Today I read an article/editorial in an internal newsletter that defended PPT as the tool of choice for consultants. At first I was excited to read the article – not because I agree, but because I was excited about the original and unique logic that surely would support such a contrarian point of view suggested in the title and first few lines of the article.
I was disappointed. Since this post is “external” and the original article was “internal” I can’t link to it. Nor can I paste portions of it. I will do my best to honestly and without (too much) bias, present the arguments. The argument was 2 pronged: 1) PPT is a useful analytical tool or a brainstorming device. Essentially, that PPT has entrenched itself so much into the process consulting as the de facto mode to present ideas, conclusions, arguments, pro’s / con’s, other information – that it is the very tool (or “a”) by which analytics are conducted. The claim was made that were you to remove PPT from the process of thinking, you would eliminate thinking all together. 2) PPT acts as a useful structuring mechanism in the sales cycle. PPT serves as a foundation for meetings, follow ups, introduces the vendor/provider/product/solution, etc.
So – for 1) I find this to be a mentally weak argument. If PPT is our thinking or logic process – or even is (as argued) it IS our thinking….we might all be in trouble. That’s simply pinning too much onto one tool. And that’s the point. PPT is but a tool. I concede that the exercise of being forced to think about what to put down on paper is useful in structuring ones thoughts. So are white boards. Even moreso for blogs (as the blogger or the commenter). Same for a wiki. Heck, word documents accomplish this too. So does the formula bar in Excel. My real problem with this line of thinking is that it advocates brainstorming in a silo and further pushes “thought leadership” into rabbit holes. At the bare minimum advocate for Google docs (or similar) over PPT if you’re to make this argument. And, for #2) I simply feel this is stating the obvious….and then magnifying the importance of the claim. PPT is a [sales] presentation tool. I think everyone knows that. Stating that PPT is a presentation tool is not an argument – it’s simply a fact that no one really disputes. That is is an effective sales presentation tool is disputed by many. That is should be the only sales tool or that it should provide the very structure around which a client engagement or relationship lifecycle is built is preposterous. We ought to be bringing more to the table than that. We don’t need PPT as an excuse to engage a client – we need acknowledgement and demonstrated understanding of the client issues; we need points of view and thought leadership; we need viable and cost effective solutions. From time to time, those all might be presented to the client in PPT – many other times we will convey understanding of a client issue in a verbal conversation, or in action not words; our POV can be in white paper or research publication or a blog entry or a wiki or a podcast or….; and our solutions can be outlined in models, charts, graphs, demonstrations as well or better than in PPT.
