THEATRE

Planning the presentation

A presentation is not a sequential display of data but a battle for selling an idea. Which requires a strategy or a sequence of moves. A five point 5W strategy could be used for the Presentation preparation planning.


The 5W are comprised for 4W i.e. WHO? WHY? WHERE? and WHEN? to be answered to decide on the 5th W i.e. WHAT?

 WHO: The clearer and comprehensive the answer is to WHO i.e. the receiver, the better is the chance to shape the message to suit the receiver. This comprises of several more questions like the composition and the number of people in the audience, their education level, who are the opinion leaders? The language they are comfortable, their attitude toward the idea, etc.

 WHY: is the next filter. Why are you making the presentation? This helps in shaping the presentation. There can be two agendas. First the Open agenda, or the public purpose of your presentation. While the second agenda i.e., the Hidden agenda is the reason to challenge their belief or to explore their objective or take home from your presentation, or the reason they are there for.


 WHERE: is related to the physical setting of venue of the Presentation, the place, infrastructure, equipment and familiarity with them. These should be clear and if possible a rehearsal followed by a backup plan must be in place to handle any eventuality.

 WHEN: This filter is related to the Time of presentation, of the sequence in case your presentation happens to be one of the several consecutive ones, or scheduled at the end of the day. The strategy to use should be lively and humorous. In case you are running behind schedule, you should plan such that you can shrink the presentation in half the allotted time, without panicking, or even be able to expand it if required.

 WHAT: is added to contents of the Presentation, only when it has passed the other four filter levels. What would interest the audience and what is the level of detailing required, a better and safer rule is to give less rather than more. Although researching the topic should give enough depth of ideas not only to make the presentation but also to answer a variety of questions related to the topic. If making a PowerPoint presentation, code Red for core ideas , which have to be presented, green for those ideas which may be presented in case time permits else could be dropped to cut the presentation short and the rest ought to be presented with the core in the event of the presentation going along expected lines. Multiple presentations may also be created as a backup towards time constraints.

6. Structuring the Presentation

The structure of a presentation is a sequence of ideas for keeping the listener attentive without straining themselves. A common rule for any presentation should be Introduction, Body and Conclusion.

 Introduction: It is the most important multipurpose component of the presentation. The introduction must try to inform the audience what the Presentation will tell them. It should arouse the audience’s interest, establish rapport with them, motivate them and make the body of your presentation easy to understand and accept. Depending on the general style, kind ofaudience, and the purpose of presentation. A presentation can be started with

 a statement of a relevant problem

 a summary statement of the structure

 a definition of the purpose of presentation

 a description of the topic’s importance to the audience

 a piece of statistical information presented memorably

 a startling statement or a rhetorical questionA brief preview of the structure and purpose may be an excellent introduction to a technical presentation. The introduction is a preview of the presentation. The objective being to tell the audience what you intend to present to them.

 Body: is the main contents of the presentation so requires further planning. Two specific questions can define it. Firstly, contents and secondly, the order they appear in. Also the sequence of ideas should be based on the identified answer to WHO is important. Sometimes a top down approach works while at times a bottom up approach is more acceptable in the sequencing of information in the Body of presentation.

 Conclusion: is telling the audience what you have told them in the body. It is as important as the introduction and thus has to be planned and delivered well. The different ways of executing this part,

 one may summarise the presentation, while a searching question or

 a quote or call for action may be appropriate for other types of presentations.

A few don’ts to be avoided are abrupt endings because of paucity of time, or a long winding conclusion. This risks the audience’s mind from wandering away and the entire effort lost.

7. Presentation Delivery

Presentation Delivery is about deciding on how to tell your audience after deciding on what to tell them. Poor delivery can spoil the entire presentation, so it needs to be carefully crafted.

 Reading aloud the entire presentation would end up with just reproduction of the text but losing the audience. The technique can be reading out with eye-contact and voice modulation, towards that end familiarity with the text and practice is important. Also remember that the page to read out from should be printed in double spacing and font 14, so it can assist you in the delivery. Also type each line in a ‘breath group’ of word, helping you to scoop up the whole line in one go and speak from your short term memory while looking at the audience.

 Speaking from Notes in case of short presentations, transparency or slides can act as mental notes. They should be brief and act merely as triggers for your ideas. Consulting from notes frequently risks the audience’s impression about the credibility of your knowledge.

