Reach for t’Sky

Season 1, Episode 11: Let Me Tell You a Story

I’ll never forget one of the first major presentations I had to give early in my career. I was so focused on making sure I crammed every detail into my slides that I ended up with 30 slides, all packed with small print and bullet points. It was impossible for the audience to follow, and as I stood there reading through each tiny point, I could see their eyes glaze over. By the end, even I was bored with my own presentation.

In stark contrast, I once watched a senior leader give a presentation with no slides at all. Just him, telling a story. His message was crystal clear, and everyone in the room was fully engaged. It wasn’t that he lacked content—he knew exactly what he wanted to say and rehearsed it until it flowed naturally. That presentation taught me the power of simplicity and storytelling. You don’t need to bombard your audience with information; you need to connect with them.

The key to delivering a great presentation is not the number of slides or the complexity of the content, but how well you communicate your message. Rehearsal is crucial, allowing you to refine your points and deliver them with confidence. And when you do use slides, make sure they complement your words, not overwhelm them.