– Clearly state the purpose of the presentation
Creating a presentation outline is an essential step in delivering a successful and impactful presentation. A well-structured outline helps you organize your thoughts, maintain a logical flow, and ensure that you cover all the key points you want to communicate to your audience.
Start by brainstorming ideas and determining the main objectives of your presentation. Consider what information you want to convey, the key messages you want to deliver, and the desired outcomes you want to achieve.
From your brainstorming session, identify the main points you want to address in your presentation. These should be the key ideas or concepts that support your objectives and help you effectively convey your message to the audience.
Once you have identified your main points, organize them in a logical sequence that flows naturally. Consider using headings and subheadings to create a hierarchical structure that guides your audience through the presentation.
Think about the supporting content that you need to include for each main point. This can be facts, statistics, examples, case studies, or visuals that help reinforce your message and provide additional context to your presentation.
At the end of each main point or section, summarize the key takeaways or messages you want your audience to remember. These should be concise and impactful statements that leave a lasting impression.
Once you have created a draft of your presentation outline, take the time to review and refine it. Ensure that the structure is clear, the content is well-organized, and the flow is logical. Make any necessary adjustments or additions to improve the overall effectiveness of your outline.
1. What is a presentation outline?
A presentation outline is a roadmap or blueprint that helps you organize your ideas and content for a presentation. It outlines the structure, flow, and key points of your presentation, ensuring a logical and cohesive delivery.
2. How can I engage my audience throughout my Business presentation?
To engage your audience throughout your presentation, consider using storytelling techniques , interactive elements, or thought-provoking questions. Encourage audience participation through activities, discussions, or Q&A sessions. Use visual aids, such as images, videos, or graphs, to enhance understanding and maintain interest. Finally, deliver your content with enthusiasm, clarity, and confidence.
3. What are the three basic parts of a presentation outline?
When creating a presentation outline, it is crucial to include three essential components. The first part is the introduction, which sets the stage for the presentation and provides background information. Following the introduction is the body, where the main points and supporting details are discussed in depth. Finally, the outline should include a conclusion that summarizes the key points and reinforces the main message.
4. What are the 5 pieces of presentation Outline? The 5 key pieces of an outline include the introduction, main points, supporting information, visuals, and conclusion. Each section plays a vital role in delivering a clear and impactful message to the audience.
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8 tips on how to write a sponsorship proposal template, presentation structure: structure your presentation for success.
Georgina Guthrie
May 24, 2024
Whether you’re building a house, baking a cake, or creating a killer presentation — having a plan in place before you begin work will make the task much easier. Planning saves time and enhances the quality of your work. This is especially true for business presentations, which is why you should always start with a presentation outline.
A presentation outline is a streamlined version of your talk, capturing the general direction and key points. Its purpose is to shape your thinking, organize your thoughts, and ensure your material is presented logically.
In this article, we’ll explore what a presentation outline is, how storytelling can engage your audience, and how to create a flawless outline. Let’s dive in.
What are you trying to achieve with your presentation? A good starting point is to think about the overall purpose.
There are six main types of presentation goals:
In a business setting, ‘to inform’ is most common, but it’s usually coupled with at least one other. For example, if you’re there to talk about quarterly results, then you’ll want to inform and motivate. However, if you’re a business coach, your goals will likely be to inspire, motivate, and entertain.
Once you’ve defined your goal, you’ll want to understand the impact you hope to have on your audience. To answer this, ask these questions:
From here, you should be able to create a summary of your presentation’s goals and purpose in one or two sentences. Put that on your first slide for easy reference.
Knowing your audience is crucial for crafting a presentation that resonates. Consider their knowledge level, interests, and what they hope to gain from your presentation. Tailoring your content to meet their expectations will make your presentation more engaging and effective.
Stories are powerful tools for bringing people and ideas together. Great stories persuade and inform; the best stories inspire and stay with us. But we don’t often see this happening enough in the boardroom.
Stats and numbers are important for supporting claims, but if you want to inspire your audience, you need to weave those stats into a story. T he truth is, most stories are formulaic, so once you’ve chosen your formula, filling in the blanks is pretty easy.
Let’s look at a few popular story structure formulas below.
Mixing storytelling with facts works in a kind of mutually supportive cycle. Facts add substance to the story; the story adds interest to the facts.
In this structure, you weave the two together and move back and forth between the two.
From Odysseus to Chihiro , adventure stories typically feature a hero who goes on a journey fraught with peril and learns a vital lesson at the end of it. It’s a formula employed by thousands of writers — and you can draw from it to add some drama to your presentation.
This structure works really well for inspirational personal stories, or tales about a company from its humble beginnings to the success it is today.
The ‘pitch’ style of presentation is commonly used by salespeople. The goal is to show how a product or idea can help an individual overcome a hurdle toward a positive outcome. The story should be relatable, so the audience can picture themselves in the situation and, therefore, benefitting from the solution.
This presentation format is for when you want to teach your audience something — whether that’s a process, a new skill, or a way to overcome a problem. It has similarities with the fact and story structure, insomuch as facts should weave into the story.
A close relative of the pitch, this three-part structure swaps a hurdle for an opportunity. Here, you want to show your audience that a problem they thought they had actually had an easy fix.
Now you’ve worked out your structure, it’s time to start building your presentation. Storyboarding is the best way to do this. In the same way that directors use storyboards to map out their films scene-by-scene, you’re going to use it to map out your presentation slide-by-slide.
(Don’t worry, you can do stick people and squiggles if drawing isn’t your strong point.) Image Source
The trick here is to avoid adding too much detail too quckly. Ideally, have one or two sentences on each slide summarizing what each one will address. Stick to one main point per slide and no more than 3 subpoints.
You can do this with pen and paper, but since you’ll likely end up going digital eventually, you might as well start there. It looks far neater, and it means that if you need to change something, it’s as simple as deleting or editing a cell or slide rather than starting over.
If you don’t want to start from scratch, a business presentation template is a great place to start. You can storyboard directly on the template, and then flesh out each of the slides in more detail once you’re ready.
Once you’ve got your storyboard mostly ready, all that’s left is to fill in the details! And of course: make it look great.
Proper formatting is crucial to ensuring your presentation is visually appealing and easy to follow. Effective formatting helps to highlight key points, maintain audience engagement, and enhance overall comprehension. Here are some guidelines and best practices for formatting your presentation:
By following these formatting guidelines, you can create a presentation that is not only visually appealing but also effective in communicating your message. Proper formatting helps to keep the audience engaged and ensures that your key points are clearly conveyed.
For those looking for an intuitive and efficient way to create professional presentations, consider using Cacoo , our online diagramming tool. Cacoo allows you to collaborate in real time, offering a variety of templates and design tools that make planning, designing, and presenting a breeze. Whether you’re working solo or with a team, Cacoo helps you streamline the presentation creation process, ensuring that your final product is polished and impactful.
Ready to take your presentations to the next level? Try Cacoo for free today and experience the difference it can make in your workflow.
This post was originally published on April 07, 2021, and updated most recently on May 24, 2024.
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August 13, 2024
Four methods to create a presentation outline and example outlines for inspiration
Co-founder, CEO
Like it or not, if you work in an office or go to school, you'll probably have to make a presentation sooner or later. But creating a great presentation can be challenging, especially if you're short on time or suffering from writer's block.
Luckily, there are many ways to get a head start on your presentation outline. In this article we'll walk through four options for creating a presentation outline and show you several examples of great presentation outlines.
An outline helps you organize your ideas in a clear and logical way . Instead of getting bogged down on details like formatting or word choice, an outline presents the overarching story of your presentation with just a few main points. This helps to make sure you have a cohesive narrative before you dive into the nitty gritty work of wordsmithing individual bullet points or selecting the perfect slide theme.
If this sounds like a lot of work, it often is! But spending time writing a great outline will save you time and effort down the road because it will be easier to organize your work and create each slide when you understand how it fits in to the broader presentation.
Here are four ways you can get a start on creating your next presentation outline.
Creating an outline from scratch may sound intimidating if you have never written a presentation outline before, but this is the most straightforward way to get started.
Start by jotting down the three main points you want to make in your presentation. Once you have your main ideas in order, write down a few supporting details and examples for each point.
Then, add an introduction (find an interesting image, quote, or question to help grab the audience's audience) and a conclusion (decide on the best way to summarize the takeaways from your presentation) to the outline, and you are ready to go.
This method is great for those who prefer to have complete control over their presentation and want to create a custom outline that works best for their needs.
If you're short on time or looking for a quick way to get a first draft of a presentation outline that you can then refine, using an AI presentation maker is a great option.
Plus AI lets you type a short prompt like "Create a presentation that provides an overview of the Norwegian oil industry," and it will automatically generate an outline of a presentation for you. After Plus creates the outline, you can change the titles of slides, rearrange slides, and remove any pieces of the outline that are not necessary.
From there, once your outline is created, you can click the "Generate presentation" button, choose a template, and let the AI create the first draft of your entire presentation.
This method is a good option for those who want to create a polished presentation without getting stuck with a blank piece of paper. Instead, it frees you up to take a first draft presentation and customize it for your needs.
ChatGPT is an AI chatbot that can help with a wide variety of tasks - everything from acting as a therapist, to sharing recipes, to helping you come up with presentation ideas and creating content for a presentation .
To have ChatGPT help you generate a presentation, you can take two different approaches:
Both approaches will yield similar results, but a custom GPT like Plus AI presentation maker will be more fine-tuned to helping people create presentations. It will also provide additional functionality like providing a visual preview of the slides and feedback on how to improve your presentation.
Last but not least, using a template is a good way to speed up the process of creating a new presentation outline. Similar to using an AI presentation maker, a template can give you a first draft of an outline that is easier to edit and refine than starting from scratch.
Presentation templates often come pre-designed with example text and images, so all you have to do is fill in your own content. For example, this TED Talk presentation template provides some instructions on how to create an outline for a TED Talk-style slide deck.
The secret to using this method is to find the closest template to the type of presentation you want to create. You should use detailed search terms to and look across multiple sites and resources to find one that matches the content and style that you would like.
Once you have your template, start by reviewing the overall outline or structure and tweak it to meet your needs. Then, you can fill in the specific content (e.g., text and images) with your materials to make it your own to quickly make a beautiful presentation.
Basic presentation outline example.
Let's take a look at a presentation outline and accompanying notes for a persuasive presentation on encouraging people to meditate every day:
I. Introduction
II. Main point 1 - Meditation is one of the easiest ways to improve your health
III. Main point 2 - Meditation is backed up by thousands of years of practice and research
IV. Main point 3 - You can get started with meditation today
V. Conclusion
As you can see, this is a relatively lightweight plan for the presentation, but it provides an easy-to-understand framework that we can fill in with slides.
There are rough notes on specific content for the different points in the presentation, but we don't need to write out everything in fine detail, just the broad strokes.
Now let's review an outline for a pitch deck that someone might use to present their startup idea to prospective investors. This is for a startup that uses autonomous food trucks to deliver meals to people's homes and workplaces.
I. Problem statement - "Food delivery sucks, and here's why"
II. Value prop - "FoodDrive revolutionizes the food delivery model"
III. The product - "Customers love our trucks"
IV. Why now? - "Our self-driving technology is ready for prime-time"
V. Business model - "Each truck can generate $2-3M of revenue per year with a 60% gross margin"
VI. Competitive landscape - "FoodDrive's closest competitors don't come close"
VII. Go to market strategy - "We've tested FoodDrive in 2 markets so far. Here's how we win in new markets"
VIII. Team - "Our team has experience in autonomous vehicles, food delivery, and quick service restaurants"
IX. Traction - "We generate $5M of revenue per year with our 2 trucks, and we can ramp up new trucks immediately"
X. Fundraising goal - "We are raising $50M to expand FoodDrive to 10 more markets"
Even though a pitch deck is a specialized type of presentation that often requires specific content, it's helpful to start with an outline to build out the 'story' behind the content. That way, you have a cohesive story rather than a set of disparate slides.
Once you have your presentation outline written, it's time to start writing your slides. Since you already know the main points you are trying to make in your presentation, the main decisions here are
To get a head start on creating a first draft of your presentation, you could enter your outline into an AI presentation maker.
This will provide a first draft of the slides so that you can focus on making sure they tell a cohesive story or tweaking individual slides to leave a memorable impression.
Here are some resources to help you create great presentations:
Creating a presentation outline can be one of the most time-consuming parts of the creative process for making a new slide deck. Luckily, there are many tools and templates that can help you kickstart this process.
With these four methods, you can choose the one that works best for your needs and get started on your presentation outline today.
And once you have your outline, make sure to try out a tool like Plus AI presentation maker to quickly get your slides as well!
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Blog Beginner Guides How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]
Written by: Krystle Wong Jul 20, 2023
A top-notch presentation possesses the power to drive action. From winning stakeholders over and conveying a powerful message to securing funding — your secret weapon lies within the realm of creating an effective presentation .
Being an excellent presenter isn’t confined to the boardroom. Whether you’re delivering a presentation at work, pursuing an academic career, involved in a non-profit organization or even a student, nailing the presentation game is a game-changer.
In this article, I’ll cover the top qualities of compelling presentations and walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to give a good presentation. Here’s a little tip to kick things off: for a headstart, check out Venngage’s collection of free presentation templates . They are fully customizable, and the best part is you don’t need professional design skills to make them shine!
These valuable presentation tips cater to individuals from diverse professional backgrounds, encompassing business professionals, sales and marketing teams, educators, trainers, students, researchers, non-profit organizations, public speakers and presenters.
No matter your field or role, these tips for presenting will equip you with the skills to deliver effective presentations that leave a lasting impression on any audience.
Click to jump ahead:
Step-by-step guide on how to prepare an effective presentation, 9 effective techniques to deliver a memorable presentation, faqs on making a good presentation, how to create a presentation with venngage in 5 steps.
When it comes to giving an engaging presentation that leaves a lasting impression, it’s not just about the content — it’s also about how you deliver it. Wondering what makes a good presentation? Well, the best presentations I’ve seen consistently exhibit these 10 qualities:
No one likes to get lost in a maze of information. Organize your thoughts into a logical flow, complete with an introduction, main points and a solid conclusion. A structured presentation helps your audience follow along effortlessly, leaving them with a sense of satisfaction at the end.
Regardless of your presentation style , a quality presentation starts with a clear roadmap. Browse through Venngage’s template library and select a presentation template that aligns with your content and presentation goals. Here’s a good presentation example template with a logical layout that includes sections for the introduction, main points, supporting information and a conclusion:
Hook your audience right from the start with an attention-grabbing statement, a fascinating question or maybe even a captivating anecdote. Set the stage for a killer presentation!
The opening moments of your presentation hold immense power – check out these 15 ways to start a presentation to set the stage and captivate your audience.
Make sure your content aligns with their interests and needs. Your audience is there for a reason, and that’s to get valuable insights. Avoid fluff and get straight to the point, your audience will be genuinely excited.
Picture this: a slide with walls of text and tiny charts, yawn! Visual aids should be just that—aiding your presentation. Opt for clear and visually appealing slides, engaging images and informative charts that add value and help reinforce your message.
With Venngage, visualizing data takes no effort at all. You can import data from CSV or Google Sheets seamlessly and create stunning charts, graphs and icon stories effortlessly to showcase your data in a captivating and impactful way.
Keep your language simple, and avoid jargon or complicated terms. Communicate your ideas clearly, so your audience can easily grasp and retain the information being conveyed. This can prevent confusion and enhance the overall effectiveness of the message.
Spice up your presentation with a sprinkle of enthusiasm! Maintain eye contact, use expressive gestures and vary your tone of voice to keep your audience glued to the edge of their seats. A touch of charisma goes a long way!
Turn your presentation into an interactive experience — encourage questions, foster discussions and maybe even throw in a fun activity. Engaged audiences are more likely to remember and embrace your message.
Transform your slides into an interactive presentation with Venngage’s dynamic features like pop-ups, clickable icons and animated elements. Engage your audience with interactive content that lets them explore and interact with your presentation for a truly immersive experience.
Who doesn’t love a good story? Weaving relevant anecdotes, case studies or even a personal story into your presentation can captivate your audience and create a lasting impact. Stories build connections and make your message memorable.
A great presentation background is also essential as it sets the tone, creates visual interest and reinforces your message. Enhance the overall aesthetics of your presentation with these 15 presentation background examples and captivate your audience’s attention.
Pace your presentation thoughtfully with well-designed presentation slides, neither rushing through nor dragging it out. Respect your audience’s time and ensure you cover all the essential points without losing their interest.
Last impressions linger! Summarize your main points and leave your audience with a clear takeaway. End your presentation with a bang , a call to action or an inspiring thought that resonates long after the conclusion.
In-person presentations aside, acing a virtual presentation is of paramount importance in today’s digital world. Check out this guide to learn how you can adapt your in-person presentations into virtual presentations .
Preparing an effective presentation starts with laying a strong foundation that goes beyond just creating slides and notes. One of the quickest and best ways to make a presentation would be with the help of a good presentation software .
Otherwise, let me walk you to how to prepare for a presentation step by step and unlock the secrets of crafting a professional presentation that sets you apart.
Before you dive into preparing your masterpiece, take a moment to get to know your target audience. Tailor your presentation to meet their needs and expectations , and you’ll have them hooked from the start!
Time to hit the books (or the internet)! Don’t skimp on the research with your presentation materials — dive deep into the subject matter and gather valuable insights . The more you know, the more confident you’ll feel in delivering your presentation.
No one wants to stumble through a chaotic mess of information. Outline your presentation with a clear and logical flow. Start with a captivating introduction, follow up with main points that build on each other and wrap it up with a powerful conclusion that leaves a lasting impression.
Delivering an effective business presentation hinges on captivating your audience, and Venngage’s professionally designed business presentation templates are tailor-made for this purpose. With thoughtfully structured layouts, these templates enhance your message’s clarity and coherence, ensuring a memorable and engaging experience for your audience members.
Don’t want to build your presentation layout from scratch? pick from these 5 foolproof presentation layout ideas that won’t go wrong.
Spice up your presentation with eye-catching visuals! Create slides that complement your message, not overshadow it. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, but that doesn’t mean you need to overload your slides with text.
Well-chosen designs create a cohesive and professional look, capturing your audience’s attention and enhancing the overall effectiveness of your message. Here’s a list of carefully curated PowerPoint presentation templates and great background graphics that will significantly influence the visual appeal and engagement of your presentation.
Practice makes perfect — rehearse your presentation and arrive early to your presentation to help overcome stage fright. Familiarity with your material will boost your presentation skills and help you handle curveballs with ease.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help and seek feedback from friends and colleagues. Constructive criticism can help you identify blind spots and fine-tune your presentation to perfection.
With Venngage’s real-time collaboration feature , receiving feedback and editing your presentation is a seamless process. Group members can access and work on the presentation simultaneously and edit content side by side in real-time. Changes will be reflected immediately to the entire team, promoting seamless teamwork.
Prepare for the unexpected by checking your equipment, internet connection and any other potential hiccups. If you’re worried that you’ll miss out on any important points, you could always have note cards prepared. Remember to remain focused and rehearse potential answers to anticipated questions.
As the big day approaches, give your presentation one last shine. Review your talking points, practice how to present a presentation and make any final tweaks. Deep breaths — you’re on the brink of delivering a successful presentation!
In competitive environments, persuasive presentations set individuals and organizations apart. To brush up on your presentation skills, read these guides on how to make a persuasive presentation and tips to presenting effectively .
Whether you’re an experienced presenter or a novice, the right techniques will let your presentation skills soar to new heights!
From public speaking hacks to interactive elements and storytelling prowess, these 9 effective presentation techniques will empower you to leave a lasting impression on your audience and make your presentations unforgettable.
Positive body language instantly captivates your audience, making them believe in your message as much as you do. Strengthen your stage presence and own that stage like it’s your second home! Stand tall, shoulders back and exude confidence.
Break down that invisible barrier and connect with your audience through their eyes. Maintaining eye contact when giving a presentation builds trust and shows that you’re present and engaged with them.
A little movement goes a long way! Emphasize key points with purposeful gestures and don’t be afraid to walk around the stage. Your energy will be contagious!
Weave the magic of storytelling into your presentation. Share relatable anecdotes, inspiring success stories or even personal experiences that tug at the heartstrings of your audience. Adjust your pitch, pace and volume to match the emotions and intensity of the story. Varying your speaking voice adds depth and enhances your stage presence.
Spice up your presentation with a dash of visual pizzazz! Use slides, images and video clips to add depth and clarity to your message. Just remember, less is more—don’t overwhelm them with information overload.
Turn your presentations into an interactive party! Involve your audience with questions, polls or group activities. When they actively participate, they become invested in your presentation’s success. Bring your design to life with animated elements. Venngage allows you to apply animations to icons, images and text to create dynamic and engaging visual content.
Laughter is the best medicine—and a fantastic presentation enhancer! A well-placed joke or lighthearted moment can break the ice and create a warm atmosphere , making your audience more receptive to your message.
Be attentive to your audience’s reactions and feedback. If they have questions or concerns, address them with genuine interest and respect. Your responsiveness builds rapport and shows that you genuinely care about their experience.
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!
Simplicity is key. Limit each slide to five bullet points, with only five words per bullet point and allow each slide to remain visible for about five seconds. This rule keeps your presentation concise and prevents information overload.
Simple presentations are more engaging because they are easier to follow. Summarize your presentations and keep them simple with Venngage’s gallery of simple presentation templates and ensure that your message is delivered effectively across your audience.
To kick off your presentation effectively, begin with an attention-grabbing statement or a powerful quote. Introduce yourself, establish credibility and clearly state the purpose and relevance of your presentation.
For a strong conclusion, summarize your talking points and key takeaways. End with a compelling call to action or a thought-provoking question and remember to thank your audience and invite any final questions or interactions.
