Why Your Slides Are Sabotaging Your Message

Have you ever left a presentation thinking, “Why did I even bother attending? All the presenter did was read off the slides.” It’s frustrating, right? You zone out, wishing you could’ve just read the slides faster on your own.

Believe me, I’ve been there. Even with a master’s degree in interpersonal communication, I used to pack my slides with bullet points and way too much information.

It wasn’t until I dove deeper into learning the art of public speaking and effective visual aids that I realized how much I’d been sabotaging my message. But there’s good news! Fixing it is easier than you think.

Let's get real. Visual aids aren’t for you. They are for your audience.

They’re not your cue cards or script, they’re a visual reinforcement of your message. Done well, they captivate, engage and make your message stick. Done poorly, they distract and bore.

And science backs this up. The brain processes visuals in 13 milliseconds - 60,000 times faster than text! 

Not only that, we remember a whopping 80% of what we see versus just 20% of what we read and 10% of what we hear. 

That means every cluttered slide with tiny text is not only ineffective but actively working against you. Compound that with the fact that the vast majority people can't effectively read and listen at the same time, and you've got a recipe for disaster.

Once I let go of bad visual aid habits and started creating simple, stunning, image-driven slides, everything changed. My presentations became more dynamic, my audiences were more engaged and people started telling me how much my visuals enhanced their experience.

The secret? Slides don’t tell the story. You do.

Want to learn how to design slides that captivate your audience and create a visual roadmap for your speech that helps you present confidently - no notes needed? Let's talk!

Shannon Malkin Daniels

Public Speaking & Authenticity Coach