How to Structure a Presentation | 8 Top Tips

How do you structure a presentation for impact? What does a good presentation structure look like? Do you know what structuring a presentation means in reality? How should you structure your presentation to keep the audience interested? What is the typical presentation structure?

Meet the Author: Benjamin Ball

Ben is the founder of Benjamin Ball Associates and leads the presentation coaching and pitch deck creation teams. Formerly a corporate financier in the City of London, for 20+ years he’s helped businesses win with better pitches and presentations, particularly investor pitches. He is a regular speaker and a guest lecturer at Columbia Business School and UCL London.  Follow Ben on LinkedIn or visit the contact page. 

Why is Presentation Structure Important?

The structure of your presentation is important.  A good presentation structure will give your presentation impact, and make life easier for your audience. 

With a well-structured presentation you’ll find it easier to plan, easier to deliver and easier to get results with your presentation.

As a presenter, you need to engage your audience, and convey your messages clearly and persuasively. To achieve this, you need to structure your presentation to hold the attention of your audience, build their interest and then convince them of the value of your message.

Must-Have Elements of an Effective Presentation Structure

What is the structure of a good presentation? A PowerPoint presentation can be a powerful tool to convey your ideas, but only if it’s well-structured. To create an effective presentation, start with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The first step is to define your key message. What’s the main message you want your audience to remember? Build everything around that idea.

Based on our 15+ years’ of presentation skills coaching and public speaking training these top tips will show you how to create a clear structure for your presentation.

The Perfect Presentation Structure

1. Start Strong

How to structure a presentation speech? The opening of your presentation is critical. The role of your presentation start is to grab your audience’s attention and make them want to listen. You also want to connect with your audience to get them receptive to what you are going to say.

Some ways to start a presentation include: Use a compelling story, a surprising statistic or a thought-provoking question. This will give you an emotional connection with your audience and get them invested in your message from the outset.

If you are using slides, put a message on your opening slide. Not something bland like “Quarterly Review” or “Monthly update”. Instead, make it punchy: “This quarter we have delivered our budget”

Professional presentation structure tip: Some things to avoid include starting with a table of contents, an agenda or bland pleasantries. These do not add value to a presentation and make you look weak.

2. Establish Context

Once you have grabbed attention, you need to give your audience some context. Explain why your message is important, and what problem you are trying to solve. This will help your audience understand the relevance of your message and why they should care.  And of course, state your main messages clearly.

Professional tip: Put all the most important messages upfront; within the first few minutes. Never leave the important information for the end.

Why Pick Benjamin Ball Associates for Your Coaching

At Benjamin Ball Associates, we’ve been coaching business people to improve their business communication skills for over 15 years.  Our coaching is fast and effective.  We work with individuals and with companies, one-to-one and in groups.  Call us today to learn more.

“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.”

Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky

Our most popular training courses include:

• Presentation Coaching
• Public Speaking Coaching
• Investor Pitch Support and Coaching

Trusted by some of the most successful companies globally

Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email info@benjaminball.com to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations.

Speak to an expert. Get a free consultation

3. Make Your Case

Next step in your presentation structure is to make your case. This is where you present your argument and provide evidence to support your position. Be clear and concise, and use examples, stories and data to support claims.

The middle section is where you share your most important points. Use visual aids like graphs or case studies to illustrate key concepts—they’re a great way to make complex topics engaging. Including a personal story or even using the hero’s journey structure can keep your audience invested, especially if it relates to the current situation.

Make sure that your argument is logical and persuasive, and that it addresses the needs and concerns of your audience.  A really good presentation structure will break this main part of your presentation into three parts.

Professional Tip: Make sure your presentation is in three parts. Three is the magic number for a good presentation structure. Use a message house template to help you

4. Address Objections

Are you expecting some push back from your presentation?  If so, now is the time to address those objections. If you address objections head-on, you demonstrate your credibility and build trust.

If you want to be an impressive presenter, learn more about our presentation skills coaching courses.

Professional Tip: You can demolish your opposition by taking their objections one by one, and demonstrating clearly why they have got their arguments wrong.

5. Recap Your Key Points

As you near the end of your presentation, it’s important to summarise your key points. This will help reinforce your message and remind your audience of what is most important. Be concise, be clear, and don’t introduce new information at this stage.

6. End Strong

People will remember what you say last. You can end with a call to action, a memorable quote, or a powerful story to reinforce your message. This will help to leave a lasting impression on your audience and be sure that they remember your message long after your presentation has ended.  One commonly used technique is to loop round to an idea you introduced at the start of your talk.

End your presentation with clear next steps or actions for your audience. For a persuasive presentation, wrap up with a strong recap of your main message and allow time for a Q&A session. These practical tips will take your next presentation to the next level.

Professional structuring tip: never end with a Q&A session. Instead, after the Q&A give a further summary and conclusion. Make sure your final words are the words you want your audience to remember.

