definition of a presentations

PRESENTATION SKILLS

What is a Presentation?

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Presentation Skills:

A - Z List of Presentation Skills
Top Tips for Effective Presentations
General Presentation Skills
Preparing for a Presentation
Organising the Material
Writing Your Presentation
Deciding the Presentation Method
Managing your Presentation Notes
Working with Visual Aids
Presenting Data
Managing the Event
Coping with Presentation Nerves
Dealing with Questions
How to Build Presentations Like a Consultant
7 Qualities of Good Speakers That Can Help You Be More Successful
Self-Presentation in Presentations
Specific Presentation Events
Remote Meetings and Presentations
Giving a Speech
Presentations in Interviews
Presenting to Large Groups and Conferences
Giving Lectures and Seminars
Managing a Press Conference
Attending Public Consultation Meetings
Managing a Public Consultation Meeting
Crisis Communications
Elsewhere on Skills You Need:
Communication Skills
Facilitation Skills
Teams, Groups and Meetings
Effective Speaking
Question Types

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The formal presentation of information is divided into two broad categories: Presentation Skills and Personal Presentation .

These two aspects are interwoven and can be described as the preparation, presentation and practice of verbal and non-verbal communication.

This article describes what a presentation is and defines some of the key terms associated with presentation skills.

Many people feel terrified when asked to make their first public talk. Some of these initial fears can be reduced by good preparation that also lays the groundwork for making an effective presentation.

A Presentation Is...

A presentation is a means of communication that can be adapted to various speaking situations, such as talking to a group, addressing a meeting or briefing a team.

A presentation can also be used as a broad term that encompasses other ‘speaking engagements’ such as making a speech at a wedding, or getting a point across in a video conference.

To be effective, step-by-step preparation and the method and means of presenting the information should be carefully considered.

A presentation requires you to get a message across to the listeners and will often contain a ' persuasive ' element. It may, for example, be a talk about the positive work of your organisation, what you could offer an employer, or why you should receive additional funding for a project.

The Key Elements of a Presentation

Making a presentation is a way of communicating your thoughts and ideas to an audience and many of our articles on communication are also relevant here, see: What is Communication? for more.

Consider the following key components of a presentation:

Ask yourself the following questions to develop a full understanding of the context of the presentation.

When and where will you deliver your presentation?

There is a world of difference between a small room with natural light and an informal setting, and a huge lecture room, lit with stage lights. The two require quite different presentations, and different techniques.

Will it be in a setting you are familiar with, or somewhere new?

If somewhere new, it would be worth trying to visit it in advance, or at least arriving early, to familiarise yourself with the room.

Will the presentation be within a formal or less formal setting?

A work setting will, more or less by definition, be more formal, but there are also various degrees of formality within that.

Will the presentation be to a small group or a large crowd?

Are you already familiar with the audience?

With a new audience, you will have to build rapport quickly and effectively, to get them on your side.

What equipment and technology will be available to you, and what will you be expected to use?

In particular, you will need to ask about microphones and whether you will be expected to stand in one place, or move around.

What is the audience expecting to learn from you and your presentation?

Check how you will be ‘billed’ to give you clues as to what information needs to be included in your presentation.

All these aspects will change the presentation. For more on this, see our page on Deciding the Presentation Method .

The role of the presenter is to communicate with the audience and control the presentation.

Remember, though, that this may also include handing over the control to your audience, especially if you want some kind of interaction.

You may wish to have a look at our page on Facilitation Skills for more.

The audience receives the presenter’s message(s).

However, this reception will be filtered through and affected by such things as the listener’s own experience, knowledge and personal sense of values.

See our page: Barriers to Effective Communication to learn why communication can fail.

The message or messages are delivered by the presenter to the audience.

The message is delivered not just by the spoken word ( verbal communication ) but can be augmented by techniques such as voice projection, body language, gestures, eye contact ( non-verbal communication ), and visual aids.

The message will also be affected by the audience’s expectations. For example, if you have been billed as speaking on one particular topic, and you choose to speak on another, the audience is unlikely to take your message on board even if you present very well . They will judge your presentation a failure, because you have not met their expectations.

The audience’s reaction and therefore the success of the presentation will largely depend upon whether you, as presenter, effectively communicated your message, and whether it met their expectations.

As a presenter, you don’t control the audience’s expectations. What you can do is find out what they have been told about you by the conference organisers, and what they are expecting to hear. Only if you know that can you be confident of delivering something that will meet expectations.

See our page: Effective Speaking for more information.

How will the presentation be delivered?

Presentations are usually delivered direct to an audience. However, there may be occasions where they are delivered from a distance over the Internet using video conferencing systems, such as Skype.

It is also important to remember that if your talk is recorded and posted on the internet, then people may be able to access it for several years. This will mean that your contemporaneous references should be kept to a minimum.

Impediments

Many factors can influence the effectiveness of how your message is communicated to the audience.

For example background noise or other distractions, an overly warm or cool room, or the time of day and state of audience alertness can all influence your audience’s level of concentration.

As presenter, you have to be prepared to cope with any such problems and try to keep your audience focussed on your message.

Our page: Barriers to Communication explains these factors in more depth.

Continue to read through our Presentation Skills articles for an overview of how to prepare and structure a presentation, and how to manage notes and/or illustrations at any speaking event.

Continue to: Preparing for a Presentation Deciding the Presentation Method

See also: Writing Your Presentation | Working with Visual Aids Coping with Presentation Nerves | Dealing with Questions Learn Better Presentation Skills with TED Talks

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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).

presentation

[ prez- uh n- tey -sh uh n , pree-zen- ]

an act of presenting.
the state of being presented.
a social introduction, as of a person at court.
an exhibition or performance, as of a play or film.
offering, delivering, or bestowal, as of a gift.
a demonstration, lecture, or welcoming speech.

His presentation was very poor.

Commerce. the presentment of a bill, note, or the like.
the position of the fetus in the uterus during labor.

a breech presentation.

Ecclesiastical. the act or the right of presenting a member of the clergy to the bishop for institution to a benefice.

/ ˌprɛzənˈteɪʃən /

the act of presenting or state of being presented

the presentation of the project is excellent but the content poor

his presentation of the facts was muddled

a presentation on the company results

an offering or bestowal, as of a gift

a presentation copy of a book

a performance or representation, as of a play
the formal introduction of a person, as into society or at court; debut
the act or right of nominating a clergyman to a benefice
med the position of a baby relative to the birth canal at the time of birth
commerce another word for presentment
television linking material between programmes, such as announcements, trailers, or weather reports
an archaic word for gift
philosophy a sense datum
often capital another name for (feast of) Candlemas

Discover More

Derived forms.

ˌpresenˈtational , adjective

Other Words From

nonpres·en·tation noun
self-presen·tation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of presentation 1

Example Sentences

Look no further than those execs who have sat through online presentations outlining a more inclusive workplace only to have to go back to working in teams where they’re made to feel different.

The day of the presentation comes, and the ecommerce team gathers around, continuously nodding along with each slide.

In the questions-and-answer presentation on Wednesday, Palantir did not address the issue of voting power.

For repurposing, you can use four different formats, which are – video series, infographics, podcasts, and presentations.

This presentation will explain the ins and outs of the process as well as the need for older children who are looking for a home as well.

We were scoring it like the Olympics: presentation, technique.

Bogucki includes the leaflet in a Powerpoint presentation he has developed.

Her biggest surprise, she said, was realizing how much presentation and technical points mattered.

That may be partially because The Big Lebowski is their most nihilistic presentation.

One of the hottest tickets at the 2014 edition of Comic-Con, the annual nerd mecca in San Diego, was the Marvel presentation.

You were obliging enough to ask me to accept a presentation copy of your verses.

Nor was ever a better presentation made of the essential program of socialism.

After the presentation of the Great Southern case our Bill was heard and all the opposition.

The presentation of the Railway case and the rebutting evidence did not begin till all the public witnesses had been heard.

Furthermore, a note is payable on demand when it is thus stated, or is payable at sight or on presentation.

Related Words

demonstration
introduction

Definition of 'presentation'

presentation

presentation in British English

Presentation in american english, examples of 'presentation' in a sentence presentation, cobuild collocations presentation, trends of presentation.

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Presentation

Written By Gregg Rosenzweig
Updated: May 21, 2024

We’re here to help you choose the most appropriate content types to fulfill your content strategy. In this series, we’re breaking down the most popular content types to their basic fundamentals so you can start with a solid foundation — simple definitions, clarity on formats, and plenty of examples.

What is a Presentation?

A communication device that relays a topic to an audience in the form of a slide show, demonstration, lecture, or speech, where words and pictures complement each other.

Why should you think of presentations as content?

The beauty of content creation is that almost anything can become a compelling piece of content . It just depends on the creativity used to convert it and the story that brings it to life.

The long and short of it

Although the length of a presentation in terms of time can depend on the overall approach (Are you talking a lot? Are you referring to the screen in detail or not?), consider the number of informational content slides when tallying the overall presentation length. For instance, don’t include title slides in your tally when conveying length to a content creator.

A general guide to presentation length:

Short Form (5 content slides)
Standard Form (10 content slides)
Long Form (20+ content slides)

Business types:

Any company that has a pitch deck, executive summary, sales presentation, or any kind of internal document can repurpose them into external-facing content pieces — without pain.

