Slides: — — USE TEXT – as little as possible! PLEASE!

Text and Bullet Points
Do Not reinforce the message! X

Have you ever sat through a presentation where the speaker read, word for word, the bullet pointed text that was on the screen?  Terrible, wasn’t it?

Why do speakers do this?

If they want to use notes for their presentation, those details should be placed in the ‘Notes Section’ of the slides, visible only to the presenter using Keynote or PowerPoint in ‘Presenter Mode.’

Placing Text on the screen does not reinforce the presenter’s message with the audience and help them GET IT!

On the contrary, Text and Bullet Points:

• Complicate the message.
• Conflict with the speaker’s delivery.
• Confuse the audience.

The audience is reading at a different speed than the presenter is speaking.  They are ahead or behind the speaker.  The result is worse than just seeing text or merely listening to the speaker!  (This also happens if you distribute handouts to an audience before presenting.)

The Answer:
Instead of placing lots and lots of Text on slides, use Images to help the audience GET IT!

There are three main styles of learning.

1. Visual – Seeing something.
2. Auditory – Hearing something.
3. Kinesthetic – Doing something.

A good slideshow presentation will combine two of these learning styles:
1. Visual –  high quality Images.
2. Auditory – ‘Text’ provided by the speaker’s voice.
The audience’s understanding of the presenter’s message is greatly increased.

Images should be:

• High quality.
• Universally recognized.  No – “What is that?”
• High enough resolution to not be blurred.
• Large!
• One per slide, or several that express the same main point.
  • Example: I use images of a blackboard, clown’s feet, and a person writing on a chart on the same slide to deliver the point:
    “For the audience to GET IT!, a presenter needs to
    Educate, Entertain, and Explain.

Free images, when giving attribution, are available at Flckr’s Creative Commons.  Use Compfight to make that search easier.

Great, high quality images can be purchased from a number of on-line sites.  My favorite is iStockphoto.com.  Be certain to search for a Coupon Code before buying your credits.

Also important in this discussion is timely use of the ‘B’ Button in PowerPoint and Keynote that ‘blanks’ the screen.  When used, the attention of the audience immediately goes from the screen to the presenter – where it should be!

YOU are the presenter; not the slides!  The slides should have the image that reinforces the message you are delivering.  Once you have finished that message, and continue to elaborate or tell a supporting story, ‘blank’ the screen to have the audience focus on you!

This stuff works!  Try it and make your next presentation – No Sweat!

For reading, and/or listening, this far I’d like to give you a FREE Gift.
Go to: https://nosweatpublicspeaking.com/freegift to receive it!

About the Author
Fred E. Miller is a speaker, a coach, and author of the book, “No Sweat Public Speaking!”
Businesses and individuals hire him because they want to improve their
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
They do this because we perceive really great speakers to be Experts.
Perception is reality and we rather deal with Experts.
They also know: Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities.
He shows them how to Develop, Practice and Deliver Knock Your Socks Off Presentations! with –
No Sweat!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com