definition of use presentation

• PRESENTATION SKILLS

What is a Presentation?

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Presentation Skills:

• A - Z List of Presentation Skills
• Top Tips for Effective Presentations
• General Presentation Skills
• 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

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The formal presentation of information is divided into two broad categories: Presentation Skills and Personal Presentation .

These two aspects are interwoven and can be described as the preparation, presentation and practice of verbal and non-verbal communication. 

This article describes what a presentation is and defines some of the key terms associated with presentation skills.

Many people feel terrified when asked to make their first public talk.  Some of these initial fears can be reduced by good preparation that also lays the groundwork for making an effective presentation.

A Presentation Is...

A presentation is a means of communication that can be adapted to various speaking situations, such as talking to a group, addressing a meeting or briefing a team.

A presentation can also be used as a broad term that encompasses other ‘speaking engagements’ such as making a speech at a wedding, or getting a point across in a video conference.

To be effective, step-by-step preparation and the method and means of presenting the information should be carefully considered. 

A presentation requires you to get a message across to the listeners and will often contain a ' persuasive ' element. It may, for example, be a talk about the positive work of your organisation, what you could offer an employer, or why you should receive additional funding for a project.

The Key Elements of a Presentation

Making a presentation is a way of communicating your thoughts and ideas to an audience and many of our articles on communication are also relevant here, see: What is Communication? for more.

Consider the following key components of a presentation:

Ask yourself the following questions to develop a full understanding of the context of the presentation.

When and where will you deliver your presentation?

There is a world of difference between a small room with natural light and an informal setting, and a huge lecture room, lit with stage lights. The two require quite different presentations, and different techniques.

Will it be in a setting you are familiar with, or somewhere new?

If somewhere new, it would be worth trying to visit it in advance, or at least arriving early, to familiarise yourself with the room.

Will the presentation be within a formal or less formal setting?

A work setting will, more or less by definition, be more formal, but there are also various degrees of formality within that.

Will the presentation be to a small group or a large crowd?

Are you already familiar with the audience?

With a new audience, you will have to build rapport quickly and effectively, to get them on your side.

What equipment and technology will be available to you, and what will you be expected to use?

In particular, you will need to ask about microphones and whether you will be expected to stand in one place, or move around.

What is the audience expecting to learn from you and your presentation?

Check how you will be ‘billed’ to give you clues as to what information needs to be included in your presentation.

All these aspects will change the presentation. For more on this, see our page on Deciding the Presentation Method .

The role of the presenter is to communicate with the audience and control the presentation.

Remember, though, that this may also include handing over the control to your audience, especially if you want some kind of interaction.

You may wish to have a look at our page on Facilitation Skills for more.

The audience receives the presenter’s message(s).

However, this reception will be filtered through and affected by such things as the listener’s own experience, knowledge and personal sense of values.

See our page: Barriers to Effective Communication to learn why communication can fail.

The message or messages are delivered by the presenter to the audience.

The message is delivered not just by the spoken word ( verbal communication ) but can be augmented by techniques such as voice projection, body language, gestures, eye contact ( non-verbal communication ), and visual aids.

The message will also be affected by the audience’s expectations. For example, if you have been billed as speaking on one particular topic, and you choose to speak on another, the audience is unlikely to take your message on board even if you present very well . They will judge your presentation a failure, because you have not met their expectations.

The audience’s reaction and therefore the success of the presentation will largely depend upon whether you, as presenter, effectively communicated your message, and whether it met their expectations.

As a presenter, you don’t control the audience’s expectations. What you can do is find out what they have been told about you by the conference organisers, and what they are expecting to hear. Only if you know that can you be confident of delivering something that will meet expectations.

See our page: Effective Speaking for more information.

How will the presentation be delivered?

Presentations are usually delivered direct to an audience.  However, there may be occasions where they are delivered from a distance over the Internet using video conferencing systems, such as Skype.

It is also important to remember that if your talk is recorded and posted on the internet, then people may be able to access it for several years. This will mean that your contemporaneous references should be kept to a minimum.

Impediments

Many factors can influence the effectiveness of how your message is communicated to the audience.

For example background noise or other distractions, an overly warm or cool room, or the time of day and state of audience alertness can all influence your audience’s level of concentration.

As presenter, you have to be prepared to cope with any such problems and try to keep your audience focussed on your message.   

Our page: Barriers to Communication explains these factors in more depth.

Continue to read through our Presentation Skills articles for an overview of how to prepare and structure a presentation, and how to manage notes and/or illustrations at any speaking event.

Continue to: Preparing for a Presentation Deciding the Presentation Method

See also: Writing Your Presentation | Working with Visual Aids Coping with Presentation Nerves | Dealing with Questions Learn Better Presentation Skills with TED Talks

Presentation

• Written By Gregg Rosenzweig
• Updated: November 8, 2023

We’re here to help you choose the most appropriate content types to fulfill your content strategy. In this series, we’re breaking down the most popular content types to their most basic fundamentals — simple definitions, clarity on formats, and plenty of examples — so you can start with a solid foundation.

What is a Presentation?

A communication device that relays a topic to an audience in the form of a slide show, demonstration, lecture, or speech, where words and pictures complement each other.

Why should you think of presentations as content?

The beauty of content creation is that almost anything can become a compelling piece of content . Just depends on the creativity used to convert it and the story that brings it to life.

The long and short of it

Although the length of a presentation in terms of time can depend on the overall approach (Are you talking a lot? Are you referring to the screen in detail or not?), consider the number of informational content slides when tallying the overall presentation length. For instance, don’t include title slides in your tally when conveying length to a content creator.

A general guide to presentation length:

• Short Form (5 content slides)
• Standard Form (10 content slides)
• Long Form (20+ content slides)

Popular use cases for presentations…

Let’s consider TED Talks for a minute: one of the best examples (bar none) of how words, pictures, and a narrative can make people care about something they otherwise might not.

These “talks” pre-date podcasts and blend a compelling use of language and imagery in presentation format to spread ideas in unique ways.

TED Talks have been viewed a billion-plus times worldwide (and counting) and are worth considering when it comes to how you might use video-presentation content to connect with your customers in creative, cool, new ways.

Business types:

Any company that has a pitch deck, executive summary , sales presentation, or any kind of internal document that can be repurposed into external-facing content pieces — without pain.

Presentation Examples – Short Form

Presentation Examples – Standard Form

Presentation Examples – Long Form

Understanding Content Quality in Examples

Our team has rated content type examples in three degrees of quality ( Good, Better, Best ) to help you better gauge resources needed for your content plan. In general, the degrees of content quality correspond to our three content levels ( General, Qualified, Expert ) based on the criteria below. Please consider there are multiple variables that could determine the cost, completion time, or content level for any content piece with a perceived degree of quality.

Impress your clients, co-workers, and leadership team with exceptional content for your next presentation, product demonstration, and more. If you need help getting your message across in a succinct, attention-grabbing, and persuasive way, talk to one of our content specialists today.

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presentation

Definition of presentation

• fairing [ British ]
• freebee
• largess

Examples of presentation in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'presentation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing presentation

• breech presentation

Dictionary Entries Near presentation

present arms

presentation copy

Cite this Entry

“Presentation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presentation. Accessed 21 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of presentation, medical definition, medical definition of presentation, more from merriam-webster on presentation.

Nglish: Translation of presentation for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of presentation for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about presentation

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

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

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

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

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6 presentation skills and how to improve them

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What are presentation skills?

The importance of presentation skills, 6 presentation skills examples, how to improve presentation skills.

Tips for dealing with presentation anxiety

Learn how to captivate an audience with ease

Capturing an audience’s attention takes practice. 

Over time, great presenters learn how to organize their speeches and captivate an audience from start to finish. They spark curiosity, know how to read a room , and understand what their audience needs to walk away feeling like they learned something valuable.

Regardless of your profession, you most likely use presentation skills on a monthly or even weekly basis. Maybe you lead brainstorming sessions or host client calls. 

Developing effective presentation skills makes it easier to contribute ideas with confidence and show others you’re someone to trust. Although speaking in front of a crowd sometimes brings nerves and anxiety , it also sparks new opportunities.

Presentation skills are the qualities and abilities you need to communicate ideas effectively and deliver a compelling speech. They influence how you structure a presentation and how an audience receives it. Understanding body language , creating impactful visual aids, and projecting your voice all fall under this umbrella.

A great presentation depends on more than what you say. It’s about how you say it. Storytelling , stage presence, and voice projection all shape how well you express your ideas and connect with the audience. These skills do take practice, but they’re worth developing — especially if public speaking makes you nervous. 

Engaging a crowd isn’t easy. You may feel anxious to step in front of an audience and have all eyes and ears on you.

But feeling that anxiety doesn’t mean your ideas aren’t worth sharing. Whether you’re giving an inspiring speech or delivering a monthly recap at work, your audience is there to listen to you. Harness that nervous energy and turn it into progress.

Strong presentation skills make it easier to convey your thoughts to audiences of all sizes. They can help you tell a compelling story, convince people of a pitch , or teach a group something entirely new to them. And when it comes to the workplace, the strength of your presentation skills could play a part in getting a promotion or contributing to a new initiative.

To fully understand the impact these skills have on creating a successful presentation, it’s helpful to look at each one individually. Here are six valuable skills you can develop:

1. Active listening

Active listening is an excellent communication skill for any professional to hone. When you have strong active listening skills, you can listen to others effectively and observe their nonverbal cues . This helps you assess whether or not your audience members are engaged in and understand what you’re sharing. 

Great public speakers use active listening to assess the audience’s reactions and adjust their speech if they find it lacks impact. Signs like slouching, negative facial expressions, and roaming eye contact are all signs to watch out for when giving a presentation.

2. Body language

If you’re researching presentation skills, chances are you’ve already watched a few notable speeches like TED Talks or industry seminars. And one thing you probably noticed is that speakers can capture attention with their body language. 

A mixture of eye contact, hand gestures , and purposeful pacing makes a presentation more interesting and engaging. If you stand in one spot and don’t move your body, the audience might zone out.

3. Stage presence

A great stage presence looks different for everyone. A comedian might aim for more movement and excitement, and a conference speaker might focus their energy on the content of their speech. Although neither is better than the other, both understand their strengths and their audience’s needs. 

Developing a stage presence involves finding your own unique communication style . Lean into your strengths, whether that’s adding an injection of humor or asking questions to make it interactive . To give a great presentation, you might even incorporate relevant props or presentation slides.

