10 Creative Presentation Ideas To Boost Your Next Talk

Presentations are not easy to do, we get that. They’re time-consuming, stressful, and more often than not, boring. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With the help of the right tools and tricks, you can create an interesting speech in a short period of time without much effort.

Here are 10 creative presentation ideas that you can incorporate into your next talk to give it that extra punch.

Presentation Idea #1.Share a Story – Make it Personal

tell stories creative presentation ideas

In general, we recall life’s experiences through moments, not days. Similarly, it is human nature to remember intricate stories, not facts.

In a study conducted by two Stanford professors, they found that the students tested were able to recall words that played a part in constructed stories about six to seven times better than a random set of unrelated words.

This is why presentation storytelling and using narratives is so powerful – it drives that important message home, and inspires action from your key stakeholders or audience.

To make a statement, and leave an impactful message in the minds of your audience, weave a story of a personal situation into your presentation. Share an anecdote, a short story, or a memorable incident related to your talk.

One good example to learn from would be fellow Singaporean Darren Tay’s speech during the World Championship of Public Speaking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6H5vY7ujl4

In his speech, Darren narrates an intriguing story of a school bully, and linked it to his message of getting the audience to face their own inner bully, acknowledging its presence, and overcoming it. If he had simply made a point, it would have been forgotten in minutes. However, Darren’s personal story made the audience empathise, driving the key message deeper into their minds.

Presentation Idea #2.Use the Hero’s Journey to Create Your Narrative

Star wars creative presentation ideas

We’ve all heard of Star Wars, it’s one of the most successful movie franchises around. But how did it retain an enthusiastic cult even 40 years after its debut?

Well, fans have the monomyth (also known as the hero’s journey) to thank, as the application of this evergreen narrative pattern has allowed us to experience an individual’s journey from start to end. With a strategic sequence of actions, we witnessed a beloved character (Luke Skywalker) leave his world of comfort to face an awakening (The Sith), before returning stronger to conquer the ordeal at hand (as a Jedi Master).

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In the original monomyth popularized by Joseph Campbell, there are quite a few steps which may not always be obvious in a hero’s journey. Justin Roiland – the creator of the well-known series ‘Rick & Morty’ uses Dan Harmon’s simplified edition of the monomyth also called the ‘story circle’.

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Justin has credited this deceptively simple circle for the riveting yet seemingly nonsensical plot of the series’ episodes that has drawn a cult following of millions of fans worldwide.

This can be applied to your presentations as well. When you bring the audience on a journey, placing them in the shoes of the hero, you can influence them to see the outcome you’re seeking, and the steps needed to get there. Think of your slide narrative as a story, where you show them the beginning (the problem they face), the middle (the actions they need to take) and the end (the ultimate goal of your speech).

We sometimes also see occurences of this in investor pitch decks.

Presentation Idea #3.Break Your Presentation into 3 Big ‘Acts’

Act one two three creative presentation ideas

From literary classics like Three Little Pigs and A Christmas Carol, to slogans like the Olympics’ Citius, Altius, Fortius, it has been proven that characters or events grow on us when they are grouped in threes to emphasize an idea.

In the presentation sphere, this writing principle – the rule of three as we call it – has allowed contemporary speakers like Steve Jobs and Barack Obama to convey high-level information in a simple and catchy manner.

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For example, when he shared with the world a decade ago that Apple would launch the revolutionary iPhone, Steve Jobs said:

“Today, we’re introducing three revolutionary products of this class.

The first one: is a widescreen iPod with touch controls.

The second: is a revolutionary mobile phone.

And the third is a breakthrough Internet communications device.

These are not three separate devices, this is one device, and we are calling it iPhone.

Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone, and here it is.”

Similarly, Obama struck a chord with the American people during his first inaugural speech with his frank 3-part statement:

“Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered.”

The rule of three helps to keep your content simple, yet memorable enough to help your audience remember the key messages you’re bringing across.

Presentation Idea #4.Ask Provocative Questions

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It takes zero effort to ask easy questions. But what happens if we ask mediocre questions? The listener grows bored and begins to tune out from the conversation.

Posing provocative questions gives your presentation an edge over others, and allows them to think about your speech from a different perspective. Take Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech for example. He boldly addressed the marginalized Negro population, asking them, “When will you be satisfied?” Imagine the reaction that followed, and the rest, as we say, is history.

It seems challenging, but a question of such nature should not be underestimated as it can serve as a springboard for your audience to crystalize the problem which they have been facing.

Once you’ve asked the question during your presentation, seize the moment! Paint the less-than-ideal scenario that your audience faces, before steering them towards the aspired narrative that you can promise as a solutions provider. Don’t worry about the dozens of other questions they may have – leave them to the Q&A.

Presentation Idea #5.Use Evocative Imagery in Your Presentation

using evocative imagery presentation ideas

Did you know? Research has shown that our brains process images 60,000 times faster than text. That’s like information transfer on steroids!

Not only are images processed more efficiently, but they also increase our recall of the information as well. For example, one of the proven ways to ensure that learners store memories for the long-term is by pairing ideological concepts with meaningful imagery. A study found that this effect increases over time, and users recalled three times more visual information than textual ones.

In another study from the 1970s, a Canadian psychologist, Lionel Standing, conducted an experiment where subjects were shown 10,000 general, boring images over a few days and tested on their recall after two days. The result was a 66% recall rate.

A smaller set of 1,000 more vivid images were tested as well and the result was an astounding 88% recall rate for pictures such as a dog with a pipe in its mouth. Takeaway: We tend to remember things that are easy for us to visualize.

Other studies have also found that some visuals can cause an emotional, almost visceral reaction. Images can influence us to take action or become more cautious, take a liking to something or shy away from it. That is why some of the best ads of our time have used impactful images. In fact, presentation slides are not that different from a great ad. Both need to be brief, attention-grabbing, and influence audiences to perform an action.

A recent presentation that has used large, full-bleed images to great effect is Elon Musk’s PowerWall showcase. During his talk, he used a variety of different images to depict the scale of pollution and the potential of Tesla’s products.

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Imagine if Elon had merely used text to communicate those grandiose ideas, the presentation would have inevitably tanked quickly (think something reminiscent of an early Bill Gates presentation).

When you’re designing your next slide deck, try to incorporate a couple of evocative images for a more memorable, persuasive and captivating presentation.

Presentation Idea #6.Use Visual Metaphors

Many of us retain information well through visuals, and sometimes, it is the best way to bring a concept or message across, ensuring that it stays in the audience’s mind.

Visual metaphor creative presentation ideas

Take this image for example, which has been used frequently in dozens of presentations, and which you’d have most likely come across at least once. The hidden iceberg beneath shows a depth that’s not seen by people, and is commonly used by speakers to demonstrate or relate to something unseen, or an underlying issue.  

When you’re choosing an image, a video, or any other visual, make sure that the link to your message is clear enough for the audience to see the relation, while still remaining a little mysterious for them to figure it out themselves.

Presentation Idea #7.Use Live, Physical Props

There are times where you wish to explain or emphasize a concept or an idea. Unfortunately, not everyone can visualize the same way you do, or know exactly what you’re thinking. In these cases where you’re sharing something abstract, physical props can make a huge difference in supporting your talk, and even add a level of novelty and intimacy when used appropriately.

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One good example you can learn from would be Bill Gates’ TED talk. In his speech, he discussed about the issue of malaria, while releasing a jar of live mosquitoes into the audience to highlight or ‘shock’ the audience into realizing the importance of malaria prevention.

The move was dramatic and definitely impactful, but most importantly, it pushed the listeners to think from a different perspective.

When you choose your props, think of the main message you’re trying to bring across. Using too many can backfire and bore your audience, so use this technique sparingly.

Presentation Idea #8. Have Obvious Presentation Transitions

TRANSITION

How many times have you delivered a presentation halfway, only to notice your audience members looking incredibly lost?

If you lack the time to work on your narrative, try to include transitions, which act as ‘visual signposts’ that guide your audience and you through the presentation.

These do not need to be complex; in fact, it can be extremely simple. In your presentation deck, instead of using the same background throughout, decide on an alternative color or style to differentiate your transition slides from every other slide. These will act as your ‘markers’ to visually indicate to your audience that you’re moving on to your next point. If they got lost anywhere during your presentation, you’ll be able to jolt them back on track.

Once you’ve decided on what these would look like, insert these at specific junctures of your presentation such that they stands out clearly from the rest of the slides.

Presentation Idea #9. Use Quotes to Make Your Point

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As you’re about to conclude your presentation, you’ll probably see heads twitching, bodies fidgeting, and cellphones appearing. It’s not an uncommon sight – We generally have short attention spans, and knowing that a presentation is about to end tempts us to begin checking our phones and getting ready to leave.

