There are a few major problems with using bullet points in a PowerPoint presentation.

First, the audience can read the bullet points faster than the presenter can read aloud.

Second, because the audience is able to read the bullet points, and because bullet points serve as a summary of a presentation’s content, the audience don’t feel they need to listen to the presenter. People can’t read silently and listen at the same (think about reading a book when somebody disturbs you), so the audience block out the presenter.

Third, bullet points aren’t memorable. People aren’t good at remembering long lists – and so your message is forgotten.

This PowerPoint presentation with video presenter will launch in full screen mode, and demonstrate clearly what’s wrong with bullet points.

You need to relearn what you think you know about PowerPoint.

Looks at why bullet points don’t work. Talks audience through a series of PowerPoint slides, showing that information presented as bullet points – even if repeated multiple  times – is not memorable. Contrasts this approach with the use of visuals, diagrams, and animation, to engage the audience.

This is a re-telling of some of the core insights of m62’s approach to PowerPoint and visualcommunication.