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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

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

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

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

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Unlock effective presentation skills (tips and best practices)

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Anete Ezera March 23, 2023

Presentation skills are a crucial aspect of communication in today’s world. Whether you’re delivering a pitch to potential investors, giving a lecture in front of a class, or trying to make a point at a meeting, your ability to effectively present your ideas can greatly impact your success. However, not everyone is a natural-born speaker. Many struggle with nerves and self-doubt when it comes to presenting in front of an audience. But don’t worry! Improving your presentation skills is possible with practice and dedication. In this blog post, we’ll provide you with practical tips that will help you become a confident and engaging speaker. From preparing your material to engaging with your audience, we’ll cover everything you need to know to take your presentation skills to the next level. So whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your existing presentation skills, read on for all the advice and inspiration you need to succeed.

Types of Presentations

Before we dive into specific presentation skills, it’s important to define the different types of presentations that may require different skills in how they’re presented. There are several types of presentations you can choose from, each with its own distinct format and style. Let’s take a look at some of the most common types of presentations:

Narrative presentations

In these types of presentations, the speaker focuses on telling a story that engages the audience and reinforces the main message. This type of presentation is perfect for engaging and entertaining an audience. It helps to keep the audience interested and focused and can be a great way to reinforce the main message. However, it can also be time-consuming to prepare a well-structured narrative.

Informative presentations

These types of presentations are designed to provide information on a specific topic. The speaker focuses on delivering accurate and relevant information to the audience in an organized and straightforward manner. This type of presentation is great for providing accurate and relevant information to the audience. The organized and straightforward delivery makes it easy for the audience to understand and retain the information. However, it can be difficult to keep the audience engaged and interested if the presentation is too dry or lacks excitement.

Persuasive presentations 

In persuasive presentations, the speaker aims to convince the audience to take a specific action or adopt a particular point of view. This type of presentation often includes arguments, statistics, and other persuasive techniques. However, if the arguments are weak or the persuasive techniques are ineffective, the presentation can fall flat and fail to achieve its intended outcome.

Demonstrative Presentations

These types of presentations focus on demonstrating a product or service to the audience. The speaker often includes visual aids, such as slides or videos, to help illustrate the key features and benefits of the product or service. However, it can be difficult to keep the audience engaged if the demonstration is too lengthy or repetitive.

Instructional Presentations

Instructional presentations are designed to teach the audience a specific skill or provide them with step-by-step instructions. The speaker often uses visual aids, such as diagrams or slides, to make the instructions clear and easy to follow. It’s perfect for teaching the audience how to perform a specific task. The use of visual aids, such as diagrams or slides, makes it easy for the audience to understand and follow the instructions. In this type of presentation, it’s important to present the instructions in a highly engaging way so the audience doesn’t lose interest.

Choosing the right type of presentation format can greatly impact the success of your presentation. Consider the audience, the message you want to convey, and the resources available to you, when deciding on the best presentation format for your needs. Once you’ve decided on a presentation format, you can move on to developing certain presentation skills that are most important for the specific case. 

Presentation delivery methods

The way you deliver your presentation is crucial. Therefore, we want to highlight this aspect before we dive into other effective presentation skills. A delivery method can make or break a presentation, regardless of the quality of the content. There are various methods of presentation delivery. The choice of method depends on the type of audience, the topic of the presentation, and the desired outcome. Discover 4 ways you can deliver a presentation and what kind of skills and approach they require. 

Traditional delivery

One of the most common presentation delivery methods is the traditional method of standing in front of an audience and delivering a speech. This method is suitable for formal presentations, such as keynote speeches, lectures, and corporate presentations. This method requires the speaker to have excellent public speaking skills, including voice modulation, body language, and eye contact. A traditional presentation delivery usually follows a classical presentation outline that has a clear beginning, middle, and end. 

Visually-focused presentation delivery

Another method of presentation delivery is the use of visual aids. This method involves using multimedia tools, such as images, videos, and infographics. Visual aids are effective because they can help the audience to better understand complex information, and they can also serve as a reference for the audience to refer to after the presentation. However, visuals should not be the sole focus of the presentation, as they can distract the audience from the message. 

If you want to create a visually-focused presentation, discover different Prezi presentation templates, and be sure to add images, videos, data visualizations, GIFs, stickers, and other visuals that you can find in Prezi’s content library and Prezi Design.  

If you want to learn more about the use of visuals in a presentation, and what are the best design practices, watch this video:

Interactive presentation delivery

Another way to deliver a presentation is by using interactive methods such as group discussions, role-plays, and simulations. This method is suitable for presentations that require the audience to actively participate in the presentation. Interactive presentations can be useful for training sessions, team-building exercises, and workshops. 

On Prezi, you can create highly interactive presentations where your audience can be active participants. Prezi’s non-linear format allows you to jump between topics instead of flipping through slides, so your presentation feels more like a conversation than a speech.

Storyteller delivery

The last method of presentation delivery is storytelling. It involves the use of anecdotes, personal experiences, and stories to deliver a message. Storytelling is a highly effective tool because it can help the audience to relate to the message on a personal level. 

Storytelling can also be used to make a presentation more engaging and entertaining. 

If you want to visually showcase a relation between two aspects and capture the transitional movement in a timeline, use motion, zoom, and spatial relationships in a Prezi presentation to showcase the nuances of your story world. 

Regardless of the presentation delivery method, make sure to follow the best presentation practices:

• Be well-prepared and knowledgeable about the topic. This can be achieved through research, practice, and rehearsal.
• Use clear and concise language that is easy for the audience to understand. You should avoid using jargon and technical terms, or you can take time to explain them to the audience. 
• Work on engaging the audience using eye contact, body language, and humor. This can help you establish a connection with the audience and make the presentation more engaging. 
• Be mindful of the time and ensure that the presentation is delivered within the allotted time frame.  
• Use effective visuals, if applicable, to support your message without overpowering it.

Effective presentation skills

There are numerous skills that you can develop to improve your presentations. In this article, we’ve summoned the following 8 presentation skills that are essential to any presenter that wants to make an impact with their message.

1. Effective communication

Effective communication skills are critical when it comes to presenting information to others. Presentations require a clear and concise message, and communication skills are key in delivering this message to your audience. Good communication skills allow you to connect with your audience, build rapport, and maintain engagement throughout the presentation. In addition, communication skills allow you to articulate your ideas and arguments clearly, and to respond to questions or challenges effectively. 

To improve this skill, practice speaking in front of a mirror or recording yourself to identify areas where you may need improvement. Also, consider using vocal techniques such as varying your tone and volume to keep your audience engaged.

2. Confident body language

Confident body language is an essential presentation skill as it communicates to the audience that the speaker is credible, knowledgeable, and in control. A confident posture, eye contact, and gestures can help you establish a strong presence and build rapport with the audience. It also helps you to convey your message more effectively. 

To practice confident body language, start by standing tall with shoulders back and head held high. Also, make eye contact with the audience and use natural hand gestures to emphasize key points. It’s also important to practice speaking clearly and with conviction, as this can further enhance the impact of confident body language during a presentation. 

If you’re interested in learning more about body language, read our article on 9 secrets to a confident body language . 

3. Audience engagement

Being able to engage your audience is a crucial presentation skill because it ensures that your message is well-received and understood. When you engage your audience, you capture their attention and maintain their interest throughout your presentation. This can make the difference between a successful presentation and one that falls flat. Holding the attention of your audience requires a combination of factors, such as having a clear message, being confident and comfortable in your delivery, using visual aids effectively, and connecting with your audience on a personal level. 

To improve this skill, you can practice rehearsing your presentation in front of friends or colleagues and seeking feedback. You can also try studying successful public speakers and their techniques and incorporating audience participation activities into your presentation to keep them engaged and interested. 

Additionally, you can engage your audience by opting for a motion-based presentation. It’ll enhance the impact of your content and ideas, making it more captivating for your audience to watch than a slide-based presentation. On Prezi, you can use motion, spatial relationships, and zooming effects to create highly impactful presentations. 

4. Time management

Time management is an essential presentation skill as it helps to ensure that you deliver your message effectively and efficiently within the allotted time. Poor time management can lead to an unprofessional and unprepared presentation, leaving the audience disinterested or confused.

To practice good time management, begin by planning and rehearsing your presentation in advance. It’s important to allocate sufficient time to each section and consider factors such as audience engagement and potential interruptions. You can also use time-tracking tools and practice pacing yourself during rehearsals to ensure you stay on schedule. By mastering time management, you can deliver a polished and engaging presentation, leaving a positive and lasting impression on your audience.

5. Content organization

Effective organization of presentation content is crucial for any presenter, as it determines the clarity and impact of the message. Organized content can help you convey your ideas in a logical and coherent manner, which aids in maintaining the audience’s attention and retention of information. 

To ensure that your presentation’s content is well-organized, it’s important to follow a few key steps. 

• Identify the main points you want to convey and arrange them in a logical order.
• Create a clear outline that includes an introduction, main body, and conclusion.
• Use transition words or phrases to smoothly connect each point to the next. 
• Ensure that your presentation has a consistent flow and that each point supports your overall message. 

By following these steps, you can effectively organize your presentation’s content and create a memorable and impactful experience for the viewers.

If you’re creating a sales presentation, be sure to read our step-by-step guide on crafting a winning sales presentation .

Also, discover how to best structure your presentation based on your presentation goal in this video:

6. Storytelling 

Storytelling is a powerful presentation skill that can captivate your audience’s attention and enhance the impact of your message. Stories allow us to connect with people on a deeper emotional level, and help us convey complex ideas in an easy-to-understand way. When we tell a story, we engage our audience, evoke their imagination, and inspire them to take action. 

