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Slide titles: before and after naming the takeaway
Five real slide titles, across five different kinds of presentations, showing what changes when a title names the actual finding instead of the topic — plus the four habits behind every one of them. No signup required; rewrite your own titles with it if you'd rather do it yourself.
Startup quarterly update
Before: names the topic
Q3 Results
After: names the takeaway
Revenue up 18%, driven by renewals
Why it works: "Q3 Results" tells the room which slide they're on, not what happened. Naming the actual number and the reason behind it means anyone glancing at the screen — or skimming the deck afterwards — already has the point before you say a word.
Nonprofit board update
Before: names the topic
Program Spending Overview
After: names the takeaway
72% of spend goes directly to programs
Why it works: "Overview" is a label for the presenter, not information for the board. Stating the figure in the title means the chart underneath only has to back up a claim the audience already read, instead of being the first place they learn it.
Sales demo follow-up
Before: names the topic
Our Onboarding Flow
After: names the takeaway
Onboarding time cut from 14 days to 6
Why it works: A slide titled after the feature makes the audience wait for the proof. A slide titled after the result states the win immediately, so the walkthrough that follows reads as evidence, not an announcement.
Conference talk
Before: names the topic
Background
After: names the takeaway
The real bottleneck was caching, not the algorithm
Why it works: "Background" could be any slide in any talk. Naming the actual finding turns a generic placeholder into the sentence an audience member would repeat to someone else afterwards.
All-hands update
Before: names the topic
Next Steps
After: names the takeaway
Three teams move to the new tool by December
Why it works: "Next steps" promises a list without saying what matters in it. Naming the one concrete change people need to plan around means it survives even if they only read the title and move on.
The four habits behind every rewrite above
Write the title last, not first
A title written before the slide is built almost always ends up naming the topic, because the conclusion isn't decided yet. Build the slide, decide what it proves, then write a title that states that.
If the title could sit on any similar slide, rewrite it
"Overview," "Results," "Background" and "Next Steps" could introduce almost any slide in almost any deck. A title specific to this slide — this number, this change, this decision — could not.
Make the title survive on its own
Some people in the room only read titles, and anyone skimming the deck afterwards reads nothing else. A title that states the point works for both; a title that only makes sense next to the chart works for neither.
Cut the words that hedge instead of say something
"Some thoughts on," "a look at," "overview of" and "update on" all delay the actual claim by a few words that teach the reader nothing. Delete the run-up and start with the finding.
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