More survey results from Distinction Communication’s 2009 Annual Presentation Impact Survey…
Q4. What best describes the PowerPoint presentations your team delivers?
26.1% High caliber and well-designed presentations
25.2% Pretty simple – sometimes bordering on too elementary
33.3% Way too much information being communicated on our slides
15.4% Other (Possible meaning just “average”)
Nearly 60% were not very proud of their presentations! (Remember, this survey was positioned around high stakes presentations) That’s not very good news since we seem to place more emphasis these days on PowerPoint than the skills associated with actually delivering the messages. (Need proof? How much has your company spent on getting some delivery skills coaching in the last year?) Once again these results would seem to represent a terrible irony. As previously reported, over 86% of those surveyed felt good presentations and presenting skills directly impact their careers and income.
Perhaps the root cause lies in the origins of PowerPoint. In 1986-87, presenters were just coming off a time where expensive service bureaus were the only path to nice looking computer graphic slides (and an alternative to “foils”). Then came the unbelievable promise from Microsoft… ”anyone can create a dazzling presentation” and everyone tried. When that proved not to be the case, a “good enough” mentality begin to permeate the entire crazy process and little has changed in 30 years as reflected in this survey question.
It’s not that we’ve stopped striving for better presentations. The current trend of individuals migrating to Apple’s Keynote in hopes of creating better visuals is proof of that. But too often, although the tools seem to change,the end results does not. See if you agree with my blog…Never the Paintbrush – Always the Artist.
What this means to you…
Before you get dismayed with the whole process and go looking for the closest bridge, there’s hope for better, more professional presentations. And it comes in the form of three great resources…
A new breed of presentation user-conference – The Presentation Summit October 17-20, 2010 – San Diego. This annual conference brings together those who are serious about elevating the caliber of their presentation design skills. You’ll get an opportunity to learn from the best in the world!
Best practice presentation design repositories - SlideShare
Let’s face it, good design is often a bit subjective but you will find hundreds of great examples of how people have taken more unique approaches to creating great visuals. Hang out there and troll for some fresh ideas.
Presentation design professionals – Distinction Communication, Inc.
A Google search under “presentation designers” will yield about 77,000 responses. But beware, not all designers are created equal. The last thing you need is a desktop publishing person who dabbles in presentation design. Be sure to review their portfolios and make sure they can also bring to the table the ability to help you with the messaging piece. The “prettiest” slides in the world are pointless unless the underlying story is compelling.
To receive a copy of the entire survey, visit our website and sign up for our Mark of Distinction eNewsletter. All the results from the December 2009 Presentation Impact Survey will be in the March 2010 issue. Don’t miss it!
