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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.

businesswoman-speaking-from-a-podium-to-an-audience-in-a-conference-room-how-to-give-a-good-presentation

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. 

Group-of-a-business-people-having-meeting-in-a-conference-room-how-to-give-a-good-presentation

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.

Woman-presenting-charts-and-data-to-work-team-how-to-give-a-good-presentation

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

How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

Written by: Krystle Wong Jul 20, 2023

How to make a good presentation

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

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

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

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

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

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 10 qualities of a good presentation?

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

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

1. Clear structure

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

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

tips to perfect presentation

2. Engaging opening

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

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

3. Relevant content

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

4. Effective visual aids

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

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

tips to perfect presentation

5. Clear and concise communication

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

6. Engaging delivery

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

7. Interaction and audience engagement

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

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

tips to perfect presentation

8. Effective storytelling

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

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

9. Well-timed pacing

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

10. Strong conclusion

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

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

Peloton Pitch Deck - Conclusion

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

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

1. Understand the audience and their needs

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

2. Conduct thorough research on the topic

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

3. Organize the content with a clear structure

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

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

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

tips to perfect presentation

4. Develop visually appealing and supportive visual aids

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

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

5. Practice, practice and practice

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

6. Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments

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

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

Venngage Real Time Collaboration

7. Prepare for potential technical or logistical issues

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

8. Fine-tune and polish your presentation

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

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

tips to perfect presentation

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

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

1. Confidence and positive body language

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

2. Eye contact with the audience

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

3. Effective use of hand gestures and movement

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

4. Utilize storytelling techniques

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

tips to perfect presentation

5. Incorporate multimedia elements

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

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

6. Utilize humor strategically

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

7. Practice active listening and respond to feedback

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

tips to perfect presentation

8. Apply the 10-20-30 rule

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

9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule

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

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

tips to perfect presentation

1. How to start a presentation?

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

2. How to end a presentation?

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

3. How to make a presentation interactive?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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How to make a great presentation

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A Beginner’s Guide to Creating a Presentation With Visme

A Beginner’s Guide to Creating a Presentation With Visme

Written by: Nayomi Chibana

A Beginner’s Guide to Creating a Presentation With Visme

Whether you’re looking to publish a stand-alone slide deck to share online or preparing for a live presentation, using powerful visuals to reinforce your message is a must.

Nowadays, the power to create stunning visuals is no longer an ability limited to professional graphic designers and visual artists.

Like many other things in this Internet age, the ability to communicate visually has been democratized so that you, too, can get your message heard, no matter your professional background.

This is where Visme comes into the picture—an  all-in-one tool for creating engaging visual content.

Visme can help you create professional-looking presentations in a few minutes. They'll look like they took several days to create.

In this short, step-by-step tutorial, we show you how to create a presentation using Visme, which can be published online or used as support for a live presentation.

Looking for a shortcut or running out of time? Try the Visme AI Presentation Maker . In the presentation template library, choose the Generate with AI option. Type in a prompt that describes what you’re looking for. The Visme chatbot will ask follow up questions and suggest a style; choose one and wait for AI to create the design. Open it in your Visme editor and give it the final touches.

  • Define Your Story
  • Create an Outline
  • Create a Project in Visme
  • Select the Right Template
  • Choose a Color Scheme
  • Develop a Theme
  • Find the Right Images
  • Choose Legible Fonts
  • Insert Text
  • Use Icons, Illustrations and 3D Graphics
  • Add Data Visualizations
  • Make Your Presentation Interactive
  • Revise and Improve Narrative and Flow
  • Download, Share, Publish and Present

Giving a Memorable Presentation

Presentation tips & best practices, presentation creation faqs.

  • Brainstorming is the first crucial step in crafting a presentation that can make all the difference between a dismal and a dazzling presentation.
  • Define your story and create an outline that creates a flow for your presentation; the rest of the design will depend on it.
  • Choosing the right template from Visme's presentation library is another deciding factor. Select a template that matches your theme, content, purpose and target audience.
  • Use legible fonts, complementary color schemes, appropriate design elements and data visualizations to make your presentation more engaging and visually appealing.
  • Add interactivity to your presentation with Visme's interactive tools like hotspots, polls, animations and links.
  • Take advantage of the AI Presentation Maker to craft professionally designed presentation slides that you can easily customize with your brand assets.
  • Sign up for Visme's powerful online presentation software and design a presentation without the hassle of software installation or learning to use complicated tools.

1. Brainstorm

One of the most common mistakes beginners make in crafting a presentation is diving straight into slide creation before having a clear idea of the presentation’s main message. This is a big no-no, according to presentation pro Aaron Weyenberg , TED’s in-house slide master.

We know it’s second nature to open an application and start adding text, but the best way to brainstorm is to actually write down your ideas using pen and paper. This will not only get your creative juices flowing but will also ensure that you don’t simply go with the first idea that comes to your mind.

Brainstorming can significantly improve the quality and effectiveness of your presentation. By generating and organizing ideas, brainstorming can help you create a clear, concise and engaging presentation that resonates with your audience.

Using a whiteboard is the best way to make the most out of your brainstorming sessions. Visme has introduced a powerful online whiteboard tool to make your brainstorming sessions more effective.

tips to perfect presentation

Visme’s whiteboard allows you to add text, images, charts and more. It’s easy to use, with a drag-and-drop interface that lets you move elements around freely. The boards are also shareable, so anyone in your organization can access them.

Here are some ways you can use our Whiteboard tool to brainstorm on creating your presentation:

  • Brainstorm ideas for each topic, and write down any new thoughts.
  • Create an outline of all the points you want to cover.
  • Plan the order to present your points and how much time you have for each section.
  • Gather data from previous presentations or reports and any relevant research studies.
  • Identify gaps or holes in your presentation and fill them with relevant content.
  • Assemble all your written content in a single document, then use the Whiteboard tool to organize and rearrange it.

Here is an article about 100+ creative presentation ideas that you can read while brainstorming and include some of them in your own.

2. Define Your Story

The next step is to clearly define your main message and the storyline that will carry it through to the end. To do this, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Who is the intended audience?
  • What message do I want to communicate to them?
  • What is the purpose of this presentation? What do I want the audience to do in the end?

Once you have a clear picture of who your audience is and the result you’re aiming for, you can weave a story that catches the audience’s attention, takes them by the hand and leads them to a specific end destination.

The most challenging part will be keeping their attention so that they don’t trail off into some other undesired location, like checking their inbox or thinking about what they have to do after your presentation.

To do this, you must add some elements of surprise and suspense along the way. For example, you could add a slide with just one word or a stunning image to catch viewers off guard and keep them on their toes.

Also, you must make sure that each element you add to your presentation—whether it’s text, an image, a color, an icon—reinforces your main message; if it adds nothing or, even worse, detracts from it, then it has to go.

3. Create an Outline

Next, you should create an outline of your message’s main points and supporting ideas. You can make it as detailed as you want—even including the main message of each slide and references to visuals and highlighted quotes—depending on what you already have in mind to create.

Use the Visme AI Writer to help you write a detailed outline separated into slides. Just write the prompt explaining what you need, the topics you plan to talk about and a note about how you plan to include visuals and charts.

The AI will craft an outline detailing every slide. Finalize it as you see fit and continue with the rest of the steps.

Once you have a bare-bones presentation outline , ensure it accomplishes all of the goals defined in the previous step.

4. Create a Project

If you don’t already have a Visme account, you can create one by simply going to www.visme.co and entering your name, email and password.

Once you are logged in, click on the “Create New” button and hover over the “Project” option and choose “Presentations” to browse through Visme’s presentation templates library. Alternatively, you can choose a blank template if you want to design your presentation from scratch.

5. Select the Right Template

Depending on the message you want to send, you can either choose a template from the available options or decide to create one from scratch—it's up to you.

Visme features 500+ presentation templates divided into 20+ content categories: creative, interactive, business, marketing, pitch deck and more.

So, even if you don’t have any prior experience in presentation design, you’ll likely find a suitable template to get started.

Visme’s presentation templates are professionally designed and save hours of work. We aren’t winging it. Hear it from one of our customers, Kendra Bradley, Graphic Content Developer at WOW!

“PowerPoint templates are plain and boring, and we want to create more fun and engaging content. Visme has multiple slide templates to choose from, which makes this so much easier.”

“I just made a deck recently and it took me about 15-20 minutes. I found a template I really liked and tweaked it and put it in our brand colors. In PowerPoint, it would take anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half.”

Enroll in our free presentation design certification course , learn at your pace and become a certified presentation guru. Upon completion of the course, you’ll get a certificate to include in your resume or share on LinkedIn. Making a presentation and designing it will then become easier and faster than before.

tips to perfect presentation

If you want to move further with your favorite presentation template in Visme, watch the video below.

tips to perfect presentation

At this point in the Visme tutorial, you can also choose to use the Visme AI Presentation Maker to generate a set of slides based on your prompt. Then you can continue with the customization steps.

Continue reading to learn more about creating a presentation from scratch in Visme.

6 Choose a Color Scheme

Next, you can pick a background color using the integrated color dropper tool in Visme’s editor. The background color of your presentation slide is one of the critical elements. It will help convey your message, create a visual hierarchy and guide audience attention.

Though there are many color palette generators available online, Visme’s color dropper tool comes with everything you need, from extracting colors from a photo to typing color HEX codes.

And the best part is, you don’t need to go anywhere else to decide on the color palette.

As covered in our article on color psychology , the color combinations you choose for your presentation convey a message all on their own and trigger different emotions depending on the hue.

For example, the color scheme of the template below gives a creative tone to the presentation and is best if you are looking to focus on creativity.

tips to perfect presentation

On the other hand, this template below gives an entirely different feel and lets you start your presentation on a serious note.

tips to perfect presentation

So, choose your colors carefully to ensure they align with your main message and engage your audience. If you are creating a presentation on behalf of your company, you can use your brand colors strategically in your slides for consistent branding.

If you still want to know more about the importance of colors for your presentation, read our guide about how colors affect human perception of reality. And here are 50 presentation background templates that you can use or take inspiration from.

7. Develop a Theme

Now that you have an idea of the colors you want to use to reinforce your message, you can now choose a unifying theme for your presentation, which should provide unity and consistency.

Just take a look at how this presentation achieves a sense of cohesiveness by using similar elements throughout, such as high-quality images and two-toned color combinations.

tips to perfect presentation

The use of high-res images in combination with complementary colors such as yellow and black give this presentation a clean, professional look. The use of black and white allows the viewer to focus on the information without being distracted by color or other visual elements.

In Visme’s templates library, you’ll find a section called “Themes.” These templates are created based on a few themes so that you can find the template you are looking for.

8. Find the Right Images

The best presentations use visuals wisely as the images you choose will greatly influence the overall look and feel of your presentation.

They can mean the difference between a forgettable presentation and one that will stick in your viewers' minds for months to come.

With Visme, you get access to 1 million+ high-quality royalty-free images . Browse and search across any keyword to find the image of your choice. You can, furthermore, edit your images using the Visme photo editor to ensure they match the content of your presentation.

To help you find the perfect images for all your design needs, Visme has recently launched a free AI image generator tool . From 3D icons and illustrations to real-life images, just create a prompt, and the tool will give you exactly what you are looking for.

And the best part is that every graphic you generate will be automatically saved in your “My Files” folder in Visme.

Are you using images that need a bit more editing than what the integrated editing controls can do? Use the AI Editing Tools to remove backgrounds, erase or replace objects and upscale or unblur photos.

9. Choose Legible Fonts

Another design element that communicates all on its own is your choice of typefaces. Like with your choice of color combinations, make sure to keep it simple and stick to a maximum of three different fonts: one for your title, another for your subheaders and a third one for your body text.

Here are the 20 best fonts for presentations in 2023 that you can choose from. All of these fonts are present in Visme’s font library so you won’t have difficulty finding them.

A good rule of thumb is to use a title font that reflects the character of your brand while sticking to more simple and easy-to-read typefaces for your subheaders and body text.

If you are creating the presentation for business purposes, it’s better to use your brand fonts to add content to your slides and make the presentations reflect your brand voice .

Visme makes it easy for you to create and save your branding assets using the brand design tool . If you already have your brand's fonts, colors and logo, then you can copy and paste your website URL and Visme’s brand wizard will automatically extract them.

If you don’t have your branding elements ready, you can select fonts, colors, logos and company links in Visme’s branding kit and save them to use in the future.

Read this comprehensive guide to setting up your branding kit in Visme to learn more.

10 Insert Text

If you first wrote out a detailed, slide-by-slide script for your presentation in step number 3, then this part shouldn’t entail much effort.

If, on the other hand, you only have section and subsection titles, then this is where you should think about the actual wording of each slide’s content.

Visme’s drag-and-drop editor makes it super easy to add text to your slides. You can select a text block from the left panel and type your presentation content using your keyboard.

Or, you can choose from the professionally created font pairs in Visme. These font pairs complement each other and are perfect for conveying the type of message they are meant to convey.

In addition to adding text to your presentations, it’s also essential to take notes on what you’re going to say. This will help you stay organized and ensure that your presentation is concise and to the point.

Use the presenter notes feature in Visme to create bullet points or paragraphs of text that are visible to you only. It's like having your own teleprompter. So, the next time you forget your point while giving a presentation, you have the notes to get back on track.

11. Use Icons, Illustrations, 3D Graphics and More

Additional design elements such as icons, illustrations and other graphics help you communicate more effectively than just text. They can also help make your design more memorable, which is important when you’re trying to create a strong relationship with your audience.

For example, if you are designing a marketing presentation for a new product, you can use icons to communicate the benefits of your product.

As indicated in our previous tutorial on how to create infographics with Visme, it’s also important to choose one style of icon for your presentation.

For example, if you choose an outline style, then stick with the same type throughout your presentation to ensure consistency and professionalism.

And, to help you find the right graphics, Visme comes with 10,000+ vector icons , illustrations, 3D animated graphics , lines, shapes and more.

12. Add Data Visualizations

According to a study conducted by MIT, 90% of the information transmitted to our brain is visual. So, if you have some data points that you need to include in your presentation, make sure that your audience understands them quickly by using visual aids.

