presentation in best way

17 PowerPoint Presentation Tips From Pro Presenters [+ Templates]

Published: April 26, 2024

PowerPoint presentations can be professional, attractive, and really help your audience remember your message.

If you don’t have much experience, that’s okay — I’m going to arm you with PowerPoint design tips from pro presenters, the steps you need to build an engaging deck, and templates to help you nail great slide design.

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Buckle up for a variety of step-by-step explanations as well as tips and tricks to help you start mastering this program. There are additional resources woven in, and you’ll find expert perspectives from other HubSpotters along the way.

Table of Contents

How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation

Powerpoint presentation tips.

Microsoft PowerPoint is like a test of basic professional skills, and each PowerPoint is basically a presentation made of multiple slides.

Successful PowerPoints depend on three main factors: your command of PowerPoint's design tools, your attention to presentation processes, and being consistent with your style.

Keep those in mind as we jump into PowerPoint's capabilities.

Getting Started

1. open powerpoint and click ‘new.’.

A page with templates will usually open automatically, but if not, go to the top left pane of your screen and click New . If you’ve already created a presentation, select Open and then double-click the icon to open the existing file.

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Creating PowerPoint Slides

3. insert a slide..

Insert a new slide by clicking on the Home tab and then the New Slide button. Consider what content you want to put on the slide, including heading, text, and imagery.

Finally, PowerPoint Live is a new tool that enables you to do more seamless presentations during video calls and may be a better overall match for doing presentations remotely. Check out this video:

11. Try Using GIFs.

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15. Embed multimedia.

PowerPoint allows you to either link to video/audio files externally or to embed the media directly in your presentation. For PCs, two great reasons for embedding are:

Embedding allows you to play media directly in your presentation. It will look much more professional than switching between windows.
Embedding also means that the file stays within the PowerPoint presentation, so it should play normally without extra work (except on a Mac).

If you use PowerPoint for Mac it gets a bit complicated, but it can be done:

Always bring the video and/or audio file with you in the same folder as the PowerPoint presentation.
Only insert video or audio files once the presentation and the containing folder have been saved on a portable drive in their permanent folder.
If the presentation will be played on a Windows computer, then Mac users need to make sure their multimedia files are in WMV format.
Consider using the same operating system for designing and presenting, no matter what.

16. Bring your own hardware.

Between operating systems, PowerPoint is still a bit jumpy. Even between differing PPT versions, things can change. The easiest fix? Just bring along your own laptop when you're presenting.

The next easiest fix is to upload your PowerPoint presentation into Google Slides as a backup option — just make sure there is a good internet connection and a browser available where you plan to present.

Google Slides is a cloud-based presentation software that will show up the same way on all operating systems.

To import your PowerPoint presentation into Google Slides:

Navigate to slides.google.com . Make sure you’re signed in to a Google account (preferably your own).
Under Start a new presentation , click the empty box with a plus sign. This will open up a blank presentation.
Go to File , then Import slides .
A dialog box will come up. Tap Upload.
Click Select a file from your device .
Select your presentation and click Open .
Select the slides you’d like to import. If you want to import all of them, click All in the upper right-hand corner of the dialog box.
Click Import slides.

When I tested this out, Google Slides imported everything perfectly, including a shape whose points I had manipulated. This is a good backup option to have if you’ll be presenting across different operating systems.

17. Use Presenter View.

In most presentation situations, there will be both a presenter’s screen and the main projected display for your presentation.

PowerPoint has a great tool called Presenter View, which can be found in the Slide Show tab of PowerPoint. Included in the Presenter View is an area for notes, a timer/clock, and a presentation display.

For many presenters, this tool can help unify their spoken presentation and their visual aid. You never want to make the PowerPoint seem like a stack of notes that you’re reading off of.

Use the Presenter View option to help create a more natural presentation.

Pro Tip: At the start of the presentation, you should also hit CTRL + H to make the cursor disappear. Hitting the “A” key will bring it back if you need it.

Your Next Great PowerPoint Presentation Starts Here

Now that you have these style, design, and presentation tips under your belt, you should feel confident to create your PowerPoint presentation.

But if you can explore other resources to make sure your content hits the mark. After all, you need a strong presentation to land your point and make an impression.

With several templates to choose from — both in PowerPoint and available for free download — you can swiftly be on your way to creating presentations that wow your audiences.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in September 2013 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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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.

Partner Center

How to Start a Presentation: 5 Templates and 90 Example Phrases

By Status.net Editorial Team on February 27, 2024 — 11 minutes to read

Starting a presentation effectively means capturing your audience’s attention from the very beginning. It’s important because it sets the tone for the entire presentation and establishes your credibility as a speaker.

Effective Openers: 5 Templates

Your presentation’s beginning sets the stage for everything that follows. So, it’s important to capture your audience’s attention right from the start. Here are some tried-and-true techniques to do just that.

1. Storytelling Approach

When you start with a story, you tap into the natural human love for narratives. It can be a personal experience, a historical event, or a fictional tale that ties back to your main point.

Example Introduction Template 1:

“Let me tell you a story about…”

Example : “Let me tell you a story about how a small idea in a garage blossomed into the global brand we know today.”

2. Quotation Strategy

Using a relevant quote can lend authority and thematic flavor to your presentation. Choose a quote that is provocative, enlightening, or humorous to resonate with your audience.

Example Introduction Template 2:

“As [Famous Person] once said…”

Example : “As Steve Jobs once said, ‘Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.'”

3. Questioning Technique

Engage your audience directly by opening with a thoughtful question. This encourages them to think and become active participants.

Example Introduction Template 3:

“Have you ever wondered…”

Example : “Have you ever wondered what it would take to reduce your carbon footprint to zero?”

4. Statistical Hook

Kick off with a startling statistic that presents a fresh perspective or underscores the importance of your topic.

Example Introduction Template 4:

“Did you know that…”

Example : “Did you know that 90% of the world’s data was generated in the last two years alone?”

5. Anecdotal Method

Share a brief, relatable incident that highlights the human aspect of your topic. It paves the way for empathy and connection.

Example Introduction Template 5:

“I want to share a quick anecdote…”

Example : “I want to share a quick anecdote about a time I experienced the customer service that went above and beyond what anyone would expect.”

How to Start a Powerpoint Presentation: 45 Example Phrases

Starting a PowerPoint presentation effectively can captivate your audience and set the tone for your message. The opening phrases you choose are important in establishing rapport and commanding attention. Whether you’re presenting to colleagues, at a conference, or in an academic setting, these phrases will help you begin with confidence and poise:

1. “Good morning/afternoon/evening, everyone. Thank you for joining me today.”
2. “Welcome, and thank you for being here. Let’s dive into our topic.”
3. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to present to you all about…”
4. “Thank you all for coming. Today, we’re going to explore…”
5. “Let’s begin by looking at the most important question: Why are we here today?”
6. “I appreciate your time today, and I promise it will be well spent as we discuss…”
7. “Before we get started, I want to express my gratitude for your presence here today.”
8. “It’s a pleasure to see so many familiar faces as we gather to talk about…”
9. “I’m thrilled to kick off today’s presentation on a topic that I am passionate about—…”
10. “Welcome to our session. I’m confident you’ll find the next few minutes informative as we cover…”
11. “Let’s embark on a journey through our discussion on…”
12. “I’m delighted to have the chance to share my insights on…”
13. “Thank you for the opportunity to present to such an esteemed audience on…”
14. “Let’s set the stage for an engaging discussion about…”
15. “As we begin, I’d like you to consider this:…”
16. “Today marks an important discussion on a subject that affects us all:…”
17. “Good day, and welcome to what promises to be an enlightening presentation on…”
18. “Hello and welcome! We’re here to delve into something truly exciting today…”
19. “I’m honored to present to you this comprehensive look into…”
20. “Without further ado, let’s get started on a journey through…”
21. “Thank you for carving time out of your day to join me for this presentation on…”
22. “It’s wonderful to see such an engaged audience ready to tackle the topic of…”
23. “I invite you to join me as we unpack the complexities of…”
24. “Today’s presentation will take us through some groundbreaking ideas about…”
25. “Welcome aboard! Prepare to set sail into the vast sea of knowledge on…”
26. “I’d like to extend a warm welcome to everyone as we focus our attention on…”
27. “Let’s ignite our curiosity as we begin to explore…”
28. “Thank you for your interest and attention as we dive into the heart of…”
29. “As we look ahead to the next hour, we’ll uncover the secrets of…”
30. “I’m eager to share with you some fascinating insights on…”
31. “Welcome to what I believe will be a transformative discussion on…”
32. “This morning/afternoon, we’ll be venturing into the world of…”
33. “Thank you for joining me on this exploration of…”
34. “I’m delighted by the turnout today as we embark on this exploration of…”
35. “Together, let’s navigate the intricacies of…”
36. “I’m looking forward to engaging with you all on the subject of…”
37. “Let’s kick things off with a critical look at…”
38. “Thank you for your presence today as we shine a light on…”
39. “Welcome to a comprehensive overview of…”
40. “It’s a privilege to discuss with you the impact of…”
41. “I’m glad you could join us for what promises to be a thought-provoking presentation on…”
42. “Today, we’re going to break down the concept of…”
43. “As we get started, let’s consider the significance of our topic:…”
44. “I’m thrilled to lead you through today’s discussion, which centers around…”
45. “Let’s launch into our session with an eye-opening look at…”

Starting a Presentation: 45 Examples

Connecting with the audience.

When starting a presentation, making a genuine connection with your audience sets the stage for a successful exchange of ideas. Examples:

“I promise, by the end of this presentation, you’ll be as enthusiastic about this as I am because…”
“The moment I learned about this, I knew it would be a game-changer and I’m thrilled to present it to you…”
“There’s something special about this topic that I find incredibly invigorating, and I hope you will too…”
“I get a rush every time I work on this, and I hope to transmit that energy to you today…”
“I’m thrilled to discuss this breakthrough that could revolutionize…”
“This project has been a labor of love, and I’m eager to walk you through…”
“When I first encountered this challenge, I was captivated by the possibilities it presented…”
“I can’t wait to dive into the details of this innovative approach with you today…”
“It’s genuinely exhilarating to be at the edge of what’s possible in…”
“My fascination with [topic] drove me to explore it further, and I’m excited to share…”
“Nothing excites me more than talking about the future of…”
“Seeing your faces, I know we’re going to have a lively discussion about…”
“The potential here is incredible, and I’m looking forward to discussing it with you…”
“Let’s embark on this journey together and explore why this is such a pivotal moment for…”
“Your engagement in this discussion is going to make this even more exciting because…”

Building Credibility

You present with credibility when you establish your expertise and experience on the subject matter. Here’s what you can say to accomplish that:

“With a decade of experience in this field, I’ve come to understand the intricacies of…”
“Having led multiple successful projects, I’m excited to share my insights on…”
“Over the years, working closely with industry experts, I’ve gleaned…”
“I hold a degree in [your field], which has equipped me with a foundation for…”
“I’m a certified professional in [your certification], which means I bring a certain level of expertise…”
“Having published research on this topic, my perspective is grounded in…”
“I’ve been a keynote speaker at several conferences, discussing…”
“Throughout my career, I’ve contributed to groundbreaking work in…”
“My experience as a [your previous role] has given me a unique outlook on…”
“Endorsed by [an authority in your field], I’m here to share what we’ve achieved…”
“The program I developed was recognized by [award], highlighting its impact in…”
“I’ve trained professionals nationwide on this subject and witnessed…”
“Collaborating with renowned teams, we’ve tackled challenges like…”
“I’ve been at the forefront of this industry, navigating through…”
“As a panelist, I’ve debated this topic with some of the brightest minds in…”

Projecting Confidence

“I stand before you today with a deep understanding of…”
“You can rely on the information I’m about to share, backed by thorough research and analysis…”
“Rest assured, the strategies we’ll discuss have been tested and proven effective in…”
“I’m certain you’ll find the data I’ll present both compelling and relevant because…”
“I’m fully confident in the recommendations I’m providing today due to…”
“The results speak for themselves, and I’m here to outline them clearly for you…”
“I invite you to consider the evidence I’ll present; it’s both robust and persuasive…”
“You’re in good hands today; I’ve navigated these waters many times and have the insights to prove it…”
“I assure you, the journey we’ll take during this presentation will be enlightening because…”
“Your success is important to me, which is why I’ve prepared diligently for our time together…”
“Let’s look at the facts; they’ll show you why this approach is solid and dependable…”
“Today, I present to you a clear path forward, grounded in solid experience and knowledge…”
“I’m confident that what we’ll uncover today will not only inform but also inspire you because…”
“You’ll leave here equipped with practical, proven solutions that you can trust because…”
“The solution I’m proposing has been embraced industry-wide, and for good reason…”

Organizational Preview

Starting your presentation with a clear organizational preview can effectively guide your audience through the content. This section helps you prepare to communicate the roadmap of your presentation.

Outlining the Main Points

You should begin by briefly listing the main points you’ll cover. This lets your audience know what to expect and helps them follow along. For example, if you’re presenting on healthy eating, you might say, “Today, I’ll cover the benefits of healthy eating, essential nutrients in your diet, and simple strategies for making healthier choices.”

Setting the Tone

Your introduction sets the tone for the entire presentation. A way to do this is through a relevant story or anecdote that engages the audience. Suppose you’re talking about innovation; you might start with, “When I was a child, I was fascinated by how simple Legos could build complex structures, which is much like the innovation process.”

Explaining the Structure

Explain the structure of your presentation so that your audience can anticipate how you’ll transition from one section to the next. For instance, if your presentation includes an interactive portion, you might say, “I’ll begin with a 15-minute overview, followed by a hands-on demonstration, and we’ll wrap up with a Q&A session, where you can ask any questions.”

Practice and Preparation

Before you step onto the stage, it’s important that your preparation includes not just content research, but also rigorous practice and strategy for dealing with nerves. This approach ensures you present with confidence and clarity.

Rehearsing the Opening

Practicing your introduction aloud gives you the opportunity to refine your opening remarks. You might start by greeting the audience and sharing an interesting quote or a surprising statistic related to your topic. For example, if your presentation is about the importance of renewable energy, you could begin with a recent statistic about the growth in solar energy adoption. Record yourself and listen to the playback, focusing on your tone, pace, and clarity.

Memorizing Key Points

While you don’t need to memorize your entire presentation word for word, you should know the key points by heart. This includes main arguments, data, and any conclusions you’ll be drawing. You can use techniques such as mnemonics or the method of loci, which means associating each key point with a specific location in your mind, to help remember these details. Having them at your fingertips will make you feel more prepared and confident.

Managing Presentation Jitters

Feeling nervous before a presentation is natural, but you can manage these jitters with a few techniques. Practice deep breathing exercises or mindful meditation to calm your mind before going on stage. You can also perform a mock presentation to a group of friends or colleagues to simulate the experience and receive feedback. This will not only help you get used to speaking in front of others but also in adjusting your material based on their reactions.

Engagement Strategies

Starting a presentation on the right foot often depends on how engaged your audience is. Using certain strategies, you can grab their attention early and maintain their interest throughout your talk:

1. Encouraging Audience Participation

Opening your presentation with a question to your audience is a great way to encourage participation. This invites them to think actively about the subject matter. For instance, you might ask, “By a show of hands, how many of you have experienced…?” Additionally, integrating interactive elements like quick polls or requesting volunteers for a demonstration can make the experience more dynamic and memorable.

Using direct questions throughout your presentation ensures the audience stays alert, as they might be called upon to share their views. For example, after covering a key point, you might engage your audience with, “Does anyone have an experience to share related to this?”

2. Utilizing Pacing and Pauses

Mastering the pace of your speech helps keep your presentation lively. Quickening the pace when discussing exciting developments or slowing down when explaining complex ideas can help maintain interest. For example, when introducing a new concept, slow your pace to allow the audience to absorb the information.

Pauses are equally powerful. A well-timed pause after a key point gives the audience a moment to ponder the significance of what you’ve just said. It might feel like this: “The results of this study were groundbreaking. (pause) They completely shifted our understanding of…”. Pauses also give you a moment to collect your thoughts, adding to your overall composure and control of the room.

How should one introduce their group during a presentation?

You might say something like, “Let me introduce my amazing team: Alex, our researcher, Jamie, our designer, and Sam, the developer. Together, we’ve spent the last few months creating something truly special for you.”

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Blog Marketing How To Start a Presentation: 15 Ways to Set the Stage

How To Start a Presentation: 15 Ways to Set the Stage

Written by: Krystle Wong Jul 25, 2023

The opening moments of your presentation hold immense power – it’s your opportunity to make a lasting impression and captivate your audience.

A strong presentation start acts as a beacon, cutting through the noise and instantly capturing the attention of your listeners. With so much content vying for their focus, a captivating opening ensures that your message stands out and resonates with your audience.

Whether you’re a startup business owner pitching a brilliant idea, a seasoned presenter delivering a persuasive talk or an expert sharing your experience, the start of your presentation can make all the difference. But don’t fret — I’ve got you covered with 15 electrifying ways to kickstart your presentation.

The presentation introduction examples in this article cover everything from self-introduction to how to start a group presentation, building anticipation that leaves the audience eager to delve into the depths of your topic.

Click to jump ahead:

How to start a presentation introduction

15 ways to start a presentation and captivate your audience, common mistakes to avoid in the opening of a presentation, faqs on how to start a presentation, captivate the audience from the get-go.

Presentations can be scary, I know. But even if stage fright hits, you can always fall back on a simple strategy.

Just take a deep breath, introduce yourself and briefly explain the topic of your presentation.

To grab attention at the start, try this opening line: Hello everyone. I am so glad you could join me today. I’m very excited about today’s topic. I’m [Your Name] and I’ll be talking about [Presentation Topic]. Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by [Challenge related to your topic]. Many of us might have faced challenges with [Challenge related to your topic]. Today, we’ll explore some strategies that’ll help us [Solution that you’re presenting].

Regardless of your mode of presentation , crafting an engaging introduction sets the stage for a memorable presentation.

Let’s dive into some key tips for how to start a presentation speech to help you nail the art of starting with a bang:

Understand your audience

The key to an engaging introduction is to know your audience inside out and give your audience what they want. Tailor your opening to resonate with their specific interests, needs and expectations. Consider what will captivate them and how you can make your presentation relevant to their lives or work.

Use a compelling hook

Grab the audience’s attention from the get-go with a compelling hook. Whether it’s a thought-provoking question, a surprising fact or a gripping story, a powerful opening will immediately pique their curiosity and keep them invested in what you have to say.

State your purpose

Be crystal clear about your subject matter and the purpose of your presentation. In just a few sentences, communicate the main objectives and the value your audience will gain from listening to you. Let them know upfront what to expect and they’ll be more likely to stay engaged throughout.

Introduce yourself and your team

Give a self introduction about who you are such as your job title to establish credibility and rapport with the audience.

Some creative ways to introduce yourself in a presentation would be by sharing a brief and engaging personal story that connects to your topic or the theme of your presentation. This approach instantly makes you relatable and captures the audience’s attention.

Now, let’s talk about — how to introduce team members in a presentation. Before introducing each team member, briefly explain their role or contribution to the project or presentation. This gives the audience an understanding of their relevance and expertise.

Group presentations are also a breeze with the help of Venngage. Our in-editor collaboration tools allow you to edit presentations side by side in real-time. That way, you can seamlessly hare your design with the team for input and make sure everyone is on track.

Maintain enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is contagious! Keep the energy levels up throughout your introduction, conveying a positive and upbeat tone. A vibrant and welcoming atmosphere sets the stage for an exciting presentation and keeps the audience eager to hear more.

Before you think about how to present a topic, think about how to design impactful slides that can leave a lasting impression on the audience. Here are 120+ presentation ideas , design tips, and examples to help you create an awesome slide deck for your next presentation.

Captivating your audience from the get-go is the key to a successful presentation. Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or a novice taking the stage for the first time, the opening of your presentation sets the tone for the entire talk.

So, let’s get ready to dive into the 15 most creative ways to start a presentation. I promise you these presentation introduction ideas will captivate your audience, leaving them hanging on your every word.

Grab-attention immediately

Ask a thought-provoking question.

Get the audience’s wheels turning by throwing them a thought-provoking question right out of the gate. Make them ponder, wonder and engage their critical thinking muscles from the very start.

Share a surprising statistic or fact

Brace yourself for some wide eyes and dropped jaws! Open your presentation with a jaw-dropping statistic or a mind-blowing fact that’s directly related to your topic. Nothing captures attention like a good ol’ dose of shock and awe.

State a bold statement or challenge

Ready to shake things up? Kick off with a bold and daring statement that sets the stage for your presentation’s epic journey. Boldness has a way of making ears perk up and eyes widen in anticipation!

Engage with a poll or interactive activity

Turn the audience from passive listeners to active participants by kicking off with a fun poll or interactive activity. Get them on their feet, or rather — their fingertips, right from the start!

Venngage’s user-friendly drag-and-drop editor allows you to easily transform your slides into an interactive presentation . Create clickable buttons or navigation elements within your presentation to guide your audience to different sections or external resources.

Enhance engagement by incorporating videos or audio clips directly into your presentation. Venngage supports video and audio embedding, which can add depth to your content.

Begin with an opening phrase that captures attention

Use opening phrases that can help you create a strong connection with your audience and make them eager to hear more about what you have to say. Remember to be confident, enthusiastic and authentic in your delivery to maximize the impact of your presentation.

Here are some effective presentation starting words and phrases that can help you grab your audience’s attention and set the stage for a captivating presentation:

“Imagine…”
“Picture this…”
“Did you know that…”
“Have you ever wondered…”
“In this presentation, we’ll explore…”
“Let’s dive right in and discover…”
“I’m excited to share with you…”
“I have a confession to make…”
“I want to start by telling you a story…”
“Before we begin, let’s consider…”
“Have you ever faced the challenge of…”
“We all know that…”
“This is a topic close to my heart because…”
“Over the next [minutes/hours], we’ll cover…”
“I invite you to journey with me through…”

Build connection and credibility

Begin with a personal connection .

Share a real-life experience or a special connection to the topic at hand. This simple act of opening up creates an instant bond with the audience, turning them into your biggest cheerleaders.

Having the team share their personal experiences is also a good group presentation introduction approach. Team members can share their own stories that are related to the topic to create an emotional connection with your audience.

Tell a relevant story

Start your presentation with a riveting story that hooks your audience and relates to your main message. Stories have a magical way of captivating hearts and minds. Organize your slides in a clear and sequential manner and use visuals that complement your narrative and evoke emotions to engage the audience.

With Venngage, you have access to a vast library of high-quality and captivating stock photography, offering thousands of options to enrich your presentations. The best part? It’s entirely free! Elevate your visual storytelling with stunning images that complement your content, captivate your audience and add a professional touch to your presentation.

Use a powerful quote

Sometimes, all you need is some wise words to work wonders. Begin with a powerful quote from a legendary figure that perfectly fits your presentation’s theme — a dose of inspiration sets the stage for an epic journey.

Build anticipation

Provide a brief outline.

Here’s a good introduction for presentation example if you’re giving a speech at a conference. For longer presentations or conferences with multiple speakers especially, providing an outline helps the audience stay focused on the key takeaways. That way, you can better manage your time and ensure that you cover all the key points without rushing or running out of time.

Pose a problem and offer a solution

A great idea on how to start a business presentation is to start by presenting a problem and offering a well-thought-out solution. By addressing their pain points and showcasing your solution, you’ll capture their interest and set the stage for a compelling and successful presentation.

Back up your solution with data, research, or case studies that demonstrate its effectiveness. This can also be a good reporting introduction example that adds credibility to your proposal.

Preparing a pitch deck can be a daunting task but fret not. This guide on the 30+ best pitch deck tips and examples has everything you need to bring on new business partners and win new client contracts. Alternatively, you can also get started by customizing one of our professional pitch deck templates for free.

Incite curiosity in the audience

Utilize visuals or props.

Capture your audience’s gaze by whipping out captivating visuals or props that add an exciting touch to your subject. A well-placed prop or a stunning visual can make your presentation pop like a fireworks show!

That said, you maybe wondering — how can I make my presentation more attractive. A well-designed presentation background instantly captures the audience’s attention and creates a positive first impression. Here are 15 presentation background examples to keep the audience awake to help you get inspired.

Use humor or wit

Sprinkle some humor and wit to spice things up. Cracking a clever joke or throwing in a witty remark can break the ice and create a positively charged atmosphere. If you’re cracking your head on how to start a group presentation, humor is a great way to start a presentation speech.

Get your team members involved in the fun to create a collaborative and enjoyable experience for everyone. Laughter is the perfect way to break the ice and set a positive tone for your presentation!

Invoke emotion

Get those heartstrings tugging! Start with a heartfelt story or example that stirs up emotions and connects with your audience on a personal level. Emotion is the secret sauce to a memorable presentation.

Aside from getting creative with your introduction, a well-crafted and creative presentation can boost your confidence as a presenter. Browse our catalog of creative presentation templates and get started right away!

Use a dramatic pause

A great group presentation example is to start with a powerful moment of silence, like a magician about to reveal their greatest trick. After introducing your team, allow a brief moment of silence. Hold the pause for a few seconds, making it feel deliberate and purposeful. This builds anticipation and curiosity among the audience.

Pique their interest

Share a fun fact or anecdote.

Time for a little fun and games! Kick-off with a lighthearted or fascinating fact that’ll make the audience go, “Wow, really? Tell me more!” A sprinkle of amusement sets the stage for an entertaining ride.

While an introduction for a presentation sets the tone for your speech, a good slide complements your spoken words, helping the audience better understand and remember your message. Check out these 12 best presentation software for 2023 that can aid your next presentation.

The opening moments of a presentation can make or break your entire talk. It’s your chance to grab your audience’s attention, set the tone, and lay the foundation for a successful presentation. However, there are some common pitfalls that speakers often fall into when starting their presentations.

Starting with Apologies

It might be tempting to start with a preemptive apology, especially if you’re feeling nervous or unsure about your presentation. However, beginning with unnecessary apologies or self-deprecating remarks sets a negative tone right from the start. Instead of exuding confidence and credibility, you’re unintentionally undermining yourself and your message.

Reading from Slides

One of the most common blunders in the opening of a PowerPoint presentation is reading directly from your slides or script. While it’s crucial to have a well-structured outline, reciting word-for-word can lead to disengagement and boredom among your audience. Maintain eye contact and connect with your listeners as you speak. Your slides should complement your words, not replace them.

