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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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15 Essential Presentation Techniques for Winning Over Any Audience

• The Speaker Lab
• April 13, 2024

Table of Contents

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

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

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

Mastering Presentation Techniques for Impactful Delivery

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

Elements of an Effective Presentation

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

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

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

Strategies for Delivering a Successful Presentation

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

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

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

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Engaging Your Audience with Nonverbal Communication

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

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

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

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

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

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

Designing Compelling Presentation Materials

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

Tips for Creating Effective Slides

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

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

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

Handling Questions and Interactions Professionally

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

Preparing for Audience Questions and How to Address Them Effectively

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

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

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

Techniques for a Memorable and Effective Presentation

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

Incorporating Storytelling into Your Presentation

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

Using Humor to Connect with the Audience

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

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

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

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Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety

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

Techniques to Manage Stage Fright and Boost Confidence

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

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

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

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

Using Different Presentation Methods to Engage Your Audience

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

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

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

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

Essential Tips for First-Time Presenters

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

Dress Appropriately

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

Arriving Early

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

Making Presentation Time Count

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

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

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

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

• Last Updated: April 11, 2024

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10+ Types of Effective Presentation Styles (Top Methods for 2024)

Do you need to make a presentation but aren't sure where to start? A good place to start is to choose your presentation style. 

After you've chosen your presentation style, choosing the template that you want to use will be easier.

In this article, you'll learn all about different kinds of presentations. You'll also discover when to use each type of presentation as well as some of the pros and cons of each.

Plus, we'll examine some professionally designed templates that work well with some types of presentations . And we'll sure some extra resources to help you learn more about presentation methods.

Let's get started!

What Is Presentation Style?

Are you asking what is presentation style? If you're planning a presentation, don't forget to consider presentation techniques and methods as part of your preparation.

Presentation style is how you give your presentation orally. When delivering public speeches or public presentations there are many different styles or ways in which you can give your presentation. 

In this article I'll cover over ten different presentation formats. I'll also give you the pros and cons of each style to help you choose which one's best for you.

But first, let's look at some great professionally designed template options that'll complement any presentation style.

Find Great PowerPoint Presentation Templates on Envato Elements

You may wonder why use a template? Making a PowerPoint presentation can take a lot of time. And it doesn’t always turn out looking how you want it to. Using a template in your presentation saves you time and ensures that your presentation turns out looking professional.

 Professionally designed templates already have presentation layout choices included. All you've got to do is add your information into the presentation layout and you're done. Templates can be easily edited to customize for your needs.

With a professionally designed template, you save time because the details are already taken care of. Designs that might take you hours to create (and wouldn't look half as good) are already there.

To find good templates, go to Envato Elements. You'll pay a low monthly fee to get unlimited access to download PowerPoint templates, graphics, images, fonts and much more.

5 Great PowerPoint Presentation Templates from Envato Elements

Here's a hand-picked list of great PowerPoint presentation templates from Envato Elements. They'll help you with many different types of business presentations:

1.  Minimalism Clean PowerPoint

Minimalism Clean PowerPoint has over 50 unique slides. Easily edit this template to suit your needs. This template is a multipurpose template. Use it for many different presentation purposes.

2.  PRESTIGE - Multipurpose PowerPoint V126

Prestige comes with 150 total slides and 30 unique slides. This template also comes with five color schemes to choose from. Easily add an image to the template by dragging and dropping the image into the image placeholder.

3.  NEXTZONE - POWERPOINT TEMPLATE

NextZone is a versatile PowerPoint template. This template comes with five premade color schemes. NextZone has a nice modern design that's professional looking.

4.  Strom PowerPoint Template

The Strom PowerPoint Template comes 30 modern slides. This template includes infographics and a picture placeholder. Strom PowerPoint Template comes with five color schemes to choose from.

5.  Koba PowerPoint Presentation

Koba PowerPoint Presentation template comes with over 100 unique slides. Icons, infographics and mockup devices are included with this template package. The Koba PowerPoint Presentation is a flexible template. Use it for many different presentation purposes.

Now, let's dive into our look at effective presentation styles.

10+ Different Types of Effective Presentation Styles

Here are more than ten common different effective presentation styles:

1. Visual Presentation Style

The visual style is great for anyone who wants to use your presentation to complement the main points of your speech. This visual presentation technique is perfect for people who have many important talking points. 

To use this technique, include a visual of what you are talking about in your presentation. You can also put graphs and charts in your presentation. 

Steve Jobs often used the visual presentation style. You can see an example of this in the YouTube video below:

Notice the visuals on the giant screen behind Jobs.

Here are some pros and cons of the visual presentation method:

Pros : The visual presentation technique is helpful if you've got a large audience. The visuals will let the audience see what you're discussing in your presentation. This style is great if you're discussing a product or something similar.

Cons : The visual presentation technique isn't for someone who doesn’t need visuals to explain what they're talking about. 

2. Coach Presentation Style

The coach presentation style is for energetic and charismatic speakers. This presentation style is a great style to use with an audience who needs to be sold on an idea. This presentation style works best if the presenter doesn't need to get into details.

Pros : The coach style allows you to connect with your audience using role-play and listener interaction. Use this style to sell an idea or sell a product. The coach-style is a great style to use in a conference type setting.

Cons : The coach-style of presentation isn't suitable if you're a naturally quiet person. In this style you don't go into details, instead, you're communicating the big picture. If you need to get into the details of what you're presenting, you might want to explore other styles.

3. Instructor Presentation Style

The instructor presentation method is great to use when you've got a complex subject to discuss. With this form of presentation high impact visuals help you get your point across to the audience. 

This presentation style is appropriate for anyone who is great at presenting and is comfortable with their subject. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore often used this presentation method. If you want to use this presentation method, be sure to consider:

Pros : The instructor type of presentation is great if you like to use metaphors and figures of speech to help you make a point. This style is also appropriate for people who want to use impactful visuals to further your points.

Cons : The instructor type of presentation isn't meant for short presentations. A lot of preparation time will go into making or finding high impact visuals.

4. Freeform Presentation Style

The freeform presentation method doesn't use slides. This style of speaking is very impromptu. This presentation style is great for a presenter who has a short speech and knows their presentation points well. 

Here are some pros and cons of this technique:

Pros : The freeform presentation style is great for an impromptu meeting where you don’t have much time to prepare. This presentation style can also be used at networking events.

Cons : With this presentation technique if you don't know your subject matter very well it can make you seem unorganized. Freeform presentation style is better if you've got a short presentation time.

5. Storytelling Presentation Style

The storytelling type of presentation relies on stories and examples to make points in their presentation. This style is suitable if you've got a lot of time to present your topic. 

This type of presentation style is also appropriate for networking events and conferences. This presentation technique often has a question and answer session at the end of the presentation. A speaker who uses this presentation technique is neuroanatomist and author, Jill Bolte Taylor.

As you listen to the presentation, take note of the various stories that the speaker uses. By telling stories from her own life, Taylor captures the audience's attention. Here are the pros and cons of the storytelling presentation style:

Pros: The storytelling style allows you to connect with your audience through stories. With this style of presenting, it's okay to get emotional. The emotion helps you connect with your audience better.

Cons: The storytelling style is not for you if you don’t have anecdotes to tell. You also need to leave time for a question and answer session. If you don’t have time for a question and answer session, then explore other styles.

6. Connector Presentation Style

In this type of presentation, audience feedback is highly encouraged. The speaker will try to connect to the audience through their similarities. This presentation technique applies to sales presentations.

Some of the pros and cons of the connector presentation style include:

Pros : This style is great if you want immediate feedback on your presentation. The connector form of presentation typically includes a question and answer session with the audience.

Cons : In the connector form of presentation, the speaker must have similarities with their audience. If they don’t have similarities with the audience, then they're not connecting with them. This style also isn't for you if you don’t want immediate feedback on your presentation.

7. Persuasive Presentation Style

The persuasive form of presentation is where the presenter is trying to persuade the audience to their point of view. A sales pitch presentation is an example of a persuasive form of presentation. 

In a persuasive speech connecting with the audience through a similar experience or through emotion helps the audience relate to the speaker. If you're planning to use a persuasive presentation style, consider:

Pros : The persuasive presentation style is great if you use your hands a lot while speaking. This style is also great if you're selling a product.

Cons : If you don't need to persuade the audience of something, then you'll want to look into other styles. This presentation style is for people who are more experienced in presenting sales pitches or presentations.

8. Interactive Presentation Style

The interactive presentation method requires the speaker to interact with the audience in some way. The presenter can connect with the audience by passing out speaker notes or an outline before the presentation. 

The speaker could also interact with the audience by using a whiteboard or host a webinar. This style helps keep the audience engaged with what the speaker is saying. 

Here are the pros and cons and this presentation technique:

Pros : The interactive style of presentation lets the speaker pass out copies of their slides beforehand. This allows the audience to follow along with the presentation and fully absorb the information. It also gives the audience a place to jot down a few notes or questions.

Cons : The interactive presentation style is better with complicated subjects. If your subject matter is too simple the audience may not have anything to discuss.

9. Lessig Presentation Style

The Lessig presentation style was created by Lawrence Lessig, a professor of law and leadership at Harvard Law School. This presentation method requires that the presenter only spends fifteen seconds on each slide. If there's text on the slide it's the speaker’s exact words. 

This style of presentation is great if you've got to present to a large audience. The rapid pace of this presentation style can keep the audience focused and engaged.

As Lessig speaks, you'll see how quickly he moves through the various slides. Also, notice the slides that contain what he says, word-for-word.

Pros : The Lessig style of presentation is great for a presentation where you've got a lot of talking points to get through in a short period of time. 

Cons : The Lessig style is for experienced presenters. If you don't have a lot of experience presenting you may want to try a different style. This style is also not for you if your presentation requires charts and graphics.

10. Educational Presentation Style

The educational type of presentation is for a speaker who is teaching the audience. Use this style if you're demonstrating a new product. You can teach the audience about the new product you're selling or offering.

Pros : The educational presentation style is fitting if you've got videos and other visuals to show your audience. You also can put extra information on the slides that you may not verbally discuss.

Cons : It may take a while for the audience to listen to you. If you've got more than one subject to discuss it can be too confusing for the audience.

11. Data Scientist Presentation Style

The data scientist presentation style relies on facts, data, analysis, and statistical information to backup and explain their main talking points. This type of presentation is perfect when you need to pitch the idea and back it up with factual claims. It works really well in a business setting when your audience is more interested in hard data rather than storytelling.

Pros: The data scientist's presentation style helps prove a point and persuade your audience. It also helps break down complex data into a more visually appealing presentation formats.  

Cons: Be sure to include other types of slides in your presentation too. Otherwise, your presentation can come off as dry if it has nothing but data.

5 Quick Tips To Help You Choose Your Presentation Style

So now that you know different presentation formats, it’s time to settle on one. But which presentation style should you choose? Here are five quick tips that'll help you decide which presentation style would be best for your presentation: 

1. Consider the Topic of Your Presentation

First, consider the topic of your presentation. Are you presenting a body of work or are you trying to educate your audience?

This can be the single most important factor in helping you decide which presentation style to use. 

Be PowerPoint Presentation Template works well with different topics.

2. Consider Your Audience

You also need to consider your audience. Are you presenting a brand new group of people or does your audience consist of people who already know you?

If you’re presenting to a brand new audience, it’s a good idea to opt for the interactive or connector presentation styles. This ensures your audience remains engaged throughout the entire presentation. 

3. Decide On Your Call To Action

Your call to action or the purpose of your presentation is another important element to keep in mind. If you’re trying to raise brand awareness a coach or storytelling presentation would work well. But if you’re trying to secure funding or get your audience to buy your product, educational, persuasive or data scientist presentation styles might work better. 

The B2B Marketing And Sales PowerPoint Template has several effective slides that can be used for call to action slides.

4. Combine Different Styles for a More Effective Presentation

All the presentation styles above are highly effective when you’re giving a very targeted presentation. But you can also make your presentation more effective by combining different presentation styles. 

5. Save Time With a Template

No matter which presentation style you choose, start with a professional template. Not only will most of the work be done for you when it comes to design and content type, but your presentation will also look polished and unique.

