Presentation Software

You could stand up in front of an audience with no support. Some people do. The most successful ones entertain rather than persuade. We laugh and nod our heads but the underlying message - if there is one - is quickly lost. We might remember a specific joke or even an entire phrase but what did they want us to do? Most people don't have the skills to hold an audience for a significant amount of time - particularly where there is a serious purpose involved.

If you lose the audience then you have no chance of persuading them. That's why presentation software is an absolute necessity for most people. It not only gives the audience something to look at - it also provides another channel of information for your message.

Words Can Mislead

Your brain has different ways to store information. For example, there's a channel that processes and stores the audio information we receive from the outside world. We can remember certain sounds exactly. However, we usually don't remember every word of a conversation or every word of a presentation. Instead we have a general sense for what was said. There can be significant differences between our understanding and what other people actually meant. This can lead to misunderstanding and confusion.

Anchors

Most people favour the visual channel for processing information. In other words, they prefer to look at something happening rather than just listen to it. They also use the visual channel to support their memory. They write notes to remember things. Most presentation software is used in this way. A series of lines of text are shown on the screen. These serve as anchors for the audience and the presenter. Each line serves as a starting point for a specific point or explanation.

Persuasion

When you give a presentation you are trying to persuade somebody. You may want them to buy something, sign a contract, loan you money or agree with your idea. The visual aspect of text-based presentations do nothing to help you convince your audience. In some cases - particularly with large amounts of text - it's actually a distraction. Why? Because text needs decoding. The marks on the screen have to be converted into symbols - then into words - and the words have to be linked to produce meaning. That takes effort.

Images Work

Images are different. They're decoded fast - a legacy of our caveman ancestors. Images can tell a story much better than words and they can embed an emotional content. However, you have to select the graphics carefully. You should only use relevant images that support what you say. One wrong graphic can detract from your argument.

Start With Your Core Message

When we develop graphics for our clients we don't start with the images. Instead we analyse the core messages and develop graphics to support and complement them - not the other way around. Then we develop animated graphics so the images, colours and timing re-enforce each message. That's proven to be very powerful.

Graphics - Use them carefully

Graphics are a great way to help people understand - but try to keep it simple. If you use a diagram make sure there are no more than five elements included. We find that "visual metaphors" are very powerful. They can be used to explain complex ideas in simple terms that a mixed audience will understand and accept. For example, use a traffic light example to explain why your complex pneumatic valve is better than the competition. If your audience think they understand your message you're one step closer to persuading them.

Presentation Software - Getting it to work

If you use PowerPointT or a similar presentation software package then you must understand how it works to get best results. Most people have some familiarity with office-based software packages and some executives think that this level of knowledge is enough to create a presentation. It is true that you can develop a PowerPointT presentation with very little knowledge of the software - but it shows. It will also slow you down. It'll take much longer to create a presentation if you don't know how the package is supposed to work - and there are always shortcuts.

How to learn PowerPointT

Based on our own experience the best way to learn PowerPoint™ is as follows:

* Play around

* Use paper

* Build the presentation

* Read the manual

Play Around

Start by playing around with the software. Develop a few pages using the templates, text boxes and other features. Get used to the interface. Don't worry about making mistakes.

Use Paper

Next, decide on an actual presentation you want to develop. Lay it out on paper. Make sure you have a list of the colours, fonts, images and other elements that you want to include.

Build the Presentation

Start to build the presentation using the software. If you run into any difficulties use the build-in help (F1) or ask someone who already has experience on the package. If you still have a specific difficulty you can use Google or another search engine to search the web.

Read the Manual

Once you have complete your first presentation read the manual. Yes, I know that's usually the last resort when something goes wrong but the manual can be very useful for something else. It will tell you about all the additional features that the software has that you (and most other people) hadn't even considered. If you use those conservatively your presentations will have an extra edge.

WCS Presentation Software

We have taken a different approach to the other presentation software packages. We developed our software to work immediately. It's actually possible to have a working presentation in less than 7 minutes because all the design and formatting decisions have already been made. You can learn more by clicking on the "software" button.