powerpoint overload?

We’ve all sat through them. If we’re honest, we’ve probably all written a few of them in our time – PowerPoint presentations, crammed with endless bullet points, on unnecessarily busy backgrounds and peppered with complex charts to challenge our audience.

Add to this the fact that the PowerPoint document is often intended to be many things - a presentation, the speaker’s notes, a pre-read or a handout to take away - and it’s easy to see why it can end up being overly detailed and cluttered.

The PowerPoint presentation has become the communication medium of choice in most organisations, but it is all too often missing the target when it comes to delivering a clear, concise and convincing story. Whatever the presentation environment, if it’s not done right, the result can only be detrimental – to your company image, your departmental success or your personal credibility. A poor presentation amounts to a missed opportunity.

So what could you change to achieve greater impact and ensure your presentations deliver a powerful and effective message? You need to:

• Focus on simplicity - in design, in language and in message structure - no matter how complex the subject matter
• Start viewing every presentation you deliver as a tool for persuasion rather than a source of information
• Start strong, maintain a clear, concise and compelling story throughout, finish with a clearly actionable message and leave your audience wanting more.