some good ideas for a presentation

120 Presentation Topic Ideas Help You Hook Your Audience

Updated: August 15, 2024

Published: August 09, 2023

Cooking is easy. The puzzle is figuring out what to eat. As soon as you know that, you can get started. The same holds for presentations. The sooner you can whip up a good, informative, and catchy topic, the easier the rest of the process becomes.

man presents presentation topics to a group

Pick a good topic that resonates with you and your audience to set a strong foundation. But select the wrong topic, and it becomes difficult to connect with your audience, find mutual interests, or hold their attention.

So, let’s learn how to develop thought-provoking and relevant topics for your presentations. You’ll also find some best practices to make your presentation memorable.

Free Presentation & Public Speaking Kit

Everything you need to become more comfortable and effective during your next presentation, including:

Free Guide on Best Practices
PowerPoint Presentation Templates
Video Examples of Great Speakers

Table of Contents

How to Choose a Great Presentation Topic in 5 Steps

120 presentation topic ideas, 5 presentation tips.

How to Choose a Great Presentation Topic. Be novel. Begin with the end in mind.

4. Choose an appropriate presentation style.

There are many ways to present a topic. Your personality, the topic at hand, and your audience’s personas will help you determine which style would best fit you and your audience.

Select a presentation style that will communicate the main idea clearly and have a lasting impact on your audience.

For instance, explore a freeform style presenter by Sir Ken Robinson.

5. Engage with your audience.

Work on your presentation skills to make a strong connection with your audience, get through to them and leave a mark.

Think of the presenter as the link between the topic and the audience. A strong or a weak presenter can make a difference between a presentation being a thriving success or a boring failure.

Hone your skills by engaging and interacting with your audience. Make them feel like a part of the presentation and not just spectators. 70% of marketers have found presentations with interactive content to be more effective than those without.

Here are a few ways you can make your presentation interactive:

Start your speech with uncommon questions to your audience. Involve them from the get-go, like ask to raise their hands if X.
Make eye contact to build credibility and show confidence. Don’t stare at your slides or notes. Smile occasionally and talk to the audience directly.
Have an active and confident body language. Don’t stand in the same place the entire time. Move around the stage.
Don’t be monotonous. Speak as you would to a colleague — with enthusiasm.
Ask close-ended questions in between to keep the audience engaged without losing time. Address them using their names to keep things interesting.
Share personal experiences and stories that your audience will find fascinating and relatable.
Practice thoroughly before you present so you’re fluent with the material and delivery.
Energy and excitement can be quite contagious. Make sure you exude enough to spread some to your audience.

Feeling Inspired Yet?

Now you have all the right ingredients for choosing amazing topics and a hundred ideas to drive inspiration from. So, go ahead and start cooking presentations that will blow your audience away.

Don’t forget to choose a super-relevant topic and add meaty information. Do it with excitement to make it enjoyable for you and your audience. Best of luck!

Don't forget to share this post!

How to Create an Infographic in Under an Hour — the 2024 Guide [+ Free Templates]

20 Great Examples of PowerPoint Presentation Design [+ Templates]

How to Create the Best PowerPoint Presentations [Examples & Templates]

17 PowerPoint Presentation Tips From Pro Presenters [+ Templates]

How to Write an Ecommerce Business Plan [Examples & Template]

Get Buyers to Do What You Want: The Power of Temptation Bundling in Sales

How to Create an Engaging 5-Minute Presentation

How to Start a Presentation [+ Examples]

The Presenter's Guide to Nailing Your Next PowerPoint

How to Create a Stunning Presentation Cover Page [+ Examples]

Everything you need to become a strong public speaker, including a guide on crafting compelling presentations.

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

Video Editing
Animation Tips
Website Tips

100+ Creative Presentation Ideas You Can Steal Today

Renderforest Staff

20 Aug 2023

11 min read

100+ Creative Presentation Ideas You Can Steal Today

Have you ever struggled with forcing yourself to stay awake during a presentation? Don’t worry, you are not alone.

In essence, a presentation is nothing but sharing ideas with others. Whether you intrigue and interest your audience or not depends on how interesting the topic is and how well you present it.

Whether you plan on making a PowerPoint presentation with neatly designed slides or a video presentation with dynamic transitions, you first need creative presentation ideas.

That’s why we’ve created a comprehensive list of the most captivating and creative presentation ideas you can put to use. We have separated them into three main categories to make things easier for you.

Let’s dive right in!

Business and Management Presentation Ideas

Education presentation ideas, general presentation ideas.

In business, presenting information and complex ideas in an easy-to-digest manner is crucial. If you already have a presentation idea, you only need to find a presentation template to bring it to life. But if you’re still looking for creative presentation ideas, read the list we’ve prepared below.

Corporate Presentation : Have you ever wondered what the best way is to build and communicate your company’s identity? Corporate presentations are great for promoting your brand, services, and products by simply talking about them.
Company Profiling : Introduce your team. Who are you? What are you passionate about? Your audience is interested to know more about your team members.
Company Story : What can strengthen the ties between you and your audience better than a compelling success story told through creative presentations?

Use Template

Product Promos : Create a buzz around your new product with an engaging promo presentation.
Sales Pitch : Close that sale you’ve worked so hard for with a well-built sales presentation.
Office Tour : Present the cool interior design of your office. Show your favorite spots where you like to wind down with a cup of coffee or, hey, maybe a beer.
Product Features : Does your product have interesting features that not everyone knows about? Make a detailed presentation on all the hidden features of your product. Use images and videos to explain how everything functions.
Fundamental Principles : Choose a general topic in Business and Management and discuss it through your creative presentation. Here’s an idea: “Fundamental Principles of Strategic Planning.” Could be a great prompt to start with, right?
Best Strategies: Be it marketing, financial, or any other type of strategy, an overview of the best strategies can make for informative and useful presentation content.
Industry Introduction : Make a presentation about the industry your business operates. Use strong visuals to complement your content and introduce your industry in the best light possible.
Comparing Tactics : Make a presentation reflecting on and comparing various tactics.
Calculated Risks : We are all worried about possible risks when taking action. Risks are unavoidable. It’s a great idea to prepare your audience for the risks before they come across them. There is a multitude of ways to do it through creative presentations. Cover “Risks in Investing,” “Risks Associated With Trading Derivatives,” and so forth.
Advantages and Disadvantages : One never comes without the other. Introduce your team to the pros and cons of your plans, actions, and anything else you consider important.

Advantages and disadvantages presentation slide

USE TEMPLATE

Debates : Make your presentation even more interactive by involving the audience in debates. Plus, debates and discussions are always helpful in establishing a better understanding of a topic.
SWOT Analysis : You can never go wrong with a proper analysis of business strategies, marketing plans, and more. So consider making an analysis presentation to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of a specific business strategy.
Portfolio Presentation : Showcase your best projects and works. Why should anyone be interested in you if they haven’t seen your work? Presenting your best projects in a compelling and attractive format will increase your reputation quickly.
Current Trends : What are the current trends in business and management. Always keep an eye on them to stay one step ahead of your competitors.
Challenges : Who doesn’t agree that challenges are tough? Making a creative presentation on challenges and the ways that you have overcome them will help you keep track of your development and also prepare for the future.
Reporting Progress : Why don’t you make weekly or monthly presentations on your performance, such as financial statements? Measuring and reporting your performance will smooth your path toward your goals.
Customer Testimonials : Present your customers’ responses and feedback on your product/service to see what steps you need to take to improve your offerings.
Profiles of Successful People : Encourage your team by introducing them to the experiences and achievements of successful people.
Tips and Tricks : If you want to cheer your audience up, provide them with hacks and tricks to deal with certain issues. This can include technical tricks and some tips on teamwork, for example.

Rules and Regulations : What are some of the rules that your company never breaks? Discuss the rules and regulations that apply to your team.
Top Criteria : Selecting a new quality management system is not easy, is it? Introducing the top criteria for a specific task can be a great presentation topic. How about making a presentation on “Top Criteria for Selecting a New Quality Management System?”
Product Development Process : Sometimes, we are interested to see how a product was created. Showcase the development process of your product through a presentation.
Most Effective Ways : It’s always good to be introduced not only to what to do but also to how to do it. So make a presentation on the best ways of conducting surveys, research, or anything else.

Product development guidelines slide example

Success Factors : This is something all of us are interested in. Introduce the success factors in different areas such as managing successful teams or product design tips.
Cause and Effect : This simple and informative presentation structure will be ideal to dive deeper into the intricate world of cause and effect.
Past vs. Present vs. Future : Growth will become more visible and obvious once you start comparing what you had before to what you have now. This can turn into a great summary of the major changes within a certain time period.
Comparisons : Compare different products/services. It’s a good strategy that will help you emphasize the good and the bad sides of a particular thing.
Positive and Negative Effects : It’s always important to show the two sides of a coin. Consider presenting the positive and negative effects of a certain thing. For example, the positive and negative effects of social media is a debated topic nowadays. Pick your topic and reveal it from both perspectives.
Problem-Solution Presentation : Identify a relevant problem. A great presentation format would be to introduce not only the complicated problem but its solution as well.
Training : Your presentation can become a training session. You can organize a theoretical part and add a practical portion, too, like quizzes and discussions.
Graphs and Charts : One of the best ways to introduce your info is through statistical graphs and charts, combining survey and observational data. You can use visual animated scenes and infographics.

Popular Misconceptions : People are often mistakenly drawn from one end to another due to inaccurate data. Help your audience avoid misunderstandings about entrepreneurs, investors, and business management in general. Your presentation will guide them in the right direction, drawing the line between truth and lie.
Introduction to Business Topics : No matter the topic, it’s always useful to present basic ideas. Keep it short and clear. This can include an introduction to income statements, or any other important business concept.
Stages of a Process : Don’t leave your audience confused with theory but let them see the practical stages of how things are accomplished. (e.g., “The Stages of User Journey”)

Management : How do you efficiently manage a business? You can prepare dozens of presentations on management: be it resources, public relations, time, money, or anything else.
Competitor Analysis : Know your enemy! You’ve probably heard the famous saying, haven’t you? Track down your competitors and share the info with your team.
Appreciation : This presentation should be devoted to the team members who have done an exceptional job.
Unknown Facts : Pick a topic and reveal facts that are unknown to most people. What are some of the interesting and truthful facts that they don’t know about branding?

