag for them to append to the messages so that you can easily find them. You’ll also need to have an assistant who will sort and choose the audience questions for you to answer. It is much too distracting for the speaker to do this on their own during the presentation. You could, however, respond to audience questions and comments after the presentation via social media, gaining the benefits of both written and verbal channels to spread your message.

Developing the Content

Creating an outline.

As with any type of messaging, it helps if you create an outline of your speech or presentation before you create it fully. This ensures that each element is in the right place and gives you a place to start to avoid the dreaded blank page. Here is an outline template that you can adapt for your purpose. Replace the placeholders in the Content column with your ideas or points, then make some notes in the Verbal and Visual Delivery column about how you will support or emphasize these points using the techniques we’ve discussed.

Table 3.2.2 Presentation Outline

The beginning of your speech needs an attention-grabber to get your audience interested right away. Choose your attention-grabbing device based on what works best for you topic. Your entire introduction should only be around 10 to 15 percent of your total speech, so be sure to keep this section short. Here are some devices that you could try:

Subject Statement – to the point, but not the most interesting choice.

We are surrounded by statistical information in today’s world, so understanding statistics is becoming paramount to citizenship in the twenty-first century.

Audience Reference – highlights something common to the audience that will make them interested in the topic.

As human resource professionals, you and I know the importance of talent management. In today’s competitive world, we need to invest in getting and keeping the best talent for our organizations to succeed.

Quotation – wise words of another person. You can find quotations online that cover just about any topic.

Oliver Goldsmith, a sixteenth-century writer, poet, and physician, once noted that “the true use of speech is not so much to express our wants as to conceal them.”

Current Event – refer to a current event in the news that demonstrates the relevance of your topic to the audience.

On January 10, 2007, Scott Anthony Gomez Jr. and a fellow inmate escaped from a Pueblo, Colorado, jail. During their escape the duo attempted to rappel from the roof of the jail using a makeshift ladder of bed sheets. During Gomez’s attempt to scale the building, he slipped, fell 40 feet, and injured his back. After being quickly apprehended, Gomez filed a lawsuit against the jail for making it too easy for him to escape.

Historical Event – Compare or contrast your topic with an occasion in history.

During the 1960s and ’70s, the United States intervened in the civil strife between North and South Vietnam. The result was a long-running war of attrition in which many American lives were lost and the country of Vietnam suffered tremendous damage and destruction. We saw a similar war waged in Iraq. American lives were lost, and stability has not yet returned to the region.

Anecdote, Parable, or Fable – An anecdote is a brief account or story of an interesting or humorous event, while a parable or fable is a symbolic tale designed to teach a life lesson.

In July 2009, a high school girl named Alexa Longueira was walking along a main boulevard near her home on Staten Island, New York, typing in a message on her cell phone. Not paying attention to the world around her, she took a step and fell right into an open manhole (Witney, 2009).

The ancient Greek writer Aesop told a fable about a boy who put his hand into a pitcher of filberts. The boy grabbed as many of the delicious nuts as he possibly could. But when he tried to pull them out, his hand wouldn’t fit through the neck of the pitcher because he was grasping so many filberts. Instead of dropping some of them so that his hand would fit, he burst into tears and cried about his predicament. The moral of the story? “Don’t try to do too much at once” (Aesop, 1881).

Surprising Statement – A strange fact or statistic related to your topic that startles your audience.

• A Boeing 747 airliner holds 57,285 gallons of fuel.
• The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year.
• There are no clocks in any casinos in Las Vegas.
• In 2000, Pope John Paul II became the most famous honorary member of the Harlem Globetrotters.

Question – You could ask either a question that asks for a response from your audience, or a rhetorical question, which does not need a response but is designed to get them thinking about the topic.

• Raise your hand if you have ever thought about backpacking in Europe.
• If you prick us, do we not bleed? (Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice)

Humour – A joke or humorous quotation can work well, but to use humour you need to be sure that your audience will find the comment funny. You run the risk of insulting members of the audience, or leaving them puzzled if they don’t get the joke, so test it out on someone else first!

“The only thing that stops God from sending another flood is that the first one was useless.” —Nicolas Chamfort, sixteenth-century French author

Personal Reference – Refer to a story about yourself that is relevant to the topic.

In the fall of 2008, I decided that it was time that I took my life into my own hands. After suffering for years with the disease of obesity, I decided to take a leap of faith and get a gastric bypass in an attempt to finally beat the disease.

Occasion Reference – This device is only relevant if your speech is occasion-specific, for example, a toast at a wedding, a ceremonial speech, or a graduation commencement.

Today we are here to celebrate the wedding of two wonderful people.

fter the attention-getter comes the rest of your introduction. It needs to do the following:

• Capture the audience’s interest
• State the purpose of your speech
• Establish credibility
• Give the audience a reason to listen
• Signpost the main ideas

Rhetoric and Argument

Your audience will think to themselves, Why should I listen to this speech? What’s in it for me? One of the best things you can do as a speaker is to answer these questions early in your body, if you haven’t already done so in your introduction. This will serve to gain their support early and will fill in the blanks of who, what, when, where, why, and how in their minds.

You may remember the three rhetorical proofs, namely, ethos, pathos, and logos, from the Writing Module. The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384‒322 B.C) considered these the three most important elements in a speaker’s arsenal.

Ethos refers to the speaker’s character and expertise. When you use ethos correctly, you are showing the audience that you are credible and that they can believe what you say. To cover this element in your speech, tell the audience why they should listen to you. You can do this by demonstrating your authority on your topic. For example, you could begin a persuasive speech on the dangers of drinking and driving with a short story about how you helped implement a “designated driver” program. This way the audience will understand your relationship to the message and form a positive perception of you. If you are trying to persuade the audience to donate blood, your credibility on the subject may come from your studies in the medical field or from having volunteered at a blood drive.

The term pathos refers to the use of emotion as a persuasive element. You have probably seen commercials on television for charities trying to raise funds for sick children or mistreated animals, complete with sad images and music; this is pathos at work. We don’t always make decisions based on clear thinking. We are easily moved by words, by a video clip, or by a piece of music, so this can be an effective way of convincing the audience to take a particular action. But it can be overdone, and the audience will tire of it if you push too hard. If pathos is central to your strategy, be subtle about it so that you don’t turn off your audience.

The term logos refers to logic. Aristotle believed that any argument should be based on logic, not pathos (emotion), but you might not agree! To win your audience over using logic, your speech must be carefully organized and present facts and evidence. Depending on the general purpose of your speech, particularly if its goal is to persuade, you may need to present an argument. To do this, logos is key. Think about what prosecutors do during a trial—particularly during closing arguments. This is the place for facts and reason. Prosecutors will argue that the scenario they have presented is the only logical interpretation of the evidence. To use logos effectively, incorporate expert testimony, statistics, and other reliable data.

Organization

An organized body helps your audience to follow your speech and recall your points later. When developing the body of your speech, recall the specific purpose you decided on, then choose main points to support it. Just two or three main points are usually sufficient, depending on the length of your speech. Anticipate one main point per two to three minutes of speaking.

To narrow down your main points, start by brainstorming. Don’t worry about judging the value or importance of the points at this stage; just write down as many possible points as you can that support your topic. What information does your audience need to know to understand your topic? What information does your speech need to convey to accomplish its specific purpose? Here is an example of a list that you might begin with.

Table 3.2.3 Organizing the Points in a Presentation

Once you have a list of points, you’ll need to narrow them down. Begin by looking for closely related minor points that can be grouped into one. This process is called chunking. Before reading our chunking of the preceding list, can you determine three large chunks out of the list above?

