Way too many new business pitches have slide after slide, all filled with multiple bullet points and long complete sentences.

And that’s a problem. Because the “trap” is you have to read every word on the screen. If you don’t, the audience will . . . and in doing so will disconnect from what you’re saying and become confused.

Plus reading something that's on a screen makes the presenter look incompetent since they appear to need the “crutch” of having their “script” put up on the screen.

The very best new business presentations are more like plays (and, FYI, Broadway actors don’t usually use PowerPoint). Just once, try presenting your ideas without any words on the screen at all (and if that’s too frightening, then use this rule: never more than 8 words on the screen at one time . . . it'll help make every presenter a more compelling actor.)”

From Robb High’s New Business Boot Camp 3.0.