what is the objective of effective presentation skills

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How are you providing presentation skills training for your learners?

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

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

Presentation Skills 101: A Guide to Presentation Success

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

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

Table of Contents

The Importance of Presentation Skills

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Archetypes of presentations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Punctuality

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

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

Body Language

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tech Skills

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

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

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

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

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

Public Speaking Anxiety

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

Lack of Confidence

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

Content Organization

Organizing information in a coherent and engaging manner can be challenging. Presenters often grapple with how to structure their content to make it easily digestible for the audience. Artificial Intelligence can help us significantly reduce the content arrangement time when you work with tools like our AI Presentation Maker (made for presenters by experts in presentation design). 

Audience Engagement

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

Technical Issues

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

Time Management

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

Handling Questions and Challenges

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

Visual Aids and Technology

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

Language and Articulation

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

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

Overcoming Impersonal Delivery

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

Cultural and Diversity Awareness

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

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

Tip #1: Build a narrative

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tip #3: Practice meditation daily

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

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

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

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

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

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Business Presentations, Presentation Approaches, Presentation Skills Filed under Education

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6 presentation skills and how to improve them

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What are presentation skills?

The importance of presentation skills, 6 presentation skills examples, how to improve presentation skills.

Tips for dealing with presentation anxiety

Learn how to captivate an audience with ease

Capturing an audience’s attention takes practice. 

Over time, great presenters learn how to organize their speeches and captivate an audience from start to finish. They spark curiosity, know how to read a room , and understand what their audience needs to walk away feeling like they learned something valuable.

Regardless of your profession, you most likely use presentation skills on a monthly or even weekly basis. Maybe you lead brainstorming sessions or host client calls. 

Developing effective presentation skills makes it easier to contribute ideas with confidence and show others you’re someone to trust. Although speaking in front of a crowd sometimes brings nerves and anxiety , it also sparks new opportunities.

Presentation skills are the qualities and abilities you need to communicate ideas effectively and deliver a compelling speech. They influence how you structure a presentation and how an audience receives it. Understanding body language , creating impactful visual aids, and projecting your voice all fall under this umbrella.

A great presentation depends on more than what you say. It’s about how you say it. Storytelling , stage presence, and voice projection all shape how well you express your ideas and connect with the audience. These skills do take practice, but they’re worth developing — especially if public speaking makes you nervous. 

Engaging a crowd isn’t easy. You may feel anxious to step in front of an audience and have all eyes and ears on you.

But feeling that anxiety doesn’t mean your ideas aren’t worth sharing. Whether you’re giving an inspiring speech or delivering a monthly recap at work, your audience is there to listen to you. Harness that nervous energy and turn it into progress.

Strong presentation skills make it easier to convey your thoughts to audiences of all sizes. They can help you tell a compelling story, convince people of a pitch , or teach a group something entirely new to them. And when it comes to the workplace, the strength of your presentation skills could play a part in getting a promotion or contributing to a new initiative.

To fully understand the impact these skills have on creating a successful presentation, it’s helpful to look at each one individually. Here are six valuable skills you can develop:

1. Active listening

Active listening is an excellent communication skill for any professional to hone. When you have strong active listening skills, you can listen to others effectively and observe their nonverbal cues . This helps you assess whether or not your audience members are engaged in and understand what you’re sharing. 

Great public speakers use active listening to assess the audience’s reactions and adjust their speech if they find it lacks impact. Signs like slouching, negative facial expressions, and roaming eye contact are all signs to watch out for when giving a presentation.

2. Body language

If you’re researching presentation skills, chances are you’ve already watched a few notable speeches like TED Talks or industry seminars. And one thing you probably noticed is that speakers can capture attention with their body language. 

A mixture of eye contact, hand gestures , and purposeful pacing makes a presentation more interesting and engaging. If you stand in one spot and don’t move your body, the audience might zone out.

3. Stage presence

A great stage presence looks different for everyone. A comedian might aim for more movement and excitement, and a conference speaker might focus their energy on the content of their speech. Although neither is better than the other, both understand their strengths and their audience’s needs. 

Developing a stage presence involves finding your own unique communication style . Lean into your strengths, whether that’s adding an injection of humor or asking questions to make it interactive . To give a great presentation, you might even incorporate relevant props or presentation slides.

4. Storytelling

According to Forbes, audiences typically pay attention for about 10 minutes before tuning out . But you can lengthen their attention span by offering a presentation that interests them for longer. Include a narrative they’ll want to listen to, and tell a story as you go along. 

Shaping your content to follow a clear narrative can spark your audience’s curiosity and entice them to pay careful attention. You can use anecdotes from your personal or professional life that take your audience along through relevant moments. If you’re pitching a product, you can start with a problem and lead your audience through the stages of how your product provides a solution.

5. Voice projection

Although this skill may be obvious, you need your audience to hear what you’re saying. This can be challenging if you’re naturally soft-spoken and struggle to project your voice.

Remember to straighten your posture and take deep breaths before speaking, which will help you speak louder and fill the room. If you’re talking into a microphone or participating in a virtual meeting, you can use your regular conversational voice, but you still want to sound confident and self-assured with a strong tone.

If you’re unsure whether everyone can hear you, you can always ask the audience at the beginning of your speech and wait for confirmation. That way, they won’t have to potentially interrupt you later.

Ensuring everyone can hear you also includes your speed and annunciation. It’s easy to speak quickly when nervous, but try to slow down and pronounce every word. Mumbling can make your presentation difficult to understand and pay attention to.

6. Verbal communication 

Although verbal communication involves your projection and tone, it also covers the language and pacing you use to get your point across. This includes where you choose to place pauses in your speech or the tone you use to emphasize important ideas.

If you’re giving a presentation on collaboration in the workplace , you might start your speech by saying, “There’s something every workplace needs to succeed: teamwork.” By placing emphasis on the word “ teamwork ,” you give your audience a hint on what ideas will follow.

To further connect with your audience through diction, pay careful attention to who you’re speaking to. The way you talk to your colleagues might be different from how you speak to a group of superiors, even if you’re discussing the same subject. You might use more humor and a conversational tone for the former and more serious, formal diction for the latter.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses when it comes to presenting. Maybe you’re confident in your use of body language, but your voice projection needs work. Maybe you’re a great storyteller in small group settings, but need to work on your stage presence in front of larger crowds. 

The first step to improving presentation skills is pinpointing your gaps and determining which qualities to build upon first. Here are four tips for enhancing your presentation skills:

1. Build self-confidence

Confident people know how to speak with authority and share their ideas. Although feeling good about your presentation skills is easier said than done, building confidence is key to helping your audience believe in what you’re saying. Try practicing positive self-talk and continuously researching your topic's ins and outs.

If you don’t feel confident on the inside, fake it until you make it. Stand up straight, project your voice, and try your best to appear engaged and excited. Chances are, the audience doesn’t know you’re unsure of your skills — and they don’t need to.

Another tip is to lean into your slideshow, if you’re using one. Create something colorful and interesting so the audience’s eyes fall there instead of on you. And when you feel proud of your slideshow, you’ll be more eager to share it with others, bringing more energy to your presentation.

2. Watch other presentations

Developing the soft skills necessary for a good presentation can be challenging without seeing them in action. Watch as many as possible to become more familiar with public speaking skills and what makes a great presentation. You could attend events with keynote speakers or view past speeches on similar topics online.

Take a close look at how those presenters use verbal communication and body language to engage their audiences. Grab a notebook and jot down what you enjoyed and your main takeaways. Try to recall the techniques they used to emphasize their main points, whether they used pauses effectively, had interesting visual aids, or told a fascinating story.

3. Get in front of a crowd

You don’t need a large auditorium to practice public speaking. There are dozens of other ways to feel confident and develop good presentation skills.

If you’re a natural comedian, consider joining a small stand-up comedy club. If you’re an avid writer, participate in a public poetry reading. Even music and acting can help you feel more comfortable in front of a crowd.

If you’d rather keep it professional, you can still work on your presentation skills in the office. Challenge yourself to participate at least once in every team meeting, or plan and present a project to become more comfortable vocalizing your ideas. You could also speak to your manager about opportunities that flex your public speaking abilities.

4. Overcome fear

Many people experience feelings of fear before presenting in front of an audience, whether those feelings appear as a few butterflies or more severe anxiety. Try grounding yourself to shift your focus to the present moment. If you’re stuck dwelling on previous experiences that didn’t go well, use those mistakes as learning experiences and focus on what you can improve to do better in the future.

Tips for dealing with presentation anxiety 

It’s normal to feel nervous when sharing your ideas. In fact, according to a report from the Journal of Graduate Medical Education, public speaking anxiety is prevalent in 15–30% of the general population .

Even though having a fear of public speaking is common, it doesn’t make it easier. You might feel overwhelmed, become stiff, and forget what you were going to say. But although the moment might scare you, there are ways to overcome the fear and put mind over matter.

Use these tactics to reduce your stress when you have to make a presentation:

1. Practice breathing techniques

If you experience anxiety often, you’re probably familiar with breathing techniques for stress relief . Incorporating these exercises into your daily routine can help you stop worrying and regulate anxious feelings. 

Before a big presentation, take a moment alone to practice breathing techniques, ground yourself, and reduce tension. It’s also a good idea to take breaths throughout the presentation to speak slower and calm yourself down .

2. Get organized

The more organized you are, the more prepared you’ll feel. Carefully outline all of the critical information you want to use in your presentation, including your main talking points and visual aids, so you don’t forget anything. Use bullet points and visuals on each slide to remind you of what you want to talk about, and create handheld notes to help you stay on track.

3. Embrace moments of silence

It’s okay to lose your train of thought. It happens to even the most experienced public speakers once in a while. If your mind goes blank, don’t panic. Take a moment to breathe, gather your thoughts, and refer to your notes to see where you left off. You can drink some water or make a quick joke to ease the silence or regain your footing. And it’s okay to say, “Give me a moment while I find my notes.” Chances are, people understand the position you’re in.

4. Practice makes progress

Before presenting, rehearse in front of friends and family members you trust. This gives you the chance to work out any weak spots in your speech and become comfortable communicating out loud. If you want to go the extra mile, ask your makeshift audience to ask a surprise question. This tests your on-the-spot thinking and will prove that you can keep cool when things come up.

Whether you’re new to public speaking or are a seasoned presenter, you’re bound to make a few slip-ups. It happens to everyone. The most important thing is that you try your best, brush things off, and work on improving your skills to do better in your next presentation.

Although your job may require a different level of public speaking than your favorite TED Talk , developing presentation skills is handy in any profession. You can use presentation skills in a wide range of tasks in the workplace, whether you’re sharing your ideas with colleagues, expressing concerns to higher-ups, or pitching strategies to potential clients.

Remember to use active listening to read the room and engage your audience with an interesting narrative. Don’t forget to step outside your comfort zone once in a while and put your skills to practice in front of a crowd. After facing your fears, you’ll feel confident enough to put presentation skills on your resume.

If you’re trying to build your skills and become a better employee overall, try a communications coach with BetterUp. 

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Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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Unlock effective presentation skills (tips and best practices)

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

Anete Ezera March 23, 2023

Presentation skills are a crucial aspect of communication in today’s world. Whether you’re delivering a pitch to potential investors, giving a lecture in front of a class, or trying to make a point at a meeting, your ability to effectively present your ideas can greatly impact your success. However, not everyone is a natural-born speaker. Many struggle with nerves and self-doubt when it comes to presenting in front of an audience. But don’t worry! Improving your presentation skills is possible with practice and dedication. In this blog post, we’ll provide you with practical tips that will help you become a confident and engaging speaker. From preparing your material to engaging with your audience, we’ll cover everything you need to know to take your presentation skills to the next level. So whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your existing presentation skills, read on for all the advice and inspiration you need to succeed.

Types of Presentations

Before we dive into specific presentation skills, it’s important to define the different types of presentations that may require different skills in how they’re presented. There are several types of presentations you can choose from, each with its own distinct format and style. Let’s take a look at some of the most common types of presentations:

Narrative presentations

In these types of presentations, the speaker focuses on telling a story that engages the audience and reinforces the main message. This type of presentation is perfect for engaging and entertaining an audience. It helps to keep the audience interested and focused and can be a great way to reinforce the main message. However, it can also be time-consuming to prepare a well-structured narrative.

Informative presentations

These types of presentations are designed to provide information on a specific topic. The speaker focuses on delivering accurate and relevant information to the audience in an organized and straightforward manner. This type of presentation is great for providing accurate and relevant information to the audience. The organized and straightforward delivery makes it easy for the audience to understand and retain the information. However, it can be difficult to keep the audience engaged and interested if the presentation is too dry or lacks excitement.

Persuasive presentations 

In persuasive presentations, the speaker aims to convince the audience to take a specific action or adopt a particular point of view. This type of presentation often includes arguments, statistics, and other persuasive techniques. However, if the arguments are weak or the persuasive techniques are ineffective, the presentation can fall flat and fail to achieve its intended outcome.

Demonstrative Presentations

These types of presentations focus on demonstrating a product or service to the audience. The speaker often includes visual aids, such as slides or videos, to help illustrate the key features and benefits of the product or service. However, it can be difficult to keep the audience engaged if the demonstration is too lengthy or repetitive.

Instructional Presentations

Instructional presentations are designed to teach the audience a specific skill or provide them with step-by-step instructions. The speaker often uses visual aids, such as diagrams or slides, to make the instructions clear and easy to follow. It’s perfect for teaching the audience how to perform a specific task. The use of visual aids, such as diagrams or slides, makes it easy for the audience to understand and follow the instructions. In this type of presentation, it’s important to present the instructions in a highly engaging way so the audience doesn’t lose interest.

Choosing the right type of presentation format can greatly impact the success of your presentation. Consider the audience, the message you want to convey, and the resources available to you, when deciding on the best presentation format for your needs. Once you’ve decided on a presentation format, you can move on to developing certain presentation skills that are most important for the specific case. 

Presentation delivery methods

The way you deliver your presentation is crucial. Therefore, we want to highlight this aspect before we dive into other effective presentation skills. A delivery method can make or break a presentation, regardless of the quality of the content. There are various methods of presentation delivery. The choice of method depends on the type of audience, the topic of the presentation, and the desired outcome. Discover 4 ways you can deliver a presentation and what kind of skills and approach they require. 

Traditional delivery

One of the most common presentation delivery methods is the traditional method of standing in front of an audience and delivering a speech. This method is suitable for formal presentations, such as keynote speeches, lectures, and corporate presentations. This method requires the speaker to have excellent public speaking skills, including voice modulation, body language, and eye contact. A traditional presentation delivery usually follows a classical presentation outline that has a clear beginning, middle, and end. 

Visually-focused presentation delivery

Another method of presentation delivery is the use of visual aids. This method involves using multimedia tools, such as images, videos, and infographics. Visual aids are effective because they can help the audience to better understand complex information, and they can also serve as a reference for the audience to refer to after the presentation. However, visuals should not be the sole focus of the presentation, as they can distract the audience from the message. 

