presentation wiki

• PRESENTATION SKILLS

What is a Presentation?

Search SkillsYouNeed:

Presentation Skills:

• A - Z List of Presentation Skills
• Top Tips for Effective Presentations
• General Presentation Skills
• Preparing for a Presentation
• Organising the Material
• Writing Your Presentation
• Deciding the Presentation Method
• Managing your Presentation Notes
• Working with Visual Aids
• Presenting Data
• Managing the Event
• Coping with Presentation Nerves
• Dealing with Questions
• How to Build Presentations Like a Consultant
• 7 Qualities of Good Speakers That Can Help You Be More Successful
• Self-Presentation in Presentations
• Specific Presentation Events
• Remote Meetings and Presentations
• Giving a Speech
• Presentations in Interviews
• Presenting to Large Groups and Conferences
• Giving Lectures and Seminars
• Managing a Press Conference
• Attending Public Consultation Meetings
• Managing a Public Consultation Meeting
• Crisis Communications
• Elsewhere on Skills You Need:
• Communication Skills
• Facilitation Skills
• Teams, Groups and Meetings
• Effective Speaking
• Question Types

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter and start improving your life in just 5 minutes a day.

You'll get our 5 free 'One Minute Life Skills' and our weekly newsletter.

We'll never share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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

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

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

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

A Presentation Is...

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

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

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

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

The Key Elements of a Presentation

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

Consider the following key components of a presentation:

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

When and where will you deliver your presentation?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are you already familiar with the audience?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See our page: Effective Speaking for more information.

How will the presentation be delivered?

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

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

Impediments

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

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

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

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

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

Continue to: Preparing for a Presentation Deciding the Presentation Method

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

presentation

• 1.1 Alternative forms
• 1.2 Etymology
• 1.3 Pronunciation
• 1.4.1 Derived terms
• 1.4.2 Related terms
• 1.4.3 Translations
• 1.5 Anagrams
• 2.1.1 Descendants
• 3.1 Etymology
• 3.2.1 Declension
• 3.2.2 Related terms
• 3.3 References
• 3.4 Anagrams

English [ edit ]

Alternative forms [ edit ].

• præsentation ( archaic )

Etymology [ edit ]

From Old French presentation (French présentation ), from Latin praesentātiōnem , accusative singular of praesentātiō ( “ representation, exhibition ” ) . Morphologically present +‎ -ation

Pronunciation [ edit ]

• ( US , UK , Canada ) IPA ( key ) : /ˌpɹɛzənˈteɪʃən/ , /ˌpɹizənˈteɪʃən/
• ( Hong Kong ) IPA ( key ) : /pɹisɛnˈteɪʃən/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun [ edit ]

presentation ( countable and uncountable , plural presentations )

• 1594–1597 , Richard Hooker , edited by J[ohn] S[penser] , Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie,   [ … ] , London: [ … ] Will [ iam ] Stansby [ for Matthew Lownes ] , published 1611 , →OCLC , (please specify the page) : Prayers are sometimes a presentation of mere desires.
• A dramatic performance .
• An award given to someone on a special occasion .
• Money given as a wedding gift .
• A lecture or speech given in front of an audience .
• ( medicine ) The symptoms and other possible indications of disease , trauma , etc., that are exhibited by a patient who has sought, or has otherwise come to, the attention of a physician . The presentation of the thirty-four-year-old male in the emergency room was slight fever, dilated pupils, and marked disorientation.
• ( medicine ) The position of the foetus in the uterus at birth .
• ( mainly LGBT ) Gender presentation ; gender expression .
• ( fencing ) Offering one's blade for engagement by the opponent.
• ( mathematics ) The specification of a group by generators and relators .
• 1765–1769 , William Blackstone , Commentaries on the Laws of England , (please specify |book=I to IV) , Oxford, Oxfordshire: [ … ] Clarendon Press , →OCLC : If the bishop admits the patron's presentation , the clerk so admitted is next to be instituted by him.
• ( immunology ) The preparation of antigen fragments during the immune response .

