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Recently, one of my clients held a PowerPoint training course. The goal was to show their staff how to use PowerPoint more effectively. I managed to see a copy of the course material, and was saddened to see a workbook full of tips on how to make a 1990′s style presentation.
The problem here is that being able to use more features in PowerPoint is not going to make your presentation better. Finding better ways to communicate your message is going to improve your presentation, and that does not necessarily involve more animations, clip art or even PowerPoint, Keynote or Prezzi.
Often, a printed out spreadsheet would work better in a small group financial meeting, or a simple marker pen and a whiteboard. You do not always need a full blown PowerPoint presentation. Some of the best presentations I have attended are ones where the presenter used a flip chart or in many cases just used themselves and their voice.
PowerPoint and Keynote have their place in today’s digital world, but their use does not guarantee a better presentation. When you have a presentation to do, one of the first questions you should ask yourself is: “how can I best communicate my message?” That may often be something very different from computer software.
So, no, PowerPoint is not the answer.