If you want to create a visually-focused presentation, discover different Prezi presentation templates, and be sure to add images, videos, data visualizations, GIFs, stickers, and other visuals that you can find in Prezi’s content library and Prezi Design.  

If you want to learn more about the use of visuals in a presentation, and what are the best design practices, watch this video:

Interactive presentation delivery

Another way to deliver a presentation is by using interactive methods such as group discussions, role-plays, and simulations. This method is suitable for presentations that require the audience to actively participate in the presentation. Interactive presentations can be useful for training sessions, team-building exercises, and workshops. 

On Prezi, you can create highly interactive presentations where your audience can be active participants. Prezi’s non-linear format allows you to jump between topics instead of flipping through slides, so your presentation feels more like a conversation than a speech.

Storyteller delivery

The last method of presentation delivery is storytelling. It involves the use of anecdotes, personal experiences, and stories to deliver a message. Storytelling is a highly effective tool because it can help the audience to relate to the message on a personal level. 

Storytelling can also be used to make a presentation more engaging and entertaining. 

If you want to visually showcase a relation between two aspects and capture the transitional movement in a timeline, use motion, zoom, and spatial relationships in a Prezi presentation to showcase the nuances of your story world. 

Regardless of the presentation delivery method, make sure to follow the best presentation practices:

• Be well-prepared and knowledgeable about the topic. This can be achieved through research, practice, and rehearsal.
• Use clear and concise language that is easy for the audience to understand. You should avoid using jargon and technical terms, or you can take time to explain them to the audience. 
• Work on engaging the audience using eye contact, body language, and humor. This can help you establish a connection with the audience and make the presentation more engaging. 
• Be mindful of the time and ensure that the presentation is delivered within the allotted time frame.  
• Use effective visuals, if applicable, to support your message without overpowering it.

Effective presentation skills

There are numerous skills that you can develop to improve your presentations. In this article, we’ve summoned the following 8 presentation skills that are essential to any presenter that wants to make an impact with their message.

1. Effective communication

Effective communication skills are critical when it comes to presenting information to others. Presentations require a clear and concise message, and communication skills are key in delivering this message to your audience. Good communication skills allow you to connect with your audience, build rapport, and maintain engagement throughout the presentation. In addition, communication skills allow you to articulate your ideas and arguments clearly, and to respond to questions or challenges effectively. 

To improve this skill, practice speaking in front of a mirror or recording yourself to identify areas where you may need improvement. Also, consider using vocal techniques such as varying your tone and volume to keep your audience engaged.

2. Confident body language

Confident body language is an essential presentation skill as it communicates to the audience that the speaker is credible, knowledgeable, and in control. A confident posture, eye contact, and gestures can help you establish a strong presence and build rapport with the audience. It also helps you to convey your message more effectively. 

To practice confident body language, start by standing tall with shoulders back and head held high. Also, make eye contact with the audience and use natural hand gestures to emphasize key points. It’s also important to practice speaking clearly and with conviction, as this can further enhance the impact of confident body language during a presentation. 

If you’re interested in learning more about body language, read our article on 9 secrets to a confident body language . 

3. Audience engagement

Being able to engage your audience is a crucial presentation skill because it ensures that your message is well-received and understood. When you engage your audience, you capture their attention and maintain their interest throughout your presentation. This can make the difference between a successful presentation and one that falls flat. Holding the attention of your audience requires a combination of factors, such as having a clear message, being confident and comfortable in your delivery, using visual aids effectively, and connecting with your audience on a personal level. 

To improve this skill, you can practice rehearsing your presentation in front of friends or colleagues and seeking feedback. You can also try studying successful public speakers and their techniques and incorporating audience participation activities into your presentation to keep them engaged and interested. 

Additionally, you can engage your audience by opting for a motion-based presentation. It’ll enhance the impact of your content and ideas, making it more captivating for your audience to watch than a slide-based presentation. On Prezi, you can use motion, spatial relationships, and zooming effects to create highly impactful presentations. 

4. Time management

Time management is an essential presentation skill as it helps to ensure that you deliver your message effectively and efficiently within the allotted time. Poor time management can lead to an unprofessional and unprepared presentation, leaving the audience disinterested or confused.

To practice good time management, begin by planning and rehearsing your presentation in advance. It’s important to allocate sufficient time to each section and consider factors such as audience engagement and potential interruptions. You can also use time-tracking tools and practice pacing yourself during rehearsals to ensure you stay on schedule. By mastering time management, you can deliver a polished and engaging presentation, leaving a positive and lasting impression on your audience.

5. Content organization

Effective organization of presentation content is crucial for any presenter, as it determines the clarity and impact of the message. Organized content can help you convey your ideas in a logical and coherent manner, which aids in maintaining the audience’s attention and retention of information. 

To ensure that your presentation’s content is well-organized, it’s important to follow a few key steps. 

• Identify the main points you want to convey and arrange them in a logical order.
• Create a clear outline that includes an introduction, main body, and conclusion.
• Use transition words or phrases to smoothly connect each point to the next. 
• Ensure that your presentation has a consistent flow and that each point supports your overall message. 

By following these steps, you can effectively organize your presentation’s content and create a memorable and impactful experience for the viewers.

If you’re creating a sales presentation, be sure to read our step-by-step guide on crafting a winning sales presentation .

Also, discover how to best structure your presentation based on your presentation goal in this video:

6. Storytelling 

Storytelling is a powerful presentation skill that can captivate your audience’s attention and enhance the impact of your message. Stories allow us to connect with people on a deeper emotional level, and help us convey complex ideas in an easy-to-understand way. When we tell a story, we engage our audience, evoke their imagination, and inspire them to take action. 

To develop strong storytelling skills, you should practice telling stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end that convey a message or lesson. It’s also important to incorporate sensory details, such as sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste, to help the audience visualize the story. Also, make sure to focus on the tone of your delivery, including voice inflection, body language, and facial expressions, to effectively convey the emotions and dynamics of the story. Finally, use one of Prezi’s presentation templates like the one visualized below, or create your own story presentation on Prezi and visualize relations between topics, events, and characters using spatial relationships and visual hierarchy. 

By mastering the art of storytelling, you can deliver a powerful presentation that resonates with the audience and creates a lasting impression.

7. Adaptability

Adaptability is a crucial presentation skill – it allows you to adjust and respond to unexpected situations, changes, and challenges during the presentation. The key is to be properly prepared. This means researching your topic and practicing your presentation speech enough so that you’re prepared for any changes or questions that may arise. When you’re prepared, you’ll feel more present and be able to read the room and adjust to your audience’s needs and interests. Also, be flexible and open-minded to new information, feedback, and audience reactions. This skill will enable you to think on your feet and modify your content or delivery style accordingly. 

And lastly, you want to uphold the quality of your presentation no matter where you’re presenting, online or offline. If you need to adapt your presentation to an online experience, use Prezi Video and simply import your already-existing Prezi, Powerpoint, or Google slides, and deliver the same level of presence and quality as offline. With Prezi Video, you can showcase your slides next to you on-screen as you present, keeping that face-to-face interaction. 

Make sure to check out Prezi Video templates that you can find in Prezi’s template gallery .

8. Confidence

Last but definitely not least, one of the key presentation skills a great presenter possesses is confidence . Presenting with confidence can help you engage your audience and convince them of your authority and knowledge on the topic at hand. When you exude confidence, the audience is more likely to trust you and your message, leading to better communication and understanding. 

Developing confidence can be achieved through several methods. Practicing your speech multiple times, visualizing a successful presentation, and focusing on positive self-talk are all techniques that can help boost your confidence. Additionally, learning to control body language and voice tone can also have a positive effect on confidence levels during your time in the spotlight. 

By implementing these strategies, you can build your confidence and improve your presentation skills each time you’re speaking in front of an audience. 

Discover more about effective presentation skills in this video:

How to improve public speaking and presentation skills

While working on the effective presentation skills we listed above, you may feel nervous about public speaking in general. It’s no secret that public speaking can be a daunting task for many people. However, if you want to be a powerful, confident, and impactful presenter, you need to overcome your fear of anxiety of public speaking and improve the way you feel and appear when presenting. 

If you want to learn more about different techniques that can help you calm down before a presentation, here’s a helpful video for you to watch:

To help you become better at public speaking, we summoned 20 tips you can follow:

1. Practice, practice, practice

One of the most effective ways to become more comfortable with public speaking is to practice your speech as much as possible. When you practice, you can work out any kinks or rough spots that you may encounter when giving your speech in front of an audience. Additionally, practicing allows you to become more familiar with the material, making it easier to remember and deliver with confidence. While it may be tempting to simply read your speech from a script or cue cards, practicing your speech will allow you to internalize the material and deliver it with greater ease, flow, and naturalness. Therefore, it’s highly recommended that you take the time to practice your speech as much as possible before giving it in front of an audience, whether that be your friends, family, or colleagues.

2. Use presenter notes 

Preparing for a presentation can be a lengthy endeavor, particularly if you aim to memorize the entire script. Trying to remember every point can be challenging. Plus, the stress of public speaking can cause you to overlook crucial details. Jotting down your talking points can help you stay organized and avoid forgetting any essential information. However, relying solely on flashcards or paper notes may not be ideal. Constantly glancing at sticky notes or looking away from your audience can disrupt the flow of your presentation and disconnect you from your listeners. Instead, try using presenter notes on Prezi , where you can easily add notes to each slide. While presenting, you’ll be the only one that sees them, helping you deliver an impressive presentation with maximum confidence. 

3. Know your audience

When delivering a speech, it’s important to analyze and understand the audience you’ll be speaking to. By doing so, you can tailor your speech to their interests and needs. This means that you should take into account factors such as their age range, educational background, and cultural or professional affiliations. Additionally, it’s important to research the topic you’ll be discussing thoroughly and provide examples that are relevant to your audience. By doing this, you can ensure that your message will resonate with your listeners and leave a lasting impact.

4. Start with a strong opening

To really captivate your audience, it’s important to start with a strong opening that grabs their attention and sets the tone for the rest of your speech. One approach could be to start with a thought-provoking question or a powerful anecdote that relates to your topic. Alternatively, you could begin with a surprising fact or statistic that shocks and intrigues your listeners. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s attention-grabbing and relevant to the message you want to convey. Remember, the opening of your speech is your chance to make a lasting impression, so make it count!

Discover other ways to start your presentation speech and watch this video for more tips on starting a virtual presentation: 

5. Use humor

Using humor can be a great way to start off a presentation. It can help to reduce the tension in the room and make your audience feel more at ease. For example, you could start off with a joke or a funny story that relates to your topic. Alternatively, you could use a humorous image or meme to grab your audience’s attention. Just be sure not to overdo it – too many jokes can detract from your message and make you seem unprofessional. Remember that the ultimate goal of your presentation is to communicate information and ideas effectively, so use humor wisely.

6. Incorporate stories

Using stories in your speech can be an incredibly powerful tool. Personal stories, in particular, can help illustrate your points and make your message more memorable. By sharing a personal experience, you can connect with your audience on a deeper level and create an emotional bond. This can help them better understand your message and remember it long after your speech is over.

One way to incorporate personal stories into your speech is to draw from your own life experiences. Think about a time when you faced a challenge or overcame an obstacle, and how that experience taught you something valuable. Share that story with your audience and explain how the lessons you learned can be applied to their lives as well.

You can also use stories to illustrate more abstract concepts. For example, if you’re giving a talk about the importance of perseverance, you could share a story about someone who faced numerous setbacks but refused to give up. By sharing that story, you can make the concept of perseverance more concrete and relatable to your audience.

7. Use pauses

Using pauses is a great way to enhance your communication skills. In fact, when you take breaks in your speech, can help you gather your thoughts and think more clearly. Pausing also allows you to emphasize key points you want to make in your speech. Additionally, by using pauses strategically, you give your audience time to process the information you’re sharing with them, which can help ensure that they understand and retain it better. All in all, incorporating pauses into your speaking style can be incredibly effective in making your message more impactful and memorable.

8. Speak clearly and loudly

When delivering a speech or presentation, it’s important to speak in a manner that is clear and easy to understand. However, it’s equally important to ensure that your voice is projected loudly enough for your audience to hear you. Speaking too softly can make it difficult for people in the back of the room or in larger spaces to hear what you’re saying, which can lead to confusion and a lack of engagement. To avoid this, try to practice projecting your voice and enunciating your words clearly before you give your speech. You can also use tools like microphones or audio amplifiers to help ensure that your message is heard loud and clear by everyone in the room.

9. Take deep breaths

Taking deep breaths is a great way to help you relax and calm your nerves, but there are other things you can do too. For example, you might want to try some light yoga or stretching exercises to loosen up your muscles and release tension. Also, you could take a warm bath or shower to soothe your body and mind. Another option is to listen to some calming music or read a book that you enjoy. By taking the time to find what works best for you, you can develop a personalized relaxation routine that you can turn to whenever you need it.

10. Use repetition

Repetition is a powerful tool that can help you drive the point home in your speech. By repeating key points, you can reinforce your message and increase your chances of being remembered. In addition, repetition can help you emphasize important ideas and create a sense of rhythm in your speech. It can also be used to build suspense and create a sense of anticipation in your listeners. With these benefits in mind, it’s clear that repetition is an essential aspect of effective public speaking.

11. Use active verbs

One way to improve the effectiveness of your speech is to use active verbs. Active verbs help to create a more engaging and dynamic presentation, as they convey a sense of action and energy. By using active verbs, you can help to capture your audience’s attention and hold their interest throughout your speech.

In addition to using active verbs, it’s also important to consider the pace and rhythm of your speech. Varying the speed and tone of your delivery can help to keep your audience engaged and prevent them from becoming bored or disinterested.

Another way to enhance the impact of your speech is to use vivid language and descriptive imagery. By painting a vivid picture with your words, you can help to create a more memorable and impactful presentation. For example, instead of simply saying “the sky was blue,” you could describe it as “a brilliant shade of deep blues, like the ocean on a clear summer day.”

By focusing on these key elements of effective speechwriting, you can help to create a more engaging and impactful presentation that will leave a lasting impression on your audience.

12. Ask rhetorical questions

Rhetorical questions are a powerful tool that can help make your speech more engaging and interactive. They can be used to stimulate critical thinking, provoke curiosity, and encourage the audience to reflect on the topic at hand. By asking a thought-provoking question, you can capture the audience’s attention and encourage them to think about the subject matter in a new and different way. Furthermore, rhetorical questions can be used to create a sense of anticipation and excitement, as the audience eagerly anticipates the answer to the question you have posed. 

