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Business Presentation: The Ultimate Guide to Making Powerful Presentations (+ Examples)

A business presentation is a purpose-led summary of key information about your company’s plans, products, or practices, designed for either internal or external audiences. Project proposals, HR policy presentations, investors briefings are among the few common types of presentations. 

Compelling business presentations are key to communicating important ideas, persuading others, and introducing new offerings to the world. Hence, why business presentation design is one of the most universal skills for any professional. 

This guide teaches you how to design and deliver excellent business presentations. Plus, breaks down some best practices from business presentation examples by popular companies like Google, Pinterest, and Amazon among others! 

3 General Types of Business Presentations

A business presentation can be given for a number of reasons. Respectively, they differ a lot in terms of content and purpose. 

But overall, all types of business presentations can be classified as:

• Informative
• Persuasive 
• Supporting 

Informative Business Presentation 

As the name suggests, the purpose of an informative presentation is to discern the knowledge you have — explain what you know. It’s the most common type of business presentation out there. So you have probably prepared such at least several times. 

Examples of informative presentations:

• Team briefings presentation 
• Annual stakeholder report 
• Quarterly business reviews
• Business portfolio presentation
• Business plan presentation
• Project presentation

Helpful templates from SlideModel:

• Business plan PowerPoint template
• Business review PowerPoint template
• Project proposal PowerPoint template
• Corporate annual report template

Persuasive Business Presentation 

The goal of this type of presentation is to persuade your audience of your point of view — convince them of what you believe is right. Developing business presentations of this caliber requires a bit more copywriting mastery, as well as expertise in public speaking . Unlike an informative business presentation, your goal here is to sway the audience’s opinions and prompt them towards the desired action. 

Examples of persuasive presentations:

• Pitch deck/investor presentations
• Sales presentation  
• Business case presentation 
• Free business proposal presentation
• Business proposal PowerPoint template
• Pitch deck PowerPoint template
• Account Plan PowerPoint template

Supporting Business Presentation 

This category of business PowerPoint presentations is meant to facilitate decision-making — explain how we can get something done. The underlying purpose here is to communicate the general “action plan”. Then break down the necessary next steps for bringing it to life. 

Examples of supporting presentations:

• Roadmap presentation
• Project vision presentation 
• After Action Review presentation 
• Standard operating procedure (SOP) PowerPoint template 
• Strategy map PowerPoint template 
• After action review (ARR) PowerPoint template 

What Should Be Included in a Business Presentation?

Overall, the content of your business presentation will differ depending on its purpose and type. However, at the very minimum, all business presentations should include:

• Introductory slide 
• Agenda/purpose slide
• Main information or Content slides
• Key Takeaways slides
• Call-to-action/next steps slides

We further distill business presentation design and writing best practices in the next section (plus, provide several actionable business PowerPoint presentation examples !). 

How to Make a Business Presentation: Actionable Tips

A business presentation consists of two parts — a slide deck and a verbal speech. In this section, we provide tips and strategies for nailing your deck design. 

1. Get Your Presentation Opening Right 

The first slides of your presentation make or break your success. Why? By failing to frame the narrative and set the scene for the audience from the very beginning, you will struggle to keep their interest throughout the presentation. 

You have several ways of how to start a business presentation:

• Use a general informative opening — a summative slide, sharing the agenda and main points of the discussion. 
• Go for a story opening — a more creative, personal opening, aimed at pulling the audience into your story. 
• Try a dramatic opening — a less apparent and attention-grabbing opening technique, meant to pique the audience’s interest. 

Standard Informative Opening 

Most business presentation examples you see start with a general, informative slide such as an Agenda, Problem Statement, or Company Introduction. That’s the “classic” approach. 

To manage the audience’s expectations and prepare them for what’s coming next, you can open your presentation with one or two slides stating:

• The topic of your presentation — a one-sentence overview is enough. 
• Persuasive hook, suggesting what’s in it for the audience and why they should pay attention. 
• Your authority — the best technique to establish your credibility in a business presentation is to share your qualifications and experience upfront to highlight why you are worth listening to. 

