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Displaying Slide Presentations Using Large Screens

Big events like trade shows, conferences, and seminars are intimidating at first for many different reasons. After all, hundreds, if not thousands, of people could be listening to what you have say, meaning your audience could come from different industries across the globe just to hear your insights.

However, the opportunities you could gain from a public speaking event far outweigh the risks involved. If you’re going to present and showcase your brand to a multitude of participants, you might need more than a small screen or a projection. You’ll be needing a big screen so that large audiences can see your visuals from across a huge venue.

As discussed in a previous post, crossing the projector’s beam is one of the biggest no-nos in presentations. It can block your audience’s view of your own deck, distracting them in the process. However, if you are using a large screen behind you instead, you won’t have to avoid projections to your front, freeing you up for more nonverbal communication.

So how do we maximize slide presentations with a large screen?

Presenting with Large Screens

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Reading off projected slides is a normal experience for a smaller audience, but big events might push you towards huge screens because you have several more eyes on you. Sometimes the venue will be so large that people might not even see you since they are seated so far from where you’ll be standing. What should you do in cases like this? It might sound like you shouldn’t do anything different, but you need to utilize the space much more wisely this time around.

Here are three things to consider when presenting in front of a large crowd:

1. Having the Right Positioning

Displaying Slide Presentations Using Large Screens: Bar graph

Speaking in a large venue with hundreds of people is no joke. That’s why you often have to mind where you stand to avoid obstructing anyone’s view. However, if you’re working with large screens—like LED screens—ignoring this rule can sometimes be forgivable because of the difference between a projected screen and an LED screen.

Since the light comes from the screen, rather than being projected onto the screen, you can walk across the screen with less distraction. You’ll simply block small parts of the screen, which is better than having facts and figures covering your entire body. With nothing being projected on you, you won’t look like a hiding chameleon, even at center stage, giving you more leeway to engage and interact with your audience.

2. Maximizing Your Equipment

Displaying Slide Presentations Using Large Screens: Pie Graph

If you won’t be playing videos onscreen, having even a simple visual aid is necessary for retaining attention. After all, audio-visual presentations improve your chances of reaching out to your potential clients. At their best, you can engage and persuade them with what you can offer.

Large venues where cameras are placed in different locations can even enable people to watch you from different angles. That might mean they would be looking at the screens rather than on you, especially if you look too tiny from their vantage point. Take advantage of the extra exposure by maximizing body movements to draw audiences’ attention to you. Getting the best out of your available tools equally brings the best out of how you communicate your message.

3. Handling Your Fear

Slide Presentations Using Large Screens: Bar GraphPresenting to a huge crowd may be overwhelming, but doing it with a gigantic LED screen behind you presents extra challenges. For instance, the smallest errors that usually go unnoticed on a normal-sized screen could get blown up and more obvious for people to see on a large screen. These kinds of mistakes could include a typo or even an element in your presentation that was nudged a few pixels off from its intended position. Despite this possibility, don’t let the extra pressure scare you away from making a good impression.

What is the best way to overcome this extra anxiety? Push fear aside with preparation and use large screens to your advantage. Double check your slides before you present to reduce tension and to assure yourself that your deck is error-free. With enough confidence, you can freely impart your message while boosting your credibility and professionalism. A calm and measured performance tells people that you’re knowledgeable and prepared, and in case you do miss a tiny error in your deck, your confidence can help make up for it, putting people’s focus on you rather than on any unpolished bits of your presentation.

Go Big or Go Bigger

Displaying Slide Presentations Using Large Screens : THE END

If you’ve found yourself about to present in a place with screens much larger than those that you’re used to, don’t be discouraged. Instead, think of it as a huge opportunity whenever you find yourself in a large venue. Make your pitch work with the proper positioning, effective use of equipment, and a poised performance. Here are a few reminders on how to maximize the use of large screens for your next pitch:

First, avoid disappointing your audience with a lack of preparedness. Try not to let your audience catch on if you are feeling overwhelmed by the vastness of the screen you’ve been equipped with. Even if you may feel small onstage, with a sea of eyes watching your every move, don’t forget to focus on your speech to ground yourself back to reality. A big screen is indeed overwhelming, but conquering your anxiety helps you present with credibility. That’s why you should always rehearse and double check your slides to control your nerves and feel comfortable with your visuals.