Presentation Examples – Short Form

Here are some short-form examples with curated to help inspire you.

Presentation Examples – Standard Form

Presentation Examples – Long Form

Understanding Content Quality in Examples

Our team has rated content type examples in three degrees of quality ( Good, Better, Best ) to help you better gauge resources needed for your content plan.

In general, the degrees of content quality correspond to our three content levels ( General, Qualified, Expert ) based on the criteria below. Remember though, multiple variables determine the cost, completion time, or content level for any content piece with a perceived degree of quality.

How to Get Exceptional Content That Elevates

If you want to impress your clients, co-workers, or leadership team with your next presentation or product demonstration, to might want to consider working with proven content creators.

At ClearVoice, we have a Talent Network of 4000+ professionals across 200+ industries. That means we can find creators with the exact skill sets and expertise you need to create content that gets results.

Talk to a content specialist today to start the conversation.

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We will keep you up-to-date with all the content marketing news and resources. You will be a content expert in no time. Sign up for our free newsletter.

Elevate Your Content Game

Transform your marketing with a consistent stream of high-quality content for your brand.

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An Introduction to the ClearVoice Content Roadmap

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Business Jargons

A Business Encyclopedia

Presentation

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

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

Use of non-verbal cues.
Facilitates instant feedback.

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

Parts of Presentation

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

Purpose of Presentation

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

Factors Affecting Presentation

Audience Analysis

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

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

Related terms:

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

Reader Interactions

Abbas khan says

October 2, 2022 at 11:33 pm

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

Farhan says

February 23, 2023 at 9:45 am

yusra shah says

July 3, 2023 at 2:04 am

it was helpful👍

presentation

presentation on/about somebody/something The sales manager will give a presentation on the new products.
Several speakers will be making short presentations .
The conference will begin with a keynote presentation by a leading industry figure.
a slide/video/multimedia presentation
presentation on

Take your English to the next level

The Oxford Learner’s Thesaurus explains the difference between groups of similar words. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app

At least seven out of 10 Americans agree that presentation skills are essential for a successful career [ 1 ]. Although it might be tempting to think that these are skills reserved for people interested in public speaking roles, they're critical in a diverse range of jobs. For example, you might need to brief your supervisor on research results.

Presentation skills are also essential in other scenarios, including working with a team and explaining your thought process, walking clients through project ideas and timelines, and highlighting your strengths and achievements to your manager during performance reviews.

Whatever the scenario, you have very little time to capture your audience’s attention and get your point across when presenting information—about three seconds, according to research [ 2 ]. Effective presentation skills help you get your point across and connect with the people you’re communicating with, which is why nearly every employer requires them.

Understanding what presentation skills are is only half the battle. Honing your presenting techniques is essential for mastering presentations of all kinds and in all settings.

What are presentation skills?

Presentation skills are the abilities and qualities necessary for creating and delivering a compelling presentation that effectively communicates information and ideas. They encompass what you say, how you structure it, and the materials you include to support what you say, such as slides, videos, or images.

You'll make presentations at various times in your life. Examples include:

Making speeches at a wedding, conference, or another event

Making a toast at a dinner or event

Explaining projects to a team

Delivering results and findings to management teams

Teaching people specific methods or information

Proposing a vote at community group meetings

Pitching a new idea or business to potential partners or investors

Why are presentation skills important?

Delivering effective presentations is critical in your professional and personal life. You’ll need to hone your presentation skills in various areas, such as when giving a speech, convincing your partner to make a substantial purchase, and talking to friends and family about an important situation.

No matter if you’re using them in a personal or professional setting, these are the skills that make it easier and more effective to convey your ideas, convince or persuade others, and experience success. A few of the benefits that often accompany improving your presentation skills include:

Enriched written and verbal communication skills

Enhanced confidence and self-image

Boosted critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities

Better motivational techniques

Increased leadership skills

Expanded time management, negotiation, and creativity

The better your presenting techniques, the more engaging your presentations will be. You could also have greater opportunities to make positive impacts in business and other areas of your life.

Effective presentation skills

Imagine yourself in the audience at a TED Talk or sitting with your coworkers at a big meeting held by your employer. What would you be looking for in how they deliver their message? What would make you feel engaged?

These are a few questions to ask yourself as you review this list of some of the most effective presentation skills.

Verbal communication

How you use language and deliver messages play essential roles in how your audience will receive your presentation. Speak clearly and confidently, projecting your voice enough to ensure everyone can hear. Think before you speak, pausing when necessary and tailoring the way you talk to resonate with your particular audience.

Body language

Body language combines various critical elements, including posture, gestures, eye contact, expressions, and position in front of the audience. Body language is one of the elements that can instantly transform a presentation that would otherwise be dull into one that's dynamic and interesting.

Voice projection

The ability to project your voice improves your presentation by allowing your audience to hear what you're saying. It also increases your confidence to help settle any lingering nerves while also making your message more engaging. To project your voice, stand comfortably with your shoulders back. Take deep breaths to power your speaking voice and ensure you enunciate every syllable you speak.

How you present yourself plays a role in your body language and ability to project your voice. It also sets the tone for the presentation. Avoid slouching or looking overly tense. Instead, remain open, upright, and adaptable while taking the formality of the occasion into account.

Storytelling

Incorporating storytelling into a presentation is an effective strategy used by many powerful public speakers. It has the power to bring your subject to life and pique the audience’s curiosity. Don’t be afraid to tell a personal story, slowly building up suspense or adding a dramatic moment. And, of course, be sure to end with a positive takeaway to drive your point home.

Active listening

Active listening is a valuable skill all on its own. When you understand and thoughtfully respond to what you hear—whether it's in a conversation or during a presentation—you’ll likely deepen your personal relationships and actively engage audiences during a presentation. As part of your presentation skill set, it helps catch and maintain the audience’s attention, helping them remain focused while minimizing passive response, ensuring the message is delivered correctly, and encouraging a call to action.

Stage presence

During a presentation, projecting confidence can help keep your audience engaged. Stage presence can help you connect with your audience and encourage them to want to watch you. To improve your presence, try amping up your normal demeanor by infusing it with a bit of enthusiasm. Project confidence and keep your information interesting.

Watch your audience as you’re presenting. If you’re holding their attention, it likely means you’re connecting well with them.

Self-awareness

Monitoring your own emotions and reactions will allow you to react well in various situations. It helps you remain personable throughout your presentation and handle feedback well. Self-awareness can help soothe nervousness during presentations, allowing you to perform more effectively.

Writing skills

Writing is a form of presentation. Sharp writing skills can help you master your presentation’s outline to ensure you stay on message and remain clear about your objectives from the beginning until the end. It’s also helpful to have strong writing abilities for creating compelling slides and other visual aids.

Understanding an audience

When you understand your audience's needs and interests, you can design your presentation around them. In turn, you'll deliver maximum value to them and enhance your ability to make your message easy to understand.

Learn more about presentation skills from industry experts at SAP:

How to improve presentation skills

There’s an art to public speaking. Just like any other type of art, this is one that requires practice. Improving your presentation skills will help reduce miscommunications, enhance your time management capabilities, and boost your leadership skills. Here are some ways you can improve these skills:

Work on self-confidence.

When you’re confident, you naturally speak more clearly and with more authority. Taking the time to prepare your presentation with a strong opening and compelling visual aids can help you feel more confident. Other ways to improve your self-confidence include practicing positive self-talk, surrounding yourself with positive people, and avoiding comparing yourself (or your presentation) to others.

Develop strategies for overcoming fear.

Many people are nervous or fearful before giving a presentation. A bad memory of a past performance or insufficient self-confidence can contribute to fear and anxiety. Having a few go-to strategies like deep breathing, practicing your presentation, and grounding can help you transform that fear into extra energy to put into your stage presence.

Learn grounding techniques.

Grounding is any type of technique that helps you steer your focus away from distressing thoughts and keeps you connected with your present self. To ground yourself, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and imagine you’re a large, mature tree with roots extending deep into the earth—like the tree, you can become unshakable.

Learn how to use presentation tools.

Visual aids and other technical support can transform an otherwise good presentation into a wow-worthy one. A few popular presentation tools include:

Canva: Provides easy-to-design templates you can customize

Powtoon: Animation software that makes video creation fast and easy

PowerPoint: Microsoft's iconic program popular for dynamic marketing and sales presentations

Practice breathing techniques.

Breathing techniques can help quell anxiety, making it easier to shake off pre-presentation jitters and nerves. It also helps relax your muscles and get more oxygen to your brain. For some pre-presentation calmness, you can take deep breaths, slowly inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.

While presenting, breathe in through your mouth with the back of your tongue relaxed so your audience doesn't hear a gasping sound. Speak on your exhalation, maintaining a smooth voice.

Gain experience.

The more you practice, the better you’ll become. The more you doanything, the more comfortable you’ll feel engaging in that activity. Presentations are no different. Repeatedly practicing your own presentation also offers the opportunity to get feedback from other people and tweak your style and content as needed.

Tips to help you ace your presentation

Your presentation isn’t about you; it’s about the material you’re presenting. Sometimes, reminding yourself of this ahead of taking center stage can help take you out of your head, allowing you to connect effectively with your audience. The following are some of the many actions you can take on the day of your presentation.

