Tips for giving an effective business presentation: IELTS Reading

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IELTS General Test – Passage 08: Tips for giving an effective business presentation reading with answers explanation, location and pdf summary. This reading paragraph has been taken from our huge collection of Academic & General Training (GT) Reading practice test PDF’s.

Tips for giving an effective business presentation reading answers

Tips for giving an effective business presentation

Preparation: Get someone else to evaluate your performance and highlight your best skills. For example, go through your presentation in front of a colleague or relative. Think about who your audience is and what you want them to get out of the presentation. Think about content and style. Go into the presentation room and try out any moves you may have to make, e.g. getting up from your chair and moving to the podium. Errors in the first 20 seconds can be very disorientating. Familiarise yourself with the electronic equipment before the presentation and also have a backup plan in mind, should there be an unexpected problem like a power cut. Dealing with presentation nervousness: A certain amount of nervousness is vital for a good presentation. The added adrenaline will keep your faculties sharp and give your presentation skills extra force. This can, however, result in tension in the upper chest. Concentrate on your breathing. Slow it right down and this will relax you. Strangely, having something to pick up and put down tends to help you do this. It may seem an odd idea, but we seem to fee! calmer when we engage in what’s referred to as a displacement activity, like clicking a pen or fiddling with jewellery. A limited amount of this will not be too obvious and can make you feel more secure at the start. Interacting with your audience: Think of your presentation as a conversation with your audience. They may not actually say anything, but make them feel consulted, questioned, challenged, then they will stay awake and attentive. Engage with your present audience, not the one you have prepared for. Keep looking for reactions to your ideas and respond to them. If your audience doesn’t appear to be following you, find another way to get your ideas across. If you don’t interact, you might as well send a video recording of your presentation instead! Structuring effective presentations: Effective presentations are full of examples. These help your listeners to see more clearly what you mean. It’s quicker and more colourful. Stick to the point using three or four main ideas. For any subsidiary information that you cannot present in 20 minutes, try another medium, such as handouts. End as if your presentation has gone well. Do this even if you feel you’ve presented badly. And anyway a good finish will get you some applause – and you deserve it!

Questions 15-22

Complete the sentences below. Choose  NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS  from the text for each answer. Write your answers in boxes  15-22  on your answer sheet . 15.  Practising your presentation on a ………………….. or a family member is helpful. 16.  Be prepared for a problem such as a ………………….. . 17.  One way to overcome pre-presentation nerves is to make your ………………….. less rapid. 18.  It is acceptable to do something called a ………………….. at the start of the presentation to reassure you. 19.  Your presentation should be like a ………………….. with the people who have come to hear you. 20.  Check constantly for ………………….. to the points you are making. 21.  Make sure you use plenty of ………………….. to communicate your message effectively. 22.  To keep the presentation short, use things like ………………….. to provide extra details.

________________

1) IELTS 11 READING PASSAGE – THE ZEBRA’S LONG WALK ACROSS AFRICA ↗

2) IELTS 11 READING PASSAGE – HILTON LABORATORY ↗

3) IELTS 11 READING PASSAGE – GZJ TRAVEL: RECRUITMENT INFO ↗

4) IELTS 11 READING PASSAGE – HOLIDAY APARTMENTS TO LET ↗

5) IELTS 11 READING PASSAGE – IS YOUR CHILD AT SCHOOL TODAY? ↗

Check out Tips for giving an effective business presentation reading answers below with explanations and locations given in the text.

15. colleague 16. power cut 17. breathing 18. displacement activity 19. conversation 20. reactions 21. examples 22. handouts

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How to Give a Killer Presentation

  • Chris Anderson

tips for giving an effective business presentation reading

For more than 30 years, the TED conference series has presented enlightening talks that people enjoy watching. In this article, Anderson, TED’s curator, shares five keys to great presentations:

  • Frame your story (figure out where to start and where to end).
  • Plan your delivery (decide whether to memorize your speech word for word or develop bullet points and then rehearse it—over and over).
  • Work on stage presence (but remember that your story matters more than how you stand or whether you’re visibly nervous).
  • Plan the multimedia (whatever you do, don’t read from PowerPoint slides).
  • Put it together (play to your strengths and be authentic).

According to Anderson, presentations rise or fall on the quality of the idea, the narrative, and the passion of the speaker. It’s about substance—not style. In fact, it’s fairly easy to “coach out” the problems in a talk, but there’s no way to “coach in” the basic story—the presenter has to have the raw material. So if your thinking is not there yet, he advises, decline that invitation to speak. Instead, keep working until you have an idea that’s worth sharing.

Lessons from TED

A little more than a year ago, on a trip to Nairobi, Kenya, some colleagues and I met a 12-year-old Masai boy named Richard Turere, who told us a fascinating story. His family raises livestock on the edge of a vast national park, and one of the biggest challenges is protecting the animals from lions—especially at night. Richard had noticed that placing lamps in a field didn’t deter lion attacks, but when he walked the field with a torch, the lions stayed away. From a young age, he’d been interested in electronics, teaching himself by, for example, taking apart his parents’ radio. He used that experience to devise a system of lights that would turn on and off in sequence—using solar panels, a car battery, and a motorcycle indicator box—and thereby create a sense of movement that he hoped would scare off the lions. He installed the lights, and the lions stopped attacking. Soon villages elsewhere in Kenya began installing Richard’s “lion lights.”

  • CA Chris Anderson is the curator of TED.

tips for giving an effective business presentation reading

Partner Center

How Not To Ruin Your Business Presentation

Updated on: 3 March 2023

One might well believe that the process of preparing a business presentation could consist of a mix of anxiety compounded by a number of associated problems.

Yet it may not even occur to you that listening to a tedious and monotonous presentation could be a dreadful experience (or, to be honest, pure torture).

An overuse of text …. and the audience just zones out. Actually, it’s this very example where words can turn into powerful weapons –  weapons that can stifle everyone’s attention in one fell swoop.

Dull presentations may not only reduce sales but also erode a company’s reputation.

So, in order to prevent listeners from becoming the victims of the presentation and, in fact, show them a trustworthy company culture, we’ve prepared for you a list of research-based business presentation tips . Use them to ace your next business presentation!

In case you want to skip right to the tips:

  • Pay attention to eye-contact
  • Focus attention on your appearance and posture
  • Try to engage the audience
  • Practice makes perfect
  • Try to assure everyone that your point of view is right
  • Do not create something really complicated and intricate
  • Do not overfill the presentation with unnecessary information
  • Use those colors and fonts that are easy to see and read
  • Visuals, visuals and once again ….. visuals!
  • Show a genuine interest in what you’re talking about

How do people perceive the information?  In order to understand how you can influence the audience, you should, first of all, learn about the ways that information is perceived.

How our brain processes visuals

Gregory’s Top-Down Processing Theory

Richard Gregory, a British psychologist, was convinced that perception is a process which is based on top-down processing. It means that information is pretty ambiguous, so in order to interpret it, we need to assess our expectations, convictions, and knowledge that comes along with the experience.

As you can probably appreciate, we create an idea about something big from tiny details that already exist in our mind.

If we were to talk about some experiments that prove this theory, it would be appropriate to mention one particular test. Gregory demonstrates using a Charlie Chaplin mask.

Yeah, it may seem that nothing is untoward with this ordinary mask yet, when you see the hollow part of it, it reconstructs the man’s face in 3-dimension even though it is concave and this reconstruction will be based on past experience and expectations.

What else do we know about this theory?

  • About 90% of information is lost by the time it reaches the brain;
  • Received visual information is combined with past experience and this very fact, actually, constructs our perception of reality;
  • The recognition of images is based on contextual information.

Regarding the top-down processing theory, such tips about info design can be detailed thus:

Gregory's Visual Assumption Theory

Sanocki and Sulman’s Color Relations Experiment

Thomas Sanocki and Noah Sulman conducted an experiment in order to find out how the combinations of colors influence short-term memory.

They chose a variety of harmonic and disharmonic color palettes. At each step of the experiment, they showed people two different palettes, one at a time, within a particular period of time of each other.

Testees had to work out whether the palettes were identical. In addition to this, they were asked to say which combinations of colors were considered to be pleasant or unpleasant.

So, how did the colors affect our visual perception?

  • Those palettes that had matched colors, and not more than three colors, were more noticeable
  • The contrast between background and text can help to concentrate focus on the context
  • It’s possible to remember various color combinations simultaneously

Regarding Sanocki and Sulman’s color relations experiment, such tips about info design can be denoted as follows:

Business presentation tips - Color Relation Experiment

Binocular Rivalry Phenomenon

During the experiment, Frank Tong, Ken Nakayama, J. Thomas Vaughan and Nancy Kanwisher drew a conclusion: when people look at two different pictures at one time, they are subjected to a phenomenon known as a binocular rivalry.

One of them dominates, while the other one is suppressed.

So, it means that we don’t perceive two pictures simultaneously. We perceive them one after the other and, moreover, even see them as two rivals for a dominant image.

Regarding binocular rivalry phenomenon, such tips about info design can be denoted thus:

Business presentation tips - Binocular Rivalry Phenomenon

Larson and Ricard’s Experiment on Typography Influence

Kevin Larson and Rosalind Picard conducted an experiment and found out how typography influences a reader’s mood. Actually, they implemented two particular aspects of research and twenty people took part in each of them.

They gave testees The New Yorker magazine and twenty minutes to read it. The first group got the text with a bad typography, while the second group – with a good one.

Over the course of the research, people were interrupted and asked how much time had passed from the beginning of the experiment. It turned out that people who were in a great mood found this task easy to accomplish.

