How to Work With, Not Against, Presentation Software When You Speak to a Group

If everyone drove their cars as erratically as they drive their PowerPoint presentations, the highways would be filled with wrecks every day. Almost since the first presentation programs were invented in the 1980s, speakers have made the same mistakes: Reading the slides aloud. Setting text too small. Cramming too much information onto the screen. 

What’s the solution? Just as with driver training, the key to avoiding “Death by PowerPoint” is understanding how to use the vehicle. 

Many of the problems with bad presentations stem from failing to understand that presentation programs are meant to assist the speaker in delivering memorable information, not be a rival. A well-crafted presentation will amplify what the speaker is saying by providing information in ways that the human voice cannot. And when the spoken word tells the story best, that presentation should stay in the background. 

How to maximize this medium

Use the fewest words possible

People take in information faster visually than by ear. Thus, when you advance a slide think of text as a headline, focusing on the half-dozen or so words that you want the audience to remember most. Some presentation experts tout the “7x7 Rule:” No more than seven lines per slide and no more than seven words per line. Once the audience has read the slide, your spoken comments then can build on the point you want to make.  

Use images that enhance and explain your story

Pictures work even faster than words, so if you have one that makes your point, employ it. But take care: The audience is seeing that image for the first time, so they probably won’t know the context or its meaning. Make sure the image points people in the right direction. 

Convert numbers into charts

If your point is that business is up, a rising line chart gets absorbed mentally quicker than a table does. Just make sure the chart focuses on the data you want people to remember most. 

Organize and summarize

A presentation isn’t a brain dump; it’s meant to tell people what they should remember most. That means you should create slides and organize them with a goal: When each attendee leaves the room, if you were to ask them “What did you learn?,” you want them to be able to repeat the lesson you hoped to impart. For lots of speakers, that means they’ll need to decide for themselves, in advance, the point they want to make. 

Resist giving handouts before you speak

Too often, handouts get treated by the audience as an excuse to not pay attention to you and what you’re casting onto the screen. Instead, tell the audience you’ll share the slides with them immediately after you speak. 

Are you required to present tons of data?

Avoid the temptation of cramming lots of numbers and words on a screen and then expecting people to read it. They won’t—and often they can’t because you're using type sizes that are too small. Try a double-barrel approach instead: Create a slide with the key words or numbers, and spend time on that slide. Then, if you have to include a data-rich slide, place it immediately after and keep it on the screen in the seconds for you to say, “You can review these numbers in detail when you get the handout.” As an alternative, put the data rich slides in the handout and only reference them verbally in your speech. Or write a data-rich report that serves as a backup to your spoken presentation. 

If we could beam our thoughts directly into another person’s head, we wouldn’t need speech, charts, pictures, or writing to communicate. But alas, we do, so it’s in your interest to understand how each form of communication has inherent advantages and disadvantages. Combining speech and slides makes your presentation a multimedia performance. Learn to maximize each medium to have the greatest possible impact. 

DISCLAIMER 

The information presented is for general promotional purposes only and does not constitute a binding offer or guarantee of performance. All product claims, benefits, and testimonials are based on typical use and may vary depending on individual circumstances.