To develop strong storytelling skills, you should practice telling stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end that convey a message or lesson. It’s also important to incorporate sensory details, such as sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste, to help the audience visualize the story. Also, make sure to focus on the tone of your delivery, including voice inflection, body language, and facial expressions, to effectively convey the emotions and dynamics of the story. Finally, use one of Prezi’s presentation templates like the one visualized below, or create your own story presentation on Prezi and visualize relations between topics, events, and characters using spatial relationships and visual hierarchy. 

By mastering the art of storytelling, you can deliver a powerful presentation that resonates with the audience and creates a lasting impression.

7. Adaptability

Adaptability is a crucial presentation skill – it allows you to adjust and respond to unexpected situations, changes, and challenges during the presentation. The key is to be properly prepared. This means researching your topic and practicing your presentation speech enough so that you’re prepared for any changes or questions that may arise. When you’re prepared, you’ll feel more present and be able to read the room and adjust to your audience’s needs and interests. Also, be flexible and open-minded to new information, feedback, and audience reactions. This skill will enable you to think on your feet and modify your content or delivery style accordingly. 

And lastly, you want to uphold the quality of your presentation no matter where you’re presenting, online or offline. If you need to adapt your presentation to an online experience, use Prezi Video and simply import your already-existing Prezi, Powerpoint, or Google slides, and deliver the same level of presence and quality as offline. With Prezi Video, you can showcase your slides next to you on-screen as you present, keeping that face-to-face interaction. 

Make sure to check out Prezi Video templates that you can find in Prezi’s template gallery .

8. Confidence

Last but definitely not least, one of the key presentation skills a great presenter possesses is confidence . Presenting with confidence can help you engage your audience and convince them of your authority and knowledge on the topic at hand. When you exude confidence, the audience is more likely to trust you and your message, leading to better communication and understanding. 

Developing confidence can be achieved through several methods. Practicing your speech multiple times, visualizing a successful presentation, and focusing on positive self-talk are all techniques that can help boost your confidence. Additionally, learning to control body language and voice tone can also have a positive effect on confidence levels during your time in the spotlight. 

By implementing these strategies, you can build your confidence and improve your presentation skills each time you’re speaking in front of an audience. 

Discover more about effective presentation skills in this video:

How to improve public speaking and presentation skills

While working on the effective presentation skills we listed above, you may feel nervous about public speaking in general. It’s no secret that public speaking can be a daunting task for many people. However, if you want to be a powerful, confident, and impactful presenter, you need to overcome your fear of anxiety of public speaking and improve the way you feel and appear when presenting. 

If you want to learn more about different techniques that can help you calm down before a presentation, here’s a helpful video for you to watch:

To help you become better at public speaking, we summoned 20 tips you can follow:

1. Practice, practice, practice

One of the most effective ways to become more comfortable with public speaking is to practice your speech as much as possible. When you practice, you can work out any kinks or rough spots that you may encounter when giving your speech in front of an audience. Additionally, practicing allows you to become more familiar with the material, making it easier to remember and deliver with confidence. While it may be tempting to simply read your speech from a script or cue cards, practicing your speech will allow you to internalize the material and deliver it with greater ease, flow, and naturalness. Therefore, it’s highly recommended that you take the time to practice your speech as much as possible before giving it in front of an audience, whether that be your friends, family, or colleagues.

2. Use presenter notes 

Preparing for a presentation can be a lengthy endeavor, particularly if you aim to memorize the entire script. Trying to remember every point can be challenging. Plus, the stress of public speaking can cause you to overlook crucial details. Jotting down your talking points can help you stay organized and avoid forgetting any essential information. However, relying solely on flashcards or paper notes may not be ideal. Constantly glancing at sticky notes or looking away from your audience can disrupt the flow of your presentation and disconnect you from your listeners. Instead, try using presenter notes on Prezi , where you can easily add notes to each slide. While presenting, you’ll be the only one that sees them, helping you deliver an impressive presentation with maximum confidence. 

3. Know your audience

When delivering a speech, it’s important to analyze and understand the audience you’ll be speaking to. By doing so, you can tailor your speech to their interests and needs. This means that you should take into account factors such as their age range, educational background, and cultural or professional affiliations. Additionally, it’s important to research the topic you’ll be discussing thoroughly and provide examples that are relevant to your audience. By doing this, you can ensure that your message will resonate with your listeners and leave a lasting impact.

4. Start with a strong opening

To really captivate your audience, it’s important to start with a strong opening that grabs their attention and sets the tone for the rest of your speech. One approach could be to start with a thought-provoking question or a powerful anecdote that relates to your topic. Alternatively, you could begin with a surprising fact or statistic that shocks and intrigues your listeners. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s attention-grabbing and relevant to the message you want to convey. Remember, the opening of your speech is your chance to make a lasting impression, so make it count!

Discover other ways to start your presentation speech and watch this video for more tips on starting a virtual presentation: 

5. Use humor

Using humor can be a great way to start off a presentation. It can help to reduce the tension in the room and make your audience feel more at ease. For example, you could start off with a joke or a funny story that relates to your topic. Alternatively, you could use a humorous image or meme to grab your audience’s attention. Just be sure not to overdo it – too many jokes can detract from your message and make you seem unprofessional. Remember that the ultimate goal of your presentation is to communicate information and ideas effectively, so use humor wisely.

6. Incorporate stories

Using stories in your speech can be an incredibly powerful tool. Personal stories, in particular, can help illustrate your points and make your message more memorable. By sharing a personal experience, you can connect with your audience on a deeper level and create an emotional bond. This can help them better understand your message and remember it long after your speech is over.

One way to incorporate personal stories into your speech is to draw from your own life experiences. Think about a time when you faced a challenge or overcame an obstacle, and how that experience taught you something valuable. Share that story with your audience and explain how the lessons you learned can be applied to their lives as well.

You can also use stories to illustrate more abstract concepts. For example, if you’re giving a talk about the importance of perseverance, you could share a story about someone who faced numerous setbacks but refused to give up. By sharing that story, you can make the concept of perseverance more concrete and relatable to your audience.

7. Use pauses

Using pauses is a great way to enhance your communication skills. In fact, when you take breaks in your speech, can help you gather your thoughts and think more clearly. Pausing also allows you to emphasize key points you want to make in your speech. Additionally, by using pauses strategically, you give your audience time to process the information you’re sharing with them, which can help ensure that they understand and retain it better. All in all, incorporating pauses into your speaking style can be incredibly effective in making your message more impactful and memorable.

8. Speak clearly and loudly

When delivering a speech or presentation, it’s important to speak in a manner that is clear and easy to understand. However, it’s equally important to ensure that your voice is projected loudly enough for your audience to hear you. Speaking too softly can make it difficult for people in the back of the room or in larger spaces to hear what you’re saying, which can lead to confusion and a lack of engagement. To avoid this, try to practice projecting your voice and enunciating your words clearly before you give your speech. You can also use tools like microphones or audio amplifiers to help ensure that your message is heard loud and clear by everyone in the room.

9. Take deep breaths

Taking deep breaths is a great way to help you relax and calm your nerves, but there are other things you can do too. For example, you might want to try some light yoga or stretching exercises to loosen up your muscles and release tension. Also, you could take a warm bath or shower to soothe your body and mind. Another option is to listen to some calming music or read a book that you enjoy. By taking the time to find what works best for you, you can develop a personalized relaxation routine that you can turn to whenever you need it.

10. Use repetition

Repetition is a powerful tool that can help you drive the point home in your speech. By repeating key points, you can reinforce your message and increase your chances of being remembered. In addition, repetition can help you emphasize important ideas and create a sense of rhythm in your speech. It can also be used to build suspense and create a sense of anticipation in your listeners. With these benefits in mind, it’s clear that repetition is an essential aspect of effective public speaking.

11. Use active verbs

One way to improve the effectiveness of your speech is to use active verbs. Active verbs help to create a more engaging and dynamic presentation, as they convey a sense of action and energy. By using active verbs, you can help to capture your audience’s attention and hold their interest throughout your speech.

In addition to using active verbs, it’s also important to consider the pace and rhythm of your speech. Varying the speed and tone of your delivery can help to keep your audience engaged and prevent them from becoming bored or disinterested.

Another way to enhance the impact of your speech is to use vivid language and descriptive imagery. By painting a vivid picture with your words, you can help to create a more memorable and impactful presentation. For example, instead of simply saying “the sky was blue,” you could describe it as “a brilliant shade of deep blues, like the ocean on a clear summer day.”

By focusing on these key elements of effective speechwriting, you can help to create a more engaging and impactful presentation that will leave a lasting impression on your audience.

12. Ask rhetorical questions

Rhetorical questions are a powerful tool that can help make your speech more engaging and interactive. They can be used to stimulate critical thinking, provoke curiosity, and encourage the audience to reflect on the topic at hand. By asking a thought-provoking question, you can capture the audience’s attention and encourage them to think about the subject matter in a new and different way. Furthermore, rhetorical questions can be used to create a sense of anticipation and excitement, as the audience eagerly anticipates the answer to the question you have posed. 

13. Use metaphors and similes

Metaphors and similes are powerful tools that can help individuals better understand complex concepts. They are like a flashlight that illuminates the dark corners of the mind, providing clarity and insight. By comparing two seemingly different things, metaphors and similes can create a bridge between the familiar and the unfamiliar, allowing individuals to grasp difficult ideas with ease. In our fast-paced world, where information overload is a common issue, the use of metaphors and similes can help cut through the noise and deliver a clear message. So, the next time you encounter a challenging concept, remember to use these techniques to shed light on the subject matter.

