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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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10 Tips for creating an effective training presentation

Creating a training presentation is not a simple task. Unlike your usual PowerPoints, a training deck should convey work-related information in a way that keeps your team engaged and creates a positive learning experience. Quite a challenge, if you ask me - especially in online environments.

That’s why today I’ve got a little help from the 24Slides presentation designers . They work on thousands of eLearning slides for companies every month, so they pretty much know what it takes to create an impressive training deck.

By the end of this post, you’ll have learned:

• What exactly a training presentation is
• The benefits of corporate training
• 10 training presentation tips you can execute right now

Let’s begin!

What's a Training Presentation?

A training presentation is a corporate learning material that helps build the right skills employees require to perform their jobs. For optimal results, ideal training presentations showcase the specialized knowledge in well-structured, easy-to-read slides, and encourage active participation during the whole learning experience.

To give you an idea, common training presentation topics include company policies, safety and health at work, cybersecurity, industrial processes , and more.

Why Should Businesses Provide Employee Training?

Employee training is a business investment, and as such, it’s normal for higher-ups to question whether some corporate learning and development activities are needed. However, as Henry Ford said, “ The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay! ”

And if that’s not enough reason, here are some long-term benefits you can list to show the value of employee training in your organization:

• Training sessions leverage new employees’ productivity faster
• Employee training reduces the chances of errors and accidents on the job.
• Well-trained employees need less supervision, which translates into more time for managers to dedicate to their own tasks.
• Learning and development activities help increase employee retention and job satisfaction.
• Constant employee training makes it easier to identify the team’s weaknesses and creates improvement opportunities for the whole organization.

Now that we understand why staff training is important, let’s see how to create a good training presentation.

Top Tips for Creating an Effective Training Presentation

What we commonly call “effective presentation” is the right balance of two elements: the content you provide and how you deliver it. The first part is on your expertise and every piece of information you can share. But the second part is where the real magic happens .

How do you convey your knowledge? How can you make the online learning experience one to remember? Well, a lot relies on the way you present that information. In this section, we’re going to cover both sides through 10 training presentation tips:

#1 Showcase the knowledge of your company’s experts

Internal expertise is a top learning resource many companies fail to see. Just think about how much your sales head or finances specialist can say about the best practices and workflows from their respective areas. Or the industry trends and developments they experience in their day-to-day activities. You don’t need to look outside the office when you already have expert sources that can provide you with valuable know-how for your training slides.

And don’t curb to technical topics. If the training is on leadership or negotiation skills, why don’t you invite a project manager or sales rep to talk about their experiences? This is a fantastic way to recognize employees as experts and promote team engagement at the same time.

#2 Use your visuals wisely

Visual content is ideal to catch your audience’s attention in a matter of seconds. Plus, studies confirm that visuals help process information faster and facilitate learning . However, this doesn’t mean we should plaster graphics and illustrations all over our slides. Instead, use your visuals strategically only for what’s relevant.

It’s like highlighting a textbook. A mark signals the main idea from the hundreds of words in every chapter. But what’s the point if you’re going to highlight the entire page? It would lose its whole purpose!

As Benny Prasetyo, Design manager from 24Slides , says:

So keep that in mind. Your images, icons, and other graphics are not merely decorative devices. They tell people where to look and have the power to amplify your key messages.

#3 Appeal to different learning styles

According to the VARK model , there are four main learning styles: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic. And people tend to prefer one or two modalities over others. The good thing is that you can appeal to the four of them within your training PowerPoint presentation. Here’s how:

• For visual learners, maps, flow charts, and process diagrams are the way to go. They respond better to all these devices that explain something graphically instead of words.

• Auditory learners make the most out of synchronous training because they learn by hearing and discussing ideas. However, you can also adapt your PowerPoint materials to them. Think about adding audio files or linking to podcasts that further expand the main topic. Another great way to appeal to aural or auditory learners is using a conversational style in your slides, so they can read your PPT as if you were talking directly to them.
• People who process information through reading and writing will appreciate text-based explanations and assignments. Lists, quotations, and case studies are ideal for this type of learner.

• For the kinesthetic modality, you can showcase personal experiences or feature practical exercises that allow students to apply what they’ve learned. We’ll talk more about this kind of content in the following sections. But bear in mind that kinesthetic learners are “tactile” and prefer to assimilate new information by exploring it in the real world.

To sum this point up, add elements in your presentation that respond to the four learning styles, and you’ll get an immersive and more dynamic training session.

#4 Keep it real

Want to make your corporate training relevant to your team?

Include scenarios from real situations - extra points if these examples come from their actual work. Here’s the thing: People are more perceptive to things that make an impact on their lives. So, if you connect your session to what they go through in their daily tasks, you’re adding emotion and making your training 10x more relatable.

Ideally, your presentation gives solutions to an issue the business has identified. In this case, you need to explore a little: What has changed or happened in the company that employees require training? How’s the day-to-day of the areas involved? What’s the ideal scenario the company expects?

Now, use your findings to integrate realistic situations as examples or exercises that show trainees the value of your session. The key to an engaged and motivated audience is to keep things real.

#5 Make use of storytelling

Effective training is more than informative sessions. The real objective is to spur change. You want to take employees from point A to point B in their development, and one of the most powerful tools to inspire action is storytelling.

In a few words, storytelling is the art of using a story to communicate something. It might not sound like a big deal, but stories speak to the emotional side of humans, and that’s how you can start building a connection that makes every session memorable.

Some ways the 24Slides designers help incorporate storytelling into training presentations is through comics, animated slides, and PowerPoint illustrations.

If you’re keen to challenge the status quo in your team, check out these 7 storytelling techniques to create a compelling training deck.

#6 Take every chance to engage with your audience

Getting active participants during online training is like finding the saint grail nowadays. With muted mics and off-cameras, sometimes you don't even know if someone is listening on the other side. But hang in there.

In this section, I will show you some interactive elements you can use to boost your audience engagement.

Usually, the host would end the presentation with an “Any Questions?” slide, but what about you asking the questions? Inquiry your audience’s minds and create open questions for anyone to share their opinions. This is a good old trick with the potential to spark great-in-class discussions. You can even transform it into a gamified experience with slides like the one you see above.

Online audience engagement tools such as Slido , Mentimeter , or Kahoot make it super easy to create interactive quizzes and polls. The cool thing about them is that they give you a presentation code, which allows your audience to send their answers and see the team's results in real-time.

But if you prefer a more traditional approach, there are PowerPoint slides that can do the trick too. Take this multiple-choice quiz template as an example. It comes with a wide array of designs to hold your participants’ attention while assessing their knowledge. You just need to insert questions and alternatives regarding your topic, and voilá!

Self-assessment activities are a great way to engage with your audience - even when you’re not there to guide them! Here’s a creative quiz template in PowerPoint you can use to add fill-in-the-blank exercises, short-answer questions, and multiple-choice tests to your training deck.

#7 Brand your corporate training deck

Considering that training presentations talk to one of the company’s most important stakeholders (the employees), it should be a no-brainer to keep them on-brand.

But it’s more than giving a professional look to your slides. Adding the company’s brand to training materials shows your team that you care. You’re making the same effort to deliver a polished product to them as the company does to the customers. And that speaks volumes!

Plus, keeping visual consistency across all materials helps your team become familiar with the brand and reinforce that they’re part of the company's activities.

We’ve got a whole article on why branding is essential in presentations , but at this point, it’s clear that spending some time on the aspect of your slides provides more benefits to the business than not. So, remember to inject the brand’s identity into your training decks.