Moreover, they thought that they spent a lesser amount of time on reading. After the first part of the research, people were asked to pin a candle to the wall with the help of the thumbtacks in such a way that wax didn’t drip.

Finally, testees who were reading text with a good typography showed more interest in the articles than the others. Furthermore, no one from those who were reading text with a bad typography could solve the task with the candle, while the other group of people was more successful.

It can mean that good typography has an impact on dealing with problems.

Regarding Larson and Picard’s experiment on typography influence, such tips about info design can be summed up as follows:

Larson and Picard’s experiment on typography

Castelhano and Henderson’s Scene Perception Study

Monica Castelhano and John Henderson found out how color influences our ability to perceive the gist of a scene.

Their experiment had three particular tests. Students were shown hundreds of photos of nature and different objects in a certain sequence. The colorful photos were presented along with monochromatic ones. Moreover, they also showed photos with abnormal colors.

In general, it turned out that people can pick up on the gist of a scene in just a few seconds. In addition to this, it was found that colors tend to define the structure of objects.

Regarding Castelhano and Henderson’s scene perception study, such tips about info design can be summed up as follows:

Castelhano and Henderson’s scene perception study

Secrets Are Revealed: Here are 10 Business Presentation Tips to Stand By

To begin with, you should pay attention to some ordinary, but, nevertheless, crucial points that will help you to give an exciting and persuasive presentation.

Pay Attention to Eye-Contact

Frankly speaking, eye-contact can be considered one of the most important things when reaching out to an audience.

It’s not a big secret that people who use minimal eye-contact can sometimes be considered as not being very confident and even disinterested.

If you’re not used to public presentations, you can always try looking over the heads of the listeners or find a particular object in the room on which to focus (anyway, it should not be really far away from you, so choose something in the middle distance).

Focus Attention on Your Appearance and Posture

It is said that first impressions are half the battle.

As you can probably appreciate, the dress code is a prime rule that you must follow. Just dress formally and acknowledge your brief brush with fame. By the way, keep in mind that you should stand up straight, so no slouching!

Try to Engage the Audience

Actually, you can ask a lot of questions. They can create interest and intrigue your listeners.

In addition to this, ask them to pose some questions of their own if they are interested in specific details that were not mentioned.

Practice Makes Perfect

Without a doubt, everyone has heard this phrase. If we’re talking about presentations, you should definitely look through your notes a lot of times, check out the technology ( projector, PowerPoint slides, laptop etc.) and be sure that it works.

Furthermore, it would be nice to rehearse your speech and find out how you look and sound. By the way, when you start to talk, a lot of anxiety and stress will disappear.

Now we will proceed to more specific rules in order to help you develop a superb business presentation.

Try to Assure Everyone that Your Point of View is Right

It’s a well-known fact that you present the information not for yourself, but for the audience.

That’s why you should capture their attention in order to make them believe in you being right. Channel all your efforts into achieving this as your goal.

Do Not Create Something Really Complicated and Intricate

To tell the truth, a simple presentation with understandable explanations that are accompanied by some graphics can turn out to be a marvelous purveyor of information. Just emphasize your words with some images and success will follow.

Do Not Overfill the Business Presentation with Unnecessary Information

To start with, you should just stick to the point. It’s crucial to focus on this very point and organize the presentation around it. Do not be distracted and do not distract an audience from the most important issues.

If you want to add something special to your presentation, you can take a glance at these two PowerPoint templates made by TemplateMonster. Each of them can help you to add a visual trick to your repertoire.

Evolution - business presentation template

Evolution is a brand new multipurpose  PowerPoint template  that will provide your presentation with a spectacular look. It comes with 5 pre-made colors and 5000 total slides which are fully editable. Bring your business to the next level using this template!

Ultimate - business presentation template

Ultimate is a template that will serve as a perfect addition to your presentation. It has tons of slides which can be edited and, moreover, 5 pre-set colors. Add some brightness and create a positive impression using this template!

As we have touched on the topic of PowerPoint presentations, we should share some tips about making them a little bit more interesting and absorbing.

Use Those Colors and Fonts that are Easy to See and Read

You have already read about experiments on information perception, but, actually, let’s go back to this aspect one more time to make some additions.

Don’t ignore the fact that colors should have adequate contrast, otherwise it will be really difficult or even impossible to read. Moreover, pay attention to the font size and do not use small letters.

Visuals, Visuals and Once Again ….. Visuals!

No one wants to read slides full of text. Research has shown that one of the most annoying things that can be inflicted on their audience by presenters is slides overflowing with an excessive amount of text.

If you want to present numeric data, use some diagrams and graphs to do it. To tell the truth, there are numerous different ways to present information through visual presentations. Have no doubt about that and try to use them to their best advantage.

Creately flowchart

Creately  can help you make your presentation more impressive with the help of visual aids.

You have a chance to create various flowcharts, organizational charts, mind maps, infographics and so and so forth.

All of these diagrams will help you simplify complex ideas and make the presentation visually pleasurable and exciting.

Grab this opportunity and spice up your speech using this great service!

Show a Genuine Interest in What You’re Talking About

The last tip should be considered a common sense one to every possible presentation.

Now let’s just imagine that you’re not the one who is going to present something, but the one who is going to watch and listen.

What do you want to hear? You want to be confronted by a persuasive and interesting presentation during which you won’t have any desire to pick up a pillow and sleep, sleep, sleep…

Ideally, what do you want to see? Someone who is really excited about the presentation? Someone who shows a passionate interest in what he/she is talking about?

That’s why you need to become this very person. Push yourself beyond the limits and make it possible to achieve your long-awaited goal.

Anymore Business Presentation Tips?

So, if you want to follow this spectacular path to success, you should definitely take into consideration all the rules that you’ve just read. With their help, you won’t ruin your business presentation.

By the way, if you want to find out plenty of useful tips regarding business presentations, you can  download this book  and learn everything that you need to know about this very topic.

Color schemes, icons, quotes, and pieces of advice on many other things are already waiting for you. Just follow this step-by-step guide and you will, without a doubt, impress everyone with your presentation.

eBook

We really hope that this article has been useful to you. If you have any additions or thoughts, feel free to share them in the comments section.

Thanks for reading and may your presentation be the best!

Join over thousands of organizations that use Creately to brainstorm, plan, analyze, and execute their projects successfully.

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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.

businesswoman-speaking-from-a-podium-to-an-audience-in-a-conference-room-how-to-give-a-good-presentation

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. 

Group-of-a-business-people-having-meeting-in-a-conference-room-how-to-give-a-good-presentation

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.

Woman-presenting-charts-and-data-to-work-team-how-to-give-a-good-presentation

Tip #7: Practice

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

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

Tip #8: Read the room

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

Tip #9: Breathe

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

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

Tip #10: Provide a call-to-action

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

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

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

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

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

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

6 presentation skills and how to improve them

How to make a presentation interactive and exciting, how to write a speech that your audience remembers, 3 stand-out professional bio examples to inspire your own, 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, 18 effective strategies to improve your communication skills, your ultimate guide on how to be a good storyteller, 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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tips for giving an effective business presentation reading

15 Expert Tips for giving a Powerful Business Presentation

Expert tips for giving a powerful business presentation.

A powerful business presentation is more than just a series of aesthetically pleasing slides. Your first impression is crucial when seeking investment, approval, or sales. Differentiate yourself from the competition by delivering a memorable and powerful business presentation.

Goal of a business presentation

When giving a business presentation, the ultimate goal is to leave a lasting impression on your audience. You want to capture their attention and pique their interest in your work, to the point where they are eager to engage with you and potentially collaborate in the future. In short, the aim of a business presentation is to be memorable and impactful.

Public Speaking Challenges

For some, presenting in front of even a small group can be daunting, and it can be even more challenging when it’s a room full of essential business stakeholders, like investors or your boss. Public speaking can be quite nerve-wracking, especially if you’re not used to it. If that sounds like you, don’t worry.

We have a way to help you relax and feel more confident. Public speaking is an opportunity to share your ideas and connect with others. Embrace the challenge and enjoy the experience. Delivering a good presentation leaves a lasting impression on your target audience.

5 P’s of powerful business presentation

A well-crafted PowerPoint presentation slides can make the difference between a successful presentation and a forgettable one. Slide Show is presenting a business meeting or academic setting, utilizing PowerPoint slides effectively can greatly enhance the content delivery.

PPT slides, are a crucial component with the use of graphics, text, and multimedia, they provide a clear and concise way to convey complex information. Each PowerPoint slide should be carefully designed and strategically placed within a slide show to maintain the flow and impact of the presentation.

To deliver a powerful presentation, it’s important to follow the 5 P’s:

  • Preparation
  • Performance

These steps will help you create a well-organized and engaging presentation that will captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression.

Presentation Topic is vital

For the planning of a powerful business presentation, it is key to consider choosing the right presentation topic. A PowerPoint presentation topic should have concise information, and a clear structure. From business proposals to educational lectures, the possibilities for good presentation topics are endless.

Presentation topics need to be aligned with the purpose and objectives of the presentation. PPT presentation topics that goes inline with the expectation of the audience, will be received well than to the randomly selected topics.

PowerPoint template saves time

A PowerPoint template is a pre-designed set of slides that can be used as a foundation for creating presentations. The PPT templates can save time and effort for professionals who frequently create presentations. A Power Point presentation template is a customizable tool that allows users to personalize their slides with their own content.

A presentation ppt template and ppt slides template provide users with a range of design options to enhance their presentations. These templates are essential for creating professional and impactful presentations in various industries and settings.