Table 3.2.4 Organizing the Main Points in a Presentation

The preceding list is a little disjointed, and not all of the topics work together clearly. These are just general ideas at this point. There is often more than one way to organize a speech. Some of these points could be left out, and others developed more fully, depending on the purpose and audience. You will refine this information until you have the number of main points you need. Ensure that they are distinct, and balance the content of your speech so that you spend roughly the same amount of time addressing each. You’ll also need to remember what you learned about parallel structure in the Writing Module, to make sure each of your main points is phrased in the same way. The last thing to do when working on your body is to make sure your points are in a logical order, so that your ideas flow naturally from one to the next.

Concluding on a High Note

You’ll need to keep your energy up until the very end of your speech. In your conclusion, your job is to let the audience know you are finished, help them remember what you’ve told them, and leave them with a final thought or call-to-action, depending on the general purpose of your message.

In this chapter you revisited the importance of FAST and AUDIENCE tools in helping to lay out a strategy that incorporates your own understanding with the needs of the audience. You learned about how to use an outline to stay organized and keep track of your ideas, as well as general and specific purposes. You learned the importance of sustaining your audience’s attention throughout the presentation with key approaches you can take as you write your introduction, body, and conclusion. You should now be prepared to take your strategy to the next level by ensuring you next consider whether and how to incorporate high-quality presentation aids.

Aesop (1881). Aesop’s fables. New York, NY: Wm. L. Allison. Retrieved from http://www.litscape.com/author/Aesop/The_Boy_and_the_Filberts.html

Ebbinghaus, H. (1885). Memory: A contribution to experimental psychology [Online version]. Retrieved from http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Ebbinghaus/index.htm

Whitney, L. (2009, July 13). Don’t text while walking? Girl learns the hard way. CNET News Wireless. Retrieved from http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10285466-94.html

Attribution Statement (Developing a Presentation Strategy)

This chapter is a remix containing content from a variety of sources published under a variety of open licenses, including the following:

Chapter Content

• Original content contributed by the Olds College OER Development Team, of Olds College to Professional Communications Open Curriculum under a CC-BY 4.0 license
• Content created by Anonymous for Organization and Outlines; in Communication for Business Success, previously shared at http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/communication-for-business-success-canadian-edition/s16-organization-and-outlines.html under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license

Check Your Understandings

• Original assessment items contributed by the Olds College OER Development Team, of Olds College to Professional Communications Open Curriculum under a CC-BY 4.0 license
• Assessment items created by Boundless, for Boundless Communications, Rehearsing the Speech Chapter Quiz, previously shared at https://www.boundless.com/quizzes/rehearsing-the-speech-quiz-93085/ under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license
• Assessment items in Stand Up, Speak Out: The Practice and Ethics of Public Speaking, Chapter 6 Exercises shared previously at http://www.saylor.org/books  under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license
• Assessment items created by Boundless, for Boundless Communications, The Role of the Introduction Chapter Quiz, previously shared at https://www.boundless.com/quizzes/introduction-quiz-80298/ under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license
• Assessment items created by Boundless, for Boundless Communications, The The Role of the Conclusion Chapter Quiz, previously shared at https://www.boundless.com/quizzes/conclusion-quiz-93492/ under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license
• Assessment items created by Boundless, for Boundless Communications, The Establishing Credibility Chapter Quiz, previously shared at https://www.boundless.com/quizzes/introduction-quiz-80298/ under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license
• Assessment items created by The Saylor Foundation for the saylor.org course Comm 101: Public Speaking, previously shared at https://learn.saylor.org/course/comm101 under a CC BY 3.0 US license

Professional Communications Copyright © by Olds College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

The Center for Educational Resources (CER) is now known as the Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation (CTEI). Same great staff, same great service.

Presentation Strategies

Effective communication is essential in the classroom and in the real world. Good presentation skills, including public speaking and the design of visual materials, can be learned. Following the best practices outlined in the videos and resources below will help you become more effective at communicating your ideas in a professional way, while developing your own personal style.

Quick links:

Videos on Presenting

Videos on design principles, narrated presentations in powerpoint, best practices for effective presentations - video.

This video provides strategies for planning and delivering an oral presentation.

Creating and Presenting Your Poster - Video

This video gives tips on what to consider when planning the content, structure, and presentation of a poster.

PowerPoint Design Concept - White Space

White space is a basic design concept that will help clarify information in your PowerPoint presentations and other forms of visual content.

PowerPoint Design Concept - Visual Hierarchy

Visual hierarchy is an important design concept that will help you communicate your main message more effectively.

  Designing Effective Presentations - Fonts

Fonts can set the tone for your presentation but it is also important to understand how to make them as legible as possible while communicating your main message.

  Designing Effective Presentations - Color

Making thoughtful color choices in your presentation not only helps to set the appropriate feel or style for your presentation but can also help to improve the clarity of your message.

After reviewing the materials above about presentation strategies and design principles, practice those ideas by creating a narrated presentation in PowerPoint. The newer versions of PowerPoint allow you to record yourself giving the presentation (just your voice). The result adds audio objects for each slide, which makes it possible to redo a slide or two if you make mistakes. The PowerPoint file can then be exported to a movie file, complete with slide transistions and animations, to be easily reviewed or shared. This can serve as great practice for your presentation before showtime. 

Create a Narrated Presentation

The following link provides a helpful tutorial for both PC and Mac versions of PowerPoint: Recording a slide show with narrations and slide timings

Export a Video File

To export your slideshow as a MP4 file (or other video file) with your audio narrations, please review the following help page, which describes both the PC and Mac versions method: Save a presentation as a Movie file or MP4

NOTE : Not all versions of PowerPoint have the features mentioned above. Hopkins Affiliates have access to a Microsoft Office 365 license which will allow you to download the newest version of Office including PowerPoint. Please visit the following page for how to download Microsoft Office 365: Office 365 Communication Hub, Microsoft Office

• Effective Poster Presentation - Handout
• This PDF presents strategies to consider in determing poster content, structure, and graphic design. It includes tips on presentation logisitics

We use essential cookies to make Venngage work. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Manage Cookies

Cookies and similar technologies collect certain information about how you’re using our website. Some of them are essential, and without them you wouldn’t be able to use Venngage. But others are optional, and you get to choose whether we use them or not.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are always on, as they’re essential for making Venngage work, and making it safe. Without these cookies, services you’ve asked for can’t be provided.

Show cookie providers

• Google Login

Functionality Cookies

These cookies help us provide enhanced functionality and personalisation, and remember your settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers.

Performance Cookies

These cookies help us analyze how many people are using Venngage, where they come from and how they're using it. If you opt out of these cookies, we can’t get feedback to make Venngage better for you and all our users.

• Google Analytics

Targeting Cookies

These cookies are set by our advertising partners to track your activity and show you relevant Venngage ads on other sites as you browse the internet.

• Google Tag Manager
• Infographics
• Daily Infographics
• Popular Templates
• Accessibility
• Graphic Design
• Graphs and Charts
• Data Visualization
• Human Resources
• Beginner Guides

Blog Graphic Design Visual Presentation: Tips, Types and Examples

Visual Presentation: Tips, Types and Examples

Written by: Krystle Wong Sep 28, 2023

So, you’re gearing up for that big presentation and you want it to be more than just another snooze-fest with slides. You want it to be engaging, memorable and downright impressive. 

Well, you’ve come to the right place — I’ve got some slick tips on how to create a visual presentation that’ll take your presentation game up a notch. 

Packed with presentation templates that are easily customizable, keep reading this blog post to learn the secret sauce behind crafting presentations that captivate, inform and remain etched in the memory of your audience.

Click to jump ahead:

What is a visual presentation

15 effective tips to make your visual presentations more engaging, 6 major types of visual presentation you should know , what are some common mistakes to avoid in visual presentations, visual presentation faqs, 5 steps to create a visual presentation with venngage.

A visual presentation is a communication method that utilizes visual elements such as images, graphics, charts, slides and other visual aids to convey information, ideas or messages to an audience. 

