what went well in your presentation

PRESENTATION SKILLS

How can you make a good presentation even more effective?

This page draws on published advice from expert presenters around the world, which will help to take your presentations from merely ‘good’ to ‘great’.

By bringing together advice from a wide range of people, the aim is to cover a whole range of areas.

Whether you are an experienced presenter, or just starting out, there should be ideas here to help you to improve.

1. Show your Passion and Connect with your Audience

It’s hard to be relaxed and be yourself when you’re nervous.

But time and again, the great presenters say that the most important thing is to connect with your audience, and the best way to do that is to let your passion for the subject shine through.

Be honest with the audience about what is important to you and why it matters.

Be enthusiastic and honest, and the audience will respond.

2. Focus on your Audience’s Needs

Your presentation needs to be built around what your audience is going to get out of the presentation.

As you prepare the presentation, you always need to bear in mind what the audience needs and wants to know, not what you can tell them.

While you’re giving the presentation, you also need to remain focused on your audience’s response, and react to that.

You need to make it easy for your audience to understand and respond.

3. Keep it Simple: Concentrate on your Core Message

When planning your presentation, you should always keep in mind the question:

What is the key message (or three key points) for my audience to take away?

You should be able to communicate that key message very briefly.

Some experts recommend a 30-second ‘elevator summary’, others that you can write it on the back of a business card, or say it in no more than 15 words.

Whichever rule you choose, the important thing is to keep your core message focused and brief.

And if what you are planning to say doesn’t contribute to that core message, don’t say it.

4. Smile and Make Eye Contact with your Audience

This sounds very easy, but a surprisingly large number of presenters fail to do it.

If you smile and make eye contact, you are building rapport , which helps the audience to connect with you and your subject. It also helps you to feel less nervous, because you are talking to individuals, not to a great mass of unknown people.

To help you with this, make sure that you don’t turn down all the lights so that only the slide screen is visible. Your audience needs to see you as well as your slides.

5. Start Strongly

The beginning of your presentation is crucial. You need to grab your audience’s attention and hold it.

They will give you a few minutes’ grace in which to entertain them, before they start to switch off if you’re dull. So don’t waste that on explaining who you are. Start by entertaining them.

Try a story (see tip 7 below), or an attention-grabbing (but useful) image on a slide.

6. Remember the 10-20-30 Rule for Slideshows

This is a tip from Guy Kawasaki of Apple. He suggests that slideshows should:

Contain no more than 10 slides;
Last no more than 20 minutes; and
Use a font size of no less than 30 point.

This last is particularly important as it stops you trying to put too much information on any one slide. This whole approach avoids the dreaded ‘Death by PowerPoint’.

As a general rule, slides should be the sideshow to you, the presenter. A good set of slides should be no use without the presenter, and they should definitely contain less, rather than more, information, expressed simply.

If you need to provide more information, create a bespoke handout and give it out after your presentation.

7. Tell Stories

Human beings are programmed to respond to stories.

Stories help us to pay attention, and also to remember things. If you can use stories in your presentation, your audience is more likely to engage and to remember your points afterwards. It is a good idea to start with a story, but there is a wider point too: you need your presentation to act like a story.

Think about what story you are trying to tell your audience, and create your presentation to tell it.

Finding The Story Behind Your Presentation

To effectively tell a story, focus on using at least one of the two most basic storytelling mechanics in your presentation:

Focusing On Characters – People have stories; things, data, and objects do not. So ask yourself “who” is directly involved in your topic that you can use as the focal point of your story.

For example, instead of talking about cars (your company’s products), you could focus on specific characters like:

The drivers the car is intended for – people looking for speed and adventure
The engineers who went out of their way to design the most cost-effective car imaginable

A Changing Dynamic – A story needs something to change along the way. So ask yourself “What is not as it should be?” and answer with what you are going to do about it (or what you did about it).

For example…

Did hazardous road conditions inspire you to build a rugged, all-terrain jeep that any family could afford?
Did a complicated and confusing food labelling system lead you to establish a colour-coded nutritional index so that anybody could easily understand it?

To see 15 more actionable storytelling tips, see Nuts & Bolts Speed Training’s post on Storytelling Tips .

8. Use your Voice Effectively

The spoken word is actually a pretty inefficient means of communication, because it uses only one of your audience’s five senses. That’s why presenters tend to use visual aids, too. But you can help to make the spoken word better by using your voice effectively.

Varying the speed at which you talk, and emphasising changes in pitch and tone all help to make your voice more interesting and hold your audience’s attention.

For more about this, see our page on Effective Speaking .

9. Use your Body Too

It has been estimated that more than three quarters of communication is non-verbal.

That means that as well as your tone of voice, your body language is crucial to getting your message across. Make sure that you are giving the right messages: body language to avoid includes crossed arms, hands held behind your back or in your pockets, and pacing the stage.

Make your gestures open and confident, and move naturally around the stage, and among the audience too, if possible.

10. Relax, Breathe and Enjoy

If you find presenting difficult, it can be hard to be calm and relaxed about doing it.

One option is to start by concentrating on your breathing. Slow it down, and make sure that you’re breathing fully. Make sure that you continue to pause for breath occasionally during your presentation too.

For more ideas, see our page on Coping with Presentation Nerves .

If you can bring yourself to relax, you will almost certainly present better. If you can actually start to enjoy yourself, your audience will respond to that, and engage better. Your presentations will improve exponentially, and so will your confidence. It’s well worth a try.

Improve your Presentation Skills

Follow our guide to boost your presentation skills learning about preparation, delivery, questions and all other aspects of giving effective presentations.

Start with: What is a Presentation?

Continue to: How to Give a Speech Self Presentation

See also: Five Ways You Can Do Visual Marketing on a Budget Can Presentation Science Improve Your Presentation? Typography – It’s All About the Message in Your Slides

21 Ways To Improve Your Presentation Skills

Published: April 07, 2023

You know the feeling of sitting through a boring presentation. A text distracts you. A noise outside pulls your gaze. Your dog begs for attention. By the time the presentation ends, you question why you needed to sit and listen in the first place.

Presentation Skills: A woman speaks before a crowd.

Effective presentation skills can stop you from boring an audience to oblivion. Delivering strong presentations can help you stand out as a leader, showcase your expertise, and build confidence.

Table of contents:

Presentation skills definition
Importance of presentation skills
How to improve presentation skills
Effective presentation skills
Presentation skills for executives

Presentation Skills Definition

Presentation skills include anything you need to create and deliver clear, effective presentations to an audience. This includes creating a compelling set of slides , ensuring the information flows, and keeping your audience engaged.

Speakers with strong presentation skills can perform the following tasks:

Bring together different sources of information to form a compelling narrative
Hook audiences with a strong beginning and end
Ensure audiences engage with their content through questions or surveys
Understand what their audience wants and needs from their presentation

Importance of Presentation Skills

At some point in your career, you will present something. You might pitch a startup to a group of investors or show your research findings to your manager at work. Those in leading or executive roles often deliver presentations on a weekly or monthly basis.

Improving your presentation skills betters different aspects of your working life, including the following:

Communication: Improving your presentation skills can make you a better communicator with your co-workers and friends.

Confidence: 75% of people fear public speaking. By working on your presentation skills, you can gain confidence when speaking in front of a crowd.

Creativity: You learn to understand how to use imagery and examples to engage an audience.

Management: Presentations involve pulling together information to form a succinct summary, helping you build project and time management skills.

How To Improve Presentation Skills

1. create an outline.

Before designing slides and writing a script, outline your presentation. Start with your introduction, segue into key points you want to make, and finish with a conclusion.

2. Practice, Practice, Practice

Almost 8 in 10 professionals practice their presentations for at least an hour. So, practice your presentation in the mirror or to a close friend.

3. Start With a Hook

When presenting, grab your audience with a hook. Consider starting with a surprising statistic or a thoughtful question before diving into the core information.

4. Stay Focused on Your Topic

You might want to cover everything under the sun, but information overload can overwhelm your audience. Instead, stay focused on what you want to cover. Aim for key points and avoid including unnecessary details.

5. Remember To Introduce Yourself

At the beginning of the presentation, introduce yourself. Kill any tension in the room by mentioning your name, your role, and any other helpful details. You could even mention a fun fact about yourself, putting the audience at ease.

6. Work on Your Body Language

55% of people look to nonverbal communication when judging a presentation. Straighten your back, minimize unnecessary gestures, and keep your voice confident and calm. Remember to work on these aspects when practicing.

7. Memorize Structure, Not Words

You might feel better knowing exactly what you want to say. But skip the script and stick to memorizing the key points of your presentation. For example, consider picking three to four phrases or insights you want to mention for each part of your presentation rather than line-by-line memorization.

8. Learn Your Audience

Before crafting a killer outline and slide deck, research your audience. Find out what they likely already know, such as industry jargon, and where they might need additional information. Remember: You're presenting for them, not you.

