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Frequently Asked Questions in a Business Presentation

Posted on by Rick E

Your Q&A with the audience is the best way for you to get feedback.

Being offered feedback makes your presentation more engaging and helps your prospects get clarification from points you’ve made.

Receiving feedback from your audience gives you insights on how you can make better presentations in the future.

You won’t be able to cover every detail during your business presentation, so it’s important to always anticipate questions beforehand.

Question #1

What do you do?

The beginning of your slide should be an introduction that contains your contact details and a brief primer to your company.

But this kind of information isn’t enough for the audience to know what your business is all about.

Your deck should cover every possible aspect of the purpose, service, and benefit that you provide while avoiding delays caused by an overly detailed discussion.

If you have to re-explain your introduction towards the end of your business presentation, don’t assume that the audience just didn’t pay enough attention.

This type of question could either mean that you didn’t spend enough time to explain your purpose, or that your audience simply wants to know more details.

Question #2

What’s your product?

This question could be phrased in several ways: how this product benefits your prospects, how useful it is, and if it’s worth the investment. In other words, why should we choose you?

You should be able to say yes to all the questions and provide concrete reasons to support your claims.

Going over this type of question is good since this means that your audience is curious about your product.

This is a way for you to slowly build up their trust. Knowing your product well adds to your credibility.

Seal the deal by convincing your prospects that the product is worth their time and resources.

Question #3

How long does it take?

This asks for specificity. It shows that the audience is thinking, How soon will I start seeing results?

Provide a financial projection that gives a realistic assessment of your project.

Tell them when they can expect to see results and only promise what you can deliver on time on a realistic budget.

Scott Gerber, entrepreneur and angel investor, learned the hard way from being rejected by investors for his company.

One of the most important lessons he learned was that VC’s that have seen it all can gauge the feasibility of your plans, so be realistic and avoid aiming for a multimillion investment without the experience to back it up.

You’ll know how eager your audience is when you hear them ask about your project timetable.

Being asked this at the end of your presentation usually means you’ve generated enough interest that’ll soon translate to sales.

Final Thoughts

Keep your answers short and concise since you’re towards the end of your presentation.

Shorter answers are easier to remember and will help end your presentation on time.

The responses you receive will help you gauge your own persuasiveness as a speaker.

So don’t be content with a silent response, get the ball going by answering some of these questions by reiterating your main points.

The success of your pitch depends on how well you respond to these FAQ’s.

Don’t let the simplicity of these questions fool you, prepare how to answer them beforehand.

References

Gerber, Scott. “6 Steps to the Perfect Pitch.” Entrepreneur. May 21, 2009. Accessed January 5, 2016. www.entrepreneur.com/article/201826
Pivovarov, Artur. “Presentation Skills. Unit 8: Dealing with Questions.” SlideShare. May 1, 2012. Accessed November 4, 2015. www.slideshare.net/ArturPivovarov/unit-8-12763217

Featured Image: “WSIS Forum 2015 Final Brief” by ITU Pictures on flickr.com

Make Your Team Presentation a Combined Effort

Posted on by Rick E

Behind every movie are hundreds of people working behind the scenes to get the project going from start to finish. You can say the same thing when it comes to presentations and pitches. Sure, you can create visually appealing PowerPoint slides (or let a presentation design agency do it) and deliver an effective speech, but do you have the technical know-how to arrange the lighting and sound of your stage? That’s when the cavalry comes in. But with all that back support, you’d still be alone in that platform.

When you have more than just yourself up in front and speaking to an audience, the whole dynamic changes. It’s not just about you anymore; it’s about the team. There are a lot more considerations to think of and added tasks for the leader—you.

Research suggests that a team does better than individuals at intelligence analysis. This isn’t just a specific niche, too. It is common thinking that two heads are better than one.

While there are some who think otherwise and say that a great individual can outdo a good team, these are specific instances. Generally, though, there are reasons why being a team player is a sought-after trait: it fosters more than just a challenging atmosphere and encourages growth of more than one member in a shorter span of time, among others.

