If you want people to take you and your ideas seriously, avoid using PowerPoint when you speak. Here are 5 reasons why.
1. PowerPoint is boring.
When’s the last time you thought, “Boy, I sure hope the presenter uses PowerPoint”? Years ago people were wowed by PowerPoint. It was new. It was different. Now it’s commonplace. And, as a visual medium, it’s clunky and static. It can’t compete with TV, MTV, or movies. When you bring up PowerPoint and turn down the lights, people get the message: it’s nap time.
2. PowerPoint is confusing.
OK, it isn’t by itself confusing. But the way most people use it is confusing. Most presenters simply begin creating slides, before they even know what they want to communicate or why the audience would possibly care about it. And the end result is way too much information and way too little clarity.
3. PowerPoint is disempowering.
In most speeches, your goal is — or should be — to move people to take action. To get people to do something, you have to rouse their enthusiasm, passion, or interest. PowerPoint doesn’t let you do that. It appeals, at best, to people’s left brain — their logical, analytic brain. It may help you teach people, but it won’t help you touch them emotionally. And engaging people’s emotions is the best way to get them into motion.
4. PowerPoint wastes time.
Sure you can use a ready-made template and the cheesy, downloadable graphics that everyone else uses. And if you do so, you may save time. But you’ll end up with an ugly, flat, and — did I say this before? — boring presentation. To create a visually appealing PowerPoint presentation takes time. Lots and lots of time.
5. PowerPoint hogs center stage.
Once you project something on a big screen, people are going to look at it. Which means they aren’t going to look at you. Which means they aren’t going to pay attention to you or your ideas. You might as well just send them your slides and script. And you might as well give up any hope of persuading them to do what you want them to do.
Here’s what to do instead of using PowerPoint.
Begin by strategizing your speech. Know your audience and determine what you want them to do as a result of hearing you speak.
Create a clear and compelling message. Limit it to one main idea and three to five supporting ideas. Speak from an outline, guiding people step by step through your speech. If you need to show people graphs or charts, use a handout.
Speak to people as if you’re holding a conversation with people you like. Show them how your idea will help them solve a problem or achieve a goal that’s important to them. Do that, and they probably won’t even realize you didn’t use PowerPoint.
Chris Witt is a speech writer and executive speech coach based in San Diego. He works with leaders who want to influence and inspire audiences. He helps technical teams plan, create, and rehearse oral proposals for large contracts. His website — http://www.wittcom.com — has over 70 pages of how-to articles.
Tags: center stage, cheesy, clarity, commonplace, downloadable graphics, emotionally, end result, left brain, mtv, nap time, pay attention, powerpoint presentation, presenters, rouse, slides, speeches, takes time, time 2, visual medium
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