Pitch Decks Publications Pumpkins Oh My

The trade show and fall meeting schedules are as abundant as the pumpkins in the patch.

• When was the last time you stepped back to REALLY look at your current presentation and supporting collateral?
• Are these key marketing tools outdated? 
• Lacking the solid connection to your current messaging?
• Has your visual branding evolved?

Pumpkin Chunkin' Round 1 

Slapping your logo on a stock template your assistant may have download for mere dollars is NOT the best path to creating brand awareness. The CEO of a point-of-sale technology and services company contacted me after viewing my pitch decks on Slideshare.net. He shared with me the current state of his presentation, frustrated that it lacked any connection to his company. The content needed to be tweaked and a template created for an upcoming sales webinar in a few days. Digging deep into the company's website and other supporting material, I created initial composite designs for the client's approval and went to work importing the content. The CEO would edit accordingly. The custom template included images, color palette and fonts which complimented the current branding. Also suggested that the CEO consider a customer-centric design for each of the three major market segments served. 

Pumpkin Chunkin' Round 2 

Another client was invited to present his company to a high-profile industry event, the catch NO POWERPOINT. The CEO of this technology services company, in the oil & gas industry, was confident in his ability to make the presentation without the slides, but wanted a "leave behind" (aka fact sheet) to highlight the investment appeals. We extracted key slides from the existing pitch deck, tweaked copy, updated data and designed an attract single page sell sheet. This high impact piece will serve as an extension of the speech...simple and elegant.

Whether it's an upcoming online webinar or in-person presentation, take a hard look at your materials and ask yourself how these will serve your goals. I offer a Free Consultation to review your pitch deck and assess how we can align it with your task-at-hand.

Structure & Clarity Rocket Your Presentation

My faith in a well-structured presentation has been restored when a client recently asked:

“Does the flow of the presentation cover all the key points for an investor pitch?”

Referencing my “Universal Pitch Deck–The Ultimate 12-Slide Structure for Any Presentation” it was easy diagnose the client’s presentation:

1. Overview/Intro
2. The Problem
3. The Solution
4. Opportunity & Market
5. Technology
6. Competitive Advantage (USP)
7. Competitive Landscape
8. Market Strategy
9. Financial Roadmap
10. Management Team
11. Current Status
12. Summary

The Competitive Advantage is the pinnacle of the presentation, we lead the audience to crescendo. You’ve got their attention, now guide them to the closing (the ASK).

Interestingly, this presentation replaced text heavy and clip-art slided with well-designed illustrations for the Solution, Opportunity & Market and Technology.

45 Slides in 30 Minutes?

Today, I received a 45-slide deck for review and recommendation. This well-designed draft is currently suited for a tradeshow or business conference not an investor and analyst audience.

The core message is hidden behind complex Photoshop’d backgrounds and overuse of ‘expert’ quotes and illegible charts.

The first step will be the “big picture” view via the Slide Sorter and begin to pull irrelevant slides, shift and combine slides into an articulate story structure focused on the core message for the intended audience.

Structure and clarity should be your creative strategy to stay focused on core message. I firmly believe that your audience will be more responsive. I was just discussing with my client (same PPT) the value he places on ample Q&A time to dig deeper into content and audience engagement.

Celebrate and be safe, happy 4h of July.

New Technology + Existing Market = New Pitch Deck

The past two months have been a whirlwind of activity, pushing my monthly newsletter to the back burner.  As a marketer, we all know this is a bad habit. However, focusing on successful results for client projects is a good thing.

Since early April, I’ve been immersed in several publishing projects: annual reports (2), software user’s manual, pitch decks (2 or 3), conference program, marketing brochures and simple webpages.

Today, I’d like to share a success story.

New energy technology start-up, GasTechno Energy and Fuels, hit the road in May to meet with prospective investors. Then, immediately back at the airport for an oil/gas industry event. Both required presentations and at a minimum a fact sheet.

After years of “start-up” mode, GasTechno was ready to take a more aggressive lead with its marketing. Conversations with the CEO, as the private placement was nearing completion, were about a fresh/modern design to wrap around the key message(s).

