Cart

  • SUGGESTED TOPICS
  • The Magazine
  • Newsletters
  • Managing Yourself
  • Managing Teams
  • Work-life Balance
  • The Big Idea
  • Data & Visuals
  • Reading Lists
  • Case Selections
  • HBR Learning
  • Topic Feeds
  • Account Settings
  • Email Preferences

What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

  • Carmine Gallo

presentation tips delivery

Five tips to set yourself apart.

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

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

presentation tips delivery

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

Partner Center

  • PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
  • EDIT Edit this Article
  • EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
  • Browse Articles
  • Learn Something New
  • Quizzes Hot
  • This Or That Game New
  • Train Your Brain
  • Explore More
  • Support wikiHow
  • About wikiHow
  • Log in / Sign up
  • Education and Communications
  • Presentations

How to Deliver Effective Presentations

Last Updated: October 5, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Maureen Taylor . Maureen Taylor is the CEO and Founder of SNP Communications, a leadership communications company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has been helping leaders, founders, and innovators in all sectors hone their messaging and delivery for almost 30 years, and has worked with leaders and teams at Google, Facebook, Airbnb, SAP, Salesforce, and Spotify. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 578,151 times.

Delivering presentations is an everyday art form that anyone can master. To capture your audience's attention, present your information with ease and confidence. Act as if you are in a conversation with your audience, and they will pay attention to you. To get this level of fluency, write an engaging narrative, use more visuals than text in your slides, and practice, practice, practice.

Rehearsing Your Presentation

Step 1 Give it the

  • Deliver your summary to them in friendly, direct language, as if you were telling the story to a friend in a bar.
  • In fact, you can tell the story to a friend in a bar. However, telling a colleague over coffee can work just as well.
  • Get them to tell you what their takeaway was. If they can summarize your message accurately, that's a good sign.

Step 2 Practice your speech in front of a colleague while you're still developing it.

  • Ask them to be your coach.
  • Give them your presentation once or twice and let them ask you questions and give feedback.
  • Ask them to point out moments that are dull or confusing.

Step 3 Prepare for nerves

  • Write down what you're afraid of. What exactly worries you when you give a speech? Looking foolish? Being asked a hard question? Write down your exact fears, and then consider them each individually.
  • Think about what you will do in each situation. For instance, if your fear is, "I'll forget what I'm saying," you can prepare a plan like, "If I forget what I'm saying, I'll pause, scan my notes, and find the next important point I need to make."
  • Catch your negative thoughts, and calm them. If you think, "I'm going to get nervous and sweaty," replace it with, "I have important information to deliver and everyone is going to pay attention to that."

Step 4 Time yourself carefully.

  • Give yourself extra time if you plan to take questions, or if you anticipate lots of digressions.

Step 5 Practice repeatedly.

  • This doesn't mean sticking to a strict script every time. Instead, when you rehearse, improvise freely. Deliver your main points, but include quips and anecdotes that occur to you as you go. You'll remember the best ones when you actually deliver the presentation.

Delivering Your Presentation with Confidence

Step 1 Fake confidence.

  • Remind yourself that your audience likely can't see your nerves.
  • Take a deep breath and exhale before you go on stage.

Step 2 Show your emotion.

  • If there are too many people to really see faces, just look boldly into the crowd.

Step 4 Mind your body...

  • Move your hands as you speak. Don't wave them, as this will make you look nervous. Instead, try calmly gesturing with your palm out when you make a point. If you describe a shape, draw it in the air with your hands.

Crafting a Compelling Presentation

Step 1 Think of your presentation as a story.

  • Have a clear through line that runs through all parts of your presentation, leading to your main point.
  • Include stories that put your listeners into a situation. Get their energy with tactile details (sound, sight, smell, taste, touch) and descriptions of an emotional state.
  • Include moments of reflection in which you share how you felt or feel.

Step 2 Make your slides as visual as possible.

  • As always with humor in a work setting, remember that humor varies widely between cultures. Avoid making any jokes that make fun of anybody's sex, gender, race, class, or ability. Remember to "punch up"—if your jokes take someone on, take on someone with more power than you, rather than less.
  • If you get nervous, try starting your presentation with a simple joke or a funny story. It will put you and your audience at ease.

Step 5 Find ways to make your presentation interactive.

  • Ask the crowd to consider something or imagine something, and hold a moment of quiet while they do.
  • Interactive moments make great pivots from one section of your talk to another.

Step 6 Consider your audience.

  • Will these be experts, or newcomers to your ideas? If they're experts, you'll need to present them with specific, technical, and new ideas. If they're newcomers, plan to introduce them more generally to your topic, and avoid technical terms.
  • Will audience members be on your side from the start, or will they need persuading?
  • Will you have a large, faceless crowd, or a small group? If you're working with a small group, you can include them in parts of your presentation through questions, personal digressions, and conversations.

How Should You End a Presentation?

Expert Q&A

Maureen Taylor

You Might Also Like

Introduce Yourself Before Giving a Seminar

  • ↑ http://firstround.com/review/This-Advice-From-IDEOs-Nicole-Kahn-Will-Transform-the-Way-You-Give-Presentations/
  • ↑ https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/rehearse-your-presentation
  • ↑ https://www.comm.pitt.edu/speech-anxiety
  • ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/speech-anxiety
  • ↑ https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/speaking-audience
  • ↑ https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/public-speaking-tips/gestures-and-body-language

About This Article

Maureen Taylor

If you're worried about delivering an effective presentation, go over your notes again and make sure your presentation is telling a story with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. This type of structure will make it easier for people to follow along, and when you finish your presentation, they'll be more likely to remember what it was about! If you're still unsure, try practicing in front of other people before the big day. By rehearsing your presentation in advance, you'll not only feel more comfortable when you present it in front of an audience, but you can also get helpful feedback from your peers to make your presentation even better. Alternatively, if you're feeling a little nervous, identify what exactly you're afraid of happening during your presentation, and then come up with a plan for each scenario so you're less stressed about it. For example, if you're worried about forgetting what to say next, you could make a list of all the important points you need to make and have it with you during your presentation. For tips from our Communications co-author, like how to appear confident during a presentation, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

  • Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Nicole Lawson-Travis

Nicole Lawson-Travis

May 5, 2016

Did this article help you?

Wassim Bermak

Wassim Bermak

Mar 22, 2016

Fredrick Majimbo

Fredrick Majimbo

Pushpak Banerjee

Pushpak Banerjee

Apr 30, 2017

Dinesh Sharma

Dinesh Sharma

May 27, 2018

Am I a Narcissist or an Empath Quiz

Featured Articles

Study Efficiently

Trending Articles

How to Take the Perfect Thirst Trap

Watch Articles

Wrap a Round Gift

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Info
  • Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve

presentation tips delivery

Tips for creating and delivering an effective presentation

In this article.

Creating an effective presentation

Delivering an effective presentation

Tips for creating an effective presentation

Top of Page

Tips for delivering an effective presentation

Facebook

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

presentation tips delivery

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

presentation tips delivery

Microsoft 365 training

presentation tips delivery

Microsoft security

presentation tips delivery

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

presentation tips delivery

Ask the Microsoft Community

presentation tips delivery

Microsoft Tech Community

presentation tips delivery

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

21 Ways To Improve Your Presentation Skills

Bailey Maybray

Published: April 07, 2023

You know the feeling of sitting through a boring presentation. A text distracts you. A noise outside pulls your gaze. Your dog begs for attention. By the time the presentation ends, you question why you needed to sit and listen in the first place.

Presentation Skills: A woman speaks before a crowd.

Effective presentation skills can stop you from boring an audience to oblivion. Delivering strong presentations can help you stand out as a leader, showcase your expertise, and build confidence.

Table of contents:

  • Presentation skills definition
  • Importance of presentation skills
  • How to improve presentation skills
  • Effective presentation skills
  • Presentation skills for executives

→ Free Download: 10 PowerPoint Presentation Templates [Access Now]

Presentation Skills Definition

Presentation skills include anything you need to create and deliver clear, effective presentations to an audience. This includes creating a compelling set of slides , ensuring the information flows, and keeping your audience engaged.

Speakers with strong presentation skills can perform the following tasks:

  • Bring together different sources of information to form a compelling narrative
  • Hook audiences with a strong beginning and end
  • Ensure audiences engage with their content through questions or surveys
  • Understand what their audience wants and needs from their presentation

Importance of Presentation Skills

At some point in your career, you will present something. You might pitch a startup to a group of investors or show your research findings to your manager at work. Those in leading or executive roles often deliver presentations on a weekly or monthly basis.

Improving your presentation skills betters different aspects of your working life, including the following:

Communication: Improving your presentation skills can make you a better communicator with your co-workers and friends.

Confidence: 75% of people fear public speaking. By working on your presentation skills, you can gain confidence when speaking in front of a crowd.

Creativity: You learn to understand how to use imagery and examples to engage an audience.

Management: Presentations involve pulling together information to form a succinct summary, helping you build project and time management skills.

How To Improve Presentation Skills

1. create an outline.

Before designing slides and writing a script, outline your presentation. Start with your introduction, segue into key points you want to make, and finish with a conclusion.

2. Practice, Practice, Practice

Almost 8 in 10 professionals practice their presentations for at least an hour. So, practice your presentation in the mirror or to a close friend.

3. Start With a Hook

When presenting, grab your audience with a hook. Consider starting with a surprising statistic or a thoughtful question before diving into the core information.

4. Stay Focused on Your Topic

You might want to cover everything under the sun, but information overload can overwhelm your audience. Instead, stay focused on what you want to cover. Aim for key points and avoid including unnecessary details.

5. Remember To Introduce Yourself

At the beginning of the presentation, introduce yourself. Kill any tension in the room by mentioning your name, your role, and any other helpful details. You could even mention a fun fact about yourself, putting the audience at ease.

6. Work on Your Body Language

55% of people look to nonverbal communication when judging a presentation. Straighten your back, minimize unnecessary gestures, and keep your voice confident and calm. Remember to work on these aspects when practicing.

7. Memorize Structure, Not Words

You might feel better knowing exactly what you want to say. But skip the script and stick to memorizing the key points of your presentation. For example, consider picking three to four phrases or insights you want to mention for each part of your presentation rather than line-by-line memorization.

8. Learn Your Audience

Before crafting a killer outline and slide deck, research your audience. Find out what they likely already know, such as industry jargon, and where they might need additional information. Remember: You're presenting for them, not you.

9. Reframe Your Anxiety as Excitement

A study conducted by Harvard Business School demonstrates that reframing your anxiety as excitement can improve performance. For example, by saying simple phrases out loud, such as “I’m excited,” you then adopt an opportunity-oriented mentality.

10. Get Comfortable With the Setting

If you plan to present in person, explore the room. Find where you’re going to stand and deliver your presentation. Practice looking into the seats. By decreasing the number of unknowns, you can clear your head and focus on the job.

11. Get Familiar With Technology

Presenting online has unique challenges, such as microphone problems and background noise. Before a Zoom presentation, ensure your microphone works, clean up your background, test your slides, and consider any background noise.

12. Think Positively

Optimistic workers enjoy faster promotions and happier lives. By reminding yourself of the positives — for example, your manager found your last presentation impressive — you can shake off nerves and find joy in the process.

13. Tell a Story

To engage your audience, weave storytelling into your presentation — more than 5 in 10 people believe stories hold their focus during a presentation. Consider ways to connect different parts of your slides into a compelling narrative.

14. Prepare for Questions

At the end of your presentation, your audience will likely have questions. Brainstorm different questions and potential answers so you’re prepared.

15. Maintain Eye Contact

Eye contact signals honesty. When possible, maintain eye contact with your audience. For in-person presentations, pay attention to each audience member. For online ones, stare at your camera lens as you deliver.

16. Condense Your Presentation

After you finish the first draft of your outline, think about ways to condense it. Short and sweet often keeps people interested instead of checking their phones.

17. Use Videos

Keep your audience’s attention by incorporating video clips when relevant. For example, videos can help demonstrate examples or explain difficult concepts.

18. Engage With Your Audience

Almost 8 in 10 professionals view presentations as boring. Turn the tide by engaging with your audience. Encourage audience participation by asking questions or conducting a live survey.

19. Present Slowly and Pause Frequently

When you get nervous, you talk faster. To combat this, remember to slow yourself down when practicing. Place deep pauses throughout your presentation, especially when transitioning between slides, as it gives you time to breathe and your audience time to absorb.

20. Start and End With a Summary

A summary at the start of a presentation can pique your audience’s interest. One at the end brings everything together, highlighting key points your audience should take with them.

21. Ask for Feedback

You will never deliver the perfect presentation, so ask for feedback. Talk to your managers about where you could improve. Consider surveying your audience for an unbiased look into your presentation skills.

Effective Presentation Skills

Effective presentation skills include communicating clearly, presenting with structure, and engaging with the audience.

As an example, say a content manager is presenting a quarterly review to their team. They start off with a summary. Their introduction mentions an unprecedented 233% growth in organic traffic — numbers their team has not seen in years. Immediately, the presenter grabs their team’s attention. Now, everyone wants to know how they achieved that in one quarter.

Alternatively, think of an entrepreneur delivering their pitch to a group of investors. They start with a question: How many of you struggle to stay awake at work? They then segue into an exciting product designed to improve the sleep quality of working professionals. Their presentation includes videos demonstrating the science behind sleep and surprising statistics about the demand for their product.

Both examples demonstrate effective presentation skills. They incorporate strong attention grabbers, summaries, and attempts to engage the audience.

Think back to strong presentations you viewed as an audience member. Ask yourself: What made them so memorable, and how can I incorporate those elements into my presentations?

Presentation Skills for Executives

Presentations take up a significant portion of an executive’s workload. Executives regularly showcase key company initiatives, team changes, quarterly and annual reviews, and more. Improving your presentation skills as a leader can help with different parts of your job, such as:

Trust: Delivering great, effective presentations can build trust between you and your team.

Confidence: Most people dread presentations — so a strong presenter projects the confidence needed by a leader.

Emotional intelligence: A great presentation taps into the audience’s perspectives, helping executives improve their emotional intelligence .

Expertise: Presentations help executives display their subject-matter expertise, making employees safe in their hands.

Delegation: At times, executives might need to pull information from different sources for a presentation — improving their ability to delegate as managers.

Subscribe to The Hustle Newsletter

What did you think of this article?

Give Feedback

Love

Follow us on social media

Get the 5-minute news brief keeping 2.5M+ innovators in the loop. Always free. 100% fresh. No bullsh*t.

Marketing software that helps you drive revenue, save time and resources, and measure and optimize your investments — all on one easy-to-use platform

loading

How it works

For Business

Join Mind Tools

Article • 10 min read

How to Deliver Great Presentations

Presenting like a pro.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

presentation tips delivery

Key takeaways:

  • Connect with and understand your audience . Who is attending and why? What are their needs and expectaions?
  • Prepare your content . How to start and finish strong. Tips to keep your audience engaged.
  • Deliver confidently . Get comfortable with your visual aids. How to use body language effectively.
  • Control the environment . Practice, practice, practice! Handling equipment failures. Have a back up plan.

Ever been to a really bad presentation? You know, the kind where the speaker stands behind the podium, uses slides that mirror what he is saying directly, and includes lots of data tables to validate his position.

But. "What's so bad about that?" you ask. "Isn't that how most presentations are given?" Yes. That is how most presentations are delivered, but that doesn't mean that's the most effective way to deliver them. This kind of presentation risks boring your audience to the point where they start wishing for a fire alarm to go off so they can escape. And once you lose someone, it is next to impossible to bring her attention back.

If the information you are presenting is important enough for you to deliver orally, then it demands an appropriate amount of planning and preparation so that the information you present is memorable – for the right reasons. Give a bad presentation and you'll be remembered all right: it just won't be the type of impression you want to leave in anyone's mind.

When someone presents well, it sends the message that the person is capable, confident, intelligent, and competent. These people get noticed and that type of attention bodes well for your career. Even if you don't make formal presentations in your current position, think about the future and keep in mind that you do have to present your ideas and opinions on a daily basis. The same basic principles of effective delivery apply.

Four Principles of Great Presentations

  • Connect With and Understand Your Audience.
  • Prepare Your Content.
  • Deliver Confidently.
  • Control the Environment.

1. Connect With and Understand Your Audience

To deliver a great presentation you have to consider the following audience characteristics:

  • Profile – Who are they? What is the common element that brings them together?
  • Needs – Why are they attending the presentation? What do they need to know after you've finished?
  • Wants – What do they want from the presentation? Do they want to increase knowledge, learn something or be entertained? How can you connect their interests with your message?
  • Expectations – What do they expect in terms of content and length?
  • Current Knowledge – How much explanation do you need to provide? What assumptions can you make?

When you know your audience, you can prepare content that appeals to them specifically. If you pass over this first crucial step you risk delivering a presentation that is content rich and relevance poor.

2. Prepare Your Content

Now that you know who you are presenting to and why they are there, you can determine what to present. Here are some tips for content preparation:

  • Don't try to cover everything. As Voltaire said, "The secret of being a bore is to tell all." Great presentations stimulate thoughts, questions, and discussion. Develop your content so that it covers the main points but leaves room for the audience to apply the information to their own circumstances.
  • Start off well with a great hook – you only have a few minutes right at the start to fully engage the audience. Don't use this time to present background information. Get your audience charged up and eager to listen. Make the relevance immediately obvious.
  • Also, start by telling your audience where you are heading. Don't make them wait for your conclusion, tell them up front what your premise or purpose is. This helps your audience stay focused. They may or may not agree with you at the start, but they will be able to quickly spot all of your supporting arguments.
  • Your presentation should have five to seven take-away points. This follows the chunking principle , which you can learn more about here .
  • Tell a story, make comparisons, and use lots of examples. Be sure to mix up the type of content to stimulate audience interest.
  • Present your ideas logically using supporting evidence as necessary.
  • Provide only as much background information as needed.
  • Outline actions or next steps that are required.
  • Develop a strong close, including a summary. Bring your conclusions back around to audience need and the hook you created. Consider ending with a question designed to stimulate further discussion.

For a similar but a subtly different approach, see our article on the Rhetorical Triangle .

3. Deliver Confidently

There are two main aspects of your delivery: your visual aids and your style. We'll look at them separately.

Unless your presentation is very short, you will need some sort of visual aid to keep the attention of your audience. There is a fine line, though, between drawing attention to your points, and distracting the audience from what you are saying. Here are some key factors to consider when designing slides:

  • Keep slides simple and easy to understand.
  • When explaining, start with the overall concept and then move to the details.
  • The information on the slide should add value to your presentation or summarize it – it is not meant to be your presentation.
  • Ensure that any charts, graphs or tables you include are very simple and easy to read. Use them sparingly.
  • Use images (clip art and photos) sparingly and make sure the image means something and isn't just there to fill up space.
  • Use pleasant color schemes, high contrast, simple fonts, and bold and italic to add meaning to words.
  • Don't use fly-ins, fade-ins or outs or other animations unless absolutely necessary to really emphasize a point. How many times have you been put into a hypnotic state watching words or lines fly into a presentation?

Delivery Style

The way you deliver the content is often what makes or breaks a presentation. Here are some pointers to remember:

  • Use gestures for meaning, not for comfort. Try not to talk with your hands or move about carelessly. Everything you do should have purpose i.e. gesture to the visual aid to draw the audience's attention.
  • Pause for effect after main points or after you present a visual aid.
  • Step out from behind the podium and connect with your audience – make sure you have a remote control device to change slides or cue other types of visuals.
  • Talk loudly enough for people at the back to hear, or use a microphone.
  • Make eye contact and hold it for three to five seconds. Any less and it looks like you are merely scanning the crowd.
  • Be passionate – show your audience that you care about what you are saying.
  • Consider putting up a blank or low-content screen between slides – this puts the attention where it should be: on you!
  • Change your pace and style from time to time.
  • Be natural – don't try to be a comedian if you're not.
  • Finish early rather than late.

When you present with confidence and authority, your audience will pay attention and react to you as someone who is worth listening to. Fake it if you need to, by turning your nervousness into creative and enthusiastic energy.

4. Control the Environment

You won't ever eliminate all sources of problems, but through diligent planning and preparation, you can mitigate your risks.

  • Practice, practice, practice: The ultimate goal is to deliver your presentation note-free. Short of that, you want to be sure you are comfortable with the material and that nothing comes as a surprise. Consider practicing in front of a video camera and reviewing your delivery. Don't take short-cuts here because it shows! The point is for the presentation to look effortless – when you struggle, the audience focuses on you, and not on what you are saying.
  • Keep the lights on: when you darken the room, the screen stands out, not you. And it also encourages sleep, which you want to avoid at all costs!
  • Always have back-ups and a backup plan. What if you forget your material? What will you do if the CD won't load? What if the equipment doesn't arrive on time? Plan for as many contingencies as possible.
  • Dress appropriately for the situation – find out in advance what the dress code will be.
  • Have a policy for answering questions – let your audience know when they can ask questions so you aren't inappropriately interrupted.
  • Finish on time, every time. Last impressions are just as important as first ones.

Presenting is not a natural activity and to do it well requires careful thought and lots of practice.

You can choose to be average, or even below average, by simply emulating what most other presenters do. Or, you can take your presentations to the next level and leave your audiences with a powerful message that they remember, while keeping them interested and connected from start to finish.

To do this you need to pay strict attention to your audience analysis, content preparation, delivery style, and the external environment. When you control these for optimum audience relevance, interest, and engagement you are ready to deliver a great presentation.

The final element you must add is lots and lots of practice. Make your next presentation great by planning and preparing well in advance and making it look like it does come naturally to you.

You've accessed 1 of your 2 free resources.

Get unlimited access

Discover more content

Empathic listening.

Going Beyond Active Listening

Managing Presentation Nerves

How to Calm Your Stage Fright

Add comment

Comments (1)

Cherlyn Solie

DR. OSATO`S CURE FOR HERPES1&2 - A NATURAL WAY TO GET HERPES1&2 CURED. If you have been looking for ways to naturally get rid of the herpes simplex virus from your body totally, then you are welcome to read further. Let's face reality here, you have tried so many counter drugs and you are confused, weak and angry because nothing seems to work. Good News For you my friend.... Yes, I came with good news that will liberate you from the pains and stress of herpes outbreak, you will get total cure from this virus using Dr. Osato Herbal Methodology. Who is Dr. Osato? You may ask. Dr. Osato is a herbalist and a naturalist. He researched and identified some herbs and established a unique methodology to healing the human body using Herbal medicine that was confidently entrenched in his over 30 years of experience. According to him, he has the cure for so many diseases/virus like GENITAL HERPES, HIV, DIABETES, CANCER, HPV, HSV1&2, GENITAL WART, SHINGLES, VAGINAL INFECTION and so many more. You can reach Dr Osato on his email: [email protected] or WhatsApp +2347051705853. You can also contact him through his website: https://osatoherbalcure.wordpress.com  I am using this medium to inform everyone how to get treated of herpes using Dr Osato recommended Herbal methodology.

presentation tips delivery

Enhance your in-demand workplace skills

Top skills - leadership, management, communication and more - are available to develop using the 3,000+ resources available from Mind Tools.