Opening best suited for: Formal business presentations such as annual reports and supporting presentations to your team/business stakeholders. 

Story Opening 

Did you ever notice that most TED talks start with a quick personal story? The benefit of this presenting technique is that it enables speakers to establish quick rapport and hold the listener’s attention. 

Here’s how Nancy Duarte, author of “Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations” book and TED presenter, recommends opening a presentation: 

You know, here’s the status quo, here’s what’s going on. And then you need to compare that to what could be. You need to make that gap as big as possible, because there is this commonplace of the status quo, and you need to contrast that with the loftiness of your idea. 

Storytelling , like no other tool, helps transpose the audience into the right mindset and get concentrated on the subject you are about to discuss. A story also elicits emotions, which can be a powerful ally when giving persuasive presentations. In the article how to start a presentation , we explore this in more detail.

Opening best suited for: Personal and business pitches, sales presentations, other types of persuasive presentations. 

Dramatic Opening 

Another common technique is opening your presentation with a major statement, sometimes of controversial nature. This can be a shocking statistic, complex rhetoric question, or even a provocative, contrarian statement, challenging the audience’s beliefs. 

Using a dramatic opening helps secure the people’s attention and capture their interest. You can then use storytelling to further drill down your main ideas. 

If you are an experienced public speaker, you can also strengthen your speech with some unexpected actions. That’s what Bill Gates does when giving presentations. In a now-iconic 2009 TED talk about malaria, mid-presentation Gates suddenly reveals that he actually brought a bunch of mosquitoes with him. He cracks open a jar with non-malaria-infected critters to the audience’s surprise. His dramatic actions, paired with a passionate speech made a mighty impression. 

Opening best suited for: Marketing presentations, customer demos, training presentations, public speeches. 

Further reading: How to start a presentation: tips and examples. 

2. Get Your PowerPoint Design Right

Surely, using professional business PowerPoint templates already helps immensely with presentation deck design since you don’t need to fuss over slide layout, font selection, or iconography. 

Even so, you’ll still need to customize your template(s) to make them on brand and better suited to the presentation you’re about to deliver. Below are our best presentation design tips to give your deck an extra oomph. 

Use Images, Instead of Bullet Points 

If you have ever watched Steve Jobs’s presentations, you may have noticed that he never used bullet-point lists. Weird right? Because using bullet points is the most universal advice in presentation design. 

But there’s a valid scientific reason why Jobs favored images over bullet-point texts. Researchers found that information delivered in visuals is better retained than words alone. This is called the “ pictorial superiority effect ”. As John Medina, a molecular biologist, further explains :

“Hear a piece of information, and three days later you’ll remember 10% of it. Add a picture and you’ll remember 65%.”

So if your goal is to improve the memorability of your presentation, always replace texts with images and visualizations when it makes sense. 

Fewer Slides is Better

No matter the value, a long PowerPoint presentation becomes tiring at some point. People lose focus and stop retaining the information. Thus, always take some extra time to trim the fluff and consolidate some repetitive ideas within your presentation. 

For instance, at McKinsey new management consultants are trained to cut down the number of slides in client presentations. In fact, one senior partner insists on replacing every 20 slides with only two slides . Doing so prompts you to focus on the gist — the main business presentation ideas you need to communicate and drop filler statements. 

Here are several quick tips to shorten your slides:

• Use a three-arc structure featuring a clear beginning (setup), main narrative (confrontation), ending (resolution). Drop the ideas that don’t fit into either of these. 
• Write as you tweet. Create short, on-point text blurbs of under 156 symbols, similar to what you’d share on Twitter. 
• Contextualize your numbers. Present any relevant statistics in a context, relevant to the listeners. Turn longer stats into data visualizations for easier cognition. 

Consistency is Key 

In a solid business presentation, each slide feels like part of the connecting story. To achieve such consistency apply the same visual style and retain the same underlying message throughout your entire presentation.

Use the same typography, color scheme, and visual styles across the deck. But when you need to accentuate a transition to a new topic (e.g. move from a setup to articulating the main ideas), add some new visual element to signify the slight change in the narrative. 

Further reading: 23 PowerPoint Presentation Tips for Creating Engaging and Interactive Presentations

3. Make Your Closure Memorable 

We best remember the information shared last. So make those business presentation takeaways stick in the audience’s memory. We have three strategies for that. 

Use the Rule of Three 

The Rule of Three is a literary concept, suggesting that we best remember and like ideas and concepts when they are presented in threes. 

Many famous authors and speakers use this technique:

• “Duty – Honor – Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, and what you will be” . Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
• “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” are the unalienable rights of all humans that governments are meant to protect.” Thomas Jefferson 

The Rule of Three works because three is the maximum number of items most people can remember on their first attempt. Likewise, such pairings create a short, familiar structure that is easy to remember for our brains. 

Try the Title Close Technique

Another popular presentation closing technique is “Title Close” — going back to the beginning of your narrative and reiterating your main idea (title) in a form of a takeaway. Doing so helps the audience better retain your core message since it’s repeated at least two times. Plus, it brings a sense of closure — a feel-good state our brains love. Also, a brief one-line closure is more memorable than a lengthy summary and thus better retained. 

Ask a Question 

If you want to keep the conversation going once you are done presenting, you can conclude your presentation with a general question you’d like the audience to answer.

Alternatively, you can also encourage the members to pose questions to you. The latter is better suited for informational presentations where you’d like to further discuss some of the matters and secure immediate feedback. 

Try adding an interactive element like a QR code closing your presentation with a QR code and having a clear CTA helps you leverage the power of sharing anything you would like to share with your clients. QR codes can be customized to look alike your brand.

If you are looking for a smoother experience creating presentations on the fly, check out the AI PowerPoint maker —it offers everything you can ask forfrom presentation design in a couple of clicks.

12 Business Presentation Examples and What Makes Them Great 

Now that we equipped you with the general knowledge on how to make a presentation for business, let’s take a look at how other presenters are coping with this job and what lessons you can take away from them. 

1. N26 Digital Bank Pitch Deck 

This is a fine business pitch presentation example, hitting all the best practices. The deck opens with a big shocking statement that most Millennials would rather go to the dentist than step into a bank branch. 

Then it proceeds to discuss the company’s solution to the above — a fully digital bank with a paperless account opening process, done in 8 minutes. After communicating the main product features and value proposition, the deck further conceptualizes what traction the product got so far using data visualizations. The only thing it lacks is a solid call-to-action for closing slides as the current ending feels a bit abrupt. 

2. WeWork Pitch Deck

For a Series D round, WeWork went with a more formal business presentation. It starts with laying down the general company information and then transitions to explaining their business model, current market conditions, and the company’s position on the market.

The good thing about this deck is that they quantify their business growth prospects and value proposition. The likely gains for investors are shown in concrete numbers. However, those charts go one after another in a row, so it gets a bit challenging to retain all data points. 

The last part of their presentation is focused on a new offering, “We Live”. It explains why the team seeks funds to bring it to life. Likewise, they back their reasoning with market size statistics, sample projects, and a five-year revenue forecast. 

3. Redfin Investor Presentation 

If you are looking for a “text-light” business presentation example, Redfin’s investor deck is up to your alley. This simple deck expertly uses iconography, charts, and graphs to break down the company’s business model, value proposition, market share, and competitive advantages over similar startups. For number-oriented investors, this is a great deck design to use. 

4. Google Ready Together Presentation 

This isn’t quite the standard business presentation example per se. But rather an innovative way to create engaging, interactive presentations of customer case studies .

The short deck features a short video clip from a Google client, 7-11, explaining how they used the company’s marketing technology to digitally transform their operations and introduce a greater degree of marketing automation . The narrated video parts are interrupted by slides featuring catchy stats, contextualizing issues other businesses are facing. Then transitions to explaining through the words of 7-11 CMO, how Google’s technology is helping them overcome the stated shortcomings.

5. Salesforce Business Presentation Example 

This is a great example of an informational presentation, made by the Salesforce team to share their research on customer experience (CX) with prospects and existing customers.

