an introduction to good presentation practices assessment

• Numerical Reasoning
• Verbal Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Diagrammatic Reasoning
• Logical Reasoning
• Mechanical Reasoning
• Situational Judgement
• Deductive reasoning
• Critical thinking
• Abstract reasoning
• Spatial reasoning
• Error checking
• Verbal comprehension
• Reading comprehension
• Psychometric tests
• Personality test
• In-Tray exercise
• E-Tray exercise
• Group exercise
• Presentation exercise
• Analysis exercise
• Game based assessments
• Competency based assessment
• Strengths based assessment
• Strengths based interviews
• Video interview
• Saville Assessment
• Talent Q / Korn Ferry
• Watson Glaser
• Criterion Partnership
• Test Partnership
• Cut-e / Aon
• Team Focus PFS
• Sova Assessment
• For Practice
• For Business

Chapter 4: Presentation Exercises

A resource guide to presentation exercises.

Page contents:

• Presentation exercises

What skills does a presentation exercise assess?

Planned vs. on the spot presentations, preparing for your presentation, giving your presentation.

• What assessors look for in a presentation

Key takeaways

You will almost certainly be required to give some sort of presentation at your assessment centre. Presentation skills are important in the workplace, so the assessors want to see if you are able to deliver a well-structured, clear, confident presentation. The good news is that it is possible to improve your presentation skills through practice and following some sound advice. Chapter 5 explains all.

What is a presentation exercise at an assessment centre?

A presentation exercise at an assessment centre is a task that involves a candidate giving a formal presentation to a group of assessors on a given topic. The candidate is usually provided with a brief beforehand and given a set amount of time to prepare their presentation. The presentation may be in the form of a PowerPoint or other visual aids and is usually followed by a question and answer session where assessors can ask questions related to the presentation. The objective of this exercise is to assess the candidate's ability to deliver a structured and coherent presentation, communicate effectively, and engage the audience while demonstrating their knowledge and understanding of the given topic.

The presentation exercise is a common assessment tool used to evaluate candidates for roles that require excellent presentation skills and the ability to deliver information to a variety of audiences.

Typical competencies assessed in the presentation exercise are:

• Communication skills: The ability to convey information clearly, concisely, and effectively is crucial for any presentation. The assessors will evaluate how well the candidate speaks, how they articulate their ideas and how they tailor their presentation to their audience.
• Presentation skills: The ability to engage the audience and deliver a structured and coherent presentation is important. The assessors will evaluate how well the candidate uses visual aids, how they organize their presentation and how they manage their time.
• Confidence: Confidence is an essential aspect of any successful presentation. The assessors will evaluate how confidently the candidate presents and how well they handle questions and challenges.
• Knowledge: The candidate's knowledge and understanding of the given topic is important. The assessors will evaluate the accuracy and relevance of the information presented, as well as the depth of knowledge.
• Time management: Time management is an important skill in any presentation. The assessors will evaluate how well the candidate manages their time and sticks to the allotted presentation time.

Most employers will give you information before the assessment centre about the presentation exercise, and what they expect you to have prepared in advance. This preparation time is a realistic simulation of the demands of a real job since employees rarely get asked to give a presentation off the cuff. To stretch you, assessors may interject during your prepared presentation or add a minor last-minute change to your brief, again to simulate a real-world scenario. Effective preparation will significantly improve your performance in the presentation exercise. At your assessment centre your presentation will probably be only 5-10 minutes in duration.

An effective saying goes "own the time". It's your presentation and you have the floor. There's no need to rush.

Some assessment centres deliberately reveal very little about the presentation exercise before hand, so that all the preparation has to be done on the day at the assessment centre. This type of exercise is more a test of how well you deal with being put on the spot, and less a test of presentation skills.

In one scary example of a challenging presentation exercise candidates were given a handful of topics to choose from and 15 minutes to prepare a 5 minute presentation. Few assessment centres use this shock tactic as they are more interested in how you perform in realistic situations.

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You will likely be given time before your assessment centre to prepare for your presentation, so take advantage of this luxury. Walking into the room confident in what you are about to say will settle your nerves and help you present with aplomb. Aim to have rehearsed your presentation so many times that if disaster struck on the day and you lose your notes (it has happened at assessment centres before), you could get by on your memory.

failure to prepare is preparing to fail.

Establish who the audience will be and what level of knowledge they are likely to have, so that you can pitch your level of technical content accordingly. Your audience will either be just one assessor, or more likely, a mix of assessors and other candidates from the assessment centre.

What brief have you been given? You will get marks for achieving the brief as well as how well you present. Clarify with the assessment centre organisers beforehand what equipment will be available. PowerPoint slides are much better than overhead projector slides or a flip chart. Remember you are in a simulated business environment, how would it look in a client presentation if you use scrawled acetate sheets? Ask the assessors if there is time for you to familiarise yourself with the equipment before your presentation, perhaps during a lunch break. Even if it’s not possible you are showing them what you would do in a real-life situation: plan and take precautions against the common nuisance of IT issues.

Carry your presentation on two separate USBs and email it to yourself. It has been known for candidates to lose their presentation!

A common mistake made by inexperienced presenters at their assessment centre is to use too many slides. As a rule of thumb, use no more than one slide per two minutes presenting. And keep the slides sparse! The slides are meant to be a prompt for the audience to follow what you’re saying; they are not meant to be read, because you want the assessor’s attention on you, not the slides. The best use of slides is for graphically presenting numerical information difficult to describe orally, not for showing blocks of text. It should go without saying but it’s surprising how many candidates still just read what the slides say. This is a quick way to show the assessors you are not a good presenter.

If you want to stand out from other candidates at the assessment centre reduce the number of boring bullet point slides. These are a standard PowerPoint template and quickly make audiences dreary. Professionals replace bullet point lists with a simple graphic alongside text.

The best slides are clean and let the presenter be the focus of attention.

Practice your presentation out loud. You will be amazed how differently it comes out compared to reading it in your head. Record yourself and play it back. This is a great way to discover where you could inject intonation, pauses or emphasis. Practising out loud will also give you an accurate estimate of how long it takes.

Write your prompt notes on envelope-sized cards, not A4 paper which can distract from your presentation and will exaggerate any shaky hand tendencies.

When it comes to presented information, people tend to be very slow at taking it in. So use simple, clear language. Break down what you are saying into simple sentences. Tell them what you’re going to say, say it, then remind them what you said.

Look at the audience, not the slides. This is another classic mistake made by inexperienced, or nervous presenters. Don’t take your cue from the slides; keep your attention on the audience and take your cue from your note cards. This looks very professional.

Your introduction should briefly explain who you are (in the fictional scenario) and what your presentation will cover. Reiterate anchor phrases on each slide to emphasise what you're talking about. For example, if you’re talking about projected sales, title your slide “Sales Projection” and open with something like “the projected sales are increasing because…” Then end that slide with something like “…which is why we see these projected sales”.

Think about how you want to take questions. Are you the sort of person who gets thrown by interjections? If you think you can handle questions as you go along, this will impress the assessors. Whatever you decide, tell your audience at the start whether you’d prefer to take questions at the end or as you go through.

Commonly presentation exercises are being video recorded so assessors can re-watch your performance later, or refer it to someone else. The cameras used are usually discreet security type ceiling-mounted ones so they’re not overly imposing.

What assessors look for in presentation

We mentioned the skills and competencies that presentation exercises will assess, now we will look at what assessors will be looking out for during your presentation. The assessors will gain an overall feel of your presentation, but to standardise assessment amongst candidates and to justify hiring decisions, the assessors will be scoring you against a set of criteria agreed with the employer. Obviously each employer will have their own scoring criteria but an example of the type of criteria used is below:

• To what extent were visual aids used effectively?
• Was prior preparation and planning evident?
• Did the candidate come across confident and convincing?
• Were the audience engaged?
• Was the brief question satisfactorily answered?
• What was the standard of oral communication?
• How well were questions addressed?

If the assessment centre assessors enjoy your presentation they're more likely to notice and remember how you fared against their set of scoring criteria.

Here are the key takeaways on tips for giving successful presentations during assessment centres:

• The presentation should be well-structured and tailored to the audience.
• Practice and preparation are essential, including practicing with any technology or equipment beforehand.
• Clear communication, confidence and engagement with the audience are important.
• Candidates should be mindful of time constraints and avoid exceeding the time limit.
• Visual aids can enhance the presentation, but should not be relied on too heavily.
• Candidates should anticipate and prepare for potential questions from the audience.
• Rehearsing with a friend or colleague (if possible) can provide helpful feedback and improve the presentation.

By following these tips, candidates can increase their chances of delivering a successful presentation and impressing potential employers during the assessment centre process.

• Numerical Reasoning
• Verbal Reasoning
• In-Tray Exercises
• E-Tray Exercises
• What To Expect
• Group Exercises
• Presentations
• Assessment Centre Tips
• How To Prepare For An Interview
• How To Behave During An Interview
• Hope To Cope With Nerves
• PwC Assessment Centre
• KPMG Assessment Centre
• EY Assessment Centre
• BDO Assessment Centre & Online Ability Tests Guide
• IBM Assessment Centre & Study Guide
• GSK Assessment Centre
• Mastering the Teach First Assessment Centre 2024: Ultimate Prep Guide
• MI5 Assessment Centre
• Network Rail Assessment Centre
• Fast Stream Assessment Centre
• PSNI Assessment Centre
• Psychometric Tests
• Numerical Reasoning Test
• Verbal Reasoning Test
• Logical Reasoning Test
• Abstract Reasoning Test
• Inductive Reasoning Test
• Watson-Glaser Test
• How to Prepare for UKCAT Exam? – A Definitive Preparation Guide with Practice Tests, Tips & Tricks & More
• Mastering Mechanical Comprehension Tests: Tips, Practice, & Insights
• Diagrammatic Reasoning
• Spatial Reasoning Tests
• Numeracy Skills Test (QTS)
• Literacy Skills Test (QTS)
• SHL Numerical Test: 5 Essential Tips for Guaranteed Success
• RAF Aptitude Test
• Army BARB Test
• How to Prepare for Prison Officer Selection Test?
• Network Rail Online Tests
• PSNI Initial Selection Test
• Personality Tests

How To Deliver A Killer Presentation At Your Assessment Centre Or Interview

Download our Ultimate Assessment Day & Interview Guide 2022 here . (It's packed with tips, tricks and insider-secrets to help you succeed.)

Delivering an assessment centre presentation can be tough, but this guide will show you how to create, display and deliver a world class presentation at your job interview or assessment centre. Let’s get started!

1 Important Starting Point Resource

• Listen to our podcast episode on how to deliver successful presenations here .

This Free Success Guide Is Split Into 3 Parts

• Part 1: Create (Planning and building your presentation.)
• Part 2: Display (How to connect a projector, iPad etc.)
• Part 3: Deliver (Expert tips for actually presenting your presentation.)

Take Presentation Practice Test Now

Assessment Centre Interview Presentation: A Dark Art

Giving a presentation at your interview or assessment centre is a very worthwhile test. Presenting is a skill that is highly valued in the modern business environment and it’s easy to see why:

•  A good presentation is an incredibly powerful and effective way to communicate. It’s a great way to deliver an idea/message/story and  being a strong presenter will greatly enhance your reputation and personal ‘brand’ .
• Few things are more tedious than a bad presentation. Being boring, long-winded or overwhelming your audience with information are cardinal sins and  few things will stain your profile as quickly and memorably as a poor presentation .

Giving a presentation can be a nerve-wracking experience, but it’s also a superb opportunity to shine. Embrace the challenge and use it as a vehicle to demonstrate your wonderful skills and experience!

Let’s start with the basics…

What Is a Presentation?

Typically a presentation is a group of slides created with Microsoft’s ‘Powerpoint’ program or Apple’s equivalent which is called ‘Keynote’. Having previously created the slides the author displays them to the audience in a ‘slideshow’ format. Hey presto, a  presentation is born.

Assessment Centre Presentation Part 1: Create

A presentation that is effective and genuinely impactful must have two things:

The secret to achieving this is in your planning. It’s vital that your presentation structure has a logical, natural flow. If it does your audience will feel they are moving seamlessly along with you and there is an exponentially greater chance they will feel engaged/convinced/impressed by what you have to say.

‘I Hate Planning, Let’s Start Making the Presentation!’

Woah there cowboy.  It is vital that you plan your presentation . Having a clear idea of what your presentation structure will be not only makes the presentation much more effective, coherent and persuasive, but it makes it so, so much easier to actually build. (Which saves you time and lowers stress.)

PRO TIP:  Spending 1 hour to correctly plan your assessment day presentation saves you many hours later in the process and turbocharges the impact your presentation will make on the audience.

If you don’t have a clear structure in mind before you begin building your presentation you will just keep creating slide after slide in a scattergun fashion as fresh ideas pop into your mind.

This results in an unbalanced hodgepodge of ideas that don’t have a logical flow and aren’t weighted correctly in importance/relevance. (It also becomes  incredibly  time-consuming and difficult to edit and shape the presentation when it’s in this messy format.)

With a clear skeleton structure in place, you can build your slides in confidence knowing that you’re hitting all the important points and there is a clear and transparent way to track your progress.

How to Structure an Interview or Assessment Day Presentation in 7 Easy Steps

You need to have clarity on what your presentation is going to be about before you begin. (If you don’t have a clear brief or title in mind then consider what your desired outcome is and work back from there. It will usually become apparent  very  quickly.)

Remember, you can practise real exercises and psychometric tests that employers use  here and here .

[Note: For most interviews and assessment centres you will be given a brief beforehand. Often something like ‘prepare a 15-minute presentation entitled “the greatest achievement of my life”‘ or ‘tell us about the most enlightening experience of your life’.]

Assessment Centre Presentation: Planning Step 1

Sit down in a quie t room with a pen and a blank piece of paper. (We strongly recommend you don’t use a PC or laptop for this stage.) 

Assessment Centre Presentation: Planning Step 2

Write your central subject, title, theme or question in the middle and draw a circle around it.

Assessment Centre Presentation: Planning Step 3

Now let your mind run crazy while you brainstorm potential sub-topics and related themes. What could you include that is relevant/interesting/compelling to your central theme?

Don’t worry about which ones are best right now, or what order they should be in, just get a ton of ideas down on the page.

You should now have a piece of paper that looks something like this:

Assessment Centre Presentation: Planning Step 4

When you’re satisfied you have plenty of ideas and sub-topics on the page, write brief notes underneath  each one covering the main things you would talk about in each area.

Can you see how our plan is beginning to take shape?

Assessment Centre Presentation: Planning Step 5

The next step is to review your ideas. We need to trim this list down as there are currently far too many ideas to cover. (Unless you want the presentation to last all day!)

Use a different coloured pen and mark the areas/ideas that are strongest, the most relavent & the most compelling. Cross out the weaker ideas.

Clear your mind and ask yourself:

• “What are the most important ideas/areas/sub-topics that I have on this piece of paper?”
• “Does this sub-topic strongly contribute to the main theme/idea of this presentation? Is it absolutely vital I include it?”
• “Can I group any of these sub-topics into 3-5 larger subject areas? What could I call those areas? How can I put my best ideas/points into a logical structure?”
• “Will I be comfortable talking about and answering questions on this topic in front of a group of strangers?”
• “What could I talk about naturally and confidently?”

What overarching themes or messages are there that your presentation could follow?

Slowly you will start to whittle down your list of sub-topics and what remains will be the strongest and most relevant areas that you should cover. Your paper should now look something like this:

Stop worrying! Download a 12-step assessment day cheatsheet & be perfectly prepared.

Click here to download your copy.

Assessment Centre Presentation: Planning Step 6

Now we need to decide on the order that we’ll present the ideas and sub-topics that made the cut.

• Which topic would make for the strongest opening to your presentation?
• Are there two topics that sit together or flow into one another well?
• Is there a narrative tale you can tell with these topics?
• Is there a natural order that suggests itself?
• What order would make the most impact to your audience and communicate your message in the clearest way?

