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14 effective presentation tips to impress your audience

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Anete Ezera July 15, 2022

An effective presentation can communicate key ideas and opinions, save time, and contribute to your overall success as a business, but good presentation skills don’t come naturally to everyone. In this blog post, you’ll find 14 effective presentation tips you can implement in your next presentation to make it a success. 

Whether you’re preparing for an important presentation at work or school, or you’re looking for ways to generally improve your presentation skills, you’ll find these presentation tips useful. We’ve gathered a list to help you impress your audience from the get-go. You’ll find tips for creating and presenting your slides, talking in front of an audience, and other effective presentation techniques to help you stand out. 

Most common presentation mistakes

Before we list our top effective presentation tips, let’s explore the most common presentation mistakes. If you’ve made one or more mistakes in this list, you’re not alone. Most people have made at least one mistake. However, what’s important is to be aware of these errors and try avoiding them next time.

#1 A poor start

One of the most common mistakes people make is undermining the importance of the first few minutes or seconds of their presentation. 

Let’s say you’ve practiced your key talking points meticulously and gone over your slides a million times, but when you’re in the spotlight and need to say your first line, do you know exactly what to say to wow the audience? 

The start of your presentation is crucial. Not only because how you start sets the tone for the rest of your presentation, but also because people generally require around 8 seconds to decide whether they find the subject interesting enough to keep listening. Starting your presentation with a captivating intro is even more important than you think. To ensure you start off right, read our guide on how to start your presentation . 

#2 Lack of preparation

Yes, even though it’s clear that you should prepare before giving a presentation, it’s still a common mistake amongst presenters. Preparing content and talking points is an obvious start, but there are other steps that you might be overlooking.

Before you even join a meeting or walk into a room where you’re going to present, consider the technical requirements and get familiar with the equipment. If you’re presenting online, make sure to test-run your presentation and the visual aids you’re going to use. The last thing you want is a broken video link, poor audio, or a weak connection when you’re presenting. 

Also, consider the questions your audience might want to ask you about the topic. Think about how you’d answer those questions, or do even further research to really impress the audience with your answers. 

Explore other ways to prepare for a presentation to feel even more confident when presenting.

#3 Losing track of time

It’s great to feel passionate about your topic. However, you’ll have to consider your audience’s level of interest and knowledge. Some details might seem fascinating to you, and you’d like to talk about them for hours, but for your audience, too much information will drain their energy and lose their attention. 

Therefore, make sure to keep track of time. Also, consider your audience’s interests. A concise presentation is always better than a long one with a ton of information. Plus, you’ll have a higher chance of keeping your audience’s attention throughout the presentation. 

Effective presentation tips

Now that we’ve looked at some of the most common presentation mistakes – let’s dive into effective presentation tips that’ll help you excel in future presentations. 

#1 Tell a story

Stories connect, inspire, and empower people. Telling a story can entice action, help understand an idea, and make people feel connected to the storyteller. It’s also one of the most effective presentation tips. A study by organizational psychologist Peg Neuhauser found that a well-told story is easier to remember than facts, which makes it a highly effective learning technique. 

With that in mind, telling a story when you’re presenting can engage your audience and make it a more memorable experience. You can either share a personal story or a historical event, just make sure to have a clear connection between the story and the topic you’re presenting. 

#2 Work on your body language

Body language can make a huge difference in how your presentation is perceived. It’s one of the presentation tips you definitely shouldn’t overlook. 

Body language says a lot about a person’s confidence level, emotions, state of mind, and even credibility. For the audience, it’s a way to understand what the person is saying and how interested they are in the topic. 

Therefore, work on your body language to better convey the message you’re trying to communicate. Practice in front of a mirror before your presentation and be conscious of your hand gestures and facial expressions. 

#3 Understand your audience

Before crafting your presentation, you must know who you’re speaking to. Understanding the interests, demographics, professional background, and other valuable information of your audience is crucial in making your speech successful. 

If you’re speaking at an event, contact the organizers to get more information about other speakers and the audience. If you’re presenting at work, you may already know your audience fairly well. Use this information to your advantage and create content you know they’ll resonate with.

#4 Use high-quality visuals

What’s one of the most effective presentation techniques? Use of visuals. They play a crucial role in your presentation. However, only high-quality visuals will make a good impression and effectively communicate your message. Use high-quality visuals like images, videos, graphs, maps, and others to really land your point. 

Using visuals is a great way to convey your ideas as they’re easier to process than text. If you’re not sure where to find great visuals, check out our blog post on presentation visuals for five free resources.

P.S. the Prezi library holds a variety of images, videos, GIFs, stickers, and other visuals, including different charts and maps to spice up your presentation. It’s all available in your dashboard .

#5 Use data visualizations

Do you want to showcase statistics or other datasets in your presentation? Use data visualizations to make your data stand out and impress your audience. 

There’s nothing more boring than a bunch of data presented in a flat way. If you want to tell a story with your data, use interactive infographics or slides enriched with eye-catching visuals. Showcasing data will make your ideas appear more trustworthy and credible. 

Prezi Design offers a range of templates to choose from. You can start creating data visualizations from scratch or choose a template and edit the data there. 

#6 Make it engaging with interactive elements

It’s not easy to deliver an engaging presentation. People can easily get distracted or try to multitask, especially in the virtual environment. Sometimes, it’s difficult to focus on the speaker and the written text. Other times, the content just isn’t impressive enough to hold the audience’s attention. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

You can make your presentation more engaging for everyone by including interactive content like graphs and charts. With interactive data visualizations, you’ll make the data discovery process more engaging and exciting for your audience. 

Your audience will be able to hover over data points and click on certain icons or datasets to discover information on their own. Interactive visualizations will make the presentation more memorable and impressive. 

As you can see in the example below, you can discover different data by engaging with the infographic. 

#7 Stay consistent with fonts and color styles

You want your presentation to look visually appealing and highlight essential information. To make that happen, stay consistent with font styles and color schemes throughout your presentation. 

Use one or two fonts max to make the text easy to read and understand. Also, use a carefully selected color scheme that’s not too distracting. If you’re using Prezi Design, you can easily copy and paste styles by right-clicking on your data visualizations and selecting “copy styles.” This makes it easier to stay consistent and saves time when picking matching colors. 

#8 Structure your presentation properly

Before creating your presentation, think about its structure. What’s the main idea you want to convey? Use that as your starting point, and only include information that adds value to the narrative. 

Plan out the first topics carefully to properly introduce your argument. Add the essential information in the middle part of your presentation. Lastly, close your presentation with a summary of the main points and leave your audience with an afterthought. Also, plan when you’re taking questions and for how long. 

For more insight, watch this tutorial on how to structure your presentation:

#9 Practice your public speaking skills

Public speaking may not be your forte, but you can get better with practice. Don’t decline a great opportunity to share your ideas with a larger audience just because you feel nervous speaking in front of a group of people. 

One of the best ways to improve your public speaking skills is to practice in front of your family or friends – people you feel comfortable with. Also, focus on the topic you’re presenting and get excited about the idea you want to convey. This way you’ll appear more confident and feel less nervous about public speaking. 

Explore other public speaking tips from Jessica Chen, the founder, and CEO of Soulcast Media: 

#10 Show your slides next to you on-screen

If you’re presenting on Zoom or in a virtual meeting , think twice before you share your screen. The days of hiding behind slides are over. People want to see and connect with other people, not sit through another run-of-the-mill screen share. To do that, use Prezi Video to showcase all your content right next to you in your video feed. 

As a result, your presentation will look more engaging than a traditional virtual presentation . Also, your audience will have the chance to read your body language and follow along with what you’re saying even better. 

If you already have your slides prepared, don’t worry – you can easily integrate them into Prezi. 

See Prezi Video in action and check out our video templates to get started.

#11 Calm down before presenting

Being in front of an audience can feel nerve-racking. However, there are ways to calm down before presenting that will make you feel more centered and confident. The last thing you want is all your hard work to go to waste just because of stress. 

Try breathing exercises or a five-minute guided meditation before presenting. The trick is to remove all distractions and focus on the present moment so you’re not overthinking right before starting your presentation. Also, be fully prepared and know exactly what to say and when which will help you feel more collected. If you want to discover other ways to feel and look more confident, read how not to be nervous before a presentation . 

#12 Use transitions and animations 

Add movement to your slides with transitions and animations. You’ll make your presentation more visually appealing and engaging. However, be careful not to overwhelm your audience with your choice of transitions and animations. 

Choose a transition that matches your presentation visually and use it throughout your presentation. Consider what animations will be relevant to your audience and select a few to add to your slides. Don’t overdo it. Keep the focus on the message you’re trying to convey, and use animations to only support that message. 

#13 Be enthusiastic 

When you’re in a room with a positive and enthusiastic person, you can’t help but feel uplifted as well. High-energy people have this effect on others. Most importantly, a lot of people tend to mimic people’s behavior and mirror their energy when they feel a connection or relate to them. That’s called the chameleon effect . 

When you’re presenting, you want your audience to feel curious about what you’re presenting. You may also want to leave your audience feeling uplifted, interested to know more, or inspired. To have that effect on others, try to convey those emotions when presenting. Practice your speech, slow down your narration at times, or take a pause after you’ve delivered a statement, and use different presentation techniques to present your project and really drive your points home. 

#14 End your presentation in a memorable way

The first few minutes of your presentation are crucial for captivating your audience’s attention. However, don’t underestimate the importance of ending your presentation as powerfully as you started it. 

The way you end your presentation will play a crucial part in how your audience will remember it. You want to make a memorable impression by closing your presentation with a summarizing statement, a rhetorical question, a call to action, or another impactful way. Discover 10 ways you can end your presentation in our guide.  

There are a lot of factors to consider when creating and delivering a presentation. You want your slides to look professional and visually appealing while conveying your main points. You also want to look and sound confident even if you’re nervous about public speaking. Whatever your concerns may be, remember that preparation is essential. Practice and dedication are the keys to giving a successful presentation . Make sure to follow these effective presentation tips to excel in your future presentations. If you’re interested in creating a captivating presentation with Prezi, contact us to learn more or try it for free . 

Elevating presentations with Prezi AI

Embrace the innovation of Prezi to bring your presentations to life. With its unique platform, Prezi AI offers more than just visually appealing templates; it provides an immersive narrative experience, engaging your audience with a story-driven approach. By integrating Prezi AI , our platform’s capabilities are further enhanced, offering intelligent design suggestions and optimizing content layouts to ensure your presentations are not only beautiful but impactful. This integration is a perfect example of effective presentation techniques in action, using technology to create a more engaging presentation.

Interactive elements: transforming passive listening into active engagement

Prezi revolutionizes the way information is presented by incorporating interactive elements that invite audience participation. With Prezi AI, these features become even more accessible, suggesting ways to make your presentation more engaging through clickable areas, zoomable images, and dynamic visualizations. This level of interaction encourages exploration, making your message more memorable and transforming a standard presentation into an effective presentation.

Adding a personal touch in digital presentation with video

Prezi Video stands out by seamlessly integrating your content alongside your video feed, bridging the gap between traditional presentations and personal engagement. This feature is crucial for those looking to follow presentation tips that emphasize the importance of connecting with your audience on a more personal level. Prezi AI enhances this experience, ensuring your content is displayed in the most effective way possible, making your virtual presentations feel as though you’re directly conversing with your audience.

Mastering presentation artistry with Prezi

The journey to becoming a skilled presenter involves continuously refining your approach and embracing tools that elevate your ability to communicate effectively. Prezi, enriched with Prezi AI, is one such tool that transforms ordinary presentations into captivating experiences. By leveraging these advanced features, you can deliver presentations that are successful, memorable, and truly unforgettable, embodying the essence of tips for presentation mastery.

