I’m sure you’ve heard it - a business acquaintance refers to a talk or presentation he or she is soon to give as “a PowerPoint”. Perhaps you’ve done the same. Although I am not so rude as to express it outwardly, when I hear someone refer to his or her talk as “a PowerPoint”, I experience a fight-or-flight response as my blood pressure spikes and I get the urge to run for the door.

PowerPoint:  Microsoft Office product that provides users with an interface to design multimedia slides to be displayed on a projection system or personal computer.

I like to refer to PowerPoint as slideware. The “-ware” suffix properly implies that we are talking about a software application. So, when someone says “I’m giving a PowerPoint,” I should rightfully expect to show-up to a raffle drawing where Microsoft PowerPoint is on the list of prizes.

Although it is admittedly the proper terminology, there is also something I don’t like about the phrase, “I’m giving a presentation.” Perhaps it is because “presentation” seems so formal. Consider one alternate definition for “presentation”:

The proffering of something to someone, especially as part of a formal ceremony.

Some speaking events are more formal occasions, but most great presentations don’t feel “formal” at all. On the contrary, most great presentations feel intimate because the speaker artfully creates an emotional connection with the audience.

to present: To level or aim a weapon.

Even when a businesswoman says “I’m giving a presentation”, there is still a strong possibility that she means to spend hours preparing presentation slides that are cluttered with information only to turn and read them to her audience. In this case, her slideware might as well be a weapon. Not only does she make it impossible to achieve an emotional connection with the audience, attendees begin to experience a feeling of frustration and dread.

I’m most optimistic when I hear someone say, “I’m giving a talk.”

to talk: speak in order to give information or express ideas or feelings

In a good talk, information is given and, although feelings may not be expressed per se, emotions are conveyed. Through emotional conveyance, good speakers inspire audiences and convince them to adopt a particular point of view. And it’s the speaker that says “I’m giving a talk” that most often intends to use a slide presentation properly — as a compliment to their talk.

We all have the potential to be good speakers, but to do so, we must resist the current presentation culture that says presentation slides should look like documents or be used as cue cards. It’s time to stop “PowerPointing” and start preparing and delivering good talks. And if one is able to exercise the necessary restraint to use slideware simply as a talk enhancement tool, then he or she should consider doing so.