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Blog Beginner Guides How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

Written by: Krystle Wong Jul 20, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 10 qualities of a good presentation?

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

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

1. Clear structure

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

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

2. Engaging opening

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

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

3. Relevant content

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

4. Effective visual aids

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

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

5. Clear and concise communication

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

6. Engaging delivery

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

7. Interaction and audience engagement

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

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

8. Effective storytelling

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

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

9. Well-timed pacing

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

10. Strong conclusion

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

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

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

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

1. Understand the audience and their needs

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

2. Conduct thorough research on the topic

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

3. Organize the content with a clear structure

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

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

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

4. Develop visually appealing and supportive visual aids

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

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

5. Practice, practice and practice

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

6. Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments

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

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

7. Prepare for potential technical or logistical issues

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

8. Fine-tune and polish your presentation

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

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

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

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

1. Confidence and positive body language

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

2. Eye contact with the audience

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

3. Effective use of hand gestures and movement

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

4. Utilize storytelling techniques

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

5. Incorporate multimedia elements

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

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

6. Utilize humor strategically

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

7. Practice active listening and respond to feedback

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

8. Apply the 10-20-30 rule

Apply the 10-20-30 presentation rule and keep it short, sweet and impactful! Stick to ten slides, deliver your presentation within 20 minutes and use a 30-point font to ensure clarity and focus. Less is more, and your audience will thank you for it!

9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule

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

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

1. How to start a presentation?

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

2. How to end a presentation?

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

3. How to make a presentation interactive?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Home Blog Education Presentation Skills 101: A Guide to Presentation Success

Presentation Skills 101: A Guide to Presentation Success

Getting the perfect presentation design is just a step toward a successful presentation. For the experienced user, building presentation skills is the answer to elevating the power of your message and showing expertise on any subject. Still, one can ask: is it the same set of skills, or are they dependable on the type of presentation?

In this article, we will introduce the different types of presentations accompanied by the skillset required to master them. The purpose, as always, is to retain the audience’s interest for a long-lasting and convincing message.

Table of Contents

The Importance of Presentation Skills

Persuasive presentations, instructional presentations, informative presentations, inspirational presentations, basic presentation skills, what are the main difficulties when giving a presentation, recommendations to improve your presentation skills, closing statement.

Effective communication is the answer to reaching business and academic goals. The scenarios in which we can be required to deliver a presentation are as diverse as one can imagine. Still, some core concepts apply to all presentations.

 We define presentation skills as a compendium of soft skills that directly affect your presentation performance and contribute to creating a great presentation. These are not qualities acquired by birth but skills you ought to train and master to delve into professional environments.

You may ask: is it really that evident when a presenter is not prepared? Here are some common signs people can experience during presentations:

• Evasive body language: Not making eye contact with the audience, arms closed tightly to the body, hands in pockets all the time.
• Lack of interest in the presenter’s voice: dull tone, not putting an effort to articulate the topics.
• Doubting when asked to answer a question
• Irksome mood

The list can go on about common presenter mistakes , and most certainly, it will affect the performance of any presented data if the lack of interest by the presenter is blatantly obvious.  Another element to consider is anxiety, and according to research by the National Institute of Mental Health, 73% of the population in the USA is affected by glossophobia , which is the fear of public speaking, judgment, or negative evaluation by other people.

Therefore, presentation skills training is essential for any business professional who wants to achieve effective communication . It will remove the anxiety from presentation performance and help users effectively deliver their message and connect with the audience.

Archetypes of presentations

Persuasive presentations aim to convince the audience – often in short periods – to acquire a product or service, adhere to a cause, or invest in a company. For business entrepreneurs or politicians, persuasive presentations are their tool for the trade.

Unless you aim to be perceived as an imposter, a proper persuasive presentation has the elements of facts, empathy, and logic, balanced under a well-crafted narrative. The central pillar of these presentations is to identify the single factor that gathered your audience: it could be a market need, a social cause, or a revolutionary concept for today’s society. It has to be something with enough power to gather critiques – both good and bad.

That single factor has to be backed up by facts. Research that builds your hypothesis on how to solve that problem. A deep understanding of the target audience’s needs , concerns, and social position regarding the solution your means can offer. When those elements are in place, building a pitch becomes an easy task. 

Graphics can help you introduce information in a compelling format, lowering the need for lengthy presentations. Good presentation skills for persuasive presentations go by the hand of filtering relevant data and creating the visual cues that resonate with what your audience demands.

One powerful example of a persuasive presentation is the technique known as the elevator pitch . You must introduce your idea or product convincingly to the audience in a timeframe between 30 seconds and less than 2 minutes. You have to expose:

• What do you do 
• What’s the problem to solve
• Why is your solution different from others 
• Why should the audience care about your expertise

For that very purpose, using engaging graphics with contrasting colors elevates the potential power of your message. It speaks professionalism, care for details, and out-of-the-box thinking. Knowing how to end a presentation is also critical, as your CTAs should be placed with care.

Therefore, let’s resume the requirements of persuasive presentations in terms of good presentation skills:

• Identifying problems and needs
• Elaborating “the hook” (the element that grabs the audience’s attention)
• Knowing how to “tie” your audience (introducing a piece of information related to the hook that causes an emotional impact)
• Broad knowledge of body language and hand gestures to quickly convey your message
• Being prepared to argue a defense of your point of view
• Handling rejection
• Having a proactive attitude to convert opportunities into new projects
• Using humor, surprise, or personal anecdotes as elements to sympathize with the audience
• Having confidence
• Be able to summarize facts and information in visually appealing ways

You can learn more about persuasive presentation techniques by clicking here .

In the case of instructional presentations, we ought to differentiate two distinctive types:

• Lecture Presentations : Presentations being held at universities or any other educative institution. Those presentations cover, topic by topic, and the contents of a syllabus and are created by the team of teachers in charge of the course.
• Training Presentations : These presentations take place during in-company training sessions and usually comprise a good amount of content that is resumed into easy-to-take solutions. They are aimed to coach employees over certain topics relevant to their work performance. The 70-20-10 Model is frequently used to address these training situations.

Lecture presentations appeal to the gradual introduction of complex concepts, following a structure set in the course’s syllabus. These presentations often have a similar aesthetic as a group of professors or researchers created to share their knowledge about a topic. Personal experience does tell that course presentations often rely on factual data, adequately documented, and on the theoretical side.

An example of a presentation that lies under this concept is a Syllabus Presentation, used by the teaching team to introduce the subject to new students, evaluation methods, concepts to be learned, and expectations to pass the course.

On the other hand, training presentations are slide decks designed to meet an organization’s specific needs in the formal education of their personnel. Commonly known as “continuous education,” plenty of companies invest resources in coaching their employees to achieve higher performance results. These presentations have the trademark of being concise since their idea is to introduce the concepts that shall be applied in practice sessions. 

Ideally, the training presentations are introduced with little text and easy-to-recognize visual cues. Since the idea is to summarize as much as possible, these are visually appealing for the audience. They must be dynamic enough to allow the presenter to convey the message.

Those key takeaways remind employees when they revisit their learning resources and allow them to ruminate on questions that fellow workers raise. 

To sum up this point, building presentation skills for instructional presentations requires:

• Ability to put complex concepts into simpler words
• Patience and a constant learning mindset
• Voice training to deliver lengthy speeches without being too dense
• Ability to summarize points and note the key takeaways
• Empathizing with the audience to understand their challenges in the learning process

The informative presentations take place in business situations, such as when to present project reports from different departments to the management. Another potential usage of these presentations is in SCRUM or other Agile methodologies, when a sprint is completed, to discuss the advance of the project with the Product Owner.

As they are presentations heavily dependent on data insights, it’s common to see the usage of infographics and charts to express usually dense data in simpler terms and easy to remember. 

Informative presentations don’t just fall into the business category. Ph.D. Dissertation and Thesis presentations are topics that belong to the informative presentations category as they condense countless research hours into manageable reports for the academic jury. 