13. Use metaphors and similes

Metaphors and similes are powerful tools that can help individuals better understand complex concepts. They are like a flashlight that illuminates the dark corners of the mind, providing clarity and insight. By comparing two seemingly different things, metaphors and similes can create a bridge between the familiar and the unfamiliar, allowing individuals to grasp difficult ideas with ease. In our fast-paced world, where information overload is a common issue, the use of metaphors and similes can help cut through the noise and deliver a clear message. So, the next time you encounter a challenging concept, remember to use these techniques to shed light on the subject matter.

14. Prepare handouts

When giving a speech, it’s important to remember that your audience needs to be able to follow along with what you’re saying. One way to help them do this is by using handouts. Handouts can be a great way to enhance your presentation because they allow you to provide additional information that may not be covered in your speech. For example, you can use handouts to provide graphs, charts, or other visuals that illustrate your points. Additionally, handouts can be a useful tool for your audience to take notes and refer back to later. By providing handouts, you can ensure that your audience is engaged and able to fully understand the information you’re presenting.

15. Incorporate props

Using props during your speech is a great way to enhance your delivery and keep your audience engaged. By incorporating visual aids such as props, you can help to illustrate your points and add depth to your content. Additionally, props can be used to make abstract concepts more concrete and easier for your audience to understand. For example, if you’re delivering a speech on the importance of recycling, you could bring in a visual prop such as a bin of recyclable materials to help drive home your message. Overall, the use of props can help take your speech to the next level while making it more memorable and impactful for your audience.

16. Practice in front of a mirror

Another useful tip for improving your presentation skills is to practice in front of a mirror. Not only can this help you perfect your body language and delivery, but it can also give you a better sense of how you come across to others. Additionally, practicing in front of a mirror can help you identify any nervous habits or tics that you may have, allowing you to work on eliminating them before your actual presentation. Overall, incorporating mirror practice into your preparation routine can be a simple yet effective way to boost your confidence and improve your presentation skills.

17. Join a public speaking group

Joining a public speaking group is a great way to improve your public speaking skills. Not only will you have the opportunity to practice speaking in front of others, but you’ll also receive valuable feedback that can help you improve. Additionally, by joining a group, you’ll have the chance to meet and network with other like-minded individuals who share a passion for public speaking. This can lead to new opportunities and connections that can benefit you both personally and professionally. Finally, being part of a public speaking group can also provide a sense of community and support, as you work together with others to achieve your goals and improve your skills.

18. Record yourself 

Another way to enhance your public speaking skills is to record yourself. By doing this, you can identify areas where you need to improve and refine your delivery. When you listen to yourself speak, you can pay attention to your pitch, pacing, and tone. You can also identify filler words or phrases, such as “um” or “like,” that you might use unconsciously. Additionally, recording yourself can help you become more comfortable with the sound of your voice. This can be especially helpful if you’re not used to hearing yourself speak for extended periods of time. Overall, recording yourself is a simple yet effective way to become a more confident and polished public speaker.

19. Learn to handle interruptions

One of the most common challenges that speakers face is handling interruptions. These interruptions can come in many different forms, such as unexpected questions, technical difficulties, or distractions in the environment. It’s important to learn how to handle these interruptions gracefully, as they can often derail a speech and throw off the speaker’s focus and confidence.

One key strategy for handling interruptions is to remain calm and composed. It’s natural to feel frustrated or flustered when faced with an interruption, but it’s important to take a deep breath and stay focused. Remember that interruptions are a normal part of public speaking, and they don’t have to ruin your presentation. If you need a moment to collect your thoughts, don’t be afraid to pause and take a few seconds to regroup.

By learning to handle interruptions with grace and composure, you can become a more effective and confident speaker. With practice and preparation, you can manage interruptions and keep your presentation on track, even in challenging situations.

20. End on a strong note

When giving a speech, it’s important to not only focus on what you say during the body of your presentation, but also on the way in which you conclude. A strong presentation should summarize the main points of your speech and leave a lasting impression on your audience. This can be achieved by reiterating your main points in a memorable way, making a call to action, or leaving your audience with a thought-provoking question. By doing so, you’ll ensure that your message resonates with your audience long after your speech has ended.

Another useful technique is to anticipate potential interruptions and plan how to address them in advance. For example, if you’re giving a presentation with a Q&A session at the end, be prepared for questions that might challenge your ideas or require additional information. It can be helpful to practice your responses to common questions ahead of time so that you feel more confident and prepared.

Discover other memorable ways how to end a presentation.

Effective presentation skills are key. While not everyone may be a natural-born speaker, with practice and dedication, anyone can improve their abilities to become a confident and engaging presenter. Whether you’re pitching to investors, delivering a lecture, or presenting in a meeting, being able to effectively present your ideas can greatly impact your success.

Remember, becoming a great presenter is a journey that requires patience, perseverance, and constant improvement. Don’t be afraid to seek feedback from others, practice regularly, and try out new techniques. With time, you’ll become more comfortable and confident in your abilities to deliver engaging and impactful presentations.

In conclusion, improving your presentation skills is a worthwhile investment that can pay dividends in both your personal and professional life. So take the time to hone your abilities, put in the effort, and embrace the opportunities that come your way. With the tips and techniques we’ve provided in this blog post, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a confident presenter.

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How to Give a Killer Presentation

• Chris Anderson

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

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

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

Lessons from TED

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

• CA Chris Anderson is the curator of TED.

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Blog Beginner Guides How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

Written by: Krystle Wong Jul 20, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 10 qualities of a good presentation?

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

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

1. Clear structure

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

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

2. Engaging opening

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

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

3. Relevant content

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

4. Effective visual aids

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

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

5. Clear and concise communication

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

6. Engaging delivery

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

7. Interaction and audience engagement

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

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

8. Effective storytelling

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

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

9. Well-timed pacing

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

10. Strong conclusion

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

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

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

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

1. Understand the audience and their needs

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

2. Conduct thorough research on the topic

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

3. Organize the content with a clear structure

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

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

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

4. Develop visually appealing and supportive visual aids

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

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

5. Practice, practice and practice

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

6. Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments

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

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

7. Prepare for potential technical or logistical issues

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

8. Fine-tune and polish your presentation

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

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

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

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

1. Confidence and positive body language

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

2. Eye contact with the audience

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

3. Effective use of hand gestures and movement

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

4. Utilize storytelling techniques

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

5. Incorporate multimedia elements

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

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

6. Utilize humor strategically

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

7. Practice active listening and respond to feedback

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

8. Apply the 10-20-30 rule

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

9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule

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

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

1. How to start a presentation?

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

2. How to end a presentation?

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

3. How to make a presentation interactive?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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• Presentation Skills
• Skills & Tools

Presentation skills can be defined as a set of abilities that enable an individual to: interact with the audience; transmit the messages with clarity; engage the audience in the presentation; and interpret and understand the mindsets of the listeners. These skills refine the way you put forward your messages and enhance your persuasive powers.

The present era places great emphasis on good presentation skills. This is because they play an important role in convincing the clients and customers. Internally, management with good presentation skills is better able to communicate the mission and vision of the organization to the employees.

Importance of Presentation Skills

Interaction with others is a routine job of businesses in today’s world. The importance of good presentation skills is established on the basis of following points:

• They help an individual in enhancing his own growth opportunities. In addition, it also grooms the personality of the presenter and elevates his levels of confidence.
• In case of striking deals and gaining clients, it is essential for the business professionals to understand the audience. Good presentation skills enable an individual to mold his message according to the traits of the audience. This increases the probability of successful transmission of messages.
• Lastly, business professionals have to arrange seminars and give presentations almost every day. Having good presentation skills not only increases an individual’s chances of success, but also enable him to add greatly to the organization.

How to Improve Presentation Skills

Development of good presentation skills requires efforts and hard work. To improve your presentation skills, you must:

• Research the Audience before Presenting: This will enable you to better understand the traits of the audience. You can then develop messages that can be better understood by your target audience. For instance, in case of an analytical audience, you can add more facts and figures in your presentation.
• Structure your Presentation Effectively: The best way to do this is to start with telling the audience, in the introduction, what you are going to present. Follow this by presenting the idea, and finish off the presentation by repeating the main points.
• Do a lot of Practice: Rehearse but do not go for memorizing the presentation. Rehearsals reduce your anxiety and enable you to look confident on the presentation day. Make sure you practice out loud, as it enables you to identify and eliminate errors more efficiently. Do not memorize anything as it will make your presentation look mechanical. This can reduce the degree of audience engagement.
• Take a Workshop: Most medium and large businesses allow their employees to take employee development courses and workshops, as well-trained employees are essential to the success of any company. You can use that opportunity to take a workshop on professional presentation skills such as those offered by Langevin Learning Services , which are useful for all business professionals, from employees to business trainers and managers.

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How to make a great presentation

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

The secret structure of great talks

The beauty of data visualization

TED's secret to great public speaking

How to speak so that people want to listen

How great leaders inspire action

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What are Presentation Skills and How to Improve Them?

Discover this blog to learn all about Presentation Skills and their vital significance in the professional realm and also learn how to improve them. This blog will also explore the importance of Presentation Skills, and how you conquer any presentation challenge. Read more to learn!

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Table of Contents  

1) What are Presentation Skills?  

2) Why are Presentation Skills important?  

3) Top 25  Presentation Skills

4) How to enhance your Presentation Skills?  

5) Conclusion 

What are Presentation Skills?  

Presentation Skills refer to a set of abilities that enable individuals to effectively convey information, ideas, or messages to an audience. It goes beyond simply speaking in front of people, involving a combination of verbal and non-verbal communication techniques that captivate and engage listeners. These skills are essential in various aspects of life, from professional settings to academic environments and even in personal interactions. 

At its core, Presentation Skills involve the art of delivering a message in a clear, concise, and compelling manner, guided by the fundamental principles of presentation skills . A skillful presenter consider all the advantages and disadvantages of presentations. They can capture the attention of their audience, hold their interest throughout the Presentation, and leave a lasting impact. These skills are priceless in a wide range of scenarios, such as delivering sales pitches, training sessions, public speeches, academic Presentations, or even social gatherings. Now that you know the definition of Presentation Skills, let's move on to learning their importance and the key elements of a Presentation .   

Why are Presentation Skills important?  

Presentation Skills are of paramount importance in the modern interconnected world. Let's have a look at the  Importance of Presentation Skills :  

1) Career advancement : In the professional realm, Presentation Skills are essential for career growth. Whether seeking a promotion, new job opportunities, or aiming for leadership roles, the ability to deliver compelling Presentations sets individuals apart from their peers. Employers value employees who can confidently articulate ideas, pitch proposals, and represent their organisations with poise and charisma. 

2) Building credibility: A skilled presenter exudes confidence and expertise, which enhances their credibility. When conveying information convincingly and concisely, they gain the trust of their audience. Credibility is vital in winning over clients, investors, and stakeholders, as well as in establishing oneself as a thought leader in a particular field. 

3) Effective leadership : Great leaders are often excellent communicators. Presentations Skills enable leaders to inspire and motivate their teams, promoting a sense of unity and purpose. Leaders who can articulate their visions clearly can rally their followers and drive their organisations towards success. 

4) Influencing decisions: Whether in business or academia, the ability to influence decisions through persuasive Presentations is invaluable. A well-crafted Presentation can sway opinions, secure funding for projects, or convince others to take specific actions. 

5) Enhancing teaching and learning: In educational settings, teachers and professors rely on effective Presentations Skills to engage and educate their students. Presenting complex concepts in an accessible and engaging manner promotes better understanding and retention of information. 

6) Confident public speaking: For many people, public speaking is a daunting task. However developing advanced Presentation Skills can help individuals overcome their fear of speaking in front of large audiences, boosting their confidence and self-assurance. 

7) Establishing personal brand: Presentations offer an opportunity to showcase one's personality, expertise, and unique perspective. By mastering Presentations Skills, individuals can establish a distinct personal brand that resonates with their audience and sets them apart from competitors. 

8) Networking and communication: Advanced Presentation Skills enhance networking abilities. Engaging presentations can leave a lasting impression on potential clients, collaborators, or partners. Strong communication skills foster better relationships in both personal and professional spheres. 

9) Successful pitching: Entrepreneurs and startups rely on compelling presentations to attract investors and secure funding for their ventures. A persuasive pitch can mark the difference between launching a successful business and remaining stagnant. 

10) Personal growth: Learning and honing Presentations Skills promote personal development. It encourages individuals to refine their communication abilities, think critically about their messages, and continuously seek ways to improve their Presentations. 

Take your Presentations to the next level with our Effective Presentation Skills & Techniques Course   - s ign up today!  

Top Presentation Skills

In the realm of presentations, certain key skills can make a significant difference in delivering a compelling and impactful message. One can explore these skills by going through various Presentation skills interview questions and answers . It will also aid you in preparing your best to ace in giving a presentation.Here are some essential Types of Presentation Skills that every presenter should strive to master:  

Clarity of expression  

The ability to portray ideas clearly and concisely is fundamental in a presentation. A skilled presenter organises thoughts effectively, avoiding jargon or convoluted language that might confuse the audience. They convey complex concepts in a simple manner, ensuring that their message is easily understood. 

Confident body language  

Non-verbal communication plays a vital role in presentations. A confident presenter uses positive body language, standing tall and maintaining an open posture. They use purposeful hand gestures to emphasise key points, and their facial expressions reflect their emotions and enthusiasm for the topic. 

Eye contact  

Establishing eye contact with the audience builds a connection and instils trust. A skilled presenter looks at different sections of the audience, they make everyone feel engaged and involved in the presentation. 

Voice modulation  

A monotonous voice can quickly lose the audience's attention. Effective presenters use voice modulation, varying their tone, pitch, and pace to add interest and emphasis to their speech. They adjust their voice according to the content and the emotions they want to convey. 

Confidence and poise  

Confidence is the backbone of a successful presentation. Even if a presenter feels nervous, projecting confidence and poise can reassure the audience and create a positive impression. 

Using engaging openings  

A powerful opening captures the audience's attention from the beginning of the presentation. Skilled presenters use compelling stories, shocking statistics, thought-provoking questions, or intriguing facts to hook the audience and draw them into the presentation. 

Using well-structured content  

Organising the presentation in a logical and coherent manner is essential. Presenters create a clear introduction that introduces the topic, a well-developed Structure that presents key points, and a concise conclusion that reinforces the main message. 

Using visual aids  

Effective use of visual aids, like slides, charts, and videos, can enhance the audience's understanding and retention of information. Presenters ensure that their visual aids are visually appealing, relevant and support the spoken content rather than overwhelm it. 

Audience engagement  

Skilled presenters actively involve their audience throughout the presentation. They ask questions, seek opinions, and incorporate interactive activities to keep the audience engaged and interested. 

Handling Q&A sessions  

Anticipating and preparing for potential questions demonstrates expertise and readiness. A skilled presenter confidently responds to audience's questions. They provide insightful answers and address any concerns. 

Time management  

Presenters respect their audience's time by adhering to the allocated time frame. They manage their time wisely, ensuring that they cover all essential points without rushing or going overtime. 