This is the part where you can resort to simple and effective data visualizations to support your main points. You don’t want your audience to get lost in the mire of numbers and graphs, so make sure that you use visual cues to help them follow along.

For example, if you want to illustrate how a certain metric has changed over time, then plot both values on a line graph with markers for each year.

For smaller data sets, you can choose from 30+ data widgets in Visme that help you create stunning data visualizations in just a few clicks.

If you have larger data sets to explain, choose from 20+ types of graphs and charts with various options like color filters, hover effects and more.

Here’s an example of a pie chart template from Visme’s library that you can use in your presentation.

Creative Pie Chart

Watch the video below to learn more about creating charts and graphs using Visme.

tips to perfect presentation

So, now you don’t have to worry about the data visualization part anymore. But what about capturing the data? If you use Visme to create all your marketing collaterals and other documents, you don’t have to worry about that as well.

Visme’s analytics feature allows you to track the traffic for any projects you have created in Visme. This will help you gauge the effectiveness of your design projects. You’ll be able to capture views, unique visits, activities, completion and more information such as date and time of view, visitor IP, location and more.

So, if you need any information from your past presentations or any other design you shared online, Visme Analytics has you covered.

Create a stunning presentation in less time

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13. Make Your Presentation Interactive

Keeping your audience engaged while giving presentations is one of the most difficult tasks for a presenter. Studies show that if a presenter is unable to let the audience participate, then audience engagement drops by 14% .

This means you’ll have to come up with ways to make your presentation interactive . Visme gives you a wide range of interactivity options to engage your audience:

  • Create a poll in Visme with a question and 2 or 3 possible answers. Then, share the link to your presentation with your audience and invite them to participate in the poll.
  • Include hotspots in your presentation, which allow the viewers to click on a specific part of the slide and see more data or information.
  • Animate your presentation with transitions, animations and video clips. You can add animation effects to almost any part of the presentation you want.
  • Use clickable links in your presentation to direct the viewers to another webpage or video.
  • Add a slideshow to your presentation by adding images, video clips and text slides in any order you want.

Here's a video that you can watch to learn more about crafting interactive presentations with Visme.

tips to perfect presentation

14. Revise and Improve the Narrative and Flow

Now that you’ve finished adding all the visual and textual elements to your presentation, you can go back over your slides to ensure that they flow smoothly from one section to the next.

Also, make sure that you have incorporated some visual cues between sections to let your audience know that you’re moving on to a new concept. As with any story, you should break the monotony with some type of variation, adding rhythm and texture to your presentation.

For example, you could use an inverted color scheme for every transitional slide or an eye-catching design element.

Creating a presentation often requires input from people across the organization. The finance team might add some revenue and expense figures, and the marketing team might want to show your increased customer base and more.

With Visme’s collaboration features , you and your team can work together on a project to improve it. You can invite them via email or a shareable link generated from the Visme app.

After accessing the document, every collaborator can pin, circle, annotate, highlight, add comments and more. The live editing feature enables collaborators to make changes to your presentations, which will appear live.

Furthermore, with workflows , you can assign projects and tasks to specific team members and keep track of what’s finished and what still needs work.

Visme’s collaborative capabilities are helping thousands of teams around the world work together with ease while having every design tool they need. Here is a video that proves why teams love using Visme.

tips to perfect presentation

15.  Download, Share, Publish and Present

With Visme, you get complete freedom of choice on how you want to use your presentation. Once you’re satisfied with your presentation, you can share a link to your slide deck, embed it into your site, upload it to SlideShare or download it as a PNG, JPG, PDF, MP4 and GIF file.

If you’re designing the presentation for learning management systems, you can download the presentation as SCORM or xAPI. This allows you to preserve all the interactivity and multimedia and track the completion of learning materials in your LMS.

And it doesn’t end here. With Visme’s Presentation Studio , you can record yourself presenting your presentations and send them to your viewers. This allows you to present asynchronously and take the pressure off.

This feature is extremely useful for creating webinars, holding prerecorded meetings, explaining learning materials and more.

If you are a beginner, giving a presentation might be more difficult than creating one. Studies have revealed that 90% of anxiety presenters feel before giving a presentation is due to a lack of preparation.

Below is a video with 11 simple tips for giving an excellent presentation to make sure that the delivery is as effective as the design of the presentation.

tips to perfect presentation

You can have the most amazing presentation in the world on paper, but without proper delivery, it can turn into a complete flop.

So, now that you have all the knowledge on how to make a presentation, it’s time to discuss how you can deliver that presentation in a powerful way. In this section, we’ll cover the best tips for better presentation delivery and impact.

1. Rehearse your presentation.

Practice, practice and practice again. That’s the way to presentation perfection.

That’s right. no matter how crazy you might sound to the downstairs neighbors practicing your speech out loud alone in your apartment, you need to do it.

Why? Because when you can actually hear yourself present your ideas out loud, you may realize that you’re missing key points of information.

While you’re at it, practice out loud. Go in front of a mirror and strike some power poses.

Body language is everything when it comes to presenting your presentation in a powerful way. It can make or break your entire speech. So, use open-handed gestures, smile often and loosen up a bit to come across as a confident presenter.

If you’ve been allotted a certain amount of time for your presentation, then you need to practice while using a timer.

By practicing out loud with a timer, you’ll be able to adjust and readjust the information on your slides to make sure you get all your important information across to your audience.

Another way you can boost your confidence and kick stage fright before the big day of your presentation is to do a practice run of your presentation in front of others.

This will not only help you get used to public speaking, but it also gives them a chance to give you honest feedback on your presentation and let you know if there was anything that could use improvement.

2. Memorize your presentation.

Memorizing your speech for your presentation is no easy task. But the more you can remember while you’re up on stage and the fewer “umm’s” and “uh’s” you say, the better.

We rounded up the best ways to memorize a presentation that will significantly help you with your presentation delivery, but we’ll share a few with you here as well.

  • Build a memory palace: Just like the Greeks and Romans used to do, associating concepts and ideas with specific locations can help you remember them more easily.

Smartphone Features Memory Palace

  • Write down the main points: Research shows that writing down information or creating an outline can help you learn and remember information more efficiently.
  • Practice during the afternoon: According to a study, by studying in the afternoon, you will be much more efficient in retrieving memories .
  • Record yourself: This study shows that recording and listening to yourself not only improves your practice sessions but also boosts overnight retention .

Apply the memorization techniques above while you’re rehearsing your presentation, but make sure you also understand each and every word.

3. Start strong to hook your audience.

When it comes to giving presentations, first impressions are extremely important.

The way you start can set the stage for the rest of your talk—you can either have the audience sit up in their seats and give you their full attention, or have them ready to doze off.

There are several proven techniques you can use to start your presentation in a powerful way, such as:

  • Tell a personal story
  • Make a provocative statement
  • Share a shocking fact or statistic
  • Ask a question
  • Start with a prop
  • Show a video or meaningful visual

If you want to learn more about these presentation hooks and more in detail, read our guide to starting a presentation with examples from famous TED talks.

If you prefer watching a video instead, we’ve got you covered.

tips to perfect presentation

4. Observe your audience’s behavior.

Remember, a presentation—or any talk for that matter—is not a one-way conversation. Effective communication involves constant feedback from the listener and requires the speaker to react to that feedback appropriately.

So, how does this apply to presentation delivery?

When you’re up on the stage giving your presentation, make sure you constantly observe your audience and their reactions—this includes their facial expressions, body language and even questions.

You might sense your audience is getting bored, for example, if you see a few people fidgeting in their seats, yawning or looking at their phones.

This is your cue to switch things up a bit. For example, you can:

  • Change the subject
  • Make them laugh with a joke or humorous statement
  • Get people to stand up or do an activity
  • Take a break if you have enough time
  • Invite questions from the audience

Similarly, if you see your audience engaged with what you’re saying, continue with your enthusiasm and try to keep them hooked till the end.

5. Be authentic and vulnerable.

When giving a presentation, the worst thing you can do is try to be someone else and come across as pretentious and unoriginal.

In this TED talk, Brene Brown starts by revealing that she felt so vulnerable and embarrassed after one of her talks that she didn’t leave her house for three days.

Successful presenters are authentic, even if they are not perfect. They are relatable, grounded and vulnerable. Instead of hiding their failures, imperfections and insecurities, they share them with the audience and build an emotional connection.

When the audience finds you relatable, they are more inclined to listen to you and take you seriously.

6. Conclude your presentation on a high.

Just like it’s important to start your presentation with a powerful hook, likewise, you need to conclude your presentation in such a way that it impacts your audience and leaves them thinking about your take-home message for a long time after.

There are several ways to close your presentation with style:

  • End with a memorable quote
  • Drive your main points home
  • Close with a story
  • Use a strong call to action

Here’s an infographic summarizing the main points above and more.

how to end a presentation visme infographic

Read our guide to learn more about how to close a presentation in a powerful way .

7. Leave time for questions at the end.

Our last piece of advice for preparing for and presenting an effective presentation is to get your audience involved and allocate time for their comments and questions at the end of your presentation.

Everyone wants to be heard, and if you did your job correctly, you should have sparked some conversation starters from your audience by the end of your presentation.

Give them your time and attention at the end of your presentation to show them you care about your presentation and most importantly, them.

8. Prepare backup content.

No matter how well prepared you are, it’s always better to have a backup because not everything may go the same as you planned.

Despite whatever your intention is, as a presenter, you should always have a plan B, C and sometimes D for your presentation. Put together statements that will cover you if you find yourself upsetting the audience.

Problems may occur due to location changes, technical difficulties and many other factors; you must always be prepared. Your backup content can be anything that can change the game as needed.

For example, you can prepare some backup questions that you can ask according to the situation, some additional relatable examples or even a few slides with different design elements that you might need to meet the requirements of your audience.

Last but not least, here are some of the best presentation tips and practices that you can use as a final checklist when preparing for your presentation. This includes, but is not limited to:

Limit the amount of text on your slides

You don’t want to overwhelm your audience with too much information, it’s a great idea to try to keep your text to about 6-8 lines per slide. To check if your text is concise enough try to use K.I.S.S (keep it stupid simple). This will ensure that you effortlessly know how to create a good presentation slide regardless of the topic at hand.

Include practical examples

To keep your audience on track and prevent boredom, utilize real-life or practical examples that they can relate to in their everyday lives. This approach leaves a much stronger impact than simply informing them that the information exists.

Use presenter’s notes for additional information

Avoid cluttering slides with text; instead, add important information into presenter's notes to ensure clarity without sacrificing slide design.All of Visme’s presentations with a section to add presenter’s notes visible to only you in the designated area at the bottom without sacrificing beautiful slide design.

Here's a video showing how to use presentation notes in Visme

Consider your presentation’s mode of delivery

The delivery of your presentation is just as important as the details it contains. This will affect your presentation's design as well. For example, for standalone presentations, it’s a great idea to add more text into your slides. On the other hand, if you’re holding an in-person presentation, it might be a good idea to have less text on your slides.

Keep your slides on-brand

While designing your slides, always keep your brand identity in mind, especially if creating a crucial business presentation. It will distinguish you from competitors, prompt people to refer your products and services to others and connect people with your brand emotionally.

So, consider your brand colors, brand fonts, logo and other elements of your company’s visual identity. If you have not defined any of these elements, try choosing the design elements that match your brand personality and the theme of your presentation.

Do you still have pressing questions regarding presentation creation and Visme? These FAQs will clear your doubts.

Q. Is Visme Good for Presentations?

Yes, Visme is a great tool for making presentations. Here are the most important reasons why:

  • You can create presentations from scratch, with content blocks or with pre-designed templates.
  • There are millions of design elements available in the editor to help you craft professional-looking slides.
  • Develop complete presentations with the AI Presentation Maker.
  • Generate branded presentation templates with the AI Brand Wizard.
  • Use the whiteboard feature to brainstorm, plan and outline a presentation with your team.
  • Collaborate with colleagues using workflows and assign specific tasks to different people.
  • Share your presentation in several ways: as a live link in flipbook format, as a live link in slide format and as a PDF.

Q. Is Visme Really Free?

Yes, Visme really is free. The Basic Plan is the ideal choice to take Visme for a test drive. You don’t need a credit card to sign up. Upgrading is easy if you want access to premium features.

The best thing about Visme, apart from being free, is that it’s not just a presentation maker. Visme is an all-in-one content authoring tool where you can create infographics, documents, social media posts and much more. That’s not all. Visme has a whole suite of AI tools, like the AI Document Generator , to help you create content fast and easy. The document maker helps you craft many types of documents in less than two minutes. Once generated they only need minimal customization to be finalized.

Q. What Is the Difference Between PowerPoint and Visme?

There are several differences between PowerPoint and Visme. Here are the most important:

Visme has a drag-and-drop editor, while PowerPoint has a limited editor with simple functionality.

The Visme presentation library has hundreds of ready-to-use templates compared to the limited amount that PowerPoint offers.

Visme has robust interactive popup features, while PowerPoint does not. You can even present presentations as a flipbook, while PowerPoint cannot. There are over 10,000 icons and graphics, while PowerPoint has much fewer. The lead generation capabilities and performance analytics features are robust, while PowerPoint doesn’t have these features.

Visme offers an entire suite of AI tools, like the image generator and image editing tools , while PowerPoint does not. With Visme, you can design much more than just presentations, like infographics, social media posts, interactive documents, and much more.

Visme has over 30 types of data visualizations, while PowerPoint has only 15. There's also a cutting-edge collaboration feature that supports collaboration with teams of all sizes. The workflow feature lets team members assign each other tasks or projects and work together. PowerPoint doesn’t have these features.

We've created an in-depth article to compare Visme and PowerPoint.

Q. When Starting a Presentation, What Is the First Crucial Step to Take?

The crucial first step when starting a presentation is to know the audience you’ll be presenting to.

Having a clear grasp of the audience’s needs before even starting the presentation outline will help you craft slides and content that speak directly to the viewer.

Then, when presenting, start off with a comment that engages with them quickly, helping you keep their attention throughout the slides and speech.

