In a recent LinkedIn post, Lara Acosta shares a powerful technique she employs to overcome public speaking challenges, including a stutter and introversion, after investing significantly in coaching. Acosta emphasizes a shift from rote memorization to deep understanding as a key strategy for effective presentations.
“Don’t memorise your lines. Understand them.”
The Pitfalls of Memorization
Lara Acosta recounts her initial approach to public speaking, which involved trying to memorize every word. This method, she explains, proved to be a significant hurdle. She contrasts this with the practices of elite speakers she observed.
Rethinking Presentation Design
Acosta highlights how seasoned speakers utilize slides with minimal text, often featuring strong headlines and visuals. This approach, she clarifies, is not merely for aesthetic appeal or as a sales pitch. Instead, it serves as a cognitive tool.
“It wasn’t just for show. Wasn’t a pitch deck. It was a hack for them to stay within the subject.”
This observation led Acosta to dramatically alter her own presentation style. She increased her slide count from around 12 pages to over 50, a change that facilitated a more natural delivery.
Understanding as a Foundation for Delivery
The core of Acosta’s refined strategy is to use slides as prompts rather than scripts. As she puts it:
“I see the headline, give my thoughts about it. Move to the next, without memorising.”
This method allows her to speak more authentically and adapt to the flow of the presentation, leveraging her understanding of the subject matter to elaborate on each point. This is particularly beneficial for individuals like herself who have limited time for design work.
Leveraging Technology for Efficiency
Acosta also points to the role of technology in implementing this strategy. She mentions using tools like Gamma and Claude to streamline the process of creating presentations from scripts.
“Been loving Gamma for this – I now just write a YouTube script on Claude, turn it into a 50+ slide presentation by connecting my Claude to Gamma in less than 15 mins. As someone who has NO time to design anything. THIS is a life changer.”
This integration of AI tools allows for rapid creation of visually rich presentations that support her speaking style, making the entire process significantly more manageable, especially for those with demanding schedules.
Acosta encourages others to explore this approach, providing a link for them to try the tools she finds effective. She also offers a further walkthrough of her process for those who engage with her post.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Lara Acosta on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on March 12, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →