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How to Structure your Presentation, with Examples

August 3, 2018 - Dom Barnard

For many people the thought of delivering a presentation is a daunting task and brings about a  great deal of nerves . However, if you take some time to understand how effective presentations are structured and then apply this structure to your own presentation, you’ll appear much more confident and relaxed.

Here is our complete guide for structuring your presentation, with examples at the end of the article to demonstrate these points.

Why is structuring a presentation so important?

If you’ve ever sat through a great presentation, you’ll have left feeling either inspired or informed on a given topic. This isn’t because the speaker was the most knowledgeable or motivating person in the world. Instead, it’s because they know how to structure presentations – they have crafted their message in a logical and simple way that has allowed the audience can keep up with them and take away key messages.

Research has supported this, with studies showing that audiences retain structured information  40% more accurately  than unstructured information.

In fact, not only is structuring a presentation important for the benefit of the audience’s understanding, it’s also important for you as the speaker. A good structure helps you remain calm, stay on topic, and avoid any awkward silences.

What will affect your presentation structure?

Generally speaking, there is a natural flow that any decent presentation will follow which we will go into shortly. However, you should be aware that all presentation structures will be different in their own unique way and this will be due to a number of factors, including:

• Whether you need to deliver any demonstrations
• How  knowledgeable the audience  already is on the given subject
• How much interaction you want from the audience
• Any time constraints there are for your talk
• What setting you are in
• Your ability to use any kinds of visual assistance

Before choosing the presentation’s structure answer these questions first:

• What is your presentation’s aim?
• Who are the audience?
• What are the main points your audience should remember afterwards?

When reading the points below, think critically about what things may cause your presentation structure to be slightly different. You can add in certain elements and add more focus to certain moments if that works better for your speech.

What is the typical presentation structure?

This is the usual flow of a presentation, which covers all the vital sections and is a good starting point for yours. It allows your audience to easily follow along and sets out a solid structure you can add your content to.

1. Greet the audience and introduce yourself

Before you start delivering your talk, introduce yourself to the audience and clarify who you are and your relevant expertise. This does not need to be long or incredibly detailed, but will help build an immediate relationship between you and the audience. It gives you the chance to briefly clarify your expertise and why you are worth listening to. This will help establish your ethos so the audience will trust you more and think you’re credible.

Read our tips on  How to Start a Presentation Effectively

2. Introduction

In the introduction you need to explain the subject and purpose of your presentation whilst gaining the audience’s interest and confidence. It’s sometimes helpful to think of your introduction as funnel-shaped to help filter down your topic:

• Introduce your general topic
• Explain your topic area
• State the issues/challenges in this area you will be exploring
• State your presentation’s purpose – this is the basis of your presentation so ensure that you provide a statement explaining how the topic will be treated, for example, “I will argue that…” or maybe you will “compare”, “analyse”, “evaluate”, “describe” etc.
• Provide a statement of what you’re hoping the outcome of the presentation will be, for example, “I’m hoping this will be provide you with…”
• Show a preview of the organisation of your presentation

In this section also explain:

• The length of the talk.
• Signal whether you want audience interaction – some presenters prefer the audience to ask questions throughout whereas others allocate a specific section for this.
• If it applies, inform the audience whether to take notes or whether you will be providing handouts.

The way you structure your introduction can depend on the amount of time you have been given to present: a  sales pitch  may consist of a quick presentation so you may begin with your conclusion and then provide the evidence. Conversely, a speaker presenting their idea for change in the world would be better suited to start with the evidence and then conclude what this means for the audience.

Keep in mind that the main aim of the introduction is to grab the audience’s attention and connect with them.

3. The main body of your talk

The main body of your talk needs to meet the promises you made in the introduction. Depending on the nature of your presentation, clearly segment the different topics you will be discussing, and then work your way through them one at a time – it’s important for everything to be organised logically for the audience to fully understand. There are many different ways to organise your main points, such as, by priority, theme, chronologically etc.

• Main points should be addressed one by one with supporting evidence and examples.
• Before moving on to the next point you should provide a mini-summary.
• Links should be clearly stated between ideas and you must make it clear when you’re moving onto the next point.
• Allow time for people to take relevant notes and stick to the topics you have prepared beforehand rather than straying too far off topic.

When planning your presentation write a list of main points you want to make and ask yourself “What I am telling the audience? What should they understand from this?” refining your answers this way will help you produce clear messages.

4. Conclusion

In presentations the conclusion is frequently underdeveloped and lacks purpose which is a shame as it’s the best place to reinforce your messages. Typically, your presentation has a specific goal – that could be to convert a number of the audience members into customers, lead to a certain number of enquiries to make people knowledgeable on specific key points, or to motivate them towards a shared goal.

Regardless of what that goal is, be sure to summarise your main points and their implications. This clarifies the overall purpose of your talk and reinforces your reason for being there.

Follow these steps:

• Signal that it’s nearly the end of your presentation, for example, “As we wrap up/as we wind down the talk…”
• Restate the topic and purpose of your presentation – “In this speech I wanted to compare…”
• Summarise the main points, including their implications and conclusions
• Indicate what is next/a call to action/a thought-provoking takeaway
• Move on to the last section

5. Thank the audience and invite questions

Conclude your talk by thanking the audience for their time and invite them to  ask any questions  they may have. As mentioned earlier, personal circumstances will affect the structure of your presentation.

Many presenters prefer to make the Q&A session the key part of their talk and try to speed through the main body of the presentation. This is totally fine, but it is still best to focus on delivering some sort of initial presentation to set the tone and topics for discussion in the Q&A.

Other common presentation structures

The above was a description of a basic presentation, here are some more specific presentation layouts:

Demonstration

Use the demonstration structure when you have something useful to show. This is usually used when you want to show how a product works. Steve Jobs frequently used this technique in his presentations.

• Explain why the product is valuable.
• Describe why the product is necessary.
• Explain what problems it can solve for the audience.
• Demonstrate the product  to support what you’ve been saying.
• Make suggestions of other things it can do to make the audience curious.

Problem-solution

This structure is particularly useful in persuading the audience.

• Briefly frame the issue.
• Go into the issue in detail showing why it ‘s such a problem. Use logos and pathos for this – the logical and emotional appeals.
• Provide the solution and explain why this would also help the audience.
• Call to action – something you want the audience to do which is straightforward and pertinent to the solution.