Join Mind Tools today!

Sign-up to our newsletter

Subscribing to the Mind Tools newsletter will keep you up-to-date with our latest updates and newest resources.

Subscribe now

Business Skills

Personal Development

Leadership and Management

Most Popular

Newest Releases

Article akltlwa

An Overview of Creativity

Article a0hbmyf

The DO IT Technique

Mind Tools Store

About Mind Tools Content

Discover something new today

Get your ideas off the ground.

Turning Ideas Into Reality

How to Encourage Team Creativity

Fostering Innovation in Your Team

How Emotionally Intelligent Are You?

Boosting Your People Skills

Self-Assessment

What's Your Leadership Style?

Learn About the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Way You Like to Lead

Recommended for you

Abcd learning objectives model.

Outlining Learning Essentials

Business Operations and Process Management

Strategy Tools

Customer Service

Business Ethics and Values

Handling Information and Data

Project Management

Knowledge Management

Self-Development and Goal Setting

Time Management

Presentation Skills

Learning Skills

Career Skills

Communication Skills

Negotiation, Persuasion and Influence

Working With Others

Difficult Conversations

Creativity Tools

Self-Management

Work-Life Balance

Stress Management and Wellbeing

Coaching and Mentoring

Change Management

Team Management

Managing Conflict

Delegation and Empowerment

Performance Management

Leadership Skills

Developing Your Team

Talent Management

Problem Solving

Decision Making

  • Student Support Services
  • Subject Guides

Essential Study Skills

  • Introduction to Time Management
  • Getting Things Done
  • Creating a Weekly Schedule
  • Creating a Semester Plan
  • Planning an Assignment
  • Creating a Task List
  • Putting it all together
  • Additional Resources
  • Coping With Stress
  • Changing Your Perception of Stress
  • Problem Solving To Manage Stress
  • Reading with Purpose
  • Taking Notes in Class
  • Deciding What To Study
  • Knowing How to Study
  • Memorizing and Understanding Concepts
  • Taking Tests & Exams
  • Creating and Preparing For a Presentation
  • Presentation Anxiety

Delivering Presentations

  • Exploring Career Options
  • Identifying Areas of Interest
  • Knowing Yourself
  • Exploring the Labour Market
  • Researching College Programs
  • Setting Goals
  • Tackling Problems
  • Bouncing Back
  • Sleep Matters
  • Sleep Habits
  • Sleep Strategies
  • Meeting with Your Group
  • Agreeing on Expectations
  • Dealing With Problems
  • Study in Groups

Once you have created your presentation and your visual aids, and you have prepared for the presentation, you can deliver it to your audience. This module will help you learn how to confidently deliver your presentation.

man with speech bubble and question mark

Strategies for Your Presentation

How to deliver an effective presentation.

Watch this video or read the tips below to learn some techniques for delivering a presentation.

  • Video Transcript - How to Deliver an Effective Presentation

Tips for Delivering a Good Presentation

  • Have good posture
  • Smile and act relaxed. It will make you look and feel more confident.
  • Make eye contact with your audience instead of reading off your notes the entire time.
  • Avoid distracting behaviours, like chewing gum or fidgeting.
  • Watch for nervous gestures, such as rocking, or tapping.
  • Make sure to dress appropriately for your profession.
  • Take time to think during your presentation! People have a tendency to speak more quickly under pressure. Make an effort to slow your pace and include pauses. Speaking slower will also help you avoid excessive verbal fillers like “ummm” or “ahhhh”.
  • Pay attention to your volume. Think about projecting your voice to the back of the classroom so that everyone can hear what you have to say.
  • Try to speak clearly so that your audience can easily understand your words.
  • Avoid the ‘lecture’. By incorporation more than a speech into your presentation, you’ll be better able to hold your audience’s attention. Try using visuals, asking questions, or doing activities.

How to Rehearse Your Presentation

Review this checklist before you present to make you that you are ready to deliver your presentation. It will help you rehearse your presentation so that it will go smoothly when you deliver it in class.

  • Presentation Rehearsal Checklist - Word
  • Presentation Rehearsal Checklist - PDF

Presenting online involves many of the same skills as presenting in person, but there are a few additional considerations. Watch the video below to learn more about how to successfully present online.

  • << Previous: Presentation Anxiety
  • Next: Additional Resources >>
  • Last Updated: Oct 16, 2023 1:33 PM
  • URL: https://algonquincollege.libguides.com/studyskills

virtualspeech-logo

Improve your practice.

Enhance your soft skills with a range of award-winning courses.

Complete Guide for Effective Presentations, with Examples

July 9, 2018 - Dom Barnard

During a presentation you aim to look confident, enthusiastic and natural. You’ll need more than good words and content to achieve this – your delivery plays a significant part. In this article, we discuss various techniques that can be used to deliver an effective presentation.

Effective presentations

Think about if you were in the audience, what would:

  • Get you to focus and listen
  • Make you understand
  • Activate your imagination
  • Persuade you

Providing the audience with interesting information is not enough to achieve these aims – you need to ensure that the way you present is stimulating and engaging. If it’s not, you’ll lose the audience’s interest and they’ll stop listening.

Tips for an Effective Presentation

Professional public speakers spend hours creating and practicing presentations. These are the delivery techniques they consider:

Keep it simple

You shouldn’t overwhelm your audience with information – ensure that you’re clear, concise and that you get to the point so they can understand your message.

Have a maximum of  three main points  and state them at the beginning, before you explain them in more depth, and then state them at the end so the audience will at least remember these points.

If some of your content doesn’t contribute to your key message then cut it out. Also avoid using too many statistics and technical terminology.

Connect with your audience

One of the greatest difficulties when delivering a presentation is connecting with the audience. If you don’t  connect with them  it will seem as though you’re talking to an empty room.

Trying to make contact with the audience makes them feel like they’re part of the presentation which encourages them to listen and it shows that you want to speak to them.

Asking the audience questions during a presentation

Eye contact and smile

Avoiding eye contact is uncomfortable because it make you look insecure. When you  maintain eye contact  the audience feels like you’re speaking to them personally. If this is something you struggle with, try looking at people’s foreheads as it gives the impression of making eye contact.

Try to cover all sections of the audience and don’t move on to the next person too quickly as you will look nervous.

Smiling also helps with rapport and it reduces your nerves because you’ll feel less like you’re talking to group of faceless people. Make sure you don’t turn the lights down too much before your presentation so you can all clearly see each other.

Body language

Be aware of your body language and use it to connect:

  • Keep your arms uncrossed so your  body language is more open .
  • Match your facial expressions with what you’re saying.
  • Avoid fidgeting and displaying nervous habits, such as, rocking on your feet.
  • You may need to glance at the computer slide or a visual aid but make sure you predominantly face the audience.
  • Emphasise points by using hand gestures but use them sparingly – too little and they’ll awkwardly sit at your side, too much and you’ll be distracting and look nervous.
  • Vary your gestures so you don’t look robotic.
  • Maintain a straight posture.
  • Be aware of  cultural differences .

Move around

Avoid standing behind the lectern or computer because you need to reduce the distance and barriers between yourself and the audience.  Use movement  to increase the audience’s interest and make it easier to follow your presentation.

A common technique for incorporating movement into your presentation is to:

  • Start your introduction by standing in the centre of the stage.
  • For your first point you stand on the left side of the stage.
  • You discuss your second point from the centre again.
  • You stand on the right side of the stage for your third point.
  • The conclusion occurs in the centre.

Watch 3 examples of good and bad movement while presenting

Example: Movement while presenting

Your movement at the front of the class and amongst the listeners can help with engagement. Think about which of these three speakers maintains the attention of their audience for longer, and what they are doing differently to each other.

Speak with the audience

You can conduct polls using your audience or ask questions to make them think and feel invested in your presentation. There are three different types of questions:

Direct questions require an answer: “What would you do in this situation?” These are mentally stimulating for the audience. You can pass a microphone around and let the audience come to your desired solution.

Rhetorical questions  do not require answers, they are often used to emphasises an idea or point: “Is the Pope catholic?

Loaded questions contain an unjustified assumption made to prompt the audience into providing a particular answer which you can then correct to support your point: You may ask “Why does your wonderful company have such a low incidence of mental health problems?” The audience will generally answer that they’re happy.

After receiving the answers you could then say “Actually it’s because people are still unwilling and too embarrassed to seek help for mental health issues at work etc.”

Delivering a presentation in Asia

Be specific with your language

Make the audience feel as though you are speaking to each member individually by using “you” and “your.”

For example: asking “Do you want to lose weight without feeling hungry?” would be more effective than asking “Does anyone here want to lost weight without feeling hungry?” when delivering your presentation. You can also increase solidarity by using “we”, “us” etc – it makes the audience think “we’re in this together”.

Be flexible

Be prepared to adapt to the situation at the time, for example, if the audience seems bored you can omit details and go through the material faster, if they are confused then you will need to come up with more examples on the spot for clarification. This doesn’t mean that you weren’t prepared because you can’t predict everything.

Vocal variety

How you say something is just as is important as the content of your speech – arguably, more so.

For example, if an individual presented on a topic very enthusiastically the audience would probably enjoy this compared to someone who covered more points but mumbled into their notes.

  • Adapt your voice  depending on what are you’re saying – if you want to highlight something then raise your voice or lower it for intensity. Communicate emotion by using your voice.
  • Avoid speaking in monotone as you will look uninterested and the audience will lose interest.
  • Take time to pronounce every word carefully.
  • Raise your pitch when asking questions and lower it when you want to sound severe.
  • Sound enthusiastic – the more you sound like you care about the topic, the more the audience will listen. Smiling and pace can help with this.
  • Speak loudly and clearly – think about projecting your voice to the back of the room.
  • Speak at a  pace that’s easy to follow . If you’re too fast or too slow it will be difficult for the audience to understand what you’re saying and it’s also frustrating. Subtly fasten the pace to show enthusiasm and slow down for emphasis, thoughtfulness or caution.

Prior to the presentation, ensure that you  prepare your vocal chords :

  • You could read aloud a book that requires vocal variety, such as, a children’s book.
  • Avoid dairy and eating or drinking anything too sugary beforehand as mucus can build-up leading to frequent throat clearing.
  • Don’t drink anything too cold before you present as this can constrict your throat which affects vocal quality.
  • Some people suggest a warm cup of tea beforehand to relax the throat.

Practice Presentation Skills

Improve your public speaking and presentation skills by practicing them in realistic environments, with automated feedback on performance. Learn More

Pause to breathe

When you’re anxious your breathing will become quick and shallow which will affect the control you have on your voice. This can consequently make you feel more nervous. You want to breathe steadily and deeply so before you start speaking take some deep breaths or implement controlled breathing.

Controlled breathing is a common technique that helps slow down your breathing to normal thus reducing your anxiety. If you think this may be useful practice with these steps:

  • Sit down in an upright position as it easier for your lungs to fill with air
  • Breathe in through your nose and into your abdomen for four seconds
  • Hold this breathe for two seconds
  • Breathe out through your nose for six seconds
  • Wait a few seconds before inhaling and repeating the cycle

It takes practice to master this technique but once you get used to it you may want to implement it directly before your presentation.

Take a deep breath when delivering a presentation

Completely filling your lungs during a pause will ensure you reach a greater vocal range.

During the presentation delivery, if you notice that you’re speaking too quickly then pause and breathe. This won’t look strange – it will appear as though you’re giving thought to what you’re saying. You can also strategically plan some of your pauses, such as after questions and at the end of sections, because this will give you a chance to calm down and it will also give the audience an opportunity to think and reflect.

Pausing will also help you  avoid filler words , such as, “um” as well which can make you sound unsure.

  • 10 Effective Ways to use Pauses in your Speech

Strong opening

The first five minutes are  vital to engage the audience  and get them listening to you. You could start with a story to highlight why your topic is significant.

For example, if the topic is on the benefits of pets on physical and psychological health, you could present a story or a study about an individual whose quality of life significantly improved after being given a dog. The audience is more likely to respond better to this and remember this story than a list of facts.

Example: Which presentation intro keeps you engaged?

Watch 5 different presentation introductions, from both virtual and in-person events. Notice how it can only take a few seconds to decide if you want to keep listening or switch off. For the good introductions, what about them keeps you engaged?

More experienced and confident public speakers use humour in their presentations. The audience will be incredibly engaged if you make them laugh but caution must be exercised when using humour because a joke can be misinterpreted and even offend the audience.

Only use jokes if you’re confident with this technique, it has been successful in the past and it’s suitable for the situation.

Stories and anecdotes

Use stories whenever you can and judge whether you can tell a story about yourself because the audience are even more interested in seeing the human side of you.

Consider telling a story about a mistake you made, for example, perhaps you froze up during an important presentation when you were 25, or maybe life wasn’t going well for you in the past – if relevant to your presentation’s aim. People will relate to this as we have all experienced mistakes and failures. The more the audience relates to you, the more likely they will remain engaged.

These stories can also be  told in a humorous way  if it makes you feel more comfortable and because you’re disclosing a personal story there is less chance of misinterpretation compared to telling a joke.

Anecdotes are especially valuable for your introduction and between different sections of the presentation because they engage the audience. Ensure that you plan the stories thoroughly beforehand and that they are not too long.

Focus on the audience’s needs

Even though your aim is to persuade the audience, they must also get something helpful from the presentation. Provide the audience with value by giving them useful information, tactics, tips etc. They’re more likely to warm to you and trust you if you’re sharing valuable information with them.

You could also highlight their pain point. For example, you might ask “Have you found it difficult to stick to a healthy diet?” The audience will now want to remain engaged because they want to know the solution and the opportunities that you’re offering.

Use visual aids

Visual aids are items of a visual manner, such as graphs, photographs, video clips etc used in addition to spoken information. Visual aids are chosen depending on their purpose, for example, you may want to:

  • Summarise information.
  • Reduce the amount of spoken words, for example, you may show a graph of your results rather than reading them out.
  • Clarify and show examples.
  • Create more of an impact. You must consider what type of impact you want to make beforehand – do you want the audience to be sad, happy, angry etc?
  • Emphasise what you’re saying.
  • Make a point memorable.
  • Enhance your credibility.
  • Engage the audience and maintain their interest.
  • Make something easier for the audience to understand.

Visual aids being used during a presentation

Some general tips for  using visual aids :

  • Think about how can a visual aid can support your message. What do you want the audience to do?
  • Ensure that your visual aid follows what you’re saying or this will confuse the audience.
  • Avoid cluttering the image as it may look messy and unclear.
  • Visual aids must be clear, concise and of a high quality.
  • Keep the style consistent, such as, the same font, colours, positions etc
  • Use graphs and charts to present data.
  • The audience should not be trying to read and listen at the same time – use visual aids to highlight your points.
  • One message per visual aid, for example, on a slide there should only be one key point.
  • Use visual aids in moderation – they are additions meant to emphasise and support main points.
  • Ensure that your presentation still works without your visual aids in case of technical problems.

10-20-30 slideshow rule

Slideshows are widely used for presentations because it’s easy to create attractive and professional presentations using them. Guy Kawasaki, an entrepreneur and author, suggests that slideshows should  follow a 10-20-30 rule :

  • There should be a maximum of 10 slides – people rarely remember more than one concept afterwards so there’s no point overwhelming them with unnecessary information.
  • The presentation should last no longer than 20 minutes as this will leave time for questions and discussion.
  • The font size should be a minimum of 30pt because the audience reads faster than you talk so less information on the slides means that there is less chance of the audience being distracted.

If you want to give the audience more information you can provide them with partially completed handouts or give them the handouts after you’ve delivered the presentation.

Keep a drink nearby

Have something to drink when you’re on stage, preferably water at room temperature. This will help maintain your vocal quality and having a sip is a subtle way of introducing pauses.

Practice, practice, practice

If you are very familiar with the content of your presentation, your audience will perceive you as confident and you’ll be more persuasive.

  • Don’t just read the presentation through – practice everything,  including your transitions  and using your visual aids.
  • Stand up and speak it aloud, in an engaging manner, as though you were presenting to an audience.
  • Ensure that you practice your body language and gesturing.
  • Use VR to  practice in a realistic environment .
  • Practice in front of others and get their feedback.
  • Freely improvise so you’ll sound more natural on the day. Don’t learn your presentation verbatim because you will sound uninterested and if you lose focus then you may forget everything.
  • Create cards to use as cues – one card should be used for one key idea. Write down brief notes or key words and ensure that the cards are physically connected so the order cannot be lost. Visual prompts can also be used as cues.

This video shows how you can practice presentations in virtual reality. See our  VR training courses .

Two courses where you can practice your presentations in interactive exercises:

  • Essential Public Speaking
  • How to Present over Video

Try these different presentation delivery methods to see which ones you prefer and which need to be improved. The most important factor is to feel comfortable during the presentation as the delivery is likely to be better.

Remember that the audience are generally on your side – they want you to do well so present with confidence.

  • Online Degree Explore Bachelor’s & Master’s degrees
  • MasterTrack™ Earn credit towards a Master’s degree
  • University Certificates Advance your career with graduate-level learning
  • Top Courses
  • Join for Free

What Are Effective Presentation Skills (and How to Improve Them)

Presentation skills are essential for your personal and professional life. Learn about effective presentations and how to boost your presenting techniques.

[Featured Image]: The marketing manager, wearing a yellow top, is making a PowerPoint presentation.

At least seven out of 10 Americans agree that presentation skills are essential for a successful career [ 1 ]. Although it might be tempting to think that these are skills reserved for people interested in public speaking roles, they're critical in a diverse range of jobs. For example, you might need to brief your supervisor on research results.

Presentation skills are also essential in other scenarios, including working with a team and explaining your thought process, walking clients through project ideas and timelines, and highlighting your strengths and achievements to your manager during performance reviews.

Whatever the scenario, you have very little time to capture your audience’s attention and get your point across when presenting information—about three seconds, according to research [ 2 ]. Effective presentation skills help you get your point across and connect with the people you’re communicating with, which is why nearly every employer requires them.

Understanding what presentation skills are is only half the battle. Honing your presenting techniques is essential for mastering presentations of all kinds and in all settings.

What are presentation skills?

Presentation skills are the abilities and qualities necessary for creating and delivering a compelling presentation that effectively communicates information and ideas. They encompass what you say, how you structure it, and the materials you include to support what you say, such as slides, videos, or images.

You'll make presentations at various times in your life. Examples include:

Making speeches at a wedding, conference, or another event

Making a toast at a dinner or event

Explaining projects to a team 

Delivering results and findings to management teams

Teaching people specific methods or information

Proposing a vote at community group meetings

Pitching a new idea or business to potential partners or investors

Why are presentation skills important? 

Delivering effective presentations is critical in your professional and personal life. You’ll need to hone your presentation skills in various areas, such as when giving a speech, convincing your partner to make a substantial purchase, and talking to friends and family about an important situation.

No matter if you’re using them in a personal or professional setting, these are the skills that make it easier and more effective to convey your ideas, convince or persuade others, and experience success. A few of the benefits that often accompany improving your presentation skills include:

Enriched written and verbal communication skills

Enhanced confidence and self-image

Boosted critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities

Better motivational techniques

Increased leadership skills

Expanded time management, negotiation, and creativity

The better your presenting techniques, the more engaging your presentations will be. You could also have greater opportunities to make positive impacts in business and other areas of your life.

Effective presentation skills

Imagine yourself in the audience at a TED Talk or sitting with your coworkers at a big meeting held by your employer. What would you be looking for in how they deliver their message? What would make you feel engaged?

These are a few questions to ask yourself as you review this list of some of the most effective presentation skills.

Verbal communication

How you use language and deliver messages play essential roles in how your audience will receive your presentation. Speak clearly and confidently, projecting your voice enough to ensure everyone can hear. Think before you speak, pausing when necessary and tailoring the way you talk to resonate with your particular audience.

Body language

Body language combines various critical elements, including posture, gestures, eye contact, expressions, and position in front of the audience. Body language is one of the elements that can instantly transform a presentation that would otherwise be dull into one that's dynamic and interesting.

Voice projection

The ability to project your voice improves your presentation by allowing your audience to hear what you're saying. It also increases your confidence to help settle any lingering nerves while also making your message more engaging. To project your voice, stand comfortably with your shoulders back. Take deep breaths to power your speaking voice and ensure you enunciate every syllable you speak.

How you present yourself plays a role in your body language and ability to project your voice. It also sets the tone for the presentation. Avoid slouching or looking overly tense. Instead, remain open, upright, and adaptable while taking the formality of the occasion into account.

Storytelling

Incorporating storytelling into a presentation is an effective strategy used by many powerful public speakers. It has the power to bring your subject to life and pique the audience’s curiosity. Don’t be afraid to tell a personal story, slowly building up suspense or adding a dramatic moment. And, of course, be sure to end with a positive takeaway to drive your point home.

Active listening

Active listening is a valuable skill all on its own. When you understand and thoughtfully respond to what you hear—whether it's in a conversation or during a presentation—you’ll likely deepen your personal relationships and actively engage audiences during a presentation. As part of your presentation skill set, it helps catch and maintain the audience’s attention, helping them remain focused while minimizing passive response, ensuring the message is delivered correctly, and encouraging a call to action.

Stage presence

During a presentation, projecting confidence can help keep your audience engaged. Stage presence can help you connect with your audience and encourage them to want to watch you. To improve your presence, try amping up your normal demeanor by infusing it with a bit of enthusiasm. Project confidence and keep your information interesting.

Watch your audience as you’re presenting. If you’re holding their attention, it likely means you’re connecting well with them.

Self-awareness

Monitoring your own emotions and reactions will allow you to react well in various situations. It helps you remain personable throughout your presentation and handle feedback well. Self-awareness can help soothe nervousness during presentations, allowing you to perform more effectively.

Writing skills

Writing is a form of presentation. Sharp writing skills can help you master your presentation’s outline to ensure you stay on message and remain clear about your objectives from the beginning until the end. It’s also helpful to have strong writing abilities for creating compelling slides and other visual aids.

