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How to Create and Deliver Training Presentations That Make an Impact

Blended learning and hybrid workplaces have improved how employees train and optimize their work output. Corporate training is now a rich combination of in-person group sessions, live online lessons, and SCORM courses that employees can follow at their own pace. 

Are your training presentations up to the challenge?

Learning & Development strategists, HR, and performance management managers take note. In this guide, we’ll show you how to create a training deck from start to finish . Plus, some template examples and optimization tips for creating training presentations that make learning more effective.

What is a Training Presentation?

A training presentation is a set of slides created to teach a skill or increase knowledge of a topic. They’re used in training and development strategies in companies worldwide. Across the slides in a training presentation, employees learn essential information and skills to do their jobs better and grow in their careers.

Types of Training Presentations

Training presentations form part of all L&D initiatives in an HR department. They have one of two purposes; to train employees for the job at the present moment and to train them for growth and the future. 

Training for the job instructs employees on how to carry out their assigned tasks and responsibilities . The skills they learn follow guidelines from the company’s brand, processes, and structure.

Examples include:

• On-the-job training
• Practice simulations
• Orientation
• Skillbuilding 

To train for growth , employees are given resources to increase their capabilities, like learning new technology or methodology. They learn skills that will help their career future, preparing them for a promotion within the company or for changing teams laterally in a new role.

Growth training includes topics like:

• Soft skills
• New technology
• New processes or methodologies
• Job rotation
• Personal development
• Career expansion

Why Are Training Presentations Important?

High-quality training and development initiatives in a corporate setting offer many benefits. Three of the most relevant are employee buy-in and retention, company culture, and professional development.

Employee Buy-in and Retention

When training presentations are achieved at a high standard, team members in People Management, Human Resources, Learning & Development, and DEI feel confident and proud of their work in training fellow employees. 

They accompany employees along training paths, so it’s better if they’re invested in what they’re sharing. For a solid brand identity —and clear company culture—thorough training helps with buy-in straight out of the gate with an onboarding strategy. Then continues with regular training initiatives that lead to retention, satisfaction and loyalty.

Company Culture 

The role of company culture in an organization has a lot of weight towards brand equity. But a strong culture doesn’t happen overnight; it’s instilled in the employees’ minds through team-building activities, motivational seminars, and equitable training in all aspects of work.

Company culture flows through the ongoing interaction between trainers and trainees. Group sessions and training days help build relationships between teams and employees. Feeling invested is a trait developed through the right type of training. 

Professional Development

High-quality training for professional development is essential in every organization. On-the-job training for daily tasks is only part of the puzzle; employees also need to train for growth.

In-company training for professional development includes training for higher—or lateral—positions. Offering training for the future not only heightens professional development for individual employees but also carves a strong culture.

How to Create a Training Presentation

Let’s create a training deck together. We’ll use a case study to guide us along.

You and your L&D team at an IT Company are preparing a company-wide training session about the SCRUM framework before implementing it in more aspects of the business. The Training presentation is titled “Understanding the SCRUM Framework. Agilizing our productivity, together.” Sessions will be blended/hybrid to accommodate both in-office and remote employees. There will be a camera recording the instructor, and remote employees will see the presentation and the video of the instructor talking side by side on their screen.

1. Plan and prepare

Planning and strategizing are as important in training as in other business areas. Your training presentation already has a purpose, company-wide training about the SCRUM framework. But if you aren’t sure what employees need to learn to increase productivity and employee satisfaction, you’ll have to do some research. 

Figuring out your people’s learning and development needs takes some work. Are you using a performance management system? What does the reporting reveal? Where are employees failing to set goals? How can training presentations help? 

Analyze the reports, and you’ll see where they’re lacking. Plan upskilling strategies around those topics. With a clear objective, start preparing the training, presentation, and conversation points for group sessions. 

Put together a lesson plan covering the main characteristics of your presentation. Use it as a foundational reference during the production of the training presentation slides .

2. Create a basic structure 

Creating a structure for a training presentation is a critical step before designing slides or even writing the content. Training presentations with a set structure are more impactful than ones without. 

Following a structure makes the transference of knowledge much simpler. Write an outline that follows that structure. Do it on a document or use a visual tool like a storyboard to overview the full presentation deck .

The main structure for any training presentation has three parts; beginning, middle, and end. Yes, it’s that simple.

• Start with an agenda slide that covers the contents of the training presentation and builds a framework of what to expect out of this training program. Follow by listing the syllabus for the course and required learning material that will be accessible, and where students should download/access such content.
• Inform learners that at the end of the presentation, they will have all the basic and practical knowledge to understand and begin working with a SCRUM framework. 
• Explain (if necessary) what they need as a prerequisite to get the most out of the training.
• Any instructions they need to follow during the session, such as how to approach practical exercises or instructions for deliverables expected. 
• Share all supplemental material through links they can download or access from. This should also include any book chapter mentioned, video resources, photos, etc. Cloud-based storage accessible from the Company’s intranet tends to suit all needs.

• Throughout the meatiest slides of the presentation, teach them about the SCRUM framework. Then share how their team will use it to agile production and work in general.
• Use visual training techniques to explain themes and topics clearly.
• Create interactive moments for learners to imprint information. 
• Incorporate a variety of teaching formats to cover all learning styles; video, text, images, infographics, interactive activities, etc.

• Craft a few slides summarizing what they learned using a highlights list.
• Have learners take a quiz to test their knowledge and offer results that include the right answers to the questions they got wrong.
• Share references to supplemental material where learners can get more information on the topic.

The Middle Structure

In the middle is where most of the magic happens. A training presentation is much like a lecture in its purpose. Therefore, using teaching and lecture techniques in your presentations can only be a good idea.

Here are six lecture structures that you can apply to the middle of your presentation. For the SCRUM Framework training, we’ll use the first example .

• Start with what students can be expected to know to what students don’t know.  
• Proceed from reality to abstract ideas, theories, and principles.
• Begin with generalizations and continue with particular examples and applications.
• Open with simple ideas and round them up with complex ones
• Start sharing common misconceptions and then explain the truth.
• Go from a whole view to a detailed view. 

3. Gather resources

Organize all the content you’ll need for the presentation in a folder on the cloud or your team’s content library. Browse the SlideModel template collection, where you’ll find plenty of slides, full decks, and cut & copy elements to include in your training deck. For the slides to describe the SCRUM framework, we used this 3D PPT template of how the parts of the framework are interconnected.

Resource checklist for any training presentation:

• All visuals, videos, and PowerPoint slides add value to the training. 
• Case studies and examples support your points.
• Your company has the appropriate licenses to use the resources that are included in the final design.
• All references, citations and attributions are gathered for inclusion in the training documentation. 
• Your templates are from Slidemodel. 

4. Design the slides

Now, it’s time to put it all together and design the slides. Get all your resources ready, a list of all the templates you’ll use, and start a new project on PowerPoint.

Have your outline and/or storyboard open and start designing slides. Start with the cover and then follow the structure you decided on. Work your way through to the end and add a quiz. Here are some instructional presentation design best practices to help you along.

• Create visual unity and balance by choosing a color theme and font pairing that supports the brand message and purpose of the training.
• Mind the flow between slides from beginning to end. Use subtle transitions that don’t distract from the learning.
• Use a table of contents, section dividers, and interactive slide menus for easier navigation.
• Ensure each slide has a focal point and a visual hierarchy between all other elements.

All training material emulates the company brand, its values and vision. As marketing material follows visual and messaging brand guidelines, so should internal development content. 

Rather than mix & match slide templates, you can try a really fast method to create an entire training presentation by stating its topic, checking the suggested content, and selecting the desired slide design. This is possible thanks to the SlideModel’s AI Presentation Maker .

5 Training Presentation Slide Examples

Are you looking for inspiration to create a training presentation? SlideModel has numerous designs suitable for explaining, visually dissecting, and analyzing the material. Likewise, you’ll find templates that help L&D strategists communicate with instructors during the planning phase and beyond. 

Here are five templates that can help with your training presentation design.

Employee Onboarding

First, this multi-slide ppt template for training is an employee onboarding presentation . Use it to cover all characteristics of a corporate onboarding process. Slides include;

• Pre-boarding
• Training Activities
• Onboarding Roadmap
• Title & closing slides

Managerial Grid

The Blake & Mouton managerial grid is a great way to explain and analyze the different types of management based on production concerns and people concerns. Production concerns are characterized by tasks, and people are concerned with relationships. 

Matrix Grids can be used for other purposes as well. Like stakeholder engagement , talent analysis , and content marketing.

Multichapter Presentation

Does your training content span long chunks of information? Separate it into digestible sections and create a multichapter training presentation. If it still feels very long, separate each chapter into a lesson of a comprehensive digital course. This multichapter presentation template will help you either way. Plus, it will add considerable visual value to the deck as a whole.

SWOT Analysis

Teaching the SWOT Analysis process is best achieved with a “start big and continue into the details” presentation structure. This 5-slide template starts with the main idea and then delves deeper into each section. A visual structure like this also works for any concept that needs explanatory simplification. Simply separate the main concept into four parts and create a further slide for each.

5Cs of Customer Service

Nothing exudes versatility as much as infographics. This template has one function, to describe and analyze the 5Cs of customer service . Nevertheless, you get six visually different infographic compositions for the same topic in one template. How else can your content be separated into five sections with the same first letter? This—all words with the same first letter—is a mnemonic technique that will help your learners absorb and retain information.

How to Deliver Your Training Presentation

How will you deliver the training presentation to your learners? Depending on the company culture and working model, your training presentation will appear in any of the following scenarios.

1. As visual support to your In-person group training session.

The in-person group training session is the most common—until the pandemic changed many things. Your training presentation is the visual support during the event. 

Here are some tips for delivering a presentation during a group training session.

• Practice your ability to talk to a group. Notice your voice inflections or lack thereof. Practice the lesson with the training slides to support your spoken or activity-based teaching material.
• Remember that presenting a business presentation and teaching with a training presentation aren’t the same. If you’re new to in-person group training, research to learn and practice instruction skills.
• While training, maintain constant interaction with the learners. Ask them questions, and let them ask you questions. Invite anyone interested to join the online whiteboard for notetaking and mind-mapping the lesson.