Derived terms [ edit ]

• presentation box
• case presentation
• presentation copy
• presentation logic
• presentation software
• self-presentation

Related terms [ edit ]

• presentational
• presentationally

Translations [ edit ]

Anagrams [ edit ].

• penetrations

Old French [ edit ]

presentation oblique singular ,  f ( oblique plural presentations , nominative singular presentation , nominative plural presentations )

• presentation ( act of presenting something or someone )
• presentation ( demonstration )

Descendants [ edit ]

• French: présentation

Swedish [ edit ]

From French présentation , from présenter + -ation , equivalent to presentera +‎ -ation . Cognate with English presentation , German Präsentation , Norwegian Bokmål presentasjon , Norwegian Nynorsk presentasjon and Danish præsentation .

presentation   c

• introduction Hon behöver ingen närmare presentation She needs no further ["closer" - idiomatic] introduction

Declension [ edit ]

• presentatör

References [ edit ]

• presentation in Svensk ordbok ( SO )
• presentation in Svenska Akademiens ordbok ( SAOB )
• prestationen

• English terms derived from Old French
• English terms derived from Latin
• English 4-syllable words
• English terms with IPA pronunciation
• English terms with audio links
• Rhymes:English/eɪʃən
• Rhymes:English/eɪʃən/4 syllables
• English lemmas
• English nouns
• English uncountable nouns
• English countable nouns
• English terms with quotations
• en:Medicine
• English terms with usage examples
• en:Mathematics
• en:Immunology
• en:Communication
• en:Transgender
• Old French lemmas
• Old French nouns
• Old French feminine nouns
• Swedish terms derived from French
• Swedish terms suffixed with -ation
• Swedish lemmas
• Swedish nouns
• Swedish common-gender nouns
• Swedish terms with usage examples
• English undefined derivations
• English entries with topic categories using raw markup
• Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations
• Japanese terms with redundant script codes
• Ukrainian terms with redundant script codes

Navigation menu

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game New
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Arts and Entertainment

How to Make a Presentation Poster

Last Updated: March 2, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff . Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 32,461 times. Learn more...

Presentation posters are an excellent way to present information and are required for many courses, projects, and conferences. Organise the content strategically so that it as clear and easy to read as possible. Use PowerPoint to quickly and easily format your content into an eye-catching poster. Once you have formatted the poster and finalised all the content, you are ready to present your poster!

Organising the Content

• For example, “New Poetry Discovered in the Journals of WW2 Soldiers” would be an interesting title for a poetry poster.

• If you're making a scientific poster, include your hypothesis in the introduction.
• This section is generally only 1 paragraph long.

• For example, if you collected water samples for a geography project, explain where you got the water from, when you collected it, and the method that you used to take the sample.
• If your poster is summarising the work of artists or researchers, such as in poetry, geography, or history, explain why you chose the publications that you used and detail the modes of research you utilised.
• If you are making a scientific poster, include all the materials that you used, your method of statistics, and why you chose the method that you used. Use sub-headings, such as “Materials” or “Steps” to break up the section.

• For example, if you are making a poster for a children's poetry fair, lots of funny poems and poetry facts would likely draw the children to your poster.
• If you are making a scientific poster, use annotated graphs and tables to visually display the data that you have collected.
• If you’re making a history or geography poster, consider placing an essay, timeline, or map in this space.

• Contemplate ending with a memorable quote. For example, if you are making a history poster, you could find a profound Nelson Mandela quote to finish with.
• If you are making a scientific poster, compare your results to the hypothesis and comment on whether your predictions were correct.

• This section can have a smaller font than the rest of the poster if you have limited space.

• Use high-resolution photos to ensure that the images don’t look fuzzy when they are printed.
• Avoid using Clip Art, as this tends to look unprofessional.

Formatting the Poster

• If you have enough room, increase the font size to 20 pt or 24 pt. The larger the text is – the easier it will be to read.

• Stand 10 ft (3 m) away from your poster and check that the key titles can be read. If you have trouble reading them, increase the size of the text.

• Times New Roman, Helvetica, Calibri, Arial, and Garamond are good font options.

• Bold any important words or phrases to help them stand out.

• Use paragraphs to break up large sections of text.
• Gaps between sections are often referred to as white space.

• Once you have created a first draft of the poster, ask a friend if they can easily understand the flow of the poster. If they can't, rearrange the components until they fit in a natural, logical way.

Using PowerPoint

• If you haven’t been given a specified poster dimension, make the poster 48 inches (120 cm) wide and 36 inches (91 cm) tall.

• If the slide is already in the correct orientation, skip this step.

• These templates can be edited in the same way as a regular PowerPoint presentation.

• The text box icon is a small square box with an “a” and horizontal lines inside it.

• Opt for high-resolution photos to ensure that the photos look sharp and clear when you print the poster.
• You can also use graphs, charts, and other visuals in addition to photographs.

• If you want to adjust the positioning of an object very slightly, hold down the Control (Ctrl) key as you use the arrows. This reduces the size of the movements.

Expert Q&A

You might also like.

• ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1876493/
• ↑ https://urc.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk3561/files/local_resources/documents/pdf_documents/How_To_Make_an_Effective_Poster2.pdf
• ↑ https://guides.nyu.edu/posters
• ↑ https://support.office.com/en-us/article/change-the-size-of-your-slides-040a811c-be43-40b9-8d04-0de5ed79987e#OfficeVersion=Office_2010
• ↑ https://support.office.com/en-us/article/change-the-page-layout-49030c0f-9cd9-4f92-a894-605bc0671d10
• ↑ https://templates.office.com/en-US/Posters
• ↑ https://youtu.be/jaGb5tckCZQ?t=19
• ↑ https://support.office.com/en-gb/article/insert-a-picture-in-powerpoint-5f7368d2-ee94-4b94-a6f2-a663646a07e1

About This Article

To make a presentation poster in Powerpoint, start by changing your page setup to widescreen in the "Design" tab. Then, write a clear title that tells readers what your poster is about across the top of the page. After your title, write an introduction to your topic, including any research methods you used on the left side. Use the middle column to detail your main points. Then, on the right side, add your conclusion and any references you cited. If you want your poster to catch your readers’ eye, place a few images and graphs that illustrate your main points throughout the poster. For more tips, including how to choose fonts for your poster, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

James Williams

Sep 28, 2021

Did this article help you?

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Don’t miss out! Sign up for

wikiHow’s newsletter

• EXPLORE Random Article

How to Make a Sales Presentation

Last Updated: May 10, 2022 References

This article was co-authored by Michael R. Lewis . Michael R. Lewis is a retired corporate executive, entrepreneur, and investment advisor in Texas. He has over 40 years of experience in business and finance, including as a Vice President for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. He has a BBA in Industrial Management from the University of Texas at Austin. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 225,585 times.

An effective sales presentation not only educates prospective customers about your product or service, but it also explains how you can meet a customer's specific needs and help them achieve their goals. Creating a successful sales presentation requires thorough research and careful preparation. Time invested in doing your homework will lead to a higher percentage of closed sales.

Doing Research

• Keep separate files for product information, company information and details about your prospective customers.
• Include lists of sources for all of your data so can refer back to them as needed.
• Create an organized filing system and naming conventions for your files so you can access them as needed.

• Take care to distinguish between features and benefits. A product or service can have many features, many of which are not important to a prospective customer. The salesman's task to show how a specific feature will have a meaningful benefit to the prospect.
• For example, features may include cost, size, usability, lack of maintenance, easy repair, or warranty, among others.
• Have an exhaustive understanding about how the product is manufactured and packaged.
• Know the history of your product and learn about any advances in product development.
• Familiarize yourself with shipping procedures and policies.
• Study the history of your company and how it has grown, and be prepared to discuss your company's values.
• For services, identify important features and benefits like peace of mind, security, cost, ease of use, etc.