Understanding an audience

When you understand your audience's needs and interests, you can design your presentation around them. In turn, you'll deliver maximum value to them and enhance your ability to make your message easy to understand.

Learn more about presentation skills from industry experts at SAP:

How to improve presentation skills

There’s an art to public speaking. Just like any other type of art, this is one that requires practice. Improving your presentation skills will help reduce miscommunications, enhance your time management capabilities, and boost your leadership skills. Here are some ways you can improve these skills:

Work on self-confidence.

When you’re confident, you naturally speak more clearly and with more authority. Taking the time to prepare your presentation with a strong opening and compelling visual aids can help you feel more confident. Other ways to improve your self-confidence include practicing positive self-talk, surrounding yourself with positive people, and avoiding comparing yourself (or your presentation) to others.

Develop strategies for overcoming fear.

Many people are nervous or fearful before giving a presentation. A bad memory of a past performance or insufficient self-confidence can contribute to fear and anxiety. Having a few go-to strategies like deep breathing, practicing your presentation, and grounding can help you transform that fear into extra energy to put into your stage presence.

Learn grounding techniques.

Grounding is any type of technique that helps you steer your focus away from distressing thoughts and keeps you connected with your present self. To ground yourself, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and imagine you’re a large, mature tree with roots extending deep into the earth—like the tree, you can become unshakable.

Learn how to use presentation tools.

Visual aids and other technical support can transform an otherwise good presentation into a wow-worthy one. A few popular presentation tools include:

Canva: Provides easy-to-design templates you can customize

Powtoon: Animation software that makes video creation fast and easy

PowerPoint: Microsoft's iconic program popular for dynamic marketing and sales presentations

Practice breathing techniques.

Breathing techniques can help quell anxiety, making it easier to shake off pre-presentation jitters and nerves. It also helps relax your muscles and get more oxygen to your brain.  For some pre-presentation calmness, you can take deep breaths, slowly inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.

While presenting, breathe in through your mouth with the back of your tongue relaxed so your audience doesn't hear a gasping sound. Speak on your exhalation, maintaining a smooth voice.

Gain experience.

The more you practice, the better you’ll become. The more you doanything, the more comfortable you’ll feel engaging in that activity. Presentations are no different. Repeatedly practicing your own presentation also offers the opportunity to get feedback from other people and tweak your style and content as needed.

Tips to help you ace your presentation

Your presentation isn’t about you; it’s about the material you’re presenting. Sometimes, reminding yourself of this ahead of taking center stage can help take you out of your head, allowing you to connect effectively with your audience. The following are some of the many actions you can take on the day of your presentation.

Arrive early.

Since you may have a bit of presentation-related anxiety, it’s important to avoid adding travel stress. Give yourself an abundance of time to arrive at your destination, and take into account heavy traffic and other unforeseen events. By arriving early, you also give yourself time to meet with any on-site technicians, test your equipment, and connect with people ahead of the presentation.

Become familiar with the layout of the room.

Arriving early also gives you time to assess the room and figure out where you want to stand. Experiment with the acoustics to determine how loudly you need to project your voice, and test your equipment to make sure everything connects and appears properly with the available setup. This is an excellent opportunity to work out any last-minute concerns and move around to familiarize yourself with the setting for improved stage presence.

Listen to presenters ahead of you.

When you watch others present, you'll get a feel for the room's acoustics and lighting. You can also listen for any data that’s relevant to your presentation and revisit it during your presentation—this can make the presentation more interactive and engaging.

Use note cards.

Writing yourself a script could provide you with more comfort. To prevent sounding too robotic or disengaged, only include talking points in your note cards in case you get off track. Using note cards can help keep your presentation organized while sounding more authentic to your audience.

Learn to deliver clear and confident presentations with Dynamic Public Speaking from the University of Washington. Build confidence, develop new delivery techniques, and practice strategies for crafting compelling presentations for different purposes, occasions, and audiences.

Article sources

Forbes. “ New Survey: 70% Say Presentation Skills are Critical for Career Success , https://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2014/09/25/new-survey-70-percent-say-presentation-skills-critical-for-career-success/?sh=619f3ff78890.” Accessed December 7, 2022.

Beautiful.ai. “ 15 Presentation and Public Speaking Stats You Need to Know , https://www.beautiful.ai/blog/15-presentation-and-public-speaking-stats-you-need-to-know. Accessed December 7, 2022.

Keep reading

Coursera staff.

Editorial Team

Coursera’s editorial team is comprised of highly experienced professional editors, writers, and fact...

This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

  • Effective Presentation Skills Tutorial
  • Delivering the Presentation

presentation tips delivery

Once you have rehearsed the presentation well, here are some simple suggestions to consider in delivering the presentation effectively.

Dress Appropriately

Dress appropriately for the presentation, based on the context, disciplinary protocols, formality of the occasion and the type of audience (faculty, students, clients, etc.). Do not wear inappropriate clothing, jewelry, hats or footwear that distract.

Arrive Early

Arrive early for the presentation, and do not arrive just in time or late.

Meet the Moderator

If there is a presentation moderator who will introduce you, meet that person well in advance of the presentation so they know you are in the room on time and that you will be ready.

Decide How to Handle Audience Questions

Decide how you will handle questions during the presentation, and either request the audience to wait until you are finished with your presentation or make sure you will have time to answer the question in the middle of your presentation.

Have a Plan if the Technology Fails

Similarly, decide how you will continue your presentation if the presentation technology fails or freezes in the middle of your presentation.

Smoothly Handling Difficulty with Technology

This video clip is an example of a presenter encountering difficulty with technology but handling it smoothly with a backup plan .

Poorly Handling Difficulty with Technology

This video clip is an example of a presenter encountering difficulty with technology but handling it poorly without a backup plan .

Greet the Audience

If you have some free time before the presentation starts, walk up to some members of the audience, introduce yourself and thank them for being there. This may put you at ease during the presentation.

Load Your Visuals Before Your Allotted Presentation Time

If you plan to use presentation tools, load your presentation or connect your presentation device to the projector before you are asked to present so you do not use up your presentation time to load your files and make the audience wait.

Be pleasant and smile when you stand in front of an audience so it makes the audience feel comfortable listening to you.

Don't Eat or Chew Gum

Do not chew gum or eat during your presentation. You may drink water or other allowed beverages during the presentation.

Take a Deep Breath

Before you begin to speak, take a few deep breaths and calm yourself.

Speak Clearly

Speak slowly and clearly, and do not rush through sentences, as some do when they get nervous.

Speak at an Even Pace

Pay attention to the pace in which you speak, to avoid your pace of delivery being either too fast or too slow for the audience to follow.

Pace Too Slow

This video clip is an example of a presentation pace that is too slow .

Pace Too Fast

This video clip is an example of a presentation pace that is too fast .

Appropriate Pace

This video clip is an example of the presenter's pace of delivery being appropriate for the audience to follow .

Change the Inflection of Your Voice to Gain Audience Attention or to Emphasize Content

If you are trying to make a point about a particular idea, enunciate or pronounce the words clearly and distinctly. At this point, you can slow down and raise the volume of your voice to clearly express what you have to say. Speak with authority, confidence and enthusiasm.

Effective Voice Quality and Emphasis

This video clip is an example of a presenter demonstrating effective voice quality and emphasis on significant words .

Ineffective Voice Quality and Emphasis

This video clip is an example of a presenter demonstrating ineffective voice quality and emphasis on significant words .

Use Appropriate Gestures

Use appropriate gestures to emphasize appropriate points, and do not make wild gestures or pace back and forth in front of the screen in a distracting manner.

Effective Gestures

This video clip is an example of a presenter demonstrating effective hand gestures and body language .

Ineffective Gestures

This video clip is an example of a presenter demonstrating ineffective hand gestures and body language .

Make Proper Eye Contact

Make proper eye contact: that is, look at the audience from one side of the room to the other side, and from the front row to the last row. Do not look down the whole time, and do not focus on just one side of the room or just the front row of the audience.

Effective Eye Contact

This video clip is an example of a presenter demonstrating effective eye contact .

Ineffective Eye Contact

This video clip is an example of a presenter demonstrating ineffective eye contact .

Stand Beside the Screen

If you plan to use projected visuals on a screen, stand to one side of the screen. Ideally, you should be facing your audience at all times and just glance at the screen to look at cues from the slides.

Effective Position Near Screen

This video clip is an example of a presenter standing by the side of the screen during a PowerPoint presentation so the audience view of the screen is unobstructed, and glances at the screen only occasionally.

Ineffective Position Near Screen

This video clip is an example of a presenter standing in front of the screen during PowerPoint presentation , obstructing the audience view of the screen.

Do Not Talk to the Screen or Board

Do not talk to the screen or the presentation device; look at the audience and talk. It is alright to look at the screen occasionally and point to something important on the screen as you present.

Looking at Screen

This video clip is an example of a presenter looking mostly at the screen (instead of the audience).

Writing on the Board

This video clip is an example of a presenter writing on the board while talking and the writing is difficult to read .

Do Not Read Line-by-Line

Do not read presentation materials line-by-line unless there is someone in the audience who is visually-impaired and cannot see the slide, or if it is a quote that you have to read verbatim to emphasize.

Reading Each Word

This video clip is an example of a presenter reading word by word from an overly dense slide that is difficult to read .

Talking from a Slide

This video clip is an example of a presenter talking from a slide with easily readable bullet points, using them as cues .

If You Get Stuck, Look at Your Notes

If you get stuck on a point and do not know what to say, feel free to look at your notes to continue.

Use the Microphone Effectively

If you are presenting in a large room where a handheld microphone is needed, hold the microphone near your mouth and speak directly into it.

Using Microphone Effectively

This video clip is an example of a presenter using the microphone effectively .

Using Microphone Ineffectively

This video clip is an example of a presenter using the microphone ineffectively .

Do Not Curse or Use Inappropriate Language

Do not curse or use inappropriate language if you forget a point during the presentation or if the presentation technology fails.

Be Considerate of Your Team

If you are part of a team and giving a group presentation, be considerate to other team members by not using up their time or dominating the presentation. Smoothly transition from one presenter to another.

Smooth Transitions

This video clip is an example of transitioning from one presenter to another in a polished manner .

Awkward Transitions

This video clip is an example of awkward or unpolished transitions from one presenter to another .

Do Not Conclude Abruptly

Do not conclude the presentation abruptly by saying "This is it" or "I'm done." Conclude properly by summarizing the topic and thanking the audience for listening.

Effective Conclusion

This video clip is an example of the presenter concluding a presentation properly by summarizing the important points and thanking the audience .

Abrupt Conclusion

This video clip is an example of the presenter abruptly concluding a presentation .

Be Considerate of the Next Presenter

After your presentation and the question and answer part are over, remove your presentation materials from the desk or the podium, and close any open presentation software so the next presenter can get ready quickly.

Thank Your Moderator

Remember to thank your moderator (if there is one) and the audience, and if you were part of a panel presentation, make sure to thank the panel members.

Participate in the Audience

If there are other presentations scheduled after yours, do not leave the room, but stay and listen to their presentations.

  Previous

Next  

  • Preparing for the Presentation
  • Organizing the Presentation
  • Designing Effective Presentation Materials
  • Rehearsing the Presentation
  • Handling Questions and Answers
  • Presentation Skills Quiz
  • Presentation Preparation Checklist
  • Common Reasons for Ineffective Presentations

Creative Commons License

13 Tips for Delivering a Memorable Presentation

  • Small Business
  • Online Business
  • Home Business
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Operations & Success

Alyssa Gregory is an entrepreneur, writer, and marketer with 20 years of experience in the business world. She is the founder of the Small Business Bonfire, a community for entrepreneurs, and has authored more than 2,500 articles for popular small business websites.

Presentations, in many different formats, are a big part of being a small business owner. You may be delivering your elevator pitch at a networking event, pitching your services during a sales call, or speaking at a small business conference . Although they are all very different types of presentations, they are all important for small business owners.

If you are using your valuable time to prepare and deliver some sort of presentation, you want it to be a success. You want to engage your audience and make your presentation memorable (for the right reasons!). Here are some tips to help you deliver a winning and memorable presentation that you actually enjoy giving.

1. Take Time to Prepare

Regardless of the type of presentation, don't wait until the last minute to start preparing. As soon as you know you will be presenting or attending a meeting that requires more informal presenting, start thinking about the content of your presentation.

2. Research Your Audience

Your audience should drive not only the content you present, but your approach as well. Find out who will be in the audience and tailor your presentation directly to them.

3. Identify Your Goals

What are your goals? Why are you presenting? Are you trying to win business? Are you sharing your expertise? Take time to identify your goals and keep them in mind as you develop your presentation.

4. Know Your Time Limit

Make sure you know how long you will have to present. It's vital to know if you're delivering a 60-second elevator pitch, a half hour tutorial or a two-hour presentation before you start preparing your content.

5. Write It Down

Even if your presentation is short and simple , avoid the temptation to keep your content only in your head. Your presentation should be written down so you can revise, practice and fine-tune before the big day.

6. Create Visual Aids (If Necessary)

Depending on the type of presentation, you may want some kind of visual aid to add to your presentation. However, do not include every piece of content on your slides. Keep it short and simple. Your visual aid should be for your audience, to drive home important points, not a crutch for your presentation.

7. Memorize It

Don't worry, I'm not going to suggest that you need to memorize every word of your presentation. But...start by memorizing the key points anyway. Knowing the content inside and out will make you more comfortable and confident during the delivery.

8. Practice, Practice, Practice

Run through your presentation in full several times before the big day. You may even consider video taping yourself so you can self-critique and fine-tune.

9. Get There Early

Not only do you want to be on time, but if you get there early, you can scope out the room where you will be presenting and start to familiarize yourself with the environment. You can also meet some of the people in the audience, which can help add a conversational tone.

10. Show Your Passion

Hopefully you're passionate about the subject matter. Let your enthusiasm come through in your delivery. It can be contagious and the perfect way to engage your audience.

11. Make It Interactive

To prevent boredom for your audience, plan group activities, ask questions and work in a break, if appropriate.

12. Use Humor

Humor can be powerful in a presentation setting. Not only can it put the audience at ease, but it can make you more relaxed as well.

13. Leave Something Behind

Handouts are a great way to drive home your message and give attendees something to refer to after they leave. Be sure to include your contact information and invite the audience to contact you with questions. And always attend events with a handful of business cards.

Presentations can be nerve-wracking if you don't deliver them often. But don't be intimidated by the process. Follow the tips here to deliver a winning proposal with confidence next time you need to get in front of an audience.

  • The 4 Cardinal Rules of Terrific PowerPoint Presentations
  • Mastering the Art of the Five-Minute Presentation
  • How To Give a Successful Presentation During an Interview
  • The 8 Best Books for Starting a Business in 2022
  • Important Job Skills for Teachers
  • How to Win the Heart of a Capricorn Woman
  • Important Sales Skills That Employers Value
  • 7 Tips to Help You Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking
  • Essential Tips for Writing an Effective Elevator Pitch
  • Build Your Home Business With Public Speaking
  • Successful Sales Tips for Small Business Owners
  • The Elevator Pitch - 60 Seconds to Success
  • 5 Tips for Better Small Business Networking
  • Tips for Creating Winning Presentations for Executive Audiences
  • Enrich Your Business Presentation Skills Now
  • 7 Secrets to a Knockout Business Presentation

presentation tips delivery

Presentation Zen DELIVERY TIPS

(1) start strong.

startstrong.jpg

You’ve heard it before: First impressions are powerful. Believe it. The first 2-3 minutes of the presentation are the most important. The audience wants to like you and they will give you a few minutes at the beginning to engage them — don’t miss the opportunity. Most presenters fail here because they ramble on too long about superfluous background information or their personal/professional history. Open with a key and surpassing data visualization or a very short story that grabs their attention and illustrates at least part of your key message that then segues into the beginnings of your presentation. Early on let the audience know what is in it for them. Tell or show them why it matters and why they should care.

(2)  Show your passion 

passion.001.jpg

Let your passion about your topic show and let that enthusiasm come out. Yes, you need great content. Yes, you need professional, well designed visuals. But it is all for naught if you do not have a deep, heartfelt belief in your topic. You are curious about your topic. You think it matters. Let your audience see that. The biggest item that separates mediocre presenters from world-class ones is the ability to connect with an audience in an honest and engaging way. Don’t hold back. And let your passion for your topic come out for all to see. Your feelings are contagious. If you are enthusiastic, or passionate, or have a genuine interest and curiosity about the topic, then your audience will feel that.

(3) Keep it short

quote_attention.001.jpeg

Humans have short attention spans when it comes to passively sitting and listening to a speaker. Audience attention is greatest at the opening and then again when you say something like “In conclusion....” This is just the human condition, especially so for the busy (often tired) students and professionals today. So, if you have 30 minutes for your talk, finish in 25 minutes. It is better to have the audience wanting more (of you) than to feel that they have had more than enough. Professional entertainers know this very well. And never, ever, ever go over time. Finish early or finish right on time. (See Hara Hachi Bu. )

(4) Move away from the lectern

presentation tips delivery

Get closer to your audience by moving away from or in front of the lectern or podium. The lectern is a barrier between you and the audience, but the goal of our presentation is to connect with the audience. Removing physical barriers between you and the audience will help you build rapport and make a connection. 

(5) Use a remote-control device

remote_.jpg

To advance your slides and builds, use a small, handheld remote. A handheld remote will allow you to move away from the lectern. This is an absolute must. I like small and simple. This one— the DinoFire Presentation Clicker —is extremely popular and it does work well. It’s also quite affordable. This kind of remote uses radio waves to communicate with the small USB receiver that you plug into your computer (be careful not to lose it—it is tiny!). This means that you do not ever need to point your remote in the direction of the computer or anything else. Just hold the remote naturally as if you were holding a pen in your hand and simply push your thumb down without looking at your hand. It only takes a few minutes to get used to this and soon it will feel so natural to you that the audience will never even notice that you are holding a remote.

(6) Remember the “B” key 

black_screen.jpg

If you press the “B” key while your PowerPoint or Keynote slide is showing, the screen will go blank or black (press “W” and the screen will go white). This is useful if you need to digress or move off the topic presented on the slide. By having the slide blank, all the attention can now be placed back on you. When you are ready to move on, just press the “B” key again and the image reappears. It is useful to build black slides into your presentation, allowing for visual breaks and for the attention to shift completely to you or to others in the audience, but for times when you need the screen to go blank, remember the B key can help you anytime.

(7) Make good eye contact 

eyecontact.001.jpeg

Try looking at individuals rather than scanning the group. Since you are using a computer, you never need to look at the screen behind you — just glance down at the computer screen briefly. One sure way to lose an audience is to turn your back on them. And while you’re maintaining great eye contact, don’t forget to smile as well. Unless your topic is very grim, a natural smile can be a very powerful thing. If you can, record yourself presenting. When you view your presentation delivery, you may find that you looked more grumpy or low-energy than you realized. Sometimes we have to amp up our energy in a way that we don’t when we are just talking with friends. When you are in front of a group, establish eye contact with different people as you go through the talk. It is not enough to just gaze over the top of the audience or look in the general direction of a few people. When you actually look at and connect with different people—even if only for a few moments—your energy level goes up and you seem more engaging and natural which in turn makes it much easier for the audience to listen to listen to you and learn from you.

(8) Keep the lights on 

lights on.001.jpeg

If you are speaking in a meeting room or a classroom, the temptation is to turn the lights off so that the slides look better. But go for a compromise between a bright screen image and ambient room lighting. Turning the lights off — besides inducing sleep — puts all the focus on the screen. The audience should be looking at you more than the screen. Today’s projectors—and especially wall-mounted displays—are bright enough to allow you to keep many or all of the lights on.

(9) At all times: courteous, gracious, & professional 

be_professional.001.jpeg

When audience members ask questions or give comments, you should be gracious and thank them for their input. Even if someone is being difficult, you must keep to the high ground and at all times be a gentleman or lady and courteously deal with such individuals. The true professional can always remain cool and in control. Remember, it is your reputation, so always remain gracious even with the most challenging of audiences. 

(10) Dress the part

how_to_present.002.jpeg

Generally, you should dress a little more formally than the audience. Your attire may depend on the audience. A Silicon Valley internal presentation is a lot more casual than, say, a keynote for a leadership conference. However, it’s better to be too formal rather than too casual. If you find you’re a bit too formal for the audience once you arrive, you can always remove your tie or jacket, but it is nearly impossible to increase the formality of your attire if you did not bring the clothes. 

(11) Dealing with nervousness

how_to_present.001.jpeg

The more you are on top of your material the less nervous you will be. If you have taken the time to build the logical flow of your presentation, designed supporting materials that are professional and appropriate, there is much less to be nervous about. And, if you have then actually rehearsed with an actual computer and projector (assuming you are using slideware) several times, your nervousness will be manageable. We fear what we do not know. If we know our material well and have rehearsed the flow, know what slide is next in the deck, and have anticipated questions, then we have eliminated much of the unknown. When you remove the unknown and reduce anxiety and nervousness, then confidence will grow. Here are Five tips for dealing with presentation nerves by my friend Les Posen, a psychologist in Australia who specializes in treating anxiety. 

(12) Meet the audience

how_to_present.003.jpeg

Arrive early to make sure everything is set and working before people arrive if you can. Then in the time before your talk, go into the audience and mingle, introduce and talk to a few people. You can then even ask why they are interested in this topic or what questions that they may have. This will reduce your nerves and the audience no longer is an abstract blob but rather a group that is at least a little more familiar now. 

presentation tips delivery

Learn more

How it works

Transform your enterprise with the scalable mindsets, skills, & behavior change that drive performance.

Explore how BetterUp connects to your core business systems.

We pair AI with the latest in human-centered coaching to drive powerful, lasting learning and behavior change.

Build leaders that accelerate team performance and engagement.

Unlock performance potential at scale with AI-powered curated growth journeys.

Build resilience, well-being and agility to drive performance across your entire enterprise.

Transform your business, starting with your sales leaders.

Unlock business impact from the top with executive coaching.

Foster a culture of inclusion and belonging.

Accelerate the performance and potential of your agencies and employees.

See how innovative organizations use BetterUp to build a thriving workforce.

Discover how BetterUp measurably impacts key business outcomes for organizations like yours.

A demo is the first step to transforming your business. Meet with us to develop a plan for attaining your goals.

Request a demo

  • For Individuals

Best practices, research, and tools to fuel individual and business growth.

View on-demand BetterUp events and learn about upcoming live discussions.