2. As Part of a Live Online Session for Hybrid Teams.

Online, blended learning is quickly becoming popular with L&D teams. But how does it work? And why is it so special?

When you have hybrid teams with some employees in-office, others at home, and even more in other parts of the world, you need training solutions that work for everyone.

For the SCRUM training, we’d do the following:

• Prepare the training presentation slide deck.
• Organize a space for the in-person group and plan the event.
• Set up a camera to record the lesson or training session.
• Invite all employees to the session and offer them options of attendance; in-person, online, and live, watching the event recording.
• Get set up to stream the session live. You can use a webinar tool like Streamyard or the one inside your LMS platform. Someone might need to help so you can concentrate on the training rather than the technical tasks.
• Stream the lesson live and record it. On Chromecast , choose to use the split screen. One side shows the video of you teaching, and the other is the training presentation you prepared.
• Send the recording to the employees that didn’t attend in person or live online.

3. As a lesson in a digital course

Your training presentation can be its own course or part of a bigger one. In a comprehensive multi-lesson course, each section has its training presentation or a combination of presentations and other material. Use e-learning tools like SCORM and xAPI to create courses learners can do at their own pace, which you can keep track of. 

Create your SCORM and xAPI courses with PowerPoint, SlideModel, and the iSpring PPT plugin . Once finished, upload it all to your LMS platform and enroll employees to learn.

What’s the difference between SCORM and xAPI? The visual below has all the answers.

Read our guide on how to create an online course for detailed instructions and tips to make your course stand out.

3. As a PDF document

Delivering a training presentation as a PDF document shouldn’t be your first choice, but consider it for those employees that prefer learning that way. The same training presentation you create for in-person training, online learning or hybrid sessions can be downloaded as a PDF and shared via email or through the learning portal.

Takeaways for how to create successful PowerPoint Training Presentations

Optimize your training presentations to be as efficient as possible using instructional design techniques from the pros. Start with your trusty authoring combination of PowerPoint and SlideModel, and add an iSpring design plugin to complete the toolkit. Follow the steps in the sections above and then some.

Implement Interactivity 

Add interactivity to your training presentations to make them more engaging while touching on more learning styles. Interactivity can be as simple as a navigation menu between slides, dialogue simulations, and quick in-slide quizzes. Use xAPI and an LMS to create interactive training presentations for any topic.

After discussing the importance of interactivity, take a look at our 5-topic training presentation template showcased in the following video. With a tabbed menu, this training PPT template is ideal for presenting the agenda of your training session and delivering it in a streamlined manner. Each tab can represent a unique topic or module, making it easier for your audience to follow along and understand the progression of your training. The slide layout not only enhances visual appeal, making it more engaging than traditional slides, but also promotes organized content delivery.

Animated presentation templates, such as the one shown, are an effective way to captivate your audience and make the learning experience more memorable. This kind of animations add an element of surprise and engagement that static slides might lack. When paired with interactive elements mentioned earlier, such training templates can transform your training presentations into immersive learning experiences.

Add In-Slide Video

Hybrid learning and online learning have a wide berth of possibilities. One is in-slide video recordings of you—the training presenter—talking to the audience on the other side of the screen. 

This is especially practical for digital training presentations that never had an in-person session and instead are all done online. Use tools like Loom and Camtasia to record yourself speaking as you flip through the training slides. Then share the final video output on your company’s learning platform.

Offer Supplemental Material

Regardless of how you deliver your training deck, it’s always a good idea to offer supplemental material for the learner. Let’s look at some ideas:

• If you deliver the training presentation as a video with much narration, offer a PDF transcript for download. 
• On an LMS platform, add printable PDF worksheets and further reading material.
• Before or during an in-person session, give handouts and worksheets.
• In a hybrid webinar, share links to online games that help reinforce the topic.
• In any scenario, offer further resources for self-paced learning.

Incorporate Gamification

One of the best teaching techniques for turning training presentations from meh to memorable is gamification. Using games and game-like visual qualities helps learners capture and retain information better. Gamification techniques like badges, challenges, and competition elevate the learner’s feeling of happiness and contentment. They enjoy the process more and therefore learn more effectively.

Cover Multiple Platforms

Reach all employees where they are by creating and delivering versatile training presentations that are viewable on any device, from wall projectors to mobile phones. Create interconnectivity between them with downloads, digital whiteboards for notetaking, online chatrooms, handouts, etc.  

Don’t forget also to follow accessibility standards. For example, closed caption subtitles on videos and e-reader-compatible text. 

Share Questionnaires And Surveys At The End

Do you agree with the business notion that nothing in business is worth it unless you can track it? If so, then your training presentations must have a callback. Shortly after the learner has attended, watched, or listened to your training presentation, send them a short survey to gauge their satisfaction. Combine this with testing and quizzing results, and over a short time; you’ll have a good grasp on the effectiveness of your training.

Give a Certificate of Completion

Offer your learners a certificate of completion. As its name indicates, a certificate is essential for certifying that a person has taken your course. Create a visual certificate that you can send as a pdf in an email. Include all the necessary information for the learner to mention the completed course on their LinkedIn profile.

In less than three thousand words, you learned why training presentations are important for business, how to create and deliver them, plus tips on how to make your training presentations amazing.

Your L&D team and all your trained employees will benefit from optimized training presentations that use SlideModel templates for PowerPoint and Google Slides. Support your learners with visuals and instructional infographics. Start downloading educational templates today.

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Presentation Approaches, Presentations Filed under Education , Presentation Ideas

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How to Create a Training PowerPoint Presentation

A well-designed PowerPoint training presentation can be a powerful tool for conveying information, fostering training skills, engaging learners, and facilitating understanding. This type of presentation can be applied in many industries and can suit different learning styles.

Whether you’re a seasoned trainer looking to enhance your presentation skills or are new to the world of instructional design, this article will guide you through the essential steps to create a training PowerPoint presentation that captivates your audience and delivers meaningful learning outcomes.

What Is a Training Presentation?

A training presentation is a visual tool designed to deliver knowledge in a structured and engaging way in different training contexts.

It is a format that allows instructors to present training materials that keep the audience responsive and motivated, promoting comprehension and retention.

Training presentations are used extensively in educational settings and in staff training. Whether you’re introducing new employees to company policies, teaching students a complex subject, or demonstrating how to use a new software tool, training presentations make learning more effective and engaging.

A good training presentation is a combination of several design and structural elements that ultimately enhance learning effectiveness. Here are some key elements of training presentations:

• Content . The core of a training presentation is the content you deliver to your audience. It’s the information you want your trainees to absorb, memorize, and use effectively in the future.
• Visuals . Visual elements play a crucial role in training presentations. Besides using slides with text, presenters also include graphics, images, and even interactive elements . These visuals help learners better understand and remember the training material.
• Structure . Even with top-notch content and amazing visuals, if the presentation structure is not organized logically, the audience will have a hard time understanding it. That’s why a clear outline is needed so the learners can follow the flow of information and build their knowledge during the training session.
• Practical exercises and assessments . It’s a good idea to include assessments or quizzes in your training presentations to determine participants’ understanding and measure the effectiveness of the training. As an instructor, you can also integrate real-life cases and scenarios to help trainees put the recently acquired knowledge into practice.

The Importance of Effective Training Presentations

In short, an effective training presentation lays the foundation for more profound training experiences. By structuring information logically and using engaging visuals and interactive elements, training presentations improve training and promote efficient retention of knowledge.

An effective training presentation can become a powerful tool for employee training and professional development because it:

• allows the participants to visualize the training content in a logical structure;
• can be adapted to accommodate different learning styles;
• improves the skill development process for both new and seasoned employees;
• provides a tangible resource that trainees can revisit when they want to refresh their knowledge. 

Types of Training Presentations

Training presentations come in many forms, depending on learning goals, target audiences, and training contexts. Understanding the different types of training presentations can help you choose the format that’s most suitable for achieving your training objectives.

Let’s take a closer look at some common types of training presentations:

1. Informative Presentation

Informative presentations are the foundation of knowledge transfer. They are designed to deliver key information, facts, or concepts to the training audience. Informative presentations often rely on an instructor with great presentation skills who leads the session.

Some examples of this type of presentation are:

• Lecture-style presentations
• Product knowledge training
• Safety briefings
• Compliance training

These presentations often include a summary slide that highlights what the trainees should take away from the session.

2. Skill Development Presentation

Skill development presentations are all about hands-on learning. They provide trainees with opportunities to gain practical skills or new professional competencies. These presentations typically include: 

• Demonstrations 
• Guided exercises 
• Interactive simulations and role-plays
• Feedback and evaluations

All these elements help participants put theory into practice right away. Skill development presentations can also come in the form of pre-recorded video presentations that illustrate how the skills work in real life.

You can use the following questions to define your training presentation’s objectives:

• What do you want your audience to learn from the presentation?
• What specific skills or knowledge should they acquire?
• How will this training benefit the organization?
• Is there a behavioral change you want to achieve?
• How can you measure the success of your training presentation?

Step 2. Outline the structure

The next step is to define the structure of your PowerPoint presentation . Break down your content into logical sections or modules . Prioritize key information and decide on the main points you want to cover in each section.

You can divide your presentation into sections based on the main topics, the key skills, or the type of activity you’re going to include in the training. It’s up to you to choose the structure. Just make sure to follow it consistently throughout the presentation.

Content creator:

Charuan Aguilera

A learning and training enthusiast, Charuan seeks to empower his readers with the latest insights and trends in e-learning.

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Training Presentation Example

Are you training a team of new recruits to your company? Or delivering a webinar on a topic in your industry? To pull off a training session, webinar, or coaching session effectively, you’ll need an organized presentation as a visual aid.

A good training presentation can provide structure to your speech and boost your confidence as a presenter. It can also deliver your message efficiently, and stick with your audience long after your presentation is over.

