Can my slides also by my notes?
No — and this is one of the most common and damaging traps in business presentations. When slides become notes, they become crowded, text-heavy, and unengaging. Worse, presenters end up reading them to the audience — ranked among the two most annoying traits of poor presentations, according to iSpeak research.
Remember this: You are the presentation. The slides support you — not the other way around. If you're just going to narrate your slide deck, send an email instead.
Why it matters: The US Department of Labor found that audiences retain 65% of content from a visual and oral presentation combined, versus just 10% from an oral presentation alone. That's a powerful case for strong visuals. But overloaded slides undercut that advantage completely. When your audience is reading your slide, they're not listening to you — and you've just lost the most powerful element in the room: your voice.
Practical Tips:
- Follow the Six By Six Rule. No more than six lines of six words per slide — 36 words maximum. If your content doesn't fit, it belongs in a handout or document, not on a slide.
- Use the Speaker Notes section in PowerPoint the right way. Type your detailed notes there. In Presenter View, you see them; your audience sees only the clean slide. That's how you keep slides simple without losing your depth.
- Create a separate handout for detail-heavy content. In PowerPoint, print "Notes Pages" — it gives each page a thumbnail of the slide on top and your full notes below. Distribute before the presentation if the content is dense; after if you don't want to give away the story early.
Practice Exercise:
Find your most text-heavy slide. Rebuild it in two versions: (1) a visual-forward version following the Six By Six Rule, and (2) a one-page Notes Page handout with full detail. Show both to a trusted colleague or practice with our iSpeak AI Coach and ask which felt more engaging to receive. The difference will be obvious.
Related Resources:
Corporate Ovations: Your Roadmap to More Effective Presentations
This is iSpeak's comprehensive guide to presentation and communication skills. Each chapter focuses on a critical aspect of preparing, developing, and delivering messages that inform, influence, and inspire.
Chapter 10 of Corporate Ovations ("Visual Aids") teaches presenters how to use visual aids strategically—creating simple, memorable visuals that reinforce the message, engage the audience, and avoid the pitfalls of text-heavy corporate slides.
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