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PowerPoint is no question well-liked in definite circles. In fact in some organizations a presentation cant be solution without it. But I invite you here to recognize a second look at the use of PowerPoint because:
Its overused
It can be confusing
It can be a crutch for insecurity
It can be a mask for needy content
It can be an overload on your audience
It can put your audience automatically to sleep
Edward Tuft, whos written several books on displaying instruction visually, is an advanced against PowerPoint. He believes those who rely on the PP cognitive style are "simply serving happening PowerPointPhluff to mask their lousy content.
Lousy content or insecurity. bearing in mind I first started presenting I used it because its a crutch to rely on, and a mask to hide behind. Its as soon as memorizing a speech, or reading it from notes. It gives fixed run because theres no expose for those disconcerting questions you cant reply when youre new.
Tufte writes just about Lou Gerstner, on his first hours of daylight as president of IBM. At a meeting, he switched off the projector and said to the presenter, Lets just chat very nearly your business.
If you use PowerPoint as a crutch would this not be alarming?
Suddenly youd be called on to know your topic without difficulty ample to just talk nearly it. Im reminded of my grad researcher professor who said, If you cant run by this stuff to your adjacent neighbor, you dont know it.
I get use PowerPoint, and effectively, and Ive seen lively use of PowerPoint, but lets first talk roughly why it isnt fine to use.
Its overused, and expected, suitably we song out.
Its a sensual sleepdown the whir of the machine, the progressing of the slides the hum of the voice as it reads something zzz
I have never seen anyone come up with the money for a thoroughly entry PowerPoint or slide presentation who wasnt tied to their umbilical cord. past it came epoch for discussion, they didnt know their subject matter.
What is it fine for?
Outstanding for graphs and financial data.
Excellent for emotion photographs and art. A portray is worth a thousand words for emotional appeal.
Good for a bend of pace to wake your audience going on suddenly.
You can use it interactively put questions occurring there that obsession answering.
Variety.
Words in another language.
Geography.
HOW IS IT BEST PROJECTED?
Weve ruled out rote use of PP just reading a laundry list. Here is how to use the PowerPoint if youre going to.
GRAPHS AND DATA
When you realize use it for graphs or data, put happening your data and have the funds for them get older to look at it for a moment previously you slowly talk through the figures. Some people know how to entry a spreadsheet quickly. Others do not.
On the supplementary hand, if you desire to shove something beyond on your Board, as Ive seen done, blitz through it, because a spreadsheet on a screen is not simple to grasp quickly. Beware the immediate flipper of slides where data is concerned.
EMOTIONAL APPEAL
I could not have raised funds for the homeless without the emotional appeal of photographs. Most of us would rather not look suffering. Words are easily tuned out, and numbers are lonesome numbers.
For emotional appeal, make your reduction and after that put your photograph going on there. You can talk nearly homelessless or you can decree a homeless child upon the streets. lessening taken?
If you use this, meet the expense of it time. allow the photograph happening there much longer than your busy planning left-brain would like. The reason youre using it is because it has impact. so let IT HAVE IMPACT.
BEFORE AND AFTER
PP can be used effectively for befores and afters. If youre proposing a new greenspace for your complex, perhaps a house (which can save your corporation lots of money, BTW), believe to be photographs.
It works emotionally in the additional doling out as well. The Russians will never forget what the Germans did to St. Petersburg and there are loads of before and after photos in the museums to remind the tourists. Did I mention EMOTIONAL IMPACT?
CONCEPT
Photographs and metaphoric graphics (money falling from the skies, women leaping higher than obstacles, the scales of justice) are excellent for illustrating concepts. If you use photographs, use the best. Sites such as www.comstock.com present excellent royalty-free photographs.
If you are talking just about team work, put a describe occurring there of a crisp photo of a team that appears to be organized, getting along, and definite in attitude. You could call it suggestive or subliminal.
I manage to pay for a presentation on bodily Strengths, a la StrengthsFinder profile from Buckingham and Clifton. They have names such as Focus, Activator, Analytic, Strategic, Relator, and Connectedness. Ive found photographs of people who illustrate these concepts that are truth Eye Candy. They have been well-received. I chat the concept, but I let them gaze at the photograph.
What gets into the right brain stays there (see The EQ start Course upon my website.) www.gettyimages.com is a great source for images.
If you use graphics, use excellent ones. Its worth paying for them. If you without help have 3rd generation graphics, blurred and cheap-looking, youre improved off not using any at all. They make exactly the wrong impression, whatever space youre irritating to make.
GIVE SOME RELIEF
In any presentation its fine to regulate style because it wakes your audience up. You can attach of many swing learning styles in your audience, and its good to provide each society something. There are swing categorizations of learning styles, but decide listening, reading, upsetting on the subject of and heartwarming things, interacting, and creating something.
TWO REASONS WHY IT DOESNT WORK
When Baby Boomers were in school, they listened to a teacher/lecturer and either looked at him or her, or took notes. For this group, PowerPoint can be overstimulating.
Another large society in todays play area grew taking place once Sesame Street and treat instructors gone a television set, much less PowerPoint. As question the proficient for ActiveProNews, Ive acknowledged more than one letter from researcher professors who tell the students talk, eat, relax and socialize even though they try to lecture, as if they were stretched out at house in belly of the television set. For this group, PowerPoint is mannerism understimulating. They dont manage to pay for it any respect.
IN SUM, dont use PowerPoint just because everyone always does. Have a reason.
If you use it, use it judiciously, and well, and use first-class art. Visual images can be as functional as stories, in their impact, and are an emotionally clever quirk to present.
Try changing your presentation and create absolutely determined you could pay for your combined presentation without the PowerPoint. instead youre faking it, and your audience will know it.
Lastly, heres a word from someone whos been in the trenches. option good excuse not to automatically rely on PowerPoint is that at least afterward in your lifetime you'll sham up and the equipment you compulsion won't be there or won't work.
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