4. Storytelling

According to Forbes, audiences typically pay attention for about 10 minutes before tuning out . But you can lengthen their attention span by offering a presentation that interests them for longer. Include a narrative they’ll want to listen to, and tell a story as you go along. 

Shaping your content to follow a clear narrative can spark your audience’s curiosity and entice them to pay careful attention. You can use anecdotes from your personal or professional life that take your audience along through relevant moments. If you’re pitching a product, you can start with a problem and lead your audience through the stages of how your product provides a solution.

5. Voice projection

Although this skill may be obvious, you need your audience to hear what you’re saying. This can be challenging if you’re naturally soft-spoken and struggle to project your voice.

Remember to straighten your posture and take deep breaths before speaking, which will help you speak louder and fill the room. If you’re talking into a microphone or participating in a virtual meeting, you can use your regular conversational voice, but you still want to sound confident and self-assured with a strong tone.

If you’re unsure whether everyone can hear you, you can always ask the audience at the beginning of your speech and wait for confirmation. That way, they won’t have to potentially interrupt you later.

Ensuring everyone can hear you also includes your speed and annunciation. It’s easy to speak quickly when nervous, but try to slow down and pronounce every word. Mumbling can make your presentation difficult to understand and pay attention to.

6. Verbal communication 

Although verbal communication involves your projection and tone, it also covers the language and pacing you use to get your point across. This includes where you choose to place pauses in your speech or the tone you use to emphasize important ideas.

If you’re giving a presentation on collaboration in the workplace , you might start your speech by saying, “There’s something every workplace needs to succeed: teamwork.” By placing emphasis on the word “ teamwork ,” you give your audience a hint on what ideas will follow.

To further connect with your audience through diction, pay careful attention to who you’re speaking to. The way you talk to your colleagues might be different from how you speak to a group of superiors, even if you’re discussing the same subject. You might use more humor and a conversational tone for the former and more serious, formal diction for the latter.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses when it comes to presenting. Maybe you’re confident in your use of body language, but your voice projection needs work. Maybe you’re a great storyteller in small group settings, but need to work on your stage presence in front of larger crowds. 

The first step to improving presentation skills is pinpointing your gaps and determining which qualities to build upon first. Here are four tips for enhancing your presentation skills:

1. Build self-confidence

Confident people know how to speak with authority and share their ideas. Although feeling good about your presentation skills is easier said than done, building confidence is key to helping your audience believe in what you’re saying. Try practicing positive self-talk and continuously researching your topic's ins and outs.

If you don’t feel confident on the inside, fake it until you make it. Stand up straight, project your voice, and try your best to appear engaged and excited. Chances are, the audience doesn’t know you’re unsure of your skills — and they don’t need to.

Another tip is to lean into your slideshow, if you’re using one. Create something colorful and interesting so the audience’s eyes fall there instead of on you. And when you feel proud of your slideshow, you’ll be more eager to share it with others, bringing more energy to your presentation.

2. Watch other presentations

Developing the soft skills necessary for a good presentation can be challenging without seeing them in action. Watch as many as possible to become more familiar with public speaking skills and what makes a great presentation. You could attend events with keynote speakers or view past speeches on similar topics online.

Take a close look at how those presenters use verbal communication and body language to engage their audiences. Grab a notebook and jot down what you enjoyed and your main takeaways. Try to recall the techniques they used to emphasize their main points, whether they used pauses effectively, had interesting visual aids, or told a fascinating story.

3. Get in front of a crowd

You don’t need a large auditorium to practice public speaking. There are dozens of other ways to feel confident and develop good presentation skills.

If you’re a natural comedian, consider joining a small stand-up comedy club. If you’re an avid writer, participate in a public poetry reading. Even music and acting can help you feel more comfortable in front of a crowd.

If you’d rather keep it professional, you can still work on your presentation skills in the office. Challenge yourself to participate at least once in every team meeting, or plan and present a project to become more comfortable vocalizing your ideas. You could also speak to your manager about opportunities that flex your public speaking abilities.

4. Overcome fear

Many people experience feelings of fear before presenting in front of an audience, whether those feelings appear as a few butterflies or more severe anxiety. Try grounding yourself to shift your focus to the present moment. If you’re stuck dwelling on previous experiences that didn’t go well, use those mistakes as learning experiences and focus on what you can improve to do better in the future.

Tips for dealing with presentation anxiety 

It’s normal to feel nervous when sharing your ideas. In fact, according to a report from the Journal of Graduate Medical Education, public speaking anxiety is prevalent in 15–30% of the general population .

Even though having a fear of public speaking is common, it doesn’t make it easier. You might feel overwhelmed, become stiff, and forget what you were going to say. But although the moment might scare you, there are ways to overcome the fear and put mind over matter.

Use these tactics to reduce your stress when you have to make a presentation:

1. Practice breathing techniques

If you experience anxiety often, you’re probably familiar with breathing techniques for stress relief . Incorporating these exercises into your daily routine can help you stop worrying and regulate anxious feelings. 

Before a big presentation, take a moment alone to practice breathing techniques, ground yourself, and reduce tension. It’s also a good idea to take breaths throughout the presentation to speak slower and calm yourself down .

2. Get organized

The more organized you are, the more prepared you’ll feel. Carefully outline all of the critical information you want to use in your presentation, including your main talking points and visual aids, so you don’t forget anything. Use bullet points and visuals on each slide to remind you of what you want to talk about, and create handheld notes to help you stay on track.

3. Embrace moments of silence

It’s okay to lose your train of thought. It happens to even the most experienced public speakers once in a while. If your mind goes blank, don’t panic. Take a moment to breathe, gather your thoughts, and refer to your notes to see where you left off. You can drink some water or make a quick joke to ease the silence or regain your footing. And it’s okay to say, “Give me a moment while I find my notes.” Chances are, people understand the position you’re in.

4. Practice makes progress

Before presenting, rehearse in front of friends and family members you trust. This gives you the chance to work out any weak spots in your speech and become comfortable communicating out loud. If you want to go the extra mile, ask your makeshift audience to ask a surprise question. This tests your on-the-spot thinking and will prove that you can keep cool when things come up.

Whether you’re new to public speaking or are a seasoned presenter, you’re bound to make a few slip-ups. It happens to everyone. The most important thing is that you try your best, brush things off, and work on improving your skills to do better in your next presentation.

Although your job may require a different level of public speaking than your favorite TED Talk , developing presentation skills is handy in any profession. You can use presentation skills in a wide range of tasks in the workplace, whether you’re sharing your ideas with colleagues, expressing concerns to higher-ups, or pitching strategies to potential clients.

Remember to use active listening to read the room and engage your audience with an interesting narrative. Don’t forget to step outside your comfort zone once in a while and put your skills to practice in front of a crowd. After facing your fears, you’ll feel confident enough to put presentation skills on your resume.

If you’re trying to build your skills and become a better employee overall, try a communications coach with BetterUp. 

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

The 11 tips that will improve your public speaking skills

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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] .

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Business Jargons

A Business Encyclopedia

Presentation

Definition : A presentation is a form of communication in which the speaker conveys information to the audience. In an organization presentations are used in various scenarios like talking to a group, addressing a meeting, demonstrating or introducing a new product, or briefing a team. It involves presenting a particular subject or issue or new ideas/thoughts to a group of people.

It is considered as the most effective form of communication because of two main reasons:

• Use of non-verbal cues.
• Facilitates instant feedback.

Business Presentations are a tool to influence people toward an intended thought or action.

Parts of Presentation

• Introduction : It is meant to make the listeners ready to receive the message and draw their interest. For that, the speaker can narrate some story or a humorous piece of joke, an interesting fact, a question, stating a problem, and so forth. They can also use some surprising statistics.
• Body : It is the essence of the presentation. It requires the sequencing of facts in a logical order. This is the part where the speaker explains the topic and relevant information. It has to be critically arranged, as the audience must be able to grasp what the speaker presents.
• Conclusion : It needs to be short and precise. It should sum up or outline the key points that you have presented. It could also contain what the audience should have gained out of the presentation.

Purpose of Presentation

• To inform : Organizations can use presentations to inform the audience about new schemes, products or proposals. The aim is to inform the new entrant about the policies and procedures of the organization.
• To persuade : Presentations are also given to persuade the audience to take the intended action.
• To build goodwill : They can also help in building a good reputation

Factors Affecting Presentation

Audience Analysis

Communication environment, personal appearance, use of visuals, opening and closing presentation, organization of presentation, language and words, voice quality, body language, answering questions, a word from business jargons.

Presentation is a mode of conveying information to a selected group of people live. An ideal presentation is one that identifies and matches the needs, interests and understanding level of the audience. It also represents the facts, and figures in the form of tables, charts, and graphs and uses multiple colours.

Related terms:

• Verbal Communication
• Visual Communication
• Non-Verbal Communication
• Communication
• 7 C’s of Communication

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presentation

[ prez- uh n- tey -sh uh n , pree-zen- ]

• an act of presenting.
• the state of being presented.
• a social introduction, as of a person at court.
• an exhibition or performance, as of a play or film.
• offering, delivering, or bestowal, as of a gift.
• a demonstration, lecture, or welcoming speech.

His presentation was very poor.

• Commerce. the presentment of a bill, note, or the like.
• the position of the fetus in the uterus during labor.

a breech presentation.

• Ecclesiastical. the act or the right of presenting a member of the clergy to the bishop for institution to a benefice.

/ ˌprɛzənˈteɪʃən /

• the act of presenting or state of being presented

the presentation of the project is excellent but the content poor

his presentation of the facts was muddled

a presentation on the company results

• an offering or bestowal, as of a gift

a presentation copy of a book

• a performance or representation, as of a play
• the formal introduction of a person, as into society or at court; debut
• the act or right of nominating a clergyman to a benefice
• med the position of a baby relative to the birth canal at the time of birth
• commerce another word for presentment
• television linking material between programmes, such as announcements, trailers, or weather reports
• an archaic word for gift
• philosophy a sense datum
• often capital another name for (feast of) Candlemas

Discover More

Derived forms.

• ˌpresenˈtational , adjective

Other Words From

• nonpres·en·tation noun
• self-presen·tation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of presentation 1

Example Sentences

Look no further than those execs who have sat through online presentations outlining a more inclusive workplace only to have to go back to working in teams where they’re made to feel different.

The day of the presentation comes, and the ecommerce team gathers around, continuously nodding along with each slide.

