effective communication presentation

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

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).

Partner Center

Ideas and insights from Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning

Powerful and Effective Presentation Skills: More in Demand Now Than Ever

When we talk with our L&D colleagues from around the globe, we often hear that presentation skills training is one of the top opportunities they’re looking to provide their learners. And this holds true whether their learners are individual contributors, people managers, or senior leaders. This is not surprising.

Effective communications skills are a powerful career activator, and most of us are called upon to communicate in some type of formal presentation mode at some point along the way.

For instance, you might be asked to brief management on market research results, walk your team through a new process, lay out the new budget, or explain a new product to a client or prospect. Or you may want to build support for a new idea, bring a new employee into the fold, or even just present your achievements to your manager during your performance review.

And now, with so many employees working from home or in hybrid mode, and business travel in decline, there’s a growing need to find new ways to make effective presentations when the audience may be fully virtual or a combination of in person and remote attendees.

Whether you’re making a standup presentation to a large live audience, or a sit-down one-on-one, whether you’re delivering your presentation face to face or virtually, solid presentation skills matter.

Even the most seasoned and accomplished presenters may need to fine-tune or update their skills. Expectations have changed over the last decade or so. Yesterday’s PowerPoint which primarily relied on bulleted points, broken up by the occasional clip-art image, won’t cut it with today’s audience.

The digital revolution has revolutionized the way people want to receive information. People expect presentations that are more visually interesting. They expect to see data, metrics that support assertions. And now, with so many previously in-person meetings occurring virtually, there’s an entirely new level of technical preparedness required.

The leadership development tools and the individual learning opportunities you’re providing should include presentation skills training that covers both the evergreen fundamentals and the up-to-date capabilities that can make or break a presentation.

So, just what should be included in solid presentation skills training? Here’s what I think.

The fundamentals will always apply When it comes to making a powerful and effective presentation, the fundamentals will always apply. You need to understand your objective. Is it strictly to convey information, so that your audience’s knowledge is increased? Is it to persuade your audience to take some action? Is it to convince people to support your idea? Once you understand what your objective is, you need to define your central message. There may be a lot of things you want to share with your audience during your presentation, but find – and stick with – the core, the most important point you want them to walk away with. And make sure that your message is clear and compelling.

You also need to tailor your presentation to your audience. Who are they and what might they be expecting? Say you’re giving a product pitch to a client. A technical team may be interested in a lot of nitty-gritty product detail. The business side will no doubt be more interested in what returns they can expect on their investment.

Another consideration is the setting: is this a formal presentation to a large audience with questions reserved for the end, or a presentation in a smaller setting where there’s the possibility for conversation throughout? Is your presentation virtual or in-person? To be delivered individually or as a group? What time of the day will you be speaking? Will there be others speaking before you and might that impact how your message will be received?

Once these fundamentals are established, you’re in building mode. What are the specific points you want to share that will help you best meet your objective and get across your core message? Now figure out how to convey those points in the clearest, most straightforward, and succinct way. This doesn’t mean that your presentation has to be a series of clipped bullet points. No one wants to sit through a presentation in which the presenter reads through what’s on the slide. You can get your points across using stories, fact, diagrams, videos, props, and other types of media.

Visual design matters While you don’t want to clutter up your presentation with too many visual elements that don’t serve your objective and can be distracting, using a variety of visual formats to convey your core message will make your presentation more memorable than slides filled with text. A couple of tips: avoid images that are cliched and overdone. Be careful not to mix up too many different types of images. If you’re using photos, stick with photos. If you’re using drawn images, keep the style consistent. When data are presented, stay consistent with colors and fonts from one type of chart to the next. Keep things clear and simple, using data to support key points without overwhelming your audience with too much information. And don’t assume that your audience is composed of statisticians (unless, of course, it is).

When presenting qualitative data, brief videos provide a way to engage your audience and create emotional connection and impact. Word clouds are another way to get qualitative data across.

Practice makes perfect You’ve pulled together a perfect presentation. But it likely won’t be perfect unless it’s well delivered. So don’t forget to practice your presentation ahead of time. Pro tip: record yourself as you practice out loud. This will force you to think through what you’re going to say for each element of your presentation. And watching your recording will help you identify your mistakes—such as fidgeting, using too many fillers (such as “umm,” or “like”), or speaking too fast.

A key element of your preparation should involve anticipating any technical difficulties. If you’ve embedded videos, make sure they work. If you’re presenting virtually, make sure that the lighting is good, and that your speaker and camera are working. Whether presenting in person or virtually, get there early enough to work out any technical glitches before your presentation is scheduled to begin. Few things are a bigger audience turn-off than sitting there watching the presenter struggle with the delivery mechanisms!

Finally, be kind to yourself. Despite thorough preparation and practice, sometimes, things go wrong, and you need to recover in the moment, adapt, and carry on. It’s unlikely that you’ll have caused any lasting damage and the important thing is to learn from your experience, so your next presentation is stronger.

How are you providing presentation skills training for your learners?

Manika Gandhi is Senior Learning Design Manager at Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Email her at [email protected] .

Let’s talk

Change isn’t easy, but we can help. Together we’ll create informed and inspired leaders ready to shape the future of your business.

© 2024 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School.

• Privacy Policy
• Copyright Information
• Terms of Use
• About Harvard Business Publishing
• Higher Education
• Harvard Business Review
• Harvard Business School

We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies and revised Privacy Policy .

Cookie and Privacy Settings

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.

How it works

For Business

Join Mind Tools

Article • 17 min read

The 7 Cs of Communication

A checklist for clear communication.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Key Takeaways

• The 7 Cs of Communication help you to communicate more effectively.
• The 7 Cs stand for: clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete, and courteous. Though there are a few variations.
• You can use the 7 Cs as a checklist in your written and spoken messages. Follow our examples to learn how!

Think of how often you communicate with people during the day. You write emails, facilitate meetings, participate in conference calls, create reports, devise presentations, debate with your colleagues… the list goes on.

We can spend almost our entire day communicating. So, it stands to reason that communicating clearly and effectively can boost productivity.

This is why the 7 Cs of Communication are helpful. The 7 Cs provide a checklist for making sure that your meetings , emails , conference calls, reports , and presentations are well constructed and clear – so your audience gets your message.

In this article and in the video, below, we'll look at each of the 7 Cs of Communication, and illustrate each element with both good and bad examples.

What Are the 7 Cs of Effective Communication?

According to the 7 Cs, communication needs to be:

From Cutlip, Scott M., Center, Allen H., Broom, Glen M., Effective Public Relations, 11th, 2013 . Reprinted by permission of Pearson Education, Inc., New York, New York [1]

When writing or speaking to someone, be clear about your goal or message. What is your purpose in communicating with this person? If you're not sure, then your audience won't be either.

To be clear, try to minimize the number of ideas in each sentence. Make sure that it's easy for your reader to understand your meaning. People shouldn't have to "read between the lines" and make assumptions on their own to understand what you're trying to say.

Bad Example

I wanted to write you a quick note about Daniel, who's working in your department. He's a great asset, and I'd like to talk to you more about him when you have time.

What is this email about? Well, we're not sure. First, if there are multiple Daniels in John's department, John won't know who Skip is talking about.

Next, what is Daniel doing, specifically, that's so great? We don't know that either. It's so vague, that John will definitely have to write back for more information.

Last, what is the purpose of this email? Does Skip simply want to have an idle chat about Daniel or is there some more specific goal here? There's no sense of purpose to this message, so it's a bit confusing.

Good Example

I wanted to write you a quick note about Daniel Kedar, who's working in your department. In recent weeks, he's helped the IT department through several pressing deadlines on his own time.

We've got a tough upgrade project due to run over the next three months, and his knowledge and skills would prove invaluable. Could we please have his help with this work?

I'd appreciate speaking with you about this. When is it best to call you to discuss this further?

Best wishes,

This second message is much clearer because the reader has the information he needs to take action.

When you're concise in your communication, you stick to the point and keep it brief. Your audience doesn't want to read six sentences when you could communicate your message in three. Ask yourself:

• Are there any adjectives or "filler words" that you can delete? You can often eliminate words like "for instance," "you see," "definitely," "kind of," "literally," "basically," or "I mean."
• Are there any unnecessary sentences?
• Have you repeated the point several times, in different ways?

I wanted to touch base with you about the email marketing campaign we kind of sketched out last Thursday. I really think that our target market is definitely going to want to see the company's philanthropic efforts. I think that could make a big impact, and it would stay in their minds longer than a sales pitch.

For instance, if we talk about the company's efforts to become sustainable, as well as the charity work we're doing in local schools, then the people that we want to attract are going to remember our message longer. The impact will just be greater.

What do you think?

This email is too long! There's repetition, and there's plenty of "filler" taking up space.

Watch what happens when we're concise and take out the filler words:

I wanted to quickly discuss the email marketing campaign that we analyzed last Thursday. Our target market will want to know about the company's philanthropic efforts, especially our goals to become sustainable and help local schools.

This would make a far greater impact, and it would stay in their minds longer than a traditional sales pitch.

3. Concrete

When your message is concrete, your audience has a clear picture of what you're telling them. There are details (but not too many!) and vivid facts, and there's laser-like focus. Your message is solid.

Consider this advertising copy:

The Lunchbox Wizard will save you time every day.

A statement like this probably won't sell many of these products. There's no passion, no vivid detail, nothing that creates emotion, and nothing that tells people in the audience why they should care. This message isn't concrete enough to make a difference.

How much time do you spend every day packing your kids' lunches? No more! Just take a complete Lunchbox Wizard from your refrigerator each day to give your kids a healthy lunch and have more time to play or read with them!

This copy is better because there are vivid images. The audience can picture spending quality time with their kids – and what parent could argue with that? And mentioning that the product is stored in the refrigerator explains how the product is also practical. The message has come alive through these details.

When your communication is correct, your audience will be able to understand it. And correct communication is also error-free communication. Make sure your message is correct by asking yourself the following questions:

• Do the technical terms you use fit your audience's level of education or knowledge?
• Have you checked your writing for grammatical errors? (Remember, spell checkers won't catch everything).
• Are all names and titles spelled correctly?

Thanks so much for meeting me at lunch today! I enjoyed our conservation, and I'm looking forward to moving ahead on our project. I'm sure that the two-weak deadline won't be an issue.

Thanks again, and I'll speak to you soon!

Jack Miller

If you read that example fast, then you might not have caught any errors. But on closer inspection, you'll find two. Can you see them?

The first error is that the writer accidentally typed conservation instead of conversation. This common error can happen when you're typing too fast. The other error is using weak instead of week.

Again, spell checkers won't catch word errors like this, which is why it's so important to proofread everything!

5. Coherent

When your communication is coherent, it's logical. All points are connected and relevant to the main topic, and the tone and flow of the text is consistent.

