Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: dense decks, tired templates – and your focus drifts by slide four.
The PowerPoint content isn’t necessarily bad. But the story hasn’t been built for the people in the room.
Instead, it’s been… ‘reheated’.
And it happens all too often: smart people cramming good ideas into shapes that weren’t designed for them. Rigid layouts and recycled slides silently sabotage message clarity and cut-through.
So how can you break the cycle and get your team to build knockout decks?
We spoke with communications strategist Cameron Pegg to unpack the presentation pitfalls he sees time and again. Read on to learn why most decks fail – and how your team can do things differently.
Meet Cameron: A storyteller obsessed with structure
When Cameron Pegg talks about presentations, you can hear the enthusiasm of someone who truly loves his craft. He’s always collecting ideas, dissecting what works and what doesn’t.
‘I love watching presentations that pack a punch. Each one is an opportunity to learn something myself – to make my next presentation sharper, cleaner, stronger,’ says Cameron.
As a content strategist and coach, Cameron’s fascinated by stories across the communications spectrum. (And he’s a triple threat too – holding degrees in journalism, literature AND marketing.)
‘Whether you’re shaping corporate communications, writing fiction or designing a presentation, it’s really all about structure and storytelling,’ says Cameron.
His curiosity translates into a clear pedagogy: break the craft into parts – then help teams and leaders to replicate the strategy with repeatable frameworks.
What follows is a small slice of Cameron’s top battle-tested tactics you and your team can apply. Today.
1. Start with a blank page (and stop reheating old decks)
The most common presentation pitfall Cameron comes across? Inherited content.
Say you’re asked to ‘update the deck’ and deliver it next week. You adjust a few numbers, swap some images and call it done.
‘You’re simply reheating someone else’s content and squeezing ideas into shapes that don’t fit them. It locks you into a frame that may not suit your audience or message,’ says Cameron.
And in large businesses, reheating old content also saps audience attention. People switch off when their brain recognises tired design patterns and preset slides.
‘The antidote,’ continues Cameron, ‘is simple: Start with a blank canvas. Break your presentation into discrete components so every element is considered before you lock in the design.’
Practically speaking, this means building your story flow outside of PowerPoint. Cameron cautions that too many professionals dump details into PowerPoint first, then try to strategise their slides on the fly.
Instead, sketch a simple blueprint on paper or in a Word document. Map the chapters, list the story beats and note the proof points you need to reference. When the structure is solid, only then should you build the deck using your preferred design tool.
2. Design for your audience – not your ego
Memorable presentations feel singular, notes Cameron. They could only be delivered by that presenter to that audience. Forgettable ones? They feel generic and interchangeable.
‘The best presentations give value to the audience. People leave with something that updates their understanding or changes their thinking.’
Successful decks are designed for the audience’s needs – not the presenter’s ego or convenience.
When you begin with your audience – what they know, what they want, what’s at stake – you design a different deck. You remove redundant details and include examples that are relevant to them.
Importantly, you can also build in moments of surprise to reset their attention. This is where story craft matters: taking your audience on a journey that is grounded in their reality.
‘You want your audience to lean in and think: Interesting, I didn’t know that before. By shifting from broadcast to engagement, you’ll elevate their experience – and your impact.’
3. Separate the slide from the script
Cameron cautions that text‑heavy slides reveal a common misunderstanding: presenters using their slides as their script.
When your audience has to listen, read and interpret all at the same time, they do all three poorly. The fix is to treat visuals and narration as two distinct halves of the whole.
‘We have the visible half – the slides. And then the “hidden” half – the script. They’re equally important, but should be kept separate,’ says Cameron.
And when you do, you reduce cognitive load. Audiences can follow the story with ease and absorb your message as you intended. Here’s how:
- Your slides: Should have a single purpose and a clear focal point: set a scene, visualise data or cue a question. Strip away clutter, dense text, decorative icons, unnecessary transitions. Keep them sparse, legible and calm.
- Your script: When you speak, you bring the meaning to life – providing context, nuance and the story arc. Know your story well enough that you can read the room, adjust your tone and stay anchored in the moment.
Additionally, Cameron notes that delivery coaching can be useful. But it’s the step to take after you’ve conquered the slides and the script.
‘You can’t polish a talk you don’t own. The foundation is content mastery: a clear spine, purposeful sequencing and a script you know inside out,’ says Cameron.
‘The best presenters truly own their story. Your preparation shows up as presence. That gives you the muscle memory to pivot if something goes wrong.’
Build the skills to deliver persuasive presentations
Everything Cameron teaches – from starting with a blank page to mastering structure – comes together in CSA’s Persuasive Presentations & Pitch Decks course.
Packed with discussions, theory and exercises, this full-day workshop gives your team the tools to build, refine and deliver decks that work.
‘We guide participants step by step from story tactics to delivery techniques,’ says Cameron. ‘They gain a practical, proven system to make impactful presentations second nature.’
The course is about far more than slick slides. Teams learn to elevate their thinking so they can strategise powerful audience experiences.
‘PowerPoint is an incredible tool – but it’s only a tool. By thinking through storytelling principles before your people even open it, the result will be far more effective and influential,’ says Cameron.
‘After attending this course, people often tell me: I’m never going to use PowerPoint the same way again. That mindset shift is the biggest affirmation for me.’
Ready to help your team rethink how they deliver decks? Persuasive Presentations & Pitch Decks will equip them with the skills to win hearts, minds – and decisions.