PowerPoint presentation templates are essential tools for creating visually appealing and professional presentations. With the use of PowerPoint slides templates, individuals can easily customize their presentations to fit their specific needs and style. PPT slide templates provide a consistent look and feel to a presentation and can help enhance the overall visual impact. and using these templates can save time and effort while creating a polished and effective presentation.

A slide presentation template is a pre-designed layout that serves as a framework for creating organized design layouts. A slide template refers to a single slide within a presentation that follows a consistent design and formatting. A presentation template is a comprehensive package that consists of multiple slide templates, offering a cohesive and consistent design for the entire presentation.

Google Slides templates or Google Slides presentation templates is pre-designed layouts that can be used on the Google Slides platform. PPT template or PowerPoint template provide users with a customized design options and layouts in PowerPoint.

5 keys to a Pitch perfect business presentation

A PowerPoint presentation is a powerful tool to effectively engage your audience. With the use of a template presentation, presenters can easily create structured and consistent design layouts. The presentation ppt format offers a user-friendly interface, making it easy to navigate and customize slides.

A template PowerPoint presentation offers a consistent theme and design. With the right theme PowerPoint presentation can leave a lasting impression on the audience. Templates for Power Point are an essential tool for creating visually appealing and professional presentations. Google Power Point, a cloud-based presentation software, offers a convenient and user-friendly platform for creating and collaborating on presentations. Design Power Point, a feature within the software, allows for further customization and creativity, making presentations stand out and leave a lasting impression on audiences.

Make ppt is a skill that requires attention to detail, organization, and effective use of multimedia.

To deliver a pitch perfect presentation, there are five key elements to keep in mind.

  • Know your audience and tailor your message to their interests and needs.
  • Know your material inside and out, so you can speak confidently and answer any questions that may arise.
  • Make your presentation a conversation rather than a lecture, engaging your audience and encouraging participation.
  • Be prepared to adjust your approach if necessary, based on feedback or unexpected developments.
  • Show empathy towards your audience, understanding their perspective and demonstrating that you value their time and attention.

3 elements of strong business presentation skills

When it comes to delivering a strong business presentation, there are three essential elements to keep in mind:

  • Organization

First and foremost, your content needs to be engaging and relevant to your audience in order to capture their attention from the get-go. Additionally, it’s important to organize your presentation in a clear and logical manner, so that your audience can easily follow along with your message. Finally, your delivery should be confident and polished, with strong body language and vocal projection to keep your audience engaged throughout the presentation.

4 essential keys to success – for a business presentation

When it comes to delivering a successful business presentation, there are four essential keys to keep in mind.

  • Content should be clear, concise, and relevant to your audience.
  • Understanding your audience and tailoring your presentation to their needs and interests is crucial.
  • A well-structured presentation with a clear beginning, middle, and end will help your audience follow along and retain information.
  • Consistency in your delivery and messaging will help reinforce your key points and leave a lasting impression.

PPT presentation user-friendly interface and various features, it allows presenters to create visually appealing slides that effectively convey their message. A well-thought-out theme for a PowerPoint presentation can enhance the overall aesthetic and help tie the content together. Additionally, using a template for a PowerPoint presentation can save time and effort while maintaining a consistent and professional look throughout the slides. When creating a PowerPoint presentation, it is important to carefully consider the theme and utilize a suitable template to ensure a polished and impactful presentation.

3 V in business presentation

The ppt format, short for PowerPoint Presentation, is the most commonly used format for creating and sharing presentations. The PowerPoint format offers a wide range of design options to creatively visualize your content ideas . A presentation PowerPoint example consists a series of slides that contain text, images, and other multimedia elements to effectively convey the key messaging. By utilizing a PowerPoint example, presenters can create easy to follow and appealing slides.

When it comes to delivering a successful business presentation, there are three key elements to keep in mind:

  • Visual aspect
  • Vocal delivery
  • Verbal content

These three components, known as the 3 V’s, are crucial in creating a powerful and effective business presentation that will leave a lasting impression on your audience. By mastering these skills, you can ensure that your message is conveyed clearly and confidently, and that your business presentation is a success.

4 piece of business presentation skills

To deliver a successful business presentation, it’s important to master the four P’s of oral delivery:

These skills will help you to effectively engage your audience and deliver your message with confidence and clarity. By projecting your voice, controlling your pace, varying your pitch, and strategically using pauses, you can capture and maintain your audience’s attention and leave a lasting impression.

It is crucial to carefully design your PPT slides or PowerPoint slides to ensure they effectively communicate your main points and captivate your audience’s attention. A theme for slides together and make them visually appealing to your audience. Utilizing the various features and tools available in PowerPoint, such as animations and transitions, can make your PowerPoint presentation slides more engaging and dynamic.

Key stages in planning a business presentation

When planning a presentation, there are seven key stages to consider. The first stage is preparation, where you must take into account various factors that will impact the design of your presentation. Next, you should choose your main points and supporting information, followed by establishing linking statements to connect your ideas. Developing an engaging opening and a strong conclusion are also crucial steps. Finally, it’s important to review your presentation to ensure it flows well and effectively conveys your message.

Choosing the right presentation themes can help in creating a unified look and feel. Google Slides presentation themes are an essential tool for creating visually appealing presentations. The slide show feature allows for a seamless delivery of information, with smooth transitions and animations.

PPT theme option offers a wide range of design templates, making it easier to create a cohesive and polished presentation. PowerPoint presentation layouts serve as the framework for organizing and delivering information in a clear and visually appealing manner. A PowerPoint presentation theme play a significant role in enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of a presentation.

Key aspects to consider when preparing for a business presentation

First, consider the purpose of the presentation and what you hope to achieve. Next, think about your audience and tailor your content to their interests and needs. The subject matter should be well-researched and organized in a clear and concise manner. Additionally, consider the venue and time of day, as well as the length of your talk, to ensure that you engage your audience and keep their attention throughout the presentation.

Business presentations are designed in PowerPoint and as well in Google Slides. One of a presentation PowerPoint example is a well-designed and visually appealing slide deck that captures the attention of viewers and helps them understand the key points being presented. PowerPoint examples can range from simple and minimalist designs to more complex and interactive ones, depending on the purpose and audience of the presentation. A presentation PPT example showcases the use of various features such as charts, graphs, animations, and multimedia to make the presentation engaging and informative.

12 Important elements of a successful business presentation

To deliver a successful presentation, it’s important to keep in mind these 12 key elements:

  • Thorough preparation
  • Rehearsed material
  • Effective hook to grab your audience’s attention
  • A clear objective and agenda
  • Story-like structure to keep your audience engaged
  • Audience engagement techniques
  • Effective delivery
  • Multimedia tools to enhance your message
  • Contact information for follow-up
  • A call to action to inspire action
  • Comfortable setting for your audience
  • Question-and-answer session to address any lingering concerns

By incorporating these elements into your presentation, you can ensure that your message is heard loud and clear.

Important part of a business presentation – The Introduction

When it comes to delivering a successful presentation, the introduction is key. It’s the first impression you make on your audience and sets the tone for the rest of your talk. In fact, studies show that you only have about 15 seconds to capture your audience’s attention, so it’s crucial to make those first few moments count. By crafting a strong and engaging introduction, you can hook your audience and keep them engaged throughout your presentation.

5 second rule in presentations

In the world of presentations, designers understand the importance of capturing their audience’s attention within the first few seconds. This is known as the “5 second rule,” where the presenter has a brief window to engage their viewers before they lose interest and move on. Designers recognize that failing to capture their audience’s attention early on can result in a failed communication.

The 7 rule for business presentation design

When it comes to creating a presentation, the 7 rule is a helpful guideline to keep in mind. This rule suggests that each slide should have no more than 7 lines, with each line containing no more than 7 words. By following this rule, you can ensure that your presentation is easy to read and engaging for your audience. It’s particularly useful for presentations with a lot of content, as it helps to keep things organized and focused.

Important aspects of a business presentation

When giving a business presentation, it’s important to remember that it’s not just about delivering information, but also about building a connection with your audience. This means focusing on communication, interaction, and creating a positive brand image. By doing so, you not only convey your message effectively, but also establish relationships and connections that can lead to future success.

Importance of business presentation skills

Business presentation skills are crucial for success in the workplace. Effective communication and the ability to present ideas clearly and persuasively can help you win clients, secure funding, and advance your career. Good presentation skills can also help you build confidence and credibility, and make a lasting impression on your audience.

Crafting a powerful business presentation – 15 expert tips

A powerful business presentation is a carefully crafted and well-delivered summary of key information about your company’s plans, products, or practices. Whether you’re presenting to internal stakeholders or external audiences, the goal is to clearly communicate your message and inspire action. Be it project proposals, HR policy presentations, investor briefings, or a C-Level Presentation , there are many different types of presentations that require different approaches and strategies to be effective.

In this post, you’ll find 15 expert tips to help you deliver an unforgettable business presentation.

1. Be well-versed with your content

Before convincing anyone else, you must be completely sold on your idea or product. You must know the points you are making inside and out to be successful. It is essential to have persuasive presentation skills.  Your presentation ideas aligned with your presentation topic, keep your audience motivated. There are two primary factors that contribute to boring presentations: an overabundance of text on slides, and a lack of visuals and videos.

2. Be positive and vibrant

Vibes matter–believe me.  Your audience doesn’t want to hear you drone on about a subject you don’t care about. If you’re tired and bored of your presentation slides, they probably feel the same way. Anyone listening to you should be able to tell you how passionate you are about the subject.

