Bessere Präsentationen erstellen mit der 10/20/30-Regel

The 10/20/30 rule: Create better PowerPoint presentations!

|Tom Schweitzer

What does the perfect PowerPoint presentation actually look like? This is a question many presenters still ask themselves. And yet, it still happens occasionally that the audience almost falls asleep during a presentation.

The internet and social media are full of tips and tricks for successful presentations. Some of these tips are useless, but some have proven their worth over the years and set standards, such as the 10/20/30 rule by presentation expert Guy Kawasaki.

What is the 10/20/30 rule?

The 10/20/30 rule is a simple yet highly effective way to enhance your PowerPoint presentation. It brings structure and order to your presentation and also improves its layout and design.

Your presentation should focus on this…

… limit to a maximum of 10 slides.

…should not take longer than 20 minutes.

And the font size should be at least 30 points.

Who invented the 10/20/30 rule?

Guy Kawasaki, marketing legend and bestselling author, already helped Apple achieve cult status. Early on, he said:

"I have to listen to hundreds of companies pitching for their businesses. Most of these pitches are rubbish."

Guy Kawasaki

He then developed the simple 10/20/30 rule for brilliant presentations. You can find further tips for a convincing pitch presentation in our article on the topic.

Guy Kawasaki 10/20/30 rule

What can the 10/20/30 rule be used for?

Even though our example of the 10/20/30 rule is designed for a business plan, that doesn't mean the rule can't be used for other presentations. You can also use the rule effectively for the following presentations :

#1: Sales Presentations

#2: Press conferences

#3: Presenting business figures to the team

The 10/20/30 rule in detail

10 slides

In short – according to Kawasaki, ten slides are the optimal number for a successful business presentation or meeting. Anything more, he says, reduces the audience's attention and concentration, preventing them from processing the information.

However, this doesn't mean you have to cram the entire content of your presentation onto these 10 slides. Instead, focus on the key messages. The following 10 points serve as an example of a business plan and can be used as a guide for the content of your next presentation:

#1: Problem

#2: Solution

#3: Business model

#4: The technology you use

#5: Marketing and Sales

#6: Competition

#7: Team

#8: Forecasts and Milestones

#9: Status and Timeline

#10: Summary and Call to Action

Depending on the needs and topic of your presentation, you can of course customize these 10 points.

Are you looking for inspiration for your PowerPoint slides? Feel free to check out the following blog posts:

20 minutes

The second aspect of the 10/20/30 rule states that you should keep your presentation within 20 minutes . A concise 20-minute presentation helps prevent your audience from drifting off.

When planning your presentation, also keep in mind that delays can occur, for example, if there are technical difficulties or some attendees arrive late. Furthermore, if your presentation only lasts 20 minutes and your audience remains engaged, you will have ample time afterward for questions and discussion.

Tips on how to make your presentations short and effective can be found in our article on "Short PowerPoint presentations" .

30 point font size

A common problem with creating PowerPoint slides is that they are often overloaded with text. This risks quickly boring your audience and tempting you to read from the slides instead of speaking freely.

Better: Identify the key points of your presentation and explain them clearly. Many presentations are created with a font size that is too small. If you follow the 10/20/30 rule and use a 30 pt font size , you can fit only the most important text on your slides. And if 30pt seems too large, even 20pt will help prevent the slides from feeling cluttered.

Conclusion: The 10/20/30 rule for better presentations!

Make sure your audience won't forget your presentation anytime soon, and prioritize quality over quantity with Guy Kawasaki's 10/20/30 rule !

Do you have questions about the 10/20/30 rule or about PowerPoint in general? Don't hesitate to contact us at info@presentationload.de . We're happy to help!

Are you looking for visually appealing and professionally designed slide templates ? Feel free to browse our shop. We have numerous slides on a wide variety of (business) topics available for download. Visit us today! ► To the shop

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