5 storytelling questions to answer before you open PowerPoint 💡
Most presentations don’t fail because of bad slides.
They fail because PowerPoint gets opened too early.
It’s easy to jump straight in. I still catch myself doing it sometimes.
Creating slides feels productive… but when we start with slides, we focus on what we want to say, instead of what our audience needs to hear.
Before you open PowerPoint, pause and ask yourself these five questions.
1. Who is your audience?
We’ve all sat through presentations where the presenter assumes we already understand the context, the acronyms or the detail.
You spend more time trying to catch up than actually listening to the point being made.
So before you start crafting your story, put yourself in the shoes of your audience.
What do they already know? What might be new to them? What language do they use day to day?
It also helps to think about how they prefer to process information. Some people want the detail and the data before they’re convinced. Others want the headline first and the explanation afterwards.
A strong presenter tailors their content and style to their audience and their needs.
2. What do you want them to learn, think or do differently?
Be clear on the outcome. If nothing changes after your presentation, the story hasn’t quite landed.
This is about giving your presentation an anchor. What is the one thing you want to be different once you’ve finished speaking?
When you’re clear on the objective from the start, decisions become easier. You spend less time creating slides that don’t quite fit, and less time explaining things that don’t move the story forward.
It also helps you stay focused when the detail starts to grow. If a slide doesn’t support the outcome, it probably doesn’t need to be there.
A clear objective keeps the story simple and makes it easier for your audience to know what to do next.
3. What’s in it for them?
Even if you’re clear on your objective, your audience will still be asking one quiet question: why does this matter to me?
It sounds obvious, but this is where many presentations drift. We explain the analysis. We show the charts. We walk through the logic. But we don’t always make the benefit explicit.
Does this help them hit their target? Reduce risk? Save time? Unlock growth? Make their next conversation easier?
You might be excited about the insight because you’ve lived in the detail. They haven’t. Make it relevant to them and they’ll connect the dots quickly.
4. Why might they say no?
Every audience has a reason not to move forward. It might not be spoken out loud, but it’s there.
Limited budget. Risk. Timing. Impact on other projects. Or simply, “This sounds good, but it feels like hard work.”
If you ignore these concerns, they will surface later. Usually at the worst possible moment.
Think about where they might push back. What questions would a sceptical version of them ask? What would need to be true for them to feel confident saying yes?
When you acknowledge the barriers openly and address them clearly, you build trust. It shows you’ve thought about their reality, not just your idea.
5. How can you bring this to life in a memorable way?
PowerPoint is just one format. It isn’t the only way to land a message.
Before you build slides, ask yourself how this story would work if slides weren’t an option.
Could you bring a physical sample into the room so people can experience the product properly?
Could you draw the shopper journey on a flipchart to make it feel real?
Could you tell a short, vivid story that makes the data stick?
A presentation will rarely be memorable because of a perfectly formatted slide (if ever!). Audiences will remember the idea that was clear, the example that made sense or the story that felt relevant.
When your presentation is led by empathy, clarity and intention, you create better conversations, change minds, and move projects forward. Remember that PowerPoint is just a tool to make your story the star!
If you’d like your team to build stronger, clearer and more persuasive stories, get in touch and we can chat about storytelling training.
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