I wanted to write you a quick note about the report you finished last week. I gave it to Michelle to proof, and she wanted to make sure you knew about the department meeting we're having this Friday. We'll be creating an outline for the new employee handbook.

As you can see, this email doesn't communicate its point very well. Where is Michelle's feedback on Traci's report? She started to mention it, but then she changed the topic to Friday's meeting.

I wanted to write you a quick note about the report you finished last week. I gave it to Michelle to proof, and she let me know that there are a few changes that you'll need to make. She'll email you her detailed comments later this afternoon.

Notice that in the good example, Michelle does not mention Friday's meeting. This is because the meeting reminder should be an entirely separate email. This way, Traci can delete the report feedback email after she makes her changes, but save the email about the meeting as her reminder to attend. Each email has only one main topic.

6. Complete

In a complete message, the audience has everything they need to be informed and, if applicable, take action.

• Does your message include a "call to action," so that your audience clearly knows what you want them to do?
• Have you included all relevant information – contact names, dates, times, locations, and so on?

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to send you all a reminder about the meeting we're having tomorrow!

See you then,

This message is not complete, for obvious reasons. What meeting? When is it? Where? Chris has left his team without the necessary information.

I just wanted to remind you about tomorrow's meeting on the new telecommuting policies. The meeting will be at 10 a.m. in the second-level conference room. Please let me know if you can't attend.

7. Courteous

Courteous communication is friendly, open and honest. There are no hidden insults or passive-aggressive tones. You keep your reader's viewpoint in mind, and you're empathetic to their needs.

I wanted to let you know that I don't appreciate how your team always monopolizes the discussion at our weekly meetings. I have a lot of projects, and I really need time to get my team's progress discussed as well. So far, thanks to your department, I haven't been able to do that. Can you make sure they make time for me and my team next week?

Well, that's hardly courteous! Messages like this can potentially start office-wide fights. And this email does nothing but create bad feelings, which can lower productivity and morale. A little bit of courtesy, even in difficult situations, can go a long way.

I wanted to write you a quick note to ask a favor. During our weekly meetings, your team does an excellent job of highlighting their progress. But this uses some of the time available for my team to highlight theirs. I'd really appreciate it if you could give my team a little extra time each week to fully cover their progress reports.

Thanks so much, and please let me know if there's anything I can do for you!

What a difference! This email is courteous and friendly, and it has little chance of spreading bad feelings around the office.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who created the 7 cs.

Scott M. Cutlip and Allen H. Center are credited as the minds behind the 7 Cs of Communication. They first introduced the checklist in their book, "Effective Public Relations." [2]

Why are the 7 Cs important?

Clear and effective communication is a vital skill in life, and at work. It helps you not only to get what you want, but also to build relationships and maintain a great reputation. While there are lots of different communication tools and techniques that help you to improve, the 7 Cs offer an easy way to ensure that your communication is always as effective as possible.

How to remember the 7 Cs

If you struggle to remember each of the seven Cs, try a memory aid tool , such as associating imagery with each word, or storytelling.

There are a few variations of the 7 Cs of Communication:

• Credible – Does your message improve or highlight your credibility? This is especially important when communicating with an audience that doesn't know much about you.
• Creative – Does your message communicate your main points creatively? Creative communication can help to keep your audience engaged.

The better we communicate, the more credibility we'll have with our clients, our boss and our co-workers.

Use the 7 Cs of Communication as a checklist for all of your communication. By doing this, you'll stay clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete, and courteous.

[1][2] Cutlip, S.M., Center, A.H., and Broom, G.M. (2013). ' Effective Public Relations' 11th edn. New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

You've accessed 1 of your 2 free resources.

Get unlimited access

Discover more content

The importance of tracking and monitoring your budget.

An Overview of Variances and the Importance of Analyzing Them

Time Management

Add comment

Comments (0)

Be the first to comment!

Try Mind Tools for FREE

Get unlimited access to all our career-boosting content and member benefits with our 7-day free trial.

Sign-up to our newsletter

Subscribing to the Mind Tools newsletter will keep you up-to-date with our latest updates and newest resources.

Subscribe now

Business Skills

Personal Development

Leadership and Management

Member Extras

Most Popular

Newest Releases

"Blue Collar" Workers

Building Good Work Relationships

Mind Tools Store

About Mind Tools Content

Discover something new today

Defeat procrastination for good.

Saying "goodbye" to procrastination

Pain Points Podcast - Perfectionism

Why Am I Such a Perfectionist?

How Emotionally Intelligent Are You?

Boosting Your People Skills

Self-Assessment

What's Your Leadership Style?

Learn About the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Way You Like to Lead

Recommended for you

No more heroes: a model of distributed leadership.

If the Idea of the ‘Complete’ Leader Is a Myth, Then How Should Today’s Leaders Lead

Business Operations and Process Management

Strategy Tools

Customer Service

Business Ethics and Values

Handling Information and Data

Project Management

Knowledge Management

Self-Development and Goal Setting

Presentation Skills

Learning Skills

Career Skills

Communication Skills

Negotiation, Persuasion and Influence

Working With Others

Difficult Conversations

Creativity Tools

Self-Management

Work-Life Balance

Stress Management and Wellbeing

Coaching and Mentoring

Change Management

Team Management

Managing Conflict

Delegation and Empowerment

Performance Management

Leadership Skills

Developing Your Team

Talent Management

Problem Solving

Decision Making

Member Podcast

Nonverbal Communication and Body Language

Improving emotional intelligence (eq), conflict resolution skills.

• Empathy: How to Feel and Respond to the Emotions of Others

Anger Management

Managing conflict with humor.

• The 5 Love Languages and Their Influence on Relationships
• Gaslighting: Turning Off the Gas on Your Gaslighter
• Online Therapy: Is it Right for You?
• Mental Health
• Health & Wellness
• Children & Family
• Relationships

Are you or someone you know in crisis?

• Bipolar Disorder
• Eating Disorders
• Grief & Loss
• Personality Disorders
• PTSD & Trauma
• Schizophrenia
• Therapy & Medication
• Exercise & Fitness
• Healthy Eating
• Well-being & Happiness
• Weight Loss
• Work & Career
• Illness & Disability
• Heart Health
• Childhood Issues
• Learning Disabilities
• Family Caregiving
• Teen Issues
• Communication
• Emotional Intelligence
• Love & Friendship
• Domestic Abuse
• Healthy Aging
• Aging Issues
• Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia
• Senior Housing
• End of Life
• Meet Our Team

What is effective communication?

Effective communication skill 1: become an engaged listener, skill 2: pay attention to nonverbal signals, skill 3: keep stress in check, skill 4: assert yourself, effective communication.

Want to communicate better? These tips will help you avoid misunderstandings, grasp the real meaning of what’s being communicated, and greatly improve your work and personal relationships.

Effective communication is about more than just exchanging information. It’s about understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information. As well as being able to clearly convey a message, you need to also listen in a way that gains the full meaning of what’s being said and makes the other person feel heard and understood.

Effective communication sounds like it should be instinctive. But all too often, when we try to communicate with others something goes astray. We say one thing, the other person hears something else, and misunderstandings, frustration, and conflicts ensue. This can cause problems in your home, school, and work relationships.

For many of us, communicating more clearly and effectively requires learning some important skills. Whether you’re trying to improve communication with your spouse, kids, boss, or coworkers, learning these skills can deepen your connections to others, build greater trust and respect, and improve teamwork, problem solving, and your overall social and emotional health.

What’s stopping you from communicating effectively?

Common barriers to effective communication include:

Stress and out-of-control emotion.  When you’re stressed or emotionally overwhelmed, you’re more likely to misread other people, send confusing or off-putting nonverbal signals, and lapse into unhealthy knee-jerk patterns of behavior. To avoid conflict and misunderstandings, you can learn how to quickly calm down before continuing a conversation.

Lack of focus.  You can’t communicate effectively when you’re multitasking. If you’re checking your phone , planning what you’re going to say next, or daydreaming, you’re almost certain to miss nonverbal cues in the conversation. To communicate effectively, you need to avoid distractions and stay focused.

Inconsistent body language.  Nonverbal communication should reinforce what is being said, not contradict it. If you say one thing, but your body language says something else, your listener will likely feel that you’re being dishonest. For example, you can’t say “yes” while shaking your head no.

[Read: Nonverbal Communication and Body Language]

Negative body language.  If you disagree with or dislike what’s being said, you might use negative body language to rebuff the other person’s message, such as crossing your arms, avoiding eye contact, or tapping your feet. You don’t have to agree with, or even like what’s being said, but to communicate effectively and not put the other person on the defensive, it’s important to avoid sending negative signals.

When communicating with others, we often focus on what we should say. However, effective communication is less about talking and more about listening. Listening well means not just understanding the words or the information being communicated, but also understanding the emotions the speaker is trying to convey.

There’s a big difference between engaged listening and simply hearing. When you really listen—when you’re engaged with what’s being said—you’ll hear the subtle intonations in someone’s voice that tell you how that person is feeling and the emotions they’re trying to communicate. When you’re an engaged listener, not only will you better understand the other person, you’ll also make that person feel heard and understood, which can help build a stronger, deeper connection between you.

By communicating in this way, you’ll also experience a process that  lowers stress and supports physical and emotional well-being. If the person you’re talking to is calm, for example, listening in an engaged way will help to calm you, too. Similarly, if the person is agitated, you can help calm them by listening in an attentive way and making the person feel understood.

If your goal is to fully understand and connect with the other person, listening in an engaged way will often come naturally. If it doesn’t, try the following tips. The more you practice them, the more satisfying and rewarding your interactions with others will become.

Tips for becoming an engaged listener

Focus fully on the speaker.  You can’t listen in an engaged way if you’re  constantly checking your phone or thinking about something else. You need to stay focused on the moment-to-moment experience in order to pick up the subtle nuances and important nonverbal cues in a conversation. If you find it hard to concentrate on some speakers, try repeating their words over in your head—it’ll reinforce their message and help you stay focused.

Favor your right ear.  As strange as it sounds, the left side of the brain contains the primary processing centers for both speech comprehension and emotions. Since the left side of the brain is connected to the right side of the body, favoring your right ear can help you better detect the emotional nuances of what someone is saying.

Avoid interrupting or trying to redirect the conversation to your concerns.  By saying something like, “If you think that’s bad, let me tell you what happened to me.” Listening is not the same as waiting for your turn to talk. You can’t concentrate on what someone’s saying if you’re forming what you’re going to say next. Often, the speaker can read your facial expressions and know that your mind’s elsewhere.

Show your interest in what’s being said.  Nod occasionally, smile at the person, and make sure your posture is open and inviting. Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like “yes” or “uh huh.”