The slide deck errs on the lengthier side with 58 slides total. But bigger topics are broken down and reinforced through bite-sized statistics and quotes from the company leadership. They are also packaging the main tips into memorable formulas, itemized lists, and tables. Overall, this deck is a great example of how you can build a compelling narrative using different statistics. 

6. Mastercard Business Presentation

This slide deck from Mastercard instantly captures the audience’s attention with unusual background images and major data points on the growth of populations, POS systems, and payment methods used in the upcoming decade.

Perhaps to offset the complexity of the subject, Mastercard chose to sprinkle in some humor in presentation texts and used comic-style visuals to supplement that. However, all their animations are made in a similar style, creating a good sense of continuity in design. They are also using colors to signify the transition from one part of the presentation to another. 

In the second part, the slide deck focuses on distilling the core message of what businesses need to do to remain competitive in the new payments landscape. The team presents what they have been working on to expand the payment ecosystem. Then concludes with a “title close” styled call-to-action, mirroring the presentation title.

7. McKinsey Diversity & Inclusion Presentation 

This fresh business slide deck from McKinsey is a great reference point for making persuasive business presentations on complex topics such as D&I. First, it recaps the main definitions of the discussed concepts — diversity, equity, and inclusion — to ensure alignment with the audience members. 

Next, the business presentation deck focuses on the severity and importance of the issue for businesses, represented through a series of graphs and charts. After articulating the “why”, the narrative switches to “how” — how leaders can benefit from investment in D&I. The main points are further backed with data and illustrated via examples. 

8. Accenture Presentation for the Energy Sector

Similar to McKinsey, Accenture keeps its slide deck on a short. Yet the team packs a punch within each slide through using a mix of fonts, graphical elements, and color for highlighting the core information. The presentation copy is on a longer side, prompting the audience to dwell on reading the slides. But perhaps this was meant by design as the presentation was also distributed online — via the company blog and social media. 

The last several slides of the presentation deck focus on articulating the value Accenture can deliver for their clients in the Energy sector. They expertly break down their main value proposition and key service lines, plus quantify the benefits. 

9. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Technical Presentation 

Giving an engaging technical presentation isn’t an easy task. You have to balance the number of details you reveal on your slides to prevent overwhelm, while also making sure that you don’t leave out any crucial deets. This technical presentation from AWS does great in both departments. 

First, you get entertained with a quick overview of Amazon’s progress in machine learning (ML) forecasting capabilities over the last decade. Then introduced to the main tech offering. The deck further explains what you need to get started with Amazon Forecast — e.g. dataset requirements, supported forecasting scenarios, available forecasting models, etc. 

The second half of the presentation provides a quick training snippet on configuring Amazon SageMaker to start your first project. The step-by-step instructions are coherent and well-organized, making the reader excited to test-drive the product. 

10. Snapchat Company Presentation

Snapchat’s business model presentation is on a funkier, more casual side, reflective of the company’s overall brand and positioning. After briefly recapping what they do, the slide deck switches to discussing the company’s financials and revenue streams.

This business slide deck by Snap Inc. itself is rather simplistic and lacks fancy design elements. But it has a strong unified theme of showing the audience Snapchat’s position on the market and projected vector of business development. 

11. Visa Business Acquisition Presentation 

If you are working on a business plan or M&A presentation for stakeholders of your own, this example from Visa will be helpful. The presentation deck expertly breaks down the company’s rationale for purchasing Plaid and subsequent plans for integrating the startup into their business ecosystem. 

The business deck recaps why the Plaid acquisition is a solid strategic decision by highlighting the total addressable market they could dive into post-deal. Then it details Plaid’s competitive strengths. The slide deck then sums up all the monetary and indirect gains Visa could reap as an acquirer. 

12. Pinterest Earnings Report Presentation 

Annual reports and especially earnings presentations might not be the most exciting types of documents to work on, but they have immense strategic value. Hence, there’s little room for ambiguities or mistakes. 

