make killer presentation

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Blog Beginner Guides

How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

By Krystle Wong , Jul 20, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 10 qualities of a good presentation?

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

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

1. Clear structure

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

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

2. Engaging opening

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

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

3. Relevant content

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

4. Effective visual aids

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

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

5. Clear and concise communication

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

6. Engaging delivery

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

7. Interaction and audience engagement

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

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

8. Effective storytelling

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

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

9. Well-timed pacing

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

10. Strong conclusion

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

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

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

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

1. Understand the audience and their needs

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

2. Conduct thorough research on the topic

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

3. Organize the content with a clear structure

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

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

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

4. Develop visually appealing and supportive visual aids

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

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

5. Practice, practice and practice

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

6. Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments

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

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

7. Prepare for potential technical or logistical issues

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

8. Fine-tune and polish your presentation

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

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

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

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

1. Confidence and positive body language

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

2. Eye contact with the audience

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

3. Effective use of hand gestures and movement

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

4. Utilize storytelling techniques

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

5. Incorporate multimedia elements

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

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

6. Utilize humor strategically

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

7. Practice active listening and respond to feedback

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

8. Apply the 10-20-30 rule

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

9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule

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

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

1. How to start a presentation?

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

2. How to end a presentation?

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

3. How to make a presentation interactive?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to Give a Killer Presentation: 18 Top Tips

People attend presentations to learn and gain useful insight. But way too often, we see the audience yawn, scroll on their phones or check their watch, wishing that the time would go faster.

Is it that the content of the presentation isn’t interesting enough, or that the speaker doesn’t know how to engage the audience?

Whatever the reason, delivering an engaging presentation is an art that takes some time to master.

Based on my own experience from the stage, and from observing other speakers at industry-leading conferences, I’ve collected these 18 top tips. May they help you give a presentation that will wow your audience:

• Plan your storyline
• Use the rule of three
• Simplify your slides
• Include numbers
• Use the power of visuals
• Practice relentlessly
• Greet the audience in their local language
• Break the ice at the start
• Engage your audience with live polls
• Move around the stage and make gestures
• Smile and make eye contact
• Consider using props
• Go among the audience
• Give rewards for participation
• Prompt a discussion in the audience
• Build in time for Q&A
• Crowdsource questions from the audience
• Gather feedback

1. Plan your storyline

A powerful story can make your whole presentation. Take TED talks, for instance. They’re all based on captivating stories that support the main argument or line of thought of each speech.

Give your presentation a concept. Use a classic narrative structure, from a gripping outset to an impressive end. A presentation designer Nancy Duarte advises presenters to spend twice as much time on framing the storyline than creating the actual slides.

Also, don’t forget to add emotional details and power words. These will make your audience feel much more connected to you. People will eventually forget your slides and your presentation, but they will not forget how you made them feel.

2. Use the rule of three

People can usually remember only three main points from presentations, so take advantage of this psychological phenomenon.

While creating your storyline, think of three key messages that you want your audience to walk out of the room with. To make these three key points stick, you need to make them short, memorable and attention-grabbing.

On the other hand, if your presentation revolves around one main argument, make use of the Aristotelian “triptych” method: “Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Tell them. Then tell them what you told them.” In a nutshell, you should properly introduce the point you will be making, then make your point, and then wrap up with summarizing the main point.

3. Simplify your slides

No matter how rich in content your slides are, if they’re too crowded, nobody is going to read them. Too much text on slides actually takes your audience’s attention away from your presentation, which hinders the learning process.

Make your slides as simple as possible and try to present only one idea per slide. Sometimes, one powerful sentence, a number, or even one word, can say more than a slide full of bullet points.

4. Include numbers

When used sensibly, numbers can strengthen your point and back up your arguments. To make data easy for your audience to digest, you need to make it specific, relevant and contextual.

When Steve Jobs introduced the first iPod , he did not emphasize its 5GB storage and 185g weight. Instead, he repeatedly said that it could hold 1,000 songs and physically manifested that he could fit it into his pocket. This number was easy for the audience to remember, and called even more attention to its tiny size.

5. Use the power of visuals

Videos or images not only engage the audience but also help to evoke emotions that are otherwise super difficult for speakers to elicit by themselves.

Make sure that the visuals you use support the main point of your presentation, or demonstrate what you’re talking about. This works very well in the creative industry, where visual aids are often necessary to complement the main content.

However, if you’re going to use video, be cautious. A too lengthy or unengaging video may put people to sleep rather than keep them attentive.

6. Practice relentlessly

Attending a presentation where the speaker keeps looking down at his notes is painful so don’t underestimate this point. For instance, Winston Churchill rehearsed for hours, even days, to deliver a 10-minute long speech.

Memorize your presentation flow by heart if need be. Do it to the extent that you won’t need the notes.

During your rehearsals, use a video camera to record yourself in order to see where you stutter, where you seem nervous and how you work with your body language. Don’t be afraid to ask a friend to give you feedback.

Tim Ferris , the author of The 4-Hour Workweek, follows a Spartan’s preparation for his public speeches. He splits his presentation into several segments and he goes through each one of them up to ten times.

7. Greet your audience in their local language

As a speaker, you often find yourself addressing an international audience, whether it is at a big conference or an internal company meeting joined by remote teams.

Greeting international participants in their local language gives a nice personal touch to the offset of your presentation. It helps you create a connection and the feeling of intimacy with the people sitting before you.

I always memorize how to say “Hello” and “How are you?” in the local language, and use them as soon as I come onstage. You can even take it a step further and adjust your presentation ad hoc to the audience, by making local references.

For example, Google’s Digital Marketing Evangelist, Avinash Kaushik , started his talk at the Marketing festival by showing pictures from his tour around the hosting city of Brno, Czech Republic. Moreover, he used the Czech websites that the audience was closely familiar with, instead of international ones, to get his point across.

8. Break the ice at the start

Hook your audience right off the bat. Using an effective icebreaker will help you set the stage and energize your attendees.

Here’s an inspiration for you: At the 2018 World Education Congress (WEC) , I asked people to close their eyes and think of a presentation session that had recently impressed them. After 30 seconds, I invited them to share their dream session with their neighbor and describe it using one word, before submitting it to a Slido word cloud poll.

Next, I asked them to picture the usual experience of attending a presentation and describe it again, using a single word. Seeing the differences in the two consequent word cloud polls was very thought-provoking and sparked up a discussion among the attendees.

Other than using technology, you can liven up your audience with a classic show of hands or other brisk icebreaking activities , such as rock, paper, scissors or live barometer.

Related story: The Complete List of 200 Icebreaker Questions and Tips On How to Use Them

9. Engage your audience with live polls

Once you win your audience over, keep up the pace by creating enough interaction points throughout your presentation.

Live polling is your best bet here. When smartly used, live polls will keep your attendees engaged during the whole length of your presentation. They also help you to effectively collect your audience’s insights, which you can then showcase on screen. This multiplies the learning element of your presentation.

In general, I follow the human attention span and use a poll every 8-10 minutes, which is 5-6 polls for a 60-minute talk, maximum.

To give you an example, during the latest webinar I led, I asked the participants a simple rating poll: “How would you rate interaction in the classroom today?”

The results set a good ground for the main argument I was going to make about insufficient interactivity in education, and really helped me make my point.

On top of that, this strategy allows me to break the long content deliveries into more digestible chunks, regain the audience’s attention, and ignite conversations based on the results.

The last point is particularly important. Live polls make sense only when you facilitate their use. So make sure to always follow up on the results, share your thoughts on them, or get the audience to share why they voted the way they did.

Related story: The Complete Guide: How to Use and Facilitate Slido Polls in Your Presentation

10. Move around the stage and make gestures

If you stand rigidly in one spot or behind a speaker’s stand, you will only appear unconfident and nervous. Think of yourself as an actor on stage, and your presentation as your performance. Use open, big gestures, point in the direction of the audience, or slowly walk about the stage. 

At this year’s Festival of Marketing , Mark Ritson – who was opening the event – reminded me of the importance of using body language. He kept pacing the stage in a natural way and was gesturing throughout the entire length of his speech. It was definitely one of the most engaging sessions I’ve attended this year.

11. Smile and make eye contact

The way you communicate with your audience through your facial expressions makes a huge difference. So don’t look down at your notes, don’t look at your slides, but keep your eyes set on your audience.

Lisa Wentz, a public speaking expert, advises to pick 3 people in the audience that you like, each one at a different corner of the auditorium, and make eye contact with them throughout your presentation. However, avoid staring at one person for too long. Use the selected people only as navigation points that will help you scan the room.

12. Consider using props

Demonstrating the point with the use of props is a powerful way to help the attendees visualize what is being described verbally. Showing a prop at the right moment can help you catch your audience’s attention and enforce your story.

Neuroscientist Jill Bolte Taylor brought a real human brain on stage during her emotional TED talk to explain what had happened to her when she had a stroke. She touched the audience with this demonstration and left them in complete awe.

13. Go among the audience

Asking people questions may feel impersonal if you stand onstage. On top of that, large auditoriums often make it difficult to create intimacy with your audience.

Draw inspiration from rock singers here and “jump” off the stage. Going among the audience will help you build a stronger bond with them and your presentation will feel more personal.

This approach is invaluable if you hope to collect impromptu answers after you have asked your question. Move slowly around the room, and when someone shuffles or raises a hand, approach them with a mic and elicit an answer.

When another hand shoots up, move to that corner of the room, and so on. The point here is to be as close to your audience as possible.

If possible, check the room advance to get used to the space arrangements. This will help you move around more naturally and with more confidence.

14. Give rewards for participation

Despite all your efforts, the audience might need a bit of a nudge. Giving out small rewards can bring another interactive element to your presentation. You can go with the event merchandise or small treats, like chocolates and candy.

For example, at the Eventex conference , one of the speakers, Victor Neyndorff , encouraged people to share their thoughts by handing out chocolate from the Netherlands, his home country.

To give you another idea, at the Jam London conference , the organizers decided to give away books to those attendees who were the most active in asking questions via Slido. This really helped incentivize the audience to participate and improved the dialogue in the room.

15. Prompt a discussion in the audience

You can give audience engagement another spin by giving your attendees an activity that they can participate in.

For example, you can present a statement for the participants to discuss, or give them a task to solve in groups. Where appropriate, walk around the room, join the conversations, and encourage people to talk to each other.

At the Conventa Crossover conference in Slovenia, moderator Jan-Jaap In der Maur put people in small groups and asked them to share the technological trends that they believed will have the biggest impact on the industry in the near future.

Then he collected a few comments from the floor to open a discussion with the whole room.

Simple. Engaging. Useful.

If facilitated properly, activities like these can work equally well with an audience of 20 people as they can with 2,000.

Related story: 5 Essential Pieces of The Audience Engagement Puzzle

16. Build in time for the Q&A

Even if you incorporate interactive elements to your presentation, your audience will surely have additional questions.

For that reason, don’t be scared to allocate as much as 10-20 minutes to the Q&A, depending on the length of your presentation slot.

After I finish my talk, instead of asking, “Are there any questions?” (which typically leads to silence), I like to ask, “What are your questions?”, or say, “Now, let’s get to your questions.” In case I don’t get an instant reaction from the audience, I get off the stage and walk among the audience to encourage the discussion.

In rare moments when no questions come up, I kick off the Q&A by saying: “What people usually ask me is…” and then give an answer. In 9/10 times, the discussion catches on.

17. Crowdsource questions from the audience

Lack of audience questions doesn’t necessarily mean that your audience doesn’t have questions. They may just be uncomfortable with speaking up in public.

Live Q&A tools like Slido allow you to effortlessly crowdsource questions from your audience throughout your presentation via an app. 

Compared to passing the mic amongst the people in the audience, you will give everyone an equal chance to ask questions, regardless of their level of shyness.

If you’re using a Q&A app, it’s important that you introduce and facilitate it properly. I often say something like: “Take a minute and think about what you’ve just heard. Come up with a question that you have, and submit it to Slido.” It works every single time.

Then, just take a look at the screen, or a confidence monitor, and address the questions that have the most upvotes.

If you display the crowdsourced questions on the screen, read each question out loud when addressing it. It will help your audience – even the ones sitting at the back – to know which question you are answering. 

