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How To Write A Presentation 101 | Step-by-Step Guides with Best Examples | 2024 Reveals

Jane Ng • 05 April, 2024 • 9 min read

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

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

So, let's dive in!

Table of Contents

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

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

Key Takeaways

Tips for better presentation.

• How to start a presentation
• How to introduce yourself

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Presentations are all about connecting with your audience. 

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

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

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

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

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

How To Write A Presentation Script (With Examples)

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

1/ Understand Your Purpose and Audience

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

2/ Outline the Structure of Your Presentation

Strong opening.

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

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

Main Points

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

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

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

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

3/ Craft Clear and Concise Sentences

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

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

4/ Use Visual Aids and Supporting Materials

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

• Example: "As you can see from this graph,... This demonstrates...."

5/ Include Engagement Techniques

Incorporate interactive elements to engage your audience, such as Q&A sessions , conducting live polls, or encouraging participation. You can also spin more funs into group, by randomly dividing people into different groups to get more diverse feedbacks!

6/ Rehearse and Revise

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

7/ Seek Feedback

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

More on Script Presentation

How to Write A Presentation Introduction with Examples

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

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

1/ Start with a Hook

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

2/ Establish Relevance and Context

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

3/ State the Purpose

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

4/ Preview Your Main Points

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

5/ Establish Credibility

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

6/ Engage Emotionally

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

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

For example, Topic: Work-life balance

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

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

🎉 Check out: How to Start a Presentation?

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How to write a presentation step by step .

You can refer to our step-by-step guide on How To Write A Presentation Script: Understand Your Purpose and Audience Outline the Structure of Your Presentation Craft Clear and Concise Sentences Use Visual Aids and Supporting Material Include Engagement Techniques Rehearse and Revise Seek Feedback

How do you start a presentation? 

You can start with an engaging opening that grabs the audience's attention and introduces your topic. Consider using one of the following approaches: Start with a Thought-Provoking Question: "Have you ever...?" Begin with a Surprising Fact or Statistic: "Did you know that....?" Use a Powerful Quote: "As Maya Angelou once said,...." Tell a Compelling Story : "Picture this: You're standing at...." Start with a Bold Statement: "In the fast-paced digital age...."

What are the five parts of a presentation?

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

A writer who wants to create practical and valuable content for the audience

Tips to Engage with Polls & Trivia

More from AhaSlides

How to Choose the Perfect Presentation Topic: A Detailed Guide

Discover how to choose the perfect presentation topic with our detailed guide, including tips on audience understanding, brainstorming, and content preparation.

Table of Contents

Understanding your audience, identifying your purpose, brainstorming techniques, researching potential topics, evaluating your topics, narrowing down to the best topic, creating a compelling title, preparing your content, tips for delivering an engaging presentation, key factors to consider:.

• Demographics: Consider the age, education level, and professional background of your audience. For instance, a technical presentation for a group of engineers will differ vastly from a general overview for high school students.
• Interests and Expectations: What is your audience interested in? What do they hope to gain from your presentation? Knowing this can help you tailor your content to meet their needs and expectations.
• Prior Knowledge: Assess how much your audience already knows about the topic. You don’t want to spend too much time on basics if they are already familiar with them, nor do you want to dive into complex details that they won’t understand.

Common Objectives:

• To Inform: Focus on educating your audience about a specific topic. Your goal is to increase their knowledge or understanding.
• To Persuade: Convince your audience to adopt a particular viewpoint or take a specific action.
• To Entertain: Make your presentation enjoyable while still being informative.
• To Inspire: Motivate your audience to think differently or take action based on your message.

1. Mind Mapping

2. swot analysis, 3. free writing, 4. keyword research, 5. audience polling, research tips:.

• Check for Available Resources: Ensure that there is enough information available on the topic to create a well-rounded presentation.
• Identify Key Points: Determine the key points you want to cover. This will help you assess whether the topic is too broad or too narrow.
• Look for Recent Developments: Make sure your topic is up-to-date. Including recent developments or trends can make your presentation more relevant and engaging.
• Relevance to Audience: Does the topic address your audience’s needs and interests?
• Personal Interest: Are you genuinely interested in the topic? Your enthusiasm will come through in your presentation.
• Availability of Information: Is there enough material available to create a comprehensive presentation?
• Scope: Is the topic too broad or too narrow? You want to be able to cover your topic adequately within the time frame.
• Test Your Ideas: Create a brief outline for each topic. Which one seems to flow better? Which one has more depth?
• Seek Feedback: If possible, get feedback from colleagues, mentors, or potential audience members. They can provide valuable perspectives that you may not have considered.

Tips for Crafting a Great Title:

• Be Specific: A specific title gives your audience a clear idea of what to expect. For example, “Effective Time Management Strategies for Busy Professionals” is more compelling than “Time Management.”
• Include a Benefit: Highlight what your audience will gain from your presentation. For example, “Boost Your Productivity with These Time Management Hacks.”
• Use Power Words: Words like “Ultimate,” “Essential,” “Guide,” or “Proven” can make your title more engaging.

1. Introduction

• Hook: Start with a question, statistic, or anecdote to grab attention.
• Purpose: Clearly state the purpose of your presentation.
• Overview: Briefly outline the main points you will cover.
• Main Points: Organize your content into 2-5 main points. Each point should be supported by data, examples, or stories.
• Visuals: Use visuals like charts, graphs, and images to reinforce your message.
• Transitions: Use clear transitions between points to maintain flow and coherence.

3. Conclusion

• Summary: Recap the main points of your presentation.
• Call to Action: If applicable, tell your audience what you want them to do next.
• Q&A: Prepare for questions that your audience may have.

1. Practice, Practice, Practice

2. use body language, 3. vary your voice, 4. interactive elements, 5. time management, create ppt using ai.

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How to write a presentation (and deliver it, even via Zoom)

Jack elliott.

31 minute read

You’ve been asked to give a presentation. Chances are, your response will be roughly one of the following:

1. It’s a subject you’re passionate about and you’re a confident speaker. You’re pleased to have the opportunity.

2. You secretly worry that your style is flat and unengaging. You’re not looking forward to it.

3. At best, the prospect makes you nervous; at worst, terrified. You’d rather have root canal surgery.

If you belong in one of the last two categories, you probably know you’re not alone. You may have heard the statistic that public speaking is more widely feared even than death .

However you feel about the prospect of presenting, this comprehensive guide will take you step by step through the process of planning, writing and delivering a presentation you can be proud of (even via Zoom).

Use the contents links below to jump to the section you need most, make your way through methodically from start to finish, or bookmark this page for next time you need it.

What is a presentation?

Essentially, it’s a story. And its origins go back thousands of years – to when our ancestors gathered around the campfire to listen to the wise elders of the tribe. Without PowerPoint!

These days, presentations encompass the glitz and scale of the Oscars or the new iPhone launch through to business briefings to smaller audiences, in person or – increasingly – online. We’re focusing on the business side.

Whatever the occasion, there’s always an element of drama involved. A presentation is not a report you can read at your leisure, it’s an event – speakers are putting themselves on the spot to explain, persuade or inspire you. Good presentations use this dynamic to support their story.

Always remember: everyone wants you to do well

If you are nervous, always remember: no one sets out to write a poor presentation and no one wants to go to one either. There may be private agendas in the room, but for the most part audiences approach presentations positively. They want to be engaged and to learn. They want you to do well.

First things first: the date’s in the diary and you need to prepare. Let’s break it down.

1. Preparing your presentation

Imagine you’re a designer in the automotive industry and your boss has asked you to give a presentation. The subject: the future of the car and how it will fit with all the other modes of transport.

Where to start? How to approach it? First you need an angle, a key idea.

We talk about ‘giving’ a presentation – and of course it’s the audience who will be receiving it. So, instead of beginning with cars (in this case), let’s think about people. That way we can root the talk in the everyday experience we all share.

Maybe you remember a time you were stuck in traffic on a motorway. Morning rush hour. No one moving. Up ahead children were crossing a footbridge on their way to school, laughing at the cars going nowhere. And you thought, ‘Enjoy it while you can! This will be you one day.’ But maybe not. Surely we can do better for future generations!

There’s your opening – the whole issue captured in a single image, and you’ve immediately engaged your audience with a simple story.

The who, the why and the what

Always begin with the people you’ll be addressing in mind. Before you start writing, answer three fundamental questions: who is your audience, why are you talking to them and what do you want to say?

The answers will provide the strong foundations you need and start the ideas flowing. Ignore them and you risk being vague and unfocused. Clear writing is the result of clear thinking and thinking takes time, but it’s time well spent.

Got a presentation to write? Before you do anything else, answer three fundamental questions: who is your audience, why are you talking to them and what do you want to say? @EmphasisWriting Share on X

Start with the audience

Are you a senior car designer talking to your team? If the answer’s yes, you can assume high-level, shared knowledge.

But if you’re talking to the sales or marketing departments, you can’t make the same assumptions – there are issues you might have to explain and justify. And if it’s a press briefing, it’s about getting the message out to the general public – a different story again.

Knowing your audience will also dictate your tone. Your presentation to the board is likely to be quite formal, whereas a talk for your team can be more relaxed.

And what’s the audience’s mood? On another occasion you might have bad news to deliver – perhaps the national economy and the company’s finances are threatening people’s jobs. Then you must empathise – put yourself in their position and adapt your tone accordingly.

I want to …

You also need a clear objective (the why ). For our car designer, the overriding objective should be to plant a key idea in the audience’s mind. Starting with that image of the schoolchildren, it’s to convince the audience that the company has a radical and distinctive design future.

That’s the takeaway. How should they do that? Should they explain, persuade or inspire – the three key strategies for any presentation? You may need to use several of them to achieve your goal.

Objectives should always complete the statement ‘I want to …’. What do you want to do ?

It’s about …

The what is the substance of your presentation – the building blocks, all the facts and figures that tell the audience ‘It’s about …’.

Back to our designer. The move away from petrol and diesel will allow a complete rethink of car design. The electric power unit and battery can lie under the car’s floor, freeing up all the space taken up by the conventional engine. And then there are all the issues around emission-free, autonomous vehicles in the ‘smart’ cities of the future.

When you’re planning, it can be helpful to get all the information out of your head and onto the page, using a mind map , like the example below (for a talk on UK transport policy).

This is an effective way of unlocking everything you know (or still need to do more research on). Start with your main topic, then keep asking yourself questions (like who, what, when, where, how and why) to dig into all the aspects.

Mind map with the topic of ‘UK transport policy at the centre. Arrows point out to six bubbles with the labels ‘Who’, ‘When’, ‘Why’, ‘How’, ‘What’ and ‘Where’. More arrows point out from each of these bubbles to explore related points in each area, and still more arrows from some of those points to expand further. The information reads:

• Special interests / NGOs
• Need for clear government direction
• What industry will do
• R&D spend
• What industry is doing
• Congestion [this leads to the sub-point ‘Wasted time and money’]
• More pollution
• More congestion
• More wasted time and money
• Climate change
• Road pricing
• Legislation
• Working together
• New technology
• Exports/revenue
• Social policy
• Rest of world
• Emerging economies

Once you’ve got it all out on the page, you can identify which parts actually belong in your presentation. Don’t try to include every last detail: audiences don’t want to process piles of information. They are more interested in your ideas and conclusions.

Now let’s put all this research and planning into a structure.

2. How to structure your presentation

On 28 August 1963, Dr Martin Luther King Jr stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC and delivered one of the most powerful speeches in history: ‘I have a dream’.

He was the leader of the civil rights movement in the US and his audience that day numbered in the hundreds of thousands. His goal was to inspire them to continue the struggle.

Presentations usually aim to either explain, persuade or inspire – sometimes with elements of all three. Your aim will determine your structure. This will be the backbone of your presentation, giving it strength and direction.

Explain in a logical sequence

When you explain, you add to people’s knowledge to build the key idea. But ask yourself, what does this audience already know?

If you’re an astrophysicist talking to an audience of your peers, you can use terms and concepts you know they’ll be familiar with. If you’re explaining black holes to Joe Public, you can’t do that. Typically, you’ll have to use simple analogies to keep the audience with you (‘Imagine you’re in a huge dark room …’).

Whether it’s black holes or new software, good explanations start with what we know and then build on that understanding, step by step, layer by layer. The audience will stay with you if they can follow your logic and you can help this with linking comments – ‘Building on that … ‘, ‘This means …’, ‘To illustrate that, I’ve always found …’.

Presentations usually aim to either explain, persuade or inspire – sometimes with elements of all three. Your aim will determine your presentation's structure. @EmphasisWriting Share on X

We need to change

If you’re writing a persuasive presentation, you also need to follow a particular sequence.

Whether you’re writing a pitch for a prospective customer or making research-based recommendations to a client, you follow the same structure. That structure is the Four Ps . It’s a powerful way of leading your audience’s thinking.

Start with the current situation – where you are now ( position ). Explain why you can’t stay there, so the audience agrees things have to change ( problem ). Suggest up to three credible ways you can address the issue ( possibilities ). Then decide which one is the optimum solution ( proposal ).

Three is a magic number for writers – not too many, not too few. But there may be one standout possibility, in which case you go straight to it ( position, problem, proposal ).

Think about how the pandemic has profoundly changed our working lives. Towns and cities are full of offices that people used to commute to. But to maintain social distancing, we’ve been encouraged to work from home where possible and to stay away from public transport.

At some point, decision-makers within organisations will have to make a call – or share a recommendation – about what to do long term. Should we go back to the office, stay at home or combine the two?

If we had to present on this choice using the Four Ps structure, we could outline the pros and cons of each possibility and then make a push for the one we recommend above the others. Or we could join the likes of Google and Twitter and simply propose purely remote working well into the future.

I have a dream

A presentation that inspires is about the future – about what could be. Scientists inspire children to follow careers in astronomy or physics with their passion and stunning visuals. Designers re-energise companies with their radical, exciting visions. Business leaders convince their staff that they really can turn things around.

An audience watching an inspirational presentation is not going to take away lots of facts and figures. What’s important is their emotional and intellectual engagement with the speaker, their shared sense of purpose. One way to build that engagement is with your structure.

From dark to light

The most inspiring presentations are so often born of shared struggle. On 13 May 1940, Winston Churchill addressed the British parliament – and the British people listening on their radios – in the darkest days of the Second World War.

He was brutally realistic in his assessment of the current position: ‘We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering.’ He then set out his policy: ‘To wage war by sea, land and air, with all our might … against a monstrous tyranny’, and the prize: ‘Victory, however long and hard the road may be.’

In difficult situations, audiences immediately see through false hope and empty rhetoric. They want honest acknowledgement, and the determination and clear strategy to lead them to the future.

We can imagine how the same structure could show up in a more business-related context:

‘I’m not going to sugar-coat the figures. We have to change to save jobs and secure our future. There will be dark days and sacrifices along the way, but what’s the hardest part of any turnaround? It’s getting started. To do that, we all need to keep asking two fundamental questions: where can we improve, how can we improve? And if we push hard enough and if we’re utterly relentless, change will come and our momentum will build.’

Are you going to appeal to your audience’s

• habits of thought (current beliefs)?

If your recommendations run counter to their current beliefs, try appealing to their emotions.

3. Writing your presentation script

You don’t have to write a script. Some people put a few PowerPoint slides together and wing it; others make do with bullets on a smartphone, laptop or cue cards. It depends on the event and the presenter.

Writing a full script takes time, but if it’s a very important presentation and you might use it again – perhaps to appeal for investment – it will be worth it.

Some people will write a full script because the company or organisation that’s commissioned a presentation will want to see a copy well ahead of the event (often for legal reasons). Others will write the script, edit it down to the required time and then edit it down again to bullets or notes.

If the presentation is to a small audience, your notes or bullets will suit a more conversational approach. There are no rules here – see what works best for you. But what you must do is know your subject inside out.

To write clearly, you must think clearly and a full script will expose the areas that aren’t clear – where an explanation needs strengthening, for example, or where you should work on a transition.

Timing is everything

A full script also helps with working out timing, and timing is crucial. TED talks, for example, have a strict 18-minute limit, whether in front of an audience or online. That’s short enough to hold attention, but long enough to communicate a key idea. (The ‘I have a dream’ speech lasted 17 minutes 40 seconds and it changed the world.)

It takes a very skilled presenter to go much over 30 minutes. If you are taking questions during or after your presentation , however, it’s fine to build in extra time.

Imagine you’re writing your presentation in full and your slot is 20 minutes. On an A4 page with a 14-point Calibri font and 1.5 line spacing, that will equate to about 10 pages.

You can also divide the page in two, with slides on the left and text on the right (or vice versa). Then you can plan your words and visuals in parallel – and that will be roughly 20 pages.

Script page with a slide on the left-hand side and text on the right. The slide has the heading ‘What is your purpose?’ and has a photo of a smiling person at a whiteboard mid-presentation. The text on the slide reads:

Do you want to:

• do a combination of all three?

The notes next to the slide read:

How should they do that? Should they explain, persuade or inspire – the three key strategies for any presentation? You may need to use several of them to achieve your goal.

The most powerful key on your keyboard – Delete

Use these numbers as your goal, but your first draft will probably be longer. That’s when you start deleting.

Be ruthless. Anything not adding to the story must go, including those anecdotes you’ve been telling for years ( especially those anecdotes). It’s not about what you want to tell the audience, it’s about what they need to hear.

Don’t feel you have to include every single issue either. Dealing with two or three examples in some detail is far better than saying a little bit about many more.

And interpret visual material you’re displaying rather than describing it, just as you wouldn’t repeat the text that’s on the screen. The audience can see it already.

It’s a conversation

Be yourself – don’t write a script that’s not in your style. We want the real you, not a supercharged version.

Some people are naturals when it comes to presenting – which can mean they’ve learned how to draw on their authentic strengths.

Sir David Attenborough is a great example. He has a wide-ranging knowledge of the natural world. He has an infectious passion and enthusiasm for his subject. And most importantly, he doesn’t lecture the camera: he talks naturally to his audience (and he’s now using Instagram to inspire new generations).

You can take a cue from Sir David and make your presentation style your own. Knowing your own strengths and really understanding your why will help you speak with purpose and passion.

And aim to speak naturally. Use conversational, inclusive language. That means lots of personal pronouns ( I believe, we can) and contractions ( Don’t you wonder …, you’re probably thinking …).

Sir David Attenborough introduces his new series, Our Planet at its premiere. He builds up our awareness by layering information alongside arresting statistics. These are framed simply, in relatable terms (‘96% of mass on the planet is us …’), so we easily grasp their shocking significance. He also uses ‘we’ and ‘us’ a lot to underline how this environmental emergency affects us all on ‘the planet we all call home’.

Finding the right words

Imagine you’re talking to someone as you write. And try saying the words out loud – it’s a good way to catch those complex, overlong sentences or particular words that will be difficult to say.

Presentations are not reports that can be reread – the audience has to understand what you are saying in the moment . Don’t leave them wondering what on earth you’re talking about, as they will only fall behind.

So avoid using long or complex words, or words you wouldn’t hear in everyday conversation (if your everyday conversation includes ‘quarks’ and ‘vectors’, that’s fine). And beware of jargon – it can exclude the audience and it quickly becomes clichéd and outdated.

Here are some more hints and tips on how to write effectively for speaking:

Syntax (word order): Disentangle your thoughts and arrange the words in your sentences to be simple and logical. Often, complex syntax shows up when the main point is getting lost inside excess information (or that the speaker is unsure what their main point is).

Pace, rhythm and tone: Varying the pace, rhythm and tone of sentences makes both the speaking and listening experience far more enjoyable.

Make sure the stress falls on the most important words. For example, ‘To be or not to be ‘ (where the stress rises and falls on alternate words) or ‘I have a dream ‘ (where the stress falls on the final word).

Vary the length of sentences and experiment with using very short sentences to emphasise a point.

Play with rhythm by arranging words in pairs and trios. Saying things in threes gives a sense of movement, progression and resolution: Going, going … gone . Saying words in pairs gives a more balanced tone (‘courage and commitment’, ‘energy and effort’) or a sense of tension between the words (‘war and peace’, ‘imports and exports’).

Analogies: Good analogies can work well in presentations because they paint vivid pictures for the audience. The best way to do it is to use either a simile (‘It wasn’t so much a dinner party, more like feeding time at the zoo’) or a metaphor (‘He was the fox and the company was the henhouse’).

Alliteration: This means using two or more words that start with the same sound, like ‘big and bold’, ‘sleek and shiny’ or ‘key components’. On the page alliteration may look contrived, but it can effectively highlight important phrases in a presentation.

Words to avoid: Be careful about using clichés like ‘pushing the envelope’, ‘playing hardball’ and ‘thinking outside the box’. And think carefully about using any word that ends with -ism, -ise, -based, -gate, -focused and -driven.

Be careful with humour too: don’t write jokes unless you can naturally tell them well. Keep the tone light if it fits the occasion, but a badly told joke can be excruciating.

4. How to start your presentation

People tend to remember beginnings and endings the most, so make sure your opening and conclusion are both strong.

You have about a minute to engage an audience. You want them to be intrigued, to want to know more, to come slightly forward in their seats. If you only learn one part of your presentation by heart, make it that minute.

A quick ‘thank you’ is fine if someone has introduced you. A quick ‘good morning’ to the audience is fine too. But don’t start thanking them for coming and hoping they’ll enjoy what you have to say – you’re not accepting an Oscar, and they can tell you what they thought when it’s over. Get straight down to business.

There are four basic types of introduction which will draw your audience in:

• News – ‘Positive Covid-19 tests worldwide have now reached …’
• Anecdotal – ‘About ten years ago, I was walking to work and I saw …’
• Surprise – ‘Every five minutes, an American will die because of the food they eat.’
• Historical – ‘In 1800, the world’s population was one billion. It’s now 7.8 billion.’

You can interpret these beginnings in any number of ways. If you were to say, ‘I have an admission to make …’, we will expect a personal anecdote relating to your main theme. And because you’re alone in front of us, it’s playing on your vulnerability. We’re intrigued straight away, and you’ve established a good platform for the rest of the presentation.

You can also combine these techniques. The historical beginning creates a sense of movement – that was then and this is now – as well as a surprising fact. It may prompt a thought like, ‘Wow, where’s this going?’ And you can trade on this with your own rhetorical question: ‘What does this mean for everyone in this room? It’s not what you think …’.

As well as setting up your story, you need to quickly reassure the audience they’re in safe hands. One way to do that is to give them a map – to tell them where you’re going to take them and what they’re going to see along the way.

Then you’re starting the journey together.

5. How to end your presentation

Your ending is what you want the audience to take away: your call to action, your vision of the future and how they can contribute.

If your presentation is online or to a small group in a small room, your ending is not going to be a battle cry, a call to man the barricades – that would be totally inappropriate. But equally don’t waste it with something flat and uninspiring.

Here are four effective ways to end your talk (like the intros, you can combine them or come up with your own):

• Predict the future – ‘So what can we expect in the next ten years? …’
• Quotation – ‘As our chief exec said at the meeting yesterday, …’
• Repeat a major issue – ‘We can’t carry on with the same old same old.’
• Summarise – ‘Continuous improvement isn’t our goal. It’s our culture.’

Predicting the future fits well with a historical beginning – it completes the arc of your presentation.

If you end with a quotation, make sure it’s relevant and credible – it has to be an authoritative stamp.

Repeating a major issue means pulling out and highlighting a major strand of your presentation, while summarising is about encapsulating your argument in a couple of sentences.

Your ending can also be a change of tone, perhaps signalled by the single word ‘Finally …’. It’s the audience’s cue to come slightly forward again and pay close attention.

As with your opening, it will have more impact if you’ve learned your ending – put down your notes, take a couple of steps towards the audience and address them directly, before a simple ‘Thank you.’

6. Creating your PowerPoint slides

We’ve all been there – watching a seemingly endless, poorly designed slide deck that’s simply restating what the presenter is saying. So common is this tortuous experience that there’s a name for it: Death by PowerPoint. But it doesn’t have to be like this.

Do you need slides at all?

As with your script, the first thing you should ask is ‘Do I actually need this?’ In 2019, Sir Tim Berners-Lee gave the Richard Dimbleby lecture for the BBC. He spoke for about 40 minutes with no autocue (he’d memorised his script) – and no speaker support.

This is a uniquely powerful form of presentation because the audience’s attention is totally focused on that one person. The call to action at the end of a presentation and delivering bad news are also best done without visuals.

Visual support

But if they’re well-judged and relevant, slides or other visuals can add enormously to a presentation – whether it’s photography, video or the ubiquitous PowerPoint. There are, however, two things everyone should know about PowerPoint in particular:

• It’s incredibly versatile and convenient.
• In the wrong hands, it can be unbearably tedious.

Your PowerPoint slides should not essentially be your cue cards projected onto a screen. They shouldn’t be packed margin to margin with text or full of complex diagrams.

If the presentation is live, the audience has come to watch you, not your slide deck. Online, the deck may have to work harder to sustain visual interest.

As with the script, keep your finger poised over that Delete key when you’re putting the deck together.

How many slides?

There’s no hard-and-fast rule about how many slides you should use, but think in terms of no more than one or two a minute on average. And don’t use more than a couple of short video inserts in a 20-minute presentation.

You might have a section where you show a few slides in a sequence or hold a single slide for a couple of minutes, which is fine. Varying the pacing helps to keep a presentation moving.

Optimise for psychology

As self-professed presentation aficionado David JP Phillips notes in his TEDx talk , people – and that includes your audience – have terrible working memories. If you don’t account for this fact in your slides, your talk will not have a lasting impact. In fact, most of it will be forgotten within around 30 seconds.

To counter this effect, David identifies five key strategies to use when designing your PowerPoint:

• Only have one message per slide: more than that and you’re splitting your audience’s attention.
• Don’t use full sentences on slides, and certainly don’t imagine you can talk over them if you do. People trying to read and listen at the same time will fail at both and absorb nothing. Move your running text into the documentation section instead, and keep the slide content short and sweet.
• People’s focus will be drawn to the biggest thing on the slide. If your headline is less important than the content below it, make the headline text the smaller of the two.
• You can also direct people’s attention using contrast. This can be as simple as guiding their point of focus by using white text (on a dark background) for the words you want to highlight, while the surrounding text is greyed out.
• Including too many objects per slide will sap your audience’s cognitive resources. (Your headline, every bullet, any references, even a page number each count as an object.) Include a maximum of six objects per slide and viewers will give a mental sigh of relief. This will probably mean creating more slides overall – and that’s fine.

More Powerpoint and visual aid tips

Here are a few more guidelines for creating your visual aids:

• Never dive into PowerPoint as job one in creating your presentation. Work out your talk’s structure (at least) before designing your slide deck. Making a genuinely effective PowerPoint requires that you know your subject inside out.
• List any visuals you’ll need as you prepare your script. That terrific photo you saw recently could be difficult to track down, and you might need permission and to pay to use it.
• It bears repeating: keep each slide to one key idea.
• Use the build effect of adding one bullet at a time (or use the contrast trick above) and try not to use more than three bullets per frame (or six objects overall).
• Strip each bullet to the bare minimum – no articles (‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’), no prepositions (‘in’, ‘at’, ‘to’ etc) and cut right back on punctuation.
• Every word that’s not there for a reason has to go. Delete, delete, delete.

‘Extra’ slides

• Use a ‘walk-in’ slide. Rather than have the audience arrive to a blank screen, this tells them who you are and your presentation’s title.
• Use occasional holding slides in between those with more content – perhaps an image but no text. They give the audience a visual rest and put the focus back on you.
• A plain white background might look fine on a computer monitor, but it will be glaring on a big screen. Invert the norm with a dark background, or use shading or ‘ghosted’ images to break up backgrounds and add visual interest.
• Some colours work better than others on-screen. Blues and greys are soft and easy on the eye. Red is a no-no, whether for backgrounds or text. And if you stick with a light background, favour a more subtle dark grey over black for the text.
• Use sans serif fonts (like Arial, Helvetica or Calibri) and think about point size – make sure it’s easily legible.
• Only use upper case where absolutely necessary.

Images and data

• Photos work well full screen, but they also really stand out well on a black background.
• Make sure your charts and graphics aren’t too complex. The dense information that’s fine on the page will not work on-screen – it’s too much to take in. Graphs behind a TV newsreader are often reduced to a single line going dramatically up or down.
• Don’t present data or graphs and expect them to speak for themselves. You need to find the story and significance in the data and present that .

And finally

• Proofread, proofread, proofread – or risk standing in front of an embarrassing spelling mistake.

