tips to memorize a presentation

How do you memorize a presentation? 13 effective ways to memorize your presentation material

Learn effective ways to memorize a presentation & deliver your next presentation with confidence.

Bharti Jain

Delivering presentations

So, you've got a big presentation coming up, and you want to nail it. But there's one thing standing in your way: memorization. Memorizing your presentation can seem like a daunting task, but fear not!

With the right techniques and presentation creation tools , you can commit your material to memory with ease and deal with the fear of public speaking.

Why should you memorize your presentation material?

Before looking into the how, let's first understand the why. Rehearse your presentation for several benefits:

Common mistakes during memorization of presentation

Now that we understand the importance of memorization, let's address some common pitfalls to avoid:

• Rote memorization : Simply repeating your presentation verbatim can lead to robotic delivery and hinder genuine connection with your audience.
• Over-reliance on slides : Relying too heavily on slides can impede memorization and cause you to lose your place if technical issues arise.
• Ignoring body language : Forgetting to incorporate body language cues into your memorization can make your delivery feel stiff and unnatural.

13 effective ways to help you remember your next presentation

Here are some effective techniques to ensure you deliver the speech or presentation with confidence and poise. Whether you're a seasoned professional or preparing for your first public speaking engagement, these strategies will enhance your preparation process and performance.

1. Understand your material

Before you even begin to memorize your presentation, it's crucial to have a deep understanding of your material. Break down your content into key concepts and frame it like a story with a good flow. This isn't just about remembering words but grasping the essence of what you're going to talk about. Relate these concepts to stories or experiences for easier recall.

After breaking down the content and relating it to personal experiences, map out a narrative arc for your presentation. What are the key points? How does one idea flow into the next? This will not only help you remember the order of your content, but it will also make your presentation more engaging.

2. Employ the memory palace technique

The loci method, or memory palace technique, involves associating parts of your presentation with specific physical locations. By visualizing a familiar place and 'placing' elements of your talk in different locations within this space, you can walk through the area in your mind to help recall information.

Example: For a presentation on the impact of regular exercise, assign each key point to a room in your house using the mind palace technique:

• Front door (Introduction) : Envision stepping over a jump rope to enter, setting the stage for discussing the importance of physical activity.
• Kitchen (Benefits) : Picture a basket of fresh fruits on the counter, symbolizing the health benefits of exercise, like improved heart health and energy levels.
• Living room (Strategies) : Imagine a treadmill and yoga mat, representing strategies to incorporate exercise into daily life.

This concise setup creates a mental journey through your presentation, helping you recall each part clearly during delivery.

3. Create mind maps

It is a powerful tool for organizing your thoughts and ideas visually. By creating a mind map of your presentation, you can see the relationships between different sections and points. This visual representation makes it easier to memorize the flow of your presentation and recall details during your delivery.

Not only does a mind map provide a clear picture of your content structure, but it also encourages creativity. Essentially, it's brainstorming amplified. By the end, you are left with a rich tree of thoughts and ideas - your complete presentation, written out in an easy-to-follow map. So, next time you are preparing for a presentation, take a moment. Create a mind map.

4. 20-20-20 rule

The 20-20-20 rule of rehearsal is simple and very effective. Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away to prevent eye strain and maintain focus. This technique helps not only to rest your eyes but also to refocus your mind. It's a moment to breathe, to recalibrate, to reassess.

You'll find that when you return to your task, quite often you’ll approach it with a renewed sense of clarity. And guess what? It won't derail your productivity, it will enhance it. So, set your timer, practice the 20-20-20 rule, and see the difference it makes.

5. Practice... a lot!

There's no substitute for practice. The power to influence, inspire, and inform an audience lies in your ability to confidently present your material. Rehearsing your presentation multiple times is an absolute necessity. Each rehearsal should focus on refining different aspects - from your tone of voice to your body language.

Try practicing in front of a mirror. Watch your facial expressions and movements - do they align with the message you're trying to convey?

Don’t shy away from presenting to a friend or colleague. They can offer valuable feedback that you might overlook. Their perspective can help you pinpoint areas for improvement - from your content clarity to your engagement skills.

6. Use mnemonic devices

Mnemonic devices are shortcuts to help you remember information more easily. Create acronyms, phrases, or even songs that are related to the content of your presentation. These tools are particularly useful for memorizing lists or complex information. Example -

• Acronyms : Suppose your deck is about the critical components of a successful team. You could use the acronym "G.R.I.T." to help remember and convey these components: G oal-oriented, R esilient, I nterpersonal skills, and T enacity. Each letter prompts you to recall and discuss each characteristic in detail.
• Phrases : For a deck on the stages of project management, you might use a catchy phrase like "Dogs Prefer Running Through Water" to memorize the stages: D efine, P lan, R un, T rack, and W rap-up. This phrase creates a visual and auditory mnemonic that makes the stages easier to remember and recite.

7. Chunk your information

Rather than attempting to engulf the entirety at once, take it bit by bit. Start with the introduction. Then the first key point. Followed by the next. Revisit each segment, solidifying your grasp before proceeding. This piecemeal approach fosters understanding and retention.

Now apply this tactic in a broader context. Imagine the potential improvement in processing complex instructions, studying for a crucial exam, or even mastering a new skill. Chunking is not just for presentations. It's a powerful tool in our cognitive arsenal to improve productivity and efficiency, providing an antidote to the overwhelm of big tasks. Take it step-by-step.

8. Incorporate physical movement

Our bodies and minds are interconnected. Using gestures or physical movements while assembling your presentation could be your game-changer. The theory is simple: associate different elements of your speech with specific movements. This technique is rooted in the idea of muscle memory - your body remembers.

For example , try pointing up when discussing quarterly growth, or stride across the room when talking about overcoming challenges. The physical act of moving can help reinforce your material, making it easier to recall during the presentation.

9. Take advantage of technology

Use apps and tools designed to improve memorization and practice. From presentation software with storybuilder features to flashcard apps that help you drill main points, technology can be a valuable ally in your preparation. You can even record your presentation to check how it looks.

10. Teach someone else

Teaching someone else about your presentation content is not just a rehearsal; it's a powerful learning technique known as the "Protégé Effect." This strategy is grounded in the principle that teaching information to another person improves the teacher's own understanding and retention of the material. When you explain concepts to someone else, you are forced to clarify your thoughts, identify any gaps in your own knowledge, and think about the material in new and different ways.

11. Stay healthy

The adage "a healthy body houses a healthy mind" is more than just a saying; it's backed by extensive scientific research. The interconnection between physical health and mental acuity cannot be overstated. A good night's sleep, proper nutrition, and regular exercise are foundational elements that support cognitive functions, including memory, attention, and problem-solving skills.

Did you know - A study from the University of British Columbia found that regular aerobic exercise, the kind that gets your heart and your sweat glands pumping, appears to boost the size of the hippocampus, the brain area involved in verbal memory and learning.

12. Visualize success

Visualizing success, particularly in the context of preparing for a presentation, is a powerful technique rooted in cognitive psychology. This practice involves creating a detailed mental image of achieving a desired outcome, including feeling confident and engaging your audience effectively during a presentation.

The science behind visualization is based on the principle that the brain and nervous system respond similarly to imagined experiences as they do to real experiences. This means that by visualizing success, you can condition your mind and body to perform more effectively in the actual situation.

13. Reflect and adjust

Reflecting on and adjusting your approach after each practice session is a critical part of mastering any skill, including memorization and presentation delivery. This iterative process is grounded in the principles of deliberate practice and reflective learning, which are key to achieving expertise in any field.

An example of the reflect and adjust method in action can be seen in medical education, where students often engage in simulated patient interactions. After each simulation, students reflect on their performance, receive feedback from instructors, and identify specific areas for improvement. This process has been shown to significantly improve students' diagnostic accuracy and patient communication skills over time.

What to do if you forget a main point midway?

Even with thorough preparation, forgetting a part of your presentation can happen. If you find yourself drawing a blank mid-speech, take a deep breath, and try one of these strategies to remember your presentation:

1. How long does it take to memorize a presentation?

Memorization time varies depending on the length and complexity of the presentation, but consistent practice can significantly reduce the time required.

2. Is it okay to use cue cards during a presentation?

While cue cards can be helpful for reference, relying too heavily on them can hinder your connection with the audience. Aim to minimize their use through thorough memorization and practice.

3. Should I memorize every word of my presentation?

While it's essential to have a thorough understanding of your material, aiming for word-for-word memorization can lead to robotic delivery. Focus on memorizing key points and transitions for a more natural presentation.

4. What if I make a mistake during my presentation?

Mistakes are natural and happen to everyone. Take a deep breath, acknowledge the error gracefully, and continue with your presentation. Your ability to recover smoothly can even enhance your credibility with the audience.

5. How can I calm my nerves before a presentation?

Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, and positive affirmations to calm pre-presentation nerves and boost your confidence.

Ways in which Prezent can help you memorize!

Prezent is a comprehensive AI-powered platform designed to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of your presentations, making it easier for you to memorize and deliver them with confidence.

Simplification of complex information:

Generative AI : Converts complex sentences into clear, concise presentations. This feature helps in breaking down intricate ideas into simpler, more memorable pieces.

Executive summary synthesis : Converts detailed decks into a one-page summary, focusing on the essence of the presentation. This aids in grasping and remembering the core message.

Engaging storytelling:

Structured storylines : Utilizes AI to help structure presentations in a narrative format, making the information more engaging and easier to remember.

Access to 35,000+ brand-approved slides : Offers a vast library that can be used to create visually appealing and narrative-driven presentations, enhancing the storytelling aspect.

Efficiency in presentation creation:

Personalized on-brand presentations in seconds : Quickly generates presentations that align with brand guidelines, saving time and allowing presenters to focus more on the content's delivery and memorization.

Story-builder tool : Streamlines the creation process by providing a structured framework for presentations, reducing the time spent on design and layout.

Visual aids for enhanced recall:

Redesign to brand-new look : Instantly transforms slides into visually appealing formats that are consistent with brand identity, making the visual aids more memorable.

Library of curated best-practice presentations : Offers access to high-quality visual and content templates that enhance the visual appeal and recallability of presentations.

Adaptive training and learning modules:

On-demand learning modules : Provides modules on the art and science of business communication, including effective use of visual aids and storytelling, which can improve presentation skills.

Communication fingerprints : A unique feature that helps understand personal or audience preferences, enabling the creation of more personalized and impactful presentations that are easier to remember.

Remember, creating a presentation that is as visually compelling as the information it contains will elevate your confidence, making your delivery in front of a large audience seamless and powerful.

Explore Prezent with a free trial to create such stunning presentations. Schedule a demo to experience all the product features and how it can elevate your presentations.

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How to Memorize a Presentation Fast and Deliver It Without Notes

Last Updated: April 22, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. This article has been viewed 72,901 times.

Memorizing a presentation can seem overwhelming but with practice and determination it can be done. All you have to do is be confident in your ability to deliver information to your audience, and you can accomplish this by using some proven memory techniques. Using some great techniques will help you to memorize the information quickly and present it to an audience without needing notes.

Organizing Your Information

• Think about your main topic first—what is the main idea that you're trying to get across? Then, break it down into 3 specific ideas—this is a great way to focus your discussion.

Imagining Pictures as Reminders

• If your point is about a particular animal such as a tiger, visualize a tiger for that point. If your sub point to that main idea is about how a tiger finds prey, visualize a tiger running towards its prey in the wild.
• If you main idea is about how education is changing, visualize a caterpillar turning into a butterfly or a person changing their shoes. If your sub point to that main idea is how different classrooms look, visualize a classroom or visualize two contrasting things like oil and water.

• A trigger word for a sub point about how a tiger finds prey could be “yum” to stimulate you to think about food.
• Trigger words should be short and clear.
• Sometimes using unique trigger words works best.
• Your trigger words or phrases only have to make sense to you.
• Choose words or phrases that quickly jog your memory about the point you’re trying to recall.

• You may want to assign main points to larger body parts such as your feet, stomach, arms, hands, and head.
• You may want to assign details or less important points to smaller body parts such as your toes, knees, hips, fingers, and ears.

• Lets say you have 10 points, you can begin at your feet, move to your knees, then your thighs, next to your hips, ribs, shoulders, neck, ears, head, and finally eyes.

• It is vital that you remember how many points to deliver in your speech. Be sure to memorize this number and count as you go so you don’t go over or fall short.

Memorizing the Information

• Consider your learning style, too. For example, if you're an auditory learner, then play an audio recording of your speech. If you're a visual learner, then highlight important passages that you want to emphasize. Or, you might be kinesthetic—if so, rehearse the body language you'll use.

• Besides just recalling how many points to hit, be sure you know the correct order. You must not be reluctant about where to go next when moving from body part to body part or your presentation will lack fluidity.

• Take some time to simply practice the order you plan on moving around your body. Make sure to do this without actually stopping to present the main ideas at these stopping points. You’ll want to be able to move very swiftly and be certain about where to go next.

• Transition sentences are phrases that link one thought to another. It is so very important that you incorporate these into your presentation.
• If you do not shift from one idea to the next in a proper way using transition sentences you run the risk of sounding robotic and rehearsed. Make certain your thoughts flow so that you are not stopping abruptly or jumping suddenly from one point to another.
• Examples of good transition words or phrases between similar ideas include "Similarly," "Likewise," etc.
• Examples of good transition words or phrases between contrasting ideas include "On the contrary," "Contradictory to," etc.

What Are Tips For Memorizing a Speech?

Community Q&A

• Practice makes perfect, so spend a good amount of time reviewing your information and rehearsing. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Use physical gestures to enhance your storytelling! If you're discussing the qualities of a good leader, you might stand up nice and tall; if you're talking about a time you felt nervous, you might physically feel that experience by hunching over, shaking, widening your eyes, and wrinkling your forehead. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Rote memorization is not the best way to retain information but is a good way to quickly remember and deliver information about a particular topic. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about memorizing a presentation, check out our in-depth interview with Patrick Muñoz .

• ↑ https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/business-by-the-book-remembering-presentation-material/
• ↑ https://blog.udemy.com/how-to-memorize-a-speech/
• ↑ http://westsidetoastmasters.com/resources/powerspeak/lib0208.html
• ↑ http://www.productivity501.com/how-to-memorize-verbatim-text/294/

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Home Blog Education How to Memorize a Presentation: Guide + Templates

How to Memorize a Presentation: Guide + Templates

Memorizing a presentation is the process of internalizing a speech’s concepts, key points, and structure so it can be delivered confidently and smoothly without relying heavily on presentation notes or a script. As a skill, it implies understanding the material as a whole, committing it to memory, and recalling and articulating it effectively in front of an audience. And we mean articulating, as the end goal is not to repeat the content verbatim without emotion or feeling out of the element if questions are asked. 

In this article, we will talk about the advantages of memorizing a presentation, the different techniques for accomplishing it, and some examples of how to put these tools into practice.

Table of Contents

Benefits of Memorizing a Presentation

Technique #1: create an outline, technique #2: the 20-20-20 rule of rehearsal, technique #3: the method of loci, technique #4: using acronyms, technique #5: rhyming, technique #6: visualization linking, technique #7: chunking, technique #8: pqrst, technique #9: write it down, recommended templates for visual aids in memorization.

Although some may think of memorizing a presentation as a sort of counterproductive practice, “ knowing the speech cold ” – as HBR labels this practice – gives us room to be more confident about our understanding of the topic to present, reducing public speaking anxiety , and obtain a better performance outcome. Let’s go through some of the benefits of memorizing a presentation.

Audience Engagement

A well-memorized presentation allows for better eye contact and interaction with the audience, making the delivery more engaging and dynamic. The presentation feels less robotic, allowing you to connect with the public through genuine levels of audience engagement .

