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

How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

Written by: Krystle Wong Jul 20, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 10 qualities of a good presentation?

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

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

1. Clear structure

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

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

2. Engaging opening

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

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

3. Relevant content

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

4. Effective visual aids

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

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

5. Clear and concise communication

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

6. Engaging delivery

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

7. Interaction and audience engagement

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

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

8. Effective storytelling

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

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

9. Well-timed pacing

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

10. Strong conclusion

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

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

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

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

1. Understand the audience and their needs

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

2. Conduct thorough research on the topic

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

3. Organize the content with a clear structure

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

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

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

4. Develop visually appealing and supportive visual aids

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

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

5. Practice, practice and practice

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

6. Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments

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

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

7. Prepare for potential technical or logistical issues

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

8. Fine-tune and polish your presentation

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

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

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

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

1. Confidence and positive body language

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

2. Eye contact with the audience

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

3. Effective use of hand gestures and movement

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

4. Utilize storytelling techniques

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

5. Incorporate multimedia elements

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

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

6. Utilize humor strategically

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

7. Practice active listening and respond to feedback

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

8. Apply the 10-20-30 rule

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

9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule

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

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

1. How to start a presentation?

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

2. How to end a presentation?

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

3. How to make a presentation interactive?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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What is PowerPoint: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners

What is PowerPoint? This blog provides the essence of PowerPoint, a versatile presentation software by Microsoft. Discover its features, uses, and the art of crafting compelling slideshows. Whether you're a student, professional, or simply curious, explore the power of PowerPoint and learn how to create impactful presentations effortlessly.

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

Table of contents       

1)  What is PowerPoint?  

2)  Understanding the PowerPoint Interface  

3)  Key Features of PowerPoint 

4)  How to use PowerPoint to create a presentation? 

5)  Benefits of PowerPoint  

6)  Tips for Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations 

7)  Conclusion      

What is PowerPoint?   

PowerPoint is a versatile and popular presentation software developed by Microsoft (MS). It is a part of the Microsoft Office Suite and offers various features and tools to create visually appealing and engaging presentations. MS PowerPoint allows users to combine text, graphics, multimedia elements, and animations to convey information effectively .   

Evolution of PowerPoint   

Understanding the PowerPoint Interface   

The PowerPoint interface provides a user-friendly environment for creating and editing presentations. Familiarising yourself with its essential components will help you navigate the software efficiently. Here's a breakdown of the MS PowerPoint interface:   

1)  Ribbon : The Ribbon is located at the top of the MS PowerPoint window and consists of multiple tabs, such as Home, Insert, Design, Transitions, and more.    

2) Slides pane : The Slides pane is on the left side of the PowerPoint window. It displays thumbnail images of your presentation slides, allowing you to navigate and rearrange them easily. You can add, delete, duplicate, or hide slides from this pane.   

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

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

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

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

Key Features of PowerPoint  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to use PowerPoint to create a presentation?   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Benefits of PowerPoint   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unleash your creativity to deliver captivating presentations that leave a lasting impact with our Microsoft PowerPoint Masterclass – Sign up now!   

Tips for Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion      

We hope this blog has helped you understand What is PowerPoint and how it can help you. It offers powerful features with a user-friendly interface for creating visually appealing presentations. With its tools for organising information, incorporating text and visuals, and delivering impactful content, PowerPoint is a valuable tool for beginners to communicate their ideas effectively .   

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

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

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

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

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

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What Is a Digital Presentation & How to Get Good At It

Learn the basics of presentation decks and how to create one. Explore examples and tips to make your own deck more effective and engaging.

Dominika Krukowska

16 minute read

Short answer

What is a presentation.

A presentation is a slide-based visual storytelling aid. It’s used for transferring information and emotion to an audience with visual, vocal, and textual communication.

The purpose of a presentation is to help the audience understand a subject matter. Presentations are used in business, academics, and entertainment. They can be made in PowerPoint, PDF, or webpage format.

Why people hate presentations (including yours)

Have you ever sat through a digital presentation that felt like it was dragging on forever? Or worse, have you been the one giving the presentation when people’s eyes glazed over?

This feeling of agonizing boredom is called Death by PowerPoint, and it means losing your audience's attention. They won't remember anything you said, and probably couldn't care less.

I’m going to show you how to never again suffer from Death by PowerPoint by avoiding the common PowerPoint pitfalls, immediately engage your audience, capture their interest, and make them care.

Let's dive in!

What is the main purpose of a presentation?

The purpose of a presentation is to communicate information or ideas to an audience in a clear and effective manner. The reasons for making a presentation can be to inform, persuade, motivate, educate, entertain, or simply share knowledge or experiences.

The goal of a presentation can be to help your audience understand complex concepts, make informed decisions, or take action based on the information you present.

In business settings, presentations are often used to pitch products or services, report on progress or performance, or make recommendations to stakeholders.

What are the 2 main types of presentations?

When it comes to creating a presentation, there are 2 primary types: (1) speech presentations and (2) digital presentations (made for reading). There are key takeaways for nailing each presentation type. Take note of them if you intend to get good at both.

Reading presentations

Speech presentations

Digital presentations (Reading presentations)

Digital presentations, on the other hand, are presentations that the audience can access on their own computer or phone without the presenter being physically present. These presentations require a different set of skills and techniques to keep the audience engaged.

Essentials for improving your digital presentations:

• Written clarity is critical: Since your audience will be reading your presentation, it's essential to keep your content clear and concise. Say more with less.
• Show, don't tell: Use supporting visuals to help illustrate your points and make your presentation more engaging.
• Animation and annotation: Use animations and annotations to direct your audience's attention to the right place at the right time, keeping them engaged throughout. there are plenty of free animation software to help you create these.
• Personalization: Make your audience feel like you're speaking directly to them by personalizing your presentation. Use inclusive language and address their pain points, needs, and interests.

Speech presentations (Face to face)

Speech presentations are the classic type of presentation where a speaker presents to an audience in person. These presentations are usually given at conferences or meetings, and can now also take place virtually through platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, or Skype.

Essentials for improving your speech presentations:

• Less written, more spoken: Speech presentations are all about the spoken word, so it's crucial to avoid cramming too much text onto your slides. Focus on speaking to your audience instead.
• Body language and voice: In a speech presentation, your body language and tone of voice are essential to engaging your audience. Use humor, sarcasm, or suspense to keep your listeners interested.
• Rapport: Making eye contact and using real-time communication can help you build rapport with your audience and make them feel involved in your presentation.

What are the main types of digital presentations?

Digital presentations come in all shapes and sizes, but understanding the main types can help you choose the right format for your message.

Business presentations

Marketing presentations, sales presentations, education and training presentations, personal presentations.

Education & training

Business presentations are used for showcasing company performance updates, introducing new products or services, discussing future plans with clients and partners, or briefing investors.

Whether it's an internal meeting or an external one with stakeholders, business presentations are all about delivering a clear and compelling message that drives the company forward.

Marketing presentations are visual decks used to present your target audience, marketing strategies, and campaign outcomes to prospective clients, ad agencies, or stakeholders.

Sales presentations are decks that contain details about the features, pricing, and main benefits of your offering, and are used during in-person meetings or online sales calls. They’re designed to help sales reps close deals or land new clients.

Education and training presentations are slide decks designed to teach new concepts and best practices to a variety of audiences, including students, employees, or clients.

A personal presentation is used during networking events, business conferences, or public speaking engagements. It’s used to share your key accomplishments and demonstrate your passion and the main values you stand for.

What makes a good presentation?

A good presentation captivates by establishing trust, engaging the audience with interactive elements, and weaving data into an enthralling narrative that sparks emotions and inspires, leaving a lasting impact.

There are 3 things any good presentation must do:

1. Establish trust and credibility

Without your audience trusting you and your authority you will never get them to listen. And to really listen, some say, they have to like you.

To establish yourself as a credible source of information, use relevant visuals, stories, and examples that showcase your expertise and experience, earning the trust of your audience.

2. Interact with the audience

Static PowerPoint slides are no longer enough to engage anyone. Presentations need to be informative but also entertaining.

Therefore, incorporating interactive elements into your presentations like animations, videos, calculators, quizzes , polls, and live infographics is now essential to grab attention and keep your audience engaged start-to-finish .

3. Tell a good story

When it comes to digital presentations, it's not just about the information you share, but how you share it. That's where storytelling comes in! It's all about weaving a relatable narrative that resonates with your viewers, leaving them eager for more.

By blending your data and facts into an enthralling tale, you're not only dishing out knowledge but also sparking emotions and inspiration. It's a game-changer for grabbing your audience's attention and getting your message across effectively.example

How to create a good digital presentation?

To create a great digital presentation, you need to think beyond the slides and consider the experience you want your audience to have.

Think of your presentation as a journey that takes your audience from point A to point B - you need to ensure that every step of the way is memorable and captivating.

When creating a digital presentation, there's more to it than just putting together a few slides.

You can make it real-pretty, but to make it truly effective you need to have a clear understanding of where you want to take your audience, and tailor your content accordingly.

Good presentation example

This example shows how interactive content can make a presentation that pulls you in and makes you feel part of the journey.

What should a presentation include?

Most decks contain the following 3 elements:

• Introduction (the objectives and agenda of your presentation)
• Main body (key talking points that you want to cover)
• Conclusion (followed by a single, actionable call to action)

The specific outline of your presentation will depend on your particular use case.

Check out our dedicated guides for particular business presentations:

• What to Include in a Pitch Deck (Slides 99% of Investors Want)
• 7 elements of a great sales deck structure
• What should a one-pager include?
• What does a marketing deck include?

How to start and how to end a presentation?

Start your presentation with a strong hook that captures your audience's attention and makes them interested in what you have to say.

You can end your presentation with a thank you slide, but that would be too bad. For your words to carry beyond the last slide you’ll need to give your audience the next step.

And so, you should end your presentation with a singular, clear call to action that inspires your audience to follow through on your message.

What are the essential building blocks of a successful presentation?

Almost everyone nowadays makes beautiful presentations. But that’s not enough to make them successful.

5 key elements that every successful presentation includes:

1. Compelling (human) story: Your presentation should tell a story that connects with your audience on a personal and emotional level, making your message relatable and memorable.

Here are 5 quick storytelling tips to deliver engaging presentations:

2. Clear structure: A clear structure helps your audience follow along and understand the flow of your presentation. This can be chronological, sequential, before-after, problem-solution-resolution, or any other simple and easy-to-follow structure.

3. Problem and solution: Your presentation should address a problem that your audience faces and offer a solution that your product or service can provide.

4. Actionable takeaways: Your presentation should leave your audience with actionable steps or insights that they can use to apply the information you've presented.

5. Supporting visuals (product demo) and data visualization (graphs, charts, and infographics): Using visuals to support your presentation can reinforce your message and help your audience retain the information you presented.

6 biggest mistakes to avoid when creating a presentation

It’s easy to forget that the presentation is for your audience rather than for you. You may want to tell them everything from A to Z, but they may only want to know ABC.

It’s even easier to take for granted that the things you understand are clear to others. But for them, these things are horribly complex (look up the curse of knowledge).

1. Using too much text: Overloading your slides with text can cause your audience to lose interest and detract from your main points. Keep your text to a minimum and use visuals to reinforce your key takeaways.

2. Going too much into detail: attention is a limited resource so you can’t fit everything in a single presentation. Tell your audience only what they really want (and need) to know. Avoid any technical details or complex jargon that does not contribute to the core of your message.

3. Neglecting interactivity: Failing to include interactive elements can cause your audience to disengage. Use polls, quizzes, and other interactive tools, including email newsletter software , to keep your audience engaged.

4. Ignoring the power of storytelling: Telling a compelling story is critical to capturing your audience's attention and leaving a lasting impression. Use relatable stories and examples that support your key points.

5. Poor use of visuals: Using low-quality visuals, irrelevant images, or poorly designed charts and graphs can detract from your presentation and cause confusion. Use high-quality visuals that reinforce your key ideas and are easy to understand.

6. Lack of personalization: If you don’t tailor your presentation to your audience's needs, interests, and level of understanding, your message will fall flat. Make sure to consider your audience's perspective and adjust your deck accordingly.

You don't want your presentation to end up looking like this:

How to design a presentation?

