It has many times been said that Powerpoint is the most abused PC application of all time. We have all had the experience of watching bad Powerpoint presentations and feeling pretty abused ourselves! Sales presentations which insult our intelligence or which try to disguise a lack of clear thought with nifty powerpoint design are just plain irritating. We’ve all been on the wrong end of inadequate presentations so why do so many of us still get Powerpoint so wrong?

One of the problems is that the Powerpoint software itself is not difficult to figure out, even without any training, and it’s very tempting, especially if we find our own content uninspiring after over-exposure to it, to play about with fun graphics and special effects. Suddenly you realise you’ve wasted hours of time that could have been spent on clarifying the message behind the presentation.

The other key pitfall is to start crafting your presentation with the Powerpoint software already open. Powerpoint does not however do the thinking for you! Many messages that need to be delivered are not entirely linear or are not easily divided down into neat bullet points. Far more profitable to spend some time, either with old-fashioned pen and paper or with another application working out what exactly it is you need to communicate. If you need a deadline in order to perform then leave the Powerpoint till later in the process so that you are less prone to getting distracted with all the bells and whistles!

On the other hand, there are times when you need to create a big impact or convey high-level information, such as for a sales pitch to an important new client, and that’s when it may make sense to bring in a specialist. The advantage of calling in outside help is that your message is not familiar to them so they will be excellent judges as to whether your overall presentation is clear to an outside audience or not. A good company can offer a bespoke service, giving advice on every stage of the process from honing the central message to creating slides that add to rather than detract from your message. Some can also coach you on your presentation style, giving you the confidence to really shine at your next pitch.

Excellent Powerpoint presentations ultimately depend on making a connection with people. Ultimately, giving sales presentations still involves public speaking which is, for most of us, a learned skill. It’s easy to endeavour to deflect attention with the powerpoint design but it’s an approach that can backfire spectacularly in terms of ultimate impact. If your next presentation is a major one, could it be time to call in the experts?

Please visit http://www.eyefulpresentations.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

http://www.eyefulpresentations.co.uk/

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