14. Prepare handouts

When giving a speech, it’s important to remember that your audience needs to be able to follow along with what you’re saying. One way to help them do this is by using handouts. Handouts can be a great way to enhance your presentation because they allow you to provide additional information that may not be covered in your speech. For example, you can use handouts to provide graphs, charts, or other visuals that illustrate your points. Additionally, handouts can be a useful tool for your audience to take notes and refer back to later. By providing handouts, you can ensure that your audience is engaged and able to fully understand the information you’re presenting.

15. Incorporate props

Using props during your speech is a great way to enhance your delivery and keep your audience engaged. By incorporating visual aids such as props, you can help to illustrate your points and add depth to your content. Additionally, props can be used to make abstract concepts more concrete and easier for your audience to understand. For example, if you’re delivering a speech on the importance of recycling, you could bring in a visual prop such as a bin of recyclable materials to help drive home your message. Overall, the use of props can help take your speech to the next level while making it more memorable and impactful for your audience.

16. Practice in front of a mirror

Another useful tip for improving your presentation skills is to practice in front of a mirror. Not only can this help you perfect your body language and delivery, but it can also give you a better sense of how you come across to others. Additionally, practicing in front of a mirror can help you identify any nervous habits or tics that you may have, allowing you to work on eliminating them before your actual presentation. Overall, incorporating mirror practice into your preparation routine can be a simple yet effective way to boost your confidence and improve your presentation skills.

17. Join a public speaking group

Joining a public speaking group is a great way to improve your public speaking skills. Not only will you have the opportunity to practice speaking in front of others, but you’ll also receive valuable feedback that can help you improve. Additionally, by joining a group, you’ll have the chance to meet and network with other like-minded individuals who share a passion for public speaking. This can lead to new opportunities and connections that can benefit you both personally and professionally. Finally, being part of a public speaking group can also provide a sense of community and support, as you work together with others to achieve your goals and improve your skills.

18. Record yourself 

Another way to enhance your public speaking skills is to record yourself. By doing this, you can identify areas where you need to improve and refine your delivery. When you listen to yourself speak, you can pay attention to your pitch, pacing, and tone. You can also identify filler words or phrases, such as “um” or “like,” that you might use unconsciously. Additionally, recording yourself can help you become more comfortable with the sound of your voice. This can be especially helpful if you’re not used to hearing yourself speak for extended periods of time. Overall, recording yourself is a simple yet effective way to become a more confident and polished public speaker.

19. Learn to handle interruptions

One of the most common challenges that speakers face is handling interruptions. These interruptions can come in many different forms, such as unexpected questions, technical difficulties, or distractions in the environment. It’s important to learn how to handle these interruptions gracefully, as they can often derail a speech and throw off the speaker’s focus and confidence.

One key strategy for handling interruptions is to remain calm and composed. It’s natural to feel frustrated or flustered when faced with an interruption, but it’s important to take a deep breath and stay focused. Remember that interruptions are a normal part of public speaking, and they don’t have to ruin your presentation. If you need a moment to collect your thoughts, don’t be afraid to pause and take a few seconds to regroup.

By learning to handle interruptions with grace and composure, you can become a more effective and confident speaker. With practice and preparation, you can manage interruptions and keep your presentation on track, even in challenging situations.

20. End on a strong note

When giving a speech, it’s important to not only focus on what you say during the body of your presentation, but also on the way in which you conclude. A strong presentation should summarize the main points of your speech and leave a lasting impression on your audience. This can be achieved by reiterating your main points in a memorable way, making a call to action, or leaving your audience with a thought-provoking question. By doing so, you’ll ensure that your message resonates with your audience long after your speech has ended.

Another useful technique is to anticipate potential interruptions and plan how to address them in advance. For example, if you’re giving a presentation with a Q&A session at the end, be prepared for questions that might challenge your ideas or require additional information. It can be helpful to practice your responses to common questions ahead of time so that you feel more confident and prepared.

Discover other memorable ways how to end a presentation.

Effective presentation skills are key. While not everyone may be a natural-born speaker, with practice and dedication, anyone can improve their abilities to become a confident and engaging presenter. Whether you’re pitching to investors, delivering a lecture, or presenting in a meeting, being able to effectively present your ideas can greatly impact your success.

Remember, becoming a great presenter is a journey that requires patience, perseverance, and constant improvement. Don’t be afraid to seek feedback from others, practice regularly, and try out new techniques. With time, you’ll become more comfortable and confident in your abilities to deliver engaging and impactful presentations.

In conclusion, improving your presentation skills is a worthwhile investment that can pay dividends in both your personal and professional life. So take the time to hone your abilities, put in the effort, and embrace the opportunities that come your way. With the tips and techniques we’ve provided in this blog post, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a confident presenter.

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Powerful and Effective Presentation Skills: More in Demand Now Than Ever

When we talk with our L&D colleagues from around the globe, we often hear that presentation skills training is one of the top opportunities they’re looking to provide their learners. And this holds true whether their learners are individual contributors, people managers, or senior leaders. This is not surprising.

Effective communications skills are a powerful career activator, and most of us are called upon to communicate in some type of formal presentation mode at some point along the way.

For instance, you might be asked to brief management on market research results, walk your team through a new process, lay out the new budget, or explain a new product to a client or prospect. Or you may want to build support for a new idea, bring a new employee into the fold, or even just present your achievements to your manager during your performance review.

And now, with so many employees working from home or in hybrid mode, and business travel in decline, there’s a growing need to find new ways to make effective presentations when the audience may be fully virtual or a combination of in person and remote attendees.

Whether you’re making a standup presentation to a large live audience, or a sit-down one-on-one, whether you’re delivering your presentation face to face or virtually, solid presentation skills matter.

Even the most seasoned and accomplished presenters may need to fine-tune or update their skills. Expectations have changed over the last decade or so. Yesterday’s PowerPoint which primarily relied on bulleted points, broken up by the occasional clip-art image, won’t cut it with today’s audience.

The digital revolution has revolutionized the way people want to receive information. People expect presentations that are more visually interesting. They expect to see data, metrics that support assertions. And now, with so many previously in-person meetings occurring virtually, there’s an entirely new level of technical preparedness required.

The leadership development tools and the individual learning opportunities you’re providing should include presentation skills training that covers both the evergreen fundamentals and the up-to-date capabilities that can make or break a presentation.

So, just what should be included in solid presentation skills training? Here’s what I think.

The fundamentals will always apply When it comes to making a powerful and effective presentation, the fundamentals will always apply. You need to understand your objective. Is it strictly to convey information, so that your audience’s knowledge is increased? Is it to persuade your audience to take some action? Is it to convince people to support your idea? Once you understand what your objective is, you need to define your central message. There may be a lot of things you want to share with your audience during your presentation, but find – and stick with – the core, the most important point you want them to walk away with. And make sure that your message is clear and compelling.

You also need to tailor your presentation to your audience. Who are they and what might they be expecting? Say you’re giving a product pitch to a client. A technical team may be interested in a lot of nitty-gritty product detail. The business side will no doubt be more interested in what returns they can expect on their investment.

Another consideration is the setting: is this a formal presentation to a large audience with questions reserved for the end, or a presentation in a smaller setting where there’s the possibility for conversation throughout? Is your presentation virtual or in-person? To be delivered individually or as a group? What time of the day will you be speaking? Will there be others speaking before you and might that impact how your message will be received?

Once these fundamentals are established, you’re in building mode. What are the specific points you want to share that will help you best meet your objective and get across your core message? Now figure out how to convey those points in the clearest, most straightforward, and succinct way. This doesn’t mean that your presentation has to be a series of clipped bullet points. No one wants to sit through a presentation in which the presenter reads through what’s on the slide. You can get your points across using stories, fact, diagrams, videos, props, and other types of media.

Visual design matters While you don’t want to clutter up your presentation with too many visual elements that don’t serve your objective and can be distracting, using a variety of visual formats to convey your core message will make your presentation more memorable than slides filled with text. A couple of tips: avoid images that are cliched and overdone. Be careful not to mix up too many different types of images. If you’re using photos, stick with photos. If you’re using drawn images, keep the style consistent. When data are presented, stay consistent with colors and fonts from one type of chart to the next. Keep things clear and simple, using data to support key points without overwhelming your audience with too much information. And don’t assume that your audience is composed of statisticians (unless, of course, it is).

When presenting qualitative data, brief videos provide a way to engage your audience and create emotional connection and impact. Word clouds are another way to get qualitative data across.

Practice makes perfect You’ve pulled together a perfect presentation. But it likely won’t be perfect unless it’s well delivered. So don’t forget to practice your presentation ahead of time. Pro tip: record yourself as you practice out loud. This will force you to think through what you’re going to say for each element of your presentation. And watching your recording will help you identify your mistakes—such as fidgeting, using too many fillers (such as “umm,” or “like”), or speaking too fast.

A key element of your preparation should involve anticipating any technical difficulties. If you’ve embedded videos, make sure they work. If you’re presenting virtually, make sure that the lighting is good, and that your speaker and camera are working. Whether presenting in person or virtually, get there early enough to work out any technical glitches before your presentation is scheduled to begin. Few things are a bigger audience turn-off than sitting there watching the presenter struggle with the delivery mechanisms!

Finally, be kind to yourself. Despite thorough preparation and practice, sometimes, things go wrong, and you need to recover in the moment, adapt, and carry on. It’s unlikely that you’ll have caused any lasting damage and the important thing is to learn from your experience, so your next presentation is stronger.

How are you providing presentation skills training for your learners?

Manika Gandhi is Senior Learning Design Manager at Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Email her at [email protected] .

