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How To Create a Project Presentation: A Guide for Impactful Content

Corporate, academic, and business meetings share one common factor: successfully delivering project presentations. This is one skill professionals should harness in terms of articulating ideas, presenting plans, and sharing outcomes through an effective project presentation.

In this fast-paced reality where new tools and frameworks make us question the human factor value, we believe there’s much to be said about how working towards building presentation skills can make a difference, especially for making a project stand out from the crowd and have a lasting impact on stakeholders. We can no longer talk about simply disclosing information, the manner in which the narrative is built, how data is introduced, and several other factors that speak of your expertise in the subject.

This article will explore the art of project presentation, giving insights to presenters to deliver a memorable project plan presentation. Whether you are new to this experience or a seasoned presenter, this article promises to give you valuable information on how to build and present a project presentation that resonates with your target audience and will convert into your expected results for the project. Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

• Who is the audience of a project presentation?

Executive Summary

Project overview, the project process model, the project scope, the project resources, the project roadmap, the project activities plan, the project risks, quality control, project execution and monitoring.

• The Project Team

What Is a Project Presentation?

A project presentation is a business activity that brings together stakeholders and team members to oversee a project from execution to completion. During a project presentation, one or two people present a document or slide deck with an overview of all the project’s details.

During a project presentation, the project manager highlights key data about the project initiation and planning activities, like the project scope, requirements gathering, a deliverable list, timelines, and milestones.

The first instance of a project presentation is right before the execution of the project itself. Then, during the project process life cycle, you present it again with timely updates and news about the progress.

Who is the audience of a project presentation? 

A project-related audience is made up of stakeholders – all individuals and entities that affect or are affected by the project’s existence.

Discuss the project presentation with team members that’ll work on the project so they know what’s at stake and what’s expected of them. They’ll need information like requirements, the roadmap, the work breakdown structure, and deliverables.

Stakeholders

Present your project to the stakeholders that can authorize resources and expenditures. Show them how the project will offer the solutions they want under the conditions they impose in a set amount of time. 

Stakeholders want to know details like project scope, budget breakdowns, timing calculations, risk assessments, and how you plan to confront these risks and be ready for changes. 

The Structure of a Project Presentation

Project presentations follow a standard structure covering all critical elements. Follow this guideline to ensure that you cover everything with the slides, the speech, and the discussion.

In the next section, we describe a project presentation structure you can build with SlideModel templates or working with our AI PowerPoint generator . As you will see, most sections in the structure are summaries or overviews of project management practices completed during initiation and planning. 

At the start of your presentation, add an executive summary slide . This section is meant to welcome the viewer to the presentation and give an idea of what’s to come. To differentiate your executive summary from the project overview that comes right after it, use the opportunity to place the project into context. 

In an executive summary , show how this particular project fits into the overall strategy for the company or the section it belongs to. If, for example, your project is about TikTok Marketing, offer information as to how it fits in the overall marketing strategy.

Continue the presentation with a project overview to show the audience what to expect. This section covers one slide or a combination of slides depending on the layout. The project overview slide serves as the introduction to a project presentation and what’s inside.

Include these items:

• An Introduction with a brief background about the project. 
• A short explanation of the project’s objectives and completion goals.
• A quick overview of the timeline with start and end dates.

The project life cycle is the series of phases that a project goes through from its inception to its completion. The project process model is the group of knowledge areas, processes, and their relationships that will guide the activities along the project lifecycle. The next slide should display the chosen project process model and explain how it’ll be carried out along the different lifecycle phases. Project process models examples include Waterfall, Scrum, and V Model for software development, and Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) and Swimlane for general business-related projects.

Process models are important for the team to understand execution processes. Stakeholders need to see the process model to understand the systematic process of activities and how long they will take. 

Use one slide for the model, show only high-level components, and offer details during the presentation if the audience asks for them.

The scope is a crucial element of any project and needs its own section in the presentation. The scoping process begins with requirements gathering and includes the creation of a work breakdown structure , an analysis of what’s in and out of scope, plus validation and scope management plans. 

One or two slides are enough to highlight key scope details in a dashboard-style layout mirroring the information on your project scope statement. Preferably, place the scope slides towards the start of the project presentation close to the process model and project resources.

Every project needs resources, and that assessment must be included in the project presentation as well. In a general sense, all resources are what make up the overall budget for the project. In turn, you’ll need to show a budget breakdown that shows high-level resources.

Like many aspects of a project presentation, what you include depends on the industry you’re working for. Construction projects use constructors, materials, machinery, etc. Software projects use programmers, designers, software licenses, computers, etc.

Time is the main resource of any project. During project planning, the project management team estimates the required effort needed to complete the defined scope. Using the Project Process Model, Scope, and Resources, a plan is built. Present a roadmap to highlight the expected time for project completion and where each milestone falls along that line.

Roadmaps can be constructed with an infinite variety of visual layouts, from highly creative and illustrative to structured formats resembling spreadsheets and tables with color-coded roadmaps across the cells. Use one slide to show the roadmap highlighting time estimates, constraints, and projections. For updated project presentations, mark where the project is on the roadmap at that particular moment in time.

Every phase of the roadmap is broken down into action plans . Action plans list activities, their duration, allocated resources (human, material, and financial), and the relationship between activities.

Present your project activities plan with a Gantt Chart and a Costs Report. The Gantt Chart will show the activities to execute, how long they will take, and who (person or team) will be responsible for them. The costs reports will show how much the execution of activities will cost.

During the presentation, you’ll spend the most time on this section, as this is when and where your entire plan is outlined. To show more detail than the roadmap overview, use a few slides to show specific sections of the main Gantt chart and show key activities per phase or milestone.

All projects present risks, and to control them, they must be identified, assessed, evaluated, and mitigated . Visualize your risk assessment with a risk matrix and include it in the project presentation. 

Use this slide to explain to stakeholders how you plan to mitigate the identified risks. Share with team members what’s expected of them in order to keep the risks under control. Risk management is a critical component of project management and something stakeholders will always be looking at.

Controlling the quality of project deliverables is critical for positive project outcomes and continued success with the deliverable. This process is called quality control or quality assurance.

The project process model includes which quality control techniques the team will use and when. Some quality assurance (QA) techniques include statistical process control (SPC), Six Sigma, ISO 9000, and Total Quality Management (TQM). Use one slide to visualize the process and your plan to execute it.

Once the project starts, the project plan is a living entity and evolves over time. This section will need to be regularly updated with progress reports, performance KPIs, and status updates.

Across these slides, explain how activities will be monitored and deliverable outcomes measured. Show exactly how you will determine if the project is on course or has deviations. Visualize all execution activities with a Gantt chart to show the current progress. Use big numbers and data points to highlight performance metrics. Use a comparison slide to visualize the completeness percentage vs. planned progress and budget consumption vs. planned budget.

Explain all monitoring activities for the execution phase using a calendar or schedule that shows on what days activities will take place and who is involved.

The Project Team 

When presenting a project, include a stakeholder map to describe the management team, the sponsors, the main stakeholders, and the implementation team or teams. Depending on the size of the project, this will be an org chart or multiple org charts across a few slides.

Why is it important to present the project team to the stakeholders and vice versa? So that everyone involved knows the other parties and their responsibilities.

Another use for the team slide or slides is to present the next person who will speak during the project presentation. This gives the audience some background on that person’s role in the project.

Case Study – Project Presentation Example

Using the structure we present above, we outlined a case study of a realistic project and how the project manager puts together the project presentation using SlideModel templates. The project presentation example is based on a complex project of building a bridge (Cline Avenue Bridge). For the educational purpose of this article, we are not delivering all the elements of the project presentation, as it is out of scope. Still, we illustrate the more representative slides of each section, show how to prepare a PowerPoint Presentation for a project and how simple it is to adapt the templates to the content that needs to be presented. As a disclaimer, all information we present is an adaptation and reinterpretation of the real project, modified by SlideModel to fit the use case learning goals. This information and presentation should not be considered a source of information related to the Cline Avenue Bridge Project.

In this slide, the presenter summarises the project highlights in a project charter style. The Project Manager can extend this introduction all over the project lifecycle, and the speech can jump from different knowledge areas without the need to change slides or get deeper into details. Specifically, in the Cline Bridge Project, the objective is narrated, the location is just mentioned and linked to a map for further details, and a set of important facts are presented (Building Information Modelling Process, Budget, Duration, Sponsor, and Constructor). Key Highlights of the final deliverable are listed (Segmental Bridge, Material Concrete, 1.7 miles of length and 46 feet of width)

Process Model

The Process Model slide illustrates the framework for the project lifecycle, processes, planning, and execution. In this slide, the Project Manager will describe the model and how it is tailored to the specifics of the project. In this case, for the development and construction of the Cline Bridge, the builder has defined the use of BIM (Building Information Modelling) as the process model. During this slide, the presenter can describe the lifecycle phases (Design, Production, Construction, Operation, and Planning) and drill down one level over the knowledge practices involved. For example, the initial stage consists of “Design”, which has two main knowledge areas, Conceptual Design, and Detailed Design. The project manager is able to explain this definition without the need to outline detailed processes and activities within them.

The Scope section of the presentation generally involves several slides, as the content layout is a list of “requirements.” Based on this fact, a table layout is suggested to make good use of space. It is important to avoid abusing the “list” and present the group of requirements rather than specific requirements. Otherwise, the project manager ends up transcribing the requirements document.

In this project presentation example, we present 10 groups of requirements traversing different stages of the project lifecycle. 

• Design Standards: Bridge design must comply with local, national, and international design standards, including relevant engineering and safety codes
• Load Capacity: The bridge must be designed to safely carry a specific maximum load, which would include the weight of the bridge itself, traffic, pedestrians, wind, and other factors.
• Seismic Design: The design must account for seismic loads. 
• Aesthetic Design: The bridge must be designed to meet certain aesthetic criteria aligned with the artists and architects.
• Accessibility and Use Requirements: Requirements for pedestrian walkways, bike lanes, vehicle lanes, load restrictions for vehicles, clearance heights for boats if over a waterway, etc.
• Regulatory Approvals: The project must secure all necessary permits and approvals from relevant local and national regulatory bodies.
• Environmental Impact: The project must take steps to minimize its environmental impact during construction and the operation of the bridge, including implementing erosion and sediment controls.
• Materials Simulation: Materials should comply with regulations and usage expectations for current and future expected requirements.
• Site Preparation: The project must include preparation of the construction site, including any necessary land clearing or grading.
• Foundations Construction: Foundations will need to support materials weight and traffic expected for the next 30 years.
• Site Acquisition: Acquire site and terrain for building and logistics.

Building a bridge involves a high level of resource usage. In an executive meeting of a project presentation, the recommendation is to structure this section as a Financial table with only one level of detail. Further details are delegated to specific resources and cost analysis presentations.

The resources list presented is:

• Professional Services
• Construction Labour
• Quality Assurance
• Contingency
• Waste Disposal and Cleanup
• Subcontractors

In order to break the style of table after table during the project presentation, we suggest using visual elements as icons and colors metaphorically related to each of the elements listed.