Arrive early.

Since you may have a bit of presentation-related anxiety, it’s important to avoid adding travel stress. Give yourself an abundance of time to arrive at your destination, and take into account heavy traffic and other unforeseen events. By arriving early, you also give yourself time to meet with any on-site technicians, test your equipment, and connect with people ahead of the presentation.

Become familiar with the layout of the room.

Arriving early also gives you time to assess the room and figure out where you want to stand. Experiment with the acoustics to determine how loudly you need to project your voice, and test your equipment to make sure everything connects and appears properly with the available setup. This is an excellent opportunity to work out any last-minute concerns and move around to familiarize yourself with the setting for improved stage presence.

Listen to presenters ahead of you.

When you watch others present, you'll get a feel for the room's acoustics and lighting. You can also listen for any data that’s relevant to your presentation and revisit it during your presentation—this can make the presentation more interactive and engaging.

Use note cards.

Writing yourself a script could provide you with more comfort. To prevent sounding too robotic or disengaged, only include talking points in your note cards in case you get off track. Using note cards can help keep your presentation organized while sounding more authentic to your audience.

Learn to deliver clear and confident presentations with Dynamic Public Speaking from the University of Washington. Build confidence, develop new delivery techniques, and practice strategies for crafting compelling presentations for different purposes, occasions, and audiences.

Article sources

Forbes. “ New Survey: 70% Say Presentation Skills are Critical for Career Success , https://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2014/09/25/new-survey-70-percent-say-presentation-skills-critical-for-career-success/?sh=619f3ff78890.” Accessed December 7, 2022.

Beautiful.ai. “ 15 Presentation and Public Speaking Stats You Need to Know , https://www.beautiful.ai/blog/15-presentation-and-public-speaking-stats-you-need-to-know. Accessed December 7, 2022.

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Powerful and Effective Presentation Skills: More in Demand Now Than Ever

When we talk with our L&D colleagues from around the globe, we often hear that presentation skills training is one of the top opportunities they’re looking to provide their learners. And this holds true whether their learners are individual contributors, people managers, or senior leaders. This is not surprising.

Effective communications skills are a powerful career activator, and most of us are called upon to communicate in some type of formal presentation mode at some point along the way.

For instance, you might be asked to brief management on market research results, walk your team through a new process, lay out the new budget, or explain a new product to a client or prospect. Or you may want to build support for a new idea, bring a new employee into the fold, or even just present your achievements to your manager during your performance review.

And now, with so many employees working from home or in hybrid mode, and business travel in decline, there’s a growing need to find new ways to make effective presentations when the audience may be fully virtual or a combination of in person and remote attendees.

Whether you’re making a standup presentation to a large live audience, or a sit-down one-on-one, whether you’re delivering your presentation face to face or virtually, solid presentation skills matter.

Even the most seasoned and accomplished presenters may need to fine-tune or update their skills. Expectations have changed over the last decade or so. Yesterday’s PowerPoint which primarily relied on bulleted points, broken up by the occasional clip-art image, won’t cut it with today’s audience.

The digital revolution has revolutionized the way people want to receive information. People expect presentations that are more visually interesting. They expect to see data, metrics that support assertions. And now, with so many previously in-person meetings occurring virtually, there’s an entirely new level of technical preparedness required.

The leadership development tools and the individual learning opportunities you’re providing should include presentation skills training that covers both the evergreen fundamentals and the up-to-date capabilities that can make or break a presentation.

So, just what should be included in solid presentation skills training? Here’s what I think.

The fundamentals will always apply When it comes to making a powerful and effective presentation, the fundamentals will always apply. You need to understand your objective. Is it strictly to convey information, so that your audience’s knowledge is increased? Is it to persuade your audience to take some action? Is it to convince people to support your idea? Once you understand what your objective is, you need to define your central message. There may be a lot of things you want to share with your audience during your presentation, but find – and stick with – the core, the most important point you want them to walk away with. And make sure that your message is clear and compelling.

You also need to tailor your presentation to your audience. Who are they and what might they be expecting? Say you’re giving a product pitch to a client. A technical team may be interested in a lot of nitty-gritty product detail. The business side will no doubt be more interested in what returns they can expect on their investment.

Another consideration is the setting: is this a formal presentation to a large audience with questions reserved for the end, or a presentation in a smaller setting where there’s the possibility for conversation throughout? Is your presentation virtual or in-person? To be delivered individually or as a group? What time of the day will you be speaking? Will there be others speaking before you and might that impact how your message will be received?

Once these fundamentals are established, you’re in building mode. What are the specific points you want to share that will help you best meet your objective and get across your core message? Now figure out how to convey those points in the clearest, most straightforward, and succinct way. This doesn’t mean that your presentation has to be a series of clipped bullet points. No one wants to sit through a presentation in which the presenter reads through what’s on the slide. You can get your points across using stories, fact, diagrams, videos, props, and other types of media.

Visual design matters While you don’t want to clutter up your presentation with too many visual elements that don’t serve your objective and can be distracting, using a variety of visual formats to convey your core message will make your presentation more memorable than slides filled with text. A couple of tips: avoid images that are cliched and overdone. Be careful not to mix up too many different types of images. If you’re using photos, stick with photos. If you’re using drawn images, keep the style consistent. When data are presented, stay consistent with colors and fonts from one type of chart to the next. Keep things clear and simple, using data to support key points without overwhelming your audience with too much information. And don’t assume that your audience is composed of statisticians (unless, of course, it is).

When presenting qualitative data, brief videos provide a way to engage your audience and create emotional connection and impact. Word clouds are another way to get qualitative data across.

Practice makes perfect You’ve pulled together a perfect presentation. But it likely won’t be perfect unless it’s well delivered. So don’t forget to practice your presentation ahead of time. Pro tip: record yourself as you practice out loud. This will force you to think through what you’re going to say for each element of your presentation. And watching your recording will help you identify your mistakes—such as fidgeting, using too many fillers (such as “umm,” or “like”), or speaking too fast.

A key element of your preparation should involve anticipating any technical difficulties. If you’ve embedded videos, make sure they work. If you’re presenting virtually, make sure that the lighting is good, and that your speaker and camera are working. Whether presenting in person or virtually, get there early enough to work out any technical glitches before your presentation is scheduled to begin. Few things are a bigger audience turn-off than sitting there watching the presenter struggle with the delivery mechanisms!

Finally, be kind to yourself. Despite thorough preparation and practice, sometimes, things go wrong, and you need to recover in the moment, adapt, and carry on. It’s unlikely that you’ll have caused any lasting damage and the important thing is to learn from your experience, so your next presentation is stronger.

How are you providing presentation skills training for your learners?

Manika Gandhi is Senior Learning Design Manager at Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Email her at [email protected] .

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presentation

: an activity in which someone shows, describes, or explains something to a group of people

: the way in which something is arranged, designed, etc. : the way in which something is presented

: the act of giving something to someone in a formal way or in a ceremony

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What is a Presentation? Objectives, Elements, Important skills, Four Ps

Post last modified: 4 June 2023
Reading time: 19 mins read
Post category: Business Communication

What is a Presentation?

A presentation communicates a message, an idea or information to a group. It is similar to a report, but with a key difference–the human element. A presentation conveys the speaker’s personality and enables immediate interaction among all participants.

Table of Content

1 What is a Presentation?
2.1 To Inform
2.2 To Train
2.3 To Persuade
2.4 To Motivate
2.5 To Entertain
3 Main Elements of Presentation
4.1 Analytical ability
4.2 Effective communication ability
4.3 Creative ability
4.4 Good interpersonal skill
4.5 Sound time management
4.6 Problem-solving ability
4.7 A sense of humour
5 Evaluation Wheel
6.1 Prepare
6.2 Practice
6.3 Present
7.1 Know Yourself
7.2 Know Your Material
7.3 Know Your Purpose
7.4 Know Your Audience

Objectives of Presentation

The main objectives of a presentation are:

To Persuade

To motivate, to entertain.

A presentation is created to convey some information to a group of people. For example, a presentation may display an organisation’s quarterly performance.

Most training programmes in organisations are done through the presentation mode. Such instructional presentations convey a lot of information and are created with instructional design principles to keep the audience engaged for a long period.

Some presentations are used to convince a group of people to accept a particular idea and/or make a certain choice.

The growing popularity of TED Talks indicates how a presentation can be a powerful motivation tool. These presentations trigger emotions and inspire people to act.

Presentations can also be used to celebrate an event. For example, a farewell presentation of a colleague can be used to narrate the story of his/her overall tenure, experiences and achievement in the organisation.

Main Elements of Presentation

A presentation is said to be effective if it has three main elements, which are as follows:

Specific content : This refers to the information that a presentation will comprise. The information must be conveyed effectively so that it is absorbed by the audience in one sitting. It should be relevant and meaningful to them.
Audience : A presentation should be targeted for a specific group of audience who share the same purpose and have a similar level of pre-knowledge.
Presenter: The presenter should act as the advocate of the information. If his/her conviction and passion in the message are clearly articulated, the audience will also pay attention to the subject.

Important Presentation Skills

In today’s business environment, presentation skills are requisite in almost every professional arena. Employees are often required to give presentations on the targets achieved by them. A presentation can be effective if it is carefully planned and prepared.

