The 17 Rules of Presentation – Separating the Good from the Bad and the Useless

What are the 666 rules of presentation?  What is the 10/20/30 rule of presenting? What are the 4Ps and the 7Cs of presentations?  Which of these presenting rules are useful and which are a waste of time?  Our team of coaches share their expertise.

Meet the Author: Benjamin Ball

Ben is the founder of Benjamin Ball Associates and leads the presentation coaching and pitch deck creation teams. Formerly a corporate financier in the City of London, for 20+ years he’s helped businesses win with better pitches and presentations, particularly investor pitches. He is a regular speaker and a guest lecturer at Columbia Business School and UCL London.  Follow Ben on LinkedIn or visit the contact page. 

Why Do We Have Rules of Presentation?

We all love easy answers, simple rules and quick solutions.  An apple a day should keep the doctor away, and a stitch in time saves nine.  Those of us a bit older learned to Klunk, Click, every trip; and that a Mars a day will help you work, rest and play.

It’s the same with presenting. The internet is full of quick solutions like the 6Ps of presenting or the 5-5-5 rule.  But which of these rules is useful; which is just a statement of the obvious and which is bad advice? 

Clearly no rules of presenting by themselves will help you become a brilliant presenter; but some simple lists and acronyms may be a useful reminder of what to do – and what to avoid.

Which Rules of Presentation are Useful?

The team at Benjamin Ball Associates has reviewed many of the common rules of presentation that get quoted. Below we share our opinions on which can help you become a better presenter. 

You can also read our own 10 golden rules for a great presentation.

Let’s review each of these pieces of advice and see which rules of presentation might be of value to you.

1. What are the 5 P’s of Presentation Skills?

A strong presentation relies on these five key elements:

1. Purpose – Define the objective of your presentation.
2. Preparation – Research, organise, and rehearse.
3. Practice – Rehearse multiple times to refine delivery.
4. Performance – Engage your audience with confidence.
5. Post-Evaluation – Seek feedback and improve.

Our view:  A solid set of tips to remind you of what it takes to present well.

2. What are the 7 P’s of Effective Presentations?

This expanded model ensures a well-rounded approach:

1. Purpose – Why are you presenting?
2. Plan – Structure your content logically.
3. Prepare – Gather data, design slides, and practice.
4. Practice – Rehearse to eliminate errors.
5. Presence – Maintain confident body language.
6. Projection – Speak clearly and audibly.
7. Passion – Show enthusiasm to engage the audience.

Our view:  Solid advice.  But we’d suggest step 3 – design slides – should have less emphasis.

3. What are the 4 P’s of Presentation?

A simplified version for quick reference:

1. Plan – Outline your key points.
2. Prepare – Develop content and visuals.
3. Present – Deliver with confidence.
4. Polish – Refine based on feedback.

Our view: simplistic, but clear.

4. How do you Prepare a Corporate Presentation?

Follow these steps for a professional corporate presentation:

1. Define Objectives – What do you want to achieve?
2. Know Your Audience – Tailor content to their needs.
3. Structure Your Content – Use a clear flow (Introduction, Body, Conclusion).
4. Design Visually Appealing Slides – Avoid clutter; use visuals wisely.
5. Rehearse – Practice timing and delivery.
6. Anticipate Questions – Prepare for audience enquiries.
7. Use Professional Tools – PowerPoint, Keynote, or Prezi.

Our view: Without step 7, this becomes a useful 6-step reminder

Why Pick Benjamin Ball Associates for Your Presentation Training

At Benjamin Ball Associates, we’ve been coaching people to improve their business communication skills for over 15 years.  Our award-winning coaching is fast and effective.  Call us today to learn more.

“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.”

Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky

Our most popular training courses include:

• Presentation Skills Training
• Public Speaking Coaching
• Investor Pitch Support and Coaching

Trusted by some of the most successful companies globally

Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email info@benjaminball.com to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations.

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5. What are the 7 C’s of a Successful Presentation?

Ensure clarity and impact with these principles:

1. Clear – Avoid ambiguity.
2. Concise – Keep it brief and to the point.
3. Compelling – Make it interesting.
4. Credible – Back claims with data.
5. Confident – Deliver with assurance.
6. Conversational – Engage, don’t lecture.
7. Customised – Adapt to your audience.

