Why?  Most people are unaware of the true purpose of PowerPoint and therefore unable to use it to its true potential.  I believe this lack of understanding is the number one reason audiences become disengaged before presenters even open their mouths.

Here’s a brief history lesson.  Before PowerPoint, we had slide projectors, hence the term "slides" in PowerPoint. 

Slides were first used when a speaker or lecturer wanted to show pictures.  Rarely, if ever, were there words used on slides.  If lecturers or presenters wanted words, they wrote them on a black or chalkboard, flip chart, and in some cases, a white board.

Many use PowerPoint as a word processor and simply project documents onto a screen, overloaded with content and graphs/ tables that are so small as to be readable.  Designed as a presentation tool to emulate this older technology, PowerPoint was never meant to be a word processor.  We have Word for that.  

So, when used effectively, PowerPoint is a powerful presentation tool.  If you want to use powerpoint effectively, here are 3 things to consider:

1. Keep it simple - no more than 5 points per slide, with no more than 4 words per point.
2. Use a picture - worth 1000 words. Pictures can evoke great meaning, emotion, or feeling.
3. Speak to your audience, not your slides - direct your attention to the audience, using the slides to support your ideas.