A large screen doesn’t just showcase a well-designed deck, but it also convinces a greater number of viewers with more ease and impact. In addition, participating in huge events involves time, effort, and motivation. Don’t waste that chance to attract more clients while maximizing the large screen.

Our PowerPoint professionals can assist and offer you a free quote to produce well-crafted PowerPoint decks.

 

Reference

“Presenting to Large Groups and Conferences.” Skills You Need. n.d. www.skillsyouneed.com/present/presenting-to-large-groups.html

How to Handle 4 Different Personality Types of Customers

Every person has a distinct personality type and buying decision behavior. Cultural traditions, race, and social status influence an individual’s decisions and actions. This is why sales professionals need to understand these key factors to determine a strategy that best fits them.

While it’s possible to cater to different audiences, it’s essential to know their needs and preferences, buying behavior, and expectations.

Here are four different customer personality types essential for your sales success:

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1. The Analytical

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People with this personality look for facts and figures in a sales presentation. In a post written by HubSpot’s Leslie Ye, she explains that people with this personality type do advanced research on business contact before the initial interaction.

Analytics prefer to have more profound knowledge about the subject before getting convinced on a particular matter. They verify each piece of information and focus more on the brand’s features to ensure its quality and efficiency.

These customers use most of their logical thinking rather than their emotional side when making decisions.

How to handle:

Focus on providing information relevant to what your business can do for them. Use qualitative and statistical data that shows exact representations of facts to attract attention and stir interest. Since these people are information-oriented and have a keen eye for detail, you need to be specific and direct when delivering your pitch.

Expect questions and clarifications during the selling process. This indicates that they’re interested in knowing your business. Be patient because analytical customers are slow decision-makers.

2. The Amiable

Amiable Personality Type of Customers

The Amiable are respectful, friendly, and trustworthy. They’re good at listening to and forming relationships with others. Unlike analytical thinkers, amiable people care more about building rapport and establishing trust with other professionals.

They’re more interested in conducting business transactions with people who meet their buying expectations. Their decision relies on how the company values their interest in relationship-building.

How to handle:

Make yourself likable by creating a good impression and recognizing their presence. Asking questions that show your interest adds a personal touch to your pitch. This makes them feel valued, which nurtures your relationship with them. Provide relevant questions that allow them to share their personal experiences about a particular product. Address their needs based on answers to increase your chances of closing more sales.

You can also introduce some of your colleagues who can help and assist in their decision-making.

3. The Expressive

Expressive Personality Type of Customers

People with expressive personalities use most of their creative side to voice their opinions on a particular topic. They’d prefer to share their perspective when presented with facts rather than ask for additional information. However, they know how to show respect to others as much as they want them to be respected. Similar to those with an amiable personality, they give importance to relationships. They value the welfare of the people affected by their choices.

Unlike analytical and amiable customers, expressive individuals are fast decision makers.

How to handle:

Tell stories that are relevant to the topic and each concerned individual. You can also share your experiences to help them understand what’s being discussed. Focus on showing what your business can do for them while concentrating on a possible outcome they may encounter after the purchase. Connect with them and establish a deeper level of relationship by tapping into their emotions.

While facts and other data can help, these customers set their minds on making and fulfilling decisions that people will love.

4. The Driver

Driver Personality Type of Customers

People with this personality are primarily self-centered and opinionated. They find pleasure in manipulating a pitch that identifies them as reasonable and authoritative.

According to speaking expert Rick Segel, drivers expect each information to be delivered in the quickest way possible because they’re goal-oriented. They’re commanding in nature and motivated to achieve their objectives. They want immediate answers and solutions. They also value competence as much as they love expertise and preparation.

