business writing and presentation

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

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

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

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

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

3 General Types of Business Presentations

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

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

• Informative
• Persuasive 
• Supporting 

Informative Business Presentation 

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

Examples of informative presentations:

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

Helpful templates from SlideModel:

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

Persuasive Business Presentation 

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

Examples of persuasive presentations:

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

Supporting Business Presentation 

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

Examples of supporting presentations:

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

What Should Be Included in a Business Presentation?

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

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

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

How to Make a Business Presentation: Actionable Tips

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

1. Get Your Presentation Opening Right 

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

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

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

Standard Informative Opening 

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

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

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

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

Story Opening 

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

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

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

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

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

Dramatic Opening 

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

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

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

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

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

2. Get Your PowerPoint Design Right

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

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

Use Images, Instead of Bullet Points 

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

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

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

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

Fewer Slides is Better

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

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

Here are several quick tips to shorten your slides:

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

Consistency is Key 

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

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

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

3. Make Your Closure Memorable 

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

Use the Rule of Three 

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

Many famous authors and speakers use this technique:

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

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

Try the Title Close Technique

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

Ask a Question 

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

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

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

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

12 Business Presentation Examples and What Makes Them Great 

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

1. N26 Digital Bank Pitch Deck 

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

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

2. WeWork Pitch Deck

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

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

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

3. Redfin Investor Presentation 

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

4. Google Ready Together Presentation 

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

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

5. Salesforce Business Presentation Example 

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

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

6. Mastercard Business Presentation

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

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

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

7. McKinsey Diversity & Inclusion Presentation 

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

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

8. Accenture Presentation for the Energy Sector

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

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

9. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Technical Presentation 

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

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

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

10. Snapchat Company Presentation

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

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

11. Visa Business Acquisition Presentation 

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

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

12. Pinterest Earnings Report Presentation 

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

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

To Conclude 

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

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

Like this article? Please share

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

Related Articles

Filed under Presentation Ideas • February 15th, 2024

How to Create a 5 Minutes Presentation

Master the art of short-format speeches like the 5 minutes presentation with this article. Insights on content structure, audience engagement and more.

Filed under Business • February 7th, 2024

How to Create & Present a Competitive Landscape Slide for Your Pitch Deck

Get to know how to properly create a winning competitive landscape slide for your pitch deck. Boost your pitch performance now.

Filed under Business • February 2nd, 2024

Business Plan Presentations: A Guide

Learn all that’s required to produce a high-quality business plan presentation in this guide. Suggested templates and examples are included.

Leave a Reply

• High-impact business writing
• Effective email writing
• Bid, tender and sales-proposal writing
• Technical writing
• Writing for customer service

• Customer-service writing
• Effective report writing

Business writing essentials

How to write a presentation (and deliver it, even via Zoom)

Jack elliott.

31 minute read

You’ve been asked to give a presentation. Chances are, your response will be roughly one of the following:

1. It’s a subject you’re passionate about and you’re a confident speaker. You’re pleased to have the opportunity.

2. You secretly worry that your style is flat and unengaging. You’re not looking forward to it.

3. At best, the prospect makes you nervous; at worst, terrified. You’d rather have root canal surgery.

If you belong in one of the last two categories, you probably know you’re not alone. You may have heard the statistic that public speaking is more widely feared even than death .

However you feel about the prospect of presenting, this comprehensive guide will take you step by step through the process of planning, writing and delivering a presentation you can be proud of (even via Zoom).

Use the contents links below to jump to the section you need most, make your way through methodically from start to finish, or bookmark this page for next time you need it.

What is a presentation?

Essentially, it’s a story. And its origins go back thousands of years – to when our ancestors gathered around the campfire to listen to the wise elders of the tribe. Without PowerPoint!

These days, presentations encompass the glitz and scale of the Oscars or the new iPhone launch through to business briefings to smaller audiences, in person or – increasingly – online. We’re focusing on the business side.

Whatever the occasion, there’s always an element of drama involved. A presentation is not a report you can read at your leisure, it’s an event – speakers are putting themselves on the spot to explain, persuade or inspire you. Good presentations use this dynamic to support their story.

Always remember: everyone wants you to do well

If you are nervous, always remember: no one sets out to write a poor presentation and no one wants to go to one either. There may be private agendas in the room, but for the most part audiences approach presentations positively. They want to be engaged and to learn. They want you to do well.

First things first: the date’s in the diary and you need to prepare. Let’s break it down.

1. Preparing your presentation

Imagine you’re a designer in the automotive industry and your boss has asked you to give a presentation. The subject: the future of the car and how it will fit with all the other modes of transport.

Where to start? How to approach it? First you need an angle, a key idea.

We talk about ‘giving’ a presentation – and of course it’s the audience who will be receiving it. So, instead of beginning with cars (in this case), let’s think about people. That way we can root the talk in the everyday experience we all share.

Maybe you remember a time you were stuck in traffic on a motorway. Morning rush hour. No one moving. Up ahead children were crossing a footbridge on their way to school, laughing at the cars going nowhere. And you thought, ‘Enjoy it while you can! This will be you one day.’ But maybe not. Surely we can do better for future generations!

There’s your opening – the whole issue captured in a single image, and you’ve immediately engaged your audience with a simple story.

The who, the why and the what

Always begin with the people you’ll be addressing in mind. Before you start writing, answer three fundamental questions: who is your audience, why are you talking to them and what do you want to say?

The answers will provide the strong foundations you need and start the ideas flowing. Ignore them and you risk being vague and unfocused. Clear writing is the result of clear thinking and thinking takes time, but it’s time well spent.

Got a presentation to write? Before you do anything else, answer three fundamental questions: who is your audience, why are you talking to them and what do you want to say? @EmphasisWriting Click To Tweet

Start with the audience

Are you a senior car designer talking to your team? If the answer’s yes, you can assume high-level, shared knowledge.

But if you’re talking to the sales or marketing departments, you can’t make the same assumptions – there are issues you might have to explain and justify. And if it’s a press briefing, it’s about getting the message out to the general public – a different story again.

Knowing your audience will also dictate your tone. Your presentation to the board is likely to be quite formal, whereas a talk for your team can be more relaxed.

And what’s the audience’s mood? On another occasion you might have bad news to deliver – perhaps the national economy and the company’s finances are threatening people’s jobs. Then you must empathise – put yourself in their position and adapt your tone accordingly.

I want to …

You also need a clear objective (the why ). For our car designer, the overriding objective should be to plant a key idea in the audience’s mind. Starting with that image of the schoolchildren, it’s to convince the audience that the company has a radical and distinctive design future.

That’s the takeaway. How should they do that? Should they explain, persuade or inspire – the three key strategies for any presentation? You may need to use several of them to achieve your goal.

Objectives should always complete the statement ‘I want to …’. What do you want to do ?

It’s about …

The what is the substance of your presentation – the building blocks, all the facts and figures that tell the audience ‘It’s about …’.

Back to our designer. The move away from petrol and diesel will allow a complete rethink of car design. The electric power unit and battery can lie under the car’s floor, freeing up all the space taken up by the conventional engine. And then there are all the issues around emission-free, autonomous vehicles in the ‘smart’ cities of the future.

When you’re planning, it can be helpful to get all the information out of your head and onto the page, using a mind map , like the example below (for a talk on UK transport policy).

This is an effective way of unlocking everything you know (or still need to do more research on). Start with your main topic, then keep asking yourself questions (like who, what, when, where, how and why) to dig into all the aspects.

Mind map with the topic of ‘UK transport policy at the centre. Arrows point out to six bubbles with the labels ‘Who’, ‘When’, ‘Why’, ‘How’, ‘What’ and ‘Where’. More arrows point out from each of these bubbles to explore related points in each area, and still more arrows from some of those points to expand further. The information reads:

• Special interests / NGOs
• Need for clear government direction
• What industry will do
• R&D spend
• What industry is doing
• Congestion [this leads to the sub-point ‘Wasted time and money’]
• More pollution
• More congestion
• More wasted time and money
• Climate change
• Road pricing
• Legislation
• Working together
• New technology
• Exports/revenue
• Social policy
• Rest of world
• Emerging economies

Once you’ve got it all out on the page, you can identify which parts actually belong in your presentation. Don’t try to include every last detail: audiences don’t want to process piles of information. They are more interested in your ideas and conclusions.

Now let’s put all this research and planning into a structure.

2. How to structure your presentation

On 28 August 1963, Dr Martin Luther King Jr stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC and delivered one of the most powerful speeches in history: ‘I have a dream’.

He was the leader of the civil rights movement in the US and his audience that day numbered in the hundreds of thousands. His goal was to inspire them to continue the struggle.

Presentations usually aim to either explain, persuade or inspire – sometimes with elements of all three. Your aim will determine your structure. This will be the backbone of your presentation, giving it strength and direction.

Explain in a logical sequence

When you explain, you add to people’s knowledge to build the key idea. But ask yourself, what does this audience already know?

If you’re an astrophysicist talking to an audience of your peers, you can use terms and concepts you know they’ll be familiar with. If you’re explaining black holes to Joe Public, you can’t do that. Typically, you’ll have to use simple analogies to keep the audience with you (‘Imagine you’re in a huge dark room …’).

Whether it’s black holes or new software, good explanations start with what we know and then build on that understanding, step by step, layer by layer. The audience will stay with you if they can follow your logic and you can help this with linking comments – ‘Building on that … ‘, ‘This means …’, ‘To illustrate that, I’ve always found …’.

Presentations usually aim to either explain, persuade or inspire – sometimes with elements of all three. Your aim will determine your presentation's structure. @EmphasisWriting Click To Tweet

We need to change

If you’re writing a persuasive presentation, you also need to follow a particular sequence.

Whether you’re writing a pitch for a prospective customer or making research-based recommendations to a client, you follow the same structure. That structure is the Four Ps . It’s a powerful way of leading your audience’s thinking.

Start with the current situation – where you are now ( position ). Explain why you can’t stay there, so the audience agrees things have to change ( problem ). Suggest up to three credible ways you can address the issue ( possibilities ). Then decide which one is the optimum solution ( proposal ).

Three is a magic number for writers – not too many, not too few. But there may be one standout possibility, in which case you go straight to it ( position, problem, proposal ).

Think about how the pandemic has profoundly changed our working lives. Towns and cities are full of offices that people used to commute to. But to maintain social distancing, we’ve been encouraged to work from home where possible and to stay away from public transport.

At some point, decision-makers within organisations will have to make a call – or share a recommendation – about what to do long term. Should we go back to the office, stay at home or combine the two?

If we had to present on this choice using the Four Ps structure, we could outline the pros and cons of each possibility and then make a push for the one we recommend above the others. Or we could join the likes of Google and Twitter and simply propose purely remote working well into the future.