Try to set aside judgment.  In order to communicate effectively with someone, you don’t have to like them or agree with their ideas, values, or opinions. However, you do need to set aside your judgment and withhold blame and criticism in order to fully understand them. The most difficult communication, when successfully executed, can often lead to an unlikely connection with someone.

[Read: Improving Emotional Intelligence (EQ)]

Provide feedback. If there seems to be a disconnect, reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. “What I’m hearing is,” or “Sounds like you are saying,” are great ways to reflect back. Don’t simply repeat what the speaker has said verbatim, though—you’ll sound insincere or unintelligent. Instead, express what the speaker’s words mean to you. Ask questions to clarify certain points: “What do you mean when you say…” or “Is this what you mean?”

Hear the emotion behind the words . It’s the higher frequencies of human speech that impart emotion. You can become more attuned to these frequencies—and thus better able to understand what others are really saying—by exercising the tiny muscles of your middle ear (the smallest in the body). You can do this by singing, playing a wind instrument, or listening to certain types of high-frequency music (a Mozart symphony or violin concerto, for example, rather than low-frequency rock, pop, or hip-hop).

The way you look, listen, move, and react to another person tells them more about how you’re feeling than words alone ever can. Nonverbal communication, or body language, includes facial expressions, body movement and gestures, eye contact, posture, the tone of your voice, and even your muscle tension and breathing.

Developing the ability to understand and use nonverbal communication can help you connect with others, express what you really mean, navigate challenging situations, and build better relationships at home and work.

• You can enhance effective communication by using open body language—arms uncrossed, standing with an open stance or sitting on the edge of your seat, and maintaining eye contact with the person you’re talking to.
• You can also use body language to emphasize or enhance your verbal message—patting a friend on the back while complimenting him on his success, for example, or pounding your fists to underline your message.

Improve how you  read nonverbal communication

Be aware of individual differences. People from different countries and cultures tend to use different nonverbal communication gestures, so it’s important to take age, culture, religion, gender, and emotional state into account when reading body language signals. An American teen, a grieving widow, and an Asian businessman, for example, are likely to use nonverbal signals differently.

Look at nonverbal communication signals as a group. Don’t read too much into a single gesture or nonverbal cue. Consider all of the nonverbal signals you receive, from eye contact to tone of voice to body language. Anyone can slip up occasionally and let eye contact go, for example, or briefly cross their arms without meaning to. Consider the signals as a whole to get a better “read” on a person.

Improve how you  deliver nonverbal communication

Use nonverbal signals that match up with your words rather than contradict them. If you say one thing, but your body language says something else, your listener will feel confused or suspect that you’re being dishonest. For example, sitting with your arms crossed and shaking your head doesn’t match words telling the other person that you agree with what they’re saying.

Adjust your nonverbal signals according to the context. The tone of your voice, for example, should be different when you’re addressing a child than when you’re addressing a group of adults. Similarly, take into account the emotional state and cultural background of the person you’re interacting with.

Avoid negative body language. Instead, use body language to convey positive feelings, even when you’re not actually experiencing them. If you’re nervous about a situation—a job interview, important presentation, or first date, for example—you can use positive body language to signal confidence, even though you’re not feeling it. Instead of tentatively entering a room with your head down, eyes averted, and sliding into a chair, try standing tall with your shoulders back, smiling and maintaining eye contact, and delivering a firm handshake. It will make you feel more self-confident and help to put the other person at ease.

How many times have you felt stressed during a disagreement with your spouse, kids, boss, friends, or coworkers and then said or done something you later regretted? If you can quickly relieve stress and return to a calm state, you’ll not only avoid such regrets, but in many cases you’ll also help to calm the other person as well. It’s only when you’re in a calm, relaxed state that you’ll be able to know whether the situation requires a response, or whether the other person’s signals indicate it would be better to remain silent.

In situations such as a job interview, business presentation, high-pressure meeting, or introduction to a loved one’s family, for example, it’s important to manage your emotions, think on your feet, and effectively communicate under pressure.

Communicate effectively by staying calm under pressure

Use stalling tactics to give yourself time to think. Ask for a question to be repeated or for clarification of a statement before you respond.

Pause to collect your thoughts. Silence isn’t necessarily a bad thing—pausing can make you seem more in control than rushing your response.

Make one point and provide an example or supporting piece of information. If your response is too long or you waffle about a number of points, you risk losing the listener’s interest. Follow one point with an example and then gauge the listener’s reaction to tell if you should make a second point.

Deliver your words clearly. In many cases, how you say something can be as important as what you say. Speak clearly, maintain an even tone, and make eye contact. Keep your body language relaxed and open.

Wrap up with a summary and then stop. Summarize your response and then stop talking, even if it leaves a silence in the room. You don’t have to fill the silence by continuing to talk.

Quick stress relief for effective communication

When a conversation starts to get heated, you need something quick and immediate to bring down the emotional intensity. By learning to quickly reduce stress in the moment, you can safely take stock of any strong emotions you’re experiencing, regulate your feelings, and behave appropriately.

Recognize when you’re becoming stressed. Your body will let you know if you’re stressed as you communicate. Are your muscles or stomach tight? Are your hands clenched? Is your breath shallow? Are you “forgetting” to breathe?

Take a moment to calm down before deciding to continue a conversation or postpone it.

Bring your senses to the rescue. The best way to rapidly and reliably relieve stress is through the senses—sight, sound, touch, taste, smell—or movement. For example, you could pop a peppermint in your mouth, squeeze a stress ball in your pocket, take a few deep breaths, clench and relax your muscles, or simply recall a soothing, sensory-rich image. Each person responds differently to sensory input, so you need to find a coping mechanism that is soothing to you.

[Read: Quick Stress Relief]

Look for humor in the situation. When used appropriately, humor is a great way to relieve stress when communicating . When you or those around you start taking things too seriously, find a way to lighten the mood by sharing a joke or an amusing story.

Be willing to compromise. Sometimes, if you can both bend a little, you’ll be able to find a happy middle ground that reduces the stress levels for everyone concerned. If you realize that the other person cares much more about an issue than you do, compromise may be easier for you and a good investment for the future of the relationship.

Agree to disagree, if necessary, and take time away from the situation so everyone can calm down. Go for a stroll outside if possible, or spend a few minutes meditating. Physical movement or finding a quiet place to regain your balance can quickly reduce stress.

Find your space for healing and growth

Regain is an online couples counseling service. Whether you’re facing problems with communication, intimacy, or trust, Regain’s licensed, accredited therapists can help you improve your relationship.

Direct, assertive expression makes for clear communication and can help boost your self-esteem and decision-making skills. Being assertive means expressing your thoughts, feelings, and needs in an open and honest way, while standing up for yourself and respecting others. It does NOT mean being hostile, aggressive, or demanding. Effective communication is always about understanding the other person, not about winning an argument or forcing your opinions on others.

To improve your assertiveness

Value yourself and your options. They are as important as anyone else’s.

Know your needs and wants. Learn to express them without infringing on the rights of others.

Express negative thoughts in a positive way. It’s  okay to be angry , but you must remain respectful as well.

Receive feedback positively. Accept compliments graciously, learn from your mistakes, ask for help when needed.

Learn to say “no.” Know your limits and don’t let others take advantage of you. Look for alternatives so everyone feels good about the outcome.

Developing assertive communication techniques

Empathetic assertion conveys sensitivity to the other person. First, recognize the other person’s situation or feelings, then state your needs or opinion. “I know you’ve been very busy at work, but I want you to make time for us as well.”

Escalating assertion can be employed when your first attempts are not successful. You become increasingly firm as time progresses, which may include outlining consequences if your needs are not met. For example, “If you don’t abide by the contract, I’ll be forced to pursue legal action.”

Practice assertiveness in lower risk situations to help build up your confidence. Or ask friends or family if you can practice assertiveness techniques on them first.

More Information

• Effective Communication: Improving Your Social Skills - Communicate more effectively, improve your conversation skills, and become more assertive. (AnxietyCanada)
• Core Listening Skills - How to be a better listener. (SucceedSocially.com)
• Effective Communication - How to communicate in groups using nonverbal communication and active listening techniques. (University of Maine)
• Some Common Communication Mistakes - And how to avoid them. (SucceedSocially.com)
• 3aPPa3 – When cognitive demand increases, does the right ear have an advantage? – Danielle Sacchinell | Acoustics.org . (n.d.). Retrieved May 22, 2022, from Link
• How to Behave More Assertively . (n.d.). 10. Weger, H., Castle Bell, G., Minei, E. M., & Robinson, M. C. (2014). The Relative Effectiveness of Active Listening in Initial Interactions.  International Journal of Listening , 28(1), 13–31. Link

More in Communication

How to read body language to build better relationships at home and work

Boost your emotional intelligence to help you be happy and successful

Tips for handling conflicts, arguments, and disagreements

How to feel and respond to the emotions of others

Tips and techniques for getting anger under control

Using laughter and play to resolve disagreements

The 5 Love Languages

What they are and how they influence relationships

Turning Off the Gas on Your Gaslighter

5 ways to deal with gaslighting

Professional therapy, done online

BetterHelp makes starting therapy easy. Take the assessment and get matched with a professional, licensed therapist.

Help us help others

Millions of readers rely on HelpGuide.org for free, evidence-based resources to understand and navigate mental health challenges. Please donate today to help us save, support, and change lives.

• PRESENTATION SKILLS

Top Tips for Effective Presentations

Search SkillsYouNeed:

Presentation Skills:

• A - Z List of Presentation Skills
• General Presentation Skills
• What is a Presentation?
• Preparing for a Presentation
• Organising the Material
• Writing Your Presentation
• Deciding the Presentation Method
• Managing your Presentation Notes
• Working with Visual Aids
• Presenting Data
• Managing the Event
• Coping with Presentation Nerves
• Dealing with Questions
• How to Build Presentations Like a Consultant
• 7 Qualities of Good Speakers That Can Help You Be More Successful
• Self-Presentation in Presentations
• Specific Presentation Events
• Remote Meetings and Presentations
• Giving a Speech
• Presentations in Interviews
• Presenting to Large Groups and Conferences
• Giving Lectures and Seminars
• Managing a Press Conference
• Attending Public Consultation Meetings
• Managing a Public Consultation Meeting
• Crisis Communications
• Elsewhere on Skills You Need:
• Communication Skills
• Facilitation Skills
• Teams, Groups and Meetings
• Effective Speaking
• Question Types

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter and start improving your life in just 5 minutes a day.

You'll get our 5 free 'One Minute Life Skills' and our weekly newsletter.

We'll never share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time.

How can you make a good presentation even more effective?

This page draws on published advice from expert presenters around the world, which will help to take your presentations from merely ‘good’ to ‘great’.

By bringing together advice from a wide range of people, the aim is to cover a whole range of areas.

