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What about using graphic if your PowerPoint presentation? Does it make sense? I’m sure you heard something like “our graphics will make your presentation looks professional” or “make it vivid”, but you still must understand why you use or do not use graphics in your presentation.

The first fact is that pictures are easier for visual perception than text, but pictures will not contain as much information as text will. So, use pictures to add some life to your presentation, to point on key concepts and ideas.

Second fact, having pictures in your presentation is a good way to differentiate between slides. People will remember more if they will have a visual image of what you are talking right now.

Third, in fact, if you what presentation to look professional then you don’t need to full it with hundreds pictures. It wound be enough to add a company logo, sometime it is necessary to add more graphics, but… keep it simple. Remember, that people might need to access your presentation from the web and the presentation size should not be bigger that 60 minutes of high-quality video.

What about using graphic libraries? If you will use some free clipart, then you will not achieve the goal for your presentation to look like professional one. People used these clip arts thousand of times and will know where did you get these pictures from. The good idea is to purchase a package of ready to use presentation images or ask company designer to prepare several images for your presentation.

What about using animation, movies and so on in your presentation? Well, it’s a good idea to put vivid video in your presentation, but remember that if may be hard to get this presentation online and keep all formats and files in a proper way.

The general question – should the presentation be animated in someway? For instance, PowerPoint allows to draw your slide step by step – first draw the title, then represent one by one some key phrases. This is great idea as people who will listen to you will carefully follow your ideas, but again, you will not be able to make sure that your presentation will be represented online correctly with all steps that you have planned.

The recommendation is simple – use graphics in your presentation. It’s very good idea to make it look professional, but only graphics will not do job for you.

Images that work! I talk about charts and diagrams. People are willing to have a look at statistics. Statistics is what making people crazy about everything, so if you have some statistic, then add it to your presentation. Tell about your sales in past, future and planned. Show the numbers not just in text, but on chart. Name the chart accordingly – don’t tell “The chart number …”, tell what this chart explains “The growth of sales during last two years was not what we were looking for”.

So how does professional presentation look like? It may have some pictures, but author focuses on clear ideas supporting them with chars and diagrams. That is the key to successful presentation.

For those who lack confidence, business negotiation creates anxiety or panic. But negotiation is a merely a discussion (or a series of discussions) used to resolve disputes, or to create and approve agreements/ contracts. This article shows how you can negotiate successfully if you keep a few key rules in mind.

To be an effective business negotiator, consider three key points: you must be able to communicate effectively and listen carefully. If you can do both you’ll find the process of negotiating will be much smoother and more fruitful. Thirdly, be well organised;a lack of thorough preparation is the most common reason why people come unstuck during business negotiations.

Before you begin your next negotiation, reflect on the following guidelines:

