There are two big mistakes people make with PowerPoint: 1) They make the slides the star; 2) They have boring, unreadable slides.

Most of the advice for improving PP presentations focuses on the second item. But I think the first is much more important.

Here’s the classic example of making the slides the star, and I’m guessing you’ve seen this too. The screen is front and center, the lights are dimmed (so people can see the screen), and the presenter is off to the side at a podium, reading their notes—which happen to be the same, word for word, as what’s on the screen.

Friends, that’s not a presentation. That’s torture. And in large part because there’s absolutely no personal connection with the speaker.

Think about this for a moment. I was at the National Speakers Association’s national convention last Summer. This is an organization made up of the most professional, experienced, and successful speakers in the world. In other words, it’s a group that knows how to connect with an audience! And you know what? In not one of the general sessions did I see a single slide. Not one. There’s a lesson there for all of us.

Being effective with your audience is about connecting with them. And that’s not about slides, it’s about you. People relate to people. Your best tools for connecting are your voice, your body, your stories, and your expertise.

The message is, if you want to improve your presentations, focus on you first and your slides second. Here’s how.

First, as you plan your talk, write the first draft as if there won’t be any slides at all. Just think about what you want to say. Or better yet, what your audience needs to hear. Come up with a good story to open with, and a closing that summarizes your points and sends people off on a positive note. Then, once you have your comments in place, NOW you can start to add in slides, but only to reinforce the points you’re making. Here’s an example:

You: “Today I want to talk to you about three things.”
Slide: 3 Things

You: “The good”
Slide: (Under 3 Things, first bullet appears) The Good

You: “The Bad”
Slide: (Second bullet) The Bad

You: “The Ugly”
Slide: (Text fades to single image) Photo of you in a truly awful sweater.

See? Single words. Large type. No more than four lines of text. Single images. Sparse. Simple. Supporting. This way, you’re the contact, you’re the leader of the discussion, and the slides support you, not the other way around.

That doesn’t mean, however, that I don’t still get nervous beforehand, because I definitely do. Here’s a tip I use that helps: “Be the Host.”

Before my presentation begins, I look out at the audience and imagine I’m hosting a dinner party, and they’re my guests. So, I don’t see them as strangers, wondering who I am (and who I think I am to be coming in here telling them anything), but as my friends, who are genuinely interested in what I have to say. They’re not sitting in judgement of me, demanding I earn their respect or be quickly dismissed. They know and like me already, and are looking forward to spending some time together. Best of all, I’m not frightened at the thought of going out there and making a fool of myself. I’ve planned things out, I’m feeling good about what I’ve prepared, and I’m genuinely looking forward to sharing it with them and making sure they enjoy themselves. And you know what? They are going to enjoy themselves—and I am too.

This might seem silly, but it works for me. No, it doesn’t get rid of all my nerves, but it does help quite a bit.

One of the problems with stage fright is that it gets us thinking only about ourselves—Are they going to be able to see me shaking? Will I remember my script, or even my own name, for that matter? Will I ever live this down?—when what we really need for an effective presentation is to be thinking about the audience—How can I help them? What do they need to know from me? How can I make sure the material is clear and resonates with them?

That’s the beauty of the “host” technique: It lowers my fear levels, boosts my confidence, and gets me back to a place where I’m actually looking forward to the presentation. Most important, it gets my focus off of myself and back on the audience where it belongs.

If you’re someone who dreads giving presentations, next time try the “Be the Host” technique. And, if hosting a party isn’t the image that works for you, I’m sure you can think of one that does. Whatever you choose, try it out next time and let me know how it helps. Who knows? Maybe you’ll start loving giving presentations too!