 Handling Questions is a part of lively interaction with the audience. By asking questions they give verbal feedback: giving you a chance to clarify things, to correct any misunderstandings and to give them additional supporting data. Questions are also a double edged sword, failing to answer legitimate questions can dent the credibility of the presenter’s image as incompetent. Handling a question is an art, start with preparation for anticipating questions having answers ready. Hostile questions can best be handled with humour. If cornered, get out of the trap by taking another question, else an escape strategy would be to answer it after the presentation supplementing it with data and illustrations. Avoid getting into a one to one dialogue. Rephrase a longwinded question into a crisp one for seeking clarity.

Also observing other handling questions is learning how to and how not to deal with questions in a presentation session.

 Voice, Posture and Gesture- voice should be loud enough and well-modulated as in an animated conversation. There must be passion and self-believability in what is being presented. Thus conviction should come through the voice. Avoid stiffness, as it symbolises nervousness. Rather than clutching the lectern, a relaxed, confident and controlled posture is required to deliver a powerful message. Be careful about your hands, they speak your mind. So avoid them making any wild, repetitive or distracting gestures.

 Eye Contact- Looking at people as you talk to them is the most natural and a fundamental fact of the social life. It shows your interest in them. It involves them and brings you feedback, as they feel you are communicating with them. It also indicates your self-confidence. Try looking at everyone in the audience rather than singling out anyone in particular. It is important to see audience’s eyes to lock in and make the communication effective.

 Appropriate Clothes – Attire plays an important role in the overall impression created by the presenter. One should dress such that clothes do not become the centre of self-attention or that of the audience. In case of inappropriate dress, which is too casual, or gaudy, it would distract the audience. Being overcautious about the dress would distract the presenter away from the presentation. Being your natural self, in appearance and voice would be easier and more effective for making an emphatic presentation.

 Supporting Presentation Visually Spoken words have a very short shelf life in an audience’s mind so the ideas have to reinforce graphically. Visual aids assist in reinforcing the presentation. The use of Charts, White Board, OHP or the Computer and Multimedia play a vital role in supporting presentations visually.

 Body Language
Human body and its various parts play an important role in communication. Nonverbal communication play a more effective role than verbal communication, as our body movements, gestures, postures etc. are expressions of our thoughts and feelings, these are signals our body sends out to communicate. Also our body, consciously as well as unconsciously, conveys messages, attitudes, moods, status relationship etc.

 Kinesics is the language of movement of different body parts like head, face, eye contact, gestures communicating different messages. Holding the head high is a sign of confidence and interest in the person in front of us. But if the head is drawn far backwards, it symbolises arrogance or pride. Head jerks indicates rejection while nodding the head signifies importance given, while listening to a speaker.

- Face is said to be the index of the mind, it is important to exercise restraint and control our negative feelings, while adopting a positive attitude at all situations, else our feelings are easily given away by our expressions. So staying calm and relaxed helps.

- Eye contact expresses understanding and conveying the message with feelings and interest. All feelings can be communicated by eyes. A long fixed gaze shows an interest in something or somebody, while avoiding eye contact indicates nervousness or embarrassment or even being untruthful.

- Gestures made by movement of our legs, arms, hands and torso also communicate non verbally vey meaningfully, example arms spread convey the meaning ‘wide’, while shuffling from one leg to another symbolized ‘nervousness and a torso erect and extended is interpreted as ‘intense’.- Body Shape and Posture affects the way we think about ourselves and how we relate to others. Leaning forward or backward, standing or sitting erect, stretching or bending sideways, all these make an immediate impression in the other persons mind. We can always try to be graceful and confident without unnecessarily ‘showing off or appearing unduly self-conscious’, and minding out ‘body talk’.

 Proxemics

The study of spatial factors between the sender and the receiver of the message is called as Proxemics. It is classified into different types of Space:

- Public Space- a distance of more than 12 feet for formal communication

- Social Space- a distance ranging between 4 to 12 feet, for formal business communications

- Personal Space, i.e., a gap of 2 to 4 feet, reserved for casual of friendly communication

- Intimate Space- the space between the communicators being less than 2 feet, indicating closeness and possibility of physical contact, a handshake or touch.