In the questions-and-answer presentation on Wednesday, Palantir did not address the issue of voting power.

For repurposing, you can use four different formats, which are – video series, infographics, podcasts, and presentations.

This presentation will explain the ins and outs of the process as well as the need for older children who are looking for a home as well.

We were scoring it like the Olympics: presentation, technique.

Bogucki includes the leaflet in a Powerpoint presentation he has developed.

Her biggest surprise, she said, was realizing how much presentation and technical points mattered.

That may be partially because The Big Lebowski is their most nihilistic presentation.

One of the hottest tickets at the 2014 edition of Comic-Con, the annual nerd mecca in San Diego, was the Marvel presentation.

You were obliging enough to ask me to accept a presentation copy of your verses.

Nor was ever a better presentation made of the essential program of socialism.

After the presentation of the Great Southern case our Bill was heard and all the opposition.

The presentation of the Railway case and the rebutting evidence did not begin till all the public witnesses had been heard.

Furthermore, a note is payable on demand when it is thus stated, or is payable at sight or on presentation.

Related Words

• demonstration
• introduction

• Presentation Skills
• Skills & Tools

Presentation skills can be defined as a set of abilities that enable an individual to: interact with the audience; transmit the messages with clarity; engage the audience in the presentation; and interpret and understand the mindsets of the listeners. These skills refine the way you put forward your messages and enhance your persuasive powers.

The present era places great emphasis on good presentation skills. This is because they play an important role in convincing the clients and customers. Internally, management with good presentation skills is better able to communicate the mission and vision of the organization to the employees.

Importance of Presentation Skills

Interaction with others is a routine job of businesses in today’s world. The importance of good presentation skills is established on the basis of following points:

• They help an individual in enhancing his own growth opportunities. In addition, it also grooms the personality of the presenter and elevates his levels of confidence.
• In case of striking deals and gaining clients, it is essential for the business professionals to understand the audience. Good presentation skills enable an individual to mold his message according to the traits of the audience. This increases the probability of successful transmission of messages.
• Lastly, business professionals have to arrange seminars and give presentations almost every day. Having good presentation skills not only increases an individual’s chances of success, but also enable him to add greatly to the organization.

How to Improve Presentation Skills

Development of good presentation skills requires efforts and hard work. To improve your presentation skills, you must:

• Research the Audience before Presenting: This will enable you to better understand the traits of the audience. You can then develop messages that can be better understood by your target audience. For instance, in case of an analytical audience, you can add more facts and figures in your presentation.
• Structure your Presentation Effectively: The best way to do this is to start with telling the audience, in the introduction, what you are going to present. Follow this by presenting the idea, and finish off the presentation by repeating the main points.
• Do a lot of Practice: Rehearse but do not go for memorizing the presentation. Rehearsals reduce your anxiety and enable you to look confident on the presentation day. Make sure you practice out loud, as it enables you to identify and eliminate errors more efficiently. Do not memorize anything as it will make your presentation look mechanical. This can reduce the degree of audience engagement.
• Take a Workshop: Most medium and large businesses allow their employees to take employee development courses and workshops, as well-trained employees are essential to the success of any company. You can use that opportunity to take a workshop on professional presentation skills such as those offered by Langevin Learning Services , which are useful for all business professionals, from employees to business trainers and managers.

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What is a Presentation? Definition and examples

A presentation involves talking in front of a group of people to explain an idea, system, process, recent performance, forecast, or other topic. The person who does the explaining is the presenter and may use visual aids to help convey his or her message more effectively.

Moscow State Technical University has the following definition of the term:

“A presentation is a formal talk to one or more persons that “presents” ideas or information in a clear, structured way. All presentations have a common objective: they are given in order to inform, train, persuade or sell”

An event with prizes or awards

The term may also refer to an event in which qualifications, prizes, or awards are formally given to people who have achieved or won them. Somebody in an office might say, for example: “Harold is retiring next week. There will be a small presentation tomorrow.”

This means that Harold’s colleagues and bosses will be there to celebrate his retirement, thank him for his good work, and possibly give him a goodbye present. Typically, in this kind of event, there are drinks and food.

Presentation of a product

In the retail business , the term refers to how a product is presented to customers, consumers, and prospects. A prospect is somebody who might well turn into a paying customer.

For example, in supermarkets, donuts and croissants are typically presented in attractive boxes to make them more desirable and enticing. Marketing and merchandising professionals often say : “When selling something, presentation is everything.”

If you are selling your home, you need to make it as attractive as possible for possible buyers. Perhaps you will paint the walls, get a gardener, and maybe redecorate the hall. A good presentation can help speed up the sale.

This article focuses on the meaning of the term when it refers to presenting information to an audience.

An effective presentation

To be effective, presenters must make the best use of their relationship with their audience. It is crucial to know the audience members well, including their needs, if you want to capture their interest and develop their understanding and cooperation.

The University of Leicester says the following about effective presenters:

“An effective presentation makes the best use of the relationship between the presenter and the audience . It takes full consideration of the audience’s needs in order to capture their interest, develop their understanding, inspire their confidence and achieve the presenter’s objectives.”

Here are some suggestions that will help you deliver effective presentations:

If you are passionate about your topic, your audience will notice and are much more likely to feel a connection with you.

The world’s best presenters all say that it is crucial to connect with members of the audience. The best way to do this is with passion.

What are their needs?

People have come to watch and listen to you to satisfy their needs, rather than to find out how much you know. Before you even start preparing your presentation, you must find out what their needs are.

SKILLSYOUNEED says the following regarding what you know and your audience’s needs :

“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.”

Preparation

The best presenters in the world make sure they have prepared thoroughly for each event. Just like a good play requires rehearsals, so does presenting information or ideas to a group of people.

If you can, practice on somebody or a small group of people. Perhaps the only volunteers you can find are members of your household. That’s fine; practice on them and ask for feedback.

If you talk too fast or keep scratching your head, you will probably not be aware, but other people will. It is best to find that out beforehand.

There are literally dozens of other components of a good presentation, such as:

• Having a strong opening.
• Editing your script ruthlessly.
• Using visual aids appropriately.
• Being yourself.
• Creating a structure that is easy to follow.
• Making eye contact.
• Distributing your eye contact equally.
• Keeping it simple.
• Projecting your voice effectively.
• Body language.
• Breathing properly.

Above all, make sure you enjoy it. If you don’t, your audience will soon realize, which is the kiss of death as far as presentations are concerned.

If you are ambitious regarding your career, eventually you will have to present to audiences. C-level executives, for example, have to do it all the time . A C-level executive is a top corporate officer in a business, such as a CEO, CIO, CFO, i.e., an executive whose job title begins with the letter ‘C’.

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

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

Written by: Krystle Wong Aug 11, 2023

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

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

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

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

Click to jump ahead:

8 Different types of presentations every presenter must know

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

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

1. Informative presentation

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

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

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

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

2. Persuasive presentation

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

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

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

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

3. Demonstration or how-to presentation

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

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

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

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

4. Training or instructional presentation

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

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

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

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

5. Sales presentation

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

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

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

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

6. Pitch presentation

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

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

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

7. Motivational or inspirational presentation

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

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

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

8. Status or progress report presentation

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

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

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

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

1. Define your objectives

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

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

2. Know your audience

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

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

3. Analyze your content

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

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

4. Consider time constraints

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

5. Leverage visuals

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

6. Align with the setting

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

7. Gauge audience interaction

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

8. Flexibility

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

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

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

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

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

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

How can I make my presentation more engaging and interactive?

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

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

Which types of presentations require special markings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Definition of presentation – Learner’s Dictionary

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presentation noun ( SHOW )

Presentation noun ( talk ), presentation noun ( ceremony ).

(Definition of presentation from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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What is PowerPoint? A Beginner's Guide

What is PowerPoint? This blog provides the essence of PowerPoint, a versatile presentation software by Microsoft. Discover its features, uses, and the art of crafting compelling slideshows. Whether you're a student, professional, or simply curious, explore the power of PowerPoint and learn how to create impactful presentations effortlessly.

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According to Glassdoor , a PowerPoint designer's average salary in the UK is about £37,811 annually. In this blog, you will learn What is PowerPoint, its key features, its benefits, and how to use it, as well as learn some tips for creating effective presentations.   

Table of contents       

1)  What is PowerPoint?  

2)  Understanding the PowerPoint Interface  

3)  Key Features of PowerPoint 

4)  How to use PowerPoint to create a presentation? 

5)  Benefits of PowerPoint  

6)  Tips for Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations 

7)  Conclusion      

What is PowerPoint?   

PowerPoint is a versatile and popular presentation software developed by Microsoft (MS). It is a part of the Microsoft Office Suite and offers various features and tools to create visually appealing and engaging presentations. MS PowerPoint allows users to combine text, graphics, multimedia elements, and animations to convey information effectively .   

Evolution of PowerPoint   

Understanding the PowerPoint Interface   

The PowerPoint interface provides a user-friendly environment for creating and editing presentations. Familiarising yourself with its essential components will help you navigate the software efficiently. Here's a breakdown of the MS PowerPoint interface:   

1)  Ribbon : The Ribbon is located at the top of the MS PowerPoint window and consists of multiple tabs, such as Home, Insert, Design, Transitions, and more.    

2) Slides pane : The Slides pane is on the left side of the PowerPoint window. It displays thumbnail images of your presentation slides, allowing you to navigate and rearrange them easily. You can add, delete, duplicate, or hide slides from this pane.   

3)   Notes pane : The Notes pane is located below the Slides pane. It provides space for adding speaker notes or additional information related to each slide.    

4)  Slide area : The Slide area occupies the central part of the PowerPoint window. It displays the selected slide, where you can add and arrange content such as text, images, charts, and multimedia elements .    

5)  Task panes : Task panes are additional panels on the PowerPoint window's right side. They offer various functionalities such as formatting options, slide layouts, animations, etc. Task panes can be opened or closed based on your specific needs.   

Understanding the MS PowerPoint interface will help you navigate the software effectively and make the most of its features. Whether you are creating slides, adding content, or applying formatting, having a good grasp of the interface ensures a smooth and productive experience .  

Key Features of PowerPoint  

When it comes to creating captivating and professional presentations, MS PowerPoint stands out as versatile and feature-rich software. Its array of tools and functionalities enables users to bring their imagination and ideas to life. Moreover, it also helps engage their audience effectively .    