Amy Cuddy, a professor at Harvard, studies how body language can communicate power. Before her successful TED talk, she took some time to do some power poses. This got her into the right mindset of feeling powerful and passionate.

It’s also important that you properly energize yourself before a business presentation. Do some warm-up exercises, like stretching, to get your body and mind ready. You can also do other things to get yourself focused and energized. Reading inspirational quotes or listening to music can help. Ensure you stay hydrated by drinking enough water and keeping a water bottle with you during your slide presentation.

3. Arrive early and check for everything in order

Arriving at your venue less than an hour before your presentation can disrupt your entire presentation. Make sure to come at least an hour in advance to set up any equipment you may need, such as a projector, laptop, or speakers. This will help you familiarize yourself with the space and ensure a smooth presentation.

If the venue already has all the necessary equipment, ensure that everything is compatible and functioning correctly. Transfer any relevant files from your USB drive or download them from your email or cloud account.

4. Self-Confidence is the key

First impressions are important, so make sure you are sending the right message with your appearance.

Choose clothing that is professional and appropriate for the occasion. Avoid anything too flashy or revealing. As for your demeanor, be confident and enthusiastic without being overly aggressive. Smile and make eye contact with your audience. Speak clearly and at a moderate pace. These simple tips will help you make a positive impression and deliver a successful presentation.

Your stage presence will also be affected by your personality. Adopt your natural position. If you’re comfortable standing, don’t stride across the stage. If your voice is gentle, there is no need to yell; get a microphone. Keep your relaxed demeanor and bring out the best you. Practicing your presentation skills will make you feel more confident.

5. Start off strong

Audiences today have shorter attention spans and expect to be entertained. To set the tone for the rest of your slide presentation, start your powerful business presentation with a strong beginning. You could begin by shocking your audience with a statistic or quote that immediately catches their attention.

Put them at ease by calmly reassuring them that you understand their concerns and explain why the research backs up your claims. Reassure them by saying something like, “I know you may be wondering…,” or “That fact may seem shocking, but research backs it up because…”

An effective way to engage your audience is to use an exciting image, video, or personal story. Remember that first impressions are key, so conveying that your presentation will be worthwhile is crucial. This way, you’ll avoid coming across as simply delivering a lecture.

6. Set clear objectives and inspire the audience

At the outset of your presentation, lay out the goals you hope to meet during your stage. This tells the audience why they should listen to you and what they stand to gain from paying attention. The goals being met are meaningful for both you and your audience.

As you fulfill the objectives of your presentation, your audience will be more likely to stay tuned in. This, in turn, will make them more likely to consider your talk a success. Remembering crucial points from your powerful business presentation will also help your audience gauge its success.

A professional PowerPoint template can make your powerful business presentation more polished and credible. It can also save you time by providing a pre-designed structure for your slides. A PowerPoint slide with professional designs attracts the audiences attention.

7. Storytelling engages your audience

A story can be about anything, from a personal experience to the history of a brand or consumers’ experiences. There are always personal stories that can be shared to help connect with the audience. Share your story of how you got to where you are today and what has led you to believe in your business.

By highlighting the problems (the villain) and how your product, business or idea (the hero) will lead your audience closer to a solution, you can work in a similar way. Telling stories can make your business seem like part of a grand narrative your audience wants to become a part of, which can be beneficial.

Steve Jobs was an excellent corporate storyteller who excelled at every Apple product launch presentation. Steve Jobs reframed his company’s innovations in terms of stories of revolution. The Macintosh “changed the whole computer industry,” and the iPod “changed the whole music industry”. These stories of change brought the product, the consumer, and the exciting time they were living together.

8. Interact with your audience

A powerful business presentation can become quickly dull and sleep-inducing if you talk “at” your audience instead of engaging them in a discussion. Be it a sales presentation, customer service or board meeting, it is vital to improve the audience interaction. Ask your audience questions, take their feedback, and connect with them through anecdotes. Interacting with your audience during your powerful business presentation will help keep them engaged and prevent them from becoming bored or disinterested.

9. Use visual aids

PowerPoint design involves the strategic use of visual elements such as images, fonts, and layouts to enhance the overall message and make it more compelling. A successful PPT design should not only be aesthetically pleasing but also support the key points and message of the presentation. With attention to detail and creativity.

Don’t read through the presentation material, as this will distract the audience and bore them. Pictures , videos, and art are also great mediums to get your points across and intrigue the audience member. Visual flowcharts can help summarize complex topics. If you’re displaying bullet points, be sure they’re visible and concise. No one wants to see lengthy paragraphs while you’re speaking at the same time. A quote or two is perfectly fine, but don’t go overboard.

If you’re looking to spruce up your next social media post or design a professional-looking document, look no further than Canva . This user-friendly graphic design tool has everything you need to get the job done, no design experience required.

Google Slide is a presentation program developed by Google. It allows users to create and edit presentations online while collaborating with others in real time. Google Slide is similar to Microsoft PowerPoint and Apple Keynote , but it is free to use and offers more features.

10. Business Friendly Humor

It can be pretty relaxing to listen to a speaker who can make you laugh during long presentations. If the speaker talks in a serious tone the entire time, it can seem like they are droning on. Maintaining a friendly and conversational tone in your writing is important to retain your audience attention.

Light jokes can also help to keep your reader engaged. It is advisable only to use humor if you are skilled at it. Otherwise, avoid using humor as it will likely not have the desired effect.

11. Use a startling fact or statistic

Occasionally, do something unexpected to capture your audience’s attention and keep them engaged. Fact and statistics can challenge people’s existing beliefs and help to solidify your argument. Try to use a few throughout your presentation to reinforce your points.  The key point in each slide needs to be put in a presentable manner.

12. 10-20-30 rule revisited

Venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki came up with this handy presentation rule in 2005: the 10/20/30 rule. This rule suggests that a PowerPoint presentation should have ten slides, last no longer than 20 minutes, and use a font size of no less than 30 points.

Here’s an infographic that sums it up:

Powerful Business Presentation - Kawasaki 10-20-30 Rule For Presentation

Powerful Business Presentation – Kawasaki 10-20-30 Rule For Presentation

Kawasaki observed many poor and repetitive presentations and derived a rule to ensure presentations are interesting. 10 slides are enough for a presenter to summarize their argument without overwhelming the audience. Any more information and they are likely to lose focus and become disengaged.

Kawasaki states that the average person can pay attention for 20 minutes before losing focus. He believes that the last 40 minutes of a presentation would be used for questions and answers in an ideal world. A font size of 30 points is ideal for presentations, as it is large enough to be easily readable from the back of the room while still allowing the presenter to keep the amount of text on the screen to a minimum.

13. Create a lasting impression

Maintaining eye contact with your audience/attendees conveys that you respect their time and are grateful for their attendance, as well as reinforcing the confidence of your message. When you make eye contact with audience members, smile at them! If you’re feeling nervous, find five or six friendly faces in the crowd and keep coming back to them for support.

14. Prepare to be asked tough questions

Make sure you’re prepared for the Q&A session! Your answers can make or break your powerful business presentation. A good presenter knows the material thoroughly and is ready to face difficult questions. Ending your presentation in awkward silence can make it challenging to build trust with your audience. Be sure to ask questions and use language demonstrating your understanding of their concerns.

15. Finish on a high note

When concluding your presentation, it is essential to leave a lasting and positive impression on your audience. You can do this by ending with a memorable personal story or quotation. Another way to achieve this is to remind the audience of the goals you set out to achieve and quickly summarize the main points of your presentation. This will instill confidence in your listeners and leave them satisfied and optimistic.

Wrapping it up

To give a powerful business presentation, you must engage your audience and demonstrate the value of your ideas. This requires passion and commitment on your part. You can deliver an effective presentation by connecting with your audience and showing them the worth of your thoughts. This list of professional tips can help you take small steps that can lead to significant changes in giving a professional business presentation.

Why businesses make use of templates?

PowerPoint slides templates offer a professional and efficient way to create design layouts aligned to branding. With the best PowerPoint template, slide design becomes effortless and allows for a smooth and engaging flow of information.

Be it a Pitch Deck, Keynote Presentation, Board Meeting presentation, a customized slide template with required design layouts often used for consistency and branding. A Google Slides presentation template offers varied design layouts that can be shared online as G-Slides.

The PPT presentation templates offer a wide range of design options and customizable features to suit different presentation styles and topics. These presentation templates are designed to make the process of creating a presentation effortless and efficient. Additionally, the availability of free power point presentation templates allows for easy access to professional designs without any cost, making it a valuable resource for professionals and students alike.

With a structured slide presentation template, your content ideas gets a unique flair of creativity and professionalism. PowerPoint presentation design templates provide a wide range of design options to choose from, making it easy to create a professional and polished presentation.

Why presentation designs can make or break your deal?

PowerPoint design can make a significant impact on the audience and reinforce the message being delivered. PPT design involves carefully selecting appropriate colors, fonts, and graphic elements to enhance the overall presentation. Each PPT slide design should follow a cohesive visual theme. With a well-executed PowerPoint presentation slide design , one can easily attract and captivate the audience attention.

A PPT template design significantly improves design layouts that can be used for future presentations. Our PowerPoint template design are carefully crafted to incorporate your brand elements, while maintaining a sleek and modern aesthetic.

Make Your Powerful Business Presentation a Success

Are you looking to create a powerful business presentation slide? Our presentation design team can help you build a slide deck quickly and easily, bringing a professional look and feel. We also meticulously work on your varied business report designs to perfection.