Those same reasons apply to team presentations as well. You already have the pros, like teamwork; here are a few guidelines (in quotes!) to remember before sortieing your squad for the battle they’re assigned to win.

Even though you can pitch a presentation alone, don’t discount the power of a team behind you. Your individual members also feel the support of the whole team. This cyclic encouragement reminds you all that, sure, you can do it alone, but you can do it better when with other people. Humans are social beings. It makes sense for one to do—and be—better when in a social setting.

If it brings out the best in you, do it. You’ve got nothing to lose. Who doesn’t want to be at their best? Just be careful not to get overconfident.

Presentation Tips for Introverts: Conserving Energy

Posted on by Rick E

Introversion isn’t the same as being shy.

With enough preparation and focus, introverts are just as capable of being on stage as their more outgoing counterparts.

Though being in the spotlight isn’t something they enjoy, it’s something they can excel at given the right time.

It can also be draining to talk to a lot of people, so pace is important to keep things running smoothly.

Your confidence will naturally grow as you master your topic.

In addition, these presentation tips for introverts can help you further in your preparation.

Conserve Energy

While extroverts draw energy from social interactions, introverts draw their energy from within.

Pacing is crucial to avoid wasting energy while presenting.

If possible, craft a short speech to avoid running out of strength.

A shorter presentation also means that you’ll have more energy to expend engaging with your audience.

Prepare your deck thoroughly so you don’t fumble through your speech and lose your precious energy reserves.

Potential Power

Introverts are good listeners, but they can be good speakers as well.

Here are more reasons why introverts can be excellent public speakers too.

Overstimulation of their senses may cause them to withdraw in social situations.

Thankfully, speeches aren’t completely spontaneous and are conducted in an organized space.

Introverts can devote their time and energy to ensure an outstanding presentation, rather than rely on their personality to wow audiences.

Allocate Time

Use your strengths to conquer your weaknesses and you‘ll be a better presenter with practice.

Devote some time to figure out how you can improve the way you speak and how you structure your topic.

The focus should be on the message you’re trying to convey and not on you.

This kind of mindset takes pressure off of you, which allows you to focus on your content and delivery.

Pretending to be confident will work to your disadvantage because you’ll have to spend more energy trying to sustain this behavior.

Your energy is better spent elsewhere, and the time you spend working on your strengths will give you more room for growth.

Energy = Power x Time

Proper pacing should make delivering a speech look a lot less frightening.

Even if they feel up for to the task, introverts have the right skills to be in front of a crowd.

But they have a limited amount of energy to spend and need to manage it carefully.

Impress your audience through a message with a strong impact to alleviate the pressure to over-deliver.

Some presentation tips suggest faking confidence, but it’s much better to spend time building up your strengths.

With this, you’ll be true to yourself and the message you’re trying to get across through your deck.

Remember: introversion should never be an excuse for a subpar performance.

 

References

Cain, Susan. “Public Speaking for Introverts: 6 Essential Tips.” Duarte. February 1, 2013. Accessed October 23, 2015. www.duarte.com/blog/public-speaking-for-introverts-6-essential-tips
Cherry, Kendra. “What Is Introversion?” About.com. Accessed October 23, 2015. http://psychology.about.com/od/trait-theories-personality/f/introversion.htm

Featured Image: “Shy statue.” by fredrik Andreasson on flickr.com

Your Business Checklist: What Should I Be Prioritizing?

Posted on by Rick E

Before you started your business, one of the advices you have most likely heard is, “Know your priorities.” Even when growing up, adults would tell you the same thing. Wow, were they right.

Knowing what your priorities are and setting them straight are more or less expected of you. Moreover, on a personal level, this is a testament of your excellence and character.

In many ways, the same standards are applied to a business. You as the founder should know which tenet of your business to grow or improve upon. If you can get opinions and suggestions from other experts, then all the better because you could make an informed decision.

These priorities become your responsibilities—goals toward a greater end. So you should make them work for you, and in turn, you should work hard for them.

