Less is more! When preparing a presentation, it’s easy to get out of hand and add too much. More information doesn’t lead to a more informed audience, however. It can hide your message and leave attendees confused—and maybe even bored. Our 10-20-30 rule can help you refine your content to its essentials and inspire your audience to action.
Stick to 10 slides
Yes, 10 slides. Your slides aren’t a transcript of your presentation, they’re the points your audience needs to remember. Additionally, your visuals should not compete with you for your audience’s attention. Refrain from large chunks of data, and choose bullet points, pictures or simple graphs instead. If you have a lot of detail to share, print handouts, which attendees can review as needed. When all else fails, ask yourself, “What can I take off each slide and still get my point across?”
Present 20 minutes or less
Keep your presentation to 20 minutes and dedicate the rest of the time to answering questions. Define your purpose by asking, “What do I want to achieve with this presentation? What do I want people to do or know?” It is important to define your purpose in order to deliver a clear message and remove unnecessary information. By keeping your purpose top of mind, you will stay focused and keep your audience engaged.
30-point font
Design your slides using 30-point font. This size is easy to read from far away, and it will keep you from adding too much information. Remember, the slides are simply an aid—you are the presentation!
Learn more tips for using visual aids effectively in this blog post from Dardis Communications.