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PowerPoint myths and facts

I recently made a short communication on PowerPoint limitations, and I'd like to share with you 3 PowerPoint myths and facts.

Myth 1: Many people consider that creating a presentation with PowerPoint is enough to convince their audience.

—Fact: Only multi-skilled communicators are convincing.
 

Myth 2: If your presentation contents are complex, you might feel that they have to remain as-is. Reformulating, illustrating, re-packaging your complex message would harm communication.

—Fact: Light and "sexy" presentations make complexity digestible.
 

Myth 3: Every PowerPoint update is richer, brings more flexibility, is easier to use and bells and whistles boost great communication.

—Fact: Only mastery of the basics is critical.

Another active tool to enrich a complex subject is an interview, audio or video. It's essential that you ask for feedback from your audience. Why wouldn't you set up a short exercise, with pen and paper? Ask for a 1-minute "on-stage" report from participants. Be natural. Master communication techniques and good presentation practices. Respect timing.

Third point: PowerPoint bells & whistles.

To put it simply: some new features of the last PowerPoint version are appealing, but the basic, fast, stable and productive PowerPoint 2003 remains excellent. Going backwards? No. Staying inspired by the essentials: good structure, simple templates, clean slides, very little animation, crisp pictures and graphs and Arial font. That's all. I don't want to distract my audience with avant-garde animations, complex object entrance and exit, fancy shapes and colors, artistic effects, etc. If you "only" have the last PowerPoint, that's fine but you really have to stay disciplined while setting up your slides, don't overdo it!

A well-adapted KISS principle always applies if you want to communicate efficiently: trash the special effects, don't "play" with PowerPoint, but work on your content, amaze people with clarity, the mastery of your subject and smart guidance. By keeping your message focused on your audience and by being a great teacher, you'll win.

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→ What's in it for you here?

At least 3 key points that you should never forget:

1. PowerPoint is not all-purpose. Always look for alternatives.

2. Complexity requires lightness and sharp complements.

3. KISS and teach like a master.

Interested in a fast-acting cure of your next presentation? I'm here to help.

Let's go back to the first point.

PowerPoint is no more than a simple tool. It supports your message, that's it. It rarely is a stand-alone communication tool. For it to be used that way, what you're talking about must be self-explanatory or at least easy to understand for the intended audience. You could also delude yourself by hoping that a few slides will cover up a possible lack of preparation or serve as a rapid fix-it for a tricky issue. The truth is that PowerPoint cannot botox content weaknesses or lack of substance.

If you are as comfortable with PowerPoint as with handwriting, sending a few slides might be more elegant, more pleasant to read than simple text. But weigh the real advantages of a presentation versus a well-thought-out email, Word document or pdf. Weigh carefully.

Now, supposing you have to make a live presentation, do you need PowerPoint at all? Can't you use a flipchart and prepare a few graphs live? Or have a flipchart page prepared in advance that people discover at a key moment? Wouldn't you be more efficient and grab attention better by using one of these options? Think about it. In certain circumstances where PowerPoint is not a must, you could have more of an impact and convince your audience more easily with a well-prepared speech presentation. A hint here: if you are inexperienced or anxious, simply recite from memory.

Furthermore, what most presentations are lacking is interactivity. Interact with your audience. Interact constantly. Stay close to the people. Becoming an expert means excelling in interactivity.

The second point was about complexity.

Complex slides are boring. Only highly motivated attendees can stay alert for more than a few minutes in front of complex slides. To circumvent this risk, you have to make your slides lighter. Not simpler. Lighter. If you feel like being more descriptive and putting more text, don't overkill the tiny space of a screen with an army of bullet points. Simply write more stuff in the presentation notes and handover the printouts after your presentation. Remember: you are getting your message across. Do not delegate this responsibility to your slides.

Another way of reducing the risk of boredom or incomprehension of complex material: add a video. A meaningful video. Below is an example of an animation explaining how a cogeneration plant functions. For those who are not familiar with the subject, a cogeneration power plant, also called CHP (Combined Heat and Power), generates hot water or high-pressure steam together with power, utilizing one primary fuel. Below is a step-by-step movie describing how it works. This animation requires of course a short comment, but you have the picture. Use YouTube full screen option if necessary.