PowerPoint Math: PP does not equal TP

Here is a simple PowerPoint math equation: PowerPoint ≠ Teleprompter

A PowerPoint presentation is not a teleprompter. You read a teleprompter; that’s what it’s for. If you’re reading your PowerPoint presentation, you’re doing it wrong! Reduce your text and learn your material.

Obama reading teleprompter
You can read this . . .
Photo courtesy of Steve Jurvetson
Reading PowerPoint
. . . but you should not read that!

Now, in fairness to the fellow in the second photo, I should note that the picture was taken on a PowerPoint Karaoke night during which participants have to make an impromptu presentation using a PowerPoint slideshow that they have not seen before. Challenging, but a lot of fun! And contestants are forgiven for having to read, at least a little bit.)

Ultimately your slides should be used to support your message. They should be simple enough for the audience to understand them quickly and then turn their attention back to you. Reading your slides to the audience is not just boring, it is insulting. You can save your audience a lot of time by turning the slides into a PDF and emailing them to the audience.

For six simple but effective tips on how to design and use slides, check out this webinar that I did with Jim Harvey, my co-founder of Presentation Guru.

Photos courtesy of Steve Jurvetson and Leo Sauermann

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