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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. 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 together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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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. With the help of the best QR code generator , you can create a QR code that’s secure and trackable.

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.

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

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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.

Job Success: Building an Effective Business Presentation

Lesson 7: building an effective business presentation.

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Building an effective business 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

• 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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How-To Geek

8 tips to make the best powerpoint presentations.

Want to make your PowerPoint presentations really shine? Here's how to impress and engage your audience.

Quick Links

Table of contents, start with a goal, less is more, consider your typeface, make bullet points count, limit the use of transitions, skip text where possible, think in color, take a look from the top down, bonus: start with templates.

Slideshows are an intuitive way to share complex ideas with an audience, although they're dull and frustrating when poorly executed. Here are some tips to make your Microsoft PowerPoint presentations sing while avoiding common pitfalls.

It all starts with identifying what we're trying to achieve with the presentation. Is it informative, a showcase of data in an easy-to-understand medium? Or is it more of a pitch, something meant to persuade and convince an audience and lead them to a particular outcome?

It's here where the majority of these presentations go wrong with the inability to identify the talking points that best support our goal. Always start with a goal in mind: to entertain, to inform, or to share data in a way that's easy to understand. Use facts, figures, and images to support your conclusion while keeping structure in mind (Where are we now and where are we going?).

I've found that it's helpful to start with the ending. Once I know how to end a presentation, I know how best to get to that point. I start by identifying the takeaway---that one nugget that I want to implant before thanking everyone for their time---and I work in reverse to figure out how best to get there.

Your mileage, of course, may vary. But it's always going to be a good idea to put in the time in the beginning stages so that you aren't reworking large portions of the presentation later. And that starts with a defined goal.

A slideshow isn't supposed to include everything. It's an introduction to a topic, one that we can elaborate on with speech. Anything unnecessary is a distraction. It makes the presentation less visually appealing and less interesting, and it makes you look bad as a presenter.

This goes for text as well as images. There's nothing worse, in fact, than a series of slides where the presenter just reads them as they appear. Your audience is capable of reading, and chances are they'll be done with the slide, and browsing Reddit, long before you finish. Avoid putting the literal text on the screen, and your audience will thank you.

Related: How to Burn Your PowerPoint to DVD

Right off the bat, we're just going to come out and say that Papyrus and Comic Sans should be banned from all PowerPoint presentations, permanently. Beyond that, it's worth considering the typeface you're using and what it's saying about you, the presenter, and the presentation itself.

Consider choosing readability over aesthetics, and avoid fancy fonts that could prove to be more of a distraction than anything else. A good presentation needs two fonts: a serif and sans-serif. Use one for the headlines and one for body text, lists, and the like. Keep it simple. Veranda, Helvetica, Arial, and even Times New Roman are safe choices. Stick with the classics and it's hard to botch this one too badly.

There reaches a point where bullet points become less of a visual aid and more of a visual examination.

Bullet points should support the speaker, not overwhelm his audience. The best slides have little or no text at all, in fact. As a presenter, it's our job to talk through complex issues, but that doesn't mean that we need to highlight every talking point.

Instead, think about how you can break up large lists into three or four bullet points. Carefully consider whether you need to use more bullet points, or if you can combine multiple topics into a single point instead. And if you can't, remember that there's no one limiting the number of slides you can have in a presentation. It's always possible to break a list of 12 points down into three pages of four points each.

Animation, when used correctly, is a good idea. It breaks up slow-moving parts of a presentation and adds action to elements that require it. But it should be used judiciously.

Adding a transition that wipes left to right between every slide or that animates each bullet point in a list, for example, starts to grow taxing on those forced to endure the presentation. Viewers get bored quickly, and animations that are meant to highlight specific elements quickly become taxing.

That's not to say that you can't use animations and transitions, just that you need to pick your spots. Aim for no more than a handful of these transitions for each presentation. And use them in spots where they'll add to the demonstration, not detract from it.

Sometimes images tell a better story than text can. And as a presenter, your goal is to describe points in detail without making users do a lot of reading. In these cases, a well-designed visual, like a chart, might better convey the information you're trying to share.

The right image adds visual appeal and serves to break up longer, text-heavy sections of the presentation---but only if you're using the right images. A single high-quality image can make all the difference between a success and a dud when you're driving a specific point home.

When considering text, don't think solely in terms of bullet points and paragraphs. Tables, for example, are often unnecessary. Ask yourself whether you could present the same data in a bar or line chart instead.

Color is interesting. It evokes certain feelings and adds visual appeal to your presentation as a whole. Studies show that color also improves interest, comprehension, and retention. It should be a careful consideration, not an afterthought.

You don't have to be a graphic designer to use color well in a presentation. What I do is look for palettes I like, and then find ways to use them in the presentation. There are a number of tools for this, like Adobe Color , Coolors , and ColorHunt , just to name a few. After finding a palette you enjoy, consider how it works with the presentation you're about to give. Pastels, for example, evoke feelings of freedom and light, so they probably aren't the best choice when you're presenting quarterly earnings that missed the mark.

It's also worth mentioning that you don't need to use every color in the palette. Often, you can get by with just two or three, though you should really think through how they all work together and how readable they'll be when layered. A simple rule of thumb here is that contrast is your friend. Dark colors work well on light backgrounds, and light colors work best on dark backgrounds.

Spend some time in the Slide Sorter before you finish your presentation. By clicking the four squares at the bottom left of the presentation, you can take a look at multiple slides at once and consider how each works together. Alternatively, you can click "View" on the ribbon and select "Slide Sorter."

Are you presenting too much text at once? Move an image in. Could a series of slides benefit from a chart or summary before you move on to another point?

It's here that we have the opportunity to view the presentation from beyond the single-slide viewpoint and think in terms of how each slide fits, or if it fits at all. From this view, you can rearrange slides, add additional ones, or delete them entirely if you find that they don't advance the presentation.

The difference between a good presentation and a bad one is really all about preparation and execution. Those that respect the process and plan carefully---not only the presentation as a whole, but each slide within it---are the ones who will succeed.

This brings me to my last (half) point: When in doubt, just buy a template and use it. You can find these all over the web, though Creative Market and GraphicRiver are probably the two most popular marketplaces for this kind of thing. Not all of us are blessed with the skills needed to design and deliver an effective presentation. And while a pre-made PowerPoint template isn't going to make you a better presenter, it will ease the anxiety of creating a visually appealing slide deck.

