Do Speakers Need to Use Slides?

When was the last time that you saw someone give a presentation or talk without slides? I’ll bet that you’ll have to think about that one.

While extremely common these days, slides are certainly not a requirement to give any talk—even an effective one. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The origins of PowerPoint date back to 1984, and many engaging talks took place prior to that. In a low-tech environment like a coffee shop, you might not even have access to a projector, screen, proper A/V system, and the like.