how to make notes for presentation

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How to Prepare Notes for Public Speaking

Last Updated: May 21, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Deb DiSandro . Deb DiSandro is the Owner of Speak Up On Purpose, an organization dedicated to improving and teaching public speaking. Deb has over 30 years of experience as a national speaker and has presented at the Erma Bombeck Writer’s Conference and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. She was awarded the National Speakers Association Member of the Year 2007 and has been published in Writer's Digest, Daily Herald, Women's Day, and Better Homes & Gardens. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 239,307 times.

You have to give a speech, and you wonder how you can give it without staring at a piece of paper. Rather than memorize the words, you can use notes. Notes are easy to make. First, write and refine your speech. Pick out keywords that represent the main ideas of your speech and write them on notecards. Finish filling out the notecards with important talking points. Good notes make you sound natural as a speaker while having a safety net in case you get lost.

Creating and Breaking Down Your Speech

• This is a draft. Pay attention to word choice and sentence structure. Make it as good as possible, but remember that you'll be able to fix any mistakes before you make your notes.
• Get all of your ideas on paper. It doesn't matter if they're crazy, inspiring, or weird. You have a chance to perfect what doesn't work later on. [2] X Research source

• It's a good idea to time yourself while you do this. That way, you'll know when you need to cut down your speech's length.
• Learn transitional phrases to help your speech flow naturally. [4] X Research source

• Highlight things that worked from your first draft and areas that you want to keep that need to be reworded.

• Record your own speech and listen to the phrases and pacing. Listen for any awkward phrases and try to smooth them out in the next draft.
• If you know someone who's given a public speech before, ask them to listen. They will have more experience and will be less biased.

Making Your Notes

• For example, you are speaking about the life of a politician. You can use the word “Military” to show yourself when it's time to talk about their military experience.
• Images can also help solidify the order of your speech. Visualize uniformed soldiers marching in unison and you won't forget you need to talk about military training.
• Write out the first words of your transition sentences to help keep yourself on track.

• For example, if you need to introduce your second idea at the three minute mark, write three minutes on the card containing that idea.

• Write the words in a pen that's legible to you. Black or blue ink works best.
• If you have bad handwriting, you can type out your notes. Cut and glue them onto your notes or print them directly by using the “Size” option in the “Print Layout” tab.

• For example, write out “award” or “Purple Heart” to remind yourself to mention the awards someone earned in service.

• For instance, write down “75% pass” if you need to inform your audience how many people pass a class.

• Customize the color code to whatever works best for you.
• This works best if you color code while you practice your speech, but it could be distracting or confusing by the time you give the speech.

• You can also bind the cards together. Use a drill or hole punch on the upper left corner of the notes. Loop a string through them. They'll be easy to flip and can't be mixed up.
• However, make sure the flipping of the notecards is not distracting to the audience.

Rehearsing Your Speech

• Memorizing a speech word-for-word is unhelpful because the audience can tell that you're reciting a script. Only use memorization and scripted words if you're painting a picture with your words or you need to tell a joke with comedic timing.

• Because you are using a minimal outline, your speech will sound a little different every time. However, it'll also sound more natural.

• You can time yourself again while giving the speech so you know exactly how long it is rather than making a guess. It can show you when you're going off-script too much. Keep in mind when you give the speech, you're bound to talk faster and the speech will be shorter.

Community Q&A

• Research name pronunciations before writing your speech. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1
• Try to have 3 main points in the middle of your speech so the audience remembers it well. You can back these points up with further information or quotes. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1
• Look at your card quickly and smoothly. Keep your thumb next to the line on your note card so you don't lose your place. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1

• When using visual aids, make them sparse and with few words. Visual aids are supposed to be for the audience. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1

Things You'll Need

• Blue or black pen
• Colored highlighters
• Index cards

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://pac.org/content/speechwriting-101-writing-effective-speech
• ↑ https://wrd.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/1-Shitty%20First%20Drafts.pdf
• ↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/speeches/
• ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/publicspeaking/chapter/10-2-keeping-your-speech-moving/
• ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/editing-and-proofreading-techniques
• ↑ http://www.washington.edu/doit/presentation-tips-0
• ↑ https://examples.yourdictionary.com/keyword-outline-examples.html
• ↑ http://academics.umw.edu/speaking/resources/handouts/preparing-speaking-notes/
• ↑ https://www.ted.com/participate/organize-a-local-tedx-event/tedx-organizer-guide/speakers-program/prepare-your-speaker/rehearsals
• ↑ https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/speaking-audience

About This Article

Public speaking can be scary, but using notes can increase your confidence and make it a little easier. To prepare notes for public speaking, begin by writing your speech. Once you’ve written the first draft, read the speech out loud and make any necessary changes so it sounds smooth. When you’re happy with your speech, translate it into notes by highlighting keywords to mark where each new idea begins. Then, write one keyword per notecard. Make sure your writing is clear so you can read it easily as you speak! If you need to remember specific details or statistics, include these on your notecards. For example, you could write ”75%” in your notes if you need to tell the audience how many people pass a class. When you’ve finished making your notes, number each one to avoid getting them mixed up. For more information from our Public Speaking co-author, like how to practice your speech, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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When you start to give presentations, you will realise that you also have to work out how to manage your text.

Whether you’re confident enough to speak with very brief notes, or you need a full text, you need to consider how you record it to remind you what you’re going to say.

There are various examples of ways you might choose to manage your text.

These include:

Full Text Notes

Notes on Cue Cards

Keywords on Cue Cards

Full text script.

The main advantage of this method is that the entire text is in front of you so you cannot forget what you want to say.

The disadvantage, however, is that you will pay less attention to the group or audience whilst reading the text.  If you are speaking to a small group, this method might be overly formal, as written text sounds very formal when spoken out loud. If you read a prepared text, you should know what you are going to say very well so that you can maintain eye contact with your listeners whilst not losing your place.

Reading the text is not always an easy option as it can sound stilted and rather unnatural. Remember to engage with your audience as much as you can.

When reading from a full-text script it is also much harder to change what you’re going to say halfway through, if you see that your audience is starting to fidget.

To help, you can use big bold headings to guide your eyes through the text so that you can skip sections if you want.

Notes Pages from a Slide Package

Most presentation packages, including PowerPoint, have an option to create a page of ‘Slide Notes’.

You can use these to write out more or less detailed points about what you plan to say in relation to every slide that you use.

The advantage is that everything that you want to say is tailored to your slides. However, the packages are not very sophisticated: you cannot, for instance, highlight sections, or play with the font size very easily. This means that it can be hard to identify quickly and visually the most important points to make.

You will also end up with a sheaf of papers, which can get a bit flappy and hard to handle. This can come across as somewhat unprofessional.

To use cue cards, write your main points on separate index cards and, underneath each point, write the supporting material in a concise way.

When using Cue Cards...

Use only one side of the card and number the cards so that you can easily reorder them if you drop them.

On the bottom of each cue card, write a link statement to lead you into the next point.

The advantage of using cue cards is that you are speaking directly to the audience, which increases your rapport with them.

Small index cards also look more professional than large sheets of paper which may prove difficult to handle. The disadvantage is that you have to write them by hand since PowerPoint and similar packages don’t offer an option for ‘keycards’, only ‘Notes pages’.

To avoid losing your thread, ensure that you are familiar with the main points of your argument and the links between one idea and the next so that you become less reliant on the cards.

Further simplify the information on the cue cards by drawing out keywords that will remind you of the key points that you wish to convey.

The advantages of using keywords on cue cards are the same as above but their use increases spontaneity and rapport with the audience even further.

However, if you become side-tracked, it is easy to lose the thread and possibly miss key points. It’s best only to use this method if you are very familiar with your subject and feel confident in making the presentation.

Mind maps are diagrams used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and can be used as notes to aid a presentation.

The advantages of using a mind map are similar to those of using keywords on cue words but it is easier to illustrate complex relationships than with keywords.

However, again, using mind maps as a presentation aid requires you to be familiar with the subject material and a confident speaker. When presenting it can be difficult to keep track of your progress through a mind map, but it can be very helpful if you want to interact with your audience, as you can just reorder your points to fit the session.

It’s up to you!

When you’re giving a presentation, it’s up to you to choose a method of handling your notes that works for you.

Whatever you do, someone is sure to judge you on it, so you simply have to make sure that you’re comfortable, and don’t worry what anyone else says.

The important thing is to get your points across confidently and competently, and not to show off.

Continue to: Working with Visual Aids Deciding the Presentation Method

See also: Preparing for a Presentation Writing Your Presentation Coping with Presentation Nerves Dealing with Questions

Best Practices for Using Speaker Notes in a Presentation

"The way something is presented will define the way you react to it." - Deville Brody

Delivering presentations in front of an audience is one of the most common fears shared across the world. Whether you’re presenting a proposal to a single client, a project to your peers, or you are a keynote speaker for a massive conference, the reality is that public speaking can be nerve-wracking. The good news is that there are several strategies to mitigate this fear, boost your confidence, and increase your chances of delivering an engaging presentation, guaranteed to captivate your audience.

