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• Presentations
• Public Speaking

The Complete Guide to Making Great Business Presentations in 2024

Introduction

Are you ready to consume a comprehensive treasure trove of the best presentation ideas and techniques for 2024? 

This ultimate guide is over 16 thousand words with nine full chapters of helpful and up-to-date information. 

It takes you through the complete presentation process from start to end. It includes good PowerPoint presentation examples you can easily follow.

It's packed with comprehensive easy-to-implement steps on making powerful business presentations quickly. It includes expert tips, great presentation design examples, actionable takeaways, and more. 

Download a FREE PDF Copy of Our New eBook on Making Great Business Presentations in 2024

Be sure to bookmark this page now, so you can quickly return to this epic business presentation guide.  Or   download this FREE guide  as a convenient 69 page eBook PDF with quick-action checklist (for easy offline use).

Table of Contents

Jump ahead to any part of this tutorial guide from this Table of Contents. Start learning the specifics on how to make a great business presentation in 2024:

• How to Make a Great (Highly Effective) Business Presentation  
• How to Prevent 18 Common Business Presentation Mistakes (Fails)  
• 25+ Best Business Presentation Tips From the Experts (For Great Results in 2024)
• How to Plan (+Write) a Powerful Business Presentation Quickly
• How to Choose the Best Business Presentation Software for 2024 (+Quick Start Tips)
• How to Design a Killer Business Presentation Like a Creative Professional
• Get Maximum Audience Impact: Give (Deliver) Great Business Presentations
• 7 Creative Ideas That’ll Add Extra Oomph to Any Business Presentation
• 2024 Business Presentation Checklist: To Prepare for Your Next Business Presentation (Step by Step)

Conclusion: Take Action & Make a Great Presentation (Start Now!)

Chapter 1. how to make a great (highly effective) business presentation.

Your business presentation represents an investment. You've invested time in creating it, and you'll invest even more time in giving it. That's why you want to get it right.

In this guide, you'll learn tips and techniques that'll help you give a successful business presentation—a presentation that people remember and that changes minds.

We've gathered together a comprehensive set of business presentation tips and techniques you can really use. Learn from the experts how to make a great presentation. Study these good PowerPoint presentation examples. Follow the step-by-step instructions and you can put together an effective presentation fast. 

In this guide, you'll learn how to:

• Prevent Common Presentation Mistakes.  Learn how to avoid common mistakes that could derail your presentation. If you're new to giving presentations, or if you haven't given a presentation in a while, you'll want to review this section carefully before you start working on your next presentation.
• Plan and Write an Effective Presentation . If you're one of those people who struggle to write the content for your presentation, this is for you. We'll take you through the writing process from finding the right topic to creating a written presentation. All you need to do is follow these seven simple steps.
• Design a Presentation With Impact. Discover the techniques that creative professionals use to build truly eye-catching slides that your audience will remember long after your presentation. Learn how layout, font choice, and color impact how your presentation is received. We'll also discuss how to properly use graphics, media, and other special effects in a business presentation.
• Deliver Your Business Presentation Powerfully . If giving a business presentation is the part you dread the most, you're not alone. We've got you covered. The public speaking hacks you'll learn will help you give your next presentation ( and future business presentations too ) with confidence.
• Add Those Creative Presentation Extras ( Oomph ) . Don't miss this special section that's chock full of interesting ways to help your presentation stand out. The information here is especially useful if your audience will be listening to more than one presentation, such as at a business conference.  

This guide is designed so that you can work throughout from Chapter 1 to Chapter 9 for complete business presentation training. Or, use the jump links in the Table of Contents to go directly to an area you're struggling with.

Download this FREE guide now  as a convenient  69 page eBook PDF with quick-action checklist. You can use this handy PDF set  even when you're not connected to the internet.

Chapter 2. How to Prevent 18 Common Business Presentation Mistakes (Fails)

Nothing’s worse than a presentation that fails. It’s embarrassing and, even worse, it can undermine your message and damage your business brand.

The question is: How can you prevent your business presentation from failing?

We’ll show you exactly what to do to sidestep the most common presentation mistakes. Read this chapter to learn what to do ( and not do ) to avoid a hard fail:

1.  No Research

For a successful presentation, you’ve got to do your homework. Planning and research make the difference between a great business presentation and a bad one.

Your audience can tell if you’re not current on the relevant facts. Not being familiar with your topic undermines your credibility.

Try This: Before you start writing your business presentation, study for it as you would a test. Identify two to three key sources of information. Read each and take notes. Highlight key facts and points.

2.  Reading Your Speech

Too many speakers read their presentation directly from their speaker notes or, even worse, from index cards. Reading a presentation leads to an unnatural speaking style and interferes with your audience rapport.

Try This: Practice your speech so you can say it without looking at your speaker notes. That way you can recall it from memory and deliver naturally. ( It’s okay to have your speaker notes on hand in case you get stuck though .)

3.  Not Enough Practice     

Practice makes the difference between a so-so business presentation and a great business presentation. Too many business professionals are tempted to skip the practice because they're too busy. Don't make this mistake! 

Fortunately, there are ways to work practice into your busy schedule.

Try This : A week before your business presentation, start practicing your speech three times a day. Practice first thing in the morning, once at lunch, and again in the evening. Give at least one of those speeches in front of a friend or family member who can provide constructive criticism.

We'll share more techniques about how to do a good job presenting your presentation later. In the meantime, learn more about how to effectively practice your speech in this tutorial:

4.  Going Over Your Time

For most presentations, you’ve got a set amount of time to give your speech. Going over your assigned time is annoying for your audience. It’s also upsetting for the speaker who comes after you and doesn’t have enough time to finish.

One of the most common causes of going over your allotted time is trying to cover material that’s not really related to your core message.

Try This : Unleash your inner editor. Read through your presentation with a critical eye. Delete anything that’s not part of your core message.

5.  Bad Body Language

When you give your presentation, you’re speaking with your words. But there’s another way you’re communicating to your audience that you may not even be aware of.

A UCLA study  shows that what you say through your body language is as important as the actual words you say. Research shows that over half of your message is conveyed through non-verbal communication. 

A stiff, nervous posture or awkward, nervous gestures can signal that you’re not confident about what you’re saying.

Try This : Smile during your speech. Smiling does more than just make you look friendly. According to Psychology Today , smiling releases neurotransmitters that’ll help you relax. The more relaxed you are, the more natural your body language will be.

6.  Failure to Make Eye Contact

Speakers who make regular eye contact with audience members are perceived as being more trustworthy.

Unfortunately, many speakers are too nervous and forget to make eye contact . Or they’re too shy.

Try This : Does the idea of looking at someone in the audience make you nervous? No worries. This trick will get you through. Choose three points on the wall behind the audience. Take turns looking briefly at each point as you speak.

7.  Lack of Conviction

If you don’t believe or care about what you’re talking about, how do you expect to convince your audience that it’s important?

When it comes to credibility, sincerity and conviction are important.  Make sure that you're confident about the truth and importance of your information.

Try This: It’s time to get honest. Review your presentation carefully and ask yourself: " Do I really care about this?" If your answer is “ no ,” you’re presenting the wrong message.

8.  Bad Design  

A poor presentation design is just as distracting as poor delivery. You don't want your audience spending so much time focusing on how awful, cluttered, or sloppy your presentation looks that they don't hear what you’ve got to say.

How your presentation looks is important. It should appear polished and professional—a look you can’t easily get from free presentation templates.

Try This : Check out the great professional presentation templates available on Envato Elements and GraphicRiver . Each template is carefully created by a professional designer to take advantage of the latest presentation design tools and trends.

9.  Not Enough Visuals

According to BrainRules by John Medina, you’re far more likely to remember information presented with a graphic or photo.  After three days, most listeners only retain about 10% of what they’ve heard. But when a visual is added, the percentage of information retained increases dramatically—to 65%.

Try This : When you can use an image (such as a graph, chart, or photo), do it. If you’re short on professional images, Envato Elements is a good source for professional photos  and other types of high-quality  graphics .

10. Too Much Text on a Slide

The fewer words you use, the better. Your audience isn’t going to read (or remember) long blocks of text. So, keep it brief.

What's even worse: presenters often make their text smaller to get more on a slide—making the slide even less readable. You want to avoid this in your presentation slides. 

For a problem example of what I mean, take a look at this slide below:

Note: This presentation slide example uses  The X Note – PowerPoint Template  from Envato Elements. (You can readily cut the text down in this slide.)

Try This: Keep the total number of words per slide to under 25. If there are more than 25 words, edit the text until you get the number of words on the slide down below 25.

11. Slide Text Too Small to Read

How small is too small? Most experts agree that body text of less than a 24-point font for a business presentation is too small to read.

Look at the difference in readability in the two PowerPoint presentation examples below. Now imagine looking at those slides from across a crowded room.

Take a look at the problem presentation slide above. The headings are done in a 24-point font, and the body text is in a 14-point font. That's hard to read.

In contrast, the headings below use a 48-point font, and the body text uses a 24-point font. It's quite a bit larger and easier to read.

Note: These presentation slide examples use  The X Note – PowerPoint Template from Envato Elements.

Try This : Choose a 28- to 32-point font for your body text, and 32 to 48 points for your headings and subheadings. That way, your audience can read your slides from across a large room.

12. Not Using a Legible Font

The most readable fonts for presentations are sans serif, such as these:

Avoid script and novelty fonts at all costs as they're extremely hard to read. Look at the PowerPoint presentation example below. Which example is easier to read?

Script Font Example

Readable (Sans Serif) Font

Note : These presentation slide examples use  The X Note – PowerPoint Template  from Envato Elements.

A sans serif font appears simpler and easier to read on projection screens. It lacks the extra serifs (small lines at the ends of characters) that are typically added to print font designs.

Try This : Replace novelty fonts in your business presentation with more readable sans serif font types. If you’re not sure whether the fonts on your slides are readable, ask a friend or colleague for their opinion.

13. Too Many Lists

Many presentations have too many lists: both bulleted and numbered. Yet  studies show that lists don’t work well.

In a 2014 study on visualization versus text from The International Journal of Business Communication ,  subjects who were shown a graphic recalled concepts more easily than those shown a bulleted list.

Try This : Use lists sparingly. Shorten lists or create a single slide for each list item. Better yet, use a graphic to explain a presentation idea instead of words.

14. Technical Problems

If your equipment fails, you'll have a tough time giving your presentation.

The best time to find out that your equipment isn’t working isn’t the day of the presentation. You won’t have adequate time to make alternate arrangements.

Try This: Go to your speaking venue the day before your presentation. Hook up your laptop (or other device) to the presentation system. Notice anything that doesn’t work and arrange to get backup equipment. Also, test any equipment you’ll be using during your speech.

15. Not Relating to Your Audience

A huge presentation mistake many speakers make is addressing their business presentation to the wrong audience. The only way to really be sure that your presentation is geared to your audience is to find out as much as you can about them.

You can't engage your audience or hold their attention if you don't really know who you're going to be speaking to.

Try This : If the presentation is for an organization you don’t normally attend, arrange to attend a meeting before the one in which you’ll give your presentation. Get to know your audience as well as possible before presenting.

16. No Next Steps

You’ve finished your presentation, but your audience is left hanging. What should they do next?

The next step may seem obvious to you, but your audience hasn’t made the connection—so they do nothing.

Try This: Be blunt. Tell the audience exactly what action to do next and how to go about doing it. Provide any details they need to take the next step.

17. Poor Choice of Content

Another common presentation mistake is including content that isn’t right for a presentation. The topic may be too broad to cover in the time that’s allowed, or your audience may not have the background needed to understand the topic.

Or you may be using terms your audience doesn’t understand.

Try This : Review your business presentation text carefully. Explain abbreviations or technical terms you plan to use.

18. Unrealistic Expectations

Having the right expectations is important. To start, you should have a clear and attainable goal. What do you expect to achieve with your presentation?

If you don't know what to expect from your presentation, it's already in trouble. Another unrealistic expectation is thinking that your listeners will remember all, or nearly all, of the material you present.

Try This : Decide on the purpose of your speech. Is your purpose to convince investors to take a chance on your startup? Or is it to persuade customers to buy your product? Include what you need to achieve your goal and leave out the rest.

3 Newsworthy Public Business Presentation Mistakes (With Real Examples)

You’ve just learned how to avoid the most common presentation mistakes. And in case you’re thinking that these types of presentation mistakes don’t happen often—think again.

Business presentation failure is much more common than you might imagine. Here are three common (and even famous) business presentation mistakes:

1  Unexpected Equipment Failure

This famous presentation example just goes to show that equipment failure can happen to anyone.

Former Microsoft executive Steven Sinofsky was giving a speech to launch the new Surface tablet—when suddenly the equipment stopped working.

Sinofsky did try to get through the situation gracefully, quickly swapping the non-working device for another. You can see the presentation here:

2  Too Much, Too Small

It looks as if this presenter had a lot of great data to share. It’s too bad that they felt compelled to put 14 bullet points (in a small font) on a single page.

Hopefully, the audience was interested enough in the topic to stay engaged:

3 Forgetting What to Say

You’ve seen this common presentation mistake on television a dozen times. A celebrity or public figure is giving a speech, and suddenly they stop.

What happens next makes all the difference in the world. A good tactic when you forget part of your speech is to simply admit it to the audience and take a minute or two to recover.

Even experienced speakers sometimes forget what to say. Watch the news clip below as a news reporter forgets their lines, and notice how they handle it:

Admitting you made a presentation mistake makes you seem relatable to the audience. So, what’s the worst thing you can do when you forget what to say next? According to most experts, your audience will see right through it if you try to pretend nothing is wrong.

What's Next?

You've just learned about 18 common business presentation mistakes and how to avoid them. Learn even more here:

You might be wondering: 

Are there other presentation tips I can use to make my business presentation more effective?

That’s what I’m going to cover next in this guide. You’ll learn more presentation tips and techniques to help you create a great business presentation. We’ll also explain how to avoid business presentation mistakes in more depth.

Chapter 3. 25+ Best Business Presentation Tips From the Experts (For Great Results in 2024)

You want to learn how to give an effective presentation, and you want to learn fast!

The best way to learn something is from someone who’s already doing it successfully. That’s why we’ve gathered over 25 great presentation tips from public-speaking experts from around the world. Look no further for winning presentation ideas.

Get unique insights from the business presentation tips for public speaking that we’ve gathered here. Discover presentation tips on how to prepare yourself and presentation skills tips for what to do on the day of your presentation and beyond. 

I’ve divided these presentation tips into:

• Tips for Before Your Presentation
• Tips for During Your Presentation
• Tips for After Your Presentation

Are you ready to start learning from these effective presentation (skills) tips?

Let’s get started…

Effective Business Presentation Tips for Before Your Speech

Get started quickly with these expert tips for a good presentation:

1. Pay Attention to Your Introduction & Closing

Pay extra attention to how you begin and end your business presentation. Your beginning and ending make the biggest impact on your audience.

Textbook author and speaking instructor Mark Powell points out the importance of the opening and close as follows:

“Research shows that audiences remember the first and last few minutes of a presentation long after they’ve forgotten most of what was said in the middle.”

For Powell’s whole lesson on how to effectively open and close a presentation, view the video (including business presentation examples):

Find even more effective presentation tips about starting and closing a presentation here:

2. Stand Up When You Practice

If you're practicing your presentation from the comfort of your armchair, you're doing it wrong.  Jennefer Witter , the CEO/Founder of the Boreland Group Inc., explains: 

"Most of us are seated when rehearsing. However, I strongly suggest you do at least one rehearsal standing up. Most speaking engagements require you to stand. Get comfortable talking on your feet."

Read the rest of Witter’s advice on how to prepare for a presentation in this article on the  Ellevate Network .

This Envato Tuts+ tutorial provides more excellent presentation skills tips for rehearsing your business presentation:

3. Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Public Speaking

To succeed in business,   communication skills—speaking and writing—are key.  Don’t make the mistake of overlooking these vital areas.

Indra Nooyi, board member at Amazon and former PepsiCo executive, said:

“You cannot over-invest in communication skills—written and oral communication skills...”

Read more about what Nooyi had to say about the importance of investing in communication skills in this  Forbes  article. 

4. Write a Presentation That Sounds Good

You may be used to writing business papers and reports that are meant to be read. But what works for a written report won’t work for a live audience .

Senior communications executive Karen Addis puts it like this: 

“Write for the ear, not for the eye. What reads fine on paper may be a mouthful when spoken.”

You’ll find more effective business presentation tips from Addis on the GuideStar blog . We'll also share  exactly how to write an effective presentation later in this guide.

5. Use an Outline

An outline is a key element to help you get started. A good outline helps you organize your speech. It also helps ensure that you don't leave any presentation ideas out.

2001 Toastmasters world champion speaker Darren LaCroix calls an outline: 

"The second most important step in the process of creating a great speech."

Today, LaCroix trains others on how to speak successfully through the Stage Time University training program . For more on what LaCroix has to say about outlines, watch the YouTube video here:

6. Your Presentation Is About Your Audience

Too many speakers focus their presentation on themselves. They make the speech about what they’re trying to say or how they feel.

Your presentation isn't about you. Author and blogger Seth Godin points this out: 

“The members of the audience are interested in themselves. The audience wants to know what they can use, what they can learn, or at the very least, how they can be entertained.”

Read Godin’s entire blog post to discover more  about speaking in public.

7. Know Your Message

Your audience won’t get your message unless you’ve focused in on it. Figure out what your message is before you give your presentation.

Speech and message coach Michelle Mazur explains:

"My one piece of advice is to get clear on the ONE and only one message that you want your audience to remember. Research shows that most audiences forget 80%-90% of what they hear a speaker say within 24-hours of hearing that speaker. If you want to be memorable, get clear on that one core message and drive that point home in your speech."

Mazur is the author of several books on speaking and thought leadership. Mazur also founded a company that helps speakers and businesspeople become thought leaders.

8. Don’t Underestimate the Power of a Story

Storytelling is a powerful way to get your audience’s attention—and keep it. Learn how to tell a good story, and your presentation will be better for it.

Lisa Bloom is a  consultant, trainer , and author of  Cinderella and the Coach - the Power of Storytelling for Coaching Success! Bloom also has an extensive background in training and development in large, multinational organizations.

Here’s what Bloom’s got to say about the importance of storytelling: 

"Using story in your presentation awakens your creativity while providing a refreshing perspective to re-energize and engage your audience and move them to action. If you want your presentation to have impact, you need to tell powerful stories."

"Let’s say you have a high-stake opportunity; you need to make a very specific impression—to close a deal or secure funding. You may not get a second chance. By using the right story at the right time, you can access your authentic, inspired self while learning to creatively articulate your vision & ideas. This means you get to connect deeply, contribute widely and inspire the people that matter."

9. Know What You’re Selling

If you're giving a business presentation, you're likely selling something. Do you know what it is? If not, your presentation is already in trouble.

Marissa Mayer, CEO of Lumi Labs (formerly CEO of Yahoo) puts it this way:

“Our theory is, if you need the user to tell you what you're selling, then you don't know what you're selling, and it's probably not going to be a good experience."

Find more inspiring Marissa Mayer quotes at Inc.

10. Your Purpose as a Speaker

You may think you know the purpose of your business presentation. But there’s one purpose to your business presentation that’s the same no matter who's giving it.

Chris Anderson is the curator of  TED  (the organization that gives us TED Talks) and also a TED speaker. Here’s Anderson’s insight on what all great speeches have in common:

“Your number one task as a speaker is to transfer into your listeners’ minds an extraordinary gift, a strange and beautiful object that we call an idea.”

Watch Anderson explain the importance of sharing ideas and other TED Talk presentation tips below:

11. Tell Your Audience What to Do Next

You've almost finished your speech, but you're not done yet. Don’t assume your audience knows what to do after your presentation. You’ve got to tell them what to do next.

Digital Content Strategist and international speaker  Donna Moritz  helps businesses leverage the power of visual storytelling and content strategy. Moritz advises that speakers provide the audience with actionable takeaways:

"Ensure that you focus on key, actionable takeaways that your audience will remember and can easily implement. This means one key point per slide - even eliminate dot points altogether - and use stories to bring home those key points. We remember well-told stories way beyond any slide or speaker, so match the power of storytelling with powerful, visual slides. It will make you a more memorable speaker. And more importantly it will make your message so memorable that your audience will take action!"

Excellent Presentation Skills Tips to Use During Your Speech

When it’s time to make your presentation, turn to these excellent presentation skills tips for public speaking.

12. It's Okay to Be Silent

You don't have to talk all the time. Being quiet connects you with your audience.

Here's what veteran speaker Dan Pallotta has to say about the value of silence:

"Be silent and look at the audience. Five seconds. Seven seconds. Just taking them in. Connecting with them. But never do it for effect. Do it to get intimate with your audience."

You’ll find more of Pallotta's effective presentation tips in this  Harvard Business Review article .

13. Care About Your Topic

If you don’t care about your topic, your audience will pick up on that. And if you don’t care, they’re likely to wonder why they should care.

Author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek discusses the importance of caring about your topic:

"I’m often asked, “How did you become such a good presenter?” and I like to joke that I cheat. I only talk about things that I care about, and I only talk about things that I understand. You can’t manufacture passion. You can manufacture energy. You can bounce on the stage and scream and yell. That’s not passion; that’s too much caffeine."   (Source:  YouTube )

Sinek’s TED Talk , “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” is one of the most popular talks of all time. 

14. Be Authentic

In a recent interview with the Rotarian , award-winning speaker Dananjaya Hettiarachchi addressed the need for speakers to be authentic during their presentations: 

“One of the most important elements is to be authentic. Your voice is as unique as your fingerprint. Your voice, tone, rate, pitch, and volume tell who you are. People need to buy in to you before they buy in to what you’re saying or selling.”

Most audiences can spot it if you’re being insincere. And you’ll lose their interest.

Hettiarachchi is the CEO and founder of an HR company. He’s also the 2014 Toastmasters World Speaking Champion. Read the complete interview transcript on Hettiarachchi’s blog, I See Something In You .

15. It’s Normal to be Nervous

If you’re nervous about giving your presentation, know that you’re not alone. Even the rich and successful get nervous about public speaking.

According to The Times , British Royal Prince Harry suffers from stage fright. Here’s what that feels like in the prince’s own words:

"My secret is -- believe it or not -- I get incredibly nervous before public speaking, no matter how big the crowd or the audience and, um, despite the fact that I laugh and joke all the time I get incredibly nervous, if not anxious, actually, before going into rooms full of people when I'm wearing a suit... And now that I've confessed that, I'll probably be even more worried that people are looking at me."

16. Let Your Nerves Empower You

Are you nervous about your business presentation? You’re in good company. Even celebrities and public figures get nervous in front of crowds.

A former NFL player for the Houston Oilers, Bo Eason today coaches people to become better presenters and storytellers. Eason describes how nerves can actually be helpful:

"Back when I was performing my play, “Runt of the Litter”, my hands would shake like crazy every time I stepped on stage. My coach at the time would say, “That’s not nerves, it’s love. You want to be good. You love and honor the audience. That’s called love, not nerves. It’s okay." "Eventually… my nerves became fuel and the shaking did stop. But sometimes, even now, they’ll still shake. It’s just how it is; I care. I like when people care. Nerves are your jet fuel. Don’t try to pretend you don’t have them." ( YouTube )

17. Avoid Dry Mouth

Here’s a very real challenge many speakers face, but seldom talk about. Dry mouth.

Dry mouth happens when your mouth doesn’t produce enough saliva. And it can be triggered by stress.

John Zimmer, attorney and accomplished public speaker, has ten effective presentation tips to help you avoid dry mouth. Here’s our favorite from the list:

“Chew citrus-flavoured gum or a lozenge before speaking, but don’t forget to spit it out before going on stage!”

I like this tip because of how practical it is. You might not always have access to water, but it's easy to slip a pack of gum into your pocket before giving a presentation. 

Explore the complete list of Zimmer’s great presentation tips for dealing with dry mouth on the blog, Manner of Speaking.

18. Lean on Your Slides

Every speaker dreads forgetting what they’re talking about. But Rand Fishkin offers an effective business presentation tip for just that situation:

“Lean on your slides. If you have trouble remembering a story perfectly and telling it well, lean on your slides to help guide you through with visuals to convey each part of the story. “

Fishkin is best known as the founder and former CEO of the popular Moz  site and more recently the host of Whiteboard Friday . Fishkin is also an accomplished public speaker.

Read the complete interview with Fishkin at the Wistia for Marketing blog . 

Later in the guide, you'll learn how to create eye-catching slides that'll capture your listener's attention.

19. Your Voice Is Important

You may not think about your voice, but your voice is an important tool for your presentation. Learning how to use it properly will make you a more effective speaker.

Vocal coach  to celebrities and one of the world’s leading authorities on voice, Roger Love talks about the importance of your voice:

"Start thinking about what you SOUND LIKE. Your voice is the most powerful communication tool you possess. A 2017 Yale study proved that we have learned to lie with our words and our body language, but the sounds of your voice reveal authenticity and truth.