Extra tip: Sometimes, you get way more questions from your audience than you can answer during your time-limited Q&A slot. Don’t leave them hanging in the air. Here you’ll find 5 tips on what to do with unanswered questions after your Q&A .

18. Gather feedback

Feedback is priceless for improving your presentation skills. There’s never enough of it. You can collect feedback easily via Slido feedback survey . Combine rating polls for quick assessment and open text polls to give your participants space for more in-depth comments.

Your feedback survey could look something like this:

• How would you rate this presentation? (rating poll)
• What is your main takeaway from this session? (open text poll)
• What would you improve? (open text poll)

To boost the response rate, make sure that you ask your attendees to fill out the survey while they’re still in the room.

With the tips I’ve listed above, you’ll be able to turn your presentation or lecture from a one-way content broadcast into an exciting conversation between you and your attendees.

Engage your attendees with Slido live Q&A and polls.

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How to Give a Killer Presentation [2024]

January 05, 2024

When you give a killer presentation, you stand a much greater chance of making it easy for your audience. And if you make it easy for your audience they are more likely to respond.

What does creating a killer presentation mean in reality.

By killer presentation, I mean:

• A presentation that can be remembered.
• A presentation that positions you as someone of note within your organisation.
• A presentation that creates action, change in behaviour or change in thinking

To create a killer presentation you need to be different, and you need to take a few risks. (If there was a simple formula, then everyone would be doing it.) But when I say take risks, I mean doing things that are done outside the typical business setting but are actually best practice presentation skills training shortcuts. Shortcuts that have been tried and tested for hundreds if not thousands of years. You want to follow the cardinal rule of ‘Don’t be boring’.

An Example of a Killer Presentation

John is the COO of a large utilities company. We trained him to improve his presentation skills.  To deliver killer presentations. He has thousands of employees working daily in dangerous conditions, keeping water running for millions of customers. People have to work at heights, at depth, in the middle of the road, day and night, winter and summer. They work in every dangerous situation you could imagine.

And it is hard keeping everyone safe. Teams are scattered over several hundred square miles and they work autonomously, going to emergencies as and when they happen.

Health and safety is important to the business; it takes up a large part of senior management time. Every year the senior team gathers, and this year safety was again one of the main topics of the day.  

John, was new as COO and determined to make an impact. He know that the presentation skills he learned in his training would be critical.

His HR team had pulled together a big presentation deck discussing health and safety. It had the company history, the key imperatives, the company values, best working practices and updates on recent legislation. It was a comprehensive pack and it had taken weeks to put together. They even brought in professional designers to make sure the presentation looked as important as it was.

John knew from his presentation skills training at Benjamin Ball Associates that starting his presentation with slides – no matter how good – would not work. So he used a story from his early career. He started his killer presentation like this:

“When I was in twenties I was put in charge of a building site. In my first week on that job we had a crane collapse. “That night, I had to knock on a woman’s door and tell her that her husband had been killed on a site where I was in charge. “I don’t want any of you to have to go through what I went through that day. That’s why we are talking about health and safety today.”

In less than 80 words John had grabbed his audience’s attention, had appealed to their emotions and made them realise that he knew what he was talking about.

That was a great example of a killer presentation using advanced presentation skills.

While not every presentation you do will be a killer presentation, it is something that you should aim for. Much better to aim high and fall short than aim low and fall short anyway.

Contact us for a free consultation on your coaching needs

Why is it hard to create killer presentations?

One of the big challenges we face in business is that The Presentation has become a standard way of communicating. Unfortunately, the average presenter and the average presentation is not very good. As a result, time is wasted, money is wasted and we are not as clear and inspiring as we should be.

The average business presentation is completely forgettable. I often challenge clients to count the number of presentations they have seen in the last year, and then to describe any memorable ones. I am lucky if they can speak about one.

Too many people, when they hear the word “presentation”, reach for their computer and start creating slides. They feel as if they are making progress.

They pull information together, they lay it out into a PowerPoint document and admire their handiwork. Then they start to think about how to tell the story. You’ll never give a killer presentation like this.

“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” – Alexander Graham Bell

What you need – A story, a script and a plan to create a killer presentation

BUT…the process for creating a great presentation should be more like that of making a movie. When you make a movie, filming (the equivalent of creating slides) only happens after you have a story, a script and a plan.

The better you have planned your presentation, the easier the process of giving it. At first, it may feel frustrating that you are not writing or creating slides. But when you invest in proper presentation planning, you will benefit many times over.

In the end you will spend less time playing with PowerPoint. You will spend less time editing and you will spend less time searching for a way to link the sections of your presentation together. You will probably find that practising and rehearsing is also easier and more enjoyable.

The other great advantage of improving your presentation skills is that you have formal check points where you can share your work to check that you are on track. This will help with timekeeping and, where necessary, make sure your colleagues are onside.

“There are three things that are important for a film. Number one is story, number two is story, number three is story. Good actors can save a bad script and make it bearable, but good actors can’t make a bad script good – they can just make it bearable.” – Mark Strickson, TV producer & acto r

Summary – how to improve your presentation skills for success

Start by planning, not by writing. This may feel counter intuitive, but you’ll make progress faster.

How do you give a killer presentation? Try these steps:

• Use AIM as the first stage of preparing your presentation
• A – Audience: Analyse your audience and understand their needs
• I – Intent: Be clear on the single purpose of your presentation.
• M – Message: Decide your one take-away message from your presentation
• Decide the three parts of your presentation
• Create and perfect a 90 second summary of your presentation before fleshing it out
• Answer the WHY questions in your presentation before the WHAT or HOW questions
• Imagine your audience asking So What? and What’s in it for me? throughout.
• Check your presentation summary against your Audience, Intent and Message.

Create a killer presentation. Step #1 – Have you taken AIM?

Summary – aim is an easy-to-apply planning tool that makes your business presentations and talks easier to prepare..

What typically goes wrong? Most people create presentations without proper planning. They start writing or creating visual aids before they have decided what they want to say.

Why does this matter? Without an effective tool for preparing a business presentation you waste time and will be less effective.

So, instead, Use AIM.  Start with a blank sheet of paper and write the three letters AIM across the top. In each of these columns start writing what you know about A: Your Audience, I: Your intent, or Purpose and M: your take-away Message. For Audience ask yourself searching questions about why they are here and what they want from your presentation. For Intent, summarise your intent into one clear line. And for message identify the single message that you’d like your audience to take away from your business presentation. See the next sections for more detail on A, I and M.

“90% of how well the business presentation will go is determined before the speaker steps on the platform.” – Somers White

Improve your presentation skills tips

• Use the AIM approach before all communications.
• Keep working at AIM until you are happy.

Create a killer presentation. Step #2 – AIM Part 1: Who’s your audience and what do they need?

Summary – your audience, not you, should be centre of attention in your presentation. the better you understand your audience, the better your business presentation will be..

What typically goes wrong?  When people give presentations about their latest project, they talk about their latest project. If they are reporting quarterly results, they report quarterly results. If they are speaking about their new business, they tell the audience about their new business. If explaining a new piece of regulation, they talk about elements of that regulation.

The problem with this approach is they are not including their audience in their presentation. And if they don’t include the audience, The audience will be less engaged.

Why does this matter?  Audiences are selfish. They like being talked about.

Instead, to improve your presentation skills your presentation should be about what your subject means for your audience. For example:

• “What you can learn from our latest project.”
• “Our quarterly results and what they mean for your department next quarter.”
• “How our new business can make you money.”
• “What the new regulations mean for you and your clients”

To do this, you must understand your audience. That means asking questions about them and getting under their skin. For example, some questions you may have could include:

ABOUT BACKGROUND

• Who is coming to this business presentation?
• What common reference points can I use?
• What experiences have they shared?

ABOUT MOTIVATION

• Why are they coming?
• What problems do they have?
• What do they need and want?
• What will make life easy for them?

ABOUT EXPECTATIONS

• What would they like me to business presentation about?
• What would a win feel like for them?
• What will make them sit up?

ABOUT CONNECTING

• What can I say that will show them I am on their side?
• What stories will resonate?
• How can I add value?

ABOUT EMOTIONAL POSITION

• What frame of mind will they be in?
• What should I avoid talking about?
• What will make them feel good?
• What can I say at the start to win them over?

ABOUT MAKING IT EASY FOR THEM

• What specific language should I use?
• How should I position what I am talking about for this audience?
• What phrases will resonate?

The more you learn about your audience, the better you know them and the better you can plan your presentation for them.

“Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it: To Whom It May Concern.” – Ken Haemer, presentation designe r

Top Presentation Improvement Tips

• Before any presentation, analyse your audience
• Research them
• Make sure you really know them and their needs before you start planning what to say

Create a killer presentation. Step #3 – AIM Part 2: What are you trying to achieve?

Summary – decide early the intent or purpose to your presentation. this will help you direct your efforts and target your presentation so that you achieve your goals..

What typically goes wrong?  “I’m going to talk about…” is a typical answer to the question “Why are you doing this business presentation?” But presenting about something is of no use to anyone. It is pointless.

For example:

• “I’m presenting about our new project”
• “I’m presenting about the new regulations”
• “A pitch about our new fund”
• “An introduction to ABCX co”
• “Monthly board report”

Why does this matter?  For a presentation to work it requires a clear purpose. When you know your purpose you can harness your presentation to achieving just that.

So, instead, decide your intent. For example, when I asked a Chief Financial Officer recently what was the intent of his presentation, he was clear: he said that he “Wanted to look like the next CEO of this business.” This clear purpose made it easy to help him prepare what he said, how he said it and how he positioned himself.

Someone recently, when giving a presentation about new regulations, was clear that she wanted “to help companies use the new regulations to run better, more profitable businesses”.

An HR director who was introducing a new expense system was clear that her intent was to “get people to use the new system by next month so they can get paid faster and with less effort.’

A fund manager who was pitching a first time fund to new investors had a clear intent of “getting onto their radar screens and securing a second meeting.”

A company looking for a trade buyer had crystallised their intent into “creating excitement about the potential value of buying this business and demonstrate the risk of others buying it.”

“An accountant at an FMCG firm had the intent with his monthly board reports to “Get them to recognise the value my team adds.”

Having a clear intent will make it easier for you to plan your presentation. Identifying that intent is also one of the harder parts of planning a business presentation.

“A presentation is a voyage with purpose and it must be charted. The man who starts out going nowhere, generally gets there.” – Dale Carnegie

• Be absolutely clear on the intent of your presentation.
• Summarise your intent in one line
• Use your intent as your North Star to guide everything you say and how you say it.

Create a killer presentation. Step #4 – AIM part 3: What’s your one big take-away message?

Summary – your presentation needs a take-away message. this means one simple message so when someone asks “what was that presentation about” a listener can confidently answer what you want them to say., what typically goes wrong.

Many presentations have titles such as:

• “Quarterly strategy report”
• “Project X”
• “Manufacturing update”
• “Annual results”

These are all topics, not messages

Why does this matter?  These titles do not help the audience. It only tells them something they already know. With a topic title you miss the opportunity of preparing your audience and getting them in the right mindset to be ready for your presentation.

So, instead, identify a message that summarises your presentation that you can use as its title. Keep improving the title until it properly captures what you want to say. For example:

• “Our strategy remains on track”
• “Launching Project X by December could double revenues next year”
• “Manufacturing: three problems we must address”
• “Profits up 5% this year despite Covid headwinds”

Then test your title on other people. Check if it generates the reaction you want.

“If you can’t write your idea on the back of my calling card, you don’t have a clear idea.”  – David Belasco, theatre producer

• Decide the title of your presentation early.
• Check it generates the reaction you want.
• Use this to build the rest of your presentation.
• Re-test your message against A.I.M.

Create a killer presentation. Step #5 – What are the three parts of your presentation?

Summary – your brain is naturally tuned to hearing things in sets of three. if you can break your presentation into three parts that work together then it’s more likely to be successful..

What typically goes wrong?  Many presentations are like shopping lists. The presentation covers multiple topics and jumps from one idea to the next.

What’s wrong with a shopping list approach? In the end, a huge amount of information has been transmitted but little has been received.

