How to Use Slides Without Reading Them to the Audience

You’ve put a lot of work into your slides. Every point is there. You stand up, turn toward the screen, and begin reading.

Before long, you’re talking to the presentation instead of the people.

The slide may contain accurate information, but people still need you to explain what matters and why. Prepare that explanation before you start designing the slides.

Work out what you want to say first

Close the slide program for a moment. What do you want people to understand or do? What are the main points they need to hear?

Explain those points aloud. Then decide where a picture, chart, comparison, or diagram would help.

Some ideas are easier to understand when people can see them. A photograph can show damage that would take several sentences to describe. A chart can show how waiting times changed. A diagram can show who handles each step in a process.

Other moments may need only your explanation. You can ask a question, tell a short story, or make a recommendation without putting a paragraph on screen.

Give each slide one main job

A slide becomes hard to follow when it tries to explain everything at once.

Suppose you’re comparing two training locations. People may need to compare travel time, room capacity, and cost. Put those items beside each other so the differences are easy to find.

Don’t make them search through two paragraphs while you describe a third issue.

Ask yourself, “What do I want people to notice on this slide?” If you can’t answer that clearly, keep working on it.

Write a title that states the point

“Training Locations” tells people the topic. “The downtown location reduces travel time” tells them what you found—if the facts support that conclusion.

A clear title helps people understand why they’re looking at the slide. The comparison underneath should let them see how you reached that conclusion.

Keep the wording accurate. If one location saves travel time but costs more, show both. Don’t hide a disadvantage just because you prefer one option.

Help people look, then explain

In When You Have the Floor, I teach Signal, Show, Explain, and Return as a way to speak with a visual.

Signal: Tell people why you’re showing it. What question does it help answer?

Show: Point out the part they should examine. Give them a moment to look.

Explain: Say what that detail means.

Return: Look back at the people and explain why it matters to them or what should happen next.

Here’s an example you could adapt to a location comparison:

“Let’s look at how much travel these two locations require. The travel times are in the first row. The downtown room is closer for most of the group, but its rental fee is higher. We need to decide whether the shorter travel time is worth that additional cost.”

You have helped people examine the facts and understand the decision. You haven’t read every word on the slide.

Put the extra detail where people can use it

Your audience may need the full schedule, calculations, or procedures afterward. That doesn’t mean you have to project all of them during the presentation.

When the setting allows it, provide the detail in a handout or an appendix. Show the parts people need for the discussion, and tell them where to find the rest.

Sometimes exact wording matters. You may need to examine a policy sentence or definition together. Show that passage large enough to read, direct attention to the words that matter, and explain them.

Practice without the screen

Choose one slide. Hide it and explain its main point aloud.

If you get stuck, write a short reminder of the thought you want to explain. Practice again until you can look at the audience while speaking. You don’t need to memorize a speech.

Also practice what you’ll say if the screen stops working. Know your main points, recommendation, and ending well enough to continue with a shorter explanation.

For your next presentation, start with one crowded slide. Remove what people don’t need to see, make the main point clear, and practice explaining it in your own words.

A professional presentation review can help you see where your slides clarify the message and where reading them gets in the way.

Related article: How to Use Pauses When You Speak.