One strategy to deliver effective presentations is utilizing the power of speaker notes. We’ve built hundreds of decks and understand just how much work goes into the preparation process. After putting in the hours to craft the narrative, build the deck, and rehearse the presentation, the audience must reap the benefit of all those efforts. Using speaker notes in your presentation is an excellent way to come prepared, engage with your audience, deliver a compelling message, and ensure that your hard work translates to value.

In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of speaker notes and outline some best practices for you to apply when building your decks.

What are Speaker Notes? ‍

Speaker notes are quite simply what their name suggests. They’re notes to help presenters recall important speaking points when giving a presentation. Think index cards but in digital form.

Speaking notes are only visible to speakers and not the audience and are typically located beneath or to the side of the core presentation content. The notes are tied to specific slides, so as you flip through your presentation, the notes will change accordingly. Some examples of content typically included in speaker notes include key statistics, prompts for stories, clues for transitions or co-presenters, and additional context to help convey important points.

Good speaker notes provide guidance, support, and structure to ensure that the speaker can stay on track and cover all relevant information. Good speaker notes should contain a clear structure, use succinct language, and be detailed enough for the speaker to recall them easily without being overwhelmingly long.

Long notes (where you're writing out every spoken word) have the opposite effect. They detract from the speaker’s focus. They can ruin the cadence of the speaker and their connection to the audience. They should be bullet points for familiarity and really nothing more.

Some examples of speaker notes that have been effectively utilized in presentations include:

- Providing a list of key statistics or key points that need to be covered during the presentation

- Including prompts for stories , anecdotes, and other examples to illustrate your main points

- Offering cues or reminders for transitions between different parts of the presentation

- Providing additional context or background information for important points

If you are looking to deliver effective presentations, speaker notes can be an invaluable tool. By taking the time to carefully craft your speaker notes and using them as a guide during your presentation, you will be able to engage with your audience,

What are the Benefits of Using Speaker Notes? ‍

"You are not being judged, the value of what you are bringing to the audience is being judged." - Seth Godin

Your audience will either listen to you or read your slides. The goal is to get them to listen to you. This is accomplished by limiting the content on slides to only essential information.

Using speaker notes to capture the additional information helps your audience to focus on listening to you and for you to avoid coming off as inauthentic, like reading a script. ‍

Better Engage Your Audience

One of the best ways to engage your audience is through maximizing eye contact. Eye contact helps lock in listeners’ attention and helps the speaker read visual cues. By using speaking notes to capture the main ideas to touch on, speakers can avoid reading slides word for word. This frees up their attention to connect with the audience, read visual cues, and most importantly, allows the audience to focus on listening to what they have to say. ‍

Deliver a More Compelling Message

Speaking notes serve as a powerful tool to add additional value to your narrative. Graphics, metrics, videos, and other content cannot and should not convey all of the information that is important to understanding the story. By placing extra contextual information in speaking notes, you can shed more light on the real story behind the content and again, force the audience to listen to you vs. reading slides.

Stories are also a proven way to grab your audience’s attention and help them relate to your message. Speaking notes are a perfect tool to place notes for yourself on when to insert a reminder for a powerful story.

Perhaps the most obvious way to use speaking notes to deliver a great presentation is to use them to keep your place and train of thought. Too often, presenters get nervous, lose their train of thought, and go blank during the presentation. This damage to confidence and credibility can be easily avoided by having speaker notes available to fall back on.

Be Prepared

Presentations often lead to the need for questions or leave behind materials. Speaking notes can serve as an excellent reference to help answer questions that inevitably get asked about information that wasn’t visible on the slide. Coming prepared with notes to help answer these questions can help to maintain your credibility even after the presentation.

The notes can also be incredibly helpful in producing a leave-behind version of your deck. The extra information and context will go a long way in helping readers remember the narrative that was discussed that can’t be inferred from the slide content.

In more complex presentations, such as when you’re co-presenting with others, speaker notes can be an effective tool to include slide directions. You can prepare by leaving clues for yourself and others on how to transition between slides, what is coming up next, and who is speaking on what points. ‍

Best Practices for Using Speaker Notes

‍ "Grasp the subject, the words will follow." - Cato the Elder

We’ve discussed the benefits of speaker notes, but the real power is understanding how to apply them. Here are a few of our helpful tips that you can reference when creating speaker notes for your presentations. ‍

The space to view your notes will be limited so you need to use the space wisely. It’s best practice to capture no more than 1 to 2 main ideas per slide and then you can add a few supporting notes per idea. Focus on writing down keywords and phrases and avoid including full sentences. Bullet points tend to be far more effective than writing details out word for word.

Being brief forces speakers to craft the narrative in their minds and use the notes for supporting details and context. Don’t forget to practice your speech and focus your attention on the audience, not your notes.

Add Clues and Key Stats

In addition to helping outline your speaking points, speaking notes can serve as a helpful reference for key stats, transitions, instructions, and other reminders. You can best equip yourself by adding in clues such as who’s speaking next, who’s touching on which points, what’s coming on the next slide, what key stats may help in answering questions, and so on. Do your best to anticipate what questions may get asked and what challenges can be offset with information placed in the notes. ‍

Be Brief, Be Prepared, Be Remembered

The idea of speaker notes may seem overwhelmingly simple, but they’re often overlooked and misused. If used improperly, they can negatively impact your presentation. But if used correctly, you will be prepared to deliver a confident, engaging presentation to remember.

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How to Prepare for a Presentation, with Examples

February 15, 2021 - Dom Barnard

This guide covers everything you need to know to prepare for your presentation. including what you need to think about beforehand, during and after the presentation.

1. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse (always aloud)

Once you have your presentation worked out, you will need to practice it, but even though you might think it’s the best way to have a flawless presentation, don’t memorise what you’re going to say.

That might sound like incredibly bad advice, but here’s why:

• If you memorise your speech, you’ll get stuck in thinking you can only deliver your ideas in that way, and that stifles your creativity, and the chance for new thoughts and ways to put things that come up as you speak.

Not only that, but every  audience is different . Sometimes they laugh out loud, sometimes they sit and smile, and you never know which type of audience you’ll have until you’re live.

Practice Presentation Skills

Improve your public speaking and presentation skills by practicing them in realistic environments, with automated feedback on performance. Learn More

If you’re going off a memorised presentation, it’s much more difficult to break away from that to go with the flow on the day, and respond naturally to your audience.

• If you forget your speech in the middle of it, you will be thrown, and you’ll have more chance of complete brain freeze, which really will knock your confidence.
• Memorising your presentation gives you a false sense of security, which could leave you high and dry if something goes wrong. If you’ve only got your memorised speech, for example, what will you do if your PowerPoint freezes or your props break, and you can’t do what you were going to do?

Rehearse in front of colleagues, friends, a mirror, in virtual reality – always aloud. Make sure you spend plenty of time practising your presentation, it will make you feel much more relaxed if you know your material.

Courses where you can rehearse with interactive exercises:

• Essential Public Speaking
• How to Present over Video

Video showing how you can prepare for your presentation using virtual reality.  Learn more about virtual reality training .

2. Memorise your opening line

Do, however, memorise your opening line. If you know how you’re going to begin, you’ll get a strong start and that will build your confidence.

Many speakers and stage actors find that the minute they’ve actually delivered their first line, the nerves are gone and they’re well into their stride.

3. Practise your speech from written notes

Writing your presentation out in your own handwriting will help you clarify your ideas and may well bring you new ones.

• How to Write a Speech to Engage your Audience

4. Practise presentation flow

As well as practising for the ideas and what you want to say, practise how you want your presentation to flow. Think of it almost as a symphony, with high points, slow movements and crescendos. If it’s important, think about how you want your audience to feel, what emotions you want them to have, and when.

5. The power of silence

Don’t be afraid to pause and use the power of silence. A good pause can have a huge emotional impact. It allows people to really absorb what you are saying and react, and it’s vital to pause if you’re using humour so that the next part of your presentation doesn’t get lost underneath people’s laughter.

For more on the ‘Power of the Pause’, watch this short from video Brian Tracy:  The Power of the Pause

• 10 Effective Ways to use Pauses in your Speech

6. Have a backup

There’s nothing worse than the projector dying or finding that your laptop won’t communicate with the projector for some reason. If you know you have a backup, even if it’s only a pre-prepared flip chart, you’ll feel better, and you’ll be more confident.

7. Arrive early

Following on from that, arrive at least half an hour early so you aren’t feeling rushed, and so you have time to check your equipment and get your notes laid out ready to go. That gives you time to breathe and relax before you go on, knowing everything is as set as it can be.

