Presentation

Design 101

For Sales and Marketing

Table of Contents

3 Introduction 8 Planning a Conversational

Presentation
4 The Benefits of Conversational Know your objective
Presenting Have an actual conversation (or two
It saves time or three)
It’s a focused approach Mind map it!
Audiences are truly engaged
Less pressure on the presenter
12 Designing a Conversational
The experience is more memorable Presentation
Figuring out your structure
Choosing the right colors
All about text

18 Conclusion
Introduction

No matter who you are, how much experience In this guide we’ll discuss a new approach to
you have, or the size of your audience, presenting presenting that caters to modern behaviors,
can be a tough gig. After all, you’re essentially as well as outline our top tips for designing
putting the spotlight on yourself and asking conversational presentations. In the end, we
everyone who’s watching to please like you and hope this guide will serve as a springboard
listen to what you have to say. to becoming a better presenter and a more
effective sales/marketing professional.
For those in sales and marketing, the need to
sustain a brand and make numbers can often
make a challenging circumstance like presenting
even more stressful. Today’s average audience
member, with their distracting devices and
temperamental attention spans, doesn’t exactly
help matters either.
CHAPTER ONE

The Benefits of
Conversational
Presenting
CHAPTER ONE: CONVERSATIONAL PRESENTING
At its most basic, conversational presenting
means to adapt the flow and content of your
presentation based on cues from your audience.
Rather than using slides, which often require
memorizing a script and saving Q&A for the
end, conversational presenting encourages
presenters to let their audience influence the
delivery of content right from the beginning.
Imagine how you consume information when
you visit a website. Chances are you don’t read
every bit of copy on every single page and
subpage before you’re satisfied. Instead, you
pick and choose the different bits you need
to make a decision, and then you leave. This is
exactly how conversational presenting works,
and for sales and marketing professionals, it can
make all the difference.
Consider all the time and energy that goes into
getting a meeting with a prospect. Between the
events, the travel, the dinners, the marketing
materials and the salaries, the total expenditure
leading up to a pitch is pretty hefty. Not putting
just as much thought and effort into the details
of the presentation itself is a major misstep, and
a primary blind spot in the quest to align sales
and marketing departments.
PAGE 5 OF 18
“...conversational presenting
encourages presenters to let
their audience influence the
delivery of content right from
the beginning.”
Here are some of the ways adopting a
conversational presenting style can help
close the gap:
It saves time
Conversational presenting allows you to get to
the key points of your presentation much quicker
than you can with slides. By ditching the script
and only presenting on what your audience
wants to know about, an hour long presentation
can easily be reduced to half, or even a quarter of
the time. In the end, you’re qualifying leads and
making sales a lot faster, which makes room for
more business.
CHAPTER ONE: CONVERSATIONAL PRESENTING
It’s a focused approach
It’s no secret that most people aren’t impressed
by the ‘About Us’ slide. Conversational presenting
is a focused approach, so you don’t need to
spend precious minutes on reviewing when your
company was founded or how many employees
you have. Instead, the narrative immediately
zooms in on the information your audience needs
to make a decision.
PAGE 6 OF 18
Audiences are truly engaged
For a presenter, few things are worse than
seeing your audience members’ eyes glaze over,
or watching as they pull out their phones during
your presentation. Unfortunately, we live in a
world where most people have grown extremely
fickle with their attention, requiring an almost
constant rotation of content to remain engaged
in a moment. Sometimes we even overlap: the
new-ish term “phubbing” means to maintain eye
contact while texting, for example.
Conversational presenting lends the flexibility
needed to change up the interactions that occur
during a presentation so you can keep the focus
where it should be. A presenter can easily go from
a statement to a question, from simply speaking
to sharing the presentation, and from controlling
the presentation to allowing the audience to drive
it. The more frequent the change, the harder it is
for the brain to look for stimulation elsewhere.
CHAPTER ONE: CONVERSATIONAL PRESENTING PAGE 7 OF 18

Less pressure on the presenter

Although memorized speeches can sometimes
make us appear more knowledgeable, memorizing
also creates a lot of unnecessary opportunity for
mistakes—such as forgetting a line or stumbling
over a word. Conversational presenting creates a
much more natural atmosphere than a rehearsed
show, leaving room for impromptu discussion and “Can we look at...”
allowing presenters ditch the script and many
related anxieties.

The experience is more memorable

When you allow space in your presentation

for your audience members to experience it as
contributors rather than just spectators, you invite
them to connect with the content. The deeper the
connection, the stronger the emotion associated
with the presentation, as well as the memory of it.
In a world where competition is high and time is
short, standing out and being memorable long after
the conversation is over is a much needed edge.