However, delivering presentations is not always easy for every individual. Some people take presenting as a probable opportunity to showcase skills, while others find it a challenging task. To provide an effective presentation, a presenter must possess some abilities.

Some of them are explained as follows:

Analytical ability

Effective communication ability, creative ability, good interpersonal skill, sound time management, problem-solving ability, a sense of humour.

It refers to a calibre which empowers an individual to collect, organise, visualise and comprehend data. Such skills enable a person to look at related patterns, draw conclusions and find solutions to problems. In addition, sound analytical skills also enable an individual to forecast future trends using various techniques such as brainstorming, forecasting, data mining and metrics interpretation.

Communication entails much more than mere talking to the audience. To communicate effectively during a presentation, one ought to showcase information lucidly. During a presentation, a person should not just have a good set of slides together; rather he needs to engage and strike a chord with the audience to transmit the intended message.

It refers to the ability to present things in a creative way that have not been explored earlier. Creative skills in presentation enable an individual to invent or develop something path-breaking, such as a new concept, unique way out from a problem, a method, a work of art or new machinery, etc.

It encompasses how an individual portrays or presents himself to the audience and builds a rapport with the audience. During a presentation, sound interpersonal skills empower a speaker to interact, communicate and collaborate with the audience effectively.

Interpersonal skills are prevalent across all personal and professional interactions between people. Interpersonal skills entail empathy, active listening and emotional intelligence.

While delivering a presentation, a person should manage time effectively, set a presentation schedule and end a presentation within a stipulated time. If a presentation is long, there are chances the audience may lose interest and the message may not be delivered.

A speaker cannot expect audience to actively listen to the presentation for hours. At the start of presentation, a speaker should aim to grab audience’s attention and allocate time for questions and answers at the end.

Problem-solving is a requisite skill for a presentation. During a presentation, the audience may ask the speaker any kind of questions. On the other hand, it is important for the speaker to provide an appropriate answer to the audience to make the presentation successful.

A sense of humour is crucial to deliver a quality presentation to make the environment light and engaging. Appropriate usage of light jokes relieves stress and holds the attention of an audience, which makes the presentation a memorable experience for both the speaker and the audience.

Evaluation Wheel

Evaluation wheel is a creative and effective tool that accumulates information on outcomes in a simple and accessible manner. A presenter can opt for the evaluation wheel tool to show the outcomes of the research or reports. This tool is used to provide various types of information and journeys of change within the organisation.

It offers a visual representation of progression and results in the form of a spider diagram. The evaluation wheel measures the exact outcomes for a programme at the start and end. It also helps educators, designers to comprehend information systematically. Figure shows an example of evaluation wheel:

Figure states the scale questionnaire in a circle form wherein respondents will analyse the instances from their discretion and experience and give rating on a scale of 1 to 5.

For instance, service users are appropriately involved. In this case, if the respondent strongly agrees, he/she will give 5 rating and if he/she does not agree, he/she will give 1 rating. The centre of the circle is for 1 and as the respondent agrees, they reach out to edge for 5 rating.

Ps of Presentation

Even the most powerful presentation may fail if the presenter comes unprepared. A presentation is both a mental and a physical effort. There are Ps of presentation that provide a checklist to the presenter for ensuring that the presentation is well-constructed and clear so that the audience gets the message. These four Ps are explained as follows:

A thoroughly prepared presentation captivates the interests of the audience. The topic or content of the presentation must be thoroughly researched. No one would develop interest in a vague or equivocal presentation. A speaker can make use of stories or relatable examples and quote references to give more depth to the presentation and make it intriguing.

Apart from that, it should be ensured that only important points are highlighted in bullets or using other graphical elements. Providing too much of theory or full sentences can create boredom for the audience.

While preparing for a presentation, the presenter should include the following sections:

Introduction : This section includes the name of the topic and the purpose of the presentation.
Body : This section contains the main content of the presentation; thus, it must be prepared in a well-organised manner.
Summary : It provides a recap of the content of the presentation. It outlines the most important points of the presentation to ensure the key message is retained by the audience.

Practice will make a man perfect is an adage that is appropriate across all spheres of life. It helps a speaker become familiar with his/her own voice, words and phrases and adjust accordingly. By practising thoroughly, a speaker can explore how to fit different pieces of information together and practise transition.

Also, a speaker should make notes wherever required as a part of presentation support. Using an index card is a common form of note-taking that provides a quick glimpse of important points.

While delivering a presentation, the speaker needs to demonstrate confidence in front of the audience. The speaker must be polite, but not apologetic in situations, such as if the session is running overtime or the microphone has stopped working.

Instead he/she should expect and ask for discipline and attention. It is important for a speaker to engage with the audience during the presentation in order to assure them that he/she is genuinely interested in talking to them. 4. Pace, pitch and pause: A presenter should deliver the presentation in an easy-to-follow pace and try changing the pace to enliven the presentation.

For example, pauses can be taken intentionally between main points to reinforce them. Along with pace, pitch is equally important. Just as pace varies in normal conversations, it should be used effectively during presentations too. For example, when asking a question, the presenter can raise the pitch and can lower it down when explaining a point.

Four Cornerstones of Making Memorable Presentations

The most crucial aspect of delivering an effective presentation is that the speaker should appear confident and the speech should look effortless. Presentations are a source of anxiety for many individuals. However, getting well-prepared before delivering a presentation can reduce this feeling considerably and ease apprehension.

There are a number of ways to overcome feelings of anxiety, stress and stage fright before the presentation in order to appear confident in front of the audience. The four cornerstones of making a memorable presentation are provided in the upcoming sections.

Know Yourself

Know your material, know your purpose, know your audience.

A presenter should acknowledge his/her strengths and weaknesses. Accordingly, he/she should decide the style of delivering a presentation. For instance, if a presenter has a great sense of humour and can use it comfortably in the speech, he/she can make the presentation more engaging and interesting.

On the other hand, if the speaker who is an introvert and prefers to talk or engage less, he/she can add visuals in the presentation. Therefore, the trick is whosoever is delivering the presentation should feel comfortable.

Knowing the topic thoroughly is the most important step in preparing and delivering a presentation. A presenter with well-versed knowledge of the topic is bound to feel more confident. One should perform extensive research of the topic using credible websites and surveys.

A presenter with minimal information about the topic will not be able to deliver a memorable presentation; rather, it would create a negative image in front of the audience. A good presentation is one that is centred around the main theme, presents relevant information and stimulates thought.

It is crucial to know the purpose of the presentation. A presenter should be aware of whether the purpose is to create awareness or to build new skills or to change attitudes. For instance, professional firms or businesses use presentations for various purposes such as to create awareness, educate, motivate and persuade internal and external audiences.

Therefore, to prepare a presentation, identify its objective/purpose, determine the method of delivery, formulate a structure, include visual aids and rehearse.

One should know the type of audience and what is their purpose of attending the presentation. For instance, whether they are there for gaining knowledge or learning new skills, etc. The age, culture and knowledge base of the audience help a presenter in designing and delivering his/her presentation effectively and in a manner in which audience can easily understand and relate to.

A well-designed presentation uses visual aids effectively to reinforce the main points and enhance the audience’s level of understanding.

Business Communication Notes

( Click on Topic to Read )

What is Business Communication?
What is Communication?
Types of Communication

7 C of Communication

Barriers to business communication.

Oral Communication
Types Of Non Verbal Communication
What is Written Communication?
What are Soft Skills?
Interpersonal vs Intrapersonal communication
Barriers to Communication
Importance of Communication Skills

Listening in Communication

Causes of Miscommunication
What is Johari Window?
What is Presentation?
Communication Styles
Channels of Communication

Hofstede’s Dimensions of Cultural Differences and Benett’s Stages of Intercultural Sensitivity

Organisational Communication
Horizontal C ommunication
Grapevine Communication
Downward Communication
Verbal Communication Skills
Upward Communication
Flow of Communication
What is Emotional Intelligence?
What is Public Speaking?
Upward vs Downward Communication
Internal vs External Communication
What is Group Discussion?
What is Interview?
What is Negotiation?
What is Digital Communication?
What is Letter Writing?

