the importance of presentation of business information

What is the importance of a good business presentation?

By: Author Shrot Katewa

If you one of those who are thinking “Why the heck is a good business presentation important”? Trust me, you are not alone! We get this question A LOT! We also encounter clients who not only don’t understand the importance of a good presentation, but also hesitate to ask. I suppose that they probably feel it must be obviously important to have something which has “good” attached to it.

Honestly, creating a good business presentation does require you to put in a bit of effort. It requires a bit of skills, knowledge, willingness and practise to pull things together. It can also take quite some time to create that perfect business presentation which works for you.

So, WHY is it important to have a good business presentation? It is important to have a good business presentation because a  well-crafted, visually appealing business presentation can say that you are professional and value quality. On the contrary, not-so-good presentation fails to hold your audience’s attention, and can even lead to unfavourable outcomes. A business presentation is often the first document about your organisation that your clients or partners get to see.

Thus, it is important to have a good business presentation in order to build a first impression, a good brand image and most particularly to convince your audience about your business/idea.

Overwhelmed? Don’t worry, in this post we will evaluate the various aspects of creating a good business presentation. Hopefully, you will feel more confident to create a business presentation by the end of this post. Let’s have a look at some of the key things you should know –

Things to keep in mind before starting work on your business presentation?

While there is a lot of thinking one needs to do for the actual presentation, there are few things one should keep in mind even before they start working on their business presentation. You need to know what kind of presentation needs to be created. You need to ask yourself, who am I making this 

business presentation for? Who is my audience? What is the size of my audience? How big will be the screen size on which I’ll be presenting? Do I need to email this deck or is it something that I will be presenting in-person? The amount of time you have with your audience/stakeholders.

These questions essentially help produce a self-created design brief. Answers to these questions can be critical as they sort of give creative direction throughout the presentation. For example –

• Font size – Audience size can help you define the size of the text. If there is a large audience, the possibility of them being further away from the screen increases. In such a scenario, a general rule of thumb we follow is – “larger the audience size, the larger the font size”.
• Amount of information on each slide – This is in direct correlation with the first point. If you are presenting to a larger audience, you should obviously not cram a lot of information in a single slide. You will definitely have more liberty to put in additional information if your deck is viewed by a smaller audience. Even so, one should keep in mind that too much text and too much of the information on any single slide is a recipe for a bad presentation.
• File size and images – If you intend to send the presentation over email to your audience, do keep in mind the size of the file. The size of presentation file can easily get out of control if precautions are not taken. We shall cover this topic on how to keep the image size under control in another blog post.
• Number of slides – In order to identify the number of slides, the first thing you may want to look at is the total time that you have at hand. Next, identify approximately how much time you intend to spend on each slide. Divide the two, and you have an approximate number for the total slides that you should have. Be sure to consider some time for Q&A. For example – if you 30 minutes for a meeting – you may want to set aside at least about 10 minutes for Q&A. You’re then left with 20 minutes. If you intend to spend about 2 minutes per slide, your goal should be to restrict the presentation to about 10 slides.

As per Guy Kawasaki , the creator of the term “Death by Powerpoint” and the “ 10/20/30 rule ”, one should take no more than 10 slides, and 20 minutes to explain their business/idea. Also, one should use no less than 30 point font in order to maintain readability. I feel this is a great benchmark to keep in mind.

What do we mean by a “good business presentation”?

Any good business presentation should be able to do at least the following – 

• Give an overview of your organisation
• Objective of the meeting
• Synergy/next steps in the partnership

A business presentation is a tool or a handy reference document that provides an overview of your business, the purpose of the meeting and possible next steps. As I mentioned earlier, it is often the first document about your organisation that your clients or partners get to see. Thus, it should definitely give a brief overview of your organisation, specify the objective of your meeting and highlight the future roadmap or the next steps envisaged.

What should be included in a good business presentation?

Not every business is the same. Therefore, business presentations also vary based on your business. Thus, it is difficult to have a structure that fits with every specific requirement. Having said that, a general list of contents that should be included in your business presentation are as follows – 

• Cover slide – this slide may have a title and the date
• Vision & mission
• Business overview – objective of the business, sectors/industries, number of years, office locations, team size etc.
• Details of the products or services
• Case study of a project
• Testimonials
• Partnership opportunity – this should take into consideration the areas of business of your potential audience, and also highlight how a partnership would be mutually beneficial to both organisations.

It is of utmost importance that each presentation is customized to your audience, and it should be designed keeping your audience at the core. This means, highlighting specific products or services that may work in favour of the partnership specific to a client. 

Is it worth putting the effort in creating a good business presentation?

Absolutely! While it may seem a lot of effort to create a good business presentation, we’ve seen that a well-designed presentation that is crisp and conveys the right message, and is also visually appealing, has as much as a 63% higher chances of conversion . It is important to note that having a good business presentation isn’t everything, but not having one definitely sets you back by a few steps! We strongly advise organisations to put efforts in ensuring a good business presentation. Through our partnerships, we’ve seen that the most amount of time taken in creating a good business presentation goes into designing it. Now, we understand that not everyone always has the time, skills, or resources to put in the effort for designing a good business presentation. Thus, we have put together some pro-tips that can help you in achieving this task easily.

Pro-tips on creating a good business presentation easily

There are a few ways you can save some time and effort in creating a good business presentation. We’ve listed our top 3 recommendations below-

1. Buy presentation templates – There are quite a few platforms available on the internet that provide you with well designed presentation templates. These templates are great if you don’t wish to spend much time on designing the deck as these are pre-designed by professionals with dummy content and dummy text. However, the flipside is that while the design has been already created, they are generalised and not specific to your content. Therefore, you may still need the necessary skills to edit the presentation, and you still end up spending a lot of time. If this is the course you plan to take, I would recommend Envato Market . 

• You get a professional looking presentation
• Templates are highly generalised
• Customization still requires moderate to high level of expertise and a lot of time
• Since templates are open to use for all, your presentation may end up looking similar to someone else who may have used the same template.
• Doesn’t work if you have many presentations to be designed

2. Hire design interns – this is a great option especially if you have many presentations/designs that you need created. While interns are not experts, good candidates can give you great designs which are more professional than most non-designers. 

• Great for large/high volume design needs.
• Highly customised designs
• High time and effort associated for identifying and hiring good design interns
• Interns will mostly be available for a short period of 3-4 months. Thus, post design changes can be a challenge
• May lack focus on messaging as their expertise is often in design and not in communication

3. Hire a presentation design agency – If there is a lot at stake, we would recommend going with this option. While it might seem a bit cost heavy, however, we’ve seen this to be a great return on investment especially if you are pitching for a project with a total revenue potential of at least 10 times the cost of hiring the agency for this task.  For example, if you’re planning to raise $1 million, hiring a professional agency for a presentation design and spending upto $5000 may not be a bad idea after all. 

• Highly customised designs with great precise messaging
• No further customization needed (generally) – even if needed it is generally carried out by the agency
• Saves time – allows you to parallely work on other areas of business. Also, absolutely useful if you have a short turn-around time. 
• Cost – while high at times, cost-value proposition can easily outweigh this as a con.

In case you intend to hire a professional agency, you can write to us at [email protected]

We’ve established that having a good business presentation is indeed important. While it can take some time and effort, it is worth the investment. A bit of pre-planning can help you reach your end objective faster and easily. Identify which route you may want to take to design your presentation, and soon you will have a great presentation for your business.

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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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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Business Presentation: Definition, Steps to Create & Tips to Remember!

At some point in your life, you must have given a presentation or at least done some sort of public speaking. If you haven’t, then at some point you will have to, especially if you’re an entrepreneur.

When it comes to giving presentations, it doesn’t matter that you are a seasoned speaker or an amateur as long as you are able to convey your message or achieve your goal in the most engaging way.

And truth be told, even though each presentation has its own subtle differences, there are a few universal guidelines or steps that make it effective.

But the fact of the matter is that giving presentations, especially business presentations, is not exactly a walk in the park and not everyone can easily pull it off.

But don’t worry, that’s why we have got your back! In this blog, we will provide you with the steps involved in creating a killer business presentation and making it stand out!

Before we get to the steps involved, let’s understand what a business presentation is and why it is important to create one!

Ready? Let’s go!

What is a Business Presentation? (Definition)

A presentation is simply an introduction, demonstration, or speech given by an individual or group of individuals to an audience in order to inform, inspire, convince, or motivate them.

So a business presentation can be defined as a formal introduction or information about new business products, ideas, or practices. It is usually carried out using audio-visual materials, such as projectors, documents, presentation software, whiteboards, charts, and more.

Business presentations are often done with the aim to educate or train the audience, sell a product or an idea to them or simply convey or share your vision with them.

Now that we have explained what business presentations are, let’s help you understand the importance of creating one!

Importance of Creating a Business Presentation

More often than not, a business presentation is the first document or introduction about your organization or your organization’s products and services that your clients get to see.

So when somebody sits through such a presentation, they expect to get gain some information from it without dozing off halfway through it. That’s why it is important that you have a well-crafted, visually appealing, and engaging business presentation .

A good business presentation offers many benefits, such as:

1. Helps Create Connections

A business presentation focuses on communication, interaction, and bonding between you and your audience. It allows you to build a good impression and brand image. This not only helps you convey messages and convince your audience but also establishes relationships and creates better connections.

2. Provides Information

A good presentation is highly informative and eye-opening. It’s a great opportunity to give out nuggets of details, facts, trivia, and statistics-backed data. It provides the listener with information in the most engaging way, which means that they walk out a better-informed and educated person.

Read more:  6 Awesome Video Presentation Software & Tips to Follow!

3. Offers Inspiration

The impact a good business presentation can have on an individual is far more than you can imagine. Since most business presentations involve the use of audio-visual materials, stories or anecdotes, handouts/pamphlets, or demonstrations, it tends to stick in the minds of the listeners. It keeps them engaged, offers inspiration, and helps influence their decisions.

Clearly, business presentations are an effective way to get across your message and build your brand. They are definitely rewarding and crucial for your business.

And since we don’t want to keep you waiting, let’s jump straight into the nitty-gritty of creating a business presentation!

How to Create a Business Presentation in 9 Simple Steps!

Step 1. create a plan.

The first step in creating an excellent business presentation is to make a plan about what you want to do and how exactly you want to do it. For this, it is always good to set a goal that you seek to achieve through your presentation and then create a roadmap of how you want to achieve it.

In a business presentation plan, you create an outline of your presentation and decide what message you want to convey and the main points and arguments you want to include.

Divide your presentation into an introduction, the main section, and a conclusion, and further incorporate sub-points within each section. This will allow you to easily split your content into a consumable format.

With a plan ready in hand, your presentation will sail through smoothly!

Step 2. Spend Some Time on Your Presentation Slides

Is your presentation even a presentation without visual slides projected in the background? It is a must-have in every business presentation and that’s why you need to invest a little time in how they look.

Choose a professional-looking slide deck that matches the tone of your presentation. Go for colors that suit your brand’s or product’s colors, and avoid too many flashy colors. Also, try to pick a font and font size that aligns with your brand or organization.

Make sure that you select your presentation slide decks based on the content that you are dealing with, such as using professional or neutral slide decks for financial data or research topics and colorful slide decks for informal topics.

Step 3. Establish Your Credibility with a Story

Whenever you start a presentation, it is extremely crucial that you establish your credibility right up front, because people are more likely to listen to you if they are convinced about your authenticity.

No, this doesn’t mean that your drone on about your career highlights, instead you lead your business presentation with a compelling story. This could be anything about the background of your topic, an experience, a relatable story, an anecdote, or any other references that support your subject and make it more interesting.

Here is where you can also add a little humor to get a laugh out of them and put them at ease by setting a positive tone.

Doing so will help you engage with the audience, build a personal connection, and serve as a memorable foundation for your presentation.

Step 4. Support Your Claims

You may have established your credibility with a story or an anecdote, but if you really want to create an authentic image, then you need to back up all your claims during your presentation.

So do not hesitate to use supporting materials liberally. This means that you provide statistics and numbers, reference research, or offer proof supporting your claims. This will cement your credibility and authenticity.

Read more:  15 Best Presentation Blogs and Websites to Follow!

Step 5. Use Visual Elements Liberally

Business presentations can get boring if your slides just have texts, numbers, and tables. Not just that it makes it difficult for your audience to simultaneously read and listen to your presentation. That’s why you need to use visual elements like images, charts, graphics, GIFs, and more.

Adding powerful quotes, full-screen images, and videos will stick in the mind of your audience and will help maintain their attention throughout. Not to mention, it simply makes your presentation visually appealing!

