Just because everyone is doing it, doesn’t mean that it’s what you should be doing. PowerPoint has long been the go-to business presentation tool but I’m here to tell you that it is no longer the ideal tool – far from it. For too long, we have been guilty of allowing the restrictions of PowerPoint to constrict how we share our ideas and how we conduct meetings. When you’re interacting with your audience, it never happens in a linear or predictable fashion. We need to be able to leverage the more relevant type of digital media when it will be the most impactful.
Our ideas are worth sharing and we all have unique and personal ways of conveying these ideas, so why are we all using a technology that puts constraint in our way? Enough is enough: PowerPoint is not synonymous with presentations.  It’s time to challenge the PowerPoint norm.
Challenge the Linear Constraint
Life never goes exactly as planned. And discussions never follow the path you think they will. You can prepare for hours for a presentation only to be derailed within the first 5 minutes. This renders your PowerPoint presentation nearly useless and yet, we continue to restrain ourselves by the tool we use.
It’s a fact. We don’t speak or interact in a linear fashion. Our discussions and interactions are nimble and can go an infinite number of directions. The ability to tailor as you talk, being able to instantly incorporate elements that you uncover during your discussions and being able to dive deeper into the certain subject matters without the need to schedule a follow-up meeting with your internal experts will put you in a league of your own. Talk about differentiation! Not to mention using the face time effectively and not dragging out the sales cycle by having several meeting to address what could have been addressed in one.
Challenge the Content Constraint
Go outside the box here. The best way to stand out is to be different. You don’t have to come up with a random flash mob or dye your hair blue to attract the attention of your audience. Look at popular forms of media or integrate your presentation into something your audience is specifically interested in.
Certain applications that support PowerPoint and other Microsoft Office tools don’t support other forms of media, like video sharing. This could be the thing that differentiates you from the rest of the flock. Show the client you are up to date with media by adding this into your presentation.
Challenge PowerPoint
Show PowerPoint who is boss! Dare to be different and seek outside resources to help you with your presentation. Just like your 3rd grade teacher, an audience can tell when you went above and beyond on an assignment. Get the gold star and the client by standing out!
Get off the linear track of PowerPoint and find something that sets you apart from other prospects. Flexibility and inventiveness will give you the perfect presentation for your audience. Try it out!
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