Ciri PowerPoint template has a professional and clean look suitable for all kinds of presentations.

Learn More About Different Types of Presentations

Are you still wondering about presentation methods and effective presentations styles? We've got a wealth of resources on presentations and presentation methods. Here are a few tutorials you may want to review:

You may also want to download a copy of our free eBook that explains how to make a business presentation:

Download a Premium PowerPoint Presentation Template Today!

In this article, you read about different presentation techniques . So, you should be ready to start your presentation. Choose one of the presentation techniques that's best for you. Then, download a PowerPoint presentation template today to save time and ensure a professional presentation .

Editorial Note: This post has been updated with contributions from Brenda Barron . Brenda is a freelance instructor for Envato Tuts+.

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

Presentation Methods

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

Method 1: Keeping Everything Simple

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

Method 2: Good Start 

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

Method 3: Use  Visuals in your Presentation

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

Method 4:   Rehearse

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

Method 5:   10/20/30 Presentation Rule

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

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

Method 6:  Storytelling

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

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

Method 7:   Presentate with your Voice

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

Method 8:   Know your Audience

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

Method 9:   Back up plan

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

Method 10:   Relax

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

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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, ACC

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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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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• PRESENTATION SKILLS

What is a Presentation?

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Presentation Skills:

• A - Z List of Presentation Skills
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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

10 effective presentation techniques to elevate your presentation skills

Master the art of presentation technique with these 10 powerful tips to captivate your audience and elevate your skills.

Supriya Sarkar

Delivering presentations

A successful presentation isn't just about sharing information; it's about connecting with your audience and making a lasting impression. A well-prepared presentation is your guide to success. However, it's not just about creating a presentation carefully, you also need to deliver it with confidence . Many presentation techniques can help you become a better presenter. Learning and using these techniques will help you capture your audience's attention and make your message stick with them.

10 Effective presentation techniques to give a good presentation

1. plan your presentation:.

Understanding the presentation topic is the first and foremost step that will prove the stepping-stone for your successful presentation. Once you are clear with your topic, do thorough research on the presentation topic. When you have researched your topic well, you will be more confident in answering the questions directed towards you. This also helps you in identifying the areas in which you are not very confident. Therefore, you can research those concerned areas and prepare yourself for questions.

2. Know your audience:

Learning about your audience is as important as the topic you will be presenting. Know who your audience is . Learn about their backgrounds, interests, concerns, etc. This will help you tailor your content accordingly. For example, if you are a data analytics person, technical jargon that you are familiar with may not resonate with the senior management person who must see the overall business. This approach might end up creating confusion resulting in no inference. Therefore, simplify the information so that a person from a different field can also understand the data and inference from the discussion.

3. Presentation outline:

A well-structured speech will create a lasting impact on the audience and keep them hooked throughout the speech. This is applicable in the case of a presentation as well. Therefore, create a well-structured presentation outline first. Your presentation should include a compelling introduction, a strong body, and an actionable conclusion. The 10 20 30 presentation rules will guide you in terms of the time required for the presentation and its size. 10 20 30 presentation rule means:

-         Includes not more than 10 slides.

-         Presentation should take a maximum of 20 minutes to deliver.

-         Use a minimum 30-point font size.

4. Keep it simple:

Simplicity is the key that will help your audience to focus. You should avoid overwhelming your audience with too much information on a single slide. Try to keep 6-8 concise lines on a slide. This will also make your presentation appear clean and visually pleasing.

5. Storytelling:

Storytelling makes your presentation more impactful. Weaving information in the form of a story will keep your audience engaged and will help them recollect the information you shared. Instead of simply presenting the data with inference, introduce the problem statement followed by the statistics and the solution that you suggest. Storytelling could seem a little complex at the start. Features like Prezent's Story-builder can help you draft compelling storylines.

6. Visual aids:

Visual aids are essential in elevating the appeal of your presentation. Ensure that the visuals you incorporate are not only relevant but also serve as cues for the content you intend to discuss on specific slides. Over reliance on cue cards can create a disconnect with your audience. Incorporating high-quality images and icons is vital. Moreover, embracing current multimedia trends in presentations , such as interactive infographics, short video clips, or animated elements, can significantly enhance engagement and comprehension. These elements are increasingly popular for their ability to capture attention and explain complex concepts succinctly. Presenting your data through well-designed graphs or data charts is also crucial, as it aids the audience in understanding the information quickly and effectively, often without needing extensive explanation.

7. Clear call-to-action:

You should not leave the presentation open-ended and make the audience do the guesswork. You should present the audience with a clear call to action for them to act upon or a takeaway from your presentation.

8. Q & A session:

Keep room for Q&A session at the end of your presentation. Your audience should be able to ask you questions freely without worrying about the time. It is suggested that you should use half your presentation time which is allotted to you in delivering the presentation and the other half in addressing the audience questions, concerns, thoughts, and insights.

9. Improvise:

You should be prepared to adjust your presentation based on audience reactions and engagement. Stay flexible to address unexpected questions or concerns. Maintain a positive and adaptable demeanor throughout the presentation which will help you to connect with the audience. You sometimes get unrelated questions because your audience recognizes your expertise on the subject. Therefore, they freely discuss related or unrelated organizational concerns with you. You can choose to answer them briefly and bring the audience back to your topic. Staying positive and adaptable will help you foster a connection with your audience. This demonstrates your command of the subject and ensures a focused, engaging presentation.

10. Practice:

Practice is the key to making your presentation multiple times more impactful and building your confidence. Time yourself to ensure you adhere to the 10-20-30 rule. Gather feedback from colleagues or mentors to refine your delivery. Most well-curated presentations can also prove to be a failure if they are not delivered well.

Above techniques can significantly enhance your ability to communicate ideas and engage your audience. Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc., remains an enduring icon of impactful presentations. His distinct style, eagerly awaited by admirers, holds valuable insights for crafting compelling presentations. By merging Steve Jobs' techniques with effective presentation principles, a unique and impactful style can be achieved. Here are key aspects to consider:

Mastering minimalism: Emulate Jobs' minimalist approach with slides that feature visuals and minimal text. This simplicity directs the audience's focus to the speaker's passionate delivery.

Storyboarding for clarity: Adopt Jobs' practice of simplifying complex ideas through storyboarding. This method ensures your message is presented succinctly and comprehensively.

Real-time examples for connection: Steve Jobs showcased the product as a real-time example. You can choose a case-study or a relevant real-time example to simplify a complex topic for your audience. This not only captures the attention of your audience but also forges a strong connection as your audience witnesses the practical impact.

Confident and engaging delivery: Jobs' enthusiasm and engaging tone contributed to his powerful presentations. Practice diligently to ensure a confident delivery, allowing your authentic self to speak for itself.

Steve Jobs built an unshakeable connection with his audience by leveraging storytelling , emphasizing benefits, and maintaining authenticity. Incorporating these essential presentation skills, while staying true to your genuine self, will elevate your communication skills. This will result in a lasting impression that will transcend the mere content of your message.

Useful FAQs to improve your presentation skills

1) what are some effective presentation techniques to help me captivate my audience.

Effective techniques like storytelling, using high-quality visual aids, and maintaining open body language can significantly enhance your ability to captivate your audience. Incorporating interactive elements like real-time examples or case studies keeps the audience interested and engaged throughout your presentation.

2) How can I improve my presentation skills to give a good presentation in front of an audience?

To improve your presentation skills and give a good presentation in front of an audience, it’s essential to practice your presentation multiple times, preferably in front of a mirror or a small group. This helps in refining your speaking skills and getting comfortable with your presentation materials. Using tools like PowerPoint effectively and rehearsing your body language and gestures can also make a significant difference.

3) Why are presentation skills important and how can they help me in different types of presentations?

Presentation skills are important because they enable you to effectively communicate your ideas and ensure that your message is clearly understood, regardless of the type of presentation. These skills can help you keep your audience engaged, convey your points clearly, and handle questions during the presentation confidently. They are crucial in both professional and educational settings, aiding in delivering a presentation that captivates and informs.

4) What are some tips for effective presentations and how can I use them to start and end my presentation?

Some tips for effective presentations include starting with a strong, attention-grabbing opening to immediately engage your audience. It's important to structure your presentation slides to flow logically and end with a clear, memorable conclusion. To start your presentation, use a compelling story or statistic, and to end your presentation, summarize key points and include a strong call-to-action for the audience to take away.

5) How can presentation techniques help overcome fear of public speaking and make the presentation more engaging?

Utilizing various presentation techniques like practicing in front of a mirror, focusing on open body language, and rehearsing your presentation can significantly reduce the fear of public speaking. These techniques, along with using visual aids and interactive elements, help keep your presentation engaging and allow for a more natural connection with your audience, keeping both you and the audience members focused and involved.

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11 Types Of Presentations To Engage Your Audience

• By Judhajit Sen
• April 28, 2024

Key Takeaways

• Presentations serve diverse purposes, from educating and persuading to motivating and problem-solving, and various styles are offered to engage audiences effectively.
• Educational presentations foster understanding through structured learning objectives and interactive elements like quizzes, while persuasive style of PowerPoint presentations sway opinions with compelling narratives and strategic visuals.
• Motivational style of presentations inspire action through personal stories and powerful messages, while progress report presentations track advancements transparently, aiding informed decision-making.
• Demonstrations and instructional presentations guide audiences step-by-step, fostering interaction and skill acquisition, while sales presentations blend charm and persuasion to showcase solutions effectively. Storytelling presentations captivate with relatable narratives, fostering genuine connections, and problem-solution presentations tackle challenges strategically, proposing viable solutions.
• Informative style of presentations empower audiences with valuable insights, simplifying complex topics with clear visuals and relatable examples, while visual presentations enhance understanding concisely, leveraging the power of images to engage effectively.
• Mastering these engaging presentation styles unlocks the potential to inform and inspire, ensuring audience engagement and success in dynamic environments.

Presentations serve various purposes in the business world, catering to different needs and goals. They inform by sharing strategies and educating about organizational goals, instruct employees with directions and new skills, induce with emotion and logic to drive action, and aid decision-making by presenting crucial information.

The essential purposes of presentations lie in their ability to transfer knowledge from speaker to audience. They encompass demonstrations, lectures, or speeches aiming to inform, educate, or entertain. Combining these goals enhances a presentation’s power and impact, improving outcomes in various situations.

Informing involves updating on projects, sharing research, or presenting data. Persuading seeks to sway opinions or prompt specific actions, such as proposing ideas or making sales pitches. Educating aims to teach new skills, demonstrate product usage, or share insights. Entertaining captivates audiences through humor, storytelling, or engaging performances.

Different presentation types and styles lead to diverse results, improving work relationships with clients, effectiveness in proposing ideas, and career growth. Experimenting with various approaches enhances skills, enabling more efficient goal achievement. When wielded adeptly, different presentation styles become potent tools for success in the dynamic business landscape.

The following are 11 types of presentation styles that can be used to engage your audience.

Educational Presentations

Educational presentations introduce unfamiliar audiences to specific topics, making them invaluable for explaining complex processes and sharing crucial information. They are instrumental in teaching audiences about various subjects and fostering understanding and engagement.

Educational presentations are structured around clear learning objectives. They aim to facilitate comprehension and retention of the material being presented. They often incorporate detailed visuals and instructions, which is beneficial for teaching new employees company procedures and policies.

Aids like charts, graphs, images, and videos are commonly used to illustrate and reinforce key concepts, enhancing audience understanding. Additionally, interactive elements like quizzes, activities, or group discussions deepen learning and engagement.

Lectures, workshops, training sessions, webinars, and e-learning modules exemplify educational presentations. These versatile formats cater to diverse learning needs and preferences, providing interactive learning experiences and knowledge acquisition opportunities.

Persuasive Presentations

Persuasive presentations wield the power of conviction to sway audiences towards a particular viewpoint or action. These presentations function as verbal negotiations, employing compelling arguments, logical reasoning, and emotional appeals to win over listeners.