What are the most challenging aspects of giving professional business presentations? Please share your thoughts, questions, and feedback in the comments section below.

1. What makes a great business presentation?

A great business presentation should have a clear and concise message, be well-organized and visually appealing, engage the audience with storytelling and interactive elements, and leave a lasting impression with a strong call to action. It should also be tailored to the specific audience and their needs and interests.

2. What are the 5 P’s of powerful presentation?

The 5 P’s of powerful presentations are: Purpose, Preparation, Practice, Performance, and PowerPoint (or visual aids). These elements work together to create a compelling and effective presentation that engages and informs your audience.

3. What are 7 elements of powerful presentation?

The 7 elements of a powerful presentation are: clear and concise message, engaging opening, strong visuals, effective storytelling, audience interaction, confident delivery, and memorable closing. By incorporating these elements, you can create a presentation that is both impactful and memorable.

4. What is the 10 20 30 rule?

The 10-20-30 rule of PowerPoint is a guideline for creating effective presentations. It suggests that a presentation should have no more than 10 slides, last no longer than 20 minutes, and use a font size of at least 30 points. This rule is designed to keep presentations concise, engaging, and easy to follow.

5. What are 3 keys to a successful presentation and why?

The fundamental components of a successful presentation are Audience, Preparation, and Practice. These three elements, which I refer to as the “Three Magic Keys,” hold the key to transforming a dull, bullet-point-filled presentation into a polished and engaging performance. Focusing your efforts on these critical aspects will elevate your delivery and captivate your audience.

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How can you make a good presentation even more effective?

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

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

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

1. Show your Passion and Connect with your Audience

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

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

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

Be enthusiastic and honest, and the audience will respond.

2. Focus on your Audience’s Needs

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

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

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

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

3. Keep it Simple: Concentrate on your Core Message

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

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

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

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

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

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

4. Smile and Make Eye Contact with your Audience

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

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

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

5. Start Strongly

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7. Tell Stories

Human beings are programmed to respond to stories.

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

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

Finding The Story Behind Your Presentation

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

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

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

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

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

For example…

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

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

8. Use your Voice Effectively

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

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

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

9. Use your Body Too

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

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

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

10. Relax, Breathe and Enjoy

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

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

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

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

Improve your Presentation Skills

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

Start with: What is a Presentation?

Continue to: How to Give a Speech Self Presentation

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

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13 Tips for a Powerful Business Presentation

  • Presentation design

Featured image for “13 Tips for a Powerful Business Presentation”

If you are an entrepreneur, a business owner or a marketer you definitely held or will deliver a business presentation. May it be to your employees, your senior managers or to venture capitalists, your presentation must be the support of your ideas.

As scary as it sounds for some of us, preparing a powerful business presentation can differentiate you from the other speakers that your audience has already seen.

From the business presentations that we encountered and designed we recommend following these 13 tips:

When dressing for a presentation, it’s important to wear something you’re comfortable in, and something that makes you feel confident.

Lauren McGoodwin, founder and CEO of Career Contessa

1. Tell the story of your business

Storytelling is a very powerful tool these days. It is so much easier for your audience to follow a story and relate to something real that has happened to you. There is a high chance that they have had the same problems as you or went through similar hard times.

Tell your audience how you got here and what makes you believe in your business.

2. Be enthusiastic

The level of energy in the room depends on you. If you come to deliver the presentation and you are bored or tired, so will your audience be. 

Are you passionate about the subject you are presenting? Then use this passion when presenting, people are going to listen to you with more interest.  

Get energised before the presentation with some music or with inspirational quotes, do some easy exercises or vocal preparation. This way you will catch their attention from the beginning.

3. Establish your credibility

It’s not a moment to just present your career, but it’s a moment to show that what you say is credible and that you are entitled to be there and give out those informations. You can do this by sharing an experience, or reveal the work that you put in getting to the informations you have now.

This is an important point when you hold a presentation in front of your managers or to venture capitalist. They will immediately know if you have a solid background in the domain. 

tips for giving an effective business presentation reading

4. Know your presentation

Even if you created it yourself or you were helped by a designer or agency, you must go through the presentations at least 10 times before going in front of your audience. The presentation is just a visual support of what you are saying, not otherwise.

Public speaking experts advocate for the 10:1 ratio rule where you practice 10x the amount of time you would be presenting (so for a 1-hour workshop, you should practice 10 hours). This is ratio was adapted from the 18th century American philosopher, Wayne Burgraff, who is credited of saying: “It takes one hour of preparation for each minute of presentation time.”

Review your information before the presentation and think of all the questions that you can receive. Make sure you can back up any number or statistic that you might show, as investors will often tear into any kind of projection.

5. Make an analog plan

Visualize how you want your presentation to go, create a map of the presentation. People nowadays are always on a device, laptop, phone or tablet and keep losing the focus of the bigger picture. The best way to start planning your presentation is grabbing a pen and paper and writing down exactly what you want to happen. Tools like notepad, pencil, sticky notes and flash card help you build an outline that you follow after in designing the presentation.

Draw the map, where do you start, where are the stops on the way and where do you want to get the audience. Make sure you have a logical flow of presentation.

Build your arguments around the stopping points, they are the key takeaways of your presentation. This way you will know how long the presentation is going to and how to prepare for it.

6. Speak naturally 

This is a business presentation and you should use adequate business language and technical terms, but this should also come to you naturally. If some terms don’t sound right for you should not use them

Think of the goals as hooks for your audience, what is that will attract their interest to follow you through the entire presentation.

The goal is to communicate clearly with your audience.

7. Share your goals for the presentation

Everybody loves achieving goals. Keep your audience attention by setting a few specific goals at the beginning of your presentation that you can achieve during it. The goals are also reminders of your main points. 

This will set a sense of effective communication that will after transfer to your way of working. 

8. Connect with your audience

There are more ways through which you can connect with your audience. You can do this by talking from a collective point of view, it is a high chance that your audience were in a similar situation.

I know that we all went through this

Another way to keep your audience from any distraction is to ask a startling question, to which you will answer next with your presentation. Or you can engage them with a simple raise of hands if they agree or not with some points of your presentation.

9. Express your ideas visually

A business presentation is longer than most of the presentation, and if all your slides are covered in text, nobody is going to remember it. Impactful images and relevant graphics are easier to follow and don’t distract your audience from what you are saying. 

Find creative ways to express your idea with images, videos, art or just a blank slide. With or without presentation skills, this is the best way to get your message across the room.

A lot of speakers use photography to illustrate their ideas. So when everyone uses great photos, how can you make yours stand out and have an impact on your audience? I recommend choosing photos that all use a similar style, subject, or other theme in common.

Jonathon Colman, senior design manager for Intercom 

10. Separate your ideas with transition slides

For more impact introduce your next idea with a transition slide. The transition can be either an image or a powerful quotation to evoque the topic. It will also break your presentation in more chapters, making your audience focus on your points one at a time. 

tips for giving an effective business presentation reading

11. Personalise your presentation template

How important is the presentation? Do you want to show that you care about the topic? Go to your marketing department or ask a designer to help you tailor a design for your presentation. The right design is like the right pair of shoes.

If you want to go with an existing template look for one that matches the presentation topic. Put some effort into changing the colors to your brand colors.

tips for giving an effective business presentation reading

12. Ask for feedback before the presentation

Working too much or too hard on a presentation can get you so involved that you won’t be able to see the bigger picture. It will make sense to you, but ask for an outsider opinion to see if they can also understand what you present.

Since you already know everything that is in the presentation, let somebody else take a look to check for mistakes or for misplaced words, images, numbers.

13. End your presentation with Next steps

When you finish the presentation the audience is still processing all the information that you just gave. Help them figure out what to do with all of these with the next steps you can make together. 

End with a strong call to action and invite them to talk personally about it. 

tips for giving an effective business presentation reading

It is a challenge to prepare all of this on your own. Business presentations are complex and need time for preparing. We know it and we can help you prepare it. 

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Are you ready to take your presentations to the next level?

Our team can help with everything from researching your project, writing the content, designing and building your slides, and even creating handouts.

Get in touch

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10 Tips For Giving Effective Virtual Presentations

What to know before you go live.

September 26, 2016

An illustration of a computer screen with messy notes and graphs around it.

Presenting online? Try these suggestions to improve your results. | Illustration by Tricia Seibold

As audiences go global and you need to reach more people through technology (including webinars, conference calls and teleconference), you must consider the challenges to connecting with a virtual audience. Here I pinpoint 10 valuable best practices to ensure you communicate successfully.

1. Be Brief

Audiences begin to lose attention after roughly 10 minutes of hearing from the same presenter. If you have more than 10 minutes of content, use interactive activities to keep your audience engaged (for example, take a poll, give quizzes, or ask audience members for their opinions via chat).

2. Be Simple

Keep slides simple — avoid too many words, graphics and animation features. Less is definitely more!

An illustration of a lamp

Light yourself well | Illustration by Tricia Seibold

3. Be a TV Personality

Look straight into your camera, not the screen. Wear clothing that is neutral in color (no plaids or stripes). Light yourself well and from above. Be mindful of what appears behind you in the background. Invest in a good microphone.

4. Be Standing

Even though your audience cannot see you, stand when you present. This allows you to stay focused and use good presentation delivery skills such as belly breathing, vocal variety, and pausing.

5. Be Prepared

Practice delivering your presentation with your technology in advance of your talk. Make sure all of the features of the technology work. Record your practice using the recording feature of your tool. Watch and listen to learn what works and what you can improve.

