business presentation headlines

91 Awesome Headline Formulas To Make Your Presentations Instantly Attractive

Obvious fact of the day: If you have a boring headline, your audience will think your entire presentation is boring. Yes, that goes for your videos, email and every other medium you use to engage with your audience and tribe.

Which then leads to the second obvious fact of the day: The most important part of your presentation is the headline you choose. Which is why I’m so excited to give you this uber-valuable resource to use in your presentations and videos. In fact, this is something you can come back to every time you create a new presentation.

Before we get started, let me share the backstory why I created all this. It began a few months ago, when out of nowhere — something wild happened. We started to get several THOUSANDS of people signing up for our live trainings on how to ‘awesome-ize’ their presentations and videos. We were showing people how to write better scripts, tell more addictive stories, how to have automatic ‘wow-factors’ with their presentations, and a whole lot more.

After analyzing several thousand videos and presentations — I began to notice a not-very-cool pattern in our tribe. That is that in virtually every single presentation or video — the headlines people choose were not awesome and sometimes even boring . At Powtoon , we live, breathe and fight to make your presentations awesome. So when we saw how many presentations were using boring headlines — we knew it was time. It was time to release the ultimate list of awesome headline formulas.

Meaning that from now on, you’ll never have to worry about what headline to come up with for your video or presentation. So anytime you need a headline – just go back to this page and use the plug-n-play formulas below. And boom, you have an instantly attractive headline.

This List of Headline Formulas is For You, Whether You’re a Professional Copywriter or Not

If you’re a professional copywriter, you’ve probably seen tons of examples of the ‘best headlines ever written’ – but not the headline formulas . And if you’re NOT a professional copywriter, it’s extremely difficult to understand how to apply those winning headlines in YOUR presentations. So here’s the exciting news.

I’ve taken the most effective headlines ever written – and broke them down for you to use as headline formulas in your presentations, whenever you need. And I gave you specific examples with each formula. Ranging from sleeping babies to SaaS CEO’s to men’s fashion to piano players to investors to cooks to hand models to Jack Black and yes, even 82-year-old HTML coders. Oh — and even Batman. So yes, you can use ANY of these for your specific presentation, topic, and niche.

Plus, I’ve added a whole bunch of headline formulas that are brand spanking new. So get ready for a damn good time today.

For you to get the most out of this resource, here’s how to use it. Start with the 5 principles to make a headline effective:

Winning Headline Formulas: The 5 Principles of an Effective Headline

1. Address Your Specific Audience (Being vague or general = boring university)

2. Highlight the Specific Benefit or Outcome They Desire

3. Highlight the Specific Pain They Most Want to Avoid

4. Create Curiosity

5. Add Urgency

The term I chose for ‘Niche’ or ‘Audience’ is ‘Avatar’. An Avatar means the identity of your target market or tribe. So let’s say your tribe consists of university students — then anytime you see the word ‘Avatar’ below, just put in the title of your Avatar. That could be ‘University Students’ or even mention the specific university you’re addressing. Of course, this applies to ANY tribe — and it absolutely applies to YOUR tribe.

Caveat: these are not black and white formulas, so feel free to play around a little. You might want to add certain elements within some of the formulas. The main thing is being specific to your tribe and leveraging the 5 principles above.

Remember, the secret to making your headlines ridiculously attractive is by deeply understanding what your tribe WANTS. The more clarity you have on what your audience wants, the easier it’ll be for you to use these formulas with power.

Also — you can use some of these together. One of the formulas might be a great headline and another would be a perfect supporting headline for you. Mix it up!

As you’ll see below, for some of these headline formulas I gave specific examples. Now as a fun bonus — I’m here to help you get the most out of this list. So if you’d like some extra help making your headline irresistibly awesome — choose one of the formulas below, use it to craft your own headline and write it in the comment section below. If you’re curious about how to make it even more awesome — just ask, and I’ll help you make it even better.

Introducing: The 91 Awesome Headline Formulas

• The World was engrossed/ obsessed by [Person’s] [Action] in/at [Place] (i.e. ‘The world was engrossed by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony in the Brett Kavanaugh hearings.’)
• How I Made a [Gain] With a [Simple/Crazy/Wild Idea ] (i.e. ‘How I Got My Newborn to Sleep With a Cherry Red Gibson Guitar’)
• Are You Still [Painful/Embarrassing Things ]? (i.e. ‘Are You Still Biting Your Nails?’)
• There Are Only/Always [Number] Types of [Avatar] You Ever Want To [Result] – Which Group Are You In? (i.e. ‘There Are Only 4 Types of Employees You Ever Want To Hire – Which Group Are Your Employees In?’)
• To People Who Want To [Avatar’s Action] – but Can’t Get Started (i.e. ‘To Young Mothers Who Want To Have Their Own Business While Raising Their Kids – But Can’t Get Started’)
• The Crimes We Commit Against Our [Avatar] (i.e. ‘The Food Crimes We Commit Against Our Body’ or ‘The Creativity Crimes We Commit Against Our Employees’)
• These [Number] of [Avatar] Messed With [Product], See What Happened (i.e. ‘These 5 New Piano Players Messed With Piano-Hero, See What Happened’)
• The Death of [Avatar’s Niche] (i.e. ‘The Death of Old School Social Media’)
• How One Word Can Get You [Avatar’s Worry] (i.e. ‘How One Word Can Get You Fired’)
• Add This One _____ To Your _____ To Get a [Wild Result] (i.e. ‘Add This One Word In Your Menu To Get Your Customers To Order It, Every Single Time’)
• The Greatest Reason in The World To Start [What Avatar Wants To Achieve] (i.e. ‘The Greatest Reason In The World To Start Playing Chess’)
• The [Avatar] in the [Your Product/Service] (i.e. ‘The WalMart Cashier in the Ferrari’)
• How [Your Product] Is Making [Avatar’s Niche] History (i.e. ‘How My Newest Court Case Is Making Legal History’ or ‘How GM Dynamic Keyboards are Making PC History’)
• How To [Crime in Avatar’s Niche], Legally (i.e. ‘How To Get Cuban Cigars, Legally’)
• A Startling Fact About [Avatar’s Desired Gain] (i.e. ‘A Startling Fact About Your Doctors’ Success Rate’)
• [Celebrity] Is a [What They’re a Celebrity For]. S/He’s Also [Your Niche]. See How [Your Niche/Product] Helped Him/She Change The World (i.e. ‘Mark Zuckerburg Founded Facebook. He’s Also a Taurus. See How His Horoscope Helped Him Change The World’ or ‘Warren Buffet Is One of the Wealthiest People Alive. He’s Also From Omaha. See How Growing Up In Omaha Helped Him Become So Successful’)
• How To Write a [Avatar’s Needed Action] (i.e. ‘How To Write a Resume’)
• The Secrets of Making [Avatar’s Target Audience] [Gain Desired Benefit] (i.e. ‘The Secrets of Making The Dentists Office Fun Again’)
• Advice to [Avatar] Whose [Avatar’s Challenging Person] Won’t [Avatar’s Needed Action] (i.e. ‘Advice To Single Mothers Whose Families Won’t Help Them’ or ‘Advice to CEO’s Whose Employees Won’t Listen To Them.’)
• How a New [Discovery/App] Made a Plain/Ugly [Avatar] [Avatar’s Desired Gain] (i.e. ‘How My New Software Made an Ugly Website Beautiful…In 24 Minutes’ or’How a New Organic Supplement Made a Headache Disappear…Fast’)
• How to Get/Win [Avatar’s Desired Benefit] and [Avatar’s Secondary Benefit] (i.e. ‘How To Get Your Child To Respect & Listen To You…And Still Be a Cool Parent’)
• How to [Avatar’s Action] without [Avatar’s #1 Worry] (i.e. ‘How to Get a Flood of New Chiropractor Clients Without Paying a Penny In Advertising’)
• Think [Avatar’s Niche] Is Just For _____? Meet This [Surprising Person] Who Might Disagree With You On That (i.e. ‘Think HTML Is Just For Young Coders? Meet This 82-Year-Old Grandma Who Might Just Disagree With You On That’)
• A New Kind of [Avatar’s Niche] Encourages [Avatar] To [Desired Result] (i.e. ‘A New Kind of Office Design Encourages Employees To Stay Longer At Work’)
• You Can Laugh at [Avatar’s Niche] Worries – if You Follow This Simple Plan (i.e. ‘You Can Laugh at Your Money Worries – If You Follow This Simple Plan’)

[Number] Known [X] Troubles – Which do You Want to Overcome? (i.e. ’10 Known Health Troubles – Which do you Want To Overcome?’)

• How I Improved My [X] in One [Time] (i.e. ‘How I Improved My Cooking Skills For My Family In One Afternoon’)
• Use/Do [Avatar’s Niche]? You Need This [Numbered Content] of [Avatar’s Resources] (i.e. ‘Exercise Much? You Need This List of 10 Post Workout Recipes’)
• New Free [Resource] Tells You [Number] Secrets of Better [Benefit] (i.e. ‘New Free Webinar Shows You The 12 Secrets of Better Family Vacations’)
• The Secret to Being [Avatar’s Desired Outcome] (i.e. ‘The Secret To Being a Woman That Every Man Wants’)
• To [Avatar] Who Want to Quit [What Avatar Wants to Avoid] While [X] (i.e. ‘To Loving Fathers Who Want To Quit Their Cubicle-Job While Their Kids Are Still Young’)

Imagine [Avatar’s Big Desire] for/in [Short Amount of Time] (i.e. ‘Imagine Being Able To Protect Yourself Like Batman, In Just 62 Days’)

• We Analyzed [Big Number] The Most Successful [Avatar’s Niche] of All Time & Discovered This Secret to [Avatar’s Desired Result] (i.e. ‘We Analyzed 174 of The Most Successful High Schools In American History to Discover The Secret to Successful Education’)
• Thousands Now [X] Who Never Thought They Could (i.e. ‘Thousands of Senior Citizens Now Create iPhone Apps – Who Never Thought They Could’)
• [Avatar’s Desired Action] for [Short Amount of Time] Will [Achieve Desired Result]. Here’s How (i.e. ‘Being Lazy for 45 Minutes a Day Will Make You More Productive. Here’s How’)
• Get the Kind of [X] You Want (i.e. ‘Get the Kind of S.A.T Score You Want’)
• Why [Your Product Consumers] Live Better (i.e. ‘Why Beer Drinkers Live Better’)

“Dear [Your Name Here]: You Saved My Life” (i.e. ‘Dear Uber Driver: You Saved My Life’)

• [Avatar]! Want Quick [X]? (i.e. ‘English Teachers! Want Extra Income on the Side?’)
• You May Be [Doing X] More [Avatar’s Enemy] Than You Should (i.e. ‘You May Be Working Harder Than You Should’)
• Get Rid of That [Avatar’s Enemy]! (i.e. ‘Get Rid of That Crack In Your iPhone’)
• How You can Get a Quick [X] of [Desired Outcome] – By [Using Your Product] (i.e. ‘How You Can Get a Quick, Lasting Burst of Energy In Your Day – By Snacking on This Vegetable’)
• Become a [Desired Benefit] [Avatar Title] With [Your Product/Resource] (i.e. ‘Look Like James Bond With These 5 Style Hacks’)
• How To Get More [Desired Benefit] From The [X] You [Already Take This Action] (i.e. ‘How To Get More Money From The Job You Already Have’)
• See How [Avatar]’s Life/Career Changed When They Started [Using Your Product] (i.e. ‘See How One Stylist’s Career Changed When They Started Using Johnson & Johnson’s New Conditioner)
• Wow! [Celebrity Name] [Doing Surprising Action] In [Surprising Location/Publication] (i.e. ‘Wow! Jack Black Does Bikram Yoga On Set Before Any Shoot’)
• See [Your Product] In Action (i.e. ‘See #Slides In Action’)
• How I [Achieved Result] in [Short Amount of Time] (i.e. ‘How I Got a 6-Pack In 32 Days’)
• You Can [Achieve Desired Result] Easily – Just Like [Person] (i.e. ‘You Can Learn Spanish Easily – Just Like David’)
• Get Rid of [Avatar’s] Worries for Good (i.e. ‘Get Rid of Blood Pressure Worries For Good’)

Keep Your [X] safe This [Current/Upcoming Season]! (i.e. ‘Keep Your School Safe This Summer Vacation’)

• Free to [Avatar]. [Action] for [Major Media/Publications/Company] You Want. (i.e. ‘Free to Members of our Gym. Be Featured In Any Fitness Magazine You Want’)
• The [Avatar’s Tool] of the [Avatar’s Desired Title] (i.e. ‘The Only Watch of YPO Presidents’)

For [Avatars] Who Don’t Have [Resource] for [X] (i.e. ‘For Bloggers Who Don’t Have Time for SEO’)