Project Roadmap

As explained earlier in the article, the project roadmap serves to offer a comprehensive overview of the significant milestones that will happen over the course of time. Given the magnitude of a bridge construction project and its prolonged duration, it is advisable, particularly for such extensive endeavours, to present a roadmap that aligns milestones with corresponding lifecycle phases in a discernible manner. This approach enables the audience to mentally envision the sequential progression of the construction process.

Aligned with previous slides, in the example we created a roadmap with the following high level milestones, and sub componentes:

• Project Budgeting and Financing
• Land Purchase & Renting
• Conceptual Design
• Detailed Design
• Access Routes
• Waste Disposal
• Simulations
• Materials Tests
• Seismic Tests
• Fabrication
• Preparation of Modular Pieces
• Build and Assembly
• Test under Acceptance Criteria
• Stress Test
• Operation and Maintenance

As you can see, the Project Manager decided over a sequential roadmap, presented with little detail in timings, with start and end dates to picture dimension over the diagram.

Action Plan

In the bridge construction project of the example, there will be plenty of activity plans. All along the project several of these slides will be created and updated. The most suitable option for presentation tasks, durations, precedence relationship and resource allocation is the Gantt Chart Template. We present the first Quarter of the project, over the Conceptual Design Activities. 

As displayed in the PowerPoint Slide , the subtitle clarifies the number of slides that will be used for this purpose.

The activities presented are:

• Site Analysis
• Feasibility Analysis
• Design Concepts
• BIM Model Creation
• Model Revision
• Environmental Impact
• Present Design

Project Risks

Risk management is an iterative process all over the project life cycle. When presenting your projects, the risks will vary depending on the progress over the roadmap. For this specific example we decided to present the risks being discussed during the Ideation stage, where the developer is exchanging risks with contractors and the company that will build the bridge.

Our suggested layout for this kind of information is a simple table, where the risks are clearly readable and visible, while the description is a hint for discussion rather than an in depth explanation.

It is very important to classify the presented risks, at least with two dimensions; “Impact” and “Probability”. This will generate quality conversations around them. 

Outlined Risks during the Initiation Phase:

• Design Errors
• Construction Delays
• Budget Overruns
• Regulatory Changes
• Site Conditions
• Equipment Failures
• Health and Safety Incidents

As the reader can spot, the risks outlined, are very high level, and each of them will trigger specific Risk Analysis Reports.

The quality control section of the project presentation may vary depending on the quality process adopted. For large scale companies with a uniform portfolio of projects , it is common to see a continuous improvement quality model, which iteratively builds quality over the different projects (for example software companies) For construction companies like the example, the situation is not different, and the quality control model is aligned with the specific building process model. In this specific case, the project manager is presenting the quality control process to be applied over the BIM model and the Quality Control process to be followed for the physical construction of the bridge:

Execution and Monitoring

During the project, several status meetings will be carried out. During the project presentation the manager can establish the pattern to be used along the project.

For this example, we set a basic progress dashboard where the project manager can present : 

• The current timeline
• Top 5 issues
• Current Burndown
• Top 5 risks.

The art of project presentation goes beyond listing data in random slides. A project presentation is a powerful tool to align stakeholders and foster an environment of trust and collaboration over factual information.

With a structured approach, all members involved in the project design and execution can understand the direction that’s being taken and the importance behind certain decisions. We hope these insights can turn your project into a powerful presentation that inspires and deliver results.

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Project Management, Project Planning Filed under Business

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What are the main difficulties when giving presentations?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Keep it simple

Simple means something different to everyone.

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

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

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

2. Create a compelling structure

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

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

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

3. Use visual aids

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

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

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

4. Be aware of design techniques and trends

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

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

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

5. Try the 10-20-30 rule

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

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

Tip #1: Tell stories

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

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

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

Tip #2: Make eye contact with the audience

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

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

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

Tip #3: Work on your stage presence

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

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

Tip #4: Start strong

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

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

Tip #5: Show your passion

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

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

Tip #6: Plan your delivery

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

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

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

Tip #7: Practice

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

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

Tip #8: Read the room

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

Tip #9: Breathe

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

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

Tip #10: Provide a call-to-action

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

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

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

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

Elizabeth Perry

Content Marketing Manager, ACC

6 presentation skills and how to improve them

3 stand-out professional bio examples to inspire your own, how to make a presentation interactive and exciting, how to write a speech that your audience remembers, tell a story they can't ignore these 10 tips will teach you how, reading the room gives you an edge — no matter who you're talking to, writing an elevator pitch about yourself: a how-to plus tips, your ultimate guide on how to be a good storyteller, 18 effective strategies to improve your communication skills, similar articles, the importance of good speech: 5 tips to be more articulate, the 11 tips that will improve your public speaking skills, 30 presentation feedback examples, how to not be nervous for a presentation — 13 tips that work (really), how the minto pyramid principle can enhance your communication skills, 8 clever hooks for presentations (with tips), stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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How to Give a Stunning Project Presentation

April 3, 2019 by Bernie Roseke, P.Eng., PMP 2 Comments

Many projects require a presentation, whether at the beginning, end, or somewhere in the middle.  Sometimes it is given to the managers or executives, sometimes to the project team , and sometimes to stakeholders who have a specific interest in the project.

Project presentations can be very nerve racking and difficult for many people, but that doesn’t mean they have to be difficult.  With practice and some basic guiding principles, you can give a stunning project presentation that will knock their socks off.  I’ve given many project presentations, and I’m going to share my secrets with you.

Present the Problem and Solution

• Repeat the main point 3 times
• Include an analogy or story
• Keep slides short
• Include pictures and Diagrams
• Connect with the audience

Many audience members assume that you know what you’re talking about, and most of the time you do.  But somehow, if the presenter doesn’t include the topic of the presentation directly, the audience doesn’t want to decide what it is for themselves.

It’s similar to a sales pitch in that it’s the presenter’s job to keep the audience engaged.  If you wish to maximize the communication of the message, you need to state it directly.

Include an Analogy or Story

• An analogy is a comparison to a similar real life thing, for example, This product works like a rocket ship taking off to the moon.  It takes a bit of preparation time which might seem a bit daunting at times only to have a very quick experience that over relatively quickly, but the experience is worth every second in the end.  I’ve become a true believer in the immense power of analogy.  Analogies engage audiences in milliseconds and give them something to remember the presentation by.  I’ve incorporated analogies in my writing at every opportunity, and the results have been truly amazing.  Many project presentations come in groups, that is, they are one out of many.  In this case, the presentation with an analogy is the one that will be remembered by the audience.
• A story is an experience that relates to the topic being presented, for example, Last year I had the privilege of working with sick kids at the hospital.  These kids needed life saving medical care, and the doctors were fantastic.  It made me realize that this product really has the potential to impact people, and maybe even save lives.  A story is a personal experience, either yours or somebody else’s.  They work just like an analogy by engaging the audience and giving them something to remember the project by.  But they have the potential to drag on when the audience starts to feel like it’s not about them.  The key to pulling off a successful story is to keep it short and relevant.  If the audience can’t connect it to the project, they will lose interest.

Ideas for analogies are surprisingly easy to find with internet searches.  Personal story ideas require brainstorming and thinking about the relationship between the topic and real world experiences.

Repeat the Main Point 3 Times

• Tell them what you’re going to say
• Tell them what you just said

In most presentations, this takes the form of an introduction, main body, and conclusion.  But all three parts need to spell out the main point in a prominent place, clearly and succinctly.  You want to make sure the audience doesn’t need to think, that people can be daydreaming about what they’re going to be doing that evening but they’ll perk up and get hit with a short but prominent main conclusion that they won’t forget.

In most presentations, audiences are not in a position where they want to exercise their thought muscles.  Similar to a sales presentation, they don’t want to think for themselves, they figure it’s the presenters job to tell them what to think.  Hence, they forget what they are told very quickly.

Speaking of which, did you notice the analogy?  I’ll bet that if you remember nothing else from this article, you’ll remember that the audience doesn’t want to exercise their thought muscles.

Keep Slides Short

Many presentations contain long winded verbiage that requires long form reading while the presenter is talking.  I see this time and time again in presentations that I attend, and I’ve even done this myself when it seemed like there was no other way to get the point across.  But in hindsight this is a waste of good presentation time.  Nobody is going to read long paragraphs.  In fact, nobody is going to read long sentences either.

The idea is simple.  When writing presentation slides, keep bullet points under two lines of text.  Any more and it should be said verbally or placed into the next bullet.

Include Pictures and Diagrams

This idea is self explanatory.  Make sure no more than about half of the presentation slides contain only written words.

Connect with the Audience

The previous 5 bullets contained advice for good presentation slides and planning, but what are some ideas to deliver the presentation in a stunning way?

There are a few secrets, but the key to all of them is connecting with the audience.

Remember first that the audience wants to hear your presentation.  They wouldn’t be there if they didn’t.  However, most people don’t have the attention span to stay engaged for an entire presentation unless they have a very high interest in the subject matter.  They will move in and out of attention, remembering only the most interesting (not necessarily important) parts.

Here are a few pointers:

• Use Outline notes Don’t read from a script.  Although it is permissible to read for some of the time, extensive reading from a written script disconnects from the audience and loses the message because people stop listening.
• Talk to one person I’ve found it helpful to pick one person in the audience and deliver the presentation to them.  Don’t look only at them, of course, but let it sink in that you are not so much talking to a larger audience as you are giving many presentations to individual people, simultaneously.
• Don’t let down the most interested person in the audience Here’s another tip I’ve used in my presentations as well as my musical performances.  There’s guaranteed to be at least one person in the audience who loves what you’re saying and wants to learn all about it.  So wouldn’t it be a huge disappointment if you let them down?  Let all your presentation anxiety submit to the desire to make sure that that one person who really wants to know your information isn’t disappointed.  I mean, why are you even talking to everyone else, that doesn’t care, anyway?

Those are my secrets for stunning presentations!  Let me know how it goes and what other tips you have in the comments section below.  I’d love to hear from you!

Related posts:

About Bernie Roseke, P.Eng., PMP

Bernie Roseke, P.Eng., PMP, is the president of Roseke Engineering . As a bridge engineer and project manager, he manages projects ranging from small, local bridges to multi-million dollar projects. He is also the technical brains behind ProjectEngineer , the online project management system for engineers. He is a licensed professional engineer, certified project manager, and six sigma black belt. He lives in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, with his wife and two kids.

Awesome post! I instantly shared this with my presentation writing service and they found your content quite in-depth and informative. Do share some similar knowledgeable content in the near future. Cheers!

Brilliant and effective tips! Your tips are very effective and I am going to make use of every tip spelled out here. Thanks for the knowledge and I pray that you share more of such with the public.

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How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

By Krystle Wong , Jul 20, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 10 qualities of a good presentation?

