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Project Presentations: How to Prepare and Deliver a Project Presentation

Can anything make a project manager’s heart sink faster than being told that they need to give a project presentation to the board of directors? The pressure. The responsibility. Sure, you’re happy that the directors of the company trust you enough that they want your input in the project, but having to present in front of these powerful players is making your stress levels spike.

If you haven’t come across these presentation requests from senior managers yet, you will! These scenarios are common on projects, especially projects that introduce a new product or involve organizational change. But don’t feel overwhelmed. Giving project presentations may feel scary, but you can plan and prepare for them just like any other meeting.

What Is a Project Presentation?

A project presentation is an opportunity for you to explain your project processes and deliverables to key stakeholders. These can be informal, like a quick update via reports with a few individuals, or formal. Formal project presentations often require proper meeting times, thought-out slide decks, goal review and more. We’ll spend most of our time discussing how to prepare and deliver a formal project presentation.

A formal project presentation requires good data. Project management software can provide you with the dashboards and reports you need to supplement your points and progress updates. ProjectManager has real-time dashboards that you can share with stakeholders, and eight different in-depth project reports that you can make with just a few clicks. Get started for free today!

Why Is a Project Presentation So Important?

A project presentation is your opportunity to convey the importance of the work you and your team have been doing. If you’re unable to articulate your progress and achievements, key stakeholders won’t understand why money, time and resources are being spent on your project.

When you think of it like that, it’s no wonder why people spend so much time preparing for their project presentations. Read on to see how you can knock your next presentation out of the park.

How to Prepare for a Project Presentation

Preparing for a project presentation can be more important than you actual delivery. That’s because good preparation can set you up for success on the big day. Let’s go through some preparation techniques you can do for your project presentation.

1. Create a Calendar Invite for Your Project Presentation

You can’t just expect people to turn up – they need to know that there is an important event that requires their attendance, so get it in their diaries. People plan their meetings and calendar appointments sometimes quite far in advance, giving ample warning. Schedule the presentation as soon as you can, and check with the individuals (or their assistants) if you don’t get a reply about their availability.

If you have been invited to someone else’s meeting to talk about your project, make sure it is in your planner and book some time to plan for it in advance. If you don’t, you risk running out of time to prepare your material.

2. Select a Format for Your Presentation

How are you going to get your message across? If you’ve scheduled a project meeting it’s likely that you are expecting to do a formal presentation. That’s fine, but how? Will you use slides or flip charts or mirror your iPad on a monitor? Do you expect the audience to participate in any part of the presentation? Can you speak without notes or would it be better to have some pointers with you on the day?

You should also consider where you will be giving the presentation. For example, a format that is suitable for a small room and a limited audience, such as a loosely-structured project update with a couple of slides, is not going to be appropriate for a room full of stakeholders, laid out like a lecture theatre with you at a lectern at the front.

3. Practice Your Project Management Presentation

Giving presentations is a skill. Practice, practice, practice. Before your big project presentation, volunteer to do some smaller ones, like staff briefings or shorter updates at team meetings. You want to feel comfortable both standing up in front of the room and with the material. Run through your presentation at home or in an empty meeting room so that you remember where the slide transitions are. Practice using the projector and a clicker to move the slides forward. Write out your flip charts several times so that it becomes second nature.

Practice and training will make your delivery much more polished and professional and give your audience a far better experience.

4. Write Big So Your Presentation Is Legible

Whether you are using slides or flip charts, write big or use big fonts. It is often difficult to see what is on the screen, even in a small room – and that means your message is not getting across. And it’s an excuse for audience members to check their phones instead of listening to you.

A good tip is to print out your slides and put them on the floor. If you can still read them clearly from a standing position, then the text is big enough. If you can’t read the words or you have to bend down to read them, make the font size larger!

5. Have a Backup Plan for Your Presentation

Projectors break, meeting rooms don’t have conference phones in, pens run out just at the critical moment. Plan for everything to go wrong. Your presentation audience is made up of busy people and they don’t want to sit there watching you fiddle with the technology. Get it all working before they arrive, and if it doesn’t work when you get going, make sure that you have a contingency plan (like a printout of your slides) so that you can carry on anyway.

How to Give a Project Presentation

When the fateful day arrives, there are some important things to keep in mind when giving your project presentation. Follow these best practices and you’ll portray your project and your team in the best possible light.

1. Speak Clearly and Don’t Rely on Jargon

Presentations depend on clarity and good communication . If you bog down your presentation with jargon and convulated reasoning, you’re going to lose your audience. Make sure that you use language that your audience will understand, so they can follow along with all of the key points you need to make.

Remember, not everyone in that meeting is going to understand all the intricasies of your project, in fact, none of them likely will. So speak slowly, clearly and ensure that you communicate.

2. Stick to What Matters and Use Data

When giving your project presentation, don’t lose sight of the original goals and requirements of the project. Your stakeholders agreed on certain goals at the beginning, how are you trending towards reaching those goals? Sometimes it’s easy to focus on setbacks or difficulties, or things that you may find fascinating. However, it’s best to recenter on critical business objectives.

It’s important to use data to supplement your project presentation as you address key goals and initiatives. But don’t use too much data! People will get lost in the numbers and stop listening to what you have to say. It’s a delicate balance.

3. Tell a Story

You have probably sat through a fair few presentations in your time, and I expect you’ve tried to stop yourself from nodding off in some of them. Project status updates can be boring. If the subject matter isn’t dull, often the speaker is. Don’t let that be you.

One way to keep the attention of the audience is to structure your presentation in the most interesting fashion. Consider what they will find interesting (and it won’t be the same as what you find interesting). Telling the story of your project is a good idea. Think about a start, a middle and an end to your presentation. Perhaps follow the lifecycle from the perspective of a customer.

Focus on the benefits and not the project management process. If you don’t know if your presentation material makes sense, run it past a friend or family member who doesn’t know anything about your project. If they don’t fall asleep, it’s OK!

4. Ask for Feedback on Your Presentation

When your presentation is over, ask for feedback. You could do this directly at the end of the session before people leave the room, or a couple of days later. It’s good to get some feedback as it helps you work on what to improve for next time.

Ask people to give you their impressions both of your presentation skills and also of the presentation content. You could find that the content was really good but you lacked confidence delivering it, or conversely that you were an engaging presenter but the material was not relevant to them. All this is useful stuff to know and it will help you improve your presentation skills for next time.

Project Management Presentations Take Time to Master

Giving presentations isn’t an everyday occurrence on projects but it is likely that you will have to give one or two during the project lifecycle – more if your project involves a lot of workshops or user sessions.

Don’t panic – presentation skills are something that you can learn and you will get better with practice! Once you have cracked it, you’ll feel confident delivering presentations and you’ll find that it gets easier to prepare for them in the future.

The scheduling features of our software can be used to book your presentations on the team calendar, which can be easily seen on the project dashboard. With it you have the ability to share agendas and slides after the presentation with the online document library. Then you can carry on the discussion after the meeting by using the great chat tool. Try the software from ProjectManager free for 30 days and see how helpful it really is.

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How to Create a Successful Project Presentation?

In any business, project managers need to be able to communicate a project strategy to clients effectively. It can bring in new, long-term clients to your agency if done correctly. However, doing so incorrectly could seriously undermine your efforts to acquire or retain clients. One thing that unites business, academic, and corporate meetings is making a project presentation look good. 

Professionals need this skill when effectively communicating ideas, outlining goals, and sharing project results. Creating and delivering a project presentation that connects with your target audience will lead to the project’s anticipated outcomes, regardless of your level of presentation experience. This blog will walk you through the art of presenting a project and offer business professionals advice on making their project plan presentation stand out. 

What is a Project Presentation?

A project presentation is a business activity where team members and stakeholders come together to supervise a project from start to finish. It is a formal submission of a project to stakeholders for discussion of a topic and acceptance. One or more business professionals provide a document or slide deck summarizing every project detail during a presentation.

The project manager presents essential information regarding the start of the project and its preparation, including the project scope, requirements collection, deliverables list, schedule, and milestones. A project management presentation is typically made for the first time before the project’s implementation. Then, as the project progresses, you reintroduce it to the stakeholders with timely updates and news.

Who is the Audience for Your Project Presentation?

Team members and organizations involved in the project’s success or failure comprise stakeholders and other team members:

Show the project presentation to the team members who will be working on the project so they are aware of the expectations and the risks involved. Information such as the requirements, the work breakdown structure, the plan, and the deliverables will be required.

Stakeholders

Show your project to the people who can approve funds and resources, i.e., the stakeholders. Demonstrate to them how the project will provide the desired solutions for the problems they raise within the specified time frame. 

The stakeholders are interested in the project’s scope , budget breakdowns , scheduling computations, risk assessments, and your plans for mitigating those risks and adapting to changes. Hence, they are the ideal audience for your project management presentation.

How to Successfully Create a Project Presentation?

Before jumping onto how to present a project, let us see what steps you should follow to create a successful project presentation:

Establish Objectives for Your Project

• Layout your Plan
• Outline the Problem and Solution
• Keep the Slides in your Presentation Brief
• Use More Images and Less Text

Utilize Good Quality Diagrams, Presentation Aids, and Visuals

• Pay Attention to Design
• Begin with a Template for your Presentation

Before delving into the essentials of your project presentation, you should respond to the following queries:

• What goals does your project aim to accomplish?
• Why is it crucial that you and your group meet your objectives?
• How are you going to let your audience know what your objectives are?  

Your project is already doomed to failure if it lacks specific goals. It’s common for project managers  to skip the goal-setting stage. However, this is not advised. That’s because you can make things easier for yourself to fail. Stakeholder buy-in can be achieved once project goals are well-defined.

The question now is: How do you set and accomplish project goals? Using the SMART goal-setting process is one way to do that. 

SMART project goal-setting:

• “SMART” is an abbreviation for the words “specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound”.  
• Setting and carrying out effective project plans need the use of SMART targets . It requires a closer examination of the more minor elements that matter most to your audience.

Layout Your Plan

Outlining your strategy for achieving your goals is a crucial next step after setting them. Putting your idea into an executable plan with steps for execution is a great place to start. 

You may be wondering why this is a necessary stage in making a project presentation that works. Well, p lanning a project , no matter how big or small, is easier when you have a thorough strategy, structure, and layout. It eliminates ambiguity and makes it easier for your audience to understand the project roadmap without missing anything.

Both technical and non-technical project aspects should be included in your plan layout. As a result, you should use a project presentation template that outlines all the procedures and activities in detail to offer yourself an advantage. Additionally, the structure of your PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation should be straightforward and understandable.

Depending on the kind of project, your plan might contain important information like:

• The earlier-described aims and objectives
• Your project’s framework, technique, and scope
• Project deliverables, acceptance criteria, and milestones
• Timeline and schedule for the project 
• Estimates of resources and budget, etc.

You can use a pre-made customizable project management presentation template available online, like SlideUpLift . You can make this presentation template uniquely yours by modifying it.

When creating a project plan, there are no hard and fast rules. However, you should divide it into three sections if you want to develop an engaging approach that will stick with your audience:

• Introduction
• Conclusion and key takeaways

Outline the Problem and its Solution

You have just finished drafting your project action plan . It’s time to let your audience know about your project’s objectives and plan. It’s your responsibility to hold your audience’s attention from the beginning to the end, whether you’re pitching a project plan to clients or an investor deck.

Emphasizing your audience’s problems is one of the best strategies to get their attention.  Having stunning slides highlighting your outstanding product features and project activities is insufficient. Ensure that your project presentation is set up to:

• List the problems that your audience is facing.
• Stress how your initiative, offering, or service helps them with their problems.
• Describe the advantages of using your product or contributing to your project for them.
• Simply put, your audience should understand how your project improves their lives. As soon as they know this, they will pay attention to your suggestions and act accordingly.
• Avoid assuming anything about your audience in general. 

If you want the audience on board, discuss their issues and potential solutions in a separate presentation. Make sure they know how your initiative will help them.

Keep the Slides in Your Presentation Brief

Prioritize quality over quantity while designing project presentations. Make sure your slides are brief and easy to understand. Your audience will appreciate that you respect their time when you do this. 

The following justify why you should keep your presentation short:

• Not only may concise presentation slides be effective, but they may also be memorable.
• There is a noticeable decline in attention span after 30 minutes during project or business presentations. You run the risk of losing the interest of your audience midway through if you make long speeches. 
• No one wants to spend hours watching you flip a ton of slides. Focus your audience’s attention and get them to pay attention to the material by using shorter slides.

Use More Images and Less Text  

Using more images and less text in your presentations is another excellent method to keep them engaging but succinct. Recall that your slide show should support, not take the place of, your spoken presentation. Therefore, you want to avoid cramming too much data onto a single presentation. 

Adding too much text to your presentation could: 

• Bore and overwhelm your audiences.
• Draw the audience’s focus to the text, which will lessen the impact of your presentation.

When information is presented visually and in bite-sized portions, people remember it better. This holds for corporate leaders, project managers, both B2B and B2C audiences.

Presenting projects successfully requires the use of visuals. Visual aids help viewers retain 95% of a message, drawing them in and holding their interest. However, they maintain just approximately 10% when exchanged by text. 

You can employ a wide range of visual aids in your presentations, such as:

• Pictures Videos 
• Charts and graphs
• Maps of heat and choropleth
• Dispersion charts 

Your chances of gaining audience engagement and encouraging answers to your call-to-action (CTA) will increase if you include images and videos. Mind maps, Gantt charts , and whiteboard drawings are excellent tools for visualizing project plans in their early stages. Using maps, graphs, charts , and trees, you can display the architecture for projects, including technology. 

Pay Attention to Design  

Your project presentation may succeed or fail based on its design. Whether you are a rookie or an expert designer, design tools offer you an advantage. In minutes, you can produce visually striking presentation designs for your company.

The good news is that creating eye-catching project presentations doesn’t have to break the cash. Millions of breathtaking royalty-free photos and lovely pre-made layouts are available for your slides. 

These are some pointers to keep in mind when creating your slides.

• Make Use of a Proper Color Scheme 

Use color sparingly in your presentations if you want them to look appealing. Everyone loves color, so we get it. However, using too many colors may make your presentations disorganized and unpleasant.

• Make Use of Clearly Identifiable Typography 

Changing your font can influence readers’ understanding of your words. Therefore, ensure that your slides convey the intended content and look professional and well-organized. 

Begin With a Template for Your Presentation

Making powerful project presentations can take much time, regardless of experience level. Suppose you are facing an impending deadline. Writing your project plan, making your slide notes, creating your slides, finding and including images, and other tasks would be on your plate. Creating these things from scratch could take longer and result in messy presentations. 

Using presentation templates might relieve all of your worries. They make it quick and simple for you to create project presentations that appear professional. Because the slides are pre-designed, there will be space for you to add any type of content you would require. The design is present in every form—progress bar, chart, graph, table , video , or image. All you have to do is enter text, add data, or add an image. And just like that, your presentation is set to go. 

Case Study For a Project Presentation

The Cline Avenue Bridge is an example of a difficult project that serves as the basis for the project presentation example. Since it is outside the purview of this article, we are not providing all of the presentation’s components for instructional purposes. Nevertheless, we demonstrate how to create a PowerPoint presentation for a project, how to customize the templates to the content to be presented, and how to show the more typical slides of each component. 

This is a case study of a real project and how the project manager uses templates to put together the project presentation using the structure we presented above.  Here’s how to create a PowerPoint presentation for a project, along with some project presentation ideas.

