This post is super short, sweet and to-the-point. 

Power Point presentations should serve 2 purposes. 

1. They should provide the audience with a helpful visual to keep them focused on the talk.
2. They should provide easy reminders to the presenter about information or anecdotes she should be sharing.

Power Point presentations should not serve the following purposes.

1. They should not provide the audience with full takeaways from the talk. That is what note taking is for.
2. They should not provide a crutch for a nervous presenter with a clutter of words that cover every talking point.

Now that this is cleared up, go back to your most recent presentations and ask yourself if the slides were created to ease your nerves or if they are there strictly to guide the talk, facilitating a meaningful encounter through conversation, for both you and the audience. 

How do you keep your slides focused and stop them from becoming novels? Share with us in the comments below.