How To Improve Presentation Skills for Executives: 14 Proven Tips
July 08, 2023
Updated 12 September 2026
When you are presenting to the board, investors, or to colleagues internally, standard presentation advice isn’t enough.
In this guide you’ll find 14 proven ways to improve your business presentation skills — used by great presenters around the world — plus advice on how to manage nerves, use visual aids effectively and become a better presenter.
Ben is the founder of London-based Benjamin Ball Associates. He leads the presentation coaching and pitch deck creation teams. Formerly a corporate financier, for 20+ years he’s helped businesses pitch, present & persuade. He is a guest lecturer at Columbia Business School, Imperial College and UCL London. Follow Ben on LinkedIn or visit the contact page.
My team and I at Benjamin Ball Associates have spent over 15 years helping business executives improve their presentation skills. In this article I have summarised some of our top tips to help you become a better presenter.
Why You Need to Improve Your Business Presentation Skills
Great presentation skills are probably the most important skills that a leader needs.
If you’ve ever stood at the front of an audience wishing you could sound more confident or hold your audience’s attention for longer, you’re not alone.
Even the most seasoned presenter once felt nervous and unsure. The good news is that good presentation skills can be learned, as you can discover with our executive presentation skills coaching.
Whether you’re preparing for an in-house presentation, pitching investors or speaking at a company meeting, these best tips will help you deliver better presentations that make a positive impact.
If you’re preparing for a spoken address or keynote rather than a board or investor presentation, see our guide to improving your public speaking skills.
These tips have been compiled by our team of presentation trainers and is based on our 15 years of experience coaching business leaders to become better presenters.
Every time you present — to colleagues, clients or investors — you’re influencing decisions. Strong speaking skills can transform how people see you.
When you learn effective presentation skills, you’ll:
Communicate important points clearly
Build lasting confidence and credibility
Use your presentation style to engage and inspire
Deliver a successful presentation within your allotted time
It’s the first step towards becoming a more experienced presenter who connects naturally with any audience.
How to Improve Executive Presentation Skills: 14 Proven Tips
1. Plan Your Message Before You Open PowerPoint
This is the biggest presentation mistake that I see: Most people start with a PowerPoint presentation. That’s the wrong order. Never waste time playing with PowerPoint (or Canva, Prezi or Beautiful.ai).
Your first step to improve presentation skills in business is to clarify your mainpoints and understand what you want your audience members to do afterwards.
Ask yourself:
What’s the most important thing I want them to remember?
What do I want them to do after I’ve finished?
What’s the best way to explain it?
You should boil this all down to a few powerful phrases. This is probably the hardest part about planning a presentation, but investing in the work early will make your presentation more powerful.
Once you’ve done that, you can write your presentation. BUT: only start with PowerPoint after you have fully decided what you want to say. You’ll find you use fewer PowerPoint sides and you spend less time playing with PowerPoint. That’s how great presenters do it.
2. Make Your Audience Feel Comfortable
When your audience feels at ease (whether your colleagues or the board), they listen.
One of the simplest way to improve presentation skills is to use personal pronouns throughout. See how many YOU, WE and US you can incorporate. As a rule of thumb, the more the better.
And never read from slides. It will kill your credibility. Instead, use note cards so you can speak freely. That small change will transform the energy in the room.
3. Balance Logic, Credibility and Emotion
Facts alone don’t hold an audience’s attention.
To persuade effectively in your presentation, combine logic (your evidence), credibility (why you’re worth listening to) and emotion (why it matters).
BEFORE: “In this presentation today I’ll cover performance in the department last quarter.”
AFTER: “We all know it’s been a tough quarter. Nothing like anything we have faced recently. But what does this mean for the bottom line. Let me show you.”
Inspirational Presentation
How do you get your men fired up to risk their lives and still remain disciplined under pressure? This re-enactment by Kenneth Branagh of a reported off-the-cuff talk is a perfect example.
Watch a few TED Talks — many of the best TED presentations use this balance. The content of your presentation needs structure, but your stories bring it to life.
4. Keep It Simple
A great presentation is never complex.
The best way to improve presentation skills is to make your message memorable is to keep it simple and structured. Focus on one clear takeaway, use short sentences and reinforce your main points throughout.
BEFORE: “I’ll run through the 12 reasons we recommend this with the pros and cons of each.”