Visme: The Ultimate Presentation Design Tool

A powerful and visually stunning presentation is crucial in today's business landscape. And Visme provides an excellent platform for achieving that goal. With its user-friendly interface and extensive design tools, even beginners can create professional-looking presentations in no time.

Here is what one of our customers has to say about Visme’s presentation software and Visme presentation templates:

“Visme is easy to use! I'm a beginner, and after only two hours, I'm already making professional-looking slides for our company's board meeting in three days.”

One of the most significant advantages of Visme is the ability to customize every aspect of your presentation. Visme allows you to create a unique and captivating visual experience from the background color to the font style.

Additionally, Visme offers a vast library of pre-made templates, graphics and icons to help you get started.

So, whether you want to create a research presentation or a pitch deck to secure funding , Visme has everything you need.

Sign-up for Visme’s free online presentation design tool and start your presentation design journey now!

Create effective and captivating presentations with Visme

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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.

tips to perfect presentation

SkillsYouNeed

  • PRESENTATION SKILLS

Top Tips for Effective Presentations

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Presentation Skills:

  • A - Z List of Presentation Skills
  • General Presentation Skills
  • What is a Presentation?
  • Preparing for a Presentation
  • Organising the Material
  • Writing Your Presentation
  • Deciding the Presentation Method
  • Managing your Presentation Notes
  • Working with Visual Aids
  • Presenting Data
  • Managing the Event
  • Coping with Presentation Nerves
  • Dealing with Questions
  • How to Build Presentations Like a Consultant
  • 7 Qualities of Good Speakers That Can Help You Be More Successful
  • Self-Presentation in Presentations
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How can you make a good presentation even more effective?

This page draws on published advice from expert presenters around the world, which will help to take your presentations from merely ‘good’ to ‘great’.

By bringing together advice from a wide range of people, the aim is to cover a whole range of areas.

Whether you are an experienced presenter, or just starting out, there should be ideas here to help you to improve.

1. Show your Passion and Connect with your Audience

It’s hard to be relaxed and be yourself when you’re nervous.

But time and again, the great presenters say that the most important thing is to connect with your audience, and the best way to do that is to let your passion for the subject shine through.

Be honest with the audience about what is important to you and why it matters.

Be enthusiastic and honest, and the audience will respond.

2. Focus on your Audience’s Needs

Your presentation needs to be built around what your audience is going to get out of the presentation.

As you prepare the presentation, you always need to bear in mind what the audience needs and wants to know, not what you can tell them.

While you’re giving the presentation, you also need to remain focused on your audience’s response, and react to that.

You need to make it easy for your audience to understand and respond.

3. Keep it Simple: Concentrate on your Core Message

When planning your presentation, you should always keep in mind the question:

What is the key message (or three key points) for my audience to take away?

You should be able to communicate that key message very briefly.

Some experts recommend a 30-second ‘elevator summary’, others that you can write it on the back of a business card, or say it in no more than 15 words.

Whichever rule you choose, the important thing is to keep your core message focused and brief.

And if what you are planning to say doesn’t contribute to that core message, don’t say it.

4. Smile and Make Eye Contact with your Audience

This sounds very easy, but a surprisingly large number of presenters fail to do it.

If you smile and make eye contact, you are building rapport , which helps the audience to connect with you and your subject. It also helps you to feel less nervous, because you are talking to individuals, not to a great mass of unknown people.

To help you with this, make sure that you don’t turn down all the lights so that only the slide screen is visible. Your audience needs to see you as well as your slides.

5. Start Strongly

The beginning of your presentation is crucial. You need to grab your audience’s attention and hold it.

They will give you a few minutes’ grace in which to entertain them, before they start to switch off if you’re dull. So don’t waste that on explaining who you are. Start by entertaining them.

Try a story (see tip 7 below), or an attention-grabbing (but useful) image on a slide.

6. Remember the 10-20-30 Rule for Slideshows

This is a tip from Guy Kawasaki of Apple. He suggests that slideshows should:

  • Contain no more than 10 slides;
  • Last no more than 20 minutes; and
  • Use a font size of no less than 30 point.

This last is particularly important as it stops you trying to put too much information on any one slide. This whole approach avoids the dreaded ‘Death by PowerPoint’.

As a general rule, slides should be the sideshow to you, the presenter. A good set of slides should be no use without the presenter, and they should definitely contain less, rather than more, information, expressed simply.

If you need to provide more information, create a bespoke handout and give it out after your presentation.

7. Tell Stories

Human beings are programmed to respond to stories.

Stories help us to pay attention, and also to remember things. If you can use stories in your presentation, your audience is more likely to engage and to remember your points afterwards. It is a good idea to start with a story, but there is a wider point too: you need your presentation to act like a story.

Think about what story you are trying to tell your audience, and create your presentation to tell it.

Finding The Story Behind Your Presentation

To effectively tell a story, focus on using at least one of the two most basic storytelling mechanics in your presentation:

Focusing On Characters – People have stories; things, data, and objects do not. So ask yourself “who” is directly involved in your topic that you can use as the focal point of your story.

For example, instead of talking about cars (your company’s products), you could focus on specific characters like:

  • The drivers the car is intended for – people looking for speed and adventure
  • The engineers who went out of their way to design the most cost-effective car imaginable

A Changing Dynamic – A story needs something to change along the way. So ask yourself “What is not as it should be?” and answer with what you are going to do about it (or what you did about it).

For example…

  • Did hazardous road conditions inspire you to build a rugged, all-terrain jeep that any family could afford?
  • Did a complicated and confusing food labelling system lead you to establish a colour-coded nutritional index so that anybody could easily understand it?

8. Use your Voice Effectively

The spoken word is actually a pretty inefficient means of communication, because it uses only one of your audience’s five senses. That’s why presenters tend to use visual aids, too. But you can help to make the spoken word better by using your voice effectively.

Varying the speed at which you talk, and emphasising changes in pitch and tone all help to make your voice more interesting and hold your audience’s attention.

For more about this, see our page on Effective Speaking .

9. Use your Body Too

It has been estimated that more than three quarters of communication is non-verbal.

That means that as well as your tone of voice, your body language is crucial to getting your message across. Make sure that you are giving the right messages: body language to avoid includes crossed arms, hands held behind your back or in your pockets, and pacing the stage.

Make your gestures open and confident, and move naturally around the stage, and among the audience too, if possible.

10. Relax, Breathe and Enjoy

If you find presenting difficult, it can be hard to be calm and relaxed about doing it.

One option is to start by concentrating on your breathing. Slow it down, and make sure that you’re breathing fully. Make sure that you continue to pause for breath occasionally during your presentation too.

For more ideas, see our page on Coping with Presentation Nerves .

If you can bring yourself to relax, you will almost certainly present better. If you can actually start to enjoy yourself, your audience will respond to that, and engage better. Your presentations will improve exponentially, and so will your confidence. It’s well worth a try.

Improve your Presentation Skills

Follow our guide to boost your presentation skills learning about preparation, delivery, questions and all other aspects of giving effective presentations.

Start with: What is a Presentation?

Continue to: How to Give a Speech Self Presentation

See also: Five Ways You Can Do Visual Marketing on a Budget Can Presentation Science Improve Your Presentation? Typography – It’s All About the Message in Your Slides

Storydoc

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.

tips to perfect presentation

Dominika Krukowska

12 minute read

How to make good presentations

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.

tips to perfect presentation

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 write a presentation storyline that creates interest

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:

Narrator slide example

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% !

Thank you slide

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. 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 make a good personalized presentation 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:

Storydoc analytics pa

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:

Analytics panel - CTA

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:

Analytics panel - internal shares

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.

Storydoc - AI presentatio

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!

tips to perfect presentation

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.

tips to perfect presentation

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  • Presentations

30 PowerPoint Presentation Tips to Make Good PPT Slides in 2024 (+ 6 Expert Tips)

Andrew Childress

  • Bahasa Indonesia

Here are 30 quick PowerPoint presentation tips to help you improve your presentations. 

Presentation Example

Plus, get PowerPoint tips on changing your slide design to make your content shine. We've even called on six presentation experts for their best tips.

How to Make a Good PowerPoint Presentation (Watch & Learn)

This screencast is a speed round of my very favorite PowerPoint tricks. It's a great resource to learn how to make a presentable PowerPoint. I'll walk you through ten of my favorite PowerPoint tips and tricks to create a better presentation.

tips to perfect presentation

Keep reading for an illustrated version of these good PPT tips (and more) that you can use to improve your PowerPoint presentations. You'll see 30 of our favorite PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks, including techniques to update slide master PowerPoint 2024 designs.

Jump to content in this section:

  • How Do You Give a Memorable PPT Presentation?
  • Practice Makes Perfect
  • Adapt Your Presentation to the Audience
  • Use a Custom Font
  • Use Contrast
  • Avoid Too Many Animations
  • Use the Rule of Three
  • Use a Custom PPT Theme Design
  • Make Use of Charts and Graphs
  • Use the Built-in Slide Layouts
  • Align Text Consistently
  • Make Your Exports User-Friendly
  • Try a Different Color Scheme
  • Edit Slide Masters for Consistency
  • Use the Alignment Feature
  • Use Stock Assets
  • Reduce Your Content
  • Rethink Your Slide Order
  • Use PowerPoint Animations
  • Invite Collaborators
  • Add Supporting Video Clips
  • Use Infographic Templates
  • Use Impactful Closing Techniques
  • Include Data in the Appendix
  • Alternate Between Solid Color and White Slides
  • Present Information With Maps
  • Keep the Design Best Practices in Mind
  • Set a Time Limit
  • Test Your Content Everywhere

30 Tips: How to Make Good PowerPoint Presentation Designs Fast in 2024

A few tried and true tips can help you speed up your PowerPoint presentation design. Check out 30 of my favorite PowerPoint tips to do just that. Each of these give you PowerPoint slideshow help to create good PowerPoint slides:

1. How Do You Give a Memorable PPT Presentation?

If you're learning the top PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks, you're probably asking yourself: how do I give a presentation that won't be forgotten?

We all want to be remembered. The best PowerPoint slideshow help to make a mark on the audience. There are tried-and-true ways to do just that, and expert Neil Tomlinson shares expertise on being remembered:

Get your main point into the presentation as early as possible (this avoids any risk of audience fatigue or attention span waning), then substantiate your point with facts, figures etc and then reiterate your point at the end in a ‘Summary’.

2. Practice Makes Perfect

Also, don’t forget to practice your presentation. Go through your slide deck a few times to make sure you know it like the back of your hand when the big day arrives. Doing so helps you feel more confident. It'll reduce any anxiety and nervousness you might feel as the presentation day approaches.

What's the best way to rehears for a good PowerPoint? Here's one of the top PowerPoint presentation tips from expert presenter Sandra Zimmer :

Once slides are ready, practice one slide at a time aloud until you feel like you know it and like the flow of speech. Be willing to change anything that does not feel in flow. At the end of learning all your slides, practice the whole talk.

If you want even more great PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks, check out the following post:

tips to perfect presentation

3. Adapt Your Presentation to the Audience

Let's say that you're a seasoned presenter with a pretty standard set of presentation topics. Maybe you're an expert in your field, and you're asked to give a PPT presentation frequently on similar topics.

That's the value of being an expert. You might have a standard spiel that you give your audiences, and your content won't totally change from one presentation to another. That's why it helps to make only slight tweaks to adapt your presentation to each audience.

Leading presentation expert Suzannah Baum offered up this advice:

Different audiences will have different needs and different challenges, which requires me to re-sequence the slides, or create new ones. I tend to do a lot of research on my audiences – via surveys, interviews, and conversations with the hiring manager – to help me better understand what information would be most relevant to them.

How do you adapt to your audience? Here are a few more tips:

  • Learn about them. If you're asked to speak, talk to the curator of the presentation to learn more about the audience and their background.
  • Ask about them! With contact details, send out a survey or a response link to ask for feedback and preparation info. Ask leading questions like "what do you want to learn?"
  • Consider the environment.  If you're presenting via Zoom, your style will differ from presenting in person. The key is to acknowledge the difference and adapt to your environment.

Presentation audience Elements

Learn everything you can about your audience. Learning how to make a presentable PowerPoint is all about thinking of the recipient, not the presenter!

4. Use a Custom Font

A PowerPoint presentation tip that'll make your slideshow more interesting and more engaging is to use a custom font.

Fonts set the tone for your presentation. So, when you use a premium font, you’re opting for a high-quality font while also adding a personal or creative touch. 

When choosing a font, remember that you want everyone to read your text easily. 

5. Use Contrast

The white text contrasts with the dark grey background.

One PowerPoint trick is to use contrast to make some of your text stand out or make it easier to read.

If you’re putting text over an image on our PowerPoint slide, you may need to use a white box with black text in it to make your text easier to read. You can also use contrasting colors to highlight important text.

6. Avoid Too Many Animations

Another PowerPoint tip is to avoid having too many animations or transitions.

When you've got too many animations, it can be distracting to the audience. It’s not only distracting, but it's unprofessional.

It’s best to stick to one or two animations throughout your presentation. Also, if you've got any animations in your presentation, make sure to test them to see if they work before presenting.

tips to perfect presentation

7. Add Audio

Include audio on a slide on PowerPoint to increase audience engagement. Audio can be anything from fun sound effects to interview clips. You can even add an audio clip of your voice.

Audio gives you a break from speaking while also engaging the audience. Envato Elements has hundreds of premium audio clips if you want to add some.

tips to perfect presentation

8. Use the Rule of Three

One PowerPoint tip and trick is to follow the rules of PowerPoint.

One of those rules is the rule of three. It's where you start by dividing your presentation into thirds. Everything should come in thirds, so if you use bullet points, you should only have three. If you use icons, you should only have three.

When things come in threes, it's easier to remember them. For more information, read this informative article:

tips to perfect presentation

9. Use a Custom PPT Theme Design

Above all, consistently use custom PowerPoint themes. Microsoft has built-in themes that you can use for free, sure. But the premium themes that are on Envato Elements   are a major step-up from PowerPoint's built-in themes. 