8. Use physical props for a demo

Use physical props, if possible, for a demo. This can make you stand out and be more memorable among all the other speakers who only use PowerPoint, and it can add greatly to the impact of your presentation.

Video showing an example of using physical props during a live demo.

9. Structure your presentation

First, find out how much time you have to present, is it 10 minutes, 15, an hour? Prepare enough material for this time and have a couple of extra slides as backup – we tend to speak much quicker when nervous so you might find you finish your presentation too early. At some large conference events, timings may change on the day, be aware of this have a shorter version of your presentation in mind (i.e. know which slides to skip over).

• How to Structure your Presentation, with Examples
• Examples of Corporate Presentation Structures

10. Prepare for questions

Have a few backup slides for questions you think will arise from your presentation. It is sometime a tactic to explain a section briefly in your speech, so that you get a question about it afterwards. If you don’t understand the question, ask for it to be rephrased.

If there are no questions, it is not an indication how good or bad your presentation was. You many have explain your material extremely well, or simply that people are tired at the end of the day and want to go home.

• Guide for Handling Questions after a Presentation

11. Prepare for where you are presenting

If you can, go to the room you are speaking in before the actual event. It gives you an idea of furniture layout, podium height, location, room size, audience size and lighting. You can then visualise the room while practising and avoid the shock of suddenly being faced with a huge room when you expected a tiny one.

Ask the organiser if you need any particular props, for example a table to help with your live demo.

Additional planning to think about before your presentation:

1. Purpose  – what outcome are we trying to achieve? How can results be measured? What will success look like?

2. Topic  – Novelty? Complexity? Technical?

3. People  – Who should attend? What do they already know? How are they going to help?

4. Timing  – When will it happen and how long will the presentation take?

5. Location  – Where will the presentation be held? Do you have access to the correct facilities for the presentation?

6. Papers  – Who is keeping minutes? Do you need to send out an agenda before the presentation? Background information required?

7. Visual aids  – Is a  projector required ? Boards?

8. Style  – Structure or unstructured, discussion style? How assertive should you be? How should the meeting items be organised?

12. Choose the signals to give to your audience

Before the presentation, think about these 5 topics:

• Eye contact
• Facial gestures
• Body language

Decide how you will use each of these to reinforce your message. Use the table below for help.

Additional courses to help you prepare for your presentation:

• Presentation Skills Training Courses

Example from Steve Jobs

Think about these 10 techniques while you are preparing your presentation..

• Planning in Analog.  Tell a story, create stunning visuals and videos to complement video, use demonstrations and other speakers, keep the audience engaged.
• Creating a Twitter-Friendly Description  Single description sentence, condensed his message into 140 characters.
• Introduce the Enemy  Story needs villains or a problem to be solved. Jobs highlighted IBM and useless mobile phones (during iPhone release) as his villains.
• Focusing on Benefits  Keep reinforcing the benefits of your product, create top 10 lists, understand this is what customers care about.
• Sticking to Rule of Three  Classic Literary technique, things are best remembered and reinforced in threes. Read this article on  Literary Techniques  for more detail.
• Sell Dreams, Not Products  Create a vision people believe in, create a vision which will make people’s lives better
• Create Visual Slides  Use as few words as possible and use colourful graphics on the slide to highlight points.
• Make Numbers Meaningful  Compare large numbers to things people understand.
• Use Plain English  Use easy to say and easy to remember words, keep it simple.
• Large Reveals  Due to Apple secrecy, Jobs was able to deliver unexpected products to the world at his product launches.

Sue Ann Kern

Executive speech coach, 435-201-8610, a speaker’s guide to using notes during a presentation, we are all familiar with the image of a television newscaster, sitting behind a desk, eyes surreptitiously moving back and forth as they read the teleprompter. as a public speaker, this is not you. your job is not to  read  your presentation to your audience. when you are speaking in a professional setting, your job is to  build a connection  with your audience as you share your story and give them information that will transform their lives. this is difficult to do if you are reading your speech from a teleprompter, computer, or notes. if you audience does not feel an emotional connection, your power to inspire and persuade will be dimished., so does this mean that you can’t use notes when giving your speech not necessarily. there are times when notes are appropriate if they are written and used correctly., the downside of using notes:.

• They force you to look down at your words instead of at your audience.
• They may make you seem less spontaneous and enthusiastic about your subject.
• They may make the audience think you aren’t prepared.
• They may give the impression that you aren’t in control of the knowledge; that you’re reading rather than speaking from the heart.
• It’s difficult to read and emote at the same time, so that affects and limits your ability to connect with your audience.

Tips for Writing Notes Before Your Presentation:

• Focus on writing down the key points, words, and phrases rather than your entire speech. Utilize bullet points with key ideas instead of complete sentences. If someone can look at your notes and deliver a speech similar to yours, then there’s too much information.
• It’s OK to write your entire speech, but after you practice it, make your notes and store the written speech away. Be sure to practice with your notes, too.
• Make sure your notes are easily readable. Use a large, 16pt sans serif font like Arial, double spaced. Write your notes in the upper half of the page to enable you to keep your head up, and to avoid having to look far down your notes or losing your place.
• Use different fonts for different speaking points.
• Use different colors for sections that you want to emphasize, or for different character’s lines.
• Use page breaks for different topics in your speech.
• Use italics to remind you to speak softly.
• Use BOLD to remind you to speak loudly.
• Leave spaces or ellipses to represent pauses.
• Different note formats can have benefits and drawbacks. It’s easy to lose your place if you are using a single sheet of paper with too much information written on it. Stacked index cards are distracting when you hold them, are cumbersome to shuffle through, and may get out of order. A computer or laptop can be frustrating if it goes into sleep mode or if you have to be continually clicking on it to move to your next page of notes. I find it most helpful to make notes the old fashioined way: with 8 1/2 x 11 paper. I type my notes in large font on only the top half of one side of the paper (not dobule sided.) When I need multiple sheets, I leave them unstapled. Then, I lay my notes flat on the lectern and slide each sheet to the left, one by one, as I reference it. This is less distracting than flipping pages.
• Choose a notes format you feel most comfortable with and practice with it!

Tips for Using Notes During Your Presentation:

• Don’t worry about memorizing your speech word-for-word; this may have the unintended effect of making you seem inauthentic or unnatural. You are more likely to lose your place and less likely to be flexible if you make a mistake. It’s better to know the “broad strokes” of the speech and how the parts connect rather than memorize each individual sentence. Focus on staying fluid, improvising, and knowing the subject of your speech well enough that you can deal with minor interruptions, hiccups, memory lapses, and distractions.
• During your speech, keep your notes on the lectern or table so you can easily reference them if needed. Don’t store them behind you or in a pocket or bag! If you must hold your notes, do not fling them around or fiddle with the paper.
• Don’t speak into your notes. When you need to reference them, look down, pause, then look up and start speaking. Pauses can be helpful – the audience probably won’t notice the pause, and may benefit from having a moment to digest the information you’ve given them. Pauses are also helpful for emphasis! Notice the spots in your speech where a pause would feel natural or impactful, such as when the audience pauses for laughter! Take advantage of these natural breakpoints to consult your notes.
• Memorize the beginning and end of your speech and any joke you intend to share! You have to be able to walk onto the podium, look your audience in the eye, and deliver an enticing opening to get their attention. Likewise, you have to leave them with a memorable and catchy call-to-action or inspirational message, and that is hard to pull off if you are reading from your notes.

Let’s conclude with an important reminder: your goal as a speaker is to build a connection with your audience. Use your notes as a guide, not as a guard rail. Practice, Practice, Practice. When you are well rehearsed, you are able to trust yourself to know your subject matter, respond to your audience, and improvise rather than memorize. You know your topic; you know your speech; stay loose and have some fun!

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How to Use Notes in a Speech: A Guide for Speakers

Only one of the following statements is true. Do you know which one?

• You should never use notes because you will look unprepared.
• You should always use notes because memorization weakens your delivery.
• You should never use slide text as notes.

In this article, we identify scenarios where a full script is warranted or where memorization is advisable. For all your speaking scenarios in the middle, we discuss 21 tips for using notes effectively .

Full Script, Notes, or Nothing at all?

A previous Six Minutes article ( how to read a speech ) identified several speaking scenarios where reading a full script may be required or preferred :

You are speaking at a highly  formal occasion  (e.g. a commencement speech) You are delivering a particularly  emotional speech  (e.g. a wedding speech, a eulogy) You are forced to read word-for-word by  lawyers or campaign managers  (e.g. a corporate statement; a political speech) A  speechwriter  has written your speech. Life  prevented you from preparing  adequately. (Don’t let this happen often… your speech really would go better if you prepare.) You are a brand new speaker, and  you haven’t developed the confidence  yet to go without a script.

