Tips for Presenting Without Reading Slides

Executive Utterances — On Presenting The fastest way to lose a room is to start talking before you’ve said anything worth hearing. Whether you’re presenting to an audience of 1,000 or speaking to your own work group, the first words you choose determine whether your audience leans in or checks out. Over the years, I learned that fully scripted speeches kept me from connecting, reacting, and speaking with authenticity. What follows is the methodology I developed — a balance of structure, informality, and clarity that helped me become a more effective presenter. If there’s interest, I’m happy to expand on any of these in detail. For now, here are the principles that shaped my approach: * Grab from the Beginning Start with a powerful sentence or a question that sets an emotional stage the audience can’t turn away from. A recent example came from a presentation to law enforcement officers on child abduction: “At one of the most difficult moments in any parent’s life, they call you. You become their hope.” * Speak from the Inside Charles Dickens once wrote, “Make me see.” Facts and data are necessary, but they don’t move people on their own. Speak from inside the information — bring it to life, make it human, make it matter. Use slides or handouts for the heavier details but speak to the story behind those details. Americans love a story; give them one worth remembering. * Just Start When building your presentation, don’t obsess over the perfect beginning. Just start typing.Your first draft may look nothing like your final version — that’s a sign you’re refining your message, not a problem. * Read It Out Loud Read your notes out loud. Better yet, read them to someone you trust or have them read your notes back to you. You’ll hear clarity issues and pacing problems you won’t catch on a screen. * Block It Hand-draw two columns of blocks on a piece of paper: Column One: Break your presentation into sections, and label each with a few key words that will become your notes Column Two: Decide which supporting bullets, facts, or simple visuals that will become your slides or handouts and just note what will be in the slides. This creates flow and structure without forcing you into a script. Then start filling the blocks * Do Not Make the Slides Your Notes Slides support your presentation — they are not your presentation. Speak from your notes (large print, double-spaced), and let the slides reinforce what you’re saying. Never read from them; you can’t tell a meaningful story while narrating bullet points. A visual image such as a photograph, can be a great addition if it reinforces your opening theme or emotional hook. * Close Strong and Quick Tie your closing sentence directly back to your opening. Keep it short, powerful, and intentional — because once people sense you’re closing, their attention starts to drift. Start with something worth hearing, and you’ll keep the room until the very end.

Trial Tip 31: Don’t read from your slides—also known as performing “slide karaoke.” Unless you want to frustrate the jury. The best explanation comes from Dr. Richard Mayer, an educational psychologist from UCSB. He says everyone’s brain has two channels—a visual channel and an auditory channel. When you read slides to people, they try to process the information in both channels. They read the slides to themselves, and they listen to you. The problem is the two channels run at different speeds. People read to themselves twice as fast as most people talk. So their visual channel constantly gets ahead of the auditory channel and it creates an annoying effect. They want to compare the two streams of information, but since the visual channel is always ahead of the auditory channel, it’s like dragging a slow toddler. Or being in stop and go traffic. It taxes the brain, which eventually shuts down and stops paying attention. So either display the information and give them time to read it, or limit your slide to a few key words and read them the rest. Yes, it’s easier for you if you put everything on the screen and read it—you don’t have to rehearse as much. But it’s not about you; it’s about them. So no slide karaoke. I still haven’t met anyone who says they like it. If you liked this tip, follow me for another next week. 

One great presentation can do what multiple applications can't. Over the years, my presentations have earned awards, speaking invitations, and opportunities I never applied for. Most recently, at MAA MathFest 2024, someone from the audience approached me and said: "Your talk was so engaging. You made such a complex topic accessible." On the spot, he invited me to speak to high school students in Chicago. Full expenses paid + speaker fee. Here is the framework I use every single time... (You might want to save this.) 1. Know your audience before you make a single slide → Kids? Public? Policy makers? Academics? → Your job is to design your talk to suit them. → Picture one person in the audience, let's call them "Bola." 2. Map out the entire talk first → Write the takeaway from each slide in one sentence. → Connect each slide logically to the next. → Ask yourself: Will Bola digest this information? 3. Ditch the jargon → Would Bola understand this? → If not, go back to the drawing board. → Use simple, plain English. 4. Make it visual → One message per slide. Big font. Bullet points. → Use visuals or illustrations instead of text (if possible.)  → The moment your audience starts reading your slides, you've lost them. 5. Practice as you build each slide → After creating each slide, ask: What will I say here? → This reveals what to add, remove, or fix as you go. → Once done, practice the full presentation again. 6. Never read off your slides during delivery → Deliver like you're telling a story. → Everything on screen is just supporting visuals. → Know your slides inside out. Keep eye contact. 7. Use your body language intentionally → Don't stare at the ceiling, ground, or stand frozen. → Your movement and energy speak louder than words. → This automatically communicates confidence and authority. Great presentations aren’t about showing how smart you are. They’re about making your audience feel something... curiosity, clarity, and inspiration. That’s what makes you memorable. And that’s what opens doors. --- PS: What's ONE thing that's helped you improve your presentations? PPS: Want to see this framework in action? Link to the Chicago talk is in the comments. ♻️ REPOST if this was useful. Thanks!

If you ever have to give a big talk without notes, here’s a trick that might help: the Memory Palace. Here's how it works: 1. Conjure up a highly visual mental space like a palace or mansion. It doesn't have to be a place you know - it just has to be vivid and easy to navigate in your mind. I almost always use the same fake mansion in my talks because it's familiar to me. 2. Turn the key points of your talk into super bizarre, memorable images happening inside the mansion. The weirder and more specific, the better. Your brain remembers the unexpected. A few weeks ago I gave a 40 minute talk on the history of storytelling and misinformation. No teleprompter or confidence monitor. I needed to remember everything from Aboriginal Dreamtime stories to Octavian's propaganda war against Marc Antony to the 1835 Great Moon Hoax. So I created a mental landscape filled with images like: 🐍 A snake slithering through the living room (Aboriginal Dreamtime stories - oral histories depicting actual events from 10,000 years ago) ⚔️ A giant sword on the wall (reminder that Octavian didn't fight Marc Antony with weapons, he fought with ancient fake news) 🌘 A terrible illustration of the moon (the 1835 Great Moon Hoax) Each image anchored a major section of my talk. So when I got to that image in my mental walk-through, it triggered everything I needed to say about that era or concept. And then during the talk, I just followed the visual path. I've included a picture here of the ground floor of my recent Memory Palace so you can see how ridiculous it might look. It feels conversational and natural to me as the speaker because I'm not trying to remember words or bullet points. I'm just describing what I "see." Most of us don't have access to professional speaking setups. But we still need to deliver. Board presentations. Keynotes. All-hands meetings where you need to project confidence, not read slides. And in my experience, the Memory Palace technique gives you that freedom. You're not memorizing a script word-for-word (which sounds robotic anyway). You're creating a mental structure that lets you speak naturally while hitting every point. A few tips if you try this: → Always ask conference organizers about AV setup beforehand. Know what you're working with. → Your mental space doesn't need to be real. Make it as surreal as you want - that actually helps! → Make your images visceral, specific, and tied directly to your content. Generic images or words alone won't work. → Practice walking through it several times. → This works best for structured talks with clear narrative arcs. For Q&A or panels, you'll need a different approach. It's not magic. It's just how memory works - we're v spatial creatures who remember stories and images better than abstract concepts. Try it for your next talk. Your brain is more capable than you think!

