Roughly 35 million PowerPoint presentations are given each day. – Poll Everywhere

The PowerPoint we’re all familiar with has been around since 1987. It has seen drastic changes, like any technology from the 80s, but it remains an integral part of the business world.

97% of business professionals use PowerPoint. – Forbes

There’s a reason PowerPoint is the preferred vehicle for presentation. Humans are a visual species; 90% of information transmitted to our brains is visual.1 It makes sense that in order to really drive a message home, it needs to have visual accompaniment.

The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text. – Thermopylae Sciences

Yet, according to the BBC, the software is “loved by some, hated by others.” Despite the evident positive outcomes of PowerPoint – it enables an estimated 500 million users worldwide to share their ideas2 – BBC notes its occasional drawbacks, including “simplifying ideas and distracting us from clear thinking.”

That’s why agencies like us exist. Our business-minded consultants are expert thinkers, and our creative marketing and information design specialists know how to simplify ideas the right way, without losing any critical information.

“PowerPoint is not the enemy! The enemy is the improper use of PowerPoint.” – Entrepreneur

We won’t be shy about it – we love PowerPoint. We have extensive experience helping businesses develop critical executive presentations or proposals start to finish, and we also provide B2B presentation consulting as well as copywriting, design, and editing assistance. Everything we do starts and ends with metrics, so here are just a few of the numbers we keep in mind when crafting presentations:

People are 65% more likely to retain a PowerPoint presentation than an oral presentation with no displays (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

We know that data alone is not enough to communicate a clear message. The information design of a particular set of data is of utmost importance in a viewer’s understanding, so we focus as much on the visual elements of our presentations as we do on the written content. Our designs are fresh, minimal, and effective, without excess ornamentation. Read more about our love of information design here.

Messages delivered as stories can be up to 22 times more memorable than just facts. (Quantified Communications)

We have an experienced team of creative storytellers that focus on the arc of a presentation as a whole, and how it should be tailored to appeal to specific audiences. For more on the nuances of telling a client story, read our post about getting client-provided content truly consumer ready.

Aiming to use less than 40 words in the first 10 slides can lead to a “memorable and engaging story instead of filling the slides with needless and distracting text.” – Entrepreneur

Our clients don’t come to us for “fluff.” We know how to cut through clutter to reach an audience and always strive to drive home the message in as few words as possible.

 

Remember that PowerPoint is still an incredibly relevant business tool, and extremely effective when used correctly. If you need consultation or hands-on help with presentations, Weber Associates can help make your marketing make more sales.

 

  1. Thermopylae Sciences
  2. Poll Everywhere

About Weber Associates

Weber Associates is a Columbus, OH-based consulting firm. Since 1985, we have blended the creativity of a marketing agency with the analytical rigor of a consultancy to help our clients solve real sales and marketing challenges so they can significantly grow revenues and customer loyalty.