Envato Elements is an all-you-can-download creative subscription

When you subscribe to Envato Elements, you'll have access to unlimited downloads of all the PowerPoint themes. Right now, Envato Elements has almost 4,000 PowerPoint themes and that number is always growing. You'll learn tips for a good PowerPoint presentation by using the best templates.

The Socran PPTX template is a great example of using a PowerPoint template to jump ahead in the design process. 

10. Make Use of Charts and Graphs

Illustrate your data with the use of charts and graphs. Not only will you be able to make your presentation more visually appealing, but you'll also help your audience remember the information better.

Use charts and graphs like the ones found in Blendu PowerPoint template

Many PowerPoint templates already include chart and graph elements. Easily customize them to make your data and stats more interesting and easier to understand.

Want to learn more about how to use data? Turn to expert Adrienne J ohnston , a presentation professional:

When it comes to visualizing data in presentations, we have to remember that our audience does not need all the fine details of the data - they need the main takeaway and we need to make sure that's evident to them when looking at the slide.

11. Use the Built-in Slide Layouts

Inside of PowerPoint themes, you'll find layouts , which are custom slide designs.

Most themes include a selection of content layouts that you can use as a starting point for your own slide designs. You can leverage slide master PowerPoint 2024 designs with the help of layouts.

Slide Layouts Screenshot

Layouts are like a starting point for your PowerPoint presentation slides. They contain combinations of placeholders for text boxes, images, and more.

Instead of clicking and drawing individual objects onto the slide, use one of these layouts to start your slide off. It's one of the top PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks to save time.

12. Align Text Consistently

When you're working with text on your slide, it helps to ensure that it aligns consistently. Keeping your text aligned in the same orientation really makes a slide look clean. 

In the example below, I've basically got three text boxes:

  • list of bulleted points

Notice that all this text is aligned left. 

Alignment Example Image

Aligning text was the " aha " moment that I learned when I started studying slide design. It's one of those steps that makes a slide look much neater and professional, so keep it in mind when designing.

13. Make Your Exports User-Friendly

No matter how great your PowerPoint presentation slides look, you need to think about how your user will use the presentation file. 

Any of these are likely scenarios if you're regularly sending presentations to other users:

  • The viewer may not have PowerPoint installed on their computer.
  • The recipient may be using a version of PowerPoint that renders the presentation differently.
  • Maybe you don't want the user to be able to make any edits or see your notes in the presentation file.

PDF version of the slide

In this case, my favorite tip is to export the presentation as a PDF. To do that, go to File > Export > Create PDF , and then save your presentation as a PDF.

This is sure to help most of your users see the presentation just the way you intended.

14. Try a Different Color Scheme

Many PowerPoint themes have more than one color scheme that you can apply to your presentation. On the Design  tab, click on the drop-down next to Themes to try out a different color scheme.

Slide themes

Typically, these will restyle your entire presentation. Premium themes that you might get from Envato Elements, for example, may have many versions inside the original presentation zip file.

15. Edit Slide Masters for Consistency

The slide master controls the design for your PowerPoint slide. Instead of making the same change to each slide, apply a change to a slide master. It'll affect all the PowerPoint presentation slides that use the same master.

Edit the Slide Master

It's ideal to apply a logo to the slide master itself, for example. This keeps the logo the same size and in the same position on each slide.

To do that, go to View > Slide Master.  On the right side, you're likely to see a variety of slide masters that control designs for many slides. Drop the elements that you want to remain consistent onto one of the slide masters.

16. Use the Alignment Feature

PowerPoint presentation slides look better when the objects on them are in line with one another. There's a certain visual rhythm that occurs when objects line up in the center or along certain boundary lines.

Alignment feature

When you start dragging objects on your slide, you'll see guiding lines that pop up. These are very intuitive, and you'll likely notice that they help you line up your objects. You might seem them pop up when you've got a box that's equidistant between two other objects on the slide, for example.

This is one of the best tricks for improving the look of your PowerPoint slide. Spend some time making sure that your key elements line up cohesively.

17. Use Stock Assets

Earlier, I mentioned using Envato Elements to grab PowerPoint themes. But there's more that comes with an Envato Elements subscription for presentations.

That includes a wide variety of stock photos, graphics,  and custom designed fonts  that you can use in your presentation. Instead of reusing the same stock photo or clip art, Envato Elements has everything you need to supplement a presentation. 

Again, Envato Elements is the perfect subscription if you build presentations. It's a one-stop-shop that you can use to fill content.

18. Reduce Your Content

There's nothing that makes an audience tune out faster than being overloaded with slide content. Sometimes we try to make so many points that the audience misses all of them due to information overload.

Less is truly more. When you cut the weaker points of your presentation, the audience's attention will follow your key points accordingly.

It seems like cheating, but one of the best steps that you can take for your slide is to simply reduce the number of items that are on it. Convert some of your typed points to things you'll speak verbally.

19. Rethink Your Slide Order

Sometimes, I find that my presentations are out of order. I might spend too much time explaining my decision before I get to the conclusion.

In these cases, I like to use Slide Sorter View  to re-sequence the slides in my presentation. To access this view, go to View > Slide Sorter  on PowerPoint's ribbon.

Slide Sorter View Rearrange

From Slide Sorter view, you've got a top-down view of all the slides in your presentation deck. It sometimes becomes obvious that the slides can be reordered into a better sequence from this view.

20. Use PowerPoint Animations 

One of my favorite PowerPoint presentation tips is to complement your major points with a bit of animation. Using animation can bring a key point onto your slide with style!

Check out ten of the best PowerPoint tips for how to use animation from expert Sven Lenaerts below:

tips to perfect presentation

21. Invite Collaborators

Building a presentation often benefits from a second set of eyes. That's why it helps so much to invite a collaborator to work with you side-by-side in Microsoft PowerPoint.

Pushing your presentation up to OneDrive and inviting collaborators is easy. Thanks to the cloud-based approach, more than one user can edit a slide deck in real time. Learn how to do that in the tutorial below:

tips to perfect presentation

22. Add Supporting Video Clips

Building impactful presentations is all about adding other perspectives and angles to the content. One of my favorite ways to do that is to add a video clip. Maybe that's a production that you built on your own or found on sites like YouTube.

Either way, learn how to add and auto play a video clip in the quick tip below:

tips to perfect presentation

23. Use Infographic Templates

More presentations than ever will feature visuals that tell stories with data. But it's easy for an audience become overwhelmed with data. 

That's where infographics come into play. Learn to use them in PowerPoint in the tutorial below:

tips to perfect presentation

24. Use Impactful Closing Techniques

I've sat through many presentations in my life. I can only remember a few that really stick out, thanks to techniques that highlighted key points. You need PowerPoint tips and tricks that help leave your audience with an impact.

To do just that, make sure you use some of the techniques highlighted in the article below:

tips to perfect presentation

To do that, just drag and drop the thumbnails into the order you want. When you return to Normal view, the PowerPoint presentation slides will be in the resequenced order you set here.

25. Include Data in the Appendix

Many PowerPoint presentations include data in the form of charts and graphs. That means that you'll condense specifics into a few easy-to-follow charts.

But what if your audience wants more of the backing details? Maybe they want to validate and review the detail for themselves. In that case, a   set of  appendix slides  with extra data is sure to help.

PowerPoint 2022 data appendix

Appendix slides are included at the end of a presentation deck for backup purposes. You might not present them, but your audience is certain to appreciate that you included them. That helps your presentation continue to be useful even after you leave the room.

Here's a great tip from: pro presenter  Graeme Thomas of Johnny F Designs:

If (my clients) are sending the deck straight to clients however, I would then put all the information on the slides but will often use more slides so that they aren't too cluttered. In cases where there is a lot of content, like financial statements, I would use  appendix slides.

Including an appendix helps your audience understand data  without  overwhelming them with that data. Follow these tips so that you get the best of both worlds.

26. Alternate Between Solid Color and White Slides

Alternating between solid color and slides with a white background can produce an interesting visual effect and engage your audience. You can use the solid-colored slides to signify a new section in your presentation.

Lekro PowerPoint template has beautiful solid-color and white background slides

Not to mention, solid-colored slides are the perfect way to re-enforce your brand colors and build your brand recognition.

27. Present Information With Maps

If you’re trying to make a case for a global expansion or need to report on how other branches are performing, consider using a map to help your audience visualize the data.

There's no shortage of quality PowerPoint templates with maps built in so be sure to take advantage of them.

28. Keep the Design Best Practices in Mind

The design of your presentation matters just as much as the content of your presentation. That’s why you need to devote an equal amount of time to making sure the design of your presentation is on point as you do to the actual content.

Familiarize yourself with best design practices and keep them in mind as you go about customizing your template.

29. Set a Time Limit

How many slides is the right number for you? Well, it all depends on the time limit you set for your presentation.

Believe it or not, setting a time limit is helpful to create good PowerPoint slides. If you want to learn how to make a presentable PowerPoint, it's a must to lock in the time limit and ensure that your slides support that timeframe. 

Expert presenter Stephanie Ottavan offers one of our top tips for a good PowerPoint presentation based on time limits:

A presenter is usually limited to a specific time frame and you want to adhere to that as closely as you can. If you have animations and transitions in your deck, these take added time so make sure to rehearse in “show mode” of PowerPoint or Keynote and time yourself.

Believe it or not, setting a time frame is one of the most important part of creating a PPT presentation. It helps you influence how many good PowerPoint slides you should design.

30. Test Your Content Everywhere

PowerPoint in 2024 could take place anywhere. Maybe you present, online, in-person, or beam it to mobile devices. It's important to remember that the content will appear differently on each device.

PowerPoint Online is a different medium than many other apps. Make sure that your presentation design appears the same by testing it with the help of this tutorial. It shows you how your PPT presentation appears even in a browser:

tips to perfect presentation

Discover Great Premium PowerPoint Templates With Google Slides (For 2024)

Creating a great presentation starts with a great template. And a great PowerPoint slide design use the best presentation practices, for example:

  • Use high-quality photos and graphics to help tell the story.
  • Keep text to a minimum.
  • Stick to one idea per slide.

Designing a great template doesn’t mean you've got to start from scratch, though. Take a look at some of the best PowerPoint templates we've got on Envato Elements.

1. Neo PowerPoint Template

Neo PowerPoint Template

The Neo PowerPoint template features a modern and bold design and includes five color variations to get you started. Along with this, you'll also get 10 master slides and 30 individual slides for all your presentation needs.

2. Vexana PowerPoint Template

Vexana PowerPoint Template

The Vexana template is a great choice for brands that need a touch of elegance. This template works with PowerPoint and Google Slides and comes with a grand total of 150 slides. It also has five color variations and includes infographic elements and photo placeholders.

3. Sprint PowerPoint Template

Sprint PowerPoint Template

The Sprint PowerPoint template features a professional and modern design. The template is easy to customize. You'll find 20 masters in the standard 4:3 size, allowing you to choose the best layout for your information.

4. Travelicious PowerPoint Template

Travelicious PowerPoint Template

For any presentation that deals with the topic of travel, check out the Travelicious template. This template is compatible with both PowerPoint and Google Slides. It includes three premade color variations as well as 30 unique slides.

 As you can see from the examples above, there's no shortage of beautiful and professional PowerPoint slide designs on Envato Elements . What’s more, Envato Elements allows you to download as many PowerPoint templates as you want. Plus, get thousands of other design assets such as fonts, photos, and icons—all for one low monthly price.

Want to see even more great PowerPoint template examples? Be sure to check out our related roundup:

Need Help? Grab Our Making Great Presentations eBook (Free)

We've got the perfect complement to this tutorial. You can find more information in our eBook on making great presentations . Download this PDF eBook now for FREE with your subscription to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter. 

It'll help you master the presentation process from initial creative ideas through to writing, design, and delivering with impact.

Free eBook PDF Download Make a Great Presentation

PowerPoint Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Now that you’ve read about PowerPoint tips and tricks, if you want to learn more about PowerPoint, here are some FAQs:

1. What Is a Placeholder?

Placeholders in your slide on PowerPoint help you easily add text or images to your slide without changing your design.

In a template, sometimes the placeholders have prompts such as “Click to insert a picture” or “Click to add text.” These prompts let you know what kind of placeholder it is. To learn more about placeholders, read this article: 

tips to perfect presentation

2. How Can I Automatically Play a Video?

A PowerPoint tip is to insert an automatically played video in your presentation. When you've got a video that'll play automatically, it saves you the trouble of starting your video manually.

Videos can illustrate topics or specific points. They're also a great way to keep your audience engaged. If you want to learn how to play a video automatically, read this tutorial:

3. How Can I Add a Map to my Slide?

Another PowerPoint trick is to add a map to your slide. If you're discussing a specific location, then a map can help your audience visualize the location you're presenting. To learn how to add a map to your PowerPoint slide, read this tutorial:

tips to perfect presentation

4. How Do I Add a GIF to My Presentation?

Adding a GIF to your slide on PowerPoint is one way you can grab your audience's attention. To add a GIF to your slide, you’ll need to download a GIF.

Once you download it, upload it into PowerPoint and use it on your slide. For more information about how to add a GIF to your slide on PowerPoint, read this article:

tips to perfect presentation

5. Can I Recover My Unsaved Presentation?

Another PowerPoint trick is to learn how to recover unsaved PowerPoint files so that you can be prepared in case of an emergency. If you want to learn more, read this tutorial:

tips to perfect presentation

Learn More About How to Make Presentable PowerPoints

These quick PowerPoint Presentation tips are some of my favorite ways to rapidly improve a presentation. Keeping them in mind while you build a presentation can help you build a deck that you'll be confident about presenting.

Check out these tutorials to keep learning more about PowerPoint. These tutorials will give you more ideas for fixing up your PowerPoint presentation slides efficiently:

tips to perfect presentation

Find More Templates

Didn't see a template you like? Here are some more:

tips to perfect presentation

Use These PPT Presentation Tips on Your Next Presentation

Now that you've studied some of our best PowerPoint tips, it's time to put them to use. Download one of our top-notch PowerPoint themes from Envato Elements to get started. These PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks give you confidence to make you a skilled presenter.