So, instead, remember that Less is More in a presentation. Help your audience by giving them a structure. A three part structure is one of the most useful planning shortcuts that you can use.

Once you are completely clear about your intent and your message, start developing a three part structure for your presentation. For example, if I wanted to give a presentation that shared advice on how to present, I would consider using one of the following structures:

Mistakes other people make / Tips you can use / How to become a great speaker or How to define your messages / How to structure your presentation / How to deliver your presentation or What bad looks like / what good looks like / what you can do differently

“ In writing and speaking, three is more satisfying than any other number. “ – Carmine Gallow, author

• Find your three part structure early.
• Use the structure to focus your efforts and guide your planning

Create a killer presentation. Step #6 – What is your story?

Summary – to improve your presentation skills you should underpin your presentation with a story or a narrative. no matter how dry your subject, by using a story it will be more memorable and more effective..

What typically goes wrong?  As an expert, a typical presenter wants to share knowledge. For example, A few years ago, I helped a lawyer give a business presentation to investors. This audience was made up of private equity investors in businesses who also sat on their boards. The subject was the 2006 Companies Act and the Duties and Responsibilities of a Director. A dry subject.

In her first draft, she reviewed sections of the Act and highlighted problems that directors may face. For example, “Section 172 of the Act, sets out your overarching duties as a director. You must act in the way you consider, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole.”

As you can imagine, it was not the most exciting of business presentations.

Why does this matter?  A precise business presentation may not be an interesting business presentation. And an uninteresting presentation will not be heard.  Your job as a presenter is to make your business presentation interesting and easy for your audience.

What to do instead

What this means is that you need to find a story that fits what you want to talk  about. This is key to improving presentation skills.

For example, for the investor director presentation above, we decided to title the presentation “How to keep your nose clean and yourself out of jail”

Then the presentation was based around a series of situations that anyone in the audience might face. She did not refer to any particular section of the Companies Act at all. Her text was:

“Imagine this situation. You turn up for a board meeting. You are a 10% shareholder and you are a director. At that board meeting the CEO announces that the company is near bankrupt and needs more funding. What should you do? Do you absent yourself, having a connected interest. Or do you declare your interest as a shareholder? Or do you carry as normal assuming business as usual?”

By framing it as a story you involve your audience and you make it easier for them to process what you say.

“Sometimes reality is too complex. Stories give it form.” – Jean Luc Godard, film director

• Find stories to tell, narratives to bring your facts to life.
• Tell the story behind the numbers.
• The dryer your subject matter, the more important stories become.

Create a killer presentation. Step #7 – Have you asked WHY?

Summary – ‘why’ comes before ‘what’ comes before ‘how’.

What typically goes wrong? When a speaker knows a subject well, it is easy for them to assume knowledge and talk about the nuances of what they know. I often describe this as the ‘How’ of a subject.

For example, when speaking about a new engine you have developed, you might say that we made the pistons more accurately, that you mix petrol more precisely and you have added a new technique of managing engine performance.

Why does this matter?  This is one of the most common mistakes that experts make when giving presentations. They spend too much time explaining HOW something works, rather than explaining WHAT it is they are presenting about and WHY it is important.

Instead, to improve your presentation skills, phrase it like this, answering the WHY question:  “We have designed a car engine that is more efficient and will get 100 miles to the gallon.”

“Start with Why” – Simon Sinek

• Check that you are clear why the audience will be interested.
• Imagine someone in the audience asking “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM)

Create a killer presentation. Step #8 – Can you give a 90 second summary of your presentation?

Summary – the best way to test your planning and improve your presentation skills is by speaking a c 100-200 word summary of your presentation. this summary will test the rigour of your thinking, the clarity of your ideas and the robustness of your plan..

What typically goes wrong?  The average poor presentation meanders from topic to topic and is more like a data dump than a well organised business presentation. It is rich in information but poor in story, structure and planning. It will not easily fit into a short sharp clear summary.

Why does this matter?  Lack of planning = Lack of story = hard on your audience.

So, instead, Create a short summary of your presentation to test your thinking

• You can use it early in your planning to test your ideas.
• If you are working with colleagues you can share your thinking.
• If you are preparing a presentation for someone else, you can share your summary to test their reaction.
• If someone else is preparing your presentation, you can use a summary to check they are on track.

This is one of the most powerful of all shortcuts and will save you a huge amount of wasted time.

“If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.” – Dianna Booher, Author

• Test your ideas with a short summary.
• Use a critical audience.
• If it is not tight enough, keep refining your summary.

Summary – how to plan your presentation for success

• Use AIM as the first stage of preparing any presentation
• Answer the WHY questions in your presentation before the WHAT or HOW questions.

Transform your presentation skills with tailored coaching

We can help you present brilliantly. Thousands of people have benefitted from our tailored in-house coaching and advice – and we can help you too .

“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.” Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky

For 15+ years we’ve been the trusted choice of leading businesses and executives throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East to improve presentation skills and presentations through coaching, training and expert advice.

Unlock your full potential and take your presentations to the next level with Benjamin Ball Associates.

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

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How to give a good presentation that captivates any audience

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What are the main difficulties when giving presentations?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Keep it simple

Simple means something different to everyone.

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

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

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

2. Create a compelling structure

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

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

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

3. Use visual aids

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

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

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

4. Be aware of design techniques and trends

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

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

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

5. Try the 10-20-30 rule

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

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

Tip #1: Tell stories

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

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

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

Tip #2: Make eye contact with the audience

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

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

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

Tip #3: Work on your stage presence

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

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

Tip #4: Start strong

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

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

Tip #5: Show your passion

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

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

Tip #6: Plan your delivery

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

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

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

Tip #7: Practice

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

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

Tip #8: Read the room

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

Tip #9: Breathe

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

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

Tip #10: Provide a call-to-action

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

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

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

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

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

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14 Must-Know Presentation Tips for a Killer Presentation [in 2023]

Guru - November 8, 2022 - Leave your thoughts. 18 min read

We're all familiar with the old adage: "A good presentation is like a great conversation."

What makes a presentation great?

Is it a compelling story? Or a good connection with your audience? Or is it about an eloquent delivery by the presenter?

The truth is, there is no “one-size-fits-all solution” for creating great presentations. Every presentation is different, and every audience is different.

When you’re tasked with delivering a presentation, you want to ensure it goes off without a hitch. We all know how important it is for the audience to remember and understand the content.

So if you’re wondering how to make a killer presentation that will stand out and stay in people’s minds for a long time, you’ve come to the right place!

In this article, we have addressed the most frequently asked questions about presentations.

We have also compiled a list of great presentation tips to improve your deck designs, presentation best practices, and effective ways to communicate the subject to your audience.

Here’s what the article covers,

What makes a good presentation?

• 14 Must-Know Presentation Tips to give a killer presentation

What are the difficulties in making a presentation?

Spellbound your audience with these presentation tips.

When we think about presentations, we often think about the content itself. We imagine a long list of facts or figures, a well-rehearsed script, and a PowerPoint slide deck.

But what makes a good presentation? What makes it memorable, engaging, and valuable?

These are questions that any presenter should be asking themselves.

Here are the four characteristics of a good presentation:

• A good presentation makes you want to take action.
• It helps your audience engage and be interested in what you have to say. It educates and entertains at the same time.
• It puts forth information in a way that makes it easy for them to understand and process without overwhelming them.
• If you're one of those people who's always thinking, "What can I add to my own presentation?”

Well, we've compiled some best presentation tips for you that will help make your next presentation memorable—and, more importantly, help you do what you came here to do: share information with the world.

So read on to find out.

14 Must Know Presentation Tips for a killer presentation [in 2023]

Ever felt like you're struggling to make a presentation on time? Worried about how good your presentation will turn out? We have all been there.

This is why we have put together a list of great presentation tips that can make your next presentation a breeze, and we hope it helps!

Here are some tips to help you create a great presentation:

• Do proper homework on the subject
• Have a strong opening
• Follow a presentation structure
• Have a Hook!
• Tell an engaging story
• Use visual elements
• Keep it short
• Add a touch of humor
• Have a parking lot for questions
• Learn to empathize with the audience
• Keep it interactive with Call-to-action
• Incorporate Data when required
• Use Hashtags in your presentation
• Try out unique presentation templates

Tip 1 - Do proper homework on the subject

Whenever a topic is assigned to you for a presentation, it goes without saying that you understand the topic correctly.

You must do proper homework and research on the subject to ensure you know what you're talking about.

Reading articles and books, or even watching videos or podcasts, will help you understand the topic and how the presentation should be structured.

Also, if you need more background information on the topic, don't be afraid to ask for help from other people—you might find that they know more than you think!

Take notes while learning about the topic. This will help you remember key points.

Then, read your notes before you present and practice saying them aloud (this will help with timing and pronunciation).

Use a timer; this helps keep track of how long you take to say things while also keeping yourself from getting too nervous.

Do some fundamental research on your audience and their expectations about your presentation.

For instance, If they're business executives, they might be looking for intellectual information and numbers. Or, If they're a general audience, they may want more details about how your product works or how it can benefit them.

You'll be surprised how much more effective your presentation will be when you know,

Everything about the topic How crucial it is for the audience, and What the audience expects from the presentation

So only present a topic after doing loads of essential research!

Tip 2 - Have a strong opening

An excellent way to ensure that your presentation is successful is by having a solid opening. Plan the intro slides ahead so that you can set the right tone for the pitch.

Have a strong opening statement that tells your audience who they are listening to, why they're here, what they will hear from you, and anything else you want them to know!

Doing so will help keep your audience engaged and interested in what you have to say.

Be prepared for questions from your audience before you start speaking. It is not necessary that the audience must wait till the end to ask questions.

Being prepared will help you answer them well and present yourself as an expert in the field.

Tip 3 - Follow a presentation structure

The first thing you should do is decide on a structure for your presentation. This will help you ensure that you cover all essential topics and leave no gaps in what you say.

The most successful presentations start with a strong introduction, followed by a clear and concise main body, and ending with a proper sign-off.

The body presents the study's research, findings, and conclusions in an organized and engaging way.

The final section/sign-off should close with any additional information or recommendations. Not just that, it must also give the audience space to ask questions related to the presentation.

Each section can have about two or three minutes of content. This would help structure the presentation concisely and make sure to include all important information.

Use transitions between slides that move from one topic to another, rather than just jumping from one slide to another in one continuous flow.

This makes your content more manageable for your audience to follow and gives them more time to digest what they're seeing before moving on to the next thing!

Hence, remember this effective presentation tip - follow a proper structure!

Tip 4 - Have a Hook!

When you're delivering a presentation, keeping your audience's attention is essential.

But how do you make learning a little more fun? What are the best presenting tips and tricks?

Well, one way is by making sure that your presentation has a hook.

A hook can be anything from an element of surprise (like an announcement that will keep them anticipated till the end) to something unexpected (a discount!).

This will help to keep your audience engaged because they won't feel like they're reading through a textbook or manual - they'll feel like they're getting involved in your story.

Ideally, hooks are placed at the start of the presentation. It's the part that acts as a surprise for the audience, keeping them engaged and excited, and would help retain the audience's attention.

However, remember that the fewer distractions in your presentation, the easier it will be for them to see how amazing it is!

Tip 5 - Tell an engaging story

When you're creating a presentation, it’s a thumb rule to make sure your slide decks are memorable and engaging throughout.

One of the best ways to do this is by telling a story—whether that's a story about your business, your life, or anything else related to the subject.

Telling a story is the key to creating an excellent presentation.

Your audience will be more interested if they can relate to what's on your slides. So tell them a story that connects with their lives and work experiences - it may be a funny anecdote or a relatable work prank!

Let's say you're talking about how to create a product. You can start by showing an image or a video of the product. You can develop the flow by telling the product story and how it has grown through the years.

That way, your audience gets to see both sides of the coin: what this product does and how it was made.

The more details you include in your presentation, the better it will be for viewers—not only because they'll get more information but because they'll also have more context for what they see on screen.

Hence, remember to carve your presentation with a well-practiced, engaging story.

Tip 6 - Use visual elements

People love visual aids—they help them remember things better than words alone!

When you're presenting a product or service, you have to look at it from all angles—from the customer's point of view, the provider's point of view, and your own.

