presentation from business

Home Blog Business Business Presentation: The Ultimate Guide to Making Powerful Presentations (+ Examples)

Business Presentation: The Ultimate Guide to Making Powerful Presentations (+ Examples)

A business presentation is a purpose-led summary of key information about your company’s plans, products, or practices, designed for either internal or external audiences. Project proposals, HR policy presentations, investors briefings are among the few common types of presentations. 

Compelling business presentations are key to communicating important ideas, persuading others, and introducing new offerings to the world. Hence, why business presentation design is one of the most universal skills for any professional. 

This guide teaches you how to design and deliver excellent business presentations. Plus, breaks down some best practices from business presentation examples by popular companies like Google, Pinterest, and Amazon among others! 

3 General Types of Business Presentations

A business presentation can be given for a number of reasons. Respectively, they differ a lot in terms of content and purpose. 

But overall, all types of business presentations can be classified as:

• Informative
• Persuasive 
• Supporting 

Informative Business Presentation 

As the name suggests, the purpose of an informative presentation is to discern the knowledge you have — explain what you know. It’s the most common type of business presentation out there. So you have probably prepared such at least several times. 

Examples of informative presentations:

• Team briefings presentation 
• Annual stakeholder report 
• Quarterly business reviews
• Business portfolio presentation
• Business plan presentation
• Project presentation

Helpful templates from SlideModel:

• Business plan PowerPoint template
• Business review PowerPoint template
• Project proposal PowerPoint template
• Corporate annual report template

Persuasive Business Presentation 

The goal of this type of presentation is to persuade your audience of your point of view — convince them of what you believe is right. Developing business presentations of this caliber requires a bit more copywriting mastery, as well as expertise in public speaking . Unlike an informative business presentation, your goal here is to sway the audience’s opinions and prompt them towards the desired action. 

Examples of persuasive presentations:

• Pitch deck/investor presentations
• Sales presentation  
• Business case presentation 
• Free business proposal presentation
• Business proposal PowerPoint template
• Pitch deck PowerPoint template
• Account Plan PowerPoint template

Supporting Business Presentation 

This category of business PowerPoint presentations is meant to facilitate decision-making — explain how we can get something done. The underlying purpose here is to communicate the general “action plan”. Then break down the necessary next steps for bringing it to life. 

Examples of supporting presentations:

• Roadmap presentation
• Project vision presentation 
• After Action Review presentation 
• Standard operating procedure (SOP) PowerPoint template 
• Strategy map PowerPoint template 
• After action review (ARR) PowerPoint template 

What Should Be Included in a Business Presentation?

Overall, the content of your business presentation will differ depending on its purpose and type. However, at the very minimum, all business presentations should include:

• Introductory slide 
• Agenda/purpose slide
• Main information or Content slides
• Key Takeaways slides
• Call-to-action/next steps slides

We further distill business presentation design and writing best practices in the next section (plus, provide several actionable business PowerPoint presentation examples !). 

How to Make a Business Presentation: Actionable Tips

A business presentation consists of two parts — a slide deck and a verbal speech. In this section, we provide tips and strategies for nailing your deck design. 

1. Get Your Presentation Opening Right 

The first slides of your presentation make or break your success. Why? By failing to frame the narrative and set the scene for the audience from the very beginning, you will struggle to keep their interest throughout the presentation. 

You have several ways of how to start a business presentation:

• Use a general informative opening — a summative slide, sharing the agenda and main points of the discussion. 
• Go for a story opening — a more creative, personal opening, aimed at pulling the audience into your story. 
• Try a dramatic opening — a less apparent and attention-grabbing opening technique, meant to pique the audience’s interest. 

Standard Informative Opening 

Most business presentation examples you see start with a general, informative slide such as an Agenda, Problem Statement, or Company Introduction. That’s the “classic” approach. 

To manage the audience’s expectations and prepare them for what’s coming next, you can open your presentation with one or two slides stating:

• The topic of your presentation — a one-sentence overview is enough. 
• Persuasive hook, suggesting what’s in it for the audience and why they should pay attention. 
• Your authority — the best technique to establish your credibility in a business presentation is to share your qualifications and experience upfront to highlight why you are worth listening to. 

Opening best suited for: Formal business presentations such as annual reports and supporting presentations to your team/business stakeholders. 