To make your presentation interactive, encourage questions and discussion throughout your talk. Utilize multimedia elements like videos or images and consider including polls, quizzes or group activities to actively involve your audience.
In need of inspiration for your next presentation? I’ve got your back! Pick from these 120+ presentation ideas, topics and examples to get started.
Creating a stunning presentation with Venngage is a breeze with our user-friendly drag-and-drop editor and professionally designed templates for all your communication needs.
Here’s how to make a presentation in just 5 simple steps with the help of Venngage:
Step 1: Sign up for Venngage for free using your email, Gmail or Facebook account or simply log in to access your account.
Step 2: Pick a design from our selection of free presentation templates (they’re all created by our expert in-house designers).
Step 3: Make the template your own by customizing it to fit your content and branding. With Venngage’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor, you can easily modify text, change colors and adjust the layout to create a unique and eye-catching design.
Step 4: Elevate your presentation by incorporating captivating visuals. You can upload your images or choose from Venngage’s vast library of high-quality photos, icons and illustrations.
Step 5: Upgrade to a premium or business account to export your presentation in PDF and print it for in-person presentations or share it digitally for free!
By following these five simple steps, you’ll have a professionally designed and visually engaging presentation ready in no time. With Venngage’s user-friendly platform, your presentation is sure to make a lasting impression. So, let your creativity flow and get ready to shine in your next presentation!
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Google Slides
What is a presentation outline.
A presentation outline is like a roadmap for organizing your thoughts and delivering your message smoothly during a presentation. It helps you structure your content logically, ensuring that your audience can follow along easily. By providing a clear framework, an outline enhances the clarity and effectiveness of your presentation.
1. Clarity and Focus
Using an outline keeps your presentation organized and focused, preventing you from going off track. It ensures that your presentation has a clear purpose and that all the information you share is relevant to your main points.
2. Logical Structure
A well-crafted outline ensures that your presentation flows logically, guiding your audience smoothly from one point to the next. This helps your audience follow your train of thought and understand your message more easily.
3. Enhanced Delivery
Having a clear outline can boost your confidence and make your delivery smoother. With a structured plan, you’re less likely to forget important points or ramble on, resulting in a more professional presentation.
4. Time Management
An outline helps you manage your time better by estimating how long each part of your presentation will take. This ensures that you stay within the allotted timeframe, keeping your presentation on track and engaging for your audience.
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1. Purpose of Presentation
Understanding why you’re giving your presentation is crucial for planning its structure. Identifying your goal means thinking about what you want your audience to get out of it. This clarity forms the basis of your whole presentation. There are six potential reasons you might be presenting:
Thinking about your goal will help you make a presentation that really grabs attention. Answering these questions can help you figure out what your goal is:
Once you have the answers, you’ll have a good idea of what your presentation should cover and where to start.
2. Consider Color and Design
How you present your pitch matters just as much as what you say. Take a moment to think about the fonts and colors you’ll use on your slides. Research suggests that red can convey excitement and grab your audience’s attention, while white gives off a sense of simplicity and clarity.
3. Establishing Structure: Arrange Your Ideas in a Logical Order
When crafting your presentation, it’s important to structure your ideas in a clear and logical sequence. Start with an introduction to set the stage, followed by the main body where you delve into your key points, and wrap it up with a conclusion to summarize your main ideas.
4. Engaging Your Audience
When you’re getting ready for your presentation, think about how you can start off in a way that grabs everyone’s attention. You could ask a thought-provoking question, share an interesting story, or begin with a meaningful quote. The main thing is to get your audience interested right from the beginning and set the tone for the rest of your talk.
5. Adding Visuals
Give some thought to whether you want to include pictures, videos, or other visual stuff in your presentation. Even if your outline doesn’t mention exactly what visuals to use, you can suggest where they might fit in to help explain your ideas.
6. Encouraging Action
Come up with a clear and compelling message to encourage your audience to take action. Whether it’s encouraging customers to try out a new product or inviting people to join a demo, make sure they understand what’s in it for them. And if your presentation doesn’t really need a specific call to action, just wrap up by summarizing your main points and saying thanks for listening.
Alternatively, you can skip the hassle of crafting a presentation outline manually – try SlidesAI for seamless assistance .
1. Understanding Your Audience
Take some time to know your audience by researching beforehand. This helps you adjust your presentation to connect with them better.
2. Enhance with Quotes, Testimonials, or Data
Make your presentation more interesting by adding extra info like quotes, testimonials, or data. It can make your audience more engaged and reinforce your message.
3. Visualize Your Concepts
How you show your ideas matters a lot. Tools like SlidesAI can help you express your concepts clearly and effectively.
4. Highlight Key Takeaways
Figure out the most important points you want your audience to remember. This makes it easier for them to recall and understand your message.
5. Seek Feedback
Ask for feedback to improve your presentation. It’s a good way to make sure it connects better with your audience.
Topic: The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
Target Audience: College students
Time Limit: 15 minutes
I. Introduction (2 minutes)
Attention Grabber : Briefly discuss a real-life example of how social media can negatively impact mental health (e.g., cyberbullying, unrealistic beauty standards).
Introduce the topic : Clearly state the topic and its significance (e.g., “Today, I’ll be talking about the increasing impact of social media on mental health, particularly among young adults like yourselves”).
Preview : Briefly outline the key points that will be covered (e.g., “We’ll explore the positive and negative aspects of social media use, discuss common mental health concerns associated with it, and offer some tips for healthy social media habits”).
II. Main Body (10 minutes)
Positive aspects of social media:
Connection and community : Highlight how social media can help people connect with friends and family, build communities based on shared interests, and combat feelings of loneliness.
Information and self-expression : Discuss how social media can be a source of information, news, and inspiration, and provide a platform for self-expression and creativity.
Negative aspects of social media:
Social comparison and envy : Explain how constant exposure to curated online profiles can lead to social comparison, feelings of inadequacy, and envy.
Cyberbullying and harassment : Discuss the prevalence of cyberbullying and online harassment, their potential to significantly impact mental health, and the importance of online safety.
Addiction and anxiety : Explain how excessive social media use can lead to addiction, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.
III. Conclusion (3 minutes)
Summary : Briefly recap the key takeaways discussed in the presentation.
Call to action : Encourage the audience to be mindful of their social media usage and offer practical tips for developing healthy habits, such as setting time limits, curating their feed, and prioritizing real-life interactions.
Question and Answer : Allocate time for audience questions and address them thoughtfully.
This is just a sample outline, and you can adapt and modify it based on your specific topic, audience, and time constraints. Remember, a well-structured and engaging presentation will effectively communicate your message and leave a lasting impression on your audience.
How can ai help you create a presentation outline .
With the assistance of AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, crafting outlines becomes a breeze. Furthermore, you can utilize user-friendly online AI presentation tools such as SlidesAI to effortlessly generate your presentations.
Using a presentation outline can be helpful. It makes things clearer, boosts the speaker’s confidence, and helps manage information better. It also keeps the audience more engaged. But, if your presentation is fast-paced, casual, or focused on a specific area of expertise, you might want to keep the outline short and sweet. Just pick what works best for your situation and audience.
There are various formats, but a common approach is using bullet points, numbered lists , or headings and subheadings. Choose the format that best suits your content and visualizes your information.
Adapt your presentation outline by tailoring:
There’s no set rule; it depends on the complexity of your topic and presentation length.
Yes, mind maps can be a good way to visually brainstorm and organize presentation ideas.
You can use pen and paper, a word processing software like Microsoft Word, or dedicated outlining tools. Presentation software like PowerPoint also offers built-in outlining features.
Video Editing
Renderforest Staff
20 Jan 2022
4 min read
Nowadays, presentations are firmly integrated into not only the academic but also the business world. They’re the perfect means whether you want to pitch your business or new idea, educate your audience , present reports, and the list continues.
The power of a well-made presentation lies in its logical structure and intelligibility. The human brain is much better at retaining structured, organized data — even more so when it’s presented with engaging visual content. Presentations check both boxes.
To ensure a cohesive flow for your entire presentation and a smooth ride for the audience, you need to prepare a clear, cogent outline for your material with all the key points. Moreover, structuring information is just as beneficial to the presenter as it is to the audience.
So, if you already have your presentation idea but are unsure of the right next step, a presentation outline is your answer. Once you have a general idea about the topic and have completed basic research, you’re in the perfect position to carve out the skeleton of your talk.
Below, you’ll find the basic structure of a balanced presentation outline as well as useful stats. Stick till the end to discover beautiful presentation templates.
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Here are a few more tips that will be of help when outlining and designing your presentation. If you’re looking for more presentation tips , check out our article on this topic.
Defining your presentation’s purpose is something that should be done before and not after you’ve planned your speech. To make sure that your presentation points build on one another, you need a single well-defined goal to unify them.
When you have a precise target to aim for, you’ll be able to build a much more strategic structure for your speech and the accompanying slides alike (if there’s going to be a slideshow). Knowing your purpose will also assist in specifying your approach to the topic. It could be an explanation, analysis, comparison, problem-solving, etc.
Always keep in mind that slides should only act as a supplement to make the data more vivid but never overpower the speaker. Don’t overload your presentation slides with too much text; otherwise, your audience will have to choose between reading the slides and listening to you. If you have difficulty remembering your text, use a script or sticky notes as support for your speech.
Choose your first slide wisely, as it’s the starting point that will attract the attention of your audience and the new slides should add up to it by keeping them engaged.
The 10-20-30 rule of the PowerPoint presentation suggests having 10 slides, delivering the presentation in around 20 minutes, and keeping your fonts no smaller than 30 points. Follow these guidelines only as far as they make sense for your pitch.
You can create attractive presentations with slideshow video templates free of charge. Plus, they take no longer than a few minutes to edit. Here are a few examples:
More Templates
Think of a presentation outline as the spine that holds your pitch together from its first step to the very end. An outline provides a solid structure to your material, making the information much easier to grasp and memorize.
Begin your talk with an introduction to yourself and the topic, cover the main points one by one, and weave all the strands together with a brief conclusion. If appropriate, set a certain amount of time aside after the presentation to answer your listeners’ questions. Best of luck!
Sources: Thompson Rivers University Library , University Writing Center , Stanford Graduate School of Business , Virtual Speech , Visme , Duarte
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Whether you are solving a puzzle, cooking a meal, or writing an article – the tasks can be significantly easier if all the pieces are present before you start. A presentation outline is a tool that will help a presenter arrange the ideas and make the conversation flow logically to give an efficient and effective presentation.
It may feel like wasting time planning the presentation when you could get started directly. But the facts and experience of great presenters in history give premises for the opposite. Planning saves time, and the same applies to business presentations or writing a speech. Start with planning; start with the presentation outline.
In this article, we’re going to understand the presentation outline, discuss its significance, provide a step-by-step guide on how to create one, and provide some expert advice.
A presentation outline is a simplified summary of your speech. Its purpose is to help you shape your thinking, make your presentation presented in the most logical manner, and organize the material in the most efficient way. It should follow the basic structure of your presentation and include concise summaries of your major points.