20 Great Examples of PowerPoint Presentation Design [+ Templates]

Published: August 03, 2023

When it comes to PowerPoint presentation design, there's no shortage of avenues you can take.

While all that choice — colors, formats, visuals, fonts — can feel liberating, it's important that you're careful in your selection as not all design combinations add up to success. We’re not saying there’s one right way to design your next PowerPoint presentation, but we are saying there are some designs that make more sense than others.

In this blog post, you'll learn how to create an awesome PowerPoint deck and then see real presentations that nail it in exactly their own way.

What makes a good PowerPoint presentation?

A great PowerPoint presentation gets the point across succinctly while using a design that builds upon the point, and doesn't detract from it. The following aspects make for a great PowerPoint presentation:

1. Minimal Animations and Transitions

Believe it or not, animations and transitions can take away from your PowerPoint presentation. Why? Well, they distract from the design you worked so hard on — and from your content, too.

A good PowerPoint presentation keeps the focus on your argument by keeping animations and transitions to a minimum. That said, you don’t have to eliminate them all. You can use them tastefully and sparingly to emphasize a point or bring attention to a certain part of an image.

2. Cohesive Color Palette

It’s worth reviewing color theory when creating your next PowerPoint presentation. A cohesive color palette uses complementary and analogous colors to draw the audience’s attention, emphasize certain aspects, and deemphasize bits of information that the audience might not need at a certain point in time.

3. Contextualized Visuals

An image does speak more than words. And it’s been proven that the human brain is wired to process visuals much faster than words. Take advantage of that by including graphs, photos, and illustrations that can help you build upon your point while keeping your audience’s interest.

Make sure you contextualize those visuals by explaining verbally why that image is there. Otherwise, it’ll be distracting to the audience and may potentially cause more questions than answers.

10 Free PowerPoint Templates

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• Creative templates.
• Data-driven templates.
• Professional templates.

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Powerpoint design ideas.

It's impossible for us to tell you which design ideas you should go after in your next PowerPoint, because, well, we don't know what the goal of your presentation is. Luckily, new versions of PowerPoint actually suggest ideas for you based on the content you're presenting. This can help you keep up with the latest trends in presentation design .

In PowerPoint 2016 and later, PowerPoint is filled with interesting boilerplate designs you can start with. To find these suggestions, open PowerPoint and click the "Design" tab in your top navigation bar. Then, on the far right side, you'll see the following choices:

Click the "Design Ideas" option under this Design tab, as shown in the screenshot above. This icon will reveal a vertical list of interesting slide layouts based on what your slides already have on them.

Don't have any content on your slides yet? You can easily shuffle this vertical list of slide design ideas by clicking various themes inside the color carousel to the far left of the Design Ideas icon, as shown below:

As you browse and choose from the themes shown above, the Design Ideas pane to the right will interpret them and come up with layouts. Below, we’ve included some of our favorite ones.

Atlas (Theme)

Covering a more creative subject for a younger or more energetic audience? On behalf of PowerPoint, might we suggest the cover slide design below? Its vibrant red color blocks and fun lines will appeal to your audience.

PowerPoint Ideas for This Theme:

• Use this simple theme to focus on key elements of your presentation.
• Customize the colors to match your brand or try contrasting colors for text and background for readability and visual appeal.

Madison (Theme)

This design doesn't have the intensity of the first slide on this list. But it has a simple structure that can make any PowerPoint presentation a good slideshow.

• Add unique and on-brand fonts, textures, and borders to this theme for classic and cool presentations.
• Add an image collage or textured photograph to create distinct and consistent PowerPoints for your brand.

Parcel (Theme)

Parcel offers a variety of slide layouts with geometric shapes. Add these shapes to your slides to create interesting visual elements. Use them for backgrounds, content, or decoration, and experiment with different shapes, sizes, and layouts.

• Add a color-blocked background for a fun but relaxing tone for your audience, or use color blocks to highlight sections of text.
• Experiment with this PowerPoint theme's contemporary fonts for cool slides that feel professional.
• Add a chart or graph to visualize data in your presentation.

Crop (Theme)

This PowerPoint design idea uses graphic elements such as lines and bars to give structure, contrast, and modern flair to your slides.

• Make the most of this theme with high-quality images. Simple compositions with lots of negative space or bold focal points can help your slide's design pop.
• Use this theme's grid layout to create clean, organized layouts, even if design isn't your strength.

Badge (Theme)

We're particularly fond of this PowerPoint design style. By using lines and contrasting elements — like a burst, as shown below — you add depth to your slides. This can help your content capture and hold your audience's attention more easily.

• Add badges to highlight key points and sections, or to showcase achievements.
• Add original illustrations to your presentation's design. You might think you need to use professional illustrations for this. But adding quick doodles or sketches to this theme can help you create authentic and creative PowerPoint presentations.

If you're not fond of the built-in PowerPoint design themes, you can always download a free PowerPoint template and input your content onto pre-made slide styles.

Let’s take a look at the best ones you can download below.

Creative PowerPoint (Template)

This presentation template uses bright colors and plenty of white space to convey a modern but fun design. Organic shapes and geometric lines and patterns add an extra visual element to the slides, achieving depth and personality. Get it here .

Download These Templates for Free

Design Ideas for This Template:

• Create custom graphics or textures and layer them on top of this template's image layers to create beautiful slides for your brand. Be sure to use consistent styles and colors for a cohesive design.
• Get inspired by the clear visual hierarchy of this template as you customize it. Use font sizes, color, and graphics to highlight each section. This can help you make sure that important information stands out from supporting details.

Professional Style PowerPoint (Template)

These PowerPoint slides use more neutral colors and fonts to create a calm and elegant vibe. It also highlights quality images to communicate key points. Get it here .

• This template works best with subtle pastels and muted colors. Try non-traditional color combos, like peach and mint green, for a unique PowerPoint presentation.
• Images and data visualizations will stand out in this template, so make sure you have excellent photos and illustrations to showcase.

Data PowerPoint (Template)

This template uses a rounded font to draw sharp contrast with the lines and graphs that will populate the presentation. If you want to offer engaging visuals with number-crunching content, the slide design ideas in this template are a great choice. Get it here .

• Try an on-brand duotone color scheme or use a dark background with this template to give your slides a simple but trendy look.
• Use the built-in icon library or import custom icons into your slides. You can use icons to represent important topics or concepts for easier skimming. This visual feature can also make your slides more exciting.