I have a dream

A presentation that inspires is about the future – about what could be. Scientists inspire children to follow careers in astronomy or physics with their passion and stunning visuals. Designers re-energise companies with their radical, exciting visions. Business leaders convince their staff that they really can turn things around.

An audience watching an inspirational presentation is not going to take away lots of facts and figures. What’s important is their emotional and intellectual engagement with the speaker, their shared sense of purpose. One way to build that engagement is with your structure.

From dark to light

The most inspiring presentations are so often born of shared struggle. On 13 May 1940, Winston Churchill addressed the British parliament – and the British people listening on their radios – in the darkest days of the Second World War.

He was brutally realistic in his assessment of the current position: ‘We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering.’ He then set out his policy: ‘To wage war by sea, land and air, with all our might … against a monstrous tyranny’, and the prize: ‘Victory, however long and hard the road may be.’

In difficult situations, audiences immediately see through false hope and empty rhetoric. They want honest acknowledgement, and the determination and clear strategy to lead them to the future.

We can imagine how the same structure could show up in a more business-related context:

‘I’m not going to sugar-coat the figures. We have to change to save jobs and secure our future. There will be dark days and sacrifices along the way, but what’s the hardest part of any turnaround? It’s getting started. To do that, we all need to keep asking two fundamental questions: where can we improve, how can we improve? And if we push hard enough and if we’re utterly relentless, change will come and our momentum will build.’

Are you going to appeal to your audience’s

• habits of thought (current beliefs)?

If your recommendations run counter to their current beliefs, try appealing to their emotions.

3. Writing your presentation script

You don’t have to write a script. Some people put a few PowerPoint slides together and wing it; others make do with bullets on a smartphone, laptop or cue cards. It depends on the event and the presenter.

Writing a full script takes time, but if it’s a very important presentation and you might use it again – perhaps to appeal for investment – it will be worth it.

Some people will write a full script because the company or organisation that’s commissioned a presentation will want to see a copy well ahead of the event (often for legal reasons). Others will write the script, edit it down to the required time and then edit it down again to bullets or notes.

If the presentation is to a small audience, your notes or bullets will suit a more conversational approach. There are no rules here – see what works best for you. But what you must do is know your subject inside out.

To write clearly, you must think clearly and a full script will expose the areas that aren’t clear – where an explanation needs strengthening, for example, or where you should work on a transition.

Timing is everything

A full script also helps with working out timing, and timing is crucial. TED talks, for example, have a strict 18-minute limit, whether in front of an audience or online. That’s short enough to hold attention, but long enough to communicate a key idea. (The ‘I have a dream’ speech lasted 17 minutes 40 seconds and it changed the world.)

It takes a very skilled presenter to go much over 30 minutes. If you are taking questions during or after your presentation , however, it’s fine to build in extra time.

Imagine you’re writing your presentation in full and your slot is 20 minutes. On an A4 page with a 14-point Calibri font and 1.5 line spacing, that will equate to about 10 pages.

You can also divide the page in two, with slides on the left and text on the right (or vice versa). Then you can plan your words and visuals in parallel – and that will be roughly 20 pages.

Script page with a slide on the left-hand side and text on the right. The slide has the heading ‘What is your purpose?’ and has a photo of a smiling person at a whiteboard mid-presentation. The text on the slide reads:

Do you want to:

• do a combination of all three?

The notes next to the slide read:

How should they do that? Should they explain, persuade or inspire – the three key strategies for any presentation? You may need to use several of them to achieve your goal.

The most powerful key on your keyboard – Delete

Use these numbers as your goal, but your first draft will probably be longer. That’s when you start deleting.

Be ruthless. Anything not adding to the story must go, including those anecdotes you’ve been telling for years ( especially those anecdotes). It’s not about what you want to tell the audience, it’s about what they need to hear.

Don’t feel you have to include every single issue either. Dealing with two or three examples in some detail is far better than saying a little bit about many more.

And interpret visual material you’re displaying rather than describing it, just as you wouldn’t repeat the text that’s on the screen. The audience can see it already.

It’s a conversation

Be yourself – don’t write a script that’s not in your style. We want the real you, not a supercharged version.

Some people are naturals when it comes to presenting – which can mean they’ve learned how to draw on their authentic strengths.

Sir David Attenborough is a great example. He has a wide-ranging knowledge of the natural world. He has an infectious passion and enthusiasm for his subject. And most importantly, he doesn’t lecture the camera: he talks naturally to his audience (and he’s now using Instagram to inspire new generations).

You can take a cue from Sir David and make your presentation style your own. Knowing your own strengths and really understanding your why will help you speak with purpose and passion.

And aim to speak naturally. Use conversational, inclusive language. That means lots of personal pronouns ( I believe, we can) and contractions ( Don’t you wonder …, you’re probably thinking …).

Sir David Attenborough introduces his new series, Our Planet at its premiere. He builds up our awareness by layering information alongside arresting statistics. These are framed simply, in relatable terms (‘96% of mass on the planet is us …’), so we easily grasp their shocking significance. He also uses ‘we’ and ‘us’ a lot to underline how this environmental emergency affects us all on ‘the planet we all call home’.

Finding the right words

Imagine you’re talking to someone as you write. And try saying the words out loud – it’s a good way to catch those complex, overlong sentences or particular words that will be difficult to say.

Presentations are not reports that can be reread – the audience has to understand what you are saying in the moment . Don’t leave them wondering what on earth you’re talking about, as they will only fall behind.

So avoid using long or complex words, or words you wouldn’t hear in everyday conversation (if your everyday conversation includes ‘quarks’ and ‘vectors’, that’s fine). And beware of jargon – it can exclude the audience and it quickly becomes clichéd and outdated.

Here are some more hints and tips on how to write effectively for speaking:

Syntax (word order): Disentangle your thoughts and arrange the words in your sentences to be simple and logical. Often, complex syntax shows up when the main point is getting lost inside excess information (or that the speaker is unsure what their main point is).

Pace, rhythm and tone: Varying the pace, rhythm and tone of sentences makes both the speaking and listening experience far more enjoyable.

Make sure the stress falls on the most important words. For example, ‘To be or not to be ‘ (where the stress rises and falls on alternate words) or ‘I have a dream ‘ (where the stress falls on the final word).

Vary the length of sentences and experiment with using very short sentences to emphasise a point.

Play with rhythm by arranging words in pairs and trios. Saying things in threes gives a sense of movement, progression and resolution: Going, going … gone . Saying words in pairs gives a more balanced tone (‘courage and commitment’, ‘energy and effort’) or a sense of tension between the words (‘war and peace’, ‘imports and exports’).

Analogies: Good analogies can work well in presentations because they paint vivid pictures for the audience. The best way to do it is to use either a simile (‘It wasn’t so much a dinner party, more like feeding time at the zoo’) or a metaphor (‘He was the fox and the company was the henhouse’).

Alliteration: This means using two or more words that start with the same sound, like ‘big and bold’, ‘sleek and shiny’ or ‘key components’. On the page alliteration may look contrived, but it can effectively highlight important phrases in a presentation.

Words to avoid: Be careful about using clichés like ‘pushing the envelope’, ‘playing hardball’ and ‘thinking outside the box’. And think carefully about using any word that ends with -ism, -ise, -based, -gate, -focused and -driven.

Be careful with humour too: don’t write jokes unless you can naturally tell them well. Keep the tone light if it fits the occasion, but a badly told joke can be excruciating.

4. How to start your presentation

People tend to remember beginnings and endings the most, so make sure your opening and conclusion are both strong.

You have about a minute to engage an audience. You want them to be intrigued, to want to know more, to come slightly forward in their seats. If you only learn one part of your presentation by heart, make it that minute.

A quick ‘thank you’ is fine if someone has introduced you. A quick ‘good morning’ to the audience is fine too. But don’t start thanking them for coming and hoping they’ll enjoy what you have to say – you’re not accepting an Oscar, and they can tell you what they thought when it’s over. Get straight down to business.

There are four basic types of introduction which will draw your audience in:

• News – ‘Positive Covid-19 tests worldwide have now reached …’
• Anecdotal – ‘About ten years ago, I was walking to work and I saw …’
• Surprise – ‘Every five minutes, an American will die because of the food they eat.’
• Historical – ‘In 1800, the world’s population was one billion. It’s now 7.8 billion.’

You can interpret these beginnings in any number of ways. If you were to say, ‘I have an admission to make …’, we will expect a personal anecdote relating to your main theme. And because you’re alone in front of us, it’s playing on your vulnerability. We’re intrigued straight away, and you’ve established a good platform for the rest of the presentation.

You can also combine these techniques. The historical beginning creates a sense of movement – that was then and this is now – as well as a surprising fact. It may prompt a thought like, ‘Wow, where’s this going?’ And you can trade on this with your own rhetorical question: ‘What does this mean for everyone in this room? It’s not what you think …’.

As well as setting up your story, you need to quickly reassure the audience they’re in safe hands. One way to do that is to give them a map – to tell them where you’re going to take them and what they’re going to see along the way.

Then you’re starting the journey together.

5. How to end your presentation

Your ending is what you want the audience to take away: your call to action, your vision of the future and how they can contribute.

If your presentation is online or to a small group in a small room, your ending is not going to be a battle cry, a call to man the barricades – that would be totally inappropriate. But equally don’t waste it with something flat and uninspiring.

Here are four effective ways to end your talk (like the intros, you can combine them or come up with your own):

• Predict the future – ‘So what can we expect in the next ten years? …’
• Quotation – ‘As our chief exec said at the meeting yesterday, …’
• Repeat a major issue – ‘We can’t carry on with the same old same old.’
• Summarise – ‘Continuous improvement isn’t our goal. It’s our culture.’

Predicting the future fits well with a historical beginning – it completes the arc of your presentation.

If you end with a quotation, make sure it’s relevant and credible – it has to be an authoritative stamp.

Repeating a major issue means pulling out and highlighting a major strand of your presentation, while summarising is about encapsulating your argument in a couple of sentences.

Your ending can also be a change of tone, perhaps signalled by the single word ‘Finally …’. It’s the audience’s cue to come slightly forward again and pay close attention.

As with your opening, it will have more impact if you’ve learned your ending – put down your notes, take a couple of steps towards the audience and address them directly, before a simple ‘Thank you.’

6. Creating your PowerPoint slides

We’ve all been there – watching a seemingly endless, poorly designed slide deck that’s simply restating what the presenter is saying. So common is this tortuous experience that there’s a name for it: Death by PowerPoint. But it doesn’t have to be like this.

Do you need slides at all?

