Hillary Clinton Stripped Down (to her words)

You've heard us rant before about how much we detest modern presenter's misuse of and dependence upon PowerPoint slides at live events.  This week, we were treated to an amazing display of oratory power by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as she addressed the masses from Geneva in recognistion of International Human Rights Day.  This speech, lauded my many (including us) as a historic shift in the cultural landscape served as another reminder of the power of intense, well crafted oratory.

Secretary Clinton's speech is only the most recent example of a political leader offering a face-to-face presentation in which they are able to educate, motivate, stimulate, and march into the annals of history by virtue of nothing more than their voice and their ideas.  Consider some of the most famous orators to have taken the lectern - Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, John Kennedy, FDR... the list goes on and on... and none of these speakers utilized slides in the presentation of their remarks. 

So what would some of these famed speakers have used for slides, had they been speaking in a hotel ballroom to a mass of gathered salespeople?  Would the slides be considered supportive then?  Let's play pretend...

Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream Speech":

John Kennedy's "The Decision to Go To The Moon":

Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address":

You get the point - PowerPoint slides would only have hurt Ghandi's "Quit India", Patrick Henry's "Give Me Liberty..."  or The Sermon on the Mount.  In fact, they would have detracted listeners from the passion and eloquence of the speaker.  The purpose of a face-to-face address is to allow people to engage with your ideas.  Do think these slides help achieve that goal?  Absolutely not.  When people are focused on your bad slides, they aren't focused on YOU or your ideas.  If you want to make handouts, knock yourself out.  No need to show up.  If you really want to convey a message, go minimal.  Strip away the excess, and let your words depict the complexity and intricacy of your thoughts.  

Want to share with us a slide or two from other famous speeches?  Tweet them to us @i_m_creative - We'll post the best here in a follow-up.