How to Create a Product Demo
Using Powerpoint?

chillibreeze writer — Sloka Balasubramanyan

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Originally developed by Macintosh and subsequently acquired by Microsoft, MS-PowerPoint ("PPT" or "PowerPoint") is probably the most effective presentation tool available. It undoubtedly towers high above its lesser peers such as Corel Presentation, Apple Keynote and Google Docs. Over the years, PowerPoint has become synonymous with presentations everywhere - from student projects in schools and universities to corporate and business setups.

In the corporate world, particularly, PowerPoint presentations have extensive use, both within the organization and outside. The need for presentations is paramount for sales and marketing teams to reach out to a wider clientele. Whether it is to launch a product, explain its features, exhibit trends by way of graphics, tables and charts or to create eye-catching brochures/flyers that aid in the promotional activities of the organization - PPT is the most effective means to all these ends!

Product Demos in PPT are near-lifelike and extremely useful, especially where physical demonstration is either not possible, infeasible or extremely tedious owing to size, weight and/or other characteristics of the product. Presentations created in PowerPoint have unparalleled visual appeal and also facilitate the use of pictures, graphics, audio and video elements to engage the audience and give them a 'virtual feel' of the product that the company is out to sell.

This brings us to a very important question. How to create a Product Demo using Power Point? We shall go about answering this in a step-by-step manner.

Step 1 - Even before starting on the actual PPT, it is important to decide what goes into it and how much. Revealing too less may defeat the purpose of the presentation and giving away too much may be detrimental as well. The key to effective selling lies in showcasing the strengths and masking weaknesses. Perfection is elusive and no product is flawless! The Product Demo should endeavor to answer the single most important question of any category of the audience - "What's in it for me?"

Step 2 - As in any presentation, structure is very important. The demo would have the greatest impact when logical flow is maintained throughout the presentation. It is unprofessional and careless to be haphazardly moving from one aspect to another. Let's take any product, for instance, a Microwave oven. A typical sequence for the demo would be as listed below:

- Introduction: The presentation should commence with a brief background of the company and its products and service offerings. The product in question should be introduced here. If it is a new product, it may be a good idea to add a few lines as to the rationale belying it - for instance, the company may be diversifying its home appliances division to include microwaves. The move may also be the result of top-level consolidation or acquisition of a company that produces microwaves. Whatever the reason, if it is decided to be included in the presentation, it should ideally come in here.

- Features: This should give broad details of the product characteristics. In case of a microwave, these would include parameters like capacity in terms of liters or cubic feet, countertop or over range model, dimensions, wattage, available colors, defrost facility, automatic one-touch buttons, and others. This section should also include pictures of the product from various angles and zoomed in images of the various internal and external parts of the microwave. 3D images also give a good effect.

This part of the presentation may also mention the country where the parts are made and/or assembled, the material used to make them (example steel, rubber, iron, etc) to give the audience clarity on the details. A common mistake encountered when making presentations is the tendency to 'Assume' that our intended audience "knows". We should always remember that 'When we assume, we make an 'ass' of 'u' and 'me'!" Therefore, it is prudent to divulge all relevant details however minute they may seem.

- Utility and Benefits - It is extremely important in today's competitive environment, to educate the audience (among who are prospective users, critics, media-persons, etc) as to why the product of the company is superior to that of competitors. This section should bring out the aspects of the product that will subsequently serve as its selling point - such as wider options in one-touch menu, sensitive soft-touch buttons, greater capacity packed into smaller size, reduction in cooking time due to higher wattage, etc.

- The actual Demo - PPT offers the facility to embed audios and videos into the presentation. The demo could be entirely on the presentation by making use of these A/V tools. This is achieved by using the 'Insert tab' available in PPT and thereafter choosing the required option from among Movie, Video, Sounds, Graphic, Object, etc. These can be moved around the slide to be finally positioned where they render the maximum appeal.

Alternatively, where a physical demonstration is possible, the product demo may be supplemented by key highlights flashing on the presentation as the person in-charge conducts the demo.

The demo MUST encompass all features of the product. Where the demo is being relayed through videos, there should be independent videos highlighting the various features.

Taking our example further, the demo for a microwave that has push-button technology to make popcorn must include making the popcorn and serving it to the audience even if the demo is virtual! If the microwave is capable of operating at temperatures of 500 degrees, that must be exhibited through a video. So on and so forth.

- Additional data - If there is anything else about the product that needs to be communicated, it must be done here. This could be the broad price range and special offers (for instance, free microwavable containers or cookbooks to aid microwave cooking) pertaining to the product, warranty/guarantee period, etc.

Step 3 - Once the structure is readied, preparing the presentation using PowerPoint becomes a streamlined effort. It is important to deploy the features available in PowerPoint to make the demo appealing to the audience. However, one should bear in mind that cluttering the presentation would also leave a poor taste in the mouth. Some pointers to be borne in mind when embarking on preparation of the presentation:

- Ensure to use a constant color theme. Using multiplicity of colors steals away the professional feel of the presentation. The color used should complement the product - it should either match or contrast the color of the product depending on aesthetic considerations. Jarring, fluorescent colors or patterned shades that affect visibility are a strict no-no!

- Avoid making the file too heavy and upload videos after appropriate adjustments to file size where possible since presentations that show up on the screen in a manner similar to the visuals on a pirated CD are quite a put-off!

- Decide on slide animations and timings in advance and sync it with the speech pertaining to that part of the presentation, if any.

- Use visual elements like tables and charts available in PowerPoint to communicate quantitative details as these enjoy better recall vis-a-vis raw numbers.

- Use the design elements available in the ‘Design’ tab of PowerPoint to enhance the visual appeal of the presentation.

Step 4 - Multiple dry runs of the demo before actually presenting it to the intended audience are a must. It may a good idea to present to a colleague/friend who is not part of the product team and take feedback on the content, lucidity and understandability thereof in order to gauge whether the matter would reach out to the intended audience in the intended manner.

Step 5 - Take centre-stage and rattle away! And be sure to carry handouts of the presentation to distribute to members of the audience though what they should ideally carry back with them is an image of the product as demonstrated carved into their mind's eye.

Well-begun is half done. Therefore, the secret to creating a successful Product Demo on PowerPoint lies in proper planning and efficient execution. Starting off on the presentation with the end in mind is sure to pay off.

 

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Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in February, 2012. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

 

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—About our writer: Sloka Balasubramanyan is a Chartered Accountant and presently works with the valuations practice of a big 4 cccounting firm in Mumbai. She is a prolific writer with several accolades at essay, story and report writing contests to her credit. She loves to write abstract poems, stories and articles about things that bring joy - nature, philosophy, emotions and human relationships. In addition, she has prior experience in assisting with thought leaderships for the business sector and on marketing campaigns of social organisations.

 

 

 

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