A year ago, I focused on what was on my slides. Last week, I focused on what was in the room. Presenting my Victoria’s Secret competitive strategy case at NYU taught me something unexpected. Confidence isn’t about speaking louder. It’s about speaking with clarity. NYU genuinely changed how I present. I no longer build slides to “cover content.” I build them to guide attention. The goal is not to finish slides. It’s to hold the room. Three shifts changed everything for me: 1. The 1-6-6 rule One slide. One idea. Six words. Six supporting points at most. If a slide tries to do too much, people remember nothing. When I presented Victoria’s Secret, every slide had a single strategic takeaway. Cultural capital eroded before financial capital. The backlash was structural, not cosmetic. The pivot was about legitimacy, not aesthetics. Clear ideas stick. 2. Less on slides. More in voice. I used to over-design. Now I leave space. If your slide says everything, you become optional. If it supports you, you lead. 3. Present like a story, not a report. I structured the case as a journey: the rise, the backlash, the decline, the reset. People remember narratives, not scattered data. Grateful to Professor Court Stroud for constantly emphasizing clarity over clutter, and to Professor Tariq Khan (He/Him/His) for giving an open space to present our favorite case. NYU has not just improved my slides. It has strengthened my voice. Attaching the Google Drive link to my full case study for anyone interested. If you’re working on your presentation skills: Design for clarity. Speak slower. Own your pauses. Build with intention. Because slides don’t hold rooms. People do.

Great slides don’t guarantee a great presentation! Your delivery does. Here’s how to practice your slides effectively 🔹 1. Rehearse aloud → Don’t just read silently→ speak your presentation out loud. ↳ This helps you get comfortable with the flow and identify awkward phrasing. ↳ Speaking aloud builds muscle memory and improves articulation. 🔹 2. Record yourself → Playback reveals what you don’t notice in the moment. ↳ Listen for pacing issues, filler words, or unclear sections. ↳ Watch for body language cues—are you engaging or stiff? 📌 You can’t fix what you don’t hear or see. 🔹 3. Time your presentation → Every presentation has a time limit—respect it. ↳ Use a timer to make sure you’re within the allocated time. ↳ If you’re too long, trim unnecessary details—if too short, expand key insights. 📌 Well-paced delivery keeps the audience engaged. 🔹 4. Focus on transitions → A great presentation flows smoothly between slides. ↳ Avoid abrupt shifts—use transition phrases to connect ideas. ↳ Example: “Now that we’ve seen the problem, let’s explore the solution…” 📌 Good transitions keep your audience following your narrative. 🔹 5. Practice with your visuals → Your slides should support, not distract from, your delivery. ↳ Align your explanations with your graphs, tables, or animations. ↳ Use a pointer or highlight key areas to guide the audience’s focus. 📌 Your slides are tools→ use them strategically. 🔹 6. Seek feedback → Fresh eyes catch what you miss. ↳ Rehearse in front of peers, mentors, or colleagues. ↳ Ask for specific feedback on clarity, engagement, and body language. 📌 The best presenters refine their delivery based on feedback. 🔹 7. Simulate the environment → Rehearsing in a similar setting reduces anxiety. ↳ Practice in a room similar to where you’ll present—stand, move, and use gestures. ↳ If possible, practice with your actual equipment (clicker, mic, projector). 📌 Familiarity builds confidence. 🔹 8. Refine your script → Bullet points, not full sentences, make for a natural delivery. ↳ Have key talking points but avoid reading slides word-for-word. ↳ Practice until you can speak naturally without relying on notes. 📌 Confidence comes from preparation, not memorization. ****************** 💬 Which of these strategies do you use when preparing for a presentation? #PresentationSkills #PublicSpeaking #Communication #Leadership #ProfessionalDevelopment

