30 Quotes by Nancy Duarte

You are not the hero who will save the audience; the audience is your hero.

Practice design, Not Decoration: Don’t just make pretty talking points. Instead, display information in a way that makes complex information clear.

If you feel tempted to use a picture of two hands shaking in front of a globe, put the pencil down, step away from the desk, and think about taking a vacation or investigating aromatherapy.

The only difference between the failure of a great idea and the success of a medocre idea was the way in which the idea was communicated.

Words that are carefully framed and spoken are the most powerful means of communication there is.

To me, presentations are the most powerful device. You can’t really name a movement that didn’t start with the spoken word.

Getting ahead of the next curve requires courage and communication: Courage to determine the next bold move, and communication to keep the troops committed to the value of moving forward. Rallying stakeholders to move together in a common course of action is all part of the innovation and survival process. Leaders at every level in an organization need to be skillful at creating resonance if that organization is to control its own destiny.

Gussying up slides that have meaningless content is like putting lipstick in a pig.

The audience does not need to tune themselves to you – you need to tune your message to them. Skilled presenting requires you to understand their hearts and minds and create a message to resonate with what’s already there.