Simple PowerPoint (Template)

By pairing vibrant colors with pale ones, this PowerPoint gives an understated feel, which can draw attention to the content while still being visually engaging. Get it here .

• Combine multiple images with vertical or horizontal formatting in this template for dynamic and beautiful slides.
• Play with contrasting typography styles. Try combining a bold heading font with a simple body font. This can help you draw attention to important information and make your PowerPoint design easy to read.

Best PowerPoint Presentation Slides

Business presentation slides, business plan template, company profile template, marketing plan template, project status report template, annual report template, product launch template, visual brand identity template, infographic template, financial report template, industry trends template.

Want some inspo as you create your next presentation? Look no further — whether you're projecting your slides in person or sharing them online, these slides will help you impress your audience.

And to make your search even easier, we've added gorgeous templates for the most popular business needs below. Keep reading to find the best Microsoft PowerPoint template for your next presentation.

Business presentations can be intense. This set of PowerPoint slides could include a wide range of important information such as:

• Company history
• Mission and vision
• Business goals
• Market analysis
• Competitive landscape
• Growth strategies

So, business presentations can be overwhelming for an audience to consume. This makes great presentation design essential.

The Modern PowerPoint Template featured here is sleek and modern. But it's also fun and appealing, with a streamlined design that leaves a lasting impression.

Pro tip : Use headers to communicate top priorities in your business presentation. Then, use body copy and images to add details that will support and enhance your PowerPoint.

A well-crafted business plan is vital to any business, whether it's a startup, scale-up, or established company. A business plan can be just as complex as a business presentation, but it also needs to entice investors and partners.

This Retro PowerPoint Template is fun, interesting, and unique. It also has easy-to-read text and plenty of space for useful images and charts. This makes it an ideal template for business presentations.

Like your business plan, your company profile is key to developing your business. But your company profile is more than a peek at your biz plan. It's a chance to highlight your team, culture and values, major clients, and your company history.

When done right, this presentation can show your competitive advantage and build trust for your brand. This means that your presentation slides need to be just right. Download the company profile template featured above and five more great company profile templates today.

The right marketing plan presentation can decide whether your team will have the budget and resources it needs to meet your goals. That's why marketing plans need great presentation design.

After using a marketing plan template to write out your completed plan, use an eye-catching presentation template to share your ideas.

This Typographic PowerPoint Template will make it easy to use custom graphics and typography that will make your brand presentation shine.

Pro tip : Use different charts and graphs to highlight the data you used while making marketing plan decisions. This will reinforce the logic of your ideas while adding more visual interest.

Project status reports keep stakeholders informed about project milestones, timelines, risks, and budget. Try this template to add transparency, manage expectations, and stay proactive with your project presentations.

Annual reports offer a company's performance summary, achievements, finances, and more. This means that an organized layout is essential to showcase growth and wins for the year. This presentation needs to be well-designed so that it inspires the trust and confidence of employees, shareholders, and members of the community.

Try this annual report template if you want to create a PDF or this template for PowerPoint .

Pro tip : Choose the right presentation software for your presentation. While most presentation design is created in PowerPoint or Keynote, sometimes it’s a good idea to try out new tools.

Product launch is an exciting time at any company. A great PowerPoint presentation for product release will include:

• Product features
• Target audience
• Marketing strategy
• Launch timeline

Besides generating excitement, this deck keeps stakeholders consistent and connected. It's central to driving customer interest, engagement, and sales.

The Doodle Template is a great choice for product launch presentations with its range of slide features. It has lots of space for product images, as well as icons to represent stakeholders, teams, or product features.

Pro tip : Use the bright and cheery graphics in this template as is or replace them with sketches from your product creation process for a customized touch.

Consistency and visual appeal are crucial elements of building a strong brand identity. Using a PowerPoint presentation template can help you clearly communicate the details that make your company's brand, logo, typography, colors, imagery, and design one of a kind.

Start with this brand building guide to make sure you've nailed down the most important elements of your brand identity. Then, use one of these templates from Canva to develop your brand identity presentation.

Infographics are a powerful way to present complex information or data in a visual way. Different types of information lend themselves to different presentation styles.

You can add these free PowerPoint templates for infographics to a larger slide presentation or use this format to create an infographic for other channels.

Pro tip : Add an infographic to a business or data presentation to add data insights and storytelling to your presentation slides. This will help make your PowerPoint presentation more memorable.

Concise financial reporting helps businesses review their financial performance for better decision-making. This presentation often includes confidential data such as revenue, profit, and cash flow.

The Abstract PowerPoint Template has slide designs for data comparison, quotes, and analysis. Its clean and simple design will make your financial report presentations look cool and professional.

To stay ahead of the competition, you need the latest industry insights. And to keep that data engaging, you need great presentation design for trends. Trends decks might include data on market research, competitive analysis, new technologies, or consumer behavior.

This 3D Gradient PowerPoint Template combines bold colors with fun shapes. It's the perfect vehicle to highlight bright images, icons, and data on the latest trends.

Pro tip : New information can be tough to consume, so it's best to keep your copy short and easy to understand. Use images that tell a story to make the most of every section of your presentation.

Good Examples of PowerPoint Presentation Design

To see some examples of the best PowerPoint presentation designs, check out the following decks.

1. "The Search for Meaning in B2B Marketing," Velocity Partners

We've said it once , and we'll say it again: We love this presentation from Velocity Partner's Co-Founder Doug Kessler. Not only is the content remarkable, but the design is also quite clever. While each slide employs the same background visual, the copy in the notebook unfolds brilliantly through a series of colorful doodles and bold text. This gives the presentation a personal feel, which aligns with the self-reflective nature of the concept.

2. "You Don't Suck at PowerPoint," Jesse Desjardins

If the contrast used throughout this PowerPoint presentation design were a human, we'd marry it. This skillful presentation from Jesse Desjardins employs the perfect color palette : balancing black and white photos with pops of fluorescent pink, yellow, and blue. The cheeky vintage photos work to reinforce the copy on each slide, making the presentation both interesting and visually appealing.

3. "Accelerating Innovation in Energy," Accenture

Balancing visual backgrounds with text isn't easy. More often than not, the text is formatted in a way that winds up getting lost in the image. This presentation from Accenture combated this issue by combining shapes and graphics to create contrast between the text and the background. Well done.

