If Your PowerPoint Presentation Bores You, Guess Who Else It Bores

Let me tell you a little secret about my day job.

I travel the globe helping executives in the private sector government nonprofit U.N. how to deliver PowerPoint presentations more effectively.

And I always ask them prepare a PowerPoint presentation be ready to deliver it at 9 a.m. and we start our eight hour day.

So they stand up.

They deliver the presentation.

I record it.

They’re done.

And they say T.J. what do you think.

And I say Well I’ll tell you what I think.

But first let’s watch it together.

And I want to know what you think.

So I hit play.

We watched their whole PowerPoint presentation and then I look at them and and typically their expression is like this.

Hey what’s wrong.

What did you think T.J..

It was boring as heck I wouldn’t want to watch that.

I’d fall asleep.

What do you think.

And then I have to turn to my clients.

I know you seem like a pretty smart person.

If you think it’s boring as heck and is going to put everyone to sleep.

Guess what.

You’re right.

The first thing you need to do if you really want to improve your existing PowerPoint presentation is you got to watch them.

You have to watch them yourself.

If you think your presentation is dull as dishwater and is boring and you want it watch it why do you think anyone else would want to watch it.

So that’s the first big test.

Can you watch your own PowerPoint presentation and find it interesting.

If it’s not take your whole speech take your whole PowerPoint throw it in the trash can and let’s start again.