A presentation outline can guide you in preparing for your presentation or speech. It provides you with a simplified version of the synopsis of your thoughts and a direct route for moving your audience from where they are now to where you desire them to be. Some of the key advantages of the presentation outline are:
· Helps the speaker review the content’s scope and check the applicability of supportive arguments
· Helps organize a message that the audience can understand by creating a visual aid showing the balance and proportion of a speech
· Saves time by helping you brainstorm the presentation
· Assisting with what ideas to keep in the presentation
· Gives general direction to your presentation
“A person without a plan is lost before they start.” – Lewis K Bendele
Here is a step-by-step guide to creating the outline for your presentation:
The essential part of creating a presentation outline is to determine the goal of your presentation. To find this, consider what you want your audience to learn or support following your talk. For example, a non-profit organization that takes care of street dogs may give a presentation to persuade listeners to take care of street dogs by giving them some food. The goal for the presentation should be very concise and measurable so you can have a particular point of focus for your presentation. The most common goals for presentations include:
· Motivating
· Educating
· Inciting an action
· Informing
· Entertaining
· Persuading users to do something specific
To build a great skyscraper, make sure the structure is right! The same goes for building an efficient presentation outline. While building the structure of your presentation outline, consider in which direction each of your discussion points is going in your talk and what premises you can use to support those points. The most popular way to organize the structure is by writing each point on sticky notes so that they can move around and see how each point contributes to the purpose of the presentation. To make better use of the audience’s time, you can also write how much time each segment of the presentation takes. The three major segments into which a presentation is divided are:
· Introduction
· Body
· Conclusion
Have you wondered why great presenters always start their presentations with a rhetorical question, or share a relatable story, or use a quote? The answer to this is they create a backstage for their presentation and engage their audience early on by setting the tone they want for the rest of their presentation. These are the ways they grab the attention of the audience, which leads to better engagement and response.
When you plan your presentation outline, always plan how you want to start the presentation, as it will set the tone and backstage of your presentation.
We’ve all been there; those long lectures and corporate meetings, where you give it all to stay attentive to the data being shown and slowly being read off of a boring spreadsheet.
Don’t make that same mistake in your presentation. Incorporate your data in a visual and engaging way. Take a thought about adding pictures, videos, or other content to your presentation. The style and color scheme you choose for the text on your slides should be taken into account as additional visual material. You can communicate some emotions through color; for example, the color red portrays passion.
While outlining your presentation, mention which visual aids you want to use, where, and how you want to use them.
Add a call-to-action for your audience to get a better outcome from your presentation. For example, a businessman in a presentation to the audience will try to persuade them to buy his company’s product. Call-to-action brings the audience to the desired place that you want them to. Make your audience aware of the benefits they will get by coming to your desired place.
Clearly mention in your presentation outline which CTA you will be using.
A presentation outline is a tool that can be used for creating a presentation in the most logical manner. It helps improve the presentation on an all-rounder basis. Moreover, it gives your audience a visual representation of what you will be talking about and supports in capturing their interest.
It takes meticulous planning, close attention to content details, and a keen eye for design to produce an effective presentation outline. If not properly outlined, even the best presentations can be disastrous.
“Practice makes a man perfect,” as they said. “Practice can make your presentation perfect,” we implied.
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A presentation outline is a roadmap to a more successful business pitch — a general plan that summarizes what you want to say to prospective customers, clients or investors. It lets you organize your thoughts, group ideas into main points and present your material logically. But what should you include in your slides?
We've compiled 11 tips for more effective pitch prep.
If you came here looking for presentation templates , here's an a couople of examples from of our most popular ones. If not, just carry on.
What is a presentation outline.
An outline for a presentation is a helpful tool that organizes the main points and flow of the presentation. It acts as a guide for the presenter, outlining the order in which information will be presented and the main ideas that will be covered. A good outline should include headings and subheadings that outline the main topics and supporting details, ensuring a clear and logical arrangement of information. Creating a presentation outline helps the presenter stay organized and focused, and makes it easier for the audience to follow the content and understand the main concepts of the presentation.
1. decide on a goal.
Before you brainstorm, and before you scribble down any notes, come up with a goal for your presentation. What do you want your pitch deck to say to your audience? What message do you want to convey? What do you want it to achieve?
Perhaps you want your pitch to raise seed funds. Maybe you want to introduce a new product or service to customers. Whatever the reason for creating your pitch, decide on a specific, measurable goal. This will guide the rest of your preparation.
Every good presentation includes an introduction, main body, and conclusion. These three components form the "skeleton" of your presentation — the bare bones of your pitch. You don't need to think about all the small details at this stage — you can flesh out your presentation slides at a later date.
Your introduction is probably the most important part of your pitch. After all, you only have seven seconds to make a good first impression, according to research. Use your intro to introduce your brand, greet your audience and give a taster of what's to come.
The body of your presentation includes your main ideas and any supporting ideas. Use it to feature testimonials, financials and fundraising info, traction and milestones, and, of course, your marketing plan.
Finally, your conclusion summarizes all your points in a few slides. This should leave your audience wanting more.
Visual content is an essential ingredient. The human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than regular text, so including images in your pitch is a great idea. Don't forget about videos, either. Consumers are 64 percent more likely to purchase a product after watching an online video, making visual content a good choice if you want to generate leads and boost sign-ups.
The most successful pitch decks incorporate striking visuals. Others have fancy fonts and graphics. All of this visual content demands attention from your audience and creates a cool aesthetic that will help you outrank your rivals.
At this early stage of pitch deck preparation, you don't have to finalize the images you are going to include in your pitch. However, we think it's a good idea to point out where you are going to use images in your presentation. This way, you can organize your ideas and make sure everything flows properly.
No two presentations are the same. The most successful pitch decks, however, certainly have a lot in common. When creating your outline, discover what makes a brilliant pitch. The University of Hawaii says great presentations rarely cover more than five points. The University of Cambridge in England says there should be four key points in every 45-minute presentation.
Here at Slidebean, we think one idea per slide, good design, lots of images, and quotes all make presentations so much more interesting. We're not fans of the 'thank you' slide, though — the one that recognizes your audience for sitting through your presentation. It's completely unnecessary.
A call-to-action is much better than a 'thank you' slide. This encourages your audience to take action after your presentation. When creating your outline, think of a short, snappy call-to-action that prompts a response. A call-to-action is your final chance to engage with your audience during your presentation. You might want to encourage people to sign up to your mailing list, for example. Alternatively, you can include a link to your website so people can download a trial version of your product.
"No matter what form your CTA takes, the most important aspect is the copy," says growth marketing expert Sujan Patel and Voila Norbert co-founder, writing for Forbes magazine . "You’re telling the visitor what you want them to do, so it needs to be persuasive. Remember, your audience is looking for an answer or a solution to a problem. Connect with them by telling them exactly what they’re going to get if they take action."
Every day, more than 30 million presentations are created on PowerPoint alone. Then there are the hundreds of thousands of pitches designed in Keynote, Prezi, and Slidebean. With so many presentations out there, how do you inspire people to invest in your services? One way to create a successful pitch is to identify a solution to a problem that your audience might have.
Slidebean recently reviewed some of the best presentation examples from successful startups. Most of them provide solutions to common problems early on in their respective pitches. Customer messaging platform Intercom, for example, says analytics, customer base browsing, and customer research is the answer for businesses who find it hard to engage with customers. They include these solutions near the beginning of their pitch deck.
If you want to have a more successful presentation, think about solving problems in your niche when creating your outline.
Quotes from senior management help you convey abstract ideas and make your presentation more engaging. You should obtain any quotes you want to use in your presentation during the planning stage. Testimonials from customers and clients also prove popular. Research shows that positive reviews influence purchasing decisions and increase trust.
Finally, statistics add some depth to your presentation. Industry facts and figures back up any claims you make and increase engagement. Discover relevant statistics when creating your outline. You don't need to include any actual quotes, testimonials or statistics yet. Just jot down where you want to place them in your presentation.
The way you present information in your pitch is just as important as the information itself. Now is the time to start thinking about the font/s you want to use or the color of your slides. Research shows that red conveys passion and excitement and catches the attention of your audience. White, on the other hand, conveys simplicity and purity.
Slidebean has a range of color palettes that transform the look of your slides. You can choose up to three color sets and play around with different text, backgrounds, and highlights.
Think of your presentation outline template as a very rough first draft. Decide on what types of slides you want to use, and decide on a final running order. You might feature quotes early on in your presentation, for example, and leave testimonials until the end. Don't forget to include a slide with your contact details — website, phone number, address, etc. — and your brand values.
Your presentation outline should be a group effort, too. Ask your colleagues for input.
Your outline should include enough information so you can visualize what your final presentation will look like. Once you have finished your outline, read it back and identify the key takeaways from the document. Is the structure of your presentation clear, for example? Does it convey your brand message? Will it engage your audience?
Every slide in your presentation should achieve the goal you created at the beginning of your outline. If something isn't working, make changes. You might want to switch slides around or remove unnecessary information, for example.
Once you have completed your outline, it's time to start putting everything together. Yes, you could create a PowerPoint pitch deck from scratch, but this is often time-consuming and complicated. Instead, use a template, which provides you with all the presentation slides you need.
Here at Slidebean, we have presentation templates for business of all sizes, including startups and scaleups. You can create a professional pitch deck in just a few minutes by following the on-screen prompts. Everything's included — bullet points, graphics, headers, footers, and more. Take the time to plan your pitch to produce a powerful sales document that helps you communicate with your audience.
Once you have created your presentation outline template, sign up to Slidebean and design a pitch that provides you with a huge return on your investment.
Related video.
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A co-founder is usually a very vital piece of a puzzle to get a startup off the ground.
This guide breaks down the structure and elements of an effective pitch deck, including essential sections like the Intro, Product, Market, and Ask. With tips and examples, you’ll discover how to tell your company’s story, highlight key metrics, and present a strong value proposition. Whether you’re preparing for investor meetings or demo day presentations, this article provides the insights needed to make your pitch deck a success.
This is a functional model you can use to create your own formulas and project your potential business growth. Instructions on how to use it are on the front page.
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A presentation outline is an organizational tool that will help you organize your thoughts and summarize what you want to share in your presentation. A well-written outline can help you create a logical flow for the information you present and keep you on track as you present. This can also help you make your message more clear and keep your audience interested in what you have to say.
Chances are that at some point in your career, you will be asked to give a presentation to your team, department, or senior management. And that’s a good thing because presentations are a great way to share your ideas and communicate important information in a compelling, visual format.
An essential but sometimes overlooked part of an effective presentation is an effective presentation outline. A well-crafted outline can help you to:
Ultimately, an effective outline will help you create an effective presentation that will get the support you need from your intended audience.
Before a director shoots a frame of a movie, they first create a storyboard that outlines the sequence and flow of the movie’s story. In a similar way, you can create a presentation outline as a blueprint for the story you want to tell your audience. A presentation outline can help you to stay on message during your presentation, keep your audience engaged, and make the information you share easier to understand.
Some people don’t like to create outlines because they think of them as time-consuming and tedious, but taking the time to create a well-structured presentation outline is important. An outline can help you:
The following steps can help you to create a presentation that will keep your audience engaged and informed.
