Powerpoint is no longer just a presentation notes tool. The thing that all clients dread is "death by PowerPoint", a PowerPoint with 100 slides would just scare your clients away. Powerpoint is a tool to visually communicate with potential clients, it should assist to provide visual pictures of your pitch. In doing so, it would also double as a sales training tool internally in any company.
The PowerPoint is the first image of a business that a potential client will have, so it needs to be a good one. It needs to create an emotional connection, to create the perfect conversation starter to a new adventurous journey with potential clients. There are 4 key elements to creating an everlasting powerpoint.
#1 Visualize it! Pictures say a thousand words.
Why have words to explain the brand image? You can simply find a suitable picture and include the company tagline plus logo. In this way, you would have captured your audience visually, giving them the emotional connection and feeling through the picture. This will help non-marketing people in the business to better articulate the brand value.
As per the example, it was a cover slide for a startup. It depicts the strength and persistence of the company. They might be small but they are up for the challenge, just like the snail is looking down the stairs which it shall conquer.
Immediately, this gives the audience an emotional connection and impression of the business and its beliefs.
#2 Use ICONS, not bullet points.
Iconography is a great way to visualize those many points which you would like to convey. When showing a slide full of bullet points and going through them one-by-one may be the most boring thing for audiences to sit through. The last thing that should happen is people picking up their phones and start checking their messages.
#3 Structure your story.
Powerpoint is a visual journey that one takes their audiences on. There will always be an;
1. Introduction: The debut of the business to the audience, why we are here today, and what is the journey we are going to take you through. Setting the scene and preparing the audience.
2. Demonstrate your intelligence and understanding of the market: outline the market trend, which sets the scene on why your company has developed the solution. This can be in the form of industry stats, reports, etc.
3. Brief of the solution/product and its value offering. It is about conveying what is the ultimate value it brings. The value should be the value of the client's client.
4. Show off your experience: demonstrate how can the solution/product be used within the client's industry and what kind of value it brings as a result.
5. Show your vision and innovation: this can be achieved through a roadmap, the evolution of the solution. Giving clients the assurance that buying from you is the right choice in the long term.
#4 Always have a call-to-action for the audience.
Every meeting has an objective. You are selling something, and the client wanting to buy something - an exchange. The best-case scenario is that you have blown your client away with your presentation and he says "I'll buy it" straight away. This does not always happen to everyone, so the best thing is to have a realistic call to action for the client at the end of the presentation.
This could be in a form of;
1. An experience - providing samples or trials of the solution or product. It is important that the client experiences what he is intended to buy.
2. Do a proof of concept - offering the client a limited number of users to experience the solution or product.
3. Perhaps even a joint go-to-market which is mutually beneficial
The possibilities are endless, on what type of call-to-action would best be suitable.
We at #BeBoldDigital come with 15 years of B2B marketing experience in the ICT industry. #BeBold with us to erupt your #business potential and let us help you visualize your business.