In twelve slides, this business presentation from Pinterest clearly communicates the big picture of the company’s finance in 2021. All the key numbers are represented as featured quotes in the sidebar with diagrams further showcasing the earning and spending dynamics. Overall, the data is easy to interpret even for non-finance folks. 

To Conclude 

With these business presentation design tips, presentation templates , and examples, you can go from overwhelmed to confident about your next presentation design in a matter of hours. Focus on creating a rough draft first using a template. Then work on nailing your opening slide sequence and shortening the texts in the main part of your presentation when needed. Make sure that each slide serves a clear purpose and communicates important details. To make your business presentation deck more concise, remove anything that does not pertain to the topic. 

Finally, once you are done, share your business presentation with other team members to get their feedback and reiterate the final design.

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The complete guide to make a powerful business presentation (With examples)

Master the art of a powerful business presentation with key tips on creating engaging slides, and presenting with confidence.

Bharti Jain

Building presentations

Table of contents

Creating a compelling business presentation is a skill that can set you apart in the corporate world. Whether you're pitching a new idea, delivering a quarterly report, or engaging stakeholders, your presentation is more than just a series of slides; it's a tool for storytelling, persuasion, and action.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the essential elements of crafting and delivering business presentations that leave a lasting impression. From planning and design to execution, we’ll share actionable tips, strategies, and examples to ensure you’re prepared to captivate your audience every time.

The importance of a great business presentation

Think of a business presentation as your front-line ambassador—a dynamic showcase of your ideas, strategies, or vision that can either elevate your credibility or leave your audience unconvinced. Here's why mastering this skill is important:

• ‍ Drive decisions: A strong presentation persuades stakeholders to approve budgets, adopt strategies, or support new initiatives with confidence.
• ‍ Simplify the complex: Well-structured content and visuals make even the most complex ideas accessible and memorable.
• ‍ Showcase professionalism: A polished presentation reflects your attention to detail, credibility, and preparedness.

When done right, a business presentation delivers clarity and impact, ensuring your message resonates and leads to action.

Pre-presentation preparation

Creating a powerful business presentation begins long before you start designing slides. Success is rooted in preparation, and taking the right steps early can make your business presentation compelling, persuasive, and memorable. Here’s how to set the stage effectively:

a. Define your purpose

The first step to creating an impactful presentation is to clearly define your objective. What’s the strategic direction of your talk? Are you trying to persuade your audience to take action, inform them about a product or service, or inspire them with innovative ideas? Framing your story around a specific purpose ensures your presentation isn’t aimless.

⚡ Pro tip: Keep your presentation focused on one desired action. For example, a product pitch should drive home the benefits of your offering while addressing potential concerns.

b. Know your audience

Tailoring your communication style to connect with your audience is essential. Research their needs and expectations to ensure the information you are presenting resonates:

Level of knowledge: Avoid overly technical jargon if your audience isn’t familiar with the subject. Conversely, don’t oversimplify for experts.

Pain points and goals: Frame your story to address their concerns or align with their strategic direction.

Preferred style: Use clear bullet points, attention-grabbing visuals, and concise language to maintain the audience’s attention.

Note - The CTA button needs to be changed to - Create now Link - https://www.prezent.ai/fingerprints

c. Research thoroughly

Good presentations are built on credible, up-to-date information. Use reliable sources to gather data, insights, and statistics that support your key takeaways. Incorporating data visualizations such as graphs or charts makes your points more engaging and easier to understand.

Include visual aids: A well-designed PowerPoint slide with attention-grabbing animation or multimedia elements can go a long way in reinforcing your points.

Accuracy builds credibility: Establish your credibility by fact-checking every piece of data. Accurate content helps persuade your audience effectively.

d. Practice the “So what?” test

To make a business presentation that’s clear and impactful, apply the “So what?” test to every slide and bullet point. Ask yourself:

• Does this content serve the purpose of the presentation?
• Is it relevant to the audience’s needs or the action I want them to take?

If the answer is no, revise or remove it. For example, a persuasive business presentation should focus on benefits and solutions, leaving out extraneous details. A clear outline with essential points goes a long way in keeping the audience engaged.