9. Reframe Your Anxiety as Excitement

A study conducted by Harvard Business School demonstrates that reframing your anxiety as excitement can improve performance. For example, by saying simple phrases out loud, such as “I’m excited,” you then adopt an opportunity-oriented mentality.

10. Get Comfortable With the Setting

If you plan to present in person, explore the room. Find where you’re going to stand and deliver your presentation. Practice looking into the seats. By decreasing the number of unknowns, you can clear your head and focus on the job.

11. Get Familiar With Technology

Presenting online has unique challenges, such as microphone problems and background noise. Before a Zoom presentation, ensure your microphone works, clean up your background, test your slides, and consider any background noise.

12. Think Positively

Optimistic workers enjoy faster promotions and happier lives. By reminding yourself of the positives — for example, your manager found your last presentation impressive — you can shake off nerves and find joy in the process.

13. Tell a Story

To engage your audience, weave storytelling into your presentation — more than 5 in 10 people believe stories hold their focus during a presentation. Consider ways to connect different parts of your slides into a compelling narrative.

14. Prepare for Questions

At the end of your presentation, your audience will likely have questions. Brainstorm different questions and potential answers so you’re prepared.

15. Maintain Eye Contact

Eye contact signals honesty. When possible, maintain eye contact with your audience. For in-person presentations, pay attention to each audience member. For online ones, stare at your camera lens as you deliver.

16. Condense Your Presentation

After you finish the first draft of your outline, think about ways to condense it. Short and sweet often keeps people interested instead of checking their phones.

17. Use Videos

Keep your audience’s attention by incorporating video clips when relevant. For example, videos can help demonstrate examples or explain difficult concepts.

18. Engage With Your Audience

Almost 8 in 10 professionals view presentations as boring. Turn the tide by engaging with your audience. Encourage audience participation by asking questions or conducting a live survey.

19. Present Slowly and Pause Frequently

When you get nervous, you talk faster. To combat this, remember to slow yourself down when practicing. Place deep pauses throughout your presentation, especially when transitioning between slides, as it gives you time to breathe and your audience time to absorb.

20. Start and End With a Summary

A summary at the start of a presentation can pique your audience’s interest. One at the end brings everything together, highlighting key points your audience should take with them.

21. Ask for Feedback

You will never deliver the perfect presentation, so ask for feedback. Talk to your managers about where you could improve. Consider surveying your audience for an unbiased look into your presentation skills.

Effective Presentation Skills

Effective presentation skills include communicating clearly, presenting with structure, and engaging with the audience.

As an example, say a content manager is presenting a quarterly review to their team. They start off with a summary. Their introduction mentions an unprecedented 233% growth in organic traffic — numbers their team has not seen in years. Immediately, the presenter grabs their team’s attention. Now, everyone wants to know how they achieved that in one quarter.

Alternatively, think of an entrepreneur delivering their pitch to a group of investors. They start with a question: How many of you struggle to stay awake at work? They then segue into an exciting product designed to improve the sleep quality of working professionals. Their presentation includes videos demonstrating the science behind sleep and surprising statistics about the demand for their product.

Both examples demonstrate effective presentation skills. They incorporate strong attention grabbers, summaries, and attempts to engage the audience.

Think back to strong presentations you viewed as an audience member. Ask yourself: What made them so memorable, and how can I incorporate those elements into my presentations?

Presentation Skills for Executives

Presentations take up a significant portion of an executive’s workload. Executives regularly showcase key company initiatives, team changes, quarterly and annual reviews, and more. Improving your presentation skills as a leader can help with different parts of your job, such as:

Trust: Delivering great, effective presentations can build trust between you and your team.

Confidence: Most people dread presentations — so a strong presenter projects the confidence needed by a leader.

Emotional intelligence: A great presentation taps into the audience’s perspectives, helping executives improve their emotional intelligence .

Expertise: Presentations help executives display their subject-matter expertise, making employees safe in their hands.

Delegation: At times, executives might need to pull information from different sources for a presentation — improving their ability to delegate as managers.

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

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

[Featured Image]: The marketing manager, wearing a yellow top, is making a PowerPoint presentation.

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

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

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

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

What are presentation skills?

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

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

Making speeches at a wedding, conference, or another event

Making a toast at a dinner or event

Explaining projects to a team

Delivering results and findings to management teams

Teaching people specific methods or information

Proposing a vote at community group meetings

Pitching a new idea or business to potential partners or investors

Why are presentation skills important?

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

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

Enriched written and verbal communication skills

Enhanced confidence and self-image

Boosted critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities

Better motivational techniques

Increased leadership skills

Expanded time management, negotiation, and creativity

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

Effective presentation skills

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

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

Verbal communication

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

Body language

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

Voice projection

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

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

Storytelling

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

Active listening

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

Stage presence

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

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

Self-awareness

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

Writing skills

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

Understanding an audience

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

Learn more about presentation skills from industry experts at SAP:

How to improve presentation skills

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

Work on self-confidence.

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

Develop strategies for overcoming fear.

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

Learn grounding techniques.

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

Learn how to use presentation tools.

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

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

Powtoon: Animation software that makes video creation fast and easy

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

Practice breathing techniques.

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

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

Gain experience.

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

Tips to help you ace your presentation

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

Arrive early.

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

Become familiar with the layout of the room.

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

Listen to presenters ahead of you.

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

Use note cards.

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

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

Article sources

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

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

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Blog > Effective Feedback for Presentations - digital with PowerPoint or with printable sheets

Effective Feedback for Presentations - digital with PowerPoint or with printable sheets

10.26.20 • #powerpoint #feedback #presentation.

Do you know whether you are a good presenter or not? If you do, chances are it's because people have told you so - they've given you feedback. Getting other's opinions about your performance is something that's important for most aspects in life, especially professionally. However, today we're focusing on a specific aspect, which is (as you may have guessed from the title): presentations.

The importance of feedback

Take a minute to think about the first presentation you've given: what was it like? Was it perfect? Probably not. Practise makes perfect, and nobody does everything right in the beginning. Even if you're a natural at speaking and presenting, there is usually something to improve and to work on. And this is where feedback comes in - because how are you going to know what it is that you should improve? You can and should of course assess yourself after each and every presentation you give, as that is an important part of learning and improvement. The problem is that you yourself are not aware of all the things that you do well (or wrong) during your presentation. But your audience is! And that's why you should get audience feedback.

Qualities of good Feedback

Before we get into the different ways of how you can get feedback from your audience, let's briefly discuss what makes good feedback. P.S.: These do not just apply for presentations, but for any kind of feedback.

Good feedback is constructive, not destructive. The person receiving feedback should feel empowered and inspired to work on their skills, not discouraged. You can of course criticize on an objective level, but mean and insulting comments have to be kept to yourself.
Good feedback involves saying bot what has to be improved (if there is anything) and what is already good (there is almost always something!)
After receiving good feedback, the recipient is aware of the steps he can and should take in order to improve.

Ways of receiving / giving Feedback after a Presentation

1. print a feedback form.

Let's start with a classic: the feedback / evaluation sheet. It contains several questions, these can be either open (aka "What did you like about the presentation?") or answered on a scale (e.g. from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree"). The second question format makes a lot of sense if you have a large audience, and it also makes it easy to get an overview of the results. That's why in our feedback forms (which you can download at the end of this post), you'll find mainly statements with scales. This has been a proven way for getting and giving valuable feedback efficiently for years. We do like the feedback form a lot, though you have to be aware that you'll need to invest some time to prepare, count up and analyse.

ask specifically what you want to ask
good overview of the results
anonymous (people are likely to be more honest)
easy to access: you can just download a feedback sheet online (ours, for example, which you'll find at the end of this blog post!)
analysing the results can be time-consuming
you have to print out the sheets, it takes preparation

2. Online: Get digital Feedback

In the year 2020, there's got to be a better way of giving feedback, right? There is, and you should definitely try it out! SlideLizard is a free PowerPoint extension that allows you to get your audience's feedback in the quickest and easiest way possible. You can of course customize the feedback question form to your specific needs and make sure you get exactly the kind of feedback you need. Click here to download SlideLizard right now, or scroll down to read some more about the tool.

quick and easy to access
easy and fast export, analysis and overview of feedback
save feedback directly on your computer
Participants need a working Internet connection (but that usually isn't a problem nowadays)

3. Verbal Feedback

"So, how did you like the presentation?", asks the lecturer. A few people in the audience nod friendly, one or two might even say something about how the slides were nice and the content interesting. Getting verbal feedback is hard, especially in big groups. If you really want to analyse and improve your presentation habits and skills, we recommend using one of the other methods. However, if you have no internet connection and forgot to bring your feedback sheets, asking for verbal feedback is still better than nothing.

no prerequisites
open format
okay for small audiences
not anonymous (people might not be honest)
time consuming
no detailed evaluation
no way to save the feedback (except for your memory)
not suitable for big audiences

Feedback to yourself - Self Assessment

I've mentioned before that it is incredibly important to not only let others tell you what went well and what didn't in your presentation. Your own impressions are of huge value, too. After each presentation you give, ask yourself the following questions (or better yet, write your answers down!):

What went wrong (in my opinion)? What can I do in order to avoid this from happening next time?
What went well? What was well received by the audience? What should I do more of?
How was I feeling during this presentation? (Nervous? Confident? ...)