Use our training presentation template to:

• Present information simply and logically
• Help you stay focused on your speech
• Motivate, inspire, or inform your audience

Customize Your Training Presentation Template

Structuring your training presentation properly and including the right slides are both important. Illustrate your points by using graphics like bullet lists, pictographs, bar charts, images, and more. Each of these options can be added to your training presentation template in an instant. We reviewed the best training presentation examples and here are the recommended slides to include:

Pro Tips for Creating Your Training Presentation

Here are tips from our favorite training presentation examples.

Does your presentation inform, inspire, persuade, or entertain? Tailor your speech according to your goals.

Make sure you add an introduction in the beginning of your presentation. Explain why you’re speaking on the topic to build your audience’s confidence and trust.

Will your audience want to listen to your speech, or engage with it through questions and stories? Are they completely new to the presentation topic or will they be experts?

Before your training or webinar ends, leave your audience with a summary of your main message.

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12 training presentation ideas

• Written by: Joby Blume
• Categories: Presentation skills , Visual communication
• Comments: 13

We’ve been thinking about training this week, in particular the really boring training slides we’ve all come across during our corporate careers. We’ve decided to fight back and try to help participants to actually learn something. So, calling all facilitators, trainers, and training content creators, please take note of our 12 training presentation ideas!

Slides aren’t for decoration

Many presenters realise that their slides shouldn’t contain walls of text. But, unable to successfully visualise the information that they want to help convey, they replace the text with pictures that are only tangentially (or metaphorically) related to their training presentation content. The problem? These visuals don’t really help learners to understand or remember the training material.

So – don’t decorate – illustrate. Find images, diagrams, photos, graphs, or sketches that actually help learners to learn.

Animation helps explanation

Because so much PowerPoint animation is done badly, some so-called experts have had the daft idea that you shouldn’t use animation because it’s distracting. That’s like saying that you shouldn’t listen to music because Justin Bieber exists. Done well, animation is wonderful for explaining how things work – showing the parts moving around, processes in full flow, things growing and shrinking and colliding.

Think of the animations that help explain ideas in the TV news or documentaries. That’s what slides can do with the help of clever visualisation and relevant animation. ( Here’s a nice example if you want some more proof.)

And you’re just seven steps away to your first PowerPoint animation ninja belt .

Bullet points don’t work. Honestly.

Text slides do have a place in training presentations. To show quotes, for agendas and timetables, or for material such as definitions where the exact wording matters, and you need the audience to just read quietly for a bit.

But in general bullet points don’t work. Your audience can read, but they can’t read and listen to you talk at the same time. So, if you want participants to listen to you, don’t compete with slides they can read more quickly than you can read out loud.

Have enough slides

A lot of presenters are scared of having too many slides. This makes sense when slides contain big blocks of text – the fewer of these the better! But, if your slides actually help bring your training to life, and illustrate your learning objectives, you need the right number – not just as few as possible. If nothing changes on screen for half an hour while you cover a huge amount of content, your learners will benefit from seeing additional slides.

Use a slide every time you think it will help you to explain the points you are making.

Use a variety of visual aids

There are plenty of visual aids that can help with a training presentation. Obviously good old-fashioned whiteboards can work well. So can videos. So can physical objects used as props.

‘Show and Tell’ at school worked as well or better than a typical training presentation. Why was that? Harness that energy and you’ll be more successful.

Pay attention to design. Your audience will.

It’s amazing how many important training presentations look like they were designed by somebody showing off the two things they learned from a copy of PowerPoint 1995 for Beginners. Ugly text. Ugly graphics. Too much text. Inconsistent layout. No white space. The sort of presentation that says “we didn’t really try” but still gets used for onboarding all new staff, or at training sessions with senior management. It’s embarrassing.

People notice design – consciously or sub-consciously. If you want to give the right impression, and if your training presentation is going to be used in a way that warrants the expense, it’s a really good idea to involve a professional presentation designer. (At the very worst, use these three hacks – every time.)

Harness the power of stories

When I studied for my MBA (years ago, partly worth it, partly not) our strategy lecturer was full of great ‘war stories’. The most memorable lesson we had involved viewing interviews with the leadership of a small fast-growing food technology company, talking about how they planned to grow. The same team had been interviewed every few months. The company was aggressive about expansion and had spent a lot of money developing its product – it was hard to know how the story would end. The lecturer kept stopping the tape, and we discussed what was happening, and what should have been happening. We really didn’t know how things would end.

I studied 100s of companies as part of my MBA. Most I’ve forgotten. I remember that that one ran out of cash and stopped trading days before a large order came in (which they couldn’t take).

The right stories – told with enough detail, and where there’s genuine uncertainty and interest about what will happen – can make your training come to life.

Change pace

Given how obvious it is that training presentations that go on-and-on-and-on-and-on without any sort of change of pace can be tedious, it’s surprising how many people do them that way anyway. Is it because they haven’t got any better ideas? Or because that’s the way others do it? Perhaps.

Break up your training presentations with exercises, discussions, quizzes, videos, props, whiteboarding – anything to vary the pace and ensure variety for your audience.

Don’t use slides as handouts

There’s often an expectation that a trainer delivering a training presentation will also provide a handout. The idea is that a handout serves as a real reminder of what happened, so that participants can benefit ‘long term’ from training. The problem? If slides work as handouts they must be pretty much self-explanatory. If slides are self-explanatory, the trainer will just be ignored while trying to present them – the audience will read instead.

So, by all means provide a handout if you want to – but don’t ever just use the same slides to present and to print as a handout.

Turn your training presentation into eLearning

Using a tool such as Articulate Storyline, iSpring, or indeed using PowerPoint itself, you can easily record a narrated version of your training presentation slides. In this way, your slides can work as training follow-up, or even as an alternative eLearning version of your training.

Once you’ve put in the hard work of creating effective slides, spend a bit of additional time creating a valuable resource for on-demand training on online follow-up material, by recording narration and adding interactivity.

Does interactivity sound like a dark art – it’s actually pretty simple to do in PowerPoint .

Don’t read aloud

When you do need your audience to read slides, don’t compete with them. If they are reading, they can’t listen to you. If they are listening to you, they can’t read.

If you need the audience to read something, explain what you are going to show them and why it matters, put it up on screen, and shut up while you read it to yourself. Then when you see the audience are ready, continue presenting.

Find a presentation skills coach

If you are a trainer or facilitator, you should already be reasonably comfortable with presenting, understand the need to practice, and know that you need to learn your material. If you want to take things to the next level though, find someone – a peer, a professional, or a video camera and your own insight – to critique your presentation delivery.

Eliminate verbal fillers, think about language and phrasing, and work on how you interact with your slides. It’s hard to notice when presenting, but there’s always room for improvement.

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We told you what to do…so why are so many presentations still crap?

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Presentation Zen was published ten years ago. Al Gore won his Oscar for a film based on a presentation in 2006. Amazon sell more than 38,000 books with ‘presentation’ in the title, and more than 7,500 with ‘PowerPoint’. Which all sort or raises the question Why are so many presentations still crap? All those books, decks, all that advice – Is it even making a difference?

Lot of good points have been discussed in this post. I do agree with them. I have attended and given many presentation and training. I came up with Following article on effective training and presentation as per my experience. Would appreciate the feedback.

http://www.scmtechblog.net/2016/02/how-to-provide-effective.html

firstly thank you for this tips, all management student is learning related effective presentation skills and best perform presentation at the time.

While these tips are good, I felt mislead by the article’s title as I was looking for subjects to talk about, not helpful advise on how to present.

I agree, Mary. The information is useful, though the title is misleading. I was looking for an article about good topics to present during a mock training (part of a job interview). What is presented in this article is not a list of training presentation “ideas”, but rather training presentation “tips”. The tips are very useful, so I thank the writer for that.

Mary, wouldn’t that just completely depend on what you wanted your training to be about? Given how different e.g. massage, fluid dynamics, and brain surgery are, it’s hard to give general ideas on what training presentations should be about. But I’m glad you liked the presentation tips at least.

This information was very helpful. I will use the tips going forward when presenting. thank you

Very useful. There are some critical points that I can use to develop my training skills.

So interesting! Thanks a lot.

Thank you for the positive points. Easy to implement and benifical to audience. I’ll be back!

Great information. This article was very helpful. Especially the section on utilizing elearning tools.

In the training my company offers, we supply all the delegates with a pack showing the whole presentation on the left of each page with space for their own notes on the right. I know this is very common practice. However, as a presenter I’m always a bit confused by the fact that my animation is wasted as delegates can see all I’m holding back. Similarly, there’s no point asking questions because the answers are visible to them. And so on. So, if the presentation is right, what’s the right format for delegates’ notes, please?

Madeleine what you describe is very typical, but it’s also ineffective. Handouts should support a presenter, not undermine both the presenter and the slide. Why would I listen if I can read ahead on the handout (given that I can’t read and listen at the same time)?

Consider accessing this resource on handouts . But for those who just want a quick summary (i) consider providing slides only after the presentation (ii) consider a video/recording of the slides being delivered, not just a static snapshot (depending on the slides) (iii) let people take their own notes – they can always make note of slide numbers and refer back if you tell people you’ll provide slides after (iv) if you want to provide something for note taking, make it something custom-designed, that aids learning/understanding when learners fill in the gaps.

Still i am tensed up to start my training session for my colleague teachers…

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It is, quite simply, the best deck we have. I did a nice presentation with it yesterday and would like to do the same next week... I am sure it will get a lot of use. The visual impact and flow are compelling! Peter Francis Janssen

Product training presentation: A comprehensive guide

Learn how to set goals, choose content, design slides, and deliver your presentation with confidence.

Raja Bothra

Building presentations

Welcome to the world of product training presentations!

In this comprehensive guide, we'll dive deep into the art of crafting an effective product training presentation.

Whether you're a seasoned presenter looking to up your game or a novice preparing for your first presentation, we've got you covered.

So, let's get started and explore the key aspects of creating a stellar product training presentation that engages your audience, conveys information effectively, and leaves a lasting impression.

What is product training?

