Did boring presentations exist before PowerPoint? Personal experience tells me that PowerPoint users do not have a monopoly on boring presentations. I also have never attended a presentation given by PowerPoint (or any other piece of software). However, I often hear people calling for the banishment of PowerPoint from business – the implication being cutting out the PowerPoint cancer will instantly improve presentations and make you wish there were more meetings for you to attend. This is a little like arguing that guitars should be banned because you heard me trying to play one.
PowerPoint doesn’t bore people – presenters do. PowerPoint is only a tool; it’s how you use the tools that you have that make the difference. I disagree with advice like this recent post on Robert Middleton’s blog that suggests abandoning the tool is the answer; I would encourage you to learn a better way to use the tool.
The PowerPoint stigma generally stems from the approach of creating slides full of bullet points which the presenter proceeds to read to the audience. This approach produces the boring presentations that cause people to condemn PowerPoint. However, Mayer’s multimedia principle, which states that people learn better from words and pictures than from words alone, suggests that you can be far more effective in persuading your audience if you learn to use tools like PowerPoint properly, rather than just abandoning it for a words only style presentation.
The best resource that I have found regarding the effective use of PowerPoint is Cliff Atkinson’s book Beyond Bullet Points. Cliff shows you how to leverage PowerPoint to convey information and to persuade your audience by using a storytelling approach. By using the principles of good storytelling as described by Aristotle and used in Hollywood today, you can focus your ideas, clarify your ideas, and engage your audience. Use the 3 Act approach to building your presentation "script", and you will create more memorable and persuasive presentations. In addition to teaching you how to create better PowerPoint presentations, Cliff also provides some great tips for working with a team, practicing your presentation, and ensuring consistency in presentation design throughout your company.
If you want to create better presentations, I highly recommend reading Beyond Bullet Points and visiting the Sociable Media website before you abandon PowerPoint.