• To beat a competitor, first try to determine their competitive advantage. That is, why customers buy their products rather than yours. Again, it is not the features that count but the perceived benefit that the customer expects to receive from the purchase.
• Scrutinize the details of their product or service and how yours compares. If you are a caterer, for example, determine if you use fresher food or better ingredients, or if you prepare food in a unique way.
• Learn their marketing and communication strategies and how they differ from yours. Perhaps you offer special discounts that they do not, or your printed materials are in full color and are printed on higher quality paper.

• Learn your potential customer's needs. If you can, talk to them before you pitch (by phone or in person) and learn as much as you can about what will really make them interested in buying. Do they need a lower price, better reliability, finance terms, faster delivery? Try to figure out their "trigger."
• Consult the company's annual report, trade publications, website and the local chamber of commerce to learn this information. [5] X Research source

• Analyze their business and current economic indicators to determine if their product and services are in demand. A food services distributor, for example, could help a coffee shop improve their menu with new equipment or better ingredients.
• Determine their biggest competitors and the benefits the competitor provides to the customer. [6] X Research source To get a sale, you will need to offer a better benefit than what they might be receiving.
• Consult trade groups, business magazines and academic institutions to learn about business trends and how your prospect could use your services to be more competitive. [7] X Trustworthy Source U.S. Small Business Administration U.S. government agency focused on supporting small businesses Go to source

Writing Content

• Shape your presentation to the power-level of attendees in the meeting. Are they decision-makers, influencers, or gate-keepers? Understand (ask if you don't know) the process for making a purchase decision and who will be making it.
• If the audience will be small, deliver a short, interactive presentation and then lead a discussion. Ditch the Powerpoint and instead try printing out a few detailed slides to pass out to the small group. [9] X Research source Keep in mind the importance of body language and eye contact with your audience.
• For a large audience, prepare a staged, formal presentation with polished visuals. Avoid distracting colored text or ClipArt. Use clear language, show enthusiasm for your product, and keep things moving at a lively pace. [10] X Research source

• Use simple, short terms for more punch. Try using action verbs when possible.
• A caterer pitching to a wedding planner, for example, would discuss their proven history of providing high quality food at a reasonable price.
• A cleaning service presenting to an office manager would state that they can enhance employee productivity by keeping the office clean and organized.

• Your opening should include a restatement of their objectives and the assurance that you will meet those objectives during the presentation.
• A caterer's objectives, for example, would include planning a menu, ordering food, preparing food and arranging for delivery within a given time-frame.
• A cleaning service would list daily tasks, such as cleaning the floor, sanitizing bathrooms and removing the trash. Less regular tasks, such as cleaning the windows or equipment dusting, would also be listed with the expected frequency.

• The steps for planning a menu, for example, might include meeting with clients and setting up taste tests. The deliverable would be a written copy of the menu.
• The details a cleaning service would specify include how long it takes to complete tasks, the materials and number of personnel used and whether or not they bring their own equipment.

• A caterer would use this opportunity to emphasize their skill at timing food preparations so everything is perfectly cooked and doesn't get cold before it is eaten.
• A cleaning service would highlight the positive impression that a clean, organized space makes on clients and how this also maintains property values.

Creating Graphics and Visuals

• Find fresh graphics instead of using stock ClipArt or templates. If the budget permits, enlist the help of a graphic artist.

• Make sure you check the visual aids and sound equipment that might be available in the venue, and find out the requirements for use.

• If a smart board is available, use it to annotate graphics with your customer's feedback. Save your annotations at the end of your presentation so you can review them later.
• Bring a flip chart or whiteboard and an easel for taking notes and recording comments if an interactive smart board is not available. Test your markers ahead of time and only bring those that work. If your paper is unlined, draw lines with a pencil to keep your handwriting horizontally aligned.

• You would only distribute them if you are not talking to a decision maker who is not ready to make decision.
• Be aware that anything left with the client may wind up in the hands of a competitor.

Delivering a Successful Presentation

• Avoid slang and jargon and never, ever curse.

• If you are giving a presentation to a very large audience, don't just stand on the stage as people file in. Mill about, introducing yourself and greeting people you know.

Closing the Sale

Expert Q&A

• Build genuine rapport by discussing sports, asking about family, or mentioning common acquaintances or colleagues. People like to do business with other people they like and trust. [31] X Research source Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Don't put your customer in a superior position by saying, "I won't take up too much of your time," or "I really appreciate you making room in your busy schedule to see me." These statements sound like you think they are doing you a favor, when you should communicate with your demeanor and confidence that you are there as an asset to them. [32] X Research source Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Understand your audience and follow their lead. Executives may be under time crunches and dislike small talk or extended presentations. Be prepared to shorten your presentation upon request. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1
• Be aggressive but honest about what you can offer to a prospective customer. Remember that it's better to under-promise and over-deliver. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://edwardlowe.org/digital-library/how-to-create-and-give-a-sales-presentation/
• ↑ http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/225778
• ↑ https://www.sba.gov/content/do-your-market-research
• ↑ http://www.duarte.com/best-practices-for-sales-presentations/
• ↑ http://changethis.com/manifesto/50.06.PresentingSmall/pdf/50.06.PresentingSmall.pdf
• ↑ http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/presentations/large-groups
• ↑ http://www.proedgeskills.com/Presentation_Skills_Articles/visual_aids_undermine.htm
• ↑ http://www.presentationmagazine.com/presentation-skills-1-use-visual-aids-7320.htm
• ↑ http://www.skillsyouneed.com/present/visual-aids.html
• ↑ http://www.businessknowhow.com/marketing/sales-presentation.htm
• ↑ http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222405
• ↑ https://www.salesgravy.com/sales-articles/closing-techniques/5-closing-questions-you-must-be-asking.html

About this article

Reader Success Stories

Rakesh Sharma

Nov 18, 2016

Did this article help you?

Jenny Acoba

Feb 20, 2017

• About wikiHow
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

How it works

For Business

Join Mind Tools

Article • 10 min read

How to Create a Wiki

Collecting and sharing knowledge at work.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Almost every organization needs to gather institutional knowledge, collate material from multiple sources, and share experiences and insights. And many companies achieve this by using wikis – web pages that can be worked on by multiple users.

But are wikis the best way to keep your information accessible and up-to-date? With a vast array of data-management and communication products now available, businesses have to choose their tools carefully. Wikis have moved on, too, giving organizations fresh options and new decisions to make.

In this article, we explore whether a wiki is the right way for you to collect and use information. If it is, we explain how to set up your wiki, and how to start using it effectively where you work.

What Is a Wiki?

A wiki is a website or online resource that can be edited by multiple users. Some wikis, such as Wikipedia , are publicly accessible. Others are used by organizations to manage information in-house, enabling teams to easily share knowledge and work together more effectively.

The Advantages of Wikis

In the right circumstances, a wiki can be a very efficient way to gather and distribute information. It can improve collaboration among team members who need to refer to, or work on, the same material. Anyone with the necessary editing rights can add ideas and observations as they occur, often in response to other people's updates.

Because they're online, wikis can make it easier for teams – especially virtual teams – to cooperate on tasks, share notes and suggestions, and contribute resources. Where several authors are updating the same piece of work, a wiki can aid version control, as it's always clear which version is the most recent.

Wikis can be set up temporarily, to support discrete projects, or developed over the longer term as ever-evolving archives of organizational knowledge.

The flexible structure of wikis allows them to adapt as the information itself changes. Plus, by keeping a record of each step, edit by edit, wikis show how a project, an area of knowledge, or even a whole organization develops over time.

The Disadvantages of Wikis

However, in other situations, some of these potential benefits can, in fact, become problems.

When you let multiple users alter important information, inaccuracies can appear. Shared pages can quickly become cluttered and hard to navigate. And if people disagree about key points, conflict can arise – and be played out in public!

Wikis aren't usually the best way to share definitive information that should not be edited, such as formal procedures or records. In these cases, consider using static web pages, databases, or other techniques and tools. You can still link to these from your wiki if you wish.

Wikis are not ideal for capturing conversations, either. Communication platforms such as Slack , Teams and Asana can give your team members safer and more sophisticated spaces for discussion and debate.

Even if you do decide to use a wiki, there are many different types, so you'll need to select wisely in order to reap the benefits and avoid the pitfalls. And the first question to ask is: do you need to create a wiki at all?

Establish Your Need for a Wiki

Before building any type of wiki, it's important to ask what business problem you'll solve by doing so. What are the benefits of sharing knowledge in this way?

Perhaps you've identified the need for an accurate and up-to-date collection of team-building activities. If you gather these in a wiki, people in different departments will be able to add their own resources and share their ideas.

If you're setting up a new project, a wiki might help your team to organize key documents, and add comments to them for others to discuss.

Or maybe you've noticed that important information about your company's culture and heritage is being lost when people leave. With a wiki, everyone could contribute to a collection of knowledge that would remain in place even after they themselves had moved on.

You'll likely get the most value from a wiki if the following points apply:

• You're trying to build up a "big picture" based on multiple perspectives.
• You want to capture information that's evolving or still being agreed.
• Everyone on the team needs to see all the knowledge gathered so far.
• There's value in creating links to other information, either internal or external.
• It's helpful to see all the writing and editing steps that have led to this point.
• It won't be disastrous if errors appear, because they'll quickly be spotted and fixed.

If not enough of these factors apply, or if you have difficulty stating how a wiki would benefit you, it's likely the wrong approach. What's more, if you already have effective ways to store, edit and communicate all the material you work with, a wiki may be more trouble than it's worth!

Creating a Wiki

If you've decided that a wiki is the right way to go, here's how to get one up and running:

1. Choose Your Technology

Your organization may already have the technology that you need to create a wiki. With SharePoint in Office 365 , you can easily set up wikis and make them available to others. And there are add-ons to Google Docs , such as YouNeedAWiki , that let you design and share wikis with your team. Or, your current intranet may allow you to post information that others can adapt.

If you can use existing tools like these, you'll save time and effort, and reduce the need to train others.

If you decide to bring in new technology, there are both free and paid-for options. Some systems allow you to design your own wiki in full, while others provide templates or can even produce the "foundation" wiki pages for you.

Free software packages such as MediaWiki allow you to create wikis on your existing servers. Other services, like the paid-for Confluence , host your wiki pages on their own systems.

Some products, such as Tettra , give you additional control over users' access. People can be given responsibility for particular areas of the wiki, and alerted when anyone else wants to make a change. Some also offer enhanced search and analytics tools, which will likely be increasingly important as your wiki develops.

Many organizations are using systems like these to redefine their approach to wikis. While still allowing multiple users to contribute and collaborate, they also put more controls in place over how and when information is changed. In addition, they can be connected to other work-management tools.

As a result, wikis can be used to manage high-value, company-wide knowledge and sometimes even opened up to people outside the host organization.

2. Set Up Controls

When you create a wiki, carefully consider the levels of security it will require, and whether you need to put any of your own rules in place. Pay particular attention to data security, and liaise with your IT department to ensure that anything you set up complies with company policies and national laws.

Decide who should have access to read and edit your wiki, and how much you want them to be able to do. Other controls will likely be in the form of "rules for use." Maybe there are particular style points that you want users to stick to, or other important guidelines about how they should edit their own or other people's work.

Whatever technology you use for your wiki, make sure that you know who's in charge. Appoint curators for the whole wiki or just for particular parts. They can help by culling irrelevant material, and by guiding people to put their information in the right place.

