Published: 10/7/2025

Let’s get one thing straight: slides are your backup dancers, not the main act.
You are.

Too many presenters hide behind their slides — stuffed with text, graphs, bullet points, and enough data to tranquilize an audience. If your audience is reading while you’re talking, they’re not listening. You’re fighting your own slides for attention.

Here’s how to fix that.

1. Delete All the Text. Seriously.

Take it all off. Every last word. Then figure out what you can say with your mouth alone.

Only after that should you reintroduce text — maybe 5–7 words per slide. Those words should do one of three things:

• Ask a question (not the answer)
• Make a bold, thought-provoking claim that you’ll unpack
• Label something that needs context (a diagram, a bacteria, a component, etc.)

Remember: reading and listening use the same auditory channel in the brain.
When people try to do both, their comprehension drops. A picture plus your voice? Perfect. Text plus your voice? Cognitive traffic jam.

2. One Image. One Idea. One Slide.

That’s the rule.

Every slide should carry a single idea. 90% of the time, that means one image filling the entire screen. Occasionally, you might break it — for example, showing before-and-after shots, or a series of related visuals. But even then, they must serve one unified point.

If you need four pictures to remember what to say, the problem isn’t your slides — it’s your preparation. Each image should instantly trigger the idea you want to talk about, not leave you scanning and guessing what comes next.

3. Use Black Transition Slides

No white slides. Ever.

White is harsh, distracting, and flat. Use black backgrounds and stretch your visuals full-bleed to the edges. Black slides also help you transition smoothly between topics — they give your audience a breather.

The only exception: if you’re showcasing a product design or object that demands white for contrast. Outside of that, black is king.

4. Every Slide Must Earn Its Place.

If it doesn’t wow your audience or make your idea clearer, delete it.

A great slide either:

• Makes people feel something, or
• Shows something that can’t easily be described with words.

Having no slides is better than having bad ones.

5. Plan for Total Tech Failure.

If the power cuts out, could you still deliver your talk?
You should be able to.

Arrive early. Test your tech. If it’s online, have a local backup. Open every slide in advance to make sure they display properly. And if everything fails, you should be able to continue on voice and body language alone.

Your slides support you. They don’t define you.

6. Click, Then Speak.

Never describe what’s coming before you show it.

If you say, “Now let’s look at a chart showing market growth,” everyone starts imagining it — and when the real chart appears, it clashes with what’s in their heads. Instead, click first, then speak.

You’ll keep everyone focused on the same visual.

7. Engage With the Visuals. Don’t Read Them.

When you move to a new slide, glance at it to confirm it appeared, then turn back to your audience.

Point to what matters — literally.
If it’s a map, gesture to the location.
If it’s a graph, show them the spike.
If it’s a photo, direct their eyes to the key detail.

Use your hands. Use movement. Own the space.

8. Don’t Drown in Data.

If you’ve got endless stats, citations, or technical details — they don’t belong on your slides.

Say important numbers clearly, once. Repeat the core ones 3–5 times in different ways so they stick.

If you truly need to provide dense details, give a handout after the talk — with wide margins for notes. Never during. The moment you hand something out, you cease to exist. People read instead of listen.

9. Make It Beautiful or Don’t Make It at All.

Every slide should earn an audible reaction.

That doesn’t mean flashy animations — it means clarity, contrast, story. Slides should either take the audience’s breath away or make something instantly understandable.

Anything less? Cut it.

10. Remember Who’s in Charge.

Your slides are your tools, not your script.

If you forget a line, move on. With minimal text, no one will know. You stay fluid, natural, human — which is exactly what the audience connects with.

Great presenters don’t rely on slides. They use them like a drummer uses cymbals — to accent, to punctuate, to amplify.

The Bottom Line

A great presentation isn’t about what’s on the slides — it’s about what happens between you and the audience.

When your visuals are clean, intentional, and minimal, you stop hiding behind them and start performing with them. That’s when real connection happens.

Lead the slides. Don’t let them lead you.

Ready to Upgrade Your Presentations?

If you want your next talk to look and feel world-class — not like another PowerPoint marathon — I can help.
Work with me at Speak to Succeed to build a presentation style that commands the room, connects deeply, and sticks with your audience long after you leave the stage.