Flexibility

Understanding the material thoroughly enables the presenter to adapt to questions, comments, or technical issues without losing track of the presentation. A typical scenario is when the talk drifts off its original intention, such as when an attendee has genuine concerns about some of the presentation’s points or application. Rather than abruptly returning to where you left off, you can resume the presentation by connecting a fact to what you just discussed.

Memorizing helps maintain a logical flow and structure, ensuring that key points are covered effectively and smooth transitions between sections. This is extremely practical if we deliver video presentations , where we need to do a before and after part of the presentation from where the video starts.

A confident and well-delivered presentation is more persuasive and can have a greater impact on the audience, whether the goal is to inform, inspire, or convince. Think of how much of a difference it can make in short-format presentations like elevator pitches , as all your mental and physical efforts are focused on your body language and how you connect with the audience rather than remembering facts.

Reduced Dependence on Visual Aids

With memorized material, the presenter can use visual aids more effectively as supplements rather than crutches. Visual aids for presentations can become more artistic, enhancing the aesthetic of your presentation rather than needing specific word cues to help you remember parts of your speech. 

Enhanced Credibility

Memorizing a presentation can significantly enhance your credibility as a presenter by ensuring a smooth and confident delivery, which audiences often interpret as a sign of expertise and reliability. This phenomenon is supported by the “Halo Effect,” a cognitive bias where the perception of one positive trait (such as confidence and fluency in delivering a presentation) leads to the assumption of other positive traits (such as competence and trustworthiness). When a presenter speaks without hesitation or errors, the audience is more likely to view them as knowledgeable and credible, thus reinforcing their overall message. You can learn more about this in our article about how different cognitive bias impact your presentation .

An outline organizes your thoughts and provides a clear presentation structure . Start with a broad framework, then fill in the details. For instance, an outline for a presentation on a project management course might look like this:

• Definition of project management
• Importance of effective project management
• Defining project scope
• Setting objectives and milestones
• Resource allocation
• Team management
• Tracking progress
• Adjusting plans as needed
• Evaluating project success
• Lessons learned
• Summary of key points
• Final thoughts and call to action

This outline serves as a roadmap, helping you remember the sequence and relationships between points. You can quickly create outlines with AI tools like ChatGPT for Presentations .

The 20-20-20 rule is a structured rehearsal technique designed to enhance presentation memorization and delivery. This rule breaks down practice sessions into manageable segments, focusing on different presentation aspects and ensuring a comprehensive preparation process. The rule involves three 20-minute phases: content rehearsal, delivery practice, and review/adjustment.

Content Rehearsal

The focus should be on memorizing and understanding the concepts of your presentation. Go through the outline or main points of your presentation. Ensure you know the flow and structure.

Cover each key point, argument, and supporting evidence. You can use mnemonic devices, such as acronyms or rhymes, to aid the memory fixation process. Recite the content without worrying about your delivery style. Concentrate on getting the information right, and repeat each challenging section until you feel confident to recall it. 

A good practice is to pair this content rehearsal process with the Feynman Technique , which helps you acknowledge whether you truly understand what you’re talking about.

Delivery Practice

Practice delivering the presentation, concentrating on your speaking style, body language, and engagement with the audience. It is best if you practice standing up and speaking aloud, mentally recreating the conditions of your future presentation to reduce potential anxiety. 

Pay attention to your tone, pitch, and pace. Ensure your speech is dynamic and engaging, and make eye contact with the imaginary audience. Incorporate appropriate gestures and movements to emphasize points and keep the audience engaged.

Review and Adjustment

Review your performance, make necessary adjustments, and refine your presentation. If possible, get feedback from a peer, mentor, or record your practice session and review it.

Simplify complex points and add clarifications where needed. Look at how much jargon you’re using, your vocal variety, pacing, and body language.

The Method of Loci involves choosing a familiar location, such as your home or a route you often take, and mentally placing pieces of information at specific locations within this setting. When you need to recall the information, you mentally “walk” through the location, retrieving the information associated with each specific place.

Spatial memory is powerful, making it easier to remember and recall information. The physical layout of the location helps create a logical sequence for the presentation.

Steps to Implement the Method of Loci

Choose a familiar location, identify specific locations or landmarks, associate information with each location, visualize and rehearse, mentally walk through the location, practice regularly, adapt and expand as needed.

Select a familiar place, such as your home, office, or frequently taken route. Familiarity with the location is crucial because it allows you to visualize and navigate the space in your mind easily.

Your home, including rooms such as the living room, kitchen, bedroom, and garden.

Within your chosen location, identify distinct spots or landmarks where you will “place” information. These should be areas that are easy to visualize and distinct from one another.

• The couch in the living room
• Dining table in the kitchen
• Bed in the bedroom
• Flowerbed in the garden

Assign a piece of information from your presentation to each specific location. Create vivid, memorable images or associations for each piece of information.

For a presentation on the benefits of renewable energy:

• Front door: A bright sun symbolizes solar energy.
• Couch: A spinning wind turbine representing wind energy.
• Dining table: A flowing river representing hydroelectric power.
• Bed: A peaceful forest symbolizing biomass energy.
• Flowerbed: A vibrant array of flowers representing the benefits of renewable energy for the environment.

Spend time visualizing each piece of information in its designated location. Walk through the location in your mind, seeing each piece of information clearly.

Mentally walk to your front door and vividly imagine the bright sun. Move to the living room and picture the wind turbine on the couch. Continue this process for each location and associated image.

When it’s time to recall the information, mentally walk through the chosen location in the same order. As you visualize each spot, recall the information associated with it.

During your presentation, mentally start at the front door (solar energy) and proceed to the living room (wind energy), kitchen (hydroelectric power), bedroom (biomass energy), and garden (environmental benefits).

Regular practice helps reinforce the associations and improves recall. Periodically walk through your memory palace to ensure the information remains fresh and accessible.

Practice your mental walk-through daily leading up to your presentation. Spend a few minutes each day reinforcing the associations.

The Method of Loci is versatile and can be adapted for different types of information and expanded as needed. Add more locations or create new memory palaces for additional topics.

If your presentation has multiple sections, create a new memory palace for each section or expand your existing one by adding more rooms or landmarks.

Acronyms are powerful mnemonic devices that can simplify the process of memorizing a presentation by condensing complex information into easily remembered letters and words. Each letter in an acronym stands for a key point or concept, helping you recall the sequence and details of your presentation more effectively.

Begin by identifying the main points or concepts of your presentation. These could be steps in a process, important themes, or critical details that must be remembered.

For a presentation on effective communication, the key points might be:

• Conciseness
• Consistency

Using the key points above, create the acronym “5Cs” for effective communication:

• C onciseness
• C onsistency

Enhance the acronym with mnemonic devices, such as creating a sentence or phrase where each word starts with the same letter as your key points. This helps reinforce memory.

“ C ats C atch C lever C reatures C arefully”

Rhyming is a highly effective mnemonic tool that greatly improves presentation memorization. Crafting rhymes can result in engaging presentations as an ice-breaker and makes content easier to remember. By utilizing the natural rhythm and sound patterns of language, rhyming helps information stay in your memory.

Identify the key points or concepts you want to memorize in your presentation. These could be main ideas, lists, steps in a process, or important details. Once you have a clear list of these points, you can begin to create rhymes around them.

Create simple, catchy rhymes for each key point. Aim for short and memorable phrases that encapsulate the essence of the information. For example, if you’re presenting on the benefits of exercise, you might create a rhyme like:

“Exercise each day, keeps fatigue away.”

Combine rhymes into couplets (two-line verses) or longer verses if needed. This helps create a narrative or flow that is easy to follow. For instance, for a presentation on healthy eating, you could use:

“Fruits and veggies every day, keep the doctor far away.

Whole grains and lean meats too, give your body fuel to renew.”

Use visual aids that complement your rhymes. Say you have a slide listing the benefits of a product; use a rhyme to introduce or summarize the points on the slide. The combination of visual and auditory cues strengthens memory retention.

Visualization linking involves using vivid, imaginative images to represent key points or pieces of information in a presentation. By creating a mental picture for each point and linking these pictures together logically, you create a memorable and coherent mental map of your presentation. This technique leverages the brain’s natural ability to remember visual and spatial information more effectively than abstract concepts or words.

Unlike the Method of Loci, it focuses on creating a chain of connected images that follow a narrative or logical sequence rather than working with a familiar physical location. Therefore, there’s no need for a physical or spatial structure to help memory recall, and it is a more flexible method.

Let’s say we are wondering how to remember a presentation about the use of chemicals in food preparation. We can retrieve the mental process a consumer makes before buying a product by linking the image of the product—say, a detergent—to the store where you purchase it. Then, we can think of the potential usage by picturing the bubbles this product creates when combined with water when cleaning vegetables. 

You need to mentally go through the sequence until it feels natural. Each image triggers a memory corresponding to a key point in your presentation.

Chunking is the process of dividing large amounts of information into smaller, more manageable pieces, or chunks. Each chunk represents a unit of information that is easier to process and remember. This technique helps reduce cognitive load, making understanding, memorizing, and recalling complex concepts easier.

Once you have identified the main concepts in your presentation, you need to organize them into chunks. 

Group the time management key points:

• Importance of goals
• Types of goals (short-term, long-term)
• Urgent vs. important
• Task prioritization techniques (Eisenhower Matrix)
• Daily planning
• Weekly and monthly planning
• Identifying distractions
• Techniques to stay focused
• Regular review sessions
• Adjusting plans based on progress

Label each chunk with clear headings or section titles. This helps organize the presentation and provides a clear structure for the presenter and the audience. Incorporate visual aids such as slides, charts, or diagrams to represent each chunk. Visual aids help reinforce the information and make it more memorable. Although this technique is a good answer to how to memorize a speech faster, its most common application of chunking is related to data presentations , when we need to recall lengthy numbers critical for discussing our findings.

The PQRST method is a study and memory technique that stands for Preview, Question, Read, Self-Recite, and Test. Originally developed for academic study, this method can be effectively adapted to help presenters memorize their material by breaking down the content into manageable steps and reinforcing understanding and recall.

This method involves five steps: Previewing the material to get an overview, generating questions about the content, reading to find answers to those questions, self-reciting the key points, and testing oneself to ensure the information is retained. This structured approach aids in comprehending, memorizing, and recalling information for a presentation.

Writing things down involves manually recording information on paper. This can include writing out the full text of your presentation, key points, summaries, or notes. Writing engages your brain in different ways compared to simply reading or typing, making it an effective mnemonic device. As we take notes manually, we can implement complementary techniques to further enhance our memory recall process, like storytelling in presentations . 

Suppose your presentation contains words or paragraphs in another language. In that case, this is the best method to implement, as the manual writing process triggers your brain’s reticular activating system (RAS).

There are multiple approaches to writing down a presentation. You can write an outline, but that wouldn’t be enough. Summarizing each section of the presentation in your own words rather than repeating the lengthy speech is a great practice, as you test your comprehension simultaneously. Flashcards, which can be manual or digital, are another alternative to test your memory about the contents of the presentation.

We want to conclude this article with a series of selected PowerPoint templates that can help us work with effective visual aids for memorization. Keep in mind these PPT/PPTX files can be accessed as Google Slides templates as well.

1. Corporate Process Map Template for PowerPoint

Suppose you’re wondering how to memorize a presentation about your company’s processes, either in the change management stages or to coach personnel. In that case, you need to get this PPT template.

Detailed icons help us recall each stage of employee onboarding, sales chain, or customer fulfillment processes, to name a few.

Use This Template

2. 6-Milestone Hanging Platforms Timeline PowerPoint Template

Another template with visual aids for how to memorize speeches, this time intended for team meetings briefing in the implementation phases of specific business operations. Presenters can pair the icons to each stage or associate them with a mnemonic.

3. Data Science Shapes PowerPoint Template

This PPT template is intended for any kind of data science presentation. Its use of a broad selection of icons and contrasting colors makes it easy to remember the contents of a presentation.

4. Statistical Bias PowerPoint Templates

Say you need to deliver an academic presentation about cognitive bias; this template comes with tips to remember a speech in the form of vector art illustrations. Adapt the contents of the slides to your presentation’s needs and let the images help you retrieve concepts.

5. Action Plan PowerPoint Diagram

Share your process for launching a product or service, creating a training program, or setting new action plans for your organization with a highly visual presentation template for PowerPoint and Google Slides. Creative icons allow you to visually link the different stages your team has to complete.

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How To Memorize a Presentation For a Better Flow

Many presentation veterans and TEDxTalkers will tell you that you should dedicate one hour of preparation for every minute of the presentation. That seems like a lot, right? If your presentation is 15 minutes long, that’s 15 hours of preparation. Who has time for that? However, when you actually sit down and consider the brainstorming and story mining, the physical deck design, and practicing the presentation— 15 hours might not seem so astronomical. After all, you don’t want to spend hours creating a deck just to forget everything you’re supposed to say when you step up to the podium. 

It might not seem important, but how your presentation flows is critical to its overall success. In fact, 90% of people believe that a strong narrative and story in a presentation is critical for engagement. Similarly, 35% of millennials say they will only engage with content they feel has a great story or theme. It just goes to show that presentations are two-fold: the deck, and the delivery. Your presentation could have a great story, but if your flow and delivery misses the mark it’s all for naught. It’s no wonder so many people stress about public speaking, they don’t want to get choked up in front of an audience and embarrass themselves. Practice and memorization are just as important as the physical presentation deck, and vice versa. 

If you’re a last-minute warrior (no judgement), and are wondering how to memorize a presentation in one night, we’ve got you covered. Consider these tips to help you memorize your next presentation for a better flow and overall experience. 

Structure your story in an obvious way

If you structure your story in an obvious way— with a beginning, middle, and end— it will help keep you on track. Become familiar with the character (your product, service, or idea), the villain (the problem you’re solving for), and the narrative. Better yet, think of it as a novel you’ve read again and again, or a funny story you’re sharing with your friends. When you know the flow, positioning, and progression of your story, it will be easier to pick up where you left off if you get lost or distracted mid-thought. 

Beautiful.ai can help you structure your story more effectively with our Smart Slide templates . The guardrails put in place by our design AI force you to format your story more efficiently, but it also allows you to structure it in new, creative ways you might not have thought of otherwise. 

Keep it short and sweet

It’s not rocket science: the shorter your presentation, the easier it is to remember. (The same goes for your audience, too). In order to memorize your presentation, and make sure you’re not leaving out any key points, keep your deck to a minimum. We always recommend Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule, which says no PowerPoint presentation should be more than ten slides, longer than 20 minutes, and use fonts smaller than 30 point size. If you stick to this method, you’ll have less to memorize and more to gain. 

Practice, practice, practice

Obviously, practice makes perfect. The more you practice and rehearse the narrative, in your head or in front of your mirror, the more prepared you will be on game day. Here are some easy ways to practice, and better memorize your presentation.

The 20-20-20 rule

The 20-20-20 rule, which was created by memory experts, encourages you to go over the material (in this case, your presentation) for 20 minutes, and then repeat that twice for another 20 minutes each. According to research, if the information is not repeated or revisited within 30 minutes, it’s not encoded into the long-term memory side of the brain, and therefore would be harder to remember on presentation day. 

Record yourself

When you sit down to practice, you should do at least one dry run in front of the mirror or a friend. And you should record yourself doing it. When you record yourself presenting, you can watch it back to 1) review and memorize the information, and 2) tweak your narrative where necessary. It’s also a great way to manage and tweak your facial expressions and body language. 

There’s just something about hand-written notes that really engrains the information in your brain. No, really. It’s scientifically proven that physically writing down information by hand helps you retain it more effectively. So, take notes. Take notes as you’re story mining, designing your deck, and practicing your speech and refer back to them before your presentation. 

Have a cheat sheet handy

Okay, normally we wouldn’t encourage note cards. Why? Simply because people tend to read directly from the note cards instead of speaking to their audience. But in our new norm of remote work— and virtual conferences, meetings, events, etc.— a cheat sheet can be your friend.

Check out this hot tip. Make a cheat sheet of the absolute highest level key points you need to touch on and tape the note card to the top of your computer near the camera. Even if you need to read from the card (in the case of a mental lapse), it will look like you’re staring into the camera and making eye contact with your virtual audience. You’re welcome. 

Jordan Turner

Jordan is a Bay Area writer, social media manager, and content strategist.

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How I Memorized a Presentation for TEDx (Word Perfect)

Anthony metivier.

• August 3, 2024
• Presentation

Podcast: Download

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Beyond that presentation from the stage, what qualifies me to offer you tips for memorizing a speech of any length?

Well, I also spent a decade as a professor at three universities in three different countries. I delivered dozens of lectures during those years. In more than one language.

I’ve also spent over a decade as an online “professor of memory.” My expertise in memory has taken me around the world. I’ve given presentations in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, England, China, Canada, Australia and the USA.

In fact, in the feature image for this post, you see me discussing memory as a part of language learning at a 2016 Polyglot Conference in Berlin. You can also watch hundreds of hours of my presentations on YouTube from several years of live streaming.

And on this page, I’m going to share the best of my experiences with multiple kinds of presentation.

If you want to memorize a speech verbatim, I’ll show you how.

Or, if you prefer to work from mental bullet points, I’ll help you do that too.

When it comes to memory aids for speakers, this is the real deal from someone who practices these techniques week in and week out.

Let’s get started!

So You Need to Memorize a Presentation… Here’s Where to Start

Getting started… this is the tricky bit.

So here’s a story using the Polyglot conference speech I gave to help dimensionalize the starting point I usually use.

Determine Who Your Presentation Is For… And Who It Isn’t For

Before I wrote a single word, I asked myself a very simple set of questions:

Who can I help and who am I unable to help?

And what’s the one thing that will help the listeners above all?

I went through this same process with my TEDx Talk and many other presentations.

Make no mistake, this step can be tricky. It’s a discipline to whittle things down to the biggest and most important point.

But it is possible and often the success of the talks we enjoy most come down to knowing that the audience you’re addressing is defined as closely as possible.

It was hard for me, but I believe focusing on just one kind of person and one message for that person helped my TEDx Talk reach so many viewers.

Of course, some presentations need more details and more nuance, but even then, the principle is the same. If you think about who each principle is for and how to focus on the biggest and most impactful part, it’s going to be easier to digest. And easier for you to remember successfully.

Script The Presentation

When it comes to helping yourself remember your presentation, writing is key. If you write a bunch of mush with endless long sentences, you’re setting yourself up for a struggle.

So when you’re putting the presentation together, ask yourself:

• Do I want to memorize the speech verbatim ?
• Or can I memorize keywords and let my expertise fill in the blanks while speaking?

Both ways work very well. It just comes down to your goal. In the case of my TEDx Talk, I wrote the speech and memorized it verbatim.

In my Polyglot Conference talk, I prepared slides and memorized the key points, which involved speaking some Chinese based on how I’ve studied that language .

Either way, scripting or preparing slides can help you decide how you’re going to memorize the presentation.

Review The Presentation

As a final preparation step, it’s great if you can take a moment to review what you’ve prepared. Ideally, you’ll also get at least one other person to review it as well.

For my TEDx Talk, Thomas Krafft reviewed the script itself and a recording of me delivering it from memory. Before presenting the script of my live-action “Memory Detective” game attached to a memory improvement novel I wrote, I had a test audience go through the entire sequence.

Reviewing the speech, slides and related materials with others helps add an extra layer of understanding that helps with the memorization process. I highly recommend making time for review.

How to Memorize a Presentation from Start to Finish in 7 Easy Steps

As Hanna Pishwa points out in Language and Memory , Aristotle was one of the first to intensively describe the rhetorical strategies used for persuasion in speeches.

But we can go a step further: Aristotle also closed his treatise on memory by explaining that we are moved most by people who speak from memory.

He says reciting from memory is impressive because the person who has memorized their speech doesn’t have to “hunt” for their ideas. They use a “process” that brings those ideas to them automatically.

How can you do that too? Just follow these steps:

One: Learn To Use The Memory Palace Technique

Since long before Aristotle, people have been using the ancient art of memory to commit speeches to memory using Memory Palaces .

A Memory Palace is simply a mental copy of a location you know well, like you home, office, school, church or any place with walls, paths and other environment features.

This is a graphic representation of the Memory Palace I used to memorize my TEDx Talk:

It’s a neighborhood in Brisbane and the numbers represent individual stations.

I teach people who take the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass to number their stations to help them rapidly create these simple journeys .

To do this, it’s helpful to draw your Memory Palaces first. Like this:

Two: Add Interesting Associations To The Words & Ideas In Your Presentation

The best memory techniques all rely on mnemonic imagery .

When it comes to how to memorize lines for a presentation, you can do this very quickly by tapping into a pegword list .

For example, in a speech that starts with, “How would you like…?” my pegword list suggests Howie Mandel for “how” and Elijah Wood for “would.”

Those figures are laid out in the Memory Palace at the beginning of its journey.

This leads us to the next step.

Three: Make Your Associations Zany

Let me make a preemptive strike here:

A lot of people have protested to me over the years:

I’m not creative. I can’t get myself to see Howie Mandel and Elijah Wood to kick a like button on a platform like YouTube.

Stop right there.

I’m not creative either.

All I’m doing is taking too people who already exist and having them do something strange. There are only so many actions in the world. They could kiss the like button, put it in a rocket ship and send it to the moon, or bury it with thumbs-up shaped shovels.

Seriously. There’s nothing “creative” about this. It’s just borrowing from real possible actions and animating them in the Memory Palace. Please don’t overthink this process and make sure of the exercises I’m going to share with you in step four.

If you’re memorizing your presentation verbatim, you’ll need more associations than you would for a speech delivered based on bullet-points.

Either way, the process is the same.

Four: Make Your Associations Multisensory

Once you’ve decided what your characters are going to do with one another, add some multisensory elements. For example, you can hear the voices of your celebrity associations, or imagine that you’re feeling them interacting with the like button in our example.

We do this because scientific research makes it clear that elaboration helps form memories faster.

To get better at making your associations weird and multisensory within seconds, these elaborative encoding exercises will help, as will these visualization exercises .

Five: Use The Memory Palace To Memorize Your Speech

When the ancient Romans delivered their speeches, they often would start a persuasive passage with a set of points.

“In the first place,” an orator would say before diving into the point. Then the orator would say, “In the second place,” etc.

This convention in speeches remains with us today, and those orators were literally using their Memory Palaces in real time to recall their points.

But you can be sure that they had practiced in private before delivering them. We know that Rhetorica Ad Herennium , originally attributed to Cicero , gives many suggestions around how best to practice for both public speaking and reciting poetry.

And you need to practice as well.

You do it by starting at the “first place” of the Memory Palace and then triggering those images to help you recall the words.

Personally, I practice my speeches by following several patterns. For example, instead of always starting at the beginning, I will practice reciting a few lines from the end, then switch to the beginning, then go to a spot in the middle.

This is helpful in ushering the speech into long term memory quickly because it harnesses the primacy effect, recency effect and serial-positioning effect.

Six: Practice Delivering The Speech

Now, this point is a subtly that I personally find important.

I do not go through my Memory Palace while delivering my presentations unless I absolutely have to do so.

See, when you follow the process I’ve described above, the presentation will be in your long term memory .

However, unexpected things can happen. During my TEDx Talk, people laughed at a spot I hadn’t placed a joke. It surprised me for a second and I briefly popped into the Memory Palace I’d made to help me get back on track (instead of standing there like a deer caught in headlights).

But ideally, you want to just have the speech memorized and not have to rely on any mnemonic strategies while in the moment. With optimal setup and execution, the memory techniques will have already done their job and you can do what Aristotle described: speak without looking like you’re hunting for the ideas. This point is especially important when delivering a sales presentation from memory .

And that means you can connect with that audience you identified during the preparation stage. The more you connect with them, the more successful you’ll be during and after your presentation because people remember connection.

Seven: Analyze Your Performance

Want to be a pro speaker?

Then you’ll want to spend some time reflecting on your presentation.

This step is important because it gives you the opportunity to identify areas to improve the next time.

And it will help you congratulate yourself where credit is due. Please make sure to do so. Giving a speech is a huge accomplishment and you deserve recognition merely for making it happen.

But the real gold is some objective and subjective reasoning about the entire process. It will also reveal new ideas for other presentations you might not have thought about otherwise.

In a Pinch? Here’s How to Memorize a Speech Fast

I know that some people don’t have time for all of the steps above.

To be clear: I do all that I can to make sure I have enough time.

But when I don’t, here’s what I do instead.

The Acronym Method

I’m often invited to speak in the community at the last minute. I literally don’t have time to mindmap more than a few ideas.

But I can take those ideas and arrange them into a keyword.

For example, when I was invited to speak at a “Masters of Marketing” event, I arranged my ideas into the acronym F.R.E.E.

• Frequent messaging to a…
• Relevant audience…
• Entertains, Educates and…
• Engages in the direction of a response

I placed that acronym in a simple Memory Palace and talked about what each concept mean for two minutes each.

The great thing about the acronym approach is that you don’t have to practice as much, if at all. The logic of the acronym itself guides you through the parts of your presentation because you’re mentally checking them off by spelling the acronym.

Give this presentation technique a try and you will have no problem committing presentations to memory fast.

Memorize Your Speech in No Time With the Steps Above

Let’s recap:

Presentations are so much easier to remember when you’re clear about who you’re addressing  and  who you’re not.

Once you’ve decided on whether you’ll be speaking verbatim or working from bullet points, the Memory Palace technique is a tried and true technique with thousands of years of success stories .

To make information “stick,” you need a process of elaborating associations. A bit of prep will take you a long way if you complete the exercises I shared on this page.

Finally, it’s worth repeating that reviewing your talk in any way possible is tremendously valuable. Even if you get a last minute invite to speak, you can probably squeeze in a few minutes to record yourself on your phone and tweak a few things.

Even if you don’t have time to change anything, just seeing yourself once will give you ideas about how to make what you’re about to say in front of an audience better.

Just make sure to avoid perfectionism. Relax and if you make a mistake, just call a spade a spade and find your way back to where you got lost.

And if you want more on the memorization process so you always recover quickly when things happen during live presentations (as they inevitably will), check out my FREE Memory Improvement Kit:

So what do you say?

Are you ready to get out there and give the best presentation of your career?

Let me now if you have any questions and I’ll be happy to share with you more granular details from my long career of presenting around the world.

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ABOUT ANTHONY METIVIER

Anthony Metivier is the founder of the Magnetic Memory Method, a systematic, 21st century approach to memorizing foreign language vocabulary, names, music, poetry and more in ways that are easy, elegant, effective and fun.

Dr. Metivier holds a Ph.D. in Humanities from York University and has been featured in Forbes, Viva Magazine, Fluent in 3 Months, Daily Stoic, Learning How to Learn and he has delivered one of the most popular TEDx Talks on memory improvement.

His most popular books include, The Victorious Mind and… Read More

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Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Presentations > Tips for memorizing presentations

Tips for memorizing presentations

If you’re looking to deliver an engaging and interesting presentation , it’s best to memorize it as much as possible. Robotically reading off of your slides won’t captivate your audience. Follow these tips for memorizing your presentation.

If you have an important presentation coming up, you’ll want to impress your audience by proving you know what you’re talking about. Memorizing the ins and outs of your presentation will demonstrate that you’re an expert on the presentation topic. If you struggle with memorizing your presentation, these memorization tips and tricks can help.

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Memorization tip #1: Use repetition

Repetition is an excellent trick for memorization. Make sure to repeat the key points of your presentation. Using repetition will make it easier to reinforce the information in your memory and make it easier to recall once it’s time to present. Repeat the key points of your presentation out loud, handwrite them , or try both.

Memorization tip #2: Use visual aids

Adding visual aids like images, diagrams, or charts to your PowerPoint can help make it easier to remember the key points of your presentation. Visual aids are especially helpful if you’re a visual learner . Visual aids won’t just benefit you—they can make your presentation much more enjoyable to the audience. Audience members who are also visual learners will benefit from images, diagrams, and charts in your presentation. It can be tempting to overload your presentation with graphics and images. Try to keep it down to one visual aid per slide. Otherwise, your presentation could become overwhelming to the audience, and you may confuse yourself by adding too many visuals.

Memorization tip #3: Break it down

A simple memorization trick is to break down your presentation into smaller chunks or sections. Breaking down your presentation into smaller pieces will make it easier to memorize and can help prevent you from becoming overwhelmed. It can also add more structure to your presentation.

Memorization tip #4: Practice makes perfect

This is probably the most obvious tip for memorization, but practice your presentation as much as possible. Practice running through your presentation alone first to build your confidence, then run through it with a friend, family member, or colleague to get their feedback. Practicing your presentation in front of other people can also help calm presentation anxiety .

Memorization tip #5: Record yourself talking

Record yourself going through your presentation. Then, you can listen to your presentation while doing other mundane tasks, like while you wash the dishes or commute to work. Listening to your presentation will help you memorize it. This memorization technique is especially helpful for auditory learners.

Memorization tip #6: Take breaks

While practicing your presentation is an excellent way to memorize it, don’t overdo it. Take short breaks to avoid burnout and refresh your mind so that it’s easier to focus when you get back to rehearsing your presentation.

Memorization tip #7: Use stories

Adding stories or anecdotes to your presentation can help you remember the key points of your presentation. Stories are also engaging for an audience. Stick to simple and/or authentic stories. If you make up a story just for the sake of your presentation, then it’ll be just another thing for you to memorize. Choosing a story from your actual life won’t require much recall. Additionally, stories with too many components will be harder to remember. Make your life easier by choosing an uncomplicated anecdote.

Memorization tip #8: Create a script

Create a script that follows your presentation. Having a detailed script to go off of will help you memorize and be more prepared for your presentation. Your script doesn’t have to be dense—you can create a bulleted list to read off of.

Memorization tip #9: Give yourself time to prepare

If you have a big presentation coming up, don’t procrastinate. There’s a reason why cramming isn’t recommended—crammed information is stored in your short-term memory, meaning you can only recall that information for a smaller amount of time. Devote a few days of practice leading up to your presentation to build long-term memory. Long-term memory lasts much longer.

Memorization tip #10: Get a good night’s sleep

Don’t stay up late the night before your presentation trying to memorize it. Getting a good night’s sleep will help you strengthen and retain the information that you learned throughout the day. Waking up with a clear and refreshed mind will help you perform your best when it’s time to present.

Creating and delivering a presentation is a lot of work, but with the right preparation, it’ll be a breeze. Explore more presentation tips with Microsoft 365.

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In a Hurry? Here’s How to Memorize a Speech in Less than an Hour

This article covers a few great tips about how great speakers make the presentation memorization process easy and stress-free. First, we will cover the big mistakes that most people make when they design a presentation that makes memorizing the presentation much harder. Forgetting what you want to say is a common phobia even among good speakers. So, the first step is to eliminate bad habits that make memorizing a presentation more difficult.

Next, we cover a few memory techniques that are common among professional speakers. (These tips are fantastic, and they work really well.) However, in the third part, I will show you how to actually design your entire presentation where you won’t have to memorize ANYTHING!

If you use this memory technique, your audience will see you as being absolutely brilliant. (Your speech will also be fantastically easy to deliver.)

Big Mistakes When Designing a Presentation that Makes Memorizing a Speech More Difficult.

Before you actually attempt to memorize a speech, the first thing that you want to do is to eliminate the following preparation mistakes. If you do these things, it won’t matter what memory aid you use. Your presentation will likely be difficult to deliver and boring for the audience. (That’s bad.)

1) Starting with the Visual Aid.

Many presenters will often start by designing a PowerPoint slideshow or some other visual aid. When we do this, we will likely end up with a long list of bullet points. As the speaker prepares to deliver the speech, he/she will often need to try to memorize exactly what he/she wants to say for each of the bullets. (This can be hard, and it adds a lot of unneeded pressure.) Instead, start by designing a good presentation. Then, after you have a great speech determine what visual aids will help your audience understand the content.

2) Writing a Presentation Word-for-Word.

Another big mistake is to write out their entire presentation longhand. Many presenters see delivering a presentation like learning lines in a play. We think that we have to create a script first. If you think about the logical “next steps,”, though, you will quickly see the big challenge. Because, after the script is written, you really only have two choices. Choice one is to just read the entire presentation. (Very boring!) Option two is to memorize the entire speech word-for-word (rote memorization.) That adds an extreme level of complexity to the delivery. It also doesn’t fix the initial problem with option number one. (It is still going to be very boring.) To fix this, just create a simple outline of your major points.

3) Data Dumping.

The hardest problem to overcome is called “data dumping.” This is where we give too much information in too short a period of time. When we design presentations, we often think that in order to present well, we have to tell the audience EVERYTHING that we know about the topic all at once. In reality, though, a few points covered really well will be better received than a bunch of points covered in a cursory fashion. We suggest that you limit your main points to five or fewer.

The good news is that once you eliminate these challenges, the next step is pretty easy — choose a memory technique based on the structure of our speech.

How to Memorize a Speech in Just a Few Minutes. (Memory Hack)

The human brain is a fantastic hard drive that can store vast amounts of information. However, most people don’t really understand how to efficiently use this fantastic organ effectively. All that you need to know to improve your memory dramatically in just a few minutes is to realize that your mind thinks in pictures.

When presenters make the mistake of writing out their speeches word-for-word, they will next try to memorize the presentation word-for-word as well. We look at the words on the paper, and we get overwhelmed. You see, our minds don’t remember the written words. We remember the images that those words create in our minds.

An Ancient Memory Technique that Assigns Mental Images for Each Part of Your Speech

The Stacking Technique is an ancient technique used to memorize the most important specific points of your presentation. You can actually memorize a whole speech, by focusing on the main ideas of the presentation — not a word-for-word recitation. Start by creating an outline of the speech. Break the speech into component parts. Then, just create a mental image for each point.

Here is a specific example. Let’s say I was giving the following presentation…

Our Plan to Increase Profit Next Quarter. Cut Costs by Buying Materials in Bulk. Decrease Rework by Improving Communication with Our Customers. Reach Out to Our Existing Satisfied Customers for Additional Orders.

All I would have to do to remember the main concepts is to create a mental image for each bullet point. For the first bullet point, I could create the image of a price tag being cut with a pair of scissors. This will help me remember to speak about cutting costs. For point two, I could picture a golfer who slices his shot and then secretly drops a new ball onto the fairway. The Mulligan golfer will help me remember to speak about reducing rework. For the final point, I could picture an employee with arms stretching 20 feet to shake hands with a customer. This will help me remember to speak about reaching out to happy customers.

To improve the chance of memorizing each item, add some type of action going from one image to the next. For instance, I start with the giant scissors cutting the price tag. The pieces of the price tag fall with a thud on either side of the startled golfer in mid-swing. As a result, his shot goes way off course. The disgruntled golfer looks around nervously and drops a new ball where his previous ball had laid. As he swings a second time, the ball slices around one of our employees. She has super-stretchy arms that are over 20 feet long. With her right hand, she reaches out to shake hands with a happy customer.

This technique works well even if you have to deliver a large number of bullet points. Just add a new image for each new bullet point. Practice the list of images with a friend to move the images to long-term memory.

The Best Way to Memorize a Speech: Mind Map it Out in Your Memory Palace

If you have ever seen a professional keynote speaker come on stage and deliver an entire hour-long presentation without any notes, he/she probably used the Mind Palace technique. (Also called the Mind Palace, Palace Technique, or Room Technique.) This technique is similar to the Stacking Technique, but instead of memorizing the images in sequential order, the images are placed within a location that you know extremely well. So, just like in the Stacking Technique, you create an image for each main point in your presentation.

Next, pick a location you can easily remember in great detail. It could be your house, office, or even the meeting room or banquet hall if you want. Then create a logical ‘route,’ based on which room or piece of furniture that you see first. For example, when you open the front door of your home, what is the first room that you enter?

After deciding on a route, imagine taking that route and focusing on the rooms or items AND the order that you see them. Using my home as an example, when I enter through the front door, I’m standing in the formal living room. The first piece of furniture that I see is the sofa to my left. This is where my dog sleepily wags her tail when I first enter. To my right is my wife’s office. Straight ahead is the formal dining area with the big table that is only used when my family visits on a holiday. Next is the smaller living area where the TV and comfy sofas are. Finally is the kitchen with the island in the middle.

Since I know this route and the specific locations really well, I can easily insert the images that we prepared in the Stacking Section. Instead of seeing my dog on the formal sofa, there is an oversize pair of scissors cutting a price tag. On my wife’s desk is the disgruntled golfer. Seated at the head of the formal dining table is my employee with her arms stretched all the way across the table to shake hands with a happy customer. If I had a fourth point, it would be watching TV. The fifth point would be on the kitchen island.

Add Details with Additional Pictures

Once you have the outline memorized, you can add additional images to represent additional content. For instance, for the first point about bulk orders, let’s say that you want to tell a story to reinforce the point. Last week, we ordered three separate supplies on three different orders and paid shipping fees for each delivery. If we had prepared the orders all at once, we would have saved money on shipping. A good image to help you remember this story is three sailing ships. (This represents the three separate shipments.)

In addition, let’s say that you want to underscore this opportunity by ending with an analogy. For instance, if you are going to fly to three different cities where clients are located, and you will only spend a single day with each, you will save a lot of money (and time) by organizing the trips in a single week. If you made the trips separately, in three different weeks, you’d pay more for your airline tickets and spend way more time at airports. It would also take you at least six days for all of the trips (three traveling and three with the clients.) However, if you left on a Tuesday, visited a client on Wednesday, flew to another city on Thursday, and then another on Friday, you’d spend a lot less time and money.

That is what we want to do with our ordering. Instead of having three people place three orders, paying for shipping for each of the orders, and having three people process the intake when the three orders arrive, we do it all at once. A single order, a single shipping cost, and a single intake. To remember this analogy, I could create an image of a Trident. (A single weapon with three points.)

Going back to the image of the Scissors on my formal sofa, well that sofa has three cushions. The left-most cushion has the scissors. The middle cushion has three ships. And, finally, the third cushion has a trident sticking into it. I can do the same for each room that I created using the Palace Technique.

How to Deliver Your Entire Speech without Memorizing ANYTHING!

By the way, we teach both of these memory techniques in our presentation skills classes . However, almost no one who comes through our classes ever uses either of these techniques.

What? Did you say no one ever uses these techniques to memorize a presentation?

Yes. Delivering a memorized speech is actually a terrible way to give a presentation.

If you design a really good presentation in the first place, you won’t really need to memorize anything. The technique that we teach in our classes is to focus on just a few, key concepts related to what your audience wants or needs to know about your topic. Then, create a visual aid with just those key bullet points on it. Since your bullet points are right there on your slideshow or visual aid, you don’t really need to memorize them. Then, for each of you bullets, come up with a compelling story, interesting analogy, or some other type of “attention getter.”

If you prepare and practice a few items like this for each of your main bullet points, then, when you deliver the presentation, just internally ask yourself, “How can I best explain this concept to my audience?” The answer will always be one or more of the items that you prepared.

A presentation like this will be much more spontaneous and interesting than a memorized presentation.

For additional help, make sure to visit our 101 presentation tips for public speaking blog post.

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11 Tips for Improving Your Presentation Skills (& Free Training)

Written by: Heleana Tiburca

Are you looking for ways to completely level up your presentation skills? We’ve rounded up a list of the 10 best tips to help you deliver and create an effective presentation .

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the tips you’ll find inside:

• Create an audience journey roadmap
• Use proper and confident body language
• Meet your audience before presenting to better connect with them
• Focus on your presentation design to engage your audience

... and a whole lot more!

So, if you want to take your presentation skills to the next level, then this list will show you exactly how to do so.

Let’s get into it.

Table of Contents

Tip #1: define the purpose of your presentation., tip #2: create an audience journey map., tip #3: keep your slides short and sweet., tip #4: focus on your presentation design., tip #5: visualize boring numbers and data., tip #6: practice in front of a live audience., tip #7: meet your audience before presenting., tip #8: channel nervous energy into enthusiastic energy., tip #9: use proper and confident body language., tip #10: allow your personality to shine through., tip #11: take courses to improve your presentation skills., free presentation skills training.

Behind every successful presentation, there was carefully crafted planning that went into it beforehand. To ensure that you’ll have a powerful presentation, you need to consider your message.

The very first step to any good presentation is to define its purpose. This goes on in the very beginning during the planning process where you consider your message.

Your presentation’s end goal can be any of the following:

• To entertain
• To persuade

Your presentation’s end goal might even be a combination of the four purposes above. Consider the fact that you may need to inform buyers of your product and what problem it solves for them, but you also need to persuade them into buying it.

This is where engaging storytelling and proper visual aids will come into play to help you achieve your goal, and will either make or break your presentation.

Once you pinpoint the purpose of your presentation, you can then begin to work on the subject matter and your audience journey map.

An audience journey map is a visual representation of all the steps you need to take your audience members through, from first to last and everything in between, to achieve the goal of your presentation.

There are a few steps to creating your audience journey map.

First, you need to start your explanation at a low point — the current state of an issue. Maybe there’s a problem that you are able to solve. Describe the current situation before you lay out the undertaking ahead.

Once you lay out the problem, you can then start showing your audience the process of solving this problem. To not overwhelm your crowd, give them an actionable roadmap to follow.

With great verbal communication skills, you can tell them how you plan to take the first step.

This is many times the hardest part of the presentation, but once you have the foundation for your first step, you can easily lay out the next stepping stones and take them to your end goal with ease.

Creating an audience journey map will be a major success factor in a compelling presentation and needs to be done before writing and creating your slides.

Having a clear audience journey map will also help ensure you take your audience on a smooth journey with all your main points in line and achieve your end goal with no bumps in the road.

When giving a presentation, make sure that you keep it short, sweet and as informationally-condensed as possible. All of your slides should be easy to digest and understandable at a glance.

Let's take a look at an example. The slide below is part of Visme's simple presentation theme , which is designed to have maximum impact with minimal text.

You can customize this slide and others like it in Visme's presentation software . Or, you can apply the same concept of minimalism to any other presentation tool, such as PowerPoint.

To make sure that you stay on topic and won’t overwhelm your crowd with too much information, you need to have a plan. When you have a solid plan to go by, you won’t go off track and begin rambling about things unrelated to your presentation.

Another practical way you can stay on topic and not overwhelm your audience with too much information is to have your main points written in bold somewhere on your slides.

Here's another example of a Visme slide template that does that well:

As you can see above, you don’t need to write out all the information surrounding the main points, as this will cause your audience too much confusion.

An experienced presenter will be able to quickly glance over at their own presentation slides, see the main points and continue on with their presentation, engaging their audience without going off course.

This, of course, comes with a lot of rehearsing out loud, which we will cover more in tip number six .

Another great way to keep your presentation short is to set a specific time for asking questions.

By reserving a few minutes during your presentation for your audience to ask questions, you can present your main points and achieve your goals, without going into too much detail.

Your audience can then ask for clarity on anything that interests them and you can answer their questions in however much detail you need.

Picture this: you’re gathered around the conference table with all your colleagues early Monday morning and your manager pulls up a lifeless, colorless, text-filled Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.

You’re trying your best to pay attention and understand what he’s trying to convey, but staring deep into your coffee cup seems much more interesting at this point.

Sound familiar?

This is why it’s so crucial to understand how your presentation design will affect the outcome.

By having a messy and overloaded presentation, you’ll lose your audience almost immediately. On the flip side, if it’s so mundane and boring, you will also lose their attention.

One design presentation tip that we suggest you implement is to make sure you don’t overcrowd your slides with too much text.

This is a risky thing to do because the moment you flip to the next slide, your audience’s attention goes from what you’re saying, to your slide.

They’ll begin to read everything presented on the slide and completely tune you out. This is why a minimal text approach with a maximum of 2-3 different yet complementary fonts on your slides will be ideal, like in the example below.

You can use visual aids like images, animated graphic design elements, videos and more to convey the same message that boring text would.

It’s not everyone’s cup of tea to design a presentation from scratch, and that’s why it can be incredibly helpful to use a tool that offers presentation templates to help you get started.

Visme has hundreds of handcrafted presentation templates for public speakers to use for any occasion. Each presentation template is fully customizable and you’ll be able to add your branded content to your slides to make it your own.

Presenting your data can be an incredibly tricky and difficult task.

Instead of adding a bunch of tables and numbers to your slides, try switching things up by using charts, graphs and other data visualization types .

When creating a chart for your presentation, you need to be mindful of several things.

First, you need to choose the right chart to begin with. Not every type of graph is suitable for all data sets. The chart you choose will depend on the nature of your data and your unique purpose of using that chart.

Here's an infographic to help you understand what type of chart to use depending on your unique needs and nature of data.

Image Source

For example, if you're drawing a comparison between two or more items, a bar graph might be suitable. But if you're breaking down composition, a pie chart might be a better idea.

Also, make sure that you can fit all of your information into a chart without overcrowding the visual and also have your audience understand that information at a glance, like in the example below.

Other data visualization tips to keep in mind include choosing a pleasant, cohesive color scheme, sticking to max 2-3 fonts, incorporating a legend, and keeping your data as simple as possible.

Learn more about data visualization best practices to help you create engaging charts for your presentations and reports.

If you're using Visme, you can also import your data directly from Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, Survey Monkey, Google Analytics and more.

Practice, practice and practice again.

Some would argue that writing up and designing a presentation from scratch is the easiest part. Delivering the presentation in a way that it engages your audience — that's the tricky part.

When it comes to public speaking, it’s only natural that one would get a little nervous and stumble upon their words.

That’s why practicing your public speaking skills in front of others will be vital to how well you present and connect with your crowd during your actual presentation.

It’s one thing to practice in front of the mirror, but it’s something completely different when people are waiting for you to deliver information that will improve their business or life.

So gather up some friends, family members or even your pets, and present your presentation from start to finish as many times as you need.

By presenting your slides out loud, you might even catch some mistakes in your presentation or find you need to add in some missing information.

By shaking your attendee’s hand before a meeting, you’ll begin to make connections and become more approachable and likable by your audience.

Meeting your audience will help break the ice and make them more likely to listen to what you have to say. They will also feel more comfortable asking you questions later, which will increase the value they get out of your presentation.

Plus, you’ll also feel more relaxed speaking to your audience if you've met them already. When you can put a name to a face, you’ll automatically feel a sense of comfort when you make eye contact with them while presenting.

Even the most famous movie stars and popular public speakers will still get nervous before a public presentation.

It’s human nature to get butterflies and perspire a bit before having tons of eyes on you, critiquing every word you have to say.

So, if you’re feeling nervous before a presentation, instead of emotionally shutting down, take that nervous energy and transform it into enthusiastic energy.

Before getting up on stage, listen to your favorite hype music, maybe have a coffee (if it won’t make you jittery) or get a pep talk from a friend.

By being confident and using your enthusiasm to your advantage, you’ll have your crowd on the edge of their seats, completely engaged, following every word you say.

Enthusiastic presentations will much better received by listeners, rather than monotone informational presentations. So, as important as your presentation design is, the way you present it will determine a big part of the outcome.

According to Allan Pease , an Honorary Professor of Psychology at ULIM International University, you can convince almost anyone to do anything for you if you use proper body language.