In fact, it’s a well known fact that humans have a shorter attention span than a goldfish, thanks to smartphones.

To maximize your audience’s remaining attention, a good way to sum up your points and leave an impression would be through a quote.

You may wonder, “If I’m just going to echo what others have said, won’t that reduce my credibility as a speaker?”

Absolutely not! As long as you reference a line that is brief and contextualized to your speech, your chosen quote could serve as a springboard to bring your audience back to the ‘big picture’.

For example, the 2003 World Champion of Public Speaking, Jim Key, quoted Martin Luther King, saying, “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the greatest dreamers of our age, said, “The time is always right to do what is right”.”

He then followed it up with his own interpretation: “That means if it’s right for us to dream as children, then it’s just as right for us to dream as adults.”, before highlighting his message – “The question is: do we have the courage to dream?”

Sharing a quote can also highlight your domain knowledge and preparation, especially if you are, or would like to gain stead as a market leader. You can craft a quote based on your own words, or modify a popular one to match your situation.

The power of quotes and their ability to add credibility to a story should not be underestimated. They can also serve as guides or ‘reminders’ to keep the audience and the story on track. With a simple quote, you now have a good springboard to launch your next talking point. Of course, do remember that you will need practice to pull it off smoothly!

Presentation Idea #10. Try Having One Headline Per Slide

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Many people have frequently debated on the ‘right amount’ of words each slide should contain. If you’re daring, here’s a radical idea which you can try – having only one word or headline per slide. There have been two popular proponents of this method, Masayoshi Takahashi and Lawrence Lessig.

Masayoshi Takashi is a programmer who gained notoriety through his unusual presentation style at RubyConf. When he dabbled in PowerPoint for the first time, he found that having one word or phrase per slide worked well for Japanese text, and brought his audiences through the presentation effectively.

The second popular originator of a similar method is Lawrence Lessig, a professor at Harvard who began presenting in an unusual way: Having only one word, phrase and/or image in each slide moving in rapid succession as he spoke. His presentation decks usually contain hundreds of slides, which goes to show that your presentation should not be limited by a number of slides. Interestingly enough, the method was proven to be pretty effective in his lectures and he soon had a chance to show it off on the TED stage:

The Takashi method and Lessig method forces your audience to listen to you in order to understand the presentation, ensuring that you have their full attention. However, do be cautious as this should not be applied in every situation. If used in a more serious setting, it may backfire as it can be jarring.

If you’re unsure whether you will be able to pull this off, try to start off by incorporating this method in a couple of slides. The variety and change of pace can prove to be a refreshing one for your audience, keeping them engaged in your presentation.

So the next time you’re doing a talk, keep in mind these 10 creative presentation ideas:

  1. Share a personal story during your presentation to get your message across effectively
  2. Bring your audiences on a ‘Hero’s Journey’ using a monomythic narrative
  3. Break your presentation down into three parts to keep your content memorable and bite-sized
  4. Ask provocative questions to help your audience view things from a different perspective
  5. Add meaningful images to create an impact and increase recall
  6. Use visual metaphors to explain a complex concept or message so that it sticks
  7. Support your presentation with live and physical props to stimulate the senses
  8. Insert transitions to guide your audience through a lengthy presentation
  9. Reference quotes to add credibility to your assertions
  10. Experiment with using one headline per slide to keep things fresh and punchy

Phew! We’ve finally reached the end of this behemoth of a post. These should give you enough fodder to spice up your next presentation. If you think we’ve missed anything, leave us a comment below!

16 Books You Must Read To Become A Persuasive Presenter

It’s not enough to build the best product…

Or brainstorm the best ideas.

The fact is that you need to sell and convince an audience. And in a world full of distractions, the challenge of commanding scarce attention is merely the tip of the iceberg.

You need your message to be captured within the minds of your audience. This gives your ideas space to manifest and compel action.

That is where persuasion comes in.

Persuasion is the influence of beliefs, attitudes, intentions, motivations or behaviours, and giving a sales pitch is one way to persuade your audience to invest into your product.

That may seem like a mouthful of words. Hence persuasion might come across as a complicated technique, only to be employed by experts and smooth-talking salespeople.

Yet you are probably unconsciously doing it.