Our view:  All reasonable advice

6. What is the 5-5-5 Rule for Presentations?

A slide design guideline:

• No more than 5 words per line
• No more than 5 lines per slide
• No more than 5 text-heavy slides in a row

Our view:  just counting the number of lines of text on a slide is not going to help you.  Ignore. Read this blog article about slide design instead.

7. What are the Three Golden Rules of Presentation?

1. Know Your Audience – Tailor content to their interests.
2. Keep It Simple – Avoid complexity and jargon.
3. Tell a Story – Make it memorable with narratives.

Our view:  solid advice

8. What are the 4 C’s of Presentation?

A streamlined approach:

1. Clear – Easy to understand.
2. Concise – Short and impactful.
3. Compelling – Persuasive and engaging.
4. Consistent – Uniform style and messaging.

Our view:  Overly simple.  These tips do not really help.

9. What is the 7-Line Rule in Presentation?

• No slide should exceed 7 lines of text to maintain readability.

Our view:  A statement of the obvious we feel.

10. What is the 777 Rule for Presentations?

• 7 lines per slide max
• 7 words per line max
• 7 slides max for a 10-minute presentation

Our view:  Like the 555 rule or 666 rule but for people without the discipline to stick to 5 lines of text. Ignore.

11. What are the Four Key Elements of a Powerful Presentation?

1. Content – Valuable and well-structured information.
2. Delivery – Confident and engaging speaking style.
3. Visuals – Clean, professional slides.
4. Interaction – Engage the audience with questions or discussions.

Our view:  Feels very generic.  Not sure if it will help you much.

12. How do You Communicate Clearly?

• Use simple language.
• Avoid jargon.
• Speak slowly and articulate.
• Maintain eye contact.
• Use gestures effectively.

Our view:  A generic set of tips.   You can get better advice, for example here.

13. What is the 666 Rule of Presentation?

• 6 words per line max
• 6 lines per slide max
• 6 slides in 6 minutes (for short pitches)

Our view: A variation on the 555 rule and the 777 rule. Ignore.

14. What is the 7-7-7 Rule for Presentations?

• 7 slides
• 7 minutes total
• 7 minutes for Q&A (for a 14-minute session)

Our view:  Counting slides is not the way to present better! Ignore.

15. What is the 10-20-30 Rule for Presentations? (Guy Kawasaki’s Rule)

• 10 slides max
• 20 minutes max speaking time
• 30-point font minimum (for readability)

Our view:  Falls into the trap that encouraging your audience to read slides makes good communication.  Ignore (except for max 20 minute speaking time).

16. What is the 2-4-8 Rule for Presentations?

• 2 minutes per slide (max)
• 4 key points per slide
• 8-word headlines max

Our view:  This feels like a rule that was written because they wanted to use the numbers 2, 4, 8.  Ignore.

17. What is the 6×6 Rule to Improve Presentations?

• 6 words per line max
• 6 lines per slide max

Our view:  Yet another variation on the 555, 666, 777 rules.  Ignore.

Final Thoughts

Mastering presentations requires clear messages, a powerful structure and audience engagement. Whether you follow the 5 P’s, 7 C’s, or the 10-20-30 rule, the key is to keep it simple, relevant and audience-focused. Practice, refine and deliver with confidence!

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How to Get Better at Presenting

If you want to create engaging and successful business presentations, get in touch.

Our team of expert presentation coaches has been helping business executives polish their presentation skills for over 15 years.

We are trusted by some of the world’s largest businesses. Click on the link below or phone Louise Angus on +44 20 7018 0922 to discuss your needs.

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Why Choose Us:
Transform your pitches and presentations with tailored coaching

We can help you present brilliantly. Thousands of people have benefitted from our tailored in-house coaching and advice – and we can help you too.

“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.”

Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky

For 15+ years we’ve been the trusted choice for leading businesses and executives throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East. We’ll help you improve corporate presentations through presentation coaching, public speaking training and expert advice on pitching to investors.

Some recent clients

Unlock your full potential and take your presentations to the next level.

Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email info@benjaminball.com to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations.

Speak to an expert. Get a free consultation