Project Overview:

The presenter provides a project charter-style summary of the project’s highlights on this slide. The project manager can expand upon the introduction throughout the project lifespan, and the speech can seamlessly transition across several knowledge domains without requiring a slide change or in-depth discussion. 

In particular, the Cline Bridge Project narrates its goal, briefly mentions its location, provides a link to a map for additional information, and presents several key statistics (Building Information Modelling Process, Budget, Duration, Sponsor, and Constructor). The final deliverable’s salient features—a concrete segmental bridge measuring 1.7 miles in length and 46 feet in width—are enumerated.

Process Model:

The framework for the project lifecycle, processes, planning, and execution is shown in the Process Model presentation. In this slide, the project manager will discuss how the model is customized to the project’s particulars. In this instance, the builder has specified the use of BIM (Building Information Modelling) as the process model for the design and construction of the Cline Bridge. 

During this slide, the presenter might further detail the knowledge practices involved in each lifecycle phase—Design, Production, Construction, Operation, and Planning. Conceptual and detailed design are the two primary knowledge areas that make up the first stage, for instance, “Design.” 

Since the content arrangement for the scope section of the presentation consists of a list of “requirements,” it typically consists of multiple slides. This information leads to a recommended table arrangement that maximizes available space. It’s crucial to portray the set of needs rather than the individual requirements and to refrain from misusing the “list.” If not, the requirements document is transcribed by the project manager.

This example project presentation shows ten categories of requirements covering various project lifecycle stages. 

• Conceptual Design
• Construction
• Construction Logistics

Utilizing a lot of resources is necessary when building a bridge. Organizing this component of a project presentation as a single-level financial table at an executive meeting is advised. Specific resources and cost analysis presentations are tasked with providing more information.

The list of available resources is as follows:

• Expert Services
• Construction labor, land machinery, materials, and quality assurance
• Backup Subcontractors for Waste Disposal and Cleaning

We recommend incorporating visual elements, such as icons and colors that are symbolically tied to each of the items stated, to break up the monotony of table after table throughout the project presentation.

Project Schedule:

The purpose of the project roadmap , as previously mentioned in the article, is to provide a thorough overview of the critical turning points that will occur over time. Owing to the size of a bridge-building project and its extended duration, it is recommended to provide a roadmap that clearly matches milestones with relevant lifespan stages, especially for such large-scale undertakings. This method helps the viewers visualize the step-by-step development of the building process.

In keeping with earlier slides, we developed a roadmap in the example that included the following high-level benchmarks and subcomponents:

• Project Start-Up
• Contracts, Clearances, Budgeting, and Financing for Projects
• Buying and Renting of Land
• Initial Design Detailed Design Conceptual Design
• Site Setup: Clearing, Grading, and Access Routes
• Waste Management Examination
• Tests of Materials
• Site Evaluations
• Tests for seismic activity
• Manufacturing Fabrication
• Assembly of Modular Components
• Building, Assembling, and Construction
• Test of Quality under Acceptance Standards
• Stress Exam
• Management and Upkeep

As you can see, the project manager chose a step-by-step plan that was given with minimal scheduling specifics and start and end dates to provide context for the diagram.

Project Hazards:

Throughout a project, risk management is an iterative process. The risks you face while presenting your initiatives will change based on how well they proceed along the roadmap. In this particular instance, we have chosen to showcase the risks deliberated about at the ideation phase, wherein the developer trades risks with contractors and the bridge construction business.

Our recommended structure for this type of material is a straightforward table with easily readable and visible risks and a description that serves more as a starting point for conversation than a thorough explanation.

It is crucial to categorize the risks given, if just in terms of their “impact” and “probability.” This will lead to some really interesting discussions about them. 

Risks outlined in the first phase:

• Mistakes in Design
• Building Hold-Ups
• Overspending on the Budget
• Modifications to Regulations
• Conditions of the Site Equipment Failures
• Incidents about health and safety

The hazards listed are highly serious, as the reader can see, and each will result in a different Risk Analysis Report.

The project presentation’s quality control component may change depending on the quality process used. A continuous improvement quality approach, which iteratively improves quality over many projects, is typical for large organizations with a consistent portfolio of projects (for example, software businesses). The scenario is the same for construction organizations , such as the example, and the quality control model aligns with the building process model. In this instance, the project manager is outlining the quality control procedure to be used on the BIM model as well as the procedure to be adhered to during the bridge’s actual construction:

Using a simple dashboard, we created in this example, allowing the project manager to show: 

• The Existing Chronology
• Top 5 Problems
• Present-Day Burnout
• Top 5 Risks

How to Present a Project Management Presentation?

A project plan is an official document that follows a set format and flow. Your presentation should follow this flow for maximum impact. 

To present a project plan , you should go over the following eight steps:

• Give an overview. Provide a brief overview of the project, outlining its goals and rationale. 
• Examine the key results and objectives, or OKRs. Talk about the main deliverables and anticipated deadlines. Before starting a project, what crucial information should you obtain from a client? Think about this before engaging in conversation.
• Describe the exclusions and expectations. Make assumptions clear and restate anything that is outside the project’s scope. You might be wondering when to show a client the project cost. This is the right moment to ensure both of you have clear expectations.
• Give a high-level timetable. Use a Gantt chart to show the important milestones and dependencies in the project schedule. 
• Give a brief introduction of your group. Present the customer to coworkers with whom they will be working closely, as well as anyone whose experience will strengthen your reputation (such as a seasoned subject matter expert.)
• Explain communications. Make sure your client is aware of the collaborative process. Mention how they can contact you with any queries or issues and how they will be updated.
• Talk about the unexpected. Examine the procedure you’ll use to address requests for changes and problems when they come up.   
• Q&A. To make sure nothing was missed, conclude with a Q&A session. 

Top 5 Project Management Presentation Templates From Slideuplift

Here are some templates which will help you make your desired presentations. These will also give you project presentation ideas. Feel free to click on the images to download SlideUpLift’s templates.

• WBS Project Management PowerPoint Template:

Streamline project planning with this template focused on Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) , offering clear visual guidance for breaking down complex projects into manageable tasks.

• Scrum Agile Project Management PowerPoint Template:

Perfect for Agile enthusiasts, SlideUpLift’s Scrum Agile Project Management template provides visually engaging slides explaining the Scrum framework, roles, ceremonies, and critical components to enhance Agile project communication.

• Circular Project Management PowerPoint Template:

Enhance project visualization with this template featuring circular diagrams and charts, ideal for representing project cycles, feedback loops, and continuous improvement processes.

• SIPOC Project Management PowerPoint Template:

Optimize process mapping using this template designed for SIPOC (Supplier, Input, Process, Output, Customer) models, facilitating the illustration of information and resource flows in projects or processes. 

• Risk Management PowerPoint Template:

Navigate project uncertainties seamlessly with this template tailored for Risk Management . Expect insightful slides on identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks, providing a comprehensive overview to keep your projects on track.

Questions To Ask The Client Before Starting The Project Management Presentation

The client project focus ensures that your client’s business goals are sufficiently handled and that transparency is maintained throughout the project. Objectives, milestones, acceptance criteria, etc., are frequently discussed beforehand.

You might still need to ask a few questions, though, and these are the top five:

• Who are the project stakeholders in your organization? What authority and interest levels do the people who intend to be associated with the project have? 
• Have you already worked on projects similar to this one? How did you overcome the obstacles, if any? 
• What characteristics, outputs, or specifications should we constantly focus on?
• Are you having trouble sleeping at night because of anything related to this project? If yes, what would it be?
• Do you have any questions about risks, difficulties, or other project parts we haven’t yet covered? 

Questions the Client Might Ask During a Project Presentation and How To Answer Them

For new speakers, the Q&A section can often be their biggest worry. The most difficult part of being ready for this is that you never know what queries a client may have. 

Client inquiries frequently revolve around their worries about potential problems. You’ll be able to anticipate their questions more accurately when you know about their priorities. Assume that your client has a tight deadline for finishing the project. Among the queries they might have are:

• How are you going to guarantee that the project is completed on time?
• How would you respond if deadlines begin to elude you?
• Which risks could cause the project to be delayed?

You can prepare well-reasoned responses to their questions by considering their priorities and potential issues beforehand. But what about those unexpected queries that come out of nowhere? 

Three pointers to help you handle unforeseen queries from clients during a project presentation are as follows:

• Firstly, thank them for raising the question. Encourage your client to speak with you and express their worries upfront. 
• Find out what motivates the question. Ask why a question is being asked if it appears pointless or strange. Perhaps the client possesses knowledge that you are unaware of. You will also have extra time to consider your response as a result.
• Put it on the table for later. Inform the customer that you will investigate and get back to them if you are unsure of the response. Give your client a timeframe during which they can anticipate receiving your response.  

Establishing objectives and having a well-thought-out plan to reach them are the first steps in producing an effective project presentation. It also calls for effective delivery, careful attention to design, and the creation of captivating content.  

A strong pitch deck that explains the specifics of your idea and its potential for success is essential if you want to seal those transactions. Using a user-friendly project presentation program such as SlideUpLift can be a game changer. 

The ideal design tool for producing eye-catching and captivating project presentations is something SlideUpLift specializes in.  You can use various features and tools with SlideUpLift to assist you in achieving your ideas for your projects.  

To help your presentation succeed, SlideUpLift offers hundreds of presentation templates , graphic components, font styles, data visualization tools, and pre-installed stock photos and videos.  

You now have all the advice and resources you need to ace the project presentations for the future. With the presentation templates from SlideUpLift, get tips and tricks on standing out when presenting, go ahead and amaze your audience!

How do I effectively present my project?

To present your project effectively, focus on clear communication, use visuals, and tailor your message to your audience’s level of understanding.

How can I present my project as a project manager?

As a project manager, presenting a project involves clear communication of goals, methodologies, and outcomes while addressing potential risks and solutions.

What are the best ways to present a project?

The best ways to present a project include engaging visuals, storytelling, and addressing key points such as objectives, timelines, and potential challenges.

Are there templates for project management presentations?

Several platforms, including SlideUpLift, offer templates specifically designed for project manager presentations .

What are effective ways to present my project to clients?

Effective ways to present your project to clients include emphasizing value, addressing their specific concerns, and showcasing project outcomes.

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Making mistakes is not a bad thing; tons of lessons can be learned from them. And in the field of Project Management, lessons abound.  Projects, unfortunately, seldom go smoothly. There

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How to present a project? Ultimate Guide

Project success belongs to the way you adapt to present it. If you present your project in an effective way that you grab the intention of your client and take him/her to an agreement but if you create blunders and skip important points that you need to discuss while presenting your project .

Importance of properly presented project. 

Presenting a project effectively is crucial for several reasons. It can significantly impact the project's success and your ability to communicate its value to stakeholders. However, here we have some key reasons why you must present your project correctly:

• Proper presentation helps ensure that your audience understands the project's objectives, scope, and goals. It reduces ambiguity and confusion.
• Project presentation will align all stakeholders, ensuring that everyone is on the same page regarding the project's purpose, deliverables, and timelines. This alignment will ultimately lead to project success. 
• An engaging presentation can capture your audience's attention and keep them interested throughout. So, you can expect better feedback, buy-in, and support for the project. 
• Effective project presentations provide the necessary information for decision-makers to make better choices. Whether it's approving project funding, adjusting the scope , or making strategic decisions, clear project presentations are essential for everything. 
• By presenting your project properly, Stakeholders will know who is responsible for what. It will ultimately help to prevent misunderstandings and finger-pointing. 
• Presenting the project can also help identify potential risks and issues early on. Stakeholders may raise concerns or offer insights that can help you address problems before they become major roadblocks.
• Project presentation helps in resource allocation . It allows stakeholders to see the project's resource requirements, helping them allocate personnel, budget, and other resources accordingly.

In short, presenting a project correctly is not just about creating a visually appealing slide. It is also about conveying information and aligning stakeholders. You must ensure that everyone involved has a clear understanding of the purpose, progress, and potential challenges of the project. Therefore, effective project presentation is a skill that you must learn. 

A complete guide on how to present a project?

Do not panic, and be confident about the content and visuals you have prepared to present your project. You should have command of all the information about your project, and you should also know each word you have included in your presentation so that you can explain it deliberately and confidently. You should follow some important steps to present your project:

First of all, know the goals of your project.

You should know the goals of the project you are doing as a project manager or being an owner of the project. First, you should discuss the project and fix its goals by having a warm call-up meeting with your teammates and the owner of the company or the client for whom you are doing the project. It is important when it comes to how to present a project.

Goal setting and owning are most important to make a project successful. It is the winning spot you set to win the race. If you do not do this, it means you do not have directions for where you will go, and all your efforts are useless.

Explain the goal of your project.

After setting the goals, you need to convince the audience by sharing the goals of your project in a way that they could have a better understanding of it. You can explain your project by

• Verbally presentation
• Documentations

If you explain the goals very well, you have done half of the work .

Organize the steps on a paper to present your project

After setting and explaining the goals of your project, you need to convince the audience or your client by explaining the ways to achieve these goals that seem. For that purpose, you should prepare well. You should make a layout of your presentation in which all the steps are organized and explained.

It will provide you with backbone support in presenting the project in an organized and ordered way. This organization will help you remember all key points and give you confidence about what you are saying. You know its meaning.

Prepare a rough sketch of the words you are going to speak

It is just like writing a speech. The delivery of words plays an important role in convincing the audience. If you know how to play the game of words well, you will easily take the audience to your platform. Therefore, before speaking in front of a crowd, keep in mind that you will be judged based on the words you deliver.

So, prepare for speaking and know the meaning of every word you have included. It can prove your strength or your weakness. It all depends on your preparation.

A healthy discussion with your team

When you work with your team, the pressure of work is minimized, and the moral support of your team also encourages you to give your best. While presenting your project, make your team ready to collaborate with you; you can divide the presentation into chunks and share it with your team members asking them to explain that specific part.

Team collaboration encourages success step-wise with the best quality in a short time as the work is divided and you are not burdened. Have trust in your team and get unique ideas by having a healthy discussion with them. Show value to others' ideas by considering and appreciating them.

Prepare your team-mate on standby if there appears to be a need to get their services while presenting the project. They provide you support to answer some critical questions asked by the client if you have pre- planned with your team members . You should keep this in mind when you are talking about how to present a project.

Prepare a presentation on PowerPoint

Another effective way to present the project is to put your ideas on the slides and mention the most important content about them. You can use the images to clarify the concept of your presentation and its purpose, as the images also describe the stories behind them. The images you use for visual description should be very clear and easy to understand.

Several tools in a presentation can help you present your project in the form of image illustration. You can play these slides automatically by setting the time duration. Do practice over these slides after fixing the duration for playing the.

You can present your project not only in the form of words or images but also through videos or graphics. The message you want to convey should not be lengthy or complicated. It should be simple and perfectly visible. Video audio presentation can be of more advantage in this regard.

Create some humor for the audience

If you talk a lot and change slide after slide, this will cause boredom among the audience. Here, you need to engage the audience while conveying your serious message in such a way that it seems entertaining. You can relate the bullet points or images with funny day-to-day activities to create humor, or you can also add some funny pictures or illusions to make fun of during heavy, serious discussions.

You will indirectly and silently decently engage the audience. If you do so, you will not feel the need to ask or make a request to the people to listen to you. They will do so willingly . It is an art, and if you know how to do it without realizing the audience you are doing this intentionally, you are a successful speaker.

In this way you will easily grab the attention of the client of your audience, they will love to listen and understand you, and even they will wait and expect the next bouncer from your side.

Adopt a confident body language.

It is human nature that we feel hesitant when we address a crowd who is sitting to judge us and ready to argue with us when it is our first time. But slowly, you will learn to deal with such a situation.

No matter if you are a beginner, you do not need to get worried. Just stay confident that you have prepared your presentation and practiced as well, and you can answer every query raised by the audience.

Focus on your body language; avoid doing the things that reveal your nervousness, like pressing your hands and playing with a pen by producing the sound of a tick-tock. It looks so odd and leaves a bad impression on your audience.

Make sure you have presented all the aspects.

Keep a checklist with you on paper or a computer slide and check with it whether you have explained important parts of your project, your client must know about them, or one of them is left by mistake. If it is left, it is okay; make a turn and explain it in a way that it seems you did not explain it before to maintain the surprising effect of your project.

I will say again that practice is the key to making your project presentation successful and completed within the expected or allocated time limit.  It is important when you come up with the question of how to present a project.

Present everything without getting nervous. 

Project presentation can sometimes be a real headache, even for pros. However, when you are presenting your project presentation, you must explain everything you have prepared without getting nervous. 

It would be better to keep these steps in mind to make the most out of this experience:

• You must keep your presentation concise, but don't forget to cover any of the essential points. 
• When you are presenting your presentation, you can take a quick pause to gather your thoughts. Slowing your breathing will certainly calm your nerves. 
• Take notes of what you will cover in your project presentation. It will help us to look more confident in the presentation room. 
• Above all, practicing your project presentation more can also make you feel less nervous. For perfect results, it is always better to practice throughout the time. 

Answer the relevant questions

When you present your project, there will be many questions among the audience that are mostly related to the project type, but some of them will ask such questions just to confuse you or let your morals down. Here, you need to play the mind game; do not let these questions disturb you, but answer them with patience whether you know the answer or not.

If you do not answer, simply tell them you do not know about it but want to know and ask for an explanation in the sense to add up your knowledge. If these questions are shits just to disturb you, they will not be thrown towards you next time.

You must be prepared for your question-answer session during and after your project presentation. It is because your audience may ask you some difficult or tricky questions. Regardless of what you have been asked for, it is always important to take proper time and answer their questions with the information they are looking for. 

Wrap up with a project

After discussing every aspect of the project with the client in detail, answering the queries, and getting suggestions, you need to end the session by wrapping up the project presentation in the form of a summary and giving a short review. In this way, all important parts of the projects will be recalled and finalized.

Common mistakes to avoid in project presentations 

When presenting a project, avoiding common mistakes is essential for ensuring clarity, engagement, and effectiveness. So, here are the common mistakes that you must avoid in your project presentation:

• Lack of Preparation

Inadequate project presentation can affect you in multiple ways. For example, you may stumble over your words during the presentation, lose your thought process while explaining some concepts, or even don’t have your project material ready to present. 

Effective preparation is key to a satisfied audience. Therefore, you should also focus on preparing your project presentation. The process involves researching your topic thoroughly, creating a structured outline, and practicing your presentation multiple times to build confidence and fluency. 

• Information overloading

When it comes to presenting a project, people usually make the mistake of overwhelming their audience with the overload of information. They add excessive data, statistics, and technical details of the project that may be hard to digest for the audience. 

The best practice here is to focus on adding the most important and relevant information only to your project presentation. Additionally, you can also add some statistics to support your key points. The best practice to simplify complex or technical project information is adding visuals in your presentation. 

• Not clearing your project purpose. 

Without clear objectives, your audience may leave the presentation unsure. It is because they don’t get what actions they should take, the scope of the project , or what they will get from the project. 

You should overcome this problem by stating the purpose of your project early on. Moreover, it would be better to outline what you want to achieve with this project and what others will get from it. 

• Poorly designed visuals 

Visuals in your project presentation should complement your spoken words. The visuals in the presentation should not distract your audience from what you are saying. 

Remember that cluttered or confusing slides can lead to disengagement.

You must keep slides simple, with clear headings, bullet points, and visuals that reinforce your message. Use a consistent design template and appropriately designed visuals for improved engagement. 

• Skipping the introduction 

An engaging introduction sets the tone for your presentation. It gives you an opportunity to capture the attention of your audience and increase it consistently.

For this, you have to craft a compelling opening, such as a relevant story, a surprising fact, or a provocative question. These practices will certainly help you to draw your audience in. 

• Not defining the problem statement. 

Failing to clearly define the problem your project addresses can leave your audience wondering why the project is necessary. As a presenter, you must provide a concise and relatable problem statement early on. It should demonstrate the relevance and importance of your project. 

• Poor storytelling 

Stories help make your presentation memorable and relatable. They add a human element to your content. Therefore, it would be better to incorporate relevant anecdotes, case studies, or real-world examples into your project presentation. These will help you to illustrate your points and connect with your audience emotionally.

• Disorganized presentation structure 

A disorganized presentation structure can confuse. Even your audience will find it difficult to follow your thoughts. So, you must create logical sections with clear sections, transitions, and signposts. These will help you to guide your audience through your content seamlessly.

Final thoughts

If you are new to project management and do not know how to present a project to your client or the crowd of the audience, please do not be worried and panic at all. It is not a big deal. You can do it by maintaining your confidence level, organizing the order of steps you are going to discuss, practicing and being tricky about grabbing the attention of the audience.

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How to Present a Project: 18-Step Formula for Purpose-Driven Teams

Audio version:

Presenting a project requires studying dozens of sources, from books and lectures to innovative methodologies. How to present a project so that your team members, stakeholders, executives, or clients say “wow!”? 

It can be a challenge. But there is nothing impossible for managers who consider a project timeline presentation a part of their daily job.

Project success directly depends on its presentation. According to the latest research , effective presentations are 38% of your voice, 55% non-verbal communication, and only 7% your content. If you do it thoroughly, you have many chances to grab your audience’s attention and take them to an agreement. 

Below you’ll find reliable tips on how to present a timeline of your project following some consistent steps. You’ll also discover some creative ways to create a project presentation using online Gantt charts. Let’s dive in!

• Steps for presenting a project .
• Best ways to present a project .
• Presenting projects with GanttPRO .

18 steps for presenting a project

Sometimes a project presentation is a nerve-racking activity. However, it doesn’t mean it has to be complicated. You can prepare a creative project presentation that will open many doors following essential guiding principles and practices.

Here we recommend 18 simple steps for presenting your high-level plan with all project tasks, dependencies , project milestones , attachments, comments, and other attributes. You may use them while presenting your masterpiece to clients, managers, executives, your team, or the stakeholders who have a specific interest in your project.

Let’s figure them out starting with the foundation of all activities in the project management world – setting goals.

1. Formulate your project goals

Before you start finding the answer to the question “ how to create a project plan ,” communicate the goals of your project. When you hold a presentation, you should define what effect you would like to reach beforehand. Discuss all necessary details and fix the goals by arranging a call-up meeting with your team members and the product owner. If you do not do this, you will not have the direction to go, and your efforts will be useless.

Project goals can be trivially similar, but a business college presentation will be differently built than a pitch by a construction project manager. You can explain the goals of your project verbally, with the help of visuals, models, special documentation, or can create a project timeline.

In some cases, you will have to share information clearly and, in other cases, present a more emotional overview. Anyway, make sure you set clear and achievable goals while you prepare your project.

2. Set priorities

After determining the goals, give priority to specific tasks within your project. It is crucial to communicate with the managers from different departments, such as marketing, customer support, sales, etc. Discuss their priorities and decide together how these priorities fit into the general strategic goals.

3. Know your target audience

Considering relationships between yourself and your audience will help you define what points are critical to them and what can be left out. Knowing your audience will also help you determine how to present your ideas more effectively.

Pay special attention to how many people you’ll present your thoughts to. Talking to ten people is a conversation. Getting up in front of a group of twenty is already a speech. When you talk to more individuals, it’s a full-fledged performance.

4. Research

When you know your goals and the audience, ask yourself, “What do these people care about?”

Your presentation will probably cover many project management metrics . Make sure you have your technical and financial info available. Try to compile your research into one place. Even simple word docs and timelines will help you organize your findings and research.

Or use a helpful online Gantt chart maker to help identify project progression, set all necessary dates, assign tasks, and consider risk points.

5. Survey your audience’s opinion

By studying what your audience thinks about a subject partway into your presentation, you will get a chance to turn your project into a forum for discussion. 

New ideas and insights from the people who may be hearing about your subject for the first time will add an organic quality to the presentation.

6. Establish credability

When you run a presentation, you are the expert in the room. Your goal is to convince the audience to know your stuff, so try to impress them. To boost the audience’s trust, mention your background, first points of contact with the topic, nuances, exciting cases, or even rewards you have been given. It will help you to establish a greater degree of credibility and raise interest in the subject.

7. Prepare your introduction

An efficient introduction consists of three parts:

• A preview, outlining your main points.
• A thesis – a summary of your main points based on a big picture.
• An attention-getter – the most critical part of your presentation speech as it encompasses the first few seconds that your audience will judge you as a performer.

It is recommended to start your speech with statistical facts, a quote, or an exciting story. Remember that goofy jokes can jeopardize your credibility. 

8. Choose the key points

Pick up your main points that will compose your thesis statements. Choosing these points should be apparent if you’ve done your research and know what and why you’re presenting. 

Write down the essential topics that need to be presented and brainstorm what facts should be used to support your claims.

9. Write a winning conclusion

All presenters strive to end their performances with a bang. However, it isn’t easy to do it with a business presentation. 

The best way to keep your audience on track is to simply summarize and close. Prepare a brief and informative summary, or reiterate what you’ve already said in the preview. Asking for questions or thanking your audience are both great ways to end.

10. Choose an appropriate presentation style

Some people make their presentations funny or dry; some try to make them as exciting as possible. It depends on the presenter’s style. Keep in mind that the quality presentation should be clear, concise, and concrete.

11. Don’t be afraid of silence

Even silence can be an essential ally in impressing your audience.

Give people enough time to internalize what you’re presenting. If you allow for some silence, they will be able to absorb and retain more information. Practice pauses after giving big problems or your unique solution. Allow presentation visuals to speak for themselves when you demonstrate necessary diagrams or meaningful images.

12. Keep the connection with your audience

Another key to a successful project presentation is connecting with the audience. Most people don’t have enough attention span to stay engaged for an entire presentation. They will remember only the most interesting (not necessarily important) facts.

To catch their attention, use outline notes, avoid reading from a script, talk to one person who is the most interested in the audience. Make sure that the people who want to know your information aren’t disappointed. 

13. Use stories and analogies

Numbers and statistics work well. However, they can also scare off your audience. 

Add interesting stories to engage people. The stories with analogies will allow participants to extrapolate the relevant meaning for their personal application. After all, people remember stories much better than boring facts.

14. Use visuals

Images, graphics, timelines, and other visual aids will help keep your audience engaged and ensure the key points remain.

Use images that clarify what is said verbally. Avoid complicated slides that could distract people, and remember to keep your prospective audience’s age in mind if you use humor and funny images.

Support your statements with charts. Charts and diagrams are the lifeblood of any successful presentation. You may say that it takes time to produce them. 

However, such great solutions as online Gantt chart makers help to do this quickly and reliably.

Gantt charts for visual project presentation

Apply Gantt chart graphics to present your project professionally.

15. Practice the presentation

Just because you’ve designed your creative slides and timelines does not mean you are prepared to perform a stunning presentation. Some people never practice their speeches, by the way.

Review your presentation, talk it out, get comfortable with the delivery, and find good ways to present a project. Consider the tone, the speed, and the moments you wish to emphasize.

16. Temper your anxiety

When a speaker is relaxed, the audience will also relax, making for an overall comfortable experience.

Use notecards to ease your anxiety. Write them well, and you won’t forget anything. Get a whole night’s sleep, eat well the day before, and exercise – it will make you feel better. Do not forget to bring in a glass of water. Make pauses and allow yourself to regroup.

Give yourself a mindset that you will rock this presentation. Don’t let your anxiety get in the way of your success.

17. Do not dwell on mistakes

Mistakes can happen at any time. Your equipment may fail, or you can even forget the critical idea from your presentation. Do not panic. Your audience will evaluate the way how you recover. Don’t dwell on mistakes or failures and continue to perform.

18. Present your projest like a Pro

You’ve covered a lot of ground, and now you know almost everything about an effective project management presentation.

You will do well because you’ve rehearsed everything, and now the presentation of your project looks organized, clear, and entertaining. Your coworkers, executives, stakeholders, and clients will thank you for it.

The only thing you miss is a reliable project management tool to impress your audience. Below, we will talk about this.

Well, that was a lot of tips, but each one is worth your attention if you care about presenting your project in the best possible way.

Analyze all these steps and recommendations and choose the best way to present a project to your audience. Here are some thoughts on this matter.

Best ways to present a project

Knowing different ways to present a project makes managers true professionals. This skill is essential for any industry, no matter you want to present it to clients, stakeholders, or teammates. 

Every experienced PM has their own best way to present a project. This exclusive method can be a real secret, but we will share the easy way to turn project management presentation ideas into a masterpiece.

As with many project management practices, your presentation requires the right tools. One of the good ways to present a project is to rely on powerful project planning software . 

And now you will be pleasantly surprised when you find out how comfortable and easy it is to hold presentations with the help of Gantt charts.

Presenting your projects with GanttPRO

Project presentation with the help of GanttPRO is a true godsend for project managers and their teams who like comfort, order, system, attractive visualization, and ease of use.

Use the reliable online Gantt chart maker to present your project to your colleagues, top management, stakeholders, partners, or clients. To anyone! A set of the most essential and innovative features makes GanttPRO one of the most powerful tools for high-quality presentations.

There are several ways of how you can present your project with the help of GanttPRO.

1. Sharing via URL

You may need to showcase your project to a third party (even if they are not registered in GanttPRO). How to do it?  The Gantt chart platform allows sharing your projects using a Public URL .

To include a project in your presentation, open the Public URL window by clicking on the three dots on the right corner.

Demonstrate your project with/without filters applied, choosing the corresponding option. 

You can share a dynamic URL to keep any changes you make active. If you don’t want to share a dynamic URL, choose a Snapshot option . It will allow getting a static picture of your Gantt diagram taken when creating the URL (if you do not want to showcase any updates in your presentation).

Then push the Create Public URL  button. By the way, you can leave a description of it.

The great news is that once the link is created, you can manage it. For example, select any of the following options:

• Copy and send it to anyone you want.
• Make it timely inactive if needed.
• Finally, delete the URL if required.

Note : you can share your project with the URL at any stage.

2. Advanced export

Another way to present a project with GanttPRO is to export it. This feature allows having your project always at hand as you can export your diagram to PNG, XML, PDF, Excel, and apply lots of other advanced options. 

To export your project, find the Export  button at the right corner.

On your right, you will see a dashboard where you can choose the export options:

• A paper size.
• An orientation.

Then you can also set the additional options.

Nothing complicated, right? Hopefully, you’ll figure it out in seconds. If not, take another look to understand this feature better:

3. Importing Excel and .mpp files to GanttPRO

Using GanttPRO, you also have an opportunity to import different format files. If you have projects in .xlsx, .csv, or .mpp formats and want to present them more beautifully and professionally, you can easily import them to GanttPRO.

To do it, press Import  when creating a new project.

Then drag & drop or upload it from your computer.

If you manage a project in MS Project, it will also be easy for you to import your .mpp file to GanttPRO. 

Follow the steps described above, open an mpp file without any headache, and present it with GanttPRO like a real professional.

It seems like this is all we wanted to tell you about how to present a project and use a robust PM tool for this purpose.