Overwhelming with Information

In the excitement to impress, some presenters bombard their audience with too much information right at the beginning.

Instead of overloading the audience with a sea of data, statistics or technical details that can quickly lead to confusion and disinterest, visualize your data with the help of Venngage. Choose an infographic template that best suits the type of data you want to visualize. Venngage offers a variety of pre-designed templates for charts, graphs, infographics and more.

Ignoring the Audience

It’s easy to get caught up in the content and forget about the people in front of you. Don’t overlook the importance of acknowledging the audience and building a connection with them. Greet them warmly, make eye contact and maintain body language to show genuine interest in their presence. Engage the audience early on by asking a show of hands question or encourage audience participation.

Lack of Clarity

Your audience should know exactly what to expect from your presentation. Starting with a vague or unclear opening leaves them guessing about the purpose and direction of your talk. Clearly communicate the topic and objectives of your presentation right from the beginning. This sets the stage for a focused and coherent message that resonates with your audience.

Simplicity makes it easier for the audience to understand and retain the information presented. Check out our gallery of simple presentation templates to keep your opening concise and relevant.

Skipping the Hook

The opening of your presentation is the perfect opportunity to hook your audience’s attention and keep them engaged. However, some presenters overlook this crucial aspect and dive straight into the content without any intrigue. Craft an attention-grabbing hook that sparks curiosity, poses a thought-provoking question or shares an interesting fact. A compelling opening is like the key that unlocks your audience’s receptivity to the rest of your presentation.

Now that you’ve got the gist of how to introduce a presentation, further brush up your speech with these tips on how to make a persuasive presentation and how to improve your presentation skills to create an engaging presentation .

How can I overcome nervousness at the beginning of a presentation?

To overcome nervousness at the beginning of a presentation, take deep breaths, practice beforehand, and focus on connecting with your audience rather than worrying about yourself.

How long should the opening of a presentation be?

The opening of a presentation should typically be brief, lasting around 1 to 3 minutes, to grab the audience’s attention and set the tone for the rest of the talk.

Should I memorize my presentation’s opening lines?

While it’s helpful to know your opening lines, it’s better to understand the key points and flow naturally to maintain authenticity and flexibility during the presentation.

Should I use slides during the opening of my presentation?

Using slides sparingly during the opening can enhance the message, but avoid overwhelming the audience with too much information early on.

How do I transition smoothly from the opening to the main content of my presentation?

Transition smoothly from the opening to the main content by providing a clear and concise outline of what’s to come, signaling the shift and maintaining a logical flow between topics.

Just as a captivating opening draws your audience in, creating a well-crafted presentation closing has the power to leave a lasting impression. Wrap up in style with these 10 ways to end a presentation .

Presenting virtually? Check out these tips on how to ace your next online presentation .

Captivating your audience from the very beginning is crucial for a successful presentation. The first few moments of your talk can set the tone and determine whether your audience remains engaged throughout or loses interest.

Start with a compelling opening that grabs their attention. You can use a thought-provoking question, a surprising statistic or a powerful quote to pique their curiosity. Alternatively, storytelling can be a potent tool to draw them into your narrative. It’s essential to establish a personal connection early on, whether by sharing a relatable experience or expressing empathy towards their needs and interests.

Lastly, be mindful of your body language and vocal delivery. A confident and engaging speaker can captivate an audience, so make eye contact, use appropriate gestures and vary your tone to convey passion and sincerity.

In conclusion, captivating your audience from the very beginning requires thoughtful preparation, engaging content and a confident delivery. With Venngage’s customizable templates, you can adapt your presentation to suit the preferences and interests of your specific audience, ensuring maximum engagement. Go on and get started today!

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Home Blog Presentation Ideas How to Start a Presentation: 5 Strong Opening Slides and 12 Tricks To Test

How to Start a Presentation: 5 Strong Opening Slides and 12 Tricks To Test

Cover image of a How to Start a Presentation article with an illustration of a presenter giving a speech.

Knowing how to start a presentation is crucial: if you fail to capture the audience’s attention right off the bat, your entire presentation will flop. Few listeners will stick with you to the end and retain what you have told.

That is mildly unpleasant when you are doing an in-house presentation in front of your colleagues. But it can become utterly embarrassing when you present in front of larger audiences (e.g., at a conference) or worse – delivering a sales presentation to prospective customers.

Here is how most of us begin a presentation: give an awkward greeting, thank everyone for coming, clear our throats, tap the mic, and humbly start to mumble about our subject. The problem with such an opening performance? It effectively kills and buries even the best messages.

Table of Contents

The Classic Trick: Open a Presentation with an Introduction
Open a Presentation with a Hook
Begin with a Captivating Visual
Ask a “What if…” Question
Use the Word “Imagine”
Leverage The Curiosity Gap
The Power of Silence
Facts as Weapons of Communication
Fact vs. Myths
The Power of Music
Physical Activity
Acknowledging a Person

How to Start a PowerPoint Presentation The Right Way

Let’s say you have all of your presentation slides polished up (in case you don’t, check our quick & effective PowerPoint presentation design tips first). Your presentation has a clear storyline and agenda. Main ideas are broken into bite-sized statements for your slides and complemented with visuals. All you have left is to figure out how you begin presenting.

The best way is to appeal to and invoke certain emotions in your audience – curiosity, surprise, fear, or good old amusements. Also, it is recommended to present your main idea in the first 30 seconds of the presentation. And here’s how it’s done.

1. The Classic Trick: Open a Presentation with an Introduction

When you don’t feel like reinventing the wheel, use a classic trick from the book – start with a quick personal introduction. Don’t want to sound as boring as everyone else with your humble “Hi, I’m John, the head of the Customer Support Department”? Great, because we are all about promoting effective presentation techniques (hint: using a dull welcome slide isn’t one of them).

Here’s how to introduce yourself in a presentation the right way.

a. Use a link-back memory formula

To ace a presentation, you need to connect with your audience. The best way to do so is by throwing in a simple story showing who you are, where you came from, and why your words matter.

The human brain loves a good story, and we are more inclined to listen and retain the information told this way. Besides, when we can relate to the narrator (or story hero), we create an emotional bond with them, and, again – become more receptive, and less skeptical of the information that is about to be delivered.

So here are your presentation introduction lines:

My name is Joanne, and I’m the Head of Marketing at company XYZ. Five years ago I was working as a waitress, earning $10/hour and collecting rejection letters from editors. About ten letters every week landed to my mailbox. You see, I love words, but decent publisher thought mine were good enough. Except for the restaurant owner. I was very good at up-selling and recommending dishes to the customers. My boss even bumped my salary to $15/hour as a token of appreciation for my skill. And this made me realize: I should ditch creative writing and focus on copywriting instead. After loads of trial and error back in the day, I learned how to write persuasive copy. I was no longer getting rejection letters. I was receiving thousands of emails saying that someone just bought another product from our company. My sales copy pages generated over $1,500,000 in revenue over last year. And I want to teach you how to do the same”

b. Test the Stereotype Formula

This one’s simple and effective as well. Introduce yourself by sharing an obvious stereotype about your profession. This cue will help you connect with your audience better, make them chuckle a bit, and set a lighter mood for the speech to follow.

Here’s how you can frame your intro:

“My name is ___, and I am a lead software engineer at our platform [Your Job Title]. And yes, I’m that nerdy type who never liked presenting in front of large groups of people. I would rather stay in my den and write code all day long. [Stereotype]. But hey, since I have mustered enough courage…let’s talk today about the new product features my team is about to release….”

After sharing a quick, self-deprecating line, you transition back to your topic, reinforcing the audience’s attention . Both of these formulas help you set the “mood” for your further presentation, so try using them interchangeably on different occasions.

2. Open a Presentation with a Hook

Wow your audience straight off the bat by sharing something they would not expect to hear. This may be one of the popular first-time presentation tips but don’t rush to discard it.

Because here’s the thing: psychologically , we are more inclined to pay attention whenever presented with an unexpected cue. When we know what will happen next – someone flips the switch, and lights turn on – we don’t really pay much attention to that action.

But when we don’t know what to expect next – e.g., someone flips the switch and a bell starts ringing – we are likely to pay more attention to what will happen next. The same goes for words: everyone loves stories with unpredictable twists. So begin your presentation with a PowerPoint introduction slide or a line that no one expects to hear.

Here are a few hook examples you can swipe:

a. Open with a provocative statement

It creates an instant jolt and makes the audience intrigued to hear what you are about to say next – pedal back, continue with the provocation, or do something else that they will not expect.

TED.com Jane McGonigal Ted Talk - This Game Will Give You 10 Years of Life

“You will live seven and a half minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.”

That’s how Jane McGonigal opens one of her TED talks . Shocking and intriguing, right?

b. Ask a rhetorical, thought-provoking question

Seasoned presenters know that one good practice is to ask a question at the beginning of a presentation to increase audience engagement. Rhetorical questions have a great persuasive effect – instead of answering aloud, your audience will silently start musing over it during your presentation. They aroused curiosity and motivated the audience to remain attentive, as they did want to learn your answer to this question.

To reinforce your message throughout the presentation, you can further use the Rhetorical Triangle Concept – a rhetorical approach to building a persuasive argument based on Aristotle’s teachings.

c. Use a bold number, factor stat

A clean slide with some mind-boggling stat makes an undeniably strong impact. Here are a few opening statement examples you can use along with your slide:

Shock them: “We are effectively wasting over $1.2 billion per year on producing clothes no one will ever purchase”
Create empathy: “Are you among the 20% of people with undiagnosed ADHD?”
Call to arms: “58% of marketing budgets are wasted due to poor landing page design. Let’s change this!”
Spark curiosity: “Did you know that companies who invested in speech recognition have seen a 13% increase in ROI within just 3 years?”

3. Begin with a Captivating Visual

Compelling visuals are the ABC of presentation design – use them strategically to make an interesting statement at the beginning and throughout your presentation. Your first presentation slide can be text-free. Communicate your idea with a visual instead – a photo, a chart, an infographic, or another graphics asset.

Visuals are a powerful medium for communication as our brain needs just 13 milliseconds to render what our eyes see, whereas text comprehension requires more cognitive effort.

Relevant images add additional aesthetic appeal to your deck, bolster the audience’s imagination, and make your key message instantly more memorable.

Here’s an intro slide example. You want to make a strong presentation introduction to global pollution. Use the following slide to reinforce the statement you share:

Our Iceberg Is Melting Concept with Penguins in an Iceberg

“Seven of nine snow samples taken on land in Antarctica found chemicals known as PFAs, which are used in industrial products and can harm wildlife”

Source: Reuters

4. Ask a “What if…” Question

The “what if” combo carries massive power. It gives your audience a sense of what will happen if they choose to listen to you and follow your advice. Here are a few presentations with starting sentences + slides to illustrate this option:

What if example with an Opening Slide for Presentation

Alternatively, you can work your way to this point using different questions:

Ask the audience about their “Why.” Why are they attending this event, or why do they find this topic relevant?
Use “How” as your question hook if you plan to introduce a potential solution to a problem.
If your presentation has a persuasion factor associated, use “When” as a question to trigger the interest of the audience on, for example, when they are planning to take action regarding the topic being presented (if we talk about an inspirational presentation).

What if technique analysis for a Financial topic

5. Use the Word “Imagine”

“Imagine,” “Picture This,” and “Think of” are better word choices for when you plan to begin your presentation with a quick story.

Our brain loves interacting with stories. In fact, a captivating story makes us more collaborative. Scientists have discovered that stories with tension during narrative make us:

Pay more attention,
Share emotions with the characters and even mimic the feelings and behaviors of those characters afterward.

That’s why good action movies often feel empowering and make us want to change the world too. By incorporating a good, persuasive story with a relatable hero, you can also create that “bond” with your audience and make them more perceptive to your pitch – donate money to support the cause; explore the solution you are offering, and so on.

6. Leverage The Curiosity Gap

The curiosity gap is another psychological trick frequently used by marketers to solicit more clicks, reads, and other interactions from the audience. In essence, it’s the trick you see behind all those clickbait, Buzzfeed-style headlines:

Curiosity Gap example clickbait Buzzfeed

Not everyone is a fan of such titles. But the truth is – they do the trick and instantly capture attention. The curiosity gap sparks our desire to dig deeper into the matter. We are explicitly told that we don’t know something important, and now we crave to change that. Curiosity is an incredibly strong driving force for action – think Eve, think Pandora’s Box.

So consider incorporating these attention grabbers for your presentation speech to shock the audience. You can open with one, or strategically weave them in the middle of your presentation when you feel like your audience is getting tired and may lose their focus.

Here’s how you can use the curiosity gap during your presentation:

Start telling a story, pause in the middle, and delay the conclusion of it.
Withhold the key information (e.g., the best solution to the problem you have described) for a bit – but not for too long, as this can reduce the initial curiosity.
Introduce an idea or concept and link it with an unexpected outcome or subject – this is the best opening for a presentation tip.

7. The Power of Silence

What would you do if you attended a presentation in which the speaker remains silent for 30 seconds after the presentation starts? Just the presenter, standing in front of the audience, in absolute silence.

Most likely, your mind starts racing with thoughts, expecting something of vital importance to be disclosed. The surprise factor with this effect is for us to acknowledge things we tend to take for granted.

It is a powerful resource to introduce a product or to start an inspirational presentation if followed by a fact.

8. Facts as Weapons of Communication

In some niches, using statistics as the icebreaker is the best method to retain the audience’s interest.

Say your presentation is about climate change. Why not introduce a not-so-common fact, such as the amount of wool that can be produced out of oceanic plastic waste per month? And since you have to base your introduction on facts, research manufacturers that work with Oceanic fabrics from recycled plastic bottles .

Using facts helps to build a better narrative, and also gives leverage to your presentation as you are speaking not just from emotional elements but from actually recorded data backed up by research.

9. Fact vs. Myths

Related to our previous point, we make quite an interesting speech if we contrast a fact vs. a myth in a non-conventional way: using a myth to question a well-accepted fact, then introducing a new point of view or theory, backed on sufficient research, that proves the fact wrong. This technique, when used in niches related to academia, can significantly increase the audience’s interest, and it will highlight your presentation as innovative.

Another approach is to debunk a myth using a fact. This contrast immediately piques interest because it promises to overturn commonly held beliefs, and people naturally find it compelling when their existing knowledge is put to the test. An example of this is when a nutritionist wishes to speak about how to lose weight via diet, and debunks the myth that all carbohydrates are “bad”.

10. The Power of Music

Think about a presentation that discusses the benefits of using alternative therapies to treat anxiety, reducing the need to rely on benzodiazepines. Rather than going technical and introducing facts, the presenter can play a soothing tune and invite the audience to follow an exercise that teaches how to practice breathing meditation . Perhaps, in less than 2 minutes, the presenter can accomplish the goal of exposing the advantages of this practice with a live case study fueled by the proper ambiance (due to the music played in the beginning).

11. Physical Activity

Let’s picture ourselves in an in-company presentation about workspace wellness. For this company, the sedentary lifestyle their employees engage in is a worrying factor, so they brought a personal trainer to coach the employees on a basic flexibility routine they can practice in 5 minutes after a couple of hours of desk time.

“Before we dive in, let’s all stand up for a moment.” This simple instruction breaks the ice and creates a moment of shared experience among the attendees. You could then lead them through a brief stretching routine, saying something like, “Let’s reach up high, and stretch out those muscles that get so tight sitting at our desks all day.” With this action, you’re not just talking about workplace wellness, you’re giving them a direct, personal experience of it.

This approach has several advantages. Firstly, it infuses energy into the room and increases the oxygen flow to the brain, potentially boosting the audience’s concentration and retention. Secondly, it sets a precedent that your presentation is not going to be a standard lecture, but rather an interactive experience. This can raise the level of anticipation for what’s to come, and make the presentation a topic for future conversation between coworkers.

12. Acknowledging a Person

How many times have you heard the phrase: “Before we begin, I’d like to dedicate a few words to …” . The speaker could be referring to a mentor figure, a prominent person in the local community, or a group of people who performed charity work or obtained a prize for their hard work and dedication. Whichever is the reason behind this, acknowledgment is a powerful force to use as a method of starting a presentation. It builds a connection with the audience, it speaks about your values and who you admire, and it can transmit what the conversation is going to be about based on who the acknowledged person is.

Closing Thoughts

Now you know how to start your presentation – you have the opening lines, you have the slides to use, and you can browse even more attractive PowerPoint presentation slides and templates on our website. Also, we recommend you visit our article on how to make a PowerPoint Presentation to get familiarized with the best tactics for professional presentation design and delivery, or if you need to save time preparing your presentation, we highly recommend you check our AI Presentation Maker to pair these concepts with cutting-edge slide design powered by AI.

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Curiosity Gap, Opening, Public Speaking, Rhetorical Triangle, Speech, What If Filed under Presentation Ideas

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Sometimes even the best presenters procrastinate their work until the very last moment. And then, suddenly, they get a flow of ideas to complete their slide deck and present like they have been preparing for it for ages. However, doing so has drawbacks, as even professional presenters cannot always elude the side effects of […]

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How to Become Great in Public Speaking: Presenting Best Practices

Public Speaking takes a lot of practice and grit, however, it also requires a method that can help you through your presentation. Explore more about this subject in this blog post.

5 Responses to “How to Start a Presentation: 5 Strong Opening Slides and 12 Tricks To Test”

I love to follow the ideas, it’s good for a freshman

PRESENTATION SKILLS

How can you make a good presentation even more effective?

This page draws on published advice from expert presenters around the world, which will help to take your presentations from merely ‘good’ to ‘great’.

By bringing together advice from a wide range of people, the aim is to cover a whole range of areas.

Whether you are an experienced presenter, or just starting out, there should be ideas here to help you to improve.

1. Show your Passion and Connect with your Audience

It’s hard to be relaxed and be yourself when you’re nervous.

But time and again, the great presenters say that the most important thing is to connect with your audience, and the best way to do that is to let your passion for the subject shine through.

Be honest with the audience about what is important to you and why it matters.

Be enthusiastic and honest, and the audience will respond.

2. Focus on your Audience’s Needs

Your presentation needs to be built around what your audience is going to get out of the presentation.

As you prepare the presentation, you always need to bear in mind what the audience needs and wants to know, not what you can tell them.

While you’re giving the presentation, you also need to remain focused on your audience’s response, and react to that.

You need to make it easy for your audience to understand and respond.

3. Keep it Simple: Concentrate on your Core Message

When planning your presentation, you should always keep in mind the question:

What is the key message (or three key points) for my audience to take away?

You should be able to communicate that key message very briefly.

Some experts recommend a 30-second ‘elevator summary’, others that you can write it on the back of a business card, or say it in no more than 15 words.

Whichever rule you choose, the important thing is to keep your core message focused and brief.

And if what you are planning to say doesn’t contribute to that core message, don’t say it.

4. Smile and Make Eye Contact with your Audience

This sounds very easy, but a surprisingly large number of presenters fail to do it.

If you smile and make eye contact, you are building rapport , which helps the audience to connect with you and your subject. It also helps you to feel less nervous, because you are talking to individuals, not to a great mass of unknown people.

To help you with this, make sure that you don’t turn down all the lights so that only the slide screen is visible. Your audience needs to see you as well as your slides.

5. Start Strongly

The beginning of your presentation is crucial. You need to grab your audience’s attention and hold it.

They will give you a few minutes’ grace in which to entertain them, before they start to switch off if you’re dull. So don’t waste that on explaining who you are. Start by entertaining them.

Try a story (see tip 7 below), or an attention-grabbing (but useful) image on a slide.

6. Remember the 10-20-30 Rule for Slideshows

This is a tip from Guy Kawasaki of Apple. He suggests that slideshows should:

Contain no more than 10 slides;
Last no more than 20 minutes; and
Use a font size of no less than 30 point.

This last is particularly important as it stops you trying to put too much information on any one slide. This whole approach avoids the dreaded ‘Death by PowerPoint’.

As a general rule, slides should be the sideshow to you, the presenter. A good set of slides should be no use without the presenter, and they should definitely contain less, rather than more, information, expressed simply.

If you need to provide more information, create a bespoke handout and give it out after your presentation.

7. Tell Stories

Human beings are programmed to respond to stories.

Stories help us to pay attention, and also to remember things. If you can use stories in your presentation, your audience is more likely to engage and to remember your points afterwards. It is a good idea to start with a story, but there is a wider point too: you need your presentation to act like a story.

Think about what story you are trying to tell your audience, and create your presentation to tell it.

Finding The Story Behind Your Presentation

To effectively tell a story, focus on using at least one of the two most basic storytelling mechanics in your presentation:

Focusing On Characters – People have stories; things, data, and objects do not. So ask yourself “who” is directly involved in your topic that you can use as the focal point of your story.

For example, instead of talking about cars (your company’s products), you could focus on specific characters like:

The drivers the car is intended for – people looking for speed and adventure
The engineers who went out of their way to design the most cost-effective car imaginable

A Changing Dynamic – A story needs something to change along the way. So ask yourself “What is not as it should be?” and answer with what you are going to do about it (or what you did about it).

For example…

Did hazardous road conditions inspire you to build a rugged, all-terrain jeep that any family could afford?
Did a complicated and confusing food labelling system lead you to establish a colour-coded nutritional index so that anybody could easily understand it?

To see 15 more actionable storytelling tips, see Nuts & Bolts Speed Training’s post on Storytelling Tips .

8. Use your Voice Effectively

The spoken word is actually a pretty inefficient means of communication, because it uses only one of your audience’s five senses. That’s why presenters tend to use visual aids, too. But you can help to make the spoken word better by using your voice effectively.

Varying the speed at which you talk, and emphasising changes in pitch and tone all help to make your voice more interesting and hold your audience’s attention.

For more about this, see our page on Effective Speaking .

9. Use your Body Too

It has been estimated that more than three quarters of communication is non-verbal.

That means that as well as your tone of voice, your body language is crucial to getting your message across. Make sure that you are giving the right messages: body language to avoid includes crossed arms, hands held behind your back or in your pockets, and pacing the stage.

Make your gestures open and confident, and move naturally around the stage, and among the audience too, if possible.

10. Relax, Breathe and Enjoy

If you find presenting difficult, it can be hard to be calm and relaxed about doing it.

One option is to start by concentrating on your breathing. Slow it down, and make sure that you’re breathing fully. Make sure that you continue to pause for breath occasionally during your presentation too.

For more ideas, see our page on Coping with Presentation Nerves .

If you can bring yourself to relax, you will almost certainly present better. If you can actually start to enjoy yourself, your audience will respond to that, and engage better. Your presentations will improve exponentially, and so will your confidence. It’s well worth a try.

Improve your Presentation Skills

Follow our guide to boost your presentation skills learning about preparation, delivery, questions and all other aspects of giving effective presentations.

Start with: What is a Presentation?

Continue to: How to Give a Speech Self Presentation

See also: Five Ways You Can Do Visual Marketing on a Budget Can Presentation Science Improve Your Presentation? Typography – It’s All About the Message in Your Slides

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29 Killer Presentation Tips to Wow Your Audience

Written by: Chloe West

Looking for the top presentation tips to help you deliver an unforgettable slideshow?

When you’re preparing to give a presentation, you have one thing on your mind. You want your audience to really love what you’re saying.

There’s no worse feeling when you’re up on stage or at the front of the board meeting presenting your information than when you can visibly watch your viewers’ eyes glaze over, see them start to get bored and antsy, and notice they’re not all that invested in what you have to say.

Here's a short selection of 8 easy-to-edit preseentation templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more below:

Making sure your presentation wows your audience starts at the very beginning, right after you’ve been assigned or chosen your topic .

We want to help you make sure your audience is talking about your presentation for days (and even weeks or months) to come. So we’ve put together a list of presentation tips that cover the design, performance and overall reach of your slideshow.

To really knock the socks off your audience, be sure to check off each one of the tips below.

1 Focus on one idea per slide.

You don’t want to crowd too much information into one slide. If your slide design is cluttered and ugly, your audience is immediately going to zone out of your presentation and look elsewhere.

Instead, use one slide for each thought or idea.

Check out the way this slide from one of our presentation templates was designed.

presentation tips - Focus-on-one-idea-per-slide

It’s a testimonial slide that includes nothing but a couple of quotes from past customers.

Whether it’s a new section heading, an about slide, a team slide, etc., you want to keep the information you include on a single slide to a minimum.

There’s no need to try to cram your entire presentation or even a whole section of it onto one slide. Your slideshow will be much more visually appealing if you break your content up into multiple slides.

2 Use two or three fonts max.

Nothing clutters up a design like too many fonts. We recommend sticking to just two fonts throughout your entire presentation, and three at the most.

It's a good idea to find one larger, bold font for your headers and a separate sans serif font for the rest of your copy. But presentations often utilize an accent font like an italicized or serif font.

Take a look at the presentation slides below. There are two different fonts being used on these slides—a thin sans serif for the quotes and a serif for the names and locations.

presentation tips - Use-2-3-fonts-maximum

Choose two or three fonts and use them throughout your presentation. Consistency is key, and you want to make sure your slides look cohesive and like they belong together.

3 Pay attention to visual hierarchy.

Visual hierarchy is a design strategy for organizing elements depending on importance. This goes for font sizes, icon size, contrast and any other visual element in your presentation.

This is an important presentation tip because you want your viewers to know exactly which part of the slide they should be looking at first, second, third and so on.

It’s all about focusing on what can grab the user’s attention first, whether it’s larger font, more space between elements or creating deliberate alignment.

You can learn more about visual hierarchy and how to use it in your next presentation by watching this video.

4 Keep it to less than six lines of text.

Your slide shouldn’t be a huge wall of text. That’s what your speaking is for. Instead, be sure to keep it to less than six lines of text at a maximum. Ideally, you’ll have even less.

The content included on your slide should be limited to your main talking points (or a single point, if you really want to keep your slides minimalistic), and your voice should do the rest.

And if you’re not giving this presentation live?

You can always record your audio over your slides. Visme’s presentation maker allows users to record their own audio right in the design dashboard to create stand alone presentations and webinars.

The presentation slides below are a great example of limiting text. There’s a quick snippet of text, and the rest of the content as well as the speaker’s voice will add any context the viewer needs.

Like we mentioned in point one, don’t try to fit your entire presentation on a single slide. Let your voice do the talking and your slide include the most pertinent information.

Don’t bore your audience with a slide filled with words. Visuals are just as important.

5 Don’t use bullet points.

Here's another one of our “don’t use too much text” presentation tips. Bullet points have plagued presentations for years. But if you want yours to stand out, it’s best to stay away from them.

There are so many other more engaging and visually appealing ways to design your presentation slides. Bullets just aren’t one of them.

Consider this slide template layout below. The icon blocks help to differentiate the different points in a unique way so that you don’t have to revert to overused bullet points.

presentation tips - Dont-use-bullet-points

Customize this presentation template and make it your own!

Add your own text, images, colors and more
Add interactive buttons and animations
Customize anything to fit your design and content needs

And to help you get even more creative with your slide layouts, Visme’s presentation themes offer hundreds of different options to choose from.

6 Create strong contrast.

In your audience, you might have people sitting in the back of the room, relatively far away from your screen. To make sure they can still see your presentation slides , you need to create strong contrast.

This means your text should easily stand out against your background. If you have a dark background, all of your text and design elements should be light in contrast, and vice versa.

Check out this slide from one of our presentation templates . The white and yellow easily pop against the dark background, giving this slide great contrast.

presentation tips - Create-strong-contrast

When putting this presentation tip to practice, make sure that your text and other elements are easy to see and don’t blend into your background, even from the back of the room.

7 Stick to two or three colors.

Just like you should use no more than two or three fonts throughout your presentation, the same goes for colors. Don't forget, there's such a thing as too much of a good thing.

We love color, but trying to fit too many colors in a single presentation can easily backfire.

When you start to get four, five, six colors into a presentation, it can start to look messy and like the slides don’t actually match or go together in the same slideshow.

A good presentation tip is to choose a color scheme with up to three different colors, or consider a monochromatic scheme of a single hue, similar to this presentation slide.

The use of different shades of blue/grey help tie the slide together and give it a cohesive color scheme.

Finding a color scheme for your presentation doesn’t have to be the hardest part of your entire design. Choose from a basic scheme like cool or warm colors, match your colors to your topic or incorporate your company colors into your presentation to communicate your brand values and identity.

8 Add audio and video.

One great way to create an interactive presentation is by adding audio and video elements to your slides. This helps you take a break from talking and can give your presentation another dimension.

Using Visme, you can easily embed videos into your presentation slides, upload audio files, choose audio clips from our free library and even record your own audio over your slides.

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9 Stick to one image per slide.

You’re probably finding a theme here. When it comes to fonts, colors, images and other design elements, you don’t want to go crazy. Simple is almost always better.

And when it comes to images and photographs, it’s best to incorporate just one in each slide. There are several different ways to use these images, like as a background, an accent photo or with a color overlay.

This presentation slide is a great example of how to use a single photo to add a little something to your slide so it’s not just text, graphics or charts.

presentation tips - Stick-to-one-image-per-slide

While there are reasons and ways to use multiple images tastefully, a good rule of thumb is to stick to just one main image as a background or accent.

10 Use high-quality graphics.

You don’t want any of the photos, graphics or icons in your presentation to be low-resolution or blurry. Always use high-quality vector graphics that look great no matter how big or small they are.

Icons and graphics can be an effective way to visually represent your words and context and further help your audience understand what you’re saying.

Here’s a sample presentation slide from one of our templates. Each of these graphics are high-quality, represent different words and help to tell more of a story.

presentation tips - Use-high-quality-graphics

Visme’s library includes thousands of free vector icons, shapes and graphics in different styles for users to incorporate into their presentation slides.

11 Use data visualization.

Data visualization can include anything from charts and graphs to radials and icon charts.

It’s essentially taking numbers and statistics and showcasing them in a visual form so that it's easier for your audience to understand at a glance.

This presentation slide template below includes an attractive vertical bar graph illustrating the company’s revenue and funding over the years.

presentation tips - Incorporate-data-visualization

12 Make it interactive.

We talked briefly about how adding audio and video to your presentation slides can help make it interactive, but there are many more ways to do just that.

In fact, we’ve written a blog post with 17 different ways to make your presentation interactive. Some of these have to do with your performance, but we’re talking about design right now.

Adding in links to your presentation, whether it’s between slides or even between elements in a single slide, is a great way to create a unique slideshow that your audience will love.

Watch this quick video to learn more about linking your slides together to create a non-linear presentation.

You can also put together an interactive quiz by linking elements in a single slide to appear on your click and so much more.

13 Keep transitions and animations consistent.

When adding transitions and animations to your slides and design elements, it can be easy to get excited about all of your options and go overboard.

But it’s important to keep all transitions and animations consistent within your presentation or it can easily overwhelm your audience. In fact, we recommend sticking to a single transition and animation type throughout your entire slideshow.

You also don’t have to animate every single one of your elements. Let some of them stay static while other, more important elements are animated on the screen.

14 Be energetic.

Your audience can feel your energy, and if you’re standing up at the front of the room and speaking through each slide with an unenthusiastic and monotone voice, they’re going to quickly lose interest.

You’re on the stage, and you need to command their attention. Practice this presentation tip by being energetic. Move around the front of the room or use hand motions.

It's also a good idea to drink water or fresh juice before your presentation to energize yourself. Don't forget to keep a water bottle with you during your presentation!

Learn how to use your voice to entertain your audience through your presentation. Vocal delivery matters , so practice beforehand and get comfortable changing intonation based on your content.

15 Tell a story.

When you’re able to tell a story that resonates with your audience and grabs their attention, you’ve got them wrapped around your finger for the rest of your talk.

There are many different storytelling techniques that can make your presentation stand out. Think about how you can incorporate one or two of these while putting together your content.

16 Use strong structure.

The structure of your presentation is important. It helps give your story and your presentation depth.

There are many different ways to structure your presentation based on its messaging, and you want to make sure that the one you choose makes sense for your topic.

Learn about seven potential methods for structuring your next presentation in the video below.

17 Know your audience.

Understand who is going to be in your audience—how many people, what their backgrounds are, who else will be speaking at the event that they’d be interested to see and more.

If you’re giving a presentation at a conference or networking event, you should be able to speak with the organizers to get answers to all of these questions. Once you really know your audience, you’ll be able to determine what they want to learn and how you should present the information.

18 Make eye contact.

Another presentation tip to remember while in front of your audience is to make eye contact. It exudes confidence when you’re able to look directly at the people you’re speaking with.

It can also help to persuade them to your point of view and keep your audience focused on you and what you’re saying to them.

Maintaining good eye contact with your presentation audience can even help you to speak more slowly and clearly so they can follow along more easily.

Making eye contact can be nerve-wracking for some presenters, so make sure you keep some tips in your back pocket , like holding eye contact for just four to five seconds, looking at people’s heads or making eye contact during your most critical lines.

19 Be funny.

Want to keep your audience engaged and help them fall in love with your presentation?

Make them laugh!

Incorporating humor into a presentation is always a great way to pass the time and make your information that much more interesting.

You don’t want to force it, because that can make things awkward for all parties involved, so make sure you plan some lighthearted humor that you can easily pull off.

Also ensure the jokes you tell are actually relevant to your content. You don’t want to start off by making your audience laugh and immediately jump into, “Now let’s talk about [entirely different topic]!” That will turn them off faster than if you didn’t use any humor at all.

Avoid controversial topics and sarcasm, and try testing out a few jokes before delivering them during your presentation.

20 Use your hands.

Standing still and straight as a board throughout the duration of your presentation will seem pretty off-putting to your audience.

Even if you don’t necessarily feel confident, you want to create the illusion of confidence, and moving around the stage and using your hands to emphasize your words is a great way to fake it until you make it.

21 Summarize.

Taking time throughout your presentation to summarize what you’ve said so far is a great way to help your audience fully understand the material and remember it for the future.

Create a summary slide after every main point and/or at the end of your presentation to conclude.

You can use a slide like the example below to share your summary or key takeaways for each section.

22 Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.

While you don’t want to sound like you’ve just memorized your lines and are badly reading off a script, you do want to be completely comfortable with your material and the way you want to deliver your message.

And you get to that point by continuously rehearsing, re-reading your note cards and scrolling through your presentation slides to ensure you know what to say when and more.

You want your presentation to be a success , and you do that by being fully prepared and rehearsing plenty.

23 Don’t go over time.

Not only is rehearsing good for knowing your material, but it can also help make sure you don’t start rambling and lose track of time.

If you’re worried about going over on your time, there are apps that can help notify you of how much time you have left and help guide you through your presentation.

When you’re presenting at an event with lots of speakers, you want to make sure you’re being respectful to both the attendees and the presenters by not commandeering the show. Stick to your allotted time, and make sure you’re staying under each time you rehearse.

24 Embed your presentation.

After you’ve designed and given your presentation, what next? It’s over?

You’ve invested all of this time into creating an awesome piece of content, and you should continue to use it to your advantage. There are ways to still reach a broader audience after you’ve given your speech.

When you create a presentation in Visme, you can publish it online and easily embed it on your website.

This way, you can create a webpage or a blog surrounding your recent presentation and let people who weren’t able to see you present live still learn about your content.

Visme provides an embed code that makes it easy to share presentations online and seamlessly include all of your transitions, animations and interactivity.

Check out this example of an embedded Visme presentation below.

While there are many different ways to embed a presentation on a website, Visme’s embed is one of the most seamless and visually appealing, with no ugly outlines and slide changer messing with the design on your page. It’s also responsive and able to adapt to different screens.

25 Create a public link.

Visme also allows you to publish your presentation online so that you can get a public link to share with your audience. You can grab that link and share your content on social media, in email newsletters or even as a link in your email signature.

Plus, if you publish a presentation—or any design you create with Visme—publicly, you have access to analytics so you can view how each of your creations perform with your audience.

You’ll be able to look at how many total views your presentation received, how many people viewed the complete presentation and more.

26 Upload to SlideShare.

SlideShare is an online platform owned by LinkedIn that allows users to upload presentations.

The platform has millions of presentations, as well as powerful search features and categories, which makes it a great way to get your content found.

Create an account with SlideShare and link it to your LinkedIn account so you can easily share your presentation with your connections.

27 Regularly update and adapt.

Even if your presentation was created on an evergreen topic, information is always changing or being discovered. To keep your presentation relevant, make sure you regularly update and adapt your content to be current and accurate.

You can also include an area in the footer of your first or last slide with the creation date alongside the last date of update so your audience knows it’s being revisited often with updated information.

28 Turn it into a webinar.

Visme allows users to record audio directly in the app to add another dimension to a presentation, or even to turn it into a webinar .

Converting your presentation into a webinar can give you a way to connect with your audience on another level, and you can even have people sign up on your website to view it as a way to gather email addresses.

29 Turn it into a lead magnet.

While your webinar can also be considered a lead magnet, we’re covering something slightly different here. You don’t even have to worry about recording audio over your slides or making any changes.

Instead, you can require people to enter an email address directly in Visme before being able to view your content and generate new leads through there without setting up any other processes.

All you have to do is click Share in the top bar of your presentation maker, go to Advanced Settings, click the Social/Engagement tab and toggle Requires registration to On.

This will require your viewers to input their name and email address before they’re able to access the content. You can go into your Visme dashboard to download your form results and import them into your email software or CRM.

Get started with these presentation tips.

Ready to create a presentation that will wow your audience? Take all of these tips and use them to create a beautiful and memorable slideshow.

Try out one of our premade presentation templates and sign up for a free Visme account to create, present and promote your next presentation.

Did you find these presentation tips helpful? We'd love to know. Let us know your questions, thoughts and suggestions in the comments section below.

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About the Author

Chloe West is the content marketing manager at Visme. Her experience in digital marketing includes everything from social media, blogging, email marketing to graphic design, strategy creation and implementation, and more. During her spare time, she enjoys exploring her home city of Charleston with her son.

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How to make a good presentation great: 8 pro tips.

A smiling woman engaging in a conversation in a bright office environment, highlighted in a Biteable video maker presentation.

10 Jun 2019

It’s 2am.

You’ve got a huge presentation tomorrow, but you’re afraid to go to bed for fear of having an on-the-stage-in-my-skivvies level nightmare about the big day. We’ve all been there. Learning how to make a presentation (without breaking out into a cold sweat) takes practice.

In our experience, a serious case of the jitters is best fixed by a serious injection of expert wisdom.

We’ve gathered the best advice from experts like Tony Robbins, Steve Jobs, and Guy Kawasaki on how to make a good presentation great, along with insider knowledge on both designing and delivering a presentation.

Plus, as a bonus, we included our best practices for adding video to your next presentation. We also threw in a few of our favorite video presentation templates from Biteable. With Biteable’s online video making software, creating a video presentation is as simple as making a PowerPoint (and far more effective).

Content & Design

How to make a good presentation.

Making a good presentation starts with crafting the content. No matter how compelling your message is, if you don’t get it out of your brain and on to the screen in a simple way, you’ll be met with a sea of blank faces. So, where to begin?

1. Create an easy-to-follow structure

When it comes to what you have to say, break it down into three simple sections: your presentation needs an introduction, body, and conclusion.

A compelling introduction . Your introduction needs to briefly sum up what you’re going to talk about and why it’s useful or relevant to your audience.

Offer a body of evidence . The body of your presentation is where you hit ’em with the facts, quotes, and evidence to back up your main points.

Sum up with key takeaways . The conclusion is where you loop back to your original statement and give the audience some key takeaways on how they can put into practice what they’ve learned.

No more than 10 slides in total . Who wants to sit through pages and pages of slides? No one, that’s who. By keeping your slide deck to 10 slides, even if your presentation is 30 minutes long, you’ll give the audience a chance to digest the on-screen messages in line with your talk. Using concept maps before structuring your slides can help keep to the point.

Man smiling with a quote about how to make a good presentation by Guy Kawasaki.

2. Limit the amount of copy on each slide

Less really is more, especially when it comes to making a good presentation. Too much text and the audience will just be reading the screen instead of looking at you and feeling the emotional impact of your message.

No more than six words per slide . Marketing king Seth Godin says we should have just six words per slide – that’s not a lot of copy. Choose your words carefully and rewrite until you’ve got it just right.

Think ‘bite-size’ information . We called ourselves Biteable a reason: studies show information is retained better when it’s broken down into bite-sized chunks. Video is a great way to do this, and research suggests it’s 95% more compelling than text. Consider adding video to your presentation strategy. But regardless, break your information up into smaller, palatable pieces.

Marketing advice on how to make a good presentation with slides.

3. Be savvy with design details

A well-thought-out design can make all the difference between a good presentation and one that falls flat. Consider these design standards as you make your presentation.

Use color sparingly . Bright colors can dazzle, but too many can be off-putting. Use the colors most relevant to your message. We’d recommend sticking with one or two (not counting black and white) for your palette so it has a consistent look and feel.

Be consistent with your font . Consistent design makes you look more professional. Don’t switch between caps and lower case, Times New Roman and Comic Sans, or 8 and 30 point text size. Stick with one font and one size throughout. You can vary the emphasis with your words later, but keep your on-screen text uniform for a more cohesive message.

Format for perfection . A wonky line on a slide or a badly pixelated graphic will put some people off, as it will look like you haven’t tried very hard (or worse, that you just aren’t very good). Make sure your text is aligned and neat like in the example below.

Comparative examples of how to make a good presentation, highlighting good and bad text formatting techniques.

4. Polish several times

Just like a pair of well-worn shoes, a good presentation often needs a few rounds of dusting before it’s shiny and sparkly.

Start Messy . Don’t be afraid to start messy. Using a non-linear writing tool like Milanote allows you to explore and outline your initial ideas in a flexible way before you even open up PowerPoint or Keynote. Arrange your ideas side-by-side and discover new connections that you didn’t see before.

Edit ruthlessly . At first you might have a huge amount of information and will wonder how you’re ever going get it down to six words per slide. That’s OK. Keep editing ruthlessly until you’ve pared your message down to the bare essentials.

Get someone else to look at it . A fresh pair of eyes can work miracles when it comes to refining your presentation. Get a trusted mentor or colleague to review your work. If you don’t know anyone who can help, an online writing assistant like ProWritingAid or Grammarly can help you weed out a lot of problems.

Inspirational quote by Steve Jobs on how to make a good presentation, embracing and moving past mistakes, set against a blue background with a portrait of Jobs himself.

How to give a good presentation

How you deliver your slides is as important as their content and design. Here are some quick pointers to help you get your message across with impact.

Inspirational quote from a motivational speaker on presentation skills on a purple background with a portrait smiling to the side.

5. Have a strong opening

How you start and finish your presentation is extremely important. Audiences usually make up their minds about someone in the first seven seconds, so make those first moments count.

Be different . You’re doing a presentation about saving tree frogs in Costa Rica. You open with an amusing story about one that escaped on a bunch of bananas to the UK. A story like this is different and unexpected for your audience, so they’ll sit up and take notice.

Ask a question . Rhetorical questions are a great way to frame a topic and introduce ideas. Martin Luther King Jr. said: “There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, ‘When will you be satisfied?’”

Tailor it to your audience . How much do you know about your audience? The more you know, the better. Especially if you know their likes and dislikes. Inserting a relevant metaphor or popular culture reference. Oprah Winfrey’s Stanford commencement address spoke to the graduates about her lessons learned and how they were entering ‘the classroom of life.’

6. Be genuine

Oscar Wilde said “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” A lack of authenticity will be spotted a mile away. Whatever you’re saying, speak from the heart and don’t try to impress – there’s no need to prove yourself, just to get the point across as you see it. After all, that’s why you’re there, and you can’t do more than that.

Use humor . Humor can be great for giving a presentation, but cut it out if it feels like a stretch. Telling a humorous story can break down any barriers, make you more likeable, and make your message more memorable (and people are surprisingly generous with laughter) but the faintest whiff of desperation will kill a funny vibe.

Don’t be afraid to mess up . The fear of making a mistake can make you inordinately nervous. Relax, even the best speakers mess up or have bad luck. Theresa May, ex-Prime Minister of England, once stumbled and coughed her way through a presentation , with someone even handing her a resignation letter. She battled through like a pro, though, and simply acknowledged it and moved on. No big deal.

Open up and be vulnerable . Brené Brown, a researcher whose presentations have amassed over ten million views, says that “Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up.” This means speaking your truth and daring to feel a little uncomfortable as you share a meaningful story. It will connect your audience to you like never before.

7. Have a plan for a smooth delivery

With all the prep you’re doing on the content and design of your presentation, it can be easy to overlook other variables that are within your control for a stress-free delivery.

Have a practice run-through . There’s nothing like reading it out loud to ensure your message makes sense before you actually deliver it. Try recording your presentation on video — this way you’ll be able to review with an accurate eye and notice whether your speech matches up with your slides. It’ll also help you sort out your run time.

Use a remote . A clicker or remote will help you face the audience and not have to keep turning back to your laptop. Sought-after public speaker Garr Reynolds says a remote is essential in order to pause and advance your presentation so you have time to be spontaneous and control the flow of your delivery.

Have backup material . Not everything you say is going to resonate with your audience. It’s best to be flexible enough to change the game as and when needed. Steve Jobs had standby anecdotes prepared to fill time when the technology he was using to give the presentation failed. Preparing for every eventuality will help soothe your nerves and allow you to feel more in control.

Use a timer . When you get into the flow of your message, it’s easy to go off on a tangent or even spend too long on audience questions. Put your phone on airplane mode and set the stopwatch just as you begin speaking. A quick glance down at the table during a pause will allow you to make sure you’re not going overtime.

8. To conclude, focus on audience value

You’re coming to the end of your presentation. How do you wrap it up in a way that will be everlasting in their memories? The experts recommend you focus on the feeling you want the audience to take home.

Leave your audience with an emotional impression .”They might forget what you said, but they’ll never forget the way they made you feel” said the poet Maya Angelou. By leaving them with an emotional impression, from a piece of video with moving music to a line from a song or poem, you’ll strike that resonant chord and end on a high.

Use a pause for key takeaways . Want the audience to remember something specific? Say it slowly and leave a pause at the end. The silence will emphasize what you said and make it meaningful.

Make your core message sing . A call-to-action is the best way to wrap up your presentation with strength and impact. What do you want your audience to do next? Tony Robbins tells a great story, moving his audience emotionally towards change.

Motivational quote by Tony Robbins on how to make a good presentation, emphasizing the importance of emotion in retaining information, displayed next to his black and white portrait with a yellow background.

Make your next presentation shine with one of these video templates

You’ve learned from the pros and you feel much more confident about how to make a presentation that stands out. But to really make your presentation one to remember, consider adding video into the mix.

Create a nice change of pace by embedding a video in your PowerPoint presentation or go out on a limb and turn your entire presentation into an engaging, thoughtful video.

Either way, make it great with one of the professionally designed video presentation templates available in Biteable.

Make a video presentation with Biteable

With Biteable, making a video presentation has never been easier.

Biteable’s online video making software gives you access to hundreds of brandable templates and video scenes, plus over 24 million stock clips, images, and animations all in an easy-to-use platform.

Add text to your video, include a voice over, and even record your screen without ever leaving the app. Once you’re done making video presentation magic, automatically apply your company colors and logo to your entire video with Biteable’s innovative brand builder feature.

Anyone can make an impactful video with Biteable. Are you ready to try?

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14 Must-Know Presentation Tips for a Killer Presentation [in 2023]

Guru - November 8, 2022 - Leave your thoughts. 18 min read

We're all familiar with the old adage: "A good presentation is like a great conversation."

What makes a presentation great?

Is it a compelling story? Or a good connection with your audience? Or is it about an eloquent delivery by the presenter?

The truth is, there is no “one-size-fits-all solution” for creating great presentations. Every presentation is different, and every audience is different.

When you’re tasked with delivering a presentation, you want to ensure it goes off without a hitch. We all know how important it is for the audience to remember and understand the content.

So if you’re wondering how to make a killer presentation that will stand out and stay in people’s minds for a long time, you’ve come to the right place!

In this article, we have addressed the most frequently asked questions about presentations.

We have also compiled a list of great presentation tips to improve your deck designs, presentation best practices, and effective ways to communicate the subject to your audience.

Here’s what the article covers,

What makes a good presentation?

14 Must-Know Presentation Tips to give a killer presentation

What are the difficulties in making a presentation?

Spellbound your audience with these presentation tips.

When we think about presentations, we often think about the content itself. We imagine a long list of facts or figures, a well-rehearsed script, and a PowerPoint slide deck.

But what makes a good presentation? What makes it memorable, engaging, and valuable?

These are questions that any presenter should be asking themselves.

Here are the four characteristics of a good presentation:

A good presentation makes you want to take action.
It helps your audience engage and be interested in what you have to say. It educates and entertains at the same time.
It puts forth information in a way that makes it easy for them to understand and process without overwhelming them.
If you're one of those people who's always thinking, "What can I add to my own presentation?”

Well, we've compiled some best presentation tips for you that will help make your next presentation memorable—and, more importantly, help you do what you came here to do: share information with the world.

So read on to find out.

14 Must Know Presentation Tips for a killer presentation [in 2023]

Ever felt like you're struggling to make a presentation on time? Worried about how good your presentation will turn out? We have all been there.

This is why we have put together a list of great presentation tips that can make your next presentation a breeze, and we hope it helps!

Here are some tips to help you create a great presentation:

Do proper homework on the subject
Have a strong opening
Follow a presentation structure
Have a Hook!
Tell an engaging story
Use visual elements
Keep it short
Add a touch of humor
Have a parking lot for questions
Learn to empathize with the audience
Keep it interactive with Call-to-action
Incorporate Data when required
Use Hashtags in your presentation
Try out unique presentation templates

Tip 1 - Do proper homework on the subject

Whenever a topic is assigned to you for a presentation, it goes without saying that you understand the topic correctly.

You must do proper homework and research on the subject to ensure you know what you're talking about.

Reading articles and books, or even watching videos or podcasts, will help you understand the topic and how the presentation should be structured.

Also, if you need more background information on the topic, don't be afraid to ask for help from other people—you might find that they know more than you think!

Take notes while learning about the topic. This will help you remember key points.

Then, read your notes before you present and practice saying them aloud (this will help with timing and pronunciation).

Use a timer; this helps keep track of how long you take to say things while also keeping yourself from getting too nervous.

Do some fundamental research on your audience and their expectations about your presentation.

For instance, If they're business executives, they might be looking for intellectual information and numbers. Or, If they're a general audience, they may want more details about how your product works or how it can benefit them.

You'll be surprised how much more effective your presentation will be when you know,

Everything about the topic How crucial it is for the audience, and What the audience expects from the presentation

So only present a topic after doing loads of essential research!

Tip 2 - Have a strong opening

An excellent way to ensure that your presentation is successful is by having a solid opening. Plan the intro slides ahead so that you can set the right tone for the pitch.

Have a strong opening statement that tells your audience who they are listening to, why they're here, what they will hear from you, and anything else you want them to know!

Doing so will help keep your audience engaged and interested in what you have to say.

Be prepared for questions from your audience before you start speaking. It is not necessary that the audience must wait till the end to ask questions.

Being prepared will help you answer them well and present yourself as an expert in the field.

Tip 3 - Follow a presentation structure

The first thing you should do is decide on a structure for your presentation. This will help you ensure that you cover all essential topics and leave no gaps in what you say.

The most successful presentations start with a strong introduction, followed by a clear and concise main body, and ending with a proper sign-off.

The body presents the study's research, findings, and conclusions in an organized and engaging way.

The final section/sign-off should close with any additional information or recommendations. Not just that, it must also give the audience space to ask questions related to the presentation.

Each section can have about two or three minutes of content. This would help structure the presentation concisely and make sure to include all important information.

Use transitions between slides that move from one topic to another, rather than just jumping from one slide to another in one continuous flow.

This makes your content more manageable for your audience to follow and gives them more time to digest what they're seeing before moving on to the next thing!

Hence, remember this effective presentation tip - follow a proper structure!

Tip 4 - Have a Hook!

When you're delivering a presentation, keeping your audience's attention is essential.

But how do you make learning a little more fun? What are the best presenting tips and tricks?

Well, one way is by making sure that your presentation has a hook.

A hook can be anything from an element of surprise (like an announcement that will keep them anticipated till the end) to something unexpected (a discount!).

This will help to keep your audience engaged because they won't feel like they're reading through a textbook or manual - they'll feel like they're getting involved in your story.

Ideally, hooks are placed at the start of the presentation. It's the part that acts as a surprise for the audience, keeping them engaged and excited, and would help retain the audience's attention.

However, remember that the fewer distractions in your presentation, the easier it will be for them to see how amazing it is!