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

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

1. Clear structure

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

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

2. Engaging opening

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

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

3. Relevant content

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

4. Effective visual aids

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

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

5. Clear and concise communication

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

6. Engaging delivery

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

7. Interaction and audience engagement

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

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

8. Effective storytelling

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

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

9. Well-timed pacing

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

10. Strong conclusion

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

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

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

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

1. Understand the audience and their needs

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

2. Conduct thorough research on the topic

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

3. Organize the content with a clear structure

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

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

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

4. Develop visually appealing and supportive visual aids

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

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

5. Practice, practice and practice

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

6. Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments

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

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

7. Prepare for potential technical or logistical issues

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

8. Fine-tune and polish your presentation

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

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

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

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

1. Confidence and positive body language

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

2. Eye contact with the audience

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

3. Effective use of hand gestures and movement

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

4. Utilize storytelling techniques

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

5. Incorporate multimedia elements

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

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

6. Utilize humor strategically

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

7. Practice active listening and respond to feedback

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

8. Apply the 10-20-30 rule

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

9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule

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

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

1. How to start a presentation?

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

2. How to end a presentation?

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

3. How to make a presentation interactive?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How To Deliver a Project Presentation Like a Pro

Gary Froniewski

Use this guide to wow your audience with a project presentation that’s both engaging and effective..

Planning a project from beginning to end is already a huge endeavor, but what about presenting it to stakeholders or clients to get their support?

You have to be informative and engaging all while delivering your presentation as concisely as possible—that, or you risk losing the attention of your audience (and potentially their buy-in).

To that end, it’s imperative to cover the most valuable aspects of your project plan and do so in a way that resonates with your specific audience. Below we’ll share what an effective project presentation entails and outline a step-by-step process to delivering a creative, show stopping one of your own.

/ What is a project presentation?

A project presentation is a presentation designed to convey the details of a new project to stakeholders or clients. This includes information such as the goals of the project, the overall project plan, and the specific phases of the project. Effective project presentations are meant to be persuasive, informative, and engaging.

Steps for delivering a project presentation

Delivering a successful project presentation can be intimidating, but—with some preparation—it doesn’t have to be. Breaking the presentation down into its component parts to map out details and rehearse ahead of time will leave you feeling confident and ready when it’s time to step up to the podium.

Step #1: Set SMART goals

Setting SMART goals means setting goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. In the context of project management, SMART goals will help you go beyond merely stating your final objective and instead outline how you’ll get there.

For example, let’s say the aim of your project is to increase customer retention. That’s a worthy goal, but what actions will you take to achieve it? By how much do you want to increase retention? On what channels will this take place and over what timeframe?

Here’s how SMART goal setting can help answer some of these questions.

While increasing your customer retention is a worthy goal in and of itself, a SMART version of that goal would include more detail e.g., “Increasing customer retention through improvements to our website’s user experience.”

Making your goal measurable ensures you have key performance indicators (KPIs) that you’re tracking towards. This allows you to map all your actions back to increasing those KPIs which, if selected properly, will feed back into your now-specific goal.

Examples include:

Increasing website traffic by 30%

Achieving a 25% bounce rate

Attracting 500 email signups from home page calls to action

Making sure your goals are attainable is an important aspect of SMART goal setting as it ensures you’re working towards something you can actually achieve. This helps you better track progress along the way and avoids wasting time and effort on unrealistic objectives.

For instance, it’s much more attainable to say you will grow your website’s traffic 30% through user experience improvements than it is to say your website will become number one in your vertical or industry.

The first goal is a metric to track towards whereas the second goal is a pie in the sky ideal that may be possible but isn’t the most useful for goal setting.

Do your project goals ladder up to your organizational goals? This question is especially important if you’re seeking buy-in from internal stakeholders. You need to be able to demonstrate that what you’re doing will contribute to their interests and, more importantly, the business’ at large.

Revisiting our example, a time-bound goal would be to “increase website traffic by 30% year over year through user experience improvements, targeting a 3% uptick in traffic each month.”

This is a good SMART goal because it states what you’re trying to accomplish, how you’re going to do it, over what time frame, and it also builds in a micro goal to shoot for over the course of the overall project. This micro goal—if you notice—is also slightly more aggressive than simply dividing your yearly target by the number of months.

Give priority to important individual tasks within your project plan to be even more specific in your goal setting. This will give folks working on the project milestones to work towards and help them prioritize effectively.

Step #2: Lay out your project plan

Now that you’ve set SMART goals, the next step in presenting your project is to determine how you’ll lay out your project plan. This plan will take the form of the three main sections of your presentation:

Introduction and thesis statement

Conclusion and key takeaways

This will allow you to clearly communicate the overall goal of the project in the beginning, preferably with a hook that captivates your audience. Following this with a snapshot of your main points will let your audience move into the body of your presentation interested in what you have to say and aware of the key takeaways right from the beginning.

You’ll follow this with the bulk of the presentation dedicated to details e.g., micro goals, the project scope and methodology, milestones, deliverables, the schedule, and things like necessary resources and budget estimates.

Your conclusion will restate your main goal and also reoffer the key takeaways that encapsulate the most important and compelling parts of your presentation. If the goal is to earn stakeholder buy-in or approval from a client, this final step is crucial. You want your audience to leave with the sense they know exactly what you’re trying to do and what it will accomplish for them.

Utilize visual aids like charts, infographics, and even gifs throughout your presentation to support the key points and keep your audience engaged. Visuals are also a great way to add clarity and reinforce what you say verbally.

Step #3: Introduce cross-team dependencies

In a complex project, things often need to happen in a certain order to pave the way for subsequent tasks. One way to help determine the most optimal order is to map out your project’s critical dependencies. While there are various types of dependencies, we’ll focus on cross-team dependencies here.

A cross-team dependency is the relationship between work created by different functions that determines the order work tasks must be performed i.e., tasks that need to be completed for other tasks to become possible. Examples include developing and creating assets before they can be posted to social media channels or writing web copy prior to a site being published.

The reason this is important to be aware of from the outset is that it helps stakeholders better understand the project timeline, allows contributors to appropriately prioritize tasks, and establishes a dialogue between key players of the project before it gets started in earnest.

Ladder these cross-team dependent tasks back up to the SMART goals you set and align them within your project plan as well. This lets people know how their role, team, and department will work together to contribute to the success of the overall project.

Step #4: Review project phases

Having laid out your project plan and determined critical team dependencies, you can now review the phases of your project and map out how you’ll cover them in your presentation.

These phases include the following:

Initiating: The bulk of your work so far has been in the project initiation phase, including determining SMART goals and identifying dependencies. This also refers to details like project scope and clarifying budget and time constraints.

Planning: The planning phase covers the “how” of your project. As part of your presentation it’s important to outline project milestones, a proposed project timeline, and when and how stakeholders will communicate during the project.

Executing: This phase covers how your project will be executed e.g., ongoing costs, incorporating feedback, and communicating with team members. This is where tools like a Gantt chart come in handy (which we’ll cover shortly).

Closing: This is when you’ll track and report results then conduct an after-action assessment to see how your project performed against your goals. This phase will likely receive the least amount of time during your presentation.

It’s not necessary to cover each of these phases explicitly as part of your presentation, but it is important to discuss the elements that will help clarify details, answer questions, and relay information that’s relevant to your audience.

Focus on the Initiating and Planning phases of your project during the presentation. Also be prepared to answer questions around the Executing phase, which we’ll cover below.

Step #5: Leave time for Q&A

Lastly, make sure to leave time for questions from your audience at the end of your presentation. You’ll have covered a lot of key details, and—while the way you’ve laid out the presentation ensures you shared everything relevant (right?)—there will likely still be clarifying questions.

Try to anticipate these questions and have answers prepared or at least be ready to address them with next steps you’ll take to determine the answers. If you’ve done a good job, people will be excited to engage with you on these details.

Make a bulleted list of potential questions and answers which you can break up by phase of the project or by stakeholder/team. Have these ready during your presentation and make sure to note new questions that arise for follow-up.

Creative ways to present a project

Just as important as the content of your presentation—perhaps even more so—is the way you present it. Here are some of the more creative and effective ways to visualize your project presentation.

Gantt chart

A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that helps visualize a project schedule, including elements like dependencies, the current status of the schedule, and how task timelines overlap with one another. Activities are listed in a column on the left side of the chart and along the top of the chart is a suitable time frame for completion [ 1 ] .

While this is perhaps the most recognized way to display a project timeline, you may or may not have all the elements ready by the time your presentation is set to occur. If you do, however, this is an informative and visually appealing way to relay your project plan.

An example of a Gantt chart from Instagantt ( Source )

A simple and elegant approach to slide deck creation is using Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 approach i.e., 10 slides over 20 minutes with a font that’s at least 30 points [ 2 ] . This method ensures you’re not overloading your audience with information while presenting it in a way that’s easy to view and understand. Make sure to leverage visuals to support your text as well.

Presentation software

Lastly, presentation software is an excellent option to consider especially if your presentation will be delivered remotely. Many solutions include tools to pin the presenter’s camera, present content of any type, or highlight and draw attention to on-screen elements in real time.

Many presentation tools also feature practice modes which allow you to rehearse your presentation ahead of time, recording and timing the result for review. This is especially important if you’re speaking in front of a large group or have a lot of information to cover in a short amount of time. 

An example of presentation software from Reactiv SUITE ( Source )

Capterra tools & tips: Putting it all together to deliver a stellar project presentation

Following these five steps and choosing an engaging presentation method that works for you will nearly guarantee that your project presentation is well received by your stakeholders or clients. Armed with the actionable tips at the end of each step to get you started, you’re now poised to create and deliver a project presentation that’s sure to earn you the buy-in you need.

Interested to learn more about how to project manage like a pro? Visit the Capterra blog regularly for new content or get started here:

What Is Agile Project Management? An Expert Guide

Top 7 Project Management Tools To Unlock Time and Efficiency in 2022

How To Build and Implement a Project Transparency Plan in 4 Simple Steps

Note: The screenshots of applications included in this article are examples to show a feature in context and are not intended as endorsements or recommendations.

What is a Gantt Chart? , Gantt

The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint , Guy Kawasaki

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About the author.

Gary Froniewski is a Content Writer at Capterra, covering all things digital marketing, with a focus on emerging trends in experiential marketing. A recipient of multiple AMD Spotlight Awards for flagship product launch campaigns, he has a wealth of experience creating compelling copy to support Fortune 500 companies and small businesses alike. In his spare time he loves to enjoy food experiences, play tennis and disc golf, and explore nature in his home base of Austin, TX.

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How to present a project? Ultimate Guide

Project success belongs to the way you adapt to present it. If you present your project in an effective way that you grab the intention of your client and take him/her to an agreement but if you create blunders and skip important points that you need to discuss while presenting your project .

Importance of properly presented project. 