He has an entire Ted Talk dedicated to the subject, which you can watch below.

The proper use of hand gestures, a power stance, a confident smile and an authoritative yet kind voice are all techniques that you can leverage to get your crowd listening to and agreeing with what you’re saying.

According to Allan Pease, when using hand gestures, you’ll want to make sure that you’re using open palm gestures. This makes you look like a great leader that is right there with the team, ready to lead and take charge.

By using open palm gestures, people will automatically be inclined to listen to you.

The moment you turn your hand over and start using your pointer finger, you will lose your audience. They won’t accept any information from you and they will believe you have an authoritative and hostile attitude.

Body language is everything, so make sure to use open hand gestures, smile, take a deep breath and believe that you’re not nervous, even if you are.

As soon as you believe that you’re not nervous, your brain and body will follow suit and you’ll feel more confident on stage with your presentation, which will make your audience trust you more.

We’re convinced that with the right tone of voice and allowing your personality to shine through, you can take any boring presentation, and turn it into an entertaining and engaging one for your audience.

While it is good to meet your audience where they are, it’s never good to fake your personality for the sake of a presentation.

Everyone can tell when someone isn’t genuine, and if you’re trying to suppress your personality, you’re only hurting yourself and your presentation by doing so, as what you’re saying can then begin to sound disingenuous.

So, don’t be afraid to use your personality to your advantage. Let a joke out and entertain your audience. By making your audience laugh, you’ll have them more in tune with what you’re saying.

Chances are if you’re giving a business presentation, many of your peers will be there and they'd want you to let your personality show. So, be yourself and use that to your advantage!

Finally, our best tip that we can offer you in all areas of life is to never stop learning.

The only way to improve is to continue learning and practicing. That’s why we recommend you take presentation courses that will help improve your communication skills and presentation skills.

You can brush up on your presentation, communication and public speaking tips by taking online courses on Udemy or Coursera . Look for specific courses on storytelling, body language and more to focus on your problem areas.

Or, if you're looking for a free course that packs all the good stuff at zero cost, our team at Visme has put together an incredible presentation course that will help you smash your next presentation!

When it comes to creating and giving presentations, many times it seems like it’s just something that’s expected of us to do, without receiving any type of proper training or qualifications.

Here at Visme, we want to see everyone succeed.

That’s why we combined our years of knowledge and experience to create a free course to give everyone the tools and confidence they need in order to create effective and successful presentations.

There are dozens of benefits and skills you’ll gain in these training sessions. You'll learn how to:

• Effectively brainstorm and create audience personas and audience journey maps
• Use visual communication to inform, engage, inspire and persuade your audience
• Design your presentation as a professional designer would in minutes
• Use colors, fonts, pictures and videos to increase the impact of your speech
• Present your data through compelling charts and graphs that tell a story

You’ll also receive a Visme Versity certificate of completion once you complete the online course — you can add this to your LinkedIn profile to set yourself up for success.

If any of these benefits sound like something you want to add to your tool belt, then you can take our free presentation skills course for professional development right now.

This course is broken down into easily digestible sections, yet it’s jam-packed full of readily applicable information. The best part is you can take the course and complete it at your own pace.

There are engaging educational videos for you to watch and learn from, informational content for you to read and at the end of each session, there is a quiz for you to take to assess your progress.

By the end of this course, you’ll have an abundance of skills that will help you succeed in all types of presentations.

Sign up today and learn how to become a great presenter in no time!

Level Up Your Presentation Skills

You’ve now learned 11 amazing tips on how to improve your presentation skills, but there’s still so much more to uncover and learn in the realm of presentations skills.

If you want to overcome your fear of public speaking, improve on your business presentations, become a better communicator and transform good presentations into great presentations, then this free presentation course by Visme is for you.

Want to create stunning presentations of your own? Sign up for our presentation software and start using hundreds of pre-made slides, animated effects, free graphics, charts and more.

Create beautiful presentations faster with Visme.

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About the Author

I’m Heleana and I’m a content creator here at Visme. My passion is to help people find the information they’re looking for in the most fun and enjoyable way possible. Let’s make information beautiful.

A public-speaking expert shares 8 tips to perfect — and even enjoy — your next work presentation

• Nick Gold is managing director of Speakers Corner, a UK agency representing public speakers.
• He said work presentations should focus on two or three key points and keep slides under 10 words.
• Gold shared eight strategies to help you deliver an engaging speech and calm nerves.

Presenting at work can be daunting , whether it's to a screen of faceless avatars or a crowded room.

Nick Gold, the managing director of Speakers Corner, a UK agency for public speakers, shared eight tips for nailing — and even enjoying — your next work presentation so that you keep nerves at bay and colleagues, clients, or investors engaged.

1. Practice your presentation beforehand — but don't memorize

Gold cautioned against learning a presentation by rote. He suggested thinking about a presentation as several stories, each with a point, to allow yourself flexibility while speaking.

"It's about understanding your content and the stories you're telling," he said. "How you deliver those stories might change word-by-word each time, but the underlying stuff doesn't change."

When you're in a meeting room with 15 people in front of you, pretend you're in a coffee shop telling them about the topic, he advised. "By doing that, they'll relax into it and you'll relax into it," he said.

2. Put your own spin on what you're saying

When you're told by your manager or another colleague you have to speak, it can be hard to make it engaging for the audience, Gold said.

The starting point is putting your own spin on it. That will help with nerves, too, he said.

"Don't be fearful about taking it in a direction where you feel comfortable with the subject matter," Gold said.

He suggested starting by telling a story or anecdote for two minutes to help calm nerves and put the audience at ease.

"When you get to the trickier parts and the parts you're slightly nervous about, where you're not as eloquent or you show your nerves, they're already on a journey with you," he said.

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"They're going to give you the benefit of the doubt." 

3. Avoid information overload

When giving a presentation, you might get imposter syndrome and feel you have to "validate" your expertise by trying to prove how much you know about a subject, said Gold.

The result, Gold said, is that "people are bombarded with information and therefore they take in much less, and you're not getting the key points you want across."

Choosing two or three points to get across to an audience can ensure they take away critical information.

"There's no harm in giving a presentation with less data, and then following up with a handout," Gold added.

4. Keep each slide to 10 words at most

If you rely too much on PowerPoint slides , the audience will focus on reading them and likely zone out, Gold said. He suggested keeping them to seven to 10 words, so that they remain a prompt and not something that distracts the audience.

"You want it to be something that gives them a visual trigger to remember what you said after the presentation rather than being the actual presentation itself," Gold said.

5. Know who's in the audience, but remember this can change

Whether you're talking to senior management or your closest coworkers, you need to tailor your presentation to who's in the room, from different personalities to different demographics, said Gold.

Even if you're told exactly who's going to be there, you should be prepared for last-minute changes, he warned.

"You might know everyone who's going to be in the room, but you have no understanding of what's happened to them that day," he said.

6. Remember the audience is on your side

The audience is actually "desperate" for you to perform well, Gold added.

"The only people who want you to succeed more than yourself are the other people in the room — because they're stuck in that room. All they want, for the 20 or 40 minutes that you are standing up there, is to enjoy themselves," Gold said.

When a speaker goes onstage and tells a joke or a story, you can see the audience visibly relax, he said.

7. It's okay to not know the answer to questions

Set out at the start whether you will take questions from the audience throughout a presentation or at the end, Gold advised.

He suggested that, if you don't know an answer, tell them that it's a great question but you don't want to answer off the cuff. Ask them if you can get back to them with more information the next day, he added.

8. Virtual presentations should be more conversational

"You don't get the energy you get from a person onstage," Gold said of presenting virtually .

No one should speak on-screen for more than seven minutes without interacting with the audience, such as by asking questions or having discussions in virtual breakout rooms, he said, as audiences need more stimulation if they're watching remotely.

"One of the things that came out of virtual presentations is an understanding that the conversation is more important than the presentation itself. Embrace it," Gold added.

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How to give a good presentation that captivates any audience

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What are the main difficulties when giving presentations?

How to create an effective presentation, after that, how do i give a memorable presentation, how to connect with the audience when presenting.

If you’ve ever heard someone give a powerful presentation, you probably remember how it made you feel. Much like a composer, a good speaker knows precisely when each note should strike to captivate their audience’s attention and leave them with a lasting impression.

No one becomes a great public speaker or presenter without practice. And almost everyone can recall a time one of their presentations went badly — that’s a painful part of the learning process.

Whether you’re working within a small creative team or a large organization, public speaking and presentation skills are vital to communicating your ideas. Knowing how to present your vision can help you pitch concepts to clients, present ideas to your team, and develop the confidence to participate in team meetings.

If you have an upcoming presentation on the horizon and feel nervous, that’s normal. Around 15-30% of the general population experience a fear of public speaking . And, unfortunately, social anxiety is on the rise, with a 12% increase in adults over the last 20 years . 

Learning how to give a good presentation can dismantle your fears and break down these barriers, ensuring you’re ready to confidently share your point of view. 

It’s the week before your presentation, and you’re already feeling nervous . Maybe there’ll be an important mentor in the room you need to impress, or you’re looking for an opportunity to show your boss your value. Regardless of your countless past presentations, you still feel nervous. 

Sharing your vision and ideas with any sized group is intimidating. You’re likely worrying about how you’ll perform as a presenter and whether the audience will be interested in what you offer. But nerves aren’t inherently negative — you can actually use this feeling to fuel your preparation.

It’s helpful to identify where your worries are coming from and address your fears. Here are some common concerns when preparing for an upcoming presentation:

Fear of public speaking: When you share your ideas in front of a group, you’re placing yourself in a vulnerable position to be critiqued on your knowledge and communication skills . Maybe you feel confident in your content, but when you think about standing in front of an audience, you feel anxious and your mind goes blank.

It’s also not uncommon to have physical symptoms when presenting . Some people experience nausea and dizziness as the brain releases adrenaline to cope with the potentially stressful situation . Remember to take deep breaths to recenter yourself and be patient, even if you make a mistake.

Losing the audience’s attention: As a presenter, your main focus is to keep your audience engaged. They should feel like they’re learning valuable information or following a story that will improve them in life or business.

Highlight the most exciting pieces of knowledge and ensure you emphasize those points in your presentation. If you feel passionate about your content, it’s more likely that your audience will experience this excitement for themselves and become invested in what you have to say.

Not knowing what content to place on presentation slides: Overloading presentation slides is a fast way to lose your audience’s attention. Your slides should contain only the main talking points and limited text to ensure your audience focuses on what you have to say rather than becoming distracted by the content on your slides.

Discomfort incorporating nonverbal communication: It’s natural to feel stiff and frozen when you’re nervous. But maintaining effective body language helps your audience stay focused on you as you speak and encourages you to relax.

If you struggle to incorporate body language into your presentations, try starting small by making hand gestures toward your slides. If you’re working with a large audience, use different parts of the stage to ensure everyone feels included. 

Each presenter has their own personal brand and style. Some may use humor to break the ice, while others might appeal to the audience’s emotional side through inspiring storytelling. 

Watching online presentations, such as TED talks, is an excellent way to expose yourself to various presentation styles and develop your own. While observing others, you can note how they carry themselves on stage and learn new ways to keep your audience engaged.

Once you’ve addressed what’s causing your fears, it’s time to prepare for a great presentation. Use your past experience as inspiration and aim to outshine your former self by learning from your mistakes and employing new techniques. Here are five presentation tips to help you create a strong presentation and wow your audience:

1. Keep it simple

Simple means something different to everyone.

Before creating your presentation, take note of your intended audience and their knowledge level of your subject. You’ll want your content to be easy for your intended audience to follow.

Say you’re giving a presentation on improving your company’s operational structure. Entry-level workers will likely need a more straightforward overview of the content than C-suite leaders, who have significantly more experience. 

Ask yourself what you want your audience to take away from your presentation and emphasize those important points. Doing this ensures they remember the most vital information rather than less important supporting ideas. Try organizing these concepts into bullet points so viewers can quickly identify critical takeaways.

2. Create a compelling structure

Put yourself in your audience member’s shoes and determine the most compelling way to organize your information. Your presentation should be articulate , cohesive, and logical, and you must be sure to include all necessary supporting evidence to strengthen your main points.

If you give away all of your answers too quickly, your audience could lose interest. And if there isn’t enough supporting information, they could hit a roadblock of confusion. Try developing a compelling story that leads your audience through your thought processes so they can experience the ups and downs alongside you. 

By structuring your presentation to lead up to a final conclusion, you’re more likely to keep listeners’ attention. Once you’ve reached that conclusion, you can offer a Q&A period to put any of their questions or concerns to rest. 

3. Use visual aids

Appealing to various learning styles is a great way to keep everyone on the same page and ensure they absorb your content. Visual aids are necessary for visual learners and make it easier for people to picture your ideas.

Aim to incorporate a mixture of photos, videos, and props to engage your audience and convey your key points. For instance, if you’re giving a presentation on anthropology subject matter, you could show your audience an artifact to help them understand how exciting a discovery must have been. 

If your presentation is long, including a video for your audience to watch is an excellent way to give yourself a break and create new jumping-off points for your speech.

4. Be aware of design techniques and trends

Thanks to cutting-edge technology and tools, you have numerous platforms at your disposal to create a good presentation. But keep in mind that although color, images, and graphics liven things up, they can cause distraction when misused.

  Here are a few standard pointers for incorporating visuals on your slides: 

• Don’t place blocks of small text on a single slide
• Use a minimalistic background instead of a busy one
• Ensure text stands out against the background color
• Only use high-resolution photos
• Maintain a consistent font style and size throughout the presentation
• Don’t overuse transitions and effects

5. Try the 10-20-30 rule

Guy Kawasaki, a prominent venture capitalist and one of the original marketing specialists for Apple, said that the best slideshow presentations are less than 10 slides , last at most 20 minutes, and use a font size of 30. Following this strategy can help you condense your information, eliminate unnecessary ideas, and maintain your audience’s focus more efficiently.

Once you’re confident in creating a memorable presentation, it’s time to learn how to give one. Here are some valuable tips for keeping your audience invested during your talk: 

Tip #1: Tell stories

Sharing an anecdote from your life can improve your credibility and increase your relatability. And when an audience relates to you, they’re more likely to feel connected to who you are as a person and encouraged to give you their full attention, as they would want others to do the same.

Gill Hicks utilized this strategy well when she shared her powerful story, “ I survived a terrorist attack. Here’s what I learned .” In her harrowing tale, Hicks highlights the importance of compassion, unconditional love , and helping those in need.

If you feel uncomfortable sharing personal stories, that’s okay. You can use examples from famous individuals or create a fictional account to demonstrate your ideas.

Tip #2: Make eye contact with the audience

Maintaining eye contact is less intimidating than it sounds. In fact, you don’t have to look your audience members directly in their eyes — you can focus on their foreheads or noses if that’s easier.

Try making eye contact with as many people as possible for 3–5 seconds each. This timing ensures you don’t look away too quickly, making the audience member feel unimportant, or linger too long, making them feel uncomfortable.

If you’re presenting to a large group, direct your focus to each part of the room to ensure no section of the audience feels ignored. 

Tip #3: Work on your stage presence

Although your tone and words are the most impactful part of your presentation, recall that body language keeps your audience engaged. Use these tips to master a professional stage presence:

• Speak with open arms and avoid crossing them
• Keep a reasonable pace and try not to stand still
• Use hand gestures to highlight important information

Tip #4: Start strong

Like watching a movie trailer, the first seconds of your talk are critical for capturing your audience’s attention. How you start your speech sets the tone for the rest of your presentation and tells your audience whether or not they should pay attention. Here are some ways to start your presentation to leave a lasting impression:

• Use a quote from a well-known and likable influential person 
• Ask a rhetorical question to create intrigue
• Start with an anecdote to add context to your talk 
• Spark your audience’s curiosity by involving them in an interactive problem-solving puzzle or riddle

Tip #5: Show your passion

Don’t be afraid of being too enthusiastic. Everyone appreciates a speaker who’s genuinely excited about their field of expertise. 