It's essential to keep in mind that your presentation must build a connection with the audience. You must consider the audience’s needs and how you can meet them. The best way to bring that connection is not just through words but to incorporate visual proofs in your slide decks.

But the visual elements used must be relevant to the topic at hand.

For example, if your company is doing something great for the community, show pictures of people smiling in joy from being around you!

If you're talking about how much money you've made over the years as an entrepreneur, add pictures of dollar signs!

Finally, make sure that everything in your presentation flows together nicely.

For example, if visual element parts don't match, then consider breaking them up into two separate slides or changing how things are laid out so it doesn't feel so jarring when someone views it.

Use quality screenshots and images that are relevant to the topic at hand. This is especially important when you're speaking in front of an audience who may need to become more familiar with your product or service.

If possible, use photos or videos of people who might be familiar with your topic—people who will help convey your message more effectively than just text alone.

You don't have to go all out on the graphics, but if you can, try to use high-quality images that are easy to understand.

With online presentation makers like Animaker Deck, you get access to the stock images library; you can pick and add high-quality images for your slide decks with a simple click now!

Also, the best part is you can upload screenshots and brand images directly into the app and use them in the presentation.

Tip 7 - Keep it short

Ever wonder why some presentations are so dull? It's because they're dragging!

A good presentation should be at most 20 minutes at maximum and be structured so that even a first-time viewer can easily understand the information conveyed.

Ensure your audience knows what to expect from you and your content. Refrain from crossing the line of being boring or boringly informative. Your audience should never feel like they're being lectured.

One key business presentation tip is to convey the message to the audience most memorably and engagingly possible.

It is really in the hands of the presenter to steer the audience’s attention throughout the presentation without giving too many dull moments.

The shorter, the better. Keep your slides concise, and avoid falling into the trap of talking about things that have nothing to do with your actual point.

Tip 8 - Add a touch of humor

If you're trying to create an awesome presentation, you can do a few things to ensure it's easy on the eyes and makes people want to engage.

One of the best methods for communicating the message in a light-hearted manner and making your presentation stand out is through humor.

Try to avoid text-heavy slides! You can use witty remarks, analogies, drawings, personal anecdotes, or even memes that suit current trends.

When you tell about something that has happened to you, people may be able to associate with it even more if the story is humorous.

This way, you can easily withhold the audience’s attention through the presentation.

Tip 9 - Have a parking lot for questions

When you're creating a presentation, it's important to keep the audience engaged and excited about what's coming up next. Therefore, it is very necessary to make the presentation a two-way street.

A good way to do this is by asking questions during your presentation and allowing them to answer. This helps keep the audience interested in what they're learning and makes them feel like they're part of the conversation.

The audience should be engaged throughout the presentation and allowed to ask questions to the presenter.

However, it is also vital to ensure that the flow of the presentation is not disrupted by the bombardment of questions in the middle of the presentation.

To tackle this, the presenter can introduce a “parking lot” in their presentation.

So when the audience asks a question about a particular section in the presentation, the presenter can choose to park similar questions together and answer them all together at the end of the presentation.

This way, the presentation’s flow is not affected, and even the audience will get their questions answered.

This is an important skill to be imbibed by every presenter to ensure the audience feels comfortable and gains a good experience from the presentation.

Tip 10 - Learn to empathize with the audience

One of the most important things to remember when creating a presentation is that you are trying to connect with your audience.

Learn to empathize with the audience. You'll want to understand what they're seeing, feeling, and thinking so that you can communicate your message in a way that resonates with them.

By understanding their needs, you can create a more meaningful presentation that will resonate with them. Try to put yourself in their shoes and imagine how they think about this topic.

Are they excited? Are they bored? What are they hoping for? What do they want to see from you?

Know your audience's needs!

It would help if you talked to people with similar backgrounds as your audience and how they would like to be educated on the topic.

Before you start creating content for your presentation, think about who you're speaking to and what they need from you.

When you do this, you will not only speak more clearly, but you'll also be able to connect with them emotionally, making your message stick.

Tip 11 - Keep it interactive with Call-to-action

Have you ever been in a presentation where the speaker makes it look like a one-way conversation? It's not an intentional act of rudeness—the speaker is just trying to get their point across.

But for the audience, it might be very disappointing!

The solution? Keep your presentation interactive with call-to-action buttons that let your audience help move things along.

When something important is being discussed, ask them to take action by clicking on one of the buttons that appear on the screen.

Include a call-to-action that tells your audience what they should do next (like sign up for my newsletter!) or take action on what you've just told them (like buy my product!).

So include call-to-action buttons wherever necessary, so viewers feel like they're partaking in something meaningful rather than just watching someone talk for hours on end!

But one thing, don’t go overboard on those CTAs either. Too many CTAs can be bugging.

Tip 12 - Incorporate Data when required

Creating a presentation is a complicated task, but it's also incredibly important that you need to be able to convey information clearly and effectively.

That's where data comes in!

Data can help you make your point by giving context and supporting the main points of your argument.

Incorporate data when required to present information to the audience quickly. This will make your audience understand what you're talking about more efficiently and allow them to consume the information in a way that makes sense to them.

Use real-life examples and statistics whenever possible because people love those!

With an online presentation maker like Animaker Deck, you get access to the property section, where you can search and add charts, graphs, icons, and other properties directly into your slide decks with just a few clicks.

For example, if you're presenting an overview of how your company's business model works, include graphs or charts that show how the different parts of the model work together so that people who aren't familiar with it can follow along easily.

Or, if you're talking about something more complex, like an industry trend, use graphs or charts to illustrate key points about it, such as growth rates for specific industries over time or changes in consumer demand based on demographics.

You can also use numbers and percentages in charts when comparing different items or events.

Tip 13 - Use Hashtags in your presentation

It’s the era of social media. People are likely tweeting, emailing, or running their entire little business on their phones and sharing every life update on the internet while still doing other chores.

When used correctly, hashtags can: Persuade attendees to share your event on social media, give participants a way to continue the conversation online, and permit you to review tagged comments to evaluate consumer feedback.

You can create a hashtag for your event and use it in the presentation. Promote social media interactions with the hashtag. This will allow you to connect with other users interested in what you have to say!

You can help inspire viewers to share news, ideas, and updates about your presentation by linking this custom hashtag you created. It combines social interaction, event promotion, and word-of-mouth marketing into one.

So if you use social media in your presentation, make sure you promote the hashtag you'll use. This will ensure that people who follow your brand or business see and interact with the hashtag!

Tip 14 - Try out unique presentation templates

We know how hard it is to come up with a good pitch and how hard it is to be creative when you have no time to waste on making something from scratch.

Thanks to online presentation makers like Animaker Deck, creating a presentation online is now easier than ever.

You can access exciting presentation templates with the help of Animaker's online presentation software, hundreds of customizable layouts and branding options, free stock images, properties, transition effects, and animations.

They'll let you get straight to the point and help you win every pitch because they're so easy to use and exceptionally engaging that they'll blow your audience away!

In other words, Animaker Deck handholds you in bringing all your fascinating presentation ideas to life with its one-of-a-kind features and built-in templates, ready for you to use on the go!

Making a presentation can be a daunting task.

The difficulty lies in brainstorming the subject matter, preparing the presentation, and successfully presenting it to the audience. Overall, it is a lengthy and time-consuming process.

A good presentation must be organized and have a logical flow.

Many difficulties are encountered when preparing a presentation. This includes lack of preparation, lack of information about the subject, or worse, lack of interest in learning the subject from an academic perspective, let alone presenting it.

1st , you have to know what you're talking about. You must do your research and be able to explain the topic clearly and concisely.

2nd , you have to make a good impression quickly. You need to get your point across in a way that makes people want to listen—so they don't drift off and tune out!

3rd , your presentation must be not only exciting but also useful. If people don't learn something from your presentation, then it wasn't worth making in the first place!

Sure, you've been doing it for years—but that doesn't mean you're an expert at it. On the contrary, it's a skill that takes practice and dedication to master, and it can be frustrating when things don't go quite as planned.

So if you want to make better presentations every time, implement the above compelling presentation tips and overcome all the difficulties!

That’s all, folks!

We hope you found the above slide Presentation tips very useful, and you will never have to worry about making a presentation anymore!

Now that you know how to make an excellent presentation, it's time to start imbibing these presentation tips in your next presentation and spellbound your audience immediately!

Create a free account with Animaker Deck today to start dominating all of your presentations right away!

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• August 28, 2023

How to Give a Killer Presentation? Lessons For Entrepreneurs

Unleash your entrepreneurial prowess with our comprehensive guide on giving killer presentations. master storytelling, engagement, and impact to captivate any audience..

Dear Fellow Entrepreneurs,

Imagine standing before a room full of eager eyes, hearts beating with anticipation, all waiting for you to deliver a presentation that leaves them inspired, informed, and thoroughly impressed. As entrepreneurs, presentations are our platforms for showcasing our ideas, influencing stakeholders, and driving our ventures forward. A killer presentation has the potential to not only captivate the audience but also generate substantial revenue and open doors to unimaginable opportunities.

In this fast-paced world of business, where attention spans are fleeting and competition is fierce, the art of delivering an exceptional presentation has become a cornerstone skill. Whether you’re pitching your startup to investors, unveiling a game-changing product, or sharing insights at a conference, mastering the art of presentation is non-negotiable. And that’s exactly what we’re here to guide you through – a comprehensive journey into the strategies and tactics that can turn your presentations into game-changers.

We’ve all witnessed the electrifying power of a great presentation – the way it holds the audience in a spell, conveys complex information effortlessly, and instills a sense of confidence in the speaker. Behind this magic lies a combination of meticulous planning, skillful execution, and an understanding of human psychology. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur looking to sharpen your skills or a newcomer wanting to make your mark, the principles we’re about to unveil are universal and adaptable.

Through this blog, we’re offering you more than just pointers; we’re sharing a blueprint to transform your presentation style from ordinary to extraordinary. We’ll dive deep into each step, providing insights, real-world examples, and practical tips that you can implement immediately. So, let’s embark on this journey to unleash your presentation prowess and elevate your entrepreneurial venture to new heights.

Are you ready to captivate, influence, and conquer with your presentations? Let’s dive in!

So How To Give a Killer Presentation?

• Know Your Audience: Understand the demographics, needs, and preferences of your audience to tailor your message effectively.
• Crystalize Your Message: Craft a clear, concise, and compelling core message that encapsulates the essence of your presentation.
• Storytelling Mastery: Weave narratives that resonate emotionally, making your content memorable and relatable.
• Structural Brilliance: Organize your presentation logically, with an attention-grabbing opening, insightful body, and impactful conclusion.
• Engaging Openings: Start with a bang – a thought-provoking quote, a surprising statistic, or a compelling anecdote.
• Visual Excellence: Utilize visuals that support and enhance your message without overwhelming the audience.
• The Power of Simplicity: Keep slides uncluttered, use concise text, and avoid jargon for easy understanding.
• Dynamic Delivery: Master your tone, pace, and body language to keep the audience engaged and attentive.
• Audience Interaction: Incorporate Q&A sessions, polls, or discussions to foster engagement and address queries.
• Confidence and Authenticity: Embrace your unique style and exude confidence to establish credibility and build trust.
• Visual Aids as Enhancements: Leverage multimedia, props, and slides as supplements, not substitutes, to your presentation.
• Data Utilization: Interpret data visually, using charts and graphs to simplify complex information.
• Transitions and Flow: Ensure smooth transitions between ideas, maintaining a seamless and easy-to-follow narrative.
• Embrace Technology: Familiarize yourself with presentation tools and have a backup plan for technical glitches.
• Practice Like a Pro: Rehearse extensively to eliminate stage fright, refine timing, and boost overall delivery.
• Feedback and Iteration: Seek constructive feedback to refine content, delivery, and impact.
• Overcoming Obstacles: Anticipate possible challenges and prepare contingencies to maintain composure.
• Inspire Action: Conclude with a compelling call to action that prompts your audience to take the desired steps.