Presenting a project effectively is crucial for several reasons. It can significantly impact the project's success and your ability to communicate its value to stakeholders. However, here we have some key reasons why you must present your project correctly:

• Proper presentation helps ensure that your audience understands the project's objectives, scope, and goals. It reduces ambiguity and confusion.
• Project presentation will align all stakeholders, ensuring that everyone is on the same page regarding the project's purpose, deliverables, and timelines. This alignment will ultimately lead to project success. 
• An engaging presentation can capture your audience's attention and keep them interested throughout. So, you can expect better feedback, buy-in, and support for the project. 
• Effective project presentations provide the necessary information for decision-makers to make better choices. Whether it's approving project funding, adjusting the scope , or making strategic decisions, clear project presentations are essential for everything. 
• By presenting your project properly, Stakeholders will know who is responsible for what. It will ultimately help to prevent misunderstandings and finger-pointing. 
• Presenting the project can also help identify potential risks and issues early on. Stakeholders may raise concerns or offer insights that can help you address problems before they become major roadblocks.
• Project presentation helps in resource allocation . It allows stakeholders to see the project's resource requirements, helping them allocate personnel, budget, and other resources accordingly.

In short, presenting a project correctly is not just about creating a visually appealing slide. It is also about conveying information and aligning stakeholders. You must ensure that everyone involved has a clear understanding of the purpose, progress, and potential challenges of the project. Therefore, effective project presentation is a skill that you must learn. 

A complete guide on how to present a project?

Do not panic, and be confident about the content and visuals you have prepared to present your project. You should have command of all the information about your project, and you should also know each word you have included in your presentation so that you can explain it deliberately and confidently. You should follow some important steps to present your project:

First of all, know the goals of your project.

You should know the goals of the project you are doing as a project manager or being an owner of the project. First, you should discuss the project and fix its goals by having a warm call-up meeting with your teammates and the owner of the company or the client for whom you are doing the project. It is important when it comes to how to present a project.

Goal setting and owning are most important to make a project successful. It is the winning spot you set to win the race. If you do not do this, it means you do not have directions for where you will go, and all your efforts are useless.

Explain the goal of your project.

After setting the goals, you need to convince the audience by sharing the goals of your project in a way that they could have a better understanding of it. You can explain your project by

• Verbally presentation
• Documentations

If you explain the goals very well, you have done half of the work .

Organize the steps on a paper to present your project

After setting and explaining the goals of your project, you need to convince the audience or your client by explaining the ways to achieve these goals that seem. For that purpose, you should prepare well. You should make a layout of your presentation in which all the steps are organized and explained.

It will provide you with backbone support in presenting the project in an organized and ordered way. This organization will help you remember all key points and give you confidence about what you are saying. You know its meaning.

Prepare a rough sketch of the words you are going to speak

It is just like writing a speech. The delivery of words plays an important role in convincing the audience. If you know how to play the game of words well, you will easily take the audience to your platform. Therefore, before speaking in front of a crowd, keep in mind that you will be judged based on the words you deliver.

So, prepare for speaking and know the meaning of every word you have included. It can prove your strength or your weakness. It all depends on your preparation.

A healthy discussion with your team

When you work with your team, the pressure of work is minimized, and the moral support of your team also encourages you to give your best. While presenting your project, make your team ready to collaborate with you; you can divide the presentation into chunks and share it with your team members asking them to explain that specific part.

Team collaboration encourages success step-wise with the best quality in a short time as the work is divided and you are not burdened. Have trust in your team and get unique ideas by having a healthy discussion with them. Show value to others' ideas by considering and appreciating them.

Prepare your team-mate on standby if there appears to be a need to get their services while presenting the project. They provide you support to answer some critical questions asked by the client if you have pre- planned with your team members . You should keep this in mind when you are talking about how to present a project.

Prepare a presentation on PowerPoint

Another effective way to present the project is to put your ideas on the slides and mention the most important content about them. You can use the images to clarify the concept of your presentation and its purpose, as the images also describe the stories behind them. The images you use for visual description should be very clear and easy to understand.

Several tools in a presentation can help you present your project in the form of image illustration. You can play these slides automatically by setting the time duration. Do practice over these slides after fixing the duration for playing the.

You can present your project not only in the form of words or images but also through videos or graphics. The message you want to convey should not be lengthy or complicated. It should be simple and perfectly visible. Video audio presentation can be of more advantage in this regard.

Create some humor for the audience

If you talk a lot and change slide after slide, this will cause boredom among the audience. Here, you need to engage the audience while conveying your serious message in such a way that it seems entertaining. You can relate the bullet points or images with funny day-to-day activities to create humor, or you can also add some funny pictures or illusions to make fun of during heavy, serious discussions.

You will indirectly and silently decently engage the audience. If you do so, you will not feel the need to ask or make a request to the people to listen to you. They will do so willingly . It is an art, and if you know how to do it without realizing the audience you are doing this intentionally, you are a successful speaker.

In this way you will easily grab the attention of the client of your audience, they will love to listen and understand you, and even they will wait and expect the next bouncer from your side.

Adopt a confident body language.

It is human nature that we feel hesitant when we address a crowd who is sitting to judge us and ready to argue with us when it is our first time. But slowly, you will learn to deal with such a situation.

No matter if you are a beginner, you do not need to get worried. Just stay confident that you have prepared your presentation and practiced as well, and you can answer every query raised by the audience.

Focus on your body language; avoid doing the things that reveal your nervousness, like pressing your hands and playing with a pen by producing the sound of a tick-tock. It looks so odd and leaves a bad impression on your audience.

Make sure you have presented all the aspects.

Keep a checklist with you on paper or a computer slide and check with it whether you have explained important parts of your project, your client must know about them, or one of them is left by mistake. If it is left, it is okay; make a turn and explain it in a way that it seems you did not explain it before to maintain the surprising effect of your project.

I will say again that practice is the key to making your project presentation successful and completed within the expected or allocated time limit.  It is important when you come up with the question of how to present a project.

Present everything without getting nervous. 

Project presentation can sometimes be a real headache, even for pros. However, when you are presenting your project presentation, you must explain everything you have prepared without getting nervous. 

It would be better to keep these steps in mind to make the most out of this experience:

• You must keep your presentation concise, but don't forget to cover any of the essential points. 
• When you are presenting your presentation, you can take a quick pause to gather your thoughts. Slowing your breathing will certainly calm your nerves. 
• Take notes of what you will cover in your project presentation. It will help us to look more confident in the presentation room. 
• Above all, practicing your project presentation more can also make you feel less nervous. For perfect results, it is always better to practice throughout the time. 

Answer the relevant questions

When you present your project, there will be many questions among the audience that are mostly related to the project type, but some of them will ask such questions just to confuse you or let your morals down. Here, you need to play the mind game; do not let these questions disturb you, but answer them with patience whether you know the answer or not.

If you do not answer, simply tell them you do not know about it but want to know and ask for an explanation in the sense to add up your knowledge. If these questions are shits just to disturb you, they will not be thrown towards you next time.

You must be prepared for your question-answer session during and after your project presentation. It is because your audience may ask you some difficult or tricky questions. Regardless of what you have been asked for, it is always important to take proper time and answer their questions with the information they are looking for. 

Wrap up with a project

After discussing every aspect of the project with the client in detail, answering the queries, and getting suggestions, you need to end the session by wrapping up the project presentation in the form of a summary and giving a short review. In this way, all important parts of the projects will be recalled and finalized.

Common mistakes to avoid in project presentations 

When presenting a project, avoiding common mistakes is essential for ensuring clarity, engagement, and effectiveness. So, here are the common mistakes that you must avoid in your project presentation:

• Lack of Preparation

Inadequate project presentation can affect you in multiple ways. For example, you may stumble over your words during the presentation, lose your thought process while explaining some concepts, or even don’t have your project material ready to present. 

Effective preparation is key to a satisfied audience. Therefore, you should also focus on preparing your project presentation. The process involves researching your topic thoroughly, creating a structured outline, and practicing your presentation multiple times to build confidence and fluency. 

• Information overloading

When it comes to presenting a project, people usually make the mistake of overwhelming their audience with the overload of information. They add excessive data, statistics, and technical details of the project that may be hard to digest for the audience. 

The best practice here is to focus on adding the most important and relevant information only to your project presentation. Additionally, you can also add some statistics to support your key points. The best practice to simplify complex or technical project information is adding visuals in your presentation. 

• Not clearing your project purpose. 

Without clear objectives, your audience may leave the presentation unsure. It is because they don’t get what actions they should take, the scope of the project , or what they will get from the project. 

You should overcome this problem by stating the purpose of your project early on. Moreover, it would be better to outline what you want to achieve with this project and what others will get from it. 

• Poorly designed visuals 

Visuals in your project presentation should complement your spoken words. The visuals in the presentation should not distract your audience from what you are saying. 

Remember that cluttered or confusing slides can lead to disengagement.

You must keep slides simple, with clear headings, bullet points, and visuals that reinforce your message. Use a consistent design template and appropriately designed visuals for improved engagement. 

• Skipping the introduction 

An engaging introduction sets the tone for your presentation. It gives you an opportunity to capture the attention of your audience and increase it consistently.

For this, you have to craft a compelling opening, such as a relevant story, a surprising fact, or a provocative question. These practices will certainly help you to draw your audience in. 

• Not defining the problem statement. 

Failing to clearly define the problem your project addresses can leave your audience wondering why the project is necessary. As a presenter, you must provide a concise and relatable problem statement early on. It should demonstrate the relevance and importance of your project. 

• Poor storytelling 

Stories help make your presentation memorable and relatable. They add a human element to your content. Therefore, it would be better to incorporate relevant anecdotes, case studies, or real-world examples into your project presentation. These will help you to illustrate your points and connect with your audience emotionally.

• Disorganized presentation structure 

A disorganized presentation structure can confuse. Even your audience will find it difficult to follow your thoughts. So, you must create logical sections with clear sections, transitions, and signposts. These will help you to guide your audience through your content seamlessly.

Final thoughts

If you are new to project management and do not know how to present a project to your client or the crowd of the audience, please do not be worried and panic at all. It is not a big deal. You can do it by maintaining your confidence level, organizing the order of steps you are going to discuss, practicing and being tricky about grabbing the attention of the audience.

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13 Tips To Deliver A Great Presentation For Project Status Update

Editorial Team

Giving a presentation could be one of the most nerve-wracking tasks ever.  No matter how well-prepared you are, having to present to your boss or to a meeting is always stressful. If you somehow get it right though, one 5-minute presentation could be enough to make you ‘the man’ in the room.

Presentation skills are becoming more and more important in today’s world, especially with the rapid developments in technology. You may need to give briefings to the directors, suppliers, a team leader, or to your organization as a whole. Presentations provide the means to help stakeholders understand the company’s ongoing projects.  In a prospering career, there’s no way to avoid giving them forever. Hence, we’ve gathered 13 of the most important points to keep in mind before your next presentation. 