As with your script, the first thing you should ask is ‘Do I actually need this?’ In 2019, Sir Tim Berners-Lee gave the Richard Dimbleby lecture for the BBC. He spoke for about 40 minutes with no autocue (he’d memorised his script) – and no speaker support.

This is a uniquely powerful form of presentation because the audience’s attention is totally focused on that one person. The call to action at the end of a presentation and delivering bad news are also best done without visuals.

Visual support

But if they’re well-judged and relevant, slides or other visuals can add enormously to a presentation – whether it’s photography, video or the ubiquitous PowerPoint. There are, however, two things everyone should know about PowerPoint in particular:

• It’s incredibly versatile and convenient.
• In the wrong hands, it can be unbearably tedious.

Your PowerPoint slides should not essentially be your cue cards projected onto a screen. They shouldn’t be packed margin to margin with text or full of complex diagrams.

If the presentation is live, the audience has come to watch you, not your slide deck. Online, the deck may have to work harder to sustain visual interest.

As with the script, keep your finger poised over that Delete key when you’re putting the deck together.

How many slides?

There’s no hard-and-fast rule about how many slides you should use, but think in terms of no more than one or two a minute on average. And don’t use more than a couple of short video inserts in a 20-minute presentation.

You might have a section where you show a few slides in a sequence or hold a single slide for a couple of minutes, which is fine. Varying the pacing helps to keep a presentation moving.

Optimise for psychology

As self-professed presentation aficionado David JP Phillips notes in his TEDx talk , people – and that includes your audience – have terrible working memories. If you don’t account for this fact in your slides, your talk will not have a lasting impact. In fact, most of it will be forgotten within around 30 seconds.

To counter this effect, David identifies five key strategies to use when designing your PowerPoint:

• Only have one message per slide: more than that and you’re splitting your audience’s attention.
• Don’t use full sentences on slides, and certainly don’t imagine you can talk over them if you do. People trying to read and listen at the same time will fail at both and absorb nothing. Move your running text into the documentation section instead, and keep the slide content short and sweet.
• People’s focus will be drawn to the biggest thing on the slide. If your headline is less important than the content below it, make the headline text the smaller of the two.
• You can also direct people’s attention using contrast. This can be as simple as guiding their point of focus by using white text (on a dark background) for the words you want to highlight, while the surrounding text is greyed out.
• Including too many objects per slide will sap your audience’s cognitive resources. (Your headline, every bullet, any references, even a page number each count as an object.) Include a maximum of six objects per slide and viewers will give a mental sigh of relief. This will probably mean creating more slides overall – and that’s fine.

More Powerpoint and visual aid tips

Here are a few more guidelines for creating your visual aids:

• Never dive into PowerPoint as job one in creating your presentation. Work out your talk’s structure (at least) before designing your slide deck. Making a genuinely effective PowerPoint requires that you know your subject inside out.
• List any visuals you’ll need as you prepare your script. That terrific photo you saw recently could be difficult to track down, and you might need permission and to pay to use it.
• It bears repeating: keep each slide to one key idea.
• Use the build effect of adding one bullet at a time (or use the contrast trick above) and try not to use more than three bullets per frame (or six objects overall).
• Strip each bullet to the bare minimum – no articles (‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’), no prepositions (‘in’, ‘at’, ‘to’ etc) and cut right back on punctuation.
• Every word that’s not there for a reason has to go. Delete, delete, delete.

‘Extra’ slides

• Use a ‘walk-in’ slide. Rather than have the audience arrive to a blank screen, this tells them who you are and your presentation’s title.
• Use occasional holding slides in between those with more content – perhaps an image but no text. They give the audience a visual rest and put the focus back on you.
• A plain white background might look fine on a computer monitor, but it will be glaring on a big screen. Invert the norm with a dark background, or use shading or ‘ghosted’ images to break up backgrounds and add visual interest.
• Some colours work better than others on-screen. Blues and greys are soft and easy on the eye. Red is a no-no, whether for backgrounds or text. And if you stick with a light background, favour a more subtle dark grey over black for the text.
• Use sans serif fonts (like Arial, Helvetica or Calibri) and think about point size – make sure it’s easily legible.
• Only use upper case where absolutely necessary.

Images and data

• Photos work well full screen, but they also really stand out well on a black background.
• Make sure your charts and graphics aren’t too complex. The dense information that’s fine on the page will not work on-screen – it’s too much to take in. Graphs behind a TV newsreader are often reduced to a single line going dramatically up or down.
• Don’t present data or graphs and expect them to speak for themselves. You need to find the story and significance in the data and present that .

And finally

• Proofread, proofread, proofread – or risk standing in front of an embarrassing spelling mistake.

Technical check

• Check what laptop they’re using at your venue. If you’ve written your deck on a PC, run it on a PC (and, of course, the same rule applies if you’ve used a Mac).
• If you’ve emailed your presentation to the venue, take a USB copy along as back-up.
• If you’re presenting online, check which platform you’ll be using and get comfortable with it. If someone else will be hosting the event, make sure you arrange a time for a rehearsal, especially if there will be a producer.

7. Delivering your presentation

You’ve put a lot of time and effort into preparing your presentation and now you’ve come to the sharp end – it’s time to stand and deliver.

Run it through

You don’t have to rehearse, but most presenters do and for good reason – it catches weak points and awkward transitions. And, crucially, it bolsters confidence.

Read your script or go through your bullets aloud – it will help to settle your nerves. If you use colleagues as a dummy audience, you can do a sense check too: ‘Does that bit work?’ ‘Have I explained it clearly?’ ‘Do you get the big picture?’ And rehearsing out loud will catch those words and sentences you thought you could say but can’t.

The more you rehearse, the more familiar and natural the presentation will become. Rehearse the technical side too – where the video is going to come in, how you’re going to vary your pace and tone to maintain interest.

Try speaking slightly more slowly than you would normally so the audience catches every word, and don’t be afraid to pause now and again. It gives a breathing space for you and the audience.

Connect with your audience

When you deliver your presentation for real, establish eye contact with the audience, just as you would in a conversation. In a small room with a small audience, talk to individuals. In a larger space, don’t talk to the first couple of rows and ignore the rest – include everyone.

And if you stumble over your words here or there, carry on and don’t dwell on it – you’ll lose your concentration. Audiences are generally forgiving and they might not even notice.

Each audience is unique: they react differently in different places. And although tomorrow might be the tenth time you’ve done the same presentation, it will be the first time this audience sees it. Your duty is to keep it fresh for them.

A final point

This is your presentation – you’re in control and the audience needs to feel they’re in safe hands.

It’s perfectly natural to feel nervous , but it’s the thought of doing it that’s the worst bit. Once you get going – and especially when you sense the audience is with you – the nerves will start to disappear. Try to enjoy it. If you enjoy it, it’s far more likely the audience will too.

And remember: everyone wants you to do well.

8. How to present online

Taking to Zoom or another online platform to present was once the exception. These days, online presenting is as essential a skill as presenting in person.

The switch to online can be nerve-wracking and cause even usually skilled presenters to falter. But there’s no need for that to happen.

Indeed, all of the advice we’ve talked about on preparing, structuring and writing for in-person presenting is equally relevant for your online delivery. You just need to be ready for the unique challenges that remote presentations pose.

An obvious one is that while you still have an audience, it will probably be muted and possibly even unseen (if webcams are switched off). This makes it far more difficult to gauge audience reaction, and if the event is pre-recorded, there might not be any at all – at least not immediately. Clapping and laughing emojis are not quite like the real thing.

Keep eye contact

But although your audience may be many miles away, there are still ways you can – and should – create a sense of connection with them. Your presentation will have much more impact if you do.

Whether the event is live or recorded, at least start with your webcam on (unless you really can only use slides). If it’s an option and feels appropriate, consider keeping your camera on throughout – remember, you are the presentation as much as any visuals.

If you will be on display, make sure you know where your webcam’s lens is and at key moments of your talk look directly into it – and out at your audience – to punctuate those points.

And don’t look at a second screen to cue up your PowerPoint – viewers will think your attention is wandering.

Engage your online audience

Being an engaging speaker is always important, but remember that the online world is already a place we associate with distraction. It’s also easier for a viewer behind their laptop to disguise their wandering attention than it would be for one in an auditorium or boardroom.

This isn’t to say your audience don’t want to give you their attention. But it is more important than ever to keep your presentation sharp and concise. Revisit your structure, your script or cue cards and your slides. Take a really critical eye to it and (as always) delete, delete, delete anything that’s not directly relevant.

If it works for your format, you can look at making your presentation interactive. You can then break the content into short segments, interspersed with comment, polls, questions and discussion. The variety will be a welcome change for your viewers.

Your visuals are part of what will keep people with you – along with the interplay you create between you and them. This means following the best-practice guidance we covered earlier is even more important.

Using Zoom for your presentation? Master the art of online delivery through this simple mix of set-up, delivery and technical tricks @EmphasisWriting Click To Tweet

Modulate your voice

Your tone of voice is extremely important here because presenting online is like radio with pictures. When people say ‘You have a great voice for radio’ what they mean is that it’s easy to listen to, often because you’re using quite a low-pitched, warm and relaxed register.

Listen to voices on the radio and voiceovers and identify the ones you particularly enjoy. What do you like about them? Why do you enjoy some voices and not others?

A flat, unmodulated voice, for instance, is difficult to listen to for long periods (and isn’t likely to inspire anyone).

Experiment with intentionally adding energy to your voice, as internet audio can have a dulling effect. As our trainer Gary Woodward puts it: ‘Turn up the enthusiasm dial even higher than you think, to make sure it comes through.’ And always vary your pace and tone as you would in a normal conversation.

And if it suits the tone of your talk, smile now and again. Smiling is contagious, and people will hear it in your voice even if they can’t see you.

Perfect your transitions

One of the other key challenges of remote presentations is that you have another layer of technology to wrestle with: sharing your PowerPoint online.

This means that many presentations begin with the popular catchphrase ‘Can you see my screen?’

This can also cause many presenters to stumble through their transitions, making the links between their slides clunky. And while remote audiences may be forgiving, for a slick presentation it’s best to prevent these sort of fumbles.

Naturally, practice plays a part here. But you can also give yourself the advantage with your set-up.

Dave Paradi from Think Outside the Slide explains one great way of setting up Zoom so you can smoothly cue up and run your slide deck – and be certain what’s being displayed.

You’ll even be able to see the rest of your screen (but the audience won’t). As you’ll be able to see what’s coming up, your transitions can also be seamless.

The trick is to use one of Zoom’s advanced settings after you hit ‘Share screen’, to share only a portion of your screen:

Advanced screensharing options pop-up box in Zoom, with the options ‘Portion of Screen’, ‘Music or Computer Sound Only’ and ‘Content from 2nd Camera’. The ‘Portion of Screen’ option is highlighted in blue.

