I was working with a group of medical researchers this week, and a participant told us about being at a conference watching a presenter, when the tech failed and the slides died.
As people rushed around trying to fix it – you’ve probably seen this happen yourself – the presenter finally went,
“You know what? Stuff it, I’ll just do it without.”
My workshop participant said that it was the most compelling, engaging presentation of the entire conference.
That presenter brought themselves – undiluted, in a direct line of connection – and sight – to the audience.
And we then discussed in the group how this focus on slides can create a wall between the presenter and the listener.
There’s an extra dimension, which may be sucking focus and energy in the room.
(slide design has a lot to do with this, too).
So when this happens and the wall is up, what goes on?
Your audience focus is probably lower.
Your energy may drop.
Your responsiveness may fade – reading the room capacity drops.
And you may be narrating more than communicating.
Now there’s a caveat – for a lot of people, and many of my clients, slides are a real confidence crutch. They’re a safety net and you would not want to be without them.
And I’m not saying, of course, “don’t use slides” – in most cases you need them for structure and flow. People like visuals for recall. And you can’t deliver something like a spreadsheet or update without them.
So slides in themselves are not the issue – it’s the dependency around them.
When your slides become your script, your confidence, your authority, your structure:
you consciously or unconsciously may step back. The slides then step forward into the spotlight.
And if you’re not fully aware or comfortable – well, there’s still delivery of information happening.
What’s missing though is interpretation, conviction, and presence.
Those things don’t live on slides. They live in you – and that’s what makes an interesting, engaging, and compelling presentation.
So – are you leading the slides? Or are they leading you?
(And very similar results come from relying too heavily on a script or notes.)
Action steps:
Test: if you’re talking to a slide and it disappeared – could you still explain the insight clearly? Or would you be completely lost? Practise this test out loud for the full impact!
Record yourself using slides: Are you staying physically and vocally present? Or are you drifting, reading from the screen more than you need to, dropping in energy?
If your slides make sense without you there, then save everyone’s time and effort – don’t present. Send them out as a document, and then still be around to answer anything if you need to be.
Final thought
If your audience remembers your slides more than they remember you, it’s worth a rethink on your part.
I trust that’s been helpful.
Wishing you well!
Step Up | Be Heard | Stand Out