Conclusion:

Fellow Entrepreneurs,

The journey of mastering the art of delivering a killer presentation is not just about speaking to an audience – it’s about igniting minds, stirring emotions, and inspiring action. The steps we’ve uncovered are not mere guidelines; they are the keys to unlocking your potential as a presentation powerhouse. Embrace them, adapt them, and make them your own.

Remember, every presentation is an opportunity to shine, to establish your authority, and to make an indelible mark. From crafting your message to mesmerizing your audience with storytelling, from using visuals to your advantage to conquering the stage with your delivery – each step is a building block in the monument of your success.

So, go forth with confidence, armed with the tools you need to captivate any audience, convert skeptics into believers, and propel your entrepreneurial journey to greater heights. The stage is set, and you are the star. Let your presentations resonate, inspire, and drive your ventures forward.

To your presentation success!

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How to Create Killer Presentation Slides (Key Components and Tips)

Last updated on April 16th, 2024

Powerful slide presentations are visually appealing, not visually distracting. They effectively convey a specific message to a certain group of people for various purposes. However, not everyone knows about the crucial components of a killer presentation that can impact the listeners’ minds.

Slide shows are easy to produce, update, and present if you know how to grab the attention of your audience . Creating powerful presentations is one of the skills that will let you differentiate from many professionals, business leaders, public speakers as well and students. That is why you must be aware of specific components of engaging presentations with tips to present in front of any listener. So, how to make a good slideshow presentation? In this article, we present tips that will let you make killer presentations that stand out from the crowd.

Why putting in the effort to create killer presentations?

In the modern age of technological revolution, digital means of communication have prevailed in almost every type of industry. If you want to deliver an idea, a message, a business proposal, or an argument, slide decks are one of the most effective tools to achieve these objectives.

1. Presentations are powerful sales tools

PowerPoint presentations are effective sales tools as they are used for selling ideas, products, and services in almost all types of industries and for a variety of business models, B2B sales, B2C, social selling, etc. A speaker or presenter may have his own method of delivering a message but the visual appeal of the sales deck proves to be very helpful in resonating with the minds, thoughts, and ideas of the listeners.

By using sales presentations or sales decks, a salesman can inform his prospective clients by informing them of the potential benefits of his products or services. He can then convince them by identifying their problems and offering his product or service as a solution. In the end, with the aid of a structured sales presentation that includes compelling graphics, diagrams, infographics, and visual slides, he can persuade his listeners to purchase his product or service. A salesman with a top-notch slide presentation can convert his listeners into customers.

2. Presentations are important in public speaking

Being a good orator or public speaker is not enough to leave a long-lasting impact on your audience during your public speaking activities. You will need the assistance of other techniques and tools as well to become a powerful public speaker . That is why presentations are very useful in the public speaking process as they facilitate the speaker in conveying his message through the visual aid.

According to analysts, a piece of visual information gets perceived and understood 60,000 times faster than textual information . So, the recipe to deliver a top-notch public speech is to have a well-organized and audience-focused speech along with organized and structured visuals and graphics in the form of a presentation.

You don’t have to be a graphic designer or Adobe Photoshop expert to create and design a killer presentation for your next event or activity. You can take advantage of free templates and presentation slides provided by sites like FPPT, where you can download thousands of premade PowerPoint Templates for any topic. In this way, you can focus more on your presentation delivery part than on slide designing and preparation stages.

3. Presentations are essential for promoting brands

To outshine your competition in the ever-vibrant markets, you need to be aware of modern and appealing business tactics and techniques to grab the attention of prospective buyers and prospects.

When business leaders and professionals attend various seminars, exhibitions, or virtual video conferences, slide decks become much more effective tools to promote your services, products, and ultimately brands.

Presentations can be regarded as the language of business communication processes. Therefore, mastering the art of making and delivering efficient slide decks has become more relevant and necessary in the modern business landscape. Putting all the effort into making a killer presentation will help you to differentiate yourself from your competitors.

So, how to give a killer presentation? In the next chapters we will explain how to prepare a great presentation and give it to the audience.

What are the Key Components of a Killer PowerPoint Presentation?

In order to develop and present powerful PowerPoint presentations, you need to be aware of a structured approach to organizing your data and information in the form of slides. Here are some actionable key components of a killer presentation that can help you in achieving your desired goals and help you make your presentation look better.

1. Cover Slide 

A cover slide is used to set the tone of the whole presentation topic. Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to create your slides cohesively by offering some basic preset themes and color variations. However, to grab the attention of your listeners, you will need to have a more professionally designed slide presentation. Our website comes in handy in offering a variety of presentation cover PPT slides and designs for almost any kind of presentation topic that you may have. For example, if you want to deliver a presentation on the topic of market trends, you can have a look at the Free Market Trend Analysis PowerPoint Template , to have an idea of how the cover slide will look in this case. You can customize your presentation cover page and slides as per the guidelines of your company’s brand identity or you can choose your own visually appealing graphics to seem more interesting.

2. Agenda or Table of Contents Slide

After designing and setting your cover slide, it is time to provide an overview to your audience about the topic and purpose of your presentation. This is generally done with the help of agenda slides in your presentation.

For example, if you deliver a presentation about a potential product to prospective buyers, you can mention the following upcoming slides in your agenda slide in a numbered manner.

• Who are you?
• What is the problem being faced by users?
• How can you (your company or business) solve this problem?
• Why choose your solution?
• Drawbacks of using other products and the benefits of using your product?
• Questions and Answers Session

Typically, each point in the agenda slide will correspond to a specific slide in your presentation. 

In some interactive presentations, designers can place a link so clicking on each of the agenda items will navigate to the desired section and then get back to the agenda. If you want to consider a ToC instead of Agenda, you can learn more on how to create a Table of Contents for your PowerPoint presentation .

3. Storytelling Approach as a Crucial Component

No matter what type of topic is going to be presented, you should always remember that you are delivering the presentations to fellow human beings who have certain desires, feelings, and emotions. In order to leave a profound impact on your audience, your message should resonate with the feelings, and emotions of listeners. That is why, by using a storytelling approach , you can master the art of persuasion.

You need to tell the idea and story behind your product or service and relate it to the needs, wants, and desires of the prospects. The goal is to make your listeners realize that you are exactly a match for their problems and worries. You need to be aware of your buyer personas to become a more effective presenter.

4. Explaining the Problem under Discussion

You need to be aware of the background of your audience to understand their needs, desires, and problems. At this stage, you must mention the problem under discussion in your slide to demonstrate that you have a clear knowledge of the issues being faced by the target customers. Typically you will use a Problem Slide here.

Explain how the problem affects your customers, other businesses, and, if applicable, the whole world. In this way, you can maintain a solid position on the stage as the listeners will be more attentive to you when you discuss their pain points.

5. Offering Your Solution 

Now, when the problem being faced by the users has been thoroughly discussed, it’s time to introduce your product, service, or idea as a solution. You have grabbed the attention of your audience until now and listeners are now eager to learn about a possible solution for their worries. This is done with the help of Solution slides.

You need to be creative at this stage while explaining multiple solutions for the issues being faced by the users. You can use PowerPoint shapes to give a visual touch to your textual information. You can also use relevant charts (bar charts, pie charts, line charts, etc.), graphs, tables, infographics , images, gifs, and videos to make your slides more interesting. You can also use metaphors and analogies to represent ideas and explain the solution.

6. Persuasion with Data and Proof

After presenting your solution, it is time to persuade your listeners to take an interest in your offer. If you have developed some reports, you can present their conclusions to potential clients. You can show the data in the form of charts or graphs as they combine both textual and visual elements for better understanding.

You can also mention statistics (key stats) about why your product, service, or idea is better than other industry players. By providing concrete sets of data, you can make the decision-making process of your potential audience much easier. Typically you’d use the key statistics slide to present this information, unless you want to compare metrics vs. other competitors or products. In this case, you will use comparison slides.

7. Call to Action Slide (or CTA slide)

After presenting your proofs and statistics, it is high time to persuade your listeners to respond to your specific call to action. You need to make them aware of all the options that they have and how they can choose a suitable option as per their requirements and budgetary needs.

The goal is to give a clear call to action to your audience. Do not make anything ambiguous or confusing. Your ideas, solutions, and ultimate CTA must be concise, to the point, and compelling in nature.

Sometimes, this call to action is no more than a Thank you slide with the Contact Information, a last slide with a QR Code to drive the audience to visit your website or call you, or just a summary slide with the important information you want the audience to save in their minds.

8. Questions and Answers 

In order to continue the dialogue between you and your listeners, you can add a Questions and Answers slide in your presentation. In this way, the audience will have the opportunity to ask any further questions that they may have about your ideas, arguments, offers, or solutions. The goal of having a Q&A session or using Q&A slides in your presentation is to make the communication between the speaker and the audience effective to meet the desired objectives of the overall presentation.

9. Reviewing Your Slide Presentation

At this stage, you should review your entire presentation from the beginning to the end to identify any potential grammatical mistakes and errors in your slides. Make sure that all of your slides are coherent and cohesive with respect to each other and present the topic in a seamless flow. 

Ensure all animations, transitions, and visual elements are working and set properly. You can show your presentation to some other professional as well to ask for his opinion. Test the running of the slides in the presentation mode by playing a PowerPoint slideshow and make sure that all points in your slides make sense and seem appealing. Playing the slide show is especially useful if you are applying animations and transitions, or if you want to see how the presentation flows from the first slide to the last slide.

3 Tips for Delivering Powerful Presentations by Defining a Killer Structure

To outshine as a persuasive presenter, here are three useful tips for structuring and delivering your presentations. Here are three effective tips on how to give a killer presentation:

1. Don’t Rely on Pre-set Elements in Your Slides

Every presentation topic has specific customized needs. To fulfill these needs and requirements, the presenter must keep in mind the actual theme of the presentation, the flow of the upcoming topics, and ultimately the desired call to action. 

Even when you use premade templates , you can customize specific points, visual slides, fonts, animations, and transitions in your slides. Your PowerPoint Presentation’s theme must complement your needs. Decide whether using bullet points for your topics is a good idea or not. Bullet points are important but they are not always appropriate for all topics. Professional designers may argue that bullet points are boring, and not recommend using them but instead use one of the possible alternatives to traditional bullet points , like block lists, sections or even icons.

If there is no need for animations or transitions in specific slides, don’t use them. Make sure your presentation is not underwhelming for listeners.

2. Be Aware of the Presentation Tools and Equipment

A presenter must be aware of the usage of the tools and equipment necessary for delivering presentations. You should test all the tools before the actual presentation like the projector, HDMI or VGA Adapter, Presentation Remote, Wireless Keyboard, Microphone, Speakers, Smartpen, and presentation devices like Laptops or PCs. 

If any malfunctioning or mishap happens during your actual presentation, you may lose the interest, and attention of your audience and ultimately the purpose of your presentation. That is why, it is necessary to be aware of all possibilities related to your presentation equipment and you must have some backup solution in case any unwanted activity happens.

The format of your presentation is also important. While you can play any .pptx or .ppt file in PowerPoint, when you present in a different environment, it would be recommended to save it in a different format (e.g. a PDF presentation ) or host the presentation online.

3. Using Premade Presentation Templates

A smart presentation designer always saves time and focuses on the areas that actually matter for the effectiveness of his presentation delivery mechanism. You don’t need to hire a professional designer for your presentation development or design the slides from scratch all by yourself. 

You can save your valued time and resources by downloading professional PowerPoint templates like those offered by SlideModel or the free templates provided by Free PowerPoint Templates totally free of cost. Now, you can focus more on the rehearsal of your presentation than on developing your desired professional pitch deck. Developing and delivering killer  presentations was never this convenient before.

Final Words

Presentations are used for a variety of purposes in the business world like selling your products and services, public speaking in seminars and video conferences, and promoting your brands and businesses in exhibitions. Therefore, it is very important for business leaders and professionals to learn about the potential elements of powerful presentations that can win the attention of any audience and how each level can contribute to delivering a presentation, depending on the type of presentation to be created.

A killer slide presentation starts with a solid cover and agenda slides but it also ends with a solid last slide. It involves a storytelling approach to highlighting the pain points of the potential users and offering a solution. It includes slides that contain visually appealing statistical data and information to convince prospective listeners to respond to a specific call to action (CTA). It concludes with a Questions and Answers session in which all of the ambiguities of the listeners are cleared in an effective manner.

