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.

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!

She spent WEEKS crafting the perfect slide deck. She never made it past slide 1. I watched an MD of Strategy walk into an ExCo presentation with 20 beautifully designed slides. By minute 5, the CFO had hijacked the entire conversation with one question about assumptions. The remaining 40 minutes? A masterclass in executive interrogation. Welcome to the reality nobody warns you about: Executive presentations aren't presentations. They're structured conversations where executives compete for influence, and your content is often just the playing field. After 25+ years watching brilliant leaders crash and burn in the boardroom, here's what actually works when the discussion off-ramps right on slide 1: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗖𝗼 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝟭. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 Your slide 1 isn't your opening. It's your entire presentation compressed into one visual. If they stop you there (they will), you've still delivered your core message. Think newspaper headline, not chapter one. 𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟯-𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 Before you walk in, identify your three non-negotiables — the points that MUST land regardless of where the conversation goes. Weave them into every answer. Make them impossible to miss. 𝟯. 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 "That's an important consideration. It actually connects to [insert your key point]." You're not fighting their agenda. You're incorporating it while staying on message. 𝟰. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 Their questions reveal what really matters. The CFO asking about assumptions? Cost is the hidden concern. Adjust your narrative in real-time to address their actual worry, not your planned story. 𝟱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 When hit with a curveball: "Let me think about that for a moment." Those 3 seconds let you choose response over reaction. Executives respect thoughtfulness over haste. I once saw a Director of Product nail this perfectly. Her deck had 30 slides. She presented exactly zero of them. Instead, she read the room's energy, abandoned her script, and led a discussion that addressed every unspoken concern. She got full funding. And a promotion six months later. Because here's the truth: They're not evaluating your slides. They're evaluating your ability to think on your feet when the plan falls apart. Your preparation matters. But your agility matters more. The executives who thrive don't mourn their unused slides. They celebrate landing their message despite never getting past the title page. 🎯 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗰-𝘀𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? ------------ ♻️ Share with someone preparing for their next boardroom battle ➕ Follow Courtney Intersimone for unfiltered executive survival strategies

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.

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

The most ignored public speaking tip I’ve learned in 10+ years: Stop memorizing your presentations. Last week, I gave a talk on influencing executives to a group of 50+ analysts and leaders. The audience was great. Engaged, laughed at the jokes, nodded along. And after giving dozens of presentations like this (to all kinds of audiences - small rooms, big rooms, senior folks, general teams), I’ve landed on one rule I always follow: I never memorize my presentations. I used to. And when I did, I noticed: - If I blanked on a phrase, I’d lose momentum - I was focused on the next line instead of the people in the room - I sped through like I was rattling off a script (which I was) instead of making a point Now, I do this instead: - I memorize my opening 2–3 minutes. Just enough to start strong. - I know the one takeaway I want per slide and speak to that instead of reading bullets. - I run through it out loud 3–4 times so I find the rhythm, not just the words. The result? More presence. More connection. Less stress. Anyone else prefer the “loose outline” approach over word-for-word memorization? —-— 👋🏼 I’m Morgan. I share my favorite data viz and data storytelling tips to help other analysts (and academics) better communicate their work.

Close your laptop and forget the deck. Here’s why… If you walk into a first meeting with a donor and immediately pull up a pitch deck, you might as well be holding up a giant red flag that says, “I have no idea who you are, but please give me money.” Trust me—I’ve spent days crafting the perfect pitch deck. One that balances a powerful story with data, clearly lays out the problem and solution, and shows how the donor can be the hero. But here’s the reality: 𝗡𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝗽 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮 𝟮𝟬-𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Yet, many fundraisers make the same mistake—leading with data, bullet points, and budget breakdowns before they’ve even had a real conversation. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜 (𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁) 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: It shifts the focus from connection to presentation. If I’m talking at them, I’m not listening to them. It assumes I already know what they care about. I don’t. And I won’t find out if I’m too busy clicking through slides. It creates a physical and psychological barrier. If my laptop is open, there’s something between me and the donor. If I cast my screen, I may have to turn away from them. Even if we’re both looking at the screen, we’re not looking at each other. And in fundraising, subtle body language and eye contact can make or break a relationship. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹: To understand the person in front of me—their story, their passion, what moves them to give. Once I know that, I don’t need a deck. I can have a real conversation that actually matters. 𝗗𝗼 𝗜 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴? Yes—but 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 if they ask an in-depth question where a visual adds more 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 or 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗵 than words alone. Even then, I avoid pulling out a laptop. Instead, I might bring a few supporting documents in case the conversation naturally goes in that direction. 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴… I send a personalized deck that speaks directly to what they care about—not some generic, one-size-fits-all pitch. 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: You are there to learn your donor's story. Stop hiding behind slides and start having real conversations. How do you feel about decks at donor meetings? Let’s discuss.

𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗜𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵—𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗧𝗼𝗼 🎤 Early in my career, I thought public speaking was just for keynote speakers and TEDx stages. Wrong ❌ Public speaking isn’t just about giving speeches—it’s about how you present ideas in meetings, pitch projects, and influence people. Here’s what I learned about speaking with confidence, even when you’re not naturally good at it: 🔹 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘆 = 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 Early on, I’d over-explain, trying to prove I knew my stuff. Big mistake. ✔ Senior leaders don’t want 5-minute explanations. ✔ They want the core insight + why it matters + the next step. Tip: If you can’t explain your point in 30 seconds or less, you’re overcomplicating it. 🔹 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 Nervous speakers rush their words. Confident speakers pause. ✔ Instead of filling silence with “umm” and “uhh,” take a 2-second pause. ✔ It makes you sound more in control (and gives your brain time to think). 🔹 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 ✔ People connect with you, not your PowerPoint. ✔ I learned to speak to the audience, using slides as a backup—not a crutch. 🔹 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹—𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗜𝘁 ❌ Speaking in a flat tone makes people zone out. ✔ Vary your tone, speed, and emphasis to keep attention. ✔ The best speakers sound like they’re having a conversation, not reading a script. 🔹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 People think great speakers are “naturally good.” They’re not. ✔ The best speakers rehearse way more than you think. ✔ I started practicing my points out loud before meetings—it made a huge difference. 𝘉𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘦? 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘴𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯. #PublicSpeaking #CareerGrowth #CommunicationSkills

I have a confession to make. I have been guilty of putting people to sleep during my presentations. Unfortunately, not once, but many times. I could blame it on the complexities of tech topics or the dryness of the subject. I could always console myself by saying that at least it's not as sleep-inducing as financial presentations (sorry, my friends in Finance). Deep down, though, I knew that even the most complicated and dry topics could come alive. As with anything, it's a skill and can be improved upon. Thus, I turned to my friend Christopher Chin, Communication Coach for Tech Professionals, for some much-needed advice. He shared these 5 presentation tips guaranteed to leave a lasting impression: 1/ Speak to Their Needs, Not Your Wants Don’t just say what you like talking about or what your audience wants to hear. Say what your audience needs to hear based on their current priorities and pain points: that sets your presentation up to be maximally engaging 2/ Slides Support, You Lead Slides are not the presentation. You are the presentation. Your slides should support your story and act as visual reinforcement rather than as the main star of the show.  Consider holding off on making slides until you have your story clear. That way, you don’t end up making more slides than you need or making slides more verbose than you need 3/ Start with a Bang, Not a Whisper The beginning of a presentation is one of the most nerve-wracking parts for you as the speaker and one of the most attention-critical parts for your audience. If you don’t nail the beginning, there’s a good chance you lose the majority of people. Consider starting with something that intrigues your audience, surprises them, concerns them, or makes them want to learn more. 4/ Think Conversation, Not Presentation One-way presentations where the speaker just talks “at” the audience lead to dips in attention and poorer reception of the material. Consider integrating interactive elements like polls and Q&A throughout a presentation (rather than just at the very end) to make it feel more like a conversation. 5/ Finish Strong with a Clear CTA We go through all the effort of preparing, creating, and delivering a presentation to cause some change in behavior. End with a powerful call to action that reminds your audience why they were in attendance and what they should do as soon as they leave the room. By integrating these, you won't just present; you'll captivate. Say goodbye to snoozing attendees and hello to a gripped audience. 😴 Repost if you've ever accidentally put someone to sleep with a presentation. We've all been there!