I, Laran Stover, am an addict. I love eye-popping colors, spinning introductions, and information that flies in from off screen. Unfortunately, this extravagant style of presentations is not only distracting to an audience, but also tends to make them slightly dizzy.
Every PowerPoint you see presented by a CEO is generally very plain. Apparently, they hold the secrets to perfect PowerPoint productions. First of all, you would never catch a CEO like Steve Jobs using a rainbow colored background. He understands that such bright colors cheapen a presentation and the product he is selling. He would also never use spinning titles, or words that come flying in from off screen. This gives the presentation an amateur-ish quality that someone trying to maintain respect in an industry does not want. The spinning and whirling effects that Microsoft PowerPoint entices you with must be denied. Temptation being another presentation sin must be fought off by the serious presenters. No fading into the next screen, or bouncing in slides, the secret to a good presentation is simplicity.
Successful CEOs seem to have the idea. They find the perfect balance between simplicity, class, and color. They use soft, clear, colors as backgrounds, as opposed to “cork board” or “checkers”. They deny all temptation of flying words and slides, and use simple, quick transitions. The point of the presentation is to sell your product or idea, and Steve Jobs, for one, has this down to an art.
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Working for a large corporation and having given many powerpoint presentations to the corporate staff and management, I completely agree with you. I believe the powerpoint portion of a presentation is a visual complement to the material being presented and should be designed to provide for those who benefit from the visual presentation in addition to the verbal. As you indicated, extravagance is a distraction. The basic essence of the presentation lies with the presenter, not the powerpoint, and I think your assessment is right on.