Adaptability  

Presenters need to be adaptable, ready to adjust their approach based on the audience's reactions and engagement levels. They can switch strategies if something is not working or if they need to address unexpected challenges. 

Active listening  

Active listening is a crucial skill for presenters, not just for the audience. While presenting, it's essential to pay attention to the audience's reactions and feedback. Doing this enables presenters to adapt their delivery and content in real-time, ensuring that the presentation remains relevant and resonates with the audience.  

Storytelling  

Storytelling is a powerful tool to make presentations memorable and relatable. Influential presenters weave relevant anecdotes, case studies, or personal experiences into their Presentations to connect emotionally with the audience. 

Preparation and rehearsal  

Proper preparation is crucial for a successful presentation. Skilled presenters thoroughly research their topic, practice their delivery, and rehearse in front of a mirror or with friends to gain feedback and build confidence. 

Closing with impact  

An impactful conclusion leaves a lasting impression on the audience. Skilled presenters summarise the main points, reiterate their key message, and may end with a call to action or a thought-provoking statement. 

Self-awareness

Self-awareness involves monitoring one's own emotions and reactions, which enables individuals to respond effectively in various situations. During Presentations, self-awareness can help one remain personable and handle feedback well. It can also soothe nervousness, allowing individuals to perform better. 

Take your Presentations to the next level with our Effective Presentation Skills & Techniques Course – sign up today!   

How to enhance your Presentation Skills? 

Presentation Skills are essential for individuals in various professional fields. While presenting a project proposal, giving a sales pitch or delivering a keynote speech, the way you present your ideas can significantly impact your message's effectiveness. To help you improve your presentation skills, here are some pointers to consider when you prepare a presentation :

Master presentation tools 

Utilising Presentation tools like PowerPoint or Prezi can enhance the visual appeal of your Presentation. Take the time to learn these software programs' features and experiment with different templates, fonts, and colours. Additionally, practice using the software so that you can smoothly navigate through your slides during your Presentation. 

Practice breathing exercises 

Deep breathing exercises can help your mind relax and release tension before and during your Presentation. Try slowly inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth, which will help regulate your breathing and calm your nerves. Practice deep breathing exercises daily to develop a habit of relaxation. 

Stay hydrated 

Speaking for an extended period can strain your vocal cords and lead to a dry throat. Stay hydrated by drinking enough water before and during your presentation. Avoid excessive caffeine or sugary drinks, as they can dehydrate you or impact your energy levels. 

Incorporate exercise 

Regular exercise can improve your well-being and boost your energy levels. Engage in physical activity, such as exercising, walking, running, or yoga, to reduce stress and increase endorphin production. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can contribute to your overall confidence and ability to deliver engaging Presentations. 

Arrive early for a smooth start 

Arriving early at the venue is crucial. Not only does it alleviate travel stress, but it also provides you with essential preparation time. Considering potential traffic delays and unforeseen events ensures that you reach your destination well ahead of your Presentation slot. By doing so, you'll have time to meet with on-site technicians, test your equipment, and establish a connection with fellow attendees before stepping onto the stage. 

Familiarise yourself with the room 

Early arrival allows you to explore the Presentation room thoroughly. Take note of its layout, acoustics, and lighting. Where will you stand during your talk? Experiment with different spots to find the optimal position for projecting your voice effectively. Familiarity with the room enhances your confidence and stage presence. 

Learn from other presenters 

While waiting for your turn, observe other presenters. Listen attentively to their speeches—note their tone, pacing, and engagement level. Pay attention to any relevant data or insights they share. This not only helps you understand the room dynamics but also provides an opportunity to incorporate relevant points into your own Presentation. By referencing what you've heard from previous speakers, you can create a more engaging and interactive experience for your audience. 

Use notes cards wisely 

Rather than relying on a full script, consider using note cards with key talking points. These cards serve as prompts to keep your presentation organised without making you sound overly rehearsed or robotic. Remember that authenticity matters; use the note cards as a guide while allowing yourself the flexibility to connect naturally with your audience. Remember, when you step onto that stage, it's not about you—it's about delivering valuable content and connecting with your listeners. 

Conclusion  

All in all, Presentation Skills are a vital aspect of effective communication and can greatly impact personal, academic, and professional success. By understanding the key elements of a compelling Presentation and incorporating various techniques, individuals can hone their abilities and leave a lasting impression on their audiences. 

Want to master the art of impactful Presentations? Explore our Presentation Skills Courses and elevate your communication prowess!  

Frequently Asked Questions

The 5 Ps of Presentation Skills are Planning (structuring your message and objectives), Preparation (researching and organising content), Practice (rehearsing to enhance delivery), Performance (engaging the audience with effective communication techniques), and Post-Presentation (evaluating feedback to improve future presentations).

The four types of Presentation Skills include verbal communication, non-verbal communication, visual aids, and audience engagement.

The Knowledge Academy’s Knowledge Pass , a prepaid voucher, adds another layer of flexibility, allowing course bookings over a 12-month period. Join us on a journey where education knows no bounds.

The Knowledge Academy offers various Presentation Skills courses , including Business Writing Course, Data Analysis Skills, and Presenting with Impact Training. These courses cater to different skill levels, providing comprehensive insights into Key Elements of Presentation .  

Our Business Skills blogs covers a range of topics related to Presentation Skills Training, offering valuable resources, best practices, and industry insights. Whether you are a beginner or looking to advance your Presentation skills, The Knowledge Academy's diverse courses and informative blogs have you covered.  

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Alongside our diverse Online Course Catalogue, encompassing 17 major categories, we go the extra mile by providing a plethora of free educational Online Resources like News updates, Blogs , videos, webinars, and interview questions. Tailoring learning experiences further, professionals can maximise value with customisable Course Bundles of TKA .  

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6 Reasons Presentation Skills Are Important For Career Growth

• The Speaker Lab
• June 26, 2024

Table of Contents

Picture this: you’re standing in front of a room full of colleagues, clients, or investors. Your heart is racing because you’re about to deliver a crucial presentation. In moments like these, the importance of presentation skills quickly becomes apparent. But developing strong presentation abilities isn’t just about surviving nerve-wracking moments like these. It’s about thriving in your career.

At the heart of presentation skills is the ability to communicate effectively. And when you can communicate well, you get buy-in for your ideas, rally people to your cause, and leave a lasting impression. In a job market that’s more competitive than ever, those are the things that can make all the difference. So if you want to get ahead? It’s time to recognize the importance of presentation skills and start improving yours.

The Importance of Presentation Skills in Professional Success

If you’ve ever watched a speaker captivate an audience, you know the power of strong presentation skills. But what you might not realize is just how much those skills can impact your career trajectory.

In today’s competitive professional landscape, the ability to effectively communicate your ideas and persuade others is a game-changer. That’s because when you can articulate your ideas clearly and engage your listeners, you’re perceived as a leader and a valuable asset to your company. This can kick-start a chain reaction of career growth. As you hone your presentation abilities, doors began to open—invites to speak at conferences, leadership roles on high-stakes projects, and more. This snowball effect can lead to career advancement, financial rewards, and a reputation as a thought leader in your domain.

Presentation Skills as a Tool for Effective Communication

Presentations are more than just words—they’re an opportunity to connect with your audience on a deeper level. It’s not just about standing up and speaking, but about crafting a clear message, using engaging visuals, telling stories that resonate, and adapting to your audience. It also involves body language, vocal tone, and the ability to think on your feet. When you put all these elements together, you create a presentation that doesn’t just inform, but engages and motivates.

The Power of Storytelling

One of the most effective techniques a presenter can use is storytelling. Stories possess an extraordinary power to engage listeners, elicit feelings, and make content memorable. Incorporating stories into your presentations allows you to connect with your audience on a level that goes deeper than simply presenting information.

For example, let’s say you’re giving a presentation on customer service. You could just rattle off statistics and best practices, but imagine if you started with a story about a time you personally experienced exceptional service. Suddenly, your audience is emotionally invested in what you have to say. And that emotional connection makes your message all the more impactful and memorable.

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The Psychological Impact of Strong Presentation Abilities

Ever left a presentation feeling like you could take on anything? That’s the mark of a master presenter at work. They know the secret to captivating an audience goes beyond simply relaying facts—it’s about forging a psychological connection that leaves you inspired and ready to take action. The importance of presentation skills becomes much more apparent when you realize the effect they can have on your audience.

Building Trust and Credibility

One of the key psychological principles at play in presentations is trust. When you present with confidence and clarity, your audience is more likely to see you as credible and trustworthy . And that trust is essential if you want them to buy into your ideas and take action on your recommendations.

Harnessing the Power of Emotion

Another psychological tool that skilled presenters use is emotion. When you can evoke an emotional response in your audience—whether it’s excitement, empathy, or even a bit of fear—you create a powerful connection that makes your message more impactful.

To truly captivate your audience, bring your ideas to life with vivid imagery and language that paints a picture in their minds. Weave in metaphors and analogies that make your concepts tangible, and use descriptive words that evoke emotion and engage their imagination. When you create a presentation that resonates on a deeper level, it will leave a lasting impact long after the final slide.

The Importance of Presentation Skills in the Digital Age

In today’s digital world, presentation skills have taken on a whole new meaning. With virtual meetings and webinars becoming the norm, the ability to engage an audience through a screen is more important than ever. But how do you create that same sense of connection and impact when you’re not in the same room as your audience?

Adapting to Virtual Platforms

Adapting your presentation skills to the virtual world requires a strategic approach. Specifically, be deliberate with your message, choose visuals that pack a punch, and deliver with enthusiasm. In the absence of physical presence, you’ll have to compensate by crafting an engaging experience that captures and maintains your audience’s attention throughout the presentation.

One way to do this is by using interactive tools like polls, Q&A sessions, and breakout rooms. These features allow you to create a sense of participation and dialogue, even when everyone is in different locations. You can also use visual aids like slides, videos, and animations to keep your audience’s attention and reinforce your key points.

Embracing New Technologies

Another way to level up your virtual presentation skills is by embracing new technologies. Tools like virtual reality and augmented reality can create immersive experiences that transport your audience and make your message more memorable. Even something as simple as using a high-quality camera and microphone can make a big difference in how professional and engaging your presentation comes across.

If you want to succeed in the digital era, you must first recognize the importance of presentation skills. Then, embrace virtual platforms, harness new tech, and watch as you effortlessly connect with your audience—even if they’re on the other side of the globe.

The Intersection of Presentation Skills and Leadership

Presentation skills and leadership go hand in hand. The ability to communicate effectively, inspire others, and drive change are all hallmarks of great leaders. And at the core of these qualities lies a mastery of presentation skills.

Think about the most influential leaders you know. Chances are, they’re also compelling speakers who can captivate an audience and rally people around a common goal. From Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech to Steve Jobs’ iconic product launches , history is filled with examples of leaders using their presentation prowess to make a profound impact.

But the link between presentation skills and leadership isn’t just anecdotal. Research has shown that effective communication is one of the top traits of successful leaders. In fact, study by the Harvard Business Review found that strong communication skills were rated as the third most important competency for leaders, further proving the importance of presentation skills.

Inspiring Teams and Driving Change

Why are presentation skills so crucial for leadership? It’s simple—they allow leaders to share their vision and motivate their teams. When a leader can confidently articulate a compelling vision, they can inspire people to work together towards a common goal.

As a leader, your presentation skills can make or break your ability to drive change. Introducing a new strategy? Navigating a crisis? Pushing for innovation? In all these scenarios, you need to persuade stakeholders and gain their support. Crafting a compelling argument is crucial, but so is delivering it in a way that connects with your audience on a deeper level.

Navigating Diverse Audiences with Adaptive Presentation Skills

One of the key challenges leaders face is communicating with diverse audiences. From employees and customers to investors and media, leaders need to be able to tailor their message and delivery style to connect with different stakeholders.

This is where adaptive presentation skills come into play. Great presenters understand that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to communication. They take the time to understand their audience’s needs, preferences, and cultural context, and adjust their approach accordingly.

Tailoring Content and Delivery for Maximum Impact

Adapting your presentation starts with tailoring your content. This means focusing on the information and angles that are most relevant and compelling to your specific audience. For example, when presenting to a technical team, you might dive deeper into the details and data, while for a executive audience, you may focus more on the big picture and strategic implications.

But it’s not just about what you say—it’s also how you say it. Effective presenters adapt their delivery style, tone, and even body language to build rapport and connection with their audience. This could mean anything from adjusting your pace and energy level to using more visual aids or storytelling techniques.

Fostering Inclusivity Through Audience Awareness

Great presentation skills aren’t just about getting your point across—they’re about making everyone in the room feel valued. When leaders take the time to understand their audience and adapt their message, they create an inclusive environment where every voice matters.

Want to get ahead in today’s global marketplace? Then you better know how to talk to people from different backgrounds and cultures. The most successful leaders are the ones who can bring diverse teams together and communicate in a way that clicks with everyone, no matter where they’re from.

Enhancing Personal Branding with Polished Presentation Skills

In today’s competitive job market, standing out is essential. One of the most powerful ways to differentiate yourself is through your personal brand. But what exactly is personal branding, and how do presentation skills fit into the equation?

Defining Your Unique Value Proposition

At its core, personal branding is about defining and communicating your unique value proposition. In other words, it’s about understanding what makes you different, what you stand for, and how you can add value to your audience or employer. And guess what? Presentation skills are a key part of that equation.

Think about it: every time you give a presentation, whether it’s to a client, your team, or a room full of strangers, you have an opportunity to showcase your brand. The way you communicate, the stories you tell, the insights you share—all of these elements shape how others perceive you and what you bring to the table.

Crafting a Compelling Narrative

Polished presentation skills allow you to craft a compelling narrative around your personal brand. When you can articulate your ideas clearly, engage your audience emotionally, and deliver with confidence and authenticity, you leave a lasting impression.

This is especially important in high-stakes situations like job interviews, pitch meetings, or keynote speeches . These are the moments when your presentation skills can make or break your ability to land that dream job, win that big client, or establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.

Amplifying Your Reach and Impact

If you want to take your personal brand to the next level, then start improving your presentation skills. In the digital age, a single talk can be shared across the globe, attracting fans, clients, and collaborators who resonate with your message and style.

That means powerful presentation skills are your ticket to sharing your message with the world. Whether you’re creating compelling videos, hosting informative webinars, or captivating audiences at virtual events, your ability to communicate effectively will establish you as a go-to expert in your field. And as your reputation grows, so will the opportunities that come knocking at your door.

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FAQs on the Importance of Presentation Skills

Why are presentation skills important.

Presentation skills let you share ideas clearly and make a strong impression. They’re key for career growth, from acing job interviews to nailing salary negotiations.

What are the important points of presentation?

Effective presentations hinge on clear communication, engaging storytelling, maintaining eye contact, and reading your audience. Master these to keep folks hooked.