Storytelling

As well as incorporating  stories in your presentation , you can organise your whole presentation as a story. There are lots of different type of story structures you can use – a popular choice is the monomyth – the hero’s journey. In a monomyth, a hero goes on a difficult journey or takes on a challenge – they move from the familiar into the unknown. After facing obstacles and ultimately succeeding the hero returns home, transformed and with newfound wisdom.

Storytelling for Business Success  webinar , where well-know storyteller Javier Bernad shares strategies for crafting compelling narratives.

Another popular choice for using a story to structure your presentation is in media ras (in the middle of thing). In this type of story you launch right into the action by providing a snippet/teaser of what’s happening and then you start explaining the events that led to that event. This is engaging because you’re starting your story at the most exciting part which will make the audience curious – they’ll want to know how you got there.

• Great storytelling: Examples from Alibaba Founder, Jack Ma

Remaining method

The remaining method structure is good for situations where you’re presenting your perspective on a controversial topic which has split people’s opinions.

• Go into the issue in detail showing why it’s such a problem – use logos and pathos.
• Rebut your opponents’ solutions  – explain why their solutions could be useful because the audience will see this as fair and will therefore think you’re trustworthy, and then explain why you think these solutions are not valid.
• After you’ve presented all the alternatives provide your solution, the remaining solution. This is very persuasive because it looks like the winning idea, especially with the audience believing that you’re fair and trustworthy.

Transitions

When delivering presentations it’s important for your words and ideas to flow so your audience can understand how everything links together and why it’s all relevant. This can be done  using speech transitions  which are words and phrases that allow you to smoothly move from one point to another so that your speech flows and your presentation is unified.

Transitions can be one word, a phrase or a full sentence – there are many different forms, here are some examples:

Moving from the introduction to the first point

Signify to the audience that you will now begin discussing the first main point:

• Now that you’re aware of the overview, let’s begin with…
• First, let’s begin with…
• I will first cover…
• My first point covers…
• To get started, let’s look at…

Shifting between similar points

Move from one point to a similar one:

• In the same way…
• Likewise…
• Equally…
• This is similar to…
• Similarly…

Internal summaries

Internal summarising consists of summarising before moving on to the next point. You must inform the audience:

• What part of the presentation you covered – “In the first part of this speech we’ve covered…”
• What the key points were – “Precisely how…”
• How this links in with the overall presentation – “So that’s the context…”
• What you’re moving on to – “Now I’d like to move on to the second part of presentation which looks at…”

Physical movement

You can move your body and your standing location when you transition to another point. The audience find it easier to follow your presentation and movement will increase their interest.

A common technique for incorporating movement into your presentation is to:

• Start your introduction by standing in the centre of the stage.
• For your first point you stand on the left side of the stage.
• You discuss your second point from the centre again.
• You stand on the right side of the stage for your third point.
• The conclusion occurs in the centre.

Key slides for your presentation

Slides are a useful tool for most presentations: they can greatly assist in the delivery of your message and help the audience follow along with what you are saying. Key slides include:

• An intro slide outlining your ideas
• A  summary slide  with core points to remember
• High quality image slides to supplement what you are saying

There are some presenters who choose not to use slides at all, though this is more of a rarity. Slides can be a powerful tool if used properly, but the problem is that many fail to do just that. Here are some golden rules to follow when using slides in a presentation:

• Don’t over fill them  – your slides are there to assist your speech, rather than be the focal point. They should have as little information as possible, to avoid distracting people from your talk.
• A picture says a thousand words  – instead of filling a slide with text, instead, focus on one or two images or diagrams to help support and explain the point you are discussing at that time.
• Make them readable  – depending on the size of your audience, some may not be able to see small text or images, so make everything large enough to fill the space.
• Don’t rush through slides  – give the audience enough time to digest each slide.

Guy Kawasaki, an entrepreneur and author, suggests that slideshows should follow a  10-20-30 rule :

• There should be a maximum of 10 slides – people rarely remember more than one concept afterwards so there’s no point overwhelming them with unnecessary information.
• The presentation should last no longer than 20 minutes as this will leave time for questions and discussion.
• The font size should be a minimum of 30pt because the audience reads faster than you talk so less information on the slides means that there is less chance of the audience being distracted.

Here are some additional resources for slide design:

• 7 design tips for effective, beautiful PowerPoint presentations
• 11 design tips for beautiful presentations
• 10 tips on how to make slides that communicate your idea

Group Presentations

Group presentations are structured in the same way as presentations with one speaker but usually require more rehearsal and practices.  Clean transitioning between speakers  is very important in producing a presentation that flows well. One way of doing this consists of:

• Briefly recap on what you covered in your section: “So that was a brief introduction on what health anxiety is and how it can affect somebody”
• Introduce the next speaker in the team and explain what they will discuss: “Now Elnaz will talk about the prevalence of health anxiety.”
• Then end by looking at the next speaker, gesturing towards them and saying their name: “Elnaz”.
• The next speaker should acknowledge this with a quick: “Thank you Joe.”

From this example you can see how the different sections of the presentations link which makes it easier for the audience to follow and remain engaged.

Example of great presentation structure and delivery

Having examples of great presentations will help inspire your own structures, here are a few such examples, each unique and inspiring in their own way.

How Google Works – by Eric Schmidt

This presentation by ex-Google CEO  Eric Schmidt  demonstrates some of the most important lessons he and his team have learnt with regards to working with some of the most talented individuals they hired. The simplistic yet cohesive style of all of the slides is something to be appreciated. They are relatively straightforward, yet add power and clarity to the narrative of the presentation.

Start with why – by Simon Sinek

Since being released in 2009, this presentation has been viewed almost four million times all around the world. The message itself is very powerful, however, it’s not an idea that hasn’t been heard before. What makes this presentation so powerful is the simple message he is getting across, and the straightforward and understandable manner in which he delivers it. Also note that he doesn’t use any slides, just a whiteboard where he creates a simple diagram of his opinion.

The Wisdom of a Third Grade Dropout – by Rick Rigsby

Here’s an example of a presentation given by a relatively unknown individual looking to inspire the next generation of graduates. Rick’s presentation is unique in many ways compared to the two above. Notably, he uses no visual prompts and includes a great deal of humour.

However, what is similar is the structure he uses. He first introduces his message that the wisest man he knew was a third-grade dropout. He then proceeds to deliver his main body of argument, and in the end, concludes with his message. This powerful speech keeps the viewer engaged throughout, through a mixture of heart-warming sentiment, powerful life advice and engaging humour.

As you can see from the examples above, and as it has been expressed throughout, a great presentation structure means analysing the core message of your presentation. Decide on a key message you want to impart the audience with, and then craft an engaging way of delivering it.

By preparing a solid structure, and  practising your talk  beforehand, you can walk into the presentation with confidence and deliver a meaningful message to an interested audience.

It’s important for a presentation to be well-structured so it can have the most impact on your audience. An unstructured presentation can be difficult to follow and even frustrating to listen to. The heart of your speech are your main points supported by evidence and your transitions should assist the movement between points and clarify how everything is linked.

Research suggests that the audience remember the first and last things you say so your introduction and conclusion are vital for reinforcing your points. Essentially, ensure you spend the time structuring your presentation and addressing all of the sections.

PDF presentations: How to present a PDF effectively.

Easily include PDF documents in presentations. Learn how to present PDF files and convert them into Microsoft PowerPoint slideshows.

Learn how to present a PDF in a way that can engage your audience and share your ideas effectively, no matter what tools you have available. You may have to share information from a PDF document when you’re getting ready to give a presentation at work or school. But what’s the best way to display a PDF if you want to keep your audience interested? Read on to learn two ways to give an engaging and eye-catching PDF presentation.

How to present a PDF.

You have a few options for presenting your PDF slideshow. PDF presentation mode is available on most PDF editing software but not necessarily in a PDF viewer. You can also, of course, convert your PDF to a PowerPoint presentation. The simplest way to present your PDF is to share your screen or project the view of your PDF from a free PDF viewer. Check out the instructions for these various methods below.

Option 1: Use PDF presentation mode.

If you use PDF presentation mode, you won’t have to convert your PDF and worry about formatting issues. You will also have preference options as you learn how to put a PDF in presentation mode. Follow these steps:

• Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat .
• Select File > Preferences > Full Screen View to select options for your presentation.
• Select View > Full Screen.

The options will allow you to decide things like whether you will time your slides and which transitions you want between slides. You can also use a similar process with Preview on your Apple device.

How to present a PDF document

With Adobe Acrobat online services, it’s fast and easy to convert PDFs into PowerPoint presentations . Simply follow these three steps:

• Navigate to Acrobat online services and launch the Convert PDF to PowerPoint tool.
• Drag and drop your PDF file into the converter or click Select A File to locate it.
• Download your presentation once the converter has finished.

You can now open the slideshow as you would any ordinary PowerPoint presentation. And as a bonus, you can edit the text, images, and formatting directly in PowerPoint.

Option 3: Present a PDF using a PDF reader window.

The easiest way to include a PDF file in your presentation is simply by using your PDF reader . Most video call applications let you share your screen and display the PDF to others. If you’re at an in-person meeting, you can also project the PDF reader onto a screen.

To share your screen with your PDF reader in a call, you’ll need to follow these steps:

• Open your PDF in your PDF reader, and leave it open.
• Begin your video call.
• Select the screen-sharing option.
• Select the PDF reader as the screen you’d like to share.

Although letting others see your PDF reader may be easy, it isn’t always the most optimal way to give a presentation. It can be slow to scroll through the pages of the PDF file — plus, depending on the orientation, you may also not be able to display an entire page while keeping text at a legible size.

Why create PDF presentations vs. other methods?

PDF slideshows have several advantages. You might be creating a presentation from a PDF as your original document. In that case, there’s no need to complicate your process and convert your PDF into another format. Unlike other presentation methods like PowerPoint, you can present your PDF on any device. PDF presentations also tend to use less storage. Additionally, since one of the main purposes of a PDF is to retain the formatting, you can trust that your fonts and structure will remain stable for your presentation.

What is PDF presentation mode?

PDF presentation mode is the simplest option for presenting a PDF. It doesn’t require converting your file or downloading extra software. It allows you to present your PDF in full screen and use your keys to toggle between pages. You can create transitions between your pages and even time your slides. One limitation of PDF presentation mode is that it doesn’t support videos.

Can I see my notes in PDF presentation mode?

While putting your PDF in full-screen presentation mode shows your slides neatly, it doesn’t show your presenter notes separately on your personal device. If you need to have notes on hand, you can always print them out or give yourself concise notes as reminders on the slides themselves. If you have converted a PowerPoint presentation to a PDF, your notes won’t be lost. They’ll be available for you to look at under Options > Publish > Notes pages.

Tips to help improve your PDF presentation skills.

Presenting in front of a group, large or small, can sometimes feel daunting. Here are some quick tips to improve your PDF presentation skills:

• Make your slides visually appealing. Color and images help with visual appeal. Visuals will help keep your audience engaged.
• Keep your slides simple. If you stick to one idea per slide, it will be easier for everyone to follow.
• Don’t crowd your slides with text. Offer text only to remind your audience of the key points of your presentation. Avoid using full sentences in the slides. Your audience is there to listen to you, not to read your slides.
• Rehearse your presentation until it feels natural to give it. It will be easier for your audience to learn if you seem comfortable during your presentation.

More resources on PDFs.

PDF is one of the most relied-upon formats in professional settings, so using it directly for a presentation will be very convenient. Now that you’ve learned how to present a PDF effectively, here are more resources to work with PDFs:

• Learn how to get the most out of a presentation appendix .
• Learn how to compress a PowerPoint .
• Learn how to make a PDF interactive .
• You can also convert a PDF to Google Slides and present from there.

Explore what more you can do with Adobe Acrobat online services to easily convert, edit, and sign PDFs - and more.

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Ensuring Credit-Compliant Presentations of Documents

Trade documents have existed since the dawn of the written word, and archaeologists have recovered ‘documents’ in the form of clay tablets that date back many thousands of years. Without documents, there is no documentary credit, meaning that a seller does not get paid, and a buyer does not get its goods.

All parties involved in the trade cycle need documentation, albeit with differing requirements, and each type of document serves a different purpose.