Since these informational presentations can be perceived as lengthy and data-filled, it is important to learn the following professional presentation skills:

• Attention to detail
• Be able to explain complex information in simpler terms
• Creative thinking
• Powerful diction
• Working on pauses and transitions
• Pacing the presentation, so not too much information is divulged per slide

The leading inspirational platform, TEDx, comes to mind when talking about inspirational presentations. This presentation format has the peculiarity of maximizing the engagement with the audience to divulge a message, and due to that, it has specific requirements any presenter must meet.

This presentation format usually involves a speaker on a stage, either sitting or better standing, in which the presenter engages with the audience with a storytelling format about a life experience, a job done that provided a remarkable improvement for society, etc.

Empathizing with the audience is the key ingredient for these inspirational presentations. Still, creativity is what shapes the outcome of your performance as people are constantly looking for different experiences – not the same recipe rephrased with personal touches. The human factor is what matters here, way above data and research. What has your experience to offer to others? How can it motivate another human being to pursue a similar path or discover their true calling?

To achieve success in terms of communication skills presentation, these inspirational presentations have the following requirements:

• Focus on the audience (engage, consider their interests, and make them a part of your story)
• Putting ego aside
• Creative communication skills
• Storytelling skills
• Body language knowledge to apply the correct gestures to accompany your story
• Voice training
• Using powerful words

After discussing the different kinds of presentations we can come across at any stage of our lives, a group of presentation skills is standard in any type of presentation. See below what makes a good presentation and which skills you must count on to succeed as a presenter.

Punctuality

Punctuality is a crucial aspect of giving an effective presentation. Nothing says more about respect for your audience and the organization you represent than delivering the presentation on time . Arriving last minute puts pressure on the tech team behind audiovisuals, as they don’t have enough preparation to test microphones, stage lights, and projector settings, which can lead to a less powerful presentation Even when discussing presentations hosted in small rooms for a reduced audience, testing the equipment becomes essential for an effective presentation.

A solution for this is to arrive at least 30 minutes early. Ideally, one hour is a sweet spot since the AV crew has time to check the gear and requirements for your presentation. Another benefit of this, for example, in inspirational presentations, is measuring the previous presenter’s impact on the audience. This gives insights about how to resonate with the public, and their interest, and how to accommodate your presentation for maximum impact.

Body Language

Our bodies can make emotions transparent for others, even when we are unaware of such a fact. Proper training for body language skills reduces performance anxiety, giving the audience a sense of expertise about the presented topic. 

Give your presentation and the audience the respect they deserve by watching over these potential mistakes:

• Turning your back to the audience for extended periods : It’s okay to do so when introducing an important piece of information or explaining a graph, but it is considered rude to give your back to the audience constantly.
• Fidgeting : We are all nervous in the presence of strangers, even more, if we are the center of attention for that moment. Instead of playing with your hair or making weird hand gestures, take a deep breath to center yourself before the presentation and remember that everything you could do to prepare is already done. Trust your instincts and give your best.
• Intense eye contact : Have you watched a video where the presenter stared at the camera the entire time? That’s the feeling you transmit to spectators through intense eye contact. It’s a practice often used by politicians to persuade.
• Swearing : This is a no-brainer. Even when you see influencers swearing on camera or in podcasts or live presentations, it is considered an informal and lousy practice for business and academic situations. If you have a habit to break when it comes to this point, find the humor in these situations and replace your swear words with funny alternatives (if the presentation allows for it). 

Voice Tone plays a crucial role in delivering effective presentations and knowing how to give a good presentation. Your voice is a powerful tool for exposing your ideas and feelings . Your voice can articulate the message you are telling, briefing the audience if you feel excited about what you are sharing or, in contrast, if you feel the presentation is a burden you ought to complete.

Remember, passion is a primary ingredient in convincing people. Therefore, transmitting such passion with a vibrant voice may help gather potential business partners’ interest.  

But what if you feel sick prior to the presentation? If, by chance, your throat is sore minutes before setting foot on the stage, try this: when introducing yourself, mention that you are feeling a bit under the weather. This resonates with the audience to pay more attention to your efforts. In case you don’t feel comfortable about that, ask the organizers for a cup of tea, as it will settle your throat and relax your nerves.

Tech Skills

Believe it or not, people still feel challenged by technology these days. Maybe that’s the reason why presentation giants like Tony Robbins opt not to use PowerPoint presentations . The reality is that there are plenty of elements involved in a presentation that can go wrong from the tech side:

• A PDF not opening
• Saving your presentation in a too-recent PowerPoint version
• A computer not booting up
• Mac laptops and their never-ending compatibility nightmare
• Not knowing how to change between slides
• Not knowing how to use a laser pointer
• Internet not working
• Audio not working

We can come up with a pretty long list of potential tech pitfalls, and yet more than half of them fall in presenters not being knowledgeable about technology.

If computers aren’t your thing, let the organization know about this beforehand. There is always a crew member available to help presenters switch between slides or configure the presentation for streaming. This takes the pressure off your shoulders, allowing you to concentrate on the content to present. Remember, even Bill Gates can get a BSOD during a presentation .

Presentations, while valuable for conveying information and ideas, can be daunting for many individuals. Here are some common difficulties people encounter when giving presentations:

Public Speaking Anxiety

Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, affects a significant portion of the population. This anxiety can lead to nervousness, trembling, and forgetfulness during a presentation.

Lack of Confidence

Many presenters struggle with self-doubt, fearing that they may not be knowledgeable or skilled enough to engage their audience effectively.

Content Organization

Organizing information in a coherent and engaging manner can be challenging. Presenters often grapple with how to structure their content to make it easily digestible for the audience. Artificial Intelligence can help us significantly reduce the content arrangement time when you work with tools like our AI Presentation Maker (made for presenters by experts in presentation design). 

Audience Engagement

Keeping the audience’s attention and interest throughout the presentation can be difficult. Distractions, disengaged attendees, or lack of interaction can pose challenges.

Technical Issues

Technology glitches, such as malfunctioning equipment, incompatible file formats, or poor internet connectivity, can disrupt presentations and increase stress.

Time Management

Striking the right balance between providing enough information and staying within time limits is a common challenge. Going over or under the allotted time can affect the effectiveness of the presentation.

Handling Questions and Challenges

Responding to unexpected questions, criticism, or challenges from the audience can be difficult, especially when presenters are unprepared or lack confidence in their subject matter.

Visual Aids and Technology

Creating and effectively using visual aids like slides or multimedia can be a struggle for some presenters. Technical competence is essential in this aspect.

Language and Articulation

Poor language skills or unclear articulation can hinder effective communication. Presenters may worry about stumbling over words or failing to convey their message clearly.

Maintaining appropriate and confident body language can be challenging. Avoiding nervous habits, maintaining eye contact, and using gestures effectively requires practice.

Overcoming Impersonal Delivery

In virtual presentations, maintaining a personal connection with the audience can be difficult. The absence of face-to-face interaction can make it challenging to engage and read the audience.

Cultural and Diversity Awareness

Presenting to diverse audiences requires sensitivity to cultural differences and varying levels of familiarity with the topic.

In this section, we gathered some tips on how to improve presentation skills that can certainly make an impact if applied to your presentation skills. We believe these skills can be cultivated to transform into habits for your work routine.

Tip #1: Build a narrative

One memorable way to guarantee presentation success is by writing a story of all the points you desire to cover. This statement is based on the logic behind storytelling and its power to connect with people .

Don’t waste time memorizing slides or reading your presentation to the audience. It feels unnatural, and any question that diverts from the topic in discussion certainly puts you in jeopardy or, worse, exposes you as a fraud in the eyes of the audience. And before you ask, it is really evident when a presenter has a memorized speech. 

Build and rehearse the presentation as if telling a story to a group of interested people. Lower the language barrier by avoiding complex terms that maybe even you aren’t fully aware of their meaning. Consider the ramifications of that story, what it could lead to, and which are the opportunities to explore. Then, visualize yourself giving the presentation in a natural way.

Applying this technique makes the presentation feel like second nature to you. It broadens the spectrum in which you can show expertise over a topic or even build the basis for new interesting points of view about the project.