It’s hard to create an outline for a presentation if you don’t understand why you are making the presentation, what it’s about, or who your audience is. To understand the presentation’s purpose and its audience, answer these questions:
A structure helps you determine how and where to present your key points. There are several different structures you can use in your presentation, including:
Choose the structure that works for your needs. You can also mix and match structures to customize your outline. It doesn’t matter which structure you choose. Just understand that the structure needs to include an introduction, main body, and conclusion.
This is where you consider how you want to start your presentation. Grabbing your audience’s attention will help them to engage early and remain interested in your presentation. For example, you can ask questions that lead into your subject, share a related story, or tell an amusing anecdote. Your opening can help to set the tone for the presentation.
Step 5: include a call to action.
The goal of a call to action is to motivate the audience to take a particular action when your presentation is completed.
For example, if your presentation is about the importance of writing weekly progress reports, your call to action should motivate your audience to make the process of writing progress reports a standard procedure in their work week. The presentation itself should illustrate why you need their reports and help them understand what’s in it for them if they write their reports.
In a perfect world, your audience will understand everything in your presentation and there will be enthusiastic applause when you finish. But in case that doesn’t happen, make sure you include in your outline some time to address any questions your audience might have.
After you’ve created your presentation outline, you might want to review it with other people to see if they catch something you missed.
When your outline is completed, it’s time to create your presentation. Here are a few tips that can help you to make your presentation more effective.
Templates are a great starting point for creating documents like a presentation outline. You can create your own template or use an existing template. A basic presentation outline example is:
[Presentation Title]
Want to create even more engaging presentations? Lucid should be your go-to app rather than PowerPoint.
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Jane Ng • 05 April, 2024 • 6 min read
Looking for Presentation Outline Examples ? Do you want to take your presentations from mediocre to magnificent? The secret weapon in achieving that transformation is a well-crafted presentation outline. A clear and organized outline not only guides you through your content but also ensures your audience stays captivated throughout your talk.
In this blog post, we're going to share practical presentation outline examples and 8 key elements for constructing your own outlines that will leave a lasting impression.
What is presentation outline, why is presentation outline important, 8 key elements of presentation outline , presentation outline examples, key takeaways , faqs about presentation outline examples.
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What is a presentation outline? | A structure that highlights the main points, ideas, and key elements in your presentation. |
How many basic parts should be in the presentation outline? | 3 main parts, including the introduction, body, and conclusion. |
A presentation outline is a plan or structure that helps you organize and deliver a presentation or speech. It's like a map that guides you through your talk.
In essence, it's a tool that helps you stay on track and communicate your message effectively.
A presentation outline is a valuable tool that enhances both the organization and delivery of your presentation.
Whether you're giving a business presentation, a school lecture, or a public speech, an outline is a key element in ensuring your presentation's success.
A well-structured presentation outline should include the following key elements:
Begin your outline with a clear and concise title or topic that represents the subject of your presentation.
Under each main point, list the specific details, examples, statistics, anecdotes, or evidence that support and elaborate on that main point.
Include transition phrases or sentences between each main point and subpoint to guide the flow of your presentation smoothly. Transitions help your audience follow your logic and connect the dots between ideas.
If your presentation includes slides or other visual aids, indicate when and where you plan to use them to enhance your points.
If applicable, mention when you'll open the floor for questions and discussion. Be sure to allocate time for this if it's part of your presentation.
If you're presenting information that requires citations or sources, include them in your outline. This ensures you give credit where it's due and can reference them during your presentation if needed.
Here are some additional tips for creating a Presentation Outline
Here are a few presentation outline examples for different types of presentations:
Title: Introducing Our New Product: XYZ Tech Gadgets
Introduction
Main Points
A. Product Features
B. Target Audience
C. Pricing and Packages
Transition: "I'm glad you're interested in our product. Let's talk about the different ways you can purchase it."
Purchase and Support
Q&A Session.
Title: The Evolution of Jazz Music
A. Early Origins of Jazz
B. The Jazz Age (1920s)
C. Bebop and Modern Jazz (1940s-1960s)
Transition : "Let's now turn our attention to the diversity of jazz styles, which is as vast and complex as the history of the music itself."
Different Styles of Jazz
Influence of Jazz on Popular Music
Presentation outlines are indispensable tools that can elevate your presentations from good to great. They provide structure, organization, and clarity, ensuring that your message reaches your audience effectively. No matter if you're delivering an educational presentation, a convincing sales pitch, or an interesting speech, these presentation outline examples aim to offer you valuable information.
To take your presentations to the next level, leverage AhaSlides. With AhaSlides , you can seamlessly integrate interactive features into your presentation, such as spinner wheel , live polls , surveys , quizzes , and audience feedback features.
These interactive features not only enhance audience engagement but also provide valuable insights and real-time interaction, making your presentations more dynamic and memorable.
So, let’s explore our template library !
📌 Tips: Asking open-ended questions help you to create an outline for presentation easier!
Title, Introduction, Key points, subpoints, transitions, visuals, conclusion, Q&A , and time allocation.
Introduction, main points, visuals, conclusion, and Q&A.
Define objectives, list key topics, organize content logically, and allocate time.
Yes, an outline helps structure and guide your presentation effectively.
Ref: Indeed | EdrawMind
A writer who wants to create practical and valuable content for the audience
Tips to Engage with Polls & Trivia
When you’re writing an important speech, you must start with a clear outline. However, I find that many speakers are uncertain of how to write a good outline for their presentation. This is why I decided to write a guide for you, in hopes that learning to perfect your outlines will help you give better presentations in the future.
How do you outline a presentation? Always start with your introduction and end with your powerful closing. Flesh out the body by listing topics in the order that you want to cover them in. Never skimp on the important details of your speech. Remember that an outline is only a draft.
I know at this point that you still have questions, and that you still be confused at how to write the best outline for your speech. But writing a good outline for your presentation does not have to be stressful! This is my complete guide from a pro for you, in hopes that you can take the stress out of this important step.
Table of Contents
Outlining a presentation can be done with a regular piece of paper, or on a word processing program on your computer. If you are hosting a PowerPoint presentation, you may prefer to do the entire thing from the comfort of your computer. But if you do decide to write your outline on a piece of paper, make sure you use a pencil and eraser so that you can make changes as you go along.
The very first step in creating an outline is to ask yourself what the purpose of your presentation is.
Write your main message or a one-sentence summary of your thesis at the top of your outline when you get started. This may help you stay on task, and it will keep the purpose of your speech right in your eye’s sight. After all, you don’t want to stray too far off the main topic of your presentation !
Remember, a quality outline is meant to enhance the purpose of your presentation. If you do not write a proper outline, you may risk not properly conveying the right message to your audience.
Or you may even forget to cover essential points that you wanted to talk about. A thorough outline is especially important if you are planning to speak without notes.
You should remember to properly summarize what you want to say with every sentence of your outline. After all, this is not a full script, so a summary is all you really need. Remember to rehearse and practice with your outline, so that you can remember what you have written.
Your introduction is where you start strong by grabbing your audience’s attention from the very beginning. But if that makes you feel stressed out, just remember to stay calm! Creating a great first impression from the beginning of your speech is not as difficult as you might be worrying.
When you create a strong beginning, you should try some of the following:
Be reminded thought, that sometimes it is wise to write your introduction last as only you know what you’ll be introducing. This way, you’ll also avoid including something in your introduction that you won’t be actually talking about.
Once you have written out your introduction, you have completed the first step in creating an excellent outline for your presentation.
In my experience, it can be easier to create ending before you flesh out the body of your presentation. However, it is up to you if you prefer to create your outline in a different order.
If you are a regular reader, you might have realized that I already posted an in-depth article here about how to end a presentation in a powerful way . Right now we are going to talk about the same thing in somewhat less detail.
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Just like with your beginning, make sure that you’ve made it obvious you are ending. After all, few things are more awkward than your audience sitting there long after you’ve finished, feeling confused about whether they should leave or not.
If the point of your speech is to motivate your audience to do something, you might consider ending your speech with a call to action . A call to action is simply an instruction that you give your audience about something you want them to do.
You could also potentially end your presentation with a powerful quote or an entertaining story . And if you have a unique tagline that exists to help promote your personal brand, consider ending with it.
But if you are planning to have a question and answer period at all, make sure you are not directly ending with one. Plan to wrap up your question and answer period before delivering your speech’s closing at the end.
This is because ending with a question and answer period is not only not memorable, but a negative question from an audience member can leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouth . This is not the last thing you want your audience members to remember as they’re leaving!
And as always, you should thank your audience at the end of your speech. This will make them feel valued, and impressed with your gratefulness.
So, you’ve got your beginning and ending all figured out, but now what else do you do with your outline? This is the stage where you work on the body of your speech. That is, you will want to think about what you want to say in between your beginning and end. Here are some speech writing tips I have written about previously.
It may be easier for you to write bullet points or even a numbered list. List your main points in order of what you want to talk about. If at first glance the topics don’t seem to flow, it is okay to re-arrange them.
You can also decide at this point if there is anything you want to add or subtract. If you feel like you’ve made a mistake, don’t worry! It is okay to make any changes along the way.
Add sub-points to your main points in order to further flesh out your outline. Even if you want to keep it simple, sub-points may help you to stay on track and remember what you were going to say.
You can also add to the ideas that your main points present. Make sure that the transitions from one point to another flow smoothly from one thing to the next.
Are there any special details that you need to remember for your presentation? Put these in your outline so that you don’t forget them. This can include important names, dates, and locations that you need to remember.
If your speech is supposed to cover a certain amount of time, try listing times for each of your main points. This may help you not go over or under your time.
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You may be thinking that you don’t need an outline for your PowerPoint presentation. However, don’t rely on your slides alone ; you need a proper outline, too. An outline for a PowerPoint presentation should also include images that you intend to use for your slides.
Fortunately, the PowerPoint program itself also allows you to view an outline of your slides. This can help give you a visual of your overall presentation.
If your outline isn’t the way you want it to be, remember that it is only your very first rough draft. Your outline doesn’t have to be perfect, because it is not your final product. While you should work hard to make your outline as good as possible, you don’t need to stress about it.
And remember that if you finish your outline, and you are not satisfied with how it looks? It is okay for you to scrap it and start all over again. There is no reason that you should stick with an outline that you don’t feel confident about.
An outline is a great place to start whether you intend to read from a full script, read from cue cards, or speak without notes. If you are an avid reader of Speak and Conquer, you’ll remember that I recommend creating an outline in many of my articles.
There is no reason that you have to go any of this by yourself. If you have a friend or mentor who is experienced with public speaking , why not ask them to take a look at your outline for you? They may see something that needs to be changed that never even occurred to you.
You could also give a practice round of your speech in front of a friend, family member, or mentor. Give them a chance to make suggestions about whether or not there’s anything that you should change. After all, it’s better for you to realize if something needs to be done differently before the actual day of the presentation.
If you don’t have someone who you can rehearse in front of in person, try recording your presentation in front of a video camera . Show it to someone you trust via email or social media. If they have any suggestions for change, you can alter your outline accordingly.
