For many presenters, slides feel like a safety net.
They’re helpful, familiar, and make you feel like you’re not standing in front of the room alone.
But slides are only useful if they support what you’re saying – not compete with it.
Your audience came to hear you, not to read a document on a screen.
Striking the right balance between visuals and verbal delivery is one of the simplest ways to elevate your presentations. Here’s how to do it with confidence and clarity.
1. Start with your message, not your slides
It’s tempting to open PowerPoint straight away, but that’s how you end up with cluttered decks and slide-led presentations.
Instead, take a moment to answer three key questions:
- What’s the one thing I need them to remember?
- What do they need to understand to get there?
- What’s the simplest way to guide them through it?
Only then should you start sketching out your slides. This ensures the story leads, and the visuals follow.
2. Keep each slide focused on one idea
When a slide tries to do too much, your audience stops listening and starts deciphering.
Aim for:
- one key point per slide
- minimal text
- clean visuals
If it feels like you need paragraphs to explain your message, that’s a sign the slide isn’t doing its job – or that the message itself needs simplifying.
3. Use visuals that genuinely reinforce your point
Good visuals aren’t decoration. They’re anchors.
Charts, photos, icons, and diagrams work best when they help your audience understand or remember something more clearly.
Ask yourself:
- Does this make the message clearer?
- Does it make the idea stick?
- Does the graphic support my message?
If the answer is no, strip it back.
4. Make your slides your cue – not your script
Many presenters rely on slides as a memory aid, but reading from them immediately weakens your presence.
So instead… use them as prompts.
When you design slides around clear, simple headlines, they naturally nudge you into speaking in a more conversational, engaging way – and your audience stays focused on you, not the slide deck.
5. Remember the “eyes-first” rule
People look at the slide before they look back at you.
Every single time.
So if you click to a new slide and start talking at the same moment, they miss half of what you say because they’re still reading.
Try this instead:
- Click to the slide
- Pause
- Let people absorb it
- Then speak
It’s a small shift that helps your message land more cleanly.
6. Avoid the ‘slide dump’
Finishing your talk by “getting through the deck” – especially when you’re running out of time – is something most audiences recognise instantly.
Instead, prioritise.
If time’s tight, stick to the slides that support your central message and skip anything non-essential.
You stay in control, and the audience gets a better, clearer experience.
7. Think of your deck as part of the story – not the star
A strong presentation is a balance:
- Your voice delivers the meaning
- Your slides support the meaning
- Your structure guides the audience through the story
If any one of these gets too much attention, the whole thing feels off.
When they work together, your message feels more natural, more intentional, and far more memorable.
In short…
Your slides should enhance your message, not distract from it.
By keeping them simple, purposeful, and aligned to your story, you’ll present with more confidence and give your audience a far clearer experience.
If you or your team would benefit from strengthening these presentation habits, our Presentation Skills Training Programme helps teams deliver content with clarity, confidence, and genuine presence – in-person and online.