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Basic tasks for creating a PowerPoint presentation

PowerPoint presentations work like slide shows. To convey a message or a story, you break it down into slides. Think of each slide as a blank canvas for the pictures and words that help you tell your story.

Choose a theme

When you open PowerPoint, you’ll see some built-in themes and templates . A theme is a slide design that contains matching colors, fonts, and special effects like shadows, reflections, and more.

On the File tab of the Ribbon, select New , and then choose a theme.

PowerPoint shows you a preview of the theme, with four color variations to choose from on the right side.

Click Create , or pick a color variation and then click Create .

Read more: Use or create themes in PowerPoint

Insert a new slide

On the Home tab, click the bottom half of  New Slide , and pick a slide layout.

Read more: Add, rearrange, and delete slides .

Save your presentation

On the File tab, choose Save .

Pick or browse to a folder.

In the File name box, type a name for your presentation, and then choose Save .

Note:  If you frequently save files to a certain folder, you can ‘pin’ the path so that it is always available (as shown below).

Tip:  Save your work as you go. Press Ctrl+S often or save the file to OneDrive and let AutoSave take care of it for you. 

Read more: Save your presentation file

Select a text placeholder, and begin typing.

Format your text

Select the text.

Under Drawing Tools , choose Format .

Do one of the following:

To change the color of your text, choose Text Fill , and then choose a color.

To change the outline color of your text, choose Text Outline , and then choose a color.

To apply a shadow, reflection, glow, bevel, 3-D rotation, a transform, choose Text Effects , and then choose the effect you want.

Change the fonts

Change the color of text on a slide

Add bullets or numbers to text

Format text as superscript or subscript

Add pictures

On the Insert tab, select Pictures , then do one of the following:

To insert a picture that is saved on your local drive or an internal server, choose This Device , browse for the picture, and then choose Insert .

(For Microsoft 365 subscribers) To insert a picture from our library, choose Stock Images , browse for a picture, select it and choose Insert .

To insert a picture from the web, choose Online Pictures , and use the search box to find a picture. Choose a picture, and then click Insert .

You can add shapes to illustrate your slide. 

On the Insert tab, select Shapes , and then select a shape from the menu that appears.

In the slide area, click and drag to draw the shape.

Select the Format or Shape Format tab on the ribbon. Open the Shape Styles gallery to quickly add a color and style (including shading) to the selected shape.

Add speaker notes

Slides are best when you don’t cram in too much information. You can put helpful facts and notes in the speaker notes, and refer to them as you present.

Click inside the Notes pane below the slide, and begin typing your notes.

Add speaker notes to your slides

Print slides with or without speaker notes

Give your presentation

On the Slide Show tab, do one of the following:

To start the presentation at the first slide, in the Start Slide Show group, click From Beginning .

If you’re not at the first slide and want to start from where you are, click From Current Slide .

If you need to present to people who are not where you are, click Present Online to set up a presentation on the web, and then choose one of the following options:

Broadcast your PowerPoint presentation online to a remote audience

View your speaker notes as you deliver your slide show.

Get out of Slide Show view

To get out of Slide Show view at any time, on the keyboard, press Esc .

You can quickly apply a theme when you're starting a new presentation:

On the File tab, click New .

Select a theme.

Read more:  Apply a design theme to your presentation

In the slide thumbnail pane on the left, select the slide that you want your new slide to follow.

On the Home tab, select the lower half of  New Slide .

From the menu, select the layout that you want for your new slide.

Your new slide is inserted, and you can click inside a placeholder to begin adding content.

Learn more about slide layouts

Read more: Add, rearrange, and delete slides

PowerPoint for the web automatically saves your work to your OneDrive, in the cloud.

To change the name of the automatically saved file:

In the title bar, click the file name.

In the File Name box, enter the name you want to apply to the file.

If you want to change the cloud storage location, at the right end of the Location box, click the arrow symbol, then navigate to the folder you want, then select Move here .

On the Home tab, use the Font options:

Select from other formatting options such as Bold , Italic , Underline , Strikethrough , Subscript , and Superscript .

On the  Insert  tab, select  Pictures .

From the menu, select where you want to insert the picture from:

Browse to the image you want, select it, then select Insert . 

After the image is inserted on the slide, you can select it and drag to reposition it, and you can select and drag a corner handle to resize the image. 

On the slide canvas, click and drag to draw the shape.

Select the Shape tab on the ribbon. Open the Shape Styles gallery to quickly add a color and style (including shading) to the selected shape.

A horizontal Notes pane appears at the bottom of the window, below the slide.

Click in the pane, then enter text. 

On the  Slide Show  tab, select  Play From Beginning .

To navigate through the slides, simply click the mouse or press the spacebar.

Tip:  You can also use the forward and back arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate through the slide show.

Read more:  Present your slide show

Stop a slide show

To get out of Slide Show view at any time, on the keyboard, press Esc.

The full-screen slide show will close, and you will be returned to the editing view of the file.

Tips for creating an effective presentation

Consider the following tips to keep your audience interested.

Minimize the number of slides

To maintain a clear message and to keep your audience attentive and interested, keep the number of slides in your presentation to a minimum.

Choose an audience-friendly font size

The audience must be able to read your slides from a distance. Generally speaking, a font size smaller than 30 might be too difficult for the audience to see.

Keep your slide text simple

You want your audience to listen to you present your information, instead of reading the screen. Use bullets or short sentences, and try to keep each item to one line.

Some projectors crop slides at the edges, so that long sentences might be cropped.

Use visuals to help express your message

Pictures, charts, graphs, and SmartArt graphics provide visual cues for your audience to remember. Add meaningful art to complement the text and messaging on your slides.

As with text, however, avoid including too many visual aids on your slide.

Make labels for charts and graphs understandable

Use only enough text to make label elements in a chart or graph comprehensible.

Apply subtle, consistent slide backgrounds

Choose an appealing, consistent template or theme that is not too eye-catching. You don't want the background or design to detract from your message.

However, you also want to provide a contrast between the background color and text color. The built-in themes in PowerPoint set the contrast between a light background with dark colored text or dark background with light colored text.

For more information about how to use themes, see Apply a theme to add color and style to your presentation .

Check the spelling and grammar

To earn and maintain the respect of your audience, always check the spelling and grammar in your presentation .

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• PowerPoint and Presenting Stuff

Essential PowerPoint Skills Everyone Needs, Especially Working from Home

By Chuck Henrich , Director, Octantus Associates

The COVID-19 crisis has taught us that we all need to be more resilient and self-sufficient. Millions of us have found ourselves working from home without our normal in-office comforts. Many professional services firms have furloughed support staff. Even if a firm keeps its support staff on call, they’re not physically in the same place as the professionals they assist—they’re both working from home. Your team’s PowerPoint specialist may have been laid off. Well, here’s some good news: fending for ourselves is pretty easy with the right skills and tools. Essential PowerPoint skills in particular make life easier and result in more persuasive presentations.

Basic skills are simple

Most people get little or no training in how to use PowerPoint properly so they end up doing things the hard way. That’s true for design professionals, marketing teams, lawyers, accountants, consultants, executives, as well as their assistants.

These basic skills will reduce the time and effort involved in PowerPoint:

• Understand what kind of PowerPoint you’re creating
• Use a template
• Format using master slides

Use placeholders properly

Apply fonts and colors sparingly.

• Keep an eye on speaker notes
• Take advantage of different views and display modes
• Keep it simple!

What are you creating, a presentation or a document?

The most important skill in PowerPoint is to decide the purpose of the slide deck. That basic decision will affect everything you include in a slide deck.

Who is my audience? How will they see my document? Ask yourself those questions, then adapt your content to the answers. – Frederik Dessau , SkabelonDesign

PowerPoint started as a presentation tool to create slide decks destined for display while someone talks. Increasingly people now use PowerPoint instead of Word when creating documentation. Those docu-decks take a more visual approach to communicate information than traditional text-heavy Word documents.

A presentation should contain much less text and a lot more white space because your audience will see the slides from far away—they won’t be able to read the tiny print. On the other hand, people will likely read a docu-deck on their screen or in a printout, so it can contain more text and complicated layouts.

Start with a good template

Every PowerPoint starts with an underlying template that defines the fonts, colors, and layouts available to you. A solid, well-designed template is essential. Learn more in the PowerPoint Templates: Build or Buy? post.

A good template provides all the pre-defined building blocks you need. Let the template handle layout and design so you can concentrate on the content.

Master slides for global changes

Behind every slide is a “master slide” that controls the layout for that type of slide. You can change any slide’s layout manually. But if you need to make a global formatting change affecting all slides of a particular type, you should modify the master slide instead of changing each slide in your deck individually.

You can view and edit master slides in PowerPoint from the View tab: View | Master Views | Slide Master .

Using master layouts properly makes PowerPoint so much easier. The placeholders in your template’s layouts save clicks and help you position things correctly. So don’t ignore them, they’re your friends! – Stephan Kuhnert, empower

Placeholders are pre-formatted containers for text, graphics, and video. You can recognize them by the icons that appear when they’re empty:

When you see a placeholder on a slide layout, use it. Those icon buttons save time and clicks and help ensure that the content appears on the slide where it’s supposed to. Every PowerPoint training should emphasize how helpful placeholders can be.

Placeholders define your slides’ fonts and colors for you. Resist the temptation to “entertain” with fonts and colors. Don’t change font types/sizes or colors for text or placeholders unless you have a specific reason and good design sense. Your audience should pay attention to your message, not how it looks.

