I don't know about you, but I am definitely on poll overload. Think about it. Can you accurately remember a single political poll from last week? Or even from yesterday?
This overuse of numbers we see on TV news proves a relevant point about business presentations. Everyone loves facts, and insists on them in business presentations, but when they are used too much or there are too many, they can have the opposite effect of what's intended. They can obscure the entire message.
I'm on a personal crusade to lessen the use of PowerPoint presentations in which there are far too many numbers and far too many words. Let me explain why it's best to keep things simple.
PowerPoint is a wonderful vehicle for communication ONLY IF the presenter remembers people can't listen and read at the same time.
PowerPoint visuals should act as the speaker's cue cards and help support the message for the speaker and the audience. When the visuals become the message, the audience spends its time trying to decide whether to look at or read the visuals or listen to the speaker, and that can spell bad news.
Don't dilute the messageVisuals — icons, symbols, photographs, logos — are most effective when used to support the speaker's key points.
I'm not saying that the facts or statistics aren't important. They are. One solution is to e-mail key information to audience members after a presentation, or give the stuff out at the conclusion of the meeting.
Don't hand out all the stats before the meeting starts. If you do that, everyone will pore over them as you speak, again diluting the message because you're asking people to read and listen at the same time.
There is an exception to this rule: When the meeting is about numbers, discussed and evaluated one at a time, it's best to have the information at the audience's fingertips.
Finally, if and when you do use numbers, use them judiciously and make them big enough for everyone in the room to see.
Join my crusade to use PowerPoint effectively. Less is more.
In politics or business, appearance conveys important message
Commercial Financing is Available for the Right Buyer and the Right Property