Whether you’re an experienced speaker or preparing for your first presentation, Prezi equips you with the tools to succeed. Engage your audience, tell compelling stories, and deliver your message with confidence and creativity. Following effective presentation tips and exploring how Prezi AI can transform your next presentation is a step towards mastering the art of impactful communication. Delve into the features and begin your journey to presentation mastery today.

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20 Presentation Tips to Keep Your Audience Engaged from Start to Finish

Business | Marketing | Nonprofits | Students | Teachers

By kai tomboc - january 14, 2020.

Losing the audience’s attention is one of the most painful challenges for anyone making a presentation.

Halfway through your presentation, you notice that a couple of audience members are getting restless. The people at the back seem bored as they look down on their phones, and one of them just yawned (ugh!).

You start to feel that you failed to engage your audience. You wonder if you’re the problem. Are you a boring presenter? Perhaps you’re stuffing too much information in your slides.

Master audience engagement with these presentation best practices

From engaging product demos to presentation decks that stand out, read on for 20 valuable tips to keep your audience excited to hear more from you.

What makes a great presentation?

Before you get started, it pays to know what makes an excellent presentation.

1. It informs your audience by providing reliable information.

People want to be informed. They want to learn something new. For this reason, you should look for reputable links. The information should be as recent as possible, and at least less than a year old.

Your research work doesn’t need to be from online sources. You could also cite printed sources from the library. Double-check all of your sources and make sure they have substantial research and statistics to back them up.

2. It persuades your audience to take action.

A presentation should be persuasive. This is especially true for business presentations and product demos. You might also want to appeal to your readers through emotions.

3. It educates your audience and empowers them to make informed decisions.

Presentations are, by nature, educational. You might be introducing your audience to a new idea, product, or service.

4. It instructs your audience in a clear, compelling way.

A presentation should be instructional. Organize your presentation as clear and concise as possible, so your audience will be able to digest your information more effectively.

5. It inspires your audience by being memorable.

A good presentation motivates an audience to act on things that they’ve been meaning to do after hearing you speak or present.

20 best pactices for visually-appealing, convincing presentations

With all that in mind, here’s a list of useful best practices and tips for presentations that stick.

1. Know your target audience.

Your target audience is the demographic that you’re aiming to convince, educate, or inspire with your presentation. This crucial step helps you craft a presentation that resonates with your intended audience.

For instance, if you’d like to educate teens, create a presentation that appeals to their age group. Make your presentation more upbeat, and use pop culture references and images that they can relate to.

On the other hand, if your target audience spans middle-aged professionals, your presentation should be straight-to-the-point and based on facts. These professionals are typically results-oriented, and they want to get to the heart of the matter right away.

By and large, getting to know your target audience enables you to create a presentation without wasting time on uninterested demographics.

2. Create an outline.

Your next step is to create an outline of your presentation. It will help ensure order in your presentation and present facts and sources as effectively and efficiently possible.

It’ll also help if you assign a subtopic for each slide. Let’s say your main topic is the American Civil War. The war lasted roughly four years, and if you delve into it without any organizational structure, your audience will end up confused. Sort your slides according to year and the important events that took place. The same applies to any topic.

3. Start with a memorable introduction.

Opening a presentation with “My name is .. ” or “I’m here to talk about..” are less likely to make your presentation memorable and engaging to your audience.

So how do you keep everyone glued to your presentation with a powerful, memorable opener?

Share an anecdote, ask an intriguing question, or get people’s energy up with a short activity.

Next, make your opening slides as eye-catching as possible. In your opening slide, use bold fonts. Add visuals like gifs or an animated infographic.

Finally, provide an overview of your presentation in the introduction slide. An overview that meets your audience’s expectations of your presentation helps keep an audience absorbed and attentive from start to finish.

4. Eliminate clutter in your slides.

Avoid overcrowding your slides with images or graphics. Although it’s fine to use visuals to complement your slides, the keyword here is “complement.”

Too many photos will make your slides look cramped. Take a minimalist approach to your slides. For images and graphics, use them sparingly and thoughtfully.

Don’t be afraid of white space in your slides. Consider readability first, visual appeal second.

5. Use pictograms.

Lengthy presentations could get boring in the long run. So if you want to keep your audience’s attention, you will need to make your presentation attractive and easier to understand.

Enter pictograms !

Pictograms express information, ideas, or messages through images, signs, or symbols. Also, they can help simplify complicated concepts.

6. Be thoughtful of your color scheme.  

Your choice of colors can have an impact on your audience’s mood and perception of your presentation. It may not be evident at first glance, but your presentation colors can draw a particular set of feelings from your audience. Orange looks more carefree than beige, right?

Here are some quick tips to help you pick the right color combination for your presentation:

• Choose a color scheme that matches your presentation’s theme. For example, if you’re about to present a serious topic, consider somber, dignified colors like white, black, or brown. But if you want your presentation to be more upbeat, use lighter hues like yellow and orange. 
•  Use your brand colors to raise brand awareness and recognition. 
• Stick to 2-3 colors. Joint research by Adobe and the University of Toronto revealed that most people prefer a combination of 2-3 colors. A good rule of thumb is not to use more than four colors. When using more than 3-4 colors, go for shades, tones, and tints of your original colors like the example below.

7. Focus your audience’s attention using data visualization.

Presenting statistics and percentages in writing can be a challenge to use in your presentation. For this reason, consider data visualization.

For example, graphs and charts are often used to highlight comparisons in data. You can also use them to inform your audience of a specific data point.

It’s worth noting that a poorly-designed graph or chart could ruin your presentation if proven false or shabbily done. Make sure that your data are correct, and your diagrams or charts are correctly labeled. Don’t just use pie charts because they look hip and smart. You have to learn how to choose the right chart or graph to visualize your data.

8. Use presentation templates.

Templates often take a bad rap because they’re perceived as limiting, sapping one of creative freedom. However, templates shouldn’t be perceived this way.

Think of templates as frameworks or a set of building blocks that you can tinker with as you create your presentation. Without a templated structure, you’ll likely waste a lot of time and resources making your presentation from scratch.

For example, use infographic templates as a way to make your presentation more engaging (minus the time-consuming task of making a presentation from scratch. The process infographic template below is perfect if you’re explaining a process in one of your presentations.

9. Try the duotone effect in your presentations.

The duotone effect is the use of two contrasting colors to create dramatic, visually pleasing results. Thus the name duotone.

This design style is gaining popularity with designers and non-designers alike. Learn more from this quick duotone tutorial via Adobe .

10. Show, don’t tell.

Stories are a powerful medium to get your audience to sit up and listen to you. For this reason, aim to “show” rather than “tell” your audience about a topic, insight, or idea.

For example, don’t just state facts or figures about the dangers of not investing in their retirement. Instead, share the story of someone you know who failed to plan for their retirement, nudging your audience towards making their own conclusions or insights.

Don’t bombard your audience with too much information all at once. Avoid jargon or complex concepts without sharing a story that’ll resonate with them. With compelling storytelling, you can create anticipation and then slowly build up to your key points.

11. Incorporate infographics into your presentation.

Infographics are valuable presentation tools because they combine visuals and text. As a result, you can communicate with impact.

Furthermore, infographics make your presentation more memorable. How?

A relevant image paired with informative text helps people retain 65 percent of the information three days later — a stark contrast to presenting text-only content where someone’s likely to remember only 10 percent of the information.

Here are a few guides and tutorials when creating infographics for your next presentation:

• Guide to Making Infographics from Scratch (guide)
• 5 Ways to Use Call to Action in Your Infographic to Boost Audience Engagement (video)
• How to Write Sharp, Compelling Infographic Copy (guide)

Easelly Pro Tip: Divide long infographics into smaller segments. Add an infographic section for each presentation slide. If you’d like to raise the bar further for your presentation, try animated infographics to make your slides come to life.

12. Avoid using bullet points.

Bullet points are great tools to emphasize tips, features, or steps in lists. However, it’s best to avoid them in presentations because they don’t help your audience retain information.

Research even supports this recommendation. In 2014, the International Journal of Business Communication published the results of their research —   The Use of Visualization in the Communication of Business Strategies: An Experimental Evaluation .

The researchers wanted to learn whether the use of visuals is superior to text (a bulleted list to be specific) in communicating the strategy of the financial services branch of an international car manufacturer.

The researchers concluded the following:

“Subjects who were exposed to a graphic representation of the strategy paid significantly more attention to, agreed more with, and better recalled the strategy than did subjects who saw a (textually identical) bulleted list version.”

Instead of using bullet points, consider using icons or visuals.

Take a look at the example below. Which do you think will likely get the audience’s attention and be more memorable after the presentation?

13. Choose fonts that are easier to read.

The quality of your font could affect your audience’s reaction to your presentation. Don’t just use the first standard font that pops up in your presentation editor.

Your font should match the mood and intent of your presentation. If you want your presentation to appear casual, choose a font that gives off a similar feeling.

14. Use contrast in your presentation.

Check for contrast between your texts and presentation background to ensure readability. Make it a point to distinguish one from the other.

It’s also worth noting that you are going to show your presentation to a group of people. Depending on the seating arrangement, viewers at the back may find it hard to read your presentation. Make sure that your fonts are of the appropriate size. That way, none of your audience members will have to struggle reading your slides.

15. Consider gifs and memes

Gifs and memes are popular media tools for a good reason. You could incorporate them into your presentation, and they could add a sense of humor to your topic or pitch.

When using gifs and memes, avoid those that could be misinterpreted as politically incorrect or culturally insensitive.

16. Create a consistent look and feel in your slides.

Choose a theme for your presentation templates, and stick with it ’til the end.

This doesn’t mean that you should be boring or dull with your presentation. You can add images and infographics, but there should be a sense of consistency in your slides.

Consistency leads to familiarity, which in turn encourages learning and engagement.

17. Ask intriguing questions.

Asking intriguing questions enables you to draw your audience’s attention and highlight key points at the same time.

For example, you are conducting a presentation on the Roman empire. You want to get your audience’s attention, so you raise questions such as what they know about the Roman empire, and how did the Roman empire impact modern society?

The audience may or may not get the right answers, but they will most likely try their best to answer your questions. The resulting exchange of ideas will make your presentation more spontaneous and engaging.

18. Limit to one visual per slide.

Using too many visuals at once will make your presentation appear cluttered. Limit to one visual per slide to help your audience engage more with your text and information.

19. Embrace white space.

White space , also known as negative space, is the space between the lines of texts and visuals in your presentation.  It doesn’t have to be  white  as it can also take the color of your presentation’s background. Think of white space as “empty space”. 

It helps improves readability and ensures that your graphics and texts are clear and legible in your presentation. 

20. End your presentation with an excellent call-to-action.

Call-to-action statements are an integral part of any presentation. They compel your audience to take action, and it makes your presentation more interactive.

Here’s a short video explaining how to use call-to-action in infographics (the same principles apply for presentations!):

Say you’re designing a presentation for a new gym you’re managing. You want people to try out the gym and the services you offer. You could incorporate the call to action at the end of your presentation.

“See you at the gym next week?” or “Level up in the New Year by signing up for our free gym membership for a month!” are good call-to-action statements that you can use.

Ready to start creating your presentation?

We’ve got your back if you need help with your visuals and infographics for your next presentation.

Use our simple infographic maker tool or hire one of our infographic design pros for custom infographics and animated infographics .

Here’s to a stellar presentation – we’re rooting for you!

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10 ways to interact with audience members while you present

Presentation expert Clif Atkinson tells a great story about a 2009 education conference where two speakers got very different reactions from their audiences. The first speaker started off with interactive exercises, he was entertaining, and overall, he was a hit. The second speaker launched in with a more traditional PowerPoint presentation , and he … didn’t go over quite so well.

In fact, while he presented, bored attendees started a “backchannel” on Twitter. They critiqued his slides, his content, and his delivery until finally, someone suggested a t-shirt. By the end of the keynote, you know exactly what happened: a t-shirt was made and for sale on CafePress.

All this to say that audience participation isn’t always a good thing. What you’re aiming for isn’t just participation for the sake of participation, but an interaction that gets the audience closer to embracing your ideas.

You want to keep them engaged, on their toes, and show them that you value and want to connect with them. To that end, we offer you these 10 positive ways to interact with audience members to foster engagement and participation.

10 audience engagement examples to keep interaction up to

Audience engagement example #1.

Ask a series of “raise your hand if… ” questions. The first simple thing to try is to ask your audience a series of questions. Each question should demand a gradually-more-difficult response throughout your presentation.

Within the first 60 seconds of a presentation, I like to ask the audience a simple question about themselves — then get them to respond by raising their hands. (“Raise your hand if you’ve ever…”)

Why do this so early? A  recent study on attention span during lectures showed that the first lapses in listener attention tend to happen within the first minute of the talk. So, by asking a question like this right away, you spark an interaction and establish a small, immediate connection.

If they’re willing to raise their hand at the beginning of a talk (and answer a poll, agree to a premise, etc.), they might be more willing to follow your call-to-action by the end of your presentation.

Audience engagement example #2

Tell a joke. Another simple way that you can forge a connection at the beginning of your presentation is by telling a joke. A joke is, in itself, a smart way to interact with audience members since it’s a natural back and forth. It either asks the audience to answer a question (Why did the chicken cross the road?), or it elicits laughter (hopefully).

A  study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology proved that using humor improves peoples’ perception of you in a professional setting. So try making your listeners laugh, and they’ll think even more highly of you from the get-go. (Note: joke-telling requires subtlety; get lots of feedback on your joke-telling abilities before trying it in front of an audience. Seriously! Telling a bad joke, or even a good joke badly, is a great way to lose your audience, too.)

Audience engagement example #3

Use a polling tool. Polls are one of the best ways to interact with audience members. They cause people to think critically about what they hear and urge them to share their own opinions and expertise. Aside from the typical hand-raising poll, technology can help here. Put a question on the screen, then ask people to respond via their smartphone or laptop.

There are many polling tools out there that you can use to collect responses, including  Polleverywhere.com , which is a popular app that can collect and broadcast poll results in real-time.

Audience engagement example #4

Turn to X (formerly Twitter). I’ve always been a fan of the power of Twitter, especially when it comes to boosting audience engagement during a presentation or event. Sure, it can be used to design a t-shirt about your boring talk. But better yet, you can use it to interact with audience members who are responding to your ideas in real time.

One of the simplest techniques is to create a unique hashtag for your talk. Ask them to send tweets with that hashtag, and make it easy for them by keeping your hashtag visible during your talk. You can even use a tool like  Everwall to easily project what people are tweeting about your talk onto a screen in front of them.

Be strategic though, about when and how often you display Tweets. You don’t want to distract people. Choose a strategic moment in the talk when you can step aside and let the opinions of the audience speak for themselves. Or, in a day packed with presentations, use Twitter in between talks to help boost audience participation.

Displaying live content from Twitter works twice as hard as other interaction techniques. It encourages listeners to grapple with what they’re hearing during a talk (and to wait and see their own tweet up on the stage), and the tweeted content is available to the entire internet. This means that you can increase the reach of your event (organically!) beyond just the people who are in the room.

Audience engagement example #5

Get the slides in peoples’ hands. Presentation slides  help you communicate your ideas clearly, but they can also get people to participate while you speak. Give people a closer look at slides by using a tool that can bring those slides directly into their hands. You can use a tool like a Slidedo c™ to create visually-digestible versions of your slides for your audience in advance.

Another way to help people engage more with your slides is to simply invite them to snap a photo. Pause a moment, then say, “Okay, everyone, take out your smartphones. This is the slide you want to take home with you.” Not only do they get a nice visual takeaway, but you also get another moment to do a call-and-response with your audience.

Audience engagement example #6

Prop it up. Physical, tangible props or visual aids are another one of the easiest ways to interact with audience members while you present. You can use a prop onstage to demonstrate ideas, or you can pass it around the audience so that they can engage with it. Anything tangible increases the number of senses engaged and boosts your audience’s attention.

One example of a great speech that uses a prop is Jill Bolte Taylor’s TED Talk “My Stroke of Insight” in which Taylor used a human brain model as a prop to explain what happens during a stroke. Many props end up becoming a  S.T.A.R. Moment ™, as well, which adds even more impact.

Audience engagement example #7

Get active. The fact that you’re giving the talk doesn’t mean it has to be one-sided. You can get people to interact with activities. For instance, you can instruct audience members to pair off, then give them 5 minutes to complete an exercise. This exercise could simply be an icebreaker to get to know someone else in the room.

On the other hand, it could be an exercise that helps them develop useful skills you’re trying to impart (i.e. sales techniques, communication strategies, and more). Whatever you ask of them, just remember that each back-and-forth helps you work toward your big ask or call-to-action at the end.

Audience engagement example #8

Get people to repeat information out loud. It may seem like an elementary exercise, but if you want to be memorable and engaging, ask people to repeat key concepts out loud. In a  study on memory , researchers at the University of Montreal found that repeating information boosts a person’s ability to recall that information. So, by asking your audience to repeat key facts and concepts from your talk, you increase the chances they’ll remember it.

Audience engagement example #9

Take questions along the way. Questions make it easy to interact with audience members, yes, but they can also help educate them about your information or idea. Don’t wait until after your talk or for when you can meet one-on-one with audience members to answer their questions.

Designate times within your talk when you collect and answer questions from attendees. You can use a tool like  Slido which allows audience members to submit questions in real time. Then you can sort through those questions and answer the ones you deem best or most helpful.

This allows you to create more of a curated Q&A experience, instead of relying on strong, high-quality questions from your audience that also happen to reinforce your main message. Collecting them through an app this way allows you to have some quality control, as well.

Audience engagement example #10

Create an interactive experience. You can take action a step further — with interaction. Your goal here is to make the audience feel like they are participating in something. Have them move around the room. When you create a space that doesn’t feel like an auditorium or allow to physically interact with the audience, it feels like something is happening to them.

One great interactive talk I attended was about the effects of war on the availability of different spices in certain regions of the world. Stapled to the program for the show were two small plastic envelopes. In each envelope was a flavored marshmallow, labeled A and B.

At the right moment in the presentation, the presenter asked everyone to eat marshmallow A, then compare it to the taste of marshmallow B. And in that moment, everyone in that room shared the same flavor experiences (and a moment of realization about one of the many indirect costs of war).

How to engage an audience in any scenario

At the end of the day, your audience is going to participate in your talk one way or another. You want to be sure to control the nature of that participation by being smart about the ways you interact with audience members while you present.

If you try out some of the ways to interact with audience members discussed above, you can be pretty sure that no one will be bored enough to create a t-shirt about how boring you are. You may even end up with an audience who feels moved to make a t-shirt about how engaging you are – but who can’t do it because they are just so busy participating in your fascinating talk.

For more tips on keeping engagement high in your next presentation, take our Resonate® workshop . It’s designed to help you structure your presentation in a persuasive and engaging manner naturally. Get equipped with the course, today!

This article was originally published on September 23, 2020. It has been updated in July 2024 for relevancy.

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30 Amazing Things You Can Do And Create In PowerPoint

Everyone knows PowerPoint is one of the best – if not THE best – presentation software around. It’s great for making all sorts of presentations. From academic to corporate presentations (and everything in between), PowerPoint can seemingly do it all. But presentations are not all PowerPoint can do. The truth is, it’s a very powerful and versatile software. In this article, I’m going to share with you 30 amazing things you can do and create in PowerPoint. Let’s begin!

• Make social media images

Surprised? Yes, you can indeed use PowerPoint to make social media images. Whether it’s for your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and more, PowerPoint can do it all. Now, the first thing you need to do is figure out the image size so you can resize your PowerPoint slides.

You can do a quick Google search for this. Or you can download Louise Myers’ social media images cheat sheet here . Just scroll down the page and you’ll find her table of contents with links to top social media platforms’ image sizes.

So, now that you know the image dimensions, let’s head on over to PowerPoint. Go to the Design > Slide Size > Custom Slide Size . You’ll see this pop-up on your screen:

For width and height, the default measurement is either centimeters or inches depending on your location. The good news is you don’t need to do some mathematical calculations to do your conversions. PowerPoint will automatically do it for you. How?

If you look at the screenshot above, you’ll notice that in Width , I typed in “ 800 px .” ( Important note : There’s a space between “800” and “px.”)

The moment I moved my cursor to the next field, “Height,” PowerPoint automatically converted 800 pixels to 4.167 inches. Pretty neat, right? Try it!

This is what my 800 px x 800 px (or 4.167 inch x 4.167 inch) slide size looks like:

With the width and height dimensions set up properly, you can now proceed to designing your social media images. Just use PowerPoint like normal.

Now, here’s a great video with step by step guide to making a viral image quote poster for social media:

• Make YouTube videos

Yep, you read that right – YouTube videos! You don’t need to buy expensive camera gear for your first few YouTube videos. Before you get overexcited though, temper your expectations a bit. As you probably already know, PowerPoint is a slide-based presentation software, so you can’t use it for your vlogs. You can, however, create simple videos like lectures or tutorials.

You can use animations and transitions to make your presentation/video fun. Plus, you can record timings and narrations, and even laser pointer gestures! Here’s how you do it:

Once you’ve saved your file, go to File > Export > Create a video . Alternatively, you can go to the Recording tab and click on the Export to video button. What’s really awesome about making videos on PowerPoint is that you’re not limited to 480p or 720p (regular HD). You can make 4K or ultra HD videos on PowerPoint!

If you’d like to know more, you should watch this short 6-minute tutorial on this very subject:

Oh, and if you’re wondering if you can also create your YouTube intro and outro in PowerPoint, the answer is yes! Check out this tutorial article I wrote about this very topic here: How To Make Amazing YouTube Intros and Outros In PowerPoint .

• Make infographics

Just like social media graphics, infographics dimensions can be all over the place. It can be small or large depending on the information that needs to be conveyed. However, there’s actually a standard size for infographics.

Ideally, an infographic should not exceed 600 px in width and 1800 px in height. But some sites do have infographic size requirements though. So, before you create one, make sure it’s going to make the cut in your target platform.

That said, if you need infographic design inspiration, you should check out this link right here .

• Create eye-catching checklists

You can write down a checklist on a plain piece of paper. Or, you can use your favorite word processor like Microsoft Word. However, what’s really great about using PowerPoint to create your checklists is that you can quickly transform them into beautiful works of art. How? By converting your checklist, a.k.a. bullet point list, into SmartArt!

Here’s how:

First, type your checklist. Then right-click on the list and you’ll see the menu option below. Click on Convert to SmartArt . You can either choose from the default options or you can click on More Smart Art Graphics at the bottom.

Here’s my new and improved checklist after converting it to SmartArt graphic:

Note that you can format your SmartArt by going into the SmartArt Tools tab in PowerPoint.

Alternatively, you can download any of our free checklist PowerPoint templates . All you have to do is just replace the placeholder text with your content and you’ll have an eye-catching checklist in no time at all!