Technical check

• Check what laptop they’re using at your venue. If you’ve written your deck on a PC, run it on a PC (and, of course, the same rule applies if you’ve used a Mac).
• If you’ve emailed your presentation to the venue, take a USB copy along as back-up.
• If you’re presenting online, check which platform you’ll be using and get comfortable with it. If someone else will be hosting the event, make sure you arrange a time for a rehearsal, especially if there will be a producer.

7. Delivering your presentation

You’ve put a lot of time and effort into preparing your presentation and now you’ve come to the sharp end – it’s time to stand and deliver.

Run it through

You don’t have to rehearse, but most presenters do and for good reason – it catches weak points and awkward transitions. And, crucially, it bolsters confidence.

Read your script or go through your bullets aloud – it will help to settle your nerves. If you use colleagues as a dummy audience, you can do a sense check too: ‘Does that bit work?’ ‘Have I explained it clearly?’ ‘Do you get the big picture?’ And rehearsing out loud will catch those words and sentences you thought you could say but can’t.

The more you rehearse, the more familiar and natural the presentation will become. Rehearse the technical side too – where the video is going to come in, how you’re going to vary your pace and tone to maintain interest.

Try speaking slightly more slowly than you would normally so the audience catches every word, and don’t be afraid to pause now and again. It gives a breathing space for you and the audience.

Connect with your audience

When you deliver your presentation for real, establish eye contact with the audience, just as you would in a conversation. In a small room with a small audience, talk to individuals. In a larger space, don’t talk to the first couple of rows and ignore the rest – include everyone.

And if you stumble over your words here or there, carry on and don’t dwell on it – you’ll lose your concentration. Audiences are generally forgiving and they might not even notice.

Each audience is unique: they react differently in different places. And although tomorrow might be the tenth time you’ve done the same presentation, it will be the first time this audience sees it. Your duty is to keep it fresh for them.

A final point

This is your presentation – you’re in control and the audience needs to feel they’re in safe hands.

It’s perfectly natural to feel nervous , but it’s the thought of doing it that’s the worst bit. Once you get going – and especially when you sense the audience is with you – the nerves will start to disappear. Try to enjoy it. If you enjoy it, it’s far more likely the audience will too.

And remember: everyone wants you to do well.

8. How to present online

Taking to Zoom or another online platform to present was once the exception. These days, online presenting is as essential a skill as presenting in person.

The switch to online can be nerve-wracking and cause even usually skilled presenters to falter. But there’s no need for that to happen.

Indeed, all of the advice we’ve talked about on preparing, structuring and writing for in-person presenting is equally relevant for your online delivery. You just need to be ready for the unique challenges that remote presentations pose.

An obvious one is that while you still have an audience, it will probably be muted and possibly even unseen (if webcams are switched off). This makes it far more difficult to gauge audience reaction, and if the event is pre-recorded, there might not be any at all – at least not immediately. Clapping and laughing emojis are not quite like the real thing.

Keep eye contact

But although your audience may be many miles away, there are still ways you can – and should – create a sense of connection with them. Your presentation will have much more impact if you do.

Whether the event is live or recorded, at least start with your webcam on (unless you really can only use slides). If it’s an option and feels appropriate, consider keeping your camera on throughout – remember, you are the presentation as much as any visuals.

If you will be on display, make sure you know where your webcam’s lens is and at key moments of your talk look directly into it – and out at your audience – to punctuate those points.

And don’t look at a second screen to cue up your PowerPoint – viewers will think your attention is wandering.

Engage your online audience

Being an engaging speaker is always important, but remember that the online world is already a place we associate with distraction. It’s also easier for a viewer behind their laptop to disguise their wandering attention than it would be for one in an auditorium or boardroom.

This isn’t to say your audience don’t want to give you their attention. But it is more important than ever to keep your presentation sharp and concise. Revisit your structure, your script or cue cards and your slides. Take a really critical eye to it and (as always) delete, delete, delete anything that’s not directly relevant.

If it works for your format, you can look at making your presentation interactive. You can then break the content into short segments, interspersed with comment, polls, questions and discussion. The variety will be a welcome change for your viewers.

Your visuals are part of what will keep people with you – along with the interplay you create between you and them. This means following the best-practice guidance we covered earlier is even more important.

Using Zoom for your presentation? Master the art of online delivery through this simple mix of set-up, delivery and technical tricks @EmphasisWriting Share on X

Modulate your voice

Your tone of voice is extremely important here because presenting online is like radio with pictures. When people say ‘You have a great voice for radio’ what they mean is that it’s easy to listen to, often because you’re using quite a low-pitched, warm and relaxed register.

Listen to voices on the radio and voiceovers and identify the ones you particularly enjoy. What do you like about them? Why do you enjoy some voices and not others?

A flat, unmodulated voice, for instance, is difficult to listen to for long periods (and isn’t likely to inspire anyone).

Experiment with intentionally adding energy to your voice, as internet audio can have a dulling effect. As our trainer Gary Woodward puts it: ‘Turn up the enthusiasm dial even higher than you think, to make sure it comes through.’ And always vary your pace and tone as you would in a normal conversation.

And if it suits the tone of your talk, smile now and again. Smiling is contagious, and people will hear it in your voice even if they can’t see you.

Perfect your transitions

One of the other key challenges of remote presentations is that you have another layer of technology to wrestle with: sharing your PowerPoint online.

This means that many presentations begin with the popular catchphrase ‘Can you see my screen?’

This can also cause many presenters to stumble through their transitions, making the links between their slides clunky. And while remote audiences may be forgiving, for a slick presentation it’s best to prevent these sort of fumbles.

Naturally, practice plays a part here. But you can also give yourself the advantage with your set-up.

Dave Paradi from Think Outside the Slide explains one great way of setting up Zoom so you can smoothly cue up and run your slide deck – and be certain what’s being displayed.

You’ll even be able to see the rest of your screen (but the audience won’t). As you’ll be able to see what’s coming up, your transitions can also be seamless.

The trick is to use one of Zoom’s advanced settings after you hit ‘Share screen’, to share only a portion of your screen:

Advanced screensharing options pop-up box in Zoom, with the options ‘Portion of Screen’, ‘Music or Computer Sound Only’ and ‘Content from 2nd Camera’. The ‘Portion of Screen’ option is highlighted in blue.

This will give you a frame you can move to the part of the screen you want the audience to see.

Put your PowerPoint slides into ‘presenter view’ before launching the screenshare. Then you’ll be able to see the upcoming slides and your notes throughout, and your animations (like build slides) will work as normal.

Zoom’s ‘portion of screen’ setting in action

Presenter view in PowerPoint, with the current displayed slide on the left and the upcoming slide displaying smaller on the right, with notes below it. There is a notification saying ‘You are screen sharing’ at the top and a sharing frame positioned around the current slide.

The other part of the trick? Set it up in advance shortly before you’re due to speak. Once you’re happy with the set up, you can stop sharing until it’s time to kick off your talk. When you return to ‘Share screen’ again, it will reopen the frame in the same place.

Dave shows you the process in this video:

Five practical tips for a truly professional online presentation

You’re happy with the content of your talk, you’ve ruthlessly streamlined your slides and mastered your radio voice. Now just make sure you cover these crucial practicalities for a polished presentation:

1. Create a good space Make sure you have your environment well set up:

• Keep the background on display as tidy and minimalist as possible – a plain wall or backdrop is great, if you can.
• Manage and minimise background noise (shut the window, ensure your phone’s on silent, put the cat out, make sure someone’s watching the kids in another room – whatever it takes).
• Check your lighting: have your light source in front of you, not behind you (or you’ll be in shadow).
• Set up your computer or device at eye level so that you are well-framed and facing it straight on – avoid looming above it while providing a lovely view into your nostrils.

2. Think about your appearance Dress in the same way you would if the presentation were in person, and judge your choice of attire based on the formality of the event and your audience.

3. Practise! Run through the presentation and rehearse the technical side. Practise your transitions, including the initial cueing up of your slides (perhaps using the Zoom tip above), so that you can be confident in doing it all smoothly.

4. Be primed and ready Log in early on the day of your talk. Check all your tech is working, get your headset on and ensure everything is set up well ahead of time. This will save any last-minute issues (and stress) and means you can hit the ground running.

5. Stand and deliver Even online, consider giving your presentation standing up, if you can do so comfortably (adjusting your device or webcam accordingly). This may put you more into a presenting frame of mind and will differentiate you from most remote presenters.

Are you still there?

Live audiences have a group dynamic – as soon as a few people start laughing it becomes infectious and the others join in. It’s naturally different online. But that doesn’t have to throw you.

You might not get that immediate feedback, but don’t overcompensate and feel you have to win them back.

Yes, it’s often more difficult to gauge an audience’s reaction online – especially if their audio is muted and their webcams off. Yes, this can be daunting. But they are still out there listening. You may or may not hear (or see) laughter, but they could still be smiling and very interested in what you have to say. Have faith in your own content. Whatever form your delivery will take, keep coming back to your purpose and message for giving this talk – and keep considering the people you’ll be talking to. Whether the address will be online or in person, it is keeping this focus which is the key to every powerful presentation.

Ready to learn even more? Work one-to-one on your presentation-writing skills with one of our expert trainers or join our scheduled presentation-writing courses . If your team are looking to upskill, we also offer tailored in-house training . And if fear of presenting is holding your team back, check out our in-house course The reluctant presenter .

Image credit: lightpoet / Shutterstock

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These days he's one of Emphasis' top business-writing trainers, but in previous career lives Jack has written for many public and private sector organisations. He has an in-depth knowledge of the engineering and manufacturing sectors, particularly the UK automotive industry. As the lead scriptwriter for chairmen and CEOs, he has been responsible for proposals, pitches and reports as well as high-profile speeches and global product launches.

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How to Make Effective Impactful Presentations (Tips & Tools)

Learn how to make a good presentation great - step-by-step with examples. Learn the principles, guidelines & qualities needed to prepare captivating slides.

Dominika Krukowska

12 minute read

Short answer

Short answer: how to make a good presentation.

Start with a surprising statement, a bold promise, or a mystery

Provide context with a bit of background information

Structure your presentation within a story framework

Make every word count, and use as few as possible

Use visuals only to support your presentation text

Use interactive design to make your audience active participants

End by telling your audience what they can do with what they’ve learned

Boring presentations are instantly forgotten. How’s yours?

Lifeless presentations can spell doom for your message, leaving your audience disengaged and your goals unreached.

The price of a mediocre presentation is steep; missed opportunities, unimpressed prospects, and a bad rep.

In a world where everyone has grown to expect a good story, a boring presentation will be instantly forgotten. Like a drop in the ocean.

But not all is lost.

This post will teach you how presentation pros create compelling narratives and leverage the latest tech tools to command attention, drive a powerful message, and get shared like gossip.

Let’s get started!

How to prepare a presentation?

The successful presenter understands the value of small details and thorough preparation like the seasoned chef knows the importance of quality ingredients and careful technique for serving a 5 star dish

But where do you start?

Step-by-step guide for preparing a presentation:

1. Define your objective

Every presentation needs a clear goal. Are you looking to persuade, educate, or motivate? Perhaps you aim to showcase a product, or share insights about a recent project.

Defining your objective early on will guide your content creation process, helping you to focus your message and structure your presentation effectively. Think of your objective as the North Star guiding your presentation journey.

2. Analyze your audience

Next up, who are you talking to? Your audience should shape your presentation as much as your objective does. Understanding their needs, interests, and background will enable you to tailor your message to resonate with them.

Are they experts in your field, or are they novices looking for an introduction? What questions might they have? The more you know about your audience, the more compelling your presentation will be.

3. Research your topic

Once you've defined your objective and analyzed your audience, it's time to delve deep into your topic. Comprehensive research lays the groundwork for a robust, credible presentation.

Don't just scratch the surface – explore different perspectives, recent developments, and key statistics. This will not only enhance your understanding but also equip you with a wealth of information to answer any questions your audience might have.

4. Choose the right delivery format

Finally, consider the best format to deliver your message.

The right format can make all the difference in how your message is received, so choose wisely!

PowerPoint presentations are classic and easy to work with. But PowerPoint and Google slides are not so versatile in terms of their content experience. They're static, packed with information, and all look alike.

Our own presentation maker offers interactive, personalized, and multimedia content experience.

Data from our research of over 100K presentation sessions shows that audiences engage with Storydoc presentations 103% better than PowerPoint.

How to create an effective presentation?

There’s part art and part science in creating high-engagement high-impact presentations.

An effective presentation is the painstaking result of well-organized content, visuals that support and elevate your message, simplifying complex information, and personalizing wherever possible.

I wrote this post to teach you how to do all these, and a few things more.

Ready to learn? Let's dive in!

How to organize your presentation content?

Crafting a compelling presentation is like writing a page-turner.

You need to captivate your audience, maintain their interest, and guide them effortlessly through your narrative.

But how do you transform a heap of information into a well-structured presentation you can’t stop reading? There’s a structure you can follow.

3-step process for organizing a magnetic presentation:

1. Prioritize content

Your presentation should immediately capture interest and demonstrate relevance before moving on to establish understanding .

A) Build interest:

Begin with a strong hook that grabs your audience's attention. This could be an intriguing statistic, a powerful image , or an engaging question. It should stir curiosity and make your audience eager to hear more.

B) Establish relevance:

Once you have their attention it's time to establish why your presentation matters to your audience.

Address your audience's main concerns. Make sure your content directly speaks to these pain points, and address them in order of importance.

2. Build anticipation

A great presentation is like getting a new car – it builds anticipation, takes you on a thrilling ride, and ends with you wanting to share the experience with all your friends.

Start with a compelling problem your audience relates to and follow up with a promise of an amazing way they can solve it. This problem-solution dynamic creates a suspense that keeps your audience glued to your presentation.

3. Use a story framework

Finally, use a story framework to give your presentation structure and flow.

Begin with a big idea that underpins your presentation. Then delve into the problem, showcasing why it needs attention. Present your solution, painting a vision of a better future for your audience.

Weave in concrete examples of how your solution changes lives.

Tell the story of WHO you helped, WHAT the situation was before and after your solution, WHERE and WHEN it happened, WHY it worked and HOW it made them feel.

If you’re writing a business presentation you should follow this with an execution plan that outlines how the solution will be implemented.

Finally, close with clear next steps, guiding your audience on what they should do after the presentation to bring meaningful change into their lives.

Our recommended story framework:

How to design your presentation?

A good presentation is more than just making it look pretty ; it's about communicating your message effectively and creating a lasting impression.

Good presentation design grabs attention, and leads it to where it’s needed most. It takes your hand and leads you through the easiest and most pleasant path to understanding.

Good presentation design supports your message rather than steals the spotlight. Good design is narrated design.

What is narrated design (Scrollytelling)?

Scrollytelling, where "scroll" meets "storytelling", is an interactive content experience that guides readers through a narrative journey with a simple scroll. It connects text, images, videos, and animations into integrated “scenes” where content is both shown and narrated.

Scrollytelling breaks complex content into digestible chunks and gives the reader control over pace. It has been scientifically shown to enhance engagement, understandability and memorability.

Scrollytelling came up as a central thing when Itai Amoza, our Founder and CEO was building the foundations for Storydoc.

He partnered with one of the world’s leading visualization scientists , prof. Steven Franconeri , to help him bring to Storydoc the means to reduce the complexity, friction, and information overload so characteristic of business presentations.

Scrollytelling is part of the solutions that came up, which led to specialized storytelling slides like our narrator slide (in the example below).

An example of Storydoc scrollytelling:

How to design presentation visuals to support your story

Presentation visuals can be unsung heroes or sloppy distractions.

Visuals can bring your message to life, make complex concepts easy to understand, and engage your audience in ways that words alone cannot. Or… they can sit there looking all pretty and distract you from what’s really going on.

4 elements of great presentation visuals:

Support your message: Your visuals should support your text, highlight your main message, and align with your objective. They should reinforce your points and help your audience understand your message.

Represent your audience: The best visuals are relatable. They should resonate with your target audience and reflect their world of associations. Use images and graphics that your audience can identify with – this can enhance their engagement and make your presentation more memorable. Equally important is using clean images - an effective way to do this is by using tools that allow you to remove your image backgrounds . By eliminating distractions and focusing on your subject, you create images that are more impactful and, therefore, can potentially increase audience engagement.

Introduce your product, outcomes, and clients: Wherever possible, use visuals to demonstrate your product, illustrate outcomes, and represent your clients. This can remove doubt and misunderstanding by letting your audience see (and make obvious) what words sometimes struggle to describe.

Follow your branding guidelines: Your presentation is an extension of your brand, so your visuals should conform to your branding guidelines. Consistent use of colors, fonts, and styles not only enhances brand recognition but also creates a cohesive, professional look.

Here’s an example of a well-designed presentation:

How to communicate complex information?

Did you ever have to read a presentation where you felt like you're lost in a maze of jargon, data, and complex concepts?

Are you giving others this same experience?

Communicating complex information is a common challenge in presentations. But there are ways you can simplify your presentation and reengage your audience.

Here’s how you can get complex information across:

1. Use interactive content

Interactive content is your best friend when it comes to simplifying complex information and getting deeply engaged with your content.

It gets the readers more involved in your presentation by letting them play an active part; like choosing the content route they wish to take and controlling the pace.

It keeps your presentation textually lean - giving readers the choice to expand more details on demand (in tabs, live graphs, sliders, accordions, and calculators).

Beyond that, live graphs can illustrate trends, animations can demonstrate processes, and videos can bring concepts to life.

Calculators, questionnaires, and chatbots provide personalized and specific answers to readers as part of your presentation, without them having to get in touch with you or your team.

Elavating your presentations from static to interactive has been tied to increasing the number of people who read your presentation in full by 41% !

Making interactive used to be hard, but now you can just use Storydoc. Go make your first interactive presentation. It’s easy as pie.

2. Show don’t tell

A picture is worth a thousand words. Because no one will read a presentation with a thousand words, do everyone a favor and use images.

Images can be super effective at communicating complex information and save you a lot of needless text.

In fact, visual representation of data and concepts can often convey what words cannot. Use diagrams, infographics, and images to illustrate your points and simplify the complex.

The goal is to create a visual narrative that complements your verbal one.

3. Narrate your content

Storytelling is another powerful tool for communicating complex concepts.

Whether it's through text to speech AI, video bubbles, or a scrollytelling narrator slide, narrating your content can help guide your audience through the complexity.

By giving your information a narrative structure, you can make it more digestible, engaging, and memorable.

According to Sales Hacker’s data, people remember up to 10% of numbers and 25% of images they see. When you center your presentation around a story, this rises to 60-70% .

4. Use examples and allegories

Examples and allegories help unravel the complexity of ideas.

They scaffold your message with concepts we already know and understand, and can easily imagine in our mind. This makes them less new and intimidating and more familiar.

Critically, the real secret lies in selecting examples that are not just familiar but also deeply relevant—those are the ones that will truly ring with your listeners.

If you tailor the allegory to your audience's world, it is guaranteed to lead to an “aha” moment.

5. Open a line of communication

Finally, invite dialogue. This could be through a chatbot or an option to book a meeting for further discussion. This not only helps clarify any confusion but also encourages engagement and deepens understanding.

For example, finishing your presentation with an interactive calendar to book a meeting instead of a generic “Thank you” slide has proven to boost conversion rate by 27% !

How to personalize your presentation?

Imagine attending a party where the host doesn't remember your name or anything about you. Not a great experience, right? The same holds true for presentations.

In a sea of generic content, personalization can be a lifeline that connects you to your audience on a deeper level. It’s also the single most important predictor of success, getting 68% more people to read your presentation in full .

But how do you add that personal touch?

1. Address reader by name

Just as you wouldn't start a conversation without a greeting, don't start your presentation without acknowledging your audience.

Using your audience's name can make your presentation feel like a personal conversation rather than a generic monologue. It's a simple yet powerful way to engage your audience from the get-go.

2. Use their company logo

Including your audience's company logo in your presentation can make them feel seen and valued. You can use logo templates to easily customize and add these logos to your slides. It shows that you've taken the time to tailor your presentation to them, enhancing its relevance and appeal.

Plus, it's a subtle way to reinforce that your message is specifically designed to address their needs and challenges.

3. Add a personal message (video or text)

A personal message can go a long way in building a connection with your audience.

It could be a video message from you, expressing your enthusiasm for the opportunity to present to them, or a text message highlighting why the presentation matters to them.

This personal touch can make your audience feel special and more invested in your presentation.

4. Personalize your Call-to-Action

Finally, cap off your presentation with a call to action that speaks directly to your audience.

Swap out the generic 'Contact us' with something that gets to the heart of their needs, something like, 'Let's roll up our sleeves and tackle your [specific issue] at [their company].'

By tailoring your call to action, you show your audience you've truly got their back, that you're not just here to talk, but to make a real, positive impact on their world.

Here’s an example of a personalized slide:

How to measure the effectiveness of your presentation

Imagine if you could peek into your audience's mind, understand what resonated, what fell flat, and what drove them to action?

Presentation analytics is essential in order to guide you on how to fine-tune it for maximum impact.

But how do you get your hands on presentation analytics?

Any presentation you create with Storydoc comes with an out-of-the-box analytics suite , ready to track and provide insights.

We give you 100% visibility into how people engage with your presentations and send you real-time engagement alerts.

Here’s a video explaining how you can track performance with our analytics panel:

4 critical presentation engagement metrics to keep track of

1. Reading time

Storydoc gives you the precise time prospects spend reading your presentation so you can quickly figure out what's hitting the target and what's not.

Are they soaking up every word or just quickly skimming through? This can help you shape your content to hit the bullseye.

NOTE: Keep in mind that reading time alone might not show you a full picture. A better way is to use a smart engagement score that brings together different metrics like time spent and depth of reading. You can get this kind of total score in Storydoc.

2. Reading completion

Another basic metric we track is how many people read your content from start to finish.

This metric is a strong sign of the prospect’s interest and your content quality. It shows you if they're finding the information relevant, but also worth sticking with till the end.

3. Next step conversion rate

This one tracks how many people take the next step after they check out your presentation. This could be filling out a form, setting up a meeting, or downloading more files.

For business presentations, measuring this can show how well your presentation is pushing people further down the sales funnel.

At the top of your analytics dashboard, you can find a tab that shows you how many people clicked on your CTA divided by presentation, date, and location. If you scroll down to the list of readers, next to each person you can also see whether they clicked on the CTA or not.

Here's what it looks like:

4. Number of shares

This metric is particularly important for B2B sales teams . As more people are getting involved in buying decisions, this measure helps you see if and when your content is being passed around inside your prospect’s company.

On the analytics dashboard, under each presentation version, you can find detailed information on how many people read it. So, the higher the number, the more your presentation has been shared internally.

We'll notify you when your presentation has been shared, and who opened it, so you can time your follow-up perfectly to your buyer’s readiness to advance further.

Here's where you can find this information:

Best tool for making an effective presentation

In the realm of presentation tools, classics like Google Slides and PowerPoint offer simplicity and ease, while Canva and Pitch add a dash of design flair and collaboration.

If you're seeking to elevate your presentations to new heights you’ll need to do better than simple PowerPoints or flashy Canvas. Next-gen AI presentation tools like Storydoc are your game-changer.

They break free from the static concept of slides and offer the creation of interactive, immersive content experiences that sweep us along like a good story.

Grab a template - create your best presentation to date

Ever wished for a secret recipe to whip up a killer presentation? We've got something even better! Our interactive presentation templates are your shortcut to success.

Say goodbye to hours of formatting and hello to captivating, interactive presentations, all with a few clicks.

Grab a template and turn presentation woes into wows!

Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.

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Few of us feel entirely comfortable writing a presentation. There is something very daunting for many people about the process of moving your thoughts from your head to paper (or a series of slides on the computer).

However, there are things that you can do to help yourself. These include knowing your material well and taking time to consider what you want to say.

This page provides advice on how to write a presentation. It discusses the initial writing, and then also explains how to review and edit your work. This will help to ensure that your presentation is as effective as possible.

Before you start...

Before you start to write your presentation, you need certain information: the objective, the subject, and details of the audience, for example. For more about this, see our page on Preparing Your Presentation .

Based on the information you have gathered, you should also have started to develop your ideas and select the main points to include. For more about this, see our page on Organising Your Material .

Some basic starting points

There are two really important things to remember when starting to write a presentation:

1. Give your presentation an introduction, a main message, and a conclusion.

Some people summarise this as ‘say what you’re going to say, say it, then say what you’ve said’ .

However, that is not the whole story. Your introduction needs to ‘set the scene’ a bit and give a broad outline of what you are going to cover in your presentation. If you are using presentation software such as PowerPoint, this should be a single slide. Your conclusion needs to sum up and present your main message to your audience, probably again in a single slide.

If you are taking questions after your presentation, and you are using PowerPoint, you will probably have a slide up on the screen during questions. You could, of course, have a final slide that says something like “Thank you for listening, any questions?”, or gives your contact details.

However, you could also leave up a final slide that highlights your conclusions.

This will help to ensure that your key messages remain in the minds of your audience.

2. Think about using stories to get your message across

We are hard-wired by thousands of years of evolution to listen to stories. Stories helped us survive by reminding us about important behaviours. We therefore tend to remember them much better than dry lists of facts or bullet points.

It is much easier to work with this than ignore it.

There are two aspects of this.

First, you should try to think about your presentation as telling a story to your audience. What is the point that you are trying to make, and how can you best get it across?

Second, it is helpful to use stories as part of your presentation . For example, if you start by telling a story or anecdote, it will act as a ‘hook’ to draw in your audience. You can also use stories to illustrate each point you want to make. Of course, your story has to link to your main message, because you can pretty much guarantee that your audience will remember the story much longer than the conclusion!

Structuring Your Presentation

The structure and content of your presentation will of course be unique to you.

Only you can decide on the best way to present your messages.  However, you might like to consider some standard presentation structures for inspiration:

1. Harnessing the Power of Three

In public speaking and rhetorical debate, as well as in much communication, three is a magic number.  The brain finds it relatively easy to grasp three points at a time.

People find three points, ideas or numbers, easier to understand and remember than four or more. 

You could therefore structure your presentation using the magic number of three.

For example, your presentation should have three main elements: the introduction, middle and conclusions. Within the main body of your presentation, divide your key message into three elements and then expand each of these points into three sub-points.  If you are using a visual aid such as PowerPoint, limit the number of bullet points to three on each slide and expand on each of these as you go along.

What should you do if you have more than three points to make?

Reduce them until you don’t have more than three points!

Your audience will probably only remember three of your five or six points anyway—but which three? Do the work for them, and identify the three most important points, and leave the others out.

2. What, Why, How?

An alternative structure uses the questions “What?”, “Why?” and “How?” to communicate your message to the audience. In a way, this also harnesses the power of three, but is a special case for driving action.

“What?” identifies the key message you wish to communicate. Think about the benefit of your message for your audience. What will they gain, what can they do with the information, and what will the benefit be?

“Why?” addresses the next obvious question that arises for the audience .  Having been told “what”, the audience will naturally then start to think “why should I do that?”, “why should I think that?” or “why should that be the case?”. Directly addressing the “why?” question in the next stage of your presentation means that you are answering these questions and your talk is following a natural route through the material. This will ensure that you have the audience on your side immediately.

“How?” is the final question that naturally arises in the audience’s mind . They want to know how they are going to achieve what you have just suggested.  Try not to be too prescriptive here. Instead of telling people exactly how they should act on your message, offer suggestions as to how they can act, perhaps using examples.

You should try to back up what you say with evidence. You can use case studies, personal examples or statistics here, but try to ensure that you use them in the form of stories.

There is more about this on our page Presenting Data .

Editing Your Content

Once you have a first draft of your presentation, it is important to review and edit this.

This will help to ensure that it really does get your message across in the most effective way.

When editing presentation content, you should consider:

The language . Make sure that what you are saying will be clear to your audience. Remove any jargon and try to use plain English instead. If necessary, explain terms when you first use them.

Sentence structure .  Use short sentences and keep the structure simple. Remember that you will be talking through your ideas and that the audience will be listening rather than reading.

The flow . Make sure that your presentation structure leads your audience through your ideas and helps them to draw your conclusion for themselves.

Use metaphors and stories to aid understanding and retention.

‘Hooks’ to get and hold the audience’s attention . Ensure that you have included several ‘hooks’ at various points in the presentation. This will help you to get and then keep the audience’s attention. These might be stories, or audience participation, or some alternative visual aids , such as a short video.

