Avoid Death By PowerPoint Presentation
Ken Newman a professional trade show presenter compares death by powerpoint presentation to his seventh-grade science teacher’s techniques. Mr. Kalinga instructed his students by writing the entire science lesson on the chalk board. This was unusual because what was written on the black board was exactly what was in Mr. Kalinga’s “green Marble Composition notebook,” and he required that all his students copy the exercise down to the letter in their “green Marble Composition notebook. This process took 75% of the class time, and it left his students bored and daydreaming about anything other than science.
According to Newman, trade show presenters and professionals alike are exhausting their audience with their PowerPoint presentations. Furthermore, the presenters are “Product Managers, Engineers, Professional Speakers, [and] VP’s of Marketing.” No matter what their pay grade or title may be they are delivering death by power point. Newman pointed out the following blunders:
Never-ending bullet points – Endless bullet points do not create stronger speakers. They assault the audience’s eyes
Listing exactly what you are going to share with your audience – Seems like common sense, doesn’t it? However, it must not be common sense with the number of presenters that include slides like these. The downfall of this slide is that your audience is able to read faster than you can speak. They have read all of your information on the slide, and you are still chattering away. Now you have lost their attention. This technique is akin to Mr. Kalinga’s teaching approach.
Creating a Today’s Discussion Point slide – There is no need to tell your audience ahead of time, simply tell them what you want to say.
Including an In Conclusion Slide – Do not include this slide for the same reasons you should not make a Today’s Discussion Points slide.
Do not use a powerpoint presentation to impress your colleagues – According to Carmine Gallo, a Forbes contributor, presenters try to jam all of their knowledge about their field on their slides, but this does not influence coworkers. It wears out their patience and attention span.
Also, when it comes to the length of your discourse, brief is best. During lengthy speeches your audience may clock out, just like Mr. Kalinga’s science students.
The content of your slides is not the only way to inflict death by power point. You can slay an audience with the delivery of your speech. Many presenters simply make a speech, rather than create a discussion with their audience. Roger Dooley, a contributor to Forbes, explains that members of the audience should be able to ask questions, and their questions should not be treated as interruptions.
We hope that these powerpoint presentation tips will help you to avoid death by power point.