giving a presentation about a company

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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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How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

By Krystle Wong , Jul 20, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 10 qualities of a good presentation?

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

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

1. Clear structure

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

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

2. Engaging opening

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

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

3. Relevant content

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

4. Effective visual aids

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

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

5. Clear and concise communication

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

6. Engaging delivery

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

7. Interaction and audience engagement

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

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

8. Effective storytelling

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

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

9. Well-timed pacing

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

10. Strong conclusion

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

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

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

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

1. Understand the audience and their needs

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

2. Conduct thorough research on the topic

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

3. Organize the content with a clear structure

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

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

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

4. Develop visually appealing and supportive visual aids

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

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

5. Practice, practice and practice

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

6. Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments

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

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

7. Prepare for potential technical or logistical issues

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

8. Fine-tune and polish your presentation

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

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

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

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

1. Confidence and positive body language

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

2. Eye contact with the audience

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

3. Effective use of hand gestures and movement

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

4. Utilize storytelling techniques

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

5. Incorporate multimedia elements

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

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

6. Utilize humor strategically

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

7. Practice active listening and respond to feedback

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

8. Apply the 10-20-30 rule

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

9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule

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

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

1. How to start a presentation?

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

2. How to end a presentation?

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

3. How to make a presentation interactive?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Improve your slideshow or demonstration by learning how to wow your audience with an engaging presentation and seamless experience.

A typical business presentation includes a slide deck and speech presented virtually or in person. However, an excellent presentation incorporates storytelling and data visualization techniques. It should engage your audience and encourage them to take action.

Give a great presentation by designing an aesthetically pleasing slide deck in the right format for your needs. Next, work on your storytelling skills and take your presentation software for a test run. Plus, don't forget to prepare for the unexpected.

Consider the presentation type and format

A business presentation can refer to keynote speeches, investor or sales pitches , and project status reports. You may want to teach your audience about your products or persuade them to purchase. Alternatively, your presentation may kick off a new project by defining the steps needed to progress.

According to SlideModel , there are three general presentation types:

• Informative: Educate your audience during a team briefing, business plan presentation, or stakeholder report.
• Persuasive: Sway your audience and prompt them to act with an effective sales, business case, or investor presentation .
• Supporting: Convey your action plan to decision-makers during a business meeting with leadership or a public speaking event.

Your business presentation format will vary according to your audience and topic. For instance, demonstrating a product at your client's business may play out differently than virtually walking them through an online demo. Think about the presentation tools you will use and any supplementary materials you will hand out or send digitally.

Use storytelling techniques

Bring your speech and slideshow to life through storytelling. Elena Valentine, the CEO and co-founder of Skill Scout Films , told Relevance , "As presenters, good stories allow us to be both an expert and a human at the same time." Storytelling involves sharing relatable details that help you forge a connection with attendees.

Your presentation is a journey with a set arc, including a clear beginning, middle, and end. It should guide your audience to a conclusion and speak to their emotions. Keep your topic, central message, and purpose in mind when crafting the narrative.

[ Read more: 7 Ways to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills ]

Also, consider having a second person help with your in-person or virtual presentation. They can work behind the scenes to assist attendees with audio or video problems, moderate the chat, or troubleshoot technical issues.

Create a compelling slide deck

Define your main point with a headline on each slide and make them scannable. According to Zoho , the 10-20-30 rule is an effective way to create a business presentation. This method uses 10 slides for a 20-minute presentation with 30 points or larger font sizes. In addition, American Express recommends centering text and using high-contrast slides.

Use data visualization tools to turn vital statistics into bar graphs and pie charts. Also, consider ditching the bullet points and replacing them with infographic-style graphics. Many software tools, including PowerPoint , provide slide layouts and font templates, which can be a time-saver. Don't forget to summarize your presentation's main takeaways and tell your audience what to do next with a call-to-action (CTA).

Get familiar with your presentation technology

Although your audience may be patient, you lose precious minutes fumbling with devices and software. If possible, set up your system beforehand and run through your presentation several times. Play around with different presentation modes and views to create an optimal experience.

If you're presenting outside your office or home, try arriving at the venue early to connect your devices and explore the technical setup. Also, consider having a second person help with your in-person or virtual presentation. They can work behind the scenes to assist attendees with audio or video problems, moderate the chat, or troubleshoot technical issues.

[ Read more: 6 Virtual Event Platforms For Small Businesses ]

Prepare for the unexpected

Presenting to an audience can be stressful, and those feelings are amplified when something goes wrong. Your presentation software won't load, or an in-person event switches to virtual. However, the show must go on.

Follow these tips to avoid problems at the last minute:

• Bring backup devices in case of hardware failures, such as a tablet or laptop.
• Have a mobile hotspot and login details ready as a backup internet connection.
• Keep a PDF version of your presentation on your device.
• Save a backup copy on a drive not connected to the cloud.
• Upload supplementary materials to your website and keep the links handy.
• Run through your backup presentation methods, so you're comfortable with them.

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How to give a good presentation that captivates any audience

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What are the main difficulties when giving presentations?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Keep it simple

Simple means something different to everyone.

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

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

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

2. Create a compelling structure

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

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

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

3. Use visual aids

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

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

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

4. Be aware of design techniques and trends

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

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

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

5. Try the 10-20-30 rule

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

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

Tip #1: Tell stories

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

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

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

Tip #2: Make eye contact with the audience

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

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

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

Tip #3: Work on your stage presence

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

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

Tip #4: Start strong

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

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

Tip #5: Show your passion

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

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

Tip #6: Plan your delivery

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

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

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

Tip #7: Practice

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

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

Tip #8: Read the room

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

Tip #9: Breathe

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

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

Tip #10: Provide a call-to-action

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

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

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

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

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

6 presentation skills and how to improve them

How to write a speech that your audience remembers, how to make a presentation interactive and exciting, 3 stand-out professional bio examples to inspire your own, reading the room gives you an edge — no matter who you're talking to, tell a story they can't ignore these 10 tips will teach you how, your guide to what storytelling is and how to be a good storyteller, 18 effective strategies to improve your communication skills, writing an elevator pitch about yourself: a how-to plus tips, similar articles, the 11 tips that will improve your public speaking skills, 30 presentation feedback examples, fear of public speaking overcome it with these 7 tips, how to not be nervous for a presentation — 13 tips that work (really), how the minto pyramid principle can enhance your communication skills, 8 clever hooks for presentations (with tips), stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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How To Give An Effective Presentation (With Examples)

• What Is Figurative Language?
• What Are Rhetorical Strategies?
• What Is a Subject Matter Expert and What Do They Do?
• What Is A Differentiation Strategy
• What Is Job Order Costing
• What Is Situational Analysis
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Even if you have great ideas, nobody will listen if you don’t know how to give a compelling presentation.

In your career, how you frame your ideas will be the key to influencing those who matter. Learn how to give a compelling presentation, and you’ll enjoy an advantage over the competition.

Key Takeaways:

Understand your purpose for presenting, structure your presentation in a logical manner, and prepare as much as possible.

Remember to breathe during your presentation! This will help keep you calm and focused.

Structure your presentation with a beginning, middle, and end.

Keep your presentation as concise and clear as possible.

How To Give A Presentation

How to structure your presentation, top tips for writing an effective presentation.

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Understand your purpose and environment. This is the first step to giving any effective presentation. You want to know what you are getting yourself into. Ask yourself:

Why am I giving this presentation? What are my reasons?

What am I trying to accomplish?

Who is my audience?

Where is my presentation going to be?

When is my presentation? How much time will I have to speak?

This information allows you to structure your presentation so that it remains relevant and appropriate. Once you understand the who, what, where, when, and why of your presentation, you can then begin to focus on the “how”.

Tell a story with a logical and engaging structure. Your presentation needs to connect with you audience. This means you need to incorporate the ancient art of story telling. You need to present your purpose in such a way that hooks your audience in, takes then on a journey, and concludes with some feeling of fulfillment.

Essentially, you need a beginning, a middle, and an end. Each point of your presentation should flow into the next. Each point should build off one another to manifest the purpose of your presentation. In most cases, this is some kind of argument or goal you are trying to accomplish. Your structure is the framework of establishing this argument or goal.

Practice and prepare. This ensures that you understand your material and you give yourself the chance to make changes ahead of time. Consider recording yourself to evaluate your performance and/or ask others to watch you practice. Do you research to make sure you have your information correct.

Also, do you research on the presentation environment. Know where you are going to speak and what resources you will have or need to bring. Nothing will be perfect, but the more you practice and prepare, the more equipped you are to handle challenges, such as feelings of performance anxiety or technical issues.

You may think practice and preparation will limit you, but in fact it frees you to be in the moment during your presentation.

Present (and remember to breathe). Be present and in the moment during your presentation. Remember to breathe. If you have practice and prepared enough, you will find most of what you need to do will come without thinking. Stay relaxed and work through each step of your presentation at a steady pace. Don’t rush yourself, nor ramble on some random tangent. Stick the points and keep moving forward.

Conclude and evaluate. Wrap everything up in a logical manner that hammers home your purpose. Then, you may or may not need to answer questions. Once you are done, congratulate yourself! Give yourself some time to reflect and consider what worked and what didn’t. Use this reflection to improve future presentations.

Every effective presentation uses an easy-to-follow structure that includes:

A compelling introduction.

The purpose of the introduction is to briefly sum up what you’re going to talk about and convey why the topic is relevant to the audience.

Make sure to:

Start with an attention-grabber. You need to make the audience feel invested in your presentation as early as possible.

There are a million different strategies to do this, such as:

Cite a shocking statistic. A surprising statistic makes the audience realize that they’re uninformed about the subject, inviting them to listen and learn more.

Tell a brief anecdote. Humans love stories. If you capture the audience’s emotional attention, then you’ll have their intellectual attention too.