4. "Visual Design with Data," Seth Familian

When you're tasked with presenting a lot of information in a little bit of time, things can get sort of messy. To simplify this type of presentation, it's a good idea to use a visual agenda like the one shown above. This index clearly signifies the start and finish of each section to make it easier for the viewer to follow along and keep track of the information. The presenter takes it further by including an additional agenda for each exercise, so that the audience knows what they're supposed to do.

5. "How to Craft Your Company's Storytelling Voice," MarketingProfs

Do you love these hand-drawn illustrations or do you love these hand-drawn illustrations? I mean, c'mon, this is amazing. Certainly, it would have been easier to generate these designs online, but this approach highlights MarketingProf's commitment to investing the time and thought it takes to create an out-of-the-box piece of content. And as a result, this presentation stands out in the best way possible.

6. "Blitzscaling: Book Trailer," Reid Hoffman

If you're going to go the minimalistic route, take note of this PowerPoint presentation example from Reid Hoffman. This clean design adheres to a simple, consistent color scheme with clean graphics peppered throughout to make the slides more visually interesting. Overall there are no frills or unnecessary additions, which allows the informative content to take priority.

7. "Healthcare Napkins," Dan Roam

This presentation dates back to 2009, but the design is still as good as ever. The colorful, quirky doodles help tell the story while also serving as an interesting way to illustrate data (see slides 20 and 21). For visual learners, this approach is much more inviting than a series of slides riddled with text-heavy bullet points.

8. "One Can Be Diverse: An Essay on Diversity," With Company

This presentation employs both powerful images and modern typography to illustrate the point. While many of the slides contain long quotes, they are broken up in a way that makes them easily digestible. Not to mention all of the text is crisp, clean, and concise.

9. " 10 Things Your Audience Hates About Your Presentation ," Stinson

his simplistic presentation example employs several different colors and font weights, but instead of coming off as disconnected, the varied colors work with one another to create contrast and call out specific concepts. Also, the big, bold numbers help set the reader's expectations, as they clearly signify how far along the viewer is in the list of tips.

10. "Pixar's 22 Rules to Phenomenal Storytelling," Gavin McMahon

This presentation by Gavin McMahon features color in all the right places. While each of the background images boasts a bright, spotlight-like design, all the characters are intentionally blacked out. This helps keep the focus on the tips, while still incorporating visuals. Not to mention, it's still easy for the viewer to identify each character without the details. (I found you on slide eight, Nemo.)

11. "Facebook Engagement and Activity Report," We Are Social

Here's another great example of data visualization in the wild. Rather than displaying numbers and statistics straight up, this presentation calls upon interesting, colorful graphs, and charts to present the information in a way that just makes sense.

12. "The GaryVee Content Model," Gary Vaynerchuk

This wouldn't be a true Gary Vaynerchuk presentation if it wasn't a little loud, am I right? Aside from the fact that we love the eye-catching, bright yellow background, Vaynerchuk does a great job of incorporating screenshots on each slide to create a visual tutorial that coincides with the tips. He also does a great job including a visual table of contents that shows your progress as you go through the presentation (and aligns with the steps of content marketing, too).

13. "20 Tweetable Quotes to Inspire Marketing & Design Creative Genius," IMPACT Branding & Design

We've all seen our fair share of quote-chronicling presentations but that isn't to say they were all done well. Often the background images are poor quality, the text is too small, or there isn't enough contrast. Well, this professional presentation from IMPACT Branding & Design suffers from none of said challenges. The colorful filters over each background image create just enough contrast for the quotes to stand out.

14. "The Great State of Design," Stacy Kvernmo

This presentation offers up a lot of information in a way that doesn't feel overwhelming. The contrasting colors create visual interest and "pop," and the comic images (slides 6 through 12) are used to make the information seem less buttoned-up. Once the presentation gets to the CSS section, it takes users slowly through the information so that they’re not overwhelmed.

15. "Clickbait: A Guide To Writing Un-Ignorable Headlines," Ethos3

Not going to lie, it was the title that convinced me to click through to this presentation but the awesome design kept me there once I arrived. This simple design adheres to a consistent color pattern and leverages bullet points and varied fonts to break up the text nicely.

16. "Digital Transformation in 50 Soundbites," Julie Dodd

This design highlights a great alternative to the "text-over-image" display we've grown used to seeing. By leveraging a split-screen approach to each presentation slide, Julie Dodd was able to serve up a clean, legible quote without sacrificing the power of a strong visual.

17. "Fix Your Really Bad PowerPoint," Slide Comet

When you're creating a PowerPoint about how everyone's PowerPoints stink, yours had better be terrific. The one above, based on the ebook by Seth Godin, keeps it simple without boring its audience. Its clever combinations of fonts, together with consistent color across each slide, ensure you're neither overwhelmed nor unengaged.

18. "How Google Works," Eric Schmidt

Simple, clever doodles tell the story of Google in a fun and creative way. This presentation reads almost like a storybook, making it easy to move from one slide to the next. This uncluttered approach provides viewers with an easy-to-understand explanation of a complicated topic.

19. "What Really Differentiates the Best Content Marketers From The Rest," Ross Simmonds

Let's be honest: These graphics are hard not to love. Rather than employing the same old stock photos, this unique design serves as a refreshing way to present information that's both valuable and fun. We especially appreciate the author's cartoonified self-portrait that closes out the presentation. Well played, Ross Simmonds.

20. "Be A Great Product Leader," Adam Nash

This presentation by Adam Nash immediately draws attention by putting the company's logo first — a great move if your company is well known. He uses popular images, such as ones of Megatron and Pinocchio, to drive his points home. In the same way, you can take advantage of popular images and media to keep the audience's attention and deepen your arguments.

PowerPoint Presentation Examples for the Best Slide Presentation

Mastering a PowerPoint presentation begins with the design itself. Use the ideas above to create a presentation that engages your audience, builds upon your point, and helps you generate leads for your brand.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in March 2013 and has been updated for comprehensiveness. This article was written by a human, but our team uses AI in our editorial process. Check out our full disclosure to learn more about how we use AI.

Don't forget to share this post!

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Effective Business Presentations with Powerpoint

Key Information

About the content.

This course is all about presenting the story of the data, using PowerPoint. You'll learn how to structure a presentation, to include insights and supporting data. You'll also learn some design principles for effective visuals and slides. You'll gain skills for client-facing communication - including public speaking, executive presence and compelling storytelling. Finally, you'll be given a client profile, a business problem, and a set of basic Excel charts, which you'll need to turn into a presentation - which you'll deliver with iterative peer feedback. This course was created by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP with an address at 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York, 10017.