 Vocalics (Paralanguage)

While verbal language consists of ‘what’ or the content of words, para language involves ‘how a speaker’s voice or the way in which it is spoken. There are different kinds of voice- clear, cultivated, pleasant. It is the medium used to convey the message via a language. Beyond clarity for effective communication are certain elements to be considered like:

- Pitch variation: for keeping the listener interested rather than making a speech monotonous.

- Speaking speed: varying message delivery at different speeds conveys different parts of a message. A highly intricate or technical part of information must be delivered at a slower speed for it to be productive.

- Pause: must be used effectively to emphasize the upcoming subject and gaining listeners attention, while too frequent pauses spoils the speech.

- Volume variation: The loudness must be adjusted to the size of the audience. But volume must be monitored to bring about a contrast, as this adds life to the speech.

- Non fluencies: utterance like ‘oh’, ‘ah’, ‘um’, ‘ you know’ are non fluencies. Their careful and judicious use adds to fluency while too frequent usage irritates the listener.

​Inspirational Presentations
The leading inspirational platform, TEDx, comes to mind when talking about inspirational presentations. This presentation format has the peculiarity of maximizing the engagement with the audience to divulge a message, and due to that, it has specific requirements any presenter must meet.

This presentation format usually involves a speaker on a stage, either sitting or better standing, in which the presenter engages with the audience with a storytelling format about a life experience, a job done that provided a remarkable improvement for society, etc.[using a quote slide to boost inspirational presentation skills]
Most inspirational presentations start with a quote slide to introduce the story

Empathizing with the audience is the key ingredient for these inspirational presentations. Still, creativity is what shapes the outcome of your performance as people are constantly looking for different experiences – not the same recipe rephrased with personal touches. The human factor is what matters here, way above data and research. What has your experience to offer to others? How can it motivate another human being to pursue a similar path or discover their true calling?

To achieve success in terms of communication skills presentation, these inspirational presentations have the following requirements:

Focus on the audience (engage, consider their interests, and make them a part of your story)
Putting ego aside
Creative communication skills
Humor
Empathy
Storytelling skills
Body language knowledge to apply the correct gestures to accompany your story
Voice training
Using powerful words

Basic Presentation Skills

After discussing the different kinds of presentations we can come across at any stage of our lives, a group of presentation skills is standard in any type of presentation. See below what makes a good presentation and which skills you must count on to succeed as a presenter.

Punctuality
Punctuality is a crucial aspect of giving an effective presentation. Nothing says more about respect for your audience and the organization you represent than delivering the presentation on time. Arriving last minute puts pressure on the tech team behind audiovisuals, as they don’t have enough preparation to test microphones, stage lights, and projector settings, which can lead to a less powerful presentation Even when discussing presentations hosted in small rooms for a reduced audience, testing the equipment becomes essential for an effective presentation.

A solution for this is to arrive at least 30 minutes early. Ideally, one hour is a sweet spot since the AV crew has time to check the gear and requirements for your presentation. Another benefit of this, for example, in inspirational presentations, is measuring the previous presenter’s impact on the audience. This gives insights about how to resonate with the public, and their interest, and how to accommodate your presentation for maximum impact.

Body Language
Our bodies can make emotions transparent for others, even when we are unaware of such a fact. Proper training for body language skills reduces performance anxiety, giving the audience a sense of expertise about the presented topic. 

Give your presentation and the audience the respect they deserve by watching over these potential mistakes:

Turning your back to the audience for extended periods: It’s okay to do so when introducing an important piece of information or explaining a graph, but it is considered rude to give your back to the audience constantly.
Fidgeting: We are all nervous in the presence of strangers, even more, if we are the center of attention for that moment. Instead of playing with your hair or making weird hand gestures, take a deep breath to center yourself before the presentation and remember that everything you could do to prepare is already done. Trust your instincts and give your best.
Intense eye contact: Have you watched a video where the presenter stared at the camera the entire time? That’s the feeling you transmit to spectators through intense eye contact. It’s a practice often used by politicians to persuade.
Swearing: This is a no-brainer. Even when you see influencers swearing on camera or in podcasts or live presentations, it is considered an informal and lousy practice for business and academic situations. If you have a habit to break when it comes to this point, find the humor in these situations and replace your swear words with funny alternatives (if the presentation allows for it). 

Voice Tone
Voice Tone plays a crucial role in delivering effective presentations and knowing how to give a good presentation. Your voice is a powerful tool for exposing your ideas and feelings. Your voice can articulate the message you are telling, briefing the audience if you feel excited about what you are sharing or, in contrast, if you feel the presentation is a burden you ought to complete.

Remember, passion is a primary ingredient in convincing people. Therefore, transmitting such passion with a vibrant voice may help gather potential business partners’ interest.  

But what if you feel sick prior to the presentation? If, by chance, your throat is sore minutes before setting foot on the stage, try this: when introducing yourself, mention that you are feeling a bit under the weather. This resonates with the audience to pay more attention to your efforts. In case you don’t feel comfortable about that, ask the organizers for a cup of tea, as it will settle your throat and relax your nerves.

Tech Skills
Believe it or not, people still feel challenged by technology these days. Maybe that’s the reason why presentation giants like Tony Robbins opt not to use PowerPoint presentations. The reality is that there are plenty of elements involved in a presentation that can go wrong from the tech side:

A PDF not opening
Saving your presentation in a too-recent PowerPoint version
A computer not booting up
Mac laptops and their never-ending compatibility nightmare
Not knowing how to change between slides
Not knowing how to use a laser pointer
Internet not working
Audio not working

We can come up with a pretty long list of potential tech pitfalls, and yet more than half of them fall in presenters not being knowledgeable about technology.

If computers aren’t your thing, let the organization know about this beforehand. There is always a crew member available to help presenters switch between slides or configure the presentation for streaming. This takes the pressure off your shoulders, allowing you to concentrate on the content to present. Remember, even Bill Gates can get a BSOD during a presentation.


Presentation Techniques
In this section, we will list some of the most useful presentation skills presenters should hone. Remember, none of these techniques are expected to come naturally; they result from effort and practice.

Be passionate
Passion engages audiences, making your message resonate. Presenting with genuine enthusiasm elevates your energy and improves delivery, capturing attention and inspiring trust – an effect commonly seen in inspirational presentations. To convey passion, know the subject well enough to feel confident and excited to share insights. 

Expressing strong belief in your message encourages listeners to feel the same. Avoid overacting—natural enthusiasm goes further than forced energy. To hone this, practice until you’re comfortable with the material and can easily express why it matters. A passionate approach is contagious; if you’re invested in the subject, the audience will likely stay engaged and leave a lasting impression.

Be yourself
Authenticity is critical for making a genuine connection with your audience. Being yourself while presenting builds credibility and helps you appear approachable and trustworthy. Staying true to yourself reduces nerves and makes you more engaging since audiences appreciate sincerity over a rehearsed facade.

Focus on what you naturally bring rather than trying to imitate another speaker’s style. This could be a sense of humor, calm, collected presence, or relatable anecdotes. To achieve this, practice speaking in a conversational tone and avoid rehearsing too rigidly; you want to sound prepared yet spontaneous. 

Greet the audience
Starting with a warm greeting sets the tone for a welcoming and engaging presentation. A simple “Hello” or “Good morning” is often enough, but make it authentic and with a smile. Introducing yourself and perhaps adding a light remark about the setting or a shared experience builds rapport. 

Acknowledge the audience for taking the time to be there, which shows respect and creates a positive connection. This initial interaction establishes your presence as friendly and prepared, making people more receptive to your message. It also lets you settle into your environment, easing initial nervousness.

Ask rhetorical questions
Rhetorical questions engage your audience by prompting them to think without expecting verbal responses. This technique draws listeners into your narrative, creating mental engagement as they consider the answers privately. 

Use rhetorical questions strategically to highlight important points or to introduce a topic. Questions like, “Have you ever wondered…?” or “What would you do if…?” encourage reflection and make your points more relatable. Avoid overusing them, as it can disrupt the flow. Instead, use them as subtle engagement tools to keep your audience thinking and invested in the subject.

Backup plan
A backup plan prevents unexpected disruptions from derailing your presentation. Technology issues, unforeseen delays, or lost materials can occur, so preparing alternatives is essential. Bring printed slides, a PDF of your presentation, and any necessary files on a flash drive. 

