Think of science and most PowerPoint presentations and I bet you won’t think “funny.”

Thanks to my good buddy, Shane Arthur at Creative Copy Challenge, I came across this video that proves anything is possible.

Look just how comedian, Tim Lee, took two boring ideas and made them funny. We’ll chat after you view it. Don’t worry, I’ll wait for you.

Funny Points Make Sense

Raise your hand if you ever sat through a boring PowerPoint presentation.

Recently, there was even a discussion on LinkedIn® about not using PowerPoint anymore. My contention has always been:

PowerPoint doesn’t kill audiences. Presenters kill audiences.

Few of us have the comedic talent of Tim Lee. It must be that Ph.D. of his. However, there are things we can learn from his video.

Here are a few things I learned.

The complex can be made simple – Tim Lee used humor to simplify the science. Granted, the science wasn’t his point as much as the humor, but it showed how you didn’t need a Ph.D. to enjoy the presentation. He also showed the power of not taking yourself too seriously.

Your words make the difference  – PowerPoint, like any communication medium, is a tool. While I would not present Tim Lee’s slides as a shining example of the power of PowerPoint, they do deliver a powerful message – it’s your words that count.

A presentation provides a visual. It shouldn’t distract. It should make the message clear.

One of my favorite books on PowerPoint is Cliff Atkinson’s Beyond Bullet Points. A previous post talked about his PowerPoint template. He keeps it simple and clear.

Boring topics can be made interesting – By putting his own unique twist to it, Tim Lee made even science and boring PowerPoint slides interesting – and funny.

So, there you have it. Keep it simple, clear & uniquely yours. Seems I’ve heard that before.

What lessons do you see from the video?

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Need help delivering your message? Contact me and I’ll keep it simple, clear & uniquely yours.