Tip #2: Don’t talk for more than 3 minutes per slide

It is a common practice of presenters to bombard the audience with facts and information whilst retaining the same slide on the screen. Why can this happen? It could be because the presenter condensed the talk into very few slides and preferred to talk. The reality is that your spectators won’t retain the information you are giving unless you give visual cues to help that process. 

Opt to prepare more slides and pace your speech to match the topics shown on each slide. Don’t spend more than 3 minutes per slide unless you have to introduce a complex piece of data. Use visual cues to direct the spectators about what you talk about, and summarize the principal concepts discussed at the end of each section.

Tip #3: Practice meditation daily

Anxiety is the number one enemy of professional presenters. It slowly builds without you being aware of your doubts and can hinder your performance in multiple ways: making you feel paralyzed, fidgeting, making you forget language skills or concepts, affecting your health, etc.

Meditation is an ancient practice taken from Buddhist teachings that train your mind to be here in the present. We often see the concepts of meditation and mindfulness as synonyms, whereas you should be aware that meditation is a practice that sets the blocks to reach a state of mindfulness. For presenters, being in the here and now is essential to retain focus, but meditation techniques also teach us to control our breathing and be in touch with our body signals when stress builds up. 

The customary practice of meditation has an impact on imagination and creativity but also helps to build patience – a skill much needed for connecting with your audience in instructional presentations.

Having the proper set of presentation skills can be quite subjective. It goes beyond presentation tips and deepens into how flexible we can be in our ability to communicate ideas.

Different presentations and different audiences shape the outcome of our efforts. Therefore, having a basic understanding of how to connect, raise awareness, and empathize with people can be key ingredients for your career as a presenter. A word of advice: success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes dedication and patience to build communication skills . Don’t condition your work to believe you will be ready “someday”; it’s best to practice and experience failure as part of the learning process.

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How to Give a Killer Presentation

• Chris Anderson

For more than 30 years, the TED conference series has presented enlightening talks that people enjoy watching. In this article, Anderson, TED’s curator, shares five keys to great presentations:

• Frame your story (figure out where to start and where to end).
• Plan your delivery (decide whether to memorize your speech word for word or develop bullet points and then rehearse it—over and over).
• Work on stage presence (but remember that your story matters more than how you stand or whether you’re visibly nervous).
• Plan the multimedia (whatever you do, don’t read from PowerPoint slides).
• Put it together (play to your strengths and be authentic).

According to Anderson, presentations rise or fall on the quality of the idea, the narrative, and the passion of the speaker. It’s about substance—not style. In fact, it’s fairly easy to “coach out” the problems in a talk, but there’s no way to “coach in” the basic story—the presenter has to have the raw material. So if your thinking is not there yet, he advises, decline that invitation to speak. Instead, keep working until you have an idea that’s worth sharing.

Lessons from TED

A little more than a year ago, on a trip to Nairobi, Kenya, some colleagues and I met a 12-year-old Masai boy named Richard Turere, who told us a fascinating story. His family raises livestock on the edge of a vast national park, and one of the biggest challenges is protecting the animals from lions—especially at night. Richard had noticed that placing lamps in a field didn’t deter lion attacks, but when he walked the field with a torch, the lions stayed away. From a young age, he’d been interested in electronics, teaching himself by, for example, taking apart his parents’ radio. He used that experience to devise a system of lights that would turn on and off in sequence—using solar panels, a car battery, and a motorcycle indicator box—and thereby create a sense of movement that he hoped would scare off the lions. He installed the lights, and the lions stopped attacking. Soon villages elsewhere in Kenya began installing Richard’s “lion lights.”

• CA Chris Anderson is the curator of TED.

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How to Structure your Presentation, with Examples

August 3, 2018 - Dom Barnard

For many people the thought of delivering a presentation is a daunting task and brings about a  great deal of nerves . However, if you take some time to understand how effective presentations are structured and then apply this structure to your own presentation, you’ll appear much more confident and relaxed.

Here is our complete guide for structuring your presentation, with examples at the end of the article to demonstrate these points.

Why is structuring a presentation so important?

If you’ve ever sat through a great presentation, you’ll have left feeling either inspired or informed on a given topic. This isn’t because the speaker was the most knowledgeable or motivating person in the world. Instead, it’s because they know how to structure presentations – they have crafted their message in a logical and simple way that has allowed the audience can keep up with them and take away key messages.

Research has supported this, with studies showing that audiences retain structured information  40% more accurately  than unstructured information.

In fact, not only is structuring a presentation important for the benefit of the audience’s understanding, it’s also important for you as the speaker. A good structure helps you remain calm, stay on topic, and avoid any awkward silences.

What will affect your presentation structure?

Generally speaking, there is a natural flow that any decent presentation will follow which we will go into shortly. However, you should be aware that all presentation structures will be different in their own unique way and this will be due to a number of factors, including:

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

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

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

When reading the points below, think critically about what things may cause your presentation structure to be slightly different. You can add in certain elements and add more focus to certain moments if that works better for your speech.

What is the typical presentation structure?

This is the usual flow of a presentation, which covers all the vital sections and is a good starting point for yours. It allows your audience to easily follow along and sets out a solid structure you can add your content to.

1. Greet the audience and introduce yourself

Before you start delivering your talk, introduce yourself to the audience and clarify who you are and your relevant expertise. This does not need to be long or incredibly detailed, but will help build an immediate relationship between you and the audience. It gives you the chance to briefly clarify your expertise and why you are worth listening to. This will help establish your ethos so the audience will trust you more and think you’re credible.

Read our tips on  How to Start a Presentation Effectively

2. Introduction

In the introduction you need to explain the subject and purpose of your presentation whilst gaining the audience’s interest and confidence. It’s sometimes helpful to think of your introduction as funnel-shaped to help filter down your topic:

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

In this section also explain:

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

The way you structure your introduction can depend on the amount of time you have been given to present: a  sales pitch  may consist of a quick presentation so you may begin with your conclusion and then provide the evidence. Conversely, a speaker presenting their idea for change in the world would be better suited to start with the evidence and then conclude what this means for the audience.

Keep in mind that the main aim of the introduction is to grab the audience’s attention and connect with them.

3. The main body of your talk

The main body of your talk needs to meet the promises you made in the introduction. Depending on the nature of your presentation, clearly segment the different topics you will be discussing, and then work your way through them one at a time – it’s important for everything to be organised logically for the audience to fully understand. There are many different ways to organise your main points, such as, by priority, theme, chronologically etc.

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

When planning your presentation write a list of main points you want to make and ask yourself “What I am telling the audience? What should they understand from this?” refining your answers this way will help you produce clear messages.

4. Conclusion

In presentations the conclusion is frequently underdeveloped and lacks purpose which is a shame as it’s the best place to reinforce your messages. Typically, your presentation has a specific goal – that could be to convert a number of the audience members into customers, lead to a certain number of enquiries to make people knowledgeable on specific key points, or to motivate them towards a shared goal.

Regardless of what that goal is, be sure to summarise your main points and their implications. This clarifies the overall purpose of your talk and reinforces your reason for being there.

Follow these steps:

• Signal that it’s nearly the end of your presentation, for example, “As we wrap up/as we wind down the talk…”
• Restate the topic and purpose of your presentation – “In this speech I wanted to compare…”
• Summarise the main points, including their implications and conclusions
• Indicate what is next/a call to action/a thought-provoking takeaway
• Move on to the last section

5. Thank the audience and invite questions

Conclude your talk by thanking the audience for their time and invite them to  ask any questions  they may have. As mentioned earlier, personal circumstances will affect the structure of your presentation.

Many presenters prefer to make the Q&A session the key part of their talk and try to speed through the main body of the presentation. This is totally fine, but it is still best to focus on delivering some sort of initial presentation to set the tone and topics for discussion in the Q&A.

Other common presentation structures

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

Demonstration

Use the demonstration structure when you have something useful to show. This is usually used when you want to show how a product works. Steve Jobs frequently used this technique in his presentations.

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

Problem-solution

This structure is particularly useful in persuading the audience.

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

Storytelling

As well as incorporating  stories in your presentation , you can organise your whole presentation as a story. There are lots of different type of story structures you can use – a popular choice is the monomyth – the hero’s journey. In a monomyth, a hero goes on a difficult journey or takes on a challenge – they move from the familiar into the unknown. After facing obstacles and ultimately succeeding the hero returns home, transformed and with newfound wisdom.

Storytelling for Business Success  webinar , where well-know storyteller Javier Bernad shares strategies for crafting compelling narratives.

Another popular choice for using a story to structure your presentation is in media ras (in the middle of thing). In this type of story you launch right into the action by providing a snippet/teaser of what’s happening and then you start explaining the events that led to that event. This is engaging because you’re starting your story at the most exciting part which will make the audience curious – they’ll want to know how you got there.

• Great storytelling: Examples from Alibaba Founder, Jack Ma

Remaining method

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

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

Transitions

When delivering presentations it’s important for your words and ideas to flow so your audience can understand how everything links together and why it’s all relevant. This can be done  using speech transitions  which are words and phrases that allow you to smoothly move from one point to another so that your speech flows and your presentation is unified.

Transitions can be one word, a phrase or a full sentence – there are many different forms, here are some examples:

Moving from the introduction to the first point

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

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

Shifting between similar points

Move from one point to a similar one:

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

Internal summaries

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

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

Physical movement

You can move your body and your standing location when you transition to another point. The audience find it easier to follow your presentation and movement will increase their interest.

A common technique for incorporating movement into your presentation is to:

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

Key slides for your presentation

Slides are a useful tool for most presentations: they can greatly assist in the delivery of your message and help the audience follow along with what you are saying. Key slides include:

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

There are some presenters who choose not to use slides at all, though this is more of a rarity. Slides can be a powerful tool if used properly, but the problem is that many fail to do just that. Here are some golden rules to follow when using slides in a presentation:

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

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

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

Here are some additional resources for slide design:

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

Group Presentations

Group presentations are structured in the same way as presentations with one speaker but usually require more rehearsal and practices.  Clean transitioning between speakers  is very important in producing a presentation that flows well. One way of doing this consists of:

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

From this example you can see how the different sections of the presentations link which makes it easier for the audience to follow and remain engaged.

Example of great presentation structure and delivery

Having examples of great presentations will help inspire your own structures, here are a few such examples, each unique and inspiring in their own way.

How Google Works – by Eric Schmidt

This presentation by ex-Google CEO  Eric Schmidt  demonstrates some of the most important lessons he and his team have learnt with regards to working with some of the most talented individuals they hired. The simplistic yet cohesive style of all of the slides is something to be appreciated. They are relatively straightforward, yet add power and clarity to the narrative of the presentation.

Start with why – by Simon Sinek

Since being released in 2009, this presentation has been viewed almost four million times all around the world. The message itself is very powerful, however, it’s not an idea that hasn’t been heard before. What makes this presentation so powerful is the simple message he is getting across, and the straightforward and understandable manner in which he delivers it. Also note that he doesn’t use any slides, just a whiteboard where he creates a simple diagram of his opinion.

The Wisdom of a Third Grade Dropout – by Rick Rigsby

Here’s an example of a presentation given by a relatively unknown individual looking to inspire the next generation of graduates. Rick’s presentation is unique in many ways compared to the two above. Notably, he uses no visual prompts and includes a great deal of humour.

However, what is similar is the structure he uses. He first introduces his message that the wisest man he knew was a third-grade dropout. He then proceeds to deliver his main body of argument, and in the end, concludes with his message. This powerful speech keeps the viewer engaged throughout, through a mixture of heart-warming sentiment, powerful life advice and engaging humour.

As you can see from the examples above, and as it has been expressed throughout, a great presentation structure means analysing the core message of your presentation. Decide on a key message you want to impart the audience with, and then craft an engaging way of delivering it.

By preparing a solid structure, and  practising your talk  beforehand, you can walk into the presentation with confidence and deliver a meaningful message to an interested audience.

It’s important for a presentation to be well-structured so it can have the most impact on your audience. An unstructured presentation can be difficult to follow and even frustrating to listen to. The heart of your speech are your main points supported by evidence and your transitions should assist the movement between points and clarify how everything is linked.

Research suggests that the audience remember the first and last things you say so your introduction and conclusion are vital for reinforcing your points. Essentially, ensure you spend the time structuring your presentation and addressing all of the sections.

Ideas and insights from Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How are you providing presentation skills training for your learners?

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

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Celebrate friendship and the peaceful meeting of souls! Are you a young leader eager to engage people, to create meaningful relationships, to inspire others and to welcome many different types of people? Use our cool template!

This inclusive theme is based on a multi-purpose structure. The background displays geometric shapes that combine different hues of blue and pink, which makes the template pretty modern! We have added many pictures of different types of people to show the power of friendship. In addition, we have completed the look of the presentation choosing condensed heavy titles; they are perfect for grabbing your audience’s attention! The readable sans serif body text is soft and delicate, which is the perfect match for the dots in the background!

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Here's the exact moment people will tune out of your presentation and tactics to keep them engaged.

Three ways to keep your audience engaged beyond this cliff.

People get bored fast. That's what scientists have concluded from studies of presentations in different venues, from the classroom to remote meetings.

But exactly how quickly do people lose interest? Thanks to new research, we have an answer. We've also learned proven tactics for keeping the audience's attention.

Stick to the 10-Minute Rule

A recent Finnish study of 380 virtual work meetings showed that remote viewers reported feeling drowsy (and some nearly fell asleep) after just 10 minutes.

If the study were based on participants filling out a survey, I wouldn't cite it here. However, this experiment required people to wear devices that measured their heart rates, and the results were cross-checked with their subjective feedback.

The study reinforces another experiment that University of Washington biology professor John Medina conducts with his students every year, which reaches the same conclusion.

Medina says, "After 9 minutes and 59 seconds, the audience's attention is getting ready to plummet to near zero."

We now know your audience will lose interest in your presentation after 10 minutes. But that raises a problem: Unless it's a pitch competition or a very short check-in, most presentations and meetings (in-person or remote) cover more information than can be delivered in 10 minutes.

So, what can you do about it? Once again, science has an answer.

Create Brain Breaks

As the Finnish researchers studied the data from heart monitors worn by meeting participants, they found something unexpected. People were not getting drowsy because they hadn't had a good night's sleep. They were feeling sleepy after 10 minutes because they were bored.

They were experiencing what researchers call an underload of stimulation.

For example, in the virtual meetings that the scientists studied, "underload may occur due to a lack of physical activity, reduced engagement in discussions, or the monotonous nature of the meetings."

In other words, people need breaks in a presentation--not to rest, but to re-engage.

Re-engagement breaks include:

Physical and mental activity.

Take a break from your slides and give the audience something to do.

In a remote meeting, this could be as simple as having them take a poll or raise their virtual hands to ask questions.

For in-person presentations, break away from the slides after 10 minutes and involve the audience. Now's the time for them to see and touch a product, take a turn at the whiteboard, ask questions, or, if it's a longer training program, stand up from their chairs and break into groups for roundtable discussions.

Introducing another voice.

When someone else begins speaking, it's like starting a new presentation. At least, that's what the brain believes. That's why 90-minute Apple product launches include several speakers in addition to CEO Tim Cook. Cook often introduces a topic to another speaker, who takes no more than five or 10 minutes before handing it back.

For my own keynote presentations, which are typically slated for 45 minutes, I use video clips from famous speeches or presentations to complement my ideas. The video clips are as short as 30 seconds to a minute, but long enough to create a mental break that keeps the audience tuned in.

Sticking to one subject.

Divide your presentation into subject areas and use the 10-minute mark to shift topics.

Imagine you're explaining a new idea to a potential partner or investor. The first thing you might be inclined to do is describe the problem you intend to solve. If that's the case, don't take 12 minutes to explain it. Discuss the problem in under 10 minutes. Then, create a topic break. For example, you can say, "That's the problem no other company has addressed. Until now. Before I reveal our new solution, do you have any questions?"

There are endless ways to divide your presentation, lecture, or training into topic areas, and doing so helps to re-engage your audience's attention. Just do it every 10 minutes or less.