Check, and double check, for spelling and grammar . Make sure that any presentation slides or illustrations, titles, captions, handouts or similar are free from spelling mistakes.

Ideally, you should take a break from the presentation before editing so that you can look at your writing with a fresh pair of eyes.

You might also want to ask a friend or colleague to have a look, particularly at the flow and the language. If possible, ask someone who is not familiar with the material .

A final thought

The actual writing of your presentation is really the final stage of your preparation.

If you have done your homework, you will already be clear about the reason why you are presenting, the subject matter, and the main points you want to make. Actually putting it down on paper should therefore be relatively straightforward.

Continue to: Deciding the Presentation Method Preparing for a Presentation

See also: Organising the Presentation Material Working with Visual Aids Coping with Presentation Nerves Dealing with Questions

Like what you're reading?

Need a good presentation topic? Here are hundreds of them.

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

Anete Ezera November 04, 2022

If you’re looking for good topics for presentations, you’ve landed on the right page. In this article, you’ll find plenty of good presentation topics, tips on choosing the most suitable presentation topic for you, and essential design elements to make your presentation a success. 

Many factors go into an excellent presentation. You need to have confident body language and engage your audience to hold their attention. You also need eye-catching visual aids like images, data visualizations, GIFs, and others (all of which you can find in Prezi ), not to mention a great opening to grab attention and a strong closing line to stay memorable. However, the most essential aspect of your presentation is the topic. It’s the core of your presentation, so it has to be strong, insightful, attention-grabbing, and appealing to yourself and your audience in order to evolve into a successful presentation everyone will love. 

How to choose a good presentation topic

There are millions of topics you could create a presentation on, but what defines a good presentation topic? If you’re struggling to either come up with a good topic for a presentation or you can’t decide between multiple ones, here are a few questions you should ask yourself before choosing a topic. 

What’s the goal of your presentation? 

When you’re choosing a presentation topic, consider the meaning behind it. Ask yourself what the purpose of talking about this topic is, and what you want to say about it. Whatever topic you choose to present, the conclusion needs to provide a takeaway or lesson you want to communicate to your audience. A meaningful goal will make your presentation more memorable.  

Are you interested in the topic?

If you’re not interested in the presentation topic, others won’t be curious either. Interest, enthusiasm, and passion enrich your presentation and are noticeable when presenting. Interest shines through and inspires others to find the topic as fascinating as you do. Think about the last time you saw someone sharing something they were passionate about – their excitement drew people in to pay closer attention to what they were saying. 

When choosing a topic, you need to find it or a particular angle of it interesting for yourself. For example, perhaps you’re not a pop music enthusiast, but you’re passionate about studying cultural phenomena. In this case, you can talk about pop music’s influence on early 2000s youth culture. 

Will your audience find this topic relatable? 

While you have to find the topic you’re presenting interesting, you also have to think about your audience. When choosing a subject, consider your audience’s background in terms of demographics, interests, culture, and knowledge level about the topic. Think about what others will find fascinating and relevant, so they’re not bored or confused during your presentation.

Do you have prior experience or knowledge about this topic?

Personal experiences are always great to share in a presentation, providing your unique perspective for anyone listening. While you can easily prepare your presentation based on a quick Google search, it won’t make the same lasting impact on your audience. Choose a presentation topic you have some prior knowledge about, or have an interesting opinion you can share with others. It’ll make your presentation more engaging and memorable.

Ideas for good presentation topics

It’s not easy to come up with a good presentation topic from scratch. It’s much easier to get inspired from other good presentation topics to build your topic on. Whether you’re looking for presentation ideas for work, about me presentation ideas, unique or easy presentation topics, you’ll find them all here.

Without further ado, here are some good presentation topics to choose from or get inspired by.

Presentation topics about social media

• The role of social media in portraying gender stereotypes
• How social media impacts our body image
• How social media shaped Gen Z 
• The most significant differences between the Facebook and TikTok generations
• The negative effects of social media
• The positive impacts of social media 
• The effects of social media on behavior 
• How social media impacts our physical (or mental) health
• How social media has shaped our understanding of mass media
• Should we teach about social media in schools?
• The rise of social media influencers
• How AR Instagram filters impact our self-image
• How to go viral on social media?
• The origins of social media echo chambers
• Social media as a news outlet

Author: Ish Verduzco

Presentation topics about movies

• How movies influence our understanding of good and evil
• Beauty standards represented in movies
• How female characters are depicted in Hollywood movies
• How horror movies and global fears have developed through time
• The adverse effects of romance movies
• How movies have changed our understanding of the Western culture
• Charlie Chaplin and the silent movie era
• The globalization of culture: Hollywood vs. Bollywood
• The psychology behind the music in films
• The ethics of using animals in movies
• Social media’s influence on the film industry
• The history of filmmaking
• The role of color in movies
• The cultural impact of romance movies
• How are gender stereotypes depicted in Hollywood movies?

Author: Cinto Marti

Presentation topics about music

• The impact of pop music on beauty standards
• Should digital music be free for everyone?
• The psychology behind the music in advertisements 
• The effectiveness of sound therapy
• Can music inspire criminal behavior?
• The psychological effects of metal music
• The origins of K-pop
• How does music influence our understanding of the world?
• Can music help in the learning process?
• The positive effects of classical music
• The history of hip hop
• Why is music education essential in schools?
• The psychological benefits of playing piano
• Can anyone become a famous musician?
• The role of music in fashion

Author: Prezi Editorial

Presentation topics about health

• The link between food and mental health
• Inequality in the healthcare system
• Myths about healthy practices
• Simple practices that help you stay healthy
• Health education in schools: Should it change?  
• Toxic positivity and mental health
• The impact of superfoods on our health
• The psychology behind unhealthy eating habits
• Sex education in schools: Why should we have it?
• How to trick yourself into getting better: The placebo effect
• How to strengthen your immune system
• How to tell if someone is depressed
• The health benefits of regular exercise
• The impact of junk food on mental health
• Stress-caused diseases

Author: Prezi Education Team

Presentation topics about human psychology

• What is social depression?
• What triggers panic attacks?
• The impact of testosterone on aggressive behavior
• How to overcome social anxiety
• Differences in the functioning of the brain of a child and adult
• The impact of violent video games on children’s brain development
• How does the use of social media influence our attention span?
• How to overcome childhood trauma
• The influence of marijuana on the human brain
• How does behavioral therapy work
• The psychology behind fame
• The causes of personality disorders
• The differences in brain functioning between men and women
• What happens in therapy sessions?
• The psychology of substance abuse 

Presentation topics about self-development

• The impact of exercise on productivity
• How to deal with stress
• How to deal with procrastination
• The positive effects of meditation
• Why new–year’s resolutions don’t work
• How to overcome bad habits
• The impact of negative thoughts
• The negative effects of self-criticism
• The role of creativity in self-development
• Benefits of journaling
• How to learn something fast
• How to be mindful
• The importance of curiosity 
• How to become more self-aware
• Why it’s essential to spend time with yourself

Author: Nir Eyal

Presentation topics about education

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of online education?
• The positive effects of a gap year
• Should university education be free?
• Inequality in education access
• How language learning benefits brain development
• Emerging gender issues in education
• The importance of socialization in school
• School bullying and student development
• The benefits of reading 
• Is the education system broken?
• What you don’t learn in college
• The link between education and brain development
• The history of schools
• The gender gap in STEM
• The connection between equality in education and economic growth

Presentation topics about culture

• Is graffiti a form of art or street vandalism? 
• Cultural diversity in the workplace
• The impact of culture on gender roles
• The issue with orientalism
• Are humans the only species that has culture?
• How do different cultures view death? 
• The ethical issues of pop culture
• The impact of culture on personal development
• Sexism in different cultures
• The impact of globalization on local cultures
• The viral spread of the #metoo movement
• The history of subcultures
• The problem with romanticizing toxic relationships in movies
• 90s pop-culture influence on fashion trends
• The evolution of cultural psychology 

Author: Devin Banerjee

Presentation ideas for work

• What it’s like to be a digital nomad?
• How to deal with workplace conflicts
• The secret to a productive day
• How to set achievable goals
• The importance of diversity in a workplace
• The positive effects of creative thinking at work
• How to give constructive feedback
• The characteristics of a valuable team member
• Inequality and the glass ceiling
• Racial discrimination in the workplace
• Work habits of different cultures
• How is work perceived in various countries?
• Technological development and the future of work
• The importance of a healthy work/life balance
• The rise of health problems in office work

Author: Charles Huang

Presentation topics about hybrid work

• The positive effects of hybrid work on work/life balance
• Is hybrid work the future work model? 
• How to stay connected in a hybrid work model
• The challenges of hybrid work nobody talks about
• How to stay productive when working from home
• The social effects of hybrid work
• The economic impacts of hybrid work
• Case study: Hybrid work model in [company]
• What causes Zoom fatigue?
• The problem with online meetings
• Is hybrid work better than remote work?
• How to develop a close relationship with colleagues in a hybrid work model
• What kind of company culture is best for a hybrid work model?
• Is hybrid work sustainable?
• Cybersecurity consideration for hybrid working

Author: Barbie Brewer

Presentation topics about public speaking

• The importance of body language in public speeches
• How to appear confident when you’re not
• How to become a better orator
• The use of eye contact in public speaking
• Breathing exercises that will calm you down before public speaking
• The benefits of public speaking
• Ways to improve public speaking skills
• How to leave a great first impression on stage
• How to engage your audience during a public speech
• How to best structure your public speech
• How to end your presentation speech
• Can anyone learn to be good at public speaking?
• How to prepare for a public speech
• What not to do right before a public speech
• How to address a controversial topic in a public speech  

Author: Prezi Team

Presentation topics about entrepreneurship and leadership

• The main principles of a good leader
• The impact of leadership skills on professional performance
• The mistake every entrepreneur makes
• How to successfully lead a cross-cultural team
• How to celebrate inclusivity in a diverse team
• What are the common personality traits of a successful entrepreneur?
• The impact of entrepreneurship on the global economy
• The characteristics of a leader
• The most common challenges of entrepreneurship
• Can anyone learn to become a successful leader? 
• What affects new venture growth?
• The psychology of leadership
• What is crowdsourcing? 
• The benefits of being an entrepreneur
• Common mistakes leaders make

Author: Jill Sinclair

Presentation topics about technology

• The rise of technological development
• Is technology addictive?
• Should we use drones for military and non-military purposes?
• The sustainability of electric cars
• What are deepfakes?
• Limitations of AI machines
• The future of programming
• Ethical issues of AI
• The future of AR in business
• How VR can be used in the medical field

Author: David Vandegrift

Sales presentation topics

• How to make a cold email intro
• What is sales enablement?
• How to build better relationships with customers
• The best way to improve pipeline management
• Coaching via verbal and written role-play
• How to plan cold calls
• What’s a deal-breaker for most customers? 
• All about personalized coaching
• How to manage objections
• How to close more deals
• How to keep your prospects engaged
• Effective sales communication strategies
• How to conduct a competitor analysis
• The most valuable sales skills
• What soft skills do you need to become a successful sales rep?

Author: Cindy McGovern

Easy presentation topics

• Benefits of daily exercise and how to incorporate it into your routine
• Simple and nutritious meal recipes
• Tips for improving time management and productivity
• The importance of recycling
• The history of a local landmark or festival
• Ways to reduce stress
• Exploring different types of renewable energy sources and their impact on the environment
• The basics of budgeting and saving money for future goals
• The benefits of social media for professional use
• Tips for overcoming stage fright
• How to start a meditation practice
• The impact of technology on modern society
• The basics of personal finance
• The health benefits of a plant-based diet
• The history of Earth Day

The best general presentation topics

• The benefits of volunteering for personal growth
• How daily habits shape long-term success
• The importance of community in mental health
• How music affects your mood
• The power of positive thinking
• Why it’s important to disconnect from technology regularly
• The impact of color on emotions and behaviour
• How pets can improve your well-being

Author: Marcus Purvis

Good how to presentation topics

• How to create a successful social media marketing strategy
• How to give a persuasive presentation
• How to create effective and engaging content for your blog
• How to discover your strengths and weaknesses
• How to use project management tools to increase productivity
• How to make the most out of boring meetings
• How to build a personal brand
• How to conduct effective market research
• How to use data analytics to improve decision-making
• How to improve your decision-making process
• How to write a winning proposal
• How to create a visually stunning presentation
• How to manage stressful situations at work
• How to make friends as an adult
• How to network at work events

About me presentation ideas

• My journey to becoming who I am today
• My passion for [insert topic or activity]
• My career aspirations and goals
• My travels and adventures around the world
• My hobbies and interests outside of work/school
• My role models and influences
• My strengths and weaknesses
• My favorite books, movies, and TV shows
• My proudest achievements and accomplishments
• My favorite childhood memories
• My family and friends
• My education and academic background
• My volunteer and community service experience
• My personality traits and values
• My vision for the future and how I plan to achieve it

Author: Adam Grant

Student presentation ideas

• The history and evolution of video games
• The history and cultural impact of tattoos
• The impact of social media on body image and self-esteem
• The effects of globalization on local cultures and economies
• The role of education in promoting social justice and equity
• The ethical implications of autonomous weapons in warfare
• The impact of mass media on society and culture
• The causes and effects of deforestation on biodiversity and climate change
• The history and cultural significance of dance in different parts of the world
• The psychology of addiction and recovery
• The impact of the gig economy on labor rights and job security
• The history and impact of feminism on gender equality
• The benefits and drawbacks of renewable energy sources
• The impact of colonialism on indigenous cultures and identities
• The role of technology in promoting global connectivity and intercultural understanding

Author: Edward Quinn

Informative presentation topics

• The science of sleep: How to get a restful night and improve your wellbeing
• A journey through the history of the internet
• Exploring the potential of AI in our world
• Climate change: Understanding the challenge, seeking solutions for a sustainable future
• How new technologies are shaping the future of food
• Understanding the psychology of money for financial success
• The power of a story: How storytelling captures hearts and minds
• Mastering the art of negotiation in every interaction
• The science of happiness: Unlocking the secrets to a more fulfilling life
• The power of mindfulness for a more present and peaceful YOU
• Understanding cybersecurity threats and protecting yourself online
• Exploring the potential of virtual reality for a more immersive future

Author: Andrew Davis

Random presentation topics

• Why people believe conspiracy theories
• How esports are changing traditional sports
• How philanthropy helps solve global problems
• Does nostalgia influence consumer behavior? 
• The science behind sleep disorders and their impact on health
• The cultural significance of food rituals around the world
• The history and evolution of transportation systems
• How public opinion shapes government policy
• The impact of light pollution on the environment and human health
• The role of folklore in preserving cultural identity

Author: John Hall

Interesting topics for presentations

• How social media affects friendships
• The science behind why we dream
• Why some people are afraid of public speaking
• The impact of video games on learning
• How different cultures celebrate New Year’s
• Why laughter is good for your health
• The benefits of learning a second language
• How technology is changing the way we shop
• The story behind famous logos
• Why recycling is important for the environment

Author: J.T. O’Donnell

How to find interesting topics for a presentation

Finding the right presentation topic makes it interesting for the audience and also showcases your passion and knowledge. Here are some ways to discover interesting topics:

• Consider Current Events: Find presentation topics that are relevant by keeping up to date with the latest news.
• Ask Your Audience: If you can, find out what your audience would like to learn about. 
• Explore Social Media: Social media platforms are a good way to find trending topics. 
• Look at Industry Trends: Research what’s happening in your field or industry and present on that. 
• Think About Common Problems: Present solutions for everyday problems.

Finding the perfect templates that align with your presentation topics

Prezi makes turning your presentation topics into engaging stories simple by offering a wide range of templates you can choose from. Here are a few examples: 

AI-assisted science-themed template

This template has a science and technology theme with a sleek, modern design, focusing on the brain and AI elements.

• The psychology behind AI and machine learning
• Understanding the human brain
• The impact of AI on future jobs

Music festival AI-assisted template

This template has a vibrant and energetic design, ideal for topics related to music, festivals, or any creative field.

• The psychology behind music in films
• The impact of music on culture
• How to create a successful social media marketing strategy (for music events)

Education-themed template

A clean and educational template that’s perfect for scientific and technical topics, especially those related to physics and engineering.

• How simple machines revolutionized modern engineering
• The role of technology in promoting global connectivity

Nature-themed template

A visually rich template with a focus on nature, perfect for environmental or biology-related topics.

• The impact of climate change on global migration patterns
• The importance of biodiversity
• How different cultures view nature and the environment
• The role of urban planning in creating sustainable cities
• Exploring the potential of renewable energy sources

Constellation-themed template

This template is designed around a space and astronomy theme, with a focus on constellations and the night sky.

• The history and significance of constellations in different cultures
• How astronomy has shaped human history
• The impact of space exploration on science
• The role of light pollution in astronomy
• The future of space tourism

Hiking journey template

A template with an adventurous theme, ideal for presentations related to travel, journeys, or outdoor activities.

• The benefits of spending time in nature
• How hiking impacts mental and physical health
• The history of famous hiking trails
• The environmental impact of outdoor activities
• How to plan a successful adventure trip

How to create a good presentation 

If you know what you want to present on, it’s time to create an impactful presentation that grabs everyone’s attention. Presentation design plays a crucial role in how your presentation is received and remembered. To stand out and leave a memorable impact on your audience, create a Prezi presentation. Instead of a linear, slide-based presentation, offer an engaging and dynamic storytelling experience to your audience. Breathe life into your presentation with motion, zoom, and spatial relationships. When creating your presentation, consider the following three essential elements: 

Visuals play a significant part in presentation design. They evoke emotions, make a memorable impact, and give more context to the story. Not to mention, 65% of people are visual learners , so visual aids are helpful when explaining a complex topic. 

In your presentation, include different types of visuals, such as images, videos, GIFs, and stickers, all of which you can find in Prezi’s content library. When selecting your visuals, consider what’s relevant and brings additional value to the story. Only add what’s meaningful and necessary. A video or image at the right place and time will enrich the viewing experience and make your presentation more memorable. 

The layout of your presentation is the structure of your story. It’ll help you introduce the topic, intrigue your audience, and unfold the layers of your topic one by one until you disclose your main arguments and summarize the presentation. A good presentation layout has a hierarchical, chronological, or logical flow that leads the viewer from start to finish. 

If you’re creating a Prezi presentation, you can create a dynamic storytelling experience by experimenting with your layout. Instead of going from slide to slide, you can zoom in and out of topics and experiment with different shapes, animations, and effects that draw the viewer into your story world. Here’s an example of a Prezi presentation with a great storytelling layout:

Author: Lydia Antonatos

Data visualizations can elevate your presentation from being a good one to a great one. By providing data behind your arguments, you’ll appear more trustworthy and confident in your audience’s eyes. 

Add charts, graphs, interactive maps, and more to your presentations with Prezi Design. You can choose from a wide selection of charts and maps to illustrate your data. With interactive elements, you’ll be able to engage your audience and make a memorable impact. 

Engaging visuals, a well-structured layout, and relevant data visualizations will provide a great starting base to create a memorable presentation. Discover other tips and tricks that make your presentation effective and capture people’s attention. For more tips on doing a cool and impactful presentation, check out these resources:

• How to Give a Good Presentation : This article will provide you with tips on how to structure and deliver your presentation well.
• Effective Presentation Tips : This article explores key strategies to improve your presentation skills and keep your audience listening.

Prezi AI for presentation success

If you already have a clear presentation style in mind or plenty of time for creation, fantastic! But what if you only have a day or less or you don’t know where to start? Enter Prezi AI . It’s your assistant for streamlining the presentation creation process. Here’s how Prezi AI leverages the power of artificial intelligence to turn you into a presentation pro:

Effortless design from scratch

Ditch the blank page anxiety with the AI presentation maker . Simply provide a title or outline, and Prezi AI will generate a visually appealing draft presentation in seconds. It’s like having a built-in design assistant ready to brainstorm with you.

Smarter text, stronger impact

Prezi’s AI text-editing tool helps you perfect your message in seconds. It analyzes your content, suggesting improvements for readability and conciseness.

From bullet points to animations

Let’s face it, static bullet points can put even the most dynamic presenter to sleep. Prezi’s AI animated slides maker transforms your text into captivating visual stories. Choose from formats like flowcharts, animated lists, or zoom reveals to keep your audience engaged.

Perfect for busy presenters

We all know the struggle – a million tasks on your plate, and a looming presentation deadline. Prezi AI can help you save valuable time! With AI assistance, you can generate presentations faster, focus on refining your content, and present with the confidence that comes from knowing your presentation looks polished and professional.

Design help

Don’t worry if you don’t have an eye for design. Prezi AI provides the tools and guidance to create presentations that impress visually.

With Prezi AI, crafting presentations is easy, allowing you to focus on delivering your message with impact and leaving your audience engaged and inspired. Explore what’s possible with Prezi A I today!

Learn more on how to turn your presentation topic into a stunning presentation with AI:

Final thoughts on selecting good presentation topics

Choosing a topic for a presentation isn’t easy. When selecting a topic, think about the goal of your presentation, your interests, and knowledge about the topic, and whether or not your audience will find it relevant and interesting for them. Also, get inspired by other topics that’ll help you figure out what you want to talk about. Lastly, when creating your presentation, consider the impact of visuals, layout, and data visualizations. To simplify the creation process, try Prezi AI or follow the step-by-step process of making a presentation with helpful tips and resources.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

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

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

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

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Blog Data Visualization 120+ Presentation Ideas, Topics & Example

120+ Presentation Ideas, Topics & Example

Written by: Ryan McCready May 08, 2023

Did you know that 46% of people can’t sit through a presentation without losing focus? 

That’s why I wanted to learn how to make a presentation that will captivate an audience. After looking at hundreds of different authors, topics and designs, I’ve assembled over 100 presentation ideas and tips on how to design a compelling presentation for:

• Social media
• Online courses
• Pitch decks
• Lead generation

In this blog, you’ll find 120+ presentation ideas, design tips and examples to help you create an awesome presentations slide deck for your next presentation.

To start off, here’s a video on the 10 essential presentation design tips to make sure that your presentations don’t fall under the YAWN category.

1. Use a minimalist presentation theme

CREATE THIS PRESENTATION TEMPLATE

The best designs can also be some of the simplest you see. In the Airbnb pitch deck below, they use a minimalist color scheme and font selection.

A minimalist design is sleek, organized and places the most important thing in focus: your information. There are no distracting stock images, icons, or content. Everything on this unique presentation feels like it belongs and works together perfectly. 

Learn how to customize this template:

2. Use a consistent design motif throughout your presentation

Here’s a go-to tip to for a cohesive presentation design: use a design motif. The motif could be a recurring shape (like circles, lines or arrows) or symbol (like a leaf for “growth” or a mountain for “goals”). For more ideas, check out our guide to common symbols and meanings used in design .

For example, this  presentation template uses circles as a design motif. The same circle icon is used in three different colors to add a bubbly touch to the design. The team photos are also incorporated using circle frames:

3. Use an eye-catching presentation background image

Like with any type of design work, you should want to catch the eye of your audience. In a presentation, this should be done from the beginning with a  compelling background image or a color gradient.

In this presentation template, the creators were able to do just that with a landscape photo. When a presentation like this is seen on social media, during a webinar or in person, your audience will definitely listen up.

4. Visualize your points with icons

Icons are the perfect visuals to include in presentations. They’re compact and can convey a concept to your audience at a glance. You can even combine multiple icons to create custom illustrations for your slides. 

Use the Icon Search in Venngage to find illustrated and flat icons:

5. Use a black & white color scheme for a corporate presentation design

In the presentation below there are only two colors used: black and white. Now, you might be worried that only using two colors is boring, but it all comes down to balance.

Playing off the ideas of classic minimalism, the designer made this presentation look sleek and professional. And now your content can be the main attraction of your presentation as well!

6. Repurpose your slide deck into an infographic 

Different types of presentations serve different purposes and sometimes it helps to work smarter, not harder when you are creating a unique presentation. In fact, the spacing, layout, and style used in this presentation makes it easy to repurpose the same images into an infographic.

This allows you to create two unique pieces of content from one idea!  Which is exactly what  Officevibe did .

Join Venngage’s CEO, Eugene Woo, to learn how you can design impactful infographics that will help maintain trust, increase productivity and inspire action in your team.

SIGN UP NOW

7. Break your genre mold for a fun presentation idea

When I first clicked on this creative presentation from SEMrush, I was not expecting to be transported into a comic book. I’m glad I clicked because it may be the most unique slide deck I have ever seen. Going this extreme with your presentation ideas may seem a bit risky, but to be able to break the mold in this age of cookie-cutter presentations is worth it.

To leave a lasting impression on your audience, consider transforming your slides into an interactive presentation. Here are 15  interactive presentation ideas  to enhance interactivity and engagement.

8. Make your presentation cover slide count

As I was scrolling through all of the presentations, this one made me stop in my tracks. It could be that I have a life-long love of Star Wars, or it could be that their presentation cover slide was designed to do just that: grab your attention. That’s why you should not stick with a boring, text-only title slide. Don’t be afraid to use icons and illustrations to make a statement.

9.  Alternate slide layouts to keep your presentation engaging

Keeping your audience engaged throughout an entire presentation is hard, even if you have been working on your presentation skills . No one wants to look at slides that look exactly the same for an hour. But on the other hand, you can’t create a unique masterpiece for each slide.

That’s why I’m very impressed with what the designers did in the presentation example above. They use a consistent visual theme on each slide, but alternate between vertical and horizontal orientations.

The swapping of orientations will show people that the presentation is progressing nicely. It can help you make a strong, almost physical, distinction between ideas, sections or topics.  

10. Make your audience laugh, or at least chuckle

Sometimes you need to not take your business presentations too seriously. Not sure what I mean? Go check out slide number 10 on this slide deck below.

If you did not actually laugh out loud, then I don’t know what to tell you. Small illustrated embellishments can be very powerful because they evoke an emotional response and to gain your audience’s trust.

Did you know 70% of employees think that giving a good presentation is an essential workplace skill? Check out the top qualities of awesome presentations and learn all about how to make a good presentation to help you nail that captivating delivery.

11. Supplement your presentation with printed materials

Printed takeaways (such as brochures and business cards ) give audience members a chance to take home the most important elements of your presentation in a format they can easily access without using a computer. Make sure you brand these materials in a way that’s visually consistent with your slide deck, with the same color scheme, icons, and other iconic features; otherwise, your recipients will just end up scratching their heads.

If you’re giving people multiple materials, try packaging them all into one convenient presentation folder. There are over 100 styles with a wide range of custom options, so feel free to get creative and make your folder stand out. Sometimes a unique die cut or an unusual stock is all you need to make something truly memorable. Here are some brochure templates to get you started.

12. Only use one chart or graphic per slide 

Having too much information on a slide is the easiest way to lose the focus of your audience. This is especially common when people are using graphs, charts or tables .

In this creative slide deck, the author made sure to only include one focal point per slide, and I applaud them for it. I know this may sound like a simple presentation tip, but I have seen many people lose their audience because the slides are too complex.

13. Keep your employee engagement presentations light   

Sometimes you need to get away from stuffy, professional presentation ideas to capture your audience’s attention. In this case, Officevibe used some very colorful and playful illustrations to stand out from the crowd.

I mean, who could not love the plant with a face on slide number 9? And if you want to see some more icons and illustrations like this, be sure to check out our article on how to tell a story with icons.

14.  Feature a map when talking about locations

Including a map in your creative presentations is a fantastic idea! Not only do they make an interesting focal point for your slide layout, they also make location-based information easier to understand.

This cool presentation example by our pro designers at Venngage uses maps to visualize information. This map both dominates the screen, and also displays all the locations being covered.

15. Use a font that is large and in charge 

If you are presenting to a small group or a packed stadium, make sure your audience can see your text! Use a large and in charge font that can be read from even the nosebleed seats. 

Honestly, you really never know where your unique presentation will be seen. It could be seen in a conference room or conference hall, and everything in between. Be ready to present almost anywhere with a bold and easy to read font.

16. Use pop culture references to build a fun presentation 

Using a meme or pop culture reference is another way that you can jive with your audience. It can be used to quickly get a point across without saying a word or create a moment that you can connect with the room. For example in this presentation, they used Napoleon Dynamite to give the audience feelings of nostalgia.

