How to Structure a Great Presentation | Plus Tips & Templates

From defending your thesis to pitching investors for a new round of funding, keeping your audience hooked to your presentation can be a challenge. A good structure makes your job easier if you know how to order your slides. We’ll share how to create a presentation structure that will lead to winning results.

All of the presentation templates we’ll share below can be found in our presentation templates gallery.

While the contents will vary, presentations generally follow a similar flow and structure.

First impressions make a big difference, which is why you need a cover slide.

Through your presentation, you are telling a story and all good stories start at the beginning. Cover slides look professional when you present and they are a must when you are printing or sending.

This example I made is nothing too complicated, brief and to the point. The cover slide is there to establish the topic (or so that the audience knows that they are in the right room) and set an overall tone to the presentation. 

If you have a longer presentation, an agenda slide works well to let your audience know what to expect. Shorter presentations, like a five minute sales pitch, can skip this, but it is good to let your audience know what you will cover and how much time it will take.

Speaking of first impressions, your audience likes to know who is delivering the talk. A single slide that covers you and your credentials helps you establish your authority a bit and answer some questions people might be asking, such as Why should they listen to you? What qualifications or experiences do you have?

I am not a big fan of jokes in presentations, particularly when speaking to a bigger audience. What may seem like a witty joke to you may fall flat or even cause offense. 

But if I considered using a small joke anywhere in my presentation, it would be in the profile slide. The best rule of thumb with humor is keep it lowkey and not overdo it, or don’t include any jokes at all if you aren’t sure how it’ll be taken. Stick to the facts and keep it straightforward. 

The common pleasantries are behind us and now we are getting to the main part of a good presentation. It opens with The Problem.

The problem slide addresses the main point of the presentation. This is one of the most important slides in the entire presentation, since it’s the first (and maybe only) place you can make your audience care about why they’re sitting before you.

For sales pitches, the problem should be framed in a way that many people can relate to it. If nobody can relate, nobody will be interested.

If the presentation is more informational by nature, your goal is to explain the problem in context of the wider topic. Either way, you don’t have much time or space, so you need to help the audience understand the urgency and importance of the topic you’re presenting about.

How well you present the problem sets the tone for the rest of your presentation.

After the tone of the presentation is set, or in the case of a pitch, it is time to deliver what everybody is here for. For the pitch it would be the solution, you’d explain how your service or product is a possible solution to the problem.

As with everything else, the provided solution/explanation must be as simple as possible. It must directly tackle the problem/the tone of the presentation that you‘ve set in the earlier slide. 

You also need to explain how it’s different from the other solutions.

This slide is named in different ways, but the effect is the same. You’re trying to share what results your product or services have generated for others with the same problem.

For informational presentations (like in an academic setting), you can propose the benefits of a recommended solution to the problem based on previous studies or newer research.

With the main body of your presentation finished, it’s your chance to leave a strong final impression. You can do so with either a closing statement, which is your take on the subject matter.

Ending with an inspirational quote is something that worked well for me. 

Of course, it will depend on the overall theme and tone of your presentation. But first and last impressions matter. So make sure you close on a strong note. 

If anyone contributed to the talk or presentation, it’s good form to mention them by name on a single slide.

To give your audience a chance to respond, it is good to set up a “stop slide” which will remind you that now is a good time to take some questions.

You may start with a couple of pre-written questions to get the discussion going and then see if there are some questions from the public. For online webinars, the host can encourage viewers to leave questions which you can address during this time.

The final slide of your presentation will be the one with Thank You note and contact information.

Include contact information so it’s easier for viewers or your audience to connect after the presentation. 

And that’s it. While it may seem like a lot of work, using Piktochart templates makes the job much quicker. The example slide above only took me a couple of minutes to make. 

So now we have the main structure of the presentation behind us, let’s have a look at alternate presentation structures you can use.

There are many ways to organize your presentation. How you arrange yours depends on what is required from you. Let’s go over some of the most popular styles of the presentation: 

As you can see from the list of the most famous pitch decks, your presentation needs to be short and sweet. You’re one of several people trying to win over a panel of investors, so you will have a very limited amount of time to present your idea and stand out.

In this situation, you must compress your ideas to as few points as possible. Your presentation will probably not have more than 5-10 slides. The content should include only the main points, keeping any fluff or non-essential information to the absolute minimum. 

Piktochart has many great templates that will help you create a pitch deck (or a quick presentation) in no time! 

Made famous by Joseph Campbell, using the Hero’s Journey is less about creating a new presentation structure than it is about the way you frame the story. You’ll still follow the typical structure outlined above, except you’re telling a story from the audience’s perspective, but with the following beats.