Discipline your colors. When you want to focus your audience’s attention, use your primary color to catch their eyes. We call it highlighting and lowlighting. – Frederik Dessau , SkabelonDesign

Read your speaker notes, not your slides

Slides help the audience remember the main points of your presentation. Audiences hate when a presenter reads their own slides.  For presentations, use speaker notes as your script, and slides to illustrate it.

Also, be sure to check the speaker notes pane when sharing any PowerPoint slide deck to make sure the notes are appropriate ( View > Notes on the PowerPoint ribbon). You don’t want to share speaker notes unnecessarily.

Display modes

At the lower right-hand corner of the PowerPoint window, you can choose five display modes (Notes, Normal, Slide Sorter, Reading View, Slide Show). Most people work in Normal view and present in Slide Show view. But Reading View is a better choice if you need to switch between applications during a presentation, like in software demos. Reading View keeps the Windows taskbar visible, so you can switch with a click.

Presenter View complements speaker notes: on the presenter’s laptop it displays the current slide and its notes, along with a view of the upcoming slide. But the screen the audience sees displays only the current slide.

Here’s what the presenter sees in Presenter View:

And here’s what the audience sees:

Some online meeting platforms support Presenter View, some don’t. So, practice with Presenter View before going live.

Keep it simple

Less is more—the less time you spend playing around, the more time you gain to hone your content.

Use minimal text and bullets and choose your images/icons carefully. Stick to a simple, brand-compliant design throughout to convey a message of elegance and confidence. Lots of uncoordinated layouts and graphics can be fun but unfortunately create an unprofessional impression.

Transitions and animations risk your audience paying more attention to special effects than your message. Only use transitions and animations to support your story. Use at most just one or two types of transitions/animations and specific types of transitions/animations for different types of slides (for example, fade to each new section, and push for slides within a section).

How to skill up

With just a few key skills, anyone can work effectively and efficiently in PowerPoint. Lots of training material is available on the Internet. The LTC4 non-profit organization helps lawyers and law firms in particular skill-up on technologies, including PowerPoint. While LTC4 focuses on lawyers, their curriculums and certifications will help anyone.

Working from home, without the support you’re used to having in the office, means you must be much more self-reliant. Seek out training now! Basic skills are more important than ever. – Joanne Humber, Humber Associates/Octantus Associates and LTC4.org

PowerPoint add-ins can help, especially if they support good design standards. Several of the best-integrated, best-practice solutions are empower® slides from empower, SlideProof and ProductivityPlus from Templafy, and EssentialTools for PowerPoint from SkabelonDesign.

Do you have anything to add? Any basic, essential skills everyone should have under their belt? Let us know!

People come first, then tech.

Effective technologies, thoughtfully designed and implemented, enable people to focus on what matters—developing and editing content more easily, communicating securely, cultivating their relationships … working smarter, not harder, and enjoying a better quality of life.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company.

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• Microsoft PowerPoint 365

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Want to create effective PowerPoint presentations but don’t know where to start? Whether you are new to PowerPoint or have some experience and want to improve your skills, this online course has something for everyone, covering beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons in PowerPoint.

In 51 engaging lessons you will learn basic techniques including how to use themes and layouts, add audio visual components to your presentations and more. You will also learn intermediate and advanced techniques such as how to add animations, print, reuse and copy slides plus more.

Whether you use PowerPoint for work or study, these tutorials will start you on your journey to becoming a PowerPoint pro!

The course is PowerPoint 2019 and Microsoft 365 compliant (previously known as Office 365). Video tutorials are recorded in Microsoft PowerPoint 365 / 2019.

For older versions of PowerPoint, visit our course for Microsoft PowerPoint versions 2010-2016 .

Once enrolled, our friendly support team and tutors are here to help with any course related inquiries.

Accreditations and approvals

Deborah Ashby

Course introduction 1 lesson free lesson, hello and welcome to powerpoint.

In this lesson, we will be introduced to the instructor who will share the course outline, communicate the scope, any assumptions/pre-requisites and give a high-level overview of what to expect.

Modern Slide Layouts 2 lessons

The golden rules of good slide design.

In this lesson, we will discuss modern slide layouts and show examples of engaging, slick presentations. We will run-through presentation tips, things to consider when designing slide-decks and also things to avoid. This lesson will contain lots of examples of good and bad presentations.

Resources and Inspiration

In this lesson, we'll look at a number of free resources for high-quality images, icons and videos for use in presentations. We'll also discuss where to go for inspiration when it comes to slide layouts, use of color, iconography, and images.

Essential PowerPoint Skills 8 lessons Free Lesson

Launching powerpoint and the start screen.

We'll examine the different ways to launch PowerPoint and run through the functionality available on the Start Screen.

Get To Know the PowerPoint Interface

Get familiar with the different areas that make up the PowerPoint Interface. This includes the ribbon structure, groups, commands, dialog launchers, scroll bars and the status bar. This lesson is also designed to familiarize you with important PowerPoint terminology.

The Quick Access Toolbar (QAT)

We introduce the Quick Access Toolbar which allows users to execute frequently used commands with one-click. We also learn how to add commands to the Quick Access Toolbar using two different methods.

Contextual Menus and Ribbons

We will learn about the mini-toolbar for quick formatting and explore the options available in the right-click contextual menus. We'll also cover the concept of contextual ribbons that only appear when needed.

Accessing Help and Search Features

In this lesson, we will learn how to access help on demand whilst working in PowerPoint using the F1 key and the search bar. We will also learn how to turn the Help ribbon on through PowerPoint options to access training, community forums and blogs.

Creating and Saving a New Presentation

Let's create our first new presentation using a blank template. We'll learn how to save presentations locally and to the cloud, and understand how this determines how the presentation is saved going forward.

Diving In to PowerPoint Templates

Let's explore the pre-designed templates available in PowerPoint. We will learn how to search for templates, browse categories, pin favourites, load them, make changes and save them for reuse.

Working with Slide Layouts

In this lesson, we will learn all about the different slide layouts available in PowerPoint. We'll learn how to create new slides and apply different layouts to each, paying attention to text placeholders and content icons.

Let's Get Started - Slide Workshop! 27 lessons Free Lesson

"title slide" - start with a bang - part 1.

We will create an eye-catching title slide using the title slide layout. Then, we'll create a title slide manually from a blank slide using text boxes and basic shapes.

"Title Slide" - Start with a Bang! - Part 2

Selecting and aligning objects on a slide.

In this important lesson, we will learn how to select objects and use alignment tools, distribution tools, grouping, gridlines and guides to position multiple objects on the slide. A must for a professional looking presentation!

"About Us" - Using Images, Icons and Text - Part 1

We will create an 'About Us' slide and learn how to insert pictures, icons and text. We will also learn the basics of moving and resizing objects and some simple but effective formatting techniques.

"About Us" - Inserting Images, Icons and Text - Part 2

"divider slide" - shapes, fills and format shapes - part 1.

We will create a divider slide to separate different topics in a presentation. We will also learn how to download, save and use high-quality large images as the slide background and use the merge and union facility to merge a picture across multiple shapes.

"Divider Slide" - Working with shapes, merge and union and icons - Part 2

We will finish creating a divider slide to separate different topics in a presentation. We will also learn how to add quote text, a slide number and apply font formatting properties. 

Managing Slides

A simple lesson where we will learn how to duplicate and modify slides, replace images and change the z-order of objects on a slide. We will also learn how to re-organize and arrange slides using the thumbnail view and slide sorter view.

Dividing up a Presentation with Sections

We will learn how to divide up a presentation into manageable chunks to assist with editing, navigation and organization.

"Meet the Team" - Crop and Fill

An introduction to a very useful pairing - crop and fill. We will create a 'Meet the Team' slide and fill shapes with pictures that fit perfectly without distortion.

"Our Services" - Shapes, Pictures and Animation - Part 1

In this lesson, we will start to build an 'Our Services' slide. In part 2 of this lesson, we will build the background using shapes, images and crop and fill, and then apply animation to this slide. 

"Our Services" - Animated Bullets - Part 2

In part 2 of this lesson, we will learn how to add bulleted lists and apply animation. 

Slide Transitions

Transitions explained! We will learn the importance of smooth transitions between slides, how to apply transitions to one or more slides, the different types of transition and how to manage and remove transitions.

"Our History" - Creating a Timeline - Part 1

We will learn about a number of techniques to create an engaging timeline slide using SmartArt, fill colors and the eyedropper utility. 

"Our History" - Creating a timeline - Part 2

We will finish creating an engaging timeline using shapes, shape effects, icons and formatted text. 

"Our Process" - Creating a Process Flow Chart - Part 1

We will create a cross-functional process flowchart using flowchart shapes. This includes: inserting and formatting tables, connecting shapes with lines and connectors, resizing objects and adding text. 

"Our Process" - Creating a process flow chart - Part 2

We will create a cross-functional process flowchart using flowchart shapes. This includes, formatting shapes with shape effects, connecting shapes with lines and connectors, resizing objects and adding text.

"Our Products" - More Shapes, Pictures, and Text - Part 1

In part 1 of this lesson, we will build an 'Our Products' home page using shapes, pictures, text and formatting options. 

"Our Products" - Working with Hyperlinks - Part 2

In part 2 of this lesson, we will build 4 more slides and learn how to hyperlink to them from the home page. 

"Company Statistics" - Creating Graphs and Charts

We will learn how to create a column, sunburst and map chart to tell the story of their data visually. Create charts on-the-fly or use data already stored in an Excel worksheet.

Formatting Charts and Graphs - Part 1

We explore the extensive formatting options available on the Chart Options contextual ribbon. Change the color scheme, switch the data around, add data labels, axis labels, chart titles and a legend.