There are many document types, and it is essential to understand the intent of the documents required under a documentary credit. Most countries have a minimum requirement for import and export documentation, and many have numerous specific and unique requirements. Still, practitioners should be aware of and account for these in the terms and conditions of the documentary credit.

Poorly prepared documents can severely impact a transaction, leading (at best) to delays in settlement. Global statistics differ, but the percentage of documents refused by banks on the first presentation ranges between 65% and 80%.

Discrepancies

While some of the more common discrepancies are due to timing issues (expiry, shipment, and presentation period), quite a few derive from poorly prepared documents or presentations. These can include conflicting data between documents, missing documents, unauthenticated alterations, missing endorsements, goods descriptions not according to the documentary credit, insurance documents dated later than the transport document, and missing or incorrect shipped-on-board notations.

As a result of discrepancies in a presentation, practitioners incur additional costs by way of discrepancy fees (from the nominated bank or issuing bank), expenses for communications sent, lost interest, and increased administrative costs. These will all lead to a reduced profit margin on the transaction. Discrepancy fees, for example, can be expensive and often range from the equivalent of USD 25 to USD 500 per presentation.

Refusals can lead to banks making no payment in some transactions. This can be due to a confirming bank or issuing bank refusing to honour or negotiate owing to the perceived financial risk of the issuing bank or applicant.

Although an applicant may agree to issue a waiver for any discrepancies found in a presentation, the issuing bank is not obligated to accept it. The issuing bank may continue to refuse to honour the presentation and will be entitled to subsequently return the documents.

Some applicants will use discrepancies in a presentation to ‘negotiate’ a discount with the respective beneficiary in return for the applicant agreeing to issue its waiver.

Preparation of Documents

A beneficiary may issue any document except where:

• the rules state otherwise,
• the documentary credit specifies the name of the issuer, or
• the documentary credit refers to the type of issuer as an independent, competent, qualified, or local company. UCP 600 interprets this as any issuer except the beneficiary.

Beneficiaries can avoid discrepancies in presentation by paying more attention to detail and reducing unnecessary data in the documents. This is achieved by carefully considering whether to include additional or redundant information on a document and avoiding anything that could call into doubt the compliance of a document. Only incorporating data required by the terms and conditions of the documentary credit or the ICC rules will significantly increase the likelihood of a presentation being found compliant.

If in any doubt as to the requirements for the completion of any document, always contact the nominated bank and seek their guidance. For documents not issued by the beneficiary, provide the relevant freight forwarder, carrier (or its agent), or insurance company with a copy of the documentary credit to ensure they can comply with its instructions. This should happen before the shipment of the goods.

If there are any issues, seek an amendment from the applicant and refrain from relying on their stating that the amendment will follow or presenting documents on the basis that they will authorise settlement despite any discrepancy. If documents are discrepant, there is no undertaking from the issuing bank or any confirming bank.

Even before commencing the preparation process, a beneficiary should understand the rules. In particular, they should be aware of and understand the implications of the content of UCP 600. It is also recommended that beneficiaries have an understanding of ISBP 821. The fact that this addresses the examination stage will provide the opportunity to understand the issues that bank document examiners will focus on.

ISBP 821 additionally makes it clear that the preparation of documents should start early in the chain. Before issuing the documentary credit, the beneficiary and the applicant should carefully consider the documents required for presentation, by whom they are to be issued, their data content, and the timeframe in which they will be presented.

As an example of the content of ISBP, the publication includes references to misspellings and typing errors. These can cause all sorts of problems and, in a worst-case scenario, will lead to a refusal of documents. However, not all misspellings and typing errors make a document discrepant if they do not affect the meaning or intent of a word or sentence.

Creating a checklist that provides guidelines on the basic requirements for the more common documents is worthwhile to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of a documentary credit. While an all-inclusive checklist covering every possible documentary requirement is not feasible, providing a generic one covering the typical documents under a documentary credit and the standard information within each document is possible.

Staff preparing documents should still thoroughly review them before their presentation under the documentary credit.

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14.1 Organizing a Visual Presentation

Learning objectives.

• Identify key ideas and details to create a concise, engaging presentation.
• Identify the steps involved in planning a comprehensive presentation.

Until now, you have interacted with your audience of readers indirectly, on the page. You have tried to anticipate their reactions and questions as all good writers do. Anticipating the audience’s needs can be tough, especially when you are sitting alone in front of your computer.

When you give a presentation, you connect directly with your audience. For most people, making a presentation is both exciting and stressful. The excitement comes from engaging in a two-way interaction about your ideas. The stress comes from the pressure of presenting your ideas without having a delete button to undo mistakes. Outside the classroom, you may be asked to give a presentation, often at the last minute, and the show must go on. Presentations can be stressful, but planning and preparation, when the time and opportunity are available, can make all the difference.

This chapter covers how to plan and deliver an effective, engaging presentation. By planning carefully, applying some time-honored presentation strategies, and practicing, you can make sure that your presentation comes across as confident, knowledgeable, and interesting—and that your audience actually learns from it. The specific tasks involved in creating a presentation may vary slightly depending on your purpose and your assignment. However, these are the general steps.

Follow these steps to create a presentation based on your ideas:

• Determine your purpose and identify the key ideas to present.
• Organize your ideas in an outline.
• Identify opportunities to incorporate visual or audio media, and create or locate these media aids.
• Rehearse your presentation in advance.
• Deliver your presentation to your audience.

Getting Started: Identifying and Organizing Key Ideas

To deliver a successful presentation, you need to develop content suitable for an effective presentation. Your ideas make up your presentation, but to deliver them effectively, you will need to identify key ideas and organize them carefully. Read the following considerations, which will help you first identify and then organize key ideas:

• Be concise. You will include the most important ideas and leave out others. Some concepts may need to be simplified.
• Employ more than one medium of expression. You should incorporate other media, such as charts, graphs, photographs, video or audio recordings, or websites.
• Prepare for a face-to-face presentation. If you must deliver a face-to-face presentation, it is important to project yourself as a serious and well-informed speaker. You will often speak extemporaneously, or in a rehearsed but not memorized manner, which allows for flexibility given the context or audience. You will need to know your points and keep your audience engaged.

Determine Your Purpose

As with a writing assignment, determining the purpose of your presentation early on is crucial. You want to inform your readers about the topic, but think about what else you hope to achieve.