1) Slide Templates : PowerPoint provides a collection of pre-designed templates that make it easy to create visually appealing slides.   

2)  Slide Master : The Slide Master feature allows users to define the overall layout, font styles, and colour scheme for the entire presentation .   

3)  Animations and transitions : PowerPoint offers various animation effects and slide transitions to add visual interest and captivate the audience .   

4)  Multimedia integration : Users can embed images, videos, and audio files directly into their presentations, enhancing the overall impact .   

5)   Collaboration tools : MS PowerPoint allows multiple users to work on a presentation simultaneously, making it ideal for team projects and remote collaboration .   

6) Presenter View : The Presenter View feature gives presenters access to speaker notes, a timer, and a preview of upcoming slides, enabling a seamless presentation experience .   

These features collectively contribute to PowerPoint's versatility and make it a powerful tool for developing engaging and impactful presentations.  

How to use PowerPoint to create a presentation?   

Creating a presentation in PowerPoint is a straightforward process. Whether it's simple animations or explainer videos learning H ow to use PowerPoint is an extremely valuable skill. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to create a presentation:   

1)  Launch PowerPoint and choose a template or start with a blank slide. 

2)  Add slides by clicking "New Slide" or using the shortcut key (Ctrl + M). 

3) Customise slide content by entering text and inserting visuals.  

4)  Rearrange slides for a logical flow by dragging them in the slide navigation pane.  

5)  Apply slide transitions for visual effects in the "Transitions" tab.  

6)  Add animations to objects in the "Animations" tab.  

7)  Preview your presentation by clicking "Slide Show".   

8)  Save your presentation and choose a format (.pptx or .pdf).  

9)  Share your presentation via email, cloud storage, or collaboration tools.   

By following these steps, you can create a well-structured and visually appealing presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint. Remember to keep your content concise, use engaging visuals, and practice your presentation skills to deliver an impactful presentation .   

Benefits of PowerPoint   

1) Visual appeal : Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to create visually appealing presentations with its wide range of design tools and features. You can use templates, themes, and customisable layouts to make your slides visually engaging and professional .   

2)  Easy to use : PowerPoint has a user-friendly interface, making it accessible to users of all levels. The intuitive tools and straightforward navigation make it easy to create, edit, and deliver presentations efficiently .   

3)   Flexibility : PowerPoint provides flexibility in terms of content creation. You can include various types of content, such as text, images, charts, graphs, videos, and audio files, to enhance your message and engage your audience effectively.   

4)   Organisation and structure : PowerPoint offers features to help you organise and structure your content. You can create multiple slides, use slide masters for consistent formatting, and arrange the sequence of slides to create a logical flow .   

5)  Presenter tools : PowerPoint includes built-in presenter tools that aid in delivering presentations smoothly. You can use presenter view to see your notes and upcoming slides while your audience sees only the presentation. Additionally, features like slide transitions and animations add visual interest and help you control the flow of information .   

6)  Collaboration and sharing : PowerPoint allows for easy collaboration and sharing of presentations. Several users can simultaneously work on the same presentation, making it convenient for team projects. You can also share your presentations via email, cloud storage, or online platforms, ensuring easy access for viewers .   

7)   Integration with other tools : PowerPoint can seamlessly integrate with other Microsoft Office applications, such as Word and Excel. You can import data and charts from Excel or copy and paste content between different Office applications, saving time and effort .  

8)   Presenter-audience interaction : PowerPoint provides features that facilitate interaction between the presenter and the audience. You can include interactive elements like hyperlinks, buttons, and quizzes to engage your audience and make your presentations more dynamic.   

9)   Portable and accessible : PowerPoint presentations can be saved in various formats, such as .pptx or .pdf, making them easily accessible on different devices. This portability allows you to deliver presentations on laptops, tablets, or even projectors without compatibility issues .   

10)  Time and effort savings : PowerPoint simplifies the process of creating presentations, saving you time and effort. The pre-designed templates, slide layouts, and formatting options enable you to create professional-looking presentations efficiently .   

Learn how to create customised slide shows in MS PowerPoint with our Microsoft PowerPoint MO300 Training .    

Tips for Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations   

1) Simplicity is key : Keep your slides clean and uncluttered. Use concise bullet points and simple visuals to convey your message effectively .   

2)  Visuals matter : Incorporate relevant, high-quality visuals such as images, charts, and diagrams to enhance understanding and engagement .   

3)  Limit text : Avoid overwhelming your audience with excessive text on slides. Use brief phrases or keywords to communicate key points .   

4)  Choose legible fonts : Opt for clear and readable fonts that are easy to read, even from a distance. Maintain consistency in font styles throughout your presentation .   

5)  Consistent design : Maintain a consistent design theme, including colours, fonts, and layout, to create a visually appealing and professional presentation.   

6)  Emphasise important points : Use visual hierarchy techniques, such as font size, colour, and formatting, to draw attention to essential information .   

7)  Use transitions and animations sparingly : Incorporate slide transitions and animations thoughtfully, focusing on enhancing content and transitions without distracting the audience .   

8)  S lide notes for guidance : Utilise the slide notes feature to include additional details, explanations, or reminders for a well-prepared and confident presentation.   

9)  Practice and time yourself : Rehearse your presentation to ensure smooth delivery and stay within the allocated time. Practice helps you refine your content and delivery.   

10)  Engage the audience : Encourage audience participation through interactive elements, questions, or discussions to foster engagement and make your presentation more memorable.   

By implementing these tips, you can create effective MS PowerPoint presentations that capture attention, communicate information clearly, and engage your audience effectively.  

Conclusion      

We hope this blog has helped you understand What is PowerPoint and how it can help you. It offers powerful features with a user-friendly interface for creating visually appealing presentations. With its tools for organising information, incorporating text and visuals, and delivering impactful content, PowerPoint is a valuable tool for beginners to communicate their ideas effectively .   

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What is a Presentation? Objectives, Elements, Important skills, Four Ps

• Post last modified: 4 June 2023
• Reading time: 19 mins read
• Post category: Business Communication

What is a Presentation?

A presentation communicates a message, an idea or information to a group. It is similar to a report, but with a key difference–the human element. A presentation conveys the speaker’s personality and enables immediate interaction among all participants.

Table of Content

• 1 What is a Presentation?
• 2.1 To Inform
• 2.2 To Train
• 2.3 To Persuade
• 2.4 To Motivate
• 2.5 To Entertain
• 3 Main Elements of Presentation
• 4.1 Analytical ability
• 4.2 Effective communication ability
• 4.3 Creative ability
• 4.4 Good interpersonal skill
• 4.5 Sound time management
• 4.6 Problem-solving ability
• 4.7 A sense of humour
• 5 Evaluation Wheel
• 6.1 Prepare
• 6.2 Practice
• 6.3 Present
• 7.1 Know Yourself
• 7.2 Know Your Material
• 7.3 Know Your Purpose
• 7.4 Know Your Audience

Objectives of Presentation

The main objectives of a presentation are:

To Persuade

To motivate, to entertain.

A presentation is created to convey some information to a group of people. For example, a presentation may display an organisation’s quarterly performance.

Most training programmes in organisations are done through the presentation mode. Such instructional presentations convey a lot of information and are created with instructional design principles to keep the audience engaged for a long period.

Some presentations are used to convince a group of people to accept a particular idea and/or make a certain choice.

The growing popularity of TED Talks indicates how a presentation can be a powerful motivation tool. These presentations trigger emotions and inspire people to act.

Presentations can also be used to celebrate an event. For example, a farewell presentation of a colleague can be used to narrate the story of his/her overall tenure, experiences and achievement in the organisation.

Main Elements of Presentation

A presentation is said to be effective if it has three main elements, which are as follows:

• Specific content : This refers to the information that a presentation will comprise. The information must be conveyed effectively so that it is absorbed by the audience in one sitting. It should be relevant and meaningful to them.
• Audience : A presentation should be targeted for a specific group of audience who share the same purpose and have a similar level of pre-knowledge.
• Presenter: The presenter should act as the advocate of the information. If his/her conviction and passion in the message are clearly articulated, the audience will also pay attention to the subject.

Important Presentation Skills

In today’s business environment, presentation skills are requisite in almost every professional arena. Employees are often required to give presentations on the targets achieved by them. A presentation can be effective if it is carefully planned and prepared.

However, delivering presentations is not always easy for every individual. Some people take presenting as a probable opportunity to showcase skills, while others find it a challenging task. To provide an effective presentation, a presenter must possess some abilities.

Some of them are explained as follows:

Analytical ability

Effective communication ability, creative ability, good interpersonal skill, sound time management, problem-solving ability, a sense of humour.

It refers to a calibre which empowers an individual to collect, organise, visualise and comprehend data. Such skills enable a person to look at related patterns, draw conclusions and find solutions to problems. In addition, sound analytical skills also enable an individual to forecast future trends using various techniques such as brainstorming, forecasting, data mining and metrics interpretation.

Communication entails much more than mere talking to the audience. To communicate effectively during a presentation, one ought to showcase information lucidly. During a presentation, a person should not just have a good set of slides together; rather he needs to engage and strike a chord with the audience to transmit the intended message.

It refers to the ability to present things in a creative way that have not been explored earlier. Creative skills in presentation enable an individual to invent or develop something path-breaking, such as a new concept, unique way out from a problem, a method, a work of art or new machinery, etc.

It encompasses how an individual portrays or presents himself to the audience and builds a rapport with the audience. During a presentation, sound interpersonal skills empower a speaker to interact, communicate and collaborate with the audience effectively.

Interpersonal skills are prevalent across all personal and professional interactions between people. Interpersonal skills entail empathy, active listening and emotional intelligence.

While delivering a presentation, a person should manage time effectively, set a presentation schedule and end a presentation within a stipulated time. If a presentation is long, there are chances the audience may lose interest and the message may not be delivered.

A speaker cannot expect audience to actively listen to the presentation for hours. At the start of presentation, a speaker should aim to grab audience’s attention and allocate time for questions and answers at the end.

Problem-solving is a requisite skill for a presentation. During a presentation, the audience may ask the speaker any kind of questions. On the other hand, it is important for the speaker to provide an appropriate answer to the audience to make the presentation successful.

A sense of humour is crucial to deliver a quality presentation to make the environment light and engaging. Appropriate usage of light jokes relieves stress and holds the attention of an audience, which makes the presentation a memorable experience for both the speaker and the audience.