Clearly convey what the subject of your presentation is.

After all effective presentations, the audience should be able to recall its core message clearly.

Body of evidence.

The body is where you present evidence to support the core message you stated in your intro.

Make sure that the body section of your presentation:

Split each argument into clearly distinct sections. Think back to a compelling TED talk or presentation you’ve watched. You can probably still recall the main points and arguments that were given.

Use rhetorical techniques . The reason that most effective presentations include many of the same elements is that they’re proven to work.

Use tools such as repetition to drive a point home.

Humans respond well to numbers and statistics. If you can quote a percentage or figure to highlight your point, then definitely take that opportunity.

Conclusion.

Use the conclusion to sum up your key takeaways.

You want to loop back to your original statement using what you said during the body of the presentation, but in a new and memorable way.

This is your last chance to make a lasting impression on the audience, so don’t just lazily repeat what you’ve already said.

Many presenters mistakenly treat the conclusion as an afterthought that’s added in as a custom. In fact, it’s probably one of the most important parts of your entire presentation.

Most compelling presentations follow several similar guidelines that hold true whether the audience is a large crowd or a few company administrators .

Here are a few of the most important ones to help you when writing your own presentation:

Use a short, easy-to-follow structure. Be concise. When watching the most effective presentations, it’s easy to identify the introduction, body, and conclusion.

This simple structure makes the presentation easy to comprehend while watching and similarly easy to recall afterward.

Limit the amount of clutter on each slide. Less is more when it comes to making a memorable presentation.

The end result of cramming paragraphs of compelling evidence into a slide is that nobody will process even a single line.

Many marketing experts recommend a six-word limit per slide.

Pay attention to design details. It’s often obvious to audiences from the first minute if a presentation is worth listening to or a complete snore.

This is often due to design decisions that can make or break the presentation. Make sure to use eye-pleasing:

Color schemes. Too much color contrast on a slide can distract from its contents. Too little can make the entire presentation seem boring and ignorable.

Fonts. Imagine how seriously you would take a presentation that uses the same fonts often used in second-grade classrooms.

Choose a font and size that are appropriate for your type of presentation and stick to them consistently throughout each slide.

Format. A single badly-pixelated image can make your entire presentation seem amateur and sloppy.

Practice your delivery . What’s on the screen is only half of the presentation; the other is the actual presenter .

Presentation delivery is composed of two key parts:

Vocal delivery. Research shows that effective speakers know how to appropriately vary the pitch, volume, and pace of their voices.

This isn’t just a gimmick and makes intuitive sense.

If a presenter raises their voice when emphasizing a key point, we assume that they must be confident in their message.

If a speaker pauses after delivering a shocking message, then their point seems more surprising and meaningful.

Research some popular presentations on the internet and observe the different ways that speakers employ their voices as a tool.

Body language . Our brains are wired to pay attention to body language when someone is speaking to us.

Even if someone makes a great point, a stiff posture and dead energy can easily distract from their message.

Of course, you don’t need to swing your arms around and go overboard.

Create “wow” moments. Think back to any memorable presentations you’ve watched. They’re probably memorable not because you remember the majority of their details, but because of one or two moments that really stood out.

A great example is Bill Gates’ 2009 TED talk about his foundation’s efforts to reduce the spread of malaria.

Gates started the presentation off by stating: “Now, malaria is, of course, transmitted by mosquitoes. I brought some here so you could experience this.”

He then promptly walked to the center of the stage and opened a small jar that contained non-infected mosquitos.

The presentation is well-remembered even a decade later because he captured everyone’s attention through surprise.

Polish multiple times. Don’t review your presentation once and call it a day. Perfection requires iteration.

A popular and effective approach is to start by outlining your ideas and structure to make sure you’re satisfied with the foundation.

From there, add in all your details and what you want to say. Don’t be afraid to end up with a messy, bloated monster of a presentation.

The next step is to polish your presentation down to the bare essentials. Examine what information is critical for your core message and what isn’t.

This step is often the most difficult, as it can be challenging to choose what information to eliminate to reach that target of six words per slide.

Practice in front of people. You can practice a million times in front of a mirror, but it still won’t prepare you for stepping in front of an actual crowd.

You need to become accustomed to confidently addressing a group of faces .

Use a remote. Using a remote to advance your slides allows you to face the audience at all times.

Prepare backup material. During the presentation, you’re going to discover that not everything you say is going to resonate with the audience.

Be genuine. Although you want your presentation to be polished and well-practiced, make sure to maintain a sense of authenticity when delivering it.

Use small moments of humor to make your message more memorable and interesting to listen to.

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Justin Parker is a dynamic and driven writing professional in advertising, film, and web-based content. He has over 10 years of experience as a professional writer in these realms, having written for commercials, music videos, feature screenplays, and content for Zippia. Justin holds a bachelor's of fine arts degree in film and television from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

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15 Expert Tips for giving a Powerful Business Presentation

Expert tips for giving a powerful business presentation.

A powerful business presentation is more than just a series of aesthetically pleasing slides. Your first impression is crucial when seeking investment, approval, or sales. Differentiate yourself from the competition by delivering a memorable and powerful business presentation.

Goal of a business presentation

When giving a business presentation, the ultimate goal is to leave a lasting impression on your audience. You want to capture their attention and pique their interest in your work, to the point where they are eager to engage with you and potentially collaborate in the future. In short, the aim of a business presentation is to be memorable and impactful.

Public Speaking Challenges

For some, presenting in front of even a small group can be daunting, and it can be even more challenging when it’s a room full of essential business stakeholders, like investors or your boss. Public speaking can be quite nerve-wracking, especially if you’re not used to it. If that sounds like you, don’t worry.

We have a way to help you relax and feel more confident. Public speaking is an opportunity to share your ideas and connect with others. Embrace the challenge and enjoy the experience. Delivering a good presentation leaves a lasting impression on your target audience.

5 P’s of powerful business presentation

A well-crafted PowerPoint presentation slides can make the difference between a successful presentation and a forgettable one. Slide Show is presenting a business meeting or academic setting, utilizing PowerPoint slides effectively can greatly enhance the content delivery.

PPT slides, are a crucial component with the use of graphics, text, and multimedia, they provide a clear and concise way to convey complex information. Each PowerPoint slide should be carefully designed and strategically placed within a slide show to maintain the flow and impact of the presentation.

To deliver a powerful presentation, it’s important to follow the 5 P’s:

• Preparation
• Performance

These steps will help you create a well-organized and engaging presentation that will captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression.

Presentation Topic is vital

For the planning of a powerful business presentation, it is key to consider choosing the right presentation topic. A PowerPoint presentation topic should have concise information, and a clear structure. From business proposals to educational lectures, the possibilities for good presentation topics are endless.

Presentation topics need to be aligned with the purpose and objectives of the presentation. PPT presentation topics that goes inline with the expectation of the audience, will be received well than to the randomly selected topics.

PowerPoint template saves time

A PowerPoint template is a pre-designed set of slides that can be used as a foundation for creating presentations. The PPT templates can save time and effort for professionals who frequently create presentations. A Power Point presentation template is a customizable tool that allows users to personalize their slides with their own content.

A presentation ppt template and ppt slides template provide users with a range of design options to enhance their presentations. These templates are essential for creating professional and impactful presentations in various industries and settings.

PowerPoint presentation templates are essential tools for creating visually appealing and professional presentations. With the use of PowerPoint slides templates, individuals can easily customize their presentations to fit their specific needs and style. PPT slide templates provide a consistent look and feel to a presentation and can help enhance the overall visual impact. and using these templates can save time and effort while creating a polished and effective presentation.

A slide presentation template is a pre-designed layout that serves as a framework for creating organized design layouts. A slide template refers to a single slide within a presentation that follows a consistent design and formatting. A presentation template is a comprehensive package that consists of multiple slide templates, offering a cohesive and consistent design for the entire presentation.

Google Slides templates or Google Slides presentation templates is pre-designed layouts that can be used on the Google Slides platform. PPT template or PowerPoint template provide users with a customized design options and layouts in PowerPoint.

5 keys to a Pitch perfect business presentation

A PowerPoint presentation is a powerful tool to effectively engage your audience. With the use of a template presentation, presenters can easily create structured and consistent design layouts. The presentation ppt format offers a user-friendly interface, making it easy to navigate and customize slides.

A template PowerPoint presentation offers a consistent theme and design. With the right theme PowerPoint presentation can leave a lasting impression on the audience. Templates for Power Point are an essential tool for creating visually appealing and professional presentations. Google Power Point, a cloud-based presentation software, offers a convenient and user-friendly platform for creating and collaborating on presentations. Design Power Point, a feature within the software, allows for further customization and creativity, making presentations stand out and leave a lasting impression on audiences.

Make ppt is a skill that requires attention to detail, organization, and effective use of multimedia.

To deliver a pitch perfect presentation, there are five key elements to keep in mind.

• Know your audience and tailor your message to their interests and needs.
• Know your material inside and out, so you can speak confidently and answer any questions that may arise.
• Make your presentation a conversation rather than a lecture, engaging your audience and encouraging participation.
• Be prepared to adjust your approach if necessary, based on feedback or unexpected developments.
• Show empathy towards your audience, understanding their perspective and demonstrating that you value their time and attention.

3 elements of strong business presentation skills

When it comes to delivering a strong business presentation, there are three essential elements to keep in mind:

• Organization

First and foremost, your content needs to be engaging and relevant to your audience in order to capture their attention from the get-go. Additionally, it’s important to organize your presentation in a clear and logical manner, so that your audience can easily follow along with your message. Finally, your delivery should be confident and polished, with strong body language and vocal projection to keep your audience engaged throughout the presentation.

4 essential keys to success – for a business presentation

When it comes to delivering a successful business presentation, there are four essential keys to keep in mind.