7. A Quick Test for Your Presentation Structure

First, rearrange your presentation.  Change the order of your slides and/or your presentation notes. Do the headings still make sense? If your answer is yes, then you don’t have a strong presentation structure because your content lacks a narrative thrust.

Your audience needs to see that your thinking makes sense, as well as your conclusions. To demonstrate this, you need to lead your audience from the start to end of your argument. It’s like guiding them on a journey.  A journey has a start, a middle and an end. This will make your presentation structure feel both natural and logical.

8. Introduce a Narrative

One of the best ways to take people on a journey through your presentation is by using three small, common words. These words are ones we’ve known since childhood. They featured in the first stories we heard and influenced our understanding of narrative.

Listen to anyone tell someone else a story – on a bus, in a bar, on the street – and you’ll hear them. Yet we often drop them from our presentations, perhaps forgetting that the best way to take our audience on a journey is through a simple narrative.

9. Three Short Words to Strengthen Your Presentation

1. So

So is the word that moves us on to the next point: “That happened, so the result was this” or “we can seen that this is true, so the conclusion is…”. Note: “Therefore” does the same job, but is more than twice as long: don’t use long words when a short one will do!

2. But

But is the word that challenges your audience’s preconceptions. It marks the beginning of a surprising, contrary point:

“You would assume that this is true, BUT you would be wrong”.

By surprising your audience you grab their attention.

3. Then

Then takes us to the next stage in your story. It focuses on a particular moment, makes it real and helps the audience to visualise it: “Then we realised what we had to do”.

Check The Presentation of Your Structure

Now, have a look at your presentation and ask yourself whether each slide is a so, but or then slide. Where does each fit into your narrative? If your presentation is full of interesting information that doesn’t progress the audience through your thinking, then put it in an appendix instead.

Presentation Structure Example

If you are looking for a great way to structure your next presentation, then you can use this tried and tested structure:

If you following these tips, you can structure a presentation that is engaging, persuasive and memorable.

Remember, the key is to capture your audience’s attention, provide context, make your case, address objections, recap your key points and end strong. With these elements in place, you can deliver a presentation that truly resonates with your audience and achieves your goals.

PowerPoint Presentation Structural Tips – How to Use Visual Aids Effectively

What is the structure of a PowerPoint Presentation?

<b>First, decide if you really need PowerPoint. </b>Many presentations are better without any PowerPoint at all. If you do want to use PPT, then create engaging visual aids by keeping them clear, relevant, and well-balanced.

<b>Never overcrowd slides with too much text</b>—instead, stick to a few key messages. Use high-quality images, charts, and infographics to support your message, but make sure they’re not just decorative; every visual should have a purpose.

<b>Stick to a consistent design with a readable font</b>, easy to read colours, and enough white space to prevent clutter. If you’re using animations or transitions, keep them subtle—overdoing them can distract your audience rather than enhance understanding.

<b>Finally, always test your slides beforehand</b> to check formatting, visibility, and compatibility with the presentation setup. By following these tips, your visuals will reinforce your speech, making your message more memorable and impactful.

Mistakes to Avoid When Structuring a Presentation

When structuring your presentation, there are several mistakes you should avoid.

First, don’t neglect a clear outline—your presentation should have a logical flow with a strong introduction, well-organised main points, and a concise conclusion. We suggest never start planning with PowerPoint. It’s a terrible tool for planning.

Never underestimate how important the start is. Grab your audience’s attention with a powerful start to your presentation.

Avoid an agenda slide or a table of contents. These tend to kill good presentations.

Never forget your executive summary. Page two should summarise your entire presentation.

Avoid stuffing your presentation with facts. A great presentation will include stories, examples and will bring the facts to life.

Avoid information overload and cramming too much text or complex data onto your slides. This will overwhelm your audience. Instead, cut as much content as you can. Keep to the main points only.

Also, watch your timing—spending too long on one section and rushing through others can disrupt your delivery.

Never finish with a Q&A session. Instead, after questions, sum up again and finish with your call to action.

Beware a weak ending. Have a powerful final slide. Sum up your main takeaways. End on a powerful positive note.

Lastly, don’t skip rehearsing your presentation; practising helps you speak confidently, avoid stumbling, and handle any technical issues smoothly. By steering clear of these mistakes, you’ll keep your audience focused and deliver a more polished and effective presentation.

Improve Your Presentation Structure

We can help. We’ll advise and coach on all aspects of your talk or speech, from your presentation structure and message right through to your delivery. We’ll help you communicate clearly, confidently and with impact. Learn more about our presentation skills coaching courses.

Call Louise on 020 7018 0922 or email info@benjaminball.com to find out more.

Speak to an expert. Get a free consultation

Why Choose Us:
Transform your pitches and presentations with tailored coaching

We can help you present brilliantly. Thousands of people 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.

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.

Speak to an expert. Get a free consultation

FAQ: How to Structure a Presentation

Speak to an expert. Get a free consultation