The latest insights and ideas for building a high-performing workplace.

  • BetterUp Briefing

The online magazine that helps you understand tomorrow's workforce trends, today.

Innovative research featured in peer-reviewed journals, press, and more.

Founded in 2022 to deepen the understanding of the intersection of well-being, purpose, and performance

We're on a mission to help everyone live with clarity, purpose, and passion.

Join us and create impactful change.

Read the buzz about BetterUp.

Meet the leadership that's passionate about empowering your workforce.

For Business

How to give a good presentation that captivates any audience

Understand Yourself Better:

Big 5 Personality Test

Find my Coach

Jump to section

What are the main difficulties when giving presentations?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

businesswoman-speaking-from-a-podium-to-an-audience-in-a-conference-room-how-to-give-a-good-presentation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(D2C) BetterUp Blog - elevate potential_half size_v2

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

1. Keep it simple

Simple means something different to everyone.

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

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

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

2. Create a compelling structure

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

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

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

3. Use visual aids

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

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

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

4. Be aware of design techniques and trends

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

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

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

5. Try the 10-20-30 rule

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

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

Tip #1: Tell stories

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

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

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

Tip #2: Make eye contact with the audience

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

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

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

Group-of-a-business-people-having-meeting-in-a-conference-room-how-to-give-a-good-presentation

Tip #3: Work on your stage presence

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

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

Tip #4: Start strong

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

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

Tip #5: Show your passion

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

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

Tip #6: Plan your delivery

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

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

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

Woman-presenting-charts-and-data-to-work-team-how-to-give-a-good-presentation

Tip #7: Practice

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

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

Tip #8: Read the room

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

Tip #9: Breathe

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

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

Tip #10: Provide a call-to-action

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

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

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

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

(D2C) BetterUp Blog - ready to get coach_full size_v2

Elizabeth Perry

Content Marketing Manager, ACC

6 presentation skills and how to improve them

3 stand-out professional bio examples to inspire your own, how to write a speech that your audience remembers, how to make a presentation interactive and exciting, tell a story they can't ignore these 10 tips will teach you how, writing an elevator pitch about yourself: a how-to plus tips, reading the room gives you an edge — no matter who you're talking to, your ultimate guide on how to be a good storyteller, 18 effective strategies to improve your communication skills, similar articles, the importance of good speech: 5 tips to be more articulate, the 11 tips that will improve your public speaking skills, 30 presentation feedback examples, how to not be nervous for a presentation — 13 tips that work (really), how the minto pyramid principle can enhance your communication skills, 8 clever hooks for presentations (with tips), stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

3100 E 5th Street, Suite 350 Austin, TX 78702

  • Platform Overview
  • Integrations
  • Powered by AI
  • BetterUp Lead
  • BetterUp Manage™
  • BetterUp Care™
  • Sales Performance
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Case Studies
  • Why BetterUp?
  • Career Coaching
  • Communication Coaching
  • Life Coaching
  • News and Press
  • Leadership Team
  • Become a BetterUp Coach
  • BetterUp Labs
  • Center for Purpose & Performance
  • What is coaching?
  • Leadership Training
  • Business Coaching
  • Contact Support
  • Contact Sales
  • Privacy Policy
  • Acceptable Use Policy
  • Trust & Security
  • Cookie Preferences

SkillsYouNeed

  • PRESENTATION SKILLS

Top Tips for Effective Presentations

Search SkillsYouNeed:

Presentation Skills:

  • A - Z List of Presentation Skills
  • General Presentation Skills
  • What is a Presentation?
  • Preparing for a Presentation
  • Organising the Material
  • Writing Your Presentation
  • Deciding the Presentation Method
  • Managing your Presentation Notes
  • Working with Visual Aids
  • Presenting Data
  • Managing the Event
  • Coping with Presentation Nerves
  • Dealing with Questions
  • How to Build Presentations Like a Consultant
  • 7 Qualities of Good Speakers That Can Help You Be More Successful
  • Self-Presentation in Presentations
  • Specific Presentation Events
  • Remote Meetings and Presentations
  • Giving a Speech
  • Presentations in Interviews
  • Presenting to Large Groups and Conferences
  • Giving Lectures and Seminars
  • Managing a Press Conference
  • Attending Public Consultation Meetings
  • Managing a Public Consultation Meeting
  • Crisis Communications
  • Elsewhere on Skills You Need:
  • Communication Skills
  • Facilitation Skills
  • Teams, Groups and Meetings
  • Effective Speaking
  • Question Types

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter and start improving your life in just 5 minutes a day.

You'll get our 5 free 'One Minute Life Skills' and our weekly newsletter.

We'll never share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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

Graduate Student Resource Center

Supporting Graduate Students' Academic and Professional Success

presentation tips delivery

A Few Tips on Giving Presentations

During my first quarter here at UCR, along with several other students, I was asked by one of my professors to give a class presentation on a set of readings for one of the designated weeks of the course. The presentation was on a theoretical textbook, around 250-300 pages, and my presentation had to be less than 10 minutes. Besides being up until 1 AM the night before planning the presentation, this was one of the first times I was asked to simplify a great deal of complex information into a 10-minute presentation.

[ Image Description : Leti Lewis from  Lovecraft Country working over some papers and drinking from a mug]

Caption : Cranking out a presentation is hard work]

Perhaps many of you are still taking coursework and have been asked by your professors to present a paper you have written for their course. I encourage you to take these class presentations as small learning experiences to prepare you for future presentations. The small things you learn now can be in your favor in the future. 

Perhaps some of you are great at public speaking. You are an extrovert, and you do not mind taking center stage. Maybe some of you are more introverted, and you would rather keep your thoughts to yourself. Being asked to speak in public (which terrifies you) and present your work requires double the strength. When asked to speak in public, you may be the first one out the door. Whether you are an introvert or extrovert, both have their strengths regarding presentations. However, if I can borrow these terms, a practical presentation needs both extroverted and introverted qualities.

[ Image Description : A cartoon parrot dancing next to an owl standing still]

Caption : An extrovert versus an introvert]

On one hand, you need to have some sort of stage presence (i.e., you need to speak up and speak clearly). On the other hand, you need a lot of mental reflection and internal preparation in advance to ensure your presentation goes smoothly. Of course, you will develop your style in the end, but hopefully, you can strike a balance between qualities like these.  

Here are a few short points to remember as you practice giving presentations in your seminars. Hopefully, they are constructive and help you in the long run as you give more talks and presentations in your academic journey. 

1. Preparation is Key!

Someone once told me that public speaking involves 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration. In other words, when the hour comes, you do not want to wing it. In the end, it all comes down to practice. Before your presentation, take some adequate time to review your slides and notes. Create an outline of the key points that you are going to cover. Ultimately, the best way to prepare is to practice the actual presentation. Spend some time going through each slide and speaking the points as if you were standing in front of the audience. This will ensure a high level of success. 

2. Synthesize, Synthesize, Synthesize

I believe it is Albert Einstein who said something like: “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Often, we have to use academic jargon. Of course, terminology is necessary, and we should use the proper terms in our respective fields. However, at the same time, to balance this, we should make sure we are communicating the central point of our argument, its main findings, and important evidence that supports it. Most times, we will not be able to cover every point due to time constraints. Thus, we need to synthesize our argument and select appropriate evidence. Unless you are given enough time to cover a great deal of information, for the most part, we need to learn how to present information clearly and effectively under time constraints. Make sure your presentation stays within the time restriction. If you only have 12-15 minutes to present your paper, ensure you can cover the whole presentation in that allotted time. 

3. Practical Handles

As you manage the presentation's time, you want to be aware of how fast you are talking. Sometimes, some presenters speak so fast that it is difficult to understand what they are saying. They may feel that they need to get through every slide, but if people need help to process what is being spoken and shown to them, how effective is the presentation? Some parts of the presentation need to be explained more slowly than others. Try to maintain a medium-pace speed while speaking.

Another point involves using notes. On one hand, having an outline at hand can be very useful to help you stay on track. But, if possible, try to avoid reading off your notes. Present the information and look at the audience as you speak, which requires memorization and practice. The more you practice, the easier it will be to recall the key points during your presentation. 

Though your seminars may be small, here are some minor points to remember when engaging a larger audience. As mentioned earlier, people develop and have their styles of presenting. So, I do not want to advise you on deportment or body gestures that make you feel too restricted. Nonetheless, useful or not, some suggest making eye contact with your audience. Others suggest pacing around to engage the surrounding audience (in other words, do not just focus on the left side of the audience). 

The old saying, “A picture is better than a thousand words,” holds to be very true when it comes to giving a presentation. When a slide goes up with too much information, it can be overwhelming for the audience. Unless the quote or information is crucial to your main point, a few bullet points and images will keep your audience engaged. For font size, I recommend 20 pt. Anything smaller may be challenging to read. Of course, many presentations in specific fields require certain illustrations (i.e., STEM fields require graphs, charts, etc.), so follow the protocol in your field. We can learn something from the STEM fields, specifically how visuals can communicate complex data or ideas in general. Our visuals do not need to be limited to graphs and charts. We can rely on several images to communicate our ideas to an audience. Let your creativity come forth here.  

5. Learn as you go!

In the end, we can only learn as we go. If you are still in coursework, please see all your class presentations as a learning opportunity. Try to learn how to condense large amounts of information in a limited amount of time (without sounding so rushed), and in the process, try to develop your style of presenting. See what works for you!

Filter by Keywords

Create a Winning Client Presentation: Tips, Tricks, & Strategies

Sarah Burner

ClickUp Contributor

February 14, 2024

Pitching client presentations can be a daunting experience.

You have to convince clients that you’d be a good fit for their brand and have the best solution to their problem. That your product or service can help them achieve their goals.

With multiple elements in the mix, driving engaging and relevant presentations becomes challenging. 

Learn how to deliver a successful client presentation using the strategies in this guide.

The Importance of a Client Presentation

Step 1. research and plan the pitch, step 2. create a marketing funnel out of your presentation, step 3. use visually engaging content to communicate your story, step 4. encourage two-way conversations, step 5. establish clear next steps to close your presentation, 1. detailed client research, 2. client pain points, 3. proof points, 4. call to action, 5. expected investment and timeline, 1. not setting the stage properly, 2. getting defensive, 3. mentioning irrelevant information, 4. not guiding the feedback loop, pitch perfectly with clickup, common faqs.

A client presentation is meant to offer your prospective clients a good idea of your specialized expertise. It helps them see what working with you might be like and how you can add value to them. 

If planned and delivered well, an informative customer presentation can help you:

  • Talk about your work in the format of a compelling story
  • Articulate your value to potential clients
  • Communicate the progress you’ve made to an existing client
  • Wrap up projects and dissect what went well and what didn’t

Effective client communication is therefore one of the most critical skills for a sales or business professional today.

5 Essential Steps for a Successful Client Presentation

Whether you’re about to deliver a sales pitch or a creative slideshow, creating engaging client presentations is work.

Use this five-step checklist when creating presentations and add value to your client’s time:

You may understand your work inside out, but your potential client is yet to warm up to the idea of partnering with you. 

This is why the most essential part of an effective client presentation starts with research and planning.

  • Who your target audience is (for the presentation) and what their goals look like
  • Everything about your prospective client, including their problems, inspirations, interests, and more
  • How to answer your client’s biggest goals, roadblocks, and issues
  • Their business, team size, and industry (and how your product/services will support their vision)

Now the question is, where to find this data?

Make sure to look up the following:

  • The client’s LinkedIn page and website for information on their current offerings
  • Your past pitches for inspiration—especially if you’ve catered to clients in the same industry
  • The client’s ‘About Us’ page and videos online for a better understanding of your presentation’s ideal tone of voice and topics

Gather client information with ClickUp's Agency/Client Discovery Doc Template

Once you have all the information about what makes your clients tick, help them make sense of the data—structure and format the key points you plan to deliver using ClickUp AI.

Utilize this smart assistant to generate a presentation to help you reach your prospective client goals faster.

Next, you’ll want to use the client meeting to talk about why your brand is right for them:

  • Start by acknowledging their pain points, showing them that you understand them, and building trust in the process
  • Move on to asking questions and see if they have any pressing issues that need to be solved
  • Introduce your offering as the ultimate solution to your client’s problems and tie your product to their immediate needs

Your presentation needs a tangible end goal to ensure focus and direction. 

Do you want the client to sign the contract? Or maybe you want them to register for a demo. 

Either way, you must have a clear idea of what action you’d like to inspire them to take.

Here are a few tips on how to convert your presentation into a marketing funnel:

  • Build your narrative using a compelling story to hook the audience
  • Don’t overload the prospect with tons of information
  • Ensure your presentation is to the point, and avoid beating around the bush
  • Take charge of your meeting and get your clients to focus on the conversation at hand
  • Beginning: Introduce what is being presented, why you’re presenting, and what the client should expect when working together
  • Middle: Add visuals to your story and create aesthetic value 
  • End: Tell the customer about the next steps and add a relevant call to action

Use the premade ClickUp Presentation template and customize it according to your liking.

ClickUp's Presentation template is great for beginners

This template enables you to:

  • Organize sections of your presentation easily, with a clear structure from beginning to end
  • Gather feedback from key stakeholders before the final presentation
  • Keep track of all tasks related to the presentation in one place

Too much text on your slides makes them boring and overwhelming for the audience.

So, when presenting, consider visual aids like infographics, pie charts, bar graphs, images, hand-drawn illustrations, etc., as your trusted friend.

These visuals offer advantages such as:

  • Catching and keeping your client’s attention
  • Aligning the client’s needs to the brand’s product/service—visually
  • Breaking up text-heavy slides for better focus 
  • Converting complex information into easy-to-digest data

Use ClickUp Whiteboards as a canvas to create a visual presentation for your meeting and show your clients your value.

ClickUp 3.0 Whiteboards simplified

Whether it’s a sales pitch or an onboarding meeting, it is necessary to keep your audience engaged. In other words, your presentation cannot be a monologue.

So, when the presentation is done, it is vital to encourage two-way interaction.

Here’s how you can do this:

  • Avoid small talk and instead iterate why the client’s account is important to you
  • Do you have any questions for us?
  • Do you see our product/service as a satisfactory solution for your needs?
  • How do we work together as partners and move this project forward?
  • Motivate your audience to ask questions and provide support for their queries—whether it’s related to scope, costs, timelines, and so on

Effective client management is about establishing clear next steps at the end of the meeting. 

If you leave the meeting open-ended, then you might not hear back from your audience.

Here’s how to set the right expectations for your client while closing the presentation:

  • Outline what you want them to do next 
  • Be upfront and direct about how and when you’ll be making follow-up calls
  • Give the client a defined deadline and keep them in the loop always

Key Elements to Include in a Client Presentation

Brush up your client presentation skills and set your presentation up for success with these must-have elements:

Use primary and secondary research methods to gather information about your client’s pain points.

Get answers to these questions during your research:

  • What are the client’s short-term and long-term goals?
  • What problems are they currently facing within their industry?
  • How does the client measure success?

Pro tip: Leverage sources like company websites, annual reports, industry publications, and social media platforms to get granular details. 

Invest in client onboarding software to efficiently organize and present your research.

Addressing your client’s current challenges demonstrates your understanding of their immediate needs and, by extension, establishes your relevance.

Do your homework about your client’s recent activities to identify challenges they might be grappling with currently. Also engage in discussions with your key stakeholders to get their opinions. In addition, you can use project kickoff templates to capture information about your clients from the get-go.

ClickUp Project Kickoff Template offers a structure for establishing expectations, clarifying roles, delegating tasks, and comprehending project timelines.

Your proof points validate your claims and build credibility by highlighting your track record and success stories. To showcase them:

  • Gather case studies, testimonials, and performance data that demonstrate the effectiveness of your solutions within the industry
  • Structure your presentation to strategically incorporate these proof points, highlighting them at key moments to reinforce credibility
  • Use visuals, such as charts or graphs, to represent your proof points and make them more impactful

A clear call to action directs your client to the next steps they should take after the presentation and guides them toward a decision.

To make this process easier for them:

  • Clearly outline the desired outcome, whether it’s scheduling a meeting, signing a contract, or starting a trial
  • Provide multiple channels for the client to take the desired action and make it as convenient as possible for them to move forward
  • Connect with them promptly afterward to reinforce the call to action and provide additional support as needed

Present a detailed breakdown of the investment required for your solutions, including costs, payment terms, and potential ROI.

To get an accurate estimate of your client’s budgetary and timeline requirements, ask these questions:

  • What’s the maximum budget for the project?
  • Are there any specific budgetary constraints to be aware of?
  • How flexible is the client’s budget? Are they open to discussions about cost adjustments?
  • What timeline do they have to get the project up and running?
  • What will happen to the deadline and costs in case of a scope creep?

4 Common Mistakes to Avoid During a Client Presentation

Find the sweet spot with your presentation skills by avoiding these common mistakes:

Failing to establish the proper context at the beginning of your presentation leads to misunderstandings and a lack of engagement from your client. Manage client expectations and clarify what the audience should expect.

If your clients feel confused about the purpose of the presentation, they’ll never be able to grasp the value of your offerings fully.

To set the stage properly , follow these few tips:

  • Understand your audience’s background and align your introduction to resonate with their needs
  • Clearly state the objectives of your presentation and let your clients know what they stand to gain from your pitch
  • Start with a compelling hook that captures their attention and sets the tone for the rest of the presentation

Displaying defensive body language, such as crossing arms, avoiding eye contact, or appearing tense, signals discomfort to your clients.

This can immediately undermine your credibility and rapport with them.

Plus, your defensiveness may seem more like a lack of confidence in your customer’s eyes, leading to a breakdown in communication and trust.

To sharpen your non-verbal communication skills , follow these tips:

  • Pay attention to your body language during practice sessions. Also, practice maintaining an open posture and making eye contact to convey confidence and openness
  • If a challenging question is asked, remain calm and open-minded
  • Demonstrate active listening by nodding, smiling, and using affirming gestures. This shows your clients that you value their input and are engaged in the conversation
  • If you’re unsure about something or need clarification, ask questions politely and respectfully. This demonstrates a willingness to understand and address your client’s concerns

Irrelevant details during a pitch are a waste of your client’s time. 

If there is no clear benefit of adding additional information about the company services, don’t.

For example, if your presentation is about account management, don’t talk about your company’s history unless it directly relates to the success of your account management strategies.

Instead, focus on showcasing account results as the main takeaway.

This will keep your presentation focused and ensure you’re providing valuable information that directly addresses your client’s interests and needs.

Here are some strategies to effectively incorporate relevant data within your presentation:

  • Add data that directly addresses your customer’s specific pain points and interests
  • Identify the most important metrics that align with your audience’s goals and tie these metrics to the impact of your solutions
  • Use charts, graphs, and visuals to present data in a clear and compelling manner
  • Provide context of the data you’re presenting—help your audience understand why these numbers matter and how they relate to the overall story you’re telling
  • Use real-life examples and case studies to illustrate how your solutions have delivered tangible results for similar clients

Finishing a solid presentation is not where your work should end. 

Keep tabs on your audience’s needs, starting with a follow-up call.

Use a free project management software like ClickUp and arm your company with real time client feedback into what’s working for them and what isn’t. A good client management platform can also automate many of these tasks. 

With ClickUp Forms you can capture your client’s responses and route work to the right team at the right time. Additionally, you can convert Clickup Form responses into trackable tasks, which can be plugged directly into your workflows

Read More: Strategies for Client Project Management

When it comes to a presentation, sticking to the basics makes sense. However, deliver the Big Idea in a way that wows your clients and wins them firmly over. 

So, incorporate research and storytelling and maintain a client-first approach to make your presentation stand out .

Use presentation software like ClickUp to deliver pitch-perfect pitches!

1. How can I improve an audience presentation?

Here are a few key takeaways on how to deliver a successful presentation:

  • Spend time and effort researching and planning your pitch
  • Convert your presentation into a well-defined marketing funnel
  • Leverage visuals and images to highlight the USPs of your product or services
  • Close the presentation with a two-way dialogue and clear next steps

2. What should I include in a client presentation?

You can include the following in a client presentation:

  • Detailed client research
  • The client’s pain points
  • Strategic proof points for your presentation content
  • A relevant call to action for your audience
  • Essential details such as the expected investment and timelines

3. How can ClickUp help in optimizing a client presentation?

ClickUp saves you time and effort in creating effective presentations through its various tools as:

  • ClickUp Presentation template, which helps you create effective and engaging presentations for your audience
  • ClickUp AI, which allows you to generate a presentation outline within seconds; for example, creating a sales presentation for your sales process
  • ClickUp’s Presentation Executive Summary Template, which helps you make a killer first impression with your presentation

Use these features and save the time that goes into creating presentations.

Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.

Receive the latest WriteClick Newsletter updates.

Thanks for subscribing to our blog!

Please enter a valid email

  • Free training & 24-hour support
  • Serious about security & privacy
  • 99.99% uptime the last 12 months

making services work indicators assessments and benchmarking of governance in health and education

Dena Ringold , Senior Economist, The World Bank APPAM - Moscow June 28, 2011

Aug 09, 2014

180 likes | 335 Views

Making Services Work : Indicators, Assessments and Benchmarking of Governance in Health and Education. Dena Ringold , Senior Economist, The World Bank APPAM - Moscow June 28, 2011. Outline. What is governance and why should it be measured?

Share Presentation

  • which governance policies
  • expert survey
  • completion rates
  • financial management
  • national health information system
  • recent innovations

fabian

Presentation Transcript

Making Services Work:Indicators, Assessments and Benchmarking of Governance in Health and Education Dena Ringold, Senior Economist, The World Bank APPAM - Moscow June 28, 2011

Outline • What is governance and why should it be measured? • A framework for measuring governance policies and performance; • Measuring dimensions of service delivery; • Examples and recent innovations.

Improved governance is needed to make services work • Governance: • Incentives to providers • Accountability for results Quality of social service delivery HD outcomes Demand for good governance

Why Measure Governance? • The Shock Factor: Measurement allows for benchmarking; • Both inter- and intra-national; • Does it work? Measurement allows for impact evaluation; • Measuring along the results chain to assess what works; • Look inside the “black box” of service delivery: • Intermediate service delivery indicators assess the “missing middle”; • Indicators are needed for results-based projects .

Governance Policies and Performance Governance has two measurable dimensions: • Governance policies, or “rules of the game,” that influence provider behavior; • E.g. human resource policies that establish hiring, firing, and rewarding of teachers and doctors; • Governance performance, or the extent to which governance policies work in practice; • E.g do teachers and doctors show up for work? • Governance policies and performance influence the quality of service delivery; • E.g quality at the point of service; quality measurement is elusive but there is progress.