Similar to expressive customers, drivers are fast decision makers.

How to handle:

Get straight to the point when expounding on your pitch. Be direct without compromising the clarity and quality of your performance. Provide facts and evidence to help them quickly understand your message and make quick decisions. Mentioning irrelevant or unnecessary information will only waste both your time and effort. So be careful to give only what’s needed in a particular discussion.

Highlight how your business will enable them to reach their goals and let them stand out from the competition.

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The Takeaway: Be Flexible

4 Different Personality Types of Customers

One of the famous sayings from Gregory Titelman’s Random House Dictionary says: “Different strokes for different folks.” Knowing these personalities enables you to strategize more effectively to meet their needs and solve their problems.

These traits will help you identify what type of customers you’re interacting with. Whether they’re analytical, amiable, expressive, driver, or a mix of these personalities, make sure to craft a compelling pitch specifically catered to their preferences. This will also allow you to improve your strategy and prepare for your presentation’s success.

Let our team help and assist you with your presentation needs by giving you a free quote!

References

Leck, Lorna. “Different strokes for different folks.” Sales Activator. March 23, 2015. www.salesactivator.com/resources/blog/different-strokes-for-different-folks
Segel, Rick. “4 Types of Customers (and How to Sell to Each of Them).” Business Know-How. n.d. www.businessknowhow.com/marketing/personalities.htm
Ye, Leslie. “How to Sell to Different Personality Types.” HubSpot. April 15, 2015. blog.hubspot.com/marketing/sell-different-personality-types

Featured Image: “Diversity” by Angie Garrett on flickr.com

Choosing the Right Template for Your Presentation Type

Your PowerPoint is your presentation visual aid. That’s why it should reflect your character as an organization or individual, from the deck’s content all the way down to the design. However, some presenters tend to overlook this aspect of PowerPoint and craft a deck that doesn’t match the message they want to convey.

If you want slides that will win your audience over, it’s best to have customized PowerPoint templates created specifically for your brand. However, if you’re pressed for time and budget, using templates with premade layouts can still do the trick, but that doesn’t mean choosing a generic design, though.

Choose the right PowerPoint template for your pitch by keeping three things in mind:

Make It Memorable 

Compared to less strict occasions, presenting in a formal setup may call for a particular design. You’ll want to draw attention to your deck without being too loud or overly embellished. Experiment with various color schemes that will fit the essence of your pitch.

A combination of warm colors can attract your viewers’ gaze. On the other hand, cool colors will put them at ease. Although using these colors can evoke certain emotions in the viewer, the best way to get the audience to associate your brand with your deck is to use your company colors in your slides.

Select a template that already has your brand’s colors in it. If you can’t find one that exactly fits, you can change template colors without affecting the overall layout. PowerPoint provides an option under the Design tab that lets you do just that.

how to change color template in powerpoint

 

For Office 2013 users, simply click Colors under Variants group. A dropdown of various color combinations will appear. Change the template’s hues by clicking on the color scheme you want.

how to change powerpoint color scheme

Engage the Audience

The success of your pitch lies in your audience’s response. Choose a template that resonates with your prospects to generate positive reactions. For example, most people want a deck with prominent visuals instead of blocks of text. In that case, you’ll be inputting more pictures and visual representations of data. Refrain from using templates that have elements such as frames and pre-installed illustrations. These graphics can clutter up your slide and distract your audience from your main point.

Leaving room for white space, or the absence of visible objects on your slide, relaxes the eyes and lets it focus on important points on your deck. Opt for cleaner slides you can overlap with big and bold images. If you’re planning to use images throughout your presentation, it’s best to do away with pre-installed graphics.

hot to change Format Background in powerpoint

 

But if you’ve selected a template with illustrations and only want to remove them on a specific slide, take them out by going back to the Design tab.

Under Customize, click Format Background.

Select Hide background graphics to hide any pre-installed elements on the current slide.