1. Arrive Early

A presentation is useless without functional supporting equipment. Gone are the days of giving presentations through flipping over paper charts; technology has taken over. Due to this, it’s always advisable to arrive early! Make sure you have enough time to test out everything. Check and ensure that everything has been arranged and placed where you want it. You’ll need a perfectly functioning mic, laptop (for the PowerPoint file), projector and remote. Checking it all yourself also has an added benefit of inspiring confidence within you; sending messages to your mind that you’re all set and ready.

People with stage fright could also make great use of arriving at the venue earlier. Just the thought of getting up to a stage in front of hundreds of people, and being flooded in lights, could absolutely petrify some people. You could help this situation by getting up to the stage a few times before the actual presentation so that you create a comfort zone around it. If you arrive early, you’ll get a chance to hold the mic, climb up that stage and greet the non-existent crowd to gain familiarity beforehand. Remember, familiarity is a direct counter to nervousness.

2. Plan Your Presentation

An effective presentation is well-structured and designed carefully from start to finish. The goal is to fit chunks of easily digestible knowledge in a concise manner. The entire presentation must have a ‘flow’ that connects one dot to another naturally, as this makes it much easier for the recipients to comprehend and understand information. A preemptively thought-out structure would also help you address every point without forgetting anything in between. Achieving all of this only becomes possible only through precisely planning out vital aspects of your presentation.

From a broader perspective, the following is an example of what most presentation structures look like;

• Introduction – Make recipients aware of the context and put forward your ideas. Urge your audience to get involved and start thinking about the subject you have in mind.
• Body – Draft a few effective steps that work well towards achieving the ‘ideas’ discussed above.  Communicate these to the audience and address any challenges to be faced with proposed solutions.
• Summary – Signify the crux of your entire presentation to the audience. Reiterate the main concept of your presentation and the steps needed to work towards it.

Make sure the structure you end up finalizing isn’t too complex. Put yourself in a recipient’s shoes and deeply analyze the parts of the presentation that could be improved.

3. Practice The Presentation

Giving a presentation brings a unique set of fears, and we’ve all thought about them just before it starts. However, the way you plan out and do things ahead of time could literally change the entire game. As a starting point, identify which thoughts scare you the most about the presentation. Really question yourself what it is you can do to eliminate these fears? Amazingly, you’ll find that there’s a common one-word answer to this question for most of your presentation related worries; practice. For example, your mind may be imagining scenarios like these;

• “What if I stutter and just can’t get the words out properly?”
• “What if I forget where I’m getting at?”
• “What if a certain question totally throws me off?”

To address these issues, give yourself time to walk through the entire thing several times. Talk the whole presentation out and get super familiar with the delivery. Actively consider the tone of your voice, your speed and other parts that you may want to work on.

Way too many presentations fail to hit home simply because of a lack of practice on the presenter’s end. You could have the most informative and immersive presentation planned out, but it could all be in vain without practice. Just because you’ve done your research, created an outline, and prepared all your slides, doesn’t mean you’re foolproof. Practice, practice, and practice! Even if you know  how to write a TED Talk script  perfectly, without ample practice, the potential impact of your presentation might still fall short. Remember, having a well-crafted script is just one aspect; the true effectiveness lies in rigorous practice and delivery.

4. Prepare For Any Questions In Advance And Standby Backup Slides

You must expect various questions during or at the end of your presentation.

In fact, rising questions will help you gauge your audience’s concentration

Before the presentation:

• List all possible questions and practice how to answer them. You want to consider practicing the toughest questions possible.
• You may also gather all the stakeholder’s questions beforehand and include the right feedbacks in your presentation. More so, if you’re presenting to large room or remotely based audience.
• Prepare your own staged question. Entice your audience by picking an individual with a predetermined question, to encourage other stakeholders to present their questions.

Prepare backup slides:

When structuring your PowerPoint slides, you’ll have your opening slide, in-between, final, then summary. It’s advisable to add back up slides below the summary slide.

Things to include in your slide;

• Those unreadable graphs or charts in small print.
• The presentation is unrelated to other slides.
• You’ll stretch your short presentation further.
• Display those graphs that wouldn’t fit in your main presentation.

Most importantly,

• you’ll have impressed your viewers who will notice your shear effort on what you are saying.

5. Interact With The Audience

Don’t let your audience get bored.

• Ask them questions and listen to theirs too.
• Laughter is the best medicine. Make your presentation appropriately hilarious. You could open the presentation with funny notation. Connect with audience.
• Share your slides with the audience- allow them to save it on their devices during the presentation.
• Connect with their emotions. Use videos or short clips to drive your points.

It is important to engage your audience as they will keep focusing on your presentation and enjoy the presentation from start to the end. Remember your focus is the audience so whatever presentation you do should be gear towards attracting the attention of the audience at large.

6. Control The Meeting Flow And Show You Are Well Prepared

You need to know what you’re saying, don’t just follow the slides. Moreover, take control of the meeting. Set;

This will enable you to control every aspect of the meeting  and ensure that you deliver the best presentation to your audience.

7. Present Project Status With Facts and Figures

Spent time on project status

Show a chart of each project phase in the percentage of each project phase on a milestone.

You could present a table of the milestone with;

• Planned dates.
• Actual completion
• Percentage Progress.
• Tasks remaining to complete the milestone and specific members assigned the task.

You’ll have to convey a bar graph with a cost variable on the y-axis.

• Actual cost
• Planned cost
• Budgeted cost

Use a different color for different variables bars.

Work Schedule

Show the percentage completed, to know the exact progress of the project.

Present a graph of created versus completed tasks.

Chart representation of tasks completed, not started and on-going.

Show the workload completed, remaining and overdue.

8. Present Project Issues And Risks With Detailed Explanations And Proposed Recommendation

There are Predetermined risks and unexpected risks.

Present your heading

• Have a heading for every risk or issue.

Subheadings

• Give a detailed update on early and newly identified issues/risks.
• Present bullet lists or tables:
• Talk of the project risks and issue elements under the subheadings.
• Tell the audience how you’ve agreed to deal with the issues.

Give a short update on the way forward

• Any recommendation on the project must be approved by everyone.
• Present your approved possible action or any request for change.

9. Make Eye Contact

A conversational technique of presenting works wonders to keep the recipients immersed. The more you interact with the people you’re talking to, the more they’ll want to listen to your words. Many successful presenters like to incorporate a Q &A style to allow the audience to personally clear out their queries.

Luckily though, interaction isn’t just achieved through words. Even by looking straight at a certain person for a few moments, you’d have grabbed his attention for at least the next fifteen seconds. As you’re speaking your mind in a presentation, make confident and direct eye contact different from people. Surveys suggest that 3 to 5 seconds is the most appropriate span for these glances to work effectively. Directly seeing your audience nod to your ideas is a confidence booster in itself! Build this habit, you’ll make leaps of progress just by this little improvement.     

10. Use Visuals

If used effectively, visuals could literally increase the impact of your presentation tenfold. A book could be written about this section and it still wouldn’t do justice to the importance of visual aids. A presentation isn’t just mean because of the words you choose. Your recipients aren’t going to remember and retain all of it anyway. However, their pictorial memory (visual recognition) enables them to retain much of what they see, rather than what they hear.

Using visual aid as a support to your speech, your message could travel way further! Be careful though, misuse of visual aids could actually work against you too, e.g. forgetting to switch slides while you move on to the next point, or an over-filled slide. Some commonly used visual aids include flip charts (slightly outdated), whiteboards, the use of projectors and sliders, or some props! One of the most effective ways to create interesting and informative presentations is by using ready-to-use PowerPoint templates.

The following are a few benefits of using visuals;

Improved Understanding

The catchier your presentation is, the easier will it be for listeners to digest the information. Visuals help a great deal in making a presentation more interesting, leading to a better comprehension of your words.

Stronger Retention

Surveys and studies suggest that humans only retain 10% through their auditory recognition (listening), as compared to a 66% retention rate of visual recognition. If a presenter considers information retention to be vital, visual aids are a must.

Supports the Presenter

Through the use of visual aids, you’re basically protected against the possibility of forgetting stuff. Visuals create a sequential flow of the presentation, and the speaker could refer to them at any time. If you suffer from nervousness, a visual aid may prove to be a reliable friend!

11. Keep Your Slides Simple

As mentioned above, a cluttered slide could actually play an adverse role in your presentation. Instead of improving the presentation, it might drive the attention of the audience away from the speaker. You never want your audience to be too busy working out all the arrows and jumbled up words in your slide. They wouldn’t be listening to you while they figure that mess out. Instead, split the information over more slides to display them and talk over them peacefully.

In presentations, it’s the little things that count. Even the choice of colors in some slides could throw off a few particular recipients, so it’s best to exercise simplicity when it comes to slides. After all, the slides are there to supplement what you’ve got to say, instead of the other way around.

12. Use Stories And Analogies

Understandably, drowning anyone in stats and numbers is the quickest way to lose their interest. No one comes to the presentation excited to hear about statistical data, right? Alternatively, the use of stories has proven to be incredibly effective as a means to gain the audience’s complete attention. We naturally look to relate ourselves to a story someone tells, and there’s an intrinsic desire to know what happens next. This constitutes a strong, impeccable focus.

Apart from this, it works wonders for the retention rate as well. We’ve discussed the importance of this factor above, and many presenters would love for their message to be retained by listeners. Stories help us create a context to the underlying message, and we associate characters along with it. This helps us recall information in a much more effective manner. Remember those childhood stories that had a moral at the end? Of course, you do, that’s the power of stories.

13. Provide A Copy Of Your Presentation

At the end of your presentation, you could always announce that copies containing key points would be handed out to recipients. This helps the interested parties refer to it later on when they need to recall a certain point. Anything that aids their memory for remembering the crux of the presentation is a win-win for the presenter, so why not?

Planning and practice are arguably two of the most important aspects of delivering an extraordinary presentation. Planning tells you what to do, and practice teaches you how to carry it out. With experience, you’ll also learn new ways to maintain the immersion of your audience, which has also been discussed in detail above. Some tips to keep in mind are to find ways to interact with your audience more and more. You could achieve that through eye contact and a conversational style, where the speaker asks and welcomes questions.

Many stressful scenarios could be transformed into positive occurrences just by changing the way we perceive them. If you’ve got a presentation coming up, there’s no need to be nervous. Alternatively, look at it as an opportunity to grow yourself and to expand your comfort zone. Once you’re ready to take this challenge on, you’ll need guidance to get it right. This article has introduced you to ten of the most important presentation tips and techniques to absolutely nail it. All the best!

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How to Give a Presentation

Last Updated: October 4, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 525,442 times.

Giving a presentation terrifies most of us, especially when talking before a crowd of people about an unfamiliar topic. Never fear! There are ways to make a good presentation. The more presentations you do, the easier they will become!

Preparing For the Presentation

• It's best to have 1 main thesis statement or overarching theme and 3 main points that back-up or flesh-out your main theme. Any more than that and your audience is going to start losing interest. This means that any facts and information that are a part of your presentation should back up these 3 main points and overarching theme.
• For example: If you're giving a presentation about 17th century alchemy, bringing up the history of alchemy is fine (and probably necessary), but don't mire your audience in its history instead of focusing alchemy in the 17th century. Your 3 points could be something like "alchemy in public opinion," "famous 17th century alchemists," and "the legacy of 17th century alchemy."

• Pick your very best supporting facts, information, or quotes for your presentation. Don't bury your audience in information.

• Make sure you're using media to enhance your presentation and not to drown it out. The presentation is key. Anything else is just accessorizing.
• For example: to get back to 17th century alchemy, to back up your information about alchemy in the public opinion, you might want to show images from public pamphlets about the dangers of alchemy and see what people of the time period had to say about it and see what the more famous alchemists had to say about it.
• Also, you want to make sure that you pick a medium that you are comfortable in and thorough in knowledge. If you don't know a thing about PowerPoint, maybe consider writing your main points on a white board, or passing out handouts with your main points and evidence on them. [3] X Research source

• A good tip is to film yourself or audiotape of yourself giving your practice presentation so you can see what distracting verbal and physical tics you have, so that you can work on eliminating them before the presentation itself. (Verbs tics would be things like "um..." and "uh..." and using "like" inappropriately; physical tics are things like shifting your weight from foot to foot or messing with your hair.) To stop yourself from saying "um" or other unwanted tics, be aware you're doing it first, then speak more slowly and deliberately. Breathe deeply and feel free to pause and appreciate the silence. These will all help you to have mastery over your tics.
• Just remember that rehearsals usually run about 20% shorter than your actual presentation, so take that into account if you're running on a time limit.

• For example, if you aren't comfortable wearing heels, don't wear them just for the presentation. You'll be distracted by your discomfort and that will come across in the presentation. There are plenty of good shoe choices that have no or a low heel.
• Clean, nice slacks or a skirt and nice, button-down shirt in neutral colors are always good choices for presentation wear. You also don't particularly want your clothing choice to distract from the presentation, so perhaps avoid that brilliant hot pink shirt.

Giving the Presentation

• Before the presentation, clench and unclench your hands several times to deal with the adrenaline and then take 3 deep, slow breaths.
• Call up a smile, even if you feel like hurling. You can trick your brain into thinking that you're less anxious than you actually are and you'll also be able to hide your nervousness from your audience.

• Make eye contact with your audience. Don't stare at one particular person, but section up the room and make eye contact with someone in each section on a rotational basis.
• Have a big, welcoming smile on your face, with lots of energy, so you start out from a strong and engaging place.
• Ask questions of your audience and take questions during your presentation. This will make it more of a conversation and therefore more interesting.
• Tell an amusing anecdote to illustrate your point. From the above examples about 17th century alchemy, you could find an amusing alchemical anecdote from the time period, or you could talk about your own forays into alchemy.

• Move around, but make your movements deliberate. Don't nervously shift your feet (in fact, it's a good idea to imagine that your feet are nailed to the floor except for those times you deliberately choose to move).
• Use your vocal inflections to create a more dynamic presentation. Vary your voice as you're talking. Nobody ( ever ) wants to sit there and listen to someone drone on and on in dull monotone, no matter how interesting the material (think Professor Binns from Harry Potter; that's what you don't want).
• Try to create a balance between rehearsed and spontaneous. Spontaneous, on the spot, movement and asides can be great as long as you are really comfortable, otherwise they can sidetrack your presentation and make it rambling. Mess around with spontaneous and rehearsed when you're practicing and you'll get a feel for it.

• Quickly introduce your topic and don't assume that your audience is familiar with all the terms, especially if your topic is one that isn't widely known.
• Figuring out why you want (or have to) give this presentation will help you work with an overarching story/theme. Maybe you want to pass the class. Maybe you're convincing people to give you money or join you in a philanthropic endeavor or act for a social or political reason. Channel that desire into your presentation. You're answering the question of why they would want to pass you or why they would want to fund you. That's the story you're telling.

• Make use of pauses, and learn to be comfortable with silences. Silence can be a powerful presentation tool and gives you a chance to take a moment to recompose. By taking pauses, you can slow down your breathing and be more deliberate in your speech, avoiding speaking too quickly.
• Have water with you and take a sip when you feel you're going too fast.
• If you have a friend in the class or meeting, arrange with them beforehand that they will let you know with a signal whether you're talking too quickly. Look over their way occasionally and check your progress.
• If you find that you're running out of time and you haven't finished, simply drop or summarize your leftover material. Acknowledge the leftover material as something that can be discussed later or in the Q&A.

• Make it clear what the listeners now know and why it is important that they have this new information.
• Conclude with examples or stories about your main point and take home message. You might want a slide which summarizes your presentation. For example, you might conclude with a story about the nature of alchemy in the modern era (perhaps in a film) to show its malleable nature.

What Is The Best Way To Start a Presentation?

Community Q&A

• Have a short Q&A session at the end of each subtopic. Q&A sessions will improve audience engagement. It also acts as a welcome break for audience in case of long presentation. For this though, you will need to know the subject you choose well. Make sure you understand and have more than just the basic knowledge about the topic you choose. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Use pictures or visuals. Pictures and visuals show that you know what you're talking about, and it gives the audience a picture of what you're talking about. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Try to have a "leave behind" message, something that your audience can take away that reminds them about your presentation, like a flyer or a book, for example. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• Use pictures! A good way to use pictures is through PowerPoint. If you don't have PowerPoint, you can print the pictures onto a board (paper, card board, or larger paper).
• Don't be nervous. Practice and do just like you did in practice. If you are nervous, the audience will know.
• Try to do some hand jesters. Speak loud and clear. Make eye contact with them. Be confident.
• Let the audience have an opportunity to interact with you.

• Don't make your speech too long, unless it is really good, and you have to have done speeches for a long time to have them be that good and long. Stick to short and sweet. Thanks Helpful 49 Not Helpful 11
• Don't put off work to the last minute. Then your work will be most likely sloppy. If you do well under pressure, do your project a bit at a time and maybe it will get done. Or, try doing it all at the beginning, so then you have the whole rest of the time to play or check your assignment. Thanks Helpful 35 Not Helpful 16
• Jokes are usually not okay, especially in a professional setting. A light hearted comment is fine, but don't make it seem like a comedy show. Thanks Helpful 11 Not Helpful 3
• If you speak in a too fast/slow or monotone voice, people will not want to hear you! Aim for a conversation voice (but slightly louder) with natural pauses (commas and periods). Develop a tone depending on what you're talking about. It's more interesting and engaging to hear someone speak in a serious tone rather than a monotone when speaking about world hunger. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 2
• If you suffer from twitchy fingers, be mindful to move your hands during your presentation only when necessary, or the audience may notice and feel you are unprepared. Thanks Helpful 8 Not Helpful 3

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/young-entrepreneur-council/13-tips-for-giving-a-kill_b_3728093.html
• ↑ https://www.niu.edu/presentations/prepare/index.shtml
• ↑ https://algonquincollege.libguides.com/studyskills/creating-presentations
• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-prepare-the-presentation
• ↑ http://www.washington.edu/doit/TeamN/present_tips.html
• ↑ https://counseling.uiowa.edu/self-help/30-ways-to-manage-speaking-anxiety/
• ↑ https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/oralcommunication/guides/how-to-engage-your-audience-and-keep-them-with-you
• ↑ http://hbr.org/2013/06/how-to-give-a-killer-presentation/ar/1
• ↑ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-slow-down-your-speech-when-presenting-sharon-maree-jurd-cfe/
• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-conclude-a-presentation

About This Article

Before you give a presentation, spend some time crafting what you will say. Most presentations should center on a thesis, or main idea, and contain about 3 supporting points. Cutting unnecessary content will ensure your presentation is impactful. Once your presentation is done, practice delivering it in front of a mirror or while recording yourself so you can identify and correct any issues. To calm your nerves before you present, try clenching your fists a few times and taking several deep breaths. For more advice about giving presentations, like whether to use visual aides, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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8 Ways to Deliver a Great Presentation (Even If You’re Super Anxious About It)

• Joel Schwartzberg

Know your point, always.

Feeling anxious about a presentation? It’s likely about a fear of public humiliation rather than of public speaking.

• Shift the spotlight from yourself to what you have to say.
• Reject the voice in your head trying to destroy your confidence.
• Knowing what matters – and what doesn’t – will help you succeed.

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

I recently worked closely with a 24-year-old client — let’s call him Martin — who was tapped to deliver a five-minute presentation at his company’s annual town hall meeting. Martin had never given a public speech in his professional life, but his accomplishments impressed his supervisors, and they wanted Martin to share his success with the rest of the organization.

• JS Joel Schwartzberg oversees executive communications for a major national nonprofit, is a professional presentation coach, and is the author of Get to the Point! Sharpen Your Message and Make Your Words Matter and The Language of Leadership: How to Engage and Inspire Your Team . You can find him on LinkedIn and X. TheJoelTruth

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How to Deliver Outstanding and Convincing Project Presentations

• May 4, 2022
• Career Guidance

Project presentations are very key soft skills and pretty essential in academic and professional lives. Presentation skills help create innovative ideas when students come up with creative and interesting slides to illustrate their talk. The use of presentation aids makes for a much more interesting talk, and the creation of such aids can help develop students’ confidence. In this post, we are going to discuss 6 important tips to create an outstanding and convincing project presentation.

6 Tips to follow for Creating an Outstanding Project Presentation

By Tony Ademi

During a presentation, it’s your job to get your message across and ensure your listeners engage with your content. Nevertheless, if you’re confident enough when speaking, you can take a minute to analyze the way you speak. 

When presenting in front of other people, something that can quickly get to us is how we feel in front of the rest when presenting. The truth about our mind is that it never actually stops working until we get up and speak in front of the public. 

Well, if you are someone that feels this way, we have great news for you; keep reading this article because we will show you the top six tips you can follow for setting up a convincing presentation and project. 

Prepare Well

The quality of your project and presentation primarily depends on the quality of your preparation. Of course, you can have issues even if you are well prepared, but even if you do struggle a little, it won’t be as bad as not being prepared well enough! Here are some things you can do to prepare at your highest level: 

• Visualize and prepare before you give your speech. Alternatively, you can try presenting with your friends and family members. 
• Proofread your printing materials before you use them. 
• During the practice session, make sure everyone listening to you informs you of your mistakes or where you can improve. You may want to avoid rehearsing with people who won’t notice your mistakes. 
• Encourage participants to ask questions at the end or even during the presentation.
• Consider using a script and organize your material in the way you feel most comfortable doing so. 
• If you are going to translate audio files, always have a backup plan. You can never depend on technology entirely. 
• Test all the audiovisual equipment before you get started. Test if your presentation slide is in order and the speakers are working. 
• Check the lighting of the presentation. If you need to adjust it during your presentation, you can consider telling someone else to do the work for you while you present. 
• Keep water close to you at all times! 
• Try to set up some sample questions that you think people may ask you before getting started. 
• Review the key points of the presentation. 
• Don’t forget to dress well; you only have one shot at making a first impression! 