6. Be Assisted

Have someone available to deal with technical issues and to field email/text questions. Also, if you have multiple remote audience members in one location, be sure to pick one of them to be your “eyes and ears.” Ask them to queue up questions and facilitate discussion on your behalf.

7. Be Specific

Ask pointed questions to avoid too many people answering at once. For example, rather than ask, “Are there any questions?” try “Who has a question about the solution I provided?” Set a ground rule that people state their names prior to speaking.

An Illustration of two pictures of people.

Imagine your audience | Illustration by Tricia Seibold

8. Be Synchronized

Transitions are critical. You must connect what you just said to what is coming next when you move from point to point. Transitions between topics and slides are good opportunities to get people reengaged to your talk.

9. Be Connected

Imagine your audience even though you can’t see them. You can place pictures of audience members behind your camera so you can look at people as you present.

10. Be Early

Encourage your audience to access your call or webinar in advance of the start time so you can iron out any technical issues in advance and get them familiar with the technology.

Matt Abrahams is a Stanford GSB organizational behavior lecturer, author, and communications coach.

For media inquiries, visit the Newsroom .

Explore More

When words aren’t enough: how to excel at nonverbal communication, navigating the nuance: the art of disagreeing without conflict, from good to great: what makes a “supercommunicator”, editor’s picks.

tips for giving an effective business presentation reading

April 04, 2016 A Big Data Approach to Public Speaking Key takeaways from analyzing 100,000 presentations.

November 19, 2014 Matt Abrahams: The Power of the Paraphrase An expert on public speaking shows how paraphrasing can help you navigate tricky communication situations.

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IELTS Deal

IELTS General Training Reading: Cambridge 11 Test 2 Section 2; Tips for giving an effective business presentation & How to get a job in journalism; with top solutions and best explanations

This General Training IELTS Reading post deals with a solution package for IELTS Cambridge 11 Reading Test 2 Section 2 that has two texts entitled ‘Tips for giving an effective business presentation’ and ‘How to get a job in journalism’ . This is a targeted post for candidates who have big problems finding out and understanding Reading Answers. This post can guide you the best to understand every Reading answer without much difficulty. Finding IELTS Reading answers is a gradual process, and I can confidently say that this post will help you in this respect.

IELTS Cambridge 11 Test 2: GT Reading Module

Sec tion 2: questions 15-27, the headline of the passage: tips for giving an effective business presentation   , questions 15-22:.

Completing sentences with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS:

In this type of question, candidates are asked to write a maximum two words to complete sentences on the given topic. For this type of question, first, skim the passage to find the keywords in the paragraph concerned with the answer, and then scan to find the exact word.

[TIPS: Here scanning technique will come in handy. Target the keywords of the questions to find the answers. Remember to focus on Proper nouns, random Capital letters, numbers, special characters of text etc.]

Question 15: Practising your presentation on a ___________ or a family member is helpful.

Keywords for this question: practising, presentation, on, a family member, helpful,  

The answer can be found in the ‘Preparation’ section, paragraph no. 1 in lines 1-2. The writer says here, “. . . For example, go through your presentation in front of a colleague or relative .”

Here, go through = practicing, relative = family member,

So, the answer is: colleague

Question 16: Be prepared for a problem such as a__________ .

Keywords for this question: be prepared, problem such as,    

In the ‘Preparation’ section, the last lines of paragraph no. 3 talks about the problem, “. . .. . also have a backup plan in mind, should there be an unexpected problem like a power cut .”

Here, have a backup plan = be prepared, unexpected problem like = problem such as,

So, the answer is: power cut

Question 17: One way to overcome pre-presentation nerves is to make your _________ less rapid.

Keywords for this question: one way, overcome, pre-presentation nerves, to make, less rapid,     

In the ‘Dealing with presentation nervousness’ section, lines 1-3 of paragraph no. 1 give us the answer to this question, “The added adrenaline will keep your faculties sharp and give your presentation skills extra force. This can, however, result in tension in the upper chest. Concentrate on your breathing . Slow it right down and this will relax you.”

Here, tension = pre-presentation nerves, Slow it right down = make. . .. less rapid,

So, the answer is: breathing

Question 18: It is acceptable to do something called a ________ at the start of the presentation to reassure you.

Keywords for this question: acceptable, to do, something called, start of the presentation, to reassure,   

In the ‘Dealing with presentation nervousness’ section, paragraph no. 2, take a look as the writer says here, “It may seem an odd idea, but we seem to feel calmer when we engage in what’s referred to as a displacement activity , like clicking a pen or fiddling with jewellery. A limited amount of this will not be too obvious and can make you feel more secure at the start.”

Here, what’s referred to as = something called, make you feel more secure = reassure you,

So, the answer is: displacement activity  

Question 19: Your presentation should be like a _________ with the people who have come to hear you.  

Keywords for this question: presentation, should be like, people, who have come to hear,       

The answer can be found in the ‘Interacting with your audience’ section, paragraph no. 1 line no. 1, “Think of your presentation as a conversation with your audience .”

Here, your audience = the people who have come to hear you,

So, the answer is: conversation

Question 20: Check constantly for ___________ to the points you are making.

Keywords for this question: check constantly, points you are making,      

In the ‘Interacting with your audience’ section, paragraph no. 2 line no. 1-2, the author writes, “Engage with your present audience, not the one you have prepared for. Keep looking for reactions to your ideas and respond to them.”

Here, Keep looking for = check constantly for, your ideas = the points you are making,

So, the answer is: reactions   

Question 21: Make sure you use plenty of ___________ to communicate your message effectively.

Keywords for this question: make sure, use plenty of, communicate, message effectively,       

In lines 1-2 of paragraph no. 1 in the ‘Structuring effective presentations’, the writer says, “Effective presentations are full of examples . These help your listeners to see more clearly what you mean .”

Here, help your listeners to see more clearly what you mean = to communicate your message effectively,

So, the answer is: examples   

Question 22: To keep the presentation short, use things like _________ to provide extra details.

Keywords for this question: keep, presentation, short, use, like, provide, extra details,       

In the last lines of paragraph no. 1 in the ‘Structuring effective presentations’, the author mentions, “For any subsidiary information that you cannot present in 20 minutes , try another medium, such as handouts .”

Here, subsidiary information = extra details, you cannot present in 20 minutes = to keep the presentation short, like = such as,

So, the answer is: handouts

Questions 23-27:

The headline of the passage: how to get a job in journalism   .

Completing FLOW-CHART with ONE WORD ONLY:

In this type of question, candidates are asked to write ONE WORD ONLY to complete some notes on the given flow-chart. For this type of question, first, skim the passage to find the keywords in the paragraph concerned with the answer, and then scan to find the exact word.

[TIPS: Here, scanning technique will come in handy. Target the keywords of the questions to find the answers. Remember to focus on Proper nouns, random Capital letters, numbers, special characters of text etc.]

Title of the flow-chart: Getting a job in journalism

Questions 23 & 24: Apply for temporary 23. __________ with local papers and acquire the extra _______ you’ll need.  

Keywords for this question: apply, temporary, local papers, acquire, extra,     

In the first paragraph, the author writes in lines 4-7, “ .. . . Once you’ve done that for a while, start requesting internships in newspapers in the area . These are generally short-term and unpaid, but they’re definitely worthwhile, since, instead of providing you with money, they’ll teach you the skills that every twenty-first-century journalist has to have , like laying out articles, creating web pages, taking good digital pictures and so on.”

Here, newspapers in the area = local papers, short-term = temporary, they’ll teach you = you acquire, every twenty-first-century journalist has to have = you’ll need,

So, the answers are:

  • internships

Question 25: Build up a set of _________ in a portfolio, displaying how your writing ability has progressed over time.

Keywords for this question: build up, set, portfolio, displaying, writing ability, progressed over time,

In paragraph no. 2, the writer talks about keeping record of previous writings, “Most reporters keep a copy of every story they’ve had published, from secondary school onwards. They’re called cuttings , and you need them to get a job — indeed a few impressive ones can be the deciding factor in whether you’re appointed or not. So start creating a portfolio now that will show off your developing talent .”

Here, show off your developing talent = displaying how your writing ability has progressed over time,

So, the answer is: cuttings

Question 26: Take time to do detailed__________ first, before applying for a post with a paper.

Keywords for this question: take time, do detailed, first, before applying, post, with a paper,   

The answer lies in the third paragraph as the writer says here, “It seems obvious – research is an important part of an effective job hunt. But it’s surprising how many would-be journalists do little or none . If you’re thorough, it can help you decide whether the job you’re thinking about applying for is right for you.”

Here, But it’s surprising how many would-be journalists do little or none = people do not take this seriously or give very little time to do research,

So, the answer is: research

Question 27: Once you decide to apply, make sure your CV is short, makes sense and is without __________ of any kind.

Keywords for this question: once, decide to apply, make sure, CV, short, makes sense, without,    

In paragraph no. 4 the writer discusses the importance of CV. In lines 2-4 the writer says, “. .. .. your CV is the thing that will attract an editor’s attention first, so get it right. The keywords are brevity (no more than one page) , accuracy ( absolutely no spelling or typing errors ) and clarity (it should be easy to follow) .”

Here, brevity (no more than one page) = short, clarity (it should be easy to follow), absolutely no = without,

So, the answer is: errors

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 11 GT Test 2 Section 1

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 11 GT Test 2 Section 3

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Really, very good explanation for all the questions Thank you so so much. I am glad that i found this link ..