This will give you a frame you can move to the part of the screen you want the audience to see.

Put your PowerPoint slides into ‘presenter view’ before launching the screenshare. Then you’ll be able to see the upcoming slides and your notes throughout, and your animations (like build slides) will work as normal.

Zoom’s ‘portion of screen’ setting in action

Presenter view in PowerPoint, with the current displayed slide on the left and the upcoming slide displaying smaller on the right, with notes below it. There is a notification saying ‘You are screen sharing’ at the top and a sharing frame positioned around the current slide.

The other part of the trick? Set it up in advance shortly before you’re due to speak. Once you’re happy with the set up, you can stop sharing until it’s time to kick off your talk. When you return to ‘Share screen’ again, it will reopen the frame in the same place.

Dave shows you the process in this video:

Five practical tips for a truly professional online presentation

You’re happy with the content of your talk, you’ve ruthlessly streamlined your slides and mastered your radio voice. Now just make sure you cover these crucial practicalities for a polished presentation:

1. Create a good space Make sure you have your environment well set up:

• Keep the background on display as tidy and minimalist as possible – a plain wall or backdrop is great, if you can.
• Manage and minimise background noise (shut the window, ensure your phone’s on silent, put the cat out, make sure someone’s watching the kids in another room – whatever it takes).
• Check your lighting: have your light source in front of you, not behind you (or you’ll be in shadow).
• Set up your computer or device at eye level so that you are well-framed and facing it straight on – avoid looming above it while providing a lovely view into your nostrils.

2. Think about your appearance Dress in the same way you would if the presentation were in person, and judge your choice of attire based on the formality of the event and your audience.

3. Practise! Run through the presentation and rehearse the technical side. Practise your transitions, including the initial cueing up of your slides (perhaps using the Zoom tip above), so that you can be confident in doing it all smoothly.

4. Be primed and ready Log in early on the day of your talk. Check all your tech is working, get your headset on and ensure everything is set up well ahead of time. This will save any last-minute issues (and stress) and means you can hit the ground running.

5. Stand and deliver Even online, consider giving your presentation standing up, if you can do so comfortably (adjusting your device or webcam accordingly). This may put you more into a presenting frame of mind and will differentiate you from most remote presenters.

Are you still there?

Live audiences have a group dynamic – as soon as a few people start laughing it becomes infectious and the others join in. It’s naturally different online. But that doesn’t have to throw you.

You might not get that immediate feedback, but don’t overcompensate and feel you have to win them back.

Yes, it’s often more difficult to gauge an audience’s reaction online – especially if their audio is muted and their webcams off. Yes, this can be daunting. But they are still out there listening. You may or may not hear (or see) laughter, but they could still be smiling and very interested in what you have to say. Have faith in your own content. Whatever form your delivery will take, keep coming back to your purpose and message for giving this talk – and keep considering the people you’ll be talking to. Whether the address will be online or in person, it is keeping this focus which is the key to every powerful presentation.

Ready to learn even more? Work one-to-one on your presentation-writing skills with one of our expert trainers or join our scheduled presentation-writing courses . If your team are looking to upskill, we also offer tailored in-house training . And if fear of presenting is holding your team back, check out our in-house course The reluctant presenter .

Image credit: lightpoet / Shutterstock

Your go-to guide to better writing

Get your own PDF copy of The Write Stuff , the definitive guide for everyone who writes at work.

These days he's one of Emphasis' top business-writing trainers, but in previous career lives Jack has written for many public and private sector organisations. He has an in-depth knowledge of the engineering and manufacturing sectors, particularly the UK automotive industry. As the lead scriptwriter for chairmen and CEOs, he has been responsible for proposals, pitches and reports as well as high-profile speeches and global product launches.

Was this article helpful?

This helps us make better content for you

You might also like

The readability techniques you need for clear business writing

Writing to the board

Writing a report for the board? Here’s what you need to know

Writing for marketing

How to write a winning marketing proposal [with presentation template]

Bids and proposals

Is your bid presentation pushing prospects into the cold?

Get expert advice, how-tos and resources for good writing (and great work).

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

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).

Partner Center

Improve your practice.

Enhance your soft skills with a range of award-winning courses.

Business Writing for Beginners (the Essentials), with Examples

February 2, 2022 - Sophie Thompson

Business writing is a professional piece of writing used to pass a message in a comprehensible and effective way. This could be a report, email, proposal, notice, speech, memo, PowerPoint presentation, and brochure, among others.

Business writing can be informational, instructional, transactional, or persuasive. As part of effective communication in a workplace, it must be proficient and concise. That means the grammar, sentence structure, and use of language must be on point.

The ability to convey information succinctly and accurately in a business setting is vital, especially in this era, whereby audiences are busy. Careless mistakes can make customers question the products or services on offer.

Or it can leave employees and associates wondering what else the organisation has been negligent in.

To inspire clients, invite partners, or encourage workers, there are various ways to make a message stand out in business writing.

1. Understanding the audience

The reader takes centre stage in business writing. So, when advertising a business, the focus should be on what the customer needs rather than what the seller knows.

Often, a message intended for everyone appeals to no one. That is why it is crucial to know the readers, whether young, highly educated, urban, or fashionable. That way, it is easier to address their most pressing matters.

Example : ABC company is advertising services targeted at  Gen Z (zoomers) , the hyper-connected generation. First, ABC should keep in mind that this is a tech-centred audience that is very active on social media. They jump from one thing to the next in no time or multitask. Captivating the zoomers may take twice as much effort as it would for the millennials. There’s no need for long-form advertisements as Gen Z easily loses focus. Yet, they can quickly absorb simple, captivating content on Instagram stories, TikTok, and Snapchat. If ABC wants to use video, then it should showcase the service in the first few seconds; otherwise, the brand will lose social interactions.

Another key aspect of the audience is the demographic traits. These are the common attributes of a particular audience. Men may see things differently from women, for instance.

If a business is doing a PowerPoint presentation on iron deficiency, the slides would include more data on the best sources of iron during a menstrual cycle and pregnancy. This information would not be needed if the audience were men.

The age, employment status, and education level of the target audience matter a lot. A highly educated audience can grasp scholarly language, but first-year college students might need simplified terminologies.

Recognising that individuals and cultural norms are dynamic enhances intercultural communication. It is imperative to be aware of the perceptions of the target audience and to practice fairness.

This requires non-judgmental business communication that is open-minded, bearing in mind that some ideas can be strongly opposed because of differences in values and beliefs.

2. Correct format

Documents come in different formats. Some useful formatting elements include:

• Titles and subtitles to separate categories
• Brief paragraphs
• Plenty of white space with bulleted and numbered lists
• Indented text as a sub-element of the previous message

When it comes to emails and other forms of online communications, paragraphs should not exceed seven lines. Lengthy sentences  reduce readability  and most people are likely to jump an enormous block of text.

Headings and sub-headings help to scan the information more efficiently. On the other hand, indented paragraphs help to emphasize the hierarchy of information.

While dangling expressions may add an element of fun, it is best to avoid them altogether in business writing. Many times, they creep in when copy-pasting documents in bullets.

Example : Ximena took plenty of photos before flying back to Spain using her GoPro camera.

The reader might wonder how a GoPro camera can serve as a mode of transport in the example provided above.

3. Honing clarity

One mistake that communications managers make is creating bloated documents. The fewer the words, the better. Bloat happens when sloppy verbs are used. The first step to evade this blunder is cutting unnecessary words.

Focusing on action verbs is the best approach to enhancing clarity. Readers get bored when a piece of writing contains little action or unclear verbs.

A verb must play its role well without overwhelming the audience with add-ons. Similarly, good business writing doesn’t always need adverbs. It is better off to incorporate powerful verbs that do not require modifiers.

Example : Alexander passionately loves the urban lifestyle.

A more powerful form of this sentence would be: Alexander treasures the urban lifestyle.

Decades ago, business writers thought big words showcased intelligence. But the truth is short, simple words have more impact. Unless employed wisely,  ten-dollar words  may sound redundant and exaggerated. They are awkward to read and hard to understand.

Here are examples of ten-dollar words and their synonyms.

• Magnanimous- kind
• Predilection- fondness
• Feckless- incompetent
• Chimera- monster
• Facetious- amusing
• Incongruous- twisted
• Indiscriminately- needlessly

4. Structure

Business writing must achieve its original purpose. It is okay to write down thoughts as they occur, but it is more important to bring order to the succession of ideas. The concept must be clear.

“If you cannot explain it to a six-year-old, then you don’t understand it yourself.” – Albert Einstein.

A complex idea with multiple angles, requests, and questions must be outlined before composing the message. An outline or draft saves time in clarifying points later. That said, a good business writer must think from the reader’s perspective.

This helps to anticipate questions from the audience. The context should be good enough to explain what is in the text. If not, all the blanks must be filled in.

However, there’s no need to go overboard explaining concepts. The goal is to provide enough information without overwhelming readers with trivial details.

5. Confident tone

A confident tone is calm and assuring. It doesn’t use too many conjunctions, leaving the reader out of breath. On the other hand, a tone that is trying hard to impress may sound desperate and turn off the reader.

Here are two examples: a desperate tone vs. a confident tone.

Travelling with us is the best decision you can make today, and you can rest assured of safety. If you book with us, you don’t need to worry about anything, and you can continue with your day-to-day activity knowing that we are in charge of your holiday plans.

Travel with us today easily and safely. Book with us and let us do the rest for you. Relax knowing that your vacation plan is in able hands.

Many business people are tempted to write the way they talk. This could be a positive thing, as it maintains a conversational tone. However, rambling in several sentences without getting to the point can make a document sound unconvincing.

Prepositional phrases often render business correspondence unnecessarily wordy. Prepositions should be used prudently to give the writing much-needed clarity. Using active voice eliminates dispensable prepositional phrases, e.g.

“The house was built by a famous Swedish architect” could be rephrased to “A famous Swedish architect built the house.”

Another tip to avoid unnecessary prepositions is the use of adverbs, e.g.,

“The tool operates with vigour,” could be shortened to “The tool operates vigorously.”

6. No fluff

Fluff content adds no value to a sentence. While  filler words  seem to add colour, they are the enemy of compelling emails or product descriptions. It is possible to get to the point by implementing these tips:

• Tightening up the introduction
• Limiting adjectives and adverbs
• Avoiding jargon
• Not stating the obvious
• Staying on topic
• Editing and proofreading

Some words and phrases are worthless in business writing: actually, absolutely, completely, kind of, sort of, really, just, and literally.

It is hard to grab the readers’ attention with jargon. The content should sound like a human. Jargon speeches are the easiest way to bore and confuse the reader. Information targeted at the average person flows naturally.

