Stop Saying “I Know You Can’t Read This” in Your Presentations
Image showing Apple MacBook open ready to deliver a powerpoint keynote. (Photo: Patrick Robert Doyle)
"I know you can't read this, but..."
Have you ever seen someone present a slide deck and say this? Even worse—have you ever heard yourself say this?
Let me get this straight: You're standing in front of a room of colleagues. They've paused their work to hear your update. And you show them a visual that you know they can't read?
Why?
After teaching presentation skills to more than 2,000 professionals since 2015, I can tell you this is one of the most common—and most fixable—mistakes I see.
The Real Problem With Unreadable Slides
Here's what happens when your audience can't read your slides:
They stop paying attention to you and start squinting at the screen
Your credibility takes a hit (if you knew they couldn't read it, why show it?)
Your message gets lost in the visual chaos
People check out mentally—and sometimes literally
I learned this lesson the hard way early in my sales career. I was armed with stats, reach, frequency, ROI data—and I dumped it all over my prospect. Slide after slide. Number after number.
When I looked up, the man was asleep. Not figuratively. Asleep asleep.
The Simple Fix: Design for Your Audience (Not Your Data)
Creating slides that engage your audience, provide the right information, and are easy to read doesn't require advanced design skills—just a few simple techniques:
Follow the 4-5-4-5 Rule:
Use 4-5 bullet points with 4-5 words per bullet. This gives you enough content to guide the presentation without overwhelming the visual.
Embrace White Space:
Your slide doesn't need to be packed with information. If you have paragraphs (more than 20-30 words on a slide), break them up or move them to speaker notes.
Test the Back Row:
If someone in the back of the room can't read it clearly, redesign it.
Why Reading Your Slides Isn't Always Bad
Here's something that might surprise you: saying some, or even many, of the words that appear on your slide is actually helpful to your audience.
I know this goes against the common advice "Don't read the slide!" But here's the thing—if you've designed and edited well, then reading along and then elaborating is my preferred method to present information.
While it may feel like hand-holding, making the connection between what your audience sees and the words you're saying is foundational to your presentation.
Make Your Next Presentation the One People Remember
The effort to create readable, engaging visuals pays off when your audience can actually see, understand, and act on your message.
Remember: it's not about what you want to say. It's about what they need to hear.
Ready to transform how you communicate complex ideas? At Hubbard Communication, I help leaders turn ideas into clear, confident communication—so your message actually lands.
