Tag: presentation writing

3 Things Presenters Can Learn From the Written Word

content writing

oral and written communication

presentation

presentation writing

signal phrases

storytelling

things presenters can learn

Jan 07, 2016

Delivery is often prioritized during presentations. Since writing is mainly a behind-the-scenes matter, few consider its impact on their pitch. Even so, it still matters, both directly and indirectly, because well-written content is the foundation of an effective presentation.

To get your audience’s attention, apply a few techniques writers use to reel in their readers. Here are three things presenters can learn from the written word:

Research Is Key

Content writing is part of the preparation, though it’s sometimes overlooked in favor of spontaneity. However, coming in totally unprepared not only damages your credibility but also results in sloppy delivery. While a natural and conversational approach establishes rapport and engages the audience, you need to keep a few tricks up your sleeve.

Undertaking research is one way to determine the ideal approach for your pitch. To figure out how to reach out to them, look up your audience’s preferences, interests, and cultural beliefs. This works for all types of presentations. If you’re delivering a sales pitch, research is key to connecting with your target market as a speaker. For an educational lecture, you’ll definitely need to know people’s learning styles to effectively deliver your ideas.

Research is the backbone of content, which, in turn, is the foundation of a presentation.

Break Things Down

Don’t assume that the audience can read your mind. When it comes to your pitch, you need to think like a writer and present like one.

Create an outline to specify the flow of your speech and the main points you want to tackle. Mike Elgan, a writer for online publications, including Computerworld, notes how a business presentation usually has four parts:

  1. an introduction to the company
  2. an introduction to the product
  3. an in-depth explanation of each feature, and
  4. the description of the product’s benefits.

Take care not to over-compartmentalize your content. Instead, create categories that appeal to the audience’s creative side.

The use of visual metaphors, storytelling, and emotions can help balance your deck before bringing in the hard facts. You can use any combination of the three as a precursor to your actual information, as long as you stick to the point, but don’t go off on a tangent for too long. Rambling will confuse your audience even more.

Signal Phrases

Writers use signal phrases in their writing as transitions or as preliminaries to in-text citations. For example, you can say, “This theorist suggests” or “According to this source” as indicators of a citation. Here, the verb “suggest” and the compound preposition “according to” are the key words to the signal phrase. In writing, these words inform the reader that you’re about to introduce your sources.

Similarly, presenters can also these to hint a change in tone. Some presentations require reference citations, but the sudden shift to technical terms may seem jarring to the audience.

Key your listeners in by beginning your formal statements with signal phrases. If you’re new to public speaking, you can begin major points with signal phrases. It’s a way of arranging your data in a logical manner and keeping you on track of your outline. This serves as a guide not only to you but also to your listeners.

Summing It Up

Oral and written communication are actually two sides to the same coin, and one can pick up plenty of things from the other.

Don’t disregard the power of the written word in an oral presentation. As in writing, presenters can benefit from plenty of research, creativity, and some signal phrases. Once you’ve gotten the hang of your speech, you can start creating a slide deck as a complement.

If you need help with your visual design, contact our SlideGenius experts for a free quote!

 

References:

Elgan, Mike. “Give Killer Presentations: Think like a Writer.” Computerworld. February 9, 2013. www.computerworld.com/article/2494756/desktop-apps/give-killer-presentations–think-like-a-writer.html
“Transitions, Signal Phrases, and Pointing Words – Boundless Open Textbook.” Boundless. n.d. www.boundless.com/writing/textbooks/boundless-writing-textbook/writing-effective-paragraphs-253/connecting-your-ideas-259/transitions-signal-phrases-and-pointing-words-110-10297

Featured Image: “diary writing” by Fredrick Rubensson on flickr.com

Fine-tuning Your Presentation’s Core Message

core message

presentation content

presentation preparation

presentation writing

Nov 12, 2014

As a presenter, your main goal is to make sure that the audience remembers the vital parts of your discussion. It’s not a particularly easy task, especially if you’re tackling several different points throughout an hour-long presentation. That’s why crafting a fine-tuned core message is important. You should have a clear and effective way to deliver the “big idea” behind your presentation. You should have something short and straight to the point that the audience can repeat and memorize.

The core message is the anchor that keeps your presentation from floating off. In other words, it keeps your presentation set on a single premise. Everything you present—from the data you share to the slides you show—should contribute in driving home this key idea. When you first sit down to prepare your presentation, it should be the first thing you have in mind. What do you want the audience to take away from your discussion? What’s the outcome you’re aiming for? The answer to these 2 questions is the first step towards an effective core message. After that, you’ll need to fine-tune your message to make sure it’s easy to repeat, recognize, and remember.