 

How to Hide Background Graphics in powerpoint

 

Account for the Venue

Where your presentation is held can affect people’s perception of your pitch. Survey the area before the actual date of your presentation to get a good feel of what type of deck would suit the setting.

Consider things like lighting and the size of the place you’re presenting in. Your goal is to deliver your message in a readable and comprehensible deck. A template that’s already too bright in an open area may lose its visibility to any audience members sitting in the far back.

Conversely, a place where you can dim the lights gives you more leeway on saturating your template. Check that your slide elements are distinguished from their background. After all, contrast factors in greatly when it comes to readability. A slide with well-contrasted objects is visible from afar compared to slides with objects that are hardly distinct from one another. Use dark text on a light background, or vice versa, to highlight the slide object.

In Conclusion: Templates Can Work, If Used Well

A good template is the first step to a great deck design. Bright colors will grab attention, while subtler ones will relax the eyes. Avoid templates with distracting designs that will steal attention away from your key points. Choose a readable template that has high contrast to make your deck more viewer-friendly.

PowerPoint templates aren’t just a matter of playful design. Given the right template, you can interest and attract new clients. Make your pitch memorable with a deck that reflects your brand and fits the occasion.

 

References

Sibley, Amanda. “19 Reasons You Should Include Visual Content in Your Marketing [Data].” Hubspot. August 6, 2012. blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33423/19-Reasons-You-Should-Include-Visual-Content-in-Your-Marketing-Data.aspx#sm.0001frknxr3k3dlkqq22lsqtd9h7a
“PowerPoint 2013: Modifying Themes.” GCFLearnFree.org. www.gcflearnfree.org/powerpoint2013/29

 

Featured Image: “Choice” by zhouxuan12345678 on flickr.com
www.flickr.com/photos/53921113@N02/5453214046

How You Might Be Missing the Point in PowerPoint

PowerPoint’s a must in the field of presentation. However, critics have raised several points against it, one of the most notorious being “Death by PowerPoint.”

Under its premise, this phenomenon is when a presenter bores a reader with their lengthy and rather clunky slide deck. However, is it really the presentation tool’s fault, or does the speaker have a hand in the mishap?

Find out how you might be misusing your slides:

It’s Not Your Crutch

Don’t fall into the trap of using your slide deck as a safety blanket.

It’s still necessary to practice your public speaking skills even if you have a winning deck. Reading from your slides will only cut off the personal connection you need to establish between yourself and your audience. Be more natural in your presentation and drop the script. Rehearse your pitch in front of a mirror and try to incorporate things that will further engage the audience, like your body language and posture. Make sure to maintain eye contact as you speak to people so that you appear both conversational and professional in your delivery.

You Have Too Many Slides

This well-known phenomenon, “Death by PowerPoint,” occurs when an inexperienced presenter drowns the audience with a barrage of slides and innumerable bullet points.

Remember that people can only process so much information at once, so it’s important to keep your presentation as short as possible. Leave out things from your slide that aren’t direct key points. Covering too many topics means you’ll be adding more slides to list them in. Business expert Guy Kawasaki formulated the 10-20-30 rule as a guide for presenters. Stick to 10 slides in 20 minutes, and don’t go below a 30-point font size. Your audience will only remember the highlights of your presentation, so don’t bombard them with too many slides that can distract their memory.

Your Design Might Need Tweaking

Some design choices can be detrimental to your overall slide deck. Since PowerPoint is primarily a visual tool, the way its aesthetics contribute to your core message affect people’s reception of it.

Take a step back and reconsider your deck’s design. Tap into its different aspects, like color and layout. Different colors evoke different emotions in people, so use the appropriate hues for your deck to get the right attention. Make use of white space to draw attention to important elements on your slides and let your audience’s eyes relax at the same time.

Conclusion

As the presenter, make sure that it’s not your own design choices that are holding you back from delivering a good pitch and presenting a well-made deck.

