Data projector for PowerPoint presentation
Recently I attended a lecture and were able to experience again a speaker who ran into the PowerPoint trap.
He prepared his speech with PowerPoint. The slides were extremely full and he stuck strictly to his presentation. What could he have done differently and to be extraordinary?
Content of Slides
The speaker used unfortunately only words and smal graphics for his slides. Some were even filled with whole sentences. The speaker presented the sentences exactly as they were to read on the slides – an excellent memory performance. But not all was like that: every now and then the speaker “broke out” and spoke about the topic using other anecdotes and arguments what was extraordinary. With that I asked myself: why doesn´t he present like that from the start?
Away from his slides the speaker presented freely, relaxed and a bit quicker, more flowingly. We sensed how enthusiasm about the topic spread in him. Here his professionalism in this topic showed clearly as he had the know-how of which his presentation was only a tiny part. The speaker was extremely skilled in this topic from university and long-term praxis.
The speaker had a bit of a time problem and eventually stuck such to his presentation that he only read the slides. What a pity. He had a quite comfortable voice and demeanor when he presented but really thrilling were only his “breakouts”.
I can only emphasize: if you prepare a presentation then ONLY use keywords and best only 3-5 rows on one slide. If you must use words at all – even better were if you used onl images or symbols. Images and symbols are processed by the right part of your brain and four times as fast as words – they invoke emotions directly. Words have to be “translated” from your left brain part to your right.
Handout is not the Presentation
Another aspect of the PowerPoint trap is to prepare the presentation intending to use it as handout for the attendees. This often results in filling the slides with too much information to enable the attendee to understand the presentation by only reading it. An excellent slide is incomplete with no speaker – and here you see the conflict. If the slide can be understood by itself then the speaker is redundant. You as speaker are the one giving the slide a meaning. The slide should support you only.
Additionally the speaker handed out the handout before his speech and got attendees turning the pages during his presentation. The pages held four slides each and every four slides the attendees turned a page. Unfortunately the document was ring binded and turning a page made quite a noise. Meaning: ever four slides the speaker was forced to make a short break. What a pity.
My recommendation to speakers is: prepare your presentation and then create a separate handout! Two different documents! The presentation mustn´t have a meaning unless you complete it and give it the meaning. And you can simplify your graphics and symbols in a way that the attendees in the last row can grasp them quickly.
Use the handout to provide additional information which you speak about. Here you can explain in detail. Mostly you will provide this handout after your presentation – such you prevent being quieted by turning pages.
Agenda in your Presentation
One excellent start of a lecture is to provide an agend to let your audience know what you speak about and how you proceed. The speaker of this particular presentation carried it too far. He presented us in the agenda each title of ever slide he was going to show us.
It is a great start of a speech to bring an executive summary about the topic and the message you want to convey. Please refrain from presenting a detailed agenda – it is only for you as speaker important. For the attendees it is tedious and rather boring as they don´t know any specifics about the title of a slide yet. Above all it can take necessary tension from your presentation as you expose the course of it.
Use the summary pointing to the conclusion to build tension and then go for it – proceed the course you prepared as line of argument.
The PowerPoint Trap
The lecture I attended was a good presentation, excellently put theme. I was fascinated by the eloquence and line of argument. Supported by surveys and examples from the speaker´s business and his professionalism. I sensed the enthusiasm of the speaker for the topic even though it was often held back (was trapped) by the PowerPoint presentation.
The speaker can improve several areas: The “breakouts” from the presentation into presenting freely and relaxed and his improvisations were refreshing. I recommend the speaker to work on this strength. Best abstain from using PowerPoint or reduce it to a minimum. The professionalism is imminent- show it. Show your enthusiasm and you entertain and enthuse your audience.