Tip 5 - Tell an engaging story

When you're creating a presentation, it’s a thumb rule to make sure your slide decks are memorable and engaging throughout.

One of the best ways to do this is by telling a story—whether that's a story about your business, your life, or anything else related to the subject.

Telling a story is the key to creating an excellent presentation.

Your audience will be more interested if they can relate to what's on your slides. So tell them a story that connects with their lives and work experiences - it may be a funny anecdote or a relatable work prank!

Let's say you're talking about how to create a product. You can start by showing an image or a video of the product. You can develop the flow by telling the product story and how it has grown through the years.

That way, your audience gets to see both sides of the coin: what this product does and how it was made.

The more details you include in your presentation, the better it will be for viewers—not only because they'll get more information but because they'll also have more context for what they see on screen.

Hence, remember to carve your presentation with a well-practiced, engaging story.

Tip 6 - Use visual elements

People love visual aids—they help them remember things better than words alone!

When you're presenting a product or service, you have to look at it from all angles—from the customer's point of view, the provider's point of view, and your own.

It's essential to keep in mind that your presentation must build a connection with the audience. You must consider the audience’s needs and how you can meet them. The best way to bring that connection is not just through words but to incorporate visual proofs in your slide decks.

But the visual elements used must be relevant to the topic at hand.

For example, if your company is doing something great for the community, show pictures of people smiling in joy from being around you!

If you're talking about how much money you've made over the years as an entrepreneur, add pictures of dollar signs!

Finally, make sure that everything in your presentation flows together nicely.

For example, if visual element parts don't match, then consider breaking them up into two separate slides or changing how things are laid out so it doesn't feel so jarring when someone views it.

Use quality screenshots and images that are relevant to the topic at hand. This is especially important when you're speaking in front of an audience who may need to become more familiar with your product or service.

If possible, use photos or videos of people who might be familiar with your topic—people who will help convey your message more effectively than just text alone.

You don't have to go all out on the graphics, but if you can, try to use high-quality images that are easy to understand.

With online presentation makers like Animaker Deck, you get access to the stock images library; you can pick and add high-quality images for your slide decks with a simple click now!

Also, the best part is you can upload screenshots and brand images directly into the app and use them in the presentation.

Tip 7 - Keep it short

Ever wonder why some presentations are so dull? It's because they're dragging!

A good presentation should be at most 20 minutes at maximum and be structured so that even a first-time viewer can easily understand the information conveyed.

Ensure your audience knows what to expect from you and your content. Refrain from crossing the line of being boring or boringly informative. Your audience should never feel like they're being lectured.

One key business presentation tip is to convey the message to the audience most memorably and engagingly possible.

It is really in the hands of the presenter to steer the audience’s attention throughout the presentation without giving too many dull moments.

The shorter, the better. Keep your slides concise, and avoid falling into the trap of talking about things that have nothing to do with your actual point.

Tip 8 - Add a touch of humor

If you're trying to create an awesome presentation, you can do a few things to ensure it's easy on the eyes and makes people want to engage.

One of the best methods for communicating the message in a light-hearted manner and making your presentation stand out is through humor.

Try to avoid text-heavy slides! You can use witty remarks, analogies, drawings, personal anecdotes, or even memes that suit current trends.

When you tell about something that has happened to you, people may be able to associate with it even more if the story is humorous.

This way, you can easily withhold the audience’s attention through the presentation.

Tip 9 - Have a parking lot for questions

When you're creating a presentation, it's important to keep the audience engaged and excited about what's coming up next. Therefore, it is very necessary to make the presentation a two-way street.

A good way to do this is by asking questions during your presentation and allowing them to answer. This helps keep the audience interested in what they're learning and makes them feel like they're part of the conversation.

The audience should be engaged throughout the presentation and allowed to ask questions to the presenter.

However, it is also vital to ensure that the flow of the presentation is not disrupted by the bombardment of questions in the middle of the presentation.

To tackle this, the presenter can introduce a “parking lot” in their presentation.

So when the audience asks a question about a particular section in the presentation, the presenter can choose to park similar questions together and answer them all together at the end of the presentation.

This way, the presentation’s flow is not affected, and even the audience will get their questions answered.

This is an important skill to be imbibed by every presenter to ensure the audience feels comfortable and gains a good experience from the presentation.

Tip 10 - Learn to empathize with the audience

One of the most important things to remember when creating a presentation is that you are trying to connect with your audience.

Learn to empathize with the audience. You'll want to understand what they're seeing, feeling, and thinking so that you can communicate your message in a way that resonates with them.

By understanding their needs, you can create a more meaningful presentation that will resonate with them. Try to put yourself in their shoes and imagine how they think about this topic.

Are they excited? Are they bored? What are they hoping for? What do they want to see from you?

Know your audience's needs!

It would help if you talked to people with similar backgrounds as your audience and how they would like to be educated on the topic.

Before you start creating content for your presentation, think about who you're speaking to and what they need from you.

When you do this, you will not only speak more clearly, but you'll also be able to connect with them emotionally, making your message stick.

Tip 11 - Keep it interactive with Call-to-action

Have you ever been in a presentation where the speaker makes it look like a one-way conversation? It's not an intentional act of rudeness—the speaker is just trying to get their point across.

But for the audience, it might be very disappointing!

The solution? Keep your presentation interactive with call-to-action buttons that let your audience help move things along.

When something important is being discussed, ask them to take action by clicking on one of the buttons that appear on the screen.

Include a call-to-action that tells your audience what they should do next (like sign up for my newsletter!) or take action on what you've just told them (like buy my product!).

So include call-to-action buttons wherever necessary, so viewers feel like they're partaking in something meaningful rather than just watching someone talk for hours on end!

But one thing, don’t go overboard on those CTAs either. Too many CTAs can be bugging.

Tip 12 - Incorporate Data when required

Creating a presentation is a complicated task, but it's also incredibly important that you need to be able to convey information clearly and effectively.

That's where data comes in!

Data can help you make your point by giving context and supporting the main points of your argument.

Incorporate data when required to present information to the audience quickly. This will make your audience understand what you're talking about more efficiently and allow them to consume the information in a way that makes sense to them.

Use real-life examples and statistics whenever possible because people love those!

With an online presentation maker like Animaker Deck, you get access to the property section, where you can search and add charts, graphs, icons, and other properties directly into your slide decks with just a few clicks.

For example, if you're presenting an overview of how your company's business model works, include graphs or charts that show how the different parts of the model work together so that people who aren't familiar with it can follow along easily.

Or, if you're talking about something more complex, like an industry trend, use graphs or charts to illustrate key points about it, such as growth rates for specific industries over time or changes in consumer demand based on demographics.

You can also use numbers and percentages in charts when comparing different items or events.

Tip 13 - Use Hashtags in your presentation

It’s the era of social media. People are likely tweeting, emailing, or running their entire little business on their phones and sharing every life update on the internet while still doing other chores.

When used correctly, hashtags can: Persuade attendees to share your event on social media, give participants a way to continue the conversation online, and permit you to review tagged comments to evaluate consumer feedback.

You can create a hashtag for your event and use it in the presentation. Promote social media interactions with the hashtag. This will allow you to connect with other users interested in what you have to say!

You can help inspire viewers to share news, ideas, and updates about your presentation by linking this custom hashtag you created. It combines social interaction, event promotion, and word-of-mouth marketing into one.

So if you use social media in your presentation, make sure you promote the hashtag you'll use. This will ensure that people who follow your brand or business see and interact with the hashtag!

Tip 14 - Try out unique presentation templates

We know how hard it is to come up with a good pitch and how hard it is to be creative when you have no time to waste on making something from scratch.

Thanks to online presentation makers like Animaker Deck, creating a presentation online is now easier than ever.

You can access exciting presentation templates with the help of Animaker's online presentation software, hundreds of customizable layouts and branding options, free stock images, properties, transition effects, and animations.

They'll let you get straight to the point and help you win every pitch because they're so easy to use and exceptionally engaging that they'll blow your audience away!

In other words, Animaker Deck handholds you in bringing all your fascinating presentation ideas to life with its one-of-a-kind features and built-in templates, ready for you to use on the go!

Making a presentation can be a daunting task.

The difficulty lies in brainstorming the subject matter, preparing the presentation, and successfully presenting it to the audience. Overall, it is a lengthy and time-consuming process.

A good presentation must be organized and have a logical flow.

Many difficulties are encountered when preparing a presentation. This includes lack of preparation, lack of information about the subject, or worse, lack of interest in learning the subject from an academic perspective, let alone presenting it.

1st , you have to know what you're talking about. You must do your research and be able to explain the topic clearly and concisely.

2nd , you have to make a good impression quickly. You need to get your point across in a way that makes people want to listen—so they don't drift off and tune out!

3rd , your presentation must be not only exciting but also useful. If people don't learn something from your presentation, then it wasn't worth making in the first place!

Sure, you've been doing it for years—but that doesn't mean you're an expert at it. On the contrary, it's a skill that takes practice and dedication to master, and it can be frustrating when things don't go quite as planned.

So if you want to make better presentations every time, implement the above compelling presentation tips and overcome all the difficulties!

That’s all, folks!

We hope you found the above slide Presentation tips very useful, and you will never have to worry about making a presentation anymore!

Now that you know how to make an excellent presentation, it's time to start imbibing these presentation tips in your next presentation and spellbound your audience immediately!

Create a free account with Animaker Deck today to start dominating all of your presentations right away!

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Do laptop gamers need gaming laptops, today's nyt connections hints and answer for july 9 (#394), quick links, table of contents, start with a goal, less is more, consider your typeface, make bullet points count, limit the use of transitions, skip text where possible, think in color, take a look from the top down, bonus: start with templates.

Slideshows are an intuitive way to share complex ideas with an audience, although they're dull and frustrating when poorly executed. Here are some tips to make your Microsoft PowerPoint presentations sing while avoiding common pitfalls.

It all starts with identifying what we're trying to achieve with the presentation. Is it informative, a showcase of data in an easy-to-understand medium? Or is it more of a pitch, something meant to persuade and convince an audience and lead them to a particular outcome?

It's here where the majority of these presentations go wrong with the inability to identify the talking points that best support our goal. Always start with a goal in mind: to entertain, to inform, or to share data in a way that's easy to understand. Use facts, figures, and images to support your conclusion while keeping structure in mind (Where are we now and where are we going?).

I've found that it's helpful to start with the ending. Once I know how to end a presentation, I know how best to get to that point. I start by identifying the takeaway---that one nugget that I want to implant before thanking everyone for their time---and I work in reverse to figure out how best to get there.

Your mileage, of course, may vary. But it's always going to be a good idea to put in the time in the beginning stages so that you aren't reworking large portions of the presentation later. And that starts with a defined goal.

A slideshow isn't supposed to include everything. It's an introduction to a topic, one that we can elaborate on with speech. Anything unnecessary is a distraction. It makes the presentation less visually appealing and less interesting, and it makes you look bad as a presenter.

This goes for text as well as images. There's nothing worse, in fact, than a series of slides where the presenter just reads them as they appear. Your audience is capable of reading, and chances are they'll be done with the slide, and browsing Reddit, long before you finish. Avoid putting the literal text on the screen, and your audience will thank you.

Related: How to Burn Your PowerPoint to DVD

Right off the bat, we're just going to come out and say that Papyrus and Comic Sans should be banned from all PowerPoint presentations, permanently. Beyond that, it's worth considering the typeface you're using and what it's saying about you, the presenter, and the presentation itself.

Consider choosing readability over aesthetics, and avoid fancy fonts that could prove to be more of a distraction than anything else. A good presentation needs two fonts: a serif and sans-serif. Use one for the headlines and one for body text, lists, and the like. Keep it simple. Veranda, Helvetica, Arial, and even Times New Roman are safe choices. Stick with the classics and it's hard to botch this one too badly.

There reaches a point where bullet points become less of a visual aid and more of a visual examination.

Bullet points should support the speaker, not overwhelm his audience. The best slides have little or no text at all, in fact. As a presenter, it's our job to talk through complex issues, but that doesn't mean that we need to highlight every talking point.

Instead, think about how you can break up large lists into three or four bullet points. Carefully consider whether you need to use more bullet points, or if you can combine multiple topics into a single point instead. And if you can't, remember that there's no one limiting the number of slides you can have in a presentation. It's always possible to break a list of 12 points down into three pages of four points each.

Animation, when used correctly, is a good idea. It breaks up slow-moving parts of a presentation and adds action to elements that require it. But it should be used judiciously.

Adding a transition that wipes left to right between every slide or that animates each bullet point in a list, for example, starts to grow taxing on those forced to endure the presentation. Viewers get bored quickly, and animations that are meant to highlight specific elements quickly become taxing.

That's not to say that you can't use animations and transitions, just that you need to pick your spots. Aim for no more than a handful of these transitions for each presentation. And use them in spots where they'll add to the demonstration, not detract from it.

Sometimes images tell a better story than text can. And as a presenter, your goal is to describe points in detail without making users do a lot of reading. In these cases, a well-designed visual, like a chart, might better convey the information you're trying to share.

The right image adds visual appeal and serves to break up longer, text-heavy sections of the presentation---but only if you're using the right images. A single high-quality image can make all the difference between a success and a dud when you're driving a specific point home.

When considering text, don't think solely in terms of bullet points and paragraphs. Tables, for example, are often unnecessary. Ask yourself whether you could present the same data in a bar or line chart instead.

Color is interesting. It evokes certain feelings and adds visual appeal to your presentation as a whole. Studies show that color also improves interest, comprehension, and retention. It should be a careful consideration, not an afterthought.

You don't have to be a graphic designer to use color well in a presentation. What I do is look for palettes I like, and then find ways to use them in the presentation. There are a number of tools for this, like Adobe Color , Coolors , and ColorHunt , just to name a few. After finding a palette you enjoy, consider how it works with the presentation you're about to give. Pastels, for example, evoke feelings of freedom and light, so they probably aren't the best choice when you're presenting quarterly earnings that missed the mark.

It's also worth mentioning that you don't need to use every color in the palette. Often, you can get by with just two or three, though you should really think through how they all work together and how readable they'll be when layered. A simple rule of thumb here is that contrast is your friend. Dark colors work well on light backgrounds, and light colors work best on dark backgrounds.

Spend some time in the Slide Sorter before you finish your presentation. By clicking the four squares at the bottom left of the presentation, you can take a look at multiple slides at once and consider how each works together. Alternatively, you can click "View" on the ribbon and select "Slide Sorter."

Are you presenting too much text at once? Move an image in. Could a series of slides benefit from a chart or summary before you move on to another point?

It's here that we have the opportunity to view the presentation from beyond the single-slide viewpoint and think in terms of how each slide fits, or if it fits at all. From this view, you can rearrange slides, add additional ones, or delete them entirely if you find that they don't advance the presentation.

The difference between a good presentation and a bad one is really all about preparation and execution. Those that respect the process and plan carefully---not only the presentation as a whole, but each slide within it---are the ones who will succeed.

This brings me to my last (half) point: When in doubt, just buy a template and use it. You can find these all over the web, though Creative Market and GraphicRiver are probably the two most popular marketplaces for this kind of thing. Not all of us are blessed with the skills needed to design and deliver an effective presentation. And while a pre-made PowerPoint template isn't going to make you a better presenter, it will ease the anxiety of creating a visually appealing slide deck.

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7 Dynamic Ways to Start a Presentation [With Examples]

Of course, we’ve all been there as a speaker. First, we design a powerful presentation. Then, we nervously walk out onto a stage or into the front of the room. The audience stares with skepticism written all over their faces. This stoic crowd has no patience for speakers who waste their time. And their demeanor is showing that fact right now. In a timid voice, we start with a simple, “Good morning.” We get no response from the audience — no warm welcome at all. As a result, our nervousness increases dramatically.

The good news is that your speech doesn’t have to start this way. Your first words will create first impressions.

So, in this session, I’m going to give you the best way to start a successful presentation so you can win over the audience members. Below are a few of my favorite ways to start a speech that will help you capture the attention of your audience and get even the most stoic crowd to want more from you.

Here is the list of effective presentation openers.

7 Dynamic Ways to Start Your Next Presentation.

Give Your Presentation Summary and Conclusion First.
Start the Presentation with a Compelling Story.
Use a Startling Statistic to Start a Presentation.
A Funny or Motivational Quote or One-Liner.
Start with an Opinion Asking Question.
Make a Powerful or Shocking Statement to Start a Speech.
Arouse Curiosity with a Hook.
A Bonus Way to Start a Presentation Is to Add Showmanship.

How to Start a Presentation and Help Your Audience Remember Your Content.

(1) give a summary and conclusion at the beginning of a presentation..

Give Your Presentation Summary and Conclusion First

As a speaker, you have a lot going against you. The biggest challenge is that most of the people who are in your audience would really rather be somewhere else. So starting with the conclusion gives them a reason to tune in and pay attention to the content.

TV shows and movies do this a lot. The first scene in Titanic is 90-year-old Rose wheeling onto the salvage ship. Immediately, she asked the Captain to see her painting. “Wasn’t I a dish?”

We all know the story of Titanic, but by starting 70 years into the future, we already know that somehow, Rose was going to survive the tragedy. We pay attention because we want to see how she did it.

You probably also recall Netflix series that show a quick introduction and then a flashback to an earlier time.

You can create the same effect in your presentation introduction by making your title a conclusion that you want the audience to draw. Then, lay out each main point that will help them come to that conclusion.

For instance, “My topic today is Five Ways to Get Your Executives to Increase Your Department Budget, and the items we will cover are…” Of course, this technique works best when your title is a result that your audience really wants.

This is an easy way to start a presentation. You can use a single PowerPoint presentation slide as a visual aid to capture the audience’s attention right away! (FYI, you can also use this technique at the end of a presentation.)

More details about this are in Start with a Great Title .

(2) Start the Presentation with a Compelling Story

I taught a private presentation class for Mitsubishi once. And I could tell walking into the room that this was going to be a tough crowd. The culture of the predominately Japanese company is fairly quiet and conservative. Most often, when I introduce myself to class members, people are warm and friendly. Since I’m a guest in their office, most try to make me feel at home.

By the way, the Mitsubishi organizer did this here as well. However, as the participants came into the room, each walked in without saying a word. Each sat down, opened their laptops, and quietly began typing on their keyboards.

I did my best to try to get them to open up. But very few of them were laughing at my jokes or smiling at me as I asked them questions. (Tough crowd.)

So, when I started the class, I knew I needed something that would help the group relate to me. I decided to go into a fairly detailed version of an experience where I totally bombed a speech. I added a lot of self-deprecating humor to the story. Afterward, the mood in the room lightened quite a bit. It was an easy way to get the audience to feel more at ease and become more relatable to them.

Stories are easy additions to any speech. For instance, if you are giving a project report, you can start with a memorable event that occurred on the project since the last meeting. Or, if you are giving a financial report where profit is up, just give a great example of something that caused profit to increase.

(3) Or You Could Use a Startling Statistic to Start a Presentation.

By doing a little research, you can often find a good (and or startling) statistic that can capture attention quickly. You can also create a good introduction by phrasing the statistic as a provocative statement.

For instance, let’s say you are giving a financial presentation where revenue for your company was up 2.5% last quarter. You might look up the statistics for your industry as a whole in the same quarter. Then, you can start your speech with that data. “The electronics industry as a whole was up 3.4% last quarter. However, our company underperformed the industry with only a 2.5% increase in revenue.”

The easiest way to find statistics about your topic is to just do a Google search [Your Topic} followed by the word “statistic”.

Here Are a Few Examples of Using Google to Get Shocking Statistics.

I’ll give some examples. I just did a Google search for “Popular Ted Talks” and came up with an article about the Top 25 Most Shared Ted Talk videos . I just pasted the names of the talks into Google with the word “statistic” added and this is what I came up with.

Does School Kill Creativity? According to the Adobe® State of Create global benchmark study , 8 in 10 people feel that unlocking creativity is critical to economic growth and more than half of those surveyed feel that creativity is being stifled by their education systems.
Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are – We receive 82% of information from what we see, 11% from what we hear, and only 7% by all the other senses combined. ( The Body Language Info-graphic .)
How Great Leaders Inspire Action – 84% of organizations anticipate a shortfall in leaders within the next five years. ( 13 Shocking Leadership Development Statistics .)

So, it is really easy to create compelling statistics to get your audience to think differently about your topic just as you begin to speak.

Bonus Tip: Combine More than One of these Intros for Even More Impact.

You can combine the last two tips for even more impact. Place a statistic along with a story of how you found the statistic at the beginning of your presentation. This is a great way to start your presentation. “I remember watching Jerry Seinfeld do a stand-up bit. He mentioned that the fear of public speaking was the number one fear in America. Then he looked down the list and saw that the fear of death was number five. So, you are five times more likely to rather be in the casket than up giving the eulogy at a funeral.”

The key to each of these first tips is that they increase the retention of information for your audience.

For instance, using the Summary technique, you give your audience an introduction with your presentation topic and key points. Then as you go through each point, they hear each one again. Finally, you summarize the points one more time at the end of your presentation. The audience is now more likely to remember your important points. because of this subtle repetition.

A good story will also increase retention. Stories have a way of creating visual images in the mind of the audience that is more memorable than just facts alone. A startling statistic gets the audience to think, “Is that really true?” so they pay attention more.

Quick Presentation Starters to Capture Attention

(4) a funny or motivational quote or one-liner..

“There are two types of speakers: Those who get nervous and those who are liars.” — Mark Twain

A powerful quote is an effective way to make a positive first impression. It also adds a little humor. You can find quotes like this for your presentations as well. Just like with statistics, you can Google your topic with the word “quotes” to get ideas.

Does School Kill Creativity? – “Creativity is the greatest expression of liberty.” — Bryant H. McGill
Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are. – “Language is a more recent technology. Your body language, your eyes, your energy will come through to your audience before you even start speaking.” — Peter Guber
How Great Leaders Inspire Action. – “A leader is the one, who knows the way, goes the way and show the way” — John Maxwell

Bonus Tip: Reference a quote, and then add your own take to the quote.

Walt Disney once said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” But have you ever thought to realize that every single invention ever created by man was once just an idea born from someone’s need?

(5) Start with an Opinion Asking Question.

“In a perfect world, if your team was able to present their ideas to your customers more effectively, what would they be doing that they are not doing now?”

This technique is more challenging for a presenter. You have to be able to take whatever your audience gives you and design a killer presentation on the fly. However, if you have done good research before the meeting, you shouldn’t be surprised by the answers you get.

Keep in mind that only the best presenters use this technique. So, when you add open-ended questions to your speech, you will increase your stature as a speaker as well.

By the way, the question should be open-ended, meaning that the audience is giving you their opinions. Rhetorical questions and show of hands questions can backfire. Your audience may think you are trying to manipulate them. So, the important thing to remember is to ask a question that asks for the opinion of the audience members. That way, as they answer, everyone can be correct..

(6) Make a Powerful or Shocking Statement to Start a Speech.

I will then follow this statement with a list of different tips that people try that don’t work really well. (Things like picturing your audience naked.)

The funny thing is that many of the people in the room will question the truthfulness of the statement the first time I say it. It is a bold claim. They don’t confront me, though. However, when I look around the room, I can see the distrust on their faces.

However, as I begin to list the crazy tips one by one, they begin to realize the truthfulness of the statement. Internally, the checklist sounds like this…

To reduce nervousness, you should pretend your audience is naked. (Man, he’s right. I tried that. It doesn’t work.)
You should memorize your speech word-for-word. Actually, if you lose your place when reciting the speech, you just get more nervous. (That one is true too.)
You should practice in front of a mirror or record yourself speaking. Actually, you are your own worst critic. You will nitpick every little thing that you do wrong. (Yup, I’ve done that one too. Wow, maybe he’s right. Those things don’t work at all.)

Another shocking statement I use is to foreshadow a future behavior in the speech. When I lead team activities, I often have them play a game to divide into teams. So, I might start the presentation with, “In less than 15 minutes, some of you chivalrous men who opened a door for a young lady when she came into the room will actually be chicken-winging that woman to take something from her.” Of course, when something like that actually happens, everyone erupts in laughter.

(7) Arouse Curiosity with a Hook.

Talk radio, television news, and reality TV shows do this brilliantly.

I remember years ago watching season one of Survivor. The season winner was an eccentric guy named Richard Hatch, who was a good fisherman, so he fed the group. However, he also did things to keep the other contestants a little off their game. At the start of one of the episodes, Richard was walking along the beach buck-naked with his bottom blurred out by the producers.

I remember doing a double-take when the image came on the screen. (There are some things that you just can’t unsee.) I didn’t particularly ever want to see Hatch’s bare bum ever again. However, I had an eager want to find how the heck this happened.

Talk radio guys do this by saying, “At the bottom of the hour, we’re going to…” The technique is like a cliffhanger. Everyone wants to know how the story will end. Will Ross marry Emily, or will Rachel stop the wedding? Will Jon Snow die of his stab wounds? Ken Jennings has won 74 times in a row on Jeopardy. When will he get beaten? What is going to happen now that DEA agent Hank realizes his brother-in-law broke bad? And finally, who shot J.R.?

How to Easily Add a Hook into the Start of Your Presentation.

This is a fun technique to use when you start a presentation. And there are many different ways to do this, depending on the purpose of your presentation.

For instance, you could tell your compelling story, as I suggested earlier. However, don’t tell the ending. Stop right as you get to the climax. Then tell the ending in your conclusion. (More details about this in How to End a Speech .)

Or, the hook can be a cliffhanger or foreshadowing of something later in the presentation. “As we did this research, we uncovered a single habit that, once we change it, will generate an extra quarter of a million dollars for our company. And I will share that secret with you in my final point.”

I actually do this on my podcast as well. I might start the episode by saying something like, “In the last ten minutes of this episode, I’m going to share with you my best, overall, foolproof presentation opener.”

(Which, by the way, is right now…)

A Bonus Way to Start a Presentation Is to Add Showmanship. (Bonus… Not a Foolproof Way.)

For instance, one time, just after July 4th, my kids had some leftover fireworks. I also had some decorative mailing tubes left over from a failed marketing campaign.

The next morning, I was to speak at a business breakfast. I got to the hotel meeting room before anyone else and filled a trash can with water. Then, I left the can under the presentation table at the front of the room. I stuck one of the sparklers into the top of the mailing tube and waited until my time to speak. The emcee called my name, and I waited at the back of the room. She called my name one more time, and I waited just a bit longer. When she called my name the third time, I lit the sparkler and went rushing to the front of the room.