Story Opening 

Did you ever notice that most TED talks start with a quick personal story? The benefit of this presenting technique is that it enables speakers to establish quick rapport and hold the listener’s attention. 

Here’s how Nancy Duarte, author of “Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations” book and TED presenter, recommends opening a presentation: 

You know, here’s the status quo, here’s what’s going on. And then you need to compare that to what could be. You need to make that gap as big as possible, because there is this commonplace of the status quo, and you need to contrast that with the loftiness of your idea. 

Storytelling , like no other tool, helps transpose the audience into the right mindset and get concentrated on the subject you are about to discuss. A story also elicits emotions, which can be a powerful ally when giving persuasive presentations. In the article how to start a presentation , we explore this in more detail.

Opening best suited for: Personal and business pitches, sales presentations, other types of persuasive presentations. 

Dramatic Opening 

Another common technique is opening your presentation with a major statement, sometimes of controversial nature. This can be a shocking statistic, complex rhetoric question, or even a provocative, contrarian statement, challenging the audience’s beliefs. 

Using a dramatic opening helps secure the people’s attention and capture their interest. You can then use storytelling to further drill down your main ideas. 

If you are an experienced public speaker, you can also strengthen your speech with some unexpected actions. That’s what Bill Gates does when giving presentations. In a now-iconic 2009 TED talk about malaria, mid-presentation Gates suddenly reveals that he actually brought a bunch of mosquitoes with him. He cracks open a jar with non-malaria-infected critters to the audience’s surprise. His dramatic actions, paired with a passionate speech made a mighty impression. 

Opening best suited for: Marketing presentations, customer demos, training presentations, public speeches. 

Further reading: How to start a presentation: tips and examples. 

2. Get Your PowerPoint Design Right

Surely, using professional business PowerPoint templates already helps immensely with presentation deck design since you don’t need to fuss over slide layout, font selection, or iconography. 

Even so, you’ll still need to customize your template(s) to make them on brand and better suited to the presentation you’re about to deliver. Below are our best presentation design tips to give your deck an extra oomph. 

Use Images, Instead of Bullet Points 

If you have ever watched Steve Jobs’s presentations, you may have noticed that he never used bullet-point lists. Weird right? Because using bullet points is the most universal advice in presentation design. 

But there’s a valid scientific reason why Jobs favored images over bullet-point texts. Researchers found that information delivered in visuals is better retained than words alone. This is called the “ pictorial superiority effect ”. As John Medina, a molecular biologist, further explains :

“Hear a piece of information, and three days later you’ll remember 10% of it. Add a picture and you’ll remember 65%.”

So if your goal is to improve the memorability of your presentation, always replace texts with images and visualizations when it makes sense. 

Fewer Slides is Better

No matter the value, a long PowerPoint presentation becomes tiring at some point. People lose focus and stop retaining the information. Thus, always take some extra time to trim the fluff and consolidate some repetitive ideas within your presentation. 

For instance, at McKinsey new management consultants are trained to cut down the number of slides in client presentations. In fact, one senior partner insists on replacing every 20 slides with only two slides . Doing so prompts you to focus on the gist — the main business presentation ideas you need to communicate and drop filler statements. 

Here are several quick tips to shorten your slides:

• Use a three-arc structure featuring a clear beginning (setup), main narrative (confrontation), ending (resolution). Drop the ideas that don’t fit into either of these. 
• Write as you tweet. Create short, on-point text blurbs of under 156 symbols, similar to what you’d share on Twitter. 
• Contextualize your numbers. Present any relevant statistics in a context, relevant to the listeners. Turn longer stats into data visualizations for easier cognition. 

Consistency is Key 

In a solid business presentation, each slide feels like part of the connecting story. To achieve such consistency apply the same visual style and retain the same underlying message throughout your entire presentation.

Use the same typography, color scheme, and visual styles across the deck. But when you need to accentuate a transition to a new topic (e.g. move from a setup to articulating the main ideas), add some new visual element to signify the slight change in the narrative. 

Further reading: 23 PowerPoint Presentation Tips for Creating Engaging and Interactive Presentations

3. Make Your Closure Memorable 

We best remember the information shared last. So make those business presentation takeaways stick in the audience’s memory. We have three strategies for that. 

Use the Rule of Three 

The Rule of Three is a literary concept, suggesting that we best remember and like ideas and concepts when they are presented in threes. 