Are you presenting information intended to move your audience to adopt certain beliefs or take action on a particular issue? If so, you are speaking not only to inform but also to persuade your listeners. Do you want your audience to come away from your presentation knowing how to do something they that they did not know before? In that case, you are not only informing them but also explaining or teaching a process.

Writing at Work

Schoolteachers are trained to structure lessons around one or more lesson objectives. Usually the objective, the mission or purpose, states what students should know or be able to do after they complete the lesson. For example, an objective might state, “Students will understand the specific freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment” or “Students will be able to add two three-digit numbers correctly.”

As a manager, mentor, or supervisor, you may sometimes be required to teach or train other employees as part of your job. Determining the desired outcome of a training session will help you plan effectively. Identify your teaching objectives. What, specifically, do you want your audience to know (for instance, details of a new workplace policy) or be able to do (for instance, use a new software program)? Plan your teaching or training session to meet your objectives.

Identify Key Ideas

To plan your presentation, think in terms of three or four key points you want to get across. In a paper, you have the space to develop ideas at length and delve into complex details. In a presentation, however, you must convey your ideas more concisely.

One strategy you might try is to create an outline. What is your main idea? Would your main idea work well as key points for a brief presentation? How would you condense topics that might be too lengthy, or should you eliminate topics that may be too complicated to address in your presentation?

1. Revisit your presentation assignment, or think of a topic for your presentation. On your own sheet of notebook paper, write a list of at least three to five key ideas. Keep the following questions in mind when listing your key ideas:

• What is your purpose?
• Who is your audience?
• How will you engage your audience?

2. On the same paper, identify the steps you must complete before you begin creating your presentation.

Use an Outline to Organize Ideas

After you determine which ideas are most appropriate for your presentation, you will create an outline of those ideas. Your presentation, like a written assignment, should include an introduction, body, and conclusion. These components serve much the same purpose as they do in a written assignment.

• The introduction engages the audience’s attention, introduces the topic, and sets the tone for what is to come.
• The body develops your point of view with supporting ideas, details, and examples presented in a logical order.
• The conclusion restates your point of view, sums up your main points, and leaves your audience with something to think about.

Jorge, who wrote the research paper featured in Chapter 11 “Writing from Research: What Will I Learn?” , developed the following outline. Jorge relied heavily on this outline to plan his presentation, but he adjusted it to suit the new format.

Planning Your Introduction

In Chapter 12 “Writing a Research Paper” , you learned techniques for writing an interesting introduction, such as beginning with a surprising fact or statistic, a thought-provoking question or quotation, a brief anecdote that illustrates a larger concept or connects your topic to your audience’s experiences. You can use these techniques effectively in presentations as well. You might also consider actively engaging your audience by having members respond to questions or complete a brief activity related to your topic. For example, you may have your audience respond to a survey or tell about an experience related to your topic.

Incorporating media can also be an effective way to get your audience’s attention. Visual images such as a photograph or a cartoon can invoke an immediate emotional response. A graph or chart can highlight startling findings in research data or statistical information. Brief video or audio clips that clearly reinforce your message and do not distract or overwhelm your audience can provide a sense of immediacy when you plan to discuss an event or a current issue. A PowerPoint presentation allows you to integrate many of these different media sources into one presentation.

With the accessibility provided by the Internet, you can find interesting and appropriate audio and video with little difficulty. However, the clip alone will not sustain the presentation. To keep the audience interested and engaged, you must frame the beginning and end of the clip with your own words.

Jorge completed the introduction part of his outline by listing the key points he would use to open his presentation. He also planned to show various web links early on to illustrate the popularity of the low-carbohydrate diet trend.

Planning the Body of Your Presentation

The next step is to work with the key ideas you identified earlier. Determine the order in which you want to present these ideas, and flesh them out with important details. Chapter 10 “Rhetorical Modes” discusses several organizational structures you might work with, such as chronological order, comparison-and-contrast structure, or cause-and-effect structure.

How much detail you include will depend on the time allotted for your presentation. Your instructor will most likely give you a specific time limit or a specific slide limit, such as eight to ten slides. If the time limit is very brief (two to three minutes, for instance), you will need to focus on communicating your point of view, main supporting points, and only the most relevant details. Three minutes can feel like an eternity if you are speaking before a group, but the time will pass very quickly. It is important to use it well.

If you have more time to work with—ten minutes or half an hour—you will be able to discuss your topic in greater detail. More time also means you must devote more thought into how you will hold your audience’s interest. If your presentation is longer than five minutes, introduce some variety so the audience is not bored. Incorporate multimedia, invite the audience to complete an activity, or set aside time for a question-and-answer session.

Jorge was required to limit his presentation to five to seven minutes. In his outline, he made a note about where he would need to condense some complicated material to stay within his time limit. He also decided to focus only on cholesterol and heart disease in his discussion of long-term health outcomes. The research on other issues was inconclusive, so Jorge decided to omit this material. Jorge’s notes on his outline show the revisions he has made to his presentation.

You are responsible for using your presentation time effectively to inform your audience. You show respect for your audience by following the expected time limit. However, that does not mean you must fill all of that time with talk if you are giving a face-to-face presentation. Involving your audience can take some of the pressure off you while also keeping them engaged. Have them respond to a few brief questions to get them thinking. Display a relevant photograph, document, or object and ask your classmates to comment. In some presentations, if time allows, you may choose to have your classmates complete an individual or group activity.

Planning Your Conclusion

The conclusion should briefly sum up your main idea and leave your audience with something to think about. As in a written paper, you are essentially revisiting your thesis. Depending on your topic, you may also ask the audience to reconsider their thinking about an issue, to take action, or to think about a related issue. If you presented an attention-getting fact or anecdote in your introduction, consider revisiting it in your conclusion. Just as you have learned about an essay’s conclusion, do not add new content to the presentation’s conclusion.

No matter how you choose to structure your conclusion, make sure it is well planned so that you are not tempted to wrap up your presentation too quickly. Inexperienced speakers, in a face-to-face presentation, sometimes rush through the end of a presentation to avoid exceeding the allotted time or to end the stressful experience of presenting in public. Unfortunately, a hurried conclusion makes the presentation as a whole less memorable.