Of course, the visual aid looked like I was holding a stick of cartoon dynamite. I pulled the trash can from under the table and threw the prop into the can where it sizzled and smoked. The whole audience was looking around like, “What the heck?” I paused and then said, “Do you want to put some sizzle into your presentations?”

Okay, it was cheesy. It was over the top. But it got the whole audience laughing. Everyone in the room remembered who I was and what I did for a living.

A few less over-the-top ways of adding showmanship into your presentation might be…

Use Boards Instead of Slides . Everyone expects a slideshow, but if you have a compelling board or poster that is in the front of the room when you start, you can create some curiosity about your topic.
You Could Also Get the Audience to Participate in a Demonstration . I had a saleperson from the Riddell helmet company tell us about a football helmet face-mask that could detach with a simple pencil-like tool. He had a couple of men try to pull the face-mask off the helmet and when they failed, he used the tool to remove the mask with one hand. It was a vivid demonstration.
Or Just Add a Funny Video . When I teach leadership classes, I often play segments from old Saturday Night Live skits that have the characters doing the exact opposite of what I’m teaching. For instance, I might start a session about avoiding criticism in the workplace with an episode of “Debbie Downer”.

Whatever method that you choose to start your presentation make sure to spend time on developing your content. You don’t want to spend a ton of time creating the perfect opener and then lose the audience with a lackluster presentation afterward.

If You Are Designing a Presentation and Need Help, Reach Out to Us!

Podcasts , presentation skills

Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Presentations > How many slides does your presentation need?

How many slides does your presentation need?

When you’re creating a presentation, it’s important to consider the amount of information you’re sharing with your audience. You don’t want to overwhelm them, but you also want to be comprehensive and ensure that you’re covering all your bases. Whether you’re giving a 10, 15, or 30-minute presentation, see how many slides your presentation needs to get your point across.

A man giving a presentation to a group of people

Rules and guidance for PowerPoint presentations

PowerPoint is a powerful visual aid for introducing data, statistics, and new concepts to any audience. In PowerPoint, you can create as many slides as you want—which might sound tempting at first. But length doesn’t always guarantee a successful presentation . Most presentations last around 10-15 minutes, and anything longer than that (such as a 30-minute presentation) may have additional visual aids or speakers to enhance your message.

A handy rule to keep in mind is to spend about 1-2 minutes on each slide. This will give you ample time to convey your message, let data sink in, and allow you to memorize your presentation . When you limit each slide to this length of time, you also need to be selective about how much information you put on each slide and avoid overloading your audience.

For 10-minute presentations

Ten minutes is usually considered the shortest amount of time you need for a successful presentation. For a shorter 10-minute presentation, you’ll need to be selective with your content. Limit your slide count to approximately 7 to 10 slides.

For 15-minute presentations

When preparing for a 15-minute presentation, concise and focused content is key. Aim for around 10 to 15 slides to maintain a good pace, which will fit with the 1-2 minute per slide rule.

For 30-minute presentations

A longer presentation gives you more room to delve deeper into your topic. But to maintain audience engagement, you’ll need to add interactivity , audience participation, and elements like animations . Aim for around 20 to 30 slides, allowing for a balanced distribution of content without overwhelming your audience.

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Using the 10-20-30 rule

The 10-20-30 rule is an effective way to structure your presentation. It calls for no more than 10 slides and no longer than 20 minutes (as well as a 30-point font).

Tips for crafting an effective presentation

No matter how long a presentation is, there are guidelines for crafting one to enhance understanding and retention. Keep these tips in mind when creating your PowerPoint masterpiece:

Avoid overload: Ensure that each slide communicates a single idea clearly, avoiding cluttered layouts or excessive text.
Pay attention to structure: Think of slides as bullet points with introductions, endings, and deep dives within each subject.
Add visual appeal: Incorporate images, charts, and graphics to convey information without using too many words to make your audience read.
Engage with your audience: Encourage interaction through questions, polls, or storytelling techniques to keep your audience actively involved.
Put in the practice: Familiarize yourself with your slides and practice your delivery to refine your timing and confidence.

Ultimately, the ideal number of slides for your presentation depends on the allocated time frame and how detailed your content is. By striking a balance between informative content and engaging delivery, you can create a compelling presentation that can teach your audience something new.

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How to introduce yourself in a presentation

Gain your audience’s attention at the onset of a presentation. Craft an impressionable introduction to establish tone, presentation topic, and more.

How to add citations to your presentation

Conduct research and appropriately credit work for your presentation. Understand the importance of citing sources and how to add them to your presentation.

How to work on a group presentation

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39 Best Infographic PowerPoint Presentation Templates for 2024 (Giant List)

Find the best infographic slide templates to use for your PowerPoint presentations, and get some useful tips on how to use them.

Do you need to add lots of information to create a great infographic template for PowerPoint? Are you wondering how to make an infographic-rich presentation to capture your audience?

Make the first step in the right direction. It begins with getting quality data presentation templates to work with. Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered with some of the best for 2024.

5 Best Infographic PowerPoint Templates (Video Overview)

Here’s a video preview of some of our best infographic presentation templates. Use it for a closer look at top infographic PowerPoints.

For more information on PowerPoint infographic template PPTs, keep reading the article below for some helpful templates and tips.

Best New Infographic PowerPoint Presentation Templates From Envato for 2024

These are some of the best PowerPoint infographic templates trending now on Envato Elements.

1. Infographic PowerPoint PPT Presentation Template

This infographic PPT presentation template set has 170 professional slide designs. It also comes with creative PowerPoint infographics. The custom vector icons and visual slide designs are ready for you to edit.

2. PPTx Infographics PowerPoint Slides

This modern PowerPoint graphics presentation template set has beautiful slides. Make the most of creative PPT charts, timelines, and icons. Scale and recolor the vector graphics and customize the slide setup.

3. Tech Multipurpose PowerPoint Presentation Deck

With 100 dynamic slides and handmade PPT infographics, this template is ready to rock. It’s made with Slide Master, which makes customization easy. Change colors, edit graphics, or quickly drag and drop your images with just one click.

If you’ve got a presentation soon, grab a PPT template that has everything you need.

4. Sante Infographic Template PowerPoint

If you have no time to learn how to make an infographic in PowerPoint, here’s one of the best PPTs to help you turn ideas into persuasive presentations. This creative infographic template for PowerPoint comes with:

easy to edit icons
slide transition animation
company profile slides
portfolio slides

5. Eargo Infographic Template PowerPoint

Eargo - Infographics PowerPoint Template

You’ll have all the PowerPoint graphics every startup and business planner needs. Present to investors, key employees, and other stakeholders with confidence thanks to Eargo. This infographic template for PowerPoint comes with:

over 250 slides
30 color themes
2000 vector icons
light and dark backgrounds

Take your business to the next level with this PowerPoint graphics template.

6. Quantum Education Infographic PPT

Quantum Education Presentation PowerPoint Template

This infographic template for PPT is fun and easy on the eye. It packs 30 unique slides and loads of useful graphics. You’ll get charts, maps, and device mockups in this infographics PowerPoint template.

You can resize and customize every infographic slide.

7. Infonova Infographic PowerPoint Template

The best PowerPoint presentation templates offer you creative control. This option is no exception. You’ll get a host of customizable infographic slide designs with this download.

This infographic template for PowerPoint is ideal for creative agencies and creators. It comes with free web fonts and it’s based on Master Slides. Just drag and drop your images, it’s that simple!

8. Water Infographic in PowerPoint

Water Infographic Presentation PowerPoint

Here’s a leading choice for presentation graphics that works for some topics. It comes with minimal white backgrounds and blue, editable charts and graphs. There are 20 infographic slide designs you can customize to suit your presentation.

This infographic template for PowerPoint also has free fonts and so much more.

9. Gets Travel Infographic Template for PowerPoint

Gets Travel Creative PowerPoint Template

This infographic slide template for PowerPoint is great for travel-related presentations. It features stunning graphics with editable colors.

Each of the 50 unique slides in this creative infographic PPT theme is fully editable. Moreover, it comes in both light and dark backgrounds.

10. Foodism Infographics PowerPoint Template

Pitching an idea for a new restaurant? This infographic PowerPoint template is your go-to choice. There are many PPT graphics in this download.

Find 35 infographic slide designs inside. This infographic in PowerPoint also includes two versions with light and dark backgrounds. Few free presentation graphics can say the same.

11. 3D Finance Infographic Template PPT

Deliver dynamic presentations with these great-looking 3D infographics for PowerPoint. This modern template has many PowerPoint infographic examples for financial pitches. Enjoy 35 unique slides in both dark and light versions.

12. Portfolio Infographic Template for PowerPoint

Portfolio PowerPoint Presentation Template

Use this infographic template for PowerPoint to design your next portfolio. It contains 34 well-made, unique infographic slide options. It also features:

20+ color themes
over 4,000 infographics for PowerPoint
fully editable elements
drag & drop picture placeholders
help file and free support service

Play with it and make it your own!

13. Headline PowerPoint Infographic Template

Headline - PowerPoint Presentation Template

This flat infographic style PPT theme is set up for multi-purpose business presentations. Each infographic slide includes over 4,000 customizable icons. Choose from more than 20 color themes with free fonts used.

14. A New Infographics PowerPoint Template

A New - PowerPoint Presentation Template

A New is a great choice if you need an infographic template for PowerPoint. There are over 30 infographic slide designs to put to use. Scroll through the charts and icons, and see what your slideshow needs.

Each of the PowerPoint graphics is customizable and resizable. Instead of free presentation graphics, try out A New.

15. Project Management Infographic PowerPoint Template

PowerPoint infographic templates like this are designed for project managers. Your audience is sure to appreciate your use of infographic slide designs. This set of PowerPoint graphics offers:

editable graphics
drag and drop image placeholders
a help file

16. Pitch-Deck Infographic Template for PowerPoint

Infographic slide designs can help bring ideas to life. PowerPoint infographic templates like this are tools to deliver professional pitches. Change the colors to match your brand and use:

and so much more!

With a layout based on master slides, this template is easy to edit. You can change the photos by easily drag-and-dropping. Few free presentation graphics for PowerPoint can do that.

17. Business Plan Infographic PowerPoint Template

PowerPoint infographic templates like this help you pitch a business plan. Use this fully customizable, well-organized PPT to show what keeps your team moving. It has loads of features, including:

665+ unique layouts
4,000+ vector icons
over 60 premade color themes
drag and drop image placeholder
smart object layout & texts

Moreover, it’s regularly updated so you can use it many times and for different purposes!

18. Flanify Infographics PowerPoint Template

Flanify - Multipurpose PowerPoint Template

Flanify is one of the best new PowerPoint infographic templates available today. It’s got a minimalist design that helps you emphasize your content. There are three dozen unique slides featuring all types of graphics.

You’ll find charts, device mockups, and other icons. This infographic PPT is based on master slides, so it’s super easy to edit.

19. Kopikoe Foodie Infographic Template PPT

Kopikoe - Foodie Presentation PowerPoint Template

This infographic template for PowerPoint has everything you’ll need for a foodie PPT. Audiences react well to infographics because they make advanced concepts easy to understand. This pack includes 30 infographic slide designs for your next project.

With loads of vector icons, you have virtually unlimited creative options. Unlike some free presentation graphics found online, these are professionally designed.

20. Imperial Multipurpose Infographics for PowerPoint

These PowerPoint infographic examples revolve around the health industry. This template includes a full collection of infographics and 30 slides. It features free fronts, a help file, and many other useful tools. You can fully and easily customize every vector icon and image.

21. Juici Foodie Infographic Template PPT

Juici - Foodie Presentation PowerPoint Template

When searching for an infographic template for PowerPoint, aim for high-quality elements. This infographic template PPT gives you that. You’ll also get:

100% resizable and editable icons
drag and drop picture placeholders
device mockups

If you want a template to pitch about food and drinks, look no further!

22. Inventive Infographic Template for PowerPoint

Inventive - Business PowerPoint Template

Premium tech layouts like this go beyond any free presentation graphics online. This creative infographic template PPT bundle includes 35 infographic slide designs. Customize every icon and use the master slides – which help you make bulk edits across the deck in a flash.

23. Osprey Education Infographic PowerPoint Template

Get amazing PowerPoint infographics for your creative business presentation. PowerPoint infographic templates like this give you an array of functional icons. With 30 clean master slide-based layouts, easily edit this PPT as much as you’d like.

24. Edulacti Multipurpose Infographic PPT

Edulacti - Multipurpose PowerPoint Template

This is a creative PowerPoint template for multipurpose business presentation or personal use. This PowerPoint includes 30 infographic slide designs and several icons, such as:

flow chart infographics

All the included PowerPoint infographic examples are fully editable.

25. Gatzruts Infographics PowerPoint Template

This minimalistic PPT theme is ready to use for many types of presentations. It features a ton of creative, clean infographic slide designs. All these business graphics PowerPoint elements are editable.

As it’s based on master slides, it’s easy to quickly adapt to your needs. Try out this premium choice instead of free presentation graphics for PowerPoint.

26. Mental Concept PowerPoint Infographic Templates

Mental Concept - PowerPoint Infographics Slides

Check out these PowerPoint infographic templates to give a powerful mental concept pitch. These are designed by creative pros with you in mind. It’ll stand out from free infographic templates for PowerPoint.

Make sure to use the various features, including:

204 total slides, with 17 unique mental concept slides
12 color variations
280 fully editable vector icons
master slides for easy editing

27. Realth Business Infographic PowerPoint Template

Realth - Business Presentation PowerPoint Template

It’s important to make a solid first impression right out of the gate. An infographic template for PPT like Realth helps you do just that. In fact, it’s got 30 multipurpose slides built in.

From these, pick and choose to suit your message. The PowerPoint infographic examples help you present:

growth stats
pricing packages
app layouts
team members
and so much more

All the graphics are editable, and the used fonts are free.

28. Maps: Set of Infographics for PowerPoint

Maps Infographic Set PowerPoint Template

These PowerPoint infographic templates have a wide variety of clean map designs. Use them to pitch about locations, migration plans, growth stats per region, and so much more. Find 25 unique slides inside, picture placeholders, and over 90 color themes.

29. Puckup Brand Guidelines Infographic PPT

Not sure how to make a branded presentation? Don’t worry, because the PUCKUP infographic template PPT is surprisingly easy to use. All elements are editable with a couple of clicks.

This infographic template for PowerPoint is great for presenting your brand. Easily add your logo, your company’s color palette and typography, and voila! It’s way better than free presentation graphics.

30. Brand Guidelines Infographic PowerPoint Template

Here’s an elegant choice for presenting your brand. Not all infographic PPT options have to be bright in order to be eye-catching. This template is the go-to download for 2024.

This infographic PowerPoint has everything you need to crush your branding proposal:

34 unique slides
picture placeholders

Free presentation graphics may fall short for your brand needs. Choose this one instead!

31. Funnel Infographic Template for PowerPoint

Logistics rule the world in 2024. Are you trying to show the strength of your business’s processes? An infographic template PPT like this is a top choice.

Use each of the professional infographic slide designs to explain things like:

case studies
business and marketing plans

32. Nursing PowerPoint Infographic Template

This colorful, creative presentation theme showcases your information and crafts a visual story. It’s an impressive tool for presenting medical-related topics. Unlike most free presentation graphics, it has many unique slides and color schemes.

This infographic in PowerPoint offers:

light and dark background options
editable elements
an icons pack file

33. Mental Health PowerPoint Infographic Templates

This template has several color scheme options and PowerPoint infographic examples. Present with clarity, show your process and progress, and more.

There are easy-to-customize layout options, in both light and dark backgrounds. It also features tons of icons and picture placeholders.

34. Market Research Infographic PowerPoint Template

In need of top PowerPoint presentation graphics for your market research pitch? This one will do. It’s a great pack that includes:

15 unique infographic slide designs
drag-and-drop image placeholders
easy to change colors
shapes and other elements

This doesn’t include the images, but everything else is right there. Try this one instead of free infographic templates for PowerPoint.

35. Hot Pitch Deck Infographic PPT

Pitch - Pitch Deck Smooth Animated Template (PPT)

Next up is this stylish and modern infographic slide design. There are over 100 fully animated slides. Moreover, you’ll find:

2,000+ vector icons
100+ device mockups
50+ theme files
and lifetime updates!

Use the master slides to quickly add a personal touch to this infographic template PPT.

36. Environment Infographic PowerPoint Examples

This infographic PowerPoint template comes with everything you need to create an environmental impact presentation. It comes packed with premium features like:

20 education and science slide designs
.PPT and PPTX. files
Fully editable and easy to use
Documentation

37. PowerPoint Infographics Solutions

Infographic Solutions. P1. Powerpoint Template

Work with a PowerPoint infographic template that offers everything you need right out of the box. These infographic PowerPoint examples feature:

50 ready-to-use slides
Over 200 icons (PSD+EPS+AI+JPG+PNG+SVG+PPTX Vector)
Color themes
Objects are organized and grouped

38. ECO Infographic Template for PowerPoint

These infographic PowerPoint examples are great for putting together a sustainability infographic presentation. Use the high-quality illustrations and other great features:

33 unique slides
Includes opening and closing slides
11 color variations
Simple line vector icons
Handmade infographics

39. Infographic PowerPoint Examples

Infographic - Infographic Presentation Powerpoint

No need to learn how to make an infographic in PowerPoint when you have access to this clean PowerPoint infographics template. Take advantage of its amazing features:

80+ unique slides
80+ fully animated infographics
Resizable and editable graphics
16:9 widescreen ratio

5 Popular PowerPoint Infographic Slide Design Types

We’ve already established that infographics in PowerPoint are powerful storytelling tools. But let’s go one step further and look at specific examples of the best infographics. We’ll also see how to use them to explain concepts.

1. The Brain Infographic

Some dedicate their whole lives to studying the human mind, and yet there’s always something to learn! The value of a brain infographic is that it’s an intuitive way to show thoughts and ideas and how they connect.

Use an infographic and this tutorial to create a brain graphic that shows the pieces of a thought.

2. The SWOT Infographic

Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats: every business situation has them. You need a way to show them in your presentation. That’s where the classic SWOT infographic makes its impact.

When you lay out all four components, you’re likely to find insight while creating a strategy.

3. The Puzzle Piece Infographic

You’re probably familiar with putting together puzzle pieces in the real world. Don’t miss out on using this concept as an infographic! As a PowerPoint visual, puzzle pieces can show how the parts of an idea join into a cohesive whole.

Use this article to see how to use puzzle pieces. The best graphic PPTs often use them to tell a story of how everything fits together.

4. The Gantt Infographic

When you’re running a project, you need a way to show that many tasks are running side-by-side. That’s the purpose of a Gantt chart. It’s a special infographic that’s beloved by the best project managers.

Use our tutorial to see Gantt infographics in action . You’ll learn how to use them to plan a project and the resources you need to succeed.

5. The Funnel Infographic

A funnel is yet another infographic you can leverage in PowerPoint to explain a concept. Funnels show inputs, how they progress, and what they ultimately lead to.

Funnel infographics are common in explaining sales processes. They’re easy to build in PowerPoint with templates. Make sure to check out our tutorial on how you can use PowerPoint funnel infographics .

How to Customize an Infographic PowerPoint Template (Fast!)

So far, we’ve looked at powerful PowerPoint infographic templates. But you might be wondering how to use them to design infographic slides of your own.

Let’s learn how to customize three separate slides to build excellent infographics. We’ll use the PPTx Infographics template to rapidly build our infographic slides.

Let’s look at five example slides. These show how easy it is to customize a PowerPoint infographic:

1. Performance Gears

The best PowerPoint templates include abstract designs to build infographics for PPT. Use a little imagination, and there it is! These infographic PowerPoint slides might be perfect for expressing your idea.

Take this turning gear icon slide. In the updated version below, I’ve shifted the elements to show how teams at my company work together.

Simple drag-and-drop actions and grabbing icons from other slides brought this slide to life. Then, I updated the text to match my intent in this infographic template for PowerPoint.

2. Hierarchy Charts

If you work in a corporate environment, I’m certain that you’ve seen org charts before. These exist to show off the company’s reporting structure.

In this case, it’s as simple as typing in the placeholder boxes to update the names and titles. I’ve also added a photo in my example to really “put a face with a name” in my organization. This chart uses SmartArt, a built-in PowerPoint feature that’ll adjust the graphic as you adjust the text.

Learn more about SmartArt PPT infographics .

3. Brain Infographic

Brain charts are infographics that you’ll find in the best PowerPoint templates. They can show how you divide your thinking and showcase the “parts of the whole” that make up your strategy.

In the example below, I’ve left the same basic structure intact. I just updated the descriptions and some of the colors and icons. It’s a simple tweak that shows what my creative agency spends its time on.

Brain infographics are very popular, so we created a resource to teach you how to customize them. Check out our screencast to learn more.

4. Sales Report

PowerPoint infographic templates help you tell stories with your data. Slide 15 in our template is a great choice for creating a data-focused slide.

To edit a PowerPoint chart, edit the data that feeds it. Right-click on the chart and choose Edit Data. You’ll see an embedded version of Excel, Microsoft’s data powerhouse. Just type over the data placeholders, and your chart will update in real time.

Learn more about working with data in this PowerPoint tutorial .

5. The Conclusion Slide

It’s a mistake to think that the last slide is the end of your presentation. Instead, it helps to see it as the start of a conversation with your audience.

You know what’s the best part of PowerPoint infographic templates? Yes, that they include other useful slides. Slide 50, the conclusion slide, is perfect for every presentation. That’s because it can help you continue the conversation by sharing your details.

To update this slide, type over the placeholders. That adapts the slide to your brand-specific details.

For even more ideas and to learn how to create a conclusion side, don’t miss out on our tutorial .

Common PowerPoint Template Questions Answered (FAQ)

You’ve already seen infographic templates for PowerPoint. But you might still have questions about how to use PowerPoint to your advantage.

PowerPoint is an advanced app. It’s easy to use, but there are many professional-grade features. Let’s look at five common questions you might have as you level up your presentation skills:

1. Does PowerPoint Support Custom Fonts?

Every graphic designer is trying to gain an audience’s attention when presenting. It helps to use custom design options in PowerPoint. That sets the presentation apart from those who only use the built-in, standard fonts.

Try out custom fonts with the help of this tutorial .

2. What Size Should I Choose for My Infographic Slide?

The goal for your PowerPoint presentation is to use the full-screen space. You’ve got to set your infographic template PPT to the proper dimensions. Don’t waste any pixels!

Using pre-built PowerPoint infographic templates gives you several size options.

3. How Much Does PowerPoint Cost?

Microsoft has pivoted its business models in recent years. Once upon a time, businesses and power users would buy a license for the latest version of the app every few years. Now, it’s all about subscriptions.

Many users choose Office 365, a monthly subscription package to keep apps up to date. Another option is the free, browser-based version of the app.

4. Can You Create PowerPoint Infographics From Scratch?

Infographic templates for PowerPoint are perfect for creating interactive visuals. But you can also create PowerPoint graphics with the help of a feature called SmartArt.

5. What’s the Best Way to Present Data in PowerPoint?

Presentation graphics can include data. It’s far better to use a chart than to show data in a table or a wall of numbers that are hard to interpret. With the help of presentation graphics and charts, it’s much easier to explain trends and data.

Grab a Fresh PowerPoint Template With Great Infographic Slide Designs

Any of the best PowerPoint presentation templates from Envato Elements will help make your points clear. Choose the best format for your info. Put together just the right PowerPoint infographic slides that tell your compelling story.

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How to prioritize tasks: 10 task prioritization techniques

Use these task prioritization techniques to help you identify your most important work..

Stylized illustration of a balance scale weighing a suitcase and a heart.

There's never enough time to do everything you want to do. It's a universal problem. And we all accept that fact and live with its reality until the worst-case scenario rears its ugly head: there's not enough time to do everything you have to do.

When everything on your to-do list feels like it's of crucial importance (or when someone you answer to feels that way), use one or more of these prioritization techniques to help you identify your most important task and get work done.

What is a prioritization technique?

A prioritization technique helps you make informed decisions about the order you should complete your tasks based on different factors like their importance and due dates. With a list of prioritized tasks in hand, you have a shield to respectfully push back against unnecessary meeting invites and last-minute requests.

For example, when stakeholders would approach my teammates with "urgent" requests, we would show them our prioritized task list and ask, "What should we cut in order to accommodate this request?" After seeing the importance of the other things on the list, urgent requests often suddenly became much less urgent.

But prioritization techniques aren't limited to regaining control over workplace tasks. They're also useful for managing competing priorities from your family, friends, and even that part of your brain that's always on the lookout for side projects.

Task prioritization techniques

1. Priority matrix

The priority matrix technique consists of distributing your tasks across a four-quadrant matrix like the one shown below. The x-axis represents one value, and the y-axis represents another. Each quadrant, then, represents priority based on the defined values.

There are infinite ways you could organize your priority matrix. Here are popular priority matrix examples to get you started.

Eisenhower matrix

With the Eisenhower matrix, the x-axis represents urgency while the y-axis represents importance , leaving you with the following categories (from the top-left going clockwise):

Important and urgent tasks are your top priorities.

Urgent but not important tasks are ones that must get done but can be delegated to someone else.

Not urgent or important tasks are probably unnecessary distractions.

To use it, evaluate each task based on its urgency and importance, and then place the task in the corresponding quadrant.

By placing each task on your list into a quadrant on the Eisenhower Matrix, you can determine what needs to be done now, what you can save for later, what's worth delegating, and what you can scratch out altogether.

Impact effort matrix

In the impact-effort matrix, the x-axis represents impact, and the y-axis represents effort . So you'll have a matrix with the following quadrants (from top-left going clockwise):

High effort, low impact

High effort, high impact

Low effort, high impact

Low effort, low impact

To distribute your tasks accordingly, evaluate how much effort each one will take and the impact completing it will have. Any tasks in your Low effort, high impact quadrant are your top priorities, followed by ones in your High effort, high impact quadrants.

If you have a lot of tasks in these two quadrants, consider working on one or two from your Low effort, high impact quadrant. The sense of accomplishment from checking off these quick wins might give you that much-needed boost to tackle the rest.

