What You'll Learn
How to use AI to structure and outline presentations on any topic — getting a logical flow of slides, key talking points, and opening hooks so you can build the deck faster.
Why This Matters
The hardest part of any presentation is deciding what to include and in what order. AI does the structural thinking for you, giving you a solid skeleton to build from — whether you're presenting to your team, a client, or a conference.
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Give AI the context it needs
Help me create an outline for a presentation about [topic].
Context:
- Audience: [who will be watching, e.g. "senior managers with no technical background"]
- Purpose: [what you want them to do or think after, e.g. "approve budget for new project"]
- Length: [how long the presentation should be, e.g. "15 minutes"]
- Tone: [formal/conversational/inspiring]
Step 2: Review the structure and refine
Ask AI to adjust the structure based on your priorities:
Move the key recommendations to slide 3 — I want to lead with the conclusion.
Add a slide for potential objections and how to address them.
Step 3: Expand each section
Once you're happy with the structure, expand section by section:
Write 3 bullet points for the slide on [section title].
Each bullet should be one clear, concise point suitable for a slide.
Step 4: Write an opening hook
The opening is the most important moment. Ask for options:
Write 3 different opening lines for this presentation.
One should start with a surprising statistic, one with a question,
and one with a short story or scenario.
Step 5: Prepare for Q&A
What are the 5 most likely questions the audience will ask after this presentation?
Give me a confident, concise answer for each.
Tips for Better Results
- Be specific about the audience. "Non-technical managers" vs "technical engineers" produces completely different slides.
- Lead with the conclusion. In business settings, busy audiences want the key message first — ask AI to restructure accordingly if needed.
- Use it for slide titles only first. Get the full outline right before filling in content.
- Ask for "the one key message per slide". Presentations work best when each slide has a single clear point — AI can help enforce this discipline.
- Use Copilot if you're working in PowerPoint. It can create slides directly in your presentation app, not just outline them.