Time management is the key to delivering an effective presentation whether it is face-to-face or in PowerPoint. As you develop your outline, think about the amount of time you will devote to each section. For instance, in a five-minute face-to-face presentation, you might plan to spend one minute on the introduction, three minutes on the body, and one minute on the conclusion. Later, when you rehearse, you can time yourself to determine whether you need to adjust your content or delivery.

In a PowerPoint presentation, it is important that your presentation is visually stimulating, avoids information overload by limiting the text per slide, uses speaker notes effectively, and uses a font that is visible on the background (e.g., avoid white letters on a light background or black letters on a dark background).

Work with the list you created in Note 14.4 “Exercise 1” to develop a more complete outline for your presentation. Make sure your outline includes the following:

• An introduction that uses strategies to capture your audience’s attention
• A body section that summarizes your main points and supporting details
• A conclusion that will help you end on a memorable note
• Brief notes about how much time you plan to spend on each part of the presentation (you may adjust the timing later as needed)

Identifying Opportunities to Incorporate Visual and Audio Media

You may already have some ideas for how to incorporate visual and audio media in your presentation. If not, review your outline and begin thinking about where to include media. Presenting information in a variety of formats will help you keep your audience’s interest.

Use Presentation Software

Delivering your presentation as a slideshow is one way to use media to your advantage. As you speak, you use a computer and an attached projector to display a slideshow of text and graphics that complement the speech. Your audience will follow your ideas more easily, because you are communicating with them through more than one sense. The audience hears your words and also sees the corresponding visuals. A listener who momentarily loses track of what you are saying can rely on the slide to cue his or her memory.

To set up your presentation, you will need to work with the content of your outline to develop individual slides. Each slide should focus on just a few bullet points (or a similar amount of content presented in a graphic). Remember that your audience must be able to read the slides easily, whether the members sit in the front or the back of the room. Avoid overcrowding the slides with too much text.

Using presentation software, such as PowerPoint, allows you to incorporate graphics, sounds, and even web links directly into your slides. You can also work with available styles, color schemes, and fonts to give your presentation a polished, consistent appearance. Different slide templates make it easy to organize information to suit your purpose. Be sure your font is visible to you audience. Avoid using small font or colored font that is not visible against your background.

Use PowerPoint as a Visual Aid

PowerPoint and similar visual representation programs can be effective tools to help audiences remember your message, but they can also be an annoying distraction to your speech. How you prepare your slides and use the tool will determine your effectiveness.

PowerPoint is a slideware program that you have no doubt seen used in class, seen in a presentation at work, or perhaps used yourself to support a presentation. PowerPoint and similar slideware programs provide templates for creating electronic slides to present visual information to the audience, reinforcing the verbal message. You will be able to import or cut and paste words from text files, images, or video clips to create slides to represent your ideas. You can even incorporate web links. When using any software program, it is always a good idea to experiment with it long before you intend to use it; explore its many options and functions, and see how it can be an effective tool for you.

At first, you might be overwhelmed by the possibilities, and you might be tempted to use all the bells, whistles, and sound effects, not to mention the tumbling, flying, and animated graphics. If used wisely, a dissolve or key transition can be like a well-executed scene from a major motion picture and lead your audience to the next point. But if used indiscriminately, it can annoy the audience to the point where they cringe in anticipation of the sound effect at the start of each slide. This danger is inherent in the tool, but you are in charge of it and can make wise choices that enhance the understanding and retention of your information.

The first point to consider is which visual aid is the most important. The answer is you, the speaker. You will facilitate the discussion, give life to the information, and help the audience correlate the content to your goal or purpose. You do not want to be in a position where the PowerPoint presentation is the focus and you are on the side of the stage simply helping the audience follow along. Slides should support you in your presentation, rather than the other way around. Just as there is a number one rule for handouts (do not pass them out at the start of your presentation), there is also one for PowerPoint presentations: do not use PowerPoint slides as a read-aloud script for your speech. The PowerPoint slides should amplify and illustrate your main points, not reproduce everything you are going to say.

Your pictures are the second area of emphasis you will want to consider. The tool will allow you to show graphs, charts and illustrate relationships that words may only approach in terms of communication, but your verbal support of the visual images will make all the difference. Dense pictures or complicated graphics will confuse more than they clarify. Choose clear images that have an immediate connection to both your content and the audience, tailored to their specific needs. After the images, consider using only key words that can be easily read to accompany your pictures. The fewer words the better. Try to keep each slide to a total word count of less than ten words. Do not use full sentences. Using key words provides support for your verbal discussion, guiding you as well as your audience. The key words can serve as signposts or signal words related to key ideas.

A natural question at this point is, How do I communicate complex information simply? The answer comes with several options. The visual representation on the screen is for support and illustration. Should you need to communicate more technical, complex, or in-depth information in a visual way, consider preparing a handout to distribute at the conclusion of your speech. You may also consider using a printout of your slide show with a section for taking notes, but if you distribute it at the beginning of your speech, you run the risk of turning your presentation into a guided reading exercise and possibly distracting or losing members of the audience. Everyone reads at a different pace and takes notes in their own way. You do not want to be in the position of going back and forth between slides to help people follow along.

Another point to consider is how you want to use the tool to support your speech and how your audience will interpret its presentation. Most audiences wouldn’t want to read a page of text—as you might see in this book—on the big screen. They will be far more likely to glance at the screen and assess the information you present in relation to your discussion. Therefore, it is key to consider one main idea, relationship, or point per slide. The use of the tool should be guided with the idea that its presentation is for the audience’s benefit, not yours. People often understand pictures and images more quickly and easily than text, and you can use this to your advantage, using the knowledge that a picture is worth a thousand words.

Incorporate Visual Media

Even if you do not use a slideshow to complement your presentation, you can include visual media to support and enhance your content. Visual media are divided into two major categories: images and informational graphics.

Image-based media, such as photographs or videos, often have little or no accompanying text. Often these media are more powerful than words in getting a message across. Within the past decade, the images associated with major news stories, such as the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, the Abu Ghraib prison abuses from 2004 to 2006, and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, have powerfully affected viewers’ emotions and drawn their attention to these news stories.

Figure 14.1

Even if your presentation addresses a less dramatic subject, you can still use images to draw in your audience. Consider how photographs, an illustration, or a video might help your audience connect with a particular person or place or bring a historical event to life. Use visual images to support descriptions of natural or man-made phenomena. What ideas lend themselves to being explained primarily through images?

In addition, consider how you might incorporate informational graphics in your presentation. Informational graphics include diagrams, tables, pie charts, bar and line graphs, and flow charts. Informational graphics usually include some text and often work well to present numerical information. Consider using them if you are presenting statistics, comparing facts or data about several different groups, describing changes over time, or presenting a process.

Incorporate Audio Media

Although audio media are not as versatile as visual media, you may wish to use them if they work well with your particular topic. If your presentation discusses trends in pop music or analyzes political speeches, playing an audio clip is an obvious and effective choice. Clips from historical speeches, radio talk shows, and interviews can also be used, but extended clips may be ineffective with modern audiences. Always assess your audience’s demographics and expectations before selecting and including audio media.

Review the outline you created in Note 14.11 “Exercise 2” . Complete the following steps:

• Identify at least two to three places in your presentation where you might incorporate visual or audio media. Brainstorm ideas for what media would be effective, and create a list of ideas. (In Chapter 14 “Creating Presentations: Sharing Your Ideas” , Section 14.2 “Incorporating Effective Visuals into a Presentation” , you will explore different media options in greater depth. For now, focus on coming up with a few general ideas.)
• Determine whether you will use presentation software to deliver your presentation as a slideshow. If you plan to do so, begin using your outline to draft your slides.

Figure 14.2

Source: http://www.agenciabrasil.gov.br/media/imagens/2010/01/14/14.01.10RP5978.jpg/view

Planning Ahead: Annotating Your Presentation

When you make a presentation, you are giving a performance of sorts. It may not be as dramatic as a play or a movie, but it requires smooth coordination of several elements—your words, your gestures, and any media you include. One way to ensure that the performance goes smoothly is to annotate your presentation ahead of time.

To annotate means to add comments or notes to a document. You can use this technique to plan how the different parts of your presentation will flow together. For instance, if you are working with slides, add notes to your outline indicating when you will show each slide. If you have other visual or audio media to include, make a note of that, too. Be as detailed as necessary. Jotting “Start video at 3:14” can spare you the awkwardness of searching for the right clip during your presentation.

In the workplace, employees are often asked to deliver presentations or conduct a meeting using standard office presentation software. If you are using presentation software, you can annotate your presentation easily as you create your slides. Use the notes feature at the bottom of the page to add notes for each slide. As you deliver your presentation, your notes will be visible to you on the computer screen but not to your audience on the projector screen.

In a face-to-face presentation, make sure your final annotated outline is easy to read. It will serve to cue you during your presentation, so it does not need to look polished, as long as it is clear to you. Double space the text. Use a larger-than-normal font size (14 or 16 points) if that will make it easier for you to read. Boldface or italics will set off text that should be emphasized or delivered with greater emotion. Write out main points, as well as your opening and closing remarks, in complete sentences, along with any material you want to quote verbatim. Use shorter phrases for supporting details. Using your speaker notes effectively will help you deliver an effective presentation. Highlighting, all capital letters, or different-colored font will help you easily distinguish notes from the text of your speech. Read Jorge’s annotated outline.

Some students prefer to write out the full text of their face-to-face presentation. This can be a useful strategy when you are practicing your delivery. However, keep in mind that reading your text aloud, word for word, will not help you capture and hold your audience’s attention. Write out and read your speech if that helps you rehearse. After a few practice sessions, when you are more comfortable with your material, switch to working from an outline. That will help you sound more natural when you speak to an audience.

In a PowerPoint presentation, remember to have your slides in logical sequential order. Annotating your presentation before submitting it to your audience or your instructor will help you check for order and logical transitions. Too much text or data may confuse your audience; strive for clarity and avoid unnecessary details. Let the pictures or graphics tell the story but do not overload your slideshow with visuals. Be sure your font is visible. Look for consistency in the time limit of your presentation to gauge your level of preparedness.

Begin to annotate your outline. (You will probably add more notes as you proceed, but including some annotations now will help you begin pulling your ideas together.) Mark your outline with the following information:

• Write notes in brackets to any sections where you definitely plan to incorporate visual or audio media.
• If you are presenting a slideshow, add notes in brackets indicating which slides go with each section of your outline.
• Identify and set off any text that should be emphasized.

Key Takeaways

• An effective presentation presents ideas more concisely than a written document and uses media to explain ideas and hold the audience’s interest.
• Like an essay, a presentation should have a clear beginning, middle, and end.
• Good writers structure their presentations on the thesis, or point of view; main ideas; and key supporting details and create a presentation outline to organize their ideas.
• Annotating a presentation outline is a useful way to coordinate different parts of the presentation and manage time effectively.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Why Good Presentation Matters

‘To err is human’, as the old adage states, but there is a thin line between simple mistakes and general sloppiness. How many times have you received an email or business document, only to find it poorly structured and difficult to understand?

Most of us at some point in our careers have had to produce a business document. Yet formatting - one of the most important elements to consider when creating a document - is often overlooked.

The design of a document is not just about making your text look ‘nice’. Formatting exists to make sure that the content is clear to read and effectively conveys its message across to readers. Not only does poor formatting look bad, it can leave a lasting impression on the professional standards of the business - and yourself.

So, what can you do to improve formatting? Here are a few ideas for you to consider:

• Use your space effectively

One thing that ties entire documents together isn’t just the words, but how you choose to present them. The main bulk of your page will be in paragraph form, but you might also have the date, addresses, signatures, logos, or other details to contend with. How you place these will either make or break the professionalism of the document.

• Stop hitting the Enter key

Using the Enter (sometimes known as Return) key to start a new page will make it difficult to edit your work later on. Trying to insert a picture or footnote after using this method will instantly throw your carefully arranged work into disarray. Instead, use a Page Break to start writing on a new page and keep your pages neatly organised.

• Be consistent

Keep to a standard font size and colour that is simple to read whether it is a printed document or on a digital screen. If you need to copy text from a different source, make sure that it matches its destination format. Even a slight change in font size can be noticeable in a paragraph.

Trying to speed through your work can cause all sorts of mistakes. Take the time to thoroughly check what you have written and see where you need to correct any errors in your spelling or punctuation. If you can, save and close the document and come back to it at a later time to proof-read it. Going away and coming back to a document can help pick out errors you might not have noticed the first time around.

Keep these in mind the next time you need to produce a Word document.

For users of the Aviva Development Zone, we are currently developing new administration-focused courses with emphasis on how to improve business documents. These new courses will be available to learners in the coming weeks.

About the author

Jessica Capper

Jessica joined RWA in 2018, having graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Film Studies. Her role as a content designer involves developing  new and engaging e-learning modules as well as assisting in the creation of articles for Insight. 

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Think Outside The Slide

Document or Presentation? How to choose; Issue #401 October 31, 2017

One of the key results from my latest survey on annoying PowerPoint presentations was that too often professionals are presenting a document on the screen as a presentation. This overwhelms the audience, leaving them confused and upset.

Professionals feel they need to include more and more content in their presentations to satisfy the requests of executives and others. In many cases, a document can be used to communicate some or all of the material that is being presented.

In order to help business professionals determine whether a document, a presentation, or some combination of the two is the best way to communicate their message, I have listed below some considerations related to the content and the audience that you should use to make the decision.

Content considerations

How much detail needs to be communicated?

The more detail that needs to be communicated, the more likely it is that a document is the preferred communication method. If the audience needs to review the material, reflect on it, or consult other sources, a document allows for that time, where a presentation does not. In some cases, sending a document in advance of the presentation will give the audience the time they need to prepare properly for the discussions that will happen at the meeting where the key ideas are presented. This is often referred to as a pre-read and is commonly used when it will be a short presentation to an executive or Board level audience. Presenters can also offer additional details after the presentation for those who want to examine certain details. This is often referred to as supplemental information. I explain the different ways to provide additional information outside a presentation in my book GPS for Presentations .

How many key messages need to be communicated?

The more messages that need to be communicated, the more likely it is that a document will be the best communication method. A presentation should stick to a few key messages only, otherwise it becomes overwhelming for the audience. A document can contain many more messages, since the reader can review sections easily and come back to the document a number of times.

Does the content need to be accessible for future review?

If the content will be needed in the future to be referred to, it is likely that a document will work better than a presentation. The slides for a presentation may not give enough information for future viewers to get the detail needed without the presenter there. One option for presenters is to create a document that contains additional detail that the audience or others can refer to later. This can be done as a separate document or you can add hidden detail slides into the file so that those looking at the file later will have the detail they need to understand what was presented.

Would visuals help communicate the messages?

Increasingly, visuals are used to communicate messages instead of tables of numbers or bullet points of long text. This is an improvement because audiences understand the message from the visual quickly. In documents, visuals break up the paragraphs of text on the page. In presentations, visuals are a welcome substitute for long bullet points or spreadsheets on slides. I encourage all professionals to use visuals to communicate, whether it is a document or a presentation. The effective use of visuals would not suggest one method over the other.

Is the content best explained with a demonstration?

If you are communicating information about a product, process, or procedure, a demonstration may be the most effective way to communicate. If this is the case, a presentation will often be better than a document. The demonstration can be live or on video. While video demonstrations can be included in documents through links to the video online, it requires the reader to be connected to the network, click on the link, and watch the whole video. They also don’t have the opportunity to ask questions about the demonstration if they are only watching the video online. In a presentation setting, the demonstration can be customized on the fly to take into account the needs of the audience, which keeps them engaged. A video in a presentation can be stopped and started with the presenter adding commentary and asking questions during or after the video. This makes a presentation the preferred communication method if a demonstration is needed to communicate the message.

Audience considerations

Does the goal/objective of the communication require group discussion?

The goal or objective of the communication plays a significant role in determining the best communication method. If the goal is to simply disseminate information, a document may be the best choice. It does not require discussion between those who read it. If the goal is to evaluate options, discuss next steps, or make a decision, then discussion amongst the group of stakeholders will be beneficial and a presentation would be the best communication method. The presentation does not need to be in person, it can be via conference call.

Is buy-in being sought from multiple groups/people?

If the goal of the communication is to get input and buy-in from multiple groups, a presentation will likely be the best communication method. It is certainly possible to distribute a document and request comments on the content. The benefit of a presentation is that people can build on what others say and discover new options or perspectives through the exchange of ideas. This discovery is not possible when people don’t hear the feedback of others.

Will the audience need an expert to explain the material or answer questions?

If the audience is not well versed in the topic of the communication, they will benefit from a presentation where an expert is available to answer questions or give alternative explanations. While some may consider the complexity of the content the key factor, I think the difference in knowledge level between the audience and that required to understand the content is more important. Some content may not be very complex to an expert, but to an audience who has no understanding of that area, the content will appear to be very complex. When the audience will have to work harder to understand the content, a document will not serve them well since there is no one there to ask questions to. The risk is that the reader will misinterpret the content and arrive at an incorrect understanding.

There is no simple answer to whether a document or a presentation will be the best communication method. It depends on the goal of the communication, the content being communicated, and the audience receiving the communication. As a quick recap or reference, here is a table that summarizes the eight considerations explained above.

Documents, presentations, or a combination of both can be effective methods for communicating in organizations. Use the guidelines above to ensure you select the best method and avoid overwhelming the audience by presenting a document on the screen.

Dave Paradi has over twenty-two years of experience delivering customized training workshops to help business professionals improve their presentations. He has written ten books and over 600 articles on the topic of effective presentations and his ideas have appeared in publications around the world . His focus is on helping corporate professionals visually communicate the messages in their data so they don’t overwhelm and confuse executives. Dave is one of fewer than ten people in North America recognized by Microsoft with the Most Valuable Professional Award for his contributions to the Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams communities. His articles and videos on virtual presenting have been viewed over 4.8 million times and liked over 17,000 times on YouTube.

By Dave Paradi

Dave Paradi has over twenty-two years of experience delivering customized training workshops to help business professionals improve their presentations. He has written ten books and over 600 articles on the topic of effective presentations and his ideas have appeared in publications around the world . His focus is on helping corporate professionals visually communicate the messages in their data so they don't overwhelm and confuse executives. Dave is one of fewer than ten people in North America recognized by Microsoft with the Most Valuable Professional Award for his contributions to the Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams communities. His articles and videos on virtual presenting have been viewed over 4.8 million times and liked over 17,000 times on YouTube.