• How To Avoid [X] Hazards (i.e. ‘How To Avoid Employee Lawsuits’)
• Break Out/Stop of [Bad Habit]! (i.e. ‘Stop Overeating’)
• Free Yourself From [X] With [Number] of these [Avatar’s Niche] Secrets (i.e. ‘Free Yourself From Anger With 4 of these Meditation Techniques’)
• What Sort of [Avatar] [Takes Action With Your Product]? (i.e. ‘What Sort of Driver Reads Road & Track’)
• Will You Help me [X]? (i.e. ‘Will You Help Me Rebuild Our Community?’)
• Don’t Even Think About [X] Without Reading This Report! (i.e. ‘Don’t Even Think About Suicide Without First Reading This Letter’)
• Why [Avatar] [Achieves Exciting Result] (i.e. ‘Why Grammar School Teachers Live Longer’)
• The Secret of Having [X] (i.e. ‘The Secret of Having a Business That Runs Without You’)
• How To [Benefit] by just [Doing Simple Actions] (i.e. ‘How To Swim Like an Olympian By Just Doing This One Stretch Before Going In The Pool’)
• How To [Desired Outcome] Without [X] for [Minimal Output] (i.e. ‘How To Write Perfect Headlines Without Breaking Your Teeth In Just 90 Seconds’)
• [Number] Steps to [Outcome] (i.e. ‘4 Steps to a Passionate Marriage’)
• How To [Action] a [Desired Outcome] and [Extra Benefit] ( i.e. How To Win at Poker & Make Extra Money on The Side’)
• Who is [Getting Desired Outcome] and How (i.e. ‘Who Always Feels Like They’re In Zen At Work…and How’)
• How The Experts [Actions] (i.e. ‘How The Experts Do Sit-Ups’)
• Want to Be a [Avatar Title]? (i.e. ‘Want To Be a Hand Model?’)
• How To [Action] a Good [Outcome] (i.e. ‘How To Cook a Great Dinner In Just 15 Minutes’)
• But What if You Could [Desired Benefit]? (i.e. ‘But What if You Could Get Dry Cleaning at Home?’)
• Meet The [Avatar] Who [Achieved The Impossible] (i.e. ‘Meet The Homeless Man Who Became an Expert Investor’)
• How To [Achieve Desired Result], Hour-by-Hour (i.e. ‘How To Meditate Like a Buddhist Monk, Minute-By-Minute’)
• Is Your [Location] [ ‘X’] Poor? (i.e. ‘Is Your Neighborhood Park-Benches Poor?’)
• Why Some [Avatars] Almost Always [Achieve Desired Outcome] in [Location]? (i.e. ‘Why These Salons Almost Always Make More Money In Detroit’)
• How Much is Your [Thing You Wish Was Gone] Costing Your [X]? (i.e. ‘How Much Is Your Extra Fat Costing Your Grocery Budget Every Month?’)
• [Number] New Ways to a [X’s] Heart – in This fascinating Presentation/Report/Book/Review (i.e. ’10 New Ways To a Man’s Heart – In This Fascinating Presentation’)
• How To Give Your [Avatar] Extra [Desired Benefit] – 3 [Surprising Word] Ways (i.e. ‘How To Give Your Grandaughter Extra Savings For College – 3 Simple Ways’)
• Little [Problem] That Keep [Avatars] [Pain] (i.e. ‘Little WordPress Bugs That Keep Your Blog From Being Found’)
• This is a [Avatar] – [Action] To Her Death (i.e. ‘This is a CEO – Working To Their Death’)
• Take This One Minute Test!
• Here Is a Quick way to [Remove Pain] (i.e. ‘Here is a Quick Way to Relieve Stress’)
• “I lost my [Pain] – and [Got Benefit] too!” (i.e. ‘I got rid of all my debt – and made $42,000 too!’)

The Truth About Getting [Benefit] (i.e. ‘The Truth About Owning Your Own Restaurant’)

• The Most [Pain] Mistake of Your Life (i.e. ‘The Most Expensive Mistake of Your Life’)
• [Number] ways to [X] Your [Thing Avatar is Avoiding] (i.e. ’21 Ways to Kill Your Procrastination’)
• Need More [Desired Outcome]? (i.e. ‘Need More Passion In Your Marriage?’)
• What Your [X] Doesn’t Want You to Know (i.e. ‘What Your Bank Doesn’t Want You to Know’)
• [X] scandal reveals that more than [Number] of [Avatar’s] [What’s Valuable to Avatar] was [Bad Consequence] (i.e. Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed that more than 50 million people’s personal information was compromised for “research”‘)
• [Gain] Hiding In Your [Avatar’s Location] (i.e. ‘5 Optimization Secrets Hiding In Your YouTube Analytics’)
• A Little Mistake That Cost a [Title of Avatar] [Painful Loss] a [Time] (i.e. ‘A Little Mistake That Cost a SaaS CEO $50,000 a Month’)

BONUS HEADLINE: FINALLY! Here’s How To Get [Benefit A] & [Benefit B]…without [Pain] (i.e. ‘FINALLY! Here’s How To Get More Omega 3 & Calcium…Without Buying Expensive Supplements!’)

Awesomesauce… Now Tell Me, Which Of These Headline Formulas Is Your Favorite?

Use this page as a resource anytime you need some ridiculously attractive headline formulas for your presentations. This goes for your email subject lines, videos, blog posts, and even proposals. So let me know, which of these 91 headline formulas is your favorite? Which do you plan on using…this week?

The fun thing is that you can be as creative as you want with these bad boys — and they work every time. As long as you use the 5 principles above, your audience is going to fall in love with you all over again. My favorite part is how creative I can be with any one of these. It’s not difficult because it boils down to following the process I laid out for you. So go ahead and WOW your audience with these puppies. Using these headline formulas with Powtoon is almost too powerful — so don’t say I didn’t warn you. Use these headlines with a Powtoon template and your audience will be calling you a creative genius.

Bonus Round: Use These 11 Rocking Resources To Find Even More Explosive Headline Formulas

Here are a few resources to use along with this page to find winning headline formulas anytime you need:

1. UpWorthy (Yes, it’s their headlines which took them viral, so pay close attention to them)

2. Swiped (Love Mike, he’s doing what no one else is doing. Check his site out for genius swipe files of winning headlines)

3. Buffer (Here’s a great post they did on headline formulas)

4. CopyBlogger (Here’s their great post on headline formulas)

5. Unbounce + CopyHacker’s Joanna Weibe (This is advanced and awesome. Some ‘meta-strategies’ on headline formulas)

6. KISSmetrics (Love their ‘SHINE’ principle for headlines)

7. Digital Marketer (Russ Henneberry dedicated an entire post to headline formulas for social media. And yes, notice his killer headline for it!)

8. Greatist – (An ultimate health and wellness website with a plethora of genius headlines to learn from)

9. OkDork – (Noah Kagan founded AppSumo & SumoMe. He’s awesome. Here’s what was learned after analyzing 1 Million Headlines)

10. Buffer Wins Again ( Courtney Seiter from Buffer explains 8 winning headline formulas and the psychology why they work)

11. QuickSprout (We love Neil Patel and so will you after reading his post on the ‘perfect headline formula’)

As our final and fun bonus – I’m here to help you get the most out of this list. So if you’d like some extra help making your headline irresistible — choose one of the formulas above, use it to craft your own headline, and write it in the comment section below. If you’re curious about how to make it even more awesome — just ask, and I’ll help you make it even better.

You’re awesome!

P.S.  Then again, sometimes a headline can just be two words. This was voted the best ad of the 20th century . With a simple Headline: ‘Think Small’.

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Home Blog Business Business Presentation: The Ultimate Guide to Making Powerful Presentations (+ Examples)

Business Presentation: The Ultimate Guide to Making Powerful Presentations (+ Examples)

A business presentation is a purpose-led summary of key information about your company’s plans, products, or practices, designed for either internal or external audiences. Project proposals, HR policy presentations, investors briefings are among the few common types of presentations. 

Compelling business presentations are key to communicating important ideas, persuading others, and introducing new offerings to the world. Hence, why business presentation design is one of the most universal skills for any professional. 

This guide teaches you how to design and deliver excellent business presentations. Plus, breaks down some best practices from business presentation examples by popular companies like Google, Pinterest, and Amazon among others! 

3 General Types of Business Presentations

A business presentation can be given for a number of reasons. Respectively, they differ a lot in terms of content and purpose. 

But overall, all types of business presentations can be classified as:

• Informative
• Persuasive 
• Supporting 

Informative Business Presentation 

As the name suggests, the purpose of an informative presentation is to discern the knowledge you have — explain what you know. It’s the most common type of business presentation out there. So you have probably prepared such at least several times. 

Examples of informative presentations:

• Team briefings presentation 
• Annual stakeholder report 
• Quarterly business reviews
• Business portfolio presentation
• Business plan presentation
• Project presentation

Helpful templates from SlideModel:

• Business plan PowerPoint template
• Business review PowerPoint template
• Project proposal PowerPoint template
• Corporate annual report template

Persuasive Business Presentation 

The goal of this type of presentation is to persuade your audience of your point of view — convince them of what you believe is right. Developing business presentations of this caliber requires a bit more copywriting mastery, as well as expertise in public speaking . Unlike an informative business presentation, your goal here is to sway the audience’s opinions and prompt them towards the desired action. 

Examples of persuasive presentations:

• Pitch deck/investor presentations
• Sales presentation  
• Business case presentation 
• Free business proposal presentation
• Business proposal PowerPoint template
• Pitch deck PowerPoint template
• Account Plan PowerPoint template

Supporting Business Presentation 

This category of business PowerPoint presentations is meant to facilitate decision-making — explain how we can get something done. The underlying purpose here is to communicate the general “action plan”. Then break down the necessary next steps for bringing it to life. 

Examples of supporting presentations:

• Roadmap presentation
• Project vision presentation 
• After Action Review presentation 
• Standard operating procedure (SOP) PowerPoint template 
• Strategy map PowerPoint template 
• After action review (ARR) PowerPoint template 

What Should Be Included in a Business Presentation?

Overall, the content of your business presentation will differ depending on its purpose and type. However, at the very minimum, all business presentations should include:

• Introductory slide 
• Agenda/purpose slide
• Main information or Content slides
• Key Takeaways slides
• Call-to-action/next steps slides

We further distill business presentation design and writing best practices in the next section (plus, provide several actionable business PowerPoint presentation examples!). 

How to Make a Business Presentation: Actionable Tips

A business presentation consists of two parts — a slide deck and a verbal speech. In this section, we provide tips and strategies for nailing your deck design. 

1. Get Your Presentation Opening Right 

The first slides of your presentation make or break your success. Why? By failing to frame the narrative and set the scene for the audience from the very beginning, you will struggle to keep their interest throughout the presentation. 

You have several ways of how to start a business presentation:

• Use a general informative opening — a summative slide, sharing the agenda and main points of the discussion. 
• Go for a story opening — a more creative, personal opening, aimed at pulling the audience into your story. 
• Try a dramatic opening — a less apparent and attention-grabbing opening technique, meant to pique the audience’s interest. 

Standard Informative Opening 

Most business presentation examples you see start with a general, informative slide such as an Agenda, Problem Statement, or Company Introduction. That’s the “classic” approach. 

To manage the audience’s expectations and prepare them for what’s coming next, you can open your presentation with one or two slides stating:

• The topic of your presentation — a one-sentence overview is enough. 
• Persuasive hook, suggesting what’s in it for the audience and why they should pay attention. 
• Your authority — the best technique to establish your credibility in a business presentation is to share your qualifications and experience upfront to highlight why you are worth listening to. 

Opening best suited for: Formal business presentations such as annual reports and supporting presentations to your team/business stakeholders. 

Story Opening 

Did you ever notice that most TED talks start with a quick personal story? The benefit of this presenting technique is that it enables speakers to establish quick rapport and hold the listener’s attention. 

Here’s how Nancy Duarte, author of “Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations” book and TED presenter, recommends opening a presentation: 

You know, here’s the status quo, here’s what’s going on. And then you need to compare that to what could be. You need to make that gap as big as possible, because there is this commonplace of the status quo, and you need to contrast that with the loftiness of your idea. 

Storytelling , like no other tool, helps transpose the audience into the right mindset and get concentrated on the subject you are about to discuss. A story also elicits emotions, which can be a powerful ally when giving persuasive presentations. In the article how to start a presentation , we explore this in more detail.

Opening best suited for: Personal and business pitches, sales presentations, other types of persuasive presentations. 

Dramatic Opening 

Another common technique is opening your presentation with a major statement, sometimes of controversial nature. This can be a shocking statistic, complex rhetoric question, or even a provocative, contrarian statement, challenging the audience’s beliefs. 

Using a dramatic opening helps secure the people’s attention and capture their interest. You can then use storytelling to further drill down your main ideas. 