Restrictions : No matter what business you have, restrictions are guaranteed. Make a presentation on the restrictions and limitations you face. (e.g. “Restrictions in Integrated Web Design”)
Big Breakthroughs : Want to feel proud of yourself and your team? Here is how you can do it: Reveal some cases when you have successfully overcome the toughest of obstacles and learned lessons as a result. Talk about the long path you have been on with your company.
Partners and Investors : Tell about your partners. Give info about investors. Cooperation is way more successful when team members are acquainted with the investors. Your presentation can have a strong influence on the performance of your team.
Business Ethics : As a significant part of business, it’s important to understand ethics. How about “Ethics in Marketing Research?” There are countless ethical issues.
Theories : Gather some of the most important theories that you find useful and prepare a good presentation with examples and visuals.
Product/Service Improvement : A briefing like this might include a recap of your product or service or a discussion of any possible improvement before the product is ready for the market.
The Rise and Fall of Brands : Don’t avoid talking about the failures and successes of other brands. Doing so can help you with your own journey.
Upcoming or Recent Events : Talk about exciting events that you are planning to organize or already have. For upcoming events, you can make a welcoming presentation, announcing the date and venue. Check out an example below:

Inspiration : Get ready to give a professional and motivational talk to inspire your audience to take action towards targeted goals.
Explain Business Concepts : How does a certain idea or concept work? Give a specific and clear presentation on the concepts that not everyone is familiar with. How does a franchise work? How do partnerships work?
QA Presentation : Assure that your audience knows that your product/service is of the best quality.
Announcements : Is there a cool and intriguing event that’s coming? Give an announcement through your presentation. It can be short and clear, covering all the key points.
Discovery, Invention, Innovation : Share the most interesting discoveries and recent innovations in the business world.
How-to Presentations : If you are skilled at something, then you can make a presentation to guide others. Present a step-by-step guide for a specific task, such as conducting surveys or managing conflicts.

Whether it’s a school project or an online class presentation, you need to make it attractive and engaging. So, choose the topic wisely. Below are some education presentation ideas you can use for your next project.

Academic Presentation : If you want to educate and share info, then academic presentations with supporting visuals, presentation slides, and videos are what you need.
Explainer : Explainers are a powerful way of sharing essential information. You can make short and engaging explainer videos to include in your presentations.

Pros and Cons : Make a presentation explaining both pros and cons of a certain issue at stake.
Best Methods : Talk about various effective methods, be it methods of teaching, learning, or preparing for an exam.
Dos and Don’ts of Making Presentations : You can make a whole presentation just talking about presentation best practices . Separate what’s recommended and what’s not and then present those to your audience in a simple way.
Guidelines : Present the most effective guidelines for teaching, studying, and co-working.
Personal Experience : What can be more helpful for an audience than to learn from someone’s real-life experience? Make a presentation on your personal experience and share your most valuable insights.
Quiz-Presentation : Test your students. Make a presentation quizzing their knowledge and competence in a certain field. Why presentation? Because it’s both visually and technically effective.
Research : An attractive slideshow is one of the best ways to present your research. Try working on a visual and multimedia presentation to showcase the whole potential of your research in a visually appealing format.
Problem-Solving : Decide on an issue and prepare a set of solutions to offer. Don’t leave any questions uncovered. If a problem exists, so does its solution.
Project Proposal : How are you planning to get approval for your projects if you don’t propose the main idea and expected outcomes in a professional way? Give your project a classy presentation with this Minimal Titles Pack .

Listing Presentation : Lists always work when you have big sorted data to introduce to your audience.
Controversial Topics : Attract your audience’s attention and keep them engaged with a controversial slide deck. Bring forward debatable issues such as euthanasia, AI, and more. Let your audience join you or argue against you.
Textbook Presentation : Introduce a textbook in a creative way through interesting visuals and supporting multimedia.
Curriculum : What if presentations are the best way of getting your audience acquainted with a curriculum. Alternatively, you can make your next presentation about how to develop a well-organized curriculum.
Dissertation : Prepare a presentation for your dissertation. But keep in mind that it has to be accompanied by proper supportive media.
Predictions Presentation : What will happen next? It’s fun to predict, isn’t it?
Instructions : Do you like giving instructions? Sometimes that’s what you need to do. Structure your presentation in a how-to format, giving instructions for certain actions, like “How to Work Out the Best Schedule?”
Precautions : Prepare your audience for the worst and hope for the best. Make a presentation on a set of warnings.
Case Studies : What’s the best way of demonstrating your case study? A multimedia presentation can be the answer.
Tricks and Hacks : Tips and tricks are always appreciated by your audience. Create an informative presentation on studying tips, time management tips, or anything else you might find interesting.
Success Stories : We are always eager to hear success stories. Why? Because they motivate us to move forward with hope for what’s to come. So, make a presentation, telling success stories to motivate teachers, learners, and everyone else.
Fact or Fiction : Draw a line between truth and lie, fact and fiction. Bust some myths about a topic of your choice to educate your listeners.
Data Analysis : Is a presentation the right place to start with data analysis? Not really. But once you have analyzed your data, showcase it in your presentation, demonstrating your analysis through charts and graphs.
Techniques : What kind of techniques can you cover? How about “Techniques for Memory Improvement,” or “ Teaching Techniques ?” You can make up a number of similar topics to share.
Recent Advancements : Share the recent advancement in the field of education. What are some of the newest teaching methods? What advanced methods do we need to implement to make the learning process more effective?
Steps in the Process : What are the best steps to take towards certain goals? Each path is different and thus requires different steps.
Interesting Facts : Gather a set of creative ideas and facts to cover in your presentations.

Presentations, Graphics, Videos, and more

with Renderforest All-In-One Branding Platform.

How to make an AI animation in 4 steps

13 min read

05 Sep 2024

11 best examples of product videos

13 great examples of corporate videos

10 Presentation Ideas That Will Radically Improve Your Presentation Skills

No matter the audience size, great presentation skills are vital. Here are my 10 favorite presentation ideas so you can level-up your presentation skills.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

Need a few presentation ideas to make your presentation great? A good presentation needs to be engaging, memorable, and impactful.

Whether you’re speaking to 10 people or 10,000 people, you need to have sparks. Here are my 10 favorite presentation ideas you can try to level-up your presentation skills.

Use this step-by-step guide to get your message across clearly and confidently, with some presentation ideas you might not have heard before.

How to Prepare for a Presentation

Let’s start with your presentation preparation. Writing, brainstorming, researching, and organizing your presentation is key.

Save the best for last (and first)

The very first thing you should do when preparing for a presentation is to write down all of your ideas, points, examples, and case studies. I highly recommend using flashcards, but you also can use slides. Put one idea per slide or card. This will make it easy to move your presentation ideas around.

Next, you have to put your presentation ideas in the correct order. Many presenters make the mistake of going chronologically, burying their most important points in the middle of a presentation. This is a mistake!

Most of us remember the first and last parts of a presentation the most.

This is the serial-position effect – the tendency of people to remember the first and last items in a series the most clearly.

Presentation Mistake: Starting off with something too basic, such as background or foundational information, before you get into the heart of your presentation. A slow start means a bad first impression and a less memorable message overall.

A strong start and end has marked every important speech throughout history.

Here is Martin Luther King’s powerful opening line from his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech:

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Here are the inspiring closing words of Malala Yousafzai’s address to the United Nations:

One child, one teacher, one pen, and one book can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education First.

How to start a presentation:

Always start a presentation with an interesting hook or captivating message . Look at all of your presentation ideas and pick out your strongest points. Here are some ideas on how to start your presentation:

Do you have a sparkling one-liner or question to hook people in?
Do you have a captivating story you can kick-off with?
Can you make people laugh?
Do you have an interesting fact that will make people curious about what you are going to say next?

How to end a presentation:

One of the best presentation ideas is to always end a presentation with the one take-away you want people to remember.

What’s your big idea?
What’s an action step you want your audience to take?
What’s the most important point you want your audience to remember?
Can you express gratitude to your audience?

Re-organize your cards so you start on a high and end on an important take-away. You will notice in my TEDx talk I start with an interesting, funny one-liner about myself and end with a powerful take-away and audience compliment:

Get even more public speaking tips with our related resources:

How to Start a Speech: The Best (and Worst) Speech Openers
6 Public Speaking Apps to try Before Your Next Presentation
My Top 5 Favorite Public Speakers
15 Science-Based Public Speaking Tips To Become a Master Speaker
How to Give Captivating Presentations
How to Give an Awesome Toast

Change Modalities

Studies by educational researchers suggest that up to 83 percent of human learning occurs visually, while the Social Science Research Network reports that 65 percent of people are visual learners.

Presentation Mistake: Delivering your entire presentation in one modality — all spoken, with very few visual or interactive elements.

People usually only retain 10 perecent of the information they receive in an oral presentation – when it’s just someone talking at them – but 65 percent from a presentation that includes visuals.

Think about how you can incorporate graphs, photographs, or illustrations as visual aids to demonstrate your point and support your main message.

Have you heard the cliche ‘Show, don’t tell’? Think about how you can illustrate some of your main points or ideas with different modalities. Every modality is a different way to explain your point. Modality ideas:

How can you explain your concept with words?
Is there a graphic that can help support your point?
What visual would help someone understand your idea?
Is there a video example you can show?
Can you demo your concepts?
Can you ask your audience members to try out, discuss, or brainstorm a concept from your presentation?

It’s also important to try to avoid putting huge chunks of unbroken text up on the screen like it’s a Star Wars prologue, or going through large portions of your presentation without refreshing your visuals.

Create Interactivity

One of the best ways to improve your presentation skills is involving your audience in interesting and unique ways. Most presenters think about the audience as listeners and forget they can be a critical part of your success as a presenter.

Presentation Mistake: Your audience members should not be passive listeners. They should be active partners in getting your message across.

It is estimated the average person’s attention span starts drifting within minutes of a presentation beginning The best way to keep your audience engaged is to involve them!

You can involve your audience in numerous ways. Here are a few ideas:

Icebreakers. If you have a group that wants to get to know each other, or you want to loosen up your audience, try starting off with a non-awkward icebreaker .
‘Raise your hand’ questions. A great way to take the audience’s temperature is asking a simple yes or no question and having people raise their hands. This is a nice easy one for introverts because people can stay in their seats.
‘Table’ questions. If your participants are sitting at tables, or easily can get into small groups, assign a question or idea and have the small groups host discussions.
Social media voting. You can ask people to hop onto a social media hashtag or use vote texting to poll the audience.
Partner brainstorms. I frequently ask my audiences to partner up and discuss an idea, role play, or practice something. You also can assign a conversation starter to help people get to know each other.
Role playing. If you need to demo something, consider having audience members come up to role play an idea.
Question & answers. The simplest and most common kind of interaction is a simple question and answer session. These can be done during a presentation, after or before a break, or at the very end.
Audience case studies. One great way to demonstrate a concept is having someone from the audience come up to be a case study. I sometimes do this during my body language presentations . I have someone come up to give their elevator pitch and we fix their body language so the group can see.

A great example of interactivity comes from game designer Jane McGonigal, who involves her audience in her new app by getting them to do some low-key aerobics at around 12:41 – 14:07 in her TED Talk.

The more fun and unique the interactivity, the better!

Get a public speaking role model

Sometimes it helps to look at other amazing presenters and learn from them. I constantly am looking for great public speakers.

I think everyone should have a public speaking role model. This is someone who speaks like you — with your energy, your pace, your desired presence. For example, I speak very conversationally, but also love quoting science. Brené Brown is one of my public speaking role models.

Here are 5 of my favorite public speakers who might inspire you as well:

How to Design Presentation Slides

Design really matters when it comes to a presentation. Think about your key message. — Are you empowering people to be more confident? Are you selling a fantastic new product? Are you pitching an idea to a panel of judges? Use your key message to guide your design decisions.

Get Creative with Color

How would you feel if your entire bedroom was painted luminous pink? Or if hospital gowns were black? It is likely these color choices would make you feel a bit uncomfortable. According to various studies , this is because people associate certain colors with certain environments and moods.

Incorporating this interesting aspect of psychology in your presentations can help express your message by using color as an emotional cue.

Presentation Mistake: Not aligning colors with your message.

Here is a simple breakdown of colors and their meanings:

Different colors chart for presentation ideas

Here are some ways you can use color in your presentation:

Is your niche associated with a certain color scheme? For example, medical typically is associated with white (think white lab coat). The environment typically is associated with green. Can you match your industry OR do you want your product/idea/service to be associated with a certain industry? For example, if you are presenting on architecture and how you can be more green in your building materials, you can use green to subtly associate your content with the environment.
Color intensity should match your energy. If you feel bold and strong, you should use bold and strong colors. Light or neutral colors are more muted and less intense. Use the color intensity to match your intensity.
Use a color theory. If you really want to go crazy on color, I highly recommend diving into color strategy resources for how to choose colors that complement each other.

No matter what colors you use, be sure you are consistent! Unless your presentation is about rainbows — don’t use all the colors of the rainbow.

Fonts Matter

Just like colors, people also are influenced by typography . Consider how you want to come across to your audience, and choose a font based on this message.

A traditional serif font works great for authoritative presentations, such as pitches or presenting your findings from a scientific study at a conference . Typography is so influential to an audience that research suggests people are more likely to agree with sentences that are written in Baskerville.

On the other hand, an elegant script font is more friendly, which works best for more informal presentations.

No presentation can be improved by Comic Sans under any circumstances.

A chart of different fonts. The use of different fonts can change the way people view your presentation ideas.

Think about how your message, tone, and theme could be improved by your font choices. Again, remember to be consistent – don’t change your fonts from slide to slide!

All kinds of apps can help you prep for your presentation. From practicing to tempo to getting rid of “ums”.

Here are 6 of my favorite public speaking apps :

How to Deliver with Exceptional Presentation Skills

So, you’ve written the perfect talk and designed your slides magnificently. Now comes the tricky bit – actually standing in front of an audience, and delivering your presentation. Here are some of the best ways to make sure it goes without a hitch.

Don’t Over Rehearse

When you’re anxious about a presentation, it can be tempting to just read a script, memorize your lines, and get off stage as soon as possible. However, this can kill your vocal charisma! Monotonous speaking is one of the fastest ways to disengage your audience. The best way to keep someone listening is by using vocal variety.

A study analyzing 100,000 presentations revealed that just a 10 percent increase in vocal variety can greatly impact your audience’s attention!

Presentation Mistake: We are very good at vocal variety in conversation, but once we hit the stage we can sometimes over formalize our speech or sound too rehearsed.

How can you add vocal variety? Try these ideas:

As you practice your presentation, experiment with pitch, volume, and speed. Try including some dramatic pauses, or slowing down the most important messages and emphasizing the key words.
Warm-up your voice with some of my favorite vocal warm-ups :

One of the best ways to do this is to inject emotion into your presentation . Studies have shown that emotions capture an audience’s attention. Reflect the emotions of your story by using pitch, volume, and speed to express yourself.
A great way you can try for vocal variety is pretending you are speaking to an old friend. It’s as if you are having a conversation from the stage.

Quantum physicist Professor Jim Al-Khalili is an incredible example of an animated and energetic presenter. Between 2:12 and 3:15, he speeds up with excitement and enthusiasm when he talks about the importance of artificial intelligence. Then slows to a more considered pace to drive home his main message in the sentences following.

Work the Stage

Most presenters completely forget about the stage or the space where they present. Use of space can be a great and unique way to emphasize parts of your presentation.

Most people don’t realize that the way we command our use of space can signal our perceptions and mindsets.

If you command your stage, it looks like you have command of your material.

Our use of space and contexts is often a reflection of our inner thoughts and moods. And this is directly related to the audience’s perception of how well you know your content. Even if you know your content well, if you don’t know how to use the space, this can signal low competence or low confidence in your work.

For example, if a speaker enters the stage, goes behind the podium and stands small and tight, this can signal to the audience that the speaker thinks or feels nervous or closed-off. On the other hand, if a speaker enters the stage with no notes, open body language and works the entire space, it signals to the viewer that this speaker feels comfortable and this translates to comfort with the content.

In People School I offer a full tutorial of how to work a stage . See a sneak preview here:

End With an Exhale

This might seem like a silly presentation trick, but it is a tiny cue that goes a long way.

The exhale.

When we exhale it does three important things:

It forces us to pause, which creates drama and helps us add more vocal variety when we continue.
It encourages us to breathe and brings in more oxygen, which helps us think and speak more clearly.
It relaxes our vocal chords so we can speak with more resonance.

When it comes to presentations most people think about what they want to deliver, not how they want to deliver it. How you deliver your message is just as important.

It’s important for you to find your maximum resonance point. Here is a full tutorial:

Harnessing the power of the exhale is also a great way to stop yourself from peppering your presentation with ‘um’ and ‘er’. It takes some practice, but i f you can end your sentences on a complete exhalation, it will stop you from rambling.

The exhale also creates a natural pause for you to gather your next thought. It might sound difficult, but you can practice the exhale by reading out loud and paying attention to your breathing. Print out a script of your speech and add a highlight when you want to take a large exhale.

Bonus: 15 Science-Backed Presentation Skills

These presentation ideas will help make your presentation great — but they are just the start. Read our full guide for 15 science-backed public speaking tips to really be an expert-level speaker.

With these tips in mind, take another look at your presentation. Identify the weakest points, practice until it feels natural, and make these habits second nature. Every time you do your presentation, you will feel stronger and more confident .

You got this!

Popular Guides

How to deal with difficult people at work.

Do you have a difficult boss? Colleague? Client? Learn how to transform your difficult relationship. I’ll show you my science-based approach to building a strong, productive relationship with even the most difficult people.

Science of People offers over 1000+ articles on people skills and nonverbal behavior.

Get our latest insights and advice delivered to your inbox.

It’s a privilege to be in your inbox. We promise only to send the good stuff.

🧠 Be More Memorable With These 5 Simple Cues. New LIVE Training Coming 9/23. 🚨

My Speech Class

Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

23 Best Presentation Ideas, Tips & Examples

Amanda Green was born in a small town in the west of Scotland, where everyone knows everyone. I joined the Toastmasters 15 years ago, and I served in nearly every office in the club since then. I love helping others gain confidence and skills they can apply in every day life.

Are you getting ready to give a presentation? Whether you’re a first-time presenter or an experienced pro, getting some ideas and tips can be helpful. As an author, I’ve prepared and given dozens of presentations over the years, and I learned a few things.

This list will share some of my favorite presentation ideas, plus examples from real-world presentations. I hope you find these tips helpful as you prepare for your next presentation!

Presentations in a Nutshell

Make sure your slide presentation is well-organized and visually appealing. Avoid using too much text or overcrowding your slides. Instead, use graphics, images, and other creative elements to break up the text and add interest.

Practice your public speaking . This will help you to become more comfortable with the material and reduce the risk of nervousness or mistakes. Make eye contact, vary your vocal delivery, and use gestures to keep people interested.

Pro Tips for Making a Winning Presentation

These 23 tips are sure to help you make a winning presentation.

Use a Minimalist Presentation Theme

When preparing an engaging presentation, choosing a theme that will appeal to your audience and help you communicate your key points effectively is important.

Minimalist themes can be great for nice presentations as they help create a clean and professional look. Here are some of my tips for creating a winning minimalist presentation:

Can We Write Your Speech?

Get your audience blown away with help from a professional speechwriter. Free proofreading and copy-editing included.