17. Use more than one font weight on your presentation cover slide

Just like you would never use one font on an infographic, you should never use just one font on your presentation (for more tips, read our guide on how to choose fonts ). In this presentation example from HubSpot, they use a bunch of different font weights to add emphasis to key words and ideas.

As you can see, they use a bold font on the presentation cover to bring attention to Steve Jobs name. This makes it easy for the audience to know what your presentation is going to be about from the beginning as well. 

18. Use a color theme for each idea 

Color is another extremely powerful nonverbal tool that you can use to guide your audience. By using a different color for each section of your creative presentation, Dell is able to clearly indicate when they are switching points or ideas.  Going from green to orange, and even red almost effortlessly.

This is a great way to design a list, guide, or a  how-to presentation as well. And each color can be assigned to a different step or number with ease. 

Need help picking the perfect color palette? Start here !

19. Use illustrations instead of pictures 

An easy way to keep your design consistent throughout your unique presentation is to use illustrations like in this slide deck by Domo.

They used illustrations instead of pictures to show off their subject on slide numbers 4-10 and it looks fantastic. This will ensure that the audience focuses on the content, instead of just the photo they could have used.

It also helps that illustrations are a top design trend for 2020 .

20. Use contrasting colors to compare two perspectives or sides of an argument 

Contrasting colors can be used to quickly show each side of topic or an argument. For example in this presentation, they use this trick to show the difference between their company and the competition.

They use color very effectively in this example to show their company is better, in a nonverbal way. With a lighter color and illustrated icons, the company is able to position them as the better choice. All without saying a word.  

Now if they would have used similar colors, or a single color the effect wouldn’t have been as strong or noticeable.

21. Include your own personal interests

This example is one of the most interesting and cool presentations I have seen in awhile, so I suggest checking out the entire thing. The creator inserts a bunch of his personal interests into the slide to make his presentation about education fun and relatable. And they even use a Super Mario Bros inspired presentation cover, so you know it has to be fantastic! 

22. Try to stick to groups of three 

How many major ideas should be present on your presentation aid? Never break your  presentation layout down into anything more than thirds. This means there should be at most three columns, three icons, three ideas and so on.  A great example of this idea starts on slide number 9 in this slide deck and continues throughout the rest of the presentation.

 Here is a great three columned slide template to get started with.

23. Add a timeline to help visualize ideas 

One of the best ways to visualize a complex process or historical event is to use a timeline presentation. A list of all the steps or events is just not going to cut it in a professional setting. You need to find an engaging way to visualize the information.

Take the presentation example above , where they outline the rise and fall of Athens in a visually stimulating way.

24. Label your graphs & charts 

If the people at Pollen VC had not added those annotations to the graphs on slide number 5, I would have definitely not known what to make of that graph.

But when you combine the visuals on a graph with descriptive text, the graph is able to paint a picture for your audience. So make your graphs easy to understand by annotating them (this is a chart design best practice ).

Create a free graph right here, right now!

25. White font over pictures just works 

There is a reason that you see so many quotes or sayings in a white font that are then overlaid on an image. That it is because it just works in so many situations and the text is very easy to read on any image.

If you do not believe me, look at the slide deck example above where they use a white font with a few different fonts and about 100 images. Plus the presentation template is chocked full of other tips on how to create a winning slideshow.

26. Color code your points across the whole presentation 

Here is another example of a presentation that uses color to keep their points organized. In this case, they use 10 different pastel colors to match the 10 different tips for employee engagement .

Check out our guide for how to pick the best colors for your visuals .

27.  Use a simple flow chart to break down a process

If you’re a fan of the movie Step Brothers , you may have heard of Prestige Worldwide before. In this fun presentation example they are back to sell you on their business model and growth plans.

This time, the presentation will be effective because it actually talks about what the business does.

Instead of making a music video, they use a helpful flowchart template to explain their business model. I would recommend following their lead and creating a dynamic flow chart to visually break down any process.  Try making your own flowchart  with Venngage.

28. Make your slide deck mobile friendly 

As more people move to mobile as their main device each year, making your presentations mobile-friendly is becoming increasingly important. This means that the text is large and there aren’t too many small details, so everything can scale down. Just like in this presentation example from the creators at Globoforce.

29. Don’t be afraid to include too many examples 

If you are presenting a complex idea to a group, especially a large audience, I would recommend having a ton of good examples. Now, I would try not to overdo it, but having too many it is better than having too few.

In this creative presentation, the people at With Company spend about 20 slides just giving great examples of prototyping. It doesn’t feel too repetitive because they all are useful and informative examples.

30.  Use consistent visual styles for an elegant presentation design

I have already written extensively about using icons in all of your design projects . I haven’t talked as much about matching icons to your presentation template.

But that’s just as important, especially if you want to create a professional presentation for your audience.

As you can see in the example above, the designer used minimalist icons that fit the slide designs. All of the other graphics, charts and visual elements fit together nicely as well.

Plus the icons don’t distract from the content, which could ruin a stellar presentation.

31. Use a consistent presentation layout 

In this example from Bannersnack, they use a consistent layout on each of their slides to help with the flow by using the same margins and text layout.

It’s a solid presentation example because they help the user know where to look immediately. It may seem like they are playing it safe, but anything that can speed up the time it takes for a user to read the content of the slides, the better.

32. Use loud colors as much as possible 

This is one of my favorite presentations because of the highlighter yellow they chose to use as their main color. It is actually very similar to one that I saw presented live a few years ago and I have used this same approach in a few presentations ideas of my own.

33. Pull your design motif from your content 

If you are talking about an interesting topic, why not use the topic as the main design motif in your creative slide deck? For example, in this presentation about sketchbooks, the creator uses a sketchy, handwritten motif. It is something simple that helps the audience connect with the topic. Plus, it allows you to include a ton of great examples.

34. Utilize a call & answer cadence

In this SlideShare about how to create a presentation, Peter Zvirinsky uses a two-step process to present a point. First, he presents the header presentation tip in a speech bubble. Then he shows a supporting point in a responding speech bubble. This gives the presentation a conversational flow.

35. Repurpose ebook content into a creative presentation

This slide deck was adapted perfectly from a Seth Godin ebook into the presentation example you see above. In the slide deck, they take a piece of content that would usually take a while to read and cut it down to a few minutes. Just remember to include only the most important ideas, and try to present them in a fresh way.

36. Add a timed outline to your presentation

We have already covered how important it is to have a table of contents in your slides but this takes it a bit further. On the second slide of the presentation below, the creator added how long each of the slides should take.

This is great because it helps your audience know the pace the presentation will take and will help keep them engaged. It also will help them identify the most important and in-depth parts of the presentation from the beginning.

37. Use a “next steps” slide to direct your audience

One of the worst things you can do as a presenter is to leave your audience without any idea of what to do next. A presentation should never just end because you ran out of slides.

Instead, use a conclusion or “next steps” slide like in the example above to finish your presentation. Sum up some of your main points, tell your audience where they can get more information, and push them to take action.

38. Go a bit crazy with the design 

Sometimes you need to throw convention to the wind to create something unforgettable. This presentation from Velocity Partners does just that, and I think it is one of my favorite ones from this entire roundup.

They use unconventional typography, quirky icons, and unusual presentation layout to make each slide surprising.

39. Make your slide deck easy to share 

If you are looking to get a lot of eyes on your presentation I would make sure people will want to share it on social media. How do you do that? By presenting new and interesting value. This means your content needs to answer a common question and your design needs to be clutter-free. For example, look at this very social media-friendly. The slides are simple and answer questions directly.

40.  Use shapes to integrate your photos into the slides

Want to include a bunch of images in your presentation? I say do it!

Now most of the time you would add a raw image directly to your slide. However, if you want to present images in a professional way I would recommend using an image frame .

Like in the example above, you can use these frame to create a collage of images almost instantly. Or provide a similar visual theme to all of your slides.  

Overall, I believe it’s a great way to add a new visual component to your presentation.

41. Hijack someone’s influence in your marketing slides

If you are stuck in the brainstorming phase of your presentation, focusing on a brand or influencer is a great place to start. It could be a case study, a collection of ideas or just some quotes from the influencer. But what makes it effective is that the audience knows the influencer and trusts them. And you are able to hijack their awareness or influence.

42. Put y our logo on every slide 

Whether you have a brand as powerful as Moz, or you are just getting started, you should always have your logo on each slide. You really never know where a presentation is going to end up–or what parts of it will! In this presentation template, Moz does a good job of including their branding and such to get others interested in Moz Local. Don’t have a logo yet? Our logo design tips will help you create a logo that’s iconic and will stand the test of time.

43. Lead your audience to it 

In this example, the creator uses something very similar to the call and answer approach I mentioned above, but with a little twist. Instead of just throwing all the info up at once, they use three slides to build to a particular point and include a subtle call to action in the third slide.

44. Make visuals the focal point of your presentation slides

If you haven’t noticed, illustrated icons are having a revival in 2020 and beyond. This is likely because minimalist icons dominated the design world for the past decade. And now people want something new.

Brands also like using illustrated icons because they are seen as genuine and fun.

And because they are so eye-catching you can use them as focal points in your presentation slides. Just like they did in the creative presentation example above.

Picking the perfect icon is tough, learn how you can use infographic icons like a pro.

45. Use a quirky presentation theme 

In this slide deck, the authors show you how to become an Animation Ninja…and they use ninja graphics and icons extensively. This caught my eye immediately because of the amount of work that I knew was behind this. It takes a lot of time and effort to line all of the content and graphic up to create a cohesive theme, but the payoff can be massively worth it.

46. Use a consistent background image 

I am a big fan of the way that Aleyda Solís uses only a single presentation background image throughout her presentation.

By using this tactic the audience is able to focus on what is happening in the foreground. Plus it gives the whole presentation a different feel than all the other ones I have looked at.

47. Summarize your points at the end

It’s a good idea to summarize your points before you end your presentation , especially if you’ve covered a lot of information. In this presentation example, Deanta summarizes exactly what they do on slide numbers 16-18. They also provide their contact information in case their audience has any more questions. I think that every presentation should use this same approach, especially the ones you are presenting outside of your company.

48. Use a minimalist presentation template

This slide deck from QuickBooks uses a minimalist theme to help the audience focus on what is important, the content.

There were only five colors used in the entire presentation and the graphics were simple line drawings. This made it easy to read and very pleasing to the eyes.

49. Split your slides length-wise 

Here is a simple template you can use to separate your headers, or main points, from your body text in a presentation.

Instead of using a solid presentation background, split the slide in half like Sequoia did in their slide deck. They used their brand color for the title portion and a neutral white for the supporting content.

Use this company report template to create a very similar slide right now!

50.  Embrace a bold color scheme throughout your presentation

My favorite part of the creative presentation example above is the use of complementary colors in each slide. As you can see, not one of the slides use the same color scheme but they all feel related connected.

This approach can be used to make your presentation visually unique, without abandoning a cohesive theme or idea.

51. Put text in the top left corner 

English speakers will instinctively try to read text from a top to bottom, left to right orientation. I would recommend using a left alignment for your text and adding additional things from top to bottom, just like Aaron Irizarry did in this presentation layout.

52. Break up your tables 

A plain table with a white background with black or gray lines are difficult to read on a computer screen, so why would you create one for viewing on a large presentation screen? You shouldn’t!

Instead, follow Intuit’s lead and break up the rows with a bit of color. This applies to data visualization in general , but think it is even more important when it comes to presentations.

53.  Present connected information in a visually similar way

In this startup pitch presentation example, they have a ton of information to get through. But they present their most important slides, the problem and solution, in a visually similar way.

By using a similar layout on each slide, the audience will be able to quickly make a connection. If you want to present two connected pieces of information, use this tactic.

From the font to the layout, it’s all basically the same. The main message they’re trying to impart is a lot more impactful to the reader.

If they would have used two wildly different presentation layouts, the message may have been lost.

54. Roundup expert tips into one presentation 

If you are looking for useful insights into the topic of your presentation, talk to some influencers in your niche. These are called “expert roundups” in the content marketing world and they are incredibly shareable.

Plus, they are pretty easy to create and have a great shelf life. In the example above, we talked to a gaggle of marketing experts about what makes a SlideShare great.

55. Use bold & brash colors throughout 

B old colors usually make your presentation template a lot easier to read and remember. Like at this slide deck made by our talented designers, which doesn’t shy away from bright, bold colors.

Want to pick a perfect color palette for your presentation? Read this blog on the do’s and don’ts of infographic color selection .

56. Make your graphs easy to read & interpret 

It should not require a Master’s degree in statistics to understand the graphs that someone uses in a presentation. Instead, the axis should be easy to read, the colors should enforce the point, and the data should be clearly plotted.

For example, in this presentation on slide numbers 14 and 25, the graphs nail all of those tips perfectly.

57. Condense your presentation into a memorable line 

If you can, try condensing your information into a simple one-liner to help the message stick with your audience. In slide number 36 of this presentation, Mika Aldaba does just that and shows that “Facts + Feelings = Data Storytelling.”

He does this again a few times throughout the presentation with other memorable one-liners.

58.  Bring attention to important figures with colorful icons

If you’re including a figure or number on your slides, I’m guessing you want the audience to actually see it.

That’s why I would recommend using an icon or graphic to highlight that figure. Maybe use a color or icon that isn’t used anywhere else in the presentation to make sure it really jumps off the screen.

In the presentation example above, all that’s used is a simple circle to make each figure a focal point. It’s really that easy, but many people leave it out of their presentations.

59. Anchor Your Text With Icons 

Having your text or content floating out in the white space of your presentation is not a good look.

Instead, you should use anchor icons to give the text something to hold onto and draw the audience’s eye. If you need some examples of good anchor icons, check out slide numbers 4, 7 and 9 in this presentation example.

60. Add semi-opaque lettering as a presentation background 

A neat way to keep your slide deck organized is to number your slides or points using semi-opaque lettering in the background.

Then, place your slide content on top of the opaque lettering. This helps your audience know that you are on the same point or idea, plus it just looks really good when done right.

61. Use simple or minimalist borders

An easy way to class up your slides is to put a border around your text. Take this presentation from Venngage that uses a couple of different types of borders to make their slides look professional.

Plus it helps keep all of your content contained on the slide!

62. Feature one idea per slide

Nothing is worse than a confusing, cluttered slide. Instead of trying to pack a bunch of ideas into one slide, focus on one core idea on each slide. If you need to flesh the idea out, just make another slide. 

Having trouble condensing your slides? Our presentation design guide can help you summarize your presentations and convey a singular idea with a clear focus.

63. Keep your style consistent with your brand 

You might be tempted to switch up the style of your creative presentations each time, but think again. If your brand is known for fun and lighthearted content, like Officevibe, let that be your style throughout all of the presentations you publish under that brand. This will make your slide decks recognizable and will enforce your brand’s message .

64. Use accent fonts to emphasize important numbers

Some people hate pie charts with a passion, but I think they are perfect for presentations. Especially if you want to bring attention to a figure or percentage point .

In this simple example, the pie charts are used to visualize each figure in an interesting way. Plus the pie charts fit the circular and fun theme of the rest of the presentation very well.

65. Use patterned and textured presentation backgrounds

Source  

Adding some subtle textures, icons or shapes to the presentation background can help make your slides more interesting. This is especially effective when you are only showing one point per slide, because it makes the slide design less sparse.

You can even switch up the colors on your shapes or textures to match the theme of the slide like DesignMantic did in this presentation.

66. Illustrate complex or confusing concepts with icons 

Ideally, you don’t want every slide in your deck to just be text. Instead, switch things up every few slides by using just pictures.

This slide deck by Gluwa uses icons to create little diagrams to illustrate their presentation ideas. Their slides still communicate concepts to the audience, but in a new way.

67. Overlay stock photos with color 

One problem many people encounter when creating a presentation or slide decks are finding photos with a consistent style. An easy way to edit photos to make them consistent is to add a transparent color overlay. In this example, Change Sciences uses a blue overlay on all of their photos. Plus, the color you choose can also help convey a particular mood.

68. Use black and white blocks 

An easy way to make your text pop, particularly on a photo background, is to use white font on a black blog background (and vise-versa). Check out this slide deck by Abhishek Shah, which uses this trick in an effective way.  

Now if you want to become a better leader this year, check out some of our favorite leadership infographics .

69. Use photos with similar filters 

Using a bunch of photos with wildly different filters can be jarring in a business presentation. To maintain a consistent flow, use photos with a similar filter and color saturation.

Take a look at this example from HubSpot across slide numbers 1-6 and you can see what I mean.

70. Visualize your points with diagrams 

Sometimes the best way to get your point across is to throw some diagrams into the presentation mix. But be sure to make is something that the audience can pick up on in three to five seconds tops.

For example, Jan Rezab uses a diagram to illustrate what takes up time in our lives on slide numbers 4, 5, 7 and 9!

71. Get experts to share tips

If you want to provide even more value to your audience than you can offer yourself, why not call in some expert reinforcement? See what experts in your field have to say on the topic of your presentation and include their tips and insights. Plus you can hijack their influence and expand your audience fairly quickly. 

72. Mimic a popular presentation style 

Uber’s pitch deck helped them raise millions of dollars in venture capital eventually leading to the glorious moment when they IPOed this year.

Aside from our sleek design upgrade (hey, we love good design!), this pitch deck template is the exact same one that Uber used to go from Idea to IPO.

And who knows? Maybe you might start the next Uber. But to raise money, you will need to create flawless business pitch decks to impress investors and raise those dollars.

73. Plan your presentation idea ahead of time

I know that minimalist designs are all the rage this year, but there is a big difference between a well-thought-out minimalist design and a lazy design without the finish touches. The same goes for a cluttered design with too many things going on at once.

That’s why it’s worth it to take the time to really plan out your presentation ideas and design concepts. Take this slide deck about storytelling by HighSpark. A quick glance will tell you that they put a lot of thought into designing their slides.

74.  Use tables to compare your brand to the competition in sales presentations/pitch decks

There are a lot of ways to visually compare similar things in this day and age. You could use a comparison infographic , or even a venn diagram!

However, when it comes to presentations I think that the simple table is best. Especially if you are comparing more than two things, like in this presentation example.

With a table, you can clearly lay out all the pros and cons of each idea, brand or topic without it being overwhelming to the audience. Plus, virtually everyone knows how to follow a table, so your information will be easy to consume.  

See more examples of the best pitch decks .

75. Blend icons & content effortlessly

Usually, icons are used as eye-catching objects detectors or anchors for text in a slideshow. But they can be used for so much more than that!

Like in this marketing presentation from Constant Contact they are very large but do not distract from the content.

76. Make your audience want more 

This tactic has been used by everyone since the idea of marketing was invented (or close to that). In this presentation example called “100 Growth Hacks, 100 Days” the creator only shows the audience the first 10 days of it and then uses a call to action at the end of the presentation to encourage them to seek out the rest.

The only risk with these kinds of presentation ideas is if your initial content is not great, you can’t expect your audience to seek out more information.

77. Use memes (for real, though) 

Usually, memes do not have a place in a serious business setting, so maybe don’t use them for formal presentations. But if you’re covering a lighter topic, or if you’re going for a fun presentation that will connect with your audience, don’t be afraid to throw a meme or two into the mix.

The audience immediately knows what you are trying to say when you use a popular meme in your presentation. For example, on slide number 7, the creator uses a meme to show that it will be hard to create great content

78.  Include a slide that introduces your team in pitch decks

In this presentation example, the creators decided to include their team on a slide. I think it’s a great gesture.

Showing your team can help the audience put a face to your brand and make the whole company feel more genuine. So if there is a team that has helped you get where you are today, give them some recognition!

79. Feature a complementary color palette

Even though I am not a formally trained designer, I still understand that proper color usage is the base of any good design. Although not all of the tenets of color theory work great for presentations, complementary colors are always a great pick.

Take a look at the color usage in this business presentation from Gary Vaynerchuk below . The purple and Snapchat yellow, which are complementary colors, look fantastic and the content jumps off the screen.

80. Use a heavy or bold font 

The very back of the room should be able to read your content if you are giving a group presentation. To ensure that your entire audience can read the slides I would not only use a large font, but also use a heavy font.  If you are confused by what I mean by a heavy font take a look at this unique presentation example by Slides That Rock.

81. Do the math for your audience

If you are going to use a graph in your presentation to compare data you should do the match for your audience. Do not make them do the calculations in their head because you will quickly lose their attention. For example, on slide number 5 the people at Sickweather lay out exactly what figures they want the audience to take from the slide.  

82. Use unique colors for different sections

The example below has 145 slides but it does not feel overwhelming or confusing.

That’s because each section has a different corresponding color, which makes it easier to flip through the slide deck and find a particular part.

83.  Give your presentation a catchy title that anyone can remember

What I really love about the presentation example above is that it features a catchy tagline on the second slide–“The 3S Framework.” It’s simple but it works!

This motto helps outline the structure of the presentation, and each slide referring back to it. Plus, the tagline will give the audience something to latch onto and remember from the presentation.

84. White backgrounds are not always bad 

A lot of people think that plain white background is a boring presentation faux pas. So the first thing they do is add color or image, which is not a bad thing at all.

But I also think that when used correctly, like in this example, plain white backgrounds can lead to beautiful presentations.

85. Split the header text from the body text

This idea is very similar to the one-two punch tactic that I talked about above, but it spreads the content over two slides as opposed to a single slide.

Use this design choice when you have fairly easy to follow presentations, like the one below from Steve Young. I know that this is effective because it allows the audience to focus on the main point before he drives it home with the supporting details.

86. Feature circle image frames 

I am a big fan of the design choices that Frank Delmelle uses in this slide deck about content strategy. He uses circles as his main design motif and frames his images in circles as well.

87. Talk directly to your audience 

This slideshow tops out at 70 slides but it’s a breeze to flip through. That’s because the creator, Ian Lurie, decided to present it in the form of a conversation instead of a classic slide deck.

While each slide only has one or two sentences, it flows just like a friendly chat. He also includes the necessary pauses, breaks and other conversational tics that helps make it even more convincing.

88. Illustrated icons are key this year 

Icons add a fun and functional element to your designs. In this presentation by Iryna Nezhynska, they use illustrated icons to make a potentially intimidating topic seem manageable.

89. Highlight key numbers and percentages 

Surprising percentages have the ability to excite and shock an audience. To make the percentages on your slides even more impactful, present them in a different color or font than the rest of the text.

In the presentation example above, Contently uses that exact tactic to bring more attention to key numbers.

90. Use a gradient as your presentation background 

Just like bold color schemes, gradients are a current social media graphic design trend . They may feel retro to some, but I believe they will be around well into the future.  

Gradients are perfect for presentation backgrounds because they are so versatile and eye-catching. I mean, you can literally create a gradient with any colors you can think of! And they look a lot more interesting than a simple flat background.

So embrace the future and use a gradient in your next presentation!

91. Track the steps in a process 

In this example, the creators from O.C. Tanner add a very interesting feature to their slides, starting on slide number 6. If you take a look at this business presentation template, you will see that they number the steps in a process and track which step they’re on at the bottom of the slides.

92. Use mind blowing font pairings 

The creator of this slide deck uses at least 10 different types of fonts. And it looks fantastic because they know that one font choice is boring. But this does not mean that you should use a bunch of random fonts–pick font pairs that play well together and keep your font choices for different types of information consistent throughout the presentation.

93. Make your ideas as obvious as possible 

Your audience shouldn’t be guessing at what you mean. That is why I think that this presentation example from In a Rocket is so powerful because they make the information easy to digest.

Learning to code can be challenging, but they break the information down with simple diagrams and clear examples. Heck, I have not touched CSS in a few years and I could still follow what they were instructing.

94. Use images that will actually scale 

A large mistake that you can make in your slide deck is using low-quality images. They may look great on your computer, but as soon as the slides are put up on a screen, the low quality will show. In this example by ThoughtWorks, all of their presentation background images look great and will scale well to a bigger screen. And that is even after the image compression that LinkedIn most likely does!

95. Take risks with your presentation layout

I honestly was blown away the first time I saw this presentation because it capitalized on such a risky design idea. The creators from Weekdone literally turned their presentation into an 8-Bit video game. A nd if you are looking for something that will stick with your audience, I would take a few creative cues from them!

96. Seriously, you better use memes 

In this day and age memes are mainstream, so why wouldn’t you use them in a creative presentation? These do not have to be the coolest meme that all the hip kids are sharing, they can be some of the classics. Like the one that Dana DiTomaso uses on slide 16 to emphasize that it’s a trap!

97. Follow a clear design rhythm

I really like how this presentation introduced each new point in three or four steps, using the same design. It gave the presentation a rhythm that flowed almost like a song!

I would recommend using this approach if you have to introduce multiple points per slide.

98. Use LOTS of icons

If you have made it this far in the list you have already probably seen how effective icons are in presentations. They are the perfect way to support your ideas and make your presentation more pleasing to the eyes.

For example, take a look at all the icons SlideShop uses in this presentation. Almost every slide has at least one icon and a few have more than ten!

99. Give each slide its own spark

I know this goes against earlier points I had about creating a cohesive theme in your presentation layout, but everyone knows that rules are made to be broken (if you can do it better)!

In this slide deck, the team at Officevibe literally created different designs for all 27 of their slides. And to top it off, each of the designs fit the quotes they used extremely well.

100. Use LARGE header cards 

An easy way to stick to that “one piece of content on each slide rule” is to use header cards. They are basically the header that you would normally use in a blog post or article, but it gets is own slide before the content. Here is an example of that idea in the real world in this presentation from Brian Downard.

101. Ask your audience questions 

I think one of the most common elements I saw in all the slide decks was that they asked the audience questions. You can use questions to engage with your audience and get them thinking a bit harder about the topic. The Site By Norex team did an exceptional job of this when they explored what the topic of what makes up a brand.

Need some more info about creating a memorable brand? Check out some of the best branding stats for 2020 and beyond!

102. Introduce yourself and your brand 

I would say that a majority of presentations that I looked at in this list just jumped right into the content without an introduction to the author or brand in the actual slide deck.

This introduction is very important because it establishes your credentials from the beginning, especially if someone is just reading the slide deck. In this example from Losant, they do just that by spending the first few slides telling the audience who they are.

103. Mix up your mediums 

Finally, this slide deck effectively marries two very distinct content forms together: digital images and hand-drawn illustrations. In this example, Freshdesk uses the timeless classic of a comic strip, Calvin & Hobbes, in something so modern to inform the audience in a fun way.

104. Show off your credentials 

Just like with any piece of content, people are more likely to believe what you are saying if they know what your company does. That is why I really like when people insert their qualifications right into the presentation slides. Just like Andreas von der Heydt, from Amazon, did at the beginning of this presentation about thinking big.  

105. Highlight key data points 

If you are presenting a chart or graph on a dry topic, I would recommend using a single color to highlight the most important data point. For example, the investment firm a16z uses orange to highlight the data points they want their audience to focus on in each of their charts.

Check out some examples of how to highlight your key information in bar charts .

106. Show your audience where to find more information 

A lot of people end their presentations by literally just running out of slides, and that is the wrong way to do it. Instead, CBInsights consistently pushes their readers towards another piece of content at the end. This is also where you can insert a call to action!

107. Tell your origin story

  Source

This idea is kinda similar to showing off your company qualifications at the beginning of your presentation. But with this approach, you are trying to make an emotional connection with your audience instead of just showing off accolades.

And Rand from Moz does this extremely well in the presentation example above.

108. Use one focused visual 

This presentation uses a central visual of a structure, with each slide moving down the levels of the structure. This is incredibly powerful because the entire presentation is about sinking your company, and the visual they designed mirrors that idea perfectly. Using one focus visual also makes your slide deck design cohesive.

109. Don’t take presentation design too seriously

Sometimes we get caught up trying to make the perfect presentation and it ends up making us crazy!

But in this presentation example, Jesse Desjardins uses a mix of wit and hilarious retro images to create a memorable and light-hearted presentation.

110. Use size to your advantage 

I am a big fan of using bubble charts and other charts that use size to compare two pieces of data. That is why I like this pitch deck from the ShearShare team that utilizes a size-based chart on slide number 9. The chart is used to illustrate the massive growth potential in their industry.

111. Split section headers from the main content with different background colors 

In this presentation, Seth Familian uses alternating colors in a very interesting way. For each of the title slides, he uses a black color background, but for the content slides he uses a white background.

This helped the readers follow along and comprehend what was on the page even faster. And when you are presenting to hundreds of different types of people, this can make or break your presentation.  

112.  Have a conversation with your audience 

Take a conversational tone in your presentation is a great way to encourage your audience to participate.