#8 Close with summary slides

How often have you seen participants more worried about taking notes from your slides than actually following your speech? This is a common situation in learning scenarios, and it’s not because your participants don’t care about what you’re saying. Quite the contrary, they want to take it all in.

And you can make their learning experience easier by simply adding summary slides . These final slides contain the key points from your lesson and help viewers retain the essentials.

This way, you ship away your participants’ worry of missing something important, and you get another chance to reinforce your main messages. Everybody wins!

#9 Make your presentation accessible

“Accessibility” is a term that has gained popularity in the last few years, and it refers to the practice of ensuring people with disabilities can access the same information fully and independently as people without disabilities. This is extremely important in eLearning because you want everyone in the organization to benefit from your lessons.

For instance, employees with hearing difficulties might have a hard time watching an instructional video with no captions. Likewise, participants with visibility issues might need an easy-to-read font size in the slides or color contrast in your presentation visuals.

If you want to start now, PowerPoint has an accessibility checker that gives you a detailed report on what you can do to improve your slides. To activate it, follow this route: File tab > Information > Check for issues (next to Inspect Document) > Check Accessibility

You might be surprised by all the details we take for granted, but they make a huge difference to people with different abilities.

#10 Don’t Underestimate The Power of Your Presentation Design

All these good practices confirm that a good design can enhance any corporate learning experience. It helps your employees better comprehend information. It signals the importance of each item in your slides and how they should be read. A good design provides structure and visual flow. And the list can go on, but I prefer you see for yourself.

Damilka Rojas, Design manager at 24Slides , gives us expert input on the right design approach for effective training presentations:

Plus, many training slides are stand-alone materials with the task of conveying information without a live instructor. That’s when you can rely on a good design to deliver a coherent interpretation of your lessons.

Upgrade your training presentations today!

Now, it’s time to put these training presentation tips into practice. Whether you apply one or all of them together, I’m sure you’ll see a marked difference in your new slides. But if you have several presentations to upgrade or designing in PowerPoint is not exactly the most productive way to spend your time, let the 24Slides team handle it for you !

Our expert designers can create stunning slides to draw your audience’s attention while keeping the professional look your training decks deserve. They provide presentation design support to some of the biggest companies worldwide , so rest assured your slides will be in good hands. Ready to take your presentations to the next level?

Create professional presentations online

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Impactful Presentations

Why do presentations often fail to have the impact we desire? One reason is that information alone will never move people. In this course, you’ll go beyond presenting just the facts and figures to craft compelling presentations that will motivate others, inspire action, and enable buy-in. By surfacing what matters to your audience, you’ll learn to create presentations that are both meaningful and memorable. Gain the confidence and skills it takes to shift the way people think, feel, and behave.

Note: While this course is not focused on the visual design of presentations, it does cover a few quick tips to get you started.

Course Outcomes

• Deliver presentations that spark a shift in beliefs, behaviors, and mindsets.
• Sequence and convey your information in a way that will create a meaningful journey for your audience.
• Open hearts and minds by developing a trusted relationship with your audience.
• Apply techniques to help people pay attention and remember the information you share.
• Practice with unique presentation methods in order to create an engaging experience for your audience.

Part of Certificate Programs

• Communicating for Impact Certificate
• Collaborative Leadership Certificate

Skills You’ll Gain

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Go Deeper with Certificate Programs

Impactful Presentations is part of two certificate programs:

What You'll Learn

Week 1: introduction - move your audience, 2 video lessons.

• Messages That Spark Change—It’s not what you say, but how you say it
• Mentor Moment—Try something new

1 Assignment

Choose Your Presentation—Choose the 10-15 minute presentation you’ll be workshopping throughout the course. Use an existing presentation or choose from one of our sample presentation prompts. Identify your audience, your starting assumptions for what you must do or include in this presentation, and the skills you most want to grow.

Note: For course assignments, you’ll need access to either Google Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint. There will be multiple opportunities to get feedback on your drafts along the way, though you are not required to give your presentation live to the class.

Week 2: Plan the Journey

4 video lessons.

• What’s the Point?—Identify the goal of your presentation
• It’s Not About You—Empathize with your audience
• Shape Your Story—Build emotional appeal and interest
• Mentor Moment—Start with emotion

Crafting Story Arcs—Identify the beats, or key moments, of your presentation. Build four potential sequences to determine the strongest organization of your content. Use your learnings from this exercise to iterate your Big Idea and the shift you want the audience to make.

Week 3: Become the Guide

3 video lessons.

• Create a Connection—Bridge the divide between you and the audience
• Establish Your Credibility—Inspire trust and belief
• Keep It Human—Present as your authentic self

Design for Connection, Credibility, and Authenticity—Select different methods for building a connection, establishing credibility, and presenting authentically, and brainstorm how you might bring them to life. Think through the details of implementing these methods by experimenting.

Week 4: Make it Memorable

• Best Intentions; Bad Presentations—Avoid common presentation mistakes
• Make Patterns—Encourage understanding and retention
• Break Patterns—Shake things up to capture their attention
• Mentor Moment—Find the medium that fits your message

2 Assignments

Create Pattern Breaks—Brainstorm ways to break patterns using physical space, the senses, and audience interactivity. Build experiments to further explore your ideas.

Build a Storyboard—Use the feedback and insights from the first three assignments to create a storyboard for your presentation. Identify opportunities to engage, or re-engage, the audience, and consider the holistic journey through your content. Start a visual mood board to guide design decisions.

Week 5: Conclusion - Look Ahead

• Bringing It All Together—A Presentation Case Study
• Mentor Moment—Encouragement to explore
• The End Is The Beginning—Evolve your story and yourself

Presentation Finale—Design a meaningful ending and evolve the structure and flow of your presentation using insights from the feedback you’ve received. Craft a full second draft, diving more deeply into visual decisions and scripting key moments. Reflect on your experience over these five weeks to understand the skills and techniques you’ve gained and areas to continue growing.

Meet Your Instructors

Former Director of Health & Well-Being at IDEO

Ann is a design researcher with roots in anthropology and journalism. Prior to IDEO, she made documentaries for public television. Filmmaking taught her how to visually tell stories as well as how to find, edit, and shape them. At IDEO, she does the same thing, taking the raw materials—interviews, data, observations—and crafting them into stories that inspire.

Ann is a design researcher with roots in anthropology and journalism. Her portfolio spans the design of HIV prevention products, digital tools to help kids build emotional strength, and the re-design of the US digital immigration experience. Prior to IDEO, she worked for over a decade as a filmmaker and journalist; her latest documentary, “Lovesick,” is about matchmaking for HIV+ singles in India. Filmmaking taught her how to visually tell stories as well as how to find, edit, and shape them. At IDEO, she does the same thing, taking the raw materials—interviews, data, observations—and crafting them into stories that inspire.

From 2016 to 2017, she served as the Chief Design Officer for U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Ann holds a joint degree in Anthropology and the Study of Religion from Harvard College. She’s a board member of Noora Health and the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship, and a past fellow of the Sundance Institute. Ann is an avid traveler, with the Okavango Delta and Tibet among her favorite spots, and an obsessive photographer.

Alex Gallafent

Senior design director at ideo.

Alex is a designer, theater artist, and journalist. Throughout his career, Alex has been figuring out the things audiences need and how best to bring them to life. He’s presented stories on theater stages in London and New York, in broadcast journalism for the BBC, and across the world with IDEO.

Alex currently leads the New York wing of IDEO’s Design for Food studio. He’s worked with major clients in hospitality, media, government, financial services, and beyond. He’s also taught design thinking, storytelling, and research at New York University, The School of Visual Arts, and The New School. A former correspondent for US public radio and the BBC World Service, he’s a past Fellow at the International Reporting Project at Johns Hopkins. Alex studied philosophy at Oxford University and trained in classical acting at LAMDA. He’s performed Shakespeare in Tokyo and written music for plays in London’s West End. In New York, Alex performs improv, plays drums for the city's only improvised rock'n'roll storytelling band, and hosts as many dinner parties as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do ideo u cohort courses work does my time zone matter.

We offer three types of courses: self-paced courses, cohort courses, and certificate programs. Cohort courses run on a set calendar, with fixed start and end dates. Course learning is self-paced within those dates and requires approximately 4-5 hours per week over 5 weeks. Courses consist of videos, activities, assignments, access to course teaching teams, and feedback from a global community of learners. There are also optional 1-hour video Community Conversations, held weekly by the teaching team. 

All of our cohort courses are fully online, so you can take them from any time zone, anywhere in the world. With our cohort course experience , while you'll be learning alongside other learners, you'll still have the flexibility to work at the pace that fits your own schedule. There aren’t mandatory live components, so you don't have to worry about having to log in at a specific time. At the same time, you'll have access to a teaching team, which is composed of experts in the field who are there to provide you feedback, and there are also plenty of options to connect with your fellow learners.

What is the role of the instructor and teaching team? Will learners be able to get feedback?

Course instructors have a strong presence in the courses through the course videos, but they're not actively providing feedback or holding direct conversations with our learners. We have a teaching team to ensure that you have the feedback, guidance, and support you need to learn successfully in your course. Our teaching team members are design practitioners that have experience applying course methods and mindsets in a wide variety of contexts around the world.

Our teaching team consists of teaching leads and teaching assistants, who are experts in their fields. Many of them have been with IDEO U for many years, and we have selected those who have direct experience with applying the course methods and mindsets in all sorts of contexts around the world. They all go through multiple training sessions by our instructional designers on not only on the subject matter, but also on how to create safe and collaborative learning experiences and environments.

What are Community Conversations, and how are they related to the course material?

Community Conversations are one-hour live video conversations hosted by the teaching team on Zoom. These happen once per week, with each one having two to three time options to accommodate different time zones. Each week focuses on the lesson that you’ve just gone through, so the output and the content depend on the specific lessons. You'll have the opportunity if you work together with your peers on the tools and mindsets from the course, reflect on what you’ve learned, and also address any challenges that you might be going through.

What will I have access to during and after my course?

All course materials, including videos, activities, and assignments will be available while you are enrolled in a course. During the 5 weeks of the course, you will have full access to our learning platform and can refer back to it any time. You will only have access to the course materials while you are enrolled. 

Assignments must be submitted during the 5-week course duration in order for you to receive a certificate of completion.

Can I take the course with my team?

Absolutely! We have had many teams go through our courses together. For those taking our courses as a team, we provide a number of additional benefits:

1. A Team Learning Guide, developed to provide your team with resources to facilitate offline discussions that complement the in-course experience.

2. A Manage Learners function, which provides visibility into your team's progress within the course.

3. The ability to create a private Learning Circle, which is a closed space for discussion on the learning platform specifically for your team.

For more information, visit our Team Learning page.

Do you offer discounts?

We offer a discount when you enroll in multiple courses at the same time through some of our certificate programs, including Foundations in Design Thinking , Business Innovation , Human-Centered Strategy , and Communicating for Impact . 

You can also enter your email address at the bottom of this page in order to receive updates on future offers or possible discounts. 

Will I get a certificate after completing a course?

After completing a cohort course, you will be able to add it to your “licenses and certifications” on LinkedIn.

We also have certificate programs that consist of multiple courses. After completing a certificate, you will receive a certificate of completion via email as a downloadable PDF within 1-2 weeks of completing the final required course. Certificates are configured for uploading and sharing on LinkedIn.

How do I purchase a cohort course?

You can purchase a course on our website using a credit card, PayPal, or Shop Pay. For US customers, we also offer installment plans at checkout if you use the Shop Pay method of payment.

We typically are not able to accommodate bank transfer or invoicing. However, if your order includes 10 seats or more, please contact [email protected] and our team will be happy to review your request. 

Collaborate with a Global Community

Work with expert coaches.

Our teaching team has extensive applied industry knowledge. They'll help deepen your understanding and application of the course content by facilitating written discussions, live video moments, and assignment feedback.

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Gain tips, techniques, and a downloadable feedback guide; and share and receive feedback on assignments from peers.

What Others Are Saying

“I've been delivering presentations my whole career, this course is game-changing for everything I knew. This course made me realize there are more creative ways to deliver a message.”

“I had an aha moment when I realized that you need to focus on the shift you want your audience to make versus the content you want to say.”

“Wonderful course on key elements that anyone should use to have a more memorable presentation prepared!”

“Having spent my career presenting to varied audiences, there is no doubt that most presentations are too data-heavy and the audience is lost early on. There is no one better than IDEO colleagues Ann and Alex to provide novel and impactful skills to those who present for a living….or for anyone who just wants to get better at presentation. Not only will you learn great new skills, but you will have fun doing so!”

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The Ultimate Guide to Creating Presentations for Online Courses

So, you’ve settled on the topics you’d like to teach your audience and crafted an amazing script that’s jam-packed with valuable knowledge. As an expert in your field, these two are probably an absolute breeze for you.

But, how do you deliver this content in a compelling and engaging way? That’s the stage most educators find overwhelming and struggle with.

The truth is, it’s not as complicated or time-consuming as it may appear. With the right tools and a set of best practices, you can learn to craft captivating presentations that produce the desired results every time.

In this post, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about creating presentations for online courses, so you can instantly take your learning materials to the next level!

Best practices for creating online course presentations

How to pick the right software for your course presentation, the best presentation software to use for your online course, want to create an online course.

Our online course builder is up and running and geared towards your most innovative and ground-breaking eLearning ideas! Upload your videos, textbooks, and podcasts, run tests, and issue certificates of completion — all of this and more is now possible with SendPulse.

• Use the right layout. You need to adjust your online course presentation to the video format you’ll be shooting in. For instance, YouTube, Udemy, and FutureLearn use a 16:9 aspect ratio. This detail can easily be overlooked but can have great implications. If you create slides in a different format, you risk getting information cut off.
• Use colors that are in line with your branding. If you already have a brand, every piece of content you produce is an extension of it. So, using colors and fonts from your brand book makes your presentation instantly recognizable to your audience.
• Avoid walls of text. As our attention spans are constantly narrowing, creating text-heavy slides is a surefire way to lose your audience halfway through. We’ve all had our fair share of lecturers flatly reading information off .PPT slides — and I can’t be the only one who never learned anything that way, right? Instead, be concise and straight to the point. Your students will appreciate it!
• Combine text and visuals. A great way to break up walls of text is by using visuals to get your point across. Instead of overloading your audience with hard data, use data visualization elements to make it more memorable. Or, instead of describing complex processes, create engaging infographics your students can refer back to for easier understanding.
• Enrich your presentation with videos. According to an analysis of 100,000+ sales and marketing presentations, videos are a critical component in presentations, as presentations with any video embedded had a 37% longer average reading time.
• Use interactive slides instead of static. PowerPoint was created 30 years ago and hasn’t changed much since then. Static slides are a relic of the past, while interactive slides bring real results. By giving your audience something to play around with, you’re ensuring 41% more people will get to the end of your presentation and will read it 21% longer.
• Weave storytelling into your presentation. The best method to create active engagement is using storytelling techniques to deliver your message. Even if it’s just a simple anecdote, our brains absorb stories much more effectively . This way, the audience will feel like the main characters in your story and not just passive listeners. Meaning, they’ll treat the contents of your presentation personally and remember them better.

Now let’s move on to some peculiarities of choosing the right presentation tool.

Want to promote your product or service?

With SendPulse, you can reach your target audience by sending various types of messages through a communication channel they prefer — email campaigns, web push notifications, SMS, and chatbots for WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, or Telegram.

• How easy is this presentation software to use?
• Is it within your budget? What are the different pricing options?
• Who is this presentation software aimed at? Is it mainly for individuals, educators, or businesses?
• How extensive is the template and graphic asset library?
• What are the import/export options?
• How easily can you share your presentation with other collaborators?
• Is the tool cloud-based or desktop only?
• Can you add audio and videos?
• Can you add animations?
• Can this presentation software be used on any device?
• Is there an option to pull colors from your brand kit?
• Is there an analytics panel to check the performance of your presentation?

You can also divide these questions into non-negotiables (criteria that your ideal tool must meet) and optional (good for a potential tool to have, but not necessary), or assign priorities to specific features. This will save you plenty of time in the long run, as you will be able to eliminate tools that don’t meet your requirements straight away and compare those that do based on the priority order you set earlier.

Now that we’ve got the basics out of the way, it’s time to actually pick the best presentation software for you. As hundreds of different options are currently available, it can be challenging to keep track of all the launches and features. That’s why we tried and tested numerous solutions on the market to create a carefully curated list of tools that will amplify your presentation efforts.

Storydoc is a next-generation presentation maker, and as such, it’s a true powerhouse. Every last presentation template by Storydoc is interactive and sure to impress and engage your audience. The premise of Storydoc is to ditch the old, static-based presentations and switch to a modern-day solution that will help you tell your story the right way.

With a wide range of pre-made templates for different use cases, crafting your online course presentation will take a few clicks. You can begin by uploading your old deck, and the editor will take care of the rest for you — starting with extracting your key visual assets to ensure your presentation is fully on-brand.

You can then harness the power of storytelling with the help of various interactive components, including tiered or narrator slides. Thanks to numerous product integrations, you can go way beyond what standard presentation makers can do.

Storydoc not only allows you to embed third-party content but also integrate your calendar or subscription form straight into your presentation so that your students can, for example, book 1-on-1 sessions at an additional cost. Or, you can collect feedback to improve the existing course without making your audience click through to a new tab.

If you need deeper insight into the performance of your presentation, there’s also an extensive analytics panel where you can check who opened your presentation, how long they viewed it for, when they stopped reading it, or which components they interacted with the most, and adjust your deck accordingly.

Pricing. You can sign up for a free 14-day trial to try out this presentation maker. After this period, the Starter plan costs $40 per user per month, while the pricing for the Pro and Business plans is available upon request. Storydoc is 100% free for verified .edu addresses.

There’s a good reason Canva has quickly become a firm favorite among bloggers, freelancers, and small businesses. This software lets anyone feel like a graphic designer and create professional-looking visual aids in a matter of minutes.

Canva has one of the most robust free plans out of all the tools available on the market. You can design virtually anything, from social media graphics and logos to presentations and print banners. The built-in template library is overwhelmingly extensive, including templates designed specifically with educators in mind, and you can tweak any design to meet your needs. There’s also a graphic asset library where you can choose from various shapes, stickers, frames, and icons.

Discover the seven principles of conversion-centered design you need to consider when creating a layout.

Canva comes with an extremely user-friendly interface, allowing people to craft beautiful presentations even with no design skills. You just drag and drop different elements and arrange the contents of your slides. There’s also an option to import audio, video, or embed third-party content thanks to a wide range of integrations, including YouTube, Vimeo, or Pinterest, to name a few.

The presentations designed in Canva can be shared with other team members for collaboration, and they can be viewed and edited across various devices. The main disadvantage is that there is no analytics panel, so there is no way to measure the performance of your presentations.

Pricing. The free version of Canva comes with extensive features. If you’d like access to premium resources and additional options, paid plans start at $119.99 per year. It’s free for primary and secondary school teachers along with their students.

If you’re looking for a versatile presentation tool, you should definitely look into Visme . Aside from creating visually appealing presentations, you can also design infographics, social media graphics, or charts.

It comes with a very intuitive UI, so it shouldn’t take new users long to find the desired editing or customization options. There’s also an extensive knowledge base to fall back on when you’re struggling with the design process, including video tutorials and graphic design videos, among others.

There are numerous pre-made presentation templates to choose from, tailor-made for different industries or topics. If you prefer, you can also design from scratch, add new slides to existing presentations, or create custom slides for later use. Inside the graphic asset library, you’ll find hundreds of stock photos, dataviz elements, graphics, or audio and video clips that you can add to your slides and customize to match your brand colors or presentation theme. You can also easily embed third-party content in your presentation, such as polls or quizzes.

All designs can be edited across different devices, while complete presentations can also be viewed offline in different formats. Only the premium plan, however, has the option to collaborate on projects with other teammates. Once you share a presentation using a live link, you can also track how many times it’s been viewed and how long for.

Pricing. If you’d like to test Visme out, you can start with a free account that allows you to create up to three projects. For more capabilities, there are three upgrade options available, starting at $15 per month for a personal plan.

If you’d like to create beautiful-looking presentations but are pressed for time or ideas, then Slidebean might just be the tool for you. It utilizes the power of AI to convert your materials into a finished presentation, using the most suitable slide layouts and configurations based on your content.

While it’s mostly aimed at startup founders, it can be used to create other types of presentations, too. (Or, if your online course is about how to pitch to investors, you can kill two birds with one stone!)

Should you wish to create your presentation yourself, there’s also an option to toggle the AI option on and off and customize all content blocks. There’s a wide variety of templates, color palettes, fonts, icons, and images to choose from. There are no shapes, however, so if you need to add any to your presentations, you’ll have to use icons instead.

An interesting thing about the template gallery is that it includes presentations by household brands, such as Airbnb or Snapchat, to draw inspiration from.

Slidebean is a cloud-based presentation tool and can be used on any device. Though, many of the more advanced features, such as collaboration, sharing to social media platforms, or analytics, are only available on the paid plans.

Pricing. The Basic version is free, while the All-Access plan costs $29 per month.

Beautiful.ai

Another presentation software for creating AI-powered presentations is Beautiful.ai . It takes all the hassle out of the design process and allows your presentation to look professional and engaging every single time, even if graphic design isn’t your strong suit.

Beautiful.ai strikes the right balance between automated and customizable design. There are several slide themes and dozens of fully-designed templates to choose from. Once you decide on a layout, the tool will automatically adjust it to match the rest of your presentation. You can then play around with various elements to create slides that are tailored to your topic and needs.

You can also include different stock photos or icons in your presentation, but the graphic assets library is rather limited. There’s also no option to embed third-party content into your slideshow.

Unfortunately, Beautiful.ai can only be used on desktop computers, and there’s no Brand Kit option available. The Analytics feature is only available in the paid plans, but if you’re only looking for the basic features, it should work well enough.

Pricing. There’s a 14-day free trial if you want to take it for a spin. After that period, there are two paid plans starting at $12 per month, as well as a custom Enterprise plan.

Genially is a presentation software specializing in creating interactive content. Aside from creating online presentations, you can also use it to design infographics or work on other interactive projects.

It comes with a variety of interactive buttons and animated templates to create modern presentations. For instance, you can add extra content that appears on hover, jump links to any section of your presentation, or external links. The so-called Smart blocks can also be used to include image galleries or dataviz elements. Moreover, any change you make can be applied to all slides with just one click, saving you plenty of time in the process.

Check out some tips to make your online course interactive and engaging.

The tool itself is straightforward to learn, but there are third-party tutorials and design tips on the blog to help you create stunning designs. Thanks to numerous integrations, you can easily add stock images, audio and video files, or other third-party content to your slides. All elements can also be animated, with lots of different animation effects to choose from.

Unfortunately, Genially presentations can only be edited on desktop computers, but they can be viewed on any device. The software comes with collaboration and sharing capabilities, while premium plans also include Analytics and Brand Kit features.

Pricing. On the free plan, you can create unlimited designs, but the resources are limited. There are two types of paid plans: for education and business. The education plans start at $1.25 per month when billed annually, while the business plans start at $7.49 per month when billed annually. If that’s not enough, there’s also an option to get a custom plan.

If your main priority is real-time collaboration, then Pitch is a safe bet. It has all the capabilities of other presentation-making tools — pre-made templates, an intuitive interface, and customization options. But, once you add your team members, that’s when it truly stands out!

In the right-hand sidebar, you’ll find all of the project management and collaboration features that will allow you to design and edit your slides as quickly and easily as possible. For instance, you can track progress, assign entire decks or individual slides to particular teammates, or leave notes and comments. And if that wasn’t enough, any design can be saved as a custom template to make the future design process even quicker.

Thanks to the “Go live” option, you can also start a video call to collaborate on a presentation in real time. You can easily embed third-party content or import data straight into your deck to create powerful presentations in no time. Non-designers will appreciate the ease of use, while designers will value the ability to control every deck element.

Unfortunately, you need to pay to be able to access additional workspace features and analytics, but it’s a great option for individuals and growing business teams.

Pricing. The free plan enables you to create unlimited presentations and comes with custom templates and the live video collaboration feature. Paid plans start at $8 per user per month, with an option to get a custom enterprise plan for larger organizations.

Finally, we have a tool that combines the power of modern design with animation to deliver engaging video presentations. Powtoon is a leading animation presentation tool that aims to move away from static, slide-based presentations.

My favorite thing about this software has to be the intuitiveness and ease of use. The entire design process feels like playing around in any other presentation editor, except you end up with a professional-looking video instead.

Aren’t you using video on your website ? Discover five innovative ways to get started!

You start by editing your slides as you normally would, and once you hit “Play,” your deck comes to life. The editor takes care of the more technical aspects for you and adjusts the timing to the contents of each slide. If you’d rather present your deck as a slideshow, you can easily do so with a single toggle of a button.

On the free plan, you get up to 100 MB of storage and can create videos up to three minutes long with the Powtoon branding. If you’d like to get access to the more advanced features, such as more storage, longer videos, white-labeling, or 24/7 support, you need to upgrade to one of the paid plans.

Pricing. There’s a limited free plan ideal for personal use. Paid plans start at $20 per month when billed annually. There are also special business plans with custom quotes available upon request and educational plans starting at $4 per month for students and $8 per month for teachers.

When it comes to creating presentations for online courses, preparation is key. For the contents to be truly compelling and memorable, you need to implement some best practices:

• utilize the power of storytelling.

Bearing all these tips in mind, you should answer several basic questions that will help you establish your main criteria for picking the right presentation software. All of the mentioned tools are battle-tested and will help you deliver the right results. Regardless of your niche or requirements, we’re sure you’ll find the perfect one on this list.

Good luck designing your next presentation!

Date of publication:

August 15, 2022

Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion and sales, I'm here to show you how...

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

Written by: Heleana Tiburca

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

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

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

... and a whole lot more!

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

Let’s get into it.

Table of Contents

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

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

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

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

• To entertain
• To persuade

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sound familiar?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image Source

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

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

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

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

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

Practice, practice and practice again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here at Visme, we want to see everyone succeed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Level Up Your Presentation Skills

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

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

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

Create beautiful presentations faster with Visme.

Trusted by leading brands

Recommended content for you:

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Design visual brand experiences for your business whether you are a seasoned designer or a total novice.

About the Author

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

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7 Best Microsoft PowerPoint Courses for 2024: Create Stunning Presentations

From effective business presentations to animated videos, master PowerPoint with the best online courses.

Quick Access:

• For beginners : Microsoft , Skillshare , Udemy
• Specials : Make Animated Videos , Business Presentations PwC
• Short Courses : Presentation Design for Business , Microsoft 365

Microsoft PowerPoint is a popular presentation application developed by Microsoft. PowerPoint is used anywhere from educational institutions to offices, and even used to create animated videos for YouTube. Whether you’re a student, a business person, or just someone who wants to pitch your ideas, learning PowerPoint is a valuable skill.

In this Best Courses Guide (BCG), we’ve selected the best Microsoft PowerPoint courses from over 200 Microsoft PowerPoint courses in our catalog, including offerings from popular course providers like Coursera, Skillshare, and Udemy. We’ll discuss the different features and benefits of each course, so you can choose the one that’s right for you.

For those interested in learning other Microsoft software, refer to our BCGs for Excel , Word , Power BI , and Access .

Click on the shortcuts for more details:

Why You Should Trust Us

How we made our picks and tested them.

Course Ranking Statistics

• Combined, these courses have accrued over 399K enrollments.
• Two courses are free or free-to-audit and five courses are paid .
• The Microsoft PowerPoint subject has been bookmarked over 17K times on Class Central.

Best Overall: Work Smarter with PowerPoint (Microsoft)

Exclusively from Microsoft, this free-to-audit course is intended for learners who are seeking to build presentation skills with Microsoft PowerPoint. If you are familiar with PowerPoint’s basic features you can take your skills to the next level.

By taking this course, you’ll be prepared for Exam MO-300: Microsoft PowerPoint (PowerPoint and PowerPoint 2019) which tests your ability to create and manage presentations, insert and format shapes and slides, create slide content, apply transitions and animations, and manage multiple presentations.

Concepts are taught through videos, readings and practice exercises. At the very end, there is an optional “Honors” assignment where you’ll apply all that you’ve learned.

This course is the last one in the Microsoft 365 Fundamentals Specialization.

Skillshare’s Best Course for Beginners (Andrew Pach)

PowerPoint Design for PowerPoint Presentations is taught by Andrew Pach, Graphic Designer and PowerPoint expert. This course is divided into two main sections: the basic functions and the detailed process of designing your own presentation in practice. By working side-by-side with the instructor and completing projects, you’ll be able to produce a presentation like a pro.

The course has two sections:

• Teaching best presentation practices and useful PowerPoint tricks – Basic presentation knowledge.
• Slide-by-slide process of designing your own presentation – Each lesson will be devoted to tackling a slide one at a time.

The course is broken down into 131 bite-sized lessons and it is also available on Udemy: Powerpoint 2016 2019 365 – Master powerpoint presentation .

Udemy’s Best Course for Beginners (Kyle Pew)

Microsoft PowerPoint From Beginner to Advanced is taught by Kyle Pew, a bestselling instructor and a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). This course is very detailed and well-structured with an excellent instructor.

By the end of this course, you will have mastered the basic features of the software, leverage advanced text editing operations and automate formatting, and be prepared to deliver a PowerPoint presentation with graphical elements and animations.

“This course is a great refresher and learning new things. I have a much better understanding of how to use PowerPoint to its fullest. Kyle Pew is an excellent Instructor, after taking the Excel and Word course. I made sure to catch his course on PowerPoint.” – Patrick M., Udemy learner.

Best PowerPoint Animated Videos Course (Udemy)

How to Create Animated Videos with Powerpoint is taught by Paul Nekh, a Udemy instructor with 14 courses and over 123K students. This course will guide you in creating video animation for your business presentations, marketing campaigns, or social media sharing. This course also comes packed with video templates that you can use and customize right away.

“Detailed explanation with excellent training material and templates. The quality of templates shared exceeded my expectations.” – Manson L., Udemy learner.

Parts of this course are also available on Skillshare:

• Create Beautiful Video Animation with Powerpoint
• Create Infographic Video with Powerpoint

Best Presentation Design Course for Business (LinkedIn Learning)

PowerPoint: Silicon Valley Presentation Secrets is totally awesome! It’s not just a PowerPoint learning course, but a lot more. As the name suggests, this course will tell you some of the “secrets” Silicon Valley professionals use to make their company presentations look so dazzling and eye-catching. So if you’re someone who isn’t satisfied with run-of-the-mill presentations, this course is for you.

Taught by Jole Simmons, a Senior Art Director and a Podcast Host, the course provides the best practice of presentation design through a combination of short videos and practical exercises.

Best Microsoft 365 – PowerPoint Crash Course (LinkedIn Learning)

Just like many other Microsoft Office applications, PowerPoint can also be used on the web. You can still use it to create impressive presentations while not having to install the desktop version of PowerPoint. Learning PowerPoint for the web (Office 365/Microsoft 365) is a course for users who know the basics of the PowerPoint desktop app, but are new to the web browser version.

Taught by Heather Severino, a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). Concepts are taught through a combination of videos and practical exercises.

Also Great: Effective Business Presentations with PowerPoint (PwC)

Unlike the previous courses on this list, Effective Business Presentations with Powerpoint is all about presenting the story of the data using PowerPoint. This free-to-audit course is not your typical PowerPoint tutorial course, but rather, it’s about delivering your presentation through effective storytelling and communication. Remember, this is not a traditional PowerPoint course, and does not teach the technicalities of PowerPoint.

Concepts are taught through a combination of videos and readings.

For paying learners, there are a number of graded quizzes as well as peer-graded assignments throughout the course.

Class Central , a Tripadvisor for online education, has helped 60 million learners find their next course. We’ve been combing through online education for more than a decade to aggregate a catalog of over 150,000 online courses and 200,000 reviews written by our users. And we’re online learners ourselves: combined, the Class Central team has completed over 400 online courses, including online degrees.

I’ve (Archisha) been using Microsoft PowerPoint since my school days, not just for work but for fun as well!

I (Archisha) have taken over 50 online courses in various subjects. My experience as an online learner and teacher has given me some perspective on what to look for in an online course. I used my experience to evaluate each course in this list. Fabio also has experience as an online learner and as a tutor who revised the research and the latest version of this article.

Trying to find “the best” can be daunting, even for those of us who live and breathe online courses. Here’s how we approached this task.

First, we combed through Class Central’s Catalog and the internet to find a variety of free and paid open courses, some with certificates.

We extracted information from course syllabi and reviews, and compiled their ratings, leveraging the Class Central database with over 200 Microsoft PowerPoint courses and its thousands of course ratings and reviews written by our users as well as available course provider ratings. We watched some course videos to sample courses we hadn’t already taken.

Then, we defined the scope for these recommendations. A PowerPoint course can cover various topics, so we chose top courses from a range of sub-fields.

Ultimately, we used a combination of data and our own judgment to make these picks. We’re confident these recommendations will be a reliable way to learn PowerPoint’s main features.

Archisha Bhar

Fabio dantas, leave a reply.

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Elevate Your Training Presentations: A Detailed Guide

Imagine that you have been tasked with training employees for an onboarding process . Right from the company culture to personnel roles, you must discuss each detail. Your goal is to create an effective presentation that leaves a valuable experience. However, you get cold feet and feel blue as crafting these slides feels like an enormous task!

Thus, whether you are a seasoned trainer looking to enhance your skills or a novice embarking on your first training endeavor, this guide will provide valuable insights and practical tips to create presentations that captivate, educate, and inspire. Get ready to unlock the full potential of your sessions and profoundly impact your audience’s lives and careers.

We have divided the article into two parts –

How to Create Effective Training Presentations

How to deliver effective training presentations, 1. define your key objectives.

Clear learning objectives are the foundation of any successful training presentation. Take time to define what you want your audience to achieve or learn by the end of the seminar. Avoid vague goals and opt for specific, measurable ones that can drive results.

For example, if your training presentation is about improving customer service skills, a well-defined objective could be: “By the end, participants will be able to handle customer complaints effectively and use active listening techniques to enhance customer satisfaction.”

2. Know Your Audience

Understanding your audience is crucial. It can allow you to gauge their problems and pain points. 

You can conduct an audience analysis and gather data during the registration process about their demographics, existing knowledge, languages, experience level, challenges, and preferred learning styles. This information will help you tailor your content, examples, and language to resonate with your audience effectively. 

For instance, if your audience consists of beginners, avoid jargon and complex terms that might overwhelm them. You can start with simple terms and concepts and gradually enhance them accordingly.

3. Gather and Organize Content

Thoroughly research and gather relevant content. Use a mix of primary and secondary sources to ensure accuracy and credibility, and rely only on trusted data sources. You can divide your presentation into three parts to allow easy comprehension-

Commence with a simple introduction and brief your audience about what they can expect from the presentation. Tell them concisely about the topic and show how your slides can benefit them. You can even include any instructions or decorum rules that they must follow.

This section includes the meat of the presentation. It talks about your entire training process, methodologies, pros and cons, techniques, personal experience, anecdotes, etc. Ensure that this part is interesting and explicit.

Conclude by summarizing your entire presentation in key points. Prepare a list of frequently asked questions, display them on the screen, and then open the floor for discussions and doubts. End on a positive note and include a call to action.

By sequentially structuring the content, you can make it easier for learners to follow and understand the material. 

4. Craft a Compelling Narrative

A compelling narrative is crucial to keep your audience hooked. You must start with a captivating story that grabs their attention and ignites their interest in the topic. This can be done by sharing any personal experience you may have in the given field, talking about an imaginary narrative, etc. By weaving a story, you allow the viewers to imagine a life-like situation that resonates more with them. 

For instance, for an employee training program, you can talk about your experience when you were onboard and how difficult it was to navigate the challenges. Showcase how your organization now provides solutions for each one of them, and make the newcomers feel at home.

5. Use Engaging Visuals

Harnessing the power of visuals is extremely crucial for a successful presentation. By incorporating stunning graphics, you can support your points, break down complex information into simpler terms, and avoid text-heavy slides.

However, if you find it difficult to craft visuals or create presentations from scratch, you can use expert-designed presentation templates and graphics for your slides. They can be completely customized, right from the font to the colors; each element can be adjusted according to you.

6. Focus on Slide Consistency

Consistency in your presentation ensures that each slide looks cohesive and aligned with your overall message. When your slides follow a particular design pattern, the audience can focus without any distractions. 

Start by using a brand palette, a collection of skillfully selected colors that represent your organization’s identity and values. 

Be mindful of using accessible typography that would be visible to people sitting at the back as well. Use and combine appropriate fonts for the heading, subheading, and body text, and make sure that they are aligned properly.

Remember to strike a balance between using brand elements effectively and avoiding overwhelming the audience with excessive visual elements. With a well-designed and consistent presentation, you can effectively convey your message.

7. Incorporate Interactivity

Interactive elements make training presentations more engaging and increase audience participation. Including activities such as group discussions, quizzes, and exercises that encourage active learning can enable you to create a more lively environment. 

It also allows participants to apply their knowledge and receive immediate feedback, enhancing retention and understanding.

For instance, you can incorporate live polls and quizzes, whose results can be generated in real-time and allow you to analyze where the audience stands and how much they have gathered from your presentation.

1. Practice and Rehearse

Preparation and practice are key to delivering a perfect and polished presentation. Familiarize yourself with the content and practice your delivery multiple times. Pay attention to your tone, pitch, and expressions during the rehearsal.

It also helps you identify potential stumbling points and loopholes where you need to work more. It also reveals areas where information needs to be added or removed.

You can practice by looking into a mirror and repeating your delivery or inviting colleagues or friends to be your practice audience and asking for their feedback.

2. Know Your Material Inside Out

To deliver a training presentation with confidence and authority, thoroughly familiarize yourself with the content. When you are completely prepared, the audience sees you as a credible source of information with expertise and knowledge. 

You must study training materials, books, and any supplementary resources to gain an in-depth understanding of the topic. Be prepared to go beyond the slides and provide additional explanations or examples when required. 

This level of preparedness instills confidence in your delivery and ensures that you can address any questions or concerns that may arise during the presentation.

3. Start Strong with a Strong Title

The first few minutes set the tone for the rest of your presentation. If you start slow, your audience might feel uninterested or get disappointed. However, when you begin with a compelling statement or a strong title, it instantly strikes the audience, compelling them to stay focused.

For example, if you are training a group of employees on sales, instead of commencing with “Sales Training Presentation,” you can say, “Mastering the Art of Sales: A Comprehensive Training Program.”

4. Maintain Confident Body Language

Your body language conveys much about your confidence as a presenter. Imagine attending a presentation where the presenter stands with stooped shoulders, has improper hand gestures, and keeps looking elsewhere instead of keeping his eyes on the audience. You are bound to feel annoyed and frustrated at such an event.

Thus, it is vital to stand tall, maintain good posture, and make eye contact to establish a strong presence. Avoid crossing your arms, as it may create a barrier between you and the participants. 

Use natural gestures to emphasize key points and maintain an open and approachable demeanor. Confident body language helps build rapport with your audience and keeps them receptive to your message.

5. Maintain a Conversational Tone

Consider your presentation as a conversation rather than a monotonous lecture. Adopt a tone that would make participants feel as if they’re in a dialogue with you.

You can use rhetorics and inclusive language such as ‘we’ and ‘our’ to create a sense of shared experience. Doing so ignites a feeling of oneness and fosters a productive and approachable atmosphere.

6. Manage Time Effectively

When it comes to the stage, time management is one of the most important tools for any presenter. A well-timed presentation not only leaves behind a stunning impression but also ensures that all necessary points have been covered and questions answered. 

However, it is not always necessary that your presentation goes as per your timing- many times, the audiences are slow learners. They require time to fathom facts and comprehend data. In such situations, you must adjust your pace. Keep supplementary resources prepared that you can hand out to them later.

7. Handle Q&A Sessions Gracefully

Encourage questions and discussions throughout the training, and allocate dedicated time for a question and answer session at the end. When addressing questions, maintain a patient and respectful attitude. Actively listen to the speaker and ensure that you understand it before providing your response. 

If you don’t know the answer to a question, be honest about it and offer to follow up with the information later. Handling Q&A sessions gracefully builds trust with your audience and reinforces your expertise on the subject.

8. Gather Feedback 

After the presentation, gather feedback from your audience. Use surveys, questionnaires, or open discussions to collect their insights and opinions on the content, delivery, and overall learning experience. Analyze their viewpoints to find areas that need to be worked upon.

Continuous improvement based on feedback ensures that your presentations become increasingly effective and better tailored to the needs of your learners.

9. End with a Strong Conclusion

Conclude your training presentation with a powerful summary of the key points covered throughout the session. Recap the main takeaways and relate them back to the learning objectives. 

End on a positive and inspiring note, motivating the audience to apply what they have learned in their professional lives. By leaving a strong impression in the conclusion, you ensure that participants leave with a sense of motivation to implement their new knowledge and skills.

Creating training presentations requires careful planning, audience awareness, engaging content, and effective delivery. By following these steps and continuously refining your approach based on feedback, you can create compelling and impactful presentations that empower learners to succeed and grow. 

Remember that such presentations are a dynamic and evolving process, and with dedication and creativity, you can deliver meaningful and transformative learning experiences.

We hope this article helps you in your future training endeavors.

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Ashish Arora

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How to Write an Effective Presentation Outline

A well-structured presentation is the key to delivering your message clearly and persuasively. An effective presentation outline not only organizes your content but also ensures a smooth flow that keeps your audience engaged from start to finish. Whether you’re preparing for a sales pitch, a board meeting, or a conference talk, having a strong outline is essential.  

Here’s a guide on how to create a presentation outline, along with tips for each section and examples for different presentation scenarios.

1. Start with a Strong Opening: Grab Attention and Set the Tone

Your opening is your first impression, so it needs to grab your audience’s attention and set the stage for what’s to come. The introduction should clearly state your topic, establish your credibility, and give a preview of what the presentation will cover.

Key Components:

• Attention-Grabbing Hook: Start with a compelling story, a surprising statistic, or a thought-provoking question.
• Introduction of Topic and Purpose: Clearly define what you’ll be discussing and why it matters to your audience.
• Agenda Preview: Briefly outline the key points or sections of your presentation to give your audience a roadmap.

Example for a Sales Pitch:

• Hook: “What if I told you there’s a way to increase your sales by 30% in the next quarter with just one strategy?”
• Topic Introduction: “Today, I’m going to share how implementing targeted automation can help your sales team close more deals.”
• Agenda: “We’ll cover three main areas: why automation is critical, how to implement it effectively, and the results you can expect.”

2. Establish Context and Background: Provide Essential Information

Before diving into your main content, it’s important to set the stage by providing context or background information. This section helps your audience understand the significance of your topic and why it’s relevant.

• Background Information: Offer any necessary context, history, or definitions that your audience needs to follow your presentation.
• Problem or Opportunity Statement: Clearly identify the issue you’re addressing or the opportunity you’re highlighting.
• Audience Relevance: Explain why this issue matters to your audience and how it impacts them.

Example for a Board Meeting:

• Background: “As you know, our company has been focusing on expanding our digital presence over the last year.”
• Problem Statement: “However, recent data shows a decline in website traffic and conversion rates.”
• Audience Relevance: “This trend poses a risk to our growth targets and requires immediate action.”

3. Dive into the Main Content: Present Your Key Points Clearly

The body of your presentation is where you’ll dive into the details of your topic. Organize your content into clear, logical sections, each focused on a specific aspect of your topic. Make sure each point builds upon the last to create a cohesive narrative.

