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Technology
ove it or
hate it,
PowerPoint
is
ubiquitous, so when I
found out that
Microsoft has added
some AI functionality
to its capabilities I was
intrigued to find out
more. Used properly,
PowerPoint can be an
amazing storytelling
tool and we do
leverage it, but we are
very careful to avoid
‘death by PowerPoint’.
A presentation can be
kept engaging by using
images and headlines
to support a presenter
but ultimately, the first
and most important
part of the
communication is the
story. The presenter
should be able present
their story without
using their slides as a
crutch.
We promote the use
of slides as visual
support rather than a
script. Simply reading
from slides can
actually distract the
presenter and bore the
audience to tears.
For the mere
mortals among us who
don’t have the poise
and polish of a
professional speaker
on the circuit, the new
PowerPoint Presenter
Coach function may be
of use. It will pick up
on the ‘umms’ and
‘ahhs’ in a
presentation and it
knows if you are
reading from the slides
- which could be useful
for rehearsals and to
The power of
PowerPoint
Joanna Bradshaw, creative associate at Brands at Work,
gets to grips with a new AI software that can help presentations
get a better
understanding and
insight into the
way a
presentation
is being
relayed
– but I do
have a few
concerns.
One of the
new functions
reviews the pace
of delivery: it times
the presentation and
analyses how fast the
presenter is speaking.
This could be helpful
because when people
get nervous they tend
to rush and not pause
between sentences to
allow the audience to
absorb what’s being
said. However, my
concern is that it
doesn’t account for
who is in the audience.
If you are speaking to
children, or to an
audience whose first
language isn’t English,
the presenter will need
to speak more slowly,
as too if something
complex is being
explained. Conversely,
if a presentation is
motivational then the
speech might have
more pace. If you are
trying to make a case
about the speed of
change with theatrical
intensity, then your
pace of speech may
quicken to emphasise
this point. Relying on a
tool that measures
against a standard
speed could be
misleading.
I think it could be
useful as a guide, but I
wouldn’t rely on it
alone. For example,
tone of voice is
incredibly important.
Phenomenal content
when delivered badly
will not have the
desired impact.
Additionally, silence is
golden. Silences have
meaning as well and
can be a very powerful
tool to allow the penny
to drop or to spark the
audience in achieving
their own lightbulb
moment.
Speakers either
need to have an
incredible amount
of self-awareness
or, realistically,
employ a
speaking coach
(or honest
friend!); to
constructively
critique delivery. All
of this is very
subjective so has AI
currently got the
capacity to factor all of
this in?
Presenting is about
so much more than
just verbal
communication. When
we help presenters to
pitch, we look at the
audience and how they
are sat and where the
presenter is in relation
to the them. We look at
what the presenter’s
stance, movements,
what are their hands
are doing? Are they
gesticulating too much
or too little, where are
they looking, and what
does their body
language say?
Having tried the
PowerPoint Presenter
Coach myself I was
impressed, because it
did make me think
about what I was
saying while I was
rehearsing. Having
www.conference-news.co.uk
said that, seeing the
notifications pop up in
the corner to say
you’ve used filler words
such as ‘umm’ too
much is a little
disconcerting and a
little off putting.
Interestingly, it
brought an element of
gamification to my
rehearsal which made
me want to keep trying
it, (perhaps because
I’m a perfectionist!).
The danger is that you
could fall into the trap
of being over-
rehearsed which can
detract from the
authenticity of your
presentation also.
However, if a
presenter relies solely
on this, then they may
conclude that their
presentation skills are
honed to perfection,
when it might not be
taking all aspects of
delivery into
consideration. If you
don’t have the option
to do anything else,
then the new function
could help improve
your presentation
skills, but in an ideal
world, using a
multifaceted approach
and a real-life human
coach would benefit
you more.
Joanna Bradshaw,
creative associate,
Brands at Work