First, whenever you are stuck within PowerPoint, I can only advise you to use the help function (F1 key,
Microsoft Online Help). Why shall you check on other website than the one of Microsoft!

Again you are the central focus of the presentation. You are not there to present your PowerPoint
slides. Your PowerPoint slides are there to support your message. The same applies  with a paperboard
or a video. Those are all mediums to bring evidence to your ideas. Speaking of your slides, bullet points
formatting is to avoid with no exception. Let's have a look at what is commonly built :



Why should you not use bullet points ? Actually this is how PowerPoint  is built : bullet point
formatting to insert your text. There Microsoft was wrong as they simply overlooked the logic of
communication. Now let's think that you will present the above slides. How do you think your
audience will behave ? Part of your audience will probably read the slides, and therefore not listen to
you anymore. That means your participants will not be moving at the same pace, since some will be
not be listening to you. You should always aim at getting everyone in the room moving at the same
pace. A positive group spirit will then arise.    

If the slides already show in details what you will say, why should you speak ? Actually there is nothing
wrong asking your audience to read the screen for a specific action, but then you will not speak. Your
objective is to help the audience memorize what you bring to them. How can they memorize if they
have to read and listen at the same time. The presentation should be focused enough for them to
think, to assimilate and not to read and take notes. What do you remember the most ? What you
understand indeed. Therefore it is important to give the time to the audience to understand your
speech. The only way is that they should only focus to  one channel, which is you! "Everything should
be made as simple as possible, but not simpler", Albert Einstein.

Another drawback of the bullet point formatting is that you may not have much more to say. You first
objective is always to be the center of attention. As seen just before, everyone in the audience must
move at the same pace.

Some research show that people will only recall after 3 days 20 % of a presentation if they were only
shown. They will remember 65% if they were shown and explained.

I am sure you are familiar with the old Chinese proverb “one picture is worth ten thousand words”. As
Ramsborg and Tinnish put it: “The adult learners of today expect "infotainment," the delivery of
information in an entertaining format. Even the most serious programming on television, the news, is
created now with graphics, music, lighting, and special effects. Sports arenas now have giant television
screens to show instant replays and powerful sound systems for commentary and music. There aren't
many places that people go where they are not treated to a "show" - and meetings are no exception”.

Visuals are the most effective means to convey messages. They say more than words, visuals such as
images convey emotions, feelings, sentiments. They also help connecting with the audience. By
keeping much simpler the slide, you will be the only one delivering the content. That must be the
objective. Let's have a look how a slide may look like :

The above slide at the top should be the preferred one. Such slide layout enables you to adjust your
speech to your audience :

ü  such slides are good for both short and long presentation, you are the one adjusting 
when presenting

ü  you may give a short explanation (if you are short of time)

ü  you may give more examples if you see a large interest from the audience

ü  you may forget about one point, the audience will not even notice with such a slide.

If you believe that each of the points are too critical not to stress visually, then you could add a slide
per idea. The following slide could look like one of those two examples :


 

Another alternative would be the flipchart where you could write down each of the ideas like :

You decide of the rules according to your objectives. I personally like to use the flipchart from time to
time as it allows to take control of the space. Again you and the audience should be connecting, the
PowerPoint Slides are not a design championship!  

Next article : How to build and design the slides

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