PowerPoint 101: How to Stop Torturing Your Audience (and Actually Impress Them)
- Brew Baritugo
- Mar 1
- 3 min read
Ah, PowerPoint—the great equalizer of meetings. It can make you look like a genius or a sleep-inducing menace. If you’ve ever sat through a 50-slide deck filled with microscopic text and bullet points that read like a legal contract, you know the pain.
Let’s fix that. Here’s your crash course in making crisp, useful, and high-impact presentations that won’t make your audience wish for a fire drill.
The 10-20-30 Rule (Yes, It’s a Thing)
Venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki came up with this golden rule:
10 slides – This forces you to prioritize what truly matters. If you can’t say it in 10 slides, you probably don’t fully understand your own presentation.
20 minutes max – Attention spans are short, and most people stop actively listening after 15 minutes. If your talk is longer, leave time for discussion rather than droning on.
30-point font minimum – If your audience has to squint, they’ll give up. Large font forces you to simplify your message, keeping slides clean and to the point.
If Steve Jobs could change the world in under 10 slides, your quarterly report doesn’t need 72.
Less Text, More You
If your slide has more words than a page of War and Peace, you’re doing it wrong. Slides should support your talk, not replace it. Here’s how to fix it:
❌ Bad Slide:
"Our sales revenue experienced an upward trajectory in Q2, with incremental growth across multiple product categories, contributing to an overall positive trend."
✅ Better Slide:
Q2 Sales Grew. Here’s Why. (Then, you explain it like the pro you are.)
Your audience came to hear you, not read an essay on a projector. Every slide should focus on one clear idea and let you do the storytelling.
Make It Visually Digestible (No Eye Strain Required)
Your color scheme should not resemble a pack of highlighters. Keep it clean:
Dark text on light backgrounds (or vice versa) – High contrast improves readability. Light gray on white? That’s an eye test, not a slide.
Stick to 2–3 colors – Too many colors make slides look chaotic. Stick to a professional, consistent palette that aligns with your brand.
Use white space – Cluttered slides make people tune out. Space things out so your key points stand out.
Pro Tip: Avoid Comic Sans unless your goal is to be laughed out of the room.
Pictures > Bullet Points (Every Time)
A well-placed image, graph, or chart beats a wall of text. Just remember:
Charts should be simple – If it takes more than three seconds to understand, it’s too complicated.
Use high-quality images – Blurry or outdated clip art screams "I made this in 2003." Use sharp, professional visuals.
Icons and visuals should support your message – If a picture doesn’t add value, it’s just decoration.
A great visual makes information memorable and easier to process. If your slide needs a PhD in data science to understand, you’re doing it wrong.
Transitions & Animations: The Silent Career Killers
PowerPoint gives you access to wild animations. That does not mean you should use them.
No text spinning in like a tornado – This isn't a magic show. Keep it professional.
No random bounces, swipes, or boomerang effects – They add zero value and distract your audience from your message.
No 'explosion' transitions (unless you’re pitching a Michael Bay movie) – If your content is strong, you don’t need theatrics.
Stick to simple fades and appears. The goal is to keep attention on you, not on a slide that behaves like a slot machine.
End with Impact, Not an Apology
Your last slide should not say "Thank You" unless you want to be instantly forgotten. Instead, end with:
A powerful quote – Leave them with something thought-provoking.
A call to action – What should they do next? Make it clear.
A final key takeaway – Reinforce the single most important message they should remember.
Example:
"If you remember one thing today, it’s this: Simplicity wins."
A strong close makes your message stick—and that’s the whole point.
TL;DR: PowerPoint Success in Five Steps
1. Follow the 10-20-30 Rule – Keep it short and readable.
2. Less text, more storytelling – Your voice matters more than your slides.
3. Make it visually clean and digestible – Simplicity over chaos.
4. Use powerful images over bullet points – Show, don’t tell.
5. Ditch crazy animations & end strong – Keep it smooth, keep it memorable.
Master these, and your audience will actually pay attention—instead of just pretending to take notes while shopping online.
Comments