Resume and Covering Letter

What is Report Writing?
What is Business Meeting?
What is Public Relations?
What Is Market Segmentation?
What Is Marketing Mix?
Marketing Concept
Marketing Management Process
What Is Marketing Environment?
What Is Consumer Behaviour?
Business Buyer Behaviour
Demand Forecasting
7 Stages Of New Product Development
Methods Of Pricing
What Is Public Relations?
What Is Marketing Management?
What Is Sales Promotion?
Types Of Sales Promotion
Techniques Of Sales Promotion
What Is Personal Selling?
What Is Advertising?
Market Entry Strategy
What Is Marketing Planning?
Segmentation Targeting And Positioning
Brand Building Process
Kotler Five Product Level Model
Classification Of Products
Types Of Logistics
What Is Consumer Research?
What Is DAGMAR?
Consumer Behaviour Models
What Is Green Marketing?
What Is Electronic Commerce?
Agricultural Cooperative Marketing
What Is Marketing Control?
What Is Marketing Communication?
What Is Pricing?
Models Of Communication
What is Sales Management?
Objectives of Sales Management
Responsibilities and Skills of Sales Manager
Theories of Personal Selling
What is Sales Forecasting?
Methods of Sales Forecasting
Purpose of Sales Budgeting
Methods of Sales Budgeting
Types of Sales Budgeting
Sales Budgeting Process
What is Sales Quotas?
What is Selling by Objectives (SBO) ?
What is Sales Organisation?
Types of Sales Force Structure
Recruiting and Selecting Sales Personnel
Training and Development of Salesforce
Compensating the Sales Force
Time and Territory Management
What Is Logistics?
What Is Logistics System?
Technologies in Logistics
What Is Distribution Management?
What Is Marketing Intermediaries?
Conventional Distribution System
Functions of Distribution Channels
What is Channel Design?
Types of Wholesalers and Retailers
What is Vertical Marketing Systems?
What i s Marketing?
What i s A BCG Matrix?
5 M’S Of Advertising
What i s Direct Marketing?
Marketing Mix For Services
What Market Intelligence System?
What i s Trade Union?
What Is International Marketing?
World Trade Organization (WTO)
What i s International Marketing Research?
What is Exporting?
What is Licensing?
What is Franchising?
What is Joint Venture?
What is Turnkey Projects?
What is Management Contracts?
What is Foreign Direct Investment?
Factors That Influence Entry Mode Choice In Foreign Markets
What is Price Escalations?
What is Transfer Pricing?
Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC)
What is Promotion Mix?
Factors Affecting Promotion Mix
Functions & Role Of Advertising
What is Database Marketing?
What is Advertising Budget?
What is Advertising Agency?
What is Market Intelligence?
What is Industrial Marketing?
What is Customer Value
What is Consumer Behaviour?
What Is Personality?
What Is Perception?
What Is Learning?
What Is Attitude?
What Is Motivation?
Consumer Imagery
Consumer Attitude Formation
What Is Culture?
Consumer Decision Making Process
Applications of Consumer Behaviour in Marketing
Motivational Research
Theoretical Approaches to Study of Consumer Behaviour
Consumer Involvement
Consumer Lifestyle
Theories of Personality
Outlet Selection
Organizational Buying Behaviour
Reference Groups
Consumer Protection Act, 1986
Diffusion of Innovation
Opinion Leaders
What is Business Law?
Indian Contract Act 1872
Essential Elements of a Valid Contract
Types of Contract
What is Discharge of Contract?
Performance of Contract
Sales of Goods Act 1930
Goods & Price: Contract of Sale
Conditions and Warranties
Doctrine of Caveat Emptor
Transfer of Property
Rights of Unpaid Seller
Negotiable Instruments Act 1881
Types of Negotiable Instruments
Types of Endorsement
What is Promissory Note?
What is Cheque?
What is Crossing of Cheque?
What is Bill of Exchange?
What is Offer?
Limited Liability Partnership Act 2008
Memorandum of Association
Articles of Association
What is Director?
Trade Unions Act, 1926
Industrial Disputes Act 1947
Employee State Insurance Act 1948
Payment of Wages Act 1936
Payment of Bonus Act 1965
Labour Law in India
What is Brand Management?
4 Steps of Strategic Brand Management Process
Customer Based Brand Equity
What is Brand Equity?

Read more about the article 7 C of Communication

What is Business Communication? Process, Types, Importance, Barriers

What is letter writing layouts, types.

What is Oral Communication? Advantages, Disadvantages, Imp

What is Communication? Importance, Forms, Nature

Read more about the article Listening in Communication

What is Upward Communication? Advantages, Disadvantages

Read more about the article Barriers To Business Communication

Barriers to Communication: Types, How to Overcome

10 Verbal Communication Skills Worth Mastering

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presentation

pres·en·ta·tion

Pres•en•ta•tion, pre·sen·ta·tion.

active public information policy
altitude hole
artillery fire plan table
augmentation
banker's check
breech birth
breech delivery
breech presentation
Candlemas Day
content curation
costume piece
counterdemonstration
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presence chamber
presence of mind
presenile dementia
Presensation
present arms
present moment
present participle
present perfect
present perfect tense
present progressive
present progressive tense
present tense
present times
present value
Present, The
presentable
presentably
Presentaneous
presentation copy
presentational
presentationism
presentative
present-day
Present-day English
presenteeism
presentence
presentiality
presentially
Presentiate
presentient
Presentific
Presentifical
presentiment
presentimental
presentiveness
Present Worth
Present Worth of Capital Expenditures
present you as
present you with
present yourself
Present-Day English
Present-Minded Individualism
present-worth factor
presentability
presentablely
presentableness
Presentance Report
Presentasi Pemikiran Kritis Mahasiswa
Presentation Accept
Presentation and Personalization Management
Presentation Brothers College, Cork
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Presentation Connection Endpoint
Presentation Connection Endpoint Identifier
Presentation Context Definition List
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Presentation Controller Mediator Entity Foundation
Presentation Convent Kodaikanal
Presentation copy
Presentation Data Value
Presentation Department
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Présentation des Normes Européennes
presentation drawing
Presentation du Systeme de Planification et de Gestion de Frequence
Presentation Element Parser, YACC
Presentation Environment for Multimedia Objects
Presentation File
Presentation Function
Présentation Générale Lex Persona
presentation graphics
presentation graphics program
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What is PowerPoint? Everything You Need to Know

What is PowerPoint? This blog will walk you through “what is Microsoft PowerPoint”. Discover its features, uses, and the art of crafting compelling slideshows. Whether you're a student, professional, or simply curious, explore the power of Microsoft PowerPoint and learn how you can create impactful presentations effortlessly.

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According to Glassdoor , a PowerPoint designer's average salary in the UK is about £37,811 annually. Who knew there was big money in presentations alone? In this blog, you will learn What PowerPoint is, its key features, its benefits, and how to use it, as well as learn some tips for creating effective presentations.

Table of contents

1) What is PowerPoint?

2) Understanding the PowerPoint interface

3) Key features of PowerPoint

4) How to use PowerPoint to create a presentation?

5) Benefits of PowerPoint

6) Tips for creating effective PowerPoint Presentations

7) Alternatives to PowerPoint

8) Conclusion

What is PowerPoint?

PowerPoint is an essential multifunctional tool for making presentations which had been created by MS. As a part of the Microsoft Office Suite, it offers a toolbox to organise the presentation by using different tools and features to make it visually pleasant and attractive. MS PowerPoint gives the opportunity for the text, graphics, multimedia objects, and animation elements to be combined in one place to allow the users to present information in a more effective way.

Evolution of PowerPoint

In the course of time, PowerPoint has become a very functional tool to produce high-quality presentations Moreover, a secure system would be established to manage risks of data leakage or theft. First released in 1987 for Apple computers, it defies to the competition with its easy Graphical User Interface (GUIGUI)) and its large range of functions. With every new release, MS PowerPoint offered new functionality and boasted significant improvements, staying the wonder of the world of presentations.

Understanding the PowerPoint interface

The PowerPoint Program provides the presenter with an easy-to-use interface for designing and updating the presentation. It is important to master its main functions in order to conduct operations using this software with a level of proficiency.Here's a breakdown of the MS PowerPoint interface:

1) Ribbon: The Ribbon is located at the top of the MS PowerPoint window and has several tabs which include Home, Insert, Design, Transitions, etc.

2) Slides pane: Slide pane which is positioned to the far left of the window, is the PowerPoint window. You will see there a collection of your slides examples (thumbnails) which enables you to adjust and customize them with greater ease. The floating pane of the editor lets you not only add, delete, duplicate, but also hide slides from there.

3) Notes pane : The Notes pane is located below the Slides pane. It provides space for adding speaker notes or additional information related to each slide.

4) Slide area : The Slide area occupies the central part of the PowerPoint window. It displays the selected slide, where you can add and arrange content such as text, images, charts, and multimedia elements .

5) Task panes : Task panes are additional panels on the PowerPoint window's right side. They offer various functionalities such as formatting options, slide layouts, animations, etc. Task panes can be opened or closed based on your specific needs.

Understanding the MS PowerPoint interface will help you navigate the software effectively and make the most of its features. Whether you are creating slides, adding content, or applying formatting, having a good grasp of the interface ensures a smooth and productive experience .

Key Features of PowerPoint

When it comes to creating captivating and professional presentations, MS PowerPoint stands out as versatile and feature-rich software. Its array of tools and functionalities enables users to bring their imagination and ideas to life. Moreover, it also helps engage their audience effectively .

From slide templates to multimedia integration, there are various Features of PowerPoint ; let's discuss some of them below.

1) Slide Templates : PowerPoint provides a collection of pre-designed templates that make it easy to create visually appealing slides.

2) Slide Master : The Slide Master feature allows users to define the overall layout, font styles, and colour scheme for the entire presentation .

3) Animations and transitions : PowerPoint offers various animation effects and slide transitions to add visual interest and captivate the audience .

4) Multimedia integration : Users can embed images, videos, and audio files directly into their presentations, enhancing the overall impact .

5) Collaboration tools : MS PowerPoint allows multiple users to work on a presentation simultaneously, making it ideal for team projects and remote collaboration .

6) Presenter View : The Presenter View feature gives presenters access to speaker notes, a timer, and a preview of upcoming slides, enabling a seamless presentation experience .

These features collectively contribute to PowerPoint's versatility and make it a powerful tool for developing engaging and impactful presentations.

