10 Tips for a Knockout Presentation at your Creative Agency

When it comes to putting together an effective agency presentation, less is definitely more. And by less, I don’t mean less practice, prep, structure and thought. I am simply referring to keeping your PowerPoint slides less cluttered visually and not putting together slides to be used as a teleprompter.

When I think back to the first presentation I did in a business setting, I am struck with a fresh feeling of terror. The audience was definitely out for blood, and picturing the audience naked elicited the gag reflex in a big way. In preparing for the presentation at the creative agency, I decided that PowerPoint was definitely my ally. I could just jam it full of every tidbit of information, and that way, I had backup. I would also wow the group with my advanced knowledge of PowerPoint transitions, graphics, and so much content they would be dazzled. During the presentation, I rushed big time. I just wanted it to be over, and I knew my fabulously supportive co-workers felt the same. It was a disaster, and if my colleagues remembered even one fact I presented, I would be shocked.

Since those newbie years, I have sat through many great presentations, attended a couple of classes and have picked up a couple of tips that have helped me to have more confidence and present information in a clear way in your design, creative or advertising agency. Here’s what I’ve got to share…

Visuals

1. Images − selecting which images you use is a fun task. Ask yourself if your point could be more clearly illustrated using an image, and consider using a photo editing tool to make the image look perfect. Remember that charts are hard to read so if you are going to use one, make sure it is simple. Lastly, no one wants to see fancy transitions and WordArt. It would be better to show a white slide with black font. We all attended PowerPoint 101 at least 10 years ago, and none of us are impressed.

2. Storytelling instead − instead of a slide, could you replace it with a story instead? Storytelling can be a great way to make a personal connection and is often the only thing that people walk away from agency presentations remembering. Perhaps include a funny story as a great opener, use one in the middle to help illustrate a point and at the end.

3. Bullet Points  − try and aim for four bullet points and 10 words per bullet. Key words can be in bold and throw in a capital where applicable.

Content

4. Create a logical outline  − creative agency presentations need structure. The order of your slides is very important and should have a logical flow.

5. Know your audience  − I know it sounds like a simple question, but who are you talking to? Remember that the content you present at your creative agency should be at the same level as your audience. They should also be considered when selecting which images to use or which stories to tell.

6. Tell me something that I don’t already know  − put the time in effort into the content that you are going to present. Tell your audience something new, exciting and interesting.

Communication

7. The devil is in the details − keep your points concise and don’t ramble. We know you are an expert on the subject but while you are getting too detailed in your explanations, your audience has packed their bags and is headed to Lala Land.

8. Another media − try including another media in your agency presentation. Whether it is a short YouTube clip or playing a tune, it will add variety and keep your audience interested.

9. Handouts − your audience will definitely be distracted and lose interest in what you are saying if you give them a handout too early on (Ooh, paper!). It is better to include more detailed information, key points, and references for them to learn more in a document that you hand out at the end of the agency presentation, otherwise known as the “take-a-way”.

Lastly

10. Be enthusiastic (you are not a robot), don’t fidget, speak clearly and make sure your zipper is up!

Leanne Steer | fp. Training Consultant

Download your free creative brief template