Likewise, there are speaking scenarios where it is highly desirable to avoid any notes  and memorize your speech instead:

• You are giving a TED talk  (or speaking at a similar “ballroom” event) where you’ve got twenty minutes or less. These events set a high bar for preparation.
• You are pitching to investors, potential customers, potential employers, or any type of career-shaping presentation . I would include many academic and industry conferences in this group, although some may have a less rigorous culture.
• You are offering a short toast .
• You are completing a course speech assignment, and you are not allowed to have notes.
• Your speech is so short (~ six minutes or less) that you ought to be able to deliver without notes.

If we eliminate those two extremes (full script and no notes at all), we are left with a majority of speaking scenarios where using notes is perfectly acceptable . These include:

• You are teaching a course, which is several hours or days in length.
• You are delivering a keynote address or some other lengthy speech at a conference.
• You are delivering a lunch-time seminar.
• You are addressing a service club or community group.
• You are delivering a webinar.
• You are doing a routine presentation at your workplace.
• Any other scenario where your speech is too long to memorize, but not formal enough to demand a full script .

If you are ever concerned about the culture and expectations for an event at which you are speaking, consult with the organizers. If this isn’t possible, err on the side of caution and be prepared to present either without notes or with absolute minimal notes.

Tips for Using Notes Effectively

If you decide to use notes for your presentation, you still have several choices to make. What medium do you choose? Can you use slide bullets for notes? Does it matter how your notes are formatted? What messages can you pass yourself within the notes? How do you deliver with notes in a way that doesn’t hamper your impact?

Choose the medium that suits your style.

“ The purpose of notes is to jog your memory, not provide lengthy passages to read. ”

• Use a classic: index cards. Many speakers–from elementary school students to career professionals–swear by index cards. If this is what you like, invest in a good hole punch and link all the cards together with a metal ring. This prevents the disastrous “Oh my! My cards are out-of-order” phenomenon.
• Go big (or at least letter-sized). Some people prefer using legal pads or standard letter-sized paper. The main advantage is that you can fit more on a page, so you won’t need to flip pages very often. For many presentations, a single one-sided page is all you’ll need.  [This is my personal preference.]
• Go little: sticky notes. I’ve seen a couple professional trainers work from a large cardboard “palette” covered with many little colored sticky notes, each with a word or phrase. As each topic was covered, the trainer adeptly moved the corresponding note to the “done” pile to keep track of what they had covered. This allows a highly adaptive presentation style where you can cover content in an audience-driven order or not-at-all.
• Go digital with a tablet. There are countless note-taking or outline apps that can do the job for you. Some people love that it’s paper-less; others worry about the device staying charged long enough to be useful. Having to “swipe” your device back on from a black screen every time you need to consult your notes could be annoying, for you and your audience.
• Use presentation software… but do it properly. If you are presenting visuals, then the notes feature of your presentation software (e.g. PowerPoint) can be used in two distinct ways. In the first method, you can print out a set of “notes pages” which combine the slide content with your notes content. In the second method, you can use “Presenter View” to display your slides for the audience and, simultaneously, your slides and notes for you. For a well-rehearsed speaker, this can work very well. (Don’t show up at the event expecting to learn it on the fly!) Finally, do not ever use text on slides themselves as your notes. Audiences universally hate this.

Design your notes for easy consumption.

“ Do not ever use text on slides themselves as your notes. Audiences universally hate this. ”

• Minimize the words. Remember that the purpose of notes is to jog your memory, not provide lengthy passages to read. Don’t use sentences; use keywords or phrases instead. For example, you might distill an entire talk into short notes like “crutch metaphor”, “dentist story”, or “personnel strategy”. Verbose notes leads to two equally bad outcomes: [1] lots of reading, and [2] a high likelihood that you’ll get lost in your notes.
• Maximize scan-ability. Regardless of which medium you choose, be sure to type or print as neatly as possible. The last thing you need to do during your presentation is to decipher a messy or handwritten notes page. Use the largest font you can, and plenty of white space.
• Format wisely to provide clues. Used strategically, formatting such as bold, italics, underline, and color or size variations allows you to convey meaning to your future self.
• Adjust with colored pens or highlighters. Let’s say you’ve got a nicely printed notes page, but while rehearsing you realize that it’s missing a few words or some emphasis. A little touch-up with a colored pen or highlighter will fix it. Avoid using light pencils as it can be hard to read and it is prone to smudge.
• Use meaningful layout. Mirror your speech outline in the notes. Assuming you’ve distilled each point (paragraph), anecdote, or story down to a few words, these can still be displayed in a hierarchy that mirrors your speech outline.
• Organize in whatever style works for you. Don’t be afraid to use any organization scheme that works for you. One of my speaking mentors sometimes uses a single-page mind map as her “notes” page. I don’t think this method would work for me, but it worked wonderfully for her. Experiment!

Use notes for strategic purposes.

• Use notes for other people’s words. You can memorize quotations or a short excerpt of another work (e.g. a poem, story, or news article). However, there’s virtually no down side to reading it from your notes instead. An added bonus is that it signifies the respect you have for the other author.
• Aim for precision. Similarly, facts, statistics, and definitions can be memorized (and definitely should be if they are used in your speech opening), but it’s often safer to just put them in your notes. Reading a statistic from a note (as opposed to memorizing it) signals that you value truth and precision over appearing polished and “smart”.
• Remind yourself to interact with audience. In the past, I was prone to forgetting things like polling the audience, or doing a brainstorm exercise on a flip chart. (I think these items are easy to forget because they are always skipped during rehearsal.) So, I developed a habit of inserting clues like “[POLL AUDIENCE!!!]” or “[FLIP CHART]” in my notes to remind me.
• Remind yourself about timing or logistics. When I teach courses that last several hours, my lesson plan includes a rough timing breakdown which tells me that I should complete the first section in twenty minutes, or complete the group exercise by the ninety minute mark, and so on. I insert these timing reminders right into my notes, and I do the same for other logistical reminders such as “[STRETCH BREAK]” or “[DISTRIBUTE 2nd HANDOUT]”.
• Spell unfamiliar words phonetically to aid pronunciation. In a 1963 speech from Berlin, U.S. President John F. Kennedy uttered the famous phrase “ Ich bin ein Berliner ” (I am a Berliner). President Kennedy desired to pronounce this phrase correctly, so he wrote the words out phonetically: “ Ish bin ein Bearleener ” (his handwriting is shown in the photograph below). Though I don’t recommend handwriting today, I’ve often used this trick as a Master of Ceremonies to avoid pronunciation mistakes when introducing other speakers.

Handwriting of President John F. Kennedy to indicate the correct pronunciation of several speech phrases.

Deliver with confidence.

• Don’t apologize for having notes. It’s okay to have notes. Really! I cringe whenever a speaker apologizes for “needing” notes… not because the apology is so tragic, but rather because it usually signifies a lack of confidence. Prepare and deliver to the best of your ability, and skip the apologies.
• Practice with your notes, and revise as necessary. Just as with visuals, props, or anything else you intend on having with you during your presentation, rehearse with your notes. As you practice, add keywords to your notes if there’s a point, a story, a transition, or anything else you tend to forget. If you’ve never used “Presenter Mode” with slides before, then practice!! I’ve seen dozens of people launch into this mode without any prior preparation, and it usually kills a few minutes pointlessly.
• Glance at your notes at natural breaks. When you are speaking, try to keep your eyes up on your audience. Take advantage of natural pauses to refer briefly to your notes. For example, when I teach courses, I tend to glance down  just after  I change the slide. At that moment, the audience will direct their attention to the new slide, so this is a perfect opportunity. Once you’ve finished, bring your head back up and begin speaking again.
• Avoid glancing at your notes at critical moments. Your opening, closing, and any other “core moment” should be delivered with confidence, and glancing at your notes at this time will detract.
• Put your notes down… if there’s a place to put them. If you carry your notes around, it can be a visual or auditory distraction. Also, if you’ve got anything in your hands for a long period of time, it tends to limit natural gestures. If there’s a lectern, table, or any convenient surface, that will work. But if there is literally no where to put the notes, then just hold your notes in your hand. (Don’t put them on the floor. Bending down repeatedly will lead to awkward moments that are best avoided.)

Put in into Practice

Think about the next presentation you are scheduled to deliver.

• Are notes appropriate for this setting?
• How can you improve the content of your notes?
• Do you have quotations, facts, or other content that can go into notes to lessen your cognitive burden?
• Is today the day you will learn how to use Presenter Mode in your presentation software?

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Was talking to a client this afternoon about using notes when #presenting. Here is another great article from… https://t.co/M6Coa1JM6i — Mel Sherwood – Pitch & Presentation Specialist (@MelSherwood_) Dec 7th, 2018

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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 use speaker notes in powerpoint.

If you're worried about forgetting important points during your presentation, jot down some speaker notes. Here's how to prepare and use them.

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Add speaker notes in powerpoint, use speaker notes during a powerpoint presentation.

