Time to tear off the band-aid. Your product might be the next big thing in tech, but the way you present it? Yawn-inducing. It’s not that you don’t have groundbreaking technology or fascinating ideas—it’s that your presentations are crammed with technobabble, geek speak, and assumptions that your audience gets it. Spoiler: they don’t.
Here’s the cold truth: your audience doesn’t care about your tech’s ins and outs—they care about one thing: WIFM (What’s In It For Me?). If your slides don’t answer that burning question clearly and quickly, you’ve already lost them. Your presentation may as well be in a foreign language.
Less Geek Speak, More Value
Technical founders often get caught up in explaining the how instead of the why. Sure, your new algorithm or design architecture is cool, but that’s not what gets your customers—or investors—excited. What gets them excited is how your tech solves their problem, saves them money, or makes their life easier.
So, ditch the overly complex jargon. Strip your message down to what matters to your audience. And by the way, never assume a slide’s message is obvious. If you don’t spell it out, your audience is left guessing—and trust me, they don’t have time for a guessing game.
The Guy Kawasaki 10/20/30 Rule
Let’s talk about the notorious “death by PowerPoint.” Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule is the antidote. If you haven’t heard of it, here’s the gist: 10 slides, 20 minutes, and 30-point font. Why? Because you can’t bore people into buying your product. Simple, clear slides, and a tight narrative keep your audience engaged. They don’t want to hear every little detail—they want the big picture. Learn more from the master himself here.
Start with Why—Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle
Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle is another lifesaver for dull presentations. Instead of diving into what your product is or how it works, start with why it matters. People don’t buy what you do—they buy why you do it. What’s the purpose behind your technology? How does it make a difference? Once you’ve got them hooked on your “why,” you can layer in the details. Read more about the Golden Circle here.
Actionable Headlines Only
Now, about those headlines. If your slide titles aren’t actionable and crystal clear, you’ve failed. Every headline should tell your audience something, not leave them wondering. “Improved Scalability” might mean something to you, but to your audience, it’s vague. Instead, say: “Scale Your System 5x Without Additional Hardware.”
No more implied benefits. Be explicit. Your audience will thank you for it – and so will your qualified pipeline.
As Always, Clarity Wins
It’s not about dumbing down your content—it’s about making it accessible, relatable, and relevant. Get out of the weeds, stop relying on jargon, and put yourself in your audience’s shoes. Clarity wins. Every. Single. Time. You can read more about how to achieve this milestone here.
Not sure how to take your presentation from “Yawn” to “Yeah”? Get there faster by reaching out today with absolutely no strings attached.
