Oral Presentations vs. PowerPoint Presentations

Being a presenter is certainly different than being an orator. For instance, let’s consider the difference between what Winston Churchill could do with his speech and Steve Jobs could do with his presentations; both left an everlasting impression on their audience’s mind, yet each used a different style and methodology. The differences between oral presentations and PowerPoint Presentations are considerable and equally interesting.

Differences And Similarities Between Both Skills

Requires An Impressive Introduction And Conclusion

Whether addressing a political conference or introducing a new product to your stakeholders with a slideshow, ensure that you make a good introduction of yourself that keeps them tied to your words until the end. This is critical for both oral and PowerPoint Presentations.

Moreover, you need to give equal weight to the concluding speech or slide. A simple ‘Thank you’ works if garnished with some closing remarkable quotes or words.

Division of Time is More Important in PowerPoint Presentations

Segregating your time between the numbers of slides is vital for an effective presentation. Some slides might require more time than others, hence you have to keep check on how many minutes you are spending per slide. Furthermore, you need to spare some time for the audience to get answers to their queries; so keep a time-check while speaking!

Ways of Communication

Although most people think that oral presentations carry a more formal tone; however considering the different scenarios where PowerPoint presentations are used these days, they have a more flexible approach and carry a professional touch, too. So, when giving a presentation in front of your board of directors you will certainly have a formal approach, while it will be more informal with kids and teenagers, depending on their ages and the topics being exhibited.

Focus on The Topic & Content

Oral presentations might cover more topics, which are closely related to the main theme. But a PowerPoint Presentation should be more focused, because if your sub-headings do not match with your main topic, your listeners might lose interest.

The Types of Audience

The listeners of an oral presentation can be from varied fields but in case of PowerPoint Presentations the audience is more focused and often includes subject matter experts. You need to know the type of audiences and its differences to plan an effective presentation. Hence, the details and content needs to be scheduled after in-depth research.

If you are an expert presenter for any one of these fields, you can certainly take the risk of experimenting with your style and format of delivery.