Understanding your audience’s motivations is vital to tailoring your message to their interests and concerns. Crafting a narrative with a strong opening, solid arguments, and a memorable close enhances persuasion. Strategic use of visuals reinforces key points, aiding in audience engagement .

Examples of this style of presentations abound, from pitches for environmental conservation to advocacy for policy change or addressing social issues. They aim to influence beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors, urging audiences towards specific actions or adopting new perspectives.

In business, these kinds of presentations are ubiquitous, whether pitching for funding, advocating for technology adoption, or pushing educational reform. They articulate problems and propose solutions backed by data to compel stakeholders towards desired outcomes.

These presentations demand confidence as they seek to prompt action, such as purchasing a product or embracing a new idea. Unlike informative type of presentations, persuasive ones inform and seek to change minds and inspire action. They utilize research findings, storytelling, and emotional connections to bolster their case.

Persuasive presentations are effective tools for sales pitches, marketing initiatives, or political speeches. They utilize rhetorical devices, metaphors, and aids to engage audiences, offering new perspectives while appealing to emotions and logic. Ultimately, they aim to influence decisions and drive desired outcomes, making them indispensable in various contexts.

Motivational Presentations

Motivational presentations inspire and uplift audiences, urging them to overcome challenges and embrace positive change. They employ personal stories and powerful messages to resonate with listeners and spark enthusiasm.

These inspirational presentations are effective tools for organizational leaders to motivate employees and boost morale. Recruiters also leverage motivational kind of presentations, sharing success stories to attract new candidates.

Utilizing personal experiences as focal points, motivational speakers captivate audiences and drive them to action. Adapting to the audience’s level of engagement is crucial for maximum impact.

These types of presentations foster excitement and empowerment through storytelling, encouraging individuals to pursue personal or professional growth. Aids like slides and videos enhance key points and emotional connections.

Keynote speeches, team-building events, and personal development workshops exemplify motivational style of presentations. While not as dramatic as TED Talks, company overview presentations serve to connect with audiences, boost morale, and inspire action.

In various fields, like sports and entertainment, these presentations stir emotions and inspire audiences to achieve excellence. Athletes share stories of resilience, while industry professionals discuss creative journeys and societal impacts.

Motivational style of presentations typically inspire confidence, encourage change, and uplift spirits by forming emotional connections and delivering clear calls to action, making them invaluable tools for personal and professional development.

Progress Report Presentations

Progress report presentations update stakeholders on the advancement of projects, campaigns, or initiatives, akin to progress reports. These presentations encompass vital metrics, status updates, potential hurdles, and pending tasks. They offer a platform for project teams to share their progress, inviting questions and contributions.

Consider a company implementing a marketing strategy. In such cases, progress presentations become essential. They offer insights into the campaign’s journey, including status updates, data collection, and task adjustments. Take, for instance, the team stand-up presentation, characterized by its structured agenda, updates, discussions, and Q&A sessions, ensuring alignment and focus.

Projects and businesses evolve continuously, like living organisms. Status presentations act as navigational aids, providing updates on achievements, challenges, and future plans, like a team GPS. Transparency reigns supreme, utilizing visuals like infographics and charts to simplify complex data, facilitating trend identification and informed decision-making. Visual representation enhances comprehension, aiding prediction and strategy formulation grounded in evidence.

Demonstration Presentations

Demonstration presentations, also known as How-To presentations, guide audiences through step-by-step processes or techniques, offering clear instructions for replication. They excel in teaching practical skills and hands-on procedures, commonly found in workshops, training sessions, and cooking classes. Creative slides enhance engagement and aid information retention.

Incorporating visuals, props, and live demonstrations, speakers break down complex tasks into manageable steps, fostering audience interaction and effectively addressing queries.

Demonstration presentations elucidate complex concepts using visuals and demonstrations. They cater to diverse audiences, from internal employees seeking software insights to potential investors exploring technological innovations.

Preparation is vital, involving extensive research to distill intricate topics into digestible sections. Aids like graphs and charts simplify complex information, ensuring accessibility for all audience members. This meticulous approach ensures comprehension and engagement across varied knowledge levels.

Instructional Presentations

Instructional presentations guide audiences through specific tasks or processes to enhance understanding and facilitate action. Similar to educational presentations but more focused on providing instructions, they offer step-by-step guidance on achieving goals or performing activities.

Webinars, workshops, and training sessions exemplify instructive presentations, which deliver new information and teach new skills. For instance, a human resources instructional presentation might detail how employees can enroll in a new insurance plan.

Technical and detailed, instructional presentations explain tasks systematically, ensuring clarity and ease of comprehension. Each instruction must be clear, understandable, and actionable, fostering successful implementation.

Presenters may use aids like diagrams and videos to elucidate each step, making complex processes accessible. Tutorials, product demonstrations, and how-to guides exemplify instructional presentations, empowering audiences to learn and apply new knowledge effectively.

In corporate settings, instructional presentations train employees on software usage or policy changes, fostering practical skills acquisition. Similarly, they break down complex concepts into manageable parts in educational contexts, encouraging engagement through interactive elements and practical demonstrations.

Whether guiding new employees through software usage or instructing chefs on culinary techniques, instructional presentations aim to transform novices into experts. By breaking down concepts, using real-life examples, and incorporating interactive elements, they maximize learning and practical application, ensuring audiences leave equipped with valuable skills and knowledge.

Sales Presentations

Sales presentations are the cornerstone for businesses seeking to win over potential clients or customers, blending charm and charisma to showcase products, services, or ideas. They prioritize a clear value proposition, engaging storytelling, confidence, and a compelling call to action. Emphasizing benefits over features, adept presenters preempt objections and employ storytelling to demonstrate solutions to audience-specific problems. Visual aids enhance memorability and impact.

In the sports industry, sales presentations often involve sponsorship proposals, leveraging demographic data, engagement statistics, and past successes to illustrate potential returns. Similarly, presentations pitch new projects or content distribution deals in the media and entertainment sector. For instance, production companies pitch series concepts to streaming platforms, highlighting creative aspects and market analysis to align with the platform’s brand and audience demographics.

Sales presentations infuse enthusiasm with persuasion, aiming to translate it into tangible business outcomes. They are versatile tools for promoting service offerings, product launches, or consultancy proposals, leveraging industry expertise and experience to captivate stakeholders and secure deals.

Storytelling Presentations

Storytelling presentations captivate audiences by weaving narratives to convey information effectively. This approach finds utility across academic and business domains, fostering engagement and resonance with specific audiences. Incorporating personal anecdotes or relevant examples enhances relevance and understanding.

This style revolves around personal stories or anecdotes, eschewing data-heavy content. Its conversational tone facilitates easy comprehension and audience connection. Storytellers employ simple, familiar language akin to casual conversation, ensuring accessibility and relatability.

Presenters structure their stories with an introduction that presents the problem, followed by the main plot point elucidating the topic, and concluding with a reflection that resonates with the audience. This approach fosters genuine connection and audience engagement, steering clear of a lecturing tone.

While effective for conference speaking and networking events, storytelling may not suit sales discovery phases, where the focus should remain on the prospect. However, it shines in settings, allowing ample time for storytelling without detracting from audience interaction.

Ultimately, storytelling presentations breathe life into learning points, adhering to principles like TED’s Commandments to evoke genuine emotions and honesty. This style fosters a profound connection with the audience, transcending mere dissemination of information.

Problem-Solution Presentations

Problem-solution presentations offer a strategic approach to tackling organizational or client-centric challenges. They begin by identifying and analyzing a problem before proposing one or more solutions, a format prevalent in the consulting and tech industries.

In consulting scenarios, presentations delve into operational inefficiencies backed by data analysis or market research, offering tailored solutions like new technologies or process enhancements. Similarly, tech companies pitch software solutions to address data management or security challenges.

Problem-solution presentations expedite internal decision processes by outlining problems, solution options, and potential outcomes. For instance, a company aiming to boost social media engagement explores strategies like giveaways or enhanced content creation, using marketing presentation templates to organize discussions and guide decisions.

These presentations follow a logical approach, identifying root causes, proposing solutions, and detailing implementation plans and timelines. They serve diverse purposes, from business proposals to project plans and research reports, aiding decision-making efforts by presenting problems and offering viable solutions for consideration.

Informative Presentations

Informative presentations serve as foundational tools in public speaking , aiming to educate and enlighten audiences on specific topics. Unlike presentations designed to entertain or inspire, the primary objective here is to share valuable information clearly and concisely.

These presentations rely on factual accuracy and clarity, often incorporating data and research to support the information presented. They follow a logical structure, starting with an introduction, explaining the primary information in the body, and concluding with a summary or conclusion.

Language in informative kind of presentations should be clear and straightforward, avoiding confusing jargon.  Visual aids like charts and graphs enhance  audience understanding.

Examples of informative type of presentations span various contexts, from academic lectures on scientific findings to business workshops explaining software features. In educational settings, professors impart knowledge on historical events or scientific discoveries. In business, financial analysts present market trends to inform strategic decisions.

The audience’s enhanced understanding and knowledge retention measure informative style of presentations’ success. They empower audiences with valuable insights, making complex topics accessible and relevant. Effective delivery involves simplifying content, providing relatable examples, and encouraging audience engagement through questions for clarity.

Visual Presentations

Visual presentations include infographics, images, charts, and other visual elements and offer concise and engaging ways to convey information. They are ideal for time-constrained topics or those needing minimal explanation. They aim to enhance audience understanding and attention and are often used by businesses to showcase product benefits, such as before-and-after images in a hair product presentation.

Technology complements visual presentations, offering advantages in supporting claims with compelling visuals. This style recognizes the adage that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Formality in this style hinges more on the speaker and topic than the visuals, providing flexibility in adapting to different contexts.

Key characteristics include the emphasis on visuals, ranging from images to creatively presented data, and the ability to adapt to various presentation styles. Visuals can supplement any presentation, aiding comprehension of complex topics.

Various forms, including slideshows, videos, infographics, or posters, serve as vehicles for visual presentations, facilitating quick comprehension and creating memorable experiences. Techniques like color schemes and layout design enhance visual appeal and are suitable for marketing campaigns, educational materials, and scientific presentations.

Mastering Different Types of Presentations: A Guide for Engaging Audiences

Presentations are versatile tools, offering a spectrum of styles to captivate audiences. Each approach serves a unique purpose, from educating and persuading to motivating and solving problems. 

Educational presentations foster understanding through structured learning objectives and interactive elements like quizzes. Persuasive presentations sway opinions with compelling narratives and strategic visuals. 

Motivational presentations inspire action through personal anecdotes and powerful messages. Progress report presentations track advancements transparently, aiding informed decision-making. 

Demonstration presentations guide audiences step-by-step, fostering interaction and comprehension. Instructional presentations offer practical guidance, empowering skill acquisition. 

Sales presentations blend charm and persuasion to showcase solutions effectively. Storytelling presentations captivate with relatable narratives, fostering genuine connections. Problem-solution presentations tackle challenges strategically, proposing viable solutions. 

Informative type of presentations empower audiences with valuable insights, simplifying complex topics with clear visuals and relatable examples. Visual presentations concisely enhance understanding, leveraging images’ power to engage effectively. 

Mastering these successful presentation styles unlocks the potential to inform and inspire, ensuring audience engagement and success in dynamic environments.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are educational presentations, and why are they important?

Educational presentations introduce unfamiliar audiences to specific topics, aiming to explain complex processes and share crucial information. They are instrumental in teaching audiences various subjects, fostering understanding and engagement. Examples include lectures, workshops, training sessions, webinars, and e-learning modules. These presentations use structured learning objectives and interactive elements like quizzes to facilitate comprehension and retention.  

2. How do informative style of presentations differ from other types of presentations?

Informative type of presentations focus on sharing valuable information clearly and concisely. Unlike presentations designed to entertain or inspire, their primary objective is to educate and enlighten audiences on specific topics. They rely on factual accuracy and clarity, often incorporating data and research. Language should be clear and straightforward, avoiding confusing jargon.  Visual aids like charts and graphs enhance  audience understanding.

3. What are some examples of informative presentations, and where are they commonly used?

Examples of informative presentations span various contexts, from academic lectures on scientific findings to business workshops explaining software features. In academic settings, professors impart knowledge on historical events or scientific discoveries. In business, financial analysts present market trends to inform strategic decisions. The success of informative presentations is measured by the audience’s enhanced understanding and knowledge retention.

4. How can visual presentations enhance audience engagement?

Visual presentations rely primarily on infographics, images, charts, and other visual elements to offer concise and engaging ways to convey information. They aim to enhance audience understanding and attention, suitable for time-constrained topics or those needing minimal explanation. Visuals can supplement any presentation, aiding comprehension of complex issues. Techniques like color schemes and layout design enhance visual appeal and are suitable for marketing campaigns, educational materials, and scientific presentations.

Unlock the Power of Effective Presentations with Prezentium

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Whether you’re educating, persuading, motivating, or solving problems, Prezentium has the expertise and tools to help you succeed. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to unlock the full potential of your presentations. Contact us today!

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5 Active Listening Skills for Better Communication

Mastering executive communication: strategies, benefits, and best practices, 7 tips for crafting a winning sales presentation.

The 6 types of presentation (and why you need them)

Hrideep barot.

• Presentation , Public Speaking

We all have been exposed to different types of presentations right from school years.

Group presentations, lectures by teachers and professors, seminars, webinars or online presentations, e-learning, e-conferences, etc., are all different types of presentations that we come across in our daily lives.

But each of them work for different settings.

In this article, we will take a look at 6 such types of presentations and when and why you need them.

1. Informative Presentations

This is the most common type of presentation, be it in an educational setting or business or corporate setting.

The aim of an informative presentation is to give detailed information about a product, concept, or idea to a specific kind of audience.

They are often analytical or require a rational analysis of the data presented.

Training sessions or one-day workshops are good examples where this kind of presentation is used.

Here is an example of an informative presentation on public speaking and presentations.

Now, there are different situations where you can use informative presentations.

a) Reporting

Although a report is a written explanation of an event, it can also be verbal.

A perfect place to use informative presentations is news reporting , as it requires the presenter to present information systematically.

b) Briefing

This involves explaining both positive and negative aspects of a particular topic in a few words.

It is providing information quickly and effectively about an issue to influence decisions or to come to solutions.

Hence, the decision-making bodies of an organization can make use of this kind of presentation to save time and effectively come to conclusions.

c) Research

Informative presentations are often used to present research findings to a specific audience , as it involves reporting the findings and briefing it to the audience.

Hence, almost everywhere where research takes place, be it in an educational context or occupational , can make use of this kind of presentation.

Tips for giving informative presentations

• As there would be a lot of technical information and statistics, focus on the main points or agenda first and if you have more time, you can add them at the end
• Keep your presentation simple and clear . Avoid complex sentence structures and graphics
• Tell the outline of your presentation briefly in the introduction for a better flow
• Make sure that your presentation does not stretch for too long. 10-15 minutes is what your audience can concentrate on
• Restate your keyphrase at the end and briefly summarize all the important points of your presentation

Speech topics for an informative presentation

• Cropping techniques
• Organic Farming
• Corporate Farming
• Hydroponics
• Sustainable Agriculture, etc
• Climate change
• Environmental issues
• Eco-friendly ways of management
• Eco-politics
• Eco-feminism, etc
• Gender studies
• Gender and education
• Religious studies
• History of education
• Philosophy of education, etc
• Ethnic cultures
• Indigenous cultures
• Multiculturalism
• Popular culture
• Cultural trends, etc
• Business administration
• Business ethics
• Business models
• Promotion and marketing communications
• Finance, etc

2. Persuasive presentations

Persuasion is the art of motivating or convincing someone to act or make a change in their actions or thoughts.

If you are planning to give a persuasive presentation, and are looking for how to give a persuasive speech, check out our article on A Comprehensive Guide to Writing a Persuasive Speech to gain in-depth knowledge about the art of giving persuasive presentations.

Persuasive presentations are also widely used form after informative presentations.

There are various circumstances where persuasive presentations can be used.

a) Policy-making

Government bodies make use of persuasion almost every time, be it the legislative or decision-making bodies, executive bodies, or even courts.

Even election campaigns involve using persuasive presentations as an instrument of their pre-determined goals of swaying the citizens.

For that matter, any executive or management body of an organization can make use of these kinds of presentations.

b) Value judgment

This kind involves answering the question “why” and supplementing it with possible benefits.

Most Ted talks and YouTube videos try to persuade the audience and fall into the persuasive presentation category.

Even religious heads use this as a means of persuading their believers to follow their belief system.

Deciding on a procedure or telling an audience the correct procedure of doing something is another situation.

An example of a persuasive presentation

Bailey parnell: is social media hurting your mental health.

This TED talk by Bailey Parnell is a good example of a persuasive presentation.

She starts strong by asking rhetorical questions that set the mood for her further points.

We can also see how the speaker is genuinely concerned regarding the issue, engaging the audience till the end.

Tips for giving a persuasive presentation

• Start your presentation with a relevant quote or statistics about your topic to establish credibility
• Tell personal anecdotes and examples wherever necessary to develop an emotional connection with your audience
• Deliver your presentation with passion and genuine interest to motivate your audience to think
• Answer the question “why” for better understanding and clarity in your presentation
• State your viewpoint clearly and clarify doubts if your audience seems to have any

Speech topics for persuasive presentations

• Is animal testing ethical?
• Should cosmetic surgery be banned?
• Can the death penalty be the only solution to the rising crime rates?
• Should the legal age be 18?
• Should immigration laws be revised?
• Why you should never add your parents on Facebook
• Guys are more interested in gossip than girls
• It is your major duty to annoy your parents
• You are not enjoying student life if you are not procrastinating
• Endless memes can be made on my life, etc
• Is taming wild and exotic animals ethical?
• The importance of emotional support animals
• Why are bunnies the perfect pet?
• Why do animals make the best companions?
• Why there is a need for patients to have emotional support animals, etc
• How and why there is a need to do business analysis before opening your business?
• Why small businesses are successful and more profitable?
• Why do sales and customer service departments need to be paid more?
• Why does the HR department need to be polite and understanding?
• Why should you not do business with a family member?
• How charity is a means of converting black money to white?
• Why is detaining people on the suspicion of terrorism justified?
• Should euthanasia be made legal?
• Should violent crime offenders be sentenced to death?
• Should foreigners be allowed to buy a property?

3. Demonstrative presentations

This involves demonstrating a process or the functioning of a product in a step-by-step fashion.

So, a master class on communication skills or making a product model is an example of a demonstrative presentation.

Usually, the audience is an active part of such presentations and these can work in any context where you want the audience to learn a new skill.

a) Instructions

This involves giving guidelines or steps of a process or work .

Teaching how to make a car model step-by-step is a good example where you can use this kind of informative presentation to guide your audience.

Another instance can be at the workplace , to train the employees or introduce them to a new product at work.

This type also works with demonstrating recipes and cooking workshops.

An example of demonstrative presentation

The easy guide on making just about any smoothie.

In this recipe demonstration, he tells his audience how many ingredients are involved and briefs them about the outline of his presentation at the start of his speech.

He also shows all steps in real-time so that the audience have a better understanding of the process and keeps them engaged.

Tips to give a demonstrative presentation

• Introduce your product and its function to your audience before telling them how to go about with the steps
• Explain the steps with diagrams or show them in real-time along with the audience
• Give equal time to every person in the audience for clearing doubts, if any
• Keep your introduction short. Not more than 5 minutes
• Discuss options or variations that the audience can try at the end of the presentation

Speech topics for demonstrative presentations

• How to administer CPR
• How to wrap a gift professionally
• How to budget your monthly income
• How to choose a car insurance
• How to restore a piece of antique furniture

4. Inspirational presentations

As the name suggests, this type of presentation involves inspiring others!

The main aim of an inspirational presentation is to motivate or move your audience and is also known as a motivational presentation.

Using techniques like storytelling, narrating personal anecdotes , or even humor work wonders as your audience develops an emotional connection to the message.

This TED talk by Luvvie Ajayi Jones is humorous but a lot more inspirational. Check it out!

Tips for giving an inspirational presentation

• Start with a question that will leave the audience thinking. Pause for some time and then begin with your presentation
• Develop a sense of connection by narrating personal incidents and experiences to grow empathy
• Have some main points that you want to emphasize on
• Make use of humor ! It instantly builds a connection with the listener
• Non-verbal elements like paralanguage, body language, speech modulations, tone, etc., makes a huge difference

Speech topics for an inspirational presentation

• Importance of diversity and inclusion
• Building mental resilience
• Need for change management
• Valuing small victories in life
• How procrastinating is your enemy

5. Business presentations

In the corporate world, presentations are the go-to solution to do anything: planning or strategizing, articulating company goals, screening candidates, status reports , and many more.

Let us take a dive into the different types of business presentations.

a) Sales presentation

Also known as sales pitches , sales presentations involve providing information about a product or a service to sell it.

It has a pre-defined strategy of initiating and closing the sales deal.

This can be done in person or nowadays, on the phone, or via e-communication .

b) Training sessions

Often employees have on-the-job training sessions that are aimed to increase the knowledge and skills of the employees.

This kind can also involve the audience to participate , like in demonstrative presentations.

c) Meetings

Meetings can be called for for different reasons and can be of different forms as well.

Conferences ( both video and in-person), board meetings, informal team meetings, daily reporting, etc., are all various contexts of meeting in a business setting.

d) E- presentations

E- presentations existed before the COVID pandemic as well but were used seldom.

But, with the ongoing pandemic, e-presentations or remote presentations have replaced all other types of presentations and will be with us for a while longer.

However, on the brighter side, it is an eco-friendly alternative to normal face-to-face kind of a set-up, and it also saves transportation and other costs !

e) Seminars

Seminars are widely used in the health sector , usually involving a panel of speakers on a topic. The audience is anywhere between 10 to 100.

It ends with a question and answers session , and the audience gets to take handouts with them.

f) One-on-one or 1:1

Interviews are usually one-on-one and involve presenting your achievements and capabilities to your prospective employer.

Apart from interviews, 1:1 meetings are also used in sales and marketing to crack a business deal.

Tips for giving business presentations

• Include key phrases and other important details on your slides and make them bold
• Avoid casual slangs and informal tone of speech
• If you are giving a sales presentation, explain your product or service in simple and clear words , and list the reasons why it is beneficial for your potential clients
• Make sure to be on time ! Delaying your audience will work against you and leave a bad impression on you and your company
• Know your material or content thoroughly to answer the questions asked by your audience

Speech topics for business presentations

• Implementing an Agile Project
• Introduction to data modeling
• Introduction to UML(Unified Modeling Language)
• Social Media strategies for a successful business
• Business writing for managers

6. Powerpoint presentations

PowerPoint presentations or PPTs are the most effective ones among all types of presentations simply because they are convenient and easy to understand .

They are available in different formats and are suitable to use in practically any type of presentation and context, be it business, educational, or for informal purposes.

There are various types of PowerPoint presentations that you can use depending on the context.

a) PPTs for general audience

• For general audiences, avoid using jargon terms

If you feel that you need to use them, provide the audience some background information about the field or topic being covered

• Avoid using more than 8 words per line, as anything more than that becomes difficult to remember
• Use bullets or a numbered list for better retention
• Try not to read from your PPT
• Give handouts or record your presentation in case anyone wants it

b) PPTs for teaching

• In this case, the PowerPoint is content-based
• Make sure that the words on the slides are visible
• Use bigger font and avoid fancy fonts
• Add relevant pictures and graphics to keep your audience engaged
• You can also add documentaries or relevant videos to aid in understanding

c) Repurpose PPTs

• This involves reinventing an earlier ppt or combining 1 or more than 1 PowerPoints
• Giving new touches to an earlier PPT or changing the format
• You can take any slide of your PPT and upload it on social media for growing your brand or business
• You can even convert your PPT into mp4 , i.e, video format
• You can even add voice and save the mp4 format, and you have a good marketing plan!

d) PechaKucha

• This type of PowerPoint presentation comes from the Japanese word PechaKucha meaning sound of a conversation or chit-chat
• This involves changing slides every 20 seconds
• There can be a maximum of 20 slides , which means your presentation lasts for only 6 minutes and 40 seconds
• The PPT mostly has graphics and fewer words
• This type of presentation is best suited for telling a story or a personal anecdote

e) Multimedia presentations

• This is the best kind of PPT to engage your audience
• It contains texts along with pictures, videos, infographics, music, illustrations, GIFs , and many more
• Add higher resolution images and videos , or even a 360-degree snapshot if you are in the sales and marketing industry
• Adding infographics such as charts and graphs makes the process of understanding easier and saves time
• Music in a PPT helps your audience to be relaxed, at the same time making them alert and engaged

Types of slides in a presentation

PowerPoint presentation slides are broadly classified into 3 categories: Text, Visual, and Mixed slides.