Adjectives are great, but too many of them become filler words. A lot of people tend to misuse the words ‘incredible’ and ‘amazing.’ Descriptive words can make an article exciting, but readers might question the credibility of the business. Similarly, adverbs should be used in moderation.

Lastly, business writing should not state the obvious or include clichés. For instance, a restaurant manager is drafting a grand opening press release. The document can include the exact time and date of opening, the location, web address, and the type of food to be served. But there’s no need to write a section on the topic ‘how to make burgers.’

If statements cause readers to roll their eyes, then there’s a problem in writing. Even though most prospects are seeking knowledge, they don’t need repetitive explanations. The most effective message is hyper-targeted to the topic.

Any piece of business writing must keep the reader’s interest at the forefront. Most people don’t have the time to recap lengthy messages, so a formal document must be captivating in the first few sentences. The greatest challenge is to maintain clarity.

While trying to make a statement as brief as possible, it is easier to lose the original meaning.

Ultimately, good business writing gives a company the credibility it deserves. Poor writing skills present a brand as less qualified than the competition. Very few customers will be willing to pay for services if the ads contain obvious mistakes.

In the words of Mark Twain, “To get the right word in the right place is a rare achievement,” but good writing can be achieved as long as it relays what a brand represents.

How To Write A Presentation: An Ultimate Guide

Table of Contents

Preparing a presentation can be a daunting experience. Standing in front of an audience to give a speech can be an even more overwhelming prospect. However, you are unlikely to get through university without having to create a presentation. Depending on your subject, instructors may require you to provide feedback from a group task or deliver the findings of a scientific experiment. Whatever the topic, you’ll be presenting to your tutor and fellow students. While preparing a presentation and making your case in front of them is not easy, especially if you’re not used to doing it, it is a good practice since many employers use presentations as part of the recruitment process.

How to Write a PowerPoint Presentation Successfully

Creating an excellent PowerPoint presentation is a skill that any professional must have, especially in the corporate and business world. The problem? It is very easy to get it wrong. From poor color choices to confusing slides, a bad PowerPoint slideshow can distract the audience from the awesome content. A PowerPoint presentation is like a poster presentation; only that the information is on computer slides rather than actual posters. It often accompanies and enhances oral presentations instead of serving as speaking notes. Well-designed slides used sparingly and with good timing can be brilliant. Heck, they can even make an otherwise good presentation awesome. Here are some tips to help you illustrate why your creative talents are the perfect ingredients for a killer presentation.

Use the 10-20-30 Rule

A PowerPoint slide should only have the main points. Guy Kawaski suggested the 10-20-30 rule to make presentations engaging and captivating. He says that a good presentation should not contain more than ten slides, shouldn’t last for more than 20 minutes, and the content should not be more than 30 points. But how do you make your texts lean on the slides? Draw relevant information from your narrative and feature only core ideas and points on slides. You can use the “6×6 technique” to avoid getting too wordy. This guideline suggests using no more than six bullet points or lines per slide with no more than six words per line.

Write an abstract for a Presentation

The purpose of an abstract is to highlight the most critical information in a piece of writing. However, a presentation abstract is different. Try to think of it as an invitation to a party. You want to create as much excitement and curiosity for your presentation as possible. Writing an abstract for a presentation requires the presented information to be more succinct. Unlike a typical abstract or executive summary, the presentation abstract should have less than 250 words and have a simplified and condensed breakdown. The abstract should come after your short bio.

Write A Presentation Outline

When preparing a presentation, there are various ways you can use it to share relevant ideas. One tool that helps presenters is a presentation outline – a synopsis of a talk or pitch. Presentation outlines help you organize your agenda and create a logical flow of thoughts in your script. They give you a clear path to transition your audience from your current status to where you want them to be. Follow these steps to create an outline for your presentation:

• Consider the purpose of your presentation
• Create a structure – introduction, main body, and conclusion
• Use an attention grabber
• Consider visual content
• Include a call to action

Use a Paper Writing Service

Writing presentations can be a stressful process. Students often struggle to get it right and need a guiding hand to help them create engaging and captivating slides. Luckily, CustomWritings presentation writing services that can take care of your PowerPoint presentations. Their team of writers can break down any topic to create slides precisely according to your custom instructions. Besides, the company offers presentation examples and other academic writing services, such as research papers, term papers, assignments, admission essays, and dissertations, at affordable prices across the board for all sorts of projects. No matter your academic level. Whether a Ph.D. or Master’s, you will always get personalized, original, quality, and professional papers at accommodating rates.

Stick to One Idea Per Slide

Like keeping slides virtually uncluttered, focusing on one key idea per slide can help your audience quickly follow along. Too many ideas on one slide can detract the audience from the significance of each idea. By featuring only one point per slide, you also give the idea room for visual impact. For instance, you can experiment with fonts and image sizes to deliver the desired effect.

Include Powerful Visuals

Adding visual elements to your presentation makes your deck more engaging and dynamic. However, the caveat is that visuals used as an afterthought can counter your ideas rather than complement them. Such visuals as nostalgic photos can appeal to the audience’s emotions in a way that a generic stock picture might not. Likewise, using eye-catching charts and graphs to simplify complex information instead of writing out a slew of statistics as text can keep your audience from getting overwhelmed with data. Remember that visual aids should complement your oral presentations, not repeat them or deliver the presentation for you.

Be Savvy with Design Details

A good design can make or break a presentation. If you haven’t got a budget for a designer, presentation tools, such as Canva and Visme, can help you make great slides. Firstly, use color consistently. Bright colors can dazzle, but too many can be off-putting. Use the colors most relevant to your message. Secondly, be consistent with the font. Consistent designs make your presentation look professional. Don’t switch from caps and lower case, Cosmic Sans to Times New Roman, or 10-to-18-point text size. Keep your on-screen text uniform for a more cohesive message. Lastly, format to precision. A wonky line on a slide or a badly pixelated graphic can put some people off, as it looks like you haven’t tried very hard, or worse, you just aren’t good enough. In a snapshot;

• Use color sparingly
• Use font consistently
• Format to perfection

Polish Several Times

Like your favorite shoes, a good presentation needs a few rounds of dusting before it’s all shiny and sparkly. Don’t be afraid to get messy. Arrange your ideas side-by-side and discover new connections that you didn’t see before. You should edit the slides ruthlessly. At first, you may have a considerable amount of information and struggle to get down six bullet points per slide. Edit thoroughly until you pair your message down to the bare essentials. You can also get a fresh pair of eyes to refine your presentation.

Final Thought about Presentation Writing

Written presentations are a powerful way to share ideas – if you create a deck that communicates your points clearly and effectively. Other communication dynamics, such as your oratory skills and body language, can influence your presentation’s success. Nonetheless, a well-written presentation is a resource that your audience can revisit long after you’ve shared it. By applying these PowerPoint presentation tips, you’ll be in a stronger position to inform, entertain, inspire, and activate your audience through a clear message.

Join the thousands who have sharpened their business writing skills with our award winning courses.

Copyright © 2024 Businesswritingblog.com.

How to Write a Presentation: Expert Guide for Business

March 05, 2024

PowerPoint Presentations can be great.  Or they can be crap. We all know what Death by PowerPoint feels like. But, how do you write a presentation in business that works.  And how do you avoid mistakes when creating presentations?

The first questions is how do you start writing your presentation  because, if you start writing well, then you will be much more likely to end up with a great presentation..

If you want really good business presentations, you may need to re-think how you write them.

For example, if you switch to PowerPoint as soon as you hear the word ‘presentation’, then we can show you a much better way to prepare your presentation. In fact, if you start with PowerPoint, we suggest you completely re-think how you approach your presentations.

The 12 Step Process for Writing Great Business Presentations

Let’s review each of these 12 tips on how to write a presentation for business in more detail:

1.  Do NOT Open PowerPoint

First, understand how NOT to prepare a PowerPoint presentation.  Because this is the big mistake that most people do to write presentations:

• Switch on their computer
• Open up PowerPoint
• Search out other presentations given recently
• Start making changes to PowerPoint slides
• Print out the first batch of slides
• Scribble all over them
• Re-edit these slides
• Keep on at the slides until late at night
• Work at it over the weekend
• Give it to a colleague to look at
• Incorporate those comments
• Work until late at night again
• Rehearse in the taxi on the way to the meeting Then, start with: “Hello, my name is John Smith and I am here today to talk about…..”

If this is you, then this article is for you.    You’ll learn how to prepare presentations more effectively and how to impress when you present.

And yes, you read it right – resist the urge to open PowerPoint . Instead, start with a blank sheet of paper.  Write down your key points, and structure your thoughts. This ensures your presentation is thoughtful and not just a series of slides.  Read this blog article on planning a winning presentation.   

PowerPoint should be the last stop on the journey of writing a business presentation, not the first.

2. Know Your Audience and Your Goals

Before you dive into creating your presentation, be crystal clear on who your audience is and what you want to achieve. Tailor your message to resonate with them, making it more impactful and engaging. 

For example, don’t say “Sales up 6% this month” say “We’ve grown sales by 6% this month”.  Don’t say “The new HR system”. Say “Saving you time and money with a new HR System.” 

The better you understand your audience, the better you can talk to them in their language.  And that means your audience will pay attention.

3. Craft a Single, Powerful Message

Condense your talk into one central message that encapsulates your key points. This ensures that your audience leaves with a clear understanding of what you want to convey.  If you can be sure that your audience will go away after your presentation remembering that one message, then you’ve done a great job.

And you know you have it right when this single message goes on the front page.   For example, if you are pitching for work, your message is not “Response to the RFP”. It is “Helping XYZCo achieve its strategic goals”

4. Break Your Presentation Into Chunks

How to write a presentation? Divide your presentation into distinct sections, making it easier for your audience to follow. Clearly labelled segments help maintain focus and make your presentation more digestible. 

The magic number here is three.  Can you break down what you want to say into three parts?  For example a good set of messages could be:

• Why we need to change our HR system
• We’ll save nearly £3m per year with the new system
• We can be up and running within a year.

By writing this, you now have a clear structure for your presentation and your executive summary.  

5. How to Write a Presentation: Your narrative

Now that you have your main message and your three parts to your presentation, write your storyline, or your narrative.  The best way to do this is, again, is by writing it on a blank sheet of paper.  For example, you might write:

• Our current system is 6 years old and costs £5m per year to run
• It is slow and breaks down regularly
• Market analysis shows that many better systems are available
• The market leading system costs only £2m per year, compared to our £5m pa
• The new system will be faster, cheaper and more user friendly
• And it will allow senior management to get weekly reports
• Our research shows that XZY co is the recommended provider
• It is currently being used in many companies just like ours
• To reduce risk, we’ll run the two systems in parallel for the first 6 months
• We need to commit £2m today to be up and running within a week

If you write a presentation narrative like this, you can test your logic, check the your story is watertight, and keep fixing it until you are happy.  And you’ve not wasted any time playing with PowerPoint.

