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How to make your point without PowerPoint: 50 ways to present effectively
The art of presenting needs a serious shake-up. Presenters are constantly on the lookout for fresh ideas to get their message across, but mistakenly believe PowerPoint is the right medium to do so. This often results in uninspiring presentations consisting of countless lackluster slides which their audience are forced to sit through - sometimes at the expense of their own sanity. In How to Make Your Point Without PowerPoint, renowned public speaker Douglas Kruger aims to end the tedium of the PowerPoint medium. He offers 50 practical suggestions to enhance your presentation skills - including the kinds of formats you can use, different methods of delivery and some alternative visuals - so you and your team can trade in the slides and get brainstorming. This book proves that it is possible to do an excellent job, even a superior one, without slides, by learning to truly engage and persuade. In this way, you will stand out every time and, as the presenter, have an entertaining time of it!
169 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2016
5 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Kruger
24 books45 followersDouglas Kruger is an award-winning speaker, and the author of over 16 books, by four publishers, on three continents. His titles cover such topics as wealth, leadership and philosophy. In 2022, he became a novelist with the publication of his debut story, 'The Man Who Never Was.' This was quickly followed up by 'CharacterScan,' and 'House of the Judas Goat.'
Born in South Africa in 1980, he now speaks around the world. In 2016, in honour of excellence on the stage, he was inducted into the 'Speakers Hall of Fame' by his local professional body.
Douglas is a member of Mensa - the High-IQ Society - and holds a degree in Philosophy. His favourite authors include JRR Tolkien, James A Michener, Dean Koontz, Roger Scruton, Thomas Sowell, Frank Peretti, and Orson Scott Card.
Born in South Africa in 1980, he now speaks around the world. In 2016, in honour of excellence on the stage, he was inducted into the 'Speakers Hall of Fame' by his local professional body.
Douglas is a member of Mensa - the High-IQ Society - and holds a degree in Philosophy. His favourite authors include JRR Tolkien, James A Michener, Dean Koontz, Roger Scruton, Thomas Sowell, Frank Peretti, and Orson Scott Card.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 21, 2025
Shockingly interesting. Extremely applicable.
September 13, 2020
Douglas Kruger’s How to Make Your Point Without PowerPoint was so insightful that I read it twice. Once, to get a sense of the author’s philosophies and to make the most of his theatrical lyrical style. And the second time, to take some notes.
The book – Kruger’s sixth in 11 years – is full of nuggets like this: “One of PowerPoint's great downfalls is that, no matter how well you use its myriad neat tricks, everyone else is using it too. And so even the most trained and effective PowerPoint devotees are merely marginally more developed sheep.”
I’m a sheep. You’re a sheep. We’re sheep. Agreed. PowerPoint sucks. It makes people (both audiences and presenters) want to kill themselves with a sharpened pencil. We all know this. And yet we use it anyway. Because: what else is out there?
Well, says Kruger, there are different, alternative methods of delivery. Props. Video. Music. Sound. Live voice. Choreography. Drama. Games. Rewards. Even breakage.
There are also many tricks of the professional presenter’s trade, like (and I’ve tried all four of these myself, so I know that they work) ‘One Strong Message Only’, ‘ Three Key Points Only’, ‘Story-Telling’, and ‘a Problem-Solution Structure’.
To illustrate, here’s my paraphrasing of Kruger on a problem-solution structure:
Sell the problem.
Whenever you speak, you’re trying to sell a solution (or idea or concept or notion). There’s always a point. There’s always a purpose. You just need to emotionalise the problem before you can properly ‘sell’ the solution.
For example: If you’re a financial planner, don’t tell your audience how to manage their money. Rather create an emotional picture of what it looks like when it all goes wrong. Get them emotionally invested in the gravity of the problem.
Here’s the formula: CONTEXTUALISE. EMOTIONALISE. SELL. And the next time you present an idea, don’t start with the idea. Start with the pain. Sell the problem effectively and make the listener crave your solution.
How does Kruger know all this stuff? He’s an expert. A five-time South African public speaking champion, a creator of 150+ articles and a full-time professional speaker who’s known for his ability to engage and persuade, lead and sell, explain and excite.
Kruger is also a master at the localised example, and his little book is full of relevant anecdotes based on his experience consulting to real South African companies.
