The Disadvantages of Presentation Technology

by Barbie Carpenter , Demand Media
Consider printed presentation materials instead of presentation technologies.

Consider printed presentation materials instead of presentation technologies. Images

As a small business owner, you're used to standing up in front of a crowd, whether you're leading a staff meeting or chairing a sales presentation to land a new client. Chances are you rely on presentation technologies to supplement your speech. Although such software programs can offer visual support for your discussion, they also have a number of disadvantages, which may diminish the impact of your presentation.

Disconnect Between Speaker and Audience

If you're using presentation technology such as a PowerPoint presentation, you might rely on it to the point of alienating your audience. Rather than facing your audience, you might face the projection screen so you can constantly refer to the presentation. You risk reading the screen to your audience rather than truly engaging with them. Moreover, you might hover over the computer screen and mouse rather than making use of your space and moving around the room while sharing information about your small business.

Technical Troubles

Technology has its advantages, but one of its distinct disadvantages is its ability to fail. Technical troubles can hamper your presentation and lead to an awkward delay. Rather than grabbing your audience's attention, they're left bored while you try to get your presentation up and running. If you aren't presenting in the comfort of your own office, you might be working with computers with which you're unfamiliar, which can increase the risk of technical glitches during your presentation.

Audience Distraction

Presentation technologies allow you to share a great deal of information with your audience --- but you might share too much. A presentation of endless digital slides means you can add as much information as you want. Text-heavy slides leave your audience reading rather than listening to your message. Presentation technologies, when used ineffectively, can take the focus away from you, the speaker, and onto the presentation technology itself. Your message may get lost.

Lack of Purpose

Presentation technologies aren't always necessary. Building a computer-based presentation that lacks any real substance may actually harm the impact of your presentation. Listing keywords haphazardly on slides confuses the audience rather than helping them. Ultimately, your audience may wonder what your message was if they're focused on a poorly put-together presentation.

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