Keeping people glued to your presentation is hard, especially with so many other distractions competing for your viewer's attention. But if you understand the science behind the 10-minute rule, you won't put your audience to sleep. Instead, you'll stand out and leave a positive impression on the people you need to impress.

This post originally appeared at inc.com .

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10 Tips for a Persuasive Presentation

Powerful presentation is persuasion. here's how to elevate your impact..

Posted May 11, 2024 | Reviewed by Ray Parker

• Presentations aim to effect change. It's essential to be clear about what change you want to see.
• Powerful presenters embrace and extend empathy to seek first to understand their audience.
• Substance and style both matter to create an audience-informed communication experience.
• Persuasive presentations are relevant, reasoned, real, and resonant.

How many of us realize that giving a presentation or making a speech is all about persuasion , influence, and emotional intelligence ? Impactful presenters understand the power of empathy to understand and engage their audience, the efficiency and kindness of having a clear objective and message, and the importance of substance and style—all as a way to connect in a way that engages and inspires.

Much has been written on the power and behavioral science of persuasion, not least by expert Robert Cialdini. His bestselling book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion explains seven research-based universal principles of influence .

From my experience as a leadership coach working with thousands of people worldwide, I have compiled a list of ten essentials to elevate our presentation.

1. Maintain an "other" focus. What do you know about your audience and how can you find out more? Ask yourself what kind of a speaker will appeal to your audience, what arguments are likely to resonate with them, and what feelings you want to inspire so the audience will positively respond to your ask. If your audience is predominantly data-driven, you may want to use more evidence-based arguments. If the audience is mixed, a combination of data, authority, and storytelling may be more appropriate. Extend Daniel Goleman’s three types of empathy to gather intelligence , understand your audience, and tailor your intervention to connect more profoundly.

2. Determine a specific objective: Presentations aim to effect change in some way. What change do you want to see in your audience? Every presentation aims to change the audience in some way. For instance, gaining their approval for a certain investment, soliciting their buy-in for a change, or creating a sense of enthusiasm for an idea or initiative. The purpose of a presentation is to bring about change so make sure you are clear on what kind of change you want to bring about.

3. Design a grabber: Our attention spans have shrunk as we have more and more competing demands on our attention . If you want to get someone’s attention you need to grab it at the outset and try and hold on. You can do this in a number of different ways. Throw out a question that demands a response from the audience. Give a surprising fact or statistic, or quote from a well-known figure. Tell a story or an anecdote. A good grabber captures the attention of everyone there, and makes them focus on what you have to say.

4. Crystalize your message and construct your arguments : Your message is the heart of your speech. Craft a brief phrase that clearly defines your proposal in 10-12 words. For example, “This post is about crafting presentations that inspire and engage others to elevate their presentations.” Make it memorable by choosing inspiring words, symbols, catchy expressions, something that will remain in the audience's mind. As Brené Brown says: “Clear is kind,” and a clear message provides a path to develop your ideas.

When you have a clear and concise message, it helps you formulate your arguments. Think of developing your arguments using the rule of three —three compelling arguments to convince but not overwhelm your audience.

5. Prepare a call to action: Remember, we want to change our audience in some way, so we need to make our ask in a clear and concrete manner.

Consider your call to action in terms of what you want your audience to think/feel/do:

• Think—“I want you to think about how you can improve your presentations.”
• Feel—“I want you to feel enthusiastic and motivated so that you can elevate your power to persuade.”
• Do—“I want you to try out some of these tips and tools for yourself.”

6. Craft a memorable closing: Close the speech in an elegant and memorable way. We need people to remember what we've told them, so prepare it well. This is not the time to improvise. Try to connect your closing to your opening grabber, which makes the presentation more memorable. Good preparation means preparing everything to the very end—finish well.

7. Plan your delivery: A dynamic speaker draws listeners in by using vocal variety (tone, intonation, speed, volume, pace, pauses, silence) and body language (posture, gestures, expression, and movement) to highlight important points and hold the audience’s attention. Be intentional: How will you use your voice and your body to emphasize a thought or idea? Think about it: If you increased the time you spent on style or delivery by 20 percent, what would it mean for the impact you make?

8. Think about how you will engage your audience : You want the audience to feel considered throughout. Include pauses so they can process what’s being said; connect with individuals throughout the room and make deliberate eye contact while speaking, especially when delivering key points. Read and respond to the audience by changing how you deliver as you go based on the audience’s nonverbal communication .

9. Rehearse and Practice: Practice is one of the most crucial elements of presenting—and probably the most neglected one. If this is new to you start by reading your presentation in front of a mirror to get comfortable speaking your presentation. Next, video yourself and watch out for nervous or distracting habits to eliminate them and identify any areas where you can improve your delivery. If you are feeling brave, practice in front of an audience and ask for feedback.

10. Prepare your success rituals and mantra: Public speaking and/or stage fright can feel debilitating for some. Have your calm-down ritual prepared and ready to go before you start your presentation. This might be a certain gesture, a power pose, breathwork, or a mantra. Try this tip: Identify three adjectives to describe how you would like to show up during this presentation. This sets an intention and helps focus our cognitive and emotional resources on success.

Powerful presenters embrace and extend empathy to seek first to understand their audience. They use this intelligence to carefully make choices about substance and style to create an audience-informed communication experience that feels relevant, reasoned, real, and resonant and creates a pathway for change.

Palena Neale, Ph.D. , is a women’s leadership coach, lecturer, and founder of unabridged, a boutique leadership development practice.

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The weird PowerPoint craze

Exhibit A that work still dominates our lives: PowerPoint parties

The pandemic made hanging out weird in a lot of ways. Group activities became highly coordinated — if they happened at all. There was a ream of questions to answer before even the most casual interactions: Who's going to be there? Who else have they seen lately? Are they vaccinated? Have they tested recently? Even once you got to wherever you were going, there were rules and expectations. You were supposed to awkwardly stand or sit 6 feet away from each other and try to figure out what everyone was saying from behind a mask, with all the muffled noises and half-blocked facial expressions that came with them. A lot of social interactions moved online, which came with its own sense of formality — group Peloton rides , Zoom trivia, whatever the Houseparty app was , or Clubhouse . Chill time, for good reason, required work to achieve.

Over the past few years, life has become much more normal for many people. They're back in the office, going to restaurants and live events, gathering with friends and family in person. Some of the structured nature of their social interactions, however, have not reverted to their previous form. The stilted nature of some pandemic-era habits — many that come with a dash of work — stuck around as a permanent feature. Case in point: the PowerPoint party, where people get together to show each other presentations on various topics in the name of having fun.

PowerPoint parties supposedly started in 2012 as "drink, talk, and learn" gatherings in Canada. Over time, they spread. Kids at Harvard were doing them in 2018 because, come on, it's Harvard kids. Of course, they were. When COVID-19 hit, they really took off, especially among the youngs. It made some sense during the period when we were trapped inside. It's easy enough to share your screen on Zoom or Google Meet, and it was better to have some sort of activity to do instead of just staring at people's faces (and your own) for the eighth day in a row.

But even as we've gotten back to normal hangouts, people are still connecting their laptops to TVs and sharing slides in social settings. Take a spin around TikTok, and you can find loads of PowerPoint-party content. There are presentations on which Beyoncé songs best represent each friend, what to do if you're trapped in an elevator, or whether pigeons are a pest or a pet. In March, Cosmopolitan put out a list of 55 PowerPoint ideas to "spice up your next at-home hang," which included ideas such as making a pitch for each of your friends' celebrity look-alike or "ranking cartoon characters by hotness."

Must we turn something we do at work into something we do in our personal lives? Just hanging out without a plan is fine and pleasant.

I guess I can see how this might be enjoyable, and some of the presentations do seem genuinely clever and funny, but I don't know, man. I love my friends, and also I absolutely do not want to do this with any of them.

Sure, a PowerPoint night is not that far off from, say, a game or movie night. It's a chance to be creative and turn something you do at work into something silly and social. But also, must we turn something we do at work into something we do in our personal lives? Just hanging out without a plan is fine and pleasant. Spontaneity is exciting! Another way to be creative is to put yourself in a situation where you have to be creative by thinking on your feet about conversation topics and activities at random.