Many famous authors and speakers use this technique:

• “Duty – Honor – Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, and what you will be” . Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
• “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” are the unalienable rights of all humans that governments are meant to protect.” Thomas Jefferson 

The Rule of Three works because three is the maximum number of items most people can remember on their first attempt. Likewise, such pairings create a short, familiar structure that is easy to remember for our brains. 

Try the Title Close Technique

Another popular presentation closing technique is “Title Close” — going back to the beginning of your narrative and reiterating your main idea (title) in a form of a takeaway. Doing so helps the audience better retain your core message since it’s repeated at least two times. Plus, it brings a sense of closure — a feel-good state our brains love. Also, a brief one-line closure is more memorable than a lengthy summary and thus better retained. 

Ask a Question 

If you want to keep the conversation going once you are done presenting, you can conclude your presentation with a general question you’d like the audience to answer.

Alternatively, you can also encourage the members to pose questions to you. The latter is better suited for informational presentations where you’d like to further discuss some of the matters and secure immediate feedback. 

Try adding an interactive element like a QR code closing your presentation with a QR code and having a clear CTA helps you leverage the power of sharing anything you would like to share with your clients. QR codes can be customized to look alike your brand.

If you are looking for a smoother experience creating presentations on the fly, check out the AI PowerPoint maker —it offers everything you can ask forfrom presentation design in a couple of clicks.

12 Business Presentation Examples and What Makes Them Great 

Now that we equipped you with the general knowledge on how to make a presentation for business, let’s take a look at how other presenters are coping with this job and what lessons you can take away from them. 

1. N26 Digital Bank Pitch Deck 

This is a fine business pitch presentation example, hitting all the best practices. The deck opens with a big shocking statement that most Millennials would rather go to the dentist than step into a bank branch. 

Then it proceeds to discuss the company’s solution to the above — a fully digital bank with a paperless account opening process, done in 8 minutes. After communicating the main product features and value proposition, the deck further conceptualizes what traction the product got so far using data visualizations. The only thing it lacks is a solid call-to-action for closing slides as the current ending feels a bit abrupt. 

2. WeWork Pitch Deck

For a Series D round, WeWork went with a more formal business presentation. It starts with laying down the general company information and then transitions to explaining their business model, current market conditions, and the company’s position on the market.

The good thing about this deck is that they quantify their business growth prospects and value proposition. The likely gains for investors are shown in concrete numbers. However, those charts go one after another in a row, so it gets a bit challenging to retain all data points. 

The last part of their presentation is focused on a new offering, “We Live”. It explains why the team seeks funds to bring it to life. Likewise, they back their reasoning with market size statistics, sample projects, and a five-year revenue forecast. 

3. Redfin Investor Presentation 

If you are looking for a “text-light” business presentation example, Redfin’s investor deck is up to your alley. This simple deck expertly uses iconography, charts, and graphs to break down the company’s business model, value proposition, market share, and competitive advantages over similar startups. For number-oriented investors, this is a great deck design to use. 

4. Google Ready Together Presentation 

This isn’t quite the standard business presentation example per se. But rather an innovative way to create engaging, interactive presentations of customer case studies .

The short deck features a short video clip from a Google client, 7-11, explaining how they used the company’s marketing technology to digitally transform their operations and introduce a greater degree of marketing automation . The narrated video parts are interrupted by slides featuring catchy stats, contextualizing issues other businesses are facing. Then transitions to explaining through the words of 7-11 CMO, how Google’s technology is helping them overcome the stated shortcomings.

5. Salesforce Business Presentation Example 

This is a great example of an informational presentation, made by the Salesforce team to share their research on customer experience (CX) with prospects and existing customers.

The slide deck errs on the lengthier side with 58 slides total. But bigger topics are broken down and reinforced through bite-sized statistics and quotes from the company leadership. They are also packaging the main tips into memorable formulas, itemized lists, and tables. Overall, this deck is a great example of how you can build a compelling narrative using different statistics. 

6. Mastercard Business Presentation

This slide deck from Mastercard instantly captures the audience’s attention with unusual background images and major data points on the growth of populations, POS systems, and payment methods used in the upcoming decade.

Perhaps to offset the complexity of the subject, Mastercard chose to sprinkle in some humor in presentation texts and used comic-style visuals to supplement that. However, all their animations are made in a similar style, creating a good sense of continuity in design. They are also using colors to signify the transition from one part of the presentation to another. 