Use a limited color palette: Stick to two or three colors throughout your presentation to create a cohesive look.
Use simple fonts: Choose fonts that are easy to read and avoid using too many different font styles.
Use plenty of white space: Use negative space to break up text and make the slides easy on the eye.
Keep it concise: Edit your slides down to the essential information and avoid adding unnecessary text or images.
Use bold fonts to underline key ideas: Highlight important information your audience should remember.
Use a white background: It doesn’t distract people from the text.

Use an Eye-Catching Presentation Background Image

A presentation is only as good as its content and delivery. However, the background image is often overlooked as an important presentation element. The right image can help to set the tone, convey information, and grab the audience’s attention. Here are a few tips for selecting an eye-catching background image:

First, consider the overall theme and message of your presentation. The background image should support the central ideas of your talk. For example, if you’re giving a presentation on environmental sustainability, an image of a pristine forest would be more appropriate than an urban skyline.

Second, pay attention to color and contrast. The background image should be high-contrast so it’s easy to see on a projector screen. Use complementary colors.

Finally, choose an image with interesting details. A busy or complex image can be distracting, but an image with interesting textures or patterns can help to add visual interest to your presentation.

Alternate the Slide Layouts and Keep Your Presentation Engaging

The slide layout is a key component of an engaging presentation. When deciding on a slide layout, it is important to consider the overall tone and message of the presentation. For example, a more serious presentation may benefit from a traditional layout with bullet points and concise text.

On the other hand, a more creative presentation may benefit from an unconventional layout that includes images and meaningful quotes.

Regardless of the chosen layout, it is important to use white space effectively and to limit the number of bullet points on each slide.

Supplement Your Presentation With Printed Materials

No matter how well you know your material, there’s always a risk that you’ll freeze up or blank out during a presentation. That’s why it’s good to have a backup plan. One way to do this is to supplement your presentation with printed materials.

This way, even if you get tongue-tied, you’ll still be able to provide your audience with the information they need. Plus, having printed materials on hand can help to add an element of professionalism to your presentation.

Use Just One Chart or Graphic Per Slide

When giving a presentation, remember that less is more. One way is by using only one chart or graphic per slide. Too often, presentations are cluttered with too much information, making it difficult for the audience to process everything.

Focusing on one key point per slide can help ensure your audience understands your message. In addition, using a limited number of visuals can also make your presentation more visually appealing and easier to follow.

Use Contrasting Colors When Comparing Two Perspectives or Sides of an Argument

It is essential to use colors effectively when designing a presentation. The wrong colors can make text difficult to read or cause slides to appear cluttered and busy. However, the right colors can help improve a presentation’s clarity and overall impact.

One effective way to use color is to contrast two different perspectives or sides of an argument. For example, suppose you presented a new policy’s benefits and drawbacks. In that case, you could use blue to represent the benefits and red to represent the drawbacks.

This color contrast would help to visually highlight the key points of each side of the argument. In addition, it would also create a more engaging and visually-appealing presentation.

Use Simple Shapes to Integrate Your Photos Into the Slides

An image is worth a million words, and this is definitely true when it comes to presentations. To really capture your audience’s attention, it is important to integrate photos into your slides effectively.

One pro tip is to use shapes to do this. By placing a photo inside of a shape, you can create a more visually appealing slide that will also help to focus the viewer’s attention on the key elements of the image. In addition, using shapes can also help to add interest and variety to your presentation.

So next time you need a way to make your photos pop, consider using shapes to integrate them into your slides.

Make Visuals the Main Point of Your Presentation Slides

No matter how well-written or well-rehearsed your presentation is, if your slides are cluttered, confusing, or just plain boring, you will not get the reaction from your audience that you want.

So, what makes a great visual presentation? First and foremost, your slides should be visually appealing.

Use high-quality images, visual elements, and graphics, and limit how much text is on each slide. Secondly, your visuals should be clear and easy to understand. Avoid using jargon or acronyms that your audience might not be familiar with.

Finally, make sure your visuals are properly aligned with your presentation content. Each slide should have a specific purpose and shouldn’t veer too far off-topic. By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your next presentation will wow your audience.

Summarize Your Points at the End

After hours of brainstorming, you’ve finally got your presentation nailed down. You know exactly what points you want to make, and you’re confident you can deliver a killer presentation. But before you get up in front of your audience, one more pro tip to keep in mind: always summarize your points at the end.

This will help to drive home the key takeaways from your presentation and ensure that your audience leaves with a clear understanding of your message.

To summarize effectively:

Start by briefly restating your main points.
Provide a brief overview of the evidence you presented supporting those points.
Finish with a call to action or a statement of what your audience will remember.

Present Any Connected Information in a Visually Similar Way

A successful presentation is engaging, informative, and visually appealing. To achieve this, it is important to connect related information in a visually similar way. Use colors to create associations between ideas. For example, you could use the same color for all the points in a particular section of your presentation.

This will help the audience to see the relationship between the points and remember the information more easily. Another way to connect related information is to use consistent font styles and imagery throughout your presentation. This will create a cohesive visual design that will help the audience to follow your argument more easily.

Condense Your Presentation Into a Memorable Line

While many factors contribute to a successful presentation, one of the most important is condensing your key points into a single, memorable line. A memorable line should be easy to understand and recall and capture the essence of your presentation in just a few words.

To create a memorable line for your next presentation, start by identifying the main point you want to communicate. Then, distill that point down to its essentials and express it in the clearest, simplest terms possible.

By crafting a well-designed and concise statement, you can ensure that your audience will remember your key points long after your presentation.

Use Simple or Minimalist Borders

Good design is about creating an impact with the least effort. The same principle applies to presentations. When it comes to borders, less is more (even with image frames).

Using simple or minimalist borders, you can create a clean and professional look that will effectively frame your content without overshadowing it. In addition, using fewer borders will give your presentation a more streamlined look, which can help to keep your audience focused on the most important elements.

Illustrate Complex or Confusing Concepts With Icons

In a fast-paced, constantly-connected world, getting your message across quickly and effectively can be difficult. That’s where icons come in. An icon is a simple image that conveys complex ideas or starts a difficult conversation.

Icons can be used in email marketing, website design, infographics, and pretty much anywhere else you need to communicate with your audience. And because they’re so easy to understand, they’re an ideal way to illustrate complex or confusing concepts.

Plan Your Presentation Idea Ahead of Time

Any good presentation starts with a solid plan. Knowing your audience, understanding your goal, and having a clear structure are all essential elements of a successful presentation. But before you can start planning, you need to come up with a great idea.

You might be tempted to wing it, but trust me – it’s worth taking the time to brainstorm ahead of time. By sitting down and coming up with a few different ideas, you’re more likely to find an approach that’s both creative and effective. And if you’re stuck, plenty of resources are out there to help you get started.

Use Memes (for Real, Though)

To make a winning presentation, you must engage your audience and speak to their interests. One of the best ways to do that is by using memes. Memes are a highly effective tool for emotional response and provide fun ways to present information; they’re like visual metaphors.

Just ensure that the memes you use are relevant to your topic and audience and that they don’t come across as too forced or unnatural. Done right, memes can help you connect with your audience and deliver a winning presentation.

Do the Math for Your Audience

When you’re crafting a presentation, it’s important to remember that not everyone in your audience will be an expert on your topic. Many people will likely be interested only in what you have to say. As a result, it’s important to ensure that your presentation is accessible to everyone.

One way is to use numbers and statistics sparingly. Instead of bombarding your audience with data, focus on providing key information that can be easily understood. You should also avoid using industry jargon or technical terms unless you’re certain everyone in the room will know what you’re talking about.

Give Your Presentation a Catchy Title That Anyone Can Remember

Beautiful presentations are only as good as their title. The title of your presentation is the very first thing that your audience will see, so it’s important to make sure that it’s catchy and memorable. Here are some of my tips to help you choose a winning title:

Keep it short and sweet

A title that’s too long or complicated will only confuse your audience and make them less likely to remember it. Stick to something simple and easy to remember.

Make it relevant

Your title should be directly related to the topic of your presentation. This will help people understand your presentation and make it more likely that they’ll recall it later.

Use keywords

Choose keywords that accurately describe your presentation and that people are likely to search for online. This will help make your presentation more visible and easier to find.

Be creative

Don’t hesitate to get creative with your title! A catchy, unique title is more likely to stick in people’s minds than a boring presentation title.

Split the Header Text From the Body Text

Keep in mind to split the header text from the body text. This will help to keep your audience focused on the most important information and make it easier for them to follow along.

Another helpful tip is to use high-contrast colors for your text and background. That’ll make it easier for people to read your slides, even if they are sitting in the back of the room. Finally, be sure to use simple, clear fonts that are easy to read.

Talk Directly to Your Audience

Rather than looking at the slides or reading from a script, make eye contact with individual members of the audience. This will help to engage them and hold their attention. Another important tip is to keep your presentation concise. No one wants to sit through a long, drawn-out speech, so focus on efficiently delivering the most important information.

Track the Steps in a Process

Making a winning presentation requires careful planning and execution. To start, you need to identify the goal of your presentation clearly. Are you selling a product, trying to raise awareness for a cause, or educating your audience about a certain topic?

Once you know the goal, you can start tracking the process steps. Creating an outline of your presentation will help you to organize your thoughts and ensure that your presentation flows smoothly.

Ask Your Audience Questions

Have you ever given a presentation that left your audience bored and unengaged? If so, you’re not alone. Many people need help to give effective presentations. However, there are some simple ways to make your presentations more engaging and memorable.

One pro tip is to ask your audience questions. This helps get them involved in the presentation and ensures that they pay attention. Asking questions also gives you a chance to gauge the audience’s level of understanding and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Show Off Your Credentials

Don’t just show off your presentation skills; brag about everything else, too! Whether you’re giving a presentation to potential clients or delivering a keynote speech, it’s important to establish your credibility upfront. One way to do this is by highlighting your relevant experience and expertise.