Here’s a screenshot of some of our checklist templates:

• Design business cards

For business cards, you’d need to set the slide size to 3.5 inches x 2 inches. The usual business card uses a horizontal layout. But if you want your card to stand out and be memorable, then consider using a vertical layout.

To do this, you’d need to use portrait orientation for your card. Go to Design > Slide Size > Custom Slide Size, then click on Orientation . The default option is Landscape, so you’ll need to click on Portrait, like so:

• Make creative visual resumes

Here’s another fun thing you can create in PowerPoint. If the job you’re applying for is fine with a bit of creativity, then submitting a visual resume is the way to go. However, if you’re interested in landing a spot at a more ‘serious’ firm, then Word may be your best bet. Else, you risk being flagged as a non-serious applicant and have your application rejected.

Creating visual resumes obviously will take a lot more time than if you just typed up the same thing in Word. However, if you’re applying for a job that requires – or at least appreciates – creativity, then you should take the time to create a visual resume. PowerPoint can easily help you with this.

• Use it as a journal

PowerPoint may not be at the top of your list as a journaling tool. But it does have a nifty feature called presentation protection which allows you to encrypt your file with a password. This means you’ve got the liberty to write whatever you want on your PowerPoint slides and be safe in the knowledge that it’s going to be for your eyes only!

At this point, you’re already well aware that PowerPoint is an excellent graphics creation tool. So, in addition to writing down your ideas, thoughts, and feelings, you can also add a variety of elements to make your journal come alive.

To lock your journal, a.k.a. your PowerPoint, go to File > Info > Protect Presentation > Encrypt with Password . Here’s a screenshot:

• Remove photo backgrounds

Removing an image’s background can come in handy in many situations. For example, if you’ve got a photo of a young boy in a park and you want to ‘move’ the boy elsewhere, you can remove the original background first and then insert a new background.

While PowerPoint is no Photoshop, it’s no slouch either when it comes to removing photo backgrounds. Here’s how:

First, you’ll need to click on the photo you want to edit. Then click on Picture Tools > Remove Background . Check out this tutorial for more info:

Just take note that PowerPoint can’t remove backgrounds from vector graphic files such as Adobe Illustrator Graphics (.ai) or Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg). But it works great for editing the more common PNG and JPG files.

A logo is part of a company or brand’s identity. If you’re looking to create a new logo for your business, then you’re in luck. You don’t need to spend any money to have it done for you. You can do it yourself in PowerPoint!

Now, logos don’t need to be complicated. A simple one will often be enough. Your logo creation options in PowerPoint may be a bit limited. But with a bit of creativity, you can create beautiful logos.

You can use a combination of Word Art, shapes, icons, even SmartArt. Then group all the elements together and save it as a picture (choose PNG format from the file type list). And that’s it! You’ve got your brand-new logo.

Now, if you want to add some transparency to your logo (which would be ideal in most cases), then you need to add a shape to the logo and adjust its transparency level accordingly.

If you don’t want to add a shape to your logo, don’t worry. The shape will only serve as a transparent medium, it doesn’t need to be visible in your logo. You can then set the transparency level for the shape before you save your logo. PowerPoint will preserve the shape’s transparency when you save it as a PNG file.

You can follow this short tutorial to give you an idea on how logo transparency works in PowerPoint:

• Make photo collages

Making photo collages on PowerPoint is fun and easy. First off, you’d need to insert your photos onto the slide. You can do this by dragging the pics manually or by going to the Insert > Photos tab. I recommend the following methods to get your collage quickly:

• Use Design Ideas tab

This tab should open up automatically once you add the photos. However, if this doesn’t appear you can just click on Design > Design Ideas . You’ll then see a bunch of recommended layouts for your collage. Click on the layout that catches your fancy and you’re good to go!

• Convert to SmartArt

To convert your images to SmartArt, you can press CTRL+A (Windows) or CMD+A (on Mac) to select all images. Then click on Picture Tools > Picture Layout . Select the layout you want to use. The downside to using this method is you’ll likely see text boxes, so if you don’t need those, you’ll need to manually delete them.

Note that both these methods crop the images automatically. If you want to adjust an image’s position in the collage, you can click on that image. Then go to Picture Tools > Crop . You can then drag the image around until you’re happy with the cropped result.

• Create desktop wallpaper

You’re probably wondering why you’d bother using PowerPoint to create a desktop wallpaper for your computer. After all, you can just go to Unsplash.com and download an unlimited number of beautiful images. Well, if you don’t want to do what everyone else is doing, then PowerPoint can help you create 100% unique wallpapers!

You can still download images from Unsplash. But with PowerPoint, you can add graphics, text, and other elements to make the wallpaper truly yours. Just remember to save the PowerPoint slide file as PNG or JPG, so you can see the option to set the image as desktop background. Here’s a screenshot:

• Create calendar

Manually creating a calendar in PowerPoint is doable, but it’s going to take some time. For instance, you’ll need to add a table (6 rows x 7 columns for basic calendars), then add the labels in. You’ll also need to think about the design if you don’t want your calendar to look like the most basic calendar ever created.

Fortunately, there’s a much easier way to go about adding a calendar to your slides. And that is by downloading a ready-made PowerPoint template.

You can open up a new PowerPoint file and search for free calendar templates, like you see below. However, as you probably already know, the templates you’ll find on Microsoft aren’t exactly lookers.

If you want high-quality and eye-catching calendar templates, I highly recommend you visit our Template Hub. You can download our free calendar templates . Here’s an example of what you can expect to see:

• Make brochures and flyers

Many professional designers use apps like Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, and Microsoft Publisher to create brochures and flyers. If you’re willing to learn how those apps work, you can create great-looking brochures and flyers. However, if you just want to create something basic, then PowerPoint can help.

Go to templates.office.com and download a free brochure or flyer. Make sure the file you download is compatible with PowerPoint. Check out the screenshot below:

I downloaded a tri-fold brochure template. Here’s what it looks like:

You can edit all the elements on the slides, so you can truly make it your own brochure or flyer!

• Use PowerPoint in webinars

Webinars are great for maximizing your reach. You can have a live webinar or you can pre-record it. What’s really great about webinars is that people can watch your content 24/7 without you physically needing to be there. The whole world can literally be your audience!

You can upload your webinar to YouTube and Facebook. If you want a more controlled environment, you can use webinar platforms like WebinarJam, GoToWebinar, and more.

If you want more information about this subject, read this article: How To Use PowerPoint For Your Webinar

• Make wedding invitation

Wedding invitations can be fun to make especially if it’s your own! You can go on Pinterest to look for design inspiration, like you see below:

You can choose from a wide variety of designs. You’re also not limited to using a single size or shape; the most common size seems to be 5×7 inches though. Your invitation can be as simple or as extravagant as you like.

Before you create in PowerPoint, just remember that if you’re mailing your invitations to some guests, you may need to consider using a more traditional wedding invitation size.

• Create ad graphics for Facebook

Did you know that over 2 billion people go on Facebook every month? If you want to take advantage of this massive platform, then you should definitely consider advertising on Facebook. It’s relatively more cost-effective than other advertising platforms.

That being said, you want to use ad graphics that will effectively stop people from scrolling down their feeds. As a PowerPoint user, you’ve got a powerful tool at your fingertips. Before you design your ads, however, make sure you check out Facebook’s ad format guidelines .

• Take a screenshot

There are plenty of apps that take screenshots. However, what’s really good about using PowerPoint is that in addition to getting the whole screen, you can also take screen clippings.

In the past, you could only take screenshots of open Microsoft Office files. But now, you can take screenshots of all open applications in your computer! For Office 365 subscribers, there’s a new Recording tab that allows you to take screenshots and screen recordings quickly. Here it is:

As you can see, I’ve got 3 windows open on my computer. Clicking on any of those thumbnails will add a full screenshot to my current slide.

Now, if you click on Screen Clipping , you will be taken to the app you opened prior to clicking on PowerPoint. An ‘overlay’ will appear on the screen and your mouse cursor will turn into a crosshair pointer. Just drag your mouse until it covers the area you want to screenshot. Your screen clipping will then automatically appear on your current slide.

• Do a screen recording

As mentioned in the previous point, you can do a screen recording just by going to the Recording tab in PowerPoint. You can select the area you want to record (great if you don’t want to share everything on your screen). You can also choose whether you want to capture your audio (from your default microphone) or if you wish to record your mouse pointer movement.

• Create a gif

Gifs are especially popular in social media. Go on sites like Reddit and Facebook, and you’ll probably see a gif every 5 seconds. It may be a bit of an exaggeration, but the point is that gifs (especially the animated kind) are extremely popular.

Now, PowerPoint can only make still gifs (non-animated). If you want to make animated gifs, there are a couple of different methods you can check out:

(1) You can add animations to your slide elements, save it as video, and then use an online converter to convert from video to GIF. Check out this video tutorial if you want to use this particular method:

(2) Alternatively, you can save your slides (with animated elements) as images and then go to a site like GIFmaker.me to create your free GIF. This post does a pretty good job explaining the steps of this specific method.

• Make a mind map

Mind maps are great for brainstorming and coming up with new, creative ideas. It helps you visualize your ideas and enables you to think outside the box. There are free mind mapping tools like MindMup which is easy enough to use. But if you want to try out how this works in PowerPoint, then let me tell you it’s actually quite easy.

All you have to do is fire up PowerPoint and use SmartArt! SmartArt is extremely flexible and will accommodate all your ideas in a single slide. It will automatically adjust the font size and the graphic size itself.

For mind maps, you can choose from any of SmartArt categories, but I think the best ones to use are in the List, Process, Cycle and Hierarchy categories. Check out this mind map I made using the Hierarchy SmartArt:

Play around with the different options until you find the right SmartArt graphic for your mind map!

• Make your own icons

You can download free icons on the web. But if you want to use something unique in your presentation, then you can actually make your own icons in PowerPoint. Amazed? You should be!

By creating your own icons, you take your brand a step further. You can use your custom icons on your website, your advertisements, your organization’s letterhead, and basically anywhere else you can think of!

This video should help you off to a good start in making your own PPT icons:

• Reshape photos into any shape you like

If you’re tired of using the same old rectangle or square shape for your images, then you may want to use PowerPoint to make your images more exciting. Here are a few tips to reshape your photos into fun, new shapes!

Method 1: Shape fill with pictures option

Go to Insert > Shapes if you want to use this method. The good news is you’re not limited to using only one shape per picture. If you want to make a truly unique shape, you can use the Merge Shapes option. You’d need to select the images you want to merge. Then you can choose from the following merge options: Union, Combine, Fragment, Intersect, and Subtract.

Play around with the different options and you’ll see that you can literally come up with an infinite number of unique shapes!

Method 2: Convert using SmartArt graphics

If you want a more uniform look for your images, then this is the method you should choose. I already gave a rundown on how you can convert photos to SmartArt in #10 (Make photo collages), so you should scroll up if you haven’t read that part yet!

There are plenty of things you can do with your photos on PowerPoint. I wrote a detailed guide on this very topic. If you want to know more about working with multiple images in PowerPoint, check out this article .

• Create photo album

If you want to create a photo album and turn it into a slideshow, then PowerPoint can easily help you out. It just takes a few clicks and you’ll have your album. Go to Insert > Photo Album and you’ll see this menu pop-up:

As you can see in the screenshot, you’ve got a lot of options to choose from. For picture layout, you can have up to 4 pictures per slide. You can select the frame shape as well as the photo album theme. Once you create in PowerPoint, you can then go a step further by going to the Design Ideas tab and switching up your photo album’s look!