Take your Microsoft Office skills to the next level – sign up for our Power Apps and Power Automate Training !

How to use PowerPoint to create a presentation?

Creating a presentation in PowerPoint is a straightforward process. Whether it's simple animations or explainer videos learning H ow to use PowerPoint is an extremely valuable skill. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to create a presentation:

1) Launch PowerPoint and choose a template or start with a blank slide.

2) Add slides by clicking "New Slide" or using the shortcut key (Ctrl + M).

3) Customise slide content by entering text and inserting visuals.

4) Rearrange slides for a logical flow by dragging them in the slide navigation pane.

5) Apply slide transitions for visual effects in the "Transitions" tab.

6) Add animations to objects in the "Animations" tab.

7) Preview your presentation by clicking "Slide Show".

8) Save your presentation and choose a format (.pptx or .pdf).

9) Share your presentation via email, cloud storage, or collaboration tools.

By following these steps, you can create a well-structured and visually appealing presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint. Remember to keep your content concise, use engaging visuals, and practice your presentation skills to deliver an impactful presentation .

Unlock your full potential and optimise your productivity with our comprehensive Microsoft Office 365 Masterclass . Sign up now!

Benefits of PowerPoint

PowerPoint is a very popular presentation software and for a good reason. It offers numerous benefits for users, from easy collaboration to ease of use. These are some of the key benefits of PowerPoint.

1) Visual appeal : Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to create visually appealing presentations with its wide range of design tools and features. You can use templates, themes, and customisable layouts to make your slides visually engaging and professional .

2) Easy to use : PowerPoint has a user-friendly interface, making it accessible to users of all levels. The intuitive tools and straightforward navigation make it easy to create, edit, and deliver presentations efficiently .

3) Flexibility : PowerPoint provides flexibility in terms of content creation. You can include various types of content, such as text, images, charts, graphs, videos, and audio files, to enhance your message and engage your audience effectively.

4) Organisation and structure : PowerPoint offers features to help you organise and structure your content. You can create multiple slides, use slide masters for consistent formatting, and arrange the sequence of slides to create a logical flow .

5) Presenter tools : PowerPoint includes built-in presenter tools that aid in delivering presentations smoothly. You can use presenter view to see your notes and upcoming slides while your audience sees only the presentation. Additionally, features like slide transitions and animations add visual interest and help you control the flow of information .

6) Collaboration and sharing : PowerPoint allows for easy collaboration and sharing of presentations. Several users can simultaneously work on the same presentation, making it convenient for team projects. You can also share your presentations via email, cloud storage, or online platforms, ensuring easy access for viewers .

7) Integration with other tools : PowerPoint can seamlessly integrate with other Microsoft Office applications, such as Word and Excel. You can import data and charts from Excel or copy and paste content between different Office applications, saving time and effort .

8) Presenter-audience interaction : PowerPoint provides features that facilitate interaction between the presenter and the audience. You can include interactive elements like hyperlinks, buttons, and quizzes to engage your audience and make your presentations more dynamic.

9) Portable and accessible : PowerPoint presentations can be saved in various formats, such as .pptx or .pdf, making them easily accessible on different devices. This portability allows you to deliver presentations on laptops, tablets, or even projectors without compatibility issues .

10) Time and effort savings : PowerPoint simplifies the process of creating presentations, saving you time and effort. The pre-designed templates, slide layouts, and formatting options enable you to create professional-looking presentations efficiently .

Learn how to create customised slide shows in MS PowerPoint with our Microsoft PowerPoint MO300 Training .

Tips for Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations

PowerPoint presentations can be powerful tools for communicating information and engaging an audience. Consider the following PowerPoint Tips to create effective presentations .

What is PowerPoint Tips for creating presentations

1) Simplicity is key : Keep your slides clean and uncluttered. Use concise bullet points and simple visuals to convey your message effectively .

2) Visuals matter : Incorporate relevant, high-quality visuals such as images, charts, and diagrams to enhance understanding and engagement .

3) Limit text : Avoid overwhelming your audience with excessive text on slides. Use brief phrases or keywords to communicate key points .

4) Choose legible fonts : Opt for clear and readable fonts that are easy to read, even from a distance. Maintain consistency in font styles throughout your presentation .

5) Consistent design : Maintain a consistent design theme, including colours, fonts, and layout, to create a visually appealing and professional presentation.

6) Emphasise important points : Use visual hierarchy techniques, such as font size, colour, and formatting, to draw attention to essential information .

7) Use transitions and animations sparingly : Incorporate slide transitions and animations thoughtfully, focusing on enhancing content and transitions without distracting the audience .

8) S lide notes for guidance : Utilise the slide notes feature to include additional details, explanations, or reminders for a well-prepared and confident presentation.

9) Practice and time yourself : Rehearse your presentation to ensure smooth delivery and stay within the allocated time. Practice helps you refine your content and delivery.

10) Engage the audience : Encourage audience participation through interactive elements, questions, or discussions to foster engagement and make your presentation more memorable.

By implementing these tips, you can create effective MS PowerPoint presentations that capture attention, communicate information clearly, and engage your audience effectively.

Alternatives to PowerPoint

Most of you are used to using PowerPoint for your presentation needs since it was the first option available to us through our academics. However, if you wish to check out alternative options to Powerpoint know if they work better for you, here are ten options that is worth a short:

5) Slidebean

6) Zoho Show

7) Google Slide

9) Beautiful.ai

10) Microsoft Sway

Conclusion

This blog walked you through What is PowerPoint and how it can aid you in curating compelling visual representations of the message you wish to get across. We discussed it features and the process of how you can create presentations on PowerPoint. Now take what you know and run with it explore your options with your templates and building new ones, let your creativity take its course.

Master the art of effective communication and productivity and unlock your potential with our comprehensive Microsoft Office Training – Sign up now!

Frequently Asked Questions

Well, making a presentation can be tricky business. Here are some of the common mistakes people make:

1) Adding too much text! The presentation needs to have brief and simple points you elaborate on in person.

2) Bad colour schemes for template and font colour. Sometimes the clash of colour may make the text illegible.

3) Too many elements! Crowding of elements may lose your audience’s attention.

Yes, you most definitely can! You can use PowerPoint online with a Microsoft Office 360 plug in that allows you to use all Microsoft applications on your browser.

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Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Definition of presentation – Learner’s Dictionary

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presentation noun ( SHOW )

Presentation noun ( talk ), presentation noun ( ceremony ).

Translations of presentation

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an occasion when a driver in a motor race stops in the pits (= area where cars are repaired)

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Definition of present

(Entry 1 of 4)

Definition of present (Entry 2 of 4)

transitive verb

intransitive verb

Definition of present (Entry 3 of 4)

Definition of present (Entry 4 of 4)

fairing [ British ]
freebee
largess
presentation
present-day
here and now

give , present , donate , bestow , confer , afford mean to convey to another as a possession.

give , the general term, is applicable to any passing over of anything by any means.

present carries a note of formality and ceremony.

donate is likely to imply a publicized giving (as to charity).

bestow implies the conveying of something as a gift and may suggest condescension on the part of the giver.

confer implies a gracious giving (as of a favor or honor).

afford implies a giving or bestowing usually as a natural or legitimate consequence of the character of the giver.

Examples of present in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'present.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from presenter

Middle English, from Anglo-French presenter , from Latin praesentare , from praesent-, praesens , adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin praesent-, praesens , from present participle of praeesse to be before one, from prae- pre- + esse to be — more at is

13th century, in the meaning defined above

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3b(1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3b

Phrases Containing present

all present and accounted for
all present and correct
at the present time
co - present
historical present
present arms
present company excepted
present company excluded
present - day
present oneself
present participle
present perfect
present tense
present value
present writer
re - present
the present
the present day
the present perfect
the present writer
there's no time like the present

Articles Related to present

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And yes, 'gift' is a verb.

Dictionary Entries Near present

presentable

Cite this Entry

“Present.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/present. Accessed 23 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of present.

Kids Definition of present (Entry 2 of 4)

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Kids Definition of present (Entry 4 of 4)

Medical Definition

Medical definition of present, legal definition, legal definition of present.

(Entry 1 of 2)

Legal Definition of present (Entry 2 of 2)

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Britannica English: Translation of present for Arabic Speakers

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Home Blog Design Exploring the 12 Different Types of Slides in PowerPoint

Exploring the 12 Different Types of Slides in PowerPoint

Cover for types of slides in PowerPoint presentations

Presentations are an important communication tool in professional and academic environments. Effective slide design is not merely about aesthetics; it’s about enhancing comprehension, engagement, and retention of information. Each type of slide serves a specific purpose and requires thoughtful consideration in its creation and application. This guide explores twelve common types of slides, explaining their purposes, typical usage scenarios, essential components, and strategies for maximum effectiveness.

Table of Contents

Title Slide

Picture slide, agenda slide, introduction slide, summary slide, thank you slide, quote slide, chart & diagram slide, table slide, animation & video slide, call-to-action slide, final words.

The title slide sets the tone and context for the presentation. It’s our main opportunity to make a strong first impression and establish the speaker’s credibility regarding aesthetics and professionalism.

As the core point in how to start a presentation , the title slide gives a clear indication of the topic, the presenter’s identity, and relevant contextual data. Let’s see which are the components of the title slide.

