Why you shouldn’t embrace an all-image slide presentation

When I’m coaching executives who are using slides in their presentations, I feel as if I’ve heard every rationalization in the book.

Most try to justify an enormous number of slides-often too many to get through in one sitting. Of late, one justification seems common, and it’s dangerous: “But all my slides are pictures.” And no, these speakers aren’t photographers for National Geographic.

I’m not a fan of all-or-nothing solutions, and when it comes to presentations, they rarely work. What bothers me is the subtext behind that “all my slides are pictures” rationale.

Do these justifications sound familiar?

1. You know I’m going to object to a large number of slides. Sadly, putting images on all your slides doesn’t soften the blow of a 300-slide deck. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but 300 pictures? More like a memory blur for the audience.