what are the 4 p's of presentation skills

The four Ps you need to focus on for your next presentation

• Presentation skills

At the end of our presentation skills courses , we give our delegates a guide to help them continue their learning.

Why? Because we believe that learning and skills development should not stop when you leave the training room or the Zoom session comes to an end.

The guide is called ‘The Four Ps’, and we thought we would share it with you in our blog.

So, what are The Four Ps?

We believe there are four key steps to communicating with confidence, cohesion and clarity:

Good presenters put most of their effort into the first three – planning, preparing and practising – because, once you have got that right, the presenting part is much easier.

The only way to ensure an effective presentation is through careful planning and preparation.

Every memorable speech that has compelled, educated and entertained audiences has done so thanks to good preparation.

Mark Twain famously said: “It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.”

And that is how we feel about public speaking.

Bullet points, mind maps and message preparation sheets will all help you to plan an effective presentation.

Always think about your audience and your message. Can you come up with a one-sentence description that describes who you are talking to?

For example - Senior managers of a large university hospital, aged 40-55, mostly male and all with business degrees or MBAs

Once you are clear on who you are talking to, you can focus on what you want to tell them.

What is the main point you want them to take away? How can you make what you say relevant, captivating and memorable?

It is essential to think of ways to engage your audience and illustrate your message with examples – a good anecdote, fact, or analogy, will help bring a message to life.

Also, think about the structure. When a presentation is structured well, the audience can follow what is being said and are more likely to leave inspired, motivated and clear on what they should do next.

But when that structure isn’t there, they get lost as they are bombarded with uncoordinated facts, figures, thoughts and messages. And when that happens, they inevitably switch off. You can find out more about presentation structures in this recent blog .

Preparation and planning might sound similar. But the preparation stage is where you develop that initial plan and consider how to make what you want to say resonate. It is where the fine-tuning takes place.

And it involves saying AMEN.

That might sound like an appeal for some divine inspiration. And many of us have been asked to give a presentation where that might have felt like a good option.

But AMEN is an acronym we use on our presentation skills training courses (and during our message development and testing training ) to help people get their messages right.

It stands for Audience, Message, Example, Negatives.

Let’s take you through it:

Who are you talking to? Is it an internal presentation? Are you talking to existing customers? Potential new customers? An industry group?

It is crucial to be clear on who you are talking to.

If you are presenting to people within your organisation, you can refer to common ground. And use more technical language and acronyms.

But a wider audience is unlikely to understand much of this, and the content would need to be simplified.

What key message do you want to get across in your presentation?

What do you want the audience to remember about what you have said?

What do you want them to do as a result?

Or, how do you want them to feel?

What is the call to action and how can you close your presentation with a bang ? 

Hopefully, you notice we are talking about one message. It’s because, as harsh as it might sound, few people will remember more than one major point you make.

That message should be capable of being spelt out in a single sentence of fewer than 20 words, otherwise, it is likely to be too complex for people to remember.

What examples can you use to support your message?

Tell stories to bring the message to life and make it resonate with your audience.

Entertaining and moving your audience through storytelling is vital to giving a great presentation.

Are there any negative angles to what you are discussing? 

Could anyone dispute or question what you are suggesting in your presentation?

Has your sector or organisation been in the news recently?

Has a competitor made a big announcement?

Spend a little time anticipating anything that could detract from the message you want to get across.

You can download your AMEN messaging template here.

Don't worry, we have another cohort starting in the summer. Find out more.

Practice makes perfect.

You must keep practising your presentation skills. Like any good athlete, we need to keep our brain and muscle memory fine-tuned. Don’t wait until that crucial next presentation is on the horizon

Pick up a video camera - or use your smartphone - and practice with colleagues, friends, family, and even the dog – if it will listen.

The more you practice, the more confident you will become and the better you will come across when it is time to present for real.

And, those skills will help you with more everyday interactions, like meetings.

Practice should also include thinking about your personal branding and image.

Personal branding and image

We know it sounds shallow.

But the harsh reality is that when you are public speaking and presenting, your audience will form an almost instant impression of you.

And they will only pay attention if you sound and look like you know what you are discussing.

Generally, your impact in the first 30 seconds is determined by: 

• Body image - 55 per cent – what you wear, posture, gestures and eye contact
• Voice - 38 per cent - your tone, volume, accent and clarity
• What you say - just 7 per cent.

First impressions are formed almost instantly. And then, in the subsequent few minutes, the audience will be looking for proof that their initial assessment is correct. This is called confirmation bias, and everyone is susceptible to it.

So, how do you create the right first impression?

Start by considering how you want to be perceived. As someone knowledgeable, professional and experienced? Or someone who has integrity and is approachable, decent and trustworthy? Or a combination of all these qualities?

The audience will tend to assume how you have presented yourself in terms of your appearance reflects your state of mind. So, it’s vital to consider the tone you want to set and reflect that in your dress.

As the speaker, you want to be about 10 per cent smarter than your audience.

You should also look to make eye contact with the audience and smile – smiling will make you appear confident and suggests you are happy to be there.

If you are presenting in a room, avoid starting by tapping the microphone and asking whether people at the back can hear. Not only is it boring, but it also doesn’t create the impression of someone who is going to communicate with confidence and clarity.

Similarly, opening with phrases like “I haven’t had a lot of time to prepare”, or “I’ll keep it brief”, does not suggest you are taking the opportunity seriously or that the audience will get much out of the presentation.

Any negative introduction or self-deprecation will alert your audience to look out for flaws in your presentation that they may never have noticed had you not drawn attention to them.

But what should you wear?

Well, this gets trickier all the time. Fashions change constantly, and many presentations now take place online.

So, rather than tell you what you should wear, we will highlight some pitfalls we think you should avoid and offer a few tips.

1 Don’t try something new – the presentation stage is not the right time to find out if that new outfit looks as good as you thought it did in the fitting room, or whether it is as comfortable as you imagined.

2 Choose comfort – of course, you want to look professional. But don’t make yourself uncomfortable and unable to move freely. Choose clothes that don’t feel restrictive.

3 Choose clothes that make you feel confident – most of us will have ‘go-to’ items in our wardrobes we turn to when we need to feel good about ourselves. If they are appropriate for the situation then choose them for your presentations. If you feel good, you will appear more confident.

4 Avoid clothes that might distract – you don’t want the audience to go away thinking about what you were wearing, so avoid distracting clothes. Glittery outfits can be particularly distracting, as can loud socks, anything with large writing on it and comedy ties. If in doubt we recommend choosing items with solid colours, rather than anything with patterns.

5 If you opt for a dark suit, match it with a lighter shirt or blouse to provide a little contrast.

6 Be careful with jewellery and accessories. If it makes a noise when you move around, or continually knocks against the microphone, it will take the attention of the audience away from what you are saying. Jewellery can also reflect light at the audience, especially on TV, which is distracting.

7 Similarly, avoid shoes that make a noise when you walk around.

8 Think about the audience – if you know it is a formal event, then you need to dress smarter. But, in many countries, the business suit is not as popular as it once was. Many people go to work in jeans, for example. If you turn up in a suit to talk to an audience wearing informal clothes, you may seem old-fashioned and out of touch. Speak to the organisers and venue before the event and bring an alternative option just in case.

9 Many presentations now take place online, and its ease and convenience mean it is likely to remain a popular option. 

If you are presenting online, you can usually relax the dress code a little – no one expects you to login wearing a suit and tie. Choose something you will be comfortable in, but still consider the impression you want to get across to the audience. 

Remember that block colours look good on camera, and avoid black and white because they are harsh and can make you look stern or washed out. Patterns and stripes should be left in the wardrobe as they can create a strobing effect with many TV and video cameras.

As you will be on camera, avoid wearing anything that will distract from what you are saying (such as large dangly earrings) and make sure your hair doesn’t need to be constantly brushed away from your face. 

It's time to take a deep breath.

Let’s assume you have planned properly, prepared carefully and you are confident you look the part.

The final part of the Ps is presenting. And getting your body language right can make a massive difference to its success.

So, let’s take a look at it and how you need to adapt it for different presentation formats:

Standing in front of a seated audience is probably the presentation format that causes the most fear. The good news is there are simple steps to help you appear composed and confident.

When you are on the stage, plant your feet hip-width apart. Now imagine your feet are on a clock, and your toes are pointing at 5 minutes to 1. This maximises your floor coverage and makes you look as if you’re standing on solid ground - even if you’re behind a lectern.

Draw yourself up to your full height. Shoulders should be relaxed.

Everyone’s favourite actress Dame Helen Mirren says she bases all of her characters on one part of the body: the elbows. The more confident her character, the looser she is at the elbow. So, you want those arms away from your body. Allow the energy to come up and out to the audience, forget about your hands and use your whole arms to help get your points across. We promise your hands will follow.  

Gesture to your slides and visual aids (if you’re using them – more on this later) and out to the audience. The bigger the stage, the bigger the gestures need to be. Fill that stage.  

If you like to move around to encompass the whole audience, that’s fine. But always stand still with your feet planted when you make a crucial point.

As part of that all-important preparation, we spoke about earlier, practice delivering your presentation in front of a tall mirror, so you can see if you are standing confidently and using your arms and hands to emphasise particular points.  

Learn how to overcome your nerves and present with confidence and clarity, whatever the format, with this online course.

What about if you are sitting down?

Well, traditionally sitting down to deliver a presentation has been frowned upon.

But, in the real world, there are many times when we present sat on our bottoms.

Boardroom meetings, team meetings and even some conferences or panel events call for speakers to be seated. 

The key is to not become too relaxed in this slightly less daunting format – body language remains crucial if you want to show authority and capture the attention of the audience.

It’s crucial to make sure you have your feet flat on the ground. And position yourself as far back in the chair as you can.

During our presentation skills training courses , we use the acronym BBC to help people remember to sit with their  B um to the  B ack of the  C hair. One tip to add here is that speakers should opt for a stationary chair, as moving around on a swivel one will prove distracting. 

Draw yourself up to your full height, keeping your shoulders relaxed. Then lean forward, placing your forearms on the table in front of you, with arms separated. TV directors call this ‘bringing the face into shot’. The light catches your cheekbones, you appear authoritative and full of integrity – and you haven’t said a word yet.