Despite the 30-slide deck, the client was rigorous with copy editing; choosing words/phrases carefully, even whittling the amount of data being presented. The use of infographics and strong visuals supported the core message.

The result was a deck that has proven itself to be great companion to the overall presentation, a successful first round of investments.

Immediately thereafter, the CEO headed to a gas/energy conference for meetings with a different audience (energy company analysts and engineers). We pulled several slides from the investor deck and updated slides from an existing presentation. A thorough “going over” to ensure overall design consistency was needed...all under very tight deadline.

The result for this hybrid deck was highly receptive. Contracts [close to being] signed and GasTechno has been awarded funds from new technology grants on state and national levels.

Congratulations to GasTechno Energy and Fuels, especially Walt and the opportunity to part of the company’s new launch this year. Much continued success!

Pitch Session Evaluation: Technori Pitch Chicago (Part 2)

Last month I attended a PechaKucha Chicago and Technori Pitch both very impressive and kudos to all who stepped onto the stage with a story to tell. Both community based, with PechaKucha more entertainment versus Technori business oriented. 

My interest was in the presentation styles, the delicacies of ‘how to say it’ and ‘get to the point’.  The following observations rely heavily on my Toastmasters evaluation protocol.


See my review and 'takeaways' in my PechaKucha article. 

Technori Pitch is a monthly showcase of innovative starters, showcasing what they have just launched.

Designed to be a showcase of launching startups, Technori Pitch gathers 550 people together in Chicago, every single month, to watch as five startups launch on-stage. With a production quality that far exceeds comparable events, Pitch is designed to elevate the startup showcase to a level on-par with theater experience.

October's theme was non-profits and/or social conscious companies. Arriving a few minutes late and standing in the back while the keynote speaker, a fund manager gave her introduction about the marketplace for such investments.

Upon reviewing my notes, I began to notice a pattern:

• Taming Your Bridge Words
• Move Away From the Lectern
• Graphics/Images Connect with Your Ideas
• The "Ask"

Ah, Oh, and Um–Taming Your Bridge Words

The keynote presenter was highly educated. However, I somehow sensed that she might have been called upon at the last minute to participate and lacked adequate rehearsal/practice. And, her use of bridge or filler words ("so", "um", "ah") was extensive.

Move Away From the Lectern

Chase Auditorium, where Technori Pitch is held, has a lectern on stage; which might be a permanent fixture. Recalling it was in the same place during a taping of "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" show last year. This lectern or podium was an anchor for most of the presenters throughout the Technori evening. Thus, you are standing in one spot, hugging onto the lectern and creating a barrier with your audience. Only one presenter stepped away from the lectern, expanding his space and connecting with the audience.

Graphics/Images Connect with Your Ideas

A presentation (speech or keynote address) requires planning. Period. Once you have your idea and outline, it is time to work on the slides. Writing your speech and planning the slides should you hand-in-hand. This process cannot be rushed. The rewards for all the advance planning are a clear message, confidence and an attentive audience. 

Here are a couple of things to consider when working with your designer or presentation coach with regard to graphics.

• Refrain from downloading images from the web unless you have purchased or acquired via appropriate usage licensing. A fuzzy, blurry, out of scale image is amateurish and should be avoided.
• Select images that best convey your idea and invoke emotion. 
• Avoid using tables of numbers. Instead stay focused on a key number or outcome and display it boldly with a few words. 500,000 Acres Saved in 2013
• Charts: Unless your writing a scientific paper, use charts simply and elegantly. Far too many presentations overload a slide with a chart, add data points, footnotes, explanations, etc. 
• Keep it simple.

The "Ask"

Elise Zelechowski, Rebuilding Exchange, is a young female executive director operating in an industry dominated by men; she was extremely clear about how much money her organization needed and how the money would be invested/used. Clear and direct. While a few others were ambiguous or chose to rely on their financial model. 