Have you identified what you need to work upon and what you need to do first? If you haven’t, this infographic has suggestions on what to prioritize. Check it out below.

What most thriving entrepreneurs forget, or worse ignore, is the caveat. Don’t bite off more than you could chew. There’s nothing more frustrating and time-consuming than having multiple priorities at once, having different sections of your company working towards different goals without utilizing each unit’s strengths and skill. Everything may fall apart piece by piece—or worse, all at the same time.

Exercise patience when it comes to multitasking. Slow and steady win the race. Don’t put yourself in a position of, at the worst, bankruptcy because of too much work.

There are balances when you started your business; more so now that you’re sailing at the helm of your enterprise, keeping your ship afloat. If you don’t want it to sink, be smart. Be cunning. Be confident.

For more infographics on presentation, design, marketing, and business, head on to our SlideShare account. See you there!

Three Principles for a Minimalist PowerPoint Design

Posted on by Rick E

You might have experienced times when you used minimal content in your presentations. Has use of the minimalist concept sometimes led to bare and boring slides?

If so, you may have to reevaluate your PowerPoint design choices, but not by doing away with minimalism. Rather, improve your deck to utilize this technique more.

While users could blame the seemingly poor appearance on PowerPoint, using minimal content and taking a minimalist approach are two different things.

Done correctly, the latter uses the important facts your clients need to know, as opposed to the former, which puts in only a few details.

This allows your deck to make an impact due to three important factors.

1. White Space

In his article citing renowned neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin’s The Organized Mind on The Orange County Register, Mark Landsbaum discusses the effects of taking in too much info at once.

These effects include unproductivity and loss of motivation, and the same effects may apply to information overload on the slide.

Because there’s too much content to process, a PowerPoint with text-heavy content makes people lose interest in your pitch faster.

People can only give their full attention to one thing at a time. If you want them to retain anything from your presentation, focus on showing your most important facts. Minimalists make use of white space in their design. This draws attention to important text and images on the screen.

Eliminating unnecessary elements from your deck reduces the strain on a reader’s eyes. It also lets them process key points faster. The next time you want to fill your slide with blocks of text, ask yourself if you can cut it down to leave space for rest.

2. Content Placement

You won’t be able to call people’s attention to your core message if they’re placed inconspicuously on your PowerPoint. This is where most presenters abuse the minimalist method. They believe that throwing content on a bare space will make it look more appealing.

However, minimalism is all about strategic placement. Spark people’s interest by putting the right element at the right place. Put headlines at the center where they could easily be seen. When using captions with an image, and you want readers to notice them immediately, try putting them near the middle as well.

Less important slide content like sub-headings and minor information should take up less space. So try placing them below or beside the core content.

3. Appropriate Colors

People react to certain colors in different ways. If you want to draw attention and exude positivity, warm colors like red and yellow can suit your needs. On the other hand, cool colors like blue and green relax the eyes.

Like saturating your slide deck with images, adding too many colors can be distracting and uninviting. Knowing the appropriate color scheme for your presentation is already an advantage on your part.

Tom Osborne of Viget.com recommends applying other color principles like contrast, to highlight aspects like talking points. Choose complementary colors, and apply one as a backdrop to the other for emphasizing. This doesn’t just apply to solid colors. Use these color principles on your text and images to achieve a visually-appealing design, and make your deck easier to look at.

The Takeaway

There’s no room for a cluttered slide deck in a professional presentation. Using a minimalist approach to PowerPoint design can make your deck layout easier to look at, and help attract prospects.

To do this, consider using white space to relax people’s eyes, and help them focus on your key points. Then place your content strategically to draw attention to important text or images on screen.

Utilize the appropriate colors to bring out the best parts of your deck. To make the minimalist approach work on your deck, use these design tips to impress your clients.

To keep everything balanced, contact a PowerPoint guru for a free quote!