Designing a presentation is a bit like decorating a cake - you want it to be visually appealing but also yummy to consume. You want it to leave your audience with a taste for more rather than a bad taste in their mouth.

Lucky for you there are practical steps for designing a presentation that truly wows your audience every time. There's also a more practical presentation maker for this than PowerPoint. You can use it to get much more engaging presntations.

Practical presentation design tips:

1. Choose a color scheme: Just like choosing the perfect icing color for your cake, selecting a color scheme that complements your brand can make your presentation feel more coherent. Or, if you’re pitching to a client, you can use their brand colors instead in order to impress them.

2. Use high-quality images: Using high-quality images is like adding a layer of delicious, rich frosting to your cake. It makes your presentation more visually interesting and helps support your key message.

3. Use consistent fonts: Using consistent fonts throughout your presentation can make it easier to read. Stick to two or three fonts that complement each other and use them consistently.

4. Incorporate visual aids: Visual aids like colorful sprinkles and creative cake toppers can take your cake to the next level. Similarly, graphs, charts, and infographics can help break text patterns and, therefore, make your presentation more memorable.

Check out our use-ready slide design with every type of slide you can think of designed according to our tips and best practices.

Where to find presentation templates?

Scouring the web for presentation templates can be a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack - it's time-consuming, frustrating, and can leave you feeling a bit lost. Most designs available look dull and samey, and are not optimized for engagement.

But don't worry, we've got you covered! Here are the best interactive presentation templates for different use cases:

Choose template by:

What tools to use to create presentations?

Unfortunately, there's no one-size-fits-all tool for creating a digital presentation. And with so many presentation tools out there, it can be hard to know where to start looking.

That’s why we've done the research for you - check out our article rounding up the best presentation software to pick the right one for your needs!

And, if you want to learn more about creating effective digital presentations, check out these posts:

• How to Make Effective & Impactful Presentations (12 Steps)
• How to Make a Multimedia Presentation (5 Easy Steps)

How to give a presentation?

Giving a presentation can be intimidating, but it's an excellent opportunity to showcase your knowledge and expertise. To deliver a successful presentation, you need to focus on engaging your audience, keeping their attention, and providing valuable information.

9 tips to help you give a memorable presentation:

1. Start with a strong hook

A strong opening is crucial to grab your audience's attention and pique their interest. Begin with a bold statement, a surprising fact, or a personal anecdote that relates to the topic of your presentation. This will immediately grab the audience's attention and make them want to listen to what you have to say.

2. Make your objectives and agenda clear

Engage your audience right from the start by letting them know what's in store for them. Outlining your objectives and agenda early on will keep your audience focused and ensure that they don't miss out on any crucial information. Let them know why it's important to pay attention to your presentation and what they can expect to learn from it. By doing this, you'll build anticipation and get them excited about what's to come!

3. Leverage storytelling

People love stories, and they are an effective way to connect with your audience. Use anecdotes, metaphors, and examples to illustrate your points and make your presentation more relatable. This will help the audience understand the concepts you're presenting and retain the information up to 60-70% better .

4. Ask questions, use humor, give simple directions that prove a point

Engage your audience by asking questions, using humor, and giving them simple tasks to perform that illustrate your point. This will keep their attention and make the presentation more interactive.

5. Direct the audience's attention

Use a pointer or built-in animation to draw the audience's attention to critical information. This will help them focus on what you're saying and avoid distractions.

6. Work on the delivery

Speak slowly and clearly, use positive language, and avoid reading from notes as much as possible. Use humor and engage with your audience to make the presentation more enjoyable. Ensure your body language is confident and relaxed, and maintain eye contact with your audience.

7. Add interactive elements

Incorporate interactive elements like polls, quizzes, or surveys to involve your audience and gather valuable feedback. This will make your presentation more engaging and ensure your audience retains the information presented.

8. Close with a CTA

End your presentation with a strong call to action (CTA). Inspire your audience to take the next step, whether it's signing up for a newsletter, buying a product, or visiting your website. Make it clear what you want your audience to do after the presentation.

9. Leave time for a Q&A session

Finally, leave ample time for a Q&A session. This will allow your audience to clarify any doubts and ask questions. It's also an excellent opportunity for you to engage with your audience and get valuable feedback on your presentation.

Create amazing digital presentations from templates

Creating a digital presentation that grabs your audience's attention and drives results may feel like a daunting task.

After all, a strong digital presentation can be the difference between leaving a lasting impression on your audience or falling flat and losing their attention.

It's like trying to teach a class without proper preparation - you're not giving your knowledge and expertise a chance to shine, and your audience might not retain the information you're presenting.

To make things easier, try using our customizable digital presentation templates that will help you create an engaging and impactful digital presentation in no time!

Where can I see examples of good presentations?

If you’re looking for real-life examples that drove results for other companies from different industry sectors, check out highly effective presentation examples by our clients .

Alternatively, if you want to see the best presentation examples that you can replicate to create your own, here are our dedicated guides:

• 10 Perfect Presentation Examples That Win Over Anyone
• 9 Unique Sales Deck Examples that Outsell the Rest
• 10 Top Pitch Deck Examples to Inspire Your Fundraising Efforts
• Top Product Presentation Examples That Wow Everyone
• Marketing Deck: What It Is & How to Make It Win (Examples)
• 6 Elevator Pitch Examples for Any Scenario (Ready for Use)

Where can I find good presentation templates?

If you’re looking for snazzy presentation templates, Storydoc should be your go-to place. We offer a fantastic selection of visually stunning designs to make your digital presentation pop.

All components have been designed with best practices in mind and optimized for engagement. Thanks to the built-in analytics panel, you can also check how your presentations perform in real-time.

Click on any of these categories to see the best presentation templates for your specific use case:

• One-pager templates
• Sales deck templates
• Pitch deck templates
• Business proposal deck templates
• Marketing decks templates
• Case studies templates
• Report templates
• White paper templates

What are common types of business presentations?

The most common types of business presentations are:

• Sales decks
• Pitch decks
• Business proposal decks
• Marketing decks
• Case studies

Is a presentation the same as a slideshow?

Technically, a slideshow is a type of presentation, but not all presentations are slideshows.

A presentation can take many different forms, from a speech to a product demonstration, and can use various tools, including slideshows, to deliver the message. So while a slideshow is certainly a popular choice for presentations, it's not the only option out there.

What is death by PowerPoint?

Death by PowerPoint is the phenomenon of boring, uninspired, and ineffective presentations that use an overabundance of bullet points, text-heavy slides, and monotonous delivery. It's a surefire way to put your audience to sleep and leave them counting down the minutes until your presentation is over.

To avoid death by PowerPoint, aim to create presentations that are visually engaging, incorporate storytelling, and use multimedia elements like images, videos, and interactive features. Remember, a presentation should be a tool to enhance your message, not a crutch to lean on.

What are common types of presentation delivery formats?

There are 5 popular types of presentation delivery formats to choose from:

• Powerpoint: A classic choice, PowerPoint offers a range of design and animation options to create static slide-based presentations.
• Google Slides : As a cloud-based tool, Google Slides makes it easy to collaborate with others in real-time. It's an excellent option for static team presentations and remote work situations.
• Keynote : Exclusive to Apple devices, Keynote is known for its sleek and elegant design options. It's an ideal choice for visually appealing presentations on Mac or iOS devices.
• PDF: For a simple, static, and easily shareable format, PDF presentations are a reliable option. They ensure consistent formatting across different devices and platforms.
• Storydoc : Taking presentations to the next level, Storydoc provides immersive and interactive templates that are sure to captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression.

What are common types of presentation speech formats?

There are 4 common types of presentation delivery formats:

• Memorized: In a memorized delivery, the presenter memorizes the entire presentation word-for-word and delivers it without notes. This format can be effective for short presentations or speeches but can be challenging to execute for longer presentations.
• Manuscript: In a manuscript delivery, the presenter reads from a written script or teleprompter. This format is great for delivering complex or technical information but can come across as less engaging.
• Impromptu: In an impromptu delivery, the presenter delivers a presentation without prior preparation or planning. This format is often used in situations like interviews or meetings and requires quick thinking and adaptability.
• Extemporaneous: In an extemporaneous delivery, the presenter delivers a presentation using notes or an outline, but not a fully scripted presentation. This format allows for flexibility and engagement with the audience while still maintaining structure.

Why is a presentation important for my business?

Here are the main reasons why presentations are essential for your business:

• Be the expert: Presentations provide a platform to showcase your expertise and share your unique perspectives with your audience, establishing you as a thought leader in your industry.
• Build connections: Presentations provide an opportunity to connect with your audience, building relationships that can lead to future business opportunities.
• Leave a lasting impression: An engaging and memorable presentation can leave a lasting impact on your audience, increasing brand awareness and improving message retention.
• Achieve your goals: Presentations can be used to achieve business goals, from generating leads to securing funding or closing deals.

How to measure the effectiveness of a presentation?

Measuring the effectiveness of a presentation is crucial to ensure it hits the mark with your audience and achieves its goals. Here are some ways to measure the effectiveness of a presentation:

Ask for feedback: Don't be afraid to ask your audience for feedback after the presentation, either through surveys or live feedback. This feedback can provide valuable insights into what worked well and what could be improved, helping you refine your approach for future presentations.

Monitor engagement: Keep a pulse on engagement metrics such as views, shares, or the average reading time if the presentation is delivered online. These metrics can give you a sense of the level of interest generated by the presentation and which parts resonated with your audience. Our own presentation maker comes with built-in analytics tracking and reporting .

Track business outcomes: If your presentation is designed to drive business results, track metrics such as lead generation, sales, or conversion rates to assess its effectiveness in achieving these goals.

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

Perfect Presentation Examples That Win Over Anyone

Top Product Presentation Examples That Wow Everyone Sales and Marketing Presentations Statistics Marketing Presentation Examples that Engage & Convert

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How-To Geek

7 powerpoint features you should use during presentations.

Are you using the right features to engage your audience?

Quick Links

Presenter coach for practicing, cameo for a live camera feed, subtitles for showing spoken words, presenter view for tools during the show, pen, highlighter, and laser pointer for visual emphasis, zoom for a closer view, speaker notes for talking points.

As you may already know, Microsoft PowerPoint offers a robust feature set for creating presentations. But what kind of tools are useful for actually presenting a slideshow? We'll walk you through several features that can help you engage your audience.

Before it's time for your presentation, you can practice with help from PowerPoint itself. Using Presenter Coach , you can receive feedback as you walk through your slideshow.

Related: How to Practice Your Presentations with PowerPoint's Presenter Coach

To use Presenter Coach, head to the Slide Show tab and select "Rehearse with Coach." When your slideshow opens in full screen mode, click "Start Rehearsing" to begin.

You'll see feedback in real-time as you speak and move through your presentation. You can also view a rehearsal report after you finish that summarizes your time spent practicing, filler words you use, your pace, and more.

Plan ahead for your presentation by practicing with this handy built-in tool.

For a personal touch or a way to communicate visually, consider using a live camera feed. With the Cameo feature, you can put your face and voice front and center during your slideshow.

To add the Cameo object, go to the slide, open the Insert tab, and select "Cameo" in the Camera section.

You can then move or resize the object, see a preview using the camera icon, and customize the object using the Camera Format tab that appears when you select it.

If you add the Cameo element to additional slides, your camera feed continues seamlessly through your presentation.

For complete details on this feature, take a look at our how-to for using a live camera feed in PowerPoint .

Related: The Best Webcams of 2023

You may have audience members viewing your PowerPoint presentation who have a hearing impairment or speak a different dialect. With subtitles, you can display every word you say during a presentation in the language of your choice.

Related: How to Set Up and Use Subtitles in Microsoft PowerPoint

To set up the subtitles , go to the Slide Show tab and select the Subtitle Settings drop-down menu. You can then adjust the spoken and subtitle languages, the microphone you want to use, and the placement of the captions.

You can check the box above the menu to Always Use Subtitles or use the Toggle Subtitles icon (Windows) or Closed Caption button (Mac) to turn them on and off during your presentation.

For an excellent way to accommodate your audience during your slideshow, give the subtitles feature a try.

When you present your slideshow, you probably want every tool available to you, and PowerPoint has many. To access those tools like a laser pointer or your presenter notes, check out Presenter View .

To use the feature on Windows, go to the Slide Show tab and check the box for Use Presenter View in the Monitors section of the ribbon. Then, start your presentation as normal. On Mac, simply click "Presenter View" on the Slide Show tab.