Editorial Note : This post was first published in February of 2019. Our staff updates this post regularly — adding new, exciting PowerPoint tips and templates (with special help from Brenda Barron , Andrew Childress and Sarah Joy ).

Andrew Childress

17 PowerPoint Presentation Tips From Pro Presenters [+ Templates]

Jamie Cartwright

Published: April 26, 2024

PowerPoint presentations can be professional, attractive, and really help your audience remember your message.

powerpoint tricks

If you don’t have much experience, that’s okay — I’m going to arm you with PowerPoint design tips from pro presenters, the steps you need to build an engaging deck, and templates to help you nail great slide design.

→ Free Download: 10 PowerPoint Presentation Templates [Access Now]

Download Now

Buckle up for a variety of step-by-step explanations as well as tips and tricks to help you start mastering this program. There are additional resources woven in, and you’ll find expert perspectives from other HubSpotters along the way.

Table of Contents

How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation

Powerpoint presentation tips.

Microsoft PowerPoint is like a test of basic professional skills, and each PowerPoint is basically a presentation made of multiple slides.

Successful PowerPoints depend on three main factors: your command of PowerPoint's design tools, your attention to presentation processes, and being consistent with your style.

Keep those in mind as we jump into PowerPoint's capabilities.

Getting Started

1. open powerpoint and click ‘new.’.

A page with templates will usually open automatically, but if not, go to the top left pane of your screen and click New . If you’ve already created a presentation, select Open and then double-click the icon to open the existing file.

tips to perfect presentation

10 Free PowerPoint Templates

Download ten free PowerPoint templates for a better presentation.

  • Creative templates.
  • Data-driven templates.
  • Professional templates.

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You're all set!

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Creating PowerPoint Slides

3. insert a slide..

Insert a new slide by clicking on the Home tab and then the New Slide button. Consider what content you want to put on the slide, including heading, text, and imagery.

tips to perfect presentation

  • Finally, PowerPoint Live is a new tool that enables you to do more seamless presentations during video calls and may be a better overall match for doing presentations remotely. Check out this video:

11. Try Using GIFs.

tips to perfect presentation

12 Free Customizable Resume Templates

Fill out this form to access your free professionally-designed templates, available on:

  • Microsoft Word
  • Google Docs
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Google Slides

15. Embed multimedia.

PowerPoint allows you to either link to video/audio files externally or to embed the media directly in your presentation. For PCs, two great reasons for embedding are:

  • Embedding allows you to play media directly in your presentation. It will look much more professional than switching between windows.
  • Embedding also means that the file stays within the PowerPoint presentation, so it should play normally without extra work (except on a Mac).

If you use PowerPoint for Mac it gets a bit complicated, but it can be done:

  • Always bring the video and/or audio file with you in the same folder as the PowerPoint presentation.
  • Only insert video or audio files once the presentation and the containing folder have been saved on a portable drive in their permanent folder.
  • If the presentation will be played on a Windows computer, then Mac users need to make sure their multimedia files are in WMV format.
  • Consider using the same operating system for designing and presenting, no matter what.

16. Bring your own hardware.

Between operating systems, PowerPoint is still a bit jumpy. Even between differing PPT versions, things can change. The easiest fix? Just bring along your own laptop when you're presenting.

The next easiest fix is to upload your PowerPoint presentation into Google Slides as a backup option — just make sure there is a good internet connection and a browser available where you plan to present.

Google Slides is a cloud-based presentation software that will show up the same way on all operating systems.

To import your PowerPoint presentation into Google Slides:

  • Navigate to slides.google.com . Make sure you’re signed in to a Google account (preferably your own).
  • Under Start a new presentation , click the empty box with a plus sign. This will open up a blank presentation.
  • Go to File , then Import slides .
  • A dialog box will come up. Tap Upload.
  • Click Select a file from your device .
  • Select your presentation and click Open .
  • Select the slides you’d like to import. If you want to import all of them, click All in the upper right-hand corner of the dialog box.
  • Click Import slides.

When I tested this out, Google Slides imported everything perfectly, including a shape whose points I had manipulated. This is a good backup option to have if you’ll be presenting across different operating systems.

17. Use Presenter View.

In most presentation situations, there will be both a presenter’s screen and the main projected display for your presentation.

PowerPoint has a great tool called Presenter View, which can be found in the Slide Show tab of PowerPoint. Included in the Presenter View is an area for notes, a timer/clock, and a presentation display.

For many presenters, this tool can help unify their spoken presentation and their visual aid. You never want to make the PowerPoint seem like a stack of notes that you’re reading off of.

Use the Presenter View option to help create a more natural presentation.

Pro Tip: At the start of the presentation, you should also hit CTRL + H to make the cursor disappear. Hitting the “A” key will bring it back if you need it.

Your Next Great PowerPoint Presentation Starts Here

Now that you have these style, design, and presentation tips under your belt, you should feel confident to create your PowerPoint presentation.

But if you can explore other resources to make sure your content hits the mark. After all, you need a strong presentation to land your point and make an impression.

With several templates to choose from — both in PowerPoint and available for free download — you can swiftly be on your way to creating presentations that wow your audiences.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in September 2013 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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14 effective presentation tips to impress your audience

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

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Anete Ezera July 15, 2022

An effective presentation can communicate key ideas and opinions, save time, and contribute to your overall success as a business, but good presentation skills don’t come naturally to everyone. In this blog post, you’ll find 14 effective presentation tips you can implement in your next presentation to make it a success. 

Whether you’re preparing for an important presentation at work or school, or you’re looking for ways to generally improve your presentation skills, you’ll find these presentation tips useful. We’ve gathered a list to help you impress your audience from the get-go. You’ll find tips for creating and presenting your slides, talking in front of an audience, and other effective presentation techniques to help you stand out. 

Confident businessman talking into microphone during seminar. Happy male professional is giving presentation to colleagues. He is wearing smart casuals.

Most common presentation mistakes

Before we list our top effective presentation tips, let’s explore the most common presentation mistakes. If you’ve made one or more mistakes in this list, you’re not alone. Most people have made at least one mistake. However, what’s important is to be aware of these errors and try avoiding them next time.

#1 A poor start

One of the most common mistakes people make is undermining the importance of the first few minutes or seconds of their presentation. 

Let’s say you’ve practiced your key talking points meticulously and gone over your slides a million times, but when you’re in the spotlight and need to say your first line, do you know exactly what to say to wow the audience? 

The start of your presentation is crucial. Not only because how you start sets the tone for the rest of your presentation, but also because people generally require around 8 seconds to decide whether they find the subject interesting enough to keep listening. Starting your presentation with a captivating intro is even more important than you think. To ensure you start off right, read our guide on how to start your presentation . 

#2 Lack of preparation

Yes, even though it’s clear that you should prepare before giving a presentation, it’s still a common mistake amongst presenters. Preparing content and talking points is an obvious start, but there are other steps that you might be overlooking.

Before you even join a meeting or walk into a room where you’re going to present, consider the technical requirements and get familiar with the equipment. If you’re presenting online, make sure to test-run your presentation and the visual aids you’re going to use. The last thing you want is a broken video link, poor audio, or a weak connection when you’re presenting. 

Also, consider the questions your audience might want to ask you about the topic. Think about how you’d answer those questions, or do even further research to really impress the audience with your answers. 

Explore other ways to prepare for a presentation to feel even more confident when presenting.

effective presentation tips

#3 Losing track of time

It’s great to feel passionate about your topic. However, you’ll have to consider your audience’s level of interest and knowledge. Some details might seem fascinating to you, and you’d like to talk about them for hours, but for your audience, too much information will drain their energy and lose their attention. 

Therefore, make sure to keep track of time. Also, consider your audience’s interests. A concise presentation is always better than a long one with a ton of information. Plus, you’ll have a higher chance of keeping your audience’s attention throughout the presentation. 

Effective presentation tips

Now that we’ve looked at some of the most common presentation mistakes – let’s dive into effective presentation tips that’ll help you excel in future presentations. 

#1 Tell a story

Stories connect, inspire, and empower people. Telling a story can entice action, help understand an idea, and make people feel connected to the storyteller. It’s also one of the most effective presentation tips. A study by organizational psychologist Peg Neuhauser found that a well-told story is easier to remember than facts, which makes it a highly effective learning technique. 

With that in mind, telling a story when you’re presenting can engage your audience and make it a more memorable experience. You can either share a personal story or a historical event, just make sure to have a clear connection between the story and the topic you’re presenting. 

effective presentation in a company

#2 Work on your body language

Body language can make a huge difference in how your presentation is perceived. It’s one of the presentation tips you definitely shouldn’t overlook. 

Body language says a lot about a person’s confidence level, emotions, state of mind, and even credibility. For the audience, it’s a way to understand what the person is saying and how interested they are in the topic. 

Therefore, work on your body language to better convey the message you’re trying to communicate. Practice in front of a mirror before your presentation and be conscious of your hand gestures and facial expressions. 

#3 Understand your audience

Before crafting your presentation, you must know who you’re speaking to. Understanding the interests, demographics, professional background, and other valuable information of your audience is crucial in making your speech successful. 

Back view of large group of business peoplein a board room. Someone is presenting in front.

If you’re speaking at an event, contact the organizers to get more information about other speakers and the audience. If you’re presenting at work, you may already know your audience fairly well. Use this information to your advantage and create content you know they’ll resonate with.

#4 Use high-quality visuals

What’s one of the most effective presentation techniques? Use of visuals. They play a crucial role in your presentation. However, only high-quality visuals will make a good impression and effectively communicate your message. Use high-quality visuals like images, videos, graphs, maps, and others to really land your point. 

Using visuals is a great way to convey your ideas as they’re easier to process than text. If you’re not sure where to find great visuals, check out our blog post on presentation visuals for five free resources.

P.S. the Prezi library holds a variety of images, videos, GIFs, stickers, and other visuals, including different charts and maps to spice up your presentation. It’s all available in your dashboard .

#5 Use data visualizations

Do you want to showcase statistics or other datasets in your presentation? Use data visualizations to make your data stand out and impress your audience. 

There’s nothing more boring than a bunch of data presented in a flat way. If you want to tell a story with your data, use interactive infographics or slides enriched with eye-catching visuals. Showcasing data will make your ideas appear more trustworthy and credible. 

Prezi Design offers a range of templates to choose from. You can start creating data visualizations from scratch or choose a template and edit the data there. 

#6 Make it engaging with interactive elements

It’s not easy to deliver an engaging presentation. People can easily get distracted or try to multitask, especially in the virtual environment. Sometimes, it’s difficult to focus on the speaker and the written text. Other times, the content just isn’t impressive enough to hold the audience’s attention. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

You can make your presentation more engaging for everyone by including interactive content like graphs and charts. With interactive data visualizations, you’ll make the data discovery process more engaging and exciting for your audience. 

Your audience will be able to hover over data points and click on certain icons or datasets to discover information on their own. Interactive visualizations will make the presentation more memorable and impressive. 

As you can see in the example below, you can discover different data by engaging with the infographic. 

#7 Stay consistent with fonts and color styles

You want your presentation to look visually appealing and highlight essential information. To make that happen, stay consistent with font styles and color schemes throughout your presentation. 

Use one or two fonts max to make the text easy to read and understand. Also, use a carefully selected color scheme that’s not too distracting. If you’re using Prezi Design, you can easily copy and paste styles by right-clicking on your data visualizations and selecting “copy styles.” This makes it easier to stay consistent and saves time when picking matching colors. 

#8 Structure your presentation properly

Before creating your presentation, think about its structure. What’s the main idea you want to convey? Use that as your starting point, and only include information that adds value to the narrative. 

Plan out the first topics carefully to properly introduce your argument. Add the essential information in the middle part of your presentation. Lastly, close your presentation with a summary of the main points and leave your audience with an afterthought. Also, plan when you’re taking questions and for how long. 

For more insight, watch this tutorial on how to structure your presentation:

#9 Practice your public speaking skills

Public speaking may not be your forte, but you can get better with practice. Don’t decline a great opportunity to share your ideas with a larger audience just because you feel nervous speaking in front of a group of people. 

One of the best ways to improve your public speaking skills is to practice in front of your family or friends – people you feel comfortable with. Also, focus on the topic you’re presenting and get excited about the idea you want to convey. This way you’ll appear more confident and feel less nervous about public speaking. 

Explore other public speaking tips from Jessica Chen, the founder, and CEO of Soulcast Media: 

#10 Show your slides next to you on-screen

If you’re presenting on Zoom or in a virtual meeting , think twice before you share your screen. The days of hiding behind slides are over. People want to see and connect with other people, not sit through another run-of-the-mill screen share. To do that, use Prezi Video to showcase all your content right next to you in your video feed. 

As a result, your presentation will look more engaging than a traditional virtual presentation . Also, your audience will have the chance to read your body language and follow along with what you’re saying even better. 

If you already have your slides prepared, don’t worry – you can easily integrate them into Prezi. 

See Prezi Video in action and check out our video templates to get started.

#11 Calm down before presenting

Being in front of an audience can feel nerve-racking. However, there are ways to calm down before presenting that will make you feel more centered and confident. The last thing you want is all your hard work to go to waste just because of stress. 

Try breathing exercises or a five-minute guided meditation before presenting. The trick is to remove all distractions and focus on the present moment so you’re not overthinking right before starting your presentation. Also, be fully prepared and know exactly what to say and when which will help you feel more collected. If you want to discover other ways to feel and look more confident, read how not to be nervous before a presentation . 

#12 Use transitions and animations 

Add movement to your slides with transitions and animations. You’ll make your presentation more visually appealing and engaging. However, be careful not to overwhelm your audience with your choice of transitions and animations. 

Choose a transition that matches your presentation visually and use it throughout your presentation. Consider what animations will be relevant to your audience and select a few to add to your slides. Don’t overdo it. Keep the focus on the message you’re trying to convey, and use animations to only support that message. 

