[On] Point to Ponder: So Close...and Yet So Far.

It happens every once in a while. And the truth is, it’s frustrating. Conflicting. I’m in the audience, watching a presentation, and everything is going great. The speaker is high energy, knowledgeable, loud enough (thank you!), speaks slowly enough, and even involves the audience. It’s clear that significant time went into rehearsing the talk.

Then there’s the slide presentation. On its own, it’s not bad – it’s really not. It’s got a strong title slide and an interesting hook. There are pictures to bring ideas to life. The font is big enough. There’s plenty of white space. Someone spent a lot of time on it.

But as a whole, the speech lacks effectiveness. It misses the mark. As talented and lively as the speaker is, there’s a disconnect. I’m left in the audience thinking, “He was so close! She had it in the bag!” And I feel conflicted. Because I want them to win. I want them to nail this talk. It’s like letting up at the end of a 5K race because you’re sure you’re ahead – only to be beaten by a nanosecond. So close, yet so far.

How does this happen?

Oftentimes, the disconnect is in how the speaker uses the slides. 

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