Spend some time scribbling down your ideas. Keep revising your core message to meet the following criteria:

1. Is it specific and straight to the point?

As we’ve already mentioned, the core message will be the center of your presentation. If you want to keep the discussion on the right track, your core message needs to focus on the particulars of your message. The topic of your presentation gives the audience an overview of what you might talk about, but the core message is specific and straight to the point. Determine the purpose of your presentation and make sure it’s evident in your message.

2. Is it short and conversational?

If you want the audience to remember your message, you have to make sure that it stands out. Try to write your core message in a more conversational style. As you know, there are distinct differences between the way we write and speak. Craft your presentation as you would a conversation. If you want your message to stick, keep it short and cut back on jargon and industry talk.

3. Is it relevant to your audience?

Maintain the audience’s interest by placing them at the center of your presentation. Make sure your message is relevant to their interest by keeping in mind their point of view. Do this by addressing your message directly to them. Try to answer these four questions to learn more about your audience.

Featured Image: Horia Varlan via Flickr

Make Your Point: 5 Tips for Editing Presentation Content

presentation content

presentation tips

presentation writing

Nov 10, 2014

Here are five tips for effectively editing presentation content to ensure clarity, focus, and engagement:

1. Eliminate Redundancy

  • Why it works: Repeating the same points or information can dilute the impact of your message and disengage your audience. By removing redundant content, your presentation will be more concise and impactful.
  • How to apply: Review each slide and make sure every piece of information contributes to your core message. If a slide or section repeats something already discussed, consider merging or cutting it entirely. Aim for brevity without losing meaning.

2. Focus on the Core Message

  • Why it works: Audiences retain key messages more effectively when the content is focused and well-organized. A clear and singular focus helps reinforce the takeaways.
  • How to apply: Identify the primary objective of your presentation. Every piece of content should support this objective. If a slide or data point does not directly relate to or enhance the main message, remove it. Stick to 3-5 main points for better retention.

3. Simplify Complex Information

  • Why it works: Simplifying complex data or ideas improves understanding and keeps the audience engaged. Too much detail can overwhelm or confuse the audience.
  • How to apply: Break down complex ideas into simple bullet points or visuals. Use plain language instead of jargon, and present data in graphs or charts instead of tables. Use short sentences and focus on explaining why the data matters rather than simply presenting it.

4. Use Consistent Language and Tone

  • Why it works: Consistency in language and tone makes your presentation feel cohesive and professional. Disjointed or varying styles can confuse the audience and detract from the message.
  • How to apply: Check for inconsistent terminology or phrasing. Ensure that the tone of your presentation matches the subject matter and audience (e.g., formal for executives, conversational for peers). Edit any areas where the tone feels out of place or where the wording might cause confusion.

5. Cut Visual and Textual Clutter

  • Why it works: Cluttered slides with too much text, images, or design elements can overwhelm your audience and distract from the key message. Simplified slides enhance focus and readability.
  • How to apply: Remove unnecessary design elements and excessive text. If your slide has more than 6-7 lines of text, trim it down to only the essentials. Use white space strategically to give your slides a clean, organized look, and avoid overloading slides with too many images or animations.

By following these tips, you can streamline your content, ensuring your presentation is clear, focused, and engaging, while effectively delivering your message.

Why Your Presentations Need Better Slide Headlines

presentation content

presentation tips

presentation writing

slide headlines

Nov 04, 2014

Slide headlines play a crucial role in guiding your audience through your presentation. They not only introduce the content but also highlight key messages, helping your audience quickly grasp the main points. However, many presentations suffer from vague or ineffective slide headlines, which can confuse or disengage the audience. Improving your slide headlines can make your presentation more impactful and ensure that your key messages are clearly communicated.

Here’s why your presentations need better slide headlines and how to craft them:

1. Headlines Summarize the Key Point

The headline of a slide should act as a summary of the most important point on that slide. Instead of using a generic headline like “Introduction” or “Sales Figures,” use the headline to convey the key message directly.

Why It’s Important:

  • Clarifies the Main Idea: A clear, descriptive headline helps the audience understand the core message of the slide without having to read all the content.
  • Keeps Your Audience Engaged: Well-written headlines allow the audience to follow the narrative of your presentation easily, keeping them engaged and focused.

How to Do It:

  • Think of your slide headlines as “mini conclusions” that answer the “so what?” question.
  • Be specific and actionable—use headlines that tell the audience what they should take away from the slide.