#13 Be enthusiastic 

When you’re in a room with a positive and enthusiastic person, you can’t help but feel uplifted as well. High-energy people have this effect on others. Most importantly, a lot of people tend to mimic people’s behavior and mirror their energy when they feel a connection or relate to them. That’s called the chameleon effect . 

effective presentation tips

When you’re presenting, you want your audience to feel curious about what you’re presenting. You may also want to leave your audience feeling uplifted, interested to know more, or inspired. To have that effect on others, try to convey those emotions when presenting. Practice your speech, slow down your narration at times, or take a pause after you’ve delivered a statement, and use different presentation techniques to present your project and really drive your points home. 

#14 End your presentation in a memorable way

The first few minutes of your presentation are crucial for captivating your audience’s attention. However, don’t underestimate the importance of ending your presentation as powerfully as you started it. 

The way you end your presentation will play a crucial part in how your audience will remember it. You want to make a memorable impression by closing your presentation with a summarizing statement, a rhetorical question, a call to action, or another impactful way. Discover 10 ways you can end your presentation in our guide.  

Young woman sharing her views with team in office meeting.

There are a lot of factors to consider when creating and delivering a presentation. You want your slides to look professional and visually appealing while conveying your main points. You also want to look and sound confident even if you’re nervous about public speaking. Whatever your concerns may be, remember that preparation is essential. Practice and dedication are the keys to giving a successful presentation . Make sure to follow these effective presentation tips to excel in your future presentations. If you’re interested in creating a captivating presentation with Prezi, contact us to learn more or try it for free . 

Elevating presentations with Prezi AI

Embrace the innovation of Prezi to bring your presentations to life. With its unique platform, Prezi AI offers more than just visually appealing templates; it provides an immersive narrative experience, engaging your audience with a story-driven approach. By integrating Prezi AI , our platform’s capabilities are further enhanced, offering intelligent design suggestions and optimizing content layouts to ensure your presentations are not only beautiful but impactful. This integration is a perfect example of effective presentation techniques in action, using technology to create a more engaging presentation.

Interactive elements: transforming passive listening into active engagement

Prezi revolutionizes the way information is presented by incorporating interactive elements that invite audience participation. With Prezi AI, these features become even more accessible, suggesting ways to make your presentation more engaging through clickable areas, zoomable images, and dynamic visualizations. This level of interaction encourages exploration, making your message more memorable and transforming a standard presentation into an effective presentation.

Adding a personal touch in digital presentation with video

Prezi Video stands out by seamlessly integrating your content alongside your video feed, bridging the gap between traditional presentations and personal engagement. This feature is crucial for those looking to follow presentation tips that emphasize the importance of connecting with your audience on a more personal level. Prezi AI enhances this experience, ensuring your content is displayed in the most effective way possible, making your virtual presentations feel as though you’re directly conversing with your audience.

Mastering presentation artistry with Prezi

The journey to becoming a skilled presenter involves continuously refining your approach and embracing tools that elevate your ability to communicate effectively. Prezi, enriched with Prezi AI, is one such tool that transforms ordinary presentations into captivating experiences. By leveraging these advanced features, you can deliver presentations that are successful, memorable, and truly unforgettable, embodying the essence of tips for presentation mastery.

Whether you’re an experienced speaker or preparing for your first presentation, Prezi equips you with the tools to succeed. Engage your audience, tell compelling stories, and deliver your message with confidence and creativity. Following effective presentation tips and exploring how Prezi AI can transform your next presentation is a step towards mastering the art of impactful communication. Delve into the features and begin your journey to presentation mastery today.

tips to perfect presentation

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Do You Have What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation?

  • Michael Foley

tips to perfect presentation

Three skills anyone can learn.

Great presentations are all about how well you engage your audience. Here are three ways to do that:

  • Be balanced: Strike the right balance between structure and improvisation during your presentation. Rather than preparing your content in a narrative form, take the time to segment it by topic. Leave room to respond to your audience’s immediate needs, even if that means going off script for a while.
  • Be generous: You goal should be to offer your audience something of value. Let this  principle guide the content you choose to present.
  • Be human: Rehearse to familiarize yourself with your content, but do not memorize it. If you go blank for a moment, don’t apologize and act flustered, just pause, take a breath, collect your thoughts and continue on. Your audience wants you to be relatable.

Have you ever seen a really great presentation? Honestly, they’re pretty rare.

tips to perfect presentation

  • Michael Foley is an educator and coach, and founder of Clarity Centra l, a communications training and consulting firm based in Chicago. He is also an adjunct lecturer of leadership at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Partner Center

A public-speaking expert shares 8 tips to perfect — and even enjoy — your next work presentation

  • Nick Gold is managing director of Speakers Corner, a UK agency representing public speakers.
  • He said work presentations should focus on two or three key points and keep slides under 10 words.
  • Gold shared eight strategies to help you deliver an engaging speech and calm nerves.

Insider Today

Presenting at work can be daunting , whether it's to a screen of faceless avatars or a crowded room.

Nick Gold, the managing director of Speakers Corner, a UK agency for public speakers, shared eight tips for nailing — and even enjoying — your next work presentation so that you keep nerves at bay and colleagues, clients, or investors engaged.

1. Practice your presentation beforehand — but don't memorize

Gold cautioned against learning a presentation by rote. He suggested thinking about a presentation as several stories, each with a point, to allow yourself flexibility while speaking.

"It's about understanding your content and the stories you're telling," he said. "How you deliver those stories might change word-by-word each time, but the underlying stuff doesn't change."

When you're in a meeting room with 15 people in front of you, pretend you're in a coffee shop telling them about the topic, he advised. "By doing that, they'll relax into it and you'll relax into it," he said.

2. Put your own spin on what you're saying

When you're told by your manager or another colleague you have to speak, it can be hard to make it engaging for the audience, Gold said.

The starting point is putting your own spin on it. That will help with nerves, too, he said.

"Don't be fearful about taking it in a direction where you feel comfortable with the subject matter," Gold said.

He suggested starting by telling a story or anecdote for two minutes to help calm nerves and put the audience at ease.

"When you get to the trickier parts and the parts you're slightly nervous about, where you're not as eloquent or you show your nerves, they're already on a journey with you," he said.

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"They're going to give you the benefit of the doubt." 

3. Avoid information overload

When giving a presentation, you might get imposter syndrome and feel you have to "validate" your expertise by trying to prove how much you know about a subject, said Gold.

The result, Gold said, is that "people are bombarded with information and therefore they take in much less, and you're not getting the key points you want across."

Choosing two or three points to get across to an audience can ensure they take away critical information.

"There's no harm in giving a presentation with less data, and then following up with a handout," Gold added.

4. Keep each slide to 10 words at most

If you rely too much on PowerPoint slides , the audience will focus on reading them and likely zone out, Gold said. He suggested keeping them to seven to 10 words, so that they remain a prompt and not something that distracts the audience.

"You want it to be something that gives them a visual trigger to remember what you said after the presentation rather than being the actual presentation itself," Gold said.

5. Know who's in the audience, but remember this can change

Whether you're talking to senior management or your closest coworkers, you need to tailor your presentation to who's in the room, from different personalities to different demographics, said Gold.

Even if you're told exactly who's going to be there, you should be prepared for last-minute changes, he warned.

"You might know everyone who's going to be in the room, but you have no understanding of what's happened to them that day," he said.

6. Remember the audience is on your side

The audience is actually "desperate" for you to perform well, Gold added.

"The only people who want you to succeed more than yourself are the other people in the room — because they're stuck in that room. All they want, for the 20 or 40 minutes that you are standing up there, is to enjoy themselves," Gold said.

When a speaker goes onstage and tells a joke or a story, you can see the audience visibly relax, he said.

7. It's okay to not know the answer to questions

Set out at the start whether you will take questions from the audience throughout a presentation or at the end, Gold advised.

He suggested that, if you don't know an answer, tell them that it's a great question but you don't want to answer off the cuff. Ask them if you can get back to them with more information the next day, he added.

8. Virtual presentations should be more conversational

"You don't get the energy you get from a person onstage," Gold said of presenting virtually .

No one should speak on-screen for more than seven minutes without interacting with the audience, such as by asking questions or having discussions in virtual breakout rooms, he said, as audiences need more stimulation if they're watching remotely.

"One of the things that came out of virtual presentations is an understanding that the conversation is more important than the presentation itself. Embrace it," Gold added.

tips to perfect presentation

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How to Make a Beautiful PowerPoint Presentation: A Simple Guide

How to Make a Beautiful PowerPoint Presentation: A Simple Guide

Ready to craft a beautiful and attention-grabbing powerpoint presentation we’ll walk you through slideshow design tips, show you some tricks to maximize your powerpoint skills, and give you everything you need to look really good next time you’re up in front of a crowd..

In this post, we’ll cover:

Key Elements of Winning PowerPoints

Illustrative, not generic, supportive, not distracting, inspiring and engaging, other considerations when creating a slideshow.

How many times have you sat through a poorly designed business presentation that was dull, cluttered, and distracting? Probably way too many. Even though we all loathe a boring presentation, when it comes time to make our own, do we really do any better?

The good news is you don’t have to be a professional designer to make professional presentations. We’ve put together a few simple guidelines you can follow to create a beautifully assembled deck.

We’ll walk you through some slide design tips, show you tricks to maximize your PowerPoint skills, and give you everything you need to look really good next time you’re up in front of a crowd.

And, while PowerPoint remains one of the biggest names in presentation software, many of these design elements and principles work in Google Slides, as well.

Let’s dive right in.

1. Use Layout to Your Advantage

Layout is one of the most powerful visual elements in design, and it’s a simple, effective way to control the flow and visual hierarchy of information. It’s also one of the most important elements to consider when thinking about how to make your PowerPoint look better.

For example, most Western languages read left to right, top to bottom. Knowing this natural reading order, you can direct people’s eyes in a deliberate way to certain key parts of a slide that you want to emphasize.

You can also guide your audience with simple tweaks to the layout. Use text size and alternating fonts or colors to distinguish headlines from body text.

Placement also matters. There are many unorthodox ways to structure a slide, but most audience members will have to take a few beats to organize the information in their head—that’s precious time better spent listening to your delivery and retaining information.

Try to structure your slides more like this:

Presentation slide with headline template and beach images on the right

And not like this:

Presentation slide with headline template and beach images on the left

Layout is one of the trickier PowerPoint design concepts to master, which is why we have these free PowerPoint templates already laid out for you. Use them as a jumping off point for your own presentation, or use them wholesale!

Presentation templates can give you a huge leg up as you start working on your design.

2. No Sentences

This is one of the most critical slide design tips. Slides are simplified, visual notecards that capture and reinforce main ideas, not complete thoughts.

As the speaker, you should be delivering most of the content and information, not putting it all on the slides for everyone to read (and probably ignore). If your audience is reading your presentation instead of listening to you deliver it, your message has lost its effectiveness.

Pare down your core message and use keywords to convey it. Try to avoid complete sentences unless you’re quoting someone or something.

Stick with this:

Presentation template with bullet points

And avoid this:

Presentation template with paragraphs

3. Follow the 6×6 Rule

One of the cardinal sins of a bad PowerPoint is cramming too many details and ideas on one slide, which makes it difficult for people to retain information. Leaving lots of “white space” on a slide helps people focus on your key points.

Try using the 6×6 rule to keep your content concise and clean looking. The 6×6 rule means a maximum of six bullet points per slide and six words per bullet. In fact, some people even say you should never have more than six words per slide!

Just watch out for “orphans” (when the last word of a sentence/phrase spills over to the next line). This looks cluttered. Either fit it onto one line or add another word to the second line.

Red presentation slide with white text stating less is more

Slides should never have this much information:

Presentation slide with paragraphs and images

4. Keep the Colors Simple

Stick to simple light and dark colors and a defined color palette for visual consistency. Exceptionally bright text can cause eye fatigue, so use those colors sparingly. Dark text on a light background or light text on a dark background will work well. Also avoid intense gradients, which can make text hard to read.

If you’re presenting on behalf of your brand, check what your company’s brand guidelines are. Companies often have a primary brand color and a secondary brand color , and it’s a good idea to use them in your presentation to align with your company’s brand identity and style.

If you’re looking for color inspiration for your next presentation, check out our 101 Color Combinations , where you can browse tons of eye-catching color palettes curated by a pro. When you find the one you like, just type the corresponding color code into your presentation formatting tools.

Here are more of our favorite free color palettes for presentations:

  • 10 Color Palettes to Nail Your Next Presentation
  • 10 Energizing Sports Color Palettes for Branding and Marketing
  • 10 Vintage Color Palettes Inspired by the Decades

No matter what color palette or combination you choose, you want to keep the colors of your PowerPoint presentation simple and easy to read, like this:

Red presentation slide with white text stating keep the colors simple

Stay away from color combinations like this:

Gray presentation slide with black and neon green text examples

5. Use Sans-Serif Fonts

Traditionally, serif fonts (Times New Roman, Garamond, Bookman) are best for printed pages, and sans-serif fonts (Helvetica, Tahoma, Verdana) are easier to read on screens.

These are always safe choices, but if you’d like to add some more typographic personality , try exploring our roundup of the internet’s best free fonts . You’ll find everything from classic serifs and sans serifs to sophisticated modern fonts and splashy display fonts. Just keep legibility top of mind when you’re making your pick.

Try to stick with one font, or choose two at the most. Fonts have very different personalities and emotional impacts, so make sure your font matches the tone, purpose, and content of your presentation.

Presentation slide with various examples of fonts

6. Stick to 30pt Font or Larger

Many experts agree that your font size for a PowerPoint presentation should be at least 30pt. Sticking to this guideline ensures your text is readable. It also forces you, due to space limitations, to explain your message efficiently and include only the most important points. .

Red presentation slide with 30 point white text

7. Avoid Overstyling the Text

Three of the easiest and most effective ways to draw attention to text are:

  • A change in color

Our eyes are naturally drawn to things that stand out, but use these changes sparingly. Overstyling can make the slide look busy and distracting.

White presentation slide with black text and aerial view of a pool

8. Choose the Right Images

The images you choose for your presentation are perhaps as important as the message. You want images that not only support the message, but also elevate it—a rare accomplishment in the often dry world of PowerPoint.