This should also reduce the risk of conflicts developing between team members as they edit each other's work (known as "edit warring"). Curators can decide if and when posts appear, and whether certain discussions need to be held offline.

3. Start Writing

Writing in a wiki is different from other forms of communication, because your initial work will be changed – possibly many times, by many different authors.

So, when you start, establish the structure and style you want, but expect the content to be adapted over time. Organize and express your information as clearly as you can – this enables others to understand it easily, and to contribute effectively.

Before making your wiki live, get some feedback. Is its purpose clear? Is the content understandable and accurate? Is it obvious how other people should take it forward?

It's also a good idea to get someone else to road test your wiki. See if they can access it as you intended, and check that any changes they make appear as expected.

4. Begin Collaborating

When you're happy with the way your wiki looks, and how it works, it's time to get other people involved.

But don't just tell them how to use the wiki – also explain why it's a good idea. Emphasize the benefits of keeping information relevant and accurate. Explain that an effective wiki will reflect different people's knowledge and experience, and that everyone will be able to access it wherever they're working.

Be sure to explain how each edit is recorded and displayed. And reassure people that mistakes can easily be corrected by reverting to earlier versions. This should help new wiki users to feel more comfortable about altering a shared document, particularly if it contains business-critical information.

For best results, wikis require effective collaboration and mutual respect – as well as an appropriate level of honest challenge between colleagues.

For this to happen, everyone needs to feel safe in offering their input, but be ready to have their contributions challenged. For more on creating the right environment for this, read our Expert Interview with Amy Edmondson, Why Psychological Safety Matters .

Some people may resist using the wiki and fall back on other familiar tools, such as email, to share information. This can make the wiki less effective, because it limits knowledge sharing, and stops the wiki being as rich and responsive as it could be.

Look for ways to change people's habits if necessary – not least by celebrating the impact of your wiki as it flourishes and grows.

Wikis are collaborative web pages. They can help you and your team to share institutional knowledge, discuss ideas, and work on projects together.

However, open-access wikis are not suitable for all forms of information. Many organizations prefer systems that take a more controlled approach.

Before creating any type of wiki, first establish a business need. Then work out exactly what you want your wiki to do, and choose the right technology to do it.

Address any security implications, and put in place clear rules for use.

Make sure that the "foundation" information you post is accurate and organized. Then ensure that all your people know how to use the wiki, so that it remains a safe and productive way to gather and share knowledge at work.

You've accessed 1 of your 2 free resources.

Get unlimited access

Discover more content

Planning a training session.

Organizing Key Concepts for Learning

Adopting The 70:20:10 Model of Learning

Leverage 'Experience', 'Exposure' and 'Education'

Add comment

Comments (0)

Be the first to comment!

Try Mind Tools for free

Get unlimited access to all our career-boosting content and member benefits with our 7-day free trial.

Sign-up to our newsletter

Subscribing to the Mind Tools newsletter will keep you up-to-date with our latest updates and newest resources.

Subscribe now

Business Skills

Personal Development

Leadership and Management

Most Popular

Newest Releases

The Quest For Fewer Interruptions

What Are Your Values?

Mind Tools Store

About Mind Tools Content

Discover something new today

Frederick taylor and scientific management.

Understanding Taylorism and Early Management Theory

What Is Frederick Taylor's Scientific Management Theory?

Applying science to management

How Emotionally Intelligent Are You?

Boosting Your People Skills

Self-Assessment

What's Your Leadership Style?

Learn About the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Way You Like to Lead

Recommended for you

Investors in people.

