The document outlines five key tricks for improving presentations: using the pyramid principle, reminding the audience of the presentation's structure, dedicating one idea per page, breaking up text, and hiding excessive detail. It emphasizes the importance of knowing your audience and keeping presentations simple, while suggesting the use of pre-reads or appendices for detailed information. Overall, it advocates for clear, structured, and visually engaging content to enhance audience understanding and retention.

1. 5 “Weird Tricks” for making
better presentations
Overriding principles
Trick #1: Pyramid principle
Trick #2: Remind them where you’re going
Trick #3: 1 idea per page
Trick #4: Break up your text
Trick #5: Hide the detail
Bonus trick: Don’t be afraid to start with
paper
Icons by Freepik
© Rob Atkinson

2. Always do these three things!
• Know your audience
• Know what type of presentation it’s
going to be
• Keep it simple
© Rob Atkinson

3. 5 “Weird Tricks” for making
better presentations
Overriding principles
Trick #1: Pyramid principle
Trick #2: Remind them where you’re going
Trick #3: 1 idea per page
Trick #4: Break up your text
Trick #5: Hide the detail
Bonus trick: Don’t be afraid to start with
paper
© Rob Atkinson

4. #1: Pyramid Principle: lead with
your most important conclusion
Most important
idea
Main points Main pointsMain points
Process /
Supporting
detail
Process /
Supporting
detail
Process /
Supporting
detail
Process /
Supporting
detail
© Rob Atkinson

5. Don’t confuse process with
structure
• This flow
approximates
how you come
up with a
presentation’s
content
• Past process is
usually not
very
interesting to
your audience
Process followed;
facts discovered
Main points
emerge
Conclusion /
recommendation
reached
© Rob Atkinson

6. 5 “Weird Tricks” for making
better presentations
Overriding principles
Trick #1: Pyramid principle
Trick #2: Remind them where you’re going
Trick #3: 1 idea per page
Trick #4: Break up your text
Trick #5: Hide the detail
Bonus trick: Don’t be afraid to start with
paper
© Rob Atkinson

7. #2: Remind them where you’re
going (and where you’ve been)
• Situate each point within
the larger presentation
context
• Employ repetition to
reinforce points and
frameworks
• Preview future points for
later in the presentation
Trackers and agenda
pages are helpful
tools
© Rob Atkinson

8. 5 “Weird Tricks” for making
better presentations
Overriding principles
Trick #1: Pyramid principle
Trick #2: Remind them where you’re going
Trick #3: 1 idea per page
Trick #4: Break up your text
Trick #5: Hide the detail
Bonus trick: Don’t be afraid to start with
paper
© Rob Atkinson

9. #3: Each idea should have it’s own
page
3 main
benefits:
Your audience is much more likely
to get the key message
Supporting information is cleanly
matched with the point it supports
You are forced to consider whether
a point or supporting information is
really necessary
If a point isn’t
important enough
for it’s own page, it
may not be
important enough
to make at all
© Rob Atkinson

10. 5 “Weird Tricks” for making
better presentations
Overriding principles
Trick #1: Pyramid principle
Trick #2: Remind them where you’re going
Trick #3: 1 idea per page
Trick #4: Break up your text
Trick #5: Hide the detail
Bonus trick: Don’t be afraid to start with
paper
© Rob Atkinson

11. #4: Graphics or structured text is
better than (boring) bullet lists
Visual
metaphor
Conceptual
framing
• Group similar ideas
together graphically
• (Vertical boxes on
this page are an
example)
Flows show a
process
Visual
interest
• Varying your page
layout will make
your pages more
interesting
• Pages that vary are
easier to
rememberTemples show
overall conceptual
architecture
© Rob Atkinson

12. 5 “Weird Tricks” for making
better presentations
Overriding principles
Trick #1: Pyramid principle
Trick #2: Remind them where you’re going
Trick #3: 1 idea per page
Trick #4: Break up your text
Trick #5: Hide the detail
Bonus trick: Don’t be afraid to start with
paper
© Rob Atkinson

13. #5: If you need more detail, use a
pre-read or an appendix
Pre-read
• A more detailed version of
the presentation sent out
before
• Ask that people review it
before the meeting
• Helps reserve the meeting
for actual discussion
• Particularly effective with
smaller, highly engaged
groups
Appendix
• Series of slides in the back
of the actual presentation
• Useful during Q&A
• Put all the interesting but
not directly relevant
information back here
Detail can build credibility, but don’t
lose your audience trying to slog
through it if they’re not interested
© Rob Atkinson

14. 5 “Weird Tricks” for making
better presentations
Overriding principles
Trick #1: Pyramid principle
Trick #2: Remind them where you’re going
Trick #3: 1 idea per page
Trick #4: Break up your text
Trick #5: Hide the detail
Bonus trick: Don’t be afraid to start with
paper
© Rob Atkinson

15. Bonus: Start on paper before
going to PowerPoint
© Rob Atkinson

16. Appendix
© Rob Atkinson

17. If I had a lot of detail behind my
process, I could keep it back here
in case anyone asked
(This isn’t really
that kind of
presentation)
© Rob Atkinson