Whether you are an experienced presenter, or just starting out, there should be ideas here to help you to improve.

1. Show your Passion and Connect with your Audience

It’s hard to be relaxed and be yourself when you’re nervous.

But time and again, the great presenters say that the most important thing is to connect with your audience, and the best way to do that is to let your passion for the subject shine through.

Be honest with the audience about what is important to you and why it matters.

Be enthusiastic and honest, and the audience will respond.

2. Focus on your Audience’s Needs

Your presentation needs to be built around what your audience is going to get out of the presentation.

As you prepare the presentation, you always need to bear in mind what the audience needs and wants to know, not what you can tell them.

While you’re giving the presentation, you also need to remain focused on your audience’s response, and react to that.

You need to make it easy for your audience to understand and respond.

3. Keep it Simple: Concentrate on your Core Message

When planning your presentation, you should always keep in mind the question:

What is the key message (or three key points) for my audience to take away?

You should be able to communicate that key message very briefly.

Some experts recommend a 30-second ‘elevator summary’, others that you can write it on the back of a business card, or say it in no more than 15 words.

Whichever rule you choose, the important thing is to keep your core message focused and brief.

And if what you are planning to say doesn’t contribute to that core message, don’t say it.

4. Smile and Make Eye Contact with your Audience

This sounds very easy, but a surprisingly large number of presenters fail to do it.

If you smile and make eye contact, you are building rapport , which helps the audience to connect with you and your subject. It also helps you to feel less nervous, because you are talking to individuals, not to a great mass of unknown people.

To help you with this, make sure that you don’t turn down all the lights so that only the slide screen is visible. Your audience needs to see you as well as your slides.

5. Start Strongly

The beginning of your presentation is crucial. You need to grab your audience’s attention and hold it.

They will give you a few minutes’ grace in which to entertain them, before they start to switch off if you’re dull. So don’t waste that on explaining who you are. Start by entertaining them.

Try a story (see tip 7 below), or an attention-grabbing (but useful) image on a slide.

6. Remember the 10-20-30 Rule for Slideshows

This is a tip from Guy Kawasaki of Apple. He suggests that slideshows should:

• Contain no more than 10 slides;
• Last no more than 20 minutes; and
• Use a font size of no less than 30 point.

This last is particularly important as it stops you trying to put too much information on any one slide. This whole approach avoids the dreaded ‘Death by PowerPoint’.

As a general rule, slides should be the sideshow to you, the presenter. A good set of slides should be no use without the presenter, and they should definitely contain less, rather than more, information, expressed simply.

If you need to provide more information, create a bespoke handout and give it out after your presentation.

7. Tell Stories

Human beings are programmed to respond to stories.

Stories help us to pay attention, and also to remember things. If you can use stories in your presentation, your audience is more likely to engage and to remember your points afterwards. It is a good idea to start with a story, but there is a wider point too: you need your presentation to act like a story.

Think about what story you are trying to tell your audience, and create your presentation to tell it.

Finding The Story Behind Your Presentation

To effectively tell a story, focus on using at least one of the two most basic storytelling mechanics in your presentation:

Focusing On Characters – People have stories; things, data, and objects do not. So ask yourself “who” is directly involved in your topic that you can use as the focal point of your story.

For example, instead of talking about cars (your company’s products), you could focus on specific characters like:

• The drivers the car is intended for – people looking for speed and adventure
• The engineers who went out of their way to design the most cost-effective car imaginable

A Changing Dynamic – A story needs something to change along the way. So ask yourself “What is not as it should be?” and answer with what you are going to do about it (or what you did about it).

For example…

• Did hazardous road conditions inspire you to build a rugged, all-terrain jeep that any family could afford?
• Did a complicated and confusing food labelling system lead you to establish a colour-coded nutritional index so that anybody could easily understand it?

To see 15 more actionable storytelling tips, see Nuts & Bolts Speed Training’s post on Storytelling Tips .

8. Use your Voice Effectively

The spoken word is actually a pretty inefficient means of communication, because it uses only one of your audience’s five senses. That’s why presenters tend to use visual aids, too. But you can help to make the spoken word better by using your voice effectively.

Varying the speed at which you talk, and emphasising changes in pitch and tone all help to make your voice more interesting and hold your audience’s attention.

For more about this, see our page on Effective Speaking .

9. Use your Body Too

It has been estimated that more than three quarters of communication is non-verbal.

That means that as well as your tone of voice, your body language is crucial to getting your message across. Make sure that you are giving the right messages: body language to avoid includes crossed arms, hands held behind your back or in your pockets, and pacing the stage.

Make your gestures open and confident, and move naturally around the stage, and among the audience too, if possible.

10. Relax, Breathe and Enjoy

If you find presenting difficult, it can be hard to be calm and relaxed about doing it.

One option is to start by concentrating on your breathing. Slow it down, and make sure that you’re breathing fully. Make sure that you continue to pause for breath occasionally during your presentation too.

For more ideas, see our page on Coping with Presentation Nerves .

If you can bring yourself to relax, you will almost certainly present better. If you can actually start to enjoy yourself, your audience will respond to that, and engage better. Your presentations will improve exponentially, and so will your confidence. It’s well worth a try.

Improve your Presentation Skills

Follow our guide to boost your presentation skills learning about preparation, delivery, questions and all other aspects of giving effective presentations.

Start with: What is a Presentation?

Continue to: How to Give a Speech Self Presentation

See also: Five Ways You Can Do Visual Marketing on a Budget Can Presentation Science Improve Your Presentation? Typography – It’s All About the Message in Your Slides

Home Blog Business Presentation Structure Guidelines for Effective Communication

Presentation Structure Guidelines for Effective Communication

In the business world, a presentation is so much more than just a bunch of slides or points—it’s a golden opportunity. It can sway decisions, propel change, or bring people together. How you structure your presentation is absolutely critical in getting your ideas across clearly and compellingly. 

When you’ve got a structured presentation just right, it’s like you’re taking your audience by the hand and guiding them through your thoughts, making sure they pick up all the important bits along the way. Moreover, it speaks of your degree of professionalism and how much knowledge you bear on the topic in question. 

Therefore, nailing your presentation structure isn’t just helpful; it’s downright necessary to get the results you’re after. Whether you’re pitching a new concept to the investors, sharing the latest findings with your team, or taking the stage at a conference, how you lay out your content becomes the language you use to interact with your audience. Get to know all that’s required to create a powerful presentation structure that will guarantee success in business meetings, academic dissertations, or motivational talks .

Table of Contents

What is a Presentation Structure

Introduction, techniques to structure your presentation, common mistakes to avoid when designing a presentation structure, final words.

Let’s compare a presentation structure to a business plan . Just as a business plan is essential for guiding a company’s strategy and ensuring all aspects of the business are aligned toward common goals, a presentation structure is crucial for organizing the content and delivery of your talk. 

The presentation structure lays out a clear and logical sequence of information, akin to the sections of a business plan that outline the company’s mission , market analysis , and financial projections. This clear sequence ensures that your audience can easily follow and understand your message, maximizing the impact your speech can deliver and influencing your target audience. 

Key Elements of a Presentation Structure

The easiest way to study a presentation structure is to subdivide it into sections. Basically, every presentation has a structure that follows this formula: Introduction > Body > Conclusion.

The introduction is the first section of the presentation and sets the tone for the rest of the presentation. It should be attention-grabbing and make the audience want to listen to the rest of the presentation.

When defining how to start a presentation , these are the best tips we recommend you implement.

Start with a Hook

Kick off your introduction with a strong hook that grabs your audience’s attention. This could be an intriguing fact, a thought-provoking question, or a compelling story related to your topic. A captivating opening will make your audience want to listen and engage with your presentation.

Clearly State Your Topic

Be clear and concise when stating your topic. Your audience should immediately understand what your presentation is about and what they can expect to learn. A clear statement of your topic sets the stage and provides a roadmap for the rest of your presentation.

Establish Credibility

Take a moment to establish your credibility by briefly sharing your qualifications or experience related to the topic. This helps to build trust and rapport with your audience, and it shows that you are knowledgeable and well-prepared.

Engage Your Audience

Make your audience part of the presentation by engaging them from the start. Ask a question, encourage participation, or invite them to think about how the topic relates to their own experiences. Engagement helps to create a connection between you and your audience. Using a surprise factor is an alternative if you feel the topic you’re about to present may not fully resonate with the target audience.

Preview Main Points

End your introduction by briefly previewing the main points you will cover in your presentation. This provides a clear structure for your audience to follow and helps them understand what to expect in the body of your presentation. An agenda slide is the perfect tool for this purpose.

The body is the main part of the presentation and provides the content and information that the audience came to hear. It should feature the main points and details supporting your presentation’s objective. Depending on your topic, this could include data, arguments, case studies, examples, or demonstrations. Each main point should be clear and distinct, with evidence or examples substantiating it. The content should be tailored to your audience’s level of knowledge and interest.

Different presentations call for various structures. For example, a Product Presentation ’s structure should start by dividing the content into clear sections or headings. For instance, if presenting a new software tool, sections could include its features, benefits, and user feedback.

On the other hand, a Persuasive Presentation begins with stating the current situation or problem, followed by proposed solutions, evidence supporting those solutions, and the benefits of adopting your proposition.

Workshop or Training Presentations begin with an overview of what will be taught, followed by step-by-step instructions, examples, demonstrations, and summaries or quizzes after each major section.

One essential aspect is to plan the multimedia elements to include in your presentation, including audio, images, and video, depending on the presentation style you aim to deliver. Through our expertise, we want to share some tips on how to plan this kind of content:

• Using relevant content: Each image should be related to its accompanying content. Avoid using images just for decoration. If using videos, dedicate an entire slide to them rather than sticking them to a corner of your slide. Plan a powerful hook to connect your thoughts with these visual aids.
• Quality: Ensure all images are of high resolution and can be clearly viewed, even from a distance. Avoid pixelated or distorted images.
• Simplicity: Infographics and diagrams should be easy to understand. If presenting data, use simple charts or graphs instead of complex tables. Limit the amount of text on each slide to ensure clarity. This rule of simplicity also applies to written content and the structure of your speech. Use the Feynman Technique as a time-saver approach to simplify content to reach any knowledgeable audience.
• Consistency: A common cause of presentation failures is to distract the audience with an unprofessional look. Maintain a consistent style and color scheme for all images to give your presentation a polished and professional feel.

Along the path of creating these media elements, you can rethink your strategy for disclosing content. In general lines, you should present your points in a logical order, often from the most to least important or in a chronological sequence. This helps the audience follow along and build understanding step by step. Well-known practices like the storytelling technique follow this approach to maximize audience engagement. 