Example: Instead of using a generic headline like “Company Growth,” use “Our Market Share Increased by 20% in Q3” to clearly communicate the key takeaway.

2. Headlines Provide a Visual Hierarchy

Effective slide headlines create a visual hierarchy that helps your audience navigate through your presentation. When used correctly, they guide the audience’s attention and emphasize the most important information.

Why It’s Important:

  • Improves Readability: A strong visual hierarchy ensures that your audience can easily identify the most important information on each slide.
  • Guides the Flow of the Presentation: Headlines act as markers that signal transitions between sections or ideas, helping the audience follow your train of thought.

How to Do It:

  • Use larger, bolder fonts for your headlines to make them stand out from the body text.
  • Keep your headlines concise, aiming for no more than one or two lines.

Example: Create a clear distinction between your slide headlines and body text by using a different font size or color for the headline.

3. Headlines Reinforce Your Message

Slide headlines can reinforce your overall message by repeatedly communicating your key points. Each headline should contribute to the overall narrative of your presentation, leading your audience toward the final conclusion or call to action.

Why It’s Important:

  • Strengthens Message Retention: Repeating key ideas through headlines helps reinforce your message, making it easier for the audience to remember important points.
  • Keeps the Narrative Cohesive: Well-crafted headlines create a seamless narrative flow that ties your slides together, ensuring that your presentation feels cohesive and logical.

How to Do It:

  • Ensure that each headline ties back to your core message or theme.
  • Use headlines to emphasize key points that align with your presentation’s goals, such as driving sales or persuading an audience.

Example: If your presentation is focused on driving customer engagement, each headline should reinforce how your product or strategy achieves that goal, such as “Our App Increased Customer Retention by 35%.”

4. Headlines Make the Content Easier to Scan

Audiences often skim through presentation slides, especially when there’s a lot of information to process. Effective headlines make it easier for your audience to scan and understand the key points, even if they’re not reading the entire slide.

Why It’s Important:

  • Enhances Comprehension: Clear and concise headlines help the audience grasp the main idea of each slide, even if they don’t read every detail.
  • Improves Audience Focus: Headlines draw the audience’s attention to the most important information, ensuring that your key messages are not missed.

How to Do It:

  • Use short, punchy headlines that communicate the essence of the slide in just a few words.
  • Avoid vague or overly complex language—keep your headlines simple and direct.

Example: Instead of “Marketing Performance Review,” a more effective headline might be “Q2 Marketing Campaign Delivered 50% ROI.”

5. Headlines Help You Stay Focused

Clear slide headlines also benefit you as the presenter by helping you stay focused on your key messages. If your headlines are clear and well-defined, it’s easier to maintain a logical flow throughout your presentation.

Why It’s Important:

  • Keeps Your Presentation Organized: Well-written headlines act as a roadmap for your presentation, ensuring that each slide supports your overall narrative.
  • Helps with Timing: Clear headlines keep you on track, preventing you from getting sidetracked or spending too much time on less important points.

How to Do It:

  • Review your slide deck to ensure that every headline aligns with your core message and moves the narrative forward.
  • Use your headlines as cues to remind yourself of the key points you need to cover on each slide.

Example: If you’re presenting a proposal, headlines like “Next Steps for Implementation” or “Expected Outcomes by Q4” can help you stay focused on actionable points.

Final Thoughts

Better slide headlines make your presentation clearer, more engaging, and easier for the audience to follow. By summarizing the main point, reinforcing your message, and providing a visual hierarchy, well-crafted headlines can transform your presentation from average to outstanding. Take the time to review and refine your slide headlines to ensure they convey the right message and guide your audience through your presentation with ease.

The 4 Fundamental Qualities of Presentation Content

presentation content

presentation tips

presentation writing

Presentations

Oct 07, 2014

Most people tend to focus all their energy on creating effective PowerPoint designs. It’s true that well-designed slides can help engage audiences even more. Visuals allow people to remember crucial details, given that vision trumps all other senses when it comes to processing information. Still, those who prefer to start by building slides on PowerPoint are missing a crucial detail. They forget that presentation content is the real focus.

Building a presentation is a lot like building a house. Before painting the walls and decorating with furniture, you will need a strong foundation. You will need to build thick walls and sturdy floors. You will need pillars to hold everything in shape. In presentations, that foundation is your content.

So what does it take to create the best content possible? How do you ensure that your foundation is solid and consistent? These are the four fundamental qualities found in effective presentation content:

1.) Has clear and specific message

Your presentation content needs to have a clear and specific message. This will be the core of your presentation, where all your other points revolve. Every argument you make throughout will be to prove the value of your statement. Determine the purpose of your presentation and define the goals you want to achieve. Are you talking to sales prospects? Are you pitching to potential investors? Do you want the audience to see the advantage of your product over competing brands? Craft a single message that encompasses your objectives. Keep it short, powerful, and descriptive.