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Academic IELTS Reading: Test 2 Passage 1; The Dead Sea Scrolls; with top solutions and best explanations

Academic IELTS Reading: Test 2 Passage 1; The Dead Sea Scrolls; with top solutions and best explanations

This Academic IELTS Reading post focuses on solutions to an IELTS Reading Test 2 passage 1 that has a passage titled ‘The Dead Sea Scrolls’. This is a targeted post for Academic IELTS candidates who have major problems locating and understanding Reading Answers in the AC module. This post can guide you the best to understand […]

tips for giving an effective business presentation reading

Academic IELTS Reading: Test 1 Reading passage 3; To catch a king; with best solutions and explanations

This Academic IELTS Reading post focuses on solutions to an IELTS Reading Test 1 Reading Passage 3 titled ‘To catch a king’. This is a targeted post for IELTS candidates who have great problems finding out and understanding Reading Answers in the AC module. This post can guide you the best to understand every Reading answer […]

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GT Reading Test 34 Section 2 - Tips for business presentation & Job in journalism

Gt reading mock test 34:, section 1: questions 15-27, gt reading sample - "tips for giving an effective business presentation" & "how to get a job in journalism", tips for giving an effective business presentation, questions 15-22, how to get a job in journalism, questions 23-27, getting a job in journalism.

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9 tips for more powerful business presentations.

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When delivering presentations to a general audience, senior management in your company, or even a venture capitalist, a successful presentation isn’t about the PowerPoint slides you create – it’s about much more than that.

These nine points will help you deliver a powerful presentation.

1. Establish Your Credibility Right Up Front

Lets face it, your audience is more likely to listen to what you have to say if they know you are credible. And it’s not about a lengthy intro with your career highlights.

Instead, whether giving a public presentation or an internal presentation, start your presentation by establishing credibility before you give them information.

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10 Invaluable Tools for Running a Small Business

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You can use a short story about your background related to the topic, share an experience that shaped the presentation or conclusion, or even reveal the legwork or other references that support your information and is directly related to what you are about to tell them.

Make a point about establishing credibility -- don’t just hope it happens.

2. Include a Goal Early in the Presentation

If your audience knows the purpose or goal of the presentation from the start, they are more likely to relate what you have to say with that purpose as you present your material. This makes it easier at the end to get the action you want, whether it’s funding, approval to proceed with an initiative, to change their minds, or simply get agreement and understanding.

It will also help you shape your presentation by focusing you on that goal rather than straying from the primary purpose.

3. Use Supporting Material Liberally

Even if you establish your credibility, you also need to establish the credibility of what you say during your presentation. Instead of just presenting the material, accompany it with information that supports it and gives it credibility. You don’t have to include it in your slides, but make sure it is in your speaking notes.

For instance, you can tell a story, give statistics, reference research, or even provide quotes from well-respected figures that support your message.

And don’t be shy about addressing credibility. You can even say “you may be sceptical about this, but ...” or “I know this is surprising, but ...”

4. Begin Separate Ideas with Powerful Quotations or Images

For more impact, introduce each separate topic or idea with a relevant quotation or full-screen image that evokes the topic instead of using a stock title slide. Add a word or two about the topic if you have to, or simply say it out loud and let the quote or image support it.

This gives your topic more impact since a strong quote or image will stick in their minds as they listen to the related material. It also breaks up the presentation, particularly if you have no choice but to include dry material like sales graphs or bullet points in your PowerPoint presentation.

5. Ask Thought-Provoking or Rhetorical Questions

An effective way to convey information is to ask a question first instead of launching into the presentation material. This will get them thinking about the material in the context you want.

For instance, you could say “You might wonder why ...”; “When I started to look at this issue, I asked myself ...”; or “How much longer should we ...?”

Be sure to consider your audience and the things they would wonder about, and phrase your questions so you answer those things for them, while at the same time advancing your message and your goals for the presentation.

6. Make Startling Statements

Sometimes the best way to get attention about information you are presenting is to make startling statements. It gets their attention and if you can back it up with your information, you will drive home your point.

If necessary, you can pull one fact out and use it, even if it isn’t your main point. It is simply a catalyst for your message.

7. Be Prepared for Difficult Questions

Questions may come up during your presentation or even at the Q&A session, so you need to be prepared for the most difficult ones, particularly ones that may derail your presentation or subvert your goal. Since you should know your topic and your audience, you should plan for these kinds of questions.

Consider all the objections the audience might have or questions they may raise about your points and information. Include the most critical ones within your presentation to sideline objections, or be prepared to answer them when they come up.

This can be as simple as being able to justify statements or address concerns about an approach from subject matter experts like finance, IT, HR, etc., who may be part of your audience.

8. Have Your Own Questions Ready in Case Nobody Asks One

Regardless of whether you are doing a public presentation or a focused business presentation, you should leave time for questions and answers at the end. If nobody asks a question, be prepared with your own questions that you can then answer. Ease into them by saying something like “I’m usually asked…” or “One thing you might still be wondering about is ...”

Of course, your questions should be directly related to getting your message across and achieving your goal, so use them strategically. Even if you get questions, you can still use yours at the end of the Q&A.

9. Have a Second (Short) Closing After the Q&A

Just like an encore or a curtain call, you should include a short closing after the questions. This is the time to summarize (again) and drive home your key messages and points, including your call to action.

If you need to, you can prepare a slide for this, but you should be able to do the final closing without a slide to support you.

Read all of Michel Theriault's articles on AllBusiness.com.

Related Articles on AllBusiness:

7 Best Tools and Apps for Amazing Presentations, Proposals, and Prototypes

8 Ways to Cure Dysfunctional Business Meetings

Beyond PowerPoint: The Best Presentation Tools

Ten Ways to Fake It in a Meeting

For more great small business articles such as The Top 25 Home-Based Business Ideas and Keeping Your Business Ideas Confidential , visit AllBusiness.com and AllBusiness Experts . For local business information on 15 million businesses, be sure to check out InBusiness.com .

Michel Theriault

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Job Success  - Building an Effective Business Presentation

Job success  -, building an effective business presentation, job success building an effective business presentation.

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Job Success: Building an Effective Business Presentation

Lesson 7: building an effective business presentation.

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Building an effective business presentation

A businessman giving a presentation

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to...

  • Explore reasons for giving a business presentation
  • Prepare a business presentation
  • Recognize tips for delivering an effective business presentation

If you work in a business or corporate setting, you may be called upon to speak publicly for a variety of reasons. Possible reasons include...

  • Being asked to give a report or presentation during a meeting
  • Being asked to share your knowledge or expertise on a given topic
  • Being asked to teach a new skill (a systems administrator might be asked to teach coworkers how to use a new email client)
  • Being asked to give an informative presentation in order to draw newcomers to an activity, group, or program with which you are involved

Determining your purpose

When giving a business presentation, chances are you already know your topic. To prepare, you just have to determine your purpose of presenting that topic to others. In doing so, you'll focus on what exactly you want to say.

To determine your purpose, consider the following:

  • Audience . To whom are you presenting? What are the audience's special interests and concerns? Which part is most interesting or significant to the audience? How will they react to your topic? Are there any special or technical terms that should be defined?
  • Order of importance . What aspects of your topic are most important or most serious? Choose three or four main points.
  • Time . What can be most easily explained or discussed in the time or space allotted?
  • Purpose . What do you want the audience to know, understand, believe, or do when you are finished? The answer to this question should be clearly written and should focus on your three to four main points. The sentence below will serve as your purpose statement.

Sample purpose statement : "By the end of my presentation on _________________, I want my audience to know/understand/believe/do _____________________, ______________________, and _____________________."

Researching and organizing your presentation

The next step is to thoroughly research each point so you can find evidence to support your statement. Remember, providing supportive evidence lends to the overall credibility of your presentation.

To begin your research, check out:

  • Credible online resources
  • Encyclopedias
  • Expert interviews

Look for facts , figures , statistics , and definitions . Consider using expert testimony, quotations, personal stories, and humor that will communicate your purpose. You may find it necessary to rewrite your purpose statement if you have discovered new things about your topic.

There are several ways to organize your presentation:

  • Topical . This is best when there are several ideas to present and one idea seems to naturally precede the other. It is a common pattern used for informative and entertaining presentations.
  • Chronological . This is best when you want to organize your points using a time sequence. It is a common pattern in informative and persuasive presentations, both of which require background information.
  • Problem/Solution . This is best for persuasive presentations. The first part of a presentation details a problem, while the second part presents a solution.
  • Cause/Effect . This is best for persuasive presentations. The first part describes the cause of a problem, while the second part describes its effect.

Planning your presentation

Visual tools such as outlines or concept maps can help you see the overall structure of a topic and how the main points are linked.

Your outline/concert map should include:

  • A purpose statement
  • An introduction
  • Each of the main points you intend to address
  • Any subpoints or issues
  • Evidence to support each point or argument
  • A conclusion
  • Any questions you would ask or anticipate from the audience

To learn more about outlines, visit the Purdue University Online Writing Lab .

To learn more about concept maps, visit Mind Tool's Mind Maps: A Powerful Approach to Note-Taking .

Practicing your presentation

Consider using charts, graphs, maps, images, pictures, handouts, video, and music to enhance your presentation. You might use a microphone, chalkboard, whiteboard, overhead projector, slide projector, laptop, presentation software, or other equipment or materials to help get your point across.

Visit our PowerPoint tutorials to learn more about Microsoft's powerful presentation software.