By keeping in mind all the above-mentioned tips and key elements related to presentations, any business professional can achieve his desired presentation goals in an actionable and measurable manner.

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Make Killer Presentations: 6 Tools You Can Use

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Let’s face it, presentations can be nerve-wracking. But with the right tools and techniques, you can deliver a killer presentation that will leave your audience impressed and engaged. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newbie to the world of public speaking, these 6 presentation tools can help you take your presentation game to the next level. Get ready to dazzle and get your popcorn ready because it’s showtime! 

Tool 1: Haiku Deck

Haiku Deck is a presentation tool that will make you feel like a design mastermind, even if you have no creative bones in your body. It’s like the cheat code to making killer presentations that look like they were crafted by a team of professional designers. And let’s be real, who has the time or money for that? With Haiku Deck, you can choose from a wide selection of templates and stunning images, and customise them to fit your presentation needs. Plus, the tool is so easy to use that even your grandma could create a killer deck with it. 

Tool 2: Poll Everywhere

Poll Everywhere is a fun and interactive tool that lets you engage with your audience in a whole new way. No more boring and tedious presentations where you feel like you’re just talking to a wall. With Poll Everywhere, you can ask your audience questions, get live responses, and see the results in real-time. It’s like playing a game of trivia with your audience, except you’re also giving a presentation at the same time. And let’s not forget the fun aspect of Poll Everywhere. You can add in some humour and entertainment to your presentation by asking your audience some funny questions or creating a fun quiz. Who knows, you might even discover some hidden talents in your audience that you never knew existed. With Poll Everywhere, the possibilities are endless.

Tool 3: Emaze

Ah, Emaze – the presentation tool that’s so cool, it makes your audience go “ooh” and “ahh” at all the right moments. With Emaze, you can take your boring old PowerPoint slides and turn them into a visual feast for the eyes. It’s like having a personal graphic designer at your fingertips (minus the designer salary, of course). Plus, Emaze has a ton of pre-designed templates to choose from, so you can easily create a presentation that looks like it was made by a pro (even if you’re a beginner). And the best part? Your audience won’t fall asleep halfway through because they’ll be too busy admiring your sleek and stunning presentation skills.

Tool 4: Mentimeter

Want to know the secret to a killer presentation? It’s all about audience engagement! And lucky for you, Mentimeter has got your back. With this interactive presentation tool, you can create live polls, quizzes, and Q&A sessions that will keep your audience on their toes and invested in your presentation. And if you really want to wow them, you can even add a word cloud feature to gather audience input on a specific topic.

Tool 5: Timer

One of the biggest mistakes presenters make is not managing their time effectively. Hey, we’ve all been there – running out of time during a presentation can be a real bummer. That’s why it’s important to use a timer to help you stay on track and avoid going over your allotted time. Whether you’re a pro who prefers a physical stopwatch or a tech-savvy newbie who uses the timer on their phone, using a timer can make a big difference in how smoothly your presentation goes.

Tool 6: Confidence

And lastly, the most essential tool that you can have for your presentation is your own confidence ! Have faith in your message and your abilities, and your audience will undoubtedly believe in you too. Prior to the presentation, rehearse and work on your body language and voice modulation. Keep in mind that the more confident you appear, the more likely your audience will be thrilled and impressed by your presentation. So, let your self-belief shine through and give an outstanding presentation that your audience will remember for a long time! Remember, the more confident you appear, the more likely your audience is to be engaged and impressed by your presentation.

With these 6 presentation tools, you’ll be well-equipped to deliver an outstanding presentation that will leave your audience impressed and engaged. So go forth, unleash your inner presenter, and knock your next presentation out of the park! Remember, a great presentation not only communicates your message effectively but also engages your audience. By incorporating these tools and techniques into your presentation, you can capture your audience’s attention and make a lasting impression. So go ahead, take the plunge, and give that outstanding presentation you’ve been dreaming of!

Present Like A Pro With Mentoria!

Are you looking to take your presentation skills to the next level? At Mentoria, we understand that giving an outstanding presentation is crucial for your career growth. That’s why we offer a range of career guidance services to help you achieve your goals. Our experienced mentors can guide you through the process of creating and delivering a winning presentation, using the latest tools and techniques. But that’s not all – Mentoria’s career guidance services go beyond just presentation skills. We are committed to mentoring you until you land a job you love. Sign up for Mentoria today and take the first step towards presentation greatness.

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

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

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

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

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

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AI presentation maker

When lack of inspiration or time constraints are something you’re worried about, it’s a good idea to seek help. Slidesgo comes to the rescue with its latest functionality—the AI presentation maker! With a few clicks, you’ll have wonderful slideshows that suit your own needs . And it’s totally free!

Generate presentations in minutes

We humans make the world move, but we need to sleep, rest and so on. What if there were someone available 24/7 for you? It’s time to get out of your comfort zone and ask the AI presentation maker to give you a hand. The possibilities are endless : you choose the topic, the tone and the style, and the AI will do the rest. Now we’re talking!

Customize your AI-generated presentation online

Alright, your robotic pal has generated a presentation for you. But, for the time being, AIs can’t read minds, so it’s likely that you’ll want to modify the slides. Please do! We didn’t forget about those time constraints you’re facing, so thanks to the editing tools provided by one of our sister projects —shoutouts to Wepik — you can make changes on the fly without resorting to other programs or software. Add text, choose your own colors, rearrange elements, it’s up to you! Oh, and since we are a big family, you’ll be able to access many resources from big names, that is, Freepik and Flaticon . That means having a lot of images and icons at your disposal!

How does it work?

Think of your topic.

First things first, you’ll be talking about something in particular, right? A business meeting, a new medical breakthrough, the weather, your favorite songs, a basketball game, a pink elephant you saw last Sunday—you name it. Just type it out and let the AI know what the topic is.

Choose your preferred style and tone

They say that variety is the spice of life. That’s why we let you choose between different design styles, including doodle, simple, abstract, geometric, and elegant . What about the tone? Several of them: fun, creative, casual, professional, and formal. Each one will give you something unique, so which way of impressing your audience will it be this time? Mix and match!

Make any desired changes

You’ve got freshly generated slides. Oh, you wish they were in a different color? That text box would look better if it were placed on the right side? Run the online editor and use the tools to have the slides exactly your way.

Download the final result for free

Yes, just as envisioned those slides deserve to be on your storage device at once! You can export the presentation in .pdf format and download it for free . Can’t wait to show it to your best friend because you think they will love it? Generate a shareable link!

What is an AI-generated presentation?

It’s exactly “what it says on the cover”. AIs, or artificial intelligences, are in constant evolution, and they are now able to generate presentations in a short time, based on inputs from the user. This technology allows you to get a satisfactory presentation much faster by doing a big chunk of the work.

Can I customize the presentation generated by the AI?

Of course! That’s the point! Slidesgo is all for customization since day one, so you’ll be able to make any changes to presentations generated by the AI. We humans are irreplaceable, after all! Thanks to the online editor, you can do whatever modifications you may need, without having to install any software. Colors, text, images, icons, placement, the final decision concerning all of the elements is up to you.

Can I add my own images?

Absolutely. That’s a basic function, and we made sure to have it available. Would it make sense to have a portfolio template generated by an AI without a single picture of your own work? In any case, we also offer the possibility of asking the AI to generate images for you via prompts. Additionally, you can also check out the integrated gallery of images from Freepik and use them. If making an impression is your goal, you’ll have an easy time!

Is this new functionality free? As in “free of charge”? Do you mean it?

Yes, it is, and we mean it. We even asked our buddies at Wepik, who are the ones hosting this AI presentation maker, and they told us “yup, it’s on the house”.

Are there more presentation designs available?

From time to time, we’ll be adding more designs. The cool thing is that you’ll have at your disposal a lot of content from Freepik and Flaticon when using the AI presentation maker. Oh, and just as a reminder, if you feel like you want to do things yourself and don’t want to rely on an AI, you’re on Slidesgo, the leading website when it comes to presentation templates. We have thousands of them, and counting!.

How can I download my presentation?

The easiest way is to click on “Download” to get your presentation in .pdf format. But there are other options! You can click on “Present” to enter the presenter view and start presenting right away! There’s also the “Share” option, which gives you a shareable link. This way, any friend, relative, colleague—anyone, really—will be able to access your presentation in a moment.

Discover more content

This is just the beginning! Slidesgo has thousands of customizable templates for Google Slides and PowerPoint. Our designers have created them with much care and love, and the variety of topics, themes and styles is, how to put it, immense! We also have a blog, in which we post articles for those who want to find inspiration or need to learn a bit more about Google Slides or PowerPoint. Do you have kids? We’ve got a section dedicated to printable coloring pages! Have a look around and make the most of our site!

BREAKING:  House passes nearly $61 billion in aid for Ukraine after months of delays

Ohio man, 81, fatally shoots Uber driver, 61, after scammers target both of them, officials say

An 81-year-old Ohio man has been charged in the fatal shooting of an Uber driver he believed was working with a scammer, according to officials who said the victim was sent to the home by the same scammer.

William Brock told investigators he shot Loletha Hall, 61, outside his home March 25 because he thought she was working with a man who called him pretending to be an officer at the local court, Lt. Kristopher Shultz of the Clark County Sheriff's Office said.

"Mr. Brock received some scam call by a person purporting to be someone from our courts who informed him a family member was incarcerated and that he had a bond of a significant amount of money," Shultz said. "The calls turned from 'I'm an officer in the court' to 'We have this subject hostage, this is a ransom demand.'"

The person who called Brock, or an accomplice, requested an Uber ride to his South Charleston home to pick up the money, Shultz said.

"Ms. Hall did not have any idea," he added.

When Hall arrived at the home and approached the front door, Brock confronted her with a gun and asked her who she was working for, Shultz said. He took her cellphone and prevented her from getting in her vehicle and driving away.

“When she tried to get away, he shot her once, then there was more exchange between them," Shultz said. "Mr. Brock was at some point injured to his head, and he shot Ms. Hall a second time. There was more conversation, and then he shot her a third time. Only after he shot her a third time did he then make contact with authorities to report the incident."

Hall did not threaten Brock, have a weapon or assault him, according to the sheriff's office and a complaint filed in Clark County Municipal Court. She was taken to a hospital where she died from her injuries, according to the complaint.

In a statement, Uber said the company had spoken with Hall's family.

"This is a horrific tragedy and our hearts continue to be with Loletha’s loved ones as they grieve," an Uber spokesperson said. "We have been in contact with law enforcement and remain committed to supporting their investigation."

The Uber spokesperson said the account of the person who ordered a car to Brock's house has been banned. Officials have not identified the person who requested the Uber and have not said whether they have made any additional arrests in connection with the case.

In a grand jury presentation Monday, Brock was indicted on three counts of murder, one count of felonious assault and one count of kidnapping, Shultz said. He will be arraigned on those charges later this week.

It was not immediately clear whether he has an attorney.

Brock was originally arraigned on a murder charge in the Municipal Court of Clark County on Wednesday and posted a $200,000 bond. If convicted of that charge, he could be sentenced to 15 years to life in prison or a $15,000 fine.

Breaking news reporter

Beware the cicada killer: 2024 broods will need to watch out for this murderous wasp

When the trillions of periodical cicadas emerge in multiple Midwestern and Southeastern states next month, they will face a unique predator with murderous intent: cicada killer wasps.

Cicada killer wasps, also known as the eastern cicada killer or cicada hawks, are a species of the large digger wasp that preys on cicadas . This is bad news for the Broods XIX and XIII, which are set to emerge in mid-to-late May in a number of states in a double-brood event that hasn't happened since 1803.

Cicada killer wasps also are known to sting humans and disturb lawns.

Here's what you should know about the cicada killer wasp.

The cicadas are coming: Check out a 2024 map of where the two broods will emerge

What is the cicada killer wasp?

Cicada killer wasps are about 2 inches long, according to the Smithsonian, and are black or dark brown with colorful yellow markings on their abdomen.

Eastern cicada killers (Sphecius speciosus) are one species in the Sphecius genus, found east of the Rocky Mountains, according to the Smithsonian. Another species, Sphecius convallis, is known as the Western cicada killer.