From here, you can lean back, removing your arms so you can listen to others comment. And then, when you want to assume charge again, you go back to that position of authority.

Who is the most important person in the room? The answer is everyone. So, make sure you engage in eye contact with all those around the table – including the people on either side of you.

Next time you watch TV, notice how presenters use open gestures towards the guests on either side of them. It looks dynamic and is very engaging and inclusive.

Many presentations and meetings take place online.

While there are some similarities to sit-down presentations, online ones do have their intricacies and requirements. 

The most important thing is maintaining eye contact with your audience. Poor eye contact and wandering eyes can make you look shifty and uncomfortable, and your audience will wonder what else you are looking at.

Look into the lens and maintain that contact.

But, also consider whether you would be better standing. You have to work harder online to get your message across, so sitting down hunched over a laptop may not be the best solution.

Why not put the laptop on a shelf so it is at eye level with you when you are standing? That would give much more energy to your performance.

Your voice is also vital, whether you are presenting in person or online.

You need to add energy to your delivery to keep your audience engaged.

Balance is vital - don’t shout, but vary the pace and tone of your voice. Even subtle changes can dramatically improve the attentiveness of an audience.

Remember your volume and tone should be driven by your content. There are moments when you will want to sound inspiring, times when you will want to sound more like a friend, and points at which you will want to challenge your audience. Your voice needs to change to reflect the goals of your message.

If you have a presentation coming up and want to look back on your training with us in more detail, our online Presentation and Personal Impact Skills course enables you to refresh your knowledge and hone your skills whenever and wherever you need it.

Media First  are media and communications training specialists with more than 35 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers. 

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6 presentation skills and how to improve them

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What are presentation skills?

The importance of presentation skills, 6 presentation skills examples, how to improve presentation skills.

Tips for dealing with presentation anxiety

Learn how to captivate an audience with ease

Capturing an audience’s attention takes practice. 

Over time, great presenters learn how to organize their speeches and captivate an audience from start to finish. They spark curiosity, know how to read a room , and understand what their audience needs to walk away feeling like they learned something valuable.

Regardless of your profession, you most likely use presentation skills on a monthly or even weekly basis. Maybe you lead brainstorming sessions or host client calls. 

Developing effective presentation skills makes it easier to contribute ideas with confidence and show others you’re someone to trust. Although speaking in front of a crowd sometimes brings nerves and anxiety , it also sparks new opportunities.

Presentation skills are the qualities and abilities you need to communicate ideas effectively and deliver a compelling speech. They influence how you structure a presentation and how an audience receives it. Understanding body language , creating impactful visual aids, and projecting your voice all fall under this umbrella.

A great presentation depends on more than what you say. It’s about how you say it. Storytelling , stage presence, and voice projection all shape how well you express your ideas and connect with the audience. These skills do take practice, but they’re worth developing — especially if public speaking makes you nervous. 

Engaging a crowd isn’t easy. You may feel anxious to step in front of an audience and have all eyes and ears on you.

But feeling that anxiety doesn’t mean your ideas aren’t worth sharing. Whether you’re giving an inspiring speech or delivering a monthly recap at work, your audience is there to listen to you. Harness that nervous energy and turn it into progress.

Strong presentation skills make it easier to convey your thoughts to audiences of all sizes. They can help you tell a compelling story, convince people of a pitch , or teach a group something entirely new to them. And when it comes to the workplace, the strength of your presentation skills could play a part in getting a promotion or contributing to a new initiative.

To fully understand the impact these skills have on creating a successful presentation, it’s helpful to look at each one individually. Here are six valuable skills you can develop:

1. Active listening

Active listening is an excellent communication skill for any professional to hone. When you have strong active listening skills, you can listen to others effectively and observe their nonverbal cues . This helps you assess whether or not your audience members are engaged in and understand what you’re sharing. 

Great public speakers use active listening to assess the audience’s reactions and adjust their speech if they find it lacks impact. Signs like slouching, negative facial expressions, and roaming eye contact are all signs to watch out for when giving a presentation.

2. Body language

If you’re researching presentation skills, chances are you’ve already watched a few notable speeches like TED Talks or industry seminars. And one thing you probably noticed is that speakers can capture attention with their body language. 

A mixture of eye contact, hand gestures , and purposeful pacing makes a presentation more interesting and engaging. If you stand in one spot and don’t move your body, the audience might zone out.

3. Stage presence

A great stage presence looks different for everyone. A comedian might aim for more movement and excitement, and a conference speaker might focus their energy on the content of their speech. Although neither is better than the other, both understand their strengths and their audience’s needs. 

Developing a stage presence involves finding your own unique communication style . Lean into your strengths, whether that’s adding an injection of humor or asking questions to make it interactive . To give a great presentation, you might even incorporate relevant props or presentation slides.

4. Storytelling

According to Forbes, audiences typically pay attention for about 10 minutes before tuning out . But you can lengthen their attention span by offering a presentation that interests them for longer. Include a narrative they’ll want to listen to, and tell a story as you go along. 

Shaping your content to follow a clear narrative can spark your audience’s curiosity and entice them to pay careful attention. You can use anecdotes from your personal or professional life that take your audience along through relevant moments. If you’re pitching a product, you can start with a problem and lead your audience through the stages of how your product provides a solution.

5. Voice projection

Although this skill may be obvious, you need your audience to hear what you’re saying. This can be challenging if you’re naturally soft-spoken and struggle to project your voice.

Remember to straighten your posture and take deep breaths before speaking, which will help you speak louder and fill the room. If you’re talking into a microphone or participating in a virtual meeting, you can use your regular conversational voice, but you still want to sound confident and self-assured with a strong tone.

If you’re unsure whether everyone can hear you, you can always ask the audience at the beginning of your speech and wait for confirmation. That way, they won’t have to potentially interrupt you later.

Ensuring everyone can hear you also includes your speed and annunciation. It’s easy to speak quickly when nervous, but try to slow down and pronounce every word. Mumbling can make your presentation difficult to understand and pay attention to.

6. Verbal communication 

Although verbal communication involves your projection and tone, it also covers the language and pacing you use to get your point across. This includes where you choose to place pauses in your speech or the tone you use to emphasize important ideas.

If you’re giving a presentation on collaboration in the workplace , you might start your speech by saying, “There’s something every workplace needs to succeed: teamwork.” By placing emphasis on the word “ teamwork ,” you give your audience a hint on what ideas will follow.

To further connect with your audience through diction, pay careful attention to who you’re speaking to. The way you talk to your colleagues might be different from how you speak to a group of superiors, even if you’re discussing the same subject. You might use more humor and a conversational tone for the former and more serious, formal diction for the latter.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses when it comes to presenting. Maybe you’re confident in your use of body language, but your voice projection needs work. Maybe you’re a great storyteller in small group settings, but need to work on your stage presence in front of larger crowds. 

The first step to improving presentation skills is pinpointing your gaps and determining which qualities to build upon first. Here are four tips for enhancing your presentation skills:

1. Build self-confidence

Confident people know how to speak with authority and share their ideas. Although feeling good about your presentation skills is easier said than done, building confidence is key to helping your audience believe in what you’re saying. Try practicing positive self-talk and continuously researching your topic's ins and outs.

If you don’t feel confident on the inside, fake it until you make it. Stand up straight, project your voice, and try your best to appear engaged and excited. Chances are, the audience doesn’t know you’re unsure of your skills — and they don’t need to.

Another tip is to lean into your slideshow, if you’re using one. Create something colorful and interesting so the audience’s eyes fall there instead of on you. And when you feel proud of your slideshow, you’ll be more eager to share it with others, bringing more energy to your presentation.

2. Watch other presentations

Developing the soft skills necessary for a good presentation can be challenging without seeing them in action. Watch as many as possible to become more familiar with public speaking skills and what makes a great presentation. You could attend events with keynote speakers or view past speeches on similar topics online.

Take a close look at how those presenters use verbal communication and body language to engage their audiences. Grab a notebook and jot down what you enjoyed and your main takeaways. Try to recall the techniques they used to emphasize their main points, whether they used pauses effectively, had interesting visual aids, or told a fascinating story.

3. Get in front of a crowd

You don’t need a large auditorium to practice public speaking. There are dozens of other ways to feel confident and develop good presentation skills.

If you’re a natural comedian, consider joining a small stand-up comedy club. If you’re an avid writer, participate in a public poetry reading. Even music and acting can help you feel more comfortable in front of a crowd.

If you’d rather keep it professional, you can still work on your presentation skills in the office. Challenge yourself to participate at least once in every team meeting, or plan and present a project to become more comfortable vocalizing your ideas. You could also speak to your manager about opportunities that flex your public speaking abilities.

4. Overcome fear

Many people experience feelings of fear before presenting in front of an audience, whether those feelings appear as a few butterflies or more severe anxiety. Try grounding yourself to shift your focus to the present moment. If you’re stuck dwelling on previous experiences that didn’t go well, use those mistakes as learning experiences and focus on what you can improve to do better in the future.

Tips for dealing with presentation anxiety 

It’s normal to feel nervous when sharing your ideas. In fact, according to a report from the Journal of Graduate Medical Education, public speaking anxiety is prevalent in 15–30% of the general population .

Even though having a fear of public speaking is common, it doesn’t make it easier. You might feel overwhelmed, become stiff, and forget what you were going to say. But although the moment might scare you, there are ways to overcome the fear and put mind over matter.

Use these tactics to reduce your stress when you have to make a presentation:

1. Practice breathing techniques

If you experience anxiety often, you’re probably familiar with breathing techniques for stress relief . Incorporating these exercises into your daily routine can help you stop worrying and regulate anxious feelings. 

Before a big presentation, take a moment alone to practice breathing techniques, ground yourself, and reduce tension. It’s also a good idea to take breaths throughout the presentation to speak slower and calm yourself down .

2. Get organized

The more organized you are, the more prepared you’ll feel. Carefully outline all of the critical information you want to use in your presentation, including your main talking points and visual aids, so you don’t forget anything. Use bullet points and visuals on each slide to remind you of what you want to talk about, and create handheld notes to help you stay on track.