Tip: If you really want to actively work on your presentation skills, filming yourself while presenting and analysing the video after is a great way to go. You'll get a different view on the way you talk, move, and come across.

Digital Feedback with SlideLizard

Were you intrigued by the idea of easy Online-feedback? With SlideLizard your attendees can easily give you feedback directly with their Smartphone. After the presentation you can analyze the result in detail.

type in your own feedback questions
choose your rating scale: 1-5 points, 1-6 points, 1-5 stars or 1-6 stars;
show your attendees an open text field and let them enter any text they want

Note: SlideLizard is amazing for giving and receiving feedback, but it's definitely not the only thing it's great for. Once you download the extension, you get access to the most amazing tools - most importantly, live polls and quizzes, live Q&A sessions, attendee note taking, content and slide sharing, and presentation analytics. And the best thing about all this? You can get it for free, and it is really easy to use, as it is directly integrated in PowerPoint! Click here to discover more about SlideLizard.

Free Download: Printable Feedback Sheets for Business or School Presentations

If you'd rather stick with the good old paper-and-pen method, that's okay, too. You can choose between one of our two feedback sheet templates: there is one tailored to business presentations and seminars, and one that is created specifically for teachers assessing their students. Both forms can be downloaded as a Word, Excel, or pdf file. A lot of thought has gone into both of the forms, so you can benefit as much as possible; however, if you feel like you need to change some questions in order to better suit your needs, feel free to do so!

Feedback form for business

Template as PDF, Word & Excel - perfect for seminars, trainings,...

Feedback form for teachers (school or university)

Template as PDF, Word & Excel - perfect for school or university,...

Where can I find a free feedback form for presentations?

There are many templates available online. We designed two exclusive, free-to-download feedback sheets, which you can get in our blog article

What's the best way to get feedback for presentations?

You can get feedback on your presentations by using feedback sheets, asking for feedback verbally, or, the easiest and fastest option: get digital feedback with an online tool

About the author.

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

Pia works in Marketing as a graphic designer and writer at SlideLizard. She uses her vivid imagination and creativity to produce good content.

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Do You Have What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation?

Michael Foley

Three skills anyone can learn.

Great presentations are all about how well you engage your audience. Here are three ways to do that:

Be balanced: Strike the right balance between structure and improvisation during your presentation. Rather than preparing your content in a narrative form, take the time to segment it by topic. Leave room to respond to your audience’s immediate needs, even if that means going off script for a while.
Be generous: You goal should be to offer your audience something of value. Let this principle guide the content you choose to present.
Be human: Rehearse to familiarize yourself with your content, but do not memorize it. If you go blank for a moment, don’t apologize and act flustered, just pause, take a breath, collect your thoughts and continue on. Your audience wants you to be relatable.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

Have you ever seen a really great presentation? Honestly, they’re pretty rare.

Michael Foley is an educator and coach, and founder of Clarity Centra l, a communications training and consulting firm based in Chicago. He is also an adjunct lecturer of leadership at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

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9 Tips for Improving Your Presentation Skills For Your Next Meeting

By Hannah Tow , Feb 03, 2020

Presenting to an audience is one thing, but presenting ideas in a persuasive manner to the key stakeholders of your business is a whole other ball game.

The fact of the matter is that successfully presenting to a room full of people is a skill that’s mastered by very few. It takes practice, practice, and even more practice to start feeling comfortable with everyone’s eyes focused on you so you can effectively get your point across.

The reality of presenting is that you can’t escape it. Especially as you start to move up in your career. If you’re yearning to improve, this article will walk you through the top nine tips to use to enhance your presentation skills for your next big meeting as well as throughout your life. Let’s get started.

Improve Presentation Skills List Infographic Venngage

9 top tips for improving your presentation skills:

Practice speaking in front of others
Use less text and more visuals in your presentation
Leverage your personality
Welcome questions and comments during
Be passionate and engaging
Maintain eye contact with your audience
Obsess over your listeners
Focus on confident body language
Keep it as short as possible

Constantly practicing, refining and improving upon your presentation skills will not only make you a more confident individual, but you will find that you rise quicker to success in your career. However, having great presentation skills does not just affect your work-life. Great presentation skills are truly life skills that you should integrate into more areas than just the conference room.

1. Practice speaking in front of others

Practice always makes perfect.

It doesn’t matter how well you know what you’re talking about, the moment you have to persuade, engage, or teach in front of an audience, you will probably stumble a bit. This is a natural reaction that affects pretty much everyone when all eyes are pointed in one direction and the anxiety sets in.

It’s important to remember that the overwhelming feeling of stress you probably feel is the result of your unfamiliarity with the situation, not from your lack of preparedness. The more comfortable you are with taking the stage and having everyone’s attention on you, the less nervous you’ll get.

The greater confidence you have in your presentation skills will allow you to focus on what actually matters–which is the material that you’re presenting.

The best way to implement this practice is by starting off small. Prepare a presentation to give to your friends, family, or closest co-workers. This sounds easy, but you will learn that it’s not necessarily who is listening to you that causes nerves, but it’s the fact that all of the attention is on you.

You’ll become more comfortable with the attention when you begin practicing in front of others more often, which will allow you to effectively present your ideas next time it’s your turn to speak in the conference room.

RELATED: Learn the top ten public speaking tips to better prepare you for your practice sessions.

2. Use less text and more visuals in your presentation

We’ve all been there before: sitting at the conference table trying our very best to stay interested and engaged with the presentation before us. The presentation lacks color, images, and all sense of creativity while containing an over-abundance of text and long-form paragraphs.

These types of presentations are horrible for two reasons:

The first reason being that the minute you have words on the screen, your audience will direct their attention away from you to begin reading and completely tune you out.

The second reason is if your presentation skills are poor, not only will your presentation be dull to listen to, but it will be unbelievably boring to look at as well. You’ll quickly find out how easy it is to lose most of the room’s attention when you create a lackluster presentation.

If you feel lost attempting to design your slides into an exciting work of art, try using creative presentation templates . PowerPoint templates make it simple to produce something beautiful, and they can also make you feel like an accomplished designer after seeing the outcome, such as this business presentation example .

In addition to nicely designed slides, you should always try to use infographics and charts to help you better summarize the complex information you’re relaying to your audience. It will be much easier for your listeners to understand what you’re explaining when they have something to visualize it with. Plus, there are plenty of resources out there to help you craft these visuals.

Learn how to make an infographic in five easy steps or produce an impressive graph .

If you feel worried that your presentation doesn’t hold enough content, you must remember the main reason for visual aids:

They are to enhance what you’re speaking about, not lead it!

If you’ve done enough practicing, you should feel confident in your presentation skills to thoroughly explain your main ideas and you won’t need to rely on the screen anyhow.

TIP: If you’re looking for even more ways to engage your audience with your visuals, check out 120+ presentation ideas that are sure to wow and delight!

3. Leverage your personality

As cliche as it sounds, you should always be true to who you are, especially if when you’re presenting.

It’s incredibly easy to tell if someone is faking it for the sake of their audience, so you should never pretend to act in a way that you don’t typically do. Not only will you feel unnatural and uncomfortable doing it, but you can also risk embarrassment when you try to tell a forced joke and no one laughs or your new-found trait of sarcasm doesn’t sit well with your boss.

It should bring you comfort knowing that most everyone in your meeting knows who you are. Use this to your advantage and start the presentation by playing up your best personality traits. Use your humor if you’re known to crack jokes or throw in your typical mannerisms.

These little additions will make your presentation feel much more relaxed for everyone involved. In addition to your own unique quirks, you should also bring a level of personability to your meeting.

Be empathetic, smile more, and look around the room. Doing so will improve your presentation skills, make you more likable, and allow your audience to be more receptive to you.

In many cases, you may be presenting virtually, rather than in person. You can still allow your personality to shine through and energize your virtual presentation. Lisa Schneider, Chief Growth Officer at Merriam-Webster, wrote for Venngage on how to adapt an in-person presentation into a virtual presentation . Check it out.

4. Welcome questions and comments during your presentation

Be flexible throughout your presentation. Answer questions and respond to any comments your audience may have either through hand raising or an audience response tool . Don’t worry if it veers you off your script. Chances are if one person has a question or comment, the others in the room are thinking it too.