The rise of the PowerPoint party also speaks to the workification of our day-to-day lives. The border between work and time off has been blurring for years. The ability to always respond to emails or messages on your phone has made "personal" time more porous . And especially among young, ambitious people, there's a sense that you constantly have to be busy, that everything has to be optimized, that there's always space for programming or growth. People post their workouts on Strava to show off their activity and compare it with their friends' and obsess over their VO2 max to track their fitness. They maintain tightly managed to-do lists and approach even a casual encounter like a networking opportunity. It's a constant rat race that feels exhausting. Even if it's supposed to be goofy, making a presentation for a party entails a level of productivity that we already have to bring to so many other spaces at work or school.

We should be able to embrace unstructured time. Indeed, culturally, that's a norm that's declining, especially for kids. As Vox's Anna North laid out last year , the amount of children's unstructured playtime in the US dropped by 25% from 1981 to 1997. For various reasons, kids don't have as much experience just getting along doing stuff on their own anymore, which can influence their sense of autonomy and deprive them of opportunities to develop important social skills and tools to combat anxiety and depression. It may also mean that as adults, they struggle to go with the flow. Perhaps it's no surprise that young adults who had their childhood activities scheduled down to the minute are embracing the PowerPoint party. But unstructured time is good for people of all ages. It can help with stress and anxiety, add space for rest, relaxation, and creativity, and give people a mental break.

Even if it's supposed to be goofy, making a presentation for a party entails a level of productivity that we already have to bring to so many other spaces at work or school.

Instead of embracing a bit more randomness, people are constantly squeezing friends and family into their calendars. It's not uncommon for someone to send out a Google form to pick out a new book-club book and date, just like they might at work. Responding to a group text message using classic office speak like "touch base" or "circle back" has become the norm in some circles. And, yes, this isn't to say there hadn't been theme parties that required a little planning or game nights with structure, but using products made by tech giants like Microsoft and Google to enjoy a night in with friends feels a lot sadder than relearning the rules of Monopoly. Bonding is important for forming relationships, and collective effervescence is a real thing, but it's hard not to wonder whether there are ways to achieve those things without emulating what we do 9 to 5 or requiring homework before the "fun" begins.

If you absolutely insist on having a PowerPoint party, God bless. Good for you. I don't want to yuck your yum. But also, maybe think about why you feel the need to do it, and, really, don't invite me.

Emily Stewart is a senior correspondent at Business Insider, writing about business and the economy.

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Why and How to Celebrate Disability Pride Month

Disability Pride Month is celebrated every July and is an opportunity to honor the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the disability community. Why July? It marks the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), landmark legislation that broke down barriers to inclusion in society.

People with disabilities deserve to live full, self-determined lives, just like everyone else. Yet discrimination persists for the 1 in 4 U.S. adults living with a disability. That’s why we spotlight inspiring stories in July and beyond that show what’s possible with inclusion.

The History of Disability Pride Month

Disability Pride Month happens every July to mark the ADA’s anniversary, which was passed on July 26, 1990. The first celebration was a Disability Pride Day that took place in Boston in 1990. Chicago hosted the first Disability Pride Parade in 2004. Now there are events nationwide empowering people with disabilities to take pride in who they are. Here’s more about the history of Disability Pride Month and the story behind the flag.

2024 Theme: “We Want a Life Like Yours”

This theme comes from The Arc’s National Council of Self-Advocates. It reflects the disability community’s dreams for life experiences that they are too often denied. All month, we’ll share diverse stories of people with disabilities thriving as students, employees, leaders, engaged members of their communities and families, and more given a chance.

Learn About the Disability Experience

• Meet People With Disabilities: Visit our story hub and read this Good Housekeeping article that shines a light on what people with disabilities want society to know. The more we listen to people with disabilities and share their truths, the more we can drive positive change!
• The treatment of people with disabilities throughout our history is marked by segregation, discrimination, and attacks on their basic human rights. Learn about key moments from UC Berkley’s archive on disability rights , as well as The Arc’s history .
• We also encourage you to watch and read media that has been created by and with people with disabilities, such as Crip Camp , CODA , Demystifying Disability , and Disability Visibility .

Share Your Disability Story Using #DisabilityPride and #DisablityPrideMonth

What are you proud of? What do you want people without disabilities to know? Share your videos, pictures, or written answers on social media using hashtags #DisabilityPride and #DisabilityPrideMonth. We want as many people to join the conversation as possible! Join The Arc’s celebration by following us on Instagram , LinkedIn , Facebook , and X/Twitter .

• Take Action
• Reach Out to Your Elected Officials: Educate your elected officials about policies that harm or strengthen the quality of life of people with disabilities. Make sure you bookmark The Arc’s Action Center for timely alerts!
• Donate to The Arc: For nearly 75 years, The Arc has been at the forefront of positive change in disability rights, and we’re not slowing down! Donate to join our grassroots movement that is creating policy, programs, and possibilities for people with disabilities.

Teach Your Kids to Acknowledge and Include Disabled People

Help foster inclusion for future generations of people with disabilities. Here are age-appropriate tips from TODAY.com , HuffPost , and Cincinnati Children’s .

Attend a Disability Pride Month Event in Your Area

Celebrate your local disability community and show your support! There isn’t a database for Disability Pride Month events (yet!), but here are a few coming up in major cities:

• California: Disability Pride LA
• Illinois: Disability Pride Parade
• Iowa: Dazzling Disability Pride
• Michigan: Disability Pride Month Celebration
• Missouri: FestAbility: A Celebration of Disabilities
• Nebraska: Disability Pride Celebration
• New Jersey: Disability Pride in the Park
• New York: Disability Pride Festival and Disability Unite Festival
• Ohio: Disability Pride Cincy
• Pennsylvania: Disability Pride PA
• South Carolina: Disability Pride
• Wisconsin: Disability Pride Madison
• Virtual Disability Pride Parade

Hire People With Disabilities

Right now, 85% of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are unemployed. Many of them want to work and have skills to contribute. Among those who are employed, people with IDD are working fewer than 13 hours a week on average and less than one-fifth of them are getting workplace benefits. But research shows that disability inclusion is a proven good business decision. Read these stories from employees and their employers .

There are many other ways you can celebrate Disability Pride Month, and we hope this list gives you a good starting point. Thank you for doing your part to amplify the voices and experiences of people with disabilities!

If you have questions or events/resources we should add to this page, please email Jackie Dilworth at [email protected] !

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Humana Inc. to Present at B of A Securities Health Care Conference 2024

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) announced today that Bruce D. Broussard, Chief Executive Officer, and Susan M. Diamond, Chief Financial Officer, will make a presentation to investors at B of A Securities Health Care Conference on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. Pacific time.

A live audio webcast of the presentation will be available via Humana’s Investor Relations page at humana.com . The company suggests webcast participants sign on approximately 15 minutes in advance of the presentation to allow time to run a system test and download any free software needed for access purposes.

About Humana

Humana Inc. is committed to putting health first – for our teammates, our customers, and our company. Through our Humana insurance services, and our CenterWell health care services, we make it easier for the millions of people we serve to achieve their best health – delivering the care and service they need, when they need it. These efforts are leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare, Medicaid, families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities at large. Learn more about what we offer at Humana.com and at CenterWell.com.

Lisa Stoner Humana Investor Relations (502) 580-2652 e-mail: [email protected]

Mark Taylor Humana Corporate Communications (317) 753-0345 e-mail: [email protected]

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2024 ISPE Facilities of the Future Conference: Keynote Presentations

The 2024 ISPE Facilities of the Future Conference opened on 29 January in San Francisco, California, with a series of six keynote presentations on innovations that are leading to advanced manufacturing facilities. Thomas Hartman, President and CEO of ISPE, introduced each of the keynote speakers.

Keynote Speakers

The first speaker, Karl Kogelmueller, Takeda Manufacturing Austria AG, described the ways Takeda is embarking on a digital transformation journey to meet its goals of creating an uninterrupted supply chain, taking care of its internal resources, and ensuring sustainability.

