Although the technology we use in our daily operations has changed significantly over the past decade, one business practice remains unchanged: the presentation.
Presentations are still a primary way to share ideas, influence decisions, and drive sales in today's business world. Presenting in person or online? Effective slides for presentations can make a significant difference in how your message is received.
While major presentations like investment pitches might warrant hiring a professional presentation designer, most of us still create our own slides. With the right strategies, you can build powerful slides that engage your audience and amplify your message—no design degree required.
How to Create Effective Slides for a Presentation
Here are strategies to make your audience nod in agreement as you present:
1. Craft Descriptive Slide Titles
The slide title is your chance to summarize the main takeaway. Instead of using generic titles like "About Us" or "Project Overview," make every title work harder by offering an insight or conclusion.
For example, change "Sales Data" to "Q3 Sales Grew by 20% Due to New Marketing Strategies." This technique helps busy or distracted audiences grasp the key point even if they only glance at the slide.
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After:
2. Use Visual Emphasis to Highlight Key Data
Data-rich slides with charts, paragraphs of text, or tables can quickly become overwhelming. Visually highlighting important figures or trends lets you guide your audience’s focus to where it matters most.
You can achieve this by bolding text, using a contrasting color, or adding simple shapes to draw attention to key data points. Effective visual emphasis aids understanding and also reinforces your key messages.
Here are before and after examples of the same chart, showing how adding visual emphasis adds clarity:
3. Select Authentic, High-Quality Images
Images communicate in a way words cannot. Research has shown that we process an image 60,000 times faster than text. Hence, it’s no wonder that the effects of images are so strong for us—we’re built to gather our information this way.
Avoid overused stock photos that feel staged or clichéd. Instead, invest time in finding or creating high-quality, authentic images that genuinely enhance your narrative. Well-chosen images can create an emotional connection with your audience. They can make your presentation more memorable and engaging.
Here are before and after examples that highlight the impact of using the right image. Both slides feature compelling, well-researched content about the challenges of loneliness in aging. However, which one grabs your attention more? Which one makes you want to learn more?
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4. Engage Your Audience with Thought-Provoking Questions
Before delivering an important insight, present a question that encourages your audience to think about the topic. For instance, if discussing market trends, you could ask, "What do you think has been the biggest growth factor this year?"
This pause creates anticipation and makes the reveal of your data or insight more impactful. It also keeps your audience mentally involved, especially during longer presentations.
Example of a question slide:
Pausing with a question slide has several benefits:
- If you’ve been talking for a while, it regains an audience's attention and reengages those who may have become distracted.
- The anticipation before the reveal creates a memorable moment that people will likely remember. If you confirm an answer or surprise the audience with a different response, it can make them think and engage them more deeply in your topic. It’s better than simply stating the answer in the middle of a lengthy discussion.
- After the audience engages in the question, all eyes will be on you when you reveal the answer. Sheer curiosity will keep people engaged and focused on you. As a result, in your most important moment, their attention will be on you, not on their phones or tablets.
5. Keep Each Slide Focused on a Single Message
A cluttered slide with multiple ideas can confuse your audience and dilute your message. The most effective presentations maintain clarity by dedicating each slide to a single topic or point. There’s no rule against having many slides—what matters is that each slide is easy to digest and contributes to your overall narrative. Frequent visual changes also help recapture your audience’s attention, especially in virtual settings.
The benefits of having a single message per slide include:
- A more frequent change of visuals keeps people engaged. It helps bring their attention back when the screen changes.
- You are not boring your audience. You’ve probably experienced presentations where the slides are packed with information. The presenter stays on the same slide for a long time while you’ve already read ahead, waiting for them to catch up. You want to avoid that.
- It prevents information overload and improves clarity. Breaking up slides also helps you avoid dense, cluttered, or confusing slides and tiny type.
Note: there are disciplines and situations in which slides need to be more packed, such as with complex technical diagrams or investment pitch decks where there are expectations on slide number, order, and content.
Common Mistakes to Avoid for Effective Slide Presentations
Even well-intentioned presenters can fall into these common traps:
- Overloading Slides with Text: Aim for bullet points or short, impactful sentences.
- Using Low-Quality Images: Pixelated or irrelevant images can undermine your professionalism.
- Overusing Animations: Keep transitions simple and purposeful.
- Neglecting Consistency: Stick to a cohesive design theme for fonts, colors, and slide layouts.
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Skipping Rehearsals: Practice to make sure your slides support your talking points smoothly.
How Storytelling Can Make Your Slides More Effective
Great presentations are not just about data and design—they’re about storytelling. A strong narrative keeps your audience engaged, helps them remember key points, and makes your message more persuasive.
To incorporate storytelling into your slides:
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Start with a Hook: Open with an intriguing fact, a compelling statistic, or a relatable challenge that sets the stage for your presentation.
- Create a Clear Flow: Arrange your slides in a way that builds a natural progression. Guide your audience through a logical journey from problem to solution.
- Use Real-World Examples: Personal stories or industry case studies make abstract concepts feel more tangible and relatable.
- Keep It Concise: While stories add impact, they should be brief and focused to maintain audience attention.
Storytelling turns dry facts into engaging narratives. This makes it easier for people to connect with your message. Instead of listing statistics on a slide, tell the story behind the numbers—what caused the trend, what challenges arose, and what lessons were learned. This approach can help leave a lasting impression.
Effective Slide Presentation FAQs
What are some qualities of a good slide presentation?
A slide presentation's most important quality is clarity: does the audience easily understand what you're trying to say? Too many presenters unnecessarily complicate their message with industry lingo, long and complicated sentences, or cluttered designs. They may even dilute the message by adding too many tangential thoughts.
What should the first slide of every presentation be?
The first slide should be the title slide; its most important purpose is introducing your topic. Don't title your presentation generally; for example, "Q3 Update."
Instead, the title should be an important question or an interesting assertion that makes people want to know more: "Q3 Successes: Which Strategy Outperformed the Rest?"
How many slides should a good presentation have?
Don't sweat the number of your slides. The primary goal should be that each slide tells a single story. If a single slide feels crowded or if you find yourself talking too long on one slide, consider breaking it into two or more slides.
How Linia Presentations Can Help
At Linia Presentations, we specialize in helping professionals create impactful presentations with minimal effort. Our collection includes modern, professionally designed templates compatible with PowerPoint and Google Slides.
We focus on delivering practical, visually appealing designs. These designs include fundamentals like marketing funnels, team slides, summary dashboards, and pro and con lists.
If you're an entrepreneur, consultant, or business leader, our templates can help simplify your presentations and help you communicate effectively. Browse through our selection of presentation decks and versatile single-slide layouts to find the perfect fit for your next presentation.