Powerful PowerPoint’s for perfect presentations

BY TAIWO AKINSEYE

For the kicks, try saying the topic 5 times without blabbing!
Against your initial instincts telling you I am about to teach you how to design a PowerPoint presentation, I am actually more concerned with how one structures the content of a presentation. My choice of the word “PowerPoint” as against several other presentation tools is for two basic reasons.

1. Let’s face it, not everyone is familiar with other presentation tools plus this comes free on some computers
2. It makes for an excellent tongue twister.

As an Entrepreneur, I have sat through several presentations and I have also presented ideas to groups of potential customers. I must say, for me, it is the scariest thing. If I had a choice, I would rather dance naked in a zoo beside the lions and the chimps than face a crowd of ten, explaining with projectors and images why I should collect their money (You would think an IT professional should feel at home with PowerPoint presenting, and you would be so wrong). However, we must admit that the invention of presentation tools have actually saved us a lot of trouble. Some centuries ago, a business
man would have had to draw on stone walls with rocks like the Egyptians to illustrate ideas or stories, but technology (Bless her soul) has made it easy for him now to explain ideas, information and concepts using slideshows and interesting graphic designs. In other words, presentation tools should make our explaining easier and sealing the deal more effective. The question then remains; why are small business people still finding it difficult to seal lucrative deals after several hours of presenting slideshows with amazing graphics, speaking eloquently and smiling from cheek to cheek?

My dear friends, it’s simple and I shall summarise it in one word. CONTENT!!!
A lot of small business people spend days designing the presentation slide then more days filling it with the description of the concept they are selling not taking into consideration what the audience is actually expecting. To place it in context, imagine a fashion designer presenting an idea for a fashion show to investors. Her slides are filled with what the show is all about. Fashion outfits for the mature minds, trendy but comfortable, colours of nature and what have you. But after her presentation, investors begin to ask questions like, what venue will you use? Where will you sort for models from? Who are your target audience? What is in it for us at the end of the show? In other words, our lady has successfully left her audience with more questions than an understanding of her concept.

The measure of a poor presentation is when your audience spend a major part of the meeting clarifying issues and asking questions than sealing the deal. The goal is to end your presentation and have your clients say “so how do we pay?” or “what’s the next step to bringing all this to life?” if after your first presentation clients still feel the need to be further convinced, my friend, you are an amateur.

All hopes are not lost; I have been guilty several times. The trick is, while preparing your content, your building block should be FAQ (Frequently asked questions). Structure your presentation to focus more on answering possible questions that clients may raise than on describing the product. If you have a total of 5 slides, use 3 to answer possible questions, fears, doubts and complexities, while 2 slides may be dedicated to introducing and describing the product/ idea/ concept. Above all, find a proper balance that suits your cause. There are no hard or fast rules but remember to focus more on FAQ’s than description.
Try this recipe the next time you have a presentation and see how it works.
Till we meet again…
Tiwex.