Seven years ago, I wrote an article that I genuinely believed would spark a shift.
It carried a simple message:
Most business presentations are far too long
I thought the corporate world would recognise itself in that truth and begin to change. I imagined shorter meetings, sharper messages, and presenters who respected the attention of the people in front of them.
Seven years later, I’m still watching professionals drag their audiences through presentations that feel more like marathons than moments of meaning, and I’ve realised something important:
The problem isn’t that people don’t realise presentations are too lengthy. The problem is that we’ve lost sight of what presentations are truly for.
The uncomfortable truth: many presentations shouldn’t exist at all
Let’s be candid.
A significant number of business presentations today are unnecessary.
They exist because:
– “We’ve always done it this way.”
– “My manager expects slides.”
– “It looks more official.”
– “I need to show how much work I’ve done.”
– “It feels safer to hide behind information.”
Here’s the truth:
If your message can be communicated more clearly and more efficiently in an email, then that’s exactly where it belongs.
A presentation is not a data dump; it’s a moment of influence, and influence requires clarity, intention, and focus, not 60 slides and a wandering narrative.
The myth of the perfect length
People often ask me:
“How long should a business presentation be?”
They want a rule, a formula, or a number they can cling to, but here’s the reality:
There is no perfect length; there is only the perfect purpose
At Mindful Presenter, we teach something far more powerful.
The perfect length of a business presentation is the exact amount of time required to fulfil your objective and intention, not a second more.
Objective:
What do you want your audience to do?
Intention:
How do you want them to feel?
If your audience doesn’t feel anything, they won’t do anything, and if they won’t do anything, your presentation has failed, regardless of its length.
Why long presentations fail (and always will)
Professionals today are:
- Overloaded
- Over‑scheduled
- Distracted
- Multitasking
- Racing from one meeting to the next
And yet, we continue to deliver presentations that:
- Dive into irrelevant detail
- Overwhelm with data
- Mistake complexity for credibility
- Confuse volume with value
- Assume attention is limitless
Our work with thousands of professionals has revealed two truths:
Many people don’t enjoy presenting.
Even more don’t enjoy attending presentations.
This is why the art of compression isn’t optional; it’s essential.
Compression: the leadership skill no one talks about
Google defines compression as:
“The reduction in volume (causing an increase in pressure) before ignition.”
That definition is a perfect metaphor for powerful communication.
-
Reduce the volume
Strip away everything that doesn’t serve the message.
-
Increase the pressure
Sharpen meaning, elevate relevance, intensify clarity.
-
Ignite
Move people to think, feel, or act differently.
Compression isn’t about reducing your content. It’s about refining it until every element strengthens the message and nothing gets in the way of what truly matters.
Where compression truly begins.
– Know exactly why you’re speaking
Before you open PowerPoint, ask:
– What is so important that it cannot be an email?
– Am I the right person to deliver this?
– What decision do I want them to make?
– What action do I want them to take?
If you don’t have a compelling reason to speak, you’re not ready to present.
– Analyse your audience like a strategist
4. Ask yourself:
– Who are they?
– What do they care about?
– What frustrates them?
– How can I make their lives easier or better?
– What do they already know?
– What do they hope will happen next?
Compression without insight is just cutting; compression with insight is clarity.
5. Craft a message, not a monologue
Before you build slides, build a message.
Ask:
– What’s the big idea?
– If they remember only one thing, what should it be?
– How will their world improve if they act on it?
– Can I express it in 280 characters?
If you can’t summarise it, you can’t present it.
6. Ask the question every presenter avoids
Imagine someone interrupts you mid‑presentation and asks:
– Why are you telling us this?
– Why should we care?
– What difference does this make to me?
– What do you want me to do?
– How should I feel about this?
If you can’t answer instantly, that content doesn’t belong.
7. Say it up front
In comedy, you save the punchline for the end, but in business, you deliver it immediately.
Your audience shouldn’t have to wait 18 minutes to understand why they’re in the room.
8. Know it in 90
This is the discipline that transforms presenters.
If you had 20 minutes to speak, but were told at the last second you only had 90 seconds, what would you say?
That’s your message; everything else is optional.
9. Cut it out
Once your presentation is crafted, review it ruthlessly.
For every slide, story, statistic, or sentence, ask:
– Does this support my message?
– Does this serve my objective?
– How does this align with my intention?
– Does this matter to this audience?
If the answer is it doesn’t; or even “I’m not sure”, cut it.
Compression is clarity, and clarity is leadership.
10. What about slides?
Slides are not the presentation; you are.
Use them if they:
- Clarify
- Reinforce
- Simplify
- Support
Remove them if they:
- Distract
- Confuse
- Overwhelm
- Replace you
A slide should never say what you’re saying; it should strengthen what you’re saying.
Compression is the future of communication
The leaders who stand out today aren’t the ones who speak the longest, they’re the ones who speak with:
– Precision
– Purpose
– Confidence
– Clarity
– Respect for attention
– Respect for time
They don’t drown people in information; they create moments that matter, and that’s the art of compression.
If you want to master it:
– 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
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.