If you are an experienced public speaker, you can also strengthen your speech with some unexpected actions. That’s what Bill Gates does when giving presentations. In a now-iconic 2009 TED talk about malaria, mid-presentation Gates suddenly reveals that he actually brought a bunch of mosquitoes with him. He cracks open a jar with non-malaria-infected critters to the audience’s surprise. His dramatic actions, paired with a passionate speech made a mighty impression. 

Opening best suited for: Marketing presentations, customer demos, training presentations, public speeches. 

Further reading: How to start a presentation: tips and examples. 

2. Get Your PowerPoint Design Right

Surely, using professional business PowerPoint templates already helps immensely with presentation deck design since you don’t need to fuss over slide layout, font selection, or iconography. 

Even so, you’ll still need to customize your template(s) to make them on brand and better suited to the presentation you’re about to deliver. Below are our best presentation design tips to give your deck an extra oomph. 

Use Images, Instead of Bullet Points 

If you have ever watched Steve Jobs’s presentations, you may have noticed that he never used bullet-point lists. Weird right? Because using bullet points is the most universal advice in presentation design. 

But there’s a valid scientific reason why Jobs favored images over bullet-point texts. Researchers found that information delivered in visuals is better retained than words alone. This is called the “ pictorial superiority effect ”. As John Medina, a molecular biologist, further explains :

“Hear a piece of information, and three days later you’ll remember 10% of it. Add a picture and you’ll remember 65%.”

So if your goal is to improve the memorability of your presentation, always replace texts with images and visualizations when it makes sense. 

Fewer Slides is Better

No matter the value, a long PowerPoint presentation becomes tiring at some point. People lose focus and stop retaining the information. Thus, always take some extra time to trim the fluff and consolidate some repetitive ideas within your presentation. 

For instance, at McKinsey new management consultants are trained to cut down the number of slides in client presentations. In fact, one senior partner insists on replacing every 20 slides with only two slides . Doing so prompts you to focus on the gist — the main business presentation ideas you need to communicate and drop filler statements. 

Here are several quick tips to shorten your slides:

• Use a three-arc structure featuring a clear beginning (setup), main narrative (confrontation), ending (resolution). Drop the ideas that don’t fit into either of these. 
• Write as you tweet. Create short, on-point text blurbs of under 156 symbols, similar to what you’d share on Twitter. 
• Contextualize your numbers. Present any relevant statistics in a context, relevant to the listeners. Turn longer stats into data visualizations for easier cognition. 

Consistency is Key 

In a solid business presentation, each slide feels like part of the connecting story. To achieve such consistency apply the same visual style and retain the same underlying message throughout your entire presentation.

Use the same typography, color scheme, and visual styles across the deck. But when you need to accentuate a transition to a new topic (e.g. move from a setup to articulating the main ideas), add some new visual element to signify the slight change in the narrative. 

Further reading: 23 PowerPoint Presentation Tips for Creating Engaging and Interactive Presentations

3. Make Your Closure Memorable 

We best remember the information shared last. So make those business presentation takeaways stick in the audience’s memory. We have three strategies for that. 

Use the Rule of Three 

The Rule of Three is a literary concept, suggesting that we best remember and like ideas and concepts when they are presented in threes. 

Many famous authors and speakers use this technique:

• “Duty – Honor – Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, and what you will be” . Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
• “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” are the unalienable rights of all humans that governments are meant to protect.” Thomas Jefferson 

The Rule of Three works because three is the maximum number of items most people can remember on their first attempt. Likewise, such pairings create a short, familiar structure that is easy to remember for our brains. 

Try the Title Close Technique

Another popular presentation closing technique is “Title Close” — going back to the beginning of your narrative and reiterating your main idea (title) in a form of a takeaway. Doing so helps the audience better retain your core message since it’s repeated at least two times. Plus, it brings a sense of closure — a feel-good state our brains love. Also, a brief one-line closure is more memorable than a lengthy summary and thus better retained. 

Ask a Question 

If you want to keep the conversation going once you are done presenting, you can conclude your presentation with a general question you’d like the audience to answer.

Alternatively, you can also encourage the members to pose questions to you. The latter is better suited for informational presentations where you’d like to further discuss some of the matters and secure immediate feedback. 

Try adding an interactive element like a QR code closing your presentation with a QR code and having a clear CTA helps you leverage the power of sharing anything you would like to share with your clients. QR codes can be customized to look alike your brand.

If you are looking for a smoother experience creating presentations on the fly, check out the AI PowerPoint maker —it offers everything you can ask forfrom presentation design in a couple of clicks.

12 Business Presentation Examples and What Makes Them Great 

Now that we equipped you with the general knowledge on how to make a presentation for business, let’s take a look at how other presenters are coping with this job and what lessons you can take away from them. 

1. N26 Digital Bank Pitch Deck 

This is a fine business pitch presentation example, hitting all the best practices. The deck opens with a big shocking statement that most Millennials would rather go to the dentist than step into a bank branch. 

Then it proceeds to discuss the company’s solution to the above — a fully digital bank with a paperless account opening process, done in 8 minutes. After communicating the main product features and value proposition, the deck further conceptualizes what traction the product got so far using data visualizations. The only thing it lacks is a solid call-to-action for closing slides as the current ending feels a bit abrupt. 

2. WeWork Pitch Deck

For a Series D round, WeWork went with a more formal business presentation. It starts with laying down the general company information and then transitions to explaining their business model, current market conditions, and the company’s position on the market.

The good thing about this deck is that they quantify their business growth prospects and value proposition. The likely gains for investors are shown in concrete numbers. However, those charts go one after another in a row, so it gets a bit challenging to retain all data points. 

The last part of their presentation is focused on a new offering, “We Live”. It explains why the team seeks funds to bring it to life. Likewise, they back their reasoning with market size statistics, sample projects, and a five-year revenue forecast. 

3. Redfin Investor Presentation 

If you are looking for a “text-light” business presentation example, Redfin’s investor deck is up to your alley. This simple deck expertly uses iconography, charts, and graphs to break down the company’s business model, value proposition, market share, and competitive advantages over similar startups. For number-oriented investors, this is a great deck design to use. 

4. Google Ready Together Presentation 

This isn’t quite the standard business presentation example per se. But rather an innovative way to create engaging, interactive presentations of customer case studies .

The short deck features a short video clip from a Google client, 7-11, explaining how they used the company’s marketing technology to digitally transform their operations and introduce a greater degree of marketing automation . The narrated video parts are interrupted by slides featuring catchy stats, contextualizing issues other businesses are facing. Then transitions to explaining through the words of 7-11 CMO, how Google’s technology is helping them overcome the stated shortcomings.

5. Salesforce Business Presentation Example 

This is a great example of an informational presentation, made by the Salesforce team to share their research on customer experience (CX) with prospects and existing customers.

The slide deck errs on the lengthier side with 58 slides total. But bigger topics are broken down and reinforced through bite-sized statistics and quotes from the company leadership. They are also packaging the main tips into memorable formulas, itemized lists, and tables. Overall, this deck is a great example of how you can build a compelling narrative using different statistics. 

6. Mastercard Business Presentation

This slide deck from Mastercard instantly captures the audience’s attention with unusual background images and major data points on the growth of populations, POS systems, and payment methods used in the upcoming decade.

Perhaps to offset the complexity of the subject, Mastercard chose to sprinkle in some humor in presentation texts and used comic-style visuals to supplement that. However, all their animations are made in a similar style, creating a good sense of continuity in design. They are also using colors to signify the transition from one part of the presentation to another. 

In the second part, the slide deck focuses on distilling the core message of what businesses need to do to remain competitive in the new payments landscape. The team presents what they have been working on to expand the payment ecosystem. Then concludes with a “title close” styled call-to-action, mirroring the presentation title.

7. McKinsey Diversity & Inclusion Presentation 

This fresh business slide deck from McKinsey is a great reference point for making persuasive business presentations on complex topics such as D&I. First, it recaps the main definitions of the discussed concepts — diversity, equity, and inclusion — to ensure alignment with the audience members. 

Next, the business presentation deck focuses on the severity and importance of the issue for businesses, represented through a series of graphs and charts. After articulating the “why”, the narrative switches to “how” — how leaders can benefit from investment in D&I. The main points are further backed with data and illustrated via examples. 

8. Accenture Presentation for the Energy Sector

Similar to McKinsey, Accenture keeps its slide deck on a short. Yet the team packs a punch within each slide through using a mix of fonts, graphical elements, and color for highlighting the core information. The presentation copy is on a longer side, prompting the audience to dwell on reading the slides. But perhaps this was meant by design as the presentation was also distributed online — via the company blog and social media. 

The last several slides of the presentation deck focus on articulating the value Accenture can deliver for their clients in the Energy sector. They expertly break down their main value proposition and key service lines, plus quantify the benefits. 

9. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Technical Presentation 

Giving an engaging technical presentation isn’t an easy task. You have to balance the number of details you reveal on your slides to prevent overwhelm, while also making sure that you don’t leave out any crucial deets. This technical presentation from AWS does great in both departments. 

First, you get entertained with a quick overview of Amazon’s progress in machine learning (ML) forecasting capabilities over the last decade. Then introduced to the main tech offering. The deck further explains what you need to get started with Amazon Forecast — e.g. dataset requirements, supported forecasting scenarios, available forecasting models, etc. 

The second half of the presentation provides a quick training snippet on configuring Amazon SageMaker to start your first project. The step-by-step instructions are coherent and well-organized, making the reader excited to test-drive the product. 

10. Snapchat Company Presentation

Snapchat’s business model presentation is on a funkier, more casual side, reflective of the company’s overall brand and positioning. After briefly recapping what they do, the slide deck switches to discussing the company’s financials and revenue streams.

This business slide deck by Snap Inc. itself is rather simplistic and lacks fancy design elements. But it has a strong unified theme of showing the audience Snapchat’s position on the market and projected vector of business development. 

11. Visa Business Acquisition Presentation 

If you are working on a business plan or M&A presentation for stakeholders of your own, this example from Visa will be helpful. The presentation deck expertly breaks down the company’s rationale for purchasing Plaid and subsequent plans for integrating the startup into their business ecosystem. 

The business deck recaps why the Plaid acquisition is a solid strategic decision by highlighting the total addressable market they could dive into post-deal. Then it details Plaid’s competitive strengths. The slide deck then sums up all the monetary and indirect gains Visa could reap as an acquirer. 

12. Pinterest Earnings Report Presentation 

Annual reports and especially earnings presentations might not be the most exciting types of documents to work on, but they have immense strategic value. Hence, there’s little room for ambiguities or mistakes. 

In twelve slides, this business presentation from Pinterest clearly communicates the big picture of the company’s finance in 2021. All the key numbers are represented as featured quotes in the sidebar with diagrams further showcasing the earning and spending dynamics. Overall, the data is easy to interpret even for non-finance folks. 

To Conclude 

With these business presentation design tips, presentation templates , and examples, you can go from overwhelmed to confident about your next presentation design in a matter of hours. Focus on creating a rough draft first using a template. Then work on nailing your opening slide sequence and shortening the texts in the main part of your presentation when needed. Make sure that each slide serves a clear purpose and communicates important details. To make your business presentation deck more concise, remove anything that does not pertain to the topic. 

Finally, once you are done, share your business presentation with other team members to get their feedback and reiterate the final design.

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Business Presentations, Corporate Presentations, Design, Design Inspiration, Examples, Executive Reports, Inspiration, Presentation Ideas Filed under Business

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Secrets to Writing Great Headlines and Brief Bullets in PowerPoint

• August 26, 2013
• Kevin Lerner

PowerPoint Users: Discover how to write headlines beyond flat fragments of fluff and boring bullets of blah for maximum presentation impact and authority.

Ha! You’re looking at this article! Chances are it was because of a compelling headline. Our eyes are naturally drawn to words of intrigue and curiosity. A title of “PowerPoint headline and bullet writing” might not have been as compelling. Headlines and bullets- whether in PowerPoint, Keynote, or Prezi- should hold that same eye-catching intrigue if you’re looking for you and your presentations to stand-out and be remembered.

1. Listen & Look

There are great examples of headlines all around us in all mediums; succulent enticing text that compel us to tune-in, read-on, or click here. Pay attention to the topics that grab you…and aim for the same attention-getting power in your presentation headlines. It may seem corny at first, but you’ll soon see more heads looking at you and the screen, than down looking at their cell phone or clock.

2. Think like a Tweeter

Twitter is a great tool to gain insights into headline writing; short simple statements of intrigue in under 160 characters. Adopt a similar strategy, aiming for fewer than 10 words in your presentation headlines.

3. A Head-Turning Headline: Catchy, Curious, & Compelling

When building a presentation, it maybe helpful to write-out a title that’s a simple basic fragmented sentence, or just a few words. But head-turning titles are Catchy, Curious and Compelling. They catch your eye, making you think and compelling you to want to know more.