AFTER: “There are three ways that this change will benefit us all.”
Simplicity isn’t dumbing down — it’s smart communication. When your story is clear, your audience stays with you from the beginning to the end.
Cut any jargon, and choose everyday language your audience members use. As a rule of thumb, if a 17-year old will understand, then you have pitched it at the right level.
BEFORE: “corporate strategy”.
AFTER: “where the company’s heading”
It’s not just a good idea to adapt your tone for different audiences, it’s essential.
The most powerful words are always the simplest.
6. Think Like a Teacher, Not a Presenter
Audiences (whether it’s a 1:1 with your boss or a presentation to a large group) want to learn, not to be lectured at.
A simple way to improve your presentation skills is to approach your presentation as a lesson. In your presentation you can share examples, demonstrate ideas, and invite reactions. If you are presenting data, explain what that data means for the audience.
People love learning new things. If you can explain, teach and help people understand, then you will demonstrate great presentation skills and will give better presentations.
Personal Presentation
Sheryl Sandberg is the COO of Facebook. She gives a highly personal and compelling presentation explaining why few women get to the top. She has practical advice about how to change this.
Add interactive elements like short questions or a quick show of hands. These are great ways to keep people engaged and make your talk feel personal.
The most experienced presenters have learned that thinking like a teacher is a winning approach.
7. Acknowledge Weaknesses and Prepare a Backup Plan
Strong business presenters don’t pretend everything is perfect.
If there’s a challenge, name it, and show how you’re handling it.
Also, have a backup plan: what if your slides fail or your video won’t play? Being ready for the unexpected shows composure and professionalism.
Stories make your important points stick long after the presentation ends.
Talk about a client success, a mistake that taught you something or an insight from your own experience. The most seasoned presenters rely on short, relevant stories to illustrate ideas. They help turn information into emotion.
9. Structure Your Presentation for Maximum Impact
A clear presentation structure helps you stay within your allotted time and makes it easier for people to follow.
The best way to build a successful presentation is to follow this flow:
Strong start – grab attention early
Main points – make them simple and memorable
Next point – use transitions (“the next point builds on this…”)
Clear close – remind them of the takeaway and action
When your presentation feels smooth, the audience relaxes and listens.
10. Make It Easy for Your Audience
Your job is to make your ideas effortless to follow.
That means fewer slides, clean visuals and clear explanations.
If people at the back of the room can grasp your main points without squinting, you’re doing well.
Not every firm has an annual shareholders meeting as big as this. Chief Financial Officer Charles Holley of Walmart shows how you can speak to analysts, shareholders and employees and keep them all engaged.
If you use charts or numbers, explain why they matter. And if you need to show lots of information, provide a handout rather than cramming it all onto one slide.
11. Improve Eye Contact, Body Language and Hand Gestures
If you want to improve your presentation skills, you must realise that your non-verbal communication speaks volumes.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart,
Shoulders back, chest out, posture open
Make eye contact for a few seconds with one person at a time.
Use hand gestures to highlight your important points
Let your facial expressions match your message.
These are subtle ways to project confidence, even if you feel nervous.
Good confident body language helps you look calm and credible — the hallmark of good presentation skills.
12. Manage Nerves and Fear of Presenting
Nerves and presentation anxiety are normal. Everyone experiences them — even great presenters. Here are some practical tips you can apply before any presentation, whether to your boss, the board or at a conference:
Do some physical activity before you present. Perhaps jump up & down in the loo.
If your mind races, look at one friendly face at the front of the audience and start speaking to them as if it’s a chat.
TOP TIP: Practise in front of a colleague, a family member or rehearse at the front of a mirror. This helps you notice when you are boring, fillerwords and other bad habits.
The most important thing is to keep practising your presentation until confidence becomes muscle memory.
13. Practise, Get Feedback and Keep Improving
You only get better with repetition.
A presentation practice session in front of a trusted friend, colleague or coach will reveal what works and what doesn’t. Ask for constructive criticism on your content, voice, pace and clarity.
If you can, record yourself. You’ll spot things you miss in the moment — tone, posture, overuse of slides. Even the most experienced presenter continues to refine through feedback.
Presenting is a skill like any other. The more your practice the better you’ll improve presentation skills.
