Giving a presentation is similar to marketing and advertising. You want clients to invest in your idea in the same way that company ads convince you to buy their products.
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This is why branding matters when pitching to an audience. This principle not only extends to your company, it also defines your presentation ideas and style.
Think about how certain companies advertise themselves.
Renowned author Jim Aitchison cites how Avis Taxi is marketed as the humble yet hardworking number two option. Compared to this, Volkswagen’s early ads talk about practicality while Volvo banked on safety as its defining trait. Having this kind of consistency is crucial for building your own brand as a speaker.
Why We Need Branding
Every client operates under their own corporate values. Find which ones are compatible with your company to establish a certain level of trust, especially when offering your products. Doing this over and over builds your reputation over time.
Why do people immediately give their undivided attention to speakers like Al Gore or Steve Jobs? Why do they have their own unique approach to giving speeches?
They didn’t earn this undivided attention overnight. The more they pitched, the more they gained experience and refined their styles. This style became their personal brand, their standard for PowerPoint content and tone.
Building Your Personal Brand
Businesses should be familiar with their identity and image to effectively market themselves.
For example, Starbucks doesn’t just sell coffee. Brand communications specialist Carmine Gallo shows how it promotes a comfortable environment for its patrons, a so-called third place between work and home. This true purpose affects how they present themselves.
Ideally, aligning your purpose with your company can define your core beliefs as a person. This builds yourself as a brand.
A person who believes in keeping people relaxed can incorporate humor as needed. A straightforward person can immediately begin with the PowerPoint’s main thesis, while a friendly person would appeal to listeners by citing similar experiences to concretize their discussions.
Take Lessons From The Pros
From the words of ad veteran Luke Sullivan, there will always be people who have already tackled problems that you will soon face.
People have dealt with things like keeping the audience entertained during technical glitches and finding benefits your products can bank on, sometimes in a fun and entertaining way.
Given all these possible scenarios, only you can decide how to handle them in a way that makes you memorable. Take a few tips from Interbrand’s Chuck Brymer and see how the way you speak also affects the way you build your personal brand .
Conclusion
As you gain more career experience, you’ll figure out what works for you and what doesn’t.
Some people prefer to ease a tense atmosphere before diving into the heart of their topics, while others keep their slide content to a minimum, allowing for a more conversational presentation.
Staying consistent to and committing yourself to your corporate values greatly influences how you present.
Pitching your products in an interesting, original and imaginative way will let you sell them the way great businesses do.
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References
“3 Secrets from the Most Trusted Brands Around.” SlideGenius, Inc. October 01, 2013. Accessed May 5, 2015.
Aitchison, J. Cutting Edge Advertising (2nd Ed.). Jurong, Singapore. Prentice Hall, 2004
Brymer, C. “What Makes Brands Great.” Marketing Magazine. 2004. Accessed May 5, 2015.
Gallo, C. The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience. New York. McGraw-Hill, 2010
Sullivan, L. Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This! A Guide to Creating Great Ads. Hoboken, NJ – J. Wiley & Sons, 2008.
“Using Common Values in PowerPoint Presentations.” SlideGenius, Inc. April 21, 2015. Accessed May 5, 2015.