Visual presentations aim to enhance comprehension engagement and the overall impact of the message through the strategic use of visuals. People remember what they see, making your point last longer in their heads. 

Without further ado, let’s jump right into some great visual presentation examples that would do a great job in keeping your audience interested and getting your point across.

In today’s fast-paced world, where information is constantly bombarding our senses, creating engaging visual presentations has never been more crucial. To help you design a presentation that’ll leave a lasting impression, I’ve compiled these examples of visual presentations that will elevate your game.

1. Use the rule of thirds for layout

Ever heard of the rule of thirds? It’s a presentation layout trick that can instantly up your slide game. Imagine dividing your slide into a 3×3 grid and then placing your text and visuals at the intersection points or along the lines. This simple tweak creates a balanced and seriously pleasing layout that’ll draw everyone’s eyes.

2. Get creative with visual metaphors

Got a complex idea to explain? Skip the jargon and use visual metaphors. Throw in images that symbolize your point – for example, using a road map to show your journey towards a goal or using metaphors to represent answer choices or progress indicators in an interactive quiz or poll.

3. Engage with storytelling through data

Use storytelling magic to bring your data to life. Don’t just throw numbers at your audience—explain what they mean, why they matter and add a bit of human touch. Turn those stats into relatable tales and watch your audience’s eyes light up with understanding.

4. Visualize your data with charts and graphs

The right data visualization tools not only make content more appealing but also aid comprehension and retention. Choosing the right visual presentation for your data is all about finding a good match. 

For ordinal data, where things have a clear order, consider using ordered bar charts or dot plots. When it comes to nominal data, where categories are on an equal footing, stick with the classics like bar charts, pie charts or simple frequency tables. And for interval-ratio data, where there’s a meaningful order, go for histograms, line graphs, scatterplots or box plots to help your data shine.

In an increasingly visual world, effective visual communication is a valuable skill for conveying messages. Here’s a guide on how to use visual communication to engage your audience while avoiding information overload.

5. Employ the power of contrast

Want your important stuff to pop? That’s where contrast comes in. Mix things up with contrasting colors, fonts or shapes. It’s like highlighting your key points with a neon marker – an instant attention grabber.

6. End with a powerful visual punch

Your presentation closing should be a showstopper. Think a stunning clip art that wraps up your message with a visual bow, a killer quote that lingers in minds or a call to action that gets hearts racing.

7. Tell a visual story

Structure your slides like a storybook and create a visual narrative by arranging your slides in a way that tells a story. Each slide should flow into the next, creating a visual narrative that keeps your audience hooked till the very end.

Icons and images are essential for adding visual appeal and clarity to your presentation. Venngage provides a vast library of icons and images, allowing you to choose visuals that resonate with your audience and complement your message. 

8. Show the “before and after” magic

Want to drive home the impact of your message or solution? Whip out the “before and after” technique. Show the current state (before) and the desired state (after) in a visual way. It’s like showing a makeover transformation, but for your ideas.

9. Add fun with visual quizzes and polls

To break the monotony and see if your audience is still with you, throw in some quick image quizzes or polls. It’s like a mini-game break in your presentation — your audience gets involved and it makes your presentation way more dynamic and memorable.

10. Use visuals wisely

Your visuals are the secret sauce of a great presentation. Cherry-pick high-quality images, graphics, charts and videos that not only look good but also align with your message’s vibe. Each visual should have a purpose – they’re not just there for decoration. 

11. Utilize visual hierarchy

Employ design principles like contrast, alignment and proximity to make your key info stand out. Play around with fonts, colors and placement to make sure your audience can’t miss the important stuff.

12. Engage with multimedia

Static slides are so last year. Give your presentation some sizzle by tossing in multimedia elements. Think short video clips, animations, or a touch of sound when it makes sense, including an animated logo . But remember, these are sidekicks, not the main act, so use them smartly.

13. Interact with your audience

Turn your presentation into a two-way street. Start your presentation by encouraging your audience to join in with thought-provoking questions, quick polls or using interactive tools. Get them chatting and watch your presentation come alive.

When it comes to delivering a group presentation, it’s important to have everyone on the team on the same page. Venngage’s real-time collaboration tools enable you and your team to work together seamlessly, regardless of geographical locations. Collaborators can provide input, make edits and offer suggestions in real time. 

14. Incorporate stories and examples

Weave in relatable stories, personal anecdotes or real-life examples to illustrate your points. It’s like adding a dash of spice to your content – it becomes more memorable and relatable.

15. Nail that delivery

Don’t just stand there and recite facts like a robot — be a confident and engaging presenter. Lock eyes with your audience, mix up your tone and pace and use some gestures to drive your points home. Practice and brush up your presentation skills until you’ve got it down pat for a persuasive presentation that flows like a pro.

Venngage offers a wide selection of professionally designed presentation templates, each tailored for different purposes and styles. By choosing a template that aligns with your content and goals, you can create a visually cohesive and polished presentation that captivates your audience.

Looking for more presentation ideas ? Why not try using a presentation software that will take your presentations to the next level with a combination of user-friendly interfaces, stunning visuals, collaboration features and innovative functionalities that will take your presentations to the next level. 

Visual presentations come in various formats, each uniquely suited to convey information and engage audiences effectively. Here are six major types of visual presentations that you should be familiar with:

1. Slideshows or PowerPoint presentations

Slideshows are one of the most common forms of visual presentations. They typically consist of a series of slides containing text, images, charts, graphs and other visual elements. Slideshows are used for various purposes, including business presentations, educational lectures and conference talks.

2. Infographics

Infographics are visual representations of information, data or knowledge. They combine text, images and graphics to convey complex concepts or data in a concise and visually appealing manner. Infographics are often used in marketing, reporting and educational materials.

Don’t worry, they are also super easy to create thanks to Venngage’s fully customizable infographics templates that are professionally designed to bring your information to life. Be sure to try it out for your next visual presentation!

3. Video presentation

Videos are your dynamic storytellers. Whether it’s pre-recorded or happening in real-time, videos are the showstoppers. You can have interviews, demos, animations or even your own mini-documentary. Video presentations are highly engaging and can be shared in both in-person and virtual presentations .

4. Charts and graphs

Charts and graphs are visual representations of data that make it easier to understand and analyze numerical information. Common types include bar charts, line graphs, pie charts and scatterplots. They are commonly used in scientific research, business reports and academic presentations.

Effective data visualizations are crucial for simplifying complex information and Venngage has got you covered. Venngage’s chart templates enable you to create engaging charts, graphs,and infographics that enhance audience understanding and retention, leaving a lasting impression in your presentation.

5. Interactive presentations

Interactive presentations involve audience participation and engagement. These can include interactive polls, quizzes, games and multimedia elements that allow the audience to actively participate in the presentation. Interactive presentations are often used in workshops, training sessions and webinars.

Venngage’s interactive presentation tools enable you to create immersive experiences that leave a lasting impact and enhance audience retention. By incorporating features like clickable elements, quizzes and embedded multimedia, you can captivate your audience’s attention and encourage active participation.

6. Poster presentations

Poster presentations are the stars of the academic and research scene. They consist of a large poster that includes text, images and graphics to communicate research findings or project details and are usually used at conferences and exhibitions. For more poster ideas, browse through Venngage’s gallery of poster templates to inspire your next presentation.

Different visual presentations aside, different presentation methods also serve a unique purpose, tailored to specific objectives and audiences. Find out which type of presentation works best for the message you are sending across to better capture attention, maintain interest and leave a lasting impression. 

To make a good presentation , it’s crucial to be aware of common mistakes and how to avoid them. Without further ado, let’s explore some of these pitfalls along with valuable insights on how to sidestep them.