Use this as an opportunity to prove how well you understand the material you’re presenting–your audience will take notice.

Also, take some time out at the start or your presentation to ask your audience some icebreaker questions and slowly transition into the more important stuff.

Taking this minute to talk through anything that your audience is thinking of is a good thing because it means they are engaged with you and really paying attention to the words coming out of your mouth. Doing so will also relax the format of your presentation, allowing you to feel more confident and relaxed as well.

5. Be passionate and engaging

When creating your presentation, craft it in such a way that makes your audience curious and makes them have questions for you. A persuasive presentation is the best way to get the positive reactions you are looking for, so be as passionate as you can be about your subject matter to seal the deal.

Remember that questions and comments during your presentation are a good thing, especially if you’re the one prompting them!

The more excited you are to present your ideas and show off your expertise, the more excited and engaged your audience will be. Own your subject matter and know what you’re talking about, it’s one of the most important presentation skills to have.

6. Maintain eye contact with your audience

This is a very obvious tip that will go a long way with your audience.

When the people you’re speaking to feel like you’re taking notice of them, they are much more likely to take notice of you and pay better attention to everything that you’re saying.

It’s important to remember that losing eye contact and looking everywhere but at the people that you’re presenting to is a common nervous behavior. Pay extra close attention to whether or not you’re guilty of that, and work to ensure you have your eyes on at least one person.

7. Obsess over your listeners

Be receptive to your listeners. You can’t forget that what you’re presenting is for the audience, and it has nothing to do about you!

Focus on the value you can provide to the people in the room. The more serving you are to them, the greater chance you have at driving your point home and nailing your presentation.

It’s also important not to forget about those listening to you remotely over video conferencing . Make sure they know you’re aware of them and engage them as well!

8. Focus on confident body language

Smiling, hand gestures, eye contact, and a powerful stance all exude confidence.

If you don’t have strong body language and are showing physical signs of nervousness (ie. tapping, bouncing, shaking, darting eyes, and more) your audience will have a hard time focusing on the material you’re presenting and hone in on the fact that you’re nervous and probably don’t know what you’re talking about as much as you say you do.

No matter how nervous you are, take a deep breath and pretend otherwise. You might actually start to believe it!

9. Keep it as short as possible

Every single person’s time is valuable ( especially at work), so don’t waste precious meeting time. If you can say everything you need to in half of the time that is allotted, you should do so.

Ensure that you’re only sharing the most important information. All of the extra fluff will bore your audience and you will lose their attention very quickly.

It’s a great idea to wrap up your presentation with key takeaways and action items. Doing so will ensure that no matter how quickly your meeting ended, your team understands their next steps. You can send out a quick, summarizing slide deck or an easy to read one-pager for their reference later. These visuals will make sure all of your bases are covered and that everyone is on the same page upon leaving the meeting.

A good presentation makes all the difference. Check out the top qualities of awesome presentations and learn all about how to make a good presentation to help you nail that captivating delivery.

Never stop refining your presentation skills

Possessing great presentation skills doesn’t come naturally to most people–it’s something that’s learned and practiced over time. As with most things in life, you must continuously work on refining your skills to get better and better.

Use these nine proven presentation tips that we covered in this article to improve your presentation skills and ace different presentation styles . By doing so, you will find that presenting at your key meetings becomes easier and easier and you’ll begin to nail it every single time.

Effective Presentations

Learn how to present like a pro.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Giving presentations can be a daunting task for even the most seasoned public speaker. However, the practical tips outlined here will help you to prepare, deliver and evaluate any presentation you make.

Preparation

Understand your audience - consider their background, average age, experience and previous knowledge. Think about what they will want to gain from your presentation, as this will help you to pitch it at the appropriate level, and will also help you to anticipate and prepare for potential questions.
Identify the objectives and key issues or arguments that you will cover during your presentation. List the information that you have or that you need to find for each of these points.
Do your research - collect all the information you need; for example, graphics, statistics, quotes. Try to use relevant examples or stories to illustrate your key points, as this will help keep your audience engaged with what you are saying.
Work out a structure for your presentation. Generally, you should begin by welcoming your audience. After the welcome, you will need an introduction, a main body and a conclusion, which should be followed by some words of thanks to the audience for their attention. Make sure that your points are ordered in a logical way.
Consider how much time you have available and factor in some extra time to allow for contingencies (e.g. interruptions, technology failure etc.).
Decide on which presentation aids you will use (if any); for example, scripts, cue cards or notes. Make sure that whatever you use is clear and legible. Number each page or card so that they can be reordered quickly and easily if you drop them.
If you will be using visual aids such as slides, ensure they are clear, legible and easy to read from anywhere in the room you will be presenting in. Check your visuals thoroughly for grammar and spelling errors, and try to include simple graphics and color to add variety. Don't put too much information on visuals - their purpose is to highlight and summarize what you are saying.
Any handouts you prepare should also be clear, legible and error-free. Make sure you have enough copies for each audience member, plus spares.
When you have finalized your presentation and are happy with it, practice delivering it several times until it is largely committed to memory. If possible, try it out on a friend/family member or trusted colleague for their feedback.
On the day of your presentation, arrive at your venue well in advance so that you can check equipment, props, seating arrangements, equipment etc.
Manage your nerves by taking some deep breaths, and warm up your voice (e.g. by doing some vocal exercises like tongue twisters, or sipping a hot drink).
Make sure you are comfortable with your position for the presentation, and have a glass of water within easy reach. Arrange your presentation aids such as your cue cards or notes in such a way that it will be easy for you to see and use them.
Speak clearly and confidently, varying your tone and pitch to help engage your audience. Try not to rush your speech - pause briefly after each sentence to catch your breath before moving on to the next point.
Be aware of your body language and tailor your gestures and facial expressions to add emphasis to your points. Stand in a natural upright position with your hands by your sides and use open gestures - standing with your arms or legs crossed, or with your hands behind your back, can make you appear nervous. Avoid distracting habits such as fiddling with a pen, or jingling coins in your pocket. Try to maintain eye contact with your audience if you can, and resist the temptation to stare down at your notes or script.
Give the audience the opportunity to ask questions, either throughout the presentation, or at the end. Answer all questions politely and courteously, and keep your answers brief. If someone wants more information, ask them to come and speak to you afterwards. Don't panic if you don't have the answer to a question immediately to hand: explain that you don't know the answer and invite the questioner to stay behind after the presentation to discuss the issue further.
If possible, record your presentation and play it back afterwards for a critical self-appraisal. It is important to be honest with yourself about the effectiveness of your presentation. For example, did you cover all the key points? Was your timing right? Did you speak clearly at a moderate pace? Were your visuals clear and visible? Did your audience seem fully engaged ? You could also share your recording with your manager or a coach or mentor for their feedback.
Solicit feedback directly from your audience. The most common way of doing this is to issue an evaluation form after the presentation has concluded. In this, be sure to include questions regarding content, tone, timing, visuals, vocal pitch, and speed.
Think about the questions the audience asked you. If they didn't ask any, don't assume this is because you covered everything; you may not have held their attention sufficiently for them to feel inspired to ask anything. If they asked questions regarding points you felt you had covered during your presentation, then it is possible that you were not clear enough.
Remember: evaluation is important, as reflecting on what went well/less well in your presentation will help you to develop and improve your skills, and to establish which methods and approaches work in which situations.

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How To Make A Presentation: A Comprehensive Guide

Are you tired of mediocre presentations that leave your audience bored and uninterested?

Presentations are a crucial aspect of communication in the modern world, whether in the workplace, school, or social settings. The purpose of a presentation is to convey information and ideas engagingly and persuasively, but building a presentation can be challenging. That’s why we’ve created this comprehensive guide on how to make a presentation.

In this guide, you’ll discover critical principles and techniques for creating a presentation that captivates your audience and leave a lasting impression. From understanding your audience and developing a clear structure to using visuals and multimedia to enhance your message, we’ll take you through every step of the presentation-making process.

This blog will teach you how to make a presentation, whether you’re a professional presenter or just starting out.

So saddle up, and let’s get started on your path to being a master presenter.

Introduction

The introduction of your presentation is your first chance to impact your audience. It assists you in engaging your audience and setting the tone for the remainder of your presentation. Here are some tips for an effective introduction:

Purpose of the Presentation

Declare the purpose of your presentation, why it is necessary, and what you expect to accomplish. This will help your audience understand the significance of your message and why they should listen.

Overview of Key Points

Provide an overview of your key points , what you will discuss, and what the audience can expect. This will give your audience a clear idea of the content of your presentation and make it easier for them to follow along.