But, what is the right image? We’ll be honest. There’s no direct answer to this conceptual, almost mystical subject, but we can break down some strategies for approaching image selection that will help you curate your next presentation.

The ideal presentation images are:

  • Inspirational

Ground view of palm trees and airplane flying over

These may seem like vague qualities, but the general idea is to go beyond the literal. Think about the symbols in an image and the story they tell. Think about the colors and composition in an image and the distinct mood they set for your presentation.

With this approach, you can get creative in your hunt for relatable, authentic, and inspirational images. Here are some more handy guidelines for choosing great images.

Tips on Making Beautiful PowerPoint Presentations

So, the slide in question is about collaborating as a team. Naturally, you look for images of people meeting in a boardroom, right?

While it’s perfectly fine to go super literal, sometimes these images fall flat—what’s literal doesn’t necessarily connect to your audience emotionally. Will they really respond to generic images of people who aren’t them meeting in a boardroom?

In the absence of a photo of your actual team—or any other image that directly illustrates the subject at hand—look for images of convincing realism and humanity that capture the idea of your message.

Doing so connects with viewers, allowing them to connect with your message. This is one way to learn how to make your PowerPoint stand out and ensure a dynamic presentation PowerPoint.

Silhouettes of five men standing on a bridge on a foggy day

The image above can be interpreted in many ways. But, when we apply it to slide layout ideas about collaboration, the meaning is clear.

It doesn’t hurt that there’s a nice setting and good photography, to boot.

Now that we’ve told you to get creative with your image selection, the next lesson is to rein that in. While there are infinite choices of imagery out there, there’s a limit to what makes sense in your presentation.

Let’s say you’re giving an IT presentation to new employees. You might think that image of two dogs snuggling by a fire is relatable, authentic, and inspirational, but does it really say “data management” to your audience?

To find the best supporting images, try searching terms on the periphery of your actual message. You’ll find images that complement your message rather than distract from it.

In the IT presentation example, instead of “data connections” or another literal term, try the closely related “traffic” or “connectivity.” This will bring up images outside of tech, but relative to the idea of how things move.

Aerial view of a busy highway

There’s a widespread misconception that business presentations are just about delivering information. Well, they’re not. In fact, a great presentation is inspirational. We don’t mean that your audience should be itching to paint a masterpiece when they’re done. In this case, inspiration is about engagement.

Is your audience asking themselves questions? Are they coming up with new ideas? Are they remembering key information to tap into later? You’ll drive a lot of this engagement with your actual delivery, but unexpected images can play a role, as well.

When you use more abstract or aspirational images, your audience will have room to make their own connections. This not only means they’re paying attention, but they’re also engaging with and retaining your message.

To find the right abstract or unconventional imagery, search terms related to the tone of the presentation. This may include images with different perspectives like overhead shots and aerials, long exposures taken over a period of time, nature photos , colorful markets , and so on.

Amsterdam canal at sunset

The big idea here is akin to including an image of your adorable dog making a goofy face at the end of an earnings meeting. It leaves an audience with a good, human feeling after you just packed their brains with data.

Use that concept of pleasant surprise when you’re selecting images for your presentation.

Silly Great Dane looking down trying to catch yellow ball on hind legs

Setting Appropriate Image Resolution in PowerPoint

Want to learn how to make a PowerPoint look good? Though you can drag-and-drop images into PowerPoint, you can control the resolution displayed within the file.

All of your PowerPoint slide layout ideas should get the same treatment to be equal in size.

Simply click File > Compress Pictures in the main application menu.

Screenshot of how to compress a picture

If your presentation file is big and will only be viewed online, you can take it down to On-screen , then check the Apply to: All pictures in this file , and rest assured the quality will be uniform.

Screenshot of how to compress an image

This resolution is probably fine for proofing over email, but too low for your presentation layout ideas. For higher res in printed form, try the Print setting, which at 220 PPI is extremely good quality.

For large-screens such as projection, use the HD setting, since enlarging to that scale will show any deficiencies in resolution. Low resolution can not only distract from the message, but it looks low-quality and that reflects on the presenter.

If size is no issue for you, use High Fidelity (maximum PPI), and only reduce if the file size gives your computer problems.

Screenshot of compression options for your image

The image quality really begins when you add the images to the presentation file. Use the highest quality images you can, then let PowerPoint scale the resolution down for you, reducing the excess when set to HD or lower.

Resizing, Editing, and Adding Effects to Images in PowerPoint

PowerPoint comes with an arsenal of tools to work with your images. When a picture is selected, the confusingly named Picture Format menu is activated in the top menu bar, and Format Picture is opened on the right side of the app window.

Editing a PowerPoint slide with an image of a businessman walking up stairs

In the Format Picture menu (on the right) are four sections, and each of these sections expand to show their options by clicking the arrows by the name:

  • Fill & Line (paint bucket icon): Contains options for the box’s colors, patterns, gradients, and background fills, along with options for its outline.
  • Effects (pentagon icon): Contains Shadow, Reflection, Glow, Soft Edges, 3-D Format and Rotation, and Artistic Effects.
  • Size & Properties (dimensional icon): Size, Position, and Text Box allow you to control the physical size and placement of the picture or text boxes.
  • Picture (mountain icon): Picture Corrections, Colors, and Transparency give you control over how the image looks. Under Crop, you can change the size of the box containing the picture, instead of the entire picture itself as in Size & Properties above.

The menu at the top is more expansive, containing menu presets for Corrections, Color, Effects, Animation, and a lot more. This section is where you can crop more precisely than just choosing the dimensions from the Picture pane on the right.

Cropping Images in PowerPoint

The simple way to crop an image is to use the Picture pane under the Format Picture menu on the right side of the window. Use the Picture Position controls to move the picture inside its box, or use the Crop position controls to manipulate the box’s dimensions.

Screenshot of picture format options

To exert more advanced control, or use special shapes, select the picture you want to crop, then click the Picture Format in the top menu to activate it.

Screenshot of how to crop an image

Hit the Crop button, then use the controls on the picture’s box to size by eye. Or, click the arrow to show more options, including changing the shape of the box (for more creative looks) and using preset aspect ratios for a more uniform presentation of images.

Screenshot of how to change the shape of an image

The next time you design a PowerPoint presentation, remember that simplicity is key and less is more. By adopting these simple slide design tips, you’ll deliver a clear, powerful visual message to your audience.

If you want to go with a PowerPoint alternative instead, you can use Shutterstock Create to easily craft convincing, engaging, and informative presentations.

With many presentation template designs, you’ll be sure to find something that is a perfect fit for your next corporate presentation. You can download your designs as a .pdf file and import them into both PowerPoint and Google Slides presentation decks.

PowerPoint Presentations FAQs

What is the 5 5 5 rule in powerpoint.

The 5 5 5 rule in PowerPoint is fairly simple: 5 lines per slide, each line with no more than 5 words, and make sure your presentation is no longer than 5 minutes.

How long should your PowerPoint be?

A PowerPoint can be as long as it needs to be, but some people—and the 5 5 5 rule—advise you to keep five minutes or shorter.

What is the easiest way to make a PowerPoint prettier?

Beyond using eye-catching imagery and colors, a pretty PowerPoint should also follow good design principles. You want the information to be organized, balanced, and easy to digest. It doesn’t matter how many appealing images you include are if the information is hard to internalize. Use appropriate fonts and shorts sentences to make sure the words are legible and don’t crowd the slides with too many elements.

License this cover image via F8 studio and Ryan DeBerardinis .

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Table of contents, start with a goal, less is more, consider your typeface, make bullet points count, limit the use of transitions, skip text where possible, think in color, take a look from the top down, bonus: start with templates.

Slideshows are an intuitive way to share complex ideas with an audience, although they're dull and frustrating when poorly executed. Here are some tips to make your Microsoft PowerPoint presentations sing while avoiding common pitfalls.

define a goal

It all starts with identifying what we're trying to achieve with the presentation. Is it informative, a showcase of data in an easy-to-understand medium? Or is it more of a pitch, something meant to persuade and convince an audience and lead them to a particular outcome?

It's here where the majority of these presentations go wrong with the inability to identify the talking points that best support our goal. Always start with a goal in mind: to entertain, to inform, or to share data in a way that's easy to understand. Use facts, figures, and images to support your conclusion while keeping structure in mind (Where are we now and where are we going?).

I've found that it's helpful to start with the ending. Once I know how to end a presentation, I know how best to get to that point. I start by identifying the takeaway---that one nugget that I want to implant before thanking everyone for their time---and I work in reverse to figure out how best to get there.

Your mileage, of course, may vary. But it's always going to be a good idea to put in the time in the beginning stages so that you aren't reworking large portions of the presentation later. And that starts with a defined goal.

avoid walls of text

A slideshow isn't supposed to include everything. It's an introduction to a topic, one that we can elaborate on with speech. Anything unnecessary is a distraction. It makes the presentation less visually appealing and less interesting, and it makes you look bad as a presenter.

This goes for text as well as images. There's nothing worse, in fact, than a series of slides where the presenter just reads them as they appear. Your audience is capable of reading, and chances are they'll be done with the slide, and browsing Reddit, long before you finish. Avoid putting the literal text on the screen, and your audience will thank you.

Related: How to Burn Your PowerPoint to DVD

use better fonts

Right off the bat, we're just going to come out and say that Papyrus and Comic Sans should be banned from all PowerPoint presentations, permanently. Beyond that, it's worth considering the typeface you're using and what it's saying about you, the presenter, and the presentation itself.

Consider choosing readability over aesthetics, and avoid fancy fonts that could prove to be more of a distraction than anything else. A good presentation needs two fonts: a serif and sans-serif. Use one for the headlines and one for body text, lists, and the like. Keep it simple. Veranda, Helvetica, Arial, and even Times New Roman are safe choices. Stick with the classics and it's hard to botch this one too badly.

use fewer bullets

There reaches a point where bullet points become less of a visual aid and more of a visual examination.

Bullet points should support the speaker, not overwhelm his audience. The best slides have little or no text at all, in fact. As a presenter, it's our job to talk through complex issues, but that doesn't mean that we need to highlight every talking point.

Instead, think about how you can break up large lists into three or four bullet points. Carefully consider whether you need to use more bullet points, or if you can combine multiple topics into a single point instead. And if you can't, remember that there's no one limiting the number of slides you can have in a presentation. It's always possible to break a list of 12 points down into three pages of four points each.

avoid transitions

Animation, when used correctly, is a good idea. It breaks up slow-moving parts of a presentation and adds action to elements that require it. But it should be used judiciously.

Adding a transition that wipes left to right between every slide or that animates each bullet point in a list, for example, starts to grow taxing on those forced to endure the presentation. Viewers get bored quickly, and animations that are meant to highlight specific elements quickly become taxing.

That's not to say that you can't use animations and transitions, just that you need to pick your spots. Aim for no more than a handful of these transitions for each presentation. And use them in spots where they'll add to the demonstration, not detract from it.

use visuals

Sometimes images tell a better story than text can. And as a presenter, your goal is to describe points in detail without making users do a lot of reading. In these cases, a well-designed visual, like a chart, might better convey the information you're trying to share.

The right image adds visual appeal and serves to break up longer, text-heavy sections of the presentation---but only if you're using the right images. A single high-quality image can make all the difference between a success and a dud when you're driving a specific point home.

When considering text, don't think solely in terms of bullet points and paragraphs. Tables, for example, are often unnecessary. Ask yourself whether you could present the same data in a bar or line chart instead.

find a color palette

Color is interesting. It evokes certain feelings and adds visual appeal to your presentation as a whole. Studies show that color also improves interest, comprehension, and retention. It should be a careful consideration, not an afterthought.

You don't have to be a graphic designer to use color well in a presentation. What I do is look for palettes I like, and then find ways to use them in the presentation. There are a number of tools for this, like Adobe Color , Coolors , and ColorHunt , just to name a few. After finding a palette you enjoy, consider how it works with the presentation you're about to give. Pastels, for example, evoke feelings of freedom and light, so they probably aren't the best choice when you're presenting quarterly earnings that missed the mark.

It's also worth mentioning that you don't need to use every color in the palette. Often, you can get by with just two or three, though you should really think through how they all work together and how readable they'll be when layered. A simple rule of thumb here is that contrast is your friend. Dark colors work well on light backgrounds, and light colors work best on dark backgrounds.

change views

Spend some time in the Slide Sorter before you finish your presentation. By clicking the four squares at the bottom left of the presentation, you can take a look at multiple slides at once and consider how each works together. Alternatively, you can click "View" on the ribbon and select "Slide Sorter."

Are you presenting too much text at once? Move an image in. Could a series of slides benefit from a chart or summary before you move on to another point?

It's here that we have the opportunity to view the presentation from beyond the single-slide viewpoint and think in terms of how each slide fits, or if it fits at all. From this view, you can rearrange slides, add additional ones, or delete them entirely if you find that they don't advance the presentation.

The difference between a good presentation and a bad one is really all about preparation and execution. Those that respect the process and plan carefully---not only the presentation as a whole, but each slide within it---are the ones who will succeed.

This brings me to my last (half) point: When in doubt, just buy a template and use it. You can find these all over the web, though Creative Market and GraphicRiver are probably the two most popular marketplaces for this kind of thing. Not all of us are blessed with the skills needed to design and deliver an effective presentation. And while a pre-made PowerPoint template isn't going to make you a better presenter, it will ease the anxiety of creating a visually appealing slide deck.

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Guide to the Perfect Sales Kickoff Meeting (Agenda Included)

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  • September 11, 2024
  • No Comments

Sales kickoff meetings are pivotal events in the calendar of any sales organization, designed to align and energize the entire sales team for the upcoming year.

This comprehensive guide explores the essential elements of planning and executing a successful annual sales kickoff meeting, from setting objectives to the sales targets to structuring agendas and ensuring impactful execution.

Sales Plan Template Banner

Planning Your Sales Kickoff Meeting

A successful sales kickoff meeting is more than just a gathering of your sales team—it’s a strategic event designed to align and motivate your entire organization for the year ahead. Planning begins with setting clear goals and objectives that reflect your company’s vision and sales priorities.