Grab a different coloured pen and number each one.

Assessment Centre Presentation: Planning Step 7

Now it’s time to tidy this up a little and draft your final plan. (This will be the plan you will work to while actually building the presentation.)

Jot down a new plan that reflects the changes and running order we made in the previous steps. It should look something like this:

You will notice that we’ve added the following elements to the above plan:

• A ‘wow’ slide – it’s important to grab your audience’s attention at the beginning. (Why should they listen to the rest of the presentation? Why are they going to enjoy this? Startle them at the beginning – it will get them interested in what’s coming next.)
• A conclusion – it’s vital that you bring the key elements of your presentation together at the end. This reinforces all the great points you’ve made in your presentation and ensures you leave your audience with the messages/ideas/points that you want them to take from your presentation regardless of what it is – such as persuading the audience to buy bitcoin cash , invest in a 401(k), start a business , etc.

Time for a Break, Phew!

We now have our final structure. It’s packed with strong and relevant content that you are comfortable talking about and the presentation has an impactful and compelling running order.

You have made an excellent start and now have a fantastic foundation to deliver a successful presentation, well done!

Now would be a great time to go and grab a drink and clear your head. When you get back we’ll move on to building and delivering your presentation.

How To Create A Presentation Using Powerpoint

There’s several pieces of software you can use to build a presentation. The most common ones are:

• Microsoft’s ‘Powerpoint’ – This is the industry standard for presentations
• Apple’s ‘Keynote’ – Stylish, quality presentation software for Mac users
• Google Docs – Free cloud-based software from from Google

We’re going to focus on Powerpoint here as it enjoys a 95% share of the presentation market, has over 500 million users worldwide and over 30 million presentations are created with it every day. (Source:  BBC )

Mac Users (Skip This Bit if You Use a PC)

NOTE: If you have a Mac with Keynote you can save Keynote presentations in Powerpoint’s ‘PPT’ file format by going to file>export and selecting the ‘PPT’ option. Unfortunately any transitions that you created in Keynote won’t be available when opened in Powerpoint.

For Mac users we strongly recommend you buy a copy of Powerpoint for Mac to ensure 100% compatibility. (You can buy it here on  Amazon USA  and for UK visitors here on  Amazon UK

‘Ok How Do I Actually Create Slides?’

Powerpoint is a really simple program to use and you can master the basics of giving a presentation incredibly quickly. This 5 minute tutorial video by Microsoft will get you up to speed.

Example Slide Structure

Feel free to experiment and play around with your slide structure, but here’s a proven structure that you can use:

• Slide 1 : A title slide with a slick background image and powerful title
• Slide 2 : An ‘impact’ slide, that asks a profound question or highlights a startling statistic or benefit.
• Slide 3 : (OPTIONAL) A ‘contents’ slide, that outlines the bare structure of your presentation. Never, ever have more than 5 topics or sub-branches. You should move heaven and earth in your planning stage to get to 3 if possible.

(NOTE: A ‘contents’ slide isn’t always appropriate when giving a presentation. In a business or more formal setting it’s very common, but most marketing-focused and more conceptual presentations will leave this out. Some presentations work better if they appear to have a more organic flow. If in doubt, include a contents slide as it lets your audience know what to expect and helps them orientate themselves.)

• Slides 4-6 : Take your audience through ‘sub-topic 1’. Now we’re into the meat of the presentation.
• Slides 7-9 : Sub-topic 2
• Slides 10-12 : Sub-topic 3
• Slides 13-15 : Sub-topic 4
• Slides 16-18 : Sub-topic 5
• Slides 19-20 : ‘Conclusion slides’ that pull together the key messages and themes of your presentation. This is your chance to hammer home your big idea / primary message / big benefit / key points.
• Slide 21 : A ‘Q&A slide’ – Your opportunity to welcome questions from your audience.
• Slide 22 : (OPTIONAL) The ‘farewell slide’. This is your chance to sign off and direct your audience to other areas of your work. (You may want to highlight other work you’ve done, a portfolio, LinkedIn or social media profiles etc.)

PRO TIP: The golden rule of Powerpoint is ‘less is more’. One of the biggest mistakes inexperienced presenters make is putting too much writing/data in their slides.

Examples of Bad Slides

Here’s a few examples of bad slides. These images highlight some typical mistakes people make when giving a presentation. Look how ‘busy’ and unappealing they are:

How boring are these slides? They are cluttered and drab and we guarantee the only thing on the audience’s mind here is ‘when will this tedious presentation end?’.

Examples of Good Slides

How much clearer and impactful are slides like these two?

Don’t be afraid to leave white space on your slides. Your audience will appreciate it.

Remember, your presentation isn’t a script for you to read from, it’s a visual aid to underline the points you make verbally. Your audience should be focused on you, not the screen.

When giving a presentation the screen is merely a visual aid to amplify the points you make as an engaging and intelligent speaker .

(We’ll go into more detail on how to deliver your presentation, later in this article.)

Ok, so now we have a presentation with a great structure, filled with fantastic content that’s presented through engaging and impactful slides. We’re in great shape! Let’s keep trucking.

Assessment Centre Presentation Part 2: Display

Slides can be shown in a number of ways:

• Directly from a laptop or tablet (ideal for one-on-one or small group presentations)
• By plugging your laptop or tablet into a TV or external display (good for larger groups of up to 12-15 people)
• Through a projector  (a must for large audiences/rooms)

The third of the above options is the most widely used in a business setting and at interviews and assessment centres.

Pro Tip: Even if you’re taking your own laptop to do a presentation always have an additional copy on a USB flash drive as a backup. Technology sometimes fails so it’s wise to take precautions. If it’s a super-important presentation we strongly recommend you also print off a paper copy and email a copy of the file to yourself.

How to Connect an iPad to a TV Display

For ‘lightning’ iPads you’ll need to use this lead instead:  Amazon (UK)  | Amazon (USA)

Regardless of your iPad connection style, you will also need an HDMi lead which you should definitely buy online as the price markup at retailers like Best Buy and Curry’s is phenomenal: Amazon (UK) | Amazon (USA) .

Assessment Centre Presentation Part 3: Deliver

So you’ve spent hours planning and building a superb presentation that you’re really proud of?

That’s great, but remember:  A presentation needs to be delivered well if it is to be received well .

A good presenter delivers their material with:

• Clarity – Makes points in a clear and coherent way
• Conviction – Appears credible and engaging to the audience
• Impact – Makes points in a powerful and convincing way

11 Pro Tips For Delivering A Perfect Presentation

Pro tip#1 – rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.

Nothing will improve your ability to deliver your presentation more than rehearsing. Over and over and over again.

Do this so much that you know the order of the slides backwards, forwards and inside out. Record yourself doing the presentation and watch it back. Watch yourself in the mirror. How can you improve? This is huge and will help you iron out any tricky points or parts that just don’t work.

Most importantly this will make you comfortable with your presentation and the benefits of that are legion. You will appear knowledgable and credible and you’ll be able to deliver the presentation in a conversational and personal way, which is our ultimate goal.

Pro Tip#2 – Don’t Just Read Exactly What Is on the Slides

This doesn’t come across well and inhibits the’conversational’ tone that the best presentations all have. Avoid this at all costs!

Pro Tip#3 – Don’t Put Too Much Information on Your Slides

Overloading the slide is the single quickest way to make your audience switch off. It’s like a big meal that will give them indigestion. This is bad. Think ‘breadcrumbs’. Small portions. Feed them in tiny bitesize pieces over 20 slides rather than in 5 jam-packed slides.

Few things are uglier or less appealing than a slide with 17 bullet points and a data heavy graph. It’s hard to understand and looks awful. Avoid this!

Pro Tip#4 – Make Eye Contact With and Smile at Your Audience

This is hard to do if you’re an inexperienced presenter as you’ll probably prefer to look at the slides, your laptop or even the floor. Again, don’t do it!

Look your audience square in the eye and you’ll find that you feel more relaxed and they become more engaged.

Pro Tip#5 – Forget the Animations & the Snazzy Backgrounds

• Resist the urge to have a funky blue colour as your background.
• Resist the urge to embellish your presentation with complicated animations and swooshy transitions.

Just use a white background and a clear font. Trust us on this!

Pro Tip #6 – Don’t Stand Rooted to the Spot, Move Around

Don’t stay stood in one spot when giving a presentation. It makes you look uncomfortable and your audience will be more engaged if you’re moving around from place to place, speaking from different locations.

PRO TIP #7 – Speak s.l.o.w.l.y.

Another common mistake from a nervous or inexperienced presenter is to speak too quickly.

It can be really hard, but speak slowly, much more deliberately than you would in everyday conversation and give your audience time to digest what you are saying .

Don’t be afraid to leave pauses. They give the presentation, your audience and you room to breathe. They’re important.

PRO TIP #8 – Use Humour

Jokes can be a little risky if you don’t know your audience very well, but it can be a risk worth taking because using humour is a great tool to break down the barrier between you and your audience.

Make them laugh (or even just smile) and you will increase their engagement as well as relaxing yourself.

PRO TIP #9 – Be Passionate and Energetic

This is a no brainer. Why should your audience care what you have to say if you don’t look like you do? Believe in  what your saying, express yourself, gesticulate, be conversational, tell stories and don’t be afraid to digress (just a little).

Giving a presentation should be like telling a great story. Be expressive and colourful.

PRO TIP #10 – Appear Relaxed and Happy

The more relaxed and happy you appear to be while giving a presentation, the more the audience will enjoy it. They don’t know what you are planning to say, so if something goes wrong just keep going and allow yourself a big smile. They won’t even notice the hiccup.

PRO TIP #11 – Use a Pointer & Visual Aids

Our favourite is this Kensington model which is simply perfect: Amazon (USA)  |  Amazon (UK)

You can also use this to draw your audience’s attention to specific points as it has a laser pointer built in. (In our experience this is best used sparingly.)

It’s fine to use flipcharts and handouts as visual aids if you like, but remember to distribute handouts at the end of your presentation . If you hand them out before or during your presentation your audience will start flicking through them and reading ahead. This is distracting for them and you and takes the focus away from your awesome presentation!

Practise, Practise, Practise

Practising interview and assessment day exercises before the big day will massively improve your performance when it counts. You can practise real exercises and psychometric tests that employers use  here and here .

Some Final Questions for You…

• Do you have to take a numerical reasoning test or a verbal reasoning test ? If so you may want to check out the aptitude tests section of the site.
• You can find practice tests and tons of free advice on every other type of ‘reasoning test’ too: numerical , verbal , abstract , logical , inductive , diagrammatic , spatial , mechanical comprehension , UKCAT and Watson-Glaser tests .
• Worried about your assessment day? Maybe you’re worried about performing a presentation or preparing for an  interview or group exercise   or   in-tray exercise ?
• Be sure to check out our Ultimate Interview & Assessment Day Guide  – it’s filled with tips, tricks and insider-secrets that will help you succeed on the big day.
• Perhaps you’d like some guidance on  how to deal with nerves & anxiety at your interview ?
• Lastly the Tools and Resources page is packed with useful equipment and ‘A’ List recommendations that will make your life easier.

Thanks for Reading!

We hope you enjoyed our guide? We’d love to hear your feedback on this article and also to learn how your presentation goes, so please do get in touch and let us know. Thanks and good luck!

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Student opportunity: careers, university of warwick, how to deliver an effective presentation at an an assessment centre.

Presentations are very common at assessment centers. They give candidates a chance to show their presentation skills which will be important in the workplace. The assessors want to see if you are able to deliver a well-structured, clear, confident presentation. Presentations can be the most terrifying part of an assessment centre. Many people are nervous about speaking in public, but with plenty of preparation, candidates do really well. In this blog, we will help you to feel more confident about presentations and talk you through how to prepare and present effectively.

Understanding presentation exercises

Presentations are often used in the professional sector. For example, this may be utilized for presenting sales reports, proposing a project, analysing information, or pitching to a prospective client. As a candidate, you may be given a topic beforehand and be asked to come prepared to give a presentation, or they may be provided with an existing presentation at the interview and asked to present it. You may also be given a topic on the spot to make a presentation in an allotted time. Multiple tools may be employed for these presentations, including digital tools like PowerPoint and physical tools, like flip charts. The common job positions where presentation skills are usually required include

• and many more…

There is a high probability in these jobs to involve interactions with potential customers and target audiences.

How to prepare a good presentation

Here are the steps you have to take to ensure you are preparing effectively for your presentation:

Do your research

Gather useful information, facts, statistics and read around the subject. You will only have a short time to present so ensure you prioritize vital information. Most people only include a fraction of their research into a presentation.

Find out about available resources

Clarify with the assessment centre organisers beforehand what equipment will be available. Will you be allowed to use a projector, or will it be presenting off a computer? Will PowerPoint be available?

Make sure you know the timings

Make sure you know how long the presentation will be and what they will be expecting from it. You can usually get an indication from the topic; for example, if they ask you to tell you why you would be good for the role, you will have to show your skills and assess the company’s needs and how you would fulfill them.

Once you’ve decided on the content and structure of your presentation, make sure you practice it. Start by practicing in front of a mirror or family and friends. Make sure they give you honest feedback. It is also a good idea to time yourself when doing the presentation to see if you’ve given yourself the right amount of time for each section. You can start to hone your Presentation skills for your upcoming assessment centre by registering with your University of Warwick email on the GF platform.

How to present a presentation effectively

As well as wondering about how to prepare for a presentation, you may be wanting to know some tips on how to present effectively. This is usually the hardest part, but with some helpful tips you may feel more confident.

Effective communication

When presenting your voice should be audible, and your language should be formal. Try and keep the full attention of the audience by interacting with the assessors, they may take this as thinking you have a good initiative and are a good leader.

Maintain Composure

The main purpose of a presentation exercise is to test the candidate’s ability to cope with stress, repeated questioning, communication, and time management. Focus on the task at hand and go through all your prepared notes to help you feel calm and composed.

Body Language

Body language is a key part of the presentation. Ensure you are making eye contact with the assessors in the room. Using hand gestures can also be effective in grabbing the attention of the audience.

Look at the audience

Ensure you look at the audience and not the slides. It looks more professional to have your attention on the audience and take your cue from your note cards rather than looking at the slides.

Questioning round

Often, there is a questioning round at the end of the presentation. Welcome any queries from the audience/assessors, showing confidence that you are able to answer them effectively. Ensure you don’t talk over the questioner and be sure to answer clearly.

Practise Presentation Exercises and over 100 job assessments on GF. Register with your University of Warwick email address via the Warwick Welcome page

Written by Fern McCann LLB and Peter Thornton BA MA, Consultants at Graduates First in collaboration with the University of Warwick Careers team.

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Writing Center

Effective presentations checklist, create a shared meaning between the you, the speaker, and your audience.

Having the knowledge and skills to effectively design and deliver a dynamic presentation is essential in the academic and professional world, regardless of field. Most colleges and universities require students to complete a public speaking course. In addition, many large organizations send employees to training course to develop their skills in this area. Why is it so important for college students and employees to be effective in this context?

The bottom line is that presentations are used to create a  shared meaning  between the speaker and the audience. Whether it is to inform peers of the results of your course project, communicate changes in the organization, provide updates on projects to your boss and co-workers, persuade the organization to invest in new technology, convince the city council to reduce waste, or recognize the accomplishments of a valued employee, the goal of a presentation needs to be accomplished. By using strategic design and delivery techniques, you increase your chances of accomplishing your goal. In addition, your successful efforts will leave others with a positive impression of your communication and leadership skills.

While there are a tremendous number of resources available on the internet to assist individuals wanting to increase the effectiveness of their presentations, the following checklist provides the basic things you should consider. This checklist contains items that are included within UMN Crookston’s Public Speaking course (SPCH 1101).

