A beginner’s guide: Top AI prompts to create powerful presentations

You've opened your AI tool for PPT. Typed something like "make me a presentation about marketing." Hit enter. And what you got back was... generic. Vague slides that don't match your vision. Content that feels off-brand. A deck you'll need to completely rebuild anyway.

Sound familiar? You're not the only one. The difference between a mediocre AI-generated presentation and a genuinely useful one often comes down to one thing: how you prompt the AI.

According to recent productivity research, professionals spend an average of 6.5 hours per week working on presentations. The right AI prompts can cut that time significantly while actually improving quality. But getting there requires understanding what makes a prompt work.

Having said that, let’s walk you through everything you need to know about crafting AI prompts that deliver presentations worth presenting.

What makes a good AI prompt for presentations?

A good prompt gives the AI enough context to understand what you need without over-explaining every detail. Think of it like briefing a designer: you want to be clear about the goal, audience, and tone, but leave room for the AI to do what it does best; structure, design, and format.

Here's what separates effective prompts from weak ones:

Weak prompt: "Create a presentation about our product."

Strong prompt: "Create a 10-slide investor pitch deck for a B2B SaaS product that automates invoice processing. Target audience: seed-stage VCs. Tone: professional but approachable. Include problem statement, solution, market size, business model, and team slides."

The difference? Specificity. The strong prompt tells the AI:

• What type of presentation (investor pitch deck)
• How many slides (10 slides)
• What the product does (B2B SaaS, invoice automation)
• Who will see it (seed-stage VCs)
• What tone to use (professional but approachable)
• What sections to include (problem, solution, market, etc.)

When you give the AI this level of direction, you get slides that are structured logically, designed appropriately, and much closer to what you actually need.

Essentials of a winning AI presentation prompt

Every strong prompt includes these core elements:

Element

What to Include

Example

Presentation Type

Pitch deck, sales presentation, training module, report, etc.

"Create a sales presentation..."

Length

Number of slides or time estimate

"...with 12-15 slides..."

Topic/Subject

What the presentation is about

"...introducing our new project management software..."

Audience

Who will be viewing this

"...for enterprise IT decision-makers..."

Tone

Formal, casual, persuasive, educational, etc.

"...using a professional, data-driven tone..."

Key Sections

Main topics or flow you want

"...covering features, ROI, implementation, and case studies."

Putting it together: "Create a sales presentation with 12-15 slides introducing our new project management software for enterprise IT decision-makers, using a professional, data-driven tone, covering features, ROI, implementation, and case studies."

Top AI prompts for different presentation types

Let's look at ready-to-use prompt templates for common presentation scenarios. You can copy these and customize them for your needs.

1. Investor pitch deck

Prompt: "Create a 10-slide investor pitch deck for [your product/service]. Target audience: [seed/Series A/growth] stage investors. Include: problem statement, solution overview, market opportunity, business model, traction metrics, competitive landscape, team, financial projections, use of funds, and closing ask. Tone: confident and data-driven."

Why it works: Investors expect a specific flow. This prompt ensures all critical elements are covered in the right order.

2. Sales presentation

Prompt: "Create a 15-slide sales presentation for [product/service name] targeting [specific buyer persona]. Focus on pain points, solution benefits, ROI, customer success stories, and clear next steps. Tone: persuasive but consultative. Include data visualizations for key metrics."

Why it works: Sales decks need to address buyer pain points and demonstrate value clearly. This prompt structures content around the buyer's journey.

3. Internal strategy review

Prompt: "Create an executive strategy review presentation with 20 slides covering Q4 performance, key wins, challenges faced, lessons learned, and Q1 priorities. Audience: C-suite and department heads. Tone: transparent and action-oriented. Include charts for performance metrics."

Why it works: Internal reviews need honest assessment and clear next steps. This prompt balances accountability with planning.