How important is presentation in the workplace?

In the workplace, good presentation skills boost your ability to persuade and lead. They help you stand out during meetings and project discussions.

Why is it important to practice a presentation?

Practicing polishes your delivery and boosts confidence. It helps manage nerves so you can focus on making an impact with your words.

So, what is the importance of presentation skills? It’s simple. They empower you to communicate effectively, engage your audience, and make a lasting impact. Whether you’re pitching a new idea, leading a team meeting, or delivering a keynote speech, strong presentation skills are your secret weapon.

Mastering the art of presenting is a surefire way to boost your career. Picture yourself commanding the room, your words flowing effortlessly as you engage your audience. With practice and the right strategies, you’ll exude confidence, communicate with crystal clarity, and leave a lasting impression. Investing in your presentation skills is investing in your professional growth.

And don’t think presentation skills are only for giving speeches. They matter in how you present yourself, your ideas, and your worth in every professional encounter. So master effective communication and watch your career skyrocket.

• Last Updated: June 21, 2024

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11 Tips for Improving Your Presentation Skills (& Free Training)

Written by: Heleana Tiburca

Are you looking for ways to completely level up your presentation skills? We’ve rounded up a list of the 10 best tips to help you deliver and create an effective presentation .

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the tips you’ll find inside:

• Create an audience journey roadmap
• Use proper and confident body language
• Meet your audience before presenting to better connect with them
• Focus on your presentation design to engage your audience

... and a whole lot more!

So, if you want to take your presentation skills to the next level, then this list will show you exactly how to do so.

Let’s get into it.

Table of Contents

Tip #1: define the purpose of your presentation., tip #2: create an audience journey map., tip #3: keep your slides short and sweet., tip #4: focus on your presentation design., tip #5: visualize boring numbers and data., tip #6: practice in front of a live audience., tip #7: meet your audience before presenting., tip #8: channel nervous energy into enthusiastic energy., tip #9: use proper and confident body language., tip #10: allow your personality to shine through., tip #11: take courses to improve your presentation skills., free presentation skills training.

Behind every successful presentation, there was carefully crafted planning that went into it beforehand. To ensure that you’ll have a powerful presentation, you need to consider your message.

The very first step to any good presentation is to define its purpose. This goes on in the very beginning during the planning process where you consider your message.

Your presentation’s end goal can be any of the following:

• To entertain
• To persuade

Your presentation’s end goal might even be a combination of the four purposes above. Consider the fact that you may need to inform buyers of your product and what problem it solves for them, but you also need to persuade them into buying it.

This is where engaging storytelling and proper visual aids will come into play to help you achieve your goal, and will either make or break your presentation.

Once you pinpoint the purpose of your presentation, you can then begin to work on the subject matter and your audience journey map.

An audience journey map is a visual representation of all the steps you need to take your audience members through, from first to last and everything in between, to achieve the goal of your presentation.

There are a few steps to creating your audience journey map.

First, you need to start your explanation at a low point — the current state of an issue. Maybe there’s a problem that you are able to solve. Describe the current situation before you lay out the undertaking ahead.

Once you lay out the problem, you can then start showing your audience the process of solving this problem. To not overwhelm your crowd, give them an actionable roadmap to follow.

With great verbal communication skills, you can tell them how you plan to take the first step.

This is many times the hardest part of the presentation, but once you have the foundation for your first step, you can easily lay out the next stepping stones and take them to your end goal with ease.

Creating an audience journey map will be a major success factor in a compelling presentation and needs to be done before writing and creating your slides.

Having a clear audience journey map will also help ensure you take your audience on a smooth journey with all your main points in line and achieve your end goal with no bumps in the road.

When giving a presentation, make sure that you keep it short, sweet and as informationally-condensed as possible. All of your slides should be easy to digest and understandable at a glance.

Let's take a look at an example. The slide below is part of Visme's simple presentation theme , which is designed to have maximum impact with minimal text.

You can customize this slide and others like it in Visme's presentation software . Or, you can apply the same concept of minimalism to any other presentation tool, such as PowerPoint.

To make sure that you stay on topic and won’t overwhelm your crowd with too much information, you need to have a plan. When you have a solid plan to go by, you won’t go off track and begin rambling about things unrelated to your presentation.

Another practical way you can stay on topic and not overwhelm your audience with too much information is to have your main points written in bold somewhere on your slides.

Here's another example of a Visme slide template that does that well:

As you can see above, you don’t need to write out all the information surrounding the main points, as this will cause your audience too much confusion.

An experienced presenter will be able to quickly glance over at their own presentation slides, see the main points and continue on with their presentation, engaging their audience without going off course.

This, of course, comes with a lot of rehearsing out loud, which we will cover more in tip number six .

Another great way to keep your presentation short is to set a specific time for asking questions.

By reserving a few minutes during your presentation for your audience to ask questions, you can present your main points and achieve your goals, without going into too much detail.

Your audience can then ask for clarity on anything that interests them and you can answer their questions in however much detail you need.

Picture this: you’re gathered around the conference table with all your colleagues early Monday morning and your manager pulls up a lifeless, colorless, text-filled Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.

You’re trying your best to pay attention and understand what he’s trying to convey, but staring deep into your coffee cup seems much more interesting at this point.

Sound familiar?

This is why it’s so crucial to understand how your presentation design will affect the outcome.

By having a messy and overloaded presentation, you’ll lose your audience almost immediately. On the flip side, if it’s so mundane and boring, you will also lose their attention.

One design presentation tip that we suggest you implement is to make sure you don’t overcrowd your slides with too much text.

This is a risky thing to do because the moment you flip to the next slide, your audience’s attention goes from what you’re saying, to your slide.

They’ll begin to read everything presented on the slide and completely tune you out. This is why a minimal text approach with a maximum of 2-3 different yet complementary fonts on your slides will be ideal, like in the example below.

You can use visual aids like images, animated graphic design elements, videos and more to convey the same message that boring text would.

It’s not everyone’s cup of tea to design a presentation from scratch, and that’s why it can be incredibly helpful to use a tool that offers presentation templates to help you get started.

Visme has hundreds of handcrafted presentation templates for public speakers to use for any occasion. Each presentation template is fully customizable and you’ll be able to add your branded content to your slides to make it your own.

Presenting your data can be an incredibly tricky and difficult task.

Instead of adding a bunch of tables and numbers to your slides, try switching things up by using charts, graphs and other data visualization types .

When creating a chart for your presentation, you need to be mindful of several things.

First, you need to choose the right chart to begin with. Not every type of graph is suitable for all data sets. The chart you choose will depend on the nature of your data and your unique purpose of using that chart.

Here's an infographic to help you understand what type of chart to use depending on your unique needs and nature of data.

Image Source

For example, if you're drawing a comparison between two or more items, a bar graph might be suitable. But if you're breaking down composition, a pie chart might be a better idea.

Also, make sure that you can fit all of your information into a chart without overcrowding the visual and also have your audience understand that information at a glance, like in the example below.

Other data visualization tips to keep in mind include choosing a pleasant, cohesive color scheme, sticking to max 2-3 fonts, incorporating a legend, and keeping your data as simple as possible.

Learn more about data visualization best practices to help you create engaging charts for your presentations and reports.

If you're using Visme, you can also import your data directly from Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, Survey Monkey, Google Analytics and more.

Practice, practice and practice again.

Some would argue that writing up and designing a presentation from scratch is the easiest part. Delivering the presentation in a way that it engages your audience — that's the tricky part.

When it comes to public speaking, it’s only natural that one would get a little nervous and stumble upon their words.

That’s why practicing your public speaking skills in front of others will be vital to how well you present and connect with your crowd during your actual presentation.

It’s one thing to practice in front of the mirror, but it’s something completely different when people are waiting for you to deliver information that will improve their business or life.

So gather up some friends, family members or even your pets, and present your presentation from start to finish as many times as you need.

By presenting your slides out loud, you might even catch some mistakes in your presentation or find you need to add in some missing information.

By shaking your attendee’s hand before a meeting, you’ll begin to make connections and become more approachable and likable by your audience.

Meeting your audience will help break the ice and make them more likely to listen to what you have to say. They will also feel more comfortable asking you questions later, which will increase the value they get out of your presentation.

Plus, you’ll also feel more relaxed speaking to your audience if you've met them already. When you can put a name to a face, you’ll automatically feel a sense of comfort when you make eye contact with them while presenting.

Even the most famous movie stars and popular public speakers will still get nervous before a public presentation.

It’s human nature to get butterflies and perspire a bit before having tons of eyes on you, critiquing every word you have to say.

So, if you’re feeling nervous before a presentation, instead of emotionally shutting down, take that nervous energy and transform it into enthusiastic energy.

Before getting up on stage, listen to your favorite hype music, maybe have a coffee (if it won’t make you jittery) or get a pep talk from a friend.

By being confident and using your enthusiasm to your advantage, you’ll have your crowd on the edge of their seats, completely engaged, following every word you say.

Enthusiastic presentations will much better received by listeners, rather than monotone informational presentations. So, as important as your presentation design is, the way you present it will determine a big part of the outcome.

According to Allan Pease , an Honorary Professor of Psychology at ULIM International University, you can convince almost anyone to do anything for you if you use proper body language.

He has an entire Ted Talk dedicated to the subject, which you can watch below.

The proper use of hand gestures, a power stance, a confident smile and an authoritative yet kind voice are all techniques that you can leverage to get your crowd listening to and agreeing with what you’re saying.

According to Allan Pease, when using hand gestures, you’ll want to make sure that you’re using open palm gestures. This makes you look like a great leader that is right there with the team, ready to lead and take charge.

By using open palm gestures, people will automatically be inclined to listen to you.

The moment you turn your hand over and start using your pointer finger, you will lose your audience. They won’t accept any information from you and they will believe you have an authoritative and hostile attitude.

Body language is everything, so make sure to use open hand gestures, smile, take a deep breath and believe that you’re not nervous, even if you are.

As soon as you believe that you’re not nervous, your brain and body will follow suit and you’ll feel more confident on stage with your presentation, which will make your audience trust you more.

We’re convinced that with the right tone of voice and allowing your personality to shine through, you can take any boring presentation, and turn it into an entertaining and engaging one for your audience.

While it is good to meet your audience where they are, it’s never good to fake your personality for the sake of a presentation.

Everyone can tell when someone isn’t genuine, and if you’re trying to suppress your personality, you’re only hurting yourself and your presentation by doing so, as what you’re saying can then begin to sound disingenuous.

So, don’t be afraid to use your personality to your advantage. Let a joke out and entertain your audience. By making your audience laugh, you’ll have them more in tune with what you’re saying.

Chances are if you’re giving a business presentation, many of your peers will be there and they'd want you to let your personality show. So, be yourself and use that to your advantage!

Finally, our best tip that we can offer you in all areas of life is to never stop learning.

The only way to improve is to continue learning and practicing. That’s why we recommend you take presentation courses that will help improve your communication skills and presentation skills.

You can brush up on your presentation, communication and public speaking tips by taking online courses on Udemy or Coursera . Look for specific courses on storytelling, body language and more to focus on your problem areas.

Or, if you're looking for a free course that packs all the good stuff at zero cost, our team at Visme has put together an incredible presentation course that will help you smash your next presentation!

When it comes to creating and giving presentations, many times it seems like it’s just something that’s expected of us to do, without receiving any type of proper training or qualifications.

Here at Visme, we want to see everyone succeed.

That’s why we combined our years of knowledge and experience to create a free course to give everyone the tools and confidence they need in order to create effective and successful presentations.

There are dozens of benefits and skills you’ll gain in these training sessions. You'll learn how to:

• Effectively brainstorm and create audience personas and audience journey maps
• Use visual communication to inform, engage, inspire and persuade your audience
• Design your presentation as a professional designer would in minutes
• Use colors, fonts, pictures and videos to increase the impact of your speech
• Present your data through compelling charts and graphs that tell a story

You’ll also receive a Visme Versity certificate of completion once you complete the online course — you can add this to your LinkedIn profile to set yourself up for success.

If any of these benefits sound like something you want to add to your tool belt, then you can take our free presentation skills course for professional development right now.

This course is broken down into easily digestible sections, yet it’s jam-packed full of readily applicable information. The best part is you can take the course and complete it at your own pace.

There are engaging educational videos for you to watch and learn from, informational content for you to read and at the end of each session, there is a quiz for you to take to assess your progress.

By the end of this course, you’ll have an abundance of skills that will help you succeed in all types of presentations.

Sign up today and learn how to become a great presenter in no time!

Level Up Your Presentation Skills

You’ve now learned 11 amazing tips on how to improve your presentation skills, but there’s still so much more to uncover and learn in the realm of presentations skills.

If you want to overcome your fear of public speaking, improve on your business presentations, become a better communicator and transform good presentations into great presentations, then this free presentation course by Visme is for you.

Want to create stunning presentations of your own? Sign up for our presentation software and start using hundreds of pre-made slides, animated effects, free graphics, charts and more.

Create beautiful presentations faster with Visme.

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About the Author

I’m Heleana and I’m a content creator here at Visme. My passion is to help people find the information they’re looking for in the most fun and enjoyable way possible. Let’s make information beautiful.

• PRESENTATION SKILLS

What is a Presentation?

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• A - Z List of Presentation Skills
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• Coping with Presentation Nerves
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The formal presentation of information is divided into two broad categories: Presentation Skills and Personal Presentation .

These two aspects are interwoven and can be described as the preparation, presentation and practice of verbal and non-verbal communication. 

This article describes what a presentation is and defines some of the key terms associated with presentation skills.

Many people feel terrified when asked to make their first public talk.  Some of these initial fears can be reduced by good preparation that also lays the groundwork for making an effective presentation.

A Presentation Is...

A presentation is a means of communication that can be adapted to various speaking situations, such as talking to a group, addressing a meeting or briefing a team.

A presentation can also be used as a broad term that encompasses other ‘speaking engagements’ such as making a speech at a wedding, or getting a point across in a video conference.

To be effective, step-by-step preparation and the method and means of presenting the information should be carefully considered. 

A presentation requires you to get a message across to the listeners and will often contain a ' persuasive ' element. It may, for example, be a talk about the positive work of your organisation, what you could offer an employer, or why you should receive additional funding for a project.

The Key Elements of a Presentation

Making a presentation is a way of communicating your thoughts and ideas to an audience and many of our articles on communication are also relevant here, see: What is Communication? for more.

Consider the following key components of a presentation:

Ask yourself the following questions to develop a full understanding of the context of the presentation.

When and where will you deliver your presentation?

There is a world of difference between a small room with natural light and an informal setting, and a huge lecture room, lit with stage lights. The two require quite different presentations, and different techniques.

Will it be in a setting you are familiar with, or somewhere new?

If somewhere new, it would be worth trying to visit it in advance, or at least arriving early, to familiarise yourself with the room.