Transition smoothly between points. Phrases like “moving on,” “in addition,” or “on the other hand” can guide your audience through your narrative. Break up long sections of spoken content with anecdotes, questions, or short videos. Such an approach adds variety and keeps the audience engaged.

A well-structured conclusion is the linchpin that holds your presentation together, reinforcing your main points and leaving a lasting impression on your audience. It is your final opportunity to communicate your message and encourage audience engagement. So, before you consider how to end a presentation , here are some powerful tips to ensure you conclude your presentation with impact.

End with a Strong Statement or Quote

This technique is commonly used in motivational presentations, where the speaker leaves the audience with a slide containing a quote related to the topic of the presentation, something that evokes inner reflection about the topic discussed. 

Conclude your presentation with a strong, memorable statement or a powerful quote that ties back to your main message. This adds weight to your argument and leaves a lasting impression on your audience. If you aim to surprise your audience, silence can also be a strong statement if your presentation has to raise awareness about a problem.

Incorporate a Call-to-Action

Clearly communicate to your audience what you want them to do next. Whether it’s to adopt a new perspective, take specific action, or continue the conversation outside of the presentation, a clear call to action drives engagement and encourages your audience to act upon your message.

Ask Thought-Provoking Questions

Pose thought-provoking questions that stimulate reflection and discussion. This opens the door for audience participation and engagement and allows you to interact with the audience in a Q&A session, or reach after your presentation concluded to network.

Additional Resources and Contact Info

Offer resources such as articles, websites, or books for those interested in exploring your topic further. This not only adds value to your presentation but also encourages the audience to engage with the content beyond the presentation itself.

Consider the way you leave a communication channel open with your audience. This can be in the format of a deliverable, writing down your contact data in the “Thank You” slide , or simply via speech to inform where they can know more about you and your work.

We already discussed the basic Introduction-Body-Conclusion framework for a presentation, but there are alternative approaches that can help you structure your talk.

Problem-Solution Framework

The Problem-Solution Framework is a compelling method to structure presentations, particularly when aiming to persuade or inform an audience about addressing specific challenges. The framework operates on a simple yet impactful premise: initially, highlight a problem or challenge that needs addressing and subsequently propose a viable solution or set of solutions.

Starting with the problem establishes a context, engages the audience by highlighting pain points or challenges they may recognize, and creates a desire for resolution. It sets the stage for the solution to be perceived as necessary and valuable.

The solution phase offers that much-needed resolution. By presenting a clear, actionable solution or set of recommendations, the presenter provides a pathway to overcome the identified challenge. This structure is not only logical but also highly persuasive, as it appeals to the audience’s desire for resolution and improvement. In essence, the Problem-Solution Framework is both a guide for content organization and a psychological tool for persuasion.

Chronological Structure

The Chronological Structure is an intuitive and organized approach to presenting information based on a sequence of events or a progression in time. Whether recounting historical events, outlining the stages of a project, or narrating a personal story, this structure follows a clear beginning, middle, and end sequence. By presenting details in the order they occurred, the audience can easily follow the narrative, making connections between events and understanding causality.

This structure is especially effective when the timeline of events is crucial to the narrative or when showcasing developments, evolutions, or growth over time. It provides clarity and eliminates confusion that might arise from a non-linear presentation. Moreover, by anchoring information on a timeline, the Chronological Structure aids memory retention, as the audience can mentally “map out” the journey of events. In sum, this method offers clarity and a compelling narrative arc, ensuring audience engagement from start to finish.

Comparative Structure

The Comparative Structure is a strategic approach to presentations that hinges on juxtaposing two or more elements, ideas, or solutions side by side. By examining similarities and differences, this method illuminates unique qualities, advantages, or drawbacks inherent in each element. Often employed in business scenarios like product comparisons, market analysis, or debates, the comparative structure helps audiences critically analyze options and make informed decisions.

Presenters utilizing this structure typically start by introducing the elements for comparison. They then delve into detailed analysis, often using criteria or metrics to maintain objective evaluations. Visual aids like Venn diagrams or comparison charts can enhance clarity and visual appeal.

The strength of the Comparative Structure lies in its ability to foster critical thinking. By directly contrasting items, audiences are engaged, encouraged to weigh pros and cons, and ultimately arrive at a deeper understanding or more nuanced perspective on the subject matter.

Matrix Structure

The Matrix Structure offers an approach to organizing presentations by segmenting information into distinct categories or sections, akin to a grid or matrix. Instead of a linear flow, topics are grouped by themes, criteria, or any relevant classification, allowing for simultaneous exploration of multiple facets of a subject. Think of it as viewing a topic through various lenses concurrently.

For instance, in a business setting, a product might be examined in terms of design, functionality, market positioning, and customer feedback. Each of these constitutes a segment in the matrix.

Visually, the matrix can be represented using tables, grids, or quadrant charts, making the content easily digestible and engaging. A key advantage of this structure is its flexibility; presenters can delve deep into one segment or provide a broader overview of all areas, depending on the audience’s needs. Ultimately, the Matrix Structure ensures a comprehensive and multifaceted examination of a topic, providing depth and breadth in analysis.

Modular Structure

The final model we will study is the Modular Structure. It takes content and packs it into modules, which can be arranged at any other the presenter requires them to be. Each module addresses a specific topic or idea and is designed to be self-contained, ensuring clarity even if presented independently or in a different order. This adaptability makes the modular approach especially valuable in dynamic settings, such as workshops or conferences, where audience feedback or time constraints might necessitate adjustments on the fly.

For example, in a corporate training session, different modules could cover distinct skills or topics. Based on the attendees’ prior knowledge or the session’s time limit, the presenter can prioritize, omit, or rearrange modules without compromising the integrity of each segment.

By adopting the Modular Structure, presenters gain flexibility without sacrificing depth. This approach fosters a responsive presentation style, allowing speakers to tailor content in real-time, ensuring maximum relevance and engagement for their audience.

Even well-seasoned presenters can fall prey to these common mistakes in terms of presentation structure. Let’s learn how to prevent them.

Overloading with Information

It’s tempting to include every bit of knowledge you have on a topic. Still, information overload can quickly disengage an audience. Prioritize key points and leave out extraneous details. As famous architect, Mies van der Rohe famously coined, “Less is More.”

Weak Transitions

Jumping abruptly from one point to another can disrupt the flow and confuse listeners. Ensure smooth transitions between sections, signaling shifts in topics or ideas to keep the narrative cohesive.

Dull Design

While content is king, visual appeal matters. Relying solely on walls of text or bland slides can lose your audience’s interest. Incorporate engaging visuals, charts, and multimedia elements to enhance your message and retain attention.

Ignoring the Call to Action

Concluding your presentation without guiding the audience on the next steps or what’s expected of them can be a missed opportunity. Whether it’s seeking feedback, prompting a discussion, or encouraging an action, always have a clear call to action.

Good communication is all about making your point clear, especially in presentations. We’ve talked about how the right structure can keep your audience hooked. But there’s more to it. Think about your presentation. Is it telling your story the way you want? Is it reaching your audience? Take a step back and really look at how you’re laying it out. Don’t just go with the flow – choose your format wisely. Remember, every presentation tells a story, and how you set it up matters a lot.

Like this article? Please share

Design, Presentation Approaches Filed under Business

Related Articles

Filed under Google Slides Tutorials • April 23rd, 2024

How to Align Objects in Google Slides

Optimize your layouts by learning how to align objects in Google Slides presentations. Step-by-step guide with screenshots.

Filed under Design • March 27th, 2024

How to Make a Presentation Graph

Detailed step-by-step instructions to master the art of how to make a presentation graph in PowerPoint and Google Slides. Check it out!

Filed under Presentation Ideas • February 29th, 2024

How to Make a Fundraising Presentation (with Thermometer Templates & Slides)

Meet a new framework to design fundraising presentations by harnessing the power of fundraising thermometer templates. Detailed guide with examples.

Leave a Reply

• Back to All Programs /

Communication Strategies: Presenting with Impact

Gain skills and techniques to engage, inform and inspire others, improving your ability to communicate as a leader.

All Start Dates

8:30 AM – 4:30 PM ET

2 consecutive days

Registration Deadline

June 30, 2024

November 24, 2024

Communication Strategies Program Overview

Communication strategies: presenting with impact, a public speaking course.

Public speaking—whether delivering a presentation, making a pitch, or leading a group discussion—can cause even the most confident leader to break a sweat. Yet communicating your message with poise, confidence, and conviction is an essential leadership skill. Mastering your public speaking and presentation skills will enable you to inspire your audience as well as build trust and credibility.

Through oral presentations and small group activities, you will put proven public speaking techniques and tools into practice, test out new approaches, and learn to communicate clearly and confidently. Discover the powerful impact of storytelling and practical persuasion skills to authentically illustrate your message. Learn how to effectively organize materials to blend analytical and emotional content into a compelling story, and incorporate dynamic introductions and memorable endings into your presentations.

Who Should Register for this Public Speaking Course

This communication program is appropriate for business professionals at all levels of experience who would like to enhance their communication skills to succeed in delivering impactful presentations. It is ideal for anyone in a role that requires ceremonial speaking, persuasive speaking, or any other type of public speaking, regardless of industry or years of experience.

All participants will earn a Certificate of Participation from the Harvard Division of Continuing Education

Participants must be fluent in English to participate fully in fast-moving discussions and exercises.

Benefits of Communication Strategies: Presenting With Impact

This communication strategies program is designed to offer new techniques to improve your public speaking skills. Key takeaways from the program will help you improve your ability to persuade and influence your audience in large- and small-group settings.

During this public speaking training course, you will:

• Learn guiding principles of making effective presentations
• Build confidence in your presentation abilities
• Cultivate your personal leadership and communication style
• Learn strategies on handling hostile audiences

“Jill [Slye] shared invaluable tips that have helped me to reduce my anxiety and negative self-talk around my presentations while conveying a message that encourages others to affect change through empowering presentations.” — Lizbeth Sanches-Acre

The curriculum for this communication strategies program is designed to be interactive and hands-on. You will practice the skills and techniques you are learning in real-time through small group activities and oral presentations during the program.

The curriculum will cover topics such as:

• Effective delivery skills involving presence, vocal variety, body language, narratives and humor, and handling nerves
• Crafting clear and concise messages
• Understanding and connecting with your audience
• Techniques for effective handling of Q&A sessions
• Ways to gain buy-in and influence your audience
• Strategies for online communications, webinars, podcasts, Zoom platforms, etc.

This public speaking course is offered as a two-day on-campus program in our state-of-the-art classroom space in the heart of historic Harvard University. Program tuition is $2,990 plus the cost of travel.

Considering this program?

Send yourself the details.