Ask a question. Write a provocative statement. Tell them why they should listen or read-on. Short conversational words are best, eliminating any jargon or ambiguity. The headline can either stand-alone, or be supported by bullets and/or graphics.

4. Write Like an SEO Guru

Presentation headlines should be written similar to how a website blog headline would be written: a short, compelling statement aimed at generating clicks and readership. For presentations, aim to answer the viewer’s underlying interest in solving a problem or getting more information. Or – as in the case above- work to consolidate the top-level bullet with the headline.

Ask yourself: “If someone in my audience was searching for this slide, what would they search for?” Write your headline with that search concept in mind with fundamental keywords in the title.

This is especially helpful if you’re creating a presentation for an external audience, and placing the presentation online. Your presentation will have a good chance of appearing in Google if the headline and presentation titles are reflective of what your audience is searching for.

5. Headlines summarize the slide

Headlines are the high-level story of the presentation. In business presentations, executives often scan the presentation for keywords and takeaway points. Well-written headlines should guide the reader along through the presentation summarizing each page, distilling the supporting bullets or detail, and weaving a compelling story. This is especially important if there’s no presenter, or if the presentation is a standalone or printed deck.

In the example above the first version (Before) has a neutral headline “Safety Record.” The updated headline is more active and summarizes the charted data and information.

Fragmented sentence headlines (“Introduction”), while easy to write, do little to hook the audience and tell the story. But it’s best to aim for full-sentences of summation in the headlines of your presentation. You may, however, wish to use fragments or key words “Intro, example 1, etc.” for presentation sections or topic slides.

Some business presentations use takeaway messages, summarizing messages usually at the bottom of a page. Try to merge the title and takeaway points; you’ll have a cleaner, more open-spacious presentation with a more focused message. Less is more.

6. Don’t repeat the headline in the body of your slide.

The text or bullets of the presentation should support the slide headline…not duplicate it! Aim to keep your bullets brief and supportive of the slide’s headline, using similar- but not identical- words.

7. Fragment your bullets

Just as we aim to write short simple sentences for our headlines, we should aim to keep our bullets simple and concise also. But, unlike the titles where a short sentence is our goal, our goal in a solid bullet is a concise sentence fragment. There’s no need for a full in-depth sentence, especially if the presentation will be delivered by a speaker.

Aim to ditch most modifiers including extra adjectives, adverbs and action words. But look for ways to say the same message in fewer words.

8. Avoid all unnecessary words that you can find to help make the page more appealing and easier to understand*.

*This headline above can be edited to three words: “Avoid unnecessary words.”

Repeatedly read through the presentation with a critical eye. What can be eliminated? Merged? Restated more simply? Call on a friend or collague for assistance; eventually you’ll start writing short potent headlines perfectly.

9. No Orphans

Whenever you see one lovebird, you usually see another; these friends of a feather always flock together. Similarly, aim to avoid single-item bullets. Called “orphans” these one bullet items usually indicate another bullet is nearby. Indeed, one bullet demands a second bullet (that’s why they’re called bullets).

On single-item points, aim to combine the item with the topic/headline. Or remove the bullet symbol and keep the text as a subpoint of the main point.

“The Presentation” should not be viewed as document, but rather a graphical medium to help underscore key messages. Through regular practice of reviewing your presentation, you’ll find opportunities to trim the text and say more with less…leaving the text to the paper.

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"Kevin Lerner provided best-in-class services when hired to work on promotional materials for the launch of a key product at Motorola. The expertise and quality that he brought to the project were second to none and as a result, he delivered a top-notch presentation that was quickly adopted throughout the organization. Kevin is great to work with, delivers on time, is a great team player and is always willing to go the extra mile."

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The art of the headline: How to make your PowerPoint slides stand out

Why write strong headlines?

Are you a recent grad who is just starting to build presentations in your professional career? If so, then you know how important it is to make a good impression on your audience. But how do you create presentations that are engaging and effective?

Even if you're a few years out of school and into your career, you could also be overlooking one of the simplest changes that could make your presentations much stronger.

Weak headlines

Are you writing weak slide headlines?

There are a few reasons why most people write bad PowerPoint slide headlines and not even know it.

One reason is that they may not realize the importance of a strong headline. A headline is often the first thing that a person sees on a slide, and it can have a big impact on how the rest of the presentation is perceived. Therefore, it's important to take the time to craft a strong, effective headline for each slide.

Another reason why people may write bad PowerPoint slide headlines because they may not know how to write a good headline. Writing a strong headline takes practice and skill, and not everyone is naturally good at it. I know it took me a while get a hang of it myself!

A third reason people may write bad PowerPoint slide headlines is that they may not put enough time and effort into crafting their headlines. It's easy to throw together a quick, generic headline and move on to the next slide, but this can result in weak, uninteresting headlines that don't do your presentation justice.

Strong headlines

To write strong headlines, you need to take the time to think about your message, your audience, and the purpose of each slide, and then craft a headline that reflects this information.

• Make it clear and concise. A good headline should clearly and concisely convey the main point of the slide. Avoid using vague or overly complex language, and try to keep your headline to a single sentence or phrase if possible.
• Make it relevant. Your headline should be directly related to the content of the slide, and should provide context or background information that will help your audience understand and engage with the rest of the presentation.
• Make it interesting. A strong headline should be interesting and engaging, and should grab the attention of your audience. Try to use language that is lively and interesting, and avoid using dull or generic phrases like "Introduction" or "Conclusion."
• Make a point. A strong headline should make a point, rather than simply describing the information on the slide. It should have a point of view and provide context or background information that will help your audience understand and engage with the rest of your presentation.
• Use active language. A strong headline should use active language that is lively and engaging. Avoid using passive or dull language that doesn't grab the attention of your audience or convey your message effectively.
• Be specific. A strong headline should be specific and focused, rather than vague or general. Avoid using broad, generic phrases like "Introduction" or "Conclusion," and instead use language that is specific to the content of the slide and the overall message of your presentation.
• Use keywords. A strong headline should include keywords that are relevant to the content of the slide and the overall topic of your presentation. This will help your audience understand the purpose of the slide and make it easier for them to follow along with the rest of your presentation.
• Avoid unnecessary words. A strong headline should be concise and to the point, and should avoid using unnecessary words or filler phrases. Keep your headline short and focused, and only include the information that is necessary to convey your message effectively.

Here are a few examples of strong and weak headlines that you can use as a guide:

Strong headlines:

• "How our new technology is transforming the industry"
• "The top five trends that will impact your business in the next year"
• "Why our company is the best choice for your needs"

Weak headlines:

• "Company history"
• "Our products"
• "Q4 results"

Here's a visual example from a workshop for new grads and non-business majors I'm currently working on.

As you can see, strong headlines make a point and are supported by the content on the slide, while weak headlines simply state the topic of the slide and leave it up to the audience to make their own conclusions from the content.

In conclusion, writing strong headlines for your PowerPoint slides is an important part of creating an effective presentation. By following the tips above, you can craft good slide headlines that grab the attention of your audience, provide context and background information, and help ensure that your message is understood and remembered.

From Serif to Sans Serif: Understanding Font Families for Captivating Slides

Beyond Language Barriers: A Non-Native English Speaker's Guide to Powerful Presentations

Storytelling in Presentations: How to Weave a Compelling Narrative for Your Audience

Presentation Guru

An effective slide begins with a headline.

What if the headline was the only part of your slide that they’ll remember?

It’s got to make an impact. Great headlines go directly to the point of your content, instantly sowing an idea in your audience’s mind and convincing them to listen on. In this article, from Presentation Guru contributor Tom Howell , you will find out the secret to writing the most effective slide headlines . Tom has distilled it down to the essentials and we strongly recommend you take a look.

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Rosie Hoyland

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• Now Is the Time to Look at Webinars - 13th March 2020
• The Only PowerPoint Templates You’ll Ever Need - 26th March 2019
• 12 Tips for the Technologically Challenged Speaker - 25th March 2019
• The Best Way to Protect Yourself from Misleading Graphs - 17th January 2019
• 3 Tips to Boost Your Confidence - 13th September 2018

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How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

By Krystle Wong , Jul 20, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 10 qualities of a good presentation?

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

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

1. Clear structure

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

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

2. Engaging opening

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

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

3. Relevant content

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

4. Effective visual aids

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

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

5. Clear and concise communication

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

6. Engaging delivery

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

7. Interaction and audience engagement

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

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

8. Effective storytelling

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

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

9. Well-timed pacing

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

10. Strong conclusion

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

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

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

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

1. Understand the audience and their needs

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

2. Conduct thorough research on the topic

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

3. Organize the content with a clear structure

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

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

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

4. Develop visually appealing and supportive visual aids

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

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

5. Practice, practice and practice

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

6. Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments

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

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

7. Prepare for potential technical or logistical issues

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

8. Fine-tune and polish your presentation

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

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

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

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

1. Confidence and positive body language

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

2. Eye contact with the audience

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

3. Effective use of hand gestures and movement

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

4. Utilize storytelling techniques

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

5. Incorporate multimedia elements

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

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

6. Utilize humor strategically

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

7. Practice active listening and respond to feedback

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

8. Apply the 10-20-30 rule

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

9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule

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

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

1. How to start a presentation?

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

2. How to end a presentation?

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

3. How to make a presentation interactive?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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How to Write Great Business Presentations: 6 Tips to Win New Business

Alice Musyoka

Many people hate making presentations for a reason. You have to define your presentation style, put together captivating slides, handle unexpected questions, get your point across very clearly, and try to squeeze a laugh out of the audience.

It can be overwhelming for any person.

However, most of us have to make business presentations every now and then, especially salespeople. Whether you’re a sales rep who tops the leaderboard every month or a seasoned speaker who headlines at conferences, you can always improve your presentations and deliver your message more clearly.

There are lots of tips on business presentations out there, so we've collected the very best that will make a big difference to your presentations.

Here's how to go about creating a great business presentation.

Tip 1: Create an Outline

Tip 2: write the way you speak, tip 3: start with a compelling story and inject some humor, tip 4: use multimedia, tip 5: avoid writing errors, tip 6: less is more, start winning over customers with your business presentations.

If you want things to go according to plan, you have to create a plan in the first place. Come up with an outline that covers the main points you would like to get across. This outline will serve as your anchor and help you to build a slide deck. It will also help you to know the key arguments you need to touch on.

First, start with the bare bones. Write the introductory remarks, then the three main points you would like your audience to remember from your presentation, and then the concluding remarks. A well-delivered introduction and conclusion are crucial parts of a presentation. You shouldn't overlook them when writing your outline.

To create the body of your presentation, add sub-points to each of the three main points. These sub-points will be helpful later when you're putting together your slides. You'll be able to see how much material you have for each takeaway and split the content into the right number of slides.

When you create an outline before you start creating the slides, you have confidence from the get-go that you'll come up with material that will stick in people’s minds.

Before you start typing away, let's talk about tone. Some people think that a business presentation should look like a college essay. But if you want to win over customers, you have to write like you speak. Picture yourself having a conversation with a friend. The words would flow freely and you would use very few fancy words.

When making a presentation, your goal is not to sound smart, it is to be clear. Aim for a conversational tone that is well-thought-out. Write like you speak when you speak at your best.

The words you use in the presentation should sound like they are coming from you. If you use a lot of contractions when speaking (like can't , won't , wouldn't ), write your presentation that way. If you never use adverbs, omit them.

While we’re usually unaware of our verbal habits, the people who know us are aware of them. After creating the presentation, ask a close friend or spouse if it sounds like you.

When writing the first draft of your presentation, aim for simplicity. Don't pay attention to eloquence as it doesn't have to look great the first time. Turn off your inner editor and just write.

There is one reason TED talks are so popular. Every presenter starts with a captivating story—whether it is a heartwarming story about their daughter's first day of school or a heart-rending story about a near-death experience.

A great story captures the attention of your audience and allows you to build a personal connection with them. It acts as an unforgettable cornerstone of the presentation. After sharing the story, connect it to the main point of your presentation.

You don't have to tell a story that is unique or groundbreaking. In fact, the most effective stories are those your audience can relate to. People relate to stories emotionally and remember them long after they're told.

The success of your presentation will be determined by your ability to deliver information in a way that is compelling. Stories make you, the speaker, appear more approachable and they also make facts more digestible. If you want customers to remember your business presentation, reach into your bag of stories and bring the presentation to life.

Making people laugh can also be a powerful tool for success. Research has shown that if you can make people laugh, they will lower their defences and will see you as a competent and confident leader. They will also be more likely to pay attention to the serious things you have to say. Inject humour into your presentations using personal anecdotes or analogies.

You can give the best advice in the world, but in order for people to believe it, they need to see it in practice. Multimedia can help you capture the attention of your audience and maintain it. You may not know it, but humans process images quicker than text.

