Table of contents
Death by PowerPoint
How to present technical knowledge to non-technical audience
Six tactics that will elevate your ability to present technical knowledge to non-technical audiences
Conclusion
FAQ
Death by PowerPoint
You: Hey, everyone! Today I'll speak about how migrating from a cloud-hosted to a self-served experimentation platform will impact our experimentation ROI. That's not all—our team believes that stat.sig. algorithms used by this new platform - Bayesian and Monte Carlo Simulation - will increase our experimentation throughput.
Your audience is thinking silently: What the hell is he talking about? What's self-served? What's Biasian? Why should I care? Okay, what's for lunch today in the cafeteria?
Let's be honest - being both the presenter and the listener in this situation is awful.
How to present technical knowledge to non-technical audience
The situation above is a common outcome when presenting technical knowledge to a non-technical audience. Often, these non-technical individuals hold decision-making power that can either bring your idea to life or discard it entirely. Mastering the skill of explaining technical concepts simply and clearly is essential if you want to turn ideas into reality and advance your career.
If you’ve ever faced a situation like one of the below, this guide is your solution:
Educating a general audience on a specialized topic, like experimentation, to encourage its adoption within your company.
Pitching a new infrastructure tool that increases reliability by 20% to your manager so they can present it to the ultimate decision-makers (CEO, CFO, etc.).
Six tactics that will elevate your ability to present technical knowledge to non-technical audiences
Tactic #1. Understand your audience before even touching the slides
One of the best questions to start a presentation with is: Why should my audience care about this topic? You need to study your audience before preparing your presentation.
Questions that will help you understand your audience:
Is my audience diverse or homogeneous? (This helps determine how much personalization is needed.)
What are their goals? (Understanding their priorities helps in building arguments that support your idea.)
What are their fears? (Anticipating objections helps you prepare counterarguments.)
How proficient are they in the topic? (Tailor your language accordingly.)
What is something my audience is unaware of? (Ensure there are no missing pieces that could affect their understanding.)
How interested are they in my topic? (Gauge how much persuasion is needed.)
Gather insights from colleagues and tailor the presentation to your audience. Remember, it’s not about what you want to say - it’s about what they will hear.
Tactic #2. Tell a story
Wondering how to engage your audience in a presentation? The key is storytelling. People forget dry numbers but remember stories.
The most important thing your presentation should accomplish is to make people leaving the room remember what you were talking about and why it is important.
People don't remember dry numbers and facts, but they remember stories. You don't need to become Stephen King of corporate pitches, but you need to make it personal, human, and attached to real life - build your presentation around one of your customer's stories, their struggles, and their dreams, or paint a picture about an episode from your team, or perhaps talk about the transition from not-so-great present to a wonderful and promising future. Here's our favorite Nancy Duarte's talk on Storytelling.
Example of a data-driven approach: Our logistics chain was disrupted last season. 20% of all orders were delayed, causing revenue losses. Implementing this new solution will increase reliability from 95% to 99%.
Example of a story-driven approach: Meet John, one of our oldest customers. Last quarter, he lost 80% of his orders due to delays, forcing him to lay off 20% of his staff. We have 950 customers like John. This problem is serious. Fortunately, we have a solution - Tool X.
Don't forget that it makes sense to adapt the story for different audiences.
Tactic #3. Avoid jargon & complex terms
Using technical jargon does not make you sound smart—it confuses people. Instead of using terms like Bayesian, Monte Carlo Simulation, CPC, CTA, CI/CD, SLI, or ROAS, simplify your language.
A great technique is “Explain it to a 6-year-old”. Imagine you need to explain your concept to a child. Use simple, relatable language to ensure clarity.
Use tools like ChatGPT to rewrite your explanations in a way that even a non-expert can understand. This will make you sound like a true professional who can explain complex ideas clearly.
Tactic #4. Use proven concepts
Instead of reinventing the wheel, use established frameworks that are widely recognized. These proven methods simplify complex concepts and improve comprehension.
Here are a few effective frameworks (with free Google Slides templates):
Blue Ocean Strategy: The Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas is a visual tool that helps you compare your business with competitors to identify new market opportunities.
5 Whys Framework: The 5 Whys Framework is great for use in your presentations to expand context and help you visually communicate the core issue that needs attention.
Eisenhower Matrix: Eisenhower Matrix will help you visualize how your ideas compete with others (yours, other teams, or company) in a matrix of urgent/important.
Growth-Share Matrix: The Growth-Share Matrix is a decision-making tool that helps to decide which products, or services should be kept, which should get more resources, and which should be depreciated.
TPS Waste Management System: TPS Waste Management System will help you prioritize value-adding activities to deliver outcomes that matter to customers, avoiding inefficiencies.
Using well-known frameworks enhances credibility and makes your executive training presentation more impactful.
Tactic #5. Use analogies
Some concepts are simply too technical for non-experts to grasp quickly. Analogies bridge that gap.
Instead of saying: Higher experimentation throughput will increase success rate and ROI.
Say: Imagine there are 1,000 chocolate bars, but only 10 contain golden tickets. Right now, we check only 10 per month. If we check 20 per month, we’d find all golden tickets 2 times faster!
Analogies transform abstract concepts into relatable ideas, making them easier to understand.
Tactic #6. Visualize
A picture is worth a thousand words, yet too many slides are crammed with text. Presentation rehearsal will help you spot where visuals can replace excessive wording.
How to explain data in a presentation? Use:
Diagrams to illustrate complex processes.
Hand-drawn sketches for quick and clear explanations.
Tools like Miro, Excalidraw, and Midjourney to generate high-quality visuals.
The key is good enough is good enough - don’t overthink your visuals, just ensure they communicate your message effectively.
Conclusion
The secret to a persuasive presentation isn’t flashy slides - it’s delivering a message that your audience understands and remembers.
If you want to succeed in presenting to C-level executives, or any non-technical audience, empathy is your greatest tool. Recognize that they see the world differently, and your goal is to translate your knowledge into their language.
That’s how technical ideas get approved, careers grow, and real impact happens!
FAQ
How can I make my technical presentation more engaging for non-technical audiences?
Use storytelling, analogies, and visual aids to make your message relatable. Avoid jargon and focus on why your topic matters to them.
What’s the best way to prepare for a presentation to C-level executives?
Understand their priorities—focus on business impact, strategic goals, and financial outcomes. Keep it concise and solution-oriented.
How do I ensure my audience understands my key message?
Use proven frameworks, simplify complex concepts, and tailor your presentation to their knowledge level. Always clarify the “why” behind your idea.