Product training is a meticulously crafted program designed to enlighten employees about the intricacies of a product, its inner workings, and the myriad benefits it bestows upon customers. It goes far beyond the mere presentation of facts; it is a transformative journey that turns your employees into veritable product connoisseurs, arming them with the expertise needed to confidently engage with and cater to the needs of your customers.

This comprehensive training program aims to provide your team with the knowledge required to not only grasp the essence of the product but to also ardently advocate for it and master the art of sales. While product training is an invaluable resource for all employees, it holds the greatest significance for the frontline warriors of your organization: the customer service, sales, and marketing teams, as well as your esteemed channel partners. These individuals are the true ambassadors of your product, and their proficiency can be the linchpin of your success.

Product training casts a wide net, encompassing a diverse array of topics, including:

• Product features and benefits : Delving deep into the product's attributes and how they translate into tangible advantages for your customers.
• Target audience and use cases : Identifying the ideal recipients of your product and exploring real-world scenarios where it shines.
• Competitive landscape : Equipping your team with an understanding of the market and the unique value your product brings compared to the competition.
• Sales and marketing strategies : Providing insights into effective techniques for promoting and selling the product.
• Customer support best practices : Ensuring that your customer service team can deliver impeccable support, enhancing the overall customer experience.

The delivery of product training can take various forms, each tailored to suit the specific needs of your organization and employees. These formats include:

• In-person training sessions : Conventional face-to-face sessions that allow for hands-on engagement and immediate interaction.
• Online courses : Leveraging the power of the internet to provide accessible and scalable training opportunities.
• Interactive demos : Engaging and immersive demonstrations that bring the product to life.
• Self-paced learning modules : Customizable modules that let employees learn at their own speed and convenience.

The choice of the best format for product training depends on your organization's unique requirements, employee preferences, and the resources at your disposal. Regardless of the method, the ultimate goal remains the same: transforming your team into product experts who can champion your offerings with zeal and expertise.

What is the purpose of product training presentation and why is it important?

A product training presentation stands as a fundamental cornerstone in any comprehensive training program. It serves as your golden ticket to not only introduce and educate individuals about your product or service but to do so in a captivating and compelling manner. However, understanding why it is of paramount importance unveils the true power that lies within this dynamic tool.

Empowering your team

At its core, a product training presentation is an instrument of empowerment. It's the bridge that connects your employees with the profound knowledge required to excel in their roles. When your team can confidently navigate the intricate details of your product, they become the driving force behind your company's success.

Boosting sales

Your sales team is the lifeblood of your organization, and they rely on these presentations as a guiding light. A well-structured presentation empowers them to eloquently convey the value your products bring to customers. It arms them with the insights and confidence to tackle objections and, ultimately, close deals more effectively.

Engaging with your audience

Engagement is the secret sauce to successful training. An engaging product training presentation can transform an ordinary training session into a memorable experience. When your audience is not only educated but also captivated by the content, they are more likely to retain the information and put it into practice.

Beyond education and sales, your product training presentation plays a pivotal role in shaping your company's and brand's identity. It's an opportunity to etch your values, mission, and vision into the minds of your audience. It reinforces the distinctive qualities that set your brand apart and helps in building a strong and memorable brand image.

In essence, the purpose of a product training presentation extends beyond mere education. It's a potent catalyst for transformation, empowerment, and success. It is essential for the following reasons:

• Learning efficiency : A well-designed product training presentation enables customers and employees to quickly grasp the essential features and functions of the product, resulting in improved customer satisfaction and enhanced productivity.
• Cost reduction : When customers and employees are well-versed in product usage, the need for support diminishes, which translates to significant cost savings for the company.
• Sales amplification : Product training empowers sales representatives with the knowledge and skills to effectively sell the product, address customer objections, and close deals more efficiently.
• Employee morale : When employees feel confident in their ability to use a product, job satisfaction soars, leading to increased morale and productivity within the organization.

In summary, product training presentations are not just a tool for education; they are a critical instrument for empowering your team, boosting sales, engaging your audience, and building a strong brand identity. This multifaceted approach results in a myriad of benefits for the company, including elevated customer satisfaction, increased sales, and reduced support costs. It's a win-win for everyone involved.

What to include in a product training presentation

Now, let's dissect the critical components that should find their place in your meticulously crafted product training presentation.

1. Presentation slides

First and foremost, the building blocks of your presentation are the presentation slides. These are the canvas upon which your product's story unfolds. As a rule of thumb, aim to create anywhere from 2 to 23 slides. Each slide should be more than just a repository of text; it should be a visually captivating, information-packed nugget that aligns seamlessly with the overall structure of your presentation.

2. Visuals and graphics

The adage, "A picture is worth a thousand words," holds true in the realm of product training presentations. Visuals, icons, and other graphical elements serve as essential aids that enhance understanding. Whether it's a meticulously crafted chart or an infographic, these visual elements have the power to convey complex concepts with ease.

3. Structure

The structure of your presentation is the roadmap that guides your audience through the intricate landscape of your product or service. It's the narrative that leads them from one revelation to another, ensuring that they leave with a deep understanding of what you offer.

4. Product training outline

Your presentation should feature a clearly defined product training outline. Think of it as the compass that steers both you and your audience through the content. It provides a high-level view of what lies ahead and sets expectations, making it easier for your audience to follow along.

5. Interactive elements

Elevate your presentation's engagement factor by incorporating interactive elements. This could entail hosting quizzes, facilitating Q&A sessions, or even orchestrating webinars. Interactivity not only fosters engagement but also deepens understanding and retention.

6. Case studies

Harness the power of case studies to breathe life into your product training presentation. These real-world examples illustrate how your product or service has successfully solved problems for others. They offer practicality and inspiration, resonating with your audience and highlighting the genuine value you provide.

Beyond these core components, remember that a successful product training presentation should also:

• Provide a compelling introduction that explains the significance of the training and the benefits of using your product.
• Clearly outline the learning objectives so that your audience knows what they should gain from the presentation.
• Offer a product overview that encapsulates the core features, benefits, and use cases of your product.
• Include a live product demo that showcases the key features and illustrates how they can address real-world challenges.
• Allocate time for a Q&A session, giving your audience the opportunity to seek clarity on specific concerns.

In addition to these primary elements, you may consider providing:

• Access to product documentation, such as user guides and FAQs, to serve as a valuable post-training reference.
• Hands-on exercises that allow your audience to practice and solidify their understanding.
• Case studies that demonstrate how other customers have harnessed your product to resolve real-world problems, adding depth and relatability to your training.

In the grand tapestry of creating your product training presentation, remember to craft it with your audience in mind. Tailor the content to their level of experience, specific needs, and preferred learning style to ensure a training that is not just informative but highly effective.

How to structure a product training presentation

Creating an effective structure for your product training presentation is not just important; it's pivotal. It's the framework that holds the knowledge you're about to impart and the roadmap that guides your audience on their journey of discovery. Here's a structured approach to consider:

Introduction

• Welcome your audience : Start by extending a warm welcome and introducing yourself. Building a connection from the outset is essential.
• State the purpose : Clearly articulate the purpose of your presentation. What should your audience expect to learn or gain from this experience?
• Product overview : Offer a glimpse into your product, touching upon its core features and benefits. Think of this as the appetizer that whets the audience's appetite for more.
• Identify the problem : Acknowledge the problem that your product is designed to solve. Paint a vivid picture of the challenges your audience faces.
• Explain the impact : Describe how this problem affects your audience. Consider quantifying it, such as how much time or money people are losing due to this problem.
• Introduce your product as the solution : Transition into presenting your product as the remedy to the identified problem. Highlight the key features that act as problem-solvers.
• Provide examples : Bolster your explanation with real-life examples of how your product has successfully come to the rescue. Share stories of how it has made a tangible difference in the lives of others.
• Enumerate the benefits : Delve into the benefits that your product offers. Focus on the ones most relevant to your audience's needs and concerns.
• Quantify the benefits : Whenever possible, provide concrete figures to quantify the advantages. For instance, how much time or money can your audience save by using your product?

Demonstration

• Live product demonstration : Show, don't just tell. Give your audience a live demonstration of how to use your product's key features and functionalities. Be concise, clear, and open to questions.
• Interactive questions and answers : Allocate time for your audience to ask questions. Be well-prepared to address inquiries about your product, its features, and the benefits it offers.
• Summarize key points : Sum up the main takeaways from your presentation. This reinforces the crucial information in your audience's minds.
• Reiterate benefits : Re-emphasize the benefits of using your product. Remind your audience of the value it can bring to their lives or businesses.
• Encourage further engagement : Don't leave your audience hanging. Encourage them to take the next steps, whether it's signing up for a free trial, downloading additional resources, or getting in touch for further information.

Additional sections (optional)

Depending on the complexity of your product or your audience's needs, you can consider adding these optional sections:

• Case studies : Share real-world case studies illustrating how your product has effectively resolved problems for others.
• Customer testimonials : Incorporate customer testimonials to provide social proof and instill trust in your product.
• Pricing and plans : Discuss the pricing and plan options available, helping your audience make informed decisions.
• Next steps : Clearly lay out the next steps you'd like your audience to take, ensuring they know how to proceed after the presentation.

In crafting your product training presentation, always keep your audience at the forefront. Tailor your content to their level of experience and unique needs, ensuring that they leave not only informed but empowered to put their newfound knowledge into action effectively.

Do's and don'ts on a product training presentation

• Keep the presentation design clean and consistent.
• Use an appropriate font size to ensure readability.
• Customize your presentation with your company name and logo.
• Engage your audience through interactivity.
• Reiterate the company's and brand's mission and values.

Don'ts:

• Overload your presentation with information. Less is often more.
• Use jargon that your audience might not understand.
• Rush through the presentation. Pace yourself and ensure clarity.
• Neglect the importance of visuals and graphics.

Summarizing key takeaways

• Product training educates employees about a product's details, benefits, and how to engage with customers effectively, essential for sales, customer service, and marketing teams.
• Product training presentations empower employees, boost sales, engage the audience, and reinforce brand identity.
• Components of a product training presentation include slides, visuals, structure, an outline, interactivity, and case studies.
• Structure: Introduction, problem identification, solution presentation, benefits, live demo, Q&A, and conclusion.
• Do's: Keep the design clean, use readable fonts, customize with branding, engage with interactivity, and reinforce the brand's values.
• Don'ts: Avoid overloading with information, using jargon, rushing, and neglecting visuals.

So, get started with your training powerpoint presentation today, and take your product training to the next level.

1. What is a product training presentation, and how can a presentation template help?

A product training presentation is a vital tool for educating employees about a new product or product update. Using a presentation template can make it easier to create an engaging and informative slideshow, whether in PowerPoint (PPT), Google Slides, or any other format. Templates offer presentation inspiration and can significantly save time and effort for managers and executives.

2. How can I create a product training presentation that adds value to customers?

To create a good training presentation, you'll want to focus on conveying product knowledge effectively. Incorporating visual aids, diagrams, and a product training PowerPoint can help customers understand the features and benefits of your new product. A well-structured product training program, possibly including a product roadmap, can help you capitalize on this opportunity.

3. Are there any tips for creating a product training presentation that's easy to understand for employees?

Certainly! When designing your training presentation, consider including a clear timeline and project management illustration to outline key points. Also, using a presentation template with well-organized slides can be an excellent starting point for your staff training. This approach makes it easier to craft a presentation that is easy to understand and effective.

4. How can I make my next product training presentation more engaging for employees?

To make your product training deck more engaging, consider using a mix of formats like slideshows, webinars, and PDFs. Incorporating engaging visuals, such as product images and illustrations, can enhance the learning experience for your employees. In addition, you might need to assign a coach or expert to guide the training process and provide additional insight.

5. What tools or software can I use to create a product training presentation?

There are several tools available to create product training presentations. Microsoft PowerPoint is a popular choice, and you can find many presentation templates, including product training presentation templates, in the presentation gallery. If you prefer an online platform, Google Slides is a suitable alternative. Whichever software you choose, using a product training PowerPoint or PPT slides can simplify the process and help you convey your message effectively in the workplace.

Create your product training presentation with prezent

Prezent, the communication success platform for enterprise teams, offers a range of features and services to streamline and enhance your product training presentations. With Prezent, you can:

• Presentation builder : Use Prezent's presentation builder tool to easily create and design your training materials. You can save time and maintain a consistent brand look and feel.
• Business storytelling : Prezent provides guides and e-courses on effective business storytelling. This helps you convey information in a compelling and memorable way.
• Brand-approved design : Ensure that your training materials adhere to your corporate brand and marketing guidelines. Prezent's document management features help maintain a professional and consistent look.
• Save time and costs : Prezent can save you up to 70% of the time it takes to create presentations, and you can cut communication costs by 60% by replacing expensive agencies with this software and its services.
• Personalized presentations : Tailor your product training presentations to the specific preferences of your audience, making the training more effective and engaging.
• Professional services : If you're looking for a personal touch or need assistance, Prezent offers professional services, including overnight services and presentation specialists who can convert notes to presentations and brainstorm design ideas.

By leveraging Prezent's powerful tools and services, you can create compelling, on-brand product training presentations that engage your audience and effectively convey essential information about your products.

Ready to kickstart your journey towards crafting an effective product training presentation?

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Ideas and insights from Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How are you providing presentation skills training for your learners?

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

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What is Presentation Training?

Posted by Belinda Huckle  |  On November 23, 2020  |  In Presentation Training, Tips & Advice

In this Article...quick links

1. Audience analysis

2. presentation structure, 3. presentation delivery, 4. audience engagement, 5. visual aids, 6. managing nerves, so, what is presentation training , and follow us on social media for some more great presentation tips:.

This might sound like a simple question, with an obvious answer. But is it? What is p resentation training?!

Businesses come to us almost every day and say ‘We would like to book some presentation training for our team. Can you help?’ The obvious answer, being business presentation skills experts, is ‘Yes, we can, and we’d love to help!’. But do businesses really know what they’re asking?

When we drill down and ask them to elaborate they often find it difficult to articulate details around why their people want/need the training. Other than perhaps to say something relatively vague like ‘Our people need to be more confident when they’re presenting’ or ‘Our team need s to deliver better presentations’.

So, we thought it might be useful to share with the broader L&D community, and indeed anyone in business, what presentation training is.

We know from our many years’ of experience coaching exclusively in business presentation skills that both confidence, and delivering better presentations, come by getting all the key elements of what makes a good presenter and presentation sorted. Rather than by confidence being instilled as a thing in itself, or by people being given some ‘acting’ tips for standing up in front of an audience.

So, what are these key elements? We believe there are 6 of them; 6 key pillars of successful presentation training. 

The 6 pillars of presentation training

It doesn’t matter how amazing the content is, or how confident the presenter is, if the information for the presentation isn’t tailored specifically for the audience it will fall flat. 

This first step in presenting is absolutely crucial, regardless of whether you’re a CEO presenting downwards or outwards, or a Graduate presenting upwards or across. The most successful presenters are those that place themselves firmly in the shoes of their audience (i.e. by recognising their audience’s level of knowledge, their feelings about the subject, their concerns about what’s being proposed, the level of detail they prefer, and so on) even before they begin putting together any of their content. They then use these insights to carefully target their message in the most meaningful and relevant way possible to the people they are presenting to.  

Most people know about the importance of presentation structure but many  will admit that whilst they have the basics right, their narrative still doesn’t flow as well as it could, their message isn’t as effectively crystalised as it should be and the key takeaways aren’t as clearly emphasised as they need to be. 

If you like, presentation structure is the engine of a car. In our view most people are using presentation structures from 20 or 30 years ago. That might be fine – but who wants to be driving a car with an engine that’s 25 years old when there is a far smarter, more efficient and effective engine that could be used instead? 

At SecondNature we have developed a Presentation Mapper TM methodology that transforms people’s message clarity, impact and persuasiveness. Even seasoned presenters say our Mapper TM approach has taken their effectiveness as communicators to a whole new level.

Training in how to deliver a presentation is what many people mean when they use the words ‘presentation training’. Many   businesses’ focus is for training to help their people deliver better . They want their people to become confident , open, relaxed, inspiring and authoritative presenters, with gravitas, charisma and presence. 

Developing people’s delivery skills ( face-to-face or online ) is certainly important. But presentation training should not just be about how to deliver a presentation at the expense of learning how to create and structure relevant, impactful persuasive presentations. At the end of the day, effective presenters are those that combine style and substance!

Delivery skills are about the ‘style’ part. And this is where presentation training can use techniques to affect how well a presenter comes across and is received by their audience – like how to use pausing , use their voice and how to communicate using body language, gestures, eye connection, movement and so on. 

At SecondNature we believe in helping people develop their own unique, powerful and authentic delivery style. A style that they are comfortable with, so they can influence, even inspire, an audience. 

Always remember that delivery (style) is only one part of a great presentation!

Very few people enjoy sitting in a presentation and being talked at. Instead they prefer to be communicated with. Fully engaging an audience and making them feel part of the journey or story, even if they aren’t able to actually participate (e.g. when there are hundreds of people in the audience or on a VC call) is a skill every good presenter needs to master. 

The good news is that audience engagement skills are not hard to learn. The bad news is that most people don’t make this a priority. We think that’s a mistake. It’s a mistake because presenters lose out on the opportunity to fully connect with their listeners. And also because the more audience engagement there is the more both the audience and the presenter enjoy the experience. So, learning eff ective audience engagement techniques is a win-win for the presenter and those they are presenting to.

Everyone knows the difference between slides that engage and excite them versus those that send them to sleep. Becoming a skilled slide designer is a craft that can take years to learn. None-the-less all of us should know the essential principles behind effective slide design. If you like, the crucial Dos and the Do Not ’ s. You don’t need to be a Mac whizz to put these simple principles into  practise. And why wouldn’t you? Bad slides can destroy a great presentation and completely undermine a great presenter. So, understanding the principles of good slide deck design should always be a part of any presentation training.

Let’s be clear. Nerves are not a bad thing. In fact, nerves show we care (versus being complacent or arrogant). And nervous energy can have many benefits. They can make us sharper, more focussed, disciplined and on ‘on point’. The issue is when our negative nervous energy overtakes our positive nervous energy . That’s where coaching can help to calm nerves . Unfortunately, there isn’t a silver bullet to managing negative nervous energy. That’s because the causes, and the solutions, vary from person to person. 

Examples of why people are excessively and negatively nervous can include that presenting is a new thing for them; or that they’re under-prepared, or don’t feel their content is going to be relevant. Or that they’ve had a bad experience in the past, or they’re worried about the tech falling over (very common these days with online presenting). Or they’re concerned they’ll be asked a challenging question that they won’t know the answer to. Or that they think they’ll get tongue tied, or will have a brain freeze. Or simply that they’re scared the audience won’t like them. 

All these causes are valid. And all of these causes, with the right coaching, can be overcome. But you can see that a blanket approach won’t work – because everyone is different. Hence why, even in a group presentation skills training workshop, everyone needs to have plenty of individual practise time, as well as detailed and personalised feedback guidance and coaching.

In summary, expert presentation training isn’t just about instilling confidence, or developing narrow skills in one ‘pillar’. Instead presentation training is really an umbrella term that covers a wide range of intermeshing skills. Skills that fall into the above 6 pillars, and skills that with practise can add immeasurably to an individual’s career success and to the achievements of a business or organisation. 

Today, learning all these skills is just as important, if not more so, for all of us presenting online.

Improve your business presentations with our business presentation skills training programmes

For nearly 20 years we have been the Business Presentation Skills Experts , training & coaching thousands of people in an A-Z of global blue-chip organisations – check out what they say about our programmes .

To find out more, click on one of the buttons below:

Written By Belinda Huckle

Co-Founder & Managing Director

Belinda is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of SecondNature International. With a determination to drive a paradigm shift in the delivery of presentation skills training both In-Person and Online, she is a strong advocate of a more personal and sustainable presentation skills training methodology.

Belinda believes that people don’t have to change who they are to be the presenter they want to be. So she developed a coaching approach that harnesses people’s unique personality to build their own authentic presentation style and personal brand.

