• Home
    • About Us >
      • The Presentation Pros
      • Deborah Darling
      • Anne Stevens
    • Contact Us >
      • Workshops Sign Up
  • Programs
    • Online Courses >
      • Body Language
    • The Art of Presentation
    • College Graduates
    • Executive Edge
    • Straight Talk
    • Persuasive PowerPoint
    • Poised for Power
    • Motivation Through Relaxation
    • Mastering the Art of Business Attire
    • Team Presentations
    • Lunch And Learns
  • Keynote
  • Resources
    • Coaching
    • Podcasts
    • Books & Audio
  • Blog
  • Store
    • Coaching Packages
    • Speaking Packages
    • Books by Deborah Darling >
      • Dress to Look Your Best
      • PRESENT: 7 Keys to a Powerful, Persuasive Presentation
      • Upsizewoman in a Downsize World
    • Presentation Exercises by Deborah Darling
    • Guided Meditation MP3's
    • Corporate Gifting >
      • Speaking Packages
  The Presentation Pros

Does Death by PowerPoint Really Exist?

2/27/2015

0 Comments

 
Death by PowerPoint
For all of you who keep insisting on using PowerPoint, Key Note or any other such program, and there are over 40 million of you worldwide, here is some really shocking news for you. In studies conducted at Purdue University researchers found that a person’s effectiveness as a presenter was significantly enhanced by turning OFF the projector. You read that right--OFF. 

Researchers found that when PowerPoint was used, the audience had nearly 30 per cent less retention than if the presenter had eliminated the PowerPoint entirely and just talked with his or her audience. Just by eliminating PowerPoint alone, they became significantly better and more effective presenters.

Purdue researchers delivered a course entitled “Human Factors in Engineering”. It was open to both graduate and undergraduate students from the following majors: engineering, management, humanities and technology.  Three times a week for 16 weeks, researchers divided the classes into two lecture formats. One format delivered with PowerPoint the other without. Researchers then tested the students in four categories: oral, graphic and alphanumeric information presented during the lectures and information presented orally with visual support.  

At The Presentation Pros in our class entitled “Persuasive PowerPoint”, we give quite a bit of background on how the brain takes in information. We do this so that we can demonstrate the reason most PowerPoint is ineffective. Because of this, the findings from the Purdue studies were not that shocking to us. The researchers expected to find that the audience would have more difficulty paying attention to the presenter when the presenter was using slides. The studies corroborated this.

They found that students in the classes without PowerPoint scored 29 per cent higher in recalling oral information than the students in the classes where PowerPoint was used. In fact the recall of information by the students in the classes where PowerPoint was not used was higher overall.  They further found “The presence of PowerPoint negatively affected recall of auditory information…The negative affect that PowerPoint has on the retention of auditory information is similar to not attending class and hearing the information at all.” Despite what many people try to tell you, the brain cannot multi-task. As such trying to read the slide and listen to the presenter at the same time is next to impossible for any kind of retention. The studies found this to be true.

This next bit may surprise you. They also found that there was no advantage in recall by using graphics or alphanumerical information on PowerPoint slides either. The researchers concluded that better retention was achieved in presentations where PowerPoint slides were not used. They further concluded that if a presenter insisted upon making slides, it would be better to let the audience read the slides by sending them through email or snail mail and forgo the meeting entirely. The studies corroborate what we have been saying for years. PowerPoint creates a great handout but unless the graphics can produce an emotional response in the audience, they are of no use to the effectiveness of the presentation.

While many studies have shown that there is better retention when an audience can both see and hear the message at the same time, they are not referring to slides filled with verbiage that forces the audience to make a decision as to whether they will read the slide or listen to the presenter. Believe me nine times out of ten the slide wins out. What these studies do suggest is that if you can find a visual such as a photo, illustration or graphic that can evoke an emotional response in your audience, their recall will be vastly improved. If you are going to create slides with verbiage of stats and data, lots of bullet points etc. then your slides are only creating Death by PowerPoint.

Debbie Darling, ©2015 The Presentation Pros
Read more of The Presentation Pros blog HERE.

Deborah Darling is the owner and president of The Presentation Pros, a soft skills training company empowering people with the skill sets to deliver their message with power and persuasion. She is a professional development coach, international best-selling author, speaker and trainer. To book a training or keynote go to HERE.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.


    Phone:  216-501-2814

    Join Our Mailing List
    Picture

    Deborah Darling

    Deborah Darling is a professional development coach, trainer and an internationally acclaimed best selling author and speaker. She is an expert in the fields of personal image, self-esteem, personal growth and development. She is the author of five books, including Upsize Woman in a Downsize World™, the international best seller Dress to Look Your Best: Fashion Secrets the Experts Don't Share and her new book PRESENT: 7 Keys to a Powerful, Persuasive Presentation. She conducts powerful, provocative workshops on all aspects of communication and personal growth and transformation. She has trained for many Fortune 500 companies in all aspects of communication and empowers her clients with the skill sets to deliver their messages with power and persuasion.
    From 1997-2002 she was the national spokesperson for the largest retailer of women's plus size fashions in the world. In addition, she's been an on-camera and voice over personality for some of America's best known companies, and has appeared on numerous radio and television shows, including Hard Copy, The Richard Simmons Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Debbie is a facilitator for both Jack Canfield's self-esteem seminars and Dr. Teri Mahaney's Change Your Mind program.

    The workshops she conducts give her the opportunity to use her skills in helping her clients identify their greatest strengths and provide them with tools to achieve their full potential. She loves to help people find their voice and gain an open, confident credible presence. Debbie's ability to recognize and build on others' fundamental strengths provides immediate results for her clients. She looks forward to working with you to achieve your goals.

      FREE PowerPoint Tip Sheet

      PowerPoint Tip Sheet
    Download NOW!

    Categories

    Attitude
    Self Esteem
    Presentation Skills
    Business Etiquette

    Books
    by Deborah Darling

    Picture
    PRESENT - 7 Keys to a Powerful, Persuasive Presentation by Deborah Darling
    Dress To Look Your Best - Fashion Secrets the Experts Don't Share by Deborah Darling

    Archives

    May 2017
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013


    Women In Motion Business Grouup



    NetworkedBlogs
    Blog:
    Training To Go The Distance
    Topics:
    Training, Personal Executive Coach, Presentation Skills
     
    Follow my blog


The Presentation Pros™ Copyright 2013 - 2020  ©. All Rights Reserved. Website designed by MC Design & Services, LLC.

Photos from therichbrooks, Cea., nogek, jeff_golden, fauxto_digit, Celestine Chua, timlewisnm, tgratton77, LornaJane.net, mikemol, Long Zheng, wizardofozgurl, Robert Couse-Baker, Joybot, "Whiz, Hometown Beauty