Carlos Santiago, of GlaxoSmithKline, outlined the design of his company’s first integrated vaccines and research and development (R&D) building. Because almost three-quarters of the retrofit will be dedicated to lab space, the design was optimized for efficiency and includes offsite storage and service delivery.

Carla J. Lundi, Office of Quality Surveillance, FDA/CDER, described the work of her office in supporting quality in pharmaceutical manufacturing to counteract shortages of essential medicines. Key to this work is CDER’s quality management maturity program.

Patricia Martin, Martin Equity, LLC, spoke about the value of the human resources that are essential to the workforce of the future. She spoke about worker dissatisfaction and aspects of a work situation that can be controlled to mitigate this by factors that are under the control of management.

Christian Randecker, Genentech, described the design of a new clinical supply center, which is flexible, uses innovative technologies, and can be replicated for clinical or commercial production.

Deborah Donovan, Moderna, shared her company’s ambitious goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2030, mostly by reducing energy use onsite, relying on renewable energy production, and offsetting emissions with renewable energy certificates.

End-To-End Supply Chain Digital Transformation

Karl Kogelmueller

Kogelmueller outlined the ways Takeda, as a data-driven organization, intends to use digitalization and automation for cost management in its manufacturing operations and supply chain. He listed the external challenges impacting biopharmaceutical supply chains, focusing on increased economic, financial, and geopolitical risks as a result of the war in Ukraine. Kogelmueller then spoke of the four phases in a digital transformation: building insights with pilot projects, capturing value through scaling, achieving scale, and becoming a fully data-driven organization. Unfortunately, he noted, half of companies are stalled during the second phase.

Takeda has a strategy to link aspects of its digitalization journey to its business goals, which include an uninterrupted supply chain, investments in upskilling its people, and environmental stewardship. Everything is wrapped up in roadmaps the company can refer to along its journey, not only at individual sites but throughout the organization.

This is coordinated by an upgraded continuous improvement program that starts with an architect workstream. It designs blueprints for the future-ready areas in the sites. A builder workstream follows, in which engineers and manufacturing science staff determine what technologies to use. The other two builder workstreams focus on enterprise excellence and organizational learning, ensuring continuous improvements and organizational change management and learning. Kogelmueller stressed that continuous improvement is the baseline for transformational changes.

Despite its momentum, Takeda faces challenges. One of these is the enterprise-wide complexity of having large numbers of operating units in plasma biologics, molecules, and small molecules; multiple sites; and thousands of SKUs. To overcome this, it understands the need to systematically use its strategy and value creation, and combine both, to prioritize initiatives. Digital transformation requires a strong governance body—such as a top-level steering committee—capable of making tough decisions. By using all this, it can deal with that complexity and implement the transformation as planned. Such a transformation also requires training employees in new competencies, developing new ways of engaging workers, and ensuring their well-being.

Building a Workplace of the Future Within a Research Site

Carlos Santiago, MBA, PE

Santiago described the creation of a workplace of the future for GSK’s research scientists based on what the company had previously applied to its headquarters and some commercial facilities. This is a retrofit designed for a roughly 200,000-square-foot building in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to be used as the company’s first integrated vaccines and infectious disease R&D center. Almost three-quarters of the building will be dedicated to lab space. To meet corporate sustainability goals, this retrofit will leverage heat recovery systems, use of sustainable materials, waste diversion, and water reduction.

To accomplish this, vaccines R&D will be moved from an existing facility—which will be decommissioned—into this building. The transition requires change management to avoid disrupting the existing pipeline by having two teams, integrated plans, and redundancy in some equipment and science.

Employee Well-Being Is Imperative

Knowing talent is tough to attract and retain, GSK aims to foster an engaged workplace, using a design that focuses on worker well-being and health. The space is designed to meet WELL Gold standards, incorporating active design principles, integrating lab spaces with the natural surroundings, ensuring good air quality, and providing attractive amenities. Accessibility is ensured by overcoming physical barriers, adding assistive equipment, and including ergonomic workstations. Technology is used to simplify the work environment, such as a comprehensive app for wayfinding and other logistics.

The design encourages collaboration and is flexible to meet contingencies of geography and culture of this, or any, location. With the advent of more remote work, the design builds in allowance for partial attendance to optimize the size of the space. The design is flexible and, upon review, can be revamped over time to meet different conditions.

Offsite Provisioning Hub

Working with service partners, GSK will create an offsite provisioning hub to manage material storage and services that aren’t required for just-in-time delivery. This optimizes the use of prime real estate, improving efficiency in the lab.

Beyond CGMP: Proactive Quality Principles Today for Facilities of Tomorrow

Carla J. Lundi

Lundi talked about the work of the OQS to promote and support quality among pharmaceutical manufacturers. Currently, the OQS is most concerned with the global shortfall of critical drugs, particularly sterile injectables. The main reasons for new shortages are quality issues and manufacturing delays. She highlighted disruptions in the supply chain resulting in recalls and shortages, such as manufacturing reliability, active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and key component availability, aging facilities, natural disaster and public health emergencies, economic upheaval, manufacturing site closures, and geopolitical issues. The top manufacturing compliance concerns contributing to shortages include microbial contamination, poor excipient quality, lack of data integrity, and inadequate controls.

A 2019 FDA report identified the root cause of drug shortages as the lack of quality management that focuses on continuous improvement and early detection of supply chain issues.

FRAME Supports Viable Solutions

A possible solution to shortages is the use of advanced manufacturing technologies. CDER applies the FDA Framework for Regulatory Advanced Manufacturing Evaluation (FRAME) to support industry by issuing guidance on emerging technologies, clarifying regulatory and data requirements to support applications, and publishing discussion papers on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. FRAME priority technologies are distributed manufacturing, end-to-end continuous manufacturing, point-of-care manufacturing, and AI. Guidance documents are designed to address regulatory concerns, including batch definition, process dynamics, change in production output, and continuous process verification.

The OQS currently focuses on opportunities for senior management oversight and manufacturing modernization, including automation, isolator and barrier technologies to improve the aseptic manufacturing of sterile injectables, and advanced quality management system approaches.

The FDA Quality Management Maturity (QMM) Program

A 2019 FDA report identified the root cause of drug shortages as the lack of quality management that focuses on continuous improvement and early detection of supply chain issues. CDER has defined QMM, which is a potential solution to drug shortages, as “the extent to which drug manufacturing establishments implement quality management practices that prioritize patients, drive continual improvement, and enhance the supply chain reliability through the strategic integration of business decisions and manufacturing operations with quality practices and technological advancements.” 1

The goals of the QMM program are to:

• Foster a strong quality culture mindset
• Recognize establishments that advance and continually improve quality management
• Identify areas where quality management can be enhanced
• Minimize risks to product availability to ensure reliable market supply

A Federal Register notification published January 2024 announced that the FDA is soliciting drug manufacturing sites to voluntarily participate in a QMM program at CDER. 1

Lundi concluded by saying that quality assurance requires everyone’s collaboration to protect the interests of patients through proactive management of supply chain complexities to ensure the availability of essential medicines.

Workforce of the Future: The Influence and Importance of People

Patricia Martin

Martin divided her presentation about the current state of workers and what they might need to evolve into the workforce of the future into concerns, conundrums, and control. She began by listing the most pressing employee concerns, which include the fear that automation is putting their jobs at risk, that they’re ready to be retrained, and that few will have stable, long-term employment.

Martin shared survey results showing that, although only 11% of people work remotely, they report being the most satisfied with their jobs, particularly when they get to make the decision to work remotely. Results also showed that more than one-third of those working onsite or hybrid are dissatisfied with their jobs. Many don’t have a choice to work remotely, including those in construction, labs, and manufacturing. This dissatisfaction could be due to several factors, but employers should consider what their workforce needs for their companies to deliver.

What Can They Control?

This level of job dissatisfaction matters to those in the pharmaceutical industry who are delivering the facilities that make essential medicines. Having a motivated and satisfied workforce can make or break a project and can directly impact the delivery of medicines to the people who need them most.

