Death by PowerPoint, oh yes, it is a real thing and not as uncommon as you would think. It happens. While you are reading this blog, somewhere someone is dying while sitting through a PowerPoint presentation. Okay, they may not be literally dying, but figuratively they are. This is such an issue you can find books all over Amazon describing how it happens and how to stop it.
Speakers need to realize, if you use PowerPoint slides, the slides are for your audience not you. They are not to be used to remind you of what you are going to say. The slides should provide additional information to the audience. Additional information, not you reading the bullet points for them. If you are using bullet points, remember these things: one, the audience is reading ahead of what you are saying, two, they are not focusing on you. If you want your presentation to be successful, you do not want either of these things to happen.
If you ask me if I still use bullet points in my presentations, I would say yes occasionally. I do have a number of corporate clients that expect this when I am speaking in a staff meeting to their employees. You have to give the clients what they want but I always try to add other things in my slides such as pictures, cartoons or quotes to break up the slides. Adding these “non-bullet point slides” also makes my presentations more memorable. At times you may want your audience to feel some type of emotion: sad, happy, outraged, etc. A picture is worth a thousand words, this saying has been around a long time for a reason.
Consider adding media clips to your presentations, pictures, even personal pictures if they fit your theme of the presentation. Your audience will appreciate it and they will be more engaged. The audience will look at the slide then turn their attention back to you, the speaker.
Until the next blog or video blog, Keep Speaking!
Denise
Denise Ann Galloni, Owner & President
DG Training Solutions, Inc.
Website: https://www.DGTrainingsolutionsinc.com
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