3. Embrace moments of silence

It’s okay to lose your train of thought. It happens to even the most experienced public speakers once in a while. If your mind goes blank, don’t panic. Take a moment to breathe, gather your thoughts, and refer to your notes to see where you left off. You can drink some water or make a quick joke to ease the silence or regain your footing. And it’s okay to say, “Give me a moment while I find my notes.” Chances are, people understand the position you’re in.

4. Practice makes progress

Before presenting, rehearse in front of friends and family members you trust. This gives you the chance to work out any weak spots in your speech and become comfortable communicating out loud. If you want to go the extra mile, ask your makeshift audience to ask a surprise question. This tests your on-the-spot thinking and will prove that you can keep cool when things come up.

Whether you’re new to public speaking or are a seasoned presenter, you’re bound to make a few slip-ups. It happens to everyone. The most important thing is that you try your best, brush things off, and work on improving your skills to do better in your next presentation.

Although your job may require a different level of public speaking than your favorite TED Talk , developing presentation skills is handy in any profession. You can use presentation skills in a wide range of tasks in the workplace, whether you’re sharing your ideas with colleagues, expressing concerns to higher-ups, or pitching strategies to potential clients.

Remember to use active listening to read the room and engage your audience with an interesting narrative. Don’t forget to step outside your comfort zone once in a while and put your skills to practice in front of a crowd. After facing your fears, you’ll feel confident enough to put presentation skills on your resume.

If you’re trying to build your skills and become a better employee overall, try a communications coach with BetterUp. 

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

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

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Powerful and Effective Presentation Skills: More in Demand Now Than Ever

When we talk with our L&D colleagues from around the globe, we often hear that presentation skills training is one of the top opportunities they’re looking to provide their learners. And this holds true whether their learners are individual contributors, people managers, or senior leaders. This is not surprising.

Effective communications skills are a powerful career activator, and most of us are called upon to communicate in some type of formal presentation mode at some point along the way.

For instance, you might be asked to brief management on market research results, walk your team through a new process, lay out the new budget, or explain a new product to a client or prospect. Or you may want to build support for a new idea, bring a new employee into the fold, or even just present your achievements to your manager during your performance review.

And now, with so many employees working from home or in hybrid mode, and business travel in decline, there’s a growing need to find new ways to make effective presentations when the audience may be fully virtual or a combination of in person and remote attendees.

Whether you’re making a standup presentation to a large live audience, or a sit-down one-on-one, whether you’re delivering your presentation face to face or virtually, solid presentation skills matter.

Even the most seasoned and accomplished presenters may need to fine-tune or update their skills. Expectations have changed over the last decade or so. Yesterday’s PowerPoint which primarily relied on bulleted points, broken up by the occasional clip-art image, won’t cut it with today’s audience.

The digital revolution has revolutionized the way people want to receive information. People expect presentations that are more visually interesting. They expect to see data, metrics that support assertions. And now, with so many previously in-person meetings occurring virtually, there’s an entirely new level of technical preparedness required.

The leadership development tools and the individual learning opportunities you’re providing should include presentation skills training that covers both the evergreen fundamentals and the up-to-date capabilities that can make or break a presentation.

So, just what should be included in solid presentation skills training? Here’s what I think.

The fundamentals will always apply When it comes to making a powerful and effective presentation, the fundamentals will always apply. You need to understand your objective. Is it strictly to convey information, so that your audience’s knowledge is increased? Is it to persuade your audience to take some action? Is it to convince people to support your idea? Once you understand what your objective is, you need to define your central message. There may be a lot of things you want to share with your audience during your presentation, but find – and stick with – the core, the most important point you want them to walk away with. And make sure that your message is clear and compelling.

You also need to tailor your presentation to your audience. Who are they and what might they be expecting? Say you’re giving a product pitch to a client. A technical team may be interested in a lot of nitty-gritty product detail. The business side will no doubt be more interested in what returns they can expect on their investment.

Another consideration is the setting: is this a formal presentation to a large audience with questions reserved for the end, or a presentation in a smaller setting where there’s the possibility for conversation throughout? Is your presentation virtual or in-person? To be delivered individually or as a group? What time of the day will you be speaking? Will there be others speaking before you and might that impact how your message will be received?

Once these fundamentals are established, you’re in building mode. What are the specific points you want to share that will help you best meet your objective and get across your core message? Now figure out how to convey those points in the clearest, most straightforward, and succinct way. This doesn’t mean that your presentation has to be a series of clipped bullet points. No one wants to sit through a presentation in which the presenter reads through what’s on the slide. You can get your points across using stories, fact, diagrams, videos, props, and other types of media.

Visual design matters While you don’t want to clutter up your presentation with too many visual elements that don’t serve your objective and can be distracting, using a variety of visual formats to convey your core message will make your presentation more memorable than slides filled with text. A couple of tips: avoid images that are cliched and overdone. Be careful not to mix up too many different types of images. If you’re using photos, stick with photos. If you’re using drawn images, keep the style consistent. When data are presented, stay consistent with colors and fonts from one type of chart to the next. Keep things clear and simple, using data to support key points without overwhelming your audience with too much information. And don’t assume that your audience is composed of statisticians (unless, of course, it is).

When presenting qualitative data, brief videos provide a way to engage your audience and create emotional connection and impact. Word clouds are another way to get qualitative data across.

Practice makes perfect You’ve pulled together a perfect presentation. But it likely won’t be perfect unless it’s well delivered. So don’t forget to practice your presentation ahead of time. Pro tip: record yourself as you practice out loud. This will force you to think through what you’re going to say for each element of your presentation. And watching your recording will help you identify your mistakes—such as fidgeting, using too many fillers (such as “umm,” or “like”), or speaking too fast.

A key element of your preparation should involve anticipating any technical difficulties. If you’ve embedded videos, make sure they work. If you’re presenting virtually, make sure that the lighting is good, and that your speaker and camera are working. Whether presenting in person or virtually, get there early enough to work out any technical glitches before your presentation is scheduled to begin. Few things are a bigger audience turn-off than sitting there watching the presenter struggle with the delivery mechanisms!

Finally, be kind to yourself. Despite thorough preparation and practice, sometimes, things go wrong, and you need to recover in the moment, adapt, and carry on. It’s unlikely that you’ll have caused any lasting damage and the important thing is to learn from your experience, so your next presentation is stronger.

How are you providing presentation skills training for your learners?

Manika Gandhi is Senior Learning Design Manager at Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Email her at [email protected] .

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Most Effective Presentation Skills And Its Techniques

Shama is terrified of public speaking. She always avoids tasks that involve standing in front of a crowd. Even if…

Shama is terrified of public speaking. She always avoids tasks that involve standing in front of a crowd. Even if it’s her coworkers, something about having all eyes on her makes her nervous.

Some of you may find this familiar and relatable. The nerves before a presentation, for instance, can leave you feeling breathless, paralyzed and afraid. Many people have stage fright.

There are times when you simply can’t get out of public speaking, especially if it’s a presentation at work. For such occasions, it’s critical to build effective presentation skills to help ease the process.

 Let’s discuss techniques of effective presentation and how they can help you overcome your stage fear.

What Are Effective Presentation Skills?

The 4 p’s of presentation skills, effective presentation skills with harappa.

Public speaking is an art and a skill that can be mastered over time, with practice and experience. It’s a daunting prospect surely, but once you get the hang of it, it’s going to give you new opportunities to prove yourself. In the professional world, public speaking is unavoidable. You’ll have to speak in meetings, give presentations or participate in work events that require speeches.

Here are some effective presentation skills you can develop to become a good speaker:

Understand The Art Of Storytelling

Storytelling is a valuable skill for public speaking. Even if you’re giving official presentations, knowing how to weave a story with elements that keep the listener engaged will go a long way. What you want to do is make sure everyone’s listening. An attentive audience means you’re doing a good job. Storytelling helps you keep them hanging onto your words. Not only can you share relevant data, statistics and information but also make it creative and exciting for them.

Prepare In Advance

Many people do last-minute prep for their presentations. Just compiling data and adding color to your slides won’t do the trick. You have to prepare your slides, what you’re going to say and how you plan to convey your content. Think of possible questions from the audience and try to come up with answers to avoid having to do so on the spot. This way you can sidestep any possible roadblocks.

Talk Clearly And Compellingly

Now that you’ve prepared your content, good presentation skills call for compelling and clear speech. When you’re speaking to an audience, make sure they’re able to understand every word you’re saying. Your speech should be simple, interesting and direct. ( Adipex ) Instead of getting lost in big words and complex sentences, focus on simple phrases and data. Visual storytelling with data is another key element you can incorporate in your presentation.

Read Your Audience

Picking up nonverbal cues from the audience will help you tailor your presentation on the spot. If you see your audience getting bored, for instance, share an anecdote if appropriate, or move to the next slide. You have to be present for the duration of the presentation. You can’t rely on your slides and script alone. Read the room, make eye contact and pay attention to your body language. Be open and welcome comments and questions that might turn into a conversation.

Identify Your Message

If you’re making a presentation, you should be well-versed with what you’re trying to convey. It’s one thing to put everything together, but when it comes to delivering your message, you must be able to do so in a few words. The key takeaways should be easy to recognize and share.

Developing good presentation skills for an effective presentation will help you gain the confidence you need to handle a crowd. You can even use the PAM framework that defines the purpose, audience and message to break down what you need to prepare.

Techniques of effective presentation delivery include what is known as the four Ps of effective presentation skills.

Purpose defines why you’re delivering the presentation. This may be to sign a new client, update your team on quarterly targets or pitch to an investor. This will help you craft your message.

Who will you be presenting to? Employees, coworkers, customers, clients or investors may make up the audience for your presentation. You have to tailor your message as per their needs.

Where you’re presenting determines just how much you have to prepare and whether it’s formal or informal. It may be a networking event, which might be fun and friendly, or an official presentation, which is more formal.

Practice is key if you want to give an effective presentation. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll be. Good presentation skills can be refined with practice.