4. Training or educational deck

Prompt: "Create a training presentation with 25 slides teaching [topic] to [audience level: beginners/intermediate/advanced]. Break down concepts step-by-step with examples. Include knowledge checks or discussion prompts every 5 slides. Tone: clear and encouraging."

Why it works: Training content needs to be digestible and engaging. This prompt builds in pacing and interaction points.

5. Product launch announcement

Prompt: "Create an internal product launch presentation with 12 slides announcing [product name] to the sales and support teams. Cover: what's launching, why it matters, key features, customer benefits, pricing, go-to-market timeline, and how teams should prepare. Tone: exciting but informative."

Why it works: Product launches need to energize teams while providing practical information. This prompt balances inspiration with execution details.

Common mistakes to avoid when prompting AI for presentations

Even with good intentions, these mistakes can lead to underwhelming results:

• Being too vague "Make a presentation about marketing," gives the AI almost nothing to work with. Add specifics about what aspect of marketing, for whom, and why.
• Overloading a single prompt Asking for a 50-slide comprehensive deck in one go, often produces inconsistent results. Break complex presentations into sections and prompt for each part.
• Forgetting your audience The same content looks different for executives versus frontline staff. Always specify who will see these slides.
• Ignoring tone A pitch to investors needs a different voice than training for new hires. Be explicit about the tone you want.
• Not iterating Your first AI output is a draft. Use follow-up prompts to refine: "Make slide 5 more data-focused" or "Simplify the language on slide 8 for a non-technical audience."

For teams looking for beautiful AI alternatives, Slidely AI offers a great option that combines intuitive design with smart AI prompting.

How to refine AI-generated presentations for final polish

Getting a solid first draft from an AI presentation maker is just the beginning. Here's how to take it from good to great:

Review the flow: Does the narrative make sense? Are transitions smooth? Rearrange slides if needed to improve the story.

Verify accuracy: AI can hallucinate data or make claims that aren't quite right. Double-check all statistics, claims, and technical details.

Add your voice: AI-generated content can feel generic. Inject your personal insights, company-specific examples, and unique perspectives.

Enhance visuals: While AI suggests images and charts, you might want to edit your presentation with AI to swap in custom graphics, real product screenshots, or specific brand assets.

Test with a colleague: Have someone review it fresh. They'll catch unclear points or missing context you might have overlooked.

Practice the delivery: Even the best slides fall flat without good delivery. Run through it a few times to ensure your verbal narrative complements the visuals.

Bringing it all together: Your AI presentation workflow

Here's a practical workflow that combines strong prompting with smart refinement:

Step 1: Define your goal and audience

Before touching the AI, get clear on what success looks like. Who's your audience? What action do you want them to take?

Step 2: Write a detailed prompt

Use the templates and techniques from this guide. Be specific about type, length, audience, tone, and structure.

Step 3: Generate your first draft

Feed your prompt into an AI PowerPoint presentation tool and review what comes back.

Step 4: Iterate with follow-up prompts

Refine sections that aren't quite right. "Make slide 7 more visual" or "Add a case study example to slide 10."

Step 5: Customize and polish

Add your brand elements, verify data, inject your voice, and adjust visuals as needed.

Step 6: Review and practice

Get feedback from a colleague and rehearse your delivery.

This process lets you leverage AI's speed and structure while maintaining the quality and authenticity that only you can provide.

Making AI work for your presentations in 2026

The right AI prompts transform presentation creation from a time-consuming chore into an efficient, even enjoyable process. By being specific about your needs, understanding how to structure prompts, and knowing when to refine the output, you can create professional presentations in a fraction of the time.

The key is treating AI as a collaborative partner, not a magic solution. Give it clear direction, iterate on the results, and add your unique perspective to create slides that truly connect with your audience.

If you're ready to see how effective AI prompting can streamline your workflow, you can explore Slidely AI free for 15 days and discover how the right tool, paired with strong prompts, can change how you create presentations.