Can you picture a small child who’s upset and pointing at something?
The mother says, “What is it? Use your words.”
She desperately wants to understand, but the child’s finger is so shaky and she doesn’t know what he’s pointing to.
Keep that image in mind as you read on…
Over the six years when I taught presentation skills as part of Tokyo University’s Executive Management Program, the organizers always wanted me to emphasize one tip in particular.
That was…
Avoid using a laser pointer.
“What’s wrong with using a laser pointer?” you may ask.
Lots of presenters use them for in-person presentations. And it’s common to see a cursor or a little red dot whizzing around slides in online meetings.
People think that makes their slides easier to understand, right?
But here are 3 problems with laser pointers:
- They strain your audience’s eyes – even though the presenter knows where she’s pointing, it takes extra effort for the audience to “search” for the red dot (and it can apparently make some people feel motion sick!)
- They show your nerves – when you’re nervous and your hand shakes, that shows even more in the movement of the little red dot
- They make you lazy – when you rely on a laser pointer, you can dump all your info on the slide without considering the most effective design and delivery
In my 3-decade career, I’ve observed that presenters tend to be more concerned with having all the answers than making their message and slides easy for the audience to follow and understand.
I often receive requests from HR teams saying their global top management is frustrated with staff coming to them with confusing PowerPoint and unclear messages in presentations.
By following a few simple tips, you can dramatically increase your professionalism and persuasiveness (and say good-bye to laser pointers).
In Episode 178 of the Sasuga! Podcast, you’ll hear
- 3 steps to deliver your slides without distracting or confusing your audience
- Why the problem with “busy” slides is not just that they’re “busy”
- The exact essential English phrases that will help you to be clearer and more confident when presenting slides – both in person and online
Enjoy!
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Mentioned in this episode
12 Essential Phrases For Clear, Confident English Presentations – In Person and Online – Download this free guide for some useful phrases to make your English presentations – both in-person and online, run smoothly
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