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PowerPoint
Queen
Presents:
When are bullet points a good choice?
By Susan Joy Schleef http://PresentationsWithResults.com
https://www.Facebook.com/PowerPointQueenRules
••••
Most presentation advisors now recommend slides with
more pictures &
less text
> <
And many recommend avoiding bullet points
••••
••• ••••
Bullet points bear the brunt of jokes – as well as more serious critiques
of PowerPoint presentations
But the problem is NOT putting a bullet point
in front of a block of text
The problem is too much text for your audience to read
while they’re trying to listen to you!
So are there times when bullet points are a good choice?
• ‣ ∘ bullet triangular
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According to Wikipedia.org,
“A bullet is a typographical symbol
or glyph used to introduce items in a list.”
In traditional terms, this was referred to as a bulleted list.
In common usage today, that list has come to be known as
bullet points.
In other words,
bullet points are perfect for lists
••• ••• •••
Let me see who’s been naughty and who’s been nice
Well, maybe not that list!
If bullet points are perfect for lists . . .
••• ••• •••
• Ampersand
• Apostrophe
• Asterisk
• Backslash
• Bullet
• Caret
• Dagger
• Hyphen
• Pilcrow
• Section
• Tilde
&
‘ * \
•
^
† -
¶
§
~
then how did we go from lists . . .
then how did we go from lists to this?
• Ampersand
• Apostrophe
• Asterisk
• Backslash
• Bullet
• Caret
• Dagger
• Hyphen
• Pilcrow
• Section
• Tilde
&
‘ * \
•
^
† -
¶
§
~
The Social Media Manager Role
• Developed to help corporations market with social media
A Social Media Manager
• Creates and shares content on many social sites
• Or finds and shares suitable content created by others
• While interacting with the company’s friends and followers
then how did we go from lists to this?
• Ampersand
• Apostrophe
• Asterisk
• Backslash
• Bullet
• Caret
• Dagger
• Hyphen
• Pilcrow
• Section
• Tilde
The Social Media Manager Role
• Developed to help corporations market with social media
A Social Media Manager
• Creates and shares content on many social sites
• Or finds and shares suitable content created by others
• While interacting with the company’s friends and followers
&
‘ * \
•
^
† -
¶
§
~
According to http://oxforddictionaries.com,
“Bullet points are used to draw
attention to important information . . . so that a reader can identify the key issues and facts quickly.”
In marketing, public relations, and copywriting, bullet points
are often used
••• to draw attention to important items by making them look different than the surrounding blocks of text
I propose there are situations when bullet point lists, or
bulleted lists, are acceptable or even recommended on slides
3
• • •
Lists are much easier to read in web-based, unnarrated slideshows
than in live presentations
#1
•
Unnarrated slideshows, viewed on a computer screen or a mobile device, are more like written
documents than like presentations
Most people don’t mind reading more text when they control how
quickly to advance the slides
AND they’re not trying to read and
listen at the same time!
But even in an unnarrated, viewer-controlled slideshow,
don’t overwhelm your viewers with too much reading
But even in an unnarrated, viewer-controlled slideshow,
don’t overwhelm your viewers with too much reading
I don’t have time to read that much!
• Keep the font size fairly large
• Keep the writing at a 6th to 8th grade reading level
• Make sure the text is engaging and appealing – something they
WANT to read
For a live, large-room presentation, stick to one idea per slide
Don’t distract your audience from listening to you, the speaker,
by giving them too much to read on the screen
#2
• •
If you absolutely must show a list on screen
during a live presentation,
keep it short and easy to read from the back of the room
And definitely – DON’T READ THE LIST OUT LOUD!
Show the slide and just give your audience a moment to read it before you continue speaking
And definitely – DON’T READ THE LIST OUT LOUD!
The #1 complaint from most audience surveys is that the presenter reads directly
from their slides!
If the list is long or contains critical information the audience will
want to remember,
make the list available in a handout so they’re not trying to
copy the whole list in their notes instead of listening to you
One great way to do this is to give them an easy URL
(display it large on a slide) where they can download the
handout – perhaps requiring them to enter their name and email
The 3rd scenario is sometimes referred to as “boardroom
presentations”, as opposed to “ballroom presentations”
#3
• • •
presentations given to a small audience at a business meeting
in a small room
“Boardroom presentations”
refers to …
In those more informal and more intimate situations,
a presentation can become the impetus for a group discussion of the ideas presented on the slides
The slides may be accompanied by a live, spoken presentation,
or they may be distributed as a reading deck or briefing deck
to be read before, during, or after the meeting
At times, the slides may even substitute for a spoken
presentation – when they are sent to someone who is unable to
attend the meeting
These “boardroom presentations” can utilize more written text, but must present clear and concise
information in a way that is persuasive and targeted to business decision-making
Bullet points may be a good way to quickly summarize key points in a
“boardroom presentation”
Bullet points can work in a “boardroom presentation” because:
Bullet points can work in a “boardroom presentation” because:
1. Everyone can easily see and read the slides (before, during, or after)
2. The audience has time to read the slides (before, during, or after) without trying to listen at the same time 3. The audience is highly motivated and looking for information to help them make a business decision
Bullet points can work in a “boardroom presentation” because:
1. Everyone can easily see and read the slides (before, during, or after)
2. The audience has time to read the slides (before, during, or after) without trying to listen at the same time 3. The audience is highly motivated and looking for information to help them make a business decision
Bullet points can work in a “boardroom presentation” because:
1. Everyone can easily see and read the slides (before, during, or after)
2. The audience has time to read the slides (before, during, or after) without trying to listen at the same time 3. The audience is highly motivated and looking for information to help them make a business decision
But “boardroom presentation” is a unique style that requires careful
preparation of your persuasive message, with stories and pictures, as well as attention to developing the logic and evidence to support
your business proposal
The audience for a “boardroom presentation” will have little patience
for a boring, rambling, or lackluster presentation! Don’t waste their time!
To summarize my points . . .
• • •
• • •
• • •
• • •
Here are 2 more tips from http://oxforddictionaries.com:
“Bullet points tend to have more impact if their text is
relatively short.”
“… try to use them sparingly: too many bullet-pointed sections in the same document will mean
that their impact is lost.”