GROWN UPS DON’T USE POWERPOINT…
Andrea Pacini —
Keynote speaker and author, Lee Warren gives a talk titled ‘Grown Ups Don’t Use PowerPoint…’
Those three dots matter. They suggest something deeper: professionals don’t rely on PowerPoint instead of preparing well. They don’t use it instead of rehearsing. And they definitely don’t let it replace thinking about the audience.
PowerPoint isn’t the problem. The problem is how people use it.
Too often, I see presenters open PowerPoint as their first step. They start dragging in slides before they’ve decided what they want to say or who they’re saying it to. It’s like naming your baby before you’ve been on a date.
PowerPoint should support your presentation – not control it. Once you’re clear on your audience and your message, then you can think about visuals. Not before.
Use PowerPoint when it helps. But don’t give it the lead role. That spot belongs to you.
This reflection is adapted from Timeless Presenter, my book on the principles of communication that never expire.