Familiarize yourself with alternate ways to deliver your content, such as verbal summaries if visual aids fail. Practicing flexibility also enhances your confidence since you’re prepared for the unexpected. A solid backup plan keeps you calm and professional, ensuring small setbacks don’t compromise the presentation’s quality.

Be funny
Adding humor to your presentation lightens the atmosphere and keeps the audience engaged. A well-placed joke or light-hearted comment can make you appear approachable and relatable when appropriate. 

To use humor effectively, understand your audience’s comfort level with different styles of humor and avoid jokes that might be inappropriate. Focus on subtle, universal humor that aligns with the presentation theme, like a playful observation or funny anecdote. Overuse can detract from your message, so keep it balanced. Humor should support the presentation’s flow, not become the main focus.

Data
Data can make your points credible and concrete, showing that your claims are backed by evidence. However, presenting data effectively means more than just listing numbers. Use visuals like charts or graphs to simplify complex information, allowing the audience to grasp the core message quickly. 

Avoid overwhelming them with too much data; focus on the most relevant figures that support your argument. Introduce the data in context, explaining why it’s significant, and always keep your core message in mind. Well-presented data can strengthen your case, while too much can distract you.

Interactivity
Interactive elements increase engagement by actively involving the audience. Asking for a show of hands, incorporating small group discussions, or even live polling makes the experience dynamic and personalized. Interactive presentations help break up one-way communication’s monotony and keep listeners attentive. 

Plan interactivity at key points in your presentation to reinforce essential concepts or check understanding. Compelling interactivity adapts to the size and type of audience—keep it simple with larger groups. Inviting participation creates a more memorable experience and enhances the audience’s connection with your message.

Informative Presentations
The informative presentations take place in business situations, such as when to present project reports from different departments to the management. Another potential usage of these presentations is in SCRUM or other Agile methodologies, when a sprint is completed, to discuss the advance of the project with the Product Owner.

As they are presentations heavily dependent on data insights, it’s common to see the usage of infographics and charts to express usually dense data in simpler terms and easy to remember. [a SCRUM process being shown in an informative slide] Using infographic templates to introduce SCRUM processes to employees

Informative presentations don’t just fall into the business category. Ph.D. Dissertation and Thesis presentations are topics that belong to the informative presentations category as they condense countless research hours into manageable reports for the academic jury. [an example of a thesis dissertation template]
Applying a Ph.D. Dissertation template to explain the research methodology

Since these informational presentations can be perceived as lengthy and data-filled, it is important to learn the following professional presentation skills:

Attention to detail
Be able to explain complex information in simpler terms
Creative thinking
Powerful diction
Working on pauses and transitions
Pacing the presentation, so not too much information is divulged per slide

 Presentation:
A Presentation is a process of presenting a topic to an audience. Thus it is a means of communication or ‘speaking engagement’ that can be adapted to various speaking situations, such as talking to a group, addressing a meeting or briefing a team. To be effective, step by step preparation and the methods and means of presenting the information should be carefully considered.

 Presentation Skills
Presentation skills are a set of abilities to convey the messages with clarity to the audience. The message will contain a persuasive element. It plays an important role in influencing the clients and audience.


 Contents Matching the Audience
In a good presentation, the ideas are appropriate to the audience. If the ideas presented are too difficult, or too simple, in either of the situations the presentation is likely to fail. Similarly, it will fail if the ideas are perceived as irrelevant or boring. Which makes it all the more challenging for presentation of difficult concepts. The challenge being two set of presentations will be entirely different from each other on the same topic. Example: A presentation on the Theory of Relativity will be different for a group of scientists than the one of the same topic for a group of school children. The need of the audience shall decide the contents of the presentation.


 Language Matching the Audience
The language used in the presentation must also match the audience. If it is too difficult (technical for a non-technical audience, the presentation is likely to fail, or if the language is insultingly simple, the audience may switch off, and mind not be attentive or listening to the presentation. Attractive presentations also feature concrete, graphic language. This is the kind of colourful language that helps the audience draw pictures in the mind.