Overloading slides with text

Text heavy slides can be like trying to swallow a whole sandwich in one bite – overwhelming and unappetizing. Instead, opt for concise sentences and bullet points to keep your slides simple. Visuals can help convey your message in a more engaging way.

Using low-quality visuals

Grainy images and pixelated charts are the equivalent of a scratchy vinyl record at a DJ party. High-resolution visuals are your ticket to professionalism. Ensure that the images, charts and graphics you use are clear, relevant and sharp.

Choosing the right visuals for presentations is important. To find great visuals for your visual presentation, Browse Venngage’s extensive library of high-quality stock photos. These images can help you convey your message effectively, evoke emotions and create a visually pleasing narrative. 

Ignoring design consistency

Imagine a book with every chapter in a different font and color – it’s a visual mess. Consistency in fonts, colors and formatting throughout your presentation is key to a polished and professional look.

Reading directly from slides

Reading your slides word-for-word is like inviting your audience to a one-person audiobook session. Slides should complement your speech, not replace it. Use them as visual aids, offering key points and visuals to support your narrative.

Lack of visual hierarchy

Neglecting visual hierarchy is like trying to find Waldo in a crowd of clones. Coupling this with video transcription can make your presentation more comprehensive and engaging. Use size, color and positioning to emphasize what’s most important. Guide your audience’s attention to key points so they don’t miss the forest for the trees.

Ignoring accessibility

Accessibility isn’t an option these days; it’s a must. Forgetting alt text for images, color contrast and closed captions for videos can exclude individuals with disabilities from understanding your presentation. 

Relying too heavily on animation

While animations can add pizzazz and draw attention, overdoing it can overshadow your message. Use animations sparingly and with purpose to enhance, not detract from your content.

Using jargon and complex language

Keep it simple. Use plain language and explain terms when needed. You want your message to resonate, not leave people scratching their heads.

Not testing interactive elements

Interactive elements can be the life of your whole presentation, but not testing them beforehand is like jumping into a pool without checking if there’s water. Ensure that all interactive features, from live polls to multimedia content, work seamlessly. A smooth experience keeps your audience engaged and avoids those awkward technical hiccups.

Presenting complex data and information in a clear and visually appealing way has never been easier with Venngage. Build professional-looking designs with our free visual chart slide templates for your next presentation.

What is a visual presentation?

A visual presentation is a method of presenting information through visual aids such as slides, images, charts and videos. It enhances understanding and retention by illustrating key points and data visually. Visual presentations are commonly used in meetings, lectures, and conferences to engage and inform the audience effectively.

What is the role of storytelling in visual presentations?

Storytelling plays a crucial role in visual presentations by providing a narrative structure that engages the audience, helps them relate to the content and makes the information more memorable.

What software or tools can I use to create visual presentations?

You can use various software and tools to create visual presentations, including Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, Adobe Illustrator, Canva, Prezi and Venngage, among others.

What is the difference between a visual presentation and a written report?

The main difference between a visual presentation and a written report is the medium of communication. Visual presentations rely on visuals, such as slides, charts and images to convey information quickly, while written reports use text to provide detailed information in a linear format.

How do I effectively communicate data through visual presentations?

To effectively communicate data through visual presentations, simplify complex data into easily digestible charts and graphs, use clear labels and titles and ensure that your visuals support the key messages you want to convey.

Are there any accessibility considerations for visual presentations?

Accessibility considerations for visual presentations include providing alt text for images, ensuring good color contrast, using readable fonts and providing transcripts or captions for multimedia content to make the presentation inclusive.

Most design tools today make accessibility hard but Venngage’s Accessibility Design Tool comes with accessibility features baked in, including accessible-friendly and inclusive icons.

How do I choose the right visuals for my presentation?

Choose visuals that align with your content and message. Use charts for data, images for illustrating concepts, icons for emphasis and color to evoke emotions or convey themes.

How can I adapt my visual presentations for online or virtual audiences?

To adapt visual presentations for online or virtual audiences, focus on concise content, use engaging visuals, ensure clear audio, encourage audience interaction through chat or polls and rehearse for a smooth online delivery.

What is the role of data visualization in visual presentations?

Data visualization in visual presentations simplifies complex data by using charts, graphs and diagrams, making it easier for the audience to understand and interpret information.

How do I choose the right color scheme and fonts for my visual presentation?

Choose a color scheme that aligns with your content and brand and select fonts that are readable and appropriate for the message you want to convey.

How can I measure the effectiveness of my visual presentation?

Measure the effectiveness of your visual presentation by collecting feedback from the audience, tracking engagement metrics (e.g., click-through rates for online presentations) and evaluating whether the presentation achieved its intended objectives.

Follow the 5 simple steps below to make your entire presentation visually appealing and impactful:

1. Sign up and log In: Log in to your Venngage account or sign up for free and gain access to Venngage’s templates and design tools.

2. Choose a template: Browse through Venngage’s presentation template library and select one that best suits your presentation’s purpose and style. Venngage offers a variety of pre-designed templates for different types of visual presentations, including infographics, reports, posters and more.

3. Edit and customize your template: Replace the placeholder text, image and graphics with your own content and customize the colors, fonts and visual elements to align with your presentation’s theme or your organization’s branding.

4. Add visual elements: Venngage offers a wide range of visual elements, such as icons, illustrations, charts, graphs and images, that you can easily add to your presentation with the user-friendly drag-and-drop editor.

5. Save and export your presentation: Export your presentation in a format that suits your needs and then share it with your audience via email, social media or by embedding it on your website or blog .

So, as you gear up for your next presentation, whether it’s for business, education or pure creative expression, don’t forget to keep these visual presentation ideas in your back pocket.

Feel free to experiment and fine-tune your approach and let your passion and expertise shine through in your presentation. With practice, you’ll not only build presentations but also leave a lasting impact on your audience – one slide at a time.

Discover popular designs

Infographic maker

Brochure maker

White paper online

Newsletter creator

Flyer maker

Timeline maker

Letterhead maker

Mind map maker

Ebook maker

Improve your practice.

Enhance your soft skills with a range of award-winning courses.

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.

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.

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.

• Enquire Now
• Receive a Brochure
• Check Your MBA Eligibility
• Apply Today
• Refer a Friend

Did you know we have over 2,000 students and graduates across Canada?

The Fast-Track MBA

Designed for busy working professionals, this fully online MBA course is highly flexible and delivered with interactive, bite-sized content and personalised student support.

Fast-Track MBA Specialisations

• MBA (Entrepreneurial Management)
• MBA (Finance)
• MBA (Human Resource Management)
• MBA (Logistics and Supply Chain Management)
• MBA (Marketing Management)

Postgraduate Certificates

• Graduate Certificate in Management

Study With Us

• Why Study With Us?
• What is the Fast-Track MBA?
• Testimonials
• Industry Guest Speakers
• Partnerships
• Career Growth
• Discovering a High-Quality MBA

Getting started

• How to Apply for the Fast-Track MBA
• Introduction to FEE-HELP
• Brochure Library

Tools & Calculators

• MBA ROI Calculator
• MBA Hours Per Week Calculator
• FEE-HELP Calculator
• Student Resources
• Online Learning
• Student Safety and Wellbeing

Student Handbook

• Study with AIB
• Finance and Payment Options
• Study Support
• Inclusion, Wellbeing & Career Support
• Course Completion, Graduation and Alumni
• AIB Alumni Network
• Alumni Engagement
• Alumni Ask Me Anything
• Dean’s Merit List
• Research at AIB
• Research Higher Degrees
• Research Excellence and Engagement
• Research Structure and Governance
• Information for Research Candidates
• Start Your Research Journey Today

Research Degree Courses

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
• Master of Management (MMgt)
• Graduate Certificate in Research Methodologies
• Accreditations and Memberships
• Academic Staff
• Academic Board
• Industry Engagement

Keep Up to Date

• Media Releases

e.g. start dates, career outcomes

5 Presentation Strategies for Effective Presentations

Let’s face it – being informative, dynamic and engaging all at the same time is a big ask, but that is exactly what is required for a winning presentation. Sure, it’s easy to whip up some quality PowerPoint slides or read some well researched and prepared notes to an audience, but how do you make a merely good presentation great? Here are 5 strategies that will have you on your way to effective presentations.