• Clear Sections: Break your content into 2-4 main sections, each with a clear headline.
• Supporting Evidence: Use data, examples, stories, or visuals to support each key point.
• Transitions: Smoothly transition between sections to maintain the flow of your presentation.

Example for a Product Launch Presentation:

• Section 1: “Market Trends: Why the Timing is Right for This Product”
• Section 2: “Product Features and Benefits: What Sets Us Apart”
• Section 3: “Go-to-Market Strategy: How We Plan to Capture Market Share”

4. Add Interactive Elements: Keep Your Audience Engaged

Audience engagement is key to retaining attention and making your presentation memorable. Incorporating interactive elements like Q&A sessions, polls, or short activities can make your presentation more dynamic and participatory.

• Questions: Pose thought-provoking questions to encourage audience participation.
• Activities or Demos: If relevant, include a quick demo or hands-on activity to illustrate your point.
• Check-ins: Periodically ask for feedback or input to ensure the audience is following along.

Example for a Training Session:

• Poll: “How many of you have already implemented this strategy? Let’s see where everyone stands.”
• Demo: “Now, I’ll walk you through a live example of how to set this up in your software.”
• Check-in: “Does everyone feel comfortable with these steps? Any questions before we move on?”

5. Address Potential Questions and Concerns: Preempt Common Objections

Anticipating and addressing potential questions or objections before the Q&A session can help reinforce your credibility and make your presentation more persuasive. This section can be woven into your content or addressed in a separate segment.

• Identify Common Questions: Think about concerns or doubts your audience might have and address them head-on.
• Provide Evidence: Use data, testimonials, or case studies to back up your points.
• Clarify Misconceptions: Address any potential misunderstandings or myths related to your topic.

Example for a Funding Pitch:

• Objection: “Some might wonder if our market is already saturated.”
• Response: “However, our research shows that demand is actually increasing, and our unique approach allows us to tap into an underserved segment.”
• Supporting Evidence: “In fact, similar companies in adjacent markets have seen a 20% growth in the past year.”

6. Conclude with Impact: Summarize and Issue a Clear Call to Action

Your conclusion should reinforce your main points, tie everything together, and leave your audience with a strong final impression. Whether you’re aiming to persuade, inform, or inspire, end with a clear call to action or key takeaway.

• Summary of Key Points: Recap the main ideas or solutions you’ve presented.
• Call to Action: Clearly state what you want your audience to do next.
• Memorable Closing Statement: End with a powerful quote, a thought-provoking statement, or a compelling vision.

Example for a Motivational Talk:

• Summary: “We’ve covered three principles that can transform your mindset and drive you toward success.”
• Call to Action: “Starting today, commit to implementing at least one of these strategies in your daily routine.”
• Closing Statement: “Remember, success is not just about reaching goals—it’s about embracing the journey.”

7. Prepare for the Q&A Session: Handle Questions Confidently

If your presentation includes a Q&A session, plan how you’ll manage it. Anticipate tough questions, and be prepared to handle them confidently while staying on topic.

• Encourage Questions: Invite your audience to ask questions and clarify any doubts.
• Stay Composed: Listen carefully to each question, and take a moment to formulate your response if needed.
• Be Honest: If you don’t know the answer, it’s better to admit it than to guess. Offer to follow up later.

Example for a Conference Presentation:

• Encouragement: “I’m happy to answer any questions you have about implementing these strategies.”
• Response Strategy: “That’s a great question—let’s dive deeper into that aspect.”
• Honesty: “I don’t have the exact figure on hand, but I can provide it to you after the session.”

A well-crafted presentation outline serves as the backbone of a successful presentation. By carefully structuring your content and considering each key section, you can guide your audience smoothly from the introduction to the conclusion while keeping them engaged and interested. Whether you’re preparing for a pitch, a seminar, or an internal meeting, following this outline template will help you deliver your message clearly, effectively, and with confidence.

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More From Forbes

How To Inspire Curious Employees Through A Compelling Presentation

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We’ve all been there—trying to present another initiative to employees, only to be met with blank stares and disinterested expressions. Getting people excited about cultural change isn’t easy, especially when they feel like they’ve heard it all before. But if you want to break through the noise and make a real impact, you need to do more than just deliver another talk. You need to create an experience that wakes people up, gets them thinking, and makes them want to lean in.

Use Interactive Stories to Break Status-Quo Thinking in the Workplace

When I talk about building a culture of curiosity, I don’t just tell people what needs to change—I show them why it matters. One story I often share is about a woman who found herself unknowingly part of a social experiment at an eye doctor’s office . The setup was simple: a bell would ring, and the people around her—who were actually actors—would stand up and sit down each time. It didn’t take long before she started following suit, perfectly conforming to the group behavior without ever questioning why. This phenomenon, known as social learning, highlights how quickly we can fall into status-quo thinking and go along with what everyone else is doing.

To bring this idea to life, I don’t just tell the story—I get the audience involved. I bring a bell to my presentations and have everyone stand up whenever it rings, just like the woman in the waiting room. Suddenly, you can see the realization on their faces as they experience for themselves how easy it is to slip into conformity without even noticing. This simple exercise breaks through the monotony and makes the lesson stick. It’s not just a presentation; it’s an experience that gets people laughing, thinking, and—most importantly—questioning.

Get to the “What’s In It for Me?” Right Away

People need to see the value of curiosity, not just hear about it. When I talk to teams about moving away from status-quo thinking, I make it clear how curiosity benefits them personally. It’s about making their jobs more engaging, unlocking creative solutions, and fostering a more dynamic work environment. Real-life examples from companies that have embraced curiosity show that teams who ask more questions don’t just find more innovative solutions—they also enjoy their work more.

Break Down the Barriers: Tackle FATE (Fear, Assumptions, Technology, and Environment)

Understanding what blocks curiosity is essential to fostering it. That’s where the concept of FATE comes in: Fear, Assumptions, Technology, and Environment . In my talks, I break down each of these factors and share practical ways to overcome them. For example, fear stops people from speaking up; assumptions make us blind to new possibilities. To push past these, I encourage asking questions like, “What if we’re wrong?” or “What haven’t we considered?”

Engage the Audience: Make It a Conversation, Not a Lecture

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No one wants to sit through a dull monologue. I always make sure to turn my talks into a conversation by asking open-ended questions and prompting discussions. This keeps people engaged and encourages them to think on their feet. When people share their own experiences of when curiosity led to a breakthrough—or when a lack of it caused problems—it builds a sense of community and drives home the importance of a curious mindset.

Close with a Call to Action That Energizes and Excites

End with a strong call to action that challenges your audience to do one thing differently. Whether it’s asking a new question in a meeting, suggesting a bold idea, or simply challenging an old assumption, encourage them to start small but think big. The goal is to make them feel excited about bringing curiosity into their work and see how it can transform not just their own roles, but the entire organization.

The Bottom Line: Make Your Talk the Spark that Ignites Curiosity

So, go ahead and ring that bell, share that story, and don’t be afraid to shake things up. If you can get your employees thinking, laughing, and questioning, you’ve already won. When a talk turns into something more—an experience that gets everyone buzzing with ideas and possibilities—you’re not just changing minds. You’re setting the stage for a culture that’s more engaged, innovative, and ready to take on whatever comes next. And let’s be honest, that makes delivering your presentation a whole lot more fun too.

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