Will the presentation be within a formal or less formal setting?

A work setting will, more or less by definition, be more formal, but there are also various degrees of formality within that.

Will the presentation be to a small group or a large crowd?

Are you already familiar with the audience?

With a new audience, you will have to build rapport quickly and effectively, to get them on your side.

What equipment and technology will be available to you, and what will you be expected to use?

In particular, you will need to ask about microphones and whether you will be expected to stand in one place, or move around.

What is the audience expecting to learn from you and your presentation?

Check how you will be ‘billed’ to give you clues as to what information needs to be included in your presentation.

All these aspects will change the presentation. For more on this, see our page on Deciding the Presentation Method .

The role of the presenter is to communicate with the audience and control the presentation.

Remember, though, that this may also include handing over the control to your audience, especially if you want some kind of interaction.

You may wish to have a look at our page on Facilitation Skills for more.

The audience receives the presenter’s message(s).

However, this reception will be filtered through and affected by such things as the listener’s own experience, knowledge and personal sense of values.

See our page: Barriers to Effective Communication to learn why communication can fail.

The message or messages are delivered by the presenter to the audience.

The message is delivered not just by the spoken word ( verbal communication ) but can be augmented by techniques such as voice projection, body language, gestures, eye contact ( non-verbal communication ), and visual aids.

The message will also be affected by the audience’s expectations. For example, if you have been billed as speaking on one particular topic, and you choose to speak on another, the audience is unlikely to take your message on board even if you present very well . They will judge your presentation a failure, because you have not met their expectations.

The audience’s reaction and therefore the success of the presentation will largely depend upon whether you, as presenter, effectively communicated your message, and whether it met their expectations.

As a presenter, you don’t control the audience’s expectations. What you can do is find out what they have been told about you by the conference organisers, and what they are expecting to hear. Only if you know that can you be confident of delivering something that will meet expectations.

See our page: Effective Speaking for more information.

How will the presentation be delivered?

Presentations are usually delivered direct to an audience.  However, there may be occasions where they are delivered from a distance over the Internet using video conferencing systems, such as Skype.

It is also important to remember that if your talk is recorded and posted on the internet, then people may be able to access it for several years. This will mean that your contemporaneous references should be kept to a minimum.

Impediments

Many factors can influence the effectiveness of how your message is communicated to the audience.

For example background noise or other distractions, an overly warm or cool room, or the time of day and state of audience alertness can all influence your audience’s level of concentration.

As presenter, you have to be prepared to cope with any such problems and try to keep your audience focussed on your message.   

Our page: Barriers to Communication explains these factors in more depth.

Continue to read through our Presentation Skills articles for an overview of how to prepare and structure a presentation, and how to manage notes and/or illustrations at any speaking event.

Continue to: Preparing for a Presentation Deciding the Presentation Method

See also: Writing Your Presentation | Working with Visual Aids Coping with Presentation Nerves | Dealing with Questions Learn Better Presentation Skills with TED Talks

Most Effective Presentation Skills And Its Techniques

Shama is terrified of public speaking. She always avoids tasks that involve standing in front of a crowd. Even if…

Shama is terrified of public speaking. She always avoids tasks that involve standing in front of a crowd. Even if it’s her coworkers, something about having all eyes on her makes her nervous.

Some of you may find this familiar and relatable. The nerves before a presentation, for instance, can leave you feeling breathless, paralyzed and afraid. Many people have stage fright.

There are times when you simply can’t get out of public speaking, especially if it’s a presentation at work. For such occasions, it’s critical to build effective presentation skills to help ease the process.

 Let’s discuss techniques of effective presentation and how they can help you overcome your stage fear.

What Are Effective Presentation Skills?

The 4 p’s of presentation skills, effective presentation skills with harappa.

Public speaking is an art and a skill that can be mastered over time, with practice and experience. It’s a daunting prospect surely, but once you get the hang of it, it’s going to give you new opportunities to prove yourself. In the professional world, public speaking is unavoidable. You’ll have to speak in meetings, give presentations or participate in work events that require speeches.

Here are some effective presentation skills you can develop to become a good speaker:

Understand The Art Of Storytelling

Storytelling is a valuable skill for public speaking. Even if you’re giving official presentations, knowing how to weave a story with elements that keep the listener engaged will go a long way. What you want to do is make sure everyone’s listening. An attentive audience means you’re doing a good job. Storytelling helps you keep them hanging onto your words. Not only can you share relevant data, statistics and information but also make it creative and exciting for them.

Prepare In Advance

Many people do last-minute prep for their presentations. Just compiling data and adding color to your slides won’t do the trick. You have to prepare your slides, what you’re going to say and how you plan to convey your content. Think of possible questions from the audience and try to come up with answers to avoid having to do so on the spot. This way you can sidestep any possible roadblocks.

Talk Clearly And Compellingly

Now that you’ve prepared your content, good presentation skills call for compelling and clear speech. When you’re speaking to an audience, make sure they’re able to understand every word you’re saying. Your speech should be simple, interesting and direct. ( Adipex ) Instead of getting lost in big words and complex sentences, focus on simple phrases and data. Visual storytelling with data is another key element you can incorporate in your presentation.

Read Your Audience

Picking up nonverbal cues from the audience will help you tailor your presentation on the spot. If you see your audience getting bored, for instance, share an anecdote if appropriate, or move to the next slide. You have to be present for the duration of the presentation. You can’t rely on your slides and script alone. Read the room, make eye contact and pay attention to your body language. Be open and welcome comments and questions that might turn into a conversation.

Identify Your Message

If you’re making a presentation, you should be well-versed with what you’re trying to convey. It’s one thing to put everything together, but when it comes to delivering your message, you must be able to do so in a few words. The key takeaways should be easy to recognize and share.

Developing good presentation skills for an effective presentation will help you gain the confidence you need to handle a crowd. You can even use the PAM framework that defines the purpose, audience and message to break down what you need to prepare.

Techniques of effective presentation delivery include what is known as the four Ps of effective presentation skills.

Purpose defines why you’re delivering the presentation. This may be to sign a new client, update your team on quarterly targets or pitch to an investor. This will help you craft your message.

Who will you be presenting to? Employees, coworkers, customers, clients or investors may make up the audience for your presentation. You have to tailor your message as per their needs.

Where you’re presenting determines just how much you have to prepare and whether it’s formal or informal. It may be a networking event, which might be fun and friendly, or an official presentation, which is more formal.

Practice is key if you want to give an effective presentation. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll be. Good presentation skills can be refined with practice.

With these four Ps, you’re well on your way to mastering the art of delivering an effective presentation.

Harappa’s  Speaking Effectively course will teach you key frameworks like PAM (Purpose, Audience and Message) to refine your public speaking skills. Impress your colleagues by giving an effective presentation with tips from our expert faculty. Learn about verbal and non-verbal communication, how to read your audience and even speak virtually. Enroll today to get started on your journey toward noteworthy public speaking.

Explore topics such as  Self-Introduction ,  Presentation Techniques , Ways To Give A  Persuasive Presentation  &  How To Give An Effective Presentation  from Harappa Diaries to build a personal brand that inspires, motivates and guides others.

What is a Presentation? Objectives, Elements, Important skills, Four Ps

• Post last modified: 4 June 2023
• Reading time: 19 mins read
• Post category: Business Communication

What is a Presentation?

A presentation communicates a message, an idea or information to a group. It is similar to a report, but with a key difference–the human element. A presentation conveys the speaker’s personality and enables immediate interaction among all participants.

Table of Content

• 1 What is a Presentation?
• 2.1 To Inform
• 2.2 To Train
• 2.3 To Persuade
• 2.4 To Motivate
• 2.5 To Entertain
• 3 Main Elements of Presentation
• 4.1 Analytical ability
• 4.2 Effective communication ability
• 4.3 Creative ability
• 4.4 Good interpersonal skill
• 4.5 Sound time management
• 4.6 Problem-solving ability
• 4.7 A sense of humour
• 5 Evaluation Wheel
• 6.1 Prepare
• 6.2 Practice
• 6.3 Present
• 7.1 Know Yourself
• 7.2 Know Your Material
• 7.3 Know Your Purpose
• 7.4 Know Your Audience

Objectives of Presentation

The main objectives of a presentation are:

To Persuade

To motivate, to entertain.

A presentation is created to convey some information to a group of people. For example, a presentation may display an organisation’s quarterly performance.

Most training programmes in organisations are done through the presentation mode. Such instructional presentations convey a lot of information and are created with instructional design principles to keep the audience engaged for a long period.

Some presentations are used to convince a group of people to accept a particular idea and/or make a certain choice.

The growing popularity of TED Talks indicates how a presentation can be a powerful motivation tool. These presentations trigger emotions and inspire people to act.

Presentations can also be used to celebrate an event. For example, a farewell presentation of a colleague can be used to narrate the story of his/her overall tenure, experiences and achievement in the organisation.

Main Elements of Presentation

A presentation is said to be effective if it has three main elements, which are as follows:

• Specific content : This refers to the information that a presentation will comprise. The information must be conveyed effectively so that it is absorbed by the audience in one sitting. It should be relevant and meaningful to them.
• Audience : A presentation should be targeted for a specific group of audience who share the same purpose and have a similar level of pre-knowledge.
• Presenter: The presenter should act as the advocate of the information. If his/her conviction and passion in the message are clearly articulated, the audience will also pay attention to the subject.

Important Presentation Skills

In today’s business environment, presentation skills are requisite in almost every professional arena. Employees are often required to give presentations on the targets achieved by them. A presentation can be effective if it is carefully planned and prepared.

However, delivering presentations is not always easy for every individual. Some people take presenting as a probable opportunity to showcase skills, while others find it a challenging task. To provide an effective presentation, a presenter must possess some abilities.

Some of them are explained as follows:

Analytical ability

Effective communication ability, creative ability, good interpersonal skill, sound time management, problem-solving ability, a sense of humour.

It refers to a calibre which empowers an individual to collect, organise, visualise and comprehend data. Such skills enable a person to look at related patterns, draw conclusions and find solutions to problems. In addition, sound analytical skills also enable an individual to forecast future trends using various techniques such as brainstorming, forecasting, data mining and metrics interpretation.

Communication entails much more than mere talking to the audience. To communicate effectively during a presentation, one ought to showcase information lucidly. During a presentation, a person should not just have a good set of slides together; rather he needs to engage and strike a chord with the audience to transmit the intended message.

It refers to the ability to present things in a creative way that have not been explored earlier. Creative skills in presentation enable an individual to invent or develop something path-breaking, such as a new concept, unique way out from a problem, a method, a work of art or new machinery, etc.

It encompasses how an individual portrays or presents himself to the audience and builds a rapport with the audience. During a presentation, sound interpersonal skills empower a speaker to interact, communicate and collaborate with the audience effectively.

Interpersonal skills are prevalent across all personal and professional interactions between people. Interpersonal skills entail empathy, active listening and emotional intelligence.

While delivering a presentation, a person should manage time effectively, set a presentation schedule and end a presentation within a stipulated time. If a presentation is long, there are chances the audience may lose interest and the message may not be delivered.

A speaker cannot expect audience to actively listen to the presentation for hours. At the start of presentation, a speaker should aim to grab audience’s attention and allocate time for questions and answers at the end.

Problem-solving is a requisite skill for a presentation. During a presentation, the audience may ask the speaker any kind of questions. On the other hand, it is important for the speaker to provide an appropriate answer to the audience to make the presentation successful.

A sense of humour is crucial to deliver a quality presentation to make the environment light and engaging. Appropriate usage of light jokes relieves stress and holds the attention of an audience, which makes the presentation a memorable experience for both the speaker and the audience.

Evaluation Wheel

Evaluation wheel is a creative and effective tool that accumulates information on outcomes in a simple and accessible manner. A presenter can opt for the evaluation wheel tool to show the outcomes of the research or reports. This tool is used to provide various types of information and journeys of change within the organisation.

It offers a visual representation of progression and results in the form of a spider diagram. The evaluation wheel measures the exact outcomes for a programme at the start and end. It also helps educators, designers to comprehend information systematically. Figure shows an example of evaluation wheel:

Figure states the scale questionnaire in a circle form wherein respondents will analyse the instances from their discretion and experience and give rating on a scale of 1 to 5.

For instance, service users are appropriately involved. In this case, if the respondent strongly agrees, he/she will give 5 rating and if he/she does not agree, he/she will give 1 rating. The centre of the circle is for 1 and as the respondent agrees, they reach out to edge for 5 rating.

Ps of Presentation

Even the most powerful presentation may fail if the presenter comes unprepared. A presentation is both a mental and a physical effort. There are Ps of presentation that provide a checklist to the presenter for ensuring that the presentation is well-constructed and clear so that the audience gets the message. These four Ps are explained as follows:

A thoroughly prepared presentation captivates the interests of the audience. The topic or content of the presentation must be thoroughly researched. No one would develop interest in a vague or equivocal presentation. A speaker can make use of stories or relatable examples and quote references to give more depth to the presentation and make it intriguing.

Apart from that, it should be ensured that only important points are highlighted in bullets or using other graphical elements. Providing too much of theory or full sentences can create boredom for the audience.

While preparing for a presentation, the presenter should include the following sections:

• Introduction : This section includes the name of the topic and the purpose of the presentation.
• Body : This section contains the main content of the presentation; thus, it must be prepared in a well-organised manner.
• Summary : It provides a recap of the content of the presentation. It outlines the most important points of the presentation to ensure the key message is retained by the audience.

Practice will make a man perfect is an adage that is appropriate across all spheres of life. It helps a speaker become familiar with his/her own voice, words and phrases and adjust accordingly. By practising thoroughly, a speaker can explore how to fit different pieces of information together and practise transition.

Also, a speaker should make notes wherever required as a part of presentation support. Using an index card is a common form of note-taking that provides a quick glimpse of important points.

While delivering a presentation, the speaker needs to demonstrate confidence in front of the audience. The speaker must be polite, but not apologetic in situations, such as if the session is running overtime or the microphone has stopped working.

Instead he/she should expect and ask for discipline and attention. It is important for a speaker to engage with the audience during the presentation in order to assure them that he/she is genuinely interested in talking to them. 4. Pace, pitch and pause: A presenter should deliver the presentation in an easy-to-follow pace and try changing the pace to enliven the presentation.

For example, pauses can be taken intentionally between main points to reinforce them. Along with pace, pitch is equally important. Just as pace varies in normal conversations, it should be used effectively during presentations too. For example, when asking a question, the presenter can raise the pitch and can lower it down when explaining a point.

Four Cornerstones of Making Memorable Presentations

The most crucial aspect of delivering an effective presentation is that the speaker should appear confident and the speech should look effortless. Presentations are a source of anxiety for many individuals. However, getting well-prepared before delivering a presentation can reduce this feeling considerably and ease apprehension.