1. Get the structure right

When doing a presentation, preparation is essential. For your audience to follow what you’re talking about, you need to have a pre-defined structure. The best way of formulating this structure is to put yourself in the shoes of the people you need to speak to. If you’re presenting to a new client, think about their needs and expectations. If you’re presenting to a conference full of professionals, think about what those people actually want to hear.  Think carefully about what it is that your audience needs to know and break that down into interesting, digestible chunks of information in a logical structure.

2. Know your stuff

Next, make sure you know your stuff.  Do the research required and make sure the information you’re presenting is 100% factual and correct. Spending time preparing a presentation is certainly time well spent. Use examples to demonstrate your points, and don’t be afraid to use anecdotes or stories to help convey information.  If presenting statistics, make sure you understand where they come from, what assumptions have been made and think about what questions your audience may ask when presented with the information.

3. Make eye contact

Making eye contact is key to delivering an effective presentation, and it’s absolutely crucial if you wish to engage your audience. Simply reading from a PowerPoint presentation, or worse, from a notebook, is not good enough. Try using cue cards with salient points to jog your memory, but most of all practice your presentation. Rehearsing out loud will not only help you to remember the content, but it’s also a great way to decide what’s working and what’s not in your delivery of the information.

4. Use more imagery than text

Remember the old adage, a picture says a thousand words? Effective presentations make good use of imagery. If you’re talking to PowerPoint slides, avoid cluttering them with so much information that no one will read them. Include only key points on the slides and intersperse images throughout your presentation to create interest and to connect to your audience’s senses. If you need to convey complex information, consider an infographic, a diagram or graph to show the information clearly in a visual format.

5. Be the best version of yourself

Doing presentations can be stressful, and it’s often tough to pull it all together if you’re feeling nervous or unprepared. It’s normal to be a little nervous, but try some breathing exercises prior to your presentation to keep the nerves at bay. Avoid drinking milky drinks before public speaking as it thickens saliva and may affect your speech or increase the need to clear your throat.

A 10 minute presentation can feel like hours if you’re feeling nervous, and often our body’s natural response is to rush, so it’s important to remember to slow down. Ensure your speech is clear and avoid speaking too quickly.  Remember, being the best version of yourself is aided by sufficient preparation and practice. If you’ve done this, it will be much easier to relax and be confident in your ability to deliver a great presentation.

What do you think?

Delivering engaging, successful, and effective presentations is certainly harder said than done. We’d love for you to add to this list. What other strategies do you recommend to take presentations to the next level?

This article was written by Ellenor Day-Lutz on behalf of the Australian Institute of Business. All opinions are that of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of AIB.

Find out more about Australia’s No.1 MBA*

Ever wondered what an MBA could be worth?

Measure the MBA ROI with our calculator

Download brochure

Get the Fast Track MBA brochure delivered to your inbox now

*The Australian Institute of Business (AIB) is Australia’s largest provider of MBAs. Source Ready, B. (2023) Domestic Enrolments Surged During COVID After International Students Locked Out, MBA News. Available at: MBA News.

Very interesting and helpful

Post a comment

How to Give a Persuasive Presentation [+ Examples]

Published: December 29, 2020

A presentation aimed at persuading an audience to take a specific action can be the most difficult type to deliver, even if you’re not shy of public speaking.

Creating a presentation that effectively achieves your objective requires time, lots of practice, and most importantly, a focused message.

With the right approach, you can create a presentation that leaves a skeptical audience enthusiastic to get on board with your project.

In this post, we'll cover the basics of building a persuasive presentation. Let's dive in.

What is a persuasive presentation?

In its most basic form, a persuasive presentation features a speaker who tries to influence an audience to accept certain positions and engage in actions in support of them. A good persuasive presentation uses a mixture of facts, logic, and empathy to help an audience see an issue from a perspective they previously discounted or hadn’t considered.

How to Plan a Persuasive Presentation

Want to make a persuasive presentation that connects with your audience? Follow these steps to win friends and influence people within your audience.

1. Decide on a single ask.

The key to convincing your audience is to first identify the singular point you want to make. A good persuasive presentation will focus on one specific and easy-to-understand proposition. Even if that point is part of a broader initiative, it ideally needs to be presented as something your audience can say "yes" or "no" to easily.

A message that isn’t well-defined or which covers too much can cause the audience to lose interest or reject it outright. A more focused topic can also help your delivery sound more confident, which (for better or worse) is an important factor in convincing people.

2. Focus on fewer (but more relevant ) facts.

Remember: You are (in the vast majority of cases) not the target audience for your presentation. To make your presentation a success, you’ll need to know who your audience is so you can shape your message to resonate with them.

When crafting your messaging, put yourself in your audience's headspace and attempt to deeply understand their position, needs, and concerns. Focus on arguments and facts that speak specifically to your audience's unique position.

As we wrote in our post on How to Present a Compelling Argument When You're Not Naturally Persuasive , "just because a fact technically lends support to your claim doesn't mean it will sway your audience. The best evidence needs to not only support your claim but also have a connection to your audience."

What are the target audience's pain points that you can use to make a connection between their needs and your goals? Focus on those aspects, and cut any excess information. Fewer relevant facts are always more impactful than an abundance of unfocused pieces of evidence.

3. Build a narrative around your evidence.

If you want to persuade someone of something, it’s not enough to win their brain -- you need their heart in it, too. Try to make an emotional connection with your audience throughout your presentation to better sell them on the facts you’re presenting. Your audience is human, after all, so some emotional tug will go a long way to shaking up how they view the issue you’re talking about. A little bit of emotion could be just what your audience needs to make your facts “click.”

The easiest way to incorporate an emotional pull into your presentation is through the use of narrative elements. As we wrote in our guide to crafting pitch decks , "When our brains are given a story instead of a list of information, things change -- big time. Stories engage more parts of our brains, including our sensory cortex, which is responsible for processing visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli. If you want to keep people engaged during a presentation, tell them a story."

4. Confidence matters.

Practice makes perfect (it's a cliche because it's true, sorry!), and this is especially true for presentation delivery. Rehearse your presentation several times before you give it to your audience so you can develop a natural flow and move from each section without stopping.

Remember, you're not giving a speech here, so you don't want your delivery to come across like you're reading fully off of cue cards. Use tools like notes and cue cards as ways to keep you on track, not as scripts.

Finally, if you can, try to practice your presentation in front of another human. Getting a trusted co-worker to give you feedback in advance can help strengthen your delivery and identify areas you might need to change or bulk up.

5. Prepare for common objections.

The last thing you want to say when someone in your audience expresses a concern or an outright objection during your presentation's question section is “umm, let me get back to you on that.”

Carefully research the subject of your presentation to make the best case possible for it -- but also prepare in advance for common objections or questions you know your stakeholders are going to ask. The stronger your command of the facts -- and the more prepared you are to proactively address concerns -- the more convincing your presentation will be. When you appear confident fielding any rebuttals during a question and answer session after your presentation, it can go a long way towards making your case seem more convincing.

Persuasive Presentation Outline

Like any writing project, you’ll want to create an outline for your presentation, which can act as both a prompt and a framework. With an outline, you’ll have an easier time organizing your thoughts and creating the actual content you will present. While you can adjust the outline to your needs, your presentation will most likely follow this basic framework.

I. Introduction

Every persuasive presentation needs an introduction that gets the listener’s attention, identifies a problem, and relates it to them.