Formatting Charts and Graphs - Part 2

Explore the extensive formatting options available on the Chart Options contextual ribbon. Change the color scheme, switch the data around, add data labels, axis labels, chart titles and a legend.

"Contact Us" - Rotating Shapes - Part 1

In Part 1 of this lesson, we will begin to put together a Contact Us slide. We will use shapes and learn how to rotate shapes but keep the image horizontal. 

"Contact Us" - Hyperlinks - Part 2

In Part 2 of this lesson, we will complete the 'Contact Us' slide. We will insert social media icons, contact information and hyperlinks to emails and external websites.  

"Closing Slide" - Using Video in Slides

We will see where to go for free motion videos to use in presentations. Create a closing slide using a motion background, shapes, transparencies and use the contextual ribbon to control playback.

Adding Animation Effects - Part 1

In part 1 of this lesson, we will get the opportunity to reorganize slides, add new sections and then apply animation effects to slides 1 and 2. 

Adding Animation Effects - Part 2

In part 2 of this lesson, we will continue to apply different entrance, emphasis and animation effects as well as modify the effect options. 

Working with Touch 2 lessons

Draw with touch.

This lesson is aimed at touch device users. We will learn how to switch between mouse and touch mode and start to explore the commands available on the Draw ribbon to annotate presentations.

Ink to Text, Shape and Math

We will learn how to turn handwritten notes, shapes and mathematical equations into typed text.

Preparing a Presentation for Delivery 4 lessons

Checking spelling and grammar.

We will learn how to customize our proofing tools in PowerPoint Options and then run a spelling and grammar check prior to sharing the presentation with others.

Adding Comments and Notes

We will learn how to add comments to a PowerPoint presentation and how to delete, respond to and manage comments in a presentation that has been sent to them. We will also learn how to add speaker notes to slides and view the notes whilst presenting.

Slide Show Settings

We will tour the different options available to setup a slide show. This includes learning about how to make a presentation run automatically by rehearsing timings.

Rehearse Timings and Custom Slide Shows

We will look at how to create a slide show using timings and a custom slide show. 

Delivering a Presentation 1 lesson

Presenter tools and features.

In this lesson, we will run a slide show and explore the in-presentation features such as blacking out the screen, using annotations, turning on subtitles and switching pointer options.

The Info Tab 2 lessons

Adding and removing document properties.

We will look at how to add document properties (metadata) to assist with searching for presentations. We will also see how to remove all metadata from a presentation prior to sending the document to external clients/customers.

Protecting a Presentation

We will look at how to protect a presentation from editing or limit who can access a presentation by setting read-only access, encrypting with a password and marking as final.

Printing, Exporting and Sharing 3 lessons

Exporting a presentation to other file formats.

We will learn how to export a presentation to another file format such as a PDF, video, animated gif, and more.

Printing a Presentation

We explore the different Print Options available: how to select a printer, print to PDF, set printer properties and define what you want to print and the layout.

Sharing a Presentation

In this final lesson, we will learn how to share a copy or a link to a presentation with others and control if colleagues can edit or simply view it.

Course Close 1 lesson

Thank you and goodbye.

The instructor will close out the course by saying goodbye, recapping some of the skills learnt to remind student of how far they've come.

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Certificates

You can earn 2 certificates with this course

Certificate of Training

Rewarded upon successful completion of your training course.

Certificate of Achievement

Rewarded upon successful completion of your training course and test.

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• PRESENTATION SKILLS

Search SkillsYouNeed:

Presentation Skills:

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

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Presentation Skills

Presenting information clearly and effectively is a key skill in getting your message across. Today, presentation skills are required in almost every field, and most of us are required to give presentations on occasions. While some people take this in their stride, others find it much more challenging.

It is, however, possible to improve your presentation skills with a bit of work. This section of SkillsYouNeed is designed to help.

Many people feel terrified when asked to talk in public, especially to bigger groups. However, these fears can be reduced by good preparation, which will also lay the groundwork for making an effective presentation.

There are Different Types of Presentations, but They’re All Presentations

There are any number of occasions when you may be asked to speak in public or to a group of people. They include:

• Presenting or making a speech at a conference or event.
• Objecting to a planning proposal at a council meeting.
• Making a speech at a wedding.
• Proposing a vote of thanks to someone at a club or society.
• On behalf of a team, saying goodbye and presenting a gift to a colleague who is leaving.
• Seeking investment or a loan to help you set up a new business.

These can all be considered presentations.

They do not, however, all require the same approach. You would not, for example, use PowerPoint to thank a colleague who was leaving. It would be unusual (though it has been done) to use it in a speech at a wedding. However, a conference audience would be somewhat surprised NOT to see slides projected onto a screen.

It follows, therefore, that there is no single set of rules that apply to all presentations. There are, however, some things that every presentation opportunity has in common. These include:

You will present better if you have prepared effectively . This does NOT necessarily mean that you have written out your speech verbatim and rehearsed it until you know it off by heart—although that might work for some people. It does, however, mean that you have to be confident that you are saying the right thing, in the right way, to the right people.

You need to be clear about your audience and your message . Every presentation will be better if you have clearly considered the message that you want or need to convey, and how best to convey it to your audience. These two pieces of information drive your style, structure, content, and use of visual aids.

You must never overrun your allocated time .  In other words, don’t outstay your welcome. Almost every speech or presentation is better if it is shorter. Nobody minds going for coffee early or finishing before they expected to do so. Everybody minds being held up.

Generally speaking, your audience starts on your side. As a rule, your audience is there (more or less) voluntarily. They have chosen to listen to you, and they want to enjoy your presentation. The occasion is yours to lose.

An Important Point

There is one very important point to remember: if what you’re doing or saying is not working, do something else.

One of the worst feelings as a presenter is that you have lost your audience. You know that’s happened, but you continue to stumble through your remaining PowerPoint slides for the next 15 minutes, as your audience checks their phones and wishes it was coffee time. You think you have no choice, but that’s not actually true.

When you present, you are in charge of the room . The audience has effectively handed you control and is sitting back waiting for you to do something. You may have prepared a specific talk, but if you see that isn’t working, you can always change it. You are, after all, the expert.

You can, for example:

• Skip through some slides to a section that they may find more interesting;
• Ask your audience whether there is particular information that they were expecting that you are not providing;
• Suggest that everyone looks a bit sleepy, and maybe it would be better to start questions early, or have a discussion; or
• Ask the audience at the start of the presentation what they are expecting and what they want you to cover. That way, you can tailor the presentation to fit their expectations.

Just as when you are facilitating, you want to help your audience get the most out of your presentation. The best way to do that is to accept feedback—which may include smiles, nods of interest, or people getting their phones out.

Quick Guide to Effective Presentations

If you need to improve your presentation skills quickly, then a really good place to start is with our Top Tips for Effective Presentations .

This will give you some ‘quick wins’ that will help you improve your presentations. If you’re already an experienced presenter, this page should be a useful refresher, or even take your skills from good to great.

Our tips include general ideas about connecting with your audience, information about the importance of voice and body language, and detailed tips about preparing slide-shows.

The most important tip of all, however, is to remember that it's all about your audience.

Keep that in mind, and your presentation skills will almost instantly improve.

If you have more time to develop your presentation skills…

…then the Presentation Skills section of SkillsYouNeed is designed to help.

Our Presentation Skills section is split into two parts.

• The first gives you a step-by-step guide to putting together and delivering a professional and effective presentation .
• The second provides more detailed information about presenting and communicating in particular circumstances .

You can either use our step-by-step guide to walk you through the presentation preparation and delivery process, or you can focus on particular areas that are an issue for you.

Preparing for Your Presentation

The guide starts by explaining What is a Presentation?

We define a presentation as a means of communication that can be adapted to various speaking situations, such as talking to a group, addressing a meeting or briefing a team. Effective presentations usually require careful thought and preparation—although this preparation need not take very long.

Preparation is the most important part of making a successful presentation.  Our page on Preparing For A Presentation explains what information you need before you can really start to plan your presentation and decide what you are going to say. The most important aspects include the objective of the presentation, the subject, and the audience.

Irrespective of whether the occasion is formal or informal, you should always aim to give a clear, well-structured delivery. To do so, you need to organise your presentation material . You can either do this in your head, or use a technique like mind-mapping to help you identify links and good flow.

By the time you come to write your presentation , you should know exactly what you want to say and the order in which you want to say it. You may want to use one of the standard presentation structures, such as ‘What, Why, How?’. You will also find it helpful to consider how to tell your story most effectively, and to use stories in your presentation to illustrate points. There is more about this in our page on writing your presentation .

You also need to decide on your presentation method . Presentations range from the formal to the informal. Your choice of presentation method will depend on many factors, including the audience, the venue, the facilities, and your own preferences.

Visual aids can add another dimension to your presentation, helping to hold your audience’s attention, and also act as a reminder of what you wanted to say. However, they need handling with care. Only use visual aids if they are necessary to maintain interest and assist comprehension . If visual aids are not used well, they can ruin a presentation.

See Working with Visual Aids to avoid falling into the trap of the dreaded ‘ Death by PowerPoint’ .

A particular case of visual aids is the use of data in a presentation.

There are times when using data in a presentation can really help you to tell the story better. It is, however, important not to blind your audience with statistics. You also need to remember that many people find numbers difficult to understand. Our page on Presenting Data gives some hints and tips about using data effectively in a presentation situation.

On the Day of the Presentation

There are a number of aspects to delivering your presentation on the day.

The practicalities of how you manage your presentation can make a significant difference to its success, and to your nerves! For example, turning up early means that you have will have a chance to see the room, and ensure that you can operate all the necessary equipment. There is more about how to cope, including managing sound systems, audio-visual equipment and lecterns in our page on Managing the Presentation Event .