Related Programs

• Effective Organizational Communication
• Influence and Persuasion in Leadership
• Becoming a Leader: Developing Your Style and Making Sound Decisions

July Schedule

• Communication Overview
• Honing Your Personal Communication Style
• Developing Audience Centered Content
• Presentations
• Strategies for Online Communications
• Leadership Communication Model

December Schedule

Jill abruzese slye, certificates of leadership excellence.

The Certificates of Leadership Excellence (CLE) are designed for leaders with the desire to enhance their business acumen, challenge current thinking, and expand their leadership skills.

This program is one of several CLE qualifying programs. Register today and get started earning your certificate.

How will this program help me improve my public speaking skills?

This program will help you improve your public speaking skills through hands-on practice of communication techniques and new approaches. As part of the program, you will engage in group exercises and oral presentations where you will receive feedback from the instructor and your peers to help you improve your skills in real time.

How will improving public speaking help me advance my career?

Public speaking is an important skill for any business professional, regardless of industry or role. To advance your career, you must possess the ability to convey your message with clarity and lead group discussions with confidence, regardless of the specific situation. Developing the techniques and strategies to communicate effectively will help build trust in your leadership skills more broadly.

What skills or experience is needed before enrolling in this program?

Participants do not need any specific experience or skills to enroll in this program. It is open to any business professional interested in improving their public speaking skills and their ability to communicate effectively and persuasively.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Oct 15, 2014

8.01k likes | 16.39k Views

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. AGENDA. What is communication Filters in communication Effective communication Barriers to communication Listening vs Hearing Communication styles Communication with DISC styles. COMMUNICATION.

Share Presentation

• communication
• influence styles
• steadiness styles
• dominance styles
• influence styles focus
• make eye contact adjust

Presentation Transcript

AGENDA • What is communication • Filters in communication • Effective communication • Barriers to communication • Listening vs Hearing • Communication styles • Communication with DISC styles

COMMUNICATION • We all must use a variety of communication techniques to both understand and understood. • and who is better In speech than He who [says: "My Lord is Allâh (believes In his Oneness)," and Then stands Straight (acts upon his Order), and] invites (men) to Allâh's (Islâmic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims.“41VS33

COMMUNICATION O You who believe! keep Your duty to Allâh and fear him, and speak (Always) the truth. He will direct You to do righteous good deeds and will forgive You Your sins. and Whosoever obeys Allâh and his Messenger (Sal-Allaahu 'alayheWaSallam) He has indeed achieved a great achievement (i.e. He will be saved from the Hell-fire and made to enter Paradise). Ahzab vs 70-71 SuratulHujurat vs 6

COMMUNICATION “Thesinglebiggestproblemin communication is the illusion that it has taken place” What if communication werenot possible? Frustration and Chaos!

ACTIVITY Think of a recent example in which you were involved in a miscommunication and answer the following questions: 1. Why did the miscommunication occur? 2. What impact did it have? 3. If you had a chance to do it over again, what specifically would you do differently?

Do You Know? • An average person spends 50% of his or her time communicating? • Business success is 85% dependent on effective communication and interpersonal skills? • 45% of time spent communicating is listening? • Writing represents 9% of communication time? • 25% of all workplace mistakes are the result of poor communication? • A remarkable 75% of communication is non-verbal?

What is Communication? QUIZ: 1, 2, NEITHER, BOTH • A process where information is exchanged between at least two people resulting in a common understanding 2. The successful transfer of information in such a way that is received, understood and correctly acted upon

Goals of Communication • To change behavior • To get action • To persuade • To ensure understanding

Types of Communication • Mass Communication • One-to-One Communication • One-to-Group Communication • Verbal Communication • Non-Verbal Communication

Component of Communication • Verbal Communication • Vocal communication • Non-verbal communication

Filters in Communication • Filters’representourperceptionsof everythingweencounterandare basedonthesumtotal of whoweare • Filters impact: • How we see others, • How we Interpret situations • How we act and feel • “We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.”

Features of Effective Communication • Active Listening • Eye contact • Posture • Simple language • Questioning skills

Barriers to Communication

Listening VS Hearing • Hearing – Physical process, natural, passive • Listening – - Physical as well as mental process, active, • - learned process, a skill • Listening is hard. You must choose to participate in the process of listening.

Active Listening The process of recognizing, understanding, and accurately interpreting communicated messages and responding to spoken and/or nonverbal messages. • Steps to Effective Listening: - Hearing, - Interpretation (clear your mind) • Evaluation - Respond (Give Verbal and non Verbal acknowledgement) • Make eye contact - Adjust your body posture • Avoid distracting behaviours (you can’t multitask)

Roadblocks to Active Listening • Emotional Interference • Defensiveness • Hearing only facts and not feelings • Not Seeking clarification • Hearing what is expected instead of what is said • The ‘halo’ effect (i.e., the tendency for something to be influenced by a loosely associated factor) • Automatic dismissal (e.g., “We’ve never done it that way before”) • Resistance to change

Communication Variables • Differences between sender and receiver - Attitudes - Information levels - Communication skills - Social systems - Sensory channel • Differences in previous experiences • Cultural differences • Differences in communication styles

Communication Styles

Dominant Style • Value control. • Driven by a strong inner need to lead/achieve results. • Take-charge people who seek to reach goals. • Focus on results rather than process. • Tend to downplay feelings and emotions. • Sometimes viewed as “unfeeling

Influence Style • Crave action and an energetic pace. • Seek opportunities to “shine” or to be “on stage.” • Relationships take priority over tasks. • Focus is on outcomes. • Try to influence others with optimism and friendliness. • Recognition and approval are strong motivators

Steadiness Style… • Easy going and relationship focused. • Value security. • Work to maintain stable relationships/environments. • Find change difficult. • Reliable and good at follow- through. • Appreciate respect from others. • Value others’ respect of them

Conscientious • Goal-oriented; driven to be precise and controlled. • Can seem uncomfortable at expressing or dealing with emotions. • Logical thinkers who value accuracy and organization. • Like to think through tasks before starting. • Feel a need to do things themselves. • Perfectionists and strong desire for things to be “right

Think About it… When we work with people whose natural communication style is different than our own, what are the potential conflicts?

Communicating with Dominance StylesFocus on the Fact First! So you … • support, guide, maintain self esteem • display reasoning • provide concise data • agree on goal, then get out of the way • allow them to “do their own thing” • modify workload focus • compliment on achievements • set parameters, let them take lead • argue with facts, not emotion Dominance Styles… • are concerned with being #1 • think logically • want facts and highlights • strive for results • like changes • prefer to delegate • want notice of accomplishments • need to be in charge • reflect a tendency toward conflict

Communicating with Influence StylesFocus on the Relationship First! So you … • show them you admire/like them • be optimistic/upbeat setting • support their feelings • focus on big picture • interact/participate with them • vary routine • compliment them often • do it together • avoid arguing on a personal basis • keep up a fast, lively pace • provide positive feedback Influence Styles… • are concerned with approval • seek enthusiastic situations • think emotionally • want general expectations • need contact with people • like change/innovation • want others to notice them • need help getting organized • dislike conflict • like action and stimulation • want feedback that they look good

Communicating with Steadiness StylesFocus on the Relationship First! So you … • show how to minimize risk • show reasoning • provide data, proof • demonstrate personal interest • walk through instructions • compliment steady follow-thru • give personal assurances • act non-aggressively • allow them to support others • provide friendly atmosphere • provide cooperative group • acknowledge their help/manner Steadiness Styles… • are concerned with stability • think logically • want documentation/facts • like personal involvement • need step-by-step sequence • want notice of perseverance • avoid risks/changes • dislike conflict • accommodate others • like calmness/peace • enjoy teamwork • want to be appreciated

Communicating with Conscientious StylesFocus on the Fact First! So you … • use an indirect, non-threatening approach • show reasoning • give it in writing • provide explanation/rationale • allow them to think, inquire, check • compliment them on thoroughness • let them assess/be involved in process • use tact to gain clarification/assistance • allow time to find “correct” answer • tell them the “why” and “how” Steadiness Styles… • think logically • seek data • need to know the process • use caution • want notice of their accuracy • gravitate toward quality control • avoid conflict • need to be right • like to contemplate • do not like aggressive approaches

Summary • What is Communication? • Barriers to communication • Communication filters • Listening vs Hearing • Communication Styles • Communicating with DiSC Styles

• More by User

Effective Communication

Effective Communication. Your Key to Professional Success. How Important is Communication?. Employers hire effective communicators Survey of Fortune 500 executives links communication skills to business success. Planning Your Purpose. General Purpose Entertain Inform Persuade

927 views • 25 slides

Effective Communication. Creating a Friendly Environment. Promoting a free flow of information Skilled at expressing disagreement Accepting positive and negative feedback. Evidence that the message was sent. Message sent. Message received. Evidence that message

531 views • 9 slides

Effective Communication. Verbal and Non Verbal Communication. What is verbal communication?. What is non- verbal communication?. Verbal Communication. Is that all?. What about written communication?. References.

609 views • 8 slides

Effective Communication. Human Resources Management and Supervision. OH 2- 1. Communication. Define communication- Process by which information is exchanged Forms of communication: talking, listening, body language, writing

952 views • 34 slides

Effective Communication:

Effective Communication:. Helping Parents Find Their Voice Stephen J. Bavolek, Ph.D. Author of the Nurturing Parenting Programs ®. Focus of the Training. Adult Learning Strategies Empowerment Communication. Adult Learning Strategies. Andragogy:

1.02k views • 54 slides

Effective Communication. Achieving Success Through Effective Business Communication. Learning Objectives. Learn why communication matters Identify skills today’s employers expect Learn the audience-centered approach Assess the communication process Review communication technology

1.02k views • 42 slides

Effective Communication. Advanced Health Science. Communication. Communication is the exchange of information, ideas, feelings, and thoughts. Communication helps us know what the needs of others are and how to meet those needs.

1.16k views • 39 slides

Effective Communication. Session outcomes. Analyse effective communication strategies and the role it plays in conveying the overall vision, mission and strategy Assess the effectiveness of their own communication within their organisation

973 views • 28 slides

Effective Communication. Why do we need to study communication?. Why do we need to study communication?. We are communicating all the time; communication permeates our lives. Very important in every facets of our lives; effective communication helps us to perform at our best.

587 views • 23 slides

Effective Communication. Listening. Listening Skills. ‘To pay attention / Make an effort to hear another person’ Without effective listening, there is no communication. Skills. Show interest & concern Maintain eye contact Avoid interrupting Eliminate distractions Ask for clarification

420 views • 3 slides

Effective Communication. Objectives. A2 Acquire Skills for Improving Learning A:A2.2 Demonstrate how effort and persistence positively affect learning A:A2.3 Use communications skills to know when and how to ask for help when needed

389 views • 11 slides

Effective Communication. Life Skills . Goal. Analyze Effective Communication Practice Communicating Effectively. Activity #1. Find a Partner Recorder Write down the list of words as provided by your partner in the order of how they say them . Speaker

635 views • 21 slides

Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) Prepared: October 13, 2008. Effective Communication. Credential of Competency Standard # 6: Language. Pennsylvania’s Commitment to Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

907 views • 60 slides

Effective communication

Effective communication. Presented by Jacquelyn Thorp Kinworthy, SPHR-CA. Objectives. What are your objectives for today?. COMMUNICATION STYLES.