With these four Ps, you’re well on your way to mastering the art of delivering an effective presentation.

Harappa’s  Speaking Effectively course will teach you key frameworks like PAM (Purpose, Audience and Message) to refine your public speaking skills. Impress your colleagues by giving an effective presentation with tips from our expert faculty. Learn about verbal and non-verbal communication, how to read your audience and even speak virtually. Enroll today to get started on your journey toward noteworthy public speaking.

Explore topics such as  Self-Introduction ,  Presentation Techniques , Ways To Give A  Persuasive Presentation  &  How To Give An Effective Presentation  from Harappa Diaries to build a personal brand that inspires, motivates and guides others.

What is a Presentation? Objectives, Elements, Important skills, Four Ps

• Post last modified: 4 June 2023
• Reading time: 19 mins read
• Post category: Business Communication

What is a Presentation?

A presentation communicates a message, an idea or information to a group. It is similar to a report, but with a key difference–the human element. A presentation conveys the speaker’s personality and enables immediate interaction among all participants.

Table of Content

• 1 What is a Presentation?
• 2.1 To Inform
• 2.2 To Train
• 2.3 To Persuade
• 2.4 To Motivate
• 2.5 To Entertain
• 3 Main Elements of Presentation
• 4.1 Analytical ability
• 4.2 Effective communication ability
• 4.3 Creative ability
• 4.4 Good interpersonal skill
• 4.5 Sound time management
• 4.6 Problem-solving ability
• 4.7 A sense of humour
• 5 Evaluation Wheel
• 6.1 Prepare
• 6.2 Practice
• 6.3 Present
• 7.1 Know Yourself
• 7.2 Know Your Material
• 7.3 Know Your Purpose
• 7.4 Know Your Audience

Objectives of Presentation

The main objectives of a presentation are:

To Persuade

To motivate, to entertain.

A presentation is created to convey some information to a group of people. For example, a presentation may display an organisation’s quarterly performance.

Most training programmes in organisations are done through the presentation mode. Such instructional presentations convey a lot of information and are created with instructional design principles to keep the audience engaged for a long period.

Some presentations are used to convince a group of people to accept a particular idea and/or make a certain choice.

The growing popularity of TED Talks indicates how a presentation can be a powerful motivation tool. These presentations trigger emotions and inspire people to act.

Presentations can also be used to celebrate an event. For example, a farewell presentation of a colleague can be used to narrate the story of his/her overall tenure, experiences and achievement in the organisation.

Main Elements of Presentation

A presentation is said to be effective if it has three main elements, which are as follows:

• Specific content : This refers to the information that a presentation will comprise. The information must be conveyed effectively so that it is absorbed by the audience in one sitting. It should be relevant and meaningful to them.
• Audience : A presentation should be targeted for a specific group of audience who share the same purpose and have a similar level of pre-knowledge.
• Presenter: The presenter should act as the advocate of the information. If his/her conviction and passion in the message are clearly articulated, the audience will also pay attention to the subject.

Important Presentation Skills

In today’s business environment, presentation skills are requisite in almost every professional arena. Employees are often required to give presentations on the targets achieved by them. A presentation can be effective if it is carefully planned and prepared.

However, delivering presentations is not always easy for every individual. Some people take presenting as a probable opportunity to showcase skills, while others find it a challenging task. To provide an effective presentation, a presenter must possess some abilities.

Some of them are explained as follows:

Analytical ability

Effective communication ability, creative ability, good interpersonal skill, sound time management, problem-solving ability, a sense of humour.

It refers to a calibre which empowers an individual to collect, organise, visualise and comprehend data. Such skills enable a person to look at related patterns, draw conclusions and find solutions to problems. In addition, sound analytical skills also enable an individual to forecast future trends using various techniques such as brainstorming, forecasting, data mining and metrics interpretation.

Communication entails much more than mere talking to the audience. To communicate effectively during a presentation, one ought to showcase information lucidly. During a presentation, a person should not just have a good set of slides together; rather he needs to engage and strike a chord with the audience to transmit the intended message.

It refers to the ability to present things in a creative way that have not been explored earlier. Creative skills in presentation enable an individual to invent or develop something path-breaking, such as a new concept, unique way out from a problem, a method, a work of art or new machinery, etc.

It encompasses how an individual portrays or presents himself to the audience and builds a rapport with the audience. During a presentation, sound interpersonal skills empower a speaker to interact, communicate and collaborate with the audience effectively.

Interpersonal skills are prevalent across all personal and professional interactions between people. Interpersonal skills entail empathy, active listening and emotional intelligence.

While delivering a presentation, a person should manage time effectively, set a presentation schedule and end a presentation within a stipulated time. If a presentation is long, there are chances the audience may lose interest and the message may not be delivered.

A speaker cannot expect audience to actively listen to the presentation for hours. At the start of presentation, a speaker should aim to grab audience’s attention and allocate time for questions and answers at the end.

Problem-solving is a requisite skill for a presentation. During a presentation, the audience may ask the speaker any kind of questions. On the other hand, it is important for the speaker to provide an appropriate answer to the audience to make the presentation successful.

A sense of humour is crucial to deliver a quality presentation to make the environment light and engaging. Appropriate usage of light jokes relieves stress and holds the attention of an audience, which makes the presentation a memorable experience for both the speaker and the audience.

Evaluation Wheel

Evaluation wheel is a creative and effective tool that accumulates information on outcomes in a simple and accessible manner. A presenter can opt for the evaluation wheel tool to show the outcomes of the research or reports. This tool is used to provide various types of information and journeys of change within the organisation.

It offers a visual representation of progression and results in the form of a spider diagram. The evaluation wheel measures the exact outcomes for a programme at the start and end. It also helps educators, designers to comprehend information systematically. Figure shows an example of evaluation wheel:

Figure states the scale questionnaire in a circle form wherein respondents will analyse the instances from their discretion and experience and give rating on a scale of 1 to 5.

For instance, service users are appropriately involved. In this case, if the respondent strongly agrees, he/she will give 5 rating and if he/she does not agree, he/she will give 1 rating. The centre of the circle is for 1 and as the respondent agrees, they reach out to edge for 5 rating.

Ps of Presentation

Even the most powerful presentation may fail if the presenter comes unprepared. A presentation is both a mental and a physical effort. There are Ps of presentation that provide a checklist to the presenter for ensuring that the presentation is well-constructed and clear so that the audience gets the message. These four Ps are explained as follows:

A thoroughly prepared presentation captivates the interests of the audience. The topic or content of the presentation must be thoroughly researched. No one would develop interest in a vague or equivocal presentation. A speaker can make use of stories or relatable examples and quote references to give more depth to the presentation and make it intriguing.

Apart from that, it should be ensured that only important points are highlighted in bullets or using other graphical elements. Providing too much of theory or full sentences can create boredom for the audience.

While preparing for a presentation, the presenter should include the following sections:

• Introduction : This section includes the name of the topic and the purpose of the presentation.
• Body : This section contains the main content of the presentation; thus, it must be prepared in a well-organised manner.
• Summary : It provides a recap of the content of the presentation. It outlines the most important points of the presentation to ensure the key message is retained by the audience.

Practice will make a man perfect is an adage that is appropriate across all spheres of life. It helps a speaker become familiar with his/her own voice, words and phrases and adjust accordingly. By practising thoroughly, a speaker can explore how to fit different pieces of information together and practise transition.

Also, a speaker should make notes wherever required as a part of presentation support. Using an index card is a common form of note-taking that provides a quick glimpse of important points.

While delivering a presentation, the speaker needs to demonstrate confidence in front of the audience. The speaker must be polite, but not apologetic in situations, such as if the session is running overtime or the microphone has stopped working.

Instead he/she should expect and ask for discipline and attention. It is important for a speaker to engage with the audience during the presentation in order to assure them that he/she is genuinely interested in talking to them. 4. Pace, pitch and pause: A presenter should deliver the presentation in an easy-to-follow pace and try changing the pace to enliven the presentation.

For example, pauses can be taken intentionally between main points to reinforce them. Along with pace, pitch is equally important. Just as pace varies in normal conversations, it should be used effectively during presentations too. For example, when asking a question, the presenter can raise the pitch and can lower it down when explaining a point.

Four Cornerstones of Making Memorable Presentations

The most crucial aspect of delivering an effective presentation is that the speaker should appear confident and the speech should look effortless. Presentations are a source of anxiety for many individuals. However, getting well-prepared before delivering a presentation can reduce this feeling considerably and ease apprehension.

There are a number of ways to overcome feelings of anxiety, stress and stage fright before the presentation in order to appear confident in front of the audience. The four cornerstones of making a memorable presentation are provided in the upcoming sections.

Know Yourself

Know your material, know your purpose, know your audience.

A presenter should acknowledge his/her strengths and weaknesses. Accordingly, he/she should decide the style of delivering a presentation. For instance, if a presenter has a great sense of humour and can use it comfortably in the speech, he/she can make the presentation more engaging and interesting.

On the other hand, if the speaker who is an introvert and prefers to talk or engage less, he/she can add visuals in the presentation. Therefore, the trick is whosoever is delivering the presentation should feel comfortable.

Knowing the topic thoroughly is the most important step in preparing and delivering a presentation. A presenter with well-versed knowledge of the topic is bound to feel more confident. One should perform extensive research of the topic using credible websites and surveys.

A presenter with minimal information about the topic will not be able to deliver a memorable presentation; rather, it would create a negative image in front of the audience. A good presentation is one that is centred around the main theme, presents relevant information and stimulates thought.

It is crucial to know the purpose of the presentation. A presenter should be aware of whether the purpose is to create awareness or to build new skills or to change attitudes. For instance, professional firms or businesses use presentations for various purposes such as to create awareness, educate, motivate and persuade internal and external audiences.

Therefore, to prepare a presentation, identify its objective/purpose, determine the method of delivery, formulate a structure, include visual aids and rehearse.

One should know the type of audience and what is their purpose of attending the presentation. For instance, whether they are there for gaining knowledge or learning new skills, etc. The age, culture and knowledge base of the audience help a presenter in designing and delivering his/her presentation effectively and in a manner in which audience can easily understand and relate to.