In the second part, the slide deck focuses on distilling the core message of what businesses need to do to remain competitive in the new payments landscape. The team presents what they have been working on to expand the payment ecosystem. Then concludes with a “title close” styled call-to-action, mirroring the presentation title.

7. McKinsey Diversity & Inclusion Presentation 

This fresh business slide deck from McKinsey is a great reference point for making persuasive business presentations on complex topics such as D&I. First, it recaps the main definitions of the discussed concepts — diversity, equity, and inclusion — to ensure alignment with the audience members. 

Next, the business presentation deck focuses on the severity and importance of the issue for businesses, represented through a series of graphs and charts. After articulating the “why”, the narrative switches to “how” — how leaders can benefit from investment in D&I. The main points are further backed with data and illustrated via examples. 

8. Accenture Presentation for the Energy Sector

Similar to McKinsey, Accenture keeps its slide deck on a short. Yet the team packs a punch within each slide through using a mix of fonts, graphical elements, and color for highlighting the core information. The presentation copy is on a longer side, prompting the audience to dwell on reading the slides. But perhaps this was meant by design as the presentation was also distributed online — via the company blog and social media. 

The last several slides of the presentation deck focus on articulating the value Accenture can deliver for their clients in the Energy sector. They expertly break down their main value proposition and key service lines, plus quantify the benefits. 

9. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Technical Presentation 

Giving an engaging technical presentation isn’t an easy task. You have to balance the number of details you reveal on your slides to prevent overwhelm, while also making sure that you don’t leave out any crucial deets. This technical presentation from AWS does great in both departments. 

First, you get entertained with a quick overview of Amazon’s progress in machine learning (ML) forecasting capabilities over the last decade. Then introduced to the main tech offering. The deck further explains what you need to get started with Amazon Forecast — e.g. dataset requirements, supported forecasting scenarios, available forecasting models, etc. 

The second half of the presentation provides a quick training snippet on configuring Amazon SageMaker to start your first project. The step-by-step instructions are coherent and well-organized, making the reader excited to test-drive the product. 

10. Snapchat Company Presentation

Snapchat’s business model presentation is on a funkier, more casual side, reflective of the company’s overall brand and positioning. After briefly recapping what they do, the slide deck switches to discussing the company’s financials and revenue streams.

This business slide deck by Snap Inc. itself is rather simplistic and lacks fancy design elements. But it has a strong unified theme of showing the audience Snapchat’s position on the market and projected vector of business development. 

11. Visa Business Acquisition Presentation 

If you are working on a business plan or M&A presentation for stakeholders of your own, this example from Visa will be helpful. The presentation deck expertly breaks down the company’s rationale for purchasing Plaid and subsequent plans for integrating the startup into their business ecosystem. 

The business deck recaps why the Plaid acquisition is a solid strategic decision by highlighting the total addressable market they could dive into post-deal. Then it details Plaid’s competitive strengths. The slide deck then sums up all the monetary and indirect gains Visa could reap as an acquirer. 

12. Pinterest Earnings Report Presentation 

Annual reports and especially earnings presentations might not be the most exciting types of documents to work on, but they have immense strategic value. Hence, there’s little room for ambiguities or mistakes. 

In twelve slides, this business presentation from Pinterest clearly communicates the big picture of the company’s finance in 2021. All the key numbers are represented as featured quotes in the sidebar with diagrams further showcasing the earning and spending dynamics. Overall, the data is easy to interpret even for non-finance folks. 

To Conclude 

With these business presentation design tips, presentation templates , and examples, you can go from overwhelmed to confident about your next presentation design in a matter of hours. Focus on creating a rough draft first using a template. Then work on nailing your opening slide sequence and shortening the texts in the main part of your presentation when needed. Make sure that each slide serves a clear purpose and communicates important details. To make your business presentation deck more concise, remove anything that does not pertain to the topic. 

Finally, once you are done, share your business presentation with other team members to get their feedback and reiterate the final design.

Like this article? Please share

Business Presentations, Corporate Presentations, Design, Design Inspiration, Examples, Executive Reports, Inspiration, Presentation Ideas Filed under Business

Related Articles

Filed under Presentation Ideas • November 19th, 2024

What is the Best Way to Deliver Presentations with Authenticity

Do you feel as if your presentations look dull or robotic? Discover how to bring authenticity to your slides and speech with this guide.