To start Presenter View during the slideshow, click the three dots on the bottom left and pick "Show Presenter View."

Next, you'll see a dashboard-like screen with everything you need. On the top left is the current slide, to the right is the next slide, and below that you have your notes.

On the left, you can open additional tools, turn subtitles on or off, black or unblack the show, toggle the camera, and end the show.

Presenter View puts everything you need at your fingertips during your presentation.

These may seem like super basic tools, but they can be quite handy while presenting a slideshow. You can use a pen to circle an image or draw an arrow, a highlighter to call out certain text, or a laser pointer to emphasize parts of a slide.

Related: Turn Your Mouse into a Laser Pointer in PowerPoint

To access the tools in Presenter View, select the Pen and Laser Pointer Tools icon (pen) below the current slide.

To access the tools without Presenter View, select the Pen and Laser Pointer Tools icon on the bottom left of the slide.

Choose a tool and then use your cursor to control it. For the pen and highlighter, you can also pick a color in the pop-up window.

To "put away" the tool you're using, access it using the steps above and deselect it.

Along with using the tools above for making parts of your presentation stand out, you can take advantage of the Zoom feature. With it, you can zoom in on part of a slide , move around if you like, and then zoom back out.

As of November 2022, this feature is not available in PowerPoint on Mac.

In regular slide show view or Presenter View, select the zoom icon (magnifying glass) on the bottom left.

You'll then see a rectangle on your screen indicating the zoom area. Move that rectangle to the spot you want to enlarge and click.

You can then drag to move around the slide while it's zoomed in. Right-click or use your Escape key to zoom back out to the original view.

Just like giving a speech with index cards for your talking points, notes in PowerPoint are just as beneficial. You can include information you want to highlight or further details for text or images you use.

Related: How to Insert a Check Mark or Checkbox in PowerPoint

To add presenter notes to your slideshow, open the notes panel. Either select "Notes" in the status bar or drag up from the bottom of the slide in the PowerPoint window.

Then when it's time to present, use Presenter View to display your notes during the show.

With an update to PowerPoint in 2022, you can also edit your notes while you present. This is a good way to capture additional points you think of while presenting or if an audience question pops up.

Place your cursor in the notes area on the right side and add or remove text. You can also use the buttons at the bottom to increase or decrease the font size.

Having your speaker notes with you during a slideshow is a key element in a successful presentation.

When you finish creating your PowerPoint slideshow , prepare to present it by trying out these features ahead of time. Then, incorporate them into your slideshow where it makes sense. Your audience will be glad you did!

• PRESENTATION SKILLS

What is a Presentation?

Search SkillsYouNeed:

Presentation Skills:

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

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

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

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

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

A Presentation Is...

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

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

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

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

The Key Elements of a Presentation

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

Consider the following key components of a presentation:

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

When and where will you deliver your presentation?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are you already familiar with the audience?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See our page: Effective Speaking for more information.

How will the presentation be delivered?

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

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

Impediments

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

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

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

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

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

Continue to: Preparing for a Presentation Deciding the Presentation Method

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

• Government Exam Articles

An Introduction To MS PowerPoint

MS PowerPoint is a program that is included in the Microsoft Office suite. It is used to make presentations for personal and professional purposes.

In this article, we shall discuss in detail the functions and features of a PowerPoint presentation, followed by some sample questions based on this topic for the upcoming competitive exams. 

To learn more about the different programs under Microsoft Office , visit the linked article. 

Given below are a few important things that one must know about the development and introduction of Microsoft PowerPoint:

• The program was created in a software company named Forethought, Inc. by Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin. 
• It was released on April 20, 1987, and after 3 months of its creation, it was acquired by Microsoft.
• The first version of this program, when introduced by Microsoft was MS PowerPoint 2.0 (1990).
• It is a presentation-based program that uses graphics, videos, etc. to make a presentation more interactive and interesting.
• The file extension of a saved Powerpoint presentation is “.ppt”.
• A PowerPoint presentation comprising slides and other features is also known as PPT.

Gradually, with each version, the program was more creative and more interactive. Various other features were added in PowerPoint which massively increased the requirement and use of this MS Office program.

From the examination point of view, MS PowerPoint happens to be a very important topic. Candidates who are preparing for the various Government exams can visit the Computer Knowledge page and get a list of topics included in the syllabus and prepare themselves accordingly. 

Basics of MS PowerPoint

Discussed below are a few questions that one must be aware of while discussing the basics of MS PowerPoint. Once this is understood, using the program and analysing how to use it more creatively shall become easier.

Question: What is MS PowerPoint?

Answer: PowerPoint (PPT) is a powerful, easy-to-use presentation graphics software  program that allows you to create professional-looking electronic slide  shows. 

The image given below shows the main page of MS PowerPoint, where a person lands when the program is opened on a computer system:

Question: How to open MS PowerPoint on a personal computer?

Answer: Follow the steps below to open MS PowerPoint on a personal computer:

• Click on the start button
• Then choose “All Programs”
• Next step is to select “MS Office”
• Under MS Office, click on the “MS PowerPoint” 

A blank presentation is open on the screen. According to the requirement, a person can modify the template for a presentation and start using the program.

Question: What is a PowerPoint presentation or PPT?

Answer: A combination of various slides depicting a graphical and visual interpretation of data, to present information in a more creative and interactive manner is called a PowerPoint presentation or PPT.

Question: What is a slide show in a PowerPoint presentation?

Answer: When all the slides of a PowerPoint presentation are set in series and then presented to a group of people, where each slide appears one after the other, is a set pattern, this is known as a PowerPoint slide show. 

Question: What all elements can be added to a slide?

Answer: The following elements can be added to a Powerpoint slide:

• Photographs
• Media Clips

All these elements are mainly used to enhance presentation skills and make the slide more interactive.

To learn more about the Fundamentals of Computer , visit the linked article. 

For a better understanding of the Microsoft PowerPoint and its operations, functions and usage, refer to the video given below:

Features of MS PowerPoint

There are multiple features that are available in MS PowerPoint which can customise and optimise a presentation. The same have been discussed below.

• Slide Layout

Multiple options and layouts are available based on which a presentation can be created. This option is available under the “Home” section and one can select from the multiple layout options provided.

The image below shows the different slide layout options which are available for use:

• Insert – Clipart, Video, Audio, etc.

Under the “Insert” category, multiple options are available where one can choose what feature they want to insert in their presentation. This may include images, audio, video, header, footer, symbols, shapes, etc. 

The image below shows the features which can be inserted:

• Slide Design

MS PowerPoint has various themes using which background colour and designs or textures can be added to a slide. This makes the presentation more colourful and attracts the attention of the people looking at it.

This feature can be added using the “Design” category mentioned on the homepage of MS PowerPoint. Although there are existing design templates available, in case someone wants to add some new texture or colour, the option to customise the design is also available. Apart from this, slide designs can also be downloaded online.

Refer to the below for slide design:

During the slide show, the slides appear on the screen one after the other. In case, one wants to add some animations to the way in which a slide presents itself, they can refer to the “Animations” category. 

The different animation styles available on PowerPoint are:

Apart from all these options; font size, font style, font colour, word art, date and time, etc. can also be added to a PPT.

Also, there are various other subjects that are included in the exam syllabus for various competitive exams. Candidates can check the detailed section-wise syllabus in the links given below:

Uses of PowerPoint Presentation

PowerPoint presentations are useful for both personal and professional usage. Given below are a few of the major fields where PPT is extremely useful:

• Education – With e-learning and smart classes being chosen as a common mode of education today, PowerPoint presentations can help in making education more interactive and attract students towards the modified version of studying
• Marketing – In the field of marketing, PowerPoint presentations can be extremely important. Using graphs and charts, numbers can be shown more evidently and clearly which may be ignored by the viewer if being read
• Business – To invite investors or to show the increase or decrease in profits, MS PowerPoint can be used
• Creating Resumes – Digital resumes can be formed using MS PowerPoint. Different patterns, photograph, etc. can be added to the resume
• Depicting Growth – Since both graphics and text can be added in a presentation, depicting the growth of a company, business, student’s marks, etc. is easier using PPT

Government exam aspirants can upgrade their preparation with the help of the links given below:

Sample MS PowerPoint Questions and Answers

As discussed earlier in this article, Computer Awareness is included in the syllabus for many competitive exams. Thus, to understand the program from the examination point of view is also a must. 

Given below are a few sample questions based on MS PowerPoint.

Q 1. How many maximum slides can be added to a PowerPoint presentation?

• No fixed number

Answer: (3) No fixed number

Q 2. Slide Sorter view can be selected under which of the following categories?

Answer: (4) View

Q 3. The combination of which keyboard keys can be used as a shortcut to add a new slide in MS PowerPoint?

Answer: (3) ctrl+M

Q 4. Header and Footer option is available under which of the following categories?

Answer: (1) Insert

Q 5. Which of the following is not included in the “Insert” category in MS PowerPoint?

Answer: (4) Animation

Similar types of MS PowerPoint Questions may be asked based on the features or usage of the program. Thus, one must carefully go through the elements and aspects of PPT. 

For any further assistance related to the upcoming Government exams, candidates can check the Preparation Strategy for Competitive Exams page. 

Get the latest exam information, study material and other information related to the major Government exams conducted in the country, at BYJU’S.

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What are the Main Features of Microsoft PowerPoint?

By: Author Shrot Katewa

There are a lot of presentation programs out there. With all the options available, it can become rather tough to choose which is best for you. That is why the features of any software are so important. It can determine whether or not you use the software. With that being said, what are the features of Microsoft PowerPoint?

The most popular features of Microsoft PowerPoint are as follows: Animations, designs, being able to add images and videos, and also editing those images and videos. With PowerPoint, you can use all the features available to make presentations that really stand out and could help you boost your career or sign a client.

In this article, we are going to not only mention the main features of PowerPoint, but we are also going to share with you some of the most useful features of PowerPoint. Plus, we are going to talk a little bit about each of them.

So, if you have ever wondered what features PowerPoint has or what certain features are meant for and what they do, you have come to the right place. For everything that you need to know, keep reading.

A Quick Note Before We Begin – if you want to make jaw-dropping presentations, I would recommend using one of these Presentation Designs . The best part is – it is only $16.5 a month, but you get to download and use as many presentation designs as you like! I personally use it from time-to-time, and it makes my task of making beautiful presentations really quick and easy!

1. PowerPoint Design Ideas

First on this list and one of my favorite features of PowerPoint is the “ Design Ideas “. It can be found in the “ Design ” tab in PowerPoint. Once you are there you will see two separate sections. One section will be a theme and the other will be a different variant of that theme. These themes are for each slide.

PowerPoint’s Design Ideas automatically and instantly provides you will several design options for a particular slide based on the content that is present on the slide.

Design Ideas can help you save a good amount of time and make your slides look good. It is a great feature for those who perhaps want to improve the design of the slides but are not really great at creating designs.

It doesn’t always give the perfect design option, and sometimes you do need to play around with it a little bit to get a good design. But, most of the time, it doesn’t get the job done.

Design Ideas is a great feature that is unique to Microsoft PowerPoint and something that most other presentation programs do not have. But, other unique features presented in this article give a great advantage when using PowerPoint !

2. Animations

Microsoft PowerPoint animations allow you to emphasize certain points of your current slide. There are primarily 3 categories of animations in PowerPoint. You can select any object in your slide and animate it with these animations:

• Entrance Animation
• Emphasis Animation
• Exit Animations

Each animation category provides you with a huge list of additional options to choose from.

As the name suggests, entrance animation is a type of animation that will make a shape, text or any other element appear on a slide. Likewise, an exit animation can be applied when you want a certain element to disappear from the slide.

Note – If you are on the fence but interested in getting PowerPoint, check out this limited-time deal to get Office 365 1-year subscription for the lowest price on Amazon!

Emphasis animation can be used when you want to highlight or bring the attention of the audience members to a particular element on the slide.

Once you choose and apply the animations, you also get other options. You can select how long you want animations to last, when you want them to start, and when you want them to end. Microsoft was not shy when they gave us the number of features that they did regarding animations.

3. Slide Transitions

I have seen a lot of people confuse slide transitions with animations and vice versa. It is important to remember that they are completely different things.

Also Read – Difference Between Animations and Slide Transitions in PowerPoint!