• Use video as background

It’s quite easy to embed YouTube videos in PowerPoint and play it during your presentation. But not everyone knows that you can use video as your presentation’s background. Here’s how:

Go to Insert > Media > Video > Video On My PC . Once you’ve added your video, click on it to open up the Video Tools menu. Click on the Playback tab, and set your video to start Automatically . Then tick on the box that says ‘Loop until stopped.’

You can resize your video and make it fill the slide. Then you can add text, graphics, and various other elements in the foreground.

You can download free stock video footage on Coverr.co just like I’ve done in the screenshot above. The good thing is their video file sizes are quite small, so it’s not going to make your PowerPoint file too heavy and slow to load. The video file I downloaded and used in the sample above is only 10MB in size.

• Use 3D models for more engaging presentations

Sometimes, the usual 2D graphics just don’t cut it anymore. If you want to bring your presentation up a notch, try using 3D models. You can rotate your 3D graphic and show everyone a 360-degree view. You can even use Morph animation to make your 3D image come to life.

Fortunately, inserting a 3D model to your slide is just as easy as adding images, shapes, videos, icons, charts, etc. Just go to Insert > 3D Models and select whether to add from a file on your computer or from the Remix 3D community.

Check out this demo from Microsoft:

• Use free, high-quality templates

Yes, PowerPoint may have a bunch of free templates, but they’ve been around for ages. Their design hasn’t been updated in years, so if you use their default templates, your presentation will look like it’s a throwback to the 90’s!

If you’ve been on our website before, then you probably already know we’ve got hundreds of high-quality and professionally-designed free PowerPoint templates. But if this is your first time here, you should definitely check out this link to our Template Hub .

Here’s a screenshot of what you can expect:

Just sign up for a free account and you can download to your heart’s content!

• Save your PowerPoint as PDF

Saving your PPT file as PDF has a lot of advantages. You can keep all your slide elements intact – the text, graphics, shapes, formatting, etc. It will preserve the visual appearance of your slides. The only downside is you can’t export the animations and slide transitions. That said, saving your file as PDF is great if you want to share your presentation file via email or upload it to the web.

• Create Prezi-like effects

PowerPoint uses a linear, slide-based approach to presentations. Prezi, on the other hand, makes use of a single canvas where you put all your ideas together. Since it’s not slide-based, it uses a pan and zoom animation to move from one part of the canvas to another. Now you can do the same with PowerPoint. If you have Office 365, you can use Zoom animation to create Prezi-like effects.

Watch this tutorial if you want to know how this works:

• Embed fonts in your presentation

So, you spent hours choosing the right combination of fonts to make your slides look perfect. But when you finally get to the presentation venue, you realize your beautiful fonts have all been replaced by the default Calibri font. What a disaster! To prevent this from happening, learn how to embed your fonts in your presentation.

• Password-protect your presentation

If you don’t want prying eyes on your presentation, then you better put a password on it. This is a must-have if you’re presenting highly valuable information. Read this article to find out how you can password-protect your file as well as disable the password when it’s no longer necessary.

Final Words

Wouldn’t you agree with me when I say PowerPoint is amazing? It’s really no surprise why it’s still the best presentation software today even with all the competition around. The 30 amazing things you can create in PowerPoint that I shared in this article are just the tip of the iceberg. I’m sure you’ll discover more fun things to do in PowerPoint!

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How to generate interest during a presentation?

There is one thing you can’t miss when you enter an auditorium for a presentation: each person in front of you is in a different mood. For some, life is going well, others are even in a bad way. Each person’s thinking and attention span are almost like wild animals. But there is good news: there are strategies to grab the audience.

And it’s not easy, we admit. A recent study by Prezi, for example, revealed that half of the respondents did something else while their colleague was giving their presentation, including texting (28%), checking email (27%) or falling asleep (17%). Perhaps when faced with a stranger, indifference is even more aggressive.

But there is hope.

Getting the presentation off to a good start is essential. It’s like writing a text, it’s important to be exciting or seductive right from the start. Sometimes there’s even a big presentation finale planned, but you might as well launch a teaser at the beginning, telling the world without telling it that it’s going to be interesting. That first impression marks the minutes to come.

Very important indeed is to settle that journey into a story or several stories, thus multiplying the chances of reaching several people in the audience. Women and men like to hear stories, real episodes, differentiating moments, lessons, reflections. Storytelling is, without a doubt, one of the greatest tools in society today, whether at a dinner table or in a presentation. Pulling the tape all the way back, this is how the discovery of fire started to promote the gathering of people from a community or family: besides warming each other up, they started telling stories and memories, sharing knowledge. It’s very much ours, we need it. We are designed to be drawn to stories and sharing.

Breaking the ice is already a classic, right? Not following a rigid script is another important technique. Be well prepared? Yes. Practicing over and over again beforehand? Yes. Know perfectly where you want to go and how? Of course. But some improvisation or change of direction in the narrative helps break the monotony and makes the presentation more human, more natural. Empathy lives behind every word.

Some changes in tone of voice are also recommended. In other words, create emotion as the story is told, as information is shared. It is therefore convenient, of course, that the person who is presenting has an affective and emotional relationship with that product or service. It is key that they know it perfectly and feel it. A monotone tone and the speed of the words coming out of our mouth, we all know, is the first step to losing an increasingly demanding and impatient audience, who will cling to their smartphone for very little. Oscillations in the verb are important, as can be the use of videos.

Another strategy is to involve audience members in our presentation. Whether through questions, quizzes, or hand held polls, the individual in that chair will feel valued, heard, part of that moment. Interaction seduces and grabs the audience’s attention again.

Finally, there are three techniques that are more or less mandatory, but lack sensitivity. To begin with, having a few prepared jokes in your pocket is always a good way to break the ice and gain some smiles and sympathy. Never, gentlemen, never read a slide (which should, as we have already mentioned in another text of this blog, have only an idea and little information). The direction and content of the presentation has to be under the skin of the person presenting. Slides are crutches to attract the audience, not to help the speaker. Finally, you know those really boring numbers? Forget them. If it’s possible, sure. Ideally, don’t debunk the endless statistics and data, which can even live on the slide, and then the audience chooses whether to pay attention to it.

For all the above reasons, perhaps the best thing to do when planning a presentation is to answer these questions: What are the most important parts of this topic? What does the audience know about the topic? Which audience members will tend to be disinterested? How can I help them learn and understand my topic? How big is the audience? Do I know everything about what I want to share?

We’re back to where we started: each person in the audience is in a different mood, but we already know that storytelling has the power to capture anyone’s attention. A good story will make a presentation more memorable and special. Empathetic and human. Emotion and memory are allies when we want to share something.

Oh, and don’t forget: the body also speaks. So keep eye contact with the audience and use calm, deliberate gestures at key moments of the information. And never, never stand with your legs and arms crossed.

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7 ways to keep audience attention during your presentation

by Olivia Mitchell | 24 comments

Reference: Hartley J and Davies I “Note taking: A critical review” Programmed Learning and Educational technology, 1978,15, 207-224 cited by John Medina in Brain Rules

Keeping audience attention is more important and more difficult than grabbing audience attention . A reader emailed me:

“What can I do to keep the audience’s attention through the whole of my presentation. There are always people who don’t seem to be listening.”

A one-way presentation is one of the worst possible ways of transferring information from person to person. It requires discipline and effort to simply sit and listen passively to someone speak for any length of time.  Make it easier for your audience by following these seven guidelines:

[Warning: The first three guidelines require that you know your audience – do the work to find out what your audience is interested in, their background knowledge, level of experience etc.]

1. Talk about something your audience is interested in

You may think this is obvious and that you’d never make this mistake. But I see many otherwise intelligent people talk about what they’re interested in rather than what the audience is interested in.

Last week, a business banking specialist started designing a presentation he was planning to deliver to accountancy firms in his city. Most of his talk was about the internal organisational changes they had made in their team which would allow the team to service their clients better. But do his audience care about the internal organisational changes? No. His talk should have been focused on the services they offered to clients.

If you’re speaking at a conference, people come to your session because of the synopsis – that’s what they’re interested in. Don’t change it just because it suits you. Many years ago, I saw one of New Zealand’s most successful professional speakers make this mistake. Her session was advertised as being on email marketing. But, she’d just got entranced by Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for websites. She announced at the start that she didn’t want to talk about email marketing, but about SEO. The she asked how many people in the audience had a website. About 5 people out of 100 put their hands up. You’d think she’d change tack – but no. 95 people were subjected to a talk on a subject they had no interest in.

2. Tell them why they should listen

Before each of the presentations skills courses we run, we ask each participant to fill in an online questionnaire. The most critical question is this:

“How important are presentation skills to you?”

They answer by clicking on range of multichoice answers from “It’s vitally important” to “It’s not that important”. If a number of participants click on “It’s not that important” then we know we have to start the course by demonstrating the benefits of developing presentation skills. I start by telling my story of how developing presentation skills has enriched my career. Then Tony tells of speaking at his father’s funeral and the feeling of completion that that gave him. Now they’ve got a reason to listen.

So if your audience don’t have an obvious reason to be interested, tell them why they should bother listening to you. This can be challenging. I’ve had email discussions with a number of readers who present on topics such as health and safety issues or environmental regulations. The audience have to be there, but they have no intrinsic interest in the topic. The solution is to tell them why they should care. If you’re speaking on health and safety, tell them stories of people injured in your workplace and the consequences it had for them. I still remember being an audience member in a presentation on Occupational Overuse Syndrome. The speaker had suffered from it herself and described how she’d been unable to brush her own hair.

And if you can’t find a reason why they should listen – don’t give the presentation!

3. Don’t make it too easy or too hard

You’ve probably heard of the concept of “flow” developed by Csikszentmihalyi . Flow is a state of being where you are fully engaged and fulfilled in what you’re doing. You lose track of time, your mind never wanders. When you describe a speaker as “compelling” that’s probably because you were in a state of flow. The ultimate goal is to have your audience in a state of flow (h/t to Chris Atherton and her post When giving presentations, the only rule that matters is the rule is attention. )

There are many factors to achieve that nirvana, but one of the prerequisites for flow to occur is for the task to be not too easy and not too hard. When listening to a presentation, the main task is thinking. The thinking task you set has to have just the right level of challenge for the particular audience you’re speaking to. The level of challenge required will differ for different audiences – their confidence in the topic and their background knowledge being critical factors.

Listening to somebody talk through a series of bullet points does not require challenging thinking. So it gets boring very quickly.

Conversely, if the speaker puts up a complicated flow chart and dives right into the detail without explaining what it’s about, the thinking task will be too challenging. Daniel Willingham, in his book “Why students don’t like school” describes doing just this (as an experiment):

After about 15 seconds I stopped and said to the audience, “Anyone who is still listening to me, please raise your hand.” One person did.

So audit every minute of your presentation in terms of what is the thinking task that you’re asking your audience to engage in. Is it too easy or too hard?

4. “Change grabs attention”

The heading comes from Daniel Willingham’s book that I’ve quoted above (yes, it’s what I’m reading at the moment).

We notice change. You notice the hum of the air-conditioner when it comes on and when it goes off – but not in between. You can use this natural human propensity to retrieve your audience’s attention.

There are macro changes and there are micro changes:

Macro-changes

• Change the visual medium eg: from slides to flipchart and back again
• Change the physical state of the audience eg: from sitting around a table to standing around a flipchart
• Change the location of the room that you present from eg: from the front to the back
• Change the activity your audience is engaged in eg: from listening to you to discussing a problem with their neighbour
• Change presenters
• Change topics.