Cost value matrix

In the cost-value matrix, the x-axis represents cost, and the y-axis represents value , leaving you with the following groupings (from top-left going clockwise):

High value, low cost

High value, high cost

Low value, high cost

Low value, low cost

Evaluate how much your task will cost (in terms of time) and the value it'll provide. Tasks in your High value, low cost quadrant are your quick wins, while ones in your Low value, high cost are tasks you should probably avoid.

2. MoSCoW prioritization method

The MoSCoW method is a simple technique for prioritizing tasks where you assign every task on your to-do list to one of four categories:

M – Must do : M tasks are things you absolutely have to do.

S – Should do : S tasks are things you should do, but they're a lower priority than M tasks.

C – Could do : C tasks are nice-to-dos. You'd like to do them, but if you don't, it's probably not a big deal.

W – Won't do : W tasks are things that just aren't worth doing.

Note: If you have a lot of tasks that need delegation, the MoSCow method isn't for you. Jump to the ABCDE method for a better-suited alternative technique.

After you've assigned each task to a category, delete your W tasks. Breathe a sigh of relief at how much shorter your task list is now. Then get to work. Focus first on M tasks, followed by S tasks, and if you have time, C tasks.

By working on your list from the top down, you can ensure that you're always working on your highest-priority tasks.

Trello board with tasks organized using the Moscow prioritization method.

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3. ABCDE method

A tasks are things you must do.

B tasks are things you should do.

C tasks are nice-to-dos.

D tasks are tasks you should delegate to someone else.

E tasks are tasks you should eliminate.

The ABCDE method expands on the MoSCoW method by prioritizing tasks you need to do and identifying the ones that can be done by someone else.

Kanban apps also work really well for this technique. You'll have one source list for all your tasks followed by additional lists to contain A , B , C , D , and E tasks. Drag and drop tasks from the source list into the appropriate category, then get started on your A tasks.

4. Scrum prioritization

Example of tasks ordered using Scrum prioritization.

For example, say your highest priority task is to re-tile your bathroom floor. However, you know that you also need to have plumbers run new pipes in your bathroom, and they'll have to cut into the floor to do so. Getting new pipes run may be a lower priority, but since it will impact your highest-priority task of re-tiling the floor, it needs to be completed first.

In Scrum prioritization, you evaluate each task on your list using three criteria:

How important is this task?

How important is it compared to the other tasks on this list?

Is any other task dependent on this task?

Then, using the answers to those questions, you assign each a unique number from one to n (where n is the total number of tasks on your list).

Scrum prioritization works well on its own, but it also pairs really well with other techniques like the MoSCoW or ABCDE method. After categorizing your tasks by priority (as M , C , and W or A , B , and C ), you can begin sequencing the tasks in order of how you plan to complete them, keeping in mind any task dependencies that might impact that order.

5. Bubble sort method

The Bubble sort method is an effective way to answer the question, "How important is this task compared to other tasks on this list?" It's especially useful if you're suffering from the everything-is-urgent problem.

Start with a horizontal grid and assign each task to a cell.

Step one of the bubble sort prioritization technique: individual tasks are assigned to unique cells across a horizontal grid.

Then, take the first two tasks and evaluate them against each other by asking, "Which task is more important?"

Step two of the bubble sort prioritization technique: compare the first two tasks in the two far-left cells.

Whichever task from the previous step is most important gets moved to the left. In the example below, Task 2 is more important than Task 1 , so the two tasks switch places.

Step three of the Bubble sort prioritization technique: the most important task between two gets moved to the left.

Then compare the next two tasks. Which is more important? The more important task gets moved one cell to the left.

Step four of the bubble sort prioritization technique: compare the next two tasks.

Continue this process until you get to the end of the list. Then repeat the process from the beginning. Continue repeating the exercise until every task is to the left of a less-important task. Your priorities are now listed from left to right.

Final result of the bubble sort prioritization technique with the most- to least-important tasks prioritized from left to right.

There's no specific tool designed for the Bubble sort method, but you can easily use a Kanban, to-do list, or project management app for this. The only difference is that your sets of tasks will run from top-to-bottom instead of left-to-right.

6. Most Important Task (MIT) method

Pick at least one MIT each day that's related to your goals. This way, you're doing something daily to help you reach your goals. And while you'll most likely complete more in a day than only your MITs, selecting your MITs in the morning and setting a deadline ensures you're dedicating time every day to working on important, high-priority tasks.

Example of the most important task displayed on a Chrome browser using Momentum.

7. The Ivy Lee method

At the end of every workday, choose the six most important tasks on your list to work on tomorrow.

Then, order those six tasks in terms of priority.

When you get to work the next day, work on task number one until it's complete.

Tackle the rest of your list in the same way.

Continue until all six tasks are complete, and repeat the process every single day.

8. 1-3-9 prioritization technique

The 1-3-9 prioritization technique encourages you to focus on important tasks, but it also gives you a way to prioritize the less important tasks you'll inevitably need to work on. It's like a blend of the MoSCoW, MIT, and Ivy Lee methods.

Every day, you plan to complete 13 tasks:

one critical task (like an M task from MoSCoW)

three important tasks (like S from MoSCoW)

nine nice-to-do tasks (like C from MoSCoW)

You could even combine the 1-3-9 technique with an Eisenhower matrix, leaving you with one task in the Important and urgent quadrant, three in the Important but not urgent quadrant, and nine in the Urgent but not important quadrant.

The Eisenhower priority matrix combined with the 1-3-9 prioritization technique.

Order your lists of three and nine tasks in terms of priority. Then work on and complete your one task, followed by your three tasks in order, and finally, your nine tasks in order.

In an ideal world, you'd be able to work only on your highest-priority, high-value tasks—but things rarely work out that way. The 1-3-9 method addresses that reality by giving you a way to make sure you're at least working on the most important of your less important tasks.

Any priority matrix app or Kanban app works well with the 1-3-9 prioritization technique.

9. Two lists technique

First, you write down a list of 25 things you want to accomplish. When the list is complete, circle the five most important items on that list.

When you're finished, compile the results into two lists:

The first—containing the five tasks you circled—becomes your to-do list.

The second—containing the 20 tasks you didn't circle—becomes your don't-do (yet) list.

Example of how to prioritize tasks using the two lists prioritization technique.

Focus your attention on completing all the tasks on your first list. Only then can you begin working on your second list.

10. Pareto principle (80/20 rule)

Put another way, if you prioritize a small percentage of the right tasks, they can yield outsized effects.

To put the 80/20 rule into practice, identify your 20% work and make those tasks your priority. There's no hard-and-fast rule baked into the Pareto principle for how to determine your 20% work, but you can draw on other strategies. For example, M tasks from the MoSCoW method or Low effort, high impact tasks from the effort-impact priority matrix.

Bonus: How to prioritize tasks for teams

Many of the prioritization methods listed above are useful for prioritizing your daily tasks. But what if you're working on a larger scale? For example, a product team debating which features to roll out next, or a marketing team deciding how to divide their advertising budget across different campaigns. In those cases, here are a few prioritization methods to help your team identify and sequence those tasks:

How to pick the right task prioritization technique

Every technique on this list helps you achieve the same thing: ensuring that you're always working on your most important tasks. So, in the end, it doesn't matter which technique you use. It doesn't matter if you use multiple techniques. And it doesn't matter if you blend parts of the different techniques to make your own custom method.

What matters is that you pick something that makes sense and feels natural, and get to work.

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MoSCoW: A SMART Way To Prioritize Your Tasks For Effective Project Management

Management today is all about prioritization- be a strategy- which some define as the art of prioritization, business analytics- deciding what is important to analyze, project management – to ensure most important areas get the right focus in the right sequence, marketing- to pick the right customer, right channels, etc or software development- to build the most important features first. Prioritization indeed is central to work, ensuring focus and achieving results.

But as teams diversify, and more stakeholders become involved in the process, so do the complexities surrounding tasks and deliverables for a project or company. As such, methods such as MoSCoW Prioritization can allow managers to prioritize certain products and deadlines in their workflows.

In this blog, we will talk about

What is MoSCoW Prioritization?

What is MoSCoW Prioritization Technique?

How To Use the MoSCoW Prioritization Method?

SlideUpLift Templates for Presenting MoSCoW Prioritization Technique

MoSCoW method is a prioritization technique for managing requirements and deadlines within a project. While it is defined in the context of project management , the ideas can apply to any discipline of management.

It is a functional tool that allows management to reach an understanding with the various stakeholders on the importance placed on various requirements and their delivery. The degree of importance identifies its placement on the prioritization list, with high importance requirements being prioritized over low importance requirements.

MoSCoW method was originally developed in 1994 by Dai Clegg specifically for its use in Rapid Application Development . The initial scope of the technique was its use for timeboxed projects. With fixed deadlines to work with, MoSCoW gave Clegg a way to prioritize the tasks that were essential for the project, and sideline those that weren’t, in order to deliver the requirements on time. However, it soon evolved to become a key part of the latest management and prioritization thinking across disciplines.

The MoSCoW Prioritization technique consists of four categories. These categories signify the importance of the task or deliverable to the overall success of the project, as well as those that are essential for its running.

These four categories are-

Each requirement that is labeled “Must Have” are non-negotiable requirements that are critical to the success of the final product or project objectives. Notably, if any requirement is noted as “must-haves”, the failure in its delivery results in the total failure of the whole project. As such, each requirement within this category needs to be delivered within its given timeframe for success.

Should Have

Requirements labeled “Should Have” are important but ultimately not necessary for the success of the project. The absence of this product or requirement will be to the detriment of the overall project, but the final result will still be viable. As such, while these requirements need to be added if possible, they can be prioritized lower than must-haves in situations of time or resource crunch.

“Could Have” requirements are essentially those that are desirable and should be included if time and resources permit, but their absence will not significantly impact the final product or the success of the project. They are usually additions that contribute to a user’s experience or satisfaction but do not actively contribute to a product’s overall success and can be dropped in the case of approaching deadlines and a shortage of time.

Each requirement labeled “Wont-Have” would have been struck off by the team and the stakeholders as unnecessary, least-critical, and lowest payback items. Or these could be things that are just not appropriate for the time frame. These are requirements that are dropped for the entirety of the project, or shelved for later consideration should time and resources permit and all other items have been delivered.

How to Use the MoSCoW Prioritization Method?

Usually, the MoSCoW Prioritization Method is used early in the life cycle of a project. The final list is a collaborative effort by the team, project heads, department heads, upper management, and stakeholders. Everyone that has a vested interest in the project is expected to participate in the process of delineating the different items into different categories. This ensures smooth functioning of the project, where everyone is aware of and aligned to the project’s and stakeholders’ priorities and objectives.

Thus, MoSCoW method allows projects to work with a broader perspective, and reach a consensus on the different tasks enabling effective decision making .

In order to achieve maximum effectiveness in using the MoSCoW Prioritization Method, there are certain things to keep in mind.

Balancing the Priorities

When deciding on the Must Have priorities, it becomes important to understand exactly what those are. A method to gauge Must Haves is by defining a product’s minimum usable subset. This is an articulation of the minimum requirements of a project for it to be viable, functional and by all accounts, considered a success.

And other priorities, therefore, automatically become a contingency wherein beyond the must-haves, there is no outright effect on the functionality or success of a project.

Balancing all the categories of prioritizations becomes key in successfully managing a project using MoSCoW. Having more must-haves than possible or viable for a team is a one-way ticket to disaster. A good rule of thumb is to have a maximum of 60% of your tasks and team effort be for must-haves. This leaves room for the team to build confidence in their work and their ability to deliver on time.

Defining Prioritization Categories

Must-haves are generally easy to identify when discussing priorities within a group of people. However, the difference between Should Have and Could Have priorities is subjective and can be a point of contention if there are drastically warring views on the same.

Therefore, it is always a good idea to be extremely clear about the definitions and scope of the categories in question with an upfront discussion about the same with each stakeholder.

When to Prioritize

This primarily refers to any new requirements that come up during the process of working on the project. New requirements will need to be categorized under the MoSCoW technique, but they cannot be too disruptive to the process that is already underway. Most importantly, they should not interfere with the previously agreed-upon limit of 60% of work being under must-haves, as that can be an instant demoralizing element for the team.

Knowing when to prioritize any new requirements is key to the smooth functioning of a project.

Reviewing Priorities

At the end of each deliverable or project increment, all priorities need to be re-examined and discussed with the stakeholders. The working process often highlights misplaced and missing priorities, and those need to be included for the next deliverable. It is also important to review all priorities as a low-priority task may now have greater importance in the project.

SlideUpLift offers a vast collection of pre-made presentation templates that can be used to present your MoSCoW Prioritization Technique to all stakeholders and team members, becoming an effective tool for business and professional communication. These presentation templates are visually engaging and creatively built to showcase your MoSCoW method effectively. Each PowerPoint template is fully editable and uses visual elements such as graphics, colors, and shapes to present information in a professional way, saving you the time and effort that goes into creating beautiful and complex project management presentations .

MoSCow Method

Source: MoSCow Prioritization by SlideUpLift

MoSCow Matrix

Source: MoSCow Matrix by SlideUpLift

Find out more MoSCow Prioritization PowerPoint templates.

MoSCoW method is a great tool for prioritization, especially for projects that are time-sensitive and need a system that allows them to prioritize tasks for delivery. While there are watch-outs and things to be mindful of as mentioned earlier, this technique can save you tons of time and help define and achieve success on your next project.

Happy MoSCoWing!!!

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Four Prioritization Frameworks To Help You Nail Work-Life Balance

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The Best Ways to Organize and Store Your Dinnerware

The best organizing and decluttering methods usually call for you to put your stuff in containers so it's out of sight but still tidy. When it comes to your flatware and utensils, your container is usually built right in, a cupboard or drawer of some kind, but "out of sight, out of mind" doesn't quite work here, since those can get really disorganized, even—and especially—when they're obscured from view. It's time to organize your dinnerware.

The best tools for organizing utensils

I overhauled my flatware and I haven't looked back. I don't know about you, but I don't have a lot of drawer space in my apartment, so for a long time, my silverware was arranged in a decorative vase. It did the job, but it didn't look great, plus it was sort of chaotic. I got this set of 24 forks, spoons, and knives, which come with their own holder to hang on. It all sits right on my countertop and, since the utensils have a pretty gold and pink finish, the whole display looks uniform and attractive. If you don't have a lot of drawer space, a matching set that can pass for decor might be your best option.

Gold Silverware Set,24 Pieces Flatware Set With Silverware Holder

After I wash the utensils, I just put them back on their rack, where they dry while they're hanging. I prefer that to leaving them to dry on a towel or something—or, worse, putting them back into a dark drawer a little damp. Still, if you have the counter space for drying and the drawer space for storage, congrats on having a bigger apartment than I do. Try these.

An expandable drawer organizer is your best option. When I've used a drawer to store my flatware, I've always just used a regular old molded organizer, but those never quite fit right and they bang around when you close the drawer, plus they create wasted space all around them. One that unfurls to fit whatever size drawer you have will save a lot of headaches.

Lifewit Utensil Organizer for Kitchen Drawers, Expandable Cooking Utensil Tray

That said, I'm also a fan of this organizer with a smaller footprint, as it uses tiered sections to keep all of your utensils accessible and visible without taking up a lot of space. In smaller kitchens, this is a winner.

Joseph Joseph DrawerStore Compact Utensil Organizer For Kitchen Drawer

The best tools for organizing plates, bowls, and glasses

First of all, it's totally fine to stack all your plates and bowls in a cabinet and call it a day, but if you want to go a little further, you can invest in some organizers. A plate separator will keep your dishes apart while helping them stand up in the cabinet, making them easier to see.

INNERNEED Bamboo Wooden Dish Rack Plates Holder

If your cabinet is deep or high up, you might want to get one that pulls out, so you aren't straining yourself to reach for plates or dishes in the back.

Even if you just want to go for the traditional stacking method, you can make a few alterations to the cabinet that will save you some space and keep things more organized. This rack ($15.87) fits into the corner of the cabinet, giving you three shelves to stack different sizes of dishes while saving space on the main shelf for other kinds of storage. Personally, I use a simple, free-standing shelf to add tiers, so all my bowls and plates aren't stacked directly on top of each other. It's like this:

SONGMICS Cabinet Organizer Shelf, Set of 2 Kitchen Counter Shelves

For my mugs, I have these hooks that hang underneath a shelf. Mine are displayed out in the open on my cabinet, but this can easily fit inside a cupboard, too. It's perfect because it saves shelf space by suspending the mugs overhead, but also keeps them separate, so they don't chip each other.

Better Houseware Cup Hooks Cabinet Organizer

For regular cups, you can always stack them as normal, but if you have the space, you should consider a holder like this, which keeps them separated so they don't get damaged. It's also useful because when cups are stacked, you have to unstack them to get to the one you want, but with this special shelving unit, you can simply grab the exact cup you need without disturbing the others.

Water Bottle Organizer for Cabinet, 4 Pack

Finally, your special-occasion dinnerware, like fine china or anything sentimental , should be stored away from the cabinet. Consider getting some quilted storage containers, which keep glasses and plates separated.

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Way-too-early NHL Power Rankings for the 2024-25 season

The end of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs ran right up to draft week, as the Florida Panthers won the Cup less than four full days prior to the start of the selection process at Sphere. And less than two days after the final draft pick was made, the free agency frenzy began.

And yeah, we also got the full NHL schedule release , too.

It's been a jam-packed calendar, but now it's time to take a step back and assess just how we feel about all 32 teams, looking ahead to the fall. Who will be the top Cup contenders? Who will be in the running for the draft lottery? Here's how the winds are blowing as of early July.

How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on where they rank each club, which generates our master list here.

Note: The previous ranking for each team refers to the final regular-season edition, published April 12 .

1. Florida Panthers

Previous ranking: 7 2023-24 finish: Stanley Cup champs

If we borrow the lineal champion concept from the world of boxing, then it's logical that the Cats remain in the No. 1 spot, having just won the first title in franchise history. The Panthers retained Sam Reinhart , who was set to make a mint as an unrestricted free agent, and extended "Baby Barkov" Anton Lundell , along with several other moves.

2. Edmonton Oilers

Previous ranking: 8 2023-24 finish: Lost in Stanley Cup Final

GM Ken Holland -- a future Hall of Famer -- is out of the Oilers' front office, but the club made some wise moves thus far this summer to give the team he helped build a strong chance at glory next spring. Re-upping with Adam Henrique and Mattias Janmark gives them two proven playoff performers, and inking Jeff Skinner following the veteran's buyout by Buffalo should ensure that he'll finally get to skate in a playoff game.

3. Dallas Stars

Previous ranking: 1 2023-24 finish: Lost in conference finals

Remember the name Emil Hemming. The Stars have a knack for turning picks from the late first round (and later) into NHL stars thanks to a superb development system. Hemming, a Finnish forward taken No. 29 overall, is next in that pipeline.

4. New York Rangers

Previous ranking: 2 2023-24 finish: Lost in conference finals

The big moves to which Rangers fans had become accustomed have yet to materialize this offseason, save for the trade to add Reilly Smith . To be fair, this team as currently constructed won the Presidents' Trophy for the best regular season record in 2023-24, and gave the Panthers a tough series in the Eastern Conference finals. Adding around the edges -- and leaving some room to do a bit more at the trade deadline -- might be the best strategy.

5. Colorado Avalanche

Previous ranking: 6 2023-24 finish: Lost in second round

The Avs haven't been beyond the second round for two straight postseasons; then again, the last time they were, they won the Cup. So give the front office a bit of a pass here, given that the core of Nathan MacKinnon , Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar remains in place. And while fans don't always go wild for re-signings, the new deal for Casey Mittelstadt might wind up being their best piece of business this entire offseason.

6. Carolina Hurricanes

Previous ranking: 3 2023-24 finish: Lost in second round

Perhaps the most consequential moves this offseason happened in management positions: Eric Tulsky took over as GM, and coach Rod Brind'Amour was signed to a new contract. At least, that's the type of stability on which fans should hang their hats; many on-ice personnel changes took place as well, including the loss of two key defensemen in Brett Pesce (New Jersey) and Brady Skjei (Nashville).

7. Boston Bruins

Previous ranking: 5 2023-24 finish: Lost in second round

One of these years, the Bruins might take a big step backwards. But not this upcoming season, according to our voters. The Bruins had one of the more satisfying summers, as they needed a top-line center and shutdown defender -- then signed Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov to handle those duties, respectively. The trade sending Linus Ullmark to Ottawa raised some eyebrows, but now this is officially Jeremy Swayman 's crease following an impressive postseason.

8. Nashville Predators

Previous ranking: 11 2023-24 finish: Lost in first round

The Preds haven't historically been a top free agent destination. That changed in 2024, as Steven Stamkos , Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei all signed long-term deals on July 1. A team that surprised some onlookers in 2023-24 has set a higher bar for 2024-25.

9. Vancouver Canucks

Previous ranking: 4 2023-24 finish: Lost in second round

A cavalcade of playoff-tested ex-Bruins found its way to the Pacific Northwest, bolstering a core of players that all seemed to perform at or near career-high levels in 2023-24. The Canucks are clearly not ready to cede the Pacific Division to the Cup finalist Oilers.

10. Toronto Maple Leafs

Previous ranking: 9 2023-24 finish: Lost in first round

The Leafs have been a consistently great regular-season hockey team in recent campaigns -- and then the playoffs roll around. Although much of the on-ice personnel remains in place from last season -- including all of the "Core Four," in spite of Mitch Marner trade rumors -- the club did make a coaching change, subbing in Craig Berube for Sheldon Keefe, as well as investing in veteran defensemen Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson . Will it be enough?

11. New Jersey Devils

Previous ranking: 22 2023-24 finish: Missed the playoffs

Had the Devils received league-average goaltending in 2023-24, it's likely they would've qualified for the postseason, if not won a round or two. To help matters in that department, they traded for Jacob Markstrom this summer; to help Markstrom, they signed Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon , and will get back a healthy Dougie Hamilton . Our voters are bullish on them getting back among the playoff contenders.

12. Vegas Golden Knights

Previous ranking: 15 2023-24 finish: Lost in first round

It's easy to forget because it feels like it was years ago, but the Knights' first-round matchup against the Stars was one of the best of the entire postseason. There were some significant losses from the on-ice group due to Vegas' ever-present salary cap crunch, but we're not convinced they're done making summer moves, either.

13. Tampa Bay Lightning

Previous ranking: 12 2023-24 finish: Lost in first round

Have the Panthers gained a long-term upper hand in the Battle of Florida? It would seem so, based on how the regular season finished, and what happened in Round 1. For the first time in over a decade, the Lightning will not have Steven Stamkos as their captain. Can they jump back ahead of the Panthers without him?

14. Los Angeles Kings

Previous ranking: 13 2023-24 finish: Lost in first round

New uniforms, new starting goalie, different results? It has been three straight first-round playoff losses to the Oilers for L.A., and in order to get by Connor McDavid & Co., they inked former Edmonton forward Warren Foegele (in addition to other moves).

15. Winnipeg Jets

Previous ranking: 10 2023-24 finish: Lost in first round

Behind an impressive defensive effort, the Jets charged up the standings and looked like one of the strongest teams in the 2024 playoffs. Then the system appeared to fail, whether it was goaltender Connor Hellebuyck , the players in front of him or both. They'll run it back with essentially the same crew this season, hoping to maintain that dominance into the postseason.

16. Detroit Red Wings

Previous ranking: 19 2023-24 finish: Missed the playoffs

At some point, the Yzerplan must result in the Red Wings' return to the playoffs. Will it happen for them in 2024-25? Detroit brought back Patrick Kane for another kick at the can, and wisely added two-time Cup winner Vladimir Tarasenko as well. But was that enough?

17. New York Islanders

Previous ranking: 14 2023-24 finish: Lost in first round

This team has not made splashy moves during the Lou Lamoriello era, and that trend continued this offseason. Nevertheless, Isles fans should be encouraged by one move for the short term (signing Anthony Duclair ), and one for the long term (drafting Cole Eiserman).

18. Washington Capitals

Previous ranking: 18 2023-24 finish: Lost in first round

Many thought the Caps would be content watching franchise icon Alex Ovechkin chase down Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal-scoring record, and wouldn't otherwise be too competitive. After a surprising run to the 2024 playoffs, the front office has not stood pat, trading for Pierre-Luc Dubois , Jakob Chychrun and Logan Thompson , and signing Matt Roy . Those are not moves made by a team content to be in draft lottery position.

19. Philadelphia Flyers

Previous ranking: 23 2023-24 finish: Missed the playoffs

The Flyers were one of the NHL's pleasant surprises for much of 2023-24, holding a playoff position well beyond the trade deadline. Unfortunately, a late-season tailspin sent them back to the draft lottery. And they didn't really add anyone of note in free agency, either. Then again, by signing Matvei Michkov, they made the biggest on-ice addition in recent team history -- and one of the most consequential additions league-wide this summer.

20. Minnesota Wild

Previous ranking: 20 2023-24 finish: Missed the playoffs

Entering their final season with $14.743 million in dead cap space due to the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts, the Wild didn't do a ton in free agency. However, they did land perhaps the steal of the draft in Zeev Buium, who somehow fell to them at No. 12. So at least there's help on the way.

21. Pittsburgh Penguins

Previous ranking: 16 2023-24 finish: Missed the playoffs

Outside observers were pretty sure that the Penguins would be looking to get a little younger this offseason. While Anthony Beauvillier and Matt Grzelcyk sort of help in that cause, the trade for Kevin Hayes was a bewildering one.

22. Utah Hockey Club

Previous ranking: N/A 2023-24 finish: N/A

It's the first season for the NHL's newest team! You might recognize some familiar faces from the Arizona Coyotes, but Utah GM Bill Armstrong made some major additions this offseason too, trading for Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino and inking veteran D-man Ian Cole and Cup champ Kevin Stenlund . This team could surprise in 2024-25.

23. St. Louis Blues

Previous ranking: 17 2023-24 finish: Missed the playoffs

The Blues remained on the fringes of the playoff race well past the deadline last spring and made some wise moves to shore up the forward depth this summer, including adding Radek Faksa and Alexandre Texier . Is that enough to keep pace with the Central heavyweights?

24. Buffalo Sabres

Previous ranking: 24 2023-24 finish: Missed the playoffs

For a team that faces immense pressure to end the NHL's longest playoff drought, the Sabres didn't really do too much this offseason (unless one believes that Jason Zucker can find a new gear). Perhaps the switch to Lindy Ruff behind the bench will spark something.