While animation gives you the ability to animate elements within your slide, transitions give you the ability to change how slides change from one to another. This can have a significant impact on a slide’s first impressions.

Some of the most notable transitions are:

Other options include the ability to set the speed of your transition, change the dynamic of the transition, and much more. Again, Microsoft has added a lot of customizability over the last few years when it comes to transitions.

When using transitions, you can alter the entire feel of a presentation without changing its theme. I recommend taking your time and making sure that each transition doesn’t feel forced but feels natural to the presentation.

Sometimes an image can say a thousand words. With that in mind, it is easy to understand why adding images to your presentation can help you say more than you could while using words. Well, at least this is true in some cases.

If your presentation feels slightly boring, don’t be afraid to throw in an image every now and then. To be honest, most presentations require images anyway. Not only are they necessary, in some cases, they can also spice up your presentation.

When it comes to adding images, there are two main ways of doing this. You could either add an image via your PC or you can embed an image from somewhere else on the internet. Whatever best suits you, PowerPoint has you covered.

5. Merge Shapes

Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to merge shapes. This is because they understand that they might not always have the exact shape that you are looking for.

So, hopefully, merging shapes can help give you a uniform shape. I say “uniform” because if you cannot find a shape that you want to use, you could draw one. The problem is, this might not be the best option because freehand drawing can be difficult.

If merging shapes is still not giving you what you want, there is another option that you can use. These are known as “smart-art”. It can help you transform your presentation into something phenomenal.

Another great way of spicing up a presentation is to add videos to certain slides. As we discussed with images, a video can say a lot without having to use words. In fact, there are so many applications for using videos in your presentation. I guess the only limit would be your imagination.

Videos can be easily added from the storage on your PC. This might make the size of your presentation quite large. So, you might want to double-check the size of the video before inserting it into your presentation.

Again, this is one of my favorite features of PowerPoint. You can easily add videos to your presentation from Youtube. We are trying to keep each section brief so I can’t go into too much detail about the importance of being able to add videos from YouTube. However, there are a lot of reasons.

So, if you don’t have the video on your PC and you cannot find it on YouTube but you know where it is on another website, all you need to do is get the embed code for that video. This can often be done just by right-clicking on the video, copying the embed code, and then you can embed it into your presentation.

With the ability to add icons to your presentations, it just gives you some freedom to add a personal touch to the presentation. It is important to note that some versions do not come with the icons feature. However, if you have Office 365 you should always have the icons option.

If you do not have the option to use icons, you could technically use shapes and with some clever aligning skills, they could be turned into icons or at least used as such. You could also use icons found on the web. They would need to be saved to your PC as an image and then again, with some clever aligning skills, nobody would know the difference.

8. PowerPoint Notes for Presentation

When you are giving a presentation it is often difficult to constantly remember what you have to say. This is true even though you have the slide right in front of you. That is where the notes feature comes in. They can help you remember what to say for each slide which is a great way to stay on topic.

Your presentation can be set up in a way that the notes do not appear on the presentation but they still appear on your PC or Mac. Remember, most of the time the people who are viewing the presentation cannot see this. Otherwise, you can also hide your notes

The notes feature is not just there for you to remember what to say and a lot of people tend to overlook this. If you are working in a team, then using notes can help other employees or other people who are working on the presentation understand what’s happening on each slide.

9. Morph Transition

We have already talked about transitions earlier in the article. However, “Morph Transition” is by far one of the best ways to you make your slides give a great first impression. In fact, this creates a lasting impression as well!

By using Morph Transition, you can make actually make elements move between slides – a feature that gives a video-like feel to your PowerPoint slides!

It is important to remember that the slides where Morph Transition is used, need to have at least one element that has something in common between both the slides.

I shall soon be making a video to help you understand how the Morph Transition works in PowerPoint and how you can leverage this feature to take your PowerPoint presentations up a notch! (I will update it here once the video is created).

This is one of the most used features of PowerPoint. It is also one of the best features in terms of what you can do with it. Using charts in your presentations can help you illustrate data in an easy-to-understand way for your audience.

You can also link charts to external data sources. Most notably, you can link to excel sheets. The chart’s functionality in PowerPoint is so versatile you can even get your chart to be updated automatically in PowerPoint when the data gets edited in excel.

It is actually a rather simple process. All you have to do is link a chart to an external data set. This can be done from within PowerPoint so it is pretty much hassle-free.

11. Removing Background from Images

When you upload an image to your presentation, what if that image needs to be edited? What is the first thing that you would normally think you would do? You would probably go to an image editing program such as Photoshop, right?

With Microsoft PowerPoint, there is no need for that in most cases. Well, at least if you want to remove a background from your image , you could just use PowerPoint.

All you have to do is click on the drawing format ribbon and select “remove background”. It then works almost the exact same way as all other photo editing software. You will draw around the piece you want to keep or the piece you want to get rid of.

12. Video Editing (Basic)

Again, what if you upload a video to your PowerPoint presentation but you don’t want to show the whole video. maybe you just want to show some parts or cut some pieces out. What is the first thing you would do? Open up a video editing software right? Well, with PowerPoint you might not have to.

While PowerPoint is not the next Adobe premier, it does allow you to trim the video, cut portions of a video out, and finally add sound. It is a basic video editor.

Being able to use PowerPoint as a quick video editor adds to the convenience of PowerPoint. It also adds to your overall productivity because you don’t have to open and close program after program to get everything done.

13. Export PowerPoint as Video

Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to export entire presentations as videos. I know that you might be thinking why would this even be useful. Well, I alone can think of so many reasons why you would want to use this feature.

Not all presentations are designed to be given by a speaker. Actually, the main reason for a PowerPoint presentation is to get a point across to somebody. This could be your employer, colleague, client, or even the classroom.

If you don’t want to send somebody a presentation that they could edit or see the notes for and you just want them to watch it, this feature is for you. Why not export it as a video and give whoever you send the video to the ability to watch it at their own time, pause it at their own time, and take notes.

14. Add Audio Narration to your PowerPoint Presentation

This feature kind of feeds off of the previous one. You are not always going to be there to give a presentation as a speaker but you still want to iterate a lot of the points made in your slides. So, why not add audio narration to your presentation?

Doing this will allow you to send the presentation as a video to somebody and have the narration over it. So, technically, you would still be the speaker if it is you narrating the presentation.

This feature is Great for teachers who just want to give the classroom information in the most efficient way possible. In fact, with online learning becoming more relevant than ever in 2020, this feature has picked up in popularity.

This feature is also great for presentations that are designed to be given as instructional videos.

15. Adding Comments to Slides

The feature to add comments in PowerPoint is more about the person who reviews a presentation rather than the person who creates it. Some people get comments mixed up with notes but they are two different features that have two different applications.

If you need to review somebody else’s presentation, you can add comments to certain sections or slides of the presentation. This is so that they can understand your criticisms.

Also, if you are the person creating it and you want to add a comment, this can help the person who is reviewing the presentation to fully understand why you did what you did in certain slides.

Final Thoughts

The features mentioned in this article show why PowerPoint is still the leading presentation software. There is so much that you can do and honestly, it all makes every presentation different from the other.

If you take time to learn what each feature does, you could use them to make presentations that have a higher chance of captivating your audience, your classroom or even getting you one step closer to signing a contract with the new clients.

We have covered a lot of the features mentioned in this article. So, I highly recommend taking a little bit of time out of your day to read those articles.

Image Credit for Featured Image

• Slidesgo School
• PowerPoint Tutorials

What is PowerPoint and what it is used for

Who has never used a PowerPoint template as visual support for their presentation? However, do we really know what it is and what it is used for?

Although it may be clear to us, answering this question clearly and concisely is not so easy, so Slidesgo has decided to tell you today what PowerPoint is and what it is used for so that you will never have doubts again and everything will be crystal clear.

PowerPoint is a program that belongs to the Microsoft Office suite along with other famous software such as the Word processor or the Excel spreadsheet. It is very likely that you have heard of or even used all of them, but without being completely clear about what they are and what they are for. Let's answer these questions!

What is PowerPoint: Definition

What is powerpoint used for, what is a slide in powerpoint.

As we have mentioned, PowerPoint is, in short, software for editing presentations. Through slides (don't worry, now we are going to talk about them too) you can present the content you want adapting it to your liking.

The editing procedure is simple: either create a new presentation from scratch or modify a previously created template, such as those available in Slidesgo .

There is no limit to creating a PowerPoint template: you can use and edit images, text, music, add animations, and much more. Being creative with PowerPoint is very easy, as the design options are practically endless. If you have doubts about what you can do in PowerPoint and how at Slidesgo School we have a whole section dedicated to PowerPoint tutorials .

So, what do you need to create a PowerPoint presentation? Well, two things. A subscription to the Microsoft Office suite, which will allow you to use their other products and even combine them with your presentations, and, above all, a desire to let your imagination run wild!

We already know what it is, now let's see what it's for so you can start editing and creating your presentations.

In short, PowerPoint is visual support. The information is usually clearer when the speech is accompanied by a visual tool , whether it is an image, a video, or in this case, everything collected in a presentation. 

The two areas in which PowerPoint excels are business and also education , although it can be very useful in any field or subject. You can use, for example, a PowerPoint as a visual aid in the presentation of a marketing plan to capture the attention of the audience or to teach a lesson on history .

Apart from attracting the attention of the listener, PowerPoint allows you to summarize concepts and highlight the information that you believe has priority in your speech.

All right, we are moving up a level. The next question is an "A" question: what is a PowerPoint slide? If you don't know, don't worry, we will tell you in detail.

Slides are the units that make up your presentation. These are the ones you are going to edit and where you are going to add your content. You can add everything previously mentioned: text, tables, charts, graphs, images, videos, you can animate them for transition, change the background, and much more.

And this is the end of the lesson. We hope you found it useful and that it will be a help when you are editing in PowerPoint. If you want to know more about this tool, you can read this article from Slidesgo School about the advantages of Google Slides and PowerPoint .

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9 Advanced Microsoft PowerPoint Features You Must Know

Are you a PowerPoint user? Here are some advanced features that can take your presentations to the next level and impress your audience.

Microsoft PowerPoint is one of the most popular tools for creating presentations and slide shows. While PowerPoint dominates the presentation software category, you may not know its most valuable features yet.

Let's look at the most notable Microsoft PowerPoint features that you might not be using but definitely should.

1. Co-Authoring

As its name suggests, co-authoring allows you and your colleagues to work on a PowerPoint presentation collectively. It comes in handy when you're part of a team and want to collaborate on a PowerPoint presentation. Here are the detailed steps to use co-authoring in PowerPoint:

• Click the Share button in the top right corner of Microsoft PowerPoint.
• If you have your team member's email, enter that in the Send Link box.
• Once you are ready to share, click the Send button.

That's all you need to do. The next time someone joins the presentation, you'll see their changes in real time.

Microsoft offers you endless opportunities to customize the PPT sharing settings. You can click the pencil icon and then Sharing settings to access them.

2. PowerPoint Designer

The PowerPoint's AI-driven feature, called PowerPoint Designer, helps you transform your PPT's appearance. When you add a new slide or change the content of an existing slide, the Designer analyzes the content. It then starts suggesting design ideas that match the content of your PPT.

If you often lack design inspirations, you should learn to use PowerPoint's Designer feature for help. Follow these steps to get started with PowerPoint Designer:

• Create a new slide in PowerPoint.
• You can click on any design ideas that will apply to your current slide.

Want to see the real magic? Create some more slides and add enough content to them. Open the Designer sidebar again to see some related designs (applicable to all of your slides).

3. PowerPoint Add-Ins

You may not know that PowerPoint allows you to install third-party add-ins in one click. There are many different PowerPoint add-ins to transform your presentations completely. Once you know which add-ins to install, you can follow these steps to install them:

• On your presentation screen, go to the Insert tab.
• This will open the Office Add-ins window. You can search for and install your favorite add-ons for PowerPoint.

4. Presenter Coach

If enhancing your presentation skills is your goal, then Presenter Coach is the perfect option for you. It provides you with real-time feedback on your presentation skills.

It first analyzes all the words you speak. Then, by using artificial intelligence, it suggests how you can improve further. Here is how you can enable Presenter Coach in Microsoft PowerPoint:

• Click Start Rehearsing to start the AI coach. Now you can start presenting, and the Presenter Coach will provide feedback on your pacing, tone, and language.
• If you want to stop, you can click the mute icon and resume the session by clicking it again.