She has helped to transform the presentation skills of people around the world in an A-Z of organisations including Amazon, BBC, Brother, BT, CocaCola, DHL, EE, ESRI, IpsosMORI, Heineken, MARS Inc., Moody’s, Moonpig, Nationwide, Pfizer, Publicis Groupe, Roche, Savills, Triumph and Walmart – to name just a few.

A total commitment to quality, service, your people and you.

Training Presentation Template

Effectively develop your workforce with an engaging training presentation template that simplifies the training creation process.

Trusted by 65M+ users and leading companies

About the Training Presentation Template

Upskilling your workforce can cultivate a more creative and innovative workplace. When you provide high-quality training, you equip your team for success.

How you present your training can make or break the experience for your employees. Even the most in-depth training content can go over your employees’ heads if they’re not fully engaged in the experience.

The Training Presentation Template helps you outline your training and provide a visually engaging presentation for your employees. Plus, it’s easy for you to collaborate with other trainers by hashing out ideas on the board and customizing the template from your brainstorming sessions.

Once the training is over, your team can use your Training Presentation Template as a single source of truth to refer back to. No more switching back and forth between a slide editor, paper documents, and handwritten mind maps in someone’s notebooks.

How to use the Training Presentation Template

The Training Presentation Template is already designed for you on your board — that’s why it’s so easy to create a training presentation with Miro. You can say goodbye to boring training slides.

You can easily edit and customize the training presentation to fit your needs and match your company’s branding. Whether you need to change up the colors, add a logo, link to some additional training resources, or complement your training with images, this template makes customization simple and painless.

And there’s no need to stay constricted within the template, either. You can add or remove frames to get as many or as few slides as you need to create stunning training content.

Customize your frames with your training content

In Miro, frames are your presentation “slides.” All frames are contained within a board on the platform. They hold all the content of your slide and keep it together so it’s ready to present your training, just like you would with a traditional slide editor.

Once you open your Training Presentation Template, you can:

Change the text

Adjust the font 

Change the background color

Replace images with your own

Add more images

Drag and drop to switch the order of your frames. When you do, everything contained within the frame will also move. There’s no need to select all the elements within the frame first!

To add elements within the frame, simply pull in images, text boxes, and other elements you’d like to use. You can double-click the title of each frame to give them a different title if desired.

Duplicate frames to add more slides.You can even add new frames by drawing on the board for a custom ratio or by selecting from one of the existing frame ratios, like 16:9.

For more in-depth information on how to customize your training material, read about presentation mode in Miro .

Brainstorm training content with your team 

Because your frames are in a Miro board, you can use the remainder of the board to collaborate with anyone else helping to build out the training.  Brainstorm slide ideas by putting together mockup designs and sketches. Alternatively, add mind maps to the board to map out your training.

View your Frames list and export 

You can view all the frames on your board with the Frames list. This list will give you a preview of what your training presentation will look like when you export your board. 

Drag and drop your frames to change the order if desired. Once you’re happy with how everything looks, you can save your training presentation as a PDF.

Present your training in Miro 

If you want to present directly from your board without leaving Miro instead of exporting a PDF, you can do that. Miro has a built-in presentation mode designed for that purpose.

When you activate presentation mode , you’ll start a slideshow from your existing training presentation frames. Use your arrow keys to move back and forth between frames.

Tips for structuring a training presentation

Greet the audience first when you structure your training presentation frames. Next, introduce yourself or the training team.

Once you complete the introduction section, jump into the training by tackling the challenge this training is designed to help them overcome. You should also state your expectations to your employees. For example, do you want them to interact during training? Will you only take questions at the end? Should they expect a quiz or an exam once the training is over?

Go into the main topic of your training and give a summary before each section with time for questions if possible. When you create your conclusion, summarize the main training points and key elements to retain.

You can wrap up the training presentation by giving a call to action to let them know what’s next for them. That could be homework, a specific goal, another upcoming training session, assessments, or more.

To encourage discussion, leave a slide at the end that signals you’re ready to take questions. 

What should be included in a training presentation?

Make sure to include content that appeals to different learning styles. Not every employee learns in the same way.For example, you can include flow charts and maps for visual learners. Add some text to your slides for learners who prefer to read. For kinesthetic learners, include some real examples and practical exercises to be performed during the training session. Finally, auditory learners will benefit from hearing you speak during the presentation.

How do you give an effective training presentation?

When you give your training presentation, make sure you’re well-rested for the occasion. It’s important to appear open and approachable.If you’re giving a training presentation that’s longer than 30 minutes, schedule some short breaks to allow for better retention. You should also add interactive elements in between sections. For instance, include exercises with scenarios to gauge your employees’ understanding of the content. Thank your employees for their attention once you conclude the training session. Answer any questions you can. When possible, clear your schedule after the presentation so that employees can speak to you one-on-one about further questions and concerns.

Get started with this template right now.

Logo Presentation Template

Works best for:.

Presentations, UX Design

Make your logo ideas shine with the Logo Presentation Template. Use it to deliver logo designs, explain the thought process behind them, and show how they work in various contexts.

Storyboard Presentation Template

Presentations, Design Thinking

Use this Storyboard Presentation Template to visualize the structure, content, and flow of your presentation. Make sure that your presentation covers all the key points and hits the mark.

Project Presentation Template

Presentations, Product Management

Use our Project Presentation Template to provide an overview of your upcoming project. Get buy-in from investors, keep stakeholders in the loop, and show colleagues your plan of action.

QBR Presentation Template

Presentations, Meetings

Use Miro’s QBR Presentation Template to give clients an overview of their business performance and show where you can add more value. Review your successes over the past 90 days and create a plan of action for the next quarter.

Change Management Presentation Template

Presentations, Strategic Planning

Employee resistance to change can block any positive initiative. You won’t have to struggle with it if you clearly communicate what upcoming changes mean and how they’ll benefit your company in the long run. Use our Change Management Presentation Template to outline your implementation strategy and spark enthusiasm among employees.

Pitch Deck Template

Stand out and leave a lasting impression with the Pitch Deck Template. Make people care about your idea and gain supporters everywhere.

Blog – Creative Presentations Ideas

infoDiagram visual slide examples, PowerPoint diagrams & icons , PPT tricks & guides

7 Sections for Effective Presentation Training Slides

Last Updated on March 11, 2024 by Rosemary

Are you delivering a public speaking or presentation skills training? Find some inspiration for your slides here.

Explore our Business Performance PPT Reports category on the website for more resources to boost your presentation impact.

In this article I suggest how you can prepare engaging PowerPoint visuals covering presentation training topics, specifically:

• How to illustrate presentation structure and content types on a slide
• Visualizing speaker and listener types
• Presenting various meeting room setups
• How to show hints for preparing speech and presentation itself
• Closing the presentation training with a recap and summary slide

Whether you are a professional communication trainer or a beginner, I believe you can find some handy examples.

Note: All slide examples are from the Presentation Skills Training PPT Toolbox . Click the pictures to see details.

We’re talking a lot here about presentation content, right visualizations, showing concepts… Let’s get back tot he roots and recall the very basics of high-quality presentation and how it should look like.

Words are the most powerful drug used by mankind. Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling was right that words are a very powerful tool, however, if used and delivered effectively. Let’s break down some theories into short sections.

#1: Illustrating Presentation Structure by Drawing

In my presentation experience, I see usually those 3 most popular kinds of structures: classical 3-part, monotonous and ‘Hollywood-movie’ style. When you explain such structures, I suggest you draw a simple diagram like the one above. Either on a flipchart or if you want to have materials prepared before, then make a slide with those speech flow diagrams.

You can either show them all together on one slide for comparison or put each on a separate slide. This way you will get attention and focus on one presentation type at a time.

For discovering more tips for structuring presentations I recommend checking Nancy Duarte’s blog series:  Structure Your Presentation Like a Story and her book Resonate.

4MAT – My Favorite Presentation Structure

Out of various speech structures, I like the most the 4MAT concept. It is pretty simple and works for me.

I suggest that when you create a presentation, ask yourself those four questions. Those are questions listeners have in their heads when they listen to you.

Using the 4MAT framework helps me to see things from the viewpoint of my audience and be sure listeners will get their ideas right.

#2: Explore Presentations by Content

It’s obvious the presentation content defines the presentation type. However, it’s good to remind yourself what’s the goal of the presentation – to inspire or to entertain only? Do you want to persuade your audience of your idea or only to inform, to give a report?

Some examples:

• For inspiring presentations: Talks on TED.com are the best examples. Or check one of Elon Musk’s speeches on the Mars Mission .  Politicians use this presentation to type a lot
• Informative presentations are usually used when you do a project summary report or yearly business review. Unfortunately, lots of school lectures fall into this category, even though the teachers should work on moving towards an inspiring segment with a bit of entertainment to keep kids attention.
• For persuasive presentations just think of the last sales or marketing presentation you experienced.
• For entertainment – check out any stand-up comedy talks, for example, this (being a father I really appreciate that later talk).
• A mixture of entertainment and information is e.g. famous John Oliver show

You have to make sure that your speech is relevant to the audience you’re speaking to.

#3: Analyze the Speaker Types

When teaching about properly preparing a talk, you need to consider also different speaker types classification. I put here four kinds of presenters: a typical talkative salesman style, an analyst type who likes to go into details (sometimes too much), a monotonous teacher style (that would need a point of wake up) and an involving storyteller. However, you can think of other examples based on your experience.

Depending on the particular speaker type, you can use its strong sides to build the presentation differently and also support it with proper visuals. For instance, for a talkative salesman, the agenda slides can provide a structure to follow. On the other hand, a too much detailed analyst on lengthy teacher talk can benefit from having a strong visual section slides that will wake up your audience.

#4: Analyze the Listener Groups

Knowing the speaker type is one thing. However, even more, important is to examine the audience carefully to reach them best.

Every presenter should ask first “Who are my listeners”? Do they prefer a formal or informal way of communication? Are they feelers or thinkers (see MBTI types of personality )? Will the audience be active or rather passive during the talk?

