Earlier on our blog, we featured the four keys to a great presentation. These four elements are Content, Design, Structure and Delivery. Today we’re going to highlight the important aspects of the delivery and ultimately how to make a presentation great.
We have been building and delivering presentations at CustomShow for over a decade and at Sales Graphics for 40 years before that, so we’ve seen our share of presentations. Over the years it’s become clear what works – and what doesn’t. So here are several keys of delivery that we have observed over the years.
The Right Delivery: It Doesn’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing.
- Even if you nail the content, design and structure, it doesn’t mean a thing if no one sees it. Presentations (no matter whether it is about marketing or guiding what is a witness signature?) aren’t merely documents or files; they are a dynamic experience shared between a presenter and their audience. A great presentation is only as good as the
- delivery – both by the presenter and by the presentation technology they use. Whether presenting in a boardroom, off an iPad, over the Web or as a print-out, the right delivery can make all the difference between a great presentation, a missed opportunity or a presentation disaster. All the other elements don’t matter if the delivery just doesn’t work.
- Delivery refers to both how the Presenter delivers the presentation and what platform the presentation is delivered on. Presentation skills are necessary for anyone who plans on making a living from presentations or whose business depends on giving effective presentations. For example, if you start selling through Amazon, you can present the new products or changes in your existing products in an engaging way. We’ve worked with a wide range of presentation coaches and read a lot on the subject, and taking the time to find out more about your own presentation skills and how they can be improved will always return results.
- Just as important as the Presenter’s skills is the platform and technology used to deliver your presentation. The tool you use to deliver your presentation is one of the most overlooked elements of a presentation. Just as your content, design and structure need to match the situation and audience, how you deliver your presentation matters. Whether you’re presenting about eCommerce platforms, B2B industries, or SaaS products, the way you deliver also matters a lot. Presenting to a boardroom full of senior executives may require a different tool than a one-on-one presentation over lunch. Webinars or conference calls call for a different type of technology as well. Often people pick the presentation tool that they’re most familiar with or just happen to be there (aka PowerPoint), and don’t think about what the specific delivery needs are.
- PowerPoint used to be the only option – whether you were handing out print-outs, presenting on a projector or emailing someone a follow-up that’s what you would use. Today there is an explosion of presentation tools targeted to specific audiences and platforms. In fact, we compiled a list of 24 PowerPoint alternatives. Which one is right for you depends on your content, your design and your audience. For businesses that rely on presentations to close business, we think it’s important to find a platform that supports both a wide range of content and design options as well as a wide range of structure and delivery options. iPad-only presentation apps are great for that particular audience but can’t be repurposed or extended to other situations. The same goes for desktop software that requires a laptop and can’t be collaborative or shared over the Web.
In closing, understanding how you need to deliver your presentations across your organization and then choosing a platform that supports those delivery options can be the difference between just an assortment of documents, data and design versus a library of GREAT presentations.
Check out all four keys here and if you’re interested in learning more about CustomShow schedule a free demo today.
Every good presentation is a good presentation builder that fit the intricacies and identity of your organization. At CustomShow, we believe our presentation software can do just that.