In “ Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance ,” Angela Lee Duckworth discusses the importance of passion in research and delivery. She delivers her presentation excitedly to show the audience how excitement piques interest. 

Tip #6: Plan your delivery

How you decide to deliver your speech will shape your presentation. Will you be preparing a PowerPoint presentation and using a teleprompter? Or are you working within the constraints of the digital world and presenting over Zoom?

The best presentations are conducted by speakers who know their stuff and memorize their content. However, if you find this challenging, try creating notes to use as a safety net in case you lose track.

If you’re presenting online, you can keep notes beside your computer for each slide, highlighting your key points. This ensures you include all the necessary information and follow a logical order.

Tip #7: Practice

Practice doesn’t make perfect — it makes progress. There’s no way of preparing for unforeseen circumstances, but thorough practice means you’ve done everything you can to succeed.

Rehearse your speech in front of a mirror or to a trusted friend or family member. Take any feedback and use it as an opportunity to fine-tune your speech. But remember: who you practice your presentation in front of may differ from your intended audience. Consider their opinions through the lens of them occupying this different position.

Tip #8: Read the room

Whether you’re a keynote speaker at an event or presenting to a small group of clients, knowing how to read the room is vital for keeping your audience happy. Stay flexible and be willing to move on from topics quickly if your listeners are uninterested or displeased with a particular part of your speech.

Tip #9: Breathe

Try taking deep breaths before your presentation to calm your nerves. If you feel rushed, you’re more likely to feel nervous and stumble on your words.

The most important thing to consider when presenting is your audience’s feelings. When you approach your next presentation calmly, you’ll put your audience at ease and encourage them to feel comfortable in your presence.

Tip #10: Provide a call-to-action

When you end your presentation, your audience should feel compelled to take a specific action, whether that’s changing their habits or contacting you for your services.

If you’re presenting to clients, create a handout with key points and contact information so they can get in touch. You should provide your LinkedIn information, email address, and phone number so they have a variety of ways to reach you. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all template for an effective presentation, as your unique audience and subject matter play a role in shaping your speech. As a general rule, though, you should aim to connect with your audience through passion and excitement. Use strong eye contact and body language. Capture their interest through storytelling and their trust through relatability.

Learning how to give a good presentation can feel overwhelming — but remember, practice makes progress. Rehearse your presentation for someone you trust, collect their feedback , and revise. Practicing your presentation skills is helpful for any job, and every challenge is a chance to grow.

Understand Yourself Better:

Big 5 Personality Test

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

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

6 presentation skills and how to improve them

Tell a story they can't ignore these 10 tips will teach you how, how to make a presentation interactive and exciting, 3 stand-out professional bio examples to inspire your own, how to write a speech that your audience remembers, reading the room gives you an edge — no matter who you're talking to, your guide to what storytelling is and how to be a good storyteller, 18 effective strategies to improve your communication skills, writing an elevator pitch about yourself: a how-to plus tips, how to disagree at work without being obnoxious, the importance of good speech: 5 tips to be more articulate, the 11 tips that will improve your public speaking skills, 30 presentation feedback examples, fear of public speaking overcome it with these 7 tips, how to not be nervous for a presentation — 13 tips that work (really), 8 clever hooks for presentations (with tips), stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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14 effective presentation tips to impress your audience

Get your team on prezi – watch this on demand video.

Anete Ezera July 15, 2022

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

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

Most common presentation mistakes

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

#1 A poor start

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

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

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

#2 Lack of preparation

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

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

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

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

#3 Losing track of time

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

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

Effective presentation tips

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

#1 Tell a story

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

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

#2 Work on your body language

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

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

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

#3 Understand your audience

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

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

#4 Use high-quality visuals

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

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

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

#5 Use data visualizations

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

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

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

#6 Make it engaging with interactive elements

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

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

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

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

#7 Stay consistent with fonts and color styles

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

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

#8 Structure your presentation properly

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

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

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

#9 Practice your public speaking skills

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

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

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

#10 Show your slides next to you on-screen

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

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

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

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

#11 Calm down before presenting

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

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

#12 Use transitions and animations 

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

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

#13 Be enthusiastic 

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

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

#14 End your presentation in a memorable way

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

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

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

Elevating presentations with Prezi AI

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

Interactive elements: transforming passive listening into active engagement

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

Adding a personal touch in digital presentation with video

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

Mastering presentation artistry with Prezi

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

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

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How to Memorize a Presentation in Eleven Easy Steps!

• May 25, 2022

Public speaking can be daunting, but one technique can significantly boost your confidence and impact: memorizing your presentation. With the capacity to recall material, the significance of doing so while giving a speech, pitch, or presentation must be balanced. Practical advice on acquiring the skill of How to memorize a presentation is provided through this blog post.

Table of Contents

How do you memorize a presentation?

To memorize a presentation effectively, thoroughly understand your content, and create  Presentation design services . Then, repeat the presentation aloud multiple times, initially with the aid of your outline, gradually reducing reliance on it until you can recall the entire presentation from memory. Visualize key points and use mental associations to aid recall. Record yourself practicing and review for improvements. Break down lengthy presentations into manageable chunks and practice with a trusted audience under simulated pressure. On the presentation day, take deep breaths, maintain eye contact, and engage with your audience while delivering your memorized content to boost confidence and ensure a polished delivery.

No need to worry about giving a presentation, we’ve got your back! In this blog post, you’ll find eleven easy steps that will help memorize any speech or song so it feels like second nature. Follow them and before long all of those worrying thoughts are gone – just focus on delivering great content while feeling calm in front of an audience instead.

1–Know Your Material

Before you can be successful at present, it is essential that both your pre-talk and talk are entirely familiar with the material. It will take more time for memorization if there’s a gap in understanding what we’re going over – make sure to review everything carefully before moving forward!

2–Create an Outline

You should always start with an outline of your presentation. It will help you stay on track and remember what’s going on in the event that it becomes difficult for any reason, like when someone interrupts or another person needs attention!

3–Practice saying it out loud, timing yourself to make sure you’re within the allotted time limit

If you’re looking to deliver a speech in the allotted time, this is an important step. It’s also a great way of getting started with memorizing your material and practicing aloud before going live! When we practice saying our lines out loud like regular people do–we’ll be able put them to good use when it counts most: during presentations or other big moments where speed matters more than anything else (like interviewing somebody).

4–Break the speech down into smaller parts and focus on memorizing one part at a time

The entire presentation may seem daunting at first, but if you break it down into smaller parts and focus on memorizing just one section at a time until all of the information has been committed to memory then things will go much smoother.

5–Visualize yourself giving the speech in front of a crowd

visualizing yourself delivering a speech in front of an audience can be very helpful when trying to commit material into memory. First, see yourself delivering the lines confidently and flawlessly before your eyes then do so physically through practice or role-play until it becomes natural for you!

6–Imagine your audience’s reaction to your words – are they laughing, clapping, or looking bored?

You can make your presentations more engaging by using visualization techniques like this. As you are memorizing the information, imagine how it will feel when they’re listening to what you have said and visualizing their reactions in order for them not only to hear but also to remember all of these important points!

7–Take practice runs in front of a mirror or with friends/family members to get feedback

You can use this technique to help you remember the information from your presentation and improve memorization. You might want to try practicing in front of a mirror or with friends/family members, listening for errors that may have been made when saying it aloud beforehand so they don’t happen again during performance time!

Why Do You Need to Memorize a Presentation?

• Enhanced Confidence: Knowing your material inside and out instills confidence. You can maintain eye contact, engage with your audience, and appear more authoritative without relying on notes or slides.
• Better Flow: Memorizing your presentation allows for a smoother and more natural delivery. You will be able to understand words or ideas, creating a more enjoyable experience for your listeners.
• Reduced Nervousness: Fear of forgetting your content can be a significant source of anxiety before a presentation. Memorization reduces this fear, leading to a calmer and more composed delivery.
• Improved Connection: When you’re not constantly glancing at notes or slides, you can connect more deeply with your audience. Your engagement and authenticity become apparent, fostering a stronger connection.
• Professionalism: Memorizing a presentation showcases your dedication and professionalism. It suggests that you’ve tried to deliver a polished and well-prepared talk.

The Best Way to Memorize a Presentation

Understand your content:.

Before you start memorizing, ensure you have a solid grasp of your material. Understand the key points, the flow of your presentation, and the overarching message. This foundational knowledge will make memorization more manageable.

Create an Outline:

Begin by creating a detailed outline of your presentation. Break it down into sections or key points. A structured outline makes it easier to organize your thoughts and memorize them systematically.

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat:

The most effective way to memorize is through repetition. Aloud reading is essential before you begin presenting. Memory recall and reference to an outline are essential when reciting something. As you decrease your reliance on the outline, recalling the entire presentation will become possible.

Use Visual Aids Sparingly:

While visual aids like slides can be helpful, don’t rely on them as a crutch. Use them sparingly to complement your presentation, not as a script. This way, you will be able to read from the slides.

Practice with Props:

If your presentation involves props or physical demonstrations, practice with them extensively. Incorporate them into your memorization process so that they become seamlessly integrated into your talk.

Record Yourself:

While giving presentations, recording oneself can prove incredibly beneficial. With this tool, you can assess your performance, pinpoint areas for growth, and keep tabs on your progress in memorization.

Break It Down:

I f your presentation is lengthy, break it down into manageable chunks. Memorize one section at a time and combine them as you become more confident. This approach prevents overwhelming yourself.

Visualize the Content:

Create mental images or associations to help you remember specific points or examples. Visualizing your content can make it easier to recall during your presentation.

Practice Under Pressure:

To simulate the pressure of a real presentation, practice in front of friends, family, or colleagues. This will help you get accustomed to speaking under scrutiny and build confidence.

Stay Calm and Breathe:

Calming your nerves requires deep breaths on the presentation day. With trust in your preparations, approach each section separately. Moments of silence are acceptable when you need time to reflect.

Engage with the Audience:

Audience involvement is key when giving a memorized speech. By doing so, you can effectively respond to their reactions. This will be more interactive and memorable for you and your audience.

Practice, Practice, Practice:

The key to successful presentation memorization is practice. The more you rehearse, the more comfortable and confident you’ll become in delivering your content from memory.

Is it okay to memorize a presentation?

No need to take a robotic approach; there’s so much power in tapping into our knowledge and passion. To rise above the crowd with stellar presentations, begin by being intentional and taking time to plan well.

Why should you never (ever) Memorize a Presentation?

If you’re preparing a presentation, reciting every word might not be the best course of action. Instead of relying on memorization to deliver your message, focus on internalizing what it is you want to convey so that when presenting in front of an audience, the interaction and flow feel natural rather than contrived. When delivering content becomes too scripted or rehearsed – the charm runs out!

I was so uninterested in the presentation that I couldn’t even bring myself to understand what this guy was saying. The only thing of note I remember is randomly discovering on Twitter during my boredom-induced browse that Brazilian ex-president Dilma Rousseff had been impeached back then. All I could do at the time was pray for it to end!

When you regurgitate your content, you create a barrier between yourself and the audience. This removes any natural conversational flow that could be there to capture their attention. It’s important to keep this personal connection alive for your message to truly resonate!

Tap into your passion to take your audience on an unforgettable journey! When you make speaking a conversation, it allows you to open up and connect with them in ways that can be both inspiring and entertaining. You’ll share the highs of triumphs as well as commiserate through life’s challenges – together.

Memorizing a presentation is a valuable skill that can elevate your public speaking abilities. Confidence, delivery, and audience connection are all enhanced when you use this technique. Becoming a master of memorable presentations requires understanding content, crafting an organized structure, and dedicating time to practice. Start practicing today, and perfect your memorization skills with time!

How many times does it take to memorize a presentation?

Try to practice your presentation 2 to 3 times every day for weeks. Spreading out your practice sessions helps embed your presentation into memory more effectively and efficiently. It’s tough not to be nervous before your presentation.

How can I memorize a presentation quickly?

Memory experts recommend the 20-20-20 rule, which prescribes going over the details of a presentation for 20 minutes and then repeating the same material twice more. If material is not repeated within 30 minutes, it is not encoded into long-term memory.

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How to Improve Your Presentation Skills: 11 Practical Tips

• The Speaker Lab
• August 15, 2024

Table of Contents

Have you ever felt your heart racing just before stepping onto a stage? That’s presentation anxiety knocking. But how do you beat it? One solution is to improve your presentation skills . By honing your abilities, you achieve greater confidence in yourself. You see, great public speakers are made through practice, and lots of it. Knowing your subject inside out matters, as does understanding who you’re talking to.

This journey doesn’t start at the podium or end at the applause. It begins much earlier, in how we prepare our minds and material for that spotlight moment. To keep an audience hanging on every word requires more than good content alone. Body language speaks volumes too. So, it’s crucial to master both your verbal and nonverbal cues. This approach guarantees your message resonates deeply with all present.

Understanding the Importance of Presentation Skills

Presentation skills go beyond merely standing and speaking before an audience. They embody the essence of engaging and connecting with others. As it turns out, being able to connect with people in this way is an invaluable skill worth having. From convincing a potential new client to sharing knowledge with peers, presenting helps you get key ideas across. But here’s the kicker: it’s not only about what you say but how you say it that counts. While such finesse comes naturally to some, others need a bit of practice before they can nail it. But that’s why we’re here—to help you out.

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Mastering the Basics of Effective Presentations

Grasping the fundamentals can elevate a decent presentation to one that’s memorable. Let’s break it down.

Knowing Your Subject and Audience

Before you give your presentation, you first have to know who you’re talking to and what you’re talking about. It sounds simple because it is. But don’t let that simplicity fool you—it’s also where the magic happens. Dive deep into your topic and become the expert they expect you to be. As for your audience? Find a way to connect your presentation to them as individuals. Consider why your topic might be important to them. If you can get your topic to hit home with your audience, it’s much more likely that they’ll be impacted by what you say.

Using Open, Friendly Body Language

Our body language allows us to speak volumes without ever saying a word. So when you’re on stage, use open gestures, keep those arms uncrossed, and maintain a pleasant demeanor. Move around if space allows; make yourself bigger than just the spot behind the podium. Frequently make eye contact with the crowd instead of just looking at your notes or slides. Lastly, use gestures to complement your words, emphasizing key points.

Practicing for Perfection

When preparing for your presentation, rehearse until those nerves start feeling like excitement instead of sheer terror. Out of all presentation skills, this is perhaps one of the most important to improve. Even rehearsing in the outfit you’ll wear on presentation day can help you practice the right mindset you need. Whether or not you rewrite your script as bullet points, make sure you’re not reading off your notes. After all, you want to maintain a natural, conversational tone with your audience, not a robotic one. Before you begin your talk, breathe deeply. Not only does grounding yourself help calm your nerves, it actually improves your voice quality .

Designing Engaging Presentations

Every speaker wants to engage their audience. As a result, the ability to design engaging presentations is one skill that’s worth constantly improving. It’s all about balance, blending engaging content with sleek design.

Keeping Your Presentation Engaging and Structured

Every speaker would agree that maintaining audience interest is crucial. But how exactly do you do that? It takes a lot to focus on your presentation  and your audience at the same time. To get started, try some of these techniques.

• Tell a story: Weave your facts into a narrative because everyone loves a good tale.
• Vary the pace: Mix it up with videos, anecdotes, or jokes to keep things fresh.
• Pose questions: Asking rhetorical questions keeps minds ticking and engaged.

Maintaining structure is key. You want to guide your audience through smoothly, making sure they’re following along every step of the way. Think of it as taking them on a journey where each point builds upon the last until you reach a compelling conclusion together.