 Brevity
A good presentation in brief. But how brief is brief? Cannot be answered. The answer depends on what is to be presented and to whom, why and under what circumstances. On the whole it is a good idea not to exceed twelve to fifteen minutes unless the presentation is interactive and the audience is keen about the topic as the presenter is. Beyond fifteen minutes it may be difficult to retain the audience’s attention. Less than seven or eight minutes may be too short to present anything significant to a group of people. But if one is unsure, it is better to err in the direction of brevity. Let the audience ask for more rather than squirm in their seats waiting for the golden word ‘finally’.

 Smooth Sequence
An effective presentation has all the ideas sequenced well. A good, logical sequence is essential for the ideas to be understood easily and accepted by the audience. As we shall see, that there are different but equally logical sequences. Whatever is the sequence chosen, it has to be smooth. The presentation takes place in time; so listeners cannot go back and forth looking for connection as the reader of an article can do.

 Signs of Preparation and Mastery
A good presenter displays signs of presentation and mastery of the subject. Statistical information, illustrative cases, and visual aids are some of the external signs of presentation. Smooth, confident delivery symbolises mastery of the subject. If the audience perceives the presenter as credible and knowledgeable about what s/he is saying, it is easier for them to lower any resistances to the ideas and accept them. Any signs of casualness indicating lack of preparation can put the audience off.

The listeners may reject even wholesome ideas because they don’t want to be taken for granted.

 Lively Delivery
If the presentation is good, one expects to find the presenter relaxed and confident, maintaining eye contact with the whole audience. A presenter endeavours himself to the audience if his face is lively, voice modulated and gestures appropriate. There is passion in his voice born out of conviction about the message being presented. If the presenter is’nt convinced, it is tough for him
to sound convincing.


Appropriate gestures are gestures that do not draw attention to themselves but add to the liveliness of the delivery. A good presenter’s dress is such that it does not draw attention to itself but supports the presenter’s image and is appropriate to the audience and the occasion.

 Appropriate Humor
Finally, the use of humour has to be very seriously and judiciously planned as every presenter does not possess the gift of laughing at themselves or making their audience laugh. If there is humour in a presentation that is apt and in good taste, the audience would love and welcome it, and perhaps buy the message. Humour had a way of disarming opposition. It can cut painlessly. If these are the qualities expected in a good presentation, it is obvious that careful planning and preparation are essential for achieving them.

Instructional Presentations
In the case of instructional presentations, we ought to differentiate two distinctive types:

Lecture Presentations: Presentations being held at universities or any other educative institution. Those presentations cover, topic by topic, and the contents of a syllabus and are created by the team of teachers in charge of the course.
Training Presentations: These presentations take place during in-company training sessions and usually comprise a good amount of content that is resumed into easy-to-take solutions. They are aimed to coach employees over certain topics relevant to their work performance. The 70-20-10 Model is frequently used to address these training situations.

Lecture presentations appeal to the gradual introduction of complex concepts, following a structure set in the course’s syllabus. These presentations often have a similar aesthetic as a group of professors or researchers created to share their knowledge about a topic. Personal experience does tell that course presentations often rely on factual data, adequately documented, and on the theoretical side.

An example of a presentation that lies under this concept is a Syllabus Presentation, used by the teaching team to introduce the subject to new students, evaluation methods, concepts to be learned, and expectations to pass the course.[using a course syllabus presentation to boost your instructional presentation skills]

On the other hand, training presentations are slide decks designed to meet an organization’s specific needs in the formal education of their personnel. Commonly known as “continuous education,” plenty of companies invest resources in coaching their employees to achieve higher performance results. These presentations have the trademark of being concise since their idea is to introduce the concepts that shall be applied in practice sessions. 

Ideally, the training presentations are introduced with little text and easy-to-recognize visual cues. Since the idea is to summarize as much as possible, these are visually appealing for the audience. They must be dynamic enough to allow the presenter to convey the message.


Those key takeaways remind employees when they revisit their learning resources and allow them to ruminate on questions that fellow workers raise. 

To sum up this point, building presentation skills for instructional presentations requires:

1. Ability to put complex concepts into simpler words
2. Patience and a constant learning mindset
3. Voice training to deliver lengthy speeches without being too dense
4. Ability to summarise points and note the key takeaways
5. Empathising with the audience to understand their challenges in the learning process

What are the main difficulties when giving a Presentation?