Best of all, you have now written the headlines for each part of your presentation.  If you making visual aids, then these could be titles of each of your slides.

6. Begin with a Bang

Plan a start that will put your audience exactly where you want them.  Think about how your audience will feel within the first 20 seconds.  Set the tone for your presentation and grab their interest from the start.  And the more complicated and difficult your subject matter, the more important it is that you start your presentation as you intend to continue.  

For example, if you are presenting to senior management about the new HR software, you can write a presentation with the start: “Over the next 5 minutes I want to show you how we can save this company £3m per year and get better HR reporting.” But if you are presenting to your HR colleagues, you might start with “You know how frustrating our HR system is?  We have a plan to fix those problems and save every one of us about 10 hours per week”.

7. Sprinkle in Stories and Examples

Weave relatable stories, anecdotes, and examples into your presentation. This humanises your content, making it more memorable and engaging for your audience. 

No one will remember a list of facts, but we can all repeat a story.  If your presentation includes lots of data, turn that data into a story.  For example:

• Why are sales up 5%?
• What accounts for the increase in internet traffic? 
• Why is audience engagement down this month? 
• Why is the old HR software holding back this business?

Tell us the story behind the numbers and you know that you are writing a better presentation.

Contact us for a free consultation on your coaching needs

8. Conclude with a Clear Message or Call to Action

Finish strong by summarising your key points and leaving your audience with a clear message, request, or call to action.

Make sure they know the next steps or what you expect from them.  Your audience will remember your start and your end more than anything else.  What if you don’t have a strong end to your presentation?  Then start writing one now!

9. Write a Presentation: Embrace Clear, Simple Language

Avoid jargon and complex language. Communicate your ideas using clear, simple language to ensure everyone in your audience can easily grasp your message.

The language of leadership is expressing complex ideas using the simplest language possible.  When you use easy words and short sentences then it’s easier for you audience to understand.  Use spoken language, not written language.

10. Anticipate Questions When You Write a Presentation

Think ahead and identify potential questions your audience might ask. Prepare thoughtful responses to demonstrate your expertise and confidence.  When you think of the questions your audience might ask in advance, you will be more likely to write a presentation that they want to hear. 

11. Evaluate Whether You Need Visual Aids

Yes, now we can talk about PowerPoint. Consider whether visual aids or handouts are truly necessary. Sometimes, a well-crafted narrative and engaging delivery are more than enough to convey your message effectively.  Because when I say write a presentation, I don’t mean write a PowerPoint presentation.  For example, the board is more likely to appreciate you speaking to them for 3 minutes with a clear argument, then you presenting slides for 20 minutes.

While many companies use PowerPoint, some of the greatest businesses, like Amazon and Google, use much less PowerPoint than other companies.  Jeff Bezos of Amazon, famously wrote an article about why they have banned PowerPoint in board meetings .

If you can present brilliantly without PowerPoint, you are onto your career ladder to success. 

When you do work in PowerPoint, are you clear what you are producing?   Is it a handout, visual aids or your speaker’s notes? These three documents are as different as a book, a film and a film script. Too often, we see handouts projected on a screen, or what should be speaker notes printed and distributed.

If you are creating visual aids to accompany your talk, make sure they really are Visual Aids – something that reinforces what you say and helps the listener understand. If it’s a handout, make it self-sufficient.

Is Your Presentation a Book, Movie or Script?

For example, when you write a presentation, is it a document to be read at a desk, or is it a document to be shown, or are they notes to help you remember what to say?

These three uses are as different as Harry Potter the book, Harry Potter the movie and Harry Potter the film script. They all have the same characters; they all have the same story. but they are all completely different.

So, when you next switch on PowerPoint ask yourself first whether this really is the best way to communicate your point. Sometimes, a report, a talk or an email can be more effective . And PowerPoint is NOT a planning tool.  You should only use PowerPoint at the end of your presentation writing process. So that you do not fall into this trap, we suggest changing the language you use in your firm:

Words you should Ban from your organisation . We suggest you forbid the following:

• Presentation

 Words you should Adopt instead . Use these more useful words:

• Speaker’s Notes

This simple change will transform the clarity of your communication and help you avoid Death by PowerPoint.

Three more tips for writing a presentation that stands out:

• Avoid Bullets and Text. The default PowerPoint approach , with lines of text and bullet points, usually means you are writing speakers notes for yourself. If you write slides to remind yourself what to say, it’s going to be bad for the audience. Instead, you should be making visual aids that always make it easier for your audience.
• Avoid lists of facts that do not persuade. Great communication needs stories , messages, evidence and facts. You should appeal to those who need emotional arguments as well as logical arguments. In fact, facts work best when they are embedded in a story or narrative.
• Don’t force your audience to read. When using Visual Aids, you need to understand how the human brain works. People cannot both read and listen at the same time. If given a choice, they will read, not listen.  Then when they tune in, they will hear you saying things they have just read. This means you, as the presenter, thinking through how you should help the audience absorb information.

What this means is: only use visual aids only if they add value to what you say.   For example, a picture, a chart, a process or a few key numbers.  These can reinforce what you say without distracting.  A page of bullet points will become Death by PowerPoint.

12. Practice, Practice, Practice

The golden rule of presenting – practice makes perfect. Practice your presentation multiple times to refine your delivery, iron out any kinks, and boost your confidence.  Keep changing your presentation.  Practice involves fixing.

Remember, the key to a writing great business presentation lies in simplicity, clarity, and a touch of charisma. Follow these steps, and you’ll be well on your way to leaving a lasting impression on your audience. Happy presenting!

How to Write Brilliant Business Presentations

If you want to learn how to write a presentation in business, then get in touch.  our presentation coaching can show you how to use a tried and tested process that will result in brilliant presentations every time.  you will work with award-winning coaches who regularly support senior executives. , for more information and a free consultation, contact our customer services director louise angus today. , about benjamin ball associates.

At Benjamin Ball Associates, we help our clients to communicate better. You get presentation coaching for executives.

Over 15+ years the award-winning BBA team has coached thousands of senior executives globally to present powerfully. You get access to a transformational toolbox of presentation skills & techniques to help you become a clear, confident communicator.

We’ll help you create a powerful first impression that hooks and engages your audience immediately, and we’ll transform you to deliver clearly, confidently and with impact.

Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email [email protected] to find out more and discuss transforming your speeches, pitches and presentations.

How to write a presentation for business – recap.

• Do NOT Open PowerPoint to write a presentation
• Know Your Audience and Your Goals
• Craft a Single, Powerful Message
• Break Your Presentation Into Chunks
• How to Write a Presentation: Your narrative
• Begin with a Bang
• Sprinkle in Stories and Examples
• Conclude with a Clear Message or Call to Action
• Write a Presentation: Embrace Clear, Simple Language
• Anticipate Questions When You Write a Presentation
• Evaluate Whether You Need Visual Aids
• Practice, Practice, Practice

or read another article...

How to sell your business: the 9 secrets of success.

Get the best value when you sell your company Embarking on the journey…

Storytelling in Business Presentations – 10 top tips for 2024

No matter what the topic of your next speech or presentation, if you…

What is Presentation Coaching? The best way to improve your presentation skills

I am sure, if you have ever thought about presentation coaching, you will…

Do You Have Good Presentation Skills? – Free Test

See if you have good presentation skills for business Your presentations could be…

Contact us for a chat about how we can help you with your presenting.

What leaders say about Benjamin Ball Associates

Manager, ubs.

"Essential if you are going to be a spokesperson for your business"

Senior Analyst, Sloane Robinson

"Being an effective communicator is essential to get your stock ideas across. This course is exactly what's needed to help you do just that!"

CEO, Blast! Films

“Our investment in the coaching has paid for itself many times over.”

Ed Coulthard

Corporate finance house.

“You address 95% of the issues in a quarter of the time of your competitor.”

Partner International

“Good insight and a great toolbox to improve on my presentations and delivery of messages to not only boards, analysts and shareholders but to all audiences”

CEO, Eurocamp

“We had a good story to tell, but you helped us deliver it more coherently and more positively.”

Steve Whitfield

Ceo, ipso ventures.

“Ben did a great job on our presentation. He transformed an ordinary set of slides into a great presentation with a clear message. Would definitely use him again and recommend him highly.”

Nick Rogers

“Moved our presentation into a different league and undoubtedly improved the outcome and offer we received.”

Head of IR, Equinox

“A fantastic job reviewing and transforming our marketing material and helping us get our message across with clarity to potential investors.”

Sylvie Armand Delille

Let's talk about your presentation training needs, +44 20 7018 0922, [email protected], our bespoke presentation coaching services, investor pitch coaching, executive presentation coaching, public speaking training, executive media training, new business pitch coaching, privacy overview.

• Features for Creative Writers
• Features for Work
• Features for Higher Education
• Features for Teachers
• Features for Non-Native Speakers
• Learn Blog Grammar Guide Community Events FAQ
• Grammar Guide

How to Write Great Business Presentations: 6 Tips to Win New Business

Alice Musyoka

Many people hate making presentations for a reason. You have to define your presentation style, put together captivating slides, handle unexpected questions, get your point across very clearly, and try to squeeze a laugh out of the audience.

It can be overwhelming for any person.

However, most of us have to make business presentations every now and then, especially salespeople. Whether you’re a sales rep who tops the leaderboard every month or a seasoned speaker who headlines at conferences, you can always improve your presentations and deliver your message more clearly.

There are lots of tips on business presentations out there, so we've collected the very best that will make a big difference to your presentations.

Here's how to go about creating a great business presentation.

Tip 1: Create an Outline

Tip 2: write the way you speak, tip 3: start with a compelling story and inject some humor, tip 4: use multimedia, tip 5: avoid writing errors, tip 6: less is more, start winning over customers with your business presentations.

If you want things to go according to plan, you have to create a plan in the first place. Come up with an outline that covers the main points you would like to get across. This outline will serve as your anchor and help you to build a slide deck. It will also help you to know the key arguments you need to touch on.

First, start with the bare bones. Write the introductory remarks, then the three main points you would like your audience to remember from your presentation, and then the concluding remarks. A well-delivered introduction and conclusion are crucial parts of a presentation. You shouldn't overlook them when writing your outline.

To create the body of your presentation, add sub-points to each of the three main points. These sub-points will be helpful later when you're putting together your slides. You'll be able to see how much material you have for each takeaway and split the content into the right number of slides.