Learn how to use melody, volume, pitch, and pace to create sounds that move people emotionally. When you find your voice, you find your self-confidence, your storytelling ability, your charisma, and your influence. Only then can you create effective and outstanding business presentations."

20. Move Wisely

When you give your presentation, make your movements count . If you look aimless or awkward, it’ll make your audience uncomfortable.

The 2018 winner of the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking agrees. Ramona Smith explains how paying attention to movement helped:

"I used to pace for no reason," Smith told Business Insider. "My movements weren't on purpose. I didn't have intentional movement. But I learned that you need to move with each point. So plant your feet, say what you have to say, move on to your next point."

You can find more of Smith’s public speaking advice on Business Insider .

21. Relax and Be Natural

Too many business speakers stand stiffly, making unnatural gestures. Or they fill their speech with flowery words they’d never use in real life.

Famed entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson favors a different approach. Here’s the public speaking advice Branson gave (via Inc .).

"Picture yourself in a living room having a chat with your friends. You would be relaxed and comfortable talking to them, the same applies when public speaking."

Effective Presentation Tips for After Your Speech

The tips below help you make the most of something most business presenters forget to think about. What happens after a presentation?

Here are some business presentation tips for what you should do when you're done speaking.

22. Ask for Feedback

One of the biggest questions most speakers have after their business presentation is whether it went well. Author and speech coach Suzannah Baum shares one presentation idea to find that out:

“When my presentation was done, I sought out the event planner immediately to get her feedback, put in terms of 'Did the content meet your objectives?'"

You’ll find more of Baum’s insights on the blog, Bring Power to Your Words .

23. Don’t Skip the Q&A Session

At the end of your presentation, give your listeners a chance to ask questions . A question and answer session lets you address any concerns members of your audience have. The right answers to an important question may even close the deal.

Professional communicator and author  Stacey Hanke  regularly gives keynote speeches and conducts workshops. Hanke highlights the importance of having a Q&A session as follows:

“Answering a question provides an opportunity for you to bond with those asking, even if the question is challenging. Questions allow you to clarify misunderstandings and set the record straight.”

Discover more of Stacey Hanke’s effective presentation tips in this article, The Best Way to Respond to Questions After a Presentation or Meeting .

24. Questions Are Good

If you think of questions after your presentations as a negative, think again. If the audience is asking questions, that's actually positive, according to former executive and presentation coach  Theodore May .

May puts it this way:

“But questions are not only good, they are essential. The successful presenter wants to be asked questions. …good and even difficult on-topic questions are what you want as a presenter.”

May offers even more tips for creating a great presentation in this article in the CIO digital magazine . 

25. Reconnect With Prospects

You’re not done when your business presentation ends. This is especially true if you made a sales presentation.

Following up with key prospects after a presentation is the important step many business professionals skip.  Follow-up may feel awkward, but it doesn't have to be that way.

Author and sales coach Jill Konrath provides this presentation tip for connecting with prospects:

“Your prospects want to work with someone who's constantly thinking about how they can improve their business. Be that person.”

Read more of Konrath’s presentation follow-up advice in the article, 3 Sales Follow-Up Strategies to Replace “Touching Base” .

You’ll also find follow-up is easier if you’ve got something your prospect is interested in to talk about.

26. Get Feedback

To improve your presentation skills, ask for feedback. Then listen to it.

Feedback lets you know how you did with your presentation. It also tells you what you should do differently the next time.

Founder of Global Public Speaking and Harvard lecturer  Allison Shapira  provides some practical presentation skills tips on how to get feedback. Here’s one of the most useful tips:

“You’ll be tempted to respond with, “yes, but…” and be defensive when receiving the feedback. Simply listen and learn from someone else’s interpretation of your speech.”

If you’re open to it, feedback will help you improve your presentation skills. 

Get Started on Your Presentation

You've just gotten business tips for making effective presentations from over 25 experts. Now it's time to start creating your own great business presentation. 

For more business presentation tips that work and inspiring presentation quotes, study these Tuts+ tutorials:

Next, we’ll share what you need to know about planning and writing great presentations. 

Stay tuned to learn more about how to make (plan and write) a great presentation...

Chapter 4. How to Plan (+Write) a Powerful Presentation Quickly in 7 Simple Steps

Preparation equals success. Planning and writing are your secret weapons for giving a powerful presentation. 

Let’s dive into the presentation writing process.

7 Simple Steps to Plan & Write Your Presentation

The presentation planning/writing process isn’t hard. It can be summed up in seven easy-to-follow presentation writing steps.

Many presenters skip important steps and pay for it when they give a poor presentation. Don’t be one of those underprepared presenters.

Here are the seven steps to follow to plan and write a great presentation:

• Discover Your Purpose
• Study Your Business Presentation Topic
• List Your Main Ideas
• Create a Presentation Outline
• Plan a Presentation Format
• Focus on the Opening & Closing
• Create the Written Presentation

These seven presentation writing steps will help you write a killer business presentation. Let’s look at each one:

Step 1. 5 Easy Questions to Discover Your Presentation’s Purpose

Your presentation’s purpose is what you want to get from your presentation when you’re done. Determining this is the first step in how to give a good presentation. Skip this and you might as well not give a presentation at all.

There are tools you can use to help you pinpoint your purpose. To start, ask yourself these questions:

• Why am I giving this talk?
• What does my business want from this presentation?
• Is the presentation informative?
• Is it a sales presentation?
• Do I want to rally people to my cause?

Once you’ve answered these questions, set a goal. It needs to be specific, and it needs to be measurable. If you’re unsure how to set effective goals, review this Envato Tuts+ tutorial:

The presentation writing process for setting goals for your speech is similar.

Now that you’ve set your goal, focus on it. It’s the reason you’re giving this presentation, after all. Everything in your presentation should advance your goal—especially your business presentation topic.

So how do you choose a presentation topic?

Here’s a Common Scenario

You’re invited to give a presentation at a conference. Your company, a public relations agency, wants five new clients as a result of your presentation. You choose the business presentation topic: How PR Will Help You Find a Winning Brand Identity .

In the example above, you could have chosen to cover all the benefits your PR company offers. But having a topic that broad would mean:

• You don’t cover any one point with enough detail.
• Your presentation runs too long.
• You lose your audience’s attention.

Try This: You should be able to cover your topic in 18 minutes or less. Why is this important? Attention span research from TED Talks shows that audiences can’t pay attention past 18 minutes. More on presentation length later.

Once you’ve discovered your presentation’s purpose, you’re ready to do your research.

Step 2. Be the Expert: Study Your Topic

Not understanding your topic or not getting to know your audience well is a recipe for presentation failure. Even worse—it’ll make you look foolish. Effective speakers study their topic and their audience.

Business Presentation Topic Research Questions

• Is the content accurate?
• Is the information current?
• Are there other sources for the information?

Audience Research Questions:

• What do they already know?
• What will be new information for them?
• What terms do they understand?

If you’ve been asked to speak for an external organization, ask that organization who your audience is and what they already know. Your company should also have some information on prospective customers.

Try This : Use demographic and psychographic studies to learn more about your audience. Facebook Audience Insights  and Google Trends can provide helpful information. Learn more about how to target an audience in these Envato Tuts+ tutorials:

Once you’ve finished your research, it’s time to choose your speaking points.

Step 3. Choose Your Main Points

During your research, you’ve gathered a lot of information. You’ve likely got more than you need.

Narrow it down to the main points that you want to present. Choose the information that’s most important to your audience and to meeting your goal.

List the information you've gathered. Now, review it. Cut anything:

• your audience already knows
• your audience doesn’t need to know
• that doesn’t advance your goal

Think of this presentation writing process as a funnel. You pour information into one end. Only the information that advances your goal comes out the other end. This keeps you from bogging your audience down with too much information.

Now, divide all the information into similar categories. You should start to see a natural grouping.

In the PR agency example above, the speaker finds that statistics on the importance of brand identity are important. They also find a case study where a redesigned brand identity led to increased customer awareness.

How many points should your presentation have? Many speech experts recommend having three main points (the so-called Rule of Three). The Rule of Three isn't a hard and fast rule. It depends on how much you say about each point.

It’s better to have fewer points that are well supported than a lot of barely supported points that your audience won’t remember anyway.

Remember: The ideal presentation length for most listeners is 15 to 20 minutes.

Try This:  If you’re scheduled to speak for more than 18 minutes, break your presentation into sections. Each section should be 18 minutes long or less. Use extra time to answer questions.

Example : Break a 45-minute presentation into two 18-minute speeches. Put a four-minute break in the middle and a five-minute question and answer session at the end.

Pro Secret: Get around the 18-minute attention span limit by planning a series of shorter presentations. ( Just make sure they’re not scheduled back to back .) This strategy works best if you’ve got more than one goal.

Step 4. Get Organized: How to Write a Presentation Outline

Once you know what your main points are, create an outline. You may wonder: how do you write an outline for a presentation?

Here’s what to do:

A presentation outline is like the outline for any other document. It sets the order of the information you’ll present.

At its most basic, a short presentation outline includes:

• introduction
• first point
• second point
• third point

Fill out these general headings with titles specific to your own presentation.

That basic outline works for a short presentation. Your presentation outline will vary with your audience and subject matter. A longer presentation outline could look like this:

• first main point
• support for point
• second main point
• third main point
• questions and answers

You've just created the outline for your presentation. Now you’re ready to plan a presentation format.

Step 5. Looks Count—Plan Your Presentation Format

Once you’ve selected your topic and main points, it’s time to plan your presentation format. For most business situations, a slideshow is the most effective presentation format you can use.

There are some significant advantages to using a slideshow format:

• It adds a visual component.
• You can easily integrate other media, such as audio or video.
• There are plenty of tools to help you create a slideshow.
• There are thousands of professionally designed templates to make your slideshow look good. ( We’ll take a closer look at how to use a professional presentation template later. )
• You control the pace of the presentation.
• You can leave a copy of the presentation with your audience when it’s over.

While there’s plenty of negative chatter about slideshows in general, and PowerPoint specifically, the truth is that they’re wildly popular. According to the BBC , there are more than 500 million PowerPoint users worldwide, and over 30 million presentations are given each day.

There’s a reason slideshows are so popular. They’re effective.

If you look closely at the complaints people make about slideshows, they’re really about the way the presentation software is used. Common complaints include:

• The presentation was poorly organized.
• The slides were poorly designed.
• The text was too small to read.
• The presentation went too long.

But these aren’t problems with the slideshow presentation format or any specific slideshow tool. There are two words for these problems: USER ERROR . And user error is exactly what you’ll avoid by following the advice in this guide.

Step 6. Write the Start and Finish of Your Presentation

The opening and conclusion of your presentation are important. The opening is where your listeners get their first impression of you. The closing is your last chance to get your message across.

For an effective presentation, take the time to get your start and finish right.

9 Presentation Writing Tips for a Successful Opening

The opening sets the tone for your presentation. Use the presentation writing tips below to grab your listeners' attention right from the start:

• Make a bold claim. This could be an astounding or even a shocking statement.
• Contradict expectations. Say the opposite of what the listener expects here.
• Stimulate curiosity. Start by presenting something curious or unusual that you’ll proceed to explain.
• Ask questions. Involving the audience right from the beginning is an effective way to engage them.
• Spin a surprising story. Storytelling is an effective presentation technique.
• Quote a well-known personality or a famous proverb. Starting with a quote is overused, but if done right can pull your audience in.
• Tell a joke. If you know your audience well enough to know what they’ll find funny, a joke can be a good opening.
• Show a video. A short but powerful video can make a huge impact on your audience.
• Reference a current event. If something momentous is happening, don’t try to compete. Instead, begin your presentation by briefly talking about what’s going on.

Towards the end of your intro, tell your audience what to expect from the presentation. Share your presentation structure. For example, if there’s a break in the middle of the presentation or if you'd like them to save all their questions until the end, tell them so in your opening.

Conclude Powerfully

Your presentation conclusion is your last chance to point out what you want your audience to take with them when they leave.

If you’re giving a sales presentation , appeal to your audience with a call to action . Many presentations omit this vital piece, yet it can mean the difference between success and failure. A call to action tells the audience what to do next.

Other options for closing your presentation include:

• a vision of the future
• a contrarian example
• a question and answer segment

Learn more about how to start and close a presentation:

Step 7. How to Write a Great Presentation

You've completed a presentation outline. You’ve worked on your introduction and conclusion. You’re now ready to create your written presentation.

You don't need presentation software for this stage. We'll add that in the next step. For now, a good writing tool will do. Follow this presentation writing process :

• Start with your presentation outline.
• Create presentation slide text for the introduction, each main point, and the conclusion.
• Write about your most compelling points in the first few slides.

To be effective, use short sentences and phrases to write your presentation. Review your content more than once to cut out wordiness and reduce unnecessary information.

Don’t put too much information on each individual slide. If a slide contains too much information, your audience won't grasp everything you’re sharing. Divide slides with too much material into several slides.

Learn more about writing a business presentation here:

Try This: Use planned pauses and transitions such as audience participation, videos, or other devices to divide a long presentation into smaller segments.

Caution : Humor can affect how your presentation is received. Humor lightens the mood and breaks up your material. But not everyone finds the same things funny. If you're not sure how a particular joke will be received, leave it out.

Want to access to this comprehensive guide for offline use.  Download this guide now (for FREE)  as a convenient 69 page eBook PDF with quick-action checklist. 

Keep reading to learn how to choose your presentation software…

Chapter 5. How to Choose the Best Business Presentation Software for 2024 (+Quick Start Tips) 

You’ve planned and written your presentation. Now, it's time to build it. Before you can do that, you've got to choose the best business presentation software for you to use.

We’ll help you make the right choice for your presentation. We’ll give you the information you need. Let’s take a close look at the best (and most popular) presentation software options:

Take the Quiz! What Business Presentation Software Is Right for You?

It helps to know as much about your presentation needs as possible. That’s why we’re including this presentation software quiz:

• What presentation software (if any) do you use now?
• What software requirements (if any) does your business have?
• What hardware and operating system do you use?
• What presentation tools do you have experience with?
• What's your budget for presentation software?
• How often will you work on the presentation with a team?
• Do you need to use special effects like animation?
• Do you need to import audio or video files?
• Will you be exporting your presentation to another file type?
• Do you often forget to save your files?
• Do you use a Mac or a PC?
• Do you ever need to work offline?

Remember your answers to these questions. We’ll revisit this quiz at the end of the chapter to help you find the right software tool for you.

Now let’s compare three of the most popular business presentation software packages. Let’s examine PowerPoint vs. Google Slides vs. Keynote .

Take a look at this  Google Trends chart for a quick look at how these three tools compare. The chart measures how many searches there were for each of the three major tools worldwide:

Let’s explore the differences between Keynote, PowerPoint, and Google Slides. Let’s look at each software tool independently.

1. Microsoft PowerPoint (Popular With Companies)

Estimates place the number of Microsoft PowerPoint users at over 500 million (via  BBC News ). PowerPoint is, without question, the most popular business presentation software.

If you work for a company, your business likely uses PowerPoint. If you’re required to use PowerPoint, your decision is already made.

You may already be somewhat familiar with PowerPoint. Maybe you’ve even already created a business PowerPoint presentation. That familiarity means you’ll be able to learn to use this powerful presentation tool fast.

Are you new to PowerPoint? Learn more about what PowerPoint is and how to get started quickly here:

Study the Envato PowerPoint Ultimate Tutorial Guide to learn even more about using PowerPoint.

Try This: If you created your outline in Microsoft Word and saved it on your PC, you can import it directly into PowerPoint. With PowerPoint open, click Open > Browse . Go to the file where your outline is stored. To the right of the File name field, switch from All PowerPoint Presentations to All Files . Click on your outline file and then click Open . PowerPoint creates a new presentation, with each paragraph of your outline in the title field of a new slide.

Advantages of Microsoft PowerPoint

Now, let’s look at the advantages of Microsoft PowerPoint and its disadvantages .

Even though it’s popular, its popularity isn't all there is to PowerPoint. Here are some of the many advantages of Microsoft PowerPoint: 

• It's part of Microsoft Office 365 (works with Office productivity tools like Word, Excel, and more).
• It can export PowerPoint files to over a dozen different file types, ranging from .pdf to .rtf.
• It can import (embed) audio and video files .
• It includes 50 animations and special effects.
• Collaboration is possible through OneDrive.
• Offline access is possible in PowerPoint.
• It's got free iOS and Android mobile apps.

Disadvantages of Microsoft PowerPoint

Now that we’ve looked at the advantages of Microsoft PowerPoint, it’s time to look at the disadvantages. One disadvantage is that it can be difficult to collaborate with others.

Recently, PowerPoint has improved the ability to collaborate in real-time. But there are still more steps than with Google Slides. To work with another user, you must save the presentation to OneDrive and invite the people you want to collaborate with.

Professional Microsoft PowerPoint Templates

One final advantage of Microsoft PowerPoint is the number of professionally designed presentation templates available. Here are some great business PowerPoint templates to help you create great presentations, as well as info on how to customize them quickly:

2. Google Slides (Great Collaboration & Great Price)

Do you need professional productivity tools? Is real-time collaboration part of your job? Is your budget limited?

Consider using Google Slides. It’s a readily available presentation software tool that’s part of Google’s productivity suite, which includes Sheets and Google Docs. Best of all, it’s free when you create a Google account.

Are you new to Google Slides? Learn more about what Google Slides is and how to get started quickly here:

Study the Envato Google Slides Ultimate Tutorial Guide to learn even more about Google Slides.

Try This: Did you know that you could copy a Google Slides slide from one presentation to another? To do this, open the Google Slides business presentation with the slide design you want. Click the desired slide and click Control-C to copy the slide to your clipboard. Open a second business presentation that you want to copy the slide to. Click the slide before where you want to insert the copied slide. Click Control-V to paste the copied slide into the second presentation.

Now, let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of Google Slides .

Advantages of Google Slides

• It's free with a Google account.
• Share online for real-time editing and collaboration.
• Your work is saved automatically in Google Slides.
• It keeps a revision history, making it possible to go back to an earlier version.
• It's part of Google Drive (works with Google Drive’s productivity tools like Google Docs, Sheets, and more).
• Export Google Slides files to several different file types (although not as many as with PowerPoint).
• You can insert audio or video  files.
• Includes animation and special effects (although not as many as PowerPoint).
• Free iOS mobile app.

Disadvantages of Google Slides

One of the disadvantages of Google Slides is that you must have a Google account to use it. And there are also fewer choices for effects and themes.

Professional Google Sides Templates

Discover professionally designed Google Slides templates and learn how to quickly create a great business presentation with them:

3. Apple Keynote (Great for Mac Users)

You may be wondering: what is Keynote? Keynote is Apple’s presentation software tool. It’s part of Apple’s iWork productivity suite that includes Pages and Numbers.

To choose between Keynote and PowerPoint, read on to learn the difference between them.

If you’ve got a Mac, remember that Keynote already comes with your computer. Learn what Keynote is and how to get started quickly here:

Study the Envato Apple Keynote Ultimate Tutorial Guide to learn how to use Keynote.

Try This: Did you know you can stream a Keynote presentation using Keynote Live? Click the Keynote Live button on the menu at the top of the screen. You’ll be prompted to save your presentation to your iCloud account. Then, click the Continue button. Send the URL to the viewers you want to share your presentation with. Press Play to start streaming your presentation.

Now, let’s look at  Apple Keynote advantages and disadvantages .

Keynote Advantages

• It comes with your Mac computer.
• Keynote is part of the iWork productivity suite (works with productivity tools like Pages, Numbers, and more).
• Export Keynote files to several different file types (including Apple-specific file types like QuickTime).
• Insert audio or video files.
• Share and collaborate through your iCloud drive.
• Includes about 30 animation and 40 special effects (although not as many as PowerPoint).
• Work on the files offline.

Keynote Disadvantages

Keynote also has some disadvantages, the main one being that it’s for the Mac only. PC users can’t work on Keynote files.

Professional Keynote Templates

Create great presentations using Keynote with these great business Keynote templates and helpful tutorial:

Your Final Decision—Choose the Right Presentation Software for You

Let’s revisit the Business Presentations Software Quiz. Your answers to the questions on the quiz reveal which presentation software you’ll like.

PowerPoint May Be the Right Business Presentation Software for You If:

• You answered “PowerPoint” to questions 1, 2, and 4.
• You answered “PC” and “Windows” to question 3.
• For question 5, you had over $150 in the budget for a single user.
• For question 6, you answered “occasionally” or “rarely”.
• For questions 7, 8, 9, or 12, you answered “yes”.

PowerPoint is ideal for businesses that use the Microsoft Office productivity suite. It's also great for companies whose workers create business presentations independently.

Google Slides May Be the Right Business Presentation Software for You If:

• You answered “Google Slides” to questions 1, 2, and 4.
• For question 5, you had little to nothing in the budget.
• For question 6, you answered “often”.
• For questions 7, 8, and 10, you answered “yes”.

Google Slides is ideal for businesses that use the Google Drive productivity suite. It's also great for companies whose workers rely on real-time collaboration.

Keynote May Be the Right Business Presentation Software for You If:

• You answered “Keynote” to questions 1, 2, and 4.
• You answered “Mac,” “Apple,” “macOS,” or “iOS” to question 3.
• For question 11, you answered “Mac”.

Keynote is ideal for businesses that work on Macs and use the iWork productivity suite.

For a more in-depth comparison of these three software presentation tools, look at:

For even more software presentation tools, look here:

Now that you’ve selected a presentation software tool, read on to learn how to design your business presentation.

Chapter 6. How to Design a Killer Business Presentation Like a Creative Professional

You know your message. You’ve researched your topic and your audience. You’ve created your outline. And you’ve chosen a presentation software tool.

But for an effective business slideshow that moves people to action, you need a visually appealing presentation. Want a presentation your audience will remember? A good presentation design makes the difference.

The presentation slide design tips here will show you what to do (complete with PowerPoint presentation examples).

Get the Right Kind of Attention With These 6 Presentation Design Basics

Pay attention to these six presentation design basics as you design your presentation:

• Slide Layout
• Font Choice
• Special Effects

Let’s look at each element individually:

1. Slide Layout

A slide's layout is the organization of your content and the visual elements on each slide. Think about your presentation content as you design the layout of each slide of your presentation.

Look at what you've written. Imagine what type of slide design would be effective for each point. Some points may fit naturally on a slide with text alongside an image. Other points may be best shown through a slide with a chart or graph.

Keep each slide design as simple as possible. A cluttered design will draw attention away from your content. Also, for complicated points, you may need more than one slide. And that’s okay.

Try This: Draw thumbnails or create a storyboard to show a visual picture of the type of slide designs you need. ( Don't confuse these thumbnails with the Thumbnail view in many software presentation tools. ) These thumbnails are simply rough sketches of what various slides in your presentation will look like. You don't have to be an artist. A simple drawing will do. 

2. Font Choice

When choosing a font , think about both font type and font size .

Font type refers to the look of the font. Some fonts work for casual use, but not for a professional presentation. Choose a font that’s easy to read. San serif fonts like Tahoma or Gil Sans work well, especially for headings.

Font size is also important when creating a presentation. The font needs to be large enough for an audience to read from across the room. Use at least a 24-point font.

Don’t use too many different fonts in your presentation. Fonts should coordinate with each other and not be distracting.

Learn more about fonts here:

Try This : Pull out your branded business materials such as stationery, brochures, and business cards. List the fonts used. (If you’re not sure, ask your marketing department.) Replace the current fonts in your slide presentation with these fonts if they work well on screen.

Learn how to change your presentation fonts here:

3. Color Choice

Color plays a big part in any presentation. Colors send powerful visual messages. Choose the colors for your slide background, fonts, and accent text carefully.

The wrong colors will give listeners the wrong idea about your brand or message. Too many colors or clashing colors make your presentation appear garish and amateurish.

Color also lets you brand your presentations. When designing your presentation, think about your business color and design scheme.

Re-examine your branded materials (your website, stationery, and business cards). Compare them with the colors you plan to use for your presentation. It should all work together.

Learn all about color in the Envato Tuts+ tutorial:

4. Graphics

To help your listeners remember your main points, make wise use of graphics. Remember that the right visuals can help your listeners retain up to 65% of what you say (according to  Brain Rules ).

Consider using these types of graphics to give your business presentation a visual edge:

• illustrations
• infographics

It's important to use graphics wisely, though. Putting too many images on a slide or using unprofessional graphics will actually leave listeners with a negative impression.

Try This: If you've got an Envato Elements  subscription, you've got unlimited access to various design resources. Browse through the  photos , illustrations , infographics , and icons to find professionally designed visuals that meet your needs.

5. Media Choice

Embed a short video or audio into your presentation to provide some variety for your audience.

But be careful. Too many videos or audio messages will overpower your presentation and distract your audience. Limit your use of embedded media.

The media you choose should be professionally produced. Don’t embed sloppy, amateurish video or audio into your presentation.