In this slide deck example, we presented a simple storyline and use questions to engage with the audience throughout. And it helped create a flow throughout the  presentation template  that is easy to follow.

113.  Include your branding throughout your presentation ideas

Another thing that people seem to forget when they are working on a presentation is to include their business’s branding. You honestly never know where your work is going to be shared, so it is important to make sure people know it’s yours. HubSpot does an outstanding job of this on all their presentations, as you can see in the bottom left corner of each slide.

Plus you have spent a ton of time creating your  brand guidelines , might as well use them.

114.  Include multiple slides to build to your main point

Try using multiple slides to build to your main point. This helps you walk through the components of one overarching point while also building suspense. In this slide deck, the creator uses 6 slides to build up to one main point, adding a new illustration to the diagram on each slide.

115.  Split the difference 

Use either the left or right side of the slide to hold your text and the opposite to display an image. If you are using a photo or graphic as the main background in your slides, this is a great way to keep things organized. 

116. There are millions of fonts out there…use them

Hey, I love simple fonts just as much as the next guy, but sometimes you need to step up your font game to stand out. For example, WebVisions uses a very gritty, probably custom font in their unique presentation that fits the topic extremely well. Take a look!

117.  Build your presentation content around icons 

Try using icons as the focal points of your presentation layout. This example from Omer Hameed  uses icons to draw the audience’s eyes  right to the middle of the presentation, where the main points and headers are located.  

118.  Mix up font style to emphasize important points

If you would like to draw some extra attention to a certain word or idea,  switch up the font  to one that is bolder. For example, in this oldie but goodie presentation from HubSpot they use a heavy sans-serif font to highlight ideas, as opposed to the serif font for the other text.

119.  Add personal touches to your presentation

If you want to create a truly unique presentation, add personal touches. In the slide numbers 6-13 from this presentation, the creator adds something to their design that no one else could ever have: they use original drawings they did themselves.

120.  Harness the power of your own brand colors

Sometimes people forget that they already have a battle-tested color palette that they can use in their  brand colors . I try to incorporate one of our brand colors in most of my designs and it makes so much easier to choose colors.

In this simple presentation example, Spitfire Creative used a palette that had both of their brand colors throughout the slideshow.

121.  Used dark-colored blocks to highlight words

I have seen this trick used in a lot of presentations and it works well. Highlight certain words or phrases by laying them overtop a colored rectangle. Take slide number 7 in this presentation example as a great guide. Use it to bring attention to a saying or idea you really want your audience to remember.

122.  Show the audience your mug 

This presentation example comes from the same presentation as a previous one, but it was too good not to share. Throughout the slides, you will see Rand from Moz pop up to add a human element to the design. Using an image of your team or yourself can put the audience at ease and make it easier to connect with the presenter.

123.  Include a helpful table of contents 

I only saw this presentation idea used a few times throughout my research, but I believe it should be used a lot more. A table of contents will help the audience know what to expect and keep their focus throughout. Especially if you are creating a presentation that is a bit longer than normal.

124.  Do not post just screenshots, do more

Screenshots of a program or app are very common in any blog post, but I think you can do a little better when it comes to presentations.

So instead of just posting a boring screenshot, add a little more to the slide by using illustrations and product shots. If you are not sure what I am talking about, just check out how great the screenshots look at slide numbers 7 and 8 in this presentation.

125. Highlight keywords using BOLD color 

Here’s another slide deck that uses different colors and blocks to highlight keywords. If you are going to use text-heavy slides, then make sure the key points are easy to pick out. Take this slide deck: starting in slide number 4, they highlight exactly what they want you to take away from the text on each slide!

Enough presentation ideas for you?

You made it! I applaud you for making it through all those presentations. Hopefully, now you have a few nifty presentation ideas ready for when you need them.

The next step is to create a presentation that will captivate a meeting room, an amphitheater, and even the world (hey, it doesn’t hurt to dream big).

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How to Start a Presentation: 5 Templates and 90 Example Phrases

By Status.net Editorial Team on February 27, 2024 — 11 minutes to read

Starting a presentation effectively means capturing your audience’s attention from the very beginning. It’s important because it sets the tone for the entire presentation and establishes your credibility as a speaker.

Effective Openers: 5 Templates

Your presentation’s beginning sets the stage for everything that follows. So, it’s important to capture your audience’s attention right from the start. Here are some tried-and-true techniques to do just that.

1. Storytelling Approach

When you start with a story, you tap into the natural human love for narratives. It can be a personal experience, a historical event, or a fictional tale that ties back to your main point.

Example Introduction Template 1:

“Let me tell you a story about…”

Example : “Let me tell you a story about how a small idea in a garage blossomed into the global brand we know today.”

2. Quotation Strategy

Using a relevant quote can lend authority and thematic flavor to your presentation. Choose a quote that is provocative, enlightening, or humorous to resonate with your audience.

Example Introduction Template 2:

“As [Famous Person] once said…”

Example : “As Steve Jobs once said, ‘Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.'”

3. Questioning Technique

Engage your audience directly by opening with a thoughtful question. This encourages them to think and become active participants.

Example Introduction Template 3:

“Have you ever wondered…”

Example : “Have you ever wondered what it would take to reduce your carbon footprint to zero?”

4. Statistical Hook

Kick off with a startling statistic that presents a fresh perspective or underscores the importance of your topic.

Example Introduction Template 4:

“Did you know that…”

Example : “Did you know that 90% of the world’s data was generated in the last two years alone?”

5. Anecdotal Method

Share a brief, relatable incident that highlights the human aspect of your topic. It paves the way for empathy and connection.

Example Introduction Template 5:

“I want to share a quick anecdote…”

Example : “I want to share a quick anecdote about a time I experienced the customer service that went above and beyond what anyone would expect.”

How to Start a Powerpoint Presentation: 45 Example Phrases

Starting a PowerPoint presentation effectively can captivate your audience and set the tone for your message. The opening phrases you choose are important in establishing rapport and commanding attention. Whether you’re presenting to colleagues, at a conference, or in an academic setting, these phrases will help you begin with confidence and poise:

• 1. “Good morning/afternoon/evening, everyone. Thank you for joining me today.”
• 2. “Welcome, and thank you for being here. Let’s dive into our topic.”
• 3. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to present to you all about…”
• 4. “Thank you all for coming. Today, we’re going to explore…”
• 5. “Let’s begin by looking at the most important question: Why are we here today?”
• 6. “I appreciate your time today, and I promise it will be well spent as we discuss…”
• 7. “Before we get started, I want to express my gratitude for your presence here today.”
• 8. “It’s a pleasure to see so many familiar faces as we gather to talk about…”
• 9. “I’m thrilled to kick off today’s presentation on a topic that I am passionate about—…”
• 10. “Welcome to our session. I’m confident you’ll find the next few minutes informative as we cover…”
• 11. “Let’s embark on a journey through our discussion on…”
• 12. “I’m delighted to have the chance to share my insights on…”
• 13. “Thank you for the opportunity to present to such an esteemed audience on…”
• 14. “Let’s set the stage for an engaging discussion about…”
• 15. “As we begin, I’d like you to consider this:…”
• 16. “Today marks an important discussion on a subject that affects us all:…”
• 17. “Good day, and welcome to what promises to be an enlightening presentation on…”
• 18. “Hello and welcome! We’re here to delve into something truly exciting today…”
• 19. “I’m honored to present to you this comprehensive look into…”
• 20. “Without further ado, let’s get started on a journey through…”
• 21. “Thank you for carving time out of your day to join me for this presentation on…”
• 22. “It’s wonderful to see such an engaged audience ready to tackle the topic of…”
• 23. “I invite you to join me as we unpack the complexities of…”
• 24. “Today’s presentation will take us through some groundbreaking ideas about…”
• 25. “Welcome aboard! Prepare to set sail into the vast sea of knowledge on…”
• 26. “I’d like to extend a warm welcome to everyone as we focus our attention on…”
• 27. “Let’s ignite our curiosity as we begin to explore…”
• 28. “Thank you for your interest and attention as we dive into the heart of…”
• 29. “As we look ahead to the next hour, we’ll uncover the secrets of…”
• 30. “I’m eager to share with you some fascinating insights on…”
• 31. “Welcome to what I believe will be a transformative discussion on…”
• 32. “This morning/afternoon, we’ll be venturing into the world of…”
• 33. “Thank you for joining me on this exploration of…”
• 34. “I’m delighted by the turnout today as we embark on this exploration of…”
• 35. “Together, let’s navigate the intricacies of…”
• 36. “I’m looking forward to engaging with you all on the subject of…”
• 37. “Let’s kick things off with a critical look at…”
• 38. “Thank you for your presence today as we shine a light on…”
• 39. “Welcome to a comprehensive overview of…”
• 40. “It’s a privilege to discuss with you the impact of…”
• 41. “I’m glad you could join us for what promises to be a thought-provoking presentation on…”
• 42. “Today, we’re going to break down the concept of…”
• 43. “As we get started, let’s consider the significance of our topic:…”
• 44. “I’m thrilled to lead you through today’s discussion, which centers around…”
• 45. “Let’s launch into our session with an eye-opening look at…”

Starting a Presentation: 45 Examples

Connecting with the audience.

When starting a presentation, making a genuine connection with your audience sets the stage for a successful exchange of ideas. Examples:

• “I promise, by the end of this presentation, you’ll be as enthusiastic about this as I am because…”
• “The moment I learned about this, I knew it would be a game-changer and I’m thrilled to present it to you…”
• “There’s something special about this topic that I find incredibly invigorating, and I hope you will too…”
• “I get a rush every time I work on this, and I hope to transmit that energy to you today…”
• “I’m thrilled to discuss this breakthrough that could revolutionize…”
• “This project has been a labor of love, and I’m eager to walk you through…”
• “When I first encountered this challenge, I was captivated by the possibilities it presented…”
• “I can’t wait to dive into the details of this innovative approach with you today…”
• “It’s genuinely exhilarating to be at the edge of what’s possible in…”
• “My fascination with [topic] drove me to explore it further, and I’m excited to share…”
• “Nothing excites me more than talking about the future of…”
• “Seeing your faces, I know we’re going to have a lively discussion about…”
• “The potential here is incredible, and I’m looking forward to discussing it with you…”
• “Let’s embark on this journey together and explore why this is such a pivotal moment for…”
• “Your engagement in this discussion is going to make this even more exciting because…”

Building Credibility

You present with credibility when you establish your expertise and experience on the subject matter. Here’s what you can say to accomplish that:

• “With a decade of experience in this field, I’ve come to understand the intricacies of…”
• “Having led multiple successful projects, I’m excited to share my insights on…”
• “Over the years, working closely with industry experts, I’ve gleaned…”
• “I hold a degree in [your field], which has equipped me with a foundation for…”
• “I’m a certified professional in [your certification], which means I bring a certain level of expertise…”
• “Having published research on this topic, my perspective is grounded in…”
• “I’ve been a keynote speaker at several conferences, discussing…”
• “Throughout my career, I’ve contributed to groundbreaking work in…”
• “My experience as a [your previous role] has given me a unique outlook on…”
• “Endorsed by [an authority in your field], I’m here to share what we’ve achieved…”
• “The program I developed was recognized by [award], highlighting its impact in…”
• “I’ve trained professionals nationwide on this subject and witnessed…”
• “Collaborating with renowned teams, we’ve tackled challenges like…”
• “I’ve been at the forefront of this industry, navigating through…”
• “As a panelist, I’ve debated this topic with some of the brightest minds in…”

Projecting Confidence

• “I stand before you today with a deep understanding of…”
• “You can rely on the information I’m about to share, backed by thorough research and analysis…”
• “Rest assured, the strategies we’ll discuss have been tested and proven effective in…”
• “I’m certain you’ll find the data I’ll present both compelling and relevant because…”
• “I’m fully confident in the recommendations I’m providing today due to…”
• “The results speak for themselves, and I’m here to outline them clearly for you…”
• “I invite you to consider the evidence I’ll present; it’s both robust and persuasive…”
• “You’re in good hands today; I’ve navigated these waters many times and have the insights to prove it…”
• “I assure you, the journey we’ll take during this presentation will be enlightening because…”
• “Your success is important to me, which is why I’ve prepared diligently for our time together…”
• “Let’s look at the facts; they’ll show you why this approach is solid and dependable…”
• “Today, I present to you a clear path forward, grounded in solid experience and knowledge…”
• “I’m confident that what we’ll uncover today will not only inform but also inspire you because…”
• “You’ll leave here equipped with practical, proven solutions that you can trust because…”
• “The solution I’m proposing has been embraced industry-wide, and for good reason…”

Organizational Preview

Starting your presentation with a clear organizational preview can effectively guide your audience through the content. This section helps you prepare to communicate the roadmap of your presentation.

Outlining the Main Points

You should begin by briefly listing the main points you’ll cover. This lets your audience know what to expect and helps them follow along. For example, if you’re presenting on healthy eating, you might say, “Today, I’ll cover the benefits of healthy eating, essential nutrients in your diet, and simple strategies for making healthier choices.”

Setting the Tone

Your introduction sets the tone for the entire presentation. A way to do this is through a relevant story or anecdote that engages the audience. Suppose you’re talking about innovation; you might start with, “When I was a child, I was fascinated by how simple Legos could build complex structures, which is much like the innovation process.”

Explaining the Structure

Explain the structure of your presentation so that your audience can anticipate how you’ll transition from one section to the next. For instance, if your presentation includes an interactive portion, you might say, “I’ll begin with a 15-minute overview, followed by a hands-on demonstration, and we’ll wrap up with a Q&A session, where you can ask any questions.”

Practice and Preparation

Before you step onto the stage, it’s important that your preparation includes not just content research, but also rigorous practice and strategy for dealing with nerves. This approach ensures you present with confidence and clarity.

Rehearsing the Opening

Practicing your introduction aloud gives you the opportunity to refine your opening remarks. You might start by greeting the audience and sharing an interesting quote or a surprising statistic related to your topic. For example, if your presentation is about the importance of renewable energy, you could begin with a recent statistic about the growth in solar energy adoption. Record yourself and listen to the playback, focusing on your tone, pace, and clarity.

Memorizing Key Points

While you don’t need to memorize your entire presentation word for word, you should know the key points by heart. This includes main arguments, data, and any conclusions you’ll be drawing. You can use techniques such as mnemonics or the method of loci, which means associating each key point with a specific location in your mind, to help remember these details. Having them at your fingertips will make you feel more prepared and confident.

Managing Presentation Jitters

Feeling nervous before a presentation is natural, but you can manage these jitters with a few techniques. Practice deep breathing exercises or mindful meditation to calm your mind before going on stage. You can also perform a mock presentation to a group of friends or colleagues to simulate the experience and receive feedback. This will not only help you get used to speaking in front of others but also in adjusting your material based on their reactions.

Engagement Strategies

Starting a presentation on the right foot often depends on how engaged your audience is. Using certain strategies, you can grab their attention early and maintain their interest throughout your talk:

1. Encouraging Audience Participation

Opening your presentation with a question to your audience is a great way to encourage participation. This invites them to think actively about the subject matter. For instance, you might ask, “By a show of hands, how many of you have experienced…?” Additionally, integrating interactive elements like quick polls or requesting volunteers for a demonstration can make the experience more dynamic and memorable.

Using direct questions throughout your presentation ensures the audience stays alert, as they might be called upon to share their views. For example, after covering a key point, you might engage your audience with, “Does anyone have an experience to share related to this?”

2. Utilizing Pacing and Pauses

Mastering the pace of your speech helps keep your presentation lively. Quickening the pace when discussing exciting developments or slowing down when explaining complex ideas can help maintain interest. For example, when introducing a new concept, slow your pace to allow the audience to absorb the information.

Pauses are equally powerful. A well-timed pause after a key point gives the audience a moment to ponder the significance of what you’ve just said. It might feel like this: “The results of this study were groundbreaking. (pause) They completely shifted our understanding of…”. Pauses also give you a moment to collect your thoughts, adding to your overall composure and control of the room.

How should one introduce their group during a presentation?

You might say something like, “Let me introduce my amazing team: Alex, our researcher, Jamie, our designer, and Sam, the developer. Together, we’ve spent the last few months creating something truly special for you.”

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How to Start a Presentation: 12 Ways to Keep Your Audience Hooked

Written by: Nayomi Chibana

Wondering how to start a presentation that makes your audience sit up in their seats with excitement?

"Today, you will learn something that will add 10 years to your life."

"20 years from now, your job won't exist."

"Did you know that more people have access to a mobile phone than a toilet?"

Presentation starters like these are key to grabbing your audience's attention and making the most of the time allotted to you.

Instead of thanking the audience, making an unrelated joke or apologizing for a technical issue, why not dive right into the subject matter with a gripping statement or thought-provoking question?

To help you craft your own killer presentation starters, we've sorted through some of the most popular TED talks in history and created this list of the most effective ways to start your next presentation .

Many of these presentation starters are successful because they appeal to human emotions such as curiosity, awe, surprise or fear. You can learn more about creating viral content that triggers emotional responses in the video below .

This video distills 12 killer strategies to start your presentation and keep the audience's attention throughout.

• Knowing how to start a presentation is crucial because it sets the tone for the rest of the presentation. A strong and engaging opening can capture the audience's attention and generate interest in your presentation.
• There are many ways to start a presentation: make a provocative statement, incite curiosity; shock the audience; tell a story, be authentic;  quote a famous or influential person.
• Here are other presentation opening strategies: Begin with a captivating visual; ask a question; use silence; start with a prop; tell a relevant joke; use the word "imagine.
• Take advantage of Visme's free online presentation software to create attention-grabbing presentations that align with your branding and engage your audience.
• If you're short on time, tap into the power of Visme's AI presentation maker to create stunning presentations in minutes. Simply describe what you want to create, select your preferred design option and let the tool do the heavy lifting.

How to Start a Presentation

Knowing how to start a presentation is just as crucial as the message you're trying to convey. If you can't start it effectively, you might not be able to leave a strong enough impact by the end of it.

TED speakers are some of the best presenters in the world, and there's a lot you can learn from their talks. Below, we've handpicked some of these presentations that start with a bang and manage to keep the audience hooked till the very end.

1 Make a provocative statement.

"I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you're going to fail to have a great career."

One surefire way to get your audience's attention is to make a provocative statement that creates interest and a keen desire to know more about what you have to say.

The presentation above, for example, does just that by making a surprising first statement that inspires surprise, amusement, curiosity and fear at the same time.

With 4.8 million views and counting, this talk by an economics professor draws you in precisely because it steers clear of the traditional talk, using blunt humor to enumerate all the irrational excuses people make for not pursuing their dreams and passions.

2 Incite curiosity.

"I need to make a confession at the outset here. A little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret, something that I'm not particularly proud of. Something that, in many ways, I wish no one would ever know, but here I feel kind of obliged to reveal."

Another way to grab your audience by the collar is to incite curiosity. In this popular TED talk viewed over 15.4 million times, career analyst Dan Pink succeeds at getting the entire audience to look at him intently, waiting for his next word, by resorting to an opening statement that builds suspense.

Since human beings are by nature curious creatures, most people in the audience were probably asking themselves "What did he do?" and imagining all sorts of possible scenarios.

3 Shock the audience.

"You will live seven and a half minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk."

In many ways related to the previous two presentation starters, this hook involves making a counter-intuitive or paradigm-shifting statement that goes against a popular belief or simply shocks due to the perceived impossibility of the proposed statement.

This introduction by game designer Jane McGonigal, for example, achieves a level of surprise by making a seemingly improbable assertion. After hearing this kind of statement, most people will want to listen to your entire talk, if not out of genuine interest, then at least for the sake of pacifying their incredulity.

(By the way, she makes good on her promise by revealing a game she designed to boost resilience, which is backed by scientific research.)

4 Tell a story.

"When I was seven years old and my sister was just five years old, we were playing on top of a bunk bed..."

As covered in a previous post , storytelling is the key ingredient that separates good, engaging presentations from bad ones that lack a clear message and persuasive delivery.

In his popular talk on the secret to being more productive, psychologist Shawn Achor tells a childhood story to lead into the effectiveness of positive psychology. He then goes on to provide concrete evidence backing his claim that pursuing happiness, rather than productivity for its own sake, actually makes you more--not less--productive.

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5  Be authentic.

"I'm going to tell you a little bit about my TEDxHouston Talk. I woke up the morning after I gave that talk with the worst vulnerability hangover of my life. And I actually didn't leave my house for about three days."

Another way to draw your audience into your own world is to tell a revealing personal story. This is certainly not easy but, when done right, can quickly spark interest in your topic and build an emotional connection between you and your audience.

In Brene Brown's talk on confronting shame, she begins by admitting that she felt embarrassed over the revelations she had made in her massively popular TED talk on embracing vulnerability.

6 Quote an influential person.

One of the easiest ways to start a presentation is to quote an influential person. In these cases, it's best to use a pithy, short and relevant quote to catch your audience's attention.

In the widely viewed video above, for example, writer Andrew Solomon quotes Emily Dickinson to begin his talk on depression, an illness he asserts affects many more people than the official figures suggest.

The quote is particularly powerful and effective because it eloquently describes the state of depression from the point of view of a person who is feeling all the emotions associated with it.

7 Begin with a captivating visual.

To introduce this fascinating TED talk on how movements really get started, entrepreneur Derek Sivers uses some surprising footage to support his statements. They are especially captivating because they debunk widely held beliefs on the matter, proving that it takes more than just a charismatic leader to start a revolution of any sort.

8 Ask a question.

"Do you think it's possible to control someone's attention? Even more than that, what about predicting human behavior?"

In this attention-grabbing presentation on the flaws in human perception, world-famous pickpocket Apollo Robbins starts off by asking the audience a question that leads right into the meat of his talk, which has been viewed worldwide more than 10.5 million times.

In these cases, it's best to pose a question that will really get your audience thinking and, in the best possible scenario, challenge their prevailing beliefs or preconceptions on a certain topic.

51 Best Presentation Slides for Engaging Presentations (2024)

9 Use silence.

Another effective technique--which should only be used if you're a seasoned presenter and are able to maintain your composure throughout--is to leverage silence to command a room.

Watch, for example, how musician Amanda Palmer starts off her talk by not saying a word, simply breathing in and out and using props to communicate her message.

Although you may not want to resort to both silence and using a prop in your presentation, this is a very effective dramatic technique that, if done right, quickly draws all eyes to you.

10 Start with a prop.

Considering that the audience's gaze is attracted by motion and visual objects, another way to hook them right from the outset is to use a prop.

Take a look at how best-selling author Susan Cain uses a physical object to visually complement her opening story on her first summer camp experience. It not only adds a dramatic effect, it also keeps viewers eyes on her while on stage.

11 Tell a relevant joke.

"Okay, now I don't want to alarm anybody in this room, but it's just come to my attention that the person to your right is a liar."

Humor is not only a good way to break the ice and endear the audience to you right from the outset, it can also be very effective in getting your point across if it's relevant to your talk.

Lie detector Pamela Meyer, for example, deftly uses both humor and an element of surprise in her opening statement as she tells the audience that the person to their right is probably a liar. This gets the audience to laugh and then focus on her topic at the same time.

She goes on to give some shocking statistics (such as that on any given day, we're lied to up to 200 times) and delivers an intriguing talk that has been seen close to 13 million times.

12 Use the word "imagine."

"Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary."

Lastly, there are times when leading your audience to use their imaginations is the best bet. You can prompt them to do this by using the commands "imagine," "think of" or "picture this." These are just a few of the most powerful opening words for presentation.

Plane crash survivor Ric Elias, for example, uses this technique in the video above to quickly thrust his audience into the central scene of his harrowing story.

Learn How to Start a Presentation Effectively

What about your next presentation? Have you thought about how you're going to set the mood for your talk? We've rounded up some of the best way to start a presentation.

When you're ready to get started creating your presentation, give Visme's presentation software a try! The tool comes with an AI writer that helps you generate killer content for your next presentation in seconds.

Plus, check out our post on how to end a presentation so you both start and end your speech with a bang.

And if you want to learn all our secrets on how to deliver an unforgettable presentation, as well as how to create visual slides with impact, grab our free e-book below.

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About the Author

Nayomi Chibana is a journalist and writer for Visme’s Visual Learning Center. Besides researching trends in visual communication and next-generation storytelling, she’s passionate about data-driven content.

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How to give a good presentation that captivates any audience

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What are the main difficulties when giving presentations?

How to create an effective presentation, after that, how do i give a memorable presentation, how to connect with the audience when presenting.

If you’ve ever heard someone give a powerful presentation, you probably remember how it made you feel. Much like a composer, a good speaker knows precisely when each note should strike to captivate their audience’s attention and leave them with a lasting impression.

No one becomes a great public speaker or presenter without practice. And almost everyone can recall a time one of their presentations went badly — that’s a painful part of the learning process.

Whether you’re working within a small creative team or a large organization, public speaking and presentation skills are vital to communicating your ideas. Knowing how to present your vision can help you pitch concepts to clients, present ideas to your team, and develop the confidence to participate in team meetings.

If you have an upcoming presentation on the horizon and feel nervous, that’s normal. Around 15-30% of the general population experience a fear of public speaking . And, unfortunately, social anxiety is on the rise, with a 12% increase in adults over the last 20 years . 

Learning how to give a good presentation can dismantle your fears and break down these barriers, ensuring you’re ready to confidently share your point of view. 

It’s the week before your presentation, and you’re already feeling nervous . Maybe there’ll be an important mentor in the room you need to impress, or you’re looking for an opportunity to show your boss your value. Regardless of your countless past presentations, you still feel nervous. 

Sharing your vision and ideas with any sized group is intimidating. You’re likely worrying about how you’ll perform as a presenter and whether the audience will be interested in what you offer. But nerves aren’t inherently negative — you can actually use this feeling to fuel your preparation.

It’s helpful to identify where your worries are coming from and address your fears. Here are some common concerns when preparing for an upcoming presentation:

Fear of public speaking: When you share your ideas in front of a group, you’re placing yourself in a vulnerable position to be critiqued on your knowledge and communication skills . Maybe you feel confident in your content, but when you think about standing in front of an audience, you feel anxious and your mind goes blank.

It’s also not uncommon to have physical symptoms when presenting . Some people experience nausea and dizziness as the brain releases adrenaline to cope with the potentially stressful situation . Remember to take deep breaths to recenter yourself and be patient, even if you make a mistake.

Losing the audience’s attention: As a presenter, your main focus is to keep your audience engaged. They should feel like they’re learning valuable information or following a story that will improve them in life or business.

Highlight the most exciting pieces of knowledge and ensure you emphasize those points in your presentation. If you feel passionate about your content, it’s more likely that your audience will experience this excitement for themselves and become invested in what you have to say.

Not knowing what content to place on presentation slides: Overloading presentation slides is a fast way to lose your audience’s attention. Your slides should contain only the main talking points and limited text to ensure your audience focuses on what you have to say rather than becoming distracted by the content on your slides.

Discomfort incorporating nonverbal communication: It’s natural to feel stiff and frozen when you’re nervous. But maintaining effective body language helps your audience stay focused on you as you speak and encourages you to relax.

If you struggle to incorporate body language into your presentations, try starting small by making hand gestures toward your slides. If you’re working with a large audience, use different parts of the stage to ensure everyone feels included. 

Each presenter has their own personal brand and style. Some may use humor to break the ice, while others might appeal to the audience’s emotional side through inspiring storytelling. 

Watching online presentations, such as TED talks, is an excellent way to expose yourself to various presentation styles and develop your own. While observing others, you can note how they carry themselves on stage and learn new ways to keep your audience engaged.

Once you’ve addressed what’s causing your fears, it’s time to prepare for a great presentation. Use your past experience as inspiration and aim to outshine your former self by learning from your mistakes and employing new techniques. Here are five presentation tips to help you create a strong presentation and wow your audience:

1. Keep it simple

Simple means something different to everyone.

Before creating your presentation, take note of your intended audience and their knowledge level of your subject. You’ll want your content to be easy for your intended audience to follow.

Say you’re giving a presentation on improving your company’s operational structure. Entry-level workers will likely need a more straightforward overview of the content than C-suite leaders, who have significantly more experience. 

Ask yourself what you want your audience to take away from your presentation and emphasize those important points. Doing this ensures they remember the most vital information rather than less important supporting ideas. Try organizing these concepts into bullet points so viewers can quickly identify critical takeaways.