There are a number of ways to overcome feelings of anxiety, stress and stage fright before the presentation in order to appear confident in front of the audience. The four cornerstones of making a memorable presentation are provided in the upcoming sections.

Know Yourself

Know your material, know your purpose, know your audience.

A presenter should acknowledge his/her strengths and weaknesses. Accordingly, he/she should decide the style of delivering a presentation. For instance, if a presenter has a great sense of humour and can use it comfortably in the speech, he/she can make the presentation more engaging and interesting.

On the other hand, if the speaker who is an introvert and prefers to talk or engage less, he/she can add visuals in the presentation. Therefore, the trick is whosoever is delivering the presentation should feel comfortable.

Knowing the topic thoroughly is the most important step in preparing and delivering a presentation. A presenter with well-versed knowledge of the topic is bound to feel more confident. One should perform extensive research of the topic using credible websites and surveys.

A presenter with minimal information about the topic will not be able to deliver a memorable presentation; rather, it would create a negative image in front of the audience. A good presentation is one that is centred around the main theme, presents relevant information and stimulates thought.

It is crucial to know the purpose of the presentation. A presenter should be aware of whether the purpose is to create awareness or to build new skills or to change attitudes. For instance, professional firms or businesses use presentations for various purposes such as to create awareness, educate, motivate and persuade internal and external audiences.

Therefore, to prepare a presentation, identify its objective/purpose, determine the method of delivery, formulate a structure, include visual aids and rehearse.

One should know the type of audience and what is their purpose of attending the presentation. For instance, whether they are there for gaining knowledge or learning new skills, etc. The age, culture and knowledge base of the audience help a presenter in designing and delivering his/her presentation effectively and in a manner in which audience can easily understand and relate to.

A well-designed presentation uses visual aids effectively to reinforce the main points and enhance the audience’s level of understanding.

Business Communication Notes

( Click on Topic to Read )

• What is Business Communication?
• What is Communication?
• Types of Communication
• 7 C of Communication
• Barriers To Business Communication
• Oral Communication
• Types Of Non Verbal Communication
• What is Written Communication?
• What are Soft Skills?
• Interpersonal vs Intrapersonal communication
• Barriers to Communication
• Importance of Communication Skills

Listening in Communication

• Causes of Miscommunication
• What is Johari Window?
• What is Presentation?
• Communication Styles

Channels of Communication

Hofstede’s dimensions of cultural differences and benett’s stages of intercultural sensitivity, organisational communication.

• Horizontal C ommunication
• Grapevine Communication
• Downward Communication
• Verbal Communication Skills
• Upward Communication
• Flow of Communication
• What is Emotional Intelligence?
• What is Public Speaking?
• Upward vs Downward Communication
• Internal vs External Communication
• What is Group Discussion?
• What is Interview?
• What is Negotiation?
• What is Digital Communication?
• What is Letter Writing?

Resume and Covering Letter

• What is Report Writing?
• What is Business Meeting?
• What is Public Relations?
• What Is Market Segmentation?
• What Is Marketing Mix?
• Marketing Concept
• Marketing Management Process
• What Is Marketing Environment?
• What Is Consumer Behaviour?
• Business Buyer Behaviour
• Demand Forecasting
• 7 Stages Of New Product Development
• Methods Of Pricing
• What Is Public Relations?
• What Is Marketing Management?
• What Is Sales Promotion?
• Types Of Sales Promotion
• Techniques Of Sales Promotion
• What Is Personal Selling?
• What Is Advertising?
• Market Entry Strategy
• What Is Marketing Planning?
• Segmentation Targeting And Positioning
• Brand Building Process
• Kotler Five Product Level Model
• Classification Of Products
• Types Of Logistics
• What Is Consumer Research?
• What Is DAGMAR?
• Consumer Behaviour Models
• What Is Green Marketing?
• What Is Electronic Commerce?
• Agricultural Cooperative Marketing
• What Is Marketing Control?
• What Is Marketing Communication?
• What Is Pricing?
• Models Of Communication
• What is Sales Management?
• Objectives of Sales Management
• Responsibilities and Skills of Sales Manager
• Theories of Personal Selling
• What is Sales Forecasting?
• Methods of Sales Forecasting
• Purpose of Sales Budgeting
• Methods of Sales Budgeting
• Types of Sales Budgeting
• Sales Budgeting Process
• What is Sales Quotas?
• What is Selling by Objectives (SBO) ?
• What is Sales Organisation?
• Types of Sales Force Structure
• Recruiting and Selecting Sales Personnel
• Training and Development of Salesforce
• Compensating the Sales Force
• Time and Territory Management
• What Is Logistics?
• What Is Logistics System?
• Technologies in Logistics
• What Is Distribution Management?
• What Is Marketing Intermediaries?
• Conventional Distribution System
• Functions of Distribution Channels
• What is Channel Design?
• Types of Wholesalers and Retailers
• What is Vertical Marketing Systems?
• What i s Marketing?
• What i s A BCG Matrix?
• 5 M’S Of Advertising
• What i s Direct Marketing?
• Marketing Mix For Services
• What Market Intelligence System?
• What i s Trade Union?
• What Is International Marketing?
• World Trade Organization (WTO)
• What i s International Marketing Research?
• What is Exporting?
• What is Licensing?
• What is Franchising?
• What is Joint Venture?
• What is Turnkey Projects?
• What is Management Contracts?
• What is Foreign Direct Investment?
• Factors That Influence Entry Mode Choice In Foreign Markets
• What is Price Escalations?
• What is Transfer Pricing?
• Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC)
• What is Promotion Mix?
• Factors Affecting Promotion Mix
• Functions & Role Of Advertising
• What is Database Marketing?
• What is Advertising Budget?
• What is Advertising Agency?
• What is Market Intelligence?
• What is Industrial Marketing?
• What is Customer Value
• What is Consumer Behaviour?
• What Is Personality?
• What Is Perception?
• What Is Learning?
• What Is Attitude?
• What Is Motivation?
• Consumer Imagery
• Consumer Attitude Formation
• What Is Culture?
• Consumer Decision Making Process
• Applications of Consumer Behaviour in Marketing
• Motivational Research
• Theoretical Approaches to Study of Consumer Behaviour
• Consumer Involvement
• Consumer Lifestyle
• Theories of Personality
• Outlet Selection
• Organizational Buying Behaviour
• Reference Groups
• Consumer Protection Act, 1986
• Diffusion of Innovation
• Opinion Leaders
• What is Business Law?
• Indian Contract Act 1872
• Essential Elements of a Valid Contract
• Types of Contract
• What is Discharge of Contract?
• Performance of Contract
• Sales of Goods Act 1930
• Goods & Price: Contract of Sale
• Conditions and Warranties
• Doctrine of Caveat Emptor
• Transfer of Property
• Rights of Unpaid Seller
• Negotiable Instruments Act 1881
• Types of Negotiable Instruments
• Types of Endorsement
• What is Promissory Note?
• What is Cheque?
• What is Crossing of Cheque?
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Presentation can be defined as a formal event characterized by teamwork and use of audio-visual aids . The main purpose of presentation is to give information, to persuade the audience to act and to create goodwill. A good presentation should have a good subject matter, should match with the objective, should best fit the audience, and should be well organized.

Characteristics of a Good/Effective Presentation

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The only good reason to add busy, cluttered slides to your presentation.

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The 2022 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference at the Apple Park in Cupertino, California. (Photo by ... [+] Wu Xiaoling/Xinhua via Getty Images)

We’ve all seen cringe-worthy PowerPoint slides so cluttered with information that they’re nearly impossible to read. You know the ones. The text is reduced to 9-point or 12-point font to squeeze everything in.

Busy slides frustrate the audience because of a concept called ‘cognitive load.’ Too much text, too many numbers, and too many graphs overwhelm our ability to process and retain information.

Effective presenters avoid text-heavy slides. Instead, they favor clean, minimalist designs that are attractive and easy to read. However, there is one reason—and one reason only—to include a busy slide in a persuasive presentation:

Add a busy slide to a presentation only when you intend to overwhelm your audience.

In other words, a slide could contain a mountain of information because it is not meant to be read, consumed, and digested. It’s there to stress a point.

For example, in March, the National Association of Realtors agreed to a massive $418 million settlement over commissions that home buyers and sellers pay to real estate agents in the U.S. Since the settlement might convince prospective home buyers to negotiate lower commissions, real estate agents have had to turn up their persuasive skills to articulate the value they provide.

Recently, Realtor.com launched a digital and print campaign to demonstrate the value agents bring to the transaction. One ad fills the entire length of a standard newspaper. The headline reads:

So, you’re ready to buy a home. Here’s the next 111 to-dos.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024.

Realtor.com advertisement

Good luck reading the remaining text (on left). It is purposely written in tiny font to squeeze in the dizzying number of details that buyer’s agents navigate to facilitate a home buying transaction

The point of the ad is that home buyers need support. The implication is that you can try to accomplish all the tasks yourself—researching, preparing financial documents, making offers, and considering legal protections. Or you can make just one decision: find a buyer’s agent.

Realtors making presentations to win over clients would be well served to include such a slide—one that's so dense it's almost illegible without a magnifying glass.

There are times when the intentional use of busy slides supports the argument.

Take Apple, for example. The company’s product launches are notable for minimalist and visually appealing slides that contain more photos and images than text.

However, in June, when Apple unveiled new products, features and plans to put artificial intelligence in every corner of its iPhone, the company's speakers intentionally broke the mold by including strategically cluttered slides.

For example, after one speaker highlighted notable updates in macOS Sonoma, the Mac's latest operating system, he projected a slide filled with boxes highlighting dozens of other features: updates to Apple’s browser, Safari, new gaming titles, iPhone mirroring on the desktop, and much more.

The slide only stayed up for 20 seconds. It was far too little time to read everything, but that’s the point—it was intentionally cluttered to put an exclamation point on the product announcement.

The intentional use of clutter is as much of an art as the deliberate use of white space. So get busy, but only when the time is right.

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39 Best Infographic PowerPoint Presentation Templates for 2024 (Giant List)

Find the best infographic slide templates to use for your PowerPoint presentations, and get some useful tips on how to use them.

Do you need to add lots of information to create a great infographic template for PowerPoint? Are you wondering how to make an infographic-rich presentation to capture your audience?

Make the first step in the right direction. It begins with getting quality data presentation templates to work with. Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered with some of the best for 2024.

5 Best Infographic PowerPoint Templates (Video Overview)

Here’s a video preview of some of our best infographic presentation templates. Use it for a closer look at top infographic PowerPoints.

For more information on PowerPoint infographic template PPTs, keep reading the article below for some helpful templates and tips.

Best New Infographic PowerPoint Presentation Templates From Envato for 2024

These are some of the best PowerPoint infographic templates trending now on Envato Elements.

1. Infographic PowerPoint PPT Presentation Template

This infographic PPT presentation template set has 170 professional slide designs. It also comes with creative PowerPoint infographics. The custom vector icons and visual slide designs are ready for you to edit.

2. PPTx Infographics PowerPoint Slides

This modern PowerPoint graphics presentation template set has beautiful slides. Make the most of creative PPT charts, timelines, and icons. Scale and recolor the vector graphics and customize the slide setup.

3. Tech Multipurpose PowerPoint Presentation Deck

With 100 dynamic slides and handmade PPT infographics, this template is ready to rock. It’s made with Slide Master, which makes customization easy. Change colors, edit graphics, or quickly drag and drop your images with just one click.

If you’ve got a presentation soon, grab a PPT template that has everything you need.

4. Sante Infographic Template PowerPoint

If you have no time to learn how to make an infographic in PowerPoint, here’s one of the best PPTs to help you turn ideas into persuasive presentations. This creative infographic template for PowerPoint comes with:

• easy to edit icons
• slide transition animation
• company profile slides
• portfolio slides

5. Eargo Infographic Template PowerPoint

You’ll have all the PowerPoint graphics every startup and business planner needs. Present to investors, key employees, and other stakeholders with confidence thanks to Eargo. This infographic template for PowerPoint comes with:

• over 250 slides
• 30 color themes
• 2000 vector icons
• light and dark backgrounds

Take your business to the next level with this PowerPoint graphics template.

6. Quantum Education Infographic PPT

This infographic template for PPT is fun and easy on the eye. It packs 30 unique slides and loads of useful graphics. You’ll get charts, maps, and device mockups in this infographics PowerPoint template.

You can resize and customize every infographic slide.

7. Infonova Infographic PowerPoint Template

The best PowerPoint presentation templates offer you creative control. This option is no exception. You’ll get a host of customizable infographic slide designs with this download.

This infographic template for PowerPoint is ideal for creative agencies and creators. It comes with free web fonts and it’s based on Master Slides. Just drag and drop your images, it’s that simple!

8. Water Infographic in PowerPoint

Here’s a leading choice for presentation graphics that works for some topics. It comes with minimal white backgrounds and blue, editable charts and graphs. There are 20 infographic slide designs you can customize to suit your presentation.

This infographic template for PowerPoint also has free fonts and so much more.

9. Gets Travel Infographic Template for PowerPoint

This infographic slide template for PowerPoint is great for travel-related presentations. It features stunning graphics with editable colors.

Each of the 50 unique slides in this creative infographic PPT theme is fully editable. Moreover, it comes in both light and dark backgrounds.

10. Foodism Infographics PowerPoint Template

Pitching an idea for a new restaurant? This infographic PowerPoint template is your go-to choice. There are many PPT graphics in this download.

Find 35 infographic slide designs inside. This infographic in PowerPoint also includes two versions with light and dark backgrounds. Few free presentation graphics can say the same.

11. 3D Finance Infographic Template PPT

Deliver dynamic presentations with these great-looking 3D infographics for PowerPoint. This modern template has many PowerPoint infographic examples for financial pitches. Enjoy 35 unique slides in both dark and light versions.

12. Portfolio Infographic Template for PowerPoint

Use this infographic template for PowerPoint to design your next portfolio. It contains 34 well-made, unique infographic slide options. It also features:

• 20+ color themes
• over 4,000 infographics for PowerPoint
• fully editable elements
• drag & drop picture placeholders
• help file and free support service

Play with it and make it your own!

13. Headline PowerPoint Infographic Template

This flat infographic style PPT theme is set up for multi-purpose business presentations. Each infographic slide includes over 4,000 customizable icons. Choose from more than 20 color themes with free fonts used.

14. A New Infographics PowerPoint Template

A New is a great choice if you need an infographic template for PowerPoint. There are over 30 infographic slide designs to put to use. Scroll through the charts and icons, and see what your slideshow needs.

Each of the PowerPoint graphics is customizable and resizable. Instead of free presentation graphics, try out A New.

15. Project Management Infographic PowerPoint Template

PowerPoint infographic templates like this are designed for project managers. Your audience is sure to appreciate your use of infographic slide designs. This set of PowerPoint graphics offers:

• editable graphics
• drag and drop image placeholders
• a help file

16. Pitch-Deck Infographic Template for PowerPoint

Infographic slide designs can help bring ideas to life. PowerPoint infographic templates like this are tools to deliver professional pitches. Change the colors to match your brand and use:

• and so much more!

