To PowerPoint or Not to PowerPoint

Poor PowerPoint. A tool that was originally meant to make presentations more lively and compelling is now believed to have the opposite effect. "Death by PowerPoint" is a widely recognized saying in business circles. Many speakers and presenters have ditched PowerPoint's all together in favor of  the internet as a presenting tool or not using any visual aids at all.

It doesn't have to be this way. PowerPoint is a useful way to make a presentation more organized and informational if used correctly. 

Here are a few ways to avoid driving your PowerPoint presentation into Boringville:

- Avoid words whenever possible ... At the very least limit them drastically. A slide that is word heavy leads to the impulse to simply read what's on the screen. Here's a news flash - your audience can read what's on the screen too so they don't need you to do it for them. 

If you must use words, do so sparingly and summarize with your own spin so the audience has a reason to listen.

- Use high-level data ... Charts and graphs are fine if they are incorporated sparingly and make a larger point. They are best used as a jumping off point into a larger conversation that provides more details and gets more granular. For instance, if you're presenting on the previous quarter's sales performance, use a chart to show where the team/organization finished, how it compares to last year and if it met, trailed or exceeded performance forecasts. Then move away from the PowerPoint to speak to some of the reasons why the quarter concluded the way it did. 

- 5 slides is fine and 10 is plenty ...  If you are going over 10 slides, you are either packing in too much information or the meeting should be shorter or broken up into multiple sessions. 

- If acceptable, inject some humor ... it depends on the audience, but unless you are presenting to a very conservative, old-school group, humor should be well-received. A relevant cartoon, funny picture or video will liven up any presentation and likely snap any day-dreamers back into listening-mode.

Speaking of humor, I'll leave you with this quote. Happy PowerPointing!

Michael: “We’ll ask Powerpoint.”
Oscar: “Michael, this is a presentation tool.”
Michael: “You’re a presentation tool…”

Michael Scott & Oscar Martinez, The Office, Season 4 – Episode 4, “Money” (courtesy of powerpointninja.com)