Simplicity in Slide Design

If there’s one thing you don’t want to impose on your audience, it’s a cluttered slide. So what should you to improve this presentation skill? Take a look at these tips:

• Keep it simple: A simple background with high contrast text can work wonders.
• Leverage visuals wisely: If you’re talking numbers, opt for an infographic instead of listing out stats one after another. Visuals should enhance understanding, not confuse further. Make sure they’re relevant.
• Use bullet points: Cover one idea per slide and use bullet points to break it down. This isn’t just easier for your audience to digest; it gives each point its moment in the spotlight.

The trick here is to avoid just throwing your entire presentation onto slides. That’s what leads to clutter. Instead, focus on the key points you want to communicate, and create visual summaries that complement what you’re saying. Good presentation design matters. And sometimes less really is more when helping people understand complex topics easily. For more on creating PowerPoint presentations, check out our article here .

Mastering Nonverbal Communication

As a speaker, it’s a given that your words are a vital part of your presentation. But what about your nonverbal cues? Believe it or not, those are just as important. And don’t forget tone—delivery is often where the real magic happens.

Improving Eye Contact

For instance, take eye contact. Making eye contact with your audience demonstrates confidence and professionalism. The trick is striking the balance: too little, and you seem disengaged; too much, and it’s just awkward for everyone involved. To improve this presentation skills, practice finding that balance. Aim to make brief but meaningful eye contact with different parts of your audience throughout your presentation. A general rule of thumb is the 50/70 rule , which says to spend about 50% of your time making eye contact when speaking, bumping it up to 70% when listening or answering questions.

Avoiding Filled Pauses When Speaking

The bane of any speaker’s presentation is a slew of filler words. These are words like “um,” “uh,” and “like.” These filler sounds typically sneak into our speech because we’re nervous or trying to think on our feet. To avoid them, practice pausing with purpose in between sentences or thoughts. Silence may feel scary, but using intentional pauses can give you time to think and keeps listeners hanging onto your next word. In addition, never forget to taking deep breaths. Doing so will help calm the nerves that are triggering those verbal fillers in the first place.

By improving these presentation skills, you’ll not only boost how others perceive you, but also how confidently you carry yourself through every slide.

Overcoming Presentation Anxiety

Feeling like a bundle of nerves before you hit the stage? If so, you’re not alone. But guess what? That jittery feeling doesn’t have to be your enemy.

Techniques to Calm Nerves During a Presentation

We’ve all been there—heart racing, palms sweaty, mind blanking out just when you need it most. It feels like your body is betraying you right at the crucial moment. Thankfully, it’s entirely possible to regain control by redirecting that nervous energy. To calm yourself, try some of these techniques.

• Breathe deeply: It seems simple, but deep breaths are like a reset button for your nervous system.
• Ground yourself: Feel your feet on the ground. Literally grounding yourself in reality helps shift focus back from fear to action.
• The power pose: Standing in a posture of confidence can actually make you feel more confident thanks to some nifty brain-body communication.
• Embrace silence: If you lose track during your presentation, use this time not as an awkward pause but as an intentional break for both you and your audience.

By practicing these techniques and improving them before your presentation, they will come more naturally. Plus, the more you prepare, the fewer surprises you’ll encounter, which means less fodder for anxiety.

Transforming Nervous Energy into Enthusiasm

Nervous energy isn’t bad—it shows you care. Mastering the art involves channeling that untamed vigor into a force of zeal.

• Talk about what you love: You naturally become more animated and enthusiastic when discussing topics close to your heart.
• Harness the adrenaline rush: This rush pushes us beyond our usual boundaries, so don’t be afraid to use it. Speak louder than normal if needed or move around more freely (if appropriate).
• Redefine success: Focus on connecting with at least one person rather than impressing everyone—that takes off loads of pressure.

In essence, presentation skills aren’t just about speaking well. They’re about managing emotions effectively so they don’t manage us. So next time those butterflies start fluttering in your stomach before a big presentation, remember it’s all part of the process. Embrace the experience and use it to fuel your performance rather than let it derail you.

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Continually Improving Presentation Skills

The journey to becoming a presentation pro never really ends. Embarking on this path means consistently challenging oneself, exploring new depths, and setting sights on ever-higher achievements.

Seeking Feedback for Improvement

Let’s talk feedback. Although it might sting at first, feedback is a great way to improve your presentation skills. After every presentation, ask your audience what hit home and what missed the mark. But don’t stop there.

• Talk to a mentor: Someone who’s been where you are can give insights you hadn’t even considered.
• Solicit anonymous feedback: Sometimes people speak more freely when they’re not face-to-face.
• Use online tools: There are platforms designed specifically for gathering and analyzing presentation feedback efficiently.

Volunteering for Presentations to Gain Experience

If practice makes perfect, then volunteering is your practice arena. Seizing each moment as a platform can really polish your expertise.

• Pitch new ideas at work: Be the one who steps up during meetings with fresh insights or project proposals.
• Dive into community events: Local clubs or groups often seek speakers on various topics—perfect for testing out different styles and formats.
• Become a webinar host: This lets you play with technology while practicing how best to engage virtual attendees.

Remember, improving your public speaking skills takes time. But by consistently seeking out constructive criticism and grabbing every chance to get in front of an audience ,  you’re paving your way towards mastery. So take that deep breath, keep your head high, and take that stage. Your future self will thank you.

So there you have it. Together, we’ve learned how to improve presentation skills. This isn’t just about shaking off those stage jitters; it’s an expedition towards becoming a masterful storyteller who captivates every soul in the room.

Embarking on this journey, we dove headfirst into mastering basics like knowing your audience and subject. Plus, we covered tips on keeping slides simple yet engaging—a fine balance between clutter and clarity. And let’s not forget our silent but potent ally: nonverbal communication—where eye contact and body language can help engage your audience.

Anxiety had its moment under our microscope as well. Turns out, it’s less about fighting nerves and more about channeling them into electrifying enthusiasm.

Improving your presentation skills requires persistence—and lots of practice. The process isn’t just a path but an ongoing adventure that challenges us to grow and adapt in our quest for meaningful impact.

• Last Updated: August 6, 2024

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How to Give a Killer Presentation

• Chris Anderson

For more than 30 years, the TED conference series has presented enlightening talks that people enjoy watching. In this article, Anderson, TED’s curator, shares five keys to great presentations:

• Frame your story (figure out where to start and where to end).
• Plan your delivery (decide whether to memorize your speech word for word or develop bullet points and then rehearse it—over and over).
• Work on stage presence (but remember that your story matters more than how you stand or whether you’re visibly nervous).
• Plan the multimedia (whatever you do, don’t read from PowerPoint slides).
• Put it together (play to your strengths and be authentic).

According to Anderson, presentations rise or fall on the quality of the idea, the narrative, and the passion of the speaker. It’s about substance—not style. In fact, it’s fairly easy to “coach out” the problems in a talk, but there’s no way to “coach in” the basic story—the presenter has to have the raw material. So if your thinking is not there yet, he advises, decline that invitation to speak. Instead, keep working until you have an idea that’s worth sharing.

Lessons from TED

A little more than a year ago, on a trip to Nairobi, Kenya, some colleagues and I met a 12-year-old Masai boy named Richard Turere, who told us a fascinating story. His family raises livestock on the edge of a vast national park, and one of the biggest challenges is protecting the animals from lions—especially at night. Richard had noticed that placing lamps in a field didn’t deter lion attacks, but when he walked the field with a torch, the lions stayed away. From a young age, he’d been interested in electronics, teaching himself by, for example, taking apart his parents’ radio. He used that experience to devise a system of lights that would turn on and off in sequence—using solar panels, a car battery, and a motorcycle indicator box—and thereby create a sense of movement that he hoped would scare off the lions. He installed the lights, and the lions stopped attacking. Soon villages elsewhere in Kenya began installing Richard’s “lion lights.”

• CA Chris Anderson is the curator of TED.

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More From Forbes

15 presentation tips for captivating your audience and commanding the room.

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Public speaking can be a daunting task, especially when addressing a large audience. Whether you're giving a presentation in the boardroom or delivering a keynote speech at a conference, holding your audience's attention and maintaining command of the room is paramount. The ability to captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression not only enhances your message's impact but also builds your reputation as a confident and effective speaker.

Here, Forbes Coaches Council members share invaluable tips and strategies to help you conquer your fear of public speaking and ensure that your next presentation or speech is a resounding success.

1. Be Confident

Be grounded and confident to be yourself and then tell great stories. Use your voice and the stage to bring the stories alive. Your audience will connect to the emotion of the story but make sure that it is relevant for your audience and related to the topic. - Cath Daley , Cath Daley Ltd

2. Find A Way To Actively Engage The Audience

Be prepared with ways to get your audience engaged and keep their focus. Whether that's relating to your audience, telling a joke or asking questions, actively driving engagement will make for a more effective presentation or speech. - Luke Feldmeier , Online Leadership Training - Career and Leadership Accelerator for Engineers

3. Create An Emotional Connection

Creating an emotional connection with the audience and involving them in your session fosters active participation, and ensures your audience stays engaged throughout. This also serves to enhance your presence and to create memories that stay with them long after your presentation ends. - Kristin Andree , Andree Group

4. Put Your Unique Take Front And Center

Do you have something unexpected to say about your topic? Something that goes against the mainstream opinion in your industry or is maybe even slightly provocative? If so, putting your unique take front and center in the title and the beginning of your talk and explaining or resolving it later keeps your audience engaged and interested. - Micha Goebig , Go Big Coaching & Communications, LLC

5. Remember That The Audience Doesn't Know Your Planned Speech

No one wants to see you fail as a speaker. Remember that the focus shouldn't be on whether or not you can recall verbatim every word of your planned speech. The focus should be on how to connect to your audience with a few key points using a combination of storytelling and facts. - Sheri Nasim , Center for Executive Excellence

6. Adapt Your Language To The Audience

Talk about something they are interested in or include elements that will keep them interested. Start by asking why your topic matters to each and every one of them. Use language adapted to the audience. Keep the key messages to two or three maximum. Show them what you think and why you care about the topic. - Isabelle Claus Teixeira , Business and Human Development Consulting Pte Ltd

7. Try To Incorporate An Element Of Surprise

Engagement is the key to keeping the audience's attention. Invite participation, tell stories, walk around, have visuals, include humor, raise your voice and ask questions. Think of a comedian who points at someone in the audience: "Hey, you with the red shirt?" Everyone pays attention. What element of surprise can you present? - Susan Jordan, MBA, MSODL, PCC , Sphereshift Coaching and Consulting

8. Know Your Audience

Doing research ahead of time to ensure you're providing the subject matter in a personalized manner will keep their attention. The topic will dictate the necessary vibe. Based on that, providing opportunities for the group to engage, such as shouting out a word, raising a hand, etc., will also help maintain their interest. - Lindsay Miller , Reverie Organizational Development Specialists

9. Use The Problem-Agitation-Solution Approach

Don't just give a presentation — share a story. It must be a story-audience fit though. Use the P.A.S. — problem-agitation-solution — approach. Start with introducing a problem, follow by agitating the problem via telling a relevant anecdote and conclude by offering a solution by giving an audience a clear, direct way to avoid the pain and learn the lesson. - Alla Adam , Alla Adam Coaching

10. Tell The Audience What They Need To Hear

Instead of trying to figure out what to say, figure out what the audience wants and needs to hear. This shift in perspective allows you to tailor your speech in a way that keeps audiences actively engaged because it's good content that they want to hear. - Robin Pou , The Confident Leader

11. Go All In

To command your audience's attention you have to get into the spirit of what you're teaching and go all in without second-guessing yourself. People want to be led, but they'll be unwilling to follow someone who isn't confident in what they are communicating. - Arash Vossoughi , Voss Coaching Co.

12. Use A Compelling Opening

Start your speech/presentation with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention. This could be a surprising fact, a relevant story or a thought-provoking question. This initial engagement can help you establish a strong connection with the audience and set the stage for a captivating presentation. - Moza-Bella Tram , Moza-Bella LLC

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13. Be Authentic

Connect deeply with your essence and purpose. Radiate authenticity. When you're centered in genuine passion and truth others feel it, creating an unspoken bond. It's not about performing; it's about being present and real and offering value from the heart. That's magnetic. - Anna Yusim, MD , Yusim Psychiatry, Consulting & Executive Coaching

14. Let Your Audience Talk

There is nothing worse than stealing everyone's craving for autonomy and speaking the whole time. The person who does the talking does the learning. So, give some autonomy to the audience. Let them talk. Even if it's thinking time and talking to themselves, or to their neighbor or table group. This gains trust and they will lean into what you have to say even more. - Alex Draper , DX Learning Solutions

15. Leverage Non-Verbal Cues

My top tip is to engage your audience through storytelling. A compelling narrative captures attention, evokes emotion and makes complex ideas more relatable. Additionally, use body language and eye contact effectively. These non-verbal cues can significantly enhance your connection with the audience. - Peter Boolkah , The Transition Guy

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The One Word You Need to Remember When Presenting

The fear of public speaking is the most common phobia. Even thinking about an upcoming presentation can create anxiety . You might think, “I have so much to say…stakes are high…how do I get these ideas across…I don't want to look unprofessional.”

You’re not alone.

In this article, you’ll find what you need to feel more confident and clear for your next presentation.

Whether you're presenting to a client, a company, or hundreds of people, the butterflies will probably still be there. The good news is that you can improve and deliver presentations like superstars, inspiring action.

You are the expert at what you do. Here’s how to set yourself up for success when presenting.

It all starts with one word. This is the only word you need to remember whenever you feel lost or need to prepare your presentation. And that word is (drum roll) “connect.”

A presentation isn't about you; it's about your audience . Shift the focus from yourself to your audience.

Your goal isn't just to sell them an idea or solution; it's to connect with them on that idea and look at the problem or solution TOGETHER. To quote the theme from SNH 24: “Boldly Go.”

What do you want your audience to experience?

• 1. What do you want them to feel ? (e.g., reassured, inspired, motivated, hopeful)
• 2. What do you want them to know/think ? (e.g., this is easy, doable, saves money, saves time)
• 3. What do you want them to do ? (e.g., ask for a second meeting, start the next steps, implement the solution)

Notice that none of these examples are about you.

When asked, ' What do you want your audience to feel ?' most people answer, 'I want them to feel confident in me.' That's like the old actor joke: 'Enough about me, what did you think of my last scene?'

Examples from the Scaling New Heights session

Recently, I had the privilege of sharing presentation and public speaking skills, tips, and techniques at Woodard’s Scaling New Heights 2024 in Orlando. We had about 100 open and engaged participants ready to elevate their presentation skills.

On a personal note, I was so impressed with everyone's vulnerability and support for each other in the room; it was truly a special two hours spent with this group.

One of the things we focused on was having a strong start. One that hooks your audience and creates trust and respect within the first moments.

Some ways to create a strong start

• Begin with the ending
• Share a personal story/anecdote
• Project into the future/look into the past

At the session, one attendee bravely volunteered to share their opening. Chris (I’m using a different name for them in this article) wanted to improve their sales presentations. Their original opening focused on their company's longevity and success. It lacked connection and didn't differentiate them from competitors.

A strong opening in your presentation means that within the first moments, the first impression you're creating is trust and that human connection ( Hello AI! ).

When asked if Chris had an anecdote, they could share it instead. Chris shifted now to tell us about helping a contractor who was overwhelmed. Their bookkeeping was a mess, and by working with Chris, they felt organized, and the contractor felt a huge weight off their shoulders.

Emotions for the win! That’s an example of using an anecdote to begin and connect.

Another example was a personal story; Stevie (names have been changed) felt lost in their opening and lacked confidence in public speaking. We learned that Stevie had previously been in a completely different field. One reason they switched to accounting was their belief that they could really help people. This truth and passion were so clear. And when Stevie stood up and spoke about it in front of 100 people, there was no trace of self-consciousness.

In that brief moment, Stevie captivated the entire room with their opening. Connection happened.