Adding speaker notes to a PowerPoint presentation provides reference material for the speaker when they're presenting a slideshow, allowing them to stay on track without forgetting key message points. Here’s how to add and use speaker notes.

To add speaker notes in PowerPoint, you’ll first need to be in the Normal view. If you’re not already there, you can switch to Normal view by going to the “View” tab and then selecting “Normal” in the “Presentation Views” group.

Next, in the pane on left, select the slide where you'd like to add speaker notes.

Next, click the “Notes” button at the bottom of the window.

A small box reading “Tap to Add Notes” will appear beneath the slide. For Mac users, this will say “Click to Add Notes.”

Now, simply type the speaker notes for that slide. Repeat this process for each slide you'd like to add notes to.

There are two ways to use speaker notes during a presentation: by presenting on a secondary monitor or by printing out the speaker notes .

Using a Secondary Monitor

It’s safe to assume that most presentations will be presented on a secondary monitor. If this is the case for you, there’s not a whole lot you really need to do.

Related: How to Add an Extra Monitor to Your Laptop

The first thing you need to do is change the view to Slide Show. You can do this by selecting the Slide Show icon at the bottom-right corner of the window.

In this view, the audience will see only the slides as you’re going through the presentation. However, on your primary monitor, you’ll see the current slide, a preview of the upcoming slide, and your speaker notes for the current slide.

This is a convenient way to have a virtual copy of the speaker notes while you’re giving a presentation, but it never hurts to have a hard copy.

Printing the Speaker Notes

To print the speaker notes of your presentation, first select the “File” tab in the Ribbon.

Related: How to Print Multiple PowerPoint Slides to Each Piece of Paper

In the pane on left, select the “Print" button.

In the “Settings” group, select the option that says “Full Page Slides.”

A drop-down menu will appear. Here, select “Notes Pages” in the “Print Layout” group.

Finally, click “Print.”

You’ll now have a physical copy of your speaker notes.

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• Preparing Speaking Notes

Suggestions for Preparing Speaking Notes

While several of these reminders might strike you as obvious, speakers often ignore them when preparing to speak.

USE an outline format for your notes:

An outline helps you visually recall the structure of your talk. Placing numerals and letters by the various points in your talk also helps you distinguish main points from subordinate ones. If you indent supporting points, the outline will be easier to read while you are speaking.

KEEP the outline as brief as possible:

Too much detail on your notes encourages you to read them to your audience. When this happens, you can’t maintain eye contact with your listeners and you’ll lose any sense of conversation with your audience.

PLACE visual cues on the outline if necessary:

A good speaking outline includes the content of the talk as well as reminders about how you wish to proceed. You might mark certain sections of notes where you wish to pause, or to speak more slowly or loudly to achieve emphasis. You might remind yourself about when to use a visual aid. Perhaps you want to pause a particular spot to ask the audience for questions.

MAKE you speaking notes legible:

Under the stress of speaking before a group, you may suddenly be unable to decipher your own writing. You’ll need to be able to read your notes at a distance — they need to be clear and large enough for you to do so easily.

PRACTICE speaking with the notes you have prepared:

That’s the only way to tell for sure if your notes will make sense to you at the time you’ll be giving the final presentation.

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Blog > All about notes in PowerPoint Presentations

All about notes in PowerPoint Presentations

08.06.21   •  #powerpoint #tips.

Not only is a well-prepared PowerPoint presentation essential, but also a red thread and a fluent presentation. With the help of notes in PowerPoint, this is no longer a problem! In this blog post, we will not only explain how you can add powerpoint notes, but also how you can edit them and make good use of them during a presentation. We will also show you how to print out the notes and how to delete them again.

Inserting and editing notes in PowerPoint

• First open your presentation.

There are two ways you can print out the notes. With the slides or without.

Print notes with the slides

Print notes without the slides

Using notes during a presentation.

If you want to share your PowerPoint on Zoom without showing the audience your notes, there are several options. A very simple and straightforward option would be to simply print out your notes. If you have two monitors, PowerPoint will automatically set up the Presenter View for you. If you do not have a second screen, you only have to go to the three dots at the very bottom left during the presentation, there you can easily display the speaker view under "Speaker view".

Now, turn the tables! - Let your attendees take private notes

With the help of SlideLizard (a cool software for live audience interaction in PowerPoint), your participants can make private notes directly on their own smartphones during the presentation. These notes remain linked to the slides and at the end of the presentation, all participants receive their own notes via email. In addition, your audience can mark the most important slides with a star to make them easier to find again later. Moreover, with SlideLizard you can add live polls & quizzes directly in your PowerPoint. You can try SlideLizard for free today !

Deleting notes in PowerPoint

Of course, there is also the option of deleting the notes. You can delete them directly on the respective slides or you can delete them all at once. Proceed as follows:

Keyboard shortcuts for notes in PowerPoint

How can I add notes in PowerPoint?

To add notes in PowerPoint, go to "Notes" in the "View" tab or you can also insert notes via the status bar at the bottom right with just one click.

How do I print notes in PowerPoint?

Go to "Print" in the "File" tab. Then select "Notes pages" in the print layout instead of "Full page slides".

How can I use the notes in PowerPoint during my presentation?

In order to see your PowerPoint notes during your presentation, you must check the box "Use Presenter View" in the tab "Slide Show" beforehand. They will then be displayed automatically during your presentation.

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About the author.

Miriam Rapberger

Miriam supports SlideLizard in the area of marketing and design. There she uses her creativity for blog posts, among other things.

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How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

By Krystle Wong , Jul 20, 2023

A top-notch presentation possesses the power to drive action. From winning stakeholders over and conveying a powerful message to securing funding — your secret weapon lies within the realm of creating an effective presentation .  

Being an excellent presenter isn’t confined to the boardroom. Whether you’re delivering a presentation at work, pursuing an academic career, involved in a non-profit organization or even a student, nailing the presentation game is a game-changer.

In this article, I’ll cover the top qualities of compelling presentations and walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to give a good presentation. Here’s a little tip to kick things off: for a headstart, check out Venngage’s collection of free presentation templates . They are fully customizable, and the best part is you don’t need professional design skills to make them shine!

These valuable presentation tips cater to individuals from diverse professional backgrounds, encompassing business professionals, sales and marketing teams, educators, trainers, students, researchers, non-profit organizations, public speakers and presenters. 

No matter your field or role, these tips for presenting will equip you with the skills to deliver effective presentations that leave a lasting impression on any audience.

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 10 qualities of a good presentation?

Step-by-step guide on how to prepare an effective presentation, 9 effective techniques to deliver a memorable presentation, faqs on making a good presentation, how to create a presentation with venngage in 5 steps.

When it comes to giving an engaging presentation that leaves a lasting impression, it’s not just about the content — it’s also about how you deliver it. Wondering what makes a good presentation? Well, the best presentations I’ve seen consistently exhibit these 10 qualities:

1. Clear structure

No one likes to get lost in a maze of information. Organize your thoughts into a logical flow, complete with an introduction, main points and a solid conclusion. A structured presentation helps your audience follow along effortlessly, leaving them with a sense of satisfaction at the end.

Regardless of your presentation style , a quality presentation starts with a clear roadmap. Browse through Venngage’s template library and select a presentation template that aligns with your content and presentation goals. Here’s a good presentation example template with a logical layout that includes sections for the introduction, main points, supporting information and a conclusion: 

2. Engaging opening

Hook your audience right from the start with an attention-grabbing statement, a fascinating question or maybe even a captivating anecdote. Set the stage for a killer presentation!

The opening moments of your presentation hold immense power – check out these 15 ways to start a presentation to set the stage and captivate your audience.

3. Relevant content

Make sure your content aligns with their interests and needs. Your audience is there for a reason, and that’s to get valuable insights. Avoid fluff and get straight to the point, your audience will be genuinely excited.

4. Effective visual aids

Picture this: a slide with walls of text and tiny charts, yawn! Visual aids should be just that—aiding your presentation. Opt for clear and visually appealing slides, engaging images and informative charts that add value and help reinforce your message.

With Venngage, visualizing data takes no effort at all. You can import data from CSV or Google Sheets seamlessly and create stunning charts, graphs and icon stories effortlessly to showcase your data in a captivating and impactful way.

5. Clear and concise communication

Keep your language simple, and avoid jargon or complicated terms. Communicate your ideas clearly, so your audience can easily grasp and retain the information being conveyed. This can prevent confusion and enhance the overall effectiveness of the message. 

6. Engaging delivery

Spice up your presentation with a sprinkle of enthusiasm! Maintain eye contact, use expressive gestures and vary your tone of voice to keep your audience glued to the edge of their seats. A touch of charisma goes a long way!

7. Interaction and audience engagement

Turn your presentation into an interactive experience — encourage questions, foster discussions and maybe even throw in a fun activity. Engaged audiences are more likely to remember and embrace your message.

