Have you ever had the sensation of being killed, slowly and mercilessly, during a boring presentation? No need to raise your hand, we all have been there.
Why is it that such a poweful tool can be so deadly? An interesting article sent to me (thanks, Z.) talks about the birth of what we know today as PowerPoint. Happy 25th birthday!
The article from BBC News UK can be seen here: The Problem With PowerPoint
Over the years I’ve read a number of books on effective presentations, listened to podcasts, and attended some presentations and webcasts. It all boils down to:
1. Know your audience
2. Know your subject
3. Create a story to tell
4. Rehearse
5. Rehearse once more
Although no magic bullet exists, we can all do better next time we are putting a slide deck together. Simply remember the last presentation you attended and how boring it was, and swear you will not put your audience through the same experience. That’s a good start!
What has your experience been with powerpoint?
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The Effective Marketer 
I couldn’t agree more. I work in the software industry for one of the big boys, and I find it shocking how many employees even at the C-level are completely inept at presenting. The problem is that people forget about the fact that they are making a presentation and rely entirely on their slides.
PPT should complement the presentation not encompass it. If all will be presented is that which we can read from the slides, may as well just email them. Let’s not blame PowerPoint for lazy presenters.
@The captivated listener – You are right about not blaming PowerPoint. Much has been said on how PowerPoint is a bad tool and should be abolished, but who’s really at fault? When used effectively, PPT can be a great help in conveying information, telling a story, and engaging the audience. It’s also funny how we still call them “slides”… 🙂