Once again I am venturing into dangerous territory with this newsletter (read: 5 reasons why graphic designers can't make a PowerPoint)… but every day I speak to marketing professionals who struggle with the company's presentation(s). Presentations lacking quality and with an incoherent story. And a proliferation of presentations circulating within the company. Everyone makes their own version. With great dissatisfaction as a result, because the PowerPoint presentation does not have the same quality as the other marketing materials. We see 5 key reasons for this...

1. No time for presentations

Marketers have many ongoing projects and multiple campaigns. A presentation worked out down to the last detail is not always at the top of the to-do list. As a quick fix, they reach for a standard PowerPoint template that everyone has to make do with. But that often does not result in a professional presentation. And if a complete presentation is offered at all, it is a ‘one size fits all' presentation.

2. Limited graphic knowledge

A professional presentation must of course align with the corporate house style and branding. That way, the look becomes consistent with the other marketing tools. A PowerPoint supports the story being told and must therefore be built up graphically. Icons, graphic elements, images.... For this translation you need graphic knowledge and training. Marketing professionals often have no or limited graphic training. And that is reflected in the layout of the slides.

3. Insufficient PowerPoint knowledge

Research has shown that most users know and use only 20% of PowerPoint's possibilities. It is with that 20% that you can set up a fine basic presentation but not an exceptional one. We have full command of the programme and use it to create dynamism and interactivity throughout the entire presentation. ‘Is that a PowerPoint?' is a frequently asked question when we present the result to our customers. Mission accomplished!

4. Not everything you do yourself, you do better

Marketers are aces at setting up a marketing strategy and rolling it out. But making a clear and convincing presentation is another matter. Just as making a website or designing a brochure does not belong to their core capabilities. Creating a powerfully built story and designing professional slides and presentations is a specialisation. Moreover, an outside view of a presentation's content is a great advantage in getting to the essence. A sales presentation is not a company presentation, and a company presentation is not a pitch presentation. A different objective and therefore a tailored structure. Work for specialists.

5. Climbing a mountain begins with taking the first step

Let's be honest. PowerPoint is used within a company for all sorts of different purposes. As a result, the proliferation is enormous. Mistakes are copied and everyone has their own idea about how it should look and what it should contain. Many marketers see a huge mountain that has to be climbed to bring about change here, and miss the path to the top. We see that many marketers do realise the company presentation(s) are not professional enough, but do not know how to improve or solve it. It requires a structural approach and follow-up to set this process in motion.

Sound familiar? Then it is time to tackle your presentations. At Smartpresentations we help you take your presentations to a higher level with a convincingly clear story and professional design. After all, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

Do you have an important presentation coming up soon?