Transform your slides into an interactive presentation with Venngage’s dynamic features like pop-ups, clickable icons and animated elements. Engage your audience with interactive content that lets them explore and interact with your presentation for a truly immersive experience.

8. Effective storytelling

Who doesn’t love a good story? Weaving relevant anecdotes, case studies or even a personal story into your presentation can captivate your audience and create a lasting impact. Stories build connections and make your message memorable.

A great presentation background is also essential as it sets the tone, creates visual interest and reinforces your message. Enhance the overall aesthetics of your presentation with these 15 presentation background examples and captivate your audience’s attention.

9. Well-timed pacing

Pace your presentation thoughtfully with well-designed presentation slides, neither rushing through nor dragging it out. Respect your audience’s time and ensure you cover all the essential points without losing their interest.

10. Strong conclusion

Last impressions linger! Summarize your main points and leave your audience with a clear takeaway. End your presentation with a bang , a call to action or an inspiring thought that resonates long after the conclusion.

In-person presentations aside, acing a virtual presentation is of paramount importance in today’s digital world. Check out this guide to learn how you can adapt your in-person presentations into virtual presentations . 

Preparing an effective presentation starts with laying a strong foundation that goes beyond just creating slides and notes. One of the quickest and best ways to make a presentation would be with the help of a good presentation software . 

Otherwise, let me walk you to how to prepare for a presentation step by step and unlock the secrets of crafting a professional presentation that sets you apart.

1. Understand the audience and their needs

Before you dive into preparing your masterpiece, take a moment to get to know your target audience. Tailor your presentation to meet their needs and expectations , and you’ll have them hooked from the start!

2. Conduct thorough research on the topic

Time to hit the books (or the internet)! Don’t skimp on the research with your presentation materials — dive deep into the subject matter and gather valuable insights . The more you know, the more confident you’ll feel in delivering your presentation.

3. Organize the content with a clear structure

No one wants to stumble through a chaotic mess of information. Outline your presentation with a clear and logical flow. Start with a captivating introduction, follow up with main points that build on each other and wrap it up with a powerful conclusion that leaves a lasting impression.

Delivering an effective business presentation hinges on captivating your audience, and Venngage’s professionally designed business presentation templates are tailor-made for this purpose. With thoughtfully structured layouts, these templates enhance your message’s clarity and coherence, ensuring a memorable and engaging experience for your audience members.

Don’t want to build your presentation layout from scratch? pick from these 5 foolproof presentation layout ideas that won’t go wrong. 

4. Develop visually appealing and supportive visual aids

Spice up your presentation with eye-catching visuals! Create slides that complement your message, not overshadow it. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, but that doesn’t mean you need to overload your slides with text.

Well-chosen designs create a cohesive and professional look, capturing your audience’s attention and enhancing the overall effectiveness of your message. Here’s a list of carefully curated PowerPoint presentation templates and great background graphics that will significantly influence the visual appeal and engagement of your presentation.

5. Practice, practice and practice

Practice makes perfect — rehearse your presentation and arrive early to your presentation to help overcome stage fright. Familiarity with your material will boost your presentation skills and help you handle curveballs with ease.

6. Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments

Don’t be afraid to ask for help and seek feedback from friends and colleagues. Constructive criticism can help you identify blind spots and fine-tune your presentation to perfection.

With Venngage’s real-time collaboration feature , receiving feedback and editing your presentation is a seamless process. Group members can access and work on the presentation simultaneously and edit content side by side in real-time. Changes will be reflected immediately to the entire team, promoting seamless teamwork.

7. Prepare for potential technical or logistical issues

Prepare for the unexpected by checking your equipment, internet connection and any other potential hiccups. If you’re worried that you’ll miss out on any important points, you could always have note cards prepared. Remember to remain focused and rehearse potential answers to anticipated questions.

8. Fine-tune and polish your presentation

As the big day approaches, give your presentation one last shine. Review your talking points, practice how to present a presentation and make any final tweaks. Deep breaths — you’re on the brink of delivering a successful presentation!

In competitive environments, persuasive presentations set individuals and organizations apart. To brush up on your presentation skills, read these guides on how to make a persuasive presentation and tips to presenting effectively . 

Whether you’re an experienced presenter or a novice, the right techniques will let your presentation skills soar to new heights!

From public speaking hacks to interactive elements and storytelling prowess, these 9 effective presentation techniques will empower you to leave a lasting impression on your audience and make your presentations unforgettable.

1. Confidence and positive body language

Positive body language instantly captivates your audience, making them believe in your message as much as you do. Strengthen your stage presence and own that stage like it’s your second home! Stand tall, shoulders back and exude confidence. 

2. Eye contact with the audience

Break down that invisible barrier and connect with your audience through their eyes. Maintaining eye contact when giving a presentation builds trust and shows that you’re present and engaged with them.

3. Effective use of hand gestures and movement

A little movement goes a long way! Emphasize key points with purposeful gestures and don’t be afraid to walk around the stage. Your energy will be contagious!

4. Utilize storytelling techniques

Weave the magic of storytelling into your presentation. Share relatable anecdotes, inspiring success stories or even personal experiences that tug at the heartstrings of your audience. Adjust your pitch, pace and volume to match the emotions and intensity of the story. Varying your speaking voice adds depth and enhances your stage presence.

5. Incorporate multimedia elements

Spice up your presentation with a dash of visual pizzazz! Use slides, images and video clips to add depth and clarity to your message. Just remember, less is more—don’t overwhelm them with information overload. 

Turn your presentations into an interactive party! Involve your audience with questions, polls or group activities. When they actively participate, they become invested in your presentation’s success. Bring your design to life with animated elements. Venngage allows you to apply animations to icons, images and text to create dynamic and engaging visual content.

6. Utilize humor strategically

Laughter is the best medicine—and a fantastic presentation enhancer! A well-placed joke or lighthearted moment can break the ice and create a warm atmosphere , making your audience more receptive to your message.

7. Practice active listening and respond to feedback

Be attentive to your audience’s reactions and feedback. If they have questions or concerns, address them with genuine interest and respect. Your responsiveness builds rapport and shows that you genuinely care about their experience.

8. 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. Limit each slide to five bullet points, with only five words per bullet point and allow each slide to remain visible for about five seconds. This rule keeps your presentation concise and prevents information overload.

Simple presentations are more engaging because they are easier to follow. Summarize your presentations and keep them simple with Venngage’s gallery of simple presentation templates and ensure that your message is delivered effectively across your audience.

1. How to start a presentation?

To kick off your presentation effectively, begin with an attention-grabbing statement or a powerful quote. Introduce yourself, establish credibility and clearly state the purpose and relevance of your presentation.

2. How to end a presentation?

For a strong conclusion, summarize your talking points and key takeaways. End with a compelling call to action or a thought-provoking question and remember to thank your audience and invite any final questions or interactions.

3. How to make a presentation interactive?

To make your presentation interactive, encourage questions and discussion throughout your talk. Utilize multimedia elements like videos or images and consider including polls, quizzes or group activities to actively involve your audience.

In need of inspiration for your next presentation? I’ve got your back! Pick from these 120+ presentation ideas, topics and examples to get started. 

Creating a stunning presentation with Venngage is a breeze with our user-friendly drag-and-drop editor and professionally designed templates for all your communication needs. 

Here’s how to make a presentation in just 5 simple steps with the help of Venngage:

Step 1: Sign up for Venngage for free using your email, Gmail or Facebook account or simply log in to access your account. 

Step 2: Pick a design from our selection of free presentation templates (they’re all created by our expert in-house designers).

Step 3: Make the template your own by customizing it to fit your content and branding. With Venngage’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor, you can easily modify text, change colors and adjust the layout to create a unique and eye-catching design.

Step 4: Elevate your presentation by incorporating captivating visuals. You can upload your images or choose from Venngage’s vast library of high-quality photos, icons and illustrations. 

Step 5: Upgrade to a premium or business account to export your presentation in PDF and print it for in-person presentations or share it digitally for free!

By following these five simple steps, you’ll have a professionally designed and visually engaging presentation ready in no time. With Venngage’s user-friendly platform, your presentation is sure to make a lasting impression. So, let your creativity flow and get ready to shine in your next presentation!

Presentation Training Institute

A division of bold new directions training, 5 great tools for organizing your presentation notes.

If you are preparing for a presentation, you might find that it can be challenging to keep all of your presentation content organized. You may have scribbled a few notes on paper, typed some on your computer, and saved a few lines on your phone’s voice recorder. It can be difficult to find the time to neatly organize all of these notes in the midst of your busy schedule. Thankfully, there are some great tools available that can help you organize all of your presentation notes in one place. 