Step 6. Add Animations to Your Presentation Slides

Obviously your format and content matter more, and if they are the cake, then adding a little animation or cinematic style to your slides is like the cherry on top. It simply makes your presentation a little more appealing!

Include fun animation, add smooth transitions, move around your slides horizontally or vertically, and let your content appear on the screen creatively. This will allow you to tell your story effortlessly.

Just try not to go overboard with the animation and make sure to strike a balance while maintaining consistency throughout.

Step 7. Be Prepared for Questions

No presentation is ever complete with a round of question-and-answer sessions towards the end, so it’s always best to be prepared for any difficult question that might be asked.

Your job is to anticipate all the possible questions or concerns that your audience might have and consider all the possible objections and arguments that might arise during a discussion, and prepare answers for them.

You can even get a colleague to listen to your presentation and have a practice session for this.

Step 8. Prepare Questions

It’s crucial to remember that sometimes your audience might not have any questions for you. This can obviously create an awkward moment for you when you open the floor to questions.

For that reason, it is important that you prepare your own set of questions in advance. Here, you can incorporate audience interaction by asking questions to your audience, quizzing them, asking them to vote, making them participate in simple activities, and more.

Doing this will help you avoid awkward pauses and silences while also creating an open environment of active participation and discussion.

Step 9. Wrap Up with a Closing Statement

Once all the questions have been asked and when all the discussions come to an end, you need to include a short closing statement for your presentation. Be sure to prepare a summarized statement that includes your main message, key points, and final call to action.

Follow these steps and you will have prepared a fantastic business presentation for your audience! But the fact is that no matter how good you are at public speaking, there is always room for improvement.

What you need are some simple tips to make your killer presentation even better . And for that, we have compiled for you a list that you can follow!

Scroll down to find out!

Tips for Creating An Awesome Business Presentation

Here are some simple tips that you must follow during your business presentation:

• Keep your presentation crisp and try not to include too many slides for your presentation.
• Avoid using too many colors and fonts. Instead, stick to a color palette and font that matches your attire and your brand image.
• Do not hesitate to seek the help of presentation tools and software
• Focus on your narration and story-telling style.
• Ask rhetorical questions to reinforce your key points and primary message.
• Prepare some business-appropriate jokes, one-liners, and puns to make your presentation fun and engaging.
• Dress in formal business attire and groom yourself to look appealing and presentable.
• Maintain a defining tone and style for your presentation – be it formal, casual, or humorous – and try to be consistent with it throughout.
• Be enthusiastic, and expressive, focus on your body language, and most importantly, maintain eye contact throughout.

With that, we can guarantee that you will put on one heck of a presentation and give your audience a memorable and enriching experience!

Our team at  bit.ai  has created a few awesome business templates to make your business processes more efficient. Make sure to check them out before you go, y our team might need them!

• SWOT Analysis Template
• Business Proposal Template
• Business Plan Template
• Competitor Research Template
• Project Proposal Template
• Company Fact Sheet
• Executive Summary Template
• Operational Plan Template
• Pitch Deck Template

Presentations are all about communication. So it doesn’t matter if it is your first presentation or your hundredth one, if you’re not able to communicate information in an engaging way, then you end up wasting your time and your listeners’ time.

Whether you are trying to sell something to an audience or simply sharing your vision with them, create a business presentation that will not only educate your listeners but also squeeze a laugh out of them.

We only hope that the steps and tips we have provided you will help you along the way in creating a killer business presentation for your audience!

Adios and Happy presenting!

Further reads: 

9 Most Successful Business Models You Should Know About! (With Examples)

10 Business Drivers to Grow Your Business!

Business Markets: Definition, 5 Types (with Examples) & Characteristics!

13 Types of Plans Your Business Must Have!

9 Best Presentation Ideas and Tips You Must Explore!

Brand Voice: What is it & How to Define it for your Business!

Company Profile: What is it & How to Create it?

Sponsorship Proposal: What is it & How to Create it?

3 Project Proposal Examples You Must Check Out!

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• The Complete Guide to Mastering Business Presentations
• Introduction to Business Presentations

What is a Business Presentation?

Aayush Jain

Definition and components of a business presentation, unpacking the core: the what and why of business presentations.

Business presentations are pivotal in the corporate landscape, acting as a bridge between a company and its audience—be it clients, investors, or internal teams. This opening paragraph sets the stage for our exploration, highlighting the essence of a business presentation. It's not merely about presenting a company; it's about crafting a narrative that engages, informs, and compels action. Here, we delve into what makes up a business presentation, emphasizing its importance in achieving business objectives and how it fits into the broader context of corporate communication.

Building Blocks: Anatomy of an Effective Presentation

Diving deeper, we explore the structural components that constitute a business presentation. From the opening slide that sets the tone, through the compelling core where ideas and data intermingle, to the concluding call to action, every element plays a crucial role. This section breaks down the anatomy of a presentation, including the significance of a visually appealing design, the strategic use of visual representations like charts and graphs, and the art of balancing information density to maintain the attention spans of audience. The goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the components that, when combined, create a compelling business presentation.

From Theory to Practice: Stories of Impact

Here, we transition from the theoretical framework to the tangible impact of business presentations in the real world. By presenting examples from various industries, we illustrate how presenting a company effectively can pivot its market position, attract potential customers, or secure funding from potential investors. This narrative brings to life the power of a well-crafted presentation, showcasing real success stories and current trends that underline the importance of design, storytelling, and audience engagement.

Expert Insights and Quantitative Backing

In this part, we lean on expert opinions and quantitative data to underscore the value of professional presentation design. Highlighting insights from industry leaders like Aayush Jain of INK PPT , we discuss the undeniable impact of aesthetics and narrative in making a presentation not just seen but felt. This exploration is reinforced with statistics and research findings, validating the strategic importance of most presentations in business success and decision-making processes.

Vision for the Future: Evolving Presentation Landscapes

Concluding, we look forward to the evolving dynamics of business presentations, especially in the context of digital transformation and virtual engagement. This future outlook article is complemented by a YouTube video link that offers viewers a deeper dive into innovative presentation techniques and the emerging tools reshaping how we convey business narratives. This segment aims to leave readers with a sense of anticipation and readiness for the advancements in presentation strategies, encouraging them to think beyond traditional formats towards more interactive, engaging approaches.

[Explore Innovative Presentation Techniques]

Historical Evolution of Business Presentations

Business presentations have come a long way from the days of overhead professional company presentation has transformed into a sophisticated process that leverages advanced technology like PowerPoint to deliver powerful messages.

Imagine the evolution of business presentations as a journey from the simplicity of a hand-drawn road map to the complexity of a GPS system. For instance, in the 1980s, a company presentation might have been limited to paper handouts and verbal explanations, while today, it involves dynamic PowerPoint slides, videos, and interactive elements.

Research indicates that the use of visual aids in presentations has increased retention rates by up to 65%, highlighting the shift towards more visually oriented communication strategies.

"In the early days, we relied on our words and basic slides to convey our ideas. Now, we use a rich tapestry of visuals, animations, and interactive elements to tell our story," reflects Aayush Jain on the evolution of presentation techniques.

Common Types of Business Presentations

There are several types of business presentations , each designed to fulfill specific objectives. From informational to persuasive, and decision-making presentations, the goal is always to present the company in the best light possible.

Consider the difference between a documentary and a feature film. Both tell stories, but while the documentary aims to inform and educate, the feature film seeks to entertain and perhaps persuade. Similarly, an informational presentation aims to educate the audience about the company profile, while a sales pitch seeks to persuade potential clients to invest.

Statistics show that over 70% of businesses consider presentation skills crucial for career success, underscoring the variety and importance of these presentations in the professional landscape.

"Each type of business presentation requires a unique approach to storytelling and design. Understanding your audience's needs and expectations is key to delivering a successful presentation," advises Aayush Jain.

Purposes and Objectives of Business Presentations

The primary purpose of an organizational presentation varies from presenting a company's achievements to potential investors, to educating new employees about company policies. Each presentation is designed with specific objectives in mind, such as persuading clients or facilitating decision-making processes.

The purpose of a business presentation can be compared to a compass in a ship's navigation. Just as a compass guides the ship towards its destination, the objectives of a presentation guide the content and delivery to achieve the desired outcome. An example of this is using a company presentation to secure new clients by effectively communicating the value proposition.

Data from LinkedIn shows that presentations with clear objectives are 50% more likely to achieve their desired outcomes, highlighting the importance of having a focused message.

"Setting clear objectives at the inception of the presentation design process ensures that every separate slide, every visual element, and every word spoken is aligned with the goal of showcasing the company in the most effective manner," says Aayush Jain.

Understanding the purposes behind business presentations paves the way for exploring the role they play in decision-making, further demonstrating their importance in the corporate world.

The Role of Business Presentations in Decision-Making

Business presentations are pivotal in the decision-making process, providing a structured opportunity for presenting complex information and recommendations. They serve as a crucial touchpoint, influencing the opinions and actions of stakeholders, from internal team members to external partners and clients.

Imagine the idea of a company presentation as a compass guiding a ship through the treacherous waters of corporate decision-making. Just as a captain relies on a compass to navigate, so do leaders rely on presentations to guide their decisions.

For instance, a well-executed presentation that showcases a comprehensive market analysis and competitive advantages can significantly influence the strategic direction of a company.

Research from the Decision Management Association highlights that decks that effectively present relevant data and analysis can improve decision-making speed and accuracy by up to 40%. A study by the International Business Communication Council found that decision-makers cite clarity, conciseness, and relevance as the top three factors that make presentations impactful in their decision-making process. These insights underscore the importance of strategic focus and data-driven content in business decks.

Key Elements of a Successful Business Presentation in showcasing a company

A successful business presentation hinges on several key elements: clear objectives, audience understanding, powerful storytelling, effective visual aids, and confident delivery. These components work in concert to engage the audience, convey the message effectively, and achieve the presentation's intended outcomes.

For example, incorporating visual aids such as bar graphs and slides can help illustrate complex ideas, much like how a vivid solo can highlight a particular emotion in a musical piece.

A study by the Presentation Institute of America found that presentation decks incorporating visual aids are 67% more effective at maintaining the attention. Additionally, Gallup research indicates that presentations that include storytelling elements are twice as likely to result in a positive outcome.

These findings highlight the critical role of integrating multiple elements to craft a driving and successful presentation.

Company Presentation vs. Public Speech: Understanding the Distinctions

While often intertwined, company presentations and public speech serve distinct purposes and require different skill sets. A business presentation is typically more focused on delivering specific information or persuading an audience regarding an organization-related topic, utilizing visuals and structured content.

Public speech, on the other hand, might focus more broadly on inspiring, informing, or entertaining an audience, often without the support of graphics.

Imagine a business presentation as a guided tour through a museum, where the guide (presenter) points out and explains various artifacts (points of discussion) with the help of visual cues and structured narrative.

Public speech, in contrast, is like a storyteller weaving tales under the moonlight, where the power of voice and story alone captures the audience's imagination. For instance, while showcasing an organization to investors, the focus is on persuading through data and strategic insights, distinct from the broader motivational approach of speaking publicly.

According to a study by the Public Speaking Association, 80% of professionals believe that presentation skills are crucial to achieving business success, yet only 40% distinguish these from public speaking abilities.

A survey by Presentation Magazine found that incorporating elements of public speech into business presentations, such as storytelling and audience engagement techniques, can enhance the effectiveness of the presentation by up to 35%. These statistics highlight the importance of understanding and integrating the strengths of both disciplines to enhance communication impact.

Cultural Considerations in Business or Company Presentations

The global organizational environment demands sensitivity to cultural differences in business presentations. Factors such as communication styles, power distance, individualism versus collectivism, and uncertainty avoidance play significant roles in how decks are crafted and delivered.

Consider the analogy of a chef preparing a meal for an international audience. Just as the chef must understand and respect the dietary preferences and restrictions of their guests, so must a talk show presenter be cognizant of the cultural nuances of their audience.

For example, a company presentation in Japan might require a more formal approach and the use of subtle persuasion, in contrast to the more direct and assertive style preferred in the United States.

Research by Hofstede Insights reveals that decks tailored to the cultural expectations of the audience are up to 70% more effective in achieving their objectives. A study by the International Journal of Business Communication supports this, finding that presentation decks that acknowledge and adapt to cultural differences improve comprehension and engagement among international audiences.

These insights underscore the critical role of cultural awareness in the success of business presentations on a global scale.