Martin used The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey, to show what can be controlled to impact employee satisfaction. She talked about the need for people managers to focus on three things related to their workforce: concern, influence, and control. What are employee concerns? What influence does a manager have? What is under their control? She shared two tools to provide some control over the outcome.

The first is trust. Martin has found that trust depends on high credibility, reliability, and intimacy. Just as importantly, it relies on a low level of self-interest—a worker interested in the good of their team and their company is easier to trust. Trust is more difficult to establish for remote workers because they have fewer opportunities to interact in person.

The other tool she shared, called “getting the cow out of the ditch,” was a humorous, three-step process for problem-solving. Martin uses this to resolve critical problems, such as the time when her former employer was faced with an inability to make an essential portfolio drug product. The process involves the following steps.

• Get the cow out of the ditch, i.e., find an immediate solution
• Then, figure out how the cow got there
• Only then, determine how to keep the cow out of the ditch the next time

These tools work together. Trust is important because relationships with people are one-on-one, and a team can get out of a “ditch” if they give each other a hand.

Facility of the Future Design Philosophy Tensions for Genentech’s New Clinical Supply Center

Christian J. Randecker

Randecker shared the design of Genentech’s new clinical supply center, which ran its first current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) batch in 2022. Genentech bucked its history of using stainless steel equipment for large-scale production. This allowed the transition in this facility to products for much smaller patient populations and more potent products with improved titers and yields. The mission was to build an agile, small-volume facility, leveraging new technologies, at unprecedented speed. The template design can be copied anywhere for commercial production.

Can Single Use Be Sustainable?

The facility relies fully on single-use technology (SUT), meaning nothing related to process or product is reused and, with no stainless steel, there is no need for clean-in-place, a parts washer, steam, or autoclaves. A life cycle assessment demonstrated that, although SUT generates considerably more solid waste, it has significant reductions in the use of energy and water, as well as aqueous waste, which tips the sustainability scale in its favor.

Flexible Design for Clinical and Commercial Production

The constraint of needing one design for both clinical and commercial production led to innovation. Utilities requirements were tweaked so clinical processes in one workcell could operate successfully at 50- to 2,000-liter capacities, with the option to reconfigure the layout without restrictions. By reconfiguring the layout, a consistent layout for commercial production was produced.

This design can be replicated identically in a new facility, including standard automation, equipment, consumables, procedures, and training. At the highest level is a single enterprise risk management (ERM) tool for taking in all process definition data, then pushing it out to execution and control sys-tems. This gives a common feel for operators in this or any copy facility and provides modular components, a flexible and adaptable system, and a more efficient and scalable network.

An Inspection-Ready Ballroom Design

Closed processing allowed an ISO 9 ballroom design, which maintains flexibility, optimizes material flow into and waste out of the facility, and improves sight lines. Compliance concerns, particularly about the lack of a wall between pre- and post-viral steps, were overcome by developing a lay-ers-of-protection approach, with multiple layers of controls to prevent failures, followed by continuous improvement.

Expanding Globally While Achieving Net Zero

Deborah Donovan

Donovan outlined Moderna’s plan to meet its goal of net zero emissions by 2030 while expanding globally. Although its overall emissions have increased since 2021, mostly due to expansion of its existing facility, the global expansion—four manufacturing facilities under construction, two laboratories, corporate headquarters, and R&D headquarters—has contributed little to this increase due to sustainability initiatives incorporated into the new buildings.

Moderna’s strategy encompasses sustainability by design, natural resource conservation, and decarbonization of the value chain. It has the benefit, as a platform company, of needing a limited number of materials and suppliers, most of which already have science-based targets and are committed to net zero themselves. The sustainability strategy depends on data to assess the current state, quantify carbon emissions, and monitor, manage, and control emissions to continuously improve.

All the company’s scope 2 emissions (i.e., from purchased energy, including electricity) are offset by purchasing renewable energy certificates. Scope 3 emissions are more than 90% of Moderna’s emissions, the largest of which is purchased goods and services, including from contract research and manufacturing organizations and clinical activities.

Over the next two years, Moderna will focus on energy efficiency projects at its existing site. This will then allow it to transition from natural gas-fired equipment to heat pumps, having determined electricity needs and sized the necessary equipment. This gives the local utility company time to upgrade its equipment to meet the facility’s future electricity demands.

The 2025 ISPE Facilities of the Future Conference will be held in San Francisco, California, 27–28 January.

Sustainability and LEED standards were incorporated into the design of the new buildings. There is one design for three of the facilities, all of which are electric. Its corporate headquarters is slated to be the most energy-efficient building in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sustainability measures will be built in, including a focus on embodied carbon, design for resilience in case of a natural disaster, and aims for Fitwel and WELL certification, as well as LEED Platinum and LEED Zero once in operation. It will have heat pumps to provide both heating and cooling throughout the lab building, solar panels on the roof, harvested rainwater to supply the chiller plant, and electric vehicle charging. Electricity will be supplied by onsite and offsite renewables.

The roadmap to net zero includes starting up the new facilities, gathering baseline information, submitting a greenhouse gas roadmap for validation by the Science-Based Target initiative (SBTi), and continuing to enhance energy programs and greenhouse gas management programs.

Executive Forum Panel

Supported by ISPE’s Women in Pharma ® , this panel of six industry leaders was moderated by James Breen, ISPE Foundation Board Liaison and Vice President, Global Engineering and Technology at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicines. Martin, Lundi, and Donovan, who also gave keynote presentations at the conference, participated in the panel. The other speakers were Melody Spradlin, Vice President, Global Workplace Services, KLA; Katrina Moseley Journey, Vice President of Commercial, Luminopia Inc.; and Muriel Campbell, Senior Director of External API Manufacturing, Eli Lilly & Co.

In a wide-ranging and lively discussion that lasted more than an hour, the speakers provided a range of viewpoints based on their expertise in sustainability, engineering, regulations, marketing, and investing. They shared insights into the ways in which the transition to facilities of the future has impacted their careers and how they have responded to it, the ways others can prepare for an increasingly uncertain future, and how the industry can ensure sustainability is achieved. Here are a few of the many highlights from this discussion.

When Martin was asked how she thought people should prepare themselves for the coming changes, she joked that they should get a crystal ball. Then, seriously, she recommended gathering as wide a range of information as possible, and not limiting it to what is fed to us or what we already know.

Campbell, who was trained in Puerto Rico and raised her young family there, shared a pivotal moment in her career when she was recommended for an assignment in Indianapolis. It meant moving her three school-age daughters to a new place, but the move took her out of her comfort zone and expanded what she knew. She said it had been a big leap but is working out for the best for her family and her career.

Given the uptick of remote work, there is a concern about maintaining engagement for older workers who may prefer remote work and younger workers who may struggle networking when they aren’t with their colleagues in person. Moseley Journey, who works for a healthcare tech company with a multigenerational workforce, said she makes a point of meeting with others to give them a connection to the company and help them get more comfortable expressing themselves. She believes it’s incumbent upon the leadership team to reach out to younger or new staff to ask questions that are not about their core job such as, “What do you want to do with your life?” and “How are you thinking about the world around you?”

Many panelists wanted to answer what the biggest thing is that they’ve learned from being involved in ISPE. Spradlin credited ISPE as one of the reasons she was able to move ahead in her career. She referred to the network of women who were leaders across the country and who were involved in supporting everything from childcare when members had to attend meetings to career advice.

Wrapping up the forum, each panelist was asked to provide one word to define the facility of the future. The words chosen were resilient, connected, flexible, human, people-oriented, and resource—words that could easily be used to describe these panelists.

Disclaimer:

This article contains an unabridged, unofficial summary of regulators and industry panelists’ presentations and discussion during a panel dialogue at an ISPE conference that has not been vetted by any agency or organization. The responses are an informal and brief synopsis of the panel’s views and do not represent official guidance or policy of any agency or organization.

• 1 a b Federal Register. FDA. “Voluntary Quality Management Maturity Prototype Assessment Protocol Evaluation Program.” 25 January 2024. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/01/25/2024-01423/voluntary-quality-management-maturity-prototype-assessment-protocol-evaluation-program
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