Governance • Policies • Outcomes A Measurement Framework • Service Delivery • Completion rates • Learning outcomes • Morbidity • Mortality • HR policies • Budget and financial management • Information • Procurement rules • Rules for provider entry • Governance performance • Quality

Measuring Policies and Performance

Human Resources: SABER-Teachers • What is it? • Assessment tool for documenting 10 dimensions of teacher policies. • How does it work? • Expert survey based on an extensive questionnaire. • Currently applied in 30 countries including OECD; also at the state-level in India. • What about performance? • Absenteeism surveys can measure provider motivation, retention, etc.

Budget: ABI in the Philippines • What is it? • Expert survey of organizational performance piloted in the Department of Health, based on PEFA. • What does it cover? • 6 areas, including budget preparation; execution and reporting; organizational management and accountability; • Includes policy and performance indicators. • What are other instruments? • Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys; Public Expenditure Reviews (can look at the whole sector).

Information: Global Integrity Pilot • What is it? • An experiment to develop indicators of access to information in health and education, including policies and performance. • What does it cover? • 4 broad areas of access to information. • What has been learned so far? • Pilot in Macedonia suggests that it is possible to collect this type of information, now expanding to Ukraine and Kenya; • Big gaps between legislation and implementation.

Critical Inputs: WHO pharmaceuticals • What is it? • Expert survey for assessing governance policies for transparent pharmaceutical supply and delivery. • What does it cover? • 8 areas, including registration, licensing, inspections, controls of trials, procurement and distribution; • Applied in 25 developing countries. • What about performance? • Tests for counterfeit drugs (USAID quality database); • Stock-out rates (WHO/HAI database).

Provider Entry: Africa Health • What is it? • Recently published study of the private sector in health in Africa by the IFC. • What does it cover? • Survey includes the inclusion of the private sector in the national health information system and regulations governing the quality of private provision.

Looking forward • There is progress and space for applying tools more systematically, and developing new approaches; • Key questions are who should collect data and how often? • Technological innovations in data collection are promising (SMS for reporting stock-outs; Indaba software)

THANK YOU www.worldbank.org/hdchiefeconomist

Absence rates among teachers and health workers Note: Surveys were all fielded in 2002 or 2003. Sources: Chaudhury et al (2006) except for PNG, World Bank (2004) and Zambia, Das et al (2005).

Share of school grants and funds for health facilities that actually reached the intended recipient/facility

10 Teacher Policy Areas Requirements for entering and remaining in the teaching profession Initial teacher preparation Recruitment and employment Teacher workloads and autonomy Professional development Compensation: salary and non-salary benefits Retirement rules and benefits Monitoring and evaluation of teacher quality Teacher representation and voice School leadership

4 ‘Buckets’: Access to Information • Existence and usability of information • Is the Ministry of Education’s overall budget available to citizens? • Redress mechanisms to enforce accountability • Do formal processes exist to receive citizen complaints? • Availability of Fiscal/Budget information • Does information exist on whether school/medical facilities receive funds budgeted from state/local governments? • Influence of information availability on citizen participation in local decision making • Are citizens aware of basic rights to participate in formal community groups/forums?

  • More by User

Ariel Fiszbein, Chief Economist -- Human Development The World Bank

Ariel Fiszbein, Chief Economist -- Human Development The World Bank

Skills and growth.

455 views • 29 slides

Discussion prepared by Leora Klapper , Senior Economist, World Bank

Discussion prepared by Leora Klapper , Senior Economist, World Bank

&quot; What is the Cost of Formality? Experimentally Estimating the Demand for Formalization “ Suresh de Mel (University of Peradeniya ), David McKenzie (World Bank) and Christopher Woodruff (University of Warwick). Discussion prepared by Leora Klapper , Senior Economist, World Bank. 1.

234 views • 6 slides

Mansoor Dailami The World Bank Copenhagen, Denmark June 17, 2011

Mansoor Dailami The World Bank Copenhagen, Denmark June 17, 2011

Mansoor Dailami The World Bank Copenhagen, Denmark June 17, 2011. Multipolarity: A New Global Economy. A new global economic order is unfolding as the balance of global growth shifts from developed to emerging economies

379 views • 23 slides

June 28 2011

June 28 2011

Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Get Alerts, Stay Alive NOAA Wireless Weather Forum. June 28 2011. Effective Disaster Warnings Report , November 2000.

496 views • 26 slides

John Bargar Senior Scientist June 28, 2011

John Bargar Senior Scientist June 28, 2011

SSRL Synchrotron X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy Summer School (6 th annual) June 28 - July 1, 2011. Welcome!. John Bargar Senior Scientist June 28, 2011. Overview: “The view from 20,000 feet”. What is X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy? What is Synchrotron Radiation? Beam lines at SSRL

470 views • 36 slides

Francois Bourguignon, Chief Economist and Senior Vice-President, The World Bank

Francois Bourguignon, Chief Economist and Senior Vice-President, The World Bank

EQUITY AND DEVELOPMENT: The 2006 World Development Report. Francois Bourguignon, Chief Economist and Senior Vice-President, The World Bank Palma, ECINEQ, July 21, 2005. Poverty, growth and distribution.

523 views • 38 slides

The World Bank June 5, 2012

The World Bank June 5, 2012

South East Europe Regional Economic Report (SEE RER) No. 2 Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM) Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region. The World Bank June 5, 2012. Outline. SEE6: DEVELOPMENTS, OUTLOOK, CHALLENGES TOWARD ‘GOLDEN GROWTH’ IN SEE6.

455 views • 34 slides

Olivier Dupriez Senior Economist / Statistician The World Bank odupriez@worldbank

Olivier Dupriez Senior Economist / Statistician The World Bank odupriez@worldbank

Data archive in developing countries: preservation and dissemination of microdata as an instrument for better development results. Olivier Dupriez Senior Economist / Statistician The World Bank [email protected]. About the World Bank Mandate: Millennium Development Goals

506 views • 14 slides

Hua Wang Senior Environmental Economist The World Bank

Hua Wang Senior Environmental Economist The World Bank

Promoting Public Access to Environmental Information in China: Practices and Challenges. Hua Wang Senior Environmental Economist The World Bank. Presentation Outline. Overview of Public Access in China Three Programs Industrial Performance Disclosure Municipal Performance Disclosure

283 views • 12 slides

June 20, 2011 Prepared by Arusyak Alaverdyan 	 The World Bank

June 20, 2011 Prepared by Arusyak Alaverdyan The World Bank

Development Assistance Database Community of Practice – 2011 Conference MONITORING AND EVALUATION OVERVIEW: Some Tools, Methods &amp; Approaches. June 20, 2011 Prepared by Arusyak Alaverdyan The World Bank. Objective of M&amp;E.

550 views • 43 slides

Jan Walliser Senior Economist The World Bank

Jan Walliser Senior Economist The World Bank

Poverty Analysis Macroeconomic Simulator (PAMS) and PSIA with an application to Burkina Faso. Jan Walliser Senior Economist The World Bank. Outline of the Presentation. Introduction PAMS: Inputs and Outputs A brief tour of PAMS A Set of Policy Experiments.

485 views • 30 slides

World Bank Safeguard Policies Dr. Stephen F. Lintner Senior Technical Advisor World Bank June 2007

World Bank Safeguard Policies Dr. Stephen F. Lintner Senior Technical Advisor World Bank June 2007

World Bank Safeguard Policies Dr. Stephen F. Lintner Senior Technical Advisor World Bank June 2007. World Bank: Four Points of Focus. Focus on Poverty Reduction, including Millennium Development Goals

852 views • 28 slides

Irina Smirnov, Economist, The World Bank

Irina Smirnov, Economist, The World Bank

Implementing health sector reforms and addressing public financing constraints: can they go hand in hand?. Irina Smirnov, Economist, The World Bank. Constitutional provisions in Health Insurance and Care system. Republika Srpska Health System. ?.

225 views • 12 slides

Borko Handjiski , Senior Economist World Bank

Borko Handjiski , Senior Economist World Bank

Remittance Trends, Diaspora Bonds and Remittance-Backed Securities. Borko Handjiski , Senior Economist World Bank. Outline. 1. 2. 3. Remittance trends. Baltic countries have recorded fastest growth in remittances among EU-10 countries.

251 views • 15 slides

APPAM/HSE/UMD conference, “Improving the Quality of Public Services” Moscow, 28/29 June 2001

APPAM/HSE/UMD conference, “Improving the Quality of Public Services” Moscow, 28/29 June 2001

APPAM/HSE/UMD conference, “Improving the Quality of Public Services” Moscow, 28/29 June 2001. “The New Public Management Theory and the Reform of European Health Care Systems”. Daniel Simonet American University of Sharjah Department of Management, Marketing and Public Administration.

261 views • 10 slides

Dena Bank Recruitment 2018

Dena Bank Recruitment 2018

Dena Bank Recruitment 2018 has announces notification on official website.

77 views • 5 slides

Chris Jackson Lead Economist, World Bank

Chris Jackson Lead Economist, World Bank

BAN ĐIỀU PHỐI NGÀNH HÀNG CÀ PHÊ VIỆT NAM VIETNAM COFFEE COORDINATING BOARD (VCCB). World Bank support for Vietnam’s Coffee Sector. Chris Jackson Lead Economist, World Bank. 2015 Vietnam Coffee Outlook. World Bank support for Vietnam’s Coffee Sector. December 2, 2015. Chris Jackson

133 views • 13 slides

François Bourguignon Chief Economist and Senior Vice-President The World Bank Manila, Philippines

François Bourguignon Chief Economist and Senior Vice-President The World Bank Manila, Philippines

THE ROLE OF EQUITY IN DEVELOPMENT. François Bourguignon Chief Economist and Senior Vice-President The World Bank Manila, Philippines January 22, 2007. Poverty, growth and distribution. Poverty reduction depends on: growth of mean level of welfare

243 views • 24 slides

June 28, 2011

June 28, 2011

Health Benefit Exchange: Outreach, Education and Enrollment. Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. June 28, 2011. Agenda. Introductions Purpose of the Public Forums Overview of the Health Benefit Exchange Who is Eligible for Coverage

192 views • 19 slides

Peter  Pojarski , Senior Operations Officer The World Bank April 28, 2011

Peter Pojarski , Senior Operations Officer The World Bank April 28, 2011

The World Bank Partnering for Bulgaria’s European Future Successful Project Implementation Experience. Peter Pojarski , Senior Operations Officer The World Bank April 28, 2011. What is a project as per the World Bank’s terminology?.

106 views • 10 slides

The World Bank  June 5, 2012

346 views • 34 slides

  • Israel-Gaza War
  • War in Ukraine
  • Latin America
  • Middle East
  • US & Canada
  • In Pictures
  • Future of Business
  • Technology of Business
  • Work Culture
  • Science & Health
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Film & TV
  • Art & Design
  • Entertainment News
  • Destinations
  • Australia and Pacific
  • Caribbean & Bermuda
  • Central America
  • North America
  • South America
  • World’s Table
  • Culture & Experiences
  • The SpeciaList
  • Natural Wonders
  • Weather & Science
  • Climate Solutions
  • Sustainable Business
  • Green Living

Man dies after being struck by car in Petersfield

presentation tips delivery

A man has died after being struck by a car in Hampshire.

The crash happened in Winchester Road, Petersfield, shortly before 23:00 GMT on Friday.

Hampshire Constabulary said the pedestrian, a man in his 40s, was hit by a red Audi. He was taken to hospital but later died.

Officers are investigating the circumstances of the crash and are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage.

The force said it also wants to trace a man seen pushing a silver BMX and wearing dark clothing who may have seen what happened.

Presentational grey line

Follow BBC South on Facebook , X , or Instagram . Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2240.

Closing tips would be 'madness' - residents

Driver dies in crash with supermarket delivery van, council names tips earmarked for closure.

A Southern train

Rail operator to double services on some routes

Changes will be introduced from the next timetable change, on 3 June, Southern says.

Hugh Dennis standing in front of a microphone

Hugh Dennis to become university chancellor

The Mock the Week comedian will host University of Winchester students at their graduations.

Coastguard training team

Stuck-in-mud training given to firefighters

The training enables firefighters to travel up to 400m (1,300ft) in mud to save people in trouble.

TUESDAY - Southsea

Hampshire & Isle of Wight's Big Picture

Showcasing the best images sent to us from around Hampshire & Isle of Wight.

Ambulances wait outside William Harvey Hospital A&E departmentl

Hundreds avoid A&E in ambulance hub trial - trust

South East Coast Ambulance service says the hubs give crews access to senior clinicians.

  • Watch Games

CBS Sports' presentation of Super Bowl LVIII most-watched telecast in history

CBS Sports' coverage of Super Bowl LVIII, which featured the Kansas City Chiefs' 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers, delivered the most-watched telecast in history with a total audience delivery of 123.4 million average viewers across all platforms, including the CBS Television Network, Paramount+, Nickelodeon, Univision, and CBS Sports and NFL digital properties, including NFL+.

Viewership figures are based on Nielsen Fast National data and Adobe Analytics. Final Nielsen data will be available tomorrow.

Record-Setting Viewership

  • Super Bowl LVIII is the most-watched program ever, averaging 123.4 million viewers across all platforms, up +7% versus last year's Super Bowl which was the previous record (115.1 million).
  • More than 200 million viewers (202.4) watched all or part of Super Bowl LVIII across all networks, the highest unduplicated total audience in history and up +10% versus last year's Super Bowl (183.6 million).
  • Univision averaged more than 2.2 million viewers, the highest Super Bowl viewership on record for a Spanish-language network.

CBS Leads the Way with Largest Audience Ever for Single Network

  • Super Bowl LVIII on CBS led the way with 120.0 million viewers, the largest audience in history for a single network.
  • Super Bowl LVIII capped off a record-setting season for CBS Sports. The "NFL ON CBS" scored the most-watched regular season since the NFL returned to CBS in 1998 as well as the Network's best postseason viewership since 1998.

Most-Streamed Super Bowl Ever

  • Super Bowl LVIII is the most-streamed Super Bowl in history led by a record-setting audience on Paramount+.

Related Content

presentation tips delivery

Raiders' Antonio Pierce motivated to 'run it back' against Chiefs: 'We've already given the recipe of how to do it'

The Kansas City Chiefs used the Las Vegas Raiders' locker room at Allegiant Stadium for the Super Bowl, adding a dash of red and yellow to the walls and celebrating a second straight Lombardi Trophy there. For head coach Antonio Pierce, it's fuel moving forward.

presentation tips delivery

Falcons GM Terry Fontenot: Quarterback 'a top priority for us this offseason'

Terry Fontenot is gearing up for the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine and the official start of free agency. During an appearance on The NFL Report last week, the Atlanta Falcons general manager said the club will be keying in on the quarterback position for next season.

presentation tips delivery

NFL news roundup: Latest league updates from Monday, Feb. 19

NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. Visit NFL.com's transaction hub for a daily breakdown.

presentation tips delivery

NFC cut candidates: Alvin Kamara, Aaron Jones among potential cap casualties of free agency frenzy

With free agency less than a month away, NFL teams will be looking to clear cap space in the coming weeks. So, which notable players could be released? Matt Okada spotlights potential cut candidates across the NFC.

book review means what

  • Awards Season
  • Big Stories
  • Pop Culture
  • Video Games
  • Celebrities

What Does the Consolidation of the “Big Five” Book Publishers Mean?

book review means what

A book is a seemingly simple object, but the words inside have the power to temporarily transport, inspire, educate and entertain readers. Books aren’t just enjoyable — they’re powerful. While you can probably name some of your favorites, can you also recall the book publishers that printed them? These days, it’s more likely than not that your favorite novel or memoir was published by one of the “Big Five” book publishers — HarperCollins, Hachette, Macmillan, Penguin Random House or Simon & Schuster. 

Lately, there’s been a trend toward consolidation in publishing, with these large publishing houses buying up smaller ones. HarperCollins, for example, recently acquired Harlequin. Back in 2013, Penguin and Random House, once separate entities, merged into one publishing house , sending shockwaves through the industry. 

But all of this consolidation impacts every facet of publishing, from authors to booksellers to indie presses to readers. Here, we’re taking a closer look at how this trend will reshape the publishing landscape. 

What Are the Big Five Book Publishers?

Hachette Book Group is the third-largest educational and trade publisher in the world. Although it’s headquartered in Manhattan — like many publishers — it’s also the largest publishing company in France. Like most big-name publishers, Hachette has many imprints — a trade name publisher that reaches a target audience — under its umbrella. 

As you may recall, back in 2014 Amazon announced it would no longer accept pre-ordered Hachette books and stopped discounting the publisher’s titles, further shaking up the industry. 

Scottish brothers Alexander and Daniel MacMillan founded this publishing company in London in 1843. A few of MacMillan’s publishing divisions and imprints include Swoon Reads, Flatiron Books, St. Martin’s Press, Tor Books, Tor Teen and Guinness World Records. 

MacMillan’s imprints do a great job of illustrating the way imprints target certain demographics and genres. Swoon Reads, for example, publishes teen romance, while Tor focuses on fantasy and science fiction novels. St. Martin’s Press, on the other hand, is a publishing division that focuses on trade fiction — books marketed for a general readership — as well as nonfiction titles. 

book review means what

Penguin Random House

Penguin Random House’s formation in 2013 signaled a time of huge change in the publishing industry. The merging of two of the world’s largest publishers has to count for something, after all. But it seems the company’s desire to gobble up the competition hasn’t faded. In November 2021, The New York Times reported that Penguin Random House planned to purchase Simon & Schuster from ViacomCBS. The merger was valued at a whopping $2.175 billion .

As a result, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Penguin Random House over its bid to acquire Simon & Schuster, citing antitrust laws — statutes designed to protect consumers from predatory business practices, all while ensuring fair competition. After all, two of the Big Five merging together would make for a mega-publisher — and that would certainly give Penguin Random House more control over the industry as whole. 

Simon & Schuster

A subsidiary of Paramount Global, Simon & Schuster was founded in January of 1924 by Richard L. Simon and Max Lincoln Schuster. In 1939, the pair backed the founder of Pocket Books, the first paperback publisher in the U.S. A few years later, in 1942, they launched the Little Golden Books series. Today, Simon & Schuster imprints include Baen Books, Pocket Books, Scribner, Atheneum, Pimsleur Language Programs and Simon & Schuster Audio, among others.

HarperCollins

The world’s second-largest consumer book publisher, HarperCollins, has been around since 1817. Back then it was known as Harper & Brothers , but it soon became Harper & Row. Finally, in 1989, the publisher settled on the name HarperCollins. In 2014, HarperCollins acquired the romance publisher Harlequin and acquired HMH Books & Media, which was a division of Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt , which is perhaps best-known for publishing textbooks.

In July of 2022, employees of HarperCollins in New York City participated in a one-day strike. The workers, from across the publisher’s departments, have been bargaining for a union contract since December of last year. Their aims include more equitable pay and salaries, a commitment to diversity and union security rights. 

book review means what

Notably, the publishing industry is not very diverse at all; the racial disparity that existed decades ago is still prominent, with some rightly calling the field “unbearably” white . After all, editors and other decision makers at publishing houses are effectively gatekeepers — a lack of diversity on that end can ultimately impact who gets published. 

Moreover, the industry as a whole is known for under-paying workers , especially those in entry-level roles, which makes it hard for folks without other financial means to hold these jobs and climb the ladder. Again, this all affects what stories make it to the page. 

HarperCollins list of authors is more impressive than its union track record, and includes Neil Gaiman, Michael Crichton, Terry Pratchett, J.R.R Tolkien, Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein. The company also publishes big-name works, such as Harper Lee’s Go Set A Watchman ; Sara Shepard’s Pretty Little Liars ; and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events . In addition to Harlequin, HarperCollins’ umbrella includes Walden Pond Press and Clarion Books, among others.

How the Consolidation of the Big Five Affects the Publishing Industry

As mentioned above, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) sued to stop Penguin Random House from purchasing Simon & Schuster in 2021, citing antitrust laws. The DoJ only intervened after six writers’ groups and a nonprofit organization sent a letter, which stated that the purchase would diminish competition and drive down advances for authors, thus impacting who could afford to publish their manuscripts.

Feeling a little lost? Try thinking of the publishing industry in these terms: an indie publisher is like a small town that’s located near a big city (a.k.a. a Big Five publisher). While the small town has all the basics, it may not have everything you need, so maybe you take a trip to the city. While you’re there, though, you might as well grab some groceries and get lunch from a chain restaurant. Of course, your small town has a grocery store and restaurants, too, but the city was just more convenient. 

book review means what

In one scenario, the city might grow outward, acquiring the small town and replacing the locally owned stores with bigger chains. A second scenario, though, might see more and more people leaving the small town for the city altogether. With less support, small-town businesses might shutter, driving even more folks away in a vicious circle. 

In both scenarios, the bigger entity — here, the city — wins by eliminating the competition. Both acquiring the town and luring consumers away are tactics that bolster the behemoth and crush the small businesses. In a sense, a mega-publisher would cause the same issues, making it challenging for indie publishers, booksellers and writers to not only be treated equitably, but have a fighting chance. 

How Does the Big Five Publisher Consolidation Impact Indie Publishers, Writers and Booksellers?

When more and more publishers and booksellers consolidate, the harder it is for indie publishers, booksellers and writers to survive. While the Big Five aren’t true monopolies, they still have the means to make the publishing landscape unlivable for indie publishers. This, in turn, limits competition when it comes to acquiring authors and their works. 

More consolidations within publishing would drive down author advances, thus limiting who has the time and resources to write and publish a book. Not to mention, if the Big Five were to consolidate further, fewer people would have the power to decide what gets published. This, in turn, impacts market trends and who gets to be represented in the stories we all read. 

book review means what

Agents and acquiring editors might ignore books from underrepresented groups — BIPOC, queer, trans and disabled authors, for example — in favor of a “safe bet”, which is either an author with a preestablished platform or fanbase, or someone who’s stories fit the mold. This would dilute the types of stories being published and exclude the voices we need to hear from most. Not to mention, those pay gap issues would likely persist with less competition and less open roles, furthering the harm caused to workers and writers. 

And, as you might imagine, less competition — and a handful of behemoth mega-publishers — could have lasting effects on booksellers and consumers too, namely in terms of access and pricing. All of this to say, it’s important to keep in mind who’s controlling — and publishing — the stories we buy. You may never have paid much attention to the publisher’s name on your favorite book’s spine before, but, maybe, you will now. 