Your ability to attract the audience’s attention is what makes or breaks a presentation, no matter how good your material is. Although virtually all practical project management presentation ideas are based on careful planning, you should put equal thought into how you’ll communicate your ideas to others. 

When looking for your best ways to present a project, make sure you are passionate about it. After all, an attentive audience can tell whether or not presenters are engaged with the material they’re talking about. 

Now you know how to present a project. Organize the order of all steps you will discuss, do practice, work on grabbing public attention, and do not forget to choose the appropriate project management tool for succeeding in your efforts. 

It is not a big deal if you haven’t caught all the details about presenting projects using a convenient Gantt chart maker. Here you will find short video tutorials on how to do it quickly and easily:

Sharing your project with “Public URL”

Paolo Kukhnavets

Paolo writes about the exciting world of project management, innovative tools, planning strategies, time management, productivity, and more. He has a professional journalism education, over ten years of writing experience, and a vast bag of enthusiasm to comprehend and learn new things every day. In his other life, he is addicted to traveling, gym, and sci-fi movies. He cycles and runs a lot.

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How to Give a Stunning Project Presentation

April 3, 2019 by Bernie Roseke, P.Eng., PMP 2 Comments

Many projects require a presentation, whether at the beginning, end, or somewhere in the middle.  Sometimes it is given to the managers or executives, sometimes to the project team , and sometimes to stakeholders who have a specific interest in the project.

Project presentations can be very nerve racking and difficult for many people, but that doesn’t mean they have to be difficult.  With practice and some basic guiding principles, you can give a stunning project presentation that will knock their socks off.  I’ve given many project presentations, and I’m going to share my secrets with you.

Present the Problem and Solution

• Repeat the main point 3 times
• Include an analogy or story
• Keep slides short
• Include pictures and Diagrams
• Connect with the audience

Many audience members assume that you know what you’re talking about, and most of the time you do.  But somehow, if the presenter doesn’t include the topic of the presentation directly, the audience doesn’t want to decide what it is for themselves.

It’s similar to a sales pitch in that it’s the presenter’s job to keep the audience engaged.  If you wish to maximize the communication of the message, you need to state it directly.

Include an Analogy or Story

• An analogy is a comparison to a similar real life thing, for example, This product works like a rocket ship taking off to the moon.  It takes a bit of preparation time which might seem a bit daunting at times only to have a very quick experience that over relatively quickly, but the experience is worth every second in the end.  I’ve become a true believer in the immense power of analogy.  Analogies engage audiences in milliseconds and give them something to remember the presentation by.  I’ve incorporated analogies in my writing at every opportunity, and the results have been truly amazing.  Many project presentations come in groups, that is, they are one out of many.  In this case, the presentation with an analogy is the one that will be remembered by the audience.
• A story is an experience that relates to the topic being presented, for example, Last year I had the privilege of working with sick kids at the hospital.  These kids needed life saving medical care, and the doctors were fantastic.  It made me realize that this product really has the potential to impact people, and maybe even save lives.  A story is a personal experience, either yours or somebody else’s.  They work just like an analogy by engaging the audience and giving them something to remember the project by.  But they have the potential to drag on when the audience starts to feel like it’s not about them.  The key to pulling off a successful story is to keep it short and relevant.  If the audience can’t connect it to the project, they will lose interest.

Ideas for analogies are surprisingly easy to find with internet searches.  Personal story ideas require brainstorming and thinking about the relationship between the topic and real world experiences.

Repeat the Main Point 3 Times

• Tell them what you’re going to say
• Tell them what you just said

In most presentations, this takes the form of an introduction, main body, and conclusion.  But all three parts need to spell out the main point in a prominent place, clearly and succinctly.  You want to make sure the audience doesn’t need to think, that people can be daydreaming about what they’re going to be doing that evening but they’ll perk up and get hit with a short but prominent main conclusion that they won’t forget.

In most presentations, audiences are not in a position where they want to exercise their thought muscles.  Similar to a sales presentation, they don’t want to think for themselves, they figure it’s the presenters job to tell them what to think.  Hence, they forget what they are told very quickly.

Speaking of which, did you notice the analogy?  I’ll bet that if you remember nothing else from this article, you’ll remember that the audience doesn’t want to exercise their thought muscles.

Keep Slides Short

Many presentations contain long winded verbiage that requires long form reading while the presenter is talking.  I see this time and time again in presentations that I attend, and I’ve even done this myself when it seemed like there was no other way to get the point across.  But in hindsight this is a waste of good presentation time.  Nobody is going to read long paragraphs.  In fact, nobody is going to read long sentences either.

The idea is simple.  When writing presentation slides, keep bullet points under two lines of text.  Any more and it should be said verbally or placed into the next bullet.

Include Pictures and Diagrams

This idea is self explanatory.  Make sure no more than about half of the presentation slides contain only written words.

Connect with the Audience

The previous 5 bullets contained advice for good presentation slides and planning, but what are some ideas to deliver the presentation in a stunning way?

There are a few secrets, but the key to all of them is connecting with the audience.

Remember first that the audience wants to hear your presentation.  They wouldn’t be there if they didn’t.  However, most people don’t have the attention span to stay engaged for an entire presentation unless they have a very high interest in the subject matter.  They will move in and out of attention, remembering only the most interesting (not necessarily important) parts.

Here are a few pointers:

• Use Outline notes Don’t read from a script.  Although it is permissible to read for some of the time, extensive reading from a written script disconnects from the audience and loses the message because people stop listening.
• Talk to one person I’ve found it helpful to pick one person in the audience and deliver the presentation to them.  Don’t look only at them, of course, but let it sink in that you are not so much talking to a larger audience as you are giving many presentations to individual people, simultaneously.
• Don’t let down the most interested person in the audience Here’s another tip I’ve used in my presentations as well as my musical performances.  There’s guaranteed to be at least one person in the audience who loves what you’re saying and wants to learn all about it.  So wouldn’t it be a huge disappointment if you let them down?  Let all your presentation anxiety submit to the desire to make sure that that one person who really wants to know your information isn’t disappointed.  I mean, why are you even talking to everyone else, that doesn’t care, anyway?

Those are my secrets for stunning presentations!  Let me know how it goes and what other tips you have in the comments section below.  I’d love to hear from you!

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About Bernie Roseke, P.Eng., PMP

Bernie Roseke, P.Eng., PMP, is the president of Roseke Engineering . As a bridge engineer and project manager, he manages projects ranging from small, local bridges to multi-million dollar projects. He is also the technical brains behind ProjectEngineer , the online project management system for engineers. He is a licensed professional engineer, certified project manager, and six sigma black belt. He lives in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, with his wife and two kids.

Awesome post! I instantly shared this with my presentation writing service and they found your content quite in-depth and informative. Do share some similar knowledgeable content in the near future. Cheers!

Brilliant and effective tips! Your tips are very effective and I am going to make use of every tip spelled out here. Thanks for the knowledge and I pray that you share more of such with the public.

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A Complete Guide to Creating Project Presentations – Templates, Tips, and Tricks

Before delving into the article, imagine you are sitting in the audience as an investor, waiting for presentations by two groups on the ‘Clean Water Project’ to begin.

The first presenter starts by simply listing his statistics and discussing technical data. He claims that he put over a dozen of purifiers, his project helped plenty of people in the area, and he showed some numbers and calculations and left the stage.

The second presenter enters and commences with a story of how his installations of water plants uplifted the lives of innumerable people. He shares anecdotes about his visit to designated places, visually describes the challenges those communities face, and then changes the narrative to how his team uplifted them and brought them out of misery. With each slide, he showcases numbers and backs them with an anecdote.

Which presenter are you more likely to finance? Of course, it would be the second one because he presented his project by incorporating all necessary details and left behind an indelible mark on you with his presentation.

Thus, one great project presentation can change your career forever, and its importance cannot be overstated. It serves as a critical platform for conveying a project’s vision, goals, and impact. Effective presentations also allow you to receive feedback, gather suggestions, and improve your plans.

In this blog, we will provide a complete guide to creating a project presentation, including certain templates that you can use to bring another level of charm to your slides.

Tips to Ace Your Project Presentation

1. open with a strong title.

Commencing with a strong title holds immense importance as it sets the stage for success. A compelling heading can ignite the audience’s curiosity and draw them toward your slides. It also serves as a clear focal point, giving them a preview of what to expect and guiding their expectations.

For instance, if you are delivering a presentation on a Solar Project, instead of saying, “Solar Project Presentation,” you can begin with, “Powering the Future: Brightening Lives with Our Solar Project.”

Such a well-crafted title not only intrigues the viewer but also helps establish the main theme or message of the presentation.

2. Define Who You Are Presenting To

Defining your audience is crucial to ensure effective communication and engagement.

Let us understand this with the help of an example. Assume that you are presenting a project to a group of investors. Here, understanding their perspective is key to success. You can tailor your content to address their specific interests, such as potential return on investment, environmental impact, or market trends. By highlighting the project’s financial benefits and long-term sustainability, you can capture their attention and make a persuasive case for investment.

On the other hand, if you are presenting to your managers and team members, including data on project status, timeline, potential threats, change in market status, etc., can be more relevant.

Thus, defining your audience allows you to deliver a presentation that speaks directly to their needs, interests, and motivations, increasing the chances of achieving your goals.

3. Be Prepared for Grilling Questions

Preparing for questions in a project presentation is crucial for maintaining credibility and demonstrating expertise. It shows that you have thoroughly considered potential concerns and have comprehensive knowledge of your project.

By anticipating challenging questions, you can gather necessary information and rehearse your responses to ensure clarity. It is also crucial to thoroughly understand every aspect, such as project objectives, methodology, strategies, etc.

You can also support your responses with evidence such as data, research, or examples that might strengthen your arguments. Remember to stay calm and composed and answer with sheer confidence.

4. Weave a Story Around Your Project

Imagine transporting your audience to a world where your project comes to life through a captivating story . What a wonderful way it would be to convey and convince simultaneously.

Weaving a narrative gives you the power to captivate, engage, and leave a lasting impact on your audience.

For instance, let’s consider a project aimed at developing a sustainable fashion brand. You can begin by painting a picture of the current garment cycle- low-wage workers, dump yards filled with tons of unworn clothing items, and lack of awareness amongst people. Then, introduce your project, where every clothing item is fairly priced, wages are regularized, and garments are sustainable and biodegradable, which leads to a better environment for all of us.

As you progress, share the challenges encountered – limited resources, conflicting visions – but emphasize the resilience and determination to overcome obstacles. Illustrate the transformation with anecdotes of individuals rediscovering the joy of slow fashion and how it completely changed the face of the industry.

By showcasing the project as a story of empowerment, environmental stewardship, and social cohesion, you can connect with your audience on an emotional level, inspiring them to support and be part of the narrative. The power of storytelling lies in its ability to create an immersive experience that transcends facts and figures, resonating with the hearts and minds of your audience and compelling them to take action.

5. Talk About the Problem and Solution

In any project presentation, addressing the problem and presenting a clear solution is essential. By clearly outlining the issue at hand, you establish the context and set the stage for your audience to understand the significance of your project. Then, by presenting a well-defined solution, you demonstrate how your project directly addresses the identified problem.

Let’s consider an example of a project focused on reducing plastic waste in a coastal community. Here you can start by describing the alarming levels of plastic pollution on the local beaches and its detrimental impact on marine life and the environment. Highlight the consequences, such as polluted waters, endangered species, and negative effects on the local economy.

Then, introduce your project as a comprehensive solution that involves community education programs, recycling initiatives, and the promotion of sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics. Present evidence of similar projects that have successfully reduced plastic waste in other communities.

By clearly articulating the problem and offering a solution, you create a sense of urgency and showcase the value and impact of your project. This approach engages your audience by highlighting the importance of your work and rallying support for a cause that resonates with their values and the well-being of the community and the environment.

6. Use Charts and Visuals to Showcase Numbers

When showcasing numerical data in a project presentation, utilizing charts and visuals is a powerful strategy to enhance understanding and engagement. Rather than overwhelming your audience with a barrage of numbers, graphs provide a clear representation of the data.

For example, if you’re presenting financial projections for a business project, you can create a bar chart that displays revenue growth over time, allowing your audience to quickly grasp the upward trend. However, suppose you want to depict budget allocations. In that case, you can use pie charts to showcase the division across different components, making it easier for stakeholders to comprehend the distribution of resources.

You can even use annotations and symbols to highlight the most crucial numbers and showcase key achievements.

By presenting data in a visual format , you enable your audience to make connections, spot patterns, and conclude more efficiently. It also helps emphasize key points and support your ideas by visually highlighting significant milestones or achievements.

7. Focus on the Design

Design plays a critical role in determining the interaction and engagement of your audience. By focusing on design details and elements, you can craft slides that stand out and speak for themselves.

This includes using a consistent brand palette and picking fonts that are clear, inclusive, and easy to read. You must also focus on the layout and organization of your content and ensure that it is easy to follow and visually balanced. Further, incorporating white space can help improve readability.

Templates that You Must Include in Your Project Presentation

Creating visuals, illustrations, and graphics from scratch is quite a burdensome task. Not only does it consume much of your time, but it also draws attention away from the content to the design.

Thus, we recommend using expert-designed templates that can be easily added to your slides and are completely customizable. You can adjust the fonts, change colors, and tailor them according to your requirements.

Here are seven such templates that are a must-have for a successful project presentation.

1. Project Timeline

Every project has a timeline that ensures all tasks are being completed as per schedule and allows stakeholders to have a bird’s eye view of important dates and events.

Including a project timeline in your presentation can provide the audience with a visual organization of various stages and milestones of the project. It can foster clear communication amongst team members, help them manage their time effectively, and enhance overall productivity.

Template Link

2. Project Stages

For a project to be successful, it must be well-organized and divided into multiple stages. Right from its conceptualization and initiation to closure, each phase must be outlined properly and presented in a manner that is easy for the audience to comprehend.

With this template, you can showcase even the smallest details, such as the charter, KPIs, tracking, risks involved, lessons learned, and much more.

  Template Link

3. Project Management

Imagine you’re embarking on a journey to conquer a challenging project. As you gather your team and prepare for it, you realize the importance of having a reliable roadmap that guides you through every twist and turns. That’s precisely what the project management infographic provides.

This template helps you showcase different aspects of the project and allows you to provide insights to your team into monitoring progress, identifying bottlenecks, and making timely adjustments.

4. Project Action Plan

We all have big visions and dreams. But it is true that dreams alone won’t get us there – we need a well-crafted action plan that can transform aspirations into actionable steps.

Thus, using an Action Plan template allows you to depict your project’s goals, objectives, vision, and desired outcome. This template is not just a tool – it’s a catalyst for transformation that allows you to guide your team in the right direction.

5. Project Roadmap

A roadmap is just a simple visual representation of the goals that you need to achieve at particular time periods to finish your project on time. Using a template saves you from the hassle of crafting a graphic from scratch and saves much of your time.

This template serves as a crucial element that can showcase various phases, deliverables, quarterly goals, etc., in one place. It communicates your project’s trajectory and becomes a common reference point for all stakeholders, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and aligned with the project’s objectives.

6. Project Budget

The success of a project depends on its careful financial management. Thus, using a Project Budget template, you can present estimated costs, from personnel and resources to equipment and overhead expenses. You can also depict the allocation of resources and how funds will be distributed across various project activities and phases.

By harnessing the power of this template, you can flawlessly communicate the project’s financial aspects to investors or team members.