Many people also feel very nervous before and during a presentation. This is entirely normal, and can even be helpful if you can channel it in the right way. There are some tried and tested strategies and techniques to manage your nerves so that you can concentrate on delivering an effective and engaging presentation.

See Coping with Presentation Nerves for some ideas that will help.

How you present yourself can also affect how your audience responds to your presentation.

You need to fit with your audience's expectations if they are not going to spend quite a large chunk of your presentation dealing with the differences between expectations and reality.

For more about aspects of self-presentation, see our page on Self-Presentation in Presentations .

You also need to consider how to manage your presentation notes .

Few people are able to give a presentation without notes. You will need to know your own abilities and decide how best to make the presentation. You might manage your talk by using full text, notes on cue cards, keywords on cue cards, or mind maps. There is more about this in our page on Managing your Presentation Notes .

After the presentation, you may be faced with a question-and-answer session. For many people, this is the worst part of the event.

Decide in advance how and when you wish to handle questions. Some speakers prefer questions to be raised as they arise during the presentation whilst others prefer to deal with questions at the end. At the start of your presentation, you should make clear your preferences to the audience. See our page on Dealing with Questions for more ideas about how to make the question session pleasant and productive, rather than something to dread.

Presenting Under Particular Circumstances

You may find that you need to give a presentation under certain circumstances, where your previous experience is less helpful.

Circumstances that may be new to you include:

• Giving a Speech , for example, at a wedding.

One particular special case is attending public consultation meetings.

Our pages on Attending Public Consultation Meetings , and Managing Public Consultation Meetings provide information to help whether you are a concerned member of the public, or responsible for organising a public meeting.

You may also find yourself required to organise or manage a press conference.

Although this may not strictly be what you would describe as a ‘presentation’, it is nonetheless an event at which you are required to present your organisation in a particular light.

Our page on Managing a Press Conference gives some ideas about how best to do that.

Finally, should you be unlucky enough to be involved in a serious crisis or disaster that affects your organisation, our page on Crisis Communications gives some ideas about how to manage press and public relations on these occasions.

Start with: What is a Presentation? Top Tips for Effective Presentations

See also: Personal Appearance Interpersonal Communication Skills

Essential Presentation Skills and How to Develop Them

Presentations are one of the most important skills of the modern world. So, with so much advice on offer, how do we decide what is the best advice to take?

Presentation Skills Training

Good presenters are not born that way. Looking around the infant school playground, you do not see good or bad presenters. Sure there are some personality trends – some people are introverts and some are extroverts. The simple truth is that good presenters have had lots of practice of doing it and most good presenters have been trained to present well. If you want to improve your presentation skills then going on a training class will help.

Presentation anxiety

To someone faced with giving a presentation for the first time it can bring them out in a cold sweat. In fact for many people the fear of public speaking is much higher than the fear of going to the dentist or even death. Presentation anxiety can really hamper some people. This is another area where practice and training can really help.

Presentation nerves affect all but the most seasoned presenters. The build up in tension, most commonly called adrenaline, is actually a build up of testosterone. It can affect most of us with symptoms from bringing out sweats to physically feeling sick. Presentations are known to most speakers as natures natural laxative

Two techniques that I have found to work are:

Visualization

Try to imagine a very happy time in your life. Close your eyes and imagine that time. What does it fees like, what did you see, what were the sounds that you heard. Now imagine the same feeling when you step down from the podium. I usually do this just before I walk on stage and it has a wonderfully relaxing effect.

Stand up. Imagine that you are about to walk on stage at the start of your presentation. You will probably be feeling rather tense and you may be holding your breath. Unlock your knees, breathe using your tummy, rather than your chest and shake out your arms. You will find that it will be a lot more difficult to feel tense if you concentrate on improving your breathing.

As with any skill – the more you do it, the better your performance will become.

We have written three survival guides for presentation skills:

• Using Visuals 
• The rule of three 

Recommended Pages

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I think visualization is one of the most powerful tools in becoming a public speaker!

Thanks for the info!

Kind regards

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Advance Your Career with These Essential PowerPoint Skills

• December 27, 2022

Today, PowerPoint is everywhere. In almost every profession, like Accounting, lawyers, software professionals, Lecturers, etc every profession uses PowerPoint. Providing presentations using PowerPoint is an art, but for it, you need to excel in creating the PowerPoint design. Hence, it becomes very important to master PowerPoint skills in today’s world.

You never know when it comes in handy and if you have the skills already then you will completely remove your dependency on any other individual.

What are the skills required in PowerPoint for working professionals?

Some really important skills which you need to consider if you are a working professional are:

1. Design layout : Plan the design layout.

2. Choosing Templates : Choose what works best with content

3. Choosing Introduction and Conclusion slides : Always important to include both of these slides

4. Maintaining no. of slides : Minimalism works the best in case of deciding no. of slides to keep

5. Fonts : Choose the size of your fonts. Headlines should have a bigger font size

6. Fill Colors : Not to be overdone

7. Animations/Graphics : Necessary to be inserted

8. Tables : Effective way of representation

9. Effects : Choose for each slide, can be similar for all or different

10. Content : Needs to be put together efficiently without missing any relevant information

11. Background Fill : Not too bold nor too basic

12. Writing style : Choose when to keep Bold and when in some other format

13. Synthesis : Framing of the slide titles

14. Shifting between different slides : Plan out your slides priority and then arrange

15. Hyperlinks : Should be inserted if necessary

16. Charts and graphs : Visual representation of content

17. Screen Mode : Fullscreen display or minimal display can be chosen accordingly

18. Font color : Should match the background shade

19. Display Modes : Choose according to needs

20. Reference : Should be added to make ppt effective and provide sources of information

PowerPoint skills to consider

During uncertain times of Covid 19, we have witnessed that we all have to be stronger and autonomous. Without our normal office records, millions of us have found ourselves working from home. Many professional services companies have extensive support personnel. Even if a company maintains its support staff on call, both of them ain’t in the same physical location as the professionals that they assist. There are huge chances that your team’s PowerPoint specialist may have been laid off and there is no one around the corner to help you with these skills. Well, here are a few great things: fending with the right skills and tools for ourselves is pretty easy. In particular essential PowerPoint, skills facilitate life and make presentations more convincing.

Here are a few important PowerPoint skills which you can focus on to become a specialist;

1. Focus On Your Basics:

Most people receive little or no training in the correct use of PowerPoint so they do the hard work. For design experts, marketing specialists, lawyers, managers, etc, this holds true completely. These basic skills reduce PowerPoint usage time and effort. You need to understand what kind of presentation you want to create, it can be-

a) Based on templates

b) No of slides

c) Fonts and colors usage

d) Watch the speaker’s notes

e) Just keep it simple

2. Ask questions- Why do you want to create a presentation document?

The key skill of PowerPoint is to decide the slide deck’s purpose. This fundamental decision will affect all the elements of a slide deck. Who is your crowd? How are they going to see your presentation? Ask questions and then adapt your content to the answers. As a presentation tool, PowerPoint started to create slide decks for viewing during discussions. People are now increasingly using PowerPoint for documentation instead of Word. The doc decks are more visual than traditional text-heavy word documents to communicate information.

3.  Begin with choosing an excellent Template

Each PowerPoint will start with a base template that defines your available policies, colors, and layouts. It is essential to have a strong, well-designed template.

All the building blocks you need are presented in a good template. Allow the layout and design of the template to focus on the content.

Choose something which goes with your content. If your presentation is for technical background like code walk through, keep it a bit basic. Do not overdo with bright colors.

If you are from the creative designing side, you can experiment with your page layout colors as you are from a designing background and your work revolves around creativity.

4.  Master the skill of editing slides

There is a master slide behind each slide, which controls the design of that slide. The layout of any slide can be modified by hand. However, if you need to change the global formatting for all the slides of one type or another, you need not change each slide individually, but modify the slide master . In PowerPoint, the view tab lets you view and edit master slides.

5. Use proper placeholders

It is much easier to use master layouts properly. Clicks and helps you position things properly. Don’t ignore them, they work in your favor if you know how to use this option properly. Location holders are text, graphics, and video pre-formatted containers. They are easily recognizable by the icons which automatically appear when they are empty.

If you see a slide layout with a placeholder, use it. These icons save your time and help in ensuring that contents are displayed on the slide. The useful position holders must be highlighted in each PowerPoint training.

6. Application of fonts and colors

For your presentation, define the fonts and colors of your slides. Resist the urge of using too many fonts and colors. Do not change fonts or text colors unless you have a particular reason and a good design sense. Your audience, no matter how it looks, needs to understand the message.

Discipline your usage of colors. Use your primary base color to catch the audience’s attention. Too much of it makes the message unclear.

7. Do not read slides

Slides help the audience remember your presentation’s main points. The public hates to listen to people reading their own slides. Use the speaker notes as scripts and slides to illustrate them for presentations.

Also, make sure that you check the speaker notes pane when sharing a PowerPoint slide deck, to make sure the notes are correct. You don’t want to unnecessarily share speaker notes. This is a deal-breaker point. Never read from your slides, it showcases that you never prepared for the presentation and do not have a viewpoint to explain.

8. Choosing the display modes

You can select five display modes in the lower right corner of the PowerPoint window( Notes, Slide Sorter, Reading View, Slide Show). Most people work in the Standard view and the slide show view is present. However, the reading view is a better choice. If in any presentation duration, like in IT, you need to shift or change between multiple applications, then the view reads the windows taskbar, and you can change it with one click.

