The general rule is: put as little text as possible on slides. That does not mean we should always put very little text there. When do we go minimal, and when do we add more content?
Let’s start with a distinction that affects how much text belongs on slides. There are three types of presentations depending on the context in which they are shown.
1. Stage presentations - shown at large conferences, in front of big audiences.
2. Business presentations - shown in small meetings, in small rooms.
3. Slide-docs (term coined by Nancy Duarte) - sent by email and read without the presenter present.
These three types follow three different conventions. Stage presentations follow a “show” convention. That means the slides should be very visual. No excess text. Only key phrases reinforcing what the speaker says.
Business presentations are different. They sit in between. The audience is small. People look at the screen from close range, they can see data, they can ask questions on the fly. Here you can add more text, but it still does not replace the speaker. Text should carry meaning but not narrate. Short paragraphs, bullet points, numbers. Never a wall of words.
Finally slide-docs. These are no longer presentations but documents in slide form. They are read in silence, without a presenter. Text has to do all the work. It must explain, justify, complete. It still cannot overwhelm. Dense content, but portioned. Clear language. Less focus on graphics because the eye reads from close range.
The biggest mistakes come from mixing these conventions. People build a stage presentation as if it were meant to be emailed. Or a board pack looks like a flashy keynote about the iPhone. That’s like showing up to an opera wearing a triathlon suit. In theory you can, but the audience will sense the mismatch.
Sometimes one presentation is meant to serve two purposes. For example first you show it at a board meeting, then you send it to participants. In practice that is not one presentation but two. If you want a good outcome, make two versions.
So how much text should you put on slides? The rule is simple but conditional. The more live and on-stage the presentation is, the less text.
Also remember to use as many sentence fragments as possible. This will shorten text. And more importantly, it will force you to speak from your head instead of reading the slides. There is nothing worse than a presenter turning their back to the audience and mumbling through each sentence visible on the slide. I wish you never find yourself in that situation, neither as a presenter nor as a listener.
Piotr Garlej