1. Text slides

As the name suggests, this category of slides involve words or texts.

You can format the text as plain sentences or pointers.

You may even arrange them all in a single slide or one line per slide.

The slide seen below is an example where every point is mentioned in a single slide.

2. Visual slides

This type of slide has visual elements such as images or videos , and are better known as conceptual slides since they are a better option than text slide to explain a particular concept.

You can use them at the start of the presentation to better visualize and grasp the meaning of the presentation.

The slide right below is a good example of a visual slide.

3. Mixed slides

Mixed slides combine the texts and visuals to give a comprehensive understanding of any concept or a speech.

Graphs and charts are the best examples of mixed slides.

Mixed slides have an advantage over the other slides; they keep your audience engaged, listening and participating more actively!

Types of Oral presentations

So far we came across 6 types of presentations, and they all share one common feature. They are all one of the types of oral presentations.

Oral presentations involve the use of verbal and non-verbal elements to deliver a speech to a particular or general audience.

All the types we discussed fall into these 4 broad categories:

1. Extemporaneous presentations

This type of presentation involves making short pointers or key phrases to aid while speaking.

You do not memorize, but organize the points and structure the speech way in advance.

Hence, on the day of your presentation, by just looking at the key points , you expand on them and move to the next point.

2. Impromptu presentations

Impromptu presentations are spoken without any preparation . It can be nerve-wracking for many, and hence not many are in favor of it.

There is a valid reason for their fear, as you have to make your speech as you say it!

However, those who are experts in their fields and are called upon to share a few words can easily give this type of presentation.

3. Manuscript presentations

The other extreme of the spectrum is manuscript presentations.

Here you have a script and you speak from it, word by word.

News anchors and show announcers usually engage in this type, since there are a lot of specific details that cannot be said wrong, and also, time constraints.

Usually, a prompter is used, from which the speaker speaks to their audience.

Nowadays, there are teleprompters , that are heavily used in the entertainment and media industry.

It is a digital screen that displays the contents, and the speaker speaks from it.

4. Memorized presentations

This type does not have any notes or cues , but you memorize or rote learn the whole speech.

School and some presentations at the workplace involve using this kind of presentation.

In most cases, we recommend not to memorise your speech in most cases. We’ve made a video on the same and how it could lead to you potentially blanking out on stage. Highly recommend you view this quick vid before choosing memorisation as a presentation path:

But, if you do choose it for whatever reason, since you are free from notes, you are free to focus on other aspects, such as body language and gestures.

Types of presentation styles

There are various presenting styles, but they do not work for all types of presentations.

Let us get familiar with them, and know which style works with which type.

a) The storyteller

This style of presentation involves the speaker narrating stories and engaging the audience emotionally .

This technique works best with persuasive and inspirational types of presentation.

So, how to tell a story in a presentation?

• Understand and know your audience : Knowing your audience will help you with how you will frame your story, at the same time gauging the relevance of your narrative
• Know your message : Be clear with what you want to convey through your story or how you are connecting the story with your actual presentation
• Try narrative a real-life story : Inspiring presenters often take their own stories or the stories of people whom they know as a supplement to their presentation. When the audience listens to your real-life examples, they become genuinely interested in your story
• Add visual aids : Using visual aids such as pictures, videos, multimedia, etc., increases the memory retention and engagement of your audience
• Use the “you” attitude : Tell the story keeping your audience in mind because ultimately they are going to be the receivers and hence, the story should be relevant and should include their point of view as well

Want more storytelling tactics? Mystery, characterisation and the final takeaway are some more key elements of a good story for your next presentation. We’ve gone deeper into this topic in this video if you would like to know more:

b) The Visual style

Most of us are visual learners, making visual information easy to understand and retain.

Visual aids like graphics, images, diagrams, key pointers or phrases , etc., are very useful when giving any type of presentation.

Some tips of presenting with visual style:

• Include only important pointers in your PowerPoint presentation and highlight or bold them
• Try including visuals that complement what you are saying and use them as a supplementary tool to aid in understanding your audience
• If you are giving a business presentation and want to include visuals, instead of plain texts, include graphics and charts to make information simpler to present and understand
• Avoid overly complex visuals as it will confuse the audience more
• Avoid using more than 6 lines per slide

c) Analytic style

If you have data records or statistical information to be presented, an analytic style will be more helpful.

It works best for Informative and Business types of presentations.

Tips to deliver in analytic style:

• Give handouts so that the audience is on track with your presentation and the information will be easier to comprehend
• Focus and speak on selected data as too much data statistics can be overwhelming for the audience
• You can make use of humor and personal anecdotes to keep the presentation interesting and engaging
• If you have too much data and are worried that you will not be able to explain it in the time frame given, avoid writing content of more than 2000 words

Quick tip: In case you have a PDF to present and want to edit the data points, there are multiple software programs that you can use to allow you to easily do this. Check out this list of the Best Free Recording Software Programs to know more.

d) The Connector

The connector style of presentation involves the speaker establishing a connection with the audience by pointing out similarities between them and the listeners.

This style works well with Sales and marketing presentations.

How to give a presentation using connector style?

• Have a Q & A round with the audience at the end of your presentation for clarifying any doubts and avoiding miscommunication
• Use audience polls at the start of your presentation to know your audience and tailor your speech accordingly
• Make use of body language and gestures for delivering your presentation effectively. If you are confused or want to know more about the aspects of how to use body and gestures, check out our article on To walk or stand still: How should you present when on stage?
• Ask questions to your audience at regular intervals for a better audience engagement
• Make use of multimedia sources to keep your audience engaged and entertained

Which type of presentation is best?

Although all the presentation types have their own bonuses and are suitable for certain circumstances, some are universal and can be used with a little bit of modification almost everywhere!

These are persuasive presentations!

You can use them in various settings; from political, business to educational.

Just remember to choose the right topic for the right audience, and a style that you think is the most suitable and you are good to go!

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To conclude

We saw 6 types of presentation and understood it in detail.

We also gained some tips on how to make our presentation more engaging and also came across things to avoid as well.

We then explored the types of slides that you can use, and also the types of presenting orally.

We also gave you some tips and a few topic ideas that you can incorporate in your next speech!

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

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

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

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

Partner Center

Effective Presentation Techniques – The Top 10

We have condensed all of the presentation techniques down to the most effective. Here are the Top 10 effective presentation techniques.

1. Use visual aids

Using pictures in your presentations instead of words can double the chances of meeting your objectives.

2. Keep it short and sweet

There is an old adage that said – “No one ever complained of a presentation being too short.” Nothing kills a presentation more than going on too long.

There are some college professors who will penalise a short presentation (most lecturers see no problem in droning on) , but for most people a shorter presentation is better. Keep your presentation to under 22 minutes if you can.

3. Use the rule of three

A simple technique is that people tend to only remember three things. Work out what the three messages that you want your audience to take away and structure your presentation around them. Use a maximum of three points on a slide.

4. Rehearse

Practice makes for perfect performance. Many experts say that rehearsal is the biggest single thing that you can do to improve your performance. Perform your presentation out loud at least four times. One of these should be in front of a real scary audience. Family, friends or colleagues. Even the dog is better than nothing.

5. Tell stories

All presentations are a type of theatre. Tell stories and anecdotes to help illustrate points. It all helps to make your presentation more effective and memorable.

6. Lose the bullet points – don’t put your speaker notes up on the screen

Bullet points are the kiss of death for most presentations. Most people use bullet points as a form of speaker notes. To make your presentation more effective put your speaker notes in your notes and not up on the screen.

7. Video yourself

Set up a video camera and video yourself presenting. You will see all sorts of mistakes that you are making, from how you are standing, if you are jangling keys, to how well your presentation is structured.

8 . Know what slide is coming next

You should always know when presenting which slide is coming up next. It sounds very powerful when you say “On the next slide [Click] you will see…”, rather than than a period of confusion when the next slide appears.

9. Have a back-up plan

Murphy’s law normally applies during a presentation. Technology not working, power cuts, projector blowing a bulb, spilling coffee on your front, not enough power leads, no loudspeakers, presentation displays strangely on the laptop – all of these are things that have happened in presentations that I have given.

Have a back-up plan. Take with you the following items – a printed out set of slides – (you can hold these up to the audience if you need to), a CD or data stick of your presentation, a laptop with your slides on it. Just in case it goes wrong.

Guess what? When you have back-ups – you seldom need to use them.

10. Check out the presentation room

Arrive early and check out the presentation room. If you can make sure that you see your slides loaded onto the PC and working on the screen. Work out where you will need to stand.

Do you agree or disagree with any of these effective presentation techniques? Have you have any experiences like this? Add it in to the comments box below.

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thanxxx alott for the informationn they r very usful…

They are truly powerful which everyone should apply to make his/her presentation a complete success.

Thank you! Really interesting and important material.

thank you for the top 10 effective presentation techniques

Simple yet very powerful

One thing to add to point 6 Indeed, speaker notes should not be on the slides. Nothing is more boring when sombebody reads exactly what is on the slides, I’d better take a copy home and read it in quietness then.

well….i thought i wouldn’t be lucky but im just da luckiest person in the world who know these different presentation techniques…. but well done i will use these tips while preparing my presentation for accounting… thank you … Nice day…

thts really an amazing to have these presentation techniques.i’ll do my best to follow it while delivering my presentation.

i shall teach these techniques to my students when insha Allah i will be an instructor of spoken English.

Great! Anything on stage fright?

A speaker should keep an eye contact with all the people in the room while giving the presentation .

Rest the tips are useful .Thank u

i think all the technique are excellent

Its really helpful.

Thanks & Regards Shiva.

this is corny

very interesting for me, when you prepare a presentation

According to me you have missed the most vital thing “Know your audience”

Nothing has been said about the element of interaction. It’s clear that a presentation is being made, but, if the audience is engaged, there might be greater attention to the entire presentation.

This is just my take, views may vary.

I am a facilitator in community forestry.these points are powerful materials. However I would like if you can explain more about the number 6. What to use instead of bullets. I have in my mind that slides are the guide of my presentation so I have to use bullets?. On the other side, could you please send me a short presentation prepared with these techiniques and observe the application. at least, one slide I can to observe how is a slide well prepared.

Thanks a million from Colombia

Thank for this 10 points!

I have been training and I feel these are the 10 most important points as well

I find these techniques quite useful, I have to do a presentation on Vending Machines to my head teacher – and you made very strong and strategic points. I’m only in Year 7…

This is highly informative and without doubt, very effective

very good and effective…use this techniques to have a successful presention

I was just making a presentation & I have come to know that my presentation is simply boring & killing. Any way, very effective & informative points.

Life changing, thank you.

I am going to be facilitating a parenting course in a few weeks and loved the idea of of the rule of three to present my message.

tanks fot the info is so important to my life

thankx 2 you for providing me such an informative material. . .

but u forget to mention about dressing of a presenter and can u plzzzzzzzzzzz send me a slide which is one of d perfect one’s. . .

thanks alot……… you khnow i will try to do all these tips in my presentations….

[…] a site which has the top ten effective presentation techniques and they make sense to […]

Like mpz I also think there should be a section/point on knowing your audience.

Roughly (and shortly) speaking there are three styles of learning that each might influence an otherwise excellent presentation: Visual, auditory and sensitive.

The visual learners prefer imagery (Seeing is believing) and requires few words to every slide. Use images, diagrams, tables and such.