MORE FROM ASK.COM

book review means what

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Assignments

  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Analyzing a Scholarly Journal Article
  • Group Presentations
  • Dealing with Nervousness
  • Using Visual Aids
  • Grading Someone Else's Paper
  • Types of Structured Group Activities
  • Group Project Survival Skills
  • Leading a Class Discussion
  • Multiple Book Review Essay
  • Reviewing Collected Works
  • Writing a Case Analysis Paper
  • Writing a Case Study
  • About Informed Consent
  • Writing Field Notes
  • Writing a Policy Memo
  • Writing a Reflective Paper
  • Writing a Research Proposal
  • Generative AI and Writing
  • Acknowledgments

A book review is a thorough description, critical analysis, and/or evaluation of the quality, meaning, and significance of a book, often written in relation to prior research on the topic. Reviews generally range from 500-2000 words, but may be longer or shorter depends on several factors: the length and complexity of the book being reviewed, the overall purpose of the review, and whether the review examines two or more books that focus on the same topic. Professors assign book reviews as practice in carefully analyzing complex scholarly texts and to assess your ability to effectively synthesize research so that you reach an informed perspective about the topic being covered.

There are two general approaches to reviewing a book:

  • Descriptive review: Presents the content and structure of a book as objectively as possible, describing essential information about a book's purpose and authority. This is done by stating the perceived aims and purposes of the study, often incorporating passages quoted from the text that highlight key elements of the work. Additionally, there may be some indication of the reading level and anticipated audience.
  • Critical review: Describes and evaluates the book in relation to accepted literary and historical standards and supports this evaluation with evidence from the text and, in most cases, in contrast to and in comparison with the research of others. It should include a statement about what the author has tried to do, evaluates how well you believe the author has succeeded in meeting the objectives of the study, and presents evidence to support this assessment. For most course assignments, your professor will want you to write this type of review.

Book Reviews. Writing Center. University of New Hampshire; Book Reviews: How to Write a Book Review. Writing and Style Guides. Libraries. Dalhousie University; Kindle, Peter A. "Teaching Students to Write Book Reviews." Contemporary Rural Social Work 7 (2015): 135-141; Erwin, R. W. “Reviewing Books for Scholarly Journals.” In Writing and Publishing for Academic Authors . Joseph M. Moxley and Todd Taylor. 2 nd edition. (Lanham, MD: Rowan and Littlefield, 1997), pp. 83-90.

How to Approach Writing Your Review

NOTE:   Since most course assignments require that you write a critical rather than descriptive book review, the following information about preparing to write and developing the structure and style of reviews focuses on this approach.

I.  Common Features

While book reviews vary in tone, subject, and style, they share some common features. These include:

  • A review gives the reader a concise summary of the content . This includes a description of the research topic and scope of analysis as well as an overview of the book's overall perspective, argument, and purpose.
  • A review offers a critical assessment of the content in relation to other studies on the same topic . This involves documenting your reactions to the work under review--what strikes you as noteworthy or important, whether or not the arguments made by the author(s) were effective or persuasive, and how the work enhanced your understanding of the research problem under investigation.
  • In addition to analyzing a book's strengths and weaknesses, a scholarly review often recommends whether or not readers would value the work for its authenticity and overall quality . This measure of quality includes both the author's ideas and arguments and covers practical issues, such as, readability and language, organization and layout, indexing, and, if needed, the use of non-textual elements .

To maintain your focus, always keep in mind that most assignments ask you to discuss a book's treatment of its topic, not the topic itself . Your key sentences should say, "This book shows...,” "The study demonstrates...," or “The author argues...," rather than "This happened...” or “This is the case....”

II.  Developing a Critical Assessment Strategy

There is no definitive methodological approach to writing a book review in the social sciences, although it is necessary that you think critically about the research problem under investigation before you begin to write. Therefore, writing a book review is a three-step process: 1) carefully taking notes as you read the text; 2) developing an argument about the value of the work under consideration; and, 3) clearly articulating that argument as you write an organized and well-supported assessment of the work.

A useful strategy in preparing to write a review is to list a set of questions that should be answered as you read the book [remember to note the page numbers so you can refer back to the text!]. The specific questions to ask yourself will depend upon the type of book you are reviewing. For example, a book that is presenting original research about a topic may require a different set of questions to ask yourself than a work where the author is offering a personal critique of an existing policy or issue.

Here are some sample questions that can help you think critically about the book:

  • Thesis or Argument . What is the central thesis—or main argument—of the book? If the author wanted you to get one main idea from the book, what would it be? How does it compare or contrast to the world that you know or have experienced? What has the book accomplished? Is the argument clearly stated and does the research support this?
  • Topic . What exactly is the subject or topic of the book? Is it clearly articulated? Does the author cover the subject adequately? Does the author cover all aspects of the subject in a balanced fashion? Can you detect any biases? What type of approach has the author adopted to explore the research problem [e.g., topical, analytical, chronological, descriptive]?
  • Evidence . How does the author support their argument? What evidence does the author use to prove their point? Is the evidence based on an appropriate application of the method chosen to gather information? Do you find that evidence convincing? Why or why not? Does any of the author's information [or conclusions] conflict with other books you've read, courses you've taken, or just previous assumptions you had about the research problem?
  • Structure . How does the author structure their argument? Does it follow a logical order of analysis? What are the parts that make up the whole? Does the argument make sense to you? Does it persuade you? Why or why not?
  • Take-aways . How has this book helped you understand the research problem? Would you recommend the book to others? Why or why not?

Beyond the content of the book, you may also consider some information about the author and the general presentation of information. Question to ask may include:

  • The Author: Who is the author? The nationality, political persuasion, education, intellectual interests, personal history, and historical context may provide crucial details about how a work takes shape. Does it matter, for example, that the author is affiliated with a particular organization? What difference would it make if the author participated in the events they wrote about? What other topics has the author written about? Does this work build on prior research or does it represent a new or unique area of research?
  • The Presentation: What is the book's genre? Out of what discipline does it emerge? Does it conform to or depart from the conventions of its genre? These questions can provide a historical or other contextual standard upon which to base your evaluations. If you are reviewing the first book ever written on the subject, it will be important for your readers to know this. Keep in mind, though, that declarative statements about being the “first,” the "best," or the "only" book of its kind can be a risky unless you're absolutely certain because your professor [presumably] has a much better understanding of the overall research literature.

NOTE: Most critical book reviews examine a topic in relation to prior research. A good strategy for identifying this prior research is to examine sources the author(s) cited in the chapters introducing the research problem and, of course, any review of the literature. However, you should not assume that the author's references to prior research is authoritative or complete. If any works related to the topic have been excluded, your assessment of the book should note this . Be sure to consult with a librarian to ensure that any additional studies are located beyond what has been cited by the author(s).

Book Reviews. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Book Reviews. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Hartley, James. "Reading and Writing Book Reviews Across the Disciplines." Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 57 (July 2006): 1194–1207;   Motta-Roth, D. “Discourse Analysis and Academic Book Reviews: A Study of Text and Disciplinary Cultures.”  In Genre Studies in English for Academic Purposes . Fortanet Gómez, Inmaculada  et  al., editors. (Castellò de la Plana: Publicacions de la Universitat Jaume I, 1998), pp. 29-45. Writing a Book Review. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing Book Reviews. Writing Tutorial Services, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Indiana University; Suárez, Lorena and Ana I. Moreno. “The Rhetorical Structure of Academic Journal Book Reviews: A Cross-linguistic and Cross-disciplinary Approach .” In Asociación Europea de Lenguas para Fines Específicos, María del Carmen Pérez Llantada Auría, Ramón Plo Alastrué, and Claus Peter Neumann. Actas del V Congreso Internacional AELFE/Proceedings of the 5th International AELFE Conference . Zaragoza: Universidad de Zaragoza, 2006.

Structure and Writing Style

I.  Bibliographic Information

Bibliographic information refers to the essential elements of a work if you were to cite it in a paper [i.e., author, title, date of publication, etc.]. Provide the essential information about the book using the writing style [e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago] preferred by your professor or used by the discipline of your major . Depending on how your professor wants you to organize your review, the bibliographic information represents the heading of your review. In general, it would look like this:

[Complete title of book. Author or authors. Place of publication. Publisher. Date of publication. Number of pages before first chapter, often in Roman numerals. Total number of pages]. The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party's Revolution and the Battle over American History . By Jill Lepore. (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2010. xii, 207 pp.)

Reviewed by [your full name].

II.  Scope/Purpose/Content

Begin your review by telling the reader not only the overarching concern of the book in its entirety [the subject area] but also what the author's particular point of view is on that subject [the thesis statement]. If you cannot find an adequate statement in the author's own words or if you find that the thesis statement is not well-developed, then you will have to compose your own introductory thesis statement that does cover all the material. This statement should be no more than one paragraph and must be succinctly stated, accurate, and unbiased.

If you find it difficult to discern the overall aims and objectives of the book [and, be sure to point this out in your review if you determine that this is a deficiency], you may arrive at an understanding of the book's overall purpose by assessing the following:

  • Scan the table of contents because it can help you understand how the book was organized and will aid in determining the author's main ideas and how they were developed [e.g., chronologically, topically, historically, etc.].
  • Why did the author write on this subject rather than on some other subject?
  • From what point of view is the work written?
  • Was the author trying to give information, to explain something technical, or to convince the reader of a belief’s validity by dramatizing it in action?
  • What is the general field or genre, and how does the book fit into it? If necessary, review related literature from other books and journal articles to familiarize yourself with the field.
  • Who is the intended audience?
  • What is the author's style? Is it formal or informal? You can evaluate the quality of the writing style by noting some of the following standards: coherence, clarity, originality, forcefulness, accurate use of technical words, conciseness, fullness of development, and fluidity [i.e., quality of the narrative flow].
  • How did the book affect you? Were there any prior assumptions you had about the subject that were changed, abandoned, or reinforced after reading the book? How is the book related to your own personal beliefs or assumptions? What personal experiences have you had related to the subject that affirm or challenge underlying assumptions?
  • How well has the book achieved the goal(s) set forth in the preface, introduction, and/or foreword?
  • Would you recommend this book to others? Why or why not?

III.  Note the Method

Support your remarks with specific references to text and quotations that help to illustrate the literary method used to state the research problem, describe the research design, and analyze the findings. In general, authors tend to use the following literary methods, exclusively or in combination.

  • Description : The author depicts scenes and events by giving specific details that appeal to the five senses, or to the reader’s imagination. The description presents background and setting. Its primary purpose is to help the reader realize, through as many details as possible, the way persons, places, and things are situated within the phenomenon being described.
  • Narration : The author tells the story of a series of events, usually thematically or in chronological order. In general, the emphasis in scholarly books is on narration of the events. Narration tells what has happened and, in some cases, using this method to forecast what could happen in the future. Its primary purpose is to draw the reader into a story and create a contextual framework for understanding the research problem.
  • Exposition : The author uses explanation and analysis to present a subject or to clarify an idea. Exposition presents the facts about a subject or an issue clearly and as impartially as possible. Its primary purpose is to describe and explain, to document for the historical record an event or phenomenon.
  • Argument : The author uses techniques of persuasion to establish understanding of a particular truth, often in the form of addressing a research question, or to convince the reader of its falsity. The overall aim is to persuade the reader to believe something and perhaps to act on that belief. Argument takes sides on an issue and aims to convince the reader that the author's position is valid, logical, and/or reasonable.

IV.  Critically Evaluate the Contents

Critical comments should form the bulk of your book review . State whether or not you feel the author's treatment of the subject matter is appropriate for the intended audience. Ask yourself:

  • Has the purpose of the book been achieved?
  • What contributions does the book make to the field?
  • Is the treatment of the subject matter objective or at least balanced in describing all sides of a debate?
  • Are there facts and evidence that have been omitted?
  • What kinds of data, if any, are used to support the author's thesis statement?
  • Can the same data be interpreted to explain alternate outcomes?
  • Is the writing style clear and effective?
  • Does the book raise important or provocative issues or topics for discussion?
  • Does the book bring attention to the need for further research?
  • What has been left out?

Support your evaluation with evidence from the text and, when possible, state the book's quality in relation to other scholarly sources. If relevant, note of the book's format, such as, layout, binding, typography, etc. Are there tables, charts, maps, illustrations, text boxes, photographs, or other non-textual elements? Do they aid in understanding the text? Describing this is particularly important in books that contain a lot of non-textual elements.

NOTE:   It is important to carefully distinguish your views from those of the author so as not to confuse your reader. Be clear when you are describing an author's point of view versus expressing your own.

V.  Examine the Front Matter and Back Matter

Front matter refers to any content before the first chapter of the book. Back matter refers to any information included after the final chapter of the book . Front matter is most often numbered separately from the rest of the text in lower case Roman numerals [i.e. i - xi ]. Critical commentary about front or back matter is generally only necessary if you believe there is something that diminishes the overall quality of the work [e.g., the indexing is poor] or there is something that is particularly helpful in understanding the book's contents [e.g., foreword places the book in an important context].

Front matter that may be considered for evaluation when reviewing its overall quality:

  • Table of contents -- is it clear? Is it detailed or general? Does it reflect the true contents of the book? Does it help in understanding a logical sequence of content?
  • Author biography -- also found as back matter, the biography of author(s) can be useful in determining the authority of the writer and whether the book builds on prior research or represents new research. In scholarly reviews, noting the author's affiliation and prior publications can be a factor in helping the reader determine the overall validity of the work [i.e., are they associated with a research center devoted to studying the problem under investigation].
  • Foreword -- the purpose of a foreword is to introduce the reader to the author and the content of the book, and to help establish credibility for both. A foreword may not contribute any additional information about the book's subject matter, but rather, serves as a means of validating the book's existence. In these cases, the foreword is often written by a leading scholar or expert who endorses the book's contributions to advancing research about the topic. Later editions of a book sometimes have a new foreword prepended [appearing before an older foreword, if there was one], which may be included to explain how the latest edition differs from previous editions. These are most often written by the author.
  • Acknowledgements -- scholarly studies in the social sciences often take many years to write, so authors frequently acknowledge the help and support of others in getting their research published. This can be as innocuous as acknowledging the author's family or the publisher. However, an author may acknowledge prominent scholars or subject experts, staff at key research centers, people who curate important archival collections, or organizations that funded the research. In these particular cases, it may be worth noting these sources of support in your review, particularly if the funding organization is biased or its mission is to promote a particular agenda.
  • Preface -- generally describes the genesis, purpose, limitations, and scope of the book and may include acknowledgments of indebtedness to people who have helped the author complete the study. Is the preface helpful in understanding the study? Does it provide an effective framework for understanding what's to follow?
  • Chronology -- also may be found as back matter, a chronology is generally included to highlight key events related to the subject of the book. Do the entries contribute to the overall work? Is it detailed or very general?
  • List of non-textual elements -- a book that contains numerous charts, photographs, maps, tables, etc. will often list these items after the table of contents in the order that they appear in the text. Is this useful?

Back matter that may be considered for evaluation when reviewing its overall quality:

  • Afterword -- this is a short, reflective piece written by the author that takes the form of a concluding section, final commentary, or closing statement. It is worth mentioning in a review if it contributes information about the purpose of the book, gives a call to action, summarizes key recommendations or next steps, or asks the reader to consider key points made in the book.
  • Appendix -- is the supplementary material in the appendix or appendices well organized? Do they relate to the contents or appear superfluous? Does it contain any essential information that would have been more appropriately integrated into the text?
  • Index -- are there separate indexes for names and subjects or one integrated index. Is the indexing thorough and accurate? Are elements used, such as, bold or italic fonts to help identify specific places in the book? Does the index include "see also" references to direct you to related topics?
  • Glossary of Terms -- are the definitions clearly written? Is the glossary comprehensive or are there key terms missing? Are any terms or concepts mentioned in the text not included that should have been?
  • Endnotes -- examine any endnotes as you read from chapter to chapter. Do they provide important additional information? Do they clarify or extend points made in the body of the text? Should any notes have been better integrated into the text rather than separated? Do the same if the author uses footnotes.
  • Bibliography/References/Further Readings -- review any bibliography, list of references to sources, and/or further readings the author may have included. What kinds of sources appear [e.g., primary or secondary, recent or old, scholarly or popular, etc.]? How does the author make use of them? Be sure to note important omissions of sources that you believe should have been utilized, including important digital resources or archival collections.

VI.  Summarize and Comment

State your general conclusions briefly and succinctly. Pay particular attention to the author's concluding chapter and/or afterword. Is the summary convincing? List the principal topics, and briefly summarize the author’s ideas about these topics, main points, and conclusions. If appropriate and to help clarify your overall evaluation, use specific references to text and quotations to support your statements. If your thesis has been well argued, the conclusion should follow naturally. It can include a final assessment or simply restate your thesis. Do not introduce new information in the conclusion. If you've compared the book to any other works or used other sources in writing the review, be sure to cite them at the end of your book review in the same writing style as your bibliographic heading of the book.

Book Reviews. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Book Reviews. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Gastel, Barbara. "Special Books Section: A Strategy for Reviewing Books for Journals." BioScience 41 (October 1991): 635-637; Hartley, James. "Reading and Writing Book Reviews Across the Disciplines." Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 57 (July 2006): 1194–1207; Lee, Alexander D., Bart N. Green, Claire D. Johnson, and Julie Nyquist. "How to Write a Scholarly Book Review for Publication in a Peer-reviewed Journal: A Review of the Literature." Journal of Chiropractic Education 24 (2010): 57-69; Nicolaisen, Jeppe. "The Scholarliness of Published Peer Reviews: A Bibliometric Study of Book Reviews in Selected Social Science Fields." Research Evaluation 11 (2002): 129-140;.Procter, Margaret. The Book Review or Article Critique. The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Reading a Book to Review It. The Writer’s Handbook. Writing Center. University of Wisconsin, Madison; Scarnecchia, David L. "Writing Book Reviews for the Journal Of Range Management and Rangelands." Rangeland Ecology and Management 57 (2004): 418-421; Simon, Linda. "The Pleasures of Book Reviewing." Journal of Scholarly Publishing 27 (1996): 240-241; Writing a Book Review. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing Book Reviews. Writing Tutorial Services, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Indiana University.

Writing Tip

Always Read the Foreword and/or the Preface

If they are included in the front matter, a good place for understanding a book's overall purpose, organization, contributions to further understanding of the research problem, and relationship to other studies is to read the preface and the foreword. The foreword may be written by someone other than the author or editor and can be a person who is famous or who has name recognition within the discipline. A foreword is often included to add credibility to the work.

The preface is usually an introductory essay written by the author or editor. It is intended to describe the book's overall purpose, arrangement, scope, and overall contributions to the literature. When reviewing the book, it can be useful to critically evaluate whether the goals set forth in the foreword and/or preface were actually achieved. At the very least, they can establish a foundation for understanding a study's scope and purpose as well as its significance in contributing new knowledge.

Distinguishing between a Foreword, a Preface, and an Introduction . Book Creation Learning Center. Greenleaf Book Group, 2019.

Locating Book Reviews

There are several databases the USC Libraries subscribes to that include the full-text or citations to book reviews. Short, descriptive reviews can also be found at book-related online sites such as Amazon , although it's not always obvious who has written them and may actually be created by the publisher. The following databases provide comprehensive access to scholarly, full-text book reviews:

  • ProQuest [1983-present]
  • Book Review Digest Retrospective [1905-1982]

Some Language for Evaluating Texts

It can be challenging to find the proper vocabulary from which to discuss and evaluate a book. Here is a list of some active verbs for referring to texts and ideas that you might find useful:

  • account for
  • demonstrate
  • distinguish
  • investigate

Examples of usage

  • "The evidence indicates that..."
  • "This work assesses the effect of..."
  • "The author identifies three key reasons for..."
  • "This book questions the view that..."
  • "This work challenges assumptions about...."

Paquot, Magali. Academic Keyword List. Centre for English Corpus Linguistics. Université Catholique de Louvain.

  • << Previous: Leading a Class Discussion
  • Next: Multiple Book Review Essay >>
  • Last Updated: Sep 15, 2023 9:37 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/assignments

International Journal of Art and Art History

ISSN 2374-2321 (Print) 2374-233X (Online)

DOI: 10.15640/ijaah

  • Manuscript Preparation Guidelines
  • Subscription
  • Journals by Subjects
  • Journals by Frequency
  • International Multilanguage Journal of Contemporary Research
  • Journal of Foreign Languages, Cultures & Civilizations
  • Complete List of Journals
  • Current Issue
  • E-Publication First TM

How to Write a Book Review

A book review is a description, critical analysis, and an evaluation on the quality, meaning, and significance of a book, not a retelling. It should focus on the book's purpose, content, and authority. A critical book review is not a book report or a summary. It is a reaction paper in which strengths and weaknesses of the material are analyzed. It should include a statement of what the author has tried to do, evaluates how well (in the opinion of the reviewer) the author has succeeded, and presents evidence to support this evaluation.

There is no right way to write a book review. Book reviews are highly personal and reflect the opinions of the reviewer. A review can be as short as 50-100 words, or as long as 1500 words, depending on the purpose of the review.

The following are standard procedures for writing book reviews; they are suggestions, not formulae that must be used.