Filed under Business • November 6th, 2024

Meeting Agenda Examples: Guide + PPT Templates

Are you looking for creative agenda examples for your presentations? If so, we invite you to discover the secrets to creating a professional agenda slide.

Filed under Business • November 5th, 2024

Change Management Presentation (Guide + Templates)

Learn the essentials of change management presentations to effectively guide stakeholders through transitions. PPT templates listed.

Leave a Reply

How to Give a Killer Presentation

Lessons from TED by Chris Anderson

Summary .   

• 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).

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.”

Partner Center

Top Tips for Great Presentations | Be Engaging

November 19, 2024

What presentation tips do you need to know for a great presentation?  How do you give a great presentation.  What are the top presentation tips?

Crafting a great presentation is both an art and a science . Whether you’re delivering a PowerPoint presentation, using Google Slides, or relying on a pitch deck, the goal is the same: to engage your audience members and communicate your main points effectively. Let’s explore effective presentation tips to ensure your next presentation leaves a lasting impression.

Delivering an engaging presentation is a skill that can transform how your ideas are received . Whether you’re speaking to a room of ten or a conference hall of hundreds, keeping your audience interested is crucial. Here’s how to make your presentations impactful and memorable.  Maintaining your audience’s attention throughout the entire presentation is crucial.

Why Pick Benjamin Ball Associates for Your Coaching At Benjamin Ball Associates, we’ve been coaching business people to improve their business communication skills for over 15 years.  Our coaching is fast and effective.  We work with individuals and with companies, one-to-one and in groups.  Call us today to learn more. “I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.” Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky Out most popular training courses include: Presentation Coaching Public Speaking Coaching Investor Pitch Support and Coaching Trusted by some of the most successful companies globally Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email [email protected] to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations. Get a free consultation on your coaching needs now

Great Content, Structure and Simplicity: The Foundation of Success

The content of your presentation is the most important thing . To deliver a successful presentation, you need to build your presentation around a few main points and organise them logically. The best way to improve your presentation is to create great content.

Avoid the trap of a bad presentation by tailoring your content and delivery to your audience. Whether it’s a large conference or a gathering of colleagues at smaller events, the approach remains the same: create powerful messages, a clear narrative, and the strategic use of storytelling. With these elements in place, your presentation will stand out as both engaging and effective.

Out top presentation tips include

Top Tips for Effective Presentations

1. start strong.

The first few moments of your presentation set the tone. A powerful opening grabs attention and creates anticipation.

Example: “Imagine a world where your team is 30% more productive – what would that mean for your business?” This type of thought-provoking question immediately involves your audience.

Use a story, a surprising statistic, or even a bold statement to make your opening compelling.

Read more about how to start a presentation here .

Get a free consultation on your coaching needs now

2. Tailor to Your Audience

Understand who you’re speaking to and adjust your content accordingly. A presentation for senior executives should talk about strategy and outcomes, while a team workshop might benefit from practical, hands-on tips.

Throughout, make your presentation about your audience, not about you or your subject matter. One easy way to do this is to use the word ‘YOU’ frequently in your talk.

Tailoring Example: If addressing a small business group, you could say: “I know many of you wear multiple hats, so let’s outline some actionable ideas you can implement tomorrow.”

3. Use Visual Aids Wisely

Never start with PowerPoint or plan your presentation with PowerPoint. Learn how to plan your presentation like a professional.

Slides should enhance, not distract from, your message. Try presenting without slides or use visuals sparingly and ensure they’re easy to digest. Aim for clean designs, large fonts, and minimal text.

A good rule of thumb is to keep your slide deck concise—aim for a small number of slides that highlight your key ideas. A page of bullet points is a bad way to summarise information.

A general rule is to avoid large amounts of text on your slides. Instead, use only a few lines of text to highlight key points. Slides should support—not replace—your message. Including too much information on a single slide will confuse your audience and shift their attention away from you.

Presentation Tip: Instead of cramming a slide with statistics, display a simple chart that highlights the most important trend. Complement it with a verbal explanation: “As you can see, sales jumped by 40% after adopting this strategy.”

4. Tell Stories

Stories are memorable and help illustrate your points. Share real-life examples or case studies that connect with your audience on an emotional level.