When you create an outline before you start creating the slides, you have confidence from the get-go that you'll come up with material that will stick in people’s minds.

Before you start typing away, let's talk about tone. Some people think that a business presentation should look like a college essay. But if you want to win over customers, you have to write like you speak. Picture yourself having a conversation with a friend. The words would flow freely and you would use very few fancy words.

When making a presentation, your goal is not to sound smart, it is to be clear. Aim for a conversational tone that is well-thought-out. Write like you speak when you speak at your best.

The words you use in the presentation should sound like they are coming from you. If you use a lot of contractions when speaking (like can't , won't , wouldn't ), write your presentation that way. If you never use adverbs, omit them.

While we’re usually unaware of our verbal habits, the people who know us are aware of them. After creating the presentation, ask a close friend or spouse if it sounds like you.

When writing the first draft of your presentation, aim for simplicity. Don't pay attention to eloquence as it doesn't have to look great the first time. Turn off your inner editor and just write.

There is one reason TED talks are so popular. Every presenter starts with a captivating story—whether it is a heartwarming story about their daughter's first day of school or a heart-rending story about a near-death experience.

A great story captures the attention of your audience and allows you to build a personal connection with them. It acts as an unforgettable cornerstone of the presentation. After sharing the story, connect it to the main point of your presentation.

You don't have to tell a story that is unique or groundbreaking. In fact, the most effective stories are those your audience can relate to. People relate to stories emotionally and remember them long after they're told.

The success of your presentation will be determined by your ability to deliver information in a way that is compelling. Stories make you, the speaker, appear more approachable and they also make facts more digestible. If you want customers to remember your business presentation, reach into your bag of stories and bring the presentation to life.

Making people laugh can also be a powerful tool for success. Research has shown that if you can make people laugh, they will lower their defences and will see you as a competent and confident leader. They will also be more likely to pay attention to the serious things you have to say. Inject humour into your presentations using personal anecdotes or analogies.

You can give the best advice in the world, but in order for people to believe it, they need to see it in practice. Multimedia can help you capture the attention of your audience and maintain it. You may not know it, but humans process images quicker than text.

If you only use words and numbers in your slides, you may cause people to squint their eyes as they try to read them. Some may try to scribble down as much information as they can before you move to the next slide. Include images and charts in your slides, not just text and tables. Make sure the attention stays on you, the expert, by adding an image or two to drive your point home.

Another multimedia format you can use is audio. Play some background music to keep your audience glued to your presentation. A simple Google search can yield free high-quality instrumental music you can use in your presentations. You can also use the music to create a welcoming atmosphere before you start your presentation and afterwards.

I'd recommend including at least one video in the presentation as videos are valuable visual content that keep audiences engaged. The demand for video content is always increasing. Most marketers use videos because they are an effective marketing tool: A video can help you explain a concept in a way that images and written words can't.

These are the four most common writing mistakes people make when creating slides:

• Grammatical mistakes
• Improper capitalization
• Mixing up homophones
• Incorrect punctuation

Seeing these errors in your presentation will lead customers to question your credibility. If you're pitching to them, they may think you are not thorough in your work and that you didn't put a lot of effort into your presentation. Or they may think you don't know how to write properly. The response you get from them may not be what you had in mind.

Writing errors dilute your message and have a negative impact on what you're trying to achieve. When creating slides for your presentation, you can use a digital writing tool like ProWritingAid to improve your grammar. It is more advanced than your average spellchecker and will tell you how readable (and therefore memorable!) your slides are.

SlideShare , a hosting service for professional content, is popular for a reason. It displays information in a clear presentation format, ensuring people don’t go elsewhere to find it.

When you're delivering a presentation, one of the reasons people come to see it is because they care about the topic. But there's also another reason. They are curious about the person giving the presentation.

When giving a business presentation to an audience in person, it's important to keep your slides simple. This ensures that people focus on you and your message and not on the slides themselves. Make sure the slides cover the topic well but are also simple enough so that people can pay attention to what you're saying. And like we said before, support your message with visuals.

One way you can keep things simple is by reducing the amount of text in the slides. If you want people to remember the information you give, add an image to every slide. When information is paired with images, people recall it better.

Many high-level executives, even Google's CEO Sundar Pichai, avoid a lot of text in their presentations. At Google I/O 2017, he said that text-heavy slides are avoided at Google for the very reasons outlined above.

A business presentation gives you an opportunity to inform, persuade, demonstrate, and sell your ideas to an audience. If the purpose of your presentation is to win new business, it should be clear and focused. Nothing feels as bad as spending a lot of time on a presentation only for it to fail. A bad presentation can damage your brand.

Make sure that you know your audience and the topic you're discussing well, and ensure that your presentation grabs attention, follows a logical order, and flows with clarity. It should identify problems, explain the solutions, and create a sense of urgency in order for people to act. Explain why "right now" is the best time for them to take the action you want them to take.

Now that you know what you need to create a great business presentation, check out our 7 mistakes to avoid next time you present!

Want to learn more more great business writing hacks? Download this free book now:

Business Writing Hacks for Flawless Communication

Writing is an essential element of nearly every profession today. whether you are drafting a proposal for a major prospect or collaborating by email, strong communications help colleagues and clients understand your ideas. errors and awkward writing can make you lose credibility., download this guide to learn the techniques professional writers use to write clearly and persuasively..

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Alice Musyoka is a versatile copywriter and content strategist who helps businesses see results from content marketing. Her goal is to make people pause, smile, and read. She's a previous contributor for [Stagetecture](https://stagetecture.com/author/ndanuaj123/). When she's not working, she usually goes for long walks with her son and reconnects with nature. She also loves watching funny movies.

Get started with ProWritingAid

Drop us a line or let's stay in touch via :

• [email protected]

How to Write a Presentation

About this module.

Being told that you’re doing a presentation, whether to 20 or 200, makes virtually everyone feel nervous. It’s perfectly natural and entirely common to feel these emotions, but there are numerous strategies to counter them, including using those nerves themselves. Read on to find out what they are. 

Of course, this assumes you’re not an egomaniac who’s simply itching to stand up and be the centre of attention. If you are, then this module is equally for you because we don’t just advise on creating a PowerPoint deck, we help you with the right mindset as well as the tools for the job. 

A presentation is a real opportunity to achieve two things. Firstly, you can advance your company’s aims/products/services to a relevant audience. You’re not trying to make your voice stand out from the chorus, yours is the only voice. Secondly, it is a way for you to learn and advance and stand out. Deliver a strong presentation and people remember the message, and they remember you as well, in a very positive light. 

On average, this module should take around one hour to read and absorb the lessons, and then one hour per assignment.

Module Content

Username or Email Address

Remember Me

• Get started with computers
• Learn Microsoft Office
• Apply for a job
• Improve my work skills
• Design nice-looking docs
• Getting Started
• Smartphones & Tablets
• Typing Tutorial
• Online Learning
• Basic Internet Skills
• Online Safety
• Social Media
• Zoom Basics
• Google Docs
• Google Sheets
• Career Planning
• Resume Writing
• Cover Letters
• Job Search and Networking
• Business Communication
• Entrepreneurship 101
• Careers without College
• Job Hunt for Today
• 3D Printing
• Freelancing 101
• Personal Finance
• Sharing Economy
• Decision-Making
• Graphic Design
• Photography
• Image Editing
• Learning WordPress
• Language Learning
• Critical Thinking
• For Educators
• Translations
• Staff Picks
• English expand_more expand_less

Business Communication  - Business Writing Essentials

Business communication  -, business writing essentials, business communication business writing essentials.

Business Communication: Business Writing Essentials

Lesson 6: business writing essentials.

/en/business-communication/overcoming-phone-anxiety/content/

Business writing essentials

At some point in your professional life, you may need to write something. It’s nothing to be intimidated by, though!

Business writing is any written communication used in a professional setting, including emails , memos , and reports . It’s direct, clear, and designed to be read quickly. With time and practice, you too can become an effective business writer.

Watch the video below to learn some tips for business writing.

The basics of business writing

Good business writing shares crucial information and keeps the concerns of the audience in mind. So before you write anything, ask yourself these two questions:

What do I need to say?

Who is my audience?

Your answers will influence what and how you write, so take a moment to understand exactly why you’re writing. If you can’t clearly answer these questions, you’ll probably have trouble communicating effectively.

Most business writing needs a call to action , which is information that instructs and encourages a response. Let your readers know what they should do, where to go, and so on. Provide your contact information (such as your phone number or email address) in case anyone has questions. Essentially, make sure everyone knows what their next move should be, like in the following example.

Writing craft

Get to the point quickly. Do you need to tell your employees about a change in work schedules or an update to company policy? Tell them what they should know upfront, and don’t leave them guessing.

Make every sentence as short and clear as possible. Simplify your word choices, as you shouldn’t use complex words when simple ones will do. Also, cut any rambling thoughts. A company-wide memo about a health insurance change is not the best place to mention your recent fishing trip. In short, always omit needless words .

Although you’re in a professional setting, remember to speak to others how you would like to be spoken to. Consider using a brief greeting or conclusion, especially if you’re sharing unpleasant news, and remember that saying please and thank you goes a long way. And whenever you’re in doubt as to whether something is appropriate to write, don’t include it.

Aim to keep your paragraphs brief, as they will add focus to your message while making it easier to scan and remember. The example below is an efficient read, thanks to short paragraphs, clear sentences, and a polite, professional tone.

Good writing comes out of revision , so read over your first draft and figure out what works and what doesn’t. Clarify sentences and organize the loose structure until everything flows in a logical order. Don’t be surprised if it takes a few revisions until your document is ready to go.

As part of your revision process, try reading your work aloud, which may reveal problems you may not have noticed before. You can also get someone you trust to provide feedback on your work. Hearing their perspective can lead to new insights and issues you never knew were there.

Proofreading is another key part of revision. After you use a spell checker, read over your work again and look for spelling and grammar errors the spell checker may have missed. Also take a moment to ensure the information you’re writing about is accurate and up to date. If you submit incorrect information or sloppy writing, you may not be taken seriously. Does the following example look professional?

Remember, you won’t master business writing overnight. Effective writing is a skill that takes a lot of time and practice to develop. But once you get comfortable with it, you’ll possess an incredibly valuable job skill.

/en/business-communication/how-to-write-a-formal-business-letter/content/

• Online Learning
• Training Categories
• Training Venues
• Training Calendar

Effective Business Writing Skills: Modern Techniques

* Click on column header for sort them

COURSE OVERVIEW

Effective writing is often a critical success factor when it comes to presenting business cases in the workplace. An estimated 30% of all business communication is aimed at clarifying miscommunication generated from the other 70%! This realization has resulted in business writing skills training becoming essential for capability development initiatives.

This training course will describe and apply structuring and business writing techniques designed to cater for the modern business environment. It is designed to provide participants with the ability to follow a process in writing documents. Above all, the course emphasizes the use of simple, clear and positive language in addressing day-to-day business affairs.

IMPORTANT FEATURES

The important features of the Effective Business Writing Skills training course are:

• adopting a systematic approach to business writing that works for all documents
• structuring effective writing & present high-quality business cases
• using an appropriate tone in writing that is suitable for professional audiences
• applying the basic principles of good quality writing

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon attendance to the Effective Business Writing Skills training course, the participants will gain:

• A clear understanding of how to plan and structure business writing in a professional manner
• Practice in building the introduction, the main body, and the conclusion of an effective business communication
• The ability to compile the writing in a logical sequence
• A guide to help recognize, and eliminate, common errors in business writing
• The ability to focus on the main purpose of the communication
• The skills to maintain clarity in preparing business communication

TARGET AUDIENCE

• Anyone who needs to create professional and effective written business communication
• Those who wish to significantly improve their written communication and express themselves effectively in writing

TRAINING METHODOLOGY

This will be an active course involving informal lecture, videos, exercises, and discussion. The participants are encouraged to bring samples of their reports or other writing, which they can review against the principles explored in the course. The course leader will then provide individual feedback on submitted samples. During the course, participants will also work on an exercise to produce and edit business writing.

Pre & Post course assessments will be used to measure the effectiveness of this training.

COURSE CONTENTS

Module 1 - business writing overview.

• Course objectives & agenda
• Review examples of participants current written communication

The Nature and Range of Business Writing

• Differences between written and oral communication
• Differences between types of business writing
• Effective writing v/s efficient writing

Target Audience

• Identifying the aim of the business writing
• Analysing and understanding the target audience and the readers’ needs

Characteristics of Effective Writing

• Putting the reader first
• Types of communication to provide information (informative), to make recommendations (persuasive)
• Setting and meeting objectives and terms of reference
• Length of writing and the use of appendices
• Layout and structure
• Developing and following a house style

Module 2 - Information Gathering, Writing Process and Document Design

• Scheduling and deadlines
• Identifying your knowledge sources
• Organising and grouping your material

Selection Material and Structuring Communication

• Criteria of Relevance what to leave out and what to put in
• Developing logical sequencing
• Using headings and sub-headings as signposts for the reader
• The role of introductions and conclusions

The Writing Process

• Concept and application of rapid composition
• Planning and drafting processes
• Developing keyboard skills
• Getting the best from spell and grammar checks
• Proofreading

Document Design

• Standard templates
• Agree font style & size
• Use of BOLD and capital letters
• Headings & subheadings
• Consistent and correct use of display lists and bullet points
• Justifications
• Using and presenting tables
• Diagrams, figures, and graphs
• Footnotes, endnotes, and hyperlinks

Module 3 - Persuasive Writing and Examples

• The 5 Ps of persuasion
• The 12 most persuasive words
• The Aikido approach
• Dr. Cialdini’s 6 levers of persuasion

Examples of Different Types of Written Documents

• Work Instructions
• Operating & Maintenance Procedures
• Manuals & Handbooks
• Questionnaires

Other Forms of Written Communication (Letters, E-mails & Minutes)

• Letter style, tone, and structures
• E-mail style and purpose
• Meeting notes purpose, structure and writing processes

Module 4 - Readability and Grammar Improvement Techniques

• Why is simplicity so important?
• Fog factor analysis and readability scores
• Sentence length and paragraph structure
• Dimensions of writing style
• Active v/s passive voice
• Improving language content and style
• Choosing your words
• Confusing pronouns

Punctuation and Grammar

• The language of grammar (a guide to grammatical terms and functions)
• Commas, full-stops, colons, semi-colons, dashes, brackets, etc.
• The apostrophes
• Hyphenating words
• Consistency in using capital letters for proper nouns

Module 5 - Final Document Review and Presentation

• Appendices & References
• Editing & Proof Reading
• Scheduling into the preparation
• Developing the skills of a proofreader
• Developing a systematic approach

Presenting the Document Verbally

• Selecting relevant information
• PowerPoint clarity rules
• Presentation skills

Share this course:

You may also be Interested in...

Search a course, online training, want to learn more about our online program model, in-house proposal.

Request an On-Site Workshop

If you’d like to learn more about conducting training at your organization.

Wish to get more details about this program?

+97154 459 0666

[email protected]

What our Clients have to Say

Latest Testimonials

“I increased my knowledge of terminal operations and understood a lot.” Course: Oil & gas movement, Storage & marine Terminal Operation Priscilla, Vitol

This course provided me more knowledge regarding efficient treasury management Liquidity Management Training Mr. Nguyen Anh Duc, Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical (NSRP)

This course helps me to relating theory to meet industrial practices, seeing the reasons for quantitative grading other than an assumption, the need to constantly research new methods. Exploration & Production Fundamentals Mr Kenneth Ebenezer King, NPDC/FHN OML 26 AMT

This course helped me to enhance safety culture and environment. Risk-Based Process Safety Management Muhammad Ali, Pakistan Petroleum Limited

In my whole career duration, this Entrepreneurial Leadership course is the best one. Thanks a lot Entrepreneurial Leadership Strategies Mr Vincent Ochieng, Kenya Power

Everything was good.I ‘ve got some ideas which we can implement at our plant. Gas Processing & Gas Conditioning Kryvenuo Alex, Poltava Petroleum Company

Provided more knowledge on team forming and management,training analysis requirement and steps in the training plan cycle. Developing Core Skills for Training Coordinators & Specialists Danielle LemaNgono,Cameroon Oil Transpoertation Company S.A

It has prepared me to able to apply a lot of resources I have acquired to my day to day job.It’s a lifetime resource. Leading & Managing High Performing Teams: Supervisor Development Program Mr Edet Dominic,Eroton Exploration and Production (Eroton E & P)

I leant many new things those can help me to improve my skills and I really enjoyed the way trainer facilitated the peogram Administrators and Secretaries Management Skills Mr. Fahad Saeb Sarhan,Petronas

This course helps me to get more knowledge about the pump,compressor and turbine and its operation,maintenance and troubleshooting. Pumps, Compressors & Turbines: Operation, Maintenance & Troubleshooting Mr Le Lan Luu,PetrovietnamFertizer& Chemical Corporation

View all Testimonials

Get a copy of our latest Training Schedules

Enter details to begin download.

Email (required) *

Full Name *

• Jobs Search
• _Fresher Jobs
• _By Industry
• __Engineering Jobs
• __Sales Jobs
• __Banking Jobs
• Career Tips
• _Cover Letter

Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation

Are you looking to enhance your professional communication skills?

advertisement

Whether you're a seasoned executive or just starting out in your career, effective communication is the cornerstone of success in the business world. That's where Coursera's "Effective Business Communication" specialization comes in.

About the Course:

This specialization, offered by the prestigious University of Colorado Boulder on Coursera, is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to communicate effectively in various business settings. From mastering written communication to delivering impactful presentations, each course module is carefully crafted to enhance your communication prowess.

What You'll Learn:

Foundations of Business Communication: Learn the fundamentals of effective communication in a business context, including writing clear and concise messages and adapting your communication style to different audiences.

Effective Business Writing: Develop your writing skills to create compelling business documents, emails, and reports that engage and persuade your readers.

Strategic Business Communication: Discover strategies for crafting persuasive messages and delivering presentations that captivate your audience and drive your desired outcomes.

Why Choose This Specialization?

Expert Instruction: Benefit from the expertise of seasoned instructors from the University of Colorado Boulder, renowned for their excellence in business education.

Flexible Learning: Access course materials at your own pace, allowing you to balance your professional development with your busy schedule.

Practical Application: Gain practical insights and techniques that you can immediately apply in your day-to-day work, giving you a competitive edge in your career.

Final Thoughts:

ENROLL NOW 

Effective communication is not just a skill—it's a critical asset that can propel your career to new heights. Whether you're aiming for a promotion, seeking to impress clients, or striving to lead your team with confidence, mastering business communication is essential. Don't miss out on this opportunity to invest in yourself and unlock your full potential.

Ready to take your communication skills to the next level? Enroll in the "Effective Business Communication" specialization on Coursera today!

Post a Comment

Contact form.

Business Writing + Presentations Studio

Enhance your skills.

You will be writing and speaking a lot during your time in the College of Business and in your career, so why not become an expert at both? Enhance and strengthen your skills by taking advantage of the Business Writing and  Presentations Studio in the College of Business. Our communication consultants can help you organize your ideas, and they will stick with you until you put the finishing touches on your work.

We offer both virtual and in-person appointments

Make an appointment by selecting the "Schedule an appointment now" button at the bottom of this page.  When you are in the appointment software, pay special attention to the titles of the appointments as you can choose from either virtual or in-person appointments. 

Review "Tips for getting the most from your visit" below to prepare for an appointment with a consultant.

In Person Appointments

Come to the Business Writing and Presentations Studio in Schneider Hall 221 at the date and time you've selected in the appointment software.  Bring the following items:

• Your progress so far
• Paper and pen

Virtual Appointments

You will find your MS Teams meeting link in the email confirmation you receive after making an appointment.  That confirmation will also contain important information that will help you prepare for your appointment.

• Prior to the meeting, email your documents (assignment, rubric, your current draft) to the BCOM Studio Tutor group at [email protected] . Be sure to include your name in the file names of the documents you send.
• Just ahead of the scheduled time of your appointment, simply click on the link in the body of the confirmation email to join the consultant in MS Teams. Be sure to have the documents you emailed to the BCOM Studio Tutor group in front of you for the meeting.  Note:  you do not need to have MS Teams downloaded to use this feature.

We're here to help

Walk-ins are welcomed, but to make sure you get in, schedule an appointment. If you think you need more time, schedule back-to-back meetings or a time later in the week. Students are limited to two sessions per week. Group appointments are welcomed for group projects or assignments. The Studio is located in Schneider 221.

Business Writing Studio Appointment Options

• E-mail messages
• Formal letters
• Press releases
• Cover letters
• Reports for business courses

Business Presentation Studio Appointment Options

• Elevator speeches/pitches
• PowerPoint slides
• Small group meetings
• Round-table discussions
• Interview practice
• Individual and group presentations.

Tips for getting the most from your visit

• Tell the consultant what you need help with prior to your meeting.
• Come prepared to work by bringing your assignment, paper and pen, the hard or electronic copy of your work so far, and anything else you may need.

Schedule an appointment now

We want to hear from you

Name * Please enter your name

Email * Please enter a valid email address

Phone Please enter a valid phone number

Message * Please enter a message