Another method, used by Rich Johnson, Spark Ventures which connects organizations and to children in-need, he cited results already achieved and then stated, "I need your help." Explaining the breakdown of the investment (rule of 3!) to help raise children out of poverty. Sharon Schneider, Moxie Jean an e-commerce upscale resale children's clothing, also illustrated "why do I need the money?" and how the investment will be put to use.

Pitch Session Evaluation: PechaKucha Chicago (Part 1)

PechaKucha vs Technori (Part 1)

Last week I attended a PechaKucha Chicago (Monday) and Technori Pitch (Tuesday) both very impressive and kudos to all who stepped onto the stage with a story to tell. Both community based, with PechaKucha more entertainment versus Technori business oriented. 

My interest was in the presentation styles, the delicacies of ‘how to say it’ and ‘get to the point’.  The following observations rely heavily on my Toastmasters evaluation protocol.

A PechaKucha (pronounced “pe-chak-cha”) is a rapid-fire presentation in which the presenter used 20 slides, each on-screen for 20 seconds. (20X20 = 400 seconds (or 6 minutes + 40 seconds)) When I say slides, I’m not referring to the slides you’d see in a business presentation. Slides for a PechaKucha are images! Images! The speaker has can either talk speak directly about each image or craft a story for the 20-slide presentation.

This month's PechaKucha was a special event, co-hosted with Chicago Tribune, held at the House of Blues. All, but two or three, of the eleven speakers were associated with the photo department of Chicago Tribune; staff photographers, freelance photographers and a photo archivist.

Overall finding: Presenters who crafted a story tended to invoke the most emotion from the audience.

Chris Walker, a foreign correspondent/photographer, told his behind-the-scenes story of war torn Somalia and meeting a bright young photographer–a young man who didn’t make it out of the country before the situation turned catastrophic.

How does an architect like Scott Rappe tell a story of buildings? He combined his passion with his community...Chicago. Incorporating illustrations like you would see in a children’s book to illustrate the evolution of city and suburban developments.“Old buildings connect us to the past just like our elders connect us to our past.” A beautiful testament for Chicago and other cities around the world.

The photo archivist/conservator, Erin Mytowski, her job is going into the “belly of beast” of the Chicago Tribune archives to catalog and digitize the glass plates and negatives of this historic institution. In 20 slides we experienced her daily descent into to the lower level of the tower into the storage vaults and a glimpse of her archival responsibilities. PLUS examples of why she does it. Including seeing: Al Capone, John Dillinger, street cars on State Street, entertainers like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and many more. Her message: preserving the past for future generations.

I could go on to describe the other presenters, including crime scene photographer Terrence James, Zbigniew Bzdak who grew up in communist Poland and broke the rules displaying his street photography publicly, or Alex Gracia’s 20 things he thought he’d never see.

Pointers for your PechaKucha 400 seconds:

• Six minutes and forty seconds isn’t a lot of time.
• A presentation for this format must be well planned and rehearsed.
• Use full size, bold image images, scaled proportionately.
• No text on your images.
• Storyboarding is essential to be on-time and on-point.
• Passion for the story (message) while engaging the audience.
• Invoke emotion. 
• Initiate action.
• Have a sense of humor.

Participating in a PechaKucha is an opportunity to connect with community. Visit the Chicago website for upcoming events.

Spring Celebration 10% Discount New Projects

For the third year in a row, I am offering a discount on creative services. 

Ten percent off new projects (please no updates to previous projects) now through June 28, 2013.

For more information, visit: Spring Celebration

Spring is undoubtedly my favorite season. When spring arrives, there are numerous celebrations in my family including four birthdays, mother & father days, and this year another high school graduation.

• Have you been thinking about launching that ebook?
• Catch the newest trend... proposal and pitch deck.
• Is your pitch/presentation deck in need of a new look?

Reach out to me today so we can discuss your project and get started NOW.

One of my client's recently said the following about their proposal-as-pitch deck.

"A visually-elevated and professional presentation of our company to prospective clients, receiving positive feedback and {serious} interest in our services."

Tyler B.

Sr. VP Global Sales