A well-designed presentation uses visual aids effectively to reinforce the main points and enhance the audience’s level of understanding.

Business Communication Notes

( Click on Topic to Read )

• What is Business Communication?
• What is Communication?
• Types of Communication

7 C of Communication

• Barriers To Business Communication
• Oral Communication

Types Of Non Verbal Communication

• What is Written Communication?
• What are Soft Skills?
• Interpersonal vs Intrapersonal communication
• Barriers to Communication

Importance of Communication Skills

• Listening in Communication

Causes of Miscommunication

• What is Johari Window?
• What is Presentation?
• Communication Styles
• Channels of Communication

Hofstede’s Dimensions of Cultural Differences and Benett’s Stages of Intercultural Sensitivity

• Organisational Communication
• Horizontal C ommunication
• Grapevine Communication
• Downward Communication
• Verbal Communication Skills
• Upward Communication
• Flow of Communication
• What is Emotional Intelligence?
• What is Public Speaking?
• Upward vs Downward Communication
• Internal vs External Communication
• What is Group Discussion?
• What is Interview?
• What is Negotiation?
• What is Digital Communication?
• What is Letter Writing?
• Resume and Covering Letter
• What is Report Writing?
• What is Business Meeting?
• What is Public Relations?
• What Is Market Segmentation?
• What Is Marketing Mix?
• Marketing Concept
• Marketing Management Process
• What Is Marketing Environment?
• What Is Consumer Behaviour?
• Business Buyer Behaviour
• Demand Forecasting
• 7 Stages Of New Product Development
• Methods Of Pricing
• What Is Public Relations?
• What Is Marketing Management?
• What Is Sales Promotion?
• Types Of Sales Promotion
• Techniques Of Sales Promotion
• What Is Personal Selling?
• What Is Advertising?
• Market Entry Strategy
• What Is Marketing Planning?
• Segmentation Targeting And Positioning
• Brand Building Process
• Kotler Five Product Level Model
• Classification Of Products
• Types Of Logistics
• What Is Consumer Research?
• What Is DAGMAR?
• Consumer Behaviour Models
• What Is Green Marketing?
• What Is Electronic Commerce?
• Agricultural Cooperative Marketing
• What Is Marketing Control?
• What Is Marketing Communication?
• What Is Pricing?
• Models Of Communication
• What is Sales Management?
• Objectives of Sales Management
• Responsibilities and Skills of Sales Manager
• Theories of Personal Selling
• What is Sales Forecasting?
• Methods of Sales Forecasting
• Purpose of Sales Budgeting
• Methods of Sales Budgeting
• Types of Sales Budgeting
• Sales Budgeting Process
• What is Sales Quotas?
• What is Selling by Objectives (SBO) ?
• What is Sales Organisation?
• Types of Sales Force Structure
• Recruiting and Selecting Sales Personnel
• Training and Development of Salesforce
• Compensating the Sales Force
• Time and Territory Management
• What Is Logistics?
• What Is Logistics System?
• Technologies in Logistics
• What Is Distribution Management?
• What Is Marketing Intermediaries?
• Conventional Distribution System
• Functions of Distribution Channels
• What is Channel Design?
• Types of Wholesalers and Retailers
• What is Vertical Marketing Systems?
• What i s Marketing?
• What i s A BCG Matrix?
• 5 M’S Of Advertising
• What i s Direct Marketing?
• Marketing Mix For Services
• What Market Intelligence System?
• What i s Trade Union?
• What Is International Marketing?
• World Trade Organization (WTO)
• What i s International Marketing Research?
• What is Exporting?
• What is Licensing?
• What is Franchising?
• What is Joint Venture?
• What is Turnkey Projects?
• What is Management Contracts?
• What is Foreign Direct Investment?
• Factors That Influence Entry Mode Choice In Foreign Markets
• What is Price Escalations?
• What is Transfer Pricing?
• Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC)
• What is Promotion Mix?
• Factors Affecting Promotion Mix
• Functions & Role Of Advertising
• What is Database Marketing?
• What is Advertising Budget?
• What is Advertising Agency?
• What is Market Intelligence?
• What is Industrial Marketing?
• What is Customer Value
• What is Consumer Behaviour?
• What Is Personality?
• What Is Perception?
• What Is Learning?
• What Is Attitude?
• What Is Motivation?
• Consumer Imagery
• Consumer Attitude Formation
• What Is Culture?
• Consumer Decision Making Process
• Applications of Consumer Behaviour in Marketing
• Motivational Research
• Theoretical Approaches to Study of Consumer Behaviour
• Consumer Involvement
• Consumer Lifestyle
• Theories of Personality
• Outlet Selection
• Organizational Buying Behaviour
• Reference Groups
• Consumer Protection Act, 1986
• Diffusion of Innovation
• Opinion Leaders
• What is Business Law?
• Indian Contract Act 1872
• Essential Elements of a Valid Contract
• Types of Contract
• What is Discharge of Contract?
• Performance of Contract
• Sales of Goods Act 1930
• Goods & Price: Contract of Sale
• Conditions and Warranties
• Doctrine of Caveat Emptor
• Transfer of Property
• Rights of Unpaid Seller
• Negotiable Instruments Act 1881
• Types of Negotiable Instruments
• Types of Endorsement
• What is Promissory Note?
• What is Cheque?
• What is Crossing of Cheque?
• What is Bill of Exchange?
• What is Offer?
• Limited Liability Partnership Act 2008
• Memorandum of Association
• Articles of Association
• What is Director?
• Trade Unions Act, 1926
• Industrial Disputes Act 1947
• Employee State Insurance Act 1948
• Payment of Wages Act 1936
• Payment of Bonus Act 1965
• Labour Law in India
• What is Brand Management?
• 4 Steps of Strategic Brand Management Process
• Customer Based Brand Equity
• What is Brand Equity?

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4 Ps of Effective Presentations

Effective presentations are an indispensable element of effective professional communication in today’s world.

A well-designed and well-delivered presentation can aid in transmitting ideas and messages more efficiently.  Effectively presented content facilitates the achievement of objectives and key results .

Effective compilation and delivery of presentations is a critical skill for most executives these days.  Doing so may generate quite a few benefits, both for the presenter and the audience.

The following 4 essential elements should be included in any effective presentation-making process.

The initial 3 elements—i.e. Plan, Prepare, and Practice—are interlinked and overlap in the process.  The Present element stands alone and is possible only after the initial 3 elements have been completed.

The first 3 elements can be structured in either parallel or sequential order.   The serial approach entails working on a single task until it is completed, then moving on to the next task, and so on.

A parallel approach consists of working on a number of tasks at the same time, accomplishing what can be achieved at a time.

Both methods work the same way, as long as the method used is in line with the following traits of the people who made it:

• Partialities

Let us delve a little deeper into the details of the 4 elements of presentation.

Planning a presentation requires careful consideration of multiple critical elements. These 7 dimensions of planning each play a vital role in crafting a compelling and effective presentation:

• Objectives : Clearly define the purpose and desired outcomes of the presentation to align with organizational goals.
• Audience : Analyze the background, knowledge level, and preferences of the audience to tailor the presentation for maximum engagement.
• Content : Develop relevant, concise, and impactful material that supports the presentation’s objectives and resonates with the audience.
• Organization : Structure the content logically and coherently to ensure a smooth flow and easy comprehension.
• Setting : Consider the physical and logistical aspects of the presentation environment to ensure a seamless delivery.
• Delivery : Focus on the presenter’s performance, including body language, voice modulation, and audience interaction, to effectively convey the message.
• Visuals : Use images, charts, and other visual aids to enhance understanding and retention without overwhelming the audience.

Clearly defined objectives set the stage for the presentation by aligning its purpose with the organization’s goals. Understanding the audience ensures that the content resonates and engages, while meticulously developed content supports these objectives with precision and relevance.

Structuring the content logically facilitates smooth delivery and comprehension, making it easier for the audience to follow and retain information. The setting of the presentation, encompassing factors like room size and equipment, must be optimized for a seamless experience. Effective delivery, highlighted by confident body language and dynamic interaction, captivates the audience and reinforces the message. Visuals, when used thoughtfully, enhance understanding and retention without distracting from the core message.

Each of these dimensions interlinks, forming a robust framework for planning and executing presentations that are not only impactful but also memorable.

By methodically addressing these dimensions, potential gaps and weaknesses in the presentation can be identified and rectified early in the planning process. This thorough preparation gives structure to the presentation, making it engaging and easy to follow. Additionally, planning ahead allows for rehearsing the delivery, boosting the presenter’s confidence and enhancing their ability to convincingly convey their message.

Per the PPT slide above, for even more information on presentation planning, refer to this framework on Storyboarding and Presentation Writing .

The most important aspect of the Preparing phase is the use of an effective slide structure.  Slides that are well-designed help to engage the audience and reinforce key messages.

The Consulting Presentation Framework—a slide structure that every top-tier management consulting firm follows, also used by FlevyPro —uses a structure in which every slide has 3 primary components:

Practicing a presentation is always a good idea, even if the presenter has already delivered it somewhere else.  A change of setting and audience, as well as the time lapse between presentations, brings up new challenges.

Practicing also has 2 aspects that need to be addressed:

• Rehearse – This is practicing the things you intend to do.
• Prehearse – This is practicing and planning for the things you might have to do.

Effective presentations are not only about having good content or a well-designed slide deck; the way information is presented can be just as important.  From body language and voice tone to pace and the use of visuals, everything about how the message is delivered can affect how the audience sees it.

Interested in learning more about 4 Ps of Effective Presentations?  You can download  an editable PowerPoint presentation on 4 Ps of Effective Presentations here  on the  Flevy documents marketplace .

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Presentation skills: plan, prepare, phrase, and project

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• Laura Brammar , careers adviser, C2 Careers
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In the third of her series on getting the dream job, Laura Brammar looks at giving an interview presentation

Many doctors have extensive experience of delivering presentations at conferences, during research projects, or to medical students during their training. Nevertheless, for many medical professionals having to deliver a presentation is still something they dread rather than relish. Equally, candidate presentations are becoming an established feature of selection and assessment for many roles within medicine.

