Store the Slides and Pump up Your Presentation

In our virtual world, the use of slides in presentations has sky-rocketed. This overuse has led to bored audiences and messages that are quickly forgotten.

For the average presentation of less than 20-minutes, you should be able to speak without using slides. By ditching the PowerPoint, you have a greater chance of keeping your listeners attention. A living, talking person will always win over a static set of words, graphs, or stats. 

• Important information can be shared in a link or a downloadable handout.
• Working without slides will force you to clarify your message. You won’t have the slide as a crutch, so you must focus on the key elements you want to communicate.
• Repetition of these key elements will help solidify your message and make it memorable.
• Introduce numbers into your presentation to guide listeners through it: “I will focus on three main issues. Our product differs in five main ways. We have two options …”
• Practice using stories to illustrate points rather than case-studies. Cite examples to expand on your point.
• If you have a product, show the actual product rather than a slide of the item. 

Virtual audiences tend to tune-out when the slides come out. Work at speaking slide-free; your audience will thank you.