In the scenario of fierce competition where enterprises aim to outshine each other, they strive for innovative ideas to present their views. Marketers crave to present ideas in an inimitable manner. A businessperson presents his views through various types of media and in diverse ways. Multimedia presentations are one of the media that offers flexibility to the user to present his opinion in distinctive ways. With such refined electronic tools, one can make an effective demonstration.

There are few points that one should consider while preparing a good presentation. If you have a topic in your hands, you should conduct extensive research. The research on a topic is essential as the knowledge on the theme gives you a clear picture of the entire subject. You are able to assimilate numerous points to highlight and speak in your presentation session. This stage consumes time but thorough knowledge of the subject proves effective at the time of answering queries of the audience. You should study the related topics of the subject. This will widen your horizon of knowledge.

Another vital factor is that one should understand his audiences. He should not only present the information about which people are aware but should also present some knowledge that a person does not know. One should use short sentences and write in bullet points. Short sentences help a viewer to grasp the details faster as compared to a long text. A person should not cram all the details together. Keep the sentences simple for clarity. Visual aids help in explaining the topic more quickly.

Graphics, images or pictures create a visual impact on the mind of a viewer. It enables the audience to absorb the detail and remember it for long. You can insert tables, graphs and columns for clear explanation of the point. Another factor to consider is that one should not use pictures that do not explain the text. The role of using graphics is that they can describe the text with clarity. A presenter can also use props if the need arises. You can use sound effects and visual effects to create an impact and engage a viewer’s mind.

Effective presentations help in presenting your ideas in the best manner possible and convincing the audiences about what you have to speak. Create an everlasting impression with a good presentation.

Anything a company furnishes you with to become a better salesperson should be taken advantage of, and that includes “The Sales Presentation Manual”. The sales manual presents a step by step description of the product tightly constructed so that nothing is left out. They are particularly useful for new salespeople or salespeople who have not made many presentations.

Some seasoned salespeople however, dislike using sales aids that are so tightly structured, they feel they are too restrictive and do not leave much room for interpretation, but for the inexperienced or unseasoned presenter they are very beneficial. Sales Manuals come in a variety of forms and sizes. They are a clear adjunct to the presentation.

Using the manual correctly can furnish you with these clear advantages:

1- You get the best results out of using a manual if you first go through it, understand it, and become familiar with it. Familiarize yourself with it so you don’t stutter or stumble your way through it in front of the customer. Practice going through it until you sound smooth while putting your points across with relative ease.

2- When you cover a point, the prospect sees it and has it explained so there is no possibility of confusion or misunderstanding. Make sure the prospect understands each point before you move on to the next one.

3- As with any presentation remain in control. This is very important. Do not let the prospect “flip through it”, handle it or or knock you out of sequence. If they attempt to do any of these things take back control as quickly as possible with as little flair as possible, but take back control.

4- Do not read through it verbatim. Follow it closely as previously mentioned but do not appear as if you are stoic or lecturing. Attach your own personality to it. As with any presentation, tailor it as much as possible to your own style and set of selling skills but follow it as closely as possible for content.

The “Sales Manual” is an excellent way to cover all the relevant and essential parts of a product in the simplest way possible without omitting anything. It is an excellent sales aid particularly for inexperienced presenters. One important thing to remember, it is still your interpretation that brings it to life.

PowerPoint is a powerful business tool but only if it is used to its best advantage. Matt Thornhill, President of Audience First, a Midlothian, VA business that offers presentation training says, “PowerPoint makes slides; it doesn’t give presentations. Remember that you are creating slides to support a spoken presentation.” With that in mind, here are eight things you can do to create powerful slides to support your presentations.

1. Keep it simple. Don’t use too many words or too many graphics. Figures and numbers do not translate well on screen. Refer to figures and numbers in your handouts where they can be digested more thoroughly, later. If you need to emphasize a statistic in PowerPoint, consider using a graphic or image to convey the point.

2. Use fonts judiciously. Use the same font for your entire slide set and use no more than two complementary fonts (i.e. Ariel and Arial Bold). Regardless of what font style you choose, be sure the text can be seen in the back of the room. A font size of no less than 24 pt should be used for general text. For titles or headings, use 36 to 44 points

3. Use color well. A white or light background with black or dark text works best. A screen image with a dark background and light text will wash out, but dark text on a light background will maintain its visual intensity.

4. Don’t use cheesy or tired clip art. If you found your image in the clipart library that came with PowerPoint, your audience has seen it 1000 times. Use outside images and graphics for variety and visual appeal.

5. Limit bullet points and text. The best slides may have no text at all. Remember the slides are meant to support the speaker, not make the speaker superfluous. Well designed slides are worthless without the presentation that accompanies them; you’ll know you have achieved this when someone who missed your presentation asks you for your slides and later tells you they had no idea what the point of the presentation was.

6. Use bullet points properly. Bullet point should never contain full sentences. Use bullet points to deliver key ideas. Remember the 6 x 6 rule: bullet points should have no more than six words and there should be no more than six bullet points on the screen.

7. Have a visual theme. Similar to the library of clip art available in PowerPoint, it’s probable that your audience has seen every template which is available through the program. Go online to find other PowerPoint designs that are available or create your own with a simple background and color scheme.

8. Avoid movement of slide elements. While moving text or graphics around on the slide may look like fun, it’s very distracting to the audience. Avoid the “build” animation feature unless it is imperative that your points be revealed slowly.