While reading this article, you may be wondering why you even need an outline for your presentation. This may be especially puzzling to you if you are planning to give a speech without notes . But I find that an outline can be incredibly useful no matter what kind of presentation you are planning to give to your audience.
Like I said before, the main point of an outline is to enhance the main purpose of your speech further. But I’m also going to give you a list of some more reasons why I believe an outline is absolutely essential.
Some other good reasons for creating an outline for your presentation are:
No matter what kind of presentation you are planning to give, a solid outline with help you be prepared and ready to go.
Today, I have compiled a thorough guide about writing a quality outline. We discussed creating a good beginning, ending, and body of your presentation. We have even talked about why a good outline is important, too. If you have any other tips to share about creating an outline for your presentation, make sure to share them in the comments section.
If you are looking to improve your public speaking and presentation skills, check out the rest of my articles on Speak and Conquer. The purpose of my site is to help you succeed in becoming a better public speaker. For example, I have covered popular topics such as how to memorize a speech in less than an hour , and how to use hand gestures effectively during a presentation .
What software should I use to outline my speech? Preferably, you should have a program that allows you to use bullet points or numbered lists. Bullet points and lists are a good place to start when you are outlining. Microsoft Word, Word Processor, or Notepad are acceptable for basic outlines.
How do I decide what the purpose of my speech is? Decide if you are there to inform, educate, motivate, or entertain your audience. When you have narrowed it down to just one of those, you will be able to decide the main idea of your speech. You should preferably speak about a topic that you are well-educated about.
How do I write a speech? Start with a purpose, and then create a detailed outline. Flesh out the points and sub-points from your outline. Decide very early on if you want to give your speech with or without notes. Revise your drafts as much as possible until you have created a full speech. If you are going to speak with notes, write some of the information from your outline onto cue cards.
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My name is Janek Tuttar , and I am the founder and author of Speak and Conquer website.
I have been teaching public speaking at Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences
Here, I am sharing the wisdom of how to cope in different public speaking situations.
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Hi! My name is Janek Tuttar, and I am the founder and author of SpeakAndConquer.com.
I have been teaching and blogging about public speaking since spring 2007. Here, I am sharing the wisdom of how to cope in different public speaking situations.
Send me an e-mail: [email protected]
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For many people the thought of delivering a presentation is a daunting task and brings about a great deal of nerves . However, if you take some time to understand how effective presentations are structured and then apply this structure to your own presentation, you’ll appear much more confident and relaxed.
Here is our complete guide for structuring your presentation, with examples at the end of the article to demonstrate these points.
If you’ve ever sat through a great presentation, you’ll have left feeling either inspired or informed on a given topic. This isn’t because the speaker was the most knowledgeable or motivating person in the world. Instead, it’s because they know how to structure presentations – they have crafted their message in a logical and simple way that has allowed the audience can keep up with them and take away key messages.
Research has supported this, with studies showing that audiences retain structured information 40% more accurately than unstructured information.
In fact, not only is structuring a presentation important for the benefit of the audience’s understanding, it’s also important for you as the speaker. A good structure helps you remain calm, stay on topic, and avoid any awkward silences.
Generally speaking, there is a natural flow that any decent presentation will follow which we will go into shortly. However, you should be aware that all presentation structures will be different in their own unique way and this will be due to a number of factors, including:
Before choosing the presentation’s structure answer these questions first:
When reading the points below, think critically about what things may cause your presentation structure to be slightly different. You can add in certain elements and add more focus to certain moments if that works better for your speech.
This is the usual flow of a presentation, which covers all the vital sections and is a good starting point for yours. It allows your audience to easily follow along and sets out a solid structure you can add your content to.
Before you start delivering your talk, introduce yourself to the audience and clarify who you are and your relevant expertise. This does not need to be long or incredibly detailed, but will help build an immediate relationship between you and the audience. It gives you the chance to briefly clarify your expertise and why you are worth listening to. This will help establish your ethos so the audience will trust you more and think you’re credible.
Read our tips on How to Start a Presentation Effectively
In the introduction you need to explain the subject and purpose of your presentation whilst gaining the audience’s interest and confidence. It’s sometimes helpful to think of your introduction as funnel-shaped to help filter down your topic:
In this section also explain:
The way you structure your introduction can depend on the amount of time you have been given to present: a sales pitch may consist of a quick presentation so you may begin with your conclusion and then provide the evidence. Conversely, a speaker presenting their idea for change in the world would be better suited to start with the evidence and then conclude what this means for the audience.
Keep in mind that the main aim of the introduction is to grab the audience’s attention and connect with them.
The main body of your talk needs to meet the promises you made in the introduction. Depending on the nature of your presentation, clearly segment the different topics you will be discussing, and then work your way through them one at a time – it’s important for everything to be organised logically for the audience to fully understand. There are many different ways to organise your main points, such as, by priority, theme, chronologically etc.
When planning your presentation write a list of main points you want to make and ask yourself “What I am telling the audience? What should they understand from this?” refining your answers this way will help you produce clear messages.
In presentations the conclusion is frequently underdeveloped and lacks purpose which is a shame as it’s the best place to reinforce your messages. Typically, your presentation has a specific goal – that could be to convert a number of the audience members into customers, lead to a certain number of enquiries to make people knowledgeable on specific key points, or to motivate them towards a shared goal.
Regardless of what that goal is, be sure to summarise your main points and their implications. This clarifies the overall purpose of your talk and reinforces your reason for being there.
Follow these steps:
Conclude your talk by thanking the audience for their time and invite them to ask any questions they may have. As mentioned earlier, personal circumstances will affect the structure of your presentation.
Many presenters prefer to make the Q&A session the key part of their talk and try to speed through the main body of the presentation. This is totally fine, but it is still best to focus on delivering some sort of initial presentation to set the tone and topics for discussion in the Q&A.
The above was a description of a basic presentation, here are some more specific presentation layouts:
Use the demonstration structure when you have something useful to show. This is usually used when you want to show how a product works. Steve Jobs frequently used this technique in his presentations.
This structure is particularly useful in persuading the audience.
As well as incorporating stories in your presentation , you can organise your whole presentation as a story. There are lots of different type of story structures you can use – a popular choice is the monomyth – the hero’s journey. In a monomyth, a hero goes on a difficult journey or takes on a challenge – they move from the familiar into the unknown. After facing obstacles and ultimately succeeding the hero returns home, transformed and with newfound wisdom.
Storytelling for Business Success webinar , where well-know storyteller Javier Bernad shares strategies for crafting compelling narratives.
Another popular choice for using a story to structure your presentation is in media ras (in the middle of thing). In this type of story you launch right into the action by providing a snippet/teaser of what’s happening and then you start explaining the events that led to that event. This is engaging because you’re starting your story at the most exciting part which will make the audience curious – they’ll want to know how you got there.
The remaining method structure is good for situations where you’re presenting your perspective on a controversial topic which has split people’s opinions.
When delivering presentations it’s important for your words and ideas to flow so your audience can understand how everything links together and why it’s all relevant. This can be done using speech transitions which are words and phrases that allow you to smoothly move from one point to another so that your speech flows and your presentation is unified.
Transitions can be one word, a phrase or a full sentence – there are many different forms, here are some examples:
Signify to the audience that you will now begin discussing the first main point:
Move from one point to a similar one:
Internal summarising consists of summarising before moving on to the next point. You must inform the audience:
You can move your body and your standing location when you transition to another point. The audience find it easier to follow your presentation and movement will increase their interest.
A common technique for incorporating movement into your presentation is to:
Slides are a useful tool for most presentations: they can greatly assist in the delivery of your message and help the audience follow along with what you are saying. Key slides include:
There are some presenters who choose not to use slides at all, though this is more of a rarity. Slides can be a powerful tool if used properly, but the problem is that many fail to do just that. Here are some golden rules to follow when using slides in a presentation:
Guy Kawasaki, an entrepreneur and author, suggests that slideshows should follow a 10-20-30 rule :
Here are some additional resources for slide design:
Group presentations are structured in the same way as presentations with one speaker but usually require more rehearsal and practices. Clean transitioning between speakers is very important in producing a presentation that flows well. One way of doing this consists of:
From this example you can see how the different sections of the presentations link which makes it easier for the audience to follow and remain engaged.
Having examples of great presentations will help inspire your own structures, here are a few such examples, each unique and inspiring in their own way.
This presentation by ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt demonstrates some of the most important lessons he and his team have learnt with regards to working with some of the most talented individuals they hired. The simplistic yet cohesive style of all of the slides is something to be appreciated. They are relatively straightforward, yet add power and clarity to the narrative of the presentation.
Since being released in 2009, this presentation has been viewed almost four million times all around the world. The message itself is very powerful, however, it’s not an idea that hasn’t been heard before. What makes this presentation so powerful is the simple message he is getting across, and the straightforward and understandable manner in which he delivers it. Also note that he doesn’t use any slides, just a whiteboard where he creates a simple diagram of his opinion.
Here’s an example of a presentation given by a relatively unknown individual looking to inspire the next generation of graduates. Rick’s presentation is unique in many ways compared to the two above. Notably, he uses no visual prompts and includes a great deal of humour.
However, what is similar is the structure he uses. He first introduces his message that the wisest man he knew was a third-grade dropout. He then proceeds to deliver his main body of argument, and in the end, concludes with his message. This powerful speech keeps the viewer engaged throughout, through a mixture of heart-warming sentiment, powerful life advice and engaging humour.
As you can see from the examples above, and as it has been expressed throughout, a great presentation structure means analysing the core message of your presentation. Decide on a key message you want to impart the audience with, and then craft an engaging way of delivering it.
By preparing a solid structure, and practising your talk beforehand, you can walk into the presentation with confidence and deliver a meaningful message to an interested audience.
It’s important for a presentation to be well-structured so it can have the most impact on your audience. An unstructured presentation can be difficult to follow and even frustrating to listen to. The heart of your speech are your main points supported by evidence and your transitions should assist the movement between points and clarify how everything is linked.
Research suggests that the audience remember the first and last things you say so your introduction and conclusion are vital for reinforcing your points. Essentially, ensure you spend the time structuring your presentation and addressing all of the sections.
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In this tutorial, you'll learn how to write a PowerPoint outline for a presentation . You'll see a presentation outline example that shows how beneficial the process can be. It might seem like an extra step while building a presentation. But creating a presentation outline saves you time in the long run.
Presentation outlines are a great way to save time. So are advanced PowerPoint templates. You'll see examples of professional PowerPoint templates from Envato Elements (unlimited downloads) in this tutorial while you learn how to write a presentation outline.
You might think that learning how to write a presentation outline is an extra step. Writing a presentation outline takes time. But you might be surprised by how much time it ultimately saves in later steps.
It's important to see writing a presentation outline as a helpful step instead of extra work. Investing time in creating a PowerPoint outline helps you avoid rewriting and reworking your presentation.
When I was a rookie presenter, I made a lot of mistakes while writing a presentation. I'd open PowerPoint, spend too much time picking a theme, and then start writing my content. I jumped back and forth between slides adding points.