1.09k views • 43 slides

Effective Communication. Without communication skills we are unable to let others know what we think, feel, or want to accomplish. We are unable to build partnerships, motivate others, or resolve conflict. . Communication: exchange of information, thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Verbal .

608 views • 35 slides

Effective Communication. The key to fostering clarity, creativity and cohesion. Workshop Objectives. Define communication Identify why we communicate Discuss the fundamental elements and concepts which support effective communication Present the concepts of whole and partial messages

514 views • 41 slides

643 views • 39 slides

Effective Communication. Positive way to get your message across (talking and listening) both verbal and nonverbal. Written by Barbara Mackessy. Voice Quality. A person's vocal quality tells a message that is independent of the words spoken.

1.25k views • 35 slides

Effective Communication. What sort of SPEAKER are you?. Deirdre Russell-Bowie. Overview. What sort of a SPEAKER are you? S elf Confidence P osture E nthusiasm A ids K now your subject E ngage your students R eview for feedback. S elf Confidence. Breathing Relaxation

351 views • 18 slides

The Art of Effective Communication

Got any suggestions?

We want to hear from you! Send us a message and help improve Slidesgo

Top searches

Trending searches

teacher appreciation

11 templates

tropical rainforest

29 templates

46 templates

pediatrician

27 templates

spring season

34 templates

23 templates

Communication Presentation templates

When we use the word "communication", we can be referring to many things. good or bad communication as a social skill, exchanging information between one or more people or we can also be alluding to the media such as television or radio that are responsible for transmitting the information. well, we have something to communicate to you: we have a set of google slides themes and powerpoint templates for these types of communication and many others..

Telecom Towers Theme

Download the "Telecom Towers Theme" presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by using different graphic resources....

Digital Citizenship

Download the "Digital Citizenship" presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by using different graphic resources. You...

Premium template

Unlock this template and gain unlimited access

Public Speaking Academy

With around 75% of the world’s population being afraid of public speaking, it is ranked as the number one fear in humans! Luckily, your public speaking academy is here to significantly reduce that number. And you won’t be bothering with useless “Imagine your audience not wearing clothes” tips either, but...

Media and Communications Thesis

Are you about to finish your dissertation on Media and Communications? Prepare your thesis defense using this presentation. It includes a lot of illustrations over a teal background. Explain your objectives, methodology, results and conclusions and edit the pie charts, tables and infographics that we offer.

Brutalist Visual Communications Portfolio

Are you looking for a way of making your works as a visual communicator reach new audiences, clients and recruiters? Slidesgo has a solution for you: this brutalist design! Well, it surely will have a brutal impact on everyone who reads it, but as you probably already know, brutalism is...

Cross Cultural Communication Master's Degree

Communication can be the bridge that connects different cultures. This has a name: cross-cultural communication! Although if we start from the idea that every culture is a different way of conceiving the world, how does communication happen? Enter the exciting world of cross-cultural communication with a master's degree about it,...

Food and Beverage Office Gathering

Download the "Food and Beverage Office Gathering" presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides. Gone are the days of dreary, unproductive meetings. Check out this sophisticated solution that offers you an innovative approach to planning and implementing meetings! Detailed yet simplified, this template ensures everyone is on the same page, contributing...

Effective Communications Meeting

You've been told that there will be a meeting next Friday. There's still time to create a slideshow in which you can detail the objectives of such meeting, along with a report of your project and other essential information. Fear not, this new template is quite the eye-catching one. Actually,...

Career Technical Subject for Middle School - 6th Grade: Arts, Audio-Visual Technology, and Communications

Technology is the future. However, without incredible human creators behind it, its use would not be possible. Behind technological tools, such as audiovisual content creation or graphic design, there is a great mind with a great imagination. Indeed, if you are a creative person, with a constant desire to create...

Mastering the Basics of Communication for College

Good communication is the ticket that will get you where you want to go. With this template you can prepare a workshop to prepare students to up their communication game at university. Take advice from the best orators in the world and sum up their tips in these editable slides!...

Building Positive Relationships and Conflict Resolution - 3rd Grade

Download the "Building Positive Relationships and Conflict Resolution - 3rd Grade" presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and easily edit it to fit your own lesson plan! Designed specifically for elementary school education, this eye-catching design features engaging graphics and age-appropriate fonts; elements that capture the students' attention and make...

Communications Major for College: Print Journalism

Newspapers never go out of style, so if you like journalism you might be interested in this area of communication: print journalism! With this formal template of gray and red slides you can speak about the content of this interesting major like what it is about, how it is organized,...

Healthy Relationships and Communication Skills - 5th Grade

Download the "Healthy Relationships and Communication Skills - 5th Grade" presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and easily edit it to fit your own lesson plan! Designed specifically for elementary school education, this eye-catching design features engaging graphics and age-appropriate fonts; elements that capture the students' attention and make the...

Business Meeting to Improve Communication Skills

Communication is a key soft skill, and this template provides a fantastic way to deliver some lessons on how to improve them in the context of a business meeting. Its clean and friendly design makes every slide attractive and uncluttered, and the upbeat illustrations and photos of people communicating in...

Healthy Relationships and Communication Skills - 11th Grade

Download the "Healthy Relationships and Communication Skills - 11th Grade" presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides. High school students are approaching adulthood, and therefore, this template’s design reflects the mature nature of their education. Customize the well-defined sections, integrate multimedia and interactive elements and allow space for research or group...

Language Arts Subject for Middle School: Communication and its Elements

Communication is not only about speaking, there are many aspects involved to make communication possible. Do you know them all? Present communication and its elements for your next language arts subject for middle school! What kinds of communication are there, what are its elements, what factors affect them, what gaps...

Pictograms for Communication with Children

Download the "Pictograms for Communication with Children" presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by using different...

Social Skills Subject for Pre-K: Communicating Needs

Communication is the key to success in any human interaction. If from the time we go to preschool we learn to express what we feel and to communicate to others what we need, we will develop good social skills. And this template is specially created for that. Teach a fun...

• Page 1 of 16

New! Make quick presentations with AI

Slidesgo AI presentation maker puts the power of design and creativity in your hands, so you can effortlessly craft stunning slideshows in minutes.

Register for free and start editing online

Insights on the Distribution of Nonverbal and Verbal Oral Presentation Skills in an Educational Institution

• Original Research
• Published: 25 April 2024
• Volume 5 , article number  491 , ( 2024 )

Cite this article

• Federico Domínguez   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3655-2179 1 , 2 ,
• Leonardo Eras 1 &
• Adriana Collaguazo 2  

10 Altmetric

Explore all metrics

Developing effective oral presentation skills is crucial for new graduates in today’s competitive job market. Consequently, procuring the effective development of these skills in students is an essential task for higher education institutions (HEIs). We developed a technological solution that facilitates basic oral presentation skills learning by providing automatic and immediate feedback using machine learning algorithms on audiovisual recordings of oral presentations. We have been using this tool since 2017 to measure and aid learning of verbal, nonverbal, and visual oral presentation skills at our university and, by using the resulting data corpus, developed a methodology to accurately detect and evaluate two key nonverbal features of an oral presentation: posture and gaze. This article presents this methodology and shares the insights gleaned by comparing it with verbal features (filled pauses and voice volume) from more than 2000 different students across all study programs at our university. Preliminary results provide a glimpse of the prevalence and distribution of verbal and nonverbal oral presentation skills across several demographic variables. Statistically significant patterns point to possible differences between genders in verbal communication skills and nonverbal oral communication deficiencies in engineering programs at our HEI, highlighting the potential of our methodology to serve as a diagnostic tool for communication skills learning strategies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Data Availability

Unedited, unprocessed recordings of oral presentations can not be disseminated or published in accordance with Ecuador’s Personal Data Protection Law. Anonymized, processed data (postures, number of filled pauses, etc.) may be shared upon request and after internal review.

Trilling B, Fadel C. 21st century skills: Learning for life in our times. San Francisco, CA: Wiley; 2009.

Google Scholar  

Ginkel S, Gulikers J, Biemans H, Mulder M. Towards a set of design principles for developing oral presentation competence: a synthesis of research in higher education. Educ Res Rev. 2015;14:62–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2015.02.002 .

Article   Google Scholar  

De Grez L, Valcke M, Roozen I. The impact of goal orientation, self-reflection and personal characteristics on the acquisition of oral presentation skills. Eur J Psychol Educ XXIV. 2009;293–306.

De Grez L, Valcke M. Learning and instruction of oral presentation skills. Education in a competitive and globalizing world. In: Handbook of curriculum development. 2010. pp. 177–208.

Ochoa X, Dominguez F. Controlled evaluation of a multimodal system to improve oral presentation skills in a real learning setting. Br J Educ Technol. 2020;51(5):1615–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12987 .

Ginkel S, Gulikers J, Biemans H, Noroozi O, Roozen M, Bos T, Tilborg R, Halteren M, Mulder M. Fostering oral presentation competence through a virtual reality-based task for delivering feedback. Comput Educ. 2019;134(July 2017):78–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.02.006 .

Ochoa X, Domínguez F, Guamán B, Maya R, Falcones G, Castells J. The RAP system: automatic feedback of oral presentation skills using multimodal analysis and low-cost sensors. In: LAK’18: international conference on learning analytics and knowledge. Sydney: ACM; 2018; pp. 360–364. https://doi.org/10.1145/3170358.3170406 .

Domínguez F, Ochoa X, Zambrano D, Camacho K, Castells J. Scaling and adopting a multimodal learning analytics application in an institution-wide setting. IEEE Trans Learn Technol. 2021;14(3):400–14. https://doi.org/10.1109/TLT.2021.3100778 .

Domínguez F, Eras L, Tomalá J, Collaguazo A. Estimating the distribution of oral presentation skills in an educational institution: a novel methodology. In: International conference on computer supported education, CSEDU - proceedings, vol. 2. SCITEPRESS, Prague; 2023. pp. 39–46. https://doi.org/10.5220/0011853900003470 .

Gong W, Zhang X, González J, Sobral A, Bouwmans T, Tu C, Zahzah E-h. Human pose estimation from monocular images: a comprehensive survey. Sensors. 2016. https://doi.org/10.3390/s16121966 .

