ProPoint Blog

The start of a new year brings about excitement for fresh ideas and new opportunities. Salespeople are eager for promising new prospects, innovative marketing plans are embarked upon, and optimism for success is high among managers. But when it comes to presenting, all too often presenters simply recycle their existing presentations for yet another year.

The reason why so much enthusiasm is concentrated during this time of year is because we feel a sense of renewal, to do things differently, and ideally, do them better. Your presentation plays an important role in achieving your business goals – whether it’s winning sales pitches, obtaining investor funding, or gaining buy-in from management. Don’t just dust off the old corporate presentation and change the date on the cover to make it your “new” presentation. Instead, evaluate your presentation — from content to design to delivery – in order to optimize its effectiveness and enhance its relevancy.

Content: Like you and your company, your prospects and clients are also kicking off the New Year adjusting to change and testing new approaches. These changes may be a result of a shift in their internal processes or they may be due to external factors that have created a different competitive landscape and new problems to overcome. Your content should address

Type of Project: Custom PowerPoint Template and Slide Design

Industry: Technology

Problem: While preparing for a meeting with a prospect that had the potential to be a large customer, the client recognized that the standard presentation would not be enough to impress his audience and reflect his position as an industry leader. The client needed a visually inspiring, yet professional, presentation that would enthrall the audience.

Solution: Our designers started by creating a dynamic PowerPoint template that reinforced the client’s level of professionalism while reflecting the brand. The design of this template was then applied throughout the content slides, invoking the brand’s contemporary and cutting-edge personality. Additionally, our presentation consultants provided editorial services to advise possible content improvement for clearer messaging. The client was very happy with the results, and was proud to present such an impressive deck. Moreover, the client won over the customer. The established template for the sales presentation was later applied to the client’s other corporate decks to ensure consistency across all of the client’s presentations.

Happy New Year, Presenters!

It’s a time for fresh starts and new beginnings. While eating healthy and reading more are all great New Year’s resolutions, we like to think about something a little different – making the most of your business presentations.

Looking back at the performance of your business presentations in 2011, most likely you will recall some areas that could stand for a little re-work.

Here are a few resolutions you may want to consider for your business presentations:

• Rejuvenate your stale content with more up-to-date and relevant messaging.

• Command your audience’s attention with stunning visuals that reinforce your message.

• Stand out from the crowd at the annual tradeshow with a motion graphics video playing at your booth to capture attention and quickly communicate information about your company.

• Wow your audiences with an exciting new medium for your message, such as a Dynamic PDF, Prezi or interactive video.

Whether you need a quick update or a complete overhaul, resolve to improve the presentations you will be using this year. Make them more dynamic, impactful and memorable.

Wishing you success in 2012!