When doing a presentation training, you should address this key question. And what is the better way than to illustrate it e.g. by a set of icons?

In my slides, I added there also a hand drawn chart where you can position the major listeners’ types. Then you can place and move around the central circle to show various audience cases on a knowledge and involvement scale.

In a training, you can include a similar chart (or apply those presentation training diagram slides ) for determining the audience type.

#5: Room set up – the importance of the presentation environment

After talking about the presentation audience and speaker types, a good presenter should think also about the place where the talk will take place. Choosing a suitable environment is an important factor for the effective delivery of the speech.

I distinguish here five common kinds of room setups: classroom, multiple groups environment, interactive roundtable, big theater and sitting in a circle. Each one suits a different purpose. Some of these you need to arrange before, of course, you will know if you speak at a big conference that there will likely be a theater-like room. However, sometimes even a small change of sitting arrangements can provide a totally different atmosphere for a speech.

• Classroom setup assumes rather one-directional communication from teacher to students.
• Roundtable or sitting in a circle encourages discussion and underlines equality of all participants.
• Having clusters of multiple groups is great if you want to have several teams working on some group work.

#6: Presenting Hints for Speech Preparation

If you want to add a list of things to remember before making a presentation, I suggest you try to illustrate each point with some image, as I did above. This creates a better mnemonic association for each point and people will remember the hints longer. Even better, replace the bullet points with a vivid diagram along with keeping the icons.

#7: Presenting Summary of the Training

At the end of the training, remember to repeat the main message once again. Present the main conclusion, and give your audience something to think about. You can write it down on a slide clearly, without too many distractions. Or write it by hand on a board or flipchart.

Resources for Presentation Training

Besides the links I shared above I recommend those further reading and resources

• Toastmasters International public speaking clubs all over the world
• Books: Slide:ology Nancy Duarte and Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds
• Our PowerPoint Training templates for various soft-skills training, see details below.
• Feedback Training Presentation Hints 
• Motivation Training Presentation Template & Ideas

So if you’re having training on how to create and deliver a presentation, you can reuse slides from our collection in your projects. Or just get inspiration from my slides and create them yourself.

If you decide to go for our hand-drawn style diagrams, you will be able to easily edit all content, adapt the colors to your brand, and add the whole slides or particular charts to your training presentation.

For more inspiration, subscribe to our YouTube channel:

Graphics resource: Presentation skills training toolbox

You can also check the presentation template we’ve designed with illustrations of types of speakers or presentation structures:

Presentation Skills Training Toolbox

If you like such scribble style, see the complete All Scribble Symbols Bundle , with over 250 handwritten hand-drawn symbols and shapes.

About the author: Peter Zvirinsky is a slide design trainer and the founder of infoDiagram. He is helping presenters, trainers and various business managers to communicate their ideas in clear visual way usually in form of PowerPoint slides. Peter loves changing text information into simple diagrams and he wants to inspire also others to use this visualization process in everyday life. Reach out to Peter on LinkedIn or via his slide design & training website.

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Chief Diagram Designer, infoDiagram co-founder View all posts by Peter Z

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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College of Behavioral and Community Sciences

Main navigation, usf cjmhsa tac hosts training on the mental health parity and addiction equity act.

President of New Futures Michele Merritt, JD, presents at the training.

• April 15, 2024
• College News , Mental Health Law and Policy

The USF Criminal Justice, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Technical Assistance Center (CJMHSA TAC) convened a training in Palm Coast, FL. The purpose of this engagement was to present to local community providers regarding the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), otherwise known as the federal parity law.

Abby Shockley, MPH, CPH , director of the center, was one of the facilitators of the training. Michele Merritt, JD, who serves as the president of New Futures, a New England-Based policy-oriented nonprofit, also facilitated the training.

The training served as a comprehensive primer for participants with the session summarizing various aspects of the law, including examples of ways to measure parity compliance, appeals processes, and identifying red flags in coverage limitations that may require notification to enforcement bodies. Participants gained insights into measuring parity compliance through examples of key indicators, such as analyzing quantitative data on utilization management practices, out-of-pocket costs, and coverage limitations for mental health services compared to medical/surgical services. The training provided participants with tools to identify and address parity violations effectively.

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The Mission of the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences (CBCS) is to advance knowledge through interdisciplinary teaching, research, and service that improves the capacity of individuals, families, and diverse communities to promote productive, satisfying, healthy, and safe lives across the lifespan. CBCS envisions the college as a globally recognized leader that creates innovative solutions to complex conditions that affect the behavior and well-being of individuals, families, and diverse communities.

A Bunch of IRS Tax Deductions and Credits You Need to Know

Lowering your taxable income is the key to paying less to the IRS. Several federal tax deductions and credits can help.

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Tax season can be stressful and complicated. Thankfully, tax credits and tax deductions can reduce your tax bill and ease the frustration of owing too much money to the IRS.

Here are some common IRS tax deductions and credits. Whether you are a homeowner, parent, charitable giver, older adult, or self-employed person, there are various ways to optimize your tax savings. 

IRS tax return common credits and tax deductions

If you haven’t filed your taxes yet ( Tax Day is April 15), you can use these and other tax breaks (if you are eligible for them) to reduce tax liability. If you have already filed, this information can help you plan to maximize your tax savings for the 2024 tax year (returns you file in early 2025).

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Consult with a qualified tax professional to ensure you take full advantage of the credits and deductions available to you in compliance with tax laws. Doing so can help you to keep more of your hard-earned money and achieve greater financial stability. 

Note: This is a list of common tax deductions and credits that may be available to you. Please note that it is not exhaustive and does not include any particular order or ranking.

The standard deduction

If you are like most taxpayers, you take the standard deduction instead of itemizing deductions. 

• The standard deduction reduces your taxable income by a predetermined, fixed dollar amount.
• Itemized deductions can also reduce your taxable income, but the amount varies and is not predetermined.

However, to decide whether to itemize, you must know the standard deduction amount for each tax year. See What’s the Standard Deduction for 2023 and 2024 ?

Family-focused tax credits

Child Tax Credit: The child tax credit (CTC) allows eligible parents and caregivers to reduce their tax liability, possibly resulting in a tax refund. However, not everyone can claim the CTC, and credit amounts can differ for those who can. The child tax credit is based on income, filing status, the number of children, and whether the IRS considers your dependent a qualifying child. For more information on the 2023 CTC (for tax returns filed now, see Child Tax Credit 2023: What You Need to Know .

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): Aimed at individuals and families with low to moderate income, the EITC is a refundable tax credit based on earned income and family size. It can financially boost working individuals, especially those with children, but is also available to some taxpayers without children. Unfortunately, many eligible individuals are unaware of the credit or don’t know how to claim it, resulting in it being overlooked.

Child and Dependent Care Credit: The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit can help you pay for childcare or dependent care services to enable you to work or search for a job. 

• You can claim up to $3,000 of eligible childcare expenses for one qualifying individual or up to $6,000 for two or more qualifying individuals. 

This is a non-refundable tax credit, meaning it can reduce your federal income tax bill, but you cannot receive the credit as a tax refund. Learn more at Summer Camp Tax Breaks for 2023 .

Adoption Credit: The adoption credit is available for taxpayers who adopt or start the adoption process in a given tax year. The credit can be applied to international, domestic, private, and public foster care adoptions. However, it does not apply to those who adopt their spouse's child. The federal adoption tax credit for the 2023 tax year is worth up to $15,950 (inflation-adjusted yearly), but income limits apply.

Homeowner tax deductions

Mortgage Interest Deduction: Homeowners can deduct the interest paid on mortgage loans, reducing taxable income. This deduction can be particularly beneficial during the early years of a mortgage when interest payments are higher. How much you can deduct might depend on when you bought your home and your filing status. For more information, see Deducting Mortgage Interest on Your Tax Return .

Mortgage Points : Points paid at the time of mortgage origination can often be deducted in the year they were paid, potentially lowering taxable income.

Gains on Home Sale: Individuals who sell their primary residence may qualify to exclude a portion of the capital gains from their taxable income, provided they meet certain ownership and use requirements. This is known as the capital gains tax exclusion for home sales .

Energy-Efficient Home Improvements: Taxpayers who invest in energy-efficient home improvements may be eligible for tax credits. For example, homeowners can lower their federal income tax bills by installing new energy-efficient windows, doors, water heaters, furnaces, air conditioners, and solar panels.

Medical deductions

Medical Expenses: Taxpayers who itemize deductions can deduct qualifying medical expenses that exceed a certain percentage of their adjusted gross income (AGI), which can provide some relief for substantial healthcare costs.

Health Savings Account (HSA) Contributions: Contributions to an HSA are tax-deductible and can be used to pay for qualified medical expenses, offering a tax-efficient way to save for healthcare costs.

Long-term Care Insurance Premiums: Long-term care insurance provides benefits to policyholders dealing with long-term care expenses. If your insurance premiums are substantial, you may be eligible to claim a deduction for some or all of the amount you pay to keep your policy. This can help decrease your tax liability. However, it is important to remember that this tax benefit has certain IRS limitations.

Education credits and deductions

Student Loan Interest Deduction: If you paid interest on your student loan last year, you might be eligible for a tax deduction worth up to $2,500. By using this deduction, you can lower your taxable income. 

• However, the IRS has specific rules for who can claim the student loan interest deduction; only some are eligible for the maximum amount. 

For more information, see How to Claim the Student Loan Interest Deduction .

AOTC: The American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) is a partially refundable tax credit available to those currently enrolled in college. Eligible taxpayers can claim 100% of the first $2,000 spent on qualified education expenses and 25% of the next $2,000. The maximum credit is $2,500 per qualifying student. If the credit exceeds the tax owed, you can receive a refund for 40% of the remaining amount, up to $1,000 per qualifying student.

Lifetime Learning Credit: The Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC) is worth up to $2,000 per tax return and can be claimed for an unlimited number of years. However, the credit is not refundable. Unlike the American Opportunity tax credit, graduate students are eligible to claim the LLC, and students do not need to attend college at least half-time to qualify. 