A deck isn’t an excuse to slack on your speech, so make sure to treat it only as a visual aid reserved for your key points. Cut back on the amount of slides you have and leave room for you to expound and explain each part of your presentation. Tweak your design to evoke the right response from people.

If you want a deck ready for your brand to use without the added hassle, contact our SlideGenius experts today for a free quote!

 

References

Hedges, Kristi. “Six Ways to Avoid Death by PowerPoint.” Forbes. November 14, 2014. www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2014/11/14/six-ways-to-avoid-death-by-powerpoint
Kawasaki, Guy. “The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint.” Guy Kawasaki. December 30, 2005. http://guykawasaki.com/the_102030_rule
“Understanding Information Overload.” Infogineering. www.infogineering.net/understanding-information-overload.htm

 

Featured Image: “Confused” by CollegeDegrees360 on flickr.com

The Best Presentations Use PowerPoint for Business

It’s a bold claim to make, but with our growing list of happy clients, it’s safe to say that our professional presentations have made them satisfied partners indeed.

To get your pitch off the ground, you’ll most likely need maybe one or two investors to help you. Chances are, they’re going to see your pitch through PowerPoint.

Hire Experts to Maximize Your Pitch

The program was developed to give speakers control over their design decisions. These days, however, no one has that kind of time on their hands. This is why hiring professional presentation designers can save you time and money. Excellent visuals and layouts will give your slides a more professional look, maximizing audience engagement.

PowerPoint experts specialize in crafting a customized pitch, allowing you to have more time to focus on your delivery instead. You can dedicate your time rehearsing for your speech to help you prepare for your presentation.

With so much time and effort spent in making sure you and your PowerPoint are in top condition, the program itself is a vital part of maximizing your pitch.

PowerPoint with Personality

You’re not just there to read off a bunch of slides whenever you pitch. You stand before the audience to tell your story in an engaging and effective manner so that they know why they should invest their time and money on you.

Jack Morton’s team, a global marketing agency, noted that people responded to work that appeals to basic human emotions like fun and excitement. Depending on your branding strategy, you can combine this with a more conversational tone in delivering your pitch to communicate your brand as authentic and trustworthy.

Instead of just listing out the figures and facts, simplify your pitch to show what this information means for your audience. Then highlight the core values of your brand, be it providing quality products or building relationships with its customers.

Standard Compatibility Reaches More Prospects

Other presentation programs are available, such as Prezi and Keynote, but you can reach out to more people with PowerPoint simply because more people use it. To cite another figure, PowerPoint’s share of the presentation software market is a whopping 95% according to a 2012 Bloomberg report. You might end up inconveniencing someone when your file format requires the addition of a different program to view your file.

Don’t stand out the wrong way by not following the standard. Stand out the right way by conducting your business professionally with PowerPoint. It’s a matter of refining design and content to get your brand’s identity and values across.

You Deserve Only the Best

The biggest, most widely used professional software for creating presentations has been, and still is, PowerPoint. Any business will benefit from creating their pitch in this program tested by time. You can get more done by having a team of PowerPoint experts create your deck for you. Invest time in yourself and your PowerPoint to reap the full benefits of an excellent pitch.

Business is all about collaboration. We make professional decks using the standard software practices, so you can devote more time to yourself and your business.

Consult with a team that will understand your brand to develop your pitch. A professionally made deck will help you find your brand’s voice. Your story deserves to be heard.

 

References

Morton, Jack. “Cannes Guide to Buzzwords.” Jack Morton. July 15, 2015. www.jackmorton.com/blog/cannes-guide-to-buzzwords-8-newbies-on-whats-real-and-what-matters-to-brand-experience
Parker, Ian. “Absolute PowerPoint.” The New Yorker. May 28, 2001. www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/05/28/absolute-powerpoint
Parks, Bob. “Death to PowerPoint!” Bloomberg. August 30, 2012. www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2012-08-30/death-to-powerpoint
Vellanikaran, Jojo Joseph. “PowerPoint.” JO3 STUDY NOTES. March 6, 2009. jo3studynotes.blogspot.com/2009/03/final-yr-zool-students.html
“Are We Wasting $250 Million per Day Due to Bad PowerPoint?” Think Outside The Slide. September 11, 2012. www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/are-we-wasting-250-million-per-day-due-to-bad-powerpoint
Computer Application in Management. 1st ed. Erzincan: Ersincan University, 2015. Web. 15 Dec. 2015. www.erzincan.edu.tr/userfiles/bkurt/duyuru/files/computer-application-in-management(1).pdf