Structuring your presentation

Structuring a presentation isn’t just about organizing content—it’s about crafting an experience for your audience. Borrowing from established communication models like Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle and the Minto Pyramid Principle , here’s how you can design a presentation that informs, persuades, and inspires, tailored for enterprise-level impact.

Introduction: Captivate with purpose

The first moments of your presentation set the stage for success. Use the Primacy Effect , which suggests audiences are more likely to remember the first things they hear.

Establish Ethos (Credibility): Briefly introduce yourself or your role to establish your authority on the subject. For example, “As the lead on this project, I’ve analyzed trends across all departments.”

State the agenda with precision: Use a structured agenda slide to give the audience a clear roadmap. This mirrors the Minto Pyramid Principle, which advocates for introducing the “answer first” before diving into details.

💡 Example: “We’ll discuss the challenges, explore proposed solutions, and outline the next steps.”

Main content: Build a persuasive narrative

Your main content should follow a logical hierarchy, like the Rule of Three , which says audiences process information better when grouped into threes.

Break it down into clear sections: Limit content to three to five key areas. Label sections with attention-grabbing subheadings like “Strategic Opportunities” or “Operational Roadblocks.”

Use data to build logos (Logical appeal): Incorporate visuals like graphs and charts to support your argument. For example, a graph showing year-over-year growth highlights progress clearly and effectively.

Maintain flow with signposting: Signposting keeps your audience on track. Phrases like, “Next, we’ll examine the risks,” or, “Let’s shift focus to cost optimization,” help orient your listeners.

Conclusion: Inspire and drive action

The conclusion is where you leverage the Recency Effect—the principle that people remember the last thing they hear best.

Recap using key takeaways: Summarize the core message and its implications, e.g., “By adopting these digital tools, we can cut processing times by 30%, saving $2M annually.”

Elicit pathos (Emotional appeal): Frame your call to action in a way that connects emotionally, such as highlighting the positive impact on teams or stakeholders.

End with a memorable prompt: A closing statement like, “Let’s commit to achieving this vision together,” inspires unity and action.

Designing visually appealing slides

A visually compelling slide deck is more than just a collection of text and images—it’s a critical tool for guiding your audience through your narrative, clarifying complex ideas, and ensuring your message resonates. Here’s how to design slides that enhance comprehension, inspire your audience, and leave a lasting impression:

a. Stick to a cohesive theme

Consistency in design creates a polished, professional look and keeps the audience focused on your content rather than distractions in your visuals.

Templates matter: Use pre-designed templates from tools like Prezent , PowerPoint or Google Slides to set the tone. A cohesive design template ensures consistent fonts, colors, and layouts.

Color psychology: Choose colors that align with your message—blue for trust, green for growth, and red for urgency.

Typography rules: Stick to only two presentation fonts —one for headings and one for body text. Avoid decorative fonts that might be hard to read in a conference room setting.

b. Limit text

Slides are visual aids, not your script. Overloading them with text detracts from your presentation’s effectiveness.

6x6 Rule: No more than six bullet points per slide, with no more than six words per point. This keeps slides concise and audience-friendly.

Words alone don’t work: Avoid reading directly from your slides—use them to emphasize key points while you expand verbally. Instead of a wall of text, summarize important ideas.

c. Use visuals strategically

The right visuals can make your slides memorable and clarify important concepts. Apply the Dual-Coding Theory , which states that people understand information better when presented in both visual and verbal formats.

Data visualizations : Replace dense tables with clean charts and graphs to communicate important information at a glance.

Images and icons: Use relevant images to evoke emotion and icons to simplify and break up text-heavy slides.

Multimedia elements: Incorporate short animations or videos to illustrate complex processes but use them sparingly to avoid distractions.

d. Leverage white space

White space isn’t empty—it’s essential. It helps structure your slides and directs your audience’s focus.

Avoid clutter: Leave ample space around text and visuals to improve readability. A clutter-free design ensures your slides don’t overwhelm the audience.

Hierarchy of information : Use white space to highlight the most important ideas, ensuring they stand out.