Micro-changes

• Make the edges between subtopics in your presentation clear eg: “So that’s the problem we’re trying to fix, let’s look now at what some of the options are.” If somebody has mentally checked out this gives them a cue to check back in again.
• Show a short video
• Use silence before and after critical statements
• Change your style of delivery according to the content. For instance when you’re making statements of fact, use a measured deliberate tone and stand still. When you tell a story, speed up, get chatty and move around.

As a guide, I use a macro-change at least every 10 minutes, and micro-changes continuously.

5. Tell stories

Every presentation expert extolls the power of stories. There’s evidence that people are hard-wired to listen to stories (see my post Are our brains wired to enjoy stories ). When you say “ I’ll tell you a story about…” your audience will perk up. Your stories should of course reinforce the point you’re making. Take a look at your presentation from the point of view of stories. Are they sprinkled throughout your presentation – or bunched together? Sprinkle them out for best effect.

For more strategic insights into when and where to tell stories see When to tell a story and what story to tell .

You can also exploit the power of story to keep attention by structuring your whole presentation using a story structure – I’ll write more on this later (meanwhile if you know of any good links to this concept please do post them in the comments).

6. Have frequent breaks

Build in frequent breaks, but if you see people starting to flag in their attention suggest a “microbreak” for 1-2 minutes where people people can refresh their drinks and have a walk around. Moving is the most effective way of reviving people at risk of dozing off.

7. Make it short

The most effective way of keeping your audience’s attention is not to go on for too long.

For more great points on keeping audience attention see Chris Atherton’s post When giving presentations, the only rule that matters is the rule is attention.

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24 Comments

Olivia, I especially like number seven on your list, and will attempt to keep this brief as a result!

If the list could extend to eight, I would add “Ask them a question”. A question can wake a whole room up, if delivered in the right way :

“We’ve increased profits by 10%, and reduced staff costs by 5%. What does this tell us about the way forward?” Then PAUSE for long enough to make people wonder if you are expecting an answer. Then continue with your answer. “It tells us the LEAN approach is working”

This semi-rhetorical question technique works a treat with small groups, and as a coach it’s easy to demonstrate by posing the question “How easy is it to wake up a group?”, and then eyeing the group in a way that suggests I might want an answer. Then follow it up with “Are you more alert now than you were a few seconds ago?”

Rhetorical questions are great, but need a pause to make them work on the consciousness of a group. Each individual will wake up as you look at them.

If you get a retort before thje end of the pause, that’s a bonus; then you are turning monologue into dialogue.

This is a great site, by the way!

Regards John Turner

Great addition to the list of audience alert mechanisms! Thank you – and thanks for your comments on my website, Olivia.

May I add numbers 9 and 10 and 11? 9. The number one rule of sales is to convince the prospective customer “What’s in it for me?” The presenter must also convince his audience there’s something in it for them. Use the “if-then” approach; for example: *If you do this, you’ll get more dates. *If you do this, your sales will increase. *Managers, if you do this, your morale/productivity, etc. will increase. *If employees don’t start busing their own tables, then we may have to close the company cafeteria. *Etc.

10. The presenter should communicate a sense of urgency or importance to the message. (If the subject is not urgent or important, why is everyone’s time being wasted with a presentation in the first place?). The danger is in the presenter’s sense of urgency/importance not being authentic or “real.”

11. Engage the audience in the presentation. Consider anecdotes about audience members (with prior permission), role-playing, brainstorming, questions-and-amswers, games, etc. For example, magicians like to call a member of the audience on stage for a trick — watch the audience perk up.

Thanks Jim for the excellent suggestions, Olivia.

Great post, as usual.

I would amend your first rule slightly: “Talk about something your audience AND YOU are interested in.”

Nothing bores and disengages me faster than speakers who themselves seem bored and disengaged. The trick is to find why and how my audience might be interested in something that interests me.

Excellent point, Chris. I know that this can be a challenge for some people.

For those of you who’ve lost the passion or interest in the topic you have to present on, do try and rekindle your passion. What got you into the issue to being with?

If you never had any interest in it, or simply can’t rekindle any passion, try and find passion in explaining this “boring” topic in the most engaging way. There’s a great post by Geni Whitehouse (@evenanerd on Twitter) on how to do this http://www.evenanerd.com/1/post/2009/11/the-presentation-that-almost-made-a-liar-out-of-me.html . Geni has also written a free eBook called “How to make a boring subject interesting”. I haven’t read it yet but it looks like it’s packed with ideas.

I just now started following your blog. Thanks for the tips with this post. The macro-micro changes suggestions were particularly helpful.

Going through your speech and marking when you are making changes and telling stories ensures the best flow possible.

Welcome Mark – and thank you for adding your contribution.

hi what we do on this app

The best way to keep your audiences attention is to be interesting. have a relevant story – does not have to be over the top, just relevant. Tell it from the heart.

Share a little of yourself and make yourself vulnerable. Don;t tell me how many kids you have or what you did on the weekend, tell me how you used to stuff your presentations up and what you learned. Be vulnerable and your audience will take you of the pedestal they have put you on (simply because you are standing in the front of the room) and they will start being interested in you. Then you have their attention.

darren Fleming Australia’s Corporate Speech Coach

Thanks for stopping by and offering your insights, Olivia.

All good points…thanks for sharing…

Hi Olivia Some great ideas there. Most powerful has to be “what’s in it for me?” Give the audience a reason for listening, add some vocal variety and movement and plenty of humour.

Let them know that you want them to have a good time…. and perhaps they will!

It’s always a two way thing, the topic should always be what you and your audience are interested in.

Great post.

Thanks for the heads up…Particularly agree with point 7…Trying to keep it short but ensuring nothing is left out as concentration of an individual can last for 10minutes if not shorter…

this is wonderful especially number seven. A brief and to the point presentation works miracles!

This posting sure has some legs to it since it started 3 1/2 years ago. One item of note that I will add is if the speaker is trying to “sell” something to which the audience is anticipated to “buy” at the end of the presentation, the speaker should incorporate a digital clock into their presentation that counts backwards the time limit of his/her presentation. This clock will then create a visual clue for the audience to pay attention, especially if the speaker says something like this at the beginning of his/her presentation, “…at approximately 3 minutes left in my presentation, I will divulge a secret way for you to grow your business exponentially.” I’ve seen this idea performed to perfection several times now and each time I have walked away smarter than the average businessperson.

In every speech, use the 3-step-rule: (1.) Tell ’em what you’re gonna tell ’em. (2.) Tell ’em. (3.) Tell ’em what you’ve just told ’em.

Storytelling is a wonderful attention-“catcher” when it is done right.

During my years of school-teaching, I engaged the students by explaining How-things-really-were in Europe during WW2; beyond the lessons they were being fed by the system. My family still lives nearby the house where famed author, Anne Frank was imprisoned during that catastrophe.

A bit of humor always works for me. Thanks for the ideas!

Is there any recent research that tracks audience interest by slides that would validate these recommendations – all of which I totally agree with?

Good work. Any one reading can please text me on. [email protected]

understanding the background of one’s audience is very critical at drawing their attention. One could be well prepared by can be appreciated by just a few who are interested in the subject matter since the majority’s interest could not be observed while listening.

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12 ways to hook an audience in 30 seconds.

Published: October 26, 2021

Updated: October 26, 2021

Do you want to grab your audience's attention from the first sentence? Here's a compilation of great ideas with examples and tips on how to write a good hook.

"When you advertise fire-extinguishers, open with the fire," says advertising executive  David Ogilvy . You have only 30 seconds in a TV commercial to grab viewers' attention. The same applies to a presentation. Knowing how to hook your audience in the first 30 seconds of your talk is crucial. This is the time your listeners form an impression of you and of what's to follow. The success of your talk depends upon grabbing your listeners’ attention and keeping them engaged. 

What is a speech hook and how does it work?

A hook is a presentation-opening tactic that immediately captures your audience’s imagination. As the word implies, it’s like a worm on a fishing hook that attracts a fish. A hook instantly engages your audience so that they want to listen to what you have to say.

Your hook must come at the start of your talk. First impressions count. Like a fine thoroughbred, you need to start strong out of the gate. Instead, many presenters are more like old, tired workhorses—they start weak by wasting those first precious seconds with platitudes and pleasantries.  Brain research  shows that we don't pay attention to boring things. Surprise your listeners with some creative speech attention grabbers.

How do you make a good hook?

Coming up with hook ideas is not difficult if you follow some basic guidelines on how to make a good hook.

A good hook is brief, catchy, well-rehearsed and pertinent to your topic. In brainstorming examples of hooks, avoid the dry and conventional.

For example, let's say you are  delivering a presentation  on investments. Instead of an obvious and trite question such as "How many of you would be unhappy to hear that your house is worth less than you paid for it?" consider using a catchy or thought-provoking question such as "How many of you thought that your home would be your safest investment?"

12 Killer Hooks to Grab Your Audience's Attention

If you're stuck for ideas on how to start with a hook, check out these 12 examples of hooks that will help you grab your audience's attention—and keep it.

1. Use a contrarian approach.

One of the best attention grabber examples is to make a statement of a universally accepted concept, then go against conventional wisdom by contradicting the statement. For example, a market trader starts by contradicting the commonly held advice of buying low and selling high. He says: "It's wrong. Why? Because buying low typically entails a stock that's going in the opposite direction—down—from the most desired direction—up." This tactic is a provocative attention grabber for speeches and it can help engage the audience right away.

2. Ask a series of rhetorical questions.

One of the most common hook ideas is to start with a rhetorical question. Better still, start with a series of rhetorical questions. An excellent example of this tactic is Simon Sinek's TED  presentation  on how great leaders can inspire action. He begins with: "How do you explain when things don't go as we assumed? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions? For example, why is Apple so innovative? . . . Why is it that they seem to have something different? Why is it that Martin Luther King led the civil rights movement?" A series of rhetorical questions stimulate the audience's mind as they ponder the answers.

3. Deliver a compelling sound bite.

Top hook ideas include using a catchy phrase or sound bite that perks up the audience.  To create your sound bite, consider your message and package it in a brief and compelling statement. Then explain how it fits into your overall topic or message.

Take inspiration from speakers such as innovation expert  Jeremy Gutsche  who once used this sound bite in a keynote: "Culture eats strategy for breakfast. This is a sign that is on Ford's strategy War Room. And the lesson from it is not how good your PowerPoint slide deck is; what it really boils down to at the end of the day is how ready and willing your organization is to embrace change, try new things and focus on when you find an opportunity."

4. Make a startling assertion.

When you're stumped for ideas on how to make a hook, use a surprising or amazing fact. That's an easy and sure-fire way to gain people's attention. Take the time to research startling statistics that illustrate the seriousness of what you're going to talk about. For example, a presentation about conservancy can start with: "Every second, a slice of rainforest the size of a football field is mowed down. That's over 31 million football fields of rainforest each year."

5. Provide a reference to a historical event. 

Good attention getters for speeches include mentioning a historical event. There are times when the day you present may have some significance in history that can be tied to the subject of your presentation as an opening gambit. You can quickly look up what happened on any day in  Today In Sport  or a more general site such as  This Day In History . You never know what pertinence the day might have that will add some pizzazz to your presentation. It's worth a look.

6. Use the word imagine.

Another effective attention grabber for speeches is the word “imagine.” It invites the audience to create a mental image of something. Ever since John Lennon's famous song, it has become a powerful word with emotional appeal. A good example is Jane Chen's TED  talk . She speaks about a low-cost incubator that can save many lives in underdeveloped countries. Chen opens by saying: “Please close your eyes and open your hands. Now imagine what you could place in your hands, an apple, maybe your wallet. Now open your eyes. What about a life?” She displays a slide with Anne Geddes' image of a tiny baby held in an adult's hands as she says this. Combining a hook with a visual is one of the most engaging speech attention grabbers.