If you’re an experienced speaker, make sure to mention any previous talks or workshops you’ve given. If you have any relevant publications, list them as well. Any awards or recognition you’ve received can also help to boost your credibility.

Include Your Branding Throughout Your Presentation Ideas

Whether you’re giving a presentation to potential clients or your boss, you want to ensure that your presentation is on point. That means having great content and making sure that your branding is front and center.

Make sure your branding is included from the start. Your title slide should feature your company logo and colors. This helps to set the tone for the rest of the presentation and helps people to remember who you are.

Use branded templates. If you’re using PowerPoint or another presentation software, there’s no reason not to use templates that feature your company’s branding. This will help to keep your presentation looking professional and consistent throughout.

Incorporate your branding into the visuals you use. Whether you’re using photos, diagrams, or charts, try incorporating your company’s colors or logo in each visual. This will help people to associate your brand with the information they see.

Use branded giveaways. Consider giving away branded items like pens, notepads, or water bottles at the end of your presentation. This ensures people leave with something that will remind them of your company long after the presentation.

What Makes a Great Presentation?

It doesn’t matter what type of presentation you’re working with; captivating presentations all have the same formula. Whether you’re delivering a business presentation or teaching a class, certain elements can make your presentation more effective. A good presentation should be well-organized, clear, and concise.

It’s important to have a strong opening that grabs the audience’s attention and a clear structure they can follow.

You should also use appropriate language for your audience and avoid jargon or acronyms they might need help understanding.

Visuals are another key element of a great presentation, whether using PowerPoint slides or physical props. They can help to break up the text, highlight important points, and make the presentation more engaging.

What Are the Best Fonts Used by Most Graphic Designers?

Some of the fonts that are found in the arsenal of every graphic designer are:

Proxima Nova
Bickham Script Pro
Garamond Pro

Benefits of Having Interactive Components in Your Presentation

Making sure the entire presentation is engaging and interactive is sure to keep them hanging around until the end. Whether it’s a corporate presentation, an educational presentation, or just something simple for a small event, always keep these tips in mind.

More Engaging

One of the primary benefits of having interactive elements in your presentation is that it will be more engaging for your audience. Suppose your audience can participate in your presentation actively. In that case, they will be more likely to pay attention and retain the information you are presenting.

Additionally, interactive components can help to break up a long or dry presentation, keeping your audience interested and engaged.

Encourages Participation

Another benefit of having interactive components in your presentation is that it encourages participation from your audience. When people are actively involved in a presentation, they’re likely to ask questions and contribute to the discussion. This can help create a more dynamic and informative presentation as people are more likely to share their ideas and experiences.

Builds Rapport

Interactive components can also help you to build rapport with your audience. When you involve people in your presentation, they will feel you value their input and opinion. This can help to create a more positive relationship between you and your audience, making them listen and be receptive to your message.

Increases understanding

If done correctly, interactive components can also help increase understanding of the material you are presenting. When people are actively involved in learning, they are more likely to pay attention and retain information. Additionally, if people can apply what they are learning, they will be more likely to remember it in the future.

Helps People Connect

Interactive components can also help people connect during your presentation. People who work together on an activity or task will be more likely to interact and form connections. This can be beneficial if you are trying to promote networking or collaboration among your audience members.

The Bottom Line

I hope my creative presentation ideas helped you out! You can do so tons of things to make the best presentation design out there. Choose an eye-catching background image that supports the central ideas of the presentation. Alternate slide layouts to keep the presentation engaging. Supplement the presentation with printed materials. Wow, your audience with cool facts, stats, memes, charts, and branded giveaways.

16 Tips to Help You Write Like a Pro

6 Essay Outline Template and Examples

I accept the Privacy Policy

Reach out to us for sponsorship opportunities

Vivamus integer non suscipit taciti mus etiam at primis tempor sagittis euismod libero facilisi.

Innovative Presentation Ideas: Captivate Your Audience with Creative Approaches

Creating an engaging presentation requires more than just delivering information—it’s about capturing your audience's attention, making your message memorable, and encouraging interaction. To help you stand out and leave a lasting impression, here are some innovative presentation ideas that can elevate your content and captivate your audience.

1. Interactive Polls and Q&A Sessions

Engagement through interaction.

Integrating interactive elements such as live polls or Q&A sessions can significantly increase audience participation and engagement. These tools make your presentation more dynamic and allow you to tailor your content based on real-time feedback.

How to Implement:

Live Polls: Use platforms like Slido or Mentimeter to conduct live polls where the audience can vote on questions or provide opinions. Display the results immediately to spark discussions.
Q&A Sessions: Allocate time for a Q&A segment where the audience can ask questions. Consider using a tool that allows anonymous submissions to encourage more candid questions.

Scenario: During a marketing strategy presentation, start with a live poll asking the audience about their biggest marketing challenges. Use the poll results to shape the rest of your presentation, addressing the most common issues.

2. Storytelling with Visuals

Bring your message to life.

Storytelling is a powerful technique for making your presentation memorable. Combine storytelling with compelling visuals to create a narrative that resonates with your audience and makes your message more impactful.

Narrative Arc: Structure your presentation as a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Introduce characters, conflicts, and resolutions to make your content relatable.
Visual Aids: Use high-quality images, videos, and infographics to illustrate key points and evoke emotions. Tools like Canva or Adobe Spark can help create visually appealing content.

Scenario: In a pitch for a new product, start with a story about a customer’s journey before and after using your product. Use images and video clips to illustrate the transformation, making the benefits of your product tangible and relatable.

3. Gamification

Make learning fun.

Gamification involves incorporating game-like elements into your presentation to make learning more engaging. This approach can turn routine information into an interactive experience, boosting motivation and retention.

Quizzes and Challenges: Include quizzes or challenges throughout your presentation. Award points or prizes for correct answers to keep the audience engaged.
Interactive Scenarios: Create scenarios or simulations where the audience can make decisions and see the outcomes. This can be particularly effective in training or educational presentations.

Scenario: During a workshop on project management, organize a team-based challenge where groups compete to solve a case study. Use a leaderboard to track progress and provide rewards for the winning team.

4. Live Demonstrations and Showcases

Show, don’t just tell.

Live demonstrations can make your presentation more engaging by providing practical, hands-on examples of your product or concept. This approach allows your audience to see your ideas in action and better understand their application.

Product Demos: If you’re presenting a new product, demonstrate its features and benefits live. Allow the audience to interact with the product if possible.
Live Simulations: For educational or technical presentations, conduct a live simulation to showcase how a process works in real time.

Scenario: In a tech conference presentation, perform a live demo of your software, showing its key features and benefits. Allow the audience to ask questions and interact with the software during the demo.

5. Audience Participation Activities

Encourage active involvement.

Involving your audience in activities can make your presentation more interactive and memorable. Participation activities can range from group discussions to hands-on exercises, depending on your presentation’s goals.

Breakout Sessions: Divide the audience into small groups to discuss specific topics or solve problems. Have each group share their findings with the larger audience.
Interactive Exercises: Incorporate activities such as role-playing, brainstorming sessions, or creative workshops to engage the audience actively.

Scenario: During a leadership training session, organize a role-playing exercise where participants act out different leadership scenarios. Facilitate a discussion afterward to reflect on the exercise and extract key lessons.

6. Incorporating Augmented Reality (AR)

Enhance the presentation experience.

Augmented Reality (AR) can create immersive experiences that captivate your audience and bring your content to life. This technology can be particularly effective for presentations involving complex data or concepts.

AR Apps: Use AR applications to overlay digital content onto physical objects or environments. Tools like Zappar or ARKit can help integrate AR into your presentation.
Interactive Models: Create interactive 3D models that the audience can explore using AR, enhancing their understanding of the subject matter.

Scenario: In a presentation about architectural design, use AR to allow the audience to view 3D models of building projects through their smartphones or tablets, giving them a better sense of the design and layout.

7. Utilizing Data Visualization

Simplify complex information.

Effective data visualization can help simplify complex information and make it more accessible. Using charts, graphs, and infographics can enhance understanding and retention.

Infographics: Create infographics that summarize key data points and trends. Tools like Piktochart or Tableau can assist in designing effective visualizations.
Interactive Charts: Use interactive charts and graphs that allow the audience to explore data in real time.

Scenario: During a financial report presentation, use interactive charts to display revenue trends and projections. Allow the audience to filter the data by different criteria to explore various scenarios.

8. Incorporating Live Feedback

Adapt and improve in real time.

Collecting live feedback during your presentation allows you to adjust your content based on audience responses and interests. This approach can help you address the most relevant issues and maintain engagement.

Live Feedback Tools: Use tools like Mentimeter or Slido to gather real-time feedback from your audience. Pose questions or request opinions throughout the presentation.
Instant Polls: Conduct quick polls to gauge the audience’s understanding or interest in specific topics, and adjust your content accordingly.

Scenario: In a product launch presentation, use live polls to ask the audience about their preferences or concerns regarding the product. Use the feedback to address these points in real time.

Innovative presentation ideas can significantly enhance your ability to engage and captivate your audience. By incorporating interactive elements, storytelling, gamification, live demonstrations, audience participation, AR, data visualization, and live feedback, you can create a presentation that is not only informative but also memorable and impactful. Tailor these ideas to fit your presentation’s goals and audience to ensure a successful and engaging experience.

Like what you're reading?

14 effective presentation tips to impress your audience

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

Anete Ezera July 15, 2022

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

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

Confident businessman talking into microphone during seminar. Happy male professional is giving presentation to colleagues. He is wearing smart casuals.

Most common presentation mistakes

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

#1 A poor start

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

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

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

#2 Lack of preparation

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

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

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

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

#3 Losing track of time

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

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

Effective presentation tips

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

#1 Tell a story

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

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

#2 Work on your body language

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

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

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

#3 Understand your audience

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

Back view of large group of business peoplein a board room. Someone is presenting in front.