⚡ TED talk inspiration: Great presenters like those in TED Talks use visuals to amplify their stories, not replace them. Follow their lead by using slides to enhance—not duplicate—your spoken message.

Using storytelling techniques

Storytelling is a powerful way to captivate your audience and make your business presentation more memorable. Here’s how to integrate storytelling effectively, with examples:

a. Start with a hook

The opening moments of your presentation are critical for capturing attention. Again, use the Primacy Effect, which suggests people remember the first information they hear best, to your advantage.

Compelling statistic: For example, "Did you know 70% of businesses fail to achieve their annual goals due to unclear communication?"

Thought-provoking question: Ask a question that challenges assumptions, like, "What would it take to reduce your operational costs by 25% this year?"

Anecdote or metaphor: Start with a short, relatable story. For instance, “When launching our last product, we faced a challenge that seemed insurmountable. Here’s how we overcame it.”

A strong hook sets the tone for the entire presentation and draws your audience into your narrative.

b. Build a narrative Arc

Borrowing from classic storytelling frameworks like Freytag’s Pyramid or The Hero’s Journey , structure your presentation to guide your audience through a clear, engaging arc.

Setup (The problem): Introduce the current state or challenge. Use data visualizations (e.g., graphs) to highlight pain points or stakes.

💡 Example: “This year, our customer churn rate increased by 15%, impacting revenue and market share.”

Conflict (The challenge): Explore the complexity of the problem. This is the emotional core of your narrative where you involve the audience by addressing their concerns or stakes.

💡 Example: “We tried implementing new retention strategies, but they lacked scalability and didn’t deliver the results we needed.”

Resolution (The solution): Present your solution as the hero of the story. Highlight how it resolves the problem and leads to desired action.

💡Example: “By adopting predictive analytics, we’ve reduced churn by 25%, saving $1.5M annually.”

This structure helps you frame your story in a way that builds suspense, communicates important ideas, and drives home your solution.

c. Personalize it

People connect with stories that feel real and relatable. Use personal experiences, case studies, or tailored examples to make your presentation resonate.

Relatable examples: Share how your solution impacted a similar organization or team. For instance, “When we implemented this at a Fortune 500 company, they increased productivity by 40% within three months.”

Personal experiences: A presenter who shares their own journey adds authenticity. For example, “When I started leading this project, I had the same concerns you do. Here’s what changed my perspective.”

Audience relevance: Tailor your stories to your audience’s context. Executives might prefer high-level outcomes, while teams may value operational insights.

Personalization helps you connect with your audience and keeps them engaged throughout the presentation.

Engaging your audience

According to the Mehrabian Model of Communication theory, 55% of communication is body language, 38% is tone of voice, and only 7% is words. So, you need to prioritize delivery techniques to maximize engagement. By combining thoughtful delivery, interactive techniques, and adaptability, you can turn passive listeners into active participants. Here’s how:

a. Practice effective delivery

Effective delivery ensures your message resonates. Employ techniques rooted in public speaking and communication psychology:

Voice control: Vary your tone to emphasize important points and avoid monotony. For example, raise your pitch slightly when introducing key takeaways and lower it to convey seriousness.

Body language: Maintain an open posture, use purposeful gestures to reinforce ideas, and make consistent eye contact to build trust. Avoid closed stances like crossed arms, which can disengage the audience.

Pacing and pausing: Use strategic pauses to let important information sink in. For instance, after presenting a critical slide in a PowerPoint presentation, pause briefly to let the audience absorb the data.

These techniques not only help you boost your confidence but also make your presentation more dynamic and memorable.

b. Encourage interaction

Interactive elements make presentations engaging and help your audience retain information. Consider these methods:

Ask open-ended questions: Spark dialogue by inviting input, e.g., “ How do you think this strategy could apply to your department?”

Use interactive tools: Platforms like Slido and Mentimeter allow for live polls or audience Q&A sessions, breaking the monotony and fostering participation.

