Think of the great presentations you’ve seen?
How many of them were great because of the slides?
And how many were great because of the story (and how the speaker told it)?
Personally, I don’t recall a single great talk that resonated thanks to the slides.
To be fair, great slides can amplify a great story.
But I’ve never seen them save a bad one.
In fact, beautiful slides have often sent me to sleep when the story was boring.
Compare this to the opposite:
A great story will survive bad slides.
A captivating speaker makes me forget the awful slides.
→ The crucial work is on the story.
If you find words that strongly resonate, that’s what sticks.
Slides are best thought of as an amplifier – not the presentation’s core.
What’s your experience with slides vs. story? (Hit reply, I would love to hear your anecdotes.)
Keep lighting the path!
PS: Plus, once you’ve nailed the story, it’s so much easier to create great slides that amplify the story (or have someone create them for you).