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

#4 Use high-quality visuals

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

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

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

#5 Use data visualizations

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

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

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

#6 Make it engaging with interactive elements

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

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

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

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

#7 Stay consistent with fonts and color styles

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

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

#8 Structure your presentation properly

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

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

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

#9 Practice your public speaking skills

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

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

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

#10 Show your slides next to you on-screen

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

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

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

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

#11 Calm down before presenting

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

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

#12 Use transitions and animations

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

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

#13 Be enthusiastic

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

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

#14 End your presentation in a memorable way

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

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

Young woman sharing her views with team in office meeting.

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

Elevating presentations with Prezi AI

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

Interactive elements: transforming passive listening into active engagement

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

Adding a personal touch in digital presentation with video

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

Mastering presentation artistry with Prezi

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

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

Give your team the tools they need to engage

Like what you’re reading join the mailing list..

Prezi for Teams
Top Presentations

How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

by Guy Kawasaki

Summary .

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

Partner Center

We use essential cookies to make Venngage work. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Manage Cookies

Cookies and similar technologies collect certain information about how you’re using our website. Some of them are essential, and without them you wouldn’t be able to use Venngage. But others are optional, and you get to choose whether we use them or not.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are always on, as they’re essential for making Venngage work, and making it safe. Without these cookies, services you’ve asked for can’t be provided.

Show cookie providers

Google Login

Functionality Cookies

These cookies help us provide enhanced functionality and personalisation, and remember your settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers.

Performance Cookies

These cookies help us analyze how many people are using Venngage, where they come from and how they're using it. If you opt out of these cookies, we can’t get feedback to make Venngage better for you and all our users.

Google Analytics

Targeting Cookies

These cookies are set by our advertising partners to track your activity and show you relevant Venngage ads on other sites as you browse the internet.

Google Tag Manager
Infographics
Daily Infographics
Popular Templates
Accessibility
Graphic Design
Graphs and Charts
Data Visualization
Human Resources
Beginner Guides

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

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

Written by: Krystle Wong Jul 25, 2023

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

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

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

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

Click to jump ahead:

How to start a presentation introduction

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

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

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

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

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

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

Understand your audience

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

Use a compelling hook

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

State your purpose

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

Introduce yourself and your team

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

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

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

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

Maintain enthusiasm

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

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

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

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

Grab-attention immediately

Ask a thought-provoking question.

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

Share a surprising statistic or fact

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

State a bold statement or challenge

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

Engage with a poll or interactive activity

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

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

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

Begin with an opening phrase that captures attention

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

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

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

Build connection and credibility

Begin with a personal connection .

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

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

Tell a relevant story

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

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

Use a powerful quote

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

Build anticipation

Provide a brief outline.

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

Pose a problem and offer a solution

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

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

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

Incite curiosity in the audience

Utilize visuals or props.

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

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

Use humor or wit

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

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

Invoke emotion

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

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

Use a dramatic pause

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

Pique their interest

Share a fun fact or anecdote.

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

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

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

Starting with Apologies

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

Reading from Slides

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

Overwhelming with Information

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

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

Ignoring the Audience

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

Lack of Clarity

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

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

Skipping the Hook

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

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

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

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

How long should the opening of a presentation be?

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

Should I memorize my presentation’s opening lines?

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

Should I use slides during the opening of my presentation?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Discover popular designs

Infographic maker

Brochure maker

White paper online

Newsletter creator

Flyer maker

Timeline maker

Letterhead maker

Mind map maker

Ebook maker

Daring Leadership Institute: a groundbreaking partnership that amplifies Brené Brown's empirically based, courage-building curriculum with BetterUp’s human transformation platform.

Brené Brown and Alexi Robichaux on Stage at Uplift

What is Coaching?

Types of Coaching

Discover your perfect match : Take our 5-minute assessment and let us pair you with one of our top Coaches tailored just for you.

Find your coach

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

For Individuals

How to give a good presentation that captivates any audience

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.

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.

Understand Yourself Better:

Big 5 Personality Test

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

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

How to write a speech that your audience remembers

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

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
ROI of BetterUp
What is coaching?
About Coaching
Find your Coach
Career Coaching
Communication Coaching
Personal Coaching
News and Press
Leadership Team
Become a BetterUp Coach
BetterUp Briefing
Center for Purpose & Performance
Leadership Training
Business Coaching
Contact Support
Contact Sales
Privacy Policy
Acceptable Use Policy
Trust & Security
Cookie Preferences

50+ Fun Icebreakers For Your Next Presentation

If you’re looking for the perfect icebreaker to open your presentation and connect with your audience from the get-go, look no further! With the help of our presentation experts here at 24Slides, we have compiled the ultimate list of icebreakers you can use in your next presentation, meeting, or conference.

We’ll also go through some quick icebreakers 101, solving questions like:

What is an icebreaker?

Why should I start my presentation with an icebreaker?
What makes a good icebreaker for presentations?

And, of course, you’ll get our compilation of over 50 icebreaker examples for your next presentation. Since there’s no one-size-fits-all, we’ve divided our presentation ice breakers into categories depending on the context of your presentation, so you can go straight to the ones that will work the best for you!

In this article, you’ll find:

Icebreakers for one-on-one presentations

Icebreakers for small group presentations (2-10 people), icebreakers for medium group presentations (11-30 people), icebreakers for large groups (31+ people), icebreakers for business and sales presentations, icebreaker ideas for training sessions and workshops.

Virtual presentations icebreakers
Fun icebreaker examples for playful presentations
Great simple icebreaker questions

So, are you ready to become an expert in using icebreakers in your presentations?

Imagine you’re in a room with a bunch of people where you know only a few of them or even none at all. You’d probably start feeling awkward and self-conscious, uncertain to interact with those around you. When you’re uncomfortable, your attention will probably be divided between wanting to listen to the speaker and making sure your elbows don’t touch your unknown neighbor.

And, if you’re the speaker, you might feel pretty awkward too. Speaking in front of an audience is never easy, and you might wonder how to approach your presentation’s topic, especially if it’s dense or very important.

An icebreaker is precisely what its name suggests: it breaks the ‘ice’ of uncomfortableness between you and everyone else around you. Icebreakers are usually short activities meant to help your audience to connect first as people before approaching your presentation’s topic - making your audience more relaxed and likely to hear out your ideas.

Icebreakers can take many forms and shapes, from simple questions to engaging games. They can require people to talk with each other, answer a poll, or even move around the room. Anything that will make your attendees open up could be an icebreaker as long as it makes people feel more at ease!

Benefits of icebreakers

The main objective of using an icebreaker in a presentation is to help people get more comfortable and avoid the common awkwardness when first speaking to a new audience.

Icebreakers can accomplish many things - presenting yourself, getting people more at ease, and even as an introduction to your presentation’s topic. But they also offer a wide array of side benefits, like getting people more involved with your presentation and making it more memorable.

If you’re thinking to yourself, ‘Why should I add an icebreaker to my presentation? I’m just fine without one!’ here are 6 of the top benefits of using an icebreaker in your next meeting.

It breaks down the awkwardness

For people who aren’t 100% an extrovert, presentations and meetings are likely to create a certain degree of awkwardness. And having a room full of people who feel uncomfortable around each other can be detrimental to your presentation. Icebreakers help lessen this feeling in your presentation – making people relax and be more at ease so they can put all their energy into listening.

Icebreakers help people relax and have fun

When people relax, they’re more likely to entertain new ideas. An icebreaker may be the turning point to make them feel more receptive to what you’re going to say. It also opens up more possibilities for inviting your audience to participate and ask questions. Icebreakers are a great way to make them feel welcomed and more likely to volunteer or join whatever activity you’ve prepared for them onstage.

Help you connect with your audience

A presentation where the speaker starts right away can feel a little jarring. Icebreakers are the perfect way to introduce yourself and your topic without throwing your audience headfirst into the presentation. A good icebreaker can help you connect better with your audience – making them, in turn, more likely to hear you out!

Gives your audience an energy boost

Some presentations can feel like they take forever. When you’ve been sitting down for what seems like hours, you might feel yourself starting to nod off. An icebreaker doesn’t necessarily happen just at the start of the presentation. It can be a great way to wake up your audience after a quick break and bring them back to the topic at hand.

Gives a chance to network with others

The right icebreaker can get your audience talking and help them find things in common. After all, your audience is all in the same meeting for a reason! By giving them the opportunity to interact with one another, you are also giving them the extra value of finding people who can work with them in the future.

And, of course, icebreakers are great ways to get the ball rolling, so by giving your audience a chance to talk with one another, you might also get more interesting and unique takes on questions and ideas later on.

Creates a positive atmosphere

A positive atmosphere is created when people lower their barriers and defense mechanisms, making it more conducive to learning. A negative atmosphere, on the other hand, is felt when people don’t feel at ease and give their neighbors the cold shoulder. ‘Breaking the ice’ needs to get done as soon as possible!

5 Practical Tips for a Good Icebreaker

What makes a good icebreaker? This is a tricky question to ask. Many icebreakers that work in certain situations will not work in others, as their use depends on context.

Here are key factors to consider when planning your next presentation’s icebreaker:

Know your audience

Take the time to research your audience. The most important thing when planning your presentation’s icebreaker is to remind that you want your audience to feel less awkward — not more.

Taking your time to learn about the people in front of you is the easiest way to avoid doing or saying something that could potentially offend your audience. Even if you do it unintentionally, the damage will still be done.

Identify your presentation objective

The right icebreaker will help you achieve your presentation objective, so take some extra time to think about it. For example, if you’re giving a presentation on cooperation and teamwork, you can do a game where your audience needs to rely on one another. Or conduct a poll to ask your audience how confident they are in their teamwork skills.

Making your icebreaker closely relate to your presentation’s topic will not only open up your audience but also allow you to transition smoothly to the rest of your presentation.

Involve everyone

The icebreaker should be inclusive, meaning it shouldn’t exclude anyone from joining. For instance, if you have a disabled person in the crowd, then you wouldn’t want him or her to feel awkward for not being able to join.

Have a backup icebreaker just in case the first one excludes someone. The point is that fun icebreakers should make everyone feel more at ease — and not at the expense of the outliers of the crowd.