Investors In People Sets Out a UK National Standard for Training and Development

Business Operations and Process Management

Strategy Tools

Customer Service

Business Ethics and Values

Handling Information and Data

Project Management

Knowledge Management

Self-Development and Goal Setting

Time Management

Presentation Skills

Learning Skills

Career Skills

Communication Skills

Negotiation, Persuasion and Influence

Working With Others

Difficult Conversations

Creativity Tools

Self-Management

Work-Life Balance

Stress Management and Wellbeing

Coaching and Mentoring

Change Management

Team Management

Managing Conflict

Delegation and Empowerment

Performance Management

Leadership Skills

Developing Your Team

Talent Management

Problem Solving

Decision Making

Cloud Storage

Custom Business Email

Video and voice conferencing

Shared Calendars

Word Processing

Spreadsheets

Presentation Builder

Survey builder

Google Workspace

An integrated suit of secure, cloud-native collaboration and productivity apps powered by Google AI.

Tell impactful stories, with Google Slides

Create, present, and collaborate on online presentations in real-time and from any device.

• For my personal use
• For work or my business

Jeffery Clark

T h i s   c h a r t   h e l p s   b r i d g i n g   t h e   s t o r y !

E s t i m a t e d   b u d g e t

Make beautiful presentations, together

Stay in sync in your slides, with easy sharing and real-time editing. Use comments and assign action items to build your ideas together.

Present slideshows with confidence

With easy-to-use presenter view, speaker notes, and live captions, Slides makes presenting your ideas a breeze. You can even present to Google Meet video calls directly from Slides.

Seamlessly connect to your other Google apps

Slides is thoughtfully connected to other Google apps you love, saving you time. Embed charts from Google Sheets or reply to comments directly from Gmail. You can even search the web and Google Drive for relevant content and images directly from Slides.

Extend collaboration and intelligence to PowerPoint files

Easily edit Microsoft PowerPoint presentations online without converting them, and layer on Slides’ enhanced collaborative and assistive features like comments, action items, and Smart Compose.

Work on fresh content

With Slides, everyone’s working on the latest version of a presentation. And with edits automatically saved in version history, it’s easy to track or undo changes.

Make slides faster, with built-in intelligence

Assistive features like Smart Compose and autocorrect help you build slides faster with fewer errors.

Stay productive, even offline

You can access, create, and edit Slides even without an internet connection, helping you stay productive from anywhere.

Security, compliance, and privacy

Secure by default

We use industry-leading security measures to keep your data safe, including advanced malware protections. Slides is also cloud-native, eliminating the need for local files and minimizing risk to your devices.

Encryption in transit and at rest

All files uploaded to Google Drive or created in Slides are encrypted in transit and at rest.

Compliance to support regulatory requirements

Our products, including Slides, regularly undergo independent verification of their security, privacy, and compliance controls .

Private by design

Slides adheres to the same robust privacy commitments and data protections as the rest of Google Cloud’s enterprise services .

You control your data.

We never use your slides content for ad purposes., we never sell your personal information to third parties., find the plan that’s right for you, google slides is a part of google workspace.

Every plan includes

Collaborate from anywhere, on any device

Access, create, and edit your presentations wherever you are — from any mobile device, tablet, or computer — even when offline.

Get a head start with templates

Choose from a variety of presentations, reports, and other professionally-designed templates to kick things off quickly..

Photo Album

Book Report

Visit the Slides Template Gallery for more.

Ready to get started?

The Presentation Experience Wiki

Welcome to The Presentation Experience Wiki! You need to sign in to edit.

The Presentation Experience

• View history

The Presentation Experience is a game created by Minimal Games on October 18th, 2021 . Since then, the game has gotten nearly 262 million visits, as well as 1.21 million favorites and usually 2000 active players as of August 21, 2023.

The game's purpose [ ]

The game is located in a classroom inside a school . The school is located inside a city . In the classroom, there are presentations going on and also homework checks occasionally, specifically every five presentations . The players have control to actions , which they can do to make the teacher mad and even have a mental breakdown ! They come at a cost, specifically using Points . Points are earned every 3 or 5 seconds depending on if you have Roblox Premium . Some actions cost Robux , however the action is worth the cost, since the action has lots of entertainment! Robux actions include natural disasters such as a snowstorm .