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Presentations Training: Don't Convert Mindmaps To PowerPoint Slides

Many people don't like to give a presentation (I wonder why).

When they do deliver a presentation, they use tools which divert the focus from them and their message to a huge amount of (PowerPoint) slides.

In this article, I want to share with you why I feel presentations should be done using mindmaps. Also, you will learn why one of the most overrated and most useless features of a mindmap tool is the export-to-PowerPoint option.

The main reason people use visual aids

When you present your information, you are the person who has (most of) the knowledge on that topic. After all... you were asked to share your knowledge and insights.

Many people use visual aids to support or even tell their story.

People are listening to you, because they want to hear what you have to say. When you deliver good content, you may not even need to use additional presentation aids.

Still... it might be good to use images, visual maps, etc. to increase clarity. The visual supports you. This is where most people will use PowerPoint. And this is where it goes wrong.

I've seen people create slides with many (many) words. The slide is filled with words which they start to read out loud to the audience. You become the support tool of the slides. You only tell people what is written on the slide.

A slide must increase overview and/or clarity.

This is what you and I do on a daily basis when we create, use and then unleash our mindmaps. Why don't you do this for your audience as well?

When you use words, it's good. When you use images, that's even better. After all, images stick in your mind about 30 times easier than words.

If you really want your audience to remember what you said, you make sure they SEE, HEAR and FEEL clearly what you said.

Here's what happens when you use PowerPoint in presentations

There are basically three things which happen when people use PowerPoint to deliver a presentation.

You as a speaker lose overview

Your audience loses overview

The PowerPoint slides take over control

The two reasons for this are:

people tend to create too many slides.

slides are presented in a linear format

Because of the (huge) number of slides your audience loses track. I've seen people deliver a presentation and they themselves lost track of the slides they used!

Since all slides are presented in a linear order, you can quickly lose overview regarding where you are in your presentation. If you experience that feeling... what will your audience think?

Here's what I do

When I prepare for a presentation, I create one, maybe two mindmaps. This mindmap shows the entire overview and key concepts I will share.

The moment I finished my map, I never, ever transform it into PowerPoint slides. The reason for this is simple: When exporting the map I lose the visual overview and create a bunch of linear slides.

What I do is I use my mindmap software tool to deliver the presentation. I simply show them the mindmap.

Here are the advantages:

The audience sees exactly where I am in my presentation

The audience sees what will be and has been discussed

The audience understands the relationship between the concepts/thoughts

The audience sees the BIG PICTURE

That's all I want. I want to give clarity to my audience on a certain topic. This enables me to inspire or inform them, or makes them take action.

My Personal Advice Regarding Mindmaps And PowerPoint

Don't use the Export To PowerPoint function as your mindmap tool. You don't need it.

Should you still like to use PowerPoint, make sure you don't export. Simply copy the (image of the) mindmap into the PowerPoint slide. This way you keep your visual overview.

It is all about creating clarity in your information, for others and yourself.

Source: Arjen Ter Hoeve link

Related: Presentations Training