Adapting Company Presentations for Virtual Platforms

The shift towards virtual meetings and conferences necessitates adaptations in how company presentations are designed and delivered. Virtual platforms offer unique opportunities and challenges, from technical considerations to maintaining audience engagement in a digital format.

Think of transitioning from a live concert to a virtual performance. While the essence of the performance remains, the dynamics change significantly. The artist must engage the audience without the immediate feedback of live interaction, relying more on the quality of the content and presentation. Similarly, when showcasing a company virtually, the presenter must leverage technology to maintain the attention, using visual and interactive elements effectively.

A survey by Zoom Video Communications indicates that 58% of professionals find virtual presentation decks more challenging to engage the audience than in-person events. However, a report by Microsoft found that presentations that are specifically designed for virtual delivery, incorporating interactive elements like polls and Q&A sessions, see a 40% increase in audience engagement.

These findings highlight the importance of adapting presentation strategies to suit the virtual environment, ensuring that the message is not only delivered but also received and acted upon effectively.

Incorporating Storytelling Techniques while presenting a company

Storytelling in business presentations is a powerful tool to engage and connect with the audience, making complex information more relatable and memorable. It involves weaving a narrative through the presentation, using real-life examples, anecdotes, and metaphors to illustrate points and evoke emotions.

Imagine a business presentation as a novel, where instead of chapters, you have sections of your presentation, each contributing to the overall narrative. Just like a compelling novel hooks the reader from the very start, a great presentation uses storytelling to capture the attention of target audience and keep them engaged throughout.

For instance, starting a presentation with a customer success story sets the stage for a narrative that the audience can follow and relate to, making the subsequent data and analysis more impactful.

According to a study by the Stanford Graduate School of Business, stories are 22 times more memorable than facts alone. Additionally, research by the Narrative Institute shows that decks using stories can increase audience persuasion by up to 30%.

These statistics validate the effectiveness of storytelling as a technique to enhance the communicative power of business presentations, making them not just informative but also transformative experiences for the audience.

Conclusion on how company presentation can be a game changer

A business presentation is more than just an act of presentation to an audience; it is a carefully crafted communication tool designed to inform, persuade, and connect. Through a combination of historical evolution, cultural sensitivity, storytelling, and adaptation to digital platforms, business presentations have become an essential component of professional success.

By understanding and implementing the key elements of effective decks, individuals and organizations can significantly enhance their ability to communicate ideas, influence decisions, and achieve their objectives.

Frequently asked questions

How do you introduce a company in a presentation.

To introduce a company in a presentation effectively, start with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention from the beginning. Provide a first impression and a brief overview of your company, emphasizing the uniqueness of your brand and the value you bring to clients.

Showcasing milestones can illustrate your company's growth and success, thereby building credibility. When presenting products or services to a client, think on how they address the needs and challenges of your target audience, supported by visuals and concise descriptions.

Incorporating a testimonial can lend authenticity and demonstrate real-world impact. Lastly, introducing your team personalizes your presentation, showing the faces behind the success. Throughout, ensure your presentation is visually appealing and avoid overwhelming your audience with too much information or industry jargon.

What should be in a company presentation?

A company presentation must include a clear visual representation of your company's name, brand identity, and the core products or services you offer, designed to convey feelings of trust and reliability to your client. It should give a brief overview of your company's history, mission, and vision, helping the audience understand who you are and what you stand for. Highlighting key milestones and achievements can demonstrate your company's growth and expertise.

Testimonials or case studies provide social proof and build confidence in your potential customers. Visual elements such as your company logo, color scheme, and visuals like bar graphs or slides should be used to make the presentation more engaging and to help convey complex ideas more effectively.

Remember, the goal is to create a lasting and positive first impression on your audience, making your presentation short and to the point, and ensuring it is visually appealing from start to creating a compelling narrative.

How do I present my company in a presentation?

To present your company effectively in a presentation, begin with a strong and engaging introduction that clearly states what your business is about and why it matters. Be concise throughout, focusing on your bullet points and delivering a clear and impactful message about your company's vision, mission, and what sets you apart from the competition. Use high-quality graphics to support your points, making your presentation more memorable and easier to understand.

Highlight your main products or services, emphasizing their benefits to your target or even test audience. Avoid industry slang and ensure that your presentation progresses smoothly without rushing, allowing your audience to fully absorb the information.

Engaging your audience with relevant examples and compelling storytelling can further enhance the impact of your presentation, making it a powerful tool for presenting your company.

What are the three general types of business presentations?

The three general types of business presentations are:

• Pitch Deck Presentation: This type focuses on showcasing to investors or partners, highlighting the business model, market opportunity, and financial projections to secure funding or strategic alliances.
• Sales Deck Presentation: Aimed at potential clients or customers, this type showcases the company's products or services, demonstrating their value proposition and how they solve specific problems or meet specific needs.
• Product Market Slide Deck: This presentation type is used to introduce a new product or service to the market, detailing its features, benefits, and competitive advantages to generate interest and drive adoption.

What are the three parts of a professional company presentation?

A professional business presentation is structured into three main parts:

• Introduction (10-15%): Start by capturing the audience's attention with an engaging opening, set the context, and briefly outline what the presentation will cover. This sets the tone and expectations from the very beginning.
• Body (75-80%): The core of your presentation, where you delve into the details of your company presentation, highlighting the company profile, showcasing your products or services, and discussing key points in further detail. Use this section to convey your main message, supported by visuals, examples, and data to enhance understanding and retention.
• Conclusion (10-15%): Summarize the key points made throughout the presentation, reinforce the main message, and provide a clear call to action or outline the next steps. The conclusion should leave a lasting impression, ensuring your company and its offerings remain top of mind for your audience.

What is the most important element in a powerpoint company presentation?

The most important element in a business presentation is clarity of message. Showing the company's goals, values, and objectives in a clear, concise manner ensures that the audience understands the company profile core message. Visuals, storytelling, and engaging content support this clarity by reinforcing the message and keeping the audience's attention focused.

How has technology impacted business presentations?

Technology has revolutionized business presentations by enabling more dynamic, interactive, and visually appealing presentation desks. Tools like PowerPoint, video conferencing software, and interactive polls have made it easier to engage with the audience, whether in-person or virtually. Technology also allows for broader reach, enabling slide decks to speak to global audiences through webinars and online meetings.

What are the key differences between business presentations and public speech?

Business presentations often focus on numerous aspects of a company, its products, or services to a specific audience with a clear objective, such as persuading, informing, or decision-making. Public speech, while it can share these goals, is broader and may not always involve creating a business context. It focuses more on the delivery, rhetoric, and engagement with the audience on various topics.

How can storytelling be incorporated into business presentations?

Storytelling can be incorporated by framing the presentation around a compelling narrative point that relates to the audience's experiences or challenges. Using real-life examples, customer testimonials, and a clear narrative arc can make the business presentation more engaging and memorable. Storytelling helps to humanize the company and makes complex information more relatable.

What are the best practices for designing a business presentation?

Best practices include keeping the design simple and professional, using a consistent color scheme and font, minimizing text on slides, and making good use of visuals and graphs. It's also important to tailor the presentation to the audience, focus on key messages, and practice delivery to ensure smooth flow and timing.

How can one adapt a business presentation for an international audience?

To adapt a presentation for an international audience, consider cultural sensitivities, use clear and simple language, avoid local jargon, and incorporate relevant global examples or case studies. It's also helpful to be mindful of time zone differences for live decks and to provide translations or subtitles if necessary.

What are the benefits of practicing a presentation before delivering it?

Practicing a presentation helps in refining the delivery, timing, and transitions between topics. It builds confidence, reduces anxiety, and allows the presenter to adjust pacing and emphasis based on the flow of the presentation. Practice also helps in identifying and correcting any potential issues with the content or delivery.

How can visuals enhance the effectiveness of a presentation?

Visuals, such as charts, graphs, images, and videos, can help illustrate and reinforce key aspects, making complex information easier to understand. They capture and retain the audience's attention, add interest to the presentation, and can evoke emotional responses that enhance persuasion and recall.

What role does the audience play in shaping the content of a presentation?

The audience's needs, interests, and level of knowledge significantly shape the content and delivery of a presentation. Understanding the audience allows the presenter to tailor the content to address their specific questions, concerns, and expectations, making the presentation more relevant, engaging, and effective.

How can feedback be used to improve future presentations?

Feedback provides valuable insights into what worked well and what could be improved in terms of content, delivery, and engagement strategies. Constructive criticism helps identify areas for improvement, while positive feedback can reinforce effective practices. Incorporating feedback into future decks ensures continuous improvement and better audience engagement.

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Home Blog Business Business Presentation: The Ultimate Guide to Making Powerful Presentations (+ Examples)

Business Presentation: The Ultimate Guide to Making Powerful Presentations (+ Examples)

A business presentation is a purpose-led summary of key information about your company’s plans, products, or practices, designed for either internal or external audiences. Project proposals, HR policy presentations, investors briefings are among the few common types of presentations. 

Compelling business presentations are key to communicating important ideas, persuading others, and introducing new offerings to the world. Hence, why business presentation design is one of the most universal skills for any professional. 

This guide teaches you how to design and deliver excellent business presentations. Plus, breaks down some best practices from business presentation examples by popular companies like Google, Pinterest, and Amazon among others! 

3 General Types of Business Presentations

A business presentation can be given for a number of reasons. Respectively, they differ a lot in terms of content and purpose. 

But overall, all types of business presentations can be classified as:

• Informative
• Persuasive 
• Supporting 

Informative Business Presentation 

As the name suggests, the purpose of an informative presentation is to discern the knowledge you have — explain what you know. It’s the most common type of business presentation out there. So you have probably prepared such at least several times. 

Examples of informative presentations:

• Team briefings presentation 
• Annual stakeholder report 
• Quarterly business reviews
• Business portfolio presentation
• Business plan presentation
• Project presentation

Helpful templates from SlideModel:

• Business plan PowerPoint template
• Business review PowerPoint template
• Project proposal PowerPoint template
• Corporate annual report template

Persuasive Business Presentation 

The goal of this type of presentation is to persuade your audience of your point of view — convince them of what you believe is right. Developing business presentations of this caliber requires a bit more copywriting mastery, as well as expertise in public speaking . Unlike an informative business presentation, your goal here is to sway the audience’s opinions and prompt them towards the desired action. 

Examples of persuasive presentations:

• Pitch deck/investor presentations
• Sales presentation  
• Business case presentation 
• Free business proposal presentation
• Business proposal PowerPoint template
• Pitch deck PowerPoint template
• Account Plan PowerPoint template

Supporting Business Presentation 

This category of business PowerPoint presentations is meant to facilitate decision-making — explain how we can get something done. The underlying purpose here is to communicate the general “action plan”. Then break down the necessary next steps for bringing it to life. 

Examples of supporting presentations:

• Roadmap presentation
• Project vision presentation 
• After Action Review presentation 
• Standard operating procedure (SOP) PowerPoint template 
• Strategy map PowerPoint template 
• After action review (ARR) PowerPoint template 

What Should Be Included in a Business Presentation?

Overall, the content of your business presentation will differ depending on its purpose and type. However, at the very minimum, all business presentations should include:

• Introductory slide 
• Agenda/purpose slide
• Main information or Content slides
• Key Takeaways slides
• Call-to-action/next steps slides

We further distill business presentation design and writing best practices in the next section (plus, provide several actionable business PowerPoint presentation examples!). 

How to Make a Business Presentation: Actionable Tips

A business presentation consists of two parts — a slide deck and a verbal speech. In this section, we provide tips and strategies for nailing your deck design. 

1. Get Your Presentation Opening Right 

The first slides of your presentation make or break your success. Why? By failing to frame the narrative and set the scene for the audience from the very beginning, you will struggle to keep their interest throughout the presentation. 

You have several ways of how to start a business presentation:

• Use a general informative opening — a summative slide, sharing the agenda and main points of the discussion. 
• Go for a story opening — a more creative, personal opening, aimed at pulling the audience into your story. 
• Try a dramatic opening — a less apparent and attention-grabbing opening technique, meant to pique the audience’s interest. 

Standard Informative Opening 

Most business presentation examples you see start with a general, informative slide such as an Agenda, Problem Statement, or Company Introduction. That’s the “classic” approach. 

To manage the audience’s expectations and prepare them for what’s coming next, you can open your presentation with one or two slides stating:

• The topic of your presentation — a one-sentence overview is enough. 
• Persuasive hook, suggesting what’s in it for the audience and why they should pay attention. 
• Your authority — the best technique to establish your credibility in a business presentation is to share your qualifications and experience upfront to highlight why you are worth listening to. 