• The Hook: Just like a catchy song, your presentation needs a good hook to draw the listener in. Think of an unusual fact, anecdote, or framing that can grab the listener’s attention. Choose something that also establishes your credibility on the issue.
• The Tie: Tie your hook back to your audience to garner buy-in from your audience, as this issue impacts them personally.
• The Thesis: This is where you state the position to which you are trying to persuade your audience and forms the focal point for your presentation.

II. The Body

The body forms the bulk of your presentation and can be roughly divided into two parts. In the first half, you will build your case, and in the second you will address potential rebuttals.

• Your Case: This is where you will present supporting points for your argument and the evidence you’ve gathered through research. This will likely have several different subsections in which you present the relevant evidence for each supporting point.
• Rebuttals: Consider potential rebuttals to your case and address them individually with supporting evidence for your counterarguments.
• Benefits: Outline the benefits of the audience adopting your position. Use smooth, conversational transitions to get to these.
• Drawbacks: Outline what drawbacks of the audience rejecting your position. Be sure to remain conversational and avoid alarmism.

III. Conclusion

In your conclusion, you will wrap up your argument, summarize your key points, and relate them back to the decisions your audience makes.

• Transition: Write a transition that emphasizes the key point you are trying to make.
• Summary: Summarize your arguments, their benefits, and the key pieces of evidence supporting your position.
• Tie-back: Tie back your summary to the actions of your audience and how their decisions will impact the subject of your presentation.
• Final word: Try to end on a last emotional thought that can inspire your audience to adopt your position and act in support of it.

IV. Citations

Include a section at the end of your presentation with citations for your sources. This will make independent fact-checking easier for your audience and will make your overall presentation more persuasive.

Persuasive Presentation Examples

Check out some of these examples of persuasive presentations to get inspiration for your own. Seeing how someone else made their presentation could help you create one that strikes home with your audience. While the structure of your presentation is entirely up to you, here are some outlines that are typically used for different subjects.

Introducing a Concept

One common type of persuasive presentation is one that introduces a new concept to an audience and tries to get them to accept it. This presentation introduces audience members to the dangers of secondhand smoke and encourages them to take steps to avoid it. Persuasive presentations can also be a good format to introduce marco issues, such as this presentation on the benefits of renewable energy .

Changing Personal Habits

Want to change the personal habits of your audience? Check out this presentation on how to adopt healthy eating habits . Or this presentation which encourages the audience to get more exercise in their daily lives.

Making a Commitment to an Action

Is your goal to get your audience to commit to a specific action? This presentation encouraging audience memes to become organ donors could provide inspiration. Trying to make a big sale? Check out this presentation outline that can encourage someone to buy a home .

Remember: You Can Do This

Anyone can craft a persuasive presentation once they know the basic framework for creating one. Once you get the process down, you’ll be in a better position to bring in sales, attract donors or funding, and even advance your career. The skills you learn can also benefit you in other areas of your personal and professional life as you know how to make a case and influence people toward it.

Don't forget to share this post!

Related articles.

How to Create the Best PowerPoint Presentations [Examples & Templates]

17 PowerPoint Presentation Tips From Pro Presenters [+ Templates]

How to Write an Ecommerce Business Plan [Examples & Template]

How to Create an Infographic in Under an Hour — the 2024 Guide [+ Free Templates]

20 Great Examples of PowerPoint Presentation Design [+ Templates]

Get Buyers to Do What You Want: The Power of Temptation Bundling in Sales

How to Create an Engaging 5-Minute Presentation

How to Start a Presentation [+ Examples]

120 Presentation Topic Ideas Help You Hook Your Audience

The Presenter's Guide to Nailing Your Next PowerPoint

Download ten free PowerPoint templates for a better presentation.

Marketing software that helps you drive revenue, save time and resources, and measure and optimize your investments — all on one easy-to-use platform

More From Forbes

The key to successful presentations: k.i.s.s. (keep it short and simple).

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Don't use your next presentation as a chance to show off. That's an audience turn-off. Use KISS. ... [+] (Photo credit: Christophe Morin/Bloomberg)

You’re asked to speak in public on a topic on which you are an undisputed expert. Perfect time to talk about everything you know on the subject, from headlines to footnotes, right?

Don’t confuse communicating what you know with showing off to an audience. Even if you are speaking to a knowledgeable audience of your peers, being succinct and to the point is going to be more palatable and memorable than using your speech as an opportunity to look like the world’s leading expert in your field. Your first objective should not be to strut your expertise, but to create a link with your audience; to present a simplified vision that is the key to understanding your message.

And the best way to do that is to throw your audience a “ KISS. ” In other words, “ Keep It Short and Simple. ”

Don’t confuse “simple” with “simplistic.” We’re not suggesting dumbing down what you have to say; it’s expressing an idea that may be complex, using clear and simple language, avoiding jargon.

Brevity Takes Time

Simplifying is much more difficult than creating long-winded speech full of jargon. As French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote in a letter in a collection called “Lettres Provinciales” in 1657:

Je n’ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n’ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte.”

The next year it was translated into English by a London publication as:

I have made this longer than usual because I have not had time to make it shorter. ”

The phrase in various renditions has since been attributed to such august thinkers, writers and public speakers as Voltaire, Mark Twain, George Bernard Shaw, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Winston Churchill and Benjamin Franklin.

Start with your conclusion . . . and keep it simple! (Photo credit: Shutterstock)

We have found the most effective way to ensure simplicity and elegance in presentations is to start with the bottom line — that is, your conclusion — and then backfill. This is an effective and successful method in the Anglo-Saxon world and is becoming more prevalent as English becomes the lingua-franca of the business world. In this way, your audience first knows what you will tell them, then understands how you reached your conclusion.

However, cultural differences in public speaking still can stand in the way. We find a certain resistance to simplicity among French and German audiences, for example, where the tendency is to overload a presentation with facts, figures and jargon in the belief that a clear, simple, and elegant presentation may be construed as somehow incompetent. As should be clear by now, we disagree.

KISS and Social Media

Another reason to throw a KISS to your audience is the prevalence today of social media as a means of disseminating news and messages. If you do not provide a sound bite that fits into Twitter or Instagram or Snapchat or whatever else is out there, then someone using those media will do it for you, and what is sent out worldwide will not be in your control. This is not even open for discussion; it is fact.

As Andre Santini, a former French national politician, told us, “Journalists love little provocative phrases because they create a ‘buzz.’ Is there a recipe for creating these phrases? It takes a bit of spirit, and a bit of culture wouldn’t go amiss, either. But It is a commodity that is becoming scarce nowadays.”

This is almost a call to arms, a suggestion to present your message in the most effective way possible so that it can be disseminated beyond your presentation through all available channels. For like a kiss shared between friends and lovers and even movie audiences, a good KISS is memorable, full of passion and imagination, and can ignite the world.

For more information:  www.eurobusinessmedia.com

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

20 Presentation Tips to Keep Your Audience Engaged from Start to Finish

Business | Marketing | Nonprofits | Students | Teachers

By kai tomboc - january 14, 2020.

Losing the audience’s attention is one of the most painful challenges for anyone making a presentation.

Halfway through your presentation, you notice that a couple of audience members are getting restless. The people at the back seem bored as they look down on their phones, and one of them just yawned (ugh!).

You start to feel that you failed to engage your audience. You wonder if you’re the problem. Are you a boring presenter? Perhaps you’re stuffing too much information in your slides.

Master audience engagement with these presentation best practices

From engaging product demos to presentation decks that stand out, read on for 20 valuable tips to keep your audience excited to hear more from you.

What makes a great presentation?

Before you get started, it pays to know what makes an excellent presentation.

1. It informs your audience by providing reliable information.

People want to be informed. They want to learn something new. For this reason, you should look for reputable links. The information should be as recent as possible, and at least less than a year old.