For more information, see 11 Education Tax Credits and Deductions .

Work-related tax deductions

Home Office Tax Deduction: Self-employed individuals are typically eligible to deduct expenses related to their home office. Here's more about the home office tax deduction .

Educator Expense Deduction: The educator expense tax deduction (also called the teacher deduction) allows some teachers, counselors, principals, or other instructors to write off classroom expenses and supplies on federal income tax returns. For the current tax season (i.e., the 2023 tax year), the maximum educator expense deduction is $300.

Military Moving Expenses: Active-duty U.S. military personnel who relocate due to a military order and permanent change of station may be able to deduct certain moving expenses not reimbursed by the military.

Special deductions for older ddults

Qualified Charitable Distributions: If you are 70½ or older, you can make qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) directly from your IRA to eligible charitable organizations. 

• These distributions can be helpful for retirees who want to support charitable causes while minimizing their tax liability. 
• QCDs fulfill required minimum distributions (RMDs) without being included in adjusted gross income (AGI).

Extra Standard Deduction: Once you turn 65, you become eligible for an extra standard deduction in addition to the regular standard deduction. This extra deduction reduces taxable income, potentially allowing retirees to keep more of their hard-earned money.

Energy tax credits

EV Tax Credit: To encourage people to purchase electric vehicles (EVs), the federal government offers a tax credit of up to $7,500 for certain "clean vehicles." The EV tax credit amount depends on factors like the vehicle's sourcing, assembly, and when it was put into service.  Used EVs may also qualify for a tax credit of up to $4,000. Due to new EV tax rules, beginning January 1, 2024, you may be able to take the clean vehicle credit as a discount when purchasing the vehicle from a registered dealer. (Income limits apply to the EV credit.)

EV Charger Tax Credit: If you install an electric vehicle charging station at home, you can receive a federal EV charger tax credit equal to 30% of the cost of hardware and installation expenses. The maximum credit amount is $1,000. Additionally, starting last year, the EV charger tax credit for home and business installations applies to other EV charger equipment like bidirectional (two-way) chargers.

Miscellaneous tax deductions and credits

Charitable Contributions : Donations made to qualifying charitable organizations are tax-deductible for those who itemize, which can incentivize philanthropic giving. Be sure to contribute to legitimate charities and get and keep receipts for your donations. The IRS says that in most cases, the amount of charitable cash contributions taxpayers can deduct as an itemized deduction is usually limited to 60% of the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income.

Jury Duty Pay Returned to Employer: If an employer continues to pay an employee's salary while serving jury duty and requires the employee to turn over the jury duty pay, the employee can deduct the amount turned over to the employer. Keep in mind that jury pay is taxable income.

Gambling Losses: While gambling winnings are taxable, taxpayers can deduct gambling losses up to the amount of their winnings if they itemize deductions. For more information, see Taxes on Gambling Winnings and Losses .

Bad Debt (Uncollected): If you have previously included an amount in your income and cannot collect it, you may be able to deduct it as a bad debt. Check out IRS Topic 453 for more information.

Saver’s Credit : People with low to moderate incomes who contribute to retirement savings accounts may qualify for a tax credit designed to encourage retirement savings.

•  If your income falls within the credit limits, you can claim up to $1,000 for single filers or $2,000 for joint filers.

As Kiplinger has reported, for those who qualify for the Saver's Credit , the lower your income, the higher the percentage of retirement plan contributions you get back on your tax return.

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As the senior tax editor at Kiplinger.com, Kelley R. Taylor simplifies federal and state tax information, news, and developments to help empower readers. Kelley has over two decades of experience advising on and covering education, law, finance, and tax as a corporate attorney and business journalist. 

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Empowering the Frontlines: SMU Hosts Training Program with Human Trafficking Education Initiative

Studies have shown that over 80% of people who experience human trafficking interact with healthcare institutions while they’re being trafficked. However, only about 30% of healthcare workers report feeling prepared to address human trafficking in a clinical setting. 

These statistics were top of mind for the SMU faculty and staff who initiated SMU’s Human Trafficking Education Initiative in 2022. On March 27, 2024, SMU’s Ethnic Health Institute in collaboration with the College of Nursing led its fourth training to teach current and future healthcare workers how to recognize signs of both sexual and labor trafficking among patients and provide trauma-informed care to survivors. 

Roughly 90 students, staff, faculty, and community members attended this spring’s training, held on SMU’s Oakland campus. The 4-hour long training featured a presentation from MISSSEY, a local survivor-led nonprofit organization supporting youth of color impacted by trafficking. Participants listened to a series of case studies based on real stories of patients experiencing trafficking, followed by a powerful speech by Vincent Ray Williams, a survivor of trafficking and founder of the  Urban Compassion Project . Attendees also learned from an expert panel comprised of Leah Kimble-Price, the Executive Director of  Bay Area Women Against Rape (BAWAR) , Vincent Ray Williams, and SMU’s very own nursing faculty member Dr. Shelitha Campbell who leads  A Sista’s Touch , an organization raising awareness about trafficking of girls in the Oakland area. 

This training is part of SMU’s larger trafficking initiative which is supported by a  $500,000 grant  from the Department of Justice. SMU’s trafficking initiative is housed under the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) and Ethnic Health Institute (EHI). Members of the initiative include College of Nursing faculty Sarah Koster, Shelitha Campbell, and Jeneva Gularte-Rinaldo alongside CCE and EHI staff Sam Alavi-Irvine and Tavi Baker. 

The group is planning additional trainings sessions on this topic later in the year. If you would like to learn more about the initiative, contact Sam Alavi-Irvine at  [email protected]   

• Campus News
• Center for Community Engagement
• Ethnic Health Institute
• College of Nursing

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Cries of Sexism Greet a Nike Olympic Reveal

The sporting giant offered a sneak peek at its track and field outfits for Team U.S.A., and an unexpected backlash ensued.

By Vanessa Friedman

Ever since the Norwegian women’s beach handball team turned the fact that they were required to wear teeny-tiny bikini bottoms for competition into a cause célèbre, a quiet revolution has been brewing throughout women’s sports. It’s one that questions received conventions about what female athletes do — or don’t — have to wear to perform at their very best.

It has touched women’s soccer (why white shorts?), gymnastics (why not a unitard rather than a leotard?), field hockey (why a low-cut tank top?) and many more, including running.

So it probably should not have come as a shock to Nike that when it offered a sneak peek of the Team U.S.A. track and field unies during a Nike Air event in Paris celebrating its Air technology on Thursday (which also included looks for other Olympic athletes, like Kenya’s track and field team, France’s basketball team and Korea’s break dancing delegation), they were met with some less-than-enthusiastic reactions.

See, the two uniforms Nike chose to single out on the mannequins included a men’s compression tank top and mid-thigh-length compression shorts and a woman’s bodysuit, cut notably high on the hip. It looked sort of like a sporty version of a 1980s workout leotard. As it was displayed, the bodysuit seemed as if it would demand some complicated intimate grooming.

Citius Mag , which focuses on running news, posted a photo of the uniforms on Instagram, and many of its followers were not amused.

“What man designed the woman’s cut?” wrote one.

“I hope U.S.A.T.F. is paying for the bikini waxes,” wrote another. So went most of the more than 1,900 comments.

The running comedian Laura Green posted an Instagram reel in which she pretended to be trying on the look (“We’re feeling pretty, um, breezy,” she said) and checking out the rest of the athlete’s kit bag, which turned out to include hair spray, lip gloss and a “hysterectomy kit,” so the women would not have to worry about periods.

When asked, Nike did not address the brouhaha directly, but according to John Hoke, the chief innovation officer, the woman’s bodysuit and the man’s shorts and top are only two of the options Nike will have for its Olympic runners. There are “nearly 50 unique pieces across men’s and women’s and a dozen competition styles fine-tuned for specific events,” Mr. Hoke said.

Women will be able to opt for compression shorts, a crop top or tank and a bodysuit with shorts rather than bikini bottoms. The full slate of looks was not on hand in Paris but more will be revealed next week at the U.S. Olympic Committee media summit in New York. The Paris reveal was meant to be a teaser.

Mr. Hoke also pointed out that Nike consults with a large number of athletes at every stage of the uniform design. Its track and field roster includes Sha’Carri Richardson, who happened to be wearing the compression shorts during the Paris presentation, and Athing Mu. And there are certainly runners who like the high-cut brief. (The British Olympic sprinter Dina Asher-Smith , another Nike athlete, told The New York Times last summer that while she opts to run in briefs, she also leans toward a leotard style, rather than a two-piece.)

What Nike missed, however, was that in choosing those two looks as the primary preview for Team U.S.A., rather than, say, the matching shorts and tanks that will be also available, it shored up a longstanding inequity in sports — one that puts the body of a female athlete on display in a way it does not for the male athlete.

“Why are we presenting this sexualized outfit as the standard of excellence?” said Lauren Fleshman, a U.S. national champion distance runner and the author of “Good for a Girl.” “In part because we think that’s what nets us the most financial gain from sponsors or NIL opportunities, most of which are handed out by powerful men or people looking at it through a male gaze. But women are breaking records with ratings in sports where you don’t have to wear essentially a bathing suit to perform.”

The problem such imagery creates is twofold. When Nike chose to reveal the high-cut bodysuit as the first Olympics outfit, purposefully or not, the implication for anyone watching is that “this is what excellence looks like,” Ms. Fleshman said.

That perception filters down to young athletes and becomes the model girls think they have to adopt, often at a developmental stage when their relationships with their bodies are particularly fraught.

And more broadly, given the current political debate around adjudicating women’s bodies, it reinforces the idea that they are public property.

Still, Ms. Fleshman said, “I’m glad Nike put this image out as the crown jewel of Olympic Team design,” because it may act as the catalyst for another conversation that has been long overdue.

“If you showed this outfit to someone from the W.N.B.A. or women’s soccer, they would laugh in your face,” she said. “We shouldn’t have to normalize it for track and field anymore. Time’s up on that.”

Vanessa Friedman has been the fashion director and chief fashion critic for The Times since 2014. More about Vanessa Friedman

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