• Describe the ordinary world (how things are right now)
• Share the “call to adventure” (the hero receives a challenge or invitation to go on an adventure)
• Refusal of the call (initial initial resistance to change)
• Introduce a mentor or guide (someone or something that helps their progress in the journey)
• Cross the threshold (setting off on the adventure)
• Describe the journey, along with hurdles and successes
• Approach the central challenge
• Present the ordeal (the biggest difficulty they face, which would be The Problem)
• The journey back (overcoming the ordeal with the rewards)
• Resurrection (the final test, where the hero puts into action everything they’ve learned)
• Heading home

The general structure is focused on putting the audience as the “hero” of the journey, and your product or service is the thing that helps them overcome the ordeal.

You may see this approach frequently used in TED talk presentations. Presenters briefly talk about themselves, then they describe the problem that exists there.

To emphasize its importance, they also describe the possible impacts of the problem not being solved. After the stage is set, they describe how they would solve it. 

We frequently see this approach in various motivational presentations. Storytelling is a great way to emotionally connect with the audience. All the stories start with an underdog. Why? Because everybody can relate. 

They go through struggles, setbacks, problems. Again—everyone can relate. They end with catharsis in a form of success or justice. For the last part, not many can relate but they can emotionally resonate with it as they too would like such an outcome for themselves. 

We all remember the presentation of the iPhone by Steve Jobs in 2007:

Or the unveiling of the Tesla 3 model by Elon Musk:

The center stage is given to the product instead of the speaker. This is what good demonstration-presentation should look like.  

The main topic becomes the product, so all the tips that we will discuss in this post must be related to it. 

There are many other niche styles of the presentation, but most of the ones you see (and do) will fall into one of the described categories. 

So since we established the main presentation styles, let’s dive a bit deeper into the way a good presentation would be structured.

There are several ways to structure your presentation. However, knowing what content to put in is another matter, and that starts with ample preparation and research beforehand. There are three main points to figure out before you start putting pen to paper.

Having these ideas crystal clear will ensure your presentation will have a consistent narrative, and everything else will fall into place.

Making posters, infographics, or presentations; whatever your visual medium, you need to ask yourself what is its purpose. Is the main objective of your presentation to pitch investors? Get new customers? Discuss an idea with your colleagues? 

Never do the presentation just because “it has to be done”. Your whole pitch will be much more efficient when you know exactly why you are doing it and where you need to get your audience to. 

As for every marketing endeavor, the same goes for presentations—know your audience. It does not have to be exact research, but you must know the overall information. 

Age, profession, interests—the more you connect with your audience the more memorable will your presentation be. 

No matter the goal of the presentation, during your pitch, the audience is your client. And as a famous saying goes, “know your client”.

Right at the beginning, establish the main points that you want your audience to remember. If I would ask one of the presentation participants in a week what was your pitch about—what would he/she answer? 

1. Webinar Slide Deck with Demio (Widescreen) | Free presentation template – Piktochart
2. Monthly Sales Report Presentation | Free presentation template – Piktochart
3. Tech Pitch Deck | Free presentation template – Piktochart
4. Switching to Remote Working | Free presentation template – Piktochart
5. Online Meeting Tips | Free presentation template – Piktochart

No matter what type of presentation awaits you, here are some presentation tips that will hopefully help you as much as they helped me.

Font type matters. It sets the tone for your presentation. Piktochart has lots of great combinations to choose from, but when in doubt, Helvetica and possibly Verdana will always look good. For tables with lots of numbers, Arial will be both readable and will fit the cells. 

Font size matters too. If it is a financial report that your colleague will be reading on his/her monitor, sure, you can go with a smaller font. 

When presenting to an audience, keep around 30 for text and 40 points for titles. This will force you to put less text on the slide. 

A useful rule of thumb is to always imagine that you are a 50+ year old investor sitting in a back row. How readable is your presentation for him/her?

Normally, presentations have a space for Q&As at the end. For smaller groups, you actually have the room and space to take questions as you go, stopping every so often to check if anyone wants to clarify a specific point. It will help you develop the topic and better feel out what your listeners are thinking about (worried about).

In bigger groups, you can leave the Q&A to the end of the presentation. Otherwise, it will be too messy and you will constantly get interrupted.

A hundred pair of eyes and a pin echoing in the cavernous silence don’t gel well if you’re already nervous. Some people might find the podium a place of safety, acting as a barrier so the audience can’t see just how sweaty their palms are. In my experience, staying in one place can work against you.

Instead of standing in one spot for your whole talk use the full breadth of the stage. You don’t have to pace back and forth anxiously, but you can turn and address different sections of the audience. 

Moving around lessens the feeling that you’re delivering a monotonous monologue and adds a dynamic element to the presentation, even if you’re delivering the same talk.

Speaking of monologues, many of us have dozed off during a lecture or two. Even if it’s on an important topic, the presenter might not realize they’re putting people to sleep as they’re just reading through the slides. Knowing how to use your voice makes a big difference in keeping your audience engaged.

That being said, you don’t have to be overly dramatic or emotional. Just be more open to sharing a rhetorical question or to give color to your presentation by playing with your pitch or tone. 

Even today, many presenters rely heavily on their slide decks as a crutch. The best presenters use presentation slides to augment their message. Otherwise, why present in person when you could just email the slide deck to the audience?

Try summarizing your slides into key bullet points or turning them into visuals. The less you feel the need to read from the presentation, the easier it will be to pay attention to the audience to gauge their reaction.

Including unexpected mentions can elevate a presentation, as surprises can change the dynamic and flow of a presentation.

One way to keep your cards close to your chest is by not giving out your presentation in advance. If you do, your audience will read, make their conclusion about the points, and influence their perspective on the story before you’ve had a chance to tell it.

If you plan to give slides out in printed format, remember to leave space on the left or upper side. Binding the slides will be easier.

The hardest part of a presentation is to start. When you are staring at a blank slide, it seems like it just can’t be done. You do not know where to put the pictures, how the titles should be, how the text will be laid out.

Here is where Piktochart’s online presentation maker comes to the rescue. Create an account for free and choose the design that seems to work for your topic and just start filling the blanks. As you will progress, the path will be much clearer.

Hopefully these tips on how to structure a presentation and how to present it will help you achieve your goal!

The body of your presentation is where you deliver the meat of your message. Allocate about 80% of your time here. As you move through your main points, link back to previous ideas. This helps your audience follow your logic and see how everything connects.

For example, you might say, “Building on what we discussed earlier about customer needs, let’s explore how our new product addresses those pain points.” This approach creates a cohesive narrative that keeps your audience engaged and reinforces your key messages.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, aim for three to five main points in your presentation. This range strikes a balance between providing enough information and avoiding overwhelm. Start with this framework:

• Introduction
• Main Point 1
• Main Point 2
• Main Point 3
• Conclusion

If your topic demands more depth, you can expand to four or five main points. Remember, it’s better to dive deep into fewer topics than to skim the surface of many. Your audience will thank you for a focused, digestible presentation.

Don’t forget you’ve got the Q&A section to go deeper into tangential topics.

After crafting your presentation structure, ask yourself these questions:

• Are my arguments clear and understandable?
• Does my presentation build tension and interest?
• Do I tell a compelling story?
• Can I use specific stories to illustrate individual topics?
• Where can I incorporate visuals like images or graphics to enhance understanding?
• Have I balanced information with entertainment?

If you answer “yes” to most of these questions, you’re on the right track. Remember, a good structure guides your audience through your ideas logically and engagingly.

It depends on your topic and audience. One popular guideline is Guy Kawasaki’s 10-20-30 rule: 10 slides, 20 minutes, 30-point font. Another suggests one slide per minute.

But remember, less is often more. For a 30-60 minute presentation, consider using about 25 slides. This allows time for interactive elements and deeper discussions.

Focus on quality over quantity. A concise, well-structured presentation with fewer slides can be more impactful than a lengthy one packed with information. Tailor your approach to your specific situation and audience needs.

An agenda slide can be helpful, especially for longer presentations, but it’s not always necessary. Here’s what to consider:

• For: An agenda slide gives your audience a roadmap, helping them follow along and anticipate what’s coming.
• Against: Omitting an agenda can create an element of surprise, keeping your audience curious and engaged.

Awkward pauses or forced transitions can be jarring. You can try these techniques to move from section to section:

• Summarize – briefly recap your previous point before introducing the next.
• Signpost – use phrases like “Now, let’s explore…” or “Moving on to…” to signal a shift.
• Visual cues – change your slide background or use a transition slide to indicate a new section.
• Thematic links – draw connections between points. “We’ve seen X, which leads us to Y…”

Try not to overthink it. A simple, clear phrase like “Our next point is…” can be effective. Practice your transitions to make them feel natural and keep your presentation cohesive.

While PowerPoint remains a popular choice, several options exist. The key is choosing a tool you’re comfortable with and that doesn’t have a steep learning curve. Consider these factors:

• Ease of use
• Available features (animations, templates, etc.)
• Compatibility with your devices and those at your presentation venue
• Collaboration capabilities if working with a team

For a quick start, AI-powered tools like Piktochart’s AI presentation maker can be helpful. They often provide templates and design suggestions to streamline your process.

Ultimately, focus on your content and delivery. The best tool is the one that lets you present your ideas clearly and confidently.