Your Damn PowerPoint Presentation

When compared to the earth-shaking power of a great storyteller, the PowerPoint presentation falls way to the bottom of effective, audience-motivating forces. Think about the way you communicate normally. Your words, body, gesture, eye contact, and voice, with all of its glorious, gymnastic ability, are excellent languages to express your passion and your intellect. But add a bad slide presentation and - poof! - you and your message are rendered forgettable.

Why fill your talk with slides that state the obvious or images that reiterate what you’ve just said? This only telegraphs to the audience that you aren’t powerful enough to express those thoughts yourself. Or worse, you don’t think you are powerful enough.

But add a bad slide show and - poof! - you and your message are rendered forgettable.

I have seen too many respected professionals, speaking to audiences of would-be partners, with presentation decks of over 100 slides of fluff, who walk the PowerPoint plank because they have cast themselves as commonplace button clickers rather than powerful evangelists.

Don’t do this to yourself. Serve your message, not the slide deck.

In defense of slides, when your speaking slot is short, and you just don’t have the time to explain a visual concept, an image is hands down the smartest way to go. This is especially true if you’re talking about mathematical or design concepts, have complicated diagrams, or are telling stories and need to show elements that you think the audience would want to see.

But please remember, your slide deck is a visual aid, it is not a script or a crutch. Use sparingly.

?About the Author

Kelsey Crouch is a communications and speaker coach. Sign up to receive Kelsey's newsletter for more tips on public speaking and news about upcoming workshops, and join the public speaking community on Facebook.

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