But how can you view the feedback or results of the Presenter Coach? To view your results, you have to exit the slide first. A popup will appear then, reflecting your rehearsal report and summary of your performance. If you're a beginner, you must read our guide on using Presenter Coach for help.

5. 3D Models

Everything in 3D looks much better than in 2D, right? This is why you can make your presentations much better than others by using 3D models.

Microsoft PowerPoint has a vast collection of 3D models in various categories. The major categories for 3D models include animals, emojis, avatars, shapes, electronics, and gadgets.

To start, click the Insert tab at the top and select the 3D Models option. You can open any category you want and then click on any 3D model you wish to insert into your slide. Once you are ready, click the Insert button.

The best thing that sets this feature apart is that you can even import your self-made 3D models. Once you insert a 3D model into your slide, you can adjust its position, size, and rotation. You can also use 3D models to showcase products, visualize concepts, or add a creative element to your PPT.

6. Morph Transition

By adding Morph transitions, you can animate different aspects of your slides. You can animate different objects, slides, and even texts as you like.

We will demonstrate the use of Morph transitions with the help of the 3D models discussed above.

To use a Morph transition, follow these steps:

• Insert any 3D model in your first slide. We are going to use a laptop model for this tutorial.
• You have to duplicate the object you selected in the first slide, or you can re-insert the same in the next slide.
• Run or present your slides to experience a smooth transition between the two slides.

That's it. You will see that your object will transition between two positions.

If you're finding it difficult, there are many websites for animated PowerPoint slides to make your work much easier. You can download a pre-designed template and start customizing it.

7. Remove the Photo Background

From PowerPoint 2016 onwards, you can remove photo backgrounds with one click in PowerPoint. You don't need to go to another website or install a third-party application to do this simple task.

To start with it, insert any image into your slide and then click Remove Background from the Format tab. PowerPoint will then detect the background and remove it.

If you want more control, you can adjust the selection by clicking on the parts of the image you want to keep or remove. So now that you know the steps, you can create custom images that blend with your presentation's design.

8. Insert Object

By inserting Office files, such as Word or Excel, your slides can get the benefits of both applications. You can add charts, tables, or even Word documents without the headache of copy-pasting. The below steps will guide you on inserting an object in PowerPoint:

• Go to the Insert tab, and under the Text group, click on Object .
• But, if you're looking to insert a saved file, click Create from File .
• Select the required object you want to insert under Object type. It may be an Excel file, chart, or anything else.

Once inserted, you can customize the object's appearance and position on the slide. If you want to edit the object's content, double-click on it to open and edit it in its native application.

9. Slide Master

While preparing a presentation, sometimes the flow or consistency breaks for any reason. For example, you may use a bigger font on the first slide and a different font for the rest.

Whatever the situation is, it makes your presentation look unstructured. In such cases, Slide Master comes into play. Slide Master is a helpful feature that helps you master your slides' "consistency" element. It lets you set the same font, heading size, design, and much more for all your slides.

Follow these steps to enable and start using Slide Master:

• Go to the View tab and click on Slide Master .
• Once you've made your changes, click the Close Master View button. This will apply the defined template to all the slides in your presentation.

The best thing about using it is that you don't need to open every slide and waste your precious time tweaking them. You can create a template using Slide Master that includes font choices, color schemes, and other elements. Then, let the Slide Master handle your presentations.

Take Your Presentations to the Next Level

No one likes a plain presentation nowadays. So, you should be one step ahead and add creativity and modern looks to your slides. While the Designer will help you with designs, transitions, and 3D models, they will help you with other visual aspects.

6 key features of an outstanding presentation deck

Whether you’re presenting quarterly results or rolling out a new project, your presentation deck should help you to bring your message across. It should make your presentation more engaging and help your audience understand your message. It should absolutely not take away from your message or distract.

1. A killer cover page

This is your first impression, so it's important to create a cover page that grabs attention. Fashion a bold, succinct headline that sets the tone for your talk, and is intriguing enough to leave your audience wanting more.

A bold visual or a background image also helps to captivate your audience. Make sure it is simple enough that your title is the main focus, as placing text atop of detailed, high-contrast image will be visually distracting and hard to read. Try checking Pinterest for a range of cover page layouts to inspire you.

2. Visuals over text

Presentations are supposed to be a visual medium, so why are so many slideshows heavy on text while skimping on images? Studies show that people tend to read slides before they listen to speakers, so packing your presentation deck with words and bullet points will force your audience to choose between listening and reading – they won't be able to do both. Visuals , on the other hand, will resonate emotionally, grab your audience’s attention and keep them engaged.

Visual aids will also help your audience remember the content – studies show that our brains process visuals 60, 000 times faster than text , meaning your main message is more likely to sink in. So lay off the words!

3. Stylish, simple imagery

The most effective presentations rely on photographs, graphs and art to communicate their message, but make sure to be thoughtful about your choices. Opt for simple, striking photos that pack a punch and will drive your point home. The image needs to serve a purpose, whether it's a metaphor for your main point or an enhancement of your message - it should always be clear why your audience is supposed to be looking at it.

The best slide decks also steer clear of ultra-generic stock photos. Let's face it, they can often look fake and cheesy, and worse, it will seem as though you quickly grabbed any old shot from google images, rather than thinking carefully about your presentation and its aesthetic. Try relying on graphics as an alternative, or use independent sites such as Unsplash or Start up stock photos which offer stylish stock photos with a more natural look.

4. A sleek, consistent look

Slide design plays a huge role in delivering your message, which is why a slide deck cluttered with too many graphic elements will only distract your audience and feel chaotic. The best presentation decks have a consistent feel across the entire slideshow, which means sticking to a color palette and using related fonts and design throughout.

One way to do this is to rely on pre-built slides. But if you struggle to find one which reflects your brand identity, another option is to create a slide design template for your brand and select your own graphic elements. Online tools such as Adobe Color CC offer hundreds of color palette combinations crafted by designers, or allow you to play around with your own.

You can also rely on Templafy’s software to keep your future presentation decks on-brand and visually compliant across all company devices.

5. Readable fonts

Typography is a crucial part of any engaging deck, so ensure it’s in a readable font and size. A minimum 48pt-size font will ensure listeners at the back of the room can still follow. If you’ve splurged on non-standard fonts, make sure they are integrated across all slide deck software so there are no mishaps should you be using a different device to give the presentation.

6. A narrative

How do you get people to follow along? Tell them a story. The best presentation decks incorporate storytelling across their slides in order to communicate their message effectively.

Take a little inspiration from Shakespeare and follow a three-act structure. As a good rule-of-thumb, divide your presentation into:

• An attention-grabbing introduction. Set out what the presentation will be about and hook your audience in so they keep listening.
• A discussion of problems, issues and conflicts – and the possible solutions.
• The grand finale: resolve the problem and recap the main points of your presentation, before motivating your audience to act on the main message of its presentation. Make it memorable – incorporating a joke or an anecdote is a great way to keep it fresh in your audience’s mind.

You'll want to have the following slides in your deck as your talk unfolds the story:

• Introduction, visions or values
• The problem
• The opportunity
• The solution
• Models and Strategies
• A call to action or a thought-provoking take away from the presentation

Want more inspiration? Check out the ultimate slideshow tips from Silicon Valley marketing executive Guy Kawasaki, or read Slide:ology: The art and science of creating great presentations by Nancy Duarte.

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PPT: Full Form, Features, Functions and Uses

What is ppt.

PPT is defined as a digital slideshow made with Microsoft PowerPoint, a well-known software application of Microsoft Office. PPT is usually used for visual presentations that include several slides made up of texts, images, graphics, and multimedia elements like videos and animations. This software is used in many different fields like educational institutions, offices, conferences, and business meetings to share information, data, and even messages with the help of a set of visual slides in an organised and presentable manner.

Table of Content

Full Form of PPT

Features of powerpoint presentation (ppt), functions of powerpoint presentation (ppt), uses of powerpoint presentation (ppt).

• PowerPoint Presentation (PPT) vs Google Studies

Advantages of PowerPoint Presentation (PPT)

Disadvantages of powerpoint presentation (ppt).

PPT stands for PowerPoint Presentation. PPT is defined as a sequence of slides used for the visual presentation of information using images, texts, graphics, and multimedia elements like videos and animations. The term “PPT” is often used informally to refer to a PowerPoint presentation file, which commonly has a “.ppt” or “.pptx” file extension.

PowerPoint provides a number of features and customisable options to enhance the visual appeal and performance of presentations. Some of these are as follows:

1. Slide Creation: PowerPoint helps create slides that act as individual pages that contain pictures, texts, tables, charts, graphics, etc. attached to our presentations. This helps users create a meaningful and systematic presentation for our work.

2. Templates and Themes: PowerPoint contains pre-designed templates and themes that can be used to enhance the visual appeal of your presentation. PowerPoint offers a number of themes and templates. These well-created themes and templates improve the slides’ and presentation’s attractiveness and give them a professional look.

3. Transitions and Animations: PPT helps in creation of visual effects between presentations by using animations and transitions. These transitions can be simple or elaborate and can engage the audience and create smooth transitions between slides.

4. Multimedia Integration: PowerPoint can help the users to insert images videos audio and animations in the slides to create an engaging and dynamic presentation.

5. Collaboration and Sharing: PowerPoint offers collaboration features that allow multiple users to work on a presentation simultaneously. Poerpoint presentations with others through email, cloud storage, or collaboration platforms, making it easy to collaborate and distribute work.

6. Speaker Notes: Speaker notes can be added by presenters for use as a reference during the presentation. These notes can be hidden from the audience and can be utilised by the users to give reminders additional details or signals while giving the presentation.

1. Slide Creation: The main function of PowerPoint is to create visually appealing presentations for various purposes by using several options like texts, images, graphs tables, videos, etc.

2. Data Visualisation: PPT helps in creating slides that are organised and presentable by including charts, graphs, and other visual options. This makes the slides easy to understand for the viewers.

3. Slide Customisation: A PowerPoint can provide a number of customisation options. With the help of these options, the users can change fonts, and color backgrounds, and apply themes or templates to the slides to make the presentation more appealing.

4. Slide Show Options: PowerPoint also provides a number of options for presenting slideshows. These functions include setting the timing between the slides, setting loop slideshows, and customising slide transitions. The timings between the slides can be automatic or can be set manually.

5. Printing and Handouts: Presenter mode includes tools and features that help the user view speaker notes, previous and upcoming slides, and other advanced options to make the presentation better. It also provides an option of using a pointer or laser pen to help the users add extra comments to the slides.

1. Personal Use: The most common purpose of PowerPoint is to use it for personal projects for special occasions. The user can design the slides according to their choice and add the necessary points and details.

2. Educational Tools: PowerPoint is often used by teachers and professors in schools and colleges for teaching by using animations to make learning more interactive.

3. Marketing Presentation: PowerPoint is also used for marketing purposes to show sales graphs, market research, etc. These presentations help the marketers to present their annual or internal reports.

4. Training and Workshops: PowerPoint can also be used to perform workshops and trainings. The slides created can be shown to the public for the workshop. It helps the trainers to understand the work easily with the help of images, videos, and other multimedia options.

PowerPoint Presentation (PPT) vs Google Slides

PowerPoint PowerPoint sometimes referred to as PPT, is a popular presentation tool that enables users to create slides for visual presentations. It offers a variety of features, including slide transitions, text formatting, image and video insertion, and animations. PPT files can be shared and presented on a variety of devices and are commonly saved in the .ppt or. pptx format.

Google Slides, on the other hand, is a web-based presentation tool provided by Google as part of its Google Drive collection. Although it has some clear advantages, it offers features that are similar to those in PowerPoint. Since Google Slides is web-based, it enables real-time collaboration so that multiple individuals can work on a presentation at once.

1. Features: There are a wide range of advanced features that includes various options for designs and animations. This helps in creating even complex presentations.

2. Offline Access: PowerPoint can also be used without internet connection. It just needs to be installed on the computer.

3. Compatibility: The presentations created using PowerPoint our highly compatible with other systems and can also be shared easily.

4. Templates: PowerPoint provides various kinds of templates and themes that can be used in the presentation design. These templates are already present by default.