The auditory prefers verbal explanations and responses. Encourage questions during the presentation and be prepared to go outside the presentation if it is appropriate. Watch your tone, pitch and volume of voice. Don’t drone 😉

The sensitive learners needs to be connected to you. Use brief statements and demonstrations immediately followed by Q&A. Don’t focus on logic and external elements. Share personal values and experiences. Show empathy and understanding.

Just a short remark 😉

Thanks a lot. Its really very helpful for update and improving my life.

these are realy good tips for presentation.i think there should be some more easy tips which can make our presentation more effective.

It is really nice and helpful

Thank you, it was really helpful, I used to put bullets in my slides, now not anymore, thanks again!

thank u.. that’s really powerful

Guess this is really useful..as we say nothing is perfect but this can go to a great extent forming base, helping individual to build further on these lines!!

i hope my presentation would go well

Thanks a lot, really helpful!

Very good points the 10 ones; also Know the subject, know your audience, be confident when you present your concise presentation which might be effective if you add spice to it (related stories / jockes…) and wake up calls (sudden questions at randomly picked up person from the audience), and for better memorisation, make your objectives clear at beggining and summarise the essential points at the end(using primacy and recency effects at work)… I mostly liked the Murphy’s law, the worst sure happens to the one who does not have a back up plan. Thanks a million… From Ethiopia

Brilliant trigger points. How can I overcome shyness in students who have the Knowledge but can’t present? It is so frustrating.

thanks to you, i won my pitch for the new coca cola commercials they are releasing over here in the states! i make that about $4.5 million U.S i owe you for these tips:)!

Congratulations for your tips on effective teaching presentation! However , how can a teacher in a remote area of Burundi or Malawi get access to some of the materials you have earlier mentioned such as CD, Laptop,… Fine ! May you please suggest what may replace those HITechs that are not available to most of Third World School? May God bless you! Nayingunge from Burundi.

thank you, i believe that with practice i will get better.

thanks to providing perfect informatiom about presentation techniques ,they are really so usefull while preparing any kind of ppt or presentation,its everything

Experience… Great

Very nice Techniq Great Jobs

very well instructions

thanks ..tomorrow is my presentation I’ll apply all the points.IT REALLY BOOST ME UP!!!!!! thanks again

good presentation advice

AWESOME ADVICE & IT REALY WORKS

thank you, i believe that with practice i will get best of the best.

thanks for the information, now i know how to make a good presentation ..

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE!!!GODBLESS YOU AND YOUR LOVE ONES:)

thank you for the information ,its really helpful.

wow they r really helpfulx

thank you from Saudi Arabia

very awesome that is

thanks it was very useful to me

yes….. very nice because i fully unaware about these techniques …. bye the way i am MBA student ….therefor it is very usefull for me….

Great advice. Thanks

Thanks… Good Tips.

Its was great list of advice about presentation. Thanks.

It’s really useful to have these 10 points when doing presentations. I’m a teacher and this will help me to present things well.

Thanks a lot

Regards Nimal

this has been really helpful 4 me i mean this step is very good it help me out at my presentation and i got all mos 90% on my presentation. i think more people should take time reading this 10 tip

THNKS MUCH 4 BRIEF SUMMARY ON PRESENTATION TECHNIQUE,MAY U INCLUDE ATLEAST DRESSING CODE

thanks for the info regarding presentation techniques,,,it help me out for my presentation some day.

thank u alot realy it is an important material!

Thank yo verry much for all the4 informtions which i enjoyed-am practicing..However at one point where you state that “Keep your presentation to under 22 minutes if you can.” As a technical trainer in my organisation(a tire industry in India)where I have a 5 day sessions (9.00-5.30 p.m)this 22 mts. concept is hard to follow. But inadvertently I don’t dwell on a single topic/concept more than 20 mts, Is it O.K. Thangarajan.P.K.

its really nice for understanding

nice presentation skills

This is just brilliant

This is good stuff. I was a trainer in Zimbabwe so to the gentleman from Burundi I would say that you don’t need fancy aids to make an effective presentation. Pre-prepare a series of flip chart pages with your main points on and use a separate blank flip chart for points made by your audience. Also on visual aids I find that so often every slide looks the same – same font, background, company logo in the corner and so on. For the bits you want them to remember, change the slide completely so it stands out.

gostei muito das técnicas

I LIKE THE THECNIQUES,THANK YOU

Nice techniques……..

thanksfor thes points

This was very helpful… not only for our Philosophy class, but for all college courses. All 10 recommendations were very good. However, the 2 that seemed the most useful of all were to (1) video record yourself to find out how you look… and (2) have a back-up plan ready.

Hey, Hatts off to you man, they are very useful for a layman going for his / her first presentation.

wonderfull stuff!!!

these tips maked me to know more about presentation

tanks .it is very useful in my life

Thanks for the advice… 🙂

this website is amazing thanks so much xx

Ya , friend ….. My Father also likes Powrpoint preaentations & doing commentary …… He & I both likes this two tasks ….. & he is expert explaining ppt presentation in public .. I too wanted to become like him & the tips u had given r the same as what my father always follows ……… So , Thanks

its good 4 me

thank you very much this was very helpful

Thanks a lot for wonderful ideas. I do hope it will be very helpful in my upcoming presentation. May God bless you!

I’ll try to do this for my report on Monday. Thank you.

When using beamer or slides please also look from audience side! As the outside sun might blind them.

dont be over confident be confident

Highly appreciated your tips on business presentation.they will be of my great help in my agribusiness forum next week. Regards

rely great!

Really useful tips, looking forward to have these kinds of tips in future.

Superb info… Tqz

very helpful and valuable points

Very useful info….

these are very informative tips.any perhaps very effective ones

Thanks , very useful

tell stories really helped

The rule of three is something which Id like to try. I would do presentations using bullets as keys — just learned that it’s not advisable to do it.

Thank you very much it has greatly helped.Blessed all the content is useful and with this i hope to get better

Wonderful, l suggest you need to talk like a thought leader as well.

I’m so grateful for this opportunity of visiting this site. I find them so interesting, all the points outlined in this writing. I so much like the self-videoing part of it. This gives you the clear picture of how bad or good your presentation style is. And also gives you the chance to know if your recent pattern is better than the former or not.

From Nigeria

All the points are valid, but particularly like point # 5 which talks about stories. Stories bring life and authenticity to your presentation. Great job!

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Presentation Types and Styles Explained

Table of Contents

From high school, then all through college, and now in the workplace — presentations have been a pillar of passing down knowledge to various audiences. 

But, what are presentations? 

They are a tool used to inform and educate audiences in a fun and informative way. 

Well, that is the simple way of explaining their purpose and meaning. 

We want to dig in deeper, and that is what this article will bring to you — a deeper understanding of different types and styles of presentation, so you never get overwhelmed or confused when you need to make a presentation. 

We will discuss: 

• Different types and styles of presentations,
• The purpose of using presentations in the workplace, and 
• How to utilize and recognize types and styles of presentations.

We will also show you: 

• Famous presenters for each style, 
• How you can use each presentation style, and
• A quote for each style to work as a useful reminder if you ever get confused.

Let’s dive in, shall we?

What are the purposes of presentations?

Sometimes, when a term is widely used, to the point where we subconsciously know the meaning and its purpose, it’s hard to pinpoint the true definition from memory. 

So, let’s start with the basics — what is the definition of presentations? 

Presentation is a manner of passing down knowledge from the speaker to the audience. A presentation can be a: 

• Demonstration,
• Lecture, or 
• Speech. 

The purpose of a presentation is whatever goal you set up to achieve. Those goals can be:

• To educate, 
• To persuade, and/or 
• To entertain.

According to LinkedIn’s article 4 goals for any speech, pitch or presentation , when you combine the goals we mentioned, your presentation will become powerful, meaningful, and impactful. The goals mentioned above are general and can be applied to any situation. Different types and styles of presentation can lead to different results. With the right type and style, you can: 

• Better your work and image with clients,
• Be more effective when presenting new ideas or solutions, and
• Ensure more progressive career growth.

These are only some of the business goals you can achieve with the right presentation type and presenting style. The more types and styles you try out, the more skillful you become, which helps you achieve your goals more efficiently.

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What are the different presentation types?

Presentation types illustrate the way you structure your presentation . 

We’ve mentioned the 4 purposes of presentations — every goal or purpose corresponds to a certain type. Before you can choose a structure, you need to answer the question “ What is the purpose of this presentation? ” 

And methods and techniques, which we’ll talk about later, help you maintain that structure.

Once you know what you want to achieve with your presentation, you can choose its type. 

Here’s what you need to know about each presentation type:

Type #1: Informative presentations 

Informative presentations are analytical and, as the name states, informative. With this type of presentation, your end goal is to inform and educate . 

Your audience only has to listen and soak up all the knowledge that is given by you. 

With this type of presentation, you can report on new findings and new data or deliver a lecture. 

Since the goal is to educate, your presentation must be precise and correct. Make sure that the information you are communicating has real value. When presenting, try to engage your audience with visuals of your data to help them understand.

Type #2: Persuasive presentations

To use persuasive presentations, you must answer the question “ What do I want my audience to do after listening to me ?”

The point of this type of presentation is to persuade your audience, change their minds, or offer a new point of view, so that they take action .

Persuasive presentation comes in handy if you are presenting a new product or a service and you want your audience to feel the urge to buy said product.

When you use this presentation type you must exude confidence, since you are your audience’s only source of information for your product. 

Type #3: Motivational presentations

You’ve probably heard of motivational speakers, and if you haven’t, here’s a quick crash course. Motivational presentations have a purpose to inspire and change people’s minds . 

Most people who use this type of presentation have a story to tell. These people use their own experiences as key points in their presentations to help the audience to relate to them. 

Since the goal is to inspire and change people’s minds, you have to have a powerful topic to discuss. 

Remember to cater to your audience and adjust your presentation to them and their level.

Type #4: Instructive presentations

Instructive presentation is technical, precise, and often longer than other types we mentioned. This type is here to offer instructions to an audience. 

So, if your goal is to explain step by step how to achieve a goal or do a task— an instructive presentation should be your choice. 

When you are delivering this type of presentation you need to make sure that every instruction is clear, understandable, and easy to follow.  

How to determine which presentation type you should use?

To choose the correct type for your presentation, you must determine your goal. Once you have your goals clear, it will be easy to see which type works best with your presentation. 

Here are some helpful questions that will help you to narrow it down to one type: 

• What do I want the audience to take away from my presentation?’
• What am I trying to give the audience? Is it information, a lecture, or a look into a new product/feature?
• What obstacles are keeping me from delivering my presentation effectively?

Determining the correct type for your presentation is a trial-and-error process. You will find that some types are more your speed, while others might give you trouble. But, keep in mind that the end goal should always be to give your audience what they came for. 

No matter which type you prefer, they all exist for a reason. Give them all a chance, and remember that practice makes perfect.

Presentation methods and techniques

When you define the type of your presentation, it’s time to get into methods and techniques for delivering a presentation. 

There are a lot of ways you can deliver your presentation, and here is our take on it. 

Presentation methods

A method is how you approach your problem . 

When it comes to presentation methods, we linked them with public speaking. Methods cover:

• How you choose to deliver your presentation and 
• How you structure your speech. 

Here are the 4 main methods:

Method #1: Impromptu or unscripted 

The impromptu method applies to speeches that are: 

• Not prepared , 
• Emotionally charged, and 
• ‘Given on the spot’. 

This method of speaking is purely done by improvising, so there are no written rules on how it should be done. 

Improvising and making up your speech as you go is not a wrong way to deliver your presentation. Still, instead of basing your entire speech on your ability to ramble on, incorporate this method in segments where you see fit or feel inspired to do so. 

Method #2: Memorizing 

The memorizing method implies that the speaker needs to know their speech word for word. 

It is mostly used in oratory contests for high school and college students. This method is difficult, and you would need to spend a lot of time reading and memorizing your text.

But, this method is the easiest when it comes to performance anxiety. Since the text is perfectly constructed and your only job is to memorize and relay it to the audience, it’s less nerve-racking. 

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If you struggle with anxiety before a presentation, we have an article to help you with that: 

• How not to be nervous for a presentation

The memorizing method, while being challenging at its core, can be freeing once the speaker is on stage. With this method, you can practice your body language to go with the text. And since the text is scripted and perfected, the speaker can move around the stage as they see fit.

Method #3: Extemporaneous

Extemporaneous is a synonym for impromptu and unscripted — so why is a synonym to a method we’ve already covered, now a completely new method? 

Well, that is because when it comes to the extemporaneous method, we think of a speaker that allows help during their performance . 

The extemporaneous method is a combination of the first two methods we mentioned. This method allows the speaker to prepare their speech and use notes and key points as an aid to keep on course. However, they will not learn their presentation by heart, but use their own words and speak in a conversational manner.

Method #4: Scripting 

The scripting method used to require a written speech from which the orator reads to the audience. Nowadays, we can see this method used by news outlets, with a teleprompter. 

So, to make use of this method, you need to write down your speech and read it proficiently to your audience. 

When it comes to in-person presentations and public speaking, this method is not the go-to. 

You shouldn’t spend the whole presentation just reading off of papers. When we present, we need to maintain eye contact and overall connection with the audience — and holding a piece of paper in front of the audience will get in the way of that connection.

Presentation techniques 

Presentation techniques are what you use before and during the presentation to make it compelling, informative, and easier to understand . 

Here are some of the techniques that we find quite useful: 

Technique #1: Practice

As a presenter, you want to make sure that everything goes smoothly — and for that to happen, you need to practice. The key to giving the best presentation is to practice relentlessly. 

Some useful tips to help you make the most of your practice are to: 

• Practice in front of a friend. — Practicing in front of a friend will not only help you with performance anxiety, but a friend might also have some useful tips on how to perform better. 
• Film yourself practicing. — When you film yourself giving your presentation aloud, it will help you to get used to cameras and the spotlight. Also, the camera will capture every mistake you make, and from there you can see what needs to be worked on.
• Practice in the auditorium. — It will do you good if you can practice giving your presentation in a meeting room or the auditorium. If you practice in the place you will be presenting, you will get used to the space, and it will be familiar to you on the day of your presentation.

Technique #2: Use visuals 

There is no need to overwhelm your audience with endless blocks of text. Think about how you can transform the data or information into a simple visual . 

The important thing to remember is that your audience might not be on the same level of knowledge as you. So, use visuals to help them follow your point. 

Technique #3: Incorporate stories 

No matter how informative and to the point your presentation is, including a story that is illustrating your point can be very helpful to your audience. 

Not only is storytelling a great way to engage and entertain your audience, but it is also a great way to show how your information is relevant to real-world events.

If you are curious to see what more you can do to prepare for your presentation, check out our article: 

• How to prepare for a presentation: Your 9-step guide to a successful presentation

Technique #4: Incorporate appropriate style 

Your presentation style is how you choose to deliver your presentation as a speaker. Style builds on the methods we have mentioned earlier, and it comes down to how you choose to speak to your audience. You can be a storyteller or a coach to your audience, and with each style comes a different influence. 

Methods and techniques are a great starting point when you are approaching your presentation structure and topic. 

But, there are different styles of presentation that you also should consider before walking up to that stage. Let’s learn more about them.

What is a presentation style?

A style is your preferred way of doing things, and when it comes to presentations, a style is how you choose to deliver your speech . Everything from your vocabulary to your tone defines your presenting style. 

If you are not sure what your personal presentation style is, you can always pick and choose from the already-established styles. Those include: 

• Storyteller, 
• Instructor, 
• Closer, 
• Connector, 
• Coach, 
• Lessig style, and
• Visual style.

Let’s get into more detail about each one of them.

Style #1: The Storyteller

The storytelling style consists of a (usually personal) story or anecdote. 

This style is used when the presentation doesn’t have any data or numbers that need to be explained. 

You can use this style to emphasize your point and to easily relay your goal to the audience. 

The storytelling style is great for the beginning of the presentation, as it is there to capture the audience’s attention. 

Formality level for the Storyteller style: Low

Since this style uses the speaker’s personal experiences and anecdotes to help the audience relate to the topic easily, the language used is conversational. There is no need for any excessive formality , and the speaker can address the audience in a friendly and familiar tone.

The Storyteller style characteristics

What characteristics should you be aware of when you want to utilize this style? 

The vocabulary that storytellers use is simple and conversational. Think about how you tell a story to your friends, colleagues, or family. Once you have that in mind, becoming a storyteller on stage won’t be a problem. 

Since the formality level is low, there is no need to overcomplicate things or to use synonyms for words that already have simpler and more known versions. 

Your story should have an introduction, where you will introduce the problem. Then, you can move into the main plot point that explains your topic. And finally, you should have a conclusion where you can circle back to the beginning and where you will untangle the web you cast and leave your audience with a final thought.

The pros of the Storyteller style 

Now let’s look at some of the pros of this style: 

• It’s easy to follow. 
• It illustrates your problem and solution in a creative way.
• It’s relatable and, therefore, more influential to the audience.

The cons of the Storyteller style 

Here are the cons of being the storyteller type: 

• A story that’s too long or not interesting enough can leave your audience bored. 
• Getting too caught up in the story can make your presentation longer than it should be.

Who is the Storyteller style best suitable for?

This style is great if you want to truly connect with your audience and have them feel as if you speak to them, rather than at them. Many people don’t like to be lectured, and if you are trying to make a point or a message stick out, try out the storytelling style.

Famous presenter with the Storyteller style

The storytelling style is preferred among TED talk speakers. 

But, when we think of storytelling, one particular speaker comes to mind — Nick Vujicic. He overcame great obstacles and has learned how to take what’s best from life. So now, when he tries to spread his message of endurance, he puts his trust into the storytelling style and lets his emotions and experiences speak to his audience. 

Quote by Nik Vujicic that embodies the Storyteller style

“ What really matters are the lives you touch along the way and how you finish your journey .” ― Nick Vujicic

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Style #2: The Instructor

The instructing style of presenting shares some traits of the storytelling style. It still uses the power of metaphors to get the message across to the audience. 

But, the difference is that the instructing style has more of a commanding voice . The instructor can carefully align the story and the data in a logical and compelling manner, leaving the audience convinced and educated.

Formality level for the Instructor style: Medium

A lot of politicians use the Instructor style when they are trying to influence a larger crowd. Since this style has a higher formality level than the storytelling one, it allows the speaker to use more serious vocabulary and address the audience as superior. 

The Instructor style characteristics:

The Instructor’s style is characterized by logic and command. As we mentioned, the speaker who is fond of the Instructor’s style needs to be able to handle the facts and connect with the audience. 

So, the main characteristics of this style would be: 

• More formal use of language, 
• Commanding voice, and  
• Persuasive nature.

The pros of the Instructor style 

Let’s take a look at some of the pros of this style: 

• It helps get a complicated message across. 
• It’s persuasive. 
• It’s fairly easy to use. 

The cons of the Instructor style 

Here are some of the cons to be aware of: 

• The speaker could be deemed distant or cold. 
• The audience can lose interest if the presentation is too focused on pure data. 

Who is the Instructor style best suitable for?

This style is great if the speaker has a complicated topic to discuss with a less knowledgeable audience. This style is used mainly for lectures and political speeches. 

Famous presenter with the Instructor style

A famous presenter with the Instructor style is none other than the former Vice President of the United States, Al Gore. He uses metaphors, data, his own personal experience, and even visuals to bring complex issues closer to a wide audience.

Quote by Al Gore that embodies the Instructor style

“ When you have the facts on your side, argue the facts. When you have the law on your side, argue the law. When you have neither, holler. ” — Al Gore

Style #3: The Closer style

The Closer style of presenting is a style that demands action from the audience . Presenters who opt for this style want their audience to not only learn something new but to get up from their seats with a newfound urge to make a change. 

This style is a personification of a call to action. The presentations made in this style are short, since the speaker has a goal in mind. They then use this style to convincingly reach said goal.

Formality level for the Closer style: Medium

This style is a great tool to connect with the audience. So, to make a connection between the speaker and the audience, the formality level drops. But instead of treating the audience as friends, the speaker simply talks to them. 

The Closer style characteristics

The Closer style is persuasive and somewhat commanding. People who are fond of the Closer style cut right to the chase and make their audience get to a decision. With this presentation style, there are no boring statistics or data. The key points are clear and delivered with a short and clear explanation.

The pros of the Closer style 

Here are some of the pros of the Closer style: 

• The presentation is short.
• The Closer is confident and knows how to deliver a point.
• The audience rarely gets bored with this style.

The cons of the Closer style 

Take a look at some of the cons of this style: 

• Some audiences aren’t ready to make a quick decision.
• Some audiences might feel that this style is too harsh or rash.

Who is the Closer style best suitable for? 

The Closer style is best to use when you need your audience to make a decision or to give them the urge to make things happen. 

This style is mainly used by CEOs and salesmen.

Famous presenter with the Closer style

Many presenters use this style, but the one that stands out the most is the philosopher Ruth Chang. She has delivered great presentations on how to make hard decisions. She keeps her presentations short, sweet, and straight to the point. 

Quote by Ruth Chang that embodies the Closer style

“A world full of only easy choices would enslave us to reasons.” — Ruth Chang

Style #4: The Connector style

The Connector style speaker is most comfortable engaging with the audience . Some could say that the storytelling style is very similar to the Connector in that sense. Both styles base their presentations on the connection with the audience. The difference here is that the Connector is both a presenter and a member of the audience — and they are comfortable in both roles. 

This style of presentation (as the name suggests) allows the speaker to connect to the audience, and therefore deliver the materials easier. One way that this style connects the speaker and the audience is through Q&A.

Formality level for the Connector: Low 

Since this style’s main purpose is to connect the speaker to the audience, the formality level is low. The speaker appears as one of the audience, even though they are on stage. To keep the audience engaged and get them to ask questions, the Connector treats the audience as friends and acquaintances. 

The Connector style characteristics

The user of this style needs to appear as if they are one of the members of the audience, but they just happen to be on the stage instead in a seat. One of the main characteristics that stand out for this style is the eagerness of the speaker to engage with the audience. When a speaker is a Connector, they will constantly ask questions and listen to the audience’s opinions.

The pros of the Connector style

Let’s take a look at the pros of this style: 

• The audience is engaged and encouraged to participate.
• The presentation flows at a relaxed pace.
• The audience feels connected to the subject.

The cons of the Connector style

• Audience might not be comfortable with asking questions.
• The presentation might be longer than planned. 
• Too many opinions will derail the presentation.

Who is the Connector style best suitable for?

The great thing about the Connector style is that it can be used in any presentation and any setting. Since the main goal of this style is to connect the speaker and the topic with the audience, there are no rules or limits as to where it can and where cannot be used.

Famous presenter with the Connector style

Padraig Hyland is a TED Talk speaker and a specialist in audience engagement, so it is only natural that he uses the Connector style. He has delivered countless speeches on how to be a great presenter and how to connect with any audience.

Quote by Padraig Hyland that embodies the Connector style

“ To successfully navigate the current disruption, organizations need to nourish their authentic leadership voice and create a new story that engages their people on the journey .” — Padraig Hyland

Style #5: The Coach style

What is a coach? In every sense of the word, a coach is a person who guides you, teaches you, and helps you achieve your goals. 

It is the same with the coaching style. The person who uses this style guides their audience with their own enthusiasm for the subject. The Coach style is mainly used in motivational speeches, as it allows the coaches to interact with the audience and share knowledge on a topic they feel passionate about.

Formality level for the Coach style: Medium

The Coach style serves as a guide . It gives the speaker freedom to use their knowledge and personal experience to drive the audience to feel the same passion about the subject as the speaker does. To achieve that level of familiarity with the audience, the formality level drops, and the speaker talks to the audience as a teacher and, well, as a coach would.

The Coach style characteristics

The Coach style allows the speaker to guide their audience from point A to point Z, through knowledge and passion, which makes the presentation interactive and informative. 

This style of presentation can be seen in motivational speeches, lectures, and speeches delivered by sports coaches. The main characteristic that follows this style is that it is delivered by enthusiastic speakers.