Evaluation Wheel

Evaluation wheel is a creative and effective tool that accumulates information on outcomes in a simple and accessible manner. A presenter can opt for the evaluation wheel tool to show the outcomes of the research or reports. This tool is used to provide various types of information and journeys of change within the organisation.

It offers a visual representation of progression and results in the form of a spider diagram. The evaluation wheel measures the exact outcomes for a programme at the start and end. It also helps educators, designers to comprehend information systematically. Figure shows an example of evaluation wheel:

Figure states the scale questionnaire in a circle form wherein respondents will analyse the instances from their discretion and experience and give rating on a scale of 1 to 5.

For instance, service users are appropriately involved. In this case, if the respondent strongly agrees, he/she will give 5 rating and if he/she does not agree, he/she will give 1 rating. The centre of the circle is for 1 and as the respondent agrees, they reach out to edge for 5 rating.

Ps of Presentation

Even the most powerful presentation may fail if the presenter comes unprepared. A presentation is both a mental and a physical effort. There are Ps of presentation that provide a checklist to the presenter for ensuring that the presentation is well-constructed and clear so that the audience gets the message. These four Ps are explained as follows:

A thoroughly prepared presentation captivates the interests of the audience. The topic or content of the presentation must be thoroughly researched. No one would develop interest in a vague or equivocal presentation. A speaker can make use of stories or relatable examples and quote references to give more depth to the presentation and make it intriguing.

Apart from that, it should be ensured that only important points are highlighted in bullets or using other graphical elements. Providing too much of theory or full sentences can create boredom for the audience.

While preparing for a presentation, the presenter should include the following sections:

• Introduction : This section includes the name of the topic and the purpose of the presentation.
• Body : This section contains the main content of the presentation; thus, it must be prepared in a well-organised manner.
• Summary : It provides a recap of the content of the presentation. It outlines the most important points of the presentation to ensure the key message is retained by the audience.

Practice will make a man perfect is an adage that is appropriate across all spheres of life. It helps a speaker become familiar with his/her own voice, words and phrases and adjust accordingly. By practising thoroughly, a speaker can explore how to fit different pieces of information together and practise transition.

Also, a speaker should make notes wherever required as a part of presentation support. Using an index card is a common form of note-taking that provides a quick glimpse of important points.

While delivering a presentation, the speaker needs to demonstrate confidence in front of the audience. The speaker must be polite, but not apologetic in situations, such as if the session is running overtime or the microphone has stopped working.

Instead he/she should expect and ask for discipline and attention. It is important for a speaker to engage with the audience during the presentation in order to assure them that he/she is genuinely interested in talking to them. 4. Pace, pitch and pause: A presenter should deliver the presentation in an easy-to-follow pace and try changing the pace to enliven the presentation.

For example, pauses can be taken intentionally between main points to reinforce them. Along with pace, pitch is equally important. Just as pace varies in normal conversations, it should be used effectively during presentations too. For example, when asking a question, the presenter can raise the pitch and can lower it down when explaining a point.

Four Cornerstones of Making Memorable Presentations

The most crucial aspect of delivering an effective presentation is that the speaker should appear confident and the speech should look effortless. Presentations are a source of anxiety for many individuals. However, getting well-prepared before delivering a presentation can reduce this feeling considerably and ease apprehension.

There are a number of ways to overcome feelings of anxiety, stress and stage fright before the presentation in order to appear confident in front of the audience. The four cornerstones of making a memorable presentation are provided in the upcoming sections.

Know Yourself

Know your material, know your purpose, know your audience.

A presenter should acknowledge his/her strengths and weaknesses. Accordingly, he/she should decide the style of delivering a presentation. For instance, if a presenter has a great sense of humour and can use it comfortably in the speech, he/she can make the presentation more engaging and interesting.

On the other hand, if the speaker who is an introvert and prefers to talk or engage less, he/she can add visuals in the presentation. Therefore, the trick is whosoever is delivering the presentation should feel comfortable.

Knowing the topic thoroughly is the most important step in preparing and delivering a presentation. A presenter with well-versed knowledge of the topic is bound to feel more confident. One should perform extensive research of the topic using credible websites and surveys.

A presenter with minimal information about the topic will not be able to deliver a memorable presentation; rather, it would create a negative image in front of the audience. A good presentation is one that is centred around the main theme, presents relevant information and stimulates thought.

It is crucial to know the purpose of the presentation. A presenter should be aware of whether the purpose is to create awareness or to build new skills or to change attitudes. For instance, professional firms or businesses use presentations for various purposes such as to create awareness, educate, motivate and persuade internal and external audiences.

Therefore, to prepare a presentation, identify its objective/purpose, determine the method of delivery, formulate a structure, include visual aids and rehearse.

One should know the type of audience and what is their purpose of attending the presentation. For instance, whether they are there for gaining knowledge or learning new skills, etc. The age, culture and knowledge base of the audience help a presenter in designing and delivering his/her presentation effectively and in a manner in which audience can easily understand and relate to.

A well-designed presentation uses visual aids effectively to reinforce the main points and enhance the audience’s level of understanding.

Business Communication Notes

( Click on Topic to Read )

• What is Business Communication?
• What is Communication?
• Types of Communication
• 7 C of Communication
• Barriers To Business Communication
• Oral Communication
• Types Of Non Verbal Communication
• What is Written Communication?
• What are Soft Skills?
• Interpersonal vs Intrapersonal communication
• Barriers to Communication
• Importance of Communication Skills

Listening in Communication

• Causes of Miscommunication
• What is Johari Window?
• What is Presentation?

Communication Styles

• Channels of Communication
• Hofstede’s Dimensions of Cultural Differences and Benett’s Stages of Intercultural Sensitivity
• Organisational Communication
• Horizontal C ommunication
• Grapevine Communication
• Downward Communication
• Verbal Communication Skills
• Upward Communication
• Flow of Communication
• What is Emotional Intelligence?
• What is Public Speaking?
• Upward vs Downward Communication
• Internal vs External Communication
• What is Group Discussion?
• What is Interview?
• What is Negotiation?
• What is Digital Communication?
• What is Letter Writing?
• Resume and Covering Letter
• What is Report Writing?
• What is Business Meeting?
• What is Public Relations?
• What Is Market Segmentation?
• What Is Marketing Mix?
• Marketing Concept
• Marketing Management Process
• What Is Marketing Environment?
• What Is Consumer Behaviour?
• Business Buyer Behaviour
• Demand Forecasting
• 7 Stages Of New Product Development
• Methods Of Pricing
• What Is Public Relations?
• What Is Marketing Management?
• What Is Sales Promotion?
• Types Of Sales Promotion
• Techniques Of Sales Promotion
• What Is Personal Selling?
• What Is Advertising?
• Market Entry Strategy
• What Is Marketing Planning?
• Segmentation Targeting And Positioning
• Brand Building Process
• Kotler Five Product Level Model
• Classification Of Products
• Types Of Logistics
• What Is Consumer Research?
• What Is DAGMAR?
• Consumer Behaviour Models
• What Is Green Marketing?
• What Is Electronic Commerce?
• Agricultural Cooperative Marketing
• What Is Marketing Control?
• What Is Marketing Communication?
• What Is Pricing?
• Models Of Communication
• What is Sales Management?
• Objectives of Sales Management
• Responsibilities and Skills of Sales Manager
• Theories of Personal Selling
• What is Sales Forecasting?
• Methods of Sales Forecasting
• Purpose of Sales Budgeting
• Methods of Sales Budgeting
• Types of Sales Budgeting
• Sales Budgeting Process
• What is Sales Quotas?
• What is Selling by Objectives (SBO) ?
• What is Sales Organisation?
• Types of Sales Force Structure
• Recruiting and Selecting Sales Personnel
• Training and Development of Salesforce
• Compensating the Sales Force
• Time and Territory Management
• What Is Logistics?
• What Is Logistics System?
• Technologies in Logistics
• What Is Distribution Management?
• What Is Marketing Intermediaries?
• Conventional Distribution System
• Functions of Distribution Channels
• What is Channel Design?
• Types of Wholesalers and Retailers
• What is Vertical Marketing Systems?
• What i s Marketing?
• What i s A BCG Matrix?
• 5 M’S Of Advertising
• What i s Direct Marketing?
• Marketing Mix For Services
• What Market Intelligence System?
• What i s Trade Union?
• What Is International Marketing?
• World Trade Organization (WTO)
• What i s International Marketing Research?
• What is Exporting?
• What is Licensing?
• What is Franchising?
• What is Joint Venture?
• What is Turnkey Projects?
• What is Management Contracts?
• What is Foreign Direct Investment?
• Factors That Influence Entry Mode Choice In Foreign Markets
• What is Price Escalations?
• What is Transfer Pricing?
• Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC)
• What is Promotion Mix?
• Factors Affecting Promotion Mix
• Functions & Role Of Advertising
• What is Database Marketing?
• What is Advertising Budget?
• What is Advertising Agency?
• What is Market Intelligence?
• What is Industrial Marketing?
• What is Customer Value
• What is Consumer Behaviour?
• What Is Personality?
• What Is Perception?
• What Is Learning?
• What Is Attitude?
• What Is Motivation?
• Consumer Imagery
• Consumer Attitude Formation
• What Is Culture?
• Consumer Decision Making Process
• Applications of Consumer Behaviour in Marketing
• Motivational Research
• Theoretical Approaches to Study of Consumer Behaviour
• Consumer Involvement
• Consumer Lifestyle
• Theories of Personality
• Outlet Selection
• Organizational Buying Behaviour
• Reference Groups
• Consumer Protection Act, 1986
• Diffusion of Innovation
• Opinion Leaders
• What is Business Law?
• Indian Contract Act 1872
• Essential Elements of a Valid Contract
• Types of Contract
• What is Discharge of Contract?
• Performance of Contract
• Sales of Goods Act 1930
• Goods & Price: Contract of Sale
• Conditions and Warranties
• Doctrine of Caveat Emptor
• Transfer of Property
• Rights of Unpaid Seller
• Negotiable Instruments Act 1881
• Types of Negotiable Instruments
• Types of Endorsement
• What is Promissory Note?
• What is Cheque?
• What is Crossing of Cheque?
• What is Bill of Exchange?
• What is Offer?
• Limited Liability Partnership Act 2008
• Memorandum of Association
• Articles of Association
• What is Director?
• Trade Unions Act, 1926
• Industrial Disputes Act 1947
• Employee State Insurance Act 1948
• Payment of Wages Act 1936
• Payment of Bonus Act 1965
• Labour Law in India
• What is Brand Management?
• 4 Steps of Strategic Brand Management Process
• Customer Based Brand Equity
• What is Brand Equity?

