I just read an interesting article from Dan Sapp (from a while ago) about PowerPoint presentations and how they might be hurting your business success.

It’s not the first time I’ve heard this, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.

I generally agree with Dan… that PowerPoint presentations shouldn’t (ever) be the focus of a presentation, and instead, the speaker should be able to communicate his points whether or not he has a deck of 80 slides.

However, I think the discussion is incomplete without addressing why people use PowerPoint so heavily.

I believe that most people are just plain uncomfortable presenting in front of any size group. So, they turn their focus on something they can control – the logistical components of their presentation – PowerPoint. PowerPoint slides become their crutch and give them confidence that if they stick to the ppt script, they can survive the presentation. Good presentation skills are a rare trait, so for most people, relying on PowerPoint is their only option.