• Content should be clear, concise, and relevant to your audience.
• Understanding your audience and tailoring your presentation to their needs and interests is crucial.
• A well-structured presentation with a clear beginning, middle, and end will help your audience follow along and retain information.
• Consistency in your delivery and messaging will help reinforce your key points and leave a lasting impression.

PPT presentation user-friendly interface and various features, it allows presenters to create visually appealing slides that effectively convey their message. A well-thought-out theme for a PowerPoint presentation can enhance the overall aesthetic and help tie the content together. Additionally, using a template for a PowerPoint presentation can save time and effort while maintaining a consistent and professional look throughout the slides. When creating a PowerPoint presentation, it is important to carefully consider the theme and utilize a suitable template to ensure a polished and impactful presentation.

3 V in business presentation

The ppt format, short for PowerPoint Presentation, is the most commonly used format for creating and sharing presentations. The PowerPoint format offers a wide range of design options to creatively visualize your content ideas . A presentation PowerPoint example consists a series of slides that contain text, images, and other multimedia elements to effectively convey the key messaging. By utilizing a PowerPoint example, presenters can create easy to follow and appealing slides.

When it comes to delivering a successful business presentation, there are three key elements to keep in mind:

• Visual aspect
• Vocal delivery
• Verbal content

These three components, known as the 3 V’s, are crucial in creating a powerful and effective business presentation that will leave a lasting impression on your audience. By mastering these skills, you can ensure that your message is conveyed clearly and confidently, and that your business presentation is a success.

4 piece of business presentation skills

To deliver a successful business presentation, it’s important to master the four P’s of oral delivery:

These skills will help you to effectively engage your audience and deliver your message with confidence and clarity. By projecting your voice, controlling your pace, varying your pitch, and strategically using pauses, you can capture and maintain your audience’s attention and leave a lasting impression.

It is crucial to carefully design your PPT slides or PowerPoint slides to ensure they effectively communicate your main points and captivate your audience’s attention. A theme for slides together and make them visually appealing to your audience. Utilizing the various features and tools available in PowerPoint, such as animations and transitions, can make your PowerPoint presentation slides more engaging and dynamic.

Key stages in planning a business presentation

When planning a presentation, there are seven key stages to consider. The first stage is preparation, where you must take into account various factors that will impact the design of your presentation. Next, you should choose your main points and supporting information, followed by establishing linking statements to connect your ideas. Developing an engaging opening and a strong conclusion are also crucial steps. Finally, it’s important to review your presentation to ensure it flows well and effectively conveys your message.

Choosing the right presentation themes can help in creating a unified look and feel. Google Slides presentation themes are an essential tool for creating visually appealing presentations. The slide show feature allows for a seamless delivery of information, with smooth transitions and animations.

PPT theme option offers a wide range of design templates, making it easier to create a cohesive and polished presentation. PowerPoint presentation layouts serve as the framework for organizing and delivering information in a clear and visually appealing manner. A PowerPoint presentation theme play a significant role in enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of a presentation.

Key aspects to consider when preparing for a business presentation

First, consider the purpose of the presentation and what you hope to achieve. Next, think about your audience and tailor your content to their interests and needs. The subject matter should be well-researched and organized in a clear and concise manner. Additionally, consider the venue and time of day, as well as the length of your talk, to ensure that you engage your audience and keep their attention throughout the presentation.

Business presentations are designed in PowerPoint and as well in Google Slides. One of a presentation PowerPoint example is a well-designed and visually appealing slide deck that captures the attention of viewers and helps them understand the key points being presented. PowerPoint examples can range from simple and minimalist designs to more complex and interactive ones, depending on the purpose and audience of the presentation. A presentation PPT example showcases the use of various features such as charts, graphs, animations, and multimedia to make the presentation engaging and informative.

12 Important elements of a successful business presentation

To deliver a successful presentation, it’s important to keep in mind these 12 key elements:

• Thorough preparation
• Rehearsed material
• Effective hook to grab your audience’s attention
• A clear objective and agenda
• Story-like structure to keep your audience engaged
• Audience engagement techniques
• Effective delivery
• Multimedia tools to enhance your message
• Contact information for follow-up
• A call to action to inspire action
• Comfortable setting for your audience
• Question-and-answer session to address any lingering concerns

By incorporating these elements into your presentation, you can ensure that your message is heard loud and clear.

Important part of a business presentation – The Introduction

When it comes to delivering a successful presentation, the introduction is key. It’s the first impression you make on your audience and sets the tone for the rest of your talk. In fact, studies show that you only have about 15 seconds to capture your audience’s attention, so it’s crucial to make those first few moments count. By crafting a strong and engaging introduction, you can hook your audience and keep them engaged throughout your presentation.

5 second rule in presentations

In the world of presentations, designers understand the importance of capturing their audience’s attention within the first few seconds. This is known as the “5 second rule,” where the presenter has a brief window to engage their viewers before they lose interest and move on. Designers recognize that failing to capture their audience’s attention early on can result in a failed communication.

The 7 rule for business presentation design

When it comes to creating a presentation, the 7 rule is a helpful guideline to keep in mind. This rule suggests that each slide should have no more than 7 lines, with each line containing no more than 7 words. By following this rule, you can ensure that your presentation is easy to read and engaging for your audience. It’s particularly useful for presentations with a lot of content, as it helps to keep things organized and focused.

Important aspects of a business presentation

When giving a business presentation, it’s important to remember that it’s not just about delivering information, but also about building a connection with your audience. This means focusing on communication, interaction, and creating a positive brand image. By doing so, you not only convey your message effectively, but also establish relationships and connections that can lead to future success.

Importance of business presentation skills

Business presentation skills are crucial for success in the workplace. Effective communication and the ability to present ideas clearly and persuasively can help you win clients, secure funding, and advance your career. Good presentation skills can also help you build confidence and credibility, and make a lasting impression on your audience.

Crafting a powerful business presentation – 15 expert tips

A powerful business presentation is a carefully crafted and well-delivered summary of key information about your company’s plans, products, or practices. Whether you’re presenting to internal stakeholders or external audiences, the goal is to clearly communicate your message and inspire action. Be it project proposals, HR policy presentations, investor briefings, or a C-Level Presentation , there are many different types of presentations that require different approaches and strategies to be effective.

In this post, you’ll find 15 expert tips to help you deliver an unforgettable business presentation.

1. Be well-versed with your content

Before convincing anyone else, you must be completely sold on your idea or product. You must know the points you are making inside and out to be successful. It is essential to have persuasive presentation skills.  Your presentation ideas aligned with your presentation topic, keep your audience motivated. There are two primary factors that contribute to boring presentations: an overabundance of text on slides, and a lack of visuals and videos.

2. Be positive and vibrant

Vibes matter–believe me.  Your audience doesn’t want to hear you drone on about a subject you don’t care about. If you’re tired and bored of your presentation slides, they probably feel the same way. Anyone listening to you should be able to tell you how passionate you are about the subject.

Amy Cuddy, a professor at Harvard, studies how body language can communicate power. Before her successful TED talk, she took some time to do some power poses. This got her into the right mindset of feeling powerful and passionate.

It’s also important that you properly energize yourself before a business presentation. Do some warm-up exercises, like stretching, to get your body and mind ready. You can also do other things to get yourself focused and energized. Reading inspirational quotes or listening to music can help. Ensure you stay hydrated by drinking enough water and keeping a water bottle with you during your slide presentation.

3. Arrive early and check for everything in order

Arriving at your venue less than an hour before your presentation can disrupt your entire presentation. Make sure to come at least an hour in advance to set up any equipment you may need, such as a projector, laptop, or speakers. This will help you familiarize yourself with the space and ensure a smooth presentation.

If the venue already has all the necessary equipment, ensure that everything is compatible and functioning correctly. Transfer any relevant files from your USB drive or download them from your email or cloud account.

4. Self-Confidence is the key

First impressions are important, so make sure you are sending the right message with your appearance.

Choose clothing that is professional and appropriate for the occasion. Avoid anything too flashy or revealing. As for your demeanor, be confident and enthusiastic without being overly aggressive. Smile and make eye contact with your audience. Speak clearly and at a moderate pace. These simple tips will help you make a positive impression and deliver a successful presentation.

Your stage presence will also be affected by your personality. Adopt your natural position. If you’re comfortable standing, don’t stride across the stage. If your voice is gentle, there is no need to yell; get a microphone. Keep your relaxed demeanor and bring out the best you. Practicing your presentation skills will make you feel more confident.

5. Start off strong

Audiences today have shorter attention spans and expect to be entertained. To set the tone for the rest of your slide presentation, start your powerful business presentation with a strong beginning. You could begin by shocking your audience with a statistic or quote that immediately catches their attention.

Put them at ease by calmly reassuring them that you understand their concerns and explain why the research backs up your claims. Reassure them by saying something like, “I know you may be wondering…,” or “That fact may seem shocking, but research backs it up because…”

An effective way to engage your audience is to use an exciting image, video, or personal story. Remember that first impressions are key, so conveying that your presentation will be worthwhile is crucial. This way, you’ll avoid coming across as simply delivering a lecture.

6. Set clear objectives and inspire the audience

At the outset of your presentation, lay out the goals you hope to meet during your stage. This tells the audience why they should listen to you and what they stand to gain from paying attention. The goals being met are meaningful for both you and your audience.

As you fulfill the objectives of your presentation, your audience will be more likely to stay tuned in. This, in turn, will make them more likely to consider your talk a success. Remembering crucial points from your powerful business presentation will also help your audience gauge its success.

A professional PowerPoint template can make your powerful business presentation more polished and credible. It can also save you time by providing a pre-designed structure for your slides. A PowerPoint slide with professional designs attracts the audiences attention.

7. Storytelling engages your audience

A story can be about anything, from a personal experience to the history of a brand or consumers’ experiences. There are always personal stories that can be shared to help connect with the audience. Share your story of how you got to where you are today and what has led you to believe in your business.

By highlighting the problems (the villain) and how your product, business or idea (the hero) will lead your audience closer to a solution, you can work in a similar way. Telling stories can make your business seem like part of a grand narrative your audience wants to become a part of, which can be beneficial.

Steve Jobs was an excellent corporate storyteller who excelled at every Apple product launch presentation. Steve Jobs reframed his company’s innovations in terms of stories of revolution. The Macintosh “changed the whole computer industry,” and the iPod “changed the whole music industry”. These stories of change brought the product, the consumer, and the exciting time they were living together.

8. Interact with your audience

A powerful business presentation can become quickly dull and sleep-inducing if you talk “at” your audience instead of engaging them in a discussion. Be it a sales presentation, customer service or board meeting, it is vital to improve the audience interaction. Ask your audience questions, take their feedback, and connect with them through anecdotes. Interacting with your audience during your powerful business presentation will help keep them engaged and prevent them from becoming bored or disinterested.

9. Use visual aids

PowerPoint design involves the strategic use of visual elements such as images, fonts, and layouts to enhance the overall message and make it more compelling. A successful PPT design should not only be aesthetically pleasing but also support the key points and message of the presentation. With attention to detail and creativity.

Don’t read through the presentation material, as this will distract the audience and bore them. Pictures , videos, and art are also great mediums to get your points across and intrigue the audience member. Visual flowcharts can help summarize complex topics. If you’re displaying bullet points, be sure they’re visible and concise. No one wants to see lengthy paragraphs while you’re speaking at the same time. A quote or two is perfectly fine, but don’t go overboard.

If you’re looking to spruce up your next social media post or design a professional-looking document, look no further than Canva . This user-friendly graphic design tool has everything you need to get the job done, no design experience required.

Google Slide is a presentation program developed by Google. It allows users to create and edit presentations online while collaborating with others in real time. Google Slide is similar to Microsoft PowerPoint and Apple Keynote , but it is free to use and offers more features.

10. Business Friendly Humor

It can be pretty relaxing to listen to a speaker who can make you laugh during long presentations. If the speaker talks in a serious tone the entire time, it can seem like they are droning on. Maintaining a friendly and conversational tone in your writing is important to retain your audience attention.

Light jokes can also help to keep your reader engaged. It is advisable only to use humor if you are skilled at it. Otherwise, avoid using humor as it will likely not have the desired effect.

11. Use a startling fact or statistic

Occasionally, do something unexpected to capture your audience’s attention and keep them engaged. Fact and statistics can challenge people’s existing beliefs and help to solidify your argument. Try to use a few throughout your presentation to reinforce your points.  The key point in each slide needs to be put in a presentable manner.

12. 10-20-30 rule revisited

Venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki came up with this handy presentation rule in 2005: the 10/20/30 rule. This rule suggests that a PowerPoint presentation should have ten slides, last no longer than 20 minutes, and use a font size of no less than 30 points.

Here’s an infographic that sums it up:

Powerful Business Presentation – Kawasaki 10-20-30 Rule For Presentation

Kawasaki observed many poor and repetitive presentations and derived a rule to ensure presentations are interesting. 10 slides are enough for a presenter to summarize their argument without overwhelming the audience. Any more information and they are likely to lose focus and become disengaged.

Kawasaki states that the average person can pay attention for 20 minutes before losing focus. He believes that the last 40 minutes of a presentation would be used for questions and answers in an ideal world. A font size of 30 points is ideal for presentations, as it is large enough to be easily readable from the back of the room while still allowing the presenter to keep the amount of text on the screen to a minimum.

13. Create a lasting impression

Maintaining eye contact with your audience/attendees conveys that you respect their time and are grateful for their attendance, as well as reinforcing the confidence of your message. When you make eye contact with audience members, smile at them! If you’re feeling nervous, find five or six friendly faces in the crowd and keep coming back to them for support.

14. Prepare to be asked tough questions

Make sure you’re prepared for the Q&A session! Your answers can make or break your powerful business presentation. A good presenter knows the material thoroughly and is ready to face difficult questions. Ending your presentation in awkward silence can make it challenging to build trust with your audience. Be sure to ask questions and use language demonstrating your understanding of their concerns.

15. Finish on a high note

When concluding your presentation, it is essential to leave a lasting and positive impression on your audience. You can do this by ending with a memorable personal story or quotation. Another way to achieve this is to remind the audience of the goals you set out to achieve and quickly summarize the main points of your presentation. This will instill confidence in your listeners and leave them satisfied and optimistic.

Wrapping it up

To give a powerful business presentation, you must engage your audience and demonstrate the value of your ideas. This requires passion and commitment on your part. You can deliver an effective presentation by connecting with your audience and showing them the worth of your thoughts. This list of professional tips can help you take small steps that can lead to significant changes in giving a professional business presentation.

Why businesses make use of templates?

PowerPoint slides templates offer a professional and efficient way to create design layouts aligned to branding. With the best PowerPoint template, slide design becomes effortless and allows for a smooth and engaging flow of information.

Be it a Pitch Deck, Keynote Presentation, Board Meeting presentation, a customized slide template with required design layouts often used for consistency and branding. A Google Slides presentation template offers varied design layouts that can be shared online as G-Slides.

The PPT presentation templates offer a wide range of design options and customizable features to suit different presentation styles and topics. These presentation templates are designed to make the process of creating a presentation effortless and efficient. Additionally, the availability of free power point presentation templates allows for easy access to professional designs without any cost, making it a valuable resource for professionals and students alike.

With a structured slide presentation template, your content ideas gets a unique flair of creativity and professionalism. PowerPoint presentation design templates provide a wide range of design options to choose from, making it easy to create a professional and polished presentation.

Why presentation designs can make or break your deal?

PowerPoint design can make a significant impact on the audience and reinforce the message being delivered. PPT design involves carefully selecting appropriate colors, fonts, and graphic elements to enhance the overall presentation. Each PPT slide design should follow a cohesive visual theme. With a well-executed PowerPoint presentation slide design , one can easily attract and captivate the audience attention.

A PPT template design significantly improves design layouts that can be used for future presentations. Our PowerPoint template design are carefully crafted to incorporate your brand elements, while maintaining a sleek and modern aesthetic.

Make Your Powerful Business Presentation a Success

Are you looking to create a powerful business presentation slide? Our presentation design team can help you build a slide deck quickly and easily, bringing a professional look and feel. We also meticulously work on your varied business report designs to perfection.

What are the most challenging aspects of giving professional business presentations? Please share your thoughts, questions, and feedback in the comments section below.

1. What makes a great business presentation?

A great business presentation should have a clear and concise message, be well-organized and visually appealing, engage the audience with storytelling and interactive elements, and leave a lasting impression with a strong call to action. It should also be tailored to the specific audience and their needs and interests.

2. What are the 5 P’s of powerful presentation?

The 5 P’s of powerful presentations are: Purpose, Preparation, Practice, Performance, and PowerPoint (or visual aids). These elements work together to create a compelling and effective presentation that engages and informs your audience.

3. What are 7 elements of powerful presentation?

The 7 elements of a powerful presentation are: clear and concise message, engaging opening, strong visuals, effective storytelling, audience interaction, confident delivery, and memorable closing. By incorporating these elements, you can create a presentation that is both impactful and memorable.

4. What is the 10 20 30 rule?

The 10-20-30 rule of PowerPoint is a guideline for creating effective presentations. It suggests that a presentation should have no more than 10 slides, last no longer than 20 minutes, and use a font size of at least 30 points. This rule is designed to keep presentations concise, engaging, and easy to follow.

5. What are 3 keys to a successful presentation and why?

The fundamental components of a successful presentation are Audience, Preparation, and Practice. These three elements, which I refer to as the “Three Magic Keys,” hold the key to transforming a dull, bullet-point-filled presentation into a polished and engaging performance. Focusing your efforts on these critical aspects will elevate your delivery and captivate your audience.

Related posts

How to make consulting PPT – Tips and Tricks

How to create Professional Business PowerPoint Presentations

How to create a Business PPT Template Design

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What Are Effective Presentation Skills (and How to Improve Them)

Presentation skills are essential for your personal and professional life. Learn about effective presentations and how to boost your presenting techniques.

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

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

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

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

What are presentation skills?

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

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

Making speeches at a wedding, conference, or another event

Making a toast at a dinner or event

Explaining projects to a team 

Delivering results and findings to management teams

Teaching people specific methods or information

Proposing a vote at community group meetings

Pitching a new idea or business to potential partners or investors

Why are presentation skills important? 

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

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

Enriched written and verbal communication skills

Enhanced confidence and self-image

Boosted critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities

Better motivational techniques

Increased leadership skills

Expanded time management, negotiation, and creativity

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

Effective presentation skills

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

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

Verbal communication

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

Body language

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

Voice projection

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

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

Storytelling

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

Active listening

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

Stage presence

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

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

Self-awareness

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

Writing skills

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

Understanding an audience

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

Learn more about presentation skills from industry experts at SAP:

How to improve presentation skills

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

Work on self-confidence.

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

Develop strategies for overcoming fear.

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

Learn grounding techniques.

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

Learn how to use presentation tools.

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

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

Powtoon: Animation software that makes video creation fast and easy

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

Practice breathing techniques.

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

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

Gain experience.

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

Tips to help you ace your presentation

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

Arrive early.

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

Become familiar with the layout of the room.

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

Listen to presenters ahead of you.

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

Use note cards.

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

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

Article sources

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

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

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Home Blog Presentation Ideas How To Make a Company Profile Presentation with Examples and Templates

How To Make a Company Profile Presentation with Examples and Templates

Imagine a presenter who can resonate with their target audience so effectively that they inspire the required trust and confidence to get new relationships started. That’s the primary goal of a successful company profile presentation. 