1. What are the logistical considerations/constraints of the speaking event? 

If you don’t know the answers to the questions below, ask the person inviting you to speak. Although the following is not an exhaustive list, it may help you determine other questions you want to ask:

• What is the occasion/event that I’ll be speaking at (purpose)?
• Where is the presentation located?
• How many people will be in the audience?
• What is the start time for my presentation?
• How much time do I have to speak? Does that include time for questions?
• What should I wear?
• What type of presentation aid would you recommend for this audience
• What technology is available for me to use (screen, projector, computer, etc.)?
• If I have handouts, how many copies should I make?
• Will there be someone available to help if I need assistance with set-up, technology, etc.?

2. Know your audience. 

The more you know about your audience, the more you can tailor your presentation to them, thus making it more relevant and increasing your likelihood of accomplishing your goal. If you don’t know the answers to the questions below, ask the person inviting you to speak. Although the following is not an exhaustive list, it may help you determine other questions you want to ask:

• Who will be in the audience (position, demographics, etc.)?
• How much to the audience know about the presentation topic?
• What is the audience’s overall attitude towards the topic?

3. What is the purpose of the presentation?

The answer to this question will help you determine how to organize your presentation as well as choose the appropriate content. If you don’t know the answers to the questions below, as the person inviting you to speak. Although the following is not an exhaustive list, it may help you determine other questions you want to ask:

• Is the purpose to inform the audience?
• Is the purpose to persuade the audience?
• Is the purpose to deliver a presentation at a special occasion (toast, recognition, award, etc.)?
• Do you have suggestions on what content the presentation should contain?

4. Create a speaking outline with appropriate content.

Creating an outline will help you gather your thoughts and put structure of the content you want to deliver. If your presentation is not organized your audience may have difficulty understanding your content, and you will be less likely to accomplish your goal. Remember that audience members will not have a written manuscript to refer to if they get lost during your presentation. Based on the purpose, constraints, and audience of your presentation, consider including the following items:

Introduction:

• Attention catcher – get their attention with a statement, quote, startling statistic, story, etc.
• Speaker credibility – tell the audience why you are credible to speak on this topic (education experience, interest, etc.).
• Listener relevance statement – tell the audience why this topic is important to them.
• Thesis statement – tell the audience what your presentation is about and what you are trying to accomplish.
• Main points and sub-points – each main point should include information that supports the thesis.
• You may want to include research to support your efforts. If you do include outside research, you need to orally cite it in order to enhance your credibility and give credit to the original sources.
• Each main point should be balanced: i.e. you should spend roughly the same amount of time on each main point.
• Between your main points, you should include transitions that help the listeners understand how the ideas relate to one another.

Conclusion:

• Thesis restatement – remind the audience of your presentation topic and purpose.
• Main point review – remind the audience of your main points (in the order in which they appeared in your presentation).
• Clincher statement – leave the audience with something to think about regarding your presentation.

5. Effectively deliver your presentation. 

Along with content and structure, delivery can either enhance or detract from achieving your goal. We have all attended presentations in which the presenter’s delivery style either enhanced our learning or was so distracting that we stopped listening. The following lists several basic things to consider when delivering your presentation:

• Wear appropriate and comfortable clothing.
• Maintain good eye contact with your audience during at least 90% of your presentation.
• Use the space provided – don’t just stand in one spot.
• Use hand gestures that are appropriate.
• Use your voice and facial expressions.
• Portray confidence.
• Smile when appropriate.
• Eliminate distracting behaviors (repetitive gestures, chewing gum, verbal tics, etc.).
• Don’t just read your speech off of your paper, outline, or note cards; speak in a conversational style.
• Face the audience and not the screen.
• Don’t read off the screen.
• Ensure that your slideshow is visually pleasing – easy to read with few distracting elements.
• Ensure that your slideshow is free from errors.

6. Practice, practice, practice.

An important component of effective presentation delivery is practice. Determine the practice method that works best for you (in front of a mirror, in front of a friend, in the room where you will be delivering your presentation, etc.). Consider practicing several days before delivering your presentation. The more you practice, the more confident you will be with your content, organization, and delivery methods.

7. Dealing with speech anxiety.

Almost everyone experiences some level of speech anxiety when delivering a presentation. Effective presenters are those who use that energy to help them in their efforts. Consider the following when managing your speech anxiety before and/or during your presentation:

• Practice helps lessen speech anxiety.
• Don’t let negative self-talk undermine your efforts. Instead, turn those negative messages – like “I’m going to embarrass myself” or “I’m going to fall” – into positive messages – like “I’m going to be successful” and “I am poised and self-confident.
• Visualize your success.
• Remember to breathe.
• Pretend you’re confident.
• Remember that your audience wants you to be successful.
• Drink water prior to delivering your presentation to avoid a dry mouth/throat.
• Remember that the audience will likely not notice your anxiety.

Whether you are a college student or a working professional, this checklist outlines basic strategies you should consider when designing and delivering an effective presentation. In addition to this checklist, you are encouraged to investigate the many resources and tools in the library and on the internet that can aid you in your efforts. Similar to other skills (athletics, singing, acting, canoeing, etc.), the more experience you have delivering presentations, the more effective you will be.

By Kevin D. Thompson, Ph.D. Last updated October 2016 by Allison Haas, M.A.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

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

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

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

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• v.17(12); 2021 Dec

Ten simple rules for effective presentation slides

Kristen m. naegle.

Biomedical Engineering and the Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America

Introduction

The “presentation slide” is the building block of all academic presentations, whether they are journal clubs, thesis committee meetings, short conference talks, or hour-long seminars. A slide is a single page projected on a screen, usually built on the premise of a title, body, and figures or tables and includes both what is shown and what is spoken about that slide. Multiple slides are strung together to tell the larger story of the presentation. While there have been excellent 10 simple rules on giving entire presentations [ 1 , 2 ], there was an absence in the fine details of how to design a slide for optimal effect—such as the design elements that allow slides to convey meaningful information, to keep the audience engaged and informed, and to deliver the information intended and in the time frame allowed. As all research presentations seek to teach, effective slide design borrows from the same principles as effective teaching, including the consideration of cognitive processing your audience is relying on to organize, process, and retain information. This is written for anyone who needs to prepare slides from any length scale and for most purposes of conveying research to broad audiences. The rules are broken into 3 primary areas. Rules 1 to 5 are about optimizing the scope of each slide. Rules 6 to 8 are about principles around designing elements of the slide. Rules 9 to 10 are about preparing for your presentation, with the slides as the central focus of that preparation.

Rule 1: Include only one idea per slide

Each slide should have one central objective to deliver—the main idea or question [ 3 – 5 ]. Often, this means breaking complex ideas down into manageable pieces (see Fig 1 , where “background” information has been split into 2 key concepts). In another example, if you are presenting a complex computational approach in a large flow diagram, introduce it in smaller units, building it up until you finish with the entire diagram. The progressive buildup of complex information means that audiences are prepared to understand the whole picture, once you have dedicated time to each of the parts. You can accomplish the buildup of components in several ways—for example, using presentation software to cover/uncover information. Personally, I choose to create separate slides for each piece of information content I introduce—where the final slide has the entire diagram, and I use cropping or a cover on duplicated slides that come before to hide what I’m not yet ready to include. I use this method in order to ensure that each slide in my deck truly presents one specific idea (the new content) and the amount of the new information on that slide can be described in 1 minute (Rule 2), but it comes with the trade-off—a change to the format of one of the slides in the series often means changes to all slides.

Top left: A background slide that describes the background material on a project from my lab. The slide was created using a PowerPoint Design Template, which had to be modified to increase default text sizes for this figure (i.e., the default text sizes are even worse than shown here). Bottom row: The 2 new slides that break up the content into 2 explicit ideas about the background, using a central graphic. In the first slide, the graphic is an explicit example of the SH2 domain of PI3-kinase interacting with a phosphorylation site (Y754) on the PDGFR to describe the important details of what an SH2 domain and phosphotyrosine ligand are and how they interact. I use that same graphic in the second slide to generalize all binding events and include redundant text to drive home the central message (a lot of possible interactions might occur in the human proteome, more than we can currently measure). Top right highlights which rules were used to move from the original slide to the new slide. Specific changes as highlighted by Rule 7 include increasing contrast by changing the background color, increasing font size, changing to sans serif fonts, and removing all capital text and underlining (using bold to draw attention). PDGFR, platelet-derived growth factor receptor.

Rule 2: Spend only 1 minute per slide

When you present your slide in the talk, it should take 1 minute or less to discuss. This rule is really helpful for planning purposes—a 20-minute presentation should have somewhere around 20 slides. Also, frequently giving your audience new information to feast on helps keep them engaged. During practice, if you find yourself spending more than a minute on a slide, there’s too much for that one slide—it’s time to break up the content into multiple slides or even remove information that is not wholly central to the story you are trying to tell. Reduce, reduce, reduce, until you get to a single message, clearly described, which takes less than 1 minute to present.

Rule 3: Make use of your heading

When each slide conveys only one message, use the heading of that slide to write exactly the message you are trying to deliver. Instead of titling the slide “Results,” try “CTNND1 is central to metastasis” or “False-positive rates are highly sample specific.” Use this landmark signpost to ensure that all the content on that slide is related exactly to the heading and only the heading. Think of the slide heading as the introductory or concluding sentence of a paragraph and the slide content the rest of the paragraph that supports the main point of the paragraph. An audience member should be able to follow along with you in the “paragraph” and come to the same conclusion sentence as your header at the end of the slide.

Rule 4: Include only essential points

While you are speaking, audience members’ eyes and minds will be wandering over your slide. If you have a comment, detail, or figure on a slide, have a plan to explicitly identify and talk about it. If you don’t think it’s important enough to spend time on, then don’t have it on your slide. This is especially important when faculty are present. I often tell students that thesis committee members are like cats: If you put a shiny bauble in front of them, they’ll go after it. Be sure to only put the shiny baubles on slides that you want them to focus on. Putting together a thesis meeting for only faculty is really an exercise in herding cats (if you have cats, you know this is no easy feat). Clear and concise slide design will go a long way in helping you corral those easily distracted faculty members.

Rule 5: Give credit, where credit is due

An exception to Rule 4 is to include proper citations or references to work on your slide. When adding citations, names of other researchers, or other types of credit, use a consistent style and method for adding this information to your slides. Your audience will then be able to easily partition this information from the other content. A common mistake people make is to think “I’ll add that reference later,” but I highly recommend you put the proper reference on the slide at the time you make it, before you forget where it came from. Finally, in certain kinds of presentations, credits can make it clear who did the work. For the faculty members heading labs, it is an effective way to connect your audience with the personnel in the lab who did the work, which is a great career booster for that person. For graduate students, it is an effective way to delineate your contribution to the work, especially in meetings where the goal is to establish your credentials for meeting the rigors of a PhD checkpoint.

Rule 6: Use graphics effectively

As a rule, you should almost never have slides that only contain text. Build your slides around good visualizations. It is a visual presentation after all, and as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. However, on the flip side, don’t muddy the point of the slide by putting too many complex graphics on a single slide. A multipanel figure that you might include in a manuscript should often be broken into 1 panel per slide (see Rule 1 ). One way to ensure that you use the graphics effectively is to make a point to introduce the figure and its elements to the audience verbally, especially for data figures. For example, you might say the following: “This graph here shows the measured false-positive rate for an experiment and each point is a replicate of the experiment, the graph demonstrates …” If you have put too much on one slide to present in 1 minute (see Rule 2 ), then the complexity or number of the visualizations is too much for just one slide.

Rule 7: Design to avoid cognitive overload

The type of slide elements, the number of them, and how you present them all impact the ability for the audience to intake, organize, and remember the content. For example, a frequent mistake in slide design is to include full sentences, but reading and verbal processing use the same cognitive channels—therefore, an audience member can either read the slide, listen to you, or do some part of both (each poorly), as a result of cognitive overload [ 4 ]. The visual channel is separate, allowing images/videos to be processed with auditory information without cognitive overload [ 6 ] (Rule 6). As presentations are an exercise in listening, and not reading, do what you can to optimize the ability of the audience to listen. Use words sparingly as “guide posts” to you and the audience about major points of the slide. In fact, you can add short text fragments, redundant with the verbal component of the presentation, which has been shown to improve retention [ 7 ] (see Fig 1 for an example of redundant text that avoids cognitive overload). Be careful in the selection of a slide template to minimize accidentally adding elements that the audience must process, but are unimportant. David JP Phillips argues (and effectively demonstrates in his TEDx talk [ 5 ]) that the human brain can easily interpret 6 elements and more than that requires a 500% increase in human cognition load—so keep the total number of elements on the slide to 6 or less. Finally, in addition to the use of short text, white space, and the effective use of graphics/images, you can improve ease of cognitive processing further by considering color choices and font type and size. Here are a few suggestions for improving the experience for your audience, highlighting the importance of these elements for some specific groups:

• Use high contrast colors and simple backgrounds with low to no color—for persons with dyslexia or visual impairment.
• Use sans serif fonts and large font sizes (including figure legends), avoid italics, underlining (use bold font instead for emphasis), and all capital letters—for persons with dyslexia or visual impairment [ 8 ].
• Use color combinations and palettes that can be understood by those with different forms of color blindness [ 9 ]. There are excellent tools available to identify colors to use and ways to simulate your presentation or figures as they might be seen by a person with color blindness (easily found by a web search).
• In this increasing world of virtual presentation tools, consider practicing your talk with a closed captioning system capture your words. Use this to identify how to improve your speaking pace, volume, and annunciation to improve understanding by all members of your audience, but especially those with a hearing impairment.

Rule 8: Design the slide so that a distracted person gets the main takeaway

It is very difficult to stay focused on a presentation, especially if it is long or if it is part of a longer series of talks at a conference. Audience members may get distracted by an important email, or they may start dreaming of lunch. So, it’s important to look at your slide and ask “If they heard nothing I said, will they understand the key concept of this slide?” The other rules are set up to help with this, including clarity of the single point of the slide (Rule 1), titling it with a major conclusion (Rule 3), and the use of figures (Rule 6) and short text redundant to your verbal description (Rule 7). However, with each slide, step back and ask whether its main conclusion is conveyed, even if someone didn’t hear your accompanying dialog. Importantly, ask if the information on the slide is at the right level of abstraction. For example, do you have too many details about the experiment, which hides the conclusion of the experiment (i.e., breaking Rule 1)? If you are worried about not having enough details, keep a slide at the end of your slide deck (after your conclusions and acknowledgments) with the more detailed information that you can refer to during a question and answer period.

Rule 9: Iteratively improve slide design through practice

Well-designed slides that follow the first 8 rules are intended to help you deliver the message you intend and in the amount of time you intend to deliver it in. The best way to ensure that you nailed slide design for your presentation is to practice, typically a lot. The most important aspects of practicing a new presentation, with an eye toward slide design, are the following 2 key points: (1) practice to ensure that you hit, each time through, the most important points (for example, the text guide posts you left yourself and the title of the slide); and (2) practice to ensure that as you conclude the end of one slide, it leads directly to the next slide. Slide transitions, what you say as you end one slide and begin the next, are important to keeping the flow of the “story.” Practice is when I discover that the order of my presentation is poor or that I left myself too few guideposts to remember what was coming next. Additionally, during practice, the most frequent things I have to improve relate to Rule 2 (the slide takes too long to present, usually because I broke Rule 1, and I’m delivering too much information for one slide), Rule 4 (I have a nonessential detail on the slide), and Rule 5 (I forgot to give a key reference). The very best type of practice is in front of an audience (for example, your lab or peers), where, with fresh perspectives, they can help you identify places for improving slide content, design, and connections across the entirety of your talk.