This ensures that every aspect of the sales kickoff, from the agenda to the choice of speakers and activities, contributes directly to achieving these goals. Leveraging tools like FlyMSG can streamline communication and documentation tasks, allowing teams to focus more on strategic planning and engagement. Engaging the sales team in early brainstorming sessions can also provide valuable insights into what motivates them and how to tailor the event to their needs.

A group of business people sitting around a laptop.

Setting Goals and Objectives

Before diving into the logistics, it’s crucial to define clear goals and objectives for the sales team for the first few weeks of your sales kickoff meeting. These goals should align with the company’s strategic priorities and the sales team’s needs. Whether it’s boosting morale, introducing new strategies, or celebrating successes, clarity on objectives sets the tone for a focused and productive event. Communicating these goals effectively to the entire team ensures everyone is aligned and motivated from the outset.

Choosing the Right Timing and Duration

The timing of your sales kickoff event is critical. Typically held at the beginning of the fiscal year or sales cycle , it sets the stage for the months ahead. The duration should balance comprehensive coverage of topics with attendee engagement and energy levels. A well-timed and efficiently scheduled sales kickoff event ensures maximum participation and impact, fostering a sense of unity and purpose among the sales team.

Selecting a Venue (Virtual or Physical)

sales people gathered in a business meeting

In the current landscape, the choice between a virtual sales kickoff and physical venues is significant. Virtual sales kickoffs have gained prominence due to flexibility and accessibility, especially in reaching dispersed teams. Physical venues, on the other hand, offer immersive experiences and face-to-face interactions that can strengthen bonds within the sales team. The venue choice should align with your goals and budget, ensuring all participants feel engaged and connected.

Budgeting and Resource Allocation

Budgeting for a sales kickoff involves careful consideration of venue costs, speaker fees, technology requirements, and any additional expenses. Allocating resources effectively ensures that the event meets its objectives without overspending. Whether it’s investing in engaging speakers or enhancing virtual platforms, strategic allocation of resources is key to a successful sales kickoff for the sales team.

Structuring Your Sales Kickoff Agenda

A well-structured agenda is essential for a successful sales kickoff meeting. It serves as a roadmap that guides participants through key sessions and activities designed to achieve specific objectives. By carefully organizing each day’s schedule and content, you can ensure that your sales kickoffs event maximizes engagement, learning, and collaboration among attendees. A structured agenda also helps maintain focus and momentum throughout the event, ensuring that all critical topics are covered effectively.

two laptops open sitting in front of eachother with hands typing on desk with mugs

Day-by-Day Breakdown: Overview

A well-structured agenda is the backbone of a sales kickoff meeting. It provides clarity and direction, guiding participants through a series of activities panel discussions that maximize learning, collaboration, and motivation over the course of the event.

Day 1: Kickoff and Orientation

view from above of man sitting in front of his laptop looking into screen

1 – Welcome Address and Kickoff Introduction

The first day sets the tone for the entire year or event. A warm welcome from company executives or sales leaders creates enthusiasm and sets expectations. Introduce the overarching theme of the kickoff to unify the entire team around common goals and objectives for the upcoming year.

2 – Review of Previous Year’s Performance

Reflecting on achievements and challenges from successful year and the previous year provides valuable insights. Analyze sales metrics , market trends, and customer feedback to celebrate successes and identify areas for improvement. Sharing success stories boosts sales team morale and sets the stage for future growth.

3 – Keynote Speaker Session

Engage participants with a keynote speaker who can inspire and motivate. Whether an industry expert, sales leaders, or renowned speakers, their insights can provide valuable perspectives on sales strategies , market dynamics, customer insights, and leadership principles.

4 – Team Building Activities

Foster camaraderie and teamwork through structured activities. Team building sessions encourage collaboration, trust-building, and problem-solving skills among team members. These activities lay the foundation for a cohesive and supportive sales force.

5 – Networking Opportunities

Facilitate networking sessions where sales leaders and team members can connect informally. Networking breaks, meals, or virtual breakout rooms encourage knowledge sharing, relationship-building, and the exchange of best practices. Strong networks within the team enhance collaboration and support throughout the year.

Day 2: Strategy and Training

1 – Strategic Vision and Company Roadmap

Day two focuses on strategic alignment and forward-looking initiatives. Present the whole team building company’s vision for the upcoming year, emphasizing key priorities, market strategies, and growth opportunities. Align the sales team with organizational goals to ensure coherence and unified effort.

2 – Product and Service Updates

Update sales teams on new products, services, or enhancements. Product training sessions equip sales reps with the knowledge and tools to effectively communicate value propositions to customers. Highlighting innovations and market advantages boosts confidence in sales professionals and prepares teams for competitive landscapes.

3 – Sales Training Sessions

Conduct specialized training sessions tailored to sales techniques , selling skills, negotiation skills, or customer engagement strategies. Interactive workshops or expert-led sessions enhance sales skills , ensuring teams are equipped to navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities in the upcoming sales cycle.

4 – Breakout Sessions by Team or Region

Facilitate breakout sessions for focused discussions or skill development tailored to specific teams or regions. These sessions allow for deeper dives into local market dynamics, team-specific goals, and customized strategies. Interactive participation fosters ownership and alignment with broader organizational objectives.

5 – Q&A and Feedback Sessions

Allocate time for interactive Q&A sessions where all sales managers and team members can seek clarification, share insights, and provide feedback. Open dialogue promotes transparency and engagement, addressing concerns and refining strategies for improved execution. Feedback loops are crucial for continuous improvement and alignment across the sales organization.

Day 3: Motivation and Celebration

1 – Motivational Keynote or Speaker

Wrap up the kickoff with a motivational keynote or speaker session to boost morale, reinforce key messages, and energize the team for the year ahead. Inspirational success stories or industry experts’ perspectives instill confidence and commitment, motivating sales reps to strive for excellence and exceed targets.

2 – Recognition and Awards Ceremony

Celebrate big wins and recognize top performers during an awards ceremony or sales org. Acknowledging achievements publicly reinforces a culture of excellence and incentivizes sales excellence. Awards can range from sales milestones to leadership recognitions, highlighting individual and team contributions.

3 – Team Challenges or Competitions

Engage teams in friendly challenges or competitions that reinforce learning and collaboration. Sales simulations or role-playing exercises encourage healthy competition and skill application. These activities reinforce training outcomes and drive enthusiasm for implementing new strategies.

4 – Closing Remarks and Next Steps

Conclude the next sales process kickoff with closing remarks from leadership, summarizing key takeaways and setting expectations for sales processes in the upcoming period. Outline action plans, timelines, and responsibilities to ensure alignment and accountability post-event. Clear next steps empower sales teams to execute strategies effectively and achieve collective goals.

Choosing a Theme for Your Sales Kickoff

Sales enablement teams sitting around a table in a conference room.

Importance of a Theme

Selecting a theme for your sales kickoff event adds cohesion and excitement to the event. A well-chosen theme not only enhances engagement but also reinforces key messages and aligns with organizational culture and goals. Themes can range from industry-specific motifs to pop culture references, depending on the company’s personality and objectives.

Popular Themes and Ideas

Explore popular themes that resonate with your sales team and company values. Themes that share success stories like “Mission Possible: Achieving Sales Excellence” or “Navigating New Horizons: Charting Our Course to Success” evoke adventure and purpose, inspiring teams to embrace the challenges ahead and pursue ambitious goals. Themes based on sports, movies, or historical achievements can also inject fun and creativity into the kickoff.

Tailoring Themes to Company Culture and Goals

Customize the chosen theme to reflect your company’s unique culture and strategic priorities. Incorporate elements that celebrate diversity, innovation, or customer-centric values. Whether through themed decorations, attire, or interactive activities, aligning the theme with your company’s goals fosters enthusiasm and commitment among attendees.

Preparing Presentations and Materials

Effective presentations and materials are fundamental to delivering impactful messages during your sales kickoff. They serve to inform, engage, and inspire attendees, helping them understand key strategies, goals, and expectations. By designing visually appealing presentations and providing informative materials, you can enhance learning retention and ensure that participants leave the sales kickoff event with a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities moving your sales strategy forward.

Designing Engaging Presentations

Create presentations that captivate and inform participants. Use visually appealing slides with minimal text to emphasize key points effectively. Incorporate multimedia elements such as videos, infographics, or interactive polls to maintain engagement and facilitate understanding. Keep presentations concise and structured to maximize retention and impact.

Incorporating Multimedia and Interactive Elements

Enhance presentations with multimedia components to cater to diverse learning styles. Videos showcasing success stories, customer testimonials, or product demonstrations provide real-world context and inspire confidence in offerings. Interactive elements like live polls or Q&A sessions encourage active participation and dialogue, fostering a dynamic learning environment.

Providing Handouts and Takeaways

Offer participants tangible resources that reinforce learning and serve as reference materials post-event. Handouts could include session summaries, product brochures, or strategic guides that support the implementation of new strategies. Digital resources such as access to presentation slides or recordings ensure continuous learning and alignment across the sales team.

Logistics and Event Management

A successful sales kickoff hinges on meticulous logistics, whether virtual or physical. This means careful management of venue, technology, catering, and scheduling to ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience. For virtual kickoffs, Salesforce Service Cloud Implementation can be beneficial. It can streamline attendee registration, communication flows, and track engagement, keeping your team organized and focused on delivering a memorable experience. By integrating technology like Salesforce Service Cloud, you can enhance both efficiency and attendee satisfaction, allowing your team to focus on what matters most – inspiring and motivating your sales team.

Technical Setup for Virtual Sales Kickoff

For virtual sales kickoffs, ensure robust technical infrastructure to support seamless connectivity and interaction with virtual attendees. Test platforms for video conferencing, chat functionalities, and multimedia sharing in advance to prevent disruptions. Provide clear instructions and technical support to all virtual sales kickoff attendees, ensuring they can participate fully without technical barriers.

On-site Logistics and Event Coordination

If hosting a physical event, coordinate logistics meticulously to create a smooth and engaging experience. Manage venue setup, catering arrangements, and signage to facilitate navigation and comfort for attendees. Assign dedicated staff for on-site support and troubleshooting to address any issues promptly and maintain event momentum.

Catering and Hospitality Considerations

Whether virtual or physical, prioritize attendee comfort and engagement through thoughtful catering and hospitality. For virtual events, consider sending meal vouchers or snack packages to participants to enhance their experience. In physical settings, offer nutritious meals, refreshments, and networking breaks to foster camaraderie and sustained energy throughout the event.

Sales Panel Template Banner

Reflect on the essential elements discussed throughout this guide to hosting a successful sales kickoff meeting. From strategic planning and agenda structuring to theme selection, presentation design, and post-event follow-up, each aspect of sales kickoff tips contributes to a cohesive and impactful event.

Continuous improvement is key to optimizing future sales kickoffs. By leveraging feedback, refining strategies, and adapting to evolving organizational needs and industry trends, you and sales managers can ensure each kickoff becomes more effective and aligned with company goals.

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Princess Beatrice Wore a $70 Zara Blazer & It Will Go With Almost Anything in Your Closet

Royal versatility ftw.

Author image: rachel bowie christine han photography 100

PureWow editors select every item that appears on this page, and the company may earn compensation through affiliate links within the story. All prices are accurate upon date of publish. You can learn more about the affiliate process here .

princess beatrice zara crop flap blazer universal

As far as items in your closet that go the distance and feel classic enough to reach for season after season, a cropped blazer is it . But there’s something special about the $70 Zara style Princess Beatrice wore as she phone banked during the BGC Group Charity Day on behalf of the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, which every year raises millions in memory of those lost on September 11 and the devastating attacks on the World Trade Center.

princess beatrice zara blazer

First, it’s classic—something you can throw on and go with a dress, jeans, even a midi skirt . In Beatrice’s case, she opted to pair it with a polka dot shirtdress, which gave her entire ensemble professionalism and polish. Second, it’s affordable. For just $70, it will work with numerous pieces already in your closet. That versatility—and, frankly, the three different color options it comes in (black, ecru and light khaki)—turn it into an instant staple. The pockets and the pretty button detailing only add to the blazer’s uniqueness.

zara cropped flap blazer

Zara Crop Flap Blazer

Now, the good news: It’s still fully in stock in all colors, so snag it while you can. (Beatrice, as you can see, opted to wear it in black.)

princess beatrice phone backing BGC Group Charity Day

As for Beatrice’s day spent volunteering for the BGC Group Charity Day, she wasn’t the only royal to cover the phones: Mike Tindall —Beatrice’s cousin Zara Tindall’s husband—was also there to support.

mike tindall BGC Group charity day

The cause, in honor of the countless lives lost on 9/11, is of course an emotional one. Speaking about her participation , Beatrice said, “I am thrilled to be here today celebrating the incredible work that charities do on a daily basis. The 30 charities represented here support a wide range of important causes, from children in care to those in medical need and have a positive impact on many different parts of the community. I am so pleased to be part of Charity Day and support these grass roots organizations.”

Here, here.

The Best Dressed Royal Was Just Revealed—Here, 3 Outfits That Helped Her Seal the Deal (& That I’m Totally Copying)

rachel bowie christine han photography 100

Senior Director, Special Projects and Royals

  • Writes and produces family, fashion, wellness, relationships, money and royals content
  • Podcast co-host and published author with a book about the British Royal Family
  • Studied sociology at Wheaton College and received a masters degree in journalism from Emerson College

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    Conclusion. Reflect on the essential elements discussed throughout this guide to hosting a successful sales kickoff meeting. From strategic planning and agenda structuring to theme selection, presentation design, and post-event follow-up, each aspect of sales kickoff tips contributes to a cohesive and impactful event.

  21. Princess Beatrice Wore a $70 Zara Blazer

    The cause, in honor of the countless lives lost on 9/11, is of course an emotional one. Speaking about her participation, Beatrice said, "I am thrilled to be here today celebrating the incredible work that charities do on a daily basis.The 30 charities represented here support a wide range of important causes, from children in care to those in medical need and have a positive impact on many ...

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