References

“Color Contrast for Better Readability.” Viget Blogs. Accessed November 25, 2015. https://viget.com/inspire/color-contrast
“Perils of Processing Too Much Information.” The Orange County Register. Accessed November 25, 2015. www.ocregister.com/articles/day-659344-climate-time.html

Featured Image: “twist” by Thomas Leth-Olsen on Flickr.com

Question and Answer: How to Respond to Sales Inquiries

Posted on by Rick E

How you respond to inquiries is key to increasing sales in any business. This measures how interested people are in your business.

The more relevant your product or service seems to them, the more feedback you get.

In turn, this gives you the opportunity to reel in new customers. But this will depend on how effective your replies are.

Don’t miss your chance. Know how to make a sale with the right response.

Reply Fast for Prompt Responses

When you take a sales inquiry, answering the client’s question is only the means to an end.

This objective is to get people to avail your services.

You can determine a customer’s interest in you by correspondence.

In this case, the transaction shouldn’t end with your reply.

How customer responds can also test how engaged they are.

To do that, you need to address their concerns immediately.

Putting off a potential client for too long can lead them to look for other options.

Customers want to know whether you value their time or not.

Timely replies make them feel important, increasing your chances of gaining their trust.

Get Straight to the Point

Assume that your prospect doesn’t have time to read through an entire block of text. They want to get to the gist as quickly as they can.

In this case, it’s more efficient to cut down words and address the customer’s concerns as early as possible.

Adding headings to your response can also help people navigate through it. However, just make sure these headings capture your main points based on the customer’s express needs.

Your response to a sales inquiry already says a lot about your company. Analyze the initial query, and pick up hints on what the customer wants from you.

By offering a solution to every point they raise, you assure them you have what they’re looking for.

Create a Follow-up System

Not every sales inquiry you reply to will yield a trusted customer.

You’ll want to know if you’re investing in the right people.

Qualifying your leads prevents you from wasting time and money. The only problem is, without replying to every inquiry, you can’t identify the best prospects.

You can get around this by putting your existing leads on a follow-up system. It can save you the trouble of giving everyone the same amount of effort.

In this system, you divide your prospects into those who you can consistently follow-up on, and those who you don’t have to check on as much.

People with whom you frequently exchange messages are probably closer to buying your product.

Prioritize these customers, but remember to respond to the other inquiries later on.

Conclusion

The way you answer sales inquiries determines how well you handle your prospects.

Give them the right response and your sales inquiry can be converted into a sale.

Respond quickly, but make sure that your message has everything the client is looking for.

Address their concerns and offer your services as the best alternative to other problems they may hint at.

Be as direct as possible in your reply. Don’t delay your core message with too many filler words.

With current leads, you can create a follow-up system that highlights more urgent sales over others.

Once a client invites you to present your sales pitch in real time, you have to prepare your speech and your deck quickly.

Need help preparing your presentation? Contact our SlideGenius experts today for a free quote!

References

Bly, Robert. “The Key to Great Inquiry Fulfillment.” National Mail Order Association. Accessed October 30, 2015. www.nmoa.org/articles/dmnews/KeytoInquiryFulfillmentBB.htm

Donnelly, Tim. “How to Qualify a Sales Lead.” Inc. August 19, 2011. Accessed October 30, 2015. www.inc.com/guides/201108/how-to-qualify-a-sales-lead.html

Hainge, Allen. “How to Respond to Online Listing Inquiries.” Realty Times. May 28, 2002. Accessed October 30, 2015. http://realtytimes.com/agentnews/technologyadvice1/item/16274-20020529_inquiries

Wormley, David. “6 ways to be more effective when responding to inbound sales inquiries.” Healy Consultants. March 31, 2015. Accessed October 30, 2015. www.healyconsultants.com/blog/6-ways-to-be-more-effective-when-responding-to-inbound-sales-inquiries/

Featured Image: “Mail” by Bogdan Suditu on flickr.com

Psychological Biases: Loss Aversion in Sales Presentations

Posted on by Rick E

A negative response from defeat isn’t limited to real-life choices. They can also be present in business situations, including sales presentations.