5. Export Options: PowerPoint allows you to export your presentation to video which is quite useful for sharing on platforms like YouTube. It even help you to play the presentation without using the PowerPoint software.

6. Accessibility: The presentations created can be saved in various formats. It also includes converting it into PDF which makes it easier to share to others who may not have PowerPoint installed on their devices.

1. Cost: Microsoft PowerPoint is not free. It is requires a license which is quite expensive.

2. Dependance: PowerPoint is primarily designed for windows and Mac OS which often limits the accessibility on other operating systems.

3. Limited Collaboration: The collaboration feature provided by PowerPoint may not work on a lot of systems and is therefore not user friendly.

4. Complex: PowerPoint has a lot of advanced features which requires time and effort and therefore can be quite complex, especially for beginners.

5. Overuse: Many presentations contains two many slides, extra text and dull animations which can often bore the audience. Too much information can also overwhelm the audience and they can lose interest.

6. Time Consuming: Creating even a simple visually appealing presentation that includes the content in a well manner can be time consuming. Creating a presentation in PowerPoint takes more time than other presentation methods as one has to create various slides.

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

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

What is a Presentation?

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

Table of Content

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

Objectives of Presentation

The main objectives of a presentation are:

To Persuade

To motivate, to entertain.

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

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

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

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

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

Main Elements of Presentation

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

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

Important Presentation Skills

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

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

Some of them are explained as follows:

Analytical ability

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Evaluation Wheel

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

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

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

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

Ps of Presentation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Four Cornerstones of Making Memorable Presentations

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

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

Know Yourself

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Business Communication Notes

( Click on Topic to Read )

• What is Business Communication?
• What is Communication?

Types of Communication

• 7 C of Communication
• Barriers To Business Communication
• Oral Communication

Types Of Non Verbal Communication

• What is Written Communication?
• What are Soft Skills?
• Interpersonal vs Intrapersonal communication
• Barriers to Communication

Importance of Communication Skills

Listening in communication.

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

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

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

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Business Jargons

A Business Encyclopedia

Presentation

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

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

• Use of non-verbal cues.
• Facilitates instant feedback.

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

Parts of Presentation

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

Purpose of Presentation

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

Factors Affecting Presentation

Audience Analysis

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

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

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Reading: Presentational Features Revision

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Functional skills english level 2 practice papers, functional skills english level 2 pocket revision guide, functional skills english level 2 revision cards, filter by level, filter by exam board, reading: presentational features, presentational features.

Presentational features are key to making texts  easier to understand and navigate .

They are used across all types of texts, and can be very useful when the reader needs to scan for specific information .

Make sure you are happy with the following topics before continuing.

Reading: Text Types

Could you pass your functional skills english level 2.

Wondering if you are ready to pass your functional skills English level 2? Why not take a  subject knowledge assessment test and see if you are ready to pass. Anything around 60% would be a pass.

Imagine…

…that you are in a new city.

The walls are tall, the streets are busy, you are totally lost .

What would be useful in this situation?

A map? A signpost ?

Complex texts are like a new city, and presentational features are your signposts .

Using Presentational Features

There are two ways you can use presentational features as a reader …

The first way you can use presentational features is to find important information within a text.

You may not have anything specific you need to find details on, but features such as:

• bullet points
• boxed and highlighted text
• headings and subheadings

will direct you towards what the writer thinks is significant .

The second way you can use presentational features is to find specific information within a text.

You will have specific information you will need to find details on, so looking for features such as:

• subheadings
• charts or graphs

…will be helpful instead.

They will direct you towards specific areas of a text, and give you clues about where the information you need is located within the text.

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Signposts of the Reading World

As visual signposts , presentational features help to direct you to certain areas of text.

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Example: Presentational Features

The text below uses presentational features .

Which ones can you spot ?

Have a think about how they make the text easier to navigate , and how they draw your attention to specific pieces of information .

Take some thinking time…

Did you spot the numbered bullet points , head ing , subheadings, quote, colour and graphics?

The numbered bullet points features split the text into more manageable chunks , and tell the reader which order to read it in.

The colour and graphics make the text more interesting to look at, and the quote makes the text more credible .

And finally, the heading and subheadings give the reader information about what is in different sections of the text.

This is especially useful when they are looking for particular information . 

Additional Resources

Exam tips cheat sheet, reading: presentational features worksheet and example questions.

Reading: Presentational Features L2

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• Open access
• Published: 06 May 2024

A transdiagnostic prodrome for severe mental disorders: an electronic health record study

• Maite Arribas   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0182-3493 1   na1 ,
• Dominic Oliver   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8920-3407 1 , 2 , 3 , 4   na1 ,
• Rashmi Patel   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-9259-8788 5 ,
• Daisy Kornblum 6 ,
• Hitesh Shetty 6 ,
• Stefano Damiani 7 ,
• Kamil Krakowski 1 , 7 ,
• Umberto Provenzani 7 ,
• Daniel Stahl   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7987-6619 6 , 8 ,
• Nikolaos Koutsouleris 9 , 10 , 11 ,
• Philip McGuire   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4381-0532 2 , 3 , 4 &
• Paolo Fusar-Poli   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3582-6788 1 , 7 , 10 , 12  

Molecular Psychiatry ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

• Bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia

Effective prevention of severe mental disorders (SMD), including non-psychotic unipolar mood disorders (UMD), non-psychotic bipolar mood disorders (BMD), and psychotic disorders (PSY), rely on accurate knowledge of the duration, first presentation, time course and transdiagnosticity of their prodromal stages. Here we present a retrospective, real-world, cohort study using electronic health records, adhering to RECORD guidelines. Natural language processing algorithms were used to extract monthly occurrences of 65 prodromal features (symptoms and substance use), grouped into eight prodromal clusters. The duration, first presentation, and transdiagnosticity of the prodrome were compared between SMD groups with one-way ANOVA, Cohen’s f and d. The time course (mean occurrences) of prodromal clusters was compared between SMD groups with linear mixed-effects models. 26,975 individuals diagnosed with ICD-10 SMD were followed up for up to 12 years (UMD = 13,422; BMD = 2506; PSY = 11,047; median[IQR] age 39.8[23.7] years; 55% female; 52% white). The duration of the UMD prodrome (18[36] months) was shorter than BMD (26[35], d = 0.21) and PSY (24[38], d = 0.18). Most individuals presented with multiple first prodromal clusters, with the most common being non-specific (‘other’; 88% UMD, 85% BMD, 78% PSY). The only first prodromal cluster that showed a medium-sized difference between the three SMD groups was positive symptoms (f = 0.30). Time course analysis showed an increase in prodromal cluster occurrences approaching SMD onset. Feature occurrence across the prodromal period showed small/negligible differences between SMD groups, suggesting that most features are transdiagnostic, except for positive symptoms (e.g. paranoia, f = 0.40). Taken together, our findings show minimal differences in the duration and first presentation of the SMD prodromes as recorded in secondary mental health care. All the prodromal clusters intensified as individuals approached SMD onset, and all the prodromal features other than positive symptoms are transdiagnostic. These results support proposals to develop transdiagnostic preventive services for affective and psychotic disorders detected in secondary mental healthcare.

Introduction

Severe mental disorders (SMD) include non-psychotic unipolar mood disorders (UMD) [ 1 , 2 ], non-psychotic bipolar mood disorders (BMD) [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ] and psychotic disorders (PSY) [ 7 ] and are characterised by high clinical, societal, familial and personal burden [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Preventive approaches for SMD can improve these outcomes but rely on accurate knowledge of the duration, first presentation, time course and specificity of prodromal features preceding their onset. The prodromal phases to SMD are typically investigated in “look-back” studies [ 2 , 6 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ] (Supplementary Introduction  1 ) employing lengthy and complex interviews. Consequently, the findings from these studies may not directly reflect real-world clinical practice, limiting their translational relevance [ 3 ]. For example, sample sizes of look-back studies are typically small (on average ~130 UMD patients [ 1 ], ~100 BMD patients [ 6 ], ~240 PSY patients [ 14 , 15 , 17 ]) and the design is compromised by the effects of recall biases. Furthermore, only a limited number of prodromal symptoms are collected at a single time point, while the time course of the prodromal phase to SMD can unfold over several months and years [ 18 ] (1–84 months for UMD [ 2 ], 5–130 months for BMD [ 6 ], and 1–110 months for PSY [ 19 ]). Finally, available look-back studies are typically restricted to a single disorder, precluding the investigation of diagnostic spectrum-specific (i.e. specific to UMD, BMD or PSY) or transdiagnostic (i.e. present in at least two groups across UMD, BMD and PSY) [ 18 , 20 , 21 ] prodromal features.

To address these limitations, we aimed to characterise the duration and first presentation, time course and transdiagnosticity of the prodrome for SMD by employing natural language processing (NLP) algorithms in contemporaneously recorded electronic health records (EHRs) that represent real-world secondary care settings.

This study (protocol: https://osf.io/ujcr8/ ) adhered to the Reporting of Studies Conducted Using Observational Routinely Collected Health Data statement (RECORD) [ 22 ] (Supplementary Table  1 ).

Data source

Data were from the South London and Maudsley National Health Service Foundation Trust (SLaM). SLaM provides secondary mental healthcare across four socioeconomically diverse South London boroughs (Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon, 1.3 million people, Supplementary Methods  1 ). Incidence of psychosis in SLaM (from 58.3 to 71.9 cases per 100,000 person-years) [ 23 , 24 ] is one of the highest worldwide [ 25 ]. Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) was implemented in the EHR to facilitate research with full but anonymised clinical information [ 26 ] and has been extensively validated [ 27 , 28 , – 29 ]. CRIS received ethical approval as an anonymised dataset for secondary analyses from Oxfordshire REC C (Ref: 23/SC/0257).

At the index date, data were extracted from structured text on age, gender, self-reported ethnicity (UK Office of National Statistics, Supplementary Table  2 ), medication prescription variables (Supplementary Table  3 ) and ICD-10 diagnoses.

During the prodromal period, data were extracted monthly on the occurrence (yes/no) of NLP prodromal features within that month (contemporaneously recorded). Specifically, NLP algorithms were used to convert unstructured EHR information (i.e. free text) into structured quantifiable data: prodromal features [ 30 ] (see Supplementary Methods  2 for further details on NLP algorithm development and validation, and Supplementary Table  4 for the final list of NLP algorithms employed and their respective precision).

A total of 65 NLP-derived prodromal features with precision≥80% (mean=90%) were extracted monthly. These prodromal features were grouped into eight broader prodromal clusters (Supplementary Table  5 ): catatonic symptoms, depressive symptoms, disorganised symptoms, manic symptoms, negative symptoms, positive symptoms, substance use and other symptoms (hereby referred to as positive, negative, disorganised, manic, negative, positive, substance use and other clusters). This categorization, developed by Jackson et al. [ 30 ], is based on previous studies that utilised symptomatology factor analysis [ 31 , 32 ] and is aligned with publicly available, validated NLP dictionaries [ 33 ]. This maximises reliability while simultaneously preserving real-world clinical interpretability and facilitates large-scale clinical pattern identification, crucial for evaluating treatment effectiveness and characterizing interventions, symptom profiles, and outcome-influencing factors. Therefore, each of the eight prodromal clusters is pragmatically relevant for clinical decisions in the context of secondary mental healthcare. However, as shown in Supplementary Table  5 , these eight prodromal clusters are not completely independent because a few of the prodromal features (e.g. weight loss, apathy, and visual hallucinations) are included in different prodromal clusters. This overlap represents transdiagnostic phenomena spanning multiple clinical dimensions as they are observed in real-world clinical practice. Finally, to fully analyse the independent impact of each individual prodromal feature we have additionally presented a more fine-grained analysis employing prodromal features as opposed to broader prodromal clusters. When multiple first prodromal features/clusters were recorded at the same date, all of them were considered to have occurred simultaneously.