Applicants may be asked to prepare and deliver a presentation as part of the interview process for anything from a salaried general practitioner post to a senior consultant post. For that reason alone, it’s vital to grasp the nettle and strengthen those presentation skills, which you can draw on throughout your medical career.

Break it down to just four P’s

To prepare most effectively for your presentation, you might find considering four main areas particularly useful: planning, preparation, phrasing, and projection.

Planning —A good presentation begins with the early stage of planning. Common complaints about ineffectual and dull presentations revolve around the apparent lack of structure shown by the presenter.

You will generally be given the topic of your presentation in advance. Topics vary, but they usually relate to your specialty—for example, “What do you see as the main current issues/future direction of this specialty?”—or link to contextual factors related to the role—“How, in your opinion, could the current system of X work more effectively?”

Think of the title as your research question or hypothesis and structure your presentation so that you answer that question directly. A simple but effective framework for any presentation is: tell them what you’re going to say, say it, and tell them what you’ve just said. Whether your presentation relates to the latest National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for your specialty or a business plan in response to a proposed polyclinic, this structure will help keep your audience engaged and your presentation within the time limit.

Indeed, timing is crucial when giving a presentation. Most candidates are overambitious about what can be squeezed into just five to ten minutes. Be realistic about what you can achieve in the time limit and plan your presentation accordingly. As a rule of thumb, less is almost always more and remember to build in time for questions at the end.

Preparation —Having a clear structure can give you a useful framework that underpins your presentation. In a similar way, using particular resources to support your point can be a good method to employ during a presentation.

While the use of PowerPoint is becoming increasingly popular, in these circumstances you need to check before slaving over your slides. Remember that you are the focus of the presentation, not the screen; avoid distracting animations and excessive detail. Even if PowerPoint is an option you still need to plan for technological meltdowns; bring hard copies and overhead slides as a back-up.

You may consider it worth while to produce a brief summarising handout of the main points. Aim to distribute this before you begin so that you can create a clear and confident start, rather than compete with the rustle of paper as you try to introduce yourself.

Phrasing —Many candidates get anxious about the fact that they may “um” and “er” during a presentation. The vast majority of people feel nervous when they are presenting. Accept that and remember that, to an extent, it is what your audience will expect; from the selectors’ perspective, a completely laidback candidate might appear unmotivated and flippant. So while you want to aim for a fluid and articulate delivery, it’s not the end of the world if you occasionally need to pause between sentences. Indeed pauses can be an excellent way of emphasising your points and retaining your audience’s attention.

Essentially, use your structure to help you—for example, “First, I’d like to talk about . . .; next, let’s look at . . . ; and, finally, in summary . . ..”Also, be aware of your pace and volume.

Projection —Many people associate the term “presentation skills” with aspects of non-verbal communication, such as gestures and facial expression. Even when you feel nervous there are ways successfully to convey confidence to your audience. The following suggestions will help you to show a positive and calm attitude, which in turn will help you to maintain control over your presentation.

Breathe—If you are particularly nervous before you start, take a few moments to slow down your breathing; it may help to think about balancing the length of your inhalation and exhalation and breathe deeply and evenly.

Share your eye contact—If feasible, make eye contact with all your audience throughout your presentation; if you are presenting to a large group, make sure you address both sides of the room during your session.

Take time to pause—Use pauses to illustrate the structure of your session. Brief pauses can also help you to slow down your delivery and maintain the focus of your audience.

Project your voice—Check that those at the back can hear you before you start. Maintain your volume throughout and aim at projecting your voice to the back of the room.

Own the space—If possible, try not to stay stuck to one spot for the duration of the presentation. Clearly, now isn’t the time to try out gestures that feel unnatural or forced. However, convey your confidence through the way you stand and emphasise your message through your body language.

Smile—Despite feeling anxious, displaying a smile can make you feel more relaxed. Even better, it also gives your audience confidence in you and in your message.

Awkward audience moments

While you may have organised thoroughly your planning, preparation, phrasing, and projection, the one area you cannot control or necessarily predict is your audience’s reactions. Many people find the thought of their audience’s responses, especially during the question and answer session, far more terrifying than the presentation itself.

Here are a few suggestions for how to deal with some common difficult situations.

Random interruptions —If someone asks a question in the middle of your presentation, make a decision whether it would be appropriate to deal with it now or later. Don’t be forced to change your structure unless you believe it is really necessary. Acknowledge the question and reassure the person that there will be opportunities to discuss that later. Equally, if it is an unrelated or irrelevant question remember to acknowledge it but make it clear that such a topic isn’t going to be dealt with explicitly on this occasion. You can always offer to research that question for them at a later opportunity.

Audience looks bored —Many people feel they are poor presenters because their audiences can look distracted or even bored. The key thing here is to ask yourself if they are actually bored or whether they are just presenting you with a professional and impartial expression. In your clinical work you need to be able to focus on a task and not be distracted by personal emotional considerations or anxieties; this is no different. Treat the presentation as a professional exercise and move on.

Someone isn’t listening and is talking to someone nearby —Depending on your audience (senior consultants or medical students, for example) you may want to vary your specific response to this. However, a good technique with any audience is to pause in your delivery, look at the culprits while smiling, and wait for their attention before you start again. This is an effective (and non-aggressive) way of acknowledging that they are distracting both you and the rest of the group. That is usually all it takes to get their full attention. However, if they are persistent offenders maintain your professionalism and carry on regardless.

Questions you can’t answer —Sometimes the dread of the questions at the end of a presentation can overshadow the whole experience. Avoid this by framing your question and answer session with a reassurance that you’ll do your best to deal with any questions now and will guarantee to follow up any additional questions after the session. If you are asked a reasonable question which you genuinely can’t answer you may want to try the following:

Acknowledge that it’s a valid question

Invite any suggestions from the audience first

Admit that you can’t give a full answer at this moment; don’t bluff an answer

Offer to follow up a response and email the person later.

Remember that part of good medical practice is to know your limits and work within the parameters of your knowledge; it sounds far more confident and impressive to admit you can’t answer a question fully at this moment, rather than try to cobble together a poor answer and pretend you know.

Want to practise in a supportive environment?

The BMA Careers Service works with many individual medics who wish to improve their presentation skills through a tailormade practice presentation service. A bespoke practice presentation session, based on your actual material, can be excellent preparation for the real thing. During the session you can rehearse your presentation fully, practise answering focused questions, and gain immediate and constructive one to one feedback on your overall performance ( www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/Hubcareersadvicefordoctors ).

Competing interests : None declared.

The Four Ps of a Perfect Presentation

If you have a presentation or a proposal to share, then you will want to make sure it’s polished and practiced to perfection. You may have only One Chance to make a great impression! So here are four things I do every time a presentation is approaching.

The Four Ps of Presentations:

• Prepare: I don’t need a word-by-word script; I do need to have a well-prepared presentation. My presentation is a story – it must have a start, beginning and an end, as well as having a purpose . I plan out the structure first, and ensure I work back from the ultimate goal, so that everything in the presentation leads up to that.
• Practice: I need to practice. And practice. And practice. And practice. (Practice until it hurts!) You know, the most ardent and experience presenters still practice. It’s why they’re so good at it! I don’t practice until I know every word I want to say (in fact this is something I avoid so the presentation doesn’t sound too staged) But I make sure that I read my presentations out loud a number of times to develop effective inflections in my voice and a good rhythm.
• Pronounce: To get my points across effectively, I need to speak very clearly. This can make or break my presentations. If I mumble or stutter (normally brought on because I am not well prepared or practiced) then I’ll lose the interest of my audience. I project my voice, speak slower (than in normal conversation) and fully pronounce every letter of every word.
• Participate: The more I engage my audience, the more my presentation is memorable, and more to the point, the less I feel nervous. Participation has a remarkable impact; it helps my audience become part of the presentation and it also removes the invisible barrier between myself and the audience, so it feels less like a performance and more like a discussion.

I could add a fifth one – Planning , which is also crucial for me. When I have a presentation coming up, it’s essential that I plan my time to ensure I prepare and practice.

What would be YOUR fifth? If you have another tactic that should be in this list (and it doesn’t have to begin with P!) then leave a comment below and share your thoughts!

Good Luck in your own presentations!

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4 Ps of Presentation: Deliver a Perfect Speech Henceforth

Choose your goal below:

Public speaking is often ranked among the topmost phobias but it is a very important skill to master.

Think about it, the people who are considered the smartest and most influential are those eloquent.

Look at someone like the former USA President, Barack Obama. One of the main things he is remembered for is his perfect public speaking skills.

Oratory skills development is something you should consider if you want to deliver an effective presentation. To start you off, let me introduce you to one of the presentation techniques; the use of the 4 Ps.

What are the 4 P’s of presentation?’

These are four letters each starting will the letter P, hence, 4 Ps. Each of these represents;

Preparation

Performance

Each P has a specific function as you do your training for public speaking but they all need to be harmonized together to create perfection.

You want to deliver a speech that is going to leave your audience in awe. So, how will these 4 P’s help you do this?

Functions of 4 P’s in Your Presentation

This is the most important of all the 4 Ps. How you execute your planning will determine how the rest will flow.

You need to on the amount of time you need to put into your preparation, how you are going to practice and what type of performance you are going to give.

For easier remembrance, write all your plans down somewhere and follow each step accordingly moving forward.

Ever heard of the phrase, ‘you are not my audience’?

This is brought on by delivering a wrong speech or presentation to the wrong audience.

To prepare for your presentation, you need to first understand your audience. How many are they? What is their need? What is your audience’s age?

Knowing all these will help you prepare for the most appropriate message to pass along. Master your topic as well so that you will be able to give a flowing speech.

I do not think there is anything that has ever been done to perfection without practice. Once you have prepared for your presentation, practice it as many times as you can.

You can even ask your friends to act as your audience and afterward give you constructive criticism. This will help you improve on the areas you might be lacking out.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that your performance is the only way to bring out everything you have prepared for effectively.

A good performance engages the audience, is real, and reacts to relevant issues. If your performance fulfills all these, be certain that it will be an amazing presentation.