14. Improve Your Virtual Presentation Skills
As we are all spending more time in virtual meetings, you want to improve your online presentation skills. This means planning and running more effective meetings on Zoom, Teams, Google Meet etc. Tops tips from our presentation trainers include: Zoom presentation tips, keeping camera eye contact, virtual background etiquette, hybrid meeting engagement.
Lift your laptop so your camera is at eye height
Keep eye contact with your camera, do not look at your self or your audience
Throw energy into your presentation – use your body
Keep it intimate – it should feel like a 1:1 chat, even if you are speaking to 100.
Common Presentation Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
Even experienced presenters fall into traps that undermine their impact. What are the most frequent mistakes?
Mistake
Fix
Too much text on slides
Simplify and use visual aids sparingly
Monotone voice
Add energy, vary tone, emphasis and pauses
Rambling
Rehearse and time your delivery
Poor eye contact
Look at individuals, not the floor
Overuse of jargon
Swap for plain English
Speaking too fast
Add a pause every 5-10 words.
A presentation coach can pinpoint these quirks and help you replace them with stronger content and more powerful delivery. Avoid these errors, and you’ll transform shaky performances into compelling, polished deliveries.
How Coaching Helps You Improve Faster
You can develop better public speaking skills on your own, but expert guidance speeds everything up.
A coach helps you master the content of your presentation, polish your presentation style,and manage nerves.
At Benjamin Ball Associates, we’ve spent more than 15 years helping professionals across the UK improve presentation skills. Through group or one-to-one coaching, you’ll learn how to:
Clarify your main points
Use visual aids effectively
Control nerves and project confident body language
Speak with impact in any setting
“I honestly thought it was the most valuable three hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.” — Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky
Ready to Build Better Presentation Skills?
If you’d like to make progress towards improved presentation skills, get in touch.
Our team of expert presentation coaches has been helping business executives polish their presentation skills for over 15 years. We are trusted by some of the world’s largest businesses. Click on the link below or phone Louise Angus on +44 20 7018 0922 to discuss your needs.
Why Choose Us: Transform your pitches and presentations with tailored coaching
We can help you present brilliantly.Thousands of people in the UK, Europe and the Middle East have benefitted from our tailored in-house coaching and advice – and we can help you too.
“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.”
Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky
For 15+ years we’ve been the trusted choice for leading businesses and executives throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East. We’ll help you improve corporate presentations through presentation coaching, public speaking training and expert advice on pitching to investors. And we stand out because you benefit from our tried and tested PitchPointTM Process to make sure you make fast and lasting improvements.
Some recent clients
Unlock your full potential and take your presentations to the next level.
Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email info@benjaminball.com to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations.
What are the 5 key presentation skills I need to master in business?
To become a top-tier presenter, work on these five core skills:
Audience Analysis: tailor your language and examples to the specific people in the room. Message Discipline: be absolutely clear what your messages are. Storytelling: structure your data into a narrative arc. Body Language: use open gestures and “dynamic stillness” to project confidence. Voice Control: vary your pitch, pace, and tone (prosody) to keep engagement.
How do I stop feeling nervous?
Two things: Preparation and practice. Rehearse in front of a mirror and remind yourself that even great speakers started somewhere. Read this article about becoming a confident presenter.
How can I improve my presentation skills quickly?
The fastest way to improve is to record yourself. Film a practice so you spot unconscious habits (like swaying or filler words) immediately. Additionally, work on your “opening hook”—the first 60 seconds. This will improve how the audience perceives your entire talk.
How are virtual presentations different from in-person ones?
In virtual presentations, you have to work 20% harder to keep attention because distractions are just a click away. You must look directly at the camera lens (not the faces on the screen) to create eye contact. You should also change your pace, tone or visual every 2-3 minutes to keep your presentation engaging.
How do I make a boring topic interesting?
This is the Number 1 rule in presenting. There are no boring topics, only boring angles. To make dry data interesting, use analogies (e.g., “This server capacity is like a highway at rush hour”) or talk about the human impact of the data (who is helped or hurt by these numbers?).
Do I need presentation coaching?
If you present in business, presentation skills coaching is a great way to progress quickly and learn the most effective manner to deliver your ideas. Call Louise Angus, our client services director today to learn how we can help you.
How do you build lasting business presentation skills?
If you want to learn more about acquiring brilliant business presentation skills, speak to us. We have been coaching business presenters for the last 15 years, transforming them into great confident speakers.
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