There is power in asking the audience to conjure up their imagination, to play along. You can easily adapt this tactic to any topic where you want the audience to imagine a positive outcome or a vision of a better tomorrow. You can also use this opening gambit to ask the audience to imagine being in someone else's shoes.

7. Add a little show business.

If you’re looking for ideas on how to make a hook that's entertaining, consider the world of movies. Movies occupy a central place in most people's lives and a well-placed, pertinent movie quote at the start of a presentation can perk up your audience. Perhaps you have your own inspirational quote from a favorite film. You can also find some classics here:  The Best Business Wisdom Hidden In Classic Movie Quotes .

8. Arouse curiosity.

Powerful attention grabbers spark people's curiosity. To do this, you can start with a statement designed to arouse interest and make the audience look up and listen to you attentively. Bestselling author Dan Pink does this masterfully in  one  of his talks. He says: "I need to make a confession, at the outset. A little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret. Something that I am not particularly proud of, something that in many ways I wished no one would ever know, but that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal. In the late 1980s, in a moment of youthful indiscretion, I went to law school." The hook here leads to some self-deprecating humor, which makes it even more effective.

9. Use quotations differently.

Often-used hook ideas involve the use of quotes. While many speakers start with an apt quotation, you can differentiate by stating the quote and adding a twist. For example, "We've all heard that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. But we need to remember that a journey to nowhere also starts with a single step." You can also use a quotation from your own life. For example, in a presentation on price versus quality, I have often used a quote from my grandfather, who used to say: "I am not rich enough to buy cheap."

There are numerous sources for quotations, such as  The Library of Congress , but you might also consider  The Yale Book of Quotations , which brings together over 13,000 quotes. You can also find such resources in app form, including  Famous Quotes  and  Brilliant Quotes .

10. Quote a foreign proverb.

A novel attention grabber for speeches is quoting a proverb from a culture your audience might not be familiar with. There is a wealth of fresh material to be culled from around the world. Chances are your listeners have never heard them, so they have novelty appeal. Here are some examples: "Our last garment is made without pockets" (Italy); "You'll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind" (Ireland); "The nail that sticks up will be hammered down" (Japan), and "Paper can't wrap up a fire" (China). Whatever phrase you select,  take the time to read and understand any important context around it, so as to make sure it's appropriate for your talk.

11. Take them through a "what if" scenario. 

A compelling way to start your presentation is with a "what if" scenario. For example, asking "What if you were debt-free?" at the start of a money management presentation might grab your listeners' attention as it asks them to look forward to a positive future and it can intensify their desire for your product or service. Exploring hook ideas that use a "what if" scenario may be fruitful as the "what if" concept is easily adaptable to almost any presentation.

12. Tell them a story. 

The most engaging and widespread examples of hooks, without a doubt, are stories. Nothing will compel listeners to lean in more than a well-told story.  Science  tells us that our brains are hardwired for storytelling. But the story needs to be brief, with just the right amount of detail to bring it to life. It must be authentic and have a "message," or lesson, to support your viewpoint. Above all, it must be kind. 

A version of this article was originally published on April 11, 2013. 

Photo: Getty Images

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How to Craft a Memorable Message, According to Science

• Charan Ranganath

Four ways to make your point in a way that sticks.

Numerous researches have shown that we forget much of what we experience in a day. Knowing this, how do you create messages so there is a better chance of people remembering them? The author uses concepts from memory science to help you craft messages — whether it’s a presentation, an email, or a speech — that will be likely to stick. One way to craft a memorable message is to chunk it up. Explicitly tie together the points that you want to convey under the umbrella of a central idea. With this approach, your listener can stitch the pieces together in a meaningful way and build a rich memory for that material. Or, when communicating about a complex topic, you can make your message memorable with a concrete example instead of something vague. Remember to provide callbacks as recalling something that we previously learned can make it stronger and easier to access when we will need it. Lastly, spark their curiosity. The key to memorable communication lies not in conveying the answer, but in establishing a compelling question.

Imagine sitting in a meeting where someone is giving a presentation. You’re somewhat interested in the topic, and the speaker seems to be doing a good job. The meeting ends, and 30 minutes later, you try to recall what was discussed. You can remember that the coffee was weak, the room was too cold, and the speaker was wearing a pink tie … but you can’t remember what he was talking about.

• Dr. Charan Ranganath is a professor at the Center for Neuroscience and Department of Psychology and the director of the Dynamic Memory Lab at the University of California, Davis, and the author of the book Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory’s Power to Hold On to What Matters (Penguin Random House).

Partner Center

Using inclusive language in your presentations

• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Practice Management

Supercharge Your Presence

November 2022

• Slides (PDF, 3MB)
• Transcript (PDF, 179KB)
• Related resources (PDF, 993KB)

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By using inclusive language, you can help create respectful and welcoming communications that impact more people.

This presentation covers:

• Strategies for promoting psychologically safe, inclusive, respectful, and welcoming environments during presentations and public speaking engagements.
• Strategies to raise awareness, guide learning, and support the use of culturally sensitive terms and phrases that center the voices and perspectives of those who are often marginalized or stereotyped.
• Role of psychologists’ use of inclusive language in advancing principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

This program does not offer CE credit.

Vanessa Hintz, PsyD

A licensed clinical psychologist, workshop leader, and keynote speaker. She currently serves as the senior director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Engagement and Outreach for the American Psychological Association. In her career, Hintz has worked in various clinical settings with children, adolescents, and adults with a wide array of presenting issues. She is an active proponent of multicultural practice and theory and works dynamically to understand how individuals make meaning of the world within their various cultural contexts. Hintz is also a self-proclaimed "Psych Geek," and incorporates elements of popular culture into her work when beneficial. Hintz has engaged with practitioners and scholars in the fields of academia, consultation, and training, utilizing expertise in psychology and human behavior to provide insights focused on principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

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Should you refinance your mortgage now that rates are falling? What experts say

By Sharon Wu

Edited By Angelica Leicht

August 27, 2024 / 9:45 AM EDT / CBS News

Over the last couple of years, sky-high mortgage rates have made mortgage loan refinancing less appealing for homeowners. Those who got low mortgage rates during the pandemic saw no reason to refinance. Meanwhile, those with higher rates often found closing costs would eat up potential savings.

But the tide may be turning — and it could affect your mortgage decisions. While interest rates are still high compared to historical averages, they've recently dropped to a 15-month low . If you secured a loan in the last 18 months, you might wonder: "Is it time to refinance? Could I save money by acting now? Or should I see if rates drop further?"

To help you make an informed choice, we spoke with seasoned mortgage loan consultants. They shared their perspectives on when to refinance, when to hold off and what considerations you should weigh.

Find out the top mortgage loan rates you could qualify for here .

Should you refinance your mortgage now that rates are falling? 

The answer to that question is: It depends. Factors such as your current financial situation, the rate you initially secured and how long you've had your mortgage determine whether refinancing is the right move .

When refinancing could make sense

Refinancing is typically wise when it leads to significant savings over time. Josh Green, loan originator at Barrett Financial Group, suggests that a rate drop of 0.75% to 1% often justifies refinancing. This reduction typically covers the closing costs and associated expenses, allowing you to start saving money sooner.

Green points out the importance of looking at the breakeven point — which is the time it takes for your savings to outweigh the refinancing costs. 

"In my opinion, you should aim to lower your monthly payment enough to cover those costs within 24 months or less," Green says.

Rhonda Hummel, mortgage consultant at Prosperity Home Mortgage, adds that other factors can make refinancing attractive. 

"Home values have increased, lowering the loan-to-value (LTV) for some borrowers, which could lead to a better rate," Hummel says. 

For example, if your home's value increased from $300,000 to $350,000 while you still owe $270,000, your LTV would drop from 90% to around 77% — potentially qualifying you for a better rate.

Your credit score can also impact your decision. If it has improved since your original mortgage, you might qualify for more favorable terms . Even a small boost in your score could translate to big savings over your loan's lifetime.

Start comparing your mortgage loan options and find the right options now .

When it may be better to refinance later

Even when the numbers are favorable at first glance, refinancing isn't always the best long-term strategy. Hummel shares an example that illustrates this complexity: "If you had a $1,000,000 loan at 7.50% and today's rate is 7.00%, with closing costs of $4,500 for a 'No Point' refinance, you'd save $338 monthly. The breakeven point would be eight months."

While this scenario meets the typical criteria for a beneficial refinance, "you could end up paying multiple fees on several refinances if rates continue to fall," Hummel says. This highlights a key consideration: Refinancing too frequently can erode potential savings through repeated closing costs.

You also want to look at the size of your mortgage loan . 

"The benefits of refinancing are influenced by the loan size as many costs to refinance are static," says Dean Rathbun, loan officer at United American Mortgage Corporation. 

For mortgages under $250,000, the standard 1% rate reduction often doesn't generate enough savings to justify the costs. In these cases, waiting for a larger rate drop or exploring other financial strategies might be more prudent than rushing into a mortgage refi.

Factors to consider before refinancing

Before you commit to refinancing, our experts suggest thinking about these key factors:

• Length of stay: How long you plan to remain in your home affects the potential savings from refinancing.
• Loan term: Shortening your mortgage loan term can help you save on interest, while extending it may lower payments but increase the total interest paid.
• Future life changes: Consider upcoming events like retirement that could impact your future income and qualifying ability.
• Market timing: Weigh the risks of waiting for potentially lower rates against current savings opportunities.

The bottom line

Though no one has a crystal ball for a mortgage interest rate forecast, Green believes we're in the early stages of a rate-dropping cycle. "If the Federal Reserve goes through with a rate cut, mortgage interest rates could continue to drop for the next 12 months or even longer," he says. But waiting comes with risks. If you bought at peak rates and have a sizable loan, refinancing now could start saving you money. Holding out might lead to better rates later — but future market conditions are uncertain.

Your best mortgage move ? Talk to several lenders. Know and discuss your options, get personalized rate quotes and be prepared to act quickly when the conditions are right. The ideal time to refinance is when it makes sense for your unique situation — not when rates hit a certain number.

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Borrowing to invest? The CRA just clarified the rules on interest deductibility

Jamie Golombek: New case examples help clarify which investments meet the ‘earning income’ test

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Earlier this month, the Canada Revenue Agency updated its comprehensive folio on the topic of interest deductibility , and while most of the changes aren’t of interest to the average taxpayer, the folio has been revised to add a reference to more recent case law on the meaning of the phrase, “for the purpose of earning income from a business or property.”  

Borrowing to invest? The CRA just clarified the rules on interest deductibility Back to video

As a refresher, under the Income Tax Act , interest expense is considered to be a capital expense, and is not deductible unless it meets specific requirements. First, it must be an amount paid or payable under a legal obligation to pay interest, and the amount must be reasonable. In addition, when funds are borrowed, the money must have been acquired for the purpose of earning income from a business or earning income from property (i.e. investment income.)  

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The updated folio confirmed that the phrase “for the purpose of earning income from a business or property” does not include a reasonable expectation of capital gains , referencing a 2017 Tax Court decision. This concept has caused some confusion among investors who regularly ask about writing off interest expense to buy investments that don’t generate income, and are primarily held to earn a capital gain over time.  

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Fortunately, the CRA takes a lenient approach, depending on the facts. For example, where funds are borrowed to make an investment that carries a stated interest or dividend rate, the income-earning test will be met and interest will generally be deductible “absent a sham or window dressing or similar vitiating circumstance.” It’s important to note that the rate or amount of interest or income earned on the investment need not be higher than the interest expense to entitle you to write off the entire expense, nor does it restrict the interest deduction to the amount of income earned.  

