What is the focus – powerpoint, me (presenter) or them (participants)?

I always remind my presentation class participants that you should avoid letting the screen / powerpoint to be the focus of your presentation. Quite a lot of presenters commit this mistake – light dim, presenter sitting down, and then slides after slides after…. Instead, the presenters should take charge – stand up, project your energy, ‘blacken’ the screen when you speak, use powerpoint only to aid but not replace your message!! After all, human being rather than the mircosoft powerpoint can connect better to human being. And after all, if the latter can do better, we do not need to be physically organise a presentation!! Just send out the powerpoint file + voice tape.

However, if we include participants in the comparsion, the focus should shift further to them rather than the presenter!! Bearing this in mind will guide you to do a even better presentation. For example, you will ‘cut’ your message into managable size so that the participants can ‘digest’. You will avoid long lecture, and instead you will introduce different delivery method.