Tran TH, Nguyen DT, Phuong Nguyen T. Human posture classification from multiple viewpoints and application for fall detection. In: 2020 IEEE eighth international conference on communications and electronics (ICCE). Phu Quoc Island: IEEE; 2021. pp. 262–267. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCE48956.2021.9352140

Hasib R, Khan KN, Yu M, Khan MS. Vision-based human posture classification and fall detection using convolutional neural network. In: 2021 international conference on artificial intelligence, ICAI 2021, Islamabad, Pakistan; 2021. pp. 74–79. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICAI52203.2021.9445263 .

Ren W, Ma O, Ji H, Liu X. Human posture recognition using a hybrid of fuzzy logic and machine learning approaches. IEEE Access. 2020;8:135628–39. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3011697 .

Liu W, Liu X, Hu Y, Shi J, Chen X, Zhao J, Wang S, Hu Q. Fall detection for shipboard seafarers based on optimized BlazePose and LSTM. Sensors. 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22145449 .

Hung JS, Liu PL, Chang CC. A deep learning-based approach for human posture classification. In: MSIE 2020: proceedings of the 2020 2nd international conference on management science and industrial engineering. Osaka: ACM; 2020. pp. 171–175. https://doi.org/10.1145/3396743.3396763 .

Wang J, Tan S, Zhen X, Xu S, Zheng F, He Z, Shao L. Deep 3d human pose estimation: a review. Comput Vis Image Understand. 2021;210: 103225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cviu.2021.103225 .

Samkari E, Arif M, Alghamdi M, Al Ghamdi MA. Human pose estimation using deep learning: a systematic literature review. Mach Learn Knowl Extract. 2023;5(4):1612–59. https://doi.org/10.3390/make5040081 .

Lo Presti L, La Cascia M. 3d skeleton-based human action classification: a survey. Pattern Recogn. 2016;53:130–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.patcog.2015.11.019 .

Boualia SN, Essoukri Ben Amara N. Pose-based human activity recognition: a review. In: 2019 15th international wireless communications & mobile computing conference (IWCMC). 2019. pp. 1468–1475. https://doi.org/10.1109/IWCMC.2019.8766694

Ullah HA, Letchmunan S, Zia MS, Butt UM, Hassan FH. Analysis of deep neural networks for human activity recognition in videos-a systematic literature review. IEEE Access. 2021;9:126366–87. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3110610 .

Sun K, Xiao B, Liu D, Wang J. Deep high-resolution representation learning for human pose estimation. In: Proceedings of the IEEE/CVF conference on computer vision and pattern recognition (CVPR). Long Beach: IEEE; 2019. pp. 5693–5703. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262181

Sigal L. Human pose estimation. In: Ikeuchi, K. (ed.) Computer vision. Chap. Human pose. Springer, Boston; 2014. pp. 362–370. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-31439-6_584 .

Andriluka M, Pishchulin L, Gehler P, Schiele B. 2D human pose estimation: new benchmark and state of the art analysis. 2014. pp. 3686–3693. https://doi.org/10.1109/CVPR.2014.471 .

Mroz S, Baddour N, McGuirk C, Juneau P, Tu A, Cheung K, Lemaire E. Comparing the quality of human pose estimation with BlazePose or OpenPose. 2021. pp. 1–4 https://doi.org/10.1109/BioSMART54244.2021.9677850 .

Bazarevsky V, Grishchenko I, Raveendran K, Zhu T, Zhang F, Grundmann M. BlazePose: on-device real-time body pose tracking. In: Fourth workshop on computer vision for AR/VR, Seattle, WA, USA. 2020. https://doi.org/10.48550/ARXIV.2006.10204 . http://arxiv.org/abs/2006.10204 .

Cao Z, Hidalgo G, Simon T, Wei S-E, Sheikh Y. OpenPose: realtime multi-person 2D pose estimation using part affinity fields. IEEE Trans Pattern Anal Mach Intell. 2019;43(1):172–86. https://doi.org/10.1109/CVPR.2017.143 .

Toshev A, Szegedy C. Deeppose: human pose estimation via deep neural networks. In: 2014 IEEE conference on computer vision and pattern recognition. 2014. pp. 1653–1660. https://doi.org/10.1109/CVPR.2014.214 .

Shamsafar F, Ebrahimnezhad H. Understanding holistic human pose using class-specific convolutional neural network. Multimed Tools Appl. 2018;77(18):23193–225. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-018-5617-1 .

Liu Z, Chen H, Feng R, Wu S, Ji S, Yang B, Wang X. Deep dual consecutive network for human pose estimation. In: Proceedings of the IEEE/CVF conference on computer vision and pattern recognition (CVPR). 2021. pp. 525–534.

Zhang F, Zhu X, Dai H, Ye M, Zhu C. Distribution-aware coordinate representation for human pose estimation. In: 2020 IEEE/CVF conference on computer vision and pattern recognition (CVPR). 2020. pp. 7091–7100. https://doi.org/10.1109/CVPR42600.2020.00712 .

Ding Z, Li W, Yang J, Ogunbona P, Qin L. An attention-based CNN for automatic whole-body postural assessment. Expert Syst Appl. 2024;238: 122391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2023.122391 .

Kilbas I, Gribanov D, Paringer R. A neural network based algorithm for classification of sets of human body keypoints. In: 2022 VIII international conference on information technology and nanotechnology (ITNT). 2022. pp. 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1109/ITNT55410.2022.9848751 .

Ogundokun RO, Maskeliunas R, Misra S, Damasevicius R. A novel deep transfer learning approach based on depth-wise separable cnn for human posture detection. Information. 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/info13110520 .

Rahayu ES, Yuniarno EM, Purnama IKE, Purnomo MH. Human activity classification using deep learning based on 3d motion feature. Mach Learn Appl. 2023;12: 100461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mlwa.2023.100461 .

Cob-Parro AC, Losada-Gutiérrez C, Marrón-Romera M, Gardel-Vicente A, Bravo-Muñoz I. A new framework for deep learning video based human action recognition on the edge. Expert Syst Appl. 2024;238: 122220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2023.122220 .

Womack K, McCoy W, Alm CO, Calvelli C, Pelz JB, Shi P, Haake A. Disfluencies as extra-propositional indicators of cognitive processing. In: Proceedings of the workshop on extra-propositional aspects of meaning in computational linguistics. 2012. pp. 1–9.

Machuca María J, Joaquim Llisterri AR. Las pausas sonoras y los alargamientos en español: Un estudio preliminar. Revista Normas. 2015;5:81–96.

Clark HH, Fox Tree JE. Using uh and um in spontaneous speaking. Cognition. 2002;84(1):73–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0010-0277(02)00017-3 .

Romana A, Koishida K. Toward a multimodal approach for disfluency detection and categorization. In: ICASSP 2023–2023 IEEE international conference on acoustics, speech and signal processing (ICASSP). 2023. pp. 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICASSP49357.2023.10095629 .

Pravin SC, Elias S, Rohith G, Sivaraman VB, Asnath Victy Phamila Y. Disfluency assessment using deep super learners. IEEE Access. 2024. pp. 1–1. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3356350 .

Zhu G, Caceres J-P, Salamon J. Filler word detection and classification: a dataset and benchmark. arXiv preprint 2022. arXiv:2203.15135 .

Boersma P, Weenink D. Praat: doing phonetics by computer [Computer program]. 2023.

Contently: Videojs Annotation Comments. 2022 https://contently.github.io/videojs-annotation-comments/ . Accessed 31 Oct 2022.

Chicco D, Tötsch N, Jurman G. The matthews correlation coefficient (mcc) is more reliable than balanced accuracy, bookmaker informedness, and markedness in two-class confusion matrix evaluation. BioData Min. 2021;14(1):1–22.

Gordon RA, Druckman D, Rozelle RM, Baxter JC. Non-verbal behaviour as communication. In: Hargie, O. (ed.) The handbook of communication skills. Abingdon: Routledge; 2006. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203007037.ch3 .

Dittmann A. The role of body movement in communication. In: Siegman, A., Feldstein, S. (eds.) Nonverbal behavior and communication, 2nd edn. Hillsdale: Psychology Press; 1987. pp. 37–64. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412963947.n345 .

Bull P. Posture & gesture. Oxford: Elsevier Science; 1987.

Sheth T. Non-verbal communication: a significant aspect of proficient occupation. J Hum Soc Sci. 2017;22(11):69–72. https://doi.org/10.9790/0837-2211066972 .

Gósy M. Occurrences and durations of filled pauses in relation to words and silent pauses in spontaneous speech. Lang. 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8010079 .

Lo JJH. Between Äh(m) and Euh(m): the distribution and realization of filled pauses in the speech of German–French simultaneous bilinguals. Lang Speech. 2020;63(4):746–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/0023830919890068 .

Peeters MJ, Sahloff EG, Stone GE. A standardized rubric to evaluate student presentations. Am J Pharm Educ. 2010;74(9):1–8. https://doi.org/10.5688/aj7409171 .

Audhkhasi K, Kandhway K, Deshmukh OD, Verma A. Formant-based technique for automatic filled-pause detection in spontaneous spoken english. In: 2009 IEEE international conference on acoustics, speech and signal processing. IEEE; 2009. pp. 4857–4860.

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Fernando Campaña, Karen Bermúdez, Kelly Castro, Karina Ortega, Ricardo Salazar, and Juan Francisco Quimi for their invaluable help during the execution of this project.

This study received no funding.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Information Technology Center, Escuela Superior Politécnica Del Litoral, ESPOL, Guayaquil, Ecuador

Federico Domínguez & Leonardo Eras

Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Guayaquil, Ecuador

Federico Domínguez & Adriana Collaguazo

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

FD contributed with overall direction of the study, posture detection and classification methodology, and data analysis. LE contributed with technological infrastructure development and gaze detection and classification methodology. AC contributed with data analysis and discussion of insights.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Federico Domínguez .

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest.

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no Conflict of interest.

Research involving humans or animals

This research study was conducted retrospectively using data acquired prior to the enactment of Ecuador’s Personal Data Protection Law in 2021. Consequently, after consulting with ESPOL University’s ethical committee, it was determined that no ethical approval was required. This research did not involve any animals.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Publisher's note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This article is part of the topical collection “Recent Trends on Computer Supported Education” guest edited by James Uhomoibhi, Bruce M. McLaren, Jelena Jovanovic and Irene-Angelica Chounta.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Domínguez, F., Eras, L. & Collaguazo, A. Insights on the Distribution of Nonverbal and Verbal Oral Presentation Skills in an Educational Institution. SN COMPUT. SCI. 5 , 491 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42979-024-02785-6

Download citation

Received : 03 November 2023

Accepted : 09 March 2024

Published : 25 April 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s42979-024-02785-6

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Oral presentation skills
• Human pose identification
• Feedforward neural network
• Filled pauses
• Automatic presentation feedback

Advertisement

• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research