For example, if you borrow at five per cent to purchase an investment that only yields three per cent, you can still deduct the entire five per cent interest expense, and aren’t capped by the three per cent income on the investment (absent a sham, etc.)  

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Where an investment doesn’t carry a stated interest or dividend rate, such as is the case with most common shares, the CRA generally considers interest costs on funds borrowed to purchase common shares to be tax deductible on the basis that at the time the shares are acquired, “there is a reasonable expectation that the common shareholder will receive dividends.”  

But, the CRA notes, it is conceivable that in certain situations, this reasonable expectation may not be present. For example, if a corporation has stated that it does not pay dividends and that dividends are not expected to be paid in the foreseeable future such that shareholders are required to sell their shares in order to realize their value, the purpose test will not be met and interest won’t be tax deductible if you borrowed to purchase those shares.  

Fortunately, however, the CRA’s administrative position, as detailed in the folio, is that if a corporation is silent with respect to its dividend policy, or its policy is that dividends will be paid “when operational circumstances permit,” the purpose test will be met and interest would generally be deductible on funds borrowed to make those investments. The CRA takes the same position with respect to mutual fund investments.  

In the folio, the CRA provides two examples of common share investments. In the first, X Corp. is an investment vehicle designed to provide only a capital return to the investors in its common shares. Its corporate policy is that dividends will not be paid, that corporate earnings will be reinvested to increase the value of the shares, and that shareholders are required to sell their shares to a third-party in a fixed number of years in order to realize their value. In this situation, since it’s not reasonable to expect any income from such an investment, any interest expense on money borrowed to acquire X Corp. shares would not be deductible.  

By contrast, Y Corp. is raising capital by issuing common shares. Its business plans indicate that its cash flow will be required to be reinvested for the foreseeable future, but it discloses to its shareholders that dividends will only be paid when operational circumstances permit or when it believes that shareholders could make better use of the cash. In this situation, according to the CRA, the income-earning purpose test will be met and any interest on money borrowed to purchase Y Corp. shares would be deductible.  

The folio also reviews a variety of other interest deductibility scenarios that investors may find useful, specifically related to the “use” of borrowed funds. Over the years, the Supreme Court of Canada, through its various decisions, has made it clear that when it comes to interest deductibility, it’s the current use of the funds, and not the original use that’s relevant, meaning that taxpayers must establish a link between the money that was borrowed and its current use, for the interest paid on those borrowed funds to be tax deductible.  

In a simple situation, where one investment is simply replaced with another, linking the original borrowing with its current use is straightforward. As a result, where one investment is sold and the proceeds are used to acquire another investment, interest on the borrowed money that was used to acquire the first investment will continue to be deductible to the extent that the borrowing is reflected in the cost of the new investment. 

For example, let’s say you borrowed funds to buy stock of ABC Corp. You decide to sell those shares and you subsequently use all of the proceeds of the sale to acquire shares of XYZ Inc. In this case, the interest would generally continue to be tax deductible.  

Now, what if the shares of XYZ ultimately become worthless? Would the interest payable on the outstanding loan still be deductible, even in an extreme case where XYZ Inc. has filed for bankruptcy and eventually no longer exists?  

You may be surprised to learn that the answer is yes. Under the “disappearing source” rules, also discussed in the folio, where borrowed money was originally used for the purpose of earning income but it can no longer be traced to any income earning use, under the tax act, the borrowed money is nonetheless deemed to be used for the purpose of earning income which enables interest on this amount to continue to be tax deductible.  

Jamie Golombek , FCPA, FCA, CFP, CLU, TEP, is the managing director, Tax & Estate Planning with CIBC Private Wealth in Toronto. [email protected] .

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3 Ways to Make the Most of Your College Experience

Quarter at aggie square has an experience for every interest.

• by Angela Taylor
• May 02, 2022

Your college experience should be much more than selecting a major and taking required classes to obtain a degree. Your college experience should challenge you to explore what you want to do in the future, enhance your critical thinking skills through hands-on learning, and help you build meaningful relationships. The Quarter at Aggie Square Program (QAS) at UC Davis offers all three of these important elements of college. In this interdisciplinary program, cohorts of 25 students or fewer take several classes together while working at an internship organization — all based around a social issue or theme. Together, they learn from highly engaged professors at UC Davis’ urban Sacramento campus. 

1. Explore immersive education and internships

There are so many new and exciting ways to gain experience that some students are unsure where to begin. Determine some of the topics or issue areas you are interested in and seek out resources, such as the Internship and Career Center . Students enrolled in Quarter at Aggie Square (QAS) are not only learning about the topics they care about in their classes, but also participating in internship or research projects related to these topics in the same quarter. A unique part of the program is that you work directly with community-based partners or professors who have expertise. You collaborate with each other to make a positive impact. Internships coupled with reflective assignments help you develop skills that can give you a competitive advantage and help you clarify your future aspirations. 

Pro tip : Employers love to see applicants with related or transferable experience. Participating in a QAS cohort gives you the experience you need to stand out on job applications . 

Current Quarter at Aggie Square Experiences

• Biomedical Engineering  
• Transformative Justice Studies
• Plants, People and the Planet
• Health Politics and Policy
• Advancing Healthcare Equity
• Immigration, Refugees, and Human Rights

2. Engage with your community

QAS students engage with the community they are learning about, which gives them a unique understanding of the fields they are interested in. What does this look like over the course of a quarter? One of the unique parts of QAS is that each student takes part in an internship related to their courses for that quarter, and they work directly with communities in Sacramento. Students learn firsthand about local issues, and they often relate these issues back to their home communities as well.

Students engage directly with the community and interact with guest lecturers from community partners and members. QAS students are encouraged to think critically from a variety of angles and examine related policies as well as historical, current and future impacts to consider tangible solutions. This firsthand experience helps students learn how to be an effective part of the solutions that communities want.

Another part of what students gain from the QAS experience is self-development and self-discovery. Many of the experiences critically analyze issues that are relevant to students. By engaging with these issues, students are able to discover more about themselves and the communities around them that will help them become effective global citizens and consider options for their future. 

It’s just about community. It’s about community building. It’s about people who come from different races, different ethnicities, different backgrounds. We collectively come up with an educational plan or a vision of what we want the future to be like as an educator.” — Silana Smith, Transformative Justice Studies Cohort 

3. Build meaningful relationships

Developing professional networking skills and building lasting relationships can be hard as a college student. QAS offers an opportunity to build such relationships. Because you are engaging with a small group of students, your relationships with the faculty are easier to maintain and grow because you spend more time together. If you need a recommendation letter for any reason, reaching out to your QAS professor would garner you a personalized and thorough recommendation letter. The faculty members know you better after working closely with you.

Due to the nature of a low student-faculty ratio during the course of the quarter, the faculty get to know the students’ interests, aspirations and strengths. Students build meaningful relationships with their peers who have similar interests and often take classes with each other after their Quarter at Aggie Square experience. 

As you consider what you want for your overall college experience, seek out programs and opportunities to learn beyond the classroom so that you can make informed decisions about your future. With the help of your advisors, plan these kinds of experiences into your academic path. Develop a network of peers, professors, and others who will support you on your journey. Become critically aware of issues that matter to your community and learn more about yourself through new experiences to enhance your college experience and beyond. 

Angela Taylor is the program lead of Quarter at Aggie Square.  Contact her to learn more at [email protected] .

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5 chatgpt prompts to instantly improve your working relationships.

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5 ChatGPT prompts to instantly improve your working relationships

Life is too short to have consistent conflicts with the people you work with. If your interactions are hostile and you’re falling out with colleagues, something is wrong. Get on a different trajectory with a few simple moves. Become everyone’s favorite boss, supplier or team member. Have people lining up to work with you. Here’s exactly how.

ChatGPT can help you improve your working relationships to be infinitely more productive, calm and sustainable, so you can achieve new levels of success. Copy, paste and edit the square brackets in ChatGPT, and keep the same chat window open so the context carries through.

Improve your working relationships with ChatGPT: prompts for workplace harmony

Practice extreme empathy.

Everyone you meet is fighting a battle of their own. They have insecurities, doubts and anxiety. They have demons they are still fighting. You’re not the only one with problems, but it’s easy to forget. For better working relationships, get on a level with the other person. Understand where they are coming from, know their hopes and fears, and go far together.

“Help me develop extreme empathy for my colleagues. Ask me to describe 5 challenging work situations I've faced recently, which involved another team member. For each scenario, guide me through a series of questions to explore the other person's perspective, including their potential fears, pressures, and motivations. After each exploration, summarize key insights and suggest how I could approach the situation with more empathy.”

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Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, read between the lines.

Most people aren’t direct. If your working relationships are less than perfect, your colleagues are probably not saying exactly what they mean. Get better at deciphering their phrases and understanding what to do. Ask direct questions with all the information to hand. Use transcripts and emails to read between the lines and make the most informed decisions possible.

“Train me to better interpret indirect communication at work. I'll provide 5 examples of unclear or ambiguous messages I've received from colleagues. For each one, break down the possible underlying meanings, considering factors like company culture, the sender's role, and our relationship (asking clarifying questions about these topics if context is required). Then, suggest non-confrontational follow-up questions I could ask to clarify the true intent.”

Regularly say thanks

Here’s the problem with saying well done: it only flows one way. Giving praise creates a clear hierarchy in a company, which isn’t what you want. Get on the same level by practicing gratitude instead. Tell someone why you’re grateful for them, what you’re thankful they did, and how much you appreciate their effort. Before you know it they’ll be mirroring the sentiments.

“Guide me in creating a gratitude process for me to follow with my colleagues. Ask me about different roles and responsibilities in my team or company. For each person I want to thank, help me identify specific actions or qualities I could express gratitude for. Then, create draft phrases and sentences I should use during my next conversation with them.”

Stay on the same team

It’s not you versus me. It’s you plus me, versus the problem. Never forget that you’re on the same side as everyone you’re working with. Nothing good happens when you’re against other people. You waste energy in the wrong places and it costs your business progress. This isn’t a race, it’s a rollercoaster. Stay on the same team as everyone you work with to improve your working relationships and make work a game. Make consistent progress with less of the conflict.

“Help me reframe workplace a challenge as a collaborative opportunity. Initiate a conversation where you ask me to describe a recent situation where I felt at odds with a colleague. Then, your task is to guide me through reframing the issue as 'us versus the problem' instead of 'me versus them.' Suggest specific phrases I could use to promote teamwork and shared goals.”

Change your language

Unless you’re careful with what you say, other people will get defensive. They’ll scramble to explain themselves, become flustered during meetings, or just talk about you behind your back. Do something different. Master the art of nonviolent communication with a few simple tweaks. Change confrontational questions like “why didn’t you…” to collaborative conversations starters such as “help me understand.” ChatGPT can identify exactly where you went wrong.

“Analyze my communication style for potential triggers and help me adopt non-violent communication techniques. I'll provide examples of how I typically phrase feedback or concerns at work. For each example, identify any confrontational language and rewrite it using non-violent communication principles. Explain the key changes and how they improve the message's reception. After reviewing the examples, give me 3 general rules for transforming my workplace language and suggest how I can practice these new communication skills daily. [Paste examples of emails or instant messages or write things you’d said.]”

Get on better with colleagues: ChatGPT prompts for better working relationships

Work isn’t fun when you’re in constant conflict. It’s not productive either. But it doesn’t need to be that way. Practice extreme empathy to meet the other person on their level, and read between the lines of what they say. Regularly say thanks instead of offering praise, stay on the same team no matter what, and change your language for productive conversations. Your professional relationships could be transformed with a few simple steps. Let’s get to work.

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