1. Do your homework. It’s essential that you’re fully prepared before discussions begin. Know the background and cover the implications for all the parties involved. Discover the other participants’ situation and goals so as to anticipate problems or objections and prepare counter-solutions.
2. Never enter negotiations until all parties know what’s being negotiated and agree to discussions. This speaks for itself but as a precaution, have the moderators or the lead negotiator announce what everyone is there for and make sure all are in agreement.
3. Set some ground rules. As above, setting ground rules for the sessions avoids potential conflict as well as creates an environment where people can concentrate on the discussion at hand.
4. Be prepared to offer something that the other party will see as a benefit. Anticipating the other party’s goals & objectives gives you an opening to offer a concession or opportunity which is genuinely of value to them. A win: win approach allows both parties to feel they have achieved gains and thus be open to further concessions. Listening well will help you discover what your fellow negotiators need and want so you can make an appropriate proposal.
5. Don’t commit anything to writing until you fully understand it and can live with it. Avoid written commitments unless you are willing to be held accountable. Don’t feel pressured to put something on paper. After all, you may not have the full information or knowledge to know whether such commitments are the right option for your business.
6. Agreeing to disagree. It’s quite normal to find that during the course of the negotiation, one party or all parties will have areas of disagreement. Your prior research should have anticipated areas of concern in advance. If the solutions or alternatives being offered aren’t acceptable, or if you feel you’re unsure of the implications, declare this without rancour so you can work through it.
7. Behave with dignity and respect. Never allow negotiations to get personal in nature – it’s a business meeting, so there’s no need for antagonism. Treat all participants as you’d wish to be treated; your personal and business reputation will be damaged if you don’t behave respectfully and with good manners during negotiations.
8. Know when to take time out. If necessary, ask for more time to think about things or work out figures, or to find more information. You don’t have to say yes immediately; it’s okay to review and consider the new ideas on the table. Feeling under pressure to confirm or to please won’t help you come to the right decision for your business.
9. Walking away or saying goodbye. Occasionally, neither party can reach an equitable agreement. Ultimately, if the deal isn’t right for your business the consequences can be damaging. Be open to other solutions or alternatives but if none are acceptable then calling the negotiation to a graceful close is acceptable practice. Either way, you’ll have learnt a great deal during the negotiating process so put the experience to good use in the future.
10. Always clarify the result of the negotiations in writing. Tie upthe discussion so there is no misunderstanding. This also provides the chance for final minor modifications with minimal risk. Once the principles are accepted all consenting parties, a group signature will make the conclusion official.
11. Remain professional to the end. Do maintain decorum after discussions conclude. If all parties feel that they had a good outcome, then celebrations can be appropriate “to seal the deal”. But, if ending a dispute or conflict, then be mindful of the feelings of all involved and do not appear self-congratulatory or indignant depending on the outcome. Behave well and your own reputation will be enhanced, not diminished.

Negotiations are opportunities to explore new avenues or directions, or to resolve difficult situations. Enter negotiations with a clear head, be prepared, be respectful and feel confident of your ability to discuss the key issues which affect your business. I hope you find the guidelines of use and I wish you good fortune in your future negotiations.

No matter how informative any presentation is, it tends to get boring and audience tends to lose focus and concentration. This is more often the case, especially when the subject is technical or includes topics that need description. The ideal solution is to throw in some jokes and make the atmosphere light. This will surely be a welcome and change and will surely result in attentive listening and increased concentration. Do make sure that these punches are introduced well before the audience reaches a saturation point.

Who says serious images or boring logos can be added to the slides, one can add pictures of cartoon characters and aptly fit them in the presentation. Again, do not overdo it; otherwise it will take the focus away from main topic or purpose of the meeting.

Lines after lines and long paragraphs, if you find it bland so will your viewers. Presentation should be treated like a narrative; it’s like narrating a story, which the audience will love to hear and will be keen to know the next point. You can add jazz to the slides by using fade in fade out effects, or animation or simply include some sound files. The efforts you take to gather classify data and prepare a presentation, presenting it well also adds to its success. The layout of slides, font color, font size and the order of the topics and many other factors cannot be ignored and need to be taken care off.

Do not forget to make the presentation visually pleasant as well as easy on eyes. Keep it clean and simple, rather using gaudy colors that merely make it look like an eye sore, use basic and light colors and normal fonts. Avoid cluttering the slide with data, use numbering or bullets to differentiate titles and sub titles. Highlight or bold the important text; if you want to ensure that in the course of the presentation, the listeners need to know a particular point, you can also insert notes at the bottom of every slide. The advantage of this notes section is that only the presenter sees it.

Keeping all interested and engaged is truly a tough job and to handle all this with ease all you need is cues and prompts. These additions not only pique interests but help you in taking the topic forward without disturbing the flow of the PPT.

All these efforts and endeavors are to achieve a single goal of giving an effective presentation. Once you get the hang of it, nothing can stop you from delivering successful presentations. These minor points when included the presentation turns out be simply flawless and good. You can also give a mock presentation so that you are able to review it and detect the errors or flaws.

In a nutshell, think like the audience, if you find a particular thing bland so will they. The more presentations you give the better you will get at it. You can also refer to variety of websites and self-help blogs that give you tips to enhance your presentation.