25. Ottawa Senators

Previous ranking: 27 2023-24 finish: Missed the playoffs

Do the Senators get a mulligan for the entire star-crossed 2023-24 campaign? New ownership yielded new front office personnel, which yielded a new coaching staff. The team made a major upgrade in goal in landing Linus Ullmark in a trade, and a young core should be entering its prime seasons.

26. Seattle Kraken

Previous ranking: 21 2023-24 finish: Missed the playoffs

After a run to the second round of the 2023 playoffs, the Kraken were quite underwhelming in Year 3. That cost Dave Hakstol his job, and Dan Bylsma (who coached the club's AHL team this past season) is taking over. From an on-ice perspective, they made some significant additions in center Chandler Stephenson and defenseman Brandon Montour , members of the two most recent Cup champs.

27. Calgary Flames

Previous ranking: 25 2023-24 finish: Missed the playoffs

With the trade of Jacob Markstrom -- coupled with the many veteran deletions ahead of the 2023-24 trade deadline -- it's clear that the rebuild is on (whether management wants to use that word or not). However, the Flames left Las Vegas with one of the best draft classes, so help is assuredly on the way.

28. Montreal Canadiens

Previous ranking: 28 2023-24 finish: Missed the playoffs

The Canadiens are most definitely doing the "slow and steady" version of a rebuild, and the club's most significant move this summer was inking 2022 first-round pick Juraj Slafkovsky to an eight-year contract extension. Can they catch up to the Senators, Sabres or Red Wings this season?

29. Chicago Blackhawks

Previous ranking: 31 2023-24 finish: Missed the playoffs

Connor Bedard earned the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie last season, and GM Kyle Davidson rewarded him by adding another strong batch of veteran free agents to the roster this summer. It'll continue to be tough sledding in the stacked Central Division, but maybe the games will be a bit more competitive this time around.

30. Columbus Blue Jackets

Previous ranking: 29 2023-24 finish: Missed the playoffs

With a new GM and new coach heading into 2024-25, it's a bit of a clean slate for the Blue Jackets. With one of the more impressive young cores in the NHL led by Adam Fantilli , Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov , they could be a sleeper.

31. Anaheim Ducks

Previous ranking: 30 2023-24 finish: Missed the playoffs

The Ducks were not a very good team in 2023-24. While they didn't do a ton to change the personnel this season, they did make a significant upgrade to their logo and uniforms, so at least they'll look better doing what they're doing.

32. San Jose Sharks

Previous ranking: 32 2023-24 finish: Missed the playoffs

Although the Sharks weren't record-setting in their poor performance last season, they were a country mile out of a playoff spot. After adding Macklin Celebrini with the No. 1 pick, signing 2023 first-rounder Will Smith , and welcoming an impressive collection of veteran free agents (including Tyler Toffoli and Alex Wennberg ) and trade additions ( Jake Walman and Carl Grundstrom ) they won't be such an easy out in 2024-25.

More From Forbes

Is carbon pricing the best way to mitigate climate change.

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Businessman Paying Carbon tax. GHG Payment as Environmental Fee to Reduce CO2. Greenhouse Gas Cost ... [+] of Emission or Pollution, Charged for Global Warming. Factory Pipe Emitting Toxic Smoke

Tax Notes chief correspondent Amanda Athanasiou discusses the effectiveness of carbon pricing as a climate change mitigation strategy and possible alternative policies.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

David D. Stewart: Welcome to the podcast. I'm David Stewart, editor in chief of Tax Notes Today International . This week: everything's got a price.

For some time now, the gold standard of climate mitigation policy has been carbon pricing. Whatever the method, it made economic sense that establishing a price on unwanted emissions was going to be the thing that reined in global warming and put the Earth on a sustainable path. But is that still the case?

Here to talk more about this and to discuss her recent article is Tax Notes chief correspondent Amanda Athanasiou. Amanda, welcome back to the podcast.

Amanda Athanasiou: Thanks, Dave. It's great to be back.

David D. Stewart: So let's start with the basics and we'll go from there. Why has carbon pricing been considered so important for reaching climate goals?

Amanda Athanasiou: Sure. So probably the root of the emphasis on carbon pricing as key to net-zero commitments and the Paris Agreement goals is this general consensus in the economic community, which has also driven the efforts of many nongovernmental organizations and governments, that carbon pricing is the most efficient, least costly way for governments to combat climate change. So the theory is put a price on carbon, whether through a tax on emissions or a trading system, and emitters will figure out a way to reduce their emissions and pay less tax.

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David D. Stewart: So how prevalent are these carbon pricing regimes?

Amanda Athanasiou: Well, as far as uptake, the World Bank keeps track of this, and their latest count is that there are 75 carbon pricing instruments implemented worldwide, and that includes both emissions trading systems and carbon taxes. So out of about 195 countries in the world, that's not too bad; there's clearly some buy-in on this concept. But there are some important caveats. First, there are some major emitters that are missing from the list, notably India and the United States, but also Brazil and Russia. All of those are among the top 10 emitters in the world.

The second thing is that while coverage of emissions by these regimes seems to be growing, the prices within the systems are often really, really low — too low to keep warming within the bounds that are needed. So by way of example, the suggested carbon price for major emitting economies ranges from around $50 to $100 per metric ton of emissions by 2030, or even up to $200 depending on who you ask, if we're using the social cost of carbon as a guide. So we have China, which is the world's largest emitter, and it has a growing emissions trading system. But that system launched in 2021 at about $8 a metric ton, and it hit a record in 2024 — just under $14. So there is a bit of a ways to go in a lot of these systems.

David D. Stewart: So it sounds like there are other factors at play here, aside from just the cost-effectiveness of carbon pricing. So what have been the challenges to establishing more robust pricing mechanisms?

Hand holding melting ice cream in a shape of United States Congress. Climate change, political ... [+] discussions concept. Vector illustration.

Amanda Athanasiou: Right. So the efficiency argument is clearly not winning the day here on a large enough scale, which raised questions in my mind about whether maybe there's a government messaging problem. Surely if carbon pricing is the lowest-cost option, there must be a way to make that palatable to voters who want to get things done as cheaply as possible. But after taking a closer look at this, it turns out that, as one of my sources for the article pointed out, it's just hard to get people to stop caring about what they pay at the pump, for example. Even with the best intentions and messaging by governments, it's hard to make an immediate cost increase in people's daily lives attractive just by pointing to a more abstract, further-off cost savings, or even by pointing out scheduled concrete rebates that they'd be entitled to. There have actually been studies showing that rebates and messaging don't have much of an influence on public perceptions of these policies.

One's political leanings tend to be a pretty good predictor of support for climate change policies, and that's regardless of messaging and policy design in general. Canada's administration is a good example of this. Climate economist Danny Cullenward pointed out for the story that that administration has been very consistently pro-carbon-pricing. It's had clear messaging, and it designed a system that rebates revenue back to households, and they've still faced a lot of backlash to their federal regime — not just from individuals, but also provincial governments. This is all to say that the political challenges facing carbon taxes are formidable and have kind of swallowed up the efficiency argument.

It definitely tends to be a partisan issue. Carbon taxes are thought of as regressive. There are associations being made between carbon taxes and rising food costs and inflation. And even if there's evidence to the contrary, once those associations have been made in voters' minds, it's hard to unhear them. Sources also pointed out that when you look at alternatives like green subsidies and incentives for clean technology tax credits and the like, it's not immediately clear to voters what the cost of those approaches are and how they work exactly. And that opacity has sort of had a politically insulating effect for those kinds of policies.

David D. Stewart: So let's dive into these alternatives. What are they, and can they get us to where we need to be on climate change?

Amanda Athanasiou: Yeah. So while carbon pricing continues to linger sort of below what it would need to be at to do the whole job of curbing global warming, we have seen an evolution of alternative emissions reduction policies in the form of green subsidies and incentives for investment in clean technology, as we were speaking about. These are a little harder to track, both in number and effect, because they take so many forms. But the most significant recent example is probably the package of climate-driven tax credits in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, which itself has prompted similar policies in other countries. So this is basically the carrot approach, right? Governments draw out new innovation and better technology, cleaner cars and electricity, carbon capture technology through these positive incentives. The challenge with these policies, of course, is that they are the higher-cost option and they're more targeted to specific technologies, so they, too, face some opposition.

Ian Parry with the IMF, for example, said that subsidies promote a narrower range of behavioral responses than carbon taxes and they cost governments money, which is the opposite of what carbon tax does. And Jack Mintz, an economist at the University of Calgary that I also spoke with, he said he was concerned that governments are putting all this money behind technology that they're sort of picking and choosing today, but that might not end up being the optimum technology down the road. And in the meantime, we're ending up with this pancaking of approaches that many governments aren't going to be able to afford. So his position is that these things are better left to the private sector, and this is sort of the tension that led to this article. If the low-cost option isn't going to work, what kind of mix of carrots and sticks are we going to end up with? Will countries be able to afford it, and will it ultimately be enough in terms of achieving emissions reductions?

David D. Stewart: Well, that's some big questions to answer. What did you find out while you were reporting?

Amanda Athanasiou: Yes, they're big and future focused. So, unfortunately, even having spoken to a number of very smart economists and policy experts, we can't determine the globe's ultimate package of policies, right? And evaluate the prices, and then debate the pros and cons. But there were some important points that emerged from these conversations that gave some good hints about where we might be headed. The first is that, well, this is a global problem and the quintessential tragedy of the commons situation. Sources generally agreed that not every single country needs to be on board with carbon pricing in order for the requisite change to happen. There are various ideas for multilateral and even bilateral action that have been floated in this article and others.

The IMF's idea for a minilateral pricing agreement among the world's biggest emitters has been around for a while. A couple sources suggested that the EU and the U.S. should team up on pricing and that that joint market would be too hard for other economies to ignore. The hope here seems to be that once a group of the world's major markets join forces on carbon pricing, it will have a domino effect elsewhere, which, based on the ripple effects from the EU's carbon pricing system and its carbon border adjustment mechanism, seems to be a sound prediction. The carbon border adjustment mechanism is a mechanism implemented by the EU that attaches a price on imports to sort of equalize the price of goods and ease competition concerns. One caveat to this is that China and India are really important players here, given their respective shares of worldwide emissions, and it might take some negotiations to get them on board with the more aggressive schemes. But the takeaway is that there is some optimism about the future of global carbon pricing despite the current situation.

An exterior view of the building of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with the IMG logo, is ... [+] seen on March 27, 2020 in Washington, DC. - The coronavirus pandemic has driven the global economy into a downturn that will require massive funding to help developing nations, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said on March 27, 2020. (Photo by Olivier DOULIERY / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)

On the expense of it all, when it comes to these proliferating carrot approaches, a number of sources had some concerns and a little pessimism about subsidy wars and evolution of costly pancaking incentives that we've talked about. You know, are developing countries going to be able to afford this, and things like that. But Gernot Wagner of Columbia Business School for the article sort of put things in perspective when he said, "Is this path we're on inefficient? Yes. Are we tying up money that could be used for other public goods? Sure. But this isn't the first time, and it won't be the last, that we don't end up with a perfectly efficient global policy solution. We've seen this in other policy areas; it probably won't be the end of the world." And he added that we are so far away from actually internalizing the cost of environmental damage from emissions that he isn't really worried about subsidies being too costly or subsidy wars per se. The costs are sort of a proxy for what we should be paying. That was that theory.

Similarly, Kim Clausing said specifically with respect to the U.S. that there's this focus on the regressivity of carbon taxes, but all the climate change policy options have distributional effects, so we might as well pick the things that are the most effective and don't break the government budget. She also made the case that we shouldn't give up on the prospect of carbon pricing in the U.S. just yet. A lot has changed since the last time it was tried, including the fiscal situation, the climate itself, and the introduction of the IRA, which she argued sets the stage in a couple ways, which is addressed in this article and some things that she's written.

So I guess the good news is that while, as Danny said, carbon pricing hasn't played that starring role that economists prescribed for it, other policies have rolled in to hopefully bridge the gap. And while they might be more costly than a perfect multinational carbon price floor, we have to go with what's politically achievable, and at least the proliferation of these policies is evidence that the issue is being taken seriously. So we'll have to see what happens.

David D. Stewart: All right. Well, Amanda, thank you so much for being here and for walking us through all of this, and we'll definitely leave a link to your article in the show notes.

Amanda Athanasiou: Thank you so much for having me.

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4 best ways to qualify for credit card debt forgiveness

By Angelica Leicht

Edited By Matt Richardson

July 2, 2024 / 12:38 PM EDT / CBS News

stack of bright colorful discount plastic cards, close up view

Between average credit card interest rates hovering near 22% — and the relentless pressure of compounding interest — many cardholders are watching their balances grow at an alarming rate right now. Add to this the burden that inflation and other economic stressors are causing and it's easy to see how credit card debt can quickly spiral out of control.

Carrying high amounts of credit card debt can have far-reaching consequences , though. It can damage your credit score, making it difficult to secure loans or favorable interest rates in the future. And, in the worst-case scenarios, the inability to pay off your credit card debt could lead to legal action from creditors, wage garnishment or even bankruptcy.

But while the repercussions of carrying high-rate credit card debt can be serious, those in this situation may still have solutions to consider. If you find you're unable to pay off your credit card debt, one such option is credit card debt forgiveness , also known as debt settlement. This process involves negotiating with your creditors to pay less than the full amount owed, potentially saving you thousands of dollars. But how can you qualify for this type of credit card debt relief? Below, we'll detail some of the best ways to do so.

Find out more about credit card debt forgiveness here .

Here are some of the top ways to qualify for credit card debt forgiveness:

By having a high amount of credit card debt

One of the primary factors that can make you a candidate for credit card debt settlement is having a significant amount of credit card debt . While there's no specific threshold that automatically qualifies you for debt settlement, generally, the higher your debt, the more likely creditors are to consider settlement offers.

That's because when you owe a large sum and are struggling to pay it off, creditors may be more motivated to recover at least a portion of the debt rather than risk receiving nothing if you default completely. And, with a higher debt amount, there's more room for negotiation , potentially leading to more substantial savings through settlement.

A high debt load, especially compared to your income , can also serve as evidence of your inability to repay the full amount, making creditors more open to settlement offers. And, for large debts, it may be more cost-effective for creditors to accept a settlement rather than pursue costly legal action or debt collection efforts.

Learn how the right debt relief options could help you today .

By demonstrating financial hardship

To be considered for debt settlement , you typically need to show your creditors that you're experiencing genuine financial difficulty — no matter how much you owe. This could be due to job loss, medical expenses, divorce or other significant life events that have impacted your ability to pay your credit card bills .

To prove that you're facing a real financial hardship, be sure to have documentation on hand, such as unemployment benefits statements, medical bills or court documents to support your case. This will make it easier to show definitive proof of your financial hurdles and qualify for credit card debt forgiveness with your creditors.

By having delinquent credit card accounts

While it may seem counterintuitive, most creditors won't consider any debt settlement conversations until your credit card accounts are several months past due . This is because they want to see that you're truly unable to make payments before agreeing to forgive a portion of your debt.

So, if you want to qualify for credit card debt forgiveness , you may need to stop paying your credit card bills for a few months (or more) — which will also allow you time to save for a lump-sum payment, which the creditors will typically expect in return for settling your debt for less than what you owe. However, be aware that this approach will negatively impact your credit score.

By working with a debt relief company

While it's possible to settle your card debt on your own, it can be tricky. However, debt relief companies are skilled in negotiating with creditors on your behalf, so using one could help you qualify. And, these companies often have established relationships with creditors, and by utilizing them, you may be able to secure better terms than you could on your own.

Just be sure to research any debt relief company thoroughly before utilizing their services and keep an eye out for red flags . For example, some may charge high fees or use questionable tactics during the process, so it's best to avoid those options to improve your chances of qualifying for debt forgiveness.

The bottom line

Credit card debt forgiveness can provide significant relief, so if you're able to qualify, it could be a good solution to tackling the credit card debt you can't afford to pay in full. However, it's not without consequences. Your credit score will likely suffer, and you may owe taxes on the forgiven amount. And, some creditors may be unwilling to work with you in the future if you take this route. So, be sure to carefully weigh the pros and cons before pursuing debt forgiveness and thoroughly consider your other debt relief options to determine the best course of action for your specific situation.

Angelica Leicht is senior editor for Managing Your Money, where she writes and edits articles on a range of personal finance topics. Angelica previously held editing roles at The Simple Dollar, Interest, HousingWire and other financial publications.

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A Quick Guide to the MoSCoW Method Technique

January 12, 2022 - 10 min read

The MoSCoW method is a prioritization technique used by project and campaign managers to work smarter not harder. In this quick guide, we’ll explain exactly what the MoSCoW method is, how it works, and provide some examples you can use to inform your own analysis. Keep reading to better understand the various categories within the MoSCoW method, as well as an alternative prioritization tool for project managers.

What is the MoSCow method?

The MoSCoW method is a technique used by organizations to communicate the importance and priority of the various requirements being met in various projects. This method is also referred to as MoSCoW prioritization and MoSCoW analysis.

The term MoSCoW is an acronym that refers to the first letter of each of the four priority categories. It uses four categories, which are must-have, should-want, could-have, and will not have. While it’s meant to be used at the start of a project when time is on your side, it can also be adapted to work seamlessly for time constraints .

Software developer Dai Clegg originally created the MoScoW method. Since then, many other leading companies have used it to get their team on the same page, properly distribute resources, and achieve project goals.

How does the MoSCow technique work?

The MoSCoW technique works by allowing teams to include multiple representatives from the organization in their project management discussions. This gives everyone a wider perspective on the organization's operations and where their collective priorities lie.

Before you begin your MoSCoW method, think about which people can provide valuable context for your team. They can help you identify opportunities and threats, and they can help you make better decisions. Once finalized, the MoSCoW method will also force stakeholders to show evidence before they can submit additional work requests mid-project.

Critics of MoSCoW often say that it does not include a comprehensive objective scoring system for all initiatives. This is a common mistake that many teams make. A weighted scoring method will more accurately measure the backlog against a set of predefined benefits and costs.

One of the most challenging aspects of the MoSCoW technique is learning which categories their initiatives should go in. As the manager, you will need to know which of your team's initiatives are “must haves” for their product or which are merely “should haves”.

You may even need to solicit feedback from a different department in order to get greater perspective on your current project prioritization. For example, a marketing department head may have greater insight into which selling points for your upcoming product launch are resonating more with buyers so that you can work on perfecting those components first.

Another key idea about how the MoSCoW technique works is that it’s only effective if you follow it. This means that, once an initiative is placed into a category, the entire team needs to stick to that decision. Many beginner MoSCoW teams end up agreeing that an initiative should have been initiated, but they move on to the next step instead because it feels better or more familiar to them.

Finally, when it comes to making decisions about prioritization, your team will need to have a consistent framework in place before you engage with this technique. A consistent framework for assessing and ranking all initiatives is critical if you want to avoid biases and falling into old patterns.

Your team’s prioritization strategy helps set expectations across the organization. It lets them know that they have made the right decisions and weigh all the factors that go into making those decisions. Don’t be afraid to make your MoSCoW method results available to the rest of your organization if applicable.

Understanding MoSCow prioritization categories

Before the MoSCoW analysis can begin, all participants need to agree on which initiatives will be prioritized. It's important to discuss how to resolve disagreements in order to prevent them from holding up progress during this preparation stage. This can help prevent issues from happening in the first place.

Once the framework has been established, it is time to start identifying the appropriate categories for each project. Here are the definitions and explanations of each of the MoSCoW prioritization categories:

Musts are defined as initiatives that are critical to the success of a project or product. These are usually non-negotiable and can be used to describe specific functionalities or solutions that need to be implemented.

The “must have” category is challenging to define. Before you start, ask yourself if something is truly necessary in this category.

Should have

Although “should have” initiatives are not essential to a product or project, they may add significant value. A “should have” initiative is different from a “must have” initiative, which means it can be scheduled for a future release.

“Could haves” are initiatives that are not necessary to the core of a product. Projects that are placed in the “could have” category are often the first ones to be deprioritized when another project takes longer than expected.

Will not have

The MoSCoW method places several initiatives in a “will not have” category. This method allows you to manage expectations about what will not be included in a release or another timeframe.

Putting initiatives in the “will not have" category can help prevent scope creep . This category shows the team that the project is not a priority at this specific time frame.

Some initiatives are prioritized in the “will not have” group, while others are likely to happen in the future. Some teams then decide to create a subcategory for these initiatives.

How is the MoSCoW method used in project management?

The concept of MoSCoW allows project managers to prioritize tasks that can be done efficiently even when they have limited time. For example, if the team has a tight budget, it can use MoSCoW to determine which initiatives can be completed within those limitations.

This is especially useful for managers juggling more than project or leading cross-functional teams. This is because cross-functional teams are sometimes obligated to another company or department’s priorities. While your team is working on a new product release, another project manager may have them on a tight timeline for another client’s goal.

And, as we all know, things come up throughout the lifespan of a project. Although efficient planning helps teams remain agile, the MoSCoW method can make even the biggest and most unexpected roadblocks more manageable.

MoSCoW examples

This method can be used for nearly any industry or project type because it has to do more with project decision-making than the subject matter itself. Here are a couple of MoSCoW method examples you can use to get started with your first draft:

1. National College of Ireland’s website project

In this example from a lecture on the MoSCoW analysis, Professor Eugene O’Loughlin demonstrates how to use this technique when building a website .

The project goal in this example is to create a platform where users can securely log in and access files. Because of this, the tasks listed under their MoSCoW categories will look different from other standard website creation projects.

For example, while another project may add “have an eye-catching design” to their should-have section, this particular website has added “password retrieval” because it directly applies to their security-oriented goal.

Even if this website project could benefit from a great design, the MoSCoW method helps managers and teams laser focus on completing the highest priority activities first. If they have more time later on, they can potentially add a design improvement task to their “could haves” if they determine the ROI is high enough.

Takeaway: Consider your project holistically when assigning priority. Your goals should be your north star for determining what is or is not truly important, regardless of what conventional wisdom says to do.

2. Slideteam’s Assessing HR Requirements Template

This is one of the MoSCoW examples that shows how many different types of tasks this technique covers. Here, we see storing employee leave history as a must, leave letter printing a should, notifications for pending leave dates a could, and remote access a won’t.

In HR, many of their decisions around prioritization will be made by compliance and legal counsel that they must adhere to. Still, it’s important to define these tasks and their MoSCoW label so that employees understand at a glance that it’s less important to set up leave notifications and more important that they update employment histories in their software.

Takeaway: The MoSCoW method can be used to cover many different aspects of projects including compliance and procedure.

How to undertake a MoSCoW analysis using Wrike

Wrike is a project management software that allows users to strategize how they prioritize their portfolio of projects as well as the tasks within each individual initiative. Using visual tools such as road maps that show what progress will look like from kickoff to completion, managers can easily see which of their chosen MoSCoW analysis configurations work best for achieving their goals.

Wrike also allows you to centralize all of your project planning in one central location. You can view potential resource conflicts across projects, individual task progress statuses, and automate tasks from your should or could have categories that you otherwise wouldn’t have time for.

Ready to get started with the MoSCoW method and Wrike? Sign up for a two-week free trial today.

Maria Waida

Maria is a freelance content writer who specializes in blogging and other marketing materials for enterprise software businesses.