Presentations, while valuable for conveying information and ideas, can be daunting for many individuals. Here are some common difficulties people encounter when giving presentations:

Public Speaking Anxiety
Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, affects a significant portion of the population. This anxiety can lead to nervousness, trembling, and forgetfulness during a presentation.

Lack of Confidence
Many presenters struggle with self-doubt, fearing that they may not be knowledgeable or skilled enough to engage their audience effectively.

Content Organization
Organizing information in a coherent and engaging manner can be challenging. Presenters often grapple with how to structure their content to make it easily digestible for the audience. Artificial Intelligence can help us significantly reduce the content arrangement time when you work with tools like our AI Presentation Maker (made for presenters by experts in presentation design). 

Audience Engagement
Keeping the audience’s attention and interest throughout the presentation can be difficult. Distractions, disengaged attendees, or lack of interaction can pose challenges.

Technical Issues
Technology glitches, such as malfunctioning equipment, incompatible file formats, or poor internet connectivity, can disrupt presentations and increase stress.

Time Management
Striking the right balance between providing enough information and staying within time limits is a common challenge. Going over or under the allotted time can affect the effectiveness of the presentation.

Handling Questions and Challenges
Responding to unexpected questions, criticism, or challenges from the audience can be difficult, especially when presenters are unprepared or lack confidence in their subject matter.

Visual Aids and Technology
Creating and effectively using visual aids like slides or multimedia can be a struggle for some presenters. Technical competence is essential in this aspect.

Language and Articulation
Poor language skills or unclear articulation can hinder effective communication. Presenters may worry about stumbling over words or failing to convey their message clearly.

Body Language
Maintaining appropriate and confident body language can be challenging. Avoiding nervous habits, maintaining eye contact, and using gestures effectively requires practice.

Overcoming Impersonal Delivery
In virtual presentations, maintaining a personal connection with the audience can be difficult. The absence of face-to-face interaction can make it challenging to engage and read the audience.

Cultural and Diversity Awareness
Presenting to diverse audiences requires sensitivity to cultural differences and varying levels of familiarity with the topic.Type your paragraph here.

Archetypes of presentations


Persuasive Presentations
Persuasive presentations aim to convince the audience – often in short periods – to acquire a product or service, adhere to a cause, or invest in a company. For business entrepreneurs or politicians, persuasive presentations are their tool for the trade.

Unless you aim to be perceived as an imposter, a proper persuasive presentation has the elements of facts, empathy, and logic, balanced under a well-crafted narrative. The central pillar of these presentations is to identify the single factor that gathered your audience: it could be a market need, a social cause, or a revolutionary concept for today’s society. It has to be something with enough power to gather critiques – both good and bad.

That single factor has to be backed up by facts. Research that builds your hypothesis on how to solve that problem. A deep understanding of the target audience’s needs, concerns, and social position regarding the solution your means can offer. When those elements are in place, building a pitch becomes an easy task. 

Graphics can help you introduce information in a compelling format, lowering the need for lengthy presentations. Good presentation skills for persuasive presentations go by the hand of filtering relevant data and creating the visual cues that resonate with what your audience demands.

One powerful example of a persuasive presentation is the technique known as the elevator pitch. You must introduce your idea or product convincingly to the audience in a timeframe between 30 seconds and less than 2 minutes. You have to expose:

What do you do 
What’s the problem to solve
Why is your solution different from others 
Why should the audience care about your expertise[presentation skills an elevator pitch slide]
An example of using a pitch deck templates to present business opportunities

For that very purpose, using engaging graphics with contrasting colors elevates the potential power of your message. It speaks professionalism, care for details, and out-of-the-box thinking. Knowing how to end a presentation is also critical, as your CTAs should be placed with care.

Therefore, let’s resume the requirements of persuasive presentations in terms of good presentation skills:

1. Identifying problems and needs
2. Elaborating “the hook” (the element that grabs the audience’s attention)
3. Knowing how to “tie” your audience (introducing a piece of information related to the hook that causes an emotional impact)
4. Broad knowledge of body language and hand gestures to quickly convey your message
5. Being prepared to defend your point of view
6. Handling rejection
7. Having a proactive attitude to convert opportunities into new projects
8. Using humour, surprise, or personal anecdotes as elements to sympathize with the audience
9. Having confidence
10. Be able to summarise facts and information in visually appealing ways

Presentation Skills