2.) Streamlined and simplified

In presentations, less is always more. You can easily lose the attention of your audience if you stray too much from your main point. Even if you have plenty of ideas to share, the only thing that’s relevant to your audience will be those that help your message move forward. Streamline your presentation content with some brainstorming techniques. Once you’ve let your ideas run wild, you can choose the points that are most relevant and compelling. If you’re working with data or complex concepts, simplify your discussion by using analogies and metaphors.

3.) Supported by facts and data

To add credibility to your presentation content, you will need to support your points by citing appropriate sources. Make sure you have the necessary data to show that your arguments are valid and accurate. Look for research papers that can help authenticate your ideas. If you’ve done your own research, include the data from your results. You can also include testimonials or interviews.

4.) Compelling and memorable

Overall, your presentation content needs to attract the attention of your audience and keep them interested throughout. You can do that by crafting your content in the form of a story. According to research conducted by Dr. Paul Zak, the most effective content follows the structure of classical Greek dramas. Presentations with the pattern of exposition – rising action – climax – falling action – resolution are more likely to elicit emotional response from the audience.

All in all, your presentation content needs to have information that is specific, useful, accurate, and memorable. Take note of these key characteristics to find the best way to share the message you want to deliver.

 

Reference

“Dr. Paul Zak: Empathy, Neurochemistry, and the Dramatic Arc.” Future of Storytelling. 2014. Accessed October 07, 2014.

 

Featured Image: Grant Hollingworth via Flickr

Brainstorming Techniques for the Dazed Presenter

brainstorming

presentation tips

presentation writing

Oct 06, 2014

Presentations are enormous and often difficult tasks. Whether you’re set to pitch investors or address potential clients, you’ll feel plenty of pressure to ace your performance. The pressure can be even more debilitating when you realize that the road to success requires plenty of steps. Writing the perfect speech and content involve several factors. Aside from that, there’s also the challenge of designing a PowerPoint presentation that’s both effective and engaging.

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First coined by Madison Avenue advertising executive Alex Osborn, brainstorming has been defined as a “relaxed and informal approach to problem-solving.” You lead with your topic and try to generate several different ideas that build off of each other. During the process, you can list down the craziest and most impossible solutions. The only goal is to sort through everything in order to pick out the best ideas.

Here are a few brainstorming techniques you can try to jump start your presentation prep:

Freewriting

In a quiet space, write down as much as you can in 9 minutes. Don’t stop until the time is up. Just let your pen run through the page. Keep writing down your thoughts, even when you feel like they’re pretty unsubstantial. When the time is up, read back on everything you’ve written. Pick out the ideas that stand out and try the next three techniques to arrive at a more specific message.

Cubing

Pare down your ideas by considering your subject from a variety of different perspectives. Just as a cube has 6 sides, you can approach the subject of your presentation using 6 methods. Take a sheet of paper and try to answer the following points:

  • Describe peculiarities of the topic
  • Compare it with a related idea
  • Associate it with something else
  • Analyze the components closely
  • Apply it for a particular situation
  • Argue for and against it

Desired outcome

Another way to sort through ideas is by understanding the goals you want to achieve. In other words, try to figure out your main purpose. Why were you asked to deliver the presentation? What do you want to accomplish? What is the outcome you’re hoping for?

Audience perspective

You can also narrow down your list by keeping the audience in mind. Consider their point of view, and what they might feel about your presentation. In particular, ask yourself these questions:

  • Who are in your audience?
  • Why are they coming to hear you speak?
  • What do you want them to do?
  • How might they disagree with your ideas?

—

If you’re in this situation, it’s not strange to feel a bit dazed and confused. There’s so much to consider and it can be hard to get started. The only way to know where to start is by figuring out which direction to take. You’ll need to know the message you want to deliver, and the ideas that you want the audience to take away. This is where brainstorming comes in.

Organize your thoughts to arrive at a clear and definite direction for your presentation. Try these brainstorming techniques to find the exact message you want to share and deliver.

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Reference

“Brainstorming: Generating Many Radical, Creative Ideas.” Mind Tools. Accessed October 6, 2014.

 

Featured Image: Carl Milner via Flickr

Storytelling: The Secret to Great Presentation Content

presentation content

presentation writing

Jul 16, 2014

Everyone loves a good story. Everyday books are read, movies are watched, and events of the afternoon are shared over the dinner table. Stories are an intrinsic part of our experience as people. It’s a vital part of how we communicate with one another.