Opening best suited for: Formal business presentations such as annual reports and supporting presentations to your team/business stakeholders. 

Story Opening 

Did you ever notice that most TED talks start with a quick personal story? The benefit of this presenting technique is that it enables speakers to establish quick rapport and hold the listener’s attention. 

Here’s how Nancy Duarte, author of “Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations” book and TED presenter, recommends opening a presentation: 

You know, here’s the status quo, here’s what’s going on. And then you need to compare that to what could be. You need to make that gap as big as possible, because there is this commonplace of the status quo, and you need to contrast that with the loftiness of your idea. 

Storytelling , like no other tool, helps transpose the audience into the right mindset and get concentrated on the subject you are about to discuss. A story also elicits emotions, which can be a powerful ally when giving persuasive presentations. In the article how to start a presentation , we explore this in more detail.

Opening best suited for: Personal and business pitches, sales presentations, other types of persuasive presentations. 

Dramatic Opening 

Another common technique is opening your presentation with a major statement, sometimes of controversial nature. This can be a shocking statistic, complex rhetoric question, or even a provocative, contrarian statement, challenging the audience’s beliefs. 

Using a dramatic opening helps secure the people’s attention and capture their interest. You can then use storytelling to further drill down your main ideas. 

If you are an experienced public speaker, you can also strengthen your speech with some unexpected actions. That’s what Bill Gates does when giving presentations. In a now-iconic 2009 TED talk about malaria, mid-presentation Gates suddenly reveals that he actually brought a bunch of mosquitoes with him. He cracks open a jar with non-malaria-infected critters to the audience’s surprise. His dramatic actions, paired with a passionate speech made a mighty impression. 

Opening best suited for: Marketing presentations, customer demos, training presentations, public speeches. 

Further reading: How to start a presentation: tips and examples. 

2. Get Your PowerPoint Design Right

Surely, using professional business PowerPoint templates already helps immensely with presentation deck design since you don’t need to fuss over slide layout, font selection, or iconography. 

Even so, you’ll still need to customize your template(s) to make them on brand and better suited to the presentation you’re about to deliver. Below are our best presentation design tips to give your deck an extra oomph. 

Use Images, Instead of Bullet Points 

If you have ever watched Steve Jobs’s presentations, you may have noticed that he never used bullet-point lists. Weird right? Because using bullet points is the most universal advice in presentation design. 

But there’s a valid scientific reason why Jobs favored images over bullet-point texts. Researchers found that information delivered in visuals is better retained than words alone. This is called the “ pictorial superiority effect ”. As John Medina, a molecular biologist, further explains :

“Hear a piece of information, and three days later you’ll remember 10% of it. Add a picture and you’ll remember 65%.”

So if your goal is to improve the memorability of your presentation, always replace texts with images and visualizations when it makes sense. 

Fewer Slides is Better

No matter the value, a long PowerPoint presentation becomes tiring at some point. People lose focus and stop retaining the information. Thus, always take some extra time to trim the fluff and consolidate some repetitive ideas within your presentation. 

For instance, at McKinsey new management consultants are trained to cut down the number of slides in client presentations. In fact, one senior partner insists on replacing every 20 slides with only two slides . Doing so prompts you to focus on the gist — the main business presentation ideas you need to communicate and drop filler statements. 

Here are several quick tips to shorten your slides:

• Use a three-arc structure featuring a clear beginning (setup), main narrative (confrontation), ending (resolution). Drop the ideas that don’t fit into either of these. 
• Write as you tweet. Create short, on-point text blurbs of under 156 symbols, similar to what you’d share on Twitter. 
• Contextualize your numbers. Present any relevant statistics in a context, relevant to the listeners. Turn longer stats into data visualizations for easier cognition. 

Consistency is Key 

In a solid business presentation, each slide feels like part of the connecting story. To achieve such consistency apply the same visual style and retain the same underlying message throughout your entire presentation.

Use the same typography, color scheme, and visual styles across the deck. But when you need to accentuate a transition to a new topic (e.g. move from a setup to articulating the main ideas), add some new visual element to signify the slight change in the narrative. 

Further reading: 23 PowerPoint Presentation Tips for Creating Engaging and Interactive Presentations

3. Make Your Closure Memorable 

We best remember the information shared last. So make those business presentation takeaways stick in the audience’s memory. We have three strategies for that. 

Use the Rule of Three 

The Rule of Three is a literary concept, suggesting that we best remember and like ideas and concepts when they are presented in threes. 

Many famous authors and speakers use this technique:

• “Duty – Honor – Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, and what you will be” . Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
• “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” are the unalienable rights of all humans that governments are meant to protect.” Thomas Jefferson 

The Rule of Three works because three is the maximum number of items most people can remember on their first attempt. Likewise, such pairings create a short, familiar structure that is easy to remember for our brains. 

Try the Title Close Technique

Another popular presentation closing technique is “Title Close” — going back to the beginning of your narrative and reiterating your main idea (title) in a form of a takeaway. Doing so helps the audience better retain your core message since it’s repeated at least two times. Plus, it brings a sense of closure — a feel-good state our brains love. Also, a brief one-line closure is more memorable than a lengthy summary and thus better retained. 

Ask a Question 

If you want to keep the conversation going once you are done presenting, you can conclude your presentation with a general question you’d like the audience to answer.

Alternatively, you can also encourage the members to pose questions to you. The latter is better suited for informational presentations where you’d like to further discuss some of the matters and secure immediate feedback. 

Try adding an interactive element like a QR code closing your presentation with a QR code and having a clear CTA helps you leverage the power of sharing anything you would like to share with your clients. QR codes can be customized to look alike your brand.

If you are looking for a smoother experience creating presentations on the fly, check out the AI PowerPoint maker —it offers everything you can ask forfrom presentation design in a couple of clicks.

12 Business Presentation Examples and What Makes Them Great 

Now that we equipped you with the general knowledge on how to make a presentation for business, let’s take a look at how other presenters are coping with this job and what lessons you can take away from them. 

1. N26 Digital Bank Pitch Deck 

This is a fine business pitch presentation example, hitting all the best practices. The deck opens with a big shocking statement that most Millennials would rather go to the dentist than step into a bank branch. 

Then it proceeds to discuss the company’s solution to the above — a fully digital bank with a paperless account opening process, done in 8 minutes. After communicating the main product features and value proposition, the deck further conceptualizes what traction the product got so far using data visualizations. The only thing it lacks is a solid call-to-action for closing slides as the current ending feels a bit abrupt. 

2. WeWork Pitch Deck

For a Series D round, WeWork went with a more formal business presentation. It starts with laying down the general company information and then transitions to explaining their business model, current market conditions, and the company’s position on the market.

The good thing about this deck is that they quantify their business growth prospects and value proposition. The likely gains for investors are shown in concrete numbers. However, those charts go one after another in a row, so it gets a bit challenging to retain all data points. 

The last part of their presentation is focused on a new offering, “We Live”. It explains why the team seeks funds to bring it to life. Likewise, they back their reasoning with market size statistics, sample projects, and a five-year revenue forecast. 

3. Redfin Investor Presentation 

If you are looking for a “text-light” business presentation example, Redfin’s investor deck is up to your alley. This simple deck expertly uses iconography, charts, and graphs to break down the company’s business model, value proposition, market share, and competitive advantages over similar startups. For number-oriented investors, this is a great deck design to use. 

4. Google Ready Together Presentation 

This isn’t quite the standard business presentation example per se. But rather an innovative way to create engaging, interactive presentations of customer case studies .

The short deck features a short video clip from a Google client, 7-11, explaining how they used the company’s marketing technology to digitally transform their operations and introduce a greater degree of marketing automation . The narrated video parts are interrupted by slides featuring catchy stats, contextualizing issues other businesses are facing. Then transitions to explaining through the words of 7-11 CMO, how Google’s technology is helping them overcome the stated shortcomings.

5. Salesforce Business Presentation Example 

This is a great example of an informational presentation, made by the Salesforce team to share their research on customer experience (CX) with prospects and existing customers.

The slide deck errs on the lengthier side with 58 slides total. But bigger topics are broken down and reinforced through bite-sized statistics and quotes from the company leadership. They are also packaging the main tips into memorable formulas, itemized lists, and tables. Overall, this deck is a great example of how you can build a compelling narrative using different statistics. 

6. Mastercard Business Presentation

This slide deck from Mastercard instantly captures the audience’s attention with unusual background images and major data points on the growth of populations, POS systems, and payment methods used in the upcoming decade.

Perhaps to offset the complexity of the subject, Mastercard chose to sprinkle in some humor in presentation texts and used comic-style visuals to supplement that. However, all their animations are made in a similar style, creating a good sense of continuity in design. They are also using colors to signify the transition from one part of the presentation to another. 

In the second part, the slide deck focuses on distilling the core message of what businesses need to do to remain competitive in the new payments landscape. The team presents what they have been working on to expand the payment ecosystem. Then concludes with a “title close” styled call-to-action, mirroring the presentation title.

7. McKinsey Diversity & Inclusion Presentation 

This fresh business slide deck from McKinsey is a great reference point for making persuasive business presentations on complex topics such as D&I. First, it recaps the main definitions of the discussed concepts — diversity, equity, and inclusion — to ensure alignment with the audience members. 

Next, the business presentation deck focuses on the severity and importance of the issue for businesses, represented through a series of graphs and charts. After articulating the “why”, the narrative switches to “how” — how leaders can benefit from investment in D&I. The main points are further backed with data and illustrated via examples. 

8. Accenture Presentation for the Energy Sector

Similar to McKinsey, Accenture keeps its slide deck on a short. Yet the team packs a punch within each slide through using a mix of fonts, graphical elements, and color for highlighting the core information. The presentation copy is on a longer side, prompting the audience to dwell on reading the slides. But perhaps this was meant by design as the presentation was also distributed online — via the company blog and social media. 

The last several slides of the presentation deck focus on articulating the value Accenture can deliver for their clients in the Energy sector. They expertly break down their main value proposition and key service lines, plus quantify the benefits. 

9. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Technical Presentation 

Giving an engaging technical presentation isn’t an easy task. You have to balance the number of details you reveal on your slides to prevent overwhelm, while also making sure that you don’t leave out any crucial deets. This technical presentation from AWS does great in both departments. 

First, you get entertained with a quick overview of Amazon’s progress in machine learning (ML) forecasting capabilities over the last decade. Then introduced to the main tech offering. The deck further explains what you need to get started with Amazon Forecast — e.g. dataset requirements, supported forecasting scenarios, available forecasting models, etc. 

The second half of the presentation provides a quick training snippet on configuring Amazon SageMaker to start your first project. The step-by-step instructions are coherent and well-organized, making the reader excited to test-drive the product. 

10. Snapchat Company Presentation

Snapchat’s business model presentation is on a funkier, more casual side, reflective of the company’s overall brand and positioning. After briefly recapping what they do, the slide deck switches to discussing the company’s financials and revenue streams.

This business slide deck by Snap Inc. itself is rather simplistic and lacks fancy design elements. But it has a strong unified theme of showing the audience Snapchat’s position on the market and projected vector of business development. 

11. Visa Business Acquisition Presentation 

If you are working on a business plan or M&A presentation for stakeholders of your own, this example from Visa will be helpful. The presentation deck expertly breaks down the company’s rationale for purchasing Plaid and subsequent plans for integrating the startup into their business ecosystem. 

The business deck recaps why the Plaid acquisition is a solid strategic decision by highlighting the total addressable market they could dive into post-deal. Then it details Plaid’s competitive strengths. The slide deck then sums up all the monetary and indirect gains Visa could reap as an acquirer. 

12. Pinterest Earnings Report Presentation 

Annual reports and especially earnings presentations might not be the most exciting types of documents to work on, but they have immense strategic value. Hence, there’s little room for ambiguities or mistakes. 

In twelve slides, this business presentation from Pinterest clearly communicates the big picture of the company’s finance in 2021. All the key numbers are represented as featured quotes in the sidebar with diagrams further showcasing the earning and spending dynamics. Overall, the data is easy to interpret even for non-finance folks. 

To Conclude 

With these business presentation design tips, presentation templates , and examples, you can go from overwhelmed to confident about your next presentation design in a matter of hours. Focus on creating a rough draft first using a template. Then work on nailing your opening slide sequence and shortening the texts in the main part of your presentation when needed. Make sure that each slide serves a clear purpose and communicates important details. To make your business presentation deck more concise, remove anything that does not pertain to the topic. 