How you say it matters

Did you know?

For your message to be received:

• 55% is your body language and facial expressions (online, anyone?)

People are often surprised by this, especially when they have great facts to share. But think about a time when someone was speaking, and it didn't quite feel right. For example, they might have said, 'This is really exciting,' but their facial expression, body language, and voice didn't match… so you didn't trust it.

This is why connection is so important in your presentation, especially in those first few moments. Because first impressions leave an imprinting belief. If your opening is sales or scripted, it’s just words, and your body language and tone of voice don't match the intentions.

If you’re wondering, the 3 takeaways from our ‘Present like a Superstar and Inspire Action’ session at Scaling New Heights 2024 were: 1. Opening—Not a sales pitch. Be real to engage (present, relevant, vulnerable) 2. Connect—Who's your audience, and why should they care? 3. Anecdotes—Where have you done this before, for whom, what happened?

You are the expert. Now, go connect with your audience.

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How To Make Your PowerPoint Interactive: A Complete Guide

Are your audience being idle throughout your presentation? Do you want to know how to make a PowerPoint interactive?  An interactive presentation will help you to make the inactive audience into active participants. You can use interactive elements to keep your audience engaged. Above all, an interactive PowerPoint presentation will give a dynamic and interesting experience for both the presenter and the audience. Whether you’re presenting in a classroom, a boardroom, or a conference hall, interactive presentations will help to get a better experience.   

 This guide will explain the different aspects of making your PowerPoint presentation interactive. You can learn what makes a PowerPoint presentation interactive, and tips to make the presentation more interactive and engaging. We have covered everything you need to know to make your next presentation a success. 

Table of Contents

• What is an Interactive PowerPoint? 

Advantages of Interactive PowerPoints

• Enhancing Understanding 
• Participation 
• Know Your Audience  
• Setting Clear Goals 
• Use Animations   
• 3D Elements  
• Triggered Animations  
• Non-Linear Slide Navigation  
• PowerPoint Morph Transition  

Live Quizzes

• Running Polls  

Brainstorming Sessions

• Draggable Objects  

Creating Interactive Games

• Gathering Feedback   
• Data Visualization  
• Key Takeaways 
• Tips for Continuous Improvement  

What is an Interactive PowerPoint?

An interactive PowerPoint is a presentation that includes elements that allow audience participation and engagement. It can be animations, live polls, interactive charts, and other features that make the audience an active part of the presentation. Moreover, static presentations and interactive PowerPoints utilize non-linear navigation, allowing the presenter to adapt the flow of the presentation based on audience input and interaction. 

Why Make Your Presentation Interactive?

Interactive presentations help to engage your audience more effectively than traditional presentations. By using interactive elements that promote audience participation, you can keep the audience focused, make the presentation memorable, and create a dynamic and engaging experience. 

How do I make my PowerPoint engaging? To make your PowerPoint engaging, use interactive elements like animations, quizzes, polls, and multimedia to actively involve your audience and maintain their interest throughout the presentation.

Interactive PowerPoints will help you to improve audience engagement in your presentation. You can use polls, quizzes to engage your audience as active rather than passive listeners. This interaction and engagement will lead to better retention and presentation experience. 

Enhancing Understanding

Audience interaction with the presentation will help you make the complex information more understandable. You can use interactive elements like animations and 3D models to illustrate your message more clearly. 

Participation

An interactive PowerPoint presentation also encourages audience participation. You can use discussion prompts which can lead your audience to ask questions to make the environment more collaborative. 

How To Create Interactive PowerPoint – Things to Remember

To make your PowerPoint interactive, include elements such as clickable links, live polls, quizzes, and non-linear navigation that could help in improving audience participation and engagement. Also try the use of animations, 3D models, and games to make your presentation dynamic.  

Know Your Audience

Understanding your audience is the first and most important part of creating an interactive PowerPoint. Customize elements to retain their interest, knowledge levels, and preferences. And that could make your presentation to be the most relevant and engaging for your audience.  

Setting Clear Goals

Next, set the exact goal of the presentation that you need to achieve. No matter what the presentation is about. It could be to educate or entertain, but having a clear goal and objective will help in selecting the most appropriate elements to use in the presentation design to engage your audience. 

How Do You Make an Interactive PowerPoint – Pre-Presentation Tips

How do you add an interactive element to a presentation? To add an interactive element to a presentation, use the help of features like clickable links quizzes, polls, animations with triggers, or non-linear slide navigation in your PowerPoint slides. These elementsengage your audience and enhance their participation throughout the presentation.

Use Animations

Animations can bring your slides to life, but it’s essential to use them wisely. Overusing animations can be distracting and reduce the effectiveness of your presentation. Instead, use animations to highlight key points, illustrate concepts, and maintain audience interest.  

Animations will help you to make your slides more impressive but don’t overload them. Overusing animations will distract the audience. Use animations to highlight key points and showcase concepts, to keep audience retention.   

3D Elements

The use of 3D elements helps to make your presentation visually impressive and interesting, and it could also explain complex ideas in digestive form. It is possible to insert editable 3D models in PowerPoint to provide a more interesting experience for your audience. PowerPoint offers stock 3D elements and also you could use elements from external sources.  

Triggered Animations

Another interesting feature is triggered animations which occur when anyone interacts with a specific element in the presentation. It could be a button, image, or any other. These triggered animations will help you to pop up additional pieces of information, get feedback on quizzes, or navigate into the different sections of the presentation.  

Non-Linear Slide Navigation

Non-linear slide navigation helps you to jump to different slides based on audience input. This could help to make your presentation more flexible and responsive to the audience. Use hyperlinks or action buttons to create a non-linear navigational flow.  

PowerPoint Morph Transition

The Morph transition in PowerPoint helps to create a seamless animation from one slide to another, making it look like objects moving within the same slide itself. This could be used to create engaging visuals and smooth transitions, keeping your audience’s attention. 

How to Create an Interactive PowerPoint Presentation – During Presentation Tips

Live quizzes can be a fun and engaging way to make your presentation more interactive. It can also be used to test your audience’s knowledge and reinforce key points. You can use tools like Kahoot and Mentimeter which can be integrated into your Microsoft PowerPoint to conduct real-time quizzes and display results instantly.  

Running Polls

Polls can gauge audience opinions, collect feedback, and make your presentation more and more interactive. Tools like Slido or Poll Everywhere help to run polls during your presentation and show live results on your slides.  

Brainstorming sessions by using tools like virtual whiteboards and collaborative documents will make your PowerPoint presentation interactive and engaging. Encourage your audience to contribute ideas, discuss topics, and participate in problem-solving activities with the help of these brainstorming sessions.  

Draggable Objects

As PowerPoint doesn’t have a prebuilt feature supporting draggable elements, you can use third-party tools like iSpring Suite to create drag and drop feature in your presentation. 

Games will surely help to make your presentation more engaging and fun. You can add simple games like trivia, puzzles, or interactive stories to keep your audience entertained and involved.  

How To Create an Interactive Presentation – Post-Presentation Tips

Gathering feedback.

Getting feedback after your presentation will help you understand what worked well and what you need to improve. You can use polls and surveys to collect audience opinions and suggestions that could help in delivering your next presentation.  

Data Visualization

Interactive data visualizations allow the audience to explore data and information in more detail. Interactive charts and graphs are the best tools to present your data in a more engaging and informative way. Try them. 

Summary and Best Practices

Key takeaways.

Now you have learned how to make PowerPoint Interactive. Interactive PowerPoint presentations will enhance the audience’s engagement, understanding, and participation. Use interactive elements to create a more dynamic and memorable presentation.  

Tips for Continuous Improvement

• Experiment with Different Tools : Try new interactive tools and features to find what works best for the audience and your presentation.  
• Practice : Always practice well and make sure you are comfortable with all interactive elements and tools before your presentation.  
• Gather Feedback : Collect feedback and use them to continually improve your presentations and make them more effective. 

At SlideBazaar, we help you create engaging and memorable presentations. Choose from our collection of professional templates or opt for our custom design services for a personalized touch. Your presentations deserve to be elevated to new heights, and we’re here to help you achieve just that!

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Category 9 minutes read

10 creative ideas for presentations

December 8, 2022

Ready to step up your presentation game? Let’s talk about creative ideas for presentations so you can deliver killer presentations every time. Whether you’re preparing a pitch deck for potential investors or onboarding new hires, you’ll need an engaging presentation to keep your audience interested. That’s right: even if you’re already a pro at public speaking, creative Powerpoint presentations can instantly upgrade your next meeting.

So, what’s the secret to creative presentations? You don’t have to spend hours on every slide, but you should design your slides to impact your audience. Well designed slides can add more power to your words, and they can make you feel more confident during presentations.

Why should you make presentations?

Creative ideas for presentations might not be easy to come by, but they’re important. Why? Presentations are all about storytelling. From business ideas to online classes, presentations offer a unique opportunity to inspire, educate, and persuade your audience.

At the same time, they’re an incredibly flexible (and cost-effective!) communication tool. Even if you’re using presentation design templates , you’ll have the flexibility to tweak the design based on your needs. This way, you can create presentations for different audiences—all while easily adding and removing information to pique your listeners’ interest.

Types of presentation slides

There are all kinds of creative ideas for presentations, but they ultimately serve a few similar purposes. Before diving into presentation design, you’ll need to choose the right slides. Remember: you need well designed slides to leave a lasting impact on your audience. Not only that, but your slides should be visually impactful, easy to understand, and convey key information in just a few words.

So, how can you choose the best slides for your next presentation? Here are some of the most common slides to inspire your presentation design.

Informative presentations

Informative presentations are educational, concise, and straight to the point. While other presentations might entertain or inspire their audience, informative presentations share information to educate their audience.

For example, you might create informative slides during an onboarding program. During new hire onboarding, HR needs to explain what benefits employees will receive, how to file complaints, where employees can find information, and other important hiring details.

Educational presentations

While informative presentations are typically used in the business world, educational presentations are usually used in academics. They’re a great communication tool for sharing ideas, detailing study results, or presenting a hypothesis.

In both in-person and online classrooms, teachers give educational presentations daily. Using beautiful presentation slides, eye-catching visuals, and fun design elements can help keep students interested while conveying key information.

Progress reports

Your business builds a new marketing strategy to achieve its long-term goals. After the newest marketing campaign starts driving results, it’s time to report on the campaign’s progress. Progress report presentations share updates, progress toward deadlines, collected data, and potential areas of improvement.

Inspirational presentations

One of the biggest examples of inspirational presentations? TEDTalks. During TEDTalks, motivational speakers inspire people to rethink their approach or change their behavior.

Most inspirational presentations aren’t as life-changing as TEDTalks, but they keep their audience engaged. For example, a company overview presentation might present information about a company, from its origins to values. Most importantly, it tells the company’s story to show listeners what the company stands for.

Infographic presentations

Whether you’re reporting marketing stats or presenting study results, infographics can be your MVP.

Simply put, an infographic is a multimedia graphic that helps you share information through beautiful designs. It’s an amazing tool for highlighting key statistics, visualizing data, and flexing your creative muscles to spark your audience’s curiosity.

Top 10 unique presentation ideas

Right, so let’s get to our creative ideas for presentations section. Most people tune out of presentations within the first 10 minutes . You need an engaging presentation that keeps your audience hooked, but finding creative ideas for presentations isn’t always easy.

The good news? Whether you’re presenting your master thesis or marketing analytics, it’s possible to create exciting presentations that don’t put your audience to sleep. Here are the best creative Powerpoint ideas to upgrade your next presentation.

1. Channel your inner minimalist

When it comes to unique presentation ideas, minimalism is one of the best ways to make an impact. The key to minimalist design is including just enough information and visual detail to keep your audience engaged. When done right, minimalist presentation slides can make your audience feel relaxed and focused.

2. Use a monochrome color palette

A monochrome color palette uses a single hue with different strengths. For example, you might create a presentation with different shades of orange. For the best results, change the background color to the palest shade, and use the strongest shade for the title. You can even make your photos match by adding an orange-tinted filter.

3. Tell an amazing story

If you want to leave a lasting impact on your audience, storytelling is the tool you need to create a memorable presentation. Sharing personal stories, whether they’re funny or inspirational, can help you connect with your audience and make your presentation more meaningful.

4. Make an impact with bold fonts

Want to draw your audience’s attention to the slide title? Use a bold, chunky font to make your title stand out (bonus points if your title is short, sweet, and straight to the point). The best presentation fonts are easy to read with minimal visual decorations and sharp corners.

5. Experiment with different textures

Mix up your presentation design with different textures, like scrunched paper or textile backgrounds. Here, you might experiment with different types of backgrounds to match your topic. For example, if you’re creating a back-to-school presentation , use notebook paper to match your student’s note-taking style.

6. Use a geometric background

A geometric background can add a pop of color to your presentation without distracting your audience. If you’re feeling bold, use dynamic titled polygons to create movement. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a softer vibe, use circular backgrounds to infuse your slides with creativity.

7. Explain complex concepts with mind maps

Presenting study results? Reporting marketing stats? Instead of playing it safe with snore-worthy slides, keep your presentation fresh with mind maps. By creating mind maps, you’ll be able to showcase complicated information in a visually impactful way.

8. Engage your audience with questions

Make your presentation more interactive by asking questions to your audience. For example, to keep your slides minimal, try displaying only the question on the slide. Once the audience has pitched in their opinions and answers, you can click to the next slide to reveal the actual answer.

9. Stay on brand

Once you’ve captured your audience’s attention, you need a consistent design to keep everyone on the same page. When designing your slides, use your brand’s style guidelines to choose the right color scheme, font styles, and design elements.

10. Replace bullet points with fun design elements

Let’s face it: bullet points can get boring, especially if you’re using them on every slide. Instead of using the same design over and over, create fun slides by replacing boring bullet points with fun designs, like icons, stickers, and pictograms.

Apply creative ideas for presentations through Picsart

Now that we’ve learned all about creative ideas for presentations, it’s time to put that knowledge into practice. An amazing presentation can bring your story to life, helping you keep your audience engaged with pro-grade slides.

Even if you’re not a seasoned designer, you can add fun design elements, bold color palettes, and attention-grabbing visuals with Picsart. Here’s how to bring your creative vision to life with a professional slideshow.

On the web:

1. Open the Picsart Slideshow Maker and start a new project.

2. Choose the desired size for your slideshow. Then, click Upload to upload your own photo or video.

Or, you can explore photos and videos from the Picsart library.

3. After you’ve picked your favorite design, click Text on the left panel sidebar to add text to your slide.

4. To add music, click Audio to explore our library of #FreeToUse music.

5. Click the + button on the right panel sidebar to add a new slide.

6. When you’re finished, click Export , choose the image quality and file type, and download your slideshow.

1. Open the Picsart app and tap on the plus sign (+) to start a new project. 2. Scroll down to Video and choose Slideshow . Then, choose the pictures you’d like to include in your slideshow. Or, you can tap Search to explore the Picsart photo library. 3. After you’ve picked your photos, tap Next .

4. Choose your desired slideshow size and add transition effects to your slides. 5. Upgrade your slideshow with fun effects, music, text, and stickers to engage your audience.

Create at the Speed of Culture

Picsart is a photo and video editing platform and creative community. A top 20 most downloaded app worldwide with over 150 million monthly active users, its AI-powered tools enable creators of all levels to design, edit, draw, and share content anywhere. The platform has amassed one of the largest open-source content collections in the world, including photos, stickers, backgrounds, templates, and more. Used by consumers, marketers, content creators and businesses , Picsart tools fulfill both personal and professional design needs. Picsart has collaborated with major artists and brands like BLACKPINK, Taylor Swift, Lizzo, Ariana Grande, Warner Bros. Entertainment, iHeartMedia, Condé Nast, and more. Download the app or start editing on web today, and upgrade to Gold for premium perks!

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