Tips for Creating Presentations with Punch

Presentations are a fact of life in the financial industry. As technology surges forward, we have new features and functionality available to make our presentations more exciting and effective. Today’s software allows for animation, builds, embedded videos, and other “bells and whistles” that give us the power to create immediacy and dial up the “wow” factor. Still, while all these features add interest, you won’t hold your audience’s attention without useful content. Whenever you sit down to develop a sales or educational session, keep these practical tips and best practices in mind.

Know your destination

Before jumping into content, know where you want to be when the presentation ends. Determine your objectives, presenter profiles, and desired results. What key points do you want to make? What do you want your audience to do ─ purchase a product, establish a financial plan, re-evaluate a portfolio? Too often, we rush into creating a presentation without knowing what will be our ultimate call to action.

Watch your versions

Sometimes different versions of the same presentation software don’t play well together. As functionality is added, problems can arise when trying to deliver the presentation with an earlier (or later) version of your software. Know what you can and can’t do in each version before deciding which one to use. Check the resources available to your field representatives so they can actually use your finished product. When importing data for charts, be certain that spreadsheet data will translate to presentation software.

Mind the mediums

With the plethora of wireless devices available today you need to plan ahead. Do your audiences access information from tablets, BlackBerrys^®, iPhones, or something else? Perhaps they use multiple devices. In any case, you’ll need to determine whether to use presentation software or an app – or both – to deliver understandable and readable messages to all types of communication devices.

Make your charts sing

There’s nothing worse than being presented with a chart that only a portfolio manager and the analysts who created it can decipher. Descriptive callouts and key implications enhance understanding and drive the points home. Supplement these with additional points in the speaker notes to ensure that the presenter ─ and the audience ─ truly understand the key points.

Create speaker notes that add value

Too often, speaker notes just repeat the words on the slide or, at the other extreme, provide so much information that it is difficult for the presenter to make it understandable. If possible, know the personalities of the presenters and provide notes in ways that will help them shine. This may require several formats – from full scripts to just key bullet points. However speaker notes are prepared, be sure they add information to expand upon slide content and help elevate the conversation.

Summarize and recap

Help your audience follow your objectives for the presentation by summarizing key points frequently. Conclude your presentation with a brief recap of the content and a clear call to action. Tell them what you want them to do and why it makes sense.

It’s never too late for some enhancements. Presentations are not going away – they’re an essential part of effective communications. Just make sure they provide a bit of a punch.