Public Speaking Myths to Clear Up Right Now

Myth #9 - A Great PowerPoint Presentation Is All I Need

We’ve all endured it at one time or another. In business today, it’s virtually impossible to escape from.  It’s the scourge of the stage, the plague of the presentation and the blight of the business meeting.  It’s, “death by PowerPoint!”

In my judgment, presentation software such as PowerPoint is the worst thing to ever happen to the business of public speaking. The reason is that too many people use their presentation slides as a crutch. They spend far more time preparing bullet-point slides than they do preparing their own delivery, and a bullet-point slide can be prepared in less than sixty seconds.

Presentation software can be a very powerful tool. When used correctly, it can add sizzle, sparkle and power to your presentation. The problem is that maybe one in one-hundred presenters use the tool effectively.

In Chapter Six, we’ll explore some techniques you can use to avoid “death by PowerPoint” and really make effective use of presentation software. The bottom line is this: presentation slides are meant to enhance your presentation, not replace you as the presenter. Do take the time to learn how to create great slides but always use them as a supporting tool only, not as the focal point of the presentation.

So, what’s the lesson? A natural and engaging speaker is more captivating to an audience than a great PowerPoint presentation any day of the week!