Why Bullet Points Don’t Work in Presentations (And What to Use)

PowerPoint was released in 1987, and with it came 37 years of bullet points. That’s more than long enough. Over the decades, bullet points have dominated presentations to the point that we often don’t consider using anything else when we’re crafting slides. But despite having more tools and understanding what really engages an audience, we still cling to the bland and boring bullet point.

Why Bullets Are Boring And Should Be Banished

Bullets are overused and predictable

Audiences have seen countless bullet-point presentations, making them feel repetitive and uninspired. Using the same format over and over numbs the audience and reduces their interest in your content, even before they hear the first word.

They replace stories with lists

Bullets are great for listing facts, but they strip away the narrative flow that makes a story compelling. Presentations should tell a story, engage emotions, and take the audience on a journey. Bullet points often present fragmented information, making it harder to tell a cohesive, compelling, and memorable story. Bullets:

Make your presentation visually unappealing

Plain lists lack the creativity and design needed to capture attention, especially in today’s visually-driven world. Audiences want to be intrigued and inspired by what they see, not confronted with endless rows of text that feel like a Word document or an email.

Encourage information overload

When you use bullets, it’s easy to cram too much information on one slide. A bulleted list of five or more points often leads to audience overwhelm, with people tuning out because they can’t process the barrage of information.

Minimize audience engagement

When slides are filled with bullet points, the audience is forced into passive consumption. They read the points, and then listen to the presenter explain them—there’s little room for active participation, discussion, or interaction.

Are easy to forget

Brain science tells us that people remember stories and visuals far more than lists. Bullet points reduce the likelihood of your audience retaining your key messages. When your goal is to make a lasting impression, bullets just won’t cut it.

Turn presenters into narrators

Too often, when presenters rely on bullet points, they default to reading off the slides. This reduces the personal connection with the audience, making the presentation feel more like a dull lecture than an engaging conversation.

Lack emotional impact

Bullets are factual and concise, but they rarely have the emotional resonance needed to engage an audience on a deeper level. Without that emotional connection, your message might land—but it won’t stick.

Dilute energy and dynamism

Bullet-point presentations often feel static and monotonous. Without dynamic visuals, movement, or variation, the presentation loses energy, making it hard to keep your audience’s attention.

Frustrate virtual audiences

With so many meetings and presentations delivered online, the typical bullet-point slide becomes even harder to follow. On small screens, bullets are tough to read and don’t translate well in a virtual environment where engagement is already harder to maintain.

Retire The Bullet To Inspire Your Audience

Now that most presentations are delivered online, bullet points are long past their use-by date. If you want to stand out, it’s time to ditch the old bullet-heavy approach and embrace more dynamic, visually appealing presentations. When you do, you send a signal to your audience that this is something different and worth their attention. To make your presentation truly compelling and memorable, here’s how to structure it:

Identify the three key messages you want to convey

Focus on clarity. What are the three things you want your audience to walk away with? Prioritizing three key points allows you to build around clear, focused ideas rather than overwhelming the audience with lists.

Create an outline

Yes, you can use bullets to create your outline (because no one will see this part but you!). Plan your flow, but don’t stop there—expand beyond the bullets and think about how to present the information in an engaging way.

Tell stories

Stories engage emotions, create a connection, and make information more relatable and memorable. Rather than listing facts, bring them to life with stories that resonate with your audience’s experiences or aspirations.

Use multimedia

Images, videos, illustrations, animated gifs, and sound effects can help emphasize your message in a dynamic way. These non-text-based elements make your presentation more visually appealing and engaging. Just stick to a consistent style for all your media so your presentation doesn’t feel disjointed or chaotic.

Add interaction

Create opportunities for your audience to engage. Use polls, word clouds, provocative questions, or activities to bring them into the presentation rather than making them passive observers.

Ditching the bullet point may seem radical, but it’s a move that will make your presentations more dynamic, engaging, and memorable and in the process it will help you stand out and bolster your personal brand. And if you’re a big fan of bullets, don’t worry, you can still use them in your documents and emails. Just keep them out of your presentations.

William Arruda is personal branding pioneer, keynote speaker, and expert in virtual communication. Watch his free recorded webinar to learn how to transform your online meetings and presentations into powerful, engaging experiences.