Adult cicada killers appear around late June or July and are mostly seen around flowers or digging burrows in sandy or light soil, according to the Smithsonian.

What do cicada killer wasps do?

True to their name, cicada killer wasps make their nests in the ground and feed cicadas to their young .

According to the Smithsonian, a female cicada killer finds her cicada prey in trees and captures them in flight, paralyzing them with a venomous sting. The female will then carry a cicada back to her underground nest, where the paralyzed cicada will remain alive while the wasp larvae feed.

To feed her young, the female cicada killer will lay one egg in a cell filled with one to three cicadas, then seal the chamber, leaving enough food for the larvae to survive until pupation. The larvae usually feed for about two weeks before they make a cocoon, which remain in the cells through the winter and emerge as adults the following summer.

Do cicada killer wasps sting? Can they hurt humans?

Cicada killers are solitary wasps, the Smithsonian says, but they can disturb lawns with their burrows and will sting if they are bothered.

Though males have a pseudo stinger on their abdomen , they cannot sting, according to Texas A&M Extension, and females sting only if they are threatened. They do not attack people but are territorial around their underground nests or females.

Are cicada killer wasps bad for lawns?

Since killer wasps make their nests underground, they could cause damage to lawns by burrowing underground. They are considered minor pests and are not dangerous to humans unless they feel threatened.

Broods XIX and XIII: Check out the 2024 cicada map

The two cicada broods will emerge in a combined 17 states across the Southeast and Midwest, with an overlap in parts of Illinois and Iowa. They will emerge once the soil 8 inches underground reaches 64 degrees, beginning in mid-May and lasting through late June.

The two broods  last emerged in 1803 , and the next double-emergence is predicted in 2245.

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When O.J. Simpson ‘Confessed’ to Murder

Years after Mr. Simpson was acquitted, he wrote a book and gave a shocking interview. The whole endeavor cost the publisher, Judith Regan, her job.

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By Jacob Bernstein

In 1994, O.J. Simpson pleaded not guilty to murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman. He was acquitted by a jury. But a little more than a decade later, he more or less confessed to the crimes.

Mr. Simpson did so in a bizarre 2007 book, titled “If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer,” that was purchased for publication by ReganBooks, an imprint of HarperCollins, run by the magnate Judith Regan.

The parent company for ReganBooks and HarperCollins was News Corp, whose chairman, Rupert Murdoch, had been one of Ms. Regan’s biggest supporters.

Amid a sea of more genteel publishers, she published controversial (and often best-selling) memoirs by authors including the shock jock Howard Stern, the porn star Jenna Jameson, and the steroid-taking baseball player Jose Canseco. (Mr. Canseco’s memoir was called “Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ’Roids, Smash Hits and How Baseball Got Big.”)

During negotiations for “If I Did It,” Mr. Simpson agreed to conduct one television interview with a journalist in order to promote the book. He would describe, in hypothetical terms, what might have transpired on the night of June 12, 1994, when Ms. Brown Simpson and Mr. Goldman were found outside her home in West Los Angeles, stabbed to death.

Mr. Simpson finished “If I Did It” with the help of a ghostwriter, but after a public outcry, the book was shelved, and the woman who had agreed to publish it lost her job.

“Basically, I got the shiv,” Ms. Regan said in a phone interview this week.

Eventually Mr. Goldman’s father, Fred Goldman, and Mr. Goldman’s sister, Kim Goldman, secured the rights to publish the book in 2007. They added an introduction, along with a prologue by the ghostwriter, Pablo Fenjves, and an afterward by Dominick Dunne, whose trial reporting for Vanity Fair made plain his belief that Mr. Simpson was guilty of the murders.

The Interview

Ms. Regan said she thought that she was being pranked when she first received a cold call from a lawyer claiming to be working for O.J. Simpson, sometime around 2005.

When she realized the call was real, she worked out a deal. The terms, Ms. Regan said, included that the money for the book be placed into trusts for Sydney and Justin Simpson, Mr. Simpson’s children with Ms. Brown Simpson.

Ms. Regan was adamant that Mr. Simpson agree to an on-camera interview because, as she put it, “without it, he could always say ‘the ghostwriter twisted my words,’ ‘this isn’t really what I said,’ ‘blah blah blah.’”

Ms. Regan then brought in Mr. Simpson’s ghostwriter, Mr. Fenjves. He had lived a few doors down from Ms. Brown Simpson in Los Angeles and had testified against Mr. Simpson at trial, saying that he heard a dog barking at the time of the murders.

Over the course of several months in 2006, Mr. Fenjves interviewed Mr. Simpson many times by himself. (“I never even met him then,” Ms. Regan said of Mr. Simpson.)

By late 2006, the book was complete. Barbara Walters of ABC secured an exclusive interview with Mr. Simpson in Miami, where he was living. A date to film was set for early November. But the outcry preceding the book’s release threw things into disarray.

Unsurprisingly, many people felt that Mr. Simpson should not profit from taking center stage in a double homicide, even though he had been acquitted. Ms. Walters and ABC backed out of the project.

Initially, Ms. Regan’s superiors at News Corp held strong in their support. Fox, its main television arm, secured the rights to the interview. Ms. Regan stepped in to interrogate Mr. Simpson herself.

Soon, she was filming in a warehouse in South Florida.

For five hours, she and Mr. Simpson discussed the circumstances that led to the murders and what happened in their aftermath. “If you listen, he hangs himself on every word,” Ms. Regan told the Times. “His basic view was that she had it coming. He saw himself as a victim.”

Dressed in a navy suit and a baby blue polo shirt, Mr. Simpson presented himself as a happy-go-lucky guy driven to the brink by his fickle and temperamental spouse.

“Keep this in mind — this is hypothetical,” he said.

Then he discussed the circumstances that led to the murders.

He said that on June 12, 1994, he had gone to their daughter Sydney’s dance performance. Ms. Brown Simpson was also there, wearing a short skirt he did not approve of.

At the recital, Mr. Simpson said, he ran into an old friend who informed him that Ms. Brown Simpson had been having drug- and sex-fueled parties at her house. Mr. Simpson became enraged, he said, mostly on behalf of his children.

Later that evening, Mr. Simpson said, he went over to Ms. Brown Simpson’s house because he wanted to talk it out with her. He felt that a “stop” had to be put to her bad behavior.

Mr. Simpson also told Ms. Regan that there had been a knife in the car he drove to Ms. Brown Simpson’s condominium on Bundy Drive in Brentwood. It was hidden under his car seat, he said.

He said that things had escalated between him and the victims until he was standing in a pool of blood. Yet, he professed not to remember much of what transpired. And Mr. Simpson presented himself as having not been alone.

Instead, he said that he had arrived at Ms. Brown Simpson’s condominium with a friend named Charlie, and that at one point “Charlie” held the knife, but that it ultimately wound up in his hand.

This was a surprise. There had never been any evidence to suggest that Mr. Simpson had an accomplice. No one else’s blood was found at the scene besides Mr. Simpson’s and the victims’.

Mr. Fenjves later said that he believed “Charlie” was a chimera, a means for Mr. Simpson to give himself an added level of remove from the murders he mostly acknowledged having committed.

Speaking by phone, Ms. Regan said she still did not know what to make of the character in the book.

But other details that Mr. Simpson mentioned line up with the narrative laid out by prosecutors in the murder trial.

Mr. Simpson said that after leaving the crime scene, he returned home. He had to catch a red-eye flight to Chicago because he was scheduled to play in a celebrity golf tournament the next day.

In the rush to leave the house and make his flight, he left behind a trail of evidence that investigators found, including a bloody glove that had been worn during the murders.

Yet, Mr. Simpson spoke during the interview with Ms. Regan as if the murders could have been prevented, had Ms. Brown Simpson only been a more stable person, a better spouse, a more responsible mother.

“He had zero remorse,” Ms. Regan said. “The only remorse he had was that she had ruined his life. Because he had to kill her.”

Ms. Regan said that she had walked out of the interview with Mr. Simpson feeling as if someone had finally gotten the truth out of him. But soon after, when ads for the interview began to run, a number of Fox affiliates revolted. They said they would not air it.

Vocal condemnations came from the families of the victims as well.

Ultimately, Fox decided not to air it and News Corp scrapped plans to publish the book.

Ms. Regan said publicly that she thought her company was making a mistake. Less than a month later, she was fired, reportedly for telling a colleague that a Jewish cabal at News Corp was out to get her.

Ms. Regan denied saying any such thing. She sued the company for defamation and it settled with her for an undisclosed sum. The company also released a statement saying she had never made antisemitic statements and was not an antisemite. (Ms. Regan now runs Regan Arts, a publishing company with distribution through Simon & Schuster.)

By then, Mr. Simpson owed the Goldman family millions of dollars from a 1997 civil suit that found him liable for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. After Mr. Simpson failed to make his payments, Ron Goldman’s father, Fred Goldman, obtained control of the book from a bankruptcy court in Miami.

In 2007, it was released through Beaufort Books, an independent publishing house based in New York. This time, the money went to the Goldman family. (The earnings from the book were almost the only money that the family ever earned from Mr. Simpson, People magazine reported this week .)

When representatives for Fox called Ms. Regan more than a decade later to say that they were going to air the interview, she was surprised. She said this week that she had been led to believe the tapes of the interview had been destroyed.

Clearly, they had not.

In addition, the producers asked Ms. Regan if she would be willing to appear on a panel moderated by the journalist Soledad O’Brien and featuring (among others) Christopher Darden, a member of the prosecution team.

Despite how Ms. Regan feels about News Corp’s leadership, she was happy to do so.

“Like it or not, this was his confession,” she said. “It is a portrait of a sociopath."

An earlier version of this article misstated the year O.J. Simpson pleaded not guilty to the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. It was 1994, not 1995.

How we handle corrections

Jacob Bernstein is a reporter for the Styles desk. In addition to writing profiles of fashion designers, artists and celebrities, he has focused much of his attention on L.G.B.T. issues, philanthropy and the world of furniture design. More about Jacob Bernstein

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Jimmy Carr: Natural Born Killer review – a moral vacuum laughing at his own jokes

The comedian is desperate to make out his jokes about rape and domestic abuse will get him cancelled. In reality, this Netflix special is about as edgy as a Jim Davidson set

T he darting eyes are new. As a young man, Jimmy Carr never had so much trouble keeping his eyeballs under control. In Natural Born Killer, the comedian’s new Netflix show, his pupils bounce from one side to the other so frequently it is like watching a game of table tennis. Or, as Carr might say in his affected working-class voice: “Watchin’ a game of fuckin’ table tennis.”

Why does Carr think he needs to swaddle his punchlines in frantic eye movement? Well, the man’s material is so edgy that he actually has to scan the room in case the woke police are in. “This next joke might get me cancelled,” he says at one point, like a teenager smelling his farts and chuckling that he could get thrown out of a sleepover. If delivering material that might as well have been cribbed from a Jim Davidson set can get you “cancelled” (“There’s a reason men propose on their knees – they’ve fucking given up”), Carr might well be.

But it’s hard to “cancel” someone who doesn’t believe in anything. A moral vacuum lies at the heart of Carr’s act. What does he think? Who is his show for? Hearing how many of his jokes he laughs at – a horribly depressing affectation that was absent from Carr’s early standup – it would be tempting to say that the target audience for the show is the 51-year-old himself. His lonely honk is occasionally the only one we hear, like a goose wondering where his friends have gone.

At several stages, Carr wants to see whether his audience can stomach his material. He is a bright man and indulging this pantomime routine demeans everyone involved – especially when the jokes are poking fun at transgender people, vegans and people with special needs. Netflix is swamped with standup routines about trans people; does Carr use his platform to introduce nuance? Or does he say that his pronouns are he, he, he, because he identifies as a comedian?

