Presentation success with the right mix of training
Of course, it’s important to give people all they need to properly position themselves, their company, their topic, and their message in presentations, and achieve the success they desire. In addition, they shouldn’t test their audience’s patience. This raises the question of strategy in relation to an overall corporate presentation objective, plus questions about the range and availability of seminars, personalized support and methods used, and yet more questions about classroom training, online training, personal coaching, about in-house training, or external course providers.
Discrepancy between training programs offered and the need for action
The results of a Strategy Compass international study on presentations show that most companies offer presentation training. And yet there are also surprising discrepancies when these offers are matched with the identified needs for action.
Components of success
A successful presentation is the sum of multiple components: Good technical skills, high-quality content and design, and a convincing delivery. But not everyone contributing to a presentation has or needs all of these. The focus differs depending on the target group within the company.
Technical skills
These include simple basic training courses on how to implement predefined slides in PowerPoint. There are a number of web-based training solutions which teach the software basics. In addition to a basic understanding of PowerPoint and its key functions, however, there are other important factors which can be taught better by a coach. A coach familiar not just with the software, but also the fundamental design principles and, particularly, the specifications of your corporate design and company-specific aids. The critical issue in practice is less about how to apply animations, but rather how to use your corporate template wisely, and which formatting options are allowed or prohibited by the corporate design.
High-quality content and design
PowerPoint trainers can’t normally teach these things. For example, how to convince decision-makers in specific situations, what makes a story, what options there are for visuals, and how to design good slides. The choice of providers here is quite limited; you can generally choose between external providers and training courses or in-house training usually by external experts. We believe the following points are important for your success:
- The coach must be familiar with your specific requirements, for instance, template and design guidelines. Slide design must always be in keeping with your corporate identity, so the techniques and tips they give you can be adapted to your context.
- As a training participant you should practice using your own examples. Many of the methods are easy to grasp, but very difficult to apply in the complexity of your own project. You therefore need a competent sparring partner to support you with this.
- The context of your organization must be actively incorporated. Only then is it possible to generate new ideas and approaches that can be implemented in everyday reality, with its time constraints, complex interpersonal relationships, and input from other departments which is hard to influence.
Personal delivery
This is what ultimately brings your presentation to life. It’s the performance that convinces listeners, captures their interest, makes them fans or facilitates their decisions, regardless of whether it’s an internal or external presentation. As a presenter, you’re not only a brand ambassador; you’re the ambassador for your area, your subject field and, not least, for yourself. This is where role-based coaching and personal presentation, speech and voice training come in. They require good briefings. They’re what top off your success.
If you’ve developed a general concept for these areas using basic formats, you’ll also have the freedom to support and tailor these competencies with highly personalized coaching sessions based on your individual needs or specific events.