Also, keep the embedded video or audio short. Under a minute is best, but don’t let it go longer than two minutes.

Find the best media to enhance your business presentation by asking these questions:

• Is this media related to my goal?
• Is the media professional?
• Does the media fit our company’s image?
• How long is it?

Try This : Play a royalty-free soundtrack on a loop before your presentation starts. Download professionally produced royalty-free music files with your Envato Elements subscription or for a single low fee from  AudioJungle .

6. Special Effects

Use the special effects that come with most presentation software to add extra interest to your presentation design.

The two types of special effects are:

• transitions

Animations are used to move the elements of your slide. Animations can move the slide body text, images, and other objects of your slide design. 

Transitions are a specialized type of animation that are used between slides.

Don't overuse special effects. Too many special effects distract from your main message. But sprinkling in a few special effects can add interest to your presentation.

Learn how to use animations in your presentation here:

How to Use a Presentation Template: 3 Easy Steps to Follow

A professionally designed business presentation template gives you a head start at making visually appealing presentations. Some of the other advantages of using a professional presentation template include:

• makes the most of your presentation software
• includes a ton of presentation design options
• updated often to current standards and trends

Are you wondering how to use a template? Here are three easy steps to get you started:

1. Search for a Pro Presentation Template Design

Find a professionally designed template at Envato Elements, which has thousands of presentation templates available. Use the Search bar and filters to find the right template for you, whether that's for PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Keynote.

If you're having trouble finding the right presentation template, there are some great PowerPoint presentation template choices in these articles:

No matter what presentation software you're using, you'll find visually appealing presentation choices in these curated lists.

2. Download a Great Presentation Template Design

When you’ve found the right presentation design template for you, download it.

In this example, we’re using The X Note PowerPoint Template . This template has a dark and light version. It also has 43 unique presentation slide designs included.

3. Customize Your Template

You’ll receive a zip file containing a presentation folder. Extract the files. Use your presentation software to open the template.

You’re now ready to customize the presentation slide design template with your own details. You can quickly add your presentation content, photos, and graphics, change the colors, and fully customize it to your needs. 

Learn more about customizing a PowerPoint template:

5 Top Business Presentation Examples (With Powerful Visual Designs)

Let’s look at how using a professional template design can quickly transform your presentation material from dull to interesting. Here are five before and after business PowerPoint presentation examples:

1. The Our Story Slide

In most business presentations, there’s a slide that tells the audience what a company is about. Here’s a before example of this type of slide using one of the standard basic templates included in PowerPoint:

As you can see, it’s very basic. It tells the story, but it’s not a visually appealing design.

Now let’s look at the same information, but this time we’ve used slide #4 from  The X Note PowerPoint Template  (dark version) . We’ve also added  an image from Envato Elements  to grab the viewer’s attention.

Try This : Make your company story come to life. Add a photo of your product or service in action to your slide design. 

2. The Our Services Slide 

Businesses use the Our Services Slide (or Our Products Slide) to explain what they've got to offer. Here’s a before example of this type of slide using the same standard template as before:

This time, we’ve used the light version of The X Note PowerPoint Template , slide #16,  to redo the slide design. Look at what a difference the template makes in this after example:

The icons we added here to the professionally designed slide came with the template. They dramatically transformed our presentation content!

3. The Timeline Slide 

Many default presentation slide templates lack a timeline graphic. Without a graphic, a bulleted list is often the best you can do.

But premium templates give you the option to display your timeline data visually. Here’s a look at the same timeline using  slide #14 from the dark version of The X Note PowerPoint Template :

4. The Awards Slide 

If your business has received awards, you’ll want to show those off in your presentation. Without many graphic options for showing your data, you may be forced to resort to bullets again. Here’s a before example using a default PPT template:

Look at the difference that a creative slide design can make (based on slide #15 of the light version of The X Note PowerPoint Template ) :

5. The Pie Chart 

Reading a list of statistics is dull. But if your slideshow template design is limited, a list may be all you’ve got to show your listeners. Here’s a before example of some key data using a standard template design:

A chart, like a pie chart, brings boring data to life. (Based on slide template #25 from the dark version of  The X Note PowerPoint Template .) :

For more PowerPoint presentation design techniques, review:

Should You Hire a Designer? (Handy Checklist)

You've just learned the key design elements for creating an effective presentation.

Professional presentation templates make it easy for nearly anyone to create an attractive and impactful presentation. But there are times when hiring a designer to create your presentation might be best.

Use the list below to decide whether you need to hire a professional designer to create your presentation:

• You’re too busy to create a presentation.
• You’re in the middle of branding. You want the designer to create a unique presentation look you’ll use again and again.
• You’ve got a generous budget for presentations.
• You don’t know how to use presentation software (and don’t have time to learn).
• The stakes for this presentation are high.
• You’re not confident in your ability to communicate your message to your audience.
• You need someone to provide professional input on what you’ve done so far.

A professional designer can create a unique presentation theme that fits well with your branding. A presentation designer also has experience and graphic design training to draw upon. They can present you with great design options.

Chapter 7. Get Maximum Audience Impact: Give (Deliver) Great Business Presentations

You want your business presentation to make a difference. You want your audience to remember it. You want them to act on what they hear.

You may think you can’t control this aspect of your speech. But you can. Stay tuned to learn how to give a great presentation with the most audience impact.

Let’s start with a look at the art of giving a good presentation.

6 Top Tips for Giving a Good Presentation

Use these powerful public speaking techniques to deliver a presentation that makes a difference . In this chapter’s tips for giving a presentation, you’ll learn how to:

• Project confidence through body language.
• Manage your speaking voice.
• Captivate your audience by telling a story.
• Have a good start (and killer close).
• Use strategic pauses for effect.
• Win your audience over with a smile.

Let’s examine each tip separately:

1. Project Confidence Through Body Language

Your body language (also known as non-verbal communication) tells your audience as much as your words. What your audience sees needs to match what you’re saying.

Most experts agree that non-verbal communication is as important as ( if not more important than ) the words you say (Source: The Nonverbal Group ).

The body language you use as you give your presentation includes your:

• expressions
• eye contact

Standing stiffly before your audience, reading from cards or a computer screen—as so many speakers do—doesn’t inspire confidence in your message.

Instead, stand naturally. Don’t be afraid to move. It’s okay to make hand gestures or move across the stage. Don’t overdo it, though. Keep your movements natural and relaxed.

Your expressions also play a big role in your non-verbal communication. If your expression makes you look uncomfortable, your audience will feel uncomfortable too. 

A quick fix for an uncomfortable expression is a smile. Try a friendly smile just before you start your speech and after you pause. We’ll talk more about the importance of a smile later.

For more detailed information on body language, study this Envato Tuts+ tutorial:

Try This : Once you’ve learned your speech, practice presenting a “dry run” in front of a friend or colleague. Ask them to notice the impression your body language leaves rather than the actual words you’re saying. Also, ask whether you’re slouching or standing stiffly. They can also tell you whether your movements are distracting or effective.

2. Manage Your Speaking Voice

How you sound also makes a huge impact on your audience. If you’re going to deliver a presentation that makes an impact, you need to pay attention to the way you speak.

Common speaking mistakes include:

• speaking too quickly
• speaking too softly
• speaking in a monotone voice
• mumbling or otherwise not speaking clearly
• overusing unnecessary interjections like “um,” “like,” and “you know”

Your voice leaves a big impression on your listener. It also determines whether they can understand what you’re saying . If your listener must work too hard to understand you, they’ll give up. You’ve lost their attention.

Managing your voice improves with practice. But first you’ve got to know what to work on.

Try This : Use a webcam, smartphone, or other device to record you practicing your presentation. As you play it back, look for problem areas where you need to improve. Take notes on the tone of your voice, how fast you’re speaking, and the volume of your voice. Also, notice how often you use interjections. These are all details you can work on improving.

3. Captivate Your Audience: By Telling a Story

It’s a scientific fact that people love stories. Studies show that messages with a story are 35% more effective than messages without a story. (Source: Inc. ) The same source indicates that the most popular TED Talks are over half narrative.

According to a study from neuroeconomist Paul Zak , we love stories because they cause our brains to produce:

• oxytocin, a neurochemical associated with empathy
• cortisol, a neurochemical that helps us focus

This is particularly true for stories with a dramatic arc. Learn more about Zak’s work and about how stories affect behavior in this YouTube video:

If your product or service has dramatically changed someone’s life, tell that story. Your presentation will be more effective because of it.

4. For a Presentation That Sticks: Have a Good Start (And Killer Close)

How you begin and how you end your presentation means the difference between a talk that sticks with your audience and one they forget.

The opening of your business presentation sets the tone for the rest of the presentation . Like it or not, the audience decides within seconds whether they want to pay attention or not. This Time magazine article puts the human attention span at less than ten seconds.

And once you’ve lost your audience’s interest, you’ll have to work twice as hard to capture it. In fact, you may never get their interest. Here are five effective ways to start a business presentation:

• Be bold. A bold statement, spoken with confidence, will capture your listener’s attention.
• Be contrary. Get people to pay attention by saying the opposite of what most people expect.
• Make them wonder. Curiosity is a powerful way to get your audience to focus on what you say.
• Ask questions. Questions are a great way to engage your listeners.
• Use storytelling. You just learned about how effective stories are. A good story makes a good opening.

Just as the beginning of your presentation is important, so is the end. If your audience is still listening at the end of your speech, that means they’re interested. Don’t blow it with a weak ending!

Three great ways to end your business presentation powerfully include:

• A call to action. Tell your audience what to do next.
• A vision of the future . Leave them with a dream of what could be.
• Close loops. While your presentation opens with a story or sparking imagination, your conclusion is where to pull all those open threads together into a killer ending.

For a detailed lesson on how to start and end a presentation powerfully, turn to this Envato tutorial:

5. How to Use Strategic Pauses for Effect

Using pauses to give a presentation may seem illogical. After all, you’ve got a limited amount of time to talk, and you want to say everything you need to say.

Yet, used correctly, pauses work. Some of the most effective bits of your speech are when you’re not talking. If you want to know how to give a killer presentation, learn when and how to pause.

Some of the advantages of strategically placed pauses:

• Audience connection . Remember what Dan Pallotta said about the power of silence and audience intimacy in Chapter 3 .
• Refocus listeners . Pauses give listeners a chance to gather their thoughts and refocus on your presentation.
• Better pace . A pause helps you control the pace of your presentation.
• Human needs . It’s good to give your audience a chance to stand up, stretch, and so on.

So, when should you pause? Here are some great times to pause:

• You’ve just made a major point.
• You’ve just asked a question.
• Your audience is laughing or otherwise making noise.
• For dramatic effect when telling a story.

Most pauses don’t need to be long. A few seconds to a minute is often all it takes to be effective.

A longer pause can serve as a transition to break a long speech into chunks your viewers can appreciate and are more likely to retain. 

6. Win Your Audience Over With a Smile

Facial expressions are a specific type of body language. And one facial expression is more important than the rest. Enter the smile.

Smiling during your presentation makes a difference for you and for your audience.

Smiling can help improve your mood and relieve stress (Source:  Psychology Today ). If you start your presentation with a smile, you’re less likely to be anxious.

A sincere smile is also catchy. If you smile, your audience is more likely to smile back. Also, a genuine smile is perceived as positive. People who smile are seen as friendly and more trustworthy.

Learn more about the power and benefits of smiling in this YouTube video from Ron Gutman.

Another secret to delivering an effective presentation is learning to deal with your nerves.

Get Comfortable: Deliver a Presentation With Confidence (And Without Anxiety)

It’s no secret that many people hate giving presentations. Even experienced speakers get presentation anxiety.

If you’re one of the many, many people who struggle with a fear of public speaking (also known as glossophobia), you’re not alone. You can still give an effective presentation.

Occasionally, your speaking anxiety will be so obvious that it distracts from your message. But most of the time your listeners will understand that you’re nervous. They’ve likely given speeches themselves, so they know what it feels like.

Your listeners will forgive you if you make a few mistakes.  They know that you’re only human and that humans make mistakes.

In fact, you’re probably more critical of your speaking ability than your audience is.

Here’s your go-to list of tips for giving a presentation with confidence :

• An hour or so before the presentation, imagine that your speech is already over, and you nailed it. Repeat the visualization of a successful outcome several times.
• A half hour or so before, plan on doing some light exercise. A brisk walk fits the bill perfectly.
• As you begin speaking, focus on various audience members. But don’t stare at any one person for too long. (If looking at people makes you uncomfortable, look at various spots on the wall directly behind your audience.)
• If you do happen to make a mistake, pause. Take a deep breath and collect your thoughts. Sip some water if you’ve got some. Then, keep going. Don’t make a big deal about the mistake.
• Some public speakers find that glancing at a friendly face in the audience helps. If this is you, make a mental note of where your friendly face is located before you begin speaking.

For more information on how to overcome the fear of public speaking and how to speak confidently, study these Envato tutorials:

One Final Tip : Practice works! The more you practice, the easier giving a presentation will be for you. Organizations like Toastmasters International and professional meetups can help you to practice and improve your speaking skills.

Not only is speaking confidently to your audience important, but so too is choosing the right venue to present in and getting familiar with it.

Use This Checklist to Find the Perfect Venue for Your Business Presentation Quickly

Where you give your presentation does make a difference. Choosing the right speaking venue means a better experience for both you and your audience.

As soon as possible, learn everything you can about the facility where you’ll give your presentation. If you can, pay a pre-presentation visit. Find out what’s available at the speaking location and what you need to bring with you.

To choose a good speaking venue, use the following bullets as a checklist:

• The facility is easy for audience members to find.
• There are enough chairs for all the members of your expected audience.
• Audience members can hear (and see) your presentation regardless of where they’re seated.
• There are restrooms convenient to the main speaking area.
• Get a specific list of provided equipment.*
• Make sure there are enough electrical outlets.
• The room has a place for you to project your slideshow (either a screen or a blank wall).
• The room will be heated (or cooled) to a comfortable temperature.

* Provided equipment can include cables, computer with keyboard and mouse, microphone and other sound equipment, a remote, a video adapter, and a working projector.

If you’ve got any questions about the facility before the date of your presentation, ask. Most venues are happy to work with you.

On the day of your presentation, bring any equipment that won’t be provided by your venue. Also, bring a laptop or phone charger.

You’ve just learned the best way to deliver a presentation with the most impact. Next, we’ll discuss those extras that can add something special to your presentation.

Chapter 8. 7 Creative Ideas That’ll Add Extra Oomph to Any Business Presentation

For a truly impactful presentation, you need to go above and beyond the expectations of your audience. Here are seven creative presentation ideas you can put to good use right away to make your presentation more memorable.

1. Give Away Some Swag

People love getting free stuff. A swag bag full of branded items means they’ll remember your organization each time they pick up that branded pen or pencil, keychain, folder, or other branded item.

Here’s a list of easily branded items, perfect for a swag bag:

• pens and pencils
• coffee mugs

Make sure that each swag bag item displays your company name and phone number. If you’re wondering how your logo would look on a promotional item, you can create mockups using Placeit .

Try This : Put together a book or pamphlet of tips related to your product or service. Give it away to audience members as part of your swag bag, or by itself.

2. Use an Infographic in Your Slides

Infographics present facts, figures, and other concepts in an attractive, visual way. Keep your listeners interested while you present data that might otherwise seem boring.

Notice how the colorful infographic below catches your eye:

Learn more about infographics in these Envato Tuts+ articles:

3. Add a Human Element to Your Presentation

Adding a human element is another creative presentation idea for extra oomph. People love stories, and they’re especially drawn to stories about people.

We’ve already talked about how effective storytelling can be. Learn more about storytelling in these Envato Tuts+ articles:

Try This : Poll your top 20 customers. Ask each one whether your product or service has made a difference in their life. Also ask whether they’d be willing to share their story. Contact the customers who said “yes.” Use their responses to create a powerful human impact story for your presentation.

4. Involve the Audience: Try a Q&A

Many presentation software packages include a question and answer tool. For example, with Google Slides you can let audience members ask questions online. This can be helpful for large audiences or if some of your audience members are remote.

Here’s a peek at how the Google Slides Q&A tool works. First, the audience is provided with a URL where they can ask questions:

If an audience member clicks on the link, they’re prompted to ask their question:

Learn more about the Google Slides Q&A feature in this article:

Here are more ways to involve your audience:

• Ask for a show of hands if the audience agrees or can relate to your question.
• Ask for an audience volunteer for a visual representation.

5. Show a Compelling Image

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. The right image can speak volumes.

Images are powerful when they:

• Stir an emotion.
• Stimulate the imagination.
• Capture an important moment.

The most effective images are those that tell a story. Look at the image below:

When you see this image, you realize this person has run out of gas for their car. You may wonder:

• How long have they been walking?
• How far do they have to go?
• Why are they alone?

The image can also be used symbolically to illustrate concepts like:

• the need to be prepared
• hitting a road bump in a journey
• dealing with the unexpected

Try This : When you use a compelling image in your presentation, pause for a moment to let your audience absorb the image. Then, move on to your point.

6. Add a Video or Animation

An animation or video can add interest to a presentation. Be sure to add an animation or video that’s professionally done and relevant to your presentation.

Be careful about letting your video take over your presentation. The video you choose should enhance your message, but not overpower your presentation.

To learn more about using videos and animations, study these Envato Tuts+ articles:

7. Be Available

A valuable extra you can add to your business presentation is to be available after it’s over. 

If the speaking venue permits, stick around for at least 30 minutes. Use the time to network with audience members and answer questions that didn’t come up during the question and answer session.

Those who approach you after the presentation are more likely to be serious prospects for your product or service.

Remember This: Don’t Add Too Much Oomph!

Adding one or two of these creative elements to your presentation will help capture your listener’s attention. Yet using an 'oomph' element on every slide in your presentation will most likely just overwhelm your audience. Apply these enticing elements judiciously.

You’ll find even more creative presentation ideas in these Envato Tuts+ articles:

Remember, one of the best ways to add 'oomph' to your business presentation is to be prepared. And being better prepared is what this guide is all about.

Chapter 9. 2024 Business Presentation Checklist: To Prepare for Your Next Business Presentation (Step by Step)

To help put all these presentation tips and techniques into practice, we've created a handy PDF checklist attachment that'll walk through everything you've learned. 

You can download this checklist as part of a FREE PDF set . This free download includes the 69 page Making Great Presentations eBook and quick-action Checklist. 

Download it now, then simply use it to check off each item as you prepare your next presentation. 

You've just learned about all about business presentations. You've discovered how to make great presentations and how to avoid common business presentation mistakes. It's time to act on what you've learned. The next step is up to you.

Do you want to learn more about presentations? You'll find many more helpful tutorials about making great presentations and using top presentation tools at Envato Tuts+ .

Also, be sure to grab a copy of The Complete Guide to Making Great Business Presentations in 2021. Download this FREE guide now  as a convenient 69 page eBook PDF with quick-action checklist.

For a truly effective presentation, you'll want to use a professionally designed business presentation template . Download the templates you need from Envato Elements or Envato Market .

11 Critical Types of Business Presentations (+ Templates)

Learn about the different types of business presentations with examples that drive results. Discover how to choose the right type of presentation for your use case.

Dominika Krukowska

8 minute read

Short answer

What are the main types of business presentations?

There are 11 main types of business presentations:

• Pitch deck presentations
• Sales deck presentations
• Product marketing presentations
• White papers
• Case studies
• Report presentations
• Education & academic presentations
• Business proposal presentations
• Sports sponsorship proposals
• Business plan presentations

You need the right collateral for every aspect of your business in order to succeed.

In today's business world, delivering a compelling presentation isn't just a nice skill - it's a vital one. But if you're not familiar with all the types of presentations your business might need, it's like trying to build a house without all the necessary tools.

Some parts of your business might not get the support they need to stand strong. This can lead to unclear messages, disengaged audiences, and missed opportunities.

That's where this post comes in. Consider it your blueprint for building a solid presentation foundation. You'll learn about all the different types of business presentations, when to use them, and how to make them work wonders for you. In just a few minutes, you'll be ready to turn every presentation into a sturdy pillar for your business success.

Let’s get started!

What are the main business presentation types?

Business presentations come in various forms, each serving a unique purpose and fitting into a specific stage of the sales funnel.

There is a basic set of presentations that no business can flourish without. You should become familiar with these critical presentation types.

11 essential types of business presentations:

1. Pitch deck presentations

Pitch deck presentations are designed to showcase a product, startup, or idea to potential investors. They are typically used during fundraising rounds and are crucial for securing the necessary capital for your business.

Here’s an example of a pitch deck presentation:

Cannasoft - Investment pitch deck

A hard-hitting investment deck of a publicly traded tech company dedicated to medical cannabis manufacturers.

If you want to learn more about pitch decks and how to create one, check out our guides:

What Is a Pitch Deck? A Beginner's Guide to Greatness

What to Include in a Pitch Deck (Slides 99% of Investors Want)

Create a Winning Pitch Deck Investors Love (Examples & Tips)

2. Sales deck presentations

Sales deck presentations are aimed at convincing prospects to buy your product or service. They highlight the unique selling points and benefits of your offering, and explain why you’re the perfect solution provider for your prospects’ specific pain points.

Here’s an example of a sales deck presentation:

Orbiit - Visually narrated sales deck

Visually narrated sales deck of a virtual networking platform telling AND showing readers what's in it for them.

To find out more, read our article on how to make a sales pitch deck that turns ‘Maybe’ to ‘Yes!’ .

3. Product marketing presentations

Product marketing presentations are used in the awareness stage to introduce a new product or feature to the market. They focus on the benefits of the product and how it meets the needs of the target audience.

Here’s an example of a product marketing presentation:

Mayku - Physical product deck

A welcoming physical product deck for immersive introduction to a revolutionary vacuum-forming solution.

4. White papers

A white paper is an in-depth analysis of a problem and its solution. It's a way to establish your expertise and thought leadership in a particular area. White papers are often used in the consideration stage of the funnel to educate potential customers about a complex issue related to your industry or product.

Here’s an example of a white paper:

Drive - Automotive research white-paper

A white-paper showing high-level research on electric vehicle charging wrapped in a stunning interactive experience.

5. Case studies

Case studies showcase a customer success story or outcome. They provide real-world examples of how your product or service has helped a customer, making them a powerful tool for building trust and credibility.

Here’s an example of a case study:

Boom25 - Interactive case study deck

Fun, engaging, and interactive case study of a UK cashback service: mixing business with entertainment.

If you want to learn more, check out our guides:

What Is a Case Study & Customer Success Story?

5 Steps for Writing a Case Study for Business (+Templates)

12 Steps to Create a Business Case Study That Converts

Case Study Format Types: Match Format with Business Goals

6. Report presentations

Report presentations are used to share data-driven insights and findings in the consideration stage. They make complex data accessible and engaging, helping your audience understand and remember the information.

Here’s an example of a report presentation:

Meta - Interactive corporate report

Insights and trends from Israel's thriving consumer-facing industry. A comprehensive review of the B2C ecosystem's performance and future prospects.

7. One-pagers

A one-pager is a brief, informative overview of your solution sent to potential customers in the awareness stage. It's a quick way to communicate the key features and benefits of your product or service, meant to pique the prospects’ curiosity enough to move them down the sales funnel.

Here’s an example of a one-pager presentation:

Octopai - Outbound sales one-pager

An outbound one-pager identifying a problem in modern-day analytics and offering an easy-to-grasp solution.

To find out more about one-pagers, read these guides:

What Is a One-Pager: Types, Benefits & Main Use Cases

Make One-Pagers That Grab Attention, Engage & Convert

Create a Sales One-Pager (Examples, Writing Tips, Templates)

Create a Business Plan One-Pager (+ Proven Templates)

How to Create a Startup One-Pager That Wows Investors

How to Create a Product One-Pager (That Gets People Excited)

8. Education and academic presentations

Education and academic presentations are used for teaching or presenting research findings. They are designed to simplify complex concepts and foster deep understanding.

Here’s an example of an academic presentation:

Research proposal

This school research presentation template is perfect for students who need to present their findings from a research project. The template includes space for a title, introduction, main body, conclusion, and bibliography.

If you need more guidance, we have a blog post on how to write a research proposal , including tips and templates.

9. Business proposal presentations

Business proposal presentations are used to close deals at the end of a sales cycle. They summarize your offering and why it's the best choice for the prospect.

Here’s an example of a business proposal presentation:

RFKeeper - Retail proposal deck

A dynamic, highly visual proposal deck for a retail software provider, designed to grab and keep attention.

For tips on how to create your own, check out our posts:

How to Write a Business Proposal (Examples & Templates)

Make a Winning Business Proposal Presentation in 12 Steps

10. Sports sponsorship proposals

Sports sponsorship proposals are used to secure funding and support for a sports team. They highlight the benefits that the sponsor will receive in return for their investment.