In short: this created an unfocused presentation. You could tell that there was a scatterbrained approach to writing content. When I started using outlines, the presentation felt more cohesive, and every point fell naturally into place.
But don't think that a PowerPoint presentation outline will be tossed in the trash when your presentation is finished. With a bit of creativity, PowerPoint presentation outlines can serve multiple purposes:
Think of writing a presentation as a series of steps. Writing a presentation outline is the first step that saves time on all future steps. Learn how to do a presentation outline and more in our tutorial below:
Now, let's dive into our tutorial on PowerPoint presentation outlines.
Once you've committed to writing a PowerPoint presentation outline, you might be wondering what the process looks like. Let's learn the keys to writing a presentation outline. Then, you'll learn how to incorporate that presentation outline into your PowerPoint.
The PowerPoint screenshots that you'll see in this section use a template called Brusher from Envato Elements .
Now let's look at how to create PowerPoint outlines:
If PowerPoint is open, close the application! If it's not open, don't even think about heading for the Start menu to launch it.
That's right. The most important part of writing a PowerPoint presentation outline is to leave out the app for the time being. If you don't do this, you risk spinning your wheels and redoing parts of your presentation over and over.
You might be surprised at how much focus a presentation outline brings to the process of learning how to write a presentation outline.
How many tutorials tell you to close the app while learning how to make a presentation outline? Well, this one just did, and it's crucial to the process of writing a presentation outline.
It's vital that every presentation has a single, unifying goal. A PowerPoint presentation is a series of slides with supporting points that all tie back to that goal.
This goal is the guiding principle for everything you write. Setting the presentation's goal is the first step for writing your PowerPoint outline.
As you set your presentation's goal, it's also crucial to think about the type of presentation that you're giving. I divide presentation purposes into three key types, each with their nuances when it comes to writing. Here are the three types of presentation goals:
Before you start filling in the presentation outline, make sure that you've set this singular goal. Otherwise, you risk your presentation diverging into many ideas that don't support a common cause.
In summary, your first outline step is to write your presentation's goal . It's that singular measuring stick that you use as you add more content. Every time you add a new slide or supporting point, ask yourself, " does this content support my presentation's goal? "
Supporting points help reiterate the presentation's goal. But you can't support the key goal if you don't define the goal! Learning how to do a presentation outline comes back to setting a goal.
Now that you've set your presentation's " north star ," you can begin to block in the critical sections that support the goal. Each section should give a new angle but play a part in reinforcing the central goal.
I tend to aim for three or four key sections per presentation. Each of those sections might include multiple PowerPoint slides.
This is commonly called the " body " of the presentation. It's the meat and bones of the presentation with the content that helps you drive your key point home. Fill in a goal as you see in the presentation outline example below:
Let's walk through an example. Let's say that I'm attempting to inspire my audience to learn Power Query, a popular Excel data tool. The goal is to encourage them to action. I'll use three key sections that support the goal:
No two presentations are the same. The way that you support your points will vary based on the presentation's goal. Remember: Y ou're the presenter. It's your story to tell.
Now, start filling in the details for each supporting section. Just as we expanded on the goal with crucial sections, each section should have supporting points.
In your medium of choice, write several supporting sentences for each of your key sections. This gives you several points that support your idea. Use these support points to create individual slides.
See the screenshot below for a sample presentation outline in progress:
Learn more about the writing process in this tutorial:
"You can't boil the entire ocean... The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time... Divide and conquer the task at hand..."
All these phrases mean the same thing: the best way to tackle a project is to divide it into parts. When you're creating a PowerPoint, writing a presentation outline first is the best way to break the project into easy-to-conquer tasks.
Once you've finished writing your PowerPoint presentation outline, it's time to jump back to the app finally. You've laid the groundwork for writing a presentation rapidly. Now, it's time to drop it into PowerPoint.
There are many ways to approach this task. For me, I paste the entire outline on the first slide. Then, I'll start carving that outline up, pasting the sections, and supporting points out to their slides. I use this PowerPoint outline slide to plan my presentation.
Now, start pasting those sections to their own sections. Using Outline view in PowerPoint or another tool, gradually pull your outline apart into unique sections. Instead of typing them one-by-one, just paste the sections onto new slides.
You don't have to stick with the exact text you wrote. Instead, paste the sections out and use them as the inspiration for content. By doing this, your presentation stays true to the original outline and on topic!
PowerPoint even has a helpful feature to focus on outlines in the app. Learn more about Outline view in PowerPoint in the tutorial below:
It might seem odd that we saved this step for last, but this approach helps you stay focused. Instead of jumping around inside PowerPoint while writing a presentation outline, consider using a separate tool.
Before writing your presentation outline think consider the following:
Your slides should just have your main points. If there's too much on your slide, it can be overwhelming for your audience. It can also be distracting. Instead of listening to you, your audience might be reading the text on the slide.
Instead of having complete sentences on your slide, you can reduce text by having simple sentences.
For example, instead of saying, " When you study before a test, you will remember the material, raise your grade and be knowledgeable about the subject. " You can simplify the statement to look like this:
Benefits of Studying
Simplifying your sentences, as shown above, makes it easier to follow the rules on minimizing text on your slides.
Visuals engage your audience, especially when they're eye-catching. They can also show what you’re discussing in the presentation.
If you want to add an emotional element to your presentation, a high-quality image is a great way to do that. If the image is low-quality or irrelevant, it can distract the audience. It’s best to think carefully about your visuals and what you want to add to the presentation.
While writing your outline, remember who you’re writing for. One of the things you need to know about your audience is their knowledge of the subject you’re discussing. Are you speaking to a group of professionals who understand the terminology and the subject well? Or are you talking to a group of students who don’t know much about the subject?
You must also keep your audience in mind if you’re adding humor to your presentation. If you offend your audience, even accidentally, they'll stop listening to you.
Don’t read off your slides. This is a common mistake that people can make. The audience can read your slides, so it can be boring to hear you repeat what’s written on the slide.
It’s more effective when you give the audience new information. If you want to have notes, you can use the speaker notes tool in PowerPoint. This tool lets you add notes that the audience won’t see.
Before we dive into how to write presentations quickly, let's take a look at another timesaver: presentation templates . PowerPoint templates already have most of the design work done for you.
On Envato Elements, you can source unlimited PowerPoint templates for a flat rate. The singular subscription gives you everything you need to create a presentation—fast! Many of these options include PowerPoint outline templates already built.
Explore PowerPoint Templates
Not only will you unlock unlimited PowerPoint templates, but you'll also gain access to many other creative assets. That includes stock photos, graphics, illustrations, and more!
As you finish up your PowerPoint outline, why not pair it with a presentation outline template to rapidly craft your presentation? Here are three of our favorites in the Envato Elements library, all included as a part of the subscription!
The name might be a coincidence, but this PowerPoint presentation titled Outline is a perfect choice for many purposes. You've got 30 slides across five color schemes that are ready for practically any topic.
Flexible PowerPoint templates like this make it easy to adapt your presentation outline easily thanks to their well-designed structure.
The strategy is the unifying direction for a business or project plan. They work well with PowerPoint outlines thanks to the focused approach. This template captures many of the most popular strategy deliverables like:
Are you running a creative agency? This PowerPoint template is sure to be a hit. It's useful for pitching projects or showing off your design chops. It's easy to update and has a fresh design that's certainly on-trend.
If you're still looking for presentation outline templates that save you time, Envato Elements might be right for you. Grab a template and design it rapidly!
We've just scratched the surface of what's possible with templates for PowerPoint. Templates are the best way to save many hours of design work. Here are several articles with the best selection of PowerPoint templates:
Learning how to write a presentation outline is just one of the many skills you need to become a confident presenter. Think of your learning journey in PowerPoint as a series of building blocks. Each skill gives you a steadier foundation.
Also, check our top-rated learning resource, How to Use PowerPoint (Ultimate Tutorial Guide.) It's a comprehensive source of the best learning materials to master PowerPoint.
You've already learned how to write an outline for a presentation. Keep learning with these three excellent tutorials:
You learned how to make a PowerPoint outline for a presentation. Writing a PowerPoint outline is a surefire way to save time and improve your presentation. It brings a focus and consistency to the content.
Every presentation is different. That means that every PowerPoint outline will differ. This guide offers general guidelines to help you. But remember to be confident in your subject knowledge.
Before you start writing a presentation, remember that writing an outline first is the best way to do it. Set a goal, write a few key sections, and fill in your supporting details. Then, rapidly build the slides with your content.
Don't forget! PowerPoint presentation templates from Envato Elements are major time-savers too! Use them alongside your outline to write presentations quickly.
Editorial Note : This post was originally published in February of 2020. It's been updated for accuracy with help from Sarah Joy .
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A presentation outline presents a comprehensive idea of what you plan to share with the audience. It is a synopsis of a talk, pitch, or subject matter under discussion. It serves as a guide for writing a paper, publishing a study, or building a presentation and enables you to structure your information in a way that is easy to understand. Making a presentation outline is similar to having all the necessary pieces in place before building a house. It may appear counter-productive to spend time and resources sorting things in the form of an outline. However, outlining saves time and gives clarity on a particular topic.
A presentation outline assists you in preparing for your pitch or speech. It provides a clear path to take your audience from where it is to where you want it to be. It plays an important role in positively shaping people's perspectives about your planning and execution skills. There are several other advantages associated with creating a presentation outline which includes:
The following steps will help you create a presentation outline:
Determination of your presentation goal is fundamental to creating an outline. To find the purpose, you need to think about what you want from your audience. Finding this out will enable you to build your whole presentation. There are six purposes your presentation possibly have:
Considering the purpose will help you build an impressive presentation. The following few questions will enable you to figure this out:
Answers to these questions will help you create a summary of your presentation and will serve as a fine starting point.
Creating a structure implies considering where different points belong in your discussion and where to use the supporting material. There are three main components of a presentation:
Structuring your points and arguments in these parts will enable you to transition from one part of the presentation to another without creating any trouble.
Thinking about how you want to open your topic is an integral part of planning a presentation. If you want your audience to get engaged with what you are talking about, you can ask an interesting question, share a related story or quote something entertaining. It sets the tone for the rest of your discussion.
You can add images, videos, or other visual content to your presentation to convey what you want to. It helps you to communicate emotions, excitement, passion, and experiences effectively. You can also focus on using different fonts and colors to make your presentation more interactive and interesting.
A creative call to action will inspire your audience to take appropriate action. It will show what you want your audience to do after the presentation. Let your audience know what it will get from performing the required action.
You can make a presentation outline in the following two ways:
1 creating an outline in word.
This presentation outline template describes three components of the outline: The introduction, the main body, and the conclusion. The introductory part opens the topic with an attention grabber and summarises the importance of the topic and its relevance of the topic to the audience. It also includes learning objectives that points out what the audience is going to learn from this presentation. The main body part constitutes the main idea of the topic. This idea is substantiated by supporting material. The concluding part constitutes a summary of the topic discussed and what the audience learned from it. It reviews the main points and calls the audience to take appropriate action.