Rule 10: Design to mitigate the impact of technical disasters

The real presentation almost never goes as we planned in our heads or during our practice. Maybe the speaker before you went over time and now you need to adjust. Maybe the computer the organizer is having you use won’t show your video. Maybe your internet is poor on the day you are giving a virtual presentation at a conference. Technical problems are routinely part of the practice of sharing your work through presentations. Hence, you can design your slides to limit the impact certain kinds of technical disasters create and also prepare alternate approaches. Here are just a few examples of the preparation you can do that will take you a long way toward avoiding a complete fiasco:

• Save your presentation as a PDF—if the version of Keynote or PowerPoint on a host computer cause issues, you still have a functional copy that has a higher guarantee of compatibility.
• In using videos, create a backup slide with screen shots of key results. For example, if I have a video of cell migration, I’ll be sure to have a copy of the start and end of the video, in case the video doesn’t play. Even if the video worked, you can pause on this backup slide and take the time to highlight the key results in words if someone could not see or understand the video.
• Avoid animations, such as figures or text that flash/fly-in/etc. Surveys suggest that no one likes movement in presentations [ 3 , 4 ]. There is likely a cognitive underpinning to the almost universal distaste of pointless animations that relates to the idea proposed by Kosslyn and colleagues that animations are salient perceptual units that captures direct attention [ 4 ]. Although perceptual salience can be used to draw attention to and improve retention of specific points, if you use this approach for unnecessary/unimportant things (like animation of your bullet point text, fly-ins of figures, etc.), then you will distract your audience from the important content. Finally, animations cause additional processing burdens for people with visual impairments [ 10 ] and create opportunities for technical disasters if the software on the host system is not compatible with your planned animation.

Conclusions

These rules are just a start in creating more engaging presentations that increase audience retention of your material. However, there are wonderful resources on continuing on the journey of becoming an amazing public speaker, which includes understanding the psychology and neuroscience behind human perception and learning. For example, as highlighted in Rule 7, David JP Phillips has a wonderful TEDx talk on the subject [ 5 ], and “PowerPoint presentation flaws and failures: A psychological analysis,” by Kosslyn and colleagues is deeply detailed about a number of aspects of human cognition and presentation style [ 4 ]. There are many books on the topic, including the popular “Presentation Zen” by Garr Reynolds [ 11 ]. Finally, although briefly touched on here, the visualization of data is an entire topic of its own that is worth perfecting for both written and oral presentations of work, with fantastic resources like Edward Tufte’s “The Visual Display of Quantitative Information” [ 12 ] or the article “Visualization of Biomedical Data” by O’Donoghue and colleagues [ 13 ].

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the countless presenters, colleagues, students, and mentors from which I have learned a great deal from on effective presentations. Also, a thank you to the wonderful resources published by organizations on how to increase inclusivity. A special thanks to Dr. Jason Papin and Dr. Michael Guertin on early feedback of this editorial.

Funding Statement

The author received no specific funding for this work.

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Complete Guide for Effective Presentations, with Examples

July 9, 2018 - Dom Barnard

During a presentation you aim to look confident, enthusiastic and natural. You’ll need more than good words and content to achieve this – your delivery plays a significant part. In this article, we discuss various techniques that can be used to deliver an effective presentation.

Effective presentations

Think about if you were in the audience, what would:

• Get you to focus and listen
• Make you understand
• Activate your imagination
• Persuade you

Providing the audience with interesting information is not enough to achieve these aims – you need to ensure that the way you present is stimulating and engaging. If it’s not, you’ll lose the audience’s interest and they’ll stop listening.

Tips for an Effective Presentation

Professional public speakers spend hours creating and practicing presentations. These are the delivery techniques they consider:

Keep it simple

You shouldn’t overwhelm your audience with information – ensure that you’re clear, concise and that you get to the point so they can understand your message.

Have a maximum of  three main points  and state them at the beginning, before you explain them in more depth, and then state them at the end so the audience will at least remember these points.

If some of your content doesn’t contribute to your key message then cut it out. Also avoid using too many statistics and technical terminology.

Connect with your audience

One of the greatest difficulties when delivering a presentation is connecting with the audience. If you don’t  connect with them  it will seem as though you’re talking to an empty room.

Trying to make contact with the audience makes them feel like they’re part of the presentation which encourages them to listen and it shows that you want to speak to them.

Eye contact and smile

Avoiding eye contact is uncomfortable because it make you look insecure. When you  maintain eye contact  the audience feels like you’re speaking to them personally. If this is something you struggle with, try looking at people’s foreheads as it gives the impression of making eye contact.

Try to cover all sections of the audience and don’t move on to the next person too quickly as you will look nervous.

Smiling also helps with rapport and it reduces your nerves because you’ll feel less like you’re talking to group of faceless people. Make sure you don’t turn the lights down too much before your presentation so you can all clearly see each other.

Body language

Be aware of your body language and use it to connect:

• Keep your arms uncrossed so your  body language is more open .
• Match your facial expressions with what you’re saying.
• Avoid fidgeting and displaying nervous habits, such as, rocking on your feet.
• You may need to glance at the computer slide or a visual aid but make sure you predominantly face the audience.
• Emphasise points by using hand gestures but use them sparingly – too little and they’ll awkwardly sit at your side, too much and you’ll be distracting and look nervous.
• Vary your gestures so you don’t look robotic.
• Maintain a straight posture.
• Be aware of  cultural differences .

Move around

Avoid standing behind the lectern or computer because you need to reduce the distance and barriers between yourself and the audience.  Use movement  to increase the audience’s interest and make it easier to follow your presentation.

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

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

Watch 3 examples of good and bad movement while presenting

Example: Movement while presenting

Your movement at the front of the class and amongst the listeners can help with engagement. Think about which of these three speakers maintains the attention of their audience for longer, and what they are doing differently to each other.

Speak with the audience

You can conduct polls using your audience or ask questions to make them think and feel invested in your presentation. There are three different types of questions:

Direct questions require an answer: “What would you do in this situation?” These are mentally stimulating for the audience. You can pass a microphone around and let the audience come to your desired solution.

Rhetorical questions  do not require answers, they are often used to emphasises an idea or point: “Is the Pope catholic?

Loaded questions contain an unjustified assumption made to prompt the audience into providing a particular answer which you can then correct to support your point: You may ask “Why does your wonderful company have such a low incidence of mental health problems?” The audience will generally answer that they’re happy.

After receiving the answers you could then say “Actually it’s because people are still unwilling and too embarrassed to seek help for mental health issues at work etc.”

Be specific with your language

Make the audience feel as though you are speaking to each member individually by using “you” and “your.”

For example: asking “Do you want to lose weight without feeling hungry?” would be more effective than asking “Does anyone here want to lost weight without feeling hungry?” when delivering your presentation. You can also increase solidarity by using “we”, “us” etc – it makes the audience think “we’re in this together”.

Be flexible

Be prepared to adapt to the situation at the time, for example, if the audience seems bored you can omit details and go through the material faster, if they are confused then you will need to come up with more examples on the spot for clarification. This doesn’t mean that you weren’t prepared because you can’t predict everything.

Vocal variety

How you say something is just as is important as the content of your speech – arguably, more so.

For example, if an individual presented on a topic very enthusiastically the audience would probably enjoy this compared to someone who covered more points but mumbled into their notes.

• Adapt your voice  depending on what are you’re saying – if you want to highlight something then raise your voice or lower it for intensity. Communicate emotion by using your voice.
• Avoid speaking in monotone as you will look uninterested and the audience will lose interest.
• Take time to pronounce every word carefully.
• Raise your pitch when asking questions and lower it when you want to sound severe.
• Sound enthusiastic – the more you sound like you care about the topic, the more the audience will listen. Smiling and pace can help with this.
• Speak loudly and clearly – think about projecting your voice to the back of the room.
• Speak at a  pace that’s easy to follow . If you’re too fast or too slow it will be difficult for the audience to understand what you’re saying and it’s also frustrating. Subtly fasten the pace to show enthusiasm and slow down for emphasis, thoughtfulness or caution.

Prior to the presentation, ensure that you  prepare your vocal chords :

• You could read aloud a book that requires vocal variety, such as, a children’s book.
• Avoid dairy and eating or drinking anything too sugary beforehand as mucus can build-up leading to frequent throat clearing.
• Don’t drink anything too cold before you present as this can constrict your throat which affects vocal quality.
• Some people suggest a warm cup of tea beforehand to relax the throat.

Practice Presentation Skills

Improve your public speaking and presentation skills by practicing them in realistic environments, with automated feedback on performance. Learn More

Pause to breathe

When you’re anxious your breathing will become quick and shallow which will affect the control you have on your voice. This can consequently make you feel more nervous. You want to breathe steadily and deeply so before you start speaking take some deep breaths or implement controlled breathing.

Controlled breathing is a common technique that helps slow down your breathing to normal thus reducing your anxiety. If you think this may be useful practice with these steps:

• Sit down in an upright position as it easier for your lungs to fill with air
• Breathe in through your nose and into your abdomen for four seconds
• Hold this breathe for two seconds
• Breathe out through your nose for six seconds
• Wait a few seconds before inhaling and repeating the cycle

It takes practice to master this technique but once you get used to it you may want to implement it directly before your presentation.

Completely filling your lungs during a pause will ensure you reach a greater vocal range.

During the presentation delivery, if you notice that you’re speaking too quickly then pause and breathe. This won’t look strange – it will appear as though you’re giving thought to what you’re saying. You can also strategically plan some of your pauses, such as after questions and at the end of sections, because this will give you a chance to calm down and it will also give the audience an opportunity to think and reflect.

Pausing will also help you  avoid filler words , such as, “um” as well which can make you sound unsure.

• 10 Effective Ways to use Pauses in your Speech

Strong opening

The first five minutes are  vital to engage the audience  and get them listening to you. You could start with a story to highlight why your topic is significant.

For example, if the topic is on the benefits of pets on physical and psychological health, you could present a story or a study about an individual whose quality of life significantly improved after being given a dog. The audience is more likely to respond better to this and remember this story than a list of facts.

Example: Which presentation intro keeps you engaged?

Watch 5 different presentation introductions, from both virtual and in-person events. Notice how it can only take a few seconds to decide if you want to keep listening or switch off. For the good introductions, what about them keeps you engaged?

More experienced and confident public speakers use humour in their presentations. The audience will be incredibly engaged if you make them laugh but caution must be exercised when using humour because a joke can be misinterpreted and even offend the audience.

Only use jokes if you’re confident with this technique, it has been successful in the past and it’s suitable for the situation.

Stories and anecdotes

Use stories whenever you can and judge whether you can tell a story about yourself because the audience are even more interested in seeing the human side of you.

Consider telling a story about a mistake you made, for example, perhaps you froze up during an important presentation when you were 25, or maybe life wasn’t going well for you in the past – if relevant to your presentation’s aim. People will relate to this as we have all experienced mistakes and failures. The more the audience relates to you, the more likely they will remain engaged.

These stories can also be  told in a humorous way  if it makes you feel more comfortable and because you’re disclosing a personal story there is less chance of misinterpretation compared to telling a joke.

Anecdotes are especially valuable for your introduction and between different sections of the presentation because they engage the audience. Ensure that you plan the stories thoroughly beforehand and that they are not too long.

Focus on the audience’s needs

Even though your aim is to persuade the audience, they must also get something helpful from the presentation. Provide the audience with value by giving them useful information, tactics, tips etc. They’re more likely to warm to you and trust you if you’re sharing valuable information with them.

You could also highlight their pain point. For example, you might ask “Have you found it difficult to stick to a healthy diet?” The audience will now want to remain engaged because they want to know the solution and the opportunities that you’re offering.

Use visual aids

Visual aids are items of a visual manner, such as graphs, photographs, video clips etc used in addition to spoken information. Visual aids are chosen depending on their purpose, for example, you may want to:

• Summarise information.
• Reduce the amount of spoken words, for example, you may show a graph of your results rather than reading them out.
• Clarify and show examples.
• Create more of an impact. You must consider what type of impact you want to make beforehand – do you want the audience to be sad, happy, angry etc?
• Emphasise what you’re saying.
• Make a point memorable.
• Enhance your credibility.
• Engage the audience and maintain their interest.
• Make something easier for the audience to understand.

Some general tips for  using visual aids :

• Think about how can a visual aid can support your message. What do you want the audience to do?
• Ensure that your visual aid follows what you’re saying or this will confuse the audience.
• Avoid cluttering the image as it may look messy and unclear.
• Visual aids must be clear, concise and of a high quality.
• Keep the style consistent, such as, the same font, colours, positions etc
• Use graphs and charts to present data.
• The audience should not be trying to read and listen at the same time – use visual aids to highlight your points.
• One message per visual aid, for example, on a slide there should only be one key point.
• Use visual aids in moderation – they are additions meant to emphasise and support main points.
• Ensure that your presentation still works without your visual aids in case of technical problems.

10-20-30 slideshow rule

Slideshows are widely used for presentations because it’s easy to create attractive and professional presentations using them. Guy Kawasaki, an entrepreneur and author, suggests that slideshows should  follow a 10-20-30 rule :

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

If you want to give the audience more information you can provide them with partially completed handouts or give them the handouts after you’ve delivered the presentation.

Keep a drink nearby

Have something to drink when you’re on stage, preferably water at room temperature. This will help maintain your vocal quality and having a sip is a subtle way of introducing pauses.

Practice, practice, practice

If you are very familiar with the content of your presentation, your audience will perceive you as confident and you’ll be more persuasive.

• Don’t just read the presentation through – practice everything,  including your transitions  and using your visual aids.
• Stand up and speak it aloud, in an engaging manner, as though you were presenting to an audience.
• Ensure that you practice your body language and gesturing.
• Use VR to  practice in a realistic environment .
• Practice in front of others and get their feedback.
• Freely improvise so you’ll sound more natural on the day. Don’t learn your presentation verbatim because you will sound uninterested and if you lose focus then you may forget everything.
• Create cards to use as cues – one card should be used for one key idea. Write down brief notes or key words and ensure that the cards are physically connected so the order cannot be lost. Visual prompts can also be used as cues.

This video shows how you can practice presentations in virtual reality. See our  VR training courses .

Two courses where you can practice your presentations in interactive exercises:

• Essential Public Speaking
• How to Present over Video

Try these different presentation delivery methods to see which ones you prefer and which need to be improved. The most important factor is to feel comfortable during the presentation as the delivery is likely to be better.

Remember that the audience are generally on your side – they want you to do well so present with confidence.

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How to give a good presentation

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

Anete Ezera April 27, 2023

Presenting in front of an audience, whether a small group of colleagues at work, a classroom full of students, or an audience of potential investors for your personal project, can be a nerve-wracking experience. The pressure to convey your ideas clearly, engage your audience, and make a lasting impression can feel overwhelming. However, with the right preparation and approach, you can confidently deliver a good presentation that captivates your audience and achieves your desired outcomes.

In this article, we will delve into seven key elements that are essential for giving a good presentation. These elements encompass both the preparation and delivery aspects of presenting, ensuring that you are thoroughly prepared and equipped to deliver a compelling presentation. From understanding your audience and creating a strong structure to incorporating effective design practices and storytelling techniques, we’ll provide you with practical tips and strategies to develop good presentation skills. With these key elements in your arsenal, you will be well on your way to giving a presentation that makes a lasting impact.

If you’d like to watch a video on how to give a good presentation featuring a Prezi Video presentation template , check it out here:

What makes a good presentation

Before we dive into the seven key elements of a good presentation, let’s first explore what initially makes a good presentation.

As a matter of fact, what makes a good presentation is a combination of several components. First, it should be well-prepared, with thorough research on the audience and tailored content that is relevant and engaging. A survey by the National Speakers Association revealed that 74% of audiences pay closer attention to presentations that are tailored to their needs and interests. This emphasizes the importance of researching the audience to understand their preferences, expectations, and knowledge level and creating content that aligns with these factors.