Here’s an example of a sports sponsorship proposal presentation:

Football sponsorship proposal

This bright and energetic template reflects the dynamic nature of sports. With a combination of text-based and interactive slides, you'll easily convey the history of your organization, as well as the team's main drivers and objectives, to make sponsors instantly realize the value for their money.

11. Business plan presentations

Business plan presentations detail a company's strategy and objectives. They are often used to secure funding from investors or to align team members around a common vision and plan.

Here’s an example of a business plan presentation:

General Business Plan

This template has everything you need to create a visual summary of your business idea. Thanks to a range of interactive slides, you'll be able to convey your vision in a way that impresses investors and gets you the necessary buy-in.

If you want to see real-life examples of each presentation type, check out our master post containing 52 perfect presentation examples to set you apart .

What are the main types of presentation use cases?

Presentations are a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of scenarios, both within and outside an organization. Here are some of the key use cases for presentations:

External use cases

Sales: Persuading potential customers to purchase your product or service through compelling storytelling and showcasing benefits.

Funding : Convincing investors to provide capital for your business by demonstrating potential for growth and profitability.

Thought leadership: Establishing your expertise and authority in a specific field by sharing unique insights and perspectives.

Investor relations: Communicating important company information to investors to maintain trust and transparency.

Donor communication: Engaging and updating donors on the impact of their contributions to maintain their support and involvement.

Conference or event presentations: Sharing insights or research findings at a public event to engage the audience and build your reputation.

Partnership presentations: Proposing a collaboration or partnership to another business by highlighting mutual benefits.

Product launch presentations: Introducing a new product to the market with a compelling narrative that highlights its unique features.

Client presentations: Updating clients on progress or delivering project results to maintain their satisfaction and trust.

Training and education presentations: Teaching a new skill or concept to an external audience to enhance their knowledge and skills.

Public relations presentations: Managing the public image of your company by addressing public concerns and highlighting positive actions.

Government or regulatory presentations: Communicating with government agencies or regulatory bodies to ensure compliance and maintain good relations.

Social responsibility presentations: Showcasing your company's efforts to give back to the community to enhance your company's reputation and public image.

Internal use cases

Team meetings: Discussing project updates or new initiatives with your team to ensure everyone is aligned and informed.

Training and onboarding: Introducing new employees to company policies and procedures through employee onboarding software to ensure they are well-equipped to perform their roles.

Strategic planning: Outlining your company's strategic goals and plans to ensure all employees are working toward the same objectives.

Performance reviews: Providing feedback on an employee's performance to help them improve and grow in their role.

Internal reporting: Sharing company performance data with internal stakeholders to keep them informed and make data-driven decisions.

Town hall meetings: Addressing the entire company on key updates or changes to ensure transparency and maintain employee trust.

Change management: Guiding employees through a period of significant change to ensure smooth transition and maintain morale.

Employee engagement and recognition: Celebrating employee achievements and fostering a positive company culture to boost morale and productivity.

Training workshops and seminars: Providing in-depth training on specific topics to employees to enhance their skills and knowledge.

Internal marketing and branding: Promoting company values and culture to employees to foster a sense of belonging and commitment.

How do I choose the right type of presentation for my business?

Choosing the right type of presentation for your business is like picking the right tool for a job. It's all about understanding your needs and resources.

Here's a simple guide to help you make the right choice:

1) Presentation objectives

Start by defining what you want to achieve. Are you aiming to educate, persuade, or inspire? Your objective will shape the type of presentation you need. For instance, if you're looking to secure funding, a compelling pitch deck is your ticket.

2) Target audience

Your audience is your compass. Their needs and expectations will guide your presentation's content and style. For example, a sales deck might resonate with potential customers, while a thought leadership white paper could be more suitable for industry peers.

3) The message

What key message do you want to convey? Ensure your presentation type allows for this message to be communicated effectively. For example, if you're eager to share your company's green thumb, a social responsibility white paper can beautifully showcase your eco-friendly initiatives and their positive effects.

4) Resources

Finally, always take stock of your resources. Time constraints and available data can influence your choice. A one-pager could be more practical than an extensive sales deck when you’re short on time or manpower.

What are the best types of tools to create and improve my presentation?

Creating a compelling presentation is not just about the content, but also about the delivery.

Here are some tools that can help you elevate your presentation game:

Storydoc: This tool allows you to transform static slides into highly-engaging and converting interactive web presentations. It's perfect for creating memorable narratives that captivate your audience from start to finish and gets them to take action.

Think-Cell: If your presentation involves data, Think-Cell is a must-have. It simplifies the creation of complex charts and enhances data visualization, making your insights more digestible and impactful.

VideoScribe: Want to add a touch of animation to your presentation? VideoScribe allows you to create high-quality whiteboard-style animation videos, adding a dynamic element to your content.

Mentimeter: This gamified presentation software allows you to engage your audience with live polls, quizzes, and Q&A sessions, making your presentation a two-way conversation.

Pitcherific: Pitcherific helps you create and practice your pitch speech, making it a great tool for preparing investor presentations.

Create your presentation from a template

Your digital presentation is your passport to powerful communication. Why settle for static, lifeless slides when you can turn your presentation into a dynamic, interactive adventure?

Think of your key messages as stepping stones on an exciting journey, one that keeps your audience engaged from the opening slide to the grand finale. Interactive presentation templates are the perfect vehicle for this journey.

Each template is a canvas waiting for your unique touch.

Grab a template and use it to create your best presentation yet.

Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

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

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

Partner Center

• The Complete Guide to Mastering Business Presentations
• Introduction to Business Presentations

What is a Business Presentation?

Aayush Jain

Definition and components of a business presentation, unpacking the core: the what and why of business presentations.

Business presentations are pivotal in the corporate landscape, acting as a bridge between a company and its audience—be it clients, investors, or internal teams. This opening paragraph sets the stage for our exploration, highlighting the essence of a business presentation. It's not merely about presenting a company; it's about crafting a narrative that engages, informs, and compels action. Here, we delve into what makes up a business presentation, emphasizing its importance in achieving business objectives and how it fits into the broader context of corporate communication.

Building Blocks: Anatomy of an Effective Presentation

Diving deeper, we explore the structural components that constitute a business presentation. From the opening slide that sets the tone, through the compelling core where ideas and data intermingle, to the concluding call to action, every element plays a crucial role. This section breaks down the anatomy of a presentation, including the significance of a visually appealing design, the strategic use of visual representations like charts and graphs, and the art of balancing information density to maintain the attention spans of audience. The goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the components that, when combined, create a compelling business presentation.

From Theory to Practice: Stories of Impact

Here, we transition from the theoretical framework to the tangible impact of business presentations in the real world. By presenting examples from various industries, we illustrate how presenting a company effectively can pivot its market position, attract potential customers, or secure funding from potential investors. This narrative brings to life the power of a well-crafted presentation, showcasing real success stories and current trends that underline the importance of design, storytelling, and audience engagement.

Expert Insights and Quantitative Backing

In this part, we lean on expert opinions and quantitative data to underscore the value of professional presentation design. Highlighting insights from industry leaders like Aayush Jain of INK PPT , we discuss the undeniable impact of aesthetics and narrative in making a presentation not just seen but felt. This exploration is reinforced with statistics and research findings, validating the strategic importance of most presentations in business success and decision-making processes.

Vision for the Future: Evolving Presentation Landscapes

Concluding, we look forward to the evolving dynamics of business presentations, especially in the context of digital transformation and virtual engagement. This future outlook article is complemented by a YouTube video link that offers viewers a deeper dive into innovative presentation techniques and the emerging tools reshaping how we convey business narratives. This segment aims to leave readers with a sense of anticipation and readiness for the advancements in presentation strategies, encouraging them to think beyond traditional formats towards more interactive, engaging approaches.

[Explore Innovative Presentation Techniques]

Historical Evolution of Business Presentations

Business presentations have come a long way from the days of overhead professional company presentation has transformed into a sophisticated process that leverages advanced technology like PowerPoint to deliver powerful messages.

Imagine the evolution of business presentations as a journey from the simplicity of a hand-drawn road map to the complexity of a GPS system. For instance, in the 1980s, a company presentation might have been limited to paper handouts and verbal explanations, while today, it involves dynamic PowerPoint slides, videos, and interactive elements.

Research indicates that the use of visual aids in presentations has increased retention rates by up to 65%, highlighting the shift towards more visually oriented communication strategies.

"In the early days, we relied on our words and basic slides to convey our ideas. Now, we use a rich tapestry of visuals, animations, and interactive elements to tell our story," reflects Aayush Jain on the evolution of presentation techniques.

Common Types of Business Presentations

There are several types of business presentations , each designed to fulfill specific objectives. From informational to persuasive, and decision-making presentations, the goal is always to present the company in the best light possible.

Consider the difference between a documentary and a feature film. Both tell stories, but while the documentary aims to inform and educate, the feature film seeks to entertain and perhaps persuade. Similarly, an informational presentation aims to educate the audience about the company profile, while a sales pitch seeks to persuade potential clients to invest.

Statistics show that over 70% of businesses consider presentation skills crucial for career success, underscoring the variety and importance of these presentations in the professional landscape.

"Each type of business presentation requires a unique approach to storytelling and design. Understanding your audience's needs and expectations is key to delivering a successful presentation," advises Aayush Jain.

Purposes and Objectives of Business Presentations

The primary purpose of an organizational presentation varies from presenting a company's achievements to potential investors, to educating new employees about company policies. Each presentation is designed with specific objectives in mind, such as persuading clients or facilitating decision-making processes.

The purpose of a business presentation can be compared to a compass in a ship's navigation. Just as a compass guides the ship towards its destination, the objectives of a presentation guide the content and delivery to achieve the desired outcome. An example of this is using a company presentation to secure new clients by effectively communicating the value proposition.

Data from LinkedIn shows that presentations with clear objectives are 50% more likely to achieve their desired outcomes, highlighting the importance of having a focused message.

"Setting clear objectives at the inception of the presentation design process ensures that every separate slide, every visual element, and every word spoken is aligned with the goal of showcasing the company in the most effective manner," says Aayush Jain.

Understanding the purposes behind business presentations paves the way for exploring the role they play in decision-making, further demonstrating their importance in the corporate world.

The Role of Business Presentations in Decision-Making

Business presentations are pivotal in the decision-making process, providing a structured opportunity for presenting complex information and recommendations. They serve as a crucial touchpoint, influencing the opinions and actions of stakeholders, from internal team members to external partners and clients.

Imagine the idea of a company presentation as a compass guiding a ship through the treacherous waters of corporate decision-making. Just as a captain relies on a compass to navigate, so do leaders rely on presentations to guide their decisions.

For instance, a well-executed presentation that showcases a comprehensive market analysis and competitive advantages can significantly influence the strategic direction of a company.

Research from the Decision Management Association highlights that decks that effectively present relevant data and analysis can improve decision-making speed and accuracy by up to 40%. A study by the International Business Communication Council found that decision-makers cite clarity, conciseness, and relevance as the top three factors that make presentations impactful in their decision-making process. These insights underscore the importance of strategic focus and data-driven content in business decks.

Key Elements of a Successful Business Presentation in showcasing a company

A successful business presentation hinges on several key elements: clear objectives, audience understanding, powerful storytelling, effective visual aids, and confident delivery. These components work in concert to engage the audience, convey the message effectively, and achieve the presentation's intended outcomes.

For example, incorporating visual aids such as bar graphs and slides can help illustrate complex ideas, much like how a vivid solo can highlight a particular emotion in a musical piece.

A study by the Presentation Institute of America found that presentation decks incorporating visual aids are 67% more effective at maintaining the attention. Additionally, Gallup research indicates that presentations that include storytelling elements are twice as likely to result in a positive outcome.

These findings highlight the critical role of integrating multiple elements to craft a driving and successful presentation.

Company Presentation vs. Public Speech: Understanding the Distinctions

While often intertwined, company presentations and public speech serve distinct purposes and require different skill sets. A business presentation is typically more focused on delivering specific information or persuading an audience regarding an organization-related topic, utilizing visuals and structured content.

Public speech, on the other hand, might focus more broadly on inspiring, informing, or entertaining an audience, often without the support of graphics.

Imagine a business presentation as a guided tour through a museum, where the guide (presenter) points out and explains various artifacts (points of discussion) with the help of visual cues and structured narrative.

Public speech, in contrast, is like a storyteller weaving tales under the moonlight, where the power of voice and story alone captures the audience's imagination. For instance, while showcasing an organization to investors, the focus is on persuading through data and strategic insights, distinct from the broader motivational approach of speaking publicly.

According to a study by the Public Speaking Association, 80% of professionals believe that presentation skills are crucial to achieving business success, yet only 40% distinguish these from public speaking abilities.

A survey by Presentation Magazine found that incorporating elements of public speech into business presentations, such as storytelling and audience engagement techniques, can enhance the effectiveness of the presentation by up to 35%. These statistics highlight the importance of understanding and integrating the strengths of both disciplines to enhance communication impact.

Cultural Considerations in Business or Company Presentations

The global organizational environment demands sensitivity to cultural differences in business presentations. Factors such as communication styles, power distance, individualism versus collectivism, and uncertainty avoidance play significant roles in how decks are crafted and delivered.

Consider the analogy of a chef preparing a meal for an international audience. Just as the chef must understand and respect the dietary preferences and restrictions of their guests, so must a talk show presenter be cognizant of the cultural nuances of their audience.

For example, a company presentation in Japan might require a more formal approach and the use of subtle persuasion, in contrast to the more direct and assertive style preferred in the United States.

Research by Hofstede Insights reveals that decks tailored to the cultural expectations of the audience are up to 70% more effective in achieving their objectives. A study by the International Journal of Business Communication supports this, finding that presentation decks that acknowledge and adapt to cultural differences improve comprehension and engagement among international audiences.

These insights underscore the critical role of cultural awareness in the success of business presentations on a global scale.

Adapting Company Presentations for Virtual Platforms

The shift towards virtual meetings and conferences necessitates adaptations in how company presentations are designed and delivered. Virtual platforms offer unique opportunities and challenges, from technical considerations to maintaining audience engagement in a digital format.

Think of transitioning from a live concert to a virtual performance. While the essence of the performance remains, the dynamics change significantly. The artist must engage the audience without the immediate feedback of live interaction, relying more on the quality of the content and presentation. Similarly, when showcasing a company virtually, the presenter must leverage technology to maintain the attention, using visual and interactive elements effectively.

A survey by Zoom Video Communications indicates that 58% of professionals find virtual presentation decks more challenging to engage the audience than in-person events. However, a report by Microsoft found that presentations that are specifically designed for virtual delivery, incorporating interactive elements like polls and Q&A sessions, see a 40% increase in audience engagement.

These findings highlight the importance of adapting presentation strategies to suit the virtual environment, ensuring that the message is not only delivered but also received and acted upon effectively.

Incorporating Storytelling Techniques while presenting a company

Storytelling in business presentations is a powerful tool to engage and connect with the audience, making complex information more relatable and memorable. It involves weaving a narrative through the presentation, using real-life examples, anecdotes, and metaphors to illustrate points and evoke emotions.

Imagine a business presentation as a novel, where instead of chapters, you have sections of your presentation, each contributing to the overall narrative. Just like a compelling novel hooks the reader from the very start, a great presentation uses storytelling to capture the attention of target audience and keep them engaged throughout.

For instance, starting a presentation with a customer success story sets the stage for a narrative that the audience can follow and relate to, making the subsequent data and analysis more impactful.

According to a study by the Stanford Graduate School of Business, stories are 22 times more memorable than facts alone. Additionally, research by the Narrative Institute shows that decks using stories can increase audience persuasion by up to 30%.

These statistics validate the effectiveness of storytelling as a technique to enhance the communicative power of business presentations, making them not just informative but also transformative experiences for the audience.

Conclusion on how company presentation can be a game changer

A business presentation is more than just an act of presentation to an audience; it is a carefully crafted communication tool designed to inform, persuade, and connect. Through a combination of historical evolution, cultural sensitivity, storytelling, and adaptation to digital platforms, business presentations have become an essential component of professional success.

By understanding and implementing the key elements of effective decks, individuals and organizations can significantly enhance their ability to communicate ideas, influence decisions, and achieve their objectives.

Frequently asked questions

How do you introduce a company in a presentation.

To introduce a company in a presentation effectively, start with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention from the beginning. Provide a first impression and a brief overview of your company, emphasizing the uniqueness of your brand and the value you bring to clients.

Showcasing milestones can illustrate your company's growth and success, thereby building credibility. When presenting products or services to a client, think on how they address the needs and challenges of your target audience, supported by visuals and concise descriptions.

Incorporating a testimonial can lend authenticity and demonstrate real-world impact. Lastly, introducing your team personalizes your presentation, showing the faces behind the success. Throughout, ensure your presentation is visually appealing and avoid overwhelming your audience with too much information or industry jargon.

What should be in a company presentation?

A company presentation must include a clear visual representation of your company's name, brand identity, and the core products or services you offer, designed to convey feelings of trust and reliability to your client. It should give a brief overview of your company's history, mission, and vision, helping the audience understand who you are and what you stand for. Highlighting key milestones and achievements can demonstrate your company's growth and expertise.

Testimonials or case studies provide social proof and build confidence in your potential customers. Visual elements such as your company logo, color scheme, and visuals like bar graphs or slides should be used to make the presentation more engaging and to help convey complex ideas more effectively.

Remember, the goal is to create a lasting and positive first impression on your audience, making your presentation short and to the point, and ensuring it is visually appealing from start to creating a compelling narrative.

How do I present my company in a presentation?

To present your company effectively in a presentation, begin with a strong and engaging introduction that clearly states what your business is about and why it matters. Be concise throughout, focusing on your bullet points and delivering a clear and impactful message about your company's vision, mission, and what sets you apart from the competition. Use high-quality graphics to support your points, making your presentation more memorable and easier to understand.

Highlight your main products or services, emphasizing their benefits to your target or even test audience. Avoid industry slang and ensure that your presentation progresses smoothly without rushing, allowing your audience to fully absorb the information.

Engaging your audience with relevant examples and compelling storytelling can further enhance the impact of your presentation, making it a powerful tool for presenting your company.

What are the three general types of business presentations?

The three general types of business presentations are:

• Pitch Deck Presentation: This type focuses on showcasing to investors or partners, highlighting the business model, market opportunity, and financial projections to secure funding or strategic alliances.
• Sales Deck Presentation: Aimed at potential clients or customers, this type showcases the company's products or services, demonstrating their value proposition and how they solve specific problems or meet specific needs.
• Product Market Slide Deck: This presentation type is used to introduce a new product or service to the market, detailing its features, benefits, and competitive advantages to generate interest and drive adoption.

What are the three parts of a professional company presentation?

A professional business presentation is structured into three main parts:

• Introduction (10-15%): Start by capturing the audience's attention with an engaging opening, set the context, and briefly outline what the presentation will cover. This sets the tone and expectations from the very beginning.
• Body (75-80%): The core of your presentation, where you delve into the details of your company presentation, highlighting the company profile, showcasing your products or services, and discussing key points in further detail. Use this section to convey your main message, supported by visuals, examples, and data to enhance understanding and retention.
• Conclusion (10-15%): Summarize the key points made throughout the presentation, reinforce the main message, and provide a clear call to action or outline the next steps. The conclusion should leave a lasting impression, ensuring your company and its offerings remain top of mind for your audience.

What is the most important element in a powerpoint company presentation?

The most important element in a business presentation is clarity of message. Showing the company's goals, values, and objectives in a clear, concise manner ensures that the audience understands the company profile core message. Visuals, storytelling, and engaging content support this clarity by reinforcing the message and keeping the audience's attention focused.

How has technology impacted business presentations?

Technology has revolutionized business presentations by enabling more dynamic, interactive, and visually appealing presentation desks. Tools like PowerPoint, video conferencing software, and interactive polls have made it easier to engage with the audience, whether in-person or virtually. Technology also allows for broader reach, enabling slide decks to speak to global audiences through webinars and online meetings.

What are the key differences between business presentations and public speech?

Business presentations often focus on numerous aspects of a company, its products, or services to a specific audience with a clear objective, such as persuading, informing, or decision-making. Public speech, while it can share these goals, is broader and may not always involve creating a business context. It focuses more on the delivery, rhetoric, and engagement with the audience on various topics.

How can storytelling be incorporated into business presentations?

Storytelling can be incorporated by framing the presentation around a compelling narrative point that relates to the audience's experiences or challenges. Using real-life examples, customer testimonials, and a clear narrative arc can make the business presentation more engaging and memorable. Storytelling helps to humanize the company and makes complex information more relatable.

What are the best practices for designing a business presentation?

Best practices include keeping the design simple and professional, using a consistent color scheme and font, minimizing text on slides, and making good use of visuals and graphs. It's also important to tailor the presentation to the audience, focus on key messages, and practice delivery to ensure smooth flow and timing.

How can one adapt a business presentation for an international audience?

To adapt a presentation for an international audience, consider cultural sensitivities, use clear and simple language, avoid local jargon, and incorporate relevant global examples or case studies. It's also helpful to be mindful of time zone differences for live decks and to provide translations or subtitles if necessary.

What are the benefits of practicing a presentation before delivering it?

Practicing a presentation helps in refining the delivery, timing, and transitions between topics. It builds confidence, reduces anxiety, and allows the presenter to adjust pacing and emphasis based on the flow of the presentation. Practice also helps in identifying and correcting any potential issues with the content or delivery.

How can visuals enhance the effectiveness of a presentation?

Visuals, such as charts, graphs, images, and videos, can help illustrate and reinforce key aspects, making complex information easier to understand. They capture and retain the audience's attention, add interest to the presentation, and can evoke emotional responses that enhance persuasion and recall.

What role does the audience play in shaping the content of a presentation?

The audience's needs, interests, and level of knowledge significantly shape the content and delivery of a presentation. Understanding the audience allows the presenter to tailor the content to address their specific questions, concerns, and expectations, making the presentation more relevant, engaging, and effective.

How can feedback be used to improve future presentations?

Feedback provides valuable insights into what worked well and what could be improved in terms of content, delivery, and engagement strategies. Constructive criticism helps identify areas for improvement, while positive feedback can reinforce effective practices. Incorporating feedback into future decks ensures continuous improvement and better audience engagement.

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Home Blog Business How To Craft & Deliver an Effective Business Plan Presentation (Quick Guide)

How To Craft & Deliver an Effective Business Plan Presentation (Quick Guide)

A vital element in today’s highly competitive business landscape is the ability to craft and deliver a business plan presentation. This applies to both entrepreneurs and corporate leaders. 

This guide describes essential aspects required to build a business plan presentation and deliver it to stakeholders. 

Table of Contents

What is a Business Plan Presentation?

Is a business plan presentation the same as a business presentation, executive summary, justification of the business proposal, swot analysis, the niche of the proposal & actors in the industry, competitors, competitive intensity, trend analysis and critical variables, value chain, market analysis, jobs-to-be-done, value proposition, revenue streams, cost structure, distribution channels, key partnerships for the business model, organizational structure & management, go to market and marketing plan, development plan, qa, and continuous improvement model, distribution plan, inventory management, initial funding and financing structure, projection of income and costs.

• Evaluation of Projected Return vs. Required

Risk Evaluation

Sensitivity to critical variables, how to present bibliographical information in a business plan presentation, how to deliver a business plan presentation.

A business plan presentation is the medium we use to communicate a business plan to an audience. 

Presenters commonly ask what is the target length of a business plan presentation in terms of slides. Our expertise in this field tells us it’s advisable to work between 13-20 slides, remaining as concise as possible and using the help of visual aids. Let the graphics speak rather than fill your slides with text blocks.

No. A business plan presentation is used to communicate an identified business opportunity and how it is planned to be served in a way that generates profit. A business presentation is a more generic term, explained in our article about business presentation examples . 

How to Create a Business Plan Presentation

This section will list our recommended content for a successful business plan presentation. We broke it down into four stages which help the presenter build the story backing the business: a-. The opportunity and the competitive landscape analyzed, b- the business model designed and tested to serve the opportunity, c- the implementation plan of the business model, and finally, d- the financial and economic projections estimated that show the profitability of the opportunity.

For the purpose of this guide, the slides will refer to a case study of photo editing software. To replicate this slide deck creation process, you can speed up design decisions by working with the SlideModel AI Presentation Maker and tailoring it to your project.

So, how to make a business plan presentation? Let’s see a step by step guide.

Stage 1 – Identifying the Opportunity

After the title slide that defines how to start a presentation , any business plan should proceed by introducing the executive summary in a concise but impactful format.

The purpose of the executive summary is to inform the audience what to expect from the presentation and its conclusion.

Work with a maximum of two slides for this section, highlighting the key elements through visual cues. Check our guide on how to present an executive summary .

The next slide should disclose all the reasoning behind the business plan proposal, why this plan is being presented at this present moment, and projections of how the plan aligns with the current market trends.

Presenters can share the analysis done by the Market research team as long as it’s made clear which problem is relevant to the current market trends that this business plan aims to solve.

Mention all the references used to arrive at the conclusions expressed so data is backed with meaningful sources.

Any corporate PPT template can help you craft this slide, but presenters can also boost their performance through the use of infographics . If your solution for the selected problem involves a complex process, consider using a process flow template to expose the step-by-step justification of this proposal.

Use a SWOT template to showcase the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of this business opportunity.

Make sure the SWOT diagram is legible. Work your way to meet the same aesthetic style despite speeding up the process with templates. Mention the tools used for gathering the information for this SWOT Analysis in the footnote and ensure the audience understands which information elements help you reach conclusions in each quadrant. Check our guide on how to create a SWOT analysis and see if your business plan requires a SWOT or SOAR analysis . 

Every business plan is scoped under a niche or industry sector. With this slide, describe the sector in which the proposal is immersed. Communicate its value,  list the actors involved, and describe their high-level relationships.

List the analyzed competitors. Communicate their attributes. The competitors’ comparison in business plan presentation can be visually explained using tools from the Blue Ocean Strategy framework, like the Strategy Canvas . 

The competitive intensity of an industry sector is studied through the Porter’s 5 Forces model. This intensity expresses how attractive the industry is. Explain the conclusion in each force showcasing the model.

First, introduce the variables identified as important for the industry sector, citing the insight’s source. Secondly, drill down each variable and break down the different trend dimensions ( PESTEL ) 

• Use a highly visual slide, like a dashboard template , to introduce factual data regarding the trends over a specific time period. Growth rates must be represented in time frames of over 180 days to evaluate the trend accurately.
• List the critical variables (consumers, product, production capability, and financing) briefly.
• Disclose how each variable can affect pricing and your position within the niche for that trend. Presenters can refer to case studies from successful competitor stories on how they responded to trend changes in the niche.

When presenting the value chain, we ought to articulate the sequence of activities the company handles to create value within the business plan. Start by breaking down the value chain into its key components, briefly explaining the stages from inbound logistics all the way through customer service. It is important to highlight the linking point between each stage and express the value of coordinating team activities to enhance overall efficiency.

We can use flowchart diagram templates as visual aids for the audience so they can understand the process sequence. Check our guide on how to make a flowchart .

Present the identified Market and its Segments. Continue explaining how conclusions were driven through the analysis and sizing of the market.

Presenters can use target market analysis templates , market segmentation templates , or TAM SAM SOM templates to compare their target market with the total available market. 

We recommend you check our guide on market segmentation for this process.

Then drill down with a Persona definition.

This study can be made by creating ideal customers, describing their demographics and psychological factors that make them prospective candidates to purchase the product or service this business plan presentation refers to.

Here is our guide on creating buyer personas . 

The Jobs-to-be-Done theory explains why certain customers are attracted to products and services and how those elements solve core problems in the consumers’ lives. 

A Perceptual Map is a tool we can use to measure the consumer perception of different products/services in the same market. This can be particularly useful if our value proposal is to brand ourselves as cheaper alternatives to already existing solutions. Check our guide on perceptual maps for further information.

Check our guide on the Jobs-to-be-Done framework and add suggestions to the business plan presentation.

Stage 2 – Business Model

To describe the  Business Model in your Business Plan Presentation, use the business model canvas analysis tool. Display your design in one slide.

For specific sections of the BMC, you can add slides if you need to drill down for further details. In our experience, the following sections require a deeper level of explanation.

List the Segments targeted in your Business Model. You can include a slide with additional information and segment size. Reference the Market analysis explained earlier to justify the selection or which were the pivots applied.

In order to explain the reasoning behind the Value Proposition and how it serves the segments selected, you can use the Value Proposition Canvas tool to explain the logic behind this selection.

The Value Proposition outlines the unique benefit our product or service offers the market and why customers should choose our offer over potential alternatives. Since we have already analyzed the potential buyers and presented the market, it’s time to deliver that value proposition using our best assets: customer testimonials, report data, surveys, etc.

As testimonials often weigh the most in established brands, be sure to present this information through a narrative that showcases why your product or service had a positive impact on the life of that customer. You can use customer testimonial templates to give an extra boost through visual aids.

Explaining how much the customers will pay for the product/services is critical to understanding the viability and profitability of the business. Showcase for each segment the pricing model and the engagement terms.

The Income Model expresses the sources of revenue for our business plan. This has to be in relationship with the pricing strategy for established businesses. Lean startups can work concerning their minimum viable product (MVP) and then elaborate with projections for future releases or changes in their income stream structure.

At this point, companies need to present the sources of revenue depending on their origin:

• Product Sales
• Subscription Model
• Freemium Model
• Partnerships with other brands in different niches
• Advertising and Sponsorships
• Monetization

Check our guide on pricing strategy models for more information about how to present this point. You can use revenue stream templates to represent this data in style.

Drill down the cost structure categories and relate them to the Value Chain explained earlier. Show a cost breakdown chart to make it easier for the audience to understand their weight in the total costs.

As this step can be a bit complex to articulate, we recommend you check our guide on Cost Structure to see how you can resume all that information in one slide.

At the business model stage, distribution channels should be briefly introduced since they will be mentioned again in the Distribution Plan . In some industries, it is important to highlight which channels are chosen over others for the sake of revenue and faster operation.

Our Distribution Channels PowerPoint Template is a perfect resource for this.

Presenting the strategic partnerships for the business plan is a way to prove the plan’s potential reach and success factor. On this behalf, companies must list which resources they are sharing with their business partners regarding expertise, technology, distribution channels, or capital, as these elements will impact the cost structure.

You can use the Business Partnership PowerPoint Template to present this information in a professional-looking format.

Stage 3 – Implementation

The business plan is designed to offer a product, deliver a service, or combine both. At this stage, the business plan presentation drills down on how the organization will build/deliver the product/service implementing the business model outlined earlier.  

Describe how the company operates regarding human capital and its roles. Presenters must describe to the audience the hierarchical structure, responsibilities, and how they play a role within the value chain.

You can use Org Charts to represent the roles and responsibilities in the organization visually. It is also advisable to highlight the expertise and experience of the management team, as it helps to build trust.

The Human Resource Plan must refer to your planned recruitment, training, and employee onboarding. Which talent will be required, and how is it planned to build the different teams of the structure.

Check the Go To Market Strategy guide and describe how the Business Plan will enter the market and overcome the initial barriers. Continue with the Marketing Plan limited to 1-2 slides resuming the plan’s tactics to increase brand awareness and the selected channels for this strategy. 

You can use the Marketing Plan Templates help to speed up the process by focusing on the content to fill rather than the design or creating complex charts from scratch.

Present the sales plan describing the full sales process, lead generation, nurturing customers, and conversion strategies.

Use Sales PowerPoint Templates to visually illustrate your sales process, like the Sales Pipeline Slide Template for PowerPoint , which depicts the process from lead acquisition to a closed deal.

Check our guide on Sales Plan for further information on this topic.

This step refers to presenting the product/service development plan, the Quality Assurance processes behind its validation, and your company’s commitment to a continuous improvement process based on surveyed data or customer feedback.

We can refer to testimonials, user case experiences our team successfully troubleshot, or experiences we learned from competitors in the same niche.

Presenting the distribution plan involves addressing logistics topics, supply chain , and sharing fulfillment strategies. Although we already presented the potential distribution channels, this is the step in which you detail how each will interact and their impact on the estimated revenue. 

Present one slide mentioning your company’s approach to these channels, if applicable:

• Direct Sales (either physical store or e-commerce)
• Retail Partnerships
• Wholesalers or Distributors
• E-Commerce marketplaces

This step involves two different approaches depending on the kind of industry we’re in. For traditional business, inventory management in a business plan presentation must highlight how the inventory will be handled to minimize transportation costs or overproduction. Projections must be shown per quarterly period and take into account seasonality if it has a significant impact on the required storage capacity.

On the other hand, e-commerce companies have to present their online infrastructure to secure the product’s availability 24/7, how customer tickets are handled when the customer cannot access the product, server costs, and how we prevent online leaks.

Stage 4 – ROI and Risk Evaluation

This section will outline the Financial Plan of your Business.

Showcase the financial structure, including equity, debt, and potential investors, at the moment of kick-starting this business. It is a good practice to consider the initial funding slide to be a brief summary of those points, with particular emphasis on the funding needs.

Cash Flow Diagrams , Comparison Chart templates , and Timeline templates to showcase when funds help to meet each of the plan’s milestones are good ideas to represent the elements on this slide.

Income and expense projections must be presented over a defined time period by using graphs or charts to clearly visualize the trends supporting each change.

Break down the revenue sources with clear, identifiable icons to showcase: product sales, subscription fees, advertisement, affiliates, etc. Sales estimations have to be realistic and conservative, as they will be contrasted with the production, marketing, administrative, and personnel costs to leave a gross profit margin calculation. 

Evaluation of Projected Return vs. Required 

Demonstrate the feasibility of your business plan. Start by presenting the profit margins in relation to the projection of income and expenses, then introduce the break-even analysis .

Presenters can make their message more relevant by presenting an ROI calculation and contrasting it with industry benchmarks in the same niche. By following this approach, presenters prove how the ROI offered by this business plan aligns with the investment’s risk projection.

Presenting a risk evaluation analysis in a business plan presentation involves introducing both risks and their mitigation strategies. 

Risk Management templates , like the ROAM framework, can help organize potential risk sources by their severity and impact on the organization. A pyramid diagram can be used to demonstrate how risk management can be delegated across the organization to completely eradicate the risk factor depending on its severity. 

The elements you should consider presenting are mainly regulatory changes, market changes, competitors (new or existing), and financial crises. 

The final point in our business plan presentation involves summarizing how key variables can influence the projected returns in our plan. Examples of these variables can be sudden increases in raw materials (affecting production costs and sales prices), a new pandemic (affecting workforce capacity and shortage of raw materials), geopolitical situations like war, etc.

We highly recommend presenting these critical variables using scenario analysis techniques according to measured data. Introduce best-case, worst-case, and most likely-case to give a full panorama of how your organization is prepared against any contingency.

An often overlooked point in a business plan presentation comes when listing the bibliographical information used to craft the business plan. Follow these steps to ensure a professional outcome for this slide or document.

• Use a title like: “Bibliography,” “Source Credits,” or “References.” If your business plan presentation cites examples from other companies, use a “Works Cited” section.
• References are usually shown in the APA style, but the MLE or Chicago style can be requested depending on your location or situation.
• Maintain a consistent style in terms of reference style used, font, text size, and formatting options across the entire slide deck. Footnotes or in-text citations can be used for important data.
• Verbally acknowledge your sources when required throughout the course of your presentation. This helps to establish credibility and respect for other people’s work rather than just dropping a slide with chunks of text.

This section will cover the most commonly asked questions on delivering a business plan presentation.

How many slides should my business plan presentation list?

This will depend entirely on your niche and the complexity of the business plan. Generally, work with at least 15 slides and no more than 30. It is best to use an extra slide rather than overcrowd an existing slide with tons of information.

What is the best format to present a business plan?

There are different options to present any business plan, so the selected option will mostly consist of the presenter’s preferred style and the audience’s age and interests.

• PowerPoint Presentation : You can start from a blank slide and go all the way through a professionally designed PPT template . PowerPoint documents allow you to present images, text, audio, videos, and any kind of graphic to help you convey the core ideas behind the business plan. They can work with any PC or Mac device, as well as mobile devices.
• PDF Documents: This can be a choice made in a hurry or by preference. Sharing a PDF document can work, but you must include the fonts used in the original document, as some compatibility issues can be present. 
• Pitch Deck : Rather than doing a lengthy business plan presentation, a pitch deck consists of a maximum of 15 slides to deliver your proposal concisely. This is the typical approach we can see in TV shows like Shark Tank. 
• Video Presentation : In some cases, using a video in a business plan presentation is relevant, especially if we are to introduce an innovative product in the market. You can use videos to showcase features, present services in a live format, introduce your team, and plenty of other options.

Are printables required in business plan presentations?

Although they are not required, using supplementary material in business plan presentations can be useful. You can prepare reference material for investors, especially involving complex data like graphs in an amplified format (and reference the slide in which they appear and vice versa).

Providing a printable to accompany your business plan presentation helps to give an image of professionalism and respect to your proposal.

What are the don’ts of writing a business plan?

The main purpose of this article is to craft and deliver a business plan presentation. Still, we would like to clarify some common errors seen in business plans that typically affect the performance of the presentation.

• Using overcomplicated language : Jargon or unnecessary acronyms may confuse spectators who are not in touch with all the details relevant to a particular industry. 
• Ignoring the audience : Not considering the variety of interests among investors, partners, and team members can hinder your presentation.
• Neglecting/underestimating competitors : Any realistic business plan considers the existing competitors in their niche and perhaps potential newcomers. Not doing so will leave you unprepared to present a doable business plan.
• Ignoring Risk Assessment : Omitting the Risk Assessment analysis and mitigation strategies does not respect the value investors and your team have. 

How long should the business plan presentation be?

As a general guideline, try to fit your business plan presentation between 20-30 minutes. Some complex plans may require additional time to be presented.

Does the presentation need to be tailored to different audiences? 

Using this tactic can be a winning factor for both investors and your team, as you prioritize effective communication for the roles they are relevant. Take these items into consideration for tailoring the presentation for specific needs.

In-Company Presentation

The focus should be on goal accomplishment and the strategies targeted to the team’s roles. Emphasize how teamwork is the pathway to success and how each individual contributes to the bigger picture.

If new technologies or knowledge are required as part of the business plan implementation, then this is the moment to disclose that information and inform the process to coach the team into it.

Board Meeting

Whenever delivering the business plan presentation to a board of directors, focus on the strategic goals, financial projections, and KPIs. 

Showcase how this business plan aligns with the company’s core values, mission, vision, and long-term strategy. 

Potential Investors

Presenting your unique value proposition, potential ROI, and highlighting the market opportunity is extremely important. Focus on selling your business model and vision with accurate financial projections and growth strategy. 

Dedicate some minutes to present your industry’s competitive landscape and answer why your product or service is a better offering than what competitors produce.

As we can see, creating a business plan presentation is a process that can be time-consuming if we lack the required business plan presentation tools to turn data into visually appealing formats. 

Remember to work concisely without losing the big picture of what you intend to explain. Your presentation is the entry point into the heart of your business; therefore, by adopting a structured approach, you can deliver an experience that engages, inspires, and builds confidence. 

Finally, let’s see some business plan PowerPoint presentation examples & business plan templates that you can use to speed up the presentation design process and save time.

1. Coffee Shop Illustration Business Plan Slides

Create your new business plan presentation with quality vector illustrations for Coffee Shops. Ideal for cafeterias, coffee bars, barista giftshop stores, bookshops and more.

Use This Template

2. Real Estate Business Plan PowerPoint Template

Realtors looking to start their own agencies should take a look at this attractive selection of slides with tailored real estate vector illustrations. These presentation plan slides show the different stages that a prospective buyer may incur, from hiring the services of a Real Estate agent, checking different properties, to finally buying a home.  Graphs and charts are included in vivid colors that are fully editable to meet the required branding.

3. Restaurant Business Model PowerPoint Template

As we’ve seen with the previous cases, these vector images depicting typical restaurant activities can help us build a business plan presentation sample to discuss with our team prior to an important meeting. Save time and money by introducing these professional designs into your presentation.

4. One Pager Business Plan PowerPoint

To briefly summarize the objectives of your business plan, work in-team with this one-pager business plan slide. Ideal to take notes, give a general picture of the current status of the business plan and key growth opportunities.

5. Business Plan PowerPoint Templates

If you want to create the best business plan presentation, this slide deck can make that task 100% easier. Containing all the elements described in this guide, introduce your data and prepare to deliver a powerful speech.

6. Flat Bold Business Plan PowerPoint Template

Another slide deck intended for those looking at how to make a business plan presentation that delivers a memorable experience. With a minimalistic design approach, it perfectly balances formal elements and impactful visual cues to help increase your audience’s retention rate.

7. Car Sharing Business Plan PowerPoint Template

Create the next Uber-like car-sharing service with the help of these carpooling vector illustrations perfectly arranged in a cohesive business plan slide deck. Presenters can explain the ins and outs of their business model with highly detailed graphics that grab the attention of potential investors. Check it out now!

8. Beauty Salon Business Plan PowerPoint Template

Business plan presentations don’t have to look formal or boring. This slide deck is geared towards beauty salon businesses, especially for those targeted to women. Chic design, bold color scheme, and extremely useful tools like a pricing list to present an idea like a subscription-based model where consumers see the total value of their investment.

9. CrossFit Business Plan PowerPoint Template

Finally, we list an option filled with tools and gym vector illustrations for those looking to start a gym business or CrossFit academy. These illustrations were crafted with care to express the core idea on every single slide, such as human-shaped graphs to present relevant KPIs.

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Business Planning, Business Presentations Filed under Business

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• Inspiration

23 presentation examples that really work (plus templates!)

• 30 Mar 2023

To help you in your quest for presentation greatness, we’ve gathered 23 of the best business presentation examples out there. These hand-picked ideas range from business PowerPoint presentations, to recruitment presentations, and everything in between.

As a bonus, several of our examples include editable video presentation templates from  Biteable .

Biteable allows anyone to create great video presentations — no previous video-making skills required. The easy-to-use platform has hundreds of brandable templates and video scenes designed with a business audience in mind. A video made with Biteable is just what you need to add that wow factor and make an impact on your audience.

Create videos that drive action

Activate your audience with impactful, on-brand videos. Create them simply and collaboratively with Biteable.

Video presentation examples

Video presentations are our specialty at Biteable. We love them because they’re the most visually appealing and memorable way to communicate.

1. Animated characters

Our first presentation example is a business explainer video from Biteable that uses animated characters. The friendly and modern style makes this the perfect presentation for engaging your audience.

Bonus template:  Need a business video presentation that reflects the beautiful diversity of your customers or team? Use  Biteable’s workplace scenes . You can change the skin tone and hair color for any of the animated characters.

2. Conference video

Videos are also ideal solutions for events (e.g. trade shows) where they can be looped to play constantly while you attend to more important things like talking to people and handing out free cheese samples.

For this event presentation sample below, we used bright colours, stock footage, and messaging that reflects the brand and values of the company. All these elements work together to draw the attention of passers-by.

For a huge selection of video presentation templates, take a look at our  template gallery .

Business PowerPoint presentation examples

Striking fear into the hearts of the workplace since 1987, PowerPoint is synonymous with bland, boring presentations that feel more like an endurance test than a learning opportunity. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Check out these anything-but-boring business PowerPoint presentation examples.

3. Design pointers

This PowerPoint presentation takes a tongue-in-cheek look at how the speakers and users of PowerPoint are the problem, not the software itself.

Even at a hefty 61 slides, the vintage theme, appealing colors, and engaging content keep the viewer interested. It delivers useful and actionable tips on creating a better experience for your audience.

Pixar, as you’d expect, redefines the meaning of PowerPoint in their “22 Rules for Phenomenal Storytelling”. The character silhouettes are instantly recognizable and tie firmly to the Pixar brand. The bright colour palettes are carefully chosen to highlight the content of each slide.

This presentation is a good length, delivering one message per slide, making it easy for an audience to take notes and retain the information.

Google slides examples

If you’re in business, chances are you’ll have come across  slide decks . Much like a deck of cards, each slide plays a key part in the overall ‘deck’, creating a well-rounded presentation.

If you need to inform your team, present findings, or outline a new strategy, slides are one of the most effective ways to do this.

Google Slides is one of the best ways to create a slide deck right now. It’s easy to use and has built-in design tools that integrate with Adobe, Lucidchart, and more. The best part — it’s free!

5. Teacher education

Here’s a slide deck that was created to educate teachers on how to use Google Slides effectively in a classroom. At first glance it seems stuffy and businessy, but if you look closer it’s apparent the creator knows his audience well, throwing in some teacher-friendly content that’s bound to get a smile.

The slides give walkthrough screenshots and practical advice on the different ways teachers can use the software to make their lives that little bit easier and educate their students at the same time.

6. Charity awareness raiser

This next Google slide deck is designed to raise awareness for an animal shelter. It has simple, clear messaging, and makes use of the furry friends it rescues to tug on heartstrings and encourage donations and adoptions from its audience.

Pro tip: Creating a presentation is exciting but also a little daunting. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed — especially if the success of your business or nonprofit depends on it.

Prezi presentation examples

If you haven’t come across  Prezi , it’s a great alternative to using static slides. Sitting somewhere between slides and a video presentation, it allows you to import other content and add motion to create a more engaging viewer experience.

7. Red Bull event recap

This Prezi was created to document the Red Bull stratosphere freefall stunt a few years ago. It neatly captures all the things that Prezi is capable of, including video inserts and the zoom effect, which gives an animated, almost 3D effect to what would otherwise be still images.  

Prezi has annual awards for the best examples of presentations over the year. This next example is one of the 2018 winners. It was made to highlight a new Logitech tool.

8. Logitech Spotlight launch

What stands out here are the juicy colors, bold imagery, and the way the designer has used Prezi to its full extent, including rotations, panning, fades, and a full zoom out to finish the presentation.

Sales presentation examples

If you’re stuck for ideas for your sales presentation, step right this way and check out this video template we made for you.

9. Sales enablement video presentation

In today’s fast-paced sales environment, you need a way to make your sales enablement presentations memorable and engaging for busy reps.  Sales enablement videos  are just the ticket. Use this video presentation template the next time you need to present on your metrics.

10. Zuroa sales deck

If you’re after a sales deck, you can’t go past this example from Zuora. What makes it great? It begins by introducing the worldwide shift in the way consumers are shopping. It’s a global phenomenon, and something we can all relate to.

It then weaves a compelling story about how the subscription model is changing the face of daily life for everyone. Metrics and testimonials from well-known CEOs and executives are included for some slamming social proof to boost the sales message.

Pitch presentation examples

Pitch decks are used to give an overview of business plans, and are usually presented during meetings with customers, investors, or potential partners.

11. Uber pitch deck

This is Uber’s original pitch deck, which (apart from looking a teensy bit dated) gives an excellent overview of their business model and clearly shows how they intended to disrupt a traditional industry and provide a better service to people. Right now, you’re probably very grateful that this pitch presentation was a winner.

You can make your own pitch deck with Biteable, or start with one of our  video templates  to make something a little more memorable.

12. Video pitch template

This video pitch presentation clearly speaks to the pains of everyone who needs to commute and find parking. It then provides the solution with its app that makes parking a breeze.

The video also introduces the key team members, their business strategy, and what they’re hoping to raise in funding. It’s a simple, clear pitch that positions the company as a key solution to a growing, worldwide problem. It’s compelling and convincing, as a good presentation should be.

13. Fyre Festival pitch deck

The most epic example of a recent pitch deck is this one for Fyre Festival – the greatest event that never happened. Marvel at its persuasion, gasp at the opportunity of being part of the cultural experience of the decade, cringe as everything goes from bad to worse.

Despite the very public outcome, this is a masterclass in how to create hype and get funding with your pitch deck using beautiful imagery, beautiful people, and beautiful promises of riches and fame.

Business presentation examples

Need to get the right message out to the right people? Business presentations can do a lot of the heavy lifting for you.

Simply press play and let your video do the talking. No fumbling your words and sweating buckets in front of those potential clients, just you being cool as a cucumber while your presentation does the talking.

Check out two of our popular templates that you can use as a starting point for your own presentations. While they’re business-minded, they’re definitely not boring.

14. Business intro template

Modern graphics, animations, and upbeat soundtracks keep your prospects engaged as they learn about your business, your team, your values, and how you can help them.

15. Business explainer template

Research presentation examples.

When you’re giving a more technical presentation such as research findings, you need to strike the perfect balance between informing your audience and making sure they stay awake.

As a rule, slides are more effective for research presentations, as they are used to support the speaker’s knowledge rather can capture every small detail on screen.

With often dry, complex, and technical subject matter, there can be a temptation for presentations to follow suit. Use images instead of walls of text, and keep things as easy to follow as possible.

16. TrackMaven research deck

TrackMaven uses their endearing mascot to lighten up this data-heavy slide deck. The graphs help to bring life to their findings, and they ensure to only have one bite-size takeaway per slide so that viewers can easily take notes.

17. Wearable tech research report

Obviously, research can get very researchy and there’s not a lot to be done about it. This slide deck below lays out a ton of in-depth information but breaks it up well with quotes, diagrams, and interesting facts to keep viewers engaged while it delivers its findings on wearable technology.

Team presentation examples

Motivating your team can be a challenge at the best of times, especially when you need to gather them together for….another presentation!

18. Team update template

We created this presentation template as an example of how to engage your team. In this case, it’s for an internal product launch. Using colorful animation and engaging pacing, this video presentation is much better than a static PowerPoint, right?

19. Officevibe collaboration explainer

This short slide deck is a presentation designed to increase awareness of the problems of a disengaged team. Bright colors and relevant images combine with facts and figures that compel viewers to click through to a download to learn more about helping their teams succeed.