Do you see how essential these 4 Ps are to your presentation? Be keen on each of them and ensure there is consistency. If you doubt your ability to train yourself, you can join a public speaking class and acquire perfect speaking skills.

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By James A. Baker  Founder Baker Communications

To design and deliver an effective presentation, it is not enough to stand up and reel off a series of facts and figures. You probably already have a good understanding of your subject and a general idea of what you want to say about it, but will this be sufficient to transmit the same understanding to your audience?

Learning about the eight P’s of effective presentations will help you to more effectively design and deliver your message. Four of the P’s come before the presentation, and four are applied during the presentation itself.

The Four Pre-Presentation P’s

1. Preparation The first step in preparing a presentation is thinking about the needs of your audience. Do you know who you will be talking to and what they care about? This will actually affect how your audience listens, and should influence what information you include and how you deliver it.

When preparing for your presentation, ask yourself who you will be speaking to. What are they interested in? How do you know? How is your topic relevant to the audience’s concerns? What kind of attitudes, positive or negative, are audience members likely to have toward your presentation? What are your main talking points, the information you really want them to remember? What do you want the audience to do after hearing your presentation?

2. Planning Planning your presentation is important. You must know what the important points and conclusions of your presentation are, and build your talk around that structure. Listeners can easily lose the flow of a presentation jam-packed with raw data. The best structure tends to include an introduction, an elaborative body, and a conclusion, following the old adage, “Tell them what you’re going to tell them; then tell them; then tell them what you told them.” This approach is necessary because most people typically retain less than 50% of what they hear. Repetition and visual reinforcement help a great deal with retention.

There are other aspects to planning a presentation, and it may prove useful to ask the following questions:

Why: What is the objective or purpose of the presentation? Who: Who needs to be present? When: What date and time? How long should it last? Where: Should it be on-site or off-site? What is the best location? How: Logistical questions such as room size, seating, supplies and equipment, meals, etc.

3. PowerPoint (or other slide presentation or visual aids) Many presentations include visual aids, often a slideshow which runs along with the presentation. Plan your slides to run parallel with what you are saying and either summarize or illustrate your points. Number the slides and make sure that they are set up to show in the same order you plan to present the information. Remember that the slideshow is there to support you, not the other way around.

4. Practice You can have a beautifully prepared talk and masterfully crafted slideshow, and everything can still fall flat if you haven’t practiced. Practice at home, alone, in front of a mirror, in front of a video camera, in front of your family. Watch and listen to recordings of yourself. Watch your facial expressions and the way your mouth moves. Get feedback from others. Run through it until you can do your presentation in your sleep. Then you just might be ready to do it in public!

The Four P’s of Public Speaking The next four P’s are the keys to effective and compelling oral delivery: Projection, Pace, Pitch, and Pauses . By skillfully controlling and varying your voice, you can attract and hold interest, combat monotony, add emphasis, clarify meaning, and convey enthusiasm and conviction.

5. Projection Most people do not speak with sufficient volume when presenting.  Keep your speech volume loud enough to be easily heard throughout the room, but without shouting or straining. Breathing from your diaphragm will help you achieve this without becoming breathless. Additional volume can be used for emphasis and emotional impact.

6. Pacing Slowing down the speed of your speaking can emphasize key points or help build drama. Occasionally speeding up can help relieve monotony and create excitement. Pace can also make key words or phrases seem bigger or smaller, less or more important.

7. Pitch Control your pitch to ensure your voice is not strident or nasal. Raising or lowering your tone of voice can change the emotional mood of the presentation.

Pause before and on important points, both for emphasis and to give the audience time to understand and absorb them.

By varying your vocal volume, inflection, and pacing, and by skillfully using pauses, you can avoid a dull, monotone delivery. Remember that you must convey emotion to keep your audience’s attention. If your presentation lacks passion, conviction, enthusiasm or energy, your audience will become bored and tune you out. They can’t be expected to take interest in anything you don’t seem to have interest in yourself!

Baker Communications offers leading edge presentation and public speaking training solutions that will help you address the goals and achieve the outcomes addressed in this article. For more information about how your organization can achieve immediate and lasting behavior change that will help your team members or executives quickly connect with their audience, build credibility, and persuade listeners to take action click here .

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12 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills [for Work & Life]

According to research by the National Institute of Mental Health, around 75% of people list public speaking as their number one fear , even higher than their fear of death! 

At the same time, though, presentation skills are among the most in-demand skills for just about any job out there . 

Want to get over your fear of public speaking, improve your presentation skills, and give your career a huge boost?

You’re in the right place! This article is here to tell you everything you need to know about presentation skills from A to Z: 

• 9 Types of Presentations and Delivery Methods
• 12 Steps to Giving Better Presentations
• 5 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills

How to Add Your Presentation Skills to Your Resume

And more! Let’s dive in. 

What Are Presentation Skills?

Presentation skills are soft skills that allow you to present information clearly in front of an audience.

As such, these skills come in handy in all kinds of situations, including:

• Work. For example, giving a presentation in front of your team, pitching a new idea, etc.
• School or university. E.g., giving an oral presentation about a subject or presenting a master's thesis.
• Personal life. E.g. giving a speech at your best friend’s wedding or a toast at a restaurant.

No matter the situation, people with strong presentation skills typically possess the following skills:

• Body language
• Public speaking
• Communication skills
• Emotional intelligence

Why Are Presentation Skills Important?

But, what exactly makes presentation skills so important in basically every life area? 

Here are their most noteworthy benefits: 

• Increased employability. Presentation skills come in handy for many positions across all industries. 70% of respondents in a Prezi study said that presentation skills are critical for career success. As such, presentation skills are transferable skills that can instantly make you more employable.
• Higher academic performance. In the US, most university classes involve a presentation assignment or two. As such, being good at presenting is essential if you want to succeed academically.
• Effective networking. Having great presentation skills translates into great communication skills, which, in turn, helps you get better at professional networking .
• Improved confidence. Being able to speak in front of an audience can be a serious confidence booster, easily translating to other areas in life.

9 Types of Presentation and Delivery Methods

There are several types of presentations out there. 

Some presentations are meant to inspire the audience (such as motivational talks), while others are simply meant to instruct or inform (HR giving a presentation about company policies to new employees). 

Here are the five most common types of presentations, explained: 

• Persuasive presentations are meant to persuade the audience to make a decision, support a cause, side with a particular argument, and so on. A salesman pitching a product to a potential customer is an example of a persuasive presentation.
• Informative presentations aim to inform the audience about a topic, procedure, product, benefit, etc. An example of an informative presentation is a weatherman reading the weather report on TV.
• Inspirational presentations are meant to inspire the audience and potentially boost their confidence or morale. In a business setting, inspirational presentations are meant to motivate employees to perform better or get through tough times. In day-to-day life, on the other hand, an inspirational presentation could be trying to motivate a friend to do better at school.
• Educational presentations , just like the name implies, aim to educate the audience. Professors giving a lecture or tour guides speaking to museum visitors are examples of educational presentations.
• Instructional presentations are about instructing or guiding the audience on a set of guidelines, a new policy, a certain law, etc. An example of an instructional presentation is a flight attendant instructing passengers on what to do in case of an emergency.

On the same note, there are also 4 common ways presentations are delivered: 

• Extemporaneous presentations. These presentations are planned, but you deliver them without preparation.
• Manuscript presentations are presentations you deliver based on a script or notes.
• Impromptu presentations aren’t planned but rather delivered on the spot.
• Memorized presentations are those you learn by heart from start to finish.

11 Tips on How to Give Better Presentations

Looking to improve your presentation skills?

There’s good news and bad news.

The good news is that, with enough practice, you can get really good at delivering presentations.

The bad news, though, is that just like any other soft skill, in order to get good at delivering presentations, you’ll have to practice a lot.

To help get you started, below, we’re going to cover 12 of our best tips on how to improve your presentation skills, starting with:

#1. Prepare your presentation in advance

Impromptu presentations don’t happen that often in real life. Most times, you’ll have enough time to prepare for your presentation. 

Needless to say, you should use that time to your advantage. Don’t just make mental notes of what you’ll say during your presentation and call it a day, but actually plan it out from start to finish. 

When preparing your presentation in advance, make sure to consider the following points:

• What type of presentation are you making?
• What is your speech delivery method?
• How are you going to grab the audience’s attention from the get-go?
• What are the main points you need to cover?
• What is the best way to make the conclusion memorable?
• How much time do you have at your disposal?
• What visual aids and multimedia can you use?
• What does the audience expect to see/hear?

#2. Practice as much as possible

Just like with any other soft skill, the best way to hone your presentation skills is to practice as much as possible.

Some ways you can practice your presentation skills are:

• In front of a mirror or in front of your friends and family.
• Watch TED talks to get inspired and learn what good presentation skills look like.
• Read books on communication, presentation, and public speaking.
• Take extensive notes of what you need to improve. 
• Record and time yourself when doing presentations.
• Hire a public speaking coach on Fiverr or another platform.
• Take a public speaking course at your local community college.

The more you practice, the better your presentation skills are going to get.

Also, when practicing, make sure to pay attention to your tonality, body language, and whether you’re using a lot of crutch words .

#3. Exercise

Yes, really.

Exercise can help improve your presentation skills!

Some ways it does so are:

• It boosts the levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline, all of which are known to improve your mood and regulate your anxiety. 
• It improves your ability to focus and pay attention, benefits which can last for up to two hours after your workout .
• It strengthens and protects your memory, making it easy to recall words. 

Now, when it comes to how much you should exercise, that can differ from one person to the next.

We say - find a golden mean that works best for you. If you’re not big on exercising, you can always start small with something casual like biking to work or playing a sport once or twice a week. 

#4. Arrive early

By arriving early for your presentation, you can deal with any possible setbacks (e.g. mic not working, USB failure, wardrobe malfunction, etc). 

This will give you plenty of time to start your presentation on your terms, instead of running around trying to fix things at the last minute. 

Not to mention, in certain situations arriving early can also help you to prepare mentally and emotionally for the upcoming presentation. 