Another key element to a good presentation is a strong structure with a clear beginning, middle, and end helps to keep the presentation organized and easy to follow. The Serial Position Effect , a concept from memory research, proves this point. It indicates that people tend to remember information presented at the beginning and end of a sequence better than information presented in the middle. By structuring a presentation with a clear beginning and end, the presenter can take advantage of this effect and ensure that key points or main messages are more likely to be remembered by the audience. To learn more about how to structure your presentation effectively, watch our video on this topic:

Also, effective design practices, such as visually appealing slides and appropriate use of images and visuals, enhance the overall visual appeal of the presentation. In fact, research has shown that incorporating visual aids into presentations increases their persuasive power by 43% compared to those without visual aids. By utilizing visual aids and spatial relationships to simplify complex ideas and make them accessible, presenters can effectively capture their audience’s attention and keep them engaged throughout the entire presentation. And that’s exactly what a Prezi presentation can offer to you. This also ties in with storytelling, which is another key technique presenters use to deliver good presentations. 

Storytelling techniques, including personal anecdotes and real-life examples, can captivate the audience and make the presentation more memorable. A study by Harvard University found that presenters who use storytelling techniques in their presentations are able to capture and maintain the audience’s attention for longer periods of time, resulting in better overall comprehension and retention of information.

Lastly, practice and rehearsal are crucial for delivering a polished and confident presentation. The more a presenter practices and rehearses, the more confident they become in their presentation skills. Confidence is a key factor in delivering an effective presentation, as it helps the presenter establish credibility and engage the audience. Confidence also allows the presenter to handle unexpected situations, such as technical glitches or difficult questions, with poise and professionalism.

When all these elements come together, it results in a good presentation that leaves a lasting impression on the audience.

How to give a good presentation 

Now that we’ve established what makes a good presentation, explore how you can ensure that your next presentation is set up for success and makes a memorable impact on your audience.

Prepare for Success

Thorough preparation is essential for giving a successful presentation. Start by researching and gathering information on your topic. Dig deep into your subject matter to ensure that you have a solid understanding of the content you’ll be presenting. What you can also do is organize your thoughts and create an outline to guide you through your presentation, using a mind map that you can create on Prezi. This will help you stay focused and ensure that your presentation flows logically from one point to the next. Practice your delivery multiple times to build confidence and identify areas that may need improvement. Rehearsing will also help you manage your time effectively during the actual presentation, allowing you to stay on track and deliver your message with clarity and confidence.

Know Your Audience

Understanding your audience is a critical component of delivering a good presentation that truly resonates with them. Taking the time to thoroughly consider who your audience is and what they are interested in can greatly enhance the impact of your presentation. Start by researching and analyzing your audience demographics, such as their age, education level, professional background, and interests. Also, consider their prior knowledge and familiarity with your topic, as well as their expectations and goals for attending your presentation.

Once you have a clear understanding of your audience, tailor your content to meet their specific needs and expectations. Use language that is appropriate and understandable to your audience, avoiding jargon or technical terms that may be unfamiliar to them. Craft your message in a way that is relevant and relatable to their interests, concerns, and experiences. This will help you establish a connection with your audience and make your presentation more engaging.

In addition, incorporating relevant examples or anecdotes that your audience can relate to can be highly effective. Real-life examples, case studies, or anecdotes that are relevant to your audience can help illustrate your points and make your content more relatable and memorable. This creates a sense of connection and relevance, as your audience can see how your topic directly applies to their own lives or work.

By connecting with your audience on a personal level, you can captivate their attention and keep them engaged throughout your presentation. When your audience feels that you understand their needs, interests, and expectations, they are more likely to actively participate and remain attentive. Tailoring your content and language to your audience’s preferences and using relatable examples can create a sense of rapport and trust, which enhances the overall impact of your presentation.

Create a Strong Structure

A well-structured presentation is key to keeping your audience engaged from start to finish. Your structure should include an attention-grabbing introduction, a clear and organized body, and a strong and memorable conclusion.

Introduction

Your introduction sets the stage for your entire presentation and presents an opportunity to make a lasting impression on your audience. It’s your chance to captivate their attention right from the start and create a sense of anticipation for what’s to come. To achieve this, start with a hook that grabs their attention and piques their interest.

One effective way to hook your audience is by using a compelling statistic that is relevant to your topic. It can be a surprising fact, a startling figure, or a thought-provoking data point that immediately captures your audience’s attention. This can create a sense of intrigue and curiosity, motivating your audience to lean in and listen attentively to what you have to say. And you don’t need to outsource a data visualization tool to create a visually appealing chart or map – you can use Prezi Design and incorporate charts, graphs, and maps into your presentations like in the example below.

Another effective approach is to start with a thought-provoking question that encourages your audience to reflect and engage with your topic. It can be a rhetorical question that stimulates their curiosity or a direct question that prompts them to think about their own experiences or opinions related to your presentation. This can help establish a connection with your audience and encourage them to actively participate in your presentation.

Alternatively, you can begin your introduction with a powerful quote that is relevant to your topic. A well-chosen quote from a reputable source can instantly grab your audience’s attention and lend credibility to your presentation. It can also evoke emotions or convey a sense of urgency, compelling your audience to sit up and take notice.

In addition to using verbal hooks, visual aids or multimedia can also be effective in creating an attention-grabbing introduction. Incorporate relevant images, videos, or slides that are visually appealing and enhance your message. This can add an element of visual interest and help reinforce your key points.

However, it’s crucial to ensure that your introduction is not only attention-grabbing but also relevant to your topic and sets the tone for the rest of your presentation. It should provide a clear transition into the main content of your presentation and establish the context for what is to follow. This helps your audience understand the purpose of your presentation and sets their expectations for the remainder of your talk.

Discover more ways to start a presentation by watching this video:

Once you have successfully captured your audience’s attention with a compelling introduction, it’s crucial to deliver your main points in a clear and organized manner. This ensures that your audience can easily follow along and grasp the key messages you are conveying. 

Organizing the body of your presentation can be done in different ways, depending on your topic and audience. One common approach is to use a chronological order, where you present your ideas in a sequence that follows a timeline or a sequence of events like in the Prezi presentation below. This can be effective when you are presenting historical information, explaining a process, or discussing the progress of a project or an initiative.

Another approach is to organize your content by priority. This involves presenting your ideas in an order of importance, starting with the most critical or impactful point first and then moving on to the lesser ones. This can be useful when you are discussing a series of ideas or recommendations, and you want to emphasize the most important ones to your audience.

Alternatively, you can organize your content by theme. This involves grouping related ideas together and discussing them in a cohesive manner. This approach is useful when you are presenting different aspects or perspectives of a broader topic, and you want to highlight the connections between them.

Whichever organizational approach you choose, it’s important to use transitions between your ideas to create a smooth flow. Transitions can be in the form of verbal cues or visual aids, such as signposts, that indicate a shift from one idea to another. This helps your audience to follow along easily and understand the logical progression of your presentation.

Visual aids, such as graphs, charts, images, or videos, can be valuable tools to enhance your message and make your content more engaging. They can provide visual representations of complex information, support your key points, and make your content more memorable. However, it’s crucial to be mindful of the pacing of your presentation and avoid overwhelming your audience with too much information. Use visual aids judiciously and ensure they are relevant and supportive of your main message.

Ending your presentation with a memorable conclusion is a crucial opportunity to reinforce your main points and leave a lasting impression on your audience. By summarizing your key messages and tying them together in a cohesive manner, you can create a powerful ending that resonates with your audience.

One effective way to reinforce your main points is to concisely summarize your key messages. This can help reinforce the key takeaways from your presentation and ensure that your audience remembers the most important information. You can also use this opportunity to highlight the significance of your key messages and emphasize their relevance to your audience.

In addition to summarizing your main points, you can also include a call to action in your conclusion. This can be a specific next step that you want your audience to take after your presentation, such as signing up for a newsletter, visiting a website, or taking action on a particular issue. 

Furthermore, you can offer a final thought or reflection in your conclusion. This can be a powerful way to leave a lasting impression on your audience and encourage them to reflect on the content of your presentation. 

To make your conclusion even more impactful, consider using visual aids or multimedia. Visuals such as images, icons, stickers, GIFs, and more can add an extra layer of engagement and creativity to your conclusion, all of which you can find in Prezi’s media library. 

Use the best design practices

The visual aspect of your presentation is crucial in creating a memorable and engaging experience for your audience. Follow these best design practices to ensure that your presentation is visually appealing and effective:

Easy to read and understand

When creating your presentation, it’s essential to ensure that you use a legible font size and style. Choosing a font that is easy to read, even from a distance, can greatly enhance the clarity of your content. Additionally, leaving ample space between elements and text is crucial to avoid a cramped and cluttered appearance. This allows your audience to easily process the information without feeling overwhelmed. Opting for a clean and simple layout that logically organizes your content can further aid in comprehension. Avoid unnecessary elements or distracting visuals that may divert your audience’s attention from the main message. Clutter can hinder the audience’s ability to understand your content, so it’s best to keep the design minimalistic and focused. By following these guidelines, you can create a visually appealing and effective presentation that effectively conveys your message to your audience.

In the realm of design, the principle of “less is more” holds true. Embracing simplicity and minimalism can result in a more impactful and effective presentation. One effective strategy is to remove unnecessary design elements that don’t contribute to the main points of your content. By doing so, you can streamline your visuals and direct your audience’s attention to the key information you want to convey.

Consistency is also key in design. Choosing a harmonious color scheme that complements your content and aligns with your brand or message can enhance the visual coherence of your presentation. Avoid using too many colors or conflicting color combinations that can be distracting or overwhelming. Keeping your visual aids clean and uncluttered, with ample whitespace, can help create a sense of balance and ease of comprehension.

A simple and visually appealing design can greatly assist in conveying your message. It allows your audience to focus on the content without unnecessary distractions. A clutter-free design can also help in improving information retention, as it makes it easier for your audience to absorb and retain the key points of your presentation.

Storytelling

One effective way to elevate your presentation to the next level is by incorporating a motion-based presentation tool like Prezi. Prezi offers a unique and dynamic way to illustrate the connections between different ideas, creating a visually captivating and engaging storytelling experience. By utilizing motion, zooming, and panning effects, you can create a seamless flow of content that guides your audience through your presentation with fluidity and purpose.

A motion-based presentation can be particularly valuable when explaining complex concepts or showcasing intricate relationships between ideas. It provides a visually appealing way to showcase the relationships, patterns, and interactions between different elements, making it easier for your audience to grasp the content and retain the information. 

In addition to the visual benefits, a motion-based presentation also allows you to inject your own personal style and creativity into your presentation. You can customize the motion paths, zoom levels, and transitions to create a unique and memorable visual experience that aligns with your content and delivery style. This can help you stand out from traditional slide-based presentations and create a lasting impression on your audience.

Visual Aids

Visual aids are an invaluable tool in presentations as they can greatly enhance the impact and effectiveness of your content. Whether it’s charts, graphs, images, or videos, strategic use of visual aids can add depth and clarity to your presentation, making it more engaging and memorable for your audience.

When using visual aids, it’s essential to ensure they are relevant to your content and directly support your main message. Choose visual aids that complement your presentation goals and help clarify complex information or concepts. For example, using charts and graphs to present data can provide a visual representation that is easier to understand and interpret than raw numbers.

However, it’s important to strike a balance and avoid using too many visual aids that may overwhelm or distract your audience. Too many visuals can cause sensory overload and detract from your main message. Instead, use visual aids selectively and purposefully, focusing on those that directly support your key points and enhance audience understanding.

Engage Your Audience

Engaging your audience is critical to keeping their attention and making your presentation memorable. Use the following techniques to actively involve your audience during your presentation:

Questions and polls

By actively involving your audience in the presentation process, you can encourage their participation and keep them engaged throughout.

Asking questions can be a powerful tool to gauge your audience’s understanding of the content you are presenting. You can ask open-ended questions that require thoughtful responses or closed-ended questions that prompt quick answers. This not only allows you to assess their comprehension of the material but also encourages them to actively think about the topic and participate in the discussion.

It’s also important to create a supportive and inclusive environment where participants feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions. Encourage them to ask questions, provide feedback, and actively participate in the discussion. Acknowledge and appreciate their contributions, and use their feedback to further enhance your presentation.

Interactivity

Incorporating interactive elements into your presentation can elevate your content to a whole new level by actively involving your audience in the learning process. By going beyond traditional lecture-style delivery, you can create a dynamic and engaging experience that resonates with your audience and leaves a lasting impression.

One effective interactive element is demonstrations. Showcasing practical examples or demonstrations of concepts, products, or processes can help your audience visualize how things work in real life. This hands-on approach allows them to see your content in action, making it more tangible and relatable. You can use props, visual aids, or multimedia tools to enhance your demonstrations and create a memorable experience for your audience.

Group activities are another powerful interactive element that promotes active participation and collaboration. Break your audience into smaller groups and assign them tasks or activities related to your content. This could include brainstorming sessions, role-plays, simulations, or problem-solving exercises.

Case studies are yet another valuable interactive element that can bring real-world relevance to your content. Presenting relevant case studies or scenarios that reflect the challenges and opportunities your audience may face can help them apply your content to practical situations. 

Incorporating interactive elements into your presentation not only makes it more engaging and relevant but also fosters active learning, enhances retention, and encourages audience participation. 

Eye contact and body language

Maintaining eye contact with your audience is a powerful communication technique that helps establish a connection and build rapport. When you make direct eye contact with individuals in your audience, you convey confidence, sincerity, and respect. It shows that you are present and attentive and that you value their attention and participation.

In addition to eye contact, your body language plays a crucial role in projecting confidence and engagement during your presentation. Stand tall and maintain a good posture, as it conveys confidence and authority. Avoid slouching or fidgeting, as it can detract from your message. Use purposeful hand gestures to emphasize key points or to illustrate concepts, as they can add dynamism and expressiveness to your presentation. If applicable, move around the stage or the room to engage with different parts of the audience and create a connection with everyone in the room.

Confident body language also includes facial expressions, tone of voice, and overall energy. Smile genuinely and use a warm and friendly tone of voice to create a positive and approachable presence. Show enthusiasm and passion for your topic through your gestures, facial expressions, and vocal intonation. Your energy and enthusiasm can be contagious and can help keep your audience engaged and attentive.

Storytelling is a powerful tool that can make your presentation more relatable and compelling to your audience. By incorporating storytelling techniques, such as sharing anecdotes, case studies, or personal experiences, you can create a narrative that resonates with your audience on an emotional level and helps them connect with your content.

When using storytelling techniques, it’s important to keep in mind the purpose and relevance of the stories you share. Ensure that your stories directly support your main message and contribute to the overall flow and coherence of your presentation. 

Manage nerves and handle questions

Managing nerves and handling questions effectively are crucial skills for a successful presentation. Here are some tips on how to not be nervous for a presentation .

Practice, practice, practice

As you devote more time to practicing, honing your skills, and refining your presentation, you will notice a tangible increase in your self-assurance. The process of rehearsing your content, timing, and delivery multiple times is essential for building a robust sense of confidence and reducing any lingering nervousness that may arise. The more effort you put into practice, the more comfortable and prepared you will feel when it comes time to deliver your presentation. So, don’t hesitate to invest ample time and energy into rehearsing, as it will undoubtedly pay off in terms of boosting your confidence and ensuring a successful presentation.

Prepare for questions

Anticipating potential questions and crafting thoughtful and concise answers is a crucial step in preparing for your presentation. By considering the possible inquiries that your audience may have, you can proactively address them, demonstrating your expertise and preparedness. 

Take the time to thoroughly research and gather information to ensure that your responses are accurate and relevant. When the time comes for questions during or after your presentation, remain open and approachable, encouraging audience participation. 

Responding with confidence and professionalism will not only showcase your knowledge but also establish your credibility as a speaker. Plus, your ability to handle questions with confidence and professionalism will leave a lasting impression on your audience and enhance the overall effectiveness of your presentation.

