Gains:
- Ability to clarify the audience and a single main message and choose an appropriate narrative pattern (SCR, pyramid, hero's journey, chronological)
- We have the AI produce a spine slide by slide and ask each slide 'so what?' Being able to eliminate the unnecessary by passing the test
- Ability to create a fluent, single-message presentation with an opening hook and transition hyperlinks between slides
The secret of a good presentation is not in the beauty of the slides, but in the correct order. The viewer follows a path in his mind: where did we start, why are we here, what do you suggest, what should I do? If this path is broken, even the most elegant slides will be wasted. In this unit, we will learn how to use artificial intelligence in establishing the backbone (structure and narrative) of the presentation. The goal is this: let the model produce the draft, you manage the editing.
Audience first, content second
The presentation starts with what the audience needs, not what you know. Two basic concepts: audience analysis is the task of figuring out who the audience is, what they know and what they want. The main message is if only one sentence from the presentation will be remembered, what will that sentence be? A presentation should have one main message; the rest support it.
AI is a good interrogator to help you clarify the audience:
Your role: presentation strategist. I'm preparing a presentation, but first I want to clarify the audience. Ask me 8 questions in order (one question at a time): about the audience's role, knowledge level, motivation, objections, decision authority, time, environment and what they expect from me. Based on my answers, suggest a one-sentence "main message" at the end.
Narrative patterns: which skeleton when?
Different purposes require different skeletons. The four most useful patterns are:
- SCR (Situation–Difficulty–Solution): “We were in this situation (Situation), this problem arose (Complication), we recommend this (Resolution).” Ideal for decision and persuasion presentations.
- Pyramid (result first): Puts the most important message first, then lists the reasons. It is perfect for managers and short periods of time.
- Hero's journey: It makes the audience the hero, positions the problem as the obstacle and the product/suggestion as the guide. It is suitable for story and motivational presentations.
- Chronological/process: Describes a step-by-step process. Useful for training and how-to presentations.
Purpose
Recommended pattern
Why
Budget/investment approval
SCR + Pyramid
The decision maker is given the result first, then the justification.
Education/training
Chronological/process
Learning progresses step by step
product launch
hero's journey
Emotion and transformation come to the fore
status report
pyramid
Summary for viewers with little time:
Crisis/problem notification
SCR
Clearly separates the problem and solution
Tip: You tell the pattern to the AI. Saying "build with SCR pattern" works much better than saying "make a nice flow" because you give the model a clear scaffolding.
Step by step: building a backbone with artificial intelligence
- Write the purpose and main message. One sentence. Like “getting the pilot budget approved.”
- Define the audience. Role, level of knowledge, objections.
- Select the pattern. From the table above.
- Have artificial intelligence produce skeletons. Slide by slide, one main message on each slide.
- "So what?" Apply the test. For each slide, “why should the audience care?” ask; Discard the slide that doesn't have an answer.
- Print the transitions. Bridge sentences create a flow between slides.
Your role: presentation architect.Main message: [single sentence]Audience: [role, level of knowledge, objections]Narrative pattern: SCR (Situation–Challenge–Solution)Duration: 10 minutes (approximately 8-10 slides)Task: Slide out a spine. For each slide:- Slide number and one-sentence MAIN MESSAGE (claim, not title)- This slide is for the viewer "so what?" Answer - Recommended content type (graphic / visual / text / table)Number or finding FITTING; Type [confirmation] as a placeholder.
For speaker notes and transitions:
Based on the slide spine below, write one-sentence TRANSITION hyperlinks between slides (a logical link from the previous slide to the next). Also suggest a 2-sentence speaker opening/closing note for the 1st and last slide. Tone: [warm / formal / energetic].
For the opening hook (the first sentence that grabs attention):
Suggest 3 different OPENING HOOKS for the first 20 seconds of your presentation: (1) with a striking statistic (I'll give you the number, you set the pattern), (2) with a question, (3) with a short story/scenario. Audience: [ ... ]. Don't use clichés ("We all know...").
three mini cases
Case 1 — 22 slides to 9 slides. One entrepreneur packed his investor presentation into 22 slides. The AI is asked “for each slide, 'so what?' "Apply the test and mark the ones that do not contribute," he said. The model showed that 8 of the 22 slides repeated the main message. The presentation was reduced to 9 slides; The meeting duration decreased from 25 minutes to 12 minutes, leaving more time for questions and answers.
Case 2 — Wrong pattern. A teacher explained a topic using the "result first" (pyramid) pattern; The students were disconnected. AI suggested chronological/process pattern for teaching and divided the content into steps. The correct rate on the quiz measuring comprehension level in the next lesson increased from 58% to 79%.
Case 3 — Hook difference. “Our company was founded in 2011,” a sales team began the presentation. The AI suggested an opening that touched on the audience's problem: "The average team spends 11 hours a month searching for missing reports." “I was intrigued from the beginning” comments tripled in meeting feedback.
Weak prompt / Strong prompt
Weak:
Write a 10-slide presentation plan.
There is no subject, no audience, no purpose, no pattern; the output becomes generic and flowless.
Strong:
Your role: presentation architect. Main message: "Setting up a remote support team reduces costs by 18%." Audience: cost-focused CFO, objection 'will quality decrease'. Mold: SCR. Duration: 6 min / 7 slides. One-sentence claim + 'so what' + content type on each slide. Meet the CFO's 'quality' objection on slide 4. Don't make up numbers.
The second even embeds the audience's objection into the fiction; The output can be used directly.
Common mistakes
- Slide = title + articles claim: Every slide should have a claim; “Sales” is a headline, “Sales have been falling for 3 quarters” is a message.
- Multiple main messages: If the presentation cannot be summarized in a single sentence, it is scattered.
- Bypassing the audience: Arranging the content according to your own knowledge, not according to the audience's needs.
- Hookless opening: Spending the first 20 seconds with history or agenda.
- Non-transitional slides: Without a bridge between slides, the presentation progresses disjointedly.
In summary
The power of presentation lies in the right order and single main message. Clarify the audience and main message first, choose a narrative pattern that suits the purpose (SCR, pyramid, hero's journey, chronological), have the AI produce a backbone slide by slide, and fill each slide with “so what?” pass the test. Artificial intelligence builds scaffolding quickly; It is your job to choose the plot and pattern.
Application task
Choose a presentation topic. (1) Write the one-sentence main message. (2) Identify the audience and one strong objection. (3) Select the appropriate template and have the artificial intelligence produce a spine of 6-8 slides. (4) Start each slide with the question "so what?" test and remove or merge at least one slide.
checklist
- [ ] The presentation has one main message and I can write it in one sentence.
- [ ] I have identified the audience and at least one objection.
- [ ] I chose a narrative pattern that suits the purpose.
- [ ] Every slide has a claim, not just the title.
- [ ] Start each slide with "so what?" I passed the test.
- [ ] The opening hook and transition bridges have been edited.