PowerPoint Presenters Mindset
It seems like the dead horse doesn't die, no matter how often we beat it.
Your are the presentation. Your slides are not your presentation. Consequently, if the projector screen is sagging under the weight of your text laden slides, then you need to improve your presentation.
Did you catch the subtlety here? I did not say that you need to indiscriminately rework your slides and replace text with photographs (which may or may not be the correct approach).
Rather, you need to rethink your presentation and determine if you need text or photos or even need slides at all to get your point across. Should you have handouts? Is a flip chart more appropriate? What about an activity for your audience?
You need to go back to the basics and define your core message for this audience. Then determine if you need slides, and then determine the best approach to create slides for your presentation.
Why did I bring this up now? I recently saw two presentations from fellow revolutionaries who also support the revolution from text to visual presentations. In both cases the mantra was "Display visual slides, no matter the audience or topic". Just as a three year old with a hammer sees everything as a nail.
The correct mindset for presenters who use PowerPoint is "Use slides where appropriate, and make them as visual as possible with as little text as possible". This is common sense, no?
And may the dead horse RIP. You are the presentation. Your slides are only one component of your presentation. Don't assume that great slides automatically makes a great presentation.
Your are the presentation. Your slides are not your presentation. Consequently, if the projector screen is sagging under the weight of your text laden slides, then you need to improve your presentation.
Did you catch the subtlety here? I did not say that you need to indiscriminately rework your slides and replace text with photographs (which may or may not be the correct approach).
Rather, you need to rethink your presentation and determine if you need text or photos or even need slides at all to get your point across. Should you have handouts? Is a flip chart more appropriate? What about an activity for your audience?
You need to go back to the basics and define your core message for this audience. Then determine if you need slides, and then determine the best approach to create slides for your presentation.
Why did I bring this up now? I recently saw two presentations from fellow revolutionaries who also support the revolution from text to visual presentations. In both cases the mantra was "Display visual slides, no matter the audience or topic". Just as a three year old with a hammer sees everything as a nail.
The correct mindset for presenters who use PowerPoint is "Use slides where appropriate, and make them as visual as possible with as little text as possible". This is common sense, no?
And may the dead horse RIP. You are the presentation. Your slides are only one component of your presentation. Don't assume that great slides automatically makes a great presentation.
Labels: PowerPoint Tips
posted by Wayne Botha @ 7:40 PM
1 Comments:
At May 27, 2008 9:28 PM ,
Olivia Mitchell said...
I agree with you Wayne. I also think (having read some of the latest brain books and research) that just about any presentation can by improved with a well-chosen and well-executed visual element. That visual element could be introduced through PowerPoint, or a flipchart or whiteboard or props. It could also be through the presenter painting vivid pictures with their words.
www.speakingaboutpresenting.com
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