As Nancy Duarte has said in her book Resonate , “Presenting ideas can either evoke puzzled stares or frenzied enthusiasm, which is determined by how well the message is delivered and how well it resonates with the audience.” Precisely because we know how vital this is to any business, we’re revising how to write a productive company profile in this article. 

We’ve included company profile examples in this article to learn from others on how to best present your company. In this article, we’re strictly referring to company profile presentations.

What is a company profile?

As we’ve described before in our company profile templates category, a company profile is a resource organizations can use for creating presentations that describe the essential aspects of a company.

Company profile uses

A company profile is meant to assist in presenting a company to an audience. With that understanding, it can help with topics ranging from sales to internal company presentations, for example: 

Introducing the company to its new employees

If we understand this resource as a polished portfolio or dossier, it’s easier to conceive how it can back up almost any pitch for diverse collaborations. The tool is suitable for showing a company’s philosophy, intentions, and plans to an audience. 

Acquiring new investors

Promote your brand with it, or use the resource to persuade investors during fundraising for your company. You can also rely on it to present your company to prospects by crafting a professional company presentation.

Marketing presentations

Another aspect to consider is that company profiles are great for media presentations, back up any sponsorship opportunities, and get new collaborators to pitch in with our global company vision and plans.

How to create a company profile presentation: step-by-step instructions

Putting a company profile presentation together helps to focus on each slide at a time. Focus on the meaningful content of your company profile and use slides to complement your message. 

Here is a run-down of each slide, one by one, to help put your company profile together. Alternatively, you can create your company profile presentation deck using SlideModel’s AI Presentation Maker tool and prepare your presentation for final PowerPoint edits. 

Step 1 – Company Profile Cover Page

Your first slide can include your company logo , a title that typically reads “Company Profile”, and a sub-title. A quick one-liner description can be entered here or a meaningful short text with a motto or phrase.

Step 2 – Mission & Vision

In general, you’re seeking to include the vision and mission slides in these first part of a company presentation. The classic piece of advice here is to state a company’s mission to give out what you’re looking to achieve. If you have doubts on what to include in a mission and vision slide, learn here how to prepare a successful vision statement .

Very much tied to the above, start by seeking a compelling introductory section for a company presentation. 

Step 3 – What we do

Next, introduce your services or products in a medium-sized slide text. Nancy Duarte again guides us with valuable wisdom on this aspect as she recalls how “communicating only the detailed specifications or functional overviews of a product isn’t enough.” Look for an emotional rapport in your product introduction as much as possible. Ideally, you’ll address consumers’ or your audience’s pain points in a way that compels them to hear more. 

On this last note about your audience, go deeply into their ways of thought, desires, interests, and needs to determine the problems and challenges they’re facing. Clearly defining what your proposed solution of value will be throughout your company pitch is a great way to present your company profile. 

Far from overdoing it, focus on your main business areas to present your top three to six. Use images or icons for visual support. Include a supporting text on a service description, and the benefits of these for your target audience. 

Step 4 – About the Company

And enter your company description in the next slide. This is usually presented with the header “About Us.” If your growth is at the point where it makes an impact once the story is told, include it. The same applies to any awards or key certifications you may have in your name. If you’ve made it to the news or media in great light, or if there’s any vital history that can be an impressive point for your company’s reputation, it may be worth adding those here. 

If you don’t want to start from scratch, you can use the About Us slide templates for PowerPoint.

In a nutshell, use all of your relevant bragging rights as you see fit. Stress any significant milestones your company could have achieved by the time you present. And narrow down your niche and any location-specific expertise you may have working to your advantage. 

Step 5 – Present the Team

Follow with your team slide through a Meet the Team slide design. Show a few images of your leading talent. As usual with a team slide, consider the most common recommendations on who to highlight and what to include. You’re looking for the most reputable milestones of your team members’ careers as a highlight of their background to make a shining difference. If a particular person or group makes a stellar difference by being an experienced part of your team, include the following slide with just those party’s credentials and best references. 

Step 6 – Company major milestones

Then move to portray the company’s significant milestones in a timeline visually . The idea is to make your roadmap visually clear. For that, title each part of the process, give it a brief description, and extend timeline indications onto a separate slide, if you prefer. 

Step 7 – Relevant Data

If you need to add PowerPoint chart templates , the next few slides would be a proper section to include these. Give descriptions of the data you’re presenting. Include a mix between pie charts, line and bar graphs, and other formats as you move along. 

Our Company profile PowerPoint template , for example, includes a world map that allows users to pinpoint company locations around the globe. The idea is to make the company’s global reach a lot more visible. 

All of the above coincides with a total of 15 slides we put together as part of this company PowerPoint-friendly material. Edit its background, move data around, and customize it as you see fit.

From here on, we suggest adding positive reviews via client testimonials. You can even add a client portfolio if you already have a great, solid base. Any good words about you from relevant parties will reinforce your credibility as the final touch and your conclusion slide.

Why use company profile templates?

Using PowerPoint presentation templates for company profiles is the first step toward a professional job. The primary justification for this choice is how much easier it is to edit, add, remove, or re-write a slide compared to other formats. Depending on how often you’ll need to customize this resource to pitch an audience, making quick changes can be easy and convenient.

Also, consider how quickly a company is going to face alterations in terms of products, finances, milestones, and diverse goals. Adding or removing a slide is very easy!

While we’re touching upon edits, keep your texts short and relevant descriptions. Avoid long blocks of content or jam-packed illustrations, even using graphs, tables, or others. As with any slide for any purpose, keep your presentation as lean as possible. 

Alternatively, you can access our free company profile template to create an excellent company presentation.

Recommendations on company profiles

Speaking of purpose, define what the company profile is set out to achieve. An investment plan or trade portfolio can be a part of why a company profile is needed. Align objectives in this sense with the overall content. 

If it isn’t evident, add the company logo to the company profile presentation. If you’re using pictures, make sure they’re of the highest quality, as this speaks professionalism. Some logo maker tools offer preset presentation sizes which makes the process easier.

As for contact details, seek to include email, phone, corporate address, and even a website mention. Adding these details is a way to let potential clients quickly learn more about your company. Social media accounts are also a must in terms of outreach and potential customers checking the company’s trajectory. To make it convenient and for a streamlined access to your contact information, add a digital business card with relevant contact details including website link and social media handles.

Company profiles might not be the best place to include financial reports or any corporate problems you’re dealing. On the contrary, they’re intended to draw people to your business and make them fall in love with a brand, its mission, and its vision. 

That’s why it’s so important to seek to appeal to your audience’s emotions. How you can call upon an emotional connection with what you’re presenting is a great guiding principle as you build your next company profile presentation material, script, setting, and performance. Every aspect counts! Control what happens rather than leaving it to chance. 

Examples of successful company profiles

Study cases for eco-friendly companies.

From a two-page company profile for a food waste management solution company to an 88-page document of the exact nature of one of Australia’s Equity Trustee companies, we’re detailing various company profile examples for a clearer idea of what these can include. 

MAEKO made a clear statement in just a couple of slides, clearly defining its mission & vision, its niche, the offered solution for a world-class problem, and displaying its products’ end purpose.

The annual report from Equity Holdings Ltd. instead presents data in a consolidated way that both shareholders and potential business partners can quickly appreciate. Though lengthy, the main goal behind this approach is to provide complete insights into each aspect of the trust’s management, profits & losses.

We hope this has helped, and, of course, let us know if you’d like to see more or different. We’re here to help you excel every step of the way. Also, check out our step-by-step guide on how to make a PowerPoint Presentation .

1. Company Profile PowerPoint Template - The Basic Structure

For business executives, sales teams, and entrepreneurs, the Company Profile PowerPoint Template proves to be a powerful tool for kicking off a quick and impactful presentation. As described in the article, it contains the basic structure for a powerful Company introduction covered in 15 slides.

Blue & light gray themed, it’s fully compatible with all versions of PowerPoint, Keynote, and also Google Slides. Pie chart graphs, linear graphs, and bar graphs slides included to create detailed data reports.

Use This Template

2. Company Profile PowerPoint Template with SWOT Analysis & Pricing

This template will give you the tools for a fully-detailed company introduction. Listing slides to showcase scenarios such as “problem vs solution”, SWOT analysis, global market solutions, pricing lists, and way more, it’s a compendium of 20 slides intended for business success.

In a dashing white and teal color combination, with gray accents, this template is the perfect asset to present data in a visually appealing way. Fully compatible with all versions of PowerPoint, Keynote, and Google Slides.

3. Professional Company Profile PowerPoint Template

Present your company in a stellar fashion thanks to this Company Profile template. With subtle gradients and a clean layout, this template’s design moves far from the classy-styled presentation into a carefully crafted design with vivid tones. Dark purple, red, and orange tones make up this template in striking combinations to gather the public’s interest.

100% compatible with all PowerPoint versions, Apple Keynote, and Google Slides.

4. Executive Styled Company Profile Template

Make a memorable introduction for your company with the help of this Company Profile template for PowerPoint. This template can boost your pitch in a steel gray tone with terracotta and teal accents. Featuring slides for organigrams, goals and milestones, core values, timelines, and more, 22 slides are ready to edit and rearrange as fits your company the best.

Compatible with all PowerPoint versions, Apple Keynote, and Google Slides.

5. Flyer One-Pager Company Profile Template

Easy to distribute, even easier to create. A vividly toned one-pager company profile template is a practical solution for conferences, meetups, and any kind of large business exhibition. Quickly deliver the vital data that makes your company a profitable place to invest. Get hold of potential new clients, or just attract potential employees with the help of this flyer format of a company profile.

Fully editable in all versions of PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, and Google Slides

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Business PowerPoint Templates, Company Introduction, Company Profile, Company Profile Presentation Filed under Presentation Ideas

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How To Introduce Your Company In a Presentation: Best Presentation Tips

Hello, are you busy brainstorming How To Introduce your company in a presentation? we all know how hard this could be especially when this is your first time but worry no more because here this blog post will provide you with a variety of tips and techniques for how to effectively introduce your company in a presentation. Your introduction sets the stage for the rest of the presentation, so it is important that you use it to get your audience on board with your ideas from the get-go.

There are three main purposes for an introduction:

• You want to get your audience interested in what you have to say
• Establish who you are
• Set expectations about what they can expect from this specific talk.

The first thing that you should do when preparing a presentation is to develop a strong introduction. Your introduction sets the stage for everything else in your talk, so it’s critical that you use it to get your audience on board with your ideas from

Presentations are an integral part of the business culture, and they’re often given on a weekly basis. Presentations are also one of the most influential ways of communicating to your audience. They can be used for new employee onboarding, company overviews, or product launches. However, this doesn’t mean that they’re easy to create. In fact, many people struggle with how to introduce their company in a presentation. This blog breaks down everything you need to know about powerful presentations by providing tips on how to introduce your company in a presentation.

Also Read:  Things You Should Know Before Partnering with Another Company

When you have a presentation coming up, it’s important to have a great introduction. It’s going to be what your audience remembers about you and your company. A good introduction should set the tone for the rest of the presentation, create a sense of anticipation, and leave your audience wondering what they’re going to hear next. If you want to make a great first impression, follow these tips on how to give an effective introduction to your company:

• Introduce yourself with confidence.
• Tell them about your company at its most basic level.
• Restate the goal of the presentation in one sentence, if possible.
• Give an outline of what content will be covered in the presentation

You’ve got your PowerPoint slides. You’ve practiced your speech. You’re ready to present, but just one problem: How do you introduce your company, and what does it do? You may be tempted to dive right into the presentation by showing off your best work or talking about the newest product, but that’s not always the best approach. Sometimes, the best way to introduce a company is to first explain who they are and why people should care.

This post will teach you how to introduce your company in a presentation and make sure your audience is ready to take on anything you throw at them.

Also Read:  The Best Strategies for Increasing Offline Sales for Small Business Owners

Preparing for a presentation is one of the most challenging tasks for any professional. It’s hard to keep your thoughts organized and it can be difficult to find the right words to say. Here are some tips that will help you introduce your company in a clear, concise way that will set an appropriate tone for the rest of your presentation.

Introducing Yourself

The first thing you should do is introduce yourself and your company. You should begin by explaining what you do and why your company has the potential to succeed. Make sure you emphasize the benefits of your business. This can be a bit tricky. Instead of naming your company, try using the word “your” in front of it. This will help you better connect with your audience.

Start With The Basics A lot of sales professionals make the mistake of going straight into all of the features of their company. Instead, it’s always better to start by focusing on the fundamentals. Start by introducing yourself and then explain the company’s name. If you have a website, let them know. Try to keep your presentation short and sweet.

How to introduce your company

Saying something that isn’t true or showing enthusiasm for a competitor will only backfire on you in a presentation. Your speech should contain helpful information for everyone involved. Make sure you are aware of the background of the people you are meeting, make some use of statistics and select an image that conveys your brand values. This can be a photograph of your company logo, a video of your vision, or a generic shot of you smiling in front of your office.

Why Your Company Is Different

One of the most important things that a speaker or presenter should do when preparing for a presentation is to remember why they’re presenting in the first place. For example, if you’re presenting to a room full of startup founders, you need to make sure to emphasize why you think your company is better than all the others. Make sure that you don’t focus too much on the details, but rather emphasize why your product is better and why your idea is a good investment for them.

Give Time for Answers If you don’t have much time to fill in the audience’s minds, it’s going to be hard to persuade them to buy your company’s product. In the beginning, you will have more time to explain why you think your company is the best, but in the end, you will have to give your answers quickly.

What Your Company Do or Sell

Before you start talking about your company, it’s important to say a few words about what exactly it does or sells. That will make the rest of your presentation flow much smoother and set the proper tone for your audience.

You can start by saying something like this:

“My company does something that solves problems and gives value to people in the market.” Don’t Get Too Confused Sometimes, it can be easy to confuse your audience by using too many different words. When you say that you’re selling a “product,” you may lose some of your listeners’ interest as soon as they realize you’re actually talking about a service. Instead of saying “we sell solutions,” try saying “we provide marketing solutions to companies.

Why Your Company Is Important

Create a few sentences to explain why your company is important and how your product or service is unique. What Makes Your Business Different Always share your unique selling proposition, i.e., the unique features and benefits of your product or service. What is Your Current State? Usually, there is some history you will want to share with your audience, but don’t make it long, A short one- or two-sentence rundown will provide some context about your company’s past, present and future.

Who Does Your Business Serve? Since you’ll be discussing your company’s ability to provide services to other companies, you will want to know who your potential clients are. Describe who their customers are and what their needs are.

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Keep it short and to the point

The first thing that you need to consider before giving a presentation is the length of your presentation. If you’re giving a 30-minute presentation, you’ll want to keep your presentation short and use good sound-bites and keep your words short and simple. Avoid long slides and excessive talk When presenting, you’ll want to focus on the audience and their response to what you’re saying.

However, you’ll need to be careful not to go over the three to the five-minute mark. For example, if you want to give a four-minute presentation, you’ll want to use no more than two slides and keep your language simple. You’ll be sure to win your audience’s attention by keeping them engaged and motivated to listen to what you have to say.

How To End The Introduction

If you’re presenting to a large group or a large crowd, it’s important to end the presentation with a strong statement that summarizes the message of the rest of the presentation. Here are some tips for the end of a presentation that can keep your audience engaged: Tell them what you’ve achieved so far. Verify your audience’s knowledge. Recount what you’ve presented so far. Learn From Your Mistakes For this section, you should take a moment to reflect on what you’ve learned from the presentation.

By pausing to evaluate how you can improve upon your presentation, you’ll be much better prepared for your next presentation. Here are a few tips for thinking about what you can learn from your mistakes: Learn from your mistakes. Forgive yourself. Prove that you are resilient.

Also Read:  How To Find Hot Products: The Best Strategy Identifying Profitable Product to Sell

What not to do

Don’t even consider using this type of slide. It’s so basic and it shows the presenter’s unprofessionalism. Use this slide to list the company’s services and target customers. Do not use an info graphic to present the company. Even if it’s a simple infographic that shows the company logo, it’ll make your talk come across as amateurish. You can use a quote or something like this, but avoid using words in these slides and use images instead. What to do When introducing your company, create a welcome message that’s tailored for each audience.

Begin by saying something like “Hi. My name is ______ and I’m the president of _____.” You can write it out in a paragraph or even a bullet list. For this slide, you can focus on the services the company offers in each field.

Understand the purpose your presentation

Before you begin, you should have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish during your presentation. This includes, for example, the benefits of your product or the benefits of your team, and what a positive impact it will have on a specific market segment. Identify the audience Think about who you are speaking to, what their interests are, and their goals.

Research relevant content Look for relevant content that will engage your audience, and that’s in line with the goals you have set for your presentation. This could include industry articles or interesting videos. Determine your messaging Write down your goals and the order in which you want to go through each of these goals during your presentation.

Also Read:  How To Know Your Audience Better: The Best Ways To Connect With Your Customers

Prepare for questions

When you’re getting ready to present, prepare questions for the team members of your meeting so that you can answer them on your own time. It’s important to stay on topic but it can be extremely distracting when you’re the only one answering questions in front of everyone else. Pick your best material Think about what was most memorable about the product launch and the executives who introduced the product to you. Don’t try to recreate it in a one-size-fits-all presentation format. It will come off as insincere. Instead, use the best parts of the product launch presentation. That will come across as impressive and relate to the audience in a relatable way.

Practice Makes Perfect

It doesn’t matter how well you memorize your speech, the most important thing is to practice. It will help you to understand each of the essential aspects of your presentation. You might even find it helpful to engage in some hypnosis to increase your confidence.

Know Your Audience

It’s important that you get to know who you’re going to present your company to. A big mistake many professionals make is that they assume that they know what their audience wants and how they’ll react to the presentation. If you really want to succeed, you’ll need to study up on what your potential audience wants and how they will react to your presentation.

Determine a Focus

The best way to make the most out of your presentation is to have a clear focus. Determine what you are trying to achieve in the.

Also Read:  Productivity Improvement Techniques In Manufacturing 2021: The Best Ways to Improve Productivity

There’s no better way to build a positive experience for your customers than to deliver a full presentation that makes the conversation as productive and pleasurable as possible.

The great thing about presenting is that your knowledge and expertise are able to shine through in the conversation. This can also be a plus for companies who want to get a foot in the door with potential clients. It may be tough to explain what your company does, but with the right knowledge you can confidently explain your product or service in a friendly and positive manner.

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8 Tips on Giving a Presentation Like a Pro 'Preparation' means far more than just having your presentation deck in order and your handouts organized.

By Shawn Doyle • May 18, 2016

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

This article is included in Entrepreneur Voices on Elevator Pitches , a new book containing insights from both sides of the board room to help you craft the perfect pitch. Buy it online from Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | IndieBound

As a professional speaker, I get many chances, as I travel around the country, to see other people give presentations. With professional speakers, the presentations are always well done and professional. And of course they should be; these people are professionals!

Related: 7 Powerful Public Speaking Tips From One of the Most-Watched TED Talks Speakers

But, sadly, I often see exactly the opposite with others: presentations that are boring, dull and dry and go on way too long, with the presenter exhibiting terrible speaking skills as well as a plethora of anesthesizing PowerPoint slides. You know what I'm talking about because you've seen it.

The point here is more important than any individual conference or meeting: In fact, I believe that in order to be a successful leader and entrepreneur, you have to become skilled at giving presentations like a pro. Here are eight tips on how to do that.