“No problem”
CHAPTER TWO

Planning a
Conversational
Presentation
CHAPTER TWO: PLANNING A CONVERSATIONAL PRESENTATION
You can’t predict exactly how a sales or marketing
conversation will go, but you can certainly make
an educated guess at the different directions it
could take. Putting in the time to consider your
content from a bird’s eye view will help you to
identify the primary sections and subsections of
your message, as well as the many avenues of
interest that will reveal themselves when you let
your audience do the driving.
Before After
ARE THINKING?
WHAT THEY
ARE DOING?
WHAT THEY
How do you want your audience’s perspective to change? What
actions do you want them to take? Plan out these shifts to make
sure all content aligns with your goals.
PAGE 9 OF 18
Know your objective
It might seem obvious, but defining what you
want your audience to do after they’ve heard
your message is crucial to any presentation,
conversational or not. If you lose sight of your
primary objective, your presentation could come
off as directionless.
Begin your planning session by considering
the perspective of your audience before
your presentation. What do they think of your
topic? What actions related to your topic are
they performing? Next, think about what you
want them to think about your topic after the
presentation and what actions you’d like them
to take.
Write the answers to these four questions down
and keep them nearby when building out the
content for your presentation (the more specific
you can be the better). You should try to ensure
that all content helps change your audience’s
perspective from what it currently is to what you
want it to be.
CHAPTER TWO: PLANNING A CONVERSATIONAL PRESENTATION PAGE 10 OF 18

Have an actual conversation (or Questions Objections Observations

two or three)
Once you’ve nailed down your key takeaways
and desired actions, it’s time to put them to the
test by way of real life conversations.

Call up a colleague and introduce your idea the

way you would in an actual meeting (if you know
someone who works in your target market, even
better). Let the person on the other line ask
questions, and take note of what those questions
lead to. Ask for general feedback — both good
and bad — and listen carefully for any objections
or moments of hesitation.

Try to have this conversation with as many
people as possible before you begin building
your presentation. The goal here is to identify
the content you need to achieve the before
and after results you outlined in the last step.
Once you have an idea of the variety of reactions
your objective will receive, organize them into
three columns: questions, objections and
observations.
When these three columns are fleshed out,
use them as a guide for creating content that
addresses each question and each challenge, as
well as content that builds on points of interest.
You can of course include additional material
(part of the beauty of conversational presenting
is that there’s no risk of information overload),
but these three columns will serve as an outline
for what’s essential.
CHAPTER TWO: PLANNING A CONVERSATIONAL PRESENTATION PAGE 11 OF 18

Mind map it! Once you’ve created topics out of your most
asked questions, consider the top objections and
When you’ve collected all of your feedback and observations you heard and place them under
created the corresponding content, a mind map the relevant topic. This is how you will form
is a great way to visualize everything you’ve got your subtopics:
in context. Think of it like a blueprint: mapping out
the conversation will give you a complete view of
your story, as well as reveal any areas where you obstacles
current learnings
might need to add information. status

Start by putting your objective at the center of the timeline

map. Next, connect the top four or so questions project action
from your earlier conversations to this central report items
idea. These will become your primary topics: team

next
overview steps
change
current learnings plan
status goals risks

You can continue to branch out your subtopics into

project more specific information until you’re satisfied
report with the outcome. Remember, no amount of
i n fo r m a t i o n i s to o m u c h w h e n i t c o m e s
to conversational presenting. What’s most
next important in the design phase is to organize your
overview steps information in a way that reflects the natural flow
of conversation.
CHAPTER THREE

Designing a
Conversational
Presentation
CHAPTER THREE: DESIGNING A CONVERSATIONAL PRESENTATION PAGE 13 OF 18

Figuring out the structure

Prezi Business offers many templates that
you can use or make your own with various
adjustments. To select the right template,
consider the shape of your message.

Project Report COMPETITIVE

Your Mission
for COMPANY by NAME ADVANTAGE
Flight Control
SALES PITCH
Customers
Plan
Lessons
on Board

Project Learned SERVICE

Take Off
in 2017 Intro
Next
SALES Current Steps
ABOUT ACHIEVEMENTS TIMELINE

KICKOFF Status SUMMARY

For instance, if what you want to talk
about is how your strategy is going to
increase success, choose an upwards
template.
If you’re pitching a concept that has
many different facets to consider, select
a layout that puts an even amount of
emphasis on each primary topic.
If it’s a conversational sales pitch you’re
after, try a template that uses size and
shape to put different levels of emphasis
on different topics. Place your most-
asked about topic in the largest bubble,
and save the extra bits and bobs that may
or may not get brought up for the smaller
ones.
CHAPTER THREE: DESIGNING A CONVERSATIONAL PRESENTATION PAGE 14 OF 18

