Creating an audiovisual presentation that can sell your idea

Creating an audiovisual presentation that can sell your idea

The presentation is the basic building block of the sales process. Over decades it has evolved, but it has stayed ever present: the audiovisual presentation is still an excellent way of communicating your product or service to prospective customers. Whether you are a business startup looking for investment, or an established enterprise growing its customer base, an audiovisual presentation is a key sales tool and an important stop on the road to success.

You can achieve a lot with an audiovisual presentation

Audiovisual presentations have a lot going for them – the visual aids of an on-screen presentation are extremely helpful – an audience can absorb thoughts and ideas with greater ease through the help of photographs, diagrams, and graphics. Adding the appropriate layers of sound including a suitable selection of introduction music enhances the effects of any visual aspects by setting the right mood for the audience. Royalty-free stock audio by Dreamstime is a terrific way of adding an audio background to what could otherwise be bland visuals.

Your presentation can also be adjusted and enhanced over time: examine the audience reaction after each viewing and talk to participants to find out how they feel about the presentation. Modify your presentation based on the feedback, and over time you will find that that your tightly crafted audiovisual presentation becomes increasingly powerful in selling your idea.

Planning and preparation

By far the most important part of an audiovisual presentation that you must get right is the narrative. Your presentation should tell a story – humans respond to stories, and stories are much more memorable than pure cold facts. An audiovisual presentation needs to be carefully planned with a narrative that has a beginning, middle, and end – or indeed three key points. Taking your audience on a journey, facts and figures included, is much more effective than leaving it to raw data alone.

It goes without saying, but you must research your target audience – making the presentation relevant is very important. You can use a base presentation that is customized for each showing, depending on the views and needs of the particular audience. Through your research, you may identify common questions and concerns that your audience will have and you can address these by including relevant points in the presentation.

It is also worth trialing your presentation in front of an audience, even if it is just family or colleagues. Though you may think some ideas you have included work well, they might not – and it is best to have these evaluated in a friendly environment first. A test run will also iron out any technical issues, while boosting your confidence levels – even if the audiovisual presentation is terrific, as the host, if you come across as nervous, it could have a detrimental effect.

Presentation day

Though you may be counting on the presentation itself to do the heavy lifting, you will still be introducing it – and taking questions afterwards. A bit of confidence and showmanship will go a long way, so be very positive about your product and exude enthusiasm. Technical glitches are not uncommon, so anticipate them and handle them gracefully and with a sense of humor if any issues do occur.

A question and answer session after the presentation is also very important. Each audience will have different concerns and views, and allowing participants to question you on the content of the presentation will give you the opportunity to allay any concerns that remain. Q&A sessions are also excellent for including additional information that you think will be helpful based on audience feedback.

Connecting with your audience

Remember that business is based on relationships, and that relationships sell. It may not seem obvious at first, but an audiovisual presentation is a key tool to building a relationship with your prospects. It comes down to a summary of some of the points mentioned earlier: the express intent of your presentation should be to form a new connection between your audience and your business, product, or service.

It is perhaps the most difficult part of building the presentation, but it is also the most crucial – putting yourself in the shoes of your audience members throughout the presentation process. One trick used by expert presenters is to pause presentations at key moments to engage in a discussion with the audience. Not only does this present the opportunity to provide answers to questions, it will also grab the attention of any participants whose minds are beginning to wander.