Obviously, a casual presentation in front of coworkers won’t require much emotional preparation. But if you have to, say, pitch a marketing idea to your clients or address a room full of strangers, getting to exchange some words with them before the presentation could break the ice and make it easier to engage with them later on. 

#5. Know your audience

You should always keep your audience in mind when making (and delivering) a presentation. 

At the end of the day, if your message is not tailored to its audience, chances are, it’s going to fall flat.

If your audience is a group of 50-somethings, high-level executives, chances are they won’t get your Rick and Morty references or appreciate any attempts to keep the presentation light, casual, and humorous. 

Instead, stick to talking about facts and figures without any joking around, use straightforward language, and avoid over-the-top body language while delivering the presentation. 

If on the other hand, you’re delivering a presentation to your class of 20-somethings, then you’re a lot more likely to make an impact if you joke around, make references, and make the presentation more casual.

In short, if you want your presentation to carry as much impact as possible, make sure to think about who you’re presenting to. 

#6. Use Relaxation Techniques

Even the most seasoned public speakers experience some level of anxiety before giving a presentation.

To make sure nerves and anxiety don’t throw you off your A-game, you can take advantage of relaxation techniques. 

One of the simplest (and most effective) ways to relax before a presentation is to breathe.  

When we say breathing, though, we don’t mean the automatic in-and-out we do to stay alive. We mean taking deep, relaxing breaths from your stomach while being mindful of what you’re doing. 

Here’s how breathing mindfully before your presentation can help you give a better presentation: 

• Calms your nerves
• Reduces stress 
• Helps with anxiety 

To practice mindful breathing, focus on breathing from your stomach and push your stomach out each time you inhale. When you’re inhaling and exhaling, count to at least three for each breath. 

Keep doing this and you’ll soon start feeling more relaxed. 

#7. Acknowledge That You’re Nervous

People appreciate honesty. 

If you go on stage feeling extremely nervous, use this neat little trick:

Instead of trying to play it cool, simply acknowledge that you’re feeling nervous by straight-up saying it.

Chances are, a very large chunk of your audience feels exactly the same way about public speaking, and you’ll build up some rapport just like that!

This same exact tip even applies to job interviews. You can simply tell the recruiters that you’re feeling nervous and need a minute - that’s totally acceptable!

Unless you’re applying for a job in sales, the job interviewer is not going to be evaluating you on how good you are at passing interviews.

#8. Tell stories

Storytelling is a powerful presentation tool. According to the Guardian, 63% of presentation attendees remember stories , while only 5% remember statistics.

That’s because a good story can take the audience on a journey, intrigue them, inspire them, and motivate them. In turn, they’re much more likely to remember your presentation.

There are several ways you can go about incorporating stories into your presentation. 

One is to tie your own stories, along with what you experienced, learned, or observed, to make your argument more impactful and relatable. Alternatively, you can also create a story for the sake of the presentation that can be just as impactful in driving your point across. 

Keep in mind, though, that not every presentation requires storytelling. If your presentation is packed with data and stats showing how you managed to improve profits by 20% in the last quarter, for example, then you don’t really need to include a story in there to make it impactful. 

#9. Be humorous

This one’s quite self-explanatory; as much as you can, be humorous during your presentation. It helps ease tension, get the attention of everyone in the room, and connect with them more effectively. 

Now, some people are born with humor. If you’re one of them, cracking a joke here and there should come very naturally to you. 

Otherwise, you can practice your presentation in front of your friends and family and prepare your jokes in advance. If your mock audience laughs at your jokes, chances are, so will your real audience!

#10. Use visual aids and media

Using visuals and other media forms (e.g. music, videos, infographics, etc.), can make your presentation significantly more engaging, memorable, and striking. 

Say, for example, that your presentation consists entirely of numbers and data. You can use data visualization (e.g. charts, graphs, and maps), to make the data stick with your audience better. 

Or, if you’re a lecturer at a university, you’ll want to use as many pictures, videos, and even music to help your students remember the information you’re transmitting. 

Some of the most popular ways to make your presentations as visual as possible involve using:

• Whiteboards
• Presentation applications 

#11. Engage the audience

To give a truly memorable presentation, engage your audience as much as possible. 

Instead of speaking to your audience, try to speak with your audience.

What we mean by this is that you should be very proactive in getting your audience involved in your presentation. Ask questions, get them to share stories, and so on. 

Some examples of how you can effectively engage an audience are: 

• Asking a random audience member to share their experience on a topic.
• Doing a count of hands (e.g. “Has anyone done X? Can I see a count of hands?” or “Which one of you guys likes Y? Raise your hands.” )
• Do an on-the-spot poll (e.g. “How many of you guys do X?” or “how many of you guys think Y?” )
• Making time for a Q&A at the end of your presentation. 

6 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills

Just like any other skill, presentation skills can be learned and improved. So, if you’re looking to improve your presentation skills, follow the tips below: 

• Take every public speaking opportunity you get. The best way to learn presentation skills is by doing it. So, take every opportunity you get. E.g. volunteer to present a project, say a toast at your friend's wedding, etc.
• Check these TED talks. Is there anything TED talks haven’t covered? Check out these talks that can teach you how to give awesome presentations: “ Giving Presentations Worth Listening To ”, “ the secret structure of great talks ,” and “ the science of stage fright (and how to overcome it) ”. 
• Take public speaking classes. Udemy, Coursera, and LinkedIn all have great public speaking courses. Or, even better, take a class at your local college. This way, you’ll get a lot more practice than by taking an online class. 
• Attend other presentations. This one’s pretty self-explanatory. The more presentations you attend, the more you can learn from others’ successes or failures. 
• Grow your confidence. Speak in front of friends and family, film yourself, and accept constructive criticism. Soon enough, you’ll be confident enough to give excellent presentations!
• Ask for feedback. How can you improve your presentation skills if you don’t know where you’re lacking? After your presentation, ask one or two members of your audience for personal, one-on-one feedback on how you did. 

If you want to show a potential employer that you’ve got presentation skills, you’ll need to highlight them on your resume.

And in this section, we’ll teach you just how to do that!

Before you do that, though, make sure to grab one of our free resume templates!

#1. List Your Presentation Skills Under Your Soft Skills 

The first and most obvious place to list your presentation skills is under your skills section . 

This part is pretty straightforward. Your skills section should be divided into “soft skills” and “hard skills” and look something like this: 

Simply add “Presentation Skills” under the “Soft Skills” section, and you’re good to go.

#2. Mention Your Presentation Skills in Your Resume Summary 

If presentation skills are super important for the role you’re applying for, you can also include them in your resume summary : 

In a nutshell, the resume summary is a short paragraph on top of your resume that typically mentions: 

• Your title and years of experience 
• Your most noteworthy achievements
• Your top skills and qualifications

Done right, this section should highlight all your strong points right from the get-go and get the hiring manager to go through the rest of your resume in more detail. 

Here’s an example of a resume summary that effectively mentions the candidate’s presentation skills: 

• Sales professional with 7 years of experience in sales presentations and lead generation. Excellent public speaking skills. Track record of converting prospects into loyal customers.

#3. Prove Presentation Skills Through Your Work Experience 

Lastly (and most importantly), you should use your work experience section to prove that you’ve got the presentation skills you mentioned in your skills section.

Here’s exactly how you can do that: 

• Keep your work experience section relevant. List recent and relevant positions. Omit outdated and irrelevant ones. For example, if you’re applying for a customer service position, you can mention the time you worked, say, as a receptionist. Your teen job mowing lawns, on the other hand? Not as important. 
• Focus on achievements instead of responsibilities. Instead of telling the hiring manager what they already know (your responsibilities), focus on showing them how you made an impact with your achievements. A way to do that is to write down a couple of achievements for every presentation skill that you include under your soft skills. 
• Make your achievements quantifiable . Adding numbers to your achievements makes them significantly more impressive. “Delivered a presentation that closed a 6-figure client” is a lot more powerful than “Delivered client presentations,” right?
• Use action verbs and power words. Presentation skills are also about how you present yourself in your resume. Avoid dry and unimaginative language and go for these action verbs and power words instead.

Key Takeaways 

And that’s about all you need to know to improve your presentation skills!

Before you go, though, here’s a quick recap of everything we covered in this article:

• Presentation skills are soft skills that allow you to present information clearly and convey your message effectively. 
• Some important presentation skills include public speaking, communication, persuasion, creativity, humor, and emotional intelligence. 
• Presentation skills can increase your employability, improve your academic performance, make it easier to network, and help you grow professionally. 
• Some steps you can take to give better presentations are to prepare in advance, practice as much as possible, exercise regularly, be humorous, use visual aids and multimedia, engage the audience, and accept that you’re nervous. 
• To improve your presentation skills, watch videos that teach you how to give great presentations, attend public speaking classes and other presentations, and grow your confidence. 
• List your presentation skills under your skills section, mention them in your resume summary, and prove them with your achievements in the work experience section.

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This question is about presentation skills .

What are the four P's of presentation?

The four P's of presentation are Planning, Preparation, Practice, and Performance. As the four P's imply, you need to plan and prepare your presentation, as well as practice. Finally, you need to be aware of your performance during your presentation to make sure you use your skills in an engaging manner.

Planning This step involves clearly defining your objectives, understanding your audience's needs and expectations, and structuring your message to achieve your goals. This phase also includes deciding on the format, technology, or tools you will use for your presentation.

Preparation. This stage requires you to gather all the necessary resources and materials you'll need for your presentation. It's about developing your content, creating visuals, and making sure everything aligns with your outlined plan. You might need to conduct research, design slides or props, or write a script during this phase.

Practice. A critical step to ensure smooth delivery of your presentation. It involves rehearsing your speech frequently until you feel comfortable with it. Practicing allows you to refine timing, tone, gestures, and other non-verbal communication cues. You may also identify potential questions and prepare responses in advance.

Performance. This relates to the actual delivery of your presentation. Being aware of how you present yourself is crucial - your posture, voice modulation, eye contact, and interaction with the audience can greatly influence how well your message is received. A successful performance also requires flexibility and adaptability in case of unexpected issues or questions.

These four P's of presentation are pivotal to delivering an engaging and effective presentation that resonates with your audience.

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