Manage Your Stress and Anxiety

Mark Twain once said, “There are two types of speakers. Those who get nervous and those who are liars.” 

Being nervous before a presentation isn’t anything wrong; it makes us human. However, even the best performers worldwide are anxious before performing on stage. Here are a few suggestions for reducing your stress and anxiety before you start presenting your project: 

• Try to transform your nervousness into dynamic energy in your presentation. 
• Remind yourself that your audience is there for the same purpose as you, and they’d feel the same if they were in your shoes.
• Don’t try to say things that aren’t true. You might get caught by someone from the class, and they can call you out and prove you wrong, which is not the desired outcome. 
• Focus on delivering the main point of the presentation, not delivering words based on how you feel. 
• Smile, relax and keep saying good words to yourself before presenting. After all, everyone is there to listen to you and support you. 
• Stress and anxiety reduce when you keep presenting in front of people. In time, you’ll only get better.

Make Your Start Powerful

The greatest talent can never be complete if we miss the main component – passion. So keep your opening strong and simple for the others to engage with. For example, here’s what you can do: 

• Start your presentation off with some humor that is related to the topic. Of course, it should be humor that isn’t offensive to anyone. 
• Explain the purpose of the presentation in a short sentence and include what kind of value participants will gain after the presentation is over. What you gained from your research is what they’ll be gaining from you.
• Don’t go through the presentation too fast. Instead, start with a balanced pace and seek to establish a powerful image. Going through the presentation too fast will only make you look like you are trying to finish it quickly. It isn’t something you want to do. 

Furthermore, here are a few key points you can start your introduction with: 

• A preview and outlining of your key points throughout the presentation 
• A summary of your key points in one big picture
• An attention-getter. Use your creativity to start your presentation with something you think will gain people’s attention from the beginning. 

We recommend you start off your speech with exciting stories, a quote, and facts. Whatever is interesting will make people listen closely to what you say. In fact, according to a 2016 study , storytelling is considered one of the most effective ways to get anyone’s attention. 

Do the Research

Once you define your goals – getting a good grade, peers’ and professors’ attention, gaining valuable and long-lasting knowledge – you need to ask yourself, “How can I transfer this knowledge to them in a 20-or-so minutes presentation?” Then, gather your research in one place and consider using timelines and word documents during your findings and analysis for better organization. 

Alternatively, you can consider using a chart/graph maker to identify your progress within the project. Furthermore, you can assign tasks, assess the risk points, and set the necessary dates. 

Here are some graph makers you can consider using:  

• FineReport 
• Mega creator and more 

Make Your Presentation Dynamic

The last thing you want to happen is to hear anyone say that your presentation was boring to listen to. 

Here are some tips you can follow to make your presentation more dynamic: 

• Most projects aren’t meant to be one-sided. Talk with your peers and engage them in the presentation. Listen to what they have to say (opinions, ideas, etc.) 
• Practice how you look and sound. For example, if you are presenting looking demotivated, not dressed well, and speaking with a flat tone that sounds like you want to get the presentation done quickly, it’s expected that nobody will listen to you. 
• Organize your material when presenting. Let the others know that they can ask questions throughout the presentation. 
• Speak at the same knowledge level as the others. For example, if it’s basic, use simple words; if their knowledge of the topic is broader, use terms they can recognize. 
• Use examples to illustrate what you mean. For instance, use real-world scenarios that connect with what you are trying to say. Additionally, you can ask if they have any similar experiences to share. 
• Speak with a loud voice, so you ensure everyone is hearing what you have to say. 
• If there’re questions you can’t answer, you can try giving suggestions to your audience. 
• Maintain eye contact with everyone in the room. You don’t want to stare at one person and speak to them the whole time. 
• Try moving around to make yourself feel more comfortable and not seem like you are looking like a robot that stays in one place. 

Use Case Studies

Learning is an active process, and when we apply what we know, it sticks to our minds. This is a famous saying by Dale Carnegie . 

Gather your participants and discuss case studies in groups. Case studies include real-life experiences. You can print them and hand them out for small group discussions. For example, below, you’ll find a screenshot of a case study used during a student’s presentation. 

Above, you can see how the case study has been separated into sub-categories. In the beginning, we have the background of the student. Then, right after, you have the “ Access Issues” and “ Discussion” of the case study, which shows you the issue the first-year student is undergoing. The discussion part includes the solutions you can discuss during your gathering for the presentation. Furthermore, we have the solution section at the end, which is the proposed solutions from the group talk. 

Overall, case studies are an excellent way to put the knowledge you learn into practice and make your audience fully understand what you have to say. 

Wrapping it up

That’s all for this article. These are our six tips for creating an outstanding presentation and project. We totally understand how hard it’s to be convincing and sound attractive simultaneously. Especially when you are in front of professionals, anxiety and stress can really get to you. However, it’s important you understand the purpose of your presentation and why you are where you are. 

People come to listen to you to gain value once they leave. Above all, show your audience what kind of value they are getting from you. What will they gain once they leave the presentation? Most importantly, ensure you are being yourself when you deliver this value. Don’t let the fear of people judging you overcome you. After all, if it was someone else, they’ll feel the same way!

About Tony Ademi:

Tony Ademi is a freelance SEO content and copywriter. He has been in the writing industry for three years and has managed to write hundreds of SEO-optimized articles.

He has written articles that have ranked #1 on Google. Tony’s main concern when writing an article is to do extensive research before writing and ensure that the reader is engaged until the end. 

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How to Give Killer Project Presentation

Last Updated: 09 Jun 2023

When it comes to Project Presentation for PPT , the way you convey your ideas can make all the difference. 

A captivating and convincing presentation has the power to leave a lasting impression on your audience, showcasing your knowledge and expertise. 

Have you ever wondered how important it is to present your project in an appealing manner? Consider this: a staggering 90% of students who deliver their project presentations in a compelling way excel in their academic endeavors. 

But what about the remaining 10%? The thought of potentially falling short due to a lackluster presentation can be anxiety-inducing.

But fear not! We understand the significance of delivering an impactful project presentation, and that's why we have compiled proven tips for perfecting your presentation. 

These tips have been carefully curated by esteemed faculty members who possess years of experience in evaluating project presentations. By implementing these expert strategies, you can ensure that your presentation captivates your audience, effectively communicates your ideas, and boosts your chances of academic success.

In our blog, we will discuss the importance of presenting your project in an appealing and convincing way, covering the following points:

• Doing thorough research and preparation for your topic
• Arriving early to the venue to ensure smooth setup
• Utilizing visual aids effectively
• Properly designing and proofreading your slides
• Keeping the presentation short, simple, and engaging
• Developing skills like speed, articulation, eye contact, and the use of a whiteboard
• Maintaining a confident and smiling demeanor
• Adding humor to make a lasting impression
• Following the TTT (Tell them what you are going to tell them, Tell them, Tell them what you have told them) model

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Do your homework- Study the topic thorough and collect each and every fact and reference out there and make some slides ¬e cards which would help you keeping your content on track.

Show up early- “If you are 5 minutes early, then you are 10 minutes late” – Adolf Hitler.

Reach 15 minutes early on the venue, which gives you ample amount of time to calm down and check for various mandatory checks like connecting a USB, Projector, Mic etc.

Usage of Visual Aids-  Include videos related to your topic, can also use online presentation software Prezi, but with caution. Technology is a beautiful mirror but when broken turns into a lethal weapon and can waste your time and image significantly. Always test videos and online presentations before the start your session.

Prepare your slides-  Always give your content a Proofread before the final Go. Poor usage of grammar and typo errors could harm your presentation. Poor design and wrong selection of theme and fonts can also act as hindrance.

K.I.S.S your audience-  Keep it short and simple.Don’t just read your Presentation word by word as it breaks connection to your audience and bores them, Give them Bullets and facts in order to keep it interesting. Always start with a story or a quote related to your topic as it increases the curiosity of the audience and helps you relating to them.

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Speed  – your speed should be optimally adjusted with the nature of your audience anything too slow or too Pacey can into vain

Light house effect - Follow a 360` eye contact with your audience as it shows your confidence in them and helps maintaining in connection and never show them your back.

Usage of white board - Always write down your bullet points as it gives a strong impression.

Carry a Smile - “A smile is the only curve that sets everything straight” – Philly Diller. A good smile on your face show your confidence In your content and looks very impressive.

Add humour - This point is not mandatory but if included acts as an Icing on the cake, the audience will fall in love with you if you can make them laugh.

Follow a TTT model- The three T’s of this model states-

Tell them what you are going to tell them - Introduction of your topic and yourself, ideally 15% of your total time should be spent on your introduction as it sets the stage for you.

Tell them-  Main body of your presentation, kkep all your content which gives the basic knowledge of your topic,this is the most important part of your presentation and should weigh atleast 70% of your total time.

Tell them what you have told them-  Summary & Conclusion part you’re your presentation, this conclusion part should be very impressive as it closes your discussion and reveals your objective and purpose and should be briefly discussed again at the last which comprises 15% of your time.

Acknowledge your sources -  Always cite your referencesOf all the facts, surveys and stats used in your slides and mention them as this gives your audience trust over you and shows your sincerity

The advantages of becoming skilled in giving effective presentations

Gaining the skills necessary to provide an engaging presentation comes with a lot of benefits, some of which are as follows:

Boosting your self-confidence and assisting you in experiencing a greater sense of ease when interacting with others You will be able to feel more at ease in a variety of social settings after you have mastered the art of giving a convincing presentation. This is as a result of the fact that you will be in possession of the knowledge and talents required to successfully deliver a presentation. This will be of aid to you in other facets of your life, such as job interviews, in which you need to project an air of self-assurance in order to be successful.

Influencing others to act in a way that aligns with your goals by being skilled in the art of giving effective presentations If you are able to learn how to give an effective presentation, you will have the ability to convince other people to act in the way that you want them to act.

This could apply to something as trivial as persuading someone to buy your product or service, or it could refer to something as major as persuading someone to invest in your company. Both of these examples are possible.

Offering information to the audience. You are providing information to the audience that you are speaking to when you are delivering a presentation. When giving a presentation, you should take this as a cue to be as straightforward and condensed in your communication as is humanly possible. If you are able to learn the abilities necessary to give an interesting presentation, you will have a greater chance of successfully communicating the information you need to others.

Improving your ability to come up with solutions on the spot  When you are faced with giving a presentation, you will frequently be expected to think on your feet in order to successfully complete the task. This suggests that you need to be able to think quickly and come up with solutions to problems if you want to be successful.

If you are able to understand how to give an effective presentation, you will be able to think creatively and swiftly on your feet when faced with unexpected challenges.

Having a high level of preparation If you are going to give a presentation, you need to make sure that you have a high level of preparation. This signifies that you need to have an in-depth knowledge of the subject matter that you will be covering in the presentation that you will be giving. If you are able to gain the abilities essential to give an effective presentation, you will put yourself in a better position to achieve success in the presentations that you give.