 

Featured Image: “White laptop, female hand, note, pen, phone, desk” on kaboompics.com

View Notes During Your Presentation for PowerPoint 2013

Speaker notes, or “notes” for short, are every presenter’s guide when presenting in front of a crowd. These scripts are often used so that presenters can avoid getting mental blocks while speaking onstage because adding notes to your deck helps you recall important points from your pitch.

If you have existing notes in your slides and you only need to check them, just click on File, then click on Open to view your PowerPoint presentation.

In this post, we’ll cover how to view your script and take advantage of one of Microsoft PowerPoint’s most useful features: Notes.

Show Speaker Notes

1. Click on the Slide Show tab.PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: Show Speaker Notes

2. Go to the Monitors group and check the Use Presenter View checkbox. This lets you read your notes on your laptop without affecting the slides being projected onscreen.

PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: Presenter View

Before using this option, double check if the laptop or computer that you’re using allows you to project using two or more monitors. If PowerPoint can recognize your projector or your second monitor, just check the Use Presenter View box and hit the F5 key to start your Slide Show.

View and Add Notes

Here’s how to make notes appear while editing your slides.

1. Click on the View tab on the ribbon.

PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: View and Add Notes

2. Under the Show group, click on the Notes icon.

3. The notes section will appear underneath the slide area and will now be visible for all of your slides. It will contain the text “Click to add notes.”

PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: View and Add Notes4. Clicking on the area will remove this text and allow you start typing.

PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: View and Add NotesAn easier way to make notes show up is by going to the Status bar at the bottom of your screen and clicking on the Notes button, next to Comments. Clicking on it will expand or collapse the Notes area.

PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: Notes areaView Your Slide and Notes in One Page

1. Click on the View tab in the ribbon.

PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: View Your Slide and Notes in One Page2. Under the Presentation Views group, select Notes Page.

PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: Notes PageThe slide page’s orientation will now be in portrait mode. Each page will display the slide number on the bottom right corner. Simply scroll up or down to move to the next slide.

The Notes Page will have two areas: your visible slide area above and an expanded view of the Notes page below. This type of view is helpful if you’re going to hand out copies of your presentation and need more space to append your notes.

PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: Note Page

Watch this video tutorial and learn how to view notes in PowerPoint 2013


Now you know how to view notes from your PowerPoint!

PowerPoint notes are convenient, especially for presenters who find it difficult to speak without scripts. Make your message memorable and more accessible by maximizing PowerPoint’s Notes Pages. With the help of PowerPoint’s overlooked yet important feature, you can convey your message professionally without forgetting significant points.

To help you deliver an error-free PowerPoint presentation, SlideGenius experts can assist you and offer you a free quote!

References

Bajaj, Geetesh. “Status Bar in PowerPoint 2013.” Indezine. May 31, 2013. www.indezine.com/products/powerpoint/learn/interface/status-bar-ppt2013.html
Thornton, Billy M. “ITIP: Using PowerPoint’s Presentation Option: Use Presenter View.” Colorado State University. www.biz.colostate.edu/mti/tips/pages/ITIPUsingPowerPointsPresentationOptionUsePresenterView.aspx
“View Your Speaker Notes Privately, While Delivering a Presentation on Multiple Monitors.” Microsoft Office. n.d. www.support.office.com/en-nz/article/View-your-speaker-notes-privately-while-delivering-a-presentation-on-multiple-monitors-321c0948-4ada-4d50-872f-41f279ae6ef6

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