Presenter view complements speaker notes: it displays the current slide and notes on the laptop of the presenter and the slide in front of it. But only the current slide is shown on the screen of the audience.

9. Presentation design skills

Many people make a mistake when they begin working on their slides. For example, many people begin by looking for which template to choose or start typing on their slides in PowerPoint.

Also, they change the PowerPoint dimensions so that a slide is the poster size and starts there or they are looking for a template for posters. But that’s the first mistaken step. Your first step ought to be storytelling. You risk gathering excessive information into your presentation and/or including information not necessary for your submission when storytelling is skipped. You need to design your content, this should be the first step.

Document down how you want to put out all the information in the PowerPoint. Choose what needs to be there and what is irreverent to the topic. Design complete end-to-end flow, titles of all your slides, conclusion, introduction, content, etc. Designing is very important.

10. Inserting tables, charts, and graphs

Use tables for inserting, adding data, modifying and formatting data, Copying and Pasting content.

Use charts and graphs for Visualization of data. You can show the facts in the form of visual effects which is a recipe to make presentations effective. You can show measures along with just facts through these tools. It is important to understand what kind of data you have and among tables, charts, and graphs what will go well with that data.

Also, there are a variety of graphs like bar graphs, line graphs, etc. Choose what graph will work the best. Everything should be put together effectively rather than using all the tools and putting them mindlessly in your presentation.

11. Use Effects, animations, and graphics

Between each slide, you can use effects to choose how you want the next slide to get displayed. You can choose multiple effects and the same effect as well throughout the presentation. It is better to choose one and follow throughout. When it comes to animations and graphics, these are another brilliant way to support your views in the form of visual art. Show your creativity using these skills in your presentation. They should be part of presentations to make them super effective.

PowerPoint Animations create interest. If you are a software developer and providing a walkthrough of your code, you can make it interesting using animations. Animations usage is a brilliant level of creativity and ii comes with practice.

12.  Usage of Hyperlinks

You can use hyperlinks in PowerPoint if you need to move to a different browser page. This can be part of your content and once clicked on, you can smoothly move to a different page. Quick and easy.

Mark it with dark blue color with an underline, so that it shows clearly that it’s a hyperlink.

13. Conclude your PowerPoint

It is very important to put a conclusion to your presentation. You should use a separate Conclusion slide in PowerPoint and put down all your summary points. Many people miss this task. A presentation can never be ended without a Conclusion slide.

Job prospects

There are many job options in which you can enroll if you master PowerPoint skills:

1. Business Analyst : Most of BA’s work revolves around collecting data and representing it to clients or Business owners as PowerPoint presentations. If you know how to document and put together everything in PPT, you are good to go for this job role.

2. Public Speaking : A public speaker often uses PowerPoint to express their thoughts in front of the public. They need to document everything in PowerPoint to showcase the facts and figures to people. This is where PowerPoint skills come underuse.

3. Humar Resources : Most of the companies HR, require to create business PowerPoint presentations for almost all the activities, whether it is for induction to freshers or to give sessions to employees on any topic. They work day in and out on PowerPoint presentations. This is the best-suited profile if you have PowerPoint skills.

4. Project Manager :  Managers always require PowerPoint to document everything. Even if they have to showcase any functioning of the newly developed tool to the client, they will create PowerPoint slides for it.  In every domain, Project managers definitely need to have these skills to function and you have them then you are good to go for this role.

PowerPoint skills are necessary and very important to learn. It will come in handy whenever you have to give a presentation. You can create one without being dependent on anyone. Also, a PowerPoint created on your own gives a different level of confidence while giving presentations. Because, in that case you know which information is present on which slide and you can navigate without hesitation.

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There are several skills that are recommended to include in every resume. Some of these include creativity skills, interpersonal skills, critical thinking , problem solving skills, public speaking, teamwork skills and communication skills. With the help of 100% editable presentation templates, you can show the skills level in a creative way.

Alternatively, HR and Recruiters can download PowerPoint presentation templates to analyze the skills from candidates in job opportunities. With the help of Skills matrix templates, recruiters can save a lot of hours preparing presentations for their job postings.

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Top 7 Slides on Communication Skills- Free PPT

Mansi Gawri

Think of flying back to a time when humans lived in caves and conveyed their thoughts, feelings, and expressions through incredible artwork on the walls of these caves. Since they lacked a written language, they communicated ideas and told tales through these paintings.

But have you noticed one thing? If not, let me tell you.

People's ability to interact has been vital throughout history as they have discovered distinct methods to connect and share from pre-historic cave drawings.

As we think about how important communication is over time, it's essential to think about how we can get better at communicating in today's world.

So, let’s discuss some essential aspects to be kept in mind to enhance communication skills:

• Clear and concise: It is important to note that while interacting with others, one needs to express their thoughts clearly and in a simple, short way so the listener does not get confused.
• Body Postures and Facial expression: Despite being transparent, one needs to express their words and non-verbal language, i.e., through gestures.
• Good Listener: One must be open-minded while hearing others to improve communication skills. Apart from that, one must be open enough to adapt to those new ideas and perspectives.
• Provide remedies and resolve issues: Despite being a good listener, one needs to be open enough to present their views on the ongoing problems so that they are solved without having any deep impact within a firm or interpersonal relationships.

As we have discussed, certain aspects are required to enhance communication skills; let me share something with you! SlideTeam has prepared a customizable PowerPoint presentation on communication skills to improve the firm's productivity significantly.

Cover Slide

This is the cover slide of the PowerPoint Template, which establishes the tone of the presentation. Begin by adding the name of your company!

Download this PowerPoint Template now!

# Types of Effective Workplace Communication Skills

This slide demonstrates distinct types of interactive skills needed at work.

Further, the different types of communication proficiency include:

• Organizational Interaction
• Representing PPT’s
• Conferences
• Interaction with the Clients

Download this PPT, as the distinct kinds of abilities mentioned in the slide assist in building relationships and ultimately accomplishing aims. Further, this leads to improvement in the efficiency and productivity of the firm.

# Types of Non-Verbal Communication Skills

This slide renders distinct kinds of oral interactive abilities to spread information.

Further, the different non-verbal activities are as follows:

• Interaction through facial expression
• Communication through gestures
• Interacting through eyes
• Presenting information by showing distinct changes in the body posture
• Interacting abstractly

Download this PowerPoint Template; as this slide shows, this kind of interaction is more effective than the verbal one as it enables one to express the messages or thoughts concisely, leading to positive outcomes in a firm.

# Tools for Strategic Business Communication Skills Enhancement

The slide displays tools to enhance skills for Planned business, which covers:

• Electronic mails
• Social platforms
• Chat Services
• Virtual Meetings
• Voice communication platforms

Download this PPT, as this slide enables firms to present their information in such a way that improves relationships with others and easily accomplishes aims as planned.

# Team communication Skills Enhancement Tools

The slide renders improvement tools for group interactive abilities, which are explained below:

Adding this slide to the PowerPoint Template is essential as tools mentioned in the slide enable groups to enhance their interactive abilities, which leads to smoother functioning and, ultimately, improves the firm's productivity.

# Training to Build Effective Communication Skills

The slide highlights the training required to build efficient interactive abilities, leading to smooth working. Ultimately, increasing the productivity and profits of the firms.

Moreover, the strategies that are taken into consideration so that powerful communication is built are as follows:

• To give space so that questions can be asked
• Bring upgradation in the content occasionally
• Undertake training beyond book learning
• Activate and boost learning at the end of every section

This slide is essential as it enables the individuals and groups in the firm to present their perspectives properly, be good listeners, and interact effectively with others. Therefore, leading to improved productivity and enhanced relationships both personally and professionally.

# 7 C’s of Communication Skills Checklist 

The slide describes the Interactive abilities checklist that plays a vital role in the organization and public relations.

Further, the 7 C’s of the Communication Skills Checklist mentioned on the slide are as follows:

Adding this slide to the presentation is essential as this checklist enables individuals and firms to keep the 7 C’s in mind, leading to better and clearer understanding. Ultimately, it improves relationships both at a personal level and at the workplace.

Possessing powerful communication skills is like having a superpower for smooth organizational teamwork. It is the most effective way to interact with people through online and offline collaborations, influencers, promotions, and social media. Similarly, with SlideTeam's editable PowerPoint, having strong interactive abilities positions you for success by guaranteeing that you engage your audience wherever they are.

With the correct resources, like the editable PowerPoint on Communication Skills from SlideTeam , you can improve your interactive skills and change how you approach things.

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A free PPT to improve your interaction abilities is something exceptional we have for you. Get access to it now!

How can I communicate assertively without being aggressive?

Assertive communication involves expressing your thoughts and feelings confidently while respecting the rights of others. To communicate assertively:

• Use "I" statements to express your perspective without blaming or accusing others.
• Maintain a calm and respectful tone of voice.
• Listen actively to others' viewpoints and acknowledge their feelings.
• Set boundaries and assert your needs without being confrontational.
• Practice assertive body language, such as maintaining eye contact and standing or sitting upright.

How can I adapt my communication style to different situations?

Adapting your communication style involves understanding the context, audience, and purpose. To adapt effectively:

• Assess the preferences and communication styles of your audience.
• Modify your tone, language, and level of formality based on the situation.
• Pay attention to non-verbal cues and adjust your body language accordingly.
• Be flexible and open to feedback on your communication style.
• Practice empathy and consider the perspective of others when communicating in diverse settings.

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• Top 10 Executive Training Templates to Make Expert Leaders
• Must-Have Cross-Cultural Communication Templates With Examples And Samples
• Must-have HR Personal Development Plan Templates with Examples and Samples
• Must-have Business Analyst Resume Templates with Examples and Samples

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