Bullet points, while useful in some contexts, can be problematic in presentations, especially when left on the screen for extended periods. Here’s why relying too heavily on bullet points can diminish the effectiveness of your presentation:
1. Reduces Engagement
Bullet points often lead to passive engagement from the audience. When they see a list of bullet points, they may start reading ahead or tune out, assuming they already know what you're going to say.
2. Limits Visual Appeal
Bullet points can make slides look cluttered and visually uninteresting. Presentations should be dynamic and visually stimulating to capture attention. Bullet points, especially when overused, result in monotonous slides that fail to hold the audience's interest.
3. Encourages Overloading with Information
Presenters often cram too much information into bullet points, leading to information overload. This can overwhelm the audience, making it difficult for them to retain key points.
4. Distracts from the Speaker
When bullet points are left on the screen, the audience's attention shifts from the speaker to the slide. This reduces the impact of the speaker's delivery and can make the presentation feel disconnected. Ideally, the slides should complement the speaker, not compete for attention.
The audience cannot multi-task. The speaker, with their voice, gestures, facial expressions, and other non-verbal communication, should be where the audience is focusing,
Example:
If you’re watching any cable news channel you’ll ofter see a "ticker tape" of "breaking news" running on the bottom of the screen. If you’re reading that text, you have no idea of what is happening on the screen. To prove this point, as soon as a commercial comes on - the "ticker tape" is gone! Advertisers would never pay for commercials that didn’t receive total attention.
4. In Summary Instead: Use high quality, universally understood images. Make the screen go dark after the audience has time to digest the image and . . . Have your voice provide the text.
Do those things and I guarantee your presentations will be absolutely, positively - NO SWEAT!
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About the Author Fred E. Miller is a speaker, an international coach, and the author of the books, “NO SWEAT Public Speaking!” and “NO SWEAT Elevator Speech!”
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