A PowerPoint presentation design is what stands between the salesperson and the buyer or decision-maker. That means that it can either be a barrier or an introduction, and PowerPoint training can make sure that the presentation becomes the second: an introduction which creates a good impression of the person presenting it, makes the idea or plan being presented seem new and exciting, and begins a great relationship. Because this first impression is so powerful, most people who are used to selling ideas, services or products are well aware of the importance of their presentations.
Once upon a time, presentations would simply involve someone getting up and speaking, perhaps while referring to notes. The extremely common use of presentation software has changed all that – now, everyone knows that software applications like PowerPoint are available to make presentations more exciting and memorable. However, there is a problem. When PowerPoint software first appeared, simply knowing how to use it was enough to convey the impression of a competent and innovative person. But nowadays, most decision makers are swamped with poorly put together presentations and are used to yawning through them: just knowing how to put a presentation together doesn’t mean that the person using it has created an interesting, arresting or convincing impression in others’ minds.
This isn’t the fault of PowerPoint software, which remains one of the most flexible and powerful ways to create and deliver a impactful presentation. Rather, the problem with PowerPoint is that it’s so easy to grasp the basics, that people often forget or don’t realise that they need advanced PowerPoint training to be able to put across their ideas in a really interesting way.
This is partly because most people using PowerPoint presentation software, even for important presentations regarding crucial deals or sales, are self taught. Picking up the basics in the course of a morning will not make for a useful presentation – and if the person presenting is not good at public speaking, they can fall into the trap of using a projected presentation as a shield.
Luckily, PowerPoint training can do away with confidence issues by providing solid skills for nervous presenters to fall back on – as well as technical tips and tricks to turn a limp PowerPoint presentation into an exciting one. And because an exciting presentation means that listeners will be excited by the product or idea the presentation is displaying, there is nothing more valuable to a salesperson.