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What is Downward Communication? Advantages, Disadvantages

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• What’s the Purpose of a Presentation? What You Need to Know
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• Use These Effective Presentation Tips and Succeed

What's the purpose of a presentation? You might well think that there's a simple answer. But, of course there isn't. That's because the purpose of your presentation depends on you, the presenter. That's right. What is it that you want to achieve with your audience? And, of course, that's the starting point for some serious work.

What's The Purpose Of A Presentation?

Because your job is to achieve results with your audience. That's results set against your own objectives.

So, what do you want to achieve? To help, you can phrase another question, along the lines of…" what do you want your audience to understand after your presentation ?

You want your audience to…

• Understand something,
• Know something,
• Believe something, or
• Do something

You plan to achieve a result with your audience, all because of your presentation. And that result is a change in their understanding . Or a change in their knowledge or beliefs . Or, perhaps your audience will choose to do something, all because of your presentation.

So, that's the purpose of a presentation. It's your purpose…your objective for your own presentation. So, it's not important whether it's a PowerPoint or a Keynote presentation. Your purpose is what really matters.

What's Your Purpose?

And, if you don't have a rationale for your presentation?

Then you need one. Because without purpose your presentation won't work. Your purpose for your presentation drives everything:

• Your points
• Your examples
• And, your evidence with which you illustrate your points

And, as your presentation is the best way to forge a communication with your audience, then now is the time to get cracking with a purpose for your presentation.

All the best public speakers have an answer to the question, " why give a speech ?" And so should all of us.

You can always discover more presentation tips with our regular series of podcast and video tips. And, when you are ready for more intensive learning, then you can always join us on a presentation course or ask us to organise a coaching session. Please don't hesitate to get in touch when the time is right.

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"In the dim background of our mind, we know what we ought to be doing but somehow we cannot start."

William James

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Definition of presentation noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

presentation

• presentation on/about somebody/something The sales manager will give a presentation on the new products.
• Several speakers will be making short presentations .
• The conference will begin with a keynote presentation by a leading industry figure.
• a slide/video/multimedia presentation
• presentation on

Questions about grammar and vocabulary?

Find the answers with Practical English Usage online, your indispensable guide to problems in English.

• The trial was adjourned following the presentation of new evidence to the court.
• The presentation of prizes began after the speeches.
• The Mayor will make the presentation (= hand over the gift) herself.
• on presentation of something Members will be admitted on presentation of a membership card.
• a presentation copy (= a free book given by the author or publisher )
• a presentation ceremony/evening
• presentation to
• Improving the product's presentation (= the way it is wrapped, advertised, etc.) should increase sales.
• I admire the clear, logical presentation of her arguments.
• The main emphasis of the training will be on presentation skills .
• I've put my presentation on a memory stick.
• the school's annual presentation evening
• [countable] a performance of a play, etc. in a theatre
• [countable, uncountable] ( medical ) the position in which a baby is lying in the mother’s body just before birth

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• Introduction

Transitions

• Referring to visuals
• Eye contact
• Taking part in discussions
• Giving opinions
• Agreeing/disagreeing
• Other skills

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• Presentations

Language for presentations Some formulaic phrases

On this page you will find some language for presentations, also known as 'signpost' phrases. Many of these are similar to (or the same as) the lecture cues a lecturer uses. They are another example of the formulaic language used in academic contexts. You do not need to learn all of these phrases. Your basic aim is to be able to use at least one phrase for each function (e.g. expressing purpose and showing the structure in the introduction , using transitions between sections, referring to visual aids , concluding ).

How many more you learn after this is up to you. Presentations usually have many visual aids and transitions, so it would be useful to learn two or three different phrases for these functions. On the other hand, you will only state the purpose once in a presentation, so one phrase is enough for life!

Introductions

The introduction is a crucial part of any presentation. There are many functions which you need to achieve:

• greet the audience
• express your purpose
• give the structure
• give the timing
• handle questions

Phrases for all of these are given in the box to the right.

 Greeting the audience

• Good morning/afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
• Good morning/afternoon, everyone.

 Expressing the purpose

• My purpose/objective/aim today is...
• What I want to do this morning/afternoon/today is...
• I'm here today to...

 Giving the structure

• This talk is divided into four main parts.
• To start with/Firstly, I'd like to look at...
• Then/Secondly, I'll be talking about...
• My fourth point will be about...
• Finally, I'll be looking at...

 Giving the timing

• My presentation/talk/lecture will take/last about 20 minutes.

 Handling questions

• At the end of my talk, there will be a chance to ask questions.
• I'll be happy to answer any questions you have at the end of my presentation.

Visual aids

It is important to be able to refer to your visual aids appropriately. Some useful phrases for visuals are shown to the right.

 Visual aids

• As you can see here...
• Here we can see...
• If we look at this slide...
• This slide shows...
• If you look at the screen, you'll see...
• This table/diagram/chart/slide shows...
• I'd like you to look at this...
• Let me show you...
• Let's (have a) look at...
• On the right/left you can see...

A vital part of any presentation is 'transitioning' (moving on) to a new section. Why is this so crucial? Mainly because of the difference between listening and reading. When you are reading, you can easily see where one section (or paragraph) ends, and another begins. This is not true when you are listening. To help with this, good academic speakers, whether in presentations or lectures , give cues to signal the end of a section. This helps the listener understand the structure and follow the main points.

Some useful transition phrases are shown to the right.

 Transitions

• Let's now move on to/turn to...
• I now want to go on to...
• This leads/brings me to my next point, which is...
• I'd now like to move on to/turn to...
• So far we have looked at... Now I'd like to...

Other phrases

There are some other phrases which are useful in a presentation. These include giving examples, summarising a point or section, and making a digression.

 Giving examples

• Let me give you an example...
• for instance...
• A good example of this is...

 Summarising

• What I'm trying to say is...
• Let me just try and sum that up before we move on to...
• So far, I've presented...

 Digressing

• I might just mention...
• Incidentally...

The conclusion, like the introduction, has several functions which you need to achieve:

• sum up the main points of the presentation
• conclude (by giving a 'take-away' message)
• close (by thanking the audience)
• invite questions

 Summing up

• Summing up...
• To summarise...
• So, to sum up...
• To recap...
• Let me now sum up.

 Concluding

• Let me end by saying...
• I'd like to finish by emphasising...
• In conclusion I'd like to say...
• Finally, may I say...
• Thank you for your attention/time.
• Thank you (for listening/very much).
• If you have any questions or comments, I'll be happy to answer them now.
• If there are any questions, I'll do my best to answer them.
• Are there any more questions?

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Like the website? Try the book. Enter your email to receive a free sample from EAP Foundation: Academic Presentations .

Below is a checklist for presentation language. Use it to help you prepare. You can download a copy of the checklist from the speaking resources page .

Next section

Read more about body language in the next section.

• Body language

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Read the previous article about presentation structure .

Author: Sheldon Smith    ‖    Last modified: 10 January 2022.

Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .

The language for presentations involves common 'signpost phrases' which help understand the structure.

The structure of a presentation is straightforward, with introduction, main body, conclusion, and Q&A.

Taking part in academic discussions increases your understanding and challenges your ideas, and may form part of your assessment.

Agreeing and disagreeing in academic discussions is always done politely, often using certain common phrases.

Asking for and giving opinions is important if you want to express your ideas and have a voice in discussions.

Visual aids such as PowerPoint and handouts, help your audience to follow your spoken presentation.

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Create a new presentation in PowerPoint.

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Edit the presentation to suit your needs, ask Copilot to add a slide , or start over with a new presentation and refine your prompt to include more specifics. For example, "Create a presentation about hybrid meeting best practices that includes examples for team building.”

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Copilot can use your existing themes and templates to create a presentation. Learn more about making your presentations look great with Copilot in PowerPoint .

Enter your prompt or select Create presentation from file to create a first draft of your presentation using your theme or template.

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Start with your organization’s template

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No, the House didn't pass bill to 'outlaw' the New Testament | Fact check

The claim: House passed bill to outlaw the New Testament

A May 3 Facebook post ( direct link , archive link ) shows a screenshot of a headline that claims federal lawmakers took steps to ban a religious text central to Christianity.

"US Congress House Passes Bill to Outlaw New Testament," the headline reads. Below it is text that reads, "The US House of Representatives passed the Antisemitism Awareness Act, but concerns arise over its potential restriction on the biblical portrayal of Jesus' crucifixion."

The post's caption reads, "Remember, they don't want to you (sic) reading the Bible!"

The post was shared more than 100 times in a week.

More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

Our rating: False

The bill referenced in the post would not outlaw the New Testament, according to multiple legal experts. Instead, it would require the Department of Education to use a certain definition of antisemitism when it enforces federal anti-discrimination laws on college campuses.

Bill defines antisemitism in federal anti-discrimination law

In early May, the House approved legislation that, if enacted, would expand the definition of antisemitism that the Department of Education uses when it investigates discrimination against Jews on college campuses. It passed with some bipartisan support amid a wave of protests on college campuses over Israel's war in Gaza. The bill's fate in the Senate is uncertain, the Associated Press reported.

The legislation, called the Antisemitism Awareness Act , would apply the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance 's definition of antisemitism to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 , which prohibits discrimination based on "race, color and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance." That includes all colleges and universities that receive federal funds.

In a post on X , formerly Twitter, Florida Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said before the vote she wouldn't support the legislation, claiming it "could convict Christians of antisemitism for believing the Gospel that Jesus was handed over to Herod to be crucified by the Jews." Similarly, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz said in an X post that “the Gospel itself would meet the definition of antisemitism under the terms of the bill.”

Fact check : House condemned pro-Palestinian slogan in resolution, did not ban it

But Richard Painter , a University of Minnesota law professor, told USA TODAY that the legislation "doesn't outlaw the New Testament at all," nor would it ban the religious text from federally funded institutions.

"You're not banning something, you're conditioning federal funds on something," Painter said. "That's different than banning it."

While certain passages of the New Testament could potentially be interpreted in ways that fit the bill's definition of antisemitism, "that doesn't mean the New Testament itself would meet the definition of antisemitism," Painter said.

Jason Mazzone , a law professor at the University of Illinois, said there is no plausible way to interpret the legislation as banning the New Testament, even in a higher education setting.