Finally, once you are done, share your business presentation with other team members to get their feedback and reiterate the final design.

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Business Presentations, Corporate Presentations, Design, Design Inspiration, Examples, Executive Reports, Inspiration, Presentation Ideas Filed under Business

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What Are Some of the Benefits of Presentations in Business & Professional Settings?

• Small Business
• Running a Business
• Benefits of a Business
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What Are Benefits of PowerPoint?

Tips on presenting a strategic marketing plan, how to present an idea to a company.

• The Relationship Between Marketing & Communication
• Features of Interactive Whiteboards

Businesses and professional firms use presentations to inform, educate, motivate and persuade internal and external audiences. They build presentations into sales, training and internal communication programs, using the power of words and images to engage their audience and retain attention.

A well-crafted presentation also demonstrates professionalism and helps to reinforce an organization’s corporate image. Focusing on the importance of presentation in business can be the difference between nabbing the right employees, customers and investors and not.

Face-to-Face Significance

A presentation provides an opportunity to meet your customers and prospects in person. Using presentations as part of a sales campaign can improve results via many benefits, says Olivia Mitchell . These benefits include the power of reciprocation, the influence liking someone has on decision-making, social proof, and the tendency to believe and obey authority figures.

Engagement Is Important

Presentations make it easier to engage your audience. Striking images can hold an audience’s attention, while clear bullet points or summary text helps the audience follows the logic of a presentation. The theatrical nature of a presentation can create greater impact than an individual trying to make the same point by just talking, according to The Self Employed .

This level of engagement ensures that you get your message across to the audience. Engagement is partially dependent on your own persona, so stress the importance of presentation skills in the workplace to get the best results from your team.

Presentations Offer Flexibility

Flexibility is an important benefit of presentations. You can change content quickly and easily to incorporate new information or to modify a presentation for different audiences. If you are making a presentation on company capability to prospects in different market sectors, for example, you can incorporate sector-specific content for each client. Advantages of digital presentations include more flexible than a printed medium, such as a corporate brochure, which would be expensive to modify. You can also hold them fully online if the need arises.

Encouraging Consistency

Creating a standard presentation helps to ensure that different people in a company communicate information in a consistent way. A presentation provides a framework for communicating information about products, services or companies in a structured way. The presentation should include bullet points or prompts to remind the presenter to emphasize the most important points.

Versatility for Reaching the Audience

Presentations are a versatile communication tool. You can use them in one-to-one meetings, viewing the content on a laptop or tablet computer. The same presentation can feature as a core element in a large meeting, using a projector and screen. You can also make presentations available online for downloading from the Internet or viewing during a Web conference.

• Speaking About Presenting: The 6 Reasons Why Face-to-Face Presenting is More Persuasive
• The Self Employed: 4 Benefits of Interactive Presentations

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The Importance of an Effective Presentation

You spend hours crafting your story, building your presentation, and finalizing your speech. Regardless of the contents of your presentation, you likely put a lot of effort into creating it. We get it, you’re passionate about telling your story— and rightfully so. But your hard work is all for naught if your presentation isn’t effective. Of the millions of presentations given everyday, how many are actually successful? And how are teams measuring said success? Understanding the importance of an effective presentation is just as vital as understanding good presentation design. In fact, the two go hand in hand.

When they step down from the stage, most presenters are looking for feedback beyond, “you looked nervous.”  They want to know if what they said resonated with the audience. Did their presentation drive their key points home? Were all of those hours spent fine-tuning their presentation worth it? In most cases, the effectiveness of your presentation can be determined by a simple call-to-action. But there are also so many other ways to monitor your success.

How effective are your presentations?

An effective presentation will do one of two things: it will teach your audience something or it will inspire them to take action. But neither of those things will happen if the audience isn’t engaged. In a perfect world, you’d be able to tell if your audience was paying attention by doing a quick scan of the room. However in our current remote climate, the nature of presentations have shifted. Giving a remote presentation makes it harder to gauge the audience’s level of interest until after the fact. It’s likely that you’re giving a remote presentation via video conferencing, and then sending out the deck as a follow-up. That’s not to say they still can’t be effective. Incorporating video can help engage your audience and increase the effectiveness of your message. Choosing on-brand images, using the right charts and graphs for your data, and the number of slides you include may also play a role in how effective your presentation is. 

Why is it important?

Your presentation is your story. Whether you’re teaching an online course, hosting a webinar, making a business pitch, onboarding a new hire, or sharing a campaign with your team, what you have to say is important. You need your audience to listen. The effectiveness of a presentation determines how many people you reached with your story. It represents how much of the information they will take with them when they leave. And it can help you understand what you can do better next time. 

Understanding the effectiveness of your presentation can help you to figure out if your content is resonating with the audience. Was the presentation too long or too short? Are people making it to the last slide or skipping through? What is the longevity of your content— will your presentation continue to drive traffic a month from now? Is there one slide that people spent more time on than others? These all factor into how powerful and impactful your presentation actually is. You can find the answers to all of these questions through presentation analytics. 

Tracking metrics

In any business, tracking metrics is important. Data itself tells a story (for those who are willing to listen). It can help you better understand your audience, and their behaviors. It’s how you learn more about what works and what doesn’t, which will ultimately help you scale your business. 

Tracking metrics in a presentation can look a little different for every speaker. Depending on your goal of the presentation, you may want to know how many people made it to the end without skipping ahead. On the same coin, you may care more about the effectiveness of your call to action on the last slide. Regardless of which metrics you’re looking for, having the ability to track presentation analytics is important. 

Beautiful.ai analytics

Beautiful.ai gets it. We know that measuring the success of your presentation can be as simple as tracking your metrics— especially in our new remote world. In Beautiful.ai you can see things like total views, unique viewers, total view time, completion rate, average view time per slide, and how many people shared out the link to your deck. With these analytics, you are able to monitor the effectiveness of your presentation days, weeks, and even months after you first present. 

Check it out for yourself! To find your presentation analytics in Beautiful.ai, follow these three, simple steps.

• Click in to any presentation from your Pro account
• Select “actions” on the left side bar
• Open the “analytics” tab

Do you want to present like a pro? Check out our Pro plan and unlock all of the features you need to present your best work ever.

Jordan Turner

Jordan is a Bay Area writer, social media manager, and content strategist.

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How to Make Killer Business Presentations

Last Updated – Feb 15, 2022 @ 7:49 am

If you are serious about your business , at some point, you need to make a business presentation. Whether you are looking for new investors, training new staff, or selling to an audience, acing your business presentation skills is a must. 

Unfortunately, starting a solid business presentation is a huge undertaking for a lot of entrepreneurs. To help you with this important task, we’ve compiled this guide.

What is a Business Presentation?

A business presentation is a great tool that will help you attract new investors and customers, or let people know about your business. 

This slideshow or demonstration showcases your services, products, and even history. This is usually carried out through audio/visual material such as televisions, laptops, projectors, and statistical documents.   

Business presentations are usually made using a presentation software such as Microsoft PowerPoint but they can also be created using material such as flip charts. 

Types of Business Presentations

Not all business presentations are the same. We’ve gathered its most common types to make it easier for you to assess which one you should make.

Informative presentations

The goal of this business presentation is to provide information and educate the audience. It may cover the following topics:

• Marketing plan
• Status reports
• Monthly reports

The main characteristic of this type of business presentation is it begins with a goal, and it is followed by specific action plans.

Persuasive presentations

This type of business presentation is commonly presented in the middle and upper management of companies. The goal of this presentation is to convince people to support a side.

Usually, this presentation begins with a problem and a proposed solution. Then, it is followed by a situation analysis.

If you plan on presenting a persuasive business presentation, you must highlight the advantages of your viewpoint, as well as present facts and examples. This way, you can persuade your audience to favor your solution. 

Group presentations

The purpose of this type of presentation is to communicate the findings of a team or group. This presentation may be informal, but as with other types of presentations, it seeks to convince people to accept new business strategies and findings.

These presentations are commonly used in corporate meetings where senior executives present their desired corporate direction, followed by team members discussing the topic in detail. 

Presentation aids

Giving presentations made with programs such as PowerPoint has become the new norm in business.

However, you can still use blackboards, whiteboards, and other channels to capture the attention of your audience.

You can even use both to ensure that your audience remembers the details of your presentation more. 

Importance of Business Presentations

Every business owner should know how to make business presentations. Here’s why these types of presentations are vital to the success of your brand .

You’ll be seen as an authority figure

When you make great presentations, you will encourage more people to trust your brand.

Whether the presentation is for a sales campaign or a simple meeting for your company, presentations have the power to influence how people see you. In turn, this can affect their decision-making process.

Another reason why a presentation makes you an authority figure is that it promotes consistency. When you have a standard for presentations, everyone in your company can communicate information more consistently. 

It increases engagement

One of the major upsides of presentations is it makes it easier for the audience to engage. Through a solid presentation, you can hold people’s attention, and make them understand concepts visually.

Presentations are also theatrical in nature so it creates a lasting impact compared to when you simply talk without visual aids. When your audience’s engagement is increased, you’re sure that they get your message. 

It is effective in reaching various audience groups

At its core, presentations are a communication tool. You can use them in face-to-face meetings, Zoom calls, and many more. The same presentation you used for your meeting can even be made available to download for your staff so they can study it more even after the presentation has concluded. 

It gives you flexibility

Another importance of presentation is it allows presenters like you to be more flexible.

When you have a presentation, you don’t need to spend hours editing or changing your content to make way for new information. You can easily modify it depending on its audience.

For instance, if you are making a business presentation in various market sectors, you can incorporate specific content for each audience group. 

Tips on How to Make a Killer Business Presentation

Here are some effective and surprisingly easy tips to follow to ensure to make the best business presentation.

1. Write it down first

When making a business presentation, you don’t immediately open your favorite presentation software the moment you decide to make it.

The goal of your business presentation is to convey a message. But first, you need to define what that message is. 

Considering this, stay away from your computer during the first stage of developing your presentation. Keep in mind that PowerPoint or Keynote, along with other presentation software, are not designed to write presentations. They are only designed to deliver them.

Get your pen and paper out, or open MS Word or any notes app, then create the headlines you want on your presentation.

Once done, assess of everything is cohesive. Your business presentation should tell a story that has a beginning, middle, and end. 

2. Steer clear from black & white presentations

Standard black and white presentations should have no room in your company. This will only bore your audience. 

Leverage beginner-friendly software to design your presentation. There are tons of templates to choose from to make your business presentation more professional-looking.

If you want to take the extra mile, hire someone to do a presentation template for your company. This one-time investment will definitely pay off in the long run. 

3. Use images & visuals

Reading presentations that contain huge blocks of texts is never fun. Effective presenters know the importance of leveraging images and other visual aids in their presentation.

This could be charts, diagrams, or graphs. When you present data this way, your audience will understand it better.

4. Don’t use stock photography

This is one of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when making presentations. Nobody likes to see stock photos with annoying watermarks.

Similarly, if you are presenting to a Filipino audience and the stock photos you have on your presentation only use Caucasian models, these people would not relate to your presentation much. 

5. Inject a little humor

We’re not asking you to play Kabulastugan Instagram videos on your business presentation. However, try to inject a few funny anecdotes without making fun of anyone.

Business presentations are notorious for being boring so if you want to prevent your audience from dozing off, lighten up the mood.

6. Don’t overload your business presentation with information

When you make business presentations, your goal is not to make your audiences read, but to make them listen. Do not put all information in slides because this will only decrease the interest of your audience. 

Instead of treating your business presentation like a transcript, use it to guide you when telling the story of the presentation. Here’s an order you can use for your slides:

• Introduction
• Visual data 
• Questions (directed to you by your audience)
• Other backup information to answer possible questions 

7. Use large fonts

The last thing you want is to have people at the back squinting because they can’t see the text in your presentation. As a rule, the text and images in your slides should be clear even for those at the back of the room.

It is also recommended to use simple fonts. Here are some fonts that look professional:

• Didas 
• Josefin Sans
• Times new roman 
• Libre-Baskerville

8. Keep it short

Nobody wants to listen to an hour-long presentation without breaks. As much as possible, cut your business presentation to 20 minutes or less.

This way, you get to arrest the attention span of your audience from beginning to end.

9. Always end on a positive note

When it comes to a business presentation, you should end on a high note by answering the question “what should we do next?”

This call to action will encourage your audience to think beyond your presentation and find ways to apply what they learned.

10. Check the set-up

Whether you are making a business presentation to 10 people or 1,000, you should always check the set-up beforehand, or ask someone to do it for you.

This way, you will minimize the risk of running into technical issues that could affect your presentation’s success. 

