PRESENTATIONS 36. Make a Point without PowerPoint 1 Don’t use PowerPoint. This is by far the easiest way to set yourself apart from other presenters. That’s not to say you can’t display information in some form or another, just be creative about how you do it. Here are a few suggestions: • Draw “slides” by hand on a chalkboard or flipchart. • Put key phrases on posters hung around the room. • Use descriptive imagery to get the audience to visualize slides for themselves. • Relate everything back to a physical object you use as a metaphor for your subject matter. 2 • Try more dynamic software like Prezi. 1 PowerPoint isn’t inherently bad, it’s just very easy to use poorly. As Peter Norvig said, “PowerPoint doesn’t kill meetings. People kill meetings. PowerPoint is like having a loaded AK-47 on the table.” 2 Check it out at http://prezi.com. 32