Main Title: This is the focal point of the slide. It should be concise yet descriptive enough to clearly explain the presentation’s focus. The font size should be large enough to be readable from the back of the room.
Subtitle: If necessary, provide additional clarification or a more detailed descriptor of the presentation’s scope.
Presenter’s Name and Details: Includes full name, job title, and affiliation. Positioned for easy visibility but without overshadowing the main title.
Date and Venue: These are important for context, especially if the presentation might be referenced later or is part of a larger conference or seminar.
Design Elements: The layout should reflect corporate or personal branding, using logos, specific color schemes, and fonts. It should also be clean and not cluttered, maintaining a professional appearance.

The title slide should be crafted around a concept that is valid for different types of slides: less is more. Maintain a high contrast between the text and the background, but don’t overdo it; otherwise, you will affect the readability of your slides . If you’re using a background image, ensure it does not distract the audience’s attention from your speech. Alternatively, we can add a fade-in or morph effect for the text to create neat transitions and grab the audience’s attention without being distracting.

For more information, read our tutorial on how to add title slides in PowerPoint .

We call a picture slide to those who use strong visual imagery to aid in storytelling presentations , making concepts tangible, providing an emotional impact, or those who serve to illustrate case studies .

Picture slides are mainly used to illustrate complex concepts , but they are also an element that can add dynamism to a presentation, making the overall presentation less “boring” than just sticking to data and tables. The components of picture slides are:

High-Quality Image: The image should dominate the slide and be directly relevant to the accompanying content. It should be sharp and have appropriate rights for use – meaning we cannot claim an image from a professional photographer as it is. Either work with royalty-free pictures or with your own images (or work your way around Midjourney to create AI-images).
Minimal Text: If text is necessary, it should not compete with the image. Placement should be thoughtful, ensuring that the image remains the focus. In some particular scenarios, text can be the image, as we see in portraits made out of words.
Caption: Optional, but can help provide context or cite the source of the image. Also, captions help people with auditory impairments to comprehend the reason why the image is being shown.

Aim to choose images that evoke the emotion you want to convey in your presentation. For an appropriate layout, you can use the rule of thirds for a balanced composition or half-and-half if you are presenting the image alongside relevant written data. Avoid oversaturated images or heavily dramatic black-and-white effects.

Picture slide ideal location for images according to the rule of thirds

We’re all used to text slides. That being said, good design practices regarding text slides don’t consider having huge walls of text with the sole excuse of “delivering information.” Layouts matter. Presenters should stick to a column layout where the information is summarized and arranged using presentation aids to break up the written format monotony and ensure audience engagement .

Text slide in the format of a project dashboard

Text slides can contain the following elements:

Headline: Clearly states the topic or point of the slide. It should be written in a distinctive type format than the rest of the body text.
Body Text: Should be organized in short, concise paragraphs. Limit the text to essential information to avoid overwhelming the audience. Take special care when selecting the font for the presentation to ensure legibility.
Visual References: Icons or tiny graphics can help illustrate points and break up text, enhancing readability and retention.

Always pay attention to legibility. Although bullet points can be helpful in organizing information, some viewers may find them reiterative, like everything is important—hence the reason why we shouldn’t abuse them. You can emphasize words or important phrases with bold, italics, or color changes. Ensure that the text-to-whitespace balance is accurate to prevent crowded slides.

After delivering the title slide, a good practice is to disclose the structure of the topics to be presented. This is where agenda slides are incredibly handy. They help the audience manage their expectations from the presentation and also structure the presentation’s logical flow. As a tool, they are useful in lengthy business presentations or academic presentations in which presenters review the concepts in the format of presentation handouts (or directly by checking the slide deck if it’s facilitated by the event’s organizers).

Agenda slides are usually built out of these components:

List of Topics: Clearly enumerated or bulleted, each representing a key section of the presentation. They can list or not the slide number in which they are shown.
Timings: Optional, but it can be helpful to indicate how long each section is expected to last.
Progress Indicator: Visual elements like checkmarks or arrows can show what has been covered and what remains to be done.

Using distinctive headings can keep the slide clean. If we use hyperlinks in PowerPoint for our agenda slide, we can mention them during the speech so there are no abrupt jumps between slides.

The introduction slide is designed to provide a background or context for the topic presented, delivering the key concepts, theories, or frameworks required to understand the rest of the presentation.

The introduction slide is placed right after the agenda slide. After the concepts of the introduction slide are delivered, a smooth transition can direct the presentation’s flow toward the core concepts of the presentation. In terms of the introduction slide’s components, we can count:

Key Concepts: Briefly introduce and define critical concepts or terms that will be recurrent throughout the presentation.
Context Setting: Provide any necessary historical, social, or academic context that frames the topic appropriately.
Objectives: Clearly outline what the presentation aims to achieve, helping to set the audience’s expectations about the takeaways.
Engaging Visuals: Relevant images, icons, or brief animations can help highlight important elements and make the slide more engaging.

In general lines, the introduction slide should have visual elements but not be overwhelming for the audience. The visuals must not distract, and we cannot use bold color combinations that take the focus away from the message. Using diagrams can also help to present key concepts effectively.

At the final stages of a presentation, we can use the summary slide to review all the key points discussed throughout the presentation. It’s typically placed before the closing remarks, “thank you” slide, or Q&A session. Summary slides help recap the information presented, making it easier to process the key takeaways.

We can count these elements in a summary slide:

Key Points: Summarize the main points covered in a clear, easy-to-read format.
Visual Recap: Use simple graphics, charts, or callouts to represent significant data or conclusions visually.
Concluding Remark: A sentence or two that encapsulates the overarching message or conclusion of the presentation.

Use consistent styling with the earlier slides for a cohesive aesthetic. You can apply levels of hierarchy to the concepts summarized through color or size variations in text.

When preparing for how to end a presentation , the thank you slide is a formal conclusion format. It is always the last slide available in the presentation, and it offers a moment to express gratitude to the audience for their attention, time, and participation. Let’s review which elements make a successful thank you slide:

Thank You Note: A simple, clear expression of gratitude. It doesn’t require fancy graphics.
Presenter’s Contact Information: Include an email address, phone number, or social media handles for further communication.
Invitation for Questions: A prompt that encourages the audience to engage in discussion or ask questions about the presentation.

The transition between the thank you slide and the questions and answers session has to be smooth. Therefore, it’s vital to put an invitation to questions rather than just signaling the slide as the conclusion. A subtle background that follows the slide deck’s aesthetic is always a plus.

Quote slides integrate wisdom, authority, or inspiration from well-known or respected sources into your presentation. They can provide powerful support for your arguments or serve as a motivational element within your talk.

This type of PowerPoint slide is ideal for emphasizing a point, sparking reflection, or inspiring the audience. Use them to underscore the relevance of an idea or introduce a shift in the presentation’s focus.

The components of the quote slide are:

The Quote: Clearly presented and attributed to the speaker or writer. The text should be legible with enough emphasis to stand out.
Author’s Name and Credentials: Provide context for the quote by including the author’s name and, if relevant, their credentials or why they are an authority on the topic.
Related Imagery or Background: An image or abstract design that complements the theme of the quote can enhance its impact.

Work with a quote PowerPoint template that effectively highlights the quote through a professional layout. For visibility, a strong contrast must be maintained between the text and the background; therefore, text boxes with backgrounds are commonly used. If using an image, select one that enhances rather than competes with the text.

Chart and diagram slides are essential for visually representing data, showing relationships, illustrating processes, and explaining complex systems. They transform numbers and abstract concepts into more digestible graphic formats that enhance audience understanding. We can choose between charts and graphs depending on the kind of data to represent, but diagrams often help to contextualize the raw data for simpler explanations.

Chart & Diagram slide layout in types of slides

Use these slides when discussing data trends, comparisons, workflow processes, or hierarchical structures. They are particularly helpful in business presentations, scientific discussions, and any scenario where visual simplification of complex data is beneficial.

The main components for any chart or diagram slide are:

Chart or Diagram: Select the appropriate type (e.g., bar chart , pie chart , flowchart , organizational chart ) based on the data or process you are illustrating.
Labels and Legends: Essential for clarity, they help the audience understand what each part of the chart or diagram represents.
Titles and Subtitles: They clearly indicate what the graphic explains or highlights.
Annotations or Callouts: Use these to emphasize key points or data within the chart or diagram.

Keep all text in graphs readable and clear. Animated effects can show a progression or illustrate relationships more dynamically. In terms of colors, use contrasting colors for data sets to aid in differentiation.

For more information, check our collection of chart PowerPoint templates .

The other format for representing data in presentation slides is tables. Tables can structure data sets systematically and allow for the presentation of detailed data in a comparative and accessible format. For this reason, they are ideal for showing exact figures and relationships between items.

These slides are especially useful in financial, research, or technical presentations where precise data needs to be compared or detailed specifications have to be presented side by side. We can identify the following elements in table slides:

Table: Clearly segmented into rows and columns. Headers should be distinct to guide the viewer through the data.
Row and Column Labels: These should describe the data they contain succinctly and clearly.
Highlighting: Use shading, bolding, or color-coding to emphasize important data points or trends within the table.
Footnotes or Source Citations: If the data comes from external sources or requires additional explanation, include this information in a discreet but readable manner.

