You’ve been asked to give a presentation that is crucial to your company’s performance. The stakes are high and there’s little room for error. Your presentation needs to be clear and concise, enhanced by strong visuals that help deliver your message. To ensure success, the best way forward is to work with a professional PowerPoint designer.

Working with a PowerPoint designer involves an extensive process of communication. After your initial conversation, you can’t just sit back and wait for magic to happen. While they’re experts at turning ideas into visuals, PowerPoint designers are no mind readers. A lot could get lost in translation if you don’t take the time to properly convey your vision. Without proper communication, you might end up with a PowerPoint deck that clashes with what you’re presenting.

Make the most out of working with a professional PowerPoint designer. Follow these tips for effective collaboration:

Provide specific instructions

The secret to a successful collaboration is open communication. When you first contact a professional PowerPoint designer, you have to provide specific details about the nature of your presentation. It’s not enough that you share what color scheme you’d want your PowerPoint deck to have. PowerPoint designers are experts at turning business stories into comprehensible visuals. They can’t do their jobs with mere superficial details.

Introduce the PowerPoint designer to the nature of your presentation by answering these specific questions:

• What is the presentation about and what is it for?
• Who is the audience?
• What is the key message/main takeaway?

You should also provide the designer with materials they can use, including logos and pictures. Make sure the content is complete when you hand it over to your designer.

At SlideGenius, we have a team of copywriters who can help you come up with compelling content.

Know what you want but keep an open mind

It’s wrong to think that professional PowerPoint designers will take care of everything. As we pointed out earlier, you need to be clear about the things you’d like for your PowerPoint deck. Don’t give generalized instructions. Be decisive because you and the designer could have different interpretations of what “something amazing” could mean.

On the other hand, you should also keep an open mind. It’s important that you learn to trust the PowerPoint designer you’re collaborating with. Give them some leeway to explore their creativity and you’ll be surprised at what they can deliver.

Be specific with your feedback

There’s an awkward dance most collaborators do. After an initial draft is presented, feedback is repeatedly given in small doses. This forces the PowerPoint designer to go back and forth just to make sure all the points are covered. It’s a common situation, but it’s definitely far from the ideal. Too much back and forth in the communication process can be frustrating and time-consuming.

To streamline your collaboration, you need to be able to provide specific and substantial feedback. Examine drafts carefully and take note of all the things you’d like to have modified. Once you have all your notes compiled, turn it over to the designer. Feedback should be given through one powerful dose. For more tips, read “How to give feedback (without driving your designer insane!)” from Trigger and Sparks.com.

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Remember: the key to any collaboration is clear and open communication. To ensure the success of your presentation, build a healthy working relationship with your PowerPoint designer.

At the end of the day, there’s no better way to make an impact on your audience than with visuals that tell an interesting story.

Featured Image: Ken Teegardin via Flickr