1. Properly prepare.

I know that you're thinking that "preparation" means having your presentation deck in order and your handouts organized, but that is not what I mean at all.

What I refer to here is the need for a careful analysis of audience members to know whom you're speaking to, and what they are expecting or needing from the presentation. Take time to talk to the person who invited you in the first place, to obtain a full and complete analysis of who will be in the room. Obviously, the presentation for roomful of CEOs will be different than a presentation for a group of front-line workers.

2. Start with a bang, not a whimper.

I have seen many presenters start out their presentations by giving their name and the title of the program and then saying, "Let's get started." I promise you, if you start out your presentation with just such a boring beginning, you'll lose your audience before you start.

We live in an era of high entertainment, and when we sit people in a room to watch a presentation, we need our presentations to start with a bang. You can start with a compelling quote, a great story, a stunning statistic or even a provocative question. The key is to get people's attention. Then you can introduce yourself and your topic.

Also use these tools to close out your presentation with a bang as well, because people do remember the beginning and the end of everything.

Related: 10 Honest and Completely Helpful Tips for Hitting a Public-Speaking Homerun

3. Recognize that the space is part of your presentation.

In many instances, I have seen the space become a barrier to the presentation being effective. Either the room was too crowded, it was set up the wrong way or the speaker was tied to the podium because that was the only place a microphone was available.

Make sure to check out in advance the space where you're going to be presenting, to see its limitations. Additionally, arrive early the day of your presentation so that you can solve any room or space problems that exist before your presentation starts.

4. Please get rid of the PowerPoint.

it seems to me that everyone giving presentations these days is in love with PowerPoint. To me, there are several issues here -- the main one being that PowerPoint quickly becomes sleep-inducing, because people are staring at a screen, and often the lights have been dimmed so the PowerPoint can be seen more clearly: an invitation to everyone to take a nap.

I personally believe you'd be much better off with a couple of handouts than you would hypnotizing people with PowerPoint. I also think most people giving presentations have way too many slides and try to click through 97 of them in 35 minutes. This in my opinion is a disaster.

Finally, most people believe that their PowerPoint is their presentation, when the reality is that the PowerPoint is supposed to be a supplement to illustrate key points. What's more, people actually use PowerPoint as a script for their presentation, and read from the screen. This makes audience members want to run screaming from the room.

5. Make it a conversation, not a presentation.

I think that when you're designing a presentatio, you should have a couple of points where you have interaction with the audience, in order to have a conversation instead of just a presentation. This makes the presentation much more useful and interesting for the audience members. They have a chance to ask questions and actually talk to you like a human being instead of a presentation robot.

6. Use stories.

Great presenters tell stories that captivate the attention of the audience -- but here's something you shouldn't forget: The stories are not just stories for stories' sake. They illustrate the key points that you are discussing. This makes the presentation much more memorable.

7. Get some coaching.

Every professional speaker I've spoken with has told me he or she used a professional coach at some point to help with presentation skills. Join Toastmasters to learn better presentation skills, find out if your company offers training for presentation skills, attend a presentation skills class somewhere in your community. Or use a private coach to help you polish your skills.

I guarantee you that if you do thee things, you'll get amazingly better results because you've had someone give you feedback in an objective way on what you do well, and what you need to improve on.

8. Evaluate.

Each time you give a presentation, either ask a trusted colleague to observe your presentation and give you feedback, or if that is not possible, at least take time after every presentation to review what you believe went well and what could be improved.

Related: Want to Be Better On Camera? Join Us for a Livestream Chat With Public Speaking Guru Jill Schiefelbein

This evaluation will help ensure that you continue to improve and take one step closer to being a presentation pro.

President, New Light Learning and Development Inc.

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How to Ace Your Business Presentation in English

So, you need to make a business presentation in English.

First of all, congratulations! To be in your position, you must have invested a huge amount of time and effort in your English language skills. You should be proud.

That said, we totally understand that giving a presentation in a second language can be a challenge. You may be worried that your audience won’t understand your accent. Perhaps you are wondering whether you need to use specific vocabulary. Maybe you’re not sure how best to handle questions from your audience.

If this sounds like you, don’t worry. In this post, we’re going to run through our top tips for acing your business presentation in English. Even if you’ve already made a few presentations in the language, we’re sure you’ll find these suggestions helpful.

So, read on to learn more. And before we start, let us wish you the very best of luck in delivering your next presentation.

Understand your audience

As with all forms of communication, it’s vital that you understand who your audience is. Even in the business world, you can find yourself speaking to very different groups of people.

For example, if you are giving a presentation to members of another company, you would certainly be more formal than when you give a presentation to members of your own team. In each case, you need to think about what your audience will expect from your presentation.

So, before you write a word, ask yourself these questions about your audience. Who are they? What interests them? What do they need to know? What do you want them to do as a result of your presentation?

One useful tip for writing your presentation is to imagine your audience is a single person. It’s easier to write convincingly if you have a single person in mind. Try it!

Mind your language

Most audiences will expect you to give your presentation using formal Business English . Don’t make the mistake of confusing Business English with business jargon .

Successful Business English uses language that is simple, direct, professional and easy to understand. Business jargon on the other hand, relies on obscure phrases, clichés, and acronyms. In many cases, business jargon is complex, not very precise and a barrier to good communication .

We have some useful resources on Business English on this page . However, if in doubt, keep the language of your presentation as simple and clear as possible. It’s also a good idea to use sentences with the active, rather than the passive voice. This allows you to use fewer words, which makes your sentences shorter and more engaging.

To give an example, this is a sentence in the passive voice:

The interview was failed by over one third of applicants.

Now compare this sentence, which is in the active voice.

Over one-third of applicants failed the interview.

To learn more about the active and the passive voice, check out this explainer from the British Council.

Practise, practise, practise

If English isn’t your first language, it’s more important than ever to practise your presentation before delivering it. By practising, you’ll feel more comfortable using English in a business setting. You’ll be able to work on any words or phrases you find difficult to pronounce, or you can change them to words or phrases you are more comfortable with.

Ideally, you should practise giving your presentation in front of someone else. That way you can get useful feedback on what works well, and what doesn’t. If that’s not possible, make a video of yourself giving your presentation. When you see yourself on screen, it will give you helpful insights into ways you can improve your delivery.

Don’t forget to introduce yourself

It may sound obvious, but don’t forget to introduce yourself at the very beginning of your presentation. It not only breaks the ice , but it’s an opportunity to get the audience on your side. If you are presenting to native English speakers, you may wish to tell them that English is not your first language – but don’t apologise for it! If anything, your audience will be impressed that you can give a presentation in a second language.

Have a clear structure

When people learn to teach in the UK, they are often told to structure their lessons in this simple way:

• Say what you’re going to say
• Say what you’ve said

In other words, introduce the session by explaining what you intend to talk about. This sets the audience’s expectations – they know what’s going to happen.

You then use main part of the session to make your presentation. There are many effective ways of doing this, and we’ll cover some of these soon.

Finally, finish by summarising the most important points of your presentation. This helps your audience to remember them clearly.

One other tip, if you plan to let the audience ask questions, it’s a good idea to tell them you’d prefer to answer them at the end of the presentation. This will discourage them from interrupting your presentation at the wrong moment.

Use storytelling

People love stories. If you can capture your audience’s imagination with a story, you can make a very powerful impression.

For example, imagine you are giving a presentation about how to commission new advertisements for your company. You want to make the point that good copywriting as just as important as good visual design.

You can either make your point directly, like this:

“Successful adverts rely on good writing as well as good design. If you change the wording of an advert, it can often result in extra sales – or fewer. Therefore, the words we choose are as important as the images we use.”.

Or you could begin with a story, like this:

“I want you to imagine it’s the year 1907. A man called Louis Victor Eytinge is in prison, convicted of murder. He’s a drug addict, suffering from tuberculosis. He’s unlikely to live, never mind get out of jail. Yet, by 1923 he walked free into a well-paid advertising job and a career as a Hollywood screenwriter. How? He had written his way to freedom. I want to use his story to show you why, if we want successful adverts, we need to commission powerful writing as well as good design.”

Which version of the presentation would you rather listen to?!

Remember pace and pitch

One useful tip for acing your business presentations in English is to vary the pace and pitch of your delivery.

While you don’t want to speak too fast, it’s a good idea to use a different pace for different parts of your presentation. For example, when you want to communicate a key point, speaking more slowly will help people understand that you think it is important.

Equally, it’s a good idea to vary the pitch of your voice. Try and keep this as natural as possible, but experiment with using a higher pitch when asking questions and a lower pitch when beginning your sentences. One good way to learn how to vary your pitch is to listen to UK news broadcasts – news presenters are expert at varying the tone of their voice to keep listeners interested.

Add a call to action

Most business presentations are given for a specific purpose. You may want to convince another company to work with you. Or you may want to convince your own firm to invest in a new kind of product. You may simply be explaining to colleagues how a new training scheme will work.

Whatever the purpose of your presentation, always remember to tell your audience what you want them to do. This is a ‘call to action’. Do you want your audience to email you their ideas? Or send you a funding proposal? Or arrange a meeting?

No matter what you need your audience to do, don’t forget to tell them. And at the very end, be sure to thank them for their time!

More business presentation tips

There are many other tips we could share with you on how to ace a business presentation in English. For example, it’s never a good idea to read your presentation from a piece of paper – it’s not engaging and it means you can’t easily make eye contact. It’s also tempting to rely too heavily on visual aids like PowerPoint, but if you get it wrong your audience will read your slides instead of listening to you. On the other hand, it can really engage an audience if you ask them to work together in small groups to share ideas or solve problems.

However you choose to make your presentation, if you prepare well, speak clearly and work hard to connect with your audience, you are very likely to succeed. And if you’d like to improve your presentation skills even further, why not try live online classes with English Online ? They can help you succeed in any career where using English is essential.

