"I need you to put together a presentation for the meeting next week. Put together a PowerPoint." This is a standard request in today's society as visual aspects of a presentation have almost become standard operating procedures. Some see this as a fantastic practice because it appeals to various learner types. Others see it as a signal that our presentation skills have degenerated to the point where we cannot function within colorful slides and graphics.

Microsoft PowerPoint is a very interesting phenomenon in our society because it can range from being a very powerful communications tool to a creating a very annoying distraction. It would seem that PowerPoint has emerged as a standard tool for presentations, but many people have never been given any sort of training or insight on how to use it effectively. Therefore, here are a few thoughts on the pros and cons of using Microsoft PowerPoint presentations.

PROS

Some people are visual learners, and there are indeed many times where a "picture is worth a thousand words". People who use PowerPoint effectively can use charts, graphs, and pictures to enhance their presentation so that the audience remembers it and can reference the information later. Images sometimes stick with us much more than words do. It is often more effective to show a growth in sales on a chart than to talk about a bunch of numbers. A PowerPoint can also be very effective in reaching people across technological lines and it can "spice up" things like conference calls.

CONS

Unfortunately, there are as many "cons" as there are "pros" with PowerPoint. Most of these are in how it is used, rather than in the product itself. One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming that a PowerPoint is always needed. They put together their information and break it up into slides. When the presentation starts, they proceed to read through all of their text. This can be maddening for an audience because the presence of slides does not add anything to the presentation. If there are no visual elements, then a PowerPoint may not be needed. Also, some people use PowerPoint as an excuse to not prepare. They assume that the information on the slides will be their cue. Unfortunately, this makes them all the more prone to read their material, rather than using the PowerPoint as a way to show the bullet points of their presentation.

PowerPoint can be a great tool, but it should be used wisely and it should not be a default communications tool. Unfortunately, PowerPoint cannot turn a bad presenter into a good one. At it's best it can be a great enhancement to a presentation by creating a visual component that compliments data. At it's worst, it can be a boring distraction that reflects badly on the material and on the presenter.

Learn more about this author, Todd Pheifer.
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