Make sure you understand the context

To pick the right icebreaker for your presentation, you must know the overall setting in which it will take place. A presentation to the board of directors where you need to explain where the sales have been going down is probably not the best place to use a joke as an icebreaker. Or, if you’re giving a quick 15-minute presentation, you might not want to begin with a game that will take at least 10 of them.

Taking into consideration general setting cues like time frame, space and resources availability, and presentation tone, will help you pick the perfect icebreaker.

The Ultimate Presentation Icebreakers List

Here you’ll find the perfect icebreaker for your presentation. Since not every icebreaker will work on every situation, here you’ll find them divided into several categories:

Icebreakers depending on your audience size
Icebreakers depending on your presentation’s tone and context
Quick and easy questions to break the ice

Do feel free to browse through the entire list: most icebreakers will be easy to adapt to fit your specific needs and your presentation!

Presentation Icebreakers for Every Audience Size

While in a small crowd, you might be able to ask person by person their input, this will most likely not be the case in large groups. On the flip side, a game that needs the audience to divide into teams might be a good pick for a medium-sized crowd, but not a one-on-one presentation.

Among the many options of icebreaker options all over the web, we’ve compiled and edited a list of which ones will work the best for each audience size:

Introduce yourself. Unless you already know each other, introducing yourself is the easiest way to look proactive and get your presentation going. After all, it’s in your best interest for your prospect to warm up to you before your pitch or presentation!
Have a conversation . Don’t go straight to your topic. Always warm up your prospects and engage them in conversation first. Try to ask open-ended (instead of just ‘yes’ or ‘no’) questions. You can tackle topics like current events, or even just the weather! Just talking in a more casual way will make the person feel more at ease and more likely to give you their undivided attention.
Ask them about their personal life. If it’s someone you already know, build rapport by showing you care about them. You can ask about their kids, vacations, or even their favorite sports team. Remembering what they care about can be a huge plus when building a better atmosphere!
Let them tell you what they expect from your presentation. It’s the easiest way to make sure you live up to your expectations! It also allows you to introduce the topics of your presentation seamlessly. Even better, you’ll feel and look more confident and under control by taking charge of the presentation’s rhythm and agenda.
Ask something related to your presentation topic. Ask them if they know anything about your company, product, competitors, or something to that effect. It’s not only a great way to start your presentation without spending too much time on what they already know, but it’ll also help you gauge their knowledge so you can decide how in-depth you need to get in your presentation.
Give them a small present just for showing up. Especially if the meeting is not an obligation for them, being appreciative if they show up can go a long way. After all, they’re investing their time and energy into you!
Compliment them. It’s always nice to get compliments. But don’t overdo it, and always, always be genuine. If your prospect feels like you’re using flattery to get the sale, then it can seriously backfire on you later on. You’ll lose face and credibility.
Introductions but with a twist. Ask everyone to introduce themselves and state something unusual or a fun fact about them. Towards the end of the presentation, ask them if they remember anything other people said during the introduction. If they get something right, reward them.
Ask people to line up alphabetically . You can do this with their first names or last names. Or even their nicknames. This gets people talking and getting to know each other’s names.
Charades . This is one of the best fun icebreakers on this list. It’s a party favorite but can also be used in presentations, meetings, and conferences. You probably already know how this works, but if not, here’s a funny charades video on Jimmy Fallon’s show.

String a story together . Storytelling is a powerful element in presentations. But for this icebreaker, you’ll need everyone’s help to create a story. Start the first sentence yourself and then ask the first person in front of you to continue the story. Each person gets to decide the direction the story takes, one sentence at a time.
Play word games . There are many different kinds of word games. But this is something you may find useful. Identify the subject or category the words should belong to, like animals or food. If the first person chooses ‘DOG,’ the next person must identify an animal that starts with the last letter of the previous word. In this case, it would be something that starts with the letter G, like GOAT.
One word to describe him or herself . Give your audience one minute to think about the perfect word that describes them. And let the others assess if they agree with that word or not.
Social media icebreaker . Let people open up their favorite social media accounts and then share a photo they’re most proud of. Ask them to share a line or two about why they love that photo.
Switcheroo. Ask everyone to stand up and switch seats with the people in front of them. Do this when you notice people are starting to get drowsy and need some stimulation.
Human bingo. This is a fun way to get to know people. Prepare the cards and the pen/pencil. The cards should already be filled out with various traits, characteristics, hobbies, etc. Then, your participants will need to go around and interview each person and check off a box that applies to them. The person who completes their card first gets a prize.
Friendly debate. Group your participants into two. One should be the ‘pro’ group and the other is the ‘anti’ group. For instance, you can choose pizza lovers and pizza haters. Give them a few minutes to present their arguments and let the great debate begin!
Two truths, one lie. Just like the title says, make your participants come up with 3 things about themselves, in which one of them is false. Then, in groups or pairs, the others would have to try and guess which one is the lie. It’s a great icebreaker to make your audience interact more with one another.
Guess game. Just like the last one, it’s easier to make participants interact with one another through a game. Make everyone write on a piece of paper something fun, like an unlikely hobby or the oddest job they ever had. Your audience must try to guess who wrote which one. It’s not only a fun icebreaker, but it also helps people find out the things they have in common.
Going to the beach. It’s an easy game, but a fun one! Each person will start by saying ‘I went to the beach and I took…’ plus an object, like a beachball, a towel, or a surfboard. Then, the next person must repeat the same sentence and add a new object to the list. The more people, the more the list will grow, and the first person who forgets an item loses! It’s also a good icebreaker for making attendees learn each other’s names by adding who brought what to part of the list they need to repeat.
Paper planes. Make your audience write something about themselves on a piece of paper, and then instruct them to make a paper plane out of it and throw it! When they pick up a new paper plane, their goal will be to find the correct person. It’s the perfect icebreaker to get people moving and getting to know each other!
Stretch. This one’s easy and straight to the point, but it does help break the boredom. Ask people to stand up and stretch for a few minutes. You can lead the exercise or play a short video on stage. After this short exercise, you can expect to see a bunch of awake and attentive faces.
Treasure hunting. Hide a few prized items throughout the venue and send your participants on a treasure hunt. It’s always exciting to look out for a prize! Even better, by making them solve clues, you’d encourage your audience to work on their teamwork skills.
Stress buster. Hand small slips of paper to everyone and ask them to write down the things that are causing them stress lately. Then, during or after the presentation, ask them to rip it to shreds.
Snowball fight. Divide your group into two sides, and give each person 3 pieces of paper to crumple. Give them 1 or 2 minutes to try to get as many ‘snowballs’ into the other team’s side. A healthy amount of competitiveness will help you break the ice in no time!
This or that. Another great icebreaker to highlight the things in common! Ask your audience to stand in the middle of the room, and ask them questions that will make them pick a side of the room. Things like ‘Dogs or cats?’ or ‘Night Owl or Early Bird?’ will have them jumping from one side to the other.

Icebreakers depending on your presentation’s tone

When planning your next icebreaker, you must always take into account the context of your presentation. After all, giving a sales report to your boss is not the same as giving a fun workshop on teamwork.

If you’re looking for the perfect icebreaker for a specific situation, here you might find the one you’re looking for!

If you’re looking for a more professional way to warm up your audience for your work presentations, these icebreakers are the one for you. Most business presentations are more serious and straight to the point, just like these icebreaker ideas!

Storytelling. This one is the king of icebreakers for business presentations and for a good reason! Storytelling is an incredibly powerful tool to add to your presentations, as it helps to both exemplify your point and connect emotionally with your audience. And of course, this makes it the perfect option to break the ice and get their entire attention from the get-go.
The highlight of the week. This icebreaker is great for getting your audience into a positive mood. When planning your next business presentation, take some extra time to find something good that happened that week or that month. Maybe you record sales for that month, or you got an exceptionally good review from a customer.
Would you rather? When planning your sales presentation icebreaker, this one will help to get your potential customer right where you want it. Highlight the value they’ll get from your product, and how they are missing out on it. From our experience, asking, ‘What do you prefer, struggling 5 hours per week on PowerPoint, or getting your presentations done by a professional team of designers in 24 hours or less ?’ really puts things into perspective!
Give kudos. The best way to put people in a good mood is to spread out some positivity! Giving the spotlight to someone who has done outstanding work recently can be a great way to break the ice.
Brainstorming session. Group brainstorming is another great way to get people to exchange ideas. You hit two birds with one stone – an icebreaker and an idea generator rolled into one!

The best icebreakers for training presentations and workshops are those that incentivize teamwork and learning skills. These icebreakers will help your team get to know each other better and work together in tandem.

Live polls. There are many apps that allow your audience to make live polls and display the results immediately. This is a great icebreaker, as it can be as serious or lighthearted as you want. You can use it to ask the audience’s mood, their favorite food, and how much they know about the topic at hand.
Word cloud. Just like a poll, a word cloud can be a great option to explore what your audience thinks about a prompt or concept you give them and to get the ball rolling. You can make them write down in groups, have them add their ideas to a board, or even make one through an app !
Problem-solution icebreaker. Present a real or hypothetical problem, and ask people to pitch in their solutions. You can ask them for their input individually, or you can divide them into pairs. As the saying goes, two heads are better than one.
Finish a puzzle together. This is great for group work as everyone can contribute. For example, you can give them a few pieces each, and they’ll then work as a team to complete the puzzle.
Pop quiz. This icebreaker is the best to keep your audience on their toes and on a learning mood. You can add it at the end of your presentation, before or after a coffee break, or even at the beginning to see how much previous knowledge your audience has.

Virtual presentation icebreakers

Not sharing a physical space can make breaking the ice even more of a challenge, especially since many icebreaker ideas would not fit an online presentation. So here you’ll find some icebreaker options that are specifically designed for virtual meetings!