Here are some important points to consider to create an effective presentation:
A presentation outline is a tool to communicate your ideas precisely. It helps you brainstorm and plan your presentation in a logical flow. Moreover, it helps to grab the attention of your audience by providing it with a visual depiction of what you are going to talk. If you want to create an impressive and creative presentation outline, EdrawMind will help you in this regard. It has a variety of functions and tools which enable you to create a dynamic outline suited to your topic. It enables you to brainstorm and present your ideas most effectively by using different diagrams, charts, graphs, clipart, etc. EdrawMind provides the best solution to your presentation problems.
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Basic presentation outline.
"Tell them what you are going to tell them; tell them; tell them what you have told them“
The number of points in the body of your lecture can expand and contract as required.
I. Introduction (2-3 minutes)
(sign post - words that indicate that you are going to make a point - initially, finally, next.)
TRANSITION and CONNECTION
(sign post - words that indicate that you are going to make a point - initially, finally, next)
III. Conclusion (2-3 minutes)
A presentation outline template gives you an overview of what encompasses an entire presentation. Based on the outline, you can start dealing with one slide at a time and then into the nitty-gritty of it. You may consider as a roadmap that leads to a successful final presentation and impress the attendees .
What is the outline of a presentation.
You can make a presentation outline template using just a sheet of paper or a word processing software of your choice. For instance, if you intend to make a PowerPoint presentation, it would be best to create the whole thing from your computer itself.
Using presentation outline examples and templates can make it easier for you to come up with a standout presentation. Moreover, the template helps you organize your ideas in a logical way. This method ensures that you will include all of the most important details of your presentation.
The template allows you to collect all of the information needed to communicate with your target audience throughout your presentation. You can use headers, bullet points, footers, and even graphics that you need in your presentation. The outline helps you create and put together the perfect message that you want to deliver.
Since you will use the presentation outline template as your guide when presenting, it is therefore important to organize the points logically. For instance, the outline must begin with an introduction where you will invite your audience to your presentation.
Here, you will highlight what your presentation involves. The introduction plays a crucial role in your presentation since this is where you grab your audience’s attention from the start. You might feel stressed at the start but just try to remain calm. Making an amazing first impression isn’t as difficult as you may think.
After your introduction, you will come to the substance of your presentation – and you can find this in the body. This section consists of your main points followed by their own sub-points.
After the body comes the conclusion where you will give a summary of your whole presentation. If you’re making a sales pitch, have to conclude with a CTA. Another great way to conclude your presentation is with an entertaining anecdote or a powerful quote.
How do you write an outline for a presentation.
In analogy, you can compare your presentation outline template to a roadmap you will use as a guide to move your audience from where they are at the start of your presentation to where you want them to be by the end of it. Here are some points to consider when composing your own PowerPoint outline example:
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The thought of giving a presentation in front of other people is enough to make your hands sweat and knees shake. Being tasked to do a project presentation can cause a person to overthink and worry about things. What happens if you forget what to say next? What happens if you end up giving a poor performance? Erase all these negative thoughts by preparing a presentation outline.
1. research presentation generic outline.
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A presentation outline is a document that will list the organized flow of a presentation. You can use this outline as a guide or as a note in planning for your presentation. In addition, you can also use this in case you forget something when presenting in front of the audience.
Both students and business professionals would have to give a class or sales presentation more than once in their lives. If you have given one, you surely have realized the importance of preparing an outline before your presentation. To learn how to create a reliable one, continue reading this article and learn presentation outline writing tips .
In reporting, it is always better to use creative visual aids such as a PowerPoint presentation. Generating visuals can help in capturing the attention and increasing the clarity of the topic you are presenting. There are plenty of presentation tools and software you can choose from in generating your business presentation or academic report , but you should go for the one you’re most familiar with and comfortable using.
Before composing your introduction, it is advisable to conduct your audience analysis and write your presentation agenda . Undergoing these steps will help you determine whether your audience already has prior knowledge about the topic you are about to present and will give an idea of where to start. After this, you can proceed with coming up with a brief introduction speech.
Split your topic into separate slides. In deciding the order of your slides, make sure the sequence makes sense. After organizing your content, create your outline following the order in your visual slides. Label each slide in your presentation outline with the necessary things you should include in your discussion. Setting how long you should discuss each concept would also be helpful. You can use a blank outline template, process flow chart , or roadmap to make it easier to review.
Your presentation would be incomplete unless you wrap everything up. In devising the conclusion to your project outline , you don’t have to go through everything in detail again. You should summarize and reiterate only the main points of your presentation. You should ensure to meet the objectives that you set beforehand. Don’t forget to note to let your audience ask if they have any questions regarding your discussion.
The 10 20 30 rule means that an oral presentation should have a maximum of ten slides and not last more than twenty minutes. The thirty in 10 20 30 stands for the rule of not using fonts smaller than thirty. Assuming that an adult’s attention span lasts for 15-30 minutes, this rule is widespread in the business world.
There are components a speaker should consider to make his or her presentation effective. The first one is to establish a connection with your audience. Don’t look at your slides too much. It is necessary to maintain eye contact. Also, you should choose a design that’s not too distracting. Lastly, try considering using diagrams and charts that would better present data and ideas.
A good presenter should be confident and should also know how to command the room. Being good at using gestures and facial expressions are also necessary characteristics of a presenter. Aside from that, they should also be enthusiastic, good at delivering their presentation speech , and they should also have a vast knowledge about what they are discussing.
Aside from your nervousness, other factors can also affect your presentation. Despite that, a good outline can combat them all. You know, you can never be too prepared. If your presentation outline is reliable enough, you can be more ambitious of your end goal and aim to deliver a presentation that would leave them in awe of your presentation skills.
Text prompt
10 Examples of Public speaking
20 Examples of Gas lighting
IMAGES
COMMENTS
Now that we know why we need to make a presentation outline, let's dive deeper into how you can write a presentation outline. 1. Decide the Purpose of the Presentation. Decide on the goal of your presentation before you start writing any notes. It serves as a base for the remainder of your outline.
Here are the steps to follow: Provide a Prompt: Enter a brief description of your presentation topic into the AI tool. Customize the Output: Examine the generated outline. You may need to modify the titles of the slides and their order to better suit your needs.
Review, Revise, and Refine. Once you have created your initial outline, review it carefully. Ensure that it aligns with your presentation goals, effectively communicates your message, and maintains a logical flow. Revise and refine as needed, keeping your audience's perspective in mind.
Follow these steps when creating an outline for your presentation: 1. Consider the purpose of your presentation. When creating a presentation outline, determine your goal. To find this, think about what you want your audience to obtain or support after your discussion. For example, a nonprofit that builds wells for impoverished communities may ...
Organize your slides. Include a title slide with the presentation topic, your name, and date. Add a relevant image or graphic to set the tone. Provide an agenda or outline slide to give the audience an overview of what to expect. Use section divider slides to clearly separate different parts of your presentation.
Presentation outline examples Basic presentation outline example. Let's take a look at a presentation outline and accompanying notes for a persuasive presentation on encouraging people to meditate every day: I. Introduction. Hook - find a striking image and tell a story; Thesis statement - everyone should meditate for 10 min per day; II.
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.
A presentation outline is like a roadmap for organizing your thoughts and delivering your message smoothly during a presentation. It helps you structure your content logically, ensuring that your audience can follow along easily. By providing a clear framework, an outline enhances the clarity and effectiveness of your presentation. Importance ...
The human brain is much better at retaining structured, organized data — even more so when it's presented with engaging visual content. Presentations check both boxes. To ensure a cohesive flow for your entire presentation and a smooth ride for the audience, you need to prepare a clear, cogent outline for your material with all the key points.
Here is a step-by-step guide to creating the outline for your presentation: 1. Know the Purpose of Your Presentation. The essential part of creating a presentation outline is to determine the goal of your presentation. To find this, consider what you want your audience to learn or support following your talk.
A presentation outline is a roadmap to a more successful business pitch — a general plan that summarizes what you want to say to prospective customers, clients or investors. It lets you organize your thoughts, group ideas into main points and present your material logically. ... All of this visual content demands attention from your audience ...
Using a presentation outline template. Templates are a great starting point for creating documents like a presentation outline. You can create your own template or use an existing template. A basic presentation outline example is: [Presentation Title] Introduction Attention grabber; Purpose of presentation; Main topic 1 Subtopic 1.1; Subtopic 1.2
This helps you manage your time effectively during the actual presentation. Notes or Reminders: Add any reminders, cues, or notes to yourself that will help you deliver your presentation effectively. These can include tips on delivery, body language, or specific points to emphasize. Presentation Outline Examples. Image: freepik.
Flesh out the points and sub-points from your outline. Decide very early on if you want to give your speech with or without notes. Revise your drafts as much as possible until you have created a full speech. If you are going to speak with notes, write some of the information from your outline onto cue cards.
This clarifies the overall purpose of your talk and reinforces your reason for being there. Follow these steps: Signal that it's nearly the end of your presentation, for example, "As we wrap up/as we wind down the talk…". Restate the topic and purpose of your presentation - "In this speech I wanted to compare…". 5.
When you're creating a PowerPoint, writing a presentation outline first is the best way to break the project into easy-to-conquer tasks. 5. Open PowerPoint and Add Your Outline. Once you've finished writing your PowerPoint presentation outline, it's time to jump back to the app finally. You've laid the groundwork for writing a presentation rapidly.
Open Word document. Select View > Outline. This will automatically generate an outline and open the Outlining tools. If there are headings in your document, you will witness those headings organized by level (from H1 to H9). If there are no headings in the document, the outline will appear as a bullet list.
vary the pace: for example, have question periods at the end of each sub-topic, or alternate 15-minute lectures with 15-minute interactive activities or audio-visual presentations; I. Introduction (2-3 minutes) Opener Or Attention Getter; Significance of topic; Relevance to Audience
Below, we outline several structures that you can use to organize your presentation. 1. Open - Body - Conclusion. The Open - Body - Conclusion approach is one of the most practical structures you can use for presentations. (Click here to download a worksheet that helps you use it.) People often call it the "tell 'em" approach, because you:
Step 3: Plan your content. Once you have the goal and audience analysis done, you can then start to plan your content. I suggest you think about three levels in your outline. The highest level consists of the topics you want to cover, usually three to five topics are all you can cover in most presentations. Break each topic down into the points ...
Plan the content of your presentation As soon as you have formulated your goal and analyzed your audience, you are now prepared to plan the content of your presentation. You can think about having 3 levels in your presentation outline template: The highest levels consist of the topics that you want to discuss - usually about 3 to 5 topics
3. Structure Your Presentation. Split your topic into separate slides. In deciding the order of your slides, make sure the sequence makes sense. After organizing your content, create your outline following the order in your visual slides. Label each slide in your presentation outline with the necessary things you should include in your discussion.
Presentation skills are the abilities and qualities necessary for creating and delivering a compelling presentation that effectively communicates information and ideas. They encompass what you say, how you structure it, and the materials you include to support what you say, such as slides, videos, or images. You'll make presentations at various ...