If you’re stuck between the pain of losing and the fear of risking, then you’ll miss out bigger and greater opportunities ahead of you, like a new business venture, or a better career offer.

Never miss the boat on that new deal and business partnership. Let the psychological bias of loss aversion help you out in accepting losses to continually grow as a professional and achieve greater sales.

Defining ‘Loss Aversion’

People are reluctant to lose or give up something, even if it means gaining something better. Some play safe and avoid changes to protect their business from market loss or any disaster.

This phenomenon of escaping a losing position is known as loss aversion. First coined by researchers Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, it suggests that the desire of having something suddenly increases when someone takes it away. This means we tend to feel the pain of loss more than the pleasure of a comparable gain.

Even if losses are unforeseen, you shouldn’t let your fear of taking risks stop you from tasting the sweetness of success.

Why Use This in Presentations?

Marketing campaigns and promos are two examples that explain this cognitive bias. For example, people are more likely to go shopping when they see ads like “For limited time only” or “Sale ends soon.”

In this case, the fear of losing promotions make people act on their impulse and can influence their buying decisions.

Using this technique builds up your product’s worth, helping you achieve company gain.

How to Make Loss Aversion Your Ally

Losses translated into gains attract more sales conversions. To persuade your audience to invest in your idea, focus more on highlighting the benefits.

Position your offer as if ignoring it means a great loss for investors. Explain what it does and how it differs from your competitors—from its uses, to cost, and new experience it might bring.

If you’re selling an advanced cooking equipment, try saying something like: “You won’t save up to 3 hours of cooking time if you skip this offer, and stick with normal ovens.”

No matter what you sell, it’s always important to put earns on top of the losses. Frame your product benefits well for them to make decisions quickly.

Conclusion

Often times, the fear of loss impedes the desire to gain. It misleads you from reaching the road of growth and success.

But losses turned into gains are a different thing. Present in a way that customers will feel like they can’t afford to lose you.

Practice the power of loss aversion to create a sense of urgency and make your sales pitch sound more persuasive!

References

Kay, Magda. “How to Use Cognitive Biases for Effective Marketing.” Psychology for Marketers. n.d. Accessed November 26, 2015. http://psychologyformarketers.com/use-cognitive-biases-effective-marketing

“Loss Aversion.” Behavioural Finance. n.d. Accessed November 26, 2015. http://loss-aversion.behaviouralfinance.net

Pammi, C. & Srinivasan N. (2013). Decision Making: Neural and Behavioural Approaches. Elsevier.

Popolskis, Alon. “How to Persuasively Leverage Loss Aversion for Your Company’s Gain.” Business to Community. December 30, 2015. Accessed November 26, 2015. www.business2community.com/strategy/persuasively-leverage-loss-aversion-companys-gain-0725284#uxhqSgb1Gx3YmeDf.97

Snider, Emma. “How to Use Psychological Biases to Sell Better and Faster.” Hubspot Blogs. January 31, 2015. Accessed November 26, 2015. http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/psychological-biases-sales

Featured Image: “Losses” by GotCredit on flickr.com

Making It Big: Great Ideas and Good Plans Don’t Cost Much

Posted on by Rick E

Some of the grandest marketing successes are elaborate enterprises that looked like they required a lot of manpower and money. For example, as cited by AdAge contributor and Creativity editor, Ann-Christine Diaz, these experiential moves appear to have specific budgets with their productions.

We’ve attributed such innovation to large companies that could afford to bring their creative strategies to life.

However, you don’t have to spend a lot of money for a good idea. Most of the time, the best ideas won’t cost you anything.

Here are three ways you can execute your plan under a budget:

1. Prioritize the CustomerChef thinking of a great recipe idea for customers

Don’t put your brand directly in your output. Focus on building content first. To get yourself noticed, go with a strategy that impacts your customers emotionally.

For this purpose, content marketing exists to cater to people’s different preferences. Companies now focus on creating relevant content for their target audience before endorsing themselves.