Drawing battle. You don’t have to be a professional artist to enjoy this one! There are many apps and websites that allow you to add this game to your virtual meetings. Just propose a topic and let people try to guess what one of them is drawing! You can even divide them into teams to make it more interesting.
Try a virtual escape room. If you have time, try giving your audience this challenge to build cooperation and teamwork. It’s not only great for learning to work together but also to have fun and loosen up.
Count till 20. Your team must try to count to 20 by shouting one number each… but without agreeing in which order they’ll go. This icebreaker will definitely make people wake up, and probably also laugh as they try to avoid talking at the same time.
Emoji movies. Just like charades, your audience must try to guess the movie or book. But instead of someone acting, they must guess it from the emojis. It’s a great adaptation of a classic game for virtual meetings!

Fun icebreaker ideas for playful presentations

Icebreakers can also help your presentation be more playful and fun! If you like your icebreakers a little silly to make sure people loosen up their inhibitions, then take a look at these ideas.

The no smiles challenge. If you’re making a fun, playful presentation, a great way to make it even funnier is to tell people smiling and laughing aren’t allowed in your presentation. This will most likely have the opposite effect, making people even more ready to laugh at your jokes!
Human rock paper scissors. This is a fun, high-energy game, but may not be feasible for older participants. Check this video to see if this is something you can use in your presentation.

GIFs mood barometer. If you want your audience to be a little bit playful, having them share their mood as a GIF is the perfect way. If you want to keep some control of what they share, you can also use a live poll to give them options to choose from. It’s the perfect lightweight activity that still gives you valuable insights into your audience and their energy levels.
Bad jokes contest. The only thing funnier than a good joke is an extremely bad one. Have your audience try to use their best dad jokes on each other while avoiding laughing at the jokes of the rest.

10 Great Icebreaker Questions for Any Presentation

Sometimes simpler is better, and the easiest way to get people talking is to ask them to do so! These icebreaker questions will help your audience open up without taking much time or extra preparation.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be, and what would be your superhero name?
What's the most random piece of trivia you know and why?
What is the oddest job you ever had, and how did you end up working there?
If you could make a reality show, what would it be about?
What cartoon character would you like to hang out with?
Where is the most embarrassing place you ever fell asleep?
If they made a sitcom about your life, what would the theme song be?
What were the best and worst workshops/meetings/conferences you ever attended?
If the zombie apocalypse began, what three people in this meeting would you want on your team?
If you had to teach a class right now, what would the subject be?

As a speaker or presenter, it’s important that you prepare fun icebreakers for your audience. You want people to be comfortable not just with you, but with their neighbors and groupmates as well. The icebreakers in this list are just the tip of the iceberg concerning the wide array of possibilities you can choose from. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and get creative with your icebreakers!

Need more time to prepare for your presentation? 24Slides has you covered!

Now that you’ve begun thinking about your presentation, and the best way to break the ice with your audience, you might wish to have more time to prepare for it. Luckily, 24Slides can help with that !

You can focus on your presentation’s content and how to make your audience as comfortable as possible, and 24Slides professional designers will tackle the visual aspects of it all. In less than 24 hours , you can get a custom-made, fully editable presentation that will wow your audience and make it even more memorable.

You might also find these articles interesting:

7 Essential Storytelling Techniques for Your Business Presentation
How to Deliver the Perfect Online Presentation
Improve Your Presentations' Body Language!

Create professional presentations online

6 Presentation Styles of Famous Presenters

How to create and deliver a powerful presentation introducti...

The seven worst presentations of all time and why they went ...

IMAGES

120 Presentation Ideas, Topics & Example
15 Ideas for Presentations Topics that Are Worth Trying
Top 31 PowerPoint Design Ideas, Examples & Tips
9 Creative PowerPoint Presentation Ideas to Engage Your Audience
120 Presentation Topic Ideas Help You Hook Your Audience
150+ Presentation Topic Ideas for Students [Plus Templates]

VIDEO

full of good ideas
some good ideas I think would be good for big scary
Good ideas for round work
Good ideas that can help you create your own home appliances.#amazing #how #ideas #top #shorts #tips
Modern living room decorating ideas of 2024
Some good ideas

COMMENTS

120 Presentation Topic Ideas Help You Hook Your Audience
Step 3: Be novel. Make sure you either select a new topic or bring an entirely new and unique perspective to an already covered issue. For instance, don't make a presentation on the "best lead generation strategies.". Your audience has probably heard those dozens of times already. Corny.
Need a good presentation topic? Here are hundreds of them
Choose a presentation topic you have some prior knowledge about, or have an interesting opinion you can share with others. It'll make your presentation more engaging and memorable. Ideas for good presentation topics. It's not easy to come up with a good presentation topic from scratch. It's much easier to get inspired from other good ...
500+ Best Presentation Topics for 2024
500+ ideas for good presentation topics. You're probably looking for a good presentation topic that will engage an audience. It's not easy to come up with a good presentation topic from scratch. It's much easier to get inspired from other good presentation topics to build your topic on.
100+ Creative Presentation Ideas You Can Steal Today
Below are some education presentation ideas you can use for your next project. Academic Presentation: If you want to educate and share info, then academic presentations with supporting visuals, presentation slides, and videos are what you need. Explainer: Explainers are a powerful way of sharing essential information.
180+ Presentation Topic Ideas [Plus Templates]
Some of the best presentation topic ideas for students center around topics such as current events, education, general culture, health, life skills, literature, media and science. When picking presentation topics, consider these things: your hobbies, the books you read, the kind of TV shows you watch, what topics you're good at and what you ...
120+ Presentation Ideas, Topics & Example
Finding presentation ideas is hard & designing a unique one is even harder! Here are 125 presentation ideas, examples & topics to try. ... If you need some examples of good anchor icons, check out slide numbers 4, 7 and 9 in this presentation example. 60. Add semi-opaque lettering as a presentation background . Source.
105+ Creative Presentation Ideas to Engage Your Audience
2 Be Minimal. Using a minimal design composition is one of the unique presentation ideas. The trick is to have just enough information and visual details for the viewer to feel comfortable seeing the slides. A minimal design can instill calm and awe in your audience when done right.
How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]
Apply the 10-20-30 rule. Apply the 10-20-30 presentation rule and keep it short, sweet and impactful! Stick to ten slides, deliver your presentation within 20 minutes and use a 30-point font to ensure clarity and focus. Less is more, and your audience will thank you for it! 9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule. Simplicity is key.
31 Creative Presentation Ideas to Captivate Your Audience
Don't know where to start on your presentation? Here are 31 excellent presentation ideas to inspire your next winning PowerPoint.
20 Creative Presentation Ideas
6. Bring your story to life with audio. Another presentation idea to minimize text and maximize audience engagement is to add sound to your presentation. Tell your story using pre-recorded audio. This creative presentation style turns the viewer experience into just that — an experience.
50 PowerPoint Ideas to Inspire your Next Presentation
Idea #21: Make It Colorful. Use vibrant colors when designing your presentation or choosing your presentation template. Colors give your presentation life and create unique psychological reactions in people. For example, use more red in your slides to evoke intense and excited emotions in your audience.
15 Interactive Presentation Ideas to Elevate Engagement
Interactive presentations leave a lasting impression on the audience. By encouraging active participation and feedback, interactive presentations facilitate better understanding and knowledge retention. Here are 15 innovative 5-minute interactive presentation ideas to captivate your audience from start to finish: 1. Ice-breaker questions.
10 Presentation Ideas That Will Radically Improve Your Presentation Skills
Icebreakers. If you have a group that wants to get to know each other, or you want to loosen up your audience, try starting off with a non-awkward icebreaker. 'Raise your hand' questions. A great way to take the audience's temperature is asking a simple yes or no question and having people raise their hands.
23 Best Presentation Ideas, Tips & Examples • My Speech Class
Use a limited color palette: Stick to two or three colors throughout your presentation to create a cohesive look. Use simple fonts: Choose fonts that are easy to read and avoid using too many different font styles. Use plenty of white space: Use negative space to break up text and make the slides easy on the eye.
Creative Presentation Ideas to Engage Your Audience
Live demonstrations can make your presentation more engaging by providing practical, hands-on examples of your product or concept. This approach allows your audience to see your ideas in action and better understand their application. How to Implement: Product Demos: If you're presenting a new product, demonstrate its features and benefits ...
14 effective presentation tips to impress your audience
Plan out the first topics carefully to properly introduce your argument. Add the essential information in the middle part of your presentation. Lastly, close your presentation with a summary of the main points and leave your audience with an afterthought. Also, plan when you're taking questions and for how long.
7 Presentation Ideas for Every Presenter
Use breaks and pauses. Use technology to your advantage. Put some time into the design. Let your audience take part. You hold the mic (or control the Zoom call) but your audience plays a key role in this whole process. Might as well put them to work and get them involved in your presentation where applicable.
How to Make a "Good" Presentation "Great"
When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences. As an ...
51 Best Presentation Slides for Engaging Presentations (2024)
Here are a few of the best presentation slide ideas based on topic material, like the ones you're regularly using. ... Here are some key characteristics of a good presentation slide: 1. Keep your slides simple and uncluttered: Avoid excessive text and use bullet points or concise phrases to convey your main points. Use clear and legible fonts ...
How To Start a Presentation: 15 Ways to Set the Stage
Use humor or wit. Sprinkle some humor and wit to spice things up. Cracking a clever joke or throwing in a witty remark can break the ice and create a positively charged atmosphere. If you're cracking your head on how to start a group presentation, humor is a great way to start a presentation speech.
7 Unique Presentation Examples That Will Inspire You
But precisely because of that, a good PowerPoint will stand out even more. Check out these amazingly good presentation examples to get some design ideas for your next PowerPoint. Why presentations are important. Before we go through the presentation examples, it's important to talk a little about what makes a PowerPoint presentation really good.
How to Give a Good Presentation: 10 Tips
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.
50+ Fun Icebreakers For Your Next Presentation
Then, during or after the presentation, ask them to rip it to shreds. Snowball fight. Divide your group into two sides, and give each person 3 pieces of paper to crumple. Give them 1 or 2 minutes to try to get as many 'snowballs' into the other team's side.