Chapter 3 of 66 min
Slides that support you
Slides should help the audience understand, not serve as your script. One idea per slide, few words and clear visuals keep attention on you.
Key ideas
- The headline should state the conclusion of the slide.
- People cannot read and listen at the same time.
- Visuals should make one comparison obvious.
Step by step
- 1
Write each slide's headline as a full-sentence conclusion.
- 2
Keep body text to a few words or a single visual.
- 3
Highlight the one number or element that matters.
- 4
Rehearse without looking at the slides.
Example
A chart titled 'Q3 revenue' becomes 'Revenue grew 18% after the new pricing', with only the relevant bar highlighted.
Your drill
Take three slides from your last deck and rewrite each headline as a conclusion, removing half the text.
Common mistakes
- Reading slides aloud.
- Packing several messages onto one slide.
Check yourself
What should a slide headline say?
Show the answer
The conclusion or message of the slide in a full sentence.
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