Presentation software: Avoid Death By PowerPoint

Every facility manager has sat through it at one point: The long, boring, droning sales presentation from a building service contractor. There’s too much irrelevant information, not enough relevant information, and the visual aids are sub-par.

Years ago, flip charts, overhead-projector films and handouts were the visual aids of choice for BSCs, but presentation packages such as PowerPoint or Keynote have largely rendered those devices obsolete. But with this new software has come some of the same old problems — garbled, cluttered and useless slides. Some people have called this "Death by Powerpoint."

But BSCs can avoid killing their presentations and boring their prospective customers by following a few guidelines for proper use of these new tools.

The right time
The first step in using PowerPoint effectively is proper timing, says Dannette Heeth, director of medical treatment facilities for Aztec Facility Services in Houston.

“PowerPoint can be a powerful tool, but only when used at the right stage of the sales process,” she says. “It’s useless during the first sales calls, and should only be used when the prospect has narrowed down the playing field to the top candidates. Typically, three finalists are asked to provide a presentation, and that’s when PowerPoint is used.”

Once the salesperson is in the door, he or she needs to wow the prospects, not put them to sleep. So, the slides must be creative.

“The problem with software like PowerPoint and Keynote is that marketing departments get involved, and they know nothing about sales,” says Jeffrey Gitomer, chief executive salesman for Buy Gitomer Inc., a consulting firm in Charlotte, NC . “They prepare boring slides. They prepare slides that are for reading, rather than for reinforcing the talk.”

Gitomer offers an example from a talk he led about leaving strong voice-mail messages:

“The object, when leaving a voice mail, is to get a response. But these executives were leaving a bunch of puke,” he says. “When I said that, I showed a slide of a pumpkin ‘vomiting’ seeds. It got the message across.”

Is that over the line? That’s the point, Gitomer argues.

“I’m over the line and I make a ton of money,” he says. “You need to go to where your comfort zone is, and then step one foot over it.”

Of course, the best way to avoid offending anyone by going over the line is to know the audience — one can take more liberties with some groups than others.

The information also should be presented logically, judiciously and neatly, says Heeth.

“Presentations should be crisp and clean; not too garbled,” she explains. “Too much information crowds the page and confuses the buyer.”

Gitomer is even more to the point:

“If the presenter says, ‘this slide is hard to read,’ kill them,” Gitomer says. Slides are free to replace, he says; if it’s obviously bad, make another.

The right style
Presentation style also can make or break a PowerPoint pitch.

“The sales person should practice the presentation enough times so that it flows naturally and easily off their tongue once they get in front of the buyer,” says Heeth. The experienced sales person does not read the presentation verbatim to the audience, but only discusses the top points on each page. Practice the presentation using the same equipment that will be used with the customer. This helps to ensure all equipment is in working order.”

The ability for the presenter to move around the room also is vital, says Gitomer.

“If a presenter advances their own slides without a remote, they look like an amateur,” he says. “They need to get a $99 remote so they’re not tied to their machines. When I see an executive tapping on a laptop [to advance a slide], I like to buy them a remote and send it as a gift.”

Hiding behind a podium also can be a problem, says Gitomer.

“A wireless mic is minimal; an over-the-ear mic is better,” he says.

Overall, says Gitomer, technology can be a great sales tool — if it is used as a tool, and not a crutch.

“The object of any technology is to convey a message more clearly,” he says. BSCs need to remember that their salespeople, and not the presentation software, are the experts.