A presentation is not a document with the words removed. It is a structured argument delivered in real time, supported by visual material rather than text.
This guide covers planning, slide design, delivery, and handling questions — the four things that separate a clear talk from a recited one.
Start With Your Message
Before opening any software, write one sentence: "When they leave, my audience will understand that ___". If you cannot write that sentence, you are not ready to design slides.
- 1.Who is the audience? Their background decides how much you explain.
- 2.What do they already know, and what can you assume?
- 3.What do you want them to remember in a week? One to three points, not ten.
- 4.How much time, and is there a Q&A?
Build a Structure
A workable 12-minute structure
0:00–1:00 — Hook: the question or problem you are addressing.
1:00–2:00 — Context: what is already known, and the gap.
2:00–3:00 — Your question or objective.
3:00–6:00 — Approach and evidence: two or three substantive points.
6:00–8:00 — What the findings mean.
8:00–9:00 — Implications and limitations.
9:00–10:00 — Conclusion, stated plainly.
Then Q&A.
One idea per slide, and roughly one to two minutes per slide is a reasonable planning target for a talk of moderate pace. Cut content rather than speeding up.
Designing Slides
- Put a full sentence as your slide title. "Results" tells the audience nothing; "Falling wait times followed triage" does.
- Six lines of text maximum. If a slide is dense, split it or move the detail to a handout.
- Use one visual that carries the point — a chart, diagram, or image. Not decoration.
- Charts need units, axis labels, and a takeaway caption.
- Consistent fonts and colours. Choose two and stick to them.
- High contrast. Projected text must be legible from the back of a room.
Contrast and accessibility
Avoid red and green combinations for anything that carries meaning — a large proportion of your audience has some colour vision deficiency. Use labels and shapes as well as colour.
Delivering
- Talk to the audience, not the screen. If you must read, read the slide — do not read your notes.
- Slow down. Most presenters speak roughly 30% faster under nerves.
- Signpost: "I'll cover three things..." gives the audience a map.
- Pause after a key statement instead of rushing past it.
- Handle nerves physically: slow exhale, feet on the floor, arrive early.
- Rehearse aloud and time it. Rehearsing silently is much less accurate.
Handling Questions
- 1.Listen to the whole question before answering, and repeat or rephrase it to buy thinking time.
- 2.Answer the question asked. If it is not the question you prepared for, answer anyway.
- 3.If you do not know, say "I don't know — that's outside what I looked at, but here's what I'd check."
- 4.If you disagree with a premise, disagree with the argument, not the person.
- 5.Note follow-up questions and send answers afterwards if that helps.
Before You Present
- ☐My opening and closing sentences are written out.
- ☐The deck is legible from the back of the room.
- ☐I have a PDF backup in case the room's software differs.
- ☐Font sizes are large enough for the room.
- ☐File names and versions are correct — you have the right deck.
- ☐I have rehearsed with a timer.
Common Mistakes
- Reading full sentences off slides.
- Using clip art and stock images that add nothing.
- Overrunning and rushing the conclusion.
- Building slides before deciding your message.
- Showing a chart without units or a takeaway point.
- Apologising at the start, which spends your first impression.
Key Takeaways
- Write your one-sentence message before designing anything.
- Slide titles should be full sentences carrying the point.
- One idea per slide; cut content rather than speeding up.
- Rehearse aloud, time it, and back up your deck as a PDF.
Checklist
- ☐My core message is one sentence
- ☐I know my audience's background and assumed knowledge
- ☐My slides have sentence-style titles
- ☐Text density is low
- ☐Charts have units and takeaway captions
- ☐I have rehearsed aloud and timed it
- ☐I have a PDF backup
- ☐I have prepared for likely questions
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Reading slides verbatim.
- Designing slides before knowing the message.
- Using visuals that do not carry meaning.
- Overrunning time.
- Using low-contrast or too-small text.
- Relying on the room's laptop and having no backup.
Related Subjects
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