11. Don’t forget to practice

An aesthetically-pleasing presentation will only get you so far. At the end of the day, the success of your business presentation solely depends on your presentation skills.

If you haven’t practiced this skill yet, don’t worry. After all, nobody is born a great speaker. This is something you develop over time.

What may help you is to practice in front of a mirror, or do a mock presentation with two people in your team. Ask them for feedback on areas you can improve on, and make adjustments as needed. 

12. Prepare for a Q&A

At the end of your presentation, you must ask your audience for questions or input. When taking note of possible questions, do not leave out the simplest ones.

It is also recommended to the answer by heart instead of simply reading them from your slide. 

You can also prepare some questions at the end if in case your audience is too shy to ask questions. This way, there would be no uncomfortable and awkward silence.

About MJ de Castro

MJ de Castro is the lead personal finance columnist at Grit PH.

MJ started her career as a writer for her local government’s City Information Office. Later on, she became a news anchor on PTV Davao del Norte.

Wanting to break free from the shackles of her 9-to-5 career to live by the beach, she pursued remote work. Over the years, she has developed a wide specialization on health, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, branding, and travel.

Now, she juggles writing professionally, her business centering on women’s menstrual health, and surfing.

Education: Ateneo de Davao University (AB Mass Communication) Focus: Personal Finance, Personal Development, Entrepreneurship, & Marketing

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13.6 Creating an Informative Presentation

Learning objectives.

• Discuss the parts of an informational presentation.
• Understand the five parts of any presentation.

An informational presentation is common request in business and industry. It’s the verbal and visual equivalent of a written report. Information sharing is part of any business or organization. Informative presentations serve to present specific information for specific audiences for specific goals or functions. The type of presentation is often identified by its primary purpose or function. Informative presentations are often analytical or involve the rational analysis of information. Sometimes they simply “report the facts” with no analysis at all, but still need to communicate the information in a clear and concise format. While a presentation may have conclusions, propositions, or even a call to action, the demonstration of the analysis is the primary function.

A sales report presentation, for example, is not designed to make a sale. It is, however, supposed to report sales to date and may forecast future sales based on previous trends.

An informative presentation does not have to be a formal event, though it can be. It can be generic and nonspecific to the audience or listener, but the more you know about your audience, the better. When you tailor your message to that audience, you zero in on your target and increase your effectiveness. The emphasis is on clear and concise communication, but it may address several key questions:

• Topic: Product or Service?
• Who are you?
• Who is the target market?
• What is the revenue model?
• What are the specifications?
• How was the information gathered?
• How does the unit work?
• How does current information compare to previous information?

Table 13.2 “Presentation Components and Their Functions” lists the five main parts or components of any presentation (McLean, S., 2003).

Table 13.2 Presentation Components and Their Functions

You will need to address the questions to establish relevance and meet the audience’s needs. The five parts of any speech will serve to help you get organized.

Sample Speech Guidelines

Imagine that you have been assigned to give an informative presentation lasting five to seven minutes. Follow the guidelines in Table 13.3 “Sample Speech Guidelines” and apply them to your presentation.

Table 13.3 Sample Speech Guidelines

Key Takeaway

Informative presentations illustrate, explain, describe, and instruct the audience on topics and processes.

• Write a brief summary of a class or presentation you personally observed recently; include what you learned. Compare with classmates.
• Search online for an informative speech or presentation that applies to business or industry. Indicate one part or aspect of the presentation that you thought was effective and one you would improve. Provide the link to the presentation in your post or assignment.
• Pick a product or service and come up with a list of five points that you could address in a two-minute informative speech. Place them in rank order and indicate why.
• With the points discussed in this chapter in mind, observe someone presenting a speech. What elements of their speech could you use in your speech? What elements would you not want to use? Why? Compare with a classmate.

McLean, S. (2003). The basics of speech communication . Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Business Communication for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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The Importance of Presentation Skills In Business

There are few things in the business world that are scarier than delivering a presentation, yet there are few that are as important. Presentation skills are key to both individual success and business success. Presenting information clearly and effectively is a fundamental skill in getting your message or opinion across, and today presentation skills are required in almost every field. Even if you don’t need to make regular presentations in front of a group, there are plenty of situations where good presentation and public speaking skills can help you advance your career. Many people feel terrified when asked to make their first public talk, but these initial fears can be reduced by good preparation which will also lay the groundwork for making an effective presentation. At CareerWise, we are experts in all things career-related.

Here is our guide to making the most of your presentation and enjoying your opportunity to bask in the limelight.

• Subject and preparation

Preparation, preparation, preparation! This is the key to delivering a confident and clear presentation. Do your research thoroughly, making sure you have facts to supplement your speech. Create an outline, and once you’ve prepared your presentation, don’t be afraid to revise.

To develop your presenting skills and increase your confidence you must prepare, practice and learn from each presentation. Rehearse what you are going to say out loud a minimum of three times. This will ensure you’ve found your flow and help eliminate any “ums”, “ahs” or other filler words.

No one is impressed by a presentation that rambles. Rambling happens when the speaker is both self-indulgent and unorganised. Your purpose and prose must be specifically directed to the interests of your listeners or they will mentally shut you down.

If you’re not interested in your subject then no-one else stands a chance. You must bring some enthusiasm to your talk. Don’t be afraid to let go, even if it feels overdone at first. Be enthusiastic about your topic, it will help get your audience excited. Stand up and give the best of yourself. Try and feel the adrenalin from your nerves as a positive and use it to give yourself some energy.

• Use Media Only to Enhance

PowerPoint, visuals and video are powerful presentation tools when used correctly. But they can be disastrous distractions when misused. They should never replace you as the provider of expertise. Keep your PowerPoint to a few words and never read from the screen in the presentation. Ask yourself if a slide or video is truly necessary before adding anything.

• Short window to grab their attention

Every audience wonders what’s in it for them, so start a presentation with a reason to listen. You only have 45 seconds to get your audience’s attention so make it count. You don’t need to tell jokes or do anything out of the ordinary, simply explain why your presentation is worth listening to.

• Don’t let the slides be your notes

Prepare the presentation slides for the audience and not for you. A good speaker will always use their own notes to prompt them and keep them on track; a bad speaker will use the slides as their notes. The slides aren’t supposed to be your notes or your crutch, they are for the audience.

• It’s okay to say, “I don’t know”

It’s okay to not know the answer to every question. Admit you don’t know, explain why you don’t know and say you will get back to them. The trick is to manage the stress you feel when this happens.

Be that leader for your audience! Guide your audience through your thoughts and keep them engaged. Establishing yourself as a leader will gain respect from your audience and help you get them to take the action you want them to.

• Be yourself

It’s absolutely important to remember, the more you try to act like someone you’re not on stage, the more people will see right through you. Gestures should be a reflection of what you’re feeling, helping convey that to your audience. They should come naturally, and should be one of the only unplanned parts of your speech. Make sure your movements are fluid and go along with what you are saying at that exact moment. The more you act like yourself, the more confident you’ll seem, and the more the audience will be able to relate to you.

Presentations can be daunting, but with preparation and practice, they are something that everyone can master. Enthusiasm and passion for your subject are key – if you make sure you are well informed, your audience will be more engaged and interested in what you have to say. Giving a good presentation can open up many career opportunities, so enjoy your chance to demonstrate your knowledge and skills.

Are you looking for a job in Ireland? Get in touch with CareerWise today. As specialists in the engineering , supply chain , science/pharma , IT and accounting industries in Ireland, we pride ourselves on connecting the best talent with the best opportunities, every time.

(Director) BBS (Hons), MBPICS – Shannon Office

Joe Robbins is co-founder of CareerWise Recruitment. A graduate of the University of Limerick (Degree in Business Studies, 1985), Joe worked in the UK for five years where he specialised in materials management, production management and plant management for a number of companies.

He returned to Ireland in 1992 to become Operations Manager for a Cork-based start-up, FMC Automotive Division which was subsequently taken over by Snap-on Equipment. Joe managed the business re-location of this company to Shannon in 1997 before setting up CareerWise Recruitment in 1999.

He is a committee member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Mid-West region, and a former Director and Vice President of the Shannon Chamber of Commerce. Joe is former Chairperson of the Sixmilebridge Camogie Club and current Chairperson of the Clare County Camogie Board.

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The Importance of Presentation Skills: That You Must Know About

Uncover The Importance of Presentation Skills in this comprehensive blog. Begin with a brief introduction to the art of effective presentations and its wide-reaching significance. Delve into the vital role of presentation skills in both your personal and professional life, understanding how they can shape your success.

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Table of Contents  

1) A brief introduction to Presentation Skills 

2) Importance of Presentation Skills in personal life 

3) Importance of Presentation Skills in professional life 

4) Tips to improve your Presentation Skills 

5) Conclusion 

A brief introduction to Presentation Skills  

Presentation skills can be defined as the ability to deliver information confidently and persuasively to engage and influence the audience. Be it in personal or professional settings; mastering Presentation Skills empowers individuals to convey their ideas with clarity, build confidence, and leave a lasting impression. From public speaking to business pitches, honing these skills can lead to greater success in diverse spheres of life.  You can also refer to various presentation skills interview questions and answer to build you confidence! This blog will also look into the advantages and disadvantages of presentations .It is therefore important to understand the elements of presentations .

Importance of Presentation Skills in personal life  

Effective Presentation skills are not limited to professional settings alone; they play a significant role in personal life as well. Let us now dive deeper into the Importance of Presentation Skills in one’s personal life:    

Expressing ideas clearly   

In day-to-day conversations with family, friends, or acquaintances, having good Presentation skills enables you to articulate your thoughts and ideas clearly. Whether you're discussing plans for the weekend or sharing your opinions on a particular topic, being an effective communicator encourages better understanding and engagement. 

Enhancing social confidence  

Many individuals struggle with social anxiety or nervousness in social gatherings. Mastering Presentation skills helps boost self-confidence, making it easier to navigate social situations with ease. The ability to present yourself confidently and engage others in conversation enhances your social life and opens doors to new relationships. 

Creating memories on special occasions  

There are moments in life that call for public speaking, such as proposing a toast at a wedding, delivering a speech at a family gathering, or giving a Presentation during special events. Having polished Presentation skills enables you to leave a positive and lasting impression on the audience, making these occasions even more memorable. 

Handling challenging conversations  

Life often presents challenging situations that require delicate communication, such as expressing condolences or resolving conflicts. Strong Presentation skills help you convey your feelings and thoughts sensitively, encouraging effective and empathetic communication during difficult times. 

Building stronger relationships  

Being a skilled presenter means being a good listener as well. Active listening is a fundamental aspect of effective Presentations, and when applied in personal relationships, it strengthens bonds and builds trust. Empathising with others and showing genuine interest in their stories and opinions enhances the quality of your relationships. 

Advocating for personal goals  

Whether you're pursuing personal projects or seeking support for a cause you're passionate about, the ability to present your ideas persuasively helps garner support and enthusiasm from others. This can be beneficial in achieving personal goals and making a positive impact on your community. 

Inspiring and motivating others  

In one’s personal life, Presentation skills are not just about delivering formal speeches; they also involve inspiring and motivating others through your actions and words. Whether you're sharing your experiences, mentoring someone, or encouraging loved ones during tough times, your Presentation skills can be a source of inspiration for others. 

Exuding leadership traits  

Effective Presentation skills go hand in hand with leadership qualities. Being able to communicate clearly and influence others' perspectives positions you as a leader within your family, social circles, or community. Leadership in personal life involves guiding and supporting others towards positive outcomes. 

Unlock your full potential as a presenter with our Presentation Skills Training Course. Join now!  

Importance of Presentation Skills in professional life  

Effective Presentation skills are a vital asset for career growth and success in professional life. Let us now explore the importance of Presentation skills for students and workers:  

Impressing employers and clients  

During job interviews or business meetings, a well-delivered Presentation showcases your knowledge, confidence, and ability to communicate ideas effectively. It impresses employers, clients, and potential investors, leaving a positive and memorable impression that can tilt the scales in your favour. 

Advancing in your career  

In the corporate world, promotions and career advancements often involve presenting your achievements, ideas, and future plans to decision-makers. Strong Presentation skills demonstrate your leadership potential and readiness for higher responsibilities, opening doors to new opportunities. 

Effective team collaboration  

As a professional, you often need to present projects, strategies, or updates to your team or colleagues. A compelling Presentation facilitates better understanding and association among team members, leading to more productive and successful projects. 

