“Ugh!” “Seriously?!” “Grrr!!!”

The 3 biggest frustrations your audience has during your PowerPoint presentation.

There’s a good chance you’ve attended a presentation that could use some polishing. It’s no surprise that certain mistakes often lead to frustration and irritation. And yet — they’re quick to make! How do you make sure you don’t trigger an “ugh” from your audience? We list some of the most common frustrations — and explain how to avoid them.

too much is too much.

The presenter reads from the slides (1) because the presentation is filled with full sentences. (2) Since full sentences take up a lot of space, things get a bit crammed — making the font too small (3).

There you go — we’ve already combined the big top three. Just to get things going.

So how should you do it instead?

Even we, as experts in presentation design, believe that the presentation should be subordinate to the presenter. A presentation should support the speaker — not the other way around. The moment it does, you often run into problems. Avoid slides with too much text. Choose concise wording or strong visuals. Only show what supports you as a speaker in delivering your story. That’s not just killing two birds with one stone — but three at once!

just me, myself and I.

Or just the opposite! A strong opening immediately sets the tone of your presentation. But sometimes, the presenter forgets to introduce themselves — because they assume everyone already knows who they are. But the reverse happens too. A presenter who spends far too long talking about themselves, sharing their entire life story. Ouch — things already go wrong from the very first minute.

So how should you do it instead?

If there is a host, let them introduce you. Give them a few key facts that highlight your expertise and build trust with the audience. If there is no host, go for your elevator pitch. Golden tip: don’t spend more than one minute on your ‘about me’!

are you talking to me?

Presenting is about giving and receiving energy. Sometimes, insecurity gets the better of the presenter, causing them to turn their back on the audience. And imagine if the presenter is also reading from their slides — seriously! That’s a situation to avoid, as the connection with the audience is completely lost.

So how should you do it instead? Adopt an open posture directed toward your audience. Do you struggle with making eye contact? Then pick a few people who look ‘friendly’ and are spread across the room. It will feel as if you’re making eye contact with the entire audience. Realise that connecting with your audience is more important than forgetting a content point!

Now you know how to tackle the biggest frustrations and turn that “grrr!!” into a big round of applause!! So we can wrap up with a wink: go get them, tiger!

Need a little help? We’d be happy to schedule a no-obligation introductory meeting.