Preparation

Preparation is vital to ensuring the success of your presentation. A well-prepared presentation can leave an impact on your audience and assist you in achieving your objectives. Here are some tips to help you prepare effectively:

Research Topic and Gather Information

If you want to learn how to make a good PowerPoint presentation , research is the key. Thoroughly research your topic and collect all necessary information to support your main points. This will give you the confidence to present your information effectively and answer any questions from your audience.

Choose Appropriate Visual Aids

Choose appropriate visual aids, such as PowerPoint graphics , images, or videos, to enhance your presentation and support your key points. Ensure that your visual aids are professional, clear, and easy to understand.

Plan the Structure and Flow of the Presentation

To guarantee that your message is appropriately presented, prepare the structure and flow of your presentation. Start with an attention-grabbing introduction, state your key points clearly, and conclude with a memorable closing statement .

Rehearse the Presentation

Rehearse your presentation to ensure that you are familiar with the material and confident in your delivery. Practice before a family member or a friend to get feedback and make changes.

Body of the Presentation

The body of your presentation is where you deliver the heart of your message. It is the opportunity to engage your audience, provide clear and concise information, and support your key points. Here are some tips for an effective body of your presentation:

Start with an Attention Grabber

Start with an attention-grabbing statement, question, or story to engage your audience and capture their attention. This helps establish the tone for the remainder of your presentation and keeps your audience engaged.

Clearly State Key Points and Support them with Examples

Clearly state your key points and support them with relevant examples, data, or visual aids. This will help reinforce your message and ensure your audience understands your information.

Use Visual Aids Effectively to Enhance Understanding

If you want to learn how to make a presentation interesting, use visual aids, such as slides, images, or videos. It can enhance understanding and support your key points. Ensure that your visual aids are clear, easy to understand, and professional.

Engage the Audience with Interactive Elements

Engage your audience with interactive elements, such as questions, activities, or polls, to keep them interested and involved in your presentation.

Maintain a Professional Demeanor and Pace

Maintain a professional demeanor and pace throughout your presentation. Maintain intense eye contact with your listeners and speak clearly.

Conclude with a Summary of Key Points and a Strong Closing Statement

Conclude your presentation by summarizing your key points and a strong closing statement. This will assist in reinforcing your message and create a lasting effect on your audience.

One of the most important aspects of how to give an effective presentation is the delivery of your presentation.

The delivery of a presentation is critical to its success. It is how you communicate with your audience and bring your message to life. Here are some public speaking tips for presenting effectively:

Project Confidence and Energy

Project confidence and energy when delivering your presentation. Speak clearly, use appropriate gestures, and maintain good eye contact with your audience. This will help to engage your audience and create a positive impression.

Maintain Eye Contact and Engage with the Audience

To learn how to make a presentation interactive , you must maintain eye contact with your audience and engage them in your presentation. This will help create a connection and ensure that your audience pays attention.

Use Appropriate Body Language

Use appropriate body languages, such as gestures and facial expressions, to enhance your message and create a positive impression.

Address Any Technical Issues Before Starting

Address any technical issues, such as problems with audio or visual aids, before starting your presentation. This will ensure that your delivery is smooth and professional.

The conclusion is the final section of your presentation and is your opportunity to leave a lasting impression on your audience. For more conclusion slides check out our library.

Here are some tips for a strong conclusion:

Summarize Key Points

Summarize your important points to remind your audience of your presentation’s core idea. This will assist in emphasizing your message and guarantee that your audience understands it clearly.

Address Any Remaining Questions from the Audience

Address any remaining questions from the audience. This will ensure that all of their concerns are addressed and that your audience leaves with a clear understanding of your message.

End on a Memorable Note

End your presentation on a memorable note. This could be a quote , a final thought, or a call to action. Something that your audience will remember long after the presentation is over.

After your presentation, it is essential to evaluate your performance and make improvements for future presentations. Here are some follow-up tips:

Evaluate the Presentation

Examine your presentation to see what went well and what may be enhanced for future presentations. Ask for feedback from your audience and use it to make improvements.

Share Presentation Materials

Share your presentation materials with your audience if requested. This will allow them to review your message and information later.

Provide Feedback to Others

Provide feedback to others involved in the presentation, such as co-presenters or support staff. By doing so, they will be able to perform better and provide even greater presentations in the future.

Wrapping It Up

Creating an effective presentation is a combination of art and science. It requires a deep understanding of your audience, a clear structure, and the use of visuals and multimedia to enhance your message. With the knowledge gained from this comprehensive guide, you now have the ability to make good presentations that are next level, and that can captivate your audience.

Remember that providing information, interacting with your audience, and creating a lasting impression are all important components of a successful presentation. So, embrace your creativity, be confident, and have fun with your presentations! The more you practice, the better you will get, and you will soon be renowned as the master presenter in your industry.

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We’re all learning as we go.

And that’s perfectly OK — that’s part of being human. On my own personal growth journey, I know I need to get better at public speaking and presenting. It’s one of those things that doesn’t necessarily come naturally to me.

And I know there are plenty of people in my shoes. So when it comes to presenting in the workplace, it can be intimidating. But there’s one thing that can help people continue to get better at presentations: feedback .

The following examples not only relate to presentations. They can also be helpful for public speaking and captivating your audience.

You’re doing great

You really have the natural ability to hand out presentation material in a very organized way! Good job!
Your presentations are often compelling and visually stunning. You really know how to effectively captivate the audience. Well done!
You often allow your colleagues to make presentations on your behalf. This is a great learning opportunity for them and they often thrive at the challenge.
Keeping presentations focused on key agenda items can be tough, but you’re really good at it. You effectively outline exactly what it is that you will be discussing and you make sure you keep to it. Well done!!
You created downloadable visual presentations and bound them for the client. Excellent way to portray the company! Well done!
Your content was relevant and your format was visually appealing and easy to follow and understand. Great job! You’re a real designer at heart!
You always remain consistent with the way you present and often your presentations have the same style and layout. This is great for continuity. Well done!
You always remain consistent with every presentation, whether it be one on ones, small group chats, with peers, direct reports, and the company bosses. You have no problem presenting in any one of these situations. Well done!
You are an effective presenter both to employees and to potential clients. When controversial topics come up, you deal with them in a timely manner and you make sure these topics are fully dealt with before moving on. Well done!
You effectively command attention and you have no problem managing groups during the presentation.

You should think of improving

You’re a great presenter in certain situations, but you struggle to present in others. Try to be more consistent when presenting so that you get one single-minded message across. This will also help you broaden your presentation skills by being able to portray one single idea or message.
You tend to be a little shy when making presentations. You have the self-confidence in one-on-one conversations , so you definitely have the ability to make compelling presentations. Come on! You can do it!
During presentations, there seems to be quite a lack of focus . I know it can be difficult to stick to the subject matter, however you need to in order for people to understand what the presentation is about and what is trying to be achieved.
To engage with your audience and make them attentively listen to what you have to say, you need to be able to use your voice in an effective manner to achieve this. Try to focus on certain words that require extra attention and emphasis these words during your presentation.
Knowing your audience is critical to the success of any presentation. Learn to pick up on their body language and social cues to gauge your style and tone. Listen to what your audience has to say and adjust your presentation accordingly.

presentation-feedback-examples-person-handing-out-papers

During presentations, it’s expected that there will be tough questions . Try to prepare at least a couple of days before the time so that you can handle these questions in an effective manner.
To be an effective presenter you need to be able to adjust to varying audiences and circumstances. Try learning about who will be in the room at the time of the presentation and adjust accordingly.
Remember not to take debate as a personal attack. You tend to lose your cool a little too often, which hinders the discussion and people feel alienated. You can disagree without conflict .
The only way you are going to get better at public speaking is by practicing, practicing, practicing. Learn your speech by heart, practice in the mirror, practice in front of the mirror. Eventually, you’ll become a natural and you won't be afraid of public speaking any longer.
Your presentations are beautiful and I have no doubt you have strong presentation software skills. However, your content tends to be a bit weak and often you lack the substance. Without important content, the presentation is empty.

Tips to improve

Remember it’s always good to present about the things you are passionate about . When you speak to people about your passions they can sense it. The same goes for presentations. Identify what it is that excites you and somehow bring it into every presentation. it’ll make it easier to present and your audience will feel the energy you portray.
Sometimes it can be easier to plan with the end result in mind. Try visualizing what it is you are exactly expecting your audience to come away with and develop your presentation around that.
Simplicity is a beautiful thing. Try to keep your presentations as simple as possible. Make it visually appealing with the least amount of words possible. Try interactive pictures and videos to fully immerse your audience in the presentation.
It’s a fine balance between winging the presentation and memorizing the presentation. If you wing it too much it may come across as if you didn't prepare. If you memorize it, the presentation may come off a bit robotic. Try to find the sweet spot, if you can.
When presenting, try to present in a way that is cause for curiosity . Make people interested in what you have to say to really captivate them. Have a look at some TED talks to get some tips on how you can go about doing this.
Remember presentations should be about quality, not quantity. Presentations that are text-heavy and go on for longer than they should bore your audience and people are less likely to remember them.
Try to arrive at every staff meeting on time and always be well prepared. This will ensure that meetings will go smoothly in the future.
Remember to respect other people's time by always arriving on time or five minutes before the presentation.
Remember to ask the others in the meeting for their point of view if there are individuals during presentations.
If you notice presentations are deviating off-topic, try to steer it back to the important topic being discussed.

Presentation feedback can be intimidating. It’s likely the presenter has spent a good deal of time and energy on creating the presentation.

As an audience member, you can hone in on a few aspects of the presentation to help frame your feedback. If it's an oral presentation, you should consider also audience attention and visual aids.

It’s important to keep in mind three key aspects of the presentation when giving feedback.

presentation-feedback-examples-presenting-team-meeting

Communication

Were the key messages clear?
Was the speaker clear and concise in their language?
Did the presenter clearly communicate the key objectives?
Did the presenter give the audience clear takeaways?
How well did the presenter’s voice carry in the presentation space?

Delivery

Was the presentation engaging?
How well did the presenter capture their audience?
Did the presenter engage employees in fun or innovative ways?
How interactive was the presentation?
How approachable did the presenter appear?
Was the presentation accessible to all?

Body language and presence

How did the presenter carry themselves?
Did the presenter make eye contact with the audience?
How confident did the presenter appear based on nonverbal communication?
Were there any nonverbal distractions to the presentation? (i.e. too many hand gestures, facial expressions, etc.)

There are plenty of benefits of feedback . But giving effective feedback isn’t an easy task. Here are some tips for giving effective feedback.

1. Prepare what you’d like to say

I’m willing to bet we’ve all felt like we’ve put our foot in our mouth at one point or another. Knee-jerk, emotional reactions are rarely helpful. In fact, they can do quite the opposite of help.

Make sure you prepare thoughtfully. Think through what feedback would be most impactful and helpful for the recipient. How will you word certain phrases? What’s most important to communicate? What feedback isn’t helpful to the recipient?

You can always do practice runs with your coach. Your coach will serve as a guide and consultant. You can practice how you’ll give feedback and get feedback … on your feedback. Sounds like a big loop, but it can be immensely helpful.

2. Be direct and clear (but lead with empathy)

Have you ever received feedback from someone where you’re not quite sure what they’re trying to say? Me, too.

I’ve been in roundabout conversations where I walk away even more confused than I was before. This is where clear, direct, and concise communication comes into play.

Be clear and direct in your message. But still, lead with empathy and kindness . Feedback doesn’t need to be harsh or cruel. If it’s coming from a place of care, the recipient should feel that care from you.

3. Create dialogue (and listen carefully)

Feedback is never a one-way street. Without the opportunity for dialogue, you’re already shutting down and not listening to the other person. Make sure you’re creating space for dialogue and active listening . Invite questions — or, even better, feedback. You should make the person feel safe, secure, and trusted . You should also make sure the person feels heard and valued.

Your point of view is just that: it's one perspective. Invite team members to share their perspectives, including positive feedback .

You might also offer the recipient the opportunity for self-evaluation . By doing a self-evaluation, you can reflect on things like communication skills and confidence. They might come to some of the same important points you did — all on their own.

Now, let’s go practice that feedback

We're all learners in life.

It's OK to not be perfect . In fact, we shouldn't be. We're perfectly imperfect human beings, constantly learning , evolving, and bettering ourselves.

The same goes for tough things like presentations. You might be working on perfecting your students' presentation. Or you might want to get better at capturing your audience's attention. No matter what, feedback is critical to that learning journey .

Even a good presentation has the opportunity for improvement . Don't forget the role a coach can play in your feedback journey.

Your coach will be able to provide a unique point of view to help you better communicate key points. Your coach can also help with things like performance reviews , presentation evaluations, and even how to communicate with others.

Elevate your communication skills

Unlock the power of clear and persuasive communication. Our coaches can guide you to build strong relationships and succeed in both personal and professional life.

Madeline Miles

Madeline is a writer, communicator, and storyteller who is passionate about using words to help drive positive change. She holds a bachelor's in English Creative Writing and Communication Studies and lives in Denver, Colorado. In her spare time, she's usually somewhere outside (preferably in the mountains) — and enjoys poetry and fiction.

How to not be nervous for a presentation — 13 tips that work (really!)

6 presentation skills and how to improve them, how to give a good presentation that captivates any audience, josh bersin on the importance of talent management in the modern workplace, 8 clever hooks for presentations (with tips), reading the room gives you an edge — no matter who you're talking to, how to make a presentation interactive and exciting, the self presentation theory and how to present your best self, coaching insider: trusting your team as a new manager, similar articles, 30 communication feedback examples, 30 leadership feedback examples for managers, your guide to what storytelling is and how to be a good storyteller, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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Storytelling

How to improve your presentation with storytelling

Have you ever met anyone who doesn’t appreciate a good story? Stories stick, while information fades out.

So why risk your audience fading out of your presentation and refocusing on what they’ll have for lunch that day, while you’re standing there sharing that data you worked so hard to collect? Why not be the person that said something, that they will later share with their friends over lunch?

We don’t need science to tell us how much we enjoy stories. But if we do, then according to the latest researches on the subject – people retain 65 to 70 percent of information shared via a story versus only 5 to 10 percent of information conveyed through statistics.

And even more intriguing – stories are basically easier to recall because descriptive tales can activate up to 7 areas of the human brain (versus the 2 areas that get activated by facts and figures). And with that many areas of the mind engaged, listeners actually experience the story, instead of only processing it.

Illustration by MagdaGogo

On the other, less scientific side, if we think about it – the reason we enjoy a nice story is not because it’s simply easier to remember, but also because it’s personal, relatable and brings all the important data to life.

So whether you are talking about the details on the latest marketing campaign you worked on, the growth of your country’s economy, or even on the health benefits of eating apples – it all comes down to how well you actually say it.

But don’t worry, if mankind can manage to build the Large Hadron Collider than you can easily become the wizard of storytelling. And for that reason, our team put down a brief list of some good tips we believe to be great starting points on your quest to becoming an impressive storyteller.

It’s all in the opening

Novelists have been aware of this for some time now – one of the most important things in a book is the opening. Stephen King himself spends months and even years coming up with the perfect opening sentence.

“There’s one thing I’m sure about. An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story. It should say: Listen. Come in here. You want to know about this.”

The same goes to presenting. It only takes seconds to get defocused, and it takes just as much to get interested. If you lose your audience’s attention at the very beginning, chances are you won’t be able to get it back throughout the rest of your presentation.

So, next time you find yourself on the stage – start your presentation with a ‘bang’. Provide your listeners with a hook so they want to find out more.

Don’t forget about the visual aspect

Of course, words will always be words, but let us help you decide on that ‘bang’. According to one infographic, you only have 8 seconds to capture the listener’s attention with great creative, before they ‘scroll’ away. And we all know how we fall and easily remember good visuals, whether it’s a nice photograph, a touching video or a beautifully drawn bar chart.

‘Infographic’ has been the buzzword for couple of years now – and there’s a real reason behind it. Infographics are one of the best ways to convey complex information in a visually appealing format. While they are no longer the only way to tell a visual story, they still remain a staple.

PowerPoint slide from SlideCamp

So, go on, quickly sign up and enrich your presentation with some eye-catching infographics.

Tell a personal story

First-hand experiences the teller actually witnessed – always make for good stories. Even if it’s a story that has been passed on from a generation to a generation, an effective one still has an element of how that story relates directly to the teller.

Be relatable

And when you do tell that personal story – try to be as much relatable as possible. A personal story should show you in an honest, and even in a less than flattering light. People connect more easily with other people’s imperfections, your flaws make you more human – thus more connectable. So don’t brag, but relate.

We are turning to the the writers, the masters of storytelling, for this one too. And according to George Orwell and his rules for writing – (1) you should never use a long word where a short one will do, and (2) If it is possible to cut a word out, you should always cut it out.

So, always try to talk less and say more. Try and skip all the sentences that don’t contain any ‘information’. And if they don’t actually hold any, then they should at least be interesting for listening.

Be humorous

Which brings us to our next tip – use humor. That doesn’t mean you should tell an actual joke (which can also work), but everyone enjoys an intentional pun here and there. Making your audience smile (and even laugh) will help you maintain their concentrations and attentions high.

Avoid clichés

Clichés have the wonderful ability of ruining a perfectly good story. People, being so overdosed by clichés, tend to simply not acknowledge their presence in a story. So even if your point is wonderful, choosing a cliché saying to express it with will only force your listeners to not notice it. You should always try to make your story authentic and avoid all forms of clichés. That means you should skip those overly repeated lessons to be learned, sayings and even cliché words. Learn from the best

Doesn’t matter if you’re playing chess or getting ready for a presentation, the basic rule always applies – if you want to get better, learn from the best

From now on, when you bump into a nice TED talk , don’t just absorb the information, but focus on the way those great speakers deliver it. There are even some on ‘storytelling’ .

So, next time you are preparing for a presentation remember that a good story might just make your pitch from mundane to magnificent.

Words aficionado. A lyric in an Italian partisan song. Kubrick fan.

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What I Learned From Giving My First Presentation

I recently was thrust into a conundrum. I suddenly found myself in need of a speaker for a recent SQL Server Meetup this month. My co-organizer and I had one week to find a presenter, set up a new Meetup, and then publicize so people outside of Meetup would know about it. I decided that was too short notice to go out to Twitter and ask for volunteers to speak.

I thought, “What could I talk about?” You see, presenting is something I’ve always wanted to start doing. I just never did it. For many years, I thought that I didn’t know enough and that presenting was for the “famous” SQL Server people to do and I should just wait on the sidelines. However, over the last couple of years I’ve felt more confident about what I know.

Alos, I’ve come to realize that even people starting out have things they can share. For example, presentations can just be a series of short talks and work problems that a person has solved. Everyone has those examples. you don’t have to Brent Ozar , Kendra Little or Grant Fritchey to share problems you’ve solved at work. Presenting that information helps the presenter grow and helps the people hearing the content. People in the audience might hear a new, inventive way to resolve an issue, or they might have this problem in the days immediately after the presentation and be helped by having recently heard someone’s explanation of how they solved it, even if the solution wasn’t “ingenious”.

Almost out of nowhere I had an idea. I could talk about features in modern SQL Server that make certain aspects of working with the product easier. These could be enhancements like brand new features and feature sets or things like enhancement to T-SQL. I put together a rough list of items to include. There were close to 20 things on the list. As I worked through the presentation, I narrowed the list to 12 features or enhancements. After about 11 hours building slides, doing research, creating and testing demos and another 2 hours practicing giving the presentation, I was ready. You can see the results of that work here .

However, this post isn’t about the content of the presentation. I want to share what I learned as the result of putting together and giving the presentation. Without further delay, let’s look at the bullet points that follow.

Be careful what you eat before presenting. You want to focus on your presentation and not your queasy stomach or your heartburn, etc.
I re-learned where Presenter Notes are in the slides. I had given a presentation many months ago internally to my company. It was on finding good resources for training and during that process, had to look up presenter’s notes for PowerPoint. So much time had gone by since then, that I had to look it up again. In the lower right corner of PowerPoint there is an icon with an ^ with four dashes under it and the word “Notes” next to it. Click that and you get a small window below your slide that you can type your talking points into.

Rather than fill up your slides with text that you end up reading, use this Presenter’s Notes area to make short notes about the ideas you want to explain. Or you could type out what you’re going to say into paragraphs in this area. When you run the slideshow, you will see the slide and your Presenter’s Notes on one screen and your audience will see just the slides.

PowerPoint Presenters Notes

I learned there is a Presentation Coach feature in PowerPoint that lets you practice your presentation and provides a feedback report. To use this feature, inside PowerPoint select the Slide Show menu at the top and then “Rehearse With Coach”. This feature gives you feedback about things like your use of filler words, how fast you’re speaking and the tone of your voice.
I learned there is a built-in Design suggestions feature for your slides in PowerPoint. Once I had my content and Presenter’s Notes mostly the way I wanted it, I realized that I needed to do something about the drab looking slides. I hadn’t started with a template of any kind and now I needed help making it visually interesting.

At the top of the Power Point menu ribbon I clicked on the word Design. Then off to the far right I saw a button called “Design Ideas”. I left clicked that and a new set of slide options opened up down the right side. I clicked on the ones I thought would look ok, keeping in mind certain key things. First, when designing slides you will need to avoid bright or pastel type colors that hurt the eyes. Second, these color choices also often make the text hard to read. As I left clicked on options down the right side, the slides changed and I could see what my presentation would look like.

PowerPoint Presentation Design Ideas Menu

I learned new information about SQL Server as I researched some topics I was less familiar with. I was less familiar with some topics I was planning to cover than others. As a result, I had to do some research to make sure I understood how the feature worked. In this way, the experience of presenting forced me to learn more about SQL Server, and that’s a good thing!

So, that’s what I learned from giving my first public presentation. I hope this encourages you to start presenting and makes things a little easier for you when you decide to give it a try.

Next Steps to Take

Consider some problems you have solved at work and give some thought to formalizing what you learned by sharing that information with others.
Look up a SQL Server Meetup group and join one. Start attending and think about how your experience can help others.
If you would like help with anything in this post, or with something else related to SQL Server, reach out to me here , or on Twitter , and I’ll be glad to offer assistance.

[…] way to give back to the I.T. community – in this case the SQL Server community. I’ve previously blogged about things I learned from giving my first presentation, and what it was like presenting at New […]

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What Went Well PowerPoint Template

PowerPoint Template for What Went Well Presentation

Discuss the pros and cons of your project and outline the necessary improvements using our featured What Went Well PowerPoint Template . This PPT template is crafted using PowerPoint shapes and illustrations. Users can conveniently add their data to the required segments and prepare enthralling presentations about their sessions, projects, business ideas, meetings, etc. Our agenda in designing this customizable template is to display the positive & negative aspects of an event and to discuss what can be improved next time. For instance, an event organizer can list the gains, losses, and required improvements of the last event he conducted. Likewise, project managers and business teams can especially grab this template for their professional presentations .

This What Went Well PowerPoint Template carries four slides. The first shows a human illustration of a person standing in a confused state with a screen. The screen also displays the signs of loss and exclamation. The second slide is the opposite and shows a satisfied person sitting on his computer. So, users can explain the gains & losses using these two slides.

Similarly, the third slide has a scene where a person holds a megaphone; this slide is to mention the necessary improvements. The last slide is a summary page, to mention all three points on a single page for consideration by the audience or team. Bright colors are used in the shapes. Presenters can modify these colors and change other features according to their preferences.

In addition to business and project management, this PowerPoint template is also usable for educational, scientific, and research purposes. Presenters can grab this layout and edit it using Google Slides and Keynote. Download and try it now!

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What went well in your presentation?

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All in all, I think that most of my method presentation went pretty well. I provided detailed information to the audience concerning the materials they need and steps to be taken when planting cover crops that act as biological primers for building soil health. Moreover, I was extremely excited and satisfied with how the PowerPoint presentation tool allowed me to be more improvisational and interactive with the audience via the use of images. In retrospect, the PowerPoint presentation was both efficient and effective, as it helped me to gain control of the demonstration and minimized incidences of diversions, which meant that I utilized the allotted time to discuss with the audience key points. I knew beforehand that I was to deal with an audience that is keen to listen and critic any information concerning organic farming. I was satisfied that I did not tense as I spoke fluently while maintaining eye contact with the audience.

What can be improved for the next presentation?

I need to improve on using less text and more visuals in my next presentation. When making the method demonstration to the audience, I realized that they were more focused on images contained in the handouts and PowerPoint presentation tool. For instance, one of the farmers said that she would have appreciated if I used a diagram or a figure as a guiding tool to understand much better on how to make planting rows and spacings. For the first time, I felt that I need to use more visual aids to enhance what I am speaking about, and not by reading it, in my next presentation. Also, I need to leverage my personality when making my next presentation. Reflecting back, I think I made a mistake for not realizing that, as a Masters student, I have a different personality with my audience, the majority of whom, were farmers with little formal education. Thus, in my next presentation, I need to leverage my personality with that of the audience by being empathetic to create emotional appeal, integrate humorous remarks, and smile as I speak to initiate a rugged, relaxed, and subconscious connection with the audience.

What did you learn from this presentation?

I learnt that a demo event on planting cover crops needs to contain a combination of well-balanced and well-considered activities, to support good learning conditions. Also, the presentation made me appreciate the importance of offering the audience opportunities for peer-to-peer knowledge exchange. For instance, the demonstrator/presenter needs to allow participants to share their experiences with the audience by initiating activities that stimulate active knowledge exchange. I also acknowledged the importance of planning for the unexpected. Since presentations for agricultural method demonstration take place in a field, demonstrators need to plan for unforeseen circumstances that may happen, such as changes in weather, group composition, problems with equipment, and differences in field trials. Lastly, I learnt the importance of evaluating the set-up impact of a demonstration presentation. Ideally, a presenter needs to determine if all the participants/audience have benefited from the demonstration event by use of evaluation forms, informal talks, and facilitated participant feedback based on discussions.

What did you learn from evaluating other presentations?