7. Project Roles and Responsibilities

Every project requires effort from all individuals on the team. Each member has a unique role to play and a responsibility to shoulder. Therefore, incorporating a Roles and Responsibilities template allows you to showcase everybody’s duties and tasks clearly.

By visually representing the interdependencies and interactions between different roles, you can help team members understand how their contributions fit into the larger project puzzle. This understanding enhances coordination, minimizes gaps, and maximizes the collective impact of the team.

Project presentations are not just about numbers and data. Rather, they are about inspiring, connecting, and convincing the audience. They serve as an excellent tool to showcase your ideas and achievements and support them with concrete facts.

We hope this article acts as a guiding light for your next presentation and helps you successfully create and deliver it.

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How to make a project plan presentation for clients and stakeholders

Elevate your project presentations to new heights! Learn the art of captivating clients and stakeholders with our expert tips.

Tim Stumbles

May 13, 2014

25 min read

Updated on February 27, 2024

Ever wondered what sets successful project managers apart? It’s the knack for delivering killer project presentations. Whether you’re gearing up for a stakeholder meeting or updating the higher-ups, nailing clear communication is the name of the game.

In this article, we’re not just talking about how to showcase data – we’re diving into the art of creating engaging project plans that captivate clients and stakeholders .

To help you transform your project presentations, we’ll share insights into how to:

• Simplify your approach for impactful communication.
• Visualize project plans effectively to captivate your audience .
• Select the right chart type for your project .
• Streamline project organization using Excel .

Get ready for practical tips and actionable techniques to make your presentations shine, breaking down the barriers of business communication right from the start!

1. Simplify your presentation for impactful communication

When presenting to project stakeholders, it’s crucial to move beyond mere data and offer a compelling narrative. Rather than drowning in the details of a project charter, consider crafting a visually engaging project roadmap . This approach allows you to add context and to delve into specifics as needed.

While Microsoft Project is commonly used in the planning phase, its detailed Gant chart views (like the example below), may not effectively convey key insights during stakeholder meetings. This is why your next executive-level project review should rely on more visual project management tools to lay out the strategic planning process. The goal is to make complex information easily digestible while ensuring stakeholders grasp the business implications.

An exec-level project review should summarize the strategic planning process and showcase its progress in a visually appealing manner. Remember: the challenge consists of making the information easy to digest and ensuring that audiences understand the business implications.

2. Visualize project data effectively

The best option for outlining a project’s plan is to create a workflow diagram that correlates the tasks with the critical milestones, as shown in the Gantt chart example below:

Presenting the project roadmap in this manner helps your stakeholders quickly see the scheduled tasks, as well as their duration, sequences and other task dependencies , all of which define the critical path . Furthermore, connecting the project activities (tasks) with the project events (milestones) offers clients and execs more insight, which translates to better management decisions.

3. Select the right type of graphic for your project – Timelines vs Gantt charts

When it comes to visually representing your project’s strategic planning process, two main options are commonly used: timelines and Gantt charts . While timelines focus primarily on events, such as milestones, Gantt charts typically depict activities or tasks. However, to create an ideal project presentation, it’s crucial to strike a balance between showcasing both tasks and milestones.

To ensure clarity and coherence, consider utilizing a unified graph, such as a swimlane diagram . This type of graphical representation allows you to categorize tasks and milestones according to their specific project life cycle phase, providing a comprehensive overview of your project’s progress.

To decide which of the two visual project management charts serves you best, check out our case study on the benefits of using timelines in project presentations or our article on the do’s and don’ts of creating a Gantt chart .

Next, let’s take a comparative look at two frequently used alternatives for visually rendering a project charter, Excel and PowerPoint . We will explain how to make a Gantt chart in Excel using a bar graph, and how to make an Excel timeline using a scatter graph. We will also show you how to quickly make a single, unified Gantt chart + Timeline presentation in .PPTX by using our add-in for PowerPoint, Office Timeline .

4. Streamline project data organization in Excel

Whether or not you’re going to create the Gantt chart in Excel, this application from the Microsoft suite is a great place to start drafting the project schedule. More exactly, you will need to create the  Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)  by breaking down the project into smaller pieces of work – the tasks. Make an Excel project management template that you can reuse, then list each of the tasks on the data table in the correct sequence. The tasks will form the project Gantt chart and their order will determine the project schedule.

Another important piece of the puzzle to integrate in your Excel project management template is the milestone section. Project milestones consist of all major deadlines your plan must achieve, and they form your Excel timeline. We have included a Work Breakdown Structure example below, for clarity purposes.

Note : Keep in mind that this is a high-level presentation aimed at executives and stakeholders, so it should not be overly complex. Consider trimming it down if the project schedule contains more than 20 tasks and 20 milestones, in order to facilitate understanding and keep the audience engaged.

Option 1: Making the Excel graphs

It’s worth noting that Excel is nowhere near as graphics-oriented as PowerPoint. The direct result is that your Excel Gantt charts and timelines will tend to look more like stacked bar graphs and, respectively, scatter charts.

Another drawback is that Excel doesn’t allow you to combine a Gantt chart (tasks) with a timeline (milestones) into a unified project roadmap. Therefore, you will need to create two separate visuals and combine them on one slide or present them individually. In order to do that, you will first need to make a Gantt chart showing the tasks of your project plan and then a timeline with your project milestones. Here’s how:

• Step 1: Create a Gantt chart in Excel with the stacked bar chart function

Once you have your project schedule in Excel you will add the task data into an Excel stacked bar graph and then follow approximately 20+ formatting steps to transform it from a stacked bar chart into an Excel Gantt chart, which will end up looking something like the chart below. For detailed instructions, please check out our guide on  how to make a Gantt chart in Excel .

• Step 2: Create a timeline in Excel using the scatter chart function

To create a timeline in Excel you will need to use a scatter chart. Add your data to the scatter chart then follow approximately 25 steps to format it so it looks like a timeline presentation, as shown below. If that’s easier, check out our easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide and a how-to  video tutorial .

Note : However familiar and accessible this Microsoft application may be, there are certain limitations that make it less than ideal for project presentations, including:

• No method to combine an Excel Gantt chart with a timeline. Executives and stakeholders should be able to view the tasks and milestones in conjunction with each other for better visibility into the critical deadlines and activities.
• Making a project roadmap featuring a timeline or Gantt chart in Excel requires advanced operating skills. Converting Excel’s stacked and scatter charts into Gantt charts and timelines depends on properly following a specific sequence of formatting steps.
• The resulting diagrams are not as visually appealing as a PowerPoint slide and considerably more difficult to share with everyone involved.

Option 2: Create the project roadmap as a native PowerPoint slide

So far, we have shown you how to make a Gantt chart in Excel and mix it with a timeline, in order to provide your stakeholders with a 2-part overview of your project schedule. Next, let’s take a look at the alternative: using a PowerPoint timeline maker with embedded Gantt chart functions to generate a slide with both graphics combined.

PowerPoint is perceived as a superior tool for building project presentations. Since it is a graphical application, it is designed for creating and communicating charts in a visual way. Additionally, since it’s a common tool in enterprises, PowerPoint is familiar to audiences, and slides can be easily shared. There are two main ways to build project slides in PowerPoint using our Office Timeline add-in :

• Create the Work Breakdown Structure template in Excel and import the data

Earlier in the article we included a Work Breakdown Structure example made in Excel. The first option relies on using the  import feature  from Office Timeline and bring in the data tables with tasks and milestones. To import the project schedule you created in Excel, use the Office Timeline wizard which will link to your project spreadsheet (or .MPP file, if you prefer Microsoft Project). Here’s a quick demo:

There’s another reason to import the data from an Excel spreadsheet and that’s the  refresh data feature . In short, since the PowerPoint slide is linked to a worksheet, it can be synchronized and updated with the click of a button when the spreadsheet data changes. Check out our support article that explains how the sync process works .

Note : For better visibility, Office Timeline also allows you to import tasks and milestones directly into swimlane templates .

2. Use a Gantt chart or timeline template (swimlanes are also supported)

There are definitely advantages to importing the data file from an external application like Excel or Microsoft project. However, that isn’t your only option. Office Timeline comes with an extensive collection of professional templates that can easily adapt to a wide variety of different project types. These timeline templates are embedded in the add-in and there is also a free gallery with new ones added regularly, for your convenience. Here’s a quick overview of the template functionality:

Simply replace the default data with your own tasks and milestones, and Office Timeline generates the graphic for you.

Note : Customizing a timeline or Gantt chart template with your own data can be done at any time from the user-friendly and highly intuitive interface. Update it easily whenever there are changes in your project schedule, restyle it and share it with your team, all from within PowerPoint. It’s very flexible!

Conclusions

Mastering the art of presenting project plans to clients and stakeholders is essential for project managers. By simplifying your approach, visualizing project plans effectively, selecting the right chart type for your data, and streamlining the way you organize your information, you can elevate your presentations to new heights. With these tips and tricks in hand, you’ll be well-equipped to captivate your audience and drive successful project outcomes.

If you regularly find yourself liaising with the management or your stakeholders and dread the thought of spending hours creating presentations with the traditional tools in the Microsoft Office suite, then check out Office Timeline. Available as a free version , this handy project roadmap-creation app can save you time and ensure you drive your point home without the drawback of an intimidating learning curve. For the more complex timelines, we recommend giving the tool's most advanced edition a try.

FAQs about making client and stakeholder presentations

Gain insight into how you can improve your project plan presentations to clients and stakeholders with our Q&A section. Below, we offer you the answers to the most common questions related to the topic.

What should I include in my project plan presentation?

To be relevant to your stakeholders, your project plan presentation should include a high-level overview of the following items: • Goals • Timelines • Milestones • Key deliverables • Risks • Budget.

How do I ensure my project plan presentation is engaging for clients and stakeholders?

To ensure that your project plan presentation engages your C-suite audience, incorporate visual aids such as project management charts and diagrams to make complex information more digestible. Focus on telling a compelling story that highlights the project’s objectives, benefits, and potential impact. Learn more about how to capture your stakeholders’ attention during presentations with our article on why stakeholders usually ignore project reports and how to fix that .

How can I effectively communicate project progress during the presentation?

Effectively communicate project progress by providing clear updates on completed tasks, ongoing activities, and any potential roadblocks or challenges. Use visual progress indicators such as Gantt charts or timelines to illustrate milestones achieved and remaining tasks.

What should I do if stakeholders have questions or concerns during the presentation?

Be prepared to address questions and concerns promptly and thoroughly. Take the time to listen actively, clarify any misunderstandings, and provide relevant information or data to alleviate concerns.

Should I tailor my project plan presentation to different types of stakeholders?

Yes, it’s essential to customize your presentation to resonate with the specific interests and priorities of different stakeholders. By tailoring your content to address their unique needs and concerns, you will be able to get the message across in a more effective way and ensure that you gain their support throughout your project’s life cycle. Learn how to correctly identify, analyze, and prioritize the parties that may be affected or have an impact on your project with our blog post on stakeholder analysis .

What are some common pitfalls to avoid when presenting project plans to clients and stakeholders?

When presenting project plans to clients and stakeholders, it’s crucial to steer clear of common pitfalls that can hinder effective communication and understanding. Here are some of the most important ones to keep in mind: • Avoid using overly technical language or jargon – while you may be well-versed in technical terminology related to your project, it’s essential to remember that not all stakeholders may share the same level of expertise. Using complex jargon can lead to confusion and misinterpretation. Instead, strive to communicate in clear, straightforward language that everyone can understand, regardless of their background or expertise. • Be transparent about risks and challenges – every project comes with its own set of risks and challenges, and it’s vital to address them openly and honestly during your presentation. Transparency builds trust and demonstrates your commitment to managing potential obstacles effectively. Discussing risks also allows stakeholders to provide input and support in mitigating them, fostering a collaborative approach to project management. • Avoid making unrealistic promises or commitments – although it may be tempting to promise quick results or guaranteed success, it’s essential to be realistic and honest about what can be achieved within the project’s constraints. Making unrealistic promises can set false expectations and ultimately lead to disappointment if objectives are not met. Instead, focus on presenting a realistic project plan with achievable goals and timelines, based on thorough gap analysis and assessment. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can ensure that your project plan presentation effectively engages stakeholders, fosters understanding, and sets the stage for successful project execution.

How can I follow up with clients and stakeholders after the presentation to ensure alignment and understanding?

Send a follow-up email summarizing key takeaways, action items, and next steps discussed during the presentation. Encourage stakeholders to reach out with any further questions or concerns.

What tools or software can help enhance my project plan presentations?

To enhance your presentations, consider using project management tools that will help you organize, manage, and track complex data in a visual way. Additionally, presentation platforms like PowerPoint can help you design professional-looking slides based on your project information. Designed as a PowerPoint plugin, Office Timeline offers the best of both worlds – it allows you to import project plans from productivity tools like Microsoft Project , Excel , or Jira and turn it into presentation-ready high-level slides that can be quickly shared and updated. For more resources on how to process and communicate project data visually, check out our review of the 8 best visual project management software .

Tim is Co-Founder & CEO of Office Timeline, a Seattle-based start-up that aims to rid the world of boring, uninspiring meetings.

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How to present a project and impress your audience: Top 6 tips

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

Michael Lee July 03, 2019

Picture this: You’ve psyched yourself up before your big presentation, mentally going through your notes to go out there and impress your audience with your killer project, when doubt creeps in. What if you mess up? What if you put the audience to sleep? Should you have spent more time practicing? Whether you’re presenting a presentation to hundreds of people at a conference or to a small group of individuals, many presenters wonder how to present their important projects, and they feel nervous before going in front of an audience.

Don’t worry about how to present a presentation any longer. However high or low the stakes are for delivering your next project presentation, these six tips will build your confidence, guide you on how to present well, and equip you to engage your audience.

1. Establish your credibility

Your material won’t carry much weight and you won’t impress your audience if you can’t convince them that you know your stuff. You may know that you’re qualified and experienced, but your audience may not. And even if you do have some credibility already, you still need to maintain it throughout your presentation.

Establishing your credibility starts the second you enter the room. So, you should make sure that you do the following:

• Dress appropriately for the audience and the situation so that your wardrobe doesn’t distract from you or your presentation.
• Convey confidence in your body language by standing up straight, looking your audience in the eye, and avoiding tics like wringing your hands or clicking your pen.
• Early in your presentation, establish your credibility by explaining what qualifies you in presenting your project and participating in this discussion.
• Polish every aspect of your presentation beforehand, from sourcing high-quality visuals to practicing how to present your verbal delivery. 

By taking the time to prepare and communicate your qualifications, you will be able to demonstrate credibility and appear trustworthy in front of your audience.

2. Make the most of space

How to give a captivating presentation? Fight the urge to stand still. Moving around a stage, classroom, or conference room will make you appear more in control of the situation and more confident in your presentation. Also, it will keep your audience engaged by making your presentation more dynamic. At the same time, this doesn’t mean that you should pace incessantly — too much movement can be distracting. You can practice in front of a mirror to see how much movement will be enough for a good presentation flow without overdoing it.

Remember, your body language also tells a story even if you are not talking. If you want to appear more confident on stage, discover 9 secrets of confident body language .

3. Don’t be afraid of silence

It’s tempting to fill any gaps of silence by speaking constantly, but doing this means you aren’t giving your audience enough time to internalize what you’re presenting. Talking too much and too quickly can also betray your nervousness. Allowing for some silence, on the other hand, will help your audience absorb and retain more information. Also, taking pauses will help you organize your thoughts and calm yourself down if you are feeling anxious.