This is because they know clients want to see information related to their interests, be it cooking, car mechanics, or even electronics. Similarly, knowing what the audience wants, and relating your content to commonly shared values are the first steps to mapping out your plan of attack.

Tug at basic human emotions and observe actions to draw your next inspiration.

For example, Coca-Cola, which has always been well-known for its impressive campaigns, launched Share-a-Coke in 2011, which continues up to the present. As its name suggests, Coca-Cola’s campaign banked on forming and strengthening human connections, which most people naturally relate to.

Similarly, tap into your audience’s preferences to relate to them better and convince them to invest their time and money on you.

2. Go ViralChef using Twitter to reach more customers

One of the most cost-effective ways to attract many customers without overstepping your budget is to go digital.

Today, social media plays a dominant part of everyone’s lives, allowing everyone to share content from all over the world with the simple click of a button. With something as connective as the Internet, it would be a loss not to take advantage of the opportunity to reach out to a greater number of people.

Viral marketing as cited on Web Marketing Today, by internet marketing pioneer Dr. Ralph Wilson, explains the nuances and principles behind the viral marketing trend, some include providing effortless transfer to others and utilizing existing communication networks to reach more people.

Once you have your great ideas in place, put them together as catchy content like a blog post, infographic, or better yet, a video.

Upload your content online. If the audience takes the bait, it will only take you a minimal promotion to turn it into a widespread Internet sensation for a couple of days.

3. Keep it GoingChef welcoming customers in his store

Viral marketing can only last for so long before it’s replaced by the next interesting thing.

Don’t let your name die out with the hype. Formulate a strategy to keep your brand up in the market for as long as you can. Take advantage of the publicity by introducing your product or service to your target market. Offering promos and sales discounts to potential customers will attract people to your brand.

Attending trade fairs can also get you noticed. This expands your network with peers in the industry as well as with clients. Having an established identity in the market can take time, especially if it’s a saturated one. It often takes more than one successful campaign to become a famous business.

That’s why after your first idea comes to fruition and you’ve gotten the most out of the publicity, you’ve got to go back to square one.

Think of a new idea, find another strategy to make it go viral, and maximize the attention you’re given.

Go Big or Go HomeChef using creativity to form great ideas

Creativity is a never-ending process. You need to constantly look for inspiration to benefit from it.

Before you even draft up your plan, consider your audience. If you’re on a very tight budget, using available resources instead of trying to match up to those used by major brands can reduce cost.

Tap into viral content online to reach out to more people, but don’t stop there. Strike while the iron is hot and show off your brand offerings.

Who knows – they might even invite you for a live sales pitch! For those presentation needs, our SlideGenius experts have your back. Contact us today for a free quote!

References

Diaz, Ann-Christine. “Here Are 15 of Marketing’s Most Memorable Experiential Moves.” Advertising Age Agency News. March 11, 2014. Accessed December 7, 2015. http://adage.com/article/agency-news/15-marketing-s-memorable-experiential-moves/291975
“Social Culture: The Digital Key to Connecting with Audiences.” Digital Information World. Accessed January 14, 2016. www.digitalinformationworld.com/2015/10/social-culture-digital-key-to-connecting-with-audiences.html
“What Is Content Marketing?” Content Marketing Institute. Accessed December 7, 2015. http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/what-is-content-marketing
Wilson, Ralph. “The Six Simple Principles of Viral Marketing.” Web Marketing Today. Accessed December 7, 2015. http://webmarketingtoday.com/articles/viral-principles

5 Design Tips to Avoid Becoming a Presentation Killer

Posted on by Rick E

Let the verdict decide whether a presenter is guilty of Death by PowerPoint, otherwise known as the presentation killer, or the never-ending boring bullet point marathon.

We’ll be here to help and guide you to make the right design choices so that your deck won’t be next in trial.

It all begins with the first impression. Take a look at the first slide on your deck right now and evaluate whether the design looks consistent with your brand.

If it fails to meet the criteria, it might be time to take some design pointers to keep your deck moving on the right track.