Involve the audience actively: Incorporate prompts like, “Take a moment to reflect on this data—what stands out most to you?” This creates a conversational tone and keeps attendees attentive.

c. Adapt in real-time

Flexibility is essential for delivering presentations effectively in diverse settings. Use real-time feedback to adjust your approach:

Read the room: Pay attention to non-verbal cues like nods, expressions, and posture. If the audience seems disengaged, switch to a more interactive section or ask a thought-provoking question.

Tailor delivery on the fly: For example, if your audience already knows foundational information, spend less time there and dive deeper into advanced concepts.

Address concerns promptly: During a Q&A session, listen actively and provide concise, relevant answers. Being prepared to answer tough questions establishes your credibility and builds trust.

Adapting ensures your presentation stays relevant and aligned with the audience’s needs and expectations.

Great business presentation examples

Examining successful presentations can inspire your approach and help you make an effective business presentation that stands out. Here are some standout examples with actionable insights:

Example 1: Steve Jobs’ iPhone launch (2007)

• Why it worked: Jobs’ presentation nailed the art of storytelling, combining a dramatic narrative with minimalist presentation design. His precise timing and simple slides let the audience focus on his key points, making it one of the most powerful presentations of its time.
• Takeaway: For your next pitch, limit the number of slides and use visuals sparingly to amplify critical moments. A well-placed reveal can keep your audience on the edge of their seats, eager to see what’s coming.

Example 2: Airbnb’s early pitch deck

• Why it worked: Airbnb’s deck showcased the value of clear structure and concise content. It effectively highlighted the problem, solution, and market opportunity with a few impactful slides—demonstrating how business presentations are used to persuade.
• Takeaway: To make a presentation compelling, focus on clarity. Use your presentation software to create clean visuals that reinforce your message. Remember, less is often more within your presentation.

Example 3: TED talks

• Why they work: TED speakers focus on connection, pacing, and stories to deliver informative business insights in a memorable way. They often rehearse extensively to ensure seamless delivery, showing the importance of preparation in giving presentations.
• Takeaway: Rehearse your delivery to nail transitions and refine your tone. Consider storytelling as a tool to engage your audience and embed emotional resonance into your narrative.

Example 4: Barack Obama’s keynote speeches

• Why they work: Obama’s speeches are masterclasses in rhythm and inclusivity, blending repetition with accessible metaphors to drive points home. This type of presentation creates unity and inspires action.
• Takeaway: Adapt these techniques to deliver a business presentation that resonates. Structure your speech to reflect the values and priorities your audience knows and cares about.

The best tool to create effective business presentations in 90% less time!

If you’re looking to create impactful business presentations without spending countless hours tweaking slides, Prezent is a game-changer. Designed specifically for busy professionals, Prezent leverages AI-powered technology to streamline the creation process, allowing you to focus on content and strategy rather than design. Here are the key features of Prezent

AI-powered content generation

At the heart of Prezent is ASTRID AI , a sophisticated assistant that utilizes advanced AI models—including computer vision and natural language processing—to automate content creation. This technology enables users to generate hyper-personalized, brand-compliant presentations in seconds, tailored to specific audience preferences and contextual relevance.

Extensive slide and storyline libraries

Prezent offers access to over 35,000 company brand-approved slides and more than 1,000 expert-curated storylines. This vast repository allows users to build presentations such as business plans or project updates efficiently, ensuring both speed and adherence to brand standards.

⚡⚡ Get thousands of editable business presentations designed by professionals by creating a free account!  

Template conversion and brand compliance

The platform's Template Converter feature facilitates the seamless transformation of existing slides into any brand template, maintaining 100% brand compliance. This ensures consistency across all presentations, reinforcing the organization's brand identity.

Executive summary synthesis

Prezent's Synthesis tool enables users to generate concise, brand-aligned executive summaries effortlessly, distilling complex presentations into digestible formats for quick stakeholder review.

Learning and development resources

It offers bite-sized, gamified learning modules on business communication, allowing users to enhance their presentation skills at their own pace. These resources support continuous learning and skill-building across all organizational levels.

By harnessing advanced AI capabilities, Prezent empowers professionals to deliver compelling presentations that resonate with their audience, all while reclaiming valuable time.

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