WEEK 1 - Preparing a Presentation This course is about presenting the story of the data, using PowerPoint. You'll learn how to structure a presentation and how to include insights and supporting data. You'll also learn some design principles for creating effective PowerPoint slides with visuals displaying data. Though application based exercises, you'll gain foundational communication skills - including public speaking, professional presence and compelling storytelling. Finally, you'll be given a client profile, a business problem, and a set of basic Excel charts, that you will use to create a presentation. You’ll receive peer feedback that you can use to enhance future presentations. This course was created by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP with an address at 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York, 10017   

WEEK 2 - Communication styles This week, we will be covering the different types of communications styles. You’ll start off by gaining an understanding of your personal professional presence and learn how to maximize it. You’ll learn about verbal and nonverbal communications, and strategies to enhance your questioning and listening skills. We will also discuss how differences in culture can impact how you communicate.  WEEK 3 - Creating effective slides using PowerPoint This week, we're discussing how to create effective slides using PowerPoint. You’ll learn about the tools available within PowerPoint, how to structure your storyline, create storyboards, identify primary elements of slide design, display data and finalize your slide presentation. There is a peer review activity where you will apply the skills learned and create a storyboard. Finally, you will also get a chance to identify errors in a presentation to test your knowledge of standard industry practices.  WEEK 4 - Delivering a presentation This week, you’re going to build and deliver a presentation to your peers, and receive feedback from them. You will create a presentation of about 10 slides, employing the guidelines and industry best practices that have been discussed in this course. You can use the presentation storyboard that you created last week, which your peers have reviewed and given you feedback on. Review what you’ve developed so far, and make changes or additions that you think will enhance the presentation. Once you’ve finalized your presentation, you will present it in a video using your smartphone or computer. Once you’re satisfied with the PowerPoint presentation and video, you will be submitting both for peer review. You can use this feedback for current and future presentations that you will make during your career. 

Instructors

Alex Mannella Alumni / Former Principal

Content Designer

PricewaterhouseCoopers is a network of companies specializing in audit, accounting and consulting missions for companies.

Coursera is a digital company offering massive open online course founded by computer teachers Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller Stanford University, located in Mountain View, California. 

Coursera works with top universities and organizations to make some of their courses available online, and offers courses in many subjects, including: physics, engineering, humanities, medicine, biology, social sciences, mathematics, business, computer science, digital marketing, data science, and other subjects.

this is very helpful

This course is all about presenting the story of the data, using PowerPoint. You'll learn how to structure a presentation, to include insights and supporting data. You'll also learn some design principles for effective visuals and slides. You'll gain skills for client-facing communication - including public speaking, executive presence and compelling storytelling. Finally, you'll be given a client profile, a business problem, and a set of basic Excel charts, which you'll need to turn into a presentation - which you'll deliver with iterative peer feedback. This course was created by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP with an address at 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York, 10017.

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How To Give An Effective Business Presentation

A corporate presentation should have an interesting subject given with passion. Here we look at what can make your presentation stand out and give you that edge.

Home » News » Leadership » How To Give An Effective Business Presentation

A solid corporate presentation is more than just a collection of attractive slides. Whether you’re giving a presentation to investors, senior executives, or your potential customers, you must make a strong image of yourself to ensure that you stand out among the other speakers.

Some people panic while giving a presentation in front of people, mainly when the audience entails essential business people, such as investors or your employer. If you are among those, then don’t worry; you are at the right place. Consider following the below discussed tips and then feel the change; you will deliver a solid business presentation as a result.

1. Know your subject matter:

Before you appear in front of your audience, ensure that you have a solid grip over the material that you are about to present. You might have incorporated many tools like visual aids, slide templates , notes, etc, to help you get through the presentation successfully. But keep in mind that they can’t beat your expertise or even match it. Hence, it’s better not to rely on them solely; you must know the subject matter from the inside out so that you can communicate to your audience effectively.

2. Be passionate about what you’re doing:

Your audience will possibly get bored of your presentation if you consider it just a job and take it for granted. Thus, if you want the audience to be attentive and interested while presenting, you must be passionate about the subject. 

Your body language and your expressions reflect what you have in mind. Therefore, one may judge you rapidly whether you are or not passionate about it. By body language, we mean how you speak, if you make eye contact or the way you walk around on the stage. Hence you must take it seriously because if you emit bad vibes, then the possibility of influencing the audience decreases. 

Try not to just read out from the slide; only keep them for a reference. Practice delivering the presentation before so that you know how to do it. Remember your audience will react better to the presentation if you personalize your interactions with them. Make eye contact with all the people in the crowd, from time to time, so they know you’re paying close attention to them separately.

3. Arrive early to give a final check to the setup:

Many business presentations fail while execution when one is not familiar with the place in which he/she will be presenting. Hence, ensure that you reach the venue at least 30 minutes before delivering and give the setup a final check.

Assure that everything is working efficiently; laptop, speakers, or the projector. Transfer or download files if you want any from your USB or email on the laptop available there. However, if the venue doesn’t have all the equipment, then you may take your things along and set them up efficiently. 

4. Utilize visual aids:

According to a study, visuals assist people in remembering information for a longer time. Hence, utilizing appealing visuals liberally throughout the presentation would help you achieve your goal.

Pictures, films, and art are all excellent ways to convey your message and pique the audience’s interest. To incorporate them in your presentations, you can utilize business PowerPoint templates which are primarily designed for business presentations. Infographic slides in these templates help you present complex subject matter simpler and more understandably. In addition, they incorporate data visualization, such as pie charts, bar graphs, and much more. Utilizing them can make the boring numbers look interesting.

However, remember not to overdo the slides. Overdoing your slides distracts your audience, losing interest in you. Hence, one point per slide would do great or use bullet points. It doesn’t matter if the number of slides exceeds. The more the slides, the better it would be as you’ll give a clearer picture of the discussion being taken place. 

5. Open with a strong stance:

To establish the standard for the rest of your business presentation, begin with a bang. For example, you may begin with a startling statistic that causes the audience to sit up and take notice or a quotation that compels people to listen right away. On the other hand, you might alternatively begin with a captivating image, a fascinating video, or a compelling personal tale.

Keep in mind that initial impressions are crucial. Therefore, you must persuade your audience that their valuable time would be worthwhile for your business presentation.