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Being prepared and not being boring can go a long way toward persuading a potential customer to buy into what you’re offering.

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“I am CEO of an educational sales organization, and we need to transform our telemarketing staff into salespeople who go out into the field, make presentations and do lunch-and-learn new product seminars with potential customers. May I legally change their job duties? Would I be required to provide training for them, and if so, what type? Thanks, ‘Walter.’”

“Yes to both questions,” says Southern California labor lawyer Daniel Klingenberger . “If employers prefer sales presentations face-to-face with existing or prospective customers, they can establish those job requirements. They would be well advised to provide appropriate sales or presentation skills training to these employees.”

I also consulted on this topic with Terri Sjodin , principal and founder of Sjodin Communications in Newport Beach, Calif. “Dennis,” she says, “you would be surprised at how often these same issues come up as employees have gone from home-based to virtual and now are sent out into the field.”

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Sjodin, a New York Times bestselling author and a frequent guest on radio and television talk shows, has dedicated her professional life to helping people become effective speakers. Her most recent book is Presentation Ready: Improve Your Sales Presentation Outcomes and Avoid the Twelve Most Common Mistakes .

How to build presentation skills

“Most people want to improve their presentations,” she says, “but don’t know where to start. Understanding the most common mistakes — and figuring out how to avoid them — is critical because you can’t course-correct what you don’t recognize as a problem.”

She provided some confidence-boosting insights to help Walter’s sales professionals get started on learning good presentation skills.

Don’t wing it. Failing to prepare reveals a lack of product knowledge.

Winging it is improvising, ad-libbing or generally conducting a presentation without much preparation. It is among the top mistakes salespeople reported making that had likely ruined transactions.

Goal-oriented, persuasive presentations that need a customer’s buy-in risk failure if you are not well prepared, if you haven’t done your homework and if you don’t know your company’s product or service well. Listeners easily sense a lack of preparation where the speaker appears disorganized, unskilled and distracted.

This can have a greater cost than one lost sale; it puts the employer’s reputation at risk.

Don’t be boring. Being informative has its limits.

The 2023 State of Sales Presentations Research Study from Sjodin’s company revealed that being boring is the most common mistake presenters recognized in others. This can happen for a host of reasons, including sharing too many facts and figures.

A good presentation is much more than just delivering information; you need your message to land, to create a connection with the listener.

This is accomplished by crafting a message that is engaging, interesting and amplified by stories listeners will tune in to emotionally, making the product or service relevant — something they can visualize owning or using. “Your enthusiasm is vital!” Sjodin says.

While it is important to provide a factual basis for why someone should purchase your product, you don’t want customers to feel as if they are being asked to drink from a fire hydrant. “Buying decisions are seldom based on a massive amount of detail but are strongly linked to positive feelings the audience has about the speaker,” Sjodin points out.

Do be the first person in the room and know who your audience is.

“Audience analysis refers to knowing who will be in the audience,” Sjodin notes. “This intelligence is golden, as the more you know about your listeners, the better able you should be to fine-tune the presentation. But sometimes you will have no idea who will be present, and they might have no idea who you are.”

The solution is to be the first person in the room. By greeting listeners as they come in, you can exchange a few words and, time permitting, ask them what they might like to know about your product or service. “In so doing, your presentation has already begun, and you have likely won a friend,” Sjodin says.

Keep in mind that for a lunch-and-learn seminar, the food is important.

Lunch-and-learn seminars are popular in the investment world. “A common mistake,” Sjodin says, “is for the financial adviser to lecture while guests are eating. Few will pay attention!”

Sjodin recommends that, prior to lunch, open the session with a few welcoming remarks, advising that lunch will be served in a moment and that afterward the presentation will begin.

“In summary,” Sjodin notes, “providing your team with presentation skills training will

boost their comfort with the new job responsibilities and help them to succeed.”

In Presentation Ready , Sjodin puts her all into helping readers become more effective in the world of sales. It is a shot of confidence-building Vitamin B-12 and the ideal gift for employees preparing for a required change in performance skills.

Dennis Beaver practices law in Bakersfield, Calif., and welcomes comments and questions from readers, which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993, or e-mailed to [email protected] . And be sure to visit dennisbeaver.com .

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This article was written by and presents the views of our contributing adviser, not the Kiplinger editorial staff. You can check adviser records with the SEC or with FINRA .

After attending Loyola University School of Law, H. Dennis Beaver joined California's Kern County District Attorney's Office, where he established a Consumer Fraud section. He is in the general practice of law and writes a syndicated newspaper column, " You and the Law ." Through his column he offers readers in need of down-to-earth advice his help free of charge. "I know it sounds corny, but I just love to be able to use my education and experience to help, simply to help. When a reader contacts me, it is a gift." 

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Our Startup, Our Country, Our Language: Former Snapdeal CEO Responds To A Founder Asking To Give Presentation In Hindi

In the post, kunal bahl wrote, “can i present in hindi” snapdeal co-founder added, “obviously, i replied with a resounding "yes, of course'.".

Kunal Bahl, the former CEO of Snapdeal, emphasised that during business presentations, the crucial aspect is how startup founders effectively convey their message, regardless of the language they use. Bahl also recalled an incident in an X (formerly Twitter) post on Monday when a founder inquired whether they could present in Hindi.

In the post, Bahl wrote, “Can I present in Hindi?” Snapdeal co-founder added, “Obviously, I replied with a resounding "Yes, of course!'. It seemed strange that two people, who understand and speak the same native language fluently, are having to discuss whether they can have a business presentation in their own language, which they know best ."

He also talked about how it is more important to be able to deliver your idea instead of focusing on the medium. “But I presume many founders may be thinking that investors expect them to be very suave and fluent in English. At least from my standpoint, it absolutely doesn't matter. Zero. Getting your point across, the complete and authentic essence of it, is much more important than having a colonial mindset that if it's an important business presentation, it must be done in English,” he wrote.

He added, “Irrespective of whether we are fluent in English or not, we should feel absolute confidence in speaking our mother tongue in business settings just like we do in social settings. Our Startup, Our Country, Our Language.” 

"𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙃𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞?" I was surprised when a startup founder sheepishly asked me a few days ago whether he can walk me through his startup's presentation in Hindi because he would be more comfortable. Obviously I replied with a resounding "𝙔𝙚𝙨,… — Kunal Bahl (@1kunalbahl) April 22, 2024

Bahl's post received several reactions from internet users. “I used to present in Hindi way back in 2009, was not very comfortable in expressing my thoughts in English. Most of the time VCs were very welcoming but never feel comfortable even in asking followup questions. Maybe first impression was "yeh kya funding lega jab english bhi nahi bol pata". This was in Mumbai,” wrote one of the X users.

“Sure why not. I take presentations in Hindi even though it's NOT my native language. But one major caveat: The startup's TAM must be Hindi-speaking. Otherwise, my investment will go down the drain if its founder expects his prospects to learn Hindi to understand his pitch,” added another user.

A third user said, “English was a moat built by bureaucracy during British raj. How and when it became a moat for business people, is strange. Congrats @1kunalbahl for raising the point. This is not a moat that India's smart upcoming entrepreneurs should need, to win.”

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Trump criminal trial wraps for the day after opening statements and first witness

From CNN's Jeremy Herb, Lauren del Valle and Kara Scannell in the courthouse

Trump accountant expected to testify during trial, defense attorney says

Defense attorney Todd Blanche said he expects a Trump accountant to testify at trial.

He said the prosecutors won't suggest that the Trump Organization accounting department employee who filed the Michael Cohen payment records on Trump's ledgers did anything wrong when she entered the ledger records or cut the checks.

“You'll learn that President Trump had nothing to do with any of the 34 pieces of paper … except he signed the checks," Blanche told jurors.

"The reality is Mr Trump is not on the hook — is not criminally responsible for something Mr. Cohen may have done years after the fact," he said.

The employee "isn't going to say she had any conversations with President Trump, 'Hey, how should I book this?' You won't hear any of that. Her boss, he’s not going to say he talked to President Trump about it."

Defense attorney asks: "Would a frugal business man" pay $420,000 for a $130,000 debt?

Donald Trump's attorney Todd Blanche asked the jury: "Ask yourself: would a frugal business man who pinches pennies repay a $130,000 debt to the tune of $420,000?"

"None of this was a crime," Trump attorney tells jury as he walks through checks Cohen received

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"The 34 counts, ladies and gentlemen, are really just pieces of paper," Blanche said.

“None of this was a crime," he added.

Blanche acknowledged adult film start Stormy Daniels did in fact sign an NDA in October 2016 in exchange for $130,000.

Blanche suggests that the payments to Cohen "were not a payback."

The heart of the case: Trump was charged by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office last year with 34 counts of falsifying business records. The charges stem from reimbursements made to Cohen for hush money payments he made before the 2016 election to Daniels. The former president has pleaded not guilty and denied the affair. 

Each criminal charge Trump is facing relates to a specific entry among the business records of the Trump Organization, according to the indictment . Prosecutors accuse Trump of repeatedly causing false entries in the business records. 

If prosecutors fall short of proving their case laid out to jury, that's reasonable doubt, legal analyst says

From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury

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"Although they are laying out this case quite methodically, remember the jurors are going to be taking notes, they now have expectations," Coates said. She noted that the jurors will now expect to see all the evidence laid out to them like handwritten accounting from Allen Weisselberg and receipts from Michael Cohen.

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"If they fall short, that's reasonable doubt," Coates said.

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Trump will be called "President Trump, out of respect," defense attorney says

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He adds, "He’s a man. He’s a husband. He’s a father. He’s a person just like you and just like me."

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"But he’s also here in this courtroom, doing what any of us would do, defending himself," Blanche said.

Trump is watching his attorney give opening statement

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Donald Trump attorney Todd Blanche began his opening statement by saying, "President Trump is innocent. President Trump did not commit any crimes.”

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