Recruitment presentation examples

Recruiting the right people can be a challenge. Presentations can help display your team and your business by painting a dynamic picture of what it’s like to work with you.

Videos and animated slides let you capture the essence of your brand and workplace so the right employees can find you.

20. Company culture explainer

If you’re a recruitment agency, your challenge is to stand out from the hundreds of other agencies in the marketplace.

21. Kaizen culture

Showcasing your agency using a slide deck can give employers and employees a feel for doing business with you. Kaizen clearly displays its credentials and highlights its brand values and personality here (and also its appreciation of the coffee bean).

Explainer presentation examples

Got some explaining to do? Using an explainer video is the ideal way to showcase products that are technical, digital, or otherwise too difficult to explain with still images and text.

Explainer videos help you present the features and values of your product in an engaging way that speaks to your ideal audience and promotes your brand at the same time.

22. Product explainer template

23. lucidchart explainer.

Lucidchart does a stellar job of using explainer videos for their software. Their series of explainers-within-explainers entertains the viewer with cute imagery and an endearing brand voice. At the same time, the video is educating its audience on how to use the actual product. We (almost) guarantee you’ll have more love for spiders after watching this one.

Make a winning video presentation with Biteable

Creating a winning presentation doesn’t need to be difficult or expensive. Modern slide decks and video software make it easy for you to give compelling presentations that sell, explain, and educate without sending your audience to snooze town.

For the best online video presentation software around, check out Biteable. The intuitive platform does all the heavy lifting for you, so making a video presentation is as easy as making a PowerPoint.

Use Biteable’s brand builder to automatically fetch your company colors and logo from your website and apply them to your entire video with the click of a button. Even add a  clickable call-to-action  button to your video.

Share your business presentation anywhere with a single, trackable URL and watch your message turn into gold.

Make stunning videos with ease.

Take the struggle out of team communication.

Try Biteable now.

• No credit card required
• No complicated design decisions
• No experience necessary

Business Documents: Types, Examples and How to Write Them

Businesses run on processes, policies and actions; business documents are how we manage and keep track of it all.

This form of visual communication ensures we're:

• Following the right procedures.
• Maintaining regulatory and legal compliance.
• Training our teams properly.
• Giving our customers important intel.
• Keeping track of company data.

And still, 55 percent of employees  state that their company struggles to make the necessary documents available to their employees.

Let's dig into the types of business documents your employees need, why they're so important and how to write and share them effectively.

What are business documents? (Definition)

Business documents are all the papers, reports, files, letters and records that are related to the various company activities. 

They can cover information across all aspects of the business — such as:

• Standard operating procedures ( SOPs ).  
• Financial transactions.
• Lead and customer behavior data.
• Meeting minutes.
• Employee and vendor agreements.

Business documents offer snapshots of your organization's internal and external workflows. This makes it so much easier to manage processes, whether you're running a long-time company or starting a new business .

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Benefits of business documents

Business documents are a single source of truth, both during everyday operations and potential conflicts.

Here are the top four advantages of prioritizing creating business documents: 

• Speeds up onboarding and training.
• Provides corporate governance.
• Ensures credibility.
• Protects business integrity.

1. Speeds up onboarding and training

Onboarding and training without business documentation isn't just inefficient. It means the HR team won’t have time to focus on higher-value tasks that directly impact the company’s bottom line. 

By creating training materials such as:

• Work instructions or job aids.
• Standard operating procedures.
• Training manuals.
• Onboarding checklists.
• Instructional videos.

... you can fast-track the onboarding process, ramp up employees and give your HR team time to focus on operations.

Training documents allow employees to learn more about processes and activities at their own pace. They can come back to the training documents and read through as needed, increasing their efficiency and independence.

2. Provides corporate governance 

Corporate governance refers to all the rules and processes followed by a particular organization.

Business documents can clearly define the organization’s corporate governance. This maintains transparency among shareholders.

Other important business documents, like company bylaws, outline rules that govern the company's day-to-day.

Apart from explaining corporate hierarchy so new employees know who to contact while facing an issue, they provide key information on audits, fundraising, meetings and elections for the board of directors. 

3. Ensures credibility 

Imagine you had to research the benefits of a product roadmap. You come across two articles — one published several years ago, while the other is relatively new. Which one would you trust more? The recently published one, of course! 

Similarly, if your business documentation is up-to-date and comprehensive, it shows stakeholders that they can trust your organization. It opens doors to lucrative contracts and collaboration. 

These documents also provide investors and financial auditors with much-needed information about the company's performance and history. You stand to gain immense profit with thorough business documentation.

4. Protects business integrity

Ask any business owner, and they’ll tell you that safeguarding the company’s reputation is always a top priority. 

By implementing business documentation, you’re ensuring a procedure is in place for any and every situation. This makes firefighting much easier while enabling proactive thinking at the same time. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that business documentation is the lifeblood of any business. It lists out identifying attributes like mission statements, founding philosophies, financial statements and future plans.

If anyone is curious about the company, simply send a pitch deck over. This helps them learn more about the company’s value and boosts your reputation.

Types of business documents

There are a host of business documents used today — each serving a vital end-to-end purpose.

While the documents you use will vary based on your industry, company size and stage, here are five examples of business documents that most companies need.

1. Process documents

‎Whether you're building formal procedures or a simple workflow checklist, business process documentation protects institutional knowledge, helps your team work faster and prevents costly mistakes.

Today, forty-nine percent  of employees spend up to two hours every day trying to find the information they need to do their jobs. 

By building and sharing process documents, you can save employee time, increase productivity and even strengthen retention.

Generate process documents with screenshots in seconds! ➜

Common types of process documents are:

• Standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Step-by-step or how-to guides .
• Process maps or flowcharts.

2. Financial documents 

‎ Eighty-two percent of businesses fail because of cash-flow problems. This is often due to mismanagement, not a lack of revenue.

Finance management documents are key to keeping things in line. They track cash flow, income and expenditure.

They help business leaders and senior management make data-backed business decisions that help in organizational growth.

Well-maintained financial documents can also help resolve issues quickly.

Whenever a problem arises, an accountant can analyze months of documented data and zero in on financial discrepancies and leaks. 

Common types of financial documents include:

• Profit and loss statements.
• Income and financial statements.
• Balance sheets.
• Accounts receiveable/payable.
• Tax returns.

2. Business reports 

Business reports contain all the information investors and stakeholders need to know about how a business operates. 

Senior executives and managers use them to make informed decisions that are aligned with the company’s goals and values. These reports generally include sales figures, case studies and other forms of operational data. 

Typically, we see analysts create these reports by analyzing various business departments like finance, marketing, and investor stock. Based on their findings, they draw up conclusions that help develop budgets, future forecasts and marketing strategies. 

Common types of business reports are:

• Analytical reports. 
• Progress reports. 
• Explanatory reports. 
• Informational reports.  

3. Human resource (HR) business documents 

‎As the name suggests, employee agreement contracts ensure employees follow and respect company policies . In this way, most HR documents bridge the gap between employees and the corporation.

Hiring managers lay out clearly defined employment terms to help new hires understand their role in the organization.

Companies also use documents to explain what employees will get from the company in exchange for their services. These documents outline the benefits, rights and duties of each employee. 

Common types of HR documents are:

• Employee stock option agreement.
• Employment contract.
• Performance appraisal document.
• Employee handbook.

💡 Related resource: How SOPs are used in Human Resources

4. company bylaws.

Company bylaws are one of the first documents created for a company. They contain information about the company's governing bodies—the board of directors and senior management. 

The document also establishes the company's purpose and why it was built. Investors can use this to understand the company’s values, ownership dynamics and standard operating procedures.  

As years pass, the company structure will inevitably change. Bylaws also have rules for amendments. A board member can raise an issue in the company's workflow. Then, board members meet to decide how to amend the bylaws. 

Here are the must-have components of company bylaws:

• Statement of purpose. 
• Information about the board of directors. 
• Shareholder information. 
• Guidelines on how to handle conflict of interest. 
• Guidelines on how to amend bylaws. 

How to write effective business documents

With such a vast array of business document types, it can be hard to nail down how to get it all done.

Here are some standard practices to keep in mind.

1. Build a knowledge base

Make sure that your business documentation is organized and, most importantly, accessible

PricewaterhouseCoopers states that 7.5 percent of all paper documents are either misplaced or lost. Imagine having an important contract or agreement in that pile.

By creating a knowledge base , you can easily store, organize and search for your documentation.

This also reduces the need for storage space, except for your computer RAM .

2. Identify your core functions

There are types of business documents that every company needs, like bylaws and financial statements.

But other documentation depends on your business type, function and outputs. Take a look at your organizational needs, then create a checklist of what documents are required. Use your knowledge base to build folders for different departments.

3. Connect with experts

Business documentation isn't a place to cut corners. Work with external professionals and your internal subject matter experts to make sure that your documentation is accurate and compliant.

This might mean working with lawyers to review contractual documentation or connecting with your go-to people to construct standard operating procedures.

4. Use automation and tools

Take advantage of the software available to help you create and templatize your documents.

For example, Scribe is an AI-powered tool that documents your processes for you. It generates visual step-by-step guides by following along as you work. Each guide automatically comes with text, links and annotated screenshots.

‎This lets your go-to people create and share process documentation in seconds.

Another example of a great tool to use is BambooHR , which provides you with checklists, an employee record database and even e-signature functionality for all of your onboarding business documentation.

5. Prioritize security

Document security is one of the most important aspects of any successful business.

The risk of a breach could lead to major costs — and even loss of business. In 2022 alone, companies lost $4.35 million to attacks.

Make sure that your knowledge base and other documentation tools have the right functions in place to prevent a breach. For example, Scribe is SOC II compliant and uses the OpenAI LLM APIs that strictly limit data usage. This means that whoever uses the process documentation tool knows that their data is secure.

6. Create templates

Once you've built your initial business documentation, you can templatize and store for future use.

For example, after you've created contracts for employees, vendors or customers, you can easily create a template that removes personal information — so all you need to do is update names and dates the next time around.

Make a folder in your knowledge base to house all templates, then organize the templates into files sorted by department or function.

7. Schedule audits or regular feedback

As your operations or regulations evolve, you want to make sure that your business documents are up-to-date .

Schedule regular reviews with your experts, and be sure to add the dates and version number so that you can confirm you're working with the newest document.

It also helps to have a documentation tool with feedback functionality. Scribe lets employees add feedback directly into the documents, so you can easily incorporate updates to match your processes. It also allows for verification and approvals so you can easily track and manage changes.

‎Conclusion: Business documentation

Business documents are among the most important aspects of any company's operations. They lay the groundwork for how your teams function and ultimately succeed.

Make sure you effectively write business documentation by building a knowledge base, leaning on experts and taking advantage of the software and automation designed to create and manage your team's documents.

Create visual process documentation and SOPs in minutes for free!

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How to Make a Business Presentation in 7 Easy Steps [Free Business Presentation Templates]

Updated: May 02, 2022

Published: September 11, 2019

There’s a reason many people despise public speaking. Defining your presentation style , putting together engaging slides, getting your point across clearly, handling unexpected questions, and squeezing a laugh out of the audience is a lot to consider.

Still, nearly all of us have to give business presentations every so often — especially salespeople . And the most daunting part of preparing for any presentation is that there’s always room to improve. 

Even the most seasoned speakers headlining at conferences or reps who top the leaderboard every month can improve their storytelling, deliver their message more clearly, and perfect their physicality. And so can you.

There are an infinite number of presentation tips out there, so we’ve distilled the vast pool of tips down to what will make the biggest impact on your presentation — and we’ve left you with actionable takeaways you can apply to your presentations today.

How to Make a Business Presentation

1. make a plan.

Things won’t go according to plan if you don’t even have a plan in the first place. Before building your slide deck , create an outline that includes the main points and pieces of evidence you want to get across.

This outline will act as your anchor while you build a slide deck and give your presentation, pointing you toward the key arguments you know you need to touch on.

I like to start with the bare bones: introductory remarks , the three points I hope my audience remembers from my talk, and concluding remarks. Then, I add sub-points to each of those three points that comprise the meat of my presentation.

These bullet points become helpful later, too, when I’m putting together my slides. They show me how much material I have on each takeaway, which allows me to split my content into the appropriate number of slides.

A well-delivered, memorable introduction and conclusion are essential ingredients of a presentation. Don’t overlook them in your outline.

Even a couple of quick bullet points on exactly what you plan to cover in each will help you set an engaging, confident tone at the start and wrap up in a way that helps your material stick in your audience’s mind.

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2. Choose a slide deck

Select a slide deck that matches the tone of your presentation. There are three primary factors that can influence your deck style:

• The formality of your workplace . A good litmus test is your company’s dress code. For example, if you wear business formal attire to work, stick with a slide deck with neutral colors like navy, white, grey, and black, and keep your fonts sharp. If your workplace is more casual or prizes creativity over ceremony, consider a more colorful deck, but keep it to two to three complementary colors to avoid creating slides that are too busy.If you’re looking for a slide deck that’s creative but not overwhelming, consider something like this ( you can download this slide deck template for free here ):

• The content you’re presenting. Serious research and financial data, for example, are suited for more professional decks. Informal recaps, brainstorms, and planning sessions may give you more bandwidth to use brighter colors.Here’s an example of a slide that would be well-suited for data:

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• Your personal brand . If you’re known at work for your sense of humor or your GIF reaction time on Slack, you’ll be able to get away with a more friendly font and colorful template. If you lean into professionalism and want to express rigor in your analysis or ideas, select a deck with few distractions — keep the colors neutral.

We had our designers here put together a set of free business presentation templates that you can start using today. 

3. Lead with a story and a laugh

One of the reasons it’s so easy to get wrapped up in TED Talks for hours on end is that nearly every presenter begins with a compelling story.

Whether it’s the harrowing tale of a near-death experience or a heartwarming recap of the speaker’s daughter’s first day of preschool, a great story engages the audience’s attention. It should also allow the speaker to build a personal connection with listeners and serve as a memorable cornerstone of the presentation.

When possible, begin your presentations with a story. The key, once you’ve shared your story, is to succinctly tie its main point back to the focus of your presentation.  

Don’t feel you must tell a story that’s groundbreaking or unique — in fact, relatable stories will be most effective at breaking through to your audience.

For example, a marketing director at HubSpot recently began a presentation about her team’s redesign project by sharing a personal anecdote about her struggles clearing weeds in her garden.

Finally, add humor where it feels natural. Getting a laugh out of your audience within the first minute will put them at ease and set a positive tone for the information they’re about to take in. 

4. Add verbal signposts

One of the best pieces of presentation advice I’ve ever gotten came from a college professor who believed our brains needed what he called “signposts”: verbal cues that could stick in an audience’s mind even as the details slipped away. 

He challenged us to distill our presentations down to three key takeaways and come up with one-to-three-word phrases that represented each point. Then, we were to reference those three cues or signposts in our introduction — just before diving into their details — and once again at the end.

If there were slides involved, he also had us select a simple image for each signpost that would be repeated throughout the deck.

Here’s an example: if you were giving a presentation pitching a website redesign, you might talk about all of the benefits a redesign would bring. Your website would be more visually consistent with your brand, the user experience would vastly improve, and you’d improve loading time to boost your search rankings.   

The signposts for this presentation might be: 

• Brand Consistency
• Improved UX

Even if the audience forgot the mechanics of how each of these areas would improve with the redesign, they would walk away with three easy-to-remember phrases that summarized the value of your proposed project.

Since taking that professor’s class, I’ve watched and created presentations completely differently. I always look for a speaker’s signposts and incorporate my own into every presentation I build. Signposts help me retain more material and communicate my points more directly.

5. Rely on images and charts rather than text and tables

Humans process images faster than text. And, as a speaker, it’s a disconcerting experience to see your audience squinting their eyes as they try to make out a hundred tiny words or numbers on your slides, scribbling down as much information as they can before you skip to the next section.  

To avoid this issue, rely on images whenever possible. Keep the attention on you, the expert, by selecting an image or two to drive home your point. Don’t try to squeeze all of your information on a single slide.

6. Incorporate audience interaction

We all dread sitting through boring presentations. And no matter how experienced a speaker you are, there’s inevitably going to be a low-energy point of your talk during your first dry run.  

To keep the energy up, add in a quick moment of audience interaction. There are many different ways to re-engage listeners with participation:  

• Quiz them and have them raise their hands to vote on options.
• Ask a question.
• Have them turn to a neighbor and share one reaction to what they just heard.
• Have people stand up momentarily if they agree with a given statement.

Movement will engage attention in a new way and refresh the energy of the room, carrying you through to the end of the presentation.

7. Hold a couple of non-essential data points until the Q&A at the end

You will always want to use adequate data to make a business case and provide a meaningful, truthful presentation. However, it’s okay if you’re not able to fit every detail into your presentation. 

In fact, if you intend to hold a question and answer session at the end of the presentation , leaving a couple of interesting but non-essential data points out during the presentation can give you impressive material to work with during the Q&A.

Anticipate several questions you’re likely to get or have a colleague watch a practice run-through and come up with three questions for you. Then, choose a couple of pieces of evidence not included on the slides themselves and have them in your mental back pocket to support your answers. 

Data always speaks more loudly than statements that don’t have a specific piece of evidence behind them. Remember, you’re an expert on your presentation topic — and additional, specific points can only help you when it comes to demonstrating your expertise.

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Blog Beginner Guides 8 Types of Presentations You Should Know [+Examples & Tips]

8 Types of Presentations You Should Know [+Examples & Tips]

Written by: Krystle Wong Aug 11, 2023

From persuasive pitches that influence opinions to instructional demonstrations that teach skills, the different types of presentations serve a unique purpose, tailored to specific objectives and audiences.

Presentations that are tailored to its objectives and audiences are more engaging and memorable. They capture attention, maintain interest and leave a lasting impression. 

Don’t worry if you’re no designer —  Whether you need data-driven visuals, persuasive graphics or engaging design elements, Venngage can empower you to craft presentations that stand out and effectively convey your message.

Venngage’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface, extensive presentation template library and customizable design options make it a valuable tool for creating slides that align with your specific goals and target audience. 

Click to jump ahead:

8 Different types of presentations every presenter must know

How do i choose the right type of presentation for my topic or audience, types of presentation faq, 5 steps to create a presentation with venngage .

When it comes to presentations, versatility is the name of the game. Having a variety of presentation styles up your sleeve can make a world of difference in keeping your audience engaged. Here are 8 essential presentation types that every presenter should be well-acquainted with:

1. Informative presentation

Ever sat through a presentation that left you feeling enlightened? That’s the power of an informative presentation. 

This presentation style is all about sharing knowledge and shedding light on a particular topic. Whether you’re diving into the depths of quantum physics or explaining the intricacies of the latest social media trends, informative presentations aim to increase the audience’s understanding.

When delivering an informative presentation, simplify complex topics with clear visuals and relatable examples. Organize your content logically, starting with the basics and gradually delving deeper and always remember to keep jargon to a minimum and encourage questions for clarity.

Academic presentations and research presentations are great examples of informative presentations. An effective academic presentation involves having clear structure, credible evidence, engaging delivery and supporting visuals. Provide context to emphasize the topic’s significance, practice to perfect timing, and be ready to address anticipated questions. 

2. Persuasive presentation

If you’ve ever been swayed by a passionate speaker armed with compelling arguments, you’ve experienced a persuasive presentation . 

This type of presentation is like a verbal tug-of-war, aiming to convince the audience to see things from a specific perspective. Expect to encounter solid evidence, logical reasoning and a dash of emotional appeal.

With persuasive presentations, it’s important to know your audience inside out and tailor your message to their interests and concerns. Craft a compelling narrative with a strong opening, a solid argument and a memorable closing. Additionally, use visuals strategically to enhance your points.

Examples of persuasive presentations include presentations for environmental conservations, policy change, social issues and more. Here are some engaging presentation templates you can use to get started with: 

3. Demonstration or how-to presentation

A Demonstration or How-To Presentation is a type of presentation where the speaker showcases a process, technique, or procedure step by step, providing the audience with clear instructions on how to replicate the demonstrated action. 

A demonstrative presentation is particularly useful when teaching practical skills or showing how something is done in a hands-on manner.

These presentations are commonly used in various settings, including educational workshops, training sessions, cooking classes, DIY tutorials, technology demonstrations and more. Designing creative slides for your how-to presentations can heighten engagement and foster better information retention. 

Speakers can also consider breaking down the process into manageable steps, using visual aids, props and sometimes even live demonstrations to illustrate each step. The key is to provide clear and concise instructions, engage the audience with interactive elements and address any questions that may arise during the presentation.

4. Training or instructional presentation

Training presentations are geared towards imparting practical skills, procedures or concepts — think of this as the more focused cousin of the demonstration presentation. 

Whether you’re teaching a group of new employees the ins and outs of a software or enlightening budding chefs on the art of soufflé-making, training presentations are all about turning novices into experts.

To maximize the impact of your training or instructional presentation, break down complex concepts into digestible segments. Consider using real-life examples to illustrate each point and create a connection. 

You can also create an interactive presentation by incorporating elements like quizzes or group activities to reinforce understanding.

5. Sales presentation

Sales presentations are one of the many types of business presentations and the bread and butter of businesses looking to woo potential clients or customers. With a sprinkle of charm and a dash of persuasion, these presentations showcase products, services or ideas with one end goal in mind: sealing the deal.

A successful sales presentation often has key characteristics such as a clear value proposition, strong storytelling, confidence and a compelling call to action. Hence, when presenting to your clients or stakeholders, focus on benefits rather than just features. 

Anticipate and address potential objections before they arise and use storytelling to showcase how your offering solves a specific problem for your audience. Utilizing visual aids is also a great way to make your points stand out and stay memorable.

A sales presentation can be used to promote service offerings, product launches or even consultancy proposals that outline the expertise and industry experience of a business. Here are some template examples you can use for your next sales presentation:

6. Pitch presentation

Pitch presentations are your ticket to garnering the interest and support of potential investors, partners or stakeholders. Think of your pitch deck as your chance to paint a vivid picture of your business idea or proposal and secure the resources you need to bring it to life. 

Business presentations aside, individuals can also create a portfolio presentation to showcase their skills, experience and achievements to potential clients, employers or investors. 

Craft a concise and compelling narrative. Clearly define the problem your idea solves and how it stands out in the market. Anticipate questions and practice your answers. Project confidence and passion for your idea.

7. Motivational or inspirational presentation

Feeling the need for a morale boost? That’s where motivational presentations step in. These talks are designed to uplift and inspire, often featuring personal anecdotes, heartwarming stories and a generous serving of encouragement.

Form a connection with your audience by sharing personal stories that resonate with your message. Use a storytelling style with relatable anecdotes and powerful metaphors to create an emotional connection. Keep the energy high and wrap up your inspirational presentations with a clear call to action.

Inspirational talks and leadership presentations aside, a motivational or inspirational presentation can also be a simple presentation aimed at boosting confidence, a motivational speech focused on embracing change and more.

8. Status or progress report presentation

Projects and businesses are like living organisms, constantly evolving and changing. Status or progress report presentations keep everyone in the loop by providing updates on achievements, challenges and future plans. It’s like a GPS for your team, ensuring everyone stays on track.

Be transparent about achievements, challenges and future plans. Utilize infographics, charts and diagrams to present your data visually and simplify information. By visually representing data, it becomes easier to identify trends, make predictions and strategize based on evidence.

Now that you’ve learned about the different types of presentation methods and how to use them, you’re on the right track to creating a good presentation that can boost your confidence and enhance your presentation skills . 

Selecting the most suitable presentation style is akin to choosing the right outfit for an occasion – it greatly influences how your message is perceived. Here’s a more detailed guide to help you make that crucial decision:

1. Define your objectives

Begin by clarifying your presentation’s goals. Are you aiming to educate, persuade, motivate, train or perhaps sell a concept? Your objectives will guide you to the most suitable presentation type. 

For instance, if you’re aiming to inform, an informative presentation would be a natural fit. On the other hand, a persuasive presentation suits the goal of swaying opinions.

2. Know your audience

Regardless if you’re giving an in-person or a virtual presentation — delve into the characteristics of your audience. Consider factors like their expertise level, familiarity with the topic, interests and expectations. 

If your audience consists of professionals in your field, a more technical presentation might be suitable. However, if your audience is diverse and includes newcomers, an approachable and engaging style might work better.

3. Analyze your content

Reflect on the content you intend to present. Is it data-heavy, rich in personal stories or focused on practical skills? Different presentation styles serve different content types. 

For data-driven content, an informative or instructional presentation might work best. For emotional stories, a motivational presentation could be a compelling choice.

4. Consider time constraints

Evaluate the time you have at your disposal. If your presentation needs to be concise due to time limitations, opt for a presentation style that allows you to convey your key points effectively within the available timeframe. A pitch presentation, for example, often requires delivering impactful information within a short span.

5. Leverage visuals

Visual aids are powerful tools in presentations. Consider whether your content would benefit from visual representation. If your PowerPoint presentations involve step-by-step instructions or demonstrations, a how-to presentation with clear visuals would be advantageous. Conversely, if your content is more conceptual, a motivational presentation could rely more on spoken words.

6. Align with the setting

Take the presentation environment into account. Are you presenting in a formal business setting, a casual workshop or a conference? Your setting can influence the level of formality and interactivity in your presentation. For instance, a demonstration presentation might be ideal for a hands-on workshop, while a persuasive presentation is great for conferences.

7. Gauge audience interaction

Determine the level of audience engagement you want. Interactive presentations work well for training sessions, workshops and small group settings, while informative or persuasive presentations might be more one-sided.

8. Flexibility

Stay open to adjusting your presentation style on the fly. Sometimes, unexpected factors might require a change of presentation style. Be prepared to adjust on the spot if audience engagement or reactions indicate that a different approach would be more effective.

Remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and the best type of presentation may vary depending on the specific situation and your unique communication goals. By carefully considering these factors, you can choose the most effective presentation type to successfully engage and communicate with your audience.

To save time, use a presentation software or check out these presentation design and presentation background guides to create a presentation that stands out.    

What are some effective ways to begin and end a presentation?

Capture your audience’s attention from the start of your presentation by using a surprising statistic, a compelling story or a thought-provoking question related to your topic. 

To conclude your presentation , summarize your main points, reinforce your key message and leave a lasting impression with a powerful call to action or a memorable quote that resonates with your presentation’s theme.

How can I make my presentation more engaging and interactive?

To create an engaging and interactive presentation for your audience, incorporate visual elements such as images, graphs and videos to illustrate your points visually. Share relatable anecdotes or real-life examples to create a connection with your audience. 

You can also integrate interactive elements like live polls, open-ended questions or small group discussions to encourage participation and keep your audience actively engaged throughout your presentation.

Which types of presentations require special markings

Some presentation types require special markings such as how sales presentations require persuasive techniques like emphasizing benefits, addressing objections and using compelling visuals to showcase products or services. 

Demonstrations and how-to presentations on the other hand require clear markings for each step, ensuring the audience can follow along seamlessly. 

That aside, pitch presentations require highlighting unique selling points, market potential and the competitive edge of your idea, making it stand out to potential investors or partners.

Need some inspiration on how to make a presentation that will captivate an audience? Here are 120+ presentation ideas to help you get started. 

Creating a stunning and impactful presentation with Venngage is a breeze. Whether you’re crafting a business pitch, a training presentation or any other type of presentation, follow these five steps to create a professional presentation that stands out:

• Sign up and log in to Venngage to access the editor.
• Choose a presentation template that matches your topic or style.
• Customize content, colors, fonts, and background to personalize your presentation.
• Add images, icons, and charts to enhancevisual style and clarity.
• Save, export, and share your presentation as PDF or PNG files, or use Venngage’s Presentation Mode for online showcasing.

In the realm of presentations, understanding the different types of presentation formats is like having a versatile set of tools that empower you to craft compelling narratives for every occasion.

Remember, the key to a successful presentation lies not only in the content you deliver but also in the way you connect with your audience. Whether you’re informing, persuading or entertaining, tailoring your approach to the specific type of presentation you’re delivering can make all the difference.

Presentations are a powerful tool, and with practice and dedication (and a little help from Venngage), you’ll find yourself becoming a presentation pro in no time. Now, let’s get started and customize your next presentation!

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Understanding Business Documents: What They Are and How to Use Them

“If you didn’t document it, you didn’t do it!” 

Think about the daily workings of your business.

You are most likely dealing with numerous documents, communicating with colleagues, prospects, suppliers, and more. But where’s the proof?

Introducing: Business Documents !

If you don’t already know, business documents are a prerequisite for any business.

Good documentation tells the story of your business – why you started it, where you currently are, and where you are headed.

Business documents not only have face value in terms of making processes easier, but they also help with legal and financial matters.

So how do you get started on making these documents? We will tell you all about it! But before we get into the details of creating a business document – let’s understand its definition.

What are Business Documents? (Definition)

Business documents refer to all the files, documents, papers, books, reports, records, letters, etc. related to the business.

Simply put, business documents are all the documents that pertain to the activities that take place in a business.

They can be financial transactions, customer data, agreements, meeting minutes, or any other internal or external written communication, The list is never-ending.

Types of Business Documents You Can Create!

1. financial agreement.

Financial agreements are business documents that help you evaluate the performance of your business. They also help in filing taxes and creating new budgeting plans.

No matter what business you’re in, your finances must always be up to date. Whether you’re losing money or generating huge profits, all of these must be recorded in your financial agreements.

Some types of financial agreements are:

• Profit & Loss Statement
• Income Statements
• Payroll Reports
• Balance Sheet

2. Business Reports

Business reports are documents that evaluate certain aspects of your business and use this data to help you make better-informed decisions. It may include, sales figures, graphs, case studies, and other forms of data.

Simply, a business report comes in handy to draw conclusions about problems or issues and provide actionable recommendations for the future.

Especially when eyeing a new partnership or looking for ways to bag new investors, business reports are your perfect go-to.

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 3. Company Bylaws

If you’ve stepped into the world of business, it goes without saying that you’ll be dealing with a hefty amount of legal documents.

This is why a company bylaw is a must-have for any business.

Company bylaws are business documents that establish clear and concise regulations or rules that the company creates for smooth operations.

It’s also a great document for dispute redressal within an organization and it provides a precise demarcation of individual roles and responsibilities.

4. Employment Agreement 

It’s safe to say that no business could thrive all alone, and thus you’ll have to hire employees.

An employment agreement is a business document that any new employee would have to sign when they’re hired. It covers the company’s expectations of an employee, the terms of the job, the position, the job description, and the company’s obligations.

5. Meeting Minutes Document 

Every corporation undertakes several meetings throughout its run. So every time one such major meeting happens, it would be wise to maintain a meeting minutes document .

Simply, this business document records all the things discussed in a meeting, the number of attendees, the topics of discussion, next steps, and more. This is very beneficial for not only future references but also it can be sent to members who couldn’t attend the meetings to keep them updated.

These are just some, out of myriad types of business documents, but now that you get the gist, let’s jump straight into understanding why you need business documents

whatsoever.

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Why Are Business Documents Important? (Benefits)

1. safeguards business integrity .

When you create accurate and sound business documents that cover your operations from head to toe, your business becomes less prone to falling apart.

Business documents will cover everything, even the tiniest of details, and presents a healthy overview of your business. This way, your business can assure its reputation and integrity to customers, investors, and potentially regulators.

2. Unravels New Opportunities 

Good documentation tells a captivating story of your business from how it started from the ground up, and where it is going.

Especially when you’re looking for new investors, spotless documentation of your growth, your achievements, and more is a great way to impress them.

And not to forget – every new opportunity you sign up for, starts with a business document (contract)!

3. Smooth Corporate Governance

Business documents like company bylaws clearly outline the rules and regulations of your business.

These documents are a great way to ensure that employees, managers, and everyone in the firm are aware of these expectations.

When they know better, they’ll do better! This way, business documents pave the way for smooth and effective corporate governance.

So without further ado – let’s learn how to create an effective business document for your firm in 5 simple steps!

Read more:  Business Markets: Definition, 5 Types (with Examples) & Characteristics!

How To Create Business Documents?

Step 1: identify the need for the document .

Business documents are the workhorses of any organization. They communicate ideas, proposals, and information to keep things running smoothly. But before you start typing away, it’s crucial to understand the exact purpose of your document. Having a clear goal from the beginning ensures your writing is focused and achieves the desired outcome. Here’s how to figure out the exact reason you’re creating this document:

• Identify the Need: Every business document has a specific job. Are you proposing a new project? Maybe you’re summarizing financial results. Pinpoint the exact reason you need this document.
• Ask “What Do I Want to Achieve?”: Don’t just write for the sake of writing. What action or response do you want from the reader? Do you need them to approve a budget, understand a new policy, or take note of important deadlines?
• Be Specific: Vague goals lead to vague documents. Instead of a general aim like “improve sales,” aim for something more concrete: “Increase sales of product X by 20% in the next quarter.”

Step 2: Know Your Audience

Imagine you’re giving a presentation. Would you talk the same way to a room full of professors as you would to a group of kindergartners? Of course not! The same goes for writing business documents.

Knowing your audience is key to crafting a clear, impactful document. Here’s how to figure them out:

• Identify the Reader: Is it your boss, a client, a team member from another department? Each of these readers will have different needs and expectations.
• Consider their Expertise: Are they familiar with the topic, or do they need some background information?
• What’s the Goal? Do you want them to take action (like approve a proposal), understand a new process, or simply be informed?

Step 3: Plan the Structure

Now that you’ve figured out why you need the document and who will be reading it (Steps 1 & 2), it’s time to build the framework! This step is like creating a blueprint for your house – you plan the layout of the rooms, where the doors and windows go, before you start hammering.

Here’s how to plan the structure of your business document:

• Map Out the Main Points:
• Think about the key message you want to convey. What do you absolutely want your audience to remember after reading it?
• Break this message down into smaller, more specific points. These will be your building blocks.
• Organize the Flow:

Imagine your reader following a path through your document. How will the information lead them from the beginning to the end? Here’s a typical structure for many business documents:

• Introduction: Briefly introduce the document’s purpose and grab the reader’s attention.
• Body: This is the heart of your document where you elaborate on your main points. Use clear headings and subheadings to guide the reader.
• Conclusion: Summarize the key takeaways and any next steps (e.g., call to action).

Pro Tip: Use Outlines! – Don’t underestimate the power of a simple outline. List your main points and sub-points to see if the flow makes sense. This helps you avoid jumping around and ensures your document has a clear path.

Step 4: Use Clear and Concise Language

Now that you’ve figured out why you need the document, who will be reading it, and how you’ll organize everything, it’s time to focus on the writing itself. This step is all about making sure your message is clear and easy to understand for your audience.

Here are some tips to write clear and concise business documents:

• Use plain language: Avoid jargon and technical terms that your audience might not understand. If you do need to use a specific term, explain it briefly the first time you use it.
• Focus on the main points: Don’t get bogged down in unnecessary details. Keep your sentences short and to the point.
• Active voice is your friend: Instead of saying “The report was completed by me,” say “I completed the report.” This makes your writing more direct and engaging.

Here’s an example to illustrate the difference:

Due to the aforementioned extenuating circumstances, the completion of the aforementioned project has been delayed by an indeterminate amount of time.

Because of unforeseen problems, the project will be finished later than expected. We will let you know the new deadline as soon as possible.

Step 5: Incorporate Visuals

You’ve crafted a clear and concise document, but it can be even more impactful with visuals! Think of visuals like helpful friends for your text. They break up text, highlight key points, and make your document more engaging for readers. Here’s how to use them effectively:

• Charts and Graphs: Perfect for showing trends, comparisons, or data breakdowns. Use pie charts for proportions, bar charts for comparisons, and line graphs for trends over time.
• Images: Great for showcasing products, processes, or concepts visually. Photos should be high-quality and relevant to your content.
• Infographics: Combine text, charts, and images in a visually appealing way to explain complex topics.

Points to note:

• Don’t overload your document with visuals. Use them strategically to emphasize key points.
• Ensure visuals are clear and easy to understand. Avoid cluttered charts or overly complex infographics.
• Make sure visuals are relevant to your content. Don’t include random stock photos that don’t add value.

Step 6: Format Properly

You’ve crafted a clear, well-written document, but its impact can be magnified with some formatting magic. Here’s how to make your business documents shine:

• Font: Stick to professional fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. Avoid fancy or difficult-to-read fonts.
• Font Size: A size 11 or 12 font is ideal for most documents.
• Line Spacing: Single spacing is standard for business documents, but you can use 1.5 line spacing for improved readability of longer documents.
• Alignment: Left alignment is the norm for business documents. It creates a clean and professional look.
• Headings: Use headings and subheadings to break up your text and guide readers through the document.
• Hierarchy: Use a clear hierarchy of headings (e.g., H1 for main sections, H2 for sub-sections, and so on).
• Bolding: Bold the headings to make them stand out.

Step 7: Edit and Proofread

You’ve drafted a fantastic business document, following all the previous steps. Now it’s time to polish it up before hitting send! Editing and proofreading are crucial for ensuring your message is clear, professional, and error-free. Here’s how to become a document-editing ninja:

Take a Break: Step away from your document for a while. This freshens your perspective and helps you catch mistakes you might miss when staring at the screen for too long. Grab a coffee, take a walk, or do something else to clear your head.

Read Aloud: This simple trick works wonders! Reading aloud forces you to slow down and pay attention to each word and sentence. It helps you spot awkward phrasing, typos, and even grammatical errors you might miss while silently reading.

Double-Check for Errors: Here’s your editing checklist:

• Grammar & Punctuation: Make sure every sentence is grammatically correct. Check for subject-verb agreement, comma placement, and proper punctuation usage. Tools like Grammarly or built-in spell checkers can help, but don’t rely solely on them – use your judgment too!
• Spelling & Typos: Even the best typists make mistakes. Proofread carefully for typos, especially in names, dates, and numbers.
• Clarity & Conciseness: Reread your document and ask yourself: “Is this clear and easy to understand?” Remove unnecessary words and jargon your audience might not know.
• Flow & Consistency: Does your document flow smoothly from one point to the next? Is your tone consistent throughout?
• Formatting: Ensure your formatting is consistent with your chosen style guide (e.g., APA, MLA). Double-check headings, font styles, and bullet points.

Step 8: Get Feedback

You’ve crafted your business document, polished it for clarity, and double-checked for errors. But before hitting send, there’s one crucial step: getting feedback. Here’s how to get it effectively:

• Choose the Right Reviewer: Select someone familiar with the topic and your target audience. A colleague, supervisor, or even a client (depending on the document) can be good choices.
• Provide Context: Briefly explain the document’s purpose and who it’s for. Are there specific areas you’d like feedback on? Mentioning this helps the reviewer focus their comments.
• Set Expectations: Let the reviewer know how much time you have for revisions and what kind of feedback you’re looking for (e.g., clarity, flow, factual accuracy).

Step 9: Finalize and Distribute

You’ve crafted a fantastic business document! Now it’s time to give it a final polish and send it on its way. Here’s what you need to do in Step 9: Finalize and Distribute.

• One Last Look: Do a quick skim of the entire document, checking for any typos, formatting inconsistencies, or grammatical errors that might have slipped through the cracks.
• File Naming: Give your document a clear and descriptive filename that reflects its content. For example, “2024 Q3 Sales Report.docx” is better than “Document1.docx”.
• Version Control: If you’re working with a team, consider using version control software to track changes and avoid confusion.

By following these steps, you can ensure your business documents are polished, professional, and reach the right people effectively.

Read more:  Business Letters: Definition, Types, Format, and Tips!

Create Documents of Your Dreams with Bit.ai  

Bit.ai is a next-generation remote collaboration and documentation tool, which will be your savior when creating business documents!

Bit docs enable you to weave together any type of digital content inside of your documents so that your communication is clear and impressive. Design automation follows you as you create headers, enter spaces, add interactive widgets, and much more. Complete your work faster by getting jump-started with one of Bit.ai’s interactive business document templates!

And in case you didn’t know – document challenges account for 21.3% productivity loss.

But with Bit.ai, you can wave these worries goodbye!

Let’s dive a little deeper as to how you can create robust business documents with Bit…

1. Say Hello to Powerful Templates 

It’s like your whole process of creating a business document just got a lot easier.

Bit offers you a varied range of intuitive and mighty templates , name the template you need and Bit most definitely has it. Search through various categories and professional roles to find the template you need to get jump-started.

Each template provides you with a beautifully designed document and helpful outline so that you can focus on adding your work to your business document. Just fill in all the details, and customize it to your specific needs.

2. Amp up the Oomph Factor 

Visuals increase the desire to read any content by 80% – and with Bit, you can crank up the dial to make your business documents super appealing.

Be it images, GIFs, videos, rich embeds, file attachments, or any other kind of media. Bit’s 100+ rich media integrations let you add anything and everything by just pasting the shareable link in the document. For example insert Google Sheets, Typeform surveys, Tableau charts, YouTube videos, and much more!

That’s not all! You can also choose from various themes and colors to quickly transform the look of your business document with a couple of clicks at any time. Talk about a time-saving feature!

3. Easy Collaboration for Teams

Does your organization or team have one central place for all of your business documents? Imagine all of your colleagues working off of one system to collaborate, share knowledge, and access information to get their work done? Bit.ai can make this dream come true!

Bit’s workspaces, help keep you and your team in sync by keeping your documents organized around teams, projects, clients, etc. This helps to make sure that the team members who need access can obtain access and those that don’t can be removed easily.

One of the best things about Bit is that no matter where your team is, with real-time collaboration and powerful co-editing, you can create business documents effectively from anywhere in the world!

4. Efficient Sharing and Document Tracking 

Okay so your business documents are ready, but how do you share them and evaluate how people are responding?

With Bit, you can create trackable links to understand how users are interacting with your documents.

These links will provide real-time insights and inform you how much time someone spent reading your business document, how far they’ve scrolled, and much more.

Talk about having a smarter understanding of audience engagement levels!

5. Fully Responsive Business Documents

All of Bit’s documents are fully responsive, so whatever you create, you can rest assured that they will look just as beautiful on every device.

Regardless of whether your audience accesses your document through shareable links on an iPhone, iPad, or desktop computer, everything will look perfect!.

Don’t worry, you can finally leave those days of micro text and pinching and zooming behind!

Oh, and yes, the interactivity of Bit documents will still be top-notch and well-retained! 😃

6. Client Portal

What if you want to share multiple documents with login and authentication access for your clients, vendors, or contractors?

Well, you don’t have to worry about going back and forth via messy email chains and wasting valuable time because of Bit’s client portal feature!

You can easily invite your clients, vendors, contractors into your workspaces through guest access. Guests can be granted two types of access to documents: read-only or comment-only.

This way you can communicate in a hassle-free and organized manner with all your clients!

It’s Just the Tip of the Iceberg! 

With Bit, your business documentation process will not only become super smooth and streamlined, but it’ll also be a fun engaging experience for your teams!

And like there weren’t already enough reasons for you to choose Bit, you can get started with a free account for up to 5 members.

Don’t miss out on giving Bit a spin – it’ll be worth it!

Our team at  bit.ai  has created a few awesome business templates to make your business processes more efficient. Make sure to check them out before you go, y our team might need them!

• SWOT Analysis Template
• Business Proposal Template
• Business Plan Template
• Competitor Research Template
• Project Proposal Template
• Company Fact Sheet
• Executive Summary Template
• Operational Plan Template
• Pitch Deck Template

Poor documentation is often worse than no documentation at all.

Sooner or later you’ll realize that business documents are a must-have to safeguard the interests of your business. We hope this blog post helped you understand why you need business documents in the first place.

Now that you know how to create business documents, use Bit.ai as a tool to make interactive business documents and save them in one smart collaborative place.  With Bit’s robust features, business documentation becomes a breeze.

Don’t forget to tweet us @bit_docs and let us know about your experience in creating business documents with Bit!

Further reads: 

9 Most Successful Business Models You Should Know About! (With Examples)

Types of Documents Every Business Should Create!

9 Project Documents You Must Create For Your Project!

9 Powerful Document Editors You Should Use This Year!

Business Requirements Document (BRD): What is it & How to Write? (Steps Included)

Letter of Authorization (Authority Letter): Definition, Examples & Steps!

Top 9 Virtual Data Room Providers in 2022

Guerrilla Marketing: What is it and How to Use it For Marketing!

Top 13 Video Hosting Sites You Need to Check Out!

Related posts

What is a website proposal & how to write a good one, the ultimate code review checklist to master code quality, discover game changing business benefits of document tracking, marketing launchpad document: what is it & how to create it, financial plan: what is it & how to create an impressive one, 13 types of plans your business must have.

About Bit.ai

Bit.ai is the essential next-gen workplace and document collaboration platform. that helps teams share knowledge by connecting any type of digital content. With this intuitive, cloud-based solution, anyone can work visually and collaborate in real-time while creating internal notes, team projects, knowledge bases, client-facing content, and more.

The smartest online Google Docs and Word alternative, Bit.ai is used in over 100 countries by professionals everywhere, from IT teams creating internal documentation and knowledge bases, to sales and marketing teams sharing client materials and client portals.

👉👉Click Here to Check out Bit.ai.

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Essential legal documents for every businesses: a comprehensive guide, top 20 management documents every business team needs, essential hr documents for every business: a comprehensive guide, the ultimate guide to creating sales documents [examples included], 20 most popular construction document templates (editable), 2024’s ultimate document template guide for modern educators.

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Business innovation plan.

Download the "Business Innovation Plan" presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides. Conveying your business plan accurately and effectively is the cornerstone of any successful venture. This template allows you to pinpoint essential elements of your operation while your audience will appreciate the clear and concise presentation, eliminating any potential misunderstandings....

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51 Best Presentation Slides for Engaging Presentations (2024)

Written by: Chloe West

When you're creating a presentation for a live audience or embedding it on a webpage for visitors to access on their own time, you want it to be engaging. And unfortunately, too many presentation slides are boring and forgettable.

But with Visme, we've put together 51 of our top presentation slides to help you find the perfect template for your next presentation.

To make navigation easier, we've broken them down into six categories. Browse through each below to find your next presentation slides.

Here's a short selection of 8 easy-to-edit presentation templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more below:

51 Best Presentation Slides for Engaging Presentations

Business Presentation Slides

Finance presentation slides.

• Sales & Marketing Presentation Slides

Education Presentation Slides

Pitch deck presentation slides, nonprofit presentation slides, presentation slide faqs.

There are so many reasons you might need to give a presentation in your business or career. And we’ve got just the right templates to get you started.

After all, you’re probably spending enough time creating the content and rehearsing your presentation deck. You don’t need to worry about your presentation slide design at the same time.

Here are a few of the best presentation slide ideas based on topic material, like the ones you’re regularly using. And if you're racing against the clock, tap into Visme's AI presentation maker to create eye-catching presentations in seconds. Just input your prompt, provide more context, select your preferred style and watch the tool generate your slides. Customize every part of your presentation with our intuitive editor.

1. Meeting Agenda Template

Customize this presentation template to make it your own! Edit and Download

Sick of seeing team members nod off or lose focus during your team meetings?

Put together your meeting agenda ahead of time using these presentation slides to help keep your team engaged and informed throughout.

This template comes with 15 premade presentation slides that cover everything from project management to charts showing performance and overall meeting objectives. Whatever you need to share in your meeting, you can find in this theme.

Plus, you can completely customize these business slides to match your company colors directly in Visme!

2. Company Goals Template

It’s important to ensure everyone on your team knows and understands the company’s goals. After all, everyone’s work should be geared towards achieving those goals.

You can use these nice business slides to put together a background of your company and how far it’s come, as well as detail your upcoming goals, launches and more.

3. Company Overview Template

If you’re speaking to a networking group about your company or pitching to investors, you likely need to give an overview of your company, its leadership team and its offerings.

These are the perfect presentation slides to help you put together a minimalistic design that draws focus towards your company and its mission.

Plus, all of these good-looking slides are perfectly set up to highlight your company’s most important assets.

And best of all, they’re completely customizable. Add in your own brand fonts and colors to create the perfect presentation for your business.

Make the goal-setting or design process a collaborative activity with the help of Visme’s collaborative feature . Team members can edit your presentation, leave feedback and draw annotations in real-time or at their own pace.

4. Project Status Report Template

When it comes to project management, you could always just send over a boring email or report update, but a better way would be to put together a presentation updating your team and/or your supervisors on the status of the project and the remaining timeline.

This presentation theme comes with 14 different slides to help you put together a status report that covers all aspects of your project: the various phases and how far along each one is, the timeline for your project, a project health card and more.

You can also gain even more inspiration for your project timeline slides from these timeline infographic ideas .

5. Business Annual Report Template

Want to show your boss how the company is doing? Or share how your team’s efforts have affected the bottom line? Put together a presentation that shows your business’s results over the year.

While this presentation template comes with a fun geometric accent pattern, you’re able to swap out any of these shapes for ones that more accurately represent your business or your message right in Visme’s design dashboard.

Working on this design with your team? Effectively manage the process with Visme’s workflow management tool . You can assign different sections of the slide to your team members to work on set deadlines, manage progress, track corrections and more.

6. Business Plan Template

Are you starting a new business? You might be looking for investors, or perhaps you want to pitch the idea to a potential cofounder. You need to deploy the best presentation slides possible.

You can use this theme to put together a polished business plan presentation that showcases your business idea, the market summary, the industry opportunities and more.

You can also use Visme’s color themes to find the perfect color scheme for your presentation and your upcoming business. After all, your brand colors can say a lot about your business.

7. Product Introduction Template

Put together a presentation that introduces a new product idea to your boss, your board of directors or your investors. Take advantage of the charts and graphs in Visme’s design dashboard to showcase various studies and statistics that prove why your idea will be profitable.

Or you can utilize this presentation theme to introduce a product to the public. If your company is in the process of developing a new product to release, a presentation introduction can be a great and engaging way to share it with your audience.

8. Product Presentation Template

Whether you’re launching a new product or sharing the features of an already existing one, you can show off your product through a presentation with nice slides.

You can share your presentation on social media, on your website or at a large company event to announce it to your audience. Include bright, high-quality photos of your product and a list of its best features to really highlight your new release.

9. Visual Brand Identity Template

There are many different ways to create a brand style guide for your business. One great way is with a presentation.

These presentation example slides allow you to seamlessly input your fonts, colors and other visual guidelines into a single presentation so that you can easily share your brand with the designers, marketers and other members of your team.

10. Special Business Presentation Template

These presentation slides can help you easily put together a business introduction template for a conference or networking event.

Just click above to edit in Visme, switch out your background with one of the thousands of options in our photo library, add in your own key facts, vision and values and download!

If you’re running out of ideas for your presentation , you can use Visme’s Writer AI to produce high-quality drafts, proofread your content or adjust its tone.

11. Industry Trends Template

Put together a presentation to showcase upcoming trends in your industry. You can leave the patterns and colors the way they are in these existing presentation slides, or you can add in your own brand colors or product colors.

Understanding developing trends in your industry each year is important so that you know where your business should focus its efforts.

Sharing a presentation with your team is a great way to stay ahead of the curve.

12. Services Template

Use these slide presentation examples to showcase your services and what you can offer your clients/customers. If you have a visual business, a presentation is an excellent way to highlight your work and show it off to prospective leads.

Swap out each photo in the example slides with photos of your work, update the fonts to match your brand voice (or upload your brand fonts) and add in the services you offer.

13. Slideshow Template

A slideshow presentation is a great way for you to showcase photos of your work alongside your service offerings. This template even includes social media icons on the last page so that viewers know how to find the business online.

Again, you’ll want to swap out all of the photos with your own work, but this presentation theme is a great way to get started.

14. How To Presentation Template

Are you presenting a tutorial or step-by-step guide on how to do something? Using example slides to put together your content is a great idea.

It’s a disservice to your company and your customer to assume that everyone automatically knows how to use your product or service. Showing your audience exactly what to do is essential to your customer service strategy.

Spice up your presentation by adding stunning, high-resolution images and stock photos , videos , icons , widgets and other design elements.

Didn’t find any photos that caught your eye? We’ve got you. Use Visme’s AI image generator to whip up captivating images that match your presentation theme and design.

Even if you have photos that need editing, use Visme's AI Edit tools to touch up, unblur, upscale, erase and replace images with one click.

15. Survey Results Template

Putting together a customer survey is a great idea to understand how your audience feels about your industry or even your company. Grab those results and insert them into these presentation slides to share with your team.

You can also put together a blog post or webpage with survey results and embed this presentation directly into it so your audience can understand the state of the industry as well.

Visme’s design dashboard allows you to add in various charts and graphs that adjust automatically based on the numbers you input. After all, ain’t nobody got time for manually adjusting the sizes of bar graphs and pie charts.

16. Company Overview Presentation Template

Utilize these beautifully designed presentation slides to create a brief overview of your company and its offerings.

Having a readily available presentation overview of your company is a great idea for when you’re pitching investors, journalists for coverage and more. You don’t need to recreate a presentation each time. Instead, put together a visually appealing and informative one-size-fits-all overview.

You can add in your own photos or choose from Visme’s photo library to keep the same beautifully minimalistic appeal.

When sharing financial information, it’s always helpful to put together some kind of visual aid. This can be used to further emphasize your content, whether it’s about going over budget, showing off exciting revenue increases and more.

Check out these finance slide presentation examples to find the perfect template for your goals.

17. Financial Report Template

Use this template to put together a presentation that goes over your company’s expenses, sales, profits and more.

The built-in data visualization options allow you to showcase your point with more than just numbers. Add in a table of contents to keep your report organized and cohesive, letting your team know exactly what information they’ll find inside.

18. Statistical Presentation Template

Need to report some financial statistics and data? These presentation slides are perfect for helping you insert cold, hard facts into your presentation.

Each slide includes a different type of chart or graph for you to choose from to fully represent your data and statistics. You can easily switch your color scheme by inputting your own brand colors or by choosing a preset color theme from Visme’s dashboard.

19. Map Presentation Template

It’s important to know where it makes the most sense to market your product geographically. Showcase sales and overall company growth and profitability by location.

Knowing your revenue based on geographic location is essential for a global company, and this presentation template is perfect for the job.

Create a stunning presentation in less time

• Hundreds of premade slides available
• Add animation and interactivity to your slides
• Choose from various presentation options

Sign up. It’s free.

Sales and Marketing Presentation Slides

When it comes to sales and marketing for your company, there is a lot of data and information that can be represented visually. Creating sales and marketing presentations helps with keeping your team on the right track, but can also be a great way to make a pitch.

Learn more about creating essential sales and marketing presentations with these templates.

20. Visualization for Sales and Marketing Template

When you’re putting together a sales and marketing plan, you have to present it to your boss for approval, then to your team for implementation.

Use these presentation slides to help visualize your sales and marketing plan , including each of the upcoming tactics and strategies and the steps for putting them in place.

Having a presentation to refer back to allows your team to ensure they’re implementing the strategies properly.

21. Simple Marketing Presentation Template

Whether you’re introducing new marketing ideas to your team, pitching a new marketing strategy to your boss or to a new client, a presentation with nice slides is the perfect format.

Grab this presentation template that helps you to define your new ideas and share specific tactics for how they should be implemented for the business. Then get ready to rock your pitch and share your awesome new ideas.

22. Market Analysis Template

Review market trends with your team so you know where to take your company’s marketing messaging. You can send out a customer survey or take a look at a few studies that have been done surrounding your industry to put together your market analysis report.

Input all of your findings into this presentation template so you can easily present it to your team or grab the link and send it in an email. Even if you’re not standing up to give a presentation, these presentation slides are still an engaging way to share necessary information.

23. Marketing Plan Template

Building a new marketing plan for your business? Put together  great presentations for your marketing plan to share with your team.

Presenting your new marketing plan to the company is a great way to get everyone motivated and on board with new strategies and ideas.

You can add in your goals, objectives and even user personas with this ready-made marketing plan template.

24. Sales Report Template

Your sales team should be regularly providing insight on how much revenue the company is generating. And a great way to do that is through a sales report presentation or slideshow.

It’s important to stay informed of sales growth throughout the year. Share graphs of sales quarter-over-quarter or year-over-year to see where the company/sales team needs to improve.

25. Press Release Template

Don’t just write a boring old press release to send out to journalists and media publications. Instead, create an interactive press release showcasing your launch.

A presentation press release will help your business stand out from the dry press releases most publications receive, offering even more incentive for them to highlight your business and its products/services.

Edit this business slide to add in your own brand touches, voice and launch information before grabbing the link and sending it off.

26. Social Media Report Template

Sharing results of any marketing strategy is always essential. This is how you keep your team updated of any strategies that are working, and any strategies that need some adapting.

This presentation theme is a great way to share your current strategy and results. Input your platforms, your strategies and your metrics before presenting it to your team. Customize the presentation slides so that they cater perfectly to your company’s strategy.

27. Social Media Strategy Template

Pitching a social media strategy to your boss can also be done well with a presentation. Showcase why social media is important to invest in, what your plan is and how it will affect the bottom line.

This presentation template already gets you started in perfectly pitching your own strategy. Simply adjust it to your brand colors and fonts and update the information with your own.

Presentations are huge in educational settings.

Whether you’re a teacher looking for an interactive way to share your lesson plan or a student trying to finish up a school project, we’ve got the presentation templates for you.

Take a look at our education presentation slide options to find one that works for you.

28. Training Plan Template

When working one-on-one with a student or mentee, it can be a good idea to put a training or education plan into place. These presentation slides are the perfect start to your lesson and can help to visualize the content and learn in a different way.

Putting together educational content in a presentation helps offer different formats for learning. Students are often not provided with all of the tools they need to learn the material, and an interactive presentation is a great place to start.

29. Book Report Template

Putting together a book report to present for your class? Get started with a presentation theme that you can fully customize for your specific book.

These presentation slides allow you to seamlessly enter in the information about your main characters, the theme of the book, its timeline and any other pertinent information you need to share with the class.

Don’t worry about presentation design in your next project. We’ve already got it all put together for you! Simply click edit, insert your book content and download your presentation.

30. Trivia Template

Help your class remember fast facts before a text with this trivia template. It’s a great way to host a study session in your classroom, and the content is easily interchangeable.

Or if you’re a student, put together a presentation study guide to help you memorize the most important key facts and information from class. A trivia presentation format can make for a fun study sesh before the test.

31. Lesson Plan Template

Don’t waste time putting together a dry Microsoft Word or PowerPoint lesson plan. Instead, create an interactive lesson plan that helps you stay on message during your class, and helps your students to know exactly what’s going to come next.

32. Group Project Template

Group presentations just got a little more exciting. Blow the rest of your class’s projects away by using these presentation slides to compile your overall project objectives and results.

You can easily adjust colors and fonts, add in your team members and insert copy relevant to your class and your group project.

Don’t forget to thank your classmates and your teacher for listening in the end.

A pitch deck is an essential presentation for all businesses and entrepreneurs to have. There are many times you might need to pitch your business, whether it’s to investors for funding, journalists for media coverage and more.

Using a presentation template to put together your pitch deck is a great idea so that you can focus on pitching your business without having to worry about the design.

Browse through the pitch deck presentation slides below to find one that works for your business and its goals.

33. Airbnb Pitch Deck Presentation Template

Give this Airbnb-inspired pitch deck presentation theme a go when putting together a slideshow for your business. In your company slide, include the solution that your business provides its customers, product/service information, and excerpts from press acknowledgements.

34. Front Pitch Deck Presentation Template

Showcase your business with this geometric pitch deck template inspired by Front. Add in the planned acquisition channels for your business, your leadership team and more.

Your pitch deck is meant to showcase your business to people who may want to work with you, so it’s important to share the most imperative information.

35. Buffer Pitch Deck Presentation Template

Showcase the state of the industry and your business’s role in it with this pitch presentation slides idea inspired by Buffer. The information these presentation slides include helps you to share the impact your company has had on your industry.

Since industries are ever-changing, you can easily update the information within your pitch deck in Visme and it will automatically sync to the webpage where you embed this presentation.

36. Comms Pitch Deck Presentation Template

Use these presentation slides inspired by Intercom to give your audience an idea of what your product is going to look like and how it will work.

This is the perfect pitch deck template to take advantage of when launching a new SaaS product or app so that you can share what the technology will look like and how it will work.

Showcasing specific features and tutorials is a great way to get people talking about your product.

37. WeWork Pitch Deck Presentation Template

Is your company helping to fuel a movement? Share how your company is changing the industry with this pitch deck template inspired by WeWork.

It’s exciting when your business is doing more for your industry than simply adding another product or service. Focusing on a movement that really switches up the way your industry does things is an incredible feat.

Utilize a pitch deck template like the one above to showcase how your company is involved.

38. Buzzfeed Pitch Deck Presentation Template

Does your business focus on content? Or perhaps you’re creating a new kind of media outlet?

Show off your content and analytics with this Buzzfeed-inspired pitch deck presentation template. Getting advertisers on board and other media outlets to talk about you is important for success.

This is why you need to be putting together a pitch deck that shares that kind of information. No one will want to work with you if you keep your analytics in the dark.

Use dynamic fields to ensure your brand information and other key details stays consistent across slides and other projects. These fields are customizable and change automatically based on input or predefined conditions.

39. Investor Pitch Deck Template

Starting a new venture that you need funding for? Use these presentation slides to put together a pitch for investors in your business.

From showcasing the problem in the industry to your business’s solution, along with your business plan and pricing table is a great way to get potential investors interested in what you’re selling.

40. LinkedIn Pitch Deck Presentation Template

Compare and contrast what processes look like with and without your business with this pitch deck template inspired by LinkedIn.

It’s a great idea to take care of this in your pitch deck so that you make the job of any media outlet or writer covering your business even easier. After all, you’ve done the hard work for them.

They were going to share how your business helps. You’ve already visualized this in your pitch deck. This increases the chances that people will cover your business.

41. Mattermark Pitch Deck Presentation Template

Use this pitch deck presentation theme inspired by Mattermark to put together key questions about the industry that showcase why your business is so essential.

Launching a startup is hard work, and that’s why a pitch deck is an essential marketing tool to have. Creating a pitch deck that already answers the why and how questions of your business is a great way to introduce who you are and what you’re doing to investors and reporters.

42. Foursquare Pitch Deck Presentation Template

Put together an overview of how your product works with this pitch deck presentation template inspired by Foursquare.

With presentation slides already in place to showcase a step-by-step tutorial, all you have to do is input your content and publish your presentation.

43. Fyre Festival Pitch Deck Presentation Template

If your company has been doing some awesome stuff lately, you want your potential investors and those looking to work with your business to know about it.

Show off your company achievements with this pitch deck presentation template inspired by the famous Fyre Festival pitch deck.

44. Biogrify Pitch Deck Presentation Template

Use these presentation slides inspired by Biogrify to excite people about how they can use your product. If you have a unique product or service, you just need to drum up a little excitement and attention!

A pitch deck is the perfect way to do that. Add in your company’s logo, mission and unique selling proposition to get people looking forward to becoming customers/users.

45. Launchrock Pitch Deck Presentation Template

Influencer marketing is a huge marketing strategy that can generate some serious results. What better way to pitch influencers about your business than with this pitch deck inspired by Launchrock?

Don’t email off some boring PDF or Google Doc. Create enticing pitches to influencers with this pitch deck theme, and start watching the replies from influencers pour in.

Working with influencers to promote your product is a great way to increase your audience base and word of mouth about your company.

When you’re running a nonprofit, there is a lot of pitching your organization, talking to donors and working on events to increase donations. This is why you need great slide presentations.

Putting together a presentation for your nonprofit is a great way to showcase what your organization does and why people should donate to it.

Here are a few nonprofit presentation slides to choose from, where all you have to do is insert your information, change colors and fonts and present.

46. Nonprofit Report Template

Put together a report that covers what your nonprofit is working against as well as your nonprofit’s achievements each year.

47. Nonprofit Art Template

Use this presentation slides idea to provide an overview of your nonprofit and its main projects. To generate even more support and donations, it’s important to provide clear insight into your key products and objectives.

48. Nonprofit Environmental Template

This presentation theme is perfect for showcasing the key issues your nonprofit fights for and its process for doing so.

Being transparent about what your nonprofit works on is important so that your donors know exactly where their money is going. Being secretive can generate some bad press, so it’s better to be open with your supporters.

49. Nonprofit Animals Template

These presentation slides use earthy colors to convey their nonprofit’s connection to animal rights. Use this to showcase your nonprofit. You can use the current colors or update it to match your nonprofit’s brand/industry.

50. Wildlife Conservation Template

Use these presentation slide examples to cover why your nonprofit matters and why donors should consider contributing.

A nonprofit only exists when people donate, so putting together a compelling pitch deck showcasing why your nonprofit is so important to your main issue is important. These slides are perfect for sharing your goals and mission.

51. Pet Adoption Slideshow Template

If you're looking for stunning presentation slide ideas , we've got more than enough. This pitch deck presentation template is perfect for SPCAs and other animal societies working on finding forever homes for their animals.

However, it can also be adapted to any other nonprofit or business need. The great thing about these presentation slides is how versatile they are. Each one is completely customizable to fit your specific needs. For example, you can turn it into a video presentation .

Q. What is a PowerPoint Slide Deck?

A PowerPoint slide deck is a collection of slides that are created using an online presentation maker. These slides are used to create presentations for various purposes, like sales , marketing , research , case studies , webinars , onboarding and business in general.

PPT presentation slides typically consist of a series of slides that contain text, images, charts, graphs, and other multimedia elements that are used to communicate information to the audience in an engaging and visually appealing manner.

So why is it called a slide deck? In the early days, presenters would create slides by photographing images or text onto transparent film. These slides would then be loaded into a slide projector and displayed on a screen. The collection of slides was referred to as a "deck," and the presenter would advance through them one by one. Today, the term "slide deck" is still used to refer to a collection of slides or presentation materials, even though most presentations are now created and displayed digitally.

Q. What is a good presentation slide?

A good presentation slide is one that engages your audience and effectively communicates your message.

Here are some key characteristics of a good presentation slide:

1. Keep your slides simple and uncluttered: Avoid excessive text and use bullet points or concise phrases to convey your main points. Use clear and legible fonts, and maintain a consistent design throughout the presentation.

2. Visual appeal: Incorporate visually appealing elements such as relevant images, charts, graphs, or diagrams. Use high-quality visuals that enhance understanding and make the content more engaging

3. Make it readable: Use a readable font size. Stick to a maximum of two or three font styles and sizes. Blend bright and dark colors for the text and background to ensure visual contrast and good visibility.

4. Consistent structure: Use consistent formatting, such as font styles, colors, and alignment, throughout the presentation.

5. Make it interactive: Include animation and interactivity to add flair to your presentation. It can make your presentation powerful and memorable.

Q. How do you make a good presentation slide?

There are lots of presentation software available for creating presentations. But Visme offers users a wide range of features to create visually stunning and engaging presentations.

All you need to do is choose a template from our extensive library of over 500 presentation templates and customize it with your text. You can edit content, change image(s), apply custom colors, input your own fonts and logo, and more. You can visualize data using our wide range of customizable charts and widgets.

Spruce up your presentation by adding audio, video, animations and other interactive elements. Download it as a PDF, PPTX, MP4, and HTML5 to share with your recipient , or generate a shareable link for online sharing.

Q. How do you design a presentation?

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you design some of the best business presentations:

1. Define Your Objective: Determine the purpose of your presentation and identify the main message or key points you want to convey

2. Plan Your Content: Outline the structure and flow of your presentation. Divide it into sections or key topics to ensure a logical progression. Read this article to learn more about creating an effective presentation outline .

3. ​​Create a Storyline: Craft a compelling narrative that ties your key points together. Storytelling can help engage your audience and make your presentation more memorable.

4. Choose a Design Theme: Select a visually appealing design theme or template that aligns with your topic and audience. You can use the ones we've shared above as your presentation inspiration.

Visme’s branding kit streamlines on-brand content creation and ensures you stay consistent across all channels. With our AI-powered brand wizard , you can automatically generate branded templates fitted with your brand elements.

5. Use Visual Elements: Incorporate relevant visuals such as images, charts, graphs, icons, or diagrams to enhance understanding and engagement.

6. Maintain Visual Hierarchy: Organize your content with a clear visual hierarchy. Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to guide the audience's attention and emphasize key points.

7. Use Transitions and Animations: Apply transitions and animations to enhance the flow and engagement of your presentation.

8. ​​Practice and Test: Review and rehearse your presentation to ensure a smooth delivery. Test your presentation on the actual equipment or platform you'll be using to ensure compatibility and optimal display.

9. Seek Feedback: Before delivering your presentation, consider sharing it with a trusted colleague or friend for feedback. Ask for their input on the content, design, and overall effectiveness. Incorporate their suggestions to improve your presentation.

Q. Which slide is best for presentation?

The best slide for a presentation highly depends on the topic and the target audience. For example, if it's a pitch deck presentation, the financial projections or business model slide would be the best.

However, here are some of the most common slides you should know about:

1. Title Slide: It announces the presentation's topic and introduces the speaker. It grabs the audience's initial attention.

2. Agenda Slide : This gives the audience an idea of what to expect throughout the presentation.

3. Content Slide : These are dense with information. They're best when broken down into bullet points for readability.

4. Visual Slide: Slides with infographics, charts, or other visuals can improve understanding and retention of complex data.

5. Interactive Slide: Encourages audience participation and engagement, especially in virtual presentations.

6. Conclusion/Summary Slide: Reinforces your presentation's key points or takeaways.

7. Question & Answer Slide: Allows interaction and clarification, ensuring the audience fully grasps the presented materials.

8. Contact Information Slide: Provides follow-up information for further questions or networking.

Q. What are the 3 main types of presentation slides?

While there's no one-size-fits-all rule for making presentation slides, you can group them into three main categories:

Introduction and Closing Slides

These slides bookend your presentation. The introduction slide typically includes the title of your presentation, your name and any relevant introductory information. The closing slide summarizes key points, provides a conclusion and often includes contact information or a call to action.

Content Slides

Content slides make up the core of your presentation and contain the primary information you want to convey to your audience. They can include text, images, charts, graphs and other visual or textual elements supporting your presentation's message.

Transition Slides

Transition slides signal a change in topic or create a smooth flow between different sections of your presentation. They often feature a brief title or heading that previews the upcoming content. Transition slides help guide your audience through the presentation and make it easy to follow.

Q. What are the 4 types of presentation?

The four types of presentations are informative, instructional, persuasive and arousing.

1. Informative Presentations: These are used to educate the audience on a particular topic. They present facts, data and information to increase the audience's knowledge and understanding.

2. Instructional Presentations: These presentations provide step-by-step guidance or training on a specific task, process or concept. You can use this type of presentation for teaching or coaching purposes, emphasizing learning and development.

3. Persuasive Presentations: The primary goal of these presentations is to influence the listeners' attitudes, beliefs or behaviors. Use this presentation type when you want your audience to accept certain arguments or propositions.

4. Arousing Presentations: These presentations aim to evoke interest and awaken curiosity about the topic among the audience. They often aim to inspire, motivate or raise awareness about an issue.

Q. How do you make a 5-minute presentation interesting?

Creating an intriguing 5-minute presentation may be challenging due to the time constraint. Yet, you can deliver an impactful and engaging presentation with a focused approach and attention to detail.

Here are some of the ways to do it:

1. Focus on a single core message : Since you have limited time, choose a specific topic and stick to it. Present only the crucial information that will help the audience understand your point.

2. Engage from the start: Start your presentation with a compelling story, anecdote or a surprising fact. This will grab the audience's attention and spark curiosity.

3. Keep slides simple and visual: Avoid cluttered slides with too much text. Use visuals such as images, graphs or infographics to illustrate your points clearly and concisely.

4. Tell a story: A narrative structure engages the audience and helps them follow your message. Consider using metaphors or anecdotes to explain complex ideas.

5. Encourage questions or interaction: Since time is limited, you might opt for a brief Q&A session, ask a rhetorical question or request audience feedback for further discussion later.

6. Finish strong: Conclude with a powerful statement, call-to-action or takeaway summarizing your main point. Leave your audience with a lasting impression of your message.

Q. How many slides should a 20 minute presentation be?

The number of slides you should have for a 20-minute presentation can vary depending on several factors, such as the complexity of the topic and the pace of your speech.

However, the general rule of thumb is to allocate at least 1-2 minutes per slide, which suggests 10-20 slides for a 20-minute presentation.

Q. What Is the 5 5 5 Rule for Presentation?

The 5 5 5 rule is a framework that ensures your presentation is clear and remains engaging. A presentation should have no more than five words per line of text, five lines of text per slide and five slides that apply the first two rules in a row.

Q. How Do You Make a Presentation Slide?

With Visme’s presentation software, creating a presentation slide is a breeze. Follow these steps to create a presentation slide with Visme.

Step 1: Log in to Visme and choose from hundreds of beautifully designed presentation templates . Each template is equipped with various intuitive layouts, typography, color themes, data widgets and graphics. Or Use Visme’s AI presentation maker to swiftly create a presentation based on your specific needs.

Step 2: Customize your presentation with your company’s logo, colors and other brand items. Upload your own creative collateral or use our assets library to add photos, images, graphics, icons and animations to your content.

Step 3: Once you have finished editing and are ready to share, download your presentation as a live webpage, video, PDF, or HTML file, a customizable PPTX, or embed it on your website.

Q. What Is the 10 Rule for Slides?

The 10 rule for slides is part of Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule which emphasizes that no presentation should have more than 10 slides, last longer than 20 minutes, and contain fonts smaller than thirty points.

Q. Which is better Google Slides or PowerPoint?

When it comes to PowerPoint vs Google Slides , both have they're pro's and con's. You'll need to decide what's worth the trade if you should pick one over the other, or simply choose Visme.

Ready to Create Engaging Presentation Slides?

Ready to get started with creating your presentation? Choose from any of these 51 slides for presentation, or browse Visme’s complete template library to find the perfect match for creating your own presentation.

Each one of these presentation themes can be adapted to match your business, school, nonprofit and other needs so that you can create something perfect for your goals and objectives. Create your free account to start customizing with our drag-and-drop presentation maker.

And once you’ve finished creating your presentation, check out our video to help you present like a pro and wow your audience.

Create beautiful presentation slides with Visme

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About the Author

Chloe West is the content marketing manager at Visme. Her experience in digital marketing includes everything from social media, blogging, email marketing to graphic design, strategy creation and implementation, and more. During her spare time, she enjoys exploring her home city of Charleston with her son.