Including a personal story is one of the best ways to connect emotionally with your audience. For example, if you’re presenting a strategy for business growth, sharing a relatable anecdote about overcoming challenges can make your ideas more tangible and memorable.

Personal stories add authenticity to your presentation and can help capture the attention of your entire audience.  Learn how to tell stories in presentations here.

Presentation Tip: If presenting about teamwork, recount a time your own team overcame a challenge: “We had a tight deadline, but by collaborating with colleagues from different departments, we delivered the project early and exceeded client expectations.”

5. Keep It Interactive

Engagement is a two-way street. Involve your audience by asking questions, encouraging discussion, or using interactive tools like polls. Or more simply, use rhetorical questions. They are simple and effective.

Probably the easiest way to make an interactive presentation is to use the work YOU as much as possible in your presentation.

Presentation Tip: For a very large audience you could use live polling tools like Slido to ask: “What’s your biggest productivity challenge?” Discussing the results can help guide the presentation while maintaining interest. Get a free consultation on your coaching needs now

6. Simplify Complex Ideas

If your presentation involves technical or detailed content, break it down into simple, digestible pieces. Use analogies or visuals to clarify complex ideas.

Use short sentences. Short words.  Many pauses.

Avoid using technical terms unless you’re certain your target audience is familiar with the subject matter. Even in technical business presentations, clarity is essential. The greatest presenters turn complex information into simple ideas using metaphor, analogies and similies.

Avoid overloading Your audience.  An effective presentation delivers valuable information without giving your audience indigestion. Less really is more.

If you need to provide more details, consider offering a tip sheet or a handout at the end . This is a perfect way to ensure your audience walks away with important things to review later, without distracting them during your talk. This approach is especially helpful for killer presentations that balance clarity with depth.

Presentation Tip: Instead of saying, “We need to optimise our SEO strategy to improve SERP rankings,” try, “Think of your website as a shopfront. SEO is how you ensure customers can find it.” Get a free consultation on your coaching needs now

7. End with Impact

Leave your audience with something memorable. Summarise key points, reinforce your main message, or end with a call to action.

A strong conclusion ties everything together and reinforces the important points. The content of the presentation should naturally lead to a call to action or a thought-provoking takeaway. Use this moment to thank your audience and remind them why your message matters. For example, you might say: “If there’s one thing you take away today, it’s that small changes in your approach can lead to big results.”

Always end with a strong finish that summarises the main points and includes your contact information for follow-ups. Ending with a memorable quote or a call to action is a great way to close. The end of the presentation should reinforce your key message, leaving a lasting impression.

At the last thing, summarise your key points and leave your audience with a strong takeaway . Whether you’re presenting at a conference or smaller events, the closing moments are crucial. Revisit your important points briefly and finish with an inspiring call to action or thought-provoking statement. Your audience should leave feeling motivated and informed.

Presentation Tips: “If there’s one thing to take away today, it’s this: prioritise clarity in communication, and you’ll see results immediately.”

8. Manage Nerves Effectively

Even the most seasoned speakers feel nervous. Preparation is key. Practise thoroughly, but also learn techniques to calm yourself on the day. Breathing exercises and visualising success can help. Learn how to manage your presentation nerves here .

Presentation Tips: Arrive early, check the tech, and familiarise yourself with the room to reduce surprises. Get a free consultation on your coaching needs now

9. Stay Authentic

Audiences connect with real, relatable speakers. So, don’t try to imitate others – instead be the best version of yourself.

Body language also plays a vital role in an effective presentation . Using purposeful hand gestures can emphasise your important points and make your delivery more dynamic. However, avoid overdoing it—natural movements are more effective than exaggerated ones. If you’re presenting on a larger screen, make sure your gestures are visible even to those seated at the back of the room.

Example: If you make a mistake, don’t panic. Laugh it off: “Well, that wasn’t in the script! Let’s try that again.” A touch of humour can help you connect with your audience.

10. Polish and Practice: Make it Memorable

Practising beforehand is the best way to prevent potential problems. For example, run through your slides on the actual equipment you’ll be using and test visuals on a larger screen to ensure they are clear. Stand on stage and check the sound, where the lights are and where you can move. These preparations reduce stress and help you deliver a polished, memorable presentation even if things don’t go perfectly.