Choosing the right colors
Prezi Business templates and custom branding
options are a great place to start for any
professional, but if you’re building out a custom
presentation from scratch, there are a few
best practices to keep in mind. We’ll start with
choosing the right colors.
It’s widely known that humans are visual
creatures, but few realize how much of an impact
the colors that make up those visuals have on
how we feel and respond to information. Our
color associations are not merely preferences,
they’re also influenced by culture and evolution.
Presentations that are not only visual but also
thoughtful when it comes to color, have a better
chance of effectively communicating their
message.
In order to choose the right colors, start by
determining what feeling you’re trying to convey.
This guide will help you to match your message
with its mood:

Red Orange Yellow Green Blue

passion, invigoration, friendliness, nature, knowledge,
anger, fun, happiness, refreshment, trust,
vigor, liveliness, youth, growth, tranquility,
speed energy cheer balance security

Purple Pink Gray Brown Blue Black

royalty, nurture, purity, seriousness, impartiality, formality,
wisdom, warmth, virtue, reliability, compromise, luxury,
spirituality, friendliness, cleanliness, earthiness, maturity, secrecy,
autority softness peace toughness composure glamour
CHAPTER THREE: DESIGNING A CONVERSATIONAL PRESENTATION
Once you’ve used mood to determine your
base color, you can move on to choosing the
rest of them. A dash of color theory helps here—
consider one of the following themes:
Monochromatic: one color in multiple
shades or hues. A monochromatic theme
will give your presentation a feeling of
harmony.
Complementary: two colors across from
each other on the color wheel in multiple
shades or hues. This combination demands
attention. When we see complementary
colors next to each other, it overloads our
brains, so use this scheme when you want
to make a splash.
PAGE 15 OF 18
Triadic: three colors equally spaced
around the color wheel, with small
variations in shades or hues. To use a
triadic successfully, the colors should be
carefully balanced. Try letting one color
dominate and use the two others for
accents, for example.
Analogous: two colors right next to each
other on the color wheel in various hues/
shades. This approach adds a nice level
of variety, but is still fairly safe. Analogous
colors are good for helping people pay
attention and take in complicated topics
without overwhelming them.
CHAPTER THREE: DESIGNING A CONVERSATIONAL PRESENTATION PAGE 16 OF 18

All about text

The content in your presentation should support
PROJECT
your overall message, not be a substitute for REPORT ROAD
BLOCKS NEXT
it. That said, it’s important to make sure your STEPS
CURRENT
audience is listening to you rather than using all STATUS
of their focus to read the text displayed on the
screen. When you add text to your presentations,
take care to make sure it’s big enough to read,
PROJECT
but doesn’t steal the show; informative, but not
ROADMAP
dense; and placed with intention rather than just
slapped up there any old way.

When it comes to labeling your topics in Prezi

Business, short titles are best because they’re
easier for viewers to digest and help presenters
get to where they’re going quickly. You can even
PROJECT
replace your labels with shapes or illustrations REPORT
if they are clearly representative enough of
each topic.
CHAPTER THREE: DESIGNING A CONVERSATIONAL PRESENTATION
When it comes to choosing a font, go for something
that’s easy to read. Decorative fonts are fun, but
can be so distracting they take away from your
message. Presentations work best with a sans
serif font (they’re more legible), especially if they’re
being read from far away. A few extra pointers:
Helvetica and Futura are legible at most
font sizes.
Rockwell is bold, suitable for a headline or point
you want to hammer home to your audience.
PAGE 17 OF 18
Classic styles such as Helvetica, Futura,
Rockwell, Gill Sans, and Garamond are some of
the best options for body copy in presentations.
Keep in mind that bullet points may seem
audience-friendly, but they can be distracting
(think of where your eyes zoom to when you
skim an article). Keep the attention on you.
Instead of several points per frame, try to
focus on displaying a single message at a
time. And remember, a visual representation
that supports your point is more effective at
conveying the message than more text.
Conclusion
Sustaining a brand and making numbers will
always be an uphill climb for sales and marketing
teams, but presenting doesn’t have to be. Here
at Prezi, we believe our approach to sharing
information will help you give presentations that
are more intuitive and powerful than ever before.
Great communication is all about the ability to
share something your audience can truly connect
Try us out today at prezi.com.
with, and our dynamic, conversational approach
helps accomplish that in a way that can’t be done
through scripted interactions or static slides.
Whether you’re a seasoned expert or new to the
game, crushing it in sales or laser-focused on
marketing, we’re confident the Prezi way will help
you become a more effective professional.