If you only use words and numbers in your slides, you may cause people to squint their eyes as they try to read them. Some may try to scribble down as much information as they can before you move to the next slide. Include images and charts in your slides, not just text and tables. Make sure the attention stays on you, the expert, by adding an image or two to drive your point home.

Another multimedia format you can use is audio. Play some background music to keep your audience glued to your presentation. A simple Google search can yield free high-quality instrumental music you can use in your presentations. You can also use the music to create a welcoming atmosphere before you start your presentation and afterwards.

I'd recommend including at least one video in the presentation as videos are valuable visual content that keep audiences engaged. The demand for video content is always increasing. Most marketers use videos because they are an effective marketing tool: A video can help you explain a concept in a way that images and written words can't.

These are the four most common writing mistakes people make when creating slides:

• Grammatical mistakes
• Improper capitalization
• Mixing up homophones
• Incorrect punctuation

Seeing these errors in your presentation will lead customers to question your credibility. If you're pitching to them, they may think you are not thorough in your work and that you didn't put a lot of effort into your presentation. Or they may think you don't know how to write properly. The response you get from them may not be what you had in mind.

Writing errors dilute your message and have a negative impact on what you're trying to achieve. When creating slides for your presentation, you can use a digital writing tool like ProWritingAid to improve your grammar. It is more advanced than your average spellchecker and will tell you how readable (and therefore memorable!) your slides are.

SlideShare , a hosting service for professional content, is popular for a reason. It displays information in a clear presentation format, ensuring people don’t go elsewhere to find it.

When you're delivering a presentation, one of the reasons people come to see it is because they care about the topic. But there's also another reason. They are curious about the person giving the presentation.

When giving a business presentation to an audience in person, it's important to keep your slides simple. This ensures that people focus on you and your message and not on the slides themselves. Make sure the slides cover the topic well but are also simple enough so that people can pay attention to what you're saying. And like we said before, support your message with visuals.

One way you can keep things simple is by reducing the amount of text in the slides. If you want people to remember the information you give, add an image to every slide. When information is paired with images, people recall it better.

Many high-level executives, even Google's CEO Sundar Pichai, avoid a lot of text in their presentations. At Google I/O 2017, he said that text-heavy slides are avoided at Google for the very reasons outlined above.

A business presentation gives you an opportunity to inform, persuade, demonstrate, and sell your ideas to an audience. If the purpose of your presentation is to win new business, it should be clear and focused. Nothing feels as bad as spending a lot of time on a presentation only for it to fail. A bad presentation can damage your brand.

Make sure that you know your audience and the topic you're discussing well, and ensure that your presentation grabs attention, follows a logical order, and flows with clarity. It should identify problems, explain the solutions, and create a sense of urgency in order for people to act. Explain why "right now" is the best time for them to take the action you want them to take.

Now that you know what you need to create a great business presentation, check out our 7 mistakes to avoid next time you present!

Want to learn more more great business writing hacks? Download this free book now:

Business Writing Hacks for Flawless Communication

Writing is an essential element of nearly every profession today. whether you are drafting a proposal for a major prospect or collaborating by email, strong communications help colleagues and clients understand your ideas. errors and awkward writing can make you lose credibility., download this guide to learn the techniques professional writers use to write clearly and persuasively..

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Alice Musyoka is a versatile copywriter and content strategist who helps businesses see results from content marketing. Her goal is to make people pause, smile, and read. She's a previous contributor for [Stagetecture](https://stagetecture.com/author/ndanuaj123/). When she's not working, she usually goes for long walks with her son and reconnects with nature. She also loves watching funny movies.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

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

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

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

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35+ Creative Headline Examples [+Free Headline Generator]

Nick Schäferhoff

Editor in Chief

Discover Unique Headline Ideas

Instructions: Fill out the prompts below to find a catchy headline idea!

Describe Your Topic in 1-2 Words

What type of content is this? Choose one of the below categories.

Describe Your Audience in 1-2 Words

Pick a headline below or start over for more inspiration!

What Makes a Headline Successful?

Studies show that out of every 10 online users that see your headline, only eight of them will actually read it and only two will take the time to read the actual content.

With that said, you’ve probably heard that the average internet user’s attention span is shorter than that of a goldfish: eight seconds on average. If you want people to read your content, you need a powerful headline.

The purpose of a headline is to grab users’ attention. To accomplish this goal, your headline has to be unique, specific, useful, and, on top of that, convey a sense of urgency. Successful headlines include an underlying reason why users should read your content. For example, the focus of your headline could be on a problem your audience has, a benefit they will get from your content, or a specific result they will be able to achieve.

There are many types of headlines, and you can combine multiple headline formulas to get the perfect title for your content. In this article, we list some of the best headline examples and include specific proven formulas. We also outline the do's and don'ts to keep in mind when writing a headline, and a step-by-step process to create one.

46 Different Types of Headlines + Examples

The two main goals of your headline are to generate interest and communicate what users will get. Below, you can find the formulas for headlines that will help you achieve both goals.

The "How To" Headline

One of the main reasons people consume content is to learn a new skill or learn to overcome a challenge. If you have an informative piece of content, you can use a “How To” headline to provide a solution to the problem. This is the ideal headline for step-by-step guides that explain how to reach an objective in detail.

To make your “How To” headline successful, make the problem as specific as possible. You can do this by specifying who the audience is (e.g., beginners) or by explaining what content format you’ll deliver (e.g., a step-by-step guide).

• How to + [Your audience’s goal]
• How to Make a Website in 2021: Step-by-Step Beginner's Guide
• How to Speed Up Your Website (20+ Practical Tips)
• How to Start an Online Store (From Start to Finish)

The “Reasons Why” Headline

As humans, we have an ingrained curiosity about the “why” behind things , especially when it comes to things we care about. You can take advantage of this psychology to present your informative content in a way that stimulates curiosity.

With the “Reasons Why” headline, you’ll promise to explain why a problem your audience faces exists — and you’ll also present a solution throughout the content. This is a good opportunity to grab the attention of users who are facing a specific problem and don’t know why.

Consider using this headline formula to create some controversy (more on how to do this later). But to be successful, make sure you have good data to support your argument.

• [Number] + Reasons Why + [Audience’s pain point]
• 21 Life-Changing Decisions To Make in 2022
• Three Reasons to Safely Drink out of Plastic Water Bottles
• Ten Reasons to Quit Your Coffee

The “Question” Headline

One of the reasons people turn to Google is to find an answer to a specific question. One study found that about 8% of search queries are questions.

If you have informative content, try going with a question headline. With this type of headline, you have a good chance of delivering exactly what your audience is looking for. Framing your headline as a question is effective because it switches the readers’ role from passive to active, and creates engagement. If the question is relevant to them, it will trigger their curiosity and interest.

To ask relevant questions, find out your audience’s burning questions by talking to your sales, service, and support teams, or spend time looking at trending debates in your industry. Make sure you don’t use a question that your audience likely has an answer to already. If they do, they won’t be triggered to click.

Depending on the type of content, you can either go with an informational and specific question or with a more controversial and provocative one (more on how to do that later).

• Is/Are/What/Who/When/Where/Why + [Topic relevant to your audience]?
• What is [Topic relevant to your audience]?
• Do You Close the Bathroom Door Even When You’re the Only One Home?
• What’s Scarier Than the Sex Talk? Talking About Food & Weight!
• Is Sugar Actually Bad for You? (The Case For and Against Sugar)
• Hire a Web Developer or Do it Yourself?

The “Benefit” Headline

All successful headlines should imply that users will gain something from consuming the content. However, not all headlines explicitly express what the benefit is.

With the benefit headline, instead of using fancy data or formulas to grab the reader’s attention, you will openly state what benefit your content will bring to your readers. Using this type of headline is the best choice if your audience consists of busy people who prefer that you get straight to the point.

To create a successful benefit headline, consider what key benefits users can achieve by using your content. You can use another headline formula in this list (such as the how-to headline) but shift the focus to the real-life benefit users will get. You can use words like “increase” and “boost” to do that effectively, but make sure you address your audience’s goals.

• [Number or How to] + [Benefit to your audience]
• 33 Proven Ways To Monetize a Website (or a Blog)
• 35+ Ways to Increase Website Traffic (Free & Paid Strategies)

The “Proof” Headline

When it comes to informative content, it can be hard to capture the users’ attention, especially if it’s a topic that has been covered many times already. Using social proof is an effective method to capture your audience’s attention quickly because people have a natural tendency to engage in actions that other people are doing. The proof headline works especially well for content like case studies, whitepapers, and eBooks, but you can also use it to back up the content in your blog post.

To make your proof headline successful, make sure you focus on explaining what problem you will help the users overcome. The proof you include can consist of a statement from an industry expert, a quote from a report, or a statement from a resource your audience trusts.

You can also use a direct quote in your headline as a way of gaining interest through social proof. This can be even more powerful as it states what the trusted source thinks without filters.

• [Trusted source] + [Solution] + [Result] + [Problem your audience faces]
• A powerful money lesson from Bill Gates: Why you should save like a pessimist, but invest like an optimist
• Why Red Bull Uses Social Media to Get New Customers (Instead of Only Advertising)
• 3 Ways to Manage Teams like Elon Musk
• ‘Buy Bitcoin’ Says Expert as Argentina Imposes $10K Limit for Citizens

The “Positive Emotion” Headline

CoSchedule analyzed millions of headlines and found that posts with a higher “emotional value” are shared more often. In particular, they found that headlines with positive emotions are more likely to encourage shares, so consider using words that are motivational or give hope to your audience in the headline.

Using positive emotions can help you get clicks and shares, but it’s important that you don’t overuse emotional words. According to Buzzsumo , emotional headlines are not as powerful as they were in the past. They are still great if they’re used to refer to unusual information, but excessively emotional headlines can be counterproductive.

To create a headline with positive emotion, you can use the Headline Analyzer tool created by the Advanced Marketing Institute. If you get an Emotional Marketing Value (EMV) lower than 30, try adding positive emotion words like “amazing,” “master,” “hope,” and “win.” Alternatively, you can use words like “easy” to help users feel confident about their goals.

• [Positive Emotion Word] + [Benefit]
• You're Never Too Young To Be A Leader: Here's How
• 27 “Easy to Start” Online Business Ideas

The “Mistakes” Headline

As you’ve seen, using emotion in your headline can be a powerful way of generating interest. We’ve covered the benefits of using positive emotions, but could negative emotions in your headlines work too? Research shows that people who say they would like more positive news tend to choose online news that conveys negativity more often than positivity.

A good example of using negative emotions in your headlines is the mistakes headline, which you can use to pull on your target audience’s common fears. The idea here is that your audience will be enticed to find whether they’re doing something wrong.

To create an effective mistakes headline, you can use words like “embarrassing” or “shocking.” But make sure your content presents a real solution to overcome these errors.

• [Number] Mistakes [Your audience] Makes
• Do you make these Common [Audience/Topic] Mistakes?
• Are You Making These Embarrassing Mistakes at Work?
• 12 Common Online Dating Mistakes You’ve Probably Made
• Don't make this dangerous summer buggy mistake

The Secrets Headline

The key to a successful headline is to explain the benefits readers will get from your content, while, at the same time, creating interest. One way to do this is by using the secrets headline formula, where you mention the word “secret” or “secrets” to promise your audience you’ll cover new approaches to reach their goals.

Since the secrets headline has been overused especially by low-quality entertainment websites, you have to use it wisely. To use it successfully, make sure you actually reveal a secret in your content. It shouldn’t be a fact everyone knows already — that wouldn’t be a secret!

• The Secret(s) To + [Your audience's goal]
• 8 Secrets to Successful Online Marketing
• The Only Fluffy Pancake Secret You'll Ever Need
• The Secret to Nailing Your Home Loan Interview

The “Warning” Headline

Another way of using negative emotions in your headline is the warning title. This will almost always catch people’s attention, but make sure you explain to your audience why they should read the content.

Compared to other types of headlines, the warning headline is a great way to create a sense of urgency. It’s like saying: “The threat is here and now, and you need to do something about it — read this to get a solution now.”

You can choose to start your headline with “Warning:” and then explain the threat, or you can use the word “warning” throughout the title. Alternatively, you can choose to imply that there is a warning by using synonyms and words related to the threats. Just like with the mistakes headline, make sure you present a solution to the problem throughout your content.

• Warning: [Threat] + [Problem your audience faces]
• [Number] Warning Signs That [Problem your audience faces]
• Warning: These 10 everyday traps will make you fat
• 7 Warning Signs of Career Burnout to Recognize Before It's Too Late
• Do you Recognize These Early Warning Signs of an Egocentric Resume?

The “Problem” Headline

Why do you create content? In many cases, your goal is to solve a problem your target audience faces. If your piece solves a common and important problem, you can add that to your headline. One of the best ways to shift the focus from the content to the readers is to set up the headline with the problem, and then offer a way to overcome it.