Your tone of voice, body language, and energy play a significant role in keeping your audience engaged. Avoid speaking in a monotone so you vary your pace and emphasis to highlight key points.

A good idea is to rehearse within your time limit, ensuring that you don’t rush or overload your audience members with additional information at the end of your presentation. Public speaking is a skill, and practising regularly will help you build good presentation skills.

Even with careful planning, the worst-case scenario—like technical difficulties or a forgotten slide—can happen. Being prepared with backup materials, such as printed slides or an offline version of your presentation, is a good chance to show your professionalism. Even better, be prepared to speak with no visual aids. Remember, how you handle unexpected moments can leave just as much of an impression as the content of the presentation itself.

Strong stage presence is also key —stand confidently at the front of an audience, make eye contact, and project your voice. Learn about better body language here.

Presentation Tips: Record yourself practising and watch for areas to improve. Are your gestures natural? Are you maintaining eye contact? Get a free consultation on your coaching needs now

What Next to Improve Your Presentations

By following these presentation tips, you’ll not only create excellent presentations but also grow into a great speaker who can deliver powerful presentations in a variety of ways. With the right preparation and execution, you’ll soon master the art of business presentations and wow every type of presentation you face.

Creating a killer presentation doesn’t require perfection —it’s about making connections, sharing ideas, and delivering value. By addressing the needs of your audience and finding different ways to keep them engaged, you’ll be well on your way to delivering impactful and memorable presentations every time.

Being engaging isn’t about being flashy – it’s about connecting with your audience and delivering valu e in a way that’s clear, interesting, and memorable. By starting strong, staying relatable, and involving your audience, you can turn even the most complex topic into a presentation people will remember.

Ready to step up your presentation game? Start practising these presentation tips today and watch your confidence – and impact – grow.

From presentation tips to world-class presentation skills

We’ve been coaching business executives and leaders for 15 years to create and deliver powerful talks and presentations. learn more about our intensive presentation skills coaching courses today., call louise on + 44 20 7018 0922 or email [email protected], find out more., transform your pitches and presentation with tailored coaching.

We can help you present brilliantly. Thousands of people have benefitted from our tailored in-house coaching and advice – and we can help you too .

“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.” Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky

For 15+ years we’ve been the trusted choice for leading businesses and executives throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East to improve corporate presentations through presentation coaching, public speaking training and expert advice on pitching to investors.

Some recent clients

Unlock your full potential and take your presentations to the next level with Benjamin Ball Associates.

Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email [email protected] to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations.

Or read another article..., the secrets to a compelling pitch for investors.

Are you writing an investor pitch deck?  Do you want it to be…

PRESS RELEASE – Business leadership communication problems

8 out of 10 business leaders struggle with communication issues. Education is the answer, whether oracy at school or presentation coaching at work.

Contact us for a chat about how we can help you with your presenting.

What leaders say about Benjamin Ball Associates

Ceo, plunkett uk.

"Thank you so much for an absolutely brilliant session yesterday! It was exactly what we were hoping for, and you did an incredibly job covering such a range of issues with four very different people in such short a session. It really was fantastic - thank you!"

James Alcock, Chief Executive, Plunkett UK

Manager, ubs.

"Essential if you are going to be a spokesperson for your business"

Senior Analyst, Sloane Robinson

"Being an effective communicator is essential to get your stock ideas across. This course is exactly what's needed to help you do just that!"

CEO, Blast! Films

“Our investment in the coaching has paid for itself many times over.”

Ed Coulthard

Corporate finance house.

“You address 95% of the issues in a quarter of the time of your competitor.”

Partner International

“Good insight and a great toolbox to improve on my presentations and delivery of messages to not only boards, analysts and shareholders but to all audiences”

CEO, Eurocamp

“We had a good story to tell, but you helped us deliver it more coherently and more positively.”

Steve Whitfield

Ceo, ipso ventures.

“Ben did a great job on our presentation. He transformed an ordinary set of slides into a great presentation with a clear message. Would definitely use him again and recommend him highly.”

Nick Rogers

“Moved our presentation into a different league and undoubtedly improved the outcome and offer we received.”

Let's talk about your presentation training needs

+44 20 7018 0922, [email protected], our bespoke presentation coaching services, investor pitch coaching, executive presentation coaching, public speaking training, executive media training, new business pitch coaching, privacy overview.