Your research work doesn’t need to be from online sources. You could also cite printed sources from the library. Double-check all of your sources and make sure they have substantial research and statistics to back them up.

2. It persuades your audience to take action.

A presentation should be persuasive. This is especially true for business presentations and product demos. You might also want to appeal to your readers through emotions.

3. It educates your audience and empowers them to make informed decisions.

Presentations are, by nature, educational. You might be introducing your audience to a new idea, product, or service.

4. It instructs your audience in a clear, compelling way.

A presentation should be instructional. Organize your presentation as clear and concise as possible, so your audience will be able to digest your information more effectively.

5. It inspires your audience by being memorable.

A good presentation motivates an audience to act on things that they’ve been meaning to do after hearing you speak or present.

20 best pactices for visually-appealing, convincing presentations

With all that in mind, here’s a list of useful best practices and tips for presentations that stick.

1. Know your target audience.

Your target audience is the demographic that you’re aiming to convince, educate, or inspire with your presentation. This crucial step helps you craft a presentation that resonates with your intended audience.

For instance, if you’d like to educate teens, create a presentation that appeals to their age group. Make your presentation more upbeat, and use pop culture references and images that they can relate to.

On the other hand, if your target audience spans middle-aged professionals, your presentation should be straight-to-the-point and based on facts. These professionals are typically results-oriented, and they want to get to the heart of the matter right away.

By and large, getting to know your target audience enables you to create a presentation without wasting time on uninterested demographics.

2. Create an outline.

Your next step is to create an outline of your presentation. It will help ensure order in your presentation and present facts and sources as effectively and efficiently possible.

It’ll also help if you assign a subtopic for each slide. Let’s say your main topic is the American Civil War. The war lasted roughly four years, and if you delve into it without any organizational structure, your audience will end up confused. Sort your slides according to year and the important events that took place. The same applies to any topic.

3. Start with a memorable introduction.

Opening a presentation with “My name is .. ” or “I’m here to talk about..” are less likely to make your presentation memorable and engaging to your audience.

So how do you keep everyone glued to your presentation with a powerful, memorable opener?

Share an anecdote, ask an intriguing question, or get people’s energy up with a short activity.

Next, make your opening slides as eye-catching as possible. In your opening slide, use bold fonts. Add visuals like gifs or an animated infographic.

Finally, provide an overview of your presentation in the introduction slide. An overview that meets your audience’s expectations of your presentation helps keep an audience absorbed and attentive from start to finish.

4. Eliminate clutter in your slides.

Avoid overcrowding your slides with images or graphics. Although it’s fine to use visuals to complement your slides, the keyword here is “complement.”

Too many photos will make your slides look cramped. Take a minimalist approach to your slides. For images and graphics, use them sparingly and thoughtfully.

Don’t be afraid of white space in your slides. Consider readability first, visual appeal second.

5. Use pictograms.

Lengthy presentations could get boring in the long run. So if you want to keep your audience’s attention, you will need to make your presentation attractive and easier to understand.

Enter pictograms !

Pictograms express information, ideas, or messages through images, signs, or symbols. Also, they can help simplify complicated concepts.

6. Be thoughtful of your color scheme.  

Your choice of colors can have an impact on your audience’s mood and perception of your presentation. It may not be evident at first glance, but your presentation colors can draw a particular set of feelings from your audience. Orange looks more carefree than beige, right?

Here are some quick tips to help you pick the right color combination for your presentation:

• Choose a color scheme that matches your presentation’s theme. For example, if you’re about to present a serious topic, consider somber, dignified colors like white, black, or brown. But if you want your presentation to be more upbeat, use lighter hues like yellow and orange. 
•  Use your brand colors to raise brand awareness and recognition. 
• Stick to 2-3 colors. Joint research by Adobe and the University of Toronto revealed that most people prefer a combination of 2-3 colors. A good rule of thumb is not to use more than four colors. When using more than 3-4 colors, go for shades, tones, and tints of your original colors like the example below.

7. Focus your audience’s attention using data visualization.

Presenting statistics and percentages in writing can be a challenge to use in your presentation. For this reason, consider data visualization.

For example, graphs and charts are often used to highlight comparisons in data. You can also use them to inform your audience of a specific data point.

It’s worth noting that a poorly-designed graph or chart could ruin your presentation if proven false or shabbily done. Make sure that your data are correct, and your diagrams or charts are correctly labeled. Don’t just use pie charts because they look hip and smart. You have to learn how to choose the right chart or graph to visualize your data.

8. Use presentation templates.

Templates often take a bad rap because they’re perceived as limiting, sapping one of creative freedom. However, templates shouldn’t be perceived this way.

Think of templates as frameworks or a set of building blocks that you can tinker with as you create your presentation. Without a templated structure, you’ll likely waste a lot of time and resources making your presentation from scratch.

For example, use infographic templates as a way to make your presentation more engaging (minus the time-consuming task of making a presentation from scratch. The process infographic template below is perfect if you’re explaining a process in one of your presentations.

9. Try the duotone effect in your presentations.

The duotone effect is the use of two contrasting colors to create dramatic, visually pleasing results. Thus the name duotone.

This design style is gaining popularity with designers and non-designers alike. Learn more from this quick duotone tutorial via Adobe .

10. Show, don’t tell.

Stories are a powerful medium to get your audience to sit up and listen to you. For this reason, aim to “show” rather than “tell” your audience about a topic, insight, or idea.

For example, don’t just state facts or figures about the dangers of not investing in their retirement. Instead, share the story of someone you know who failed to plan for their retirement, nudging your audience towards making their own conclusions or insights.

Don’t bombard your audience with too much information all at once. Avoid jargon or complex concepts without sharing a story that’ll resonate with them. With compelling storytelling, you can create anticipation and then slowly build up to your key points.

11. Incorporate infographics into your presentation.

Infographics are valuable presentation tools because they combine visuals and text. As a result, you can communicate with impact.

Furthermore, infographics make your presentation more memorable. How?

A relevant image paired with informative text helps people retain 65 percent of the information three days later — a stark contrast to presenting text-only content where someone’s likely to remember only 10 percent of the information.

Here are a few guides and tutorials when creating infographics for your next presentation:

• Guide to Making Infographics from Scratch (guide)
• 5 Ways to Use Call to Action in Your Infographic to Boost Audience Engagement (video)
• How to Write Sharp, Compelling Infographic Copy (guide)

Easelly Pro Tip: Divide long infographics into smaller segments. Add an infographic section for each presentation slide. If you’d like to raise the bar further for your presentation, try animated infographics to make your slides come to life.

12. Avoid using bullet points.

Bullet points are great tools to emphasize tips, features, or steps in lists. However, it’s best to avoid them in presentations because they don’t help your audience retain information.

Research even supports this recommendation. In 2014, the International Journal of Business Communication published the results of their research —   The Use of Visualization in the Communication of Business Strategies: An Experimental Evaluation .

The researchers wanted to learn whether the use of visuals is superior to text (a bulleted list to be specific) in communicating the strategy of the financial services branch of an international car manufacturer.

The researchers concluded the following:

“Subjects who were exposed to a graphic representation of the strategy paid significantly more attention to, agreed more with, and better recalled the strategy than did subjects who saw a (textually identical) bulleted list version.”

Instead of using bullet points, consider using icons or visuals.

Take a look at the example below. Which do you think will likely get the audience’s attention and be more memorable after the presentation?

13. Choose fonts that are easier to read.

The quality of your font could affect your audience’s reaction to your presentation. Don’t just use the first standard font that pops up in your presentation editor.

Your font should match the mood and intent of your presentation. If you want your presentation to appear casual, choose a font that gives off a similar feeling.