Stay calm and composed

Feeling nervous during a presentation is entirely normal, but there are strategies you can employ to manage those nerves and deliver a confident performance. One effective technique is to take deep breaths, allowing yourself to inhale deeply and exhale slowly to calm your nerves and regulate your breathing. Remember to breathe from your diaphragm, as this can help you relax and maintain a steady voice.

In addition to deep breathing, remind yourself that you are the expert on your topic. You have put in the time and effort to research and prepare for this presentation, and you are well-equipped to share your knowledge with your audience. Embrace the confidence that comes with being knowledgeable about your subject matter, and let that knowledge guide your delivery.

During the presentation, if you are faced with questions that catch you off guard or make you feel anxious, take a moment to pause and gather your thoughts. Don’t rush to respond, as this can result in hasty and incomplete answers. Instead, take a deep breath, maintain eye contact with the questioner, and thoughtfully compose your response. If needed, ask for clarification or repeat the question to ensure you fully understand it before responding.

If you want to learn more about how to give a good presentation without being nervous, watch the following video: 

In the event that you encounter a question during your presentation for which you do not know the answer, it’s important to prioritize honesty and transparency. Resist the urge to guess or provide inaccurate information, as this can undermine your credibility as a presenter. Instead, be upfront and candid with your audience, acknowledging that you don’t have the answer at the moment.

A professional approach in such situations is to offer to follow up later with the correct information. You can assure the questioner that you will make the effort to research and verify the accurate response after the presentation, and then provide it to them in a timely manner. This demonstrates your commitment to accuracy and your dedication to providing reliable information to your audience.

By being honest and transparent about not knowing the answer, you uphold your integrity as a presenter and maintain the trust of your audience. It’s far better to admit when you don’t have the information rather than provide incorrect or misleading answers that can lead to confusion or misinformation.

Stay Positive and Confident

Lastly, stay positive and confident throughout your presentation. Believe in your content and your ability to deliver it effectively. Keep a positive attitude, smile, and connect with your audience. Remember, confidence is contagious, and a confident and positive presenter is more likely to captivate their audience and deliver a successful presentation.

In conclusion, giving a good presentation goes beyond just having great content. It requires careful planning, understanding your audience, creating a clear structure, implementing effective design practices, engaging your audience, managing nerves, handling questions with grace, seeking feedback for improvement, and maintaining a positive and confident demeanor throughout. By incorporating these key elements into your presentation strategy, you can elevate your presentation skills and deliver memorable and impactful presentations that leave a lasting impression on your audience. Remember, preparation and practice are essential, and it’s normal to feel nervous, but with the right techniques and mindset, you can overcome those nerves and deliver a presentation that truly shines. 

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How to give a good presentation that captivates any audience

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What are the main difficulties when giving presentations?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Keep it simple

Simple means something different to everyone.

Before creating your presentation, take note of your intended audience and their knowledge level of your subject. You’ll want your content to be easy for your intended audience to follow.

Say you’re giving a presentation on improving your company’s operational structure. Entry-level workers will likely need a more straightforward overview of the content than C-suite leaders, who have significantly more experience. 

Ask yourself what you want your audience to take away from your presentation and emphasize those important points. Doing this ensures they remember the most vital information rather than less important supporting ideas. Try organizing these concepts into bullet points so viewers can quickly identify critical takeaways.

2. Create a compelling structure

Put yourself in your audience member’s shoes and determine the most compelling way to organize your information. Your presentation should be articulate , cohesive, and logical, and you must be sure to include all necessary supporting evidence to strengthen your main points.

If you give away all of your answers too quickly, your audience could lose interest. And if there isn’t enough supporting information, they could hit a roadblock of confusion. Try developing a compelling story that leads your audience through your thought processes so they can experience the ups and downs alongside you. 

By structuring your presentation to lead up to a final conclusion, you’re more likely to keep listeners’ attention. Once you’ve reached that conclusion, you can offer a Q&A period to put any of their questions or concerns to rest. 

3. Use visual aids

Appealing to various learning styles is a great way to keep everyone on the same page and ensure they absorb your content. Visual aids are necessary for visual learners and make it easier for people to picture your ideas.

Aim to incorporate a mixture of photos, videos, and props to engage your audience and convey your key points. For instance, if you’re giving a presentation on anthropology subject matter, you could show your audience an artifact to help them understand how exciting a discovery must have been. 

If your presentation is long, including a video for your audience to watch is an excellent way to give yourself a break and create new jumping-off points for your speech.

4. Be aware of design techniques and trends

Thanks to cutting-edge technology and tools, you have numerous platforms at your disposal to create a good presentation. But keep in mind that although color, images, and graphics liven things up, they can cause distraction when misused.

  Here are a few standard pointers for incorporating visuals on your slides: 

• Don’t place blocks of small text on a single slide
• Use a minimalistic background instead of a busy one
• Ensure text stands out against the background color
• Only use high-resolution photos
• Maintain a consistent font style and size throughout the presentation
• Don’t overuse transitions and effects

5. Try the 10-20-30 rule

Guy Kawasaki, a prominent venture capitalist and one of the original marketing specialists for Apple, said that the best slideshow presentations are less than 10 slides , last at most 20 minutes, and use a font size of 30. Following this strategy can help you condense your information, eliminate unnecessary ideas, and maintain your audience’s focus more efficiently.

Once you’re confident in creating a memorable presentation, it’s time to learn how to give one. Here are some valuable tips for keeping your audience invested during your talk: 

Tip #1: Tell stories

Sharing an anecdote from your life can improve your credibility and increase your relatability. And when an audience relates to you, they’re more likely to feel connected to who you are as a person and encouraged to give you their full attention, as they would want others to do the same.

Gill Hicks utilized this strategy well when she shared her powerful story, “ I survived a terrorist attack. Here’s what I learned .” In her harrowing tale, Hicks highlights the importance of compassion, unconditional love, and helping those in need.

If you feel uncomfortable sharing personal stories, that’s okay. You can use examples from famous individuals or create a fictional account to demonstrate your ideas.

Tip #2: Make eye contact with the audience

Maintaining eye contact is less intimidating than it sounds. In fact, you don’t have to look your audience members directly in their eyes — you can focus on their foreheads or noses if that’s easier.

Try making eye contact with as many people as possible for 3–5 seconds each. This timing ensures you don’t look away too quickly, making the audience member feel unimportant, or linger too long, making them feel uncomfortable.

If you’re presenting to a large group, direct your focus to each part of the room to ensure no section of the audience feels ignored. 

Tip #3: Work on your stage presence

Although your tone and words are the most impactful part of your presentation, recall that body language keeps your audience engaged. Use these tips to master a professional stage presence:

• Speak with open arms and avoid crossing them
• Keep a reasonable pace and try not to stand still
• Use hand gestures to highlight important information

Tip #4: Start strong

Like watching a movie trailer, the first seconds of your talk are critical for capturing your audience’s attention. How you start your speech sets the tone for the rest of your presentation and tells your audience whether or not they should pay attention. Here are some ways to start your presentation to leave a lasting impression:

• Use a quote from a well-known and likable influential person 
• Ask a rhetorical question to create intrigue
• Start with an anecdote to add context to your talk 
• Spark your audience’s curiosity by involving them in an interactive problem-solving puzzle or riddle

Tip #5: Show your passion

Don’t be afraid of being too enthusiastic. Everyone appreciates a speaker who’s genuinely excited about their field of expertise. 

In “ Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance ,” Angela Lee Duckworth discusses the importance of passion in research and delivery. She delivers her presentation excitedly to show the audience how excitement piques interest. 

Tip #6: Plan your delivery

How you decide to deliver your speech will shape your presentation. Will you be preparing a PowerPoint presentation and using a teleprompter? Or are you working within the constraints of the digital world and presenting over Zoom?

The best presentations are conducted by speakers who know their stuff and memorize their content. However, if you find this challenging, try creating notes to use as a safety net in case you lose track.

If you’re presenting online, you can keep notes beside your computer for each slide, highlighting your key points. This ensures you include all the necessary information and follow a logical order.

Tip #7: Practice

Practice doesn’t make perfect — it makes progress. There’s no way of preparing for unforeseen circumstances, but thorough practice means you’ve done everything you can to succeed.

Rehearse your speech in front of a mirror or to a trusted friend or family member. Take any feedback and use it as an opportunity to fine-tune your speech. But remember: who you practice your presentation in front of may differ from your intended audience. Consider their opinions through the lens of them occupying this different position.

Tip #8: Read the room

Whether you’re a keynote speaker at an event or presenting to a small group of clients, knowing how to read the room is vital for keeping your audience happy. Stay flexible and be willing to move on from topics quickly if your listeners are uninterested or displeased with a particular part of your speech.

Tip #9: Breathe

Try taking deep breaths before your presentation to calm your nerves. If you feel rushed, you’re more likely to feel nervous and stumble on your words.

The most important thing to consider when presenting is your audience’s feelings. When you approach your next presentation calmly, you’ll put your audience at ease and encourage them to feel comfortable in your presence.

Tip #10: Provide a call-to-action

When you end your presentation, your audience should feel compelled to take a specific action, whether that’s changing their habits or contacting you for your services.

If you’re presenting to clients, create a handout with key points and contact information so they can get in touch. You should provide your LinkedIn information, email address, and phone number so they have a variety of ways to reach you. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all template for an effective presentation, as your unique audience and subject matter play a role in shaping your speech. As a general rule, though, you should aim to connect with your audience through passion and excitement. Use strong eye contact and body language. Capture their interest through storytelling and their trust through relatability.

Learning how to give a good presentation can feel overwhelming — but remember, practice makes progress. Rehearse your presentation for someone you trust, collect their feedback , and revise. Practicing your presentation skills is helpful for any job, and every challenge is a chance to grow.

Elizabeth Perry

Content Marketing Manager, ACC

6 presentation skills and how to improve them

Tell a story they can't ignore these 10 tips will teach you how, 3 stand-out professional bio examples to inspire your own, how to make a presentation interactive and exciting, how to write a speech that your audience remembers, reading the room gives you an edge — no matter who you're talking to, writing an elevator pitch about yourself: a how-to plus tips, your ultimate guide on how to be a good storyteller, 18 effective strategies to improve your communication skills, similar articles, 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, how to not be nervous for a presentation — 13 tips that work (really), how the minto pyramid principle can enhance your communication skills, 8 clever hooks for presentations (with tips), stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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How to Make Effective Impactful Presentations (Tips & Tools)

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

Dominika Krukowska

12 minute read

Short answer

Short answer: how to make a good presentation.

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

Provide context with a bit of background information

Structure your presentation within a story framework

Make every word count, and use as few as possible

Use visuals only to support your presentation text

Use interactive design to make your audience active participants

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

Boring presentations are instantly forgotten. How’s yours?

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

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

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

But not all is lost.

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

Let’s get started!

How to prepare a presentation?

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

But where do you start?

Step-by-step guide for preparing a presentation:

1. Define your objective

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

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

2. Analyze your audience

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

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

3. Research your topic

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

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

4. Choose the right delivery format

Finally, consider the best format to deliver your message.

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

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

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

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

How to create an effective presentation?

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

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

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

Ready to learn? Let's dive in!

How to organize your presentation content?

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

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

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

3-step process for organizing a magnetic presentation:

1. Prioritize content

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

A) Build interest:

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

B) Establish relevance:

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

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

2. Build anticipation

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

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

3. Use a story framework

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

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

Weave in concrete examples of how your solution changes lives.

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

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

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

Our recommended story framework:

How to design your presentation?

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

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

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

What is narrated design (Scrollytelling)?

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

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

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

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

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

An example of Storydoc scrollytelling:

How to design presentation visuals to support your story

Presentation visuals can be unsung heroes or sloppy distractions.

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

4 elements of great presentation visuals:

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

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

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

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

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

How to communicate complex information?

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

Are you giving others this same experience?

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

Here’s how you can get complex information across:

1. Use interactive content

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Show don’t tell

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

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

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

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

3. Narrate your content

Storytelling is another powerful tool for communicating complex concepts.

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

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

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

4. Use examples and allegories

Examples and allegories help unravel the complexity of ideas.

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

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

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

5. Open a line of communication

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

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

How to personalize your presentation?

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

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

But how do you add that personal touch?

1. Address reader by name

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

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

2. Use their company logo

Including your audience's company logo in your presentation can make them feel seen and valued. It shows that you've taken the time to tailor your presentation to them, enhancing its relevance and appeal.

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

3. Add a personal message (video or text)

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

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

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

4. Personalize your Call-to-Action

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

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

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

Here’s an example of a personalized slide:

How to measure the effectiveness of your presentation

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

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

But how do you get your hands on presentation analytics?

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

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

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

4 critical presentation engagement metrics to keep track of

1. Reading time

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

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

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

2. Reading completion

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

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

3. Next step conversion rate

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

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

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

Here's what it looks like:

4. Number of shares

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

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

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

Here's where you can find this information:

Best tool for making an effective presentation

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

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

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Blog Beginner Guides

How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

By Krystle Wong , Jul 20, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 10 qualities of a good presentation?

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

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

1. Clear structure

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

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

2. Engaging opening

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

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

3. Relevant content

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

4. Effective visual aids

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

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

5. Clear and concise communication

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

6. Engaging delivery

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

7. Interaction and audience engagement

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

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

8. Effective storytelling

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

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

9. Well-timed pacing

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

10. Strong conclusion

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

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

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

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

1. Understand the audience and their needs

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

2. Conduct thorough research on the topic

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

3. Organize the content with a clear structure

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

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

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

4. Develop visually appealing and supportive visual aids

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

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

5. Practice, practice and practice

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

6. Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments

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

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

7. Prepare for potential technical or logistical issues

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

8. Fine-tune and polish your presentation

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

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

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

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

1. Confidence and positive body language

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

2. Eye contact with the audience

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

3. Effective use of hand gestures and movement

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

4. Utilize storytelling techniques

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

5. Incorporate multimedia elements

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

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

6. Utilize humor strategically

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

7. Practice active listening and respond to feedback

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

8. Apply the 10-20-30 rule

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

9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule

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

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

1. How to start a presentation?

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

2. How to end a presentation?

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

3. How to make a presentation interactive?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chapter 12: Developing Presentations

Joseph Williams

Chapter Learning Objectives

• Identify the different methods of presentation delivery.
• Identify key elements in preparing to deliver a presentation.
• Utilize specific techniques to enhance speech delivery.
• Demonstrate how to methodically plan a presentation.

12.1: Introduction and Methods of Presentation Delivery

12.2: from start to finish: an example of planning a professional presentation, 12.3: choosing and refining your topic.

• 12.4: Analyze your Audience

12.5: Creating the Draft

12.6: developing a meaningful introduction, 12.7: developing a meaningful conclusion, 12.8: developing a meaningful slideshow, 12.9: contemplating delivery particulars, 12.1.1: impromptu speaking.

• 12.1.2: Manuscript Preparations

12.1.3: Extemporaneous Presentations

12.1.4: memorized speaking.

Whether you have a marketing presentation coming up for a potential client or a scientific presentation to give to your expert colleagues, you want to be certain your presentation is built on a sound foundation of current concerns and trends your audience will want you to address. As you read this chapter, consider what you might do to win and/or inform a client or supervisor based on your presentation development.

This chapter will help you consider how to organize presentation information and develop a winning strategy for a surefire professional presentation. While knowledge and research on your topic are key to an effective presentation, do not underestimate the importance of organization.

Organization in any presentation is helpful both to you and to your audience. They will appreciate receiving the information presented in an organized way, and being well organized will make the presentation much less stressful for you.

A successful presentation involves flexibility and organization. You know your material. You are prepared and follow an outline. You do not read a script or PowerPoint presentation, you do not memorize every single word in order (though you may memorize some parts), but you also do not make it up as you go along. Your presentation is scripted in the sense that it is completely planned from start to finish, yet every word is not explicitly planned, allowing for some spontaneity and adaptation to the audience’s needs in the moment.