Remember this fundamental truth when you’re set to give your next presentation. Your presentation content has to be more than just a barrage of information and numerical data. Make your presentation interesting and relatable. There is nothing more compelling than a good story. It’s the secret recipe you’re missing in your presentation content.

Keep these things in mind when you’re working on your presentation content:

1.) Every story has a beginning, middle, and end

Your presentation content should follow a clear and organized structure.

Just as Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, had a great fall, and was unable to be put back together by the King’s men, your presentation content should be presented in a pattern that’s familiar to everyone.

Start with an introduction, delve into the issues after that, and then end with a summary and conclusion.

2.) Introduce your topic with an anecdote or two

Let your audience see that there’s a genuine and relatable story behind what you’re presenting. Don’t just settle for being informative.

Show your audience why the information you’re presenting is important to them. Tell them a few stories that will allow them to relate your topic to their own experiences.

3.) Create context for data

Cold, hard facts can seem impersonal at times, and thus a bit alienating. In order to pull your audience into the main part of your presentation content, you have to give them some context.

When presenting any kind of data, don’t focus too much on the figures. Instead, focus on explaining what they mean and where they fall into your storyline.

4.) Try for an emotional response

Don’t be afraid to show some heart. Try your best to evoke the emotions of your audience in a positive way. Illustrate your points with heart-warming examples, or tell a few jokes as you go along your presentation.

Go for what feels natural to you, your topic, and the people in the audience.

Conclusion

Delivering a pitch, no matter how formal, doesn’t need to be boring. Using storytelling as a creative means to leverage your pitch can attract you a wider range of audiences and introduce your brand to a bigger public.

It can also serve a double purpose as something to give structure to your presentation with a solid hook, line, and sinker. Organize your content with a story to deliver in mind, and you’ll be surprised how much easier everything else will follow.

Need help crafting your presentation story? Contact our SlideGenius experts today for a free quote!

 

Featured Image: matryosha via Flickr

The Write Way: 5 Techniques to Improve Presentation Writing

presentation tips

presentation writing

Jul 01, 2014

Most people begin preparing for presentations by working on their PowerPoint slides. While a well-designed presentation deck is certainly important, they’re skipping on the most crucial part of the process—presentation writing.

Visual aids will enhance your presentation, but the content of your speech is truly its heart and soul. Take note of these techniques to improve your presentation writing skills.

Start with an outline

Create an outline of your presentation before you begin writing your content. This way, you’ll be able to follow a structure as you write, and avoid going off-tangent. Identify your main points and figure out if your ideas fall into broader categories. For a concrete example, take note of the WWDC keynotes by Steve Jobs.

Use the active voice

Consider the difference between the two following sentences:

  • Amy is preparing for a business presentation next week.
  • Next week’s business presentation is being prepared by Amy.

Which one is more straight-forward? Which one is easier to say out loud?

The first sentence in the example is written in what Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty calls the active voice. Use it for presentation writing to ensure that your sentences are clear and discernible.

Use imagery and metaphors

If you think using imagery and metaphors are only for poets, think again. As determined by a research published by The Leadership Quarterly, people find speakers more charismatic when they integrate images into their speeches:

A former US president’s inaugural address was rewritten to create low and high imagery versions, and audio recordings of the two speeches were made. Participants were randomly assigned to high or low speech imagery conditions. After listening to the speech, they provided ratings on various summary leadership measures. The high imagery speech resulted in higher ratings of charisma than the low imagery speech. 

Aside from the visuals in your PowerPoint deck, you should also integrate mental images to your speech. Elaborate points with metaphors that your audience is familiar with.

Clarify points with stories and examples

Great presentations can impact audiences on an emotional level. You see this happen in TED Talks when presenters share personal anecdotes that are relevant to their discussion.

If you have a point you need to clarify, consider sharing stories and examples from your own experience. Your audience will appreciate a relatable presentation.

Be an editor as well

Presentation writing requires that you also take up the role of being an editor. Once you’re done organizing and writing your content, try to identify the parts that you can cut out.

You should also look for parts that feel like they need more clarifications or examples. Keep rewriting your content until you strike a perfect balance.

 

References

Barker, Eric. “Presentation Techniques: 6 Secrets To Giving Amazing Presentations.” Time. Accessed July 01, 2014.
Fogarty, Mignon. “Active Voice Versus Passive Voice.” Quick and Dirty Tips. Accessed July 01, 2014.

 

Featured Image: Drew Coffman via Flickr