Persuasive selling techniques  

For sales and marketing professionals, Presentation skills are instrumental in persuading potential customers to choose your products or services. An engaging sales pitch can sway buying decisions, leading to increased revenue and business growth. 

Creating impactful proposals  

In the corporate world, proposals are crucial for securing new partnerships or business deals. A well-structured and compelling Presentation can make your proposal stand out and increase the chances of successful negotiations. 

Gaining and retaining clients  

Whether you are a freelancer, consultant, or business owner, Presentation skills play a key role in winning and retaining clients. A captivating Presentation not only convinces clients of your capabilities but also builds trust and promotes long-term relationships. 

Enhancing public speaking engagements  

Professional life often involves speaking at conferences, seminars, or industry events. Being a confident and engaging speaker allows you to deliver your message effectively, position yourself as an expert, and expand your professional network. 

Influencing stakeholders and decision-makers  

As you climb the corporate ladder, you may find yourself presenting to senior management or board members. Effective Presentations are essential for gaining support for your ideas, projects, or initiatives from key stakeholders. 

Handling meetings and discussions  

In meetings, being able to present your thoughts clearly and concisely contributes to productive discussions and efficient decision-making. It ensures that your ideas are understood and considered by colleagues and superiors. 

Professional development  

Investing time in honing Presentation skills is a form of professional development. As you become a more effective presenter, you become a more valuable asset to your organisation and industry. 

Building a personal brand  

A strong personal brand is vital for professional success. Impressive Presentations contribute to building a positive reputation and positioning yourself as a thought leader or industry expert. 

Career transitions and interviews  

When seeking new opportunities or transitioning to a different industry, Presentation Skills are essential for communicating your transferable skills and showcasing your adaptability to potential employers. 

Take your Presentations to the next level with our Effective Presentation Skills & Techniques Course. Sign up today!  

Tips to improve your Presentation Skills  

Now that you know about the importance of presentation skills in personal and professional life, we will now provide you with tips to Improve Your Presentation Skills .

1) Know your audience: Understand the demographics and interests of your audience to tailor your Presentation accordingly. 

2) Practice regularly: Rehearse your speech multiple times to refine content and delivery. 

3) Seek feedback: Gather feedback from peers or mentors to identify areas for improvement. 

4) Manage nervousness: Use relaxation techniques to overcome nervousness before presenting. 

5) Engage with eye contact: Maintain eye contact with the audience to establish a connection. 

6) Use clear visuals: Utilise impactful visuals to complement your spoken words. 

7) Emphasise key points: Highlight important information to enhance audience retention. 

8) Employ body language: Use confident and purposeful gestures to convey your message. 

9) Handle Q&A confidently: Prepare for potential questions and answer them with clarity. 

10) Add personal stories: Include relevant anecdotes to make your Presentation more relatable.   

All in all, Presentation skills are a valuable asset, impacting both personal and professional realms of life. By mastering these skills, you can become a more effective communicator, a confident professional, and a persuasive influencer. Continuous improvement and adaptation to technological advancements will ensure you stay ahead in this competitive world. 

Want to master the art of impactful Presentations? Explore our Presentation Skills Courses and elevate your communication prowess!  

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6 presentation skills and how to improve them

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What are presentation skills?

The importance of presentation skills, 6 presentation skills examples, how to improve presentation skills.

Tips for dealing with presentation anxiety

Learn how to captivate an audience with ease

Capturing an audience’s attention takes practice. 

Over time, great presenters learn how to organize their speeches and captivate an audience from start to finish. They spark curiosity, know how to read a room , and understand what their audience needs to walk away feeling like they learned something valuable.

Regardless of your profession, you most likely use presentation skills on a monthly or even weekly basis. Maybe you lead brainstorming sessions or host client calls. 

Developing effective presentation skills makes it easier to contribute ideas with confidence and show others you’re someone to trust. Although speaking in front of a crowd sometimes brings nerves and anxiety , it also sparks new opportunities.

Presentation skills are the qualities and abilities you need to communicate ideas effectively and deliver a compelling speech. They influence how you structure a presentation and how an audience receives it. Understanding body language , creating impactful visual aids, and projecting your voice all fall under this umbrella.

A great presentation depends on more than what you say. It’s about how you say it. Storytelling , stage presence, and voice projection all shape how well you express your ideas and connect with the audience. These skills do take practice, but they’re worth developing — especially if public speaking makes you nervous. 

Engaging a crowd isn’t easy. You may feel anxious to step in front of an audience and have all eyes and ears on you.

But feeling that anxiety doesn’t mean your ideas aren’t worth sharing. Whether you’re giving an inspiring speech or delivering a monthly recap at work, your audience is there to listen to you. Harness that nervous energy and turn it into progress.

Strong presentation skills make it easier to convey your thoughts to audiences of all sizes. They can help you tell a compelling story, convince people of a pitch , or teach a group something entirely new to them. And when it comes to the workplace, the strength of your presentation skills could play a part in getting a promotion or contributing to a new initiative.

To fully understand the impact these skills have on creating a successful presentation, it’s helpful to look at each one individually. Here are six valuable skills you can develop:

1. Active listening

Active listening is an excellent communication skill for any professional to hone. When you have strong active listening skills, you can listen to others effectively and observe their nonverbal cues . This helps you assess whether or not your audience members are engaged in and understand what you’re sharing. 

Great public speakers use active listening to assess the audience’s reactions and adjust their speech if they find it lacks impact. Signs like slouching, negative facial expressions, and roaming eye contact are all signs to watch out for when giving a presentation.

2. Body language

If you’re researching presentation skills, chances are you’ve already watched a few notable speeches like TED Talks or industry seminars. And one thing you probably noticed is that speakers can capture attention with their body language. 

A mixture of eye contact, hand gestures , and purposeful pacing makes a presentation more interesting and engaging. If you stand in one spot and don’t move your body, the audience might zone out.

3. Stage presence

A great stage presence looks different for everyone. A comedian might aim for more movement and excitement, and a conference speaker might focus their energy on the content of their speech. Although neither is better than the other, both understand their strengths and their audience’s needs. 

Developing a stage presence involves finding your own unique communication style . Lean into your strengths, whether that’s adding an injection of humor or asking questions to make it interactive . To give a great presentation, you might even incorporate relevant props or presentation slides.

4. Storytelling

According to Forbes, audiences typically pay attention for about 10 minutes before tuning out . But you can lengthen their attention span by offering a presentation that interests them for longer. Include a narrative they’ll want to listen to, and tell a story as you go along. 

Shaping your content to follow a clear narrative can spark your audience’s curiosity and entice them to pay careful attention. You can use anecdotes from your personal or professional life that take your audience along through relevant moments. If you’re pitching a product, you can start with a problem and lead your audience through the stages of how your product provides a solution.

5. Voice projection

Although this skill may be obvious, you need your audience to hear what you’re saying. This can be challenging if you’re naturally soft-spoken and struggle to project your voice.

Remember to straighten your posture and take deep breaths before speaking, which will help you speak louder and fill the room. If you’re talking into a microphone or participating in a virtual meeting, you can use your regular conversational voice, but you still want to sound confident and self-assured with a strong tone.

If you’re unsure whether everyone can hear you, you can always ask the audience at the beginning of your speech and wait for confirmation. That way, they won’t have to potentially interrupt you later.

Ensuring everyone can hear you also includes your speed and annunciation. It’s easy to speak quickly when nervous, but try to slow down and pronounce every word. Mumbling can make your presentation difficult to understand and pay attention to.

6. Verbal communication 

Although verbal communication involves your projection and tone, it also covers the language and pacing you use to get your point across. This includes where you choose to place pauses in your speech or the tone you use to emphasize important ideas.

If you’re giving a presentation on collaboration in the workplace , you might start your speech by saying, “There’s something every workplace needs to succeed: teamwork.” By placing emphasis on the word “ teamwork ,” you give your audience a hint on what ideas will follow.

To further connect with your audience through diction, pay careful attention to who you’re speaking to. The way you talk to your colleagues might be different from how you speak to a group of superiors, even if you’re discussing the same subject. You might use more humor and a conversational tone for the former and more serious, formal diction for the latter.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses when it comes to presenting. Maybe you’re confident in your use of body language, but your voice projection needs work. Maybe you’re a great storyteller in small group settings, but need to work on your stage presence in front of larger crowds. 

The first step to improving presentation skills is pinpointing your gaps and determining which qualities to build upon first. Here are four tips for enhancing your presentation skills:

1. Build self-confidence

Confident people know how to speak with authority and share their ideas. Although feeling good about your presentation skills is easier said than done, building confidence is key to helping your audience believe in what you’re saying. Try practicing positive self-talk and continuously researching your topic's ins and outs.

If you don’t feel confident on the inside, fake it until you make it. Stand up straight, project your voice, and try your best to appear engaged and excited. Chances are, the audience doesn’t know you’re unsure of your skills — and they don’t need to.

Another tip is to lean into your slideshow, if you’re using one. Create something colorful and interesting so the audience’s eyes fall there instead of on you. And when you feel proud of your slideshow, you’ll be more eager to share it with others, bringing more energy to your presentation.

2. Watch other presentations

Developing the soft skills necessary for a good presentation can be challenging without seeing them in action. Watch as many as possible to become more familiar with public speaking skills and what makes a great presentation. You could attend events with keynote speakers or view past speeches on similar topics online.

Take a close look at how those presenters use verbal communication and body language to engage their audiences. Grab a notebook and jot down what you enjoyed and your main takeaways. Try to recall the techniques they used to emphasize their main points, whether they used pauses effectively, had interesting visual aids, or told a fascinating story.

3. Get in front of a crowd

You don’t need a large auditorium to practice public speaking. There are dozens of other ways to feel confident and develop good presentation skills.

If you’re a natural comedian, consider joining a small stand-up comedy club. If you’re an avid writer, participate in a public poetry reading. Even music and acting can help you feel more comfortable in front of a crowd.

If you’d rather keep it professional, you can still work on your presentation skills in the office. Challenge yourself to participate at least once in every team meeting, or plan and present a project to become more comfortable vocalizing your ideas. You could also speak to your manager about opportunities that flex your public speaking abilities.

4. Overcome fear

Many people experience feelings of fear before presenting in front of an audience, whether those feelings appear as a few butterflies or more severe anxiety. Try grounding yourself to shift your focus to the present moment. If you’re stuck dwelling on previous experiences that didn’t go well, use those mistakes as learning experiences and focus on what you can improve to do better in the future.

Tips for dealing with presentation anxiety 

It’s normal to feel nervous when sharing your ideas. In fact, according to a report from the Journal of Graduate Medical Education, public speaking anxiety is prevalent in 15–30% of the general population .

Even though having a fear of public speaking is common, it doesn’t make it easier. You might feel overwhelmed, become stiff, and forget what you were going to say. But although the moment might scare you, there are ways to overcome the fear and put mind over matter.

Use these tactics to reduce your stress when you have to make a presentation:

1. Practice breathing techniques

If you experience anxiety often, you’re probably familiar with breathing techniques for stress relief . Incorporating these exercises into your daily routine can help you stop worrying and regulate anxious feelings. 

Before a big presentation, take a moment alone to practice breathing techniques, ground yourself, and reduce tension. It’s also a good idea to take breaths throughout the presentation to speak slower and calm yourself down .

2. Get organized

The more organized you are, the more prepared you’ll feel. Carefully outline all of the critical information you want to use in your presentation, including your main talking points and visual aids, so you don’t forget anything. Use bullet points and visuals on each slide to remind you of what you want to talk about, and create handheld notes to help you stay on track.

3. Embrace moments of silence

It’s okay to lose your train of thought. It happens to even the most experienced public speakers once in a while. If your mind goes blank, don’t panic. Take a moment to breathe, gather your thoughts, and refer to your notes to see where you left off. You can drink some water or make a quick joke to ease the silence or regain your footing. And it’s okay to say, “Give me a moment while I find my notes.” Chances are, people understand the position you’re in.

4. Practice makes progress

Before presenting, rehearse in front of friends and family members you trust. This gives you the chance to work out any weak spots in your speech and become comfortable communicating out loud. If you want to go the extra mile, ask your makeshift audience to ask a surprise question. This tests your on-the-spot thinking and will prove that you can keep cool when things come up.

Whether you’re new to public speaking or are a seasoned presenter, you’re bound to make a few slip-ups. It happens to everyone. The most important thing is that you try your best, brush things off, and work on improving your skills to do better in your next presentation.

Although your job may require a different level of public speaking than your favorite TED Talk , developing presentation skills is handy in any profession. You can use presentation skills in a wide range of tasks in the workplace, whether you’re sharing your ideas with colleagues, expressing concerns to higher-ups, or pitching strategies to potential clients.