Your organization plan will serve you and your audience as a guide. Your plan will also help you present a more effective speech. Just as there is no substitute for practice and preparation, there is no substitute for organization and an outline when you need it the most: on stage.

Delivery is your unique interaction between you and your audience, and delivery is what you are probably most concerned about when giving presentations. This chapter is designed to help you give the best delivery possible and eliminate some of the nervousness you might be feeling. To do that, you should first dismiss the myth that public speaking is just reading and talking at the same time. Speaking in public has more formality than talking. During a speech, you should present yourself professionally. This policy doesn’t necessarily mean you must wear a suit or “dress up,” but it does mean making yourself presentable by being well-groomed and wearing clean, appropriate clothes. It also means being prepared to use language correctly and appropriately for the audience and the topic, to make eye contact with your audience, and to look like you know your topic very well. Lastly, HAVE FUN with your presentation. Looking like you care about the subject matter, you’re comfortable with speaking in general, and you’re comfortable with your audience all make a difference in terms of audience perception.

While speaking has more formality than talking, it has less formality than reading. Speaking allows for flexibility, meaningful pauses, eye contact, small changes in word order, and vocal emphasis. Reading is a more or less exact replication of words on paper without the use of any non-verbal interpretation. Speaking, as you will realize if you think about excellent speakers you have seen and heard, should provide a more animated message.

Different speaking occasions call for different delivery methods. According to Engineering professor and author Michael Alley (2013), there are four methods of delivery that can help you balance between too much and too little formality when giving a presentation.

Impromptu speaking is the presentation of a short message without advance preparation. You have probably done impromptu speaking many times in informal, conversational settings. Self-introductions in group settings are examples of impromptu speaking: “Hi, my name is Steve, and I’m an account manager.” Another example of impromptu presenting occurs when you answer a question such as “What did you think of the report?” Your response has not been preplanned, and you are constructing your arguments and points as you speak. Even worse, you might find yourself going into a meeting and your boss says, “I want you to talk about the last stage of the project…” and you have no warning.

The advantage of this kind of speaking is that it’s spontaneous and responsive in an animated group context. The disadvantage is that the speaker is given little or no time to contemplate the central theme of their message. As a result, the message may be disorganized and difficult for listeners to follow.

Here is a step-by-step guide that may be useful if you are called upon to give an impromptu presentation in public:

• Take a moment to collect your thoughts and plan the main point you want to make.
• Thank the person for inviting you to speak. Avoid making comments about being unprepared, being called upon at the last moment, being put on the spot, or feeling uneasy.
• Deliver your message, making your main point as briefly as you can while still covering it adequately and at a pace your listeners can follow.
• If you can use a structure, use numbers if possible: “Two main reasons . . .” or “Three parts of our plan. . .” or “Two side effects of this drug. . .” Timeline structures are also effective, such as “past, present, and future,” or geographical structures like “East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast.”
• Thank the person again for the opportunity to speak.
• Stop talking (it is easy to “ramble on” when you don’t have something prepared). If in front of an audience, don’t keep talking as you move back to your seat.
• Smile, even if you’re not feeling like it. A smile shows the audience that you’re in control.

Impromptu presentations are generally most successful when they are brief and focus on a single point.

12.1.2: Manuscript Presentations

Manuscript presentations are the word-for-word iteration of a written message. The speaker maintains their attention on the printed page in a manuscript presentation except when using visual aids. The advantage of reading from a manuscript is the exact repetition of original words. In some circumstances, this repetition can be critical. For example, reading a statement about your organization’s legal responsibilities to customers may require that the original words be exact.

A manuscript presentation may be appropriate at a more formal affair (like a report to shareholders). Your presentation must be said exactly as written in order to convey the proper emotion or decorum the situation deserves.

However, there are costs involved in manuscript presentations. First, it’s typically an uninteresting way to present. Unless the presenter has rehearsed the reading as a complete performance animated with vocal expression and gestures, the presentation tends to be dull. Keeping one’s eyes glued to the script prevents eye contact with the audience. For this kind of “straight” manuscript presentation to hold the audience’s attention, the audience must be already interested in the message and presenter before the delivery begins.

Extemporaneous presentations are carefully planned and rehearsed, delivered in a conversational manner using brief notes that feature “punch” words. Using notes with punch words rather than a full manuscript allows the extemporaneous presenter to establish and maintain eye contact with the audience and assess how well they understand the presentation as it progresses. Without all the words on the page to read, you have little choice but to look up and make eye contact with your audience.

Presenting extemporaneously has some advantages. It promotes the likelihood that you, the speaker, will be perceived as knowledgeable and credible since you know the speech well enough that you don’t need to read it. In addition, your audience is likely to pay better attention to the message because it engages both verbally and nonverbally, such as through eye contact. It also allows flexibility; you are working from the strong foundation of an outline, but if you need to delete, add, or rephrase something at the last minute or adapt to your audience, you can do so.

The disadvantage of extemporaneous presentations is that in some cases it does not allow for the verbal and nonverbal preparation that are almost always required for a good speech.

Adequate preparation cannot be achieved the day before you’re scheduled to present, so be aware that if you want to present a credibly delivered speech, you will need to practice many times. Because extemporaneous presenting is the style used in the great majority of professional presentation situations, most of the information in the subsequent sections of this chapter is targeted toward this kind of speaking.

Memorized speaking recites a written message that the speaker has committed to memory. Actors, of course, recite from memory whenever they perform from a script in a stage play, television program, or movie scene. When it comes to speeches, memorization can be useful when the message needs to be exact and the speaker doesn’t want to be confined by notes.

The advantage of memorization is that it enables the speaker to maintain eye contact with the audience throughout the speech. Being free of notes means moving freely around the stage and using your hands to make gestures. If your speech uses visual aids, this freedom is even more of an advantage. However, there are some real and potential costs.

First, unless you also plan and memorize every vocal cue (the subtle but meaningful variations in speech delivery, which can include the use of pitch, tone, volume, and pace), gesture, and facial expression, your presentation will be flat and uninteresting, and even the most fascinating topic will suffer. Second, if you lose your place and start trying to ad lib, the contrast in your delivery style may alert your audience that something is wrong. More frighteningly, it will be quite difficult to find your place and keep going if you completely blank out during the presentation. Obviously, memorizing a typical seven-minute presentation takes a great deal of time and effort, and if you aren’t used to memorizing, it is challenging to pull off. Realistically, you probably will not have the time to give a completely memorized speech. However, if you practice adequately, your approach will still feel like you are being extemporaneous.

Congratulations! You have been asked or selected to speak on a topic. Here’s one presenter’s method for creating a professional presentation.

• Use a brain drain or mapping to list the concepts under your main topic. The brain drain serves as a “wish list” that you can discuss in a perfect world where there is enough time.
• Analyze your audience. Who are they? Are they experts, non-experts, or both?
• What does your presentation intend to do: inform, persuade, or both?
• How much time do you have? Do you need to leave room for questions? Create a skeletal outline that features a basic order of your presentation subtopics. Consider placing a number of minutes beside each concept so that you have a rough estimate of how long each subtopic will take you. Remember to leave room for a few minutes of introduction and conclusion!
• Now it’s time to research. What do you need to say about each subtopic? Does your subject matter require primary research, secondary research, or both? Are there special thinkers, professionals, or heavy-hitters that you want to include in some of your subtopics?
• Create a rough draft of your presentation content. You can choose from a chronological pattern, spatial pattern, topical pattern, cause-effect pattern, or problem-solution pattern. Practice your presentation and note the time of each of your sections, whether this includes complete sentences or punch words. Does everything fit where you want it? Is there a natural flow of ideas from one topic to another? If not, feel free to shift content until you get a sense of a natural flow of ideas. Is there any content that does not appear to be inviting to demographic sections of your audience? This is the place for you to objectively remove and replace any content that may be viewed as objectionable or othering.
• Now it’s time to develop your final presentation content. As often as possible, replace complete sentences with punch words so that you rely more on your memory and expertise (as well as your prowess!) on the subject rather than reading your notes. If there is complex material, never fear: Write those full sentences down!
• Choose a slideshow format that you feel comfortable with, such as Google slides, PowerPoint, or Prezi. Adjust your content so that less is more—audiences should listen to your presentation and watch you rather than read long content on your slides.
• Practice until you get the balance right. Then approach friends, colleagues, and family members to try out your material on them. Do they offer recommendations? Consider their advice, but ultimately, you’re the boss of your own show.

Let’s break it down.

First, think about what your audience will already know about your topic. Conversely, think about what your audience does NOT know about your topic to keep your presentation streamlined and concise. Finally, what information do your audiences need to know in order to be properly informed and/or persuaded?

Write a specific purpose statement, which will be the foundation for everything you say in the speech and a guide for what you do not say. This formula, borrowed from Simon, Grimes, and Roch (2018), will help you in putting together your specific purpose statement:

To _______________ [Specific Communication Word (inform, explain, demonstrate, describe, define, persuade, convince, prove, argue)] my [Target Audience (my classmates, the members of the Social Work Club, my coworkers)] __________________ [The Content (how to bake brownies, that Macs are better than PCs)].

Example: The purpose of my presentation is to demonstrate for my coworkers the value of informed intercultural communication.

12.4: Analyze Your Audience

Who will be listening to your presentation? Ask yourself the following questions:

• Will audience members be experts in the subject matter, non-experts, or both? What kind of information must be tailored so that experts AND non-experts can follow along?
• What methods do you intend to use to persuade, inform, or both?
• Will a significant portion of your audience be speakers of English as a second language? If so, avoid overuse of humor, metaphors, two-word verbs (such as shut up, shut in, shut out, shut down), and use of slang.
• What kind of action do you want your audience members to take? What will be your methods to win them over?
• Will audience members be objective, indifferent, or hostile about the subject matter? All of the above? Consider what “moves” you want to make to placate those who are not already onboard with your presentation material so that it will further convince them to take action.

12.5.1: Using Examples and Scenarios

12.5.2: a word about storytelling.

To be successful in your presentation, you’ll need two outlines: a preparation outline and a speaking outline. Preparation outlines are comprehensive outlines that include all of the information in your presentation. A presentation outline will consist of the content of what the audience will see and hear.

Eventually, you will move away from this outline as you develop your materials and practice your presentation. Your speaking outline will contain notes to guide you and is usually not shared with your audience. It will summarize the complete preparation outline down to more usable notes. You should create a set of abbreviated notes for the actual delivery. Your organizational model will help determine how you will structure your preparation outline. However, most, if not all, of the organization models will align with this structure:

• Attention statement : An engaging or interesting statement that will cause your audience to sit up and take notice.
• Introduction : Setting out your general idea statement (LINK) and giving the audience an idea of what to expect.
• Body : This section contains your research, main points, and other relevant information. It will follow your organizational pattern.
• Conclusion : Reiterating your idea statement, and/or includes a call to action—what you want the audience to do or think about following your presentation.
• Residual message : This is an optional section but a powerful one. It is the final message you want the audience to remember.

You can use your presentation outline as a starting point to developing your speaking outline. It’s a good idea to make speaking notes to align with each section’s main points and visuals.

Presenters will often use examples and scenarios to help illustrate their message. The main difference between examples and scenarios is that while both help show the audience what you mean, an example is the thing itself; in contrast, a scenario would include more detail about the sequence or development of events. Scenarios also tend to be longer and more nuanced. An example of a sales target might be: to sell 500 units in 30 days. A scenario might be described as: Company A is selling vacuums to the Atlantic Canada region. They are trying to increase their sales and so have set a target of 500 units in the region in 30 days, using a sales incentive program for employees, and promoting a sale at local stores.

According to Simon, Grimes, and Roch (2018), storytelling can be an effective way to convey your message to your audience. Stories are a fundamental part of the human experience, and if they are well told, they can resonate effectively with listeners. Some of the most inspiring speakers of TED Talks use storytelling effectively in their presentations. You can find out more about how to incorporate storytelling techniques into presentations from the TED Talk speakers directly.

By now you have identified your main points, chosen your organizational pattern, and written your outline, and you are now ready to begin putting your presentation together. But how will you connect your main points together in a relevant manner so that your presentation appears fluid?

Transitions are segues: words, phrases, or visual devices that help the audience follow the speaker’s ideas, connect the main points to each other, and see the relationships you’ve created in the information you are presenting. Transitions are used by the speaker to guide the audience in the progression from one significant concept or point to the next issue. They can also show the relationship between the main point and the support the speaker uses to illustrate, provide examples for, or reference outside sources. Depending on your purpose, transitions can serve different roles as you help create the glue that will connect your points together in a way the audience can easily follow.

Internal summaries: a type of connective transition that emphasizes what has come before and reminds the audience of what has been covered. Examples include: as I have said; as we have seen; as mentioned earlier; in any event; in other words; in short; on the whole; therefore; to summarize; as a result; as I’ve noted previously; in conclusion.  

Internal previews: a type of connective that emphasizes what is coming up next in the speech and what to expect with regard to the content. Examples include: if we look ahead to….; next we’ll examine; now we can focus our attention on; first we’ll look at; then we’ll examine.

Signposts: a type of connective transition that emphasizes physical movement through the speech content and lets the audience know exactly where the speaker is: stop and consider; we can now address; next I’d like to explain; turning from/to; another; this reminds me of; I would like to emphasize.

Time: focuses on the chronological aspects of your speech order. Use of time is particularly useful in a speech utilizing a story, as this transition can illustrate for the audience progression of time: before; earlier; immediately; in the meantime; in the past; lately; later; meanwhile; now; presently; shortly; simultaneously; since; so far; as long as; as soon as; at last; at length; at that time; then; until; afterward.

Compare/contrast: draws a parallel or distinction between two ideas, concepts, or examples. It can indicate a common or divergent area between points for the audience: in the same way; by the same token; equally; similarly; just as we have seen; in the same vein.

Cause and effect or result: illustrates a relationship between two ideas, concepts, or examples and may focus on the outcome or result. It can illustrate a relationship between points for the audience: as a result; because; consequently; for this purpose; accordingly; so; then; therefore; thereupon; thus; to this end; for this reason; as a result; because; therefore; consequently.

Examples: illustrates a connection between a point and an example or examples. You may find visual aids work well with this type of transition: in fact; as we can see; after all; even; for example; for instance; of course; specifically; such as; in the following example; to illustrate my point.

Place: refers to a location, often in a spatially organized speech, of one point of emphasis to another. Again, visual aids work well when discussing physical location with an audience: opposite to; there; to the left; above; below; elsewhere; farther on; beyond; nearby; next to.

Clarification:  restates or further develops a main idea or point. It can also serve as a signal to a key point: to clarify; in other words; to put in another way; this means.

Concession: indicates knowledge of contrary information. It can address a perception the audience may hold and allow for clarification: we can see that while; although it is true that; granted that; while it may appear that; I admit that even though.

Introductions are important so that the audience obtains a concise picture of what the rest of the presentation will be about. Keep the audience’s attention and pique their interest:

• Express details to keep the audience’s attention.
• Put the most important information at the introduction’s beginning. This placement will help to “hook” your audience.
• Involve your audience
• Ask a question that requires audience participation
• Tell a story/anecdote
• Relate a personal experience
• Use humor…if the context warrants it
• Create suspense
• Use a quotation or poem
• Use a visual aid
• Give a startling fact or statistic

Your introduction should be up to 5% of your entire presentation. Once you’ve set the tone and informed your audience what you’ll be discussing, segue to the first part of your presentation body.

Like introductions, conclusions should comprise around 5% of your presentation time. The basic structure of a presentation is not so much linear as it is circular: Speeches should take you in a circle from A to Z. Therefore, your conclusion should take your audience back to the introduction—with an enhanced understanding of the topic. Here are some meaningful cues you can use to signal the eminent closing of your presentation:

• Language cues (“ Now that we have seen that we can solve this problem effectively, we can review the entire situation. ”)
• Movement cues (Physically move back to the center of the room where you began your speech.)
• Paralinguistic cues (Slow your rate of speech and use more pauses.)

Present final appeals to your audience. Depending on the type of presentation you give, you will be asking your audience for something.

• You may be asking them to act in a certain way or to change their attitude toward a certain person or topic.
• You may be asking them to simply understand what you have had to say.
• Leave your audience motivated positively toward you and your presentation topic.
• Stories can make excellent conclusions, as they complete the story that you started in your introduction. You can finish your introduction’s story OR you can retell the story; this time the story will reflect what the audience has learned from your presentation.
• If you decide to use humor, make sure that the humor is relevant to the presentation as well as the audience. A little bit of humor goes a LONG way, so don’t overdo it. Additionally, inappropriate use of humor is a very bad idea.

Knowing your audience will give you a good idea of how to adapt your slideshow design. Additionally, ask yourself, “What is my presentation’s goal?” Is your slideshow meant for training employees, selling a new product, or something else altogether different?

Slideshows should have one clear design; otherwise, the design can contribute to the audience’s lack of attention. Correct formatting should have a legible font from the back of a room, non-distractive themes, proper text and graphic alignment, and consistency.

The best visual aids are images that add context to your presentation topic, images that enhance your audience’s understanding of the topic, and informative graphics that are easy to follow. Your visual aids should complement rather than substitute for your presentation content. Ultimately, they should not be the primary focus of the slideshow.

Animation of your transitions can make or break a presentation and should be used sparingly—less is definitely more (and perhaps none at all). Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is this transition animation subtle?
• Does this animation distract from my key points?
• Is this transition animation necessary? Does it enhance my message?

12.9.1: Presentation Space

12.9.2: presentation timing, 12.9.3: presentation clothing, 12.9.4: gestures, eye contact, and paralinguistic features, 12.9.5: pacing and speed, 12.9.6: verbal crutches, 12.9.7: technical issues, 12.9.8: rough audience members, 12.9.9: practice, practice, practice.

So you’re ready for your professional presentation in terms of content and slideshow. McMurrey and Race (2020) provide some topics outside of your presentation to consider for professional delivery.

We have presented in good spaces and not-so-good spaces. You have been given access to the room where you will soon give your presentation. Test it out. Consider the venue of your presentation, whether it is in a large room at an international conference or an 8-seater meeting room in your office. Surely your presentation will be tailored differently depending on size of venue and size of audience.

How would you handle specific problems such as creaky floors, loud projectors, disorganized chairs, and immovable objects that obstruct the audience’s view of your slideshow?

• Walk around your presentation space and see if you detect creaky places where you should avoid stepping.
• You need to project your slideshow, but perhaps it becomes apparent that your own voice will have to compete with the loudness of the projector itself…or a particularly loud air conditioning unit. Acknowledge this issue ONE TIME to your listeners so that the audience understands that you are doing your best.
• If you have time to clean up the presentation room, such as disorganized chairs and trash, go for it.
• One time I delivered a presentation to a 75-member audience, and a massive concrete column was inexplicably placed to my left, thereby impeding the view of my slideshow for 20% of the audience. If space is limited and chairs cannot be moved, ACKNOWLEDGE these audience members: “For those of you who cannot see my slideshow, it is showing X, Y, and Z.…”

Time each section of your presentation and write out the percentage each section takes. Does your presentation add up? Which parts should be edited for a more streamlined, smooth delivery?

You certainly do not want to try on your presentation outfit at the moment you plan to present, as you will already be nervous. This nervousness is natural and indicates that you’re ready to perform! Try on your entire presentation outfit to ensure that you feel comfortable moving and walking effortlessly around in it.

What if you’re in the middle of giving a 40-minute presentation and your shoe breaks? ACKNOWLEDGE it one time, but don’t let it steal your presentation’s thunder. Simply remove your shoes and continue with your presentation. Your audience will be on your side, rooting for you. The show must go on!

Where are you placing your hands? Are you addressing each side of your audience with eye contact? If you want to take more calculated risks, experiment with such paralinguistic features as pregnant pauses, a contrast in pitch, or a contrast in volume. The more presentations you give in which you address these items, the better you will become at adopting them and adapting your delivery.

Sometimes, oral presenters who are nervous talk too fast. All that adrenaline causes them to speed through their talk, making it hard for the audience to follow. Although it’s entirely normal to be nervous, it helps listeners understand you better if you speak a bit more slowly and deliberately than you do in normal conversation. Slow down, take it easy, be clear…and breathe.

Watch out for too much “uh,” “you know,” “okay” and other kinds of nervous verbal habits. Instead of saying “uh” or “you know” every three seconds, just don’t say anything at all. In the days before your oral presentation, practice speaking without these verbal crutches. The silence that replaces them is not a bad thing—it gives listeners time to process what you are saying.

You have begun your presentation, but you soon realize that there are technical problems. Perhaps your projector light burns out or you are suddenly without Wi-Fi during a presentation that requires an online presence. Always have a Plan B, which may include a saved copy of your slideshow on a flash drive or actual handouts of your slide. Alternatively, you can pass out business cards or dictate your email address to your audience, telling your audience before and after the presentation that they can contact you and you would gladly forward them your slideshow and notes. APOLOGIZE ONE TIME. In your career, you will have great presentations and not-so-great presentations. That is part of the process! Muster as much energy and creativity as you can and salvage your technically derided presentation before you eventually close, refer back to your email address, and ask if there are any questions you can answer.

Audiences from both academia and industry comprise mostly of those who wish you to do well. Occasionally, there are those audience members who wish to sabotage your presentation or are simply caught up in their own dramas. Never fear!

• If you have an audience member who interrupts your presentation with asides or questions, thank them and mention that you would happily discuss topics further AFTER the presentation. The same approach can be taken if an audience member intends to tout their own research (and usurp your presentation time).
• If you have a few noisy conversationalists in the crowd, slowly walk up to their table as you continue to address your presentation materials; generally, this simple walk informs these audience members to quiet down.
• If you have an audience member who wishes to embarrass you in front of your audience in some way, do your best with your responses and your source materials. These interactions are not about you—they are about whatever hang-ups or insecurities the obnoxious audience member has.

These types of irritating audience members are fairly rare; however, it is a real possibility that they will be a part of your own audience. It is always better to strategize ahead of time your own course of action: “If A happens, I will do B.” In that way, you won’t have to flail miserably in response nearly as much if/when these tense moments present themselves.

The first time ANY speech is uttered from your lips, content comes out stilted and awkward. The second time you practice your presentation content, delivery becomes a little bit smoother. By the time you arrive to your seventh or eighth round of presentation practice, you will start varying delivery aspects, and ultimately you will master your presentation and its content.

As you prepare your visuals, look at resources that will help you. There are many rules for using PowerPoint, down to the font size and how many words to put on a single slide, but you will have to choose the style that best suits your subject and your presentation style.

The two videos that follow will provide some pointers. As you watch them, make some notes to help you remember what you learn from them.

The first one is funny: Life After Death by PowerPoint by Don McMillan , an engineer-turned-comedian:

You may also have heard about the presentation skills of Steve Jobs. The video that follows is the introduction of the iPhone…and as you watch, take notes on how Jobs sets up his talk and his visuals. Observe how he connects with the audience…and then see if you can work some of his strategies into your own presentation skills. This is a long video; you don’t need to watch it all, but do take enough time to form some good impressions. The following video does not have closed captioning.

Test your Understanding

2. Design three visuals for your topic, including a title page. Use the Styles and Themes feature in PowerPoint to create a consistent theme for a presentation. How do the visuals affect the mood and topics of your presentation?

3. Find a YouTube video or a tutorial online on how to make good presentations. Share it with classmates by teaching some of the main points in group discussion.

4. In small groups, develop a list of “rules” to follow when you have to give an oral presentation…then create a class list.

5. In a memo to your teacher (or in an online discussion forum) share some of your best practices and ideas for getting through a presentation effectively. Also, share some details from the most horrible presentations you’ve ever seen or given. Perhaps you can help a classmate avoid making the same mistakes. (I once watched a presentation in which the presenter demonstrated how to sharpen knives. Although there were no injuries, I was on edge the entire time.)

Alley, M. (2013). The craft of scientific presentations: Critical steps to succeed and critical errors to avoid. 2nd edition. Springer.

McMurrey, D., & Race, C. (2020). Open technical communication. 4th edition. Affordable Learning Georgia. CC Attribution 4.0 International License.

Simon, D., Grimes, M., & Roch, S. (2018). Communication for business professionals. eCampusOntario, CC Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Chapter 12: Developing Presentations Copyright © 2022 by Joseph Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Introduction to Assessment

Apr 03, 2019

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Introduction to Assessment. Jennifer Lowman Coordinator, Student Persistence Research. Credit for the content of this presentation should go to Marilee Bresciani and her many co-authors; & Gavin Henning & others with Academic Impressions. Outline. Define Assessment

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• operational outcomes
• benchmarking political assessment
• program review
• positive outcomes

Presentation Transcript

Introduction toAssessment Jennifer Lowman Coordinator, Student Persistence Research Credit for the content of this presentation should go to Marilee Bresciani and her many co-authors; & Gavin Henning & others with Academic Impressions

Outline • Define Assessment • Identify different Types of Assessment • Review Cycle of Assessment • Define Outcomes • Writing “Learning Outcomes” • Practical Assessment Techniques • Ethics • Concluding Remarks

What is Assessment? • Assessment, Evaluation, & Research • Assessment • An effort to gather, analyze, and interpret evidence to understand effectiveness and improve programming • Evaluation • Using assessment information to make an informed judgment of program quality or worth • Research • Collection and analysis of data to build or confirm theory or conceptual foundations

Institutional Assessment • Mission • Goals or Objectives • Program, Product, Service Inputs • Outcomes • Improvement or Accountability • Assessment Planning part of Programming • Embed Assessment • Design, Measurement, & Analysis • Reporting & Learning

Embedded Assessment • Make assessment part of your program, event, service, or activity • Decades of research shows that students respond to intentional activities that are linked to positive outcomes (Bresciani, Zelna, & Anderson, 2004). • If you tell students what you expect them to learn and how it will benefit them, they are more likely to learn

Embedded Assessment is… • Continual assessment for continual improvement • Track changes in program impact over time, as well as… • Improve measurement over time • Test new measures, while still using old • Make it a habit – a state of mind!

Culture of Assessment • Build shared trust: Begin by lowering social and interpersonal barriers to change. • Build shared motivation: Collectively identify goals worth working toward and problems worth solving. • Build a shared language: Develop a collective understanding of new concepts needed for transformation. • Build shared guidelines: Develop a short list of research-based guidelines for using assessment to promote learning

Types of Assessment

Types of Assessment Tracking Usage Needs Assessment Satisfaction Study Culture/Climate Assessment Outcomes Assessment Resource Effectiveness Study Benchmarking Program Review Strategic Planning Increasing Complexity & Integration

Forms of Assessment Operational or Descriptive Assessment • Tracking Usage • Needs Assessment • Satisfaction Study • Culture/Climate Assessment Formative Assessment • Outcomes Assessment • Resource Effectiveness Study • Benchmarking Political Assessment • Program Review • Strategic Planning

Types of Assessment? (activity)

Cycle of Assessment

Cycle of Assessment: External Perspective Define issue/problem Identify Goals Align mission & goals Identify stakeholders Identify theoretical/conceptual framework Develop measurable outcomes from goals Identify and measure inputs Classify strategies from framework to reach goals Isolate action steps to implement strategies 10. Develop formative assessment plan to understand process 11. Measure Outcomes 12. Make sense of results 13. Report / Present findings 14. Review, Reallocate, Advocate for Resources 15. Retool Program 16. Plan for Iteration #2

Cycle of Assessment: Internal Perspective

Outcomes-Based Assessment

Assessment & Planning • Assessment and Planning are linked, intertwined, and interrelated • “Backwards Design” or “Start with the end” • Programs are designed this way too! Program Inputs Desired Outcome

From Goals to Outcomes • Goals/Objectives – end result in broad terms (optimal outcomes) • Outcomes – more specific statements derived from goals that are measurable • Operational Outcomes • Learning Outcomes • Program Outcomes

Learning v. Program Outcomes • Learning Outcomes (aka Individual Outcomes) – a learning outcome is participant-centered and describes the desired effect of a program on a student’s cognitive or intellectual state. • Statements of what students will value, do, or knowas a result of participation. • ASK: attitude, skills, & knowledge • Program Outcomes (aka Aggregate Outcomes) – the desired aggregate effect of a program.

Program or Learning Outcome? (worksheet)

Learning Outcomes • Participant - centered • Focus on what students can do • Not on what you did! • Purpose to reveal the impact of ‘Action Steps’ • Action Steps are the point of contact • May or may not be perceived by students • Outcomes may need to take variation in contact into account • Variation is key for identifying effectiveness!

Learning Outcomes Assessment • What are students learning and why? • How do we know? • Are students learning what we intend for them to learn? • How do we use assessment information to improve learning? • Do the improvements we make work?

SMART Outcomes • SMART  Specific Measurable Aggressive/Attainable Results-oriented Time-bound

Writing Learning Outcomes • ABCD formula • Audience (Who) • Who is the target? • Behavior (What) • What should the target be able to know, do, value (ASK)? • Condition (How) • What Action Steps will facilitate the learning? • Degree (How much) • How much learning will be demonstrated?

Writing Learning Outcomes Condition + Audience + Behavior + Degree As a result of participating in the event + students + will demonstrate + 3 of 5 skills.

ABC v. ABCD…or why Degree is important! • The degree of impact you expect to have on your students is important to… • Set criterion for success AHEAD of program implementation • Demonstrate Minimal Benefit • Transparency & Accountability • Signal intention to students and stakeholders • Establish standard for data-driven decision-making

Degree of Impact • Independent Indicators (Index) • Inter-changeable, equally important information • Differences between students at start/finish are not import. • Ex. 3 of 5 study habits • Ex. 5 of 7 coping strategies • Continuous Scale • Cumulative or increasing attitude, skill, or knowledge • Expect differences between students at start/finish • Increased leadership skills from baseline eval to next level (basic to intermed.; intermed. to adv.) • Process • Student must master step 1 to move onto step 2…etc. • Describe steps in process within LO • Break process in to multiple LOs, but avoid yes/no outcomes

Degree of Impact ≠ Depth of Learning

Degree of Impact & Depth of Learning • Influenced by the opportunity provided • Exposure • Relevance • Immediacy • Salience • Feedback • … • L.O. reflects depth of learning in the “Action Verb”

Depth of LearningBloom’s Taxonomy (revised) • Remembering: recognizing, recalling, labeling • Understanding: interpreting, summarizing, contrasting • Applying: executing, implementing, classifying • Analyzing: differentiating, organizing, attributing • Evaluating: critiquing, integrating, generalizing • Creating: generating, planning, producing (teaching)

List five ways identified in the readings that can help you reduce stress? (Remembering) Based on the floor meeting, discuss at least three reasons why we don’t allow alcohol in the residence halls? (Understanding) How can you use what you learned in these activities in your student organization? (Application) After participating in the retreat, compare the effectiveness of leadership tactics? (Analyzing) As you reflect on this past year as I have served as your organization’s advisor, in what areas have I been most effective and in what areas can I improve (Evaluating) Based on our conversation regarding career action steps, recommend four action steps to each of your group members? (Creating) The Depth of Learning expected is evident in the Action Verb!

Action Verbs (Observable Behaviors) • Don’t Use • Appreciate • Become aware • Be familiar with • Know • Learn • Understand • Higher-Level • Solve, Apply • Analyze, Explain • Infer, Integrate • Plan, Create • Design, Generalize • Assess, Rank • Recommend • Compare, Teach Lower-Level List, Label, Name Define, Describe Identify, Interpret Contrast, Discuss Classify, Complete Relate, Modify Demonstrate

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