"Title VI has never been understood to require schools and other recipients of federal funding to remove or prohibit from campus books on the basis that they may contain offensive material," Mazzone said. "Nothing in the Antisemitism Awareness Act newly imposes such a requirement. And if it did, it would be a clear violation of the First Amendment."

There is only one reference to the New Testament in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism – in this example : "Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis."

The Anti-Defamation League and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum both consider the claim that Jews killed Jesus to be an antisemitic myth used to justify violence against Jews for centuries. In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI wrote that there is no basis in scripture to support the claim that Jewish people as a whole were collectively responsible for Jesus' death, CBS News reported .

USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Our fact-check sources:

• Richard Painter , May 8, Phone interview with USA TODAY
• Jason Mazzone , May 9, Email exchange with USA TODAY
• Associated Press, May 1, House passes bill to expand definition of antisemitism amid growing campus protests over Gaza war
• The New York Times, May 2, Bill to Combat Antisemitism on Campuses Prompts Backlash From the Right
• Congress.gov, accessed May 10, H.R.6090 - Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023
• International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, accessed May 10, Working definition of antisemitism
• Justice Department, accessed May 10, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here .

USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta .

Green computing (also known as green IT or sustainable IT) is the design, manufacture, use and disposal of computers, chips, other technology components and peripherals in a way that limits the harmful impact on the environment, which include reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption by manufacturers,  data centers  and end-users. Green computing also encompasses choosing sustainably sourced raw materials, reducing electronic waste and promoting sustainability through the use of renewable resources.

The potential for green computing to have a positive impact on the environment is considerable. The information and communication technology (ICT) sector is responsible for between 1.8% and 3.9% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, data centers account for 3% of annual total energy consumption—an increase of 100% in the last decade.

“The energy demands and carbon output of computing and the entire ICT sector must be dramatically moderated if climate change is to be slowed in time to avoid catastrophic environmental damage,” according to a  report published by the Association for Computing Machinery  (link resides outside ibm.com).

Every aspect of modern information technology—from the smallest chip to the largest data center—carries a carbon price tag and green computing seeks to reduce just that. Technology makers play a role in green computing, as do the corporations, organizations, governments and individuals that use technology. From massive data centers instituting policies to cut energy consumption to individuals choosing to not use screen savers, green IT is multifaceted and involves myriad decisions at every level.

The decisions regarding going green begin long before products reach consumers. For example, product design and manufacturing are prime areas to lessen the impact of technology on the environment.

Chips that are more energy efficient—such as  the chip designed by IBM® and Samsung  that can be stacked vertically or the  IBM 2nm chip —are examples of innovative design that improves sustainability in computing. The energy consumption of a single computer chip may seem negligible, but when you multiply that by millions, it is possible to make significant reductions.

IBM has also identified systems that can reduce energy usage. Heterogenous structures, for instance, bring together frameworks like CPUs and graphics processing units (GPUs) to optimize power and energy efficiency.

One example is a computer named AiMOS (which stands for Artificial Intelligence Multiprocessing Optimized System), developed as part of a collaboration between IBM, Empire State Development and NY CREATEs. AiMOS is one of the most energy-efficient computers in existence, and it is used to develop more advanced and efficient computing chips, along with many other initiatives.

When designers take steps to reduce the amount of energy each product uses in operation and reduce the amount of heat those products produce, the carbon price tag of computing gets lower. For instance, sleep mode is one of the earliest examples of designers applying the concept of green computing to conserve energy.

Material selection is crucial as well. Design that avoids using hazardous materials keeps those materials out of landfills later. Generating less waste in manufacturing devices and components, too, lessens the burden created by technology on the environment. Green manufacturing is a separate, but related, category of green technology that governs how the factory itself operates.

Other green computing actions manufacturers can take include lengthening the lifespan of computing devices and components so they don’t need to be replaced as frequently, increasing users’ ability to reuse products and making devices recyclable when they do need to be replaced.

The largest gains in making IT more sustainable may be made by corporations, governments and other large organizations. Data centers, server rooms and data storage areas have a significant opportunity to run more efficiently.

In such areas, setting up hot and cold aisles is an important step toward greener computing because it reduces energy consumption and optimizes heating, ventilation and cooling. When automated systems designed to control temperature and similar conditions are combined with hot and cold aisles, emissions are further lowered. Cost savings from reducing energy use may eventually be realized, as well.

One simple step toward efficiency is to make sure things are turned off. Central processing units (CPUs) and peripheral equipment such as printers should be powered down when not in use. Scheduling blocks of time for specific tasks like printing means peripherals are only in use when they are needed.

Purchasing departments have a role to play in green computing, too. Choosing equipment that will last and consumes the least amount of energy necessary for the task to be performed are both ways to reduce the carbon footprint of IT. Notebooks use less energy than laptops, and laptops use less energy than desktop computers, for example.

Green computing isn’t only for large organizations; you can also play an important part in improving sustainability in the world of IT. When many individuals make the choice to use functions like hibernate or sleep mode, the impact can be huge.

Whatever the device, employing the power management features and adjusting screen brightness help reduces energy consumption. Other ways to use less energy include turning off computers at the end of the day and keeping peripherals like speakers or printers turned off unless they are being used.

Refilling printer cartridges rather than purchasing new ones produces less waste and buying refurbished equipment rather than buying new reduces environmental impact. Safe disposal of electronic equipment  improves sustainability and has security advantages  (link resides outside ibm.com).

Just as purchasing departments should choose the most efficient equipment for the tasks to be performed, so should you. If a notebook or laptop can perform necessary tasks as well as a desktop computer, opt for the more efficient device. Energy Star ratings are a good guide for individuals purchasing new equipment.

In 1992, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began the  Energy Star Program  (link resides outside ibm.com) in the United States, which aimed to promote and recognize energy efficiency. That program was the impetus for the adoption of the sleep mode function across the IT industry, and it brought about numerous other initiatives to increase efforts toward green computing. Energy Star-certified products must meet certain operation standards and have power management features that non-certified products may lack.

The program was furthered by a grant from the EPA to the Global Electronics Council, which resulted in the  Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool  (link resides outside ibm.com) (EPEAT). EPEAT is a product registry for products that are held to specific performance criteria, including materials used, greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, product longevity, energy use and end-of-lifecycle management.

Before green computing, the IT industry tended to focus on producing smaller and faster devices, rather than on improving sustainability or reducing emissions. On-premises physical servers and hardware are associated with traditional computing, whereas cloud computing represents a move toward a more eco-friendly approach, with a stronger focus on efficiency.

Multiple initiatives to improve green computing standards through the creation of industry metrics related to sustainability exist, as do various certifications. The  Green500  (link resides outside ibm.com) is a sub-list of the Top500, which lists supercomputers and the applications for which those computing systems are used. The Green500 ranks the supercomputers by energy efficiency. The Transaction Processing Performance Council (TCP) is a nonprofit organization that develops benchmarks for performance in the transaction processing industry. SPECPower also creates benchmarks, but for the power and performance characteristics of single- and multi-node servers with the goal of improving efficiency.

Perhaps one of the greatest barriers to advancing green computing is a lack of concern. Few people think of the IT industry when they think about climate change. Along with a general lack of concern, the IT market has developed in a way that prioritizes the development of smaller and faster components and devices rather than environmentally friendly ones.

The fact that technology evolves and changes very rapidly presents challenges in extending the lifecycle of products and requires technology makers to ensure each iteration continues to meet eco-friendly standards. Switching from a conventional set up in a factory, data center or corporate office to a green configuration requires an often-substantial up-front capital investment that represents an additional potential barrier.

Fragmented data and varying needs make decision-making difficult across the spectrum of IT end users. For example, speed and performance have a different value in a large data center than they do for a user at home.

At any given point in the lifecycle of a computing device, users must weigh various concerns. For a large organization, security may be a greater concern than environmental impact when it comes to servers. And for a college student, a smaller device that is easier to carry may be more important than having one that is fully recyclable.

Green computing has the power to lessen the impact of computing on the environment. However, the ICT industry has an opportunity to do much more by using technology to benefit the environment through programs and systems designed to reduce power consumption, improve water management and embrace virtualization as a way to conserve energy.

Wherever you are on the path to green IT and sustainability within your organization, one practical first step that can make a noticeable and immediate impact on energy consumption is to make sure that your applications only consume the resources they need and nothing more. This materially reduces waste (cost and carbon footprint) in data centers and the public cloud.

To help realize that goal, a solution like  IBM Turbonomic® Application Resource Management  can help you continuously analyze applications’ resource utilization to ensure applications get what they need to perform, while adhering to business policies. With a complete understanding of the application and infrastructure stack, you can automate actions and prevent resource congestion across a hybrid cloud environment, while initiating broader investments in sustainability.

IBM is committed to green IT across the ecosystem of the business , including green design, operations and the use of its technology. The company has received numerous awards for  sustainable products, energy use and environmental excellence . IBM’s first corporate policy regarding environmental affairs was issued in 1971, and protecting the environment remains a key issue in worldwide operations.

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Legal requirements for placing a veterinary medicine on the market

Placing a veterinary medicine on the market, including non-medicinal products, medicinal words and phrases, how to obtain advice, report non-compliance.

Legislation

The Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 (legislation.gov.uk) (VMR), as amended, set out the UK controls on veterinary medicines, including their manufacture, advertising, marketing, supply and administration.

It is the responsibility of anyone engaged in these activities to comply with the VMR.

The VMR is available on  Legislation.gov.uk .

Requirement for a Marketing Authorisation (MA)

The VMR require that any person who places a veterinary medicine on the market does so in  accordance with an MA .

It is an offence to place a veterinary medicine on the market unless that product has been granted an MA.

Definition of Veterinary Medicine

A Veterinary Medicine is legally defined as:

• any substance or combination of substances presented as having properties for treating or preventing disease in animals
• any substance or combination of substances that may be used in, or administered to, animals with a view either to restoring, correcting or modifying physiological functions by exerting a pharmacological, immunological or metabolic action, or to making a medical diagnosis
• any substance or combination of substances that may be used for the purpose of euthanising an animal

This means that a product may be a veterinary medicine if it is:

• medicinal by presentation; in that product information, such as  product labels or marketing material, gives the averagely well-informed person the impression that the product treats or prevents disease
• medicinal by function; in that it contains a substance that would have a medicinal effect

Medicinal by presentation

A product is medicinal by presentation if its appearance gives the averagely well informed person the impression that the product treats or prevents disease, or they gain that impression.