Remember to use active listening to read the room and engage your audience with an interesting narrative. Don’t forget to step outside your comfort zone once in a while and put your skills to practice in front of a crowd. After facing your fears, you’ll feel confident enough to put presentation skills on your resume.

If you’re trying to build your skills and become a better employee overall, try a communications coach with BetterUp. 

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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The Importance of Presentation Skills in the Workplace

I was reminded this week about the importance of presentation skills in the workplace. Three participants in my presentation skills workshop in Detroit taught job placement skills. I noticed a couple of interesting things as the class went on. First, these participants offered tips in their class presentations similar to what I teach. These three class members also developed their presentation skills very quickly. Basically, they had well-developed communication skills that helped them be more successful in business. They developed presentation skills quickly because they already had great communication skills. The opposite is true as well. Presentation skills help you communicate better in the business world. (That is the importance of presentation skills in the workplace!)

Five Ways that Presentation Skills Can Help You in the Workplace

• Leaders Always have Great Presentation Skills

Think of any person who you consider to be a great leader. The moment that you think of this person, an image of that person will often appear in your head. There is a really good chance that the image will be the person speaking in front of a group. If you thought of a President like JFK or Ronald Reagan, you probably thought of a famous speech. “Ask not what your country could do for you..” or “Tear down this wall…” might have actually entered your mind as well. Also, when I think of General Patton, I have an image of George C. Scott standing in front of an American Flag. (He was giving a speech.)

Inspirational Pep Talk from Friday Night Lights

When I played football in college, my position coach was Gary Gaines. If you have seen the movie or read the book Friday Night Lights , you may recognize the name. Coach Gaines is a fantastic leader. He is also a fantastic communicator. Interestingly, when I think of him today, I don’t remember the coaching and reprimands. Instead, I remember the way he used to make us feel during team meetings. Just as an FYI, Billy Bob Thornton did an amazing job portraying him. Although there was a scene in the movie where he yelled at a kid. I never once saw Coach lose his temper or yell at anyone. That’s why we all loved him.

• To Be a Part of the Team, You Have to Speak Up

I was angry at myself. “Why didn’t I say something?” I had an opportunity to help the team and help myself at the same time. The opportunity had passed though. I missed it. So one importance of presentation skills in the workplace is that we gain confidence. When we do, we are more likely to contribute to the team.

• Set Yourself Apart from the Crowd

One major importance of presentation skills in the workplace is the ability to stand out from the crowd. Let’s face it. Most people stink at giving presentations. I sometimes jokingly say in class that you don’t have to be an excellent presenter. You just have to be a little better than the last person that spoke. And in most cases, the bar is set pretty low.

I taught a team-building activity to a department of the Federal Government a couple of weeks ago. As I was teaching, I felt like the energy was a little lower than usual. As I was packing up my stuff, though, one of the participants came up to me. He said, “I’ve been coming to these ‘team meetings’ for almost 25 years. This one was, by far, the best that I’ve ever been to.” He was comparing me to past speakers. Compared to them, it was fantastic. My presentation skills helped me set myself apart from the crowd.

• You Can Create a Team Atmosphere

The manager who took over was very disorganized. There were about 10 of us who were sales reps for the company. We each had to drive almost an hour to each weekly “team meeting.” The new manager droned on and on about irrelevant stuff. His meetings were an absolute chore. Within a few months, the owner had to “transition” him to a new position. That left an opening, and I got the job. When I took over, I just began to copy Scott. It worked really well, and sales and morale improved immediately.

• Open Doors of Opportunity

For instance, I got a random call out of the blue a couple of weeks ago from a police officer who took my class. After taking Fearless Presentations ®, he volunteered for a community outreach position. He has spent the last few years teaching college students how to improve security on their campus. He told me that he has received two promotions as well.

An entrepreneur from a recent class sent me an email saying that she auditioned for Shark Tank. She said that she would have never done something like that before the class.

These are just a few of the intangible benefits of good presentation skills. In many positions, these skills are vital. For instance, if you are in sales, the better your skills, the more sales you will create. If you are a trainer, your presentation skills will allow you to teach others more easily and effectively. Also, managers and supervisors can lead to more productive meetings. Folks who work with customers are less likely to have miscommunication. The benefits are endless. So, if you want to get ahead in the business world, work on your presentation skills!

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What is Eid al-Fitr? 6 questions about the holiday and how Muslims celebrate it, answered

By Ken Chitwood

Updated on: April 9, 2024 / 8:03 AM EDT / The Conversation

Ken Chitwood  is a senior research fellow, Muslim Philanthropy Initiative at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis and journalist-fellow at the Dornsife Center for Religion and Civic Culture at the  University of Southern California Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences .

Eid al-Fitr, one of Islam's principal festivals, will be celebrated April 9, 2024, according to the Fiqh Council of North America . At the middle of June, Muslims will celebrate Eid al-Adha. Ken Chitwood, a scholar of global Islam, explains the two Islamic festivals.

1. What is Eid?

Eid literally means a "festival" or "feast" in Arabic. There are two major eids in the Islamic calendar per year – Eid al-Fitr earlier in the year and Eid al-Adha later.

Eid al-Fitr is a three-day-long festival and is known as the "Lesser" or "Smaller Eid" when compared to Eid al-Adha, which is four days long and is known as the "Greater Eid."

2. Why is Eid celebrated twice a year?

The two Eids recognize, celebrate and recall two distinct events that are significant to the story of Islam.

Eid al-Fitr means "the feast of breaking the fast." The fast, in this instance, is Ramadan , which recalls the revealing of the Quran to Prophet Muhammad and requires Muslims to fast from sunrise to sundown for a month.

3. How do Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr?

Eid al-Fitr features two to three days of celebrations that include special morning prayers. People greet each other with "Eid Mubarak," meaning "Blessed Eid" and with formal embraces. Sweet dishes are prepared at home and gifts are given to children and to those in need. In addition, Muslims are encouraged to forgive and seek forgiveness. Practices vary from country to country.

In many countries with large Muslim populations, Eid al-Fitr is a national holiday. Schools, offices and businesses are closed so family, friends and neighbors can enjoy the celebrations together. In the U.S. and the U.K., Muslims may request to have the day off from school or work to travel or celebrate with family and friends.

In countries like Egypt and Pakistan, Muslims decorate their homes with lanterns, twinkling lights or flowers. Special food is prepared and friends and family are invited over to celebrate.

In places like Jordan, with its Muslim majority population, the days before Eid al-Fitr can see a rush at local malls and special "Ramadan markets" as people prepare to exchange gifts on Eid al-Fitr.

In Turkey and in places that were once part of the Ottoman-Turkish empire such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Azerbaijan and the Caucasus, it is also known as the, "Lesser Bayram" or "festival" in Turkish.

4. How do Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha?

The other festival, Eid al-Adha, is the "feast of the sacrifice." It comes at the end of the Hajj , an annual pilgrimage by millions of Muslims to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia that is obligatory once in a lifetime, but only for those with means.

Eid al-Adha recalls the story of how God commanded Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail as a test of faith. The story, as narrated in the Quran, describes Satan's attempt to tempt Ibrahim so he would disobey God's command. Ibrahim, however, remains unmoved and informs Ismail, who is willing to be sacrificed.

But, just as Ibrahim attempts to kill his son, God intervenes and a ram is sacrificed in place of Ismail. During Eid al-Adha, Muslims slaughter an animal to remember Ibrahim's sacrifice and remind themselves of the need to submit to the will of God.

5. When are they celebrated?

Eid al-Fitr is celebrated on the first day of the 10th month in the Islamic calendar.

Eid al-Adha is celebrated on the 10th day of the final month in the Islamic calendar.

The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, and dates are calculated based on lunar phases. Since the Islamic calendar year is shorter than the solar Gregorian calendar year by 10 to 12 days, the dates for Ramadan and Eid on the Gregorian calendar can vary year by year.

6. What is the spiritual meaning of Eid al-Fitr?

Eid al-Fitr, as it follows the fasting of Ramadan, is also seen as a spiritual celebration of Allah's provision of strength and endurance.

Amid the reflection and rejoicing, Eid al-Fitr is a time for charity, known as Zakat al-Fitr. Eid is meant to be a time of joy and blessing for the entire Muslim community and a time for distributing one's wealth.

Charity to the poor is a highly emphasized value in Islam. The Quran says ,

"Believe in Allah and his messenger, and give charity out of the (substance) that Allah has made you heirs of. For those of you who believe and give charity – for them is a great reward."

This piece incorporates materials from an article first published on Aug. 28, 2017. The dates have been updated. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

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Bank of America to Report First-Quarter 2024 Financial Results on April 16

April 9, 2024 at 9:00 AM Eastern

CHARLOTTE, NC – As previously announced, Bank of America will report its first-quarter 2024 financial results on Tuesday, April 16.  The results will be released at approximately 6:45 a.m. ET, followed by an investor presentation at 8:30 a.m. ET.

The news release, supplemental filing and investor presentation can be accessed at Bank of America’s Investor Relations website at https://investor.bankofamerica.com/quarterly-earnings .

Investor Conference Call Information

For a listen-only connection to the investor presentation, dial 1.877.200.4456 (U.S.) or 1.785.424.1732 (international). The conference ID is 79795. Please dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. Investors can also listen to live audio of the conference call and view the presentation slides by visiting the “Events & Presentations” section of the company’s Investor Relations website.

Replay information for Investor Conference Call

Investors can access replays of the conference call by visiting the Investor Relations website or by calling 1.800.934.4850 (U.S.) or 1.402.220.1178 (international) from noon on April 16 through 11:59 p.m. ET on April 26.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 69 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,800 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 57 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BAC).

Investors May Contact:

Lee McEntire, Bank of America Phone:  1.980.388.6780 [email protected]

Jonathan G. Blum, Bank of America (Fixed Income) Phone: 1.212.449.3112 [email protected]

Reporters May Contact:

Bill Halldin, Bank of America Phone: 1.916.724.0093 [email protected]

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This material does not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situations or needs and is not intended as a recommendation, offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security, financial instrument, or strategy. Before acting on any information in this material, you should consider whether it is suitable for your particular circumstances and, if necessary, seek professional advice. Any opinions expressed herein are given in good faith, are subject to change without notice, and are only correct as of the stated date of their issue.

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Information for Analytics Day Presenters

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Thank you for your interest in presenting at   KSU Analytics Day on Friday, April 19, 2024 . Presentations are scheduled from   7:30am until 10:45am . Presenters will arrive at 7:00am . The dress code is professional with suits strongly recommended.  This page has important information for you as you prepare for your presentation.

Begin by letting Dr. Ferguson and  Professor Frankel know your intent to present by   registering here   by   Tuesday, April 9, 2024 . If you plan to present multiple posters, please email Professor Frankel in advance for poster placement.

Students are responsible for sending their posters to TRAC for printing, picking up their posters once printed, affixing the posters to a tri-fold board, and bringing them to the event.

Final digital copies of your posters should be submitted via this link no later than   5pm on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 . Posters received after that time will only be allowed to present if space permits, but will not be eligible to participate in the poster prize competition.

POSTER PRINTING

There are requirements for presenting, so read the entire Poster Instructions for Student Presenters Spring 2024 document. You are responsible for having your poster printed and picking it up. If you have questions, please email Dr. Ferguson .

Free poster printing is available on campus at TRAC (for students who submitted a copy of the poster to Professor Frankel by 5pm on April 9th) thanks to the support of our event sponsors. A PowerPoint file of your poster should be emailed to Kellie Hebblethwaite no later than Wednesday, April 10th . Please include the following information:

• “Conference poster for Analytics Day”
• Your full name
• Your student ID number
• Your phone number (in case they have to call you with a question)

Ms. Hebblethwaite will send a reply acknowledging the initial submission, and a staff member will send you an email when the poster is ready for pick up. TRAC is located in Kennesaw Hall, Room 2001.

Discounted poster printing is available for students who did not submit posters to Professor Frankel before the deadline. Students can pay $24 to TRAC by cash or check. 

TRI-FOLD BOARDS

Tri-fold boards will be available for pickup in Clendenin 3003 the Tuesday and Wednesday before Analytics Day.

• April 9 - Registration deadline for presenters; Digital copy of your poster(s) submitted by 5:00pm.
• April 10 - Poster emailed to TRAC for printing
• April 16 & 17 - Pick up tri-fold(s) from Clendenin 3003
• April 19 - Arrive at KSU Center by 7:00am 

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