Study design

Retrospective (up to 12 years), real-world, EHR cohort study (Supplementary Fig.  1 ). All individuals accessing SLaM services in the period between 1st January 2008 and 10th August 2021 and receiving a primary (i.e. not comorbid) ICD-10 diagnosis of any SMD (UMD, BMD, PSY as operationalised in Supplementary Table  6 ; individuals with multiple SMD diagnoses were stratified according to severity, i.e. UMD < BMD < PSY) were eligible. Therefore, if an individual receives a diagnosis of UMD and BMD simultaneously, we consider BMD to be of higher severity and they would be included in the BMD group. The index date reflected the date of the first diagnosis within an individual’s SMD group recorded in the EHR (index diagnosis, T-0mo, Supplementary Fig.  1 ). The antecedent date was defined by a data cut-off at six months before the index date (T-6mo), defining the antecedent period, which may overlap with the actual onset of SMD. The prodromal period (up to 12 years, T-144mo, Supplementary Fig.  1 ) was defined as the time from the first occurrence of prodromal features until the antecedent date in the EHR. Therefore, there were inter-individual differences in prodrome duration. Individuals with data recorded exclusively after the index date or in the antecedent period were excluded.

Statistical analysis

We computed descriptive analyses for sociodemographic (age, gender, self-reported ethnicity) and clinical (medication prescription) variables at index date as well as the proportion (N [%]) of individuals with specific ICD-10 diagnoses in UMD, BMD and PSY. Statistical comparisons of descriptive results were not computed, in accordance with current reporting statements [ 34 ].

First, as primary outcome, we compared the duration (median [interquartile range, IQR]) of the prodromal period and the incidence of first prodromal clusters (the proportion of individuals who experienced each first prodromal cluster) between SMD groups using a one-way ANOVA model. From this model, we derived an effect size and 95% confidence intervals across all three SMD groups (Cohen’s f, three-wise “f” hereafter) and for pair-wise comparisons (Cohen’s d, pair-wise “d” hereafter). Effect sizes rather than p -values were primarily reported for the incidence analyses as p -values are confounded by the large sample size and multiple comparisons [ 35 ]. These analyses were repeated at the prodromal feature-level as supplementary. These results were complemented by violin plots (duration) and UpSet plots (incidence), which represent the most common (top 20) combinations of first prodromal clusters. These analyses were restricted to individuals for whom there was at least one NLP-derived prodromal feature. ANOVA model assumption of homoscedasticity (homogeneity of variance) was conserved, and the assumption of normality can be assumed due to the large sample size [ 36 ].

Second, we compared the annualised mean occurrences of each prodromal cluster between SMD groups for each of the 12 prodromal years using linear mixed-effects models. SMD group (with three levels: UMD, BMD, PSY) and time were included as fixed effects. Individual was included as a random intercept to account for within-subject correlations. Four models of varying complexity were fitted for each prodromal cluster: L: linear term for time; Q: linear and quadratic terms for time; L + I: interaction terms for SMD group and linear time; Q + I: interaction terms for SMD group and linear and quadratic terms for time. Random slopes were added to all models, but model convergence was not attained possibly due to a highly complex random-effects structure [ 37 ], and so were not included in the analysis. Model fit was assessed with the conditional Akaike Information Criterion (AICc) statistic which balances both model complexity and goodness of fit [ 38 ], and accounts for both random and fixed effects. Model assumptions were assessed by visual inspection of the residuals and random effect estimates [ 39 , 40 ]. Line graphs and stacked line graphs were used to visualise the findings. Corrections for multiple comparisons were performed using Benjamini-Hochberg procedure with false discovery rate set at 5%.

Third, we followed the transdiagnostic research recommendations in psychiatry (TRANSD) [ 20 , 21 ] to assess transdiagnosticity of the prodrome (see details in Supplementary Methods  3 ). The transdiagnostic construct was defined as the mean number of occurrences of each prodromal feature in the prodromal period. Comparative analyses required by TRANSD criteria were performed twofold: (i) with the above linear mixed-effects model and (ii) with three-wise and pair-wise discriminability scores. These discriminability scores estimated the degree to which the mean occurrence of a prodromal feature discriminated the three SMD groups and paired groups (BMD-UMD, PSY-UMD, PSY-BMD), respectively. These scores were based on f and d of mean occurrences of each prodromal feature in the prodromal period. The discriminability scores f and d were appraised using pre-defined thresholds [ 41 ] (positive d values indicated greater mean occurrence in the first compared to the second group, and viceversa): f < 0.1/d < 0.2 “negligible”, 0.1≤f < 0.25/0.2≤d < 0.5 “small”, 0.25≤f < 0.4/0.5≤d < 0.8 “medium”, otherwise “large”. A heat map was used to visualise the findings. Prodromal features with near-zero variance were not considered further [ 42 ].

Sensitivity analyses were conducted by repeating analyses for all core outcomes restricting the sample to: (i) individuals aged 35 or under; (ii) individuals without diagnostic spectra-relevant medication at index (UMD: antidepressants; BMD: mood stabilisers or antipsychotics; PSY: antipsychotics).

Complementary analyses and additional visual illustrations of findings were appended supplementary. All analyses were conducted in R version 4.2.3 employing the lme4 (version 1.1_18_1), emmeans (version 1.8.1_1), complexHeatmap [ 43 ] (version 3.18) and effectsize (version 0.8.1) packages. The level of significance was set as p  < 0.05 when frequentist statistics were conducted.

Sample characteristics

A total of 76,534 individuals received an SMD index diagnosis at SLaM in the study period; 21,156 were excluded due to no data before the index date, and 28,403 were excluded due to no data before the antecedent period (Supplementary Fig.  2 ). The final sample consisted of 26,975 individuals (UMD = 49.8%; BMD = 9.3%; PSY = 41.0%; mean follow-up 2.3 years; 68,359 person-years) with a mean age of 41.8 (SD = 17.4, median[IQR] = 39.8[23.7]) years at index, 55% of which were females and 52% of white self-reported ethnicity (Table  1 , Supplementary Tables  7 , 8 ).

Comparing the duration and first presentation of the prodrome between SMD groups

Among the study sample, 3660 individuals had no detectable NLP-derived prodromal features, leaving 23,315 individuals available for this analysis (Supplementary Table  9 ).

Duration of prodromal period

The prodromal period was shorter in UMD (mean [SD], median [IQR] = 26.1[23.9], 18[36] months) than for both BMD (31.1[23.8], 26[35] months, d = 0.21 (95%CI = 0.16–0.25), p  < 0.0001) and PSY (30.5[24.6], 24[39] months, d = 0.18 (95%CI = 0.15–0.21), p  < 0.0001). There were no significant differences between PSY and BMD (d = −0.02, 95%CI = −0.07 to 0.02, p  = 0.072) (Fig.  1 , Supplementary Table  10 ).

Violin plots representing the distribution of the duration of the prodromal period (months). The circle shape in the box plots represents mean values, the lower end of the box represents the lower quartile, the upper end of the box represents the upper quartile and the horizontal bar median values; vertical lines on each side of the box indicate the maximum and minimum values with the black points representing outliers. P -values/Effect sizes are represented for each comparison. P -values are represented with asterisks (*** p  < 0.0001, ** p  < 0.001, * p  < 0.05 or n.s: non-significant [ p  > 0.05]). Effect sizes are shown as N (negligible d < 0.2), S (small, 0.2 ≤ d < 0.5), M (medium, 0.5 ≤ d < 0.8) or L (large, d ≥ 0.8). UMD Unipolar Mood Disorders, BMD Bipolar Mood Disorders, PSY Psychotic Disorders, N  = 23,315.

When individuals over 35 years old and individuals with relevant medication at index were removed, the prodromal periods were slightly shorter but the pattern and comparisons remained unchanged (Supplementary Table  11 ).

First presentation of prodromal clusters

The majority of individuals (72.4% UMD; 74.4% BMD; 69.8% PSY) experienced a combination of two or more first prodromal clusters (Fig.  2 , Supplementary Tables  12A and 13 ).

UpSet plot representing the 20 most common combinations of first prodromal clusters in each SMD group. Vertical bars show the relative fraction (0-1) of each combination; horizontal bars show the total incidence (%) of each first prodromal cluster. Effect sizes (d) for the pair-wise difference between two SMD groups are shown in the colour of the comparison group as N (negligible d < 0.2), S (small, 0.2≤d < 0.5), M (medium, 0.5≤ d < 0.8) or L (large, d ≥ 0.8). UMD Unipolar Mood Disorders, BMD Bipolar Mood Disorders, PSY Psychotic Disorders, N  = 23,315.

Across all SMD groups, the most common first presenting prodromal clusters consisted of the other (88% UMD; 85% BMD; 78% PSY) and depressive clusters (66% UMD; 63% BMD; 49% PSY). The catatonic (0.8% UMD; 0.8% BMD; 2.5% PSY) and negative clusters (21% UMD; 19% BMD; 19% PSY) were the least common (Fig.  2 ).

The most common first presentations of prodromal clusters for UMD were: other only (25%), depressive-manic-other (10%) and depressive-other (7%); for BMD: other only (23%), depressive-manic-other (7%) and depressive-manic-positive-other (6%); for PSY: other only (20%), positive only (11%) and positive-other (10%) (Fig.  2 ). First presentations of prodromal clusters were similar when individuals over 35 years old and individuals with relevant medication were excluded (Supplementary Results  1 ).

When comparing the incidence of the first presentation of all eight prodromal clusters (Fig.  2 , Supplementary Table  12B ) across all three SMD groups, a medium-sized effect was seen for the positive cluster (f = 0.30, 95%CI = 0.28–0.31) with only small/negligible effect sizes observed for other clusters. In pair-wise comparisons between two SMD groups, medium effect sizes were observed only for a higher incidence of the positive cluster in PSY compared to UMD (d = 0.62, 95%CI = 0.60-0.65). All other pair-wise comparisons were associated with small/negligible effect sizes (Supplementary Table  12B ).

When individuals over 35 years old and individuals with relevant medication were excluded, there were only minor changes in the overall pattern of results. (Supplementary Table  12C ).

Comparing the time course of prodromal clusters between SMD groups

Annualised mean occurrences (see Supplementary Table  14 for raw data) increased over time across all clusters (Fig.  3 , Supplementary Table  15A ). Adding an interaction term for SMD group improved model fit across all prodromal clusters (ΔAICc>65), with occurrences tending to diverge on approach to SMD onset (Supplementary Fig.  3 , Supplementary Table  15A ). The Q + I model produced the best fit across all clusters, except for catatonic, where L + I had a marginally better fit (Supplementary Table  15B ).

(Left) Line graph showing the cumulative proportion of individuals in each SMD group who experience each prodromal cluster by prodromal year. (Right) Stacked line graph showing the annualised mean occurrences of each prodromal cluster by each prodromal year. Mean and median prodromal periods (in months) are depicted in the right-hand corner for each SMD group. UMD Unipolar Mood Disorders, BMD Bipolar Mood Disorders, PSY Psychotic Disorders, N  = 26,975.

There was a significant interaction between PSY and linear time for the catatonic, disorganised, manic, negative, positive, substance use and other clusters ( p  < 0.048), between BMD and linear time for the manic cluster ( p  = 0.021), and between PSY and quadratic time for the manic, positive, substance use and other clusters ( p  < 0.024) compared to UMD (Supplementary Table  15C ).

When individuals over 35 years old were excluded there was no change in the pattern of results. Model fit was additionally greater in the linear interaction models across the depressive, disorganised, manic, positive and substance use clusters, and in the linear model (without interaction) for the negative symptom cluster, when individuals with relevant medication were excluded (Supplementary Table  15D, E ).

Comparing the transdiagnosticity of prodromal features between SMD groups

To meet the TRANSD criteria, we defined the gold standard by including specific primary ICD-10 diagnoses and by providing their codes (Supplementary Tables  6 , 7 ), acknowledged the primary outcome of this study, defined the transdiagnostic construct in the methods, appraised it across 90 diagnoses (18 UMD; 13 BMD; 59 for PSY), and across three diagnostic spectra (UMD, BMD and PSY), performed two types of comparative analyses, but could not externally validate our findings.

A total of 28 prodromal features with near-zero variance were identified (Supplementary Table  16 ).

The three-wise discriminability analysis (Fig.  4 ) showed medium discriminability scores for paranoia (f = 0.37, 95%CIs=0.35, 0.38), delusions (f = 0.34, 95%CIs = 0.33, 0.36), hallucinations (all) (f = 0.31, 95%CIs = 0.30, 0.33), auditory hallucinations (f = 0.31, 95%CIs = 0.29, 0.32), and persecutory delusions (f = 0.29, 95%CIs = 0.28, 0.30) across UMD, BMD and PSY.