Principally, if a person placing a product on the market, or the manufacturer, or a connected third party, expressly indicates or recommends the product for treating or preventing disease, this would render the product as medicinal by presentation. This includes product labels, leaflets, websites and social media advertisements or oral recommendations, and any other forms of literature relating to the product issued before, during or after the sale.

UK case law has established that:

• the concept of presentation of a product must be broadly understood
• the presentation will be that of the manufacturer but is not limited to the terms or manner in which the manufacturer chooses to package, describe or classify the product
• when considering whether a product is medicinal by presentation, regard should be given to the warnings, express indications and recommendations on the packaging but they are not conclusive of the position
• the external form of the product may be relevant to establishing the manufacturer’s intention but may also be material to the impression gained by the averagely well informed person
• the method of administration is an aspect of the presentation
• if a product is not only used externally but is used internally this may be relevant to its presentation and function

A product which is medicinal by presentation must have a MA granted by the SoS before it can be placed on the market unless it is covered by Schedule 6 to the VMR  Exemptions for small pet animals .

Medicinal words and phrases

If a product claims it will treat, prevent or control a disease it is medicinal by presentation. Certain words are considered medicinal as they’re normally associated with authorised medicines. The whole presentation of the product, including the packaging, will determine whether the words used make the product appear medicinal.

For guidance on marketing non-medicinal products: Digital media checklist ( PDF , 74.8 KB , 1 page )

Diseases and adverse conditions

If a product label refers, explicitly or implicitly, to the treatment or prevention of a disease or adverse condition, or to improving the state of health of the animal treated, it is making a medicinal claim.

References to the nutritional maintenance of a healthy animal, healthy digestive system or healthy respiratory system would not normally be regarded as medicinal claims.

Complying with legal requirements - medicinal by presentation: issues of difficulty

The following is guidance on particular points of difficulty and is not a definitive account of legal requirements.

Marketing and other promotional material

Claims made by a third party, such as magazine reviews or articles published by independent analysts, will be regarded as those of the company marketing the product where evidence confirms that the third party has a connection to the marketing company via solicitation, endorsement, sponsorship or funding.

Disclaimers

Disclaimers, for example on packaging or other marketing material, are not sufficient to prevent a product from being considered medicinal by presentation.

Reference to studies

References in marketing material to studies may cause a product to be considered medicinal if the study indicates that the product, or one of its ingredients, may have a medicinal effect or purpose.

Customer testimonials

If customer testimonials are used in connection with the marketing of a product and report results containing medicinal claims, the claims will be regarded as those of the company marketing the product.

Websites and social media

Websites and social media sites, including any chat room or forum, are considered in the same way as any other form of advertising and should not make medicinal claims for products that do not hold an MA.

UK based websites advertising a non-UK authorised veterinary medicine, intended for sale and administration outside the UK, must clearly indicate that the products will not be sold to UK customers.

For guidance on what internet marketing material to check see the Medicinal words and phrases ( PDF , 103 KB , 5 pages )

False and misleading claims

The VMR do not cover any claim made for an unauthorised veterinary medicine that is thought to be misleading or false but does not imply a medicinal effect.

False or misleading advertising claims about a product that is not a veterinary medicine are dealt with by local Trading Standards Officers.

Product form

The form in which a product is presented and the instructions for administration will be considered when deciding if a product is medicinal by presentation. For example, a vitamin supplement administered by injection may be considered to be medicinal by the nature of its presentation.

Packaging presentation

The appearance and design of packaging and its similarity to that of authorised medicines will be considered when deciding if a product is medicinal by presentation.

Medicinal by function

A product is medicinal by function if it is used or administered to animals with a view to restoring, correcting or modifying physiological functions by exerting a pharmacological, immunological or metabolic action or making a medical diagnosis. Risk to health is a factor that must be taken into account when classifying a product as medicinal by function.

A product which is medicinal by function must have an MA granted by the SoS before it can be placed on the market. This requirement does not apply to products marketed under Schedule 6 to the VMR.

Specific topics

Feeding stuffs intended for particular nutritional purposes.

The Animal Feed (England) Regulations are enforced by local Trading Standards Officers.

Your local office (contact your local council for details) will be able to provide individual advice on these Regulations.

The Animal Feed (England) Regulations apply in England only, separate but parallel legislation is in force in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Nutraceuticals

A nutraceutical product is a food or naturally occurring food supplement marketed as having a beneficial effect on health and is treated like any other product. They require an MA if medicinal claims are made or if they contain certain ingredients that exert a pharmacological effect on the target animal.

Biocides, insecticides and repellents

The following require an MA:

• a veterinary product administered to an animal, which contains a substance that kill insects or external parasites, such as pyrethrins, pyrethroids or organophosphate compounds, as they are medicinal by function
• a veterinary product claiming to have, or which has, the function of, control of internal parasites
• a veterinary product administered to an animal, claiming to treat or prevent a disease caused by a viral, bacterial or fungal infection

The following do not require an MA:

• a product containing a repellent, such as diethyltoluamide or ethylhexanediol, provided they claim only to repel external insects
• a product applied only to housing or bedding
• a topical disinfectant applied to intact skin provided they do not claim to treat or prevent disease

The marketing of these products are covered by legislation on biocides. For further information refer to the  Chemicals Regulation Directorate , email  [email protected] or [email protected] .

A shampoo for animals will be considered medicinal if it contains an insecticide or an ingredient which has a pharmacological effect or is presented as an insecticidal shampoo. Reference to skin conditions such as seborrhoea and dermatitis are medicinal and should not be made in connection with an unauthorised shampoo.

Cosmetic products

Cosmetic products for animals are subject to the general definition of veterinary medicines. Products that do not make specific medicinal claims and are used for cosmetic purposes only, such as colouring shampoos and hoof oils, are not considered to be veterinary medicines as long as they do not contain any pharmacologically active ingredients.

Teat and udder products

A product applied internally to teats and udders for the prevention of mastitis is considered to be a veterinary medicine.

A product applied topically to disinfect teats and udders and for which no medicinal claims are made, does not require an MA. These are regarded as biocidal products and dealt with by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under the Biocidal Products Regulations.

Disinfectants

A product labelled as a disinfectant which does not claim to treat or prevent disease does not require an MA. However, disinfectants may be regarded as biocidal products and can be dealt with by the HSE under the Biocidal Products Regulations.

Herbal products

Herbal products are treated like any other products. They require an MA if they are medicinal by presentation or function. For example, a product containing pyrethrum, pyrethrins or alkaloids, such as digoxin from Digitalis sp., would be considered medicinal by function.

Homeopathic remedies

A new homeopathic veterinary remedy placed on the market must either be registered under the  homeopathic registration scheme  or have a full MA. A homeopathic product on the market prior to 1 January 1994 may remain on the market provided no medicinal claims are made.

Diagnostic tools (testing kits)

Any substance, or combination of substances administered to animals with a view to making a medical diagnosis is a veterinary medicine and therefore requires an MA.

The withdrawal of fluid or tissue for diagnostic purposes and laboratory diagnostic tests are not considered medicinal.

Manufactured colostrum, including that from cows that have been treated to ensure the colostrum will contain particular antibodies, require an MA.

A colostrum or colostrum based product containing pure colostrum, provided that no reference is made to disease, immunoglobulin, antibodies, IgA, IgG or immunity, does not require an MA.

Products excluded from the scope of the Regulations

The VMR do not apply to:

• a veterinary medicinal product based on radio-active isotopes

a product intended for administration in the course of a procedure licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, except that, if the animals are to be put into the human food chain, the only products that may be administered to the animals are:

• authorised veterinary medicinal products administered in accordance with their marketing authorisation; or
• products administered in accordance with an animal test certificate granted under VMR paragraph 9 of Schedule 4.

Obtaining advice

If you are in any doubt as to whether a specific product requires an MA you will be able to obtain confirmation from the VMD through a formal process. There is a fee for this procedure, the details can be found on the  Fees applied to veterinary medicine authorisation applications in GB .

It is not mandatory to seek formal confirmation of a product’s status before it is placed on the UK market. However, should a product be placed on the market without an MA and it is deemed to be a veterinary medicine, enforcement action will be taken which could result in the product being seized without compensation.

How to apply

Each  Advice application form  (ODT, 46.1KB) should be signed by the applicant or in the case of a corporate body by a proper officer and be accompanied by the supporting information referred to in the application form. Applications should be emailed to:  [email protected]  

All relevant information submitted in support of such applications is treated as commercially confidential.

Each application will be acknowledged and validated to check that all necessary information has been supplied within 14 calendar days of receipt.

The application will be considered by us once it has passed validation. You will be informed within 30 calendar days whether an MA is required, or you will be asked to provide further information. You will receive written confirmation of this.

This decision is only valid based on the documentation submitted as part of the application. Small changes to any of the information provided could invalidate the decision.

On receipt of a valid application, the VMD will send an invoice to the applicant for each product listed in the application.

The fee is £885.

Reporting non-compliance

Use our online reporting forms to:

• report any suspected breach of the VMR
• Report an animal product that is marketed as a medicine

The VMD’s Enforcement Section coordinates reports of suspected breaches of the VMR. The information and intelligence we receive is analysed and may be shared with our enforcement partners with the aim of protecting public health, animal health and the environment, and to promote animal welfare by assuring the safety, quality and efficacy of veterinary medicines.

Anonymous reporting

You can submit an anonymous report to us through:

• the online reporting form and selecting the anonymous option
• our telephone Hotline on 01932 338 338

Please be aware that if you use this option and there is not enough information in your report, we may be limited on the action we can take regarding your concern.

We do not disclose where reports originate.

Other Legislation

If a product does not fall within the definition of a veterinary medicine care should be taken to ensure that it meets the requirements of any legislation which might be relevant, such as:

• The Food and Environment Protection Act as amended
• The Control of Pesticides Regulations as amended
• The Biocidal Products Regulations as amended
• The Animal Feed (England) Regulations as amended

Contact and further guidance

For further information regarding any of the above topics contact the Enforcement Section, [email protected]  

For information relating to authorised veterinary products see the  Product Information Database  or email your enquiry to  [email protected] .

For information on authorisation routes and how to apply for a marketing authorisation refer to the guidance; Marketing authorisations for veterinary medicines .

For information on advertising; Advertise veterinary medicines legally .

For information on the retail of veterinary medicine; Retail of veterinary medicines .

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