Evaluating other presentations allowed me to learn more about how on how to design and prepare for my future on-farm demonstration events. From all the presentation, I realized that the presenter needs to relate the learning content to the farming practice and demonstration event. Also, I appreciated the fact that all the presenters stimulated a variety of learning methods and activities that would engage participants in active knowledge exchange. Finally, I learned the importance of integrating evaluation and follow-up tools and exercises to determine if the audience has benefited from the demonstration event. Evaluation and follow-up help presenters to assess if the presentation and demonstration achieved the previously- set and targeted objectives.

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COMMENTS

What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation
Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired ...
Top Tips for Effective Presentations
Make sure that you are giving the right messages: body language to avoid includes crossed arms, hands held behind your back or in your pockets, and pacing the stage. Make your gestures open and confident, and move naturally around the stage, and among the audience too, if possible. 10. Relax, Breathe and Enjoy.
How to Make a "Good" Presentation "Great"
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 ...
21 Ways To Improve Your Presentation Skills
1. Create an Outline. Before designing slides and writing a script, outline your presentation. Start with your introduction, segue into key points you want to make, and finish with a conclusion. 2. Practice, Practice, Practice. Almost 8 in 10 professionals practice their presentations for at least an hour.
How to Give a Good Presentation: 10 Tips
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.
What Are Effective Presentation Skills (and How to Improve Them)
Presentation skills are the abilities and qualities necessary for creating and delivering a compelling presentation that effectively communicates information and ideas. They encompass what you say, how you structure it, and the materials you include to support what you say, such as slides, videos, or images. You'll make presentations at various ...
Effective Presentation Feedback (digital & sheets)
With SlideLizard your attendees can easily give you feedback directly with their Smartphone. After the presentation you can analyze the result in detail. type in your own feedback questions. choose your rating scale: 1-5 points, 1-6 points, 1-5 stars or 1-6 stars; show your attendees an open text field and let them enter any text they want.
Do You Have What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation?
March 04, 2021. dvulikaia/ Getty Images. Summary. Great presentations are all about how well you engage your audience. Here are three ways to do that: Be balanced: Strike the right balance between ...
Public Speaking: 30 Tips To Improve Your Presentation Skills
Try to incorporate some of their effective speaking strategies into your own presentation. 3. Learn it without notes. While you can choose to have cue cards available, try to memorize your presentation. Rather than remembering every single line or a script, however, try to give your presentation using a loose outline.
9 Tips for Improving Your Presentation Skills For Your Next Meeting
9 top tips for improving your presentation skills: Practice speaking in front of others. Use less text and more visuals in your presentation. Leverage your personality. Welcome questions and comments during. Be passionate and engaging. Maintain eye contact with your audience. Obsess over your listeners. Focus on confident body language.
Effective Presentations
Preparation. Understand your audience - consider their background, average age, experience and previous knowledge.Think about what they will want to gain from your presentation, as this will help you to pitch it at the appropriate level, and will also help you to anticipate and prepare for potential questions.; Identify the objectives and key issues or arguments that you will cover during your ...
12 Important Elements of a Successful Presentation
An engaging start to your presentation helps you quickly build rapport and connect with your audience's emotions. A hook to begin your presentation may include a surprising statistic or fact, interesting quotation, relevant question, joke or story. Whatever hook you choose, it's important to ensure that it clearly connects to your content. 4.
How To Make A Presentation: A Comprehensive Guide
After your presentation, it is essential to evaluate your performance and make improvements for future presentations. Here are some follow-up tips: Evaluate the Presentation. Examine your presentation to see what went well and what may be enhanced for future presentations. Ask for feedback from your audience and use it to make improvements.
How to Measure Presentation Success
All of these are indicators that your presentation went well and resonated with the audience. Take a Survey. A simple way to know if you have achieved your presentation objectives is by asking your audience to provide feedback with a quick survey. Be sure and include open ended questions that encourage audience members to explain their answers.
30 Presentation Feedback Examples
She holds a bachelor's in English Creative Writing and Communication Studies and lives in Denver, Colorado. In her spare time, she's usually somewhere outside (preferably in the mountains) — and enjoys poetry and fiction. Use these 30 presentation feedback examples to help you (and your team) get better at giving presentations.
How to improve your presentation with storytelling
Be relatable. And when you do tell that personal story - try to be as much relatable as possible. A personal story should show you in an honest, and even in a less than flattering light. People connect more easily with other people's imperfections, your flaws make you more human - thus more connectable. So don't brag, but relate.
5 Tips to Help You Write the Most Amazing Presentation Summary
2. Use Graphs and Charts to Showcase Numbers. If you want to increase the impact of your summary, you must incorporate visuals such as graphs and charts, as they provide a clear and concise way to present complex numerical data. Instead of overwhelming the audience with rows of numbers and statistics, these graphical elements convert the ...
Self-Evaluation for Speeches
Self-Evaluation for Speeches. This form is intended as a starting point to improving our presentations. You may find that some of the categories don't apply or that some of the concepts are unfamiliar to you. What's important is that you take the time to reflect on what went well in your presentation and what you need to improve.
What I Learned From Giving My First Presentation
These could be enhancements like brand new features and feature sets or things like enhancement to T-SQL. I put together a rough list of items to include. There were close to 20 things on the list. As I worked through the presentation, I narrowed the list to 12 features or enhancements. After about 11 hours building slides, doing research ...
How to Recover from a Bad Presentation and Improve Your Skills
5. The final tip is to learn from your experience and keep improving your presentation skills. After your presentation, reflect on what went well and what could be better. Celebrate your ...
How do you know that your presentation is successful?
Recognition and Acknowledgement - for e.g. I want my boss to be impressed with the work I've done / our team has done. Demonstrate competence - for e.g. by the end of this presentation I ...
What Went Well PowerPoint Template
Discuss the pros and cons of your project and outline the necessary improvements using our featured What Went Well PowerPoint Template.This PPT template is crafted using PowerPoint shapes and illustrations. Users can conveniently add their data to the required segments and prepare enthralling presentations about their sessions, projects, business ideas, meetings, etc.
presentation went well
2. The New Yorker. For example, "Stuart didn't make the meeting on time but we explained the problem to the delegates and Susan's presentation went well - a bit rough around the edges but it was warmly received. 3. The Guardian. My presentation went well, but I noticed something odd. 4. Huffington Post.
What went well in your presentation? » StudyExcell
What went well in your presentation? All in all, I think that most of my method presentation went pretty well. I provided detailed information to the audience concerning the materials they need and steps to be taken when planting cover crops that act as biological primers for building soil health. Moreover, I was extremely excited and satisfied ...

Top Tips for Effective Presentations

How can you make a good presentation even more effective?

1. Show your Passion and Connect with your Audience

2. Focus on your Audience’s Needs

3. Keep it Simple: Concentrate on your Core Message

4. Smile and Make Eye Contact with your Audience

5. Start Strongly

6. Remember the 10-20-30 Rule for Slideshows

7. Tell Stories

Finding The Story Behind Your Presentation

8. Use your Voice Effectively

9. Use your Body Too

10. Relax, Breathe and Enjoy

21 Ways To Improve Your Presentation Skills

Presentation Skills Definition

Importance of Presentation Skills

How To Improve Presentation Skills

2. Practice, Practice, Practice

3. Start With a Hook

4. Stay Focused on Your Topic

5. Remember To Introduce Yourself

6. Work on Your Body Language

7. Memorize Structure, Not Words

8. Learn Your Audience

9. Reframe Your Anxiety as Excitement

10. Get Comfortable With the Setting

11. Get Familiar With Technology

12. Think Positively

13. Tell a Story

14. Prepare for Questions

15. Maintain Eye Contact

16. Condense Your Presentation

17. Use Videos

18. Engage With Your Audience

19. Present Slowly and Pause Frequently

20. Start and End With a Summary

21. Ask for Feedback

Effective Presentation Skills

Presentation Skills for Executives

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

What are presentation skills?

Why are presentation skills important?

Effective presentation skills

Verbal communication

Body language

Voice projection

Storytelling

Active listening

Stage presence

Self-awareness

Writing skills

Understanding an audience

How to improve presentation skills

Work on self-confidence.

Develop strategies for overcoming fear.

Learn grounding techniques.

Learn how to use presentation tools.

Practice breathing techniques.

Gain experience.

Tips to help you ace your presentation

Arrive early.

Become familiar with the layout of the room.

Listen to presenters ahead of you.

Use note cards.

Article sources

Keep reading

Effective Feedback for Presentations - digital with PowerPoint or with printable sheets

The importance of feedback

Qualities of good Feedback

Ways of receiving / giving Feedback after a Presentation

2. Online: Get digital Feedback

3. Verbal Feedback

Feedback to yourself - Self Assessment

Digital Feedback with SlideLizard

Free Download: Printable Feedback Sheets for Business or School Presentations

Feedback form for business

Feedback form for teachers (school or university)

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