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

bullet white bullet

• ‣ ∘ bullet triangular

bullet white bullet

• ‣ ∘ bullet triangular

bullet white bullet

• ‣ ∘ bullet triangular

bullet white bullet

• ‣ ∘ bullet triangular

bullet white bullet

• ‣ ∘ bullet triangular

bullet white bullet

• ‣ ∘ bullet triangular

bullet white bullet

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.”