Now, Kruger accepts that some readers will continue to use PowerPoint. The powers-that-be might require it, for instance. But even those poor souls are not cast into the cold, because How to Make Your Point has four chapters of tips for that (dire) scenario: ‘How to Use It Well If You Must, ‘Designing Slides According to a Hierarchy’, ‘Slides Should Be the Itch, Not the Scratch’ and ‘Using Visual Metaphors’.
Bottom line? If you use PowerPoint (and you want to stop, or at the very least stop torturing your poor audience), you need to read this book. Get it. Read it as soon as you can. And re-think the way you present. The only alternative? Death.
The book – Kruger’s sixth in 11 years – is full of nuggets like this: “One of PowerPoint's great downfalls is that, no matter how well you use its myriad neat tricks, everyone else is using it too. And so even the most trained and effective PowerPoint devotees are merely marginally more developed sheep.”
I’m a sheep. You’re a sheep. We’re sheep. Agreed. PowerPoint sucks. It makes people (both audiences and presenters) want to kill themselves with a sharpened pencil. We all know this. And yet we use it anyway. Because: what else is out there?
Well, says Kruger, there are different, alternative methods of delivery. Props. Video. Music. Sound. Live voice. Choreography. Drama. Games. Rewards. Even breakage.
There are also many tricks of the professional presenter’s trade, like (and I’ve tried all four of these myself, so I know that they work) ‘One Strong Message Only’, ‘ Three Key Points Only’, ‘Story-Telling’, and ‘a Problem-Solution Structure’.
To illustrate, here’s my paraphrasing of Kruger on a problem-solution structure:
Sell the problem.
Whenever you speak, you’re trying to sell a solution (or idea or concept or notion). There’s always a point. There’s always a purpose. You just need to emotionalise the problem before you can properly ‘sell’ the solution.
For example: If you’re a financial planner, don’t tell your audience how to manage their money. Rather create an emotional picture of what it looks like when it all goes wrong. Get them emotionally invested in the gravity of the problem.
Here’s the formula: CONTEXTUALISE. EMOTIONALISE. SELL. And the next time you present an idea, don’t start with the idea. Start with the pain. Sell the problem effectively and make the listener crave your solution.
How does Kruger know all this stuff? He’s an expert. A five-time South African public speaking champion, a creator of 150+ articles and a full-time professional speaker who’s known for his ability to engage and persuade, lead and sell, explain and excite.
Kruger is also a master at the localised example, and his little book is full of relevant anecdotes based on his experience consulting to real South African companies.
Now, Kruger accepts that some readers will continue to use PowerPoint. The powers-that-be might require it, for instance. But even those poor souls are not cast into the cold, because How to Make Your Point has four chapters of tips for that (dire) scenario: ‘How to Use It Well If You Must, ‘Designing Slides According to a Hierarchy’, ‘Slides Should Be the Itch, Not the Scratch’ and ‘Using Visual Metaphors’.
Bottom line? If you use PowerPoint (and you want to stop, or at the very least stop torturing your poor audience), you need to read this book. Get it. Read it as soon as you can. And re-think the way you present. The only alternative? Death.
July 4, 2017
A few months ago I received an invitation to debut my 'Age of the Authorpreneur' talk at the inaugural Johannesburg Design Week's 'Authors' Day'. I was to be sharing the stage with three other authors, all traditionally published heavyweights, each with a few titles under the belt. The one I was most intimidated by was Douglas Kruger. Not only is he a business author, he is also an award-winning professional speaker. This is what he does for a LIVING. As expected, he delivered *the* most phenomenal speech - one of the most engaging and inspiring I have ever seen - but I was pleasantly surprised to discover he's also a really, really nice guy. After lunch we exchanged paperbacks (as authors often do). He had a serious collection of titles from which to choose, but this was the one that really piqued my interest. And it did not disappoint. In fact, it surpassed all my expectations! Douglas can speak, sure. But he can also WRITE. Carefully curated in witty, accessible prose, jam-packed with practical industry advice, and liberally peppered with behind-the-scenes anecdotes from his speaking career (which dates back to 2004), this is both textbook and memoir. Textmoir? A veritable smörgåsbord of insider tips and tricks on how to prep and present like a consummate pro. I cannot wait to start applying what I've learnt to my own presentations, and I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone who is keen on taking their speaking career to the next level. Bravo, Douglas!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews