How to make presentation template work for your business (and why you need one)
Whether your business is completely rebranding or just giving its image a little nip and tuck, it could be time to call it a day on those old presentation and pitch decks.
That’s right, when looks are everything, some fresh and dazzling new slides could be a real game-changer for all your business’ future pitches and presentations.
The big conundrum
But here’s the problem: We know consistent presentation design across the board is an absolute must for building an instantly recognisable and trusted brand image, but we’re also warned the “template approach” to pitching and presentations is a real “no-no” when it comes to clarity and authenticity (well, only if it’s not done properly!) All too often, company-wide PowerPoint templates fail to cover off a range of specific requirements and layouts. Think about it this way; while finance teams might need to accommodate annual or six-monthly results in their presentations using charts and tables, marketing teams may need more specific tables, timelines, infographics and even placeholders for campaign content.
Don’t fall down the cracks!
This means generic templates can lead to a couple of negative consequences for businesses. To start with, different company divisions could find themselves bashing a square peg into a round hole by moulding their information to fit a template as is. But that’s not beneficial to anyone trying to follow or understand the information in front of them. Alternatively, different divisions could be compelled to take matters into their own hands by adapting the slides as they see fit. Sure, this sounds like a bit of healthy ingenuity, but it could also be a sledgehammer to that consistent quality design and branding the business has worked so hard to achieve.
Getting the best of both worlds: A tailored template (or two)?
So, in the name of efficiency, how can companies get the best of both worlds with a PowerPoint template that addresses the needs of different company divisions while ensuring the ball is never dropped on quality brand consistency? Of course, the obvious approach might be to create a comprehensive template that comprises every division’s desired layout. But this results in a huge document with hundreds of pages making it hard for teams to locate appropriate templates while quick formatting is a near impossibility! We don’t mean to brag but The Persuaders has helped a few large organisations produce some outstanding PowerPoint templates in the past. So, we really know the trick! While it’s always incredibly useful to produce one solid master brand template, it’s important to use this master template as the foundation for, say, 2 – 4 different iterations which cater for those specific needs described above. This way, your business will have peace of mind that every division will be putting their best foot forward with appropriate charts, tables, infographics and placeholders while representing the business’ brand in the best light with strong and consistent visual design – every time.
Getting the most out of those templates with new tech
But why is all this talk about intuitive PowerPoint templates so important, we hear you ask? Simply, because they work together with cutting-edge technology to bring a more efficient and consistent approach to building and delivering on-brand pitches and presentations right across a business. That’s right, with cloud-based services on the rise, a tool like Google Slides could be the perfect place to house your series of new presentation templates! Google Slides is an online tool that enables people to access presentation templates, make live and offline edits from any device, and even allows them to present directly from Google Slides itself. But this isn’t just about making sure everyone in the business has easy access to the same presentation templates in the name of consistency. Google Slides is much more than shared storage; it’s a collaborative platform which allows multiple team members to transparently work together on presentation slides no matter where they are in the world – whether it’s just a regular work from home day or they’re travelling overseas. So, now really could be a great time to take stock and get your presentation slides in check – even if you’re not in the throes of rebranding! While the one-size-fits-all approach will never work to your business’ best advantage, today it’s about owning a dynamic set of templates and engaging a dynamic and collaborative approach to turning those templates into a living, breathing and persuasive presentations that win results!
Why bother having a company template?
- Stop wasting countless hours on patching
together on-brand presentations - Empower your team to build their own
presentations, from a sound platform - Bomb-proof PowerPoint templates that
ensure your brand’s image…