While it may take some trial and error to properly gauge how much silence is too much, you should always include some quiet moments in your presentation. Pause after presenting a big problem or your unique solution. Let the weight of that significance rest on your audience. Allow some of your presentation visuals to speak for themselves when you show a meaningful image or important graph. With practice, silence can become an important ally in impressing your audience. Not only you will appear more confident on stage but you will also feel more collected when presenting.

4. Don’t dwell on mistakes

Mistakes happen. Laptops freeze, equipment fails, or you might forget that line that you practiced thirty times in front of the mirror. Your audience, however, is less likely to judge you based on your mistakes and more likely to evaluate how you recover. If you stumble over your words or your presentation glitches, don’t dwell on them . And remember, the audience is on your side. Whenever a technical glitch occurs, simply address the situation with a positive or humorous line to relieve the tension in the room.

What you want to do in any scenario is push through and continue. This also means that you shouldn’t rely on your technology so heavily that everything falls apart when something doesn’t work as you hoped it would. If you want to feel even more prepared, you can even practice how to react in different situations. Think about a few phrases you can say or what you can do in case your slides are not showing. The more prepared you will be, the more relaxed you will feel during the presentation.

5. Own the visual element

Visual elements can often make or break a presentation. They either make your project findings stand out or fade into the background. Present a presentation using an interactive presentation tool like Prezi. It can make your abstract ideas concrete by synthesizing and displaying images, ideas, data, and more. But whenever you bring any visual element into a presentation, remember this: Presentation content should be supplemental to your spoken material, not the main act. You shouldn’t be standing with your back facing half the audience, reading your presentation verbatim and hoping your audience doesn’t fall asleep. 

To help you use visuals to enhance your presentation and message, you’ll want to make the most of all Prezi has to offer. Convert your original PowerPoint slides into a dynamic Prezi presentation that gives you personalized control over how you present. Use Prezi’s conversational presenting format to allow your audience to guide the presentation and jump straight to only the most relevant topics. Apply consistent styles, fonts, and colors to give your presentation a sense of cohesion. Use only high-quality images . A poorly designed and messy visual design will damage your credibility and distract you from your message.

6. Hook your audience quickly

You won’t be able to impress your audience if they’re drifting off to sleep halfway through your presentation. You need to engage your audience from the start and maintain that attention throughout your project presentation. Think of the beginning of your presentation as the first page of a book. After that first line or that first paragraph, would your audience keep reading? Hook your audience by presenting the problem your discussion will attempt to solve or by sharing a personal anecdote. You can also start with a shocking statistic or a rhetorical question. Tie your discussion to current events or to other important issues surrounding your broader conversation.

Once you’ve hooked your audience, maintain their attention by engaging in a dialogue with them . If it’s appropriate for the situation, ask questions and get your audience to interact with you. Give them a prompt that they can discuss with those around them. Leave time for questions. If you can make your audience feel like they are part of your presentation, you’ll better maintain their engagement and your message is more likely to stick.

Don’t let stress about how to present a presentation keep you from impressing your audience. Combine these tips with a high-quality Prezi presentation and you’ll engage people, drive your message home, and be more confident the next time you’re asked to present.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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How to Structure your Presentation, with Examples

August 3, 2018 - Dom Barnard

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.

Why is structuring a presentation so important?

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.

What will affect your presentation structure?

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:

• Whether you need to deliver any demonstrations
• How  knowledgeable the audience  already is on the given subject
• How much interaction you want from the audience
• Any time constraints there are for your talk
• What setting you are in
• Your ability to use any kinds of visual assistance

Before choosing the presentation’s structure answer these questions first:

• What is your presentation’s aim?
• Who are the audience?
• What are the main points your audience should remember afterwards?

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.

What is the typical presentation structure?

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.

1. Greet the audience and introduce yourself

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

2. Introduction

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:

• Introduce your general topic
• Explain your topic area
• State the issues/challenges in this area you will be exploring
• State your presentation’s purpose – this is the basis of your presentation so ensure that you provide a statement explaining how the topic will be treated, for example, “I will argue that…” or maybe you will “compare”, “analyse”, “evaluate”, “describe” etc.
• Provide a statement of what you’re hoping the outcome of the presentation will be, for example, “I’m hoping this will be provide you with…”
• Show a preview of the organisation of your presentation

In this section also explain:

• The length of the talk.
• Signal whether you want audience interaction – some presenters prefer the audience to ask questions throughout whereas others allocate a specific section for this.
• If it applies, inform the audience whether to take notes or whether you will be providing handouts.

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.

3. The main body of your talk

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.

• Main points should be addressed one by one with supporting evidence and examples.
• Before moving on to the next point you should provide a mini-summary.
• Links should be clearly stated between ideas and you must make it clear when you’re moving onto the next point.
• Allow time for people to take relevant notes and stick to the topics you have prepared beforehand rather than straying too far off topic.

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.

4. Conclusion

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:

• 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…”
• Summarise the main points, including their implications and conclusions
• Indicate what is next/a call to action/a thought-provoking takeaway
• Move on to the last section

5. Thank the audience and invite questions

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.

Other common presentation structures

The above was a description of a basic presentation, here are some more specific presentation layouts:

Demonstration

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.

• Explain why the product is valuable.
• Describe why the product is necessary.
• Explain what problems it can solve for the audience.
• Demonstrate the product  to support what you’ve been saying.
• Make suggestions of other things it can do to make the audience curious.

Problem-solution

This structure is particularly useful in persuading the audience.

• Briefly frame the issue.
• Go into the issue in detail showing why it ‘s such a problem. Use logos and pathos for this – the logical and emotional appeals.
• Provide the solution and explain why this would also help the audience.
• Call to action – something you want the audience to do which is straightforward and pertinent to the solution.

Storytelling

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.

• Great storytelling: Examples from Alibaba Founder, Jack Ma

Remaining method

The remaining method structure is good for situations where you’re presenting your perspective on a controversial topic which has split people’s opinions.

• Go into the issue in detail showing why it’s such a problem – use logos and pathos.
• Rebut your opponents’ solutions  – explain why their solutions could be useful because the audience will see this as fair and will therefore think you’re trustworthy, and then explain why you think these solutions are not valid.
• After you’ve presented all the alternatives provide your solution, the remaining solution. This is very persuasive because it looks like the winning idea, especially with the audience believing that you’re fair and trustworthy.

Transitions

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:

Moving from the introduction to the first point

Signify to the audience that you will now begin discussing the first main point:

• Now that you’re aware of the overview, let’s begin with…
• First, let’s begin with…
• I will first cover…
• My first point covers…
• To get started, let’s look at…

Shifting between similar points

Move from one point to a similar one:

• In the same way…
• Likewise…
• Equally…
• This is similar to…
• Similarly…

Internal summaries

Internal summarising consists of summarising before moving on to the next point. You must inform the audience:

• What part of the presentation you covered – “In the first part of this speech we’ve covered…”
• What the key points were – “Precisely how…”
• How this links in with the overall presentation – “So that’s the context…”
• What you’re moving on to – “Now I’d like to move on to the second part of presentation which looks at…”

Physical movement

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:

• Start your introduction by standing in the centre of the stage.
• For your first point you stand on the left side of the stage.
• You discuss your second point from the centre again.
• You stand on the right side of the stage for your third point.
• The conclusion occurs in the centre.

Key slides for your presentation

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:

• An intro slide outlining your ideas
• A  summary slide  with core points to remember
• High quality image slides to supplement what you are saying

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:

• Don’t over fill them  – your slides are there to assist your speech, rather than be the focal point. They should have as little information as possible, to avoid distracting people from your talk.
• A picture says a thousand words  – instead of filling a slide with text, instead, focus on one or two images or diagrams to help support and explain the point you are discussing at that time.
• Make them readable  – depending on the size of your audience, some may not be able to see small text or images, so make everything large enough to fill the space.
• Don’t rush through slides  – give the audience enough time to digest each slide.

Guy Kawasaki, an entrepreneur and author, suggests that slideshows should follow a  10-20-30 rule :

• There should be a maximum of 10 slides – people rarely remember more than one concept afterwards so there’s no point overwhelming them with unnecessary information.
• The presentation should last no longer than 20 minutes as this will leave time for questions and discussion.
• The font size should be a minimum of 30pt because the audience reads faster than you talk so less information on the slides means that there is less chance of the audience being distracted.

Here are some additional resources for slide design:

• 7 design tips for effective, beautiful PowerPoint presentations
• 11 design tips for beautiful presentations
• 10 tips on how to make slides that communicate your idea

Group Presentations

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:

• Briefly recap on what you covered in your section: “So that was a brief introduction on what health anxiety is and how it can affect somebody”
• Introduce the next speaker in the team and explain what they will discuss: “Now Elnaz will talk about the prevalence of health anxiety.”
• Then end by looking at the next speaker, gesturing towards them and saying their name: “Elnaz”.
• The next speaker should acknowledge this with a quick: “Thank you Joe.”

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.

Example of great presentation structure and delivery

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.

How Google Works – by Eric Schmidt

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.

Start with why – by Simon Sinek

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.

The Wisdom of a Third Grade Dropout – by Rick Rigsby

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.

Home Blog Business How to Write a Project Proposal and Present it to Stakeholders

How to Write a Project Proposal and Present it to Stakeholders

Every manager or executive has at some point of their career the need to create a project proposal (or initiative, we will use both terms instinctively in this post). In this opportunity we will briefly define the concept, how to write it and more importantly how to present it to an audience. Persuasion is key. Being able to transmit the right message behind the proposal will help you engage your audience with your ideas.

What Is a Project Proposal?

A project proposal is a document that details a new project idea. Its main objective is to communicate the idea, and what is needed to make it happen. In its most basic form, it contains a title, initial and end dates, objectives, goals and the overall main achievement pursued at completion of the project.

Formal project proposals have clear sections that have been proven to effectively communicate a project idea. The basics include context about the problem or pain trying to solve, a high level action plan, and the required resources to execute it. We’ll give you more detail into how to write project proposal categories later on in this article.

Note that a business project proposal is not the same thing as a complete project plan , in terms of project management . The project proposal includes a lot of details in many of the same categories as a project charter or a complete project plan. However, it is not the same document. The project proposal is not a detailed execution plan. There are lots of details that may change between the proposal presentation and the final, approved project plan.

Types of Project Proposals

There are many different kinds of project proposals, since there are many different kinds of projects. For the sake of keeping the article with a reasonable length, we will exemplify Business Project Proposals.

Business project proposals range from formal to informal and vary greatly depending on the industry and company where they are defined. This article focuses on business project proposals, though a lot of the basics and recommendations also apply to different categories.

Situations that Require to Write a Business Project Proposal

Projects intake vary depending on the management frameworks applied by every organization. But there are common management practices that trigger the need for project proposals.

The most common place for project definitions and ideation is during Corporate Planning. Independently of the size of the organization, planning is a practice that every professional organization carries out. Could be defined as Corporate Planning, or just Growth planning, but the time of the year where executives prepare their forecast and plan for the future is the main event where initiatives are defined. In order to evaluate them objectively, project proposals are created. Based on the proposals, the executives decide which projects they will sponsor. With this in mind, it is important that the document is formal, informative, but also persuasive.

How to Write a Project Proposal

The following paragraphs describe the common sections of a professional project proposal document. Keep in mind that this guide does not pretend to be exhaustive and is understood that you’ll need to evaluate adjustments to this outline in order to make it work for your industry, field, and department.

Step One: Define the Purpose around a Problem or Pain

No executive team will approve or fund a project if it’s not solving a realistic problem, situation. While it may sound negative, in business a lot of decisions are made around addressing pains, both organizational and client-facing. This step aims to show stakeholders why your project is important and what are the stakes if they don’t approve it.

Since your problem statement is the very first section of your project proposal, it has to be strong. If you don’t make your audience start believing in the need for a new initiative at this point, it will be very hard to change their minds later on. Don’t exaggerate the problem, since that is easy to discover later on, but be emphatic about why this is a problem that needs fixing. Backup your claims with facts, figures, and business cases. The cost of “ not doing ” is also a strong argument.

Here are some questions to consider when defining the problem:

Step Two: Introduce The Solution

Now that you’ve hopefully convinced your audience of the existence of a problem, you now have to introduce the proposed solution. The next several steps will help you specify some of the more tangible components of the “how”. On this step, however, you’re still at the dazzling and inspiring stage.

That means your introduction to the plan should focus on its benefits.

How is this going to address the problem and what is your organization going to get out of it? Think increased profits, lowered costs, new products on the market, more satisfied clients, increased brand awareness, etc.

What is the anticipated impact of your project or idea? Focus on wide-ranging effects for a more impressive presentation.

Step Three: Specify Deliverables and Success Criteria

Deliverables are the results of your project. Think about it as the components, both tangible and intangible, that you’ll be delivering. Include the functions and characteristics of each deliverable, such as what it will do, how it will work, and what benefit it will have. Include details such as due date and key tasks required to successfully carry out each deliverable.

Alongside the definition of deliverables are the success criteria. It’s important to specify how you’ll know if each deliverable has been successfully created, as well as the project as a whole. Whenever you’re presenting objectives or criteria for evaluating success, use the SMART goals approach. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. You can try using a roadmap template to visualize these deliverables and delivery dates.

Step Four: Outline Project Resources

In order to execute a project, you will require resources. Generally in a project proposal you will divide this definition in two. First, an overall estimation of resources in a common language , financial . So you will translate every resource into budgeting terms and define an investment number. Then, you will break down these financials into: assets (i.e.: technology, infrastructure), human resources, services (i.e.: advertisement, consultancy).

Step Five: Outline your Schedule

In this section you will combine deliverables and resources to generate a high level roadmap. Main points to highlight are start and end of the project, delivery dates and resources usage times. In this way you will materialize the proposal in high level activities.

Step Six: Executive Summary

Once the detailed version of your project proposal is complete, it’s time to summarize the presentation into an executive summary. This summary will include a high-level list of each key element of your proposal. The idea of the executive summary is to be able to summarize in one page all the proposal, in a way an executive can grasp the overall scope.

How to Present a Project Proposal to Stakeholders

Your project presentation will follow the basic steps detailed above. Here is a project proposal example structure using project proposal templates to help you get started on your presentation.

Slide 1: Cover Slide with Project Name

Like in all presentations, you don’t dive into the main part of the presentation without introducing the name of the project and yourself as presenter. Covers slides provide some visual stationary previous the presentation kick off. As a recommendation, set a project name that will make it memorable.

Slide 2: Table of Contents

Audience members will have an easier time paying attention if they know what to expect from your proposal presentation. See the following slide for a common project proposal table of contents format. When presenting it, do not dive into details. The agenda slide is aimed to set a mental state in the audience on the structure of the information will follow. It is a presentation best practice to prepare the audience.

Slide 3: The Problem

Summarize your problem statement in one or two sentences. Be BOLD . When creating this problem summary, make sure to touch upon what the problem is, why it is a problem, how this problem manifests, who this problem affects, and what is the fallout of this problem. Make sure your message is directed to the real pain to solve. Avoid repeating the detailed problem definition; the audience can drill down in the documentation for the facts behind your statements.

Slide 4: The Solution

As the first slide that formally introduces your projects proposal, this slide should briefly communicate what it is you are proposing to do. You can frame this slide in terms of the solution to the previously mentioned problem or you can introduce it as your plan. Either way, make sure this project introduction is no more than 1-3 sentences long. You’ll have time to specify other details in later slides. At this point of the presentation, your audience curiosity starts to peak, and you need to build your persuasive speech.