  • Write a statement giving essential information about the book: title, author, first copyright date, type of book, general subject matter, special features (maps, color plates, etc.), price and ISBN.
  • Was the author trying to give information, to explain something technical, to convince the reader of a belief’s validity by dramatizing it in action?
  • What is the general field or genre, and how does the book fit into it? (Use outside sources to familiarize yourself with the field, if necessary.) Knowledge of the genre means understanding the art form. and how it functions.
  • What is the author's style? Is it formal or informal? Evaluate the quality of the writing style by using some of the following standards: coherence, clarity, originality, forcefulness, correct use of technical words, conciseness, fullness of development, fluidity. Does it suit the intended audience?
  • Scan the Table of Contents, it can help understand how the book is organized and will aid in determining the author's main ideas and how they are developed - chronologically, topically, etc.
  • How did the book affect you? Were any previous ideas you had on the subject changed, abandoned, or reinforced due to this book? How is the book related to your own course or personal agenda? What personal experiences you've had relate to the subject?
  • How well has the book achieved its goal?
  • Would you recommend this book or article to others? Why?
  • Theme: The theme is the subject or topic. It is not necessarily the title, and it is usually not expressed in a complete sentence. It expresses a specific phase of the general subject matter.
  • Thesis: The thesis is an author’s generalization about the theme, the author’s beliefs about something important, the book’s philosophical conclusion, or the proposition the author means to prove. Express it without metaphor or other figurative language, in one declarative sentence. Example Title: We Had it Made General Subject Matter: Religious Intolerance Theme: The effects of religious intolerance on a small town Thesis: Religious intolerance, a sickness of individuals, contaminates an entire social group
  • Description: The author presents word-pictures of scenes and events by giving specific details that appeal to the five senses, or to the reader’s imagination. Description presents background and setting. Its primary purpose is to help the reader realize, through as many sensuous details as possible, the way things (and people) are, in the episodes being described.
  • Narration: The author tells the story of a series of events, usually presented in chronological order. In a novel however, chronological order may be violated for the sake of the plot. The emphasis in narration, in both fiction and non-fiction, is on the events. Narration tells what has happened. Its primary purpose is to tell a story.
  • Exposition: The author uses explanation and analysis to present a subject or to clarify an idea. Exposition presents the facts about a subject or an issue as clearly and impartially as possible. Its primary purpose is to explain.
  • Argument: The author uses the techniques of persuasion to establish the truth of a statement or to convince the reader of its falsity. The purpose is to persuade the reader to believe something and perhaps to act on that belief. Argument takes sides on an issue. Its primary purpose is to convince.
  • Evaluate the book for interest, accuracy, objectivity, importance, thoroughness, and usefulness to its intended audience. Show whether the author's main arguments are true. Respond to the author's opinions. What do you agree or disagree with? And why? Illustrate whether or not any conclusions drawn are derived logically from the evidence. Explore issues the book raises. What possibilities does the book suggest? What has the author omitted or what problems were left unsolved? What specific points are not convincing? Compare it with other books on similar subjects or other books by the same as well as different authors. Is it only a reworking of earlier books; a refutation of previous positions? Have newly uncovered sources justified a new approach by the author? Comment on parts of particular interest, and point out anything that seems to give the book literary merit. Relate the book to larger issues.
  • Try to find further information about the author - reputation, qualifications, influences, biographical, etc. - any information that is relevant to the book being reviewed and that would help to establish the author's authority. Can you discern any connections between the author's philosophy, life experience and the reviewed book?
  • If relevant, make note of the book's format - layout, binding, typography, etc. Are there maps, illustrations? Do they aid understanding?
  • Check the back matter. Is the index accurate? Check any end notes or footnotes as you read from chapter to chapter. Do they provide important additional information? Do they clarify or extend points made in the body of the text? Check any bibliography the author may provide. What kinds of sources, primary or secondary, appear in the bibliography? How does the author make use of them? Make note of important omissions.
  • Summarize (briefly), analyze, and comment on the book’s content. State your general conclusions. Pay particular attention to the author's concluding chapter. Is the summary convincing? List the principal topics, and briefly summarize the author’s ideas about these topics, main points, and conclusions. Use specific references and quotations to support your statements. If your thesis has been well argued, the conclusion should follow naturally. It can include a final assessment or simply restate your thesis. Do not introduce new material at this point.

Some Considerations When Reviewing specific genres:

Fiction (above all, do not give away the story)

  • From what sources are the characters drawn?
  • What is the author's attitude toward his characters?
  • Are the characters flat or three-dimensional?
  • Does character development occur?
  • Is character delineation direct or indirect?
  • What is/are the major theme(s)?
  • How are they revealed and developed?
  • Is the theme traditional and familiar, or new and original?
  • Is the theme didactic, psychological, social, entertaining, escapist, etc. in purpose or intent?
  • How are the various elements of plot (eg, introduction, suspense, climax, conclusion) handled?
  • What is the relationship of plot to character delineation?
  • To what extent, and how, is accident employed as a complicating and/or resolving force?
  • What are the elements of mystery and suspense?
  • What other devices of plot complication and resolution are employed?
  • Is there a sub-plot and how is it related to the main plot?
  • Is the plot primary or secondary to some of the other essential elements of the story (character, setting, style, etc.)?
  • What are the "intellectual qualities" of the writing (e.g., simplicity, clarity)?
  • What are the "emotional qualities" of the writing (e.g., humour, wit, satire)?
  • What are the "aesthetic qualities" of the writing (e.g., harmony, rhythm)?
  • What stylistic devices are employed (e.g., symbolism, motifs, parody, allegory)?
  • How effective is dialogue?
  • What is the setting and does it play a significant role in the work?
  • Is a sense of atmosphere evoked, and how?
  • What scenic effects are used and how important and effective are they?
  • Does the setting influence or impinge on the characters and/or plot?
  • Does the book give a "full-length" picture of the subject?
  • What phases of the subject's life receive greatest treatment and is this treatment justified?
  • What is the point of view of the author?
  • How is the subject matter organized: chronologically, retrospectively, etc.?
  • Is the treatment superficial or does the author show extensive study into the subject's life?
  • What source materials were used in the preparation of the biography?
  • Is the work documented?
  • Does the author attempt to get at the subject's hidden motives?
  • What important new facts about the subject's life are revealed in the book?
  • What is the relationship of the subject's career to contemporary history?
  • How does the biography compare with others about the same person?
  • How does it compare with other works by the same author?

History and other Nonfiction

  • with what particular subject or period does the book deal?
  • How thorough is the treatment?
  • What were the sources used?
  • Is the account given in broad outline or in detail?
  • Is the style that of reportorial writing, or is there an effort at interpretive writing?
  • What is the point of view or thesis of the author?
  • is the treatment superficial or profound?
  • For what group is the book intended (textbook, popular, scholarly, etc.)?
  • What part does biographical writing play in the book?
  • Is social history or political history emphasized?
  • Are dates used extensively, and if so, are they used intelligently?
  • Is the book a revision? How does it compare with earlier editions?
  • 1Are maps, illustrations, charts, etc. used and how are these to be evaluated?
  • Is this a work of power, originality, and individuality?
  • What kind of poetry is under review (epic, lyrical, elegiac, etc.)?
  • What poetical devices have been used (rhyme, rhythm, figures of speech, imagery, etc.), and to what effect?
  • What is the central concern of the poem and is it effectively expressed?

Subject headings used in the catalog:

Book reviewing        Criticism

Related books:

Book reviewing: a guide to writing book reviews for newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. Boston. The Writer, 1978 PN98.B7 B6

Drewry, John. Writing Book Reviews. Boston: The Writer, 1974. PN98.B7 D7 1974

Teitelbaum, Harry. How to Write Book Reports. New York: Monarch Press, 1975. LB2369 .T4

Miller, Walter James. How to write book reports: -- analyzing and evaluating fiction, drama, poetry, and non-fiction New York. Arco Pub., 1984. LB2369 .M46 1984

Sources of Book Reviews

Book Review Digest 1985+ INDEX Z1219 .C96

Book Review Index 1965+ INDEX Z1035.A1 B6

Contemporary Authors REFERENCE Z1224 .C5

Related Websites:

How to Write a Book Review. Stauffer Library. http://library.queensu.ca/inforef/bookreview/wri.htm Writing Book Reviews. University of Waterloo Library. http://library.uwaterloo.ca/libguides/1-12.html How to Write a Book Review. Dalhousie University Libraries. http://www.library.dal.ca/How/Guides/BookReview/ Writing Book Reports & Book Reviews. Internet Public Library. http://www.ipl.org/div/farq/bookreportFARQ.html

Courtesy: Los Angeles Valley College Library 5800 Fulton Ave. Valley Glen, California, 91401-4096

Browse Journals

  • View Related Journals
  • Multilanguage Journals

Journal Policies

  • Read the Journal's Plagiarism Policy
  • Read the Journal's Copyright Policy
  • Submission & Review Policy

Information

  • For Contributors
  • For Reviewers
  • For Readers
  • For Librarians

Useful Links

  • Call for Papers
  • Submit Your Paper
  • Publish in Your Native Language
  • Subscribe the Journal
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Contact the Executive Editor
  • Recommend this Journal to Librarian
  • View the Current Issue
  • View the Previous Issues
  • Recommend this Journal to Friends
  • Recommend a Special Issue
  • Comment on the Journal
  • Publish the Conference Proceedings

Latest Activities

  • Recruitment of Reviewers
  • Publication Plan
  • Resources for Authors
  • APA Style (6th Edition)
  • How to review a book
  • Writing a good research paper
  • Google Language Translator
  • Research Guidelines

Visiting Status

International Journal of Art and Art History is a fully double blind referred international journal and is under the monitoring of world's reputed indexing organizations like ISI, Scopus and PubMed.

Copyright © 2014-2023 The Brooklyn Research and Publishing Institute. All Rights Reserved. Brooklyn, NY 11210, United States

Book Review

Book reviews are documents that people see in different fields, including educational institutions and professional roles in an industry or organization, centering on providing feedback. Use book reviews to help middle school kids to college students construct proper formats for their next activity or project in literature , writing according to APA styles.

book review

Table of Content

Book review definition & meaning, what is a book review, 10 types of book reviews, book review uses, purpose, importance, what’s in a book review parts, how to design a book review, book review vs. summary, what’s the difference between a book review, essay, & review, book review sizes, book review ideas & examples, fiction book review.

fiction book review

Student Book Review

student book review

Professional Book Review

professional book review

Ks1 Book Review

ks1 book review

Poetry Book Review

poetry book review

Blank Book Review

blank book review

Short Book Review

short book review

Academic Book Review

academic book review

University Book Review

university book review

Simple Book Review

simple book review

Understand the Readers’ Desires

Increase book sales, engage with readers, improve writing skills, build an author’s brand, introduction, content summary, book analysis and evaluation.

  • Letter (8.5 x 11 inches)
  • Legal (8.5 x 14 inches)
  • A4 (8.3 × 11.7 inches)
  • Book Review For Ks2 Ideas and Examples
  • Non Fiction Book Review Ideas and Examples
  • Basic Book Review Ideas and Examples
  • Book Review Ks3 Ideas and Examples
  • Book Review For Kids Ideas and Examples

What must a book review include?

What are the three elements of a book review, what makes a good book review, what are the phases of writing a book review, what is the aim of a book review, how does the book review begin, is a book review the same as a summary, what do you understand by book review, what are the criteria for reviewing a book, what are the two guidelines for writing a book review, more in documents.

review-blog-graphic

Review Blog Graphic Template

simple-book-review

Simple Book Review Template

transport-and-logistics-financial-forecast-review

Transport and Logistics Financial Forecast Review Template

tenure-review-bio-template

Tenure Review Bio Template

baby-book

Baby Book Template

story-book

Story Book Template

address-book

Address Book Template

comic-book

Comic Book Template

log-book

Log Book Template

children-book

Children Book Template

Get instant access to free & premium book review templates , ai tools & daily fresh content.

Get access to 1 million+ FREE, PRO, template bundles with professional written original content. Advanced AI, design, document editing tools

book review means what

How to Write a Book Review: Awesome Guide

book review means what

A book review allows students to illustrate the author's intentions of writing the piece, as well as create a criticism of the book — as a whole. In other words, form an opinion of the author's presented ideas. Check out this guide from EssayPro — dissertation writing service to learn how to write a book review successfully.

What Is a Book Review?

You may prosper, “what is a book review?”. Book reviews are commonly assigned students to allow them to show a clear understanding of the novel. And to check if the students have actually read the book. The essay format is highly important for your consideration, take a look at the book review format below.

Book reviews are assigned to allow students to present their own opinion regarding the author’s ideas included in the book or passage. They are a form of literary criticism that analyzes the author’s ideas, writing techniques, and quality. A book analysis is entirely opinion-based, in relevance to the book. They are good practice for those who wish to become editors, due to the fact, editing requires a lot of criticism.

Book Review Template

The book review format includes an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Introduction

  • Describe the book cover and title.
  • Include any subtitles at this stage.
  • Include the Author’s Name.
  • Write a brief description of the novel.
  • Briefly introduce the main points of the body in your book review.
  • Avoid mentioning any opinions at this time.
  • Use about 3 quotations from the author’s novel.
  • Summarize the quotations in your own words.
  • Mention your own point-of-view of the quotation.
  • Remember to keep every point included in its own paragraph.
  • In brief, summarize the quotations.
  • In brief, summarize the explanations.
  • Finish with a concluding sentence.
  • This can include your final opinion of the book.
  • Star-Rating (Optional).

Get Your BOOK REVIEW WRITTEN!

Simply send us your paper requirements, choose a writer and we’ll get it done.

How to Write a Book Review: Step-By-Step

Writing a book review is something that can be done with every novel. Book reviews can apply to all novels, no matter the genre. Some genres may be harder than others. On the other hand, the book review format remains the same. Take a look at these step-by-step instructions from our professional writers to learn how to write a book review in-depth.

how to write a book review

Step 1: Planning

Create an essay outline which includes all of the main points you wish to summarise in your book analysis. Include information about the characters, details of the plot, and some other important parts of your chosen novel. Reserve a body paragraph for each point you wish to talk about.

Consider these points before writing:

  • What is the plot of the book? Understanding the plot enables you to write an effective review.
  • Is the plot gripping? Does the plot make you want to continue reading the novel? Did you enjoy the plot? Does it manage to grab a reader’s attention?
  • Are the writing techniques used by the author effective? Does the writer imply factors in-between the lines? What are they?
  • Are the characters believable? Are the characters logical? Does the book make the characters are real while reading?
  • Would you recommend the book to anyone? The most important thing: would you tell others to read this book? Is it good enough? Is it bad?
  • What could be better? Keep in mind the quotes that could have been presented better. Criticize the writer.

Step 2: Introduction

Presumably, you have chosen your book. To begin, mention the book title and author’s name. Talk about the cover of the book. Write a thesis statement regarding the fictitious story or non-fictional novel. Which briefly describes the quoted material in the book review.

Step 3: Body

Choose a specific chapter or scenario to summarise. Include about 3 quotes in the body. Create summaries of each quote in your own words. It is also encouraged to include your own point-of-view and the way you interpret the quote. It is highly important to have one quote per paragraph.

Step 4: Conclusion

Write a summary of the summarised quotations and explanations, included in the body paragraphs. After doing so, finish book analysis with a concluding sentence to show the bigger picture of the book. Think to yourself, “Is it worth reading?”, and answer the question in black and white. However, write in-between the lines. Avoid stating “I like/dislike this book.”

Step 5: Rate the Book (Optional)

After writing a book review, you may want to include a rating. Including a star-rating provides further insight into the quality of the book, to your readers. Book reviews with star-ratings can be more effective, compared to those which don’t. Though, this is entirely optional.

Count on the support of our cheap essay writing service . We process all your requests fast.

Dive into literary analysis with EssayPro . Our experts can help you craft insightful book reviews that delve deep into the themes, characters, and narratives of your chosen books. Enhance your understanding and appreciation of literature with us.

book review order

Writing Tips

Here is the list of tips for the book review:

tips for book review

  • A long introduction can certainly lower one’s grade: keep the beginning short. Readers don’t like to read the long introduction for any essay style.
  • It is advisable to write book reviews about fiction: it is not a must. Though, reviewing fiction can be far more effective than writing about a piece of nonfiction
  • Avoid Comparing: avoid comparing your chosen novel with other books you have previously read. Doing so can be confusing for the reader.
  • Opinion Matters: including your own point-of-view is something that is often encouraged when writing book reviews.
  • Refer to Templates: a book review template can help a student get a clearer understanding of the required writing style.
  • Don’t be Afraid to Criticize: usually, your own opinion isn’t required for academic papers below Ph.D. level. On the other hand, for book reviews, there’s an exception.
  • Use Positivity: include a fair amount of positive comments and criticism.
  • Review The Chosen Novel: avoid making things up. Review only what is presented in the chosen book.
  • Enjoyed the book? If you loved reading the book, state it. Doing so makes your book analysis more personalized.

Writing a book review is something worth thinking about. Professors commonly assign this form of an assignment to students to enable them to express a grasp of a novel. Following the book review format is highly useful for beginners, as well as reading step-by-step instructions. Writing tips is also useful for people who are new to this essay type. If you need a book review or essay, ask our book report writing services ' write paper for me ' and we'll give you a hand asap!

We also recommend that everyone read the article about essay topics . It will help broaden your horizons in writing a book review as well as other papers.

Book Review Examples

Referring to a book review example is highly useful to those who wish to get a clearer understanding of how to review a book. Take a look at our examples written by our professional writers. Click on the button to open the book review examples and feel free to use them as a reference.

Book review

Kenneth Grahame’s ‘The Wind in the Willows’

Kenneth Grahame’s ‘The Wind in the Willows’ is a novel aimed at youngsters. The plot, itself, is not American humor, but that of Great Britain. In terms of sarcasm, and British-related jokes. The novel illustrates a fair mix of the relationships between the human-like animals, and wildlife. The narrative acts as an important milestone in post-Victorian children’s literature.

Dr. John’s ‘Pollution’

Dr. John’s ‘Pollution’ consists of 3 major parts. The first part is all about the polluted ocean. The second being about the pollution of the sky. The third part is an in-depth study of how humans can resolve these issues. The book is a piece of non-fiction that focuses on modern-day pollution ordeals faced by both animals and humans on Planet Earth. It also focuses on climate change, being the result of the global pollution ordeal.

We can do your coursework writing for you if you still find it difficult to write it yourself. Send to our custom term paper writing service your requirements, choose a writer and enjoy your time.

Need To Write a Book Review But DON’T HAVE THE TIME

We’re here to do it for you. Our professionals are ready to help 24/7

Related Articles

How to Write a Diversity Essay

Book Review: Definition, Elements, How to Make, and Complete Examples

  • Posted by adminlp2m
  • Categories Artikel
  • Date May 5, 2021
  • Comments 0 comment

Book Review – Do you have a hobby of reading books? This one hobby is certainly fun and exciting so you never worry or get confused about spending time. Reading has become one of the hobbies, because when you do it, it doesn’t only bring out feelings of pleasure or happiness.

book review means what

But also can feel many benefits, for example, can add or broaden horizons. Often people who like to read tend to be outgoing because they have so many things to discuss with those around them. In addition, book lovers usually also have a greater chance of becoming writers.

Because he knows what to write and how to write it so that it is interesting and easy to understand. Talking about the hobby of reading, it will also be linked to the selection of readings, books, articles, and other types of reading. Regarding books, every reader is guaranteed to have their own criteria.

Because some of the books on the market will be considered interesting and important to read, or vice versa. The reader then has a little trouble knowing which books are worthy or interesting to read. Then, what’s the solution?

Just relying on the big names of publishers and the names of book authors, certainly does not guarantee that you can get a book that is easy to read and has good content. The best solution is to read book reviews, one of which is in the form of a book review.

Do you know what a reviewer is? Reviewer is a term related to review and is used on any work. Whether it’s reviews for books, films, paintings, and so on. In order to become more familiar with the term reviewer for a book, you can see the information below.

What is a Book Review? The first thing that needs to be understood is the basic thing, namely understanding the meaning of the book reviewer itself. Etymologically or the origin of the word, reviewer comes from the Dutch language, namely resentie which means “discussion or discussion”.

Meanwhile, the term review is defined as a good discussion or discussion of books, films, dramas, and other works published in the mass media. The mass media used for publication is quite diverse, some are using online media, digital media, and offline media.

Such as magazines, newspapers, television, websites, personal blogs, and so on. So that connoisseurs of the work can find out the work that was composed or created by the creator.

Then, what does a book review mean? Reviewing a book is an activity of peeling, evaluating, considering, criticizing, and dissecting the substance as well as providing comments on a book.

In simple terms, a reviewer on a book is compiling a review of the book. The hope is that reviewers can share information about the contents of the book as well as provide personal opinions. So, reviews can be said to be subjective and not objective. Good in the eyes of reviewers not necessarily in the eyes of other readers.

But at least, book readers can know at a glance about the contents of a book. Because the reviewer also includes a little about the synopsis, then displays some parts that are considered important, inspiring, and so on. Then, the reviewer will also describe a number of advantages and disadvantages of the book.

It’s like we want to buy a brand A product with type B, but are still in doubt, then look for reviews in various media. If many give positive reviews, they will be interested in buying. However, if the opposite is true, it will return to the prospective buyer. Do follow existing reviews or follow personal wishes.

Since writing a book review will reveal many points from a book title. So the author must meet a number of requirements, such as:

  • Have read the title of the book that will be compiled for the review, not only can you read a few pages, but ideally it is read as a whole.
  • Have book data that will be compiled for the review. Starting from the title of the book, the name of the author, the name of the publisher, the year of publication, and so on.
  • Describe a review of the contents of the book even if it is brief and the rest is the opinion of the reviewer.
  • Written reviews should even be useful to anyone who is interested in buying or reading a book title that is reviewed.

Purpose of Writing Review Compiling a review of a book title is certainly not just a hobby, because the writing itself has a number of purposes. Some of them are:

Knowing the Strengths and Weaknesses of Books Knowing the advantages and disadvantages, the aim is to find out the advantages and disadvantages of a book title. So that the reviews will definitely explain what advantages the book has, complete with its drawbacks

Give Readers an Overview Providing an overview to the reader, the reviewer also aims to provide an overview to the reader such as an overview of the storyline, conflicts in a book, the way the author describes it, and so on. So that always reading prospective readers will begin to know how good the contents of a book are.

Give Feedback to the Author Giving input to the author, the written reviewer will of course be published and it is possible to read anyone including the author of the book in the reviewer. So that the reviewer also aims to provide input, both in the form of criticism and suggestions to the author.

Knowing Why the Book Was Published Knowing the reasons why the book was published , the review that is written also aims to find out the reason or background why a book was published. Either published on the wish of the author or publisher.

Testing Book Quality Knowing and testing the quality of a book, someone who writes a review will usually buy the book in question and then read it until it runs out. Only then will the contents be reviewed in the form of a reviewer. So that one of the objectives of the reviewer is also to find out and test the quality of the book.

The objectives of writing a book review described above show that the reviewer is not a promotional medium. Because there are times when this reviewer reviews more deficiencies of a book, because the contents of the book have many disadvantages compared to the advantages. Reviews like this certainly contain negative reviews.

That is, the book that is reviewed is a book that is reviewed as is without any partiality element. So that readers can fully trust the content or reviews presented in it. Especially if the reviewer is written systematically and is easy to understand. Then the quality and credibility will be guaranteed.

The Elements In It Trying to write reviews is also the right decision, why? Because by compiling reviews, you are helping more readers to invest in buying the right book. In addition, it helps writers to be more productive while improving their quality in writing.