6. Establish objectives for your business presentation:

Set the goals you want to achieve during your time on stage right at the start of your presentation. Doing this will give your audience a reason why they should pay attention and how that will benefit them.

As the audience experiences the earlier stated objectives being fulfilled during the presentation, they will get a feeling of accomplishment and purpose in successful communication. Also, they will be encouraged to remain tuned to what you have to say further. Moreover, these objectives will also aid your audience in remembering key aspects from your business presentation, ensuring a good Q&A session.

7. Engage with your audience through stories:

Statistics, intellectual arguments, and even quotations fail to engage with people in the same way that stories do. The stories can either be about personal experiences or can be about the business journey, or even customers.

For instance, you can highlight the issues faced by the customer as a villain of the story and how your product or service helped the customer in resolving the issue as a hero of the story. Making up a little won’t harm to make it engaging but don’t exaggerate; keep it brief and relatable. The objective is to create an emotional bond with your audience so that your message sticks. Don’t go overboard or stray from your main argument.

8. A hint of business-friendly humor won’t harm:

Nothing is more soothing than a speaker who makes you laugh throughout a long lecture. Especially when the lecture has loads of stats and complex findings, which results in boredom. Once the audience loses interest in your presentation, the chances of persuading them will decrease, which is not what we want.

Hence, adding a little humor to your presentation and establishing a conversational tone can keep your audience’s attention. However, keep in mind that this is a business presentation, don’t overdo it because then your audience will not take you seriously. If you think you are losing interest, you can introduce any fun element to it; otherwise, avoid it if you are not naturally good at it. 

If you don’t give presentations very often, then presenting in front of the corporate group can be nerve-wracking. But don’t be put off by the procedure. Instead, use the important advice discussed in this article. It will restore your self assurance, and you will confidently give a successful proposal the next time you appear.

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• Presentation

The pros and cons of using Powerpoint in business presentations

• March 10, 2022

Powerpoint is presentation software that is often used in business settings. It can be a great tool to help you communicate your ideas, or it can be a disaster if not used correctly. In this blog post, we will discuss the pros and cons of using PowerPoint in business presentations. We will also give you some tips on effective business presentations with PowerPoint and how to use it in PowerPoint presentation design services!

Table of Contents

PowerPoint pros and cons in Effective business presentations with PowerPoint

A well-designed presentation may engage your audience, properly communicate your point, and advance your professional objectives. But you will face PowerPoint Pros and Cons that make it hard to decision, let’s meet them.

The Pros of Using PowerPoint in Business Presentations

You can insert multimedia formats.

PowerPoint is a robust tool that gives you the opportunity to play with all its functionalities and use it in whichever way best suits your needs. You can add images or videos, and change voiceovers for added effect – there’s really no limit on creativity when using this program!

It facilitates an effective way of communication with the audience

PowerPoint is the go-to program for presentations of all shapes and sizes. It’s easy to use, with a large library that includes animations as well! Plus you can change your style depending on what will work best: if it’s just text slides without any visual cues then rely heavily upon images or videos; otherwise mix things up by including both types within each other’ s presentation frame (Hurst).

Extremely efficient tool

PowerPoint is a powerful and versatile program that offers many features to help you complete your work more quickly. The list of 84 shortcuts can make it easier than ever before, saving time in the long run!

You can choose to create your own design or use existing ones

PowerPoint offers you full control over your slides’ appearance. You have the freedom to customize each individual element of a presentation with ease, giving it an authentic look that’s perfect for yourself!

PowerPoint offers a number of templates to help you create presentations. These include visuals such as images and text that can be easily customized for your specific needs, in addition, it provides design ideas based on what’s included within the program itself!

The master slide is the topmost one in your presentation, and it’s where you set fonts for all of them. You can also add images or logos to make each individual slide more interesting-looking!

It can be used virtually anywhere

Connect your presentation to a USB stick or any cloud storage app and you will have access at all times. This is included with standard professional settings, so no matter where they are located, employees can view it on their own devices!

Visual Appeal

PowerPoint allows you to create visually engaging slides using various elements such as images, charts, graphs, and videos. This helps to convey complex information in an easily digestible format.

The Cons of Using PowerPoint in Business Presentations

High risk of technical issues.

PowerPoint has many different features that can interfere with your presentation. Your computer might stop working, get an update right when you start using it or lose power in the middle of a show-and there are always connectivity issues! There are also specific things PowerPoint does for each individual user like fonts (that won’t work) videos not embedding properly if placed outside their folder containing all related files which could lead to complete confusion on how exactly these items should be used during development time as well since some programs require more memory than others depending upon what kind dialogues will pop up asking whatever question happens next…

Overuse of information

We all know that presentations can be overwhelming with so many options, but this is your one chance to get everything right. Don’t let yourself lose sight of the big picture or spend time figuring out which font will make slides look best when they’re printed out for people who come after you in line!

Predisposal to death by PowerPoint

PowerPoint presentations are common in conferences, business meetings, and universities. The way you present will determine whether or not your audience listens to what’s going on around them! Make sure that their attention is caught from the beginning by coming off as polished (and professional) while also adding some creativity with design choices like fonts/color combinations – just make these decisions early so they don’t distract later when there’s more important work at hand.

Presenters rely too much on slides

When you are too focused on preparing your slides, it can blindside how much work needs to go into actually delivering the presentation. Your audience wants more from a speaker than what they read on paper or screen – otherwise, they could have looked over them themselves!

Overuse of presentations

When you get so used to using a certain tool it starts becoming your presentation style, even for things like reports and status updates. It will take less time but cost more in terms of a fun factor because everyone else wants their turn at being on stage as well!

Overloading Information

The temptation to cram too much information onto a single slide can lead to information overload, overwhelming your audience and diluting your message.

Tips for Using Powerpoint in Business Presentations

• Keep your slides simple and organized.
• Make sure that all of the information is relevant to your topic.
• Use images, videos, and other multimedia elements to add interest.
• Practice your presentation beforehand.
• Be aware of your audience’s needs and interests.
• Stay focused on your message.

Other PowerPoint alternatives for Business presentations:

The presentation software is popular for its non-linear presentations, which allow the user to smoothly pan and zoom from one page of content on your screen without creating an impression that you are moving onto a new slide. This makes it easy enough even if users have never used this type before!