Slide 5: Goals and Benefits

For this slide, you want to briefly list the main goals for what you want to achieve with your project, as well as the top benefits your project will generate for the organization. While there may be a much larger list of these two components in your project proposal document, you’ll want to present the most important/relevant here. Try to group goals and benefits into categories. Remember that what you put on your PowerPoint slides is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your presentation. You can and should give more details in the spoken part of your proposal presentation.

Slide 6: Deliverables and Success Criteria

Without going into too much detail, list deliverables, due dates, and criteria for acceptance for your main deliverables.

Slide 7: Project Management Strategy

State the project management strategy you’re planning to use to manage the project. You can’t assume everyone in your audience will understand what each project management strategy entails, so you should also provide a brief description of your choice. These templates detailing the Scrum , Kanban , and Waterfall methodologies can give you ideas of how to summarize your chosen methodology.

Slide 8: Budget

The budget slide remains pretty simple. Report both the total budget you anticipate for the project as well as a general breakdown of the budget into the main categories. Providing the percentage of each category of the budget is helpful for stakeholders to conceptualize it. In the Project Proposal Presentation template we have included a project budget slide (in slide #9) with a data table that can be used to present the Budget information.

Slide 9: Project Requirements

Other than budget, what’s needed in order to complete your project? Will you need human resources, specific software, equipment, or a special location in order to execute your project? Add a simplified list here of the main requirements.

Slide 10: Project Proposal Timeline

You will not be able to present the entire project timeline in a simple project proposal presentation. However, you should present an overview of the timeline, including major phases and deliverables. Instead of presenting a simple chart with deliverables and dates, we recommend placing your timeline of deliverables and phases in an actual calendar. This puts your timeline in a visual context of quarters, months, or weeks, allowing audience members to have a clearer concept of how long this project will take.

Slide 11: Conclusion

Close your project proposal with a very short summary of the project, similar to what you wrote previously when introducing your solution. The point of this is to remind your audience of the overarching reason for this presentation, especially after going over potentially less-than-inspiring details like budget and requirements.

Slide 12: Thank You Slide

Don’t forget to thank your audience for listening to your project proposal. Add your contact information in case this project proposal is sent over email and reviewed individually.

Final Words

In this article we had reviewed the definition of project proposal, its main structure and a guide on how to present it to your stakeholders. For further reading about presentations skills , here is a guide to improving your public speaking skills that will help you present your project proposal even more effectively. Hope you had enjoyed the reading.

Like this article? Please share

Project Execution, Project Management, Project Planning Filed under Business

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Blog Beginner Guides 8 Types of Presentations You Should Know [+Examples & Tips]

8 Types of Presentations You Should Know [+Examples & Tips]

Written by: Krystle Wong Aug 11, 2023

From persuasive pitches that influence opinions to instructional demonstrations that teach skills, the different types of presentations serve a unique purpose, tailored to specific objectives and audiences.

Presentations that are tailored to its objectives and audiences are more engaging and memorable. They capture attention, maintain interest and leave a lasting impression. 

Don’t worry if you’re no designer —  Whether you need data-driven visuals, persuasive graphics or engaging design elements, Venngage can empower you to craft presentations that stand out and effectively convey your message.

Venngage’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface, extensive presentation template library and customizable design options make it a valuable tool for creating slides that align with your specific goals and target audience. 

Click to jump ahead:

8 Different types of presentations every presenter must know

How do i choose the right type of presentation for my topic or audience, types of presentation faq, 5 steps to create a presentation with venngage .

When it comes to presentations, versatility is the name of the game. Having a variety of presentation styles up your sleeve can make a world of difference in keeping your audience engaged. Here are 8 essential presentation types that every presenter should be well-acquainted with:

1. Informative presentation

Ever sat through a presentation that left you feeling enlightened? That’s the power of an informative presentation. 

This presentation style is all about sharing knowledge and shedding light on a particular topic. Whether you’re diving into the depths of quantum physics or explaining the intricacies of the latest social media trends, informative presentations aim to increase the audience’s understanding.

When delivering an informative presentation, simplify complex topics with clear visuals and relatable examples. Organize your content logically, starting with the basics and gradually delving deeper and always remember to keep jargon to a minimum and encourage questions for clarity.

Academic presentations and research presentations are great examples of informative presentations. An effective academic presentation involves having clear structure, credible evidence, engaging delivery and supporting visuals. Provide context to emphasize the topic’s significance, practice to perfect timing, and be ready to address anticipated questions. 

2. Persuasive presentation

If you’ve ever been swayed by a passionate speaker armed with compelling arguments, you’ve experienced a persuasive presentation . 

This type of presentation is like a verbal tug-of-war, aiming to convince the audience to see things from a specific perspective. Expect to encounter solid evidence, logical reasoning and a dash of emotional appeal.

With persuasive presentations, it’s important to know your audience inside out and tailor your message to their interests and concerns. Craft a compelling narrative with a strong opening, a solid argument and a memorable closing. Additionally, use visuals strategically to enhance your points.

Examples of persuasive presentations include presentations for environmental conservations, policy change, social issues and more. Here are some engaging presentation templates you can use to get started with: 

3. Demonstration or how-to presentation

A Demonstration or How-To Presentation is a type of presentation where the speaker showcases a process, technique, or procedure step by step, providing the audience with clear instructions on how to replicate the demonstrated action. 

A demonstrative presentation is particularly useful when teaching practical skills or showing how something is done in a hands-on manner.

These presentations are commonly used in various settings, including educational workshops, training sessions, cooking classes, DIY tutorials, technology demonstrations and more. Designing creative slides for your how-to presentations can heighten engagement and foster better information retention. 

Speakers can also consider breaking down the process into manageable steps, using visual aids, props and sometimes even live demonstrations to illustrate each step. The key is to provide clear and concise instructions, engage the audience with interactive elements and address any questions that may arise during the presentation.

4. Training or instructional presentation

Training presentations are geared towards imparting practical skills, procedures or concepts — think of this as the more focused cousin of the demonstration presentation. 

Whether you’re teaching a group of new employees the ins and outs of a software or enlightening budding chefs on the art of soufflé-making, training presentations are all about turning novices into experts.

To maximize the impact of your training or instructional presentation, break down complex concepts into digestible segments. Consider using real-life examples to illustrate each point and create a connection. 

You can also create an interactive presentation by incorporating elements like quizzes or group activities to reinforce understanding.

5. Sales presentation

Sales presentations are one of the many types of business presentations and the bread and butter of businesses looking to woo potential clients or customers. With a sprinkle of charm and a dash of persuasion, these presentations showcase products, services or ideas with one end goal in mind: sealing the deal.

A successful sales presentation often has key characteristics such as a clear value proposition, strong storytelling, confidence and a compelling call to action. Hence, when presenting to your clients or stakeholders, focus on benefits rather than just features. 

Anticipate and address potential objections before they arise and use storytelling to showcase how your offering solves a specific problem for your audience. Utilizing visual aids is also a great way to make your points stand out and stay memorable.

A sales presentation can be used to promote service offerings, product launches or even consultancy proposals that outline the expertise and industry experience of a business. Here are some template examples you can use for your next sales presentation:

6. Pitch presentation

Pitch presentations are your ticket to garnering the interest and support of potential investors, partners or stakeholders. Think of your pitch deck as your chance to paint a vivid picture of your business idea or proposal and secure the resources you need to bring it to life. 

Business presentations aside, individuals can also create a portfolio presentation to showcase their skills, experience and achievements to potential clients, employers or investors. 

Craft a concise and compelling narrative. Clearly define the problem your idea solves and how it stands out in the market. Anticipate questions and practice your answers. Project confidence and passion for your idea.

7. Motivational or inspirational presentation

Feeling the need for a morale boost? That’s where motivational presentations step in. These talks are designed to uplift and inspire, often featuring personal anecdotes, heartwarming stories and a generous serving of encouragement.

Form a connection with your audience by sharing personal stories that resonate with your message. Use a storytelling style with relatable anecdotes and powerful metaphors to create an emotional connection. Keep the energy high and wrap up your inspirational presentations with a clear call to action.

Inspirational talks and leadership presentations aside, a motivational or inspirational presentation can also be a simple presentation aimed at boosting confidence, a motivational speech focused on embracing change and more.

8. Status or progress report presentation

Projects and businesses are like living organisms, constantly evolving and changing. Status or progress report presentations keep everyone in the loop by providing updates on achievements, challenges and future plans. It’s like a GPS for your team, ensuring everyone stays on track.

Be transparent about achievements, challenges and future plans. Utilize infographics, charts and diagrams to present your data visually and simplify information. By visually representing data, it becomes easier to identify trends, make predictions and strategize based on evidence.

Now that you’ve learned about the different types of presentation methods and how to use them, you’re on the right track to creating a good presentation that can boost your confidence and enhance your presentation skills . 

Selecting the most suitable presentation style is akin to choosing the right outfit for an occasion – it greatly influences how your message is perceived. Here’s a more detailed guide to help you make that crucial decision:

1. Define your objectives

Begin by clarifying your presentation’s goals. Are you aiming to educate, persuade, motivate, train or perhaps sell a concept? Your objectives will guide you to the most suitable presentation type. 

For instance, if you’re aiming to inform, an informative presentation would be a natural fit. On the other hand, a persuasive presentation suits the goal of swaying opinions.

2. Know your audience

Regardless if you’re giving an in-person or a virtual presentation — delve into the characteristics of your audience. Consider factors like their expertise level, familiarity with the topic, interests and expectations. 

If your audience consists of professionals in your field, a more technical presentation might be suitable. However, if your audience is diverse and includes newcomers, an approachable and engaging style might work better.

3. Analyze your content

Reflect on the content you intend to present. Is it data-heavy, rich in personal stories or focused on practical skills? Different presentation styles serve different content types. 

For data-driven content, an informative or instructional presentation might work best. For emotional stories, a motivational presentation could be a compelling choice.

4. Consider time constraints

Evaluate the time you have at your disposal. If your presentation needs to be concise due to time limitations, opt for a presentation style that allows you to convey your key points effectively within the available timeframe. A pitch presentation, for example, often requires delivering impactful information within a short span.

5. Leverage visuals

Visual aids are powerful tools in presentations. Consider whether your content would benefit from visual representation. If your PowerPoint presentations involve step-by-step instructions or demonstrations, a how-to presentation with clear visuals would be advantageous. Conversely, if your content is more conceptual, a motivational presentation could rely more on spoken words.

6. Align with the setting

Take the presentation environment into account. Are you presenting in a formal business setting, a casual workshop or a conference? Your setting can influence the level of formality and interactivity in your presentation. For instance, a demonstration presentation might be ideal for a hands-on workshop, while a persuasive presentation is great for conferences.

7. Gauge audience interaction

Determine the level of audience engagement you want. Interactive presentations work well for training sessions, workshops and small group settings, while informative or persuasive presentations might be more one-sided.

8. Flexibility

Stay open to adjusting your presentation style on the fly. Sometimes, unexpected factors might require a change of presentation style. Be prepared to adjust on the spot if audience engagement or reactions indicate that a different approach would be more effective.

Remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and the best type of presentation may vary depending on the specific situation and your unique communication goals. By carefully considering these factors, you can choose the most effective presentation type to successfully engage and communicate with your audience.

To save time, use a presentation software or check out these presentation design and presentation background guides to create a presentation that stands out.    

What are some effective ways to begin and end a presentation?

Capture your audience’s attention from the start of your presentation by using a surprising statistic, a compelling story or a thought-provoking question related to your topic. 

To conclude your presentation , summarize your main points, reinforce your key message and leave a lasting impression with a powerful call to action or a memorable quote that resonates with your presentation’s theme.

How can I make my presentation more engaging and interactive?

To create an engaging and interactive presentation for your audience, incorporate visual elements such as images, graphs and videos to illustrate your points visually. Share relatable anecdotes or real-life examples to create a connection with your audience. 

You can also integrate interactive elements like live polls, open-ended questions or small group discussions to encourage participation and keep your audience actively engaged throughout your presentation.

Which types of presentations require special markings

Some presentation types require special markings such as how sales presentations require persuasive techniques like emphasizing benefits, addressing objections and using compelling visuals to showcase products or services. 

Demonstrations and how-to presentations on the other hand require clear markings for each step, ensuring the audience can follow along seamlessly. 

That aside, pitch presentations require highlighting unique selling points, market potential and the competitive edge of your idea, making it stand out to potential investors or partners.

Need some inspiration on how to make a presentation that will captivate an audience? Here are 120+ presentation ideas to help you get started. 

Creating a stunning and impactful presentation with Venngage is a breeze. Whether you’re crafting a business pitch, a training presentation or any other type of presentation, follow these five steps to create a professional presentation that stands out:

• Sign up and log in to Venngage to access the editor.
• Choose a presentation template that matches your topic or style.
• Customize content, colors, fonts, and background to personalize your presentation.
• Add images, icons, and charts to enhancevisual style and clarity.
• Save, export, and share your presentation as PDF or PNG files, or use Venngage’s Presentation Mode for online showcasing.

In the realm of presentations, understanding the different types of presentation formats is like having a versatile set of tools that empower you to craft compelling narratives for every occasion.

Remember, the key to a successful presentation lies not only in the content you deliver but also in the way you connect with your audience. Whether you’re informing, persuading or entertaining, tailoring your approach to the specific type of presentation you’re delivering can make all the difference.

Presentations are a powerful tool, and with practice and dedication (and a little help from Venngage), you’ll find yourself becoming a presentation pro in no time. Now, let’s get started and customize your next presentation!