An Introduction to Bullet Journal Project Management

Bullet journals are great tools to destress and organize various aspects of project management. In this guide, we’re diving deep into the pros and cons of using this method to organize projects of all kinds. Keep reading to discover what bullet journal project management is and how this practice can boost productivity to new levels. What is a bullet journal? A bullet journal is a customized space to organize all of your personal projects and goals. It can also be used to track deadlines and prioritize tasks. Bullet journaling became popular thanks to the book Getting Things Done, which is about a project management technique that uses a bullet journal to manage different projects efficiently. Bullet journals are often used to create daily, weekly, and monthly project plans. They can also be home to your to-do lists, inspiration boards, and project notes. They’re relaxing to create and relatively easy to maintain. If you have multiple projects to manage, then you may want to use more than one notebook. Or you can swap your physical journal for a professional services management software that has plenty of space for storing digital plans. Software tools are also easy to customize, make collaboration easier, and help with turning the plan into reality through task creation and assignment tools. With Wrike, data from multiple users will automatically sync so that everyone is on the same page with new updates and responsibilities. If you do use a physical journal, using loose leaf paper in a binder will allow you to add pages as you go. This is useful for keeping track of all the data in one place instead of switching to additional notebooks when you run out of room. There are many elegant, decorated bullet journal page layouts out there. Many invest time into making them artistic with drawings, decorative tape, and cut-out images. This isn’t necessary for project management, but it may be a fun activity outside of work. Bullet journals can use several different layouts. The most common is a two-page spread that includes a month-long calendar on one page and a breakdown of goals for that period on the other. The latter will help you keep track of all the dates and commitments that are important to you as you get closer to starting a new project. The two-page spread makes it easy to see where you'll be working most efficiently in the coming weeks. It's ideal for people who manage multiple projects simultaneously. You can also create a view of the next six months within your bullet journal project management layout. This is called a future log. A future log is a calendar that lets you keep track of important events and dates for long-term projects. How do you use a bullet journal in project planning? Projects are essentially collections of notes and tasks that are linked to a common goal. They can be pulled together in a bullet journal for you to easily see all of the work related to that specific project. To start, you’ll need to list out your goals. Create a list that includes every project goal you or your team can think of. Sort them in order of importance. Ideally, these smaller project goals will align with your organization’s big-picture goals. Once you know what you’d like to accomplish, you can begin your bullet journal. Start by breaking down your number one goal into a project action plan. This can span days, weeks, or months. Then, break down your project action plan into individual tasks. Determine what the task is, who will be in charge of getting it done, and when it needs to be completed. After that, you’re ready to use your bullet journal for project planning. Step 1: List out your sections Number your pages if they aren’t already. At the beginning of the bullet journal, write the name of the page on the left side and the page number on the right. Step 2: Add your key You may use symbols and abbreviations throughout your project planning. Put these at the beginning of the journal either after or on the same page as your key. Use color coding to signify which symbols belong to each project if you have more than one. Step 3: Write out your future log A future log is a list of key dates and tasks that aren’t part of your immediate three-to-six month plans but are important to keep in mind. Add this after your key and leave space for other items as they come up. Step 4: Create your calendar This can be in the form of a traditional calendar page. Some people like to hand draw them. However, you can also print, cut out, and paste a blank monthly calendar page into your journal too. Step 5: Track tasks Create sections for monthly, weekly, and daily task lists. You can organize these in a few ways. Some project managers prefer to do it by project or by person. You can also create one massive list with everything you’re personally responsible for so you have it all in one place. Or use a combination of any of these for your various projects. Make sure to check in with your bullet journal weekly and monthly. Note any upcoming or past deadlines. Adjust your task list and schedule for unexpected issues as needed. The benefits of using a bullet journal for work Project managers often have a hard time keeping track of their work activities without losing track of anything along the way. This is one of the reasons why the bullet journal is so useful. Not only does it give you a roadmap of your next projects, but it’s also good for daily use. You can keep track of to-do lists, priorities, and daily reflections. You can also journal about your progress and realign with goals all in the same notebook or tool. You can also rapidly log your thoughts for the day to boost your creativity and clear out emotions that no longer serve the project. Combine your bullet journal for work with your personal goals. It will be easier to prioritize and accurately schedule tasks when you have your entire life laid out in front of you on paper. Another benefit of using a bullet journal for work is that you can either DIY a notebook or use a planner you already have. It’s not so much what you use but how you use it. And bonus: bullet journaling only takes five to 15 minutes a day. Whether it’s reviewing tomorrow’s meetings or crossing off today’s tasks, a bullet journal practice is easy to build into your schedule no matter how busy you are. The disadvantages of using a bullet journal in project management While bullet journaling project management is great for keeping track of key project details, many project managers need a separate system to manage their meetings and reports. Having more than one journal or calendar to manage at one time can be confusing. Add more than one project to the mix, and it may be counterproductive to use a traditional pen and paper bullet journal to accomplish your goals. Another disadvantage of using a bullet journal in project management is your lack of ability to collaborate with others. When writing on paper, you have to either show your team the notebook in person or scan the pages and share them online. Either way, it’s not ideal for large, remote, and/or revolving teams. The other thing to know about bullet journaling before diving in headfirst is that it can be quite time-consuming. If you do a crafty layout with calligraphy and scrapbooking accessories, then it may even take several days to finish. And once you do have your plans laid out, they can be hard to change. Rewriting, erasing, and making more space for things that come up are essential for project planning. For that reason, we suggest using an 11 inch by 7 inch grid lined notebook to give yourself extra space. Also, you can outline headlines and calendars with a pen or marker if you like the look. But stick to pencil for any factual information that is subject to change throughout the lifetime of the project. If you don’t do this now, you may end up having to scrap entire pages and start over later on. Bullet journal alternatives you should consider Bullet journals are fun, unique, and creative. But there are some projects where they just aren’t the best possible option for managing it all. The project may be too complex or too large for a single notebook. There may even be so many updates needed that a physical notebook doesn’t make sense for your project. If you’re facing any of these issues, you can try any of the following bullet journal alternatives: Digital calendar and list app combo Bulletin board, sticky notes, and shared files Project management software Project management software is the top choice for bullet journal alternatives. Not only is it flexible, but it can make project planning more productive. Wrike is the ultimate platform for customizing your own bullet journal project management processes. With over 30 predefined apps you can use to sync all your project data in one place, it's the most versatile platform for managing complex tasks. As a single source of truth for a project, team, and entire organization, project management software offers more advanced features than a simple notebook can. Instead of writing everything down on a few sheets of paper, Wrike acts like a living document. And unlike other digital organization tools, Wrike is specifically built to optimize project performance and success. Wrike's tools are designed to work seamlessly with any team. Anyone who has permission to access the project can share files and tasks quickly and easily. Once uploaded, collaborators can visually edit and obtain files. They’ll also have access to reports and tasks that are simple to understand at a glance without losing the details in the process. This allows all managers to gain visibility across departments and groups. Wrike is the ideal solution for teams that want to grow and operate efficiently with the help of cutting edge technology. For example, Wrike’s Work Intelligence helps you get started with the next generation of work, with AI-powered projects and automation. Wrike also features a streamlined UI that lets you customize its features to work seamlessly with your team. Although bullet journaling allows you to customize your project planning, you’ll be able to get and implement feedback from partners faster with a digital project tool. Here are some other stand out benefits of using a project management software over a physical or digital bullet journal: It’s interactive. For example, Wrike offers Gantt charts that lets users visualize their plans and progress. It’s efficient. Kanban boards make it easy to work seamlessly with Agile teams by creating and sharing whenever needed. It’s faster. Wrike's template library is designed to help you quickly create and manage complex projects. It’s customizable. With custom request forms, you can easily gather details for your intake, assign tasks to the right teams, and dynamically route questions and requests. It’s up to date. Wrike’s calendars are ideal for team members who want to keep up with the latest information. It’s repeatable. Most tasks go through the same steps before they are finished. In a project management solution, you build a path for yours that will automatically assign and notify people when it's ready to begin through Wrike’s Automation Engine. It’s trackable. With timers, approvals, and visual task assignments, you can manage entire teams while streamlining your work. It’s transparent. Get a 360 view across all of your organizations with custom dashboards. It’s syncable. Wrike's 400+ app integrations make it possible to integrate hundreds of apps into one central hub. It’s safe. A digital project management software can safeguard your data by enforcing rules and encryption key ownership. Ready to upgrade your project planning methods and tools? Check out Wrike’s two-week free trial for some more goal-achieving features.

What Is The Pomodoro Technique and How Does it Work?

Endless tasks and expectations from colleagues and employers can make getting things done hard. There’s always something else to add to your to-do list and, as that list grows, it starts to feel like there’s never enough time to do it all. Productivity hacks can seem gimmicky and semi-helpful at best. But what if there was a time management strategy that could help you tackle your to-do list, meet others’ expectations, and help you feel more productive and balanced? That’s where the Pomodoro Technique comes in. This popular time management strategy can help you better plan your workload, overcome distractions, and check tasks off your list. And it doesn’t require working overtime or jamming more work into your day. Instead, it encourages frequent breaks in between stints of work. Perhaps one of the best aspects about it is that it’s easy to use. We’re here to help you make your workdays better and more productive. In this guide, we’re breaking down the Pomodoro method — how to use it, why it works, and its advantages and disadvantages. And don’t worry, we’ll cover what Pomodoro means while we’re at it. Add reading this guide to your list of to-dos for today, and let’s get started. What is the Pomodoro Technique? The Pomodoro Technique is a productivity or time management method created in the early 1990s by Francesco Cirillo. A university student at the time, Cirillo struggled to focus and get his assignments done. Feeling overwhelmed, he realized he needed to try a new way of working and held himself accountable for committing to 10 minutes of focused time while studying. As he committed to the challenge, he found a tomato-shaped timer (you guessed it, Pomodoro is “tomato” in Italian), and the Pomodoro Technique was born. Cirillo wrote an entire book about the Pomodoro Technique, but the gist of it is simple. The method encourages short bursts of manageable chunks of work with breaks built in between. With this method, you work for 25-minutes sessions separated by five-minute breaks. After every four or five Pomodoros (think of these as work sessions), you indulge in a more extended break for 15-20 minutes. With a sense of urgency built into it, the method forces you to think through your to-do list and eliminate distractions while progressing on your tasks for a limited amount of time. And you can eliminate distractions knowing that you have breaks built into your day to look forward to. Let’s start by understanding what exactly the word “Pomodoro” means and where it came from. What does Pomodoro mean? Pomodoro quite literally means “tomato” in Italian. But what does a tomato have to do with time management? Like we mentioned earlier, Cirillo used a tomato-shaped timer to help him manage his focused work time. He later named his famous technique after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that helped him do his best work. When we talk about the Pomodoro Technique, a Pomodoro also refers to one 25-minute focused work session. You’ll use a timer to work for one Pomodoro. Get it? Don’t worry — we’ll walk you through the nitty-gritty of how to use the Pomodoro Technique next. How to use the Pomodoro Technique One of the best parts of the Pomodoro Technique is that it’s super simple to use without any training. Depending on who you ask, these steps may vary slightly. But that’s one of the best parts about the method — you can customize it. Here’s how Cirillo’s Pomodoro method works: 1. Make a list of the tasks you need to accomplish To make the best use of your Pomodoro sessions, consider starting your day by creating a to-do list and outlining the tasks you need to accomplish. Don’t panic if your list becomes lengthy! Remember, you’re going to split up your work so that it’s more manageable throughout the day. You just need to make a note of what you need to accomplish today. Tip: When you make a list of your tasks, think about how much time you need to complete each task. For example, one task might take you a full 25-minute Pomodoro. Or you might have three short tasks that you can group during one Pomodoro. Write down how many minutes each task will take. That way, you can pair up tasks that will take less than 25-minutes to complete. Your estimations don’t have to be perfect, but you want to avoid having gaps of time to fill or going past time during your Pomodoro sessions. 2. Set a timer for 25 minutes You don’t have to mimic Cirillo exactly and use a tomato-shaped kitchen timer, but to live the complete Pomodoro Technique experience, give a real timer a try. It doesn’t matter if you use a virtual or physical timer; any will do. Here are a few options to choose from when selecting a Pomodoro Technique timer: Pomodoro tomato timer Online tomato timer Focus Keeper app Pomodoro Timer Lite app The timer you use doesn’t need to be overly cumbersome or have any fancy capabilities, so don’t get caught up in the details. Keep it simple to make it most effective. 3. Focus on your tasks until the timer goes off This is the tricky part. Once you’ve set your timer, you need to work on the task or tasks you’ve chosen for 25 minutes without any interruptions throwing you off track. Combating distractions is no easy feat, and it may take practice to nail this step. Tip: If possible, alert those around you when you’re using the Pomodoro method. This can help reduce interruptions and external distractions. If you find yourself with spare time during a Pomodoro and aren’t sure what to focus on, Cirillo recommends taking advantage of the opportunity for overlearning. Use the time to make improvements and tidy up your work, reflect on the tasks you completed, or make a note of what you’ve learned until the timer goes off. Use the 25 minutes as best you can and avoid starting your break early if possible. 4. Enjoy a short break for five minutes You made it! Time is up and you can enjoy a break for five minutes or so. Consider using this time to use the restroom, grab a snack, or fill up your water bottle. Give your eyes a break and try to limit screen time if you can. Get up and stretch your legs or move your body around. Taking care of your well-being will help you stay motivated throughout the remainder of the day. 5. Repeat steps the first four steps Are you getting the hang of it? Rinse and repeat the above steps. After you’ve completed four Pomodoros, skip step four and jump straight to step six. 6. After every four or five Pomodoros, enjoy a more extended break You’ve earned it! Enjoy a longer, restorative break this time. Take 15-20 minutes to rejuvenate yourself. Maybe it’s time for breakfast or lunch. Or perhaps you want to spend a few minutes outside in the sun. Whatever the case may be, use your break wisely and prepare to jump into more Pomodoros after the break. That’s it. The Pomodoro Technique is an easy-to-use system, which means there isn’t much of a learning curve to start using it to your advantage. Does the Pomodoro Technique work? It sounds simple, right? That means you might be asking yourself whether the Pomodoro method truly works or not. Reviews of the method spread amongst the internet suggest that many have seen success when using the technique. One person found that the Pomodoro Technique was a great solution for monotonous tasks on the to-do list. Knowing that they only needed to work on a task for 25 minutes encouraged them to get started on those dreaded, tedious to-do’s. Another person found success using the Pomodoro Technique and later adapted the method to fit their specific needs. The Pomodoro Technique helped them define a practice of self-discipline to expand on and boost productivity. But what is it about the Pomodoro Technique that makes it work? Studies suggest that brief mental breaks help keep you focused. Frequent distractions rob us of productivity at work, but the Pomodoro method helps eliminate distractions for more focus in the workplace. As with any time management strategy, what works best for some may not work well for others. Give the Pomodoro Technique a try and tailor it to your individual needs to ensure it has the most payoff for you. The advantages and disadvantages of the Pomodoro method As with any time management strategy, the Pomodoro Technique has both benefits and drawbacks to consider before experimenting with it. Let’s take a look at both, starting with the advantages. Advantages of the Pomodoro Technique Break the habit of multitasking When you follow the Pomodoro Technique, you’ll break the habit of multitasking. While multitasking might seem like a great way to get more done, it’s distracting and actually hinders your productivity. With the Pomodoro method, your goal is to dedicate your focus to any given task at hand — and save the rest of the items on your to-do list for another Pomodoro. Reduce or prevent feelings of burnout Looking at your neverending to-do list can feel overwhelming and stressful, and working through that list without a strategic plan in place can cause feelings of burnout. The Pomodoro Technique not only encourages frequent breaks but it builds them directly into your schedule for you. You can reduce or prevent stress and burnout by taking full advantage of your breaks when you have them. Reduce procrastination We all procrastinate now and then, but the Pomodoro Technique ignites a sense of urgency in the day, which reduces or eliminates procrastination. There isn’t any time to scroll through your favorite social media platform, grab another snack, stare out the window, or engage in another distraction when you know you only have 25 minutes to complete a task. (Don’t beat yourself up — we’re all guilty of these things!) Disadvantages of the Pomodoro Technique Some tasks take more than 25 minutes The Pomodoro method is said to be beneficial for tasks like writing, coding, and studying. It also comes in handy when needing to work through some monotonous to-dos like cleaning out your inbox or digging into some administrative items. But some tasks are bound to take more than 25 minutes to complete, which means the Pomodoro Technique may not always work for every type of project or task. If you’re in the middle of a project and are in a solid flow state, you might want to keep working past the 25-minute timer mark, which will interrupt all subsequent Pomodoro scheduling. You know your work styles and productivity best, so you’ll be in charge of making the judgment call on whether you need to work past the timer’s buzz. Meetings could interfere with your Pomodoro planning The Pomodoro method sounds particularly beneficial to those who have full control over their schedules. But many career professionals are bound to be interrupted by planned and unexpected meetings. Your meeting schedule could interfere with how you plan your Pomodoros or could interrupt you in the middle of a Pomodoro session. Every time management strategy comes with advantages and disadvantages, and no method is guaranteed to be one-size-fits-all. Since the Pomodoro method is easy and comes without cost, consider giving it a try to see if it works for you. Remember, you can always tweak it to suit you best. How to use Wrike to plan your Pomodoros To set yourself up for success when using the Pomodoro Technique, you’ll want to have a to-do list prepared. A project management tool like Wrike can help you organize your tasks so that you can dive right into your Pomodoros (without wondering what you should start with). With Wrike, you can: Manage and prioritize your work Use templates to organize and break your projects down into manageable tasks Track your time to understand how you’re spending it Manage workloads with resource management capabilities You’re on your way to a more productive workday. Start your free trial of Wrike and begin planning your Pomodoros today.

Moore’s Law and the Productivity Problem

As the year draws to a close, developing strategies for how to be more productive and finish the year off strong is on every team’s mind — regardless of department or industry. According to a study by California-based management platform Redbooth, the month of the year that we are at our most productive is October, followed by November, then September. The fall provides a feeling of a new start for many businesses, with the desire for shiny new productivity tools and aids bringing us back to our school days. But, while a new pencil case or a multi-colored pen can work wonders, today’s organizations are looking to much more sophisticated tools to boost their productivity. Note-taking apps, instant messaging platforms, virtual to-do lists, calendar tools — our desktops are overflowing with software designed to make us our most productive selves. But, with so many conflicting apps clouding our vision, it can often be difficult to get anything done at all. So, why are we so inclined to constantly invest in new technology, believing it will exponentially increase our productivity levels? This concept is commonly referred to as Moore’s Law, and it’s important to understand it if you’re concerned about your team’s or your own productivity levels. What is Moore’s Law? Let’s start off with a simple enough question: what is Moore’s Law? The origins of Moore’s Law lie in IT and computer hardware. It is the principle that the speed and efficiency of a computer can be expected to double every two years, while the cost decreases by half. Moore’s Law is named after Gordon E. Moore, the co-founder of Intel, who made this observation of exponential growth in 1965. You will have no doubt experienced Moore’s Law for yourself over the last decade, as the need to purchase a new phone or laptop normally begins to creep up every two years or so. While the technical capabilities of your gadget will have grown hugely, the price largely remains standard. We then begin to fall into a cycle of purchasing new technology as a habit, stretching our view to include phones, computers, exercise aids, entertainment systems, and, yes, productivity tools. Moore’s Law and endless productivity tools Of course, Moore’s Law has huge benefits for the technologically-driven society that we live in. The standards of the technology that we rely on can even be linked to Moore’s Law. The overarching idea of Moore’s Law — that speed, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of technology is constantly evolving at a rapid pace — could apply to productivity tools and solutions. The need to update and reinvest in the ever-growing ecosystem of productivity tools and software every few years sees many teams losing themselves to too many apps. In 2015, the average number of cloud applications per company was 73. In 2020, that number had increased to 163. So much so, that 56% of IT executives are now reporting having to use manual spreadsheets to keep track of all their SaaS apps — defeating their productivity goals before they’ve even started. This concept is commonly known as ‘SaaS sprawl,’ a term that refers to the dilemma of an organization’s tech stack being so expansive that it becomes unmanageable and causes visibility problems across departments. $40 billion is estimated to be spent on unused software each year, and the number of apps we are downloading continues to rise. Many teams believe themselves to be more productive than ever, when really, spending so much time flicking between apps, tools, and software stifles creativity and raises burnout to an all-time high. How your team can effectively invest in productivity If your organization has fallen foul to overindulgence in productivity tools and gadgets, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to empower your teams and teach them how to be more productive without overwhelming themselves with dozens of productivity platforms. Consider toxic productivity The concept of toxic productivity relates to an unattainable desire for increased productivity, at the expense of other priorities, such as family or health. Toxic productivity is a real issue for many teams, especially if both our personal and work devices are overrun with technology that is constantly drawing us back to working mode. Consider whether your team could benefit from a digital detox of work-related technology, and set boundaries for after-hours work communication. Turn your attention to other methods of increasing productivity There are plenty of ways to increase productivity and wellbeing at work that have nothing to do with technology. For example, has your organization invested in a flexible work structure, allowing employees to choose where they work best? Could your business go the extra mile and trial a four-day workweek? Could your employee recognition programs use some extra love? These are all areas to consider when brainstorming how to be more productive across the board. Making the most of all-in-one technology like Wrike Of course, technology will always be a cornerstone of a successful business, and continuing to use productivity tools in some way at work is non-negotiable. But which tools should you invest in? What are the most important features of work management software that can actually increase productivity by up to 40%? Workflow automation: With Wrike’s custom request forms and automated task assignment, your team will never miss important tasks and details because of a cluttered workspace. App integration: Using so many apps can be tiresome and inefficient, with details and updates often being missed by team members. Wrike’s work management includes over 400 app integrations, so the constant context switching can stop. Single source of truth: Trawling through emails and messaging apps to find important documents and updates is time-consuming and frustrating for teams. Keeping everything organized in one centralized hub, where users can comment, edit, and give feedback, is a life-saver for teams who wish to be more productive. Collaborative features: Whether your team works in-office, remotely, or under a hybrid model, breakdowns in communication are one of the most common challenges to successful projects. Wrike’s collaborative features, including @mentions, real-time editing, and email and chat app integrations means that your team all have the same view, no matter where they are. Want to know more about how Wrike can boost your team’s productivity? Try out a free two-week trial today.

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IMAGES

Presentation Skills Ultimate Guide
Tips on how to create fantastic presentations- by PowToon
How to Make Successful Business Presentations that are Effective
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This is a great feature to start your next PowerPoint Presentation || S. J. INSTITUTION
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COMMENTS

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Apply the 10-20-30 rule. Apply the 10-20-30 presentation rule and keep it short, sweet and impactful! Stick to ten slides, deliver your presentation within 20 minutes and use a 30-point font to ensure clarity and focus. Less is more, and your audience will thank you for it! 9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule. Simplicity is key.
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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation. Summary. Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or ...
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Getting Started. 1. Open PowerPoint and click 'New.'. A page with templates will usually open automatically, but if not, go to the top left pane of your screen and click New. If you've already created a presentation, select Open and then double-click the icon to open the existing file. Image Source.
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1 Make a provocative statement. "I want to discuss with you this afternoonwhy you're going to fail to have a great career." One surefire way to get your audience's attention is to make a provocative statement that creates interest and a keen desire to know more about what you have to say. The presentation above, for example, does just that by ...
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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 ...
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9 Use Presentation Templates. Creating presentation slides doesn't need to be difficult or a stressful affair. When you use a Visme presentation as a foundation, you're on your way to being an expert on how to give a good presentation. To select a presentation template, you can either go for a topic-based template or a style based template.
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Here are 120+ presentation ideas, design tips, and examples to help you create an awesome slide deck for your next presentation. 15 ways to start a presentation and captivate your audience. ... Check out these 12 best presentation software for 2023 that can aid your next presentation. CREATE THIS PRESENTATION
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If you want your audience to stay engaged, you need to structure your ideas as a well-crafted story. Follow these three steps to clearly define your narrative before you start creating your slides ...
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It effectively kills and buries even the best messages. Table of Contents. The Classic Trick: Open a Presentation with an Introduction. Open a Presentation with a Hook. Begin with a Captivating Visual. Ask a "What if…". Question. Use the Word "Imagine". Leverage The Curiosity Gap.
Top Tips for Effective Presentations
Try a story (see tip 7 below), or an attention-grabbing (but useful) image on a slide. 6. Remember the 10-20-30 Rule for Slideshows. This is a tip from Guy Kawasaki of Apple. He suggests that slideshows should: Contain no more than 10 slides; Last no more than 20 minutes; and. Use a font size of no less than 30 point.
10 Tips for Giving a Great Presentation to an Audience
Follow these tips to help you create a presentation that will engage your audience: 1. Keep your presentation simple. When putting your presentation together, remember that simpler is better. Many presenters follow the "10-20-30" rule, which is to use 10 or fewer slides, keep your presentation under 20 minutes and use at least 30-point font.
29 Presentation Tips (Only Professional Presenters Are Using)
6 Create strong contrast. In your audience, you might have people sitting in the back of the room, relatively far away from your screen. To make sure they can still see your presentation slides, you need to create strong contrast. This means your text should easily stand out against your background.
How to make a good presentation great: 8 pro tips
Make sure your text is aligned and neat like in the example below. In a good presentation, slide formatting matters. 4. Polish several times. Just like a pair of well-worn shoes, a good presentation often needs a few rounds of dusting before it's shiny and sparkly. Start Messy. Don't be afraid to start messy.
14 Must-Know Presentation Tips for a Killer Presentation [in 2023
This way, you can easily withhold the audience's attention through the presentation. Tip 9 - Have a parking lot for questions. When you're creating a presentation, it's important to keep the audience engaged and excited about what's coming up next. Therefore, it is very necessary to make the presentation a two-way street.
8 Tips to Make the Best PowerPoint Presentations
Make Bullet Points Count. Limit the Use of Transitions. Skip Text Where Possible. Think in Color. Take a Look From the Top Down. Bonus: Start With Templates. Slideshows are an intuitive way to share complex ideas with an audience, although they're dull and frustrating when poorly executed.
Best Practices For Virtual Presentations: 15 Expert Tips That ...
Here are 15 expert tips to set you up for success in your next virtual presentation: 1. Get the Lighting Right: As a presenter, it is essential that people can see you well. Make sure you have ...
7 Ways to Start a Presentation that Reduce Nervousness
Another good way to start a presentation is with a Hook or teaser. Give the audience a little taste of something that is compelling. Then let them know that more of that thing is coming later in the rest of your presentation. (By the way, that is what I did with the chicken-winging statement earlier.)
How many slides does your presentation need?
The 10-20-30 rule is an effective way to structure your presentation. It calls for no more than 10 slides and no longer than 20 minutes (as well as a 30-point font). Tips for crafting an effective presentation. No matter how long a presentation is, there are guidelines for crafting one to enhance understanding and retention. Keep these tips in ...
39 Best Infographic PowerPoint Presentation Templates for 2024 (Giant List)
The best PowerPoint presentation templates offer you creative control. This option is no exception. ... It's way better than free presentation graphics. 30. Brand Guidelines Infographic PowerPoint Template. Here's an elegant choice for presenting your brand. Not all infographic PPT options have to be bright in order to be eye-catching. This ...
How to prioritize tasks: 10 task prioritization techniques
10. Pareto principle (80/20 rule) The Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, states that 80%of consequences tend to come from 20%. For example, 80% of your impact at work comes from 20% of the tasks you do. Put another way, if you prioritize a small percentage of the right tasks, they can yield outsized effects.
Firework Safety: Tips for Preventing Injuries
The best way to enjoy fireworks during celebrations is to follow safety measures like keeping a safe distance, having water handy and only buying legal fireworks.
MoSCoW: A SMART Way To Prioritize Your Tasks For Effective Project
These presentation templates are visually engaging and creatively built to showcase your MoSCoW method effectively. Each PowerPoint template is fully editable and uses visual elements such as graphics, colors, and shapes to present information in a professional way, saving you the time and effort that goes into creating beautiful and complex ...
The Best Ways to Organize and Store Your Dinnerware
The Best Ways to Organize Your Spice Cabinet. July 8, 2024 Related Articles. July 2, 2024 The Best Items to Help Organize Your Disaster of a Desk. July 2, 2024 Four Creative Ways to Store Your Books.
How to Run a Prioritization Session Using the MoSCoW Framework
Weak alignment: You should start from the less absolute quadrants. Namely the could-have and should-have. The proposed path will help the team to build their prioritization muscle. The proposed ...
Way-too-early NHL Power Rankings for the 2024-25 season
2. Edmonton Oilers. Previous ranking: 8 2023-24 finish: Lost in Stanley Cup Final GM Ken Holland -- a future Hall of Famer -- is out of the Oilers' front office, but the club made some wise moves ...
Is Carbon Pricing The Best Way To Mitigate Climate Change?
So by way of example, the suggested carbon price for major emitting economies ranges from around $50 to $100 per metric ton of emissions by 2030, or even up to $200 depending on who you ask, if we ...
4 best ways to qualify for credit card debt forgiveness
There are a few ways to qualify for credit card debt forgiveness if you're unable to pay off what you owe. Getty Images/iStockphoto Between average credit card interest rates hovering near 22% ...
A Quick Guide to the MoSCoW Method Technique
The MoSCoW method is a technique used by organizations to communicate the importance and priority of the various requirements being met in various projects. This method is also referred to as MoSCoW prioritization and MoSCoW analysis. The term MoSCoW is an acronym that refers to the first letter of each of the four priority categories.