The Downfalls Of Powerpoint

The Downfalls Of Powerpoint

Here’s something that could do more for you than practically anything I can think of.

It has given me free holidays all over the world – plus at least £250,000 in revenue.

Yet I never dreamt I could do it, let alone do it well.

Here’s a question to give you a clue:

What do you fear more: death – or speaking in front of an audience?

A few years ago a survey revealed that people preferred the former to the latter – they’d rather die than speak in public.

Well, I have now spoken in 42 countries.

But when I started I was more frightened than you could ever be. It took tranquillisers and alcohol to summon up the guts to face an audience.

Yet it’s hard to really get ahead without being able to speak or make presentations. (And a lot of those who have done well bore the pants off their audiences without knowing it).

So I’m going to give you a few hints about this subject.

They are prompted by something from an old colleague, Christian Digby-Firth.

Somebody has now done research that shows PowerPoint presentations do more harm than good – and literally put people to sleep.

Here’s what Christian sent me. It was written by someone else (who sounds quite pleased with himself, by the way).

We’ve all heard the phrase “death by PowerPoint” – that numbing feeling the brain suffers as confusing slide after confusing slide follow one another. I have to do a lot of public speaking, and am one of those lucky people who think on their feet, without being afflicted by terror. But I couldn’t help feeling that the good feedback I got from audiences wasn’t just because I was a brilliant speaker. I’m not.

The common factor between my own presentations and others which were far better informed, researched and presented, was that they used PowerPoint and I didn’t. Eventually, it dawned on me that PowerPoint really does ruin a good speech.

Why most PowerPoint presentations and speeches fail:

1. The audience is torn between looking at you and looking at the slide.
2. If you have lots of words on the slide, they’ll look more at them than at you.
3. Words are not as interesting or as memorable as pictures.
4. Most speakers start by talking about themselves or their firms – deeply boring to the audience (just as it is in copy or websites).
5. By the time they do start talking about benefits, the audience has given up.
6. Most presentations lack a logical structure – and are too long:
7. People worry more about style – delivery – than on content: what the audience will be able to do better as a result.

However, saying PowerPoint is utterly useless is just plain wrong. Words and pictures working together are more memorable than words alone, and PowerPoint is a great “crib-sheet” for you.

Well, if you’re not careful this is true, and some of the reasons are well put by a friend I learned a lot from called Andy Bounds.

Andy Bounds has just written a book called The Jelly Effect which you can get on Amazon. Ignore the fact that it quotes me: it is good, gloriously simple – and mercifully short.

There is a helpful hint indicated in the last of the points above. It is: worry more about the results of your presentation than the presentation itself.

And go to www.AndyBounds.com and watch Andy Bounds tell you himself in living colour. If you don’t learn a lot, I’ll be astounded.

(And in case you’re wondering, you nasty suspicious soul, no, he’s not paying me.)

Best,
Drayton
www.directmarketingcourse.com
www.commonsensedirectmarketing.com