Improving your talents to communicate in front of an audience. When you give a presentation, you are, in all intents and purposes, giving a public speech. This suggests that you always need to speak with self-assurance and have a distinct voice in order to communicate effectively.

Your education in the art of providing excellent presentations will make it easier for you to communicate clearly in public settings by improving your ability to deliver persuasive speeches. 

By following the above-said points any simple presentation can turn into a masterstroke, All you need to do is keep all those points in your mind and on the final day just play as per your potential and go for it, Sky is the limit.

Enroll and Excel In Your Project Presentation 

Enrolling with an institute and receiving live project training, coupled with expert tips for project presentation, can significantly enhance your skills and boost your chances of success. 

By joining a reputable institute like TOPS Technologies, you will benefit from live training sessions, experienced teachers who understand the expectations of examiners, and a track record of successfully training hundreds of students for their final year projects and presentations. 

For further inquiries regarding the TOPS Technologies Course, reach out to us at [email protected] or call us at +91 – 7622011173 for a free demo. 

We provide the best project presentation and live project training in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, and Nagpur, along with 100% placement assistance and real-world projects.

Author Bio: 

Niral Modi works as a Chief Executive Officer at TOPS Technologies, which is an Education company with an estimated 303 employees; and was founded in 2008. They are part of the Executive team within the C-Suite Department, and their management level is C-Level. Niral is currently based in Chicago, United States.

TOPS Technologies offer The Best IT training in Vadodara , Hardware Training Classes, Graphic Designing & Web Design Training through Live Project Training. Having tie-ups with 3000+ IT software development companies, We provide a 100% Job Guarantee in Software Development Courses. We are known for our   IT  Classes  in PHP, Python, Java, Android & iOS, and Asp. Net, C & C++, Angular Courses, IoT, Software Testing, CCNA, Cloud Computing, Ethical Hacking, Hardware Networking, Cyber Security Training, Digital Marketing, MVC Training, and SEO. We also teach Laravel, Nodejs, Unity 3D Game Development, Machine Learning with Python, Data Science, and Linux server training. Check out our YouTube channel for more information on any course & live training , such as ASP.Net, graphic design, and web design, among others.  

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Stay connected, other categories, related blogs, live project training in ahmedabad: why to select a live project.

Live project training in Ahmedabad, which transforms a newbie into an experienced IT professional. It is very apparent that final year project training is very important coursework to show your skills and expertise, whereas go with the live project.

Tips: How To Select a Final Year Project?

In the entire engineering course you work on several projects according to the syllabus. But when it’s a matter of final year project, students should not consider it as the piece of coursework. The reason behind it is, the Final year project is a me.

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How to Create a Unique Final Year Project?

There is one famous line: “Genius people don't do the different thing, but they do the same thing differently.” Every student who is seeking for the unique definition should approach the project with the above words. Try to add new technology and ne.

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Client Presentations 101: How to Give a Client Presentation

Think of the word “present- ing” and consider your clients: they want you, the expert, to provide them with the information they want and need. If you think of your presentation as if you’re giving them a “present” (literally, your expertise), you can re-frame the meeting in a way that fills you with the confidence you need to communicate effectively.

What Is a Client Presentation?

A client presentation allows you to explain the importance of your work in a compelling way. It’s key for articulating your value, if it’s in the proposal stage , or your progress if you’re in the middle of a project.

Of course, you may give a wrap-up client presentation as well, where you’ll want to review what went well and what went wrong for your project.

Related: Ultimate Guide to Project Status Reports

Why Is a Client Presentation Important?

A client presentation is all about communicating . You’re the expert, and your job is to convey to your client everything that’s important. There is a lot of information that you have that your client doesn’t have. They’re not as well-versed in the project as you are. So, give them the gift of communication.

This is key for them to understand everything that went into the project. If your client presentation doesn’t effectively communicate, it’s failed.

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Project Proposal Template

Use this free Project Proposal Template for Word to manage your projects better.

How to Deliver a Client Presentation

• Simplify, simplify, simplify : A good client presentation always emphasizes clarity and simplicity. If your client doesn’t understand your presentation, then you’ve wasted your time.
• Speak their language:  The best way to communicate effectively is to consider your audience. Don’t get caught up in jargon they might not understand. Speak plainly and honestly.
• Focus on what matters to them: Remember the goals of the project to begin with. Stay focused on what matters and don’t get lost in the details.
• Make your point clearly, concisely and quickly: People tend to have short attention spans. The sooner you can convey your meaning, the likelier it is that they will be able to process it and ask questions afterwards.
• Confirm they understand, and remember to ask questions: Don’t just assume they understand your points in your client presentation. It’s key to check in with them and be proactive by asking questions at the tail end of your presentation, or even the halfway point.
• Be respectful: Be respectful and be patient. These are your business partners. You don’t want to sour any relationships by how you respond to their reaction to your client presentation.
• Avoid shaming their questions: They don’t know what you know! Not everyone understands things quickly. That’s ok. It’s your job to make sure that your client presentation gets them to a place of understanding. Sometimes that doesn’t happen right away: keep at it.
• Excite them:   Be enthusiastic about the project! People don’t respond to cold facts by themselves. Supercharge your client presentation with emotion and enthusiasm. But always stay professional.
• Set a vision for them and help them see how to get there: Be the expert and the visionary . You can’t do everything for them, but you can lay out a roadmap for them to reach their goals.
• Explain the process and let them know where they are:  It’s key to be honest here. Sugarcoating reality isn’t going to help anyway, but try to pepper in good news with any bad news. Clients can be sensitive, but you’ll still need a good relationship to get anything done.

If you apply these simple tips to your presentations they will become not only more productive, but you’ll find that people will be eager to attend and engage and, most importantly, leave with a feeling of success.

Pro tip : Another tip when leading a presentation is the use of the royal “we”—not in an elitist way, but in such a fashion that you include yourself and everyone in the room in the discussion. This is a team effort, and even clients are part of the team!

To reinforce these points and learn even more, watch the video below about how to give a client presentation.

Client Presentation Video

In this leadership training video, Jennifer Bridges, discusses the art and skill of communicating during client presentations.

Here’s a shot of the whiteboard for your reference!

Transcription

Today we’re talking about how to give a client presentation. I’m not sure why we get so nervous about this. I mean think about it. If you have a present, aren’t you excited to give it to other person? So a reminder I have for myself is I think of literally giving my client of gift. Also, think of if you present something, that’s the giving of something and the presentation is the way in which you give. So when we’re giving something, a presentation to our client, well, they’re seeking your professional advice.

So let’s look at the information they want. So when we give a client presentation, they really wanna know how long is something going to take and how much is it going to cost. They also want to know how many is going to be produced and how much they’re going to cost. They may want to know how many and how long is it going to take. Basically, they’re talking about items of the Triple Constraint as identified by PMI. It’s the time, the cost, the scope, and the quality.

So there are 10 tips that we found that are really helpful in giving a client presentation.

First of all, simplify what you give them. Right? Don’t overwhelm them, make it simple. Speak their language, something they can understand and relate to their world. Focus on what matters to them. Make your point clearly, concisely, and quickly. I mean they do not want to be there all day, like taking forever. They want you to get to the point. Get them to point A to point B quickly.

Confirm they understand what you’re talking about and stop and ask. Do you have any questions? Is this what you expected? Is this helpful? So give them pause and give them time to think about it, to make sure they follow you, and give them an opportunity to ask questions. We also want to be respectful. I mean, after all, they’re the client so they don’t know what you know. So we want to be respectful if they have questions and they may not get it yet. We also want to avoid shaming them for their questions. I mean they may have questions that for you are immature, but they don’t know.

So it’s important to give them the space and honor what they’re asking. Excite them, get them excited about what you’re presenting, something about their project, or their status or where they’re going or what they can obtain from this. And also it helps to set a vision for them and help them see how to get there. If you set a vision and they can’t even conceptualize how in the world we’re going to pull that off then they’re going to be left dazed and confused or they’re not gonna believe that it’s possible. And you also want to explain the process and let them know where they are in the process of the project.

So again there are some bonus phrases that we feel like we call “The Phrase that Pays.” Number one let them know and tell them we will take care of you. That’s really comforting to know. You are in great hands. Let them know that you and your team are there in great hands. And also let them know we are excited to work with you. That really gets people to know that you’re engaged and use the phrase, “We.”

If you need help presenting to your client, then sign up for our software now at ProjectManager.

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Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Presentations > How to create an educational presentation

How to create an educational presentation

Using presentations can be an effective way to teach lessons and ensure that your audience can retain new facts. With visual aids, video and animated clips, and even interactive quizzes, you can use presentation software like Microsoft PowerPoint to dazzle your students.

The advantages of PowerPoint presentations in education

Students have different learning styles : some are visual learners, who retain images and videos more effectively than speech. Some take to audio and sound more easily. Others prefer to interact with their lessons—which usually refers to holding physical objects but can also be directly related to guessing answers and responding to questions.

Fortunately, PowerPoint’s versatility means that it can appeal to all of these diverse learning styles. You can embed multimedia elements such as videos, audio clips, and interactive graphics, creating a multi-sensory experience. PowerPoint can also be helpful when considering any visual impairments that your audience members may have so that you can present with different forms of media to cater to all learning styles.

Tell your story with captivating presentations

Powerpoint empowers you to develop well-designed content across all your devices

Before diving into PowerPoint, consider the following factors to help your audience retain as much information as possible:

• Define lesson objectives: Set a goal for what kind of lesson you want to impart to your audience. What do you want students to learn? You can answer this question by outlining your lesson objectives and clearly defining your goals, which will also guide the structure and content of your presentation.
• Organize your content: Divide your lesson into key points and organize them into a logical sequence that builds in complexity. Start with basic points or even a review of previous concepts before diving into more intricate or complicated aspects of your lesson. Each point should be presented on a separate slide to maintain clarity and focus.
• Use visuals effectively: Enhance your presentation with relevant visuals such as images, videos, audio clips, or interactive simulations to cater to different learning preferences and keep the presentation engaging. These can convey complex information more efficiently than text alone. At the same time, it can be easy to be carried away by inundating your audience with too many visual elements, so ensuring smooth flow and transitions is key.
• Encourage interaction: Foster active participation by including interactive elements like quizzes, polls, or discussion prompts to prompt student engagement. After you introduce a new concept in your lesson, these interactive elements can reinforce them and make them stick.
• Practice delivery: Public speaking isn’t always easy. One of the most effective ways to sound confident is to practice delivering your presentation before the day of your lesson. Familiarize yourself with the content and also the way that it’s presented: pacing, transitions, and interactive elements. This preparation will boost your confidence, ensure a smooth flow, and help you address any potential challenges during the actual presentation.

Staid lessons can be livened up thanks to the power of presentation! No matter what you’re teaching—the ABCs to a kindergarten class, or nuclear physics to a graduate department—you can check out more tips for effective presenting such as how to create compelling presentation designs , using the 10-20-30 rule for presenting, or discovering the history of PowerPoint .

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