The purpose of sales presentations is to win bids, and PowerPoint design is nowadays key to this aim. The problem is that PowerPoint presentations are a double-edged sword as far as most businesses are concerned. In the minority of cases they are carried out highly effectively. Unfortunately, this is by no means the rule. In most instances PowerPoint slideshows are deficiently constructed, with little thought for the way that the intended audience might engage with information, or for the narrative of the series of slides as a whole.
The effect of this oversight is to put off whole audiences from the pitch you are making. People tend to think that PowerPoint shows will reinforce what they are saying: if someone isn’t listening properly then they might take in the same information if it is presented on-screen. This is not so. The two media complement each other. This means that if you duplicate everything (often word-for-word – a classic mistake) you only detract from the message, since this decreases attention and distracts from the message. A little presentation training can teach effective design, which reflects PowerPoint’s unique capabilities and treats its contribution as very different from the spoken word.
Simply, people don’t take in information in the same way. Some are more aural, liking spoken presentations. Others prefer visual input. Catering to both types allows you to multiply your effect. Additionally, there are things it’s almost impossible to show verbally. But a chart or graph can convey complex data quickly and simply, meaning your don’t have to try to describe it yourself.
Effective PowerPoint design is not as simple and intuitive as many people say; the ease with which the software can be used is deceptive. PowerPoint presentations don’t need to be the preserve of experts, but all too often it’s only too clear that sales presentations have been put together by amateurs. It doesn’t matter how competent they are in their area of expertise, or how important in the organisation. Communication is a specific skill, and communicating by PowerPoint is an even more specific one. Anyone can write, but organisations hire copywriters to provide compelling words; anyone can add up, but you hire accountants and book-keepers to manage your budget. The same is true with PowerPoint: it’s not something you can leave to chance, and the rewards of a decent pitch are considerable.
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