2. Create a compelling structure

Put yourself in your audience member’s shoes and determine the most compelling way to organize your information. Your presentation should be articulate , cohesive, and logical, and you must be sure to include all necessary supporting evidence to strengthen your main points.

If you give away all of your answers too quickly, your audience could lose interest. And if there isn’t enough supporting information, they could hit a roadblock of confusion. Try developing a compelling story that leads your audience through your thought processes so they can experience the ups and downs alongside you. 

By structuring your presentation to lead up to a final conclusion, you’re more likely to keep listeners’ attention. Once you’ve reached that conclusion, you can offer a Q&A period to put any of their questions or concerns to rest. 

3. Use visual aids

Appealing to various learning styles is a great way to keep everyone on the same page and ensure they absorb your content. Visual aids are necessary for visual learners and make it easier for people to picture your ideas.

Aim to incorporate a mixture of photos, videos, and props to engage your audience and convey your key points. For instance, if you’re giving a presentation on anthropology subject matter, you could show your audience an artifact to help them understand how exciting a discovery must have been. 

If your presentation is long, including a video for your audience to watch is an excellent way to give yourself a break and create new jumping-off points for your speech.

4. Be aware of design techniques and trends

Thanks to cutting-edge technology and tools, you have numerous platforms at your disposal to create a good presentation. But keep in mind that although color, images, and graphics liven things up, they can cause distraction when misused.

  Here are a few standard pointers for incorporating visuals on your slides: 

• Don’t place blocks of small text on a single slide
• Use a minimalistic background instead of a busy one
• Ensure text stands out against the background color
• Only use high-resolution photos
• Maintain a consistent font style and size throughout the presentation
• Don’t overuse transitions and effects

5. Try the 10-20-30 rule

Guy Kawasaki, a prominent venture capitalist and one of the original marketing specialists for Apple, said that the best slideshow presentations are less than 10 slides , last at most 20 minutes, and use a font size of 30. Following this strategy can help you condense your information, eliminate unnecessary ideas, and maintain your audience’s focus more efficiently.

Once you’re confident in creating a memorable presentation, it’s time to learn how to give one. Here are some valuable tips for keeping your audience invested during your talk: 

Tip #1: Tell stories

Sharing an anecdote from your life can improve your credibility and increase your relatability. And when an audience relates to you, they’re more likely to feel connected to who you are as a person and encouraged to give you their full attention, as they would want others to do the same.

Gill Hicks utilized this strategy well when she shared her powerful story, “ I survived a terrorist attack. Here’s what I learned .” In her harrowing tale, Hicks highlights the importance of compassion, unconditional love , and helping those in need.

If you feel uncomfortable sharing personal stories, that’s okay. You can use examples from famous individuals or create a fictional account to demonstrate your ideas.

Tip #2: Make eye contact with the audience

Maintaining eye contact is less intimidating than it sounds. In fact, you don’t have to look your audience members directly in their eyes — you can focus on their foreheads or noses if that’s easier.

Try making eye contact with as many people as possible for 3–5 seconds each. This timing ensures you don’t look away too quickly, making the audience member feel unimportant, or linger too long, making them feel uncomfortable.

If you’re presenting to a large group, direct your focus to each part of the room to ensure no section of the audience feels ignored. 

Tip #3: Work on your stage presence

Although your tone and words are the most impactful part of your presentation, recall that body language keeps your audience engaged. Use these tips to master a professional stage presence:

• Speak with open arms and avoid crossing them
• Keep a reasonable pace and try not to stand still
• Use hand gestures to highlight important information

Tip #4: Start strong

Like watching a movie trailer, the first seconds of your talk are critical for capturing your audience’s attention. How you start your speech sets the tone for the rest of your presentation and tells your audience whether or not they should pay attention. Here are some ways to start your presentation to leave a lasting impression:

• Use a quote from a well-known and likable influential person 
• Ask a rhetorical question to create intrigue
• Start with an anecdote to add context to your talk 
• Spark your audience’s curiosity by involving them in an interactive problem-solving puzzle or riddle

Tip #5: Show your passion

Don’t be afraid of being too enthusiastic. Everyone appreciates a speaker who’s genuinely excited about their field of expertise. 

In “ Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance ,” Angela Lee Duckworth discusses the importance of passion in research and delivery. She delivers her presentation excitedly to show the audience how excitement piques interest. 

Tip #6: Plan your delivery

How you decide to deliver your speech will shape your presentation. Will you be preparing a PowerPoint presentation and using a teleprompter? Or are you working within the constraints of the digital world and presenting over Zoom?

The best presentations are conducted by speakers who know their stuff and memorize their content. However, if you find this challenging, try creating notes to use as a safety net in case you lose track.

If you’re presenting online, you can keep notes beside your computer for each slide, highlighting your key points. This ensures you include all the necessary information and follow a logical order.

Tip #7: Practice

Practice doesn’t make perfect — it makes progress. There’s no way of preparing for unforeseen circumstances, but thorough practice means you’ve done everything you can to succeed.

Rehearse your speech in front of a mirror or to a trusted friend or family member. Take any feedback and use it as an opportunity to fine-tune your speech. But remember: who you practice your presentation in front of may differ from your intended audience. Consider their opinions through the lens of them occupying this different position.

Tip #8: Read the room

Whether you’re a keynote speaker at an event or presenting to a small group of clients, knowing how to read the room is vital for keeping your audience happy. Stay flexible and be willing to move on from topics quickly if your listeners are uninterested or displeased with a particular part of your speech.

Tip #9: Breathe

Try taking deep breaths before your presentation to calm your nerves. If you feel rushed, you’re more likely to feel nervous and stumble on your words.

The most important thing to consider when presenting is your audience’s feelings. When you approach your next presentation calmly, you’ll put your audience at ease and encourage them to feel comfortable in your presence.

Tip #10: Provide a call-to-action

When you end your presentation, your audience should feel compelled to take a specific action, whether that’s changing their habits or contacting you for your services.

If you’re presenting to clients, create a handout with key points and contact information so they can get in touch. You should provide your LinkedIn information, email address, and phone number so they have a variety of ways to reach you. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all template for an effective presentation, as your unique audience and subject matter play a role in shaping your speech. As a general rule, though, you should aim to connect with your audience through passion and excitement. Use strong eye contact and body language. Capture their interest through storytelling and their trust through relatability.

Learning how to give a good presentation can feel overwhelming — but remember, practice makes progress. Rehearse your presentation for someone you trust, collect their feedback , and revise. Practicing your presentation skills is helpful for any job, and every challenge is a chance to grow.

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

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

How to write a speech that your audience remembers

6 presentation skills and how to improve them, 3 stand-out professional bio examples to inspire your own, tell a story they can't ignore these 10 tips will teach you how, how to make a presentation interactive and exciting, your guide to what storytelling is and how to be a good storyteller, reading the room gives you an edge — no matter who you're talking to, 18 effective strategies to improve your communication skills, writing an elevator pitch about yourself: a how-to plus tips, how to disagree at work without being obnoxious, the importance of good speech: 5 tips to be more articulate, the 11 tips that will improve your public speaking skills, 30 presentation feedback examples, fear of public speaking overcome it with these 7 tips, how to not be nervous for a presentation — 13 tips that work (really), 8 clever hooks for presentations (with tips), stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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How to Structure your Presentation, with Examples

August 3, 2018 - Dom Barnard

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

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

Why is structuring a presentation so important?

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

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

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

What will affect your presentation structure?

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

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

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

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

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

What is the typical presentation structure?

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

1. Greet the audience and introduce yourself

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

Read our tips on  How to Start a Presentation Effectively

2. Introduction

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

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

In this section also explain:

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

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

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

3. The main body of your talk

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

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

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

4. Conclusion

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

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

Follow these steps:

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

5. Thank the audience and invite questions

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

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

Other common presentation structures

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

Demonstration

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

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

Problem-solution

This structure is particularly useful in persuading the audience.

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

Storytelling

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

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

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

• Great storytelling: Examples from Alibaba Founder, Jack Ma

Remaining method

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

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

Transitions

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

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

Moving from the introduction to the first point

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

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

Shifting between similar points

Move from one point to a similar one:

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

Internal summaries

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

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

Physical movement

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

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

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

Key slides for your presentation

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are some additional resources for slide design:

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

Group Presentations

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

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

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

Example of great presentation structure and delivery

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

How Google Works – by Eric Schmidt

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

Start with why – by Simon Sinek

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

The Wisdom of a Third Grade Dropout – by Rick Rigsby

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Cultural Informative Speech Topics

Learning about different cultures can drastically expand your viewpoint of the world. These speech ideas cover everything from language to ancient history to pop culture. 

• How to learn about local culture while traveling
• The importance of workplace culture
• How to build a positive corporate culture 
• How social media connects and promotes culture 
• The oldest cultures in the world 
• Modern versus traditional gender roles 
• How women have transformed corporate leadership 
• The dangers of hustle culture
• How social media culture impacts self-esteem
• How to learn from watching movies
• The rise of podcasts and their role in modern culture 
• The role of social media in business 
• How immigrants maintain cultural traditions in their new countries
• Ancient archeological artifacts you’ve never heard of
• Native American spiritual traditions
• Holy herbs and plants across global cultures
• How to make an African tribal basket
• The portrayal of black culture in the media
• Culture of Scandinavia
• Burial rituals in ancient Mesopotamia 
• History and meaning of the Om symbol
• The history of Buddhism
• How to show respect in Japanese culture
• The cultural history of African Americans 
• Chinese traditional foods 
• Top 10 foreign dishes you have to try before you die
• The most important spiritual symbols in the world
• Generational differences in Mexican culture
• The symbolism of marigolds in Mexican traditions
• What is Dia De Los Muertos?  

Want to radically improve your presentation skills? Watch our video for 10 presentation ideas:

Informative Speech Topics About History

They say, “history repeats itself.” Consider giving a unique or lesser-known perspective about historical events for a thought-provoking speech. Use museum artifacts and first-hand accounts to guide your points. 

• The Civil Rights Movement
• The oldest civilizations in the world
• Nelson Mandela’s historical impact
• The truth about colonization and Thanksgiving 
• How the Industrial Revolution impacted the environment 
• The real story of the Titanic 
• The craziest criminals in history  
• What caused the Great Depression? 
• What schools get wrong about black history 
• Religion during the age of the Aztecs
• Archeological evidence of aliens
• Ancient history of dogs and wolves 
• What caused the Salem witch trials?
• The American Revolution
• The role of Christianity in slavery
• Human rights violations throughout history
• How life changed for Native Americans after colonization 
• The role of urbanization on the changing American landscape
• The cowboy era: myths and truths 
• The American Constitution
• The most influential people in world history
• Forming of the United Nations
• What caused World War I?
• Financial panics and recessions throughout history
• The Prohibition era 
• What led to consumerism in society? 
• The Vietnam War
• The California Gold Rush
• The true story of Pocahontas
• Little-known facts about Mexican history

Informative Speech Topics About Music

Music is the soundtrack to our lives. Beyond mere entertainment, its impact dives into the roots of culture, identity, and brain function. Here are some exciting ways to incorporate your love of music into an informative speech. 

• How music can help mental health 
• Why you should learn an instrument
• How listening to music improves your productivity
• Genres of music 
• Links between classical music and IQ
• Why do people bond over music 
• Rarest instruments in the world
• The easiest instruments to play
• Best country musicians of all time
• How hip hop music has shaped culture in America
• Evolution of rap and hip hop 
• The origins of rock n’ roll in southern blues music
• The history of opera
• The best electronic dance music
• The impact of reggae music
• How punk rock got its start 
• How folk music shaped Appalachia 
• Country music hall of fame
• Must-see musical landmarks around the world
• Importance of gospel music
• The ethics of sampling other artist’s music
• How music shapes subculture 
• Has social media made record companies obsolete?
• The importance of musical education in public schools
• Music as a form of protest
• How sad music helps you overcome heartbreaks
• Why music shapes generations
• How dancing can change your mindset
• From the phonograph to iPhone: History of music machines

Health Informative Speech Topics

The ever-changing landscape of health offers a wealth of resources. Leave an impact on your audience by inspiring them to improve their eating habits or approach healthy living in a new way. Be sure to find the right sources for these speeches to make sure you are citing correct health science.

• How to extend your lifespan 
• Links between diet and mental illnesses 
• How to cook healthy food on a budget 
• Why a daily walk outside can transform your health
• History of herbal medicine 
• Let food be thy medicine: From Hippocrates to modern day food pyramid
• Why you should do yoga for 15 minutes a day
• Benefits and drawbacks of a vegetarian diet
• The healthiest fruits in the world 
• What is really in processed food?
• Is weight lifting or cardio better for burning fat?
• How agriculture affects our health
• The gut microbiome
• The dangers of pesticides in our food system
• How soil health impacts human health 
• Who controls the food system? 
• The science behind keto diets
• The dangers of low-fat diets
• Top 5 best foods for brain function
• The daily habits of the healthiest people in the world
• Differences in definitions of health
• European versus American food ingredients 
• The role of fats in brain function 
• How to fix a headache
• The benefits of magnesium
• The best supplements, according to science 
• The main signs of a stroke
• The chronic disease epidemic in America 
• How to lose weight the healthy way
• Why you should avoid eating seed oils
• Why you should stop eating gluten 
• How to prevent arthritis
• The real causes of diabetes
• Is meat actually bad for you? Pros and cons
• How to stop the mental health epidemic 
• How dental health impacts your digestion
• Amazing benefits of black seed oil
• The Harvard Longevity Project: Why happy people live longer
• Ancient health remedies from around the world
• Why you should eat fermented foods
• Causes of cancer and how to prevent it
• Why people should donate their organs
• Effects of radiation
• The healthiest cultures in the world 
• Why obesity is a modern problem
• How to have stronger bones
• Healthcare access for minorities
• Why fast food restaurants are addictive
• Pros and cons of salt
• How to overcome stress
• The dangers of e-cigarettes
• People need to drink more water
• The insurance and healthcare system in America
• How friendships improve your health
• Why couples should exercise together
• Benefits of dark chocolate
• Dangerous food additives you’ve never heard of
• Easy ways to improve your nutrition
• How to reverse hair loss
• Secrets to have healthy hair
• Benefits and drawbacks of stem cell research 
• Why you should stop drinking soda
• How to reduce asthma attacks
• Health benefits of ginger
• Why you should drink tea

Key Takeaways: Find Inspiration for a Speech

Any informative topic can be used to craft a speech, but a showstopping presentation requires thinking outside the box and approaching your speech from a unique point of view. Before you settle on a topic for your next speech, be sure that your speech idea is:

• Authentically interesting : Discussing something that doesn’t spark your interest is no use. Choose a topic or idea that you actually care about for an authentic and passionate delivery. 
• Relevant to your audience : If you don’t know your audience, you might as well be speaking to a wall. Professional presenters understand the general knowledge level of their audience and what information will be valuable or interesting to them. 
• Easy to research : Obscure topics can be alluring and challenging to research. Choose a topic that has plenty of information available in books or online. Be sure to use reputable sources and cite them when necessary.
• The proper length : The depth and detail of your speech ultimately depend on the length of time you have to talk. Pick a subject that you can thoroughly describe in the allotted time frame.  

Once you narrow down a few of your favorite topic ideas, start brainstorming how you want your speech to impact the audience. Use these 10 Presentation Ideas That Will Radically Improve Your Presentation Skills , such as:

• Why you should save the best for first and last
• How to design epic presentation slides
• Why you shouldn’t over-rehearse
• How to own the stage 

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How to Make Short 5-Minute Presentations With Quick Ideas & Tips (+Video)

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Need to learn how to make a short presentation? A quick presentation has unique challenges. In this article, we'll look at tips and ideas for 3 to 5 minute presentations. We'll also check out some 5-minute presentation samples, and other tips and tricks for planning your mini presentation. 

There are many situations where you may need to give a short presentation. For example, you may need to give a 5-minute presentation for job interview criteria. Or you may need to give a mini presentation in 5 minutes to brief your team, at work. 5-minute presentation topics can vary, but have a few key things in common:

• A quick presentation should be concise and to the point.
• 5-minute presentation topics should be strategic, but not too complex.
• A short presentation, like 3 to 5 minute presentations, doesn't need too many slides.

Need Help? Download Our eBook on Making Great Presentations (Free)

We also have a useful complement to this tutorial. Download our FREE eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations. It'll help you write, design, and deliver the perfect presentation. Quickly grab it before you read on. 

Make Amazing 5-Minute Presentations (Quickstart Video)

Step 1. know your audience well, step 2. choose the right 5-minute presentation topics, step 3. use a professional presentation template for your mini presentation, step 4. start your quick presentation with a powerful attention grabber, step 5. practice makes perfect, plan your short presentation length, 5-minute presentation samples, make your presentation scalable, download our ebook on making great presentations (free pdf), make a great 5-minute presentation today.

Do you need to make a 5-minute PowerPoint presentation quickly? Get started right now with this video:

Learn even more about short, mini-presentations in the tutorial below: 

With only five minutes for your presentation, you don't want to waste time covering information your audience already knows. To make sure that you reach your audience with material that they can understand and relate too, you need to know as much about them as you can.

If you don't understand your audience, it's unlikely that you'll be able to hold their interest. Research your audience to find out as much as you can about them. A quick way to find out more about your audience is to ask the organization or person who invited you to give the presentation for more information about who you'll be addressing.

Now that you've learned about your audience, it's time to choose a topic.

For short presentations, your topic selection is very important. Some topics just do not lend themselves well to presentations because they're too complex.

Here some crucial points to consider when selecting a presentation topic for a 5-minute presentation:

• Choose a topic you're already familiar with. This will cut the time you spend researching your topic.
• Keep it simple. Avoid complex topics that need lots of explanation. If a topic is complex, pick a single, simple aspect of it to present on, rather than trying to cover it all.
• Stick to one or two main points. Also limit yourself to a minimal number of sub-points. Because your presentation length is limited, it's unlikely you'll have time for more than that.
• Remember your audience's background. I can't say this enough—to create an engaging presentation you must know your audience.

Now, write your draft:

After your draft is ready, it's time to start thinking about how your presentation is going to look.

Even short presentations need to look nice. Since this is a quick presentation, you'll save lots of time by using a template.

Templates give your presentation a professional look without you needing to spend the money to hire a professional designer or the time to design your own template. For most presentation templates, just insert your own information in the appropriate places and add your own images. Then, remove the slides from the template that you do not need.

You can find a wide variety of professional templates available on  Envato Elements . To get an idea of the difference that a professional template can make for your presentation, here's a look at this stylish PowerPoint presentation template from Envato Elements.

This PowerPoint template has over 125 slides to choose from, so there's a wealth of content to work with. It's easy to complete your presentation with a professionally designed template on your side.

Discover more PowerPoint template designs with powerful features on Envato Elements. The right premium PPT template  will help you make a great presentation quickly. 

You'll find even more excellent professional Microsoft PowerPoint template options in these curated articles. They're a great resource if you're looking for even more 5-minute presentation ideas: 

Since your presentation is so short, you'll want to pay some extra attention to the opening. You probably don't have time to show a video or play complex animations. You may not even have time to play a soundtrack.

That's okay. There are other ways to grab your audience's attention. These quick attention grabbers are great for short presentations:

• storytelling
• poll the audience
• mention a startling statistic
• show a compelling image

In a short presentation, it's also a good idea to organize your material so that your most important point is discussed first. This insures that you've covered your most important point in case either of the following happens:

• You run out of time.
• Your audience loses interest.

Your short presentation should be starting to come together now, but you're not ready to give your presentation until you complete the next step.

For a short speech, practice is critical. Timing your presentation is also the only way to know for sure how long it'll take. The shorter the presentation the more crucial it is that you time your speech. For example, if you're giving a 5-minute presentation for a job interview, you'll really want to stay within the required time frame! 

Practice gives you a chance to really polish your presentation. Focus on sounding comfortable and confident. Work on eliminating or reducing any distracting personal habits. Many speakers benefit from having a third party listen as they practice.

Ideally, you want to be able to present your material without reading it verbatim (which can sound stilted and unnatural). So, you'll be learning your material as you practice.

Once you feel confident about your presentation, time it. Have a colleague or friend help you keep track of how long you speak. Or use a recording device or other electronic timer.

If you find that your presentation runs over the five-minute mark, remove some of your less important points from the end. Be cautious about doing this, though. Nerves can cause many speakers to speak more quickly during the actual presentation than they normally would.

If your presentation falls short of the five-minute mark, add another short point or summarize what you've discussed to make up the time difference.

You're basically ready to give your 5-minute presentation. But there are a few more things you should know.

When creating a timed, quick presentation, a common question is "how many PowerPoint slides do I need for a presentation that lasts X minutes?"

The answer is ... it depends. There are many variables that determine the number of slides required to fill a specific time slot.

Not all slides are created equal. You'll want to discuss the information on some in more detail because it's more complex. Other slides, such as images, may require no discussion on your part. Also, every speaker speaks at a different pace. So, someone who speaks quickly will probably require more slides than someone who speaks more slowly.

These variables are why it's so important to time your presentation before you give it.

Remember, though, being nervous can make you speak more quickly than you normally would. So, try to keep your pace normal. A short pause between points can help you get your bearings, even if you're giving a presentation in 5 minutes.

The most common presentation mistake is to have too many slides. Having too many slides poses a problem in several ways:

• It's harder for you, as a speaker to keep up with all that material. You're more likely to have to read your presentation.
• Your audience is unlikely to remember all that material anyway. Your main point is likely to get lost.
• In a shorter presentation, you're more likely to run out of time.

While I can't tell you exactly how many PowerPoint slides for a five minute presentation, I can provide you with some overall guidelines that'll work for many speakers. Use these guidelines to plan your presentation and adapt them as needed.

Slide Guidelines for Various Presentation Lengths

Even the experts disagree on how much time you should spend on a single slide. And not all slides in your slide presentation require the same amount of time to present. Still, there are some steps you can use to figure out how many slides you'll need.

Start by dividing your presentation into two types of slides:

• Simple. A simple slide requires very little explanation on your part. Examples of this type of slide would be your title slide or a graphic that speaks for itself. Aside from your title slide, most experts agree that you should try to spend less than 30 seconds on a simple slide.
• Complex. This slide requires some explanation on your part. These are the slides that you'll use to convey your message. Most experts agree that you should spend between one and no more than three minutes on this type of slide. When you're timing your presentation if you find that a slide takes more than three minutes to present, divide it into two slides.

During your practice session, pay attention to how long each type of slide takes you to present. If you've given lots of presentations already, you may already know. If you're new to giving presentations, you'll have to get this figure when you time your presentation as you practice.

Here's how these guidelines might play out when planning different length presentations:

• 1-Minute Presentation . Stick to one main idea. Keep it simple. A single slide may be enough. But use no more than two slides--one of which is a title slide with the company name and presentation title that won't require discussion. If you can, have the title slide on the screen before your presentation starts. Leave it up as you introduce the presentation (about 15 seconds). The second slide covers a very simple main point (plan on 45 seconds to discuss it). You may have no sub-points and no discussion, as this is a very short talk.
• 3-Minute Presentation. Again, stick to one or two simple, main ideas. You may have several simple sub-points. Use the company name slide to open your presentation (15 seconds). If your topic is complex, you may spend nearly the entire three minutes on a single slide. For simple topics that require less than a minute per slide, you may need up to six slides.
• 5-Minute Presentation. For this slightly longer presentation you can cover four very simple points or one complex point with several sub-points. Plan on a title slide (up to 30 seconds), and you can insert some opening humor or other attention grabber. With a complex topic slide you may find yourself spending three minutes on it, which would leave about a minute and a half for two sub-points--so four slides in that scenario. You may need up to ten slides if your topics are very simple.
• 15-Minute Presentation. With a longer presentation like this, plan on a pause of several minutes after about seven minutes. You could use this time as a question-and-answer period. Or just allow your audience to stretch. Following the break, you'll need another attention grabber. You also have time to include more complex attention grabbers such as short videos and animations. You could need between five and 20 slides, depending on the complexity of your material.
• 30-Minute or Longer Presentations. Longer presentations allow you to present more material that's more complex. You're also likely to include more slides. When creating a longer presentation, don't forget to allow for your audience's human needs. You'll need to include more planned pauses. Also, most experts agree that you should plan on a bathroom break at least once an hour. After the bathroom break, you'll need to recapture your audience's attention again. For very long presentations you may need to plan for a snack or a meal.

You won't know for sure how closely to follow these guidelines unless you time your speech. After practicing, you may find that you need to tweak the guidelines by adding or subtracting a slide. Or if you're spending too much time on a single slide, you may need to narrow down your material.

Below I've included slides that I created using this professional PowerPoint template from Envato Elements. A simple professional PowerPoint template offers a great starting point to work from. These slides are made quickly for a short presentation.

From practicing, I know that this presentation takes approximately two minutes to give. Here's the first slide, which is my title:

For this slide, all the presenter would need to say is their name, the title of the presentation, and the name of the company. Note that not everything the presenter says is on the slide. This title slide took me 15 seconds to present. Your results could vary.

Here's the next slide:

This slide basically introduces the company. Again, not everything I'm going to say is on the slide. This simple slide took me 30 seconds to present.

Here's a second example of a 30 second slide:

The final slide in this very short presentation is a little more complex, but it still only took 45 seconds for me to present:

Many professionals are asked to do variations of the same presentation over and over. Sales professionals, for example, may need to have long and short versions of the same presentation topic. This would mean giving your presentation in 5 minutes or 30 minutes. But how do you scale a large or mini presentation? 

If this is what you need to do, keep in mind the points above. It's best to create and save the long version presentation first. Then edit the material down and re-save it as a shorter, more focused version of the presentation. Be careful not to overwrite your original presentation though.

Once you've done this several times, it'll get easier.

We've got the perfect complement to this tutorial, which will walk you through the complete presentation process. Learn how to write your presentation, design it like a pro, and prepare it to present powerfully. 

Download our eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . It's available for free with a subscription to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter. 

Now you know how to make a short presentation of your own. You can create an effective slide presentation for any amount of time, if you know how. With the right planning, you can quickly create snappy 5-minute presentations with just the right number of slides.

When creating a short presentation, remember that it's important to know your audience well. It's also crucial that you pick a simple topic that's right for them. Most importantly, remember to practice and time your presentation. Timing is the only way to know for sure how long it'll take you to give a presentation. Keep in mind that you may speed up your delivery during the actual presentation, so aim to account for that.

Also, don't forget how important your slide design is to making an effective presentation. Remember to check out the PowerPoint presentation templates on Envato Elements. One low monthly price gets you unlimited access to the entire library of templates!

Now, that you know what to do, you're ready to create your own 5-minute presentation. Good luck!

Editorial Note: This tutorial was originally published in July of 2017. It's been updated to make sure it's completely relevant and a video has been added by Daisy Ein .

Home Blog Presentation Ideas How to Start a Presentation: 5 Strong Opening Slides and 12 Tricks To Test

How to Start a Presentation: 5 Strong Opening Slides and 12 Tricks To Test

Knowing how to start a presentation is crucial: if you fail to capture the audience’s attention right off the bat, your entire presentation will flop. Few listeners will stick with you to the end and retain what you have told.

That is mildly unpleasant when you are doing an in-house presentation in front of your colleagues. But it can become utterly embarrassing when you present in front of larger audiences (e.g., at a conference) or worse – delivering a sales presentation to prospective customers.

Here is how most of us begin a presentation: give an awkward greeting, thank everyone for coming, clear our throats, tap the mic, and humbly start to mumble about our subject. The problem with such an opening performance? It effectively kills and buries even the best messages.

Table of Contents

• The Classic Trick: Open a Presentation with an Introduction
• Open a Presentation with a Hook
• Begin with a Captivating Visual
• Ask a “What if…” Question
• Use the Word “Imagine”
• Leverage The Curiosity Gap
• The Power of Silence
• Facts as Weapons of Communication
• Fact vs. Myths
• The Power of Music
• Physical Activity
• Acknowledging a Person

How to Start a PowerPoint Presentation The Right Way

Let’s say you have all of your presentation slides polished up (in case you don’t, check our quick & effective PowerPoint presentation design tips first). Your presentation has a clear storyline and agenda. Main ideas are broken into bite-sized statements for your slides and complemented with visuals. All you have left is to figure out how you begin presenting.

The best way is to appeal to and invoke certain emotions in your audience – curiosity, surprise, fear, or good old amusements. Also, it is recommended to present your main idea in the first 30 seconds of the presentation. And here’s how it’s done.

1. The Classic Trick: Open a Presentation with an Introduction

When you don’t feel like reinventing the wheel, use a classic trick from the book – start with a quick personal introduction. Don’t want to sound as boring as everyone else with your humble “Hi, I’m John, the head of the Customer Support Department”? Great, because we are all about promoting effective presentation techniques (hint: using a dull welcome slide isn’t one of them).

Here’s how to introduce yourself in a presentation the right way.

a. Use a link-back memory formula

To ace a presentation, you need to connect with your audience. The best way to do so is by throwing in a simple story showing who you are, where you came from, and why your words matter.

The human brain loves a good story, and we are more inclined to listen and retain the information told this way. Besides, when we can relate to the narrator (or story hero), we create an emotional bond with them, and, again – become more receptive, and less skeptical of the information that is about to be delivered.

So here are your presentation introduction lines:

My name is Joanne, and I’m the Head of Marketing at company XYZ. Five years ago I was working as a waitress, earning $10/hour and collecting rejection letters from editors. About ten letters every week landed to my mailbox. You see, I love words, but decent publisher thought mine were good enough. Except for the restaurant owner. I was very good at up-selling and recommending dishes to the customers. My boss even bumped my salary to $15/hour as a token of appreciation for my skill. And this made me realize: I should ditch creative writing and focus on copywriting instead. After loads of trial and error back in the day, I learned how to write persuasive copy. I was no longer getting rejection letters. I was receiving thousands of emails saying that someone just bought another product from our company. My sales copy pages generated over $1,500,000 in revenue over last year. And I want to teach you how to do the same”

b. Test the Stereotype Formula

This one’s simple and effective as well. Introduce yourself by sharing an obvious stereotype about your profession. This cue will help you connect with your audience better, make them chuckle a bit, and set a lighter mood for the speech to follow.

Here’s how you can frame your intro:

“My name is ___, and I am a lead software engineer at our platform [Your Job Title]. And yes, I’m that nerdy type who never liked presenting in front of large groups of people. I would rather stay in my den and write code all day long. [Stereotype]. But hey, since I have mustered enough courage…let’s talk today about the new product features my team is about to release….”

After sharing a quick, self-deprecating line, you transition back to your topic, reinforcing the audience’s attention . Both of these formulas help you set the “mood” for your further presentation, so try using them interchangeably on different occasions.

2. Open a Presentation with a Hook

Wow your audience straight off the bat by sharing something they would not expect to hear. This may be one of the popular first-time presentation tips but don’t rush to discard it.

Because here’s the thing: psychologically , we are more inclined to pay attention whenever presented with an unexpected cue. When we know what will happen next – someone flips the switch, and lights turn on – we don’t really pay much attention to that action.

But when we don’t know what to expect next – e.g., someone flips the switch and a bell starts ringing – we are likely to pay more attention to what will happen next. The same goes for words: everyone loves stories with unpredictable twists. So begin your presentation with a PowerPoint introduction slide or a line that no one expects to hear.

Here are a few hook examples you can swipe:

a. Open with a provocative statement

It creates an instant jolt and makes the audience intrigued to hear what you are about to say next – pedal back, continue with the provocation, or do something else that they will not expect.

“You will live seven and a half minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.”

That’s how Jane McGonigal opens one of her TED talks . Shocking and intriguing, right?

b. Ask a rhetorical, thought-provoking question

Seasoned presenters know that one good practice is to ask a question at the beginning of a presentation to increase audience engagement. Rhetorical questions have a great persuasive effect – instead of answering aloud, your audience will silently start musing over it during your presentation. They aroused curiosity and motivated the audience to remain attentive, as they did want to learn your answer to this question.

To reinforce your message throughout the presentation, you can further use the Rhetorical Triangle Concept – a rhetorical approach to building a persuasive argument based on Aristotle’s teachings.

c. Use a bold number, factor stat

A clean slide with some mind-boggling stat makes an undeniably strong impact. Here are a few opening statement examples you can use along with your slide:

• Shock them: “We are effectively wasting over $1.2 billion per year on producing clothes no one will ever purchase”
• Create empathy: “Are you among the 20% of people with undiagnosed ADHD?”
• Call to arms: “58% of marketing budgets are wasted due to poor landing page design. Let’s change this!”
• Spark curiosity: “Did you know that companies who invested in speech recognition have seen a 13% increase in ROI within just 3 years?”

3. Begin with a Captivating Visual

Compelling visuals are the ABC of presentation design – use them strategically to make an interesting statement at the beginning and throughout your presentation. Your first presentation slide can be text-free. Communicate your idea with a visual instead – a photo, a chart, an infographic, or another graphics asset.

Visuals are a powerful medium for communication as our brain needs just 13 milliseconds to render what our eyes see, whereas text comprehension requires more cognitive effort.

Relevant images add additional aesthetic appeal to your deck, bolster the audience’s imagination, and make your key message instantly more memorable.

Here’s an intro slide example. You want to make a strong presentation introduction to global pollution.  Use the following slide to reinforce the statement you share:

“Seven of nine snow samples taken on land in Antarctica found chemicals known as PFAs, which are used in industrial products and can harm wildlife”

Source: Reuters

4. Ask a “What if…” Question

The “what if” combo carries massive power. It gives your audience a sense of what will happen if they choose to listen to you and follow your advice.  Here are a few presentations with starting sentences + slides to illustrate this option:

Alternatively, you can work your way to this point using different questions:

• Ask the audience about their “Why.” Why are they attending this event, or why do they find this topic relevant?
• Use “How” as your question hook if you plan to introduce a potential solution to a problem.
• If your presentation has a persuasion factor associated, use “When” as a question to trigger the interest of the audience on, for example, when they are planning to take action regarding the topic being presented (if we talk about an inspirational presentation).

5. Use the Word “Imagine”

“Imagine,” “Picture This,” and “Think of” are better word choices for when you plan to begin your presentation with a quick story.

Our brain loves interacting with stories. In fact, a captivating story makes us more collaborative. Scientists have discovered that stories with tension during narrative make us:

• Pay more attention,
• Share emotions with the characters and even mimic the feelings and behaviors of those characters afterward.

That’s why good action movies often feel empowering and make us want to change the world too. By incorporating a good, persuasive story with a relatable hero, you can also create that “bond” with your audience and make them more perceptive to your pitch – donate money to support the cause; explore the solution you are offering, and so on.

6. Leverage The Curiosity Gap

The curiosity gap is another psychological trick frequently used by marketers to solicit more clicks, reads, and other interactions from the audience. In essence, it’s the trick you see behind all those clickbait, Buzzfeed-style headlines:

Not everyone is a fan of such titles. But the truth is – they do the trick and instantly capture attention. The curiosity gap sparks our desire to dig deeper into the matter. We are explicitly told that we don’t know something important, and now we crave to change that. Curiosity is an incredibly strong driving force for action – think Eve, think Pandora’s Box.

So consider incorporating these attention grabbers for your presentation speech to shock the audience. You can open with one, or strategically weave them in the middle of your presentation when you feel like your audience is getting tired and may lose their focus.

Here’s how you can use the curiosity gap during your presentation:

• Start telling a story, pause in the middle, and delay the conclusion of it.
• Withhold the key information (e.g., the best solution to the problem you have described) for a bit – but not for too long, as this can reduce the initial curiosity.
• Introduce an idea or concept and link it with an unexpected outcome or subject – this is the best opening for a presentation tip.

7. The Power of Silence

What would you do if you attended a presentation in which the speaker remains silent for 30 seconds after the presentation starts? Just the presenter, standing in front of the audience, in absolute silence.

Most likely, your mind starts racing with thoughts, expecting something of vital importance to be disclosed. The surprise factor with this effect is for us to acknowledge things we tend to take for granted.

It is a powerful resource to introduce a product or to start an inspirational presentation if followed by a fact.

8. Facts as Weapons of Communication

In some niches, using statistics as the icebreaker is the best method to retain the audience’s interest.

Say your presentation is about climate change. Why not introduce a not-so-common fact, such as the amount of wool that can be produced out of oceanic plastic waste per month? And since you have to base your introduction on facts, research manufacturers that work with Oceanic fabrics from recycled plastic bottles .

Using facts helps to build a better narrative, and also gives leverage to your presentation as you are speaking not just from emotional elements but from actually recorded data backed up by research.

9. Fact vs. Myths

Related to our previous point, we make quite an interesting speech if we contrast a fact vs. a myth in a non-conventional way: using a myth to question a well-accepted fact, then introducing a new point of view or theory, backed on sufficient research, that proves the fact wrong. This technique, when used in niches related to academia, can significantly increase the audience’s interest, and it will highlight your presentation as innovative.

Another approach is to debunk a myth using a fact. This contrast immediately piques interest because it promises to overturn commonly held beliefs, and people naturally find it compelling when their existing knowledge is put to the test. An example of this is when a nutritionist wishes to speak about how to lose weight via diet, and debunks the myth that all carbohydrates are “bad”.

10. The Power of Music

Think about a presentation that discusses the benefits of using alternative therapies to treat anxiety, reducing the need to rely on benzodiazepines. Rather than going technical and introducing facts, the presenter can play a soothing tune and invite the audience to follow an exercise that teaches how to practice breathing meditation . Perhaps, in less than 2 minutes, the presenter can accomplish the goal of exposing the advantages of this practice with a live case study fueled by the proper ambiance (due to the music played in the beginning).

11. Physical Activity

Let’s picture ourselves in an in-company presentation about workspace wellness. For this company, the sedentary lifestyle their employees engage in is a worrying factor, so they brought a personal trainer to coach the employees on a basic flexibility routine they can practice in 5 minutes after a couple of hours of desk time.

“Before we dive in, let’s all stand up for a moment.” This simple instruction breaks the ice and creates a moment of shared experience among the attendees. You could then lead them through a brief stretching routine, saying something like, “Let’s reach up high, and stretch out those muscles that get so tight sitting at our desks all day.” With this action, you’re not just talking about workplace wellness, you’re giving them a direct, personal experience of it.

This approach has several advantages. Firstly, it infuses energy into the room and increases the oxygen flow to the brain, potentially boosting the audience’s concentration and retention. Secondly, it sets a precedent that your presentation is not going to be a standard lecture, but rather an interactive experience. This can raise the level of anticipation for what’s to come, and make the presentation a topic for future conversation between coworkers.

12. Acknowledging a Person

How many times have you heard the phrase: “Before we begin, I’d like to dedicate a few words to …” . The speaker could be referring to a mentor figure, a prominent person in the local community, or a group of people who performed charity work or obtained a prize for their hard work and dedication. Whichever is the reason behind this, acknowledgment is a powerful force to use as a method of starting a presentation. It builds a connection with the audience, it speaks about your values and who you admire, and it can transmit what the conversation is going to be about based on who the acknowledged person is.

Closing Thoughts

Now you know how to start your presentation – you have the opening lines, you have the slides to use, and you can browse even more attractive PowerPoint presentation slides and templates on our website. Also, we recommend you visit our article on how to make a PowerPoint Presentation to get familiarized with the best tactics for professional presentation design and delivery, or if you need to save time preparing your presentation, we highly recommend you check our AI Presentation Maker to pair these concepts with cutting-edge slide design powered by AI.

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How to Create an Engaging 5-Minute Presentation

Updated: September 15, 2023

Published: December 02, 2020

A 5-minute speech can feel both incredibly short and infinitely long.

While this short format encourages audiences to pay more attention, presenters often struggle to fit everything into five minutes even as they navigate nervousness that seems to stretch out each second.

As a result, preparation is key for 5-minute speech success.

But how can you ensure your presentation accomplishes everything it needs to within just five short minutes? We’ve put together an (appropriately condensed) guide on five-minute presentations to help you get started.

How many words are in a 5-minute presentation?

A five-minute presentation is approximately 700 words long. The average person speaks 120 to 160 words a minute, which means the average five-minute presentation is 600 to 800 words.

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To calculate your own personal speaking speed (words per minute, or WPM):

• Make an audio recording of yourself speaking for one minute.
• Use a free transcription service to generate a text version of your speech.
• The number of words you spoke in that minute is your personal WPM.

When constructing a longer presentation, you might be more concerned about transitions and keeping the audience engaged with more extensive narrative elements.

In a short presentation, everything you say should directly tie back to your central premise and further advance your main point.

Keeping a tight scope and using your words carefully ensures your time isn't wasted and the audience leaves with a clear, singular takeaway.

How many slides are in a 5-minute presentation?

Five or six slides, or about one per minute, is a good baseline for a 5-minute presentation. Depending on your subject matter, however, you might use up to 20 slides and spend about 10 or 15 seconds on each.

More important than your slide count is what each slide contains. It‘s a good rule of thumb to keep your slides simple and focused on visuals instead of text for a presentation of any length.

This becomes especially important when you’re dealing with a condensed presentation window.

Trying to cram in as much information as possible within a short time frame can be tempting. Resist the urge. Instead, focus on simple, clean visuals that all tie back to your central premise.

You can also use these free presentation templates to arrange your slides in a way that makes the most sense for your delivery and the content of your presentation.

Don't forget to share this post!

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80 Creative and Fresh Writing Prompts for Students of All Ages (+ Bonus Interactive Tip to Run a Writing Activity in PowerPoint)

Ausbert Generoso

Writing prompts are essential tools for helping students explore their creativity and improve their writing skills, potentially even sparking a love for writing. While there are many instructional methods available, encouraging students to stitch their words together and bring their ideas to life through writing remains superior. Why?

• Writing helps students organize their thoughts clearly. It turns abstract ideas into coherent and structured arguments.
• Regular writing sharpens critical thinking. Crafting essays or stories encourages deeper analysis and problem-solving.
• Writing fuels creativity. Engaging with diverse prompts pushes students to explore new ideas and perspectives.
• Writing builds confidence. Seeing their ideas on paper boosts students’ belief in their own abilities.
• Writing prepares students for the future. Strong writing skills are essential for academic success and professional communication.

As straightforward as it may be, writing prompts need to be directly tailored to students at different levels. Considering their age groups, environment, and how they’re engaged, targeted writing prompts will better connect with their interests and developmental stages.

Fun Writing Prompts

Creative writing prompts, personal writing prompts, imaginative writing prompts, persuasive writing prompts, reflective writing prompts.

• Career-Oriented Writing Prompts

Critical Thinking Writing Prompts

Writing prompts for students in elementary.

• If you could have any superpower for one day, what would it be and why?
• One day, it started raining candy from the sky, and I…
• Imagine your pet could talk. What would they say about their day?
• If you could invent a new holiday, what would it be called and how would people celebrate it?
• You’ve just discovered a hidden treasure map in your backyard. What do you do next?
• Write about a world where kids make all the rules for one week.
• If you could swap places with your teacher for a day, what would you teach?
• If you had a magic backpack that could carry anything, what would you pack for an adventure?
• You’ve just met a friendly alien! What questions would you ask them?
• Describe the best birthday party you could ever have—who’s invited and what do you do?
• The dragon was afraid of flying, so he decided to…
• Imagine you found a door in your room that leads to a magical land. What’s the first thing you see?
• If animals could form their own town, what would it look like? Who’s the mayor?
• You’ve been chosen to design a brand-new theme park. What’s the theme and what rides do you create?
• Every time I sneezed, something strange happened. Suddenly…
• A talking tree asks for your help. What does it need, and how do you help it?
• You’ve just opened a box with mysterious objects inside. Pick one and write a story about it.
• Create a story about a kid who finds out they can jump into books and become part of the story.
• If you could fly anywhere in the world, where would you go first and what would you see?
• One morning, I woke up and realized everything in my house was made of chocolate…

800,000+ educators and professionals use ClassPoint to boost audience engagement right inside PowerPoint.

How to run a Short Answer activity in PowerPoint:

• Create a slide with a writing prompt from this blog as text.
• From the Inknoe ClassPoint tab on your PowerPoint, click on Short Answer to immediately insert a quiz button to your slide.
• Enter slide show mode to get your class code, which your students will use to join your class from their devices.
• Click on the inserted Short Answer quiz button to send the slide to your students’ devices, where they can submit responses back to your PowerPoint real-time.

Writing Prompts for Students in Middle School

• Think about your best friend. What makes them special to you?
• Write about a time when you faced a challenge and how you overcame it.
• If you could travel back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
• The most exciting day I’ve ever had was when…
• What’s one thing you’ve learned about yourself in the past year, and how has it changed you?
• What’s something you do that makes you feel proud? Why?
• Imagine your life 10 years from now. Where are you, and what are you doing?
• Write about a time when you had to make a difficult decision. How did it feel, and what did you choose?
• If you could spend a whole day doing anything you wanted, what would it be?
• Write about a moment when you helped someone. How did it make you feel?
• I discovered an old book in the attic. When I opened it, I was transported into…
• Imagine you’re a detective solving a mysterious case in your town. What’s the mystery, and how do you solve it?
• You wake up one day with the ability to talk to animals. What do they say to you?
• Write about a future world where robots and humans live together. How does society work?
• One day, I discovered I had the power to control time. The first thing I did was…
• Imagine you’ve been given the chance to design a new video game. What’s the story, and who’s the main character?
• If you could switch places with any character from your favorite movie or book, who would it be and why?
• You’re the last person on Earth. What do you do first?
• Write about an invention that changes the world. How does it work, and who uses it?
• While hiking in the woods, I found a hidden door in a tree. When I stepped through it…

Writing Prompts for Students in High School

• Do you think school uniforms should be mandatory? Write a persuasive essay on your stance.
• Write about why it’s important to protect the environment. What actions should be taken?
• Convince someone why your favorite book or movie is the best. What makes it stand out?
• Do you believe that social media has a positive or negative impact on society? Support your argument.
• Write a letter to a local government official about a community issue you care about. What solutions do you propose?
• Persuade your reader why a specific hobby or activity should be included in the school curriculum.
• Argue for or against the use of technology in the classroom. What are the benefits or drawbacks?
• Write about why everyone should participate in community service. What are the benefits to individuals and society?
• Should the voting age be lowered? Present your case with compelling reasons.
• Should schools implement more mental health programs? Discuss the potential benefits.
• Reflect on a challenging project or assignment you’ve completed this year. What strategies helped you succeed?
• Write about a time when you had to balance multiple responsibilities, like school, work, and extracurriculars. How did you manage it?
• Think about a recent decision you made about your future (like choosing a college or career path). What influenced your decision?
• Reflect on a class or subject you struggled with and how you improved or overcame the challenge. What did you learn from the experience?
• Write about a moment when you felt proud of your achievements in school or extracurricular activities. What did it mean to you?
• Describe how your goals or interests have changed since you started high school. What events or experiences contributed to this change?
• Reflect on a time when you worked as part of a team on a school project or activity. How did you contribute to the team’s success?
• Write about a mentor or teacher who has had a significant impact on your high school experience. How have they influenced you?
• Reflect on your involvement in a school club or sports team. How has it shaped your personal growth and skills?
• Think about a recent school event or experience that made you see things differently. What did you learn from it?

Writing Prompts for Students in College

Career-focused writing prompts.

• Write about your ideal job and the steps you need to take to achieve it. What skills and experiences are necessary?
• Imagine you’re starting your own business. What is your business idea, and how will you make it successful?
• Reflect on an internship or job experience that influenced your career aspirations. What did you learn from it?
• Write a cover letter for your dream job. Highlight your strengths and explain why you’re the best fit.
• Describe a professional mentor or role model who has impacted your career goals. What lessons have you learned from them?
• Discuss the importance of networking in your chosen field. How do you plan to build and maintain professional connections?
• Write about a career-related challenge you’ve faced and how you overcame it. What did this experience teach you?
• Explore the impact of technology on your desired career field. How do you plan to adapt to these changes?
• Imagine you’re giving a TED Talk about your field of interest. What key points would you cover to inspire your audience?
• Reflect on how your college education has prepared you for your future career. What skills or knowledge have been most valuable?
• Analyze a current event or issue that interests you. What are the key perspectives, and what is your stance?
• Discuss the pros and cons of a controversial policy or practice in your field of study. What are the implications?
• Evaluate the effectiveness of a recent technological advancement. How has it impacted society or your area of study?
• Consider the ethical implications of a major decision or trend in your industry. What are the potential consequences?
• Analyze the role of social media in shaping public opinion. How does it influence your field or area of study?
• Debate the impact of global issues, like climate change or economic inequality, on your future career. What are potential solutions?
• Write about a significant cultural or societal change and its effects on your field. How can professionals adapt to these changes?
• Assess the impact of educational reforms on your academic and career goals. What changes would you advocate for?
• Critique a popular theory or belief related to your field of study. What are its strengths and weaknesses?
• Explore the role of interdisciplinary approaches in solving complex problems. How can combining fields enhance solutions?

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• Published: 27 September 2024

The paradox of argument strength: how weak arguments undermine the persuasive effects of strong arguments

• Magdalena Obermaier 1 &
• Thomas Koch 2  

Scientific Reports volume  14 , Article number:  22244 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

• Environmental social sciences
• Psychology and behaviour
• Public health

This paper analyzes effects of the mutual presentation of weak and strong arguments. Departing from the prevalent “the-more-the-better” heuristic, our research scrutinizes whether the inclusion of weak arguments enhances or diminishes the persuasive impact of strong arguments. Leveraging insights from judgment formation literature, we conducted four experimental studies on political and health-related topics to unravel whether the presenting weak arguments strengthens the persuasive effect of a strong argument (adding) or actually weakens this persuasive effect (averaging). The results show that providing supporting arguments of moderate strength along with a strong argument increases persuasion, representing an additive pattern. However, presenting weak supporting arguments along with a strong argument reduces the persuasive effect of the strong argument, representing an averaging pattern. Exposure to weak arguments diminishes the strength of strong ones, suggesting the omission of weak arguments. These findings underscore the vital role of strategically selecting arguments to optimize persuasion across disciplines.

Introduction

Imagine you want to convince people to do something for their health (e.g., getting a certain vaccine, exercising more often, or getting regular colonoscopies), to practice more sustainable behavior in their everyday lives (e.g., reducing plastic waste, buying fair fashion, or biking to work), or to support a political agenda (e.g., voting for a certain political candidate or advocating a certain political project). For each of these areas, one can immediately think of different arguments to convince others. However, only some of these arguments may seem strong (e.g., exercising more often will decrease the risk of chronic disease and is good for bones and muscles), whereas others may seem weaker (e.g., exercising more often can be fun and can be a reason to buy fancy activewear).

After you have gathered different arguments, you would probably think about how to present them to convince others of your position. For instance, you might reflect upon whether to persuade people by presenting the weak or the strong arguments first, which classically has been studied as the persuasive effects of the climax or anticlimax order of arguments 1 , 2 . However, before thinking about how to arrange the strong and weak arguments, you need to ask yourself whether it is at all helpful to present the weak arguments along with the strong ones.

The research conducted so far has largely overlooked this fundamental question. Although numerous studies have examined the effects of one- and two-sided argumentation and the impact of climax and anticlimax order in argumentative speech, research has long neglected the question of how the persuasive effects of strong and weak arguments interact 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 . The present study addresses a necessary prior step by analyzing how displaying weak arguments can affect the persuasive effects of strong arguments. We draw on studies on impression formation and consumers’ evaluation of product bundles (i.e. several products that are sold together as a package) 8 , 9 . This research suggests that displaying both strong and weak arguments could lead to either increased persuasion, if the recipients mentally add the weak arguments to the strong ones, or decreased persuasion, if the recipients form a mental average of the weak and strong arguments 10 . The present study examines which of these patterns emerges if both weak and strong arguments are presented 7 , 11 . In this investigation, online experiments explored interdisciplinary subjects to assess the impact of combining weak or moderate arguments with a strong argument.

Adding and averaging

Research on impression formation and consumers’ evaluation of product bundles suggests that there are two main ways to process mildly favorable information when it is presented alongside highly favorable information: an adding and an averaging pattern 10 , 12 . This section delineates the characteristics of these patterns and their application in processing both weak and strong arguments. Arguments are defined as reasons given to support or deny something 13 . The single most used argument type in practice and research are pragmatic arguments or, as synonymously called in normative argumentation theory, arguments from consequences 14 , 15 . These pragmatic arguments or arguments from consequences respectively are defined as “a species of practical reasoning where a contemplated policy or course of action is positively supported by citing the good consequences of it” 16 .

If people are presented with weak and strong arguments in support of an issue, they may implicitly weight and mentally add the arguments to form an attitude ( adding ). If this processing occurs, the mutual presentation of weak and strong arguments should lead to more favorable attitudes regarding the issue 17 , 18 . This pattern assumes that individuals evaluate each argument as independent entities. In line with this idea, this mode has been labeled as “piecemeal” or “analytic” processing 12 . This processing style has been found in impression formation and presenters’ evaluation of product bundles 10 , 17 , 19 . Research on the effects of one-sided argumentation has implicitly assumed adding, relying on a “the-more-the-better” heuristic 20 . Given this mechanism occurs, people will be more convinced after the mutual presentation of weak and strong arguments.

However, when individuals are confronted with strong and weak arguments in favor of an issue, they can also average the different arguments. There are two ways how this averaging may work 21 : According to algebraic averaging models, individuals adjust the weight they ascribe to each attribute of a person or product—or each argument—in accordance with the weights assigned to the other attributes or arguments. Hence, weighting the weak arguments can weaken the persuasive effect of the strong arguments 22 . Individuals could also judge each piece of information (or argument) separately in terms of its weight (or strength) and then average these separate judgments 23 . Because, in both cases, individuals are looking at the big picture and judging each piece of information in relation to all the information provided, this processing is also referred to as “holistic” 24 . This has been studied under the label of a dilution effect in impression formation 25 , 26 . Assuming that this pattern occurs in persuasive communication, individuals will not be as convinced after the joint presentation of weak and strong arguments as they would be after the presentation of a strong argument alone.

Effects of the mutual presentation of weak and strong arguments

Adding and averaging patterns have been mostly demonstrated in impression formation or product bundle evaluation, with participants evaluating moderately and highly favorable features 10 . It is not clear whether these effects also occur in persuasive communication when both weak and strong arguments are presented.

Individuals evaluating a person or product assume that its traits or features are not independent of one another because all of these characteristics make up a personality or product quality. It is thus not surprising that averaging-like processes occur in the evaluation of people and products 9 . However, will people perceive a persuasive speech, intended to convince recipients to support a political agenda or to do something for their health, for instance, as a unified and coherent entity or will they perceive the different (weak and strong) arguments as independent entities?

There is only few evidence so far that recipients’ attitudes might deteriorate if strong and weak arguments are presented 10 , 11 . Hence, in this study we were interested in whether the presentation of weak arguments in addition to a strong argument reduces or enhances the persuasive effects of the strong argument.

Overview: the present research

In four consecutive experiments, we varied topics, argument numbers, and strengths across studies. Study 1a examined the influence of presenting one strong and three weak arguments favoring sustainability-focused renovation, while Study 1b replicated this for railroad construction. Study 2 investigated persuasive effects by jointly presenting one strong and four weak arguments for sustainability-driven urban swimming pool renovation, compared to a single strong argument. Study 3 explored impacts of presenting one strong argument with three weak or moderately strong arguments advocating for a health check-up, contrasting with a single strong argument. Detailed designs and findings for each study follow.

Study 1a: investigating the mechanisms

Previous findings suggest that the presentation of mildly favorable information can dilute the persuasive effect of favorable information, resulting in an averaging pattern 27 . Research also shows that mildly favorable information can be added to highly favorable information, resulting in a cumulative judgment 10 , 28 . The first study explores whether the mutual presentation of weak and a strong argument will result in averaging or adding.

Univariate ANOVA showed that participants were most supportive of the renovation when they saw both the three weak arguments and the strong argument ( n  = 50, M  = 4.22, SD  = 0.71), compared with the presentation of the strong argument alone ( n  = 50, M  = 3.88, SD  = 0.79), or only the three weak arguments ( n  = 53, M  = 3.49, SD  = 0.93), F (2, 150) = 10.47, p  < .001, η² part = 0.12 (one-tailed). Duncan post hoc tests revealed significant differences between all three groups ( p  < .05).

Given these results, our findings in Study 1a indicate adding: Providing three weak arguments in favor of renovating the cultural center supported the persuasive effect of the strong argument in favor, compared with providing the strong argument alone.

Participants . The sample comprised 156 participants (53.6% female; age: M  = 48.05 years, SD  = 15.92) who were recruited using an online access panel 30 . Three participants had to be excluded due to missing data. Participation was voluntary and unpaid. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects and the experiment was performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. Our study did not require IRB approval because it used low-risk stimuli while adhering to key principles ensuring participant safety and well-being: voluntary participation with informed consent, complete anonymity, the right to withdraw at any time, and thorough debriefing. Besides that, IRB consent is not obligatory by local legislation.