To create a successful problem headline, start your title with the problem your audience faces. Then, briefly explain that your content will help them find a solution by using phrases like “here’s what to do about it” or “here’s the solution.”

• [Problem] + [What to do about it]
• Lack Time? Here's 4 Convenient Ways to Keep Your Dog Fit
• The Problem with Financial Incentives — and What to Do About It

The “Result” Headline

With the problem headline, you focus on the problem your target audience has. With the result headline, you shift the focus to the outcome your audience can achieve by consuming your content. This headline formula is one of the most effective types of headlines because it tells exactly what users can achieve by reading your content. According to marketing expert Mike Hamers , when you add specific numbers in your headline, the readers’ brains are triggered to click on your content because they automatically organize information into a logical order.

When using a results headline, make sure you don’t promise too much and stick to what you can deliver. Make sure your results are specific by including numbers, detailed results, or a timeframe.

• How I/We [Achieved a specific result] In [Timeframe]
• [Number] Steps/Ways To [Achieve a specific result]
• How to Lose 10 Pounds in Just 1 Week
• 3 Ways To Make $50,000 Per Year Without Working With Passive Income

The “FOMO” Headline

Yet another way of using negative emotions is leveraging the fear of missing out ( FOMO ). This emotional phenomenon plays onthe idea that people are afraid of missing something important in their lives. Your goal here is to convey the fact that your audience might be missing out on not knowing about an important fact.

To create a successful FOMO headline, think about the advice you give in the content and frame it as essential for your audience or for a specific problem they might have. Make sure that in the content you not only present the “problem” but actually offer guidance to overcome it.

• What [You/Your audience] to Know About/Before [Topic/Action]
• [Topic relevant to your audience]: Why/How You Might Be Missing Out
• What travellers need to know about the coronavirus as governments warn against travel to China
• Exactly What to Know Before Getting a Tattoo
• Why You're Missing Out if You Don't Have Flannel Sheets
• Are you one of 10,000s of women missing out on £1,000s of state pension?

The “Statistics” Headline

A study found that using statistics and numbers in a headline can increase engagement by more than 10x . You can add a statistic to one of the other headline types on this list to add more authority and grab the users’ attention.

To use statistics in your headlines successfully, make sure the data speaks to your audience’s needs. Would your potential readers find the information relevant? Would they want to know the reasons behind that data and what it means for them? Make sure you use statistics in your headlines responsibly. Some marketers use them in a misleading way and end up losing the users’ trust.

• [Number] % of [Your target audience] + [Interesting finding]
• 53% of Marketers Plan To Adopt Artificial Intelligence In Two Years
• 40% of Americans can't cover a $400 emergency expense
• Almost 70% of millennials regret buying their homes. Here’s why

The “Finality” Headline

If you have long-form, comprehensive content, consider adding words like “ultimate,” “complete,” or “definitive” to your headline. The finality headline is a good choice for serious and technical types of content. When users read “The Complete Guide,” they know they’ll find the most comprehensive guide on the topic they want to learn about.

To use a finality headline successfully, make sure you can deliver what you’re promising — which is a super informative guide. If you do, you’ll probably earn a new reader. In addition to the words mentioned above, you can also use words like “best,” “exclusive,” “guaranteed,” etc., to convey an idea of completeness.

• The [Complete/Definitive/Ultimate] Guide to [What your Audience wants to learn]
• The Ultimate Website Launch Checklist for 2021
• Evaluating Online Resources: The Complete Beginner’s Guide
• Best Website Builders in 2021

The “Controversial” Headline

A study of 100 million posts conducted by Buzzsumo found that headlines that hinted, teased, or questioned something performed better than any other headline on Twitter. If common and simple headlines aren’t working and you want to experiment with new ways to catch the users’ attention, you should try using controversy in your headline.

Controversial headlines can help not only grab the users’ attention, but they’ll also involve readers in a discussion and invite them to leave their opinions (for example, in the comments section).

To create a successful controversial headline, choose a topic that your audience is not only familiar with but likely also has an opinion about. Make sure you are not disrespectful to your audience. Your goal is to pull new users in, not push them away. While there isn’t a fixed formula for this type of headline (you can essentially use any type of headline and add a controversial topic) below are some formulas you can use as a jumping-off point.

• The Truth Behind [Controversial topic]
• [Popular topic among your audience] Is Dead
• Everything You Know About [Popular topic among your audience] Is Wrong
• Why I Stopped Selling SEO Services and You Should, Too
• The ‘Hybrid Office’ Could Be Great. It Could Also Be Hell.
• Want to Raise Successful Daughters? Science Says Nag the Heck Out of Them

The Secret Sauce to Creating a Great Headline: Do's and Don'ts

There are many factors you should consider when writing a headline that users will want to click on. While it’s important to experiment with different headline types and formulas, here are some general best practices and things to avoid when writing a headline.

Headline Do’s

Be specific.

Be specific when describing your content in the headline. What type of format is it? Who is the content meant for? To be specific, consider using numbers in your headline. If you’re not creating a listicle post, use the statistics headline formula to stand out.

Be Original

Your headline is the hook to your content. Even if your topic has already been covered, a unique headline can make you stand out from your competitors. To write an original title, look at the headlines that are ranking on Google for your keyword, and think about how you can make yours unique.

Keep It Concise

While your headline should be specific, it’s also important that it’s short and to the point, for two reasons. First, a shorter headline will read well in search engine results. Second, users will simply take less time to read it and decide whether they want to click. In many cases, a shorter headline will also stand out. According to the Buzzsumo study, the ideal headline length is 11 words and 65 characters .

Focus On Your Audience

To write a successful headline, it should be addressed to a specific audience, which is probably your target customers. Look at your buyer persona, and try to address their challenges and goals in your headlines. What type of words will resonate with them most?

Focus On The Benefit

Not only should your headline be addressed to a specific audience, but it should also be focused on the benefits your content will bring to them. Many copywriters make the mistake of focusing the headline on the content rather than its benefits to the reader. Instead, you should think about what goals your content will help them achieve.

A good way to hook your audience is by using dynamic and active language that will hint at what’s disclosed in the content. Verbs like “increase,” “drive,” and “boost” can help create a sense of urgency and grab the users’ attention.

Adjust To Your Style

While you can look at other content to find headline ideas, the best headlines will be the ones that speak directly to your audience. Not all headline formulas work for all businesses. The right headline will mirror your writing style and brand.

Headline Don'ts

Don't be generic.

When writing headlines, make sure you’re not too vague. Don’t limit your headline to a description of the content. A generic headline example is “How To Make a Website.” A better headline would be “How to Make a Website in 2021: Step-by-Step Beginner's Guide.”

Don't Be Boring

Your headline shouldn’t bore your audience. Instead it should be interesting enough to grab the users’ attention. The controversy headline is a great example of a formula for how to write a headline that isn’t boring.

Don't Make It Long

Don’t make your headline so long that Google and other search engines won’t be able to display it entirely on search results. Your headline should not be longer than 60 characters.

Don't Focus On The Content

While you should be specific when describing your content (e.g., format, timeframe, etc.), you won’t be able to stand out and appeal to your audience if you focus on the content exclusively. Instead, think about the real-life problems your content can help users overcome or the goals it can help them achieve. Why should they open it? What goal will it help them achieve? What problem will it help them overcome?

Don't Promise What You Can’t Deliver

One of the worst mistakes you can make is using a catchy headline to get users on the page and then failing to deliver your promise. Make sure your headline isn’t just interesting and fun, but that it’s also truthful of what the content is about.

Don’t Just Copy

Just because a type of headline seems to work for others, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for you. Depending on your industry and target audience, some headlines will resonate well while others might appear spammy or out of context. It’s good to see what works for others, but make sure you adjust the headlines to match your brand and industry style.

How to Write a Headline that Stands Out

The right headline will match the type of content you’re delivering, so it has to be specific in describing what your article is about. To craft a specific headline, you can include a particular audience you’re trying to reach, like “beginners.”

With that said, your headline also needs to stand out from the rest. To write a unique headline for an article, see what’s currently ranking on Google. How can you make yours more interesting? Consider using interesting data and social proof.

Writing headlines that work for your business can take time and may require trial and error. If you’re willing to experiment with new headlines and analyze results, you’ll be able to reach your audience more effectively. When you have a piece of content ready, write multiple headline examples, and think about which one better suits the content you’re delivering. Is your content informational or is it more entertaining? Use words that refer to your audience’s pain points and goals. Try multiple headline formulas and don’t forget to analyze the results. If you’re struggling to come up with headline ideas, try out our headline generator at the top of this article.

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Catchy Presentation Titles Are the Start of a Great Presentation

A Catchy Presentation Title is Important for Audience Satisfaction

Think about the last time you went to a conference that has multiple breakout sessions going at the same time. If you are like most people, you first scanned the list of titles. Almost instantly, you eliminated a few based solely on the topic or title. The titles that you looked at created an impression of the speech. Once you narrowed down your choices, only then do you move on to the description, etc. In that instant where you were scanning the titles, though, you probably had this inner monologue going. “Hhhmmmm… Nope. Not worth my time. Nope. Sounds boring. Nope. That one is unrelated to anything of interest to me. Aaahhh… That one might be okay.”

One of the real, closely-held, public speaking secrets is that every audience member has this inner monologue . This inner monologue occurs before every single meeting and every single presentation that we attend. In most cases, just as when we looked at the breakout session list, the answer we receive is, “Nope. This seems like a waste of my time.”

Examples of Presentation Titles that Make People Yawn

Here are a few titles that tell the audience that your presentation will be a snoozefest.

• Quarterly Financial Report
• Software Update
• Project Report
• Goals for 20__ [Fill in Your Own Year]
• Why We Need to Make Changes in Our Internal Processes

It is our job as the presentation designer (or deliverer) to make people want to pay attention to us. If you start with a great title, you are more likely to accomplish this task.

Presentation Title Generator

Follow this step-by-step approach, and your audience will want to hear you speak.

Create a One-Sentence Statement of What Your Topic is About.

• We Exceeded Our Corporate Goals and Increased Profit Last Quarter.
• The New Software Update Closed a Few Security Risks for Our Customers.
• The ABC Building Project is Behind Schedule.
• This Year, We Will Increase Revenue by $200,000 by Focusing on Repeat Business.
• Department Heads Need to Communicate Team Activities Better.

Just by forcing yourself to make your title into a complete sentence, you will narrow the topic down dramatically. If you look at the difference between the first list and the second, the second is more interesting already.

Identify Why the Audience Would Care About this Topic?

• Your Quarterly Bonus Has Increased.
• Your Customers are Less Likely to Experience a Data Breach.
• If We Adjust Our Plan, We Can Get Back on Schedule without Incurring Overruns.
• Your Commissions Will Also Increase.
• You Can Reduce Your Overall Department Costs.

Although we like to think that department heads care deeply about company revenue and profit, in reality, most of us are pretty self-centered. However, the department heads care very deeply about their bonuses. Outside of the tech folks, no one really cares about website security. However, if a company has a data breach, the entire company will have new challenges to deal with.

Combine the Sentence in Step #1 With the Benefit in Step #2.

Now that you have the two pieces, just put them together. When you do, you will create a series of catchy presentation titles .

• We Exceeded Our Corporate Goals and Increased Profit Last Quarter, So Your Quarterly Bonus Has Also Increased.
• Your Customers are Less Likely to Experience a Data Breach Because We Closed a Few Security Risks in the Recent Update.
• If We Adjust the Project Plan on the ABC Building, We Can Get Back on Schedule without Incurring Overruns.
• This Year, We Will Increase Revenue by $200,000 (And Commissions by $25,000) by Focusing on Repeat Business.
• If We as Department Heads Can Communicate Our Team’s Activities Better, We Should Be Able to Reduce Department Cost Significantly.

Maybe these presentation titles aren’t perfect, but you have to admit, they are dramatically better, now.

Compare the Two Titles

Originally, we had, “Quarterly Financial Report.” We ended up with, We Exceeded Our Corporate Goals and Increased Profit Last Quarter, So Your Quarterly Bonus Has Also Increased.” Which would you rather sit through? Guess what? Your audience thinks the same way. So, if you want to catch the attention of your audience right away, realize that catch presentation titles can help.

By the way, once you have a great title, the post called How to Design a Presentation Quickly is a good second step. In addition, we have a free Online Speech Creator that walks you through the entire process step-by-step. Also, make sure to visit our 101 public speaking tips blog post.

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Why Your Presentations Need Better Slide Headlines

November 4, 2014 / Blog, Lessons, PowerPoint Design, Presentation Science, Rick Enrico Blog presentation content, presentation tips, presentation writing, slide headlines

Presentation expert Nancy Duarte suggested a quick way to diagnose bad slides. To check your own work, step back and ask yourself, “will the audience get my point with just a quick glance?”

