Most people spend 90% of their time designing slides and only 10% figuring out what they’re actually saying.
Flip that, and your talks will never be the same.
If I had a month to prepare a talk, I’d spend three weeks getting to the point – and only the last few days on slides, if at all.
Because once you know where it all leads to, the rest tends to take care of itself. After all, you know your stuff. The challenge isn’t to make it elaborate. The challenge is to make it clear.
Here’s another way to think about it:
If you had the choice between a talk with elaborate slides but a somewhat confusing message and another talk with a crystal clear message but no slides, which one would you rather listen to?
Me too.
When the message is clear, the rest isn’t hard. And that’s something you can control.
Here’s how I allocate my time (roughly):
70% – What’s the point?
- What’s the shift? → How do they see the world before your talk? How will they see it after?
- Why does it matter? → Why should they care right now? What’s at stake if they don’t?
- How do you say it simply? → If I had only one sentence, what would it be? What do I want them to pass along?
20% – How do I make it stick?
- Make it visual → Can they see what I’m saying? Can I find a story, contrast, or example that paints the picture?
- Make it personal → Can they find themselves in what I’m saying? Do I speak to their struggles, fears, or ambitions?
- Use rhythm and pause → Where do I slow down to let them embrace the idea? What words need space so they can connect the dots?
10% – How do I support it?
- Do I even need slides? Or is a different prop better?
- If yes, how can they reinforce the message rather than distract from my words?
- Can I delegate the creation?
Most people present slides. The best speakers deliver a message.
Try this breakdown the next time you prepare a talk, and see how much more confidence you’ll have in your delivery.
Keep lighting the path!
