Storyline Checklist:
- Did you consider your audience and purpose?
- How much time can you realistically take per slide + questions + other presentation derailments?
- Do you have an objectives slide (i.e. why are we here today?)
- Does the story follow a logical and coherent flow (i.e. inductive or deductive reasoning based on quantitative and qualitative analysis)?
- Is there a clear theme? Or, three key takeaways?
- On any slide or bullet point, can you answer the question: “so what?”
- What is your “money slide?” The slide that someone could rip away from the deck and be enchanted.
- Is the hypothesis proven by data? – charts, graphs, tables, quotes
- Are the charts, graphs, text and voice consistent?
- Is the implicit made explicit (i.e. state your assumptions)?
Slide Writing Checklist:
- Is the language consistent (i.e. Titles and bullets consistent)?
- Is the text the right size for the audience and purpose?
- Does the slide communicate one clear and easy to understand message?
- Have you included section indicators (i.e. a header or navigator to recenter your audience on what you are taking about)?
- Did you clearly cite your sources?
- Can you transition easily between slides?
- Did you use active voice (never use passive, it’s passive)?
- Have you proofread the deck? Begin from the last slide and start from the bottom sentence and move forward. When you read out of context you will find more typos.
- Have you done an accuracy and sanity check of the data? Explain this to your 15 year old niece or nephew, does it make sense?
- Are the slides consistently formatted individually and versus all the other slides (e.g., text and graphic alignment)?
- Do you have page numbers?
- If it is a draft, did you include “Draft for discussion purposes?”
Source: Based off my mentors and trainers from Diamond Management and Technology Consultants.