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Nancy’s “ glance test ” likens PowerPoint slides to billboard ads. Unless you want to hold up traffic, you can’t stop your car to examine every detail of the ad looming over you. A billboard should catch your attention and tell its story in seconds. Your slides should get to the point just as quickly.

An easy way to do that is to keep your designs simple.

Nancy offers many great design tips to make sure your slides pass the glance test. But apart from manipulating visuals, there’s another way to ensure that your slides immediately get to the point.

Just like a news article or a viral blog post, your slides need descriptive headlines.

The usual slide headlines

Instead of descriptive titles, most slides are headlined by a single word or a quick phrase. At first glance, the first thing an audience sees are words like “Objectives or “Goals and Accomplishments”. If you do the same thing for a blog posts or press release, do you think you’ll get as much readers?

These headlines can only share a small part about a particular slide. PowerPoint expert Gavin McMahon more accurately calls them “ labels .”

Instead of urging the audience to think, “ I want to know more about this ,” they see text that they’ve likely seen before from other presentations. By changing labels to descriptive headlines, you can convey a complete and interesting idea. You can inadvertently tell the audience to listen closely to what you have to say.

Writing better headlines

In a study published by the Society for Technical Communication , a group of researchers examined how effective descriptive slide headlines are. The researchers presented two different versions of the same slide deck to several sections of 200 students. The first version had slides headlined with the usual short phrases. The other one made use of short descriptive sentences. Even if the study is focused on education, the results show how important it is to write better slide headlines.

When asked to recall the main assertions of slides, the students in the sections taught with the sentence-headline slides had significantly higher recall… For the 15 questions in the study, the average score for the students viewing the sentence-headline slides was 79% correct, while the average for the students viewing the traditional slides was only 69% correct.

So if you want to make sure the audience remembers your message, you’ll need to start writing better headlines. Here are a few tips to help you out:

• Highlight the main takeaway.  Make sure the key takeaway is clear in your headline. Always ask yourself what you want the audience to remember from each slide you make.
• Be specific.  Try to be as specific as possible. While your headline doesn’t have to be long, it should accurately describe what’s tackled in your slide.
• Feed their curiosity.  Write headlines that say enough to urge the audience to ask, “what happens next?”

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Business  |  Oct 29 2021

How to Construct Perfect Slide Headlines for Your Pitch Deck (Part 2)

Are the headlines in your pitch deck there simply for decorative reasons or are you using them to tell the story VCs (venture capitalists) want to hear? In this follow-up article, Eric Bahn gives detailed examples of effective headline writing to get you closer to hearing the 3 words every founder hopes to hear from a VC: “Let’s meet up.” 

Keep reading for a recap of the 5 most important rules of constructing slide headlines with clear examples of how to put them into practice, or see how ViewSonic and Hustle Fund are teaming up to provide new opportunities for entrepreneurs with the Acceleration for All Awards . 

Eric Bahn is a co-founder and General Partner at  Hustle Fund.  Prior to Hustle Fund, Eric was an angel investor and partner at 500 Startups. Before becoming a professional investor, he spent over a decade as an operator (Facebook, Instagram) and entrepreneur (Beat The GMAT). Eric is a native of Detroit, Michigan and attended Stanford University (BA, MA), which launched his career into software and startups. Eric is happily married with two kids, loves minivans, and helps lead the Hustle Fund team from his garage in the Bay Area.

In the first article on this topic, I talked about the persona of a stereotypical VC who will take about 30 seconds, if you’re lucky, at the end of a long day to assess your pitch deck and decide whether or not to meet with you. 

In this second part, we’ll walk through a fake startup example based on the tens of thousands of pitch decks that we have seen at Hustle Fund. 

First, a quick recap of the rules we outlined in the previous article.

5 Rules for Writing Effective Slide Headlines

• Don’t assume anyone will read your deck.
• People will just glance at the biggest text in your deck which should be the slide titles.
• Make each slide headline a full sentence that describes the content of the slide.
• When reading just the slide titles, they should form a complete paragraph.
• The investor should have a 70%+ understanding of your business from the headlines alone.

OK, let’s go ahead and walk through the Hustle Fund fake example from the presentation I did earlier this year on this topic. 

In this example, it’s a startup making a wearable device that helps stop babies dying from SIDS. Like a little sock or something that alerts parents when the infant is sleeping in the wrong position or some other vital sign. SIDS is something that all new parents worry about – I certainly did when I became a parent. 

Now let’s walk through the most common slide titles that we see in a pitch deck: 

By far, these are the most common slide titles that we see in a pitch deck. 

But do you see the problem here?  

Again, let’s circle back to the sweatpant VC persona. 

I’m in my sweatpants, I’ve got my Chipotle in front of me, and I’m tired…it’s like 7:30-8pm and I just want to go watch Netflix. 

But I’ve got to roll through these 20 or so pitch decks that just hit my inbox. And I’m like, OK, what’s this company??? OK, whatever…Team. Problem. Solution. Market. Traction… What the HELL is this thing?! It gives me nothing! I can’t scan this and you’re forcing ME to read?! How dare you . You’re forcing me to actually do VC work?! What the hell!! I’m so offended. 

This is an example of some really bad slide titles, so let’s try to see whether we can fix this. In this exercise, we’re going to go ahead and design better slide headlines. 

So in this scenario, I want to only produce 5 slides as a teaser deck. 

What I think is best practice when it comes to creating assets for your fundraise is to have 3 things. 

Firstly a blurb – which is a forward-able, very quick summary of some of the sexiest aspects of your business that can be forwarded very easily by your friends and other investors to make warm introductions to anyone else. I think that is a really critical first asset to create which is just the blurb. And we’ve had past workshops on this before that you can check out on the Hustle Fund YouTube channel .

A second asset that is very important is your full presentation deck, and that could actually be pretty long, 20 slides or more, that presents the deeper, more nuanced case of why your team and your business are compelling to invest in. 

But what I want to focus on here is the teaser deck, which kind of sits in between the blurb and the long deck. It’s often the asset that is attached to your emailed blurb. It offers more of a flavor of what your business is about. 

One more thing to set up here. Pretend that this is a seed fundraise, not a Series A or B. So for any good seed pitch deck, there are only 5 elements that you need to make the case for to try to garner investment. It is Team, Problem, Solution, Marketing, Traction, usually with the team at the start of the deck for a seed round. But let’s just go with the existing structure of Problem first with this example pitch deck to keep it simple. So you basically only need just 5 slides for your teaser deck. 

The goal you want with a good teaser deck (along with the blurb) is not an investment decision but just the sweatpant Chipotle VC typing back saying, ‘Hey, let’s meet up’. That’s it. It is then a chance for you to make your full pitch with the VC. 

How to Create Better Slide Titles

First, let’s start with the ‘Problem’ slide. I’m going to totally make up this data. Instead of just saying ‘Problem’, let’s go with: 

‘Every year, 37,000 infants die in their sleep due to SIDS, and it’s completely preventable.’ 

So that’s the problem statement, which is a lot of dead babies. That is terrible and I don’t want to be flippant about it. This really did freak me out as a young parent and I’m sure many of you out there too. 

From here we jump to ‘Market’: 

‘We are in a massive baby boom, and this year alone 2.3m new parents will have their first baby. And everyone is fearful about SIDS.’

The title should fit into 2 lines maximum in the headline of a slide.

On the ‘Market’ slide, I would include things like statistics on the baby boom in the US, Asia and elsewhere. And then triangulate that into a total addressable market, size of billions of dollars, and so forth. 

Let’s go with ‘Solution’ next: 

‘We have created a simple wearable sock that monitors the vitals of infants and alerts parents if there is a problem during sleep.’ 

We can’t get any more straightforward than that! A cute little sock that you put on a cute little foot and the alerts happen. So this is the solution slide. 

Let’s go with ‘Traction’ next:

‘Last month we trialed a crowdfunding campaign that generated 2,700 pre-orders of our product before it was ready for market.’ 

Oh my goodness, that’s pretty good… this traction. Now traction is, by the way, the one that we’re the most forgiving about at Hustle Fund, and a lot of pre-seed funds are the same. A lot of times you have only maybe the concept or a prototype already built out. Maybe there’s been one or two pilots or a handful of traction. So if you don’t have this yet, this is the least important I think at the pre-seed stage, possibly seed stage too. 

Let’s finally end with the ‘Team’ slide title: 

‘We are veteran builders in hardware and wearables with over 10 years working at Nike and Underarmour. We hold 2 PhDs.’

I almost want to tweak this one a little more because frankly, this is the most important slide. If you’ve ever viewed some of our past presentations on pitching, I generally like to see the team slide in the very beginning, but sometimes from a narrative perspective, if it just makes sense to put it in a different spot in your presentation, that is totally fine. It’s 70% about the team for pre-seed and seed companies. If the team feels right I’ll make the bet. 

So let’s again go back to the setup. So we’re talking about this wearables company that is focusing on preventing SIDS. 

We went from slides that said Team, Problem, Solution, Market, Traction. We understand the persona of the VC is this tired VC, probably a dude, again, the demographics are changing, fortunately. Anyway, he’s wearing stained sweatpants, hasn’t laundered himself for a while… pizza boxes and Chipotle and empty $100 bottles of wine are scattered around. It’s 7:37pm and he’s trying to actually just to blow through the decks that are in his inbox so he can just enjoy the rest of his evening, and watch whatever relevant Netflix show is on right now. 

So how does this read – do the titles read as a sentence? Yes. When we read them together does it complete a full paragraph or 70% of what you need to know is here? Let’s find out. 

Every year, 37,000 infants die in their sleep due to SIDS, and it’s completely preventable. We are in a massive baby boom, and this year alone 2.3m new parents will have their first baby. And everyone is fearful about SIDS. We have created a simple wearable sock that monitors the vitals of infants and alerts parents if there is a problem during sleep. Last month we trialed a crowdfunding campaign that generated 2,700 pre-orders of our product before it was ready for market. We are veteran builders in hardware and wearables with over 10 years working at Nike and Under Armour. We hold 2 PhDs.

OK, that feels pretty good. 

You know I think I have a pretty good sense of the team, problem, solution, market, and traction. And for me, as the sweatpants VC, it might be interesting enough for me to reply by saying let’s meet up. Three words: ‘Let’s meet up.’ And that’s it. You can take it from there and hopefully present your full pitch deck which again will conform to some of these rules that we’ve mentioned. 

So you’ll have a great pitch and then you’re ready to start collecting term sheets, or SAFE’s, or whatever you need. 

Now finally to end the deck, your email and phone number should be on the last slide. And I’d suggest putting your email in the footer of each slide. Maybe also include in the footer a confidential disclaimer saying do not share, it gives people pause before they decide to share it and gives you a little more control over the distribution. 

What to do when a VC wants a meeting? Think of this as a progressive discovery. It’s like going on a first date, you only stick to pleasantries. And then later in subsequent meetings, that’s when we air all the dirty laundry. 

The ideal engagement sequence is the blurb, the teaser deck, then full deck and full pitch. You start with the pleasantries and then now you get really deep into the nuance, and the more time they sink with you the better. There’s a higher likelihood you’ll get the money from them. Telling your story in a very simple, clear, and concise way is the best chance of giving you a headstart in your hopefully long investment journey. 

I just want to quickly add something at the end here. This exercise that we just went through ends up becoming a really really good practice for the rest of your team. 

It’s just a good way of trying to align your story very clearly with the rest of your team and any of your advisors. 

If you can get your entire company down to a few sentences, just like our exercise, then that can be distilled into any format, such as marketing, technical presentations and documents used in team meetings. 

I think you’re going to find that you gain a lot in terms of how you can teach your team to pitch this deck. Your team will be armed with the key sentences to rely upon to pitch at any time.

This is when fundraising gets really interesting… when your engineering manager, who is not involved in the fundraising process, just so happens to be in line at Chipotle with me, Eric, next to them (not in my sweatpants).

She’s like, “Oh Eric, I see you on Twitter! If you have a minute between getting your burrito bowl, can I just tell you a little bit about what I’m up to?” She then casts her mind back and thinks about the exercise that she went through to refine the pitch headlines. She can now advocate on your company’s behalf too.

If you missed part one of this article by guest writer Eric Bahn, you can find it here . You may also be interested in visiting the ViewSonic workplace page for further insights into improving the productivity of your team. 

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Bestiality references allegedly made during presentation at Renmark High School

Warning for readers: This article contains graphic language.

The South Australian Department for Education is investigating a presentation delivered to year 9 girls in a regional high school that allegedly referenced bestiality as being accepted by the LGBTQIA+ community.

Female students said teachers at Renmark High School told them to leave their lessons and attend a presentation in a separate classroom.

Students who attended the presentation on March 22 say two staff from the Headspace centre in the neighbouring town of Berri introduced a "third-party" presenter who facilitated an hour-long presentation focused on relationships.

Parents said they were not notified about the presentation, nor was it consented to.

Students said they were left unsupervised for the duration of the presentation.

Student Courtney White, 14, said she felt confused and blindsided by the presentation.

"We had a teacher that told us to grab a chair and sit in front of the board, and then the Headspace people came in and then [the teacher] left, so then we're sitting in front of a board alone with no teachers, just the Headspace people," she said.

"The first slide of the PowerPoint on the board was 'You can see queerly now' and 'No point hiding.'"

Girls felt 'really uncomfortable'

Fourteen-year-old Emelia Wundenberg said the presenter was graphic when referencing their own sexual preferences and spoke in sexually explicit terms about growing up and being confused about whether they idolised people of the same gender or wanted to be intimate with them.

Students say they were then given an explanation of the initialism LGBTQIA+, with each word and its meaning displayed on the screen.

"There was a slide for what the 'plus' means, and they just started randomly saying words that no-one knew, like bestiality," Emelia said.

"It was on the board when they were showing what the 'plus' meant."

The students said bestiality was then explained in detail and the presenter seemed to imply it was something practised by people who identified as LGBTQIA+.

"They said [the queer community] just accepts all of it, even though … isn't it illegal?" Emelia said.

As the talk went on multiple girls, including Courtney, began to feel uncomfortable and asked to leave the classroom to "go to the bathroom".

"We're all just sitting there like, 'What the hell? What are we doing here? Why are we learning about animals having sex with humans?'" she said.

"It was really disgusting, it was really uncomfortable."

Emelia said many of those who asked to leave the classroom did not return.

When the ABC sought comment from the presenter a response was sent on the person's behalf asking that reporters refrained from reaching out or naming them in its coverage.

'Normal procedure' not followed

Letters seen by the ABC that were sent to parents on behalf of Renmark High School principal Mat Evans stated that the presentation was meant to discuss "respectful relationships".

The letter acknowledged that the school's "normal procedure for notifying parents ahead of specific presentations was not followed".

Mr Evans said the third-party presenter had "been suspended from department schools while the department undertakes an investigation".

"We are undertaking an internal review to ensure that processes around such notifications and procedures with regard to third parties attending at our school are always met," he said.

The ABC contacted the Department for Education, which provided a similar statement and said the presentation was being investigated.

SA education department chief executive Martin Westwell said the presentation was "unacceptable" and "shouldn't have happened".

Speaking with ABC Radio Adelaide on Thursday, Professor Westwell said conversations about sexual health, societal norms, stereotypes and sexuality were normal parts of the Australian curriculum, but the presentation at Renmark High School was not.

"The core idea that students should understand sexuality and other sexualities is, I think, really important — but the way [the presenter] went about it was unacceptable," he said.

"The school has clearly made some mistakes.

"There should have been a teacher in the room when that occurred, but there wasn't and the principal has apologised for that.

"They hadn't reviewed the content.

"There was a few things that went wrong and it ended up with this inappropriate language and a few things being discussed in that session that were just not appropriate."

Support being provided to students

Headspace's national head of clinical leadership Nicola Palfrey said the organisation was aware of concerns raised by members of the Renmark community.

"We take all feedback very seriously and are reviewing how we can support and guide Headspace centres … to ensure presentations they facilitate or deliver are aligned with evidence and best practice and are safe and appropriate for young people," she said.

FocusOne Health Board chair Ian Gartley said the "focus at Headspace Berri, operated under licence by FocusOne Health, is on the mental health and wellbeing of young people".

"We are aware of concerns raised by local members of the Renmark community following a presentation delivered by a lived experience speaker that Headspace Berri facilitated at Renmark High School," he said.

"Our priority right now is ensuring that any young people and their families who may be experiencing distress receive the support they need."

All parties involved in the alleged incident declined to provide the presentation to the ABC.

Following the presentation, a follow-up letter seen by the ABC was sent to parents offering counselling services from the education department, which had arranged a social worker to attend the school to help support affected students.

Parents express shock and outrage

Parents of students who attended the presentation said it was a poor representation of the queer community and had raised many concerns about the school's protocols for third-party presentations.

"Who vetted this material? Who made sure it was safe for 14- and 15-year-old girls? Some of them are still 13," Emelia's mother Kristy Fyfe said.

"It has done a huge disservice to the [queer] community."

Following the presentation, Courtney's mother Nicki Gaylard removed her three children from Renmark High School. 

"My kids are in limbo," she said.

"They're not in an education department at this point.

"I'm not putting them anywhere until I know this won't happen again.

"Under no circumstances should a child in that school ever feel trapped and unsafe without someone with their certificate, meaning a teacher."

The ABC has spoken to five other parents whose children attended the presentation.

They substantiated the two girls' claims.

LGBTQIA+ educators condemn 'slur'

Sexuality educators and LGBTQIA+ inclusion advocates Mel Brush and Eleonora Bertsa-Fuchs conduct consent and queer inclusion training for schools, parents and workplaces via their social enterprise Let's Talk About X.

Both are secondary teachers and Mx Bertsa-Fuchs said queer education was important but should be delivered in a safe and appropriate setting.

"The teachers are the people that these young people have a relationship with, that they are familiar with, that they're comfortable with," Mx Bertsa-Fuchs said.

"When you're in a vulnerable situation, like a respectful relationships workshop or seminar, there should be someone in the room that you are familiar with."

Mx Brush said the alleged use of the word bestiality in the presentation was damaging to the queer community.

"It's pretty shocking to think about that term being thrown around like that, especially given how loaded it is, and for a historical context of the way that it's been used as a slur and to discriminate against LGBT+ people," Mx Brush said.

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Former Pro Football Hall of Fame leader headlines 40th CMBC Metro Prayer Breakfast in OKC

Accomplished sports figures like Brett Favre, Randy Moss, Jerry Jones and Steve Hutchison answered the door with great anticipation when he came knocking with an invitation to a certain city in Ohio.

David Baker, former president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, recalled being greeted with cheers from athletes' family members and tears from the sports stars themselves as they were notified of their induction into the prestigious hall of fame based in Canton.

Someone else is at the door for a divine appointment, Baker told an Oklahoma City crowd on Wednesday at the CBMC Metro Prayer Breakfast .

"I get that you're not here today because Dave Baker is knocking on your door ... it's because Jesus Christ is knocking on your door," Baker told 1,100 people gathered at the Oklahoma City Convention Center, 100 Mick Cornett Drive.

Leaders at this year's breakfast hosted by CBMC-Oklahoma ― Christian Business Men's Connection ― took time to celebrate a milestone anniversary for the longtime prayer gathering. They said the event began in May 1984 with about 600 men and women who met at the former Myriad Convention Center in downtown Oklahoma City. The first keynote speaker was astronaut Charlie Duke.

Attendance grew over the years to include more than 1,000 business, civic, ministry and political leaders. More often than not, Oklahoma governors and Oklahoma City mayors made it a point to speak to the breakfast crowd and Gov. Kevin Stitt was in attendance for Wednesday's gathering.

Stitt said the prayer breakfast was a reminder to keep one's perspective on the Lord, "what is truly important ... because the world will pull us."

"We serve an audience of one so I'd rather be on his side than the world's side," he said.

OKC mayor, other state leaders share comments, lead prayers through video

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, along with Oklahoma congressional leaders Sen. James Lankford and Rep. Stephanie Bice, shared comments via video. Lankford led a prayer for the nation and world. During his remarks, Holt said tickets to the breakfast were $8 that first year and Andy Coats was Oklahoma City mayor. Holt also reminded the crowd that the breakfast "coincided with history" on April 19, 1995, when attendees left the event about 30 minutes before the Oklahoma City bombing happened just blocks away.

Holt said a common focus on prayer has brought attendees together over the years.

"We can set aside the things that divide us to find common ground ... and this morning, we get to do that around prayer," he said.

More: OKC metro area Muslims set to unite for first-ever prayer event at OKC Fairgrounds

Baker peppered his presentation with numerous football and sports anecdotes that drew laughter from the crowd. 

A video showing his visits to Favre and other NFL greats preceded his remarks and help set the tone for his message mixing “faith, football, family and freedom.” 

According to his biography, his “knock on the door notifying each year’s hall of fame enshrinement candidates became a famous and beloved tradition." Currently serving as president and chief executive officer of Legendary Living, he encouraged the crowd to get in “God’s hall of fame” by admitting their need for a savior and allowing Christ into their hearts and following the “game plan” outlined in the Bible. 

“To get in God’s hall of fame, you either have to be perfect or you have to go through someone who is perfect,” he said. 

“While I love football, there’s a whole lot of things that are greater than football. … God wants you to have a legendary legacy.”

The crowd, led by various community leaders, also prayed for Oklahoma City and the state, business and professions.

The Rev. Clarence Hill, the event's master of ceremonies, praised CBMC-Oklahoma leaders and others who have helped make the prayer breakfast an Oklahoma City and Oklahoma tradition.

"I believe there's something special about Oklahoma," he said, drawing applause from the crowd.

“Can we give God a hand for 40 years.”

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Auburn Engineering to offer new artificial intelligence programs beginning this fall

Published: Apr 10, 2024 10:05 AM

By Joe McAdory

Auburn Engineering’s Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering (CSSE) will offer three artificial intelligence (AI) engineering degree and certificate programs beginning in Fall 2024.

The programs — master’s degree in AI engineering, graduate certificate in AI engineering and undergraduate certificate in AI engineering — will provide various levels of technical depth to broaden students’ skillsets as they enter the workforce, CSSE Chair Hari Narayanan, said.

“Having a solid artificial intelligence education is a growing demand for the engineering workforce and we look forward to supplying organizations with highly skilled graduates,” Narayanan said. “Employers are looking for people with AI-related skills… even in the most unlikely places. Artificial intelligence promises to revolutionize sectors such as business, defense, education, government and health care. To succeed in these roles, people need to understand how to utilize AI systems productively and efficiently. We aim to meet that need.”

The 30-hour master’s degree curriculum in AI engineering, which can be taken online or on-campus, is open to all students who have already earned a baccalaureate degree from an institution of recognized standing, either in computer science, software engineering, or another STEM discipline, and to those who have professional experience related to computing or IT and familiarity with mathematics. This program requires students to take three core courses — artificial intelligence, machine learning and data mining — and seven technical electives related to AI.

“The graduate program provides in-depth training, including the possibility for students to specialize,” Narayanan said. “For example, a student could say, ‘I want in-depth training in AI, but I also want to know how to use it within cyber security, computer networks, or something else.’”

In the graduate program, students will learn how to:

• Develop algorithms and methodologies for AI and machine learning systems and technologies.
• Incorporate software engineering principles to analyze, design and implement AI and machine learning software.
• Apply AI and machine learning techniques to solve complex engineering problems and problems of societal importance.
• Deliver written and oral presentations to non-technical and technical audiences.

Like the standard graduate degree program, admission into the graduate certificate program in AI engineering is open to all students with a baccalaureate degree from an institution of recognized standing, either in computer science, software engineering, another STEM discipline or have relevant professional experience and background knowledge.

“The graduate certificate might be appealing to students who have been working within industry for a while and want to upskill,” Narayanan said. “Maybe not enough to design and build a new AI system, but enough to make decisions about what AI technologies and tools to use and how best to use them.”

This 12-hour program, available on-campus or online, includes courses in AI, machine learning and data mining, along with an approved AI-related elective.

Narayaran said the undergraduate certificate in AI engineering is currently open only to CSSE majors.

“Students in this program will develop the deep technical knowledge and skills to solve real-world problems and issues faced by government, industry and society,” he said. “Blending this AI certificate with their chosen CSSE major in computer science or software engineering can be very advantageous for these students.”

The undergraduate certificate program’s 12-hour curriculum models the graduate certificate and includes courses in AI, machine learning and data mining with an approved AI-related elective.

“Developing cutting-edge programs like these — and meeting the growing needs of industry — is expected of leading engineering colleges in the nation,” Narayanan said. “In fact, these programs on engineering AI systems are the first of their kind in Alabama.”

Among the largest departments at Auburn University, CSSE currently offers a variety of degree and certificate programs, including B.S. in Computer Science, Bachelor of Software Engineering, Bachelor of Computer Science (online), Computer Science Minor, Undergraduate Cyber Defense Certificate, M.S. in Computer Science and Software Engineering (thesis or non-thesis options), M.S. in Cybersecurity Engineering, Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Engineering, M.S. in Data Science and Engineering (data science or data engineering options), Graduate Certificate in Data Engineering, and Doctor of Philosophy.

Visit here for more information about computer science and software engineering at Auburn University.

New programs include a master’s degree in AI engineering, graduate certificate in AI engineering and undergraduate certificate in AI engineering.

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