The pros of the Coach style 

Here are some of the pros of this style to look into: 

• It allows the speaker to connect to the audience through enthusiasm. 
• Presentations in this style are interactive and engaging. 
• It gives the audience step-by-step instructions on the topic.

The cons of the Coach style 

Let’s examine some of the cons: 

• The speaker’s passion can be overwhelming to the audience.
• The speaker can forget to ask for feedback . 

Who is the Coach style best suitable for?

The Coach style, since it serves as a guide, is commonly used by motivational speakers and in self-help presentations. 

They tend to choose this presentation style because it allows them to connect with the audience while still delivering a detailed step-by-step on the topic they are discussing.

Famous presenter with this style

There are a lot of motivational speakers today that are a fan of the Coach style, but the one that caught our attention is Mel Robbins. She is a lawyer and a motivational speaker that helps her audience to form healthy habits and attain discipline to achieve their goals.

Quote by Mel Robbins that embodies the Coach style

“ You have been assigned this mountain so you can show others that it can be moved .” — Mel Robbins

Style #6: The Lessig style

If you are in a time crunch, but you have a lot of material to cover, then the Lessig style is the perfect style for you. 

The Lessig style was invented by Lawrence Lessig, and it states that a speaker should spend only 15 seconds on each slide or point during a presentation . This style usually agrees very well with the visual style. 

Since not all presentations have slides, this style cannot be used with any type of presentation. However, if you have too many slides and too many points to make, then the Lessig style can help you use your time slot well.

Formality level for the Lessig style: Depends

The Lessig style is not a style of speaking per se, but a style for presentation time management . So, the formality of the language you use will be up to you and your topic. You can decrease or increase the formality level and the Lessig style would still be the same.

The Lessig style characteristics

The main characteristic of this style is that it includes slides or at least some visual aid. 

This style is also the one that is not concerned with your verbal cues and style of speaking. If you choose to try out this style you can combine it with any of the styles we previously mentioned.

The pros of the Lessig style 

Here are the pros of this style: 

• It’s easy to use. 
• It helps you keep track. 
• It saves time.

The cons of the Lessig style

Here are some of the cons of this style: 

• It is not applicable to presentations without slides. 
• Sometimes the suggested 15-second rule isn’t enough. 
• The presentation may feel rushed or unfinished.

Who is the Lessig style best suitable for?

The Lessig style bases its rules on slides and visual aids, so it’s best suitable for presentations that consist of slides. The topics for this style are endless, and it is up to the speaker to see where this style works best in their presentation.

The most logical choice is, of course, the founder of this style — Lawrence Lessig, a lawyer and a political activist. 

Quote by Lawrence Lessig that embodies the Lessig style

“ Technology means you can now do amazing things easily .” — Lawrence Lessig

Style #7: The Visual style

Presentations can be all about the slides, data, or videos, and there are also powerful presentations that are delivered with only the speaker on the stage. But, technology is not something to shy away from . There are great advantages to using technology and feeding your audience with visuals that will support your claims. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. 

Formality level for the Visual style: Depends

The formality of this style doesn’t depend on the visuals used, but on the speaker and the topic. The great thing about the visual style is that it can be used with almost any topic and type of data. So, when using this style of presentation, you can choose the level of formality you feel comfortable with.

The Visual style characteristics

The Visual presentation style’s main characteristics are the visuals, as the name suggests. The visuals can be anything from a picture, video, or creatively shown data and statistics. 

This style can be used together with any other style that we mentioned, as long as you add some pictures or other visual elements.

The pros of the Visual style 

Here are the pros of the Visual style: 

• Visuals help the audience understand the presentation better — sometimes, they can illustrate your point better than your own words. 
• Visuals can help you move your presentation forward. 

The cons of the Visual style 

Here are some of the cons of the Visual style: 

• Overusing visuals in your presentation can take focus away from you. 
• Visuals can be redundant. 

Who is the Visual style best suitable for?

If you are creative enough or confident enough to not let the glamor of visuals take over your spotlight, you can incorporate visuals into any workplace presentation. Visuals can be helpful almost everywhere, and they can aid your audience if the topic is too complicated for them to follow.

Famous presenter with the Visual style

One of the best visual presenters is Steve Jobs. He was one of the founders of Apple, and every year he used to give a great visual presentation or a rundown of Apple’s new product releases.

Quote by Steve Jobs that embodies the Visual style

“ For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through .” — Steve Jobs

How to determine which presentation style to use?

If you are wondering which style to use, first you need to ask yourself what kind of audience will be attending your presentation . Once you have an idea of who you will be talking to, you can start to think about your presentation style. 

Also, you need to know what is the purpose of your presentation and what you wish to achieve. 

Beyond that, try out different styles until you find the one you are comfortable with.

Collaborate easily with Pumble — Even when creating presentations

If you’re working on a presentation with your colleagues — no matter what type of a presentation it might be — you’ll probably find yourself in need of an efficient communication tool. 

Luckily, Pumble, a team communication app , makes your collaboration more simple and efficient, while keeping communication lines open at all times. 

Here are all the ways Pumble can help you create various types of presentations:

• Thanks to the voice call feature, you can stay connected to your colleagues while you work together on the presentation. 
• If there is a problem you have to address , you can always give them a quick video call and share your screen with them so you can brainstorm or problem-solve together. 
• If you need a second (or third, fourth, etc.) opinion , you can always ask for it on some of the Pumble channels . 
• If you have to provide further explanations or continue the discussion without cramming the channel space, you can continue your conversation in threads or reach out to particular colleagues via direct messages .   

Finally, one of the best things about Pumble is that you can never lose important information or shared files because it has unlimited history . 

Jana Pavlovic is a communication author and researcher. She enjoys educating herself and others on various team collaboration and technology topics. She found that working from home in a hybrid-type company is her perfect combination for work-life balance, and she’s eager to share her new-found knowledge with you.

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How to Structure your Presentation, with Examples

August 3, 2018 - Dom Barnard

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

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

Why is structuring a presentation so important?

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

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

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

What will affect your presentation structure?

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

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

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

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

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

What is the typical presentation structure?

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

1. Greet the audience and introduce yourself

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

Read our tips on  How to Start a Presentation Effectively

2. Introduction

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

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

In this section also explain:

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

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

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

3. The main body of your talk

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

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

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

4. Conclusion

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

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

Follow these steps:

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

5. Thank the audience and invite questions

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

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

Other common presentation structures

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

Demonstration

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

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

Problem-solution

This structure is particularly useful in persuading the audience.

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

Storytelling

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

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

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

• Great storytelling: Examples from Alibaba Founder, Jack Ma

Remaining method

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

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

Transitions

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

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

Moving from the introduction to the first point

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

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

Shifting between similar points

Move from one point to a similar one:

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

Internal summaries

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

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

Physical movement

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

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

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

Key slides for your presentation

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

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

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

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

Guy Kawasaki, an entrepreneur and author, suggests that slideshows should follow a  10-20-30 rule :

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

Here are some additional resources for slide design:

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

Group Presentations

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

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

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

Example of great presentation structure and delivery

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

How Google Works – by Eric Schmidt

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

Start with why – by Simon Sinek

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

The Wisdom of a Third Grade Dropout – by Rick Rigsby

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Business Jargons

A Business Encyclopedia

Presentation

Definition : A presentation is a form of communication in which the speaker conveys information to the audience. In an organization presentations are used in various scenarios like talking to a group, addressing a meeting, demonstrating or introducing a new product, or briefing a team. It involves presenting a particular subject or issue or new ideas/thoughts to a group of people.

It is considered as the most effective form of communication because of two main reasons:

• Use of non-verbal cues.
• Facilitates instant feedback.

Business Presentations are a tool to influence people toward an intended thought or action.

Parts of Presentation

• Introduction : It is meant to make the listeners ready to receive the message and draw their interest. For that, the speaker can narrate some story or a humorous piece of joke, an interesting fact, a question, stating a problem, and so forth. They can also use some surprising statistics.
• Body : It is the essence of the presentation. It requires the sequencing of facts in a logical order. This is the part where the speaker explains the topic and relevant information. It has to be critically arranged, as the audience must be able to grasp what the speaker presents.
• Conclusion : It needs to be short and precise. It should sum up or outline the key points that you have presented. It could also contain what the audience should have gained out of the presentation.

Purpose of Presentation

• To inform : Organizations can use presentations to inform the audience about new schemes, products or proposals. The aim is to inform the new entrant about the policies and procedures of the organization.
• To persuade : Presentations are also given to persuade the audience to take the intended action.
• To build goodwill : They can also help in building a good reputation

Factors Affecting Presentation

Audience Analysis

Communication environment, personal appearance, use of visuals, opening and closing presentation, organization of presentation, language and words, voice quality, body language, answering questions, a word from business jargons.

Presentation is a mode of conveying information to a selected group of people live. An ideal presentation is one that identifies and matches the needs, interests and understanding level of the audience. It also represents the facts, and figures in the form of tables, charts, and graphs and uses multiple colours.

Related terms:

• Verbal Communication
• Visual Communication
• Non-Verbal Communication
• Communication
• 7 C’s of Communication

Reader Interactions

Abbas khan says

October 2, 2022 at 11:33 pm

Thank you so much for providing us with brief info related to the presentation.

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it was helpful👍

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• BEGINNER TRAINING
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• Presentation Methods For Your Success
• Presentation Tips You Should Know

Your choice of presentation methods says something about you. And if that sounds just a little bit scary, then it's not intended to be! Because everything you do as a presenter says something to the audience. That's really what a presentation is all about. It's a means for communication between you and your audience. Your job is to make sure that you convey the right set of messages….the messages you really want to transfer.

Your Presentation Methods Are Really Important

Thus your choice of presentation method might suggest the following:

• How well-practised are you?
• Do you know your material?
• What do you know about your audience?

Your audience will notice and will respond accordingly. But, that's not a problem, because your choice of presentation method is influenced by all three.

Presentation Methods: It's Your Choice

Do you know your audience really well? So take inspiration. Try to break the bounds of PowerPoint or Keynote. It might possibly encourage you to try out newer presentation manager alternatives such as  Prezi presentation software . There are some good  alternatives to PowerPoint  out there. So this  list  shows off the presentation features of more than 20 of them.

Therefore, your choice of presentation methods reflects your earlier preparation and your research.

Because when you know your material and your audience, you will have more options for an effective presentation.

As a result, and more importantly, you will have more control over the  presentation methods you use.

A Less-Practised Presenter

A less-practised presenter might use presentation software as a crutch. That’s because they don’t have a good knowledge of their material. So, they use the software to help them get by with their presentation. They might not know their material too well. Or, possibly they haven’t had much time to prepare, practise and rehearse. PowerPoint might help to give them security as it hides the gaps in their work. That’s the theory. However, most audiences can see through this.

A Well-Practised Presenter

A well-practised presenter might choose to use  PowerPoint  or  Keynote for their presentation. So they emphasise key points with some multimedia in their presentation’s slides. Their PowerPoint presentation is visually emphatic. And their slides are clear and consistent. Additionally, their organisation is ordered. And, because of this, their presentation is more effective.

What Presentation Methods Can You Use?

You have a range of presentation methods to choose from. You might use some as a crutch, but others will definitely boost your presentation performance.

• Use  PowerPoint .
• Take advantage of Keynote or PowerPoint For Mac.
• Try one of the many PowerPoint alternatives. We've listed some alternatives to PowerPoint  in this article.
• Use props , a flip-chart or whiteboard. Here are some tips for using a prop when giving a presentation .

You can learn more presentation skills and techniques on a public  presentation training course . Because we organise our courses to a regular schedule, there’s something for everyone. Or, when you want a more intensive approach, then you can always try individual presentation coaching . Whatever your approach, please don’t hesitate to get in touch when the time is right.

“PowerPoint is popular only because it helps disorganized presenters feel more organized.”

Edward Tufte

Online Course: Discover how to Boss the Presentation Basics

• Boost your presentation confidence
• Develop all the essential presentation skills you need
• Become more successful as a presenter at work, conferences or job interviews
• Work at your own pace

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