Good decks don’t present themselves
It’s also about what you say and how you say it
A polished deck brings color to your message. But it’s what you say, and how you say it, that makes your presentation memorable.
Too often, presenters let the slides do all the talking.
Either they are overloaded with text and bullet points because they’re worried they’ll forget something, or they’re stripped bare and the audience is left guessing without the right level of context.
Rule of thumb
Slides are the guide: They carry the main message, data, and visuals to support your story.
Your voice brings it to life: Delivery adds the nuance, stories, and emphasis that can’t be conveyed on a slide.
Some helpful reminders
Prep
A great presentation flows. Spend time going through the deck and jot down key ideas, messages, and phrases that bridge one idea to the next so your audience stays with you.
Practice
Steve Jobs practiced extensively, treating presentations like theatrical performances. A month before a keynote event, he would start rehearsing his slide deck*. The trick is to rehearse enough to sound natural, not scripted. And ditch the notes: nothing kills credibility faster than reading off a piece of paper. Going through your talk at least a few times helps you see where you’re rushing, repeating, or leaning too heavily on the slide.
Delivery
How you say it matters just as much as what you say: confidence, pacing, and tone can turn a good deck into a powerful story. Delivery isn’t about sounding like you’re doing a TED talk, it’s about sounding clear, confident, and human. Pause to let ideas sink in. Vary your tone so your points don’t blur together. Keep eye contact to connect with the room. When you look and sound like you believe what you’re saying, your audience is far more likely to believe it too.
Remember, even the best-designed deck can’t tell the story alone. It’s the prep, practice, and delivery that take polished slides and turn them into a message people remember.
* Inc. (2023) | Steve Jobs’s Masterful Presentation Ability Came Down to 1 Underrated Thing. Anyone Can Do It