Tips for public speaking for security leaders: This is what I have learned from doing over 50 talks in the last 2 years. 𝗗𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: - Launch right into the presentation. Do not start with an introduction or "good morning". - Ask someone else to introduce you. It lends itself to credibility. - Tell stories throughout the entire presentation - Know your material by heart - Leverage cues to jog your memory in case you get lost (e.g., an image to remind you of the story you are supposed to tell) - Practice out loud (I find this painful, but it really helps) - Pause frequently (3-5 seconds minimum, especially after you make a point) - Build in audience engagement (ice breakers, questions, simple exercises) - Take risks (it is only a risk to you, the audience won't even know) - Be vulnerable to fast track trust - Be confident. Even blindly confident if you have to. - Bring up a bottle of water and don't be afraid to take a sip. - If you freeze or get lost, just pause and collect yourself - Know your setup (hand mic vs. lapel mic, stage or classroom, etc.) - Know your audience and what they care about (e.g., execs vs. entry level) - Be yourself 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: - Do not memorize verbatim - Do not worry about your hand movements - Don't read from the slides - Don't worry if the slide doesn't match up perfectly with what you are saying - Do not say things like "I forgot what I was about to say" or "I'm nervous" or "I'm sorry" during your presentation - Don't assume the people organizing the event know what they are doing (often they are volunteers and if you ask questions or tell them what you need it is very helpful) - Don't stress yourself out. Even if you bomb, people have very short memories. - Don't compare yourself to some TED speaker. They are literally the best of the best. The bar is much lower than you think. (Think NFL vs. College vs. High School levels) --- Any other tips from the great presenters out there? #publicspeaking #business #leadership

Any time you read from notes or your slides… You sound like an animatronic from the Hall of Presidents at Disney. Stiff. Robotic. Unengaging. Your audience tunes out. They just hear words being recited. Instead of letting your slides dictate what you say, try this instead: ➡️ Prepare, don’t script. Know your key message for each slide, not a word-for-word transcript. ➡️ Think in ideas, not sentences. What’s the one thing you want your audience to remember? Build from there. ➡️ Talk to your audience, not at them. Have a conversational tone, don't deliver a monologue. ➡️ Use slides as a visual aid, not a crutch. They should support your message, not be the message. ➡️ Embrace natural pauses. Silence is better than “uhh” or robotic reading. Great speakers don’t sound rehearsed. They sound real.

Presentation Skills! It's something that I take for granted. Am I the BEST presenter ever? Nah. But I think I can hold my own, and I really ENJOY doing it. As an actor, I just tap into that character energy a little bit - - my character is confident and so am I. It also really helps to be completely comfortable with the subject and well-rehearsed, of course. But what are some other things that you can do to level-up your presentation skills? I recently did a mini-training for a few members of my team and figured I'd share 5 tips to be a better presenter. Presentation Skills: * The Power of the Pause – it’s okay to pause for 1, 2, or more seconds. It feels like an eternity to you but it’s so short to your audience and is always better than an “uhm”. Practice it and get comfortable with it. * Strong Start – at the start of your presentation you want a strong start. Before you begin, get a good, secure stance (feet / ankles in line with your shoulders). Take a deep breath. Smile. Focus. Use this opportunity to mentally review your strong opening line. And look around the room, making friendly eye contact with all/most participants before you begin. It’s another somewhat uncomfortable moment but it builds anticipation and ensures you have attention for the start of your presentation * Present, Don’t Read – Slides should never be text heavy unless it’s a self-guided presentation (this is always tricky if you're trying to prepare a presentation for someone else). If you presentation will be sent around after and NEEDS a lot of text, ensure that you are only summarizing during your presentation. Use key phrases or a bold keyword/headline to guide you but never read to your audience. It’s a presentation, not Kindergarten story time. 😉 * Be Yourself – if you’re comfortable behind a podium, be there. If you want to walk and engage with the room, do it. But be authentic. Audiences can smell a lack of authenticity a mile away and it will make them tune out or focus on the wrong things. It’s GREAT to try and stretch yourself and try new styles of presenting - - but this should never be done without practice and comfort. Once you’re comfortable with something, THEN (and only then) can you add it to your presentation toolbox. * CYA / WIIFM – Consider Your Audience and “What’s In It For Me” – why are you giving this presentation and what do you want the audience to take away from it? Don’t present what YOU want, present what THEY want. If it’s a point YOU need to get across and it’s not something THEY want to hear, find a way to make it digestible for THEM. It’s never ever EVER about you. The second you make a presentation about you and your goals, you’re out. Was this helpful for you? What's your favorite tip (either from my list above or one of your own)? Presenting / public speaking is so uncomfortable for so many people - so let's help each other out!