Canva is an easy-to-use PowerPoint alternative. The presentation templates come ready with numerous slides and all you need to do is choose which ones work best for your next meeting or event! Alongside basic features like changing fonts & colors, animated presentations can also be made possible if purchased through our Business plan – just pick out what content/slides from within those options suit YOUR needs most importantly then craft a beautiful-looking final product without worrying about time constraints because we got this covered.

The Slides.com cloud-based presentation software offers a solid, user-friendly alternative to PowerPoint! Its sleek editor workspace allows you to add background images and use various designs or themes while collaborating easily with others through 10 default templates that can also be customized by anyone else who uses this platform – no need for Designer Certification necessary (though it does help). You might want to try out our newest tool: “Slide Share” where users share their own presentations in order to inspire yours even further.

If you want a presentation that looks like it came right off the screen in your favorite Hollywood movie, then Keynote is what you need. With its sleek design and intuitive interface–not to mention all of those powerful features!–this software will make creating presentations easy as pie!

5-Zoho Show

Zoho Show is an online presentation tool that allows you to create and share your presentations with others from anywhere in the world. It has all of PowerPoint’s features, but it also provides some unique add-ons for better branding opportunities like weekly meeting minutes or presenter slideshows!

6-Google Slides

With over 50 million people using Slides every day, it’s no wonder that this presentation app has taken off in popularity. The easy-to-use interface paired with an available Google account makes for a versatile workflow—you can edit your slides from anywhere at any time!

What makes a business presentation great?

• A great business presentation is clear, concise, and engaging.
• It focuses on the key points of the topic at hand.
• The presenter is knowledgeable about the subject matter.
• The audience is interested in the topic being presented.

What makes a business presentation terrible?

• The presenter is unprepared or uninformed about the topic.
• The slides are cluttered and contain too much information.
• The presenter reads from slides verbatim.
• The presentation is dull and uninteresting.

Microsoft PowerPoint is a powerful tool for crafting compelling business presentations. Its pros, including visual appeal, organization, flexibility, and customization, far outweigh its cons, like information overload and potential boredom. To create effective business presentations with PowerPoint, focus on knowing your audience, crafting a clear storyline, using engaging visuals, and practicing your delivery. When used thoughtfully, PowerPoint can elevate your business communication, driving your message home and helping you achieve your objectives.

What is the negative impact of using PowerPoint in class?

Few things are trickier than when a PowerPoint presentation is oversimplifying and skipping critical topics related to a case. This can make the audience think that the case is far more straightforward than it is, creating a huge gap between reality and perception.

What are the effects of PowerPoint presentations?

A standard PowerPoint presentation has pictures, graphs, diagrams, and bullet points. It improves the memory capacity of the mind. It also helps students remember information for a long time. A PowerPoint presentation can enhance the intellect of students.

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10 Best Business PowerPoint Presentation examples free download

When it comes to business presentations, you want to make sure that you are putting your best foot forward. This means using templates that look professional and are easy to understand. In this blog post, we will be discussing 10 business PowerPoint presentation examples templates that you can use for your next meeting or presentation. We will also be talking about the different features of each template, so that you can choose the one that is right for you.

In this blogpost we are going to discuss about 10 Best Business PowerPoint Presentation Examples Templates and also discuss about the templates

1.Simple Grey line Business Report

This business PowerPoint presentation example is perfect for those who want a clean and professional look. The grey lines give the presentation a modern feel, while the business logo is prominently displayed in the center. This template is easy to customize and comes with all of the necessary slide designs.

2.Business Line Design Report

This business PowerPoint presentation example is perfect for those who want to make a statement. The business line design is eye-catching and will definitely make your presentation stand out. This template comes with all of the necessary slide designs, and it is easy to customize.

3.Green Fresh Business Report

This business PowerPoint presentation example is perfect for those who want a fresh and modern look. The green color is soothing and refreshing, you can add your company logo and customize text.  The great slide designs, and it is easy to customize.

4.Fantasy Chinese Red Report

This business PowerPoint presentation example is perfect for those who want an elegant and luxurious look. The Chinese red color is bold and vibrant, you can add your company logo and customize every image and text as you want.

5.Fresh Green Texture Business General Report

This business PowerPoint presentation example is perfect for those who want a fresh and modern look. The green texture is eye-catching and unique, while the business logo is prominently displayed in the center.

6.Color Stripes Business Report

This business PowerPoint presentation example is perfect for those who want a fun and energetic look. The color stripes are bold and vibrant, You can customize company logo in the middle of the slide.

7.Simple Romantic Star Business Report

This business PowerPoint presentation example is perfect for those who want a romantic and whimsical look. You can add title or the point of argument.

8.Simple Fashion Geometric Business Plan

This business PowerPoint presentation example is perfect for those who want a fashionable and stylish look. The geometric design is modern and chic, while the business logo is prominently displayed in the center. This template is easy and simple to customize.

9.Simple Business Red Report

This business PowerPoint presentation example is perfect for those who want a bold and powerful look. The red color is commanding and attention-grabbing, add your business logo and title and the area of discussion.

10.Green Senior Business Presentation

A modern look and perfect template for business. The green color is soothing and refreshing, you can customize each and everything on this template. You can replace images and new one which you want.

These are just a few business PowerPoint presentation examples that you can use to make an impactful and memorable presentation. There are many other business PowerPoint templates available, so be sure to explore all of your options. And, when you're ready to get started, be sure to download WPS Office business PPT templates free. With WPS Office, you'll have everything you need to create a professional and polished presentation.

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15 years of office industry experience, tech lover and copywriter. Follow me for product reviews, comparisons, and recommendations for new apps and software.

• Top Courses

Effective Business Presentations with Powerpoint

This course is part of Data Analysis and Presentation Skills: the PwC Approach Specialization

Taught in English

Some content may not be translated

Instructor: Alex Mannella

Sponsored by Data Analysis and Presentation Skills: The PwC Approach

98,240 already enrolled

(1,053 reviews)

Skills you'll gain

• Business Communication
• Communication
• Storytelling
• Data Visualization
• Critical Thinking

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There are 4 modules in this course

This course is all about presenting the story of the data, using PowerPoint. You'll learn how to structure a presentation, to include insights and supporting data. You'll also learn some design principles for effective visuals and slides. You'll gain skills for client-facing communication - including public speaking, executive presence and compelling storytelling. Finally, you'll be given a client profile, a business problem, and a set of basic Excel charts, which you'll need to turn into a presentation - which you'll deliver with iterative peer feedback.

This course was created by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP with an address at 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York, 10017.