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When you’re ready to create your presentation, simply select the template and start customizing it to suit your needs. You can add your own color palette, vector icons, and any other graphic elements that you need.   Our interactive slides (or frames ) can be easily edited. You can add or remove slides and restructure their order in your presentation. All of the slides also have placeholder text, which you can remove to add your own presentation content. Once you’re ready to present your slides, all you have to do is hop into Presentation Mode . This automatically puts your presentation in fullscreen, and you can move between the slides using the arrow keys. How do you structure a project presentation?  Every project presentation is different, so there’s no correct way to structure your presentation . 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Your project presentation should outline the top-level information about your upcoming project. This includes the problem you’re trying to solve, your budget, the project timeline, key deliverables, and your goals. How do you introduce a project presentation? Start by telling the audience who you are and what the presentation is about. This means summing up your project presentation in a couple of sentences (ideally, you’ll have this prepared beforehand). Show them an agenda so they know what to expect and give a rough timeline for when the presentation will wrap up. How can I make a perfect presentation? It’s hard to say how to create the perfect presentation. What’s perfect for you and your audience might not work for someone else, but any successful presentation is engaging, compelling, and convincing. It takes the audience on a journey, building an emotional connection with them along the way. At the end of the presentation, the audience thoroughly understands what the project entails and why it’s important. Get started with this template right now. Proposal Template Works best for:. Presentations, Strategic Planning Create the perfect proposal presentation for your prospects with the Business Proposal Presentation Template. Plan, structure, and deliver all the key information in a professional and visually-appealing presentation. Keynote Presentation Template Presentations, Workshops Designed to create enthusiasm and build knowledge about a specific topic, keynote presentations are more powerful than most people think. With them, you get to inspire and unify an audience with a common purpose. We give you an easy way to do this — just use our Keynote Presentation Template to create your own captivating presentation. Effective Meeting Template by Zoom Team Meetings Run effective meetings and keep everyone focused with Zoom’s Effective Meeting Template. 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Design for Business Most Recent Presentations Infographics Data Visualizations Forms and Surveys Video & Animation Case Studies Digital Marketing Design Inspiration Visual Thinking Product Updates Visme Webinars Artificial Intelligence How to Create a Powerful Research Presentation Written by: Raja Mandal Have you ever had to create a research presentation? If yes, you know how difficult it is to prepare an effective presentation that perfectly explains your research. Since it's a visual representation of your papers, a large chunk of its preparation goes into designing. No one knows your research paper better than you. So, only you can create the presentation to communicate the core message perfectly. We've developed a practical, step-by-step guide to help you prepare a stellar research presentation. Let's get started! Table of Contents What is a research presentation, purpose of a research presentation, how to prepare an effective research presentation, create a stunning presentation in less time. Hundreds of premade slides available Add animation and interactivity to your slides Choose from various presentation options Sign up. It’s free. A research presentation is a visual representation of an individual's or organization's systematic investigation of a subject. It helps the presenter obtain feedback on their proposed research. For example, educational establishments require Higher Degree Research (HDR) students to present their research papers in a research presentation. The purpose of a research presentation is to share the findings with the world. When done well, it helps achieve significant levels of impact in front of groups of people. Delivering the research paper as a presentation also communicates the subject matter in powerful ways. A beautifully designed research presentation should: Explain the significance of your research. Clearly state your findings and the method of analysis. Get valuable feedback from others in your community to strengthen your research. Make the audience learn more about your work or read your research paper. According to a recent survey, 79% of people agree that most presentations are boring. You should prepare your presentation in a way that attracts and persuades your audience while effectively sharing the information. Follow the steps below to do that. Decide on Your Presentation’s Purpose Beginning the design process without deciding on the purpose of your presentation is like crawling in the dark without knowing the destination. You should first know the purpose of your presentation before creating it. The purpose of a research presentation can be defending a dissertation, an academic job interview, a conference, asking for funding, and various others. The rest of the process will depend on the purpose of your presentation. Look at these 25 different presentation examples to get inspiration and find the one that best fits your needs. Know Your Audience You probably wouldn't speak to your lecturer like you talk to your friends. Creating a presentation is the same—you need to tailor your presentation's design, tone and content to make it appropriate for your audience. To do that, you need to establish who your audience is. Your audience could be: Scientists/scholars in your field Graduate and undergraduate students Community members Your target audience might be a mix of all of the above. In that case, it's better to have something for everyone. Once you know who your target audience is, ask yourself the following questions: Why are they here? What do they expect from your presentations? Are they willing to participate? What will keep them engaged? What do you want them to do and what's their part in your presentation? How do they prefer to receive information? The answers to these questions will help you know your audience better and prepare your research presentation accordingly. Once you define your target audience, use these five traits of a highly engaging presentation to capture your audience's attention. Create a Research Presentation Outline Before crafting your presentation, it's crucial to create an outline. Your outline will act as your guide to put your information in order and ensure you touch on all your major points. Like other forms of academic writing, research presentations can be divided into several parts to make them more effective. An outline helps guide you as you prepare your presentation as follows: It enables you to organize your ideas Presents your research in a logical format Shows the relationships among slides in your presentation Constructs an order overview of your presentation Groups ideas into main points Though there is no universal formula for a research presentation outline, here's an example of what the outline should look like: Introduction and purpose Background and context Data and methodology Descriptive data Quantitative and qualitative analysis Future Research Learn more about presentation structure to keep your audience engaged. Watch the video below for a better understanding. Limit the Amount of Text on Your Slides One of the most important things people often overlook is the amount of text on their presentation slides . Since the audience will be listening and watching, putting up a slide with lots of words will make them focus on reading instead of listening. As a result, they'll miss out on any critical points you are making. The simpler you make your slides, the more your audience will grasp the meaning and retain the critical information. Here are a few ways to limit the amount of text on your slides. 1. Use Only Crucial Text on the Slides Without making your point clear immediately, you will struggle to keep your audience's attention. Too much text can make your slides look cluttered and overwhelm the audience. Cut out waffle words, limiting content to the essentials. To avoid cognitive overload, combine text and images . Add animated graphics , icons , characters and gestures to bring your research presentation to life and capture your audience's attention. 2. Split up the Content Onto Multiple Slides We recommend using one piece of information on a single slide. If you're talking about two or more topics, divide the topics into different slides to make your slides easily digestible and less daunting. The less information on each slide, the more your audience is likely to read. 3. Put Key Message Into the Heading Use the slide headings of your presentation as a summary message. Think about the one key point you want the audience to take from each slide. And make the header short and impactful. This will ensure that your audience gets the main points immediately. For example, you may have a statistic you want to really get across to your audience. Include that number in your heading so that it's the first point your audience reads. But what if that statistic changes? Having to manually go back and update the number throughout your research presentation can be time-consuming. With Visme's Dynamic Fields feature , updating important information throughout your presentation is a breeze. Take advantage of Dynamic Fields to ensure your data and research information is  always up to date and accurate. 4. Visualize Data Instead of Writing Them When adding facts and figures to your research presentation, harness the power of data visualization . Add interactive charts and graphs to take out most of the text. Text with visuals causes a faster and stronger reaction than words alone, making your presentation more memorable. However, your data visualization should be straightforward to help create a narrative that further builds connections between information. Have a look at these data visualization examples for inspiration. And here's an infographic explaining data visualization best practices. Visme comes with a wide variety of charts and graphs templates you can use in your presentation. 5. Use Presenter Notes Visme's Presenter Studio comes with a presenter notes feature that can help you keep your slides succinct. Use it to pull out any additional text that the audience needs to understand the content. View your notes for each slide in the left sidebar of the presentation software to help you stay focused and on message throughout your presentation. Explain Your Research Since you're preparing a research presentation, use more slides to explain the research papers you directly contributed to. Sometimes people spend nearly all of the presentation going over the existing research and giving background information on the particular case. Your audience is there to learn about your new and exciting research, not to hear a summary of old work. So, if you create 20 slides for the presentation, spend at least 15 slides explaining your research. However, don't try to include the words in the slide that you'll present. Learn more about how to give a good presentation . This will help you explain your research more effectively. Follow Presentation Design Best Practices A study shows that 91% of presenters feel more confident when presenting a well-designed slide deck. So, let's move on to the design part of your research presentation to boost your confidence. 1. Create a Stunning Background The background of each presentation slide is a crucial design element for your presentation. So choose the background carefully. Try not to use backgrounds that are distracting or make the text difficult to read. Use simple backgrounds to make the slide aesthetically appealing. Always use the same background for the slides throughout the presentation. Look at these presentation background templates and examples to get inspired. 2. Use a Variety of Layouts Slide after slide of the same layout makes your presentation repetitive and boring. Mixing up the layout of your slides can help you avoid this issue and keep your audience engaged. The presentation template below has a wide variety of images, texts, icons and other elements to create an interesting layout for your presentation slides. Have a look at these 29 best presentation templates for inspiration. 3. Use Colors Wisely Colors play an essential role in designing your presentation slides, regardless of the type of presentation you're working with. However, if you're a non-designer, you might be unsure about about how to use colors in a presentation . So, here are some tips for you: Use complementary colors to stay on the safe side. Use a text color that contrasts with the background to make the text pop. Use colors to emphasize a text or design element. Keep colors simple — less is more. Don't be discouraged if you still find it difficult to choose colors for your presentation. All the presentation templates in Visme come with perfect color combinations to get the job done for you. Below is an example. 4. Use Fonts Hierarchy Fonts are another design element that can make or break the design of your research presentation. If you struggle a lot while choosing fonts for a presentation , you aren't alone. Here are some tips that you can follow: Try not to use smaller fonts that make your text difficult to read. Use different font sizes for headings and body text. For example, you can use 20 points for the body text, 24 for the subheadings and 40 for the title. Learn about font pairing and use it in your design. For example, use sans-serif with serif fonts as they always go well together. Use two or three fonts max—ideally two. One should be for the headlines and the other for the body text. Anything more than that can make your slides cluttered. Handwritten fonts and script fonts may look tempting, but they are a big no. They could negatively affect the readability and legibility of your research presentation. Here's a Visme presentation template designed with the points mentioned above in mind. 5. Include High-Resolution Images Are there any images you can use in your slides to introduce or explain a topic? What could be better than that? As the saying goes, "A picture tells a thousand words." Use pictures to help your audience listen to you more efficiently while viewing the slides. Pictures can also help you reduce the text clutter in the presentation, as long as they prompt you to make the points you need to make. If you can't find an image for your presentation, browse through Visme's high-resolution stock photo library . It features over 1,000,000 free stock photos. Have a look at the presentation template below. It includes only high-resolution images, like all the presentation templates in Visme. Below is a video of 13 presentation design tips to help you design a research presentation that your audience will love. Prepare Your Research Presentation Using Visme Designing presentation slides from scratch isn't easy, especially if you have no experience. Fortunately, Visme comes with hundreds of professional presentation templates crafted by expert designers that make the job easy for you. You don't need any design experience to create effective research presentations. Choose from hundreds of beautifully designed presentation templates and customize them according to your needs using Visme's all-in-one presentation software . Anyone can use our powerful software to create stunning presentations in minutes. Create a free account in Visme today and start creating your research presentation like an expert. Put together powerful research presentations in minutes with Visme. Trusted by leading brands Recommended content for you: Create Stunning Content! Design visual brand experiences for your business whether you are a seasoned designer or a total novice. About the Author Raja Antony Mandal is a Content Writer at Visme. He can quickly adapt to different writing styles, possess strong research skills, and know SEO fundamentals. Raja wants to share valuable information with his audience by telling captivating stories in his articles. He wants to travel and party a lot on the weekends, but his guitar, drum set, and volleyball court don’t let him. 136 IMAGES How to Give a Stunning Project Presentation Free Project Overview PowerPoint Templates: Download From 60+ Project Project Definition Template for PowerPoint How to Compose a Presentation what is presentation meaning project presentation VIDEO This is a great feature to start your next PowerPoint Presentation || S. J. INSTITUTION Herzberg Two factor Theory of Motivation in Hindi With PPT Presentation: Meaning & Advantages Project Identification Finding the meaning within a project to find success What is Business Plan Presentation || Types of Business Plan Presentation Industrial Project Presentation Gopal Online Education Services COMMENTS How To Create a Project Presentation: A Guide for Impactful Content The Project Risks. All projects present risks, and to control them, they must be identified, assessed, evaluated, and mitigated. Visualize your risk assessment with a risk matrix and include it in the project presentation. Use this slide to explain to stakeholders how you plan to mitigate the identified risks. How to Create a Successful Project Presentation 2 Lay Out Your Project Plan. Once you've set your goals, the next big step is to outline how you'll achieve them. An excellent place to start is by organizing your project into an actionable plan and steps for execution. You might wonder why this step is important for creating a successful project presentation. Project Presentations: Prepare and Give a Great Presentation A project presentation is an opportunity for you to explain your project processes and deliverables to key stakeholders. These can be informal, like a quick update via reports with a few individuals, or formal. Formal project presentations often require proper meeting times, thought-out slide decks, goal review and more. ... How To Create A Successful Project Presentation? A project plan is an official document that follows a set format and flow. Your presentation should follow this flow for maximum impact. To present a project plan, you should go over the following eight steps: Give an overview. Provide a brief overview of the project, outlining its goals and rationale. How to present a project? Ultimate Guide Project presentation will align all stakeholders, ensuring that everyone is on the same page regarding the project's purpose, deliverables, and timelines. This alignment will ultimately lead to project success. ... You know its meaning. Prepare a rough sketch of the words you are going to speak. It is just like writing a speech. The delivery of ... Top Tips to Present a Project Effectively Review your presentation, talk it out, get comfortable with the delivery, and find good ways to present a project. Consider the tone, the speed, and the moments you wish to emphasize. 16. Temper your anxiety. When a speaker is relaxed, the audience will also relax, making for an overall comfortable experience. How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide] Apply the 10-20-30 rule. Apply the 10-20-30 presentation rule and keep it short, sweet and impactful! Stick to ten slides, deliver your presentation within 20 minutes and use a 30-point font to ensure clarity and focus. Less is more, and your audience will thank you for it! 9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule. Simplicity is key. 18 Steps to Present Your Project Like a Pro Write a summary, ask for questions, and don't forget to thank your audience for attention. 10. Care about the presentation style. You can make your project presentation dry or funny or dry. But ... How to Give a Stunning Project Presentation Many projects require a presentation, whether at the beginning, end, or somewhere in the middle. Sometimes it is given to the managers or executives, sometimes to the project team, and sometimes to stakeholders who have a specific interest in the project.. Project presentations can be very nerve racking and difficult for many people, but that doesn't mean they have to be difficult. A Complete Guide to Creating Project Presentations 6. Use Charts and Visuals to Showcase Numbers. When showcasing numerical data in a project presentation, utilizing charts and visuals is a powerful strategy to enhance understanding and engagement. Rather than overwhelming your audience with a barrage of numbers, graphs provide a clear representation of the data. Effectively present project plans to clients & stakeholders Presenting the project roadmap in this manner helps your stakeholders quickly see the scheduled tasks, as well as their duration, sequences and other task dependencies, all of which define the critical path.Furthermore, connecting the project activities (tasks) with the project events (milestones) offers clients and execs more insight, which translates to better management decisions. How to present a project and impress your audience: Top 6 tips Polish every aspect of your presentation beforehand, from sourcing high-quality visuals to practicing how to present your verbal delivery. By taking the time to prepare and communicate your qualifications, you will be able to demonstrate credibility and appear trustworthy in front of your audience. 2. Make the most of space. What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired ... How to Structure your Presentation, with Examples 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. How to Present a Project effectively How to Present a Project effectively - MLC Presentation Design Consulting. What Are Effective Presentation Skills (and How to Improve Them) 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 ... How to Write a Project Proposal and Present it to Stakeholders Here is a project proposal example structure using project proposal templates to help you get started on your presentation. Slide 1: Cover Slide with Project Name Like in all presentations, you don't dive into the main part of the presentation without introducing the name of the project and yourself as presenter. 8 Types of Presentations You Should Know [+Examples & Tips] CREATE THIS PRESENTATION. 2. Persuasive presentation. If you've ever been swayed by a passionate speaker armed with compelling arguments, you've experienced a persuasive presentation . This type of presentation is like a verbal tug-of-war, aiming to convince the audience to see things from a specific perspective. How to Deliver Outstanding and Convincing Project Presentations Project presentations are very key soft skills and pretty essential in academic and professional lives. Presentation skills help create innovative ideas when students come up with creative and interesting slides to illustrate their talk. The use of presentation aids makes for a much more interesting talk, and the creation of such aids can help develop 105+ Creative Presentation Ideas to Engage Your Audience 2 Be Minimal. Using a minimal design composition is one of the unique presentation ideas. The trick is to have just enough information and visual details for the viewer to feel comfortable seeing the slides. A minimal design can instill calm and awe in your audience when done right. What is Project Presentation? Project Presentation is a formal submission of a project to stakeholders for familiarization, discussion and acceptance. It takes several forms: 1) a page of the project plan to describe the project to the reader, and 2) a meeting to announce the project and state about expected benefits and outcomes to be produced upon successful project completion. Free Project Presentation Template How to create a project presentation with Miro's customizable template. Use Miro's digital workspace to organize your thoughts, jot down notes, and share ideas with your project team. When you're ready to create your presentation, simply select the template and start customizing it to suit your needs. You can add your own color palette ... How to Create a Powerful Research Presentation Visualize Data Instead of Writing Them. When adding facts and figures to your research presentation, harness the power of data visualization. Add interactive charts and graphs to take out most of the text. Text with visuals causes a faster and stronger reaction than words alone, making your presentation more memorable. case study creative writing presentation problem solving rewiew prompts websites tips