Design and Procedure . We used a 3 × 1 between-subjects design, varying whether participants received (I) three weak arguments; (II) one strong argument; or (III) the strong argument and the three weak ones, with all arguments in favor of the renovation of a cultural center. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three conditions.

Participants read a fictitious Facebook post from a local politician (“Kurt Oberhofer”) who argued in favor of the renovation of a cultural center in his city (Tables  1 and 2 ). We selected arguments most common in practice and research supporting a policy or project by mentioning the beneficial outcomes 14 , 16 . Applying a perspective related to norms of assessment of argument quality, the arguments are characterized by the criterium of desirability 14 , 16 , 29 : while the strong argument is very desirable (environmental protection through renovation), the weak arguments score lower in desirability (more comfortable use of the center through renovation). In the first condition, three weak arguments were employed, mentioning the installation of additional windows, the addition of indirect foyer lighting, and the replacement of broken terrace tiles. The second condition featured a single strong argument, emphasizing the replacement of old heating with an environmentally friendly system and insulation of walls to substantially reduce energy demand and air pollution. In the third condition, the politician presented both the three weak arguments and the strong one, with the strong argument advocating for the highly desirable outcome (environmental protection), while the weak arguments focused on the less desirable aspects (enhanced comfort) 29 .

Measures . We measured participants’ attitudes towards renovating the cultural center using a 5-point semantic differential scale of five polar adjectives in response to “I believe that a renovation of the cultural center is…”. The bipolar adjective pairs were “not necessary – necessary,” “not useful – useful,” “not reasonable – reasonable,” “bad – good,” and “negative – positive” (α = 0.93, M  = 3.85, SD  = 0.87). We opted for odd-numbered semantic differential scales common in research on persuasive communication in the following to ensure the greatest possible comparability. Also, we wanted to allow participants to place themselves in the middle of the scale to express an ambivalent attitude.

Lastly, participants were asked to rate the perceived strength of each presented argument on a 5-point semantic differential scale ranging from “weak” to “strong.”

Treatment check . A repeated measure ANOVA ( n  = 45 in each group) showed that the strong argument (achieving a better energy balance) was rated significant stronger ( M  = 4.22, SD  = 0.97) than any of the other three arguments (installing of additional windows: M  = 3.13, SD  = 1.39; adding indirect foyer lighting: M  = 3.16, SD  = 1.33; replacing terrace tiles: M  = 3.33, SD  = 1.38), F (3, 132) = 12.83, p  < .001, η² part = 0.23 (one-tailed). Duncan post hoc tests revealed significant differences ( p  < .05) between the strong and each of the weak arguments, indicating that the manipulation was successful.

Study 1b: investigating the mechanisms

The adding pattern found in Study 1a contradicts the few previous studies that have examined effects of the mutual presentation of weak and strong arguments 7 . To rule out that this finding is restricted to the specific topic and the arguments used in Study 1a, we replicated the experiment using a different setting.

Participants who saw only the strong argument supporting the railroad construction had a more positive attitude toward the project ( n  = 57, M  = 3.75, SD  = 0.90) than did those who were provided with three weak arguments and the strong argument ( n  = 58, M  = 3.47, SD  = 0.79) or those receiving three weak arguments alone ( n  = 57, M  = 2.70, SD  = 0.94), F (2, 169) = 21.78, p  < .001, η² part = 0.21 (one-tailed). Duncan post hoc tests revealed significant differences between all three groups ( p  < .05). Thus, the presentation of three weak arguments reduced the persuasive effects of a standalone strong argument, indicating an averaging. This finding is in contrast with the results of Study 1a.

Whereas Study 1a revealed an adding pattern, Study 1b showed an averaging pattern. We believe that participants perceived the strength of the (supposedly) weak arguments in Study 1a as too similar to that of the designated strong argument: The mean value of the strength of the strong argument was 3.92, the strength of the weak arguments was rated 3.14, resulting in a total difference of 0.78 in Study 1a. In Study 1b, the mean value of the strength of the strong argument was 4.13, the strength of the weak arguments was rated 2.82, resulting in a total difference of 1.31. The discrepancy between the two differences could have triggered different patterns.

Participants . A sample of 173 participants (43.9% female; age: M  = 37.78 years, SD  = 14.98) was recruited using an online access panel 30 . One participant had to be excluded from further analysis due to missing data. Participation was voluntary and unpaid. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects and the experiment was performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. IRB approval was not necessary for this study as well, which is in accordance with local legislation.

Design and Procedure . We again used a 3 × 1 between-subjects design, providing participants either with (I) three weak arguments; (II) one strong argument; or (III) the strong argument and the three weak ones, with all arguments supporting a railroad construction project. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three conditions.

Participants read a fictitious article published in a national newspaper. In this article, a local politician (“Gerd Schultz”) was interviewed about a railroad construction project and argued in favor of the project planned for his region (Tables  1 and 2 ). In the first condition, he presents three weak arguments, namely that after the construction work the railroad would be less curvy, there would be less vibration, and the ride would be quieter. In the second condition, he made the strong argument that because of a new rail track, passengers would save 30 min on the ride. In the third condition, he presented both the three weak arguments and the strong one. Thereby, the strong argument advocating the construction project (time saving) was more desirable for passengers than the weak arguments (more pleasant driving experience) 14 .

Measures . As dependent variable, we measured attitudes toward the railroad construction using a 5-point semantic differential scale of five polar adjectives in response to “I believe that the railroad construction is…”. The bipolar adjective pairs were the same as in the first study: “not necessary – necessary,” “not useful – useful,” “not reasonable – reasonable,” “bad – good,” and “negative – positive” (α = 0.92, M  = 3.31, SD  = 0.98).

Again, lastly participants were asked to assess the perceived strength of each presented argument on a 5-point semantic differential scale ranging from “weak” to “strong.”

Treatment check . A repeated measure ANOVA ( n  = 55 in each group) showed that the strong argument (time saving of 30 min) was clearly considered to be stronger ( M  = 4.13, SD  = 0.86) than any of the three weak arguments (track less curvy: M  = 2.49, SD  = 1.29; less vibration: M  = 2.78, SD  = 1.26; quieter ride: M  = 3.20, SD  = 1.13), F (3, 162) = 51.71, p  < .001, η² part = 0.49 (one-tailed). Duncan post hoc tests revealed significant differences ( p  < .05) between the strong and each of the weak arguments, indicating that the manipulation was successful.

Study 2: replicating the averaging effect

Based on our findings in Studies 1a and 1b, we suggest that averaging occurs only when participants are presented with a strong argument alongside clearly weaker ones. In Study 1a, weak arguments had a mean of 3.21 ( SD  = 1.37) and strong arguments had a mean of 4.22 ( SD  = 0.97), yielding a Cohen’s d of -0.85. In Study 1b, the weak arguments had a mean of 2.82 ( SD  = 1.23) and strong arguments a mean of 4.13 ( SD  = 0.86), with a Cohen’s d of -1.23. We hypothesize: The presentation of very weak arguments along with a strong argument evokes an averaging pattern ( H1 ).

To assess this assumption, we aimed to replicate the averaging effect observed in Study 1b using a different topic, ensuring a substantial strength disparity between weak and strong arguments. Perceived argument strength was pretested. We hypothesized that individuals exposed to four distinctly weak (yet non-specious) arguments alongside one strong argument supporting a public swimming pool renovation would hold less favorable opinions of the project compared to those presented with only the strong argument.

Study 2 showed that participants who saw the standalone strong argument in favor of the renovation of the public swimming pool were more positive about the project ( n  = 62, M  = 4.32, SD  = 0.64) than those who were presented with four weak arguments along with the strong argument ( n  = 56, M  = 4.04, SD  = 0.77), t (116) = 2.11, p  = .02, d  = 0.39 (one-tailed). Thus, H1 was supported.

The findings of Study 2 confirm our assumption of an averaging in the joint presentation of a strong argument along with clearly weak arguments and, hence, replicate the findings of Study 1b. Thus, presenting arguments that were clearly weak thus reduces the persuasive effect of the strong argument. Conversely, in Study 1a, the joint presentation of moderately strong arguments with a strong argument enhanced the persuasive effect of the latter, indicating adding. These findings suggest that the perceived strength of weak arguments is crucial in determining which pattern is at play.

Pretest . In a pretest with students attending a university lecture ( n  = 30, 73.3% female; age: M  = 25.93 years, SD  = 3.07), we identified strong and weak arguments in favor of a renovation project for a public swimming pool. Participation was voluntary and unpaid. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects and the pretest was performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. Participants were asked to assess 16 different arguments in favor of the renovation project on 5-point semantic differential scales ranging from “weak” to “strong.” We selected the four arguments that were perceived as weakest (adding single cabins in the changing room: M  = 2.13 SD  = 1.04; removing scratches on the tiles: M  = 2.23, SD  = 1.07; renovating the lighting: M  = 2.30, SD  = 0.88; adding a roof over the entrance area: M  = 2.43, SD  = 0.82) and one argument that was perceived as strong (reducing energy consumption: M  = 4.43, SD  = 0.68). The substantial difference between the weak and strong arguments resulted in a large effect size (Cohen’s d = -2.62), indicating a clear and pronounced distinction in how participants evaluated the strength of these arguments. The distinguishing feature of the arguments lies in the desirability of the outcomes, with the strong argument favoring environmental protection, while the weak arguments prioritize enhanced comfort. The selected arguments are characterized – in line with considerations related to norms of assessment of argument quality – by the fact that the strong argument (environmental protection) is more desirable than the weak arguments (more comfortable use of the swimming pool).

Participants . We recruited a sample of 118 participants via social media and university classes (67.8% female; age: M  = 29.04 years, SD  = 10.66). Participation was voluntary and unpaid. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects and the experiment was performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. IRB approval was not necessary for this study as well, which is in accordance with local legislation.

Design and Procedure . In a 2 × 1 between-subjects design, we varied the presentation of (I) one strong argument or (II) one strong argument and four weak ones, with all arguments in favor of an urban swimming pool renovation project. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions.

We asked subjects to read a fictitious online article published in a local newspaper. In this article, a local politician (“Kerstin Winkel”) was cited supporting a public swimming pool renovation (Tables  1 and 2 ). In the initial condition, she presented a single strong argument, emphasizing the installation of an environmentally friendly heating system to significantly reduce air pollution and energy consumption. In the second condition, she reiterated the strong argument and expanded by mentioning the addition of two single cabins in the changing room, the removal of scratches from shower tiles, renovation of lighting equipment, and construction of a roof over the entrance.

Measures . We measured attitudes toward the public swimming pool renovation project using a 5-point semantic differential scale of five polar adjectives in response to “I believe that a renovation of the swimming pool is…”. The bipolar adjective pairs were the same as in Study 1: “not necessary – necessary,” “not useful – useful,” “not reasonable – reasonable,” “bad – good,” and “negative – positive” (α = 0.85, M  = 4.19, SD  = 0.71).

Study 3: replicating adding and averaging

Study 1b and Study 2 showed that the joint presentation of significantly weak arguments and a strong argument can reduce the persuasive effect of the strong argument (averaging). Study 1a demonstrated that the presentation of arguments perceived as moderately strong along with a strong argument seems to increase the persuasive effect of the strong argument (adding). Nuances in the perceived strength of the weak arguments may determine which mechanism occurs.

Therefore, we hypothesize: The presentation of very weak arguments along with a strong argument evokes an averaging mechanism ( H2a) . And: The presentation of moderately strong arguments along with a strong argument leads to an adding mechanism ( H2b ). To test these assumptions, we conducted another online experiment preceded by a pretest.

Study 3 demonstrated that the participants had more positive attitudes toward the full-body health check when only the strong argument was presented ( n  = 45, M  = 3.56, SD  = 0.96), compared with the presentation of the three clearly weak arguments along with the strong argument ( n  = 42, M  = 3.11, SD  = 1.05). Therefore, H2a was supported. However, support for the full-body health check was highest among the young adults who were presented with the three arguments of moderate strength along with the strong argument ( n  = 36, M  = 4.07, SD  = 0.91), F (2, 120) = 9.33, p  = .001, η² part = 0.14 (one-tailed), which supports H2b . Duncan post hoc tests revealed significant differences between all three groups ( p  < .05).

As assumed, both an adding and an averaging pattern emerged in Study 3. The presentation of three clearly weak arguments reduced the persuasive effect of the strong argument supporting a full-body health check, which corresponds to an averaging pattern. Conversely, providing young adults with three arguments of moderate strength in favor of the health check enhanced the persuasive effect of the strong argument, reflecting an adding pattern. Interestingly, the very low scores for the weak arguments ( M  = 1.82, 1.47, 1.45) suggest that these arguments might be perceived as irrelevant. Hoeken et al. define irrelevant arguments as those that do not impact the target audience’s decision-making process or distinguish the product from its competitors 14 . When arguments are perceived as irrelevant, they likely fail to contribute meaningfully to the persuasion process, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the strong argument. These findings show that the perceived strength of the weak arguments is decisive in determining whether averaging or adding occurs when these arguments are presented in combination with a strong argument.

Pretest . We recruited a sample of students at a particular university ( n  = 55, 80% female; age: M  = 22.50 years, SD  = 5.11) and asked them to assess the strength of 21 arguments supporting the idea of a full-body health check for young adults up to 35 years on 5-point semantic differential scales ranging from “weak” to “strong.” Informed consent was obtained from all subjects and the pretest was performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. Based on their assessments, we chose the three weakest arguments ( M  < 2.00; free video on lowering cholesterol: M  = 1.82, SD  = 0.98; hospital insights: M  = 1.47, SD  = 0.72; breaking daily routine: M  = 1.45, SD  = 0.74), three arguments of moderate strength (3.00 <  M  < 3.50: dietary tips: M  = 3.16, SD  = 1.14; recognizing emotional stress: M  = 3.42, SD  = 1.03; financial relief for the healthcare system: M  = 3.47, SD  = 1.23), and the strongest argument (early detection of cardiovascular diseases: M  = 4.55, SD  = 0.81) for the full-body health check. The large difference between the weak and strong arguments yielded a substantial effect size (Cohen’s d = -3.67), while the expected difference between moderately strong and strong arguments produced a more moderate effect size (Cohen’s d = -1.22).

Participants . A total of 123 young adults (18–35 years old) were recruited mainly via e-mail distribution lists of lectures at two particular universities (78.9% female; age: M  = 23.79 years, SD  = 4.54). Participation was voluntary and unpaid. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects and the experiment was performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. IRB approval was not necessary for this study, too, which is in accordance with local legislation.

Design and Procedure. In a 3 × 1 between-subjects design, we varied whether participants were presented with (I) a strong argument; (II) the strong argument along with three clearly weak arguments; or (III) the strong argument along with three moderately strong arguments. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the conditions.

Subjects were asked to read a fictitious Facebook post from a private hospital group in which the hospital group’s spokesperson (“Kurt Oberhofer”) promoted an annual full-body health check for young adults (Tables  1 and 2 ). In the initial condition, he presented three clearly weak arguments, including the offer of a free video on lowering cholesterol, insights into hospital procedures, and a chance to break the daily routine. These were coupled with the strong argument emphasizing the early detection of cardiovascular diseases through the full-body health check. In the second condition, he offered three arguments of moderate strength, highlighting dietary tips, recognition of emotional stress factors, and long-term financial relief to the healthcare system due to early disease detection and treatment. These were presented alongside the strong argument. In the third condition, only the strong argument was presented. Again, it becomes clear that the chosen strong argument for the health check has more desirable consequences for patients (early detection of disease) than the moderate arguments (e.g., receiving tips for health promotion) and the very weak arguments (e.g., receiving health-related freebies).

Measures . We measured attitudes toward the full-body health check using a 5-point semantic differential scale of five polar adjectives in response to “I believe that the full-body health check is…”. The bipolar adjective pairs were the same as in the first studies: “not necessary – necessary,” “not useful – useful,” “not reasonable – reasonable,” “bad – good,” and “negative – positive” (α = 0.94, M  = 3.56, SD  = 1.04).

General discussion

The present study examined the persuasive impact of jointly presenting weak and strong arguments, an aspect overlooked in persuasive communication research, which typically focused on one- and two-sided argumentation, order effects, and argument quality assessments 3 , 31 , 32 . Drawing on insights from research on impression formation and product bundles, two processing styles for weak and strong arguments were identified. The first, an adding pattern, involves individuals treating weak and strong arguments as separate entities (piecemeal processing), enhancing the persuasive effects of the latter 9 . The second, an averaging pattern, sees weak arguments diminishing the persuasive impact of strong arguments as individuals form an overall impression of the presented arguments (holistic processing) 12 .

In a series of four consecutive experiments covering interdisciplinary political and health-related topics, our findings consistently demonstrate that the inclusion of clearly weak arguments diminishes the persuasive impact of a strong argument. This effect was observed across studies examining attitudes towards supporting railroad construction (Study 1b), renovation (Study 2), and a full-body health check (Study 3). Hence, consistent with prior research on impression formation and product evaluation, the averaging pattern manifests when clearly weak and strong arguments are jointly presented 7 , 10 . Additionally, our experiments reveal that arguments of moderate strength enhance the persuasive impact of a concurrently presented strong argument (Study 1a, Study 3). Thus, the intended effect of offering various arguments of different strength (“more is better”) only occurs if arguments are presented that are at least of moderate strength 17 . Thus, only provided that is the case, a “the-more-the-better” heuristic seems appropriate.

These findings hold significant implications across disciplines and for practitioners, offering avenues for future research. The field of persuasion research should consider these findings and derive recommendations regarding the arrangement of strong and weak arguments. A crucial distinction must be made between clearly weak arguments, which hinder persuasive effects, and moderately strong arguments, which amplify the persuasiveness of strong arguments. Our results suggest that only the joint presentation of very weak arguments with a strong argument—following the specific order used in our experiments—can reduce the persuasive effects of the strong argument. This insight emphasizes that clearly weak arguments can counterproductively diminish the persuasive impact of strong arguments, but this effect is context-dependent and related to the particular sequence of argument presentation used in our study. Future research should explore how varying the order of argument presentation might affect these outcomes.

The results carry relevance for diverse domains, including political, health, science, environmental, and advertising communications. Tailoring argument selection to the audience is as paramount as ever, as the perceived strength of an argument varies among individuals. For example, convincing someone to quit smoking may involve presenting the strong argument of preventing lung cancer at an older age, though its effectiveness depends on individual perspectives. Young people, prioritizing the search for a partner, may find the supposedly weaker argument of improved breath smell more compelling than older individuals in long-term marriages. Future research should address these nuanced perceptions of argument strength.

The findings are limited in several ways. First, in all studies we presented one strong and three to four weak arguments. As little is known regarding the effects of the mutual presentation of weak and strong arguments, it made the most sense to work with one argument that is clearly perceived as strong and several arguments that are perceived as weak or moderately strong, which we ensured using manipulation checks and pretests. Nevertheless, we enhanced the robustness of our findings by employing diverse topics and communicators. In Study 3, we labeled arguments as “moderate” when their mean strength was perceived around the scale midpoint, while those well below (above) were categorized as weak (strong). Future research should aim to replicate our results with a broader range of strong, weak, and moderately strong arguments, systematically manipulating their quantity and quality.

We selected arguments differing in the desirability of their positive outcomes 33 . Future research should introduce clearly specious arguments alongside weak ones to compare their effects and mechanisms 7 . It is conceivable that an averaging pattern may emerge with flimsy arguments, because persuasion knowledge and reactance are triggered, which, in turn, reduce the persuasive effects 19 , 34 .

Moreover, to ensure consistency across the studies, we maintained the same order of argument presentation in all our experiments. Specifically, we consistently presented the weak arguments first, in an identical sequence, followed by the strong argument. This methodological choice aimed to eliminate any potential confounding variables associated with argument order between the four studies. However, we recognize that the order in which arguments are presented can influence the persuasive outcomes. Presenting weak arguments before a strong argument can create a contrast effect, where the strong argument appears significantly more persuasive in comparison to the preceding weak arguments. This occurs because the strong argument is evaluated relative to the weaker points that came before it, making it seem more compelling by contrast. The contrast effect can lead to inflated perceptions of the strong argument’s effectiveness, as the stark improvement from weak to strong may enhance its perceived impact. Future research should explore how varying the sequence of weak and strong arguments might impact the results. Investigating whether the averaging effects observed are contingent on the specific order of argument presentation would provide valuable insights into the underlying cognitive processes involved in persuasion.

Second, to minimize pre-existing attitudes towards the positions we sought to convince subjects of, we deliberately selected low-involvement settings. We focused on topics unfamiliar to participants, thus having lower relevance to them, such as specific projects or a health check in certain cities. Replicating these experiments with more important issues to participants, like climate change or vaccines, would be valuable. In high-involvement settings, the evaluation of weak arguments may vary; highly involved participants might consider objectively weak arguments to be relatively strong (resulting in adding), while low-involved participants may perceive these weak arguments as particularly weak (resulting in averaging) 35 . Along these lines, future research should replicate these studies while systematically varying communicator characteristics such as credibility and explicitly considering pre-existing attitudes on part of the participants (e.g., their level of generalized political trust). For this purpose, future studies could explore a broader range of topics, including those where participants have ideological stakes or pre-existing attitudes, as well as more neutral topics with minimal belief implications.

A further limitation is that Study 2 relied on a student sample to assess argument strength, which may result in a higher perceived strength of arguments compared to a more diverse general population. Consequently, while the observed patterns regarding how weak and strong arguments affect attitudes are likely applicable across various groups, the absolute strength of arguments may not generalize fully beyond the student demographic used in this study.

Third, although we demonstrated the outcomes of the mutual presentation of strong weak arguments, we did not explicitly investigate the mechanisms that explain these effects. Hence, future research could examine individuals’ thought processes when they are presented with distinctly weak, moderate, and strong arguments.

Returning to the opening scenario, what can we recommend to someone who wants to convince others to live a healthier lifestyle, practice sustainable behavior, or support a certain political agenda? If you have strong arguments, you should certainly mention all of them. If you can think of arguments of moderate strength, go ahead and include them to make your argument even more convincing. If you have only come up with weak arguments to supplement the strong arguments, however, it would be better to keep them to yourself to avoid weakening your argumentation. In this case, it is actually true that less is more.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Obermaier, M., Koch, T. The paradox of argument strength: how weak arguments undermine the persuasive effects of strong arguments. Sci Rep 14 , 22244 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-73348-1

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The Ultimate Presentation Prep Checklist

• College Life

Preparing for a presentation can be challenging, especially if you have stage fright. Performing in front of an audience requires confidence and a well-structured approach. The following blog post will share a few tips and tricks on how to prepare for a presentation and ensure that you engage the audience.

Understanding Your Audience

Before you can start working on your presentation, it is essential to understand who you are delivering it to. This knowledge will allow you to tailor the tone and style of your presentation and make it more relatable and engaging.

Key points to think of:

• Audience composition : are they your fellow students, professors, or industry professionals?
• Level of knowledge : are they familiar with the topic?
• Interests and expectations : what do they hope to gain from your presentation?

Action steps:

• Conduct a quick survey : if possible, gather information about your audience preferences
• Research the context: understand the purpose of the presentation and the broader context within which your presentation will be delivered.

Choosing a Relevant Topic

If your presentation doesn’t have a topic yet, selecting a relevant and interesting topic is essential. It should resonate with your audience and align with the objectives and theme.

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• Interest and passion: choose a topic that resonates with you and that you are passionate about. It’s hard to be enthusiastic and persuasive when you do not care about the topic itself.
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• Brainstorm: write down a list of potential topics and narrow them down based on interests and relevance. It’s always better to start broad enough and then narrow the topic down until you find the proper focus point for your presentation.
• Seek feedback: discuss your ideas with peers or professors to ensure that you can provide something engaging and relevant.

Research and Content Development

Once you have a clear topic, it’s time to conduct your research. Quality content is the foundation of an effective presentation and it’s the main thing that you should spend your time on.

Research strategies:

• Use credible sources: look for academic journals, books, online libraries, and reputable websites with information. Don’t work with websites like Wikipedia or some questionable articles.
• Take notes : organize your findings and highlight the key points that you want to include in your presentation . Be sure to include facts that will support your argument or narrative.
• Cite your sources : always write down and keep track of the references to boost the credibility of your research.

Content structuring:

• Outlining your presentation : always start with a good outline or a plan that includes an introduction, main points, and conclusion.
• Use the rule of three : limit your main points to 3 key ideas because this will help your audience remember and understand it better. When you have too many facts or too many points, it can be hard enough to follow your thoughts.
• Draft your content: begin with a loose script or a quick draft of your presentation. Start always concisely and clearly, so that you can add more details as you progress.
• Incorporate examples and supporting evidence : you can use real-life examples to illustrate your points or even find some anecdotes to add to your presentation and make it more relatable.

Designing Visual Aids

Visual aids are now very important as they can enhance understanding and engagement. A well-designed presentation is always easier to follow and remember. Visual aids will help you improve the impact of the message that you are trying to deliver. Not using them might make your presentation quite boring.

Visual design tips:

• Keep it simple : avoid clustering various effects and images into one slide. Remember that impressive designs are often minimal yet sophisticated. It’s also better to use bullet points and limited text to convey essential information.
• Use high-quality images : incorporate relevant images, videos, graphs, or charts to complement your content. But be sure to choose the ones with higher resolution and quality. It’s always very noticeable on wider screens.
• Consistent formatting : stick to one color scheme and style for fonts, effects, and transitions throughout your presentation to make it less cluttered.

Recommended tools:

• PowerPoint : a classic tool for creating presentations with a variety of different templates, effects, and options.
• Canva : a platform that is easy to use for designing various slides and visual aids.
• Prezi : offers a great and dynamic presentation style that can engage your audience.
• Create your slides : develop your slides using an outline you created earlier and ensure that each slide aligns with your key points.
• Rehearse with your visuals: practice your performance while using your visual aids and making sure that there are enough slides and visuals to support your presentation content.

Practice, Practice, Practice

One of the most crucial steps in preparing for a presentation is practice. The more rehearses, the more comfortable and confident you are about the content of your presentation and the flow itself.

Practice strategies:

• Rehearse aloud : practice your presentation to improve your delivery and ensure that the timings are right.
• Record yourself : it might be useful to record your presentation delivery to tailor your pacing, tone, and even body language.
• Seek feedback : ask someone to watch you perform and ask for constructive feedback.
• Set up mock presentations: rehearse the presentation and pretend to answer the possible questions.
• Check the timings : ensure that you stay within the given timeframe and adjust the content if necessary.

Preparing for the Day of the Presentation

As the day approaches, having some sort of anxiety is completely normal. However, having a steady plan will ensure that everything runs smoothly.

Key preparations:

• Check your equipment : ensure that the laptop, projector, and USB drive work correctly. You might need to bring some backups, such as an additional USB drive with your presentation.
• Know the venue : familiarize yourself with the presentation space, including technical setup
• Prepare materials : if you have materials or business cards to hand out, be sure to prepare them in advance.
• Arrive early : give yourself some additional time to set up and address any last-minute issues.
• Relax and breathe : take a moment to calm yourself and mentally prepare before beginning.

Day of the Presentation: Final Tips

On the day of the presentation, your nerves and anxiety can significantly influence your performance.

Tips for success:

• Dress appropriately: wear something that makes you feel comfortable and confident but is suitable for the occasion.
• Warmup : prepare your body and voice for the presentation.
• Engage with the audience : make eye contact, smile, and be friendly to foster connection.

During the presentation:

• Start strong : begin with a hook sentence to grab attention
• Be adaptable : if you see that the audience is starting to lose attention, you might need to adjust the tone or pace of your delivery style.
• Stay present : focus on the audience and material to be present in the moment. Try not to think or worry about potential mistakes. Even if something goes wrong or you make a mistake in delivery, brush it off and continue performing
• Reflect afterward : reflect on what was done well and what went wrong to improve your future presentations.

Preparing for a presentation can be stressful, but the presentation itself is usually quite quick and not as humiliating as you might think it is. We tend to overthink a lot, and that might be the mistake that every person who is afraid of performing makes. They tend to focus on the possible mistakes rather than the moment and the connection with the audience. Embrace the opportunity to share your ideas and let everything go as it goes.

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