Presentation is Everything
Effective presentations are a form of marketing. Learn four key strategies to connect with your audience and deliver compelling presentations.
Everyone, even in primary school, gets experience presenting information. Presentations are a form of marketing. At its root, marketing is just connecting people to ideas.
Whether you’re pitching to clients, presenting to stakeholders, or speaking at a conference, how you present matters just as much as what you present. Here are four recommendations to make your presentations more effective.
1. Outline First
Structure your narrative logically before creating any materials. Understanding your audience’s knowledge baseline ensures your content is accessible and relevant. Before opening PowerPoint or Keynote, map out the story you want to tell and the journey you want to take your audience on.
2. Keep Visuals Simple
Maintain one idea per slide and use large fonts—minimum 48 point. Avoid text-heavy slides at all costs. When you pack slides with bullets and paragraphs, you force yourself to read verbatim rather than engage with your audience.
To connect with your audience during a presentation, you need to be the focus—not your text-laden deck. Your slides should support your message, not replace it.
3. Script and Rehearse
Write out your talking points conversationally and practice repeatedly. This ensures natural delivery and helps you identify slides that can be eliminated. The more you rehearse, the more confident you’ll be, and confidence is contagious.
Don’t memorize word-for-word—that leads to robotic delivery. Instead, know your key points so well that you can discuss them naturally, adapting to your audience’s reactions in real-time.
4. Test Your Technology
Before presenting, verify all technical elements work properly. This is especially important for virtual presentations, where security prompts may block camera or microphone access. Nothing undermines credibility faster than fumbling with technology while your audience waits.
Arrive early. Test your connection. Have a backup plan.
The overall philosophy centers on removing distractions and letting you, the presenter, drive audience engagement. Your slides are a tool—not the main event.