It occurs in our everyday interactions, from convincing someone to eat at a restaurant that you like, to influencing your other half that the house you’re looking at now is better than the rest you’ve seen, as well as in different business settings. So honestly, persuasion isn’t as scary or difficult as it appears to be.

To help you, here are 16 books that you should add to your reading list.

While some of these books were hand selected by our team, we also reached out to several business influencers to share their favourite – inspiring them to be the persuasive communicators they are today.

Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds 

presentation zen training and delivery singapore

Highly recommended by Guy Kawasaki and Angela Maiers, this is a must read for all aspiring presenters.

It’s not another recipe book about “how to make slides” — this is about re-imagining how your entire presentation will work together as a persuasive and integrated show, from conception through delivery.

As the Japanese word ‘Zen’ suggests, the advice laid out follows the philosophy of simplicity and focus. This helps steer you away from cringeworthy habits such as death by bullets and distracting sound effects.

Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences by Nancy Duarte

resonate book - presentation content delivery

Highly recommended by Ann Handley and Nilofer Merchant, Nancy Duarte has produced a series of books that has compelled the next generation of presenters to step up their game.

One of her books ‘Resonate’ guide readers on how to make a strong connection with their audience and lead them to purposeful action.

A key technique covered in this book is the delivery of S.T.A.R. moments, moments within your presentation that convey your big idea in a sincere and enlightening manner.

Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds

Like it or not, people are comparing your presentations to TED talks. But fret not, Carmine Gallo has broken down core lessons learnt from TED talks into action steps you can implement in your next presentation.

This book is simply a masterpiece. And it was a massive effort on Carmine’s part. He analysed 150 hours of TED talks and interviewed leading neuroscientists to uncover the science of persuasion.

Thanks to Dorie Clark for the recommendation.

Improving Your Storytelling: Beyond the Basics for All Who Tell Stories In Work and Play” by Doug Lipman

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As suggested in the title, this book is not aimed at novice. This covers the framework of the storytelling “triangle” (the story, the teller, and the listener) — and all of the relationships between them.

Doug Lipman seamlessly wove together three concepts: honoring your audiences, telling only stories that you can love and that speak to you, and practical story-learning techniques

Thanks for Karen Dietz for the recommendation.

Made to Stick: How Some Ideas Take Hold and Others Come Unstuck

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It is not enough to share a great idea. It needs to stick in the minds of your audience. This is where ‘Made To Stick‘ by Chip and Dan Health fills the gap.

In this book, they share a framework comprising of six principles of communication.  SUCCESs – Simplicity, Unexpectedness, Concreteness, Credibility, Emotions, Stories.

They use a fascinating blend of case studies and anecdotes to illustrate their point. One of the intriguing case studies covers how high-concept pitches such as ‘Jaws on a spaceship’ (Alien) and ‘Die Hard on a bus’ (Speed) convince movie executives to invest vast sums of money in a project on the basis of almost no information.

Thanks to Yamini Naidu for the recommendation.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini

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Influence is THE classic to read when it comes to the topic of persuasion, where Cialdini explores and explains the psychology and science behind why people say “yes”.

In his book, he goes into detail about the six universal principles of persuasion: reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity.

To further assist the reader in seeing why these principles of persuasion are essential, every chapter is filled with interesting examples that describe how each principle can be applied to help you become a better persuader.

The Art of Persuasion: The Language of Influence and Manipulation by Andrzej Batko

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A psychologist, NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and business trainer, Andrzej Batko has many years of professional experience under his belt.

With his background in psychology, he has learnt and taught other professionals how to integrate and utilise new psychological discoveries to generate profits in a business.

In The Art of Persuasion, Batko discusses the importance of the choice of words used when phrasing a persuasive sentence, and how the art and science of persuasion can be mastered by anyone.

By reading this, you can learn techniques to influence the subconscious of others, as well as notice the manipulation done by others.

The Art of Influencing Anyone by Niall Cassidy 

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In The Art of Influencing Anyone, Cassidy uses storytelling as a tool to show his readers how to influence the people around them.

The stories he includes allows the information presented to be more practical to the reader, thus making the book an easier read as compared to a more academic book.

Besides the real life accounts, Cassidy also incorporates cutting edge research on how our brains function to show the more technical side of persuasion, before proceeding on to show how to combine the two to put this knowledge into practice.

Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive by Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin and Robert B. Cialdini.