Microsoft OneNote

For those who love traditional note-taking with a technology twist, Microsoft OneNote is for you. This app is literally a digital notebook and functions just like the traditional notebook you may have used back in your high school days. You can easily add sections and pages and you have the ability to write or draw anywhere on the page. You also have the capability to insert audio recordings, which is perfect if you are in a rush and don’t have the time to type everything out. You can also add as many notebooks as you need, so you can easily create a notebook for each presentation that you are giving. Your OneNote is saved in your cloud so you can access it anytime and anywhere. This app is a great way to easily organize and save all of your presentation notes. 

Google Docs

Google Docs is another fantastic tool for organizing presentation notes. It’s easy to use and you can access your files anywhere with an internet connection. Google Docs is also a great collaboration tool if you happen to be presenting with a group. As you work, you can send other people an invite to view or edit the document in real time. It’s a fantastic way to organize your presentation notes both individually and with a group. 

Evernote is another popular organization tool and it functions much like OneNote. You have the ability to create your own notebook and add pages, audio notes, web clippings, drawings, and photos. What makes Evernote a little unique is the fact that it also comes with a variety of free templates that you can use to help you easily organize your notes and content. These templates can be a useful way to speed up your workflow. 

Microsoft Sticky Notes

Just as the name implies, this app is a perfect way to quickly make notes and save something for later. With Sticky Notes, you can easily create notes, add pictures, add text formatting, and stick them anywhere on the desktop and move them around freely. This is a great way to make notes of things you want to say, areas you need to come back to and address, and additional things you want to remember to include in your presentation. 

Trello is a great tool for organizing presentation notes and content. It uses a combination of columns, cards, and lists to keep your notes neatly organized. You can easily organize your presentation into lists such as introduction, body, and conclusion. You could also make a list for each topic or subheading. As you complete a list, you can move it out of the way to indicate that you have covered that topic. It is a powerful tool for taking notes and organizing your presentation.

• Start the presentation and see your notes in Presenter view Article
• Add speaker notes to your slides Article
• Rehearse and time the delivery of a presentation Article
• Record a slide show with narration and slide timings Article
• Print your PowerPoint slides, handouts, or notes Article
• Create a self-running presentation Article

Start the presentation and see your notes in Presenter view

Using Presenter view is a great way to view your presentation with speaker notes on one computer (your laptop, for example), while only the slides themselves appear on the screen that your audience sees (like a larger screen you're projecting to).

If you're using PowerPoint 2013 or a newer version, just connect the monitors and PowerPoint automatically sets up Presenter View for you.

If Presenter view appears on the wrong screen, you can swap the display quickly .

Turn off Presenter view if you prefer not to use it.

Start presenting

On the Slide Show tab, in the Start Slide Show group, select From Beginning .

Use the controls in Presenter view

To move to the previous or next slide, select Previous or Next .

To view all the slides in your presentation, select See all slides .

Tip:  You’ll see thumbnails of all the slides in your presentation (as shown below), making it easy to jump to a specific slide in the show.

To view a detail in your slide up close, select Zoom into slide , and then point to the part you want to see.

For more details on zooming in, see Zoom in to part of a slide .

To point to or write on your slides as you present, select Pen and laser pointer tools .

Press the Esc key when you want to turn off the pen, laser pointer, or highlighter.

To hide or unhide the current slide in your presentation, select Black or unblack slide show .

You can use PowerPoint on your smartphone as a remote control to run your presentation and view your speaker notes. See Using a laser pointer on your smartphone when presenting in PowerPoint for more information, including a brief video.

Swap the Presenter view and Slide view monitors

To manually determine which screen shows your notes in Presenter view and which shows only the slides themselves, on the task bar at the top of Presenter view, select Display Settings , and then select Swap Presenter View and Slide Show .

What the notes look like in Presenter view

Tip:  You can add notes either while you’re presenting, directly from Presenter view, or as you’re editing your presentation. For information on how to add speaker notes to your presentation see  Add speaker notes to your slides.

The notes appear in a pane on the right. If you need to add or delete something, simply click in the text box to edit it. The text wraps automatically, and a vertical scroll bar appears if necessary. You can change the size of the text in the Notes pane by using the two buttons at the lower left corner of the Notes pane:

To change the size of the panes in Presenter View, point your mouse at the vertical line that separates them, then click and drag.

Tip:  If you don't need to see the current slide in Presenter View at all, and would like your notes to be larger, drag that vertical separator line all the way to the left.

Turn off Presenter view

If you want Presenter view turned off while you are showing your presentation to others:

On the Slide Show tab of the ribbon, clear the check box named Use Presenter View .

Keep your slides updated

If you're working with a team of people to create your slide deck it may be that changes are being made to the slides right up to the last minute. Traditionally once you've started your presentation your slides wouldn't update. If you're using PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 you have the option to let your slides be updated by your team even as you're presenting so that you always have the up-to-the-minute changes.

You can turn this on by going to the Slide Show tab of the ribbon, selecting Set Up Slide Show , and checking the box for Keep slides updated .  

If you've already started your presentation and you want to make sure that setting is on, you can do that from Presenter view. Select the More slide show options button (which looks like three dots) and on the menu make sure Keep Slides Updated is checked.

Using a laser pointer on your smartphone when presenting in PowerPoint

To start using Presenter view, select Slide Show > Presenter View .

To move to the previous or next slide, select the Previous or Next arrow.

To turn off the pen, laser pointer, or highlighter, press the Esc key.

To make the screen black or to un-black the screen, Press b on the keyboard.

Extend your Mac desktop to the second monitor

On the Apple menu, select System Preferences .

Open the Displays app.

Click the Arrangement tab in the dialog box.

Clear the Mirror Displays check box.

By doing this process, you now have a two-monitor setup. You can present a PowerPoint slide show on one screen while having other applications open on the other screen, keeeping those other apps private to yourself.

To manually determine which screen shows your notes in Presenter view and which shows only the slides themselves, on the task bar at the top left of Presenter view, select Swap Displays .

When your computer is connected to a projector and you start Presenter View, it appears on your computer's screen, while only the slides appear on the projector screen.

The notes appear in a pane on the right:

The text wraps automatically, and a vertical scroll bar appears if necessary.

You can edit the text in the Notes pane.

You can change the size of the text in the Notes pane by using the two buttons at the lower left corner of the Notes pane:

You can adjust the size of the current slide, and notes and next slide panels, by using your mouse to grab and drag the vertical line that separates the two panels.

Turn off Presenter view before a presentation begins

On the PowerPoint menu, select Preferences .

In the PowerPoint Preferences dialog box, under Output and Sharing , click Slide Show .

In the Slide Show dialog box, clear the Always start Presenter View with 2 displays check box.

Close the dialog box.

Turn off Presenter view during a presentation

At the top of the Presentation view window, click Use Slide Show .

This button closes Presenter view. As a result, both your personal computer screen and the projector screen show the slide show.

If you're working with a team of people to create your slide deck it may be that changes are being made to the slides right up to the last minute. Traditionally once you've started your presentation your slides wouldn't update. If you're using PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac you have the option to let your slides be updated by your team even as you're presenting so that you always have the up-to-the-minute changes.

You can turn this on by going to the Slide Show tab of the ribbon, and checking the box for Keep Slides Updated .  

Create a self-running presentation

Record your slide show

Keep slides updated

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How Do We Know Climate Change Is Real?

There is unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate. Human activity is the principal cause.

• While Earth’s climate has changed throughout its history , the current warming is happening at a rate not seen in the past 10,000 years.
• According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ), "Since systematic scientific assessments began in the 1970s, the influence of human activity on the warming of the climate system has evolved from theory to established fact." 1
• Scientific information taken from natural sources (such as ice cores, rocks, and tree rings) and from modern equipment (like satellites and instruments) all show the signs of a changing climate.
• From global temperature rise to melting ice sheets, the evidence of a warming planet abounds.

The rate of change since the mid-20th century is unprecedented over millennia.

Earth's climate has changed throughout history. Just in the last 800,000 years, there have been eight cycles of ice ages and warmer periods, with the end of the last ice age about 11,700 years ago marking the beginning of the modern climate era — and of human civilization. Most of these climate changes are attributed to very small variations in Earth’s orbit that change the amount of solar energy our planet receives.

The current warming trend is different because it is clearly the result of human activities since the mid-1800s, and is proceeding at a rate not seen over many recent millennia. 1 It is undeniable that human activities have produced the atmospheric gases that have trapped more of the Sun’s energy in the Earth system. This extra energy has warmed the atmosphere, ocean, and land, and widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, and biosphere have occurred.

Related Reading

Do scientists agree on climate change?

Yes, the vast majority of actively publishing climate scientists – 97 percent – agree that humans are causing global warming and climate change.

Earth-orbiting satellites and new technologies have helped scientists see the big picture, collecting many different types of information about our planet and its climate all over the world. These data, collected over many years, reveal the signs and patterns of a changing climate.

