Traditional wisdom has it that the more text-heavy, the less engaging a presentation.
Does that hold good when your audience is viewing your PPT on their mobiles, in a Zoom room with all videos off and everyone on mute except the presenter i.e. you?
Experts have it that in the above scenario (unimaginable even 2-3 years go) – where the screen (that too a small one) is the medium, text is not as much of a bugbear.
The trick is threefold:
i. keep the info in
ii chunk the text down
iii. speed the motion up
– Says SlideXpress
So – in another surprising counter – more slides here are actually a help rather than hindrance.
That’s because in virtual meets or webinars – the dynamism of a live presentation and presenter can somewhat be compensated for by keeping the slideshow pacey!
Not to rush it, of course, but pace it for conversational momentum, with a balanced mix of image + graphic + text – which when accompanied by your narrating voice will keep the audience with you – so you’re all on the same page – slide after slide.
Proof yet again that every rule has an exception.
So it’s not always believing that “Less is More” nor is it about settling for “More or Less”!
It’s knowing how to mix and match, blend and catch – attention, eyeballs, engagement.