With a layout based on master slides, this template is easy to edit. You can change the photos by easily drag-and-dropping. Few free presentation graphics for PowerPoint can do that.

17. Business Plan Infographic PowerPoint Template

PowerPoint infographic templates like this help you pitch a business plan. Use this fully customizable, well-organized PPT to show what keeps your team moving. It has loads of features, including:

• 665+ unique layouts
• 4,000+ vector icons
• over 60 premade color themes
• drag and drop image placeholder
• smart object layout & texts

Moreover, it’s regularly updated so you can use it many times and for different purposes!

18. Flanify Infographics PowerPoint Template

Flanify is one of the best new PowerPoint infographic templates available today. It’s got a minimalist design that helps you emphasize your content. There are three dozen unique slides featuring all types of graphics.

You’ll find charts, device mockups, and other icons. This infographic PPT is based on master slides, so it’s super easy to edit.

19. Kopikoe Foodie Infographic Template PPT

This infographic template for PowerPoint has everything you’ll need for a foodie PPT. Audiences react well to infographics because they make advanced concepts easy to understand. This pack includes 30 infographic slide designs for your next project.

With loads of vector icons, you have virtually unlimited creative options. Unlike some free presentation graphics found online, these are professionally designed.

20. Imperial Multipurpose Infographics for PowerPoint

These PowerPoint infographic examples revolve around the health industry. This template includes a full collection of infographics and 30 slides. It features free fronts, a help file, and many other useful tools. You can fully and easily customize every vector icon and image.

21. Juici Foodie Infographic Template PPT

When searching for an infographic template for PowerPoint, aim for high-quality elements. This infographic template PPT gives you that. You’ll also get:

• 100% resizable and editable icons
• drag and drop picture placeholders
• device mockups

If you want a template to pitch about food and drinks, look no further!

22. Inventive Infographic Template for PowerPoint

Premium tech layouts like this go beyond any free presentation graphics online. This creative infographic template PPT bundle includes 35 infographic slide designs. Customize every icon and use the master slides – which help you make bulk edits across the deck in a flash.

23. Osprey Education Infographic PowerPoint Template

Get amazing PowerPoint infographics for your creative business presentation. PowerPoint infographic templates like this give you an array of functional icons. With 30 clean master slide-based layouts, easily edit this PPT as much as you’d like.

24. Edulacti Multipurpose Infographic PPT

This is a creative PowerPoint template for multipurpose business presentation or personal use. This PowerPoint includes 30 infographic slide designs and several icons, such as:

• flow chart infographics

All the included PowerPoint infographic examples are fully editable.

25. Gatzruts Infographics PowerPoint Template

This minimalistic PPT theme is ready to use for many types of presentations. It features a ton of creative, clean infographic slide designs. All these business graphics PowerPoint elements are editable.

As it’s based on master slides, it’s easy to quickly adapt to your needs. Try out this premium choice instead of free presentation graphics for PowerPoint.

26. Mental Concept PowerPoint Infographic Templates

Check out these PowerPoint infographic templates to give a powerful mental concept pitch. These are designed by creative pros with you in mind. It’ll stand out from free infographic templates for PowerPoint.

Make sure to use the various features, including:

• 204 total slides, with 17 unique mental concept slides
• 12 color variations
• 280 fully editable vector icons
• master slides for easy editing

27. Realth Business Infographic PowerPoint Template

It’s important to make a solid first impression right out of the gate. An infographic template for PPT like Realth helps you do just that. In fact, it’s got 30 multipurpose slides built in.

From these, pick and choose to suit your message. The PowerPoint infographic examples help you present:

• growth stats
• pricing packages
• app layouts
• team members
• and so much more

All the graphics are editable, and the used fonts are free.

28. Maps: Set of Infographics for PowerPoint

These PowerPoint infographic templates have a wide variety of clean map designs. Use them to pitch about locations, migration plans, growth stats per region, and so much more. Find 25 unique slides inside, picture placeholders, and over 90 color themes.

29. Puckup Brand Guidelines Infographic PPT

Not sure how to make a branded presentation? Don’t worry, because the PUCKUP infographic template PPT is surprisingly easy to use. All elements are editable with a couple of clicks.

This infographic template for PowerPoint is great for presenting your brand. Easily add your logo, your company’s color palette and typography, and voila! It’s way better than free presentation graphics.

30. Brand Guidelines Infographic PowerPoint Template

Here’s an elegant choice for presenting your brand. Not all infographic PPT options have to be bright in order to be eye-catching. This template is the go-to download for 2024.

This infographic PowerPoint has everything you need to crush your branding proposal:

• 34 unique slides
• picture placeholders

Free presentation graphics may fall short for your brand needs. Choose this one instead!

31. Funnel Infographic Template for PowerPoint

Logistics rule the world in 2024. Are you trying to show the strength of your business’s processes? An infographic template PPT like this is a top choice.

Use each of the professional infographic slide designs to explain things like:

• case studies
• business and marketing plans

32. Nursing PowerPoint Infographic Template

This colorful, creative presentation theme showcases your information and crafts a visual story. It’s an impressive tool for presenting medical-related topics. Unlike most free presentation graphics, it has many unique slides and color schemes.

This infographic in PowerPoint offers:

• light and dark background options
• editable elements
• an icons pack file

33. Mental Health PowerPoint Infographic Templates

This template has several color scheme options and PowerPoint infographic examples. Present with clarity, show your process and progress, and more.

There are easy-to-customize layout options, in both light and dark backgrounds. It also features tons of icons and picture placeholders.

34. Market Research Infographic PowerPoint Template

In need of top PowerPoint presentation graphics for your market research pitch? This one will do. It’s a great pack that includes:

• 15 unique infographic slide designs
• drag-and-drop image placeholders
• easy to change colors
• shapes and other elements

This doesn’t include the images, but everything else is right there. Try this one instead of free infographic templates for PowerPoint.

35. Hot Pitch Deck Infographic PPT

Next up is this stylish and modern infographic slide design. There are over 100 fully animated slides. Moreover, you’ll find:

• 2,000+ vector icons
• 100+ device mockups
• 50+ theme files
• and lifetime updates!

Use the master slides to quickly add a personal touch to this infographic template PPT.

36. Environment Infographic PowerPoint Examples

This infographic PowerPoint template comes with everything you need to create an environmental impact presentation. It comes packed with premium features like:

• 20 education and science slide designs
• .PPT and PPTX. files
• Fully editable and easy to use
• Documentation

37. PowerPoint Infographics Solutions

Work with a PowerPoint infographic template that offers everything you need right out of the box. These infographic PowerPoint examples feature:

• 50 ready-to-use slides
• Over 200 icons (PSD+EPS+AI+JPG+PNG+SVG+PPTX Vector)
• Color themes
• Objects are organized and grouped

38. ECO Infographic Template for PowerPoint

These infographic PowerPoint examples are great for putting together a sustainability infographic presentation. Use the high-quality illustrations and other great features:

• 33 unique slides
• Includes opening and closing slides
• 11 color variations
• Simple line vector icons
• Handmade infographics

39. Infographic PowerPoint Examples

No need to learn how to make an infographic in PowerPoint when you have access to this clean PowerPoint infographics template. Take advantage of its amazing features:

• 80+ unique slides
• 80+ fully animated infographics
• Resizable and editable graphics
• 16:9 widescreen ratio

5 Popular PowerPoint Infographic Slide Design Types

We’ve already established that infographics in PowerPoint are powerful storytelling tools. But let’s go one step further and look at specific examples of the best infographics. We’ll also see how to use them to explain concepts.

1. The Brain Infographic

Some dedicate their whole lives to studying the human mind, and yet there’s always something to learn! The value of a brain infographic is that it’s an intuitive way to show thoughts and ideas and how they connect.

Use an infographic and this tutorial to create a brain graphic that shows the pieces of a thought.

2. The SWOT Infographic

Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats: every business situation has them. You need a way to show them in your presentation. That’s where the classic SWOT infographic makes its impact.

When you lay out all four components, you’re likely to find insight while creating a strategy.

3. The Puzzle Piece Infographic

You’re probably familiar with putting together puzzle pieces in the real world. Don’t miss out on using this concept as an infographic! As a PowerPoint visual, puzzle pieces can show how the parts of an idea join into a cohesive whole.

Use this article to see how to use puzzle pieces. The best graphic PPTs often use them to tell a story of how everything fits together.

4. The Gantt Infographic

When you’re running a project, you need a way to show that many tasks are running side-by-side. That’s the purpose of a Gantt chart. It’s a special infographic that’s beloved by the best project managers.

Use our tutorial to see Gantt infographics in action . You’ll learn how to use them to plan a project and the resources you need to succeed.

5. The Funnel Infographic

A funnel is yet another infographic you can leverage in PowerPoint to explain a concept. Funnels show inputs, how they progress, and what they ultimately lead to.

Funnel infographics are common in explaining sales processes. They’re easy to build in PowerPoint with templates. Make sure to check out our tutorial on how you can use PowerPoint funnel infographics .

How to Customize an Infographic PowerPoint Template (Fast!)

So far, we’ve looked at powerful PowerPoint infographic templates. But you might be wondering how to use them to design infographic slides of your own.

Let’s learn how to customize three separate slides to build excellent infographics. We’ll use the PPTx Infographics template to rapidly build our infographic slides.

Let’s look at five example slides. These show how easy it is to customize a PowerPoint infographic:

1. Performance Gears

The best PowerPoint templates include abstract designs to build infographics for PPT. Use a little imagination, and there it is! These infographic PowerPoint slides might be perfect for expressing your idea.

Take this turning gear icon slide. In the updated version below, I’ve shifted the elements to show how teams at my company work together.

Simple drag-and-drop actions and grabbing icons from other slides brought this slide to life. Then, I updated the text to match my intent in this infographic template for PowerPoint.

2. Hierarchy Charts

If you work in a corporate environment, I’m certain that you’ve seen org charts before. These exist to show off the company’s reporting structure.

In this case, it’s as simple as typing in the placeholder boxes to update the names and titles. I’ve also added a photo in my example to really “put a face with a name” in my organization. This chart uses SmartArt, a built-in PowerPoint feature that’ll adjust the graphic as you adjust the text.

Learn more about SmartArt PPT infographics .

3. Brain Infographic

Brain charts are infographics that you’ll find in the best PowerPoint templates. They can show how you divide your thinking and showcase the “parts of the whole” that make up your strategy.

In the example below, I’ve left the same basic structure intact. I just updated the descriptions and some of the colors and icons. It’s a simple tweak that shows what my creative agency spends its time on.

Brain infographics are very popular, so we created a resource to teach you how to customize them. Check out our screencast to learn more.

4. Sales Report

PowerPoint infographic templates help you tell stories with your data. Slide 15 in our template is a great choice for creating a data-focused slide.

To edit a PowerPoint chart, edit the data that feeds it. Right-click on the chart and choose Edit Data. You’ll see an embedded version of Excel, Microsoft’s data powerhouse. Just type over the data placeholders, and your chart will update in real time.

Learn more about working with data in this PowerPoint tutorial .

5. The Conclusion Slide

It’s a mistake to think that the last slide is the end of your presentation. Instead, it helps to see it as the start of a conversation with your audience.

You know what’s the best part of PowerPoint infographic templates? Yes, that they include other useful slides. Slide 50, the conclusion slide, is perfect for every presentation. That’s because it can help you continue the conversation by sharing your details.

To update this slide, type over the placeholders. That adapts the slide to your brand-specific details.

For even more ideas and to learn how to create a conclusion side, don’t miss out on our tutorial .

Common PowerPoint Template Questions Answered (FAQ)

You’ve already seen infographic templates for PowerPoint. But you might still have questions about how to use PowerPoint to your advantage.

PowerPoint is an advanced app. It’s easy to use, but there are many professional-grade features. Let’s look at five common questions you might have as you level up your presentation skills:

1. Does PowerPoint Support Custom Fonts?

Every graphic designer is trying to gain an audience’s attention when presenting. It helps to use custom design options in PowerPoint. That sets the presentation apart from those who only use the built-in, standard fonts.

Try out custom fonts with the help of this tutorial .

2. What Size Should I Choose for My Infographic Slide?

The goal for your PowerPoint presentation is to use the full-screen space. You’ve got to set your infographic template PPT to the proper dimensions. Don’t waste any pixels!

Using pre-built PowerPoint infographic templates gives you several size options.

3. How Much Does PowerPoint Cost?

Microsoft has pivoted its business models in recent years. Once upon a time, businesses and power users would buy a license for the latest version of the app every few years. Now, it’s all about subscriptions.

Many users choose Office 365, a monthly subscription package to keep apps up to date. Another option is the free, browser-based version of the app.

4. Can You Create PowerPoint Infographics From Scratch?

Infographic templates for PowerPoint are perfect for creating interactive visuals. But you can also create PowerPoint graphics with the help of a feature called SmartArt.

5. What’s the Best Way to Present Data in PowerPoint?

Presentation graphics can include data. It’s far better to use a chart than to show data in a table or a wall of numbers that are hard to interpret. With the help of presentation graphics and charts, it’s much easier to explain trends and data.

Grab a Fresh PowerPoint Template With Great Infographic Slide Designs

Any of the best PowerPoint presentation templates from Envato Elements will help make your points clear. Choose the best format for your info. Put together just the right PowerPoint infographic slides that tell your compelling story.

Related Articles

Watch CBS News

Biden says he doesn't debate as well as he used to but knows "how to tell the truth"

By Kathryn Watson , Aaron Navarro

June 28, 2024 / 2:32 PM EDT / CBS News

President Biden bluntly addressed his lackluster debate  performance during an campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, Friday, speaking with notably more energy and vigor than he had hours before. 

Some Democrats expressed concern after the president, in a raspy voice , struggled to correct former president Donald Trump's falsehoods as he faced a national audience on prime-time television Thursday night. The president's at times gaping facial expressions and rambling answers to key questions didn't help either, at a time when many Americans believe Mr. Biden, now 81, may be too old for the job and too old to relate to them . 

"I know I'm not a young man, to state the obvious," the president said. "Well, I know." He addressed a supportive Democratic crowd Friday, one that welcomed him with chants of "Four more years!" 

"Folks, I don't walk as easy as I used to," he continued. "I don't speak as smoothly as I used to. I don't debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know — I know how to tell the truth ... I know right from wrong. And I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done. And I know, like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down, you get back up."

The president also sought to assure his audience that he wouldn't be running again if he didn't think he was up to the job. 

"Folks, I give you my word as a Biden — I would not be running again if I didn't believe with all my heart and soul, I can do this job,"  he said. "The stakes are too high. The stakes are too high." 

• Donald Trump

Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.

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