Between 65-85% of people describe themselves as visual learners. You could be tuning out a lot of people during your presentation if your slides don’t have images that support your message.

We’ll briefly touch on Guy Kawasaki’s 10-20-30 rule and how they can keep you from becoming a presentation killer.

1. Consistent Design

Consistency helps build your brand’s identity.

What’s your brand known for, and how can you translate this concept through design? Being consistent means building your reputation over time by staying true to the company’s values.

But a company changing hands or shifting in direction happens and can be a challenge to handle.

For example, Logitech’s rebranding came about from CEO Bracken Darrell changing their offerings beyond selling computer mice. So they changed the logo to reflect their change in direction.

Update your company’s image to stay consistent with your brand’s values and identity.

2. High-Quality Images

In your first slide, feature your brand front and center.

Have a clear, high-quality image of your logo so that your audience can immediately identify your brand.

Don’t use low-quality images that look pixelated on screen. Not only does it look distracting and unprofessional, but it puts your brand’s image in a negative light as a result.

Avoid filling your deck with too many images, as it can inflate your PowerPoint file’s size. Resize images that don’t need to be emphasized to avoid this problem.

3. Strategic Color Choice

Colors have a strong psychological impact that can influence the way we feel and think, so craft a strong image for your brand’s identity.

Image plays a major part in social media, and image-building should take priority especially when you want your brand to stand out.

This infographic from DesignMantic is a handy guide to profile your business and match it with a suitable color combination.

For example, businesses in the healthcare industry commonly use the colors red and green because of the psychological effect of these colors. The color red denotes attentiveness and determination while green represents hope, endurance, and safety. You can use these colors and other combinations to create a color profile that inspires trust in your brand.

4. Complementary Images

Take caution when you choose an inspirational image for your slide. It can detract from your message if it’s too striking. This means choosing a beautiful yet abstract image fails to support your message because it becomes a source of distraction.

The audience could become too absorbed with your image that they fail to see your point.

The images you pick should support your message and help the audience make a meaningful decision about your presentation.

Choose your supporting images carefully and make sure that it’s connected to the product or service that you’re offering.

5. The 10-20-30 Rule

Be careful how much content you pump into your slides.

Guy Kawasaki, former chief evangelist of Apple, is a proponent of the 10-20-30 rule. His guidelines will give your pitch precision and maximize engagement with your audience. Deliver your presentation in ten slides, for twenty minutes, in a font no smaller than thirty points: that’s the 10-20-30 rule.

It compels the presenter to reduce slide clutter in favor of a concise pitch.

The time constraints are in place because when you’re pitching to a VC, you can’t afford to waste anybody’s time. And the large font size is there so that the presenter won’t read off the slides and focus on their delivery instead.

Imagine pitching to Guy Kawasaki himself and the 10-20-30 rules starts to make sense. Create an impressive pitch by taking heed of his rules.

Make Killer Presentations

You should always make a good first impression, so build a good image by following design choices that will support your brand and your message.

Build trust by selecting colors that communicate your brand’s values. Your pitch should include images that support your message, but be aware that having too much in your deck can increase your file size dramatically.

The use of overly inspirational images can backfire on you if it fails to support your message, so exercise some restraint when you think about placing one in your deck.

Guy Kawasaki is a VC himself, so he understands and knows the pitch that gets attention. His popular 10-20-30 rule should key you in on the template that can win an investor.

Get a free quote from our SlideGenius experts to effectively get your message across in your deck and pitch.

References

“[INFOGRAPHIC]: Color Your Brand Industry-wisely!” DesignMantic. March 18, 2014. Accessed December 21, 2015. www.designmantic.com/blog/color-your-brand-industry-wisely

“Guy Kawasaki – The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint.” Guy Kawasaki. December 30, 2005. Accessed December 21, 2015. http://guykawasaki.com/the_102030_rule

“How to Evaluate PowerPoint Presentation Slides?” Presentation Process. N.d. Accessed December 21, 2015. www.presentation-process.com/evaluate-powerpoint-presentation.html

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