In design terms, tables should be kept as neat as possible. All text must be legible, with sufficient spacing and an appropriate font size (no less than 11 pt). Colors can be used to differentiate between data sets, but avoid using too many colors, as they can lead to confusion.

For more information, check our collection of PowerPoint table templates .

Sometimes, images aren’t enough. Video presentations and vector image animations are powerful tools, as they can be planned to enhance storytelling. The average duration depends on the total presentation length, but they shouldn’t take more than 30% of the total allotted time (as otherwise, the attendees are just streaming video rather than viewing a presentation).

When it comes to the components of this type of slide, we can find:

Embedded Video or Animation: This should be high quality (720p minimum) and directly relevant to the presented content.
Playback Controls: Clearly visible to allow easy control during the presentation.
Brief Descriptions or Introductions: Provide context or prepare the audience for what they will see.

As a presenter, your job is to ensure the video or animation is seamlessly integrated into the presentation, both technically and from a design perspective. This means testing the playback functionality multiple times prior to the presentation.

Also, check our collection of animated PowerPoint templates .

We conclude this list with a slide to persuade the audience to take specific action following the presentation. Call-to-action slides, or CTA slides, encourage the viewers to take action, such as further conversation, purchasing an item or service, or participating in a project.

It is typically placed at the end of the presentation, following the summary and thank you slide, to motivate immediate action. Its components are:

Clear Directive: The CTA itself should be straightforward and compelling, such as “Register Now,” “Join Us,” or “Visit Our Website.”
Reasons to Act: Briefly reiterate the benefits or importance of taking the action, enhancing the persuasive appeal.
Contact Information or Links: Provide all necessary links or contact details to make it easy for the audience to know how to act.

The CTA slide should feature a design that grabs attention. Use strong, action-oriented language and a large, readable text.

As we’ve seen, harnessing the usage of these different types of slides helps us become better presenters, with our message being tailored to specific needs. Create your own slide decks by implementing the guidance listed in this article and customize the slides each time for a unique experience.

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How not to—and how to start a presentation.

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Selection of hardcover books on shelf

According to an article in The Atlantic , bestselling author “Stephen King spends ‘months and even years’ writing opening sentences.”

Yet the opening sentences in most presentations are typically one of these:

“And now, let me turn the floor over to Mary Smith, our Vice President of Marketing.” “Hi, I’m Mary Smith, the Vice President of Marketing.”
“Good morning. I’ve come here today to talk about the industry-leading bells and whistles of our new product/service.”
“Good morning. First, I’d like to talk about X, and then Y, and, last but not least, Z.”
“Good morning. I just realized that I left my speaker notes in the Uber, so I’m going to have to wing it.”

It’s likely that only minutes or seconds—if that—were spent on those opening sentences; and equally likely that the result was a horror story that would challenge Stephen King.

The four examples failed for the following reasons:

Repeated information that indicates poor communication between the presenters
It’s all about you and not the audience
A laundry list
Lack of preparation

A.O. Scott, who spent nearly a quarter of a century at a film critic for The New York Times and is now a critic at large for their Book Review, knows a thing or two about the importance of capturing an audience’s attention early. In a recent article on the use of literary allusions in the titles of books, (Admit it, you do judge a book by its cover!) he wrote, “ Perhaps the frisson of cleverness (I know where that’s from!), or the flip-side cringe of ignorance (I should know where that’s from!), is enough to spur you to buy a book, the way a search-optimized headline compels you to click a link. After all, titles are especially fertile ground for allusion-mongering. The name of a book becomes more memorable when it echoes something you might have heard — or think you should have heard — before.”

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It is equally important that, like a book cover, you must capture your audience’s attention immediately. Literary allusions to the rescue. “I know where that’s from” rings a bell in the audience’s mind and gets their attention.

Here are some famous literary allusions and how you can use them in your business presentations:

“What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate,” a phrase from the 1967 Paul Newman film Cool Hand Luke, could be used to pitch an improved communication system.
“If you build it, they will come,” a phrase from the 1989 Kevin Costner film Field of Dreams , could be used to pitch a request to green light a new project.
“Control our own destiny,” a phrase from the 1823 Monroe Doctrine in which the United States established independence from European colonialism, could be used to pitch the spinoff of a unit of a larger company into an independent line of business.
“The sky’s the limit” a phrase from Miguel Cervantes’ 1605 Don Quixote , could be used to pitch the potential of a new market.
“Neither a borrower nor a lender be,” from Willam Shakespeare’s Hamlet could be to pitch new financial planning software.

To paraphrase A.O. Scott, your words become more memorable to your audience when they echo something they might have heard — or think they should have heard — before.

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International

Dramatic day in court as defense begins to present case in Trump trial

By CNN's Kara Scannell, Lauren Del Valle and Jeremy Herb in the courthouse

Defense says it wants to elicit from witness a definition for the purpose of "influencing the election"

Trump attorney Emil Bove said he'd like to elicit from the expert witness a definition "for the purpose of influencing the election," as it pertains to several campaign finance terms like "expenditure."

Judge Juan Merchan's ruling presently does not allow them to touch on a definition of influencing the election if the expert testifies.

Trump attorney asks how Merchan plans to instruct jury on campaign finance issues

Defense attorney Emil Bove is asking Judge Juan Merchan if he can give a sense of how he plans to instruct the jury on the campaign finance issues they want the expert witness to testify to.

Merchan says, "you must remember the people are not required to prove these offenses beyond a reasonable doubt and therefore that reduces the need or the burden to define every term or every phrase."

The judge says he doesn't see how the expert witness can testify to the issues without invoking the law and creating the issues Merchan has already detailed.

Trump attorney argues information they want to get into record through witness is "absolutely critical"

Trump attorney Emil Bove argued that the information the defense wants to get into the record through their campaign finance expert is "absolutely critical to the jury understanding the government’s allegations in this case."

Bove also said, "We’re restricted in what Mr. Smith can say and frankly Mr. Smith reading the text of those statutory definitions is not going to help the jury grapple with the issues that these charges present."

Trump shakes his head as Merchan reads his ruling

From CNN's Abby Phillip

Donald Trump briefly leaned forward and shook his head as Judge Juan Merchan read his ruling on the expert witness. Trump's hands were crossed and he looked upset.

As defense attorney Emil Bove argued his points, Trump looked up to watch Bove.

Judge says allowing FEC expert to testify would lead to a "battle of experts" that would confuse jury

Judge Juan Merchan said that allowing a Federal Election Commission (FEC) expert to testify on the additional subjects that Donald Trump's lawyers are seeking would lead to a "battle of the experts," which would "only confuse and not assist" the jury.

"The jury would hear legal instructions from three different people. As Mr. Bove eluded to there is no question this would result in a battle of the experts and would only serve to confuse and not assist he jury," the judge said.

Merchan also cited Manhattan federal Judge Lewis Kaplan’s ruling barring this same expert from testifying to similar topics at the Sam Bankman-Fried trial.

"I direct you back to page three of my decision," Merchan said, reiterating that Brad Smith could testify as to what the FEC is, its purpose, background, what laws if any FEC is responsible for enforcing and general definitions and terms that relate to this case, including contribution and expenditure.

Trump defense has not made a final decision over whether to call Robert Costello, sources say

From CNN's Kaitlan Collins

Former President Donald Trump's defense team has still not made a final decision over whether to call Robert Costello to testify once the prosecution rests its case, two people familiar with the matter told CNN.

After Costello testified before the House Judiciary Committee last week and disputed Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen's testimony, it became an open conversation about whether to call him. But there has been a divide inside Trump's orbit over whether it would be worth doing so, given it could also further prolong the trial.

Costello once advised Cohen, but Cohen never formally retained him. The jury in this case has seen emails from Costello offering to serve as a backchannel to Trump after Cohen's home and office were searched by the FBI. On April 21, Costello wrote to Cohen: "I just spoke to Rudy Giuliani and told him I was on your team. Rudy was thrilled and said this could not be a better situation for the President or you.

Costello later told Cohen to sleep well given he had "friends in high places."

Sources told CNN's Paula Reid and Kristen Holmes last week a decision would likely not be made until Cohen’s testimony wraps.

Costello testified before the grand jury before Trump was ultimately indicted in New York.

Merchan is now talking about the expert witness

Judge Juan Merchan is moving on to discussions regarding an expert witness.

Trump has been sitting back in his chair with his eyes closed throughout much of the debate about evidence.

Judge says he's not going to let the email into evidence

Judge Juan Merchan says he will not allow the email into evidence because it doesn't say anything about Michael Cohen's state of mind.

Lawyers are debating introducing into evidence email from Costello's associate to Cohen

Lawyers for both sides are beginning today's court proceedings by debating about an email from Robert Costello's associate to Michael Cohen after Cohen's first meeting with Costello.

Prosecutors are objecting to introducing it into evidence.

Trump attorney Todd Blanche says the email that speaks positively about Cohen's first meeting with Costello impeaches Cohen's testimony that he didn't like Costello after their first meeting and didn't want to retain him.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger says "this doesn't disclose what's in Michael Cohen's mind" because it's an opinion from Jeffrey Citron about that initial meeting, not Cohen.

More context: Costello once advised Cohen, but Cohen never formally retained him. The jury in this case has already seen emails from Costello offering to serve as a backchannel to Trump after Cohen's home and office were searched by the FBI.

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