So that with the reviews that you compiled, you have contributed to improving the quality of literacy in Indonesia. At this point, are you interested in compiling your own book reviews? Before starting, first identify some of the elements in the reviewer. That is:

Identity The first thing or the first element in a book review is identity, of course, the identity of the book that the reviewer has compiled. This is important because every published reviewer is guaranteed to show the identity of the book. Not only in the form of the title and author’s name but also the number of pages and other identities.

However, there are basically four points of identity elements that are generally included and have fulfilled the identity element in the review. Starting from the title of the book, the name of the author, the year published, and the number of pages. However, adding other detailed information is also not a problem, in fact the more complete the better.

Overview The second element is an overview, which is a summary that briefly describes the contents of the book based on several points of discussion in the book. Regarding the summary, the form or preparation technique will be different between reviews on fiction books and non-fiction books.

So, an overview of a fiction book will be based on the series of important events that the author listed in the book. Meanwhile, the summary of non-fiction or science books is based on the essence of the book being reviewed.

Authorship The next element is authorship, meaning that in the book review the author needs to include a little about the author of the book. For example, who is the author’s name, background, skills, achievements in the world of writing, attitudes, other works, and so on.

So that reading reviews helps people not only get to know a work but also get to know who the creator of the work is. This requires the reviewer to understand the book to be reviewed as well as to understand who wrote it.

Strengths and Weaknesses The next element, of course, is the advantages and disadvantages of the book that was reviewed, but it was not written carelessly. The point is not necessarily to mention the shortcomings of this and that. Rather, the determination of strengths and weaknesses is based on certain aspects in the world of writing.

Namely based on aspects of the theme, characterization or character development by the author, the style of language used by the author, what kind of story line, and so on. So that you don’t immediately write the weaknesses of the book just because the ending of the book makes it sad or hanging. There is still a grip or base.

How to Make a Good Book Review After knowing all the elements in writing, it will be easier to get started. However, not a few are still confused about how to start the right steps in compiling a review of a book title.

If you also experience a similar problem, then some steps in how to make the following reviews can be practiced:

Get to Know All Aspects of the Book First The first step in compiling a review is to get to know all the aspects of the book first. These aspects include the theme of the book, the description of the book, and also the type of the book. Knowing this aspect is important in order to know what kind of book to review, and how to start sentences in the review.

Read the Book The second step after knowing all aspects of the book to be reviewed is reading the book. So, don’t just read the synopsis at the back of the book or just the first pages or chapters in the middle that convey the essence or conflict (in fiction books).

Instead, read the entire book, so what? So that the written review is more complete and can be detailed. If you don’t know every part of the book and its story line, you are guaranteed to be confused about what to write. So, it is mandatory to read it once after understanding it and then move on to the next stage.

Marking Important Parts During the process of reading a book it is also important to mark all the sections that are deemed important. Especially the part of the book that is suitable or appropriate to be included when compiling it. This important part needs to be marked so that it is not missed to be included in the review.

Making a Synopsis or Digest After reading and knowing which parts of a book are important and can be included in the review. So the next step is to make a synopsis or compile a digest. The composition of this synopsis will then be developed, so that all aspects of the book are reviewed in detail but still briefly.

Assessing Book Quality The next step or the final step in writing a book review is to give an assessment. This assessment, of course, lists some of the strengths and weaknesses of the book. So that other readers can find out how good the quality of the book reviewed earlier.

Meanwhile, for writers whose writings are reviewed, they can build more self-quality. Thanks to all the input in it, be it suggestions or criticism from the reviewer.

Benefits of Writing Book Reviews Writing book reviews certainly provides many benefits, in accordance with the purposes of writing described above. These benefits include:

  • As a consideration for readers, so they can find out whether a book to be purchased is good or not.
  • Help promotion indirectly, because reviews are usually directed at books that have just been published so that publication of reviews means contributing to the promotion of the book but indirectly because the content is impartial.
  • Helps develop writing creativity, both to the reviewer and to the author of the book being reviewed. The more often you write reviews, the easier it will be for the expert to write so that the quality of the writing continues to develop. The same thing is experienced by book writers, because input in reviews will help the author to develop better.
  • Gives economic value, because when someone writes a review and then it is published, it will get an incentive. For example, sent to a newspaper and published, the writer will get incentives from the newspaper.

Actively writing book reviews will help develop oneself, both in terms of writing and in terms of policies for choosing reading materials. Because there are times when the appearance of an ordinary book can be overwhelming. Besides that, it also helps more people to buy books, every author of the book can continue to develop into a good writer

Tag: book review , books , buku dosen , Dosen Berprestasi , for Lecturer , Kampus Internasional , Kampus Terakreditasi , Kampus UMA , Kampus UMA Sehat , Lecturer , quality research , read references , readers , reading , UMA Berkualitas , UMA Bestari , UMA Sehat , UMA Unggul , Writing

author avatar

Previous post

Get to know the IMRAD - Non IMRAD Journal Article Method

Definition of enrichment books, types, and how to write them, you may also like, unraveling the power of deep belief networks in machine learning.

Introduction In the ever-evolving landscape of machine learning, Deep Belief Networks (DBNs) have emerged as a powerful and versatile class of models. Combining the strengths of both unsupervised and supervised learning, DBNs represent a significant leap forward in capturing intricate …

Kekuatan Pencarian Kuantum: Menavigasi Lanskap Kuantum

Perkenalan Komputasi kuantum telah muncul sebagai bidang revolusioner, menjanjikan kekuatan dan efisiensi komputasi yang belum pernah terjadi sebelumnya. Salah satu aplikasi komputasi kuantum yang paling menarik adalah algoritma pencarian kuantum, dengan algoritma Grover sebagai contoh utama. Dalam artikel ini, kami …

Signifikansi Dirichlet: Kondisi Batas dalam Pemodelan Matematika

Perkenalan Dalam bidang pemodelan matematika yang luas, memahami perilaku solusi dalam domain tertentu sering kali melibatkan pendefinisian kondisi pada batasnya. Kondisi batas Dirichlet, dinamai menurut ahli matematika Jerman Johann Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet, memainkan peran penting dalam membentuk solusi persamaan …

Leave A Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

  • U.S. Locations
  • UMGC Europe
  • Learn Online
  • Find Answers
  • 855-655-8682
  • Current Students

Online Guide to Writing and Research

Other frequently assigned papers, explore more of umgc.

  • Online Guide to Writing

Reviews and Reaction Papers

Article and book reviews.

Some assignments may ask you to write a review of a book or journal article. Sometimes, students think a book report and a book review are the same. However, there are significant differences.

A  book report  summarizes the contents of the book, but a  book review  is a critical analysis of the book that describes, summarizes, and critiques the ideas in the book. A review is a means of going beyond the literal content of a source and is a tool for connecting ideas from a variety of academic sources. A review provides an objective analysis of ideas, support for opinions, and a way to evaluate your own opinions.

Why are book reviews beneficial to write?

Some instructors like to assign book reviews to help students broaden their view of the subject matter and to give students practice in critically evaluating ideas in the subject area. Instructors often require that students follow existing review formats modeled in the journals in their disciplines. 

If you are asked to use such formats, remember that citations for books and journal articles differ from discipline to discipline. Find out which style guide is appropriate for the discipline in which you are writing. (Refer to the discussion of style manuals in chapter 5 of this guide for more information.)

Reviews let you relate to authors and agree or disagree with their ideas. A review allows you to examine your understanding of a subject area in light of the ideas presented in the reviewed book and interact with the author and his or her ideas. Also, a book review helps your instructor evaluate your understanding of the subject matter and your ability to think competently in your discipline.

Here are some questions to keep in mind when you are writing a book review:

What exactly is the subject of the book? What are the author’s credentials to write about this subject? Is the title suggestive? Does the preface contain information about the author’s purpose?

What is the author’s thesis? Is it clearly stated, or do you have to dig it out of the facts and opinions? Does the author present the ideas in a balanced way? What are the author’s biases?

What organizational approach does the author use? Does the chosen organization support the author’s thesis effectively?

What conclusion or conclusions does the author draw? Does the conclusion agree with the thesis or stated purposes? How does the conclusion differ from or agree with your course textbook or other books you have read?

How has this book helped you understand the subject you are studying in the course? Would you recommend the book to your reader?

As you write your review, ask yourself these questions:

Have I represented the author and the ideas presented in the book in a fair and balanced way?

Does the ethical tone of my review prompt the reader to trust my judgment? (You may want to review the discussion on writing arguments in this chapter.)

Does my review reflect the interests of my readers and fulfill my reasons for writing the review?

Have I demonstrated my understanding of the content of the article or book I’m reviewing? Have I clearly addressed the major issues in the subject area?

Have I clearly stated my own biases as a reviewer?

Have I clearly expressed my position about how much or how little the author has contributed to my understanding of the subject in question? Have I recommended or not recommended the book to other prospective readers?

Have I checked my review for organizational, grammatical, and mechanical errors?

Key Takeaway

A book review or article review is a critical analysis of the material that describes, summarizes, and critiques the ideas presented. The purpose of a book or article review assignment is to broaden your knowledge base and understanding of a topic.

Mailing Address: 3501 University Blvd. East, Adelphi, MD 20783 This work is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License . © 2022 UMGC. All links to external sites were verified at the time of publication. UMGC is not responsible for the validity or integrity of information located at external sites.

Table of Contents: Online Guide to Writing

Chapter 1: College Writing

How Does College Writing Differ from Workplace Writing?

What Is College Writing?

Why So Much Emphasis on Writing?

Chapter 2: The Writing Process

Doing Exploratory Research

Getting from Notes to Your Draft

Prewriting - Techniques to Get Started - Mining Your Intuition

Prewriting: Targeting Your Audience

Prewriting: Techniques to Get Started

Prewriting: Understanding Your Assignment

Rewriting: Being Your Own Critic

Rewriting: Creating a Revision Strategy

Rewriting: Getting Feedback

Rewriting: The Final Draft

Techniques to Get Started - Outlining

Techniques to Get Started - Using Systematic Techniques

Thesis Statement and Controlling Idea

Writing: Getting from Notes to Your Draft - Freewriting

Writing: Getting from Notes to Your Draft - Summarizing Your Ideas

Writing: Outlining What You Will Write

Chapter 3: Thinking Strategies

A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone

A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone: Style Through Vocabulary and Diction

Critical Strategies and Writing

Critical Strategies and Writing: Analysis

Critical Strategies and Writing: Evaluation

Critical Strategies and Writing: Persuasion

Critical Strategies and Writing: Synthesis

Developing a Paper Using Strategies

Kinds of Assignments You Will Write

Patterns for Presenting Information

Patterns for Presenting Information: Critiques

Patterns for Presenting Information: Discussing Raw Data

Patterns for Presenting Information: General-to-Specific Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Problem-Cause-Solution Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Specific-to-General Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Summaries and Abstracts

Supporting with Research and Examples

Writing Essay Examinations

Writing Essay Examinations: Make Your Answer Relevant and Complete

Writing Essay Examinations: Organize Thinking Before Writing

Writing Essay Examinations: Read and Understand the Question

Chapter 4: The Research Process

Planning and Writing a Research Paper

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Ask a Research Question

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Cite Sources

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Collect Evidence

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Decide Your Point of View, or Role, for Your Research

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Draw Conclusions

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Find a Topic and Get an Overview

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Manage Your Resources

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Outline

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Survey the Literature

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Work Your Sources into Your Research Writing

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Human Resources

Research Resources: What Are Research Resources?

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found?

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Electronic Resources

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Print Resources

Structuring the Research Paper: Formal Research Structure

Structuring the Research Paper: Informal Research Structure

The Nature of Research

The Research Assignment: How Should Research Sources Be Evaluated?

The Research Assignment: When Is Research Needed?

The Research Assignment: Why Perform Research?

Chapter 5: Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity

Giving Credit to Sources

Giving Credit to Sources: Copyright Laws

Giving Credit to Sources: Documentation

Giving Credit to Sources: Style Guides

Integrating Sources

Practicing Academic Integrity

Practicing Academic Integrity: Keeping Accurate Records

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Paraphrasing Your Source

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Quoting Your Source

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Summarizing Your Sources

Types of Documentation

Types of Documentation: Bibliographies and Source Lists

Types of Documentation: Citing World Wide Web Sources

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - APA Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - CSE/CBE Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - Chicago Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - MLA Style

Types of Documentation: Note Citations

Chapter 6: Using Library Resources

Finding Library Resources

Chapter 7: Assessing Your Writing

How Is Writing Graded?

How Is Writing Graded?: A General Assessment Tool

The Draft Stage

The Draft Stage: The First Draft

The Draft Stage: The Revision Process and the Final Draft

The Draft Stage: Using Feedback

The Research Stage

Using Assessment to Improve Your Writing

Chapter 8: Other Frequently Assigned Papers

Reviews and Reaction Papers: Article and Book Reviews

Reviews and Reaction Papers: Reaction Papers

Writing Arguments

Writing Arguments: Adapting the Argument Structure

Writing Arguments: Purposes of Argument

Writing Arguments: References to Consult for Writing Arguments

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Anticipate Active Opposition

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Determine Your Organization

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Develop Your Argument

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Introduce Your Argument

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - State Your Thesis or Proposition

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Write Your Conclusion

Writing Arguments: Types of Argument

Appendix A: Books to Help Improve Your Writing

Dictionaries

General Style Manuals

Researching on the Internet

Special Style Manuals

Writing Handbooks

Appendix B: Collaborative Writing and Peer Reviewing

Collaborative Writing: Assignments to Accompany the Group Project

Collaborative Writing: Informal Progress Report

Collaborative Writing: Issues to Resolve

Collaborative Writing: Methodology

Collaborative Writing: Peer Evaluation

Collaborative Writing: Tasks of Collaborative Writing Group Members

Collaborative Writing: Writing Plan

General Introduction

Peer Reviewing

Appendix C: Developing an Improvement Plan

Working with Your Instructor’s Comments and Grades

Appendix D: Writing Plan and Project Schedule

Devising a Writing Project Plan and Schedule

Reviewing Your Plan with Others

By using our website you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more about how we use cookies by reading our  Privacy Policy .

book review means what

If you’re in the market for a used motorcycle, chances are you’ve heard about the “blue book”. But what exactly is this blue book, and how did it come to be? In this article, we’ll take a look at the evolution of the blue book for used moto...

A book is a seemingly simple object, but the words inside have the power to temporarily transport, inspire, educate and entertain readers. Books aren’t just enjoyable — they’re powerful.

As far as historians know, and depending on what one means by “made,” the first book was either the Epic of Gilgamesh, the first bound copies of the Bible, or the Gutenberg Bible. Each marks a point in the development of books.

A book review is a form of literary criticism in which a book is merely described (summary review) or analyzed based on content, style, and merit.

book review · a critical description, evaluation, or analysis of a book, especially one published in a newspaper or magazine. · a section or page of a newspaper

The meaning of BOOK REVIEW is a descriptive and critical or evaluative account of a book. How to use book review in a sentence.

A book review is a thorough description, critical analysis, and/or evaluation of the quality, meaning, and significance of a book, often

Book reviews mean to serve as research of a book or topic. Book reviews typically range from 500 to 2,000 words in length and provide critical analysis of the

A book review is a description, critical analysis, and an evaluation on the quality, meaning, and significance of a book, not a retelling. It should focus

BOOK REVIEW definition: a description and analysis of a new book | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples.

Book Review Definition & Meaning. A book review is an evaluation document that contains information about newly released books with a brief description of the

You may prosper, “what is a book review?”. Book reviews are commonly assigned students to allow them to show a clear understanding of the novel.

Then, what does a book review mean? Reviewing a book is an activity of peeling, evaluating, considering, criticizing, and dissecting the

A book review or article review is a critical analysis of the material that describes, summarizes, and critiques the ideas presented. The purpose of a book or

IMAGES

  1. Tips for Effective Presentation Delivery

    presentation tips delivery

  2. Unit 34: Delivering A Presentation

    presentation tips delivery

  3. Giving a Presentation: How to Best Deliver Your Speech

    presentation tips delivery

  4. 101 Tips to Deliver an Effective Presentation

    presentation tips delivery

  5. 5 tips to turn your presentation from good to great

    presentation tips delivery

  6. 3 Tips for Delivering Engaging Presentations

    presentation tips delivery

VIDEO

  1. tip our food delivery drivers? #doordash #ubereats #podcast #grubhub #conversationsthatmatter

  2. Presentation Tips

  3. delivery driver didn't receive a tip for her service

  4. 4 Tips for Giving a Presentation 🎬✨#motivational #shorts

  5. How to Give a Good Presentation

  6. delivery of presentation || delivery of presentation skills

COMMENTS

  1. What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

    Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired...

  2. How to Deliver Effective Presentations: 15 Steps (with Pictures)

    [1] Deliver your summary to them in friendly, direct language, as if you were telling the story to a friend in a bar. In fact, you can tell the story to a friend in a bar. However, telling a colleague over coffee can work just as well. Get them to tell you what their takeaway was. If they can summarize your message accurately, that's a good sign. 2

  3. Tips for creating and delivering an effective presentation

    Tips for creating and delivering an effective presentation - Microsoft Support Tips for creating and delivering an effective presentation PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac More... In this article Creating an effective presentation Delivering an effective presentation Tips for creating an effective presentation

  4. 21 Ways To Improve Your Presentation Skills

    Bailey Maybray Published: April 07, 2023 You know the feeling of sitting through a boring presentation. A text distracts you. A noise outside pulls your gaze. Your dog begs for attention. By the time the presentation ends, you question why you needed to sit and listen in the first place.

  5. Eight Tips For Delivering A Great Presentation

    The following are eight critical points that can help you ensure that your presentations are as effective as possible and deliver on your presentation goals. 1. Control Your Modulation. Your voice ...

  6. Delivering Great Presentations

    Yes. That is how most presentations are delivered, but that doesn't mean that's the most effective way to deliver them. This kind of presentation risks boring your audience to the point where they start wishing for a fire alarm to go off so they can escape. And once you lose someone, it is next to impossible to bring her attention back.

  7. Subject Guides: Essential Study Skills: Delivering Presentations

    Tips for Delivering a Good Presentation Be aware of your non-verbal communication. Use body language that shows CONFIDENCE! Have good posture Smile and act relaxed. It will make you look and feel more confident. Make eye contact with your audience instead of reading off your notes the entire time.

  8. Complete Guide for Effective Presentations, with Examples

    Tips for an Effective Presentation. Professional public speakers spend hours creating and practicing presentations. These are the delivery techniques they consider: Keep it simple. You shouldn't overwhelm your audience with information - ensure that you're clear, concise and that you get to the point so they can understand your message.

  9. What Are Effective Presentation Skills (and How to Improve Them)

    Presentation skills are the abilities and qualities necessary for creating and delivering a compelling presentation that effectively communicates information and ideas. They encompass what you say, how you structure it, and the materials you include to support what you say, such as slides, videos, or images. You'll make presentations at various ...

  10. 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.

  11. Delivering the Presentation

    Smile Be pleasant and smile when you stand in front of an audience so it makes the audience feel comfortable listening to you. Don't eat or chew gum Do not chew gum or eat during your presentation. You may drink water or other allowed beverages during the presentation. Take a deep breath

  12. How to Make an Effective Presentation (Guide, Tips & Examples)

    1. Choose the topic of your presentation. Choosing the topic of your presentation is arguably one of the most important parts of presentation creation. If you're a student looking for presentation topics, check out our list of 150+ presentation topic ideas covering various subjects to find something you like.

  13. How to Deliver the Perfect Online Presentation

    Here you'll learn some tricks on how to deliver the perfect online presentation. 9 tips for making effective online presentations. There are many things on online presentations that work similarly to live ones. However, there are also extra aspects to take into account to make sure you deliver the best possible online presentation. 1.

  14. 13 Tips for Delivering a Memorable Presentation

    1. Take Time to Prepare Regardless of the type of presentation, don't wait until the last minute to start preparing. As soon as you know you will be presenting or attending a meeting that requires more informal presenting, start thinking about the content of your presentation. 2. Research Your Audience

  15. Delivery Tips

    (1) Start strong You've heard it before: First impressions are powerful. Believe it. The first 2-3 minutes of the presentation are the most important. The audience wants to like you and they will give you a few minutes at the beginning to engage them — don't miss the opportunity.

  16. How to Give a Good Presentation: 10 Tips

    Here are five presentation tips to help you create a strong presentation and wow your audience: 1. Keep it simple. Simple means something different to everyone. Before creating your presentation, take note of your intended audience and their knowledge level of your subject. You'll want your content to be easy for your intended audience to follow.

  17. 10 Tips for Giving a Great Presentation to an 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. This helps ensure your presentation is clear, crisp and to the point.

  18. Top Tips for Effective Presentations

    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.

  19. A Few Tips on Giving Presentations

    The presentation was on a theoretical textbook, around 250-300 pages, and my presentation had to be less than 10 minutes. Besides being up until 1 AM the night before planning the presentation, this was one of the first times I was asked to simplify a great deal of complex information into a 10-minute presentation.

  20. 5 Tips for a Winning Client Presentation

    Here are a few tips on how to convert your presentation into a marketing funnel: Build your narrative using a compelling story to hook the audience; Don't overload the prospect with tons of information; Ensure your presentation is to the point, and avoid beating around the bush;

  21. PPT

    Download Download Presentation >> Dena Ringold , Senior Economist, The World Bank APPAM - Moscow June 28, 2011. Aug 09, 2014. 180 likes | 331 Views . Making Services Work : Indicators, Assessments and Benchmarking of Governance in Health and Education. Dena Ringold , Senior Economist, The World Bank APPAM - Moscow June 28, 2011.

  22. Man dies after being struck by car in Petersfield

    A man has died after being struck by a car in Hampshire. The crash happened in Winchester Road, Petersfield, shortly before 23:00 GMT on Friday. Hampshire Constabulary said the pedestrian, a man ...

  23. Presentation 1st Moscow project

    On November 23, 2018, during the 5th Eurasian Economic Congress as part of the "Clever city" section the concept of the first Moscow project - "SkyWay techno...

  24. CBS Sports' presentation of Super Bowl LVIII most-watched telecast in

    CBS Sports' coverage of Super Bowl LVIII, which featured the Kansas City Chiefs' 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers, delivered the most-watched telecast in history with a total ...

  25. presenting across cultures

    Latest Articles. Mastering the human communication dance, presenting across cultures, communicating clearly across cultures, where to start, read an extract from the dance of opin

  26. Tips on how to enjoy Moscow (HONEST VLOG)

    How to enjoy Moscow? Here are few travel tips that might help you prepare for your trip.Part 2 of our adventure, check out the first episode here:https://you...