14 Nov 8 Tips for Successful Presentation and Proposal Design
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8 Tips for Successful Presentation and Proposal Design
The knowledge that you are going to deliver a presentation can be one of the most nerve-wracking things to think about. From a frightening stage to the possibility that you might forget some of the points planned, presentations are an engagement that most people would rather not get involved in.
No matter how challenging this encounter might seem, it shouldn’t be. We live in a time when access to the resources needed to enhance your activities is easy. There is a high chance that you are reading this article from a smartphone or laptop. These alone have countless apps that are designed to simplify our lives. That’s to say that if you look well, you cannot fail to get a couple of apps to assist with presentation and proposal design.
As you gear up to prepare your presentation and proposal, the following tips should help you have an easy time with that:
#1: Consider the three ingredients of a presentation
You cannot successfully execute a presentation if you do not bear in mind what is required. There are three critical components which you cannot afford to ignore:
- Content – When your target audience sets aside their time to listen to your presentation, they are more interested in what you have to say. Great content ensures that those listening to you are empowered to make an informed decision. For you to coin something that people will remember for a long time, you must conduct detailed research. More of this will be discussed in a later section of this article.
- Visual Design – Visuals refer to that which the audience sees. For starters, most people are not a fan of speeches and presentations. Thus, if your work is full of text and nothing to captivate their attention, you can expect that they will lose track during the course of your presentation. Visuals such as images and slides come in handy in supporting your presentation content.
- Delivery – This entails the actual process of conducting the presentation. As you design the proposal and presentation, be sure to think about how you will let the audience get to know your ideas.
These three components work like a three-legged table. The table might still be standing in the absence of one leg, but its stability won’t be assured. Similarly, you might still be able to make a presentation by ignoring either of the components, but it will not be that effective.
#2: Think about your audience
One of the biggest mistakes you can ever make in a presentation is to assume that all the members of your audience have the same attributes. The truth of the matter is that they are from different backgrounds with varied needs and levels of understanding. You have both introverts and extroverts. For that reason, the presentation needs to be dynamic enough to cater for their needs.
Never lean your presentation to one side. For example, if it comprises mainly of activities and workshops, the extroverts will be pleased while the introverts will regret coming. At the same time, the introverts will be happier if the whole session is all about lecturing and zero activities. As a presenter, you must balance your message and activities. Similar to most things in life, moderation is key to success.
Just being told to think about your audience can at times sound quite vague. Never take anyone for granted. Since the audience has given you their attention, you should reward them by paying attention to their needs. But as you do so, do not expect that you will be loved. Your ultimate goal should be to use this presentation to get them to change their status quo.
#3: Research
Not all presentations and proposal designs require a significant amount of research. However, you will still have to conduct some kind of research if you are to understand the target persons. No matter what you are handling, execute some research. Why would you do so? Because it’s difficult to deliver a convincing message if you do not understand and comprehend the situation you’re in.
Conduct research as evidence. We live in an era where we have access to vast amounts of data. Basically, almost all people can write, but that does not imply whatever you are reading is the truth. You ought to check the source of your information and even how the author collected the data.
As a presenter, you must have research evidence as this shows mastery of your domain. An important tip is to make sure that you do not include a lot of evidence. Wisely go through your research materials and present what carries more weight.
The knowledge gained during research is invaluable. It gives you an understanding of the amount of work needed to help the would-be client in the case of a proposal. At the same time, it makes it possible for you to gather accurate information necessary for the design proposal. This paints a positive image of the good services you are going to provide.
#4: Determine good software
One positive thing about this is that we are in the 21st century, where access to proposal and presentation design tools is readily available. These tools ensure that proposal writing becomes a task that is easier to most than it might seem.
PowerPoint has dominated most company presentations, making it some kind of routine. When you use mundane slides featuring too many bullets, you might have a challenge capturing your target audience’s attention. This tool might be helpful in some cases, but technology provides us with tons of other presentation solutions to make your work easier.
Whereas it is possible to use traditional software like Google Slides, PowerPoint, and Keynote in your presentation design, you might want to break from this trend. If you are looking for something that does more than just creating bullet points and simple slides plus image insertion, then you have to look past these conventional methods.
Some modern design tools to consider include:
- Visme
- Haiku Deck
- Pitcherific
- Canva
- SlideCamp
“Our knowledgeable team can help you with designing a presentation or proposal that’ll engage your audience.”
#5: Consider the proposal structure
The essence of a presentation is to pass across specific information and even get the target audience to act in a preferred manner. Similarly, a proposal is aimed at solving the prospect’s problem. For these aims to be achieved, people have gotten used to following a particular pattern. That is what you have to master as you gear up for presentation and proposal design.
The structure of your proposal needs to be one that is impressive right from the beginning. Impress your client by clearly laying out the problem. At the end of the day, the client is more interested in their problem than anything else. Therefore, the adopted structure should demonstrate that this is the central focus.
The exact flow of components in the proposal may vary, but it ought to incorporate the following:
- Title
- Executive Summary
- Introduction
- Problem or Need Statement
- Objection and Solution
#6: Have an online and offline copy
As you design your presentation, be sure to have a copy that you can comfortably present offline. If you used an online-based tool in the design, download the copy. For those doing demonstrations of a product, be ready with screencast and screenshots in case of any eventualities.
Imagine you are making a presentation directly from an online-based platform and halfway into the presentation, the Wi-Fi develops issues. This can be one of the most horrifying encounters. Luckily, with an offline copy, you will not be bothered much. Simply get out your drive and carry on!
In addition to creating an offline copy, be sure to backup your backup. There are so many presentations that you will attend, and the presenter’s thumb drive just fails. If you do not have a backup, you will be flatlined. Make as many backups as possible. You could save one on Dropbox, email yourself another, and have an offline copy.
#7: Expound your solution /main ideas
This is the juncture at which you give your target audience the value for their time. They have paid attention up until now because whatever you have been sharing resonates with them. Now, the only thing that you have to do is present a solution or major takeaways for further discussion.
A good solution comprises of the following:
- Detailed explanation of the course of actions required to realise the solution.
- Key statistics and data that supports your proposed solution.
- Explanation of the strategy for solving the problem at hand.
- Review of the strategy in order to settle at an agreeable solution.
You must make sure that your solution is written with key attention to detail. That is because the entire design was tailored towards eventually delivering the solution or major idea.
As a matter of fact, your clients will be more attentive when looking through the solution than any other section. If they find it satisfactory, they will be ready to take the next course of action.
#8: Show the way forward
If you had a good presentation and proposal design, there is a high chance that the target audience will read all the way to your solution. Thumbs up for the work well done! But everything does not stop there. Include a section detailing what they have to do next.
As a conclusion to your presentation or proposal, inform your target audience what they need to do next. In the event of a proposal, you could let them know about your general terms and conditions, payment terms, and the timeframe for the working relationship. In case of a presentation, this might involve ways in which the target audience can catch up with you later on and even give feedback.
The final section should also comprise of motivational persuaders like excitement for knowing that you will work together or can be in touch past the presentation. These kinds of persuaders come in handy in encouraging your prospects to accept the proposal. If you are confident about the proposal, the prospects will sense it, losing any doubts they might have had.
Get in touch
Having difficulties with your presentation and proposal design? Worry no more. At edirect, we have vast experience in this field and would be glad to help you design one. Our team will work closely with you to understand your requirements and create a unique proposal or presentation.
