How to Turn a Boring Subject into a Brilliant Presentation

Do you know how to turn a boring subject into a brilliant presentation?

Here’s the truth most professionals never want to admit:

There is no such thing as a boring topic, only a boring approach.

You can speak about algorithms, algebra or actuarial science and still captivate an audience. Your presentation will only ever be as dull as you allow it to be.

When my son was young, one of his favourite phrases was, “I’m bored.”

My response, admittedly a little harsh, was always the same: “You’re not bored. You’re being boring.”

Years later, I hear the adult version of that same complaint from professionals:

“I want to connect with my audience, but my topic is just so boring,” and I respond to them exactly as I did to my son.

The problem isn’t the topic, it’s our approach.

There are countless ways to turn a “boring” subject into a brilliant presentation, but it begins with a specific mindset:

Look for the Gold

The oldest method of gold mining is panning, a straightforward, patient process that separates valuable nuggets from rocks and dirt.

Presenting is no different.

Every topic contains gold, and it’s the presenter’s job to find it.

That means removing the debris, the unnecessary detail, jargon, and the “superfluous noise” that clutters so many business presentations.

Your audience doesn’t want the rocks; they want the gold.

Here’s how you begin the panning process.

1. Don’t Start with Your Laptop

This is the first mistake boring presenters make.

The moment they open their laptop, creativity collapses.
The blank slide triggers autopilot, their mind reaches for familiar templates, predictable images, and recycled content.

The presentation becomes boring before it even begins.

So do something different:

– Go for a long walk

– Play inspirational music

– Work out

– Meditate

– Sit under a tree

– Doodle on a flip chart

– Scatter post it notes across a table

Do anything except type.

Your first task is not to build slides, it’s to clear your mind and reconnect with your purpose.

Ask yourself:

– What do I want my audience to do?

– How do I want them to feel?

– Where is the gold in this topic?

Until you can answer those questions, you’re not ready to present.

2. Think Like a Tweet

Once your mind is open and calm, distil your entire message into a single, sharp, tweet‑length idea.

If you can’t express your message with clarity and brevity in your own mind, you will overwhelm your audience with too much information.

Remember Steve Jobs’ legendary line: “Today Apple is going to reinvent the phone.”

One sentence, idea and one promise.

If your presentation can’t be summarised that cleanly, it’s not ready.

Make it short, sharp and unmistakably clear.

3. Create an Experience

A boring presentation talks at people while a brilliant presentation brings them into the moment.

Create an experience:

– Ask questions

– Get them thinking, talking, doing

– Use activities and exercises

– Invite them to help you learn, create or solve

– Use humour, even a smile shifts the energy

– Tell stories

– Make it unusual, unexpected, human

People don’t remember slides; they remember how you made them feel.

4. Paint Pictures

Even the most fascinating topic can be destroyed by a deck of lifeless slides.

“A picture is worth a thousand words” is a cliché because it’s true.

Don’t reject PowerPoint, use it well.

Colourful, creative, well-chosen images can transform a presentation, and so can your language.

Paint pictures with your words.

Use descriptive, sensory language that helps your audience see and feel what you’re saying, not just hear it.

If they can visualise it, they can remember it.

5. Presenting Is About People, Not Topics

If your topic is so boring that it won’t make a difference to your audience, then it probably shouldn’t be a presentation at all. Send an email, write a document or share a report instead.

If you are presenting, remember this:

You don’t need to be an extrovert, rock star, comedian or entertainer.

You just need to be passionate, curious, and genuinely interested in helping your audience.

Presenting has never been about the topic; it’s always been about the people.

If you’d like to turn a boring topic into a brilliant presentation:

– Book yourself onto a powerful public speaking course.

– Invest in some really good one to one public speaking coaching.

– Get yourself some excellent presentation training

Image: Courtesy of Canva.com