Scientists demonstrated the heat-trapping nature of carbon dioxide and other gases in the mid-19th century. 2 Many of the science instruments NASA uses to study our climate focus on how these gases affect the movement of infrared radiation through the atmosphere. From the measured impacts of increases in these gases, there is no question that increased greenhouse gas levels warm Earth in response.

"Scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is unequivocal." — Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Ice cores drawn from Greenland, Antarctica, and tropical mountain glaciers show that Earth’s climate responds to changes in greenhouse gas levels. Ancient evidence can also be found in tree rings, ocean sediments, coral reefs, and layers of sedimentary rocks. This ancient, or paleoclimate, evidence reveals that current warming is occurring roughly 10 times faster than the average rate of warming after an ice age. Carbon dioxide from human activities is increasing about 250 times faster than it did from natural sources after the last Ice Age. 3

The Evidence for Rapid Climate Change Is Compelling:

Global temperature is rising.

The planet's average surface temperature has risen about 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degrees Celsius) since the late 19th century, a change driven largely by increased carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and other human activities. 4 Most of the warming occurred in the past 40 years, with the seven most recent years being the warmest. The years 2016 and 2020 are tied for the warmest year on record. 5

The Ocean Is Getting Warmer

The ocean has absorbed much of this increased heat, with the top 100 meters (about 328 feet) of ocean showing warming of 0.67 degrees Fahrenheit (0.33 degrees Celsius) since 1969. 6 Earth stores 90% of the extra energy in the ocean.

The Ice Sheets Are Shrinking

The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass. Data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment show Greenland lost an average of 279 billion tons of ice per year between 1993 and 2019, while Antarctica lost about 148 billion tons of ice per year. 7

Glaciers Are Retreating

Glaciers are retreating almost everywhere around the world — including in the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska, and Africa. 8

Snow Cover Is Decreasing

Satellite observations reveal that the amount of spring snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere has decreased over the past five decades and the snow is melting earlier. 9

Sea Level Is Rising

Global sea level rose about 8 inches (20 centimeters) in the last century. The rate in the last two decades, however, is nearly double that of the last century and accelerating slightly every year. 10

Arctic Sea Ice Is Declining

Both the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice has declined rapidly over the last several decades. 11

Extreme Events Are Increasing in Frequency

The number of record high temperature events in the United States has been increasing, while the number of record low temperature events has been decreasing, since 1950. The U.S. has also witnessed increasing numbers of intense rainfall events. 12

Ocean Acidification Is Increasing

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of surface ocean waters has increased by about 30%. 13 , 14 This increase is due to humans emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and hence more being absorbed into the ocean. The ocean has absorbed between 20% and 30% of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions in recent decades (7.2 to 10.8 billion metric tons per year). 1 5 , 16

1. IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, WGI, Technical Summary . B.D. Santer et.al., “A search for human influences on the thermal structure of the atmosphere.” Nature 382 (04 July 1996): 39-46. https://doi.org/10.1038/382039a0. Gabriele C. Hegerl et al., “Detecting Greenhouse-Gas-Induced Climate Change with an Optimal Fingerprint Method.” Journal of Climate 9 (October 1996): 2281-2306. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(1996)009<2281:DGGICC>2.0.CO;2. V. Ramaswamy, et al., “Anthropogenic and Natural Influences in the Evolution of Lower Stratospheric Cooling.” Science 311 (24 February 2006): 1138-1141. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1122587. B.D. Santer et al., “Contributions of Anthropogenic and Natural Forcing to Recent Tropopause Height Changes.” Science 301 (25 July 2003): 479-483. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1084123. T. Westerhold et al., "An astronomically dated record of Earth’s climate and its predictability over the last 66 million years." Science 369 (11 Sept. 2020): 1383-1387. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1094123

2. In 1824, Joseph Fourier calculated that an Earth-sized planet, at our distance from the Sun, ought to be much colder. He suggested something in the atmosphere must be acting like an insulating blanket. In 1856, Eunice Foote discovered that blanket, showing that carbon dioxide and water vapor in Earth's atmosphere trap escaping infrared (heat) radiation. In the 1860s, physicist John Tyndall recognized Earth's natural greenhouse effect and suggested that slight changes in the atmospheric composition could bring about climatic variations. In 1896, a seminal paper by Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius first predicted that changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels could substantially alter the surface temperature through the greenhouse effect. In 1938, Guy Callendar connected carbon dioxide increases in Earth’s atmosphere to global warming. In 1941, Milutin Milankovic linked ice ages to Earth’s orbital characteristics. Gilbert Plass formulated the Carbon Dioxide Theory of Climate Change in 1956.

3. IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, WG1, Chapter 2 Vostok ice core data; NOAA Mauna Loa CO2 record O. Gaffney, W. Steffen, "The Anthropocene Equation." The Anthropocene Review 4, issue 1 (April 2017): 53-61. https://doi.org/abs/10.1177/2053019616688022.

4. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/monitoring https://crudata.uea.ac.uk/cru/data/temperature/ http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp

5. https://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/news/20170118/

6. S. Levitus, J. Antonov, T. Boyer, O Baranova, H. Garcia, R. Locarnini, A. Mishonov, J. Reagan, D. Seidov, E. Yarosh, M. Zweng, " NCEI ocean heat content, temperature anomalies, salinity anomalies, thermosteric sea level anomalies, halosteric sea level anomalies, and total steric sea level anomalies from 1955 to present calculated from in situ oceanographic subsurface profile data (NCEI Accession 0164586), Version 4.4. (2017) NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/OC5/3M_HEAT_CONTENT/index3.html K. von Schuckmann, L. Cheng, L,. D. Palmer, J. Hansen, C. Tassone, V. Aich, S. Adusumilli, H. Beltrami, H., T. Boyer, F. Cuesta-Valero, D. Desbruyeres, C. Domingues, A. Garcia-Garcia, P. Gentine, J. Gilson, M. Gorfer, L. Haimberger, M. Ishii, M., G. Johnson, R. Killick, B. King, G. Kirchengast, N. Kolodziejczyk, J. Lyman, B. Marzeion, M. Mayer, M. Monier, D. Monselesan, S. Purkey, D. Roemmich, A. Schweiger, S. Seneviratne, A. Shepherd, D. Slater, A. Steiner, F. Straneo, M.L. Timmermans, S. Wijffels. "Heat stored in the Earth system: where does the energy go?" Earth System Science Data 12, Issue 3 (07 September 2020): 2013-2041. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2013-2020.

7. I. Velicogna, Yara Mohajerani, A. Geruo, F. Landerer, J. Mouginot, B. Noel, E. Rignot, T. Sutterly, M. van den Broeke, M. Wessem, D. Wiese, "Continuity of Ice Sheet Mass Loss in Greenland and Antarctica From the GRACE and GRACE Follow-On Missions." Geophysical Research Letters 47, Issue 8 (28 April 2020): e2020GL087291. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL087291.

8. National Snow and Ice Data Center World Glacier Monitoring Service

9. National Snow and Ice Data Center D.A. Robinson, D. K. Hall, and T. L. Mote, "MEaSUREs Northern Hemisphere Terrestrial Snow Cover Extent Daily 25km EASE-Grid 2.0, Version 1 (2017). Boulder, Colorado USA. NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center. doi: https://doi.org/10.5067/MEASURES/CRYOSPHERE/nsidc-0530.001 . http://nsidc.org/cryosphere/sotc/snow_extent.html Rutgers University Global Snow Lab. Data History

10. R.S. Nerem, B.D. Beckley, J. T. Fasullo, B.D. Hamlington, D. Masters, and G.T. Mitchum, "Climate-change–driven accelerated sea-level rise detected in the altimeter era." PNAS 15, no. 9 (12 Feb. 2018): 2022-2025. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1717312115.

11. https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/sotc/sea_ice.html Pan-Arctic Ice Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System (PIOMAS, Zhang and Rothrock, 2003) http://psc.apl.washington.edu/research/projects/arctic-sea-ice-volume-anomaly/ http://psc.apl.uw.edu/research/projects/projections-of-an-ice-diminished-arctic-ocean/

12. USGCRP, 2017: Climate Science Special Report: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume I [Wuebbles, D.J., D.W. Fahey, K.A. Hibbard, D.J. Dokken, B.C. Stewart, and T.K. Maycock (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, 470 pp, https://doi.org/10.7930/j0j964j6 .

13. http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/What+is+Ocean+Acidification%3F

14. http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/Ocean+Acidification

15. C.L. Sabine, et al., “The Oceanic Sink for Anthropogenic CO2.” Science 305 (16 July 2004): 367-371. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1097403.

16. Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate , Technical Summary, Chapter TS.5, Changing Ocean, Marine Ecosystems, and Dependent Communities, Section 5.2.2.3. https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/chapter/technical-summary/

Header image shows clouds imitating mountains as the sun sets after midnight as seen from Denali's backcountry Unit 13 on June 14, 2019. Credit: NPS/Emily Mesner

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