When using presentational aids , make sure you know how to use them. Practice setting them up and operating them to get an idea of the time it will take. The more you practice, the more confident and polished your presentation will become. There are several ways to improve your presentation:

  • When you practice, use your notes until you are comfortable without them. Your delivery should be natural. Remember, you're talking to the audience, not reading your notes.
  • To become aware of your gestures, vocal pitch, facial expressions, and general delivery, video yourself giving the presentation. If you don't have access to such equipment, use a tape recorder or practice in front of a mirror.
  • Ask others to listen to you give your presentation. When finished, ask for constructive feedback.

Giving your presentation: Last-minute tips

A businesswoman concentrating on different parts of her presentation

  • Visualize yourself giving the presentation.
  • Realize that the audience wants you to succeed.
  • Turn your nervousness into positive energy.
  • Talk rather than read. Avoid rote memorization.
  • Speak at a volume appropriate to the room and size of the audience. Your voice should be heard in the back of the room.
  • Vary the pitch of your voice.
  • Stand up rather than sit.
  • Make eye contact.
  • Make sure any aid you use can be clearly heard and seen by the entire audience.
  • Focus on main arguments.
  • Don't remain behind the podium. Move around occasionally, but don't pace.
  • Smile and gesture when appropriate.
  • Maintain energy and enthusiasm throughout the presentation.
  • Finish your talk within the time limit.
  • Summarize your talk both at the beginning and at the end.
  • Respond to audience needs, such as adjusting the temperature or providing extra handouts.
  • Be flexible, but stay focused.
  • Respond to questions.
  • Give the audience an opportunity to critique your presentation by supplying them with a short, anonymous evaluation form.

Technical tips

  • Back up all files.
  • Don't give an important presentation without on-site technical support.
  • Assume that your technical equipment will fail, and have a backup plan.
  • Beware of connecting to the Internet during your presentation. You never know when your connection may fail.
  • Toastmasters International : Toastmasters International is an organization that focuses on improving oral presentation and communication skills. There are Toastmasters clubs throughout the world. Members meet to practice their presentation skills.

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Ielts reading test set 9 task 3 gt – tips for giving an effective business presentation.

IELTS SIMULATOR FREE GENERAL TRAINING ONLINE READING TEST SET 9 TASK 3 GT - Tips for giving an effective business presentation .... IELTS SIMULATION

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Tips for giving an effective business presentation

Preparation: Get someone else to evaluate your performance and highlight your best skills. For example, go through your presentation in front of a colleague or relative. Think about who your audience is and what you want them to get out of the presentation. Think about content and style.

Attempt full reading test…

Go into the presentation room and try out any moves you may have to make, e.g. getting up from your chair and moving to the podium. Errors in the first 20 seconds can be very disorientating.

Familiarise yourself with the electronic equipment before the presentation and also have a backup plan in mind, should there be an unexpected problem like a power cut.

Dealing with presentation nervousness: A certain amount of nervousness is vital for a good presentation. The added adrenaline will keep your faculties sharp and give your presentation skills extra force. This can, however, result in tension in the upper chest. Concentrate on your breathing. Slow it right down and this will relax you. Strangely, having something to pick up and put down tends to help you do this giving an effective 

It may seem an odd idea, but we seem to fee! calmer when we engage in what’s referred to as a displacement activity, like clicking a pen or fiddling with jewellery. A limited amount of this will not be too obvious and can make you feel more secure at the start.

Interacting with your audience: Think of your presentation as a conversation with your audience. They may not actually say anything, but make them feel consulted, questioned, challenged, then they will stay awake and attentive.

Engage with your present audience, not the one you have prepared for. Keep looking for reactions to your ideas and respond to them. If your audience doesn’t appear to be following you, find another way to get your ideas across. If you don’t interact, you might as well send a video recording of your presentation instead!

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COMMENTS

  1. Tips for giving an effective business presentation: IELTS Reading

    Answers. Check out Tips for giving an effective business presentation reading answers below with explanations and locations given in the text.. 15. colleague 16. power cut 17. breathing 18. displacement activity 19. conversation 20. reactions 21. examples 22. handouts

  2. What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

    Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired ...

  3. How to Make a "Good" Presentation "Great"

    Summary. A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you're pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing ...

  4. 15 Expert Tips for Giving a Powerful Business Presentation

    2 Be enthusiastic. Believe me, vibes matter. No one wants to hear you drone on about a subject you don't care for. If you're tired and bored of your own presentation, your audience is probably feeling the same way. Anyone listening to you should know how passionate you are about the subject.

  5. The Complete Guide to Making Great Business Presentations in 2021

    Go to the file where your outline is stored. To the right of the File name field, switch from All PowerPoint Presentations to All Files. Click on your outline file and then click Open. PowerPoint creates a new presentation, with each paragraph of your outline in the title field of a new slide.

  6. How to Give a Killer Presentation

    Frame your story (figure out where to start and where to end). Plan your delivery (decide whether to memorize your speech word for word or develop bullet points and then rehearse it—over and ...

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

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

  8. How to Give a Good Presentation: 11 Top Tips for Killer ...

    How to Give a Good Presentation. Here's a quick look at the 11 tips on how to give a good presentation. Plus, you'll find a bonus resource you won't want to miss, The Visme Presentation Guru Course. Rehearse What You're Planning to Say. Prepare Mentally, Emotionally and Technically. Start Strong.

  9. 10 Business Presentation Tips Backed by Scientific Research

    Pay attention to eye-contact. Focus attention on your appearance and posture. Try to engage the audience. Practice makes perfect. Try to assure everyone that your point of view is right. Do not create something really complicated and intricate. Do not overfill the presentation with unnecessary information.

  10. How to Give a Good Presentation: 10 Tips

    Here are five presentation tips to help you create a strong presentation and wow your audience: 1. Keep it simple. Simple means something different to everyone. Before creating your presentation, take note of your intended audience and their knowledge level of your subject. You'll want your content to be easy for your intended audience to follow.

  11. 15 Expert Tips for giving a Powerful Business Presentation

    The 10-20-30 rule of PowerPoint is a guideline for creating effective presentations. It suggests that a presentation should have no more than 10 slides, last no longer than 20 minutes, and use a font size of at least 30 points. This rule is designed to keep presentations concise, engaging, and easy to follow. 5.

  12. How To Give a Business Presentation (With Steps and Tips)

    Follow these steps to create a great business presentation: 1. Know your audience. The first step to creating any type of presentation is to know your audience. Understanding who will be learning from your presentation is critical to creating a presentation that will have relevant information, stories and visuals.

  13. Top Tips for Effective Presentations

    Make sure that you are giving the right messages: body language to avoid includes crossed arms, hands held behind your back or in your pockets, and pacing the stage. Make your gestures open and confident, and move naturally around the stage, and among the audience too, if possible. 10. Relax, Breathe and Enjoy.

  14. 13 Tips for a Powerful Business Presentation

    The goal is to communicate clearly with your audience. 7. Share your goals for the presentation. Everybody loves achieving goals. Keep your audience attention by setting a few specific goals at the beginning of your presentation that you can achieve during it. The goals are also reminders of your main points.

  15. IELTS GENERAL READING -Tips for giving an effective business ...

    This Video Covers the IELTS 11 Test 2 General Training Reading Section 2 - Tips for giving an effective business presentation. It's a complete live practice ...

  16. 10 Tips For Giving Effective Virtual Presentations

    4. Be Standing. Even though your audience cannot see you, stand when you present. This allows you to stay focused and use good presentation delivery skills such as belly breathing, vocal variety, and pausing. 5. Be Prepared. Practice delivering your presentation with your technology in advance of your talk.

  17. Eight Tips For Delivering A Great Presentation

    The following are eight critical points that can help you ensure that your presentations are as effective as possible and deliver on your presentation goals. 1. Control Your Modulation. Your voice ...

  18. Tips for giving an effective business presentation S9GT3

    Tips for giving an effective business presentation. Preparation: Get someone else to evaluate your performance and highlight your best skills. For example, go through your presentation in front of a Q1 colleague or relative. Think about who your audience is and what you want them to get out of the presentation. Think about content and style.

  19. IELTS Cambridge 11 Test 2: GT Reading Module

    This General Training IELTS Reading post deals with a solution package for IELTS Cambridge 11 Reading Test 2 Section 2 that has two texts entitled 'Tips for giving an effective business presentation' and 'How to get a job in journalism'.This is a targeted post for candidates who have big problems finding out and understanding Reading Answers. This post can guide you the best to ...

  20. GT Reading Test 34 Section 2

    Tips for giving an effective business presentation. Preparation: Get someone else to evaluate your performance and highlight your best skills. For example, go through your presentation in front of a colleague or relative. Think about who your audience is and what you want them to get out of the presentation. Think about content and style.

  21. 9 Tips For More Powerful Business Presentations

    Be sure to consider your audience and the things they would wonder about, and phrase your questions so you answer those things for them, while at the same time advancing your message and your ...

  22. Job Success: Building an Effective Business Presentation

    Explore reasons for giving a business presentation; Prepare a business presentation; Recognize tips for delivering an effective business presentation; If you work in a business or corporate setting, you may be called upon to speak publicly for a variety of reasons. Possible reasons include...

  23. How to Give an Effective Business Presentation

    Here we will take a look at some helpful tips for delivering a powerful business presentation. 1. Establish Credibility Up Front. Any time you are presenting to an audience, and especially with business presentations, you want to establish credibility up front. Your audience is more likely to listen to you if they find you a credible source.

  24. IELTS READING TEST SET 9 TASK 3 GT

    Tips for giving an effective business presentation. Preparation: Get someone else to evaluate your performance and highlight your best skills. For example, go through your presentation in front of a colleague or relative. Think about who your audience is and what you want them to get out of the presentation. Think about content and style.