14. Use contrast in your presentation.

Check for contrast between your texts and presentation background to ensure readability. Make it a point to distinguish one from the other.

It’s also worth noting that you are going to show your presentation to a group of people. Depending on the seating arrangement, viewers at the back may find it hard to read your presentation. Make sure that your fonts are of the appropriate size. That way, none of your audience members will have to struggle reading your slides.

15. Consider gifs and memes

Gifs and memes are popular media tools for a good reason. You could incorporate them into your presentation, and they could add a sense of humor to your topic or pitch.

When using gifs and memes, avoid those that could be misinterpreted as politically incorrect or culturally insensitive.

16. Create a consistent look and feel in your slides.

Choose a theme for your presentation templates, and stick with it ’til the end.

This doesn’t mean that you should be boring or dull with your presentation. You can add images and infographics, but there should be a sense of consistency in your slides.

Consistency leads to familiarity, which in turn encourages learning and engagement.

17. Ask intriguing questions.

Asking intriguing questions enables you to draw your audience’s attention and highlight key points at the same time.

For example, you are conducting a presentation on the Roman empire. You want to get your audience’s attention, so you raise questions such as what they know about the Roman empire, and how did the Roman empire impact modern society?

The audience may or may not get the right answers, but they will most likely try their best to answer your questions. The resulting exchange of ideas will make your presentation more spontaneous and engaging.

18. Limit to one visual per slide.

Using too many visuals at once will make your presentation appear cluttered. Limit to one visual per slide to help your audience engage more with your text and information.

19. Embrace white space.

White space , also known as negative space, is the space between the lines of texts and visuals in your presentation.  It doesn’t have to be  white  as it can also take the color of your presentation’s background. Think of white space as “empty space”. 

It helps improves readability and ensures that your graphics and texts are clear and legible in your presentation. 

20. End your presentation with an excellent call-to-action.

Call-to-action statements are an integral part of any presentation. They compel your audience to take action, and it makes your presentation more interactive.

Here’s a short video explaining how to use call-to-action in infographics (the same principles apply for presentations!):

Say you’re designing a presentation for a new gym you’re managing. You want people to try out the gym and the services you offer. You could incorporate the call to action at the end of your presentation.

“See you at the gym next week?” or “Level up in the New Year by signing up for our free gym membership for a month!” are good call-to-action statements that you can use.

Ready to start creating your presentation?

We’ve got your back if you need help with your visuals and infographics for your next presentation.

Use our simple infographic maker tool or hire one of our infographic design pros for custom infographics and animated infographics .

Here’s to a stellar presentation – we’re rooting for you!

More to learn from the blog…

20 process infographic templates to help you save time.

Most of the time, detailed descriptions are adequate. But when you need to communicate ideas and information quickly, process infograph...

4 Reasons Your Infographic Doesn’t Stand Out and How to Fix It

A well-thought-out infographic helps you stand out from the hundreds (perhaps thousands?) of infographics created every day. Apart from ...

Using Infographics to Improve Website Traffic: A Case Study

Whether you’re the head of content for an e-commerce brand or you’re running a small seed company, you have one goal in mind &#...

• Vision & Mission
• IATA Management
• Corporate Governance
• Strategic Partnerships Program
• Our Commitment
• IATA by Region
• Speaker Request Form
• Contact & Support
• Airlines magazine
• Passenger Experience & Policy
• Distribution, Payment & Taxation
• Sustainability
• Operations & Infrastructure
• Aviation Security
• The Innovation Hub

Fly Net Zero is the commitment of airlines to achieve net zero carbon by 2050, bringing air transport in line with the Paris agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

• Manuals, Standards & Regulations
• Sign up for IATA News
• Newsletters & Blogs
• Annual Review
• Directories
• Publications Resellers

As a trusted voice in the aviation community, we can help raise your profile and ensure you are seen by the audience that really matters to you. Our offers are customizable to your needs, whether on our websites, our events or in our manuals.

• Travel Agency Program
• Cargo Agency Program
• Data Solutions
• Certification
• Compliance Solutions
• Financial Services

As a trusted voice in the aviation community, we can help raise your profile and ensure you are seen by the audience that really matters to you. Our offers are customizable to your needs, whether on our websites, our events or in our manuals.

• Courses & Diplomas
• Subject Areas
• Delivery Methods
• Training Partners
• Corporate Training

Acquire the new skills needed to meet the challenges of the road to recovery, from safety management to emergency planning and risk management.

• All Conferences
• Annual General Meeting
• Financial Webinars
• Modern Airline Retailing Webinars

Aviation's primary event has just ended with some 1500 participants from airlines, Strategic Partners, associations, manufacturers, suppliers and media. Find out all that happened in Dubai, 2-4 June.

• Willie Walsh Biography
• AGM 2024 News

Find all press material from IATA's Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit that took place in Dubai, 2-4 June

• Air Navigation Services
• FREIGHT FORWARDERS
• GOVERNMENTS & REGULATORS
• GROUND HANDLERS
• INDUSTRY PARTNERS
• TRAVEL AGENTS

Developing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

We estimate that Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) could contribute around 65% of the reduction in emissions needed by aviation to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 . This will require a massive increase in production in order to meet demand. The largest acceleration is expected in the 2030s as policy support becomes global, SAF becomes competitive with fossil kerosene, and credible offsets become scarcer.

Government policy has an instrumental role to play in the deployment of SAF. IATA encourages policies which are harmonized across countries and industries, while being technology and feedstock agnostic. Incentives should be used to accelerate SAF deployment. As SAF is in the early stages of market development, mandates should only be used if they are part of a broader strategy to increase the production of SAF and complemented with incentive programs that facilitate innovation, scale-up and unit cost reduction.

> Read more on our SAF policy approach (pdf)

Our strategy towards net zero CO2 emissions

Achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 will require a combination of maximum elimination of emissions at the source, offsetting and carbon capture technologies.

What is SAF?

SAF is a liquid fuel currently used in commercial aviation which reduces CO2 emissions by up to 80%. It can be produced from a number of sources (feedstock) including waste oil and fats, green and municipal waste and non-food crops.

It can also be produced synthetically via a process that captures carbon directly from the air. It is ‘sustainable’ because the raw feedstock does not compete with food crops or water supplies, or is responsible for forest degradation. Whereas fossil fuels add to the overall level of CO2 by emitting carbon that had been previously locked away, SAF recycles the CO2 which has been absorbed by the biomass used in the feedstock during the course of its life.

Nine biofuel production pathways are certified to produce SAF, which perform at operationally equivalent levels to Jet A1 fuel. By design, these SAFs are drop-in solutions, which can be directly blended into existing fuel infrastructure at airports and are fully compatible with modern aircraft.

> SAF Factsheet (pdf)

• Documentation
• Support the aviation industry long-term climate goal
• Increase the commercial deployment of SAF

• Engage with a wide range of industry and policy stakeholders on all SAF topics and facilitate cooperation and promote partnerships between them
• Provide policy support at national, regional (e.g. EU) and international (UN) level to create the necessary framework for the commercialization of SAF
• Work towards removing barriers to the realization of a cost-competitive SAF market
• Promote the global harmonization of sustainability criteria for SAF
• Educate and support producers on the technical certification process (i.e ASTM D1655 certification)
• Establish forums for knowledge exchange and business networking opportunities for suppliers and consumers of SAF (e.g. Sustainable Aviation Fuel Symposium)

SAF Documentation

Do you want to learn more? Attend one of our training courses, online or classroom

• Aviation and the Environment
• Carbon Markets and Sustainable Aviation Fuels
• Fuel Efficiency and Conservation

We also offer tailored workshops and consulting services to help industry and government stakeholders use SAF to its full potential.

We use cookies to give you the best experience on our website. We also use cookies for advertising purposes. Please see our  privacy policy  and  cookies policy  for complete information.