{"id":78664,"date":"2020-08-16t11:00:25","date_gmt":"2020-08-16t15:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/48e130086c.nxcli.net\/?p=78664"},"modified":"2020-08-18t07:37:45","modified_gmt":"2020-08-18t11:37:45","slug":"avoid-death-by-powerpoint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.g005e.com\/2020\/08\/16\/avoid-death-by-powerpoint\/","title":{"rendered":"avoiding death by powerpoint"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"businesswoman<\/a>let the spotlight be on you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

by steven e. sacks<\/span><\/i>
\nthe new fundamentals<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

have you ever attended a conference where the presenter plans to supplement his or her key topics by showing an illustration of what is being currently said? do i look at the speaker or do i look at the slides? will the slides be available later or should i take notes now? should i move up 50 rows so the microscopic wording improves to the level of barely readable? can i ask the speaker to back up a couple of slides?<\/p>\n

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whenever i give presentations i try to put myself in the shoes of the listeners and create a presentation in a way that relies on them briefly glancing at the slide transition and then redirecting their full attention back on me. but what we see today is too many speakers just reading what appears on the slides. they should simply begin their session by saying, \u201ci\u2019ll read out loud and you\u2019ll follow along silently.\u201d thank goodness there was never a request made for responsive reading.
\n
\nthen there are times that technology just goes on the blink as is technology\u2019s wont. you\u2019ve done a runthrough while the attendees were having breakfast in another room. okay. it all seems good; even the embedded video comes up immediately. you\u2019re all set. the powerpoint session title is projected on the screen up front, and the attendees lumber in and take their seats. you are introduced and you begin your this-is-what-i will-tell-you spiel and then you start to tell them. and lo and behold, the screen goes blank and your laptop is frozen. oops!<\/p>\n

i hate when that happens.<\/p>\n

if something can go wrong \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

so, what\u2019s a speaker to do? the rule is to plan for all contingencies; to eliminate possible snafus.<\/p>\n

but sometimes proper planning or rehearsal is not done. speakers, particularly those who frequently deliver the same presentation, rely less on internalizing the material when they can just show it to you and make a brief reference, or worse yet, read the information verbatim.<\/p>\n

“power corrupts and powerpoint corrupts absolutely.” \u2013 <\/span>vint cerf<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

if you are a communication professional delivering presentations to businesspeople of all stripes, you need to wean them from the powerpoint drug, otherwise when the lights go down, so will the audience\u2019s eyelids.<\/p>\n

powerpoint, and its predecessors, have been around for years and essentially replaced the overhead slide \u2013<\/span> as well as an even more archaic tool, the flip chart. but speeches became dull and presenters babbled if they were not prepared with anecdotal information or data they could easily see to jar their memories. so out came the safety net of technology-driven tools like powerpoint.<\/p>\n

speeches and presentations are about engaging in verbal communications: there is a speaker and a listener. people remember more from the spoken word interwoven with anecdotes or personal stories than they will from a top 10 bullet-pointed list of tips, especially if the tips do not allow for elaboration. anecdotes based on personal experience tell the audience that you understand how to communicate thoughts that are relevant and memorable.<\/p>\n

slides don\u2019t necessarily help an audience remember, unless of course they are archived online or they are part of the handout materials. slides can also be a distraction, especially if they are too fancy, colorful or crowded. if you cannot understand a slide, then you cannot relate to the points being made that are supposed to be reflected by that slide. and if that slide is part of a series that explains a concept, you\u2019ve just hit a road bump.<\/p>\n

plan your presentation<\/strong><\/p>\n

there are some ways the communication professional \u2013 <\/span>let\u2019s say the marketing director in a cpa firm \u2013 <\/span>can assist his or her boss to effectively use powerpoint. re-engineer the process. this means have the presenter mentally create an objective for the presentation; envision what the takeaways should be for the audience in terms of its thinking and planned actions. lay the groundwork with a clear, provocative opening and what will be covered. establish the criteria for whether a point or a section of the presentation needs further clarification by illustration.<\/p>\n

if during this planning process it appears that there is not a compelling need for slides that contain elements and supporting verbiage, then limit the slide deck with just a simple-to-explain graphic. perhaps use large-font bullet points (a few words and not paragraphs) that you can expound on because you can explain the points fully. in other words, only use images when appropriate to keep your presentation on track and your audience engaged … and awake.<\/p>\n

also, only show the slide(s) when needed and darken your screen when you are done with them. let the presentation room\u2019s light shine only on you.<\/p>\n

powerpoint rules to live by<\/strong><\/p>\n

much has been written on the pitfalls of powerpoint presentations. so here are some things to consider:<\/p>\n