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Co-written by Cialdini and regarded by some as a sequel to Influence, Yes! is a collection of 50 discoveries from the science of persuasion.

Each chapter is short and enjoyable yet in depth, which makes applying these discoveries to your persuasive speech an easy task. Yes! also proves how small yet scientifically proven changes to the way you speak and approach others can have a dramatic effect on how the other party is influenced.

Methods of Persuasion: How to Use Psychology to Influence Human Behavior by Nick Kolenda

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With a focus on cognitive psychology, Kolenda presents readers with a 7-step persuasive process that follows the acronym “METHODS”, which is to Mould their perception, Elicit congruent attitudes, Trigger social pressure, Habituate your message, Optimise your message, Drive their momentum and Sustain their compliance.

With each step, Kolenda explains the psychology behind it with research to back up what he has written. Far from being a boring read, Methods of Persuasion provides the knowledge and the ‘how-to’s in everyday life while still remaining engaging, insightful, informative and funny.

Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Consumers with Neuromarketing by Roger Dooley 

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Striking a great (and rare) balance between being an academic and research-based book that is also clear and easy to read for non-scientists, Brainfluence is another compilation of real-world examples, with a focus on practical marketing takeaways from neurological research.

Dooley answers the “why” behind what experts think is a good or bad marketing idea, giving insight that can be applied to various areas of your speech.

Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John Maxwell 

how to connect with audience presentations singapore

Written by bestselling author John Maxwell, the overarching theme of this book is to use empathy to connect with others.

In a digital environment there are people tend to be obsessed with broadcasting their promotions over listening, this is a timely reminder.

Thanks to Dan Rockwell for recommending the book. Dan also shared with me how this book moulded his ritual of connecting with people in the audience, before he speaks.

Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion by George J. Thompson and Jerry B. Jenkins

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A guide to the martial arts of the mind and mouth, Verbal Judo teaches readers how to foster cooperation between yourself and your target audience through effective communication and persuasion.

Using police stories to illustrate their points, Thompson and Jenkins make Verbal Judo a useful yet interesting book to peruse.

In this updated edition, they has also added what they believe to be the five universal truths of “human interaction”: that people feel the need to be respected, that people would rather be asked than be told, that people have a desire to know why, that people prefer to have options over threats, and that people want to have a second chance.

Thank You For Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About Persuasion by Jay Heinrichs 

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Thank You for Arguing is like taking a master class on the art of persuasion, with lessons being taught by “professors” such as Aristotle, Bart Simpson and Winston Churchill.

In it, Heinrichs reveals time-tested secrets such as Cicero’s three-step strategy to get an audience to take action, as well as modern techniques that include different politicians’ use of “code” language to appeal to a certain demographic.

A fun book to read regarding the topic of persuasion, Heinrichs complements his mastery at teaching an ancient art in a modern way with humorous examples that are relevant in the world we live in today.

Mastering Persuasive Public Speaking: The Influence Approach by Gren Kleiser

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In Mastering Persuasive Public Speaking, Kleiser pens down hands-on, dynamic and effective techniques that will help change the way you present and persuade, thus affecting how you influence your audience.

One focus is his book is how to free yourself of undesirable psychological and social inhibitions in an easy way without help from anyone else.

The book itself does not contain much theory, but rather presents more ‘how-to’s with practical methods and step-by-step instructions that would definitely help you get your point across in a convincing way.

There’s No Such Thing as Public Speaking: Make Any Presentation or Speech as Persuasive as a One-on-One Conversation by Jeanette and Roy Henderson 

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According to Jeanette and Roy Henderson, the best speeches don’t sound like speeches, and the best speakers make listeners feel as though they are being addressed directly.

In Theres No Such Thing as Public Speaking, the Hendersons reveal the tricks they have taught in their courses on giving speeches and presentations that are effective but yet still retain the immediacy of having a one-on-one conversation with the members of the audience.

The book contains well-explained strategies that are easy to translate from book knowledge to the podium, allowing readers to craft out and deliver speeches that are more impactful and persuasive.

To Recap

And there we have it, 16 books to ensure that you have this persuasive presentation down pat! Give them a read, jot down the points they offer and use them where you feel is necessary.

Many of these books might have overlapping points, but by utilising one or more of these principles in your persuasive speech and practicing them on a regular basis, convincing your audience that your product is an excellent one will slowly but surely (or if you get good at it, quickly) be a piece of cake!

Good luck!