Avoiding the PowerPoint-Induced Coma

By Toni Cascio, Ph.D.

Who among us hasn't experienced the dreaded PowerPoint-induced coma? You know it; it's that urge to nap. That sense of drifting consciousness, similar to how you feel after a gluttonous Thanksgiving dinner. It usually begins as the lights are turned down and intensifies until the speaker's voice becomes a dull hum in the background.

Although it was designed to enhance communication, in the wrong hands, PowerPoint has become, at best, an ineffective way to present information and, at worst, an instrument of torture. In fact, a 2007 Australian study found that PowerPoint actually inhibits learning through "cognitive overload," which happens when the audience is trying to absorb the same information both verbally and visually simultaneously. Further testimony to PowerPoint's stupefying effects is that a Google search for "death by PowerPoint" produces thousands of entries.

So how can you, your clients or your executives use PowerPoint appropriately? Here are some dos and don'ts for creating PowerPoint presentations that keep your audience engaged (read: awake) and, most importantly, effectively convey your message.

Don't: Use full sentences and paragraphs on your slides.

Do: Use only key words and phrases. Think of this as a trailer for a movie. You want to use words that get the gist of your idea across, but you don't want to give everything away at once. The audience has no reason to listen to you if they can just read the information for themselves.

Don't: Read directly from your notes. The fastest way to induce a PowerPoint coma is to read sentence after sentence while staring at your notes.

Do: Be very familiar with your material. The remedy for the scourge of note regurgitation is preparation. Know what you want to say with minimal reference to your notes. Not only will this add animation to your voice, it will allow you to make eye contact with the audience and move around the room with ease.

Don't: Be Monotonous. Slide after slide of text is mind numbing.

Do: Engage the audience by including brief video and sound clips or cartoons. Always make sure, though, that you abide by any copyright regulations, or, better yet, use royalty-free sources that are readily available on the web.

Don't: Drone on.

Do: Make your presentation interactive. Pause, breathe, and be sure to ask the audience questions to encourage active involvement. Include slides of discussion questions to force you to stop talking and encourage participation.

Don't: Overuse effects. Eye catching effects should never displace your message.

Do: Use graphics, animations, and transitions to highlight important points and reinforce your message. You can also try using a creative font to highlight one or two key words.

Don't: Use fonts that are too small or difficult to read.

Do: Use large type and clear fonts. 24 pt is the default size for text in PowerPoint. Generally speaking, bigger is better. The one exception is in citing a source. Then you can use a somewhat smaller font. Also, keep in mind that script and condensed fonts are often difficult to read. It's better to use a familiar font that's readable rather than an interesting one that's confusing. A final idea for fonts is to bold or italicize important text.

Don't: Overwhelm with information.

Do: Tell stories. Although statistics and factual information are often important, be selective. Include only those that are crucial to making your point. It's also a good idea to illustrate studies or facts with stories from actual experience. Stories make information come alive, and they are what people walk away remembering.

Don't: Assume the audience will remember everything.

Do: Include a final summary slide with the main points. It's also a good idea to hand out copies of the slides with space to take notes so that participants can refer to it later.

One final note is to be enthusiastic. Whatever your subject matter, enthusiasm engages people... and keeps them awake!

Editor's Note: Toni Cascio, Ph.D., is vice president at Bon Mot Communications. An expert in face-to-face communication, Toni is available to create, critique or coach your presentations. Contact us at 410.667.1113 to learn more.

Copyright © Bon Mot Communications LLC 2008

Permission to Reprint

Want to use an article from The Corporate Communicator in your e-zine, website or other publication? You can, as long as you include the following:

"Reprinted from The Corporate Communicator, a FREE e-zine dedicated to helping professional communicators and business owners communicate more effectively with employees, customers and the media. For access to the best communications tools, tips, research and best practices, subscribe now at www.thecorporatecommunicator.net."