You have to swim through the show’s cliches to find an original gag to keep you afloat. Did you know dads are lazy? That women know how to wrap their hair in a towel? And that people from Norfolk marry their own relatives? It feels as though Carr, once a clever comedian with surprising punchlines that didn’t rely on the word “fuck”, is aware that his tired material puts him at one end of a spectrum in 21st-century comedy. At a time when standups are displaying so much invention – when Stewart Lee is turning the art form inside out; when Joe Lycett is using his comedy for mischievous good; when Sara Pascoe is refusing to dumb down her material – is this time for Carr to pivot to something thoughtful and playful? No, he thinks, far better to double down on the brand and attract the people who really will laugh at jokes like: “My girlfriend snores quite a lot. But luckily I’ve got these noise-cancelling fists.” No one can deny that that sounds like a joke, but who’s likely to laugh at it? Someone who thinks the concept of beating your wife is inherently funny, or someone who actually likes comedy?

A strange feature of Natural Born Killer is the impression with which Carr wants to leave his audience. He seems desperate for us to believe that he is, among other things, a rapist and a paedophile. One joke – one Carr no doubt considers edgy – ends with him dismissing a 23-year-old woman because when he mistakenly thought she was a child he was interested in shagging her. Carr could portray himself as any version of himself; why is he obsessed with masquerading as a paedophile? If it’s “just a joke”, why isn’t it a better joke?

Most bafflingly, Carr uses his special to moralise about subjects such as rape and abortion in a way that is impossible to take seriously because of the material it follows. “D’you wanna know my rape fantasy? Someone goes to jail for rape,” comes nine irony-free seconds after he has joked about fancying his chances of not getting caught raping someone because so few rapists are convicted.

After showing, then immediately burying, glimpses of himself as a man with insights about fatherhood, Carr ends the show with a faux pep talk on sex to a teenage boy. Following some vaguely commendable bits on consent, he decides to end with the line: “Don’t stick your dick in crazy.” There is no hidden depth to this pearl of wisdom. It is exactly as it seems. And so the special comes to a close at an even lower point than it began, with a millionaire telling an impressionable young man that if a woman seems mad, he shouldn’t have sex with her. It’s just a joke!

Jimmy Carr: Natural Born Killer is on Netflix now

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Exploitation, corporatization, competition: How legalizing weed killed 420

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Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter . It’s Saturday, April 20 . Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:

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Our reporters guide you through the most important news, features and recommendations of the day.

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• The weed industry is rife with worker exploitation, abuse, conflicts of interest and social inequality. Does that ruin the holiday?
• USC canceled pro-Palestinian valedictorian’s graduation speech .
• Where to eat and drink near Dodger Stadium before or after a game.
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper .

How legalizing weed killed 420

When a clock or a calendar hits 420, a stoner gains a smile.

The numbers, pronounced “four-twenty,” are a code for anyone who wants to partake in an herbal remedy, whether it be smoking a joint, hitting a bong, sparking up a blunt or eating an edible.

A group of friends from San Rafael High School claim to have coined the term in 1971 .

What began as a time to meet up and smoke turned into a code to communicate without their teachers overhearing. After hanging out with the Grateful Dead and the Dead Head community, the group’s phrase caught on.

Since then, April 20 has become an annual celebration that comes in many forms: a festival, a party or a session with the homies in an empty parking lot.

In the eight years since marijuana was legalized in California for recreational use, 420 has been like a weed Black Friday.

Text and email promotions flood inboxes with deals on grams, eighths, edibles and vapes for the industry’s biggest retail day of the year .

But it has also become a reminder: California’s weed industry is rife with issues from the top to bottom.

Worker exploitation has become rampant in the industry

Nearly 600 drivers and depot staff for Eaze, a California cannabis delivery company, threatened a strike ahead of April 20 , my colleague Suhauna Hussain reported. Three days before 420, Eaze said they reached a settlement to avert a work stoppage across California.

Other parts of the industry have been plagued, too.

• Workers who harvest weed have been exploited
• Communities harmed by criminalization didn’t get what they needed
• Researchers faced accusations of conflicts of interest
• Corruption and questionable conduct rocked local governments across California

L.A. Times investigations led to California regulators assembling a team to pursue labor exploitation in the state’s weed industry.

Corporatization has changed the holiday

San Francisco canceled its annual 420 fest , my colleague Andrew Campa reported, but not too many seemed sad to hear it. William Dolan, CEO of San Francisco-based Hyrba Marketplace dispensary, told Campa the event held at Hippie Hill had become “corporatized and over-regulated.”

“420 in GG Park has a long, storied history that dates back for decades before the fences, ID checks, and litany of restrictions that came along with a city-sponsored and corporate-backed event,” Dolan said via an email statement.

Yesterday, my colleague Salvador Hernandez reported, “a self-described psychedelic church says it will step in to help support the thousands of people expected to still make the ‘religious pilgrimage.’”

Church of Ambrosia Pastor Dave Hodges told Hernandez that he sees this as a “religious event.”

Competition has made it hard for dispensaries to succeed, even the big ones

MedMen described themselves as an Apple store for weed and attempted to create an image of the new-age stoner that bucked the old stereotype of lazy potheads.

Then came competition and copy cats that took aim at MedMen’s clientele.

“Once valued at over a billion and a half dollars, MedMen has since seen its stock plummet to zero,” my colleague Marisa Gerber reported . “Amid a flurry of lawsuits over alleged mismanagement and failure to pay its bills, the company’s chief executive and board chairman stepped down in January. And in recent weeks, MedMen has closed almost all of its 13 California locations.”

We can still have fun!

While none of these stories should factor into one’s decision to spark up on a Saturday that happens to fall on April 20, it’s clear that legalization has not led to weed utopia.

But I am not a complete buzzkill. 420 began as a camaraderie-building practice whether those San Rafael teenagers knew it or not, and from there it blossomed into a community before an industry was even a thought.

I’ll be home today watching “The Big Lebowski.” If you want to be, too, here are some guides to help.

• Looking to light up this 4/20? Weed entrepreneur Susie Plascencia recommends these 5 Latino-owned dispensaries
• Why doesn’t L.A. have any weed lounges? And other burning weed questions answered
• How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Cheech Marin
• Nervous about going to an L.A. weed shop? This beginner’s guide will help
• 8 wacky ways to get high without smoking
• Answers to common weed questions from budtenders

The week’s biggest stories

Disneyland expansion

• Disneyland’s $1.9-billion expansion project is the latest mega investment in the Anaheim resort.
• Huge Disneyland expansion to add new rides, restaurants and hotels wins OK.

USC valedictorian

• Citing safety concerns, USC cancels pro-Palestinian valedictorian’s graduation speech .
• USC valedictorian’s grad speech is canceled: ‘The university has betrayed me.’
• Did USC set a ‘very bad precedent’ by canceling valedictorian speech over safety threats?
• USC students protest the ‘silencing’ of valedictorian with cancellation of speech.
• ‘Let her speak!’ USC campus reels after valedictorian’s speech is canceled .
• USC calls off commencement appearances in wake of controversy over valedictorian speech.
• Coachella is bigger than ever. Where to find the best food spots for Weekend 2 .
• The 15 best things we saw at Coachella 2024 Weekend 1.
• L.A. artist Blxst on his Coachella debut and where he’s eating Weekend 2.

California housing crisis

• The California housing crisis is so bad once-modest towns have become ‘million-dollar cities.’
• All-cash offers and wealthy buyers push Southern California home prices to a record .
• California is building fewer homes . The state could get even more expensive.
• California exodus of home insurance companies continues.

This week in sports

• The Dodgers bullpen was supposed to be a strength. Why has it struggled early on?
• How LeBron James and the Lakers are planning to end Denver’s dominance against them .
• ‘I think we owe them.’ Kings eager to flip the script on Oilers in NHL playoffs .
• Clippers still unsure if Kawhi Leonard will play Game 1 .

More big stories

• A celebrated L.A. astrology influencer’s stunning fall from ‘healer’ to solar eclipse killer .
• Tesla recalls nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks due to faulty accelerator pedal.
• Women at a California prison dubbed the ‘rape club’ now worry where they’ll be transferred.
• ‘Miracle’ weight-loss drugs could have reduced health disparities . Instead they got worse.
• Caitlin Clark is worth millions. Why will she only make $76,535 in base salary as a WNBA rookie?

Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here .

Column One is The Times’ home for narrative and longform journalism. Here’s a great piece from this week:

This trans author toured red-state libraries. What she found might surprise you. Diana Goetsch spent months visiting red-state libraries to do presentations on the freedom to read. Would she be recognized, or clocked as transgender?

More great reads

• ‘It’s the best job ever’: ‘Family Guy’ cast reflects on 25 years of irreverent humor .
• Opera gets slapped with the ‘elitist’ label. L.A. proves just how wrong that is .

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected] .

For your weekend

• ⚾ Where to eat and drink near Dodger Stadium before or after a game .
• ⛔ Topanga Canyon could remain closed into the fall after massive landslide.
• 🌮 🦪 Benny Blanco takes us on a ‘bang bang’ for his favorite Thai food, tacos and oysters .
• 🎬 ‘The Sympathizer’ depicts war from a Vietnamese point of view , but how does the community see it?
• 🧑‍🍳 Here’s a recipe for a light Chilaquiles Rojos With Vallarta-Style Shrimp Salad .
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games .

How well did you follow the news this week? Take our quiz.

Rattlesnakes are being unusually aggressive on what California island? Plus nine other questions from our weekly news quiz .

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Christian Orozco, assistant editor Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor Defne Karabatur, fellow Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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Christian Orozco is an assistant editor with the De Los team at the Los Angeles Times. He joined the Times in 2017 as an editorial assistant and has worked with several sections across the newsroom, most recently as a multiplatform editor. He is a graduate of the University of La Verne.

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Ageless Auteurs: Scorsese Eyes Frank Sinatra Biopic With Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, Spielberg Tackling UFO Movie and More

By Tatiana Siegel

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Mark Twain once quipped, “Age is a case of mind over matter. If you don’t mind it, it doesn’t matter.” When it comes to Martin Scorsese , age certainly isn’t making a difference. After landing 10 Oscar nominations for last year’s historical crime epic “Killers of the Flower Moon,” the 81-year-old director has mapped out his next several projects. Sources say he plans to shoot two films back to back: the first about Jesus, the second a Frank Sinatra biopic.  

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Scorsese isn’t the only director from the over-75 set who is doing some of his most ambitious work. The recently announced Cannes competition lineup features three of his compatriots: 85-year-old Francis Ford Coppola (with “Megalopolis”), 81-year-old David Cronenberg (“The Shrouds”) and 77-year-old Paul Schrader (“Oh, Canada”). Their productive later years are remarkable considering that Hollywood hasn’t always been kind to aging auteurs — Billy Wilder, for instance, spent his final two decades struggling to get one more movie produced.  

“I’m sure most artists want to keep working, but sometimes you’re not fortunate enough, lucky enough, good enough to stay in the arena,” says Schrader, who wrote the screenplay for Scorsese’s seminal 1976 film “Taxi Driver.” “And if you don’t have that creative motivation, you’re just gonna get called out as an emblem of some- thing that used to be. But I had to keep working. I had some COVID health problems, and every time I thought that I might die, I would get a new idea.”  

At 86, Ridley Scott is literally staying in the arena. Footage from his long-awaited return to the Colosseum for a “Gladiator” sequel emerged as one of the major winners at CinemaCon, where Paramount showed epic scenes to movie theater executives, dominating the headlines out of Las Vegas.  

“We wanted to make sure you were the first to see this footage — and in order to give you the very first look, what we’re showing you today is unfinished, but a very exciting piece,” Paramount CEO Brian Robbins told the crowd at the April 11 presentation. Perhaps because Scott continues to work with top-notch below-the-line crew members, the swords-and-sandals saga, which stars Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington, looked more finished seven months ahead of its Nov. 22 release than some superhero tentpoles on opening night.  

“Ridley Scott is the master of creating the kinds of movie spectacles that the cinematic experience was created for and is among the most tenacious and vibrant auteurs working today,” says Robbins, who will be working with Scott on his next movie, a Bee Gees biopic for Paramount.  

For his part, Spielberg, 77, is also staying busy. He will likely make his next project a UFO film based on his own original idea. David Koepp is writing the screenplay, sources say.  

“Eastwood is the great-grandfather of the geriatric generation,” Schrader jokes. “But there’s a guy from Portugal, [Cannes alum] Manoel de Oliveira, who worked till he was 104. So Clint still has a ways to go to catch him.”  

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