Heat maps representing the pair-wise and three-wise discriminability scores for each prodromal feature. Positive d values indicate greater mean occurrence in the first group listed compared to the second one, and viceversa. Features with transparency have near-zero variance, i.e. were rarely endorsed. UMD: Unipolar Mood Disorders, BMD: Bipolar Mood Disorders, PSY: Psychotic Disorders, N  = 26,975.

The pair-wise discriminability analysis (Fig.  4 ) showed medium discriminability scores for paranoia (d = 0.72, 95%CIs = 0.69, 0.74), delusions (d = 0.66, 95%CIs = 0.64, 0.69), hallucinations (all) (d = 0.61, 95%CIs=0.58, 0.64), auditory hallucinations (d = 0.59, 95%CIs = 0.56, 0.62), and persecutory delusions (d = 0.56, 95%CIs = 0.53, 0.59) between PSY-UMD; for elation (d = 0.65, 95%CIs = 0.59, 0.71) and mood instability (d = 0.51, 95%CIs = 0.46, 0.56) between BMD-UMD; for paranoia (d = 0.50, 95%CIs = 0.46, 0.54) between PSY-BMD.

All the remaining three-wise and pair-wise discriminability scores were small/negligible (see also Supplementary Tables  17 , 18 and Supplementary Results  2 ). When individuals over 35 years old were removed, results were largely unchanged but agitation and cannabis use also showed medium effect sizes, driven by higher occurrences in PSY compared to UMD (Supplementary Table  19 ). There were no differences in results when individuals with relevant medication were removed (Supplementary Table  19 ).

This study identified only negligible/small differences in the duration and first presentation of the prodrome across three SMD groups. In terms of time course, we found that prodromal features intensified when approaching the onset of SMD. Furthermore, with the exception of positive symptoms, most prodromal features appear to be transdiagnostic.

This study analysed 26,975 individuals monthly for up to 12 years preceding the onset of their disorder. To our best knowledge, this is the largest study characterising the prodrome for SMD (approximately 63 times larger than the largest previously published look-back study in BMD) [ 6 ]. It is also the first combining NLP and EHR, thus delivering a rich source of information close to clinical practice and sampled with high granularity over a very long look-back period. Furthermore, it endorsed a comprehensive and unprecedentesd transdiagnostic approach across 90 ICD diagnoses (18 UMD, 13 BMD and 59 PSY) and across three diagnostic spectra (UMD, BMD and PSY), with adherence to transdiagnostic reporting guidelines [ 6 , 17 , 20 , 21 , 44 ].

First, this study corroborates a detectable prodrome not only in PSY but also in BMD and UMD, with 72% of SMD individuals having EHR data before their diagnosis and 49% of these individuals with NLP-derived prodromal features at least six months before their diagnosis. However, given the risk enrichment in secondary mental health care, it is reasonable to assume that the duration of the prodrome is longer and the prevalence of prodromal features is lower in the general population than what we have observed in this setting. For example, outside secondary care, individuals with BMD may experience prodromal symptoms up to 11 years before an initial diagnosable mood episode [ 6 ]. At the same time, the presence of a prodrome in most EHR cases highlights a pragmatic window for preventing SMD onset for those already being treated in secondary mental health care. These early detection and preventive opportunities are further informed by our finding that the SMD prodromes mapped in secondary healthcare are relatively long, with a median of 18 months for UMD, 26 months for BMD and 24 months for PSY and are highly variable, with a range of 1–138 months for UMD, 1–131 for BMD and 1-138 for PSY, aligning with previous literature [ 2 , 6 , 19 ]. However, our results record only the peak of prodrome symptom intensity captured in secondary healthcare and cannot be considered to cover the full naturalistic course of the prodrome. Despite this, these durations are long enough for the detection of SMD before their onset to be clinically feasible. They also indicate that the short duration of clinical care (less than 24 months) [ 45 ] offered by most (72.4%) early detection services does not successfully capture the full range of the SMD prodrome durations and need to be extended [ 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 ].

Second, we found that the highest incidence of first presenting prodromal clusters included either non-specific (other) or depressive symptoms, with most people presenting with multiple prodromal clusters at the same time. In particular, when we analysed the specific prodromal features composing the other cluster, anxiety emerged as the most common across SMD (occurring in 66%, 63% and 53% of UMD, BMD and PSY, respectively). This finding aligns with prospective evidence indicating that comorbid anxiety disorders are common in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis [ 50 ] and bipolar at risk [ 51 , 52 , 53 ]. Interestingly, cognitive impairment, poor insight, and poor concentration were also prevalent first prodromal features across SMD, albeit less frequent than anxiety. This suggests that subtle cognitive deficits are already abundant in the early phases before the onset of SMD. This observation aligns with our recent meta-analysis in prospective clinical high risk for psychosis showing relevant neurocognitive deficits compared to controls [ 54 ]. Within the depressive cluster, disturbed sleep was the most common first prodromal feature across SMD (occurring in 33%, 36% and 28% of UMD, BMD and PSY, respectively), supporting previous findings that show high prevalence of sleep disturbances in the earlier [ 55 , 56 , 57 ] and later [ 58 ] stages of SMD. Moreover, most individuals presented with multiple prodromal clusters at the same time. This suggests an initial transdiagnostic risk state, aligning with previous evidence indicating that non-specific and depressive symptoms tend to manifest earlier during the emergence of SMD [ 17 , 59 ]. In fact, we confirmed negligible to small differences in the incidence of all first prodromal clusters, except for positive symptoms. These findings confirm the transdiagnostic first presentation of the SMD prodrome (at least in secondary mental health care) that has previously been theorised [ 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 ]. Transdiagnostic youth mental health services have started becoming implemented in clinical practice, such as the clinical high at-risk mental state (CHARMS), which includes prodromal bipolar disorder, depression and personality disorders in addition to psychosis [ 65 ].

Third, this study characterised the dynamic time course of the prodrome for SMD over 12 years. Its dynamic evolution differed across prodromal clusters, with most consistently increasing over time, while (non-specific) other symptoms appeared to exponentially increase approaching SMD onset. The rate of increase was especially high for manic, positive, substance use and other clusters in PSY. Disturbed sleep (manic), paranoia (positive), cannabis use (substance use) and anxiety (other) were the most commonly experienced features within these clusters across the prodromal period in PSY individuals. These symptom occurrences appear to signpost BMD and PSY onset and distinctly intensify over the prodromal period; their systematic screening and monitoring with automated NLP-based algorithms could represent an efficient strategy to boost early detection and preventive capacity. Previous research has already shown that using EHR-based approaches may inform early intervention strategies [ 66 , 67 ], through prediction of clinical outcomes [ 68 ] including disorder onset [ 67 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 ], cardiometabolic risk [ 74 , 75 ] and treatment response [ 76 ]. Overall, these findings (Fig.  3 ) update and extend the seminal ABC study (conducted in a sample of 232 patients) [ 11 ], which was key to introducing the concept of a prodrome for psychosis.

Fourth, this study provides the first comparative atlas of diagnostic spectrum-specific and transdiagnostic prodromal features across SMD, with only positive symptoms (paranoia, delusions, hallucinations [all], auditory hallucinations and persecutory delusions) able to discriminate between all three prodromes (UMD, BMD and PSY) with a medium strength. This finding reflected our operationalisation of non-psychotic BMD and UMD and supports the role of psychometric instruments (CAARMS [ 77 ]/SIPS [ 78 ]) to detect psychosis risk, which largely focus on positive symptoms. Interestingly, occurrences of cognitive impairment features were higher in the PSY prodrome compared to UMD, confirming that subtle cognitive deficits are already present in the early phases preceding the onset of psychosis [ 54 , 79 ]. On the other hand, the five most transdiagnostic and shared phenomena across SMD included feeling helpless, feeling lonely, guilt, nightmares and suicidality.

The present study has certain limitations that must be taken into account. First, the study reflects secondary healthcare clinical pathways and as such it is not naturalistically capturing the time course of the whole prodrome in the general population. Future studies will require data linkage with primary care and perinatal databases to achieve this. Second, while the use of EHRs in this study has high ecological validity, the symptoms recorded in clinical notes are not psychometrically validated. However, the use of structured diagnostic interviews can itself lead to selection biases [ 80 ], and there is meta-analytical evidence indicating administrative data recorded in EHR are generally predictive of true validated diagnoses [ 81 ]. Third, the mean age of this sample is relatively high compared to the expected peak of risk for mental disorders [ 82 , 83 ] and proportion of individuals already receiving medication, meaning that we may not be capturing the full prodrome. However, our sensitivity analyses suggest that our main results are consistent when restricting to young individuals and those not having received medication prior to their diagnosis. Fourth, NLP tools generate some degree of noise as it is impossible to extract data from free text with 100% precision; clinician subjectivity, including structural or unconscious bias, can impact how symptoms are recorded for given individuals, thereby reducing standardisation of output [ 84 ]. We mitigated against this issue by pre-selecting NLP algorithms for an adequate level of precision (≥80%). Fifth, we could not externally validate these findings, and therefore their generalisability to other healthcare settings should be confirmed. Efforts are underway to conduct future validations within other NHS Trusts differing from SLaM in population sociodemographics, service configuration, and risk of psychosis onset [ 73 ].

Conclusions

This large NLP-based analysis identified largely negligible/small differences in the duration and first presentation of the prodromes for UMD, BMD and PSY, as recorded in secondary mental healthcare. All  the prodromal clusters intensified when approaching the onset of SMD and all the prodromal features other than positive symptoms were transdiagnostic. These findings support proposals to develop transdiagnostic preventive services for SMD in secondary mental healthcare.

Data availability

The data accessed by CRIS remain within an NHS firewall and governance is provided by a patient-led oversight committee. Subject to these conditions, data access is encouraged and those interested should contact Robert Stewart ([email protected]), CRIS academic lead. There is no permission for data sharing.

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This study is supported by a Wellcome Trust grant (215793/Z/19/Z) to PFP. MA is supported by the UK Medical Research Council (MR/N013700/1) and King’s College London member of the MRC Doctoral Training Partnership in Biomedical Sciences. RP has received support from a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Advanced Fellowship (NIHR301690) and an MRC Health Data Research UK Fellowship (MR/S003118/ 1). PFP is supported by #NEXTGENERATIONEU (NGEU), funded by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR), National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), project MNESYS (PE0000006) – A Multiscale integrated approach to the study of the nervous system in health and disease (DN. 1553 11.10.2022). This publication represents independent research part funded by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. For the purposes of open access, the author has applied a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence to any Accepted Author Manuscript version arising from this submission.

Author information

These authors contributed equally: Maite Arribas, Dominic Oliver.

Authors and Affiliations

Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-Detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK

Maite Arribas, Dominic Oliver, Kamil Krakowski & Paolo Fusar-Poli

Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK

Dominic Oliver & Philip McGuire

NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK

OPEN Early Detection Service, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK

Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK

Rashmi Patel

NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK

Daisy Kornblum, Hitesh Shetty & Daniel Stahl

Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

Stefano Damiani, Kamil Krakowski, Umberto Provenzani & Paolo Fusar-Poli

Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, SE5 8AF, UK

Daniel Stahl

Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK

Nikolaos Koutsouleris

Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany

Nikolaos Koutsouleris & Paolo Fusar-Poli

Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany

Outreach and Support in South-London (OASIS) Service, South London and Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE11 5DL, UK

Paolo Fusar-Poli

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Contributions

MA and DO contributed equally to this manuscript. MA and DO had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. Concept and design: MA, DO, RP, DS, PFP. Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: All authors. Drafting of the manuscript: MA, DO, PFP. Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: All authors. Statistical analysis: MA, DO. Administrative, technical, or material support: DK, HS. Supervision: PFP.

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Correspondence to Maite Arribas .

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Competing interests.

MA has been employed by F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG outside of the current study. RP has received grant funding from Janssen, and consulting fees from Holmusk, Akrivia Health, Columbia Data Analytics, Boehringer Ingelheim and Otsuka. PFP has received research fees from Lundbeck and received honoraria from Lundbeck, Angelini, Menarini and Boehringer Ingelheim outside of the current study.

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Arribas, M., Oliver, D., Patel, R. et al. A transdiagnostic prodrome for severe mental disorders: an electronic health record study. Mol Psychiatry (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02533-5

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Received : 22 September 2023

Revised : 08 March 2024

Accepted : 13 March 2024

Published : 06 May 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02533-5

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