Preparing a Presentation

This course is about presenting the story of the data, using PowerPoint. You'll learn how to structure a presentation and how to include insights and supporting data. You'll also learn some design principles for creating effective PowerPoint slides with visuals displaying data. Though application based exercises, you'll gain foundational communication skills - including public speaking, professional presence and compelling storytelling. Finally, you'll be given a client profile, a business problem, and a set of basic Excel charts, that you will use to create a presentation. You’ll receive peer feedback that you can use to enhance future presentations. This course was created by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP with an address at 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York, 10017

What's included

13 videos 5 readings 1 quiz 5 discussion prompts

13 videos • Total 47 minutes

• Welcome to Course 4 • 2 minutes
• Welcome to Week 1 • 3 minutes
• The eight-step approach to prepare for a presentation • 3 minutes
• Step 1 - Know your audience and Step 2 - Know your purpose • 6 minutes
• Step 3 - Structure the body of your presentation • 7 minutes
• Step 4 - Plan how you will start your presentation • 3 minutes
• Step 5 - Plan how you will end your presentation • 2 minutes
• Step 6 - Prepare your visual aids • 3 minutes
• Step 7 - Anticipate the questions you may be asked • 6 minutes
• Step 8 - Practice your presentation • 3 minutes
• Presenting on short notice • 3 minutes
• Week 1 Closing • 1 minute
• A Message from our Chief People Officer at PwC • 0 minutes

5 readings • Total 50 minutes

• Course Overview and Syllabus • 10 minutes
• Meet the PwC Instructors • 10 minutes
• Case Study and Materials • 10 minutes
• Outlining and Wireframing • 10 minutes
• The eight-step approach to prepare for a presentation • 10 minutes

1 quiz • Total 30 minutes

• Week 1 Quiz • 30 minutes

5 discussion prompts • Total 50 minutes

• Meet Your Classmates • 10 minutes
• How do you get to know your audience? • 10 minutes
• When do you field questions during a presentation? • 10 minutes
• Preparing for a presentation on short notice • 10 minutes
• When is it appropriate to change the order of the eight-step approach? • 10 minutes

Communication styles

This week, we will be covering the different types of communications styles. You’ll start off by gaining an understanding of your personal professional presence and learn how to maximize it. You’ll learn about verbal and nonverbal communications, and strategies to enhance your questioning and listening skills. We will also discuss how differences in culture can impact how you communicate.

9 videos 1 reading 1 quiz 1 discussion prompt

9 videos • Total 67 minutes

• Introduction to Week 2 • 1 minute
• Maximizing your professional presence • 12 minutes
• Communicating with confidence • 3 minutes
• Verbal communications • 5 minutes
• Non-verbal communications • 6 minutes
• Cultural Considerations in Communication • 7 minutes
• Culture and Presentations • 19 minutes
• Questioning and listening skills • 8 minutes
• Week 2 Closing • 1 minute

1 reading • Total 10 minutes

• Tip Sheet: Communicating with confidence • 10 minutes
• Week 2 Quiz • 30 minutes

1 discussion prompt • Total 10 minutes

• How do verbal and non-verbal communications impact your message? • 10 minutes

Creating effective slides using PowerPoint

This week, we're discussing how to create effective slides using PowerPoint. You’ll learn about the tools available within PowerPoint, how to structure your storyline, create storyboards, identify primary elements of slide design, display data and finalize your slide presentation. There is a peer review activity where you will apply the skills learned and create a storyboard. Finally, you will also get a chance to identify errors in a presentation to test your knowledge of standard industry practices.

9 videos 5 readings 2 quizzes 1 peer review 2 discussion prompts

9 videos • Total 49 minutes

• Introduction to Week 3 • 2 minutes
• Introduction to PowerPoint (2013) • 13 minutes
• What type of deck should you use? • 3 minutes
• Structure your storyline • 9 minutes
• Creating a storyboard • 5 minutes
• Primary elements of slide design • 2 minutes
• Displaying data • 5 minutes
• Finalizing your deck • 6 minutes
• Week 3 Closing • 1 minute
• PowerPoint Practice Activity • 10 minutes
• Types of logic • 10 minutes
• Tip Sheet: Storyboarding • 10 minutes
• Slide writing guide • 10 minutes
• Tip Sheet: Displaying data • 10 minutes

2 quizzes • Total 60 minutes

• Identifying errors in a deck exercise • 30 minutes
• Week 3 Quiz • 30 minutes

1 peer review • Total 60 minutes

• Create a storyboard in PowerPoint • 60 minutes

2 discussion prompts • Total 20 minutes

• What other tools have you used to create a presentation? • 10 minutes
• What experiences do you have using cloud based presentation tools? • 10 minutes

Delivering a presentation

This week, you’re going to build and deliver a presentation to your peers, and receive feedback from them. You will create a presentation of about 10 slides, employing the guidelines and industry best practices that have been discussed in this course. You can use the presentation storyboard that you created last week, which your peers have reviewed and given you feedback on. Review what you’ve developed so far, and make changes or additions that you think will enhance the presentation. Once you’ve finalized your presentation, you will present it in a video using your smartphone or computer. Once you’re satisfied with the PowerPoint presentation and video, you will be submitting both for peer review. You can use this feedback for current and future presentations that you will make during your career.

2 videos 2 readings 1 quiz 1 peer review

2 videos • Total 4 minutes

• Introduction to Week 4 • 2 minutes
• Week 4 and Course Wrap-Up • 1 minute

2 readings • Total 20 minutes

• Final course simulation • 10 minutes
• Best tips for recording your own video • 10 minutes
• Simulation Validation Quiz • 30 minutes
• Delivering your final presentation • 60 minutes

Instructor ratings

We asked all learners to give feedback on our instructors based on the quality of their teaching style.

With offices in 157 countries and more than 208,000 people, PwC is among the leading professional services networks in the world. Our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We help organisations and individuals create the value they’re looking for, by delivering quality in assurance, tax and advisory services.

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Reviewed on Apr 25, 2020

Very Good Course, I have learnt many from this course, it's useful for my type of job. I have recommended to friends about this course.

Reviewed on Feb 21, 2018

Very useful although more 'soft skills' which are very important and often neglected. Very well presented and the information and projects are relevant.

Reviewed on Jul 7, 2020

This course was interesting to understand verbal and non verbal skills. Furthermore it helps to have an scketch to prepare a successful presentation

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