Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft® PowerPoint® to Create Presentations That Inform, Motivate, and Inspire: Using Microsoft Powerpoint to ... Inform, Motivate and Inspire (Bpg-Other)

Microsoft PowerPoint changed the world of presentations by simplifying the process of creating a computerized slide show. Alas, over time people started squeezing too much information into every slide and using the preinstalled generic titles. PowerPoint's simplicity let people forget the purpose of presentations: to persuade or to inform without being boring. Cliff Atkinson shows you a creative way to build a good presentation without falling into the PowerPoint template trap - tell a story instead. At present, he provides a free template, storyboard formatter and story guide at sociablemedia.com that adds value to the book, which refers to these resources repeatedly. We recommend this to anyone who gives presentations.

If you use Powerpoint, you will have heard a variation on the title above - I guarantee it.

I stumbled across Cliff Atkinson's blog last year, www.beyondbullets.com and immediately realised that when faced with a presentation I opened up the corporate template and banged out the bullets with little regard for the audience and their needs. The slides were there to remind me what to say - not to engage the audience. If you are honest - this is probably the way you do it too.

Beyond Bullet Points takes a new approach based on telling a story with structure. But it also learns from other media - Newspapers - make your headlines meaningful. Movies, use a storyboard to plan your story before you think about visuals.

Of course its harder work, and requires more thought, but that just ensures you know your presentation much more completely and makes you confident in front of your audience.

I recommend everyone buying this book and changing the way you present, unless you work for my competitor...