Public speaking
How to improve your presentation skills
Presentation skills break into three layers: what you say, how you say it, and what is on the screen. Most people spend their time on the third and wonder why nothing changes. Fix the structure first — it produces the biggest visible improvement.
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Structure: one idea, three moves
A memorable talk has a single takeaway you could text someone. Build three sections that earn it: the problem as your audience experiences it, what you found or did, and what you want them to do. If a section does not serve the takeaway, cut it — including the good slide.
Delivery: the four measurable habits
- Pace between roughly 130 and 160 words per minute.
- A real pause after each key claim.
- Volume maintained through the end of sentences.
- Filler words under about three per minute.
Slides: support, do not narrate
A title that states the finding lets the audience listen to you instead of reading ahead.
Slide title rewrite
Before: Q3 Marketing Performance Overview
After: Two channels drove 80% of Q3 signups
Getting feedback that helps
Ask reviewers one question: "What do you think I wanted you to do?" If they cannot answer, the structure is the problem, not your delivery. Ask about pacing only after that answer is right.
Common questions
- What makes a presentation memorable?
- One clear takeaway, one concrete example that makes it real, and an explicit ask at the end. Design and polish help only after those exist.
- How many slides should I use?
- However many keep one idea per slide. Slide count matters far less than whether each slide states a finding rather than a topic.
Test your takeaway out loud
Present it, then see whether your audience heard the point you meant.
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