How can you ensure presentations are effective?

1 Know your audience

Before you start working on your presentation, you need to understand who you are presenting to, what they expect, and what they need. Knowing your audience will help you tailor your content, tone, and style to suit their preferences and goals. For example, if you are presenting to a technical audience, you may want to use more data, charts, and jargon, while if you are presenting to a general audience, you may want to use more stories, images, and simple language.

2 Plan your structure

A good presentation has a clear and logical structure that guides the audience through your main points, arguments, and conclusions. A common structure is to follow the PEEC model: Preview, Explain, Evidence, and Conclusion. Preview your topic and objectives at the beginning, explain your key points and arguments in the body, provide evidence to support your claims, and conclude with a summary and a call to action. You can also use transitions, signposts, and headings to help the audience follow your flow.

3 Design your slides

Your slides are not your presentation, they are your visual aids. They should complement your verbal delivery, not distract or overwhelm it. Therefore, you should design your slides with simplicity, clarity, and consistency in mind. Use minimal text, relevant images, and contrasting colors to highlight your main messages. Avoid clutter, animation, and unnecessary details that may confuse or bore the audience. Use a standard font, size, and layout to create a professional and coherent look.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?