Over the years I have heard speakers actually apologizing
for their PowerPoint (PPT) presentations! This came as something of a shock to
me initially, after all why would anyone present their content in a way that
they were not happy or proud of? But, there are some
speakers/coaches/facilitators that do just that. To be fair they probably don’t
mean to present in such a way but it does happen.
At a recent event I was listening and looking at a
presentation and all was going well until the dreaded graphs appeared as part
of the PowerPoint. It was at this point that the speaker made an apology for
the slide(s) and I rapidly lost interest in the presentation.
There was something of significance on the slide but I
couldn’t see it and the graphs were not explained so I found myself unable to
follow the point of that slide. Was it essential to the presentation? I will
never know. Did it affect my ability to follow the key point of the
presentation? Unfortunately, my concentration was disturbed and I was no longer
in the flow of the presentation.
I have been to live events, where to have seen the PowerPoint
I would have needed a telescope!
If graphs are going to be used that is fine but I think the
key point of the slide needs to be developed in such a way that it becomes
obvious without the need for the audience member trying to figure out what all
the miniature figures/statistics actually mean.
I think there is little point in saying that if you cannot
see the figures don’t worry as they will be e mailed after the presentation.
What’s the point? The speaker has the audience there and then and that is the
time to make the presentation really work.
A bad PowerPoint has no place at any event and even more so
when a hybrid event is being produced. Just think how quickly your online audience
will turn off if they cannot understand the slides or even see them.
Be proud of your presentation and never apologise. If you
think you have to apologise then that is a sign to re-think the point of the
slide in your presentation.
Remember also that you have an online audience to
consider and you certainly will not see them leave the room but they will go if
your presentation isn’t keeping their interest.
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