Think before you open your file…

It was good to see some common sense in your article about the use of technology in business presentations (MW October 31). It amazes me how frequently companies forget that occasions such as a credentials presentation or a pitch are not an examination in applied technology, but an opportunity to demonstrate an ability to communicate a relevant and effective message to a well-defined target audience.

I’ve seen some real howlers (ten minutes of the wrong slide show is a particular favourite), and they usually occur because the presenter has forgotten the primary objective of the meeting. It might be more effective to treat presentations in the same way